Curse of Eternity

Chapter Seventeen

A couple of days passed without anyone seeing or hearing from Castor. Alys had watched the library both nights but the boy never returned. But she knew he was still in the city. Where, she had no clue.

During the day, Alys went with Maliki and Anna to get supplies and enjoy the city. The shifter was more focused on the former than the latter, but he still enjoyed himself. Especially when Alys got him alone in a room last night. The rumors were true. Wolves are very good lovers.

But there was no fun to be had as Anna and Alys stood on a pier and watched Maliki board a ship with a pack slung across his shoulders. It was early in the morning and the city had barely woken up but a storm was coming so the captain wanted to leave early and get ahead of it. Maliki would have a long journey ahead of him. Alys hoped he found his sea legs quickly.

"Was locking the door really necessary?" Anna said. Her eyes didn't leave Maliki's back as he stood on the pier waiting to board.

Alys shrugged, a smug grin on her face. "You got him the first night. He evaded both of us the second. It's only fair that I got him the last."

Anna shook her head but couldn't hide the smile on her face. "Fine. But next time, we either share the guy or we both get one. Agreed?"

"Agreed. Though I will miss playing with his hair while he sleeps." Alys saw Anna nod in agreement out the corner of her eye.

A member of the crew called for everyone to board the ship. Both girls watched with heavy hearts as their traveling companion boarded the vessel and aimlessly walked around the deck, trying his best to look normal. He was obviously new at being on a ship but to his credit, he didn't start yacking immediately after stepping onboard. First time Alys was on a ship she needed the captain's strongest alcohol to wash out the taste of vomit from her mouth. It wasn't pretty.

The last passenger boarded the ship and Maliki found a spot to wait. He was leaning against the railing and looking around for the girls. Once he spotted them a smile broke out on his face and he waved to them shyly.

"I wonder how he'll do on his own," Anna said.

Alys put her arm around her friend's shoulders and waved back. "He'll be fine. He's been alone for a majority of his life even if he was part of a pack before."

"Yeah but what about his shift? There's no way he won't lose control. A wolf isn't made to be on water."

Alys reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial of light violet liquid. "Wolfsbane. I helped him get some before we got here. It'll burn like hell but it should keep him from shifting. He has enough for the voyage."

"Good. Look, they're leaving." Anna raised her hand and waved as multiple other people did. Alys bet the two of them together looked like two concubines waving goodbye to their man. Alys was aware of every man watching the girls and making mental notes of their faces. For... reasons.

The ship began pulling away and out of the dock. Maliki gripped the railing for dear life as a large wave came in and knocked into the ship's side. He looked like he would be sick then and there. The girls laughed and silently prayed for their friend's safety.

"Come on. Let's go before the boy pukes and embarrasses himself. And us." Anna laughed and nodded. They turned and walked away from the pier and into the city.

Maliki watched the girls make their way back into the city. A sad smile on his face and a terribly metallic taste in his mouth. He turned and went below deck, hoping if the ship was struck again he wouldn't feel it as badly. The crew directed him to the passengers' bunks. As soon as he saw how crowded the space was, he checked his bag for the wolfsbane. It would come in handy when his instincts got the better of him. Especially with a full moon approaching. Apparently being at sea made the moon's pull stronger so he would be taking no chances.

"Pick your poison," the crewmember said. He smacked Maliki's shoulder hard enough to almost topple the boy before departing. Maliki, despite the man's choice words, calmly walked forward and chose his bed. A hammock in the corner of the room. Near enough to the exits that he could get a breath of fresh air easily and far enough from people that it was obvious he wanted to be left alone.

He placed his pack below the cloth and tried to make himself comfortable. Strangely, being suspended on a piece of cloth made him forget about being stuck on a boat. His seasickness was gone within seconds. He shut his eyes and tried to sleep, letting the sound of waves and shouting sailors lull him away from reality.

He took a deep breath, taking in the sea's salty scent. It was strange compared to the freshwater streams, lakes, and rivers he was used to. It was strangely alluring. He took another breath but this time caught whiff of something else. It made him sit up and run to the topdeck and releieve his stomach over the side. People ignored him, seemingly used to seeing newcomers getting their sea legs and vomiting over the sides of the boat.

The scent was stronger out in the open. It was hidden, masked by the waves and sweaty men, but still there. Maliki heard sailers taking notice but they thought it to be the smell of dead fish coming from below deck.

Maliki looked down at the sea and saw a massive pair of eyes staring back at him. Seems death had come to claim this ship. And it smelled like corpses.

The harbor was a glimpse into hell. People ran around, terrified and trying to escape the creatures who had attacked as well as one another.

The first had come from the sea. Its long body slick with brown wet fur. It climbed onto the boat and roared, knocking people from the deck and ripping into those dumb enough to try and attack it. Once the deck had been cleared it pressed its long snout against the floor and sniffed around before darting below deck. That only made the screaming more unbearable.

As one searched the boat, another wreaked havoc on land. The monster was terrifying as it was strange. With a body made from wood and long stake-like legs, it pierced everyone who got in its path. Women shrieked, children cried, and men became boys before the creature. Where it came from nobody knew. With it's wood-like exterior it blended in with almost the entire city.

A woman screamed as the creature brought down its leg and impaled her child. He had tripped and called out for help but the mother was too slow to save her son. She ran at the beast and began smashing her hands against its leg only for it to stand up and impale her through the stomach with a different leg. Blood coated every limb and some of its wolf-like snout. Someone threw a flaming bottle of alcohol at the creature but missed and ended up setting fire to one of the boats nearby. The fire reached the boat's gunpowder reserves and It went up in flames. It exploded a minute or so later, causing the entire pier to burn. Now the orange eyes seemed to glow and it only looked more menacing. It reared its head back and shrieked. The terrible sound echoed through the city and carried with it a promise. Kindling would burn.