HYBRID

He was moving slowly. Every day he could define with a certain certainty of how quickly it passed, how slowly his thoughts had moved. In relation to the day, his mind was moving many times faster than his paws were, but it did not matter. He was mulling over the current events, everything that had happened. Andrezej’s idiocy that had lead to him getting kicked out of the pack, the events that had transpired from that, and now, where it left him.



He was bored. Samael was rarely seen – as if he somehow feared Gabriel would do the same to him as he had done to Andre – and Hybrid was left being the only true coyote in Inferni aside from Gabriel. Since the wolf attack, Hybrid had come to realize that Gabriel possessed the insanity and bloodlust that every Inferni leader needed. It was exactly what Roane and Segodi had lacked, and was why they had failed.



It was why Hybrid still remained in Inferni. Because he knew the leader wasn’t as good as he wanted everyone to think, and that one day, Infenri would become the true clan it was meant to be. He would be patient and wait.

TOXIC

Unlike most of Inferni, Toxic was the picture of innocence. He was just a boy, but a good boy at that; he obeyed the rules, stayed put. Toxic was, unfortunately, exceptionally naïve about the rest of the pack though. He knew so few members of his new home that he was probably a blip on the rest of the pack's radar. That didn't matter, though because he would be turning three months soon, so (if he did say so himself) he was growing into a big boy. That meant more independence for the pup, and he often went alone (always within walking distance from the den) for stretches of time to test his boundaries. These walks led him to believe that he really was growing up, but little did he know there was still tons to learn and tons to see in the world.



Toxic took his morning walk to his old standby: the beach. Toxic went there almost every day to be alone and just explore. For the first time in a while, though, the grey pup saw someone else, someone intruding. He was a little annoyed, but remembered that the beach wasn't his own special place, and that he had to share it with the rest of the clan. “Hey!” he shouted, hoping the other guy would go away so he could continue his daily routine.

HYBRID

It was one of those puppies. Hybrid could smell the child as he approached, for the wind seemed to be in his favour that day, but it did not mean it made it any less startling when the child approached. It was true that the puppy looked a little like what Hybrid had at a young age, save the vastly different coat. The puppy was a wild mix of greys, blacks and whites, whereas Hybrid was a mixture of everything else: reds, golds, browns and mixes of all three.



Despite being something of a brother to this child, Hybrid felt no familial love towards it. He felt nothing for his own sister, who had thrown her name away after being ‘adopted’ by Segodi months ago. Even she, who he had known at the youngest age, was not considered a sister. This child, who was both his half-brother and nephew – a little more than kin and less than kind – was merely those things in title. He was not someone to protect or look after. He was another bothersome puppy that knew nothing of use. He chased his tail all day and ate what his father – Hybrid’s uncle – brought him. Asphyxia was most certainly too useless to even hunt for food.



Hybrid, unable to restrain the small snarl, turned to face the boy. He frowned, eyeing the child in distaste. “Do you need something, child, or must you act out the role of the bumbling hindrance, as I believe you to be?”

TOXIC

Another thing Toxic was blissfully unaware of was his somewhat extended family. He didn't know that his half-brother/uncle was snarling in front of him, that his aunt was mate to the leader of this crazed clan, that his mother and father had drug problems. Although, it was probably for the best, his parents were just protecting his childhood until the day came that he would have to grow up. Until then, every coyote was good at heart and there was no tension between his kind and wolves.



“No, I don't need anything, sir, I just wanted to say hi. Are you from inferni too?” Whether they were related or not didn't even go through his mind, because he didn't know the intricate story behind this unique place. “Do you know my mom and dad?” He smiled his little puppy smile, genuinely interested. A plop of his hind legs put him in front of the terrifying coyote that didn't even faze him.

HYBRID

Hybrid did not have time for this. He did not need to stand there and be interrogated by a tiny little creature (more formally known as a puppy), to be mocked at by his something-relative. What he needed was to find a wolf to take out his angry energy on, perhaps one that was wandering a little too close to the borders for comfort. There were no laws in Inferni dictating that a coyote could not hurt a wolf whenever it pleased. In fact, if the old ones still stood, it encouraged the action.



