Twilight of a Hybrid

by Ryan Johnson

  The girl signed. Her eyes glimmered the fires Valverno made earlier, and her hair was being blown from a soft wind coming from the cave’s darkness where light was not being shown. “I knew your memory would have been crippled. I am your half-sister, Sora; and you are my older, half-brother, Valverno, the son a god and the mother we both share: Celestreá la Mùne. And I have always hoped you would return, Elder Brother.”

  “Elder Brother?” said Marina. “What kind of story is that?”

  Sora waved her hand in the air and a small fog came from the altar: a memory showing the past. A pale image of a small six year old girl and a bigger eight year old boy with bat-like wings but with human legs were shown playing in a grass field. “This is us when we were young, Valverno,” said Sora.

  The image then transformed the two children into full grown adults. Valverno was shown on the image as well as Sora in older years than their current teenage ages. “From this day worth, you will be known as the White Knight of Charity, Sora. So when in a great depression arises, your power will be able to give gifts to people feeling alone or families feeling poor or stressed. And whenever you need or want to, transfer your power into someone else so they can carry on the tradition. When the day comes when the Shadow King arises again, the power will be transferred back to you and you will once again become a White Knight.”

  Valverno gasped at this. This girl standing before him was not just a girl claiming to be a blood related sister, but the first White Knight of Charity. His mind was seriously being overrun with numerous thoughts of his past. If he was over ten thousand years old, why couldn’t he remember this girl standing in front of him? “I’m sorry, but I don’t hold that memory in my mind, and I don’t remember you.”

  Sora signed again and placed her duel-wielding kukri knives away. “Then it is has I have feared.” said Sora. “That ritual we tried to do so many years failed, and it also erased your memories like a ghost reincarnated into a new body to start a new life and forgetting of his past life. Let me restore some of your lost memories.” Sora walked forward to Valverno and reached out an arm. Then Marina stopped in front of her and grabbed Sora’s wrist.

  “Don’t touch my husband.”

  Sora gave a small glare at the Siren. “Husband? I don’t know what your game is here, fish, but Valverno is my brother I’ve known longer than you have been with him for the past six months.” Sora spun and thrown Marina across the chamber and waved her hands and the both paralyzed Geraldus and Flarefur were magically carried into the air, if they nailed to a wall. “I am his younger sister, and he is my older brother. We both share the same mother, but we don’t share the same father. I was there when you, Valverno, were turned into an embryo by evil ghosts. And only for you to remember, someone with the same power you have will have the power to restore your memories or at least part of your memories.”

  Valverno gulped. He did learn Ralenskrit and Belverda weren’t his parents, and this girl, whose was going by the name Sora, may hold a key into his true past. He shook his head and proceeded to step forward to her. “If what you say it true, then restore my memories. But how can you? I have skin your blades cannot pierce.”

  Sora stopped no less than inches away from him. From their height, she was four inches shorter than he was. “There’s always more than one way to penetrate the strongest defensives.” Sora’s placed her thumbs on Valverno’s forehead and central chest. She softly inhaled and quickly exhaled.

  Her thumbs glowed a white-blue color similar to the color of the Crystal Sword. Sora smiled while her own hands glowed. “This will help you restore part of your memories: memories from the time we’ve spent together.”

  Valverno felt a small numbness crawling through his wings. His legs were shaking from a great sudden shock. His dragon hybrid eyes twirled in random directions. His horns moved from his head behind his ears, which had the outer edges also turned into rock solid fins. His skin was turning from human skin into more of a rough, rock-solid skin like a lizard’s skin. His chin became more pointed like a short-pointy goatee, and his hair grew slightly longer right to the length of his shoulder.

  Valverno could feel his mind stirred like eggs in a bowl. He felt a small pain erupted into his nose. His eyes were blinded by the light from Sora’s thump. Valverno felt a unique power starting to course through his arms, making his hands clutch into fists.

  After many staggering seconds of feeling strange things happening in his body, Valverno was gasping for air. He was feeling his old self retaining his same personality but his skin felt more wrinkle, if he was sitting in water for a long number of days.

