Hybridization

"You mean to tell me that we have these… these freaks! Running around in our backyards, doing God knows what, and it's sanctioned! We should be locking these creatures up and shipping them to whatever world they come from, not paying them to take jobs away from honest folk like our own first responders." – Freshman Senator Wainwright, being read in on a few agreements with paranormal organizations. Shortly before being told to sit down and shut up.

"All units, this is One. leaders, report readiness." Kurt muttered into his microphone.

"Decimal, ready." Rupert said. He was waiting on the north end of the assault line. While Kurt was on the south end.

"Cordon East, ready." Michelle said. She had volunteered all her 'conservation officers' to be part of the outer perimeter for the assault and had put the teams together herself. It was easy enough for her since Kurt had delayed to get his newest pack ready for their first engagement. She had broken her people into three teams to wrap around the area they had identified, and they had been observing and keeping things in the zone for several days.

"Cordon North, ready."

"Cordon South, ready."

"Back line, ready." Penny said over the radio despite being within arm's reach. She had with her a few of the local magic users and Radis to help perform the ritual that would keep this little operation under wraps.

Kurt looked up and down the line one last time before keying his mic. "Assault unit is starting the push. Stand by for fragmentation orders."

With that, Kurt began to slowly walk into the mostly dry wooded area. The outer edges of the state land, alongside a public park, were made up of tall, straight trees that created a heavy shadow cast over the area in the morning light. He could see that further in the vegetation would be changing to more brush, having not been as nicely maintained and kept clear.

To his immediate right and left were Kristi and Val, neither allowing him to go too far out of sight in recent days and even less inclined when on an active job. To his north, bridging the gap between him and Rupert were the two packs of werewolves from the Order led by Ra and Jade. To his south and directly supporting him were fifteen of the twenty-two mercenaries who had elected to become werewolves, led by Justin who Kurt had made an Alpha. The remaining seven were acting in support on the back line with Penny.

That process had been rather eye opening for not only the mercs but also for the Order wolves. Due to the time crunch, Kurt had to forgo the usual process for when someone contracts lycanthropy. Rather than making them wait until it spread through their entire body, Kurt had found that he could force the shift in the knowledge that he received from the Origin. Something he readily did while making sure to suppress their inner wolves enough for them to stay in control.

After answering a few questions and dispelling rumors, they had all stripped down and lined up, making a rather awkward sight for the local mages. Kurt had then bitten each of them, going down the line and forcing each of them to shift immediately by flexing his will and his divinity to force a shift. Now that he knew about it, he knew it was the same concept which had caused all the wolves to shift during the raid on the Coven of Wandering Suns.

Kurt was rather pleased when, after the first man had a seemingly painful first transformation, none of the other volunteers had balked. In fact, it seemed to harden their resolve based on the aura he could see drifting off them. When he got to Justin, he had to do a little more work to impart not only the gift of lycanthropy but also the mantle of an alpha. In the end, his first shift seemed to be a two-part ordeal with the first one being a typical first for a werewolf which was immediately followed by the second one that Jade and Ra had gone through not long before. Beside the double helping of discomfort, the man seemed to handle it well, being cut from the right cloth for the role.

Behind the line of Kurt's team, the remaining non-lycan mercs moved up with Anna helping to keep them in pace and supported with magic. Kurt wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of her being involved but Penny assured him that she was progressing rapidly through the training and had a few more things to offer than just another gun in the fight.

He hoped that would be the case as their police line passed through the last of the clear area and entered the thicker vegetation. The ground also softened under foot as they walked father, adding a little squelch to their steps while pushing through the undergrowth. As they moved, Kurt kept the perimeter units appraised of their location so they could tighten their lines as the team pushed deeper.

Vines, tall grass, bushes both thorned and not, all did their best to impede their movement. The trees within the area were also making navigation difficult on their own, having roots that branched out under the top of the grass to catch and trip the unwary. They slogged on for several hundred yards until someone spoke on the radio.

"One this is Papa, over." Said Justin, using his old callsign for the time being.

"Go for One." Kurt responded as he motioned for everyone to halt.

"One, Papa. We found a game trail running northeast and some spore, over."

"What kind of spore, over."

"Clothing remains, break." There was a slight pause, and Kurt was pretty sure he heard muted conversation coming from far to his right. "One, it's a running shoe with a lot of blood in it. Pretty fresh and hasn't weathered much, over."

