Dracule; Race, refugees from a destroyed world, vampiric however consider drinking human blood for food to be abominable, life span ~2,000 years, create and carry their young in same manner as humans, can create turned vampires, powerful mind-speakers, can change limited shape, cannot tell a falsehood because of mind to mind meld contact, only one known individual that could create Human Hybrids - known as M'beleci Captain of Dracule, omnivores
Turned Vampire; Created only by the exchange of blood fluids with a Dracule (see Dracule above) or a Hybrid (see Hybrid below), light sensitive, strong sunlight is fatal, cannot create other turned vampires, cannot create or bear young, vampiric however consider drinking human blood for food abominable, life span less than 2,000 years, mind-speakers, cannot tell a falsehood because of mind to mind meld contact, extremely loyal to their maker, referred to as childe, omnivores
Hybrid; Correct term is Human Hybrid, created by exchange of blood fluids with two hybrids known as makers, progenitors of the race are known as Roger and Little Bear, somewhat sensitive to strong light, can change shape in many forms, extremely powerful mind-speakers, can combine with other Hybrids or Turned Vampires to create extremely powerful long range mind-sweeps, cannot tell a falsehood because of mind to mind meld contact, can read minds of human, turned vampire and Dracule, believed to be able to control human minds or plant false images, vampiric but consider drinking human blood for food to be an abomination, there is a life-long maker/childe relationship, cannot create or bear young, have an almost fanatic urge to protect humans particularly children, have an intense hatred of those who would harm humans particularly children slavers, can be savage fighters of great ferocity, life span unknown but believed to be greater than 2,000 years, form life long relationship with their mate, only occur in the male form - no known female Hybrids exist, it is not known how many mated pairs exist, also known as Spirit Warriors, Roger is Captain of Hybrids, omnivores.
Roger and Little Bear had been assisting at The Hospital, there had been a boating accident where a number of children had been injured. The Turned Vampire Healers had felt they did not have sufficient power to heal some of the injuries, so they had requested Hybrid Warrior assistance in dealing with the matter. There had been twenty children and six adults injured in the accident, even with all four healers working, it still took 6 hours to heal everyone. One small child had been so severely injured, Roger had insisted that both he and Little Bear were needed to heal the boy. They had returned home and were relaxing with their human children, including their youngest, Teddy, who was just turning 11 years old. They tried to keep straight faces when the youngster spoke, his voice was beginning to change and it was uncertain how low or how squeaky a word would come out!
Tong-Fu, their young Turned Vampire/Major Domo entered the room, bowing low and saying, "Masters, there is a telephone call for you, it is from Mariposa." The telephone system was new, having only gone operational the year before.
Roger rose and went to take the call, surprisingly, it was from Andrea, "Roger, we might have a problem, we placed a colony on Cabo San Lucas last year and, yesterday a fishing boat manned by 2 small boys arrived. Both boys are badly hurt and so traumatized, they cannot speak. Panther and Billy attempted to mind-read them and the only images they could retrieve were that of fear!" He continued, "It is the storm season and we do not have a boat capable of braving the rough sea right now, the MHS Bobby is in Hawaii undergoing repairs, can you help us?"
Roger had relayed the conversation to Little Bear, who had come to his side immediately, he mentally asked, "Pirates? Slavers? Cannibals?"
Roger replied to Andrea, "We will come on the HMS Roger as soon as possible, we will stop at Cabo San Lucas before coming on to Maricopa."
Andrea thanked him profusely and said, "We will wait for you."
Roger looked at Little Bear and said, "Not again, I thought we had rid ourselves of that godless filth?"
The two Warriors walked into the living room and mind-melded, "WARRIORS - ATTEND US!"
Within seconds replies started coming in, "We are coming!"
Over the next hour, Giant Birds of War landed on their balcony and shifted into human shape. Ten mated pairs were able to answer Roger's call, they sat and discussed the problem, decided they would all answer Andrea's call for assistance.
