Chapter five: HOME
Location: Tigermouth Village (Flashback)
---
I wake up to see a room that I don't know. A room which I have no idea as to who owns it.
A room that isn't mine.
I see shelves, filled with various things that I don't recognize and filled with belongings of someone else.
I see the house. It isn't mine nor is it owned by anyone else I know. The kitchen, the dining table and everything else couldn't be ours...
I walk outside and see a village that isn't White Tiger. I see kids I don't recognize playing in the fields underneath the afternoon sun. People are walking around, farming, raising animals; merchants conduct business candidly and women stand around gossiping.
Bandits never do that.
"I... remember." White Tiger's gone now, huh? I remember all the fire, all the blood-spattered walls of buildings I have memories of... I remember the people who died and all the people I killed...
And now, where am I? Is this Tigermouth? Is this where all the bandits have run off to?
And where are the bandits? There's no one here, at least, no one I recognize. Faces that I don't know casually walk around, not minding a small stranger boy in their village. I walk around, trying to find someone I know...
Walking inside the Inn, I'm greeted by the female innkeeper who smiles widely at me. I approach her, only to be called by a voice to my right.
"Koyu! You're awake already! Come 'ere, kiddo!" It's Brother Gijimu and sister Lo Wen. At least they're here; at least I can talk to somebody without any sense of apprehension.
"Brother Gijimu... Where are the others?" I ask as Gijimu downs a mug of beer in one gulp, soundly slapping it back onto the table.
"Well, Koyu... Y'see... Aww, dammit! Lo, dearie, explain it to the kid, won't ya?" Gijimu said as he slammed his head onto the table in a drunken stupor.
"Koyu... There are no others."
What the hell? How can that be? After all that fighting and all that running, how can there be no survivors!?
"Whaddya mean, no others?" I look at her deeply and my hands tighten as my blood boils in pure spite for the Tinto troops.
"Exactly what you think it means. Look Koyu, A lot of the bandits died last night and the others who were able to escape have decided to move farther away and rebuild their lives. One day, maybe they'll come back, but not now. Gustav wants us dead and us means all of the Lampdragon bandits."
"So you're saying that they're still safe, right?"
In the least, that was some sort of consolation, knowing that they're still alive and well.
"Yes, the ones that escaped are alive. They've all moved on towards various different cities and locations, prob'ly to make a living." Lo Wen glanced over at a snoring Gijimu who was drooling liberally on the wood table. "An HONEST living, anyway." Her attention was brought back to her brother, who seemed to be the one who was the most devastated by the news.
"Koyu, listen..." Her right hand, rough with memories of battle, found its place on Koyu's shoulder. "There are a lot of places other than Mount Lampdragon and Tinto, I think you know that. It's about time you got to see more of the world and got to find a different way of living other than fighting. Sure, fighting's good and all but not now. Not until we can go back to the village."
"Why don't you go out and play with Yuki for a while? She's real lonely right now and there are no kids that want to play with her." She pats me on the shoulder several times and then spanks my butt as she smiles. Sis rarely smiles... She's usually more busy trying to beat whatever she can out of Gijimu or any customer that gets in the way of her bar.
But I know that that wasn't a real smile. She's just trying to make me feel better... But I know that we may never go back to where we were.
* * *
A little girl sat down on the sandy soil while drawing lines with her forefinger. She was silent, her eyes practically empty of life and joy. The joy that every little girl was supposed to have and to have experienced.
But that joy was gone, replaced only by the fire of hatred for the people that threw her out from her own home.
The little boys and girls ran around the village, the sand flying behind them as they laughed everywhere they went.
And the girl just sat there, staring at the lines that were there only moments ago, replaced now by dozens of tiny footprints.
* * *
A boy, a young boy, probably one that hadn't even hit puberty yet, walked through this village, his eyes wandering off to take in all of his surroundings. It was a typical, countryside village but it filled him with a kind of awe. Not the kind of awe that you feel when surrounded by royalty, it was more of a simple kind of inspiration that came with the appreciation of another locales terrain. It was simple, but the people that lived here probably like it that way.
