As Pentaro stepped into his tent, the air was thick with anticipation, and Silon's question sliced through the tension like a knife. "Why are you guys only just returning now?"
Silon's curiosity was palpable, his eyes wide with excitement as he glanced at Pentaro, who had arrived amidst the rapidly encroaching darkness.
Pentaro, though visibly fatigued, couldn't help but muster a glimmer of enthusiasm in response to Silon's inquiry. He leaned in, his voice tinged with exhilaration, "It was Phin Chester, my friend, Phin Chester! He was on a relentless quest to chase out the very last remnants of life left within us!"
Pentaro practically collapsed onto the bed, exhaling a deep sigh of relief. Silon, eager to share the news, couldn't contain his excitement. "Timha came looking for you!" he blurted out.
Pentaro, still riding the adrenaline wave from the days training, cut in with an enthusiastic grin. "Yeah, we've crossed paths."
Silon leaned in, his voice charged with anticipation. "It was her second time coming here, you know?"
Pentaro's curiosity was piqued. "Second time?" His body quivered with anticipation as he rose from the bed, eager for more details.
Silon couldn't hold back the excitement as he continued. "Yes! She literally just left a few moments ago!"
Pentaro's concern was evident as he pressed for more information. "Is everything okay, though?"
Silon's smile widened as he reassured Pentaro. "Absolutely! She brought some food for you!"
Pentaro's hunger was unleashed, and he leaped from the bed, eager to devour the sustenance. "Where is it?" he inquired, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Silon, with a playful grin, confessed, "Well... I got kind of hungry, and..."
Pentaro's face turned into a mix of intrigue and hunger as he interrupted, "And what? You didn't eat it, did you?"
Silon couldn't help but beam with pride as he proclaimed, "You know me and food, buddy! No morsel shall escape my insatiable stomach!"
His grin was as mischievous as ever, and he leaned back, bracing himself for whatever jest Pentaro might throw his way.
Pentaro, however, had a sly twinkle in his eye as he approached Silon's bed, prompting Silon to instinctively blurt out, "I'm just kidding, bro! No harm befell your precious food." He raised his hands defensively, ready to dodge any playful retaliation.
Pentaro, chuckling, decided to play along, "You think I actually believed you laid a finger on my precious sustenance? Silon, you're not exactly a master of deception, my friend." With a theatrical flourish, he bent down and triumphantly plucked the transparent food container from its prominent place near Silon's bed.
Silon couldn't resist the magnetic pull of that tantalizing container. With a sly grin, he exclaimed, "You know, buddy, I've got a rumble in my belly too!" He shadowed Pentaro, curiosity dancing in his eyes, eager to see what culinary masterpiece Timha had bestowed upon them.
Pentaro, the container in his hands, popped it open, and a symphony of aromas wafted out, seizing their senses like a delicious ambush. He couldn't believe his eyes—inside the container lay a feast fit for the supremes!
The container held a treasure trove of perfectly cooked rice adorned with a sauce that glistened like liquid gold, and at the heart of it all, a plump, juicy chicken that beckoned with each succulent morsel.
Silon, watching in awe, felt his mouth watering uncontrollably, unable to suppress the primal urge to savor every morsel of this feast. It was as if his taste buds were dancing a salsa of desire, a culinary seduction he had never encountered before.
But for Pentaro, this meal had more profound significance. As he beheld the sumptuous offering before him, he couldn't help but reminisce about the culinary delights his wife, Malie, used to craft with love. This was a bittersweet reminder of those cherished memories.
For a brief moment, the two comrades sat in silence, their taste buds reeling from the explosion of flavors. Then, in a fit of unabashed hunger and sheer delight, Silon thrust his hand into the container, extracting a succulent, sauce-drenched chicken chunk. His eyes lit up with sheer bliss as he sank his teeth into the tender meat.
Between bites, Silon couldn't resist a playful jibe. "Pentaro, my friend, it's like we've been dining on poison all this time, courtesy of Yhunik's 'cooking'!" He gestured theatrically towards their usual camp meals, a mischievous grin lighting up his face.
Pentaro's journey into the flavors of that delectable meal took an unexpected turn. As he delicately raised a small piece of the succulent chicken to his lips, a wave of emotions swept over him.
His mind briefly transported him to another time, another place – to his late wife, Malie, and her unforgettable cooking.
When he finally took that bite, it was as if a floodgate of memories had been opened. The taste triggered a visceral response, a poignant reminder of the meals Malie used to craft with love and skill.
Tears welled up in his eyes, and he couldn't help but pause, as if suspended between the world of the present and the cherished past.
Pentaro's chewing slowed as he savored the mouthwatering flavors. It was a culinary time machine, transporting him back to those moments of bliss he had shared with Malie.
The tears that now glistened in his eyes were not just tears of sadness but also tears of sweet nostalgia. It had been far too long since he had tasted something so profoundly meaningful.
Yet, amidst the swirling emotions, anger began to smolder within him. The knowledge that he had been absent when his wife and child needed him most gnawed at his heart.
"They could have been alive, if only I had been there for them." The anguish of missed opportunities, the guilt of absence, and the weight of lost loved ones all converged in that solitary moment.
Pentaro's thoughts extended to his brother Bain, another painful reminder of the toll their quest had taken. "Same with Bain," he added, struggling to hold back his tears.
The burden of responsibility weighed heavily on him, a burden he was willing to carry as a testament to his love for those he had lost.
Amidst this torrent of emotions, Silon continued to devour the exquisite meal, seemingly unaffected by the emotional whirlwind Pentaro was navigating.
A lightning bolt of inspiration struck Pentaro's mind like a revelation. "What if," he wondered, "I were to use 'the book,' in tandem with MK, to unlock the dormant powers within me? The Tongue of the Mind might hold the key!" The idea electrified his every thought, igniting a fervor within him that couldn't be contained.
Without hesitation, he surged to his feet, a determination shining in his eyes. He couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
Turning to Silon, he exclaimed with unwavering passion, "I'm on my way, my friend! There's a matter of great importance I must attend to, but please, do me the honor of reserving some of that exquisite meat for my return!"