My Little Fortress: Dawnpick

by Paaaad

51: Target Practice

Jaxler woke up; he was on top of his apartment. All he remembered from yesterday was that he started drinking. He got up and looked around, and found his crossbow was five feet to his left and realized that he had guard duty today and that should have shown up around an hour ago. So he flew as fast as he could to the barracks

Kat was already in the barracks, really wondering where everypony is at the moment, seeing that she's the only pony in the barracks at the moment. Shooting at the Target with her guard crossbow and its wooden training bolts.

Jaxler finally arrived and walked into the building, "Hay Kat, do you know who has to patrol today?"

Kat perked her ears when she heard Jaxler's voice, but didn't look yet as she's aiming down the crossbow sight. "I think it's Partisan's and Storm Cloud’s today… Seeing that you just came and I still have more training to do.." she answered, then fired her crossbow, hitting the target right where it should have its left eye socket. "Good morning Jaxler."

"Good morning to as well" Jaxler walked over to the closet weapon rack and traded his wooden crossbow for a shiny steel one. "You mind if I practice with ya"

Kat look over to Jaxler, seeing him switching crossbows, then smiles "Sure! It’s getting boring shooting alone anyway." After answering the other Pegasi, Kat pulled the string back and secure it, loading another wooden bolt in. "it was more fun shooting at that beast."

"Ya, but the last thing this town needs are more cave monsters". Jaxler put a bolt in his crossbow and fired. He completely missed the target.

Kat Aimed down the sights again. "Well, if there's more. We'll just have to kill more. Simple." she said, pushing the trigger and firing the bolt, hitting her target around its groin area. "You okay?" she asked, seeing that Jaxler missed his target by like a mile or something.

"I'm okay" Jaxler tried firing aging at the target but missed just as badly. He then tried again and actually hit a target but it wasn't the one he was aiming for.

The pegasi mare tilted her head slightly, seeing Jaxler's surprisingly bad aim this morning. "You just woke up hung-over... Didn't you?"

Jaxler laughed a bit at the question "What gave it away?"

Kat shrugged and smile. Well, at least he seems to be in a good mood. "I think you shooting my target instead of yours gave it away" she said, sticking her tongue out playfully a bit while reloading her crossbow. "But hey! Good shot! I think that one hit the lung or something."

Kat aim down the sights again at the target, firing her bolts again and hitting it, breaking the right false rib and jamming it into the target's lung... if it were a living thing anyway. "Heh, I don't get why don't you just take the steel one as your own and use it every time. To get used to, better that way."

"Do what? I came to town with my wooden crossbow and my crossbow has saved my life on many occasions. What kind of a pony would I be if I just dropped it into a stockpile and let it rot?

Kat raises her eyebrow at the question "Why would you drop it into a stockpile? Ask the carpenter to make a box for it and keep it for generations to come sounds like a good idea. Should give the poor thing some rest. But it's your crossbow; do what you want with it I guess?"

Jaxler laughed a bit and walked over to the weapon rack. He picked up his wooden crossbow pulled back the string put a bolt in it. When fired the bolt landed right between where the target’s eyes would be. "I don't think this thing wants to retire anytime soon."

Kat shrugged slightly, reloading her crossbow "Well, looks like you got your aim back. You're really used to waking up hung-over do you?"

"Yes, yes I am. Getting hung over isn't all too bad once you get used to the headaches." Jaxler then picked his steel crossbow back up and fired it. This time the bolt hit the ceiling.

"Yes, that... or your steel crossbow's aim is way off. Maybe you should get that thing checked out sometimes no?" she suggested. Firing off her own bolt and hitting the target's midsection. "I'm really getting tired of shooting targets all day, you know?"

"Well being part of the guard really isn't as action packed as it seems. If you think this is boring then just wait till you have to fill out paperwork, or listen to a pissed off old mare file a complaint about the sun being too bright"

Kat finally is pleased with all the shooting, she slung her crossbow across her back and stretches out, flexing her wings as well to see if it's still working and haven’t gone numb to death yet. "Well, at least we don't get sent head-first into a bunch of monsters like the militia anyway... But there's these rumors of sieges or something now that we're a barony. Probably why Partisan set up more targets and is making them further and harder… heh... a siege. What do you think?" She asked, leaving the shooting area of the barracks to find a place to sit at for now.

Jaxler walked over a weapon rack and traded his steel crossbow for his wooden one and followed Kat out of the firing range. "If we were to be besieged I'd say our chances of survival depend on how much the enemy wants us dead."

She reaches the lounging area of the barracks, finding a table to sit at and taking out her own supply, already wanting to eat. "Another factor would be how good we are, and how good THEY are." she continued, taking out her bottle of Longland beer and some carrots

"Ya but skill is irrelevant if they send 90+ ponies mounted on war elephants all of whom are wearing full metal armor."

"You want to know what’s irrelevant? Time of death." She said, biting onto the tip of her carrot before downing it with her Longland beer. "Whatever you do, whatever happens, whoever you are, you die. Simple as that."

"Yep, you die. Which is why you might as well decide enjoy the time you got. Time of death is irrelevant but being able to die with a sincere smile is."

Kat pondered for a moment as she takes another bite from her carrot "Hmm... I think I told you something similar when you asked me before I joined the guards.."

Jaxler laughed a bit. "Why are talking about something as unpleasant as death right now?"

Kat giggled before taking another swig of her drinks "Who knows? Maybe I’m a sick, sick pony who could only taste food if she talks about death and destruction." she joked. Taking a large bite out of her carrot

"Man, I just realized that I haven't eaten today. Can I borrow some money so I can go buy some food"

Kat tilted her head ever so slightly from the request "Don't you get free food? I mean, we're allowed to just walk in and grab something from the food storage anyway. Right? Or something from the Guard's supplies?"

"All the food here tastes bland. I was actually gonna walk over to the kitchen and pay the cook to make me something decent"

"Ah, sure! How many bits do you want?"

"Enough"

Kat taps her chin for a moment, then open her poach of bits, taking four bits out of it and place it on the table before pushing it towards Jaxler "There, should be enough."

Jaxler picked up the bits and said "Thanks". He then started to walk out the door.

Kat waves Jaxler goodbye as she continues to eat her food there where she is.