Mother (Main Positive)
Ciqala's mother is his number one positive influence and probably the biggest factor of who he is today, even beyond her passing. Though her physical presence left Ciqala early in his life, her spiritual presence still lingers in his heart, guiding him from day to day and giving his the strength and courage to continue on in life. What little memories he has of his mother are permanently ingrained into his mind and heart, and he treasures them with all of his being. One such memory, for example, is how she consoled him about his tiny frame.
"Though he be but little, he is fierce," she would coo. "You are not limited by your size, my sweet Ciqala, and you will go on to do much more than you or anyone else could ever dream of."
These words especially are held close to his heart. When his mother died, he blamed himself for a long time, convincing himself that had he been a little bigger, he could have protected her from the hyenas. For many years, this thought tormented him, and it wasn't until he remembered these words that he began to feel at peace. To this day, these words help him to realize his potential and stop him from ever letting his size hold him back in life.
Onuris (Positive/Negative)
Onuris was the first creature that Ciqala met after his mother passed. Left to wander the desert alone for a few days, Onuris found the young Kalon weak and starving and crying out for his mother. Feeling a sudden rush of compassion, Onuris took the little one in, hunting for his meals and teaching him how to hide. For a while, this relationship continued: Onuris would hunt and protect while Ciqala slowly began to warm up to his new guardian. Eventually, however, Onuris grew frustrated with Ciqala's small size. Onuris was never meant to be a father, and his role as one had begun to take its tole.
"Ciqala, I must teach you how to hunt."
Ciqala's small frame cowered at the words; after spending a year staying low as his mother instructed, he was afraid to venture out again. But Onuris insisted, claiming that he had to act his age and that he would soon be fending for himself. Afraid that Onuris would leave him as his mother had, Ciqala obeyed, though hesitantly, and ventured into the open once again.
"Ciqala, here is a beetle. You must kill it to eat." Onuris spoke the word "kill" as calmly as could be, and it made Ciqala's heart sink to his stomach. He watched the beetle crawl around the desert sand, completely oblivious to the impending danger. He wondered if the beetle was a mother, and if she had a son tucked somewhere beneath the earth.
"I cannot!" cried Ciqala, tears forming in his eyes.
"You must!" retorted Onuris. The wild dog's expression grew angry, causing Ciqala to freeze in place. Within seconds, the large wild dog had pinned the small beetle, crushing it beneath his enormous paws. Ciqala watched his guardian in terror, and for the first time in a long time, he remembered the laugh of the hyena.
That night, Ciqala was awoken to the sound of movement. He opened one eye and pretended to be asleep as Onuris slipped out of their den. Onuris never returned, and Ciqala never expected him to. Once again, the young Kalon was alone, the memory of death encompassing his dreams as he drifted back into sleep.
Damsel (Positive)
A few years after Onuris left Ciqala, Ciqala found himself wandering the desert. It was a particularly hot day, the sun beating down without forgiveness as Ciqala casually killed a small bug to eat for lunch. His movements were swift and quick, but the remains of the beetle still stained his paws as he continued aimlessly through the endless dunes of sand. Eventually, Ciqala came across a rare find; nearly a mile out, Ciqala could see the sand begin to thin and be replaced with small amounts of shrubbery as the desert faded into a forest. Ciqala sprinted to the sign of life, eager to find shelter from the scorching sun.
Once beneath the shade of trees, Ciqala curled into a small ball and tried to find some rest. His efforts proved to be in vain, however, as a small amount of rustling drove him to his feet in an instant. His fur puffed out to twice its size in an attempt to appear bigger, and he lowered himself to the ground out of habit.
"Hello, there!" cried a small voice. Ciqala spun around to find himself face to face with something he hadn't seen since his mother died: a Kalon. His heart began to race at the sight of another creature, especially one that towered over his small frame.
"You're kind of small, aren't you?"
Despite his panic, Ciqala felt his heart drop at the words. His large ears lay flat against his head. Seeming to notice his protest, the stranger flattened her own ears apologetically.
"Not to say that you're little, of course!" She quickly said. "Anyone can be small, but it doesn't mean they're little!"
Ciqala watched the stranger curiously, his panic slowly melting into pure confusion. He was no longer afraid of the Kalon's size, but was rather cautious of her...strange...personality.
"I'm Damsel!" She continued, a smile spreading across her face. Ciqala lowered his eyes awkwardly, slowly taking small steps backwards. To his dismay, Damsel responded by taking steps forward, clearly intrigued by Ciqala. "You must be new here. I can show you the forest, if you want!"
Before Ciqala had a chance to run, Damsel leaped behind him and gently nudged him deeper into the forest.
"There's so much to show you! There's the waterfall and the berries and my favorite tree and the leaves and the stick pile and the birds and-"
When the day had passed, Ciqala had seen most of the forest, his paws too tired to run anymore. He had soon abandoned the thought of fleeing the strange Kalon, as he decided she wasn't a threat but was rather
different. But when he awoke the next day, he found himself wanting to stay in the woods. He wanted to be with this different Kalon, for different was far better than lonely. And so he stayed with Damsel, finding pleasure in snacking on berries rather than hunting for his food, and finding joy twig-collecting.
Alfie (Positive)
Along the years, Ciqala and Damsel met many more Kalons who were passing through the area. One day, however, the pair decided to venture into town. The thought at first terrified Ciqala; he had warmed up to his new friend and accepted the occasional Kalon who crossed through the forest, but the thought of meeting so many Kalons in one day made his heart freeze in place.
"I'll be with you, Ciqala," Damsel reassured. She had grown accustomed to her friend's nervous ways and was quick to comfort him. "And I won't leave your side."
Ciqala finally agreed after a little more encouragement, though he was sure to move extra slowly on their way to town.
When the Kalons finally reached town, Ciqala stared in wonder. There were more Kalons there than he had ever seen, all of them casually strolling around, engaging each other in conversation. And all of them were larger than him.
"Look at their faces, Ciqala" Damsel whispered.
Ciqala obeyed, forcing his eyes to raise to their faces. To his surprise, nearly every Kalon was smiling. Some, even, were smiling at him. Damsel smiled reassuringly and nudged him playfully before sprinting into the heart of town. Ciqala followed, staying low to avoid attention.
"Hey!"
Ciqala's ears went flat against his head as a Kalon called from behind him. He slowly turned to address the stranger, and was met by a friendly looking Kalon.
"My name's Alfie! Would you like a pear?"
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Alfie, Ciqala, and Damsel soon became great friends. Damsel and Alfie immediately got along, exchanging stories and interests long into the night. Ciqala, however, stayed quiet for the most part. He was fond of Alfie, though, eagerly accepting the pears that Alfie offered. It was really through Alfie that Ciqala discovered his love for pears, and to this day Alfie is sure to bring a pear when he visits the two at the forest.
Author's Note
First of all, I'd like to apologize for the exceptionally long stories D:
I really did try to keep it under 1000 words, but there is so much that I have to say about my little Ciqala (trust me, I would have written more if I could!) I hope you don't mind the length, and I've added some pretty gifs to keep you going haha. Thanks so much for this opportunity; I was absolutely thrilled to see my name among the round 3 contestants! It really is an honor.
Also, I'd like to wish everyone the best of luck! I feel as though I've already posted over my limit to ask questions, so to refrain from posting anymore, I thought it best to include the note here. I don't know if anyone will see it, but if you do, please know that I'm rooting for you! Everyone who made it to this round is absolutely deserving, and I know that whoever goes on from here will make a wonderful owner.
