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.
Fishing boats were all around the port; smaller boats brought supplies from larger ships docked out at sea. "This port belongs to the dwarf kingdom; not many would dare attack it." Adolpha saw the workers, and they were dwarfs. Merchants from all known life were there.
Adolpha asked to stop. "No, this may belong to the dwarfs, but it has problems. Lord Michael does have some influence here," Wolf said as he cautiously looked around. Some dwarf workers stared at them, and then they got back to work.
Adolpha, still amazed, gets scared when a loud horn blows; she hides behind Wolf. Wolf tells her not to worry. A large ship is coming in, and Adolpha sees it heading into a giant tunnel. They pass by, and Adolpha sees more workers and machines working inside.
Adolpha hears shouting; some dwarf fishermen are yelling at each other. More people are screaming. Another boat is heading towards them. "Out of the way, mutt," a dwarf fisherman yells at Wolf. Wolf steers away, and they pass each other. Wolf stares at the dwarf. The dwarf sees him and gets scared.
Once they were through, Adolpha was sad they could not stop. Wolf told her they were almost where they could get off. Adolpha saw as the dwarf port disappeared. Wolf was tired because he hadn't rested for some time now. Adolpha asked him to sleep. "We need to keep going; almost there."
They continued late into the night. Wolf took short breaks to try to gain some energy. The following morning, Adolpha woke and saw Wolf, exhausted, "Please, Wolf, rest." Wolf said he was fine. Adolpha approached him and grabbed the wheel, "Here, let me help; we just need to go straight, right?" Adolpha tried helping, but her sea sickness came back.
Wolf told her he was feeling better after some time. They ate and were almost out of food; their water was nearly gone. Adolpha drank a lot whenever she vomited. Wolf took out the map and checked. He told Adolpha that they should arrive tomorrow if they continued without stopping.
Adolpha agreed, but only because she knew he wouldn't want to stop. She looked at the cliffs nearby and then at her seashell collections. Every so often, she would look at Wolf. Wolf had dark bags under his eyes. After eating that night, Wolf rested for a short while again.
Wolf woke up and returned to steer the boat late at night. The cold air made him shiver. Adolpha was awake and lying on the bed; she thought about him. They continued sailing. Wolf did not get much rest and eventually dozed off; he woke up when he felt rough waves. Wolf saw fog coming in; he looked up but could not see the sky.
Wolf tried to look for the mainland; it was hard to see. He continued going straight, thinking the fog would pass by eventually. Adolpha had woken up and headed out; she noticed the fog. She asked Wolf if it was terrible. Wolf told her it would be all right when the sun came out.
Wolf noticed a break in the fog; he steered in the direction it was lifting. Adolpha sat, and she saw the mainland; she felt relieved. Adolpha turned to Wolf and asked if it was where they were getting off. Wolf suddenly told her to hide. Adolpha got sacred; she turned to the mainland and saw many people on the beach.
These people were all wearing military armor and had weapons at the ready. A soldier spoke to a man who looked like the captain, "Sir, a small boat is approaching." The captain takes out a spyglass and looks through it; he sees Wolf and Adolpha.
"Beast folk, what are they doing out there?" He looks at his subordinate, "Didn't we send word that this area was closed and forbidden?" The soldier said they did. "All the people should have been evacuated from town already." The captain takes time to think; he then has a blank expression, "Ignore it, have everyone ready." "But sir…"
Wolf didn't know what to make of them. Adolpha was scared, so she went back into the cabin. "Could this have been Harris…" Wolf suddenly felt an evil aura; he turned around and was surprised by ships coming out of the fog behind them. Adolpha heard bells ringing.
Wolf heard the screams of creatures; he saw brown, slimy creatures on the ships. Wolf also saw knights behind them. The ships were faster, and they began passing by. The waves made it harder to control the boat. Adolpha was holding on to what she could.
"Mages, cast fireballs; don't let those ships make it to land," the captain orders. A group of people in cloaks begin to create magic circles; they then release their attacks. Giant balls of fire are launched at the ships. The fireballs hit some ships while others don't make it. Wolf couldn't do anything.
Another wave of fireballs came raining down. The boat they were on was dragged, and it was then in the range of the attack. Wolf's instincts alerted him, and he went to the cabin. "Adolpha," he shouted. Wolf made it to the door before he suddenly blacked out.