His attire was obviously not that of a resident of this village, nor was it the attire of someone who came from a high-class family. He was clothed in a simple rust-red cloth-tunic that reached just several inches above his knees, with a plain brown leather belt at his waist. His feet were bare and cloth wraps covered his shins. He wore nothing else and his hair was even more messy than usual.
He kept on walking, his mind devoid of thought. All he could feel was a strange numbness, probably the result of all his thinking and regretting and thoughts of what if.
All his walking and wandering led him to the wooden fence that surrounded the perimeter of this village... and the exit to this village.
Without thinking, he walked faster and faster, wanting to leave this village behind. He didn't know why he wanted to leave it so bad, he just did and seeing that there was no one around to even try to stop him from doing what he felt like doing... no matter how pointless and irrational it may be.
Within minutes, he was out of this village. A village that he had no idea where was. After a while, he couldn't even see the village.
* * *
The little girl still sat there, her back to one of the small houses in this village, still drawing some figures in the sand with the same finger she was using for nearly an hour. Her eyes were completely focused on the floor as the figures slowly made sense...
The girl was writing. All this time, she's been writing. And writing... And writing.
Each letter was written as clear as a seven-year old could write them, but they were clear enough for you to understand what they meant.
She's been writing "Lampdragon" all this time.
There, in the sand, she wrote the word Lampdragon over and over again; erasing it with her hand as soon as it was finished.
Her face did not as much as twitch. Her eyes nearly remained motionless, never blinking and she seemed to be perpetually holding her breath. In a way, it was scary, seeing such an innocent girl turn so melancholic.
She wrote again, a shadow hovering above her writings.
She looked up; a young boy held out his hand for hers.
"What are you doing there?" She looked up and saw a small boy looking at her, his face ha one of the most beautiful smiles that she has ever seen grace anyone's face.
And he was smiling at her.
"I... I... No one wants to play with me. That's why..." She turned her eyes away from his, unconsciously afraid that he might reject her as well.
"I'll play with you." She spun around quickly, her eyes meeting his in a strange way. It didn't feel like love, she didn't even know what that felt like. And it sure didn't feel like it did before when all the soldiers attacked.
It felt like a sort of friendship... A friendship that was almost meant to be... Even before they ever met.
"Th, Thank you." She said as both their hands touched. He pulled her up to her feet, and slowly, they joined the other children.
* * *
There were trees surrounding him in almost every direction. The trees were also immense, nearly covering the afternoon sun. He just kept walking... And walking...
After sometime, he came upon a small river. The water shimmered and gurgled as it went flowing and flowing, not minding the boys presence. Koyu ran his hand through his hair and felt the sticky fibers hard to comb through.
"It has been a while since I took a bath..." He slowly moved over to the side of the river, his toes testing the temperature. Although the rest of the world seemed to feel the heat of summer, this river seemed to have other plans. The water wasn't freezing yet it wasn't warm. It was refreshingly cool, clear and totally free of any residue.
He undid his belt and threw it aside. He bent over and cupped the water in his hands and proceeded to wash his face.
(Fumi... Where are you...?) He thought to himself as water trickled down his chin.
(Fumi...) The boy wouldn't leave his mind. Fumi was so different from everyone else in a way that he could never, ever explain. He was more than a brother, more than a comrade and more than a friend. The way he felt about him was, love? Yes, maybe it was love. He couldn't define this sensation in his gut. The way his heart leapt every time he could see the smile on Fumi's face. When laughter echoed from both of their lips, he felt as if the two of them had achieved the last stage of bliss that any human being could possibly ever attain. He loved how they would wrestle with one another and collapse as a hot and sweaty couple on the blades of grass, the sky and clouds watching high above them. He missed the way Fumi's sweet lips tasted when they kissed one another...
