Astian Year 390

April 22nd

Haven

Basketball. 

One of the few Old World sports still played in this era of Haven. A game of accuracy, precise handles and…

”GRAAAH!” 

….Pure Arrogance.

A boy yelled as he dunked the ball into the rim. 

The 6’8” brown-skinned giant of a fourteen year old walked over to his opponent who had tried to guard him and chucked the ball into the chest of his blue and white jersey. 

“With crappy defense like that, you might as well have scored for me!”

The defender scoffed as he walked away to the baseline. The losing team called a timeout and huddled around their bench.

“Okay look,” their captain started, “ we knew that going up against that monster, C.K., was going to be difficult. But guys…WE’RE LOSING 45 - 0!” He yelled, pointing at the scoreboard. One of the players trembled from under a warm towel.

“I’m pretty sure I heard the backboard creek on that last dunk. There’s no way that he’s our age…”

The captain sighed and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. He pondered to himself on what the best strategy was to save his team from this embarrassment. They didn’t have many people spectating, it was an archaic sport after all, but he still didn’t want to look the fool. His vice-captain approached him as he racked his brain.

“Yo Shi’Rai, how about that kid?”

The captain glanced to where he pointed. On the distant bench, sat a younger, dark-skinned boy. He smiled and bopped his head rhythmically as he looked down at something. That boy had faithfully attended every single one of their games. He begged several times to join their team but he was just too young. Besides, Shi’Rai simply didn’t want to play with anyone he didn’t know. 

“I’m not putting the hopes of this team on some nine year old.”

“Actually he’s ten now. I just asked him.”

“Oh great, well that makes all the difference,” Shi’Rai replied, narrowing his eyes.

“Look at him closer. He’s holding a WaveSphere and listening to music through WavePhones. He’s clearly from Providence.”

“A Provy kid all the way out here? What’s he doing wasting time out here with us?”

“I dunno. But desperate times call for…unusual measures.”

Shi’Rai sighed as he began to walk towards the boy. 

He stopped right in front of him and the youngster removed his WavePhones while looking up.

“Wassup kid.”

The young boy shrugged at him. They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment before Shi’Rai cleared his throat.

“So, that’s quite the Afro you got there,” he said, reaching his hand out to the boy’s puffy hair.

Grip!

The boy quickly caught his hand and spoke in a friendly tone.

“Thanks! It takes a lot of effort to keep in place, so I’d prefer it if you didn’t displace it.”

Shi’Rai yanked away his hand and rubbed his wrist.

“This kid…that’s some strength he’s got,” he thought to himself. He looked down at his innocent face that peered at him curiously.

“You’re pretty well spoken for a nine year old…”

“Ten actually. As of yesterday.”

“Right…”

The captain sighed before continuing.

“Listen, we’re getting destroyed out here. You’ve begged our team to try out before, you think you can prove yourself out there today?”

The boys' already happy face somehow lit up even more.

“For real?! I’m so down fam!”

Yep, definitely a ten year old. Shi’Rai took off his jersey and handed it over.

“Here, you can wear this. Nobody cares about the rules of this game anymore so they won’t care if you're not an official member.”

The large jersey easily slid past the boy’s afro and flopped loosely over him. Shi’Rai thought the big fit looked a bit goofy but the boy beamed with gratitude. He got up and started to stretch as Shi’Rai watched him curiously.

“You got a name kid?”

“Yeah. It’s Arxis.”

Tweet!

The timeout whistle blew and everyone rushed out to the court. The vice-captain looked Arxis up and down as they got into position.

“I had a feeling cap’n would let you play eventually, but I never thought he’d take himself off.”

Arxis shrugged, “He probably figures he can pin the loss on me if I stay in long enough.”

“The kid’s sharp,” the vice-captain thought to himself. He smacked him on the back as he moved away.

“The name’s Frix. I don’t care what yours is…just do a good job out there.”

Arxis nodded.

