Edging cautiously through corridor after passageway, the palace continued to be deserted of any and all life. The walls were dotted with ruined carvings and broken and blank canvases, their carcasses hanging limply as a withering memorial to the life these monsters had had before their imprisonment. There was so much wreckage from what they had been scattered everywhere in all of the routes we took. We were both forced to concentrate more carefully on our foot placement, save a wrong step alerting our hosts.

  Approaching an intersection at the top of a staircase, we checked our surroundings again, and paused to check our overall position. Ophiuchus brought his map of the place into existence and showed me where we were.

  “Down those stairs and it brings us out into the main chamber?” I signalled ahead of us. “Then straight through to where Cancer used to hold meetings with his subjects?” I growled slightly at the idea of humans being ruled over by a monster despite myself. Ophiuchus nodded but added.

  “It wasn’t subjects there though. The audience chamber was where we all met when we gathered with the rest of our group at each of our homes. It’s the place where, I suspect, everyone is at the moment.”

  At the very farthest reaches of my mind, a small alarm bell began ringing.

  “You think that they’re all in that one spot? Why’s that?”

  Ophiuchus was still staring down the stairway as he answered, “We haven’t seen anyone despite what we’ve done on our way to this point. I would expect that they are all in the chamber, though I can’t say what they’re doing.”

  We both started on down and despite the rational reasoning of what he’d just said, that tiny alarm just kept on ringing. I’d have to be on my toes, even more so now.

  Reaching the end of the stairway, the cavern that opened up beyond was of a very similar design to what had been in Ophiuchus’ citadel. A gargantuan space that had been filled with mighty towers which in turn were criss-crossed by suspended walkways and platforms, though there were no living vines or plants being woven into the body of the architecture this time. Here, there was shiny material which looked as if it had been produced in a viscous form to allow the desired application and then it was left to harden, anchoring objects in place.

  Looking around the rest of the cavern, it was clear that despite the very obvious similarities to the geography of the place, the differences between where Ophiuchus had lived and here, were juddering. The cavern was filled with ruin. Broken and rotting materials of any number of kinds littered the ground in every direction, buildings within this space were in a multitude of states of disrepair and the air was filled by the stench of rot. The low grey light in the cavern only made the sensation of decay that much worse. I hurriedly covered my mouth to conceal my gag response.

  “It doesn’t look too good a life in here.” I pointed out from behind my sleeve.

  Ophiuchus didn’t respond, instead he just stood and took in all of the detail around him. The long nose of his mask swept around and made me appreciate exactly why those masks were created in the first place. He most likely couldn’t smell a thing in there.

  “This seems to be slightly more than would have been here at the height of our power, but it does seem to be much as I’d expect from that brute, Cancer,” and he set off into the cavern at a brisk pace, minimal attention being given to being noticed, as if that threat was long forgotten.

  The alarm bell rang a little louder but my spinning Dragon sense of danger still hadn’t gone off, so I followed behind, though I kept a small distance between us, just in case.

  The doors on the sunken building at the core of the cavern had long been torn away so as we approached, we were greeted by an addition to the putrid smell that was filling the chamber. The rotten smell of the deep sea when things dry out, of dead and decaying fish, washed through the tunnel entrance like tidal waves of filth and hit me in the stomach, hard. I was sick.

  “It does take some getting used to,” Ophiuchus reassured me, and was about to walk down the steps before I grabbed at his coat and pulled him back.

  “What are you walking us into?” The alarm in my head had finally grown too much.

  “Don’t you trust me yet? Even after everything?” He was talking with a hurt tone in his voice.

  “That’s not what I asked you.” My anger was growing but I was still very much in control of myself. I straightened up to my full height and stared into those blank eye panes, still unable to see beyond. Ophiuchus, only for a second, shaped to match my posture, but instead slouched back down in apparent submission.

