Outcast by my kind

[TheSongOfTheStars]

chapter 1
I ran towards the door dodging and swerving; I had all but perfected the art of getting to the front door without being hit.
"Get back here!" I heard my mother scream.
I heard the another object whistle through the air and slammed the door close. Glass shattered on the other side followed by more screaming. My bare feet pounded down the concrete sidewalk to the open garage. I grabbed my bike handle bars and bent down to slip the kick-stand into my make-shift leather loop.
I heard the door open and slam.
It was no problem. My strong legs pedaled for my life. I whipped out of the garage and onto the street.
My bike flew down the badly paved road. I twisted the handle bars to the left and bounced onto the dirt. The tears were whipped from my face as soon as they left the corners of my eyes. It wasn't fair...any of it.
The evening sun sank low in the sky, it would soon give way to the moon.
The hard packed dirt beneath my bike wheels turned to sand in an instant and I had to push the bike through the sandy wash.
The trees where dead and burnt from the fire that had ruined everything. A mocking crow lifted its head and cawed at me. The noise was like a slap in the face... It hurt.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," I muttered through angrily clenched teeth. The crow laughed again.
Without thinking I let go the bike, snatched a stone, and hurled it at the crow "That's a lie!" I shouted into the silver moonlight.
The crow flew off, still laughing.
I sighed and kicked at the sand. In a few moments I steered the bike up a small hill and was able to ride again.
The moon had risen and painted everything an eerie silver-grey. The wind rustled the dry grass; it made a sound like an angry snake ready to strike. It was always in these minutes that the world felt the most unforgiving.
I sighed and rolled my bike into the tall yellow-grey grass. I'd walk the rest of the way.
Slowly I mounted the hill. My bare feet following the path I had taken so many times in the bright day that they knew the way, even in the deceptive moon shadows. I climbed slowly behind the rough mesquite walls and pulled on the horse-hair blanket I kept there for times like this.
A coyote struck up a lonesome howling. The wild and familiar noise calmed my angered heart. In a few minutes I drifted into a dark and protective world.
chapter 2
The day dawned grey and cloudy. Fitting. I didn't want to go back to my "home" I was too scared and I didn't want to stay out in my fort. At least I wouldn't be out in the full blaze of the sun.
I stood slowly, I had retreated to my desert fort many times, but never spent the night out in it.
My stomach rumbled loudly.
"Oh be quiet," I muttered. Too many long hours out-side and by myself; I'd developed a habit of talking to myself.
I laughed aloud "I'm the only the person I like to talk to!" a soft yap emanated from the grass.
"Accepting you Merlin," I called to the my strange coyote friend.
Slowly he slunk out towards me, golden eyes shining brightly.
"How ya doing?" I asked him.
"mmm" he whined softly.
"I feel the same," I bent down to stroke his dirty yellow fur. Slowly I bent to my knees and curled my arms around his ruffed neck.
I don't know how long I stayed that way, pressed against his side. The closest one I had to a friend.
Suddenly Merlin's ears pricked up and I felt him stiffen.
"What is it? What's the matter?" I asked.
Merlin bounded away into the grass. I stood and stared around.
A loud hacking noise caught my ears.
"A helicopter?" I wondered "But who..." a sick feeling seeped into my stomach. They where looking for me!
The last thing I needed was for my fort to be found. My heels dug into the loose and sandy soil, my arms and legs pounded up an down, I looked through the grass desperately. Where was my bike?
"THERE!!" A loud voice came over a mega-phone.
I spun on my heels. A Border patrol car raced towards me.

