While he had been quite attractive when alive, death had been deleterious in virtually every respect, not helped by his submersion, leaving him puffy and faintly nibbled. Even the pots of burning herbs did little to improve the odour of rotting flesh. Anytha was looking on with interest, although with Tamura standing close by, one hold holding a long knife, blade inscribed with ashen glyphs.

Kita was preparing a ritual circle, the process seeming to sooth her nerves somewhat, restoring some measure of confidence, although she quailed in a most satisfactory manner every time she looked at Janaxia.

You have some uses, at least. Kita twitched nervously but didn’t stop her actions as Janaxia spoke aloud. ‘Hopefully this will tell us something useful. Such a shame that no-one seemed to know who he was.’

Anytha smiled apologetically. ‘Ah, yes, well, Sathina is something of a rogue, he does like to operate an “open door” policy. It tends to make for a lively atmosphere, although the occasional reprobate can make their way in. They are not normally violent, although one does have to watch out for wandering fingers.’

Kita began to cast her spell, bending her fingers through the ritual gestures, incanting the spell, her voice cracking on some parts of it, showing the flaws in her technique. But it seemed to be having an effect, a vague energy shimmering around the body, tinting the flesh in colours closer to living skin. A ghostly copy of the man’s face appeared, superimposed over his water-swollen one for a moment, eyes closed. Then the ghostly copy moved, a translucent image rising up out of the body, hovering in the empty air before turning to face Kita. The copy was dressed as he had been in life, the ethereal clothing not waterlogged and tainted by mud.

The ghost’s eyes flicked open, burning with silvery energy, a matching light appearing around Kita’s hands.

‘I have called you back to the realm of the living to answer my questions!’ Her voice was suddenly loud and confident, her back straight, without any shaking or trembling. The ghost looked about itself, seeming stupored and dazed, looking through them without seeming to register their presence, until it turned to face Janaxia. Their expression changed, fear and hate covering their ghostly features. They twitched, but were bound within Kita’s magic, unable to speak without being prompted.

‘Who are you?’

A slight sheen of colour covered his face as Kita’s question allowed him to speak. He looked at Janaxia with narrowed eyes, trying to move his ghostly body, the magic constraining him other than his tongue and mouth. When he spoke, his voice was an eerie, ethereal whisper, something she had to strain to hear.

‘The slayer of the light, the witch of shadows! You destroyed the child of light, and for that, you shall be slain.’

Kita gestured, cutting off his words, stilling his movement, although his look was still harsh.

‘Can you not compel him to speak in a more useful manner?’

Kita quailed at Janaxia’s words but shook her head. ‘His spirit must respond to my call, but is not bound to truth. What would you have me ask?’

Ask where he came from, or who sent him. ‘Although it seems unlikely we will get anything useful. Could we threaten his body?’

‘His spirit has moved on already. This is but a shadow of him, without any true awareness.’

A pity. Well, ask away, and we shall see if any useful information can be gained.

‘Who sent you?’

‘I serve the light! You shall be burnt away and purified, your body fed to the crows!’ The spirit’s eyes were starting to glow with the fervent light of a fanatic, as Kivata forced them to stop again, their mouth slamming shut.

Anytha moved past Tamura, ignoring her annoyed look as he approached the apparition and carefully studied it from all angles, although without touching.

‘Fascinating! I have never seen a thing so close. A shame he cannot be compelled into answering more fully. But I can see a certain amount of deceit that could be utilised, if one were to have the questions asked by a presumptive ally.’

Sweat was starting to bead on Kita’s brow as she fought to maintain her focus on the spell. She spoke quickly now, trying to ask as much as possible before the spell expired. ‘Thankyou. Wereyouworkingalone?’ She inhaled deeply, the focus clearly costing her. Perhaps after this, a treat would be in order for her – maybe a few biscuits or somesuch? Kita seemed to have few pleasures in life, what would she enjoy?

‘We are hidden and as legion as the stars, and will not rest until you are slain! For killing the light of the world, you shall be destroyed!’

Ghostly spittle was starting to fleck his lips, working himself up into a rant, as Janaxia sighed. ‘The man seems quite deranged. Clearly the product of some mad cult or suchlike.’

Semari was, surprisingly, keeping a distance and not poking the spirit. ‘Aren’t cultists normally with your lot, not trying to kill you? And he was well dressed. Cultists don’t dress well, that’s, like, a rule. And his weapon was normal, not covered with creepy runes and stuff. He wanted you dead-dead, not special-ritual-dead or anything. Sure you don’t recognise him?’

‘My dalliances have, sadly, not been so common of late that I could forget one! I am quite certain I have never seen him before.’ In irritation, Janaxia waved her hand through the ethereal image, feeling a slight heaviness in the air, some force clinging to her fingers. The spirit flickered, as a sensation of claggy warmth, like eating too much rich food at once, flowed up her arm. The form reacted with terror, trying to break away before disappearing with a hissing sound, air rushing into the space it had occupied.

Kita stumbled, looking dazed before recovering herself, shaking off the effect of the spell. She must have fumbled and let her concentration slip, for it to fail so swiftly. And they had gained little of use! Although it had cost nothing but some effort from Kita, so no great loss either. Semari poked the corpse, making a rather distasteful squelching noise. ‘You ever heard of, like, a murder-sun-cult? They’re normally all skulls and pointy things and horns and stuff, this dude’s got suns and stuff though. Although he’s starting to fester a bit.’ She poked again, with a lot more force, the skin rupturing and grotesque-smelling goo oozing out.

