The passageway was old and well-worn, probably having been used by generations of travellers wanting to evade detection. From how far they had walked, they must be outside of the district by now, but there was nothing down here that could be used to tell. In the low light, she could make out occasional markings on the wall, paint daubed on the wall into territorial symbols. A few magical effects shed fitful glows in red or purple tints, showing what looked to once have been buildings, now hidden by what had been built atop them.

Whenever they heard the chittering scraping of rats, everyone froze, weapons at the ready. Specks of green hung in the distance, before blinking out and hopefully moving away.

‘What’s with the rats?’

Karanth shrugged. ‘They live down here. Sometimes they swarm up and need dealing with. Good bounty on the tails, but it’s dangerous work. The more of them there are, the more powerful they get. There’s tales of a giant one down here somewhere popping out all the rest, but no-one’s dumb enough to go and look.’

‘What do the nobles think about this place?’

‘They try and wall it off or close it down sometimes, but there’s so many passages down here they can’t get them all. And even they need to move things in secret ways, or dumping stuff. Some of pits and tunnels go down deep, don’t wanna know what’s down there. Being down here during a triple moon is a bad idea as well, all sorts of weird shit happens. Walls fading and vanishing, monsters appearing, bad stuff.’

‘I think I get the idea. I’ve seen similar stuff in other places. Explains why getting down here was a pain!’

‘Yeah, those gates are sturdy. No-one wants anything getting up into their part of the city!’

There had been a portcullis, and then two heavy wooden doors, both attended by armed and armoured shapes, their forms shrouded in cloaks. Stathis hadn’t asked what the arrangements were, but there had been some fervent bargaining and haggling before the clink of coins, money changing hands. The backside of the wood had been covered with scratch-marks, deep gouges into the surface, ineptly patched with more planks nailed on.

There was the general feeling of being watched, soft movement in the vague darkness – but it was unlikely that they were the only ones using the hidden passageways. A crystal on the wall burst into sudden, fitful light, flickering strobes leaving purple-green afterimages in Stathis’ eyes, as everyone groaned in pain. They moved past quickly, then had to wait until the glow faded and they could see again.

‘Was that a trap, or random old magical shit?’

Karanth shrugged. ‘Both? Either?’

‘Hey, do these tunnels extend under the palace? Could I use that to get in?’

‘They do, but…’

‘Well-guarded, full of horrible monsters, traps and guards? And actively used?’

‘Got it in one. Or so I heard, at least. Lots of bad rumours about that, and I’m not so desperate as to find out how true they are. That’s where Hruthar breeds their warriors, and I’ve seen what they look like! Grafted together from a lot of different sources, arms and heads all shoved together.’ He shivered. ‘I like my arms attached to me!’

‘More fighters for the arena? That get used to decide anything, or just for fun?’

‘Sometimes there’s bets on it, I think. I’ve seen the borders shift, or even change hands a few times. And sometimes there’s the punishment trials. Those can be good watching, at least if those taking part are any good. Bit crap if they’re old or weak or anything.’

‘For criminals?’

‘Or those that have pissed someone off that they shouldn’t have, yeah. Last time someone broke into the Palace and got caught, they got put in the arena against a bunch of monsters. That was exciting! Has this one thing, like a lion but could shoot spikes from its tail and that breathed fire. Cornered two of them and played with them, before it got bored. Not really worth betting on, but it’s free entry. Or when the Queen of Iron Scales fights – saw her take on her ten pit-fighters at once last time! Not a scratch on her. Wouldn’t think she could move that fast, but with her blades singing, just cut straight through them.’

‘Is she actually the one in charge then? What’s her territory?’

‘She showed up few years back. Turfed out Abelard, he used to run Redwall. Think he still does, but it’s hers now, and she’s throwing her weight around a fair bit, pushing the other leaders to follow her. Quietened things down a lot, I think. Seems to be less stuff changing around all the time? And the foundries are running all the time now, producing a lot of weapons and armour. Shhh!’