  Sora removed her hands from Valverno’s head and chest, and she moved back. Then she waved her hand at Marina, Geraldus, and Flarefur. They were released from magic barriers Sora placed on them and stood up. “How you do feel now?” she asked.

  Valverno blinked twice before turning to face Sora with his eyes. His eyes flickered at her eyes. “You used to drag your arms around my neck everywhere I go and you would always relay on me to do everything for you, even that time when… when Mother used all her magic save us both from Pangaea’s destruction.”

  Sora smiled small. Valverno had remembered a bad incident with their mother and a childhood memory they both shared.

  “We both were kids, but I had the brain of a dragon adult,” continued Valverno. “You were one impossible sister to escape from. And an annoying sister always was clinging to her half, older brother.”

  Sora then jumped and swung her hands around his neck. “You remember about me now.” Quickly as she hugged, Sora ceased her grip to look at her older, half-brother who remembered her and a fragment of his past.

  “But I can’t remember what happened during my life time before you and the three other White Knights had tried to do. And I should have known Lusìvar’s followers would have infiltrated the ritual and steal parts of my physical body, my Pangaean body that’s been ripped.” Valverno looked at his hand and saw the armor he found in the Northern Region that sank into his skin and grew into his body.

  The armor he found was actually a part of his body, which meant the other two were dragon body parts and not forged armor: parts that had been stripped from his body and carried to different places on the island. He had recovered one, he was close to the second, and he was still far from recovering the third and truly recovering what power he had lost.

  The ritual Sora mentioned is what he was remembering. It was in this dark, underground chamber where the ritual was performed. His sister and three other White Knights were supposed to go into hibernation. Valverno remembered he mentioned the Shadow King would rise, and when he did, Valverno and his White Knight comrades would awaken.

  However, during the ritual that was being performed, four intruders came out of nowhere and a battle was ensured. Valverno’s last moments he was remembering his White Knights standing with barriers protecting them from harm. Then everything grew dark but he still heard and felt everything. He felt a leg, a hand, and a part of his chest ripping from his body. And then, everything went silent and he fell into a deep slumber.

  Sora’s glowing touch of her hands helped Valverno restore a part of his memories, but not everything. Thanks to Sora, Valverno remembers a few small moments in his past life that did happen ten thousand years ago, and he remembers he is the son the Crystal Dragon god, the Ruler of the Gods.

  “Er, Vaeludar?” said Marina, walking up to Valverno. “Is that still you?”

  Valverno stared at Marina.

  “I still remember my life as Vaeludar, as well as remembering my ancient life as Valverno. And I still prefer the name Valverno, if you don’t mind, Marina. I still remember marrying you and will never forget you, and we share the same cottage house at near the western beaches.”

  Marina signed of relief. She was worried about Valverno had his memories completely changed and would have fallen for the strange girl and forget all about the Siren. “And just who are you supposed to be?” asked
Marina. Marina held the shortsword at Sora’s neck.

  Valverno quickly dashed to Marina and held her arm before she could cut Sora with a big cut. “Weren’t you listening to her and me?” he asked. “She is Sora: my half-sister whom lived ten thousand years ago with me. We share the same mother, but we don’t share the same father. Now disarm yourself, Marina.”

  Marina glared at Sora who also glaring at her. Both girls were looking hostile to each other.

  Valverno pulled Marina’s shortsword away from Sora. “Look. Both of you are my family. Sora, this is Marina, a Siren I recently married; she’s my wife or mate.

  “Marina, this is Sora, my half-sister. So, both of you are sisters-in-law. And from now on, treat each other as sisters. I will not have new and old family relatives fighting over me.”

  Marina grunted and sheathed the weapon she was holding. “You remember what happened? Of your past?”

  “My memories are still vague, but I have a small portion restored,” said Valverno. “I still have more memories to be restored, and the two other armor artifacts, which happened to be parts ripped from my body, would restore the memories I have lost. And we’ll be able to find them faster if we work together than fighting each other. End this hostility you both have and work as a real family, not little girls fighting the same man’s love.”

