I had long been interested in the various kinds of human/animal hybrids.  Even though they are a regular feature of cities and towns across the world, they stand out from regular humans and just wanted to know more about them.  Some of them were born that way, being conceived by parents who were also hybrids.  Their origins lie with people who were transformed to share traits with other animals for some reason, and this process was still offered to anyone that desired it.  Eventually, I did find someone that had a mage transform them, and they instructed me to seek one that is experienced in animal transformations, and they could explain it to me, and even perform it on me if I so desired.

	I found one, and got an appointment with them so they could answer my questions.  They said all I needed to do was focus on the animal that I desired, and they could shift my body to possess the traits of that animal.  I agreed to undergo the process, and it felt as unusual as it looked.  I could sense my body changing as I watched fur grow on my body and take the shape of the animal I was thinking of.  In a few moments, they showed me a mirror, and an animal person was looking back at me.  I was so excited to finally be one of the creatures I had admired so long.

	The next matter was their history, which I knew something about, but the mage could explain some matters further for me.  The earliest hybrids were made by people who desired to better understand the world by becoming the animals who were more in touch with nature than them.  They taught their craft to others, and also were able to reproduce, making the race of animal people that exist today.  At one point, they were feared by non-magic users as nothing more than beasts, but as they were better understood, they came to be integrated as a regular part of society.  Some even became adept magic users in their own regard, producing truly powerful creatures that were once myth, but they made them real.  The mage seemed very partial to this story, because it reflected their own struggle to be accepted by those who did not understand their abilities.  I thanked them and paid for their services, going on to live the rest of my life as an animal person.