Apprentice I: Shadow

A lone shadow stalked toward's Abbiya's camp, its dark silhouette in sharp contrast with the pale-orange sand and red stones surrounding them. It looked like it could belong to Abbiya or any other bird around— two legs, two arms, a head on its shoulders, a very fine hat upon its head...and a revolver in its hand.
She barely had time to react before it fired, narrowly dodging the inky black streak that cut through the air where her own fine hat had been a second ago. She breathed a sigh of relief. If her hat came out of this with yet another scar, her sister would kill her, and make a new hat from her corpse.
The figure repositioned itself for a better shot, jittering erratically as it moved. This shadow was not cast by anything, be it another bird or a bird-shaped rock— it was alone. Darkness in the shape of a living being. An unnatural thing, one of many that plagued the frontier— a mirage. Bishop Ottothorn told her that seeing one meant god was testing you, and you damn well better pass— or it'll shoot you dead for the sin of simply not being fast enough.
She dove to the side as another blast flew past her, and drew her gun.
"Stay still, wouldja? Yer gonna be my first..."
The thing didn't respond. Mirages didn't speak, though Abbiya would've preferred they did, because now she was put in the awkward position of filling in dialogue for the shadow.
"You'll never get me, vile slinger!" She imagined it saying. This was a corny mirage, she decided.
Another blast flew by her— she thanked god that this one was a bad shot.
It probably would have said something like "I'll get you next time, my nemesis!"
"Nemesis? Really?" She questioned out loud. "We've only just met, I-" she ducked as the thing took another shot at her hat— no, she was pretty sure it meant to hit her head, actually. She had to take this seriously.
"'Nuff talk." Abbiya grunted as she took cover behind a rock. Ok...ok...breathe, you can do this— you gotta shoot back, girl. She winced as a shot sent bits of broken stone flying over her shoulder.
"Jus' breathe in..." She reminded herself, going through the steps in her head. Another shot flew too close for comfort, causing her to exhale sharply. She shut her eyes. Focus. She took a deep breath as her revolver's cylinder began to spin on its own. She felt the energy pooling inside her lungs, a puff of purple smoke rose from the corner of her beak. And out... She exhaled, not through her mouth— but through her shooting arm.
Purple smoke billowed from the chamber. She popped out of her cover, steadied her arm towards the creature, and pulled the trigger. A bright, purple spark illuminated the sand as it zig-zagged through the air towards the mirage. A crackling series of pops, whistles, and snaps could be heard as the thing's body swirled around the wound and disappeared into sparkling smoke.
There were things out there that even bullets couldn't kill. And so, with her thumb, Abbiya traced a quick circle against her forehead— thanking god for the magic it left behind.