The Fox's Prey

Prologue

Long ago humans tested on other humans to make a better version of themselves and obviously they looked to mix animal characteristics in them. With that animal-human hybrids were born. They soon became a minority. Taking only one percent of the population. But generation after generation they grew in number and became popular amongst humans and soon enough "normal" human became rare as the years pass by. Everyone has evolved to be more animal than human.

There are the obvious looking hybrids (not hybrids anymore, now full blooded) with their animal ears and tails, then there are the not so obvious hybrids. They don't have ears or tail, they look human but they aren't because humans are no longer, these seemingly normal looking people are actual hybrids of animals like snakes, birds, and other mammals. They might be blind like bats, see infrared like some snakes do, or have night vision or black lines under their eyes to see in bright light like some birds do. For most reptiles they have scales around their eyes, and patches on their body. Even their eyes are snake like but unless they turn into their animal it's an easy thing to hide. Bird are the same, in which it's hard to know, unless they openly show their feathers. And not all birds have visible feathers. And not all birds like showing them.

Their are obviously three classes of animal: herbivore, carnivore and omnivore.

In schools, classes use to be separated by class with the omnivore's going into their choosing or what the school decides. But as time progressed the school boards have changed that rule having an equal amount of herbivore and carnivore in class. With this it was easier for both classes to interact with each other, even outside of school.

Not long after "humans" were no longer a species the whole world learned that hybrids can shift into their animal counterpart. If someone had fox ears and a tail, they could turn into a fox. Wolf ears and tail, they could turn into a wolf. Rabbit ears and a cotton tail, they could turn into a rabbit. Seemingly human with unusual like eyes could turn into snakes or birds. Mammals like squirrels and boars had human forms with long bushy tails and small ears or huge teeth coming out of their mouths. Snakes got snake eyes and smaller ears and long tongues. Other reptiles like to be near the window where the sun would be. Hybrids would find themselves transforming against their will if they are too cold, if they are depressed, even if they are scared or surprised, but not all the time.

With this the world adapted.

Buildings were built to make sure any type of hybrid could fit, whether they were tall or short, bulky or skinny. Normal land animals also adapted, they became weirder and differently sized. Lions no longer had a mane or fur but instead had scales. Or how some reptiles have fur. Animals that use to be small are now bigger and stronger or how big animals that were once big are now small. There are some animals that could be found in all shapes and sizes. Hybrids started to have a reason to use their animal side, if they don't they would end up dead and people would go starving if they didn't. How would meat and fish get on the shelves of stores? People got use to it and it became the norm.

When it comes to jobs, their are the typical office workers, and other normal jobs like fast food, or retail. There are chefs and teachers. Inventors and architectures, designers, doctors and nurses, babysitters and creators on the internet. Most, though, become hunters and fishers to channel deep into their animal instincts. They die because they underestimate the wild as it is now. Like everything the world adapts.

Life is peaceful. The same but different. Like any world, wars happen, civil wars, revolutions. Many things changed but many things stay the same.

And the simple world for a simple fox is about to change again.