Kurt considered the information for a moment. If the trail was running northeast, then his team would be crossing it sooner or later. If there was evidence of their prey in it, then the odds were good that it was one of the paths used by the wendigo. He checked in with the rest of the teams before having them move forward, continuing the push.

Before Kurt could order the advance to continue, Anna's voice sounded over the radio. "Umm One, th-this is… Fuzzy. Um, over." She hesitated at using her assigned call sign and he could hear some suppressed chuckling from Val while Kristi grinning widely. Apparently, they had something to do with the interesting handle.

"One, send it." Kurt answered while also trying not to laugh.

"I have a way to scout that trail." Anna answered, not using the proper radio etiquette. He figured he could forgive her for that. She was new to all this, having only just seen a cell phone and even a car when they rescued her.

"Roger. Please explain." Kurt said.

"C-can I just show you? Umm.. over?"

Kurt sighed. "All units, this is One, stand by." He said and walked over to where he could barely see Anna's head poking over some of the elephant grass sticking out of a small glade.

"Why Fuzzy?" Kurt asked through the implant.

"Because it's funny and kinda cute." Val answered.

"Also, she is actually fuzzy. Seriously its like hugging a peach." Kristi piled on.

Kurt looked to her with his eyebrows raised. "When were you hugging long enough to make that comparison?"

"The first couple nights when she was with us and having nightmares." Kristi answered. "Apparently Penny occasionally has to do the same thing still."

"Oh, that's too bad. Is everything ok?" This was the first Kurt was hearing of her issues.

"Just part of the process. She went through a lot and needs to heal. Best thing we can do is be there if she needs us." Val said as they pushed into the small clearing that Anna was in. Once more, the kitsune showed her wisdom and understanding on matters of the heart and mind.

"What is the thing you wanted to show me?" Kurt asked as he knelt next to Anna.

The little fey looked up at him from where she was fiddling with a small, zippered pouch. "So, umm, I'm not just an enchanter. I also have a summon that I have had a contract with over the past several years."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at that. Summoners were not common due to the power needed to… and a fey hybrid would have plenty of power to spare. He almost face palmed at why he thought that would be strange. "Ok, so what's the deal then?"

"Just promise not to freak out." She asked in a small tone. "He tends to startle people if they aren't expecting it."

Not wanting to be a hypocrite on the 'please don't freak out' argument, Kurt waved for her to proceed, promising that he would keep an open mind. Besides, if it was truly dangerous, he could ask her to unsummon it or he could handle it if needed.

Anna then opened her zippered pouch and brought out what looked like a bandsaw blade without teeth. It was a half inch wide band of coiled steel that she unfurled to make a circle nearly six feet in diameter. Kurt could see that the steel of the hoop was shimmering slightly in a way that the sunlight couldn't completely make happen.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

She then held the hoop so the bottom was just touching the ground and closed her eyes while muttering under her breath in a language Kurt didn't understand. The spell seemed to last for several stanzas and repeat a couple times before the hoop filled with a strange emerald light which looked like tinted glass that somehow glowed. Once that happened, Anna let go of the hoop and it stood on its own, resting on the ground but otherwise unsupported.

From this strange, not quite solid surface emerged a pink nose. It was a broad, wide nose with long whiskers poking from light brown upper lips that barely hid the long upper fangs under it. Following that nose was a very short muzzle with a series of brown and green stipes. Those stripes ran up to the top of a tiger's face which held a pair of blue eyes filled with a predatory intellect.

Anna didn't miss a beat as the giant head poked through and put her hand out, rubbing then scratching at the face. "Hi Bont! How's my beautiful boy?" She cooed which got a deep humming purr from the creature. "Come on out and meet my friends." Her voice was full of happiness and Kurt could see her eyes getting a little misty as she greeted her companion.

A moment later Bont ducked a little and finished coming through the portal. Anna deftly coiled and shoved the loop of steel back in her pouch in a way that was clearly practiced. That left Kurt and the girls to examine the creature who had just walked through.

The best way to describe Bont was if you had taken a tiger, given it longer fangs, then color swapped it to green and brown before giving it six legs with a billowy skin interconnecting those legs. The creature was massive, easily taller than Anna and likely at eye level with Kurt if it lifted its head all the way. By his estimate, it was eight feet long, not counting its equally long and incredibly fluffy tail that looked like it came from a snow leopard despite the color.

Walking over to scratch at Bont's short, rounded ears, Anna embraced him. The way she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed showed they had a very close and trusting relationship that she sorely missed. Kurt thought he heard her saying exactly how much she had missed him but couldn't be sure as it was mumbled into the creature's furry neck.

