Rider

Chapter one

As I walked into the small dark bar, with all the Jet Bikes parked outside with there huge engines and bigger exhausts, the bar was filled with strange smelling and rather grizzly looking creatures from the furthest depths of the galaxy. ‘Rusty’s’ quite a strange name for the equally strange bar. As I walked through, avoiding what I hoped was sick on the floor, I neared the bar avoiding the rather large alien scum who have no manners or well……any civilised behaviour at all. As I Reached the bar, I noticed a rather large two headed lizard standing about 7ft tall with a muscular build, he wore big boots and armoured trousers... all in black, he also wore a black assault vest with his right arm armoured by a jet black Gauntlet. As I looked at him I saw his eyes were a bright white with a small jet black slit for pupils, he had spines running down the centre of either head and wore welders goggles on his foreheads. He had a large Axe strapped on his back and a pistol on his thigh. His large 3ft tail was wrapped around the barstool, It must get in the way, I thought to myself as I sat down.  I could see he was watching me as well as most things around him, well having four eyes must have its uses. I ordered a beer and looked around, I was sticking out like a saw thumb compared to everyone else in this run down bar. After about 15 minutes when I had finished my second pint, and the lizard on his third since id been here as I ordered my third from the strange human looking bar maid, he turned to me, “Your not from around here are you?” he asked. I looked at him, all four ghostly white eyes fixed on me,
“I’m...I’m looking for someone” I said nervously in reply as his left head drank the pint he had, the right mumbled something in a kind sounding voice said
“Who? I might be able to help I’m a regular”.
“Regular you practically live here,” said the barmaids voice laughing as she continued her rounds.
“A hunter” I said now in a more relieved tone,
“A hunter you say?...hmmm what sort of hunter?” he replied I could see how interested he was becoming his eyes sharpened and his right head looked towards the door and the other focused on me. Before I could say another word the bar began to vibrate and another lizard rushed through the door,
“It’s the Kings! There coming for war!” Gang or block wars were common in this city. Kings was a neighbouring Bar for car junkies, not bike junkies. “Get behind the bar!” the lizard shouted at me as everyone got weapons out, Guns, knives, axes even the barstools were ready. Each man… well I say man… each thing being armed to the teeth. The noise outside stopped and the doors flew open in a hail of gunfire, before I knew what was happening about 10 of the Kings gang had rushed in and a full blown brawl had started happening around me. The Lizard and barmaid had gone and were nowhere to be seen and I was alone with no fighting experience not even a weapon. I saw my escape, the back door about hundred meters behind me down a narrow corridor. I slowly counted to ten knowing that on ten I would bolt it, But my plan failed as I started to run, a King saw me and managed to stop me with the effective technique of throwing a barstool at me knocking me down. As I lay frozen by fear and pain, the King walked over to me and another human but this one wasn’t as friendly as the barmaid. He drew his blade, I then heard a shot of gunfire and the remains of his skull land on me, soaking me in blood.

I cant remember much after that as I fainted, all I remember was a lot of shouting and gunshots. I woke about 3 hours later and the bar was filled with now more people than there was when I first arrived. Although some of the people looked a little worse for wear or were dead, all that seemed different was the extra bloodstains and the bullet holes In the walls. I stood up realising that no one was fazed by the attack. I walked back to the bar, my head throbbing and I noticed that the lizard was sitting in the exact same place as when we had first spoke, one of his eyes was still fixed on me as I sat next to him, “you said you were looking for a hunter?” he said in a more friendly tone.
“erm yes” I replied still holding my head.
“Leena get this man a drink,” he said, “now what type of hunter are you looking for?” now all four eyes now focused upon me.
“A bounty hunter, my friend recommended coming here to find one,” I replied now being able to think straight.
“A bounty hunter, ha, plenty of them around here mate why didn’t you just go to a firm?” he said smiling, it was the first time I’d ever seen a lizard smile, I’d seen a lot of them around, but they always look angry or…well angry.
“There too expensive and wouldn’t let me come along with them, so who would you recommend? You seem to know this place” his eyes now trailing round the room,
“ill do it,” I heard a voice behind me say, as I looked round, I saw a 6ft tall very well built man dressed in red armour, “My names Jacks, I see you’ve met these disgusting lizard creatures already,” he whispered,
“That ‘Disgusting lizard’ is my hunting partner jackass” I heard as I saw Jacks raise his hands above his head. I looked behind him and saw a women about 5ft 7 tall, she had black hair just past her shoulders of which some covered her face, I saw her bright lavender eyes filled with anger staring at Jacks. She was wearing a tight black T-shirt covered in thin fishnet which went down to her elbows, the leather of her gloves reflected in her pistol, which was still firmly pressed against Jacks head, as I looked down I saw she was wearing black combat trousers with a tear over the right knee and her bulky black steal toed boots. Her other pistol was holstered on her right thigh with an empty holster on her left.
“Hi Kari” I heard the lizard say,
“Hi Sarg. How you been?” she replied in a kind tone, gun still pressed firmly against Jacks head.
“Very well Kari, now let Jacks leave in one piece,” he replied in a more serious tone.
Kari lifted her pistol and kicked Jacks towards the door.
“So you’re a bounty hunter?” I asked the lizard
“Yes, WE are bounty hunters,” Kari replied as she sat next to him and ordered a beer,
“Could you help me please?” I asked them hoping that they would as I seemed to be getting off on good ground.
“Fine how much you offering? Where are they? Why? And can you fight?” The lizard said now with all his eyes focused upon me as well as Kari’s which was very intimidating,
“Erm…about 10000creds, there in Hive Succubus and they killed some of my family and I want them brought to justice and… Well…no I cant I have no experience but… I still want to come!” I said assertively. “You’ll be a hindrance if you can’t fight… but on second thoughts do you have a vehicle?” he replied snapping sharply.
“Only a small hover-car its parked outside if u want to see it,” I replied now slightly nervous,
“There isn’t any parked outside mate, this is a biker bar so if it was here it would have been destroyed in the Kings attack… what did it look like??” he replied smiling,
“It was a light blue centurion model” I said with a hint of sadness in my voice,
“…Oops… sorry,” Kari Replied looking rather guilty, “I sort of made it go bang…” she added with the look of guilt still in her eyes, along with a slight tear.
“YOU DID WHAT!!!!” I stood up about to lash out when The lizards large tail wrapped around my legs with him standing about 1ft above me. His rather large 3ft long axe with a head shaped like a claw that was about 2ft wide was at my throat.
“Now sit and watch your tone around Me and Kari!” he said growling. I noticed the whole bar was looking at us.
“I’m….I’m extremely sorry please don’t hurt me I didn’t mean it honest,” I said almost crying. He placed me down onto the barstool and sat back down
“Fine you get this one chance now finish your drink and we will be off, you can tag along… could be amusing.” The lizard said in a evil tone. As we finished up and walked outside the room parted for the pair of hunters as they walked through but I still had to navigate around everyone and the great pools of blood from the fight.