Another rock plummeted past her, appearing out of mid-air before slamming down, crashing into the roof of the building below. Stathis wove past one, hearing stone crack, catching a glimpse of a blue-tinged portal blinking shut, before another opened up and another boulder fell through. She moved away, wanting to avoid being hit, hearing more and more of the impacts.

Stathis dropped down, dropping Armoniki, their body semi-fading from view in the low light, before more carefully releasing Janaxia from her grip. Behind them, the building moaned and creaked, getting more and more damaged. The light from Stathis’ wings illuminated some of their surroundings, showing more tattered and worn-out buildings, long faded from whatever grandeur they may once have had.

Something growled, low and rough, teeth clattering from nearby in the darkness. Stathis turned towards the sound, a large hound padding into view. Its shape was flickering and warped, twisting into vague shadows, scabby patches of hair hard to see. Fleshy tendrils emerged from the creature’s shoulders, flicker-fading through the shadows as it growled again.

Armoniki and Skotadi both attacked, their bolts flashing through the air. Some went through it’s body, making the image shimmer, before one stopped in mid-air, the image vanishing, the real thing appearing, a large wound on its flank. More bolts slammed home, knocking it backwards before it fell to the ground with a whimper.

Another experiment, I would surmise. Janaxia turned around, looking at the building as it continued to collapse. Skotadi…

‘Yeah, hopefully she’s OK. I think she’s pretty tough though? We need to worry about that… thing, whoever it was.’

Another of the hounds appeared, padding from the shadows, before Stathis lunged forward, stabbing out at it. As she moved forward, the light of her wings pooled around her, banishing back the darkness, revealing that the thing had no shadow, but there was a soft patch of light darkness to the side. Stathis stabbed towards it, feeling the shock of impact, hearing a barking whine. The image vanished, a wounded hound-creature blinking into sight. It snarled and jumped at her, but Stathis was faster, slamming her shield faster, hearing it whine as it was hit, before she stabbed it again, penetrating through a rib-cage and cutting it apart.

She glanced up – was the darkness fading? There was a patch that was slightly lighter, that must be the sun, somewhere on the other side of the veiling darkness. As she watched, it looked as though it were brightening, starting to burn it’s way through the thick pall.

‘Do you think… that it might be over?’

Armoniki issued a low, telepathic groan – Stathis had to look around to see them, their body translucent, virtually invisible, their eyes rolled back in their head, body tense and stiff. Their clothing ruffled and billowed, fingers twitching and spasming, before vanishing, their clothing hanging off a crystal-belled bell, suspended in mid-air. It gave out a single, clear chime, high and pure, Janaxia grabbing at the handle.

It tried to move away, Janaxia grabbing hold of the handle, before a voice hissed from the shadows.

‘An annoying trick, but not enough! You will die here, wretched child of light.’ The voice echoed around the shadows, not seeming to have any specific source, Stathis keeping her shield raised and her sword at the ready. The bell was bucking and writhing in Janaxia’s grip, trying to slide free, clanging and chiming. With every note, the shadows writhed, vague shapes forming, chaotic assemblies of limbs and bodies and tentacles.

‘Soon, all the Triad shall be mine. A power beyond that possessed by any mortal! And I shall remake myself, immortal and all-powerful.’ There was a brief chant of the Unspeakable Tongue, lashing tendrils of shadow whipping out and scourging towards Janaxia. Stathis jumped in the way to block them, feeling them lash against her shield, wrapping around her torso, scraping against her armour, a vicious cold seeping through and biting into her skin.

‘You will perish here. You and all your allies!’

The bell chimed again, more strident this time, slowly pulling Janaxia forward as she struggled to keep it under control.

‘Frustrating! The thing seems to have some loyalty. But no matter – enough starvation and isolation, and it will learn to obey me. The Blade already does – centuries with no souls to slake it’s thirst has made it desperate and obedient. The Book shall be broken as well.’

GIVE SKOTADI BACK!

‘GIVE SKOTADI BACK!’ Janaxia’s voice rang out in duplicate, both shouted and broadcast. She managed to flick her fingers, sending bolts of darkness into the shadows, Stathis now able to see something there.

‘You gave it a name? Well, that won’t be needed anymore. They are tools, nothing more. And they shall be what I need to rule this world!’

Stathis attacked, using her wings to propel herself forward, the aura of light moving with her, strange and warped shadows getting cast onto the floor. Her target appeared – a crack-skinned human, wearing loose armour, the Blade now huge in their hand, the Book attached to their waist, sealed shut with a heavy iron clasp. Stathis could see the pages rustling between the sealed-shut covers, trying to open but unable to.

