Kali

393 AC - The Muna often call on Parvati, but few dare summon her more terrifying other half. Like me, Kali devours. Each of her movements is both gracious and threatening, an ode to inevitability. Her krises perform a languid dance, which is really a ritual. A macabre choreography, but a necessary one. But does she herself know that she must be destroyed in order to be recreated? This is the cycle of the world, and this one seems to be in a deformed and denatured in-between. With each dance step, her chains jingle like bells, while the mage who summoned her watches us from behind his mask. Did he summon her to protect himself from me? I curl up in the dark recesses of Lindiwe's mind. She feels me moving and suppresses a shiver.

For some time now, she's stopped openly fighting against my influence. Since our confrontation with the Hunger, she seems to have worked out what my mission is. I sometimes sense her trying to keep control, but she's increasingly just giving in. Right now, I don't feel any defiance from her. Because she's noticed it too. This mage is dangerous and isn't what he appears to be. Even so, I don't have any reason to attack him. He's not one of the ones I'm hunting. The man with the alabaster mask steps forward as Kali provides cover for him. He is a deadly opponent. I rear up like a cobra and open my mouth to reveal my rows of teeth.

In the Hindu religion, Kali is the goddess of preservation, transformation and destruction. Her name comes from the word "kālá" (time), and she represents the destructive power of time. She is the dark counterpart of Shiva. But Kali also has a benevolent role: She destroys evil spirits and provides protection for devout believers.

MAW