Stathis was lead inwards, away from the servant’s area, to where the hallways were wide and ornate, richly decorated. Annoyance was brewing within her, from being dumped down in the city, and being dragged out here, and Janaxia’s general refusal to acknowledge anything that was going on. And whatever the hell was going on with Skotadi!

The servant’s feet brushed smoothly over the stone floor, making Stathis feel heavy and clumpy, following along behind. They passed through a glass-roofed chamber, the air thick and humid, a pathway between thick and lush greenery, something hissing out her from verdant shadows. She ignored it – snake fangs would be unlikely to get through solid metal! The air was uncomfortably thick and close though, settling into her clothing, making her feel even heavier.

Water splashed from somewhere ahead, a stone passageway leading into a steam-filled chamber, the walls covered with carvings of relaxation. Herbals scents were heavy in the air, along with satisfied-sounding sighs. Water lapped at her feet, gurgling into drains that surrounded the expansive pool as tiny waves swelled and receded. The servant bowed again and made a silent retreat, leaving Stathis to find her own way through the room.

She kept to the edges, splashing through the water, heading for the sounds of the satisfaction. ‘Janaxia?’

Mmmm… Ah, you have returned.

‘What the hell was that?! And use your actual damn voice.’ Stathis looked around – the other guard didn’t seem to be anywhere in sight, thankfully.

She advanced through the steam, being careful not to slip on the slick stone, seeing a raised stone tub, water flowing from that into the main basin. Fortunately, there was no-one else around, at least that she could see. Horns, along with sleek, black hair could be seen and Janaxia’s back, elbows resting on the edge of the tub, thick steam wafting out.

You appear perturbed. I would have thought seeing the city would have been an experience, and I was called back. Mother had some further tasks for me.

‘You left me in a city I don’t know, where every gods-damned district is walled away from the others! I had to fight some kind of bloody werewolf or something just to get through. Would it have killed you to bloody wait?’

The hair shifted about, water splashing. There were… other matters to tend to.

‘Which were…?’

As Janaxia didn’t seem likely to turn around, Stathis walked around to the other side, looking down at her – she was fully submerged in the water, a fresh stream flowing from a demon’s head carved into the wall, petals and oil mingled with the water, the air sweet with their scent. Janaxia’s eyes were closed, her head tilted back, facing the ceiling.

Important matters.

Stathis found a wooden tub and used it to scoop up water, upending it over Janaxia, making her cough and splutter. ‘Use your actual damn voice! And look at me when we’re having a conversation. You abandoned me in the city, you’re doing whatever your mother’s telling you, and you’ve been acting strange for weeks now.’

Her eyelids opened, just slightly, a flash of emerald green. Hmph.

‘You can’t stay pissy forever, you know. And where’s Skotadi gone off to this time? After that basement, I’d have thought she would have been sticking close. Is she OK?’

Janaxia coughed several more times, seemingly more for effect than anything else, narrowing her eyes at Stathis, but at least she was looking at her now. ‘I don’t know what you mean. She travelled with us from that rather unpleasant area of cold.’

Stathis looked around – the room was lit with low and soft mage-lights, making the whole chamber vaguely lit, but without any areas of dark shadows where Skotadi might be hiding. ‘I’m pretty sure she’s screwing with your memory.’

‘That seems a rather large accusation. Are you sure this isn’t just simple jealousy? Now that I have an ally of my own.’

‘She’s a mysterious spellcaster that you somehow picked up in Baalazaan, that uses the same weird magical stuff you do, that keeps vanishing from sight. Even by “weird magical orphan” standards, that’s a stretch. Haven’t you noticed that your tattoos gone different since she showed up? It doesn’t move anymore, and it’s less vivid. And don’t give me any crap about how I shouldn’t be looking!’

The water was churning fast enough that she couldn’t actually see more of Janaxia than her shoulders and head, but Janaxia still instinctively put one hand between her breasts to touch where the tattoo was, the thing unmoving now. ‘I would have thought that you would appreciate me being less unusual?’ Her eyes narrowed again, tone barbed.

