The Jingle – repeats before every chapter.
From the West he wandered, yet his heart beat East.
Born of love, tempered by loss, scarred by betrayal.
He has walked through beauty and shadow,
tasted joy and sorrow,
breathed the scent of both life and death.
And when the weight grew too heavy,
he turned away from the chasing herd –
and set his paws toward the Rising Sun.
Toward the place he believes the Sun is born…
and were, perhaps, he might finally find a home.
For he is the East Beast –
a spirit untamed,
forever walking between worlds.
Part One – Memory of Love
The Beast climbed to the peak of Mount Song, where mist clings to stone like breath upon glass, and ancient pines whisper secrets to the wind. Here, upon the sacred mountain where monks have trained for centuries, his own transformation began.
It was not a joyful process. It demanded courage, patience, and the spirit of a warrior. The climb itself stripped him bare, tearing his muscles, slowing his steps, testing his will. Yet his faith – that quiet, unshakable call in his chest – led him here. There was no way back. Even if a path returned him to safety, he would not choose it.
Then came the first energy blast.
The crack was sharp, painful – it split the air with sound.
A splintering echo that rose from his spine, louder in his head than thunder. His body seized in agony, and his mind, desperate for release, flew backward across time.
He saw his family.
A cave lit by the soft glow of dawn. The warmth of his mother’s fur as she curled around him. His father’s steady gaze, proud and protective. Brothers and sisters tumbling, nipping, whining, the joyous chaos of new life. And beyond them, the whole pack gathered – eyes gleaming with recognition, noses pressed against him, each wolf greeting the newborn with love and reverence.
In those first days, every gesture was a gift. A lick upon the ear was advice. A playful shove was a lesson. A shared scrap of food was a blessing. They taught him not only how to move, hunt, and play – but how to belong.
From his pack he learned the first law of life:
Love is the foundation.
There is no respect without love.
There is no care without love.
There is no pride without love.
Without love, all victories are hollow. Without love, no achievement brings joy. Without love, even if you reach the summit, it will feel like an empty peak.
He remembered playing in the long grass with his siblings, chasing shadows beneath the moonlight, their laughter echoing like bells in the night. He remembered his father’s silent watchfulness, the way danger melted before his presence. He remembered the rhythm of the hunt, the harmony of bodies moving as one.
And above all, he remembered the connection – the invisible thread that bound them together stronger than sinew or bone.
This was his first lesson. The seed planted deep in his heart.
A truth that would remain, even when everything else was torn away.
“Without love, nothing lasts. With love, everything begins.”
Part Two – Memory of Loss
The second crack was sharper, more merciless than the first. It was as if an invisible blade split his lower back, slicing into the sacred, hidden core of his being. Pain surged like fire through his spine, flooding his skull, and with it his mind was torn backward – not to joy this time, but to the darkest wound of his life.
He heard the thunder of shotguns, the alien screams of creatures he had never known before. The air itself was thick with terror, the scent of fear rising like smoke. Yet mingled with it he smelled the courage of his pack, standing shoulder to shoulder, desperate to defend one another. But courage was no match for the cold precision of the shadows. Their weapons and their cunning strategy crushed everything.
Silence fell, but it was not peace. Crawling from the cave where he had hidden, he saw the unthinkable: hyenas tearing at bones that only hours before had been his kin. His pack – his family – was gone. He alone had survived.
The hyenas turned to him, blood still dripping from their jowls, and offered him a choice: join us if you wish to live.
They stank of rot and deception. Every instinct told him they were wrong. Yet behind him lay only empty caves, blood-stained earth, and ghosts. With no other path, he walked with them.
The nights that followed gave him no rest. In his dreams he heard again the blasts of the guns, the cries of his mother and father, the tiny paws of his brothers and sisters dragged screaming into the dark. In that dream, his father’s final words rang through the chaos – “Be strong.”
But when he woke, heart pounding and breath ragged, the hyenas circled him with laughter. “Beast wrong,” they cackled to each other. Confused, he asked them what they meant, and they told him those were the words he had cried out in his sleep. From that mad morning onward, Beast Wrong became his name.
Their ways were foreign to him. They barked and screeched for no reason, wasting breath and energy. They bit and clawed each other without cause. There was no play, no strategy in their hunting. They fed not by courage, but by sniffing out the leftovers of another predator’s kill.
And when they ate, there was no sharing. Brother stole from sister, father from mother – teeth against teeth, each one thinking only of himself and his own belly.
There was no respect. No wisdom. And above all, no love.
