There was no question that Kali was in deep shit and this time there wasn't going to be anyone who was coming to save her. She ran faster now through the thick forest, crashing through branches with no hesitation. She didn't have the time to slow or the army would be upon her in seconds.

Her breathing was controlled but her mind was racing. She had to stay calm. She knew this place like the back of her palm but as soon as she began to panic, she'd make a mistake that she could not afford. All she had to do was make it back to the Temple. She was lucky that her mother had ingrained the habits of physical conditioning into her from a young age. That was the only thing keeping her alive right now.

As grateful as she was, she still hated her. Hated her for not being here. Hated her for not teaching her anything related to this life she'd been forced to take up. Hated her for leaving when she needed her the most. Long gone were the days of peace for these Lands of Teras. Nyx's authority no longer held any power here, not anymore. Who would obey the Goddess' authority when the one who represented it was someone as useless as her?

Now not only was her mother gone, the guardians that protected the temple had disappeared. They'd been gone before for days on end but this was different. Could the Silver Army have....No. She couldn't think that way. She wouldn't allow herself to believe it. But when she had went looking for them, the Silver Army had gained significant ground. They had even forged past the Guardians' territory.

She clung onto the hope that they might be elsewhere, considering she had found no remains of her friends anywhere nearby. But without them, she could not do a single thing to stop the advancing army.

What was she going to do?

As these thoughts ran through her head, a giant silvered creature descended from above. She barely had time to react, stumbling as its sharp teeth sank into her upraised arms. If she hadn't put instinctively her guard up, it would have sank them into her neck instead. Pain shot through her entire body but she kept running forward. She kept her arm levelled, bracing herself before running straight into a giant oak tree.

The wood splintered with a sharp crack as its body crashed through it with immense force. She may not have been a very good Priest but she could take care of herself pretty well. But she would not be able to take care of herself well enough if the army ended up catching up with her.

Her arm throbbed as red trickled down from her wound. The metallic scent of her blood was in the air. This was not good. There were a lot of hungry creatures out there, excluding the soldiers of the Silver Army.

Her breathing became shallow, her eyes darting left and right.

Why hadn't she seen that ambush? How the hell was she going to be able to survive this? Who was she to believe that she could ever become as good as her mother ever was?

"It is because you are my daughter. And I know you can go beyond what I will ever be able to do. So go forth without fear my child because I will always be fighting for you."

Even now, her mother's last words rang through her head. It was what she needed to anchor herself back to reality. Furiously wiping away her eyes, she continued to run. She would cry later. Her head shot back quickly, cursing as the army finally came into view. Running wouldn't be an option any longer.

There were tens of them, maybe hundreds. They would be upon her in seconds.

No one was coming to save her. She drew her bow and nocked an arrow. Her mind calmed itself. She knew how to do this. She knew how to fight. So she'd fight to survive.

The General watched on from above, just arriving upon the scene. He'd taken the opportunity to attack just when the guardians were preoccupied. With some help, he'd transported them away from here and across the Lands. Maybe even further than that. They would never reach in time to help the girl.

His sneer turned into a scowl as he saw the creatures he'd sent to go after her laying upon the ground. His annoyance blossomed into rage as he saw the girl running past the trees. Fuck. And he'd been told this Priest couldn't do a thing on her own. Looked like she still had the guts to fend for herself. He shouldn't have expected much from these lowly creatures.

He'd have to do it himself.

Kali emerged from the thickets with fresh wounds, gasping for for air. She was almost there, she just needed to push herself a bit more. Every muscle in her body burned with an intensity she had not felt perhaps ever in her life. Once she got to the Temple, she could plan out her next move. She would be alright. She just needed to make it to the Temple.

Everything went wrong at once. The ground behind her exploded with an enormous impact, sending her tumbling forward. She rolled, balancing herself with some effort before she stood face to face with a monstrous figure.

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He wasn't very big but he certainly wasn't small. He had a muscular body, more on the bulky side. What made his features so unnatural were the silver veins that seemed to streak across his body. Blueish energy seemed to pump through them, pulsing with every move he made. A metallic cross seemed to be imprinted in the middle of his brow, glinting in the setting sun. And his eyes...they were empty. A hollow gray with not a single hint of color within them.

A horrible grin spread across the man's face as he walked forward. There were no words that needed to be exchanged. Kali knew exactly who he was. He was the one who led those army of parasites across these Lands, one of the last descendants of this world's Monarchs of Old.

This was the General of the Silver Army. And he was here to kill her.

She knew why he needed her dead. This was the last standing Temple of Nyx within all of Teras. The apostles had either renounced their faith or been slaughtered by the Silver Army.

