Metroid: The Last Aurealian *REWRITE*

The Thieves Campfire

I returned to my humble abode. Nestled in the steam filled slum on Mercurial Island, inhabited by shady, yet likable creatures. My feet ached as drips of sweat rolled down my face. I was tired in both mind and body as I recounted the hectic day in my head, down to every insignificant detail. My neck of the neighborhood wasn't the most appealing of places, nor was it the friendliest. It was a lower income suburb on the edge of the Diaban City, where fresh steam fumed the air of the cramped apartment houses toppled on one another like melting mud bricks, somehow kept together and provided more than good furnishings.

I lived in one of these prestigious homes, the very first floor that consisted of three rooms; a main living room where you walk connected to my bedroom on the left and the pantry on the right. There was a bathroom in there with a sink, but that was so small to be considered a real room. To anyone else it would've looked run down, but to me it was home, and I wasn't living literally on the streets like some of the other inhabitants were.

"The half –blood returns." A thin creepy voice chuckled. I grasped the knife in my pocket, glancing to my side. I sighed relieved, it was only Gritz, the lanky snake like being who one said street inhabitant. He was a tad loopy in the head; claiming he fled from Planet Zebes to escape the Hunter's murderous wrath. A shady fellow and a mischievous trickster, though he was on good terms with me, believing we were kin because I was from the same planet. Gritz leaned towards me, sniffing the bag curiously. "You gots grub I smells. A successful day for you." I backed away, keeping the bag out of his reach.

"Yes, but not for you. And don't call me a half blood, I'm human all a hundred percent." Gritz retreated. "No offense to you, you a very good thief, all human." He glanced around nervously. "Nobody's coming after you right."

"No or else I wouldn't be here."

"Good, good." Gritz said. "We don't want any bounty hunters chasing you, my kinfolk, no, no, especially not her." He slunk off into the shadow, leaving me in awkward silence. "Weird." I muttered, strolling home. My ears pricked at a faint rustling noise growing louder and louder. I unsheathed my knife, a long metallic weapon resembling an ornamental dagger, pointing it at the noise's direction.

"Geez kid don't get yourself worked up. It's just me." A familiar voice chuckled in my ear.

I turned around to meet a frightening animalistic face. The creature had the body a velociraptor mixed with a savage alien predator from the distant stars. Equipped with piercing claws, needlelike spines, and a deadly whip like tail. Two pairs of arms rested on his torso, one for grabbing and holding on to objects with the dexterity of a human hand, another below them that were slightly larger for balance and sprinting on all sixes if he desperately needed to. His face was something only a savage alien predator momma could love, a long velociraptor like snout with four green eyes (two on the side of his head, two in front) and visible fangs protruding from both of his jaws. His rugged scales glinted an ominous deep blue beneath the lamplight.

This stunningly terrifying specimen was none other than my mentor and best friend. "Skye don't startle me like that, you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Skye grinned, revealing four rows (two on each jaw) of serrated teeth. "My bad, just checkin up on ya. Watch 'a got in the bag Champ smells good." "Dinner for both of us. I stole it off a Federation transporter. A few guards chased after me, but I gave 'em the slip." Skye smiled, patting my back, I winced when his claws dug into my skin, but that was just his way of showing affection. "Great job. Giving those Federation lunkheads the slip and bringing food on the table. You're getting good at this Champ, soon you'll be better than me!" I smirked. "Yeah that'll be the day. Come on pal, let's go home."