Guest Post: Meet Neyru from Pets In Space 6!
I invited author Greta van der Rol, the author of the amazing Pets In Space 6 story, The Thunder Egg, to tell us about her pet in space. Greta loves writing action-packed adventures with a side
salad of romance. Most of her work is space opera, but she has written
paranormal and historical fiction.
Meet Neyru, the interesting creature in "The Thunder Egg."
by Greta van der Rol
My
story, The Thunder Egg, started as an opening scene probably a year ago. Afra,
independent freighter captain, is regretting taking the short cut to the
spaceport through the oldest, seediest section of Old Port as one of the
frequent fogs descends. It's a haven for thugs and muggers and she's grateful
for the pistol in her pocket. As she walks, something hits her chest and
clings, staring into her eyes.
Back
then I didn't know much about Neyru at all – certainly not her name. She could
fly, she was alien, she wasn't a bird or a bat. As the story grew, so did
Neyru's appearance and her abilities.
I
imagine her as a kind of cross between a pterodactyl and a Pern dragon. She has
four legs, wide wings that fit along her backbone when they are closed, and a
short tail. Her amazing black eyes are forward-facing and slightly raised in an
otherwise slender skull on a long neck. She has skin, not feathers, but it is
hard to tell what color. The hues seem to move like oil on water.
Apart
from being able to fly, Neyru has some other qualities. Her hide when at rest
is silvery, with that same iridescence that Drew noticed in the rock at the
market where he bought the thunder egg which turned out to be an egg. But she
can change her colour and to some extent, her appearance to match her
surroundings.
Neyru
is pretty good at hiding in plain sight.
She's
also intelligent, able to communicate emotion to her Human companions. After
hitting Afra in the chest, she persuades her to rescue Drew, who has been
bashed and left in an alley
Neyru
plays an important role in Afra and Drew's love story, often acting as a
go-between. She doesn't understand the obstacles the two Humans create for each
other. Here's an example.
"Sharp
claws landed on Afra's shoulder. Her eyes snapped open but Neyru forestalled
her reaction with soothing thoughts and a soft head brushing against her cheek.
"Hello, little one. Did you come in with Drew?"
In her
mind she saw a picture of Drew leaving the bridge. And then an image of her and
Drew kissing which saddened her. Afra could almost hear Neyru's question; what
went wrong?"
As is often the case with my stories, The Thunder Egg is a
mix of mystery and adventure. An obvious question is 'why are villains chasing
Neyru' – but you'll have to read the story and find out the answers at the same
time as Drew and Afra.
