The Marksman [The Talent of Three: Book 1]

14 ••• The Difference of Words

Atheris walks briskly once again down Memorial Lane, the weak sunlight streaming through the clouds blotting out a majority of the sky.

"Atheris!" Chip yells. "Slow down, will you?!"

Atheris doesn't respond, fixated on getting Chip and Kayne to look at the statue and tell her what they see. She turns sharply towards the Square and cuts a path through the crowd, her bow once again giving her privilege. 

Kayne and Chip catch up with her.

"Atheris, what's going on?" Kayne demands. 

Atheris turns and takes a deep breath. "Look, yesterday when I took that charcoal etching...the last line I read wasn't something I've ever seen on the statue before—just on the painting in the mess hall and on the paper. But then I came back last night and it said the same thing." She glances back at her companions. "I need you guys to tell me what you both see on the last line."

Kayne kneels. "I see...Arrows guided straight and true, student—reveal the Marksman in you."

Atheris glances to Chip, her expression wild. 

Likewise, Chip kneels and reads out, "Arrows guided straight and true, student—reveal the Marksman in you."

Atheris slams her palm onto the elaborate stone-worked ground. She paces by the fountain. "This doesn't make sense..."

"Are you sure it wasn't there before and you're not just having a moment where you can't remember it being there?" Kayne asks, hesitantly.

"I know what I saw," Atheris snaps. She rubs her fingers together, the nervous habit she picked up from Eryx. So absorbed in her dilemma, Atheris does not notice Kayne snap his mouth shut and stare at the ground until Chip steps purposely on his foot and nods toward Kayne. "Sorry, Kayne. I just...I know that wasn't there originally. It couldn't have been. Something is wrong."

"I get that," Kayne says immediately. "But...if it wasn't there before, how come all three of us see the same thing?"

Atheris's head snaps up. "Because I'd already told you guys something was wrong! What if because I already told you why I wanted you to read the line, your brain rewired to see what I saw, just so what happened looked logical!"

Before either Chip or Kayne can point out the flaw in her plan—that Atheris never actually told them what she saw before she had them read the line—she dashes off towards Pippa, who she has spotted in the crowd with her Healer and Military companions.

"Pippa! I need your help for a sec..."

"What, the Assassin and the Techie can't get it?" the Military kid—a shorter girl with long brown hair dyed at the end and dark brown eyes—asks, her voice and eyes teasing, directed at Kayne. 

Kayne sticks his tongue out at the girl.

She sticks out her hand. "Roza Roxie, at your service."

Atheris flashes a quick smile. "Atheris Jones."

"Hi! I'm Aceso Ascliption," the Healer says, smiling a big smile and waving her hand ecstatically at Atheris.

"Um...hi, uh, Pip, you got a moment?"

"Yeah, whaddya need?" Pippa asks, always the one to help.

"Can you read this last line out loud, please?" Atheris asks, beckoning Kayne and Chip back over to the statue's pedestal.

"Yeah, sure... Um, let's see... Through guidance and provided help, each new Marksman is trained by their predecessor and encouraged by the Archers they protect."

Something—relief? Triumph? Confusion? Peace?—floods through Atheris. "Thanks, Pip. I'll explain everything later," she promises. "Maybe not later today, but eventually...when I understand."

Pippa nods and returns to Aceso and Roza. Atheris wheels around and looks both Kayne and Chip in the eye.

"See?!" Atheris cries. "Something's up!"

"Yeah, but the question is 'what', am I right?" Kayne says.

"You're right," Chip and Atheris agree simultaneously. Atheris squeezes her fingers into her fist, then stretches her fingers back and taps on her leg.

Chip taps Atheris on the shoulder. "Atheris. Look to me. We've got to focus on the Quests. Why don't we just...put this aside for a time when we aren't dying?"

"We technically aren't dying now...," Kayne says.

Chip gives him a look. "Not helping, Kayne."

Atheris takes a deep, steadying breath. "Yes. We need to focus. I suppose I can put it aside...for now. With the difference in the words, there's enough to satisfy me—at least now I know I'm not crazy."

"Ya sure?" Kayne asks. "We could all be crazy, all three of us."

Atheris snorts. "Honestly, 'crazy' will be all that's left of me by the end of this."