R. A. T. H

Five vol.2

"It's amazing what mana can do," Bianca said in front, "Craft it, shape it, harden it; and you get all these trees and surroundings digitized into the real world with solidarity. The one thing I can give humans is their ingenuity, and the one thing I'll take away from us elves is our short-sightedness and propensity to stick to traditions."

Rose listened as the woman who loved to talk finished.

"It's no wonder we lost the war so soundly," Bianca muttered, staring at nothing in particular. "The versatility of technology is a hard thing to rival, even by true magic."

Rose listened attentively yet a part of her wondered, 'Does she just love talking?' This was the first person she met who talked to such an absurd degree. Sometimes it sounded important, other times it seemed she was either flexing her skills or simply looking for something to keep her mind busy. Maybe she didn't like the quietness as much as Rose enjoyed it.

"Oh don't mind me." Bianca laughed and waved her hand. "I'm just ranting a bit."

"At Least you're aware. . ." Rose muttered as a wry smile was thrown her way.

They walked and she followed her creator leftward until they came upon a garden amidst the already luscious world of colors around them. It was surrounded on all sides by four limestone pillars with an overhead of the same color. There was a circular table with four chairs and, there, a man of chest-nut golden hair sat, dressed in one of those simpler for-comfort suits with a white vest. In his grasp was a tablet but his golden eyes smoothly left the screen and rolled over them.

"Welcome back, Bianca," He said with the faintest smile then glanced at Rose. "And you. . .?"

Behind him, Rose locked ayes with an expressionless beauty. A female of the same height as herself, though spotting a maid dress with bundled hair of platinum, and eyes as deep as the blue of the ocean.

'She's. . .not human?' Rose immediately understood as both girls studied the other.

She. No. It was not a homunculus. It was something else entirely. Artificial as well, but different. It was an android, skin reflecting the light of the fake sun up high. Eyes like glass. And a perpetual expressionless face that looked as if it wasn't made to twitch with life. Indeed, just like Rose, it was artificial, but it was a robot. A lifeform of metal.

"Welcome, Ms. Blake," A voice void of emotion drifted out of the lips of the beauty as a smile, an actual one, pulled her face back and her eyes squinted just slightly enough to give the image of an everyday girl.

'So she can make expressions. . .' Rose realized the girl seemed even more alive than the soft-spoken, perpetually blank slated, dragonian she knew.

Bianca nodded at the android, then looked to the man.

"Thomas, this is Rose. Rose, this is Thomas," She said then pulled a chair out and sat, "Could you be so kind as to let me and her have a little chat, privately?"

The man narrowed his eyes at her as Rose etched his name into her memory.

"Alright," He shrugged and stood, "I don't see why not. Come, Vera, let's leave them to their bidding."

"Certainly, Master."

And, just so, Rose watched his departure as she took a seat across from her creator.

For a moment, the world blurred.

For a moment, Rose saw a short-haired Bianca before her, appearing like a teenager as she smiled in glee. Though she was dressed in armor segments of metal, and covered in the crimson of blood, the girl looked up to her and smiled.