Hybrid Origins
Hybrid
In the world of moon and sun, humanity, as is no different from now, exists in discontentment. Humans battle against other humans for many things, but nothing more fiercely than for the control of and corruption of the Earth, itself. Expansion of territories, urbanization, colonialism, and other euro-influences are driving those who seek to live in balance with nature out of the big picture and into extinction. Fearing for their survival and the survival of the planet, the elders and shamans of various tribes of the world pray for deliverance from the plague of "civilization". Their prayers are answered and a prophecy is made that from the heart of world, born of the moon and sun, spirit and animal will be beset upon them to protect this land.
In this story, there are two tribes of Hybrids; the tribe to the West, the Moon Tribe and the tribe to the East, the Sun Tribe. The main story takes place with the Moon Tribe.
The Moon tribe originally consisted of Wolf, Bear, Bat, Cougar, Snow Leopard, Fox, and Raccoon. The latter three are cubs and kits [children]. The Sun tribe originally consisted of Lion, Lioness, Tiger, Jackal, Leopard, Panda, Komodo Dragon, and Jaguar. Leopard is the cub in this group. Eventually, Lion and Lioness are betrayed by their group and sold to humans. They end up in the west and become allied with the Moon tribe. Eventually, even young Leopard is betrayed by the Sun tribe and cast into slavery [in the same manner Lion and Lioness were]. He's rescued by the Moon tribe though he's reluctant to trust anyone at first, save Lion and Lioness. Coyote shows up sometime after Lion and Lioness do.
I'm debating whether or not to introduce a character of Hyena. I'm also debating whether or not to keep Komodo Dragon as he's the only non-mammal.
All the hybrids were born to animal parents.
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Wolf
Wolf was born unto the alpha and beta of a pack somewhere in North America, most likely present day Virginia. He was born seventh of seven among his siblings with only one other exhibiting that they had the spirit blood as he did, a sister he refers to as Sister. She called him, Little Brother. They were especially close because as far as they knew, they were the only hybrids. The pack treated them as though they were no different from the rest and loved them as they did all the others.
Being hybrids, Wolf and Sister yielded extended childhoods. In their youth, they saw the birth of many of their pack, and the deaths of just as many, including their alpha and beta parents. Through it all, they managed to get by if nothing more than because they had each other to help see everything through. They learned everything from their pack brothers and sisters, from tracking and hunting, to knowing how to survive the winter, and even how to walk as silent as the night sky turning to day. They learned everything the pack had to teach them and even taught a few lessons to their pack brethren.
As most often happens, tragedy befell young Wolf. When the English settled in the North Americas, they immediately saw wolves as a threat and began extermination. Wolf's pack was not spared, not even his beloved sister. She too was slain at the hands of human stupidity. Wolf barely escaped himself, suffering lacerations, bruises, and the destruction of his right eye. He fled running as far and as fast as his tiny legs would carry him. He ran until he couldn't go any further and collapsed, many miles away from the land of his birth, the land he knew. He is found and rescued by Bat who serves as his surrogate mother. Wolf is probably closer to Bat than he was to his own birth mother. She raised him and showed him his calling as a speaker and taught him about the human world, but more importantly, taught him of the world of the spirit. Under Bat's tutelage, he grows in not only the physical, but the spiritual as well.
Later, Cougar is discovered and then after, Bear. The three grow and become like brothers, though Wolf can never forget the sister he once had. In dreams and sometimes amid reality, he sees her and speaks to her, as, being born of spirits, she can never truly die. Later, he becomes the unnamed leader of the Moon tribe.
Wolf befriends a tribe of Native Americans, the Black Creek Tribe, who revere his kind as honored creatures. Their chief, Soaring Eagle, helps, especially in instructing Wolf about the ways of humans and the differences they have. She also tells him of the threat of the pale-faced settlers that have begun breaching their territory. Wolf finds a great source of knowledge Soaring Eagle, knowledge that he uses to his tribe's benefit and that of their human allies, the Black Creek natives.
