Narrator's Story

The day was cloudy, grey and wet. Rain fell as fast, skinny drops and lightly pattered on the ground.
On days like this, Fruits, Fishing, Vegetable and Glasswork stalls thrived. The water kept their items fresh, eye-catching and aromatic and brought out customers who craved their merchandise. On rainy days in Zenith, the Water-oriented beings tended to be in greater numbers than the ones who's homelands were Dry, Grassy, Cold, or Sandy. Vendors called to the gurgling and smooth-skinned masses with whistles and clicks of the tongue or just their deals for the rainy day. They clicked their claws or showcased their items, their dark and glassy eyes shimmering as the coin rolled in.

Everyone in the market moved at different speeds. Fast, slow,paced, strolling, mulling about. One little being in particular, 3'5", was skipping about the stalls. The being was female, a a light blue, dakrer on her edges, with slightly visible circles all over her skin. The circles were a natural occurence. Her eyes were small and grey, her pupils slits. It was obvious that it were a child. A child was a little theif. Wearing a brown hoodie of sorts and cloth pants, the little munchkin crept up to stalls and felt around with her cool blue fingers. After assesing the item under her palm with all five senses, she would take, examine, and stuff in her pocket before scampering along. The little thing giggled and pranced about, only enacting petty theivery when the stall owner was distracted by more than two customers. Easy. As the little blue female ran along, sure to splash in the puddles, much to the dismay of the adults about her, she skid to a stop up against the leg of one of the men forming the secret circle. She didn't press against his leg, only hover against his cloak, her mind calculating that it was apart of the table she was creeping to.

Swish swish. Sway sway. Wiggle wiggle. Inside the shop, fairly close to the market to nab some of the business but a bit away from it to reduce the noise and the crowd. It sometimes became too much for one shop owner. As Hakon stepped into the well lit, wooden building, he would see a big brown bottom swaying in the air and a tiny, stubby, brown tail wiggling. There was snuffing and the scratching and clanking of things being pulled out from shelves and rummaged through. This all went on behind the counter though. As Hakon drew closer, all movement stopped and the obviously round being sniffed quietly. And then he stood up, big and brown and a Bear. Jok the Bear. Jok the Butcher Bear. He specialized in Fish but what bear didn't like tender meat. He had a big black nose and small black eyes, round fuzzy ears and massive fuzzy paws, a long snout, a pink tongue to lick his nose and sharp bear teeth. And Jok was loud. Jok was very loud, as any bear should be. And he didn't wear pants. He only wore a button up and a leather vest. "Why hello there!! Don't you smell new!! Welcome to Jok's shop! I sell all types of Fish and all types of meats!! I catch em' all myself!! Hahahahaw!!! What would you like?! Come now, speak up! Never seen a Bear before?!" He bellowed when he talked and roared as he laughed, huffing and wiggling his nose to take in Hakon's scent. His tiny black eyes were wide and staring as he grinned.

Once the guards let Jaek past, they gave eachother an uneasy look. That cloak and clanking wasn't very innocent. They just hoped he didn't have any explosives. Sighing, they all returned to their checking of visitors, giving them a gentle nudge when they passed or sending them to the side for further investigation.

Jok's tiny little eyes sparkled as the gem's were poured into the Lizard's hand. Shuffling out from behind the counter, made wide just for him, he comes over to him and leans down to examine the jewels. What is personal space? Nothing. That's what. His nose snuffs at the jewels, and since he was taking in the scent so deeply, a bit of the moisture from his nose wet Hakon's palm. Jerking his head up, he licked his nose and stared at the being. "These will do just fine!" He chuckles, his stubby tail wiggling quickly. "Now tell me what you want to buy!! I think I have something you'll like!! Salmon?! Fresh and big and red! These are aged into their season, full of flavor!!" He starts to waddle off to the back storerooms to fetch the fish, his ears wiggling.

