A Water-Stained Journal.
This is my second story, and my first attempt at writing in 1st person format. Please comment or give me constructive criticism. Enjoy! * * *
To Essua Iaanson, in the city of Terea. I hope this finds you well Essua. How's the wife and kits? Doing well I hope! I'm doing good, works busy but I enjoy it, and I've met a nice filly that I get along with well. Anyway, onto the real reason I wrote to you. No doubt you have heard of the terrible sinking of The Heron. Well...then again Iusaaria is pretty far way from anything, so it might be best if I fill you in on the main points. The Heron was our lord's flagship vessel. On its seventh journey across the Great Arian Sea however, it was lost. Sunk with all paws aboard. Or, at least, that's what we believed until recently. See, The Gallop, which is now the flagship of our lord's fleet and now runs the same course as The Heron, strayed off course. A member of the crew told me personally that the captain was...lets say, preoccupied with a younger member of the crew. Anyway, while the captain was in his quarters...busy, the boat was left in the rather inexperienced hands of the crew. They had stayed on course until they ran into Deadman's Track. The Track is one of the more dangerous places in the ocean. A current that sweeps across the entire ocean, and leads directly into a submerged reef, aptly called Deadman's Rest. This reef has destroyed countless ships, ripping open their hulls like paper. Well, The Gallop fell into the track. The crew realized, but could do nothing to stop their path towards destruction. Luckily, the captain felt the change in the direction of the boat, and rushed up deck. With a steady hand and a very skilled eye, the captain managed to push the boat out of the track. However, they were still off course. The captain told me that this was when they spotted the island. The hawk in the birds nest, lord bless his eyes, spotted the small land mass, and directed the boat towards it. Planning to anchor and rest awhile as they got their bearings again, the crew instead discovered something shocking. As soon as the crew had disembarked, they discovered a rather horrifying sight. Beside what looked like the remains of a poorly made boat, were the bleached bones of a fox. The ship doctor was called in for a second opinion, and the bones were conclusively identified as a fox. The captain then called for a search of the entire island, hoping that they would turn up something about these unknown fox's remains. After scouting the island, which I was told took around 30 minutes to fully explore the small island, they came across another find. A few minutes down the beach from where the bones were found, was a small mass of wood. The wood was heaped carefully, in what I was told to be a fairly intricate pattern. Placed carefully on the wood was a small book. Not just any book however, a journal. A water-stained journal if one is being exact. The captain, in the usual fit of superstitious sailor garbage, forbade the crew from opening it. So, two months later, when The Gallop finally docked, I was presented with the journal to read over. What an honour! After reading it, I just had to send it out too you. I don't know what you will make of it, but it's a fascinating insight, and a good way to wile away a few hours. I also managed to rustle up the records for our journal writer as well. He's a 22 year old fox, comes from quite a well to do family as well. He's a rising star in the academy, and is supposed to be a very popular lad, especially around the guys, if you get my meaning. I've transcribed it as best as I could for you, some of the pages were too smudged to make out, others ripped out. Rest assured however, I have missed nothing out. This is the journal in its entirety. My comments are in the brackets, and those are the only differences between my version and the original. Now, read it, and tell me of your conclusions! * * * My name is Uuhf Alloran Jeeson, and I am the last survivor of the The Heron, the lords flagship. I am writing this on a small island, all alone. Everyone else is dead, the Deadmans Rest claiming their lives. I don't know how I survived; a current must have guided me to this island. Although, I may as well be dead, stranded as I am. I still cannot understand how we fell into Deadmans Track. Our captain had ridden this course many times before, and expertly manoeuvred his way out of the Track every time. This time however, he was powerless, as were the rest of us, to stop the boat, as it careened towards the rocks, as if the hand of fate was pushing us. I still remember the sound the boat made as the reef ripped into the hull, a screaming, wailing sound that would make one think the boat itself was alive and screaming in mortal agony. The boat tilted sharply, and I remember watching as both crew and passengers alike fell screaming onto the turbulent water and razor sharp rocks that were hidden just below the surface. I saw the captain himself fall, a rather attractive dolphin