The ship landed in an unknown city for me.
It's a crowded and gallant city but not as good as Plandreas. I knew as a first-timer that this place is polluted because of my sharp sense of smell. Venders are aggressively endorsing their merchandise to every commuter like me. But only one stall caught my interest. I bought 2 bowls of stew! And while I'm eating, I'm feeding Hedwelch and Danteleon too, but Danteleon is thrifty with the wolf milk.
I accidentally looked at Acro and she's been glaring at me the whole time. I was calculating about my previous mistakes but nothing counts as to why she's an angry bird now, it's because I lack something! My mouth rounded with the spark of that idea. After my meal, I looked around in the city for a pet shop and bought her expensive bread to feast upon. I don't just feed children but also a bird.
Inquiring is my best map so I asked for an inn to stay in. This city has shrines and lots of lanterns that for sure are aligned to their belief—and this feels so foreign to me! Plus, the smell in the air annoys me. Even Hedwelch is coughing. I had rented an inn for tonight and earned a piece of advice from the landlady to buy a house in nearby villages where the local train passes by. All I did during the trip was sit and watch the sky but that feels exhausting!
I'm on the brink of napping when Hedwelch began crying, with coughing. This city is too polluted. I was preparing the kits needed for their hygiene when I slid a touch on Danteleon, I thought he misses his mother's milk but the truth is he got a cold! He's weak when I lift his hand! These two are too fragile for me to be carefree!
"Oh no... Acro! I don't know what to do! I don't have any aid kit here! Find any adult who knows!"
["You're the adult."]
"Oh, sheet..."
["Grow up."]
"Acro!!" Mr. Matheo wouldn't panic in a situation like this. It won't help either. I'm on my own. I secured the carrier and hasted. "I'll find a clinic," I said although the night is getting deeper.
But I halted when Acro forewarns, ["Don't."]
"Why not? Danteleon's life is at risk! And isn't going to the clinic alone part of adulting?" I held the door open, too. "You're coming," I demanded. She walks quickly and follows me.
We found the clinic with the help of a kind civil knight. The doctor only gave me instructions on how to reduce the fever after he put a patch on Danteleon's forehead. "This will absorb his fever," the doctor said. "Too much exposure for babies is unhealthy. Sick is in the air or the transition is in the crowd. Make sure your babies are in a natural environment."
"It was inevitable. Our migration is still ongoing."
"Oh, you're new to this place? Maybe you came from a natural place so your babies aren't accustomed to the climate here. Or maybe there's something else? Humans aren't allergic to the environment here but your other baby seems to be the opposite." He's talking about Hedwelch.
"Then I shouldn't stay here any longer."
"That's right. Go home now and don't be late outside, it's too dangerous."
I paid the fee. "I'll keep that in mind," I said and left. I doubt I could stay here for tonight if Hedwelch and Danteleon are sick because of this. I'm not feeling good either. I was exempted from the curfew hour because of an emergency so the civil knights let me through.
In the inn, Hedwelch calms while I bathe them together in a tub with lukewarm water. But Danteleon's condition is stiff. After that, I keep them hydrated. I didn't stop feeding Danteleon until my instinct is satisfied because he was only sipping a few! Compare to Hedwelch's sucking, Danteleon is dreary! My perseverance keeps me up to make sure he's hydrated even by drops. Hedwelch is watching with his wide ocean eyes.
"Why are babies nocturnal?" I asked nowhere and playfully scratched the tip of his nose. I yawned, but my sleepiness splashed out when someone authoritative knocked on the door.
"Is anyone there? We're sorry for interfering. Can we have your time?" a man demands.
It's already 1 in the morning. This city is too weird the longer we linger. A group of men was waiting behind the door, they all dressed like cowboys with rifles, bows, and daggers hanging on their bodies. What's more intriguing is the beast's fang amulets they wear. "What's the matter?"
"You're the newcomer in our city? A citizen reported that you are with a werewolf species." The man shows me his card. "We are professional hunters and we're here to hunt down the werewolf. Resist or we'll shoot you."
"Wow... Hunting is a job here? Do you have a warrant?"
"This card is already our authority. Inspect the inn!"
They pushed me and entered the room! This profession is too bossy! It was evident in their faces that they weren't expecting to see babies instead of adults other than me. I attempted to make a step but the man hindered me with his rifle. Their group is inspecting Hedwelch and Danteleon, it somehow mocked me that they touched them with their dirty hands while I think twice before touching them!
"Confirmed. These babies are werewolves!" One of them pointed his rifle at them so I pushed any man blocking my way, grabbed the barrel of the rifle, and pointed it upward before the gunman clicked the trigger. The gunshot startled the neighbor. "What are you doing!?" And their group pointed their rifles at me.
"'What am I doing'!? You're trying to kill my kids!"
