As Janaxia approached, the stone door started to shine, crimson light bright enough to sting Stathis’ eyes. Worryingly, it was the same colour as Janaxia’s hair. Whatever was down here was warded by whatever Janaxia’s magic was, which was probably not a good sign, but did mean the loot should be untouched, unless there was a hidden back entrance they’d missed. Given that the guardians so far had been rather laughable, anything left behind would hopefully be equally weak. They’d come through relatively unscathed; Janaxia was decidedly bedraggled, Semari was now unarmoured (at least as much as it made any difference) but Parth was mostly untouched, and her own armour was splattered but unharmed.

Lightning sparked out, scorching the air, a stray spark scorching into Stathis before she could dodge, her armour clinking from the heat, slightly burning her. As the stone creaked open, Stathis stepped backwards, out of range of further attacks, even as the lights intensified, a rune-laden corona settling around her head, a jagged halo of scarlet light. Her shadow multiplied, each with different features – one with horns, around with bat wings, a third with savage talons. The sense of evil, of wrongness, intensified, as though some gross violation were being performed.

The door grated open, inch by inch, light too bright too see through, as Janaxia’s non-language ripped itself from memory, word by word. A wind, far too warm for this far underground, blasted out, long-dry dust coming with it, a blinding, choking storm. No monsters came charging out of the chamber, but it seemed safest to wait until the wind died down before advancing. The hellish crimson light died down, Janaxia’s shadow fading away to normality, although her lash of hair was still burning crimson, even as she self-consciously brushed it back.

While Janaxia recovered herself, Semari whispered to Stathis. ‘You see that? She’s doing being all eldritch and stuff again! If she goes all evil monster-demon, then we get her, right?’

‘We already talked about this. Yes. If she goes evil, you get in close and keep hitting her, don’t let her get range. We’ll try and flank her – she doesn’t have any area attacks that won’t hit her as well. We can probably take her down, and she’s got nowhere to run to. Just watch out in case there’s some demons or something back there.’

‘Cool. Wonder if she’s got any nice stuff?’

‘Let’s at least wait to see if she does betray us before we start splitting up her goods. This could be on the level.’

By now the breeze had died down, allowing them to see inside. A vast draconic skeleton dominated the room, white bone gleaming in scarlet witchlight, shed by gleaming orbs hung from the ceiling, chains trailing up and out of sight into the darkness above. The skeleton was coiled around a shining heap of treasure, gold shining blood-red in the eerie light. They froze, caught in the glare of the skeleton, the giant, fanged skull looking right at them. Scattered amongst the gold and jewels were other items; swords, armour, cloaks of fabulous material, vials of potions, jars of unguents.

Stathis kept a close eye on Janaxia, in case she suddenly turned traitor or transformed into a demon or something, but she appeared to be distracted by the vast wealth on display. Even if they only took what they could carry, that would be more than enough to make the trip worthwhile! But business first.

‘Look for the veil. It’s supposed to be made of strings of gold and jet beads. The sooner we can find it, the sooner we can start digging into the fun stuff.’

They advanced slowly, cautious of any monsters or traps, but nothing happened. Stathis ran her blade along the piles of loot, sending coins and jewellery trickling to the floor. As they got closer, the sheer size of the skeleton became more apparent – a single fang, not even the largest, was easily the length of a greatsword, while it’s mouth could have consumed a wagon in a single bite with room to spare. Over the course of time – it had been centuries since Karilimanath had vanished – the skeleton had sunk into the treasure, its ribcage forming an internal cave. The treasure made for unstable footing, sliding out from underfoot with every step.

The veil was surprisingly easy to find, a marble podium with a metal frame holding the delicate-looking item, a half-face veil of golden discs and black beads, decorated with almost impossible delicacy, tiny inscriptions on it. Cast in crimson light, the scene took an ominous aspect. Whatever spell Janaxia had cast to gain them entrance had set Stathis’ nerves jangling, such that she couldn’t sense anything else. Janaxia advanced, and her shimmering spell-hand appeared, plucking the veil from it’s resting place and bringing it towards her. She grabbed it from the air, holding it triumphantly, before everything went to shit.