that I was considering romancing. I see his eyes whenever I shut mine, the disbelief and shock in them remaining fixated in my mind. Seventy seven furs were killed, thirty being the crew, the rest being the ships valuable passengers. All of them scholars, learned minds, geniuses in their chosen fields. All lost to the implacable ocean. We were on our way to the city of Terua, where legends of its incredible library had beguiled us most of our lives. Now none of us will ever see it. People I had known for years were lost in seconds; friendships that blossomed like flowers were destroyed in an instant. Eventually, my paws slipped from the railing I was holding, and with a yell of pure terror, I plunged into the frothy darkness of the water. I managed to avoid the reef, a stroke of incredible luck. However the water crested high over my head, and as the boat sunk, waves dashed over me. As the cold water seeped into me, and my energy faded, I sank beneath the waves. When I woke up, days or weeks later, I was on this island. Struggling up from the beach, I threw up what seemed like galleons of salty sea water, burning my throat and nostrils painfully. Eventually, I straightened and took bearing of my surroundings. The suns harsh rays made me squint, the brilliant white sand of the beach looking untouched by any fur. I believe that I am the first to ever step foot on here. My clothing had all been torn off in the water, I was, and still am, naked as the day I was born. Not that that matters much, seeing as nobody will ever find me. I explored cautiously around the island, expecting a ferocious polar bear or such feral animal to come charging out of the jungle at me any second. Eventually though, I realized I was completely alone. No birds sung in the trees, no insects scuttled underfoot. It was only me and the island. I stumbled across a spring, and I lay down flat in the water, greedily licking up the small puddle that spouted from the depths of the earth. Tired and lost, I laid down on the beach, falling asleep near where I first had struggled onto land. My mind was numb, my thoughts slow like syrup as I tried to process all that had happened to me. I woke up the next day at mid morning, or so I guess. The sun was weak that day; the seasons were changing into winter in my homeland, so I suppose the same thing was happening here. I spent the day scrounging for food. I found a rather tasty bunch of leaves, which went down rather well. I also found numerous fruits, none of which have rendered me blind yet. In the afternoon, I spotted a small chest buried part way in the sand of the beach. In fact, I stubbed my foot on it as I explored the beach again. After cursing for a short while, I dug it out eagerly. Inside were hundreds of leafs of paper, and many quills, with bottles of ink. Truly, a god must have been playing a joke on me. I had all the utensils to write a story, but nobody to read it. Lowering my head, I wept for hours. Eventually, I picked myself up, my mind cleared and surprisingly focused from the tears. With nothing else to do I started to write, and this is where I am now. It has only been a short while since I found the crate, perhaps two hours. I have taken my time over the words, for deep in my soul, I truly hope that one day somebody will find this and read it. I've decided to number the days by the amount of time I have spent on the island, seeing as how I was not sure of the date when I was stranded here. -3rd day- I attempted to catch a fish today, but only managed to make myself tired by chasing through the water after it. Instead of fish then, it was berries and other plants for my food. I've been inspecting the trees that are in the centre of the island. Perhaps, with time, I will be able to craft a makeshift canoe out of one of them. I certainly have nothing better to do with my time. -4th day- ....fish so fast... ...berries and grass getting very bor... [The rest of this entry was too smudged to make out. Judging by his statements though, I can hazard a guess that he was having trouble catching fish, and that the flora of the island was starting to bore him.] -5th day- I write this with bleeding paws, the blood dripping down and staining the paper which I so carefully hold. I tried to cut down a tree today, first by using the lid of the crate to scrape at the tree, then eventually, my own claws. After several hours of fruitless digging, I gave up, my paws cut and bruised, my small claws snapped or blunted. Unless some God decides to float a crate of boat-making tools to my beach, I doubt I shall be able to fashion a boat. [Passages until the 8th day were too smudged to make out any words.] -8th day- The same thing happened again today as yesterday. I was padding through the forest, searching for some more berries, when I heard the sound of somebody walking. It was a measured pace, not the run of some wild animal. I called out, but nobody responded. The footsteps merely faded away. Running in the direction I heard them, I found no marks of passing, no