Wolf is fair and reasonable and very patient, though he can sometimes be over trusting. At times he can be sharp tempered, particularly when the safety of his tribe is in jeopardy. He is a firm believer that all the creatures of the world have a right to exist and that no creature born of this earth is greater than any other. It is under that principle that he leads his family (Moon tribe). Wolf's power is the gift of communal speech. He can discern the words of most other creatures as they can understand his. With other hybrids, their speech is limited to the realm of their own kind, but Wolf hears and communicates with those outside his creed, making him an understanding figure in more ways than the obvious. He also yields the gift of spirit sight allowing him to see spirits that move about the Earth.
Cougar
Cougar's origins are a mystery. No one knows, save himself and Bat, how he came to be. He is quiet and thoughtful, the "brains of the outfit". He prefers logic to luck, though he sometimes finds himself indulging in the latter when the situation demands it. He is often found alone, usually contemplating his thoughts among the person of himself. When faced with a situation, he is the one whose guidance is primarily sought. Yet, there is a playfulness to him that some, especially Fox, find mischievous at best.
As mysterious as his origins are Cougar's powers. His is the power is the gift of star communication. This gift includes light and sound reflection and with great effort, image projection. This trait he uses often when hunting or when deterring approaching unwanted humans. Like Wolf, Cougar does not shun the human race. He accepts their place in the world as he accepts his own. Unlike Wolf, with his curiosity and naivete of humans, Cougar has a familiarity with them that eases and makes them comfortable with his presence. Like Lion and Lioness, Cougar favors the light over the dark. He is also the only one who thoroughly enjoys the wearing of clothes. Where the other hybrids (the exception being Snow Leopard) wear the least amount of garments possible, he takes pleasure in outfitting himself in whatever clothes the natives token upon him...which are most in the form of the presentation of gifts of thanksgiving and praise.
Bear
Bear's origin is fairly mundane. He was born unto a female brown bear and had a twin that hadn't any of the spirit blood that he possessed. He grew alongside his sibling (male), though not as quickly. When his brother was learning to hunt, he was still learning the fundamentals of walking. When his brother outgrew the need for his mother, he left and ventured out into the world on his own. Bear stayed with his mother, though he often looked for his brother, hoping to see him appear trotting over the ridge. He saw him one other time when he and his mother were foraging in the woods for berries and nuts. But, the brother he knew was not the same. Time had made him a little more tempered then he had been for the life he was forced to live as a wild bear was not easy. He barely recognized Bear, making no move that he so much as acknowledged his presence in the world. Still, there was something within him that bear could not forget. Even though he had changed, Bear saw a remnant of the brother he once knew. The brother left, once again, leaving a longing Bear in his wake for the last time.
A few years later, Bear's mother died, an accident on a treacherous mountainside felled her. Bear is left alone to the wilds of the world. Soon after, Bear is found by Bat and is brought to stay with Wolf and Cougar. He is glad to belong to a family once again, his joy blossoming into a strengthening love he has for his family.
Bear is impetuous and impulsive and just likes to have a good time. He's easy going and easy to get along with, though, when push comes to shove, he can be just as fierce as any. In some respects, more than most. Bear's power is the gift of earth influence. Using his ability, Bear can manipulate the earth much in the same manner that a potter wields clay. In fact, it was because of his gift that the Den, the place where the hybrids live, exists.
When Bat left the young cubs to experience the world on their own, necessity demanded that the cubs required some sort of shelter. During a rainstorm, Bear became fascinated with the way the rain shaped the soft mud it fell upon. As he watched, he fell into something of a trance. Absently, he began to shape the ground, the audience of Wolf and Cougar watching on. When he came out of his trance, there was a gaping hole where he had influenced the ground. When Wolf and Cougar explained to him what had happened, plans for the Den were underway.
Bat
Nothing at all is known about Bat, save that she is the savior and unifier of Wolf, Cougar and Bear...and that she is blind. Likewise, nothing is known about her powers save that they are immense. She is elusive and is rarely seen by the other hybrids, save Wolf. She appears to him often, helping him when he is confused or lost. As the first of her children, she is especially protective of him, though she loves him no more or less than any of the others. When disaster falls them, she is sure to appear to aid the children she loves more than even they can possibly know.
Fox and Raccoon
Fox and Raccoon found each other before they found the Moon Tribe. While they were on their own, they found that even with two pairs of hands, gathering food was difficult. One day, they happened upon a hole before a tree (the Den). They decided to see what lived inside and came across the Moon Tribe's storeroom. They feasted on the food they found there, carrying some off to store elsewhere.
