Realm of the Goddess

by Sabina Khan

  She wore a very elaborately embroidered lehenga, the skirt falling around her ankles in swirls. Her bodice was tight, with the décolletage so deep that I blushed when I saw her/my generous bosom peeking out from under it. She was heavily adorned with jewelry; something gold glittered on almost every visible part of her body. She paused to say something to her lover and then she laughed, the delicate tinkle wafting to me as I wondered how this could be happening. I realized I must be looking at Kali, but I was nothing like her. There was nothing delicate about the way I laughed. And I would never wear that much jewelry or show that much skin. I was still trying to figure out the meaning and purpose of this particular vision when the air shimmered again and I was back on the Academy’s grounds, holding the sword. Tara was watching me closely as I looked around, slightly disoriented.

  “What happened, Callie? Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

  “I had a vision...I think,” I replied, still trying to sort it all out.

  “So what did you see exactly?” Tara asked, carefully taking the sword from my hands and placing it against the metal link fence.

  “It was weird...I saw myself with this guy. And we were making out.” I could feel the blood rushing to my face as I remembered the tingling.

  Tara was watching me with an amused expression. “Do you know who you were making out with?”

  I could tell she trying hard to suppress a grin, and I childishly stuck out my tongue. “No, I don’t. His face was kind of hidden the whole time.”

  “But you’re sure that the girl was you?”

  “I don’t know exactly. I’m pretty sure it was Kali I saw, but she did look exactly like me.”

  “Well,” Tara said, “it’s not really that strange. If you are the reincarnation of Kali, then it makes sense that you would look like her.”

  “I guess, but it was weird watching myself with a guy I’ve never met.”

  “Then you have something to look forward to, right?” Tara said with a huge grin. She picked up my sword and handed it to me. “Back to work.”

  “Wow, bossy much?” I grumbled as I lifted the sword.

  A little while later we stopped for dinner, and not a minute too soon. For the last hour I had been fantasizing about a nice juicy burger with fries. We joined Vikram in the dining room. After a filling meal, I excused myself and went upstairs to my room. I had moved in early that morning and hadn’t had a chance yet to unpack and settle in, courtesy of Tara, who had shown up outside my door minutes after I arrived, insisting that we get started right away. She was very persuasive. So here I was, hours later, feeling gross and utterly exhausted. My muscles were sore and my back hurt. Once I got to my room, I barely made it to the bathroom to undress and shower. I let the water run until it was steaming hot and leaned against the shower wall as the heat dissipated some of the pain. I shampooed my hair and emerged feeling clean and refreshed. I wrapped at towel around myself and another around my hair and then dug around in my bag for sweats and a T-shirt. By the time I was dressed again and had dried my hair, I had just enough strength left to plop myself on the bed before I fell asleep.

  I awoke the next morning to the smell of French toast wafting up from the dining hall. I sat up with a groan as my tired muscles reminded me of the torture they had endured the day before. I dragged myself to the bathroom, got ready and went down. Tara and Vikram were already there, as were Dev and Shiv.

  “There you are, my dear,” said Vikram, smiling benevolently while Tara sat quietly next to him munching on her French toast. She looked up at me and her eyebrows shot up. I knew I looked like a zombie, and it was all her fault. I gave her my best death stare and mumbled a greeting to everyone else. I sat down and poured myself a cup of coffee from the pot in the middle of the table.

  “So, Callie, I trust that you are settled in?” said Dev, taking the pot from me and pouring himself a cup.

  “Yes, I am, thank you,” I replied.

  He stirred his coffee as he looked at me thoughtfully. “You look quite exhausted. Did you have a bad night?”

  I could hear Shiv choking a little and shot him a withering glance. Tara’s face looked as though it was going to explode. Clearly they thought my agony was hilarious. Vikram and Dev were oblivious to what was going on. I just smiled and mumbled something about getting used to everything. They nodded understandingly and went on sipping their coffee. Fortunately, they left soon after and I was free to glare at Tara and Shiv.