"New call sign." Val announced over the implant. "She is now cat-lady. Hahaaa-Ooof." That earned her a smack on the stomach from Kristi which brought the tigers attention to them. Its blue eyes focusing intently on the watching group.

As the giant cat stared at them with a curious gaze that all predators had, Anna made introductions. "This is Bont, my contracted summon who has been with me for a while now. He is a Taltherian gliding tiger in case you were wondering."

Apparently, Kristi knew how to handle this situation and stepped forward. She shifted to show her scales and tail, then bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Bont. I am Kristanazal of Libermount but everyone calls me Kristi." The tiger nodded in return and then Kristi held her hand out so he could sniff then lick the back of her hand.

Val repeated the process after Kristi stepped away. When she was done, the tiger turned to Kurt, once again locking eyes with him. Kurt didn't blink, or flinch away as he held its gaze and stepped forward. His inner wolf was telling him that he bowed to no mortal being and not even many of the immortal ones. A sentiment that he fully intended to follow.

Instead of the bow, Kurt introduced himself another way, ignoring the panicked look in Anna's eyes. "I am Kurtis Thalican Rosk, the Lupus Rex. It is a pleasure to meet you, Bont. I look forward to our shared hunts in this and other realms."

After he was done speaking, Kurt held out his hand, wrist bent back to show his bare palm. After a moment, the tiger bowed his head and placed it under Kurts outstretched hand, allowing him to place his palm atop his head. Naturally Kurt smiled and took the opportunity to run his fingers through Bont's fur, scratching behind an ear, earning a low groan from the giant cat who pushed harder into his hand.

Anna was slack jawed for a moment while Kurt brought a second hand into the mix and began to talk to the apex predator. She quickly snapped out of her daze when she heard Val's snort of amusement. "Well, umm… that was something." She said. "Anyway, I was hoping Bont could help us scout ahead as I share a sort of mental link with him."

Kurt nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good." Then he spoke into his radio. "All units be advised. There is another asset in the field. Do not shoot the giant tiger…thing. All leaders acknowledge."

A chorus of confirmations came from the team leaders and Kurt looked back to Anna and Bont. "Alright, do your thing. Anna, keep me informed if he sees anything." With that, Kurt and the girls returned to their previous location, and he started the line of people moving forward again. He caught a brief flash of the striped cat trotting deeper into the woods before it vanished in the undergrowth.

"I wonder how he hunts." Val said as they watched it merge with the vegetation.

"I imagine from above." Kurt said as he scanned the woods in front of them. "Going by the 'gliding' part of the name. I am more curious about how long Anna can keep him summoned. What is the limit of his time or range?"

"That's easy. There is no limit." Val said while ducking under a low branch with a clump of Spanish moss dangling from it. "The only way she can mentally commune with a 'contracted' summon is because that contract is a soul binding contract. That means he can be anywhere her soul is or wherever he goes on his own. Pretty much he uses her soul as a beacon when she summons him through that portal."

"When did you learn so much about summoning? Especially about such a rare creature from my home world." Kristi asked while using her force blade to cut down a particularly dense bit of brush.

"Let's just say that illusions and shadow magic aren't the only thing I learned the hard way spending time in At'Valheim. There are just some things I haven't wanted to do after training with my father's family." The tone in Val's mental voice and the emotion from the necklace told them that there was a story there but now was not the time to push for hearing it.

Kurt and Kristi shared a look and nodded to each other just in time for him to walk face first into a spider web. After he managed to pull the sticky net of his face, he looked up to see a slight clearing of the brush in a straight line. He ducked low to get a better look and saw the game trail that Justin had found.

The trail looked to be freshly used but not by normal game animals. Actually, now that he thought about it, he hadn't heard any animals in a while which was another sign they were getting closer. The trail in question was also wider than most game trails he had encountered. He suspected that was mostly because something had been dragged along it and the tunnel had been broken at the top by something tall.

As he looked, he noted that the trail moved off more to the east than its northeastern route. Looking back along the trail, he saw a few scraps of cloth that had been caught in the brambles and was certain that the blood he was smelling was human in origin.

"Assault units, this is One, I found the game trail and it deviates to run nearly due east." He reported over the radio as they continued to advance.

Rupert responded a moment later. "One, this is decimal, we just crossed phase line echo."

