A muffled, choking gasp came from Janaxia, as her shadow spiked and writhed, her clothing now reduced to just her sweat-slicked slip. Was the light inside her getting brighter? Janaxia’s shadow was behaving oddly, sharp-pointed lines flashing into being around her, too fast to see any coherent shape beyond spikes and slashes. At least the gag kept her moans from being too loud, as this setup would require a lot of explanation if anyone came to look. The bracelet was tight around her wrist, skin white around it; so was writhing too much to try cutting it off.

There was a knock on the window, an upside-down and grubby face appearing behind the grimy glass. Stathis opened it up, but not enough to let them in. It was the urchin from earlier

‘Cor, didn’t think a knight would be into the rough stuff! Although there’s crotchrot going around, and she don’t look so good.’

‘She’s sick, I’m looking after her. She’ll be better soon.’

‘I’ll bet! Want a hand wiping her down?’ He was managing to leer, impressive given both his young age, and that he was dangling from above, easy prey for a sudden shove.

She opened the window, sharply enough to make him dart upwards as his grip shifted, before grabbing him and yanking him inside, making sure to turn so that the writhing body of Janaxia wasn’t directly in his line of sight.

‘No, I don’t. Now, tell me what you know.’ A shadow, shaped like a hand but with far more fingers than normal, flickered against the wall, suddenly shattering into nothingness. She stared at the urchin, letting energy well up within her, watching as his eyes started to glow with the same golden energy. Janaxia whimpered, her body drumming against the mattress as she fought her bindings. ‘I’m in a hurry, so tell me, I’ll pay you, and then we can forget all of this ever happened, right?’

‘For a knight, you’re pretty good-looking yourself.’ He looked shocked, then blushed and covered his mouth with her hands.

Stathis sighed. ‘You can’t lie, but that doesn’t mean you have to tell me everything that crosses your mind. Just about the bracelets and stuff.’ She turned to keep Janaxia blocked from view, trying to keep his mind focused.

‘Word on the street is that the Duke’s got himself some chantlings, crafting ‘em up. A whisper of blood in each, creepy old magic.’ He was craning his neck, trying to see Janaxia still, Stathis having to force his attention back to her by tapping on her sword hilt. ‘Somethin’ to do with the black wagons. They’re draggin’ people in, a few each night, never seen again. No bodies in the bay though, and no-one important. And the damn guard are being dicks, means we can’t run off. And the fancy keep throwin’ their parties, but even they’re not happy, least that’s what I’ve heard.’

‘Any names, or anything actually useful other than rumour?’

‘Ain’t exactly my circles, right? So no, ain’t got no names, other than a few o’ the vanished. Heard that they can use the damn things to know where people are, send the guards to grab you wherever you are.’

‘Any idea where those taken are going? Or numbers – dozens, hundreds?’

‘Heard something about the old arena. Meant to be haunted, not been used since the Armripper showed up and offed the old Duke, now it’s all walled up and blocked off. That was when the fire happened as well. Lots of guards and stuff around there now, can’t even get a look in. And it’s the fancy guards, can’t even bribe the bastards.’

He kept chattering away, providing a lot of rumour and gossip, but little that was useful; the bracelets didn’t seem to do much by themselves but were tough to remove, there were suspicious wizards up at the castle, the Duke wasn’t very popular, some of the gangs were being paid off by the guard, nothing exceptional. As the golden glow faded from his eyes, he slowly stopped talking. ‘Thanks. That wasn’t that useful, but here you go.’ She handed over the promised money.

He grinned back. ‘Pleasure doing business with you! Any info you need, or anything for a little fun, come call on Rithrin. Or if that piece ‘o fancy is looking for some rough with her smooth. Even with the fever, might be worth it, don’t see many like her about! Course, for this, I’m happy to see we never met.’

‘I’ll remember the name. Now sod off.’

He tossed the coins in the air and caught them, before clambering out of the window, leaving Stathis along in the room with Janaxia again. She was still feverish, her tattoo in a state of agitation, the shape breaking and fragmenting, parts loosely drifting around on her skin. Stathis carefully touched one, the thing shifting away, almost seeming to flee her touch. Taking her back to the temple would probably only make things worse – hopefully this was something Janaxia would be able to recover from by herself.

