The Trail of Scent

**The Trail of Scent** is the fifty-fourth episode of Tales of Dikuda. It is also the sixth episode of the fifth season.

## Summary

Bayroff finds the most unlikeliest teacher to educate RuYi about incense and scent.

## Episode in Detail

While out on a walk, Bayroff, having a thelepatic conversation with RuYi, bumps into Derbri. The fox is jealous that Bayroff just dropped their chat when bumping into the young woman, but quickly turns surprised when Derbri is able to see RuYi and asks how she is. The two exchange a few words, and Bayroff then tells Derbri about them looking for a teacher regarding incense. The woman replies, stating that she knows someone that could teach and leads the two to Ryahno's home, something the two are unaware of.

Once arriving at the building, the three are approached by an excited Bueh. RuYi is more negatively surprised, having expected an elderly teacher, instead of the child like goat. Bayroff meanwhile, is shocked, when Bueh pings his mind, addressing him as Adato when he never mentioned the name in the first place. They take their conversation to another spiritual plane and he aggressively asks the goat how she knows his name. Bueh, calm despite, his negative demeanour, points towards his heart as explanation, stating that "he told her."

When Bayroff's mind is pulled back to the normal plane of existence, Derbri, RuYi and Bueh settle on starting the teaching right away, seeing that RuYi doesn't have normal physical needs with a spiritual body and Bueh is available for most of the day too. Derbri and Bayroff thus leave the building, so the other two can move on to the teaching. Bueh heads up with RuYi, who is overwhelmed by how classy the building looks, as well as slightly jealous, wondering how Bueh lives in a place like this.

After examining the high security metal covered door to their goal apartment, they walk inside. RuYi's nose picks up a familiar smell of someone she knows, but she can't quite put her finger on it and thus remains unaware of whose home they entered.

Bueh then ceremonially prepares tea, and offers RuYi an emptied out cup to just take in the scent of the tea. She speaks to the fox in her mind, teaching her on how good scents lead to good places and attract good spiritual beings, while bad scents to the opposite. RuYi comes to the conclusion, that the cheap incense sticks used by some temples in fact attracted demons, ghosts and lost souls.

The two continue their practising until the door to the apartment opens, announcing the return of its owner: Ryahno. The woman walks into the home, asking Bueh if she can fix a cup of tea for her, as Gwady is stressing her out. Bueh replies, stating that the rat is in jail, to which Ryahno agrees, as it seems to be one of the reasons she's so stressed out in the first place. RuYi, meanwhile, is shocked to learn who exactly lives in this home.

To her horror, Ryahno then addresses her directly, asking what brought her into her apartment in the first place. The fox is scared of getting punished for trespassing, but still explains that Derbri introduced her to Bueh in order to learn about incense, though she still has many questions.

When Ryahno asks her if she was told meditation, she denies such, which prompts the woman to offer teaching her then. RuYi accepts, though the actual teaching is moved to another day, as Ryahno states she's tired and soon thereafter passes out asleep on the couch.

Meanwhile, in Yuw's apartment, the giant gets home from a long day of work. Her new job teaching kids has turned out to be easier to handle and less stressful for her, giving her more free time to just relax. After taking a shower she decides to have a conversation with Rutbouc, as there are still so many unanswered questions from her side.

Remembering the mention of someone called Ursh coming from the redhead before, she decides to bring it up as the topic. Yuw states, that she has heard the name before, mainly concerning legends of the "God of Strength," but otherwise doesn't have any information. She wonders if Ursh is just another "version" of her. Rutbouc replies with a question of her own, asking if Yuw knows anything else about the woman in question.

## Characters

The following characters appear in this episode (in order):

* Bayroff (also named Adato)
* Falehi (as Derbri)
* Wu RuYi
* Bueh
* *Gwadeweido (mentioned)*
* Kuraz Ryahno
* Tenyu Eesh Yuw‏
* Rutbouc
* Ursh (mentioned only, but shown as present in the artwork)

## Trivia

* The lesson on scent was based on a story that Zenny heard from fellow spiritual practitioners. It will be further extended and continued in Disorder: Tales of Bandishei.

* Bueh stating that Bayroff "told her," while pointing to his heart is a hint towards the concept of the "inner soul" which is independent from the outside appearance and outside names.

* Compared to this image, Ursh is more visible in this one, which might mean, that she is gaining more power, in a sense, and is thus more able to manifest her appearance.