There was a series of acknowledgements that came back over the radio, and he heard Michelle moving her people in response to Rupert's reporting their location. As Kurt looked up, he saw the shifting of a large shape in one of the trees ahead of them. Bont had climbed up into one of the larger trees, going as high as he could, given his size.

Kurt saw the tiger looking down at a spot that was several hundred yards ahead of them. It then looked back at them, finding his eyes immediately and then looking back to where it had been looking before. Apparently, the kitty had found something, and Anna confirmed it a moment later.

"One, this is…Hhhha fuzzy." Anna sighed heavily when she used her callsign again. "Bont has found something, but I don't think he can get closer to confirm. He says there is something moving down there but isn't sure what."

"Fuzz, One, understood. All units, standby."

"What is the plan?" Kristi asked.

"We are going to advance and recon the situation with Val's help." Kurt answered and looked to the illusionist as she went through an elaborate series of arm stretches. He was getting a strange emotion from her. It rolled off her in waves that seemed like apprehension with little resolute peaks mixed in.

"We got this, just like in the rifts." Val said while trying to hide her nerves. She remembered the last wendigo they faced not that long ago. She also remembered how little damage her rifle had done at the time.

Val waived her hand, and Kurt felt the sensation of the illusion settle over them as they began to creep along the game trail. They moved cautiously, not wanting to disturb the nearby brush or grass and give away their position.

They stayed in radio contact with the rest of the assault team, making sure everyone knew of any hazards they spotted and where they were. The woodlands had been a little swampy up until this point, with the ground being a little extra squishy. Kurt noted that was beginning to change and he could see dry, sunbaked patches of dirt that told him they had reached 'high ground'. Or what counted for high ground in central Florida.

"One, Fuzzy. You are right under Bont. I think the spot he saw is to your…" She paused for a moment, the radio staying keyed on until she came back. "…eleven o'clock and another two hundred yards… I think. Over."

"Roger." Was all Kurt whispered into the mic.

"Low and slow." He said mentally to the girls. Val nodded and began to creep forward at a snail's pace compared to how they had been moving.

Kurt could feel through the necklace that she was anxious and incredibly focused. The focus was from their current task, but the anxiety was still from something else. He almost stopped her to ask what was going on but was interrupted by movement ahead of them.

Gliding between the cypress trees and southern oaks, was a very recognizable shape. It was tall, lanky and moved in a strange, discordant gait that seemed to glide between shuddering steps. Its cloak of skins was doing an admirable job at camouflaging its shape amongst the trees and hanging bundles of Spanish moss.

All three of them froze and watched the wendigo pass across their path, headed in roughly the same direction they were. None of them made a sound except for Val who was beginning to pant a little and her ears flattened as her tail went suddenly still.

"Val?" Kurt asked.

"I'm fine." Even her mental voice was showing some stress. "Let's keep going and I can cover the advance of the rest of the assault unit."

"If you are sure." Kurt said and got a rapid nod in response. He quickly looked to Kristi who looked both confused and concerned but didn't say anything more.

They once again crept forward for another few dozen yards until they found a thicket of fallen branches to stop in and look at the scene before them. Kurt poked his head out from under a lightning struck tree that had a branch hanging on by how it peeled away from the main trunk.

The scene he saw was exactly what he expected and so much worse. There were five wendigo dispersed around a glade of elephant grass that had been almost completely flattened. While the large monsters were enough of a problem, there was another group of smaller…things.

Kurt tried to understand what he was seeing at first as it defied all that he knew about the negative dimensions. There were a total of eight humans, or at least former humans, milling around a low, rocky outcropping. Their skin was nearly completely black and grey, looking like a corpse had been poorly painted with tar. Their slack jaws hung lower and farther open than a human mandible should be able to extend. Then there were the dozens of needle-like teeth that reminded Kurt of some deep-sea fish.

Each of them wore what appeared to be the tattered remains of red ceremonial robes, all of them stained with the dark browns of old blood. They also appeared to be conversing somehow as they made gestures to each other while their bulging, bloodshot eyes flicked back and forth with some sort of intelligence. That proved they weren't mindless zombies at the very least, despite none of them knowing what they were looking at.

"Val can you cover me talking in the radio?" Kurt asked.

"I can do b-better than th-that." Val's mental voice sounded strained and she summoned something into her hand. Kurt recognized it as one of the batteries he had made for their armor but hadn't installed yet. "Posssss-ition the t-t-troops. I got thisssss." She flashed him one of her signature smiles that he so loved. Only problem was, this smile showed her teeth stained with blood.