Dara scrambled towards the windows, heart pounding against their chest and blood zipping to their head. Their vision tunneled towards the shattered windows. Good. Any exit that would take their frantic body out into open space would do.

The sound of belts unlocking rang behind them. A curse fizzled past Dara's thin lips. To be safe, they slid their fangs down. If the Viz'ni decided to attack, they would too. And with them being a race as unpredictable as the Rohai-rau, Dara might have just stumbled into their doom. The Viz'nir were terrible, terrible people, using violence, weapons, and threats in getting even with the red-skinned race superior to all of them. Dara wasn't one to believe in propaganda, but they could say the Viz'nir's near-extinction was because of their own fault. No one goes against the Rohai-rau and lives. It would be better for them to accept the rule like the Sivr-idis did.

The radar beeped like crazy, driving more anxiety up Dara's spine. They whirled to their belt to flip the switch. In the absence of the beeping, the heavy thuds of approaching steps replaced it. Another curse out of their lips. Not now. Focus on getting out of here alive. The core could wait.

"Wait!" A voice from behind laced around Dara's mind. It was so damn melodic and convincing they had no problem skidding to a halt and whirling to the figure ambling towards them. The purple dots, constituting burns, bruises, and other injuries Dara couldn't care to analyze, haven't receded. "I meant no harm."

Dara considered the layers beneath those words. Of course, anyone would say them in the face of a panicking individual. Truth came in second. But after that, what came next? Would the Viz'ni lunge and plunge a knife deep into a scavenging Sivr-id's gut? The Viz'nir were proud people. They wouldn't standby if they realized Dara was technically stealing from them.

In the rare occurrence that what they said were true, they wouldn't have pretended to be dead the moment they sensed Dara's presence. Viz'nir have better senses. It wouldn't make sense for them to keep still even as Dara was already poking them. Maybe Dara would believe it more had the Viz'ni clambered out of the seat the moment Dara made it inside the skycraft or earlier.

And if they were lying, if they truly meant the opposite of what they said, it was better for Dara to start running.

Since they valued their life more than hreed, Dara started edging towards the skycraft's fuselage. It was battered, but the core should be untouched. A few screws and latches to work around, but it would be quick work. They'd retrieve it later, after they lost this annoying Viz'ni in the forest.

"I need help," the Viz'ni said, rubbing their chest. From the wince muddling their features, it was not a pleasant experience. A sore spot, maybe. "I need to tell them I have arrived."

Dara narrowed their eyes. "Who needs to know?" they asked. Both might speak the same language, but that didn't mean they were in the same context. They jerked their chin at the Viz'ni. "Who are you? What are you doing in Tagradelo? It is a long way from Soa Wegre."

Ah, Soa Wegre. The city of the Viz'ni long before the Rohai-rau bulldozed it to the ground. Since then, these green-tails have been turning up in places they shouldn't be. Like this scrapyard, for example. Dara was no fool. The skycraft wasn't merely passing. It ended up here for a reason, and as a Sivr-id, they wanted to have nothing to do with it.

The city name seemed to have strummed a chord inside the Viz'ni's gut, judging from the dark cloud passing across their bruised face. "I am called Page," they said, putting two fingers to their chin as a sign of respect. A hollow gesture, if Dara was to continue being cynical. Page waved a hand in the general air around them. "Is this Tagradelo? I have no clue since my destination is Marvara. Navigation turned crazy around this area. Next thing I know, I was on the ground with a Sivr-id on my face. I apologize for spooking you."

Marvara? What would a Viz'ni do in a Rohai-rau-infested city? They shook their head. That wasn't their concern, was it? "I am called Dara," they replied, copying Page's gesture to show equal respect. An even hollower gesture considering Dara had half a mind to give to this stranger. "I apologize for screaming. I am merely shocked."

"I imagine," Page answered with a nod. They tilted their head to one side. "Are you able to indulge my request? If not, can you show me the quickest way to any bases?"

Dara scratched their scalp. "Not 'basecamp'?" The way Page called it was strange. Something new, definitely.

The Viz'ni shrugged. "That is saying the same thing twice." They braced their hips and shifted their weight from one foot to another. The motion rocked the skycraft's body for a bit, making Dara sway on their feet. "But that is beside the point. Do you have access to an amplisetter?"

"What for? We have one back in basecamp." Dara frowned, knowing full well they had just divulged information they shouldn't. Did the Viz'ni have mental powers? Not that they were aware of. Otherwise, the Rohai-rau would have fallen centuries ago. "We are not open to strangers."

Page brought their arms up. The purple spots still caught Dara's attention. Sivr-id skin, despite being close to the color of the sky at sunset, never bruised that badly, and injuries usually heal within a few minutes. Was it not the case with Viz'nir? "As I said—I meant no harm," Page said. "I truly need to send out my location to my people. They will get me out of here or meet me halfway."

"A 'please' will not cut it," Dara said, seeing the word glisten in Page's dark, pupil-less eyes. "You have to convince me you are not going to bring ruin to the basecamp. We stay out of your war with the Rohai-rau. We want none of it."

"Then, why are you out here?" Page challenged.

Dara threw their limbs up, glancing at the crashed skycraft. "Scavenging," they said. "I have a quota to keep." And frankly, a radiation shield and dessert to purchase. But it wasn't like Dara would tell a Viz'ni that. Much less, Page.

Page's eyes widened. "The core. That is what you came here for, right? I hear scavengers have been eyeing skycraft parts these days." They snapped two of four fingers as the idea latched onto their mind. "I'll give you the core, you get me an amplisetter."

What a convenient deal, if Dara was being asked. But that was what they wished for. It seemed easy enough—sneak Page into basecamp, give them access to an amplisetter, and sneak them back out. Dara had been in basecamp all their life to know how to navigate it without being seen.

It was obvious at that point. Page didn't really give Dara a way out, so Dara bobbed his head at the hopeful Viz'ni.

"Deal," Dara said.