R.E.D. Tiger

" Why are you telling me all this Felix?"

" Because I want you to be the next host, my boy haven't you caught on yet?"

I stared at Felix like he had lost his mind. Why would I, no scratch that, anyone want to be a supernatural creature that's hunted by other supernatural creatures and if caught could spell the end of the world. Oh No this was way above my pay-grade.

"I'm sorry Felix but I really don't think I'm the best guy for this."

" See that's were you're wrong. How old do you think I am Alan?"

" Maybe about fifty or sixty. Why do you ask?"

Felix looked at me and told me that he had been born in Italy in the 1850's and was given the power from a traveling merchant who was passing through town.

" I'm tired Alan," he told me, " I've been the host for nearly two hundred years and after awhile you just become tired of all the same things."

" Making friends just to see them die, relocating every fifteen or twenty years, conducting all your affairs from behind the scenes to avoid attention."

" About fifty years ago I met a woman and fell in love. We had a son that I wished to pass the gift on to but quite frankly he's an ass and he wasn't ready for something like this. He had a daughter, my granddaughter Molina, who I love very much. I couldn't stand the thought of passing on to her this heavy burden. My son is about forty himself and Molly just turned twenty one a few months ago. I can't stand the thought of outliving them and having to bury my loved ones so please you must take this from me!!" he begged.

After hearing Felix's story I was truly sad for the man but I still couldn't shake the feeling that he was rushing into this.

" But Felix why me, why now?"

" Because over the years I've come to trust my instincts and my instincts are telling me to pass on the gift to you. For the first time in over a hundred years the power within me is restless it's jumping at you and pulling me to make the transfer."

Sitting here listening to Felix it seemed to me that he really was desperate to pass on his gift. I guess when I think about it having the gift wouldn't be so bad. I mean if I never used it, who would know I had it? But it was still a big decision so I thought I should sleep on it.

" All right, all right Felix." I said and saw his face light up, " I MIGHT take the gift from you but I gotta think about it first. Meet me here in the morning and I'll have an answer for you."

Felix looked like he was gonna protest but when he saw me get up and go inside I guess he thought better of it.

Walking inside the cabin my stomach growled and I realize dhow hungry I was so I decided to make some dinner. Nothing fancy, just a sandwich made out of cold cuts that I'd picked up on my way here. Sitting down to eat my sandwich I thought about all the things Felix had told me and came to the decision that I would try out this host thing. Besides if it didn't work out I would just pass the gift back to Felix or another person and be done with it.

Feeling well fed and after a nice shower I laid down to go to sleep for the night. That night I dreamed of my father. He was looking at me with a weird smile on his face. You know the smile that a person has when they're watching a movie with someone who hasn't seen it before and you're favorite scene is coming up. The little smile you have because you know what's about to happen and you hope that the other person enjoys that next part as much as you do.

The next morning I woke up, took a shower, got dressed and went outside to wait for Felix. I wasn't too surprised to find him sitting in the same spot that he had been yesterday.

" Mornin' Felix. How was you're night" I said to him in way of greeting. Felix looked up at me and shrugged with a bit of a sigh.

"To tell the truth I couldn't get a wink of sleep. I was to busied worried about today to get any decent rest."

" Well I'm sorry to hear that I guess."

" Naw don't worry about it. Did I mention that the host could go a full month without sleep as long as you eat regularly?" he asked me in an attempt to further entice me.

I told him that there was no need to entice me because I was already prepared to become the next host or hybrid as I personally like to think of it.

" Well that's good news to hear and I hope I don't ruin it with what I'm about to say." Felix said cautiously.

" Wha–" I started to say before he cut me off.

" After the transfer it will take three months for you're abilities to fully mature. This was used in the old days to make sure that if the host was caught, they could easily pass on the power to a successor without the new host worrying about immediate detection."

" I had hoped to stay here with you for the next three months and "teach you the ropes so to speak". Don't worry about a job or anything as you will inherit my fortune or to be more accurate the collective fortune of all the past host."

" Well to tell you the truth I really have nothing to do for the next three months so I guess this isn't really a deal breaker, but I did have some things I wanted to take care of in the city. Meh they can be put on hold." I told him.

Felix once again smiled and told me to come closer and he would transfer the power to me. I was expecting some sort of huge ceremony, with many supernatural lights and flashes; but nothing happened. Felix had an imperceptible glow for about half a second then nothing. Felix stepped back from me and smiled.

" Is that it?" I asked him, " I barely feel any different."

" Yep that's it." he responded. " Oh and drink this." he said while handing me a clear lidded cup with some sort of grayish substance in it. I looked at the concoction suspiciously but figured that if he wanted to kill me I'd already be dead so I tilted my head back and chugged it.

" Goddamn, what the hell is this Felix?" I asked, " Dragon's piss!!"

" Close. Dragon's blood to be precise."

" Why in the hell would you make me drink dragon's blood? Where in the hell did you get dragon's blood anyway I thought they were extinct?"

"What made you think they were extinct?" Felix asked me. I gave him a look that screamed that if they weren't extinct where were they then. He went on to tell me that the dragons and some other magical creatures decided to leave to go live in another dimension when the human population started to bloom. Felix also explained that the dragon's blood would help me use magic as it would mix with my bloodstream and magically charge my blood, cells, organs, and bones.

" Enough of the chit-chat." Felix said, " Let's get this show on the road. It's gonna be a long and hard three months. Are you ready?"

Thinking back on my dream last night I recalled my father's lopsided half-smile and I was sure my face had the same expression as I looked at Felix and exclaimed,

"Bring it on!"

_______

Well everyone there you have it. The very first chapter of my very first story. On a personal note I have never been in the military so I know that some of the stuff depicted here and that will be depicted later are not correct. If you know of anything that will make the story more believable from that standpoint then please let me know.

Any comments and critiques are welcomed. I didn't bother with an editor because it takes me a while to write a chapter anyway and that would just add time to the release schedule but if enough people think I need one then I'll be happy to let Lit set me up with one.

Until next time

TNWTBOD