I could feel it. Smell it. Taste it.

Change was coming.

And it was coming fast.

∆ • ∆

Kali curled her lips back after the girl made her endearing comment.

She couldn't help but love the tense silence that ensued.

Blood was just itching to be spilled.

"Come here girl," Death hissed. He took his scepter in his blackened, yet beautifully grotesque hand.

A skull rested upon the charred stick he held. Kali could feel the tremendous power that coursed through its hollow shell.

She had been a contributor of that power. Her and the other goddesses that stood on either side of her.

They were also bound to him.

Not by choice, but by oath.

Except for Raven, the girl unlike the rest that stood before him.

She had stepped in front of the line of women, and it was only then that Kali could see her.

She had an eerie aura, one that was comparable to Death's himself.

From her uncanny snow white hands to the raven perched on her shoulder, she was neither living nor dead.

If anything, this only made Kali want to meet the girl even more.

Raven stood before Death with a straightened back, her eyes boring into Death's hood.

He stood up from his throne, towering above her, his form the most intimidating thing in the room. His image shifted, the wispy shadows of his figure convoluting till a smartly dressed man with sharp, angular features stood before them. Kali herself had only seen this guise of his once before, and that was when...

No.

She would never dwell on such thoughts again.

She shuddered at the memory that had crossed the forefront of her mind, and she quickly turned back to the situation unfolding before her.

Death stalked towards her with a menacing gait, the heels of his shoes clicking against the stone floor. He stopped directly in front of her, the tip of his gleaming shoe brushing against the rim of her black attire.

"Who are you?" he barked.

While Kali could no longer see Raven's facial features, she heard her orotund voice call out, "You don't remember me? At all? I'm a bit astonished, I must admit."

Kali could see Death struggling, trying to grapple with eons of memories that he had undoubtedly locked away within his mind.

After a while of just looking at Raven, analyzing her every feature with his penetrating silvery-black orbs, he gripped his staff and gritted out, "No. I don't."

With a throaty laugh, she took the cane hidden within the folds of her skirt in her right hand, and assured him with a light touch on his broad shoulder, "'Tis of no matter. I can assure you we had the briefest of run-ins, some time ago. I'm sure if we had actually conversed at the time of our meeting that I might have made a much more, lasting impression if I dare say so myself."

Death pursed his lips and quietly threatened, "I see you feel no need to disclose the details of our first meeting, which I can assure you, will not stay a secret much longer. But I still have one more question for you," he paused for dramatic effect, "Why are you here?"

His frigid voice cut across the expanse of the hall, ringing through the hollow bones that decorated his throne room, serving to heighten the rising fear within the room.

Kali turned her head towards the left. She felt a certain deity's heart pounding rapidly with her human form.

Freya.

Freya knew this girl.

Kali's lips twitched, threatening to break out into a malicious grin.

She wouldn't tell Death just yet.

In fact, she may never tell Death at all.

Having power over another goddess was much more enticing than Death's approval.

The girl's voice interjected through her sinister thoughts, "I'm here to subject myself to your will, with your permission of course."

Kali's eyes swiftly moved from the back of Raven's head to Death to catch the slight twitch of his eyebrow. He quickly recovered from his lapse in stoicness, and brazenly said, "Unfortunately that position is already filled by Bast," he nodded in her direction with a smile that betrayed the innocence of the world.

Kali could feel the tense muscle of Bast's shoulders flexing, her claws sheathing and unsheathing themselves at a rapid pace.

Death trekked on with his proposition, "however I am inclined to listen to what exactly your services might consist of," he finished, with a malignant gleam in his eyes.

Raven confidently spoke, "I'd like to bind myself to you by oath. It's quite simple really."

Her words resonated through the room, the dim candles flickering as the sound passed by them, it's echo lost to the dead.

Was this girl alright?

Eternal servitude to Death?

Even Death was taken aback by the girl's bold request.

"Who put you up to this?" he demanded.

"If you won't take up my generous offer, you'll have to excuse me, I serve no other purpose here." The raven on her shoulder cawed, and the skulls on the walls seemed to answer with their own echoes clashing against each other in cacophony, a stark contrast to the previous silence.

In the midst of the raucous noise, Raven had already turned around and took a step, before Death stretched out his arm and gripped her shoulder.

"I would like to discuss this matter privately. Amita here will escort you to our meeting place. You will wait for me until I am finished with the meeting we were conducting here until we were interrupted," he hissed.

The raven perched on the girl's shoulder started to peck at Death's makeshift flesh, his skin giving way without any bloodshed.

Kali shuddered. War without blood; what a horrific thought. She was born on a bloody battlefield; it was unnatural to see flesh stripped of its blood.

Raven was still facing the magnificent doors at the end of the hallway, but when the raven started jabbing at Death's hand, she turned around and snapped, "Were you never taught your manners? It's rude to touch a woman you're not involved with!" She jerked her shoulder, and Death let his hand fall to his side.

"I can see your definition of abject servitude is quite different from mine," he stated without a trace of emotion etched on his stony features.

"I believe we are having a discussion over this because it was obvious that there would be boundaries on my duties to you," she griped.

Amita, one of the souls that served Death, glided over the stone floor, her silver gown hovering over the ground. Her waxy features looked blank, and she gently grasped Raven's arm. Kali could still see the stark paleness of the girl's skin under Amita's translucent hand.

Raven blankly looked at the soul, followed her out of the dimly lit hall, and disappeared down a corridor, the sound of her cane's light tapping bouncing off the walls.

