Kali Ch. 03 - Beginning

So, I trudged back into the same city I had left only a day or so ago. I had a lot of people who had seen me leave, were now staring at me.

I had to go quite a ways into the bazaar. Unfortunately, I had to go to the center. This was the only place that could purchase and pay a decent amount. Though I knew many of the merchants were crooked, I knew how to get around them.

Finally, I walked into a shop I didn't enter often. "Back so soon Sahib Ryan?"

"Unfortunately, Rahul, I was not as smart as I thought I was. I got all the way to where I was going, then found that I had no tools, food or even a tent. I was lucky I had enough water to make it back," I told the man.

After laughing harder than I thought he should, I pulled out my finger. "I'd like to sell this so I can get all I need."

Rahul immediately stopped laughing, "I tell you what," he said after he weighed the gold at almost a pound. I saw him go slightly pale, "this is..."

"Yeah I know, over two million, four hundred Rupees," I told a very shocked Rahul. "Tell you what, give me two million, the rest is yours, after all my supplies."

[He's thinking of cheating you, no problem.] Shiva's thoughts said, then I saw Rahul straighten up. Looking around, he started to shake. His head started to nod yes, rapidly.

With what looked like a false smile, Rahul handed me what appeared to be two million Indian Rupees. He started to yell at his helpers, "your supplies will be ready soon, please sit, rest, need you a drink?"

[What the hell did you do to the poor man?] I asked Shiva.

[I just told him that you were a blessed servant of Shiva. If he didn't help you, I would punish him. Then I gave him pain in his lower region. He has a definite high threshold for pain. Oh, I also told him that if you were attacked by people, he had told, I would personally make sure that those lower regions stopped working.] Shiva told me.

[You really think that will work?] I asked.

I heard Shiva start to laugh, not a little one no, this was a full belly splitting, falling on the floor laughing.

[I have never seen a male not do almost anything to save his sex organs. Besides, if that doesn't work, I'll just blank his memories.] Shiva thought to me.

[WHAT! All this fuckin time and you...] I started, then doubled over in pain. [Asshole!] I thought as the pain eased a bit.

"Sahib?" I heard Rahul say from the doorway.

"Yeah," I gasped, "having a disagreement with Sh..." I started.

Rahul then gasped as he said, "Sahib, you should not argue with the gods. It is not sane nor safe."

"Yeah," I said as I took in a large lungful of air. "Though I do feel justified." This, of course, Shiva didn't agree with, as I doubled over again.

"You must be important to him, for him to spare you like this," Rahul said.

"I don't really agree with you there. I don't feel important to him or anyone else," I said.

[Well, we are getting to the heart of the matter. What, been abandoned a lot, parents, girlfriends, wives and lovers?] came Shiva's thoughts.

Finally, pissed off, I yelled, "Shut the hell up Shiva! That's none of your damn business!"

That's the last thing I remember for as few hours, it felt as if a huge fist drove me into the wall. Come to find out, I also went through the wall.

I was amazed when I awoke alive with all my money and supplies. I looked over to see Rahul, sitting near the cot I was on.

"I told you, you are important. Normally, the god would kill you. I believe you have been blessed by him," Rahul said.

I sighed as I tentatively rose from the cot, "If you say so, Rahul, it feels more like a curse."

[You really are a most stubborn human. Come back to my cave, there is much to do. I'd bring you back, but I haven't that much power yet. I've used quite a bit disciplining you, though with what you have opened of my chamber, I am recharging faster.] Shiva explained.

I sighed, [I ought to be back in a day.]

[I have waited this long, another day is nothing,] Shiva thought.

[Well, I'm glad you have all this time, I don't, I am only human. I still have to go the old-fashioned slow way,] I thought back.

[Look,] came Shiva's slightly annoyed thoughts. [You'd be surprised just how grateful I can be,

I looked down at my sold gold hand, [I'll believe it when I see it.]

[My, my was that a challenge I heard in your voice? Remember I could have killed you for what you did,] Shiva told me.

[Yeah? Then you'd still be there with no real way out. Maybe, just maybe I'd be more willing to help, (though I have no choice)] I said under my breath. [All this secretive shit you have going on isn't helping.]

I heard Shiva release what I thought was a sigh of exasperation.

[I have a lot to tell you, get one of your horseless carts. uh, cars, you should have enough,] came Shiva's thoughts. [It should facilitate you moving much faster.]

I shook my head as I let Shiva guide me to a small open area. After I actually got an old jeep, it cost me over 500,000 Rupees. Thankfully, I still had 1 million 900 thousand. I could see right now that 2 million wasn't going to last long at all.

I still had to get gas that wasn't cheap here. In the states it was about three and a half a gallon. Here it was a lot more, more like six and a half. So ten gallons? Was about 5370.57 Indian Rupees.

