FULL NOVELXO Chapter Secret's Out
Eeko works on his chores nervously. He is unwilling to turn back into his human form for fear that the house master will see his birthday present and take it from him. He is already wary as it is because he knows he will be punished for escaping his punishment earlier.
Eeko is in a field digging at the dirt with quite a few other Wolf People. The goal of this task is to make the ground softer and easier to plant in. The house master has learned through trial and error that crops grow best when their roots have plenty of room to grow deeper. If the soil is too hard, the roots can’t go very far and the plant dies off too soon or produces a poor harvest.
The house master comes around and notices Eeko amongst the others.
“EEKO!” the house master calls angrily.
Eeko sits up straight and stares at the house master fearfully.
“HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU ESCAPE THE STORM CELLAR?!” the house master asks.
“What are you talking about?” Eeko asks, pretending not to know what his master is talking about.
“DON’T ACT STUPID! YOU KNOW YOU WERE BEING PUNISHED FOR YOUR DEFIANCE!” the house master yells.
The other wolves keep working and pretend not to hear the house master getting angry again. Eeko tilts his head to the side and smiles innocently.
“COME HERE RIGHT NOW!” the house master says.
Eeko is tempted to stay where he is, but he gets up anyways and goes to his master. The house master pulls out his whip and strikes Eeko again. Eeko yelps in pain.
“I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do with you. You have frustrated me so many times!” the house master yells.
“Let me go free,” Eeko says.
“NEVER!” the house master says.
Later on, the house master goes to his house without making sure his over 100 slaves are all in the shed where they are made to sleep. Eeko is wandering in the dark, contemplating how to escape. As he had learned a few weeks back, there is an invisible electric fence around the property and only the humans know how to get through without getting shocked. It is a pretty strong shock fence and no matter how hard he could try to break through the shocking material, it always will win in the end.
Eeko comes across the house master’s house and stares in the window. The house master is talking to his wife loudly. Curious as to what the fuss is about, Eeko listens in.
“...and he’s always disobeying everything I tell him to do! He’s of age now and he needs to make pups!” the house master yells.
“Is he really worth your effort?” the wife asks.
“He was an expensive slave, I expected better when I bought him!” the house master yells.
“If he was expensive to buy, he should be worth a lot in an auction,” the wife replies.
“True... I could sell him for a few hundred more that I bought him for...” the house master says.
“Or you can just kill him. Make it an example to all other slaves. Misbehave, and you’re dead!” the wife says.
“I already planned to marry him to the Wolf Girl named Darleen, though... I think those two would make interesting pups,” the house master says.
“Force him to take her as a wife and as soon as she gets pregnant, slaughter him,” the wife says.
“Hmmm... Maybe, maybe...” the house master says.
“There are so many ways you could kill him. But I hear their kind are very hard to kill,” the wife says.
“Of course. That’s what makes them good slaves. If they were fragile, they’d never get any work done,” the house master says.
“You could hang him, drown him, turn him into a water balloon and burst him, over-feed him, dissect him, feed him to a dragon, poison him, rally all the slaves against him so they beat him to death...” the wife says.
Eeko slinks away from the window and back to the shed.
“Where have you been?” Rikard asks, “Did you have a good time doing the coming of age activities?”
“I refused, got punished, and now they are out to kill me...” Eeko says.
“Oh...” Rikard says.
“The mistress has a long list of ways to kill me, but they are still set on me having pups with Darleen,” Eeko says.
“Ew,” Darleen says.
“Don’t worry, Darleen. I’m not even interested in you,” Eeko says.
“I’m not interested in you either,” Darleen says.
“We need to find some way to get free... Especially me. My life depends on it...” Eeko says.
“I wish I could help you, but I can’t,” Darleen says.
Eeko sighs.
“Hey, while you were away, my wife gave birth,” Rikard says.
“She did?” Eeko asks.
“Yeah. I don’t think it was my baby,” Rikard says.
“You never know around here...” Eeko says.
“It’s kinda weird looking...” Rikard said.
“Well, that’s not very nice. Not that I’d expect anything better from a spinach-face,” Eeko says.
“I AM NOT A SPINACH-FACE!” Rikard yells.
He and Eeko begin fighting again.
“Hey hey, save your energy for work tomorrow...” Darcy says with a yawn.
“Oh look, it’s Darcy!” Darleen says.
“Exhausted from caring for pups,” Darcy mumbles.
Six pups are surrounding her and begging for attention and milk.
“Fine. No fighting for now...” Rikard says.
“May I see your baby?” Eeko asks.
“Ask my wife,” Rikard says.
“Which one was your wife again...?” Eeko asks.
“A red-head named Olive,” Rikard says.
“Okay!” Eeko says.
He enters the shed to look for Olive and her “weird” baby. He locates her after stepping around many sleeping wolves.
“Hi, Rikard says you had a weird looking baby... Mind if I have a look?” Eeko asks.
“Fine...” Olive says.
She’s still exhausted and in pain. She rolls over to reveal a purple pup with a dark purple diamond on its forehead. Eeko stares at it in wonder.
“Whoa...” Eeko says.
“Yeah...” Olive says.
“Is it a boy or a girl?” Eeko asks.
“Boy... I checked,” Olive says.
“Odd that this pup happens to bear the mark of intelligence,” Eeko says.
“Related to you... Nobody told you. This is your first cousin twice removed...” Olive says.
“So... Not Rikard’s child?” Eeko asks.
“No...” Olive says.
“I have a relative here?” Eeko asks.
“We all are related somehow...” Olive says.
“Right...but many many generations apart,” Eeko says.
“He’s a slave... He’ll work when he’s old enough...” Olive says.
“What do you call him?” Eeko asks.
“I call him Sydon,” Olive says.
“Interesting name for an interesting baby,” Eeko says.
“Let me rest. You should rest as well... Hard work is to be done tomorrow,” Olive says.
“Right...” Eeko says.
Eeko finds himself a spot that isn’t taken and curls up to sleep.