The Girl on Hrusch Avenue: A Powder Mage Short Story
Brian McClellan
Language: English
Pages: 32
ISBN: 2:00241027
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Vlora is an orphan living at a boarding school as a ward of the state. Even at her young age, she already has enemies: the Bulldog Twins, Baron Fendamere, and her own headmistress. When a strange man offers to buy her, Vlora runs away and takes to the roofs above the gunsmithies of Hrusch Avenue. It is there that she meets a boy named Taniel and begins a friendship that will change her life forever.
Occurs about ten years before the events in Promise of Blood.
duped sooner or later and come back this way. Vlora dashed in front of a horse strutting down the center of the street at a cantor. She hoped to put it between herself and the Bulldog Twins—it was one more thing to keep them from seeing her. Startled, the horse jerked its head away from her and then reared, whinnying loudly. Vlora reeled in terror as hooves pounded the cobbles and the rider fought to keep his mount under control. “Piss and damnation!” The man cursed and jerked savagely at the
powder mage is a man who can manipulate gunpowder with the force of his mind,” Taniel said. “He can breathe it and taste it and it makes him stronger and faster than regular men. A powder mage can shoot bullets over great distances, miles even!” Taniel leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “Powder mages can even kill Privileged sorcerers.” Vlora had been enjoying his story until then. She turned away and folded her arms. “What?” Taniel asked. “You do think I’m stupid.” “I don’t.” “You
joining him in a smithy doorway. “No,” Taniel said. “It’s Baron Fendamere. See? That’s his 21 coach.” The one-horsed coach sat at the end of the avenue. It was black with gold trim, and had running boards along both sides and a driver cloaked in crimson sitting up on the coach box. Baron Fendamere’s pack-marked face stuck out of one window, and a gunsmith brought out a long brown package, tied with white string, and began to lash it to the roof of the coach. “Do you want to get him?” Taniel
“Taniel,” he said without looking at his son. “Tell the baron the terms of the duel.” “Small swords,” Taniel said, as if he were used to this, “in the street. No sorcery. Agreed?” The baron snarled at Tamas and tugged at the fingers of his gloves as if this were the final insult. “Agreed!” He whirled toward his coach and threw his gloves and jacket inside, then removed his belt and drew his sword. Tamas turned toward Vlora and the two boys and began unbuttoning his jacket. His hands didn’t shake
will be coming to live with Taniel and Bo and myself. Would you like that?” Vlora would, but she was still suspicious. “Why do you care about me?” “Because you’re a very special girl.” Tamas drew the pistol from his belt, flipped it around in his hand, and held it out to her, butt first. He shook it. “Here.” She reached out, hesitantly, and took it from him. The grip was worn from use, the pan stained from powder and the barrel long-since lost its shine. “Do you like the feel of that?” Tamas