The Ballad of Belos - TheInkredibleKaptainKaiju (2024)

Chapter 1: The Revenant

Chapter Text

The Ballad of Belos

Chapter One: The Revenant

The being that would one day be known as Belos was born from his mother’s bile sac.

The organ, untouched for thousands of years, one day began to pulse, as though life had been restored to the titan’s long-dead heart. Life was indeed within the bile sac, but not the titan’s own. Like a chick breaking free from its egg, something began tearing its way through the organ, sending a deluge of magical bile to the floor below, where it accumulated into a pool.

Through the small tear emerged a hand, pale and skinny like that of a corpse. Long fingers tipped with claws pulled the tear open further, out of which came a face. Sunken black eyes and a fang-filled mouth entered the light of the outside world--not that the inside of this cave was much brighter than the creature’s cocoon. The wider the tear grew, the more bile rained down to the floor. Eventually, the creature’s full body emerged, skeletal and slender. As before, a corpse was the most apt way to describe it.

With nothing below to support him once he was free, the creature fell down to the floor, landing in the pool of bile. Screeching in indignation, he splashed around in the green liquid until he was able to right himself, climbing out onto dry land. Now, he was able to see just where he was.

The creature looked around the cave he found himself in. Dark and damp, the faint shape of a ribcage could be made on the far end of the cave’s walls. Behind him lay the bile sac he had emerged from, and the pool of magical bile that still flowed from it. Attached to it, forming the back wall of the cave, was an enormous heart, as still as stone. What little light that crept into the cave did so from a small opening near the roof, far too small for him to see anything through it at this distance.

It was then that the creature made his first conscious decision. Attracted to the light, he decided to make his way towards the opening. With far more grace than one would expect from any sort of newborn, he climbed up the side of the heart, coming to a stop at a small alcove at the top.

It was then that the creature made his second decision. Having just now realized how exhausting both tearing his way through the bile sac and climbing up to this alcove were, he decided to sleep. Fortunately, the alcove provided the perfect place to bed down for the day--or night, he wasn’t sure.

As he settled down for a rest, the creature noticed that he was still covered in bile from his plunge. With no other way to remove it, he experimentally dragged his tongue across the back of his hand. Once content that the substance wasn’t poisonous, he proceeded to lick himself clean. Though the taste left much to be desired, something about consuming the liquid left him feeling invigorated, somehow. Still, it wasn’t enough to ease his exhaustion. Before he closed his eyes, one might have noticed that the formerly black orbs now had a slight red glow to them.

The creature wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep. Upon waking, he realized that the light shining through the opening had shifted slightly. He yawned, revealing a mouthful of fangs. No longer fatigued, the creature worked his way through the hole.

He was forced to squint as the light bombarded his eyes, which were only used to darkness. Once through, he held up a hand in front of his face, creeping slightly forward. After a moment, and his eyes had adjusted, he now found himself in another, smaller cave. The sun, low on the horizon, was shining directly through the large entrance. Still unable to see past the glare, he made his way out of the cave and into the outside world.

The creature was given his first look at where he resided. The cave from which he emerged was located near the top of a large mountain, which itself was at the center of an island. Trees sprouted from the side of the mountain, at the bottom of which were several miles of sprawling plains, all of which were surrounded by a purple sea. The creature paused for a moment as he took in the sight. Then, a growl that hadn’t come from his throat informed him of something new.

Although this was his first time feeling hunger, his instincts were more than enough to tell him what should be done. After a few experimental sniffs of the air, the creature bounded down the side of the mountain in search of sustenance. As he listened for potential prey, his thoughts kept returning to the bile he had tasted earlier. But he knew it wouldn’t be enough to sustain him. Although he knew very little, he did know that what he craved was flesh.

He soon reached the foot of the mountain. Down here on the ground, All sorts of new smells and sounds reached him. Sounds of running water, of wind through the leaves, of birds overhead. Smells of pine needles, of seawater, of the woods--of fresh meat. He leaned lower to the ground, trying to find the source of this scent. It was faint, almost too faint to follow. But it was slightly less faint in the direction of the plains off in the distance. The creature followed the trail.

After an uneventful trek through the woods, the creature soon found himself staring at a herd of large horned animals lazily grazing in the fields. Something about these animals seemed familiar to him, even though he knew he had never seen them before. Familiar or not, the smell had led him towards them, and he was not about to return to the cave on an empty stomach. He approached, low to the ground to hide among the grass. A few of the animals glanced around, as though they had detected something, but were unsure of what.

The creature made his way towards a smaller animal, separated from the rest of the herd. Even though it wasn’t as large as the others, it still had enough meat on its bones to provide a filling meal. More importantly, it would be far easier to take down, provided he could get the jump on it. Luckily, it seemed unaware of his presence as he crept closer.

The creature made his move. He pounced, latching on to the animal and biting down. The entire herd began to run, leaving the smallest member behind. Although it tried to run as well, the creature continued biting and clawing at its vital organs, until it was too weak to go any further. The animal collapsed, dead. The creature got off to admire his kill.

He could only admire for so long. He began hungrily tearing into the animal’s flesh, swallowing chunks of meat whole. By the time he had eaten his fill, he noticed that barely anything other than bones remained. Apparently, he had been hungrier than he thought. It made sense, given that this was the first meal of his life.

Life. There was something he hadn’t thought about before. Now that he really had time to think about it, he realized he didn’t know where he was. Not so much on the island, but more in relation to that--where the island was, more accurately. And the more he thought about that, the more he realized that this was an odd thing to be thinking about.

You see, this creature was noticing that he was gifted with a very strange phenomenon. One known as sentience. He was not a mere animal, but was able to ask questions, such as the previous one. For the first time in his short existence, he began pondering not just where he was, but who he was, and why he was there. He had never so much as glimpsed a creature anything like him, even in the cave he had been born in.

The creature paused his wondering for the moment, thinking that it would be easier to ponder these things back home. Despite his full stomach, he found himself no less agile as he made his way back up the mountain, carried by his long limbs and fingers. A sound caused him to briefly turn around: the grazing animals from earlier had retaken their place in the field, seemingly unbothered by the fact that one of their own had been ambushed and killed in that exact spot. It would seem that finding food would not be much of a problem on this island.

Once he returned to his cave, the creature decided that he had earned another rest. Before he could lay down again, he heard something--or rather, felt something--coming from down below. A hum seemed to be coming from the pool of green liquid next to the unbeating heart. Almost calling him, beckoning him. He descended into the lower cavern and made his way beside the pool.

Remembering how tasting it had made him feel earlier, he took an experimental drink. Almost instantly, any sort of fatigue and heaviness that he had been feeling from his excursion had vanished. And it wasn’t just that: The hum now seemed to be coming from within himself as well. He took another gulp. Now, the hum was coming exclusively from him, the pool having gone silent. It was as though this bile, this essence he had somehow come from, was what gave him life. More than food, water, even air. Having drank his fill, the creature returned to the small alcove in the upper level.

And so, this went on. Days became weeks. Weeks became months. Each day, the creature would venture out of his caves and into the wilderness of the small island. Some days he would hunt another of the horned animals to eat, but he found that a single one was enough to keep him fed for days at a time. When he wasn’t feeling particularly hungry, he would venture out to unexplored parts of the island he called a home.

Down at the foot of the mountain in the center was a lush grassy field, bordered by hills on one side and a forest on the other. The horned animals would seldom venture into the forest, but the hills were their territory. The creature found this out when he attempted to get close, and was met with resistance in the form of bellowing and lowered horns. He steered clear of the hills from then on, but the fields were neutral ground. He would hunt a single animal once every few days, and they seemed never to grow wise to his attacks.

The forest was dense and good for scouting targets ahead of a hunt, but little else. The small animals that darted through the undergrowth and jumped across the branches were too small to be a decent meal, even if it was worth the effort to catch them. None of the plants had any value as food, either. Some of the trees bore bright red, conical fruits that some of the small tree-dwelling animals seemed to love, but the creature found them too bitter to enjoy.

Behind the mountain, there was a smaller forest. It was much the same as the other, with the only difference being that it had a lake in the middle. Despite frequent ventures into its depths, the creature found that there was nothing below the surface. Its water was crystal clear, though, so it was here that he ventured whenever he was in need of a drink. It was in this same water that he first saw his reflection. Although he knew it was himself, he still felt that something was strange about it. It was as if he knew he did not always look like that. What it was he previously looked like, if this feeling was even warranted, he didn’t know.

There was another lake not far off that was much more interesting. Technically, it was fed by the ocean, so it was more of a bay, but the creature had little mind for details such as this. The water wasn’t fit for drinking, but what it did have was numerous fish that had swam in from the sea. These fish were easily snatched up out of the water, and served as a salty meal on the days when the creature wasn’t up to a hunt, or was in the mood for something other than red meat.

Sometimes, when the skies were particularly cloudy, they would open up and a terrible burning would fall from above. The first time he was caught in this acid rain, the creature hissed indignantly at the sky, as though his anger could cow the heavens above into submission. He soon learned that this was not the case, and so retreated back to his cave. He learned to stay inside during rainy days, and to take cover in the forest when caught by a sudden storm.

One day, the creature saw a raven. A thoroughly unremarkable experience for any, but something about it stirred up strong emotions within him. He had seen plenty of birds before, but this one was different. Its pitch black feathers stood out against the sky behind it, and something about its beak, the way it curved slightly downwards below its eyes as it looked at him, unnerved him. Unsure of what to make of these feelings, or why he was even feeling them, the creature did the only thing he could think of, and ran at the bird, screeching angrily. The raven simply flew off as he reached the side of the tree, hammering against the trunk with his fists.

Once the bird had left, he felt himself calm down. Now calm, he silently pondered why this animal had made him so angry. The only thing he could think of was an image, burned into his mind, of a raven’s face, glaring at him from shadows. Why he could remember this and nothing else was beyond him, so he put it out of his mind. He returned to his home, unaware that when he had been consumed by his anger, his eyes had taken on an icy blue glow.

As time went by, the creature felt his mind being filled with everything that the island had to offer. After months of growing accustomed to what amounted to his entire world, he soon grew curious as to what lay beyond it. He had never seen anything to suggest that there even was anything beyond this tiny island in an endless purple ocean, but something inside of him knew that there was. Often, he would find himself seated atop the enormous skull that formed the mountain’s summit, staring off into the horizon. Although nothing but waves met his eyes, he knew that there was more to this world.

He had no reason to think that there was. Even if the island wasn’t the whole world, it was his world. He wanted for nothing, faced few hardships, and yet he always found himself staring over that horizon. Perhaps it wasn’t that he wanted more of what he already had, but that he wanted what he could never get: answers. Who was he? What was he? How and why was he on this island? As long as he remained here, he would get no such answers.

When the thoughts he had became too much for his head to hold, he decided he had to get them out. One day, he ventured down into the deeper caves where the bile pool was located. But for now, and approached one of the cavern’s vast, blank walls. The image of the island which he called home danced in his head, so he brought it out. Using one of his claws, he scratched a single line across the wall, representing the horizon. He then added a curved line to represent the mountain, adding the eyes, teeth, and horns of the skulltop. Next was a circle above it: the sun. And finally, he drew himself atop the mountain. It was just a crude sketch, a single line for a body, with four smaller lines as limbs, and a circle for a head.

Stepping back, the creature admired his handiwork. Something about having put his thoughts into the physical world in some form made them much more...the only way he could describe it was ‘solid.’ These were no longer fleeting thoughts, but concrete ideas, and his engraving stood here as proof to that. Now, if he should go anywhere, and someone else was to come here, they would know that this island had been his.

As time went by, the creature’s collection of cave art grew. They became more and more detailed, the creature’s likeness being unmistakable. The wall was soon covered in pictures of all the island’s creatures and detailed maps of every inch of the entire land, from lake to beach, forest to plains. Drawings of the mountain, of the burning rain falling onto the trees and of the still heart that watched over him at night. Sketches of the bile sac dripping its nectar into a pool, and of himself consuming it. One drawing was simply a collection of pinpricks, which a sharp eye would be able to recognize as stars in a space of the night sky. And another of that raven. Despite the emotions the bird stirred up within the creature, this one seemed to hold a sort of reverence. It was separate from the other etchings, a ring of blank space surrounding it like a halo. In the creature’s mind, he felt that he just didn’t want to crowd this particular drawing, as though it was supposed to stand out, supposed to draw attention. The image of the bird’s curved beak and vacant, black eyes filled him with anger...and yet, a quiet sort of longing as well. But a longing for what, he could not say.

Before long, months became years. As the bile pool continued to drain, and the walls continued to be filled with etchings, this simply became yet another part of the creature’s routine. The questions about his existence that had once dominated his mind were now nothing more than a dull whisper; not as pressing as they had once been, but ever present, ever remaining. He only occasionally ventured to the skulltop to watch the horizon.

And this was it; his island. Not just the island where he lived, but his island, as he was its undisputed king. He was the only one who could decide his fate. All other beings present submitted to him, knowingly or not. Nothing and nobody was present to challenge his rule.

Until the day the others came.

It was a day like any other. And yet, the creature could tell right away that something was wrong. The horned animals grazed as usual, the forest was filled with the same smells and sounds as it always was, and yet, he felt something inside him that something dangerous was approaching. He had nobody to consult on this feeling, so he returned to his cave to consult the heart.

Still as always, but the pool of bile hummed. Or rather, what was left of it hummed. After all these years, the pool had slowly but surely been reduced to little more than a puddle. Although he wasn’t sure why, the creature knew that without bile, he was no better off than he would have been without food or water. Perhaps this was the source of the feeling gnawing away at him? No, he had known of this for some time. Whatever was wrong, it was new. He left for the very top of the mountain, where he could survey the entire island.

The creature scanned across his territory several times, but found nothing out of the ordinary. The feeling persisted, so he continued to search, but turned up nothing. It wasn’t until his gaze turned to the horizon that he found what he was looking for. It almost escaped him the first time, a mere speck in the distance. Off in the ocean, something was darker-colored than the purple seawater. Upon seeing this, the creature lowered himself as his lips peeled back into a snarl. His eyes locked on this vague shape, and he rushed down the mountain towards the shore for a better look.

Standing on the beach, the mysterious object became clear. A massive wooden shape floated closer and closer to the island, with wings of fabric catching the wind to pull it to its destination. Once again, something in the creature’s subconscious memory told him what this was: this was a ship. Someone was coming to his island. For the first time in years, he would meet someone else. Another being. A person. And this thought filled him with fear and anger. He returned to his cave to prepare for their arrival.

Several hours later, as the sun set over the horizon, the boat had landed not far from the shore. From his hiding place, the creature could make out what sounded to be a group coming inland. A cluster of unrecognizable voices floated up the mountain from down below. His curiosity and anger grappled within him. On the one hand, these strange beings were invaders to his land. And yet, on the other, what if they were more like him? He would never know if he stayed here. His thoughts internally grappled on whether to approach the strangers, or to attack them. He settled on a compromise, and headed out to assess the situation.

A glowing light at the foot of the mountain and just at the edge of the forest drew the creature nearer. A small fire, around which the new beings sat. Just as before, some deep part of him felt sure he recognized them. They were dressed in heavy clothes, and one of them held a map, around which they were discussing something in a language that sounded so alien and yet so familiar. Although the creature couldn’t understand what they were saying, he could still space out the sounds that they were making. He experimentally opened his mouth to mimic the sound: “Rrraaahh…”

Bad idea. As soon as a strange noise came from the darkness of the trees, the pointy-eared beings leapt up from their spots. A few of them shouted in alarm, while some drew clowning circles with their fingers that hovered in front of their hands, aiming them into the darkness. The creature, sensing danger, retreated further into the woods, but only made more noise by snapping twigs and rustling leaves. A few of the more brave ones left their fire behind, illuminating the forest with orbs of light as they searched for the source of the noise.

The Boiling Isles were far from the only land made up from the body of a dead titan; just the biggest. Numerous islands dotted the Boiling Sea, which many adventurers made a living exploring. That was why they had come here: a research expedition, funded by a man named Talus Archibald. There was nothing to suggest that this island was inhabited...and yet, that sound couldn't have been made by a mere animal.

The small group of witches travelled deeper into the woods, light spells splitting the darkness as they searched. Scientific curiosity proved stronger than their nerves, as most of them simply wanted to know who, or what, it was that had spoken. And much to their misfortune, they soon found it.

One of the young researchers let out a cry of alarm, nearly tripping over himself as he stumbled away from one particular tree. The others, just as alarmed, shone their lights over towards the tree, before aiming them upwards. Up in the tree’s branches was a pale, skeletal creature, bearing far too close a resemblance to one of them for comfort. Almost all of them drew the connection to an emaciated corpse. Although its appearance was more than frightening enough on its own, two or three of the party seemed to know exactly what it was. They were the senior researchers, and knew more about this world as a whole and some of the other researchers knew about the Boiling Isles. And they were also the ones who were most frightened of it.

What happened next was all a blur. Nobody knew exactly who it was that had fired first, but a spell had been hurled towards this corpse-like beast. Its terrifying screech split the night air as it leapt down from its perch towards them. Now all of them joined in, firing spell after spell at the unknown terror, which only seemed to anger it further. Worst of all, the monster’s eyes lit up with an icy blue as it sprinted in their direction.

The creature would have been more than content to retreat back to its mountain home had he not been provoked. But the moment that stinging sensation had exploded across his chest, he was consumed with rage. He launched himself down towards his attackers, doing everything he could to destroy them. Disoriented as he was with the pain from the projectiles colliding with his skin, he nevertheless clawed at anything he could reach. Everything was a blur, though he could tell that his claws made contact several times. A few of the creatures made the same sound over and over: “Revenant.” He didn’t know what it meant.

Everything happened so fast. Before long, the beings realized that their attacks were having no effect on the creature, and retreated towards the fire. Although he sent one last enraged shriek in their direction, the creature did not pursue. Though the spells seemed outwardly to have no effect, he was nonetheless fatigued from the constant barrage. He sank to the ground for a moment to catch his breath, when his eyes caught something. There, laying on the forest floor, one of the beings sat, lifeless. His claws had struck this being in his rage, dealing a killing blow. He cautiously approached to confirm his kill. Its youthful features were left frozen in an expression of terror; the creature felt a twinge of regret passing through him.

However, a kill was a kill. After taking a moment to make sure that the other beings would not be returning, the creature lifted up the body, and carried it back up the mountain. The light of the fire had been put out behind him, and he could hear the telltale sound of the party returning towards their ship. Part of him, beneath his animal instincts, hoped that they would find a way to honor their fallen comrade. He soon reached his den, carrying his kill down to the floor.

Having grown hungry from the brief battle, he began. Any sense of recognition of this being was pushed deep down inside of him. A kill was a kill. Meat was meat. However, he soon stopped. This being was far different than the animals he regularly killed for food, and not just for the obvious reasons. For a moment, the creature just stared at what he had uncovered. As though in a tiny facsimile of his very home, attached to the being’s heart was a sac of bile, just like the kind he regularly drank his fill of. He glanced over at the nearly-dry pool, and back to the one before him. He bit into it like a ripe fruit...and it proved just as juicy. His eyes glowed red as he devoured the organ with vigor. These beings had bile. The kind that could replenish him. It seemed that he may not run out after all.

Having eaten his fill, the creature headed up to the small alcove that was his bed. Now that he was alone, he repeated that strange word the beings had said. “Rrreh...haaaah...nnnahhh…” The meaning of the word ‘revenant’ still had not come to him, and yet he had the unmistakable feeling that they were referring to him. That he was this revenant of which they spoke. His thoughts on the matter were brief, as sleep soon came to him.

For the next few days, the beings were far more cautious in their approach. Rarely travelling in smaller groups, they stuck together, and set out almost exclusively during the day. For his part, the creature avoided them as well, consciously hunting on the other side of the island from wherever they were. Even he wasn’t entirely sure why he did this. This was his island, and they were invaders. But for one reason or another, he avoided conflict.

The beings explored every part of the island, except for the mountaintop. One way or another, they had discerned that this place was the creature’s lair. Everywhere else they combed thoroughly, marking their discoveries down on maps. Sometimes, the creature’s curiosity got the better of him, and he crept up to spy on the goings-on, though he made sure to stay out of sight. Although still no expert in their language, he had slowly grown able to parse out the sounds that they made.

“And that does it for the south side,” one of them said. “I estimate just another day or two and we’ll be able to return.”

“About time, too,” another one said. “I don’t want to spend one day longer than we have to. If it had been up to me, we’d have left here long ago. Talus had better pay us double after dealing with that...that monster.”

They were leaving. The creature was able to tell that much. Soon, they would leave, and the island would be his again. As it should be, as it had always been. And yet, a part of him was concerned. For so long, he had wondered about the outside world, what was beyond his island. Was he really so happy that they were going? Upon returning to his cave, he made his way over to the wall, and added another drawing to his collection. The ship. Far from his best, it resembled some of his older work: a mere triangle to represent the boat, with a line for the water. But he was too deep in thought to put much effort into his drawing. His mind raced with the possibilities. He had established by now that he could be fairly stealthy when he wanted to be. But could he maintain that in such a confined space? How long would the voyage be? Even if he could, would it even be worth it?

All it took to answer that question was a glance at the bile pool. Once a veritable pond filled with that glowing green nectar, all that was left were a few dregs, barely enough for a drink. If he stayed here, he would not survive. He had no choice.

The creature returned to the outside. From his perch, he could see the ship there on the docks, ready to carry him away to a new world. It would no doubt be risky, but all he had known thus far had been contentment. If anything, some risk would be welcome.

“Reh...vah...nant…”

He had made up his mind. Making sure the other beings weren’t nearby, he made his way down the mountain and towards the vessel. Although it was possible that this new world offered him survival, in truth, his decision had been mostly made by the offer of something even greater:

Answers.

Chapter 2: Maiden Voyage

Chapter Text

Chapter Two: Maiden Voyage

The boat gently rocked in the waves not far from the island’s shore. Deep in the hold, illuminated only by the midday sun peering through a single small window, a lone witch sat at a small desk, a quill scraping across a sheet of paper, leaving ink in its wake. Gradually, the ink formed a ghastly image: a terrifying figure perched within the branches of a tree, leering down at its prey with its giant empty eyes, its fangs glistening in the moonlight. While it was far from a professional work of art, the minimalist bent almost added to the beast’s frightful appearance.

The would-be artist lay down his quill, admiring his handiwork. He shivered, the memory of the real thing still fresh in his mind even after a week or so, as fresh as it would likely be when he was old and grey. One could hardly go five feet on the Boiling Isles or its nearby islands without running into some manner of horrific monstrosity, but something about this one was...different. He couldn’t place his finger on it, but something about it seemed so familiar, which only added to its unsettling nature.

The witch was startled, nearly leaping from his seat, when there was a knock at the door. More of a thump, really. Without waiting for an answer, the unexpected guest opened the door, bringing a lantern with him. “‘Ey, Alvin, ye awake?” came a gruff voice.

Alvin Grizzwold, adventurer extraordinaire; or so those around him would say. In truth, Alvin preferred to be known as an explorer, and his ‘adventures’ to be referred to as scientific expeditions, as he was quite adverse to the fright and danger that came with adventuring, thank you very much. The added light from the lantern illuminated Alvin’s features: he was of slight build and middling height, with the countenance of a young man prematurely aged by years of stress, hidden beneath a weave the color of tow. “Titan, Ron, maybe next time try to avoid breaking down the door,” he said, placing his hand over his chest.

His much-more swarthy companion grunted. “Cap’n wants ye on deck. We’re departin’ soon, she says ye should do one last check o’ the island ‘fore we’re off.” He glanced for a moment at the sketch of the creature on the table. “Ye still on that, lad?”

Alvin got to his feet, clearing his throat. “I-I was just getting it out of my mind,” he said. “Sometimes, when something’s completely taken over my thoughts, it helps to draw it, or write about it. Something about making it physical, you know?”

Ron shrugged. “Can’t say I do, but it’s no business o’ mine, I suppose.” He stepped aside, allowing Alvin to step out into the hallway, leading the pair to the top. “Surprised ye didn’t know what it was, though.”

“As am I,” Alvin replied. “My expeditions have taken me all across the Isles and beyond, and I’ve never seen or heard of such a beast.” He looked down solemnly. “Perhaps if I had, we’d have been more successful…”

Once again, Ron grunted. “Julius seemed ta know what it was, and it didn’t help him none. Poor bastard. What’d he call it again?”

“A revenant,” replied Alvin. He swallowed fearfully. “While my natural curiosity would very much like to stay a little longer to study it, the far more rational side of me wants to get away from this island as soon as possible, and never look back.”

“You ‘n me both,” Ron said. “And let’s hope that things stays here an’ never leaves.”

Once more, the revenant found himself perched atop the mountain that he called home, from which one could see for miles around. But this time, rather than stare out over the horizon, he focused instead on the boat anchored not far from the coast. A handful of witches had ventured inland, no doubt returning for one last sweep of the island before departing. All he had to do was slip aboard, and he would be carried away to far-off places he had been dreaming of for years.

And yet, when faced with the thought of leaving the island he had lived on his entire life, the revenant was struck by a pang of sadness. For his entire life, he had wanted for nothing. He had ruled this island as though he was its king. To leave all of this behind, likely to never see it again, to risk it for an uncertain future, would almost certainly be suicide, wouldn’t it?

No. He banished the thought; no matter what lay ahead for him, it was worth the risk. He had survived, yes, but something itched within him, longing for more. There had to be more out there. Somewhere beyond that horizon, he could discover where he had come from. Who he was. What he was. And so he would go. He had survived this long, he could survive wherever this boat would carry him.

He was quite adaptable, after all.

Once the witches had made their way further into the island, the revenant bounded down the side of the cliff, agile as a mountain goat. Rocks and clumps of dirt slid down as he ran, but he was careful not to make too much noise. He sat still upon reaching the bottom, eyes and ears focusing to make absolutely sure that the search party hadn’t caught his trail. Once he was certain, he made his way through the brush towards the boat.

“Eh? You hear that?” The revenant froze. A pair of witches stood near the boat, seeming to be standing guard. It would seem he had left more of an impression on them than he had thought. He stood still as a statue, hidden among the bushes as the one who had heard him walked closer.

The other decided not to leave his post, leaning against a tree. “Didn’t hear nothin’,” he said.

“There’s somethin’ over here, I know there is.” The more curious of the two scanned the overgrowth intently, creeping ever closer. Although he remained still and silent, the revenant bared his fangs, preparing to pounce should he be discovered. The witch drew closer and closer, until the revenant could almost feel his breath.

Just as the seafarer reached out a hand to push the leaves aside, a bird, startled by his presence, burst up from the grass. The witch stumbled back, falling over as the bird flew into the distance. His partner cracked up at his predicament. “Yeah, there was somethin’ in there all right!”

“Aw, laugh it up!” he snapped. “At least I’m doin’ my job!” With the two of them distracted, the revenant made his exit towards the boat.

The wooden behemoth floated gently in the boiling sea beside the island’s shore. The only sounds that could be heard were the gentle lapping of waves and the soft creaking of timber, so the revenant took a moment to admire the vessel. While this was the first boat he had ever seen--he would have remembered if any others had come to his island--something within him recognized the familiar shape. This familiar feeling only served to reinvigorate his desire to be ferried back to lands unknown. Digging his claws into the sand, the revenant took a running start, and leapt across the waters and onto the side of the ship. His claws dug into the wood as he climbed up to the deck.

As he hauled himself up over the edge of the ship, the revenant tensed up when he heard faded voices coming from within the cabin. He crouched down to the floor, his eyes fixed on a shadow moving across the window. After a few moments, it was clear that they had not noticed him. However, not wanting to leave potential threats unknown, the revenant crawled over to the window, peering in through the corner.

Two witches: a young-ish man and an older woman. They were speaking over a sheet of paper placed on a table between them. Unable to make out what they were saying, the revenant was nonetheless curious. As he grew engrossed in their conversation, he became careless, briefly placing his hand on the window pane. This was just enough for him to be heard, and the young gentleman turned around. Just in time, the revenant retreated out of sight, slinking away to somewhere less crowded.

“Something the matter, Grizzwold?” asked the captain, curious at Alvin’s sudden interest in the window.

Alvin stared out at the deck of the ship as though transfixed. “I just thought...I was sure there was someone standing out there,” he said. “Surely you saw it too, right? A figure, peering in at us…”

“I didn’t see nothin’,” the woman said. “See, this is what I meant when I said yer too high-strung. Ya keep seein’ things that aren’t there.”

Alvin continued to gaze outside for a moment, before he reluctantly looked away. “Sorry about that, Captain, I just thought that--”

“Sorry, schmorry,” said the captain. “If there’s anything you should be apologizing for, it’s that there’s nothing of worth on this island!”

“Sorry, Captain,” said Alvin.

The captain gave him a look. “I didn’t mean that,” she said.

“Right, sorry,” Alvin continued. “And anyway, this isn’t a complete loss. This island is home to one of the most complete titan remains apart from the Boiling Isles themselves! That has to be worth something, right?”

The captain glanced down at the paper before her, which was a map of the island. “Eh, just looks like a head to me, but I guess you’re the expert.”

“Just a head?” said Alvin. “Oh, far from it! Not only have the expeditions found evidence of the titan’s arms underwater, but analysis of the mountain suggests the presence of a complete ribcage and backbone! That’s exciting, yes?”

“Er…” The captain was far from impressed. “I suppose if it makes ya happy. And this is the sort o’ thing Talus was lookin’ for?”

“Well, not exactly the same thing, but I’m sure that...that…” Alvin trailed off. He sighed, and slumped down into a chair across from the captain, disappointed. “Oh, who am I trying to fool? This entire journey was a bust! Mr. Archibald’s never going to hire me at this rate…”

The captain looked around awkwardly, unprepared to offer emotional support. She tried anyway. “Look, kid, I’ll admit, I don’t know much about Talus or that club o’ his--what’s it called again?”

