Bloom

43: The Apple's Core

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The sap stains the ground, then the air with a strong sour smell. Pouring like a waterfall onto the dirt. Tulip screams until their voice cracks, their throat grows sore. The pain is nothing like they've felt before. It's a sharper jab, much worse than the nettle, and a large wave crashing against their back one after the other.

"Tulip!" Pepper cries out.

They attempt to race to Tulip's side, but get blocked by a chain; a golden serpent uncoiling from its slumber. It wraps around Pepper and Dante in one swift motion.

"Ergh!" Dante's breath is forced out as he becomes constricted.

Distant cackling is heard. Someone looms over in the misty clouds. The spear is retracted with Tulip still attached to it. Slowly they are lifted to a sinister face.

"You really thought you would get away from me, hmm?" Stellalume laughs.

She traces her sharp nails lightly along Tulip's throat. A smile grimaces along her face.

"Oh how I wish being a death goddess was easier," she spits. "Too much authority that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, right, anomaly?"

Tulip's voice becomes raspy. They can't scream anymore, despite the pain continuing to stab their back. They look over to the other two struggling to break free. Stellalume's eyes are honed on Dante.

"It can't be helped, can it, Dante?" She huffs it out. "You have a special bond with other brutes like you. I knew you'd eventually turn on me, time was certain to tell."

She tugs on the chain, which makes it tighten more on Dante. He wails out in agony, grits his teeth. Stellalume laughs again.

Suddenly, something slashes at the chain, causing it to break in two. Pepper had drawn their sword. The chain unfurls them. Both Dante and Pepper land on the ground, with Pepper landing on their feet, sword to their side. Dante fights to get up, but his energy has been sapped.

"Oh my," the goddess raises an intrigued eyebrow. "The descendant is gutsy."

Her gaze is unbothered. She drops Tulip to the ground and pulls out a ripe apple, then begins to eat it. Right down to its core. With one hand she reaches for the seeds and pulls them out, marvelling at them in her hands.

"Imagine a mortal consuming just one of these."

In one swift motion, she lifts the seed up high before dropping it into her mouth. Swallows it like nothing. Dante freezes, gulps.

"You should try them. They have a nice crunch, like the scrumptious bones of a Minotaur."

"That's enough playing," Pepper says with an angered tone. "We are not merely toys for entertainment."

Stellalume smiles. "You're right. You're anomalies, and yes, I am including you, the disappointing descendant of my dear friend Mortelline."

Pepper stifles a bit. Still, they hold onto their sword tight.

"You are wrong. We're all imperfections!"

They lunge at Stellalume with the sword. The goddess dodges the attack and lets out a chuckle.

"How humouring. I am incapable of imperfection!" She lifts a hand, drawing her weapon back in her grip. In no time it sews itself back to normal. "You three, however, are capable of causing destruction because of your imperfections."

Pepper jumps at her again, this time striking the chain. Within seconds the tears restore back to normal. Every time they try to attack Stellalume they only get blocked by the chain. It's like a magical force, gravitating around the goddess making it nearly impossible to get to her.

"Spar all you want," Stellalume says between blocks, "it'll eventually tire you out."

They hesitate for a moment, and the chain boomerangs back and wraps around them. The chain gets slashed in two once again, this time by Dante with a knife in his grip. He wobbles as he lands. The goddess raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything. She raises an arm, open-palm, commanding the chain to slither its way to the two.

On and on the fighting continues, with no success for Pepper and Dante. Every minute that passes they both grow more tired. Tulip can only watch helplessly, clutching their stomach in a fetal position. They spittle out sap from their mouth. It leaves a gross taste in their mouth, an unfortunate reminder of the curse.

"Every single petal represents a death."

No petals have bloomed, not even a flower. Has nobody died in the living world these past several hours?

Their eyes follow the wounds forming on Pepper and Dante, the exhausted breaths with every strike, then at the goddess, unharmed and seeming to enjoy the fight. They notice a hand is hidden behind her back, with the other controlling the chain's movements. The spear appears and moves towards Dante.

"Look out!" Pepper shouts.

Just barely, he dodges the spear as it stabs into the ground, the force of its speed bringing up dust and dirt like a spray of confetti. Stellalume reveals her hidden hand. In it are apple seeds emanating a purple smoke. She throws them to the ground, which seems to activate their magic. Quickly the smoke spreads until it forms a ring shape, with Stellalume and Tulip in the middle. Pepper and Dante back away, inches from the smoke.

"I suggest you don't move, anomalies," she cackles. "Any slight movement releases the apple seeds' poison, which will bring in a world of unimaginable pain!"