broken twigs or paw prints in the ground. Bemused, and a little frightened, I retreated back to the beach. I still sleep on the sand, the sun's warmth keeping it a comfortable temperature. I suppose I should make some kind of shelter, in case a storm blows through here, but my paws are still sore from that fiasco with the tree. -9th day- I has a fish! Like an ancient hunter of old, I have caught my own food, yelling at the sky in triumph. Oh, what a moment of glory! I waited in the shallows for hours, the only thing moving were my eyes as I scanned the water. Eventually, a curious fish swam up to me, and in the blink of an eye, I had pounced on it and got it in my paws. I ate the entire thing raw, ripping into it with a gusto that surprised me. This behaviour would have sickened me only two weeks ago, but now, I was just glad to taste that wonderful fish flesh. The scales weren't quite as tasty however. -10th day- I believe I have found the identity of the strange footsteps that I hear sometimes in the forest. Last night, I woke up suddenly, gripped by a strange feeling of premonition. I stayed still, for I felt as if somebody was looking at me. It was an eerie feeling, and I almost whimpered in fright. However, I stayed silent and carefully tilted my head around, trying to spy out anybody. I heard the tiniest rustle, and looking to that spot, I saw movement! I stayed completely still, focusing all my attention on that one area of the tree line. Again, movement came, this time the moonlight glinting off the creature. I realized that it wasn't a feral animal, but certainly a fur like me. However, what species I couldn't make out, until its leg suddenly slipped out from the cover of the tree. I could clearly make out the markings on the leg, mainly black, but with a patch of white starting at the creature's knee. The leg was also bereft of fur. Instead, it was covered in what looked like a rubbery skin. With a gasp of realisation I realised what it was. An orca! The creature in the forest was an orca! No doubt he was one of the crew from the boat, who had also managed to get swept up here. With a bark of joy I leapt up and yelled out to him. "Orca! Don't be afraid, come out!" I yelled loudly enough to be heard easily across the island, but I got no response. Sighing in frustration, I ran headlong into where I last saw him, plunging into the tree line. I immediately regretted it. There was something spooky about the small forest at night, the trees bent and twisted, shadows playing across the ground, moving and scaring me as a cloud passed over the moon. With a soft whimper, I retreated back onto the beach, lying down but keeping an eye on the tree line. I didn't go back to sleep, but I did not see the orca again. -11th day- I have formulated a plan to catch this mysterious orca, one so cunning that it would do my fox ancestor's great justice. Deceptively simple, my plan involves catching a fish, then leaving it in clear site from the tree line. I set my plan into motion by catching my second fish, my tactic of staying really, really still serving me well. The rest of the day passed agonisingly slowly, but as the sun fell below the endless horizon and the moon rose, I placed the fish on a large leaf I had found, and padded away. I pretended to sleep, one of my eyes on the fish, the other on the near tree line. It turns out I didn't have to wait long for the orca to bite, so to speak. Less then an hour after I had laid the fish down, the Orca came cautiously walking out of the forest, peering around nervously, before scurrying over to the fish. In the moonlight I could get a clear look at him, the soft light making his patches of white skin glow brilliantly. His form was well muscled, no doubt the years of working on a ship moulding his body. His thick tail helped him balance as he walked, the tip of it dragging through the sand and carving a groove. Like me, he wore no clothes. No doubt they had been ripped off or destroyed in the ship wreck. I looked for any sign of gender, and eventually came to suppose it was a male. Although he sported no sheath, I remembered from a dalliance I had had with a rather cute dolphin one time that their lengths were hidden far better then ours. As the orca began to eat, I rose up silently and padded toward him. Coming at him from the optimum angle to remain unspotted, namely behind him, I approached till I could have nearly reached out and touched that rubbery skin he had. Instead, I cleared my throat, as if about to speak to a class of students. The poor orca jumped nearly a foot off the ground, his tail nearly taking my head off as it flicked up in surprise. He spun around, but his footing must have slipped, as he fell to the side and landed on his rump. In an instant I was by his side, seeing my chance to befriend this stranger, "Oh! Are you ok? I'm so sorry for frightening you." I said clearly and slowly...brawn over brains and all that. The orca hesitated, before giving a nod back, one of his paws...or hands, whichever orcas