Chapter Two

***Not Full Chapter***

I wasn’t worried. Just good solid information to know. I nodded and took off.

Far on the other side, far from any city, town, or home the sound wrestling of leaves crackled the air. A giant ball of fur zooms by, so quick one could not make out its shape or form. It zooms in and out bobbing and dodging trees that was not there before bursting out of the ground like sunflowers. There trucks long and thick for something that grew a minute ago. At first the trees grew out one by one, then by twos, now by fours. But the furry thing continues to dodge them all careful not to get hit. It dips and weaves. Over and over again until…

BANG!

“Ha ha ha got you,” a light-heated alto voice laughed.

The fuzzy thing flew backwards but landed on its feet. It rubbed its head, the place it was injured. It wasn’t a beast nor man but something in between. It had a long long snout with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, but had large round green and gold eyes of a human. It’s pointy ears that stick out the side of his head looked similar to a husky’s or a wolf’s ear. When it’s body was covered in fur but could still make out it’s s pecs and deltoids and when it stood it was about 10 feet tall or higher. It was also wide as it was tall. It rubbed its head, the place it was injured.

“That hurts.” despite it’s deep gravely voice, still manage to sound like whimper.

“Oh please big baby, I hardly tapped you,” the women slid down towards hybrid twirling the stick she used to hit him.

Her espresso skin was both worn by age and battle but still shine with elasticity. Her dark thick curly hair that reached the top of her back was partially wrapped in a cream colored cloth decorated in gold, amethyst and turquoise pins.

______________ huffed as he heads towards some thick trees his body already beginning to change and transform. When he reappeared he was no longer furry with a snout but a tall, thick statuesque man dressed in gray sweatpants and an open button down shirt.

“Ready for round…. What round are we on?”_________ asked, who up to this point was still twirling the long thick stick alternating between hands.

“I lost count after losing the 3rd fight,” __________ rubbed his dissipated injury.

_____________ giggled, “well, at least you did rushed to attack me after getting hit in the head this time.”

“I was still in shock by the sheer force of that hit, attempted murdered my so-called mentor.” __________ mumbled under his breath.

But __________ heard every word and rolled her eyes at the dramatic 6”10’ man that had muscles on his muscles, “you didn’t even bleed.”

“But I got a bump,” he mused.

“A bump that I already long gone thanks to you hybrid blood.”

“You don’t know that,” he murmured reaching for his head gain. But she was right the bump he felt when he was still in hybrid form was gone before he finished transformed.

___________ stood with her hands on hips and an arched eyebrow as if she was telling him, ‘prove it, show the bump’. He just shrugged.

“Well then, now that’s settled” ________ twirled the stick twice before flipping it to be placed firmly under her arm pit, “shall we have one more round about before lunch. This time try not to transform and contain your anger.” She turned to her side placing one foot ahead the other and got into a fighting stance.

____________ mouth ticked before he also got into a fighting stance. They stared each other down. Not one making a single move. A gush of wind blew the trees sprinkling old but still green leaves off. The leaves fluttered around. Another wind blew a bit more gentle it blew the leaves up in a twirl. The leaves fall again fluttering and swaying back and forth and sideways. Until finally one leaf finally touched the ground.

WOOSH

In less than a blink both moved almost simultaneously towards the other. __________ raised her stick. ___________ crossed his arms to block. With a swift slight twirled of her fingers reposition her stick. She stabbed him hard between the ribs. The pain caused him the flinch. His guard dropped slightly. An opening. ___________ swung her stick, dismantled his guard, and gave him a turned kick. _________ was pushed to the side. He stopped the momentum with his feet. He tried to reposition himself. Too late. _________ aimed another kick. He blocked it. But didn’t see the strike. It struck his deltoid. He tried to grab the stick. She moved it and ready to strike in one move. He dodge it. She kicks. He dodged it while backing up. She moved to hit him again. He gets ready to dodge. With a slight twirl re-balanced the stick to a different angle. She strike. He gets pushed back into a tree.

“I know I said to control your anger but that are you going even try to fight? Is this going to be a one way beat down? Then again it will still be the same results even if you finally decided to put in some effort.” ____________ had a teasing amusement in ____________ her voice.

______________ huffed. Closing the wide distance with one step. He swung a right hook. Missed. A upper cut. Missed. Aimed a spinning side kick. __________ dodged it. He switched to an axe kick. She jumps back. He landed the blow on the ground. The ground cracks under his feet. Dust blows up causing a small cloud to form.

“Now look who’s just dodging,” __________ was trying to come off light but there was a growl in his voice.

“Thought to give you at least some handicap. Making it more even. But if you don’t want it,”she shrugged her voice light but then her voice switched to cautionary and stern, “but remember keep your anger in check.”

____________ humphed and closed the distance. Aimed a double roundhouse. She block the 1st with her stick. The second with her arm. In that same instance she twisted her arm and grabbed his leg. Kick him in the back of his other knee. Brought him down. He tried to elbow strike. She blocked it with her stick. With a twirl she hit him in the head. He was almost knocked out.

His breathing became rapid, his skin became hot. His teeth and nails became razor sharp.

“Control your anger. Do not transform,” ________________ warned through clinch teeth.

But it was too late, he wouldn’t hear any of it, couldn’t. He was a short fuse away from turning. He came at her fast and furious slashing one way then the other. _____________ dodge, swiveled and blocked each attack. Backing up and he moves forward. The edges of his hunter green and brown eyes shifted to red. His human moth and nose were elongating within minutes. Parts of his limbs was sprouting longish hair. If this keeps going, if he keeps going, he will destroy good chunk of forest. Even worse, if they stumbled across anyone by accident they will end up beyond damage.

_____________ took three big jumps back, turned to her side and waited for __________________ to get close enough. He two steps and a howl he approached her. Coming in fast. Hand claw raised above his head ready to come down. ________________ was unfazed. ____________ took one extra step. ____________‘s singles went off. She delivered an oblique kick to _____________’s shine. His fall created a mini earthquake. She swung her stick down straight down the middle of his temples.

She jumped back in case he could attack. Her breathing became steady as she looked down on him. His rapid breath slowed to rythmatic pace, his eyes remain shut but his elongated nose and mouth has turned to normal. His claws was still there but the tuffs hair fur was gone. _____________ exhaled breathing easy. The worst was over.

Static!

A feeling, a signal she had not felt in a very long time. It was her sister. She knew her sister was around as did her sister knew she was also nearby. Neither felt compelled to meet or see each other face to face. Not out of hate, nor anger, annoyance, distrust, and all the things one would consider avoiding a person. They just didn’t feel the need to, just sensing the other presence was enough. ‘I am still here’ is what their nearness, their existence convey to one another; that and so much more.

So for one to send a mental signal. ____________ ' s arm tensed up. Then he exhaled again releasing the tension. It was single signal not something to get too worked up. Not yet. She didn’t need to race off and meet her sister this instance. Which was good. As she turned her attention back to the knocked-out body laid in front of her. And just in time as it had just escalated to snoring.

______________ sighed as shifted on her feet. She looked around not sensing another beings’ presence, her sister’s presence excluded, for hundreds of kilometers. She held her stick in one hand as she kneeled then lifter the 380lb six foot eight man and threw him over her shoulder. As then walked back to their temporary abandoned residence.