"Can we check out the training room now??..." Grace asked like a child asking a parent.
"Gosh I'm too full to go training...."Daisy said... leaning back happy she finished a tub of ice cream.
"lemme return all the unfinished tubs and clean up, then we'll check out the training room." I said with a smile and began clearing the table.
"We'll help." Daisy said.
We all began clearing up after ourselves putting out used plates and pans in the sink and the unfinished ice cream back into the chest freezer. Turning on the taps I was about to start washing up, "Emilia what you doing??..." Jay asked.
"I can't leave his kitchen in a mess....." I replied slightly confused on why he's asking.
"There's a spell for that don't you remember??...." Jay said pulling out his wand and started casting a spell.
The words he uttered rang a bell but I couldn't quite put my finger on it..."What spell???" I asked.
"Prestidigitation.... I'm sure you must have learnt it on our first spell casting lesson." He said. As he finished casting the spell the taps turned themselves on and the sponge began floating on its own and like in a movie began cleaning all the dirty dishes and cutlery.
"Ohhh yeah...." I replied remembering.
"Let's check out the training room!!" Grace said full of excitement.
We all made our way out towards the Training room door, Grace reached to open the door before being stopped by Jay. "That might not be a good idea... earlier this week me and Daisy got slammed by a protection ward pretty badly when we tried to enter Paul's dorm." Jay warned her, causing Grace to retract her hand quickly.
Opening the door there was an intense silence bracing for something to happen. The door click uneventfully, slowly I opened the door to reveal to everyone the training room.
Daisy and Grace exploded in excitement seeing the innumerable selection of weapons. Grace went rushing straight towards the ranged weapons on display and Daisy went for the heavy looking 2h weapons much to Jay's surprised nothing blew them back with an explosion and a blinding flash.
"Aside from the obscene amount of weapons what so special?" Helen said walking in taking a glance around.
"Hmmm something does feel odd though..." Jay said walking in and back out through the door over and over.
"Are you sure?.." Helen asked stepping out and back in again.... "You're right something does feel odd then we walk in." She said looking curiously as the door frame.
"Emilia do you know anything else about this room?..." Jay and Helen asked.
"Hmmmmm..." I said trying to remember if Paul mentioned anything about this room..... "Ohh yeah.. He said that time moves slower here and you don't age.." He said after a few minutes of pondering.
"WHAT?!" they both shouted in astonishment looking at me in disbelief.
I shrugged, "I dunno that's what he said." I replied.
"HOW ON EARTH DID HE ACHIEVE THAT??!!" Jay shouted.... at me looking at me as if I knew the answers.
"I dunno he said this room is in another Plane... he said.." I answered them.
"Wow...." their voice lingering, staring at the room in awe.
"WOW!!!!!..... Grace yelled... guys!!! He has a Sun Bow!!!" Grace yelled at us from the other side of the room.
"NO WAY!!!" Helen yelled in return running to grace.
"What is it?.." I asked as I arrived at both of them staring at the bow wanting to touch it.
"Do you think I'm allowed to touch it?.." Grace asked her hands quivering eager to hold it.
"Ummm..... Want me to ask Ashley?.." I asked.
"Could you?!!" They both turned around pleading at the same time asking almost at the point of begging holding my hands.
"I'll try." I said. "Hey Ashley?.." I asked activating my communicator.
"Heyyy Emilia wassup?.." He replied in the background noises of moving machinery and the sounds of sparks and metal work.
"Ohh hey.... are you busy?" I asked.
"Ummm not really.... Just you, know doing what artificers do best.." He replied.
"Ohh okay..... I was wondering if I could ask you something." I asked.
"Sure no problems ask away." He said sounding as jolly as always, I could almost imagine him smiling.
"Ummm... We was wondering if we could try some of the weapons you guys have in your training room." I replied slightly worried at his reply.
"Ummmm some of the weapons there are a little dangerous..." he replied.
"Ohhhh... so strictly not allowed to touch them?.." I asked Grace and Helen looking saddened listening in on our conversation.
"Ummm... Don't tell Paul....." He said.
"So that's a yes?.." I asked.
"Just wait till I get there I don't want you guys hurting yourselves." He asked.
"Okay sure thing we'll wait." I replied giving Helen and Grace a thumbs up and with a smile nodding yes. Grace and Helen exploded with joy looking back at the bow again.
"Okay I'll be there in a minute." He replied.
"Okay guy's no one touch anything till Ashley gets here please..." I relayed his message.
"Okay" they replied all still fascinated at all the weapons, even Jay was looking at the weapons assuming from the small faint blueish glow he's giving off at the eye regions he was using detect magic.
