NIMBUS AND THE KNIGHTS OF CENFERUM

Chapter 23

The Port of Dark Ether...

The repairs to the Brand's hull were swift, and the ship didn't need to be stopped for them. Everything proceeded normally. As the days went by, Elisis continued trying to get closer, but nothing seemed to have an effect on the boy. It was also challenging to be alone with him because he stuck close to Nimbus and his friend Jim. The three of them did everything together. When they weren't performing their duties, it was hard to see them apart during lunch, in the library, or even during training sessions. The girl's situation was becoming difficult until she remembered that Valeros was disturbed when Nimbus made her laugh. She was willing to use that and the fact that they were always together to her advantage. It might not be right, but it was her only option.

One day, during training, she approached Nimbus and Valeros. Jim was apparently in the library reading something.

— Hello, how are you? — She avoided looking at Valeros and focused her attention on Nimbus. The boy took a while to realize she was addressing him and replied.

— Hi! — Nimbus seemed embarrassed and didn't even look at Elisis. At least this time, he didn't freeze like the other day.

— Your master said you haven't had proper training in all types of weapons. Would you like some lessons with the bow? — She tried to appear a bit shy and helpless to gain the boy's trust.

Nimbus looked at Valeros and then at his master, who was observing from another end of the gym.

— Sure... — He didn't know what to say, and after a few seconds of silence, he managed to think of something. — It would be an honor. I saw the other day how well you shoot.

— Come with me to the shooting range. — She escorted him to the tunnel where long-range attacks were trained. Since he didn't say anything, she started with the instructions. — I assume Sir Lonios taught you the basics of the bow?

— Yes, but I haven't touched one in a long time.

— No problem. The rules are the same; I'll just teach you some techniques I use. — She handed him her personal bow. — Hold it like this and aim for the target at the end of the tunnel. — He held the bow in a shooting position, and she corrected his posture. — Fire.

He shot and missed far from the target.

— No, you must release the string like this, tensing your entire body. Otherwise, you lose all the aim you made before shooting; it has to be smoother. — She stood behind him and held his hands. They were the same height, and to see the target, she had to put her head over his shoulder. In that position, she noticed how fast her heartbeat was, and her arms were so tense that she had difficulty aiming. Nevertheless, she released the arrow, which flew straight to the target. — See? — she asked but didn't move away completely from the boy, just released her arms. — Your turn.

He aimed at the target, and this time he missed it again; he was still very nervous about her proximity. Elisis wasn't too concerned about Nimbus hitting the target. What worried her more was whether Valeros was watching her train the boy. She checked occasionally if that was happening by looking at Valeros. It seemed her strategy was working; he occasionally pretended and glanced at them quickly during the training. Again, she paid attention to Nimbus and instructed him.

— Look, I'll do it again, pay attention — she spoke beside Nimbus's head and felt him shudder. Then she held his hands again and hit the target once more, right on the mark. — See how easy it is?

He shot, this time doing a little better, getting closer to the target.

— It seems like you're improving. Again, let's see if you hit it. — Lonios was watching them from a distance and chuckled at the whole situation.