The Healer Series

The Human Hybrids were weary and anxious to return to the quiet of Fort Warrior. They boarded the ships and steamed out of Darwin Harbor, at last, on their final leg home. As the ships steamed into Cairns Harbor, the entire population was there to greet them. Knowing that their beloved Warriors were weary, the people let the children go forward to greet them. As weary as they were, every warrior had several children attending them and smiles on their faces. They were HOME! As they trooped down the gangways, they were met by smiling Arundel Warriors, leading the children to greet them. By the time they entered the confines of Fort Warrior, they were nearly healed. An innocent child's hug or kiss was a magical restorative.

Slowly, the Hybrid Warriors and the Healers restored their bodies and souls they had expended on their long journey to rescue the folk of the British Isles. In a large part, it was the children who restored these wondrous beings, a single hug or a kiss of a small child was balm to body and spirit.

Bil and Set told their fathers of the focused energy supplied them by their Cadets, Alf and Far. After much discussion, the two young Great Healers were advised to follow their hearts in the matter.

They went out into the courtyard to ponder what their course of action should be.

There, the story teller, Ging-Li was sitting in the protective shade, telling the small children tales of the early days of the Human Hybrid kind. The children sat entranced at the tale of young Herder Boys being transformed into Human Hybrid Warriors by Lord Roger and his companion, Lord Little Bear.

Suddenly, two glowing balls of light appeared to Bil and Set, they heard in their minds, "Do what your heart tells you, Alf and Far are in your future."

Bil and Set jumped up as the two balls of light began to fade, "Wait, come back ..."

They heard, "We will come again to you, when it is necessary."

The glowing balls disappeared, leaving them with a great sense of loss.

They looked at each other, knowing what they must do. They told their Fathers of their decision and then went to collect Alf and Far.

The two boys were waiting for them, "We heard in our minds that we were to await you here, that it is time."

They hugged the two boys and then led them to their room to sit vigil during their time of change.

On the 7th day Alf and Far awoke and hugged Bil and Set, calling them both, Daddy!

They led the two new Great Healers out, into the common room, where all the Great Healers waited to meet their new brethren. Teddy and Tong-Fu were also waiting as the two dropped to their knees and pledged their oath.

They then turned to Bil and Set and pledged their fealty to them personally.

Two Arundel boys came to Alf and Far, asking to be made their cadets.

They asked their fathers and also asked Ton and Kal what they should do.

Both told them to "Follow their hearts in the matter".

In the presence of all the Great Healers, Alf and Far accepted Arrow and Stick as their Red Beret Cadets. Arrow and Stick were the healed grandsons of the High Chief of the Arundel and, before the morning was out, the drums began their message, "GRANDSONS OF THE HIGH CHIEF APPOINTED CADETS TO GREAT HEALERS ALF AND FAR".

The High Chief and his wife were beaming in pride at the honor paid to their Grandsons and also to their people. They were the first of their folk to become associated with any of the Hybrid Warrior kind.

During their first session of healing, Alf and Far found their cadets to be disciplined and their energy focus was strong and unwavering.

Ton and Kal were observing, unseen and saw the great potential in the two new cadets, they would be Great Healers in the near future!

Their test came very soon, the express train from Sydney derailed on its way to Cairns, carrying school children on an outing to the Great Barrier Reef. The call came in via mind send of the tragedy.

L'oki and Lymal called out all the Healers, "CHILDREN WERE HURT!"

The Healers and Great Healers shifted to their Flyers and raced to the scene, Warriors volunteered to carry the Cadets that they might assist their Healers!

More Warriors joined to extract the wounded children from the wreckage and carry them to the makeshift treatment center set up alongside the tracks.

The Healers worked frantically to save the children, Cadets, near overload in horror, routed the injured children according to their needs.

Arrow and Stick were faced with their first tragedy as they brought two horribly mangled children, a boy and his sister, to Alf and Far. They stood there, waiting in attendance to their Great Healers as Alf and Far began healing, they called Meld to their Cadets and Stick and Arrow began feeding life energy to the two Great Healers.

Slowly, the mangled bodies straightened and life threatening wounds closed, then healed. Soon, the two children were sleeping peacefully and two Warriors carried them to beds in nearby tents.

Stick and Arrow brought two more victims, both boys, horribly burned. The two Cadets had tears running down their faces as they laid the two boys on picnic tables being used for treatment.

They were sure the boys could not survive.

They began immediately to feed their own life force energy to their Great Healers, so focused that Alf and Far needed only to route it into the two little boys! On it went, into the night and early morning before all the victims were treated.

