An invisible wave may as well hit Jo. But the crashes and jolts from a torrent smashed around his insides; coupled with the ground undulating and a need to be close to the ground to stop everything shaking. Another cry burst from his left as he touched the grass, needle fire rushing up his forearms to meet the crushing water; starbursts dotting his vision as he wanted to close his eyes.

"What is it?" Jay's voice came into his mind like drums. "Get, get it away!"

"This is not the time for this," Suzé answered, although it seemed to be directed more at him. "Get a hold of yourself."

He had hold of something; so bright that he could still feel the glare through closed eyelids. Yet cooling just as sharply to a more constant glow. Opening eyelids revealed the unmistakable ruby, pink and white form of Worrsdowth; a transluce house for a core of light; yet with a hum like the wings of a gentle bee. A hum in tune with a larger approaching light and more cavernous hum...

"Get back Melisande!" Tilds voice echoed as Helenica, Mitts and Tilds jumped into the field beyond the benches in the manner of snails; just as Mel, or Melisande, glanced at an oncoming sphere. A sphere wreathed in shadow and electric blue fire; not so much connecting with the path but crashing into it; ripples of flame radiating out at every bounce.

"Stay down," Suzé said from beside him, hands outstretched as the ripple flowed towards them but halted only a breath away; illuminating a one hand on head, but Dolcreige in the other hand Jay. But even as the fire ripple died, a second remained, girdling the ball that was receding into a taller third. A third more like a descending wall; within which could be spied a shimmering shape.

"It's coming from there," moaned Jay.

"The fragrance?" said Suzé as the scent of burning roses filled Jo's nostrils.

"The waves," Jay answered. "The waves."

"Wha-" Suzé began as a blast like a breath of ice burst from the flame sphere; so strong it was almost like a slap in the face. A slap that snuffed out the fire as well as turning Jo's glance away.

"It's gone - dark," he said, looking at a nearby lantern that may as well have been turned down to a nocturnal glow. "But the flames were so bright."

"Might be the one who landed in flames," Suzé said without turning.

"Landed?" Jo repeated, then followed Suzé's gaze and saw the metallic figure rising out of the swirl of shadow; lantern light flowing down its climbing outline. Cold, like the surface of a sword. But with the warm scent of a rosebush on an early summer's evening.

"It's not right," said Jay, shaking his head. "It's not right."

"Keeps... shifting..." Jo frowned, up on one knee. "Can't... focus... on the shadow..."

"Still rising," Suzé added. "Not far off the lamppost."

"Could pass for one," said Helenica from beside the bench. "Or is it your champion?"

"This has nothing to do with me," said Suzé as Mitts, Melisande and Tilds appeared on either side of Helenica.

"Well, it's not us," Tilds replied.

"And it can mind its own business while we get started," said Mitts, bursting forward.

"Spread!" Suzé yelled, stretching her arms as Jo found himself pushed to the right by an invisible hand. Yet, even as he watched, Mitts progress was blocked by the appearance of the metallic figure, arms spread just like Suzé.

"Out of my way unless you want to lose them," Mitts growled, striking with war hammer and sword, yet cutting through air before a cross-raised arm blocked the hammer overhead and a solitary knee strike catapulted her into Helenica.

"Done it now!" Melisande snarled, circling one way as Tilds went in the other; weapons glinting.

"No," said Suzé, stiffening. "Get away from it."

Jo glanced at Suzé, then stared as the figure evaded Melisande's spear thrusts and sprang over a horizontal cut by Tilds. Sprang, spun then launched Tilds forward with a front kick that Melisande rolled onto the path to avoid; but then came face to face with the descending overhead of her plume-haired opponent; lost in its mirror and shadow.

Then light as the figure sprung out of the arc of a rose-tinted sword, complete with a dark garbed and pale-haired wielder.

"Merrihans," Jo snapped. "Saw me coming."

"Didn't see me," Suzé replied as sparks burst along the side of the figure's face as it lurched sideways into a bench. "Are you going to just stand there, James?"

"Why did you - stop it?" Melisande said.

"I don't... know," said Jo, turning to Melisande. "But your friends need your help and you can't help if you're fighting... this..."

"You might have hit it Suzé, but it's g-getting up," said Jay, pointing with a still glowing Dolcreige.

"Go. Now," said Jo, glancing at Melisande then almost letting go of Worrsdowth as the dread waves returned; coupled with a desire to touch the floor. Touch the floor as the figure, monster, statue, or soldier continued to rise; eyes brighter, shadows darker; surface more luminous; scent like a bowl of fresh-cut apples. Floral just like the plum-bronze and apricot emblem on its rectangular shoulder guard; glowing like light over a surface of water.

"It's- it's growing," said Jay, drawing his sword back. "I can't, not look."

"Move Jay!" Suzé shouted as Jo glanced at the statue and could only see...flower petals...

Jay flung himself sideways, just as the armoured statue landed in the exact spot he had been in. Landed and disappeared in a cloud of stone, shadow and more petals, with a wave that knocked Jo off his feet.

"Like thunder," he gasped, getting onto hands and knees as the statue began to rise, a twinkle appearing near its face like a twirling –

He flung himself sideways, not caring about the ground. Only the air beside him as a twin-bladed projectile shot through the space he had been crouched in. "Don't you shoot him, statue!" Jay's voice radiated as more sparks erupted from the figure and Dolcreige; followed by a full-swing pendulum that knocked it forwards across the path and into the same bench.

"Not so quick now", said Suzé, landing on the grass verge that led down to the lake.

"I - didn't know - that you could do that," Jo said, getting to his feet.

"There's a lot you don't know," Suzé replied, putting a hand to her ear. "Sounds like the choir are leaving."

"Looks like the statue's out too," said Jay. "Lights are out."

Jo would have looked, but for the fair-sized petal sailing across his vision; like spiced apples but shaped like a pink and apricot-shaded butterfly. Not even on its way to the lake before another sailed past, and another; coupled with a fragrant breeze.

"Might need a finishing hammer rather than a breeze, Suzé," he said.

"That's not me, said Suzé, looking at the other side of the path, "nor the petals."

"Some are moving across the ground like leaf swirls in autumn," said Jay.

"Only leaves don't make you want to lie down," Jo added, even as it seemed as if a veil of cold, not entirely masked by the calm, was creeping into him. Cold within. Dark without; even with the lamppost. Save for the more numerous petals; a gentle curve in front; waist-high current behind. And a pale-eyed statue rising out of the swirl of shadow and petals in the centre.

"W-when did-" he said, trying to take in the lights and shadows flowing over the figure like swirls of water; water over a core with an ominous glow. A glow that only amplified the sudden cold within him.

"Should it be getting back up?" said Jay.

"No, it shouldn't," Suzé began, shaking her head and catching a flower petal. "Like the roses in my dad's garden. So fragrant and like cinnamon you could put them in the apple - No..." she said, dropping the petal and seeming to shrink. "It can't be."

"Can't be what," said Jay, unable to take his eyes off the still-rising statue as the cold became chill and the eyes and core continued to brighten.

"Rose and metal," Suzé whispered.

"Rose," shaking her head as the statue stopped rising "...Metale..." a cold, grand, saffron-channelled sword appearing in its gauntleted hand.

"Rose-" Suzé continued as Dolcreige and Worrsdowth both flashed like twin lightning strokes "...Fatale..." as Jay and Jo shook at the utterance of a cavernous growl.

"A Vane."

. . .

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