Little Bear telephoned the Navy Duty Officer in Sydney, asking him to alert the Roger to be ready to sail. Roger spoke with Tong-Fu, "Again, Tong-Fu, we must ask you to manage our affairs while we are gone."
The young Turned Vampire replied, "Master, it is my purpose, go and know no harm will come to those who remain here." He, also was maturing, he dropped his fangs and allowed his eyes to glow red in emphasis of his statement.
The Troop of Hybrid Warriors ran for the balcony and shifted to Giant Birds of War as they leaped into the sky. As they arrived in Sydney, at the Naval Pier, they could see thick black smoke roiling out the Destroyer's funnel, Admiral Kilpatrick himself had assumed command of the ship and was raising steam as fast as safety allowed. As the Warriors started to board the ship, two more Great Birds of War dropped to the ground and shifted to the young Monarchs.
Roger started to say no, when King George raised his hand saying, "My ship, I GO and so does my mate! END OF DISCUSSION!" The two Kings were hardly off the gangway when the ship's crew raised it and the ship started to back away from the pier.
They passed the breakwater at Flank, and the stern digging into the sea reaching for more speed. The crossing was unusually rough, storms were whipping up the seas, the ship crashed and pounded its way through the waves, never slowing until the Rocks of Cabo San Lucas appeared on the horizon 8 days later. Roger had the Admiral hold the ship far enough away from the coast that it was unlikely it could be seen from Cabo San Lucas. The Warriors shifted and flew to the small village, all they found was wreckage and burned huts. That there were no bodies told them, SLAVERS!
Roger stood on the foredeck, mind-screaming, "WARRIORS, ATTEND ME!
The eleven mated pairs joined Roger and Little Bear, joining meld in search of the slavers, further and further Roger pushed their combined minds until, like a wisp of smoke, he detected FEAR! They mind followed the trail until they located the location.
The helmsman, long experienced in working with the Warriors, was watching for Roger's arm signal. When Roger pointed, the helmsman swung the great ship in that direction and slammed the Engine Order Telegraph to AHEAD FLANK! The entire ship's fabric groaned as the full power of the ship's engines spooled up, the screws thrashing in the water trying to get a bite. South-East they ran, headed for the ruined lands that was once South America. The Warriors remained mind-locked on their prey through the night and into the next day.
The slavers sensed the mental pressure and attempted to hide in the many islands that was once a great continent, but to no avail. They could not slip loose of the mental lasso the Warriors tied to them, nor could they outrun the charging cruiser. After a chase of two days, the slave ship came into sight, their attempt to surrender was ignored and Giant Birds of War swooped down upon them, changing to nightmare carnivores on their own decks! The slaughter was complete, no slaver, no matter how insignificant, was allowed to survive.
Crowded in the hold were two hundred captives, chained together like cattle, adults, children even babies! The Warriors' rage was fearsome to behold, even to those Naval Sailors accustomed to working with them.
After a brief mental conference, they decided to continue and wipe out the bases of the slavers and destroy them forever. They ferried the former captives to the cruiser in small boats, then sank the slaver without a trace. Again, the Warriors met in meld, driving their powerful meld-mind to the furthest reaches of their incredible force. They drove their minds to and then past the flaming volcanoes that once marked the southernmost tip of South America, back and forth like a mowing machine they roved, marking each island that harbored slave camps! At last, their map complete, they directed the ship to the first target.
As they leaped from the ship, their beating wings created a great wind, their eyes like red headlamps! Even standing off the coast of the island, the shrieks and screams of the slavers could be heard on the ship, no sailor was brave enough to watch through binoculars, they had long before learned that lesson the hard way! At dawn, the Warriors gently led the former slaves to the beach to be retrieved by the sailors. The scene was reenacted until every island had been scrubbed clean! The area was made safe once again!
The Roger was overflowing with freed slaves and food was running short as they turned northward to the Port of Mariposa. During the voyage northward, the Warriors worked feverishly, healing the injured, some were too far gone and had to be Turned. Fewer still, could not be saved at all, distressing the already overburdened Warriors. Tears shed for those unfortunate became commonplace.
