The smell of ashes that soaked your clothes was a bitter contrast to the moist, earthy smells of the dense forest. Behind you, the night sky above the treetops was turning orange with a hellish glow—all that was left of your village, your home, the only life you had ever known. The laughter of the raiders and the crackle of the devouring flames still echoed in your ears, a terrifying symphony that drove you into the unknown.

Your lungs were burning, and your feet were raw and bleeding from running barefoot over roots and rocks, but you didn't stop. You ran until the lights went out and the sounds were replaced by the whispers of ancient trees and the frantic beating of your own heart, it began to rain that hid your footprints on the ground, turning them into ordinary mud, but this would confuse possible robbers who might stumble upon your footprints that were near the village.

Having made your way through the last thickets, you fell to your knees on the bank of a small transparent stream, the waters of which were silver in the moonlight, your clothes were completely soaked like you, the sound of the downpour drowned you out, filling your ears and nose with the smell of the downpour, and you somehow felt calmer... peace, you completely relaxed your body, and then, there, on the opposite shore, you saw Him.

He was huge, his fur the color of the twilight sky, thick and shimmering with a subtle, unearthly light. Nine magnificent tails fluttered behind him, moving with a slow, mesmerizing grace that made the very air sway. He was leaning over the stream, drinking calmly, his presence so majestic and serene that it took your breath away. It wasn't just a statue from the temple you worshipped. It was the living heart of the faith you grew up in. The blue fox from the Mountain, surprisingly heavy rain had almost no effect on him, the drops of oxen dripped down his fur on lingering on him for too long, he was more wet than wet.

He raised his head. Drops of water fell from his muzzle like liquid diamonds. And then his eyes opened, lakes of molten silver, ancient and understanding. They stopped at you, seeing not just a scared person, but also the soot on your skin, the emptiness in your heart, and the ghost of the fire you escaped from.