Howling 4

It was late in the port town near a chain of islands owned by Lord Michael. They started to light torch lanterns; it was cold, and the townsfolk wore coats. In a bar, workers were enjoying themselves after a long work day. They drank and ate; some talked about their day, while others spoke about business. It was getting rowdy in there; Edward was sitting at a table with one of the townsfolk.

"I tell you, friend, the festival is the best there is; no other town can do something as great as us," said the man; he was a picker. He worked picking fruits from the orchards on the islands—Edward ordered more alcohol, "So, will Lord Michael be here for the festival?"

The man said Lord Michael was too busy to go to the festivals; he praised him and said he was a generous lord. Edward asked to know more about him. The older man talked about the islands and how Lord Michael used magic to help grow some trees, "He saved our livelihoods."

Another man heard them and added that Lord Michael was an intelligent businessman, "He bought this whole area and helped it thrive; to make sure everything goes smoothly when he is here, he built a house on the last island. He keeps a close eye on things." Edward asks more about the house.

The older man told him it was a two-story mansion; there was a small orchard behind that was there for show. Edward listens to him; he then asks if anything unusual has happened recently. The man thinks; the other older man again buds in; he talks about a party Lord Michael was going to have.

"It was a real shame; It was canceled, and he had to leave the following day." The adventurer asked if anyone was living there. The older man said he had seen maids and two men. "Sam and Mike, those two come and get supplies once in a while," said the other man. Edward orders more drinks for them.

"One more question; have you ever seen a beautiful wolf-beast girl on that island?" The men think they said there were no other people there, "Only humans are working on the island." Edward thanks them, and he leaves. The men kept drinking and thought nothing about it.

Edward returns to his room; the rest of the group is relaxing. They gather when he arrives; Edward goes over what he has heard. The group has been going to every island and investigating; they had no luck as they discussed their next move: the adventurer who spied on the house returns.

"It's just like you said," he said, walking in. Edward smiled, "What can you tell us?" The spy adventurer began talking about the island; he said it was a large island with a two-story house at the center. He said there was no wall, and an orchard covered the back. Edward remembered what the older man at the bar had said.

"Are there any guards," he asked. "I only saw a beast-man walking around," he replied. The Fred became interested, "What is he like?" "Wolf beast folk, he looks like a slave warrior and doesn't seem to be a threat." "Why do you say that," Fred asked. "He didn't notice me," he said confidently; they both laughed.

Edward began to think. He reviewed their information, "All right, this should be easy and simple. Our information said there would be two men on that island; now also a wolf beast-man; he would be our only trouble." Fred wanted to fight him. "Leave him to me; we don't know how strong he is, so we shall draw him away from the house."

Edward gave them tasks; Fred would join the other team and draw the beast-man way. Once they did, they would get rid of him. His team will search for the girl, "What about the maids," said someone. Edward said they were no threat, "If they decide to fight, we will eliminate them."

After establishing their role, they needed to plan; Edward said he would also inform the other team of their plan. After he finished, he headed out and told the other team. After that, he goes to the post office; the worker greets him, "Hello, how can I help." "I would like this to be delivered," he hands the post worker a letter. Edward leaves and returns to the inn.

On the island, Adolpha was waiting for Wolf to walk by; after some time, he didn't. Adolpha was sad; she went on with her day feeling lonely. Wolf was standing guard; he observed the other islands. After a while, he leaves and goes around the island; the spy adventurer watches from one of the other islands.

"Go and keep an eye on them; I don't want to step into a trap or be surprised by an unknown situation," Edward told the spy adventurer, "I hope to be finished with this already; I want to go home," he was looking through a spyglass and resting on a tree. The spy adventurer heard some workers leaving.

After a few days, Adolpha was back to her old ways; Victoria, the head maid, noticed; she continued working and left after giving her breakfast. Back in the house, Mike and Sam were in the living room; Mike was telling Sam about how his date would go. A maid walks in, and Mike quiets down; it is a secret he is going out.

The maid leaves, and Mike continues telling Sam his plan: "So when we get to the game stand, I will win her the big prize; she will be impressed by my talent." Sam clapped and told him he was already impressive. Mike laughs, "HAHAHA, yes I am!"

On the mainland, the group was eating lunch at the bar. A few townsfolk were also eating; one of the older men questioned what he read in the newspaper, "I tell you, something bigger is going on. There is no way King John is sending troops south for no reason." The other man dismisses what was written, "King Sloan's lands are close by, so he should have troops nearby."

The adventurers heard them talking; someone from the group asked about it. Edward told him they didn't need to bother with it; they had other important matters. They continued eating; a warrior from the other group passed by and placed a letter on their table. He continues walking. Edward takes it and puts it away.

