“Rory! Emalynn! Get back here!” Myrra, the guild master hollered through the mess hall of the White Rapids Guild. Myrra jumped from table to table chasing the girls leaving smashed plates across the floor.

“Why are we running exactly?” I asked Emalynn darting past our guild mates enjoying the fried spice fish dinner special. The mess hall was full as usual for dinner hour in our little adventurers’ guild. Our guild mates are not phased by evening chase because it was a daily occurrence.

“I may or may not have taken a S class assignment from the S rank board.” Emalynn grinned. “I want us to have a chance to rank up in the guild. If we can make it to the assignment desk, we are home free.” Emalynn wants so much rank-up in our guild, so she could make a name for herself. She is by far the best archer in the guild, but she is still a minor according to guild laws. She has been trying to find a way around the guild law since her last birthday.

“You cheeky little monkey.” I laughed. “But Myrra doesn’t seem to be happy with your plan. What are you going to do when she catches us?” This was not the first time Emalynn has tried to get a S class assignment. Every one of her plans ends the same way with a punishment of extra work around the guild house while being grounded to the guild house. I, personally, am not in a rush to raise my rank, but she’s my best friend. Besides I can usually minimize the damage for her, the guild master, and our guild mates when I am involved.

“Beg for forgiveness if it comes to that.” She gleaned until an ax hit the table next to us knocking us over to the floor. Around us, whispers of laughter filled the room as our audience watched the graceful disaster.

We sat up to see a shadow leaping over us.“Time to start begging.” I said as the ground shook from the guild master’s landing. Her terrain magic was overwhelming, which is why she’s the top dwarf magic user this side of the Hailain Mountains. The guild master was intimidating for only being five foot tall. Her hazel eyes could see right through you. The guild master swooped her long amber color pony tail behind her and pulled her ax from the table strapping it to her back.

“Did you two really think you could escape your guild master?” Myrra huffed with her hands on her hips as she stood in front of us. “Give it up, Emalynn.” She stretched her rough hand out waiting for the gold assignment key.

Emalynn gave her best apologetic face, pouting her small pink lips and batting her sad amber eyes as she handed over the golden assignment key. “Sorry, guild master. I just wanted a shot to prove that Rory and I are ready to rank up.”

“Rory, maybe ready to rank up, but you know you aren’t of age yet, Emalynn. Even if you were of age, you don’t have the maturity for a S rank mission. Look at the mess your little game of chase created.” Myrra pointed to the disaster of a mess hall.

Emalynn’s fluffy white ears folded back and her cheeks filled with a blushing pink of embarrassment. There was food, broken plates and cups, tossed tables and chairs and worst of all chuckling guild mates in our wake. Neither of us had meant to disrupt the mess hall in our grand escape, but it was fun while it lasted, at least for me. Myrra continued her repermanding while everyone else cleared the mess hall. For a small dwarf, Myrra had volume and power in spades, which made her a feisty guild master. Before long, she had us cleaning the mess hall as she decided to lecture us on how our ranking system works.

“How many times must I remind you both! The system is based on skill and age. In order for you to be in S class, you must be at least 21 years old and able to complete five S class assignments while your skill is evaluated. Right now, Rory might be able to do it, but Emalynn you still have another two years before you reach the age requirement.” Myrra explained. “Your skills need that time to grow because you are still B ranked for your age group. Have patience. You and Rory can spend this time honing your skills getting you up to A rank with Rory. Besides, once you become S rank, you will have more responsibility and less freedom. It’s not just a change in status.”

I could see Myrra’ inner fire become sour at the thought of us being restrained to S class responsibilities. Maybe there’s more than tough missions and accolades for S rankers to deal with. "Myrra, it’s okay. We will take our time to become S rank, won’t we Emalynn?” I gestured at her to agree in the hopes of giving Myrra peace of mind.

“Sure. I will try to slow down a bit. I wouldn’t want to destroy the guild house next time I try to become an S rank.” Emalynn jokes.