“The Boiling Isles Adventurer’s and Scientist’s Guild,” said Alvin. “He’s head of the Lower Torso chapter.” He smiled and looked fondly off into the distance. “It’s always been my dream to be a member, ever since I was a boy. Mr Archibald was a big inspiration for me, you know. And he’s more than an explorer, he’s a genius when machines are concerned--Talus the Tinkerer, people call him! Why, he’s one of the most decorated members of the Construction Coven!”

“Sure, right, yes,” said the captain. “So anyway, even if--”

“With every expedition I took part in, I always thought to myself, ‘One of these days, Mr. Archibald will offer me a membership!’ That’s the only way to get in, you know, being offered a seat by a senior member. The first time I was asked to take part in an expedition funded by the Explorer’s Guild, I was so ecstatic, I almost passed out! And then, when we finally got out there...nothing. No lost cities, no undiscovered flora or fauna, nothing. And the second time I was asked, nothing. Same with the time after that.”

“I mean, he’s asked for you specifically four times by now,” the captain said. “Surely that’s worth someth--”

But Alvin was on a roll. “I mean, what kind of an adventurer doesn’t discover anything new in his expeditions? I might understand it a bit more if this was typical, but it seems like I’m the only one this happens to! I was looking through the Guild’s archives before we left, and only the trips I’m on come up empty! Is it my fault? Oh, once we get back, that’s the last I’ll hear from the great Talus the Tinkerer! Why would he want someone like me as a part of his team? All I’ve ever brought to the Guild are expenses and lowered expectations! If I ever--”

“ALRIGHT, ENOUGH!” The captain bellowed, startling Alvin into silence. “...Ahem, sorry. But you’re bein’ too hard on yourself, kiddo. Look...I may just be the witch you pay to ferry ya to uncharted islands like this, but I can tell that you’re a very...spirited young man. Don’t ya think that’s why Talus keeps on hirin’ you?”

Alvin sunk back in his seat as he considered this. “Driven or not, it doesn’t mean anything without results.” He gestured to the map of the island. “A find like this would be interesting to an archaeologist, but not so much to a scientist.”

The captain blinked. “Isn’t an archaeologist...a kind of scientist?” she asked.

“Yes, but the Guild rarely deals in archaeology,” Alvin replied. “No, if Mr. Archibald would be interested in anything here, it would be the resources one could get from a titan such as this.”

“Which are?”

“Couldn’t tell you,” Alvin said with a shrug. “That’s something a scientist knows, not someone like...me… Of course!” He leapt to his feet. “I don’t know what we took from this expedition, but someone like Mr. Archibald would! Once we get back, I’ll have to fill him in on everything that we came across, and then he’ll be sure to find something worth his while! Thanks a bunch, Miss Captain, you’re a lifesaver!” With that, Alvin hurried out the door, excited to return to his quarters.

Meanwhile, the captain was left feeling where she was, feeling very confused. “...guess I’m a better motivational speaker than I give myself credit for,” she mumbled. But there would be time to dwell on this later--now it was time to shove off.

Crewmembers were beginning to return to the ship, given the sounds of hustling and bustling outside. With no time to waste, the captain slipped on her coat and tricorn hat, and stepped onto the deck.

Witches and demons climbed aboard and came up from below deck as the final excursion onto the island came to a close. “Heads up--Captain on deck!” came the voice of the first mate. All the crewmembers stood at attention before she set them at ease, strolling up the stairs to the wheel.

The journey to the Boiling Isles would take no less than three days--child’s play for a crew as experienced as hers. Without a cloud in the sky, and the waves still off to the horizon, there would surely be smooth sailing ahead. “All hands, positions! It’s time for the Siren’s Song to set sail!”

Day One

Upon climbing aboard the ship, the revenant’s first order of business was to find somewhere to stay out of sight. Before the rest of the crew had come aboard, he had allowed his instincts to guide him towards the deepest, darkest, and most isolated part of the entire boat: the cargo hold. Partially drawn there by his natural affinity to small dark spaces like his former cave home, it was also the smell of frozen fish that had brought him down there. Mostly the fish.

As hungry as he was, the revenant knew he had to be cautious. Taking too much would alert the others that someone was there with them. He grabbed only a single fish out from the barrel, retreating to the far back of the cargo hold. A tarp was slung haphazardly over a few crates, creating a kind of makeshift tent for him to bed down.

Gnawing on his pilfered fish, the revenant settled into his new home for the foreseeable future. While he could certainly have done without the constant rocking of the boat, it was a small price to pay for seeing the rest of the world. Though as unpleasant as it was, there was undoubtedly something mildly soothing about being rocked on the waves. After an hour or so of sitting in the dark and the silence, the revenant began to let his guard down just a bit. Nobody had invaded his privacy just yet, and the boat’s rocking was getting more and more relaxing by the minute. The revenant lay his head down, closing his eyes for some light rest.

His nap would not last long, however. Some time later, the revenant’s eyes shot open as the door to the storeroom creaked open. He craned his head in its direction, hoping that it was just the ship’s hull. Upon hearing voices, it was obvious that it wasn’t.

“...and then, he told me he didn’t even have it anymore ‘cause he had lent it to his cousin! So what was even the point of asking me over if he wasn’t even gonna--”

“Alright, alright, just grab the ropes and let’s get going! It’s a rough one on the horizon, and I’d rather get ready sooner rather than later!”

Two voices, a man and a woman. The revenant was unfazed--he had known he would have to work his way around the crew from the moment he had stowed away. He stood as still as he could, hoping they would grab what they needed and be on their way. However, the sounds of rummaging soon told him that they were working their way back to where he was. He had to move. Being seen was not an option.

Years of hunting on the island had made the revenant more than adept at stealth. He soundlessly crawled out from his hiding place and climbed to the top of a nearby stack of crates, hidden by the shadows. A tall, rotund man led the search, followed by a much smaller woman holding a ball of flame in her hand. His eyes narrowed once he saw the flickering light.

“So, uh, that island was somethin’ yeah?” asked the man. “Hey, you were out there, right? Out in the original scouting party where they ran into...y’know...that thing.”

The woman scowled. “Yeah, I was,” she said, revealing a large gap between her front teeth. “Why do you all keep asking about that? It’s not like that’s the only thing that happened out here!”

“Just tryin’ to make conversation,” the man said with a shrug. He continued rummaging around, unable to find what he was looking for. “Hey, bring that light closer, I ain’t seein’ any ropes.”

“Sure, just bring the fire right up to the flammable cargo, nothing could happen,” the woman said. Despite this, she moved forward, lighting up more of the room. The firelight was coming dangerously close to the revenant’s perch, so he quickly leapt back to the shadows. However, as he did so, the force of his leap caused the crate he stood on to shift ever so slightly. This caused enough noise to grab both sailors’ attention.

Both the man and the woman whipped in the direction of the clatter, the latter shining her light in that direction. “...So, uh…” said the man. “That definitely sounded like something’s over there, right?”

“No, not really,” said the woman, though it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself as well. “Let’s just grab those ropes and get above deck.”

“Mhm. Yeah, sounds good. There’s, ah, just one problem with that,” said the man. “They’re over there.” He pointed at several lengths of rope lying beside the crate that had just moved. Mere inches from the revenant’s claws.

The two sailors looked at each other uncertainly, before slowly creeping in that direction. The revenant crept as well, moving as silently as he possibly could, which meant he wasn’t moving incredibly fast. He knew that if it came down to it, these two posed no direct threat. But should they alert the rest of the crew, that was when he would have a problem. Even if, and it was unlikely, he was able to survive a direct assault from every single crewmember, that still left him floating on a ghost ship he had no way to control.

Hesitantly, moving an inch at a time, the pair grew closer to their target. Their eyes darted between the ropes, and the darkness behind the crate, expecting something unseen and horrible to leap out from beyond. Meanwhile, in said darkness, something unseen and horrible was silently hoping to remain unseen. The man reached out a shaking hand, stretching his arm to keep the rest of him as far from potential danger as possible.

Both the man and the woman were startled as a small creature with algae-colored hair darted out from the dark, scurrying to a hiding place on the other side of the room. After the scare, the two glanced at each other, and started laughing.

“Aww, just a little bilge rat!” the man said, picking up the ropes. “This island’s got us all worked up over nothing!”

“What, you didn’t actually think that thing had somehow made its way onboard, did you?” asked the woman, both of them returning to the deck.

“What? No, of course not! I just… Well, I wasn’t scared, in any case.”

“Yeah, me neither.”

The door closed, returning the darkness to the cargo hold once again. The revenant stared at it while clinging to the ceiling, waiting until he could no longer hear footsteps before returning to the ground. Thankful that neither of them had looked up, he let out a low growl. He would have to be more vigilant in the future.

The revenant returned to the makeshift tent he had claimed as his burrow. Laying down, he could hear rustling as bilge rats scurried within their dens. Although they would surely have made for a nice snack, they would make even better cover for his presence. Perhaps he would leave them be, at least for now.

Day Two

Alvin gripped tightly to his pen with one hand, the other holding onto the side of the table for dear life as the ship was thrown violently by the storm. Sheets of rain slammed against the side of the hull, with the only thing louder being the thunder and lightning that occasionally lit up his quarters. A commotion came down from above as the crew fought against the storm, and seemingly something else by the sounds of it. Between the noise and the makeshift carnival ride, getting any work done now would be next to impossible. Although he doubted he would be much help against something like this, he decided to head up top to offer anyway.

Casting a spell to protect himself from the boiling rain, Alvin headed out into the storm, and was greeted by the sight of a full-on war going on. While a few of the crew members struggled to keep the ship together, many more were protecting them from assault by a plethora of tentacles reaching up from beneath the sea. Alvin briefly considered heading back, now that it was apparent that the storm was the least of their worries, until he heard a familiar voice called to him.

“Oy! Grizzwold!” It was the captain, blasting away at several tentacles with lightning spells to keep them from wrapping around the hull. “Glad I caught ya, I need to ask you something! You!--keep this thing occupied!” she shouted to a nearby shipmate, before heading over to Alvin.

The explorer’s attention was still focused on the monster as the captain approached. “Are you sure this is really the best time, captain? It looks like you have your hands full here…”

The woman waved it off. “Nah, it’s just a kraken, these things attack us all the time! Trust me, my crew is more than capable of handling one of these. Honestly, the storm is the greater danger here. Now come on, I’ve got something to show ya.” She walked over to her quarters, indicating for Alvin to follow.

“That’s...not exactly reassuring,” he said, but followed her anyway. He tried to ignore the sounds of screaming from behind him as he closed the door behind him. “Now, what was it exactly that you wanted to show me?”

The captain sat down in her chair. “Kid, you’re a scientist, right? You’ve seen a fair share of animals and critters in your time?”

“Well, I-I guess I have,” Alvin replied. “I’ve never seen a kraken up close before, if that’s what you’re asking about.”

“No, it’s not that,” said the captain. “No, what I wanted to ask you about...was this.” She picked something up from down by her feet and placed it on her desk. It appeared to be a set of fishbones.

Alvin examined the skeleton in confusion. “It looks to me like what’s left of Ron’s lunch,” he said. “How does this involve me? Don’t you have tons of fish like this down in the hold?”

“That we do,” the captain replied. “But that’s what’s so strange about it. This fishbone was found in the hold. And I shouldn’t--”

The conversation was interrupted as a shouting crewmate was slammed against the window. Both of them stared as the unfortunate man was then dragged away by his ankle by a tentacle. The captain continued on with little fanfare.

“I shouldn’t have to explain to you that we don’t put the fish back when we’re done eatin’ it. No, something else did this. Think you can come up with what?”

“I don’t know, are you sure it wasn’t a bilge rat?” asked Alvin. “I heard we have a few on board. They eat fish, right?”

Yeah, they’ll eat anything,” said the captain. “Thing is, there’s no way a single bilge rat, or even a small group, could strip a fish to the bone like this in under a day. And if there were enough to do that, well… I think we’d know if it was a full-on infestation. I’m worried it could be thresh barnacles.”

“Mm, that is something to be worried about,” said Alvin. In addition to being carnivorous, thresh barnacles could tear apart the hull of a ship in large enough numbers. “Tell you what: if you don’t need any help with that kraken situation, I’ll take this back to my quarters and look at it further.”

“Great, would you?” said the captain, getting to her feet. “That’d be a big help! And don’t worry about the kraken, nothing we haven’t handled before! You just focus on doin’ what you do!”

Alvin was ushered from the room by the captain, who drew her sword and ran off to join her crew in dealing with the titanic sea beast. With one last look at the forest of writing tentacles besieging the vessel, Alvin returned to his room, trying to ignore the fact that the ship he was on was literally under attack.

“Okay, now, let’s see what we have here…” Alvin sat down and pushed aside his papers, setting the fishbones down in their place. He slid open a drawer and produced an eyepiece to get a closer look. “Hmm...now that is odd…”

As expected, the bones were covered in tooth marks from whoever or whatever had eaten the fish, but the marks themselves were unusual. They weren’t the small, nibbling dents that a bilge rat would have left, or the haphazard, gnashing slices of a thresh barnacle. The spacing indicated a larger creature, but they didn’t match those of any witch or demon that was a member of the crew.

Alvin set the eyepiece down, wracking his brain. Did the ship have a pet he didn’t know about? No, surely the captain would have thought of that first. Maybe someone’s palisman? Of course not, that was stupid. But something had eaten it, no doubt a stowaway of some sort...but what? Did shatterjaws ever climb aboard ships? Or it could have been a leviasnail, or a young selkidomus, or…

In the midst of his brainstorming, his eyes approached the pile of letters and drawings he had set aside. On the very top sat his sketch of the revenant, leering down with those empty eyes, its fangs bared. Alvin froze, as though he truly was facing down the beast. He glimpsed back down to the bones, back over to the drawing, and back down again.

“No...surely not…” he whispered, picking up the bones to examine them again. Suddenly, being attacked by a kraken in a terrible storm seemed like the least of their worries. The size of the tooth marks definitely added up, as did the sharpness, but he couldn’t know for sure unless he had a real specimen to compare them to--something he could do without, alive or dead.

Without evidence, he decided against telling the captain. The idea of having such a stowaway was almost unthinkable, and right now, it was little more than a suspicion. Doing his best to push the thought to the back of his mind, Alvin decided to bed down for the night. Before crawling into his hammock, he turned over the sketch. He could do without something like that staring at him.

Had the storm been a bit quieter, he might have heard the sounds of animalistic screeching coming from beneath him. And had he been looking out the window, he might have seen a tentacle retreating back under the waves, bearing tooth marks identical to those on the bones.

Day Three

So far, the revenant had been successful in avoiding the crewmembers who came down for supplies. So far, he had been relatively unnoticed in the stealing of food. But there was another problem he had not considered yet, gnawing at his insides as he tried to compose himself.

Bile. That sweet, invigorating nectar that the island had plenty of, was no longer within his reach. Without a steady stream flowing from his mother’s bile sac, the only source for leagues around was within the witches above him. He could smell it, flowing through their veins. It was all he could do to keep himself from scrambling above deck and throwing himself at the first unfortunate witch he saw.

The revenant’s claws dug into the floor, leaving deep marks in the wood as he resisted the urge. His eyes glowed blue with fury, but he held still. To reveal himself now would be suicide. Although it was hard to focus on anything more than the scent of the bile, he did everything he could to take his mind off of it. His body shivered, but his mind held strong, images of the island gradually giving way to other landscapes. What would the mainland look like, he wondered? A vision came to him, of a village of brick houses with thatched roofs. He knew he had never seen it before, and yet it was far too visceral to be simply his imagination. Just what was he?

This was good; yes, thinking about this kept him distracted. He continued imagining the land he was travelling to, some possibilities more fanciful than others. He pictured sprawling cyclopean cities that rose to the heavens. Golden desert oases illuminated by several moons. Would this new land be made around a giant like his mother as well? This led to a vision of a massive being striding through the sea, carrying the city on its back. Before long, as the images raced through his mind, his insatiable craving for the magic bile slowly faded to the back of his mind. He knew he would need some before long, but for now, he could keep his desire in check.

A commotion came from up top. The revenant listened in to hear the ship’s crew rushing around above deck. With the memory of the kraken attack fresh in his mind, his first thought was to go on the defensive. But this wasn’t a panicked commotion like last night--they were excited, of course, but there was no sense of urgency as there had been yesterday. Almost like whatever was happening was routine. He climbed up to the ceiling to hear better.

Though the meanings of most words escaped him for the time being, he was still able to tell the crewmembers apart by their voices. Most of them were inconsequential to him, but there was one who he had singled out as the leader, who was now barking orders. Words such as “port” and “dock” surfaced more times than could be mere mentions. As well as one he had heard many times before in these past three days.

“Lllll...laaand,” the revenant growled, sounding out the word he had been waiting to hear. A wave of excitement washed over him, wholly unrelated to his bile craving.

“Hoist the sail! Hard to starboard!” shouted the leader of the seafaring witches. “And for titan’s sake, slow down--the last thing we need is the repair bill for that pier!”

“H-hoooist...saaail…” The revenant repeated her words. “Harrrd...to...starboa--”

In the middle of his learning session, the door to the cargo hold suddenly creaked open. The revenant clamped his mouth shut, going silent as a harried young witch quickly walked inside. He muttered to himself as he searched the cargo, completely unaware that he wasn’t alone. In his haste, he hadn’t bothered to shut the door behind him.

Perhaps it would have been smarter to simply wait until the ship was empty to sneak out. But, rather than wait, the revenant decided he had waited long enough to discover what this new land had to offer. As quickly as he could while still remaining hidden, he slunk out through the open door.

“Aha!” said Alvin, picking up a rucksack from the ground. “I knew I’d left this in here!” He slung the bag over his shoulder, adding it to several other packs, pouches, and pockets he carried. After doing a quick check that he had all of his material, Alvin headed back above deck, taking a breathful of night air.

It had been a long two weeks, but the expedition had finally reached its conclusion. Alvin would be the first to say he enjoyed his work, but he was nevertheless glad to see the welcome sight of the Bonesborough skyline. Especially with what a fiasco this journey had been. The Siren’s Song was being tugged into place, the boarding ramp descending. With no time to waste, Alvin hurried to disembark.

“Grizzwold, where ya goin’?” the captain called after him. “We have procedures for these things, ya know!”

“Sorry, Captain, but I can’t afford to wait!” Alvin called back. “I have to get this data to Mr. Archibald as soon as possible! Just send anything I missed to the building!” With that, he scampered down the ramp, passing by some dock workers as he raced into town. The last the captain saw of him was him waving down a carriage, his coat bulging with diagrams and research notes.

The captain shook her head. “Yeesh. Always thought he of all people’d be the stickler for protocol…” She shrugged, moving on to tend to her ship.

Not long after Alvin had disembarked, another passenger crept from the vessel onto the shore. The revenant, taking advantage of everyone bothering with removing the cargo, crawled down a line of rope and onto the cobblestone. His claws clicked against the ground, earning him some unwanted attention.

“Uh?” A dockyard worker had heard him, turning around to find nothing there. “Hullo? ‘S anyone there?” He approached the spot the revenant had been moments ago, who now clung to the underside of a nearby pier.

Although the revenant wasn’t worried about the boiling water--at least, it might have been water--below him, something else caught his attention. A curious seagull had perched on a post just feet away from his face, its eyes meeting his. On the surface level, the bird was completely inoffensive, and posed no danger to him. But deep inside of him, something about the creature stirred up terrible feelings, just like that raven. Though he had no idea why, this bird, with those beady eyes and curved beak, gave rise to feelings of rage and despair. He took a swipe at the gull, his mouth silently snarling, and it took flight.

The bird flew away, startling more of them nearby who joined into a flock. The dockhand watched them fly up, turning back to his work. “Feh. Nothin’ but seagulls.” As he walked away, the revenant quickly hauled himself onto the pier, and further climbed onto a nearby building. There were no lights on in the windows, but he stayed away from them regardless.

Taking shelter beside a chimney, the revenant caught his breath. This was the third time he had been saved by a small animal--he was unsure of what to make of it. He would have to do something about his umbrage with birds in the future. But for now, his top priority should be to somehow acquire some magic bile, as he was unsure how long he could contain his cravings…

The mainland! In his hurry to get to safety, he had almost completely forgotten that he was in an entirely new land! The docks had been nothing special, but from his current vantage point, he would have a much better view of what this place had to offer. He crept to the edge of the roof, and…

The sight almost made the revenant fall to his knees. Nearly the entire landscape was covered with buildings. Those in the distance raised to the heavens, and all of them lit up the entire city with lights of every color imaginable. Even at night, the streets were alive with hustle and bustle, filled with witches, demons, and creatures the likes of which he could never have imagined. This place...this was nothing like he thought it would be.

This...this was even more incredible.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap. Alvin restlessly tapped against the armrest of his chair. Although he had been in this room plenty of times, something about the interior that called to mind a log cabin, although one nearly three times the size, always made him restless. Several other witches sat in the room as well, while more still entered and exited through the sliding double doors. He looked around at all of them, internally doubting that their business was more important than his, then admonished himself for thinking something so rude.

After about fifteen minutes of sitting in the room, a voice suddenly called out. “Grizzwold? Alvin Grizzwold?” Though it took him a moment to recognize that this was, in fact, his name, he stood bolt upright and approached the desk.

“Oh, y-yes, that’s me,” he said, holding tightly to the many papers spilling out from his pockets. “Alvin Grizzwold, here to see Mr. Archibald?”

The demon receptionist pointed over to the elevator. “He’s ready for you, go ahead.” Alvin politely thanked her before cramming himself into the elevator, already filled tightly with numerous other witches. As the grating squeaked closed, the others shot him indignant looks as he grinned apologetically.

The elevator climbed several floors on the building, and the others began to get off. By the time only Alvin was left, it had reached the very top, adjacent with a neon sign reading ‘Boiling Isles Adventurer’s & Scientist’s Guild’ with smaller words below it reading ‘Lower Torso Chapter.’ Alvin walked down a hallway lined with portraits of numerous high-ranking members of the guild. He waited before opening the door, pondering if he should knock first. As he had made an appointment, he decided against it.

“Mr. Archibald?” he asked quietly, peeking his head through the door. “You’re ready for me?” The office was filled with the sounds of tinkering, coming from the desk at its center. A bronze telescope was being worked on by floating tools causing the noise. Unable to see the Guild leader, Alvin stepped further into the room.

A deep, wizened voice replied from the other side of the room. “Alvin! Welcome back, my boy, welcome back!” Alvin turned towards the voice’s owner, a short, balding witch with a large brown beard. From the waist down, he was carried closer by a clockwork contraption held up by four metal legs. “I hadn’t expected you back so soon! No rest for the weary, I take it?”

“Ah, Mr. Archibald, it’s good to see you!” said Alvin, almost dropping his research. “Er, yes, I could have gone home to sleep, but I doubt I could have rested without bringing you my findings!” He held up the multitude of papers filling his arms.

“Looks like quite the successful expedition, then,” said Talus. “Let’s make some room for you, shall we?” Drawing a spell circle in the air, the old man then levitated the telescope aside, along with the tools, which continued working on it.

“Right. I’m… Well, I’m not sure if you could tell, but I’m very excited about what we learned!” Alvin spread the various maps, charts, and diagrams out across the desk. “Now, the island itself was rather small, but it was just as you suspected: there was roughly thirty percent of a titan embedded within the mountain! And not only that, but we found evidence of its arms below sea level! Now, the flora and fauna was nothing to write home about, but…”

As he continued, Talus was more interested in a particular sketch that had worked its way into the rest of Alvin’s findings. “Dearie me…” Talus donned a set of glasses from his breast pocket to better see the disturbing image. “Pardon me for interrupting, my boy, but is this one of yours as well?”

“Hmm? Oh, er, that-that’s just...a drawing I made,” Alvin said. “It isn’t--well, it is based on my research, but it isn’t relevant to my overall findings. Simply...something we ran into, is all.”

“And you say it isn’t relevant?” said Talus, looking up at the young explorer. “My dear Alvin, if you truly came across such a beast in your time on that island, I must know about it at once! Why, if this is what I think it is...no, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Now, tell me everything!”

“I-if you want,” Alvin said hesitantly, reluctant to return to that moment. “We...weren’t alone on the island. There was something else there with us, something...intelligent. It wasn’t a demon, at least not any kind I’m familiar with. Whatever it was, it’s aggressive, it even killed one of the sailors. He and a few others called it--”

“A revenant,” said Talus, picking up the drawing.

“Y-you’re familiar with it?” said Alvin.

“Only vaguely. Revenants are the stuff of legends, thought to only exist in the nightmares of disturbed individuals. But if what you discovered on that island was indeed one of these monsters, well… My boy, this discovery could very well rewrite everything we know about our world.”

Alvin was quite taken aback. “Everything? Forgive me, but how can such a creature be so significant? I-I mean, I can go over my notes to see if--”

“Nonsense, my boy, you’ve done enough for now,” Talus said. “You go home and rest. I’ll call for you when you are needed. And don’t worry…” The witch looked down at the revenant’s visage. “...I’ll take care of everything.”

Chapter 3: Indecent Exposure

Chapter Text

Chapter Three: Indecent Exposure

Seeing as he was in an unfamiliar land, surrounded by the unknown, the revenant felt it would be wise to scout out the area before making any major efforts to engage with the locals. Even if he could find a way to safely interact with them without causing a panic, there was still the matter of sating his bile cravings. As the sun rose over the portside city, stealth had to be his foremost concern.

However, stealth be damned, the revenant dashed through the city, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, feeling the wind in his face like he never had before. This new land, it was indescribably vast, this town being as large as his entire island–and he could see mountains in the distance. For now, freedom was at the front of his mind, all of his problems left behind. Any sleepy locals that he happened to pass by simply discounted the noise as birds or some other animal. He continued on, until a familiar sound made him freeze in his tracks.

Rather, it was a familiar voice. “And you’re sure you don’t need me back today?” it said. “I was there, so I feel like I’d be the best help for something like this…” The revenant peered over the rooftop to see a blond witch he was sure he had seen before. He was speaking into something black in his hand, but he couldn’t make it out. “No, I understand. Should I call you back, then? Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

The black object, which turned out to be a crow, flew out of the witch’s hand. The revenant briefly hissed at the bird, thankfully to nobody’s notice. He then turned his attention back to the witch, following after him. He had little better to do, after all, and he was curious what he had been discussing. He continued to leap across the roofs, much more slowly and quietly, as he tailed the witch back to his home.

For his part, Alvin never noticed he was being followed. Though, in fairness, he did have a lot on his mind. Talus seemed very excited about his findings on the island, but he had yet to share with him the significance of the revenant. Partially worried, and yet partially relieved, he continued back to Bonesborough’s residential area, up to the small apartment where he resided. He climbed up the stairs and opened the door to his room.

One would think that being a world-traveling adventurer would be a more lucrative business. One would be right, but Alvin rarely saw any profit from his expeditions. While at least part of this was due to a staunch refusal to take more than he needed, part of it was due to his insistence that he was a scientist, not an adventurer. He never sold any of the artifacts he found, nor took sole credit for his discoveries. He insisted that this was the scientific way…but the scientific way only allowed him to afford a dingy one-room apartment. He slumped down on his bed, thinking how lucky he was to at least have a window with a view…of a smoke-spewing crystal ball factory, but still.

“Maybe I should just give all this up,” he said, his face in the pillow. “I mean, where is this getting me? Maybe that factory needs someone to shine the balls…” His train of self-pitying thought was interrupted by a humming sound coming from outside. He looked out the window to see a procession of monks wearing hooded brown robes chanting as they walked past. “Every week with these guys,” he muttered, shutting the blinds.

Alvin was not the only one to notice the congregation passing by. From the apartment’s roof, the revenant watched with curious awe as the worshippers continued their chant. As they passed, there was suddenly a commotion coming from within. “Crap, I overslept!” Someone was rushing around inside the apartment, and the revenant looked over to see. A window opened, and the person pulled a robe off of a laundry line hanging behind the complex. He rushed out, hurriedly donning the robe to join his brethren, but that wasn’t what the revenant noticed.

The robe on the line was not the only one there. Several more just like it hung out to dry, seemingly with no regard to potential theft. Anyone who happened to be on the roof could simply grab one and make off with it. If they minded themself, they could pass for one of those monks completely undetected. With ideas forming in his mind, this is exactly what the revenant did, carefully removing one from the laundry line, and creeping to the ground to slip it on.

Thankfully, it fit him fairly well. As long as he kept his head down, and his arms together, nobody would be able to tell what he was. He wasn’t exactly used to walking on his hind legs for this long, though, so he would have to be careful. Growling out an approximation of their chanting, the would-be monk set off towards town, hopefully to find something worth finding.

So far, his disguise was working. Outside of a few glances, there wasn’t anybody who paid him any attention. That is, as far as he knew. Someone was, in fact, watching him quite intently. As he shambled into town, another robed figure took notice of him from the shadows. From behind a mask, their eyes narrowed in curiosity, setting out to follow him from afar.

Overall, the revenant was surprised at just how easily he was able to walk around unnoticed in these robes. He was certain that he would stick out like a sore thumb, but for some reason, his chanting, combined with his dress, had some sort of effect on the populace. He did draw a few eyes, but most quickly disregarded him, some even offering a friendly smile–a gesture he somehow knew to be comforting. He even avoided a confrontation when a burly demon bumped into him, quickly calming down once he saw his robes. “Hey, watch where you’re–oh, excuse me, brother.”

But, as he feared, his thirst was gradually becoming louder and louder within him. The excitement of seeing this city for the first time had pushed it to the back of his mind for some time, but it was steadily growing: he craved bile. Worse still, the scent of it was all around him, emanating from each and every witch he passed. The droning tone becoming just as much of a mantra to him as it was to the monks he was aping it from, he focused on the tones to keep his mind focused. If he lost control here, there was no telling what could happen.