When Wolf, Cougar, and Bear (as they were the only members of the Moon Tribe presently) discovered the missing food, they decided to uncover the identity of the thief. They decided to take watches, hoping that the intruder would make a return visit.
Cougar was on watch in the trees one night while Wolf hunted and Bear rested. Raccoon noticed the sentry and, being among the cleverest of creatures, he and Fox plotted a way to draw his attention.
Fox created a ruckus in the bushes near the Den, drawing Cougar's attention. Cougar climbed from the trees, giving Raccoon the opportunity to slip into the Den and attain more food. However, as Cougar began to give chase, he realized that he had left his post and hurried back to it. He returned just as Raccoon was starting out. Hearing Cougar approach, Raccoon ducked back into the Den, scurrying deep into the labyrinth of its build. Fox, worrying for Raccoon, sprang from the bushes, showing himself to Cougar. He taunted him, irritating him enough that he resumed chase, leaving his post, once more.
Underground, Raccoon runs into Bear.
Above ground, Fox is running away from Cougar but in his haste, runs straight into Wolf. Wolf and Cougar tease him for a moment when suddenly, Cougar takes his knife from its sheath and stabs it into the kill that Wolf has made. He offers it to Fox saying, "If you were hungry, you needn't steal...only ask." He leaves the kill behind along with Fox as he and Wolf head back for the Den.
Fox ponders Cougar's statement for a while then remembers the danger that Raccoon was still in. He pulls the knife from the kill and charges at Wolf and Cougar. He gets passed them and leaps into the Den. Wolf and Cougar give chase, following Fox through the turns and hollows of the Den, when, after a moment, they all fall still as the sounds of giggling waft through the labyrinth that is their home.
Bear and Raccoon appear, laughing and playing with one another until they see Fox, Wolf, and Cougar. Raccoon tells Fox that he believes that Bear and the others mean them no harm and that they can trust them. Fox considers his words for a moment, concluding that Cougar did offer his weapon and a fresh kill to him and that that was to be considered an act of trust. Returning the weapon to Cougar, he agrees to stay and thus the Moon Tribe grows from three to five.
Fox is a natural leader, the other cubs (Raccoon, Snow Leopard) look up to him and look to him for guidance in the absence of the elders. Fox often uses a wisdom that proceeds his age, though, still being rather young, he is prone to making mistakes. He sometimes comes across as hard-hearted and set in his ways, though it is just a face he wears and is, in actuality, very kind and extremely considerate of others, especially his family (the Moon Tribe). Fox's elemental power is the gift of wind talk and command. He often hears thoughts and whispers on the wind, though he cannot always understand them. He also wields a bit of power over the wind, its currents, and its other properties. He can even lift himself off the ground, but just slightly.
Raccoon is much more docile than Fox and is easily lead by his friend, though he is by no means a pushover. When Fox is caught in one of his moods, he's usually the one to bring him out of it. He's also the one who would cast Snow Leopard a comforting smile after he and Fox have picked on her. He wears his heart on his sleeve, most often, though when he is upset, he shuts himself from the rest of the world and draws himself, into himself. Raccoon's power is the gift of tree understanding. He can hear the thoughts of the trees, help ease any pains they may be ailing from, and even help them grow. His powers, due mostly to his age, are very limited. But, as his love for his leafy brethren is abundant, he is fast growing into his gift.
Snow Leopard
One night, as Wolf got the urge to scout the area after sensing a strange emanation, he stumbles across a young hybrid snow leopard in a tree. He reaches to get her down, but she's afraid of something (her mother was killed and skinned by human hunters right before her eyes). Clearly fearful of him, she climbs higher as he reaches to get her down. Wolf cannot get through to her that he means her no harm, so, to build her trust, he leaves her, hoping that she will come to him of her own free will.
She doesn't.
He comes back the next day with a bit of food for her to gain her faith. She doesn't eat, but he does not force her to, knowing that that would do more harm than good. He leaves again and returns to her the following day.
As he arrives, he gets there just as she falls from the tree she had been perched upon, exhausted and weak. He catches her as she falls, but she is still clearly scared. The food he had left for her wasn't even touched.