have, still holding the fish. I smiled at him, in what I hoped was a friendly and comforting expression. To my great relief, he smiled back, and lifted up a paw. I gladly clasped it with my own and shook it strongly, my relief at finding another living creature evident. The orca however was expecting me to try and pull him up I realized, instead of a handshake. He heaved on my arm, as if expecting he would magically float to his rather large feet. Instead, I went face first into the sand behind him, the heat from my blushing cheeks almost fusing the sand to glass. The orca immediately apologized, before chuckling a little and giving me a friendly pat on the back, "Sorry about that." He said good-naturedly. I spat out sand in reply. Eventually, after my maw was sand-free again, I struck up a conversation with the orca, "What's your name? Where are you from? How did you get here?" I bombarded the poor beast with questions until he lifted up a work-callused paw and brought me to a halt. "The names Keeri, I'm from The Heron and I came here when it sank. I don't know how, but I managed to find myself on the shore." I smiled and told him that my story was the same. We both relaxed slightly, as if we were sussing each other out. He guessed correctly that I had supplied him the fish, and for that he thanked me. With a shake of my paw, I told him to think nothing of it, "But...why did you hide from in the forest?" With a shake of his head, he looked over at me in confusion, 'I don't know what you mean, I just got on this island today." I shivered in sudden fear, looking over at the tree line, as if a mad orca might charge down from it at any moment, 'But...if not you, then who?" I asked as I looked back at him That's when I noticed the large grin on his face. He let out a great laugh as I looked at him, ruffling my head fur playfully, "Gotcha! I've been here for days. I just didn't come out because I wasn't sure who you were." I rolled my eyes at the orca's idea of a joke, "Well, now you know!" I said cheerfully. My mood had risen incredibly since finding this orca, at finding another living creature. I patted him back, my paw rubbing against his smooth back. He smiled happily at me, before nodding along the beach, 'That where you always sleep?" I nodded back, looking over to where he was looking, "That's it, not much too look at." Keeri laughed softly and ruffled my head fur again, this time I gladly nuzzled into it. We spent the rest of the night talking, laughing and simply enjoying each others company. I went to my bed of sand with a smile on my muzzle, a weight lifted off my shoulders. Keeri lay down close to me. After our encounter, we both wanted to be close to another person. I could have reached out and touched him, he was that close. Instead, I simply drifted off to a blissful sleep. -12th day- I woke up late the next morning, turning over to say good morning to my new companion. Instead, I said hello to an empty patch of sand. Sitting up quickly a hint of alarm rose up in my stomach. I looked around for him, and gave a great sigh of relief as I spotted him in the sea. I padded over to him quickly, smiling happily as I splashed up behind him. Turning around, he gave a great grin back at me. For a second, my stomach filled with fluttering, and my heart thudded loudly. Standing in the spray of the sea, the water dripping off his broad, black and white chest, I felt a surge of attraction to the orca. I also felt a slight stirring in my sheath. With a blush I turned away, hiding my naked sheath from the orca. Sitting beside him in the dark of the night, the nakedness of my body did not fuss me at all. Now however, in the stark light of day, being naked in front of a practical stranger made me very shy. Keeri gave a soft, good-natured laugh as he noticed my shyness, his large paw reaching out to rest lightly on my shoulder, "Nothing to be shy of, I saw it all last night." I could imagine him winking at my back with the last words, a naughty grin on his face. Turning around, I saw that he indeed have a rather large grin on his muzzle...snout...beak. Whichever it is. I smiled back at him, and for a second, I thought I saw his eyes flash down to look towards my sheath, though perhaps it was just fanciful thinking. With a soft cough, I looked around at the sea, "So, what are you doing out here then?" "Trying to catch a fish." He replied, with a smile and a shrug, "To pay you back for the fish you gave me." "That was a present, no need for payback...and I think we've made too much noise for the fishes...perhaps some berries for lunch?" I said with a grin, nodding my head towards the trees. Keeri grinned and nodded in agreement, slapping a arm around my shoulders and starting off towards the trees, "Sounds good to me." Minutes later, as I crouched down to pick berries off a bush, I looked up to see Keeri's eyes on me. "Ya know...I'm naked too." I blinked in surprise, tilting my head in confusion as I grabbed a handful of berries, perhaps a bit too roughly, "I...uh, noticed...does that