Blood Wolf

The wind has been salty as ever, corroding everything it touches every day. Still, the setting sun through the various sails creates the beautiful scenery for whoever enjoys the evening beauty of the sea from the docks.

Adam placed the last crate on the stack or the last he can move with his frail body, work he could do was not nearly enough for an eighteen-year-old boy, but it was way good enough for a boy who had barely enough to eat and skinny as a skeleton.

He slowly limped back to the ground using crates as the support to his back. He watched the scenery of the sea and to the far horizon, unlike people who came to watch the sundown, what Adam see was the blowing wind against the sails and dark clouds floating towards the city.

‘It’s going to rain again’ he thought brushing of the sweat from his forehead ‘hopefully I will not be sick by tomorrow’

A few months back, he had a worn-out blanket for himself to protect himself from the cold, he is sure his ripped and thin cape will not protect him from this cold rain. 

Adam’s father was a hunter who he never knew, like many others, went to the woods to hunt and never returned. Still, things were good for him and his mother with their small farm. But the village got more and more dangerous and people started to move more and more away from their old village.

Adam and his mother were among the last batches to leave the village. They travelled for months to get to the heart of the Crimson Empire, West Coast city, from distance black dragon empire to all the way through the border of the Crimson Empire.

Black Dragon empire is famous for its military might, but inside the empire, the poor had the least security, unless you work for a noble in a city or a manor. Poor villages only got one visit from the noble cavalry per year that is to collect taxes. There were many villages on the way here, some strong men and their families settled on some of those, and others who had no strength to survive in the wilds travelled to the East Coast port and then to the capital, looking for work.

Adam’s mother never told him the reason they had to come all the way to the city and never tried to settle on one of the villages, but long travel and bad weather affected her in a very bad way. She didn’t survive more than a few days after arriving on the West Coast. That was five years back, now the only thing Adam had to carry the memory of his loving mother is her necklace, a silver chain with a wolf head.

He kept this well hidden and survived through whatever he could do, all these years just to survive another day. Adam realized the problem after living here for the first few months, they are not the only village running away from home.

More and more people started to arrive on the West Coast, especially from the northern area of the continent, there, the war between countries is a part of the day-to-day life and refugees are like the sand on the beach, or that’s what the people coming says.

The problem is there are so many people that this city can provide for, now they only accept people who can work and their families, to others this may be a good thing but for people like Adam this is the worse. Each day stronger and stronger people taking the jobs and people like him had no chance of survival.

“It’s time you go home kid” He saw the smiling face of old Jack, but he can see the pity in that face. Adam didn’t detest old Jack, the dock keeper. The only reason he still has the job is because of him. He too, like Adam was once a refugee from Black Dragon Empire, but someone who came long ago and settled here

He had the same build as people from the south, while here in the Crimson empire natives are bulkier and fairer.

“Here you go, kid” Jack threw few coins into Adam's hand “you better try to find another job kid, they will hire some newcomer soon”

Adam knew that Jack told this out of goodwill and he could do nothing but smile, “I know, thank you old Jack,” he slowly picked himself up from the ground and staggered toward the port district. He preferred the main road, even though people looked at him like a beggar no one tried to harm him, at least not until people who had little too much to drink come to the streets and still it’s better than betting robbed on an alley and losing everything.

He slowly but before dark made his way to the bakery in front of a dark alley, even though he had money he waited patiently outside. The middle-aged woman who owned the shop will not say anything even if he enters, but he knew his condition better, ragged clothes and smelly. The last thing Adam wanted to do was to hinder her business, she has been too kind to him and this is the only way he can repay.

He endured the different gazes at him until the number of people entering the shop got lesser and lesser. Finally, as Adam decided to go in, the door opened again and a middle-aged man with a strong build walked out with a big bag made of dried leaves in hand.

Adam knew him, the owner’s husband, and the city guard, Mr. Han, he smiled and greeted the man who had helped him plenty of time. “Mr. Han”

“Here you go kid,” he held the bag toward him. Adam took the bag and felt it was heavy, more food is always good, but he will need to save some money to buy more ink tomorrow. He took out all the money he had earned today two silver and six copper coins, half of the average pay of a dockhand.

Adam didn’t hesitate to give both silver coins to Mr. Han, but the latter rejected it. “No need kid, we are closing before dark tonight, go home before dark” before Adam says anything man turned back to go in. “Go home fast kid, last night three people went missing”

Adam wanted to give some money, but this information alarmed him, a few times a week, people, mostly refugees on the streets go missing in this city, but today Adam felt something was wrong. Usually, the residence rarely closed before dark and Mr. Han is not working today, which means something is not right.

He made his way toward the dark alley in front of the shop, his home or the little hut he lives in is not far from here, but he wanted to finish the food before the night and make sure no uninvited guest will come to his little hut. Because he was not alone.