She untied Janaxia, trying to hold her in place with one hand, as she wrapped the sheet around her, trying to leave enough space for her to breath from, then picked her up, Janaxia immediately clinging on tightly. Images whispered into Stathis’ mind, a haze of pitiless white fire lashing against her body. Janaxia whimpered and twitched, then went silent, her head nestled against Stathis’ back. Downstairs, Stathis threw some money at the owner, throwing in some extra to cover the sheet, and hopefully to keep him quiet.

Walking through the streets with someone on her back was awkward, and she got more than a few odd looks, but having what looked like a sick person helped keep others back. Even the guards didn’t get too close, especially as Janaxia contorted and twisted through spasms, the gag at least keeping her quiet. Although the spasms hurt, as Janaxia’s nails dug into Stathis’ shoulders and arms, piercing through her clothing. The usual sense of doom was even stronger now, a feeling of bitter frost and rancid ice-melt, something ancient slowly being released from an icy casket, the sensation mingling uncomfortably with the clammy sweat soaking through from Janaxia onto Stathis’ clothing and back, although the usual attractive scents she wore persisted, something sweet and citrusy.

The ambience in the rough part of town was different, someone carrying an unconscious body earning deliberate blanking, not wanting to get caught up in anything. Even in the crowded areas she was left a wide berth, although it also meant she couldn’t ask directions, as she was unable to get close enough to anyone to speak. The place was definitely in need of some rearrangement and tidying, roads suddenly ending, and she had to take to alleyways to continue, trying not to scrape and bump Janaxia against the sides off the narrow passages.

Down one, a hooded figure blocked her passage. Although their cloak was dirtied and cut, it was well-made, barely concealing the rigid shape of armour. They drew a weapon, a strangely twisted knife, the blade a black spiral, looking like the horn from some creature. Janaxia stirred and twitched, arms grabbing around Stathis’ throat, as Stathis fumbled her blade out, the tight confines and extra weight on her back making it awkward. They charged, cutting and slicing, blade whipping through the air. With Janaxia on her back, running away wasn’t an option or she’d get skewered and sliced. Stathis tried to kick back, but they simply dodged backwards, as she managed to get into some form of attacking position.

She had greater reach, but the close confines greatly limited the attacks she could make, only jabs and thrusts being available. And if they got close in, then she’d get cut to ribbons herself.

FireBurnPainAngerHate

A blast of sensations shot through her, as Janaxia shivered in her fever, grip tightening again. The attacker lunged at her, a dark afterimage trailing the knife, some magic surrounding the blade. Stathis managed, barely, to block, wishing she had her gauntlets so she could at least half-sword properly. Still, she stepped and lunged, twisting to try and cut at them, forcing them back, as she shifted Janaxia, able to support her with just one hand.

‘Who the hell are you, and what do you want?’

The dagger made it seem like more than just a mugging, but the attacker stayed silent, hood covering their face. They moved to attack again, swift horizontal slices, Stathis parrying, the blades clashing without sound. This time they pressed their advantage, turning a shoulder to take an awkward slice back from Stathis, impacting against concealed armour, before they struck back. The blade cut against Stathis’ own shoulder, cut welling with blood and a piercing, feverish heat. As it cut across, it sliced into Janaxia’s leg, making her kick out, narrowly missing their attackers face, but at least pushing them back.

Stathis took advantage of the opening, stepping back to get the space she needed for a full lunge, putting all her weight and strength behind it, straight into the top of their thigh. Without any armour, her blade penetrated straight into them. A bolt of darkness suddenly blasted forward, sending them flying backwards into a wall, hard enough to leave a small crater in the cheap plaster. They sank to the ground, Stathis putting one foot on their weapon as she put her blade against their neck, and flipped their hood back.

A swirling haze of crimson mist twisted and writhed, tendrils snapping at the light before fading away, the armour falling to the ground, rags and bandages spilling to the ground as the supporting material abruptly vanished, everything slick and wet, with what looked like blood, along with the reek of gore. Stathis kicked the heap of armour and rags to reveal a ruined and broken mass of bones wet with blood, just in case the thing could come back, before Janaxia’s gagged mumbling came over her shoulders. There was a pause and a shifting of weight, before a voice spoke over her shoulder.

‘I do sincerely hope you have a good explanation for what is happening here. Being naked in the backstreets is most decidedly not what I was expecting to awaken to. And gagged, no less.’ Despite her strident words, her voice was weak, her grip on Stathis fading. ‘And where, pray tell, have my clothes gone? Being in such a place as this, entirely naked, is somewhat beyond the pale. If you would kindly put me down so that I may address this issue?’

