Stars that Fall to Earth

The City of Del

Augustine's POV...

Morning comes too fast.

We pack up our camp, and begin to stagger our way to Nova knows where.

As Opala and I once again wander the wasteland, signs of civilization came more often. Litter such as beer bottles and cigarette packs were now a common sight. As the day came to sunset, both of us were utterly exhausted. "Ok, I think that we should camp out for the night. Again..." Opala claimed.

I give her a sour glare, and snapped. "I suggest that we should go and find a place to stay IN THE GINORMOUS CITY RIGHT IN FRONT OF US." Opala turns around to see a cluster of buildings, spread across the horizon. "Oh..." With a sigh, I apologize. "Sorry, Opala. I'm not myself when I'm this tired and hungry."
"It's ok, I get you." She says.

As we approach the city, right away, I could tell it was not the nicest. When we entered, I noticed that there was a gang on every block, a homeless person every two yards, and boarded up windows on every building.

You'd think I've been here before, but we're actually on the opposite side of the planet...

As we walked upon the scarred and crackled streets. Opala quickly huddled against me, as if I was the only good thing in the entire city, which was probably true. Deformed faces glare at our every movement through boarded windows, with hatred glowing from their eyes.

Suddenly, a beggar who was the color of gray-blue and wearing torn up rags on his feet bolted in front of us. He actually looked like a young star warrior, but... birdlike? Now that I think of it, they look strangely like Birdons, but they had smaller eyes and round paws, much like a Star Warrior.

He had a beak where his mouth should be, and even boasted a crest of feathers. Adding on to the bird characteristics, his oversized feet had two blunt "claws" instead of the usual rounded point. He then cups his paws, as if to hold something. "Water. food. please." The small boy said, his eyes scanning us.

Opala also looked as sorry as I did. Searching herself, she somehow manages to find a cookie of some sort. It looked delicious, but I know the beggar needed it more. "Here you go, little one." Opala says in a soft, tender voice, like a mother to its children.

I wanted to help out too. Rummaging through my utility belt, I find my reliable canteen, and hand it to the beggar.

"There. Have it. I need to get a new one anyways."
I say in a somewhat stern voice. The bird-kid eagerly took the cookie and canteen and stared at both of us. "Thank you! So much!" The words barely escape his parched throat.

As the beggar sips the water, and eats some of the cookie, another beggar appears from a nearby alley, also birdlike, but no crest. Instead, he had a barn owl-like face: flat and the color of buttermilk.  He also wore tattered foot wraps, but this time his skin- erm- feathers were colored a dark forest green, so dark, that it looked almost black. Both of us knew that he was this dark because he was probably covered in a layer of dirt.

He hungrily stares at the cookie and water, fidgeting his paws wildly. Most likely inspired by our acts of kindness, the first beggar gives some of the cookie and lets him sip the water. As they both finish the small meal, both glance at us. The gray beggar speaks first. "My name's Terence. I want to go with you, and help you."

Then the other beggar spoke next. "My name's Spruce, and I also wish to help." Opala and I exchange glance and then stare with awe. "But why?" She says. "You can help! You can save! You can love! Unlike literally everything and everyone else in this stupid city." Spruce says, his voice in a happy but desperate tone. "Point being: I want to do all that too!" He chirps happily.