The meal had been exquisite, everything cooked to perfection, and the wine just the right temperature, and the perfect taste to complement the food. Kethys ate with graceful decorum, chopping her food into small portions. Her followers, Semari included, were less polite, shovelling food in as quickly as possible, cheeks bulging as they chewed, only stopping to drink and wash it down without choking. Afterwards, the warmth was rather telling, heat and food making everyone drowsy, Hakara nodding off in her seat, unused to drink, Semari dribbling slightly as she slumped against Hadric.

Janaxia allowed herself to relax, the simple pleasures being sated. Perhaps Stathis would be more amenable now? Although she appeared a touch drowsy herself, eyes fluttering. Then a booming crash sounded from somewhere nearby, startling everyone back to full wakefulness. Kethys was the first up, already armed, as Stathis took the lead, a poker from the fire in place of a blade. In the entrance hall, the cause of the sound was obvious, the massive door to the sanctum, wood banded with rune-carved iron, now lay open. Snow was billowing in, a viciously cold wind cutting through the hall, Janaxia shivering until Stathis dropped a shawl over her shoulders, Janaxia glad of the warmth. Janaxia summoned up her powers, in case some beast lurked in the blizzard, as Stathis readied herself to fight. A warped and misshapen magical glyph spun into being around Hakara, as she tried to call up a spell, tiredness and drink taking a toll, before she stumbled and leant against a wall.

A figure could be seen, striding out of the snowy shadows, stepping into the circle of light that shone around the door. Red robes of finest silk atop white linen beneath, a necklace of bright beads around their neck, horns of bone protruding from their head. Their hands ended in razor-sharp claws, dull red tips merging with their grey skin. They spoke, voice managing to be low and sultry, despite the chill wind.

‘On this day, between the darkness and the light, I have been called, awoken from my sleep in the higher realms.’ She gave a theatrical yawn, stretching herself, crimson robe only held shut by a wide black sash, the stark material divided with a golden thread. Her figure was impressive – she appeared much of a height with Stathis, although slightly less muscled. Considering her grey skin, horns and claws, something in her ancestry was clearly other than human. Possibly demon-kin, or an ancestor brave enough to couple with a giant, perhaps? Her features were highly attractive, so likely not an ogre or troll. She walked forward, looking between them, smirking faintly. ‘Some hospitality is traditional, I think. Or have the mortal races forgotten even that much?’

Kethys was the first to break the silence. ‘Our apologies, ancient one. We bid you welcome, please enter.’ She bowed, although Janaxia couldn’t help but notice the glint of metal in her hand, a knife at the ready.

‘Ancient one? That’s a bit much. How many years have you seen, dark-born elfling? But the traditions must be upheld. And it’s pretty crappy in there.’ She ducked beneath the doorframe, making sure not to catch her horns. As she moved inside, Janaxia could see that strands of metal had been wound about them, sky blue and vivid pink catching the light. She was wearing odd wooden clogs, raising her stockinged feet above the grimy mud and show. Behind her could be glimpsed a localised snowstorm, the sanctum covered with a glistening layer of frost, magical paraphernalia sealed in ice.

‘Now, who is the master here?’ Janaxia pointed at Stathis, looking over to see that Stathis was pointing back at her. ‘Well, which is it? A house cannot have two masters.’ She looked down at Janaxia. ‘From your clothing, I would guess yourself, that dress is of fine style, and well suited to you.’ She unslung a leather pack, the contents clicking and rattling.

Stathis moved closed to Janaxia. ‘You’re related to the people that built this place, so I think that means you’re the master, doesn’t it?’

‘You took the head of the table and said the toast. What if she wants to fight?’ She didn’t look armed, but could have magical powers, and likely supernatural strength. Not to mention those claws!

‘If it comes to that, I’ll be your champion or whatever. She’s complimenting you on your dress though, I don’t think she’s here for violence.’

That was true. The woman clearly had taste – her own robe, while of unusual style, was finely made, glinting and gleaming in the light, obviously excellent material, clearly made specifically for this woman. Janaxia turned back to her.

