Act 1 ~ The Beginning of the End
Chapter 1 ~ The Game

A young Avian perches in a tree, his laptop balanced precariously on his knee. His wings are tucked behind him, helping to keep him balanced on the branch. It is a day just like every other day. The weather is wonderful, the sun shining bright over the horizon, casting an orange glow on the world below. The distant water is calm, despite the many children splashing their way through the currents. Swords crash below him in hectic rhythm, though he remains ignorant to their music. Headphones drown out all sounds as he plucks away at the keys. He is sufficiently lost in his own little world.

The teen, known to his family as Aryk, isn't like your average Avian. While he shares the characteristic bird-like wings, and the thin, airy appearance, he has a distinctly different look about him. His wings are a few sizes too large for his body, and at 16, it isn't looking as though he will grow into them. The differences in look and nature between himself and the rest of the Avians leaves him left out of most activities, as well as rather rejected by society as a whole. His only salvation lies within the internet, under the pseudonym of VibrantShadows. As VS, Aryk is someone all-together unlike his real self. He tends to come off as more of a cheerful, if not slightly awkward sort. His lack of interaction is very apparent, almost to a detrimental level. It is to the point where he really only has one friend. But that's all the teen really needs to feel at home with the world.

Nobody who knows Aryk could honestly say he belongs in the world of the Avians. In a society where everyone is judged and ranked by their skills and abilities, Aryk is strangely left out. Not strong enough to fit in with the Warrior Caste, not smart enough to socialize with the Sage Caste, not religious enough to belong with the Disciple Caste, and not gifted enough to join the Mage Caste, he is all but abandoned as a lost hope. Even his siblings all but ignore him in their daily lives. As the middle child, stereotypes would dictate his being mostly forgotten, but it is more of his all-around mediocrity that causes such responses. Most remarkably would be his twin sister, who despite her somewhat unconventional appearance, is well on her way to becoming a respected Sage, just as their mother and father before them.

For every culture, a subculture arises. The Avians are no exception. The youth have formed a new culture; a world in which status and Caste don't matter. Such a world is perfect for one such as Aryk. Such a world is his salvation. In the safety of the internet, Aryk can forget about his shortcomings, and focus on just being himself. Even if most still cannot value who he is. At least there are some who can see.

No matter how much he tries to deny it, Aryk is a social being. It is probably that reason alone that he will consistently frequent The Shoutbox. The Shoutbox is a rather unconventional chat room. Not only does it have your main, large-group chat box, it also has the ability to create various sub-chats with the intent of discussing specific topics and ideas. Set up as a sort of fast-paced forum, The Shoutbox attracts all sorts of Avians from every walk of life. Such a place seems perfect for a rather misplaced Avian.

As with every day previous, Aryk logs in, and scans the online users for a familiar name. Only if he sees someone will he enter the main chat. Today, he is overjoyed to spot the name of his best friend.

-VS joins Shoutbox-
VS: Hey TR! Guess what!
TR: What?
VS: I found something awesome today!
-MM joins Shoutbox-
TR: MEL!
MM: Tox! Hey!
MM: What're you up to?
TR: Nothin really, you?
MM: Not much.
MM: We haven't talked in forever!
TR: Yeah, I know! Where've you been?
MM: Oh, here and there, ya know.
MM: What about you?
TR: Same as always.
TR: Things are pretty busy right now.
-VS leaves Shoutbox-

Almost as soon as he logs on, Aryk logs off again. Of course. Just when he was excited to talk to his best friend, her rather rude Partner has to come in and interrupt everything. Aryk made no secret of the fact that he didn't like TR's Partner from the moment the two of them met. Even so, he couldn't do anything about it. So, now he is forced to sit back and watch as he is slowly forgotten. That will never change, that cycle of being forgotten.

Aryk runs his fingers through his short blonde hair. Obviously contacting TR directly, through the main chat, wasn't going to work. There was a good chance TR wasn't even interested in whatever he had to say. Not wanting to become an annoyance, yet knowing that he can't seem to get it to work on his own, he falls back on the only other option he has. He will have to create a new, subchat, specifically with the purpose of finding people. So, that is exactly what he does. Almost to his surprise, people actually notice that it exists.

-VS creates Subchat-
Topic: New game!
VS: I found this link the other day.
VS: It's for a strange multi-player game
VS: Seems like some sort of rpg adventure game
VS: But it won't let me play one-player
VS: Anyone interested?
-IG joins Subchat-
IG: A new game?
IG: Sounds fun!
-TR joins Subchat-
TR: Is this what you were tryin to tell me?
TR: Dude, sounds AWESOME!
IG: YEAH!
IG: You in?
TR: Fuck yeah!
-MM joins Subchat-
MM: What's this?
MM: VS found a game?
TR: Yeah! You gonna play with us?
MM: I suppose I can…
-Mod Dragonyx joins Subchat-
Drago: Huh.
TR: Woah…Dragonyx!
MM: What're you doin here?
Drago: Sounds just obscure enough to be potentially awesome.
Drago: I'll play with you guys.
-VS enters Subchat-
VS: Wow you guys!
VS: This is awesome!

Aryk blinks. He sure wasn't expecting the reactions he got. It was just some stupid rpg anyway. Probably wouldn't be that great, but hell. He has no other option. He's glad TR is in, though really wishes MM would decide not to. The real surprise was Dragonyx. Drago was always a friendly person, but not one that Arik knew all that well. Then again, he isn't even sure he's talked to IG before. Neverless, he's excited. So, he starts typing up what he knows about the game, intending to send it out to the group so they can get the party started!