Raiju's Grand Adventures: Through the Smoke Lies a Familiar Face

      It had been a couple weeks since Raiju found his new home in Faedin. He didn’t talk to any of the locals, instead acting mute to avoid causing any conflicts. He still didn’t understand how he got there or how to get home but there was something about this place that he actually enjoyed. It was very similar to his home but more colourful and everyone seemed really nice despite him being reclusive. He made the little clearing he found his new temporary home and no one seemed to mind. There was a small stream nearby where he got his water from and further upstream there was a small river where he would wash himself and his clothing. He had made a little makeshift bed out of leaves and soft plants and he had made a little firepit so he could cook whatever food he could get his paws on. He even managed to get a hold of a book that talked about all the local wildlife and what plants were edible and which were poisonous.

      It was a day just like any other. Raiju woke up at sunrise with a stretch and a yawn before getting up to head to the river to wash up to start the day. He followed the stream just like he always did when something caught his nose. There was a smell of smoke. The first thing that ran through his mind was if he could have had anything to do with it. Since he was asleep he had to assume not but not being fully sure worried him. He located where the smell was coming from and he walked towards the direction cautiously to try and scope out as much as he could before actually entering the area. When he got there, he was surprised to what he saw. There was no fire but rather a strange figure sitting down with smoke seemingly circling him.

      “אני יכול להריח את הפחד שלך, זאב. (any ykvl lhryh at hphd shlk, zab)” The figure said without turning to look at Raiju.

      “I, I’m sorry?” Raiju was frozen, not knowing whether he should stay or run. He didn’t even realize that he spoke.

      “I can smell your fear, wolf.” The figure repeated with a strange accent. It was unlike anything Raiju had ever heard before. “I mean you no harm. I’m here to send you to where you need to go.”

      “Who are you? What do you want?”

      “I am without a name. You need to be elsewhere but you cannot get there alone.” The smoke around him quickly moved and started circling Raiju. “Don’t fight it. Accept your fate.” Raiju only wanted to fight more after hearing the figure’s last statement but he managed to keep himself calm as the smoke spun faster and faster, slowly consuming his vision.

      Suddenly, the smoke parted and Raiju saw that he was no longer in the forest. He was surrounded by buildings in a strange town. All he could do was look around as his mind was racing. There were people all around him but none seemed to have noticed him sudden appear. That, or they were used to it. All they would was give him a glance before moving on with their day. Everything looked fairly normal until he noticed someone that looked far to familiar. There was a black wolf that looked almost identical to him except both his eyes looked normal and he didn’t have the lightning pattern on his fur. Or at least Raiju couldn’t tell from where he was. He watched the wolf for a moment until a lady very close to him called out.

      “Raiju! Hey Raiju! There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” At first Raiju jumped thinking she was talking to him but his head fell to a tilt when the other wolf turned and acknowledged the women.

      “Sarah! I was just on my way to you!” The other Raiju replied as he started walking to this Sarah person. She was your average human wearing a long light blue dress.

      “There’s been a sighting at the gate. People think it’s the beast again.”

      “Ok, I’ll head there now. North gate?” Sarah nodded and the second Raiju started to walk towards Raiju. It wasn’t until then that Raiju noticed the sword that was attached to his waist. He didn’t look like he was wearing any armour but was a guard? The other wolf seemed to walk right by Raiju without noticing or acknowledging his existence but after he had walked a fair distance away, Raiju looked to where Sarah and them talked and noticed she was staring at him with an odd look on her face. Quickly, Raiju left starting to follow his seeming twin to see what was happening.

      It wasn’t long after that he heard a loud howl echo over the town and bells starting to ring causing everyone to panic and run inside. Raiju had to dodge person after person as they tried to run to safety as he tried to continue following the other wolf who was now running towards where the howl was. As they got closer, a group of guards started to block off the area and Raiju got stuck on the wrong side of the blockade. He could hear what sounded like fighting come from just out of sight. He wanted to force his way through the guards but as he turned to try and look for another route, he saw Sarah again. She was following him just like he was following the other Raiju so he quickly walked into a little ally between two buildings and managed to use some barrels to climb onto the roof. Carefully, he looked down to see Sarah run up to where he was to notice he was gone. As she looked for him, guards started to escort people further back, Sarah included, so Raiju climbed back down and snuck behind the guards.

