Howling Echoes

Chapter 13

Howling 13

On a sunny day following a new morning, the town's citizens by the ocean were getting ready for their morning. Shops were opening. The fishermen were loading their boats, ready to head out. A line was beginning to form at the entrance to the town. These were first mostly merchants, some civilians, and other travelers. The guards at the entrance made sure it was all peaceful. The town streets were beginning to get busy.

The people staying at an inn on the outskirts of the town were enjoying breakfast. An older man enjoying smoking a pipe had left to go to work. A few more people, adventurers, also left for work. A wolf beastman walked out; Beowulf followed the older man, Fisher, to work.

In the inn, waitresses were already at work. A wolf-beastman girl was looking after her child. Adolpha fed Adolphus her son. "Beowulf still seems to have doubts about Fisher," an older woman said. Madam, are you sure they can change?" Adolpha said. Cynthia Borrows, Madam, is an older woman and the inn owner. Madam smiled and told her they could.

On a boat heading out towards the sea, Beowulf kept to himself. Fisher steered, and the crew did their own thing. One of the crew members approached Beowulf. "So, I heard you have been on the mysterious island..." Beowulf stayed silent. Another member also questioned him. Fisher stared at Beowulf. He exhaled, "He claimed to have spent days there..."

The crew members began to question Fisher. Someone said that countless adventurers and pirates had been looking for them. "Even the Umbridge Kingdom tried to look for it." Beowulf thought of the massive ship graveyard. He asked if ships had gone missing. "Yeah, a lot." Another said he heard that a friend of a friend went looking for it and never returned.

Beowulf said there was a massive ship graveyard near it, which surprised everyone. Everyone began asking Beowulf to talk. Looking at their expression, Beowulf started talking about living on the island. Once they got to their destination, they began casting nets.

The crew wanted to hear Beowulf's story, so they worked fast. Fisher smiled and puffed from his pipe. When they took a break and ate, the crew still questioned Beowulf: "So, how big was the snake..." "Did you really make a boat..." "Was there any other danger on the island?" Someone said he heard there was a treasure. Beowulf said he didn't see anything like that.

They got back to work, and it slowly became quiet. They began heading home; Fisher asked someone else to steer. He walked over to Beowulf and leaned against the rail. He refilled his pipe and smoked. Beowulf was cautious. Fisher turned around and stared at Beowulf.

"Have you ever wished you could change the decisions you made in the past?" Beowulf listened. "Sometimes," he said. Well, I wouldn't," Fisher said, which upset Beowulf. I made some choices I am not proud of, but it has made me who I am..." Beowulf became confused. Fisher laughed.

Fisher talks briefly about his childhood and growing up in a hardworking home. "I associated with the wrong crowd when I became older. My folks were not poor, but the mention of money interested me." Fisher said he ran away from home and became a bandit. "I was living the life, drinking, gambling, stealing..." Fisher chucked; he pulled out a flask and took a sip.

Fisher said that after working small jobs, he and his friends met people who offered them large sums of money. Fisher said he learned as he moved up and chose jobs accordingly. "I broke away from those I called friends, and I found out later they died," Fisher said they liked doing reckless jobs.

Fisher continued his life story: "I had become a well-known carrier. Nobles hired me to move money and eventually slaves..." Beowulf clenched his fist. Fisher noticed but did nothing; he remained calm. Fisher said he hired some people. "They were people I thought I could trust..." Beowulf becomes surprised.