They kept moving, the air around them close and humid. Semari kept an eye on Kethys, nervously rubbing her thumb along the pommel of her sword, ready to try and stab Kethys in the back if it was needed.

‘Bloody demon bullshit!’ Kethys was half-mumbling, having wrapped her cloak tightly around herself. ‘Really not worth the damn trouble. Demons always lead to trouble.’ Her voice was soft and distant, not entirely focused, as she moved with a hand against the wall to help support herself. ‘Old power, locked into blood and darkness. They gave security, but the cost was high.’ She gestured with her free hand, flickering lights dancing along her fingers, pale pinks and greens flitting about before vanishing. ‘The old magics, of wood and leaf gone, and now powers of illusion and shadow.’

The walls around them seemed dark and foreboding, anything beyond a few paces away utterly dark and shrouded from view, making it seem as though the entire world consisted of nothing but a tiny patch of illuminated stone. Hadric and Neitha were a few paces ahead, navigating through the narrow twists and turns. It looked as though this area had once been carved and shaped, with the remnants of pillars and doorframes just about visible, niches holding broken remains of statues. From what Semari could see, the shapes there were not entirely humanoid, with strange body-shapes, too many limbs, or contorted and twisted shapes, but all looked as though they had been broken and hacked apart, or melted by fire or acid.

‘A pact was forged, of power and convenience. A transfusion, power for service, a mingling of essences. And so we survived our durance, our exile into the darkness. Our rulers, distant and cold, kept their powers, until we overthrew them. But the power remained within us, and so the other races distrusted us. But we kept to the shadows and thrived.’

Semari slowly reached out and pushed a hand against her shoulder, hoping to reassure her, hand clammy on her own weapon.

‘All pacts must be held, all debts must be paid, one way or another. Bell, Book and Blade, the most ancient of powers, adversaries of the light. Older even than the gods, but bound to slumber, in hidden wardings. But power cannot be contained, even in slumber. The Blade vanished, the conqueror rejecting it’s call. The Book, even tattered and fragmented, could not be destroyed, awaiting a master. And the Bell, un-rung and silenced, until it awoke.’

‘Kethys, are you feeling OK? You’re talking really strangely.’

The lights continued to flicker and dance around on Kethys’ fingers, casting creepy shadows onto the wall. The broken statues seemed even more unnerving now, their shadows somehow showing more complete forms, warped and monstrous.

‘An ancient pact to be completed.’

Semari could smell burning, and saw a thin line of smoke rising up from the fabric bundle. The light from the thing inside was stronger now, although cut off abruptly as it reached the surrounding aura of darkness. The bell chimed out, louder now, the shadows rippling, seeming more solid and threatening.

‘But with this, then the debt is paid.’

Semari gave her what she hoped was a comforting pat, hand still tight on her sword. She’d rambled before, normally when drunk, but never quite like this. And she didn’t sound so tired normally! It was that damn bell-thing. She couldn’t glare at it, or knock it out of Kethys’ hand, but she didn’t like it.

She heard Hadric tap on the wall, the message-beat for “concern” coming through. She knocked back, communicating “caution”. She could see Hadric half turn to look at them, his expression concerned. Kethys spat out another of her curses, the shadows and light rippling, making Semari feel queasy. If she had to, she could try and club Kethys in the back of the neck, as long as Kethys didn’t fight back. If it came to a fight, then Kethys would destroy them, although she was currently out of it. Quite what would happen with the bell then, she didn’t know, but hopefully Kethys would get better!

Another chime sounded, and Kethys shuddered. Semari could feel it as a sharp spike into her ears, distracting and painful. She growled, not liking the forceful intrusion, or the effect it was having on Kethys.

They rounded another corner, the darkness seeming to open up and peel back, exposing a greater area. The walls here were bare rock, old and worn, the white stone carved into vertical channels, filled with tarry and ashen-looking paste. When Semari looked up, she could see that it extended upwards in a rough-shaped cylinder, the merest hint of sunlight penetrating from above, or from some distant glowing rocks she couldn’t see.

A freakishly large figure was suspended on the wall opposite, skin looking wet and rubbery, stretched out like a sack holding too much, with massive metal spikes hammered through it into the walls, through palms and legs and belly. Was it clothed, or was that it’s natural shape? Semari couldn’t tell, but the thing made her feel queasy, just looking at it. Where the nails penetrated into it, black ichor was oozing out, running down the walls and into a deep channel cut into the ground, a wide gutter flowing into a central drain, the stuff flowing downwards and out of sight. The head of the giant creature was a purple curve, that it took Semari a second look to release was actually a metal mask, covered with arcane glyphs, spikey metal bands shoving into the flesh to hold it in place.

