Choice

"Phi and… Kant with a new avatar?"

Before they could respond, two more figures descended from the sky.

"Oh, it's Tau," Robert observed as he landed beside Kant on the roof, "I was wondering why you would touch down here..."

Tau recognized the other person as the waitress from Robert's cafe.

"You all can go ahead," Kant said, "I stopped here to talk to Tau."

"Okay," Robert said, "Should we come back to pick you up when we're done?"

"No need. I will find you," Kant waved.

"Oh yeah," Phi called out as they prepared to leave, "Tau, don't forget! Camelia Hart!"

"Ah, right, that..." Tau mumbled as she waved after the three of them.

Kant and Tau watched the other three disappear into the sky, Phi getting a piggyback ride from Robert's waitress.

"Now then," Kant floated down from the roof of the house, landing next to Tau "How goes your practice?"

"Well, I think."

Tau conjured a massive gust of wind and shot it straight up. The force flattened all the grass around her and left the trees nearby shaking.

"I see," Kant said, scratching his chin, "Can you do that again?"

"Of course."

Tau tried to repeat the spectacle, but this time the world wouldn't budge. More specifically, Kant's domain held it in place, resisting Tau's attempts to manipulate it. Tau's vision blurred as she developed a splitting headache. When her vision cleared and her headache subsided, Tau found herself on her knees, staring at the grass beneath her.

"Not good enough," Kant said, standing over her, "Should there be more than ten mortals present, you will no longer be able to use your domain properly."

Kant sighed, "I know it has not been long since you first came into contact with mortals, but the transition shouldn't be too difficult. If you had been practicing diligently, this would not have been the result."

Tau's vision blurred again. This time though, the reason was different. She squeezed her eyes shut to try and hold back the tears. It felt so unfair to her. She spent the morning being pushed around by Father Dawson; it was only just now that she had the free time to practice. But, before she could voice her complaints, Kant continued.

"I know what you want to say, but you must remember our primary purpose for coming here. I should not need to remind you that it is not to play at being mortal. Focus on your training. While it may be enticing, the activities of mortals should not be your main concern. Furthermore, the entire point of this stage of practice is for you to adjust to domain manipulation with mortals present. Practicing here, with no observers, does you little good."

"But I'm just not strong enough! I don't even understand how increasing domain stamina works!"

"Incorrect. Although it was brief, I have explained the basic principles of increasing domain stamina. And although I certainly cannot say you are strong, it would take more mortals than this world contains to overpower your domain."

"Huh?"

It was then that Tau realized something strange about her surroundings. The ground immediately below her was the same, but beyond that, there was nothing but empty darkness; even the sky was the same shade of darkness. It was as though the two of them had been cut off from the rest of the world; even with her domain, Tau confirmed that there was nothing there.

"What is this?"

"An uncontrolled outburst as you just demonstrated can have unpredictable consequences. So, this is me, protecting that world from said unpredictable consequences."

As Tau watched, the darkness receded, and if she were to trust her domain, the world dropped into place around her.

"Um… just so I understand, what exactly do you mean when you say unpredictable consequences?"

"That is a difficult question. I have already said that the consequences are unpredictable..." Seeing that Tau was not satisfied, Kant continued, "In this specific instance, the worst case would probably have been a lasting change in the fundamental structure of the world, which usually means the end for all the current mortals within it."

"I see..."

"Regardless, for now, the strength of your domain is not the limiting factor. What you lack is the mental stamina to use it, especially in the distracting presence of mortals," Kant's tone softened, "It is fine to take your time. Time is a resource we have in abundance. But, we still should not waste it. However, if you wish to involve yourself in mortal affairs because you feel it is meaningful, I will not stop you. After all, finding something you want to do is a great thing."

"Something I want to do…?"

Thinking about it now, Tau wasn't sure what she wanted to do. There was so much she didn't know. The world she was currently in, the larger world of gods beyond, and all the beings which inhabited it all were all mysteries to her. Even just with Kant and Phi, Tau knew very little about their lives and what role she played in them. What was possible? What did everyone else do? Tau had no answers.

"What do you want to do?" Tau asked Kant.

"I want to help young ones like you learn the ropes," Kant said without hesitation, "so that you may achieve whatever it is you so desire."

It was such a certain answer that Tau couldn't help but be a little shocked. After all, there were so many uncertainties, unknowns, and dependencies when it came to what she wanted to do.

"But why?"

Kant thought about this for a while before answering,

"When you have existed for as long as I have, you see things you never could have imagined and learn things you never dreamed of knowing. Of course, there were many joyful moments, just as there were many unfortunate ones..."

He closed his eyes, reminiscing.

"It all takes quite a toll," Kant finally continued, "You get tired. At some point during it all, you lost sight of the light at the end of the tunnel, and you know you can never get it back..."

