Chapter 1 part 2

=He turned around=

Excuse yourself, Hybrid, but forget not that by almost all account it was your kind that started the great war to begin with. Now we fight because we must. Our 'side', Cubi, Sek'isk, Revaer alike have tried time and time again to make peace with the Romanii, but every time we have been answered with our messenger's head in a bag. If we lay down our weapons, we risk our entire species being wiped out forever, the same fate your kind once faced. Speak not of matters you know nothing of.

Is this what you have been told Py'ver? By your superiors?

I look up at the Sl'vesh.

I suppose you heard the same thing from yours?

I tut in disgust.

=He nearly drew his blade=

You think you-

=Just then, something shot through the walls, like an arrow, only faster. It did not stick into anything, and flew straight on through the walls and out the other end of the house. Xazhi dropped to his knee, his lower right leg spurting blood=

Agh, Gods! What the hell was that!?

=draws his bow and fires an arrow through the hole trying to hit whatever is out there=

dam it

That. Py'ver was an arrow judging by the size of the hole. And it seemed to be a warning. You would do well to listen to it.

I walk into yet another room and come back out, throwing the Py'ver a small bag.

Rub that on the wound, it will soothe the pain. Then go and find some bandages.

I sit back down and look at the Sl'vesh.

I guess we just found our Nightkin.

=He clutches the wound with his right hand, trying to stop the bleeding. The hole was big enough for him to put his thumb into, and his leg was protected by armor. Whatever it was, it was a damn strong shot=

Think. Think for just a moment. If it were an- Agh- Arrow, would it have gone through an entire house?

=walks into the room with aurora still drawn=

i tried firing back but missed

=i look at the hole=
I guess we do.

=i got up, and looked outside, without lingering too long near the windows=
Oh, and by the way, yeah, we did. Our messengers just as dead as theirs. Then again, we did our executions out of revenge for ours. Well, at least the one I watched.

=i kept Arma extended and looked at the Daemonil=
Arrows. They kinda hurt, don't they?

See. My point exactly. Both sides are just being told the other did atrocities first.

I flick through a few more pages of the journals.

Could still have been an arrow. I'll see what i can find in here about weapons.

=He shoots the Romanii a glare, before drawing his knife. He uses his fire magic to heat the blade to red hot, tears open the leg of his pants, and slaps the broad side down on the wound. It makes a singing sound, and smokes a small bit. He fights back a shout, and tenses up=

NNNNNNNNGH-

=He speaks through his clenched teeth=

Again, Arrows and Houses.

Magic arrow? I've never heard of that happening, but then again, never heard of Nightkin, either.

I told you. Use the salve in the bag.

I sigh and shake my head.

Here! I got something. It says the Nightkin uses some kind of modified weapon that we don't recognise. It's powerful and uses some kind of "Ou'ihr" ammunition.

I look up at the others.

The best translation i can give you is a ball of metal.

=i nod=
So like a small catapult ball. Well, this is interesting. A weapon that can hit through anything.

=i add some sarcasm=
Oh what joy.

=Xazhi goraned as he stood and swore under his breath=

Iihbusni 'hkuvrehkulk...

=He leaned against the wall=

It's called a Rifle, numbbrains. The Humans use quite a lot of them. Very fast, very deadly. But Rifles make a loud Bang when they go off, and aren't always accurate.

Never heard of it. Look are you going to use that healing salve or can i put it back?

Yeah, I know what those are. There was no bang, so it can't be that. Besides, only humans have those, and I highly doubt any humans would come in here.

Just put it back. Fire works just as well, albeit crude.

=He looks at the Romanii=

Yeah, it was more like a.... Like a pop, almost.

It's not meant to actually heal the wound. It will just make the pain go away.

I stand up and pick it up.

But if you don't really want it. Then you can limp around for a while for my amusement i suppose.

I stand there, deliberating.

Maybe the Nightkin stole some from a human, made their own? Although, in these trees...it'd have to be small. That can't be right. Can it?

=i thought for a moment=

=He shook his head=

Can't be. Rifles are long. Longer than a person is tall. Otherwise they couldnt hit the broad side of Deepwood without rubbing the end of the weapon on it.

Hmm. Maybe some other form of ball projectile? Like a sling or bow? But then that wouldn't make a pop, would it?

No. And a Sling or Bow wouldnt have sent it this fast or this strong.

What does it matter?

I lean back in my chair, giving a soft yawn.

Daybreak. Time for a tour of the house maybe.