Chapter 14: Bow and Armour

Sidhe just left the dungeon, he spent the last week gathering enough money to buy armour, he was preparing to enter the eight floor, and the improved defence will be a great boon.

He walked leisurely through the Central park, watching birds singing songs in the green trees, the sun spreading its warm embrace over the flowers, grass, trees and the people that were present.

Some were couples, though most were adventurers going and coming from the dungeon, it was a perfect day for a nap. He was planning to change his weapons in the future, while he liked the saber very much, lacking the ability to thrust well was worsening his combat ability.

He did have two daggers, but they were for close combat, he needed to get really close to the monster to deal the finishing blow.

As he was thinking of his combat skills and how to increase them, he was greeted by Syr, who had two pouches of groceries. She looked at him with her big eyes, he felt that she wanted something from him, but what, evaded him. He wasn't able to understand just what she was pointing to.

She said, "How's your day Sidhe? Have been to the dungeon, or you are just going now?" giving him a small smile.

"I just left the dungeon, I am planning to buy armour as it's getting too dangerous without it. What are you doing?"

She stood silent for a second, looking at him with a blank face, "I was shopping, and now I am going back to Hostess of Fertility."

He was observing a bird chirping on a branch, his tail wiggling, eyes marking its every move, he had the sudden urge to jump on it, he then said, "Oh, those bags you carry must be heavy."

She blinked, "Yes, they are very heavy, my hands are hurting."

"Awful."

Syr lowered her head, to hide her frustrated expression, "Sidhe can you help me carry these bags?"

He turned towards her, and said, "Sure."

Sidhe was coming back from the Hostess of Fertility, he didn't stay much after he helped Syr with the bags. He wanted to talk with Alazan about armour.

He entered the Babel tower, a piece of architecture that lorded over the entire Orario, worthy of being the Gods home. He went to the Alazan's floor, there she was polishing her weapons.

She glanced lazily at him, exactly like a cat, then said, "Whatcha need honey?"

He rotated his head, looking at the vast array of armour and weapons, he thought that she was a beginner smith, but it seems, he was wrong, well, he should have noticed that the first time. Having your personal smithy and shop in Hephaestus familia was a recognition of your skills.

He responded, "Armour, I am thinking of chainmail armour, how much does it cost?"

Alazan took a seat at the counter, taking a blade and started cleaning her nails, she responded, "It costs around twenty thousand valis."

His ears were erect, what? He couldn't believe his ears what he heard, that was a huge amount of money, while he had it on his account. In no way he would pay that much just for an armour, damned be his body.

Alazan peeking through her eyelashes, she saw his expression and shock at the amount, she softened her voice and said, "There are cheaper variants, chainmail armour is harder to make, so the high price. Maybe a light armour made from leather can interest yer? Or even a metal one, as it's cheaper."

He reluctantly nodded, he needed armour, even if his heart will bleed at the waste of money. He couldn't continue to prowl as brazen as he did in the past, the lower levels were dangerous.

He looked through the variety of armours, one caught his eyes, it was a piece of leather armour with parts made from metal at weak points. At the arms, legs and stomach. He looked at the price, around ten thousand valis. He said to Alazan, "I want to buy it."

Sidhe was looking in the mirror with his new armour. It was a tunic made from leather, in a soulless grey colour, with long sleeves that reached his hands. On his right shoulder he had a pouldron made from metal. The pants were padded with metal sheets, that conferred little defence on their own.

The armour was okay, in the end, if he wanted better armour he would need to spend a treasure. Something he didn't want to do.

He put his ashy robe, hiding the armour from sight, he paid the money and left Alazan's shop.

He came back home, Naaza was at the counter, waiting for costumers to arrive, she didn't have as much as she expected, the pain and suffering.

Sidhe remembered about that offer to learn how to use a bow, he was forming a plan on how to level up to second level, of course, he would wait till he reached S status in agility, dexterity and strength, but till then, it would not hurt to start early.

He approached Naaza, who was falling asleep on her chair, he asked, "Naaza, are you busy?"

She slowly turned her head, looking with her half-lidded eyes, saying, "No…"

"Then, you said that if I want, you could teach me how to use the bow, can we start today?"

She rasped her fingers on the counter, her ears were raising from her head, "Hmm, wait here for moment. I need to… take my bow, we can start today…"

She left to bring her bow, while Sidhe waited. Her bow was large, with sliver and brow interlined. It was a masterpiece, her only item left from adventuring days.

She looked at the clock on the wall, seeing that there weren't any customers on the streets, she closed the shop and took him to the back of it.

There, she took a position and shoot the bow, the arrow hit straight into the building's wall.

Sidhe was awed. Naaza took the arrow back, then said, "Take the bow, then nock an arrow. Stay in that position, even if your arms hurt."

