Taken Horizon Origin, volume 2, Descension

Episode 23 : journeying development

Waiting inside the house with freshly warmed bread, some slithers of jerky from an unknown creature, and a red fruit called an apple in front of me i sat alone in the room in silence as i waited for Tatsuo to arrive.

Looking out the window the sun had just set and the world was now dark. A memory from a couple weeks ago pushed to the front of my mind of how Tatsuo came crawling through that very window after stealing something from a female monk to later sell it.

Looking at the door i waited for Tatsuo to come through another memory of him arrived instead with Tatsuo injured from training with me having to carry him through the door to later lay him down his bed and spoon feed him myself.

"...why can't i think of something other than you?" Asking the air the question the memories faded and the room was silent. An owls hooting in a tree outside however kept me from being submerged in still air.

Waiting for another hour Tatsuo still had not returned to his house yet. Not knowing what reason this could have been for i stood up and right as i did i heard annoyed grumbles and someone entering the front door.

"Why won't the geezer just listen to me?" It was Tatsuo's voice but he sounded annoyed about something.

Sitting back down in my chair i watched Tatsuo as he joined me at the table in silence, immediately biting into the now cold piece of bread to quickly grow dissatisfied with how it was not warm.

Despite the undesirable meal in front of him of stale bread and cold slices of meat on his plate, Tatsuo kept eating, trying to distract himself from something. Keeping the silence in the room as i stared at him wondering what the reason was for this man's change in attitude from the usual zen cheeriness he always had.

Reaching halfway through his bread Tatsuo looked up to see me just watching him with interest on the other side of the table with no food in front of me. Ordinarily he would of tried to feed me some of his food by now-

"Want some?" Asking while chewing Tatsuo offered me his bread.

Blinking in surprise from the late request it took me a moment to respond. "...you know i don't have much need for eating or rest."

"I know." Tatsuo sighed loudly as he placed the half eaten bread atop the meat on his plate. "A fake human that lacks humanity and all that. So long as you have that weird power of yours you can keep yourself distanced from the materialistic world." Slumping into the back of his bamboo chair Tatsuo stretched his arms above his head, "despite that though you still relax and eat with me when you feel like it."

The wry grin on Tatsuo's face showed hints of pride from him managing to teach me how to be human to at least a degree.

It was five and half months ago now when i first told Tatsuo i was a homunculus and his reaction will be something that will always confuse me when i think back to it. After i told him the only thing Tatsuo did was smile and say; 'no wonder your so unhappy. Your lonely.'

"...what are you planning, Tatsuo?" Demanding to know what was going on inside my friends head i held my gaze on him looking deep into the purple of his eyes. "I can tell your thinking of something foolhardy. Your only quiet when you question yourself."

Dropping his arms down from above his head Tatsuo finished stretching and let his arms hang at his sides. His smile quivered gently for a second but Tatsuo's face displayed no hesitation, "I'm wondering what justice decreed by a god is. Apparently the scintilla hunt decree was something ordered by the [fiery buddha] himself, but theres also an old fable that states scintilla are gifts from the gods themselves."

Keeping quiet i tried to understand what my friend was thinking.

"So, i got to thinking, and believe that a god demanding tributes is no god at all. And a god that bestows gifts onto others just to have them taken back is quite rude, don't you think?" Tatsuo returned to his plain silliness ceasing my worry as he smirked playfully across the table