It Speaks! #23

Standing before the mirror, I examined my new outfit, feeling a twinge of embarrassment at the long coat with nothing underneath. Let's be clear, I didn't sport this style to flaunt my muscles or to look cool! 

Despite purchasing a plethora of shirts from the clothing store, I found myself unable to tolerate any of them for more than a few minutes. It wasn't that they didn't fit; it's just that after so many years of shirtlessness on Tutorial Island, wearing one all of a sudden felt constricting and stifling.

"Well, whatever... I'm a grown man. I can handle a few judgmental stares for my attire if need be," I muttered to myself, making my way out of the room and descending the stairs to the inn's dining area. 

After grabbing a quick bite to eat, I ventured into the inn's backyard, where Sif lay snoozing peacefully amid the curious onlookers muttering various comments.

"It won't suddenly get up and eat someone, will it?" 

"Look at that fur! It's so fluffy... I wonder if I can..."

Such remarks buzzed around the crowd, but I paid them no heed as I approached Sif, who immediately perked up upon sensing my presence, causing the gathered to flinch in alarm. 

"Let's go get you some breakfast, girl," I said, prompting her to let out a low howl of anticipation before rising to her feet, clearly eager for food.

With Sif trotting faithfully at my side, we ventured into Swallow Island's forest in pursuit of sustenance. Given our voracious appetites, relying solely on purchased food would surely drain my coffers sooner rather than later. What money can't provide, nature will provide it or something along those lines. 

As we reached the forest, I couldn't help but pause. Its ethereal beauty captivated me even more up close, with majestic trees adorned in patches of snow and the imposing Swallow Mountain dominating the horizon.

While taking in the beautiful sights, we began to explore the forest, and for the next thirty minutes, our trip was nothing more than a leisurely stroll without encounters that were particularly worthy of note, other than some strangely colored swallow birds darting to and fro in between the trees. 

However, soon enough, we did encounter something. 

Parting the foliage before me, I froze at the sight that greeted me—a red-furred goat leisurely grazing in a small clearing. "Well, would you look at that?" I muttered, glancing at Sif. 

She responded with a quizzical whine, her head tilted to one side. 

"It's the same goat from the island... are they common in North Blue?" I pondered aloud, scratching my head. However, Sif's attention had already shifted, her focus fixated on the unsuspecting prey. 

With a menacing growl, she pounced toward the goat, which, to my surprise, seemed slower than the red-furred goats I encountered on Tutorial Island. Despite its feeble attempt to flee, Sif swiftly closed the distance and sank her teeth into the goat's neck, bringing it down with ease.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter," I remarked with a nonchalant shrug, retrieving my hunting knife and preparing to dress the animal for our meal.

...

Leisurely picking at my teeth post-meal, I couldn't suppress a chuckle at the sight of Sif, engrossed in gnawing on one of the goat's bones as if it were a prized possession. 

"You're starting to resemble a husky, you know," I teased, the humor fading swiftly as Sif shot me a sharp glare accompanied by an irritated growl. "I meant that as a compliment, of course," I added hastily, attempting to pacify her, but Sif remained unimpressed, rising to her feet and fixing me with a predatory gaze.

"Alright, let's not get carried away here. That's right let's calm down and talk this thr--" I interjected, scrambling to my feet with palms raised in surrender, but my efforts to defuse the situation were in vain as Sif lunged towards me. 

"Oh, come on! How do you even know what a husky is?!" I exclaimed, pivoting on my heel and bolting away, with Sif hot on my heels. Inevitably, she caught up, sinking her teeth into my ankle and sending me tumbling to the ground.

Spitting out a mouthful of grass, I lifted my head, ready to shamelessly beg for forgiveness, only to freeze as my gaze fell upon a face peeking out from the bushes before me.

"A bear...?" I muttered, squinting at the sight before me, taking in the white fur and round ears atop the creature's head. The bear returned my gaze with its beady black eyes, blinking slowly in apparent confusion. 

As Sif continued her snack on my legs, the awkward standoff persisted until, to my astonishment, the bear spoke up. "H-hello," he stammered, flashing a sheepish smile.

My eyes widened in disbelief as I scrambled to my feet, pointing an accusatory finger at the bear. "It talked! The bear spoke, and it stuttered!" I exclaimed, startling even Sif, who began to growl at the unexpected visitor. 

The white bear, clearly flustered, leaped out of the bush and into the air, as if preparing to attack. Bracing myself for potential aggression, I watched in surprise as the bear executed a graceful mid-air flip, landing in a perfect prostration before me. "I'm sorry for being a talking bear!" it declared earnestly.

As I observed the bear, clad in an orange jumper, rings started ringing and a flicker of recognition sparked in my mind. "There's no need to apologize... You just caught me off guard," I reassured it with a smile. "So, who exactly are you? And what brings you to this neck of the woods?" I inquired, eager to confirm the identity of the talking bear. 

"My name's Bepo... I caught a whiff of something tasty, so I came to check it out," he explained, his eyes drawn to the bonfire where only the leg of the red-furred goat remained, sizzling over the flames.

Quietly, I connected the dots. 'As I thought... this guy's a bear mink from Law's crew,' I pondered internally, keeping my musings to myself.

"Is that so? Well, we've had our fill, so help yourself to whatever is left," I offered, nodding towards the meat. Bepo's excitement was evident as he dashed towards the bonfire without hesitation. 'I wonder if he's crossed paths with Law already...? Might as well see what I can learn,' I thought as I strolled over to him, with Sif trailing behind.

Taking a seat nearby, I couldn't help but grin at the sight of Bepo, eagerly digging into the leg meat, only to pause and grumble about it being too hot, then resume his feast. "No one will take the food from you, take your time and savor it," I reassured him with a chuckle. 

To my amusement, Bepo's expression darkened momentarily. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a depressed tone, bowing his head for a second before diving back into his meal in the same manner.

"So... do you not live in Pleasure Town?" I inquired, leaning in with curiosity. "I don't recall seeing you around there," I added, pausing for his response.

Bepo halted his devouring of the food, nodding in acknowledgment. "I live in a house just west of here," he answered, immediately returning his focus to the meat once his words trailed off.'

"Living away from town must pose its challenges, especially by yourself," I commented, probing a bit further.

 Bepo shook his head in response. "I'm not alone... there are three others," he clarified. "We live in Wolf's house but he works us all to the bone..." he added with a grumble. 

'An old man living in the forest... that does ring a bell,' I reflected, recalling my conversation with the shopkeeper from yesterday.

"Ah, are you referring to the old inventor who lives in the forest?" I inquired. 

Bepo appeared genuinely surprised by my knowledge. "You know old man Wolf?" he asked, his eyes widening. 

"No, I've only heard of him from the townsfolk," I admitted with a shrug. "But meeting him sounds intriguing... he seems like quite the character," I remarked with a grin. 

Bepo shot me a perplexed glance as he finished his meal. "What's so fascinating about that old man?" he inquired with a dismissive wave. "He just enjoys working people to exhaustion... but if you're so interested, I can introduce you to him," he offered.

"Well, seeing as I have nothing better to do, why not?" I said with a smile, eager to meet this Wolf fellow, and more importantly to confirm whether Trafalgar Law was on this island or not. 

...

Want more chapters? Then consider subscribing to my pat rēon. You can read ahead for as little as $1 and it helps me a lot!

 -> (pat rēon..com / wicked132) 

You can also always come and say hi on my discord server 

 -> (disc ord..gg / sEtqmRs5y7)- or hit me up at - Wicked132#5511 - and I'll add you myself)