Jok was pilling meat for the newcomer, happily humming as he picked out nice sized pieces from his stores. His ears wiggled as he heard the lizard calling, his nose wiggling as he thought for a moment. "Zenith is a massive Kingdom so it would be wise to watch where you offer your hands!!" He laughs. "Buildings, Shops and Homes are taken care of as soon as possible but it becomes too much for the assigned to handle!! Ya know?! If you're looking for small payments of coin in exchange for your help then I would move on down.." The bear comes waddling out of his store rooms with a massive package, tied with trustworthy string. He sits it on the counter, continuing to talk, his teeth flashing and his tongue curling and wiggling. "... to the residencial area and then to the Industrial area!! Industrial will have a larger pay out since you'd be messing with the machinery over there! A lot of invetors are over there too! Trust me, friend, no one in Zenith is without a job! And if you are then you must be a lazy lump of skin!!" He roars, bringing his fuzzy fist down beside the package. Once he finished, he huffed and gently picked out an emerald from the pile of jewels that Hakon had in his palm before. "These gems are worth a lot so I wouldn't give em' away for a couple slabs of meat! I know I'm good but I also know my worth!!" He laughs again, deeply and heartily. He found himself very funny. "And since you obviously don't have any change, this should keep you in good light with me for a good 2 weeks worth of pay!!" He grins, his eyes shutting for the value of the smile.

Jok's eyes flash with interest at the revolver on the hip of the scaly man. When he offered his hand, Jok hugged and roughly took it, shaking it and squeezing with a bear'sites strength. But he didn't squeeze too hard. Hands were frail under the pressure of a bear in certain lifeforms. It took Jok a while to learn this, but he was catching on, his tail wiggling. "Watch that gun.. I will admit that it is very eye catching and someone will be quick to either steal it or pawn it off of you." He warned in a rumbling whisper, his eyes deep and dark. Giving the lizard'S hand one last squeeze, he laughs and gently pushes the package toward the customer. "I'll bump those two weeks up to three.." Jok rumbles happily, having thought on the value of the emerald and the reptile's person.

The thick crowd of the market slowed slightly in order to make a path for Jaek. He was large and intimidating. The few who had challenged him during his time in Zenith had half of the fame of a celebrity. Rumors, whispers and talks of his feats and habits were always laced into Zenithian conversations. As the Frost Giant passed by, donned in his armor, the citizens were pretty good about not staring. For the most part, they were becoming used to his presence but still careful. From a few men in the crowd he recieved passive glances from narrowed eyes and from the women he recieved sighs and long stares, giggles, whispers and suggestive waves.

Once the moment of him entering the marketplace passed, the bustling continued but Jaek still had his space. The only one who interrupted this was the little blue female quietly slipping about his legs. She was a child so she had no sexual interest in him. She was a growing pickpocket, her interest was simply to gain something from his person. Hopefully something good. His sparkling and shiny armor had made her pupils dilate and her fingers itch. As he moved, she stuck with him, examining him and trying to find pockets or shiny weapons, she even ran her soft blue fingers against his cool armor a few times in awe.

Not only did Jaek recieve whispers but so did Torm. His whispers were more restricted to curiosity and fear. Zenithians knew nothing about him or his race. Species in Zenith who had come from the endlessness of space didn't even know what planet or galaxy they were from. So for him, people stared a little too long and stayed out of his way.

"Now!" Lars called at the gates of the city. And at his command, a golden javeline, gold being the main color of all Royal Weaponry, was launched through the air. The weapon was thrown with such force that the thick weapon wiggled as it sailed. In mere seconds, and perfectly timed, it pierced the clothing of a squealing Hemsley and had him nailed to the stone wall of the city. The Gremlin cried out, curled in a ball and whimpered as he was there dangling, still being pulled by the Kiffar.

Jabbing two fingers in Hemsley's direction, Lars gives a cool stare to Torm as the gates shut with a gentle creak and thud. As the gates shut, four guards were on Hemsley, taking him down from the Javeline as the hulk of mass who threw it, huffed deeply and snatched it out of the wall. It then gave a firm nod to Lars before looking to the guards who had Hemsley and starting to lead them away.

No matter how powerful and special you may be.. you will not torment my citizens how you please. He growled to himself before turning and following after his men.

Clang. Shing. Jingle. Tread tread.. Hemsley was tossed into a cell of the Jail House of Zenith. There were many doting the settled lands of Zenithia and there were many secrets inside of it. Few people were released as the Kingdom was very lenient with punishment. Petty crimes were dealt with on the spot by the guards and larger crime do'ers were dragged off to this place. The Gremlin whimpered and glanced over to the cot he had for a bed and then the little rinky water fountain and a very unnappealing place to use the bathroom.

Lars had departed a long while ago, nothing worth his time was in those dark depths. Along with that, the guards who captured him only handed him over to the ones posted at the Jailhouse.

