1 A Dirty Backalley

In an alleyway, among the trash, were three humanoid creatures hiding in the darkness.

If you watched closely the figure next to the bin produced slight movements, the one slouched against the wall was completely dormant. The final creature stood in the corner while fidgeting ecstatically.

If you were to stand next to the furthest, murmurs could be heard escaping from its lips. The murmurs only quieted when the figure next to a bin overflowing with trash had completely gone still.

It turned around and stumbled towards the bin, it made slow and steady movements. However unluckily for it, a can was knocked aside, causing the death-like slumber the figure was in to break.

The agitated figure reacted first, within a second it lunged at the approaching figure, the other's reaction was too slow. They tore at each other, yet no one came to check what was happening. After all, it was late and who would risk their life checking the noise out?

It was late and quiet out, so its heavy panting filled the alleyway along with the sound of dripping.

Bloodlust was radiating from the scene, anyone could feel it. The still shape started moving, awakened by the sounds of the fight and the smell of blood.

A tattered cloth laced with frost clung to his body, he tried opening his eyes to find what was making all the noise.

An orc kneeling over a bloodied human corpse, blood dripping from its claws, panting from the fight it just was in. A minute passed till the orc stopped panting, its head rose like it was smelling for something. Perhaps the orc had smelt him or his bad luck shined through, the orc spun around staring him down, its orange eyes almost glowing in the darkness as he did what came most naturally to him, run.

He didn't know where he was going or what his plans were, but he knew that staying there wasn't safe, so he ran and ran, his bare feet getting bruised and cut on the dirt and gravel roads.

Broken memories started to surface in his mind, although only in small amounts: his name was Ras and he was 20.

Ras kept running, looking for another alleyway to hide in, to hide from that beast.

It was next to the main road, empty presides him, he checked himself for injuries and noticed something worrying.

His whole left arm was almost rocky with a shiny black coating, his right wrist had three rows of coin-sized dots: three brown, one black and one sickly white.

It was common knowledge what the dots represented but no one knew what they gave. The brown should be his class, homeless, which he had gotten to 3 dots after two years on the streets. He was close to getting his fourth dot, he could feel it.

There was a problem, he only remembered having one class so why did he have a second one? but worse of all, his race had changed. He was something unknown, something unfamiliar to himself.

This only happened in legend when a vampire or were-animal was made.

Humans had a pink dot, yet he had one black dot and one white dot. There wasn't any known classes or races with either of the two colours.

This caused a feeling to bubble within Ras, a sense of dread flooded him, 'I'm not human?'

"It's already spread to here?" Ras spun around to see the source of the voice, a man dressed in a black suit with a matching top hat and a black cane with silver around the top, he stood there looking at Ras' left arm. "What a poor soul, to have gotten the black plague this far into the city." He tossed a 2 pence coin onto a frightened Ras.

"Best of luck to you." He straightened up his suit and continued down the street.

'So it's the plague, why am I the only one I've seen with it?' Reaching to pick up the coins, Ras felt cheated by the world, did he deserve this?

Looking around him, the alley he had run into wasn't the best for sleeping.

Ras stood up, patted himself down, then started wandering around to find a better place to sleep, hoping it would be warmer and cleaner than the last. He still was thinking about his arm, he was just a 3 dot homeless, why did he of all people catch the plague?

Drifting down the main road, Ras was in a different place, contemplating what he had learnt today.

He felt closer to getting his fourth dot.

A smell drifted into his nose, it was an intoxicating smell that he was familiar with but never had the chance to embrace.

Ras had wandered up to a baker's store without realising, fresh loaves stacked on the shelves in golden rows.

He would try stealing one, but homeless were constantly watched. It took a year to get the class, so how would they survive that long without doing something immoral?

He walked away from the store, hunger seeping into his brain and driving his thoughts.

"Watch it, you animal." An arrogant voice sounded from behind Ras, his danger sense went off slightly when he heard this voice, looking towards the source he was a man with an air of pride around him.

'Looks like a noble, great.' This spelt trouble for Ras, "Sorry, sir." The noble twitched when Ras dared to speak to him. "You vermin don't deserve to eat my trash, let alone be given charity." With a look of disgust, the noble trots off.

"Selfish prick," a low voice grumbled from behind Ras, "You better get going little man."

Behind him stood a man with a grin, he towered over Ras with a healthy white complexion and ocean blue eyes, his face covered in unkempt brown hair tucked behind his ears.

"Oh, red eyes. You shouldn't have a problem begging for other people's money, shame you're infected. Well, that would help you." A chuckle escaped his throat.

This man had just shown up out of nowhere, how did he sneak up on Ras?