But then he realized that the smell was far stronger coming from one way–as were the sounds. It was quiet, but there was some kind of commotion going on in the distance. Hundreds of murmuring voices all coming from mere blocks away, somewhere where the scent of that sweet, sweet nectar was much stronger than it should have been. Even with that concentration of witches, there was much more bile than they would have been able to hold. His chant continuing, he made off in that direction, focusing hard to slowly walk rather than sprint on all fours.

The sound grew clearer as he grew closer, and he saw that it wasn’t so much a commotion as it was a large gathering of people milling about. Stalls of all shapes and sizes lined the streets, their vendors loudly hocking all sorts of wares. Once again, the majesty of it all made him forget the scent of bile entirely, taking in the sight. He was soon swept up in the throng of people, pushed along through the market like he had been swept up by a wave. The revenant was rendered speechless: he knew he had never seen a bazaar like this before, but something about it all felt strangely familiar.

“Fresh squeezed apple blood! Only the finest, locally-sourced apples slaughtered for your pleasure!”

“Who out there needs a new broomstick? Flying, non-flying, take your pick! But you won’t know until after you buy…”

“Come and get your knicknacks and curios from the human realm! For a limited time only: delicious, nutritious film reels!” This stand grabbed the revenant’s attention for a moment, before he was then buffeted aside by the sheer force of the shoppers.

Breaking free from the crowd, the revenant ducked into a side alley to catch his breath. As amazing as this all was, it was quite overwhelming. He sat down and laid his head against the wall, listening to the sounds of the hustle and bustle just feet away. Hearing it without being caught up in the chaos, it was almost relaxing. And, like so many things he had seen in the past few weeks, agonizingly familiar. A small growl escaped as the frustration built within him. He knew too little of this world to truly ask the questions that cursed him. And as his anger grew, so too did his hunger, until he was once again entranced by the scent of bile.

Guided by his nose, the revenant shambled through the crowd once again, only this time, he seemed to part the people much easier, as though willing them to step out of his way. That enticing aroma was all around him, but it was stronger at the other side of the street. As though in a trance, he followed it over to a stall, where a motley-looking demon was selling strange green oblong…things. He had no idea what they were, but their odor was absolutely salivating.

“C’mere and get yer bile sacs!” croaked the vendor, waving at unimpressed passers-by. “You sir! Ya need a new bile sac for you or a loved one? I’ve got all sizes! Available in used, very used, and extremely used! Y–” His attention was turned to the robed figure slowly approaching his stall. “Ah, brother! Can’t say I expected ta see one of yer type ‘round here, if you’ll pardon me saying. Care ta spend some snails on a bile sac er two?”

The revenant was barely paying attention to him at this point. So, these were bile sacs, then? The same organs from within witches, as well as titans, that produced the lifeblood of magic. “B…bile…” he growled, hesitantly reaching out a hand to receive one. He eyed it warily as the demon continued talking.

“Yeah, I got me a pretty good gig goin’ here,” he said. “Lotsa people wearin’ out their bile sacs nowadays, so I get some from people who don’t need ‘em no more. You’d be surprised what else bile can do for ya, too. Take cleaning, fer example. This stuff can cut through stains like…ooh. Ah. Er…can’t say that’s a use I woulda figured, but if it floats yer boat…”

The salesman was not quite sure how to react as his hooded customer bit into the sac like it was a ripe piece of fruit, greedily sucking down the juices right then and there. It was hardly fitting behavior for one of his faith. After a few moments of gnawing on the empty sac, he dropped the husk to the ground. “More!”

“Y-ye still need to pay fer ‘em, brother,” he said, a little confused and more than a little afraid. “I ain’t runnin’ a charity here, much as I wish I were. Ya got snails, or ye wanna trade?”

Unsure of what these ‘snails’ he kept on about were, the revenant picked up another sac and tore into it like the first. A small crowd had gathered now, aghast at this monk’s conduct. The vendor gave them all a smile and a wave, for once trying to disperse rather than attract people. He leaned over the stand to address his ravenous potential customer.

“Look pal, do I gotta call security?” he hissed, slowly losing his patience. “I don’t wanna do this to a believer like yerself, but trust me, I will if I gotta!”

“He can have as many as he likes; they’re on me.”

It was a woman’s voice; less of a command and more of an offer, but still carrying a strict tone. The vendor looked up at the figure who had approached his stand. “He’s with you, is he? All good, miss, all good. Though in the future I’d like the payment before your friend here goes to town…”

“Whatever you say,” the woman said. “Enjoying those, are you?” The revenant could tell that this was directed at him. “I have to say, I wasn’t expecting to see someone like you around here. Maybe we could go somewhere else and talk? Bring as many of those as you’d like, I’m not hurting for snails.”

Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, the revenant stood up to greet his new benefactor. He couldn’t tell what she looked like, because she, like him, wore a concealing robe, pure white to his brown. On her face was a mask that caused him to freeze: clear, empty eyes sat above a long beak that extended out from her hood. The revenant’s mouth opened in a silent snarl, the mask’s shape reminding him of something that made his blood boil.

Both the crowd and the vendor recoiled in horror as the revenant pounced on the woman, his hood coming down once he did. The woman was strangely unperturbed by both being attacked, and seeing her attacker. “You know,” she said, still casual, “something tells me you don’t actually belong to the Whispering Order…”

Frightened murmurs were now running through the marketplace. His anger at the birdlike mask diminishing in place of concern, the revenant stood up. This, however, caused his robe to fall down fully, revealing his true self to the populace. Worry turned to full-on panic as they witnessed the terrifying creature before them.

“W-w-what is that!?”

“No…it can’t be…a revenant!”

“A revenant!? I thought they were a myth!”

“Someone, get the guards!”

The revenant’s heart pounded, but was unsure whether it was from fear or anger. It very likely could have been both. He took a single step out towards the crowd, and they in turn took a step back. Their petrified faces made it clear that they expected him to pounce on one of them next. He turned around to the mystery woman, who had gotten up from the ground. She didn’t seem all that upset, all things considered.

“Listen,” she said, holding out her hand in a soothing gesture, “I don’t know who you are, or who you used to be, but I can help you. You need to–”

“There! There it is!” Both of them turned at the shout to find a witch pointing out the revenant to two guards. They wore armor with an alternating red and white pattern, with splits running down their torsos, arms and legs, waist, and the front of their masks. There was some sort of symbol on their shoulders, but the revenant didn’t have time to get a good look as he bolted the moment they started running over.

With no reason to hide his identity any more, the revenant clambered to the top of a nearby building and took off across the roofs. Many of the panicked patrons scattered as the two guards gave chase down the adjacent streets. “Halt! In the name of Lord Baltheus!” The woman stood where she was, watching the revenant disappear into the distance.

Once the commotion had subsided, the bile sac vendor reappeared from under his stall. “Well, that was…I ain’t even sure what that was about! How ‘bout you, miss, you o…kay…?” He glanced around, but the robed woman had disappeared, leaving no trace she had ever been there aside from a fat bag of snails. Not one to look a gift slug-rat in the mouth, the demon pocketed them, brushing this all off as someone else’s problem.

And a problem it was for the guards. The creature they pursued was extremely agile, and far stronger than its emaciated frame would indicate. It effortlessly leapt from rooftop to rooftop, with the two of them relegated to taking the sidewalk. “We’ll never get to it at this rate!” one of them said as he panted.

“Not unless we play by its rules,” said the other. “You get to the alleyway on Filth and Main, I’ll lead it to you. Be ready to spring a trap once it’s there!” With that, the guard cast a fire spell with each hand, the twin jets of flame propelling him up to the roofs. After a brief stumble upon landing on some rotting shingles, he gave chase once again. His partner headed for the indicated location.

The revenant glanced over his shoulder at the guard chasing him, and was just in time to dodge a magical blast. He briefly considered fighting back, but he didn’t have the element of surprise as he had on the island. Not to mention, it would be difficult to deal with that armor. He crawled from the roof down into a dark alley, hoping that would give him some leeway. Not so, as the guard landed right in front of him, sending another spell his way.

This time, the spell collided with the revenant’s chest, knocking him to the ground. It stung a bit, but was clearly just a stunning spell. He tried to shake off the dizziness as the guard approached, readying another one. “You’re coming with us, you…whatever you are!” He stood over his target, spell at the ready.

But the revenant was not ready to give up yet. With a snarl, he battered the guard’s hand aside, the spell launching harmlessly into the wall. His eyes glowing electric blue, he repeatedly bashed the guard, who stumbled back helplessly at the vicious assault. With one final swing, he knocked the armored figure to the ground, before bounding over him and down the road.

Right now, the revenant’s mind was on autopilot: he had to get somewhere safe to hide until the guards stopped looking for him. This was easier said than done, as he now found himself in the middle of town, in full view of hundreds more witches and dozens more guards. Not stopping for anything, he leapt onto a fruit cart, from there onto a hippogriff-drawn carriage, and back up to the roofs in a run for freedom.

His escape attempt would have worked were it not for the wall of fire that erupted before him. Hissing at the scalding barrier, the revenant turned around and ran back the way he came. The guard from before, who he recognized by the scuffed armor, threw more fire in his way. Had he been thinking more clearly, he would have noticed that the guard seemed to be leading him somewhere.

Ducking behind a chimney, the revenant ran on, hoping he had shaken his pursuer for now. The part of his mind not in panic mode desperately scrambled to come up with a plan. He would have to break line-of-sight somehow, but that wouldn’t be easy with all the guards around. There was no way he would be able to fight his way out, and he had left the only person who wanted to help him behind. Maybe if he could make his way inside one of these buildings, then maybe–”

His train of thought was derailed as a blast of magic destroyed the portion of roof he was running on, sending him and debris careening into another alleyway. Running almost purely on adrenaline, the revenant picked himself up and tried to climb back up again, but he found himself unable to. There were no good handholds, and the roofs were too high to simply jump. He couldn’t run, either, as he was met with a dead end. He was trapped, and he knew it.

“End of the line, freakshow!” The two guards from earlier had cornered him, now with reinforcements. A few of them stepped forward and created shields of energy, while others stayed behind them and aimed spell circles. For now, the revenant stood still, only growling.

The second of the two original guards eyed him curiously. “What exactly is this thing, anyway?” he asked. “I’ve been all the way up from Wriston all the way down to Heel City, and I’ve never seen anything like this guy before.”

“Whatever it is, it’s a dangerous animal,” said the other. “C’mon, we can’t have something like this running around in Lord Baltheus’ territory. Company! Spells at the ready!” The fingers of the marksmen began to glow.

The revenant clawed at the ground, his eyes beginning to glow again as well. His teeth bared in a snarl, he hissed out a command. “Stay…away,” he groaned.

“Eh? Hey boss, d’you hear that? Sounded like it said something,” the second guard said.

“I didn’t hear anything,” the first one replied. “Just sounded like he growled to me.”

Using this brief distraction as his moment, the revenant uttered his words again, thrusting his arms out to the side as he did so. “Stay…AWAY!” Something inside of him seemed to burst to the surface as he did this. The warmth he felt whenever he consumed bile boiled over, resulting in an explosion of magical energy. The revenant roared as debris and guards were tossed around like paper in a windstorm, the walls of the surrounding buildings collapsing as well. Witches for blocks around turned to the source of the explosion, seeing a cloud of dust rising above the cityscape.

Once the dust settled, the guards picked themselves up, shaken by the sheer magnitude of the attack. “What…in the titan’s name…what that!?” asked the one in charge.

“Almost seemed like an explosion spell to me,” said another guard nearby, wiping off his visor. “But I’ve only seen a Lord pull off a spell of that nature.” He looked around at the destruction the creature had caused. “That little ghoul did all of this?”

“Then there’s much more to it than we first thought,” the head guard said. “Everyone, listen up!” A few of the guards groaned at being given new orders right after being thrown around like that. “With power like this, it is imperative that we capture this thing! Every moment that monstrosity is on the loose, innocent civilians are in danger! Now fan out–it can't have gotten far!”

Indeed, the revenant hadn’t gotten far. It was right beneath them, his magical outburst having opened a way into the Bonesborough sewers. Waist-deep in water, he caught his breath, the explosion having taken quite a bit out of him. And it wasn’t just that he was tired, either: he had just gorged himself on bile sacs, and yet he was thirsty again already.

Whatever had happened, he knew it had something to do with bile. Coming to this place had left him with more questions than answers; but he would have to ask them later. Right now, he had to get as far away from here as possible. It was only a matter of time before those guards realized he had slipped away down here. The revenant quietly slunk away through the water, doing his best to ignore the putrid stench.

“W-well, of course I heard about it, sir!” the voice on the other end of the crow said. “The explosion rattled my windows–you could see the smoke from the other side of town!”

“Yes. Luckily, it seems there were no casualties, save for a few Royal Guards’ pride.” Talus’ mechanical limbs clanked against the floor as he paced, gazing out the window. “But that isn’t why I called. It seems your worries weren’t as unfounded as we both hoped they would be, my boy.”

Alvin was silent for the longest time. He could be heard taking a long breath on the other end of the line. “I heard about that part too, sir,” he said softly. “The creature that caused the ruckus, it…it looked exactly like my drawings.”

Talus nodded, stopping himself when he realized Alvin couldn’t see him. “I know this is hard to hear, my boy, but…it seems that this revenant of yours must have hitched a ride on your ship home. And now there’s an untitanly beast running rampant around Bonesborough.”

“I… Is there anything I can do?” asked Alvin. “If you need me to come in, I can be there in–”

“No, no, don’t trouble yourself with all that,” said Talus. “I have something much more important for you to work on. You see, Mr. Grizzwold, my knowledge of revenants is fairly limited, given that until last night, I thought them to be little more than legends. But knowing what we do now, we must arm ourselves. I need you to dig up everything you can on revenants, no matter how small of a detail it may seem. Let me know once you’ve gotten everything you can.”

“I understand, sir,” Alvin said. “I’ll make my way to the library as soon as I can. I won’t let you down, Mr. Archibald.

“Oh, I have no doubt of that, my boy!” said Talus. “When next I see you, the both of us will hopefully be knowledgeable enough to deal with this threat. But until then, stay safe.” He released the crow, which flew out the window.

“Work stuff?”

Talus was not alone in his office. His expression grim, he turned to face a number of rough-looking witches assembled before him. All manner among them, they wore gear suited for expeditioning, and many of them carried weaponry. The one who spoke stood at the front of the gathering: he was the tallest out of them all, with pale skin and a mouthful of protruding fangs. His black hair was shaved off except for down the middle, and a single horn pierced out through his forehead. His clawed hand was wrapped around the hilt of a long polearm tipped with a serrated, pitch-black tip.

Talus cleared his throat. “I assume you all know why I’ve asked you all here, yes? But I’m afraid my job for you has changed just a bit. The revenant is no longer on the island: it is here, in Bonesborough.”

“That doesn’t change much,” the leader said. “If anything, it saves us a trip!”

“That’s one way to look at it,” Talus replied. “Now, this contract is far more important than any I’ve set out before. This creature is not merely illusive: it is the only recorded instance of its kind in the modern era. Its retrieval is crucial–no, imperative. Bring it back to me, and you will be paid handsomely.”

The leader of the band of hunters turned around to face his troupe. “Ya hear that, boys? The hunt’s on!” He raised his lance as the group cheered, only to silence them with a wave. “And, do you have a preference for alive, or dead?”

“I will leave that to your discretion,” Talus said, taking a seat at his desk.

Their leader grinned. “Dead it is.”

Chapter 4: His Name Was Belos

Chapter Text

Chapter Four: His Name Was Belos

The revenant was unsure of how much time had passed since his encounter with the guards. Once the sounds of footsteps from overhead had diminished, he found himself a corner that was hopefully isolated enough, and set down for a quick rest. The next thing he knew he was being gnawed on by slug-rats, having likely mistaken him for a corpse. A hiss sent the creatures scattering, but now that he was awake, there wasn’t any point in staying here.

He stood up and haltingly crept further into the sewers. The dim light shining through the grates told him that night had fallen. If there was any time to make his way to safety, it was now. He figured he would head for the wilderness–this island couldn’t be all cityscape, could it? And if it was… Well, he’d figure something out.

Luckily, this part of town wasn’t nearly as bustling at night as the port where he had arrived. There were a few souls milling about–some even had bodies–but it would be easy enough to sneak around undetected. Especially considering he wasn’t the only critter scampering around at this hour.

The metal bars under the drainage ditch gave way easily. His lanky form was easily able to squeeze through the gap, quickly ducking behind a stack of crates as a cart passed by. His escape plan was going well so far, but the next step was where it began to fall apart: he couldn’t exactly head for the wilderness when he had no idea where the wilderness was. Brick and concrete surrounded him from all sides, only sparsely peppered with the occasional tree or flower bed. And the only animals were the pests that scavenged by night.

Not one to be deterred by such a minor inconvenience, the revenant made his way onward. Side alleys were once again his friend as he made his way through the town, only stopping occasionally when he heard a sound that was too close for comfort. More often than not it was some sort of raccoon cutting through a trash can with its heat vision, or stray griffins getting into a fight. But occasionally, he heard voices.

Most of the words he overheard were the random musings of the late-night populace, but one had him on alert. “We’ve been at it for hours, and there’s still no sign of it,” the voice said. “We even sent some guys down into the sewers, but they came up empty too. Not to be a defeatist, sir, but…shouldn’t we call this search off?”

Immediately the revenant knew they were talking about him. He sat stock-still as he listened for the reply. “We don’t quit until we get the all clear. That thing is still out there, and until it’s either caught or killed, people are in danger. Sweep the alleys again, that thing’s small, it could hide easily.”

Approaching footsteps. Silently, the revenant darted up a pipe onto the roof just in time to see a pair of guards passing by. They wore the same red and white armor as the ones who had pursued him the day before. He suppressed a growl as they looked around behind boxes and under tarps for their target.

“So…are we sure this thing is a revenant, Sarge?” asked the junior of the two. “I wasn’t there when this thing was initially spotted, but I heard there was a lot of confusion. Don’t you think it’s a bit more likely it was some kind of demon than a creature that doesn’t exist?”

The senior held up an apple from a cart, gazing at it like it held all the answers. “Oh, revenants exist alright,” he said. “We just haven’t seen one in ages. Back in the olden days, hundreds of ‘em could appear completely out of the blue, tearing an entire village to splinters before dragging off everyone who lived there to whatever cesspool they called home. But now that one’s showed up, it’s a sign that they’re returning.” He turned to face the other. “And believe you me, Bonesborough will be their first target if we aren’t careful.”

“Um…right.” Although unnerved, it was clear the other guard didn’t buy her superior’s tale. “Those old legends about revenants, they didn’t give any tips on hunting them, did they?”

“You don’t hunt revenants, newbie–they hunt you.” The older guard once again took on a thousand-yard stare. “Legends say they were born from the Titan itself, arbiters of its undying rage. Any who displeased him would have to answer to his unholy spawn, which would tear entire villages to–” The new recruit seemed to be tuning him out.

“Boss! Not-boss!” To both the cadet’s and the revenant’s relief, a third guard came running over with urgency in his voice. “We’ve got something! There’s a sewer grate over here that’s been torn open! It’s gotta be him, Sarge.”

The two guards looked at each other, before following the third. “Very well. Lead the way.” The revenant watched them hurry away before climbing further up onto the rooftops. But before he made his escape, he decided to scope out the surroundings for any more guards, just to be safe.

A sizable company was present on the nearby street corner, coordinating their search efforts. Any people who came near were ushered away and urged to get inside. Off in the distance, he could see what looked like a forest, but he would have to get past them all first. There wasn’t an easy way above them by the rooftops, so he would have to wait until they moved on. Though he was unsure how long that would take, he never got to find out.

It was incredibly subtle at first: a hum, not unlike the one that came from his bile pool back on the island. One that was felt rather than heard, so subtle that he wouldn’t have acknowledged it if it hadn’t been so familiar. That, combined with the dim light that appeared from behind him was all the warning he got, but it was all the warning he needed. The revenant dove out of the way as a bolt of lightning struck the edge of the roof.

“I found it! It’s up here!” The guard that had snuck up on him called out to his fellows as he readied another spell. The revenant pounced, only his armor preventing his claws from tearing into the man’s flesh. He expressed his displeasure with a gutteral shriek, but that only drew more attention. As their forces gathered, he figured that retreat was his best option. And so, once again, he ran.

In his experience climbing the mountain of his home, the revenant was far more adept at leaping across the rooftops than the guards were. But they had the advantage in number, and their spells made it hard for him to keep his balance. The projectiles they slung his way filled the air, most colliding with the buildings around him or flying off into the air. A few hit their mark, causing him to stagger every so often. He shrugged them off, his only thought being to somehow lose his pursuers.

“Stop! Stop, I say!” one of the guards yelled.

“Do you really think yelling at it’s going to do anything?” said another one. “That doesn’t even work on regular perps, let alone monsters!”

“Well hey, it’s worth a try, isn’t it?” he said. “Isn’t that in the handbook, that you have to at least give whoever you’re chasing a chance to stop?”

Another guard admonished them. “You two, quit arguing! We need to slow this thing down–get up there and face it head-on!”

But the revenant was not as mindless as they assumed. Now that he knew they were coming up after him, he decided to go on the offensive. While they thought they were herding him into an ambush, he was choosing the best spot for his counterattack. He eventually hunkered down on top of a hotel, waiting for them to make the next move.

From his current position, the revenant couldn’t be seen. When he didn’t leap to the next building, the soldiers spread out to surround the hotel. “Quickly, get up there, now!” The sound of the front door opening indicated that several of them were heading up. The revenant carefully climbed atop the roof door as he waited for them to arrive.

He peered over the edge to see the guards watching for his escape. They were likely watching from all angles, meaning that the chase would only start up again if he ran now. Footsteps were coming from beneath him now as the guards ascended the stairs; hopefully, there wouldn’t be enough of them to overwhelm him.

The door swung open as five or so of the guards poured out, aiming their spell circles around the area. They spread out when they didn’t see him right away, likely confused. Some of them peered over the edges to see if he had leapt down. “It’s not here–did you see it leave?”

“It has to be up there somewhere! Are you sure it’s not hiding from you?”

“There’s nowhere up here to–” It was then that the revenant made his move, leaping on the nearest guard and slamming their head against the floor. Before the others could turn around, he shoved one hard, causing them to stumble and fall off of the roof. He ducked to the side to avoid a flurry of spells hurled his way, pushing one guard into another. “It’s still here! It’s still here! Send backup, now!”

With two of the guards on the floor, he slammed both their heads together before moving onto the last one. He let fly a blast of fire, running for the door as the revenant reeled back. But he was not quick enough, as the creature was upon him in three of four bounds. He was thrown against the wall, crumbling and falling. He whipped his hand behind him to fire out a quick spell, which the revenant simply shrugged off.

“Help! Help me!” The guard held back the revenant’s face as it tried to bite him, pounding its claws against his chest. He was pinned down, unable to do anything but hold off the furious beast. Eventually seeing an opening, he cast a spell that created a flash of light before the revenant’s eyes, blinding it and causing it to stumble back, when he quickly got back to his feet.

The guard backed away, preparing another spell. The revenant, standing too close to the door for him to slip by, recovered from his blindness with renewed rage. It let out a screech as the guard held out the spell circle to dissuade him as best he could.

“Stay back! Go on, get back!” The revenant pawed at the ground, preparing to charge. All he needed was a momentary lapse from his opponent to make his move. And when it came, he threw himself at the guard.

With uncanny precision, an unseen object streaked through the air, embedding itself in the wall and separating the two. The revenant dug his claws into the roof at the projectile’s sudden appearance: a brief scan revealed it to be some sort of spear, its black tip firmly lodged in the concrete. Both the revenant and the guard turned in the direction it had come from to see just who had intervened in their struggle.

A lone figure stood nearby–no, not standing, hovering. He was suspended in midair by magic, but they couldn’t be sure if it was his own or another’s. He floated closer, touching down on the hotel roof before being joined by several others. Unlike the guards, none of these figures looked remotely alike, other than the fact that their clothing and armor was somewhat ramshackle and cobbled together.

“So…this is where you’ve been all this time.” The one who had thrown the spear, perhaps the leader of this odd pack, had pale white skin and a single horn on his head. A handful of other witches and demons joined him as well, all of them being lifted up to the roof. All of their eyes were fixed on the revenant. But their faces wore expressions not of fear, or even readiness, but the stalwart glare of a predator. “Gotta say, you’re a slippery little devil. I can see why the old man’s offering so much for you. Now then…” Drawing a spell circle, the leader pulled his weapon from the wall, where it flew back into his hand. “...let’s make this quick.”

The guard stood completely still as he took in the figures before him. “Y-You’re…you’re Vesh’tai Walpugisnacht. The g-great hunter. It really is you, isn’t it?” He took a few cautious steps forward. “Oh my Titan, I can’t believe this is actually happening! Vesh’tai Walpurgisnacht, boss of the Wild Hunt, is here to save me from a revenant! It’s such an honor, sir, I’ve wanted to meet you for such a long time now–”

Vesh’tai held up his hand. “Save it.” He winked at the guard, sporting a small smile. “Save it until we take care of this thing, that is. And call me Vesh.”

“Oh…I…” The guard stammered, likely blushing under his helmet. The revenant, on the other hand, was far less appreciative of these intruders, letting them know so with a loud screech. He hurled himself at Vesh, anticipating him to strike back with his spear. What he didn’t anticipate, however, was one of his cronies throwing a net to intercept his attack.

A sudden flash of pain ran through his body, sending him crashing to the floor: the net was electrified. Twitching and writhing as titan-knows-how-many volts coursed through him, the revenant shrieked with fury at the collection of figures looming over him. All of them seemed satisfied with their catch, none more so than Vesh himself. He even said as much: “It isn’t everyday we’re able to nab a revenant. Not to pat myself on the back, but…” He did so, before leaning down to look the creature dead in the eyes. “I’m not entirely sure what Talus wants you for, but I do know that your head’s gonna look great above my fireplace–a real piece de resistance, as they say. He probably won’t mind if I help myself to your head, right?”

With his quarry helpless before him, Vesh raised his spear above his head to finish the job, met with excited cheers from his crew. Everything happened so fast: met with the possibility of death, the revenant experienced a sudden burst of power. Not out of fear, but out of rage. Rage that he was about to be killed by a pompous two-bit clown like this guy. His eyes burned with an electric blue glow as he fought through the pain, and threw the net off of himself.

The net was large enough to hold maybe three people, one of whom was Vesh. He and two other henchmen fell to the ground as electricity surged through them, the other hunters either stepping back in surprise or trying to help their boss. But the net alone wasn’t enough to stop the spear’s momentum, as it still sped downwards, its tip slicing into his abdomen. The revenant let out a shriek and staggered back as blood seeped from the wound in his side.

With their prey wounded, several of the hunters readied weapons or spells as they tried to surround him. Seeing as his first attempt at attacking led to him getting a net thrown in his face, the revenant reluctantly decided that he had to run. He bounded from the hotel roof to the next building over, leaving a trail of blood as he went.

“Get off me!” snapped Vesh as threw off the net, pushing away the hunters trying to help him. “Don’t just stand there, get after it! If it gives us the slip, it’ll take a whole day to track it down! Move!” He shoved them forward as the chase resumed.

The members of the Wild Hunt were much more nimble than the guards, and were able to follow the revenant across the rooftops. He had a sizable head start on them, however, so they were too far behind to cast any spells at him effectively. He knew they’d reach him eventually, so he went with another plan: scaling down the building, and returning to his trusty old alleyways.

He scampered over fences and across walls as he ran from his pursuers, who were rapidly gaining ground. “Don’t let it out of your sight! Follow that blood!” he heard Vesh yell from the back. “Remember, it likes crawling over things!” He suddenly realized that was right: he did prefer taking the high road when faced with a choice, something his would-be captors had obviously factored in. So instead, he did just the opposite, crawling into an empty warehouse through a crack in the wall.

With a moment or two to rest, the revenant clutched his wound, panting profusely. Despite his earlier display of strength, he felt weak, and not just because he was injured. It was as though his energy was slowly being sapped out of him–just what was that weapon? He didn’t have any time to recover, as the Wild Hunt soon found his location. “Hey, there’s blood–he’s in here!” Magic began pulling the bricks away to widen the crack he had entered through. He made a speedy getaway, leaping up to the rafters and out an open window.”Up there! Get after him!”

Rapidly growing more and more fatigued, the revenant knew he wouldn’t be able to run for much longer. But it seemed that somebody else knew it too, as he was about to receive some very unexpected help. As his surroundings began to blur, one thing stood out to him: a speck of light, shining out a dim blue just feet away from him. As it was the only thing he could focus on at the moment, he followed it. The light sped away, fast enough that he couldn’t catch it, but stopping every so often that he never lost it. It was as though it wanted to be followed.

The ball of light eventually led him down an alley to a seeming dead end. Just as he was about to consider climbing up to the roofs again, he heard a voice call out to him. “Quick! In here!” The light darted into an open door, where a figure gestured to him to enter. With no time to be suspicious, he bolted inside, with the person shutting the door behind him. The revenant almost collapsed on the carpet, panting heavily as his rescuer peered outside through the curtains.

Mere moments after he had reached safety, the Wild Hunt ran around the corner. Vesh pushed to the front of the pack, looking around for any sign of the beast. “Alright, he can’t have given us the slip that easily.” He looked around, noticing a trail of blood leading up to the roof. “Got ‘im!” Bearing a grin, he and his followers followed the trail upward, with the illusion disappearing after they were gone.

The one who had rescued him sighed in relief once the hunters were gone. “That was a close one, wasn’t it?” She turned around to face the revenant. She was an old woman, her grey hair tied in a bun and wearing plain, dark clothes. Although she was the definition of unthreatening, the revenant couldn’t help but be unnerved by her. Unlike just about everyone he had met on this island so far, she showed absolutely no fear of him. In fact, she seemed rather excited to see him. “No need to worry, they’re gone now. I don’t think they’ll be back here anytime soon.”

