Edge of Sidewinder (2020)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Dusk before the new year celebration was settling in. Lara Lanthara was walking the long stone steps up the hill. Little evergreen trees were scattered on both sides of the stairs, cut into perfectly round shapes. The dragon girl had an unpleasant memory connected to this location. She remembered running down these very stairs in an attempt to escape the rogue alien hunter, terrified for her life. However, all of these events were in the past.

Lara arrived at her destination. Ever since the conflict had ended, thenerians were rebuilding their positions in the community. Though, one could say some tried harder than the others.

"Who's there?" asked a cybernetic voice once Lara knocked on the door. She was standing in the street of small houses, which you couldn't tell apart from one another. At least one hundred of the habitat units were placed in a line next to each other, and if you'd happen to come here without any sort of direction, you'd be lost for sure.

"The Blue one," responded Lara quickly and the door slid into the frame. A tall thenerian in a cybernetic suit of the same species as Lara stood in the entrance. His sharp cyan gaze glanced upon his guest before he let out a greeting.

"Oh, Lara. I'm glad to see ye 'tis evenin'. Come in," and he waved his gloved claw to show Lara where to go. Lara herself was a bit tired, and her feet were cold from the journey, so she gladly accepted.

"Where's Nataru?" asked Lara. She had found her place on a couch in front of an artificial fireplace, took off the sheathed Sidewinder of her back and placed it in her lap.

"She's in the workshop," sounded the voice of the cyborg from the next room. "She said somethin' about tuning up the ol' Betsy."

"I'll go check on her and say hi," decided Lara after hearing the thought. The cyborg just responded with, "Aye," and didn't comment further.

Lara placed the weapon of hers on the cushion and straightened up her sea-green shirt. She walked over the living room and down the stairs into the cellar workshop.

Lara found Nataru leaning over a tool-rack with a small tubular device in her hand. She was trying to find something in the sparse light of the only lightbulb.

Once the bunny tinkerer had heard the footsteps behind her, she sprung up and looked over the shoulder.

"Hey, Lara," exclaimed Nataru, crossing arms on her chest. She had slid the device previously held in hand into her pocket. "It's been a while, huh? Any update on the peace between humans and us?"

Lara sighed and scratched on the back of her neck. Her eyes darted from one corner to another. "Negative," she responded. "Humans have been suspicious of our motives so far. Mayor Hawk's propaganda was too powerful to break in mere days."

A while of silence had happened, in which the girls exchanged a quick look.

Lara broke the gaze with a question, "What are you working on?"

Nataru waved her paw. "Nothing important. Peacekeeper's business."

She didn't act awkwardly, so she wasn't telling a lie most likely. Or her poker face got better over the time Lara had known her.

Lara decided to not press onto the topic. She brushed with a palm of her hand in between the strings of her white hair. There was no sign she had them cut in half just a month ago.

"Well, I am just about finished here anyway," said Nataru when there was no further talking from the dragon girl. "Care to join me upstairs?"

"Sure," agreed Lara with her. "I've come to the basement 'cause of you anyway."