After wandering about the fair herself for a while, Stathis returned to the castle and opened the door to their shared chamber. Thick, impenetrable darkness could be seen, a solid line of the stuff ending just in front of her. She gingerly touched it – it was no more physical than any other darkness, but it was still unnerving to see. Fortunately, it was a quiet hallway, so no-one else had noticed it, as she took her sword out, carefully poking through the darkness, and checking that the floor was still there.

Hakara incanted, a pale blue sphere of light appearing above her hand. She gestured, sending it into the darkness, where it vanished without effect.

Stathis waved her hand through the darkness again. It was simple shadow, but without anything casting it, simply there and utterly impenetrable. ‘So, any ideas?’

‘Darkness is not an unusual spell, but it rarely persists for long without maintenance. I assume Miss Janaxia still slumbers within? Impressive to maintain even such a low-level spell for such a length of time.’

‘Impressive, but also weird, I’m guessing, without any magical gear and stuff?’ Hakara nodded. ‘OK, I’m going in. If I start screaming or something, then try and save me. And Janaxia, I guess, if she’s still in here somewhere.’ Stathis stepped forward, into the darkness, feeling ahead of herself with her sheathed sword, using it like a cane. It was hard to tell if it was better or worse than Janaxia’s ‘normal’ darkness – although the lack of acidic tentacles was a plus, at least that had the distant gleaming of something in the distance. This was just solid, impenetrable darkness, enough that it was impossible to tell if her eyes were open or closed. She took small steps, trying to follow along a wall, avoiding the side of the room with Hakara’s spell in, not wanting to end up accidentally straying into another dimension.

There was the rustle of fabric, and a yawn. ‘Ah, Stathis. Good afternoon.’ Janaxia’s voice sounded from the darkness, somewhere close by. Stathis took another slow, awkward step, feeling towards the bed, sword tapping against something wooden; was that the bed? ‘What are you doing? I do hope you haven’t been drinking; it really is a little early in the day for such behaviour.’

Stathis turned towards the voice, still trying to keep in touch with the wall to keep some sense of place.

‘Are you quite alright? You appear to be quite afflicted.’

‘Um, do you see anything strange, Janaxia?’ She moved the sword again – yes, that must be the bed, a solid wooden thud answering as she blindly tapped around.

There was another yawning sound. ‘Other than yourself? Really, your behaviour is quite bizarre.’

‘So, you can see normally? And don’t notice the impenetrable darkness?’

There was a long silence, followed by a series of soft, parchment-y sounds. ‘Ah, it must be some strange side-affect of Hakara’s spell. Allow me a moment and I believe I can rectify the matter.’

‘Wait, don’t do…’ Stathis couldn’t finish her sentence before Janaxia started to cast a spell, not-words searing Stathis’ mind and soul, making her shudder. A cold wave washed over her body, making her hair stand on end. Then the darkness vanished, normal daylight filling the room. Janaxia was sat on the bed, stark naked, her book open and text searing itself into the pages, tattoo spinning on her chest, crimson lash burning bright. Was it even larger than normal? Hakara’s glyph spluttered, faded then blinked out.

Stathis shivered, trying to shake off the cold that had washed over her, as Janaxia looked at her. For a moment, her eyes burnt red, before blinking back to their usual green. ‘Is something the matter, Stathis? You appear discomfited.’

‘That darkness was… what was that?’

Janaxia coughed and looked away. ‘A lady does sometimes require proper conditions in which to rest, and I neglected to bring an eyemask.’

‘That sounds a bit, um, vampiric? Are you feeling OK? Not wanting to bite any necks or anything?’ She stepped forward, putting the back of her hand on Janaxia’s forehead – she was still warm to the touch, at least, rather than corpse-cool, and her skin looked soft and warm. And flushing red, suddenly warmer. Stathis coughed and stepped away, putting some distance between them. Hakara stepped inside, looking curiously at the two of them, squeaking when she saw Janaxia’s nudity, before a dressing gown formed itself around Janaxia’s body.

‘I felt the sudden disruption of magical forces; is everything alright?’

Janaxia stilled looked somewhat flustered, her dressing gown changing from clinging silks to more comfortable, heavier cloth. ‘Oh yes, everything is quite in order. Simply experimenting with a new spell; it was more efficacious than expected, and required forceful cancellation. Although I must apologise for disrupting your own spell – I do hope that nothing was stored within?’

