For someone who never left the dungeon, Karma seemed to know where to lead them. Four times they evaded discovery when the goddess ducked into a room or around a corner suddenly, and twice, Deidre thought they had been discovered, only for the death dealer to walk right by them.
Karma had some sort of magic about her, though Deidre wasn't able to pinpoint what. It wasn't pure invisibility, or they'd run straight out. It had to do with the individual death dealers they passed, as if Karma knew how to evade the senses of some but not all.
When the deity stopped in a quiet alcove of a hallway, Deidre released her breath. Her stomach was cramping once more, not enough to cripple her, but bad enough that she wasn't able to stand straight. Focused on the pain, she gritted her teeth and waited for Karma's next move.
The pain faded once more. Deidre straightened. "What're we waiting for?" she asked.
"For you to be ready to fight, if we must," Karma answered. "This way leads out." She pointed towards a hallway swarming with death dealers.
"Oh, god." Deidre's heart quickened. "That's a lot of people."
"We are both in black, and they are incensed already."
"Is that why the other two didn't pursue us?"
"Eh." Karma shrugged. "Karma can hide herself. I reflects emotions and also sometimes the faces of others."
"Like a chameleon," Deidre said, impressed.
"Maybe. How many legs does it have?"
"Four, I think."
"Maybe not like a chameleon," she said. "You will have to stay close. It takes more effort to hide both of us."
"If we go with the flow of dealers, we'll be less likely to have our faces seen," Deidre said, observing the foot traffic. Most were headed in the same direction while the occasional dealer appeared to be going against the flow. "Are they headed out?"
"I thinks so."
Deidre glanced at her newfound friend and noticed how pale the deity was. The skin around her eyes was tight. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I derives my strength from balance. There is so little here. I hurts, too," Karma said softly. "But you derive your power from imbalance. Can you fight?"
Deidre's heart jolted, her stomach turning at the memory of what she'd done earlier. While scared, she knew she had no choice, if they were to escape. "Yes," she replied. "I can fight."
"Claws."
Deidre released the deity and looked down. This time, her fingernails lengthened and turned black instantly. Her gums itched, and she instinctively breathed deeply, seeking out the faintest hint of blood.
Her hands trembled, as much from physical weakness as fear. The resolve and anger she'd experienced in the bathing chamber returned, and she shook out her shoulders.