Mallory, Human Archer

The dense, ancient woods of the North Shroud were strangely quiet as Mal made her way towards the old bridge her instructor had told her about. Reports had indicated that the bird-like Ixal savages had been raiding these woods with increasing intensity over the past several days, and with Gridanian military resources already strained it seemed the martial guilds were sending adventurers to deal with them.

"This is supposed to be some sort of test, then?" She'd said to the tall Elezen man who'd given her the assignment. "To prove I'm good enough."

His response had been a long-winded explanation of noble traditions and ancient conflicts, but Mal wasn't really listening. She barely even remembered the birdman target's name. Nezul Cattlan. "The Violator," they called him, because he comes into their woods and chops down their trees. These Elezen were weird folk. Honestly. How hard could it be to brush aside a bunch of Ixal? They were considered lesser for a reason. Beastkin. Savages, clinging to their ancient traditions and their false gods.

"Whatever. I'll get the guy and then you have to teach me Repelling Shot." It was an incredible maneuver. Mal had always been envious of those self-important bastards who knew the trick to it and never told her. "You're not ready," they all said, and it frustrated her to no end that she hadn't been able to figure it out on her own. Firing an arrow while also jumping backwards didn't seem that difficult in concept, but in practice? She needed to be taught, and that galled her.

She'd already worked out the technique for Quick Nock all by herself, and that was more advanced than anything even most of the trainers could manage. So why couldn't she figure out Repelling Shot?

She crossed the bridge without slowing down. 'The raiders should be just up the path ahead.' She was supposed to meet up with some Lancer for this one, but she didn't need him. This would be an easy stealth operation. Get in, put an arrow in the skull of this so-called Nezul Cattlan The Violator, and get out again. Easy. She'd be back rubbing her success in that pompous elf's nose before nightfall. She could probably just take on the whole raiding party and just wholesale slaughter the lot of them.

It was just a bunch of stupid birdmen. What could possibly go wrong?