“This has better be good, overseer.” Another added, cold amusement curling around the words. “I’m sure you remember what happens when you disappoint him.”

Kali’s rage blotted out everything else. Such a creature, reduced to a plaything for a minor god. A pitiful coward who wouldn’t even fight for herself.

An inhuman roar echoed and she turned dazedly, too late, to see that her newest opponent was already on top of her. She could barely process what she was looking at before it rammed into her with the force of a train.

Whiteness took over her mind. Not light, just emptiness. And then she was falling. Deeper and deeper into familiar darkness. She could feel the creature lingering still in her mind but suddenly its screams echoed through her.

Kali’s eyes flashed red, flames crackling in their depths, and she raised her head slowly. All she could see was the boy bleeding, face down in the sand. The sword was still protruding from his back. Sharp pain sliced through her at the memory of that shade of red.

The stars swirled and twisted dizzyingly, but Kali refused to be distracted. She could not deny that the information she was looking for wasn’t exactly easy to come by. If it was, she wouldn’t have had to go there and seek him out.

Pushing her turmoil aside, she turned her attention back to her phone and did her best to navigate the streets to the underground. Her sense of direction was still terrible. Even with the map, she got lost. Twice. But with her face glued to her phone, she didn’t care if anyone was staring or laughing at her.

Even on a Sunday morning, it was a buzzing hub of activity. Kali spotted the god in his usual place, in the furthest corner. It was the hottest area of the forge, and the most out of the way.

Heat, and pain, and an ancient unfathomable rage. Just outside of her consciousness, she felt it screaming. Burning.

Kali frowned and focused on the hag again. Leathery skin pulled taut, empty white eyes, withered hands. Scattered patches of thin hair. She didn’t feel like the creature was evil or cruel, regardless of appearances. But something about this place, this person, terrified her beyond reason.