Part 1 of 2 pieces by  Pinguinolog who is doing an amazing job bringing this to life.

A glimpse at the sky while gathering herbs to be used for brewing was all it took to draw Gavin to a stop. Of all the maledictions that came from being born a hybrid it was being a flightless bird that hurt the most. A freak of a bearded vulture blended with a mutt of a dog trailing a mutated tail was plenty to single him out. Not having a strong sense of smell despite being half canine yet not having large enough wings to fly as his avian heritage. There were many things to miss out that family on either side have enjoyed all their lives. The freedom of being above the trees, above the clouds, to go wherever you wished without the trappings of forest or mountain in your way. For a bird who was from those that soared, it seemed a curse for his existence to be trapped by the earth.