Wolf stood on an open field, staring out. He felt happy and basked under the sun. He heard a familiar voice calling him; it was Adolpha calling to him. Wolf walked towards her; she was holding something. Wolf approached her, and she was holding a baby. Wolf smiled, but then he realized something was wrong.
Wolf began to hear screams; he saw blood on his hands and Lord Michael telling him to end them; piles of bodies were all around him. Wolf hears Adolpha screaming; he looks around, panicked; he then cannot breathe. Wolf regains consciousness and opens his eyes.
Wolf was sinking to the bottom of the ocean. He holds what little oxygen he has and swims up. When he reaches the surface, he sees their boat in pieces. There was chaos all around; the waves made by the ships were still rough. Wolf saw fireballs still raining down. He ignores them and looks for Adolpha.
Wolf sees a large piece of the boat and swims towards it. The waves make it hard to swim. Arrows begin to fall near him; the human army is now firing arrows. Wolf manages to get to the piece of the boat and looks for Adolpha. He swims under to see if she is sinking.
Wolf has no luck; he resurfaces and desperately looks around. Scared and angry, he begins to think he has failed. Some ships begin to sink, and explosions are heard all around. Wolf then hears a faint sound. He concentrates; his ears move, and then he hears her. "Wolf…Wolf…help, Wolf, please!" Adolpha was crying and yelling for Wolf.
Adolpha howls, and Wolf goes towards the howling. He swam as fast as he could; the waves pushed and pulled the debris Adolpha was on. Wolf sees her and calls out to her. Adolpha hears him and becomes happy; she calls his name. As Wolf gets closer, arrows rain down again, almost hitting them—Wolf and Adolpha hug.
Wolf tells Adolpha to stay on the piece of wood; he pushes it away from the ships. Some ships make landfall, and the creatures disembark. They begin fighting the human soldiers. More ships were arriving and also getting hit by fireballs. Wolf was losing strength; he was still tired. A ship near them gets hit, but the fireball bounces off and goes towards them.
Wolf pulls Adolpha off the debris, and the fireball hits and explodes. Wolf and Adolpha are thrown back. Wolf weakened and began to lose conciseness. Adolpha struggled to stay afloat. Adolpha panics and begins to howl again. Wolf heard her but could do nothing. He was sinking when he saw a flash of light.
Wolf woke to the sound of waves; he slowly leaned up. The ocean waves came in and washed away the sand. Wolf felt cold; he got up and looked around. He notices debris from the ships and some from their boat. Wolf then realizes, "Adolpha!" He looks around an unfamiliar beach.
It was night, and the only light was that from the moon. Wolf didn't know where to go; he suddenly smelled a familiar scent. Wolf ran towards the scent. When he arrives, he stares at someone picking up something. Wolf felt relief; he walked towards them. Adolpha sensed something; she turned around and saw him. Adolpha becomes overjoyed and jumps into him.
"Wolf, I thought you were dead. You weren't moving, and I couldn't move you, so I came looking for something to help me…" Adolpha cried as she explained what she was doing. Wolf, however, just listened to her; he was happy she was alive. After Adolpha settled down, Wolf assessed their situation.
Wolf again looks around and stares up and down the beach. He looks inland and notices it looks strange. Wolf tells Adolpha that they will stay out by the beach. He gathers whatever he finds useful and brings it to the edge of the forest-like area.
Wolf looks for some firewood and starts a campfire. Adolpha felt the warmth of the fire. Wolf asks Adolpha if she is okay. Adolpha told him not to worry, "I woke and felt okay; I don't feel anything wrong, so the baby is also fine." Wolf felt relief hearing that.
Adolpha felt hungry, and Wolf had found some of their supplies; he gave them to Adolpha to eat. It was late, and Adolpha had fallen asleep. Wolf looked up at the stars, "Where are we?" He then looked toward the forest area; he felt something staring.
The following morning, Adolpha woke up and saw some fuzzy rocks—quite a few. Wolf was nowhere to be seen. Adolpha felt scared, but then she noticed him coming ahead, carrying other supplies. Wolf dropped what he found next to their campfire; he looked tired. "You're awake…"
Adolpha greeted him and asked what he was doing. Wolf smiled; Adolpha then remembered they were somewhere unfamiliar, "Wolf, do you know where we are?" Wolf looked towards the sun, "No, but we are somewhere south." Adolpha was surprised, "South, how do you know that?"
