Excalibur {Complete}

29

After Ahmeil's declaration to me, I had lost all desire to go see Tristan like I had originally wanted. I was shaking and fuming, a boiling wreck that needed release of some sort and going to have sex with Tristan wasn't the answer. So left the manor entirely and went out into the huge expanse behind it to the training areas. I needed something to do, something that would get my mind off of her words and her lies. Something that would make me feel a little better, like imagining a bullet going through her head.

I ended up near the range where I usually trained with Jace. The weapons that he'd shown me the first time I was there remained on the table. By then I could tell what was a shot gun, a rifle, an assault weapon, and more. I reached out and I lifted up one of the rifles. It had a long barrel, a bolt on the side that you would pull back to open the chamber and a sight attached to the top of it. As I was examining the weapon, footsteps came up to me and I stiffened half expecting it to be Ahmeil again. I swear to God I'm going to bash her over the head with this thing!

"Never expected you to pick up something like that," it was Jace's voice and I felt relief flood me.

"Jace," I uttered his name and turned to face him.

He arched an eyebrow, "Expecting someone else? This is my range you know."

I laughed a bit, "Yeah, I know. Sorry, I was just... Lost in thought."

"You seem to be doing that a lot. What do you want with a .30-06?"

I shrugged a bit, "Try it, I suppose."

"It's got one hell of a kick, you sure? It'll knock you on your ass if you're not careful."

"Serious? It doesn't do it to you."

Jace rolled his eyes, "I'm used to shooting these kinds of guns, Valkyrie. You've never even touched one until now. So yes, I'm sure."

I eyed the gun for a bit before I laughed and turned my gaze back to him. With yet another shrug I looked over to the range, "There's a first for everything I suppose."

Jace huffed a bit before he reached down to the table and took another rifle, the same one I held but with a different scope on it. He motioned for the tables a few feet away from us and we walked over to them. Putting the gun on the table he grabbed two chairs and set them up. I examined the range that he'd chosen and then the gun itself. Honestly, I was a little excited to shoot it, but at the same time nervous because I'd never handled anything quite as powerful.

"All right, sit down, give it to me, I'll put it on the stand. You remember how to load it right?"

"Yeah," I answered as I handed it to him so he could set it up for me.

Though I had never handled one, Jace had made sure to drill me on how to unload and load every weapon he had on that table. At first I had thought it to be pointless because he said I wouldn't ever use one since I used the handgun only. However, as the days went by, I realized that should I ever be in a tight situation and didn't have my handgun but something else, I would need to know how to use it. Jace really did think things through, especially when I didn't.

Once the weapon was set up, I took hold of it and loaded it. Taking a breath, I aimed down the sight and pulled the trigger. The kick hit my shoulder rather hard and I winced a bit. This was probably a bad idea... I thought to myself, but didn't say anything as I sat there. The loud bang of the rifle made my ears ring and for a moment I thought I'd lost my hearing. Next to me, Jace's hand tapped my shoulder and I looked at him.

"Too quick. Take your time with the shot. Relax," he ordered me, a frown on his lips as he looked mad, but I knew that he wasn't.

With a nod, I did as he said and turned back to look down the sight. I focused on the target, slowed my breathing and gently squeezed the trigger this time instead of just pulling it. The gun went off again, the kick knocking me back slightly, but thanks to the chair I stayed seated. I supposed Jace would have been correct in saying it would have knocked me on my ass should I have been shooting it standing. Sitting down was a little different.