Drake looked up at the sky, looking for signs of the gargoyles. There was nothing yet to see.
He and his friends had their armor on, weapons in hand. Chad was trying to teach Drake how to shoot his bow. They had placed old bottles on tree stumps to practice with. Drake was aiming at the bottles, trying to hit them. They had been at it for nearly an hour. Drake was having difficulty. The target felt too small.
Chad had argued that if he learned to shoot a small target, it would make the bigger ones even easier.
Sighing, Drake continued.
Mike was nearby, swinging his sword and getting used to the feel of its weight and abilities. He had discovered that he could control the energy that came from the sword. There was lightning energy, white energy, and wind energy that he had access to. He had a wide grin on his face as he trained.
Drake wanted to practice with his whip, but he was more focused on his bow skills. He needed to be able to shoot with a practiced aim. Like Mike's storm sword, he knew that his whip had multiple attributes.
Drake stood looking at his target, his bow at his side. He had an idea that would help if he could make it work. Holding up his bow again, as he pulled to produce his green arrow, he focused on the arrow made of green energy. Visualizing a whirlwind at its tip and a fireball in the center of the whirlwind, he let the arrow fly.
The arrow hit the bottle, exploding on contact. The stump burst into splinters. He had combined the whirlwind and fireball to create an explosion, using the arrow made of green energy to propel it. The whole thing was successful. 'I'll think all call you… Explosive arrow,' he thought.
As soon as he thought it, a soft voice floated through his mind.
{You have created a new skill. You have created Explosive Arrow}
Drake smiled, turning to his friends. They were looking at the exploded tree stump with small shards of glass shattered around it. Their features were in shock.
"How did you do that?" Chad asked, excitedly, wanting to do the same. His features dimmed after Drake's explanation.
"I combined two of my skills. I used Whirlwind and Fireball to create the explosion. The arrow was just to direct it. It was only an experiment, but it seems to have worked," he said, grinning.
Just then, Ivan was seen coming toward them.
Mike and Chad went to Drake's side, waiting for Ivan to get to them.
Ivan stopped in front of the three boys, addressing Drake. "We have men in the towers. They'll ring the bell if they see anything coming our way."
"How many men in each tower?" Drake asked. He was trying to analyze if they had thought the tower guard through.
"There are two men in each tower. One to ring the bell while the second defends him," Ivan stated. "All men have their armor on and weapons ready. That includes those waiting for the warning signal. There are two equal shifts. Half of them are resting. If the bell is heard, they will come out and defend. Even those who are sleeping have their armor on and weapons ready," Ivan explained. If there are no problems, the two shifts will switch places, letting those who are currently on patrol rest. They will trade off in intervals."
Drake nodded. It was a good plan. It allowed them to stay rested at least until there was an attack. "What about night protection? Since we don't know if the information about not entering dwellings without permission is true, preparing for either scenario will be needed. If the monsters really can't enter without permission, the towers need to be retrofitted to protect the men on lookout. What is happening to help that?"
Mayor Ivan frowned. "I need to go take care of that. There are men currently in the tower. If you hear a large bell ring, it's the warning. Each tower has its own bell. Whatever direction the ringing is coming from is where the threat is."
Drake nodded. "If we hear the bell, we'll come and help. Just in case these monsters can enter homes, make everyone go inside and hide in their cellar earlier than they normally would. Even warn them to hide if they hear the bell. That will give them time to hide themselves inside and secure their cellar door so it can't be opened from the outside. I don't want to take chances."
Ivan nodded. Everyone had a small cellar. They stored their food supplies inside it. They could easily secure it and attempt to stay safe. "I'll go notify the town's people, do something about the lookout towers, and whatever else we can think of that will help."
Drake and his friends watched Ivan rush off. Mike turned to Drake. "What do you want to do. The only thing I can think of that we can do right now is help them fight when this place is attacked."
After looking up at the sky, Drake continued with his practice. Instead of using his new skill, he wanted to shoot the bow normally as accurately as possible. He set up a new stump with a fresh bottle only made from what looked like tin, and began his practice.
Mike continued working with his sword as Chad kept his eyes between Drake and the sky. He had to make sure Drake learned correctly. What he had felt at the gargoyles' lair made him uneasy. It felt off, but he couldn't figure out why.
***
Back in Drake's room, three men stood at the computer screen watching the three boys practice with their magical weapons.
"They're doing rather well, don't you think?" One of them stated. His voice radiated pride.
The Dimension Master studied the screen. "They are doing exceptionally well. They are proving to be well-adjusted to what they are going through. Their decisions are geared to help those around them. Unlike many who would only focus on the main quest and ignore the troubles of the people, the boys stop to help the people of the dimension. That is exactly the kind of individuals who need to take over for us," he stated proudly, then smiled. "The young one has finally discovered he can create new skills. I'm pleased. It took me much longer when I went through the trials."
The screen showed the town's folk rushing around, trying to prepare for battle. They didn't have many warriors in the small town, but they were doing well in preparation. The three men studying the screen were watching the preparations.
The third man looked at the Dimension Master, worry in his gaze. "Are you going to help them when the gargoyles attack. I don't believe the boys are strong enough yet to defeat them. If they die, they die for real."
Sighing, he turned to the man. His emerald green eyes glowed brightly. "It's forbidden. I can only grant help if there is a quest to reward. I can use the reward to help. Other than that, there is nothing I can do. Not even for the young one."
The first man, still looking at the screen, spoke softly. It was a whisper. His worry was evident as well. "Drake received the quest for the deal he made with Gavin. What about giving help as the reward when he completes it?"
The Dimension Master sighed. "I can, but only if he completes it at a time when it can be used to help. If he completes the quest and it's too soon or too late, there is nothing I can do." Still watching the screen, he spoke more to himself than to the two men beside him. "They are smart, I have faith they will get through this."
The first man suddenly spoke. What about giving a reward when a gargoyle is slain? If it's timed correctly, it could save their lives," he suggested, worried about one of the boys in particular.
The second man nodded, agreeing.
The Dimension Master stared at the screen, his emerald eyes glowing brightly. He was thinking deeply, then suddenly looked between them. "If there is an opportunity to save them, regardless of which one, I will do it. All three of them will be fighting. Rewards are given to all of them through Drake's system. The rewards, if timed correctly, I will do everything I can to save them. I must warn you, though. I can only help if the boys give me an opportunity through the rewards."
Both men nodded in relief. They had known the Dimension Master since birth. As a group, they had grown up together, just like the boys on the screen. And just like Drake and his friends, they had gone through the trials as well. The problem was that there were a lot more things going on for Drake than there were for the three observers.