I just shook my head as I loaded up the jeep, then headed out. I was amazed when I was there in two hours. It had seemed further.

As far as I could tell, I hadn't been followed, that remained to be seen. I still had to climb up a ways just to get to the level of the chamber.

Finally, I was at the opening. Of course, there was Shive standing there inside. I stared at him, wondering why he wasn't out. Shrugging, I started the arduous task of breaking the rest of the chamber opening, open.

I watched amazed as I started to destroy what appeared to be symbols all around the opening, Shiva glowing more.

T was half way through them when Shiva blasted one of the symbols away. "Ah! Damn, that felt good." I stepped back as Shiva powered up again, taking out another two. "If you could continue, it would be appreciated," Shiva said.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted me to, that wasn't exactly a weak few blasts," I said.

"Oh, believe me, they were weak, they should have blown half the face of the chamber away. Thanks to you, at least one of us gods, are able to draw power again. Now then continue please," Shiva said.

I blinked, shocked, Shiva had said please? Was the world going to end? What the hell? "I," I started.

Shiva chuckled, "Yes, I said please. I am not the monster that all the writings and legends say I am. I have a job that I have to do. Unfortunately, Vishnu and I disagree a lot."

"Wait, if I remember right, if both of you are no longer around, I thought the world would end," I said a little shaken.

"Normally, yes," Shiva said nonchalantly. "The thing is, I released one of my brothers, along with my wife Kali. This was a few years ago, then, like an idiot, I got into a fight with Vishnu again. Luckily, I had set things up so we could be released, though I had to use a lot of energy. Energy that I needed to get free, I see that what I left drew you here."

I could only stare at Shiva like he was the biggest idiot in the world. That, of course, had me doubled over in intense pain.

"You know what? Fuck you Shiva, you want to kill me? Go the hell ahead, nothing you have said has convinced me to help. You can obviously get free, you DO IT!" I said as I collapsed on the ground, the convulsions I had were the worse before I passed out.

It was obviously a few hours later as I noticed that it was almost dark. I groaned as I sat up or rather tried to. I also saw that Shiva appeared to be draped against the opening. There were still four symbols left. I finally sat up, then tried to move away.

I felt like there was a wall between me and the path down from the chamber. OK, now I was pissed, I reached into the opening and tried to slap Shiva. I yanked my hand back, it felt like I had hit a rock. What in the hell was that? I grabbed the shovel I had, slapping it flat across Shiva's face. It had the desired effect.

"Huh?" Shiva said as he rubbed his face. "Did you just hit me? With a shovel?" I expected a lot of pain or sudden death, losing my eyes. When nothing happened, I peeked, seeing Shiva staring at me, then the ass started to laugh.

I started to slap him again, then stopped short, no need to press my luck. This, of course, had him laughing even harder!

"What the hell is so funny!" I yelled at him.

"The, ha, ha, ha, look on your face so priceless!" Shiva said, that is 'til I smacked him again. This time he had an incredulous look on his face. I, of course, started to laugh my ass off.

A large smirk appeared on his face, "OK, OK, I deserved that, though, my wife would say I deserved more." This, of course, had both of us laughing even harder. "What say you finish, then I can make us a damn good meal."

This, of course, sounded a heck of a lot better to me. I then put my back into clearing the rest of the chamber opening. As soon as I destroyed the last GlyphSymbol, Shiva almost exploded out of the chamber. I noticed almost immediately, the air seemed less arid, plus I felt better.

Shiva landed beside me with a large smile, pointing to the Jeep, I noticed that everything started to unload. The tent was immediately erected, a fire pit appeared with mouth-watering smells coming from it. A moment later, we appeared within the tent. There was extremely luxurious furniture and cushions within.

With a plop on a couch, Shiva sighed. "When you are rested and have eaten we can move on to the next."

"The next one? OK, you are a god. Why do you need a mere human, moi, to open the chambers?" I asked him.

"Ah yes, I was getting to that," he said as a few plates of food floated in, along with what appeared to be wine. "You remember I told you that Vishnu and I got into another disagreement, well fight. The amount of power we both used was far greater this time. It caught all four of us. As I said, I tried to make sure that we'd be able to escape. Enter you Ta Da! Last time I was able to do it, I was thrown to earth like a human, with no memory," Shiva said.

"A human? You had no powers at all. How in the hell were you able to break whatever happened?" I asked.

"I was a student of archaeology. Apparently, something in my mind guided me to Kali's chamber. I insulted her quite a bit, pissed her off a lot too. You might say she kicked my ass quite a bit. I mean I was a whole lot worse than you in what I said," Shiva said, his head hung low.

I nodded my understanding I had done that a lot, in a lot of my failed relationships. "Alright, I am starting to see quite a bit, though why me?"

