The Hybrid (A Twilight Saga Continuation) (Slow Updates)

11: The First

A little rough. Everything is better in your imagination than in words.

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The next day it was a surprise we rolled out of bed by 10 am. The sun was high and we could hear the village up and busy outside. When we walked onto the patio N'Mai was waiting at a table covered in food.

"Sorry we got up a little late." I felt bad seeing her at the table waiting for us.

"No problem," She stood and opened her arms for a hug. "I just came back from a hunt and wasn't expecting you for a little longer. You two had a long day yesterday. Come eat with me and then we will take a walk."

We ate, packed water and began walking into the desert. We walked until I could no longer see the village behind us and then walked some more. The ground changed from loose slippery sand to dry, cracked dirt to a grassy savannah. As we continued a single tree rose up in the distance. I hoped that was our destination because the sun was high and I was starting to burn.

The tree was near a large watering hole that was being used by two elephants and a giraffe. There was also a small group of real lions.

"This is the land of our Firsts." N'Mai said referring to the tree, watering hole and the green land the surrounded them. From a trunk next to the tree she pulled out a woven blanket for us to sit on. Once we were settled N'mai told us the origin of the oasis.

"Many years, ago before the birth of my grandmother the women were spirit walkers but the land was ruled by men who were tyrants. They were jealous of this gift and forbid the women from leaving their bodies under penalty of death. Most obeyed, but there was one who hid her body in the sand and walked with the lions of the land.

"One day the chief, Ikisi, found her empty body and slit her throat so that she could not reenter it. He then took her sons as his slaves. The First was furious but she could do nothing about it as a spirit. Her friend, the greatest lioness of the time, offered to share her body so The First could could have her revenge and save her children.

As the lioness The First killed Ikisi, freed her children and lived with them. Over time she became depressed because she was unable to hold her children or speak to them. The lioness felt her great pain and could not handle it any longer. Together they transformed into a beautiful woman with dark skin and the light eyes of the lion. With the ability to shift between the lion and woman she became the first shifter and the first chieftess of our tribe."

We were quiet for a few minutes after she finished before I asked, "What was her name?"

"We do not speak the names of our honored dead. We let them rest until we need their strength. Ikisi was not honored." I nodded as a breeze blew through the tree.

"This is where she was buried, her birth body and her new one. They say this land was dry before that, like everything surrounding it. When she died it rained over her bodies for months straight and formed this oasis. Every year the rains come to this place replenishing the water hole."

"This tree is that old?" Jake asked putting his hand on the trunk.

"No this tree is generations younger than that. It was not here when I was born." I could feel another story coming as she stared up into the the thick leaves.

"It was not long after the women took over that our enemies came led by Ikisi's eldest son. He found a roaming tribe of male spirit walkers and convinced them to force the change with unwilling hosts, most likely a pack of hyena. Because this was against nature and the spirits, they were cursed to be monsters and slaves of the moon cycle. They are what you call werewolves."