‘I am Janaxia Seyroon Falmeth Uth Tremari, currently acknowledged by Domus, the spirit of this place, as being in the line of descent.’

She nodded, the metal around her horns glinting. ‘Tremari? Ah, you’re one of Kinnevar’s get. How is the old rascal? He still owes me after that mess in the Drakani ruins.’

Janaxia smiled. Someone that appreciated not only her style, but also her family! What an unexpected delight. ‘He is largely retired, although I impressed him enough to be taught some of his magic. When next I write him, do you wish me to convey your greetings? Although I have not had the pleasure of your name.’ This close she could see the woman’s eyes weren’t human, but were red, and slit like those of a cat – she was obviously not just some long-lived mage, then. From her introduction, it sounded as though she had slumbered in some distant plane.

‘Akoni the Fated will suffice. And enough other deed-names and glory-titles that I could be here for some time, so let’s skip those, shall we? It has been some time since I travelled this land, so what legends are told of me I know not.’ She looked around the group, taking each of them in. ‘A rather unusual group – some humans, a darkling exile, a true-born elfling, and one of the very highest birth. Not what I would have expected.’ She reached into her pack, pulling out a stone gourd and uncorking it. A scent filled the room, that of fine liqueur, peaches and other sweetness. This she poured into a small dish, tilting it and taking a sip. ‘The blessings of the light upon this house.’

She passed it to Janaxia, who followed suit. ‘Blessings of the light upon you, Akoni the Fated. And what brings you to this place?’ She couldn’t place the name, and if she had known Kinnevar then she was at least centuries old, but she comported herself well, and her style was exquisite. The drink, whatever it was, was equally good, a rush of fruit flavours thick and heavy on her tongue, the taste that of warm, lazy summer days and idle pleasures, bringing a smile to her face.

‘An ancient pact, as you should know, as the mistress of the house. To play for the fortune of the year to come, to see what lies ahead, and for succour in the darkness to come. And perhaps, for a prize of my own. My wanderings have been long and lonely of late, so perhaps some warm-blooded company, should fate favour me. Although meeting one of your blood is a surprise; the passage of time has clearly been a blessing to your clan.’

‘I’m sure Kinnevar would be interested to hear of you.’

She laughed. ‘It was a long time ago, even as the elves reckon things. No, leave the old rogue to his ice-bound dreams.’ She reached out, slowly and carefully, a clawed hand stroking Janaxia’s face, surprisingly warm, given the blizzard she’d walked in from. The clawed fingers were tinged red, looking like it was something other than polish or paint, a stain so deep it wouldn’t wash out. ‘I see you take after him in other ways as well.’ Janaxia felt something more than physical brush against her, a light touch upon her very soul. Being careful not to ruin Janaxia’s hairstyle, Akoni touched one of her horns. ‘But these are matters for the day, not the long darkness of a cold night. Although, if you wish, I can tell you about the time Kinnevar woke up, stark naked, in the nunnery of Pelosa, and stole the Helm of Glory, simply because it was the first thing to come to hand to cover his manhood with. No matter what he says, that was never the plan!’

Semari had drifted closer, looking at Akoni’s outfit. ‘Hey, I’ve heard about you, I think. You’re the dicer of fate, aren’t you? You show up at the crossroads, and give blessings, or, like, kill people if they lose.’

Janaxia moved to chide Semari – being so rude to a guest! That story about Kinnevar sounded fascinating though. But Akoni spoke first. ‘You are partially right – I am indeed Akoni the Fated, the gambler at the crossroads, and the breaker and maker of fate. I twist what should be and create what is, and my hands are stained with an ocean of blood. I gamble and bet, win or lose, and simply watch the destiny that unfolds from that – I cast the certain into doubt, and crack the walls of fate. For my sin of breaking my own fate, I know my path and destiny, yet twist those of others, into ways not even the gods can see.’ She drummed fingers on a table, the claws gouging into the heavy wood without effort. ‘And, by ancient pact, tonight we shall game. To the winners, shall go the blessings I can bestow. And to the losers, well, we shall see. But tonight is for celebration and revels, so I state that the losses shall be minor – I am Akoni the Fated, and so do I decree.’