‘You being unusual is pretty normal, or at least was. I don’t know what Skotadi is, or what she wants, but you’ve been even more strange since she showed up. Plus, I’m pretty sure she has horns, and she reacts to sacred ground like you do. So, what’s going on?’ She couldn’t sit on the edge of the tub without being in a continual stream of water, but she moved closer. Through the water, she could see several mottled marks on Janaxia’s chest, ugly purple-grey bruises. ‘Fuck, has your mother been hitting you again?’

Janaxia slid deeper into the water, bubbling into it for a moment. She was upset again. It was entirely my fault.

‘Bullshit. Is there any reason we’re not getting the hell out of here? Whatever she wants, it’s not going to be any good for the rest of us. And if she’s seeking magical artefacts, what are you going to do if she notices your book?’

Janaxia moved again, mouth breaking the surface of the water so she could speak. ‘It was… originally a gift from her? Yes, I think that’s how I got it.’

‘You sure about that? And you sure she knows what it is? Because it seems to be more powerful than she might realise, if that’s what makes you able to do all your strange magic.’

Emerald eyes sparked. Are you trying to imply…

‘No, I’m not saying you’re a fake or anything. Stop being so goddam touchy all the time – you have different abilities than your family, deal with it! But even you don’t know what the hell you can do half the time. And the only other person that seems able to do anything similar is Skotadi, who, as I hope even you’ve noticed, doesn’t seem to be entirely human. I don’t think fading into the shadows all the time is normal, even for wizards, is it?’

Well, no, but…

‘Actual voice! Dammit, Janaxia, just talk to me. Yeah, something is going on, and I’d rather not get dragged into it, or have you hurt. So this is going to require you to be less prideful!’ She leaned forward, Janaxia too slow to move away as Stathis healed her, the bruise fading, sunlight dappling the water. ‘So what the hell is going on? I’m not letting you get away without talking. If you try and teleport away, I’ll dunk you under the water.’

That seems rather excessive.

‘And an apology for… well, quite a lot actually.’

She heard a vaguely-mumbled telepathic burble.

‘You can do better than that.’

I apologise for leaving you in the lower city. And I suppose I could have acted better in the past. I may have possibly made some overly-hasty decisions, in the heat of the moment.

‘You could actually say it, you know! And don’t go blaming it all on Skotadi. I’ve no idea what the hell is going on with her, but she doesn’t really seem to be making you behave worse, even if she is fucking with your memory. So, what do you know about her for starters? Actually, let’s start with your mother, as that’s more likely to be worse, and more urgent. What’s she doing here, and what do we need to do to stop her?’

There is no reason… Stathis glared at Janaxia. ‘There is no reason to assume my entire family is malign… Although, yes, it seems as though her plans are less than entirely pleasant, from the little I have been able to gather.’ For some reason, she raised one of her hands and moved it down her face, feeling an eye. ‘I assume that you remember the events of Cormantara? It seems to be related to that. Using shards of some ancient artefact. She has bound Ophexia and Peresperan to herself somehow, although they appear less-than-entirely happy about the situation.’

‘OK, any idea about the limitations of this binding? They’re not completely enslaved, by the sounds of things?’

‘Oh no, they are actively conspiring against her, at least as much as they can. With the aid of, hmmm… I suppose I could have been more proactive about finding the identity of that stranger. They seem to be quite wrapped up in everything.’

‘Mysterious stranger? And yes, you could generally stand to be more proactive.’

Janaxia glared at her, and Stathis smiled and scratched a horn, watching as Janaxia preened. ‘What about this artefact? What sort of thing are we talking here? Old stuff tends to be powerful.’

Janaxia bit her lip, twisting her head to butt a horn along Stathis’ arm, scratching the armour. ‘I… I must confess, my memories are rather vague. It was powerfully warded, and I believe it was a weapon of some kind? It appeared to have been damaged, shards removed, but the shape of it is… vague in my memory.’

‘Probably a sword. Most magical weapons are. But most magical things don’t really take well to being broken apart. Any idea what shards of it might actually do?’