No child nor any adult passenger lost their lives, all were healed. A work train was dispatched from Cairns to carry the injured and the exhausted Healers and their Cadets back to Fort Warrior.

King George and King Fala flew from Sydney, knowing that the Healers and Great Healers were going to need emotional comfort after treating so many injured children.

The Story Teller, Ging-Li, moved through the injured, giving of himself to comfort those still in pain or fear. His calm demeanor soothed and quieted those needing comfort, soon they fell into a healing sleep.

He then went among the Healers and Cadets, comforting those in emotional overload.

The Warriors of the Arundel took over nursing duties to allow the Healers and their Cadets some rest.

By the next morning, all had recovered and the rescued children were up, playing and hugging their new Hybrid Warrior friends.

The drums spread the story of the valor and the care of the Healers and Great Healers the length and breadth of the land of Australia. The boys who had been healed hung on the Healers, wanting to touch them and hope and pray that they could join them.

The girls drooled and their fingers itched to touch their fangs and gaze into their red eyes!

A new generation of Human Hybrid Warriors and Healers had been created.

Ton and Kal went to their fathers, Lymal and L'oki and sat for a while, before they had gained enough courage to speak.

Lymal had briefly scanned their sons and had warned L'oki what was about to happen. Finally, Ton spoke, "Fathers, we wish to go back to Charleston Lagoon, maybe not forever, but we want to go back and help our people."

L'oki replied, "Just you two?"

Kal thought for a moment and then said, "No, we would hope that some of our brothers and cadets would join us, we want to bring civilization to our people as you have brought it to us."

Great Healers Bil and Set, Alf and Far, Lon and Ork decided to go, along with their Cadets. Arrow and Stick were the first Cadets to ask to go, then Mal and Est, Gor and Tan and finally Gel and Lot all agreed on the adventure.

Two pair Hybrid Warriors, Nokla and Oriel and Dost and Fel also wanted to go.

They asked King George for the use of a small destroyer from his fleet to carry them across the Caribbean and up the east Coast of old North America to Charleston Lagoon.

The King did better than that, he detailed the AS McGinty to serve as their ship until such time as they wished to return or made a decision to stay there permanently. The McGinty was a new nuclear powered destroyer, capable of going around the world several times before needing to be refueled.

The fathers and makers of the boys were not happy with their decision to go so far away, but they realized that, unless they let them go, they would never be theirs again!

They gathered what belongings they wished to take with them, stores of preserved foods, clothing, medical supplies and trade goods. Two weeks later, they were prepared to sail. With tears and sad faces, the boys and their families parted at The Navy Pier in Cairns. Each promising the other that they would stay in mind contact with the other.

They set sail, making their first stop Mariposa City. Two young Warrior Healers asked to join their party, Mos and Talon. The Bobby gave his blessing and the two Mariposans joined the group.

They sailed around the southern lands of Mariposa and stopped to visit in New Hope, the village established by Lymal and L'oki many years earlier.

The Bobby had sent ahead that the boys were arriving and who they were.

The drums had sent out the message through all the Southern Islands. Folk, whose memory and legends of the Warrior Healers was one of gratitude and joy; they made festival for their visitors at every stop they made. The boys were regaled in stories of the exploits of their fathers and the great love the people had for them.

As their voyage carried them into the Caribbean, Captain Bledsoe had the ship's guns manned and the radar rotating continuously. He was not going to allow harm come to his passengers as long as there was ammunition for his guns and life in him and his crew!

They saw a few canoes with painted natives in them, but as soon as the McGinty swung her guns in their direction, they scattered and hid among the many islands.

They finally reached the infamous Florida Cut, a storm breached opening in the Florida Peninsula. Captain Bledsoe ran the cut at full reactor power and all his guns loaded and manned. If there was to be an attack, it would be in the cut and he was not disappointed.

What the natives had not figured on was a speeding destroyer going more than 100 knots and had a reinforced icebreaker bow. The McGinty plowed through their canoe and log barricade, sending bodies, logs and splintered canoes flying in all directions!

All the while, Captain David Bledsoe sat on his bridge, calmly drinking tea.

As he turned his ship northward, he slowed down, the records he had indicated that the mouth to Charleston Lagoon was a river, partially hidden in trees. He had his sailors monitor the radar screens on the bridge and in CIC (Combat Information Center) as they made their way up the coast.

After several false starts, he found an opening that matched the description written so many years ago, when the first expeditions had carried the Healers to North America.

He had the Healers Red Banner raised on the mast and their National Ensign run up on the courtesy halyard.

They were, officially, a Great Healer Ship!