Janaxia smiled in appreciation, resisting the urge to clap – that was how one should make an entrance! If only Stathis could learn from this. ‘Domus, if you would be so kind as to provide some food and drink for our new guest? If I may be so bold, then I would suggest one of the spirits, possibly Maiden’s Blood? Something to warm you up, after lengthy your journey.’ The snowstorm was still swirling behind her, magical light flickering madly through the ice, the door slowly creaking shut, runes relighting as the defences reasserted themselves.

Akoni nodded in agreement. ‘Good choice! Just the thing for a cold night like this.’ A tumbler of thick red drink obediently appeared, dropping into her hand, and getting downed in one chug. ‘Gods, I’ve missed this stuff. Sethan’s really gone downhill the last few centuries. Good starting drink for an evening though.’ She tossed the glass up into the air, where it vanished, mid-arc, in a shimmer of energy. ‘Blessings on this house, may the light never die! Now, let’s go play.’

They had set up in the library, all sitting on the floor, Akoni’s robe falling open to reveal long, shapely legs. She was definitely larger than Stathis in several noticeable ways, and her horns were simple extrusions of bone, pointing straight up, grey fading to red at the tips, unlike Janaxia’s own curving black horns, which were also smaller. The metal decorations she had wound around them were rather fetching though, in a rather louche way. Her necklace of large, brightly coloured spheres was chunkier and more garish than Janaxia could pull off, but her stature made it work.

Akoni produced a bright blue cup and a number of ivory dice from her wide sleeves. The single dot of the ‘1’ side was bright, brilliant red, and, from the distaste with which Parth handled them, Janaxia had a suspicion they weren’t from an animal. When the night was over, Janaxia would have to find quite who this Akoni was – it seemed likely there would be some legends about her, she was certainly striking enough to have inspired stories to last through the centuries.

Akoni took the dice and cup, tossing the dice in, the rattling echoing around the space, before slamming the cup down onto the floor, making her call and bet. ‘Heralds’. Semari tossed three chips into the centre. ‘Warden’s eyes.’

Janaxia put down two of her own chips. ‘Evens.’

Kethys was more cautious, gambling just a single chip. ‘Spider’s legs.’ There was silence as everyone looked at her, having never had that call before. She sighed. ‘Light, you up-siders play this weird. Eights.’

Stathis and Parth both put in two each, calling for Crowns and Tens respectively. The cup was lifted, revealing a total of seven dots. The winnings went to Kethys, as the closest. Her expression was guarded, but at least she didn’t seem to have any weapons in hand. Semari was barely paying attention, pressing herself close against Hadric, distracting them both.

As the night wore on, the bets increased, chips increasingly flowing towards Akoni, Parth and Kethys, with Janaxia just about holding on. The dice rattled against the cup again, lifting to reveal four bright red dots, Demon’s Eyes getting called. Stathis groaned, flicking her last chip towards Parth. ‘I’m out, dammit. My luck’s always bad this time of year!’

Akoni moved her claws through the air, space warping and shifting. ‘A final cast, child of the Iristari. A cast for fortune and fate, to divine what the year has in store for you, unless you have the strength to wrest your own fate from the fickle winds of fortune.’ The air in front of Stathis shone for a moment, four dice appearing there, each pearlescent white, gleaming with a strange inner light. ‘This is the night where darkness falls to light, where hope shines strongest, and where the words were spoken. Take your destiny in hand, and cast.’

There was a dry clicking as Stathis cupped her hands and shook the dice, rolling them out onto the floor. As they rolled, their surfaces shifted and warped, familiar dots transforming into other symbols, glyphs that conveyed entire stories, Janaxia having to look away lest she be overwhelmed. Although, as Janaxia looked closer, the dice themselves seemed less and less solid, instead being formed of shapes and symbols coiled densely to form the pearly material. Symbols resolved themselves into words, snatches of some far larger text – “the broken words unspoken”, “lightning’s child wreathed in heaven’s fire”, “fire’s fury to ocean’s calm” and other similarly prophetic snatches. The result was high – two sixes, a three and a two.