The group split after lunch; Edward returns to the inn. He looks at the letter and opens it; after reading it, he calls everyone. When everyone gathers, he tells them about the letter, "I got news from our employer; he said that things have gotten complicated in the capital. He wants us to do our job before Lord Michael sends more guards."

The others ask about the situation back in the capital. Edward told them that all he knew was they were investigating nobles and their business; he then told them they would carry out their plan during the festival, "I heard everyone should be attending, so there will be no one around to see it was us." He told them to be ready when the time came; he would inform the others.

Late on the island, Adolpha finished her bath; she was looking out the window from her bed. She suddenly sees a shadow walk by her window; she gets up and goes over to it, "Stop," she nervously says. It was Wolf, and he was returning to his tent. Wolf walks back and stands in front of the window. Adolpha becomes nervous; she looks at him, "Where have you been?"

Wolf stayed silent; Adolpha asked if he got in trouble for giving her gifts. Again, Wolf said nothing; Adolpha became sad, "Please say something," "Sorry," Adolpha stared at Wolf. "Wolf, hurry and rest; they can still be hiding." Victoria, the head maid, was standing nearby, giving Wolf time to rest in his tent. Adolpha was confused.

Wolf places a seashell and leaves; Adolpha is worried about him. Victoria walks close to the window, "I hope there is no trouble; Lord Michael said he will be staying in the capital longer." Victoria leaves; Adolpha hears her and knows it is her way of informing her. She goes back to her bed and stares at the seashell.

Early winter 834, the townsfolk were getting ready for the festival; the adventurer were enjoying themselves before the start of their operation. On the island, things have gone almost back to normal. Adolpha cheered up a little but thought about what Victoria said. Wolf slept in his tent.

Mike and Sam had woken up; Sam went to the kitchen, where the maids ate breakfast. Sam serves himself some coffee; he talks to the maids about what they plan to do. They were sad they couldn't attend the festival; one said they could watch the fireworks. They then discuss celebrating themselves. Victoria told them to calm down.

The maids got quiet; Victoria told them to finish their work before anything else. The girls got excited and finished eating. They went and gave Adolpha her breakfast. Adolpha ate and then sat on her chair; she looked at her seashells. Back in the house, Mike entered the kitchen; he looked happy.

He greets everyone, which makes him suspicious; Sam tells him to calm down. Mike remembers and acts like he is in a bad mood. Victoria glares at him; she knows what he is up to. She had heard him talk to Sam about it. Mike takes his cut of coffee to the living room; he relaxes until the evening.

The adventurers were getting ready; they planned to attack tonight. Most of them wore black; they dressed as assassins. Fred and another were heavily armored; they took their weapons and left the inn. Edward told them to wait until all the townsfolk were at the festival. They walked around town blending in; they wanted people to notice they were there so they could have an alibi. The day went as usual, and slowly, the townsfolk began to arrive. They have washed up and changed from their work clothes.

The celebration was starting; food stalls began preparing their food. Children ran around looking at everything. Some of the adventurers were drinking with some of the folks. The sun was setting, and things began. Music played on a stage they had built.

On the island, Mike was getting ready; the maids were rushing to finish work. Some were preparing some snacks so they could enjoy the fireworks. Adolpha was giving her a bath and food. She was surprised by their attitude. Wolf was up and getting ready for his patrol; Adolpha had saved him her bread.

"Alright, how do I look," asked Mike. "Like the lord of this mansion," replied Sam; he was excited along with Mike. Sam said he would distract Victoria. Mike felt nervous; Sam left and told Mike to go. The front door was clear, so Mike took the opportunity and left. Sam helps the maids with their work.

Victoria, the head maid, asks about Mike; Sam tells her he is upset and says he will stay in the room. Victoria gave him an awkward look and left it as that; Sam thought he had succeeded. The girls finish and head upstairs to their room; they will see the fireworks from there. Wolf started his patrol; Adolpha was told to look in a particular direction by Wolf. She was confused by it.

Mike and Sam snuck out and head to the dock; Sam helps Mike get on the boat. Mike was excited; he began to depart, "Sam, thank you for this; I will bring you what I promised." Sam happily waved to him; Sam returned to the house once Mike was gone. Wolf looked at him.

The group was gathering on the mainland; all workers had returned from work. Some townsfolk saw the adventurers, and they talked to them; Edward lied about needing to leave. He told them they were heading out while the celebration was still happening. The townsfolk tried to persuade them to stay. Edward turned them down.

After getting rid of the people, they headed to the docks. They waited for the rest to get there. Mike had gotten to the town and looked for this date; she was waiting for where she worked. Mike straightened up and presented himself as a noble would. The woman smiled, and they went on their way.