Yes, he was in love, but with another boy? It didn't really matter, did it? Didn't love remain as love no matter what the two people had in aspects of difference? If a man can love a woman, then why can't a man love a man? Was there some sort of cosmic rule that the gods have created that prevented someone from truly expressing his feelings for someone he truly loved? His arms slipped into the sleeves of his tunic and they fell to the floor, his body bare as the day he was born. Ever so slowly, he dipped his legs into the water, savoring the calm, cool sensation as it ran across his skin. His body then soon followed and before long, he was submerged until his neck.
He sat there, silent; His mind thinking yet again about all the events that had just transpired.
(White Tiger's gone now and the bandit's have gone their separate ways. I'm probably never going to go back home and I'm probably going to die being hunted by Mayor Gustav. But I don't care...) His eyes blurred and gently, his tears began to cause ripples on the water.
(I don't care...) Did he really? Did he really forget all the misery that he's seen?
Humans oftentimes put on a mask of courage to hide the fact that they're human. They want to be viewed as something extraordinary, as someone that can exceed problems that weaken others around them. They all strive to be special and because of this, they try to act strong, not for the sake of others, but for their own benefit.
Indeed, humans are such trivial creatures. But, if they can find comfort in such insignificant matters, then why stop them? Emotions bear you down and emotions are the things that truly hurt you. Not the wounds of battle that you suffered or the scars of war that you carry...
It's the knowledge that someone else around you is hurt. Someone that you feel is important.
But this boy had to deal with a problem beyond all these. Now he had to deal with the knowledge that someone important to him is somewhere where he cannot reach.
And now, he has to live with the fear that this person may just be gone... forever.
(Why'd you have to disappear? When will I see you again? Dammit Fumi, when will you come back?) He cried silently. All his anguish welled up within him and with this came the disgusting feeling of self-loathing.
He couldn't find him. He could have tried to find him. He could have convinced Gijimu and Lo Wen to help him find Fumi...
But now, he has no chance of doing that.
Fumi may be dead, dead underneath the earth as a rotting corpse. Killed by one of those damn Tinto soldiers.
Fumi might not ever come back.
Should he go and look for him? Or should he wait in constant anticipation of Fumi's arrival?
The minutes went by, and Koyu continued his bathing, trying so hard not to think about the one he was madly in love with. It was insane the way he loved Fumi, but no matter... He was probably gone already... And he had no chance of following.
* * *
The sun had nearly disappeared over the horizon, and the two of them were already worrying about Koyu. He's already been gone for nearly four hours and still he hasn't returned. They've already asked everyone in the village if they saw a boy matching his description, but they say they haven't. After all, how hard can it be to find someone with hair as unique as Koyu's?
They asked Yuki, who they found playing with several other kids in the village if Koyu ever passed her by. She says he hasn't.
"Where could that idiot be? I told him to keep Yuki company and now he goes AWOL on me!" She wasn't really panicking because Koyu always did this. But the situation is different now, they're not in Lampdragon anymore... They're somewhere that isn't their home and then her brother just picks up and leaves?
"How can that stupid brat be so... Stupid!" Lo Wen had gone ballistic as she began turning Gijimu into a perfect outlet for all her stress. Her hands were wound tightly around his collar and she repeatedly slammed Gijimu onto the ground. Gijimu tried to protest but found that it wouldn't do squat for him. He just let her do what he was used to experiencing.
* * *
The boy woke up from his fearful sleep, his body still resting in the shallow portion of the river. He looked around, and noticed that everything was still the same way as he had left it. His clothes were there, still on the grass, the same way he had dropped it. All that was different was the sunlight, which was slowly disappearing from the sky, the clouds turning into a dark orange.
"Better get back home..." Home? No, there was no more "Home". There never will be a "Home". He dressed up, and made his way out of the woods using the same way he had come in.
The world seemed so different at night. Back at White Tiger, Lo Wen would yell at him for staying out too late and he always wound up with a lump on his once he was allowed back into the house. Now, that he wasn't in White Tiger, he noticed the beauty of the world cloaked in shadow... Yes, he had noticed and had appreciated the eerie, slightly evil beauty of the night.