"The fight that Vishnu and I had, sealed all of us within our chambers. We were sealed with our own god power, the same cannot open it. As unusual as this is, there are only certain humans that can open it. Thankfully, you are one of those that can, see?" Shiva said.

I was just sitting there, trying to get my head around all that had transpired and what he had said. It was like I was some kind of saviour of the Indian gods, a huge smile came to my face.

Shiva could only smirk and shake his head, he was seeing all my thoughts. Shit I thought, with him doing that, I wouldn't be able to do much.

"It isn't going to be that bad. Once I can trust you, then we'll have no problems," Shiva said, a strange smile on his face.

I was shocked, I was a very trustworthy man, I was... I looked at Shiva as he was shaking his head. Oh yeah, I hadn't been all that trustworthy after all,I was really gonna have to work on that.

"OK, so we both have a lot to work on," I told him.

Shiva slightly nodded, "yeah I know, I have well over twenty years to work some of it out of my system. It hasn't been as easy as I thought it would be. There still seem to be a few things missing."

I sat back feeling fatigue start to set in. I ate my fill, then found I couldn't hold my eyes open. I laid back not knowing what to expect, thinking that even with what I knew? Shiva might mess with me again.

"Really? After we talked and I explained, you are still thinking like that?" Shiva asked.

"Well," I said, exasperated, "up 'til now? You really haven't shown me that you really are different. Wait! You said that there are a few things missing, like what? How to take something away that you have done?!"

"No, nothing like that, though there seem to be chunks of my memory gone. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the fight Vishnu and I had. I know though, after the last fight, I seemed to have lost more. Plus, I am afraid, it got all four of us that were out, locked away," Shiva said.

I sat there trying to think, pondering whether or not the fight was the cause. I tried, though I was losing the fight.

One moment I was staring at Shiva late in the day, the next I was waking up early in the morning.

I stretched, looking around. God I was glad I had gotten the tent, I... Shit I thought, had all of that been real? Had I really argued with a god? Shiva the destroyer especially.

"Yes," I heard behind me, "it was all real, especially the arguing. I know not to bring up things that piss you off. Unfortunately, you are a lot like me temper wise," Shiva said. "So, as soon as you are ready, I'll start sending to where the next chamber is. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but everything seems to feel better."

I stuck my head out feeling the air, there wasn't a lot of difference, but there was a little.

"So, being out hasn't helped?" I asked.

"It is like before when Vishnu was out, my power, like his, barely sustains the world. We are very powerful, though without the others it takes all we have," Shiva said.

I nodded as I listened to him, though I was losing interest as a few plates of food floated towards me. Damn, I thought, this was some really good food. It was 'til I noticed that the spiciness was starting to climb. In fact, my mouth was starting to heat up rapidly.

"Holy shit!" I yelled, "I need something to drink!"

I should have known Shiva was going to do something, "here," he said as he handed me a large goblet. I didn't even taste it, as I drained half of it. It was the sickly-sweet flavor as it hit my stomach that was my first clue. That and me losing the entire contents of my stomach.

"I thought you weren't trying to kill me!" I yelled.

"Kill you? No, I just thought a little wine would loosen you up," Shiva said with a smile.

"A little! I don't drink you ass!" I yelled as I started to lose even more of what was left in my stomach.

"You have to be the oddest human I have met in a very long time. No female companions, no alcohol. Is there anything else you want to tell me so I don't nearly kill you again?" Shiva asked.

"Before all of this, I was a very dedicated student of archaeology and Indology. Then a plethora of problems hit me. Yes, including not being able to get and keep a girlfriend," I said, then jerked my head toward Shiva, "it was you the entire time! I should walk away leaving you with nothing. After this I still have what I had, NOTHING!"

I started to walk away, hitting a wall, growling. I started to go around it. Not watching, I walked off a cliff. Great, I thought this was my end thanks to an ass of a god. When I didn't hit the ground in massive pain, I started to curse. "Either kill me or let me go, all this is your fault."

Shiva appeared a moment later, sitting in a chair. "No, I'm afraid it isn't all my fault. I mean yes, what I left here to help us, started it, though the rest was you. It appears your mind sabotaged the rest of it."

"No," I said, shaking my head backing away from Shiva. "I didn't decide to be alone, miserable and depressed most of the time. Personally, I think you're lying to me."

"Look, what reason do I have to lie to you? I've lost my friends, my brothers and sisters, well over half my memory. Mainly though, I have lost my wife, I just started to remember her when I got stupid doing this," Shiva said, hanging his head. "I need your help, something I have never done from a human."

Call me a softy, I don't know. I reached out, shaking Shiva's hand. "Alright, let's go."

Almost immediately, we were hundreds of miles away. I looked up the mountain, seeing what appeared to be another chamber. I looked closer, swearing I could see the symbol of Kali on the rock face.