Daughter of Kali- Awakening

by Shiulie Ghosh

  “Looking for something?”

  “Where’s Mum?” I snapped.

  “Ah, yes. You haven’t seen the centrepiece of my abode yet. What do you think?" Nisgath gestured towards a natural alcove in the rock. "I think it's got a certain 'je ne sais quoi', don't you?"

  I looked to where the demon was pointing, and felt my heart lurch. Mum was shackled to the wall, her arms stretched taut on either side of her, holding her half-standing, half-kneeling as she sagged unconscious in the chains. I ran to her, pushing the hair out of her face, checking her pulse. She was alive.

  "Mum, it's me. It's Kaz." I urged her to open her eyes, but she stayed silent, hanging in her chains like a broken doll. "What have you done to her?" I screamed at Nisgath. The demon simpered.

  "We've just kept her subdued. Couldn't have her regaining her strength before tonight, could we? Falroq has been administering the necessary treatment every time she woke up."

  “What are you going to do with her?”

  “I’m going to let her watch you die. Then I’m going to free my sister.”

  I turned away from the demon’s self-satisfied grin, sick to my stomach. Mum’s lips were cracked and dry, the skin around her eyes flaky, and I realised she was parched.

  The sound of dripping was louder here. I looked across and saw a steady trickle of milky water running down the wall of the cave, the beginnings of a stalactite above it. Scrambling over, I cupped my hands under it and brought it to Mum, wetting her lips, hoping it would revive her. The water just ran out of my hands, and she didn’t wake.

  One or two of the children in the cave stirred as they watched.

  "Water," I heard one of them whisper. "Water." A hand stretched plaintively towards me through the bars.

  "You haven't been feeding them? Giving them water?" I asked Nisgath angrily. She shrugged, unconcerned.

  "We've kept them alive. But now we don't need them for very much longer, so why bother?"

  "You’re going to sacrifice them,” I said flatly. “To open up your hellhole.”

  Rebecca’s eyes flickered in surprise.

  “You’ve worked it out? Interesting. Well, I suppose even the most obtuse human would understand eventually. Yes, we long ago discovered that certain energies can open doorways between our dimension and yours. Weak little doorways, which don't last long. But now we have the Sphere. And the Sphere has been gathering energy for centuries." Nisgath waved a hand around the cavern. "Here, in this place, where the fabric between worlds is already thin, we can perform a ritual that will make a strong doorway. A doorway that will remain open for all time. All it takes is thirteen sacrifices during the full moon. Those twelve, and you. Falroq, put her with the others."

  “No!” I struggled to stay with Mum but it was no use. Oblivious to my kicks and punches, Falroq simply grabbed me by my hair and dragged me to the cage. The pain in my scalp made tears squeeze out of the corners of my eyes, but I refused to scream. The demon released the cage door, the children inside shrinking back as it approached, and threw me inside.

  None of the other kids moved or said a word as I stumbled in among them. As soon as I got my balance, I leapt for the door, gripping the bars tightly.

  “The Guild will stop you, like they stopped you before,” I yelled. Rebecca’s face simpered back at me.

  “You just keep telling yourself that. Now, pardon me while I change into something more comfortable.”

  Thick black smoke started boiling out of Rebecca’s mouth and nose. It poured out onto the floor, building and changing until the hideous form of Nisgath took shape. Rebecca’s used-up body crumpled into a heap.

  One or two of the children moaned and buried their faces in their hands as Nisgath stretched and yawned, its grisly mouth wide open and a long black tongue flicking at the air. Its eyeless head turned to the dark end of the cavern.

  “Belaur, my brother, we are ready for you. Come."

  There was an unpleasant scuttling sound, as if several pairs of legs were moving in unison. And another noise, like castanets. A shape loomed out of the darkness, dwarfing even the mighty Falroq, who turned to let the thing pass.

  It was a scorpion, of sorts. A male torso reared above a blackish exoskeleton, a vicious looking stinger curved over its jointed back. Two muscular arms ended in huge lobster-like claws. It was these that were clicking like castanets. The demonic face gave a gargoyle grin.

  "I am ready, sister."