The Bell chimed again, Janaxia cursing, unable to keep her grip, the thing flying through the air. Stathis tried to block it, but it was too fast, flying past her. It stopped, just in front of their chest, flashing once with vague, pearly light, then sinking into their skin, cutting and slicing with the edge of the crystalline bell-head. Their blood oozed out, black and thick, Stathis moving in to attack.

The Blade swung, far too fast for something as big as it was, forcing Stathis to jump backwards, using her wings to give speed to her movement.

The Bell vanished from sight, eye-stabbing runes appearing on their chest, making Stathis’ eyes ache and throb. They gestured, lifting a palm up, a rune-circle appearing, before transforming into a small demon-eye with wings, that chittered and then flapped it’s wings. They closed their hand, fingers digging into yellow skin, crushing the thing with a miserable squeak, ichor oozing out, before turning into dark vapour and getting drawn into their skin.

‘Even without their full obedience, then I have all I need to defeat you!’ They changed to a two-handed grip on their sword, raising it up and swinging it through the air, the edge whistling as it cut.

Stathis didn’t even try and block, throwing herself backwards out of reach. They darted forward, their visible skin shifting, now covering itself with eye-bending black marks, jumping up and swinging at her.

The blow hammered downwards with enough force to earth Stathis, the ground shoving back up at her. Before she could weave away, the Blade swung forward, slicing towards her. She just barely managed to block, but the force of the attack numbed her arms, knocking her sword askew. She just barely managed to block another attack, her right arm numb from the impact.

Eldritch blasts shot around her, striking home. But they vanished without effect, their dark energy getting drawn into the rune-lines appearing on skin.

‘I command the Black Triad! I, and I alone, shall be the power of the new age!’ Their body was visibly stronger and tougher now, their muscles denser, horns emerging from their head, black bone-obsidian, twisted into tight spirals, with vicious points above their eyes.

The sunlight from above was getting stronger, starting to burn through. A stray half-brick hurtled through the air, ricocheting off a stub of building and cracking into the attacker, with enough force to halt their attack for a moment. Semari dropped from above, wounded and bleeding, a foot swinging down in a scything kick.

It connected, the sound of the impact making Stathis wince, bone cracking. Semari flipped backwards through the air, landing lightly on her feet.

‘Wondering when you would show up! Think Vrintar’s still alive as well. So, we just got to deal with this one?’ Semari dashed forward, ducking underneath a swing of the Blade, Stathis moving in as well, trying to step within their reach, wary in case it changed shape again. It made her eyes ache to look at them, but she needed to press the attack, swiping with her sword.

Semari was having to jump and dance around, barely keeping out of reach of the huge black Blade, the heavy edge moving with enough speed to create eddies of chill air, whooshing through the air. Stathis managed to launch an attack, her blade glowing with sacred light, the darkness around them starting to lessen. It cut into flesh, black ichor-blood splashing out. It congealed along the edge of her sword, steaming away, the glow of her sword fading away, the wound already starting to heal.

They hissed in pain, swinging the Blade in a wide arc, Semari jumping wide, Stathis twisting and taking the blow on her shield. It absorbed the impact, but shattered and broke, the Blade cutting through her armour as well. She felt the hot-cold pain of a wound, a moment later deeper cut searing up her arm, the limb starting to go numb, slower to respond to her will.

When she tried to heal herself, the glow was muted and dull, her arm remaining cold and numb. In response, she sliced again, their skin healing around the blade, threatening to snag and capture the sword.

‘Your light shall be taken! You do not deserve this world!’

Stathis could feel her energy getting drawn through her weapon, globs of solar energy appearing along the metal edge, making the flesh of her target crack with burn-marks, rapidly regenerating. They hissed in pain, but leaned into the attack, letting Stathis’ sword cut deeper into their skin, more and more light getting forcibly sucked from her.

‘Your soul shall be mine!’

Stathis managed to find the strength to draw her weapon backwards, as Semari jumped into another attack, her leg flicking out. Bone cracked, the Blade moving aside to serve as a counterbalance. Semari followed up with several bunches, hammering fists into their rib cage. They took they hits with a gasp of pain, but didn’t relent, barely even faltering under the assault. Where Semari’s fists struck, skin broke and bone shattered, brutal shards of pale bone emerging from beneath rune-pocked skin, before it regenerated, bones folding back into place.