“Why don’t I believe you two?” Myrra sighed.

“Perhaps, because these two are trouble makers.” A low voice cut in.

“Elias, you're back!” Emalynn dropped her broom as she rushed to hug Elias. He has been gone for five months on a secret visit back to his wolf beast village in the Savage Valley, but everyone believes he is an elf from Le’ Ansia, a town on the outskirts of the Elf Kingdom. He is known as the Spear of the White Rapids Guild because he is in the top three S rank guild members, but truly he’s a wolf beast man like my mother and my aunt. In fact, he trained them both when they were young. Elias trains most of the new wolf beasts that want to be a wolf hunter or huntress in the Elite Guard. When I first entered the guild, he took care of Emalynn and me. He has trained me on and off over the years.

“Hello Ema, I missed you too.” Elias squeezed Emalynn sweetly. He has become a little more gentle since he is getting up there in age, but he can be stubborn about everything. They chatted for a few minutes before Elias called out to me.

“Uncle Elias, you came back early.” I greeted Elias as he walked over to hug me. His big burly arms looked as if they would swallow me.

“I had too. I ran into someone when I was traveling, and I decided to bring them back to see you.” He gestured to the door behind him. “She’s waiting for you in your room.”

“What?” I said, confused by his words. Who would he bring to see me?

“Go on, Rory. Elias will help Emalynn finish cleaning.” Myrra chimed in with an exciting smile on her face.

I nodded and headed upstairs to my dorm room leaving the wrecked mess hall behind. No one has visited me in a couple years, so who could have found Elias on his way back from the valley? But the way Myrra had smiled at me, it had to be someone good. I climb up three stories before reaching the room in the back corner of the floor. I took a deep breath before opening my door. My hand automatically landed on my dagger as I turned the knob. Looking through the cracked opening, I could see a femine shadowed figure confirming what Elias had told me. I pushed the door open with one hand still on my dagger.

“Rory, do you really need to be so cautious of family?” A warm, familiar voice called out.

I pushed the door wide open to see my aunt standing there with her arms out. “Aunt Leah! You’re here!” I ran to my aunt and hugged her tight. “What are you doing here? I thought they needed everyone back at the village.”

“Oh, your Uncle Axel ended that ‘crisis’ quickly. Since Elias was headed back here, I took the opportunity to accompany him.” Leah explained as we settled in my living room area. “I see you have been upgraded to the third floor.”

“Yeah, Myrra insisted that I move up since I turned twenty-one a few months ago. She said I am an adult, and I need to start living like one.” I gestured to my dorm room, getting up to bring back some drinks from the kitchen. “Apparently, living with Emalynn and the other kids in academy dorms is unacceptable for a woman my age.”

“Well, you did graduate from the academy early, so you probably should have left eons ago.” Leah jokes as she cracked open her sour plum juice that I had placed on the little wooden table in front of us. “So what’s next in your life? Or do you plan on helping Emalynn steal S rank assignments forever?”

"I have been trying to figure that out," I sighed. I know I have some options, but I think all I really want is to earn some money and get myself my own place. Somewhere, I can let my guard down, but she wouldn't understand that. "The whole world is open to me at the moment since Uncle Elias taught me how to use my mom's ring."

"I admit I can rest easier knowing that you can maintain your human form these days. Does that mean you can become a wolf now as well?" Leah's face lit up with excitement.

"I can for a few days at a time. No where near as long as you can hold the form."

"Well, look at me dear. I am a full wolf beast woman." She joked, gesturing to her tall, brown furry form. Most beast folk are furry from head to toe with certain animal characteristics like Aunt Leah’s black wolf ears and tail. Her body is shaped like a human except for her nose and paws, which are a blend of wolf and human. Her best features are her emerald eyes and thick blackish brown hair.

"And an Alpha Huntress to boot." I giggled.

She finished her giggle and gave me a once over. "It's just me sweetie. You can lift the human mask."

“What?” I questioned.

“You can shift back to your base form, honey. No one is going to bother us tonight.” She explained.