Kant's voice trailed off. Tau couldn't help but feel sorry. Then, Kant turned to Tau, looked into her eyes, and smiled.

"You probably cannot understand the ramblings of this old man, you being so young. I can see it, in your eyes, a shine that I have lost. I want to believe that there is something at the end of the tunnel. So, I will lead you down as far as I am able. So that your struggle may be easier than mine. So that you may go further than I could. So, one day, someone may reach that light at the end of the tunnel."

Kant was right; Tau didn't understand. But she could tell that whatever it was, it was something Kant deeply believed in.

"Now then," Kant clapped his hand together, "What do you want to do? Would you like to spend some time playing mortal? Or focus and finish your practice so that we can move on to the next step?"

"I don't know… Is there a right answer?"

"There is no wrong answer. A diversity of experience and a focus on efficiency are both values worthy of upholding."

"That's not helpful at all..."

"Take your time. If you have questions, I will do my best to answer them."

"Then… what is the next step you mentioned that I get to move on to after I finish my practice?"

"After learning some basics and gaining some insight on the nature of your current being, you are to be brought to Vagus to be formally registered, following which you will be strongly encouraged to enroll at the school-"

"I'm going to stop you right there. Vagus? School?"

"Vagus is the name of a city built by the gods, and a school is an environment for learning."

"Okay… so, like, is this a time-sensitive thing? Or can it wait, potentially indefinitely?"

"It can certainly wait, potentially indefinitely, but time sensitivity is involved. Generally, earlier is better."

"Why?"

"You will be perceived as having a greater intrinsic talent for both waking up earlier and finishing your basic training quicker. This is helpful for your placement when enrolling in the school."

"Huh."

"To be honest, these initial perceptions are not enduringly useful. Given time, talent will be recognized if present."

"Hmm..."

"However, the usefulness of experiencing this particular world can also be brought into question. Especially considering it is nearly identical to your original one, which you are naturally familiar with."

"Ah! Why is there so much to consider?! I'm never going to be able to decide at this rate!"

"There is no need for such detailed consideration. There is also no need to have an answer now. It is just something to think about. One must be aware of the question before one can formulate an answer."

"Okay..."

Kant turned to look in the direction towards the center of the village.

"Looks like they are done here..." He murmured, then turning back towards Tau, "I will be going now. Do as you wish."

He disappeared, slipping into a seam in the fabric of the world Tau's domain could not reach, leaving Tau sitting alone in the grass of Mrs. Bentley's backyard. There was quite a bit for her to think about, but there was still a lot that she didn't know. Tau sighed, got up and stretched.

"Well then, what should I do now…?"

[I do have quite a to-do list prepared if you are so free on time...]

{Why not? Let's hear it.}

And so, Tau found herself wandering the village for the entirety of the afternoon, mapping out its structure for Neu to commit to memory. In hindsight, the village was bigger than Tau initially expected, primarily because there were several sections she had never actually visited.

The village had two main roads that intersected, separating the residential area into four districts. From the intersection, three of the outcroppings eventually petered out, two stopping at farming fields and one becoming that narrow path through the forest that led to the river where she bathed. The last outcropping brought Tau through a commercial area with several shops lining the road and ended at a small walled-off area with several storehouses, some stables, and a house that Tau guessed belonged to someone of importance given its much larger size compared to the other houses in the village.

Another wider road led out of this area leading away from the village and into the forest beyond. Tau had never seen a horse before, so she was extra wary of the two she found at the stables; their large size gave them the potential to be dangerous. Neu commented on how they were probably fenced in for a reason.

There was also a lumber mill which required quite a bit of trekking to get to. There was a path, but it was so unkempt that it was hard to be sure she had not deviated from it as she walked through the forest. It was only with her domain sense that she could avoid becoming lost.

When she finally got to the tree-stump-filled clearing with the lumber mill at the center, the sun had traveled quite low in the sky. It wouldn't be very long before sunset. Tau sat down on a nearby stump, resting her sore feet.

Because of the timing, but the roads of the village were mostly empty, so Tau was able to mostly avoid people looking suspiciously at her. It was only when she started heading into the woods to this mill when the road traffic picked up with people returning from the fields.

"Not a bad place," Tau said to herself, watching the sun slip towards the treeline.

[Do you want to stay then?]

{I wouldn't mind it. What about you?}

[I don't care, but I think it'll be a shame to just leave without learning all this world has to offer.]

{I guess...}

The wind picked up, brushing through Tau's hair and rustling the leaves on the surrounding trees. It was nice, especially after the long walk.

{Not a bad place at all...}

[We should probably start heading back to the Bentley house for dinner now.]

{Mhmm...}

Even so, Tau sat there for some time longer, enjoying the breeze and listening to the trees.