  "Falroq, the Sphere."

  The demon reached into the bag on its shoulder and carefully pulled something out. Even with the darkness and shadows playing across my vision, I could see it was a thing of beauty. A perfect crystal orb, milky white and seeming to glow in the dimness of the cave. Reverentially, the demon handed it to Nisgath.

  "Is it not beautiful?" it breathed, staring into its depths. "Is it not wondrous?"

  "It's a nice paperweight," I said.

  "Mock all you want. You will soon see how deadly the Sphere is to humans. But don’t worry, child, you won’t be the first. Falroq, if you please."

  The demon pulled a huge lever to one side, muscles rippling. The cage door swung open. There were screams as it reached inside and grabbed the first person it found, a skinny black lad in a ragged blazer I recognised as part of the Banwell uniform.

  The boy struggled violently, twisting in Falroq's grip, but it was no use. The cage door slammed shut behind him, and he was hauled over to the one named Belaur. It reared up on its hind legs, grabbing the terrified child in its front claws. Falroq stepped back. The boy was screaming at the top of his lungs, his eyes bulging in fear as he stared at the monstrosity above him.

  Next to me, a young girl started crying helplessly, and I smelled the sharp stench of urine from her. I gripped the bars, shaking them, but they wouldn’t give. I reached for the lever which operated the door but it was out of reach. In despair, I turned back to the scene outside.

  The boy had been lifted off his feet and brought to eye level with the hideous creature. He hung there screaming for a second. Then the tail whipped out like a snake, the dripping end sinking into the child's neck.

  Instantly the boy was quiet, his eyes glazed. The demon withdrew its stinger. Clearly there was something in the venom that stopped the wound from bleeding, because apart from one or two drops, there was hardly any blood at all. The boy was set down, and he stood swaying, as if stunned.

  Nisgath turned to me, mouth twisted in a grotesque smile.

  "Watch carefully, child. This is how the new Age of Demons will begin."

  It raised the orb above its head, and started chanting. The words were gobbledygook, but I felt their power. A hot wind rushed through the cavern, swirling round my feet and whipping up my hair. The air became stifling, as if something unholy was sweeping through the cave. Electrical sparks danced off the globe. Nisgath held it out to the gently swaying boy.

  "Take it."

  "No!" I shouted. But in a daze, the boy obeyed. He reached out and grasped the crystal in both hands.

  Immediately, it began to shine with a golden inner light. The boy looked into the Sphere, and murmured something. I was too far away to hear what his words were, but I think he said it was beautiful.

  Then he threw back his head and screamed.

  The cords stuck out on his neck and veins bulged in his forehead. Spidery red lines raced up his arms, then his skin charred as the Sphere's burning power spread through him. The boy fell to his knees, his screams becoming groans and then gurgles. The black reached his face. There was a sudden shocking silence, then his burnt, empty husk of a corpse fell onto one side. It twitched once, twice, then was still. The Sphere rolled out of his grasp.

  Behind the body, a small, black undulating disc appeared. It looked like an oil slick, barely a hand-span across, rippling and greasy, hanging in mid-air. It released a faint odour, the scent of an open graveyard carried on a breeze. The hellhole.

  Nisgath shrieked with delight, kicking aside the blackened remai
ns of the child as if he was just a pile of rubbish. A slow anger began to burn in the pit of my stomach.

  "Falroq! Another one!"

  Again, Falroq leaned into the cage. This time the children knew what the stakes were, and scrambled wildly to get out of his reach. I shielded the girl next to me, grimly hoping Falroq was leaving me till last. The demon grabbed an arm at random, pulled it to the door.

  Helena.

  Andy yelled and fought, smashing his fists down on the creature's arm, trying to kick it through the bars of the cage, with no effect. Helena herself had gone limp, as if she accepted what was going to happen. Whimpering, she allowed herself to get dragged, unresistingly, to Belaur.

  "Helena! Helena! No... no... bring her back! Take me... Helena...." Andy was screaming himself hoarse and hurling himself desperately at the bars of the cage, but it made no difference.

  Within seconds, Helena was dead, and the black hole doubled in size. The unholy stench was getting stronger and small bulges rose and fell on its surface. Andy collapsed to the ground, inconsolable.