‘Heaven's child shall fall. Destiny's chain is forged. The sun sets blood-red.’ Akoni’s voice was chill and distant, eyes unfocused, as though reciting some ancient text, before returning to normal. ‘It seems the next year may not be the happiest for you, I am sorry to say. But as thanks for the hospitality you have shown me, I shall give you my blessing – a small twist of fortune, little enough in itself, but who can say how it shall be resolved? And of course, you have a certain strength yourself, which may be sufficient to shift events in your favour.’

The pearlescent dice vanished as it was Parth’s turn to roll, those remaining shouting their bets first. The Maiden’s Blood that Akoni was drinking had, by now, tinted her lips a bright, crimson red, matching her robe and vividly contrasting with her grey skin, only adding to her allure. Her robe had now slipped off both shoulders, chiefly supported by the stiffness of the fabric, but still dropping low enough to display a good portion of her chest. She was definitely larger than Stathis there, although she was less toned and muscled, likely not having to earn a living through swordcraft.

The cup was lifted, revealing a quartet of fours, enough for Janaxia to win back some of her losses. She was still far behind the other three, but it kept her in the game. No longer playing, Stathis moved behind Janaxia, taking a seat on the couch – the moral support was appreciated, even if she didn’t say anything, seemingly content to watch.

Kethys was now grinning, apparently the type that only enjoyed games when she was winning. She picked the dice up with a practised flair, holding all four of them between two fingers. ‘What say we make this a little more interesting? I could do with rather more fortune coming my way. Akoni, you want to spice this up a little? I’m sure I can think of something to trade you might want.’

‘My needs are few, darkling. But risk is what makes the gamble worthwhile – now, what could you each trade that I might wish for?’ She looked at each of them, cat’s eyes glinting. ‘A favour for me, to be redeemed when darkness is upon the earth, should I need something that cannot be done in light. In exchange for, as you say, a twist of fortune, a boon of fate. Although, of course, such a thing is fickle, and not to be relied upon.’ For a moment, her eyes changed, becoming solid red, even more unearthly than before. ‘For a darkling thief, a woodling queen and a…’ she looked at Janaxia for a moment, expression unreadable ‘…word-bound sage, quite the deal, I think.’

Parth, surprisingly, was the first to throw in. ‘Fate’s blessing upon me.’ Her chip struck the cup with a solid “thunk”. She stared at Kethys, clearly making a challenge. Well, the elven races never had gotten on, the dark elves having gotten decidedly the worst of it over the years, exiled to rather unpleasant parts of the world, all barren caves and canyons. Kethys shook the dice in her hand, the sound loud in the quiet library.

‘No fancy woodland queen’s beating me!’

Janaxia threw another chip in. ‘It would be a black stain upon my ancestor’s spirit to quit now. Shall we see who fortune truly favours?’

Akoni gave a wide smile. ‘Excellent. Well, that does make things a little more interesting, doesn’t it?’ She clapped, the dice in Kethys’ hand changing shape, now having far more sides than before. Kethys looked at one carefully, counting the sides and symbols, each of which only appeared when the face was uppermost. ‘Twenty sides, nought to ten, along with the eight high gods, and the great darkness. It’s been a long time since I played Akenishi. Let’s hope the darkness stays down, shall we? That’d be a crappy omen, on tonight of all nights.’

She rolled again, the dice smacking against the cup, far heavier than they looked from the sound that was made, before slamming the cup down.

‘Straights!’

‘Swords!’

‘Descending darkness!’

Kethys was the last to declare. ‘Broken wings.’