  “I’m sorry, my friend. I’m not trying to lead you anywhere that we don’t wish to go. I’ve just been making the most of the lack of resistance from my people. It’s from here on in that we’ll need to be most wary.” I frowned but said nothing. Ophiuchus continued speaking. “In that head of yours, I’m still the one that killed everyone, aren’t I?” I still didn’t say anything. “I get it, I do,” he pointed out. “But that image is just a model of the creature someone wanted you to have of me. You’re having a problem completely erasing it because of this one fact that I bet you haven’t really considered.”

  “And what’s that then?” The words may have been sarcastic but the tone I used didn’t match.

  “You saw that one first, that’s all. I want to live the life I had and not have to worry about anything that’s taking place in terms of war, that’s why I found your band of Dragons so compelling. You and I are almost identical, you know? We don’t want to see anyone get hurt and the thought of it happening because of us is just too much. We’re here for the same reason, remember?”

  He finished it off with a sweet flourish of a too hard slap on the arm.

  “Shall we?” he asked, and walked into the tunnel. I stared after him and felt the alarm bell as an almost physical pain. He’d sent Mark and Maria away to effectively keep busy and out of the way and now we were about to walk directly into a gathering of all of his people at the centre of the prison my people made for them. I finally landed on a terrible thought. He’d needed the help to get here and to have someone speak for him if The Circle caught up with him looking for blood and I’d happily marched him directly into the very place that those like him had been.

  I sprinted into the tunnel and down the stairs after him as fast as I could. I was going to be on edge due to the nature of what we were doing but there was no way that I could let him rejoin the rest of Kos.

  Rounding the final bend of the tunnel, I expected to find Ophiuchus being welcomed back into the open arms of his people but instead almost tripped over his crouched form. I staggered forwards and almost spilled out into the open space beyond, only for Ophiuchus to grab me in a tight grip and drag me down out of sight of those below.

  “I said that this was where it was going to get more dangerous, not less!” he spat in a jagged whisper. “Don’t go running around down here unless you know that you’re being chased.” Now he was sounding angry.

  I grunted a response and moved to take up a similar position to him on the other side of the corridor. From below us in the audience chamber, I could hear a voice.

  “HE’S DEAD NOW! THOSE FOOLS IN THE CIRCLE SAW TO THAT. THAT JUST LEAVES US WITH THE FINAL ELEMENT TO DEAL WITH.”

  The creature doing the talking was projecting that mangled voice as hard as it was able, I could recognise the strain that was being put on the sounds. They were talking to the whole room and they were doing it despite not being truly able to do so. And I recognised that voice. It was the same one from inside that suit of armour I’d faced in the fight on the island.

  My rage suddenly flared at the memory of Gerwyn’s broken body, and for the first time since I’d had the chase with the Witch, I could feel that my monster was much, much closer to the surface.

  “WE NEED TO MARCH ON THE VERY CORE OF THE CIRCLE IF YOU WISH TO RECLAIM YOUR NAME.”

  There was an uproar of growls and chitters and clacks and a great many other sounds at that idea.

  “We’ve thought of nothing else since we were marooned in this dungeon,” screeched a female voice of some kind. “We will bring those usurpers to their knees and bathe in the blood of each and every one of their pitiful lizards.” It was like glass was talking, the words came out in cracking and sharp pieces that threatened to just slice through anything they came across.

  “Virgo,” whispered Ophiuchus, identifying the owner of that voice. “She always revelled in the chance to settle scores if she felt she’d been wronged.”

  Beneath us, a leonine roar and a snorted grunt followed on the words from Virgo.

  “Leo and Taurus,” Ophiuchus informed me.

  “I’VE HAD THE FINAL ARMOUR MOVED TO THE REQUIRED LOCATION,” cranked the first voice. “BUT, OUR ORIGINAL PRICE HAS SINCE BEEN SHOWN TO BE FAR TOO LOW AN ESTIMATE FOR WHAT I’VE BEEN ASKED TO DO.”

  The gathered voices all erupted into a shattering cacophony of rage at once. The owner of the original voice just waited, leaving the crowd to blow out their frustration, before starting again.

