Those Who Fight!

4. The Girl n' the Goddess

It seemed like every time Violetta thought about leaving, something would happen to keep her there. A rainstorm, a conversation with Hajime in the late evening that made it too dark to travel by the time it was finished, all manner o' coincidence. For three days it was like this. 

N' then... it. The temple, they called it.

It was... how could she explain this? It practically radiated magical energy. Not in the way a human being did, though— it was stronger, like the building itself was enchanted. Her hair stood on end every time she walked past that small but imposing building at the corner o' the compound. Something was wrong in a way Letta couldn't put into words.

"Violetta?"

She flushed scarlet; Nirvana'd caught her staring at the door. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she said a lil' too quickly. The woman tilted her head in a look that said I don't believe you, but she let it slide. It was fine by her. Nirvana kept walking, leaving the girl alone to keep staring at the source o' her anxiety.

Lady Diadem— patron goddess o' the monastery n' Allysiana's idolatry. So Letta'd been told, at least. Allysiana worshiped the woman in every sense o' the word. She'd disappear for hours into that odd building doing who knows what. Letta's curiosity burned within her.

Speaking of Allysiana, she now emerged from the temple, her hands lingering a moment as she closed the door gently behind her. A genuine smile was on her face; Letta hadn't expected to see an expression like that on a face like hers.

Their eyes met n' that smile immediately faded. The young woman approached her, though not so obviously disgusted as usual.

"What do you do all day?" asked Allysiana— Lyssa, as Nirvana called her.

"Whatever I want, I guess."

"Sounds hopelessly boring."

But Letta wasn't bored— not yet, at least. It was a nice change o' pace to for once have absolutely nothing to do.

"It's not. What do you do in there all day?" she asked, pointing to the building she'd just come from. Allysiana shifted her weight from one long, lithe leg to the other.

"You mean in there?" she asked. Violetta nodded tentatively.

"I speak to Lady Diadem, mostly," she said. Her pale, shapely cheeks flushed pink at even this small notion.

"'Bout what?" she pried. Allysiana's mouth pressed itself into a hard line, but Letta really didn't care if she was being nosy. She wanted to know; what was so wrong with that?

"About anything, really."

"Huh," she murmured, her hazel eyes staring down the door from 'cross the courtyard. "So you don't pray or anything like that? I thought that was how it worked. You pray n' they listen."

Allysiana grinned. "Why send a letter to someone you can see face-to-face? Besides, My Goddess is nothing like them."

"Them?"

"Those other gods." Now Allysiana was gazing at the door, enchanted, entranced. "She's real, for one thing."

"How d'ya know?"

The zealot blinked once, then turned her fiery orange head to look at the girl. "I've spoken to her."

It appeared to be proof enough for her, but Letta wasn't so sure she liked that answer. Allysiana caught her look.

"Oh, please," she said. "How many goddesses have you spoken to?"

"...none." But she woulda liked to put Lady Diadem on that list. In fact, she thought she might as well. Suddenly deciding, Violetta leapt to her feet and strode determinedly towards the door o' the temple.

"What're you doing?" the other called after her. The seductive energy o' the temple tugged at her sleeves, yanking her forward as if it'd been expecting her. Summoning her willpower, Violetta threw open the door.

The inside o' the temple was illuminated only by the few rays o' sunlight that came streaking past the heavy purple curtains. Letta thought those were unnecessary given how dark it woulda been anyway.

"Lady Diadem?" she called.

"Allysiana?" She had a rich, velvety contralto that boomed even when she wasn't projecting.

"...not quite." Letta's voice was tiny by comparison.

Out from the shadows by the curtains, a figure emerged. Lady Diadem was a strong tower of a woman, tall n' dark n' extremely overmatched for Violetta, whose head barely reached her waist.

"Then you're the girl. Allysiana mentioned you," she said. Her wrists and ankles, too thick for Violetta to wrap both hands around, jingled as she advanced towards the trespasser. They were practically dripping with jewelry from places too exotic for Letta to pronounce. Her hair was a rich dark blue that she kept tied back with elegant ribbons. Letta felt like nothing but a twig next to the sequoia tree that was her.

"She did?"

The laugh that followed was a enveloping, sonorous melody.

"She did. Said you put up quite the fight."

"I guess so," she answered, all o' the sudden shy in the presence o' this woman. 

"She also said that you're a thief."

Letta froze. Nobody'd mentioned that lil' detail since it happened, so it caught her off guard to hear it mentioned now, especially from the mouth of this celestial woman.

"She... did?" she said finally.

"Oh yes," said Diadem. "Tell me, Violetta, do you enjoy it?"

"You mean, stealing?"

"Yes, stealing," she answered. Letta swallowed hard.

"...No," she said. The goddess' painted eyes narrowed.

"Then why did you do it?" she asked pointedly.

Letta took an anxious step forward. 

"I had to," she said. 

"Use your words," replied Diadem with a frown. "Why did you have to do it?"

"I would've starved. It's just forest for miles off this mountain, no telling where I'd find food down there."

"Still, you shouldn't have taken it."

This Lady Diadem was stalking towards her now, her imposing height only adding to Letta's feeling that she was being cornered. Her lip quivered.

"I didn't actually take it," she pled. "Allysiana picked it up."

"After you were done fighting her, yes. You know, Violetta, it seems to me that you are awfully intent on bringing harm to my followers."

Violetta caught herself picking at her nails.

"What? No," she said defensively. "That's not true."

"But you must understand what it looks like."

"I... I do, but it's not, it's not what it looks like."

Letta felt herself shaking n' only hoped that the goddess couldn't see as she passed by one of the curtains, her broad frame blotting out the light that peeked through. 

"If it really isn't, then—"

The temple door fell open, distracting both of them as Hajime entered.

"Lady Diadem!" he said, bowing his head. When he lifted it, he paused, observing the strange scene he'd apparently walked in on. 

"What's... going on?" he asked.

"Nothing, Hajime," said Diadem. Nothing. Letta balled n' unballed her fists.

"I was just going," she said.

Before either o' them could get a word in edgewise, she ran.