  "You're a monster!" I screamed at Nisgath.

  "I? I am not the one who filled the Sphere with so much negative energy," it shrieked. "Your people did that. Humans! With your wars and your cruelty and your hatred! And it was not I that caused this dimensional weakness, here in this cursed place. You humans provided the means for your own destruction. You! Falroq, another!"

  When Falroq went for a third victim, Andy didn't even bother to get out of the way. The demon simply grabbed his arm and pulled him out. He was so grief-stricken, I doubted he even needed to be stunned by the Scorpion demon. The same grisly pattern followed. Andy never looked up once, and he never made a sound.

  Nisgath was hissing and chuckling in delight, as the hellhole became more substantial with each kill. It was now some five feet across, big enough for a man to walk through if he ducked. Or a demon to squeeze through.

  The surface undulated greasily, and I thought I could see darker shapes moving on the other side. There was a low hum on the edge of my hearing, unpleasantly vibrating the bones of my inner ear. I wondered what would happen when the hellhole got bigger than the cave. Would it just keep growing up and out, through earth and trees and sky? The tang of sulphur and burnt flesh hung in the air.

  I sank to the ground, utterly defeated. No-one knew where I was. My necklace was gone, and Darius and the others could be dead by now. Don’t think that. But it was hard not to. I kept remembering his face, disappearing into the darkness. Tears pricked at my eyes. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them in misery.

  And felt the blade Di had given me.

  I froze. Falroq was walking back to the cage for another victim. In a few seconds, the door would be open. I wavered, looking at the demon’s huge arms, its hideous face. He’d fought Mum to a standstill, what could I do? But if I didn’t act, another kid would die. I tensed my muscles.

  As the cage door opened, I flew at Falroq, drawing the blade in one smooth move and drawing it across its arm. Purified steel, I thought with a grim smile, as the demon’s flesh opened. I didn’t give it a chance to regain its balance.

  I ducked under its flailing arms and slashed its torso. Black liquid welled from the cut, and Falroq gave a bellow. It smashed me across the face, only its torn arm preventing it from using its full strength. Even so, I hurtled backwards into the cave wall and fell to the ground, winded. I felt blood trickling down my face.

  “Don’t kill her!” Nisgath was shrieking. “We need her!”

  Falroq was striding towards me, drawing one of its blades from its sheath. It looked so furious, I wasn’t sure it was listening. Get up, get up, I told myself, willing my legs to obey. My head was ringing. Falroq raised its sword.

  Get up.

  It was like a light had gone on. In one smooth move, I rolled to the side, dodging Falroq’s sword arm and stabbing my dagger into its calf all the way to the hilt as I rose to my feet. As the demon dropped to one knee, I planted a foot on its broad back and used it to give me a leg up.

  Grasping the hilt of the second sword, I flipped backwards, landing on my feet. I lunged forward, intending to drive the steel into the back of its neck where its skull met its spine. But it was too fast. With a roar, it blocked the sword with its own. Reaching down, it pulled my dagger from its calf and flung it at my head. Barely even thinking about it, I flicked it aside with my blade.

  The demon is stronger. But you are faster. Use your speed.

  The words snapped through my mind. My other self, giving instructions. Except… I remembered what Kali had said in my dream. There was no other, there was only me.

  I had no time to think about what it meant, as Falroq’s sword met mine. In a straight fight, the demon would win every time. I didn’t have Mum’s unnatural strength. But my smallness worked to my advantage against Falroq’s lumbering mass. I danced out of its reach, feinted and changed direction, used its weight against it. And the longer I stayed alive, the more exhilarated I became.

  I’d forgotten about Nisgath.

  Something whacked me against the head, slamming me to the ground. The same something whipped my sword away, then held me pinioned to the floor. I looked up into Nisgath’s hideous face, and saw the demon’s muscular reptilian tail lying across my chest.

  “Did you think you could beat us, little Warrior child? Did you think you could win? You’re not strong enough or fast enough, you pathetic human. I’m going to enjoy this. Belaur!”

