When he was but a young pup, Duna was quite rough and snappy with those
around him. He seemed to be the most active within his litter, and with such
a vivacious personality, earned the respect of other pups and adult sima's alike.
It showed that he was a budding student, and they believed he would reap
success later on in life. They were right, in a sense; until things took a turn
for the worst, that is.
Duna was ambitious, and was blunt when it came to something he yearned
for. With a swift vigor he began to climb through the ranks; always looking
for more. Without much thought he beat down those below him, never taking
a glance back. And eventually, a bout of 'karma' swept him off his paws. That
karma was but another Sima, one that happened to better than he was. They
were better at hunting, better at charming those around them: they were
better at everything. The thought itself began to make Duna an extremely
bitter creature, and evil thoughts began to fill his mind.
So came the day that he snapped out of envy, jealousy, or whatever you wish
to call it. Just as the Sima passed him, Duna lunged like a predator going for
his prey. Mouth open he snarled a horrible snarl, aiming to intimidate the other
and send him running, thinking that he would reclaim all glory by defeating his
rival. But the other Sima was no fool, and took no hesitation with fighting back.
The two, fueled by both instinct and hatred for one another, battled it out.
Indeed, blood was spilled that day; but only one Sima would be able to come
out of the fight with his dignity. It seemed that it was not Duna's duel to win,
and so he walked away with scars and his confidence torn to shreds. Although,
the aftermath of the fight seemed much worse than the battle itself. As he
would pass those within his pack, the ones that thought he was so great, they
laughed at him. They nipped at him. They made fun of him openly. For they
were animals, and they had a sense to keep what was once a proud Sima in
a lowly and pitiful rank. That was how things went for awhile, until something
within Duna's brain clicked; he didn't want to reside in his home anymore.
With quick steps he distanced himself from where he once though was the
only place he belonged, and journeyed out into the unknown. Every paw-step
he took, his paws would ache. But as what used to be a proud Sima, he carried
on with his head held high, and his eyes set forward. Days turned into weeks,
and Duna continued to travel in pure solitude.
That was until he came across another small primal, cast away from her own
pack. She was but a small and sickly thing, and Duna could not find it within
himself to put her out of her misery; so he took her under his wing, and the
two journeyed. Together. Time began to pass, and he found himself beginning
to enjoy the female's company. Bitterness dissipated into nothingness, leaving
only joy and excitement in it's wake. Both Duna and the female enjoyed what
was life; rolling amongst the flowers, and racing through the long grass.
But fate certainly did not favour Duna. One day, the mistress fell ill. No longer
did they play in the grass, or pick the flowers. They lay idle, making slow time
and stopping frequently to rest. Everything was plummeting downhill, only
hitting rock bottom... when the female died during her sleep. It hit Duna like
a ton of bricks, and he spiralled out of control. He howled to the sky and he
let out his rage on the surrounding vegetation; but unlike the fight with his
former rival, Duna came to realize something.
Life should not be about hatred or anger, nor should it revolve around mourning
those who are lost. It should be spent caring for the ones you loved, and trying
to make peace with those around you. Rage would only lead to devastation. So
the once ambitious Sima calmed himself down, and as time passed, slowly the
anger that had always lurked began to fade away. Duna saw the light for the
first time in his life, and with a grin on his face, he took the leap of faith.