Wolf told her he looked at the stars. Adolpha was confused by what he said. Wolf grabbed the fuzzy rocks and made a hole, "Here, drink," he tells Adolpha. Adolpha took the fuzzy rock and drank something from it; she was surprised and happy. "What is it? It tasted good," she said. "Coconut," he tells her.
Wolf takes a few more and makes holes; he gives them to her. Once Adolpha drank the coconut water, Wolf broke the coconut and showed her how to eat it. Wolf told her it was their breakfast. After several, Wolf told Adolpha they would explore where they were. "Something about this place is strange…" he tells her.
Adolpha looked at the forest area and said it felt strange. Wolf worked on making some stone weapons, using the knife he got from Victoria, the head maid. Adolpha walked around looking for other useful things, stopping and staring toward the ocean.
Wolf was finished, and he had a wooden spear and stone ax. Adolpha saw a bundled package; she grabbed it and opened it. Inside was a beautiful blue dress. Wolf saw it and asked about it. Adolpha remembered, "Lady Victoria told me that Lord Michael ordered me a dress to wear for Harris." Hearing Harris's name made Wolf angry.
Wolf told her to save it, "We can use it for something later." Wolf grabbed some coconuts and some jars of preserved fruit that survived. He tells Adolpha to follow him; they walk along the beach, wondering where they are. As they walked, Adolpha was curious about everything she saw. Wolf paid attention to what he saw.
They walked for a while, and Adolpha became bored. She then asked about the ships they saw. "What were those huge boats?" Wolf thought. "I don't know," he replied. "What about the humans?" she asked. Wolf thought about the human army on the beach. Adolpha talked about being scared during the whole thing.
It looked like they were curving around. Wolf now believes they might be on an island. He has patrolled Lord Michael's island for so long that he felt it similar. They continued walking. After a while, they stopped to eat. The sun was hot, even though it was still winter.
Adolpha asked Wolf if they were safe. Wolf didn't know how to reply; he still felt uneasy about their situation. "Don't worry, if anything happens, I will be there," he tells her. Adolpha smiled, which made Wolf embarrassed. They finished resting and continued walking. Wolf saw some rocks far in the distance and noticed the forest had changed.
It was a jungle now. Wolf was confused about it. Adolpha stared but didn't know why it was strange. Wolf explained to her that the forest and jungle were two different types of environments; they have diverse ecosystems, "It shouldn't be possible." It still confused Adolpha. They made it to a rocky mountain.
There was an enormous mountain that looked hard to climb. It was the end of their walk. The ocean waves splashed against the edge of the mountain. Wolf tells Adolpha to rest because they will head back and check the other side. Adolpha was tired, but it was a nice change of pace.
Palm trees lined the edge of the beach, making it easy to have something to drink and eat. They finished resting again and headed out. It took them all afternoon to reach the other side of the mountain. They were sure they were on an island.
They headed back to where they woke up and talked about their situation. Adolpha brought up her concern about Lord Michael. Wolf reassured her he probably wouldn't be able to find them and said they should still be careful. "Why," Adolpha asked. Wolf tells her he doesn't know if they are alone.
Wolf tells her he has felt something strange coming from within. Adolpha said she had felt something, too. Wolf said they would go inland to check out what else is on the island. Adolpha agrees but is scared. Wolf pulls out the knife Victoria, the head maid, gave him and hands it to her, "Use this for protection."
Wolf asked to see the dress Adolpha got; he began to cut it and was able to make a bag. Wolf puts coconuts inside and ties the bag behind his back, "Okay, stay close and use the knife if anything happens." Adolpha nods; they walk in towards the forest area.
Wolf sees things he recognizes as they walk through the forest, such as trees, plants, and animals. Adolpha also said it looked familiar, like where she was from. Adolpha came from a village in a forest near a mountain. Wolf gathered some mushrooms he knew about that they could eat; there were also some barriers.
Wolf gave Adolpha some, making her smile, "So sweet." They continued walking and eventually came to a river. Wolf looked across this large river and saw the jungle on the other side. Wolf told Adolpha that they were going downstream. Adolpha followed. She was curious about everything she saw. They reached a large lake.
