The Marksman [The Talent of Three: Book 1]

18 ••• The Task

"What's it say?" Kayne asks excitedly.

"Hold on, it's not done yet..." Chip frowns at the paper as more of the silvery writing appears on the sheet, glowing faintly in the light. "Okay... To fight the fight and stay alive, bring the gift with the might to reach far and wide. Slay those who oppose, bring together those who believe. The Marksman awaits the key that will bring them true life. When at last all is together, the truth shall be revealed."

The three stare at each other in silence, confused.

"Okay, so what's that supposed to mean?" Atheris asks. 

"Um..." Kayne shrugs.

"This is more cryptic than I thought," Atheris sighs.

"Sleep on it?" Kayne suggests.

"Why not?" Chip mutters. They step inside when Chip cries, "Hold up a second! There's more writing in the corner. Turn over." He flips the paper. "Significantly more helpful," he declares. He passes it to Kayne, who reads it and then passes it to Atheris.

Discover the identity of the Marksman. Find out which gift (hint, hint: MARKSMAN) is being focused on. Stay alive. Get to Sahrannik Mountain.
-Flint Kric

Atheris sighs. "Flint, Flint, Flint. You couldn't have made it anymore easier."

"What? The fact your gifts are being focused on?" Kayne asks.

"Exactly." 

"How do we find out who the Marksman is?" Chip asks.

"Now, that, I dunno," Atheris admits. "But at least we have our Task now. Maybe in the morning, we'll be able to think more clearly about it, yes?"

"Maybe," Chip agrees.

"Hopefully," Kayne adds.

•••

Atheris stares at the tent ceiling. Exhaustion keeps trying to drag her to sleep—but then a thousand worries, the Task being at the top of the list, make her mind go once again on overdrive.

Atheris silently crawls out of her bedroll and moves to sit outside. She sits in the cool night air just outside the tent, her eyes closed against the bright moonlight that washes everything in brilliant silver light.

The young Archer lifts her head up to the sky and begins finding and connecting constellations—the same ones her mother, an Astronomer, taught her when she was young.

"See that one there?" her mother's voice whispers in her head. "That's a mother guiding her child, the same way I guide you. But in the fall, the mother disappears and leaves the child on her own. Someday soon, after the Tests, I won't be here anymore. And after your Quests, you will be on your own in the world. But always remember—everyone who has ever raised you, taught you, guided you—we're always in your heart. We're always with you."

I'm alone now, Mom, Atheris thinks. I'm truly alone for the first time. It's just me and two other kids and we don't understand what we're supposed to be doing. I feel so lost... I wish you were here, Mom. Atheris's mind is pleasantly blank for several moments before she sighs and her thoughts stray back to her mother. Are you looking at the sky like I am, Mom? Are you looking at the mother and daughter constellation and wondering whatever happened to your little girl?

"Can't sleep?" Kayne's voice breaks through the silence of the night quietly. Atheris glances over as he sits down next to her.

"No," Atheris admits. "There's just so much...too much." She shakes her head. "Too much going on."

Kayne glances at her. "I just keep wondering about my friends, the people who raised me. I want to know how they're doing on their Quests. I want to help them if they need help. I want to laugh with them like we used to."

"They were family to you," Atheris says.

"Yeah," Kayne says quietly.

"My group was my family, too. I miss hearing all of us yelling at each other. I miss Eryx embarrassing Redding in front of the rest of us. I miss Scout despite all her teasing. I miss Pippa's kind soul. I miss all of them." Atheris pulls her feet closer to her body and wraps her arms around her legs.

"We'll get over it soon enough," Kayne sighs.

Atheris snorts in disbelief.

"Yeah, I didn't think we would either," Kayne admits.

•••

"Okay, I'm going back in," Atheris says, stretching her cramped muscles from the two hours she and Kayne spent sitting, staring at the sky, and standing up. "It's cold."

Kayne shrugs. "You go ahead. I'm gonna stay out here for a little while."

"Suit yourself," Atheris says, shrugging and biting back a yawn. She returns to her bedroll and stares, once again, at the tent ceiling. She can still see the light of the moon through the fabric. She rolls over and buries herself underneath her blanket. She remembers Eryx giving it to her after learning Atheris was having trouble leaving her family.

"Atheris! Can I see you for a moment?" Eryx called as the rest of the students left the class.

Then-timid Atheris hung back, not meeting Eryx's eyes. Eryx knelt and handed her the blanket. 

"You've been having trouble away from your family?"

Atheris nodded.

"It's alright. We all do. It was rare that Echis and I both got the same Talent Pack at our Tests. It certainly made it easier for us to have each other, but not everyone does. I know it's hard. But these people will become your family." Eryx looked at the blanket. "Think of this as a welcoming gift, alright?"

Atheris nodded again, this time with a smile and then ran off to go join the others as Eryx nodded to the door.

Tears build up in Atheris's eyes. Unlike back then, Atheris doesn't have anyone to help her warm up to them. She doesn't have an instructor to convince her everything will be fine. 

She's alone in the wild.