A beast of a being shuffled into the space beside Hakon. Tusks jutted from his mouth and started to curve upwards but didn't make a true spiral, only a slope. A quarter as tall as the lizard, Its skin was a midnight blue and it was swelling with muscles. The eyes of the beast were black but large as it breathed audibly and grumbled to itself in an deep tone and rough foreign language. Crossing its thick arms it gives a final snort before snatching a paper off of the board it had been staring at upon arrival. It then walked off, its shoulders hunched as the crowd parted for it.
Along with the Bull-Type being, many other workers, of all shapes and sizes, were crowding the board and taking a minute to examine its content before taking a paper and walking or scampering off. A few even came to add more papers to the board.

Overall none of them gave Hakon or the Frostarian the time of day. They were too busy.

In the small bar, the people here were more friendly. But this wasn't a whore house, just a place to quench one's thirst. Although it was a small establishment, the people gave it no rest. Two by two new customers walked in and ordered a drink or two, sometimes a group of a variety of beings walked in or a group of a single specie came in. The place wasn't quiet or loud, it simply had the comfortably hum of conversation over beverages, with the occasional shout or bout of laughter.

The people who used the alcove as an area of quiet relaxation or small talk with companions were becoming a bit uncomfortable with the amount of activity going on in their little garden space behind their homes. The adults quietly kept to themselves, whispering to eachother about the Frostarians, the elderly grumbled and went back into their homes and the children had started a game of who could get closest. The rainbow of munchkins who played this little game always ran away in a fit of giggles before they could even touch an anvil.

Although they were noisy, the two beings from opposite ends of the world didn't receive many complaints. Though a few women and men did come down to them as they tolled through the night asking if they could keep it down for they were in fact in an immediate closeness to many houses.

As the sun rose and the bustle of they day picked up, Word was already spreading of the workshop being built in a community garden area not too far from the market.

It was done. The forge was lit and the bond was made. As the sun rose higher in the sky, curious Zenithians with nothing better to do came out to see what the talk was of a Salamander and a Frostarian building things. They came by twos at first, asking questions and curious to see what all the construction was actually for. When they bore witness to Hakon's genius and gadgets, along with Azazel's weaponry, they Ooo'd and Ahh'd.

As the people were dazzled with the merchandise people stopped coming in by twos but instead by threes. And then fours and fives until there was a crowd hovering about the stall. Some weasled their way into a buy and many asked where their base was and if they were hiring. Overall the supply was met with countless demands. Almost too much to handle. Business was booming on the first day.

The crowd was hungry for more, their eyes greedy and their mouths eager to cheer and holler. As one, they all moved and watched Hakon show his Barrier. Excited murmurs rippled through them as he fired it up and they quietly shifted to let the Mages pass through. There were Ooo's and curious whispers as the shield gobbled up the magic. When he lizard ate a ball of fire he crowd gasped in unison. But when he walked of the detination, they all clapped and chattered.

When it came Azazel's time they quieted down again. Eagerly they watched, Ooo'ing when appropriate and clapping for the end. But for this particular item a few hands shot up, mostly from females. 'When can I buy one?!' 'Yes when??' 'I want one too' the crowd shifted and bobbed.

As he explained, the crowd murmured and spoke excitedly, the ones who wanted to buy the product eagerly pushing to the front of the mass. They watched and listened closely as he explained in more detail how to use the crossbow. And when he was done, she shuffled against the front of the stand, following him as he moved.

The stall was selling weapons, yes. But it was perfectly fine. There were few, but very important laws regulating weapons sales and ownership in Zenith but those who broke them were heavily penalized. It was rare to see a charge go unnoticed, even underground criminals became frantic when they assumed they were close to being found out.

When Hakon dropped his cloak, the crowd excitedly gasped, giving a gentle golf clap for his tricks. Their eyes were shimmering and interested, waiting for him to explain this one. The shift in attention gave a signal of who should be next to present.

As the sales pitches and show went on, people come and went, the crowd slowly dwindling as the sun traveled across the sky.

Although Zenith had the impression of perfection, that notion was far from the truth.

Like all metropolises, crime was abundant. Every kingdom, city, or city-state had an underground and Zenith was no different. Miscreant was more than an exceptional term to address and encompass most criminals ranging from petty thief or pickpocket to the typical Friday night drunkard who happened to get into a bar fight that eve. However, this did not erase the existence of criminal organizations in Zenith's underground. In fact, the petty crime that ran rampant (yet was never really a large issue, the Zenithian guardsmen, though appearing extremely militarized, handle thousands of such cases a day with utmost ease) only added to the perceived serenity of Zenith.