He draw the bow, his muscles were tense, trembling at the sheer power he needed to keep In arms, he wondered just how much Naaza trained to use the bow. His arms faltered, and the arrow flew, hitting the ground as it lost the trajectory.

Naaza shook her head, "Do it again, you were stressing the string too much, lower the power behind the draw…"

Sidhe did it again, this time the arrow flew in air, then fell down to earth. Her ears twitched, saying, "Wait a moment."

Then took a comfortable chair from the house, and sat down it, having a book in her hand, she said, "Okay, you can start again…"

He took the initial position, departing his legs, drawing the bow, nocking the arrow, then he let it free. The arrow hit the ground between the wall, almost hitting the wall, just some celcs higher. He sighed and took the arrow back.

He spent hours, till the day became night, and the sun became moon, his hands were burning, his muscles were living snakes, twitching, yet he couldn't land even one arrow to the wall, holes were spread over the little yard in the back.

Naaza was smiling, having another book in her hand, as she finished the latter, she said, slurring the words, "Great work Sidhe, I am very impressed by your ability with the bow, though, I hope you are better with your sword, as I don't see you succeeding in the dungeon with how you are doing right now…"

Sidhe narrowed his eyes at her, of course she needed to make fun of him, he let a sigh, it wasn't worth to debate with her. She was a witch.

Lord Miach came and invited them in, he prepared the meal. It was smelling a meat, fish meat. Sidhe was salivating, his canines were showing, the same was Naaza who loved Lord Miach's culinary skills, and not only that, though, Sidhe will never say that part out loud.

Sidhe cut the meat in fine pieces, and was eating them with his fork, slowly chewing the meat to appreciate the taste, it was medium-rare, with blood still present in, he loved that little blood taste.

Naaza was eating like a wolf, gulping down entire parts of meat, if he wasn't paying attention, Naaza would have one-hundred percent stole his meat.

Lord Miach finished his meal, now he was only waiting for the rest of them to finish, he said, "Naaza, please eat slowly, there is enough meat for you, and Sidhe."

She grumbled something between her chewing, Lord Miach then said to Sidhe, "Why are you learning how to use the bow?"

Sidhe tilt his head, "I need a long-range weapon, the bow would be perfect for that."

Miach nodded, "I doubt that is the only reason you learn how to use a bow, it's not in your personality to spend so much time just for a little advantage, even more so that you focus on speed and dexterity."

Sidhe finished the last piece of meat, he blushed at Miach's words, saying, "Uh, the bow will be helpful on my plan-" Lord Miach wanted to ask, but Sidhe cut him short, "It's working in progress, and I will not disclose, yet."

A growing smile appeared on Lord Miach's face, he liked that Sidhe started being proactive, he, in the past, embodied the stereotype of cat people, in a word, being lazy.

Then he started worrying about the plan, Sidhe had a penchant to get injured, and to have overconfidence in his skills, saying, "My dear Sidhe, please be careful with your plan, I can't see any good coming from it."

Sidhe's tail was waggling behind him, Naaza had a satisfied smile, she evoked a lazy aura, intoxicating Sidhe, though, it was his time to clean the utensils and the dirty dishes.

The next day he was shooting with the bow, Naaza had a cauldron prepared outside, she was making potions. Obnoxious fumes were leaving the rusting cauldron, while she was mixing with wooden spoon.

Sidhe missed again, and again, he just couldn't shot straight, he glanced at Naaza, who had an infuriating smug look, that was saying, "Loser"

Only after a week of effort, and only shooting with the bow, he finally, hit the target, he wanted to scream of pleasure, though he reined in that exaltation.

Naaza slowly clapped, saying, "Good job, though, I wonder if you can hit a second time…"

He did, and missed, Naaza was trying to hold her laughter, Lord Miach was keeping the shop while she was playing the teacher. Sidhe miffed to say the last, he wanted to break the bow in his frustration.

Of course, if he did that… Goodbye dear life, as Naaza will make him minced meat.

She approached him and shown how to nock the arrow again, guiding his hands, then how to draw the bow and shoot.

He succeeded, then tried as Naaza shown, and missed; yet, fourth time the charm. He started to hit the targets, between multiple misses. By the end of the day, he hit one in two times. Good for a beginner, now, of course the only way to progress was to continue to use the bow.

Naaza saying, "This is the last day I will observe you, I think you are good enough with the bow. The only thing to do, is to go dungeoning with it… though, leave my bow, you need to buy yours. As for what bow to buy, I recommend a composite one, or a longbow, depends on your needs really, composite is compact and fast, longbow is more accurate. There are many variations and styles… Make sure to get one that fits your hands."

Next day, Sidhe was on his way to Azalan to get a bow, with pain in heart, his hard worked money will be gone, again.