  “I’m glad that you’re enjoying yourself,” I said as soon as the two older men were out of earshot. “What’s so funny?”

  “I’m sorry,” Tara said, trying hard not to smile as she spoke. “It’s just that you look pretty...well...your hair.”

  I reached up to pat down my hair, which I knew looked crazy.

  “Oh, come on, Tara, she doesn’t look that bad,” Shiv said, smiling. I just ignored them and sipped my coffee.

  “So, what’s the plan for today?” I asked after a few moments of silence.

  “Well, Dev and Shiv are taking over the combat training today,” Tara said.

  “Dad is teaching his class today, so you’ll just be joining in,” Shiv said. “It’ll be a great experience,” he added. “There are some really good students in his class.”

  Great, now I would get to make a fool of myself in front of even more people. This day was just getting better and better.

  “Okay, lead the way,” I said, trying, as usual, to mask my utter terror with nonchalance.

  As Shiv and I walked over to the training building, I watched the students as they went to their classes and felt a sense of envy for the natural way in which they fit in. They knew where they belonged and where they were going. From what Vikram had told me, most of them had come from Rakshakari families, or if not, they had spent most of their lives here. Either way, none of them could possibly feel as lost and out of place as I did right now. As we entered the gym, I looked around. There were about ten other students there and three instructors, one of whom was Dev. I counted six girls and four boys, all barely in their teens as far as I could tell. As I watched, one of the girls did a complicated maneuver that included a lot of sword twirling and a few fancy back-kicks. She was a tiny little thing, probably no older than twelve. I shot a quick glance in Shiv’s direction, only to find him watching me with a stupid grin.

  “I told you they were good,” he said with a shrug.

  “Yes,” I hissed. “But you didn’t tell me they were little kids.” I was not amused, but I took a deep breath just as Dev noticed me and waved me over. With a parting glare at Shiv, I walked to the center of the training area.

  Dev had all the students line up in front of him. “Girls and boys, I would like you to welcome Callie. She is here to train with us.”

  A murmur passed through the group; they were no doubt wondering why I’d been held back in school. I smiled awkwardly at them and mumbled a greeting of sorts.

  “I’m counting on all of you to help Callie as she begins her training,” Dev told the group. I could hear tittering and engaged in an immature staredown with a girl in the back. She had two blond braids and looked like a troublemaker. Dev was oblivious to this exchange and continued with his instructions.

  For the rest of the morning I learned offensive moves designed to overpower someone much bigger than me. Unfortunately, all my sparring partners were a few inches shorter than me, so I failed to see the benefit of this exercise. On the other hand, I didn’t think I was ready to take on anyone my own size, so maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing. After lunch, which all students ate in a cafeteria in the school building, I was summoned to the main house by Nina, who had been spending a lot of time communicating with the Elders.

  Since Shiv had told me they lived in a cave on Mount Kailash, I wasn’t sure how she had accomplished that, but I figured I would find out soon enough. I walked over to the main house by myself after spending the entire lunch hour dodging questions from the students about why I was starting
so late. Vikram had made it clear that no one was to know my real story, so it was left up to me to concoct enough details to satisfy the pre-pubescent horde. It wasn’t as easy as one might have thought given that these were no ordinary twelve-year-olds. I was glad to escape as soon as I could.

  As I walked across the campus, I looked around me. It was so surreal to be here, to realize that this whole other world had always existed right along with the one I knew, and no one had any clue about it. It was well hidden, just another private school on secluded property. I wondered if the students here knew what life was like outside in the world where I had grown up. I reached the entrance to the main house and ran up the steps. Shiv and Tara were waiting in the foyer and took me to a part of the house that I hadn’t seen before. I followed them down a hallway, and after a while we turned right into a large conference room. Vikram, Nina and Dev were already there, and we joined them at the large table in the middle of the room. There was a large jug of ice water on a tray with glasses, and I poured myself some. The table was partially covered with printouts and maps. Nina’s eyes were glistening as she turned to me.

