Chapter Three, A new beginning

As she sat, sitting on a bed of grass and moss, lit by a sunset sky, she thought deeply about the past. This was Lyra Starcloud and now was when it all began again. Thoughts drifted in and out of place, image of people and places. The night skyline of Omni-1, the Broken Shores Falls where she got married, Rome park on a sunny day. She let herself fall onto her back and listened to the grass sway close to her. This deep into the forest there was no noise or pollution, just nature and solitude. She fell asleep.

By now, Draco was just approaching the northeast gate of Hyde City. He had dropped by the market and bought a pack of low-grade flares and some lighting fuel. He'd also treated himself to some local doughnuts to keep his hunger at bay. When out in the wild it was hard to find luxury food like doughnuts and thus he considered them a necessity while in town. That was the usual excuse anyway. At the gate he met with the guards and asked about Lyra.

"A girl did pass by a few days ago, she didn't look like she'd be back for a while judging by the backpack and how much equipment she was carrying. We like to know where residents go and so we asked her about where she was headed."

The guard stopped and that point to light a thyparette.

"And what did she say?" inquired Diviant quite impatiently.

"She told us she'd be around Co-ordinates 20.75,81.68 but she didn't say why"

Diviant got out the blue notepad at wrote down as much as he could remember on the back.

"81.86?"

"68" the guard corrected.

He placed the pad back and thanked the guard. The co-ordinates would make her about 4 miles north of his position, a long trek through dense forest. He took out his enforcer guns and replaced rubber bullets for metal ones. He knew from experience that rubber bullets would not stop the kind of creatures that live in forests like such. Taking a flare out in one hand, he set off into the undergrowth.

Lyra awoke sharply. The sun had gone now and the sky was a storm, casting darkness over the land. He stood upright and walked the entrance of a cave near where she was resting. There, she opened up a large backpack and took out a torch light and a pair of cheap laser pistols that she'd bought prior to her departure to the forest. They were self sufficient, not needing ammunition but as a result took time to recharge allowing for only a short burst. She'd researched the wildlife in this forest before leaving and knew that they would hunt now that the sunlight was gone. She took a flare out of the backpack and put it in her rear pocket. The reasons for coming out here were to think about the past, work out her future and to train up some old skills. She walked back to the centre of the opening and waited.

Lyra was once a formidable adventurer but since she left Omni-1 she had not returned to that profession. Now, years after she gave up her guns, Lyra was out of shape and un-focused. It would take time and effort to regain that way of life. As she stood there, her eyes closed, the sounds of the forest became clear, the rustling of the leaves, the crackling of animals stepping on twigs and branches. Then, the sound of an approaching bear- like animal, a briath. As the pace of the animal increased and it came close she dived to the left to avoid it and took to shooting at it. Suddenly another briath hit her from behind. The guns left her hands and her head hit the ground. Dazed, she tried to turn to face the creature. It stood over her on its back feet, about to fall onto its front paws and crush her. Then she heard the sound of firing from across the opening and the briath ran off into the trees. A man walked to her side and kneeled down.

"This is the first time I've seen you on the ground helpless." Smirked Diviant.

"And it's the last time I assure you" replied Lyra, letting him lift her to her feet.

"I know what you're doing here, I read the notebook"

Draco reached into his pocket and drew out the pad.

"Just don't do this alone, you're not the hunter you once were. You could have been killed just now."

"I had a flare ready, I'd have been ok"

She walked over to the lying diviath and stared at its black fur, which was covered, in a brownish slime.

"These animals are suffering because of the industry in Hyde City, I wanted to see the effects for myself."

"No you didn't, you wanted to see if you could be an adventurer again. In the notebook you say many times over how you miss the old days when we were all together. Come back with me to Omni-1. We'll get you back to your old ways. Dadragon's kept your guns for you, they're behind a glass plane in a picture frame at the moment, in his office."

"Office?" she asked, interrupting him.

"The clan's grown a lot since you left. They've got a HQ and everything. They'd welcome you back I'm sure."

She paused for a second and stared at him. She hadn't seen Diviant for such a long time and wondered of where he had been and what he had seen since he left the clan.

"Why did you leave Draco? What was it that made you leave the clan?"

"Same reason as you I think; to get away."

They walked over to the cave entrance and Lyra picked up her backpack.

"Ok, you win. I'll go back, but only if you do too."

"Me?" he asked, slightly unsettled by her response. "Why do you want me to go back to the clan?"

"Same reason as you want me to, to recover a life once lost."

"I said some stupid things before I left, I don't think my welcome would be as friendly as yours. I'll think about it on the way back. Besides, we'll have more than enough time. I can't believe you crossed the entire continent to get away."

She shrugged. It wasn't as if she knew exactly where she was going when she left. She just found a friend in a bar far from anything she was familiar with and decided to stop travelling. Even tough life in Hyde City was better than she'd expected her final destination to be it wasn't a home to her. Not for a second. She looked up to the sky and noticed that in addition to the cast of the clouds the light source was getting low in the sky.

"It's dark now and it'll be getting darker, if we're going to go now's the time."

"I'll lead, you need a skilled hunter to protect you from danger" Draco joked.

"Shut up and go" she replied lightly.

She shoved him playfully to get him moving and then they headed south together, back towards Hyde City.