Stathis pressed herself against the wall and went silent, eyes straining to penetrate the darkness. She could hear a soft and squishy sound, before seeing something moving – at first it seemed like the darkness itself was moving, before she could make out several rats floating in mid-air. There was a vague shimmering around them, as though they were caught up in a forcefield. Behind them were rat-skeletons, still held in shape. On the floor there was the faintest suggestion of moisture, as Stathis started to see the thing more properly – a barely-visible blob that filled the passageway, leaving a trail behind it. It squeezed forward, some pebbles on the ground getting pulled into itself, raising off the ground, looking like they were levitating.

‘Invisible devourer. Shit, we’ll have to turn back and hope it hasn’t caught our trail.’

‘Let me deal with it.’ Stathis drew her sword and stepped away from the wall, walking towards the thing. It filled the entire passageway, as far as she could tell, a squishy-looking lump, barely visible except for the partially-dissolved rats within it. It continued to move towards her, silent except for the soft slurp sounds as it sucked and released the ground.

She thrust her sword forward, feeling a sudden gelid resistance. Liquid gushed out, hissing when it touched the floor, spreading towards her. She stabbed again, some of the rats flowing towards the puncture wounds, as the ooze flowed surged forward. It pushed up against her, sticky and slimy as it pushed itself onto her. She could feel her exposed skin starting to prickle, but held her breath, the thickness of the goo slowing her movements. A rat, not entirely dead, was by her head, flailing with its limbs, unable to break free.

Stathis swung her sword through the goop, feeling it move through the substance – was it doing anything? It continued to advance, rolling forward with her inside, as she stamped downwards to make contact with the floor, seeing a darker core ahead of her. She braced her shoulders and managed to step forward, feeling the strain from holding her breath, before stabbing forward at the darker area. When her blade touched against it, the whole creature shivered, the slime tensing around her, trying to force her away. Another stab into the core, and it released trails of darker slime, more slices cutting it apart.

The pressure around her started to lessen. She shoved herself forward, slicing the core again, her lungs starting to strain. She used her sword to try and cut her way out, the slices getting easier as whatever held it together faded or relaxed.

It was a relief to step out of the thing, suddenly able to hear properly again, stone beneath her feet rather than slime around herself. Behind her, the slime was starting to melt into a puddle, spreading over the floor, releasing a rancid stench, of rotting meat.

The others waited until more of the body had dissolved, carefully stepping over it, trying not to get the melting goop onto their shoes, jumping over the largest puddle.

‘That was certainly direct!’

‘Seemed quicker than waiting.’ Stathis shook herself, wiping off smears of dead slime. It had cleaned her armour as well, melting off the grime and dirt, the metal now shining, reflecting whatever low light was present. ‘If there’s any bounty on those things, you can have that as well.’

‘Nothing to trade in, more’s the pity. The smaller ones go for a good price as trash disposal, but the big ones are no use. Good job though! Should be almost there now, that saves us from having to backtrack.’

They kept moving through the passageways – these looked like they had once been grand and impressive, with half-broken giant statues looming over them, arms and noses broken off, leaving just torsos and mutilated faces staring down at them. Parts of the floor were gone, revealing deep, black pits.

Symbols had been painted onto the walls, daubed with black paint – Stathis couldn’t read them, but they looked similar to the symbols Semari occasionally used, thief’s marks, probably pointing out what lay down the various passages. Karanth led the way, although still moved with a cautious stealth, directing them to move around magical symbols painted onto the floor. At least the temperature down here was more comfortable, the air still but not prickling with heat.

It didn’t take them long until they came across a hole cut through the stone, leading to a set of rough steps. A cloaked figure appeared, Karanth speaking to them, coins changing hands, and they were allowed to pass, stepping back into sunlight, the heat slamming into Stathis look a hammer.

