“You’re a filthy hybrid!” Arriana accused.

  Myra stood and breathed in deeply. “I’m human,” she said.

  “Codswallop! No human can use elemental powers let alone two!”

  “I don’t understand it either,” she said, gazing at the pterodactyl in amazement.

  My mind was still spinning. Little mousy Myra took on a pterodactyl to rescue her worst enemy, who was accusing her of being a hybrid. Myra was a human right? Then what was that? She used two elements in tandem. Could she combine those two elements and get something else? Was that why the hybrids were truly feared? They had far more ability than normal Kin? And Myra? Was she a hybrid? Was I? I didn’t know but my memories were leading me to that conclusion. Arriana went to grab Myra’s hair but flames sprung into being stopping Arriana who retracted her hand before it could be singed.

  “Filthy hybrid! Release your ability!” she screamed.

  “Not if you’re going to manhandle me and I don’t know how. It sprung out on its own,” Myra said shrugging.

  That wasn’t right. I had control of my ability. Shouldn’t she have control of hers?

  A swirl of wind around her gave me that answer as it pushed Arriana farther away.

  “Seems like my elements don’t like you,” Myra said then froze and paled. She gulped and resumed her nonchalant demeanor but I saw her moment of weakness and like a shark drawn to blood, I was drawn to it. I didn’t point it out as I would have done before. Instead, I kept quiet and watched as Myra became sullen in her demeanor as if something heavy was weighing on her. She seemed to almost droop from whatever it was.

  I was curious to know what it was but I knew that Myra still didn’t trust me completely and why should she? I haven’t been friends with her for a week yet! The truce had stood for less than that and it didn’t help matters that I kept my change from the others. I knew now that it wasn’t about being a hybrid. You simply had to show two abilities to be named one. I only had one ability so far.

  “Arriana, Myra, and I don’t belong in this world. We choose Earth,” I said gazing at Myra who was nodding.

  Arriana smirked. “We can’t let a filthy hybrid free! She’s going into slavery as soon as we arrive in Saphiros.”

  Myra sighed. “Then this is goodbye. We aren’t going to Saphiros. We want to get home and we’ll find the way however we can,” she said, stepping away from the group.

  “I’m with Myra,” I said joining her.

  “You can’t! You’re Kin. If you get caught with an illegal hybrid they’ll kill you!” Arriana cried. She was genuinely worried for me.

  I shrugged. “I’ve done worse,” I muttered, and Myra gave me a look. I smirked and winked. I have done illegal things, but traveling to a magical land with someone I used to bully does take the cake. Still, I wasn’t telling Myra that!

  A sudden swirl of fire appeared in the middle of the camp. It took the form of a beautiful redhead and a built black-haired male. Arriana swept into a bow as did the rest of the group.

  “So these are the other worlders,” the woman said running a hand through her short hair.

  “Yes, mother. A kin and a filthy hybrid! They plan to leave and refuse to meet the council,” said Arriana.

  “Hey! You said you would put me in slavery and not let me go home,” said Myra crossing her arms. “That’s all we want...to go home...to Earth.”

  “We can’t let a hybrid free,” said the woman.

  “If that’s your answer then nice knowing you,” Myra said glaring at the woman.

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  The woman smirked and made a fireball. “You can’t run from me, I command the fire brigade and I’m a councilwoman. You wouldn’t get far,” she said.

  “We can try,” Myra said walking backward and bumping into me. She glanced at me and I nodded. We turned around and began dashing out of there. I was told never to turn my back on an enemy but this was necessary. We couldn’t run facing that councilwoman. A warm sensation passed by us and then a firewall rose before us. Water rose from Myra’s outstretched arm and the fire was put out.

  “Keep running,” she said jumping a log and dashing straight through another firewall. I couldn’t do that! I had wind, not water. So did she! Where did the water come from? I trusted her and ran straight through the firewall. Water covered me and banked the fire.

  Huh?

  I thought she couldn’t control her abilities. We kept running through firewalls til we came to a gully where the only thing around was a tree. Myra smirked and jumped the gully using her wind ability to float across. I followed her. We landed in tandem and kept running sure that the councilwoman was far behind us. Laughter disapproved of that fact as the councilwoman appeared in front of us.

  “Myra! I’m going to do something scary,” I said.

  “What’s that,” she asked.

  I grinned and dissipated into the shadows before reappearing beside her and picking her up. “Here we go,” I said doing it again. The world looked technicolor from the shadows and I bypassed the councilwoman who shrieked much like her daughter.

  I didn’t know how long I traveled like that but I was getting tired. I reemerged into the real world and gasped when everything took on a green hue. Am I becoming colorblind? I heard a gasp and felt Myra’s hands on my face.

  “Jonah, your eyes! They’re becoming worse,” she said.

  “Yeah, I think I’m becoming colorblind,” I said shrugging.