The ball was passed on and the game resumed.

Arxis kept up with their formation but noticed none of the defending team tried to mark him. Frix took the ball down center and passed it out to their shooting guard who was immediately double teamed. He tried to force the shot but the gigantic ‘C.K.’ plucked the ball out of the air and began to dash past their team. 

“I’m surprised you lot didn't forfeit,” he belted out, tauntingly. He looked back at the Shi’Rai’s team as they tried to catch up and smiled. He saw them as nothing more than little insects for him to dunk over. However, as he crossed the half court line, he didn’t feel the heft of the ball return to his palm. He looked down to see a blur of nappy hair dash past him.

“Gotta watch where you’re going big fella…” Arxis said from below.

As the shock wore off, C.K. tried to reach towards the boy, but in a flash he was gone. He dribbled back down the court swiftly as the wind. Shi’Rai leapt up from the bench as he witnessed it all. 

“Who in the…” he started.

Arxis spun past the second defender. Then he threw the ball over the third before catching it on the other side.

“You idiots! Stop the kid!” C.K. yelled, making his way back.

The two remaining defenders shut in and towered over Arxis like iron walls, attempting to keep him from the basket. 

“Pass it out kid!” Frix yelled from the edge of the key.

Arxis smiled slightly.

“It was like this, right?” 

He took two steps backward before leaping into the air towards the defenders. The young boy traveled further and further before clearing the height of their heads completely. He grinned as he pulled his arm back in the same fashion C.K. had done earlier and secured a meaty dunk above their heads. As the ball fell, so did he. He stumbled slightly as his feet hit the ground but he quickly attempted to play if off cool.

The entire court went silent. He looked around nervously at his teammates. Then he heard it. The five spectators on the bench erupted into cheers and his teammates soon after. Frix ran up to him and panted as he spoke.

“That’s some vert, kiddo. Good work. Think you can do it again?”

“Hmm, maybe another hundred times?” Arxis replied.

“Heh, nice one.” 

But he wasn’t joking. The remainder of the quarter consisted of Arxis stealing the ball and dunking above the opposing teams head over and over again. He was too fast to avoid and jumped too high to counter. At one point C.K. even tried to foul him but ended up falling over himself. The quarter ended with their team leading 45 - 48. The two teams retreated to their respective benches at the sound of the whistle.

“You’re a monster eh?” Shi’Rai stated, while putting Arxis into a headlock. The young boy chuckled as he continued to receive compliments for the various members of his team.

“All right, listen up everyone,” Shi’Rai continued, “This is our shot at destroying these fools. The new strategy revolves around the kid. Make space for him and let him work.”

The whistle tweeted and they were back out for the third quarter.

Arxis gained possession of the ball as quickly as always. He slipped past one defender, then another and then a third. A massive leap into a devastating dunk. He landed snugly on his feet and retrieved the ball from the baseline before he turned to celebrate with his team. But then he saw it. 

It was happening again. 

He gazed at the face of one of his teammates.

“A furled brow. Biting of the inner lip and a twitching mouth corner.” He observed quickly.

He looked to another.

“Slight scowl. Flared nostrils and reddened ears.”

“When will this douche pass the ball?” Arxis turned to see the voice that mumbled about him. His third teammate averted his gaze as their eyes met.

“Did he just come here to show off or what?”

“What a freak. The game’s no fun anymore.”

“What was Shi’Rai even thinking, letting a kid in here?”

The voices of his teammates began to fill the mind of Arxis. They came so rapidly and so harshly that he couldn’t decipher what was real and what his brain was inferring based on their expressions.

“No. Please . Not again.” He said to himself, holding his head with one hand.

He dropped the ball as his breathing became irregular. In the blink of an eye, he ran off the court and vaulted the phase gates that enclosed the space.

“Hey! Where are you going kid?!” Frix yelled out after him. But it was too late.

Arxis disappeared past the traffic of the nearby road and disappeared out of sight.