CHAPTER 3
I was too scared to move. The only thing I could think was "This must be how deer feel when their caught in the headlights."
"Sola!" I flinched at my mother's voice, she was angry.
"Oh Sola how could you? You ran off for an entire night! You are in very big trouble young lady!"
She reached out to grab my arm. Automatically I cowered back.
"Mam is there any reason why your daughter would run?" a man asked
I blinked... How on earth did the sheriff get involved with this?
"No not any that I can think of." yeah right I lifted my head slowly and tucked my black hair behind my ears.
The sheriff recoiled a step "Mam how did you daughter receive that long scar on her face?"
My mother's face went red as she shot my a glare. She opened her mouth to speak, it would be more lies.
"She threw a steak knife at me!!" I screamed and sprinted out of my mother's reach.
"Brat!! Lies! Ungrateful retch!" My mother shrieked hysterically.
"Mam? Please may"
"She a..." My mother trailed off into some unprintable words. The sheriff rubbed his forehead despairingly.
My Mother stopped her rant snatched at me. I tried to pull away.
A dirty yellow form bounded towards me
"MERLIN!!!" I screamed.
A gunshot rang out and Merlin dropped mid bound.
I wrest myself from my mother and ran towards my friend. The shot was fatal, Merlin was dying.
His golden eyes where glazing over and his breath was ragged and shallow.
"Merlin," I sobbed and buried my face in his side.
"Hush child." The voice was soft and ragged. I sat up straight, my eyes wide with disbelief "Merlin?" I squeaked
"Yes," my coyote friend was talking "Not much time young one, find the collar around my neck," My hand reached through his fur until I found it
"Good," Merlin's voice was fading "now put it on."

CHAPTER 4
"Sola put that dirty thing down now," My mother hissed.
I eased the collar over Merlin's head and gripped it in my hand.
"Sola..."
I stood and faced my mother defiantly "NO!" I howled and pulled the collar over my head.
Lights began to flash in time to loud crackling noises. I could hear my mother screaming. Then a loud snap and darkness.
I had the sensation of floating or ... falling? Fear twisted in my stomach and I could hardly breath... couldn't breath at all! It felt as though something as constricting my lungs. Couldn't breath, couldn't scream, couldn't see, could barely think....
A quiet rumble sounded and I was dropped onto a hard surface. I crouched there fearfully, not daring to look up.
I heard a quiet crunching noise; I strained my ears to listen to it. After a minute I realized the foot steps where coming nearer. I also realized there was something very very wrong with the steps, they where very light and placed very close together.
They stopped several yards away from me. Still terrified I didn't look up.
"I don't like it Terro, Merlin should've been here hours ago," the voice was low, purring and hard to hear but I thought it might be a girl's voice
The person who replied was unmistakably a man "I don't like it either Crispa, its not like him at all to be late"
A third voice definitely a girl piped up "Oh I hope he's ok."
The first again... Apparently Crispa"It's because he has been messing around with that human child; humans don't like coyotes, especially ones near their young..."
Third "You don't think that they...."
The second one... Terro? "Do you smell that?"
Crispa and the third spoke together "Smell what?"
A deep sniff "Human."
"Where?" asked the third.
"Close, Beta see if you can find it."
The was silence for a few seconds. Then a high pitched scream rang out in my ear. I jumped back in fright.
A brown bat ranked it's claws at my face as it let out the high pitched screams every few seconds.
Feet pounded "Beta get over here!"
The bat flew away from me.
Still shaking I stood and turned towards the voice.

CHAPTER 5
He was tall and had a cocky look to him. He would have been good looking except for the indescribably angry look on his face. A small cat stood twined around his legs. The bat hovered inches from his head.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he growled.
I opened my mouth but not words came out.
His face grew even angrier "I asked you a question and I expect an answer."
"I-I-I....."
He walked over to me and grabbed my arm "Stand up."
He pulled me up effortlessly.
Merlin's color dangled loosely around my neck.
I could feel every eye fasten onto my neck. I closed my eyes.
"Where...did...you..get..that," It was Crispa's voice.
I opened my eyes.
Where that cat had been now stood a tall human adult. She glowered at me from incredibly blue eyes.
"Merlin gave it to me," I croaked.
A loud screech sounded from the bat. It began contorting itself.
My eyes widened as it went from bat to human

