Raging Seas [pjo au] || 1

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CHAPTER TWO
( BACK AT CAMP, SAFE & SOUND )

AS SHE RAN BACK up the stairs to the apartment, Kali ignored everyone else. She ran as fast as she could as hard as she could, and didn't even bother to apologize when she almost knocked someone over. She was too scared to care.

A Kindly One – at her apartment building. Far too close to Naia and Makoa for comfort.

Admittedly, Kali didn't know much about them. She knew they worked for Hades, and that they tortured souls for various bad reasons she had yet to look into, and that they were extremely dangerous, but other than that her knowledge about them was basically nothing. Still, she was terrified of them. The Underworld as a whole gave her a sense of unease but the Kindly Ones were something else. They worked directly for the King of the Underworld. That was enough for Kali to never want to even see one, let alone fight one. Unfortunately for her, both of those two things just happened.

It was gone now, was the thing Kali had to loop over and over in her head. It was gone. Turned into monster dust and now in Tartarus, waiting to reform hopefully not any time soon. Naia and Makoa were safe. Even though it probably never would have gone for either of them, the thought still worried her. She began to repeat that in her head instead – they were safe.

They were safe. Naia and Makoa were safe.

Kali bursted through the apartment's door not thinking about doing the knock, not even computing the it was unlocked in the first place. She just needed to see her brother and sister.

Instead she saw Ralph rummaging in the kitchen and Naia and Makoa halfway down the hall to their rooms. They stood so close together it was almost like they were trying to merge into one person. It was clear they didn't know whether to hide in their room or come down the hall to see their dad. It was then Kali noticed the turned off TV. She began to wonder how long Ralph had been back.

The door shut behind her. It slammed a little. Naia and Makoa jumped slightly; Kali had been too stunned at seeing her adoptive father to turn around and shut it gently, and she flinched a little too. Ralph didn't move other than to keep pulling out things to make a snack of some sort.

Kali took a moment to glance around quickly. His work shoes were off by the door. His things now cluttered the small dining table. There were already two empty beer bottles on the counter near him. Her grip tightened subconsciously on her dagger and she rubbed her thumb on the crossbar of the handle as the fear of the Fury went away, only to grow back tenfold with Ralph home. It was so strong she was frozen, worse than usual because of the night before. She tried not to show it. Naia and Makoa were watching her.

"What have I told you about running inside?" Ralph asked without even looking at her. "And slamming doors?"

"To– to not to," Kali said, and winced as she stuttered. Lately she wondered what was worse: frozen with fear and barely being able to speak, or angry and stupid and mouthing off at every chance? Lately it's always been a toss up on which it would be. Either way it never ended well for her most of the time. She hoped calmly speaking would work better with Ralph than it did the Kindly One. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"Damn right it won't," he grumbled. He slammed a knife into the counter. Kali vaguely realized he was about to make a roast beef sandwich.

Kali licked her lips. "Where's Ruby?" she blurted. Ruby was supposed to be here, not Ralph. Kali wanted to see her, not him.

"Sick. I had to ask off work to come here."

Kali started to nod, and hoped that would be it. He didn't sound happy at all, as she wanted to disappear into her room with Naia and Makoa until Argus came by. Of course, nothing ever went as she wanted.