Shadows In The Sun [Veralia/Amaranta]

"If that's the case, it almost sounds as if we should do something. Since if they mop the floor with the Shinigami and Quincy, who is to say they won't come after Hueco Mundo?"

Amused by all this, Veralia let out a playful chuckle as the thought of trying to do something about the hole seemed laughable if they all were hollow and arrancar. But still, regardless of how either felt, the law of the jungle applied. Whoever had the stronger or smarter means to survive will inherit the land and future. You didn't need absolute brawns, nor did you need absolute knowledge, but you did need something to clutch the win in her mind.

Regardless, Veralia was mildly surprised at how quickly Amaranta had gotten up. She was expecting her to struggle more with getting up given the nature of her injuries, but instead, the horned arrancar got a taste of how tall the woman was. There was a full foot and two inches of height difference between the women and it made Veralia's eyebrow twitch.

She couldn’t help but acknowledge Amaranta's striking presence. If it weren’t for the cauterized wound, Veralia mused, the woman would outshine her own more understated appearance. For a fleeting moment, she bit her teeth, a wave of envy briefly washing over her before being tamed by her emerald aura. It wasn't hostility that this aura conveyed; rather, it was a complex blend of admiration and envy.

"Envy's Ember. That's another name they call me back in Hueco Mundo,"

She gave her remarks, her voice carrying a hint of self-awareness as she continued.

"So you can guess what my powers may entail."

"Is that really such a bad thing, though? The more, the merrier, I say. We could use the entertainment in that listless realm, anyway. Those who truly enjoy the thrill of combat would welcome their presence, I imagine. I know I would."

To those of lesser mettle, they would find her words foolish, her thoughts the product of a reckless mind. To those who thrived on proving themselves in battle, it was nothing short of gospel. Monstrous entities of alien nature descending upon Hueco Mundo?

The leonine woman savored the thought of what that could potentially entail moving forward. The myriad of strong warriors that could be produced from such a conflict - borne of adversity and adaptability - was so overwhelming to imagine that she found herself trembling with excitement. Drawing herself back to reality, Amaranta would chuckle as she maintained that overpowering grin of hers. Envy's Ember, eh?

"Flames of envy, huh? What an interesting contrast. I consider mine the flames of glory. After all, I always pride myself on shining the brightest on the battlefield."

"Eh, that's debatable. They still could kill us all. Though you look like the type to prefer dying in battle."

There was a dubious tone on the part of Veralia as she didn't believe that was a good idea to potentially let these threats that wanted to kill everything loose in the known realms. But, given what she knows about the people of these worlds, it's doubtful it would ever come to that if those demons could even be stopped.

"Not sure how I'd want to go myself, and I'm not a pushover, but I doubt I'd want to be killed by a mindless horde."

After wriggling her nose, the Veralia looked up at Amaranta and raised an eyebrow in response to her idea of her flames being used for glory, while Veralia's was used for envy. It was an interesting contrast between them and she remained quiet for a moment as she closed her eyes. When her reflections came to a close, Veralia opened her eyes and spoke calmly.

"Your flames sound beautiful. In my case, mine just represents my aspect of death. Doubt I can change those flames even if I wanted to."

As Veralia rolled her shoulders, there was a mixture of acceptance and reluctance behind her words and actions. But even as her envy felt like it was scorching away at her heart; she bit her teeth and suppressed it for now.

"Though, I guess we should work on getting the hell out of here."

With a tap of her finger against the air, the atmosphere sizzled, and reality itself seemed to warp and tear as a burst of flames heralded the opening of her Garganta Llameanta. The fabric of space crackled and groaned, the heat of the flames tingling at her fingertips.

"Where to?"

Veralia asked, her gaze shifting back to Amaranta, the portal's fiery glow reflecting in her eyes as tiredness started to overtake them.

"Of course. What other way is there to die in a battle? Samurai find it honorable to die at the end of their day fighting for their ideals. I imagine I'd go out the same way - in a blaze of glory."

A vision hardly resembles reality, but Amaranta never feared the notion of death. Where would her reckless abandon eventually lead her? There were several possibilities, several scenarios, and yet she wasn't exactly outright ready to face it now. No, there was far too much to accomplish, far too much to achieve for her to bow out of the dance now.

"Whatever the nature, so as long as it accomplishes the goal, I wouldn't worry about changing it to any degree. If anything, tapping into it seems like a more amusing option, if you ask me."

Shifting from side to side, Amaranta followed Veralia's gaze toward the fissure she cleaved in space. For what it was worth, this was woman was certainly interesting. An arrancar with the aspect of envy? What would further interaction between them entail? That was, quite simply, a question left to fate.

"Time to grab a bite eat. I need to regain my energy so I can circle back here for a fight. If you know a place that fits the bill, I'll follow your lead."