When she lifted the cup the dice were still spinning, symbols flickering as the dice rolled and tumbled, slowly coming to a stop, symbols glowing faintly. This version of the game was less evenly balanced, the chips rapidly switching hands. Parth was soon eliminated, a succession of bad calls splitting her chips between the survivors. Kethys was as calm and cool as ever, Akoni smirking as she cast a fortune for Parth, dice of emerald green appearing, leaving a trail of illusionary vines as they rolled.

‘Ashes burn crimson. Black wrath burns hot and cursed. The empty queen, fallen.’ Her eyes focused back again. ‘Dark tiding, but maybe your arrows will fly a little truer when you need it the most, perhaps?’

Parth looked slightly confused, but consoled herself with a drink of something green and glowing, a substance that Janaxia had previously experienced, enough that she was definitely not drinking.

It was Janaxia’s turn – she checked the dice over, watching the symbols flare into life as each was turned to the top. She couldn’t tell what they were made from, but they were clearly magical. Some of the symbols were strange as well, different than the usual ones, although Janaxia could see the resemblance between them and the more modern versions. Although that might just be a sign of age, Akoni must be quite old. She couldn’t emulate Kethys’ flare, but she made a show of shaking them, rolling them in the cup before flipping it over, letting the others declare, placing her own bet.

This eliminated Kethys, leaving just Janaxia and Akoni. Kethys’ fortune was rolled with dice of dark onyx, trailing misty shadows. They weren’t even showing numbers, instead bearing strange symbols, synonyms for ‘shadows’, ‘traitor’, ‘punishment’ and ‘darkness’. Janaxia felt a sudden chill and shivered.

‘The dark will call. Chains of blood to bind anew. All is sundered.’ Akoni looked intrigued. ‘Well, Kethys, it appears you have a choice to make. That you’ve been avoiding for too long, I suspect. Some things cannot be run from, no matter how skilled you are at hiding.’ She turned back to Janaxia. ‘And you, lastly. Betting it all on a final cast of fate – very much like Kinnevar! Although he was never very gracious about losing, but at least always honoured his bets.’ She started to shake the dice. ‘So, what shall your final call be? Choose wisely, now.’

With just two people, it was pointless to go for anything complicated, although the addition of the symbols as well as the numbers made the odds harder to predict. ‘Evens.’

The dice rolled, symbols flaring with light, before settling down, all four showing the same symbol, a jagged sphere of solid darkness. Akoni’s eyes flashed red. ‘It seems you chose poorly, and the darkness has consumed all. But that makes me the victor, and I believe that there is now a boon to discharge.’ Her eyes roamed over Janaxia’s body, Janaxia shifting slightly to ensure she was presenting her best side, favouring Akoni with a smile.

‘I place myself at your disposal, Akoni.’ The woman was more than passably attractive herself – despite its strange colour, her skin was healthy and smooth, her lustrous black hair falling around her horns. Janaxia tried to dispel the thought of one of those claws tracing a line from the nape of her neck down to her spine, the thought making her shiver deliciously. She clearly had taste, and to take an immortal as a lover would be a new feat. And with the experience she likely had, it would hopefully be a pleasurable experience.

‘I think I’ll claim my prize tonight then. Much chaos and strife is afoot, and so a debt should be discharged swiftly, lest it become impossible to claim.’ She picked Janaxia up, throwing her over her shoulder, already striding out. Janaxia took a moment to ensure her clothing was appropriate, but the gesture was charmingly brash, if a little uncomfortable. Semari wasn’t even paying attention, instead shameless flirting with Hadric. Parth and Kethys were already gambling again, some strange elven game with cards, as Stathis raised a hand in acknowledgement.

I will see you later, sleep well

Hakara looked scandalised, glancing at the others to see if anyone else was going to intervene. Hopefully not, as that would be highly awkward! Stathis at least acknowledged the message, summoning another drink and not intervening as Janaxia was carried out, already feeling the pinpricks of claws through her dress as she was held in place. Maybe some token struggle would be proper? Although that might make Akoni think she was less than willing, which could prove complicated. Instead she twisted around, trying to make herself more comfortable.