The McGinty nosed her way into the channel and slowly sailed upriver. The river opened up into a large, well protected harbor with decent anchorage close to the beach.

He ordered the ship's horn and siren to be blown three times before he ordered the two anchors dropped, one forward and one aft. He was sure that the siren and the ship's horn would have attracted attention for many miles around the lagoon.

Ton told him they would all disembark so that he could begin his return voyage.

Captain Bledsoe laughed, "My Lord Great Healer, we are here for so long as you want or need us. If I came back without you on board, or without word of your safety, King George OR King Fala, most likely BOTH of them would have me made into fish food!"

As they were getting ready to go ashore, Ton and Kal discovered that the McGinty was equipped with six nuclear powered fast skimmers, a portable hospital, a mobile kitchen and a hotel tent!

The skimmers could double as electric power sources for the hospital, kitchen and hotel.

The sailors set to work erecting the tents and equipment, while the healers explored the immediate area, accompanied by four Ship's Marines loaded with sufficient firepower to start a small war!

Ton and Kal had vague childhood memories of the area and thought they could remember enough of their language to call out the native folk they knew were hiding in the trees.

They walked up the beach and Ton called out, "Me Ton be u pepl!"

Kal called out, "Me Kal be u pepl. Mutter me be Tala, Fatter me be Morg!"

An elderly voice called out from the trees, "Kal be yus, KALLLLLLLL"

An old man came running from the trees, followed by an elderly woman. They held Kal's face and rubbed his shoulders, crying, "Kal, Kal Kal!"

Kal hugged them back also crying, "Mutter, Mutter, Fatter, Fatter!!!!"

After they finished hugging, Kal grabbed Ton's hand, "He Ton be, mat me be" Tala and Morg started to draw back, but Kal held their hands, "Us different be now."

He let his eyes go red and he dropped his fangs. The people dropped to their knees and started to pray to Ton and Kal.

Ton and Kal reached down and pulled Kal's parents upright. Kal said, "Mutter, fatter. Us pepl be, Us no guds be. Us be healers be, help yus."

He looked up at the trees and shouted, "Us help yus, all yus. Com be, yus sic, yus hurt, yus broken. Us fix yus"

Ton dropped his own fangs and made his eyes go red to show that he was the same as his mate.

Slowly, people began to filter out of the trees. One young boy, hobbling on a twisted leg and a crude stick crutch asked, "Me yus fix be?"

Ton ruffled the boy's shaggy hair and replied, "Yus fix us be. Com us fix"

Bil and Set came running with a blanket, Ton laid the boy down and he placed his hands on one side of the boy and Kal on the other side. The air began to hum and vibrate, their hands started glowing red. Bil and Set acted as Cadets and fed life force power to the two. As the people watched, the boy's legs began to straighten and his twisted foot uncurled and became smooth. When they were finished, the boy sat up, a look of wonder on his face.

He cried, "Y yy yus me fix be!" The boy stood on both feet; he had been crippled from birth and had never walked without his stick before!

A man and woman came running from the trees, they showered Ton and Kal with hugs and kisses, thanking them for fixing their only son!

Ton and Kal let their fangs drop and their eyes go red. Boys came up to them, shyly looking into their eyes and gently fingering their fangs.

When they felt that the people were comfortable with them, Kal said, "Is mor us be!" He dropped into his land animal, a huge Bear. Ton stood beside the Bear and stuck his hand in the Bear's mouth.

He changed back to his human form and Ton became a nine foot Gorilla! Kal jumped up into the arms of the gorilla and hugged it. He jumped down and changed to a great Sea Eagle and flew around in circles.

Ton shifted to a falcon and flew circles around the Sea Eagle, making the children laugh and giggle despite their fear.

They both changed back to their human forms and Kal said, "Us be us, no fear, us not hurt yus" They had won the children over, they had sensed these Great Warriors' love for them and climbed on them, wanting to be held and caressed by these wondrous young men.

Ton waved to their party and the other healers, cadets and warriors came from the ship and were introduced to the people.

They spent the remainder of the day healing Kal's people. The sick, the lame and the injured crowded up to them, begging to be fixed.

There were about 700 people living around Charleston Lagoon, separated into small family clans. As soon as the hospital was set up, Ton and Kal started making the rounds of the clans, inviting them to come to the hospital.

Several severe cases, they healed on the spot. Rumors spread that the two young men were "different" from other folks and the children would hang on their arms, begging to see their fangs.

The children's favorite animal was Ton's nine-foot gorilla. Little boys would beg and plead until he shifted. Then they would climb his legs and sit in his arms, waving at their friends down on the ground.