He knew then: to remain among them was to die a slow, empty death. Better to risk the wilderness alone – to face hunger, cold, and the unknown – than to surrender to such a hollow existence. And so, the thought of leaving was born in him, like a spark in the ashes: the will to search for something higher, something worthy, something true.
When dawn returned and the first rays broke the horizon, he turned his face east – toward the place where the Sun is born each day.
And so, his journey began – with nothing but the echo of love in his heart and the hope of finding a warm home. He left the hyenas behind. His paws pressed into the fresh earth, carrying him toward the rising Sun… toward a future unknown.
After the excitement came a deep silence. Then he got the subtle signs of freedom – the cool touch of leaves brushing against his face, the sparkles of the morning sun dancing in his eyes, the soft vibration of the forest awakening around him. With every step farther, he felt less alone. It was as if his pack had joined him, running beside him in spirit – whispering through the wind, guiding him through the trees.
And in that moment, he knew. He was moving in the right direction.
Part Three – Root: Facing Fear
For many days he ran, the sun rising and setting above him, always climbing from its eternal home in the East. Though he often felt the presence of his lost pack beside him – sometimes even hearing their voices in his heart – he could not escape the shadow gnawing in his chest: fear.
So, he whispered to his father, the leader of the pack: “Please help me father, protect me and guide my paws. I must not stop; I must not return.”
But exhaustion crept into his bones. His steps grew heavy, his mind drifting into the haze of half-sleep as he ran. Then suddenly, something moved before him. He swerved at the last moment and nearly stumbled. When he turned, a snake coiled in the path, its scales glinting in the moonlight.
The wolf’s hackles rose, ready for battle. But the serpent spoke with calm:
“Peace to you, brother. I meant no harm, forgive me for crossing your way.”
Relief washed over the wolf. He bowed his head in greeting and replied:
“Perhaps it was a sign that I needed to pause. My focus was fading. If you are willing, let us share a camp for the night.”
The snake agreed. They found a small clearing and rested by the roots of an ancient tree. Before sleep came, they spoke.
When the serpent asked the wolf’s name, the wolf began, “Be-st…” but faltered. The snake tilted its head and said with a soft hiss:
“Beast that moves East… East Beast. A name worthy for the Free Spirit.”
And so, the wolf told him his whole story – of love, of loss, of the pack, and of the hyenas. The snake listened in silence. When the tale was done, the serpent said:
“You are a brave spirit, East Beast. You are the first in this forest to walk against the current. For that, here is my gift.”
And the serpent continued, his voice low and calm:
“East Beast, everything you have seen – the forest, the pack, the hyenas – it is a reflection of your own spirit. The universe you walk is a mental one; it mirrors your inner vibration. What you witnessed with your family was not meant to break you, but to awaken you. Sometimes, the world must press upon you, stress you, show you the difference, so your spirit can sharpen – like the sword of a samurai, tempered from fire into cold steel. No one truly dies. Their spirits remain, as you have felt and heard when you ran alone through the forest. They exist in another dimension, yet their essence is with you. This is the proof: the world you face is a reflection, and your path begins when you learn to see it.”
From beneath its coils, the snake revealed a flower with four crimson petals.
“Eat this flower, and the fire inside will awaken. And when you reach the edge of the Earth and behold the great waters, do not fear. Step into them with your paws, speak with your voice, and the Ocean itself will answer.”
The Practice – Root Grounding
“Close your eyes. Feel your body become heavy and still.
Imagine roots growing from your feet, or from your belly, sinking deep – into the ground, into the stone, or into the endless waters.
Let the Earth or Ocean hold you. Feel their strength rising back into you, filling your bones with calm and power.”
Root Affirmation – Facing Fear
“I am safe. I am grounded.
I release fear and step with courage upon the Earth.
The fire within me rises, steady and strong.
I belong to Life, and Life belongs to me.”
At dawn the wolf awoke to silence. The snake was gone, leaving no trace – except for a cluster of red, four-petaled flowers blooming in the clearing. Remembering the gift, the wolf ate one. Warmth filled his body, and his strength returned.
With the name East Beast echoing in his mind, he lowered his head, and ran once more toward the rising Sun.
The lesson of this Chapter:
“Love is the ground beneath every step,
Fear is the shadow that tests your strength,
Courage is the fire that lights the path only you can walk,
And the world around you is a mirror of your mind –
Your outer journey reflects the inner vibration you carry.”
The End of the First Chapter.
© 2025 David Wolf. All rights reserved.
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