That was a lie. Zenith was serene. It wasn't some police state or city at war with itself. I paint the Kingdom of the Sun in such dreary light.

The criminal organizations, such as the Boff Syndicate, was one of three powerful underground organizations that operated with utmost discretion. As previously stated, the Zenithian guardsmen were rather militarized for seemingly domesticate police. It was the fact that they were so militarized that frightened the criminals of Zenith's underground. Were any major operations to be discovered, the guardsmen of Zenith would be upon them in an instant. When the smoke would settle, Boff and any other criminal would be prostrate before King Zeus before being thrown into the dungeon.

I digress.

The magi and demonness Winnielle Castus was known within the royal courts as an aid to the archmage of Zenith Ithilwen. To those in the street she was simply a pretty face with no other identity. Pretty faces such as these typically drew the twisted interest of those who inhabited the streets late at night.

"Hey there, beautiful," came a voice from the darkness. Two figures were procured from a nearby alleyway. One was hunched and crocodilian in appearance. The other held a more humanoid figure with purple skin and blue hair. Feet could be heard on the pavement behind the mage, clearly communicating that she was surrounded.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing out at a time like thisss?" came a voice as rough as sandpaper. There was almost a gurgle to it as well. If the extension of the "s" sound wasn't clue enough, it was likely the crocodilian fellow who spoke this time. "Didn't you know it can be dangerousss at thisss time of night?"

Aside from the purple guy, two green goblins stood behind the echantress with an even larger orc looming behind them, his skin patchy and a massive overbite protruding from his face to further accentuate two large tusks.

Hemsley the gremlin tossed and turned on his little cot. The thick woolen blanket provided had been scratchy but it suited him just fine. The little greenskin was dreaming as he slept in his cell. A big scary Frostarian was chasing him through some sort of maze, it was horrible. It seemed that every time he thought he'd found the way out it simply stopped in a dead end. The Frostarian was no help. Hemsley would constantly hear the frightening Northerner yell Hemsley's name and scream obscenities.

"I'm going to bite your puny little head off!" "I'll stomp your guts out!" "Bacon is overrated!" Hemsley winced. What an absolute madman.

The little greenskin, only the size of a human child, panicked as he took off on another sprint, desperate to find the way out. He was not about to get his head bitten off. Hemsley ran down the familiar corridor, opening any door he could find and slamming them shut when all they produced was a dead end.

He could hear the heavy footsteps of the Frostarian draw near. It seemed as if the walls had begun to get closer and closer. Despite being short of stature, the gremlin had never been fond of tight spaces. Sweat began to form on his forehead until suddenly the floor fell out beneath him, and the greenskin fell into a black abyss screaming and clawing for the hallway above him.

"Show me your secrets. Show me your master."

What? He stopped his screaming and began looking around, turning his head rapidly this way and that. He wasn't falling anymore. He was... floating? It was black all around him. Pure darkness.

"Show me your secrets. Show me your master."
"Who wants to know?" he shouted into the void.
"Show me your secrets. Show me your master."
"You're not much of a conversationalist, are you."
"Show me your secrets. Show me your master."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it, pal. But until I know who you are and why you wanna know, I ain't saying nothin'!"
"Show me your secrets. Show me your master."
The gremlin rolled his eyes. "Look, ma- Mysterious voice in the dark. I don't just divulge that kinda info out to strangers. Especially not to people to just interrupt somebody when they're sleeping."
"Show me your secrets. Sho-"
"Show me your master. Geez, I know," he groaned. Hemsley scratched the back of his head with his clawed fingers. He pulled his hand back and began picking away at some of the dead skin beneath his nails. "Alright, look. I work for the Boff guy, alright? But you can't be tellin' no one it was me who told you this, alright? Boff's HQ is in the West Ward, okay? Industrial Zone, you should know the place. Underground, of course. He uses the business as his cover to keep the Guardsmen off his back."

The voice was silent.

"Are we done here? Can I go back to dreaming?" The gremlin blinked and rethought about his question. "You know what? I'm good." The image of a giant white humanoid with Hemsley in his grasp being decapitated with one bite containing razor sharp teeth made the greenskin shiver.