CHAPTER 6

"W-what are y-y-ou?" I stuttered.
"Shifters," Terro growled.
Crispa's eyes bored into me "She should be able to do it too, If Merlin really gave her his powers."
Terro stared at me expectantly "Well do it."
"Do what?" I whimpered.
"Shift!" He barked.
"I-I don't know how."
Crispa shrugged "That proves she stole it," Long claws replaced her finger-nails "Lets just get rid of her."
I screamed as she stepped towards me.
"Crispa!" Beta caught her hand "You couldn't shift when you first tried."
Crispa shot her a look of pure anger.
Terro sighed "Well then we'll have to teach her something and then see if she can. If she still can't, Crispa, you can kill her."
Beta came a few feet closer to me. Her face held none of the anger or hate the other two did, just a calm serenity.
I flinched as her hand touched mine.
"I'm not going to hurt you," She murmured softly, her hand curled around mine slowly. She stood and drew me up with her.
"I'll teach her since you two aren't the best teachers," She stated matter-a-factually.
"Your just setting yourself up for heart-break," Terro warned.
"Heart-break or heart failure," Crispa muttered darkly.
Beta ignored them and began leading me away "Are you hungry?" she asked.
I nodded wordlessly, still trying to digest all the information that had been thrown at me.
"Well I have some bread and water," She produced the food from a bag slung over her shoulder and handed it to me.
I took it "Thanks," I whispered and sat down to eat it

CHAPTER 7

"Focus everything into it, imagine yourself changing," Beta encouraged me.
I screwed my eyes shut and tried to imagine myself morphing into a wolf. I stayed that way for at least ten minutes. Every muscle tense and my head was beginning to pound.
"No, no, no. Your too tense! Completely relax," Beta instructed.
I fell over.
Gravel crunched and Crispa walked over to us in human form, she wore a smug grin "Any luck yet?"
Beta sighed "Not yet."
Crispa stalked over to me. That was enough to bring me shooting to my feet.
Crispa rolled her eyes "I'm not going to kill you... Yet."
I backed several feet away.
Crispa advanced.
"Stop it Crispa! Your only making it worse!" Beta pleaded.
Crispa stomped off muttering.
Shaking I sat down. Beta sat next to me.
"What did I do to her?" I asked plaintively.
Beta sighed "You see Terro, Crispa, and I are all animals who can shift into human form. So was Merlin. That is the way it has been for thousands of years. Only once has a human been able to shift into an animal. And he... well it was not good."
Understanding begin to glimmer "Their afraid that I'll be the same?"
Beta nodded.
I sighed and laid flat on my back, my eyes closed, and i began to think. At first everything in my mind was a swirl, then shapes began to form. It was me standing, then I began to run, leaped into the air, and shifted. When I landed I was a coyote. My coat glistened black and my scar stood out like a bolt of lightning.
Beta gasped loudly.
I opened my eyes and stood. On all fours.
Beta's face glowed "You did it! You did it! She did it! Crispa! Terro!"
I took several stumbling paces around. Getting the feel of having four feet.
Terro and Crispa came running in their animal forms. I noted with small surprise that Terro took the form of a rusty red fox.
Terro glanced me over with appraising eyes. Slowly he smiled and nodded "Good.. very good."
Crispa let out a shriek "But..but!!!"
Terro shoulder-shoved her "Stow it."
Then he looked to me "Well then, we'd better start explaining everything."

CHAPTER 8

"You see," he began "In this world Shape-shifters are beings that can change between two forms, Like Crispa here can be any where between human and cat but nothing else, there are also animal spirits that have two strict forms, and," his voice dropped " Changelings that can become anything they wish. Long ago they ruled this land, but then they became corrupted and became tyrants. They used shadow beasts to do their bidding's and none dared to oppose them... for a while. Then somewhere and how, four elemental beings came and suppressed the shadows beasts and threw down the Changelings.
But that was all very long ago and the shadow beasts have resurfaced and rumors of Changelings are spreading."
A sick feeling twisted in my gut, this was like one of those old novels my dad used to read to me "And we have to stop them?"
Gravely, Terro nodded.
I sighed, I didn't have much hope for the real life back at home... so... there wasn't much debate about trying to go back home.
Beta seemed to take my hesitation for fear "We won't make you help us, if you don't want to. If you want to go home we can take you."
"No!" I shouted surprising them all "I-I mean no, I want to stay."
Beta smiled delightedly at me, Crispa scowled at me, and Terro had an unreadable look on his face.
"Why don't we work on coordination with your wolf form?" Beta suggested.
I had no idea what that meant but nodded.
I spent the rest of that day running, jumping, falling, stumbling, and generally getting used to having two forms

[TheSongOfTheStars]

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[TheSongOfTheStars]

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