The woods were silent, not a single breeze blew by to rustle the leaves on the trees. The only sound that emanated from this collection of trees was from the twigs his bare feet crunched underneath. Soon enough, the sun had finally disappeared from the horizon and Koyu was thoroughly bathed in the darkness of a cloudy evening.
"Damn, it's dark... Better get back to Tigermouth as soon as possible." He then began to run. Running as fast as his bare feet would take him...
After several minutes, he found himself outside of Tigermouth.
* * *
"Koyu! Get yer skinny ass over here!" The woman yelled out loud as her eyes caught sight of a prepubescent boy in rust-red cloth. She quickly stopped the repeated brain bashing of her husband and stood up, her face obviously irritated at the young male's appearance. Her foot tapped the ground in annoyance and her face had wrinkled to form a disapproving frown.
"You'd better have a real damn good excuse for doing what you just did! You had me and my obese, good-fer-nothin' husband here worried sick!" She picked up Koyu by his collar and prepared to slap his face... Which, for some reason, had a smug grin on it. Koyu giggled and Lo Wen's hand froze in mid-air.
"What's so funny?!" She demanded, even more annoyed than ever.
"Y'know what, Lo? Even though you've got no kid of your own, and you probably never will, you act just like a regular mother." Her hands weakened and Koyu's feet then felt the earth below him as Lo Wen steadily lowered him.
"W, what are you saying? Me? A mom?" Lo Wen asked as hundreds of visions of her taking care of a baby of her own filled every single cell of her brain.
(Me? Have a baby? Nah, I could never take care of one of those brats... But it would be nice...) Lo Wen's attention was diverted far away from Koyu as she walked away from the scene, her thoughts swimming in hundreds of different baby names.
"It's so easy to get her distracted when it doesn't concern money..." He felt odd. Odd in a way that actually felt good. Like some feeling of being warm and secure for no reason at all...
Maybe it was because of Lo Wen, Gijimu and Yuki.
Yeah, it was because of them...
Even though you may not have a home, you will always have family.
- End Chapter Five -
Location: Tigermouth Village (Flashback)
---
I wake up to see a room that I don't know. A room which I have no idea as to who owns it.
A room that isn't mine.
I see shelves, filled with various things that I don't recognize and filled with belongings of someone else.
I see the house. It isn't mine nor is it owned by anyone else I know. The kitchen, the dining table and everything else couldn't be ours...
I walk outside and see a village that isn't White Tiger. I see kids I don't recognize playing in the fields underneath the afternoon sun. People are walking around, farming, raising animals; merchants conduct business candidly and women stand around gossiping.
Bandits never do that.
"I... remember." White Tiger's gone now, huh? I remember all the fire, all the blood-spattered walls of buildings I have memories of... I remember the people who died and all the people I killed...
And now, where am I? Is this Tigermouth? Is this where all the bandits have run off to?
And where are the bandits? There's no one here, at least, no one I recognize. Faces that I don't know casually walk around, not minding a small stranger boy in their village. I walk around, trying to find someone I know...
Walking inside the Inn, I'm greeted by the female innkeeper who smiles widely at me. I approach her, only to be called by a voice to my right.
"Koyu! You're awake already! Come 'ere, kiddo!" It's Brother Gijimu and sister Lo Wen. At least they're here; at least I can talk to somebody without any sense of apprehension.
"Brother Gijimu... Where are the others?" I ask as Gijimu downs a mug of beer in one gulp, soundly slapping it back onto the table.
"Well, Koyu... Y'see... Aww, dammit! Lo, dearie, explain it to the kid, won't ya?" Gijimu said as he slammed his head onto the table in a drunken stupor.
"Koyu... There are no others."
What the hell? How can that be? After all that fighting and all that running, how can there be no survivors!?
"Whaddya mean, no others?" I look at her deeply and my hands tighten as my blood boils in pure spite for the Tinto troops.
"Exactly what you think it means. Look Koyu, A lot of the bandits died last night and the others who were able to escape have decided to move farther away and rebuild their lives. One day, maybe they'll come back, but not now. Gustav wants us dead and us means all of the Lampdragon bandits."
