Paper Waste

Interviewer:

So, who are you and what is that you do?

XX:

I'm XX, from YY. I'm army specialist in gunblade use.

I:

Gunblade? That's is quire a unique weapon isn't it?

How does it work, shouldn't the bullets shatter the blade or something?

X:

If they were normal bullets yes. But it is a specialised catrige built with elemental atuned crystals. Fire, ice, etc.

When you fire it, if done at exact point of impact, the magical energy is transfered to the target. Fire would cause burn alongside the cut.

I:

Doesn't that cauterize the wound? I would suspect a bleeding wound would cause more damage in the longterm.

Chirugeons do that after all.

X:

You are quite right. The burning does cauterize the wound.

But it also explodes in a ball of fire at your face, when you're not expecting, with smoke an all. It also ments whatever protection you are wearing into your skin.

Besides, burning pain is not pleasant. And in some cases you actually get the enemy clothes on fire.

That's quite fun to watch.

I:

I wouldn't know.

You mention ice damage as well. What kind of effect does that cause, and of other elements.

X:

Ice effect is quite effective in breaking armour and weapon. It does free the metal which then shatters.

There is also thunder. It is a strange effect that one, it causes the body muscles to stiffen. Whoever is affected by then, just drops down uncouncious, but still alive.

Quite usefull when you want to minimize death. Also, no armour has protection against it. It doesn't need to cut, just hit.

I:

I can imagine shattering armour and weapons to be quite effective in the battlefield.

X:

It could, I guess, if I had enough cartridges to use on battlefield. But alas I have only 6, so it ends up seeing less use than thunder.

I:

Why is that? Can't you get more?

Actually, how someone get's cartridges for it?

X:

It is not difficult per se.

You need an artificer to create the cartridges for you. And since gunblades aren't common, it is always made to order.

After that, each cartridge having its dedicate crystals, you need a mage to actually infuse it with energy.

Finding mages specialises in fire is easy, and thunder is common too.

But few dedicate themselves to ice, not much damage potention I guess, and the few who do, aren't willing to lend their knowledge to arts of war.

I:

So how do you get them then? The ice cartridges.

And how you identify one from another.

X:

I know a mage who does that for me.

But he is rather strict. He himself will provide the cartridge, and he will swap the expent ones for the charged.

But there is a catch, he will only do so if all cartridges are spent. And since he provides them, he will know if I try to change some that weren't his.

I tried, didn't work.

As for telling them apart, they have a small ring on the butt. *she opens her bandolier*. See, red for fire, blue for ice, yellow for thunder.

I:

I see some others, white? No, more like silver, but the colour keeps shiftiing.

X:

Yes, those will give you a headache.

I:

So...?

X:

Be my enemy in a battlefield if you want to find out.

You won't have that knowledge for long though.

I:

Can I at least ask if they are easier than ice?

X:

Not at all.

All but impossible really.

I only have those because they were with the gunblade when I acquired it, all six of them.

I:

Six? I see only four.

X:

I did had to find out.

Nearly got me killed.

I:

There one point I'm meaning to ask, but we keep going on a tangent.

How do you get to be a gunblader, I imagine it to be quite difficult.

X:

It is indeed.

As difficult as it is to be a heavy warbow user, but warbows are fore more common and easier to make.

So you only end up becoming a gunblader if you somehow got one.

And though the production of cartridges is somewhat well known among artificers, the weapon itself doesn't seen to be wide spread.

I:

May I ask how you got yours?

X:

Found it in some ruins.

Won't tell which, so don't ask.

Don't ask about the story itself, it is not pleasant to remember.

I:

I won't then.

Thank you very much for your time.

I hope I never get to find what does white-silver cartridges do.

X:

My pleasure.