89. Promises

[corrinesbell]

[Sheena's in the backyard, one fighting knife in each hand, attacking the life out of the trunk of a tree.

You know you want to know]

Comments

[corrinesbell]

Anyone who can't accept change and work together for a world that cooperates with that change is a fool. Spirits or humans.

[biteoffherhead]

So you would want me to roll over and let the humans steal away the sacred forest of the god who gave me the very breath in my chest, let them cut my head and let them kill the god of life himself?

[corrinesbell]

No! That wouldn't be working together either!

You're choosing not to listen to what I say, because it's not what you wanna hear.

[biteoffherhead]

Ashitaka tried the same as you suggest. And the war continued anyway.

You are too young to understand. We gods do not tolerate infringement on our territory, which we have so little of ever since the humans made guns to slaughter us with.

[corrinesbell]

You can't find a way to share it?

[biteoffherhead]

The land does not belong to the humans. The humans have their territory. They do not steal from the gods as the gods do not even give their land a cursory glance.

[corrinesbell]

I've never been in your world, so I don't know what it's like. ...But if you'd all stop being so stubborn maybe--

[oh ho ho ho, Sheena. What was that?]

[biteoffherhead]

The humans will not stop their advance. The flames of their guns will burn us all.

[corrinesbell]

[it's like listening to some of the more outrageous people talk about half-elves or Martel. Sheena would turn away if she didn't think Moro would bite her in two once her back was turned]

[biteoffherhead]

...They will suffer, at least. When they kill the hundreds of boar gods and finish off my pups, they will reach the Forest Spirit. And when they cut off the head of the Forest Spirit, everything will die.

[corrinesbell]

People can't even stop fighting each other. What gives them the time to go after gods?

[biteoffherhead]

It is their stupidity that causes them to fight us both.

But it's those damned rifles that bring us to our deaths. Arrows and flame can be shaken off, slashes from a sword are shallow and don't slow us in the least. A rifle's iron slug burrows deep within our bodies and kills us slowly with the iron they stole from our soil.

[corrinesbell]

[that does sound bothersome. Not too many guns in Aselia, at least that I she recalls]

Iron brings down gods now?

[biteoffherhead]

Even now an iron bullet rests within my breast. Though a human body would have been ripped in two by it.

[corrinesbell]

...There are people here who can get it out.

(I'm going to bed :>)

[biteoffherhead]

A human could, I'm very aware.

(me too)

[corrinesbell]

You'd rather die than let a human help you live?

[biteoffherhead]

Of course.

[corrinesbell]

[well, then it's her own prideful fault]

[biteoffherhead]

[She figures she's made enough of a point, walking away and slowly fading back into the treeline.]