"So you're saying that they're still safe, right?"
In the least, that was some sort of consolation, knowing that they're still alive and well.
"Yes, the ones that escaped are alive. They've all moved on towards various different cities and locations, prob'ly to make a living." Lo Wen glanced over at a snoring Gijimu who was drooling liberally on the wood table. "An HONEST living, anyway." Her attention was brought back to her brother, who seemed to be the one who was the most devastated by the news.
"Koyu, listen..." Her right hand, rough with memories of battle, found its place on Koyu's shoulder. "There are a lot of places other than Mount Lampdragon and Tinto, I think you know that. It's about time you got to see more of the world and got to find a different way of living other than fighting. Sure, fighting's good and all but not now. Not until we can go back to the village."
"Why don't you go out and play with Yuki for a while? She's real lonely right now and there are no kids that want to play with her." She pats me on the shoulder several times and then spanks my butt as she smiles. Sis rarely smiles... She's usually more busy trying to beat whatever she can out of Gijimu or any customer that gets in the way of her bar.
But I know that that wasn't a real smile. She's just trying to make me feel better... But I know that we may never go back to where we were.
* * *
A little girl sat down on the sandy soil while drawing lines with her forefinger. She was silent, her eyes practically empty of life and joy. The joy that every little girl was supposed to have and to have experienced.
But that joy was gone, replaced only by the fire of hatred for the people that threw her out from her own home.
The little boys and girls ran around the village, the sand flying behind them as they laughed everywhere they went.
And the girl just sat there, staring at the lines that were there only moments ago, replaced now by dozens of tiny footprints.
* * *
A boy, a young boy, probably one that hadn't even hit puberty yet, walked through this village, his eyes wandering off to take in all of his surroundings. It was a typical, countryside village but it filled him with a kind of awe. Not the kind of awe that you feel when surrounded by royalty, it was more of a simple kind of inspiration that came with the appreciation of another locales terrain. It was simple, but the people that lived here probably like it that way.
His attire was obviously not that of a resident of this village, nor was it the attire of someone who came from a high-class family. He was clothed in a simple rust-red cloth-tunic that reached just several inches above his knees, with a plain brown leather belt at his waist. His feet were bare and cloth wraps covered his shins. He wore nothing else and his hair was even more messy than usual.
He kept on walking, his mind devoid of thought. All he could feel was a strange numbness, probably the result of all his thinking and regretting and thoughts of what if.
All his walking and wandering led him to the wooden fence that surrounded the perimeter of this village... and the exit to this village.
Without thinking, he walked faster and faster, wanting to leave this village behind. He didn't know why he wanted to leave it so bad, he just did and seeing that there was no one around to even try to stop him from doing what he felt like doing... no matter how pointless and irrational it may be.
Within minutes, he was out of this village. A village that he had no idea where was. After a while, he couldn't even see the village.
* * *
The little girl still sat there, her back to one of the small houses in this village, still drawing some figures in the sand with the same finger she was using for nearly an hour. Her eyes were completely focused on the floor as the figures slowly made sense...
The girl was writing. All this time, she's been writing. And writing... And writing.
Each letter was written as clear as a seven-year old could write them, but they were clear enough for you to understand what they meant.
She's been writing "Lampdragon" all this time.
There, in the sand, she wrote the word Lampdragon over and over again; erasing it with her hand as soon as it was finished.
Her face did not as much as twitch. Her eyes nearly remained motionless, never blinking and she seemed to be perpetually holding her breath. In a way, it was scary, seeing such an innocent girl turn so melancholic.
She wrote again, a shadow hovering above her writings.
She looked up; a young boy held out his hand for hers.
"What are you doing there?" She looked up and saw a small boy looking at her, his face ha one of the most beautiful smiles that she has ever seen grace anyone's face.
And he was smiling at her.
"I... I... No one wants to play with me. That's why..." She turned her eyes away from his, unconsciously afraid that he might reject her as well.
