Secrets of a Hybrid

Rory POV

“You guys can come here. She won’t hurt us.” Myrra calls out to her party.

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” A new, annoying male voice called out. “I watched that beast kill two wizards today. One was my master and the other a fellow apprentice from the Wizard’s Guild.”

Myrra turns around to find an awkward, gangly human male speaking to her. This guy is from the Wizard’s Guild? “Really? This heavily beaten animal killed two wizards?” She lets out a sarcastic chuckle. “How could she have possibly done that? Sure, she might have some terrain magic, but I doubt she could best be a master wizard.”

“I am not sure how, but this beast has lightning magic.” The man answers.

“Wolves can’t do that kind of magic. Are you sure you are a wizard?” One of Myrra’s male party members asks the intruder.

“Fine. Don’t listen to me, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Some simian girl claims that the beast is her familiar, so that beast could be capable of anything. Hell, we found it locked in battle with the dragon above us in a giant ice cube.” The man became agitated. “Nothing about today has made sense from what I have been taught about magic.”

“Sounds like you might need some more magic lessons, kid.” The same guy from Myrra’s party laughs. “Go back to your guild and learn something.”

The man throws his hands up in the air in frustration. “Fine, Mr. Half Elf. Risk your life. I am done with all of this shit. Silas is on his own, and I am not waiting around for that dumb orc.” The man runs off in the other direction before anyone else can get another word in.

Myrra turns back to see me exhausted, weak, and silently watching everything unfold. “June can you come work your magic on this supposed familiar?”

“Myrra, are you sure?” June, the small, human woman in a gray cloak, steps toward Myrra. She must be the healer of the party. I suddenly missed my hands more than before because I could have made my own healing potions. June looked at me like I was about to eat her for dinner.

“This ball of fluffy is in no state to hurt a fly. I am confident we are safe. Besides, if she really did fight Athyra before then she might help us to convince our guild mate to come home.” Myrra’s words confuse me as she sits next to me on the ground. Did my guildmaster just say that the frosty lizard flying above me was a guild member? When did that happen? I tilt my head in confusion as my red-headed guildmaster smiles down at me.

June approaches and Myrra takes her hand to pet my red fur at the top of my head. The gentle pets cause me to lean into June’s hand. I watch as June begins to relax, causing Myrra to pull her hand away. June doesn’t seem bothered as Myraa scoots back to give her room while she begins to heal me. I feel a warmth pull in my stomach as June’s hand begins to glow a soft purple from her magic. Pain lessens as I lay there under June’s now curious gaze. There was a pinch of pity for me in her eyes, which meant I must be worse off than I thought. The party asks if Myrra feels confident that I was safe to be around after what they saw and heard today. She reassures them and suggests they start a fire. The cold temperatures haven’t subsided since I broke out of the ice block, so Myrra’s party must be freezing. Two of her party members melt away the ice in a small area while others begin setting up camp. Myrra doesn’t stray far from June because she doesn’t want her to feel uneasy. There’s nothing I can do for Myrra’s party, so I just watched Athyra sail through the sky.

The sun has gone down when June tells Myrra she has done all she can for the wolf. June is positive that the wolf will recover from her injuries, but she isn’t sure how long it might take. Thank the Heavens I am a faster healer, which is the only hybrid trait that I am proud of most of the time. June goes to join the rest of the party around the fire. Myrra scoots back toward me and curls up next to me to stay warm while the rest of the party warms up by the fire. She leans toward my head and whispers, “Don’t worry, Rory. I got you.”

Myrra’s words made me want to cry. I am so exhausted and the pain has made me feel truly weak, but I force my eyes to stay open to look at this woman who was my teacher and caretaker for most of my life. How could she have recognized me? I have a glamor charm from a fairy, not a run-of-the-mill wizard. My fur is blood red, and my eyes are brighter than before. Will others see through this disguise as easily? Have I been careless with my actions?

Then, as if Myrra sensed my brain was about to overload she rested her hand behind my blood-crested ear and scratched in just the right spot. “I can see your brain is about to combust, girl. I have known you long enough to recognize you know matter what form you take. You are safe for the moment, but you are still injured. Rest.”