‘Well, I’m no magical expert, not like Hakara is...’

‘Not the time to get pissy or jealous!’ Stathis flicked Janaxia’s forehead.

‘They appear to supress the will of the unfortunate subject and make them easier to command. I’m not sure how far this could be taken - Ophexia and Peresperan both appear largely in command of themselves, although afraid of Mother, which is, admittedly, entirely sensible.’

‘Maybe you were an early test subject? Don’t glare at me like that, you fall in thrall to damn near anything that tries any sort of charm on you. Even those harpies! And it sounds as though Poratia has no issues with experimenting on her family.’

‘I would prefer not to speculate upon such things.’

‘You might want to, because you’ve been acting oddly lately. And I think it’s partially Skotadi, but who knows what else might have been done to you?’ Stathis gave her horns another scritch, which seemed to help calm her down. ‘So what’s going on here? This is Setha-in-the-Ash – it’s a long way from anywhere, in the middle of a big and inhospitable desert. I really hope we can get someone to transport us out of here, rather than having to footslog it. What’s she getting you to do?’

‘She came here seeking knowledge and power – while the sorcerers and wizards of this place are far from united, they have made many strides in areas of knowledge that the more staid schools of magecraft would consider ill-judged.’

‘Meaning that they probably blow things up too often, or have really bad side-effects, like killing everyone? Why did she come herself though – it’s a long way just for information, rather than sending someone?’

‘She has been delving into legends of the Black Triad, and the power they once commanded. Although the Elven empire may have perished, they retained enough power to burn this land down to ash and ensure that the defeated were bound here amidst the ruin. And it is far enough from anywhere else to make conquest hard to achieve, with limited access to any ports or other sea access. Which does make obtaining good Sethan leaves overly expensive!’

‘That should not be the thing that offends you the most. So Poratia’s a necromancer, but she’s after demonic lore? More Black Triad stuff then. What’s she having you do?’

‘The affair this morning was visiting a summoner, who occasionally has truck with some of the more unpleasant inhabitants of the lower realms. I was to “put the squeeze on”, as Semari would say, to try and induce them to cough up some information and possibly some goods, regarding ancient items of power. Mother has somehow divined that another potent artefact has very recently emerged here, which had diverted her from her earlier plans. Acquiring this item is now, it seems, her top priority.’

‘Right. And this item is…?’

‘It appears as tome of ancient lore, bound in priceless gold and gems.’

‘And you’re sure this has nothing to do with your creepy and weird book of ancient secrets?’

‘Well, of course… Shit.’ Janaxia froze, blood draining from her face, her lock fading away to nothingness.

Stathis sighed. ‘You’ve got some bloody ancient artefact, and you never knew. Right, well, that probably explains some of what’s going on with you, if that thing’s been doing weird stuff to you. Didn’t you say it gave you a vision once?’

‘Yes, of perfect, pristine language.’

‘And that’s when you could start to read anything, I guess? Right. So, you’re in possession of an ancient magical artefact that your Mother wants. I’m guessing that won’t go down well when she figures it out?’

Janaxia had tensed up in the water, bringing her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around them.

‘So, what are we going to do about this?’

Janaxia stood up, water sloughing down her body, eyes darting up in panic, some water splashing onto Stathis. I… we… ‘We need to…’

‘OK, take a deep breath.’ Janaxia broadcast a pained whimper. ‘Calm.’ Stathis put some of her own power into the word, Janaxia actually relaxing slightly, before glaring at Stathis.

‘I would thank you not to meddle further! This is all rather worrisome.’

‘I’m in a worse situation than you are! You might be a useful tool – she thinks she’s had me killed once already! By you! So, other than your magic book, what else is she after? Ancient lore? So we need to find a way out of here as quickly as possible, and stop her doing whatever she’s doing.’

‘If you will recall my earlier plan…’ Janaxia looked a little calmer now, but her hands were still rigid and tense, eyes flicking about.

‘Stab her in the back? That does sound more tempting, I admit. But she’s a necromancer, so that probably won’t keep her down. And her counterattacks are going to be lethal. Can you make up some convincing nonsense to keep her distracted?’