  “Ok,” said Sora.

  “Whatever you say,” said Marina.

  Both girls did as Valverno said, but they were sharing hostility with each other. As of now, they did as they were told and would work with Valverno instead of fighting over him.

  “Okay, since that settlement is out of the way,” said Geraldus, “Let’s get going.” Before Geraldus took his first step to anywhere he walked to Sora. “I am Geraldus. I raised Valverno since his… rebirth.”

  Sora bowed her head to Geraldus. “I am Sora, half-sister of Valverno. I want to join with you people and my brother on his quest,” said Sora. She stood back up, tall and straight like a strong-willed, loyal soldier. I won’t take no for an answer, and I can be determined, if I am rejected from this group.”

  Valverno smiled at his sister’s attitude. “Always strong-will and persistent when it comes to these types of adventures. Alright, welcome to our group, Sora. It will be just like old times, my sister.”

  Sora nodded and walked to a dark hole not touched by Valverno’s floating torches. She sniffed the air and looked back at the group. “I believe this is the way to recovering what was stolen from you.” Sora turned around and walked into the tunnel she found and showed to the people and the Griffin behind her.

  Valverno followed after her, but Marina swooped in front of him. “What do you think you are doing?” she asked, hastily. “What if she is a servant of Lusìvar?”

  “And what is making you not to trust her, Marina?” asked Valverno. “I’ve learned something about my past, and she did manage to easily beat you, along with Flarefur and Geraldus. Right now I’m willing to take anyone who personally know me, able to fight solo, or is a White Knight. Sora revealed a lot of things to us, and she is a relative if mine.”

  “I don’t care if she is your cousin. I don’t want you falling for another woman.”

  Valverno flinched his eyes. He had no idea Marina didn’t fully understand the concept of love. Marina had been living with the king for five years, and she didn’t know the many forms of love there are. Valverno was noticing Marina only knew about the love shared between husband and wife, and not love shared between brother and sister. It would seem he was going have to explain more of the concept of love humans has.

  Before Valverno could open his mouth, Geraldus strolled in front of Valverno. “Marina, it is forbidden for a man to marry two women, and it is also forbidden for a brother to have such a thing for a sister. You must cast aside your jealousy and let loose of this female stranger.

  “If she and he agree the know each other, and if she is a White Knight, then we must accept her as is.” Such true words spoken from a true man. Geraldus had the mind of a fully experienced man who had his shares of certain adventures. He was acting like a father since he raised Valverno, and Marina is now considered to be Geraldus’s daughter-in-law.

  “It’s not hateful feelings,” argued Marina. “It’s the trusting part. She appeared from nowhere, and she is part of this group in seconds. She’s a complete stranger to us. Why should we let her join us? Once our backs are turned, she will kill us and make him her mate. She will betray us all.”

  “I’ll never betray you, Elder Brother,” said Sora’s voice.

  Everyone turned to see Sora standing in the front of the tunnel. She moved a sleeve on her upper arm all the way to her shoulder. She pulled her sleeve to show her entire arm to them. She pointed a finger at a tattoo of a strange symbol.

  A flower with snake’s teeth as pedals, a unicorn’s horn as the stem, and human eyes as roots was Sora’s tattoo. “This mark you see is a mark of an oath. A mark made by the gods. I have an oath not to betray Valverno. If I ever did, then—”

  “Then the mark would transform into a curse, becoming shrouded in a swelling pain of many bee stings stung in one same spot, and eventually become a poison and kill its oath breaker,” interrupted Valverno. “The mark is called Oathkeeper of Great Depression; a magic spell that serves as a curse. If any one dares in betraying someone and she or he has the mark, it would react immediately and kill the betrayer.” Valverno walked up to Sora and touched the mark on her shoulder. “And I was the one who told you not to take the oath because your fate is now in the hands of the gods.”