Fat stubby fingers were each held in place with more spikes, a soft and wet wind blowing through the room, Semari realising that it was the thing breathing. Given that another spur of metal was shoved into it’s chest, then that must hurt! Or it had something else it was breathing with.

Kethys staggered forward, pulling herself away from Semari, her steps slow and dragging, like she was drunk. When the light from what she was carrying shone onto the staked-out monster, the flesh shimmered, pallid and clammy tones revivifying for a moment to something less wretched-looking.

The bell rang, several strikes in succession, the sound echoing against the stone. Kethys sighed and gasped, her body stiffening up. A trail of smoke was rising up from in front of her – the fabric must be burning still. At least there was nothing else here that could catch fire! If that was the surface, it was far too high to be able to use it too escape, and being stuck in a room full of fire was rarely a good plan.

Part of the air shimmered, and a figure appeared, this one of more normal, human size. They were dressed more normally as well, in the plain dark trousers of a servant and a white blouse, the only touch of colour a bright red neck-tie. They regarded Kethys with vague blandness, before reaching their hand out, the chiming intensifying.

‘It comes to pass. Freed from captivity, the Sounder of Changes, Breaker of Chains, is now free.’

The chiming made a soft tinkling, close to a laugh. Semari edged closer, not sure what was going on, but it seemed better to be in a position to attack, just in case. She shaw Hadric and Neitha doing the same, each approaching from a slightly different angle, to catch the newcomer from multiple angles if needed.

They gestured, magical energy swirling, and a force started to exert itself onto Semari. It was like wading through tar, dragging at her limbs and pulling at her limbs, slowing her movements.

‘There is a delivery to be made, dark-born wanderer.’ Their voice was light and sounded mildly amused, magical power circling around their hand, swirling rings of runes and glyphs. The wet and rasping breathing of the giant thing intensified – was it able to sense what was going on somehow? ‘An agreement was made.’

Kethys was straining now, her voice weak and tired. ‘Should’ve known better than to trust a human! But I killed who you asked, and got this.’

‘Indeed. Although the warding cloth is novel – even if it does not seem entirely up to the task. Do you not wish to be a vessel? Such a thing is an honour!’

‘We threw you lot off a long time since! My body and soul are my own. Now just take it and go.’ Kathys staggered forward again, holding the thing she was carrying up, offering it up. The material had now burnt away almost entirely, silvering light pouring out, as the chiming sound got even louder, echoing off the walls and making Semari’s ears ache. She kept moving forward though, despite the magically-enforced slowness.

They reached out, the light around their hand turning to dark flame. When they touched the bell, the sound suddenly stopped, silence booming. They lifted it up, letting Semari see it more clearly now – a metal-handle crystal bell, the clapper shedding a light through the crystal shell, a vague and hypnotic glow getting cast onto the walls, the shapes it shed hinting at more meaningful patterns that never quite coalesced.

The nailed-up giant exhaled, a thick and rank wind bouncing around the narrow space. Kethys shrank backwards, raising a hand to cover her eyes from the glowing bell, so close to her eyes. The dust on the ground started to ripple in regular waves, the trails of ichor on the walls also getting pushed by the sudden wind that emanated from them as they rose off the floor, the bell held in one hand.

One arm still covering her eyes, Kethys drew her sword, pointing it forward, her aim slightly off, unable to see.

‘The pact is complete!.’

They were hovering off the floor now, arms spread wide, the bell hovering in front of them. Their features were shifting, their eyes turning black and weeping blood, their skin changing colour, rippling through different shades and tints. Rune-patterns swept over their visible skin, their nails getting sharper, their hair lengthening into a long dark curl down their back. When they answered, their voice was dissonantly soft and gentle, despite the fanged teeth they showed.

‘As it was said, so shall it be. You have served your part, darkling wanderer. You and your foundlings would make fine servants – perhaps some renegotiation is in order?’

Kethys stabbed forward at the sound of their voice, a fast thrust. The tip of her blade stopped in mid-air as though gripped, a chiming sounding out, a glow appearing around the tip. Kethys strained, trying to move the blade but without success.

‘I suppose our arrangement is ended, so this isn’t really a betrayal. But I am a little disappointed. Your kind were so useful, in the ancient darkness. And you gained power from it. What would you be without the magic grafted into you? The light is a small enough price to pay for such, or so your ancestors believed. A shame I cannot claim your body as a host.’

They looked at Semari – they had been androgynous before, but now seemed to be something other than human, a cold intelligence burning in the jet-black eyes.

‘You are an interesting thing, aren’t you? But I suppose I can summon up my own servants. They may not be as adaptable, but they don’t require training.’

The giant figure groaned again, hands straining against the massive nails.

‘Ah, it is good to see you. I suppose they lacked the time and materials to properly destroy you, Jolothranx? Or didn’t want you returned? But I have need of your essence.’

