Search

"You may not be able to shapeshift anymore," Roy said, furrowing his brows as he struggled to keep eye contact with Alby.

"Really?" Alby asked, raising an eyebrow at him again. "Are you sure about that?"

"I am," Roy said, slowly growing annoyed. "That was what the doctor that came to check on you said too.

"If something like this happened after you turned twenty then it would have been fine.

"But you were still nineteen and ... this side of you, the shapeshifter side of your genes have not yet fully bounded with you.

"So to be stuck in a battle underwater for that long ... it did a number on your body. I don't know if you will ever be able to shapeshift again. I am so sorry, Alby."

Alby stayed silent as he stared at the two blankly, unable to wrap his head around what Roy just said.

"What?" he finally asked, tilting his head to the side. "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds, Roy?"

Roy was about to say something but Lily stopped him, holding her hand up to his face and turned to Alby.

"I understand you must be shocked, right now, Alby." The woman said as gently as she could. "Don't worry, we don't know for sure yet. Now that you are awake, you might be able to turn."

"Yeah. Just wait for sunrise." Roy said, trying to sound positive.

_____________________

Nothing happened.

Alby looked at his hands and feet and then at the sun in the distance. Well, I didn't turn. What a surprise.

"Alby, don't worry about it," Lily said, trying to comfort the boy as she slowly started to turn to stone. "I ... well ... you ... we ...."

He chuckled at the flustered woman, patting her head.

"Don't worry about me. I am fine." He said as she slowly started to relax, just slightly.

"You always were so mature." The woman said, placing a hand on his cheek before it turned to stone. "I will see you tonight, Alby."

"You too, Lily."

Alby stared at the statue in front of him, picking up the black veil and covering her head with it.

She always said that she looked awful as a statue and asked that her face be covered but he couldn't understand why.

No matter how hard he tried to think.

She is always pretty. Back then and even now.

Thump!

Frowning, Alby walked to the closet to see Roy on the ground, unable to sit up on his own.

"Roy?"

"Oh, Alby." The man on the floor said, startled. "Sorry. I forgot about the sun and was so lost in my thoughts that I suddenly lost all feeling in my legs."

Alby stared at him still trying to crawl to the wheelchair at the very corner of the room.

Rolling his eyes, Alby picked his uncle in his arms.

"Should I take you to the bathroom?" Alby asked, looking at the man who looked so surprised that the younger man was carrying him. For some reason.

"No, I ca-"

"I am not turning back anyway, so let me help you," Alby said firmly. "You always looked after me growing up. Are you embarrassed now or something?"

Roy stared at the man and laughed, "How could I ever be embarrassed because of you? Ok, fine. Take me to the bathroom."

As Alby took the man to the bathroom, he couldn't help but remember how he would be the last one to turn back every morning, making sure the two were turned and comfortable before he even went to get his wheelchair.

Have there been days when he forgot the timing, like today, and just had to lay on the floor the whole day? Or days when he had to crawl to the bathroom on his own.

He never complains though and greets the both of us every night. As if he had the best day ever.

Clicking his tongue as he turned on the water to the bathtub, Alby stared at his uncle, annoyed.

"What?" The man asked, sighing with relief as the cool water brushed against his skin. "This feels so nice."

"You are really annoying, you know that?" Alby asked, turning the tap off and staring as scales appeared all along the man's arms, legs, face and legs. "Never asking for help and thinking that you can take care of everything on your own. You are annoying."

"I could say the same thing about you." Roy chuckled, looking at his arms. "You like to keep so many things to yourself. What are you? A burden carrier or something?"

"I am not as bad as you."

"Right."

"Really."

"Uh-huh. I believe you completely."

"You just keep getting more and more annoying."

"I love you too, kiddo."

Alby froze, turning away from the man as he pursed his lips. "Annoying."

Roy laughed as he felt his voice start to fade away, coughing. "Oh? I am going to take a quick nap, Alby."

"Ok. Should I mix in some hot water?" The man asked, reaching for the tap.

"No need. I like the cold. Though … if you could help me add some salt into the water …"

Alby walked to the kitchen and brought a jar full of salt, pouring everything into the water.

"That feels really nice." The man said, sinking into the water. "Thank you, Alby."

Roy played with his dark blue hair as Alby folded his sleeves up and socked his hands in the water, mixing the salt until it dissolved.

"You don't have to do th-"

"I am just doing my job." He said quickly standing up. "Is that all?"

Roy looked intently at his nephew for a second before breaking into a smile. "You are really big, you know? I never noticed how much you have grown. How did I not notice that until now?

"When you fainted, I realized that you had become too big for me to carry and I felt distressed immediately."

"You were really busy trying to make ends meet," Alby said, putting the salt container to the side. "I didn't even notice how tall I had gotten."

"You look about … 183?"

"I'm 208 centimetres actually," Alby said, trying to look as casual as possible. He didn't know why he even said that, it wasn't an important fact. Just why.

Roy whistled, "I am only 180 cm. Well, shapeshifters have always been tall. Oh." he looked at the man, concern written all over his face. "Alby. I am sorry-"

"Why?" He asked nonchalantly. "Just because I don't transform in the morning doesn't mean I am not a shapeshifter."

Reaching out his wet, scaly hand, Roy took Alby's hands in his. "I promise I will find out what is wrong and fix it."

"You don't need to worry about me."

"Allow me to help," Roy asked, furrowing his brows at the man in an almost pleading expression.

Looking at Roy's pleading eyes, Alby had to give up, "Alright. But rest first."

"Ok," Roy said brightening up immediately. "Call to me if anything happens. I will hear."

"Yeah. Yeah."

Walking out of the bathroom that was covered in thick, black curtains to keep the light out, he closed the door behind him as quietly as possible.

Shoving his hands in his pocket, Alby stared at the gem, gripping it tightly.

Ok. Let's see what all this is about.

_______________________

Standing in the room, Alby held the gem tightly in the palm of his hands and imagined himself turning into a gryphon.

Almost immediately, the man felt his body contort and his bones break. He gritted his teeth trying to keep from crying out in pain in case Roy could hear him.

The next thing he knew is that he was standing in all fours, too big to move comfortably in the large room that became small immediately.

I knew it. Alby thought, turning back to his human form and staring at the gem. I can still transform.

Water has always been us, land shapeshifters, weakness and, yes, we are weaker in water but that shouldn't be enough reason to not be able to transform.

Who is this doctor they showed me to? He was definitely a quack.

Wait. Putting the gem to the side, Alby felt his body morph again and there he was, as a Siberian husky again. I think the reason I didn't transform all those days is because I was gripping onto this gem the entire time.

Walking to the gem, he picked it up in his paws, turning back almost immediately.

Does that mean I have been holding this for an entire week?

Disgust written all over his face, Alby walked out of the room and to the sink, washing the gem and his hands.

After drying it and making sure it was clean, he pulled a roll of twine from the drawers and began wrapping it around the gem, like he did the blue one all those days ago.

Should I tell the two about this?

He shook his head imagining the panic they would feel the moment they know he has a powerful gem with him. Not now.

After he was done wrapping the gem, he stared in the mirror as he tied the two ends of the twine around his neck.

Making sure the gem could not fall out, Alby hid it under his shirt.

I need to find him again.