With the danger gone, and the revenant beginning to regain his senses, he eyed the woman cautiously. She didn’t seem to be a threat, but he couldn’t take any chances. Not wanting to stay here longer than he needed, he took a step back, only to collapse to the floor. He looked down to see that his wound was still dripping blood. It wasn’t life-threatening, the cut was deep enough that it would take at least a few days to heal, maybe weeks.

The woman let out a small gasp. “Oh, no, they got you good, didn’t they? Here, let me.” She crouched down and slowly approached the revenant. He hissed in warning, something which she seemed to anticipate. “It’s alright, it’s alright, I can help. There, it’s okay.” A spell circle hovered near her hand, which she moved near his wound. Her calm demeanor soon spread to him, and he allowed her to proceed. Gently, she placed her hand down, and the pain receded. The cut sealed up, leaving only a scar and a dull soreness.

Curious, the revenant got to his feet and examined the now-sealed wound. He looked back up at the woman, who was glad to see him better. Her warm smile was comforting…and somehow familiar. But there was still one question on his mind. “Why?” he croaked.

“Oh!” She almost jumped back in her surprise. “So you can speak! The books said you were sentient, but I didn’t think you could talk!” She then hurried over to a nearby table, where she opened a journal and began to scribble something within.

“Who…you?” he asked. As grateful as he was, he still had no idea what was going on. Thankfully, she seemed more than willing to accommodate him, turning back around once he had asked.

She closed her book. “Ah, I imagine you must have quite a few questions, hun. I’ll explain everything–but first, come, come, you must be exhausted.” She led him further into her home, gesturing for him to sit down on a large, plush couch. He gladly did so, sinking into the cushions. “And don’t worry about the blood, I was planning on steam-cleaning anyway.”

Although he was comfortable, there was still too much on the revenant’s mind for him to fall asleep. And he was glad he didn’t–after stepping out of the room for a moment, the woman returned holding a small pouch with a familiar smell. He sat bolt upright once she approached, which made her smile.

“You recognize this, yes?” She handed him the small pouch of bile, which he snatched up and greedily downed. The fatigue and exhaustion he felt melted away almost instantly. “You’re a thirsty one! I have plenty more if you want, just say the word.”

But one was enough for now. The revenant returned his gaze to the kindly old woman who had gone out of her way to rescue an unholy monster like him. “Why…save…me?”

She nodded, anticipating the question. “In order to understand that, you first need to understand something else.” She sat down on the couch next to him. “By now, you’ve no doubt noticed that the people around here are quite fearful of you.” An understatement if there ever was one, he thought. “You are a revenant, hun, a kind of monster that hasn’t been seen on the Boiling Isles in decades, maybe even millennia. The reason they’re afraid of you is because they don’t understand what you are.”

He co*cked his head to the side. “You…do?”

Again she nodded. “So many people here–Oh! Forgive my manners, hun, I haven’t even introduced myself! I’m Mary, Mary Pembrooke. I’m a librarian down at the Bonesborough Library. In my time, I’ve read so many different stories and tales about the unknowns of the Isles. And one of them is that of the revenant.”

She got an excited look in her eyes as she explained. The revenant could tell she was a natural-born storyteller.

“Like so many mysteries of our time, all that is known of revenants is what has been transcribed over the years from forgotten authors and fallen civilizations. So many different sources describe different interpretations of the same creature, many of them contradicting. As the information has been diluted over time, all that most people know the creatures from are horror stories. The revenant is seen as just another boogeyman, but I think it’s much more complicated than that. You see, one thing that remains consistent among the stories is that revenants are born from the Titan–possibly any titan. I believe that they are meant to be protectors, summoned when their titan is in danger.” She looked warmly at him. “The fact that you’re here means that the Titan brought you here for a reason.”

This was certainly not what he expected to hear. Not only was the woman not afraid of him, but she seemed to think he had some sort of magical destiny, a reason for being here. But he wasn’t from this titan. He had been born from his old island, one which he had left behind. Had he made a mistake in leaving? But something had called him here, he was sure of it.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind–this was not the first woman who hadn’t been afraid of him. “Mask?” he asked.

“Pardon?”

“You…have…mask?” He moved his hand in front of his face, tracing the shape of a long beak. “Bird? Bird…mask?”

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” said Mary. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone around here wearing a mask like that. I can certainly look into it at the library, though.” She got back up, walking into the kitchen. “Now then, I suppose you must be hungry. Would you like dinner?”

The revenant didn’t need to speak to make his feelings known, happily jumping up from his spot and following after her.

In the dawn of this world, when the titans roamed free, they wielded powers we can barely hope to dream of. One of these was the ability to summon a powerful undead warrior from a plane beyond, referred to as a ‘revenant.’ Little is known about these beings, other than that they were said to be able to wield magic similar, but not identical, to that of witches.

Many experts have theorized exactly what this plane beyond could be. Some say it is a dimension higher than our own, a source of all the unknown creatures and phenomena rumored to exist on the fringes of the Isles. Others still suggest that it may be an afterlife of sorts, itself connected to the theory that witchkind may have existed prior to the extinction of the titans.

On the subject of the titans’ fall, some fringe beliefs state that revenants themselves acted as the power that led to their extincion. While evidence suggests that a single event caused the titans to die off within a relatively short period of time, little is known about the actual cause. Theories include climate shifts, warfare, disease, necro-wasps, and, as stated above, a mass incursion of revenants that spread beyond their master’s control.

With a sigh, Alvin closed the book. “Are you sure this is the only book you have? Some of the material in here seems a little…sketchy.”

The librarian gave him a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, but all the other books about revenants were rented out. I suppose with that sighting by the bazaar the other day, it’s become quite the popular subject. Will you be borrowing it anyway?”

“Guess I might as well.” He handed her the book as he glanced at the shelves surrounding them. All these books, and there wasn’t much aside from speculation and hearsay, even in the restricted section. Then again, maybe the public library wasn’t the best place to search for information on the unknown.

The little old lady working the desk passed him the book. “You know, there was a lady who came in here a while ago asking for revenant books. I haven’t seen her in hours, so she may still be here. She might have found something a bit more solid if you can find her.”

It wasn’t like he had any other leads. “Thank you; I’ll see if she’s willing to share.” He picked up his book and made his way back over to the tables in the center of the room. He looked around, only now realizing that he had no idea what the woman looked like. However, he did notice someone sitting at a table with a stack of books sitting next to them. The person’s odd appearance led to him looking closer, seeing that the books had titles like ‘Unknowns of the Isles,’ ‘Demons From Beyond,’ and ‘Rise and Fall: a History of the Titans.’ This was her, no doubt.

He sat down in the chair across from her. “Er, hello. I’m not disturbing you, am I? Would you perhaps be willing to answer a few questions?”

The woman’s body was covered completely in a white robe, and her face with a curved mask. “No, I’m not interested in buying anything,” she said matter-of-factly, not even looking up from her book. “If that didn’t answer them all, feel free to continue.”

Alvin couldn’t help but crack a smile. “A library seems like an odd place for a salesman to do his work. No, I think the two of us have a shared interest.” He gestured to her books. “Something tells me you're looking into revenants.”

“Lucky guess,” she replied. “And it’s not like that’s rare these days. I’m sure you’ve heard about the sighting at the bazaar?”

“I have,” said Alvin. “As a matter of fact…um, can you keep a secret?” She didn’t move. “I have reason to believe that this creature was brought back to the Boiling Isles on board a vessel that I was on. I was on a research expedition to another titan, when I had an encounter with the ghastly beast. In a way, I can’t help but feel a connection with the creature–and not one of the emotional kind, but like my existence is bound to it, like its presence here is somehow tied to me–”

“Let me stop you right there,” the woman said, holding up her hand. “Are you sure it was a revenant you saw? Because based on my readings, they’re just a myth. An old ghost story meant to scare impressionable teenagers at the cinema. That’s actually why I’m here, trying to prove that these sightings lately are just mass hysteria.”

“Mass hysteria? No, no, the revenant is all too real. As much as I wish it were a myth, I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. It…it killed a man in front of me, dragged his body away. I’ve never seen any other demon or animal like this thing.”

“That’s the funny thing about fear. Makes us see things that aren’t really there. In your panicked state, I think it’s more likely all you saw was a ghoul of some sort. Same thing at the bazaar. Did you know that there hasn’t been a revenant sighting since the days of the civilizations that supposedly invented them? It’s because they’re just legends.”

“Wh–I…” Alvin stammered, before reaching into his pocket. He removed a piece of paper and, stopping himself before he slammed it down, gently placed it in front of her. “This is what I saw, down to the tiniest detail. Does this look like a ghoul to you?”

The woman examined his drawing. It wasn’t his finest work, and may have just been a fabrication for all she knew. But something about it seemed to cause her to change her demeanor. “This…this is what you saw on the island, right?”

“As I said, down to the tiniest detail. Anything I see, I can draw. And I don’t exaggerate.”

She seemed to doubt this claim, but nevertheless, she bought that he had really seen it. “You know, it occurs to me that I don’t know your name,” she said.

He held out his hand. “Alvin Grizzwold, sub-senior researcher of the A&S Guild.”

She took his hand. “Call me Eva.”

“That’s it? Just Eva?” he asked.

“For now,” she replied cryptically. “Oh, and don’t think I didn’t notice you eyeing me–yes, you can ask about the mask.”

“Oh, right, sorry about that,” Alvin said. “But, yes…why do you wear a mask?”

“I was born with a breathing problem,” she said. “The mask helps keep it stable. Anyway, you still haven’t asked me any of your questions.”

Alvin coughed awkwardly. “I was going to, but it seems you don’t believe in revenants. What I would have asked was if you had any information on how to find it.”

She shrugged. “Like I said, most of the things in here are from back in the olden days. More about what they were and what they did, not much on the hows and whys. Speaking of, why would you want to find it anyway? It’s supposed to be dangerous.”

“That’s exactly why we need to find it,” he replied. “Every day it’s out there is another chance for it to hurt innocent people. We at the Guild need to do everything we can to track it down so we can stop it from–”

“Sorry. Not to be rude, but you wouldn’t happen to work for Talus Archibald, would you?”

He looked confused. “I don’t exactly work for him in the sense of an employer, but he is my immediate superior in the guild, yes. Why? Do you know him?”

“I’ve heard of him.” She was quiet for a moment before standing up. “Alvin, I’ve enjoyed our little talk, but I have to go. Here, maybe these will help.” She slid her pile of books over towards him, and then turned to walk away. She paused, turning back. “If you ever do find anything out about this thing, come find me.”

He blinked. “How exactly am I supposed to do that?”

“Eh, you’ll see me sooner or later. I don’t exactly blend into the crowd.” Her tone of voice made it sound like she was smiling. “See you, Alvin.”

And with that, she was gone. Alvin held up a hand. “See you, Eva.” He had no time to dwell on his new acquaintance: he had work to do. He opened the first book, and began to read.

It wasn’t entirely clear what the relationship between Mary and the revenant was. To an outsider, it would certainly seem like he was her pet: a wild beast taken in off the streets to be nursed back to health. But Mary herself didn’t see it that way. The revenant was no mere animal, especially not to her. He was an intelligent creature, capable of understanding her, of feeling gratitude, and of course, speaking. Perhaps that was the main indicator that he was sentient, and not a mindless monster.

And so, while his wound healed, he stayed with her. He ate her food, slept on her couch, and listened to her stories. Although he could talk, he only did so if he had a question, or some pressing matter to be brought to attention, preferring to remain silent as she regaled him with tales of the past, both her own and the Isles’. He learned everything she knew about revenants…but still had too many questions, more than she could answer.

And then, of course, there was the issue of bile. By some almost miraculous twist of fate, she was prepared for this as well. Not by her own power, but she was prepared nonetheless. “You see, I have a condition,” she had explained to him. “My bile sac doesn’t work as well as it should, so I need new bile occasionally. I get some delivered every week, so I wouldn’t mind sharing some with you!” One pouch every two or three days was more than enough to sate him.

Not to mention how his grasp on language improved during his stay. With how often she told him her stories, he slowly but surely began to speak with “the eloquence of a scholar”--at least, that was how Mary put it. As a librarian, she was quite proud that she had the opportunity to teach him something like this, as proud as a mother would be of her child. In fact, he began to suspect that was almost how she saw him.

Mary’s house was not large by any means, but the revenant never felt trapped inside, even though she felt it was for the best if he never stepped outside. It was not the sprawling fields of his island, but something about the novelty of it all prevented him from getting cabin fever. Of course, some days he simply napped all day while she was at work, but others he explored his new surroundings.

The house was filled with what could only be described as knicknacks, collected from all over the Boiling Isles. Historical trinkets and unearthed artifacts filled the shelves and drawers around her home. None of them looked familiar to him, although Mary was happy to answer any questions he had about them. And with one of these questions, his life would change forever.

There were a lot of pictures in Mary’s house. Some of them were of her: her earlier years, showing her as a child to a young woman. In some, he saw her with a man he didn’t recognize, as well as another little girl. He wondered why he never saw either of them around the house. The rest of these pictures were much, much older, and were likely counted among the relics she kept. Images of ancient witches performing rituals, strange beings that looked downright abstract, sprawling landscapes from all around the Isles. One of these caught his eye: a towering figure with an antlered head, standing only ankle-deep in the ocean. It gripped the hilt of a giant sword, which was buried into the chest of a similar figure.

“Caught your eye, has it?” asked Mary, noticing the revenant staring at the painting. “This one is called ‘A Son’s Retribution,’ by Van Gore. It dates all the way back to the Deadwardian Era!”

The revenant studied the creature within, his gaze drawn to the striking pair of antlers that jutted from its head. “Who…is this?” he asked.

A familiar twinkle came into Mary’s eye. “Ah, that question required a bit of a history lesson to answer. You see, Van Gore based this painting on the legends of a long-extinct culture only known as the Head-Dwellers, named after where they lived. While almost all ancient witches worshiped the Titan, they all had different names for it. The Head-Dwellers gave it the name ‘Arbagh.’ They told that Arbagh was the king of the titans, but one who was assassinated by his jealous brother. Arbagh’s son, the rightful prince Belos, is shown here getting revenge on his father's killer.”

“Belos…” The revenant felt something powerful emanating from the painting. The prince’s eyes weren’t rendered with any emotion, but they didn’t need to be–he felt many things just from looking into them. Hatred for the man who killed his father; pride at having gotten his vengeance; relief at being free from this burden. “Was he great?”

“Oh yes, very much so! The Head-Dwellers believed Belos watched over his father’s dead body, not allowing anyone to disturb him. It was this that allowed life as we know it to flourish and bloom on the Boiling Isles. Although they worshiped Arbagh as their god, Belos was their savior. Every member of their tribe aspired to be more like him every day.”

“Then I…also do,” said the revenant. “Be more like him. I will be…great also.”

Mary smiled. “I’m sure you will. In fact…do you remember what I said on the day we first met? According to the ancient texts, revenants were summoned by the titans. Because of that, I think you’re here for a reason.”

In his time staying with her, the revenant had grown used to walking on two legs. From his tall stance, he lowered himself down so he was eye-to-eye with his host.

“I’m not sure exactly why you’re here, but I don’t have to be. You, hun, are a son of the titan.” She reached out and placed a hand on his cheek. “You’re going to do great things one day…Belos.”

The revenant co*cked his head to the side. “Is it…my name?” he asked.

“Oh, I-I may have gotten carried away,” she said, chuckling. “It’s just that I’ve never known what to call you up until now. I figured a nickname couldn’t hurt, especially one that… Er, do you like it?”

“Yes,” he replied. “I will keep it, to be what I need. I will be Belos.”

Days passed, turning into weeks. Belos had come to enjoy Mary’s company. It was more than her just providing for him, more even than her showing him kindness. She was happy, as though she was honored to have a houseguest of his nature. Considering how much she knew about ancient history, she likely was. And having someone this fulfilled just to be near him…something about it was equally fulfilling to him.

On one of these days, she came home from her job, the look on her face suggesting she had a lot on her mind. Belos came over once he heard the door open: “What is the matter?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing,” she replied. “Lately, so many people have been asking about revenants. The fad’s been dying down lately, but there have been so many strange characters since that day. In fact, I remember seeing a woman with a bird mask, like you described.”

“Bird mask…” he growled. “Does she have a name?”

Mary shook her head. “It isn’t her you should be worried about, hun. Why, earlier today, an entire gang came in! I was worried they were going to tear the place up like last time, but they only stood around the lobby while their boss questioned me.”

Belos returned to the couch, offering Mary a pouch of bile before sipping it down when she refused. “Hope he didn’t hurt,” he said.

“No, he didn’t do anything like that, but I was afraid he would for a moment. I had to ask him multiple times to leave his spear at the door, which he didn’t seem happy about.” At this statement, Belos’ non-existent ears perked up. “He asked me a lot of questions, and when I pointed him towards some books, he didn’t seem interested. He only wanted to hear what I knew. And the way he talked made it sound like he was planning on hunting you down specifically…”

“Was he…Wild Hunt?” asked Belos. “Him and the others, were they Wild Hunt?”

“Hmm?” Mary didn’t know what he meant.

“Vesh. He had the name Vesh.” He thought for a moment. “One horn. Did he have one?”

By now, Mary was getting worried. “Y-yes, he did have a horn. Do…do you know this man?”

Belos stared into the distance grimly. “Vesh is Wild Hunt.” He stood up, placing his hand over his scar. “Him. Him.”

Mary was speechless for some time. After a while, she slowly stood up, walking down the hall to her room. Belos followed, unsure of why she had left. She didn’t say a word as she searched through her closet.

“Why are you?” asked Belos. “He does not scare me.”

“Maybe not, but he scares me,” said Mary. She removed a bright red dress from the closet, tossing it to Belos. “Here. This was always too tall for me, but it should fit you okay.” She continued searching around the room, rooting through her drawers.

He eyed the dress curiously. “Why…should I wear it?”

She returned, handing him a large veiled sunhat and a pair of long gloves. “You have to wear something out there. It may not be an ideal disguise, but it’s all I have.”

When she moved toward the door, he stepped in front of her. “I can’t leave. Don’t need to.”

“It’s not safe for you here,” she said, pushing past him.

“He is not a danger!” he said. “Vesh is nothing. I’m much stronger now. I can fight him, I can–”

“Hun, I know you don’t want to leave,” said Mary, “but I can’t protect you if he knows where you are.”

“I will protect you,” he said. He placed the clothes aside, grabbing her hands. “You will not be afraid of him either.”

She sighed. “It’s…I’m not afraid of him, I’m afraid for you. I know you think you’re strong enough to fight him, but…” She turned away for a second, bringing back her journal. “Belos, listen to me. Everything I’ve ever learned about revenants is written here, things I haven’t told you yet. Take it. It might help you find out who you are.”

Although he took the journal, Belos was shaking his head. “I can’t leave. I can’t leave you all alone. You helped me, you made me who I am, you–”

“Now you just stop right there,” she said. “Yes, I took you in, but I didn’t make you into anything. You are who you always were. If I helped you see that, then I’m glad, but you already had everything you needed. And with that notebook, maybe you’ll find it a little quicker.”

“I can’t,” he said. “I can’t say goodbye.”

“Then don’t.” She pulled him closer, and the two touched foreheads. “This doesn’t have to be goodbye. You may be leaving, but I’m not going anywhere.”

Their embrace was interrupted by a knock at the door; more of a harsh pounding, really. Mary flinched, while Belos glared in the direction of the noise, growling. He began making his way towards the door to confront what was no doubt his hunter, only for Mary to place a hand on his arm. He turned to face her, looking into her pleading eyes.

“You have to go,” she whispered. He wanted to protest, but he knew she wouldn’t hear it. And even if she led Vesh away for now, he wouldn’t give up until he found him. Leaving was the best thing he could do now. Lead Vesh away from Mary, so he wouldn’t put her in danger. It was the only option.

He relented, picking up the notebook and makeshift disguise. The pounding at the door repeated, even more impatient this time. “Go,” he said. “Stand strong. He is nothing.”

She nodded, smiling proudly. “I know.” The two shared one last look as Mary left the room, locking the door behind her. Belos headed for the window…but something stopped him. A gut feeling, as though something in him knew leaving was the worst thing he could do right now. He chalked it up to his reluctance to leaving Mary behind, but he stayed anyway, at least for now. He leaned close to the door, listening intently to the commotion outside.

Mary opened the door, acting surprised to see who was there. “Oh! Vesh, I hadn’t expected to see you again so soon. I’m sorry, I haven’t had much time to find anything new, but if you come back later, I might–”

“Oh, no, no, that’s not why I’m here,” said Vesh. “There’s no need to be sorry. In fact, I actually came to apologize to you for my conduct earlier. My conduct was nowhere near appropriate, especially not for a library. I…actually, may we come in? This should only take a few minutes, I don’t want to take too much of your time.”

“Actually–” Mary was interrupted as a few of Vesh’s goons pushed past her and into her house. Vesh himself followed them, making himself at home. “I-I suppose you can stay, but only for a moment.”

“A moment’s all this will take,” Vesh said, seating himself down on her couch. “Again, I apologize for how I behaved today. I’ve been under a lot of stress, you see. Me and my team have been tracking the movements of a certain beast; I’m sure you’ve heard of it?”

“Why, I can’t say I have,” said Mary, looking around cautiously as several brutish thugs positioned themselves around her living room. “If it’s beasts you’re after, I’m sure the library will have more details than anything I–”

“The revenant, Mary, the revenant,” said Vesh, once again interrupting. “Ever since it first appeared, we’ve been hunting after it. Talus Archibald of the A&S Guild has personally commissioned us to bring it to him. As it has already proven itself to be highly aggressive, it is absolutely imperative that we find it as soon as possible.”

“I see. And how much are you being paid for its capture?” Mary asked.

Irritation briefly flashed in Vesh’s eyes–but only briefly. “I believe his exact words were ‘handsomely,’” he said. “But as I said, this creature is dangerous. If we don’t find it soon, people are going to get hurt.” The edge of his mouth twitched at this.

Mary sighed. “If there was anything I could do to help you, I would,” she said. “The last thing I want is for Bonesborough to be unsafe. But as I told you before, anything I know about revenants, I already told you.”

“And what about this specific revenant?”

She looked at him. “Hmm?”

Vesh laughed as he got to his feet, shaking his head. “Mary, Mary, Mary. I seem to recall you mentioning that revenants were intelligent creatures, the way you saw it. And, while I like to imagine that I’m somewhat famous around here, one thing I don’t recall is telling you my name. And yet, when I showed up here, you addressed me as Vesh.”

“You said it yourself, you are indeed famous,” Mary said. “Everyone knows the great Vesh, leader of the Wild Hunt.”

“I suppose that’s fair,” he admitted. “So, what’s my last name?”

Unwilling to show weakness, Mary thought for a moment. “I’m afraid I don’t recall. I’ve definitely heard of you, but I don’t pay much attention to the details.”

He grinned. “I see. In that case…I’m sure you won’t mind if I take a look around. Just to make sure everything’s where it should be.” Vesh made his way over to the hallway, only for Mary to block his way.

“I do mind,” she said. Her pleasant demeanor was beginning to falter, but so was his. “You’ve barged into my house uninvited, asked me for information I don’t have, and now you’re trying to root around in my private business. Mr. Vesh, I must ask you to leave.”

Vesh was neither intimidated or angry, instead appearing impressed. He snapped his fingers and held out his hand. “Grimsby?”

“Yeah.” One of the larger Wild Hunt members handed Vesh his spear. By now, any attempts at appearing pleasant had come and gone. The threat of violence hovered overhead, and Mary was all too aware of it. She, as subtly as she could manage, held her hand behind her back in preparation to draw a spell circle.

“I’ve been nothing but polite to you, Mrs. Pembrooke.” Vesh stepped closer, circling the old woman like a predator. “I’ve done everything I can to get you to quietly hand over the revenant. But if you don’t want to make this easy, you only have yourself to blame for what comes next.”

“His name,” Mary hissed, “is Belos.”

Before Vesh could respond, Mary thrust out her arm. The ball of light reappeared, this time as a flash that blinded the hunter momentarily. As he cried out and stumbled back, Mary cast another spell, wrapping her curtains around another member.

As soon as Belos heard the commotion, he slammed himself against the locked door with his full weight. It buckled and broke very easily, only taking three hits before he smashed through. He ran down the hallway to save his savior, seconds too late.

Mary gave a valiant effort, but she was no fighter. Even if she had been, there were seven of them and only one of her. They overwhelmed her faster than she could incapacitate them, blasting her with spells and striking her with their weapons. With the last ounce of her strength, she let loose a blast of fire at Vesh, an attack he saw coming. He, consumed by his anger, struck back. Belos arrived just as he drove his spear into Mary’s heart.

Time seemed to stand still. The revenant watched, stunned, as Mary looked down at the fatal wound. A green glow seeped from it and into the weapon, flowing down into Vesh’s hand. On his face he wore an expression of sad*stic glee. Once the glow was completely gone, he pulled the spear out, and Mary’s body fell to the floor. Mary’s fireball had ignited the drapes behind him, soon spreading to the rest of the room. His eyes raised to meet Belos’, illuminated from behind by the firelight. “There you are,” he said, flicking the blood off the spearhead. “Time to play.”

What happened next was primal. Pure, guttural fury welled up inside of Belos, manifesting itself as the loudest bellow ever to leave his maw. The entire house shook from the sound as he screeched to the heavens, his eyes glowing brighter than they ever had before. Any concept of who he was before, even who Vesh or the others were, was gone. All that was left was one single, solitary drive. Everything that wasn’t him in this room needed to be eviscerated. And so he charged.

The Wild Hunt had been startled by his roar, many of them flinching. Even Vesh seemed to reconsider his odds as the creature launched itself at them. Grimsby was the only one among them completely undeterred, intercepting the revenant by hurling a flaming couch at it. The furniture slammed against the wall. “Hah! Got ‘im!” he said. “He wasn’t so tough, ey?”

Claws tore through the fabric, and in moments he was free once more. As Grimsby was the nearest target, he hurled himself at him, claws prepared to rend. Grimsby swung his staff, a palisman shaped like a cobra knocking the revenant aside. He prepared to follow up, but Belos was faster, slicing a gash in his side. The witch cried out and fell to his knees.

The air was growing hotter, and thick with smoke. “This isn’t good,” said Vesh. “Wild Hunt, fall back and regroup! We can’t take him, not in here!”

“Nothin’ to worry about!” choked Grimsby, trying to stand up. “I’ve been hurt worse, I’m not about to let this–” He gasped as he felt the revenant’s claws piercing into his skull. It stood behind him, glaring at the others as it held his head. It grabbed on with its other hand, those claws digging in as well, and with one swift motion, tore. The Wild Hunt backed away in horror as Grimsby’s headless body slumped to the ground. The revenant loomed over him, the flames lighting him from behind.

If Vesh was uncertain of their chances before, now he was certain in the other direction. “Run! Go!” He urged the rest of his team out the door and away from the threat. He gave chase, with only the collapsing rafters preventing him from hunting them all down then and there. He backed away from the heat, returning to the corpse to take out his anger. He bit and tore into Grimsby’s body, devouring the man’s bile sac. But even consuming him wasn’t enough; he wanted more. The familiar smell of magic bile came from the discarded staff. With similar ravenous intent, he cracked the palisman apart like an egg, drinking down the nectar within.

It was only then, when his rage was completely spent, did he return to Mary’s side. Had it not been for the bloodstained shirt, she would have looked peaceful. He imagined she was content to have allowed him to survive another day, even if it cost her life. Chittering gently, he placed a hand over the wound, just as she had done for him on the day they met. Closing his eyes, he touched his head against hers once more. He could smell the bile within her…but could not bring himself to take it.

Instead, Mary gave him one last gift before he left. He found his way to the icebox in the kitchen, scooping up as many bile pouches as he could carry. He slung the dress over his chest, using it as a pouch to carry everything she had given him. With one last look at the woman who he had befriended, he made his escape as the house burned down.

He watched the smoke rise as he clambered across the rooftops, heading for the safety of the wilderness. He pressed his hand against the journal, vowing to do everything in his power to make Vesh pay. “Thank you…” he said, turning his back on what had been his home.

The familiar jingle played as the words ‘Bonesborough Local News’ flashed across the screen. They were soon replaced by a man in a suit sitting at a desk. “Tragedy stuck early this very morning as a fire broke out over the residential district.” A graphic of the burnt building after the blaze had been extinguished appeared next to him. “Though the damage caused by the flame was minimal, authorities are saying it claimed the life of seventy-eight-year-old widow Mary Pembrooke, a librarian at the Bonesborough Library. While its cause has yet to be identified, witnesses say that a strange figure was sighted near the area, speculated by some to be the fabled Bonesborough Revenant.”

The image on screen changed to that of Vesh, the words ‘Vesh’tai Walpurgisnacht, Wild Hunt Leader’ appearing beneath him. “I was hunting this creature for weeks now,” he said, appearing somber. “I knew it was a danger to the public, but I had no idea it was capable of such atrocities. But I swear, as head of the Wild Pack, we will do everything in our power to take this despicable monster down!”

“Although there has been no definitive proof of the creature, sightings of the revenant continue to crop up,” said the newscaster. “Does this beast truly exist? Did it cause the death of this woman? After a short break, we’ll delve deeper into this mystery. This is Percy Porter, reporting.”

Vesh tapped the crystal ball, turning it off. “Huh? What do you think?” he asked the room. “I always thought that if this gig doesn’t work out, I could make a killing on the silver screen. Quite a performance, no?”

