90A/N: Dear God does it feel good to be back, alive and kicking! That's right, folks, I'm back - and for good this time! Seems that now that I've got my service dog, I can do all sortsa things I couldn't do before. For those that are confused, I finally got approved for a seizure dog who I've affectionately named Pocky. Ol' Pocky helps me with little things that may be too difficult for me to do by myself. Anyway, I can go to school now and stuff, it's great. My friends all love him; it's fun having a dog at your feet in class, too. XD
So now that things are back to normal, this story can get back on track! I know this chapter isn't really that long, but I'm trying to get things back in motion, ya know? Baby steps. Enjoy.
Tomorrow's Decisions
Part Two
Chapter Eight - In Which I Discover A New Weapon
Rapier's brother gaped at me while the rest of us sat silently, hands resting on our knees. "I don't believe a word of it," he announced after some time, glaring imperiously down at me, while I glared right back.
"Dear Gods," I heard Li sigh.
"You're a liar and a wench, Hashibiyara, and I won't believe your deceit!" he snarled.
I was just as, if not more so, angry. "Argh! What the gods is your problem?! What can I possibly say to make you listen reasonably to me?!"
"Nothing. At. All."
Well wasn't he pert.
"Bastard," I hissed, lunging to my feet and immediately into a battle stance. This jerk was gonna pay, relative of Rapier or not, he was pissing me off.
"What did you call me?!" he yelled, jumping up as well.
I felt someone grab at my arm and turned to see Naru give me a look.
I sighed, feeling my anger die down a bit…but only a bit. "I'm sorry, you deserve no rage, but an explanation would be preferable as I can understand."
Rapier's brother's sneer lessened a bit, but Li's attentive gaze did not fade. Why didn't Li trust him?
I didn't have time to reflect on it, though, because the stranger in front of me was sitting back down and something I hadn't noticed before was falling out of his jacket. I couldn't describe it even if I wanted to for it was unlike anything I had ever seen in all my life.
Three long metal cylinders formed together over a wooden handle of sorts with a space hollowed out that was filled by an arched piece of metal that looked as though it moved back and forth with some force. As it fell from his hakama, I saw Rapier's brother flinch and bit and his eyes widen as he tried to tuck it back inside his jacket without anyone noticing, but Li noticed all right.
And he did not look happy.
"Where in all the hells did you get a gun?" he demanded. "Only foreigners have these!"
I stared stupidly at them, confused, but when I turned around, expecting to see Naru just as dumbstruck, I was met with grimness. "It's a gun, a new type of weapon designed by Westerners."
This didn't totally help me out, but the word 'weapon' stuck out like a sore thumb among his sentence. "A weapon?" I looked curiously at the object now in Li's careful fingers. "Just what could something that small and harmless looking do? What do the Westerners do? Throw them?"
"They shoot small balls of iron from the metal cylinders," cut in Li, looking extremely serious. "They kill almost instantly. The wounds are almost impossible to treat."
I was silenced.
How would Rapier's brother come to be in possession of such a weapon?
And more importantly, why did he have it?
Was he even really my love's brother? Gods only knew but one thing was sure...I was going to find out.
MWUAHAHHAHAA! Fear its shortness! Seriously, baby steps. I know, I know, that was just shamefully short, but I'll update when my creative juices are flowing again, ne? Ja.