Curses Snippet! (Patreon)

Apparently, I just like to share Val's sharp shooting scenes with you? Anyway, here's one I wrote yesterday. Ignore any typos. I'm still drafting and my drafts are a mess.

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Val walked to one end of the hall, stopping at the furthest point, keeping her back to Tevin. He walked to the other end, holding the sack of enchanted birds that Val had found on her brief excursion into the estate’s tiny armory. Tevin pulled out the first training bird, the bespelled creation built to look like a bluejay. It was the bigger of the target birds and he wanted to help Val calibrate her shot and also warm up the crowd. He tapped the stone in the bird’s chest, and it’s eyes opened, the metal wings fluttering. These creations were so much nicer than the ones they had at home. Tevin whistled, a bright sharp sound, then threw the bird high up into the air. It’s blue wings springing open and pushing it higher.

Val whipped around, pistols up, and let off two shots. One missed, the magic on the training round making in dissolve, the sound not unlike a the low, sad sound of a trombone. The second, however, hit it’s mark. Blue light flashed and the bird plummeted toward the ground. Right before impact the bird spun, pirouetting on it’s toes, then crash to the ground with a theatrical flop. The target birds at home just fell. Next up came the golden finch, several sparrows, a cardinal, and finally a shiny green junebug. Val hit every one, the junebug being the finale as the tiny bug exploded into a shower of emerald sparks. The group clapped, the joy and awe on their faces clear from where Tevin stood. Everyone was completely charmed, except Merit. She clapped and smiled, but Tevin somehow knew she’d caught the underlying note to the performance—don’t mess with Val.

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Hope you're having a good week!