Azuma

Created the first of spring of year 2, 6/17/2021, 11:33am.

This wolf is (a bit loosely) based off of my real life companion. She has helped me through many hard times, resting her head on my leg whenever she senses I am not feeling like myself. She means everything to me, so I thought I would bring her here, as my pack's mascot until the end of time itself. She is named after Mount Azuma-kofuji, a stratovolcano in Japan. The name fits her well, as she sure loves to zoom.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily pack life in the Sierra Canids, there stands a stone pedestal in the middle of the ledge. Atop the pedestal stands a wolf-like canine, slightly smaller than you, but with all the poise and tenacity of a wolf, and frozen in stone. With it's head lowered, it gazes off into the distance, but you feel as if those petrified eyes could turn to look at you at any moment. You swear you see them blink. You're interrupted from your thoughts by Koyo, Gaji's first son, bounding up to you with a friendly bark. He notices your interest in the statue and invites you to listen to the story behind it.
"The pack wasn't a pack for very long before she appeared." He began, staring up at the statue with a mystified expression. "The pack was only a year old, with the oldest pack members experiencing only their second spring together. My dad, Gaji, had met her deep in the Taiga, where she had chased a squirrel up a tree. Dad says he knew right away that she was no wolf, but a dog, similar to those sled dogs he had seen in the Tundra. Despite this, she was full of the spirit of a wolf, with eyes so bright and clear, it felt as if she could see deep into your heart and see everything you're afraid of.
"Though he was a bit cautious of her, dad said that she was extremely friendly, if a bit overactive. He learned that she had escaped her owner's yard for "the hundredth time", and was having her own adventure for the day. Dad's interest was piqued, as it always is, so he invited her to check out his pack and learn what real wild wolves do. She happily followed him, being obnoxiously curious about every little thing on the way, from specific spots of dirt to giant boulders. Everybody was a little apprehensive of a dog in the pack, but with her overly friendly attitude and hyperactivity, it was the most fun the pack had ever had that day. From playing tag for hours to the nightly howl session where she participated as best as she could with half howls, half barks, she was the star of the show that day.
"However, when dad had woken up early the next morning, he found her in the middle of this ledge, frozen in place as stone. He claims to have heard a human whistle in the distance, followed by the familiar happy barks. However, not only had she left behind this strange statue, but in the same morning, my sister, Freya, had woken up to 4 newborn puppies alongside her own older pups! She couldn't just let them die, so she nursed them just as if they were her own." Koyo took a deep breath, turning to look at you with a big smile. "Now, pack members will claim that, from time to time, this statue moves! Some say it turns to look at them with the wag of it's ice cold tail, and some say they see it walking around while the rest of the pack is sleeping! I believe them, because I've seen her too!"
You feel a little overwhelmed by this story. A dog in a wolf pack? Newborn puppies appearing out of nowhere? A statue that comes to life? As Koyo bounces off to probably bug his other dad with unnecessary questions, you can't help but wonder if any of this is true, or if you were just played around with by a bored young wolf. Your train of thought is rudely interrupted by a shove to your left side, and when you turn to face the culprit, you're met with none other than the statue itself, now standing directly at your side, smiling widely. You glance at the now empty pedestal, then back at your side. It's still there, and now it's giggling. After what feels like ages, you close your eyes and shake your head, and suddenly, it's back on the pedestal, staring off into the distance just as before. Of course, the rest of the pack was all busy with their own things, so you're the only one that saw this. You feel a bit dizzy now, so it's entirely possible you're seeing things, but you're almost sure that the statue wasn't smiling like that before.