"I'll play with you." She spun around quickly, her eyes meeting his in a strange way. It didn't feel like love, she didn't even know what that felt like. And it sure didn't feel like it did before when all the soldiers attacked.
It felt like a sort of friendship... A friendship that was almost meant to be... Even before they ever met.
"Th, Thank you." She said as both their hands touched. He pulled her up to her feet, and slowly, they joined the other children.
* * *
There were trees surrounding him in almost every direction. The trees were also immense, nearly covering the afternoon sun. He just kept walking... And walking...
After sometime, he came upon a small river. The water shimmered and gurgled as it went flowing and flowing, not minding the boys presence. Koyu ran his hand through his hair and felt the sticky fibers hard to comb through.
"It has been a while since I took a bath..." He slowly moved over to the side of the river, his toes testing the temperature. Although the rest of the world seemed to feel the heat of summer, this river seemed to have other plans. The water wasn't freezing yet it wasn't warm. It was refreshingly cool, clear and totally free of any residue.
He undid his belt and threw it aside. He bent over and cupped the water in his hands and proceeded to wash his face.
(Fumi... Where are you...?) He thought to himself as water trickled down his chin.
(Fumi...) The boy wouldn't leave his mind. Fumi was so different from everyone else in a way that he could never, ever explain. He was more than a brother, more than a comrade and more than a friend. The way he felt about him was, love? Yes, maybe it was love. He couldn't define this sensation in his gut. The way his heart leapt every time he could see the smile on Fumi's face. When laughter echoed from both of their lips, he felt as if the two of them had achieved the last stage of bliss that any human being could possibly ever attain. He loved how they would wrestle with one another and collapse as a hot and sweaty couple on the blades of grass, the sky and clouds watching high above them. He missed the way Fumi's sweet lips tasted when they kissed one another...
Yes, he was in love, but with another boy? It didn't really matter, did it? Didn't love remain as love no matter what the two people had in aspects of difference? If a man can love a woman, then why can't a man love a man? Was there some sort of cosmic rule that the gods have created that prevented someone from truly expressing his feelings for someone he truly loved? His arms slipped into the sleeves of his tunic and they fell to the floor, his body bare as the day he was born. Ever so slowly, he dipped his legs into the water, savoring the calm, cool sensation as it ran across his skin. His body then soon followed and before long, he was submerged until his neck.
He sat there, silent; His mind thinking yet again about all the events that had just transpired.
(White Tiger's gone now and the bandit's have gone their separate ways. I'm probably never going to go back home and I'm probably going to die being hunted by Mayor Gustav. But I don't care...) His eyes blurred and gently, his tears began to cause ripples on the water.
(I don't care...) Did he really? Did he really forget all the misery that he's seen?
Humans oftentimes put on a mask of courage to hide the fact that they're human. They want to be viewed as something extraordinary, as someone that can exceed problems that weaken others around them. They all strive to be special and because of this, they try to act strong, not for the sake of others, but for their own benefit.
Indeed, humans are such trivial creatures. But, if they can find comfort in such insignificant matters, then why stop them? Emotions bear you down and emotions are the things that truly hurt you. Not the wounds of battle that you suffered or the scars of war that you carry...
It's the knowledge that someone else around you is hurt. Someone that you feel is important.
But this boy had to deal with a problem beyond all these. Now he had to deal with the knowledge that someone important to him is somewhere where he cannot reach.
And now, he has to live with the fear that this person may just be gone... forever.
(Why'd you have to disappear? When will I see you again? Dammit Fumi, when will you come back?) He cried silently. All his anguish welled up within him and with this came the disgusting feeling of self-loathing.
He couldn't find him. He could have tried to find him. He could have convinced Gijimu and Lo Wen to help him find Fumi...
But now, he has no chance of doing that.
Fumi may be dead, dead underneath the earth as a rotting corpse. Killed by one of those damn Tinto soldiers.
Fumi might not ever come back.
Should he go and look for him? Or should he wait in constant anticipation of Fumi's arrival?
