Karni

Karni stared at the goddess.

Not an effigy of the goddess. Not a stone carving. Not a statue. Not an image or reflection.

The goddess herself.

Goddess Jeel stood in the alcove before her.

She glowed so brightly that Karni could barely stand to look directly at her. The brilliance forced her to avert her eyes downward and look upon the goddess only peripherally, but it was sufficient: she could see the beauty of Goddess Jeel, her flawless perfection, her features like water, rippling and shimmering, diamond-sharp, crystal-bright. She shimmered and shone like a liquid sun, like the moon risen from Arthaloka, like a celestial body carved out of pure energy.

There were no words to truly describe her: these were only weak approximations of her greatness. Anything Karni thought or said in an attempt to describe her power would be but a feeble effort, stick figures drawn to represent an image of impossible complexity. There were dimensions and shades and levels of detail to the deity’s persona that Karni’s mind could not wrap itself around. She could barely stand to glance at the goddess obliquely, through her upraised eyes, so fierce was her aura, her power, her energy; it compared to the one previous divine sighting Karni had experienced in her life—but unlike Sharra, whose effulgence was blindingly, dazzlingly bright, like the sun at noonday, Jeel Ma’s aura was cooling, soothing, and calming as the waters of the Jeel River itself.

The difficulty that came in viewing her was not due to the intensity of the light alone, but due to the fact that Karni knew she was looking at a god, at a divine supernatural presence, and as such, the goddess was not made of mere flesh, blood, bone, and skin. She shimmered like a glacier in the highest peaks of the Coldheart Mountains, an ice sculpture with impossible definition, and layers of detail that could not be fully appreciated by human eyes.

Karni . . . said the goddess.

Her given name drifted like a cool mist to Karni’s ear, dissipating till it seemed like a memory rather than a spoken word.

You are in grave danger.

Karni kept her head lowered, her eyes cast downward, but her heart quickened.

There is a force of evil in Hastinaga that seeks to destroy you and everything you hold dear.

Karni’s pulse fluttered. She wanted to exclaim, to react, to ask questions. But she knew better. If the goddess willed it, Karni would ask her questions later, but for now, she understood that she was meant to listen quietly and pay heed. This was a sacred moment, a blessed opportunity. That was why the shrine was deserted, why she was alone. She had come for darshan, and she was literally being given a darshan of the goddess.

This evil force is afoot in the city tonight. It means to cause you grave harm. Already, it is poisoning hearts and minds, sowing the seeds of evil in a thousand unfortunate victims. It has chosen its time astutely. It waited until it knew my son Vrath would be away.

The water that formed the goddess’s face churned, revealing the currents of anger that underlay her words, and Karni pressed a hand against her chest, releasing a small gasp. Of course! Vrath was away in Mraashk on an important matter concerning her own brother. She had wanted to accompany him, but both he and Mother Jilana had refused firmly, saying it was too dangerous in Mraashk. Her heart was in turmoil from all the terrible news she had been receiving from her homeland of late: some of it was horrendous, particularly the stories of the usurper Sanka’s cruelties. But she knew that they were right to stop her from going: the moment she set foot on Mraashk soil, she would immediately become a potential pawn in the larger political game. The usurper Sanka would like nothing better than to take her hostage and blackmail her adoptive father into ending Stonecastle’s resistance to his misrule, as well as to torment her birth parents by holding her captive. She had agreed only for these reasons, but a part of her wanted to pick up a sword and go fight alongside her people who were suffering under the yoke of Sanka’s tyranny. It was partly the reason why she had come here tonight, to seek Jeel’s blessings and ask her to help end the terror in Mraashk soon.

Vrath is one of only two individuals who possess the power to stop this demon tonight, but even if I summon him from Mraashk and assist him in a speedy return, he cannot reach Hastinaga in time.

One of only two . . . ? Had Karni misheard, or had the goddess implied there was another demigod in Hastinaga? Everyone knew that Vrath was the son of Jeel, possessed of incredible superhuman powers. But who was this other celestial being?

Perhaps it is too soon. He is very young to confront this artful demon. I hesitate to ask him to shoulder such a responsibility. If he were my son, I would not think twice, but he is not.

Karni frowned. She was having a hard time following Jeel Ma’s line of thought here. She sensed that the goddess was looking at her now, her watery features more composed, though the tide continued to swirl behind her. What was it the goddess expected of her?

Karni . . .

The word was as soft as water, as delicate as dew. The living waters susurrated, gurgling and churning. Karni sensed that the goddess was trying to find the right words to express herself. Why a goddess would be cautious about choosing her words when speaking to a mere human, Karni had no idea.

Sometimes we must sacrifice that which is dearest to our hearts to ensure the survival of those we govern. It is the burden of queenship, just as it is the burden of godliness. I loved Vrath’s father dearly, more than anything else in the world, yet I had to abandon Sha’ant when the time came. Later, I had to surrender my only begotten son, Vrath himself, to fulfill my promise to Sha’ant and the people of Hastinaga. I set my son to protect this kingdom, and he continues to fulfill his solemn duty, devoting himself completely to the task. He has even forsworn the joy of love and all physical pleasures, committing to lifelong celibacy. What mortal could sacrifice and serve as he has?

That is what it means to be a god or a demigod. All this power, and yet when the time comes, we must use it in service of our devotees; otherwise, what use are we as gods? This is what distinguishes us from demons. They too have great powers, often greater than our own, yet they use them only in service to their own selfish ends. They use them to dominate, torment, tyrannize, torture, murder, commit genocide, perpetrate unspeakable cruelties.

The urrkh that walks the streets of Hastinaga tonight, perpetrating atrocities and evil mischief, is the vilest of the vile, a master of destruction, a bringer of chaos. He means to uproot the very heart of the kingdom, to lay waste to all the good that the Krushan dynasty has done over the years. To poison the well of mortalkind itself. To sow war, rebellion, pestilence, disease, famine, drought, toxic airs and fluids—and these are only his most visible weapons. It is those unseen that are the most insidious. He uses evil methods tonight that cannot be easily stopped or undone except by the most extreme means possible. He is poisoning the very heart of Hastinaga.

And. He. Must. Be. Stopped.

These last five words resounded throughout the underground temple, setting every bell vibrating, jarring even the innermost crevices of Karni’s hearing, drenching her with a mist of pure rage. She kept her head lowered and hands joined, but she trembled nonetheless. She didn’t fully understand: was the goddess angry with her somehow? These were awful, terrible revelations. Far more than she could have ever wanted to know. Why was the goddess sharing these truths with her? What could she, Karni, possibly do against an urrkh so powerful and dreadful? She kept her head bowed and trembled in helpless confusion.

Karni!

The word resounded like a slap across her face. It assaulted Karni’s ears and penetrated into her deepest core. She shivered, feeling the glacial anger of Mother River seep into her heart.

Do what must be done. Mothers, queens, goddesses must surrender their sons for the greater good. You must sacrifice your most precious creation, as did I. Do it before it is too late and the damage is irreversible. Do it now to save Hastinaga and ensure the safety of your own future offspring. It is the only way.

And as suddenly as she had appeared, the goddess began to dissipate, her watery form dissolving into a torrent that bled away into the nooks and crannies and crevices of the rock itself, melting away into the black stone, disappearing from sight and sound. Yet even as the goddess vanished, she called out one last time, whispering a final missive:

When he has done his part, call on me, and I shall come to cleanse the city.

And once again, Karni was left alone in the temple of Goddess Jeel, her garments drenched, her body icy cold and shivering, her senses reeling with the sheer weight of the knowledge and responsibility that had been thrust upon her.