I shook my head. “I am comfortable in my human form like my base form. In the guild, I can’t let my guard down. Emalynn likes to have midnight slumber parties anyway.”

“Elias is spending time with Emalynn, so there won’t be a problem. Just let your mask down and relax.” Aunt Leah persisted.

“Aunt Leah, I a-”

“Don’t you ‘Aunt Leah’ me, young lady. I know you haven’t shifted back to base form for a while, but it is important to let your body rest. Staying shifted all the time could damage your body and drain your magic.” She lectured. “Shift now.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I stopped for a second before realizing what she was right. I was so used to the constant human form that I forgot it's not my basic form. I nodded at her and put my drink down. Deep breaths filled my lungs as my human ears folded back into my skin. My skull morphed allowing my wolf ears to rise causing a splitting headache. My spine extended out like a knife piercing my skin at the bottom of my lower back to create my tail. Tensing muscles tightened all over my body revealing my well defined curves. Feeling tingles in my nails and tinges of pain in my jaw, I felt my bones thicken, fangs sharpen and claws blacken. Skin stretched out over my wolf extensions, and finally the skin burned as furr erupted to cover the ears and tail. Drops of blood fell from my ears into my black, curly hair.

My Aunt Leah watched as the contorted expression subsided from my face. "I don't remember your transformation causing you so much discomfort before."

I got up to pull a rag out of the bathroom to soak up the remaining droplets of blood in my hair before deciding that I need to clean myself off completely. "It wasn't that painful before because I returned to my base form more often. Elias theorized that since I can hold the human form for months now that it might have a negative effect on my ability to shift into other forms. Basically, the less I shift into the form, the more painful the shift will be." Turning on the shower, I let the water run over my hair and ears. It had been two months since I last returned my base form, and I had forgotten the pain I experienced last time. The cool water eased the remaining tinges of pain on my ears and my lower back. Rinsing the blood from my hair and the fur on my tail made me cringe at the tenderness around my ears and tail. I grabbed the rag to dry my head and turned off the water. I pulled out a change of clothes that would better accommodate my tail. After cleaning myself up, I returned to the couch where Aunt Leah was waiting.

“Feel better?” She asked as I sat down next to her.

“I think so. It’s been a while since I was in my base form.” I shrugged. “It’s not convenient for guild life.” My eyes looked down to my drink to avoid Aunt Leah’s gaze. I could tell she had questions, and I sat there hoping she wouldn’t ask them.

“Truth, now.” She said sternly to me. She knew there was more to the story.

“For not being a mom, you have no trouble acting like one.” I replied.

“Comes with the territory as your aunt and an alpha. Let’s have it. Why are you not returning to your base form? You know the cost of constant use of the ring to shift.” She crossed her arms waiting for me to start talking.

“First of all, you don’t know if I will pay the same cost you do. I am a hybrid. No one knows what I am capable or incapable of, which is a blessing and a curse. As a hybrid, I should not exist. I am illegal! If anyone were to catch me, I would end up dead or as someone’s lab rat. What’s even worse is I am half wolf beast and half human. Since wolf beasts disappeared after the Race Wars two hundred years ago according to the public records, I am an even bigger target than other hybrids. I don’t look like any other beast people known or unknown to the world. So excuse me, for hiding in my human form to blend in with the world and keeping myself safe!” Rage and sorrow spilled out into my words and tears began to fall. “I am a one of a kind, orphan freak show. Everyone would either run in fear if they saw me as I am now or try to catch me… It is easier for me to just stay human.”

Leah wrapped her arms around me just like she did every time I cried since my parents died. My aunt’s hugs seem to always make my fears subside just like when my parents hugged me. It made me wish that I could have stayed with her growing up instead of being raised in the guild. She wiped away my tears as she studied my face.

