Chapter 9 Brightport

I am currently in Brightport. Aaron and I are waiting here until nighttime so we can rescue someone. While we wait, I decided to pass the time by writing about what's happened since we got here.

A ship docked in Brightport, and Aphmau walked off it while Aaron and Paul carried a heavy wooden box behind them. Just as they put the box down, a woman suddenly approached them.

"Welcome home, Paul", she greeted him.

"Thank you, Azura", Paul said, before turning to face Aaron and Aphmau. "This is Azura; the head guard of Brightport."

"It's a pleasure to meet you", Azura greeted. "I have heard about you two from letters Garroth has sent me."

"You two went to the Royal Guard Academy together, right", Aaron asked Azura.

"Yes", she replied. Then, she sadly looked at the wooden box, before placing her hand on top of it.

"Visher", she breathed out sadly, before looking up. "Who would do something like this?"

"We don't know", Aaron replied. "But Garroth has ordered his guards to search for clues."

"I see", Azura said. "I hope that you will find out who caused the explosion soon."

"Me too", Aaron said. Then, Paul went up to the wooden box and placed his hand on top of it.

"Come", he said. "Let's take Visher home to his family."

Brightport is very similar to Phoenix Drop. However, it's in much better shape than Phoenix Drop is.

Aaron and Paul carried the wooden box through Brightport while Aphmau followed behind them.

"There", Paul said as he gestured towards a house. "That's where Visher's family lives."

With this, Aaron and Paul carried the box towards the house. Once they place it on the ground, Paul took a deep breath, and knocked on the front door. A moment later, a woman opened it.

"Paul! you're back", she said happily, before giving him a hug. "I was getting worried when you and Visher didn't return home yesterday. Where is he?"

After being asked this, Paul let out a sad sigh before looking at Aaron.

"Paul", Visher's wife asked; now worried. "What's wrong? Where's Visher?"

"Merida, please step back", Paul instructed. Then, he and Aaron picked up the wooden box and carried it into the house.

"What…what is this", Merida asked. "What's going on? Where is my husband?!"

"I'm so sorry, Merida", Paul apologised; tears beginning to form in his eyes. "There was an explosion, and Visher…and Visher…"

When Merida heard these words, her face went pale as she realised what had happened.

"No. No. It can't be", she said. Then, she looked at the wooden box, and began prying it open.

"Merida, wait", Paul pleaded. "I don't think that's-"

Merida didn't listen to Paul's warning, and opened the wooden box. When saw what remained of her husband, she started wailing loudly before collapsing to the floor.

When I saw Visher's wife react to his death, I got this heavy feeling in my chest. I hated seeing it, and it seemed like Aaron was the same.

As Aphmau watched Merida, tears started forming in her eyes. Then, she heard heavy breathing coming from next to her. She turned her head, and saw that it was coming from Aaron.

"Aaron, are you ok-"

Before Aphmau could finish her sentence, Aaron turned around and ran out of the house.

"Aaron, wait", Aphmau called out, before running after him.

I looked around a bit for Aaron. When I found him, he was sitting by the side of Visher's house. He had taken off the red bandana he wore around his eyes, but I still couldn't see them because he was covering them with his arm.

"Aaron, are you okay", Aphmau asked him in concern.

When I asked Aaron if he was okay, he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Then, with his back towards me, he stood up, and wrapped his bandana back around his eyes.

"I'm fine", Aaron reassured Aphmau has he turned around to face her. "Aphmau, you stay here with Paul. I have something I need to-"

"Um…excuse me", I young voice suddenly said softly.

When I heard a young voice suddenly speak up, I turned around…and spotted a young boy.

"Hey there", Aaron greeted as he walked up to the boy and kneeled down besides him. "Can we help you?"

"I'm…", the boy started nervously. "My name is John. Th…thank you for bringing my dad back home."

Aaron looked at John sadly when he heard him say this. "You're welcome. And, I'm sorry."

The boy fought to hold back tears when he heard this. "M…mr, you're a werewolf, right?"

Aaron didn't seem surprised when John asked him this, and gave him a nod. "I am."

"Then…can you help me", John asked Aaron. "My friend is in trouble."

"You're friend", Aaron asked.

"He's a werewolf", John revealed. "And he's stuck in the hunter's cabin."

"The hunter's cabin", Aaron asked. "Why is he there?"

"The adults think that the lord is with the werewolf tribe", John revealed. "They think that they're keeping him there, so they took my friend to make them give him back."

"What", Aaron exclaimed angrily. "They're keeping a wolf cub trapped in the hunter's cabin?"

"That's awful", Aphmau said.

"Everyone in the village thinks the werewolves are the bad guys, but I know that they're not", John stated. Then, Aaron his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, John", he reassured him. "We'll rescue your friend. But we need to wait until it's nighttime to do it. It'll be easier to sneak him out of the village then."

"Thank you so much, mister", John said. "Once you've rescued my friend, take him to the forest. The werewolf tribe should be able to find you there."