have anything to do with berry picking?" The orca chuckled and gave my ear a playful tweak, "Nothing to do with berries, I was just thinking of your shyness in the sea." I grinned in understanding, turning back to the berries, as I gave the orca beside me a sidelong glance, "It's not the same thing though, you being naked." Keeri paused in his berry picking too look back at me, "Oh, how's that?" I blushed slightly, accidentally squashing a berry between my fingers, "Well, it's all hidden for you. You've got nothing on display. I however, have the whole sheath thing happening." I said the last line with a soft smile on my face and a nod down towards my crotch. Keeri almost blushed himself, before looking at my sheath as if studying it like it was a fascinating creature. "Hmmm, naked is naked as far as I see it...nice berries though." I nearly fell over in surprise, looking up at Keeri in shock, "Umm, my berries?" Keeri blinked and nodded towards the soft red berries I had picked off the bush, the ones that were currently in my paw, "Yeah, the ones you just picked. They look nice." With a grin, he rose up to his feet, giving a sigh and a stretch, "I'm sure that'll be enough berries, hmmm?" he said as he walked off. I picked myself up off the ground, my face burning in embarrassment. I watched him walk away with a smile on my muzzle, though that may have just been due to the sight of his rump swaying rather nicely. That night, as we lay down together on the warm sand, there was something between us that hadn't been there the last night. Keeri lay much closer then last time and I imagined I could feel his breath over my fur. The night wore on, sleep far away from my mind. It must have been the same for Keeri, as eventually, I heard him cough softly, "Its kinda cold tonight." He said softly. I could hear the sound of his paw running through the sand, the soft swish of his breath. All of it made me shift slightly, squirming in the sand, "Well...if you need some warmth, you can always lie near me...I've nice and warm with my fur." Keeri didn't need another invitation, shuffling up behind me happily. His naked body pressed up against my fur tightly, his hand reaching over and resting lightly on my stomach. The sheer feeling of his body against mine made me whimper in happiness. It had been so long since I had had another man's body against me, and it felt so good to relax against his strong chest. Our breathing slowed down as we drifted off to sleep together, his paw stroking gently at the fur of my stomach. Every time his hand brushed through the fur, I pressed back lightly against him, my tail giving appreciative wags. Suddenly, his hand pushed down, rolling me onto my back. Blinking my eyes open in confusion, I opened my mouth to say something, but he interrupted. Leaning down, he pressed his mouth strongly to mine, kissing me hungrily. I groaned in sheer ecstasy, kissing back strongly, reaching a paw up to hold him close. His thick tongue licked eagerly at mine, rubbing and licking at it passionately. We both moaned together, our hot breath mingling in our mouths as I grinded against his body, my hand sliding down to rub over his strong chest and stomach. Keeri slid his hand over my body, to rub down my back lightly. He pulled me tightly to his body, my soft fur rubbing against his smooth skin. His paw slid further down, brushing over my tail, before cupping my rump softly, his big paw kneading it gently. I broke the kiss to moan lustily, tilting my head to lick at his neck, kissing it gently. I traced down his body slowly, licking and kissing over his hard muscles. Eventually, my muzzle came to a rest above his genital slit. The tip of his orca hood had spread the white slit slightly, his soft pink member poking out maybe an inch. I ran my paw over the tip softly, gently stroking it, coaxing it further out. It lengthened considerably, another three inches sliding out to meet the night air. I leant my muzzle down close to the pulsing member, the scent of it making my body shiver in heat. My soft tongue flicked out, licking at the exposed length, savouring the taste of him. As more and more of his orca cock pushed out, my mouth spread wide, and with a quick grin at him, I lowered my maw over his length, slowly enveloping him in the heat of my mouth. He gave out a great moan, his paws clutching at the shifting sand, his hips bucking lightly to push another few inches into my mouth. I licked eagerly at the length as I slid further down, my muzzle open wide around the impressive girth of the orca. A spurt of pre shot into my mouth, the heat and taste making me lick hungrily, eager for more. I was rewarded for my efforts shortly, more of his delicious pre filling my mouth. I swallowed down all he had to give, before slowly sliding my mouth off his length, and grasping it in one paw. Fully erect, it rose from between his legs, thick and very long, at what looked to be roughly 12 inches. It was a lot to take for a little fox like me, but luckily I have had some practice in the