  Marina crutched her eyes at the site of Valverno touching another female being than her. she tried to hide her jealous eyes, but she can’t help but see her husband with another girl. She wanted to tear through Sora so badly; she was feeling like Sirens told in tales depicting them as monsters. If Marina did that in front of the hybrid, he would cast her aside, something she feared of. Marina had little choice in the matter, so it would be simpler for everyone if she accepted Sora as her sister-in-law and the sister of Valverno.

  Valverno removed his hand from Sora’s shoulder and looked at her. “Sora, I never wanted you to take that oath in the first place, but you had taken such a dangerous oath.”

  “That’s the point, Valverno,” said Sora. “I need to make sure who my leader is and who he is fighting for. I need to be sure I am fighting you. I don’t want to be fighting for someone else. You are the son the Ruler of Gods, making you Prince of the Gods. You outrank all kings, queens, princes, princesses, emperors, rulers, and all royal titles there are. You outrank all the royalty in this world combined; therefore you are the true ruler of every acre of land and sea.”

  “Alright, since you’re here, you’re going have to make do with evolved beings.”

  Sora looked passed Valverno’s wings and looked at the three creatures behind him. “Teaming with these… young people. A human? A Siren? And a Griffin? Isn’t that just enchanting? My brother and I are surrounded by evolved primitives.”

  “Just who are you calling primitives?” snarled Flarefur. The Griffin felt insulted of the word “primitives”, for it was a word used for animals and creatures that thrive but don’t have human intelligence. Next to him, Marina and Geraldus had annoyed faces of the word itself.

  Valverno walked to Geraldus, Marina, and Flarefur. “Back in the day, ten thousand years ago the creatures of today were something else. Humans were shorter and lived in caves. Griffins were smaller than today, about the size of an eagle. And Sirens were also small, small as fish, but they looked like human babies swimming around in the sea.

  “Ten thousand years have evolved all the creatures from that time today’s standards. All living beings today had evolved from some point they couldn’t count high as a rock or take their first steps on land ten thousand years ago. During that timeframe, you all evolved from the lowest intelligent creatures to the most dominant species of today.”

  The three then stood down the hostili
ty. “Out of curiosity,” said Geraldus, “What was the dominate species ten thousand years ago.”

  “They were called Elves,” said Sora. “There were also Sorcerers, Witches, Warlocks, and small, ugly warriors called Goblins, which grew into Hobgoblins.

  “Basically they all like you: human but more distinctive appearances than humans of today. The species were all mixed, sharing lands with other species like todays: humans sharing your land with these Griffins, Sirens, and Dragons.

  “But unlike today, everyone was a magic user, including the mother Valverno and I have been born. But all of those species are long gone: they died when Pangaea was destroyed.”

  “How about we share the stories of evolution later and focus on finding my leg fragment before we get distracted by another obstacle?” asked Valverno. He walked to the tunnel passed Sora. “You said this was the way?”

  “Yes,” said Sora.

  Valverno gazed at Geraldus, Marina, and Flarefur before walking into the dark tunnel and being followed by his younger, half-sister. Then the brother and sister were followed the Siren, the Griffin, and the human as they descended into the dark tunnel, with the torches fading and Valverno creating more with his hands to light the way.

  UNDERGROUND

  The group descended deep into the dark tunnel. They walked downward like walking on a hill falling under a narrow angle. There would be stairs merging with long hallways before they were more stairs again. The dark tunnel had many turns and sharp, narrow edges to cut through. Valverno used his claws to dig away to make more room to maneuver. He scratched through the hard rock if it was liquidly claw. With his digging skills, the group walked through the enlarged tunnel.

  The tunnel was dark and dankly. The air was thin and hardly breathable, so the group had to walk slower. The group was clearly walking in a straight line than drifting downward like an alleyway than a stairway.

  Ahead of them, Valverno and Sora led the way. Valverno told her of his adventures to the Northern Region. He talked about how he faced lots of creatures and a Dragon with five heads. He told her everything there was to know of these adventures that happened in the past half a year.