The Hybrid's Tale

Chapter 1: Saved by a Wizard

Shit...

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

While my body is locked in eye contact with the...thing in front of me, my mind races with questions on what to do, how to escape, and what the hell it is.

And comes up blank.

Absolutely blank.

I'm not ready to die, goddammit.

...But then again, is anyone ever?

Snapping out of some of the initial shock, I take several steps back and away from the creature. My fear not as crippling with the added distance.

As if in response, the creature straightens up and takes a step forward that brings it into the moonlight, allowing me my first good look at it. With that step, any rational thought I once had evaporated.

The creature before me had the body of a man, but I can assure you it was anything but.

Other than the unnatural blood red eyes it possessed, brimming with the burning desire to cause harm, it had dry grey skin that seemed to be flaking off in multiple places. Several bulging, black veins racing through the visible skin not covered by its tattered clothing served as the finishing touch to its scary appearance.

It's limp black hair hung down a vein covered face, which hosted a mouth full of yellowed, rotted teeth.

Not to mention the stench of decay that was oozing out of it.

It's a freaking zombie... I'm about to get eaten by an actual zombie... shit.

After a few more moments of being paralyzed by fear, my instinct and adrenaline kick in at full gear and I do the only thing anyone can do when being stared down by a real life zombie.

I turn around and run.

I run as fast as my legs can carry me. I run down alleyways, dash in and out of shadows, and leap over obstacles in my way all in a bid to get away from the monster chasing me down.

Not long after I take off, I notice that there are other footsteps different from those that have been tailing me from the start. I look around me whenever I can and see nothing, putting it down to fear and my imagination.

Then I see them.

Red lights flashing through the darkness in parallel alleyways, in shaded corners, and on the roofs of shorter buildings nearby.

No, not lights...

I glimpse shadows darker than my surroundings moving with the lights. Then I come to a realization that leaves me filled with dread.

Eyes...they are eyes.

I'm completely surrounded.

I almost give up at the hopelessness of my situation, but fear and the desire to live keep my feet pumping as fast as they can.

That is, until I hit a dead end.

No, no, no, no, no!

It can't end this way!

I pound on the brick wall and search for a way out frantically even though I know it's pointless. Screaming my throat raw in the process with my cries for help.

I feel the presence of the zombies weigh down on me and turn to face them, unwilling to go down without a fight for all the good it would do.

Then a miracle happened.

As the zombies closed in on me, we were hit with a blinding flash of white light, and a resounding boom filled the space between the buildings.

After taking several seconds to recover from the light, I finally open my eyes to find a cloaked figure taller than I am by half a head standing in the space between the zombies and I.

While I'm still contemplating whether I'm in more trouble or being saved, the newcomer stretches his arms out and several bolts of burgundy coloured fiery energy shoot out into the mass of zombies.

The howls and shrieks of the creatures rip through the air as they get burned to blackened husks and ash, the whole thing taking less than two minutes to play out.

Fear and awe war for dominance in me as I take in the person that for lack of a better word I can only describe as a wizard in front of me.

But I get saved the trouble of finding words to say when the figure turns around and a deep, rumbling voice fills the quiet.

"Ben Miller, I've been looking for you."