Chapter 18: Chapter 18

For our Kayola,

Life as a hybrid

Can be demanding

But we can be sure

That she will successfully

Manage both parts of her

-PenaciousShewa

As we most probably already know, Kayola being the product of the fusion of a werewolf and a human is a hybrid; and at this stage of her life, she is beginning to feel like she is torn between being a wolf and being a human being. Since she cannot choose one part and leave the other, she is basically trapped.

Wolves are complex, highly intelligent animals who are caring, playful, and above all, devoted to family. Wolves educate their young, take care of their injured pack members and they live in family groups. Wolves are very good hunters, and they kill their prey without hesitation.

Humans are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by large and complex brains, and this enables them to develop advanced tools, culture, and language. They have several instincts such as fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness, and boredom.

Kayola has grown up to see these two species in action. Her father is a wolf, and he teaches her that it is either she kills or she is killed and that she has to do whatever she must to survive. He trains her vigorously and is preparing her for the future when she will rule the pack. Kayola, therefore, has been raised to be ruthless, cunning, and skilled in hunting prey and killing her enemies.

She also has an excellent relationship with her mother, and this has exposed her to the ways of humans. Being with her mother has taught her how to be calm in situations that would naturally cause her to be angry, and she has adequately learned culinary skills from her mother, something she most likely would not have learned if her mother was a wolf.

As Kayola keeps growing, she experiences a mix of both human emotions and wolf instinct, as she exhibits traits that are both similar to her father’s breed and that of her mother. She is highly intelligent, educated, caring, playful, and has a strong devotion to her family. One more thing is her eyesight, it is exceptional.

No problem here, right?

However, issues begin to arise when her emotions and instincts clash. The first time she experiences this is when she goes out on her regular hunting expedition with her father. Kayola is now so good at hunting that she can take down a whole deer or elk on her own.

On this occasion, she carefully isolates a deer and hunts it down, piercing its jugular vein with her sharp teeth, and her father stands afar off, howling with pride. As she drags her prey to where her father is, she is suddenly overcome by pity and compassion for the poor animal, and she just wants to cuddle the deer and nurture it back to good health and keep it in her room. Almost instantly, her wolf takes over and she tears the deer to pieces, not even remembering to share it with her father as usual. As she walks back home with her father, she can’t help but feel a lot of guilt for killing that animal,

Another example is the feeling of loneliness that comes even when she is with her parents and even Petra. She also finds herself worrying about the future, something her father never does. Boredom is another feeling that strikes at the least expected moment.

All in all, Kayola tries to rise up to this challenge by dashing into the woods anytime she feels overwhelmed. There in the forest, she lets out her wolf and howls till she can howl no more. Sometimes, she goes into the weapon gallery and practices her training with every single weapon that she can find. Although this always leaves her exhausted, she always feels better.

If your spirit animal is a wolf, I really don’t know how you face every challenge that comes your way. All I can say is that I am proud of you and that you will be fine.