The ground rumbled and quaked, as the red light brightened to almost sun-brightness, the skeleton suddenly limned in crimson energy. A voice spoke, dusty and dry, words pushing straight into Stathis’ mind.

‘A new child, bound of formless words, come to free me from my captivity. Long have I been bound here, trapped here by past traitors.’

Lights sparked into being inside the eye-sockets of the skeleton, transfixing Janaxia, her body slumping, as her arms dropped listlessly to her sides, still grasping the veil. True to her word, Semari immediately attacked, jumping in with a scything kick to drop Janaxia to the ground. She was intercepted by a shimmering field of magical energy. As she bounced off and gathered herself for another attack, the skeleton moved, a vast paw emerging from beneath the piles of treasure and batting Semari to the side, sending her through the air and smacking into the wall, coins and jewels scattering with her. With a groan, she rolled back to her feet, one arm hanging limp.

Parth, closer to the skull, drew the tooth-blade she’d been given, plunging it through an empty eye-socket. There was a ghostly after-image of a giant eye, bleeding ichor as the thing’s spirit was injured. Then the head lunged, engulfing Janaxia. A moment later it opened again in a silent roar, showing that she was suspended inside the skeleton, shielded by the ribcage, a cocoon of energy around her body, pulsing and throbbing in parody of a heart. She screamed, mouth forming words, searing out of memory as soon as they were heard, echoes vanishing from mind even as she was clearly shouting in pain. Stathis ducked, barely in time to evade a claw scything above her head, enough force to kill her easily.

She ran over to where Semari was, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her down, even as another attack barely missed them both.

‘Semari, new plan. Distract it. Get up onto it and start breaking, bone can’t be that tough.’ She turned to yell at Parth. ‘Shoot for the heart!’

Parth obediently nocked an arrow, sending it flying straight towards the throbbing, energy-swathed form of Janaxia. The skeleton twisted, ribs suddenly intercepting the arrow. ‘OK, so it needs her alive for whatever it’s doing. You distract it, I need some time.’

A gushing up-draught filled the room, as red energy blossomed between the thing’s wing-spines, wings beating downwards, sending treasure flying everywhere as it took off. With admirable speed, Semari moved, leaping onto an arm, her first strike punching through a claw, sending it tumbling to the floor before scampering up onto its body. Arrows shot out, flying into the wing membrane, which simply healed over, without any sign of damage.

As Semari tried to attack the skeleton, and more arrows rattled uselessly against bone, Stathis focused. Beneath the eerie, instantly-forgotten howls of pain from Janaxia, and the susurrating beat of energy, there was another sound, inaudible to most, a soft, whispered melody of peace beneath the savage frenzy of the world. She let the sound through her, empowering her, as wings of light burst from her back. She ditched her shield, then leapt, and she was airborne, swinging her blade at a forearm as she passed, scoring into the bone.

With one eye blinded, she had a moment before it noticed her, giving her the chance to take her sword into a two- handed grip, letting holy power flood through her before bringing it down, slicing through a chunk of spine. However this thing was held together, that seemed to affect it, one arm falling limp. As another claw cut towards her, she twisted, evading the strike, flicking out of the way of a bite.

The voice had more emotion now, as the thing gained more power. ‘Child of the fallen heavens, you shall be the first to die. Think you to slay me, when the heroes of old failed?’

Stathis held her blade out horizontally in front of her and ran a finger along the blade, her blood burning into blue fire from the willing sacrifice. ‘I swore to guard this world from those that would harm it. Where darkness rises, I shall be the light. Your reign ended centuries ago, and today you will perish.’

Its head drew back, crimson energy gathering inside the giant maw, Janaxia’s form barely visible through the bright glare, silhouette still writhing in pain. The light concentrated, shrinking down into a single point, even as Stathis flew upwards, wanting to avoid the imminent attack. With a screeching roar, the blast shot out, slamming into the ceiling, punching through the roof. Chunks of rock began falling down, giant slabs threatening to squash Parth, as she started clambering up the walls. There wasn’t time to swoop down and save her as another claw swung through the air, clipping a wing and sending her tumbling through the out, barely in control.