Mike took his date to the food stalls first; they ate some food and continued to see the other booths. Mike made small talk and bragged about working with Lord Micheal. He told her he managed the mansion on the islands he was at. The woman laughs and is impressed by him. Mike wanted to impress her more, so he took her to the game booths.

Mike stops at a jewelry booth and buys her a necklace. Once they arrive at a game booth, Mike asks the owner for a game. Mike is given some balls to throw; he begins to throw them and fails. It embarrassed him; he looked at everyone looking at him, "Hey, let me try again," he said with an upset tone. Mike gets to throw again.

Mike misses the targets; he blames the owner for rigging the game. The owner gets mad and yells at him; Mike gets scared and tries to calm the situation. He asks the owner to talk; he can throw it again after offering him some money. Mike hits the targets and wins the hefty price. The people watching clap; Mike offers it to his date. Mike smiles, and then they head to get some drinks.

Finally, they all gathered; Fred was the last to arrive, which made Edward mad. He said he was late because he said he saw something funny. They go over the plan again and get into two boats they stole. They were going to head out when they heard someone walking towards them. They cast a spell and turned invisible.

"Stupid, everyone is stupid!" Mike was limping towards the boat; his suit was ripped and dirty. He was mumbling about the townsfolk. One of the adventurers asked to eliminate him; Edward told him to let him go. Mike got on the boat and left. The group followed behind him.

As they head for the island, someone asks what happened. Fred said he saw it all; it was the reason he was late. He began by telling them he was drinking with some of the people. He said he was about to regroup when he noticed him buying drinks for people, "He was trying to impress a woman with money."

He said a crowd gathered and asked him to buy them some, "He was showing off. A stronger man showed up and was hitting on his woman. He got upset and picked a fight with him." Fred said he got beaten up, and his date left upset. The group looks at him, heading back. "Poor fella," someone said.

Mike arrives at the island and gets off; he slowly walks to the house with tears in his eyes. When he reached the front door, it opened; Sam was waiting for him. He tells him to get in quickly, "Victoria is upstairs already; come in." Mike staggers in; Sam is confused. He then sees his clothes all messed up. "What happened," he asks. Mike said he didn't want to discuss it; he went to the supplies room and got some wine. He begins to drink; Sam sees he is depressed. Sam said he would hear him out.

Mike tears up and tells him to drink with him. Sam helps him forget whatever happened. They began to get loud; Victoria got upset with them but did nothing. Outside, Wolf makes his rounds; the adventurers see him from where they are. They then split and got close to the island.

Wolf was heading back to the house when he suddenly felt something. He goes and checks it out. Edward and his group reach the island and get off; unknown to them, something triggers. Victoria notices the bracelet glow; she gets up and checks on the cabin. Adolpha's cabin begins to disappear.

Wolf gets to the beach; he sees a boat landed. It was empty; he felt a presence and dodged an attack. "Good, I would have been upset if that killed you," said Fred; the other armored adventurer stood with him. Wolf stood back and said nothing; he prepared to fight.

On the other side of the island, Edward and his group head to the house. Victoria draws Mana and activates the bracelet; Wolf's collar glows. Adolpha didn't know what was happening; she then heard some explosions. It scared her. More bursts followed by colorful lights; Adolpha was amazed by it after. She liked what she was seeing.

Wolf attacks, and Fred dodges; they take turns attacking. Wolf dodges his sword swings. The armored adventurer casts a spell, and the wind picks up; the sand blinds Wolf. Fred attacks, and Wolf rolls out of the way. "Got you," he shouts. A rope comes up from the sand and ties Wolf; the other adventurers appear and hold the rope tight.

One more adventurer jumps out and throws a net at Wolf. Wolf's body glows as the net gets him. "I can't pull him," said the adventurer holding the rope. "Earth magic," Fred replies. He goes for an attack; Wolf's claws glow, and he breaks free from the rope and net. He dodges the attack. Wolf becomes surrounded.

Edward and his group were near the house, "Okay, Lord Michael is said to be a clever man. According to our information, he might have the girl in a hidden room." Edward said they would check outside and inside the house. The group sneaks to the backyard and looks around; all they see is the orchard and some tall bushes. Victoria, the head maid, stares at them from her room. They do not notice her; she waits for Wolf to show up.

Wolf is still fighting the other group; he is struggling. Fred and the armored adventurer were on the attack while the others supported them. "They said you were a tough opponent; how disappointing." Wolf tries to attack the weaker adventurers but is stopped by the armored ones, "OH, no, you don't!" Wolf steps back and defends himself.

