Just outside of the church's dormitory there was an open-air workshop. Requisitioning it, Fritz finally started working on more complex weapons. The workshop was equipped with an anvil, forge, standard tools, and anything necessary to repair the church's buildings. Using the tools available Fritz started working on his weapon.

"What are we making?" Ada asked curiously.

"An accursed tool! That should have never seen the light of day! One that I hesitate to show to your kind!" Fritz pronounced like a mad scientist.

"Another rapier?" Ada asked with wide eyes. "It doesn't look like one. Is it a mace? A staff?"

"No, of course not." Fritz muttered. "Hand me that shell." Ada tossed the red shotgun shell through the air. Fritz caught it with a frown, looking into the exposed shell. He saw the remnants of gunpowder in the bottom. Shrugging to himself he slammed the shell down on an upright nail. The pointed iron tip hit the percussion cap igniting the insignificant remnant of gunpowder.

"Ohhh...." Fritz cooed.

"What's so good about that? Hardly anything happened?"

"Just wait. Just wait. What we've been building is nothing more than an elaborate striker system. The only purpose of the trigger is to strike the percussion cap which ignites the gunpowder within the shell. Once the gunpowder ignites, the shot is propelled out of the barrel. People erroneously believe guns are complex systems. The complicated part is the cycling, which we are completely circumventing by using a break-action."

"I don't get what's so important that we've wasted hours on it."

"Well it did take me three attempts to get the trigger just right. Now hand me the stock and I'll start assembling everything."

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"What is it? It looks like a mace." Ada asked incredulously as Fritz placed the trigger system into the wooden butt screwing it into place.

"It isn't a mace, but you can hit people with the butt I guess. It's a shotgun Ada."

"A shotgun." Ada said. The word felt strange upon her lips.

"You'll see. Firearms changed the very fabric of my world. Knights disappeared. Warriors no longer swung swords. Everything changed as gunpowder weapons became the dominant power. After coming into this world, I was very hesitant to create something similar. No need to open Pandora's box if I don't need to."

"Why not?" Ada asked. Fritz's mind wandered back to his various encounters with different beastkin. A common thread emerged. "I was afraid you'd try and do something incredibly stupid with it. I was afraid you'd try to kill a dragon with it."

"This 'shotgun' can kill a dragon?" Ada gasped.

"No, probably not. Banish the thought. Hand me the barrel." Fritz commanded. Ada gently and reverently presented Fritz the barrel. Placing the stock down, Fritz slotted the barrel into place, and then set the hinge pin. After what felt like ages, Fritz with a pounding heart locked the side by side barrels into place. Testing the action, he felt the barrels drop allowing him to load two shells into the waiting barrel.

Letting out a sigh of relief. Fritz breathed in deeply. It had taken him hours to make the weapon. Beside the anvil where the shotgun was placed, sat several malformed barrels, failed triggers, misaligned stocks, and broken action releases.

Fritz grabbed the gun, holstering it to his shoulder. It felt off. Any amateur shooter would notice how wonky it felt aiming. Fritz grimaced as he looked down the site. The barrels were thankfully straight. Fritz uttered a silent prayer as he pulled the trigger. The distinct click of the hammer hitting air reached his ears.

Ada crouched down as she stared down the barrel.

"What's the big deal? Was something supposed to happen? I can't see anything."

"Ada! Don't look down the barrel!"

"What? Why not? It's not enchanted is it?"

"No. I'll show you soon enough." Fritz said. Touching the action release, the barrels swung open revealing the inner barrel. "Don't look down the barrel, Ada. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Hmmmm....." Ada hummed to herself. "So when do we get to test it?"

"Blood, give me blood." Ada's rapier whispered.

"Soon." Fritz replied as he slung the shotgun over his shoulder.