"Your eyes are as blue as the Northern Sea, just like your father. I knew that was one of the reasons your mother fell in love with him, so naturally I hated him for it. But, I think I like him a little better for giving them to you." She smiled at me. She patted my black curls that were being tamed by a simple braid and let her hand fall to my small cheek. Aunt Leah pulled my round, pointed chin forward giving me one last thorough glance. "You have truly become a beauty, which is scarier than the time you nearly killed your uncle playing with those daggers."

"It was not that bad! I only clipped off a chuck of his hair." I defended back at her. "He always said 'aim for the head, so your target is dead.' I just practiced what he preached."

Aunt Leah started to giggle. "He's a good Alpha Hunter, but a terrible influence on kids."

"Is that why I don't have a cousin yet?" I joked.

"I will tell you what I tell the Elders, our parents and the whole baby crazy clan. It will happen when it happens." Aunt Leah quickly changed the subject. "What about your love life? Found any cute humans to court?"

"Humans call it dating these days, Aunt Leah. You really should get practice blending in while you are here. I would hate for you to fail a mission due to your lack of knowledge on current human culture."

"Are you calling me old?" Her eyebrows raised.

"Not old, just out of touch." I explained.

“Maybe with the world outside of the valley, but we can fix that. I think I can afford to stay a few days. Besides, I need to see what kind of woman you have become” she proclaimed. “First thing in the morning, we need to get a job assignment, so I can see these skills Elias would not stop boasting about on the way here.”

“I am not that good. Uncle Elias can still beat me with little effort.” I admitted. “I am not sure I will ever be as strong as Uncle Elias, you or my parents. I suppose being a hybrid means I have limitations.”

“We will see how you do tomorrow. I know you are stronger than you will admit.” Aunt Leah boasts her confidence in me. “You are my niece after all.”

We spent the night giggling and catching up on the last few years. She can't get away from her Alpha responsibilities as easily as she could when I first moved to the guild. Still, she has been there over the years whenever I needed her. Doubt plagued my heart about my strength, but maybe my aunt could help with whatever block I have hit in my training.

The next morning, Aunt Leah woke me from my unpleasant dreams. She bounced around my dorm getting her gear ready for the day. She even made my favorite honey lettuce hog wrap for breakfast. It was like someone dumped sugar into her herbal breakfast tea, but I guess this is the energy she needs to have as an Alpha to deal with the clan’s problems. I, however, have never been a morning person, which means I had to fake it for Aunt Leah. She sharpened her knives on the floor while I prepared for the day. I finished my hog wrap, and entered the bathroom only to stop at the mirror. It was time to be a human again, so I could walk out of my dorm freely.

Staring at my reflection, I took a deep breath and began to concentrate. My wolf ears rolled back into the top of my skull, and my black and silver fur faded back into my black, curly hair. My fangs retracted and nails dulled back to plain human fingers. The human ears unfolded on each side of my head drawing the pain from the top of my head to each ear. The intense headache increased before peaking as the world was silent for a moment until the new ears settled. Another deep breath filled my lungs as my tail shrank back into my spine. Compression pains radiated from my spine as the spine normalized in my body. Again, my skin burned as the silver fur receded into my pale skin. Scars appeared where my wolf extensions once stood on my skin. Opening my eyes, I saw my human outline as my vision dulled with the headache. There was less blood this time, but my body ached from the shift. Another warm shower later, my body relaxed as I geared up to go on an assignment.

As I settled my daggers in their sheaths, Aunt Leah appeared in my doorway. She commented on how my serious facade looked similar to an assassin preparing for a hit. I assured her that I was only preparing for success on whichever job assignment we chose to embark on. Uncle Elias walked through the door announcing that he had picked the perfect assignment for our little team. Behind him, Emalynn's tail danced peeking over his shoulder as she giggled with excitement. This was her first assignment with Uncle Elias in two years since Uncle Elias had been training his nephew until last month. We all headed down stairs to register our job assignment.