She looked around – this area looked similar to where they had left, except the buildings were in better condition, a few of them with greenery trailing down from roof-top gardens. She looked up, using the palace to judge where they were – it seemed as though they had moved in an underground curving arc, coming up to the side of where they had submerged.

The locals here seemed to be better-dressed as well, but not so grand that Karanth and his friends stood out, although Stathis drew some odd looks. She put her helmet on again and moved into a patch of shade – the acid from the ooze had polished her armour, making it shine brilliantly in the sunlight. When she rested a hand on her sword-hilt, everyone’s eyes suddenly turned away from her, finding others places to look at.

‘So where are we now?’

‘This is Gibbarach. Best step fast – they’re not the friendliest folk. The gate-captain owes me a favour though, can get you through.’

The streets here were wider, the squat blocks having merchants and traders on the ground floor, this area seeming to specialise in more expensive produce – brightly-coloured spices, well-crafted jars and bowls, even a few weapons, metal shimmering in strange colours, either magical or built for showing off. Some haggling was going on, a scarred fighter with an entourage having a loud discussion with a red-faced merchant, both of them shaking their hands at each other, voices getting louder and louder until some agreement was reached, the fighter taking up a double-headed axe and swinging it through the air.

The gatehouse was easy to find – a trench had been dug into the ground, with steps up on either side, like a dry moat. Wooden barricades were in place by the steps, made so that they could be raised or lowered. The ground in the pit was dark and stained, all churned up. Mounted on the side of the gate was a plaque, brightly painted, that showed a pair of crossed swords, the blades covered with bright red paint.

A group had assembled around the edge of the pit, looking like they were waiting for something. On the far side was another fighter, wearing strange armour that only covered one arm and half his torso, the rest bare. His armoured arm ended with a large gauntlet, metal claws catching the light. His face was hidden behind an elaborate helm, shaped like a wolf’s head, complete with metal fangs.

Karanth spoke. ‘Ah. We may have to wait a little, although I doubt that it’ll take long. The captain does like his sport.’ The crowd started to chant, the partially-armoured fighter raising his clawed gauntlet. ‘We may as well watch, should be fun.’

With his group, it was easy for him to push his way to the front, Stathis moving with them until she was up against the edge of the pit. Directly beneath her she could see two kids, each holding worn and rusty swords, their clothing raggedy.

A voice sounded out from behind the wolf-head, the timbre brassy. ‘Time for you to pay the toll. Trying to sneak through my gate, cheeky shits! If you can last five minutes, you can pass. I hope you’ll entertain me.’

‘This should be good. He likes to put on a show – used to be an area fighter, but got his leg broken, so can’t manage the speed like he used to.’

The masked figure took a fighting stance, sharp fingers forward, his other hand plucking a knife from his belt. The two kids moved slowly, obviously not experienced. One of them charged with a loud yell, swinging the worn and pitted blade in a clumsy swing. This was grabbed by the gauntleted hand, the hilt of the knife being used for a swift punch. As the other child swung, the sharp fingers cut through the air, leaving bloody slashes across their chest.

The kid staggered backwards, blood streaming down his forehead, the other one yelling in pain as Stathis jumped into the pit. She struck her gauntlet against her chest, making a metallic clashing sound. ‘Why don’t you test yourself against someone that can actually fight?’

She drew her sword, listening as the crowd made a shocked noise behind her. There was the sound of flesh getting torn, one of the kids crying out in pain as the claws tore at them, the wolf’s head coming up to look at her. From behind it came a metallic, rasping laugh, dry and mocking.

Harsh words she couldn’t understand came out of the helmet, before they shifted to a fighting stance. They lunged forward, and Stathis could see that one of their legs was dragging, the knee not quite bending right. Metal flashed, Stathis taking the hit before counter-attacking, her sword ringing as it struck their armoured side, slicing out a chunk of metal. The clawed fingers rattled against her armour, screeching in a painful sound as the metal was scraped.