Stathis complied, squatting to allow Janaxia to dismount, the ground squelching as she did so. She started to turn to better talk, as Janaxia stopped her. ‘I would thank you to show some courtesy, and face the wall, until I am attired correctly.’

‘You do know I’ve seen you naked before, right? And not even that long ago, either.’

‘No, you have seen me nude, not naked. There is quite a marked difference! Now kindly show some decorum.’ Stathis sighed, but obeyed, facing the wall as there was a surge of shattered, endless frost and biting ice from behind her. ‘Now you may turn around.’

Stathis obeyed – Janaxia had opted for something rather more mundane than normal, without any of the usual enticing cutouts or lace, but with a rather severe and high neckline, tight sleeves coming to sharply pointed shapes on the backs of her hands, all in a tight and severe black. It was rather more “strict governess” than her usual image, although there was still a delicately twisted silver belt tight around the waist, and the material clung tightly to her legs as she walked. She held out Stathis’ belt. ‘I believe this is yours?’

Stathis took the belt, quickly buckling it back on. ‘So, how much do you remember? Also, you should keep an eye out for any other attackers.’ Stathis picked up the knife, immediately dropping it again as a fierce heat bit into her fingers. ‘Would you mind taking a look at this?’

Janaxia awkwardly moved past her, trying to avoid brushing against the dirty walls. She bent and picked up the knife, apparently without any ill-effect. ‘So, would you care to explain quite what happened? As an act of charity, I agreed to attend the temple with you, but quite what manner of circumstances led to this, I would be most interested in hearing. And the taste of leather in my mouth is most distasteful.’ She crossed her arms and stared at Stathis.

‘Well, you had some kind of fever and started burning up. I was walking you back, when some shadow-blood-monster attacked with that knife. And you seem to be better now.’ Stathis looked through the armour and rags – it all appeared mundane enough, the armour a standard breastplate, the cloak bereft of any markings, albeit soaked in blood. The only thing that seemed strange was a small silver bowl, smeared with bloodstains. Runic glyphs had been crudely cut into the soft metal, but Stathis was able to touch it without provoking any reaction.

‘And my clothing? A fever scarcely necessitates being stripped, I believe?’

‘That melted. Your clothing is mostly just magic, isn’t it, so I guess the fever broke the spell or something - I don’t know how your magic works, maybe try wearing real clothing instead? Anyway, can we get out of here in case that thing comes back, and so we’re not bickering in some random alleyway? I don’t think it’s much further to go.’

Janaxia glared at her again, grip tightening on the dagger. ‘That may be wise, yes. Although I really do hope you have an appropriate explanation for all of this. And why I appear to have rope marks on my wrists. And for the gag, that seemed wholly inappropriate, not to mention dirty.’

‘You were twitching and shaking, and I didn’t want you to fall off the bed. Or to bite off your tongue! Look, let’s get out of here now, and I’ll talk about it later.’

Janaxia sniffed and spun around, striding out of the alleyway, forcing Stathis to follow along behind. She walked with a stiff back, taking swift, angry strides. Although Stathis couldn’t see her expression, from the way that none of the street vendors or beggars troubled her, she wasn’t making any attempt to hide her displeasure. Stathis sighed. This was going to be a pain in the ass, wasn’t it? Should she tell Janaxia that she’d been somehow infected with a spiritual infection of holiness, of all damn things? Or just try and get her exorcised, or get her to bathe in holy water?

Janaxia’s sense of direction seemed to be better than her own, and she quickly led them back to their base. Hakara met them at the entrance, flicking her fingers to dispel a protective ward around the gate, spell-markings drawn in chalk, some glowing with a pale blue light. As soon as they were within the threshold, the symbols resumed their glow.

‘I have put protective wardings in place, in case of attackers. Although if I could have some hair from each of you, then I can alter the spells so that you won’t be affected.’

‘What do these defences do? I’d rather none of the locals get blown up or anything.’

‘I’ve only used holding and binding spells. But it seemed best to prepare rather a lot of them, just in case. I may try and get into the roof, in case of flying attackers like that banshee.’

‘OK, thanks. Some warning would be appreciated in future though. If you go up, be careful not to fall off.’