Hybrid, again, watched the child as it spoke. It’s words alone were enough to annoy him, and the puppy’s cheerful grin irked him enough to make him want to swat him away. “Of course I’m from Inferni, you little shit. If I were not, someone would have torn me to pieces. You should never find a trespasser traipsing through the territory,” he said with an unrestrained snarl.



He turned, and stalked off, glowering. Stupid little puppies with their stupid little puppy questions.

TOXIC

“Hey, come back!” Toxic started trotting ahead to the other coyote, wondering why he was so annoyed. “Why would you tear someone to pieces if they were just walking on the beach? I mean it's just sand,” he said quietly, now getting a little panic-stricken at the scary coyote. “What's your name?” Toxic's voice was now getting higher at every word, both excited and terrified to be talking to a coyote that commanded so much respect.



Toxic was so transfixed at looking at him that he didn't notice Hybrid walk over a piece of driftwood, which, unfortunately for him, he didn't notice. His skull made a dull 'thunk' against the wet wood, which caused the little one to yelp out in pain. He frowned, attempted to rub his head (which he failed at miserably due to his oversize ears), before jumping over the wood and ran after Hybrid.

HYBRID

Hybrid glanced over his shoulder in time to see the puppy make contact with the wood. The child did not even possess enough intelligence to think of looking where he was walking. It served him right for bothering him like that.



He glared at the child, bored with his antics. He was tempted to ignore the child’s questions, but he was reminded by what had happened to Andrezej. Perhaps if someone had taken the time to explain whom a coyote was expected to attack and who was not, the child would not have been cast out so quickly. The clan had lost a potential soldier. It had been unfortunate, but it had also been necessary. Andrezej had been just as clueless as this child was now at his age, Hybrid was certain. Perhaps if he had known from the beginning what one was expected to do, he might have made a worthy soldier; perhaps not.



“It’s not the sand, child. It’s who lives here. This is our land and we have a right to attack anyone who disputes this. If a wolf simply waltzed into Inferni like it belonged to him, it would be up to those strong enough to take him down and make an example out of him. We can’t have wolves running around here. It’s not right.” His words, though seemingly informative, were all uttered with a sense of danger and anger. He bit out the word wolf as if it were poisonous, his expression growing darker as he said it.



The child would learn, soon.

TOXIC

"What do you have against wolves? They don't seem too bad... I mean, I've never met one but they can't be too awful right? My parents don't hate them…" If this was fact or fiction Toxic didn't know and pulled a childish lie to help his case. His voice trailed off, wondering if the coyote had even bothered to listen to him. “Where are you going?” He asked after a moment of silence, because they had walked to the mental boundary Toxic built for himself, to keep himself safe. “What's that?” he looked at the ruins on the beach, ruins of something Toxic had never seen before.

HYBRID

Hybrid almost laughed. He really did not know anything, did he? He did not understand the most basic, most primitive of facts. Unfortunately, the child did not seem to have ever been educated about the many wrongs wolves had committed against their kind. But the child’s misfortunate would soon be reversed; Hybrid knew much of the dirty deeds wolves had committed against their kind.



Hybrid continued walking, making his way toward the Inferni house as he contemplated how to respond. It was easy, but he would have to put it in words small enough that would make the child understand. “They are everywhere. They take our food; disrespect our leader, our lands, hate who we are. We must teach them to fear us, or else they will overrun us with their own hatred.” He paused. “They do everything to hurt us. They mark our graves,” he continued, remembering the pure black wolf that had trespassed only days ago, “and they make a mockery of our lands.” He was seething now. His words were spat out with such ferocity that he felt like he were attacking wolves as he said it. He stalked farther away from the water’s edge, plunging into the small grouping of trees, heading for the Inferni house where he could drop the child off.