Kolo ran like a shot deer through the icy downpour. She crashed through the undergrowth and trailed blood behind her. Her breath came in frantic gasps. Despite her terror, there was no pain. None at all.

She looked over her shoulder. No one was there, but every little rustle of the branches became a monster in her clouded mind. Kolo’s foot caught on a tree root. She fell forward and caught herself against a dead tree. Her nails dug into the rotten bark. It sloughed away beneath her fingertips. She slid to the ground and streaked the decayed trunk with bright, frothy blood.

Kolo looked up. The sleet stung her face. The world seemed to spin. She could barely tell up from down. Still, she managed to shift so she sat with her back against the tree. That was better, she thought. As she sat there in the storm, soaked in freezing rain and warm blood, her mind slipped into a strange contentment.

She scolded the faint smile on her bloodstained lips. This was hell, it was agony. But how could it be when she couldn’t feel any pain? None of it made sense. Nothing ever made sense.

Kolo raised a trembling hand and touched the wound under her left shoulder. Blood spilled between her clenched fingers. It drenched her coat. Her hand fell back to the ground. Her bloody fingers twitched. Out of nowhere, she remembered how her sabretooth monster’s ribs had smashed so easily with her blow. She remembered the sensation of bone snapping beneath her knuckles. Crack, crack, crack…

It was funny, really. Her monster was so fragile that she could break him with one punch. Kolo hoped he was suffering somewhere, collapsed and incapacitated like she was. It only seemed right. She tried to imagine it. Her monster groveling like the pathetic wounded beast he was. It gave her a sick pleasure.

The world around her began to slip out of focus. Her muscles all relaxed. She tried to take another breath, but it was too difficult. Kolo clung to that memory of that punch to her monster’s chest. She was strong. She was stronger than him. No one could take that away from her, no one, no one at all.

Kolo’s thoughts descended into incoherent calamity. Her eyes rolled and fell shut. Darkness swallowed her in a wave.

Kolo sank like a stone dropped into black water. She heard breathing, but it wasn’t her own. It was something immense. Its hot breath radiated down her back. She opened her eyes and saw its colossal teeth hanging over her. Was this death? Kolo wondered. This hungry thing?

Someone else snatched her right before the fangs clamped shut around her. The glowing hand was enormous, though still tiny in comparison to the thing that had almost eaten her. The hand lifted her up to a giant, piercing blue eye.

In a deep voice, it spoke. “I have been waiting for you, child.”

Kolo held her hands up to her face. What was happening? Was this real? Any of it? She couldn’t tell. Why would anyone, especially someone so colossal, be waiting for someone like her?

“My name is Vraelen. They call me the Iron God.” He brought her closer to his eye. “The blade of my disciple sent you here. I have been waiting for you since I lost my heart.”

“Lost your…heart?” Kolo couldn’t understand anything that was going on. What was this experience? It was like no dream she had ever had.

The great eye glistened with tears. “You’ll understand one day, dear. For now, if nothing else, know that the world needs someone to believe in. Someone apart from their powerless god. Now, Kolo, I lift you back up. May my disciples’ dream be realized.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The blue eye turned red, then flared brighter than the sun. Kolo recoiled and shut her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, the world swam back into focus. She was right where she had fallen. The downpour had stopped. The sky was dark. Night? Already?

Kolo blinked. A wash of red light spread out before her. When she realized it came from her own eyes, she jolted. “A…ah!”

A hand clutched her right shoulder. “Hey. You’re all right.”

Kolo jerked her head around and saw the blond-haired girl from earlier. The one who used to be Nana. Her heart hammered. “You!”

“Again, I’m really sorry about earlier,” said the shapeshifter. “I’ll tell you the truth now, and only the truth. All right?”

Kolo tried to pull herself away but was too lightheaded.

“My name is Channei,” she said. “I know you’re scared. I know you’re hurting. I know you probably have a lot of questions. Ask me whatever you want.”

Kolo’s head fell back against the trunk. She still couldn’t catch her breath. “The blue eye,” she said. “What was that?”

“Our god,” said Channei. “He was once the keeper of life in this world, but now he’s gone and can’t do what he once did. I and Azvalath, the man in the sabretooth mask, we’re both Ferash Therall. As his disciples who remain in the living world, we do his work to the best of our ability.”

“Az…Aza?” She couldn’t quite pronounce the name Channei had given her. “Aza…”

“You know what? I’m calling him that now.” Channei patted her shoulder. “Believe me, he’s not as scary as he looks, and not nearly as tough as he thinks he is. He’s like a big brother, really.”

Kolo touched her wound again. It was still there, but it no longer bled. “Why?” she asked.

“Why what?” Channei asked.

“Why…any of this?” Kolo couldn’t think of a better way to say it.

Channei pulled Kolo’s hand back to examine the wound. “You’ll come to understand everything soon enough, I hope. I’m not the best at explaining things.” Channei’s fingers trembled. “How are you feeling?”

Kolo wanted to scream. She wanted to attack. She wanted to run away and never see anyone again. But she was too weak, too exhausted, and gods be damned, she wanted answers. She dropped her head and groaned.

“I’m sorry, that was a silly question.” Channei’s eyes illuminated with the same red light that now spilled from Kolo’s eyes. “The first night as a Ferash Therall is always the worst. I’ll help you through it, though. All right?”

Kolo looked at her hand and saw that Channei was holding it. It was a strange sensation, but not unpleasant. Again, she scolded herself for the smile that tugged at her lips.

“I saw that smile, little devil.” Channei grinned. “It’s fine to be happy. It’s allowed. No one’s ever been there for you before, have they?”

Kolo closed her fingers around Channei’s, just to see what it would feel like. It was warmer than she expected.

“Think you can walk?” Channei asked. “We need to get you home.”

Kolo blinked. “Home?”

“Yes, you have one now.” She wrapped Kolo’s arm around her shoulders and hoisted her up. “And we’ll get you fixed up good as new. No, better. Better than new. How’s that?”

Kolo lost her grip and crumpled to the ground again. She coughed up a mouthful of blood.

  Channei bent down and picked Kolo up with barely any effort. Then, with seemingly even less effort, she ran.

  Kolo didn’t know whether to feel safe or scared for her life. She stared up at the sky. It was full of stars that night. She only noticed the stars. Everything else felt distant and disconnected like a nightmare. The pounding of Channei’s feet against the ground, the harsh wind, the fresh blood on Kolo’s lips, none of it registered with her. Eventually, the stars faded as well.

  There was a sensation like being plunged into icy water. Kolo jolted awake again. She looked around. The stars were gone. There was a ceiling high above, and stone all around them. Channei stood knee-deep in a pool of water. She waded to the edge and set Kolo down. “We’re here. Good thing I didn’t lose you on that bluehole jump. You ever done one before?”

  Kolo sat up. “What was that?”

  “Best way to get around fast,” said Channei. “In one pool, out another, and we’re home.” She looked past Kolo and waved. “Master Qila! I’m home!”

  “Welcome back, Channei.” Kolo heard a warm, motherly voice behind her. She turned around and saw a hooded old woman step up to them. Her mind flashed back to Nana. She recoiled.

  Master Qila approached her still. “Who are you really, devil-child? What’s your name?”

  Kolo,” she said. She clutched her necklace.

  Qila smiled. “Welcome to Styzia, Kolo. We’ve been waiting for you.”

  Again, Kolo couldn’t fathom why anyone would want her for anything. “Why?” she asked.

  “A good question,” said Qila. “I’m not entirely sure myself yet.”