At first, the adults were frightened of them, but, as time went by and the strange folks at the "creek" helped cure them and their children, they became less strange.

One night, after a brief tropical downpour, the hybrids detected a wave of fear coming from the far reaches of the lagoon. More disturbed than angry, Ton, Kal, Set and Bil shifted to their flyer forms and went to investigate.

As they flew over Cuper Village, they went into rage, the village was in flames and they saw the people roped together, being trooped away!

Ton mind-screamed for their companions and then they dove into the melee, changing into fearsome land animals, rarely seen this side of the pits of hell!

Body parts of the invaders were flying in every direction, within minutes, all that remained was bloody gore on the soil and piles of raider parts.

The rest of the Human Hybrid Warriors and Healers came swooping in, too late for the fighting, but they assisted in healing the villagers who had been injured.

Ton mind called Captain Bledsoe, asking him to send the fast skimmers to Cuper Village as soon as possible. All six skimmers responded and they came racing across the lagoon in answer to Ton's call for help.

They loaded all the injured on the skimmers to be taken to the hospital. The remainder, they led around the lagoon, to the safety of Creek Village.

Alf and Far entertained the children waiting to be healed by dancing around the ward as seasick giant seagulls. The children forgot that they were hurt amid wails of laughter and giggles at the two boys' antics. Even the adults could not help laughing at the entertainment!

The other villages became worried that they might be the next to be attacked, and they began moving to Creek. After all, they reasoned, no attacker would brave a nine-foot gorilla or a raging lion, even if they did play with children!

Creek was becoming a fairly large community, a tempting target for raiders not yet familiar with Human Hybrid Warriors. As the villagers moved to Creek, the raider's targets became fewer and finally, none at all.

The Warriors did not think, even for a moment, that the raiders had gone away or had forgotten about them. At night, there were large birds patrolling from the air and quiet animals on the ground, doing the same.

Night after night, with the patience born of their kind, the Human Hybrids waited and watched. Finally, they detected a large group of men easing their way through the forest.

They might have thought they were being quiet, but their presence showed up in the Hybrids' minds like a giant fire.

They asked Captain Bledsoe for the use of his Marines to stay with the children and adults while they attended to a "slight problem"

The ship's cooks baked sacks of cookies for the Marines to take for the children.

The Captain made sure his Marines knew what was happening and that they were to keep the villagers, especially the children, safe. The Marines came ashore with enough firepower to start a revolution! They promised the Warriors that NOBODY was going to hurt their kids!

The Hybrids befuddled the raider's minds, leading them deeper and deeper into the swamps.

When they had them far enough away so that none in Creek Village could hear what was happening, they shifted to forms known only in the most violent of nightmares and attacked in a fury of knife-blade fangs and sword-sized claws.

When they had finished, not even shredded clothing was recognizable as such.

Even the scavengers feared to come close, such was the fury expended against the raiders. They left the bodies and parts where they lay, to sink into the mud and disappear forever.

They washed off in the lagoon and returned with happy smiles plastered on their faces, waving gaily at the children as they were eating the Marines' cookies.

Had not First Lieutenant Malcolm Forbes seen the haunted look in their eyes, none would have known the terrible weight those saviors were carrying on their souls!

He quietly radioed Captain Bledsoe and asked that some of the younger crew members come at once and help console the returning Hybrid Warriors.

As the young Lieutenant turned, he found Ton standing behind him. Ton hugged the man and said, "Thank you" before he walked off.

Creek Village was now over seven hundred people. The Marines helped the people lay out streets and designate blocks and main thoroughfares. One of the first buildings to be erected was a school and, again, the Sailors and Marines helped as teachers for the children.

The hospital was next and then rows upon rows of houses were built. As they dug for streets, they found the ruins of an earlier city and were able to reclaim cobbles for paving the streets.

More and more, Ton and Kal and their fellows felt at home in Creek, like it was a place they were meant to be.

They were seated after supper, discussing what needed to be done when Ton asked Kal, "Do you feel at home here?"

Kal replied, "Yes I do. Let us think about staying here and reclaiming all of North America."

The rest were standing behind Kal as he said that; Set spoke for the rest of them, "We agree."

They were all powerful mind-speakers and they mind-called Lymal and L'oki in Cairns. After they explained, both agreed with them and promised to help in the effort to reclaim North American for Humankind.

Captain Bledsoe was given the option to stay, after polling his crew, everyone agreed.

The AS McGinty was placed on permanent loan to the North American Colony.

They failed to notice two glowing balls of light hovering in the sky above them, nor had they had time yet to look at the drawing on the wall of the Human Hybrid Warrior from long ago.