Without a Priest, the Temple would fall. When the Temple fell, the Barrier would stand no longer. The Beasts of Teras would descend once again on the Human Realms and a war like no other would wage across the world.

She couldn't allow that to happen. She wouldn't allow it to happen.

Her heart beat louder than before. She stood still and watched as the man continued to walk forward. Even if she wanted to move, she could not. She begged Nyx, hoping for once she would hear her prayers.

She prayed for the protection of the Goddess.

The moment he took his next step, the ground beneath him began to lose its solidity. He fell back, trying to regain his footing but it was useless. He yelled out in anger as he fell back into his own shadow.

Just because the creatures no longer worshipped her name did not mean her power was any weaker than it was before. She was still the Goddess of the Night and there was not a single thing that would change that.

Whoever dared defile the Temple Grounds and go against her chosen Priest would feel her wrath.

The General clawed at the ground, as he sank deeper into his own shadows. Fuck! If he got out of that defensive spell, nothing else would be able to save her then. Without thinking, she ran forward and leapt into the air. With a roar, she slammed the heel of her foot into his face and pushed down hard with all her weight.

"FUCK you!" She screamed as the General sank deeper and disappeared into the darkness. Just before he vanished, his empty eyes stared at her with certainty. This would not be the last time they would cross paths, that she knew. He would be back. She had only bought herself some time. With some luck, he'd find himself on the opposite end of Teras.

With that, she ran. Back to the Temple of Nyx. Back to the place she called home.

Immediately, she felt more secure within the temple. This was where she'd grown up all her life, there was no other place like it in the world. It had an ancient energy to it even with its smooth marble walls. Its walls were inscribed with murals of Teras' past, of the Monarchs and their legends. How the Goddess of Nyx claimed these lands as her own and all would come to worship her.

Things were different now. There was no law and there was no order. It wasn't like it was very peaceful before but at the very least Kali remembered everything existing in harmony. She could hardly describe it but she simply knew that things were exactly where they needed to be.

Now, violence and chaos terrorized the lands. And she had no idea what to do. The Priests of Nyx were always the figures who maintained some level of order within these lands. Her mother had been hailed as possibly the greatest of them all.

She had been the one who'd inherited her mother's role and could not even begin to fill her shoes.

The reality of it all began to hit her hard. She couldn't even muster the energy to stand. She simply sat there in front of the large open pool of glimmering water before her. She had no idea how long she sat there for because night eventually fell and the full moon now shone within its reflection.

She wasn't good at magic. She wasn't particularly strong. She could not converse well with the creatures that roamed these land. The Goddess had not made any form of contact ever since her mother had disappeared, as if saying she was not worthy of her attention. The Beasts that once pledged loyalty to Nyx had turned their backs on the Goddess.

Everywhere she looked she had enemies praying on her eventual downfall. The Guardians, the ones she could call her only friends, were gone.

Soon she began to cry. Her sobs the only thing that could be heard within the temple, her hands on her knees.

"Help me. Please. I can't do this alone, I need them. I need you, my lady. My mother kept saying I could be greater than her but I don't even know how that's possible. I...I would do anything to be as great as she was." Her vision blurred and her throat tightened.

She would do anything to change. She wanted to be better, only if someone showed her how. She wanted to become something more. She wanted to stop doubting herself. She wanted to be sure of herself.

A purple light shone where the moon reflected in the water. There was a blinding glow as the water rose and took form. Kali wiped her eyes away quickly, watching as a woman's form appeared before her.

She didn't feel scared, instead entranced by the figure that now appeared before her. She knew exactly who she was. The woman that now shimmered before her was the Goddess herself.

"Would you do anything, my child? Would you risk it all for the sake of your purpose? I do not blame you if you wish to step down from your responsibilities. Being my Priest was never an easy job, especially in these times." She said softly, her voice firm but kind.

"I would, my lady." Kali whispered and there wasn't a moment of hesitation. "I would risk it all. I would do everything to live up to my mother's legacy. I want to become a true Priest of Nyx like the ones before me. I....I will not run."

The lady of the night smiled, it seemed that her answer had pleased her. "You understand if you choose to accept this path, you may very well lose your life young one?"

"I do."

"So be it. Take my hand. Do not be alarmed when you awake my child, you will know what you need to do. May success follow your journey." Nyx opened up her hand and in her palm rested a small shining stone that seemed to emanate raw magical energy.

Without another word, Kali grasped the stone and the room shone like the explosion of a thousand suns.

She'd make things right and she would live up to her mother's legacy. Even if it meant that her life would be on the line.

This was the choice she was going to make and she would not look back any longer.