He puts her back in the tree, telling her that she could stay there or that she could go with him.
She stays in the tree.
As he leaves, he hears a tiny voice cry, "Wait..." He turns just in time to see her reach out for him before falling, once again. Once more, he catches her just before she hits the ground. In his arms, she finishes her previous statement whispering, "...don't leave me." She passes out from stress, exhaustion and hunger while Wolf carries her back to the Den.
For a couple of days, Snow Leopard is too weak to eat on her own. Wolf has to chew her food for her and feed her the chewed morsels just as his mother did for him when he was a cub. It's because of this intimacy that Snow Leopard feels especially close to Wolf. She often calls him "Aja" which is the Black Creek name for "sun god" and also their term for "father".
Snow Leopard is shy, honest and very sweet. She is loved by all, even though she often finds herself the victim of torment by Fox and Raccoon. The others feel a strong need to protect her, as she is the youngest and most vulnerable of the group. However, despite her youth, she exhibits a fair command over ice and its element (water). This is the gift of ice crafting. Her powers are already greater than either Fox's or Raccoon's. She also shows signs that her powers can expand farther than the elemental, pushing deeper into the spiritual realm, much like Coyote's abilities do. Eventually, it is suggested that she become a pupil of sorts of Coyote. Under her tutelage, she further grows into her powers, learning to wield them with growing ease and skill.
Lion and Lioness
Lion and Lioness are the only known living hybrids that share the same animal species (African lion), in the same way that Wolf and Sister were two of the same species with spirit blood. However, unlike Wolf and Sister, Lion and Lioness are not related by flesh.
Lion came from a pride in the north west of Africa. When he reached puberty, roughly the equivalent of a human teenager, he felt the urge to move on. Though away from his pride, his heart was always with them. He knew, however, that his was a greater destiny that he could not fulfill within the shelter of his kin. He began his journey southward bound, feeling that somehow, something was calling for him to be there. It is along his journey that he comes across Lioness.
Lioness was born of a pride in the African Midwest. She stayed with and learned from her pride through her youth and entering adolescence. She watched it grow and change, yet always stay the same. She realized and understood that "umoja" or, unity was paramount to her people's success. She values this sense of family collectiveness and cooperation above all things. Yet, she too left her family after having dreams of impending disaster. She feared for the safety of her pride and felt that somehow, her presence with them would be as a beacon that would deliver an ill fate to them. To protect her people, she left their company, hoping to find and stop whatever entity that threatened their well being. It is on her journey that she encounters Lion.
Lion and Lioness stayed together in the place of their meeting for many floods, learning from each other and learning of the land they shared. They were uncertain where they should go next, as the feeling that guided them to each other left them once they found one another. Their meeting place served as their home well after they'd grown into adulthood.
Ever since their meeting, Lion and Lioness had been inseparable. Theirs was a friendship that went beyond that of the commonplace. Often times, one could tell what the other was thinking as though they were speaking aloud. They shared each others strengths and helped to abate each others weaknesses, bettering themselves for their ultimate purpose. In time, their affections grew and developed, into something of a brother-sister relationship, Lion often teasing Lioness as though she were his younger sibling. Yet, he always felt a need to protect her from harm and when any threatened her, he was certain to be there to guard and defend her. Lioness began to look up to and admire Lion for his strength and determination. It was a trait that she hoped would grow strong in herself as it flourished in him.
After this period in time, Lioness began to have the nightmares, once more, the same that she had when she was with her pride. She and Lion began to feel that something was about to come, but were unsure what. They embarked on another journey in search of the disturbance. On their way, they met Leopard, an orphan. His birth mother had passed away long ago, leaving the cub to the world on his own. Lion and Lioness take him in, and care for him as their own.
The trio continued on their travels, leading them to the remaining Sun Tribe, already assembled under Tiger. Lion, Lioness, and Leopard join the group, welcomed by all. However, Tiger leads the group with an iron fist. He believed that all humans were evil and must all be destroyed though not while waiting for them to come to them, but rather to search them out and destroy them all. At first, Lion and Lioness found understanding in Tiger's words, but with the first attack on a human village, they realized that humans bled just as any other animal and that Tiger was wrong in his beliefs. Because of their "disloyalty", they were secretly sold to humans by Tiger and Komodo Dragon.