Adam saw the clouds gathering above the city as he made his way into the far corner of the alley and on the way, there were many small huts made of wood and branches, barely enough to protect its residents from nature.

Finally, he stood in front of a similar house this had a wooden board as a door, he brought it from the docks. “Amy” he called pushing the board aside

“Brother” a weak but happy voice came from dark hut.

“Here you go,” he gave the bag to the little girl who ran to him. She immediately carried it inside and sat on the ground, obviously she was hungry.

A little girl of six or seven years old had a much better body than him, her father was a fisherman who came to the city after Adam settled here. He also worked in the docks just like him and was much nicer to him, he and Amy were his neighbours, until one day, two years ago he didn’t return from the night shift on the docks.

Girls, even a minor like Amy will not survive among refugees for more than a few days without someone to protect them, that’s when he decided to help this girl and took her in. There were so many days her father helped him now as his gratitude he is taking care of her.

“Did you bring water?” he rustled her hair and asked in a gentle voice.

“Uh-huh,” she was too full to talk, but raised her little hand toward the wooden bucket

Adam drank some water and took the straw mat from the corner and laid it on the floor where he knew water won't leak, this is Amy’s bed that her father bought from someone.

“Did you practised the letters I wrote today?” he asked from the little girl. His mother did the same when he was little and now, he is doing it for her. Maybe he will have better living than him.

“Uh-huh,” the girl nodded.

Adam waited patiently until she finishes eating and then he picked up what was left, he can’t leave any food as a leftover, if it attracts some loose dogs or worse, a human, that will be unwanted trouble. The night is the worse in this city and maybe in the whole world.

Thunder started to rumble and rain drops started to hammer against his hut, he finished the last bun and didn’t hesitate to throw out the bag and close his little door. Darkness is approaching fast, through small holes in the hut he can see far on the main road street lamps giving off some light.

“Sleep now,” he urged the girl to the mat “Before I go tomorrow, I will teach you some more letters” Adam can guess she must be having a hard time hiding in this place

“Okay,” she looked happy after a full meal, he covered her with the only blanket available, it is worn-out and smelly but still it will protect her from the cold.

Now come the sleepless night for the Adam, he has to keep awake to make sure the girl will have a proper sleep without anyone or anything barging in here. Like every day he hoped to get some sleep in the morning.

……………….

Adam heard a shout as he was drifting off in the corner, he realized the rain has stopped, but still, it is dark outside. He felt danger from the long-acquired survival instinct. He slowly opened the door and looked outside.

‘Oh no,’ he immediately identified the men carrying torches and laughing aloud, they had some things on their hands, obviously robbed from some poor refugee ‘Butcher’s men’ he knew ‘Butcher’ a thug who lived by robbing from refugees. He was not worried if he was alone, but Amy is something these men would love to rob.

‘City guards must have passed here’ he cursed silently, these men knew very well the routine of the guard and always managed to slip past. Adam slowly made his way to Amy and Closed her mouth shut with his hand. The little girl woke up in a panic.

“Amy it’s me, don’t make a sound okay, ” she immediately stopped the struggle “Uh-huh”

“Cover yourself up, and whatever happens, don’t make a sound okay?” he still kept his hand on her mouth “Uh-huh”

“Until I come back tomorrow don’t leave the house” giving her the last instruction he covered her properly including the head. Then he slowly made his way to the door and to the sturdy branch he kept by it and got ready, he can already hear the cries of his neighbours, but he was in no position to help.

He waited patiently until the light came to his doorsteps and someone pushes the door, as the door open, he landed a hit with all his might.

“Ahhh” painful cry indicate his success, Adam landed another hit on the fallen man and kicked the torch away, making sure no light will come to the house. And then he ran out. “Catch him” someone screamed.

Adam knew what to do he had to run, run until he can see city guards or it will be the end. He might not be able to live here from tomorrow, but he can worry about it later.

Adam ran with all his might, ‘success’ he thought as the light from the street lamps got closer and closer.

“Fuck,” he cursed out loud because he had the bad luck to trip and fall on the stone road, the pain hit him hard and he had no strength to get up.

“You got some guts” he received a kick to the mid-section and he barely saw the man before another kick landed on his head and he felt a warm liquid flowing on the side of his face. He thought he was going to die here tonight.

“Who goes there?” a loud shout came from the side, ‘City guards’ hope and the despair came to him at the same time, if he survives, he will be going to jail and after coming out he will have no job.

Adam still had some luck left, as city guards chased after running men ignoring him, he slowly dragged himself to a dark corner between two houses and curled into a ball.

Adam felt his conciseness fading away, and before his eyes closed, he heard a weird noise in his head.

“Wolf God system initiating”