His lackeys mumbled their approval, while the others present, Talus and Alvin, were less convinced. “Perhaps some tact is in order?” Talus said. “Not only did this monster kill an innocent woman, but one of your own was slain as well. Shouldn’t you be mourning for poor Grimsby?”

“Ah, that sort of thing happens all the time,” Vesh said, waving him off. “Occupational hazard. Now then, what is it you wanted us here for?”

Talus motioned to Alvin. “My associate here claims to have some more information on revenants. Once he brought it to me, I thought the two of you could combine your efforts to help stop this beast. And this incident only proves just how urgent this all is.” He abruptly smacked his hands on his desk. “I don’t care how you do it, just bring me this thing.”

Vesh walked over to Alvin. “‘Grizzwold,’ eh? So, you think you’ve got something that could help us on our hunt? Either way, looking forward to working with you!” He grabbed Alvin’s hand and shook, perhaps a bit too strongly.

“Oh, no, just some tidbits here and there,” Alvin said, rubbing his hand. “Really, I’d be more of a burden than anything, I don’t want to slow you down.”

Vesh slapped him on the back, laughing. “Nonsense! Grizzwold, old buddy…I think the two of us are gonna be great friends…”

Chapter 5: The Kindness of Strangers

Chapter Text

Chapter Five: The Kindness of Strangers

While Belos wasn’t quite able to read to the extent of most witches, Mary’s journals did offer a number of diagrams that, to some degree, looked familiar. Artists’ renderings of what revenants may look like (only a few looked remotely close to the real thing), possible origins of their existence, even a picture of the Titan’s head as seen from the chest. This one resonated with him particularly, inspiring in him a longing to venture there one day.

After the fire, he had made it to the park with little issue. Beneath one of the trees was a hollow den, left behind by an animal many seasons ago. He was just able to squeeze through the entrance by pushing some of the roots aside, hunkering down here for the rest of the day. A few people walked through the park that day, none of them suspecting that a revenant lay just beneath their feet, even those that walked directly above him. It beat nesting in the sewers, of that he was certain.

Although the journal held Belos’ attention most of the time, he also felt a certain comfort at listening to people talk as they passed by overhead. While very rarely did their conversations contain something he recognized, hearing their idle chatter was somehow soothing. He often found himself nursing one of the many bile pouches Mary had left behind, or drifting off to sleep listening to the chatter.

And during the nights or days when he felt particularly restless, he would venture out to explore more of Bonesborough. With Vesh hunting for him, he couldn’t risk going out as he was, even at night. Whenever he wanted to leave, he would don the disguise Mary gave him. Nobody gave him more than a second glance, though for some reason he was often referred to as ‘Ma’am,’ a quirk of the outfit he didn’t quite understand. Nevertheless, it did its job, allowing him to venture through the town at his leisure.

Intuition told him to avoid the bazaar, as well as steer clear of the red and white guards that often patrolled the streets. He doubted they would recognize him, but if one of them got suspicious and approached him, he feared his cover would be blown, and he would be back to square one. While his expeditions into the unknown streets did little to clue him in to his true identity, it did offer an opportunity he thought he would never see again.

The streets were crowded that day, so Belos kept to the back alleys and side paths. Back there, he rarely ran into anyone who gave him an odd look for his appearance or demeanor. For that matter, everyone in the city’s slums were often far odder than him in both categories. It was here that he first met him.

There was little commotion in front of the shops like there would have been at the bazaar. Comparatively, the slums were downright peaceful: some witches even sang songs from a balcony above. Belos stood below, eyes closed as he let the melody flow through him. He couldn’t quite make out the words, but the acoustic guitar filled him with a familiar joy he couldn’t explain.

This joy was, unfortunately, interrupted by a ruckus in the distance. A scuffle seemed to be happening; he opened his eyes and craned his neck to see what was going on. Under the song, he could just make out somebody shouting: “...please, I don’t have anyone else to turn to! Please, you must help me, please!” Whoever it was, the populace didn’t seem to appreciate their desperation, as nobody was responding.

Nobody was responding, that is, aside from the occasional shout of “Get outta here, you nasty thing!” or something similar. The figure responsible for the pleading was soon thrust–or rather, shoved–into view. He looked as pitiful as he sounded, a tiny red imp no taller than Belos’ waist. He was dressed in rags that were pulled up to cover his mouth, and his hair seemed to resemble a clawed hand grasping his scalp. The demon got to his feet, continuing to ask for help from anyone nearby. Still, he was ignored.

Seeing this display made Belos feel a twinge of pity for the tiny demon. Still, when he made his way over, his response was the same as all the others. “Miss, please, you must help me! Nobody else will, please, have a heart!”

“Not my place,” Belos muttered, trying to nudge away from the demon without outright shoving him. “Can’t help.” And in a way, he was right. He felt that given his own status as a fugitive, there was little he could do to aid in this fellow’s plight.

Yet the demon still persisted. “I beg you, at the very least could you hear my woes before you cast me aside like this? I’ve asked all over town–you may be my last hope.”

Beyond the demon’s pleading eyes, this situation brought something else to Belos’ mind. He thought of Mary, and how she had sheltered him at great risk to herself, and with nothing to gain. Even to the end, she had protected him, giving her life for his. When she had named him Belos, he promised her that he would be great, just like his namesake. And so he knelt down to speak to this demon face to face. “Tell me.”

Although he still appeared distressed, the demon gave a relieved sigh. “Oh, thank you, thank you, Miss, a thousand thank yous! After I escaped I ran as far as I could, asked whoever I could for help, and you are the only one to look at me like I’m not a vile pest! Y-you see, he…” He looked like he was going to burst into tears at any moment. “He has my Kiki!”

“Your what?” Belos co*cked his head to the side.

“My wife, Kikimora,” he continued sadly. “We were taken together, the two of us. Like so many others, we were taken in the night. He locked us in cages, threatening to sell us, or worse.”

“Who?” asked Belos. By now, they were getting strange looks from the populace, as though his helping this man was itself frowned upon. He urged the demon into a nearby alleyway where they could speak in peace.

“I-I’m not sure. Some sort of monster. He’s just one of many, who kidnap whoever they can get their hands on. Slavers, organ harvesters…cannibals. I managed to slip out while he was away one night, but I couldn’t take her with me! If there is anything you can do, anyone who may be able to help get her back, I will repay you and then some in any way I can!”

Belos asked a single question. “Is he alone?”

“Er, yes, but he is formidable.”

Good. So was he. “Then I will kill him, and return your Kikimora.” Belos stood up to his full height. “Take me there.”

The demon was beaming up at his savior. “I will lead you, follow me!” He eagerly scampered away, almost too fast for Belos to follow. He doubled back, still happily pattering down the roads. “Might I ask the name of the one who will reunite me with my beloved?”

“I am Belos.” The revenant had never uttered these words before. The moment they left his lips, they inspired in him a feeling of pride that felt somehow familiar, though the recognition was distant. Just by saying them, he felt as though he had grown three feet taller.

“Belos…” the demon repeated in reverence. “My name is Domovoi. A-and I promise you, I will reward you greatly for your help! We may not have much, but whatever we can give you, it’s yours if you only say the word!”

“Good.” And although the prospect of a reward was enticing, somehow the prospect of glory and recognition felt even more so. He knew that, hunted as he was, he would never achieve any sort of great status. But still, the way Domovoi looked up at him–he would do his best to fulfill his promise to Mary.

In theory, Alvin’s job was easy. Vesh had tasked him with finding “where the revenant would strike next,” as he had put it. This meant cross-referencing all the sightings across the city so far with the information in the books he had read. The reason that this was easy only in theory was because nothing seemed to add up.

According to the books, revenants were living weapons, created by the Titans. If this was true, then this one was likely left over from that age, somehow only now surfacing. He shuddered at the thought that his voyage may have been responsible for awakening it, but quickly put the thought out of his mind. No, there had to be another reason. But even if there was, the revenant wasn’t acting like a living weapon. There didn’t seem to be any cohesion in its sightings, and aside from that woman, it hadn’t killed anybody. It was acting more like a wild animal than anything.

He studied the map of Bonesborough before him, the locations of each major sighting marked. “But that couldn’t be the case, could it?” he said to nobody. This creature was far too intelligent and crafty to simply be an animal. Perhaps it was operating on specific orders, casing the area before making its move. Or maybe it had a specific target in mind that it was hunting down. Regardless, his job was to find it, and he endeavored to do just that. Partly to prevent anyone else from being hurt, but also because he felt partly responsible for its rampage, it having been his ship the beast rode here on.

He was trying to find some order to the attacks when the door to his study was opened. He knew immediately who it was from the chipper voice that greeted him: “Alvin, old buddy, old friend, old pal! Good to see you working hard!” Vesh had barged in unannounced, but he wasn’t alone: he held a strange woman by the shoulder, who looked very much like she didn’t want to be there. Alvin couldn’t really blame her.

“What do you want, Vesh?” He tried not to sound too bitter when he asked, but he doubted Vesh would care either way. By now, it couldn’t be a secret that he wasn’t too fond of the hunter.

Vesh pulled the woman with him as he went to greet his “friend.” Her features were very sharp, and her long black hair was tied behind her head. “Just came in to check up on my new favorite partner!” he said, snapping Alvin’s attention back to him. “So, how’s your progress going so far?”

Alvin looked at the woman, then back at Vesh. “Not…not great, exactly, but I have made a little progress. First, it doesn’t seem nearly as aggressive as we’ve been led to believe. It hasn’t attacked anyone except for Mary Pembrooke, and Titan knows why it did. Maybe she provoked it somehow, for all we know. If I can narrow down what it actually wants, I may be able to–”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get there eventually!” Vesh butted in. “Oh, and speaking of, I brought you a new helper!” He pulled the woman closer, who glared at him. “Thought you might be getting a bit lonely in here, too. She can help with both!”

Once again, Alvin’s eyes darted from him to the woman, back, and forth. “I was just about to ask about her. And…who is she, exactly?”

“Nobody too important,” said Vesh. “Just a thief we found trying to break into our armory. Didn’t really feel right to let her join the hunt after that, so I brought her here. You don’t mind, do you?”

He did mind, especially now that this had been brought up. “Hold on, you said this woman tried to steal from you? And now you made her work for you? And you have an armory all to yourselves?”

Vesh laughed at his confusion. “Easy there, little buddy, one question at a time! Actually, that’s how I get most of my new recruits: they cross me in some way, and I make ‘em pay me back with service. Right now, she may be a captive, but in a few years’ time, she might just be a top ranked hunter! And hey, working for me is a lot better than the alternative.” Still smiling, he dragged a finger across his neck. “Anyway, see you two later! Don’t have too much fun without me!” With a wave, he was out the door before either of them could blink.

Alvin watched the woman carefully, who was staring intently at the door. “So…um…hello,” he said cautiously. The woman didn’t look dangerous, but seeing that she was trying to break into an armory, he couldn’t be sure what she wanted or was capable of. “H-how do you do?”

“Fine, thanks,” she said, eyes still fixed on the door. Once a few moments had passed after Vesh left, she made her way over, attempting to open it–perhaps unsurprisingly, it was locked. “Figures,” she muttered. A few spells proved that he had magically sealed it as well. Instead, she went over to the only other exit in the room, that being the window.

“A-are you sure you want to do that?” said Alvin. “We are on the twelfth floor, after all.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” said the woman, trying to pry open the likewise-locked window. “I’m sure what you’re doing here is very important, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to get back to my mission.” When force proved futile, she fired a spell at the glass. All this accomplished was it bouncing off the glass, and flying around the room like a rogue rubber ball. Alvin cried out in surprise and ducked underneath his desk, while she crouched down and waited for the projectile to fizzle out.

Eventually, it did. Alvin cautiously peered out from his hiding place to make sure the coast was clear. The woman was staring at the window angrily; she punched it, but this didn’t work either. She turned around, shaking her hand.

“Sorry about that,” she said, looking down. “Welp, guess I really am stuck here.” She sat down in a chair on the other side of the room. “And I guess now you are, too.”

Alvin shook his head. “Oh, I don’t mind at all. To be honest, I felt like a prisoner in here long before you arrived. If anything, I should be apologizing on behalf of my associate. Ever since that revenant showed up, Talus has been desperate to contain it, even if it means hiring a brute like Vesh.”

The woman scooted closer. “So, you’re tracking down that revenant, huh? Can’t say I’ve seen it myself, but it’s not a pleasant sight from what I’ve heard. Seven feet tall, with teeth like steak knives. You gotta be pretty brave to go looking for something like that!”

“Oh, no, I’m not brave at all,” Alvin said. “I just do the book work while others do all the fighting and climbing and trekking. If I do manage to find a pattern, Vesh and the Wild Hunt will be the ones to confront it. Those stories you’ve heard may have been exaggerated over time, but trust me, the real thing is just as scary!”

She gave him a funny look. “So you’ve seen it before, huh? Lived to tell the tale and all. What was it like?”

He shivered. “Yes, and it’s not an experience I plan on repeating anytime soon. B-but enough about me; you’re the one here against your will, I shouldn’t be boring you with my story.”

“Well, aren’t you a gentleman,” she said, smiling. “Alright, I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. My name’s Patience, Patience Van Gheist. Like your friend over there said, I’m a thief by trade. And the reason I was breaking into his armory was to get his weapons: see, my mission I mentioned earlier? I’m setting out to assassinate Lord Baltheus.”

A long, loud silence followed this statement. Even when he broke it, Alvin couldn’t think of anything to say. “Um…well. Th-that certainly is, erm, something. An assasination of any caliber, let alone one this lofty.” Lord Baltheus essentially owned this entire section of the Boiling Isles, consisting of almost the entire waist. Alvin didn’t follow politics much, but he knew that most people who had plans like this didn’t say them out loud, even if they were feasible.

She chuckled, he sensed to break the tension. “It sure is something, isn’t it? Look, you aren’t gonna say anything to your boss, are you? He’s got enough security as is, I could do without him doubling it on my account.”

“Um…well, I’m sure you have a very good reason for that,” Alvin said, not wanting to encourage her. “Frankly, what you get up to is none of my business. Although I object on principle, I won’t try to stop you.” Trying to get back to his work, there was still a nagging question he couldn’t ignore. “...Though if you don’t mind me asking, why do you want to kill him so badly?”

Patience gave him an odd look. “How long have you been locked up here? Because he’s been bleeding us dry! He’s up there all day in his castle, enjoying all the luxuries he can squeeze out of us ‘lower’ witches while purposefully avoiding helping us in any way he can! Everything he has, he’s taken from Bonesborough and the other cities he parasitizes!” She sat down after her rant, having calmed down a bit. “Maybe jumping straight to assassination is a bit extreme…but I can’t sit around while people die under his rule!”

Alvin was aware of how dire her situation sounded, but something she said made him grin. “So you’re saying Patience is impatient?”

She gave him another look, then laughed once his meaning hit her. “Alright, that was kinda cute. But it’s not the first time someone’s told me to live up to my name, at least not in so many words.” She scooted her chair closer, examining the map of the town. “It was just a pipe dream anyway. Even if Vesh hadn’t caught me, someone else would have sooner or later. At least here I can be useful, not like in some jail somewhere…”

While Alvin wasn’t the best in social situations like this, even he could tell Patience was upset. “You know…you may not be able to stop Baltheus, but this revenant is a problem, too. If we can catch it, it means that many people are going to be out of danger. If you want to help, that is, I know Vesh threw you in here on a whim, I doubt you’d really be motivated to–”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll help,” she said, much to his surprise.

He blinked. “Y-you will? Are you sure? If it’s just because of Vesh, you don’t have to be intimidated by him…not like I am.”

But she was sure. “Yeah, I might as well, why not? Besides, catching that thing would save a few lives, like you said. Probably doin’ more good in here than out there, anyway.”

“Oh, um, excellent!” Very rarely did Alvin get the opportunity to collaborate on his projects with anyone, so he was just excited to have a partner. “I’ve already compiled the creature’s recent sightings, all that’s left is to find some sort of motive.”

The pair pored over his findings in silence for a moment. “Hey, you know what? All this time, and I never asked your name,” said Patience. “You do have one, right?”

“That I do,” he said. “Alvin Grizzwold, sub-senior researcher of the A&S Guild. But that last part you probably guessed already.”

Patience held out her hand. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Alvin! I look forward to cracking this case with you!”

He took her hand, hesitantly at first, but once his met hers they eagerly shook. “As do I,” he said. “I…I’m glad I’m not doing this alone.”

The pair had long since left Bonesborough, their path having taken them through a canyonous desert further up the Titan’s stomach. Even after walking for almost half a day, Domovoi still eagerly bounded along as he led Belos to where his beloved was being held captive. He seemed determined to reach the place before nightfall, something he made clear to his savior.

“He hunts at night, you see,” Domovoi had explained. “We must strike while he is away, or this will all be for nothing! You seem determined you can beat him, but that is a risk I would rather not take…”

Although Belos had no idea who this person was or what he was capable of, not for lack of inquiring, but someone who kidnapped defenseless demons in the dead of night was no doubt a coward. And cowards, with very few exceptions, were not formidable. “Does he sleep in the day? I can kill him while he sleeps.”

Domovoi was adamant that this wouldn’t work. “He keeps many prisoners, who make too much noise. They will wake him if someone new goes inside. Even though you are here to save them, they will still wake him.” While not exactly tired yet, Domovoi seemed less emotional than he had back in town. Neither sad nor glad, simply determined to arrive at their destination.

“How is he formidable?” Belos asked, phrasing the same question in a different way for what seemed to be the hundredth time. “Tell me of his power. What can I do to overcome him?”

Again, Domovoi was quite vague in his description. “He wields a very powerful magic. One that can make you forget yourself, and become one of his thralls. Those he cannot capture, he turns into these minions, forever bound to his will. This is why we must go in at night, so we do not succumb to this as well.”

A low growl of frustration escaped Belos’ throat. How did Domovoi expect him to help if he couldn’t be prepared if he had to fight? The demon was insistent that his captor wouldn’t be home after dark, but Belos suspected that things wouldn’t be so simple.

By the time the sun began to set, the pair had arrived at the side of a large mountain. “There!” Domovoi stopped Belos in his tracks, pointing out a door built into the mountain’s base. The rusted metal made it look long abandoned, enough to not earn a second glance otherwise. “This is his lair. That door is the only way in or out, I’m sure of it.”

For now, the entryway was silent. Belos wasn’t sure what he should have expected–more guards, for one. But, Domovoi did say this person worked alone. Claiming a secluded area overlooking the door, he began to remove his disguise. He’d need to be prepared to fight if it came to it, which he was certain it would.

“W-what are you doing?” Domovoi seemed more confused than afraid, considering he could now see Belos’ real appearance. “We must wait until night! He cannot be beaten, it is better to–”

“Better to leave her alone!?” snapped Belos. He loomed over Domovoi, who strangely didn’t seem that fearful of him. “Is your beloved really so important? I can kill him! Why are you still so afraid!?”

The demon seemed to struggle to find an answer. “I…but…I know. You came all this way just to help someone you barely know, for which I am forever grateful. And I believe you can kill him, should the need arise. But trust me when I say you would rather not fight him. He can turn the ones you love against you. I…I am not as strong as you are. I cannot fight, which is how we were captured. If I could fight, even a little bit, I would risk everything to rescue her, but…” He trailed off, looking once again like he was moments away from crying.

Eyes still on the demon, Belos crouched down beside him. “Your beloved…tell me about her. About you both.” Domovoi had a point–Belos had come all this way for the sake of a stranger. Although it seemed they were both sure he could defeat the mysterious kidnapper, Domovoi was adamant he didn’t. And after all, he did have more experience with him. Rather than try and force answers out of him, Belos decided it would be better to let him talk on his own terms.

A glow coming from his saddened eyes, Domovoi stared off across the horizon. “Where do I even begin? Kiki was…she meant everything to me. Means everything. We are all each other has. It has been just her and I for so long. We own a small farm together, you see, quite isolated. It made us easy prey for…for him…” He trailed off, looking distressed. “I t-think we should get some rest now, while we can. We’ll want to be well-rested when we go inside.”

His story finished just as soon as it started, Domovoi crawled into a bush and huddled up. While Belos didn’t blame him for being tired, the suddenness of this shift was unusual. Reasoning he likely wouldn’t get anything else out of the demon, he decided to keep watch. Perching on the end of the overlook, he stared down at the rusted door. The moment the kidnapper left for the night, he would be on him.

After a while, Domovoi noticed Belos’ vigilance. “You are not asleep yet?” he said, sitting up in his bush. “You should rest. There is no telling what we will encounter in there.”

“Keeping watch,” Belos said gruffly. “Besides, both of us asleep means we may be ambushed. Better this way.” Domovoi looked at him oddly for a moment, then reluctantly went back to sleep. Belos regarded him; some of his advice was beginning to seem really strange. Putting the thought out of his mind, the revenant resumed his watch.

As the two of them walked through the bazaar, Patience rubbed her sore arm, which now bore a newly applied sigil courtesy of Vesh. “You don’t think there’s something here we could buy to remove this thing, do you?” she asked. “Or, something we could ‘buy?’”

“Sorry about that,” Alvin said awkwardly. “This was the only way Vesh would let you come with me. He needs to know where you are at all times, otherwise–”

“I know what it’s for, which is all the more reason to want it gone,” she replied. “I thought the whole reason you brought me here was to help me get out of there.”

Alvin wrung his hands nervously. “A-and technically, you are out, aren’t you?” She shot him a look. “I know it’s not ideal, but better to have some fresh air than to be cooped up in there all day, right?”

She rolled her eyes. “Also better not to have to go back there, but whatever, I suppose that’s not an option right now. Is there anything in particular we’re looking for?”

“Anything that can help us,” responded Alvin, flipping through a folder of documents. “The guards have likely been through here already, so they probably picked up on any physical evidence left behind. Still, this is the site of the first revenant sighting in the city, so this is as good a place to start as any.”

Where exactly they were supposed to start, Patience had no clue. Any evidence the guards hadn’t taken with them had probably been stepped into the dirt by this point. And asking anyone about the sighting would be similarly pointless, seeing as there was no way the same people shopping here on that day were the same people here today. However, there were some people who would have been here both times… “Where exactly was this thing spotted?”

Her partner was already on it: Alvin had marked on a map the exact spot on the exact street, in front of the exact stall where the revenant first appeared. He was making his way over that way as they spoke. “Right here,” he said, showing her the spot. “His footprints probably aren’t still there, but if we can determine the angle of his escape, we may be able to–” Patience went on ahead.

“Let me take care of this,” she said. Their path took them directly in front of one of the stalls, a demon selling bile sacs. He was busy restocking his wares, so he didn’t see them approaching. “Hey there, old buddy!” He turned around, and was rather irritated to see who was calling to him.

“Ah, you again!” he grumbled. He quickly reached for something beneath his stall, pulling out a magic wand that sparked at the tip. “Don’t make me use this thing, lady! You’ve already taken plenty of my sacs!”

Patience didn’t seem bothered by this in the least. “Hey, easy, easy, no need for the hostility. Is that any way to treat a potential customer?”

The vendor waved the stunning wand, causing both Patience and Alvin to back off. “‘Customer!?’ You haven’t paid for a single thing in your life, I’d wager! And I don’t wager on a whole lotta things. Not ‘cause I’m not a betting man, mind you, it’s ‘cause I can’t afford it. ‘Cause some people don’t pay what they owe me!”

“Do you…know each other?” asked Alvin, looking between the two.

“Well, not by name, no,” said Patience, “but I am a frequent patron of this stall. I’ve sampled his wares from time to time.”

He guffawed. “Yeah, free samples! This bum ain’t paid for a single bile sac in all the times I seen her! And now you’re just gonna walk up here like we’re old friends? I say get lost before I call the guards!”

Patience shrugged when Alvin cast a look her way. “What? They go for a good amount on the black market.”

“They go for a good amount on the regular market!”

This man was their first and only lead. Things weren’t off to the best start, and Alvin tried to calm them down before tensions boiled over. “Sir? I would like to deeply apologize for my…associate’s previous conduct. Her actions in the past speak neither for myself, or for her current situation. Now, if it isn’t too much trouble, we’d like to ask a few questions.”

His eyes passed between the two. “This is about that revenant thingy, ain’t it? What, are you like a reporter now? Eh, better workin’ for the tabloids than bein’ a common thief. But I already told alls I know to the guards, so if you want something more, you’ll have to take it up with them.” He went back to restocking his wares, pointedly avoiding looking at either of them.

“Oh, no, we’re not reporters,” Patience said quickly. “Especially not tabloid ones. Me and my partner are, uh…scientists! Yeah, we’re doing research into all the weird stuff that’s been happening in town lately. You’re a man of science, aren’t you?”

Glaring up at her, the man wiped his hands on his greasy apron. “Do I look like a man of science?” he muttered. “’Sides, anything I saw I already told to the guards, so I ain’t got nothin’ to say to the likes of you. Now beat it!”

Although Patience looked ready to do just that, Alvin opted for a different approach. “I-if it’s not too much trouble, I don’t suppose you’d rather be compensated for all the bile sacs that have been stolen from you? From my associate, at least. It would be the least we could do as a token of goodwill.” Reasoning that Patience wasn’t very well-off, given her choice of income, Alvin took out his wallet and placed numerous snails on the table. The vendor looked at them all, flabbergasted. “Is this enough?”

“It’s, uh, more’n enough,” he said, still staring at the pile of money. He scooped it up into a cloth bag before returning his focus to Alvin. “You sure you wanna pay for all that for her? You don’t gotta do that.”

“It’s not problem, really,” said Alvin. “Consider it a business expense. Now, please: if there’s anything you can tell us about the revenant that might help us capture it, you would be helping prevent a lot of future injuries.”

The man nodded, thinking. “Yeah, yeah, I s’pose I should. But there really isn’t all that much to say, really. It came up here dressed like one o’ the Whispering Order, and started scarfing down my sacs. His friend showed up to pay for ‘em, but he attacked her for some reason, and the rest is history. But hey, she paid, so I ain’t gonna complain.”

“Hold on, he has a friend?” said Patience. “What sort of friend?”

He held up his hands. “I-I dunno, some lady in a mask. She was wearin’ this white robe, and a mask with some big nose comin’ out. She didn’t seem to know ‘im, but it looked like she knew what he was. And the weird thing about that was he didn’t scare her one bit, even when his disguise came off.”

A woman, disguised in a cloak and mask. Given the revenant’s propensity for disguise, the thought that there was a second, female revenant in addition to this one crossed both of their minds. Alvin’s doubly so, because he had encountered someone who matched this description just days before. “Eva…” he whispered.

Patience turned to him. “Hmm?”

Instantly, Alvin changed the subject. “Thank you so much for your help, sir. Your information brings us that much closer to apprehending this monster. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to bring it to the A&S Guild.” Giving him a respectful handshake, Alvin then returned to his files (after wiping off his hand) and wandered off. Patience followed after him.

“Hey, did you really just give that guy all those snails?” she asked. “Because of me? You didn’t need to, it’s not like he’s the only one I’ve stolen from…”

Alvin was still rifling through his files. “I did, if I wanted him to tell us what he saw.” Because of all the commotion around, Alvin ducked into a nearby alleyway to focus better, Patience following him. “Besides, now we know that the revenant has a potential ally. If we find her, we could find him.”

Patience wasn’t so sure. “And you think she’s gonna be any easier to find? Sure, she was dressed weird, but how do you know she hasn’t changed it up by now? I would’ve! And what else do we know, that she paid for his snacks? I guess that could mean she’s rich, but you paid for them no problem too.”

Alvin scratched his head as he examined the layout of the scene. “What I don’t understand is why he went for bile sacs. If he was hungry, there were vendors selling food all around, way more filling than those. Did you know most predators will actually leave the bile sac alone? It’s far too chewy, and the bile is too acidic for most animals.”

“Well, maybe he likes the way it tastes,” Patience said with a shrug. “Or maybe he needs it to do magic. Isn’t that what the books said, that revenants can do magic? Maybe he needs it like fuel.”

While Patience had mostly just been spitballing, something she said reminded Alvin of something. “Wait a moment, wait a moment…” He rapidly flipped through the files until he came to one on the woman who had been killed, Mary Pembrooke. It gave her physical information, most of which related to her autopsy, but there was something that stood out: a medical condition. “That’s what it was! That woman who died, she had BPDS!”

A brief silence from Patience. “...That sounds like something that should be private,” she said.

“No, no, it means ‘Bile Production Deficiency Syndrome,’” Alvin explained. “It’s not exactly uncommon, but you don’t see it in every witch. It means what it sounds like: as a witch gets older, their body becomes unable to produce its own bile, needing periodic transfers.”

“So…she would’ve had this bile in her house?” Alvin nodded. “So the revenant must have found out about it, and raided her place for the bile!”

“Exactly!” exclaimed Alvin excitedly. “The revenant cannot produce its own bile, so it must ingest it from outside sources!” He looked down at the file. “And sure enough, Mary’s bile sac was completely empty when it was found, and her bile storage was completely empty! Do you know what this means!?”

“We have a way to trap him!” Patience held up her hand for a high-five, and Alvin awkwardly obliged. “Never thought I’d say this, but…c’mon, let’s go see Vesh!”

“Yes, that probably is the best idea,” said Alvin. Although they had a plan, actually executing it required a bit more muscle than the two of them together possessed. The pair of them hurriedly returned to the Guild headquarters where their superior-slash-captor waited.

“Mister! Mister!” Domovoi hurried up to Belos, who had been watching the door for almost an hour. “He is gone! I saw him leave, just now! Hurry, now we must strike while he is away!”

“Impossible.” Belos hadn’t slept at all in this time; he’d barely even closed his eyes. “Did you not say this was the only exit? I would have seen him.”

But the demon urged him on anyway. “I do not know, but I saw him anyway! He passed us by, no doubt going to find more victims! Please, we must go now or not at all!” He, apparently unable to wait any longer, slid down the hill towards the rusty doors.