  She smacked my shoulder and it stung. “This isn’t a joke! You shouldn’t go into the shadows again…”

  “It came in mighty useful,” I cut in shaking my bangs into my eyes to hide them.

  “Unless it’s inevitable,” she finished.

  I put her down and she walked slightly ahead searching for any sign of the councilwoman.

  “She won’t be showing,” I said walking ahead. I strained my super hearing but I heard nothing. We were in the clear. Now, where in hell were we? I didn’t know. We didn't have any provisions and those things were out here still.

  Myra wasn’t helpless but I had a feeling her change wasn’t without its downfall and it would be deadly. She wasn’t a Kin. She was different. How different remained to be seen.

  We traveled the forests coming upon a small brook. We took turns drinking water. That at least was solved and so was our direction. There was bound to be a village near a water source. It was the law of life and the Kin aren't that different in bodies from humans. They needed food and water to survive. We decided that Myra would play my slave when in a village.

  First, we had to get different clothes though. We stood out in our jeans and shirts. We would keep the footwear as we didn’t know how long we had to trek for an oracle and it could be a long time. We weren’t used to sandals. Myra hoped that footwear wouldn’t be our downfall. As the evening began to fall, we came upon an abandoned home.

  “Either whatever luck god is shining down on us or…”

  “It's a trap,” Myra finished gazing at the lonely cottage. “Should we risk it?” she asked me crossing her arms.

  “Hmm, we got away from that crazy firewoman a few hours ago. She couldn’t have traced us that fast,” I said running a hand through my tangled hair. I scowled and began to unknot my hair. I hated tangled hair.

  You’re right but we don’t know much about their runes system. They could have an alarm system or a broadcast system out on us,” she said biting her lip.

  I sighed. “Well, do you want me to use my shadows and check it out? It's a necessity,” I said combing my claws through my hair and getting frustrated with every knot I seemed to keep finding.

  “Alright, but be back in ten! If it's a trap we need to vamoose,” she said.

  I nodded and stepped into a tree’s shadow dissipating into the shadow realm. I snuck into the cabin and searched it. I came upon some fireguards drinking. Damn! It was a trap. Oh well, there would be other opportunities...actually, I could steal us some clothes now!

  I snuck past the guards and went into the bedrooms where a bunch of clothes in our sizes had been left. I snagged two pairs of pants, a shirt, and a dress for Myra. She wouldn’t be happy but hopefully, the pants would mollify her. I snuck out the window with the clothes. Basic breaking and entering. Don’t use the same way you came in and watch out for fingerprints. At least I didn’t have to watch out for that rule here. I did shut the window and scamper back to Myra.

  She was pacing and watching her watch. I smirked and rematerialized.

  “I got us some digs,” I said from behind and Myra jumped in the air before floating back down.

  “Don’t do that,” she said and looked at my handful of clothes. She spotted the periwinkle dress and groaned. “A dress? Seriously? These people live in colonial times,” she muttered. I smirked and chuckled showing her the cotton pants I stole for her.

  “Wear these under,” I said.

  “Thanks!” She hugged me. She did that a lot. I wasn’t used to it and felt uncomfortable.

  “Ok! I get it. Go on and change. We can hide our clothes in the piece of silk I stole. I know runes and I have a felt tip marker that actually works,” I said smirking.

  “Any ink works?” she asked changing behind some trees. I turned around and caught sight of a leg. I blushed and turned again. I wasn’t that much of a bastard! She came out wearing the dress. It was a v-neckline and showed some skin but it wasn’t overly revealing. It was a simple design and it flattered Myra perfectly. From chest to hips, it was loose then a thin belt tied at the waist forming the dress along her waist and hips.

  It was eye-catching blue, periwinkle blue. It had long sleeves that ended in white cuffs. I looked at her feet and spotted the boots. They went well with the dress. I knew it was going to get us into trouble. She held her folded clothes close to her chest.

  “Ok, your turn,” she said and I nodded grateful to her for breaking off my stare. It was making both of us uncomfortable. I changed and piled my clothes in a big mess. I came back and now it was her staring and me in an uncomfortable position.

  She pointed her finger at my clothes. “Give me those,” she said. I did and she folded them in neat piles like hers. I got out the felt tip marker and started drawing the runes. We didn’t have any Saphron amulets and I forgot to steal some but I knew the chant for this.

  “Open the door with no key,” I muttered and the silk started glowing. I placed the clothes inside the dimensional warp. “Closed is the gate,” I said and the silk stopped shimmering. I tied my hair back with it and smirked.

  “Not bad. Don’t lose it,” she said.

  “I won’t. You can learn runes ya know. It was invented by humans to beat the dark elves. That’s as far as I’ve gotten in my memories anyway,” I said walking over to her.

  Yeah, hey, you can teach me right?”

  “Of course! Come on we gotta find some food,” I said, starting to walk down the trail from the woods. If there was a cabin there were probably other cabins and maybe one of them was abandoned with food. I could dream and maybe our luck wouldn’t be so crummy next time.