Janaxia coughed, somehow managing to make even that sound angry. ‘Now, I believe an explanation of some sort is owed? I would be quite interested in hearing in quite why you were manhandling my naked and gagged body down a frankly atrocious backalley. And to claim to have been attacked by someone with such a paltry weapon!’ She still had the strange dagger in hand, and flicked the blade. Part of it fell into dust, motes falling to the ground. ‘While my strength may be lacking, that I can break this thing with just a touch would render it somewhat useless as a weapon, hmmm? So, kindly explain.’

Hakara yelped and hurried away, busying herself with another section of wall, daubing wards there, not wanting to get involved.

‘It’s like I said, you had a fever. And it seemed better to bring you back here than to leave you in a random tavern near the temple. Do you feel alright now? You were burning up, and your clothing melted.’

‘I would thank you not to draw attention to that particular detail. It would be quite sufficient to note that my usual spells had a minor error.’ The dagger was continuing to disintegrate, some of the motes falling onto her hand, where they promptly vanished. Her lash gained more colour, some of the deathly pallor leaving her cheeks.

‘Fine, whatever. “Your clothing spell broke”. You seemed to be in quite a lot of pain, I could feel burning through that creepy mind-talk thing you do, and you were sweating a lot.’

‘That is something else that you don’t need to mention! Stathis, show at least some decorum, please. But I do find myself in need of cleansing.’ She took the hilt of the dagger and crushed it in her hand, far less material falling to the ground than there should have been. She stalked off up the stairs, slamming the door shut behind herself.

Once she was gone, Stathis walked over to Hakara. ‘Gods, sorry about that. She’ll calm down soon, I hope. Anyway, do you have any idea what this might be?’ She pulled out the silver bowl. ‘A blood-shadow-thing wearing armour attacked us. When the body dissolved, that was left behind. Any ideas?’

Hakara took the bowl, carefully feeling it, easily digging her nail into the soft material, the dried blood cracking. ‘Pure silver, I think. It’s a summoning nexus – it can be used to increase control of a summoned entity. They can be used for demons and similar entities possessed of their own spirit, although are more commonly used for elementals and spirits that lack true spirits of their own.’

‘Right, so that shadow-thing probably wasn’t a demon? It didn’t look very demonic, to be honest, but confirmation is good. Why aren’t they used for demons?’

‘Given a demon your own blood is generally a bad idea – most dislike being summoned, and can use it for their own purposes. But spirits and elementals don’t have the same awareness. The bowl gives them greater purchase in this realm, although at the cost of the health of the summoner.’

‘Could a wizard use the blood of someone else for the summoning?’ Stathis thought of the people going missing.

‘Yes, but it would require a lot of blood. And no reputable wizard would do such a thing.’

‘I doubt any reputable wizards are involved with this! Have you warned the others about the warding stuff? Might be a problem if Semari ran into it.’

‘Yes, she is aware. Although Parth was able to traverse it without issue. And refuses to explain quite how she is able to do so.’

‘Well, you know what elves are like. I think she’s sliding into the ethereal realm, so can just walk through most stuff. Anyway, where is everyone else?’

‘Semari is helping Jalmi with some local matters. Parth is keeping watch.’ Hakara paused before continuing. ‘Are matters alright between yourself and Miss Janaxia? She looked quite upset.’

‘It was just a misunderstanding. She’ll get over it soon enough. She just gets moody sometimes. I’ve no idea what the hell it was, but she was burning up at the temple. And I still didn’t get healed!’

‘According to legend, those who learn secrets from Akoni of the Fates are often driven to madness and insanity. While to seek magical tuition from such a legend would be enlightening, do you now think she is risking too much, when she is such a powerful wizard already?’

Stathis remembered the scratch marks all over Janaxia’s body. ‘Well, I don’t think they studied together much. No, she’s just having a bad day, leave her be and she’ll be alright soon enough. Can you take some of my hair so I don’t get blown up, then I’ll go and investigate some more. There’s something not right here, and I want to know what. Oh, and if you can find out anything about the nexus bowl, someone called up a shadow to attack me, and I’d rather that not happen again.’ She drew her sword, hacking off a small piece of hair and handing it over. ‘Gods. I need to go meet Brina, try to keep everything calm here, please? And thanks for the warding spells. Actually, can you check the bracelets as well, see if you can tell anything about the magic on them?’