Lion and Lioness find themselves the victims of torture and slavery at the hands of humans. It is during their stay with them that they question their former beliefs, wondering if Tiger truly was right in his hatred for humans. The humans they were sold to transport them from the wilds of Africa to the plains of North America. It is here where the Moon Tribe found and rescued the two. Lion and Lioness joined the Moon Tribe, reluctantly at first, but with a newfound hatred for humankind. Wolf and the others showed them that not all humans were bad and that some could even be very useful, as is the case with the Native Americans. Lion and Lioness's eyes were opened once more, discovering that it was they who were correct in their belief that Tiger was wrong for his. Through his action, they learn that just as not all humans were bad, not all hybrids were good.
Lion is strong and loyal, determined and courageous, though he can sometimes be somewhat irrational and quick to anger. His temper, however, is easily soothed, most often with the mere passage of time. However, not even time can quell his low-lying disgust with the humans who tortured and enslaved him and Lioness. He'd always wanted to protect her but at that time, he was powerless and it something that walks with him even now.
Lioness is loving and honest, smart and clever with a huntress's heart, though she's just as good at abating a quarrel as getting into one. She often has forecasting dreams, dreams that serve as warnings or means of insight to problems. Unlike Lion, she is less disgusted and more intimidated by the humans who abused her. The things they did to her haunt her sometimes and she cries out in her sleep against it.
Being of the same animal species, Lion and Lioness share the same gift, the gift of sun blaze. This power includes the control of fire and the generation of heat. Being of the sun, Lion and Lioness are physically the strongest of the tribe, as the sun's powers are self-generating. However, with great power comes great consequence. Unlike the other members of the Moon Tribe, Lion and Lioness must "charge" themselves through the light of the sun. If they go for prolonged amounts of time (days) without being in the sun's light, their powers and strength become depleted. This, however, can easily be overcome by restoring them to the sun's care. Only the members of the Sun Tribe share this deficiency. The members of the Moon Tribe do not.
Coyote
Coyote is one of the last members of the Moon tribe to appear. Of all the known hybrids, she is the second most in-touch with her spiritual half (Bat being the most intone). She wields the gift of spiritual communing. When focusing her spiritual energies, she can perform feats of supernatural capacity, including levitating small objects, yielding command over the elements, and calling forth/casting out spirits. It was her illuminated spirit that brought her to the Moon Tribe and that nearly got her cast out.
Coyote was a loner. After outliving her mother she was left in a world to fend for herself. She learned of the world and its inhabitants on her own, making judgments about what she encountered. As time went by, she began to feel, much like the inkling that claimed Lion and Lioness, something drawing her away from her birth lands in the Mid-West, to the lands of the east. She embarked on a journey, and made her way to the lands of the Moon Tribe.
Unaccustomed to seeing creatures much like herself (hybrid), she stayed shy of them and just observed. Through observation, she became enamored with Wolf, desiring to be with him in an intimate way. She, as was the vessel of her nature, was shy, however and did not have the confidence to face him, directly. She prayed to the spirits to give her the strength to confront him with her feelings and was received by a spirit of trickery. The spirit besought her to allow himself to claim her body so that it might give her the strength to overcome her shyness and the words to convey her sentiment. She agreed and allowed herself to be possessed by the spirit. However, the trickster spirit was of a mischievous sort and created havoc for the Moon Tribe as well as the Black Creek Tribe. A prisoner within the confines of her own body, Coyote was helpless to stop the madness of the spirit until, finally, a confrontation was wrought between the spirit claimed Coyote and the members of the Moon Tribe.
The spirit that claimed Coyote began to become jealous of Lioness and her closeness to Wolf. It mistook her friendship toward him for a more intimate sentiment. Enraged, the trickster's spirit changed from one of mischief, to one of malice. It began using Coyote's body and powers to bring harm to the Moon Tribe, targeting the Moon children and Lioness specifically. When Coyote is finally surrounded by a fighting Moon Tribe, she makes a lunging attack upon Lioness but Wolf steps in to take the blow.
The strike is fatal.
