To Escape From Gravity

Chapter Twelve

"Fifteen silver coins for each day, and if you don't bring it back in five days, I'll send Udurak to find you and you'll pay for it by your blood," the burly man's voice was as gritty as the floor of his shop.

Normar didn't think for a moment that he was exaggerating. The lumbering man she supposed was Udurak stood still as a statue in the corner. His demeanor suggested he'd relish in the chance to shed blood.

"I'll need it for three days, and here's the amount paid in full," she responded. Forty five silver coins rattled together as she placed them down on the counter.

He grunted in response as he snatched the coins. After clearly struggling to count them properly, he shrugged and pocketed the money. He shoved a bronze key into her hand and threw his head towards the exit.

"You'll find it out back, it's got enough power to last you for a few days," he instructed.

With a subtle nod, Normar adjusted the duffle bag that was slung across her shoulder and left the dust-covered shop.

As soon as she walked through a squeaky door, a violent gale of wind struck her. Small whirlwinds of dust danced around her feet as every muscle in her tensed, trying to steele herself against the forceful elements. It had been nearly two years since she had been down here, and in that timespan, Normar had forgotten how alien the environment was to the sky cities.

"I need to get a hat," she thought to herself. It was quickly apparent that a hat would be a necessary accessory to keep the wind from throwing her hair into a mess of knots.

Information wasn't easy to find in Wardor, especially because to the residents here, she easily stood out as a floater. The lack of a hat was a prime example. But using her social charm and wit, she had pinpointed a place within three hours that had a DuneTrac for rent. Clearly, the owner didn't consider professionalism and tact a necessary component of business, but Normar was more than used to dealing with unrefined characters. Her knife strapped near her left ankle and the compact rifle stuffed in her bag gave her comfort if she were to feel like these questionable people became a threat.

Despite his brutish demeanor, the surly man was able to deliver what she needed. The DuneTrac was behind his shop, ready for use like he said.

At its creation, the vehicle was a deep brown color. But years of use in the desert had stripped it of paint and added sporadic areas of rust. The front of the vehicle was similar to a truck, with big, bulky headlights embedded in the grill and a wide, thick windshield allowed for optimum visibility. The cab had two fabric seats, and an open back that provided access to the bed of the vehicle. Three arches were attached to the bed of the truck, providing a curved roof that was created out of curved sheets of thin steel. A metal bench lined each long side of the bed, so the vehicle could easily carry up to eight people comfortably.

Normar only needed enough space for three additional passengers, but figured that this type of vehicle would be preferred over a Sand Rider, which could fit four people but didn't offer nearly the same level of comfort. She also liked the fact that it wasn't as commonly used for civilian transport, so if someone were trying to follow the counselor's daughter to Miasten, they most likely wouldn't look twice in the back of such a vehicle.

Tossing her duffle bag onto the passenger seat, Normar climbed up into the cab. With a quick turn of the key, the motor rumbled to life. The power gauge was near full capacity, so yet another truth that the owner had said. Most of the vehicles on the ground operated with solar power, though some used it in combination with gasoline. This DuneTrac ran on solar, and had more than enough power to get her to and from Raschent, where she'd be meeting her passengers.

Despite not growing up using such vehicles with frequency, Normar was a natural with machinery and coordination. It didn't take her long to get the hang of operating the big vehicle, and she soon had maneuvered out of narrow streets that surrounded the shop. There was no need to delay the four hour trip, so without waiting, she began the trek towards Raschent.