They raked with one hand at Semari, nails sharp, manging to grab at her shoulder, their claws scratching at Semari’s skin. Where they touched, Semari’s skin darkened, her veins turning black and dark. She hissed in pain, but didn’t stop attacking, keeping the pressure on, Stathis forcing her own body to move, despite the pain and coldness spreading through her arm, now reaching into her chest.

More of Janaxia’s bolts shot through the air, hitting with no effect, not even causing a distraction. Stathis tried to stab them again, but they twisted away, their body regenerating from Semari’s attacks, flesh shaping around fist-strikes.

A heatwave washed out, a flash of steel shining in the brightening light, clouds dimly visible above them now. Vrintar’s axe cut the air, cleaving deep into their chest, before flame burst around it, scorching the thin blades of dry grass beneath them. She wrenched the weapon aside, black blood flash-steaming with a bitter scent. Vrintar’s attack was strong enough to make them stagger backwards, the Blade flashing around in a swing, catching Vrintar across her stomach.

Stathis stepped forward before they could follow up, letting Vrintar recover. The heat blasting from her was fierce, making her eyes prickle, but it gave Semari another chance to attack. The three of them moved in unison, covering each other, trying to keep the Blade from swinging, the huge length too strong and powerful to block.

The weapon shifted, becoming a glaive, slicing head razor-sharp, coming around in a swift arc, forcing Semari backwards. Stathis swung for the centre of the spin, trying to keep it from building up momentum, but her stab was pushed backwards, the haft of the spear coming up and knocking against her breastplate, even that attack rocking her on her heels.

The darkness was visibly fading now, sun starting to burn away the shroud of darkness. Above them could be seen the dim disk of the sun, just about possible to see, rays starting to break through.

Stathis and Vrintar swung in unison, both managing to land blows, Stathis feeling bones splinter. There was the sucking, draining sensation, her vision blurring, a sudden weakness washing through her.

The glaive swung around, edge screeching against Stathis’ armour, carving a scar down the metal before she could lean backwards, lessening the impact. They spun the weapon again, blood flicking out from Semari’s arms as she blocked, crimson hanging in the air for a moment before getting drawn into the black metal of the weapon. A thrust pushed Semari back, then the weapon slid forward, the full reach being used, flicking out at Vrintar, cutting into her shoulder, drawing back in a painful-looking slice, deep into muscle. Vrintar grunted in pain, the heat flashing back in a scorching updraught.

The glaive twisted again, moving in a swift dance, stabbing at Semari and pushing her backwards, flicking against her leg, slicing back with a burst of blood, Semari staggering, having to push her weight onto one leg to stay standing. Stathis tried to move with Vrintar, but the weapon sliced between them, keeping them apart before slicing to the side, stabbing deep into Vrintar’s flank. The wound flash-scabbed over, but Vrintar looked pain, Stathis attacking herself, trying to relieve the pressure.

The haft of the glaive blocked her attack, the weapon shrinking back into a shorter sword. They faded backwards, Stathis moving forward to stay close to them, feeling her body ache and throb. The weapons rang together, metal chiming against metal – they were stronger than she was, the blade-lock slowly getting pushed towards her. Their face was barely visible now, the runes covering all their visible skin, their expression impossible to see.

‘The dawn you hope for will never come!’

Stathis risked a glance up, sunbeams starting to visibly break through the shroud. The furnace-heat from Vrintar washed against her back, giving her some reassurance, the black sword cutting onto her pauldron, metal shattering under the assault. It sliced to the closer, aiming for her neck, and she was only saved by batting at it with her wounded arm, knocking it aside before it could start cutting into her neck-armour.

They sparred, Stathis using swift, short strikes, not wanting to get into another contest of strength. Metal chimed against metal, each impact sending another wave of numbness through her arms, into her chest, jarring her muscles again and again. They hissed, swinging wide, sword changing back into the Blade, cracked and dark. Stathis lunged, aiming for their heart, but they dodged, her attack only glancing across their shoulder, as more of Janaxia’s bolts shot past.

Pain erupted in her stomach, metal shattering. Her strength abandoned her, her legs dropping out from beneath her, but she didn’t fall. Her sword fell from her hand and she staggered backwards.

The Blade was shoved into her stomach, the full length of it through her body. A desperate hunger burned into her, sucking away all her strength and energy. Darkness crept into the edge of her vision, the faint rays of light blinking out. She just about had the strength to reach up, running her hand along the hilt, feeling rough and worn leather, and then she fell backwards, not even feeling the impact when she hit the ground, staring up at the dark-filled sky…