The Children: The Moonserpents

Chapter 1 Ash - Don't Take My Shirt

Through the dusty streets of shady people on their way back home from work, a plump figure placed a foot out of the tavern doors. two hands, concealed in purple silk gloves, push open the two doors, presenting a wealthy figure to the public. He takes another step forward in his elegant robes, soft felt hat sitting to the right side of his head. The rings on his fingers shine as he waves to the passing merchants. A look of disgust creeps its way onto the man's face as he strides across the street to an elderly man slouching against the stone walls of the motel. His face covered with wrinkles and dirt, or what you could see of it, for a grey beanie hung over his eyes, clothes ripped up beyond the point of recognition, barely hanging onto his thin frame.

"George, we talked about this, you're not allowed to sleep on the main street. If visitors see you here, they might think our town is infested with peasants like you and we don't want that, do we now?" The wealthy man gloated, leaning down and plucking the beanie off the poor man's hairless head. He raised his fragile arm, attempting to grab it back, but to no avail as the, decidedly wealthier man, stood up straight again and, walking away. George tried to call out, but his mouth was dry, the absence of water taking its toll, resulting in a faint, vulnerable whisper. The wealthy man began trotting over to the two young ladies his eye caught, only to be stopped in his tracks by an oh-so-familiar pirate.

"I believe that" the rouge gestures towards the beanie, "does not belong to the likes of you."

"Ash, long time no see, last I heard you were out near planet four," The man replied, trying, and failing, to change the subject while watching the two maidens pass by.

"It was planet three actually, good to see you again too Mayor Silver" the scavenger corrected, though successfully returning to his previous subject "But I would like it very much if you could return what is not yours."

Ash holds his hand out seeking to convince the Mayor of passing on the beanie. The decorated head turns to Ash, then back to the two maidens walking further down the street, fading from his view. "Alright, alright," He shoves the beanie into Ash's outstretched hand and starts running after the damned ladies.

"You're still a criminal you know, I won't let you get away with everything so quickly next time!" Mayor Silver yells back at Ash, his fat little legs barely holding up his weight as he jogs down the street. Ash's polite manner quickly disappears, replaced by a mischievous smirk. He chucks the beanie back to the elderly man, then opens his closed fist, revealing several gold coins.

"Hmm, seven gold," He wonders out loud staring down at the glistening coins "That's a few less than last time, but still worth it,"

He chuckles mentally at how desperate the Mayor was to get close to the two ladies. He walks over to George who, once again, has his beanie shadowing his eyes. The young pirate bobs down next to him to place two glistening coins in his lap and taps his shoulder twice recognition. Ash had always taken pity on George, the result of knowing him for many decaquades. For many of those decaquades, the elderly man hadn't been able to see. He was blinded by lighting while working in the rain late at night. Due to this, he couldn't work anymore, no work means no home, no food. Nothing. Ash tries his best to look out for the old chap, he deserves better than living on the streets.

The youthful rouge stood back up, leaving the elderly man to rest knowing that he has survived another day. That's all this planet is about, trying to stay alive. It's so easy to die here, there's the war, the slowly spreading poverty, dozens of hitmen, the constant falling space junk and of course, water snakes. The snakes' venom could kill anyone in one bite, even if the wound is treated instantly. There's no hope of surviving those zapnargers.

He shoves his hands into the pockets of the long leather jacket he stole from some captain of some famous ship. One of his many, many achievements. Ash twists and turns his way through many, dark alleyways, trying his hardest to remember where he last left his belongings. What can he say? He's a pirate after all and pirates do bury their treasure ... or at least try to.

The mother star, or sun as others call it, soon seeps below the horizon and the city fell into darkness. The lamplighter began his work on the street, though it didn't change the fact that the bustling city was, once again, filled with an eerie, empty feeling. The 'city' didn't believe in modern technology to help solve challenges in their everyday life, in fact, it was forbidden. The Mayor liked to keep everything 'original', or in other words, old and boring. Ash believed it was a stupid rule, it was why he had to inconveniently hide his ship in the forest a distance away from the city border.

He stopped in a dark alley about two miles from the Tavern, he looked down both ends of the alley to make sure he wasn't followed. This had become an old habit as he had about three... no, four hitmen assign to end his short but adventurous life. He bends down next to a wall and removes a brick, revealing the small hole, just big enough to fit a pouch of coins and two guns. He pulls the items out and attached both guns to his belt, making sure to cover them with his jacket so no one would notice if he had tech or not. He stuffed the coin pouch in a pocket on the inside of his grey shirt, a place no one could find, well unless they took off his shirt and decided to look for a suspicious inside pocket. He sure as hell hoped no one took his shirt.