In the endless blackness, it was impossible to tell time, as the water rushed beneath them. Semari was still unconscious, Parth sat on her and staring into the darkness (possibly napping again). After some fussing, Janaxia had carefully sat down, her clothing not really suited to sitting on the floor. At one point, a hazy light shone beneath them, a rainbow refracted by gods-only-knew how much water, suddenly vanishing then returning as something moved in the way.

They didn’t seem to be in danger, so Stathis pulled out the letter Carissia had given her. As expected for something from her mother, it was on smooth, fine paper, held shut with a wax seal, a feather-like pattern pressed into the wax. Stathis checked her companions were all still otherwise engaged before opening it. Her mother’s handwriting covered both sides, neat and really, really densely written. Stathis bet that Carissia didn’t have to deal with this, she’d always been allowed to do whatever she wanted! After the niceties, her mother checking that she was eating and sleeping enough, and not drinking too much she began reading the actual message – some warnings from the Order of the Crystal Eye about something, at which point Stathis became aware of Janaxia, suddenly very close.

She snapped the letter shut, hoping Janaxia hadn’t read any of it, or seen the name of the writer. ‘Yes? Is everything OK?’

‘I was just wondering how you came to know Carissia. She is somewhat more widely known than ourselves, and rather busy with other engagements. I must confess to a little surprise that she has the time to be passing you mail.’

‘Well, we’ve run into a few times. It happens, small world and all that, you know?’

‘Interesting.’ Her eyes flicked down to the letter. ‘I don’t suppose she mentions me at all?’

‘It’s not from her! Just someone that we both know.’ Stathis glanced over, checking that Semari was still out cold. ‘I know you like her, but I wouldn’t get attached.’ And she’d never hear the end of it if one of her teammates was yet another one of Carissia’s conquests, and it would probably take Janaxia out of commission for a while.

‘I don’t suppose you could arrange a meeting at some point? I know a lovely place at the Oxgrave Falls, where the food is magnificent, and I’m sure she would appreciate…’

Stathis’ prayers must have been heard as something swooped down from above, something flapping from the darkness and tangling itself in Janaxia’s (until then, immaculately coiffured) hair, other things flying close by, too fast to be seen as anything other than vague blurs. With a yelp, she tugged and pulled at it, stepping dangerously close to the edge as she tried to get it out. Stathis drew her knife and stepped in, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her under control, then making a single thrust, the flailing, flapping thing squeaking and dying.

The blood trickling down Janaxia’s face, coupled with the mess of her hair, made her look even more demonic than usual. They were balanced right on the edge of the raft, one of Janaxia’s feet over the edge, just above the water. Slowly, not wanting to slip, she pulled back, Janaxia holding on tighter than seemed necessary. As soon as they were standing, she stepped away with haste, trying to detach the dead thing – some kind of weird mutant bat-creature, with an unnecessary amount of spikes and spines and teeth, now thoroughly entangled in the braids of her hair.

‘Do you want me to cut it out?’ Stathis flourished the knife.

Janaxia shook her head vehemently. ‘No, that it not what I would consider an appropriate tool for this task.’

From her winces and grunts, the thing was quite thoroughly enmeshed, her hairstyle steadily sliding into chaos. It was probably a mercy that Semari was unconscious, otherwise she’d definitely have something to say, probably between raucous laughter. Even the ferryman was grinning slightly, looking up from whatever they were reading.

The task of extricating dead monster-bat from her hair mercifully kept Janaxia occupied, and quiet, for the rest of the journey. A light, probably far distant, appeared on the horizon, a small red dot that got larger and larger as they approached, a gleaming red sphere like a dying sun, atop a stone tower, a lighthouse watching over the subterranean sea. Clustered around the base of the tower was a settlement, rough blocks of stone thrown in buildings, shapes moving to and fro.

The ferryman had spent most of the journey sullen silence, but now they spoke, pointing in a dramatic fashion at the town.

‘Behold, surface-dwellers, the settlement of Karakani’Karpultarn! Hidden beneath the world, hidden since the rule of the First King, home to those rejected by the very eye of Heaven itself, home to the ancient secrets of the Broken Fire, and where the Market of Bones trades in the most arcane and ancient of mysteries! Accessible only by those trained in the ancient secrets of the Guild of the Black Ferry, it serves as sanctum to some, grave to others, hidden in the very bones of the world!’

Parth gave a polite clap, earning her a satisfied smile in return.

‘OK, does this place have any taverns, anything like that?’ It would be helpful to stash Semari somewhere rather than having to carry her around.

‘The Black Cup serves any with the coin, and is home to the legendary fighting pit, the Cavern of Blood, where any who dare may test their skills against the fiercest beasts the world has to offer! For those seeking to sate their pleasures, the Silk Shroud has the finest wines and foods, and other, more exotic pleasures.’ The leer left little doubt what they meant. ‘The Crown of Vines is where those who traffic in arcane affairs dabble, wrapped in sorcery so that dark dealings can be conducted in perfect secrecy.’

Stathis managed to cut in, before they could continue. ‘Is there anywhere more mundane? No legendary fighting pits, no brothels, no weird magical stuff. Just a cheap bed to dump someone in.’

They spoke with disgust, apparently not wanting to deal with such mundanity. ‘The Lantern is almost entirely normal, if that is your desire. However…’ They took a deep breath, and Stathis readied herself for the incoming monologue. ‘…it lays on the road of Fallen Petals, where the shadows themselves beg for memories of sunlight, and lost secrets can be yours for a draught of your own blood!’ He continued, getting into it, Parth rapt with attention.

If this place was only accessible by the ferrymen, it should be fairly easy to see if Kamarni had been bought here or not, and hopefully hadn’t been taken out again. There would be some form of secret exit somewhere, there always was, but finding it might be hard, and it would probably be guarded. How much of what they were saying was true was impossible to judge, but it sounded better to keep things quiet, and get in and out as quickly as possible.

They slid into place on a well-worn stone pier, a few other ferrymen, all bearing the same long poles, waiting for fares, all clad in the same shapeless robes. As she hauled Semari up, still dead to the world (although at least her arms seemed to have more colour to them now), she felt for the power inside her, and tried pouring a little into Semari. Some of her scratches healed slightly, wounds scabbing over and closing, but she remained unconscious.

Their pilot had now worked himself into a fervour, one arm gesticulating as he described the various sights within the place, all with lurid detail. It didn’t sound a particularly healthy place, but they were probably exaggerating.