‘No, as I wasn’t sure of how long it would last. But such a sudden disruption to the fabric of the spell could have disastrous consequences – it could have unravelled in a potentially destructive fashion. Please be more careful in future!’

There was a sudden rumbling, a tremor running through the walls, walls groaning as they were twisted slightly, making Stathis glad she was already stood next to a wall for support. It only lasted a few seconds before stopping, but from the shouts and cries from outside, had caused some panic. Stathis braced herself against the wall in case of more quakes, but the ground stayed mercifully still.

Janaxia looked ashamed for once, perhaps taken aback by Hakara’s vehemence. ‘My apologies, Hakara. It was perhaps, shall we say, hasty of me to take such action. I will endeavour to be more careful in the future.’

‘Please do!’

Stathis moved away from the wall, now there didn’t seem to be any more quakes happening. ‘Did that cause the earthquake?’ Janaxia’s face was changing, as her makeup appeared, lips reddening, eyeshadow and mascara colouring themselves into being.

‘I doubt it. Simply a coincidence, no doubt.’ Janaxia closed her book, the pages moving together with a funereal clap, a metal clasp clicking shut. Had it always had that? Stathis moved closer, checking Janaxia over, trying to spot if she had changed at all. Her horns were currently unadorned, the black curves blending into her hair, bony ridges and curves shiny. Janaxia turned to look at her, looking tired despite having only just awoken, as her makeup finished appearing.

‘Are you OK? You’re looking a bit tired. There’s nothing going on, is there?’

A touch of indignation crept into Janaxia’s voice, as she looked up, meeting Stathis’ gaze. It was tempting to try and compel her into telling the truth, but infusing her with holy power seemed unlikely to help matters – aside from being rude and likely raising a lot of questions Stathis didn’t want to answer, it might provoke some reaction from Janaxia, or her tattoo or book.

‘No. I am simply studying magic. And, loath though I am to admit it, I made a mistake. Although the darkness was most relaxing and aided my slumber significantly.’ Now her makeup was done, her clothing was shifting, as she moved away from Stathis. There was an enticing flash of skin as her dressing gown faded away, quickly replaced by a tight tunic in the asymmetrical style she seemed to be favouring currently, tight trousers curving into existence. ‘Hakara, I’m sure you must have had a certain share of misadventure in your learning?’

‘Well, yes. A certain amount of trial and error is inevitable. Although I am impressed by managing to make a spell persist for such a duration.’ She paused, as a stylish half-cape appeared, draping itself over one of Janaxia’s arms. ‘Would it be possible to exchange notes at some point? I would be interested to see how you achieved such an effect.’

Janaxia fussed over her clothing, for some reason feeling the need to manually adjust it. Well, if she would insist upon strange clothing, even if it was warm against the cutting winds, then she would have to live with the consequences. Although the cut-outs must reduce its warmth and protectiveness. ‘I wouldn’t wish to be an imposition upon your studies.’

Her tone was oddly scathing and bitter, and from how she was standing, she was annoyed or upset, or both. Before Stathis could press for answers, the door burst open, startling everyone, Hakara jumping out of the way. Larrik stood there, still in full armour, his followers behind him.

‘Knight Stathis! So this is where you’ve been hiding. And with your… companion.’ His tone dripped with scorn and contempt as he glared at Janaxia. ‘But your lies and deceit will soon end.’ He flourished a long piece of paper, covered with dense writing, and even a seal at the bottom. ‘By the ancient rites and laws of the Knights of the Sun, I am challenging you to a duel. Beneath the eye of heaven, which purifies all beneath its eternal glory, you must prove yourself in all the arts of knighthood. When you lose, then the title of “Knight” shall be stripped from you.’

‘What the hell? Larrik, I know we’ve had issues in the past, but this seems crazy.’

‘Oh? You destroyed a sacred artefact, helped overthrow a Duke in a coup, seduced and corrupted several maidens, destroyed a pristine mountain meadow and even more. And you dally with’, he gestured at Janaxia, ‘low and vulgar sorts, bringing further shame and disgrace upon our order! The Knights of the Sun used to be a force of justice amongst the Kingdoms, not the drunken rabble we have since descended to. I shall purge the wicked and indolent from our numbers and restore our former glory; starting with you.’

‘Just let it go! You had a bad experience with a sorceress; it happens, deal with it. Seriously, what is your problem? I even covered for you back then!’