Wolf was surprised, "This is strange; this lake is not normal." Adolpha said she wanted to drink from it. Wolf tasted it and told her it was fine. Adolpha was happy, and she took a massive gulp of water. It looked like it was the best in the world. Adolpha played with the water as Wolf looked around.
Wolf saw the lake had fish; once he returned to Adolpha, he told her there were no other people around. Adolpha questions him. "If someone lives somewhere, there are signs, but this place looks untouched." Adolpha looked around and heard nature. "Then, what do we do?" she asked. Wolf told her they would go back.
"Why, you said there is no one here; let's stay here," Wolf tells her. He is unsure if it is safe, so he wants to ensure it first. "The strange feeling is gone, which means something is out there. Whatever this thing is won't come out, so it's safer outside by the beach."
Adolpha is saddened but agrees to go. They head back upstream and figure out where they came from. They pass the forest and make it back to the beach. Adolpha goes over to where they slept and sits down. Wolf places the bag down and makes a fire. The sun had set, and they relaxed.
As they warmed up next to the fire, Adolpha asked Wolf if they would be able to leave the island. Wolf thinks about it; "I don't know," he replies. Adolpha looks up at the stars and thinks about her family. "Sleep, tomorrow we will figure out what to do." Adolpha moves some sand and makes herself comfortable, whispering as she rubs her stomach.
The following morning, after eating, Wolf and Adolpha talked. Wolf explained their options: "We are on an island with no one; we can wait for a ship to pass or make one…" "Do you know how to make one?" Adolpha asked. Wolf said no, "I can try," he said. Adolpha thought about it. "Our last option is starting a life here…"
Adolpha is surprised by what he says. "What do you mean?" Wolf tells her she is free, and Lord Michael can't tell her what to do anymore. Adolpha realizes that she has been outside the whole time; she looks towards the ocean, "I'm free," she says excitedly. Adolpha was happy, but then she also realized she was alone.
Adolpha remembers her family and village; she gets sad. Wolf sees how unhappy she has become. "Do you want to go back home?" Wolf asks; with tears in her eyes, she says yes. "All right then, I will keep my promise." Adolpha is shocked. Wolf says he will try making a boat for them.
"I have never made one, so it will take some time. Adolpha, would you be all right until then?" Adolpha wiped the tears from her eyes; she told him she would. Wolf smiled and said he needed to get to work. "What are we going to do until then," she asks. Wolf tells her he needs her to learn some things.
Adolpha didn't know what he meant by that. Earlier, Wolf had caught some fish they would eat, and he talked about teaching her some survival skills. Adolpha became excited. Wolf and Adolpha ate, and then they headed into the forest. Wolf showed and explained some plants and trees to Adolpha.
Adolpha was confused and trying hard to remember everything Wolf was telling her. As Wolf explained things, he was remembering things from his past. "No, no, no, that is the wrong plant. How often do I have to tell you all that this plant is poisonous? Look at the pedals; it has three." Adolpha looks at a bunch of different plants.
Wolf was telling Adolpha what each plant was used for. Adolpha would smell the plant and try to tell the difference. She then stared at Wolf as he explained to her about a tree. She saw how amazing he was. Wolf looked at her, staring, which startled her. Adolpha went back to learning.
Wolf and Adolpha had reached the river, and Wolf also explained some things about the water. Wolf took some coconuts and filled them with water. After they were done, they headed back to their camp. Wolf began to build a shelter for them, and Adolpha collected seashells again.
Once Wolf finishes, he tells Adolpha to stay and keep learning about the plants. Adolph asks him what he is going to do. Wolf takes his weapons and the bag. He told her he was going to check out the jungle. Adolpha asks to go with him. "No, not this time. I will go alone and see if it's safe.
Adolpha gets sad, but she knows it is the right choice. Wolf tells Adolpha to keep the knife close. He smiles and then leaves; he quickly makes it to the river. Wolf looks for a safe place to cross. He enters the jungle side of the island. Wolf cuts branches and explores; it is hotter there.
Wolf didn't recognize some of the plants and trees, but he saw some that could be useful. He gathered some plants and things that looked edible. He looked and smelled the plants. As he was busy, an unknown creature looked at him. Wolf felt a gaze, and he got into a defensive stance.
The danger disappeared again; it made him worry. Wolf finished for now and left. A rabbit was eating some barriers that fell; suddenly, something snatched it. Animals all around scattered.