Under the soft glow of the full moon, Hannah stood in a shooting stance, her bow in hand, ready to fire.
Draven stood nearby, watching intently, his red eyes glowing in the moonlight.
Hannah pulled the bowstring.
A arrow made of mana materialized.
She released it.
The arrow tore through the air, striking a tree far in the distance. It pierced straight through the trunk and continued on, piercing through several more trees beyond it.
Draven's red eyes gleamed.
*So this is how it works. By drawing the bow, you absorb the nearby mana and condense it into an arrow.*
*So I can use it without using my own mana.*
*Hell yeah.*
He looked from the bow in Hannah's hands to the trees the arrow had pierced.
*That's pretty damn impressive. She didn't even have to carry a quiver full of arrows. As long as there's mana around, she can keep shooting.*
He glanced at the damaged trees again.
*And that thing has some serious penetrating power.*
Hannah lowered her bow and looked at him, her expression still blank.
Draven caught her gaze and pointed at himself.
*I guess it's my turn.*
He raised his bow and assumed a shooting stance.
He planted his feet, straightened his back, and held the bow in front of him. Then he drew the bowstring.
A arrow made of mana appeared.
Draven looked at it with satisfaction.
*Nice. So far, so good.*
He adjusted his aim toward a tree in the distance.
*Now, let's see what this thing can do.*
Just as he was about to release the arrow, Hannah placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
Draven turned his head toward her.
Hannah shook her head.
"What? Am I not doing it right?" Draven asked.
Hannah nodded.
Draven stared at her for a moment.
*She doesn't speak, but I think I can still understand what she's trying to say.*
He lowered his bow slightly and examined his stance.
*What's wrong with it? I'm holding the bow, I've drawn the string, and the arrow's there. What else am I supposed to do?*
Hannah stepped in front of him and assumed a shooting stance.
She positioned her feet, held her bow steady, and drew the string. Her movements were smooth and practiced, as though she had done this countless times before.
Draven watched carefully.
She wasn't just standing there and pulling the string. Her entire body seemed to move together, keeping the bow steady as she aimed.
*Oh. So that's what she means.*
He tried to imitate her stance.
"I'm supposed to do it like this?" he asked.
Hannah nodded.
Draven adjusted his feet and straightened his back.
"Like this, right?"
Hannah nodded again.
*Good. At least I'm getting somewhere.*
Draven drew the bowstring once more.
The mana arrow appeared.
This time, he paid closer attention to his posture, making sure to keep the bow steady as he aimed at the same tree Hannah had targeted.
He took a moment to line up his shot.
Then he released the arrow.
It tore through the air and pierced the tree.
However, unlike Hannah's arrow, it didn't continue through the trees behind it. Instead, it remained embedded in the trunk for a moment before slowly dissipating into particles of green light.
Draven watched until the last traces of mana disappeared.
*So, after a while, the arrow disappears.*
He glanced toward the distant trees.
*I didn't see it disappear when she shot hers because it went so far away.*
He looked at the tree again.
*Still, it worked. I managed to shoot the arrow where I wanted it to go.*
Draven turned toward Hannah.
"Looks like I have to keep practicing."
Hannah nodded.
Draven looked back at the bow in his hand.
*Well, I can't expect to master something after using it once. Even if this bow makes its own arrows, I still need to learn how to aim properly.*
He raised it again.
*Besides, it's not like I'm in a hurry.*
He drew the bowstring, and another mana arrow appeared.
This time, he paid more attention to his aim before releasing it.
The arrow struck the tree.
Draven lowered his bow and examined the result.
*Not bad.*
He drew another arrow and fired.
It struck the same tree, landing close to the first mark.
Draven's lips curled into a small smile.
*Hey, I'm getting the hang of this.*
He continued practicing, firing one arrow after another.
Some struck close to his previous shots, while others landed farther from his intended target. Whenever he missed the spot he was aiming for, he adjusted his stance and tried again.
Hannah remained beside him, quietly watching.
Whenever Draven's posture was wrong, she corrected him with a small gesture. He would adjust himself, try again, and continue practicing.
Although she barely said a word, Draven was beginning to understand her instructions.
*She's actually a pretty good teacher.*
He glanced at her.
*It's a shame she doesn't talk much. It would be easier if she could just tell me what I'm doing wrong instead of making me guess.*
He shrugged and drew another arrow.
*Oh well. At least she's helping me.*
Time passed as Draven continued practicing beneath the moonlight.
A while later, he was slightly sweaty but still at it.
The tree he had been targeting was now riddled with holes from his repeated shots.
Draven wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
*Damn, I've been doing this for a while.*
He looked at the bow, then at the tree.
*But I'm definitely getting better.*
He raised the bow and drew the string.
A mana arrow materialized.
Draven took aim and released it.
The arrow tore through the air, pierced the damaged tree, and lodged itself into the tree behind it.
Draven's eyes widened slightly.
Before he could say anything, the damaged tree finally gave way.
With a loud crash, it fell to the ground.
Draven stared at the fallen tree for a moment.
Then he smiled.
*Holy shit. I actually did that.*
He turned toward Hannah, his expression brightening with satisfaction.
"I'm getting good at it. You're a good teacher."
Hannah looked at him.
For a moment, her expression remained as unreadable as ever.
Then she smiled.