Shooting with the Wind
"So, what exactly did you want me to teach you?"
"Archery in general, really."
"Your form looked perfectly solid when you were setting up earlier, though."
"Form is one thing; actually loosing an arrow is another. Come on, follow me."
I led Serena to the shooting line where I'd practiced day after day as a child. Only Grandfather and I ever used this range in our household, so it sat quiet and empty — until recently, nearly everyone in the family, myself included, had lived fast and loose with magitech implants loaded into their bodies, leaving little time or taste for a place like this. But I had returned blessed by grace, every last implant dissolved and a woman's body in their place. Which meant it was high time I picked up hobbies suited to the new me.
"Why don't you try a shot first?"
"Like this, was it?"
Adopting the stance that lived on in my old memories, I nocked an arrow and pulled. The bow Serena had chosen for me drew back safely to a certain point, even with these arms of mine gone soft and fragile. But the me in my memories could pull farther than this. Just a little more—
-Twang!
"Ah."
Trying to recreate the me of my memories, I'd strained past my limit; my grip gave out, and the arrow flew. The result, tragically, didn't even clip the target. The me in my memories definitely drew better than this. I mean, yes, I was a boy back then — but I was also genuinely little.
I turned to Serena, whom I'd brought along for precisely this sort of moment.
"Do you see what the problem is?"
"Um... sort of? Who are you picturing when you shoot? Oh — please don't misunderstand! I only meant to ask whose form you're picturing!"
"I know."
"Phew..."
"I'm picturing myself as a kid. And back then, I could definitely draw better than this."
In those days I'd drawn with effortless ease and sent arrow after arrow sailing dead-center into the bullseye. I'd taken it for granted — I never dreamed I'd fail this miserably. I just can't adapt to this new body at all.
Serena turned my question over in her mind for a moment before opening her mouth, carefully.
"You must not take offense, no matter what! Promise?"
"Sure. Go ahead, say it."
"Well... the bow you used as a child was simply easier to handle than the one you're using now, my lady."
"So what you're saying is that I'm a lout who can't even manage one lousy bow?"
"I told you not to misunderstand! And what do you mean, a 'lousy' bow?! Do you have any idea how hard these are to master?! I'll show you how it's done — watch me, then try to copy every motion!"
With that, Serena nudged me aside and took up position. Half-elf or not, elf blood was elf blood, apparently — the moment her craft got lightly dismissed, she seemed to forget entirely who she was talking to. I studied her shooting form at my leisure, idly mulling over how else I might put this insolent half-elf, who had dared to shove me, to even better use.
Settled in, Serena took a slow, deep breath and nocked a single arrow. And then, little by little, a wind began to rise around her. A manifestation of spirits.
"Ooh..."
I used to see spirits all the time when I was small, too. They'd been invisible to me thanks to the implants — but apparently, now I could see them again.
Serena drew the string slowly, oh so leisurely, as though exerting no strength whatsoever — and yet it drew taut all the same. Then she released, so lightly and so naturally that I could scarcely tell she'd let go, and the wind-wrapped arrow flew to the heart of the target and punched straight through it. Even I, who knew next to nothing about elven archery, could tell it was a breathtaking shot.
"What do you think! THIS is true archery! It'll be ages before you can do this, won't it?!"
"Move over."
Who do you take me for? I was once hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius, you know.
I stepped into the spot Serena had just vacated and replayed her every movement in my head. The way she hadn't stubbornly strained to pull harder, but simply drew the string with perfect, unhurried calm. And at the same time, I whispered, very softly, to a presence I suspected still lingered nearby.
"Could you help me out? Just this once?"
The instant the words left my mouth, wind settled into my nocked arrow — fainter than what Serena had summoned, but unmistakable all the same. I drew the wind-cradled arrow only as far as came naturally, then released it as smoothly as water flowing.
-Shwiiiip!
My release had been feather-light, but the arrow that flew was anything but. Borne on the wind with a sharp, keening whistle, it streaked across the range and buried itself deep in the target. Though my aim was still awkward, apparently — it landed a fair distance from dead center.
"Shame."
"Wha— no! How on earth did you do that?! Why would Ariel help YOU, my lady?!"
"I'm just built to be loved by spirits, I suppose."
[Kyahaha!]
