SWNOVELS Chapter Coming of Age Day
The sky is dark and the stars are shimmering. Only a few whisks of clouds dare interrupt the light of the stars. Thousands upon thousands of them all glowing together. Perhaps the stars don’t know of what is about to happen.
A clock strikes 12 and chimes loudly across the land, sending shivers down Eeko’s spine. Rikard, from before, appears before Eeko. His shadow looms threateningly over Eeko like a monster in the night.
“Haaaaaapy birth-day...toooooo yooooooou... Haaaaaapy birth-day...toooooo yooooooou... Happy birthdaaaaaay dearrrrr Eeeeeeeeekooooooooo... Haaaaaapy birth-day...toooooo yooooooou...” Rikard howls at Eeko teasingly.
“No! No no! Nooooooo!” Eeko cries out, covering his ears.
“You’re of age!” Rikard says and roughly pats Eeko’s back.
“I don’t want to be of age!” Eeko cries out.
“Too late!” Rikard says, “You cannot turn back the clock and return to the past!”
“Rikard! Are you teasing Eeko again?!” Darleen asks, approaching the two.
“So what if I am? He deserves it!” Rikard says, snickering.
“Well, how did you feel on your coming of age day?!” Darleen asks.
Rikard winces and backs away from Eeko before speaking again, “Honestly? I was scared out of my mind... I refused to accept it at first, but I gave in...”
“What happens if you refuse to participate in the coming of age activities...?” Eeko questions.
“Eeko, nobody has ever refused the activities long enough to see what happens... There’s a point where a part of your brain just clicks and you submit,” Rikard says, “It’s natural. Just awaken the animal side of yourself.”
Rikard’s words continue to repeat themselves over and over again in Eeko’s mind like a broken record player. His time is running out and soon, daylight arrives to take him away.
The house master comes tromping across the property to find Eeko. Eeko, not wanting to be found, is hiding in the pig pen in the mud. The curious pigs give him confused looks.
“Eeko! Where are you! It’s time!” the house master calls.
A few small colorful birds with extremely long tails fly out of the bushes using their tail to fly because their wings are too small. These birds are known as Luffreys. Eeko hides further in the mud, hoping the Luffreys won’t give him away. The house master approaches one of his other slaves.
“Have you seen Eeko anywhere? He’s of age!” the house master says.
“I’m absolutely sure that the fluffy black and white tail sticking out of the mud in the pig pen belongs to Eeko,” the slave reports, not wanting to get whipped for not telling.
“Heh heh heh, I see him now!” the house master says, glancing over in the direction of the pig pen.
He approaches the pig pen and pulls the wolf out of the mud by his tail.
“You thought you could hide!” the house master says.
“Please... Don’t make me do anything...” Eeko whimpers, trying to escape from his master.
His back is hurting more now that the house master is holding him by his tail.
“You’re filthy! The girls aren’t going to like you looking like this!” the house master says.
“What are you going to do about it? Huh?” Eeko asks.
The house master smirks.
“Oh shoot...” Eeko says.
Eeko finds himself being scrubbed clean in a freezing cold barrel of water. If he had any bit of pride left before this moment, it is now being washed away in the ice water. He shivers and droops, looking pitiful.
“There we go! You’ll be handsome now!” the house master says.
He pulls the soaking wet wolf out of the tub and dries him off with a big towel. His skunk-patterned fur fluffs up and hides the fact that his bones are showing everywhere.
“You’re ready!” the house master says.
He drags Eeko against his will into the house. There are six different Wolf Girls in the house. Darleen would be there too, but she’s not of age yet. Eeko gulps nervously as he is shoved into a tent with the girls and gets locked in.
“Okay, let’s just get this over with so we can get back to our work and pretend this never happened...” one Wolf Girl says.
The girls look at Eeko nervously. He just sits down and lowers his head.
“This is not in my values... This goes against all my morals...” Eeko whispers.
“Are you going to, or are you not?” another Wolf Girl asks.
“I REFUSE!” Eeko snaps.
The girls gasp in shock.
“I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO ANY OF YOU ARE!” Eeko cries out.
“Doesn’t matter. Once we are done, we are done,” a Wolf Girl says.
“I DON’T LOVE ANY OF YOU! I LOVE DOROTHÉE AND ONLY DOROTHÉE!” Eeko cries.
The girls give up badgering Eeko and they sit as well. They all sit in a circle in the same position.
“Let us not forget who we are. Let us not forget our creator who watches over us. I am sure it pains him as well to see us in this mess,” one Wolf Girl says.
“Dear God, please rescue us...” Eeko prays.
The wolves begin singing in their native language. That is, until the house master returns and finds that they have not done anything and bangs on the tent for them to quit singing.
“WHY HAVE YOU ALL DISOBEYED ME?!” the house master asks.
“We do not believe this is right. Why should we reproduce just for your benefit?” one Wolf Girl asks.
“You already have over 100 of us! That’s more Wolf People than we started with when we first landed here a few years back!” another states.
The house master is furious and pulls out some chains. He chains all seven of them in the storm cellar so they cannot escape.
“Why do I have such bad luck...?” Eeko mutters.
“Maybe because your parents named you Eeko...” one says.
“Right...” Eeko says.
“Could be worse. We could have been fed to giant snakes or dragons...” one says.
“I miss being free...” Eeko whines.
“We do too...” the girls say.
They pray and weep, hoping for a miracle.