  “PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I WOULD NEVER CONSIDER DOING ANYTHING WHICH WOULD BE A LIE WHEN DEALING WITH SUCH MIGHTY POWERS AS YOURSELVES BUT THE REALITIES OF THE UNDERTAKING THAT I’VE BEEN OVERSEEING ARE THAT DEBTS HAVE BEEN INCURRED.”

  “What do you want, sorcerer?” said a new voice, a bloated and round sound that brought to mind a bursting bubble as the words were formed.

  “Aquarius. Truly evil being,” narrated Ophiuchus.

  “I WANT THUNDER AND LIGHNING TO BE STRUNG UP RIGHT ALONGSIDE THE MAGE WHEN THIS IS DONE. I DON’T THINK THAT THIS REQUEST IS ASKING FOR TOO MUCH MORE, DO YOU?”

  Murmurings filled the air as choices were made, until there was a thunderclap of sound of something hard and heavy being slammed down onto stone, followed by a massive gargled roar. Silence fell on the group immediately.

  “Cancer.”

  “Thank you for being wise enough to ask us for the increase,” spoke a prim female voice of the most gentle, lace-like sound. “We will be more than happy to provide you with all that you could possibly desire, after you’ve broken us free of these bonds.”

  Ophiuchus stiffened in place.

  “That was Pisces. She was always the warmonger but this means that she’s truly the head of them now. What with her enforcer to help.”

  I needed to see. I couldn’t cower behind this stonework for ever and only having the voices to bring the group to life just wasn’t giving me the information I needed to be able understand what my position was. Steadying myself against the wall behind me, I eased forwards to the stone on the far side of the pathway around the chamber below, and pouring as much concentration into what I was doing as I dared; I eased myself slightly higher to peer over.

  The chamber was layered much like a sports stadium, with tiers working backwards and up away from the very centre, and the small platform of rough stone which was embedded there. That platform had a swaying, buzzing cloud of solid smoke placed in the very centre which writhed and slithered over itself. Whatever it was, it looked angry.

  Away from there, were roughly hewn rock platforms at different levels around the space, which were all populated with more, only slightly sculpted thrones or containers or pools filled with what looked like water, though that couldn’t be guaranteed. I checked around them all, lingering on each of them for as long as possible, to count them up to be twelve in total, and on each of the platforms, situated in as regal a pose as could be managed in this environment, was each member of Kos.

  Ducking back down, I watched Ophiuchus, who in turn was looking at me.

  “Looks like they’ve got everyone down there but I didn’t see who they were talking to.” I was hoping for some kind of insight from Ophiuchus but he just rubbed at the back of his enclosed head. I needed another look.

  I took a handful of steadying breaths and once again, crept myself above the wall to take in as much detail, as fast as I could, and concentrated wholly on the platforms.

  Each one had been designed around the specific needs of the demon who resided there and each creature was lounging as the conference took place. Picking the nearest platform, I began to whisper descriptions for Ophiuchus to identify each of the monsters.

  Aquarius, the truly evil one, seemed to match his voice. He was a massive bulk of slimy pinkish flesh with tentacle limbs and two enormous reflective orb eyes who wallowed in a huge pool of water, constantly dunking huge ewers in to fill them before dousing himself with the contents, clearly making sure to stay hydrated. He may be evil, but good skin care regimen.

  Next was something which looked akin to those chairs you find at swimming pools for the lifeguards to sit on. It was a tall tower with a grey, spindly limbed creature sat atop it, who was holding out two of their four arms to either side of them, huge cages of rusted and warped metal hanging beneath. Its wide head slowly scanned the room and, despite not having eyes, seemed to be smiling a hideous grin at what it could make out.

  “Libra,” confirmed Ophiuchus.

  Further round, I picked out Taurus and Leo as the hulking demon versions of the animal forms they represented, Scorpio with four, ever darting, armoured stingers, sandy coloured scales and monstrous pincers for hands, Aries, shaggy hair and long beard with wickedly over-sized, curved horns which not only looked like they could be used as a battering ram but appeared to be sharp enough to slice through anything that was unlucky enough to get in their way.