Seeing the one she coveted brought to his end at her own hand, Coyote summons the strength to free herself from the prison of her own being and sends the trickster spirit back to the realm it came from. She cries for Wolf, telling the tribe of her pact that she made with the spirit, that she is desperately sorry for her unforgivable act, and that she can only beg for their forgiveness, though she does not feel that she deserves it. She tries to restore Wolf's spirit to his body, but is unsuccessful.
Bat appears and having heard Coyote's explanation, tells her that she was indeed wrong for her actions but that Wolf should not have to suffer for her foolishness. Using Coyote's aid (though she did not need to) she recalls Wolf's spirit to his body and heals him of the wound he suffered. The tribe rejoices at their brother's resurrection and, collectively, feel that since Coyote aided in Wolf's recovery, it is enough for them to be able to forgive her. Truly, she was not the one who did the deed in the first place. Only Snow Leopard is dubious of Coyote and does not readily accept her as the others do.
Because of Coyote's assistance in Wolf's healing, part of her spirit touched his. Now, she can sense many of his emotions, especially if they are strong and vice versa. This is often distracting for them both, but other times, it can be useful. In time, they learn to live with their predicament and, even enjoy it.
Coyote is shy and quiet. Her favorite pastime is spear fishing. Whenever she is away from the tribe, she is sure to be found at the lake rounding up her food of choice. She doesn't eat much red meat, though with no explainable reason for her unique taste. When issues arise, Coyote rarely voices her opinion on matters (mostly because she still feels guilty for what she did in the past). Only when there is spiritual significance and her advice becomes paramount does she raise her voice in advice. She is kind and loving, a favorite among the cubs (even Snow Leopard warms to her, eventually). Because of the accident, she is often hesitant in using her powers and sometimes has to be encouraged to use them. In time, though, she recovers some of the will she lost and becomes a better member of the tribe because of it.
After Thoughts...
Much later in the story, after the appearance of Leopard, the "spirit-mates" begin to appear. Mooncall & Bravewolf are wolf hybrids and are siblings like Wolf and Sister. Quickthought is Coyote's significant other half. I haven't given much thought to this, but my feel on this is that there is somebody for everybody. Being that Sister is deceased, Bravewolf has been in a state of depression for a reason he did not know. When he finds out that Sister is no longer alive, he begs Coyote to cast his spirit from his body so that he might be with her. Coyote is unsure if she should do such a thing to a hybrid, as she is uncertain if it is right in spiritual standing. Urged by Wolf, however, she consents and releases his spirit from his body where he joins Sister in the other realm. There, he finds the peace he could not find on earth.
I'm batting this around. In time, I had hoped that Wolf and Coyote could find happiness. However, if these "spirit-mates" show up, that would mean that Coyote would have to conceive from Quickthought and Wolf would need to sire children to Mooncall. <shrugs> I'm still thinking about it. It would certainly add a bit of...plot twisting into the mix, draw on some sympathy strings, etc. I'll have to see how that goes, though.
I also debated, having a scene where Snow Leopard is induced into growing into adulthood instantaneously so that her powers would be fully developed and at the disposal of the tribe, as there would have been a dire situation that would require her and Coyote's powers combined to abate. She would agree and Coyote would use her powers to age her. Unknown to Snow Leopard, until the situation was solved, Leopard, Fox, and Raccoon also chose to be matured so that Snow Leopard would not be alone in the awkwardness of adulthood. They felt that since she was selfless in her efforts to save the tribe, then they could be equally selfless in their compassion to her. So, they all become adults. However, in keeping with the "Someone for Everyone" theme, their "spirit-mate" counterparts would age, too. Again, this is just something I am tossing around. We'll see. Anyway, that's about all that I have now. I hope that this can be a great story with memorable characters. It really made my heart soar the other day when J.C. referred to my project by name, asking me, "Is this for Hybrid?" in reference to a picture I was drawing of Fox and Raccoon. ^_^ I was so happy. At any rate, that's it for now. I will be writing more bios, such as those for the Sun and Black Creek Tribes, later. To really get started, I needed to establish those of the Moon. I am happy with their characters, thus far, but that is always subject to change. For now, though, the Moon Tribe is born.
Finished: April 11, 2003.