Chapter 61- Arise and Practice

Lily's pov

The sun rose, illuminating the sky with its gentle rays and covering the thick woods of the rebellion camp with a golden blanket. I woke up feeling the crisp morning air, refreshed and energised from a dreamless sleep. My heart was pounding with new found hope and my mind ablaze with new found resolve; I was determined to prove my loyalty to the rebellion and defend against the monarchy. Today, we focus on archery. I take a deep breath as I pick up my quiver and bow, ready to take on the morning. I looked over at my twin brother Arthur who was snoring into his pillow, and laid a gentle hand upon his shoulder.

'Arthur,' I whispered, shaking him slightly. 'Arthur, it's time to rise up.'

Arthur opened his eyes and groaned, his face scrunched in concentration. His tired eyes slowly adjusted to the morning light.

'Have you checked the training room?' He mumbled, sleep still in his voice.

'Yes, Gilbert and Kirito are already there. Come on, let's go.' I said, dragging him out of his bed.

'Ready,' I heard Arthur answer in a determined voice. We walk together down the winding hallway that leads to the Heaven's Guerrillas training room.

When we arrive, Gilbert and Kirito are already preparing for the day. Kirito is polishing his sword quietly to the side and Gilbert is oiling his bow with a soft cloth. The air smells of sharp metal and sweat.

Arthur

The sun casts an orange pall upon the morning sky, painting it a warm, dusty pink. As I take a deep breath, I feel the tension of my muscles and a sense of determination.

My sister, Lily, has already arrived at the training room. Gilbert and Kirito have already begun to prepare. The atmosphere is intense and serious as we all gear up for our next session.

The training room is filled with a variety of types of equipment. There are swordsmanship dummies that look like well-dressed men made from hay, wooden, or foam. They are used to practice our stances with swords and sharpen our accuracy.

For archery practice, there are moving targets. They are hung from the ceiling by a thin wire and swing slowly back and forth as they sway in the air. We must use precise timing and an eagle-eye to hit them correctly.

As I neared the back of the room, I noticed the archery lane. There were moving targets that we had to shoot at if we wanted our archery practice to be any good. It seemed like the perfect ambience to test my true fighting spirit, and I was ready to prove myself to the Guerrillas. I took a deep breath, as I readied my bow and nocked an arrow onto the string in a single fluid motion.

I watched as Lily drew her bow with pride and grace, her arrow piercing towards the target with an almost audible 'whoosh'. She seemed to have an aura of determination as she fired her shots with a newfound will. I glanced at her briefly, taking in the intensity of the moment in her eyes, until I too came forward and shot my first arrow.

We both shot arrow after arrow until the targets were all but decimated by our combined precision and adroitness. It was the perfect practice session, one that was full of metaphorical blood and sweat, and it had earned us both the respect of the Guerrillas. Our hearts were full of a sense of satisfaction, as we knew that our next step would be towards victory.