The minutes went by, and Koyu continued his bathing, trying so hard not to think about the one he was madly in love with. It was insane the way he loved Fumi, but no matter... He was probably gone already... And he had no chance of following.
* * *
The sun had nearly disappeared over the horizon, and the two of them were already worrying about Koyu. He's already been gone for nearly four hours and still he hasn't returned. They've already asked everyone in the village if they saw a boy matching his description, but they say they haven't. After all, how hard can it be to find someone with hair as unique as Koyu's?
They asked Yuki, who they found playing with several other kids in the village if Koyu ever passed her by. She says he hasn't.
"Where could that idiot be? I told him to keep Yuki company and now he goes AWOL on me!" She wasn't really panicking because Koyu always did this. But the situation is different now, they're not in Lampdragon anymore... They're somewhere that isn't their home and then her brother just picks up and leaves?
"How can that stupid brat be so... Stupid!" Lo Wen had gone ballistic as she began turning Gijimu into a perfect outlet for all her stress. Her hands were wound tightly around his collar and she repeatedly slammed Gijimu onto the ground. Gijimu tried to protest but found that it wouldn't do squat for him. He just let her do what he was used to experiencing.
* * *
The boy woke up from his fearful sleep, his body still resting in the shallow portion of the river. He looked around, and noticed that everything was still the same way as he had left it. His clothes were there, still on the grass, the same way he had dropped it. All that was different was the sunlight, which was slowly disappearing from the sky, the clouds turning into a dark orange.
"Better get back home..." Home? No, there was no more "Home". There never will be a "Home". He dressed up, and made his way out of the woods using the same way he had come in.
The world seemed so different at night. Back at White Tiger, Lo Wen would yell at him for staying out too late and he always wound up with a lump on his once he was allowed back into the house. Now, that he wasn't in White Tiger, he noticed the beauty of the world cloaked in shadow... Yes, he had noticed and had appreciated the eerie, slightly evil beauty of the night.
The woods were silent, not a single breeze blew by to rustle the leaves on the trees. The only sound that emanated from this collection of trees was from the twigs his bare feet crunched underneath. Soon enough, the sun had finally disappeared from the horizon and Koyu was thoroughly bathed in the darkness of a cloudy evening.
"Damn, it's dark... Better get back to Tigermouth as soon as possible." He then began to run. Running as fast as his bare feet would take him...
After several minutes, he found himself outside of Tigermouth.
* * *
"Koyu! Get yer skinny ass over here!" The woman yelled out loud as her eyes caught sight of a prepubescent boy in rust-red cloth. She quickly stopped the repeated brain bashing of her husband and stood up, her face obviously irritated at the young male's appearance. Her foot tapped the ground in annoyance and her face had wrinkled to form a disapproving frown.
"You'd better have a real damn good excuse for doing what you just did! You had me and my obese, good-fer-nothin' husband here worried sick!" She picked up Koyu by his collar and prepared to slap his face... Which, for some reason, had a smug grin on it. Koyu giggled and Lo Wen's hand froze in mid-air.
"What's so funny?!" She demanded, even more annoyed than ever.
"Y'know what, Lo? Even though you've got no kid of your own, and you probably never will, you act just like a regular mother." Her hands weakened and Koyu's feet then felt the earth below him as Lo Wen steadily lowered him.
"W, what are you saying? Me? A mom?" Lo Wen asked as hundreds of visions of her taking care of a baby of her own filled every single cell of her brain.
(Me? Have a baby? Nah, I could never take care of one of those brats... But it would be nice...) Lo Wen's attention was diverted far away from Koyu as she walked away from the scene, her thoughts swimming in hundreds of different baby names.
"It's so easy to get her distracted when it doesn't concern money..." He felt odd. Odd in a way that actually felt good. Like some feeling of being warm and secure for no reason at all...
Maybe it was because of Lo Wen, Gijimu and Yuki.
Yeah, it was because of them...
Even though you may not have a home, you will always have family.
- End Chapter Five -