past. Diving back down on his cock eagerly, my mouth spreading and swallowing his length. I slid down till his entire cock lay in my throat and mouth, 12 inches of orca meat buried in me. I paused with my muzzle in his crotch, his pre starting to pour down my throat. With a stretched grin up at him, I began to bob up and down, my tongue rubbing all along the length as my mouth slid up and down, making soft squelching sounds with every movement. The orca was writhing in pleasure, digging into the sand as he gave a loud groan, trying to force some words out. I understood his meaning clear enough though, and with a few more licks, his groaned warnings came true. With a huge moan, his length erupted in my mouth, thick orca seed pouring into maw. Shot after shot of the delicious tasting cum filled my mouth, and then my stomach as I swallowed it eagerly. Keeri continued pouring seed into my mouth until it overflowed, thick seed running down my chin onto my bare chest, spattering my body. Eventually, the flow tapered off, the last few weak spurts I eagerly swallowed. As I lifted my head off his length, I gave a groan of pleasure, licking at my messy face as Keeri grinned down at me. He reached down to tweak my ear affectionately, giving a groan of pleasure, "You're one skilled fox." He said softly. I smiled and wriggled up his body, kissing him softly, licking at his cheek as I rubbed a paw gently over his chest. He broke the kiss softly, tilting his head to look down my body, "Looks like someone needs some relief?" I nodded in agreement as I looked at my rock hard length, 6 inches of fox meat rising out of my crotch. I stroked it softly, giving a soft whimper of pleasure as a bead of pre formed at the tip. Keeri grinned and placed his paws on my hips, rolling me up to sit on his chest, "Mmmf, I'm not done yet either." He said softly, stroking over the fur of my chest. I panted loudly in anticipation, wriggling back till my rump bumped against the still rock hard length of orca meat. I grinned happily, lifting my body so that the tapered tip of Keeri pressed lightly against my tail hole. The orca slid his paws to my hips, holding lightly as he gave a gentle push down. The seed coated length of Keeri spreading my tail hole slowly as I sat down on the length, inch after inch of orca cock burying itself into my rump. I groaned in bliss, the sensation of being spread by Keeri's length making me tremble in bliss. I pushed down more eagerly, wanting to feel his length hilted in my body. Eventually, I felt his smooth skin under my rump as his 12 inches of orca meat filled my rump fully. I threw my head back and groaned loudly, my tight rump quivering around Keeri's length. The orca grabbed at my length with his paw, stroking it slowly, making me buck wildly against him. I lifted my rump up slowly, whimpering happily as the orca's length slowly slid out of me, before driving back in deep into my body as I slid back down. Starting a steady rhythm I began to bounce up and down on the big orca length, wet slaps sounding every time he hilted in me. My length poured pre onto Keeri's paw and stomach as I bounced up and down in the orca's lap, my eyes half closed in delirious pleasure, my head lolling back as I let out happy barks and yelps. It had been so long since I had been filled like this, so totally, completely filled. My body shivered in pleasure, tongue hanging out of my mouth as I let out a shiver at every movement. My fox hood pulsed in Keeri's paw, my climax quickly building inside me, every hard thrust the orca made bringing me closer to a body shuddering orgasm. My paws reached down to rest on the orcas chest, holding lightly, caressing the strong muscle. Keeri's length poured it's hot pre into my rump, his length sliding with more and more ease, driving hard into my body. The sensations became too much for me, my rump clenching down tightly, rippling strongly around the orca length as with a loud bark my climax hit me. My fox cock poured its seed over Keeri's paw, spurts hitting his chest and stomach as he groaned loudly. The orca gave a few more mighty thrusts into me, before he too erupted. His hot cum filled me up quickly, his length pulsing madly inside of me as it shot its seed into me. The sensation of his hot seed in me, dripping out of my rump, made me grind down against him hard, my paws digging into the skin of his chest. I gave a soft shudder, my length giving one last pulse as my climax slowly faded from my body. My body trembled softly, breath coming in heavy pants as I fell forward to lay chest to chest atop Keeri, my seed rubbing into my fur. The orcas length was still buried in me, his seed running down and coating my thighs. I gave a soft clench around his cock, making him groan out and grin at me, "Wow...that was...wow." I chuckled happily, lifting my head to lick at his muzzle affectionately, "You're telling me, stud of an orca." Keeri smiled back at me... [The writing here is illegible, it's all too smudged by...water.] -17th day- [From here on, the journal's