With survival instincts like that, Belos was beginning to understand how he was captured in the first place. But, if his captor was gone, it was as good an opportunity as any to make their move. He followed Domovoi down the hill.

Those rusted double doors were the only thing keeping them from Domovoi’s beloved, and whoever else this man had managed to snatch up in the dead of night. He was struggling to open them, unable to move the doors an inch. Not that this dissuaded him at all, at least until Belos arrived. “Yes, yes, now it is time!” he cried in anticipation. “My lovely Kiki, we will be reunited again at last!”

Wasting no time, Belos grasped the doors and pulled them open. The metal screeched loudly as they slowly slid apart, a noise both of them would no doubt have heard if the man had used this entrance. Domovoi hurried inside the moment he could fit, and Belos had to chase after him.

The moon was the only source of light for miles, and its rays shining through the doors was the only thing that illuminated the kidnapper’s lair. Little more than a warehouse, the murky room would have been spacious were it not crammed full of cages, most of which were empty. A select few housed an assortment of witches and demons of varying degrees of despondency: some only gave the pair a glance when they entered, while others stayed completely still.

“Hurry, hurry, we must find her!” said Domovoi, scampering into the maze of cages. “Follow, quickly!” Belos tried, but the small demon moved so quickly it was in vain. Instead, he examined all of the captives within the cages: unwashed, underfed, none of them making any effort to escape, or even to communicate with their potential rescuers. Although a bit of despair was to be expected from ones in their position, their sheer stillness, combined with everything else about this journey, made Belos a little uneasy.

Although Domovoi remained unseen, Belos soon caught sight of one who resembled him almost exactly. A demon of his likeness had been placed in a cage not much larger than herself, and hadn’t reacted at all to the voice of her beloved come to save her. “I found her!” With that, he made his way over to her. “I am here with Domovoi. We have come to set you free.”

Kikimora briefly looked up at him before letting out a sigh. “Another one…” she mumbled, her voice hoarse.

Confused, Belos nonetheless tore the cage door off its hinges. “You are free now. You can be with your beloved.” Still, she gave him no reaction. “You understand? Escape! Now! While you can!” he said, beginning to get frustrated.

“You still don’t understand, do you?” she said, a touch of pity in her voice. “That’s not my Domovoi. My beloved was devoured by the monster who tricked us, just as you soon will be. Just as we all soon will be.” A lack of response from her would-be rescuer made her decide to continue. “We were tricked in the same way. A stranger, begging for our help. But it was him the whole time, merely taking her form. We were captured, caged. Forced to watch as he brought in new captives each night. Forced to watch as he…” She trailed off. “It just goes to show you that kindness gets you nowhere on the Isles. Nowhere…but in here.”

With her story, everything suddenly began to make too much sense to Belos. Everyone’s refusal to help Domovoi. The demon’s same refusal to tell Belos about his ‘captor.’ His insistence that they went in at night, that he rested before they did. This whole time, Domovoi–the one pretending to be Domovoi–had been leading him into a trap.

With the same metallic screech as before, the lone source of light in the room disappeared as the door was closed. Belos whirled around to confront this treacherous soul, but in this darkness, he could see nothing. “Excellent work! You found my dear Kiki, just as I knew you would!” Domovoi’s voice echoed through the room, making it hard to tell where exactly he was. “I can’t tell you how long I was running through that damned down, begging someone to help me! But you…you were the only one stupid enough to listen!”

Belos’ eyes were now beginning to adjust, but it was still too dark to find his foe. “Where!?” he bellowed, leaping atop a nearby cage. He caught a flutter of movement to his left, but by the time he had leapt over to it, there was no trace of anyone.

“That said, you weren’t as easy to trick as some of them!” This was a different voice, a woman’s. “Most of the time, I’m able to ambush my prey before even reaching my humble abode! It isn’t often I have to invite them inside to get the drop on them!”

The relative silence of the darkened warehouse was broken by the noise of several cages opening. Their occupants slithered out, but Belos suspected they were no longer the same prisoners who were placed there. The sounds of this monster’s many forms resounded all around him, and he wasn’t sure which one to go after. There was no way to tell which one was the real him, if any of them even where.

“I’ve never seen anyone like you around here before.” It had gone back to using Domovoi’s guise. Belos followed the sound of his voice, and was stunned to find him hovering several yards above the floor, as though suspended by a rope, gently swaying in a nonexistent breeze. His limp form continued to speak: “I should keep you around, learn more about you, maybe sell you for a high price. I would, but…after that little hike of ours, I’m well and truly famished!”

Domovoi, or the being piloting him, raised his face. His eyes were dull and lifeless, gazing off to the sides, while his mouth only slid open and shut as he spoke, like that of a wooden dummy.

“I think I’ll just have a small bit of you for now, just a taste. A meal like you is too fine to eat all at once. I’ll consume you little by little, day by day, until there is nothing of you left!” Domovoi’s voice had been slowly replaced by another one, one that sounded like a death rattle. It may very well have been his.

Just as Belos lunged at this puppet, it was dragged off into the shadows by the same invisible force keeping it suspended. He hissed, swinging his claws at any movement that came too close. The prisoners who hadn’t already been eaten cowered further into their cages, familiar with this display but no less dreading it. Only Kikimora watched the battle intently, too afraid to leave her cage even though the door was all but gone.

The unseen monster taunted Belos with the voices of those it had assimilated. “You wear the clothes of a witch, but you’re nothing more than a common beast underneath! Would you be so willing to help those in need if they knew what you were beneath your veil?”

“What’s the matter? You seemed so certain you could defeat me on the way here! Were you expecting this fight to be on even ground? Or have you gravely overestimated yourself?”

“Some hero you turned out to be! Of all the people I spoke to, you were the only one willing to listen to my story. And look where it got you! You aren’t a hero. Just a simple brute whose desire for approval makes him all too easy to lure…”

“...Like a moth to the flame.”

These last words had been whispered right next to Belos’ ear. He swung his claw furiously, cutting through the puppet, but not enough to wound its master. A black liquid dripped to the floor upon making his cut. He looked down at his claw; he knew this monstrosity could be wounded. Feeling power well up inside him, his eyes ignited with an icy blue glow.

“I…am…BELOS!” A burst of magical energy exploded from his body. “I WILL BE GREAT!” He followed this declaration by letting loose a reverberating roar before dashing to one side of the building. He could move his puppets quickly, but Belos could leap just as fast. The only matter now was predicting where they would go.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll taste great!” Domovoi’s likeness raced towards him from behind. Belos whipped around and slashed at the marionette, but it moved out of the way before his claws could dig in. This had been exactly what he was expecting: a blue glow appeared in his palm, which exploded into a blast of magic fire. An inhuman screech filled the room as the puppet was scorched, rendering one side of it unrecognizable. “You! I’m gonna eat you alive! I’ll tear you to shreds with my teeth for that!”

His attack had made the monster lose its composure for only a moment. The half-burnt puppet retreated, pulled away by what seemed to be a fleshy tendil of some sort. Belos gave chase, but was attacked by two more of its ilk. They were much warier of him now, rushing in to attack and retreating before he could counterattack. This also meant that their attacks lacked any substance, and Belos was able to fend them off easily.

From the relative safety of her cage, Kikimora couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Weeks, months, maybe years–it was hard to remember just how long it had been since she and her beloved had been taken by that thing. But in all that time, she had never seen someone stand up to it the way this Belos was. And not only was he fighting it–he was winning.

Kikimora had been so thoroughly resigned to her fate that she had become completely numb to all sensation. Even the memory of her husband being eaten alive in front of her had made her feel nothing. But now, now that she was witnessing someone taking a stand to this brutal creature, a seething rage bubbled up inside of her. Hesitantly, she took one step out of her cage.

“COWARD!” roared Belos, sending jets of flame in every direction. “YOU ARE NOT FORMIDABLE! YOU ARE NOT MIGHTY! YOU ARE NOT GREAT! I WILL BE THE ONE WHO ENDS YOU! I WILL BE THE ONE WHO FEASTS UPON YOUR REMAINS!” The puppets were only circling him now, afraid to get close to his rage, but nevertheless taunting him at a distance. The brief flashes of light from the flames lit up the room for a few seconds at a time, but not enough for him to get a bearing on the creature or its location.

Just then, in the brief moments of total darkness following his attacks, a flicker of light caught the revenant’s eye. There was Kikimora, out of her cage and on the floor, an orb of light in her hands. “Come on, come on, get bigger!” She was pouring all of her effort into it, severely drained after spending so much time in captivity. While she worked her magic on the light, a familiar face appeared behind her.

“Kiki…Kiki…” She froze. Turning around, she was confronted by the warped face of her lover, suspended in the air above her. “What are you doing? I came all this way just to save you!” It began floating closer, causing her to step back. “Surely you weren’t thinking of actually helping this beast, were you? Not after all I’ve done for you!”
Nearly paralyzed, she managed to squeak out some words of protest. “You’re n-not him! He’s dead, you killed him! You’re just wearing his skin like the sick, sick monster you are!” Her focus dropped from the light, it began to fade, until the only thing visible to her was the puppet in Domovoi’s likeness.

The puppet raised itself up, preparing to attack. “Oh, my beloved…I’m as real as I ever was!” Opening a mouthful of fangs, the thing pretending to be Domovoi lunged at his former love. Kikimora closed her eyes fully expecting the end to come.

A roar split the air as a large shape rushed beside her. Kiki opened her eyes just in time to see the revenant’s burning claws cleave the puppet in half. Both pieces of it fell to the ground, as buckets of an inky black substance coated the floor. With a shriek, the tentacle that had been holding it retreated. “Finish it!” shouted Belos, preparing to hold off more of the puppets.

Kikimora concentrated every last drop of mar magic into the ball of light. At last, as the puppets closed in around them, she hurled the glowing orb into the air, where it illuminated the entire room. More shrieks filled the air as the puppets were blinded; and now that his surroundings were illuminated, Belos got his first glimpse at his adversary.

Its main body looked like a giant, fleshy tumor, tentacles extending from it like a grotesque perversion of an octopus. Its face was lined with numerous eyes that looked in every direction, and a tooth-filled mouth resembling those of its marionettes. Kikimora shied away from the creature, but Belos was undeterred by its appearance, rushing forward to finish it off.

The monster tried to use its puppets to intercept Belos, who ripped through them with ease. Another explosion of flame left his hands, searing the thing’s face. It let out another screech as its tendrils flailed everywhere in a desperate attempt to keep the revenant at a distance. This proved futile, as he leapt onto the creature, tearing into its flesh.

The now-wounded monstrosity managed to grab hold of Belos, injuring itself even more in its attempt to pry him off. But before it could act on its capture, Belos turned the tables, easily slicing through the tentacle. It tried to pull the limb away, but he dug in his claws, tearing it clean off. Adding insult to injury, he hurled the severed tendril into its owner.

The thing wasn’t bothering to taunt Belos any longer. It was barely even bothering to fight back, as all its puppets clattered to the ground. Giving one last gurgle of defiance, it tore open a storm drain in the middle of the room, slithering down into the pipes below. Thoroughly drenched in the oil-like ichor, Belos hurled a triumphant howl down into the drain after it. He then collapsed, breathing heavily.

The remaining captives, including Kikimora, were stunned for a moment. Whispers ran between them at the revenant’s victory over their captor, something they had been certain was impossible. Kiki herself cautiously approached Belos, her nervous eyes looking between him and the storm drain. “You…you killed Adeghast,” she said quietly.

Belos slowly stood back up. “No. Not killed. Just chased away.” He turned to her, the look of triumph in his glowing blue eyes indicating that he nevertheless considered this a victory. “He will not come back. Not while I am still a threat.”

The creak of a cage door drew everyone’s attention. The man inside had managed to pick the lock, and was letting himself out. “Hang on, you could have done that the whole time?” asked another.

“Yeah, but what would have been the point?” he replied. “Making a getaway while he was still here would’ve been suicide. But now that this guy chased him off…” He gestured to their savior.

But although he had saved them, Belos didn’t consider himself a savior. His mind was still on how easily he had been tricked by ‘Domovoi.’ Perhaps Kiki had a point, about there being no place for kindness on the Isles. Without a word, he lumbered over to the door, pushing it open as he left the warehouse behind.

Gradually, the prisoners began to overcome the fear that Adeghast had instilled in them. Those who could opened their doors, and those who couldn’t were aided by the others. With varying degrees of hope, the prisoners made their way outside, disappearing into the cool night. All except one.

As he wandered back to Bonesborough, Belos became privy to the sound of tiny footsteps behind him. He stopped, and so did they. He continued, and so did they. Finally turning around, he was met with Kikimora gazing up at him expectantly. “You’re following me.” She only blinked. “Why?”

“Well, where else am I supposed to go?” she asked. “Adeghast killed Domovoi, destroyed our home. There’s nowhere else for me. But you…you saved me. You saved us all, when we thought there was no chance of ever seeing the sun again.” She glanced upwards. “Er, moon. But the point is, I owe you my life! I don’t know who or what you are, but…thank you. Truly.”

“Welcome.” Belos turned to leave, annoyed at the footfalls continuing to follow him. “You cannot! I cannot help you. I…I need to stay alone.”

She came a bit closer. “Listen, I know what I said about there being no point to kindness, but if it hadn’t been for you, we’d all still be in there, just waiting to be eaten! We didn’t even have each other in there, it was only us, every witch for herself. I know what it’s like to be alone, and let me tell you, it sucks. I can tell you think so, too.”

Belos huffed. He didn’t respond, but Kikimora took his lack of an answer as a yes, happily bounding after him. “So, where are we going, boss?”

“Back home,” replied the revenant, “or close to a home. …And call me Belos.”

“There, that looks like the guy. Good mornin’, sir!”

“Good mor…nin’...?” The vendor turned around to be greeted by an assortment of oddly-dressed witches and their spear-wielding leader. It was a motley crew he certainly hadn’t expected to be visiting his stall, of all places. “Uh…need some bile?”

Their leader flashed a grin. As a matter of fact, we do. I’d like to make a purchase of every single bile sac you have, and then some. Pay the man, would ya?”

He nodded to his subordinate, who tipped over a barrel. The barrel hit the floor, dumping more coins than the vendor had ever seen near his feet. The vendor’s jaw hit the floor, as well.

Chapter 6: The Unusual Suspects

Chapter Text

Chapter Six: The Unusual Suspects

The A&S Guild’s Lower Chapter Headquarters had little need for offices or cubicles, seeing as the organization was mostly dedicated to fieldwork, but it was an office building before being given to Talus Archibald. As such, it retained a few of these features, such as a conference room, one of which was often used for giving presentations. Such as that which Alvin and Patience were about to give to Talus, Vesh and his crew.

Alvin nervously peered into the room. “I’m not so sure about this, Patience,” he said. “Do you really think they’ll go for it? I mean, it’s just so base and lackluster a plan…”

“That’s what makes it effective,” she assured him, with a light punch on the shoulder. “No fancy bells or whistles, just a simple, no-frills, easy to execute plan. The less steps there are, the less likely it is for somethin’ to go wrong, right?”

“Right,” he replied, but he sounded far from confident. “I guess it’s time to get this over with…” The two of them strolled into the room, those at the table turning to watch them approach the projector. He continued to be a small bit anxious at the amount of faces watching him, especially because many of them were potentially hostile, but with both a confident nod from Patience, and the sagely eyes of Talus, he began. “Um, hello. We’ve called you all here to discuss a potential lead we have on the revenant.”

Alvin waited as the congregation eyed him expectantly. Greta nudged him; “Well? Tell them!” she whispered. He fumbled with the projector for a moment, before a map of the revenant’s sightings appeared on the wall, along with a copy of Mary Pembrooke’s medical history.

Taking a deep breath, he began to run through the speech he had prepared earlier. “Now…the revenant has been an inscrutable beast for this entire time. What does it want? Why is it here? How can it be here? And while I haven’t gotten far enough to answer two of those questions, I can at least answer the first: it wants bile.” He pointed at Mary’s records. “Mary Pembrooke had BPDS, and as such, kept a good deal of bile in her house for transfusion. Perhaps coincidentally, or perhaps not, she is the only confirmed civilian casualty of the revenant.” He nodded to Patience to begin her segment.

“Furthermore, one of the first sightings of this thing on the Isles was here, at a stall that happened to be selling bile sacs.” She tapped the map at this location. “When we spoke to the owner, he said it was eating them.”

“Not for sustenance, but to power its own magical abilities,” added Alvin. “If you recall, the revenant has been sighted casting spells on several occasions. Pursuit and direct confrontation have so far proven fruitless for this reason, but now we know what it’s after. Now we have a way to trap it.”

Some of Vesh’s crew murmured to each other. “So, we lay a trap for it, using bile as bait?” asked their leader. “Sure, seems like that could work. But if it really can use magic in addition to its natural agility, what kind of trap could hold it?”

“You can leave that part to me,” said Talus. “Give me a day or two, and I’ll build something he’ll never be able to walk away from!”

“Of course, we’ll need bile, and lots of it,” said Patience. “The vendor we talked to, he has a lot more, but we were pretty light on cash, so…”

Vesh got up from his seat, followed by the rest of his crew. “No need to worry, we’ll take care of that!” he said. He pointed to one of them; “You, go and fill a barrel with cash. Everyone else, meet up at the front gates. We’ve got some shopping to do…and then the hunt’s on!” The rest of the Wild Hunt responded with a triumphant shout. “Hope you don’t mind us steppin’ out on you, Archie.”

“Never you mind, I trust you,” said Talus. “As a matter of fact, I may be busy for the next day or two, so take all the time you need!”

He nodded. “I’ll take this as an opportunity to rest up and recharge!” Him and his crew made for the exit, but he stopped before Patience and Alvin. “Hey, keep on keepin’ and eye on her, would you?”

“...Oh. Um, sure,” said Alvin, unsure of what else to say.

Grinning, Vesh gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “I told ya we’d make a good team, huh? See you back here once we’re ready!” He headed out as well, leaving them alone with Talus.

The Guildmaster donned a pair of leather gloves. “I suppose it’s back to the workshop for me. I’ll need to go into overdrive to make something that can hold a revenant!” He began walking away, but turned back. “I don’t suppose you have any idea what might be most effective, would you, Alvin old boy?”

He shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. The books I’ve read are very clear on what a revenant is, but any details beyond that are incredibly vague. Their abilities, the nature of their creation–most of it has been lost to time. I’ll trust your intuition on this one, sir; it hasn’t steered us wrong before.”

“Yes, except for signing off on an expedition to an uncharted island, perhaps,” he said under his breath. Alvin felt that same touch of guilt that had been gnawing at him for the past few days, but quickly pushed it back down. “Is there anything you’ll be busy with?”

Alvin knew this preceded Talus asking him for help–but he had other things to do. “Actually, I should probably get the, er, dissection lab ready. You know, for when we capture the creature.” Patience narrowed her eyes–he wasn’t exactly the best liar.

Still, it was good enough for Talus. “Right, then. You never know how quickly their bodies might decay. Better to be ready. Be seeing you, then!” With the pull of a lever, he was off, leaving the two alone.

“Are you sure it was the best idea to leave them in the dark about this Eva character?” asked Patience. “Seems to me like she’s connected with it somehow.”

“All the more reason to keep it from them,” Alvin replied. “When I first met Eva, she insisted that revenants were nothing more than legends. But when our friend at the bile stand gave his account, not only did he see her directly interacting with the beast, but she wasn’t frightened of it in the slightest, even when it attacked her. She even paid for the sacs it took!”

The two of them began to head for the elevator. “Okaaay…but why keep it a secret? I thought you trusted your boss?”

“It’s not him I don’t trust.” Alvin always seemed uneasy around Vesh. Not that Patience didn’t blame him, but he really had no reason to be, as they were on the same side. Well, technically, she was too, just not by choice. “I just…I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to this than we know.”

“Uh, duh.”

“Come on.” Alvin led the way once they reached the ground floor. “Eva told me that I should come find her if I found anything out. And now…is there any reason why we shouldn’t?”

Patience shrugged. “Does the fact that you seem to think she’s somehow working with the revenant count?”

“Well. That’s all the more reason to find her.”

The walk back to Bonesborough had been uneventful. Seeing as how Domovoi had not exactly been Domovoi, Belos was frequently uneasy to have Kikimora at his heels, especially since she looked a lot like her late husband. Still, it was clear she wasn’t an imposter this time, so he gradually came to accept her presence.

Dawn was just beginning to break by the time they entered the city. Belos had donned his disguise again, though Kikimora thankfully didn’t need one of her own. The few people awake at this hour didn’t give them a second glance.

“My home.” Belos gestured at the roots of the tree he was currently living under. He waited for her to crawl through the hole before he followed. After both the fight and the walk, he was glad to be able to rest, slipping off his disguise.

Kikimora seemed right at home, despite the lack of furniture. Or floors, walls, and a ceiling. “Cozy,” she said quietly, sitting down next to some of Mary’s parting gifts. She picked up one of her journals, flipping through the pages. “Are these yours?”

Growling, Belos forced the book out of her hands, placing it back with the others. “Are now.” He slinked over to where he kept the extra bile pouches, beginning to tuck into one. For a good few minutes, the two of them simply sat there, neither making a sound. The sun was fully risen now, and the townsfolk were beginning to stir.

“So…what’s with the disguise?” asked Kikimora. “Is there someone after you?”

He looked at her for a moment, unsure of whether she knew what he was. “Yes,” he answered bluntly, going back to his bile.

A bit more silence. “What should we do today?” she asked.

Belos looked at her again, quizzically. Did she expect the two of them to be some sort of a unit, exploring the Isles together? Or was she simply bored, and wanted something to do? Either way, he couldn’t blame her, seeing as he had allowed her to follow him home. “Don’t know,” he said. “Walk around town, maybe. Look for clues.”

She perked up a tiny bit. “Ooh, clues! Are we solving a mystery? Oh, does it have something to do with why you’re in hiding? A crime you were framed for, perhaps?” She walked over to him, excitement in her eyes.

“No,” he replied. “I need to know…what I am.” He cast a quick glance over at the notebooks. “What is…a revenant?”

It was Kikimora’s turn to look at him quizzically, tilting her head to the side. “You’re a revenant, eh? I’ve definitely heard of them before…but only in stories. Plus, they’re supposed to be a lot bigger, and meaner, and uglier than you!” He fought a desire to snarl. “I know! Why don’t we go down to the library, and see if they have any books about revenants?”

He did snarl this time, though not at her. Memories of Vesh and the Wild Hunt silhouetted by fire flashed through his mind. Mary had been a librarian, so if there were any books on the subject, she would have known. “No,” he said.

Kikimora wracked her brains to come up with another idea. “Well, could we ask around? There has to be someone out there who knows a thing or two about you!”

“There are,” he said angrily. “Hunting me.”

“Oh. Yes, well, then I guess we can’t just go around parading you, then.” She thought some more. “Come on, there has to be something we can do! It’s not like you can just sit around here all day!”

Belos agreed, even though that had been his plan. There was really nothing he could do aside from get by day-to-day. He didn’t have any leads, and venturing out of Bonesborough without purpose could lead to more trouble. And now aside from Kikimora, it wasn’t like he had any allies–or did he? “Bird woman,” he said quietly.

“Beg pardon?”

He approached his disguise. “I met a woman. White cloak. Bird mask.” The sight of that beak-like protrusion made him bite back a pang of anger. “I didn’t know her, but she knew me. She wasn’t afraid. She helped me.” He began to don said disguise in preparation to leave. “We need her help.”

With him getting ready to leave, Kikimora stood by the door waiting for him.
“And you know where to find her, right?” Belos stayed silent in response, but this didn’t seem to affect her confidence. “So, do you have a general idea of where to find her?”

“Bazaar,” he replied. Although Belos was hesitant to return to the place where his troubles on the Boiling Isles had started, this was the only lead he had. “Come. We go now.”

After checking to make sure nobody was around to see him crawling out of his hole, Belos emerged, closely followed by his new follower. “Lead the way, sir,” Kikimora said, closely following at his heels. “I’ll do my best not to draw attention to us. If you need me to do anything, just say the word!”

Belos grumbled. He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about her calling him ‘sir.’ It felt unfamiliar, yet there was something strangely natural about it. He put it out of his mind before he decided it suited him, as he imagined he wouldn’t be hearing it often. Soon enough, the lively sounds of the bazaar filled the air. Belos, however, walked past the noise, heading inside a nearby building.

“Um…Belos?” asked Kikimora, once she saw the building was empty. “What exactly are we doing in here?” She followed him upstairs, the office or whatever it was all but completely deserted. “Might this be where you last found this mystery woman?”

“Quiet.” Belos’ path took him up to the rooftop, giving him a bird’s-eye view of the bazaar down below. It took Kikimora a few tries to climb up onto the handguard, finally pulling her way up. Beneath them, folks of all sorts passed by the stalls on the street, unaware they were being watched. “Keep an eye out.” He was already doing so.

“I understand!” said Kikimora, leaning over the edge as she searched for the illusive ‘bird woman.’ Truth be told, she wasn’t entirely sure what to look for. Based on Belos’ description, she kept an eye out for anything white, and looked from there if it was someone wearing a beaked mask. She had no such luck, and it was only a few minutes before she got bored. But, since her new ‘master’ was watching the shoppers like a hawk, she continued as well rather than suggest a new plan.

It was a while before anything happened. Kikimora was beginning to fall asleep when a noise jolted her awake. She turned to her left to see Belos growling like a dog with its hackles raised. His gaze was fixed on one single spot, which, when she followed his gaze, appeared to be on a group of demons. One in particular led them, notable for his imposing spear and single horn.

Given how zeroed in on the demon he was, Kikimora was worried that Belos was preparing to hurl himself off the rooftop and attack the stranger. But as enraged as he was, he at least seemed to be in control of himself. “Uh, Belos?” she said, getting his attention by waving her hand in front of his face. He snapped out of his trance, looking down at her. “What’s going on with you? Who exactly is that?”

“Vesh,” he snarled, more hatred in that one syllable than Kikimora had heard before, even among her fellow captives of Adeghast. “Murderer…murderer!” He looked down, realizing he had created several large gashes in the concrete with his claws. He calmed down a little, but still glared at the demon in question. “Bad man.”

“I gathered.” Kikimora stared down at them as well; they seemed to be purchasing a great deal of something from one of the stands, enough that they needed a barrel full of money to do so. “That wouldn’t happen to have something to do with the reason he’s bad, would it?” she asked.

Belos looked closer at the stall, and saw what was being loaded into their barrel: bile sacs. Instantly, he recognized both the stall and the salesman. This was where he had been found out, all those weeks ago. Where he had met the bird woman, and all his troubles had begun. And there was only one reason, at least that he could think of, that Vesh would need so much bile. “They’re planning something,” he said. “Planning to lure me. To trap me.”

Kikimora looked up at him. “He’s the one hunting you, isn’t he?” His silence confirmed this. Vesh flashed a happy grin at the vendor, giving a friendly wave as he had his cronies haul away the merchandise. Even from here, she could tell there was only a thin layer of joviality hiding his wickedness. “Well, we have to do something, then!”

It was true that Belos wanted more than anything to avenge Mary. But at the same time, he realized it wasn’t worth the risk. “No. We keep hiding, he won’t find us. Let him try his trap, it will catch nothing.” He began walking back towards the stairs.

“And what about all that bile?” she asked him. “I’ve seen you eating it back at base, don’t you need it to live? And that’s quite a lot they have now, are you sure you wouldn’t want to get it somehow?”

“Too risky.” He gestured for Kikimora to follow, which she did. “Besides, I have enough for now.”

“But what about later?” she asked. “You’re going to run out eventually. If we can find a way to get to that stash without him seeing you, maybe we can–” It was then that a sudden idea hit Kikimora. “Oh! That’s it! They’re looking for a revenant, but they’re not looking for a me! I can go and get some of their bile, and they won’t even bat an eye!”

He shook his head. “I said too risky. Vesh is cruel. He will kill you if he catches you, even though you aren’t me.”

“And who’s to say he’ll catch me?” Kikimora said confidently. “You might not think it, but I’m sneakier than I look! Besides, now that we know he’s setting a trap, I’ll be able to see it from a mile away! C’mon, what have we got to lose?”

The obvious answer was ‘our lives,’ but Kikimora would probably brush that off as well. And it was true that he couldn’t last on Mary’s stash forever. It would do him good to be proactive, but he’d need some time to consider the risks. “Let me think about it,” he said.

The two of them stepped back outside. “Great! I promise I won’t let you down, sir!” Kikimora said, as the two of them disappeared into the crowd.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, they had just missed another pair, one who was also concerned with the doings of Vesh and the Wild Hunt. Alvin and Patience strolled into the Bazaar, neither giving the other two another glance. “This might go easier if we split up,” Alvin said. “You check that way, I’ll check this way, and we’ll meet back up here in about twenty.”

“How exactly will I know what to look for?” asked Patience. “You’re the one who met this lady, not me!”

“You can’t miss her,” Alvin replied. “She’s about yea tall, wears a white cloak and a gas mask, and–actually, this might go easier if I drew a picture.” He produced a pencil from his pocket. “Do you have a sheet of paper on you?”

“Hang on, I’ll grab a flier.” Patience headed over to a wall covered in posters, notices, and fliers to take one, though there was one that caught her eye. “Hmm? …Hey Al, come take a look at this!”

He came over. “Huh? What is it?” She took down the sheet and handed it to him. It was a two-in-one ‘wanted’ and ‘missing’ poster, detailing both an at-large kidnapping suspect and some of his victims who had yet to be accounted for. “Who’s Adeghast?” There were pictures of all those in question, with the suspect being a grotesque tentacled beast. One of his victims was an odd goblinesque woman with a hand for hair–she looked oddly familiar.