Walking through the lobby, I can only imagine how strange our team looked with Elias, a blond woodland elf carrying his spear, Leah, appearing as a human with painted hunting markings on her face and large swords strung across her back, Emalynn, a spunky simian beast with her bow and quiver full of arrows, and me, a short woman armed with daggers on each hip and throwing knives fasten to the belt of my bag. My guild mates did not hide their stares. Our group was definitely attracting attention since Leah and Elias were on a team together. Elias is known as the Spear of White Rapids for his strength as an S rank, but Leah is known as the Ghost to most of the guild since she only appears once every few months or years. Most of the guild assumes she takes on secret missions for the guild association, but they couldn't be more wrong.

"What an odd little team you have formed, Elias." Myrra laughed watching as we walked up to her at the job assignment counter.

"No odder than you sitting behind this counter. I expected you to be patrolling the guild to keep our rowdy guild mates in line." He retorted with a sly smile.

"Would, if I could. Being chained to a desk is not my speed, but Jani and Lyla are sick with hangovers from your little fiesta you had last night in the mess hall. They will be down in a few hours to resume their duties after getting a few hours of shut eye." Myrra snapped at him. "In fact, most of the guild is suffering from hangovers after last night. Perhaps, you should be the one manning the counter to help out your guild mates."

When Aunt Leah mentioned Elias made sure no one would disturb us last night, I didn't know he would do it with a drinking party. Uncle had always been a fun spirit. I wonder how Emalynn fared at his little party last night. She hadn't reached drinking age yet, so I wonder what she did to keep busy.

"Well, Myrra. I distinctly remember you thanking me a bunch last night for helping everyone cut loose. You said you owed me one for all the fun." He said slyly. "This seems like a good time to cash it in."

"Only you have the gull to pull something like this. All right. You are off the hook this time." Myrra leaned back in her chair. "What job assignment did you choose this time?"

Uncle Elias handed Myrra the job assignment. Based on the color of the paper, the job assignment was A ranked. If Emalynn could complete this job and a few more, she could be an official A rank with me. I am not sure if I should be excited or worried. I don’t know if I have the strength to protect her on an A rank mission. It should be fine though with Elias and Aunt Leah around.

Myrra broke my solitude with a concerned objection towards Elias. "I don’t think this is a good assignment for your group, Elias."

"What do you mean? It's an A rank assignment. Leah and I are both S rankers, Rory is A rank, and Emalynn is trying to become A rank. There should be no issue." Uncle Elias clarified.

"Can I talk to you in private?" Myrra asked. Elias nodded and followed Myrra to her office.

Omniscient POV

"Elias, thanks for speaking with me." Myrra said as she leaned back against her guild master desk. Her office was large with a desk and two long couches. The green and gold theme covered the room from her green curtain with gold emblems to her gold couches with green pillows. Her office reflected the colors of the guild and its crest.

"What’s up with you, Myrra? We are more than suited to hunt some saber grizzly bears down, so I don't understand your hesitation." Elias questioned. "If you are worried about Emalynn, don't be. She's ready to rank up."

"It's not Emalynn that I am worried about. It's Rory. Did you see where this assignment is located?" Myrra' voice was filled with concern.

"Yeah, it's in the Old River Woods. What about it?" He asked sarcastically. Was Myrra really worried or was this some punishment for the rowdy gathering last night?

"Yes, it is. The woods that are full of bandits terrorizing travelers. Also, it's the same woods Rory went on assignment last year with that boy from the other guild who died." Myrra warned. "I still don't know what happened on that assignment, but she hasn't been the same since."

Elias was stunned. "I know she's been off for a while, but I didn't know she went on that mission. What was she doing out there with that boy?"

"It was supposed to be a simple bodyguard assignment protecting some merchant while he traveled through the woods. The merchant made it out of the woods safely, but Rory had to bring that boy's body back to his guild. Something went wrong out there, Elias, and she wouldn’t tell anyone what happened, except the boy's guild master. I asked that guild master what happened, but his lips are sealed."

The two of them stood in silence for a moment until Elias seemed to have sparked an idea. "Let’s find out what happened then. Leah and I can use this assignment to push Rory for answers about why she isn't training with anyone, where her confidence disappeared to, and what happened on that job."