Safe. Maybe, for a moment I am safe. The concept feels foreign. I have been on edge for months, and I haven’t seen Emalynn since I was a furry popsicle. There are so many worries and loose ends that I haven’t taken care of like I should have. Yet…I can’t fix anything if I am dead. My giant white shadow still circles in the air, reminding me that we have unfinished business.

Myrra looks up at the dragon above us and sighs. “What happened between you and Athyra, R- girl?” She’s quick to keep from saying my name. Her party huddles closer to the fire trying to stay warm in this slushy landscape. The ice is slowly melting away, but since the sun went down everything has come to a standstill. When daylight comes, I might be able to answer Myrra’s questions, but for now, all I could give her was a small whine. Myrra looks down at me with seriousness. “Do you know where Em- I mean, your companion is?”

I give her another whine and rest my head on my front paws. If Emalynn were here, I would be locked in battle with my ‘guild mate,’ Athyra. I know Ema is around here somewhere. That intruding wizard guy said as much. With Myrra here, I am not sure how such a battle over Ema would end. Can I beat a dragon? Not in my current state.

“I guess you can’t answer me, huh?” Myrra’s voice sounds sad. “I want to know why you are in such a condition all on your own, girl. Do you have any idea how worried I have been about you? The Gleaca Council has posted warnings with a bounty for a beast folk hybrid all over Gleaca. There are a dozen reports of a wolf-like human killing animals, monsters, and bandits as well as the tale of a beast woman stealing from the Wizard’s Guild. If you are trying to keep a low profile, you are doing an awful job of it.”

My ears lack back behind my head involuntarily. Myrra was lecturing me because I had managed to get the attention of the Gleaca Council. This was the worst news Myrra had ever brought me. Now, people will be looking for a beast folk hybrid. I will truly be looking over my shoulder until the day I die at this point. All the plans Emalynn was trying to make have evaporated into thin air. My worst fears were becoming a reality.

Myrra looked down at me and scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. She can’t understand me. I am a wolf for heaven’s sake! All she sees is a bloody red wolf with matted and sticky fur. The hunger pains have begun to pile on with the rest of the pain. Wounds all over my body. Burnt fur in a few places and muddy paws from the magic battles. I couldn’t get up right now if I wanted to, even with a healing boost from June and my speed healing. My whines are all the same to her because she has no idea of the guilt and fear in my heart right now.

Myrra smacked me on my nose causing me to jolt. “Quit going to that dark place, girl. There are other tales and whispers of a wolf woman who killed bandits on the merchants’ road and saved a simple merchant from a mountain lion. There are whispers that the wolf woman is a protector of merchants. Any idea who they could be talking about?”

I know I killed bandits, but when did I face a mountain lion? Oh! Wait, she must be talking about Mr. Applegate from our journey west. So… Mr. Applegate was telling people that I saved him from a mountain lion. He’s making me out to be a hero. Damn. Guilt spread through my chest causing it to ache more. I was ready to kill Mr. Applegate for being a loose end, but the man called me a hero. How did I let myself think that killing him would keep Ema and me safe? We weren’t safe before, and we still aren’t safe whether he is alive or dead. My fear got the better of me and caused an argument between Ema and me. The fear must be what has locked me into this wolf form. Stupid magic. I let out another long whine.

“Girl, I may not know what you have been up to for the last few months, but you have the option to make a better choice now.” Myrra may not know the details, but she always knows the right thing to say.

A better choice… I choose not to give in to fear anymore. That’s what got me into a fight with a frost dragon. I choose not to go after Mr. Applegate. He turned out to be an amazing strength, not a loose end. I choose to apologize to Ema for our fight. She was right. I should have trusted her. It’s time I start controlling all my forms and shift on a normal basis instead of just impulse shifting.

“Sleep, girl. We don’t know how long it will stay quiet.” Myrra commands and I am not about to argue with her. My eyes close without much effort, and I surrender to the darkness.