The other group searched the backyard; the fireworks lit up the night sky. One adventurer gets close to the bushes. Adolpha hears something and gets excited, "Wolf, the sky, look at the sky." Adolpha goes over to the window; she sees the adventurer and gets scared. The adventurer moves some of the bushes, "There is nothing here." A tree stood where the cabin was.

Edward tells them to keep looking; another of the adventurers sees a campsite, "Over here," they go and see what he found. They all approach the camp—the group searches for anything unusual. After a while, they conclude that nothing is there. "Let's check the house; we will avoid killing anyone." The group heads to the house.

As they leave the orchard, one notices something odd with the tree surrounded by bushes. Adolpha didn't know what was happening; she was hiding under her blanket, looking out the window. The adventurer walks over to the tree; he feels Mana around it. "Hey, there is something strange here." Edward goes over to see.

He places his hand on an invisible wall; he laughs, "Here you are," he shoots a wave of Mana through the building. The cabin becomes visible, "Clever, just clever, Sir Michael." The group celebrates; Edward tells them to hurry. One of them peaks inside and sees Adolpha hiding under her blanket.

The group gets to the door; one tries to open it, "There is a strong seal on the door." "Can you break it," asks Edward. He draws Mana and places his hand on the door, "Give me some time." Edward tells the rest to stand guard. The group looks around; Victoria wonders what is taking Wolf so long.

Wolf had cuts on him; Fred was getting mad, "All he is doing is dodging." "Relax, he is smarter than he looks." "What are you talking about?" The armor adventurer noticed that Wolf was not trying at all. One of the supporters tries to distract Wolf; he runs towards him. Wolf gets ready to defend. The armor adventurer goes behind the supporter; Wolf decides to attack. The supporter took out a crystal and drew Mana; he created a fireball.

The supporter throws it at Wolf. Wolf dodges and tries to scratch him; the supporter dodges out of the way. The armor adventurer swings his sword, and Wolf jumps up. The other supporters cast wind magic and slice Wolf mid-air. Wolf falls to the ground. Fred attacks him. Wolf manages to dodge his attack.

The other group managed to open the cabin door. Edward smiles; he orders another to go in first. He steps in; a magic circle appears, and spikes burst from the ground. The adventurers jump out; Edward draws his sword and breaks it, "A trap," he said. He steps into the cabin; Adolpha is shaking. Edward approaches her, "We are going on a little trip; someone wants to meet you."

He reaches out; Adolpha gets out of bed and runs to the corner, "Who are you!" Edward smiles; he gets closer to her, "Come here, and we won't hurt you." Adolpha was scared; she wanted Wolf to be there. Edward grabs her hand; Adolpha screams, "Let me go; I don't want to go with you!"

She struggles; Edward easily holds her. Adolpha then bites him on the hand. "OUCH," he hits her; the others laugh at him. "Is she giving you trouble," one asked sarcastically. Edward calms, "A mishap," he replies. He grabs her again; Adolpha panics; her collar flashes.

Victoria could do nothing; the maids were all focused on the fireworks. Sam and Mike were getting drunk. Edward has her; he ties her up and takes her outside. Adolpha, fearing what Lord Michael would do, began to howl. "Shut up," Edward yells. Adolpha continues to howl.

The maids heard her and wondered what was happening. Wolf heard her; he looked towards the house. He was going to go but got blocked, "You aren't going anywhere." Wolf got mad; he drew Mana. Edward knocks Adolpha out; the howling stops. Wolf looks at the armor adventurer. "Come at me if you dare."

He then sees a spark of lighting, "What is that?" The armored adventurer loses sight of Wolf. "Behind you," Fred yells. It was too late; Wolf's hand burst through his chest. The armored adventurer was confused by what happened. Wolf pulls his hand, and the armored adventurer falls dead on the ground.

The supporters were scared, "What was that," one shouts. Wolf emits more electricity; he disappears again. One of the supporters loses his head, and another gets cut across his waist. Fred noticed Wolf got bigger. Wolf looks at the rest. "You can't be, a were…." Fred's head was cut off.

The rest of the supporters were dead. Wolf was gone from the beach. Edward tells the group they must leave; he wonders what is taking the others so long. He has Adolph's unconscious body on his shoulder. The group was about to leave when suddenly they felt a furious presence.

They turned around but saw nothing, "Let's go, something is not right." Edward turns around again and sees two friends being held by their necks. They were getting choked, "What!" Wolf snaps their necks and drops them. Edward tells the remaining ones to slow him. Wolf sees that Adolpha is not moving.

He becomes furious and releases Mana; his body begins to change. Edward becomes scared, "Why is someone like you here?" The others attack, "Wait, don't!" In an instant, they were dead; the moon shone on the backyard, and a monstrous beast stood. He howled, and everyone, even on the mainland, heard it.