"Heaven and Hell seem out of proportion to me: the actions of men do not deserve so much."
-Jorge Luis Borges
"Rose," Clara stated. The night was chilly. The air was concentrated smoke, the after effects of multiple explosions going off in a confined area. The moon was a coin glowing in the distance, unbothered with the trifling of divine spirits that made this Server their playground.
"Crimson," Hannah Rose retorted, folding her arms across her chest. Her long, reddish brown hair fell in curls across her pink sweater, combined with a skirt, leggings, and flats. Pink and red roses clung to her skin, feeding off her life force as the thorns punctured her skin. One rose coiled around her eye like a snake, blooming right above her green orbs.
"I didn't expect an attack so soon," Clara said, leaning against her palm from the chair she sat in. Clara was wearing a white buttoned shirt tucked into high waisted blank pants with a dull metal belt buckle shining. Over that, a blood red coat with gold clasps was hanging around her knees. Her rubite sword was resting in her lap, dangerous and foreboding.
"You're precious Egg has been wilting away my flowers. Of course, I would arrive for an attack," Hannah scoffed. She held out her own hand, her Inventory pushing out her weapon of choice. Bronze metal twirled like a staff, one ending becoming interlocking tendrils like roots tangled together. The other end was a spearhead designed like a closed water lily, the metal closed together like a flower before it bloomed. As Hannah pointed the spear at Clara, the spearhead bloomed outwards, revealing a shiny pink crystal orb inside that charged with power.
"Hostility was never your strong suit, fake goddess. But if a fight is what you desire, let the battle begin," Clara stood on her feet, rocking on the balls in her leather boots. Without any hesitation, she sprang forwards, blade held in both hands for a mighty arc. Hannah shoved her spear up, the water lily closing, and the rubite made a clanging sound as it hit the bronze metal.
Clara shifted her weight, heels slamming into Hannah's exposed stomach as she pushed off, flipping in the air to land on her feet. Hannah gasped as she stumbled back, spear opening to shoot out a ball of pink energy that fizzled with wisps of smoke and rose petals. Clara tried dodging, but the energy nipped her armor, cutting through her skin and cauterizing with wound so no blood spilled out.
Clara hopped onto Tommy's fencing, racing across each of the spires to outrun Hannah's blasts. Getting tired of missing, Hannah jumped at Clara, spear positioned forwards. Clara used her sword to move the spear out of the way, the metal scrapping against the rubite. Clara twisted her body as she watched Hannah loose her balance, leg swinging upwards to slam against Hannah's back. Hannah fell into Tommy's yard while Clara regained her footing.
"You may be a divine spirit, but your strong suit was never combat. I don't know why you bother trying. I don't know why traveller and totem sent someone as weak as you," Clara laughed, amber eyes crazed as they shook in her sclera. Clara swung her sword in her grasp haphazardly, unconcerned with injuring herself.
"Even roses have thorns. I am perfectly capable," Hannah responded as she jumped back to her feet. Hannah pushed her spear into the ground to vault into the air. Hannah brings down her foot, slamming it into Clara's shoulder. They both fall to the ground. Clara lands on her back with an anguished cry while Hannah rolls forwards, spear in both hands as she kneels into the grass.
"My little rose has some skill? Who could have guessed?" Clara laughs masochistically as she brings herself back to her feet. Clara presses against the blade of her sword so it launches into the sky, Clara handily grabbing the grip with ease. "Unfortunately, skill can only get you so far."
Clara faked a strike, getting Hannah to dodge to one side before bringing her leg up again to knock Hannah to the ground. As Clara tried to get in a strike, her blade merely cut through a vine on Hannah's arm instead of her skin. Hannah shoots up at an angle, diving back down. Hannah manages to get Clara's sword away but at the cost of her spear. The two wrestle before Hannah thinks she has the other pinned.
"Why? What is so special about Tommy that you have to manipulate him? I know that you seek power, but this shouldn't be the way. Tommy's been through so much," Hannah asked. The two didn't know each other from memory, but a connection existed through divinity. Their auras were of the same origin so they connected. The two could understand ideas about each other, not shared memories or thoughts.
Clara raised a leg, bringing it down so they two twisted on the ground. Clara held Hannah's hands above her head, glaring down at her form while Hannah squirmed uncomfortably. "I am willing to pay any price for power. I don't care about Tommy or his mental state. As long as his abilities remain true, I will keep him away from the likes of you."
"You won't get away with this. People will fight back. You underestimate how much people care about Tommy," Hannah said, stopping just long enough from her escape plans to get Clara to understand the gravity of the situation.
"And you underestimate how hard it will be for those people. Tommy is broken. He is fractured. And he has been for a long time. I'm pretty much the first person who has showed him seemingly genuine kindness with no want of something in return. These people who speak of, they care about Tommy about as much as I do. At least I can put aside any misbehaving he does and act civil," Clara raised an eyebrow, a giggle rolling across her lips. "My dearest Rose, you have absolutely no idea what is happening. The truth is in your reach, but people won't let you know. You are new. You are weak. You will eventually die, like the fake gods before you. You and Totem will not last long. What makes you different from other immortals who tried to obtain power but failed?"
"What are you talking about?!" Hannah yelled out as Clara moved on of her hands to Hannah's face. Clara's fingers trailed Hannah's cheek, rising up from her chin to the rose on her forward. Clara grasped the petals, watching Hannah whimper in pain.
"You. Know. Nothing," Clara stated again before she was up on her feet. She walked away from Hannah, back to the house. Clara turned around as she came to the door, somehow her rubite sword was in hand. "And I doubt you'll live long enough to learn." Clara slams the door shut, leaving a confused Hannah.