      There was a lot less noise now. He could hear growling still but that was it. As Raiju rounded a building he saw many guards laying dead and what looked like a giant lycan was standing over someone trying to bite them but was being blocked by something. Before long he realized that the beast was on top of the other Raiju. Quickly, Raiju started to form a ball of green fire which he threw at the beast, knocking it over and giving the other Raiju enough time to get up. The lycan got up angered and started running towards Raiju. Without hesitation, he created a shock wave that stopped the lycan but only for a second. The beast was close enough and swung his paw at Raiju, sending him flying before he landed next to the other Raiju.

      “What are you doing!? Get out of here before you get yourself killed!” The other Raiju shouted before getting into a defensive stance ready to parry whatever attack the beast was getting ready to do. Raiju knew he shouldn’t have gotten involved but now it was too late. Now he had to fight this giant creature with, himself?

      The beast was just staring at them until it suddenly moved and kicked up loose dirt that got in the second Raiju’s eyes before it started to charge. Raiju tried to launch another fire ball at it but the beast dodged it and grabbed them both in his handpaws lifting them both off the ground at least two meters. The other Raiju tried fighting to break free but Raiju just stayed calm somehow. Every bone told him to panic but he didn’t. Instead he focused and grabbed hold of the lycan’s wrist before setting his paws on fire. Before the beast realized what was happening, his fur was a blaze with Raiju’s green fire. Quickly, the beast threw Raiju, cutting his arm with his claw, and dropped the other wolf before running off still on fire.

      The other Raiju got up slowly watching the giant beast run with the strange fire on it’s arm. He slowly turned to Raiju who had just finished standing up and his eyes quickly fell down to Raiju’s paws which were still on fire. “Uh, shouldn’t, shouldn’t that hurt?”

      Raiju tilted his head towards the other wolf. He was trying to catch his breath after what just happen. After following the other’s gaze he realized his paws were still ablaze and quickly shook them to put them out.

      The two stood there in silence for a moment before other guards showed up in full metal armour. “We’re here sir! Where’s the beast?” There were four guards and they all looked around confused expecting a fight but finding none. Eventually their attention was drawn to Raiju and they all drew their weapons. “Did this wolf do all this?”

      “No. Stand down. He saved my life.” The other Raiju said as he bent down to pick up his sword before sheathing it. The guards slowly did the same not knowing what had happened. “Leave us. For a moment. Go get the clean up crew. We’ve got a mess here to clean.”

      “Yes, sir.” The guard said before they all walked off hesitantly. There was another silence.

      “Thank you for saving my life. Whoever you are.” There was still a look of distrust in his eyes but he didn’t want to seem ungrateful.

      “You’re, welcome.” Raiju said between breaths. He wasn’t used to having to fight and the adrenaline was wearing off so he could feel how fatigued he was. The smell of smoke started to return and the other Raiju looked at the ground with his eyes turning wide. When Raiju looked down he noticed the smoke from before was circling him again, starting at his feet and moving up his body. He looked towards the other wolf who just looked at him stunned. “My name’s, Raiju.” Almost as if cued, the smoke consumed him and disappeared, leaving only a faint smell of smoke and a set of paw prints where Raiju was standing.

      Seconds after, Sarah came running up, “Raiju! Raiju! I’m so happy to see you’re ok! I need to tell you something!” The other Raiju stood there staring at where Raiju was, silent. “There’s a wolf here just like you! He looks exactly like you but one of his eyes is clouded and-”

      The other Raiju lifted his paw, cutting her off. “Calm down Sarah. I know. He’s gone now.” He kept looking at the strange paw prints that Raiju left before he disappeared and Sarah looked at them. “I’ll explain later.” He said as she opened her mouth to speak and the two stood there in silence, staring at the paw prints in the mud as the sounds of the town started to return slowly.

      Raiju sprung up with a gasp. Panicked he looked around only to see he was back in his little camp. It looked like it was late afternoon and he was still in his makeshift bed. Still breathing heavy Raiju wiped his face. “That was such a weird dream.” Raiju said to himself as he slowly stood up. His body felt sore, which he dismissed as him sleeping wrong, but then he noticed a different pain in his arm. There was a large scratch on it from when the lycan threw him. Raiju’s heart started to race as he wrapped his wound with a cloth. “It was just a dream, right?”