"I don't know, Elias. Rory might not open up, and I don't want you to lose sight of Emalynn in the process. Emalynn has never faced a saber grizzly bear before, and you guys are supposed to come back with 3 of them." Myrra adjusted and crossed her arms. The thought of those two girls being in harm's way made her stress. She found Emalynn as an orphan in the Northern Mountains when she was only eight years old. Myrra bought her from a mining corporation who used Emalynn to clean the mining equipment in exchange for leftover food and a bed in the tool shack. Myrra couldn't turn away from a child in need, so she used her status as guild master to start an academy in the guild for orphans who had nowhere else to go, which Rory attended two years later.

Her guild was the first to have an academy for orphaned children. Although all adventure guilds were a place to find work, each guild did things differently. They all followed a set of rules handed down from the guild association, which is backed by the Gleaca Council. There were two basic types of guilds, adventurers' guild and grim guilds. The adventurers' guild allowed people to find work, learn trades, and enter tournaments to test their strength. Grim guilds served a darker purpose allowing for assassins, thieves and dark magic users to complete terrible deeds. The guild association allowed for both types of guilds because, like the Gleaca Council, the association believed there needed to be a balance of light and dark in the world. However, any crime committed by a dark guild member was still punishable by law unless the criminal is never caught. The guilds had to follow the guidelines given by the guild association.

Myrra was able to convince the guild association that the academy would be an asset and produce strong adventures to take high risk missions for different kingdoms. Although Myrra had pure intentions for helping the orphans, the guild association just saw a monetary opportunity. High rank adventurers were often used as mercenaries or soldiers by different kingdoms, which paid the association for the use of high rankers. This was the reason Myrra didn't want Emalynn or Rory to be an S rank adventurer. The girls would be slaves for the association like Elias has been. Myrra cared for each of those kids as her own, and she wanted to protect Rory and Emalynn as long as she could.

"Myrra, we have raised those girls together along with seven other kids. Rory is the first to 'graduate' from the academy, and Emalynn is next. We have to help them transition into full guild member status, and sometimes that means pushing them to their limit." Elias reminded her. "Emalynn has a free future where she can choose anything. All she needs is to improve her skills to attain her goals. Rory, however, has to remain disciplined, in control and on guard for the rest of her life. You and I know both that she has to get herself right in the head before she slips up."

"Damn. I hate it when you're right. I hate those stupid laws any way. It's just unfair!" Myrra yelled as she slammed her fist into the side of the desk. She pulled back from the new hole cursing her strength.

"Why is property damage one of your specialities?" He chuckled as he reached for her hand. She stood there in shock as Elias examined her swollen little hand. Her cheeks filled with blush and embarrassment having him so close. He looked up from her hand to see her scrunched, red face. "Sorry, I forgot you have issues with people getting too close since the incident," Stepping back, he released Myrra' hand, letting it fall to her side. "I recommend switching from ice to heat for the next few hours to reduce swelling, and next time hit a pillow or put on your gear before hitting solid wood furniture."

Myrra nodded at his suggestions while nursing her little hand. The two stood quietly for a minute until Elias urged Myrra to sign off on the job assignment. After more convincing, Myrra complied with Elias's request. It was time to test the girls and prove what the academy could accomplish.

Rory’s POV

Emalynn was recalling the drunken fiesta that Uncle Elias had hosted in the mess hall last night when I noticed Aunt Leah was half listening to our gab session while trying to hear Myrra and Uncle Elias's conversation in Myrra' office. As Emalynn had hit the ending highlights of her tale, I saw Aunt Leah’s face suddenly redden, breaking her concentration. I wanted to ask what she heard, but I couldn't break away from Emalynn without drawing attention to Aunt Leah. As our conversation wound down, Uncle Elias appeared with the guild master’s seal of approval. Emalynn jumped for joy because we were finally ready to head out. Walking out the door, I felt a slight chill alerting me that this job was going to be anything, but normal.