"Your kids? Does it mean you're a werewolf too!?"
Another man asks, "Or maybe the mother? Your color is different. Where is she?"
"Yes, s-she's... the werewolf," I scampered in words. "And what's wrong with that?"
The leader explains patiently, "Werewolves are dangerous creatures. They'd killed numbers of humans in this region and hunting them is legalized by our law. They are labeled as terrorists, shoot-to-kill is our order no matter the age and sex."
I sat on the bed to hide my little ones behind me. It's understandable for the Vengeance pack to deliver me into a city like this, but that hurts!
"Anyone protecting these creatures is covered under the same policy. You have lived longer than intended—" he points his rifle at me.
"No no no! Wait!" I wave my hands while saying "I don't want to fight! Let's not shed blood! We will leave this city at once! Just d-don't harm the kids."
"And where will you go? We have connections with the hunters in every corner of this region—"
"We will leave this region now."
"Then that will be a mockery to our oath." He shoots my shoulder without hesitation! I let out a short groan. But I remained on defense whilst closing my eyes, waiting for another bullet to pierce in my flesh! "Stay out of the way or we will kill you, too!"
I glared at him. "I'd rather you kill me first than you kill my kids in front of me!" And then I closed my eyes again.
"Look! He's healing! You're a werewolf!"
"But why!? It's a silver bullet! Why did he regenerate so fast!?"
"He's probably an enchanter. Are you?"
I squinted with one eye first and lied, "No, only the protection of an enchantress," then I winced my eyes again.
"This guy is too honest..."
"We'll have to get rid of that magic first!"
"Are you going to shoot or not?" I questioned. The leader shoots at me again and I caught the bullet in my palm when I blocked the hole with my hand. I snatched the rifle from him and thrust the opposite edge to his nose. I grabbed his collar and threw him to his men so powerfully that most of them were thrown outside the room. Their rifles didn't work on me. I grabbed them to their arms and hurled them all outside the room before I slammed it.
I hurried to take my little ones in the carrier and jumped through the window. Acro is flying above me to lead the way in these round and round buildings. I quickly diverted when I saw civil knights patrolling ahead! This carrier slows me down too! Acro flies lower and said, ["West."] So I turned west but she pulled me back in the opposite direction and repeated herself.
"Sorry!" I said in the middle of my panting.
Acro took me to the top of the borders of the city, a cliff, beside two buildings and there's a train passing by below. Hunters have chased me all the way here and are firing their bullets at me! I ran out of options—since Acro led me here so I shifted into my wolf, took the carrier by my mouth, and jumped to the roof of the train. I clung my claws to it until the hunters chased me with their bullets again! I swiftly shift into a human; clamping my claws to the side of the train whilst holding the carrier in the other hand.
I broke the lock of the window by kicking and sliding it before I smoothly came inside and closed the window right away. No one is riding the train at this hour. I checked on Hedwelch and Danteleon. Both of them are silently awake with wide eyes blinking at me. "Enjoying the ride~?" I said. But I dropped myself on my seat eventually!
I thought it was only dangerous outside, but the danger just came inside. I said to Acro, "I just want to turn into a puppy and be adopted." And she hit me with her beak! I'm inspecting the train when someone came inside and it was an adult woman holding a broom.
"Oh, my—! What are you doing here? The service is already closed!" I knew she was a curmudgeonly woman the second I heard her tough voice.
"I-I'm... lost."
"Lost!?" She comes closer. "It's reasonable for you to wander in the city but not inside a train!"
"I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with this region."
She glances at my little ones. "Poor thing. It's past curfew. You have kids relying on you. And you seemed to be horrible at traveling alone."
"I agree."
"Don't. Spend the night in my mansion—"
I knelt down and supported her balance when the train abruptly brakes, the wheels screeching loudly until the train stops.
"What's going on now!?"
The train stopped midway in the forest. But even in the darkness of the outside, I saw hunters riding on their horses raced here and ambushed us! "Get down!!" I pulled the lady to duck from the showering of their bullets! I never think about my welfare while covering the carrier from the shattered glass of the windows! "I'm really sorry for this!" I said before I crawled away and sprinted to the next door of the division.
I can't believe I'll be using The Haiban of pishnies for refuge on my first day of adulting! But I lost my balance and bumped my butt on the floor when the train ran again rapidly but smoothly! Hedwelch and Danteleon are still awake, and quiet.
"Are those stupid hunters after you?" the lady said. She's standing properly from the same spot, there's a glowing magic circle beneath her and the broom is swiping by itself. "Your children need medical attention. Come to my mansion," she commands. She opens the door of the division and it's going to a different place instead of the train. I followed her reluctantly. I knew I'm standing in a different place the moment I stepped across that door.
"Wow... you're... an enchantress?"
"Yes, and it's your lucky night."