  Next along, came a giant, clear sided tank which had been filled to overflowing with murky water and assorted marine flora. Floating casually in the tank, again watching closely to all things taking place before it, was a goat-headed fish being. The shimmering scales which covered the lower portion of its body reflected what little light was available in this chamber and formed a hypnotic dance of colour. The closer I looked; it became clear that this was a female whatever it was.

  “Capricorn,” confirmed Ophiuchus. “Really is the most enchanting of us all,” he added and again fell back to old memories. I risked one more glimpse in her direction before I moved on.

  Next was Sagittarius the centaur, a gargantuan great bow slung over his shoulder, then a two headed being which was more teeth than anything else, casually slumped into a stone throne. It possessed double the limbs that a human would but as I watched the deep blue coloured being, I saw each of the heads speak to the other quietly, before left limbs fed right head and vice versa from large bowls of steaming meat on each side of the throne.

  “Let me guess, Gemini?”

  Ophiuchus nodded.

  “The twins are a wise pair and have the strongest minds of all of Kos. They may be trapped in the single body, but they are a mighty force to be reckoned with. Besides, you know what they say don’t you?” I kept my attention scanning the space below but didn’t understand. I just grunted my response. “Two heads are better than one.”

  My eyes rolled instinctively at that awful joke.

  “You use that every time you talk about them don’t you?” He snorted softly in the affirmative.

  I moved my attention to the next platform for my eyes to fall upon a creature of purest white just floating motionless. There was nothing else on that level and her, it was clearly a ‘her,’ and a startlingly beautiful ‘her’ at that, whole body, feathered wings which were opened for display and all, seemed to be emitting a light source of its own.

  “Virgo,” said Ophiuchus, a touch of caution in his voice. He needn’t have worried. She may have looked so beyond beautiful but knowing the way she’d spoken earlier killed any ardour I may have felt.

  The final platforms, both with huge tanks of water similar to Capricorn, were empty of their owners. Ragged trails of water led away from both and following them quickly gave us the final Kos monsters.

  “And there, we have Cancer and Pisces,” lamented Ophiuchus.

  The pair were slowly circling the lower rim of the space and it was clear from their posture that they were very much in charge of the events as they were unfolding. Cancer carried the clear appearance of the crab but it was one from a fevered nightmare. I could only estimate from where I was but it looked like the crab demon was only a very tiny amount smaller than my very own Dragon form. It stalked around the space, it’s six massive legs spearing down and into the rock beneath with too much ease to allow onlookers to remain calm. Atop those legs, perched like a gargoyle on the body of a cathedral, was a thick-set, grey humanoid body packed with muscle with a too small head fixed to the top. Swivelling stalk eyes took in any and all of what was taking place around it as it walked but the arms made me shudder. The right was nothing more than a limb in proportion to the rest of that giant form. It had the same plate exterior but ended in a very human looking hand. The other arm, though, was designed for battle. It was a single mighty pincer, vastly enlarged to the scale of the demon but covered in tiny knobs and spines. As Cancer moved, that giant claw clack-clack-clacked all of the time, either an instinctual thing or as an ever present threat to the others. It looked very much like it could be used as a crunching club or to shred anything that was caught in its jaws.

  Looking at that brute, the rest of the palace décor made more sense.

  “They’re both dangerous. Never think that it’s just him,” Ophiuchus warned from further back. So that meant that Cancer was male, but where was the other...?

  Now really focusing on the creature as he stalked the room, there on his shoulder, was draped another figure. It was small next to the crab and the odd similarity of colour tones had meant that I’d missed her, I could see that now, when I’d first looked. Her body was so fragile compared to the behemoth she was being carried by so despite the warnings from Ophiuchus, I was struggling to see her as a real threat. It looked as if she had bony protuberances coming from her head in a wide fan and she was very well, ahem, proportioned.

  “And Pisces is a mermaid?” I asked, still concentrating hard on her, in a purely professional manner you understand.

  “Like I said, don’t believe that she’s weak because of her size. She’s a warmongering force, keep that in mind.”

 

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