“Beats me, but look at this!” Patience pointed to the blurb beneath the pictures. “‘Missing persons were returned earlier this day, claiming to have been rescued by a walking corpse that could perform magic.’ Now, who does that sound like to you?”

Alvin had to admit, there were few individuals he knew of who could match that description. But although it was a short list, there was no guarantee it was who they were both thinking. “Okay, this is definitely worth looking into, just not right now,” he said. “Let’s finish up our first plan before we go chasing other leads.” He turned the paper over, and began drawing a sketch of Eva on the back. “Here. She looked something like this.”

Patience took the paper, looking over the drawing. “And how do we know she’s still dressed like this?” she asked. “I mean, if it was me, I’d probably wear something different if I wanted to be disguised.”

“We’ll just have to trust that she wants to be found,” Alvin replied. “The mask is apparently due to a breathing problem of some sort, so she likely won’t have taken that off. Now remember: twenty minutes. We don’t want to keep Mr. Archibald waiting.”

“Or Vesh,” Patience added under her breath. The two of them split up to look for any trace of this mystery woman, though neither of them were very confident of their chances. This was simply the first step in what Alvin hoped was a larger effort on their part.

Just as Belos and Kikimora had been watching Vesh from a nearby rooftop, another figure was watching Patience and Alvin. She peered through a window from the floor just below where the revenant had been standing, giving her the perfect view of everything that the others had seen and done. She had both seen and heard everything.

“Not just yet, Alvin,” said Eva. “Not just yet.” She descended the staircase and, once she was back on the main street, disappeared into the crowd.

If this thing was going to catch that revenant, it needed to be equal parts strong and complex. Eyewitness reports said that the monster could fight off numerous guards at once, and that it was perfectly powerful even without magical ability. But considering how it had worked its way to the mainland, and remained undetected for so long, chances are it was much smarter than they had previously thought. Something simple yet sturdy, and it could think its way out of, yet a more fragile yet sophisticated trap would likely be destroyed.

His face covered with a welding mask, Talus worked to construct a trap that would fulfill these specifications. He had decided to go with the classic force field projector, but with multiple generators for better coverage. Making the field itself resilient to both physical and magical attacks would take quite a bit of resources, but it would hopefully be worth it.

His metal legs carried him around the work table, supervising as the tools floated by his magic around the project. Only half a day into the building process, and he was making better progress than he thought. Talus hummed to himself as the tools buzzed and hissed and whirred against the metal, the noise preventing him from hearing one of his workers trying to get his attention.

“Um, sir, you’ve–” said an anxious-looking witch, hesitant to raise his voice. “You’ve an urgent message! Sir!” He waved a bit to try and get Talus’ attention. Eventually, he succeeded, and the Guildmaster set down his tools and removed his mask.

Talus directed his legs over towards the man. “So sorry about that, lad. Now, what was it you wanted?”

The man in question averted his eyes. “I… You just got a message. From…” He held up a small metal trinket. It was adorned with a crest, several circles arranged around one another. Half white, half red.

The moment he saw the crest, Talus’ face became far more grave. “Now?” he asked uncertainly. “Is it truly time already? S-surely this can wait until I’ve captured the beast!”

“He…insisted this was urgent,” said the man.

“Urgent-urgent, or Baltheus-urgent?” asked Talus. The man looked away again, shrugging with an uncomfortable expression. “Ah, very well then. Leave it here, I’ll see what he wants.”

The worker placed the device on the floor, and was more than happy to leave. With the clinking of gears, the symbol on the machine unwound, the two sides of the face opening up to reveal a glowing crystal within, the same colors as the crest. Talus stepped back as the glowing crystal projected a screen displaying an image he always dreaded to see.

“Talus! Long time no see, old friend!” The man on the other end of the screen lounged on his enormous bed, wearing only a bathrobe. His features were very defined and angular, especially his prominent teeth. His hair was long and unkempt, almost down to his shoulders, and it, like his robe, was red on one side, white on the other. “You’ve been keeping busy these past few months, I imagine?” He took a sip from the glass of apple blood in his hand.

Talus nodded respectfully. “Lord Baltheus, hello. I was wondering when you would be calling,” he said. While not exactly afraid of the lord, he did seem rather perturbed by his presence. “Yes, things have been rather hectic around here as of late, particularly these last few weeks. And how about yourself, you’ve been well, I trust?”

“Oh, better than well, better than well!” said Baltheus. He downed the rest of his apple blood in one gulp, handing the empty glass to an unseen servant, who gave him another one. “Mmhmm. Yes, all good on my end. Though I think we both know the reason why I called.” There was no trace of anger in his voice, yet Talus flinched regardless.

This was it–exactly what he had been dreading. “My Lord, recent Guild membership has been up seventeen percent since the last trimester! With this revenant running amok, the people of Bonesborough want to be a part of something that makes them feel secure!”

Baltheus chuckled. “Precisely my point, my dear Talus! Who would have thought a monster on the streets was all that was needed to boost membership? Whatever this thing is down there, it’s proving very good for business!”

“So, then…you plan to continue funding us?” Talus asked.

More light laughter. “This Adventurer’s and Scientist’s Guild practically keeps my whole operation running! That said…” He swirled the drink in his glass, contemplating it as he waited for Talus to catch the change in his tone. “...much of our recent success in profits are due to this little ‘revenant’ of yours. And now, I hear talk you’re planning on catching it. Tell me, what would happen to membership if the people of Bonesborough suddenly thought there was nothing to fear?”

“My Lord, the A&S Guild is not some paramilitary group, as much as you seem to see it as one,” Talus replied. “People will continue joining so long as there remains a love for discovery in their hearts. If anything, capturing the revenant will inspire more people to join, seeing as we would have an undiscovered species in captivity.” He momentarily forgot his discontent, growing excited simply talking about the prospect.

“And yet, we both know that a love of discovery doesn’t pay the bills,” Baltheus said. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful ploy. Let the people believe you truly do plan on solving this issue. I lent you some of my best trackers for this purpose, after all. Proceed with this plan if you must, but remember: it would be in both of our best interests if this…thing remains at large.”

Once more, Talus had to suppress his outrage, as an outburst would likely cost him his job. “But, My Lord, this creature is dangerous! As I have warned my employees, it is far more powerful and cunning than any wild animal! It already has three confirmed casualties, perhaps more, and I cannot allow–”

“Just three!?” cackled Baltheus, apple blood flying everywhere. “Three, as opposed to the hundreds killed each year by slitherbeasts, or snagglebacks, or what-have-yous? Let’s face it, this thing is likely a ghoul or some other such misidentified beastie. And how many of those deaths were their own faults?”

Talus fumed at the notion he would misidentify a ghoul, but held his tongue. “Even so, it poses a threat to the people of Bonesborough, and I cannot in good conscience allow it to run free like this!”

“Oh? Well, in that case, the Guild may not continue to be the profitable endeavor I thought it was,” Baltheus lamented. “I may have to consider taking my funding elsewhere…”

Uncomfortably, Talus was forced to acquiesce. “V-very well, My Lord. We will proceed as normal.”

Baltheus sneered. “That’s the spirit, old chum! Remember, helping our pocketbook is helping Bonesborough!” He set down his glass, giving an attempt at a sympathetic grin. “If it helps, you’re free to catch this beast to your heart’s content. Just make sure it ‘escapes’ afterwards.”

“Yes, My Lord.” Talus stared at the floor, unable to make eye contact.

“I’ll check up on you soon. Take care!” The screen vanished, and the projection device folded up once again. The room was left in silence.

Talus walked over to pick up the device, letting out a sigh. “‘Take care,’” he repeated under his breath. “Of what? Your treasury? Certainly not the people of this town! Or any other town under your rule, for that matter.” He placed the trinket on the table, and got back to work. “Perhaps I’m being too harsh. We all need money to survive, after all.” He considered his options as his welding torch hissed.

Not much later, his progress was interrupted once again. He heard them before he saw them, even with the roaring of his tools, as they joked and laughed raucously on their way into his workshop. He set down his tools as Vesh led his crew inside.

“Success!” he declared, having them bring in not just one, but a good five or six barrels filled to the brim with bile sacs of unknown origin. “If that thing really does eat bile, he won’t be able to resist this smorgasbord! And, uh, just checking, this was a business expense, right? ‘Cause I put it on the company tab…”

“Of course, it’s all for this mission,” Talus said. Feeling it rude to work now that he had company–again–he stepped back to admire his handiwork. “A few more hours, give or take, and we should be ready to begin the operation!” An optimistic projection, but he had made good time so far.

Vesh rounded the table, taking in the trap-in-progress. “Very impressive, boss man! I’ve never been too knowledgeable on the technical side of things, but as a hunter, I know a trap when I see one! Oh?” He noticed the device sitting on the table beside it, recognizing it instantly. “Ah, I see the other boss man called! Anything urgent he had to share?”

“...Nothing crucial,” said Talus. “Just to keep up the good work.” He quickly pocketed the device before Vesh could inquire further. “Now then, I trust your men are ready for deployment?”

“Definitely!” Vesh said, looking over his troops. “Once you’re finished here, we’ll be at your beck and call to finish this thing off for good!” There was a momentary waver in his tone, as though this fight was more personal to him than he was letting on.

Talus lowered his mask. “Very good. Stay ready: as soon as I’m finished here, we move out to bring that thing in for good!”

Although it was nearly impossible to triangulate exactly where the revenant had chosen as its lair, and even that was assuming it stayed in one place, the rash of sightings did provide a general outline to its territory. Thanks to Alvin’s efforts, a spot was chosen, one close enough to the revenant’s possible territory for the bait to be easily detected, yet far enough away that it wouldn’t pick up on the trap before they were finished setting it up. An empty lot near a warehouse was the perfect spot.

The members of the Wild Hunt had placed the contents of the bile sacs into a handful of oil drums, stacking them against a far wall. The man generator was placed directly underneath one of them, while three secondary ones were attached to nearby walls. A little bit of the bile had been carefully spread on the ground to better attract their target, with extra effort made to make it appear like it had been spilled accidentally. At least, that was what they told Vesh.

And speaking of Vesh, he was instructing his fellow hunters to be on the lookout. “And remember, if you do spot this thing, keep visual, but let it go to the trap on its own! Don’t cause a big scene, and especially don’t go after it yourself! That’s a mistake Grimsby won’t make again. Alright, now get to your positions!” The hunters spread out, taking their places on rooftops and down alleyways, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of the revenant.

A small makeshift base of operations had been set up inside the warehouse, where the other three prepared for the creature’s arrival. “Hey, uh, Talus?” asked Patience, absently fanning herself with Alvin’s sketch of Eva. “How do we know this thing’s gonna come here tonight?”

“We don’t,” Talus replied. “I’m relying on the evidence, which tells us that the revenant has a way of seeking out magical bile. Plus, it seems to only travel at night, though this may simply be due to there being too many witnesses during the day rather than it being a nocturnal animal. If it does not show itself tonight, we’ll simply come back tomorrow, and the day after, until either it shows, or our plan is rendered extraneous by outside circ*mstances.”

“He means if it ends up being too smart for this,” Alvin translated.

“Ah,” said Patience, nodding.

With the lookouts in place, Vesh joined the three of them. “It didn’t seem all that smart when I ran into it, I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” he said, leaning near the window. The barrels outside were illuminated by flickery streetlights, which hopefully didn’t shine through the windows. “If anything, I’d be worried about one of my guys screwing this up!”

Patience turned to him. “What, you don’t trust your own people?” she asked. “Weren’t you saying the other day that they were like family to you or something?”

This earned a snicker from him. “That’s why I don’t have any confidence in ‘em!” he said.

Talus had gone over to do a few last-minute checks to the transportation system. If they did succeed in capturing the revenant, they needed a safe way to transport it back to the Guild Headquarters, so he had thrown together what was basically a cage on wheels. He would describe it as a bit more sophisticated than that, but it was identical in its function. Now that he was busy, Alvin took this moment to approach him. “Er…Sir? You haven’t happened to have heard about that recent missing persons case, have you?”

“Why…no, I haven’t,” he said, turning around. “Why do you ask? Might it have something to do with the revenant, perhaps?”

Alvin wavered with his hand. “Well, yes and no. Patience and I only just heard about it while we were out today. Apparently, several missing persons have recently returned to Bonesborough. They all claim to have been kidnapped by the same individual, but here’s the strange part: they also claim that they were rescued by a creature bearing a great resemblance to our revenant.”

Talus gave this some thought. “Hmm. Do you have any other information?” Alvin shook his head. “I… This is difficult to make anything of,” he admitted. “You say they were ‘rescued,’ but that could mean any number of things. Perhaps it was merely incidental.”

“I thought so as well, but something about it feels off to me,” replied Alvin. “We keep thinking of the revenant as a mindless beast, but what if it isn’t? We already know it’s intelligent enough to avoid being spotted, so who’s to say there isn’t a deeper agenda there?”

“It certainly is possible,” Talus said. “Though I seem to recall your research claiming the revenant could be under someone’s control, akin to an abomination. Would it be possible that its master had a grudge against this shady character, or was seeking to be a vigilante by proxy by rescuing his victims?”

There was still so much more to this that Alvin hadn’t considered. There were so many more theories that he wasn’t sure where to start. “Perhaps said character’s wanted poster would shed some light,” he suggested. “Patience, could we see that for a moment?”

She looked over at them. “Oh, this? Yeah, hand on, I’ll–” But just as Patience got to her feet, the warehouse and adjacent lot were suddenly plunged into darkness. “Wuzzat?”

“Blackout,” Talus mumbled, trying to manually restart his systems. “Just perfect, of all the nights!”

Moments later, some light was restored as each of the four cast a light spell. Vesh held his up to the window, but was unable to see anything outside. “Dammit, it’s pitch black out there!” he complained. “If that thing shows up now…wait, your trap didn’t need power to work, right?”

“No, it has its own internal power source,” said Talus. “...Power source… Alvin, weren’t you saying something earlier about a generator?”

“Um, these old warehouses tend to have them,” he said. “The power outage may be localized, which means we should be able to restart it manually.” He glanced towards the door, a wave of dread suddenly creeping up on him. “Though that would require us to go outside…”

“Then we’ll go outside!” said Vesh, leading the way with his spear. “One of you tech folk, come with, I have no idea how to restart a generator.” All three of the others followed, partly due to his request, and partly due to not wanting to be left alone in the darkened building. Talus lit the way with an orb of light, Alvin’s eyes darted around as he resisted the temptation to explain why this was a bad idea, and Patience took up their rear, a spell circle ready to be fired.

Every sound, from the creak of the metal door to the chirping of crickets, had them on edge. But perhaps even worse was when there was no noise at all. Each of them stared into the darkness, worried that the revenant could come diving out of it at any moment–even Talus, though he kept a cool head about it. Patience was even beginning to miss the usual hustle and bustle of the industrial district, as it would at least be a respite from the deafening silence.

Soon enough, they reached where the generator was. All four shone their lights on it, and their fears were confirmed: it had indeed been tampered with. Three long slash marks had been carved through the metal, and while they were anything but clean, they were deep.

“Okay, okay, that’s alright,” said Patience. “This doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it’s just some punk with a knife, y’know?”

“A punk with a knife who cut three separate times?” said Alvin.

“Well, ya gotta be thorough!” she retorted.

“Both of you, shut it!” hissed Vesh, stepping closer to investigate. He felt over the gashes torn through the box. “You’re not telling me that thing cut the power, are you? No way is it that smart. No, there has to be something else going on here.”

Hesitantly, Talus agreed. “If it is attracted to magical bile, it stands to reason that it would also be attracted to the magic powering the generator.” He stepped in front of Vesh, kneeling down to try and jumpstart the power. “As for where it’s gone now, the sudden blackout may have scared it off.”

That was something Alvin could relate with. “Might it have been…tipped off somehow?” he suggested. “If it’s possible the revenant is operating under the orders of a master, they may have had the sense to avoid a trap such as–”

The relative silence of the night was broken by a quick clank of gears, followed by a piercing hum typically related to spellcasting. All four of them, plus many more, sprang to attention, as this was the sound of Talus’ trap being sprung. “Go, secure it!” he said, as he doubled his efforts on returning light to the area. Vesh once again led the way with his spear, as Alvin and Patience nervously followed behind.

Green beams of light emitted from each generator, giving rise to a sphere of the same color hovering above the barrels. The rest of the Wild Hunt had begun to congregate once the trap had been sprung, waiting for their leader to give the okay before approaching. As it was too dark to see what they had caught, Vesh cautiously leveled his weapon at the bubble. “Everyone, stay alert,” he said. “It’s secure now, but who knows what else it has up its sleeves…” Many more weapons were drawn in preparation for a possible escape.

Something about all this felt off to Alvin. “Why isn’t it making any noise?” he asked, to which Patience responded with a shrug. “Trapped animals are never this quiet. Did we even catch anything in there?”

Soon enough, Talus had worked his magic, and the generator roared to life, and the lights flickered back into being. Everyone readied themselves to be greeted with the revenant’s fearsome visage…but what they got was slightly different. “...Um…” was all Patience could say at their actual catch: a small goblinish woman, with hair that looked like a hand. Or an actual hand in place of hair. She floated next to a barrel of bile, giving her captors confused glances rather than frightened ones.

“Oh…hello,” she said awkwardly. “I didn’t know there were so many security measures in place here. Is this bile really that valuable?” She poked the barrel floating next to her.

Talus finally arrived, just as confused as everyone else. “And what exactly is going on here?” he said, bewildered. “Miss, what exactly are you doing in our revenant trap? For that matter, why are you all the way out here at this time of night? And why were you attempting to make off with our bile?”

She briefly looked aside as she thought of an answer. “Apologies, I didn’t think anyone would miss it. I understand magical bile is quite valuable to some, and I thought I could–my husband and I are very poor, you see. We have five children to support, and it’s so very hard to keep us all fed. I’ve had to scrounge for anything to sell, and this much bile could…” Her voice began to get emotional. “So sorry, it’s just been so hard these last few days, and…and…” Patience was unimpressed, not buying into her sob story, though Talus had a bit more sympathy.

“Vesh, let her out of there, would you?” Vesh did so, though he was clearly miffed at having missed this chance to catch their real prize. The woman caught the barrel, staggering under its weight for a moment before setting it down. “Apologies for all of this. Please, if there is anything I can do to help your family…”

“Oh, no need, no need!” she insisted, casting a spell with her head-hand. The barrel of bile levitated next to her. “A single barrel will be worth enough to feed us for weeks! Might I keep it?”

Talus nodded, much to Vesh’s annoyance. “Of course, but I must warn you, it may attract something much worse than ne’er-do-wells. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors by now, about a monster roving our town?”

She was unconcerned. “Oh, pshaw! I’ve been dealing in bile for weeks now, and haven’t seen one fleeting glimpse of any so-called revenant! I was concerned at first, yes, but now I believe it’s only a myth! Bye for now! Good luck with…whatever you’re doing here!” With that, she walked off down the street, her prize hovering behind her.

“So, you’re just gonna let her walk outta here with our hard-earned bait?” muttered Vesh. “What else are we supposed to do, huh? Put a little squeaky toy in there and hope for the best?”

Talus was in the process of resetting the trap. “Now, now, we still have plenty of bile left,” he assured him. “A little charity never hurt anyone.”

Vesh scoffed. “Yeah, until she gets ambushed by a bile-hungry freak!”

Patience shook her head as the two continued arguing, fanning herself with the drawing. “No way is she stealing that for her family. I’ve seen more than a few cons in my time, but that was one of the more obvious–” She trailed off as she caught a glimpse of something on the sheet. She turned it over, her eyes widening as something clicked in her mind. “Uh…hey, Al? I don’t suppose you could show me where the lady’s room in this place is, huh?”

“It should be inside, next to the men’s room,” said Alvin, confused.

Patience led him away by the shoulder. “Ah, I’m terrible with directions! It’ll just be real quick, point it out for me!” She held the poster in front of him, pointing to something near the bottom.

Alvin looked at what she was showing him. “I still don’t see what you’re–eh?” There it was. One of the missing persons from earlier. It was her, the woman they just caught. “Kiki–this is her!” Patience glanced over her shoulder at the others, particularly Vesh, before gesturing at Alvin to keep his voice down. “But…if she’s back in Bonesborough, why is she still marked as missing?” he whispered.

“Look closer.” Down below her picture was a descriptor: ‘Kikimora, wife of Domovoi (confirmed deceased). No known family.’ “I figured she was lying about that part. But why would she escape from being kidnapped and not go back home?”

“Well, she was kidnapped, plus her husband is dead, so she must not feel safe at home anymore,” Alvin replied. “We don’t really know all the details, so…where are we going?” He only just realized they had left the warehouse behind, and were walking down the streets.

“Following a hunch,” replied Patience. “I’ve picked up a number of skills in my time, one of which is how to tail people.” It was then that Alvin realized she was following after Kikimora. Close enough so as not to lose her, far enough away that they would blend into the crowd if she looked behind her.

He continued along with her, but tried to convince her to turn back. “Why are we following this poor woman?” he asked. “Even if she was lying about her motives, doesn’t she deserve a break? We don’t know if she knows anything!”

Patience hid the two of them behind a bench as Kikimora looked around, before continuing on towards the docks. “There’s too many coincidences here,” she said. “Kiki and the others are rescued by a creature that’s a dead ringer for our revenant. Even though she’s free, she doesn’t return home. Then she steals some bile, which is the exact thing the revenant needs. If you want to steal something to hock on the black market, you can do a lot better than bile–trust me, I would know.”

“But… Are you suggesting she’s in league with the thing?” asked Alvin, incredulous. “That seems a bit of a leap, yes?”

“Yes,” Patience admitted bluntly. “But it could be a leap that’ll lead us straight to our mastermind.” Although Alvin still had his doubts, he had to admit there was a chance, however slight, that she was onto something. After all, if the revenant had a master, who was to say that this master didn’t have other subordinates? And he was only further filled with doubt, along with a heavy helping of worry, when he realized that the dock Kikimora was walking towards was the same one where the Siren’s Song had docked upon its return to the Boiling Isles.

There was nobody around, but Kikimora was still alert. She looked over her shoulder several more times, but Patience knew exactly when to take cover. Before long, she set the barrel down, and the two found a place to watch whatever was about to happen. “Psst! Belos, it’s me! I’m back with the stuff!”

Neither Alvin nor Patience knew who this ‘Belos’ was, but they were both a little alarmed when a cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows to inspect the bile. “Th–that’s the woman from the bazaar,” Alvin said. “I knew she looked familiar! We walked right past these two just earlier today!”

The costumed woman seemed to test the bile with a whiff. “Good. Never enough bile,” ‘she’ said. “Were you seen?”

Kikimora chuckled awkwardly. “Eh…yes. I actually fell into the trap they set for you.” You. Not ‘your beast,’ you. “I talked my way out of it pretty easily–like I told you I would, mind you! I think some of them tried to follow me, but I lost them, again, pretty easily.”

“Don’t be so sure,” said Belos, walking past her. He reached up, and removed his veil.

Even if Alvin knew what was coming, it would have been difficult to suppress a gasp. Even though he was terrified by the sight, he still had the sense to cover his mouth to try and muffle the sound. But even though it was quiet, he was still heard. The all-too-familiar face of the revenant looked up to see both evesdroppers, and let out the same shriek that Alvin had come to dread.

“Run for it!” Patience tried her best to drag Alvin behind him, but he was frozen in terror. The revenant pounced as it shrieked, leaping atop the nearest shed, and landing in front of her to block her escape. She looked for a way out as it bore down on her, before opting to unleash a blast of flame. “Take some of this!”

The revenant stumbled back, and the sudden blast of light and heat caused Alvin to do the same. “I knew we should have brought Vesh with us!” he lamented. As he frantically scrambled to get away from the monstrosity, he was met with sudden resistance. He realized that Kikimora was clinging to his leg.

“I knew you were in league with that…that lowlife!” she said, trying to pull him back. “You were helping him with that trap, weren’t you!? You were planning on catching Belos, then using him for your own nefarious ends, weren’t you!?”

“Get off me!” cried Alvin, managing to kick Kikimora off, before making a run for what he hoped was safety. Patience was mostly doing the same, though the revenant absolutely refused to let her go anywhere. The spells she fired his way only seemed to make him angrier, which didn’t seem possible at first. She managed to keep her distance fairly well though, avoiding his claws as his shrieks filled the air. But no matter where she went, his piercing blue eyes always zeroed in on her location.

As this battle went on, one of a much smaller scale occurred as Alvin tried to escape, hindered by Kikimora. “I won’t let you hurt him!” she yelled, slinging spells in his direction.

“Seriously, what is wrong with you!?” asked Alvin, hiding from the revenant behind a nearby wall. Kikimora tried to drag him out, but he was more concerned with her partner. Patience was holding him off, for now, but nothing that ferocious could be deterred for long. “Look, I don’t know what happened with Adeghast, but–”

“What happened was Belos saved my life–all of our lives!” yelled Kikimora, tackling Alvin to the ground. “You and Vesh want to cut him open, just like you did to Mary!”

“Wh–Mary? Mary Pembrooke!?” Alvin shouted in bewilderment. “What are you talking about!?”

Patience, meanwhile, had found an area of weakness for the revenant. Using his largely physical fighting style against him, she kept her distance by employing teleport spells. He kept having to chase her down, hopefully exhausting himself in the process. “Alvin!” she said, pushing Kikimora off him, and helping him to his feet. “If we wanna get outta here, we should probably do it sooner than later!”

“Agreed,” he said. “We’ll go get Vesh and all the others, and let them know about–what’s it doing?” The two of them had lost sight of the revenant for a single moment, during which it had made its way over to the bile barrel. Using its massive claws, it tore off the lid, before dunking its head into the liquid. “That…probably isn’t good for us.” Kikimora hurried off to the side, supporting this theory.

After having consumed some of the bile, the revenant threw its head back and shrieked to the heavens, its eyes glowing red. Both of them reeled back in alarm, which only doubled as it sent a wave of magic forth from its claw that sliced through the concrete. The projectile tossed the two of them aside when it reached them, though it wasn’t a direct hit–leaving them to wonder what would have happened if it was.

Making its next move, the revenant lifted its arms, causing the various shards of concrete that had been torn up to levitate. Sensing what was coming, Patience created a shield just as the revenant thrust its arms forward, sending a cascade of shards towards her. Steadying herself under the barrage, she was unprepared for its next move: the revenant teleported next to her, battering her aside.

“Patience!” shouted Alvin, but he had no time to go after her. The revenant bore down on him, pinning him to the ground with its claws. He was forced to look upon that face, into those eyes, that he had seen on the island. Every fiber of his being knew that it would be the last thing he would ever see.

“You.” The revenant spoke, the words coming up from its throat like knives. “You were on the ship. On my island.”

He was, but he had no idea how to reply to this. “Belos, this is your chance,” said Kikimora, scrambling over. “Ask him how to get to Vesh!”

Alvin looked back up at that visage, which, although still terrifying as ever, he at least knew could understand his words. “W-what exactly do you want with Vesh?” he asked. “I thought you wanted to avoid attention, especially from hunters…”

The revenant regarded him for a moment. “You know nothing,” it said. “Just a pawn. A lackey.” Alvin might have taken offense to this if his life wasn’t in peril. “You are not worth–”

“Hey!” Everyone turned at Patience’s shout. She stood near the docks, hovering the barrel over the edge. “Step away from the nerd! Otherwise, all your precious bile goes into the drink!”

The revenant didn’t move, but Kikimora certainly did. “No! All our hard work!” She tried to rush forward, but Alvin grabbed her before she could get far. With both its partner and its prize in the grips of its foes, the revenant backed off.

Patience moved the barrel closer, but didn’t set it down just yet. “There, now, maybe we can start to understand each other. Alvin, set down the thief, and come this way.” He did so. “Okay, good. Now, Kikimora, was it? Why don’t you go first–care to explain to us why you’re helping this…murderous creature?”

“Unfortunately, Belos isn’t murderous,” she explained huffily. “He didn’t kill Adeghast, he escaped before he could. But either of us will finish the job if we ever see that overgrown octopus again!”

“You must not know the full story,” Alvin said, looking straight at Belos. “Like how he’s killed Julius, and Mary, and Grimsby–”

“Lies!” Belos snarled. “Vesh killed Mary! Pierced her heart with his spear!” Alvin and Patience both froze. “Have to kill him! Avenge her!”

“Y-you think he’s telling the truth?” asked Patience. “I mean, I always had a bad feeling about the guy, but…is he really a murderer?”

“I don’t know,” Alvin replied. “I’m not sure if we can trust its word just like that. We’ll have to give it some more thought.”

By now, the sun was just beginning to crest over the horizon. There were not yet any witnesses, but the telltale sounds of workers beginning to arrive, as well as those curious about the commotion on the docks, clued the four of them in that it was time to leave.

Kikimora could tell that Belos was anxious to be gone. “Alright, I’m calling a temporary truce! Give us the barrel, and we’ll meet later to discuss things more thoroughly!”

“Oh no, I’m not about to–” Patience said, but Alvin encouraged her to hand it over.

“We should probably be going, too,” he said. “If that thing is even a little bit right about Vesh…we need to do something about it.” Reluctantly, Patience hovered the barrel over to Kikimora, who took it happily.

The revenant had donned his disguise once more. Although his face was veiled, Alvin could tell he was looking right at him. “Talk later,” he said. He and Kikimora disappeared, leaving the pair alone.

Patience led Alvin in the opposite direction. “Now we just need to find a way to explain to Talus where we’ve been all this time!”

“Easier said than done,” said Alvin. He looked over his shoulder at where the revenant and its new minion had gone, their words rattling around in his head. Was it possible he had been wrong about this thing all along? As a scientist, every possibility had to be considered, but… He decided he would leave the questions for their next meeting, whenever and wherever that would be.

