"So be it," Suzé said, sinking to the path and tapping it with an open hand. At that same instant, something burst out of the lake behind Jo. Burst and began to emit a deep light more akin to the gentle glow of a full moon.
"So pretty," Ensai's voice came as Jo turned to look himself. A sphere of water rotated above the lake; base at the level of his head; crest might have been in line with the top of the hill. Within the sphere's core lay the transluce light source; although smaller versions were moving within the water like mobile stars.
"Like a planet," Malduke added. "A water sun-ball."
"Nevermind water-whats-it," said Kitts. "Get to-"
"Ouch!" Jenn said, putting a hand to the side of his face.
"What's up?" said Deuce.
"Something just hit me."
"Urrgh-me too," said Ness. "Wet, flappy, and on the-"
"Duck!" Suzé snapped as the sphere flashed white.
Jo hit the ground a moment before a projectile shot through the air his head had been in and struck Mitts with a water-laced thud. A second sent up a water spray from the vicinity of the Altos whilst cries erupted from the musicians.
"It's shooting," Arja yelled, jumping out of the way of an object that knocked Ensai into Malduke and enveloped them in spray. "The ball's shooting."
"A stellar carp," said Jenn, "Just missed my hea-ahh," before disappearing in a spray cloud to the left.
"He's right," said Jay, hand on head. "I'm sure a trout just zipped over my-"
"Aargh!" Kitts yelled from beyond a climbing bank of mist. "It's trying to eat me!"
"Pin it with your sword, Deuce," Angelika shouted, sliding out of the path of a carp and swatting a twinkling tench with her pole-axe. "It's a big one."
"Just watch where you pin," Kitts added. "I don't-fancy-being a cushion as well as – dinner."
"Our cue to leave, don't you think," Suzé said to Jo, just as a musician burst out of the spray mist. "You're doing this," he snarled, war-club raised. "It stops now-aah!" as he was carried up the slope by a twinkling swan-sized goldfish.
"Are you - really doing this?" said Jo.
"You've never done anything this," Jay added.
"We've not been surrounded by the very last choir you want to meet by a lake at night," said Suzé, drawing a hand past herself as the still-firing water sphere flowed towards the shore.
"Hope this is enough payment for you, Kitts," she added, taking off up the grass slope and the descending mist.
"Don't leave us," said Jay, running after her as Jo glanced at the now onshore sphere then ran.
"It's that woman," Arja groaned through the din. "Someone stop her."
"You can after someone gets this great lump off me," Malduke added. "I can't see a thing."
"You're a Felisian," Lianestra's voice echoed or jolted, "of course you can see."
"Not with me and a carp on top of-" Ensai began before voices were lost in a thunderous connection of water sphere and shore.
"Don't turn to look," said Suzé as Jo stared and began to turn. "And turn that thing down, Jay."
"It doesn't listen to me," said Jay.
"Then speak to it."
Cries, moans and yells were coming from below; a below lost in the mist that cloaked everything except the unmistakable glow of Dolcreige. Ahead was the dull shape of Suzé and the welcome beat from the Tropira House party; both becoming clearer and sharper as the mist was replaced by clear night air, the top of the bank; the welcome sight of the main path, bench and lanterns...
And four sopranos.
Dolcreige fell onto the grass as Suzé stopped, and Jo's heart descended.
"Quite the strategist," said Mel, hands resting on a cross-headed spear perched across her shoulders.
"Did you think you were away?" said Helenica, one hand upon the half of a chill-bladed naginata.
"Far, far from it," said Mitts, twirling a longsword in one hand, and a twinkling war hammer in the other.
Jo looked at Suzé. Anything to stop the focus on the ice water running down his back.
"Such a shame," said Tilds, rising from the bench. "Would have been nice to sing and have some appreciative applause at the end. But as you can see," she added, sweeping her light engraved blade from side to side. "Mine glows too."
"You can have it," said Jay, stepping away from the blade that was supposed to be his. "It's too much for one night."
"You can pick it up and turn it down," said Suzé. "It won't recognize anyone else."
"But I've tried," said Jay, almost as if an arrow had hit him. "I just want to go home."
"Don't we all," Helenica purred. "But other threads weave otherwise."
Jo could only stare at Jay. Was it all too much? Was he going the same way? How could Suzé be so calm and bring up water spheres that launched fish like a rapid-fire blaster? And why was Dolcreige getting brighter?
"Calm it down, Jay," said Suzé.
"It's not me," said Jay.
"It is you because it knows you don't want it."
"Your friend's right, Mr James," said Mitts. "You don't want to have nothing to hand when we get started."
"That goes for you, Mr Jones, and your resourceful leader," said Mel, lowering her spear. "En-"
"Arrghh-"