  “Callie, we have great news. Our contacts in India have found the possible location of the sword.”

  “Kali’s sword...that’s great,” I stuttered, a sudden wave of panic rising.

  “Yes, of course,” Nina replied impatiently. “We have been trying to pinpoint its location for some time now, but it hasn’t been easy. Mahisha’s people are also after it, and it has been a challenge to stay one step ahead of them.”

  “What happens if they do get hold of it?” I needed to know exactly what I was up against.

  “Well, then Kali...you...won’t be able to destroy Mahisha. It’s the only weapon that can destroy him. And you’re the only one who can wield it.”

  I was silent for some time. “But I have no training, no experience. I don’t even know if you all are right about this...about me.” It was true; they all were convinced that I was Kali, but I didn’t feel any different or powerful. I was just confused and overwhelmed.

  Dev stood up and came over to my side of the table. He put his hand on my shoulder. “Callie, I know this is hard, but you must trust us. We know who you are, and we have faith in you. It is your divine destiny. Now you must make yourself see how powerful and strong you are.” He looked at me beseechingly. “You must do it for your parents.”

  Even in such a short while, Dev had figured me out. He knew that my parents were my weakness right now. I would do anything to save them, even go to India to get a sword that I had no idea how to use. Then again, I couldn’t just stay here, waiting to learn. They may have been too nice to say anything, but I knew Dev and Tara would agree that I seemed a hopeless case when it came to combat training. I could see all of them, Shiv, Tara, Nina, Dev and even Vikram looking at me expectantly. Maybe my imagination was in overdrive, but I felt they were looking to me to save them. To save everybody. And that was a huge burden. I didn’t know if I was capable enough. But I did know one thing: I would not let my parents down. I couldn’t be sure if my dad had actually come to me in my dream or if I had just been hallucinating, but he had told me to find the sword and that was what I would do. So I squared my shoulders, sat up straight and looked Dev in the eye.

  “Okay. I’ll go. But before that I need everything you know about what I’m walking into. I won’t go unprepared.”

  They gave a collective sigh of relief. I could feel Shiv’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t look at him right now. Nothing would distract me. The rest of the day passed quickly as they filled me in on centuries’ worth of information. I was glad that I’d always been a bit of a nerd when it came to school, because right now it really helped that I could retain a lot of information in a short time. They told me about the various factions of Mahisha’s armies. It seemed that they were spread all around the world. I learned about the tactics they used. Mahisha and his demons fed on humanity’s weaknesses. Thus, the most vulnerable members of society were perfect prey for him and his minions. In Kolkata, specifically, that would include the orphans, poverty-stricken widows and pretty much anyone who was cast away. Their lives were so devoid of hope and so full of despair that the promise of a better tomorrow at any cost would be a temptation.

  As I listened to the stories of Rakshakaris who had stood guard against Mahisha for centuries, I recoiled with horror at some of the vile acts that humans were capable of committing under the influence of pure evil. Genocide, torture and swindling were child’s play to this army of demons. The human recruits gave up their souls in exchange for wealth, security and freedom. A part of me sympathized with the choices these people made, having witnessed first-hand the awful conditions that some people lived in. I could understand how utter despair could turn a mother to the dark side if it meant a better life for her children.

  While I had lived in India, some of the harsh realities of a third world country had become part of the daily scenery for me. But after living in Seattle for so many years, I sometimes remembered with horror the things I had seen. Like a mother with little babies who hadn’t eaten in days. Their eyes would have a vacant look, the look of someone with no hope. At the time I had been too young to recognize the irony of people living in abhorrent conditions while right next to them others lived in unfathomable wealth. But now that I was older and more informed, it shocked me to the core. As I listened to the others, I realized that thieving politicians and corrupt leaders had one thing in common with Mahisha. They might be human but they were just as evil as the demons we were about to fight. I looked up at the wall clock. We’d been at this for over three hours now. I felt drained from listening to so many depressing accounts and asked to take a break. I got up and went out to get some fresh air. I realized that Shiv had followed me when I heard the door close behind him. He came and sat next to me on the steps.