Elsewhere, through a combined effort, Belos and Kikimora had managed to shove the barrel through the opening in the tree’s roots. They followed in after them, the latter ecstatic they had managed not only to do that, but do it without anybody noticing. “What a successful outing!” she declared. “We outmaneuvered Vesh’s trap, made off with a barrelful of bile, and possibly got two new allies out of the deal! Excellent work, wouldn’t you say, sir?”

Although the night had been successful, it had also been exhausting. “Yes, very,” said Belos, casting off his disguise. “Excellent work, Kiki.” He patted her on the head, something she was clearly overjoyed about, before slumping over near the wall and bedding down for the day.

He was hesitant about agreeing to meet with those two again. He couldn’t be entirely sure they weren’t involved with Vesh, and had really only said it so that they would leave. Still, if Kiki believed they could be allies, perhaps there was a chance. After all, she herself proved there were people on the Isles willing to stick by him.

There was a sudden warmth as Kiki lay against him. “‘Night, sir,” she mumbled, falling asleep right then. He decided to let her stay there, before nodding off as well.

Chapter 7: Stranger Bedfellows

Chapter Text

Chapter Seven: Stranger Bedfellows

He had to admit, keeping Kiki around had proven to be a good choice. Not only was she loyal, positive, endlessly supportive, but she had an advantage that he had never even considered: she could read.

In all his time with Mary, although Belos had further learned how to speak, reading was not something he had ever bothered with. This was despite his host being a librarian, or perhaps because of it; on the rare occasion he wanted something read, the kindly woman would simply read it for him.

Likewise, the always eager-to-please Kikimora was more than willing to narrate some of the notes Mary had written in her journals. “This passage here says that titans would create revenants using their own internal magic,” she read. “As in, the revenants would literally emerge from their bodies.” There was a slight look of disgust on her face.

That would explain why he had emerged from one’s bile sac. “Does it say what we are?” he asked curiously.

“Hmm…not directly,” she said, flipping through the pages. “Different experts have different guesses, but the most common one is that you were a sort of defense mechanism. Living weapons, warriors summoned to protect the ones who created you. And from the looks of it, there could be a lot of you.” She showed him the picture of hundreds of revenants storming through a village at the direction of a titan.

This reinforced what Belos had long suspected: his birth had not been a fluke. He had been summoned for a particular reason, but by whom, and for what? And, for that matter, from where? “Could a witch have used titan magic?” he asked.

Kikimora began rifling through the pages. As she did, Belos had a sudden thought. What if his island had summoned him? What if, by traveling to the Boiling Isles and leaving his old home behind, he had abandoned the one he had been created to protect? Thankfully, Kikimora interrupted him before he could think too deeply about this. “I don’t think so. At least, there doesn’t look like anything in here that says so.”

“More dead ends,” he muttered. He sat back against the wall, trying not to get frustrated. He was being hunted, he was no closer to finding out who he was, and had possibly turned his back on his true purpose. “Now what?”

Unlike him, Kikimora was much more positive about their chances. “I know!” she said, closing the book. “Let’s ask Alvin and Patience for help! I could tell right away they care more about finding the truth than going after you for money or fame. If we had them on our side, our witchpower would double!”

“You got their names?” he asked in tired disbelief. Given that a grand total of one witch hadn’t attacked him since arriving on the island, not counting the ones he had rescued from Adeghast, he wasn’t very confident in his track record. “How can you be sure?”

“You saw them last night: they were shocked when you told them the truth about Vesh!” she said. “They thought you were a vicious beast, but now that they know what you’re really like, I’m sure they’ll do the right thing if we ask them for help.” She was already on her feet, clearly raring to go.

But Belos was very much not raring to go. “Too much risk,” he said. “Broad daylight. Someone might see us. Vesh might see us.” He picked up the notebook, more to just hold it than anything.

Not one to be deterred, Kiki quickly thought of a solution. “Maybe he’d see you, but he wouldn’t care about me! Why, he saw me when I was in that trap last night, and he didn’t even bat an eye! I could go and talk to Alvin and Patience for you! I did say it could be helpful to have someone like me on your side, didn’t I?”

Belos couldn’t remember if she had said that or not, but it was true either way. “Fine,” he said, despite his hesitance. He trusted her. “Be careful.”

“‘Careful’ is one of my numerous middle names!” she said, making her way through the exit. “I’ll be back with the results, and hopefully the time and place for your next in-person rendezvous! This is gonna go great, just you wait!”

“Mmm.” As she hurried away, he began to have second thoughts. Vesh had already proven himself a crafty individual, and he was reluctant to let her near him. Last night had been different: he had no way to know they were in league, and those other two had only found out through a fluke. But if he saw her near them again, he might get suspicious.

For a moment, he considered throwing on his disguise and going after her. He decided against it, reasoning she was more than capable of handling herself. It wasn’t like she was a fugitive as he was. Nevertheless, a small part of him, one he couldn’t name, had a bad feeling about this.

Their attempt to trap the revenant last night hadn’t exactly gone as planned. Talus attempted to keep his employees’ morale up, telling them they had gotten some valuable information from the expedition even if it hadn’t been entirely successful, but everyone knew he was just avoiding calling it what it truly was: a fiasco.

“Everything was perfectly set up,” Vesh had said, “and we still dropped the ball. Either that revenant’s smarter than it looks, or we’re all dumber.”

Alvin and Patience had finally gotten a moment to themselves, excusing it as a joint brainstorming session. And while they were there to talk about last night, it wasn’t the failed trap that was on their minds. “Okay, let’s start from the top,” said Alvin. “Point for: we’ve both had a bad feeling about Vesh since day one. Point against: the revenant is a murderous killing machine who most likely can’t be trusted.”

“Point for: he did save all those people from that kidnapper,” said Patience. “Point against: we don’t know if he was lying about that, too.” She slumped down in her seat, resting her head on the table. “Gah, logic puzzles are hard!”

“I don’t know if this could even be considered a puzzle,” Alvin said. “Every puzzle, no matter how, um, puzzling, has a solution. I’m not sure if this one does.” He waited to see if Patience had something else to add. She didn’t. “Unless leaving Bonesborough and starting a new life somewhere else counts as a solution, which I doubt.”

This was enough to spur Patience into action. “Y’know, for a scientist, you sure do give up easily,” she said. “I thought you guys were supposed to gather data and test hypothesisisises, not mope around the moment you hit a wall!”

“Fair enough, but I don’t see any way forward with this,” Alvin countered. “I suppose we could ask one of them about what’s really going on, but I don’t see that ending well. Let’s consider, for a moment, that Vesh really is a murderer, killing people and blaming it on a monster. How do you think he’d react if he knew we were onto him?”

“Okay, so then we talk to the revenant. An actual talk this time, not a fight where we barely get a word out of each other.” Patience stood up, walking around the room. “At the very least, we know he’s open to a chat.”

Alvin wasn’t exactly comfortable with meeting that thing again, even if it was a bit more sentient than he had thought. “I don’t see that turning out well either. Again, making assumptions, but even if it didn’t kill Mary Pembrooke, it still has Julius and Grimsby to answer for…”

“Well, he did say he killed Grimsby to avenge Mary,” Patience said, pacing. “If Vesh is crooked, I’ll bet at least some of the Wild Hunt is in on it. Maybe Grimsby went after him next? And as for that other guy, I wasn’t there, but did he attack the revenant in some way, or do something to tick it off?”

“Once it showed its face, everyone started slinging spells,” said Alvin. Although details of that night were fuzzy, the creature’s enraged face was seared into his memory. “I-I guess that might have set it off, but–”

“Then there’s your answer!” Patience declared excitedly. “This thing can talk, it only attacks people it considers a threat, it’s able to form alliances, with people it saved, no less; I don’t think it’s as big of a threat as you all thought.”

It was Alvin’s turn to stand up as well, taking a moment to try and process all of this. “So, according to you, not only is this revenant just some…person, not only is it not a threat to everyone it comes across, but we are in the wrong for trying to hunt it down?” It was clear from his voice he was getting frustrated.

Sensing his disbelief, Patience offered some advice she knew he would take to heart. “You can deny it all you want, but the evidence is there. Now all you have to do is test your hypothesis.”

Since the day he had seen the revenant, Alvin had known in his heart of hearts it was a beast of unfathomable evil, a monster that had no place in a civilized world. And as much as his animal instincts were telling him to stick with this train of thought, his rational brain reminded him that a real scientist was never unwilling to challenge his preconceived notions. “And how exactly do we get in contact with it?”

There was a knock at the door, startling the two. Fortunately, Vesh didn’t seem to suspect anything when he peered inside. “Hey, you two. Makin’ some progress, I hope?”

“Y’know…we’re still at it,” lied Patience. “We were trying to brainstorm if there was another way to bring this thing to us; it’s clearly too smart to fall for our bait, but we were wondering if it would fall for something else?”

“Huh. And what have you come up with so far?” he asked, amused.

“Nnnothing much,” admitted Patience, which wasn’t a lie. “How about you? You’re the master trapper, surely you’ve had some ideas since then?”

He chuckled as he casually strolled into the room. “You could say that. The boys and I’re workshopping some things. Nothing for certain yet, but you can’t rush progress, as boss man always says. Oh, Alvin, the whole reason I came in here! That weird lady’s in the lobby asking for you. Y’know, from last night? The suspicious one?”

Kikimora. “O-oh, is she?” asked Alvin, genuinely surprised and a little worried. “Did she say what she wanted?”

“If she did, I didn’t hear,” said Vesh. “So, should we go and see?” He seemed a bit too eager for the three of them to go together.

“She probably just wants to thank him,” Patience said. “You heard how she was going on about how her family had nothing to eat and all that. Why, you think she’s involved somehow?”

Vesh pulled aside a seat for himself. “Oh-ho, suddenly vouching for the so-called con artist, are you? Don’t look at me, I just think it’s a little bit odd how she happens to stumble into our trap after the generator is slashed by those massive claws…”

“In fairness, her hair did look pretty sharp; that very well could have been her doing,” Alvin said. “And even if it was the revenant, perhaps our presence followed by the trap being sprung scared it off?”

For an uncomfortable amount of time, Vesh stared at Alvin, occasionally glancing over at Patience. Alvin was worried he would call them out on hiding something, but thankfully, he only laughed. “Yeah, I’m probably just being paranoid. Alright, head on down. Wish her family the best for me, would you?” Patience was ready to leave without a word, all but dragging Alvin with her.

“Of course, will do,” he said, just as eager to leave, but held back by his politeness. “Just call if you need us.”

“Mhmm.” Vesh made no attempt to stop them, but he did offer one last comment before they left. “Feels a bit strange, doesn’t it? How you’re the one she wanted to thank, even though Talus gave her the bile?” Alvin hurried to leave him behind, shutting the door behind himself.

Both of them hurried down the hallway, only resuming their discussion once they were alone in the elevator. “Okay, so, he definitely knows something’s up, right?” asked Patience, suppressing a touch of worry in her voice.

“He definitely sounded suspicious, but we don’t know if he knows anything for certain,” Alvin said, trying to reassure himself more than her. “In fairness, we were suspicious as well of Kikimora’s motives, and that proved to be warranted.”

“Wha… How is that supposed to be a good thing!?” asked Patience in disbelief. “If we were onto her, just a thief and a nerd, then a professional hunter’d be able to read her, and us, like a book! And if he thinks something’s up, he’s bound to tell Talus, and then where does that leave us!?”

Alvin was getting heated as well. “First of all, I’m not sure I appreciate being called a nerd,” he said. “Secondly, even if he’s onto Kikimora, that doesn’t mean he’s onto us as well. If we return unharmed from wherever it is she ends up taking us, he’ll have no reason to think she and the revenant are related. And third, even if he does tell Talus…you said it yourself, any decent scientist is always willing to challenge his beliefs.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, just keep telling yourself that, nerd. Vesh could be a psycho killer, and Talus hired him. Do the math.”

Even though Alvin was adamant that Talus would never be in on something like this, the seed of doubt was planted in his mind. The elevator reached the lobby, and they stepped out to see Kikimora waiting for them. “Ah, Alvin, Patience, hello there!” she said, happily waving as she hurried over. “I was worried you wouldn’t want to see me after our meeting last night. I’m so glad you’re willing to talk!”

“Hello again, Kikimora,” Alvin said, trying to sound as casual and friendly as he could muster, without it sounding unnatural. “Can I call you Kiki?” She nodded, and he assumed she was smiling beneath her coat. “Yes, we’ve decided it would be for the best if we could…discuss the events of last night in further detail.”

“I think he means about your family,” Patience added. “We’re just concerned that one barrel of magical bile won’t be enough to support you all.”

Kiki caught on to her cover story. “Yes, we are currently looking for a ‘buyer’ for all our ‘bile,’” she said, giving them a wink. “Though we have to make sure the ‘guards’ don’t get suspicious.” She pointed towards the upper floors when mentioning the metaphorical guards.

Alvin looked worriedly over at the receptionist, who was thankfully not listening. “Speaking of buyers, we were just about to head out for our lunch break. I don’t suppose I could buy you something? It’s the least we can do after accidentally catching you in our trap.”

“Ooh, I gladly accept!” she said. “I actually know a nice place that’s just around the corner!” She held the door as Alvin and Patience headed outside. “I have a friend who would love to meet you, maybe I should invite him too?”

Patience stopped her before she got too hasty. “Maaaybe we should just keep it the three of us for now. We’d love to meet him, but let’s wait for a better moment, yeah?”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Kiki said, leading them down the street. The three of them walked, acting casual, until she found the place she was looking for. She pulled them aside, making sure they weren’t followed as they ended up in an alleyway. “So…I take it you know why I’m really here?”

“Obviously,” Patience whispered. “Could you be maybe a little bit more discreet? Some of our guys might be onto us for this…”

She nodded grimly. “Ah, you must mean Vesh. Yes, Belos has told me all about him. A truly cunning and despicable character. I’m surprised he was able to fool you into trusting him!”

“I didn’t exactly have much choice in the matter,” Alvin replied. “My boss hired him, and he basically kidnapped Patience.”

“Eh, I could escape if I really wanted to,” she said with a shrug. “But I’m invested in all this now.”

Kikimora thought for a moment. “So, if your boss hired Vesh…then your boss must be the true mastermind! Quick, you know him, what’s he planning!?” She ran up to Alvin, gripping his legs.

Alvin shooed her away. “Alright, alright! Look here, Mr. Archibald is not evil! I’ve known him for most of my life, and his only goal is science!”

“By that logic, couldn’t that mean he’s willing to let people get hurt in the name of scientific advancement?” asked Patience. Alvin shot her a glare.

“That isn’t important right now,” Kiki said. “Whoever in this company is evil, I can tell that the two of you mean well. You may be the only ones who can help us now.”

“I was just about to ask about that,” said Alvin. “What exactly is it you need our help with? Aside from dealing with Vesh, that is.”

Kiki looked around once again. “Follow me,” she said, leading them through the shadows. “I’m just his messenger. If you really want to know more about these matters, you should probably ask him yourself. That’s actually why I wanted to bring you here.”

She had led them towards an old, abandoned lot far away from the street. It looked like it had been a garden at one point, or perhaps would have one day been paved over and made into a shop. The pair looked around, almost expecting the revenant to come creeping out of the shadows.

“So…what’s the deal with this place?” asked Patience.

“Oh, this? Just an old meeting place I found back in the day,” Kiki explained proudly. “It used to be a meeting site for all sorts of ne’er-do-wells–me and my hubby included! But nobody comes here nowadays, on account of you-know-who.”

Alvin stared at her for a moment. “...We do?”

She grumbled. “Adeghast! This place used to be his haunting ground too! But now that he’s dealt with, it should be free and clear for Belos to meet you face-to-face. I’ll need to go and fetch him first. Meet back here in, say, an hour?”

Patience looked over at Alvin. “We don’t have anything better to do, do we?”

“I don’t think so,” he said, mentally going over a list of plans. “My only worry is that this place isn’t as secure as it looks.”

Kikimora chuckled. “Steady your worries, friend! I can assure you that nobody has set foot on these grounds for weeks aside from the three of us. Most of the populace avoids it like the plague because of its criminal past, while most criminals avoid it because of Adeghast! Trust me, this is quite possibly the most remote place in Bonesborough.”

Alvin looked at Patience, and then shrugged. “I guess if you’re certain. You’re the ones most at risk of being caught here, not us.”

“Though that isn’t to say there’s no risk,” said Patience. “But don’t worry. We’ll be here, one hour exactly!”

“Great! Belos will be thrilled to know he has two more allies!” Alvin wasn’t sure he wanted that kind of commitment yet, but Kiki scampered off before he could speak up. She was gone just like that, leaving the two alone. With nothing else for them there, they headed back the way they had come, but not before he cast one last glance over his shoulder. Something about the place didn’t sit right with him, and not just because it was in complete disrepair.

Patience nudged him as they left. “Something on your mind?” she asked. “You seem out of sorts. More out of sorts than usual.”

“I… Probably just nerves,” he answered. “Both times I’ve been up close and personal with this thing haven’t exactly been pleasant. I doubt I’m alone when I say I’m not looking forward to a third…”

“Ah, it’s different now that we know he can talk and stuff,” Patience said. “Hey, speaking of talking, how’re we gonna explain this to Talus? We’re gone for a minute, and then we leave again in an hour?”

Alvin thought for only a brief moment. “Why don’t we go and get some lunch for real? We can wait for an hour and then come back here without ever returning to headquarters.”

“Now there’s an idea I can get behind!” said Patience, rubbing her stomach. As the pair’s voices faded into the distance, the source of Alvin’s unease–of the unseen sort–emerged from the shadows. The white-robed figure had been perfectly hidden behind some slats in a decaying fence, listening to their conversation.

Eva looked in their direction from behind her curved mask, before silently darting off. She would have to move quickly to stop what was coming.

The revenant was startled awake from his nap with a sudden cry of “Master Belos! Master Belos!” He was none too happy as he looked up at the entryway to see Kikimora sliding into their little hovel. “I did it! I gained their trust! Now all we need to do it–”

“Stop shouting!” he hissed, having to remember to keep his own voice down. “Might hear you!” He listened for a moment, unsure if there was anyone above who could have overheard her outburst.

Kikimora wasn’t worried, though, as she began unfolding Belos’ disguise. “No worries, the park’s practically empty! Now, I arranged a meeting in about an hour at the perfect spot, there shouldn’t be any disturbances as we have a heart-to-heart about our motives!”

His eyes narrowed, unimpressed. “Shouldn’t?” He was beginning to regret letting Kikimora handle this herself, for different reasons.

“I’m willing to stake my reputation as your assistant on it!” she declared. “Anyway, I told them you’d answer some of their questions, so we probably shouldn’t be late.” She handed him his clothes.

“An hour?” he repeated.

She giggled. “Never hurts to be early!” She ran over to her usual spot to get ready, which mainly consisted of dusting herself off from the little cave’s entrance.

Belos looked down at the dress and such he wore as a disguise. As many second thoughts as he was having, he couldn’t back out now. He depended on those two for their help, and Kikimora depended on him–and Mary needed to be avenged. “We have time. Let us…wait.”

“Wait?” she asked, turning around. “I thought you’d be too excited about this to wait!”

He shook his head. “We cannot rush in. Must prepare first.” Before a hunt, back on the island, he would sometimes spend some time sitting in silence to focus his mind. Here in Bonesborough, he rarely had the time to do this before he was thrust into danger, and it was better to be safe than sorry. Crouching low to the ground, he closed his eyes, visualizing every possible outcome of this scenario. He would not be caught unawares this time.

Kikimora awkwardly imitated his pose. “Uh, alright… Preparing, preparing… What are we preparing for, again?”

“Anything,” he answered. “Must prepare for anything.”

Although Kiki seemed skeptical of his process, she went along with it anyway. “Okay. Preparing for anything…” She opened one eye to peek around. “But, um, could we maybe find something to eat before we get there?”

“Yes,” Belos said, quite hungry himself. “We may.”

Kikimora’s belly was full of food, but her mind was full of worries. “I suppose not everyone can arrive early all the time,” she said as she paced across the empty lot. “But it’s been an hour and two minutes, almost three! I would have thought they’d be here by now! You don’t suppose something bad happened, do you?”

Belos was crouched in the shade to better hide himself, just in case. “No.” Even for someone with next to no concept of punctuality and the faux pas therein, he felt she was overreacting. “Be here soon.”

“I sure do hope you’re right,” she said. “It would be a tragedy for us to set all this up, only for Vesh to get wise to our scheme at the last moment! Or Talus himself…I do wonder how high up this corruption goes…”

“We…” Belos wanted to assure her that they would root it out, get to the bottom of it, eliminate all threats, but even he wasn’t sure they could. All they could do was survive–which is what he settled on. “We will be okay.”

Although still concerned, she nodded. “I hope you’re right. I’d much prefer to stay alive if I could help it, even as your loyal follow–Oh! It’s them, they’re here!” She sprang up excitedly once she saw the familiar forms of the two witches approaching.

On their approach, Belos rose to his feet, his sudden appearance startling them. It was just a momentary start for Patience, but Alvin was considerably more affected. He hid it well, but Belos was accustomed to the smell of fear by this point. It was far from an unpleasant scent, but he needed his potential allies to be on the same page. “Welcome.”

“Glad you could make it,” said Patience. “It can’t be easy for you, sneaking through the city all the time. I’ve faced similar problems before, but with a face like that…yeesh!”

“I manage,” he muttered. “Why are you here?”

Alvin’s fear turned to a kind of irritated curiosity. “Because your assistant told us to. We do have some questions, but–”

“Then ask,” he said. “That is your reason. Ask them.”

“I believe he means, ‘what questions do you have for him?’” Kikimora clarified.

The two looked at each other, suspicious of how well this was going so far. “Y-you’re sure? You don’t want anything in return?” asked Patience.

He shook his head. “Only to be left alone.”

“Huh. Well, he’s all yours.” Patience took a step back so Alvin could have the floor: something he wasn’t too happy about. Being unable to see the revenant’s face made it a bit easier, but it wasn’t enough to hide the fact that he was still across from the creature he had been haunted by for weeks. He could just feel its eyes piercing through him as he thought of what he should ask first.

Eventually, he figured out the question that would reveal the most in a single answer. “So, Belos…I hear that’s what you’re calling yourself. Can you tell me exactly what happened with Many Pembrooke? You mentioned that you didn’t kill her, but how did that night go down?”

“Mary was…friend,” he replied. “She took me in when I was hunted. Showed me many things.” Even with his veil, everyone could see he was looking aside wistfully. “Taught me to speak. Gave me bile. Fed me, named me, sheltered me. And Vesh…” He suppressed a snarl. “He killed her. To get to me. Killed her, blamed me. Kill him!” he growled.

Everyone took a cautionary step back, even Kiki. Meanwhile, Alvin huddled up with Patience. “You think he’s telling the truth?” she asked. “I don’t know if he knows how to lie, but…”

“As unbelievable as it seems, it’s plausible,” replied Alvin. “There was a sizable gap in sightings between when Mr. Archibald hired Vesh, and when Mary died. But given what I saw on the island, I’m finding it hard to swallow that she’d let something like him into her home for no reason.”

Patience shrugged. “Maybe her mind had faded in her later years, and she thought he was a cat or something?”

“No, no, the library where she worked said she was a very lucid woman,” Alvin said. He fixed his eyes on Kikimora, who seemed to be examining an old flower bed. “But there is something else I’m curious about.” He returned his focus to Belos, stepping forward again. “Another question: why did you save Kikimora?”

“By accident,” Belos said. “Tricked by Adeghast. He attacked me. Attacked back. Freed prisoners.” He gestured towards her. “She followed me home.”

“My husband Domovoi died some time ago,” Kiki explained. “Adeghast used his form to trick Belos. Once he saved me, I couldn’t just leave without repaying him, could I? Besides, I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

As she spoke, she continued to root through the flower bed. “And what exactly are you doing?” asked Patience.

“Nothing–I thought I saw something,” she said. “Don’t mind me!”

Alvin eyed her for a moment, before asking his next question. “So, why did you decide to help Domovoi? What was in it for you?”

“Nothing. No one else would help. He was alone. Like me.” Belos evidently didn’t want to dwell on this, as he quickly changed the subject. “You’ve asked me. Now I’ll ask you.” He inched closer to Alvin, the witch looking like he was moments away from bolting. “Why are you hunting me?”

The answer to this seemed so obvious, it took Alvin a moment to form it into words. “Because…because you’re dangerous,” he finally said. “Part of the A&S Guild’s job is to handle any dangerous wildlife that puts people in danger. And ever since you came back with us from that island, well, you’ve been pretty much at the top of our list.” It felt so strange, explaining to a creature why it was being hunted. At least the revenant had proven himself capable of speech.

Belos took some time to contemplate this as well. After a while of self-introspection, he spoke. “Not dangerous.” Although Alvin still had his doubts, something in his tone sounded genuine. As though he himself was only just realizing it. “Just want to discover.”

“Discover what?” Patience asked.

The revenant placed his hand on his chest. “What is a revenant? What am…I? Who am I, and why?” Moving slowly, as though to not startle his guests, he raised a hand up to remove his veil. Although the sight of the fang-filled mouth and those sunken eyes visibly unnerved Alvin, he at least didn’t run. Patience was more creeped out than actively scared, but she too recoiled slightly. “Help me.”

Alvin opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He choked on his words for a second or two before Patience spoke for him. “We have been researching revenants on our own for a bit. If you aren’t actively eating people anymore, then…maybe we could combine our findings?”

He nodded, a brief flicker in his eyes. “I…would like that. Kiki?” He turned to his assistant.

Kikimora, meanwhile, had shifted her focus to digging through the flower bed. “Just a moment, I’ve almost got it!” she said, her hand through the slats. Nobody else was even remotely sure what ‘it’ was, but she was intently going after it.

Eventually, she gasped, apparently having felt something. She struggled a bit with grasping at the mystery object, before she grabbed hold and pulled. One strong yank dislodged her hand from the wooden bars, and she landed on her back.

“Got it!” she declared, lifting up her hand. She then opened her fist to reveal a small silvery beetle.

Belos stared blankly at it. “You found…a bug?”

But Kikimora was much more fearful of this bug than the other three. “This isn’t just any bug!” she said in a hushed tone, trying to squish it. The beetle flew off before she could, to which she worriedly tugged on Belos’ dress. “We have to get out of here! This place was bugged!”

“What does that mean, ‘bugged?’” asked Alvin, just as confused. “Is this some sort of demon cultural thing I’m unaware of?”

Patience, however, seemed to know just what she meant. “No…it means someone was listening in on our conversation. She’s right, we should probably go before–”

“Before we show up?” None of them recognized the voice, but if someone was spying on them, whoever it was, it couldn’t have been good. A trio of two witches and a demon rounded the corner, and it was clear who they were: part of the Wild Hunt. The one who had spoken held out his hand, where the bug landed. “Conspiring with the enemy, eh, you two?”

Much to everyone’s displeasure, several more Wild Hunt members appeared, surrounding them. Alvin couldn’t see Vesh anywhere, not that it made their situation any better. “What’s going on here?” he asked. “Why were you spying on us?”

The witch who had temporarily taken command chuckled. “To catch the revenant, stupid! Y’know, that thing we’ve been trying to do for the past few weeks? And this whole time, I thought we were working together on that…guess I was wrong.”

Belos growled, showing his claws. His eyes turned an icy blue as he glared at them. Kikimora stood between him and them. “Stay back, sir! I’ll protect you!”

“Hey, our goal was to catch the revenant, and that’s what we did,” said Patience. She looked a bit angry, but hid it well. “How about instead of all the posturing, we let him come back to base willingly, so we can have a nice talk with Talus without more people ending up in the ground? Huh? Doesn’t that sound better?”

The temporary leader scoffed. “Are you hearin’ this broad?” He, and the others, laughed. “Sorry, hun, but Talus ordered us to catch the revenant, not invite it in for tea. Ya can’t reason with a monster.”

“No,” Belos growled, “you can’t.”

With conflict seemingly inevitable, Alvin stepped forward. “Yes, bringing the revenant in was our top priority, but that was when we thought it was a mindless animal. Now that we know it is–that he is sentient, everything’s different. He can be reasoned with.”

“It’s true!” said Kikimora. “He’s very reasonable once you get to know him!”

They eyed the tiny demon. “So, it’s buildin’ itself an army now,” their leader mused. He glanced up at Patience and Alvin. “You thinkin’ about joining?”

Patience, fed up, stepped in front of Alvin. “Would you can this self-righteous attitude!? We’re on the same side here! Either way, Talus asked us to bring it in alive, and that’s exactly what we’re doing! If you don’t like how we’re doing that, take it up with…with…” She trailed off when the witch aimed a spell circle at her. “So, that’s how it is?”

He smirked. “Not so talkative now, eh? Personally, I think Mr. Archibald would be very interested to hear how one of his own proteges was pallin’ up with the very thing he was supposed to be catching. He won’t like that, will he?” Alvin couldn’t imagine Talus being angry with him…but at the same time, he wasn’t sure how he would react to something like this.

The hunters closed in, spell circles trained on all four of them, Belos most of all. He growled and prepared to attack as they drew closer, but knew taking on this many opponents was a bad idea. “Stay back!” he hissed.

“Yeah! Or else this’ll get really messy!” said Kikimora, threatening them with a spell circle of her own. None of them seemed very threatened.

“Hey, this is a bad idea–it doesn’t have to go down like this!” said Patience. She, too, was preparing for a fight. Alvin, finding himself in between the other three, couldn’t muster up the strength to draw a spell circle. He found himself paralyzed, unable to move.

But just when a fight seemed inevitable, something small and glass hit the ground from above, shattering and releasing a cloud of bluish-white vapor. It quickly filled up a good portion of the empty lot, bringing everything to a halt. As soon as they began breathing it in, the changes began.

“What…what…” The temporary leader staggered once the mist reached him, barely able to keep his eyes open. He and many other hunters–all of them witches–soon fell to the ground