‘People like you, who seek the title of Knight purely for their own vainglory, and who cavort with followers.’ He hissed the word, glaring at Janaxia. ‘To bear such horns, even as decoration – a mark of sin that cannot be allowed to stand! You, Knight Stathis, shall now be made to pay for your crimes.’

A sudden warmth pushed itself against Stathis, as Janaxia entwined their arms, apparently feeling this was the moment for a show of solidarity. It was slightly undercut by Stathis having to learn away to avoid being stabbed in the neck by a horn, now capped with a silver spike. Larrik flung the paper at Stathis, glaring at her. There was an awkward pause, Stathis meeting his gaze, as Hakara scurried between them, picking the paper up before hurriedly retreating, standing next to Janaxia, the two of them reading it.

The staredown was getting uncomfortably long, whatever scent Janaxia was wearing today pleasant but making Stathis’ nose itch, and it wasn’t really a good time to scratch. The détente was broken by Janaxia. ‘You may wish to bend your will towards a victory, Stathis, as the penalty for loss appears rather steep. Your hands, in fact.’

‘What the hell?’ Stathis snatched the paper for herself, quickly scanning through the wasted words, of ritual, crimes under the heavens and the like. Beneath that was the challenge itself, with a rather lengthy list of Stathis’ alleged crimes – many at least partially accurate, but all taken entirely out of context and made to sound far worse. And then, beneath that, yes – that, should she fail, then, to ensure she could never function as a knight, her hands would be removed. And should she flee, then the same fate would be meted out. ‘Larrik, what the fuck is wrong with you? I know we’ve had issues, but maiming me?’

‘You are everything that is wrong with the Order! And shall serve as an example. I trust that you at least have sufficient pride, if not honour, to submit to these terms? Should you flee, then the punishment shall be just the same. And drawn up fully in accordance with the laws and rules of our order. If you wish, I shall even have it blessed by the High Priestess of the Whispering Flame.’

Stathis crumpled the paper in her fist. ‘You really shouldn’t make promises you can’t follow through. When I win, I’m taking your damn sword. I don’t care if it’s a family heirloom.’

His hand went to the hilt, almost reflexively. It was ornately shaped, a stylised sunburst of gold, gleaming brightly whenever the sun struck it. ‘That one such as you would even dream of wielding the Sunfang is nothing short of obscene. I would advise that you accept your loss now; I promise I will make it as swift and painless as I can.’

‘I’m not letting you chop my bloody hands off! Fine, when are we doing this? Tomorrow? Sod off until then!’

‘Yeah, fuck off!’ Semari’s face came from the window, her face looking through the slit. ‘Hi. This wall is really easy to climb. So, like, what’s going on? This window isn’t big enough to climb through.’ Her arm appeared through the small hole, waving around.

It was hard to maintain a serious mood with Semari’s upside-down face lurking outside the window, her arm making rude gestures broadly aimed at Larrik, his expression getting darker and darker. It didn’t take long until he had had enough, turning on a heel and leaving.

Janaxia was still attached, although her presence was somewhat comforting, for once. ‘Well, that gentleman did seem rather rude! Most unpleasant. Although it does seem a rather varied set of challenges. Jousting, a race, a duel with a magician and a duel with swords. Certainly quite a sight for the audience, I suppose.’

Stathis flattened out the paper. ‘I can use allies though, can’t I?’ Her eyes skimmed over the text. ‘Yes, those that “wish to vouch for the honour of the accused, and swear to their virtue, may fight for their cause”. Thanks the gods for that. Would you mind helping out, Janaxia?’

‘Oh? And would you not wish Hakara by your side? No doubt you think her the superior wielder of magic?’ Janaxia’s tone was tinged with bitterness, as Stathis squeezed her hand, Janaxia’s face showing surprise and softening slightly.

‘I’ve told you before, that you really need to stop worrying about that. There’s nothing wrong with your magic. And in a duel, it’s more unexpected.’ She turned to face Janaxia, having to yank quite hard to pull herself away so they could speak face-to-face. ‘Imagine how impressive and dramatic you would look. And defeating a rival mage in a duel is the sort of thing Kinnevar would do, isn’t it?’

It didn’t take much to persuade Janaxia, whose eyes suddenly brightened. ‘Of course, it shall be quite the feat to defeat a foe personally!’ Her lash brightened with anticipation, a slight predatory grin coming to her face, Stathis swaying backwards as a horn-spike moved close again.

‘Glad to have your support.’ Stathis turned towards the window. ‘Uh, I don’t suppose you could come inside?’ The arm waved at her, Semari’s face now right-way up.