She simply shoved them back to give herself more space to work in, thrusting fully forward to force them to dodge, then slashing to the side. They just barely dodged, having to throw themselves backwards to avoid getting skewered, skidding backwards, sending up puffs of dust as they slid to a stop.

Stathis advanced, making sure she was between him and the children. One of them was kneeling on the ground, back sliced open, blood oozing out. She moved between them and the crowd for a second, letting her hand brush his shoulder, glad for once for the bright sunlight as the wound closed up when she healed it.

Then she turned her attention back to the captain. He raised his clawed hand high, making the claw-blades catch the sun and posing for the crowd, making them give a ragged cheer, before speaking to her again.

She continued to advance, moving into a duellist’s stance, leading with the blade. ‘Beating up children is scarcely brave. Why not try a real fighter?’

They dashed forward, claws streaking towards her, but it was simple to twist the sword into their path, forcing them to retreat or skewer themselves.

‘You’ve not got much reach, have you?’ She kept advancing, stepping to the side whenever they moved, slowly hemming them into a corner as they tried to move around her. They charged again, and she sliced at them, cleaving first through metal, then stabbing into their flesh, along their ribs. Their own attack clattered off her armour without effect.

‘An outsider! I can get a good price for you.’ Their voice rasped from inside the helmet.

‘Got to beat me first. If I take you down, then I get through, right?’

He charged at her, wrapping his arms around her and trying to push her down to the ground. She punched down at him, smashing an ear off his helm, before punching again and shoving him away.

‘You think you can win?’ The visible arm started to transform, muscles bulging, turning dark with fur, the knife getting dropped as savage claws sprung forth. ‘I hold the gate by command of Lord Gibbarach! None shall pass without my consent!’

She could see his armour straining as his body bulged and expanded. The crowd was cheering behind her, this being apparently a rare treat. As his body altered itself, Stathis attacked, aiming for the unarmoured skin, her blade slicing deep, blood seeping out. A claw swung back, and she dodged it, before pushing him back with another swing. It was tiring work in the heat, but every time he tried to close, she swung to keep him back. He took a few blows in exchange for scratching her armour, but aside from the sound hurting her ears, had no way to penetrate it. When he tried to grapple her again, she sliced through into his stomach, forcing him to the ground. She could see that his wounds were starting to heal over – some kind of super-fast healing?

‘Surrender and let me pass.’ She spoke loudly enough to be heard, the crowd making an “oooo” in response. ‘Or we can keep going, and see where this goes?’

He growled at her, the helmet making the sound echo strangely, before dropping to all fours and charging at her again, grabbing her around the waist and trying to shove her over. She slammed the hilt of her sword against his head, feeling the bone crack under the impacts, hearing her own armour grate and grind, claws screeching against it.

They broke apart – his wounds were still closing up, although he was moving more slower now, his limp more pronounced. He growled, the sound savage and loud, reverberating through the air. He was slower and more cautious now, keeping a greater distance, giving himself time to heal. Stathis feinted left, making slices through the air, accepting another blow to her arm in exchange for getting a solid strike in herself. She cut along their ribs, where her earlier attack had already scabbed over, letting light stream out along the blade. This seared their skin, letting her cut more deeply, before withdrawing and thrusting. The tip skittered across the armour before sinking into skin, his claws reaching for her but unable to reach, as sunlight dappled the metal, the tip sliding into him.

She pulled it out, flicking the blood to the ground, levelling her blade in readiness, as stumbled backwards, hacking and coughing up blood, sinking to the floor. A shocked sound cut through the crowd, as Stathis tilted her head to look up at the gate, walking towards it. ‘You going to open up, or do I have to come up there?’ She could see panicked movement above her, before the large doors creaked open. ‘Smart move.’ Then she turned around to face the crowd behind her. ‘Anyone wants to come through, now’s the time!’