Suddenly in an open space near the entrance a runes began drawing themselves in a circle and upon completion a large blue flash erupted causing everyone else to turn around to see what happened.
Everyone instantly shouted that they didn't do anything or touched anything holding their hands up proclaiming their innocence.
"Heyyy!" Ashley's voice shouted out to us, as the smoke cleared.
"Ashley!" Daisy replied running to him to greet him.
"So I'm told you guys wanted to mess around with some weapons?.." He asked.
"Yes yes! Can we! Can we?!" Daisy asked in excitement.
"Okay okay.." He said trying to calm her down... "Just tell me what you want to try and I'll get them for you." He said.... "But I can't let you guys use the cursed weapons." He added.
"What the hell is a cursed weapon?.." I asked in shock.....
"Some weapons cause adverse effects.... if you was to wield them." He explained.
"Ohhh I see...." I nodded in understanding.
"Yeah they are harder to control." He smiled, "So who's first?.." He asked clasping his hands together.
"Ohh Mr Ashley Sir... can we try some of these bows?.." Grace asked.
"Sure no problems which one?.." He said walking towards Grace.
"How did you guys manged to get a Sun Bow by the way?..." Helen asked.
"Ahhhh good question.... we helped out some high ranking Sun Elves... it was a given to us as a gift from the Princess or Queen I can't remember exactly….." He replied.
"Woah.... what did you do to earn such respect from a high ranking Sun Elf?.." They both replied in shock.
"Yah I know what you mean..... Sun elves are the most... racists of all the Elven tribes." Ashley said scratching his head, "But it was a few years ago.. I can't remember anymore sorry." He replied to them.
"You do know what a Sun Bow does right?.." He asked picking it up for them.
"Yeah!!! It's weighs as much as a feather and the power generated by the string is second to none!" Grace answered.
"Someone has done their research." He said with a smile handing it to her holding it centre with one finger.
"I'll make a target for you." He replied, "Computer Moving target dummies please." He asked.
"Yes, Mr Ashley." A robotic Female voice replied making several moving holographic moving targets going from side to side at an empty section of the wall.
Stepping aside he gestured with an open palm for Grace to test the bow. "Ummm can I quickly get my quiver?.... I left it back at the eating area." She politely asked Ashley.
"No need... just draw the bow string." He smiled.
Slightly confused Grace looked at him for a second to see if he was joking. "Are you sure?..." She asked.
"Positive." He smiled.
"Okay....." She agreed hesitantly drawing the bow with an empty hand, as she slowly drew the string a faint yellow light appeared in her fingers like forming a Stick of light between her fingers and Bow. Noticing the light she quickly withdrew the bow causing the light to fade. "What the??!" She asked Ashley in shock.
"What was that?!" Helen her voiced raised in shock and surprise.
"This isn't any normal Sun Bow... it's one Infused with Magic that shoot's light arrows." He answered them, "Go on try them on the target." He said edging Grace on.
Hesitant Grace took aim and drew the bow string causing the light to faintly appear again, getting more intense as the string reached maximum torque, the stick of light now becoming a fully formed light in the shape of a radiant arrow. Releasing the arrow Grace missed her target completely hitting the wall behind, the arrow faded away on impact leaving a scorch mark on the wall at the point of impact.
"WOAH!" I reacted seeing the speed of the arrow.
"Yeah.... the arrows are a lot faster than your standard arrows... that's probably why you missed sadly." He said to grace.
"Not only that... there didn't seem to be a dip in the fight path of the arrow either." Grace mentioned.
"Sharp eyes! Very well spotted.... You are correct.... sadly the light arrows only have an effective distance of 50 yards.... and will dissipate beyond that... so that's the downside of using light arrows." Ashley Explained.
"So I won't be able to shoot targets beyond 50 Yards?.." Grace asked.
"Nope sadly the arrows will just vanish at 50 Yards.... but you can use normal arrows on targets further then 50 Yards." He said smiling.
"How about the other Bows?.." Helen asked.
"Ohhh we have a lot here... Some will ignite you arrow or turn your arrow into Ice when fired..... Hmmm... Ohh one of these is a crossbow I made myself... with special arrows it will imbue the arrow with Arcanum to give it a bit more of an explosive Bang if you needed." He smiled, "and there are some... normal but finely crafted bows and crossbows... try any of them you want." He smiled. "But don't try and touch the two black ones here." He said pointing at two bows, one was a deep black bow it looked strange for some reason the bow didn't seem solid…. Like somehow it's here and it isn't…. The other was also a deep black bow but the obvious difference was all along the bow it sparkled like the night sky….. but the stars seemed to somehow shift in random locations….