‘I mean, I could, but it’d take, like, ages to get down to the ground, then find my way through everything. It’s a bit windy out here, but not too bad. Although the guards are giving me funny looks.’

‘Sure, OK. Right, so are you willing to help me?’

The hand made some more rude gestures. ‘Sure, sounds fun. Although I don’t like fighting people in heavy armour, it hurts when I punch them.’

‘Don’t worry, that won’t be a problem. I’ll take the duel. Dammit, if Parth were here this would be a lot easier. I’m sure we can figure something out though. Hakara, sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you out, but Janaxia does have more battle experience.’

‘That’s quite alright. This sounds rather more violent than I’m used to. Although I am rather concerned about these allegations against you, Stathis. I thought you were a decent sort.’

Stathis sighed. ‘They’re all exaggerations and huge stretches of the truth. Like what happened at Cormontara – yes, we overthrew the Duke, or helped at least, but that was because he was a demon-summoning bastard. And I most certainly did not ravish a bard and a noble in Redcastle years ago!’

Janaxia tutted. ‘I should hope not. Initiating such things seems entirely outside your interests.’ She looked disapprovingly at Stathis.

‘Well, Brina was entirely willing, as was Karenulra. And they actually started it all, I was exhausted after fighting cultists and demons. So they’re all just exaggerations. I was even more exhausted after they were done though!’ Janaxia made something that sounded like a low growl, Stathis glancing at her. Was she getting more demonic?

‘This Knight Larrik certainly seems to have taken quite strongly against you. I believe he is of the Haringjays? High rank, although fallen upon hard times. And with little of their former influence. And if he is as wedded to his ideals of knighthood as he seems, one imagines that he will not be siring heirs anytime soon. Many lines do end in such pitiful issue. But quite why does he hate you so much? His hatred burns with a clarity that would be almost impressive, were it directed elsewhere.’

‘Yeah, we used to work together. It didn’t end well. And probably explains some of his issues. There was an evil sorceress, she charmed him with her magic and her charms, it didn’t go well. And to think, I even covered for him at the time! But he’s had a thing against me, and, uh, attractive female spellcasters, ever since. Thinks they’re going to charm him and steal his energy or something. And he blames me. Didn’t think he’d be such a dick about it all though.’

Janaxia pushed herself closer. ‘Oh? So you think I’m attractive?’

Stathis stepped back, so she could cast her eye over Janaxia’s current outfit, fresh-formed from raw magical power: the tight black trousers sheathing her legs and hips, her tunic cut to bare her shoulder and leave her trim stomach bare, a ruby studding her navel. ‘Uh, yes. That’s fairly obvious. So he’s probably going to think you’re out to enchant and destroy him or something. I doubt your family history will help with that, to be honest.’

Janaxia winced in distaste. ‘Oh no, that seems improbable. He is of good blood, and I suppose not unattractive, if one has a penchant for muscle and determination, but he has a most distasteful personality. And a frankly unappealing devotion to his code.’ She smiled. ‘I find your, shall we say, moral flexibility, far more appealing.’

‘I like to think of it as “practicality”, myself. Either way, he’s a prick. If he’s kept pointed at monsters, he’s not that bad, but he just sucks when people are involved. And now he wants to chop my bloody hands off! He really needs to loosen up, if he wasn’t so uptight about being a knight I’d say he just needs to get laid. I don’t think that’s an option for him though.’

‘So you are clearly not sworn to chastity yourself then, Stathis?’ Janaxia was looking at her, with sudden bright-eyed interest.

‘I thought I’d mentioned that before? Not as such, no. I sort of got the chapter master drunk and mumbled through that bit of the oath. It seems a lot of extra stress, for no good reason.’

Janaxia nodded, slightly too enthusiastically, horn-tips shining. ‘Yes, I concur. Such things are only impositions in the way of pleasure. So, he is an enemy to be crushed, then?’

‘More “defeated” than crushed. Let’s not do anything permanent to them, OK? He’s a prick, but he’s not a demon or anything.’

Semari’s arm withdrew itself, the chamber going dark as she moved and blocked the light. ‘Hey, there’s something going on in town. Looks like some people in cloaks. But green, so they’re probably not evil. Unless they’re in disguise. I’m gonna go check it out.’

The light returned as Semari let herself drop, Stathis moving to the window, glancing down to check Semari hadn’t injured herself. In the town, a small group of green-cloaked individuals were walking through, sticking close together, everyone else keeping their distance.