After I had helped a few girls, I stood back and watched Rexa from a distance, with Senna standing at my side. Rexa moved gracefully and didn't use any extra energy with her motions. Everything the Automaton did seemed calculated with purpose.
"How long are you going to stand around staring at the woman? I came to help, not to do everything," Tallia growled as she walked over to me.
"How do you have so much Positive Energy with such a shitty attitude?" I asked, giving Tallia a sideways look.
"Perks of being a Goddess, now get over to the theater and help the ones over there. I am sure you can help those ones more easily, and the robot is here to help me. I will be fine to finish the next floor, but that is all I am doing. I feel like I have been chasing you around all day!" Tallia growled.
"You know, I didn't call you here, but I am glad you came. Also, stop calling Rexa a robot. There is no reason for you not to use her name. You are promoting your people to act the same. I can't change how you personally feel about Golems, but there is no reason for you to act like that," I said, and Rexa turned to me from the woman she had just helped.
"It is okay; we all used to finite races having a distaste for Golems. We are one of the few races that cannot die in this world unless killed. Not even Tallia is immune to death in this world, even if she might live one thousand years. A mellinia is fleeting for races that have lived since creation, and Tallia is one of over fifty Goddesses that have protected humans," Rexa said as she walked over to us, making Tallia cross her arms.
"And they lord that over everyone. We are all just children in their eyes, and they help my people because we are so fragile and pathetic in their minds. Even though they are so old, they all seem to forget that the first Golems, the Living Dolls, were created by a human!" Tallia snapped, and Rexa nodded.
"This is true, and Nixia did create the lesser Living Dolls, but only them. The rest of us were created by the living dolls until the Creator was designed and realized," Rexa explained.
"Why are the Living Dolls lesser?" I asked curiously.
"Because they have human souls in them of terminally ill women. The others consider them less than perfect compared to the ones that are created by The Creator. They even look down on their own kind because they have the soul of a human," Tallia said, looking to the side and turning up her nose.
"That is because they can't process things like the rest of us, and they let their emotions get the better of them. Golems are supposed to be calm and collected at all times. This is why we, the Automatons, deal with the care of finite races because we can control our emotions. Living Dolls are required to work in the laboratories, doing research on diseases and types of injury," Rexa explained, and I narrowed my eyes on the Automaton.
"Required? That sounds a lot like forcing one to do something, whether they want to or not," I said slowly.
"That is exactly what it is. The Living Dolls are allowed to even go outside, let alone leave the island. There have been large disputes with the Dog Folk and the Fae over this for as long as I have been in my position, and I am sure longer," Tallia said in a cold tone.
"What is done on our island is none of any of the other races' business. We do not interfere with how you all live divided and constantly fighting with one another over things of no importance," Rexa said.
"The Living Dolls are not of your race then, which means that your people are holding humans against their will. I will be making a trip to each of the islands, and now I know there is something that needs to be dealt with," I said, and Tallia threw her head back, tossing her hands up in the air.
"Finally, someone actually gets this!" Tallia snapped.
"How do you consider them human? They are animated dolls, nothing more," Rexa said, but I put up my finger.
"That is a lie. You just told me that they were human souls inside them. That is the reason why you are keeping them inside, right? They can't control their emotions because they are not Golems originally. You are trying to force a chicken to be a duck, but no matter how hard you try, they won't fly," I explained, and Rexa paused, but Tallia turned to me and then punched me hard in the shoulder.
"Ow, you beast! You didn't need to use your knuckles! Hell, you didn't need to hit me! I am on your side for this!" I growled, rubbing my shoulder, but Tallia glared at me.
"What did we come here for? To have a talk with a robot that has nothing to do with what we are doing here? Something that you can only talk to death right now? Go over to the damn theater before I hit you again, but this time I will be aiming higher!" Tallia growled, and I put up my hands.
"Fine! I am going, grouch! This is the thanks I get for taking your side," I complained as I headed to the door with Senna behind me.
"You never asked me to help, and I never asked for you to take my side. They are things that happened because we wanted them to, not because there was a reward involved," Tallia said, giving me an imperious look.
This woman was so foul when she was right, but Tallia was right. I hadn't expected her to come, and she expected no thanks, so I would have to remember that in the future.