Light filtered softly through the Chiffon curtains that hung over Zealot's window frame, casting a warm yellow light into the room. The bed was made and the rusty brown blanket tucked into the mattress. He sat, perched atop a high stool at the large pine desk in his bedroom. The desk's top was cluttered with small metal bits and tools. Zealot crouched over a small piece of machinery, tinkering with the tiny lens piece on his mechanical single-eye goggle. He was having some trouble with the upgrade and was beginning to feel frustrated. A knock rapped at his bedroom door and he groaned, "Come in." A tall, muscular man entered the room, he looked serious... except for a bright smile on his face that reached his eyes and made his cheeks crinkle. "Mornin'." He greeted cheerily. "Hey dad." Zealot didn't take his eyes off his work, poking at a few wires. "Workin' on the lens?" Zephyr leaned over Zealot. "Yeah pop, I can't figure out this... the lens is supposed to be able to record an image and filter it. But it stopped working." Zealot straightened and stretched his back, then slumped back down on the stool. Zephyr bent down to peer at the mechanics. "Ah, I see." He pointed to a small slot in the lens. "You forgot somethin'." "Huh?" Zealot asked dumbly then the purpose popped into his mind. "Oh! The configuration slip!" He jumped up and reached across the room, grabbing the slip and sliding it into the slot. "See, you've got it now son!" Zephyr beamed. How he could look even more happy than he already did was a mystery, but he pulled it off. "I hope I'll be as good a mechanic as you are." Zealot smiled, slipping the goggle over his eye and testing it out. It took a clear image of the table and filtered it, bringing out every detail. "You will, just give it time." The weathered inventor grinned. He started pacing out of the room then stopped, seeming to remember something. "Almost forgot- Daliaya asked if you could come hang out with her and a few friends." Zealot rose from the stool and grabbed a jacket to cover his camo-patterned shirt. "Sounds fun!" He bolted out of the room and down the hall. The halls were filled with pictures set in gold and silver frames. And small trinkets lined the shallow double shelves. A human housemaid was walking out of the kitchen with her arms full of plates. Zealot was just able to dodge her, she took half a step back. "Sorry Mrs. Araun!" He shouted over his shoulder as he rushed out the door and onto the streets. Zealot headed down The Alley, leaping over crates and broken boxes. He'd heard stories about the dangers of The Alley. Most of them were true but the residents who've grown up navigating around The Alley and ducking around the shady characters who hung around were unafraid. Most the children could defend themselves, but so did the criminals. Caution and swiftness were crucial in The Alley- a slim-like area that laid in the city of Ferras, as was agility and the ability to be nimble and flexible. He ducked through a crumbled archway in the side of a building and entered a small opening that resembled a Colosseum. Three kids sat in the middle of the area, a faun barely older than Zealot held a ball and the others crowded around her. He'd noticed a werewolf, centaur, and... a human? He wondered what a human was doing on The Alley, and so close to Subhumans. Zealot neared the group, and the faun waved, she had wild, auburn hair that waved around her face. Her eyes were a startling blue- the color of the brightest sky. "Daliaya!" Zealot ran up to the group, giving the faun a fist-bump. "Hey Zeal." She greeted, using a nickname she'd been using for him for years. "We were about to play Deck, wanna join?" "Yeah, but first I'd like to know who my teammates- and rivals- are." Zealot smirked. The Werewolf stepped forward, rubbing his muscular arms. "Name's Fury." He nodded. "I'm a blacksmith's apprentice." "Uh- I'm Fleck." The centaur stepped up, her blonde coat waving in the wind. "And, uh- I work for the tailors." Fleck introduced herself shyly. He'd noticed that the human hesitated, but he stepped forward anyways. "I'm Puck." He announced bravely. "I work for Fury's cousin as a leather-worker." Puck reached up a hand and brushed back his coppery hair. "Nice to meet you three." Zephyr nodded, he didn't give his name because Daliaya had practically announced it to all of Ferras. "If you're done chatting, we have a game to play!" The faun called irritably. "Sure, rules?" Fury asked gruffly. "No biting, clawing, pinching, or whining." Fleck suggested, even though she was a centaur, she was quite short and rounded around the face. "No abilities, shapeshifting, or trampling." Zealot gave out a few more with a slight smirk. "You can't jab eyes." Fury smiled slyly. All four eyes turned to Puck, who looked surprised to be singled out.
Don't worry, the series will become way more exciting! Art by: Michael Andrews Music: Sverker by Corvus Corax (I just love this song, it's not in English, but German) Characters: -Zealot -Zealot's dad (Zephyr) -Daliaya -Mrs. Araun (housemaid, side character) -Centaur kid (Fleck) -Human kid (Puck) -Bipedal Werewolf kid (Fury) Deck- a modified form of European Football and American Football mixed. The players first kick off the ball as hard as they can, and the team with the ball's possession get to kick it towards the goal. But the other players can tackle and take possession of it. It's a dirty sport only played in The Alley. (No, it's not a real sport... sadly) Positions: -Tacks; the ones who're physically strong and able to take down an opponent without hurting them severely. -Scoots; the runners, who can attempt to block the opponent and steal the ball. -Keepers; they defend the ball, keeping Scoots and Tacks away from the ball. The game ultimately has no set rules, just that you can't pick up the ball... any other rules are set by the players. I'll try to get the second part done as quickly as I can! Scratch restricts how long the description is.
