Luminous Elements | Book 1: Fire

Chapter 5 - Reflection

*Image above is from https://indiatourism.ws/goa/cotigao_wildlife_sanctuary/27.php*

Regnard got up, stretching. He couldn't sleep, so he decided to get out for a walk. Regnard looked behind him. Blaze was fast asleep.

        Regnard tiptoed out of his home before breaking out into a run. He hadn't wanted to disturb Blaze and wake him up from his nap, so Regnard decided to try his best to not disturb him.

        Regnard ran through crowds of people, through roads, through back yards and front yards, until he finally arrived at the forest that used to be his beloved forest home.

        Regnard slowly walked through the forest. He liked the lush greenness of it; it always helped hide the fact that it was dark because sunlight never reached it since leaves were always covering it.

        Leaves rustled under him as he walked through fallen leaves, crunching them. Regnard wondered if at one point he would ask Blaze to come with him. Although, Regnard didn't know much about Blaze. Blaze had never spoken of his passed, nor asked Regnard what his past was---a more detailed version of what Regnard had already told him. Then again, it wasn't like Regnard had something to hide. Honestly, he, himself, didn't know why exactly his mother had tried to kill him.

        Regnard shook his head. He knew that he didn't have any secrets to hide, but . . . Regnard couldn't help but wonder what Blaze was hiding. Regnard knew that Blaze was hiding something, but . . . he just couldn't figure it out.

        Regnard had asked Blaze one time about his past, but Blaze had quickly changed the subject, avoiding eye contact with him.

        Regnard backed down in surprise. His paw was wet, and when he looked down, he realized that he had walked straight onto a small pool. Regnard flicked his paw, shaking water droplets off himself. Regnard looked at the pool. At first, he thought he saw himself. But then he realized that the reflection had changed; there was a full-grown wolf there. It was black all over, but that's just where the similarities to a normal wolf ended. The rest of the wolf was different; it had was seemed like black fog lingering around it---its ear tips, its paws, and all over its body.

        Regnard gasped, realizing that that wolf . . . was himself! Regnard ran away from the pool, the opposite way of where he'd come from, away from home, until he was a reasonable distance away from it. Regnard stopped, panting. Regnard knew that that wolf . . . was him from the future!

*        *        *

Blaze woke up with a yawn. He opened his eyes and saw that where Regnard normally slept, it was empty. Blaze was about to walk away, thinking that Regnard had gone hunting when he suddenly realized that Regnard's scent was faint as if he'd been gone for a while. Blaze quickly got onto Regnard's scent and followed it, worried about why he'd been away for so long. Regnard might have had accidentally slept, but Blaze decided that even if that was what happened, he could at least wake him up, wherever he was.

        Blaze ran through a couple of people, through roads, through the back and front yards, until he finally arrived at a forest. Blaze was relieved. Regnard must have fallen asleep, Blaze thought.

        Blaze quickly sped up his pace. He arrived at a small pool, and Blaze decided to drink from it before searching for Regnard. His scent was growing stronger, anyways.

        Blaze took a few laps from it before licking his lips. He looked down at his reflection before suddenly realizing that his reflection had changed . . .