There was a groaning crack, splinters of bone falling to the ground as Semari punched through a bone, distracting the beast long enough for Stathis to regain her balance, as its head swung into position for another blast. She took a deep breath, and kicked off the wall, flying into the mouth, barely avoiding the gathering sphere of energy. Tendrils of crimson energy peeled off from the cocoon around Janaxia, scratching and skittering against her armour. Chill blue light washed out from her blade as she swung, cutting through the energy that had formed around Janaxia, her slice cutting deep into the membrane. The skeleton shuddered around her as the energy flowing into it was disrupted, before the tendrils attacked more savagely.

They lashed at her, spikes of burning energy burning into her flesh, even through her armour. Without time to deal with them, she simply lunged at the cocoon again, as the flames from her sword seared away the crimson. The two colours fought, each trying to overwhelm the other, when a flash of white came from beneath. Stathis had just enough time to glance down, seeing one of Parth’s arrows, with the dagger lashed to it. It punctured the cocoon, hanging in mid-air for a second, before the magic collapsed, bones fragmenting to dust.

Janaxia was barely conscious, eyes fluttering in a stupored panic as she started to fall, arms reaching toward Stathis. The temptation rose, to simply let her fall, but Stathis twisted and swooped again, plucking her from the air, just as the ceiling gave way, more dirt and rubble flowing down, the gleaming gold beneath vanishing beneath dull grey and brown. Beams of sunlight trickled down into the ancient tomb, even as the last of the giant skeleton vanished into dust.

She flew for the light, breaking through into wide open, sun-lit space, an empty, flower-filled meadow, now rent with a giant fissure. Semari leapt out beneath her, having managed to make it to the surface as Janaxia stirred, just enough to wrap her arms around Stathis and mumble something incomprehensible.

Several hours later, Parth re-emerged, thoroughly dusty, but otherwise intact, having managed to burrow her way to the surface. They’d set up camp on a cliff overlooking the devastation, above the massive black chasm rent across the hillside, still creaking and groaning as occasional chunks of earth fell in.

Semari looked across at Stathis and spoke. ‘When she wakes up, I want to tell her.’

‘What, that she got used as a mystical power source by an evil undead dragon monster thing, and we got barely any treasure?’

‘No, that you’re, like, an angel or something.’

Stathis sighed. ‘Half-angel. Probably. And please don’t, she’d only get weird about it.’

Semari rolled her eyes. ‘OK, fine. But can I tell her about her hair?’

Janaxia, still slumbering between them, twitched and rolled over, but without waking up. Her lash of hair, once crimson red, was now a bright azure blue, the same as the flame that had blazed from Stathis’ sword. Stathis peeled back her robes – her tattoo was still though, although looked smaller, and somehow contrived to look sullen, as the pattern slowly shifted.

Stathis grimaced. ‘I’m pretty sure she’d take me messing with her hair even worse. If she asks, tell her it was the dragon’s fault, it’s dead and can’t argue. Actually…’ She rummaged through Janaxia’s pockets, finding her pocket mirror and, after just a moment of guilt, smashing it to pieces. ‘That should stop any questions for a few days. Gods. Parth, where the hell are we now, and how far to Whitecliff?

‘Three days. Maybe.’

‘Right. And could you maybe warn us next time that “sky fire” means “soul eating dragon monster”? That’s something that would have been nice to know!’

Parth nodded. ‘Surprised. Thought maybe small dragon, baby.’ She gestured with her hand, putting a head at roughly chest height.

‘Yeah, it wasn’t though, was it? Please tell me you at least grabbed some loot – I’m not digging back down into all of that stuff again, although I guess we can sell the location. Guthren and their gang might be interested, they’ve got the skills for it. Anyway, either of you two grab anything?’

Compared to the sea of gold they had seen, it was slim pickings – a mere few handfuls of trinkets and gems – but it would keep them in food for quite a while, and pay for new gear.

‘Fine, let’s make a start. Semari, if Janaxia wakes up and gets violent, just smack her on the head. And please don’t mention her hair, or anything else.’

Stathis lifted Janaxia onto her back, glad at least she was petite. If she didn’t wake up soon, this was going to be a long walk.