  The monstrous scorpion scuttled forward, its claws clicking excitedly. It grabbed me roughly and raised me off the ground, curving its tail above my head. Looking up, I saw a drop of venom suspended from its stinger. My heart started hammering in my chest, as the creature’s tail quivered, ready to strike.

  Have you not learned that fear is useless?

  The voice was right. Anger was better. Anger gave me power. I called up the memory of Darius and the other Warriors, valiantly facing the drones. I thought of the children in the cage, scared, starving, their numbers depleted. I looked at Mum, hanging like a puppet. The anger welled out of me.

  “Help me!”

  I screamed it out, not directing it anywhere. But it had no effect on the Named Ones. Nisgath’s hideous maw curved into a grin, and I had a split second to realise I had failed before Belaur sank its stinger into my neck.

  The world became grey and black. A deep lethargy swamped my limbs, making it hard to move or breathe. I could still feel, and think, but it all seemed so far away. As if I was underwater.

  I was dimly aware that Belaur had released me. I fell to the ground but scarcely felt it. There was a voice clamouring at me from far away, telling me to get up. But it was more comfortable to ignore it.

  The children in the cage appeared to be throwing things at the demons; shoes, belts, coins, whatever they had. Useless, I thought drowsily. A handful of coins against three Named Ones. What had made them do that?

  Three shapes moved around me, and I squinted fuzzily. Drones. I wondered what they were doing. They appeared to be… wait. That wasn’t right, was it? I was more tired than I thought. The drones appeared to be fighting the Named Ones.

  Well, you did ask them to help you, I thought hazily. Now get up. Still I didn’t move. It was just too much effort. My eyes rested on the hellhole a few feet away, black and churning. A clawed hand appeared from inside, curling round to grasp the edge. A tentacled head poked through cautiously, sniffing the air. Bit of a tight squeeze, I thought inconsequentially. They’ll be wanting to make that bigger.

  The drone’s eyes met mine. With a shriek, it launched itself through the hellhole and hurled itself at Nisgath, who was busy tearing another drone limb from limb. Wow, did my voice carry all the way inside there? I giggled at the thought of Nisgath, Falroq and Belaur having to beat off an army of their own drones. I wondered how long the effect would last.

  Not long enough. Get up.

  There was something I had to do,
wasn’t there? I shook my head, trying to remember. Children. I had to save the children. I blinked trying to make my eyes focus. What the hell was in that venom?

  GET UP.

  The weariness abruptly left my limbs. I slapped myself in the face, trying to clear the haziness. The pleasant drowsy feeling started to lift at last, leaving only nausea. I swallowed down a mouthful of bile and looked round.

  One drone lay in pieces next to me. It gurgled its last and evaporated into dust. Another was on Belaur’s back, trying to rip its stinger out. A third was throwing itself at Nisgath and a fourth was about to get its head cut off by Falroq.

  I looked at the children. My command had made them throw whatever they could at the demons, but it had also made them hurl themselves against the bars of the cage trying to come to my aid. Some were bruised, others bleeding.

  Unsteadily, I got to my hands and feet, and pushed myself upright. Tottering to the cage, I grasped the lever and pulled. Nothing happened. I felt weak and useless but I gritted my teeth and pulled again. If I could have used the voice, I would have commanded a drone to help me. But for the moment, the ability was lost to me.

  For a third time, I tugged on the lever, digging in my heels and using my whole body weight. My eyes filled with tears as I strained to the utmost. With a creak, the cage door flew open.

  “Go. Get out.” I pointed towards the lighter end of the cavern. “Help each other. Run!”

  The remaining children fell through the cage door, the stronger ones supporting the weaker ones. They limped and scrambled and struggled towards freedom. The young girl I’d shielded from Falroq turned back towards me.

  “What about you?”

  “Don’t worry about me. Go!”

  I knew the battle between the drones and Named Ones wouldn’t last much longer. I forced my legs to carry me to the other side of the cavern, skirting round Belaur who was ripping the head off a drone. I sank down next to Mum, resting my head on her shoulder, exhausted.

  I knew I wasn’t strong enough to get the chains off. I knew I couldn’t save her. My plan was just to stay with her, until the end.