Answering the flabbergasted Serena, I scooped up the small, girl-shaped high spirit of wind who was clinging to me — Ariel — and set her on my shoulder. Just how long had it been since I'd last seen a spirit? Thanks to Sky dissolving every last implant in my body, we could meet again like this. Spirits, you see, are crystallizations of nature's power, and they can't stand magitech implants — the crowning achievement of mana-science. Which reminded me: I really ought to go looking for the spirits I used to be close with. Later, though. For now, more arrows.
"What are you standing around for? Come shoot too. You're entering some tournament, aren't you?"
"Am I really allowed...?"
"Yeah. Besides me, Grandfather's the only one who ever comes here. And he's terribly busy."
"Your grandfather... you don't mean... Chairman Victor Salazar...?"
"Yep."
Serena swayed on her feet for a moment, but eventually she picked up her bow and came to stand beside me. She clearly had her own circumstances, and she must have been longing to practice somewhere this quiet. She had said something at the shop earlier, too — about being an exile, or some such.
In no great hurry, I put one more arrow into the target, then asked her, "So what's this tournament you're entering?"
"The ten Megacorps are co-hosting an enormous athletic tournament this year. I passed the qualifiers."
"Huh. You're actually a phenomenal shot, aren't you?"
The ten Megacorps — which would include us, no? I had no idea. Well, naturally I wouldn't; I'd never involved myself in the running of the company even once. That would explain why Grandfather had been so busy lately, I supposed.
"Of course! I'm going to win it all and become a daughter my parents can be proud of."
"Now that you mention it, you called yourself an exile earlier. What's that about?"
"Elves are forbidden by law from marrying outside their race. And as you can see, I'm a half. I trust you can work out what that means."
"Yeah. Got it. I'll be rooting for you."
"Thank you!"
Serena resumed her practice with bright, cheerful energy. Shooting side by side with someone like this — even without a word spoken, it was fun. I decided Serena would be living here for the foreseeable future.
"Serena, where do you usually live?"
"I had a place in the Lower District... but I don't think I can go back until the tournament is over. My old bow was there, you see, and it's broken now."
Serena stopped there, but her expression told me everything about the circumstances she was leaving unsaid. So someone had been keeping her in check. I didn't know the details, but she was probably a title contender or the like. Elves really are narrow creatures, aren't they. Textbook insecure nitpicking, the lot of them.
"Well, that works out nicely, then. Stay here. There's a guest lodge over there."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Grandfather stays there from time to time, but I'm sure it's fine if you use it."
"WHAT?!"
What's the harm? Shooting is fun, so I'd be coming here often for a while anyway. If anything, she'd be delighted to meet Grandfather — after all, he's been desperately hunting for someone to share a shooting line with. Someone to shoot alongside for years to come.
"Meeting Chairman Victor is absolutely out of the question...!"
"Why? He'd love it if I told him you were my friend."
His affection for me already runs high; hand him an archery buddy on top of it and it'll only climb higher. Keeping the company afloat bores me to death, but raising Grandfather's approval rating is always a good investment.
"F-friends...?"
"Yep. I'm making an effort to get along with everyone these days. So — friends?"
"Really...? With me...?"
"Yep. By the way, how old are you?"
"I'm eighty-nine!"
"Exactly Grandfather's generation, then. Come by sometime — we'll have fun. I'll take you to watch the matches, too."
Ever since Sky saved me, my head has felt so much clearer, you know. So I'll simply keep burning money as my way of looking back on everything I've done. I caused plenty of trouble over the years, after all. And it's not as if my spending will ever run the family coffers dry — besides, the gains my transformation brought me are worth so much that every coin I've ever burned doesn't even reach their little toe. Extravagance at this scale? Not a problem in the slightest. Ah — come to think of it, perhaps I should give Grandfather a call while I'm at it.
"Hold on a moment? I'm going to go make a call."
"Of course!"
Without a word of explanation to Serena, I stepped away and dialed Grandfather.
"Right, you're not my grandson anymore, are you. My granddaughter, then. What is it?"
The device hadn't even finished its second ring before Grandfather picked up. Skipping all pleasantries, I went straight to the point.
"Care for a round of archery? I've even got a shooting buddy your age."
"I'm coming. Right now."
Of course he was. Naturally he had to come. Something this entertaining was about to unfold — there was no way on earth he'd stay away and sulk through it. And if he came out to enjoy himself, he'd even get to shoot alongside his grandson-turned-granddaughter for the first time in ages. I wonder what sort of face Serena will make when she meets Grandfather. I can hardly wait.