Kethys attacked, but her sword was repulsed with a twang, the metal spinning end-over-end and the sword sticking into the wall, shaking slightly, as the figure rose higher up, turning around until they were face-to-face with the giant, giving Semari a proper sense of scale of how big the thing was – the mask was at least twice the size of a person! They reached out and touched it, placing their hand against the metal.

The giant body immediately sighed again, the flow of black ichor slowing then halting. Then it started to disintegrate, turning into gritty-looking black powder that flowed through the air, streaming towards the figure and vanishing. It only took a few moments, before the giant had vanished entirely, their body vanished, leaving nothing except for the spikes driven into the wall and the mask. It fell to the floor, smashing down with a loud and resonant clang, Semari shielding her eyes from the wave of grit it send towards her, her movements still slowed by magic.

‘Hmmm, nice to have some measure of power! So convenient that our foes couldn’t destroy you.’ They cocked their head, as though thinking. ‘Ah, it seems that you were not the only prisoner sealed away? Interesting. A convenient source of power, as the old world is warded still, and the mortal races are so weak that devouring them is scarcely worth the effort.’

A bead of fire shot through the air, impacting against them and bursting into a sphere of fire, scorching the walls with a layer of smeary char. It was followed by a barrage of magical darts, a magical barrier appearing just in time to absorb them.

Semari tried to shake off the magical languor that afflicted her, shaking her body and looking at Hadric and Neitha, who both seemed similarly affected. A magical portal shimmered in the air, revealing the wizard from earlier, although alive again, and ablaze with magical power. He raised his staff (a different, less ornate one than before).

‘Demon-spawn! To breach my defences is no easy matter, but to think that it would be for such things! But I shall defeat you now. I bound you before, and shall do so again.’

The figure hissed, a tone of deep hatred. ‘You bound a weak and starved thing! But I have power now, and shall delight in your destruction.’ Spheres of light appeared behind them, before slamming forward as they gestured, streaking towards the wizard.

Kethys was still half-blinded, but managed to move towards Semari. She lowered her arm, letting Semari see that her eyes were normal, but bloodshot and pained-looking, the pupils huge and dilated. She looked up at the magical duel, pulling Semari to the side as a stray blast arced into where she had been standing. ‘Fuck. Guess he had a backup body or something? Time to get the hell out of here.’

When Semari spoke, her voice was slowed and distorted – normally she would find it funny, but right now she just wanted to get out! ‘Wwwhheerree dddooo wwweee gggooo?’

Hadric and Neitha were coming over, trying to evade ripples of energy and lances of force. Fortunately, they weren’t being targeted, only having to contend with stray attacks that missed, but the whole chamber was starting to shake and quake, stone dust trickling done from above.

Kethys took a deep breath, then bent her fingers through a spell, energy suddenly slamming into Semari. She went from feeling as though she were submerged into treacle, slow and dragging, to her every movement being super-fast, her limbs needing effort to control and not jerk her around.

Suddenly empowered, she raced over to Kethys’ sword and grabbed it, pulling it out from the wall and flinging it over, Kethys catching it. The magical duel was still on-going, bolts and blasts hurtling through the air. It was impossible to tell who was winning, but the walls were starting to crack, chunks and slabs of stone falling to the floor.

She had to be careful not to move too fast, the surface of the floor not the best and making it easy to skid and slip, but she saw Kethys point at the exit. Hadric was closest, so she ran to him, grabbing his shoulders and flipping him onto her back, ignoring his slow and drawled complaint, racing back over and dumping him.

When she turned around again, Neitha was making the motions of running but moving unnaturally slowly, fear on her face. A slab of stone was falling from above, easily the size of a person, as a spiralling cone of frost curved towards the wizard, the temperature dropping suddenly, the stone surface getting treacherous with ice.

She grabbed at Neitha, feeling herself skid and slip on the surface, tumbling to the ground and rolling, keeping hold of Neitha’s torso. With the extra weight, it was impossible to properly tumble, but she dragged the woman back to her feet as more huge slabs of stone rained down. Neitha was tense and rigid in her grip, but at least wasn’t fighting back, as Semari sprinted for the exit.

A chunk of rock fell in the way, but she vaulted over it, feet tapping against the top before landing on the other side, then sprinting in the relative safety of the tunnel. Kethys had tied a strip of gauze around her eyes, the ground shaking beneath their feet.

‘So much for payment! But now we need to get out of here.’

When Hadric tried to speak, his voice was the same slow, droning drawl that Semari had been speaking in, so Semari ignored him.

‘Which way?’ It wasn’t worth putting Neitha down – still afflicted by the magic, she couldn’t really resist, only slowly wriggling in Semari’s grip. The ground shook again.

‘Away, I think! Let’s go!’ Kethys started dragging at Hadric, Semari carrying Neitha as they removed themselves from the magical duel as quickly as possible.