  “That was a lot to take in wasn’t it?” he asked, gently taking my hand. His touch was nice, comforting without anything more. It was what I needed right then. For some reason the thought of Ben flashed into my mind. I’d been so preoccupied that I had hardly given him a thought in the last couple of days. But I knew I couldn’t just leave without saying goodbye. A part of me recognized the possibility that I might not make it back. I stood up abruptly, my hand slipping out of Shiv’s.

  “I have to see Ben. I can’t just leave without saying anything to him.”

  Shiv stood up too. He glanced back at the house and then back at me. “It will take some convincing,” he said. “But I think I can figure out a way to take you back. Just go along with me.”

  We went back into the house. Shiv announced that I needed to go back to my house to grab a few more items since I would be traveling to India, such as my passport and other essentials. His parents didn’t suspect anything, so a few minutes later we were on our way back. I had texted Ben, and thankfully he had replied right away. We would meet at our usual spot in the park. Shiv would stand guard. I felt apprehensive about meeting Ben. The last time we had spoken he’d left angry. It was already dark by the time we got there, and Shiv insisted on scoping out the park before I got out of the car. When he signaled that it was safe I joined him and walked over to the swings. Ben was already there on one of the old regular swings that had not been replaced by the weird saucer swings that I detested. I could see from his face that he wasn’t too thrilled to see Shiv, but I had been expecting that. I nodded at Shiv to give us some space. He walked over to a copse and then seemed to just blend into the darkness.

  I sat down on the swing beside Ben like I’d always done. It was big enough to fit both of us. At first neither of us said anything. Then we both spoke at once.

  “Ben. I...”

  “Callie, how...”

  Ben recovered first. “You go,” he said, looking down at his hands. He’d always had big hands, his fingers long and thin, but now I noticed they seemed different. They looked damaged, as if he’d been punching things. There were scars and bruises on the
m, clearly visible, even in the little light cast by the streetlamp. I reached out to touch his right hand, but he flinched. Something painful flared up for a moment. He was still angry with me. I felt the base of my throat growing warm, but I ignored it.

  “Ben, I’m so sorry...I know you have a lot of questions.”

  He didn’t say anything. He just sat there looking down. He wasn’t going to make this easy for me. I didn’t blame him; he deserved better.

  “I’m going away for a while,” I began. He looked up then and I gasped. There were shadows under his eyes, but that wasn’t what shocked me. He always got those when he spent too many late nights studying for finals. There were bruises on his face, some reddish, some purple, in various stages of healing.

  “What happened to you?” I stood up, my pendant growing warmer. Suddenly I felt sick. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shiv emerging from the shadows by the trees. In the same instant, two men materialized on either side of Ben. I barely had time to register that we were in danger when a dagger flew through the semi-darkness and buried itself right in the chest of one of the men. He disintegrated right before my eyes. At the same time the other one put his arm around Ben’s neck, and in the next moment they were gone. Just like that they vanished right before my eyes. Both of them. I stood there, frozen in place, the horror of what had just happened dawning on me. I understood the bruises now and the scars. They must have been waiting for me to make contact with Ben. I had walked right into a trap. And I had just lost my best friend. My legs gave way and I crumpled to the ground. It had all happened so fast, and then Shiv was there cradling my head on his lap as I sobbed into it.

  “They took him, Shiv...” I choked on my tears and sat up so I could breathe again. “He had bruises...they must have tortured him to get to me.” I couldn’t take it. Another person I loved was taken, and it was all because of me. Shiv held me while I cried, stroking my hair until the sobs subsided. It was a while before I could stand, then we walked back to the car and drove to the Academy.