Howling Echoes

chapter 8

Howling 8

A small fishing boat slowly sails through the ocean on a chilly morning. A man with long, messy brown hair, brown eyes, and a tail that resembled an animal steered it; he wore tattered, dirty clothes. A girl is on the boat with him; she has long, shiny silver hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. She, too, has animal ears and a tail; the girl wore a dirty dress.

"Wolf, are we stopping soon? I don't feel good again," said the girl. Wolf was the beastman steering the boat. A beastman is a race of human-looking people with animal features. "We are not stopping today; please hold out," he told her. The girl frowned and sat down on a sack.

The girl's name is Adolpha; she was an enslaved person owned by a man named Michael Ghana. Lord Michael, as they called him, kidnapped her and was going to sell her in an auction. Wolf was another slave under Lord Michael, who was instructed to guard Adolpha.

Adolpha spent some of her life imprisoned in a cabin behind a mansion on an island owned by Lord Michael. Wolf patrolled, safeguarding her; a few maids and two henchmen also lived on the island. Lord Michael had left for a conference at the Human Kingdom.

Wolf slowly became close to her. A group of kidnappers showed up and tried to take her. Wolf stopped them and got even closer to her; he decided to escape with her after discovering he impregnated her, and a man named Andrew Harris was coming to the island. Wolf spent days preparing and eventually managed to escape with her.

Adolpha and Wolf were now on the run from Lord Michael and Harris. Lord Michael influenced the underground. Wolf told Adolpha their plan to get her back to her people. Adolpha was a wolf beast woman from the Gray Wolf Clan. Wolf planned to sail south, away from some of Lord Michael's eyes. They would then make landfall and make their way north to a territory known as King Land; from there, they get help getting to Adolphe's clan.

It had been a couple of days since they escaped. They traveled a long distance and didn't know if Lord Michael was chasing them yet. Adolpha would get seasick, so they stopped on land and rested. Wolf told her they should keep moving; Adolpha didn't like sitting on the boat for long periods. Wolf told her they didn't have any other way.

As they sailed, Adolpha admired the scenery when she wasn't sick. They passed small towns and villages. The people thought they were just another fishing boat cruising by; some waved at them as they passed. Adolpha was shy whenever they did.

Another day passed, and they were resting; Adolpha was eating a lot, which Wolf had not planned for. Wolf needed to get more food if they were going to continue. They had stopped on a beach; there was a forest nearby. Wolf told Adolpha to say while he went to gather some food.

Wolf returns later with some rabbits. Adolpha was amazed; she asked him where he got them. Wolf told her he hunted them; he began to skin and prepare them. He told Adolpha that it should hold them for now. They slept and continued sailing the next day.

Wolf tried fishing with the fishing rod he took; he caught some fish, which Adolpha did not like eating. Adolpha talked about her family to Wolf. She told him stories about her childhood and some about the time she spent captured. Wolf kept close about himself. Adolpha did not pry into his life.

They continued sailing. Adolpha asked Wolf why they don't see ships. Wolf told her that larger ships don't sail close to the land until they reach their destination. Adolpha looked out towards the horizon. Later that day, Adolpha slept while Wolf continued to steer. It became night, and Wolf could see the torches of some towns.

The following day, Adolpha woke to bells; she got up and went outside. Adolpha saw many boats and a large port. At first, she was excited but then became nervous and worried. She asked if it was okay for them to be there. Wolf told her that everything was all right.