The Twilights: The Basics of Secrets

Chapter 2

Jay

In the morning, I squeezed my tall body though the hold that led to Azura's tree home. She focused on the wood of the tree and it uncoiled in front of us and let in the morning light. The foliage around us was damp with morning due. It was a brisk cold, I shivered slightly through my clothes.

Azura looked to be exactly in her element.

She turned back to face the tree and it closed up. She was extremely interesting. I didn't think harmans were native to Sugloria, but she knows these woods like a frupert would. She had two long white braids that flowed down her short body. Her green eyes matched the color of her skirt that had slits along the side. She had black leggings on, a loose black shirt with a brown vest and matching brown hiking boots; she almost blended in with her surroundings. We didn't talk much on the way to the ship. She just followed behind me, hands holding onto the straps of her pack as she swayed through the early morning wind.

We came to a small clearing in the middle of the vast and thick woods. In the center was the small ship, The Glory, waiting with a small fire going. The Glory was a simple ship: the back of the ship opened up and inside along each of the walls was a bench for passengers to sit and then the pilots chair the front and a small dome at the top of the ship where a gunman could sit. Sitting on the open ramp of the ship was Livia, polishing a blaster.

Liv looked up and smiled as she saw me walking with her. She called back into the ship before coming off the ship to greet me and Azura.

"Hey, Jay," she said, "get lost in the woods last night?" Livia, like Azura, was a harman. They're completely identical to humans, aside from the fact that they have a wide variety of hair colors and they have light brown skin markings along their hands and up their arms. Both Livia and Azura covered their arms and hands with gloves and the sleeves of their clothes, and Livia had short, dark blue hair, compared to Azura's long white braids.

Russ came off the ship next. He seemed immensely dissatisfied seeing Azura by my side. And I suppose he has a right to be mad since she did use a shocker on him last night. "What's that street rat doing here?" he demanded.

"She is going to help us find the capsule," I told him.

"We got the capsule last night. That she stole." Russ pointed out.

"We were sold the wrong the capsule. Check it yourself. Azura says she can help us find the real capsule."

"For the right price," Azura butted in.

"And what price would that be?" Brie asked, coming off the ship. She wore a baggy starsuit and big gloves that she was taking off when she came off the ship. Her black hair was pulled back and her blue skin was smudged with grease stains.

"20 garrons," Azura said confidently.

Russ and Livia's eyes got wide. "Are you serious?" Russ asked.

"Deal," I assured Azura before anyone could protest.

"Jay!" Liv started.

I stopped everyone from jumping down my throat. "It's a deal. Russ, Liv, go start up the speeders from the ship, we'll need them to get to the crashed ship. Go get them, that's an order."

As the two of them stomped away, Brie took me by the arm. "Can I have a word with you." It was not a question.

Brie led me over to the edge of the clearing, away from the ship and from Azura. She crossed her arms in front of me. "What?" I asked her.