Running at War, Shu-fang let the other woman throw her down the embankment. There was no time to pause. Shu-fang got up and started to run.
“Coward!”
The shriek rang in her ears. She remembered once that would have made her pause, deny, but Shu-fang knew better. She had known better for some time.
It didn’t matter what War said. War would never understand. Shu-fang didn’t really need her to.
She only had to get away.
Shu-fang did.
That was the price of being the embodiment of a concept such as War. Though while brutality was mixed into it, that certainly wasn’t all what War was about. She was a walking conflict that she expressed through physicality. But that was not evil, not to Shu-fang.
Though she might have been biased, through lives lived where she did that much and worse. War was a part of life. And that was why she was a God.
“Then why look for me?” Shu-fang asked.
“What does that mean!” War shouted it out in a way that it no longer sounded like a question.
Shu-fang wasn’t surprised. War was so one-track minded. Of course she was confused by the message. “It means I am no longer available to do your bidding.”
War’s frown became more intense. “You have decided to serve who now? That is irrelevant.”
“You misunderstand. I do not serve anyone else. No god will get me to fight for them.”
A beat. Then, like the crack of a whip, War threw her head back and laughed.
“Shu-fang!”
How War’s presence called for battle! And that was even before Shu-fang turned to look at her. She stood at seven feet, with blazing red hair falling down from her open faced helmet, contrasted against pale skin littered with scars. Mementos of her labours. Shu-fang knew that most of them War had seen coming and had allowed them anyway.
Shu-fang remained calm and let War advance upon her. War stopped many lengths in front of her, looking down upon the much shorter woman. “What is going on?”
Shu-fang sighed. “What do you mean? That is a very open question.”
War scowled. “With you! I might not have gone searching for you just yet except for your message.”
Of course War would not understand the concept of retirement. War was constant. There was no pause in her eyes. Even when one confrontation ended for mortals, she was already in another one. Even now, standing in front of Shu-fang without any show of violence toward the immortal, she was a part of something greater.
A. A. MacConnell 