The wine urges me on, the bewitching wine, which sets even a wise man to singing and to laughing gently and rouses him up to dance and brings forth words which were better unspoken.
Homer in The Odyssey
- Promise-
A promise is an evanescent word. To the untrained ear, it is a sweet and torturous enigma. To the ones who have carved their own path in the frailty of the living, a promise is a frivolous, tenuous word.
Promises are made, so that they can be unmade.
They drink to seal a promise, of connubial bliss, of being together in incessancy. A pact of immortality sealed with bitterness. Bitterness to mark new beginnings?
When the Inu no Taishou gazes upon his bride, he knows someday, he must bury her away.
- Burial-
She is about to immure their relationship, leaving a concavity in both their lives. And also, the child she gave birth to.
She is infrangible, but their bond was not. A pity, for how can you expect new beginnings when the cup that seals it is made of an antediluvian brew?
He understands her implicit words when she suckles their son, lovingly for one last time. He knows the hole will fill with continuum.
The fragile promise doesn't betray their emotions; they still exhibit perfect equanimity on their faces.
After she passes, he swallows a bit of burning liquid, to calm himself.
He almost fears that someone will unveil the disquiet in his heart.
- Denial-
Another woman comes into his life, then. She is she, but she isn't her.
She brings with her not scenes of finity and transience, but dreams of eternity. She brings with her a streak of insanity, which the Inu no Taishou is, sure, will manifest in their son-to-be.
Her face is ecstatic, her eyes dance with euphoria. And then the pain comes to her, and consternation mars her face. He ceases to soothe her, wanting her to feel pain and darkness. She screams in excruciation, and he continues walking away, unlike a parsimonious soul from a pot of gold.
He drowns her screams and those of the soon-to-be-dead newborn in a cup of sake.
- Hate-
There is no truth in life, for it is a vague illusion seen by living beings. But there is truth in detachment and splintering.
This one decides to go away as well, to the welcome arms of another man. It comforts him, for she is not what he wanted her to be. He wanted to bury this one too, but she is unwilling.
Because of another hanyou in her womb.
Their liaison is another thing he wishes to alienate from his impermanent yet permanent life. There is amorphism in the ties that connect them.
Even looking at her forlorn face doesn't imbue his heart with the colour of pity. Yet he remembers having emotions once, for the mother of the son who has already been born.
And why does he have to feel sad? There is truth in the fiery liquid that pours down his throat, which nullifies the hypocritical feelings he has for her.
- Acceptance-
And the end draws nigh.
He idly prepares himself, for the upcoming battle. He has a worthy opponent, and he wonders if after this battle, he will be again, or the fate bestowed upon his last child will fall upon him too.
The pompous courtiers rush in, informing him of the impending birth of a new child. Which is of no interest to him. Which belongs among the lower denizens of the world. Which is filth that taints his boots.
But the Inu no Taishou cannot bury this one, like he buried the child's mothers. This is déjà vu, caring for something, and then utterly falling prey to mal de siecle, and utterly annihilating it.
The Inu no Taishou shows his sang-froid once more. This time, unusually, he decides to do a volte- face and save the child worthy of his abhorrence.
Another silly foible on his part. Another promise which he chooses to forget- no, to imbibe.
And before he goes, he chooses to vilify his throat with the taste of torrid summers and malevolent winters.