Janaxia waved her hand, the vile stuff compacting itself together into a ball and flying into a conveniently-placed empty goblet, then moved closer to the body. Semari had already ripped the man’s clothing off, revealing a well-toned chest, despite the water-logged flesh. Over his heart was a wavey-edged circle, a stylised representation of a sun, a spiked corona around a central disc. It glinted slightly in the pale light, metal somehow embedded into the skin as well, lending an interesting dash of colour to the design.

Semari poked a finger into their chest, skin and bone yielding under her probing, pushing into their flesh, then pulling on the metal. The smell was just like being back at home as the golden sheen moved, skin tearing apart as she withdrew a long, thin thread of gold, with a small gem on one end, pulsing with a faint blue light, which then guttered and died. She waggled it around, the wire stiff enough that it bobbed and waved around.

‘Hmmm, how peculiar. Kita, have you seen anything similar?’ A few of Trakatha’s experiments were similar, I think?

‘Yes, but they weren’t on someone alive. To weave such power into living flesh, that takes great skill, and resources. And a willing subject. It would hurt a lot.’

She looked up, smiling in satisfaction at her knowledge, meeting Janaxia’s eyes just for a moment and then looking away, fear swelling on her face. Very good. Anything else?

Some of the fear diminished in her eyes, and she continued to speak. ‘It would take a lot of time to do, and probably couldn’t be done alone. But could be used to enhance the individual, increasing their strength and agility.’ She bit her lip nervously, looking suddenly drained, almost exhausted.

It seemed somewhat concerning to be targeted by such an individual, especially with the implication that they were not alone. Tamura inspect the body, blood and other liquids flowing from where Semari had ripped the thing out of the flesh. ‘Who have you managed to piss off? If there’s likely to be any more attacks, then…’ She glanced at Anytha, who gave a slight nod. ‘Then you will be asked to leave.’

Well, that was irksome, but somewhat understandable. ‘Your party tomorrow is for friends and intimates only? That should be safe enough, then, and make an acceptable point to make my departure?’

Both Tamura and Anytha nodded, Anytha smiling. ‘Thank you for being so understanding. It is something of a nuisance when my guests wish to over-extend their welcome.’

Vrintar spoke, clear distaste on her features, keeping a clear space between herself and the corpse. ‘There is a business matter we must discuss with you, Janaxia.’

‘Ah yes, business, the ever-present devil that haunts us all.’ Anytha stepped close to Janaxia and gave her a kiss. ‘Do come see me when you are done, we should try and have as much fun as possible in your remaining time here. Although I think I have business of my own to attend to, and so will leave you to your own.’ He looked at the body a final time, giving a melodramatic shudder, before exiting, Tamura following behind.

Vrintar waited until they were gone and out of earshot before speaking again. ‘It is unlikely that this is the only one that wants you dead. Were you not here to achieve some goal?’

‘I… yes. Yes, I was.’ She had gotten so distracted she had forgotten! To acquire information about the Black Triad, and secure access to the vaults of Belazaan. ‘A shame that this visit must be curtailed, but yes. I shall have to investigate.’

‘You going to poke the stone-thingy in the lobby? I reckon that’s a starting point. How did you forget?’

Janaxia brushed her hair back, drawing back from the corpse. ‘Well, events have been rather busy lately. But yes, it would be somewhat problematic to return without anything to show for our time.’

‘If you’re not paying us, then we’ll stick around here. Plenty of business, find a new group and sign up. Or enter the fighting tournament, make some easy money there. You wanna stick around, Vrintar?’

‘I think so, for a time at least. This is an interesting place, and I have yet to visit the grand markets. Are you sure you wish to return, Janaxia? You could remain with us. If you were to change your name, then you may even be able to hide. Take some dungeon jobs, get away from the cities?’

‘I think not.’ Give up her name? For a short period of time, for a ruse, maybe, but for anything longer? No, surely not! Although returning might be problematic, but she couldn’t leave the family! Although hopefully the imminent strife would have been resolved in some fashion, rather than slowly brewing still. She most definitely did not want to find herself in the middle of a conflict between Mother, Peresperan and Ophexia, where she would likely be a pawn to be moved by others, and hopefully not sacrificed. ‘Thank you for your aid, but we may be parting ways then. The party should give a useful cover for any… misadventure that may occur.’

‘Hey, you gonna go poke the stone thingie? I got gold riding on the outcome. Although Vrintar bets less than Parth. I don’t think it will make you explode though. And I saw you fussing around it yesterday.’

‘I am more cautious. But I am surprised you have been less active with your investigations. Is he that talented a lover, Janaxia?’

‘He is more than adequate in that respect. Witty enough, more than usually charming, although it does feel a little rote, I must confess. There is little passion there, even a little fumbling would be almost preferable. It feels as though he is playing a role himself. Although I must confess that mine is an easy and pleasurable part to play!’ Why hadn’t she investigated more? It was pleasurable to relax, but there had been opportunity to do more. What had she been doing? The days seemed to have slipped past in a strange blur. She didn’t remember that. But it seemed worthy of investigation – although they had been warned not to, so she would have to be careful not to be seen. And get Kita to touch it first, just in case it were trapped, cursed or otherwise dangerous. And of course there was the party to prepare for! If this were to be her final night here, then she should make herself look as good as possible. And make sure that a few of the dresses and jewels made their way into her pack before leaving.