One Month One World One Year Challenge 2022

https://i.imgur.com/WiYqT7J.png
After successfully climbing back down the medium rock wall, Cale should've been exhausted, but instead, he felt energized, brimming with confidence and curiously, anxiety. He decided to take a walk around the neighborhood to relax and reflect, calm himself down from the rush of endorphins and fear.

The smell of something delicious made him realize he was starving after all that physical exertion. He jogged down a pathway, following the aroma which led him to a small pond with a set of triple waterfalls. He also saw the source of what had led him here. Sitting at a picnic table was an older man with a platter of food before him. However, he wasn't eating any of it, he was looking up at the clouds, watching them drift by.

Cale walked over to the table and introduced himself, unconsciously licking his lips and staring at the food while the man introduced himself.

"I am Omoi Kane, but you may call me simply Kane if you wish."
Kane must've seen the way Cale was eyeing the food because he invited Cale to help himself. Cale smiled and took a serving, all but inhaling the delicious offering. Kane continued to watch the clouds with a small smile on his face as Cale ate.

When Cale was finished he thanked Kane and the two had a chat together, mostly with Cale talking and Kane listening. He didn't seem to be a man of many words.

"Will you cloud gaze with me? The spider has woven some interesting one's today."
"Oh sure, why not?" Cale said, a bit puzzled what Kane meant, but too distracted by his thoughts to care.

Something about the older man made Cale feel as if he could tell him anything and he would listen. So he told him about what he'd accomplished that day and how it made him feel.

"It was incredible, standing on the top of that wall. It felt good. But I don't know if I ever want to do it again. I almost fell a couple times, once right near the top. Oh sure, I could train more and get really good, but..."

"Even monkeys fall from trees."

"Exactly, there's no guarantee no matter how good I get I won't fall. What's the point of doing it anyway?"

"If you do not enter the Tiger's cave, you won't catch it's cub."

Cale frowned a little, not quite grasping what the old man was trying to tell him.

https://i.imgur.com/jIoYdB9.png
"And something else that bothers me, is if I did fall, who would care? I'm not exactly the nicest person, I get angry a lot and say stuff I regret later but can't seem to stop. I just keep doing it. I don't have any friends because of it...and no family. Most of the time I don't care, but sometimes..."

https://i.imgur.com/37W3NZB.png
"What do those two clouds look like to you?"
(Did he even hear a word I said?)
"Oh, I don't know, maybe a bunny? And a dog?"
"I see two wolves. I have a fight going on in me,” the old man said. “It’s taking place between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
Kane looked at Cale and went on.
“The other embodies positive emotions. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. Both wolves are fighting to the death. The same fight is going on inside you and every other person, too.”

Cale took a moment to think about what the old man had said. Then looked at Kane and asked, “Which wolf will win?”
The old man gave a simple reply. “The one you feed.”

https://i.imgur.com/L8OSy8H.png
Before Cale could properly digest what Kane had just told him, both jumped up upon hearing a screeching sound.
"What's that? Do you hear it?"
"Yes."

https://i.imgur.com/xUdyEzW.png
Suddenly a flock of bats appeared, headed straight for Cale until...
"Leave us!" Kane shouted. The bats immediately turned around and began to fly away.

https://i.imgur.com/s4vCtla.png
"Who are you? How can you command bats like that? It seemed like they listened and obeyed your command. Why?"

https://i.imgur.com/aPSDe9E.png
"They are my brothers, my friends. I have fed them as I fed you...I must go now, Sayōnara my friend. We will meet again." Kane watched as the old man walked away, gazing at the bats until they were out of sight and then continuing to watch the clouds with a smile of total contentment on his face.

https://i.imgur.com/iAreEp3.png
After Kane left, Cale tried to digest all that had happened today and what the old man had said about the two wolves. He had an idea about what it meant, but wasn't sure how to go about it. He'd think about it more later, and why those bats seemed to listen to him. Was the old man a vampire? That would explain how they were his 'brothers.' At the moment though, he was feeling hot, sweaty and the water looked extremely inviting.

https://i.imgur.com/fJpRS1k.png
Cale swam over to the waterfalls and let the cool, refreshing wetness sluice over his body and then swam out to the middle of the pond as night quickly fell and the moon rose. He floated on his back to watch the stars and thought about what the old man said, slowly drifting and dozing...