Damn it's cold out here, though it's still better than the beatings I'd get back at home.

But despite all their abuse, I'm still surprised they actually kicked me out the moment I turned 18.

 

It's rains heavily as I lay between some damp cardboard, resting in an alley I'm huddled between some dumpsters in a vain attempt to hide from the wind. 

 

I'm having trouble staying awake now though and my body trembles slightly, it's  a little painful but I don't mind, I'll just sleep it off. .

 

* * *

 

When I wake up and everything's still damp, my wet hair plastered to my face.

Although for some reason I feel like I'm about to throw up, and the ground seems as if it's rocking back and forth under me.

 

I have some trouble trying to sit up but I get there. I take a few breaths to clear my head and I'm hit with the distinct smell and sounds of the sea, that clear salty air and the sound of waves crashing against the hull of the boat. . 

 

"Wait, boat!?"

 

I make to jump up but immediately trip and fall back down on my face where I get another good look at the floor; it's an old mossy timber, slightly damp, checks out.

 

I look down to see what tripped me and notice there's a large pair of shackles locked around my paws. .  Paws?  Okay hold up there's something clearly wrong here. What am I dreaming, or have I died and gone to purgatory? Reincarnation maybe? But I thought I'd have started as a baby again.  Ah, but that might be it though.  I've probably long since frozen to death in that alley by now huh.

And as depressing as that should be I somehow don't mind it, there wasn't really anything there for me anyway.

 

I check over the rest of myself and it looks like I'm some sort of small bipedal wolf-person. Hands, fingers, thumbs, it's all there, but so is the fur, and the claws, some tiny horns behind my ears, and these cute little paw pads!

At least my fur's really nice though, light and dark brown, getting whiter on my front, and it's insanely soft, except for this irritating wet patch I woke up on. Though I probably shouldn't just sit here petting myself, it's pretty addicting but I probably look like a huge creep.

 

So I guess I'm a wolf person now, I can't make any sense of that but I can cope. Better off than an ant or something. And it's not like I've never played an RPG before. But how did I end up like this on some boat?

 

I get up slowly, not wanting to fall again, and try to have a look around.

It's dark, real dark, but as my eyes adjust I can make out more of my surroundings.

The first thing I notice are the bars. I'm clearly in a cell, so I've been kidnapped then?

 

"Boo!"

 

I turn around and nearly scream as I jump away, tripping over my shackles again and landing right back in the wet spot, and onto a tail I didn't even realize I'd had.

 And wow that hurts, I think I'm gonna tear up!

 

The woman chuckles. "So you're finally awake?  Though you still seem pretty out of it, you alright cub?"

 

I look up at the woman, who turns out to be another wolf person, wearing some modest rags. Her fur's a lot fuller and darker than mine, a beautiful mix of dark and light brown patterns. she's a lot larger than me, too, very well toned and has some horns coming out behind her ears, yet she'd be impossible to see in this light if it weren't for my eyes adjusting so well to it.

 

"Uhm. .  I'm not sure, really. But where are we?" I ask, still clutching my tail.

 

"Hey? Well I guess you've been out cold since before they throw you in there 'til now, you must be hungry though. Here, you can eat as I catch you up."

 

Just as I'm wondering where she's about to pull this food out from, she suddenly roars out.

"Hey warden!!  The cub's awake! Hurry up and bring some food before he blacks out on us again!"

 

Well that's woken everyone up. Though most roll back over to sleep, I can see other prisoners trying to get a glimpse of me through the darkness, though a human probably couldn't see very much in here anyway.

 

However light suddenly floods down into the room as I hear a door slam open.

It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the sudden light, but they get back into focus and I can see the guard coming down the stairs with the torch.

I sort of knew what to expect but I'm still fairly taken back by what he's wearing

 

I take a good look at him as he's angrily marching over. He's wearing mostly brown and red stained leather with some metal plates here an there, but what's most striking is the big shiny sallet helmet he's got on, real intimidating stuff.

 

When he gets over he immediately starts yelling, clearly we've disturbed his nap.

"You damn animals are lucky to be alive, you may be worth a slight more as pets but your pelts can sell just as well on their own, so don't push it!  Waking me up for this lazy mutt."

 

He puts a tray on the ground and slides it into my cell before marching back off.

It just looks like some simple stew, and a very large bone, not usually very appetizing but I'm already salivating, I really didn't realise just how hungry I was.

 

The wolf-like woman motions for me to start eating, which I eagerly do, immediately wolfing down the meaty stew.

 

"So to answer your question, we're pretty clearly on a slaver ship. Looks like the others here are bound for labour camps, but we'll probably be going to the nobles, I've always heard they just love showing off their pet wargs. ."

 

I'm chewing on the bone as I listen, and damn is it tasty, I can't put a finger to it, it's just so good!

She seems to be telling the truth though, judging by the state of my cell compared to the others, and from what the guard said.

 

"So that's why they bother putting up with us, because we'll be sold to nobles?" I ask, putting the bone right back in my mouth and breaking into the marrow.

[Omg this stuff is the best.]

 

"Well yes, though I wouldn't say we're much better off than the rest. As I said, the nobles like to use us a pets, showing us off to upstage one another, yet we'll still be kept in cages like this for the rest of our lives."

 

Now whilst I don't like the idea of being someone's pet, I'd at least get more of these bones, right?

I say as much and she just laughs at me.

"That'll have to be all for tonight cub. What's your name anyway?" she asks as she heads for her bed

 

I fumble for some believable lie, I can't use a human name here, right? I mean imagine meeting a wolf man named Steve.

"Mars." I manage to force out. "And what do I call you?"

 

"Hati." She mumbles back as she rolls onto a little mat covered in straw.

 

I soon follow suit, not really having the energy to process all this at the moment, I look around for my own mat before I lay down, playing with my new claws until I drift to sleep, still chewing on that bone. .