writing is nearly illegible. Water has stained most of it. I've written down everything I could.] ...messy, messy fun... ...like an ocean of the stuff... -19th day- Keeri's been busy in the forest a lot lately. His boats really coming along well, sailor ingenuity I guess! It just looks kinda small, but I'm sure it'll be ok... -21st day- ...nearly done! It's looking really good; Keeri says it can survive the open ocean. He believes he can reach the mainland from here, I hope so too. I'm so worried, and Keeri has been getting really distant, as if... -22nd day- The boats ready. My sexy orca says he'll be leaving in a few days, as soon as the waves lessen and he gets some more food. I've been having terrible dreams lately, dreams of me being all alone on the island, until I die... ...I don't want him to go! -24th day- ...left today. I watched him go until I couldn't see him anymore, then I cried until I felt drained of all emotion. The island is so quiet now, it's just me again. He said he would be back in a few weeks, with rescue... ...nothing to do but wait. -27th day- ...where are you Keeri? It's only been three days...but I'm so afraid for you. I went to where you crafted the boat and gathered up all those amazing tools you made. Just holding them made me feel better, as if you were here with me. -35th day- ...nearly two weeks... He'll come back, he has to come back. He wouldn't have forgotten me...would he? ...would he? -53rd day- ...made a memorial today to Keeri. I believe he must have been lost in the ocean, killed while trying to help both of us. ...brave orca, I piled his tools up, each one a masterwork of sculpting. A monument to my true love. I sit and stare out to sea every day, hoping I might see him coming back. ...come back... -76th day- I have no idea what day it is anymore, 76th, 106th, what does it matter? Keeri isn't coming back. I'm lost, all alone in this world. Why did he go...I needed him here. -89th day- ...my own boat. Nothing compared to Keeri's though. It will have to do; I can't wait here much longer. I've stocked up on berries, enough to get me wherever I'm going. ...no longer care if I make it to the mainland, I just want to see my orca again, in this life or the next... -91st day- ...leaving today. I walked around the island one last time, just remembering. ...where you carved your name into the trunk of that tree, the one near the rock that kinda looks like a heart. I ran my paw slowly over it, feeling the grooves. It's still as fresh as the day you cut it, and I remember that day perfectly. I left the tools where I stacked them, in your monument. Each one is still brilliant; I still don't know how you carved the handholds in them so well. Oh Keeri...I miss you so, so much. I left the journal at the base of the monument, hopefully one day somebody will come and read it, and your heroism will be known to all. I love you forever Keeri. * * * Interesting isn't it? Amazing that anyone could survive for so long on such a small island. A few weeks after I read the journal, I chartered a boat to take me to the island. I said it was a research survey, so it was free! I found the island easily and there was no doubt this was the one. Landing the boat on the shore, I first found the bones of our poor fox. No doubt it was a fox's remains, and going by Uuhf's records, it fits his general height. Then, I went searching for the monument...and that's where things got weird. See, I found the monument, but there were no elaborately carved tools, no skilled wood working. Instead it was a pile of un-cut wood. It looked like a bunch of branches and drift wood that had been heaped together. Next, the initials...well. I found the rock that was shaped a bit like a heart, but the only markings on any of the trees that I could find was a few scratch marks. No initials...anywhere. Last of all, I decided to find the stump of the tree that Keeri cut down. I searched every inch of that island, and there wasn't a single tree stump. Not one. I brought the remains of our unfortunate fox back with us; he was buried in the local graveyard. Then I went to the Maritime records, and searched through the journey logs. Under the trip of The Heron, in the crew records I found 6 orcas on crew. None of these were called Keeri. The closest name was Keii, and he was described as missing an eye, something which our fox never wrote down. I find the truth unavoidable, even though it pains me to write it, for reading this journal made me feel so connected with the fox. I believe Keeri never existed. A figment of imagination crafted up by a delusional mind. Crippled by loneliness, our fox made up his perfect mate. As the days wore on, he began to completely believe in it, until eventually, he died chasing after a person that never existed. Well...send me back your thoughts once you're done reading it. Maybe your keen mind might shed some new light on the situation Best wishes! Terius Allon Royal Maritime Expert of the city of Iurr * * * The end! Hope you all enjoyed it. Please comment!