Stella pointstar's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Stella tightened the last screw on the mechanical bird's wing. The tiny gears clicked into place. She held it up to the light of her workshop lamp. Its metal feathers gleamed. She wound the key on its back and set it on her workbench. The bird hopped twice, flapped its wings, and chirped a tinny song. Stella grinned. This was what she lived for—creating toys that made kids smile. One day, her mechanical creatures would bring joy to children all across the stations of Fenif. She looked around her workshop. Sunlight poured through the stained glass windows above. The colored rays lit up the moss growing on the stone walls. Pink mallows climbed up the doorway. Golden lights hung from the ceiling beams. She had found this old building months ago and turned it into her Whimsy Pixie Workshop. Here, she could build as many toys as she wanted. But she needed more parts. Stella grabbed an empty metal bucket from the corner. Its surface was scratched and dented from years of use. She headed outside to search the market district. People threw away broken tools, old clocks, and bent wire. She could turn that trash into treasure. Every discarded spring and gear was a chance to build something new. Tomorrow, she would take her toys to the plaza. An old water wheel sat near the fountain there. Its wooden planks were cracked and some were missing. The metal frame was rusty. But it was the perfect height to display her creations. Kids always walked by with their parents. If they stopped to look, if they smiled and reached for her mechanical animals, she would know she was on the right path.