The Hybrid Mage: Of Ember and Claw

The first thing I noticed was the chill of the water.

My body ached as I moved slightly, the stream's gentle current lapping against my legs. I was lying on the bank, half-submerged, with the cool rush of water sliding over my arms. My clothes-or what little remained of them-clung to my skin, heavy with moisture.

I forced myself upright, trembling. The water had washed away most of the filth from my body, but faint streaks of red lingered on my skin. My heart sank as I stared at the stains, the metallic smell of blood clinging faintly to the air.

This wasn't the first time I'd woken like this.

It was always like this.

The beast inside me would pull me into the dark void at the back of my mind-a suffocating, empty space where I couldn't see, hear, or feel anything. She always took over when her hunger grew too strong, shutting me away until she was satisfied.

When I woke, she was gone, and I was left to deal with the aftermath.

I splashed water over my arms and legs, scrubbing at the faint stains until my skin stung. The stream's current carried away the evidence, but the sinking feeling in my chest remained.

'It's not what it looks like,' I told myself. 'She only hunts animals. She's done this before, just rabbits or deer.'

But flashes of memory flickered in my mind, so sudden they felt like blows.

A sharp cry.

A figure falling to the ground.

Terrified eyes staring back at me.

"No," I muttered aloud, shaking my head. "That's not real. It can't be real."

'The beast only hunts animals,' I reminded myself again. 'She's never . . .'

But the more I tried to push the memories away, the more they pressed in. The sound of ripping fabric. A woman's voice, pleading. My own claws slashing through something soft.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my hands trembling. "It's not real," I whispered. "It's not real."

But one name surfaced in my mind, clear as day.

Elaine.

She was the timber merchant's daughter, the one who worked at the shop next to my father's forge. I didn't know her well, but she always smiled at me in passing.

'Could the beast have . . . ?'

"No!" I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest. The idea was unthinkable, impossible. She wouldn't kill a person. She wouldn't.

'Would she?'

I staggered to my feet, my clothes dripping onto the riverbank. My reflection in the water was pale, my eyes wide and haunted. The beast's energy still hummed faintly in my veins, urging me to move. To run.

I didn't know why, but I felt it-danger.

The faint sound of voices reached my ears, distant but growing louder.

"Spread out!" a man shouted. "The killer couldn't have gone far!" His thick voice was filled with rage, causing my heart to race.

Panic gripped me.

I didn't need to hear more to understand. Someone had been killed tonight, and the villagers were searching for whoever-or whatever-was responsible.

I stumbled forward, my feet slipping on the muddy bank. My legs felt weak, but the beast stirred within, and my pace quickened. I ran faster than any human should, the beast lending me her strength despite the chaos I feared she'd caused.

The trees loomed ahead, their shadows stretching like long fingers in the moonlight. If I could reach the forest, I could lose them.

'DON'T STOP RUNNING,' the beast's voice urged in my mind.

A spark of adrenaline surged through me, and I sprinted faster toward the treeline.

The forest was darker than I expected, the canopy above blotting out the moon, but the beast Instincts heightened my vision. My senses were likewise sharpened as I moved frantically in search of a place to hide, the damp earth cool beneath my bare feet. Every sound seemed louder in the quiet-my breathing, the crunch of leaves, even the distant shouts behind me that had me thinking hard.

'I can't let them catch me,' I thought, my heart racing.

The beast's memories flashed again. A clawed hand. A scream cut short. Blood splattering the ground.

"No," I whispered. "It's not real."

A rustling sound made me pause. My head whipped around, scanning the underbrush. My enhanced vision picked out a small grey rabbit hopping through the shadows. Its moonstone eyes locked on mine for a moment, and a strange calm washed over me.

The rabbit twitched its nose, then darted away, vanishing into the bushes.

I swallowed hard, turning my focus back to the path ahead. The villagers' voices were growing fainter now, but I couldn't stop. I had to keep moving.

Then, I heard it-a soft growl behind me.

I spun around, my breath catching in my throat.

Two piercing yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, fixed on me. A massive figure stepped into view, its bloodstained fur gleaming faintly in the moonlight.

A werewolf.

'What is a werewolf doing here . . . in human territory?'

The beast within me moved unpleasantly, her energy crackling like static. I took a shaky step back, but the werewolf growled low, its claws glinting as it moved closer.

"Stay back," I whispered, my voice trembling.

It didn't listen.

I collapsed, warm liquid trickling down my legs as fear stole any control I had of my bladder. 'No . . . this can't be happening . . .'

A woman's voice echoed in the distance. "The forest! It went into the forest!"

The werewolf growled as it looked away from me, its massive frame radiating a feral energy that made my heart slam my ribcage without mercy.

"You all would be the ones to suffer if we don't catch the killer tonight!" The enraged man's voice sounded closer this time.

The werewolf's ears twitched on hearing him, and with a powerful leap, it disappeared into the trees, leaving me frozen in place.

"MOVE!"

The beast's voice roared in my mind, jolting me back to reality. My legs wobbled beneath me, but I forced myself forward, adrenaline surging through my veins.

I stumbled at first, then broke into a desperate run, the forest blurring around me. My senses were still heightened, every sound and scent amplified as I raced deeper into the shadows.

Just as I found a rhythm, a voice pierced the silence: "I see someone! I see a girl!"

"No-no-no . . ." I muttered, panic setting in.

A hand grabbed hold of my mouth and yanked me away, silencing my cry as I was pulled into the shadows.