Janaxia shuddered. ‘Her punishments for recalcitrance are… unpleasant. And something I would rather not endure.’ She gestured, water peeling off her body and collecting into fat droplets before getting cast into the pool, before she stepped out of the tub, clothing already forming around her body.

‘Well, we need a plan. And to avoid Skotadi getting caught up in this – she’s only young, I doubt your Mother would take it easy on her still. And we should make sure Sen is protected as well.’

Janaxia’s clothing was heavier than usual, despite the steamy air, closer to armour, with reinforced leather bound about her chest and covering her arms.

‘We can start to flee now. I’m sure we can get horses from somewhere.’

‘This is Setha-in-the-Ash. I’m pretty sure we’re surrounded by the ash – so unless you want to trek for weeks across a magically dead desert, then we’re going to have to get magical transport. Even if we sign up for a caravan, that’s a long trip.’ She put a hand on Janaxia’s shoulder, squeezing in what was hopefully a comforting fashion. ‘Guess you’ve not been able to make friends with anyone that can cast long-range teleportation spells? That would be helpful.’

‘No. Although perhaps I could have Sen ask around. From what she says, she has quite the extended family, perhaps they know someone?’

‘Good idea. What about Skotadi? This seems like the sort of place she might be, y’know, form. What with the horns and the magic and everything? She could be the heir to one of the districts or however that all works?’

‘Hmmm. Perhaps. It would explain some things.’

‘I still need to speak to her – and find out what she’s been doing to you. And what happened to those nailed-up demons.’

Just a coincidence, I’m sure. Your hypothesis about her being the heir to someone of power here, that has surprising merit. She definitely has the attitude of one of the highest blood, and that would explain some of her more unusual abilities and aptitudes.

‘I still don’t trust her, but I’ll try and talk to her. Now, what do we do know? How much can you stall your Mother? Without her beating you?’

‘She is getting increasingly frustrated – it is rare to see her with this little control which understandably makes her rather tetchy. And rather… unpleasant to have to endure. But she appears to trust me, for what that is worth. And shows little facility for such investigations herself.’

‘Any chance of Ophexia or Peresperan showing up to deal with her? That would be very convenient!’

‘They are scarcely likely to tell me of their matricidal plans! Both were conspiring with the stranger – they were fluid of form, and quite unbearably smug.’

‘Shapeshifter? Like the ones we saw at Per Tolith? That can also use your magic? Are you absolutely sure that you’re not a test-run for those? Although you don’t really change shape, you just summon up clothing.’ She pulled at Janaxia’s current outfit, the leather rigid and stuff, although far closer-fitting than proper armour would be.

‘As you have examined me quite closely, then have you noticed any metal?’

‘Hmm, true, you’ve only get pierced ears. So they still think you’re a regular wizard? And don’t get stroppy about it – we both know that you have very different abilities from Hakara, or even Kivata!’

‘Hmph, I suppose my mastery of arcana does take something of a different form than the more conventional skills Hakara possesses.’ I would very much rather not have it discovered quite how unusual my talents are though. Being pulled apart to have my secrets discovered seems likely to be highly unpleasant. I would rather keep my insides inside of myself.

‘Shit, she would, wouldn’t she? If it all goes to shit, I’ll try grabbing you and flying out, although I’m guessing the locals might not take too kindly to that sort of thing.’

‘That seems probable, yes. We should be careful in case Mother has any more of those strange individuals as well. That they can alter their appearance does make them somewhat concerning.’

‘At least you’re easy to check on, with your mind-speech thing. Can we get out of here before I rust? This armour is not good with this amount of humidity, and my feet are soaked. Why were you here, anyway?’

I needed to gather myself after being upbraided by mother. She was rather unpleasant.

Stathis patted Janaxia on the shoulder, hopefully comforting her. ‘The sooner we get the hell out of here, the better. And we need to try and get in touch with the others, wherever they got sent to. I guess the transportation spell got disrupted and we got split up?’

That seems probable. Somewhat unfortunate, but we must make the best of things.