Death's gaze followed them until they left his line of sight. He held the scepter in his right hand, and it burst into flames, a line of hellfire running from the base of the rod up his clothing until his mirage shimmered and he was back in his original garment: his enlarged cloak with his scepter still in his right hand.

He sat back on his throne with a more rigid posture than before.

"Our meeting may now commence once again," he announced.

Kali could feel a bead of sweat trickling down Freya's forehead. The fear that emanated from her pulsed with a blinking red light in Kali's mind due to Freya's proximity and rank as a goddess.

Before Kali's mind could ponder the heinous thoughts that had occurred to her, Death asked for his decennial report from the deity he just called, which had been Mazu, as she elegantly strode a couple of feet in front of them.

She gave a bow of respect to Death before starting on her report.

"Sailors both far and near have been drowning at rates higher than ever before, however, I have promised my people safe waters as they have been suffering a drought for the past couple of years, and the fish they gather from the sea has been their only true sustenance. So while the waters may be stormy for some, I have kept the Yellow Sea and parts of the Pacific relatively calm, so that fish may swell their nets in their time of need."

Death gave a low grunt and nodded his head. "Adequate."

Mazu bowed again and stepped back into line.

"Athena, your report if you may."

A woman with scars engraved on her face and muscled arms stepped forward. She took off the ceremonial helmet that lay upon her head and her chestnut hair tumbled out in clumps.

She boomed, "Multiple wars have broken out once again among the European colonies and the bloodshed has been great. I will grant certain humans a stroke of intelligence; that will end some of the current wars. Most of them will start squabbling within a couple of years. There should be some intermittent periods of peace; continuous war will only disturb the fragile balance of the world."

"I trust you are working closely with Ares on this issue?" queried Death.

"Unfortunately his Jupiter persona is much more...even-tempered," she grumbled.

Kali tutted in her mind. The Greeks and Romans. They had never gotten along, although it would be extremely beneficial for both sides if they did. Her thought was disturbed before it could come to fruition, due to the name that was called next.

"Kali, my dear friend, what diabolical plans have you executed in my absence?" Death asked, leaning forward in his seat.

Death had always liked her the best out of all the goddesses. Kali herself thought it was because she wasn't afraid of anything; there was no mental barrier preventing her from doing the most daring things; she was free to do whatever she pleased.

She took her time, knowing that it would rile up Death. He held great distaste for those who wasted their time.

She took a slow, hesitant-like step, as if she was afraid of the creature in front of him, something that was nay impossible.

She inspired fear.

She was fear.

But she didn't feel fear.

She was the only deity among the ones that stood on either side of her that truly had no fear. While other goddesses may be able to extricate themselves from their fear, Kali truly could not feel fear; she had conquered all of them, and by doing so she had eliminated them.

Her heavy jewelry tingled at different spots on her body; the large hoop that pierced through her sharp nose clanged against her darkened skin, and the tikka sitting on her slicked back hair fell further and further out of place with each step she took.

She climbed up the small set of stairs to reach that platform that Death's throne stood upon. She only stopped her lethargic walk when she reached him.

He remained silent, waiting for her next move.

She stooped to his height and brushed her fingers against the edge of his cape. His straightened his posture and grunted. She knew he kept his human guide on under the cape; she felt his inertia the moment her foot made contact with the stone steps. She deftly pulled his hood back, expecting nothing less than the silky dark hair that revealed itself from under the hood.

His shoulder was still tense with warning, but Kali could feel himself change emotions and he instantly shot her a lazy smile, full of confidence and swagger.

"To what do I owe myself this pleasure, Kali?"

Kali had left no space between their faces; their noses were touching, her's filled with warm blood while his burned with a cool flame.

"What good is it to spoil my fun by telling a nosy, good for nothing creature like you, hmm?" she crooned, stroking his earlobe that burned with cold.

She could feel his emotions waver, and when he tightened the grip on his staff, she braced herself for what was coming.

His scepter vibrated, and a wall of cold fire blasted her backward, but she stopped herself from falling by keeping the toes of her right foot on the ground.

"I'm sorry Kali, I mustn't have heard you right. Would you repeat that please?"

Kali's lips tipped upward, a lilting smile taking shape on her face.

He was still smiling, but those blue flames were a clear warning: boundaries still existed; if not for her, then for him.

Her bare feet padded the ground, and it was when she reached the foot of the stairs it happened.

Two arms sprouted from each of her shoulder blades, ripping through the lengha that currently clothed her body. Her bangles tinkled, her skin further darkened, and a scimitar found itself in her hand.

Death's eyes darkened while he clenched his jaw.

Kali held the curved blade to his neck, and said in a menacing voice, "I am neither your slave, servant, nor subordinate in any way – I am your equal, with whom I made an exchange. The fact that you," she gestured to herself and the rest of the goddesses, "had the audacity to arrange decennial meetings during which we had to report to you as if you're a raaja, is degrading. I will not tolerate this again.

Kali turned around and shook her head. "Buddhoo," she whispered under her breath.

Before she left the gathering, she squeezed Bast's arm and muttered, "Keep an eye on Raven – I can sense something's off with her."

Bast only nodded while looking straight ahead.

Kali turned around, the necklace of 50 skulls bouncing off her chest.

She gave one last look at Death, who had covered himself once again with his cloak, stuck her tongue out in her signature pose and cackled, disappearing into the realm of deities and demons.