They were approached by several begging to be made Warriors, one pair, of twin brothers had been burned and tortured almost beyond recognition as humans! They stood before Roger and Little Bear, who were unable to withhold their tears, so disfigured, the Warriors could only communicate with them mentally! They asked to be healed, to be made whole once more and to be made Warriors. There was no way either man could deny their request. They asked the Admiral for the use of his cabin, which he readily gave and they settled down to heal the boys and to create them Hybrid Warriors.
On the 7th day, the twins awoke, hugging Roger and Little Bear, tears running down their faces. That day, New Warriors Det and Par dedicated themselves before their Warrior Brothers and the Great Spirit to fight slavery and cannibalism for the remainder of their long lives!
The ship finally made port at Mariposa and shut down its overworked engines. The people of Mariposa opened their arms and their hearts to the freed refugees and, once more, it was the children who healed the Warriors. Young boys and girls led their Warriors ashore, giving them refuge from the clamor of those seeking to thank them. The simple love of a child did more to heal the Wounded Warriors than all the festival, all the banquets, all the speeches of thanks that adults would heap upon them.
The Warriors remained in Mariposa healing the injured and treating those whose minds were overloaded by their experiences in captivity. King George sent a secret message to his staff in Sydney and two weeks later he escorted Roger and Little Bear to the docks, not telling them the reason.
Slowly, the HMAS Canberra, The Kingdom's largest and most modern Heavy Cruiser eased up to the Navy Pier. Suddenly, the two war-weary Warriors heard a scream, "DADDY!" They looked up and there stood TEDDY! Behind him, staying in the protective shadows was Tong-Fu. There was no way he was going to allow his precious charge to voyage across the sea by himself! He had draped himself in protective clothing against the sunlight and escorted the boy to his Fathers! A better medicine for their overburdened spirits could not have been conceived. Teddy lifted their spirits with his enthusiasm, his joyful antics and his thrill of seeing his two Dads! It was the restorative they so desperately needed! Within those few moments, all had been made right with the world and the two Warrior Leaders had regained their emotional balance!
The young understudies, Bobby and Andrea immediately appropriated Teddy, showing him all there was to see of interest to teen boys! The joy radiating off Teddy infected all the Hybrid Warriors, again their smiles returned and their love of life and its people was welcomed by all those around them.
Roger and Little Bear hugged their Turned Vampire/Major Domo, "Tong-Fu, again you have rescued us, cannot we do more for you?"
Tong-Fu replied, "Masters, you have already done for me more than all others, you gave me life, you gave me purpose and you gave me trust. What more could I receive than all that? Let us speak no more of it, I am content!"
Teddy's exuberance was infectious, El Jefe Bobby declared a holiday that they might celebrate the restoration of the captives to freedom. There was dancing in the streets, strange and wondrous foods to be tried, and new people to be met. Teddy tried them all, he made many new friends and experienced more than a few stomach aches from overeating delicacies from street vendors!
The Young Bobby suggested to El Jefe that the restored Cabo San Lucas be renamed "Cabo de Warriors" in honor of those who so freely had given their efforts to free Mariposa's people! The National Assembly agreed and made it so!
With their emotional tension gone, the Warriors were able to relax and enjoy the celebration with their hosts. They took the cruiser up the coast to the place where Roger's Older Brother, the first Bobby had lived, it was very emotional for Teddy as he saw where it had all started!
It was time to return home, the Hybrid Warriors loaded onto the HMAS Roger, many with envious glances at Panther and Billy, whose home it was. The two newest Hybrid Warriors, Det and Par also stayed behind to be trained by Panther and Billy. They stopped at Cabo de Warriors to pay homage to those who had lost their lives in that sad place before proceeding back to The Kingdom.
They docked in Sydney with the people in throngs came out to greet them. Roger and Little Bear took Teddy and Tong-Fu on the train back to Cairns, they were looking forward to the quiet life of their Great Barrier Reef home, hoping beyond hope that there would be no further emergencies. Will there?
This ends this part of our record of The Hybrids, more tales shall be told of them.
TBC