A body is just MEAT and CHEMICALS

Pretty birds singing . . . the softness of moss cushioning my head . . . bitter frost . . . acrid dead plants, leathery dried leaves, new dirt—new dirt? This is not MY dirt, not the DEN’S dirt—

And that’s what finally jolted Kaukab out of gentle dreamland and into harsh reality. Not the birdsong that didn’t match the symphonies that usually played in Wudubearo’s trees, not the tapestry of desiccated winter foliage that clashed with what he’d memorized in Wudubearo’s forests, but the smell of dirt. As he stretched, he brushed his muzzle along the ground, sleepily sniffing in all the minute details that floated up to meet him. Why is this so dang weird? Did mom clean the den out? Finally he blinked his bleary eyes open. Took a good long panoramic sweep of his surroundings. Yawned.

I have no idea where I am.”

No panic whatsoever flooded his mind. The lad’s heart rate remained just as easy and relaxed as before, and he even gave a happy little smile to nobody in particular. Kab made a simple observation, then jostled himself upright to get into those really good stretches. First he’d lunge upward, hips dipping down to the earth while he opened his chest; vertebrae crackled, sinews creaked, a delighted groan purled up from his throat and—

UM, WOW. Was that HIS voice? Did HE make that sound just now?! That very high, very liquid, undeniably feminine noise? “Maybe my voice cracked—NOPE. I sound different. This is not normal. It’s like I have the voice of a . . . of a . . .” Kab had a habit of pacing in a circle when his brain latched onto an interesting mystery. Except he’d barely gotten halfway around his usual circumference when his stare flashed once—then twice—at his forelegs. And then his back legs. And his entire body—which was NOT the right color, shape, or height, or—or—OR—

“A LADY! I’M A LADY! THIS IS A LADY’S BODY!”

A different wolf might have shouted those same words with horror spattering poison-like from every syllable. They might have broken into anxiety-drowned sobs, wailing in confusion, clawing at their unfamiliar hides to somehow reveal their own body underneath the disguise. Magic had shredded Blossom Forest into a patchwork of wild new landscapes. To open one’s eyes to a completely different physique was absolutely reason to freak out—especially if it meant other nasty surprises waited beneath oddly colored fur and a transformed skeleton. Kaukab might have inherited a body that suffered from debilitating disease. He might only have a few more minutes to live. Any moment now, he could start mutating at breakneck speed, growing antlers and feathers and scales and gills and slimy appendages. This shouldn’t be as incredible as it felt. Except it felt amazing! A FEMALE! He was female now! An adult one, at that!

“Wow . . . is this how puberty works?” The previously star-speckled prince never had the chance to ask Kahlan what to expect as he grew. Perhaps switching sexes was a rare, yet totally natural thing for some wolves. More excited than a child on a sugar high, Kaukab raced immediately toward the scent of water—hoping to catch his (her?) reflection. Paws that were flawlessly proportional to the rest of his supple silhouette danced effortlessly across the terra. He felt so high off the ground! So mature! When the boy (girl?) finally found a puddle to drink in his magnificence, he was nearly incandescent with vibrant energy.

“I’m . . . I’m beautiful.” Kaukab’s original face was a handsome autumn tapestry dashed with ivory flecks; this mask had been carved from pristine alabaster, with soft lines and delicate angles. The eyes that gazed back at him in unparalleled awe glimmered the bright amber of sunshine in honey. Keening with barely suppressed laughter, Kab turned his new face this way and that, enthusiastically studying every exquisite side. Toward his throat, the spotless white fur fluttered in feathery pieces, all the way down his narrow chest; his limbs were strong, but lithe, with adorable paws; when he wagged his tail, he was overjoyed to discover just how luxurious it was—fluffy and silky and as enchanting as snowflakes drifting through the air. He could tell that the parts that used to mark him as “male” were gone, replaced by new machinery—but he could explore that later! FIRST he had to show Kahlan and Kenryk his glorious metamorphosis! He had to show them IMMEDIATELY!

An elated howl soared from Kab’s parted lips—a rich and crystalline soprano that stunned him breathless with its gorgeousness. Then he was galloping again—blown over by how his new legs could devour distance with each stride—following his internal compass back home. Only one thing worried Kaukab as Wudubearo’s invisible boarder loomed closer: how jealous Kenryk would be to find his brother was so much prettier than him.

Do we have free WILL, or free WON'T?

Kershov x Kahlan | Child of Wudubaro | No love | xathira