The prompt this week was Tight. I finally managed to name this bad-boy…and she will be henceforth called Hybrid (at least until I decide to hate it and change it).

There will be no Tuesday Tales next week (~whimper~), so this is it for two weeks…hope I didn’t leave you hanging too badly. 😉

Remember, this is a meme with many contributing authors, so make sure to click the link at the bottom of the image to take you to see more!

Anyhow, as always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors. :

An arid breeze stirred along my skin. The familiar scent of phlox blooming in the dusk relaxed even my worst nerves at being home. Distant peaks jutted against the deep purple and red of the setting suns.

I stepped onto the ledge just yards from the door we’d entered through and soaked in the familiarity. Where I stood now would be, to a human on the Terran plane, Liberty Island. The peaks and pits of the mountains were city buildings, skyscrapers. Millions of people occupying a land that in our world was desolate save for loners and wildlife.

Beside me, my father’s human veneer, which moments ago had sagged with regret, grew tight against his true form.  Silver scales gleamed through the thinning human flesh, his eyes sparkling silver.

My own flesh became taut, pulling and stretching against my body’s instinct to grow taller and larger. Red lines etched along my arms, adding to the pattern of flowers and scale-like arches.

“I will have to break my arm to cover the signs with a cast at this rate. We shouldn’t remain long.” Even through my words I didn’t move, compelled to stay where I was as I reacclimated to the plane. The songs of dragons began to carry on the breeze, welcoming their king home, and me as well.

Our conversation weighed heavy on my mind, and my father’s quick agreement to my accessment the war wouldn’t be fight here on the Wyvern plane. Instinct clawed its way through my belly and twisted it into knots.

“You’re right, Father.”

“About what, Jyoti?”

“I am a very good tactician.  You knew what I would say, that I would return and fight for the plane.  You knew what was happening, there was nothing in that box and that’s why you didn’t force my hand.”

My accusations didn’t draw anger, but a smile creased his lips. “And why do you say such things, child? Accusing your father like that is dangerous.”

“How many are there?”

The smile faded and he clasped his arms behind his back. Lines returned to his face, etched deep along his forehead and around his mouth.  “Jyoti.”

“You said I was the only one. The only one! Father, what have you done?”  My heart pounded in my chest, bile rising in my thorat.  “You said the experiments ended because none other would work.  No hybrids survived but me because of the griffin…”

“Griffin blood gave you an edge that any other natural born hybrid did not and could not mimic. Our greatest minds attempted to find a solution. They did.” His silver eyes bore into mine, almost black in the depth of pain he tried to convey. “Our race would have died without the hybrids.”

“You let them use me? My blood?”

“The only pure, natural hybrid alive.”

My heart ceased its incessant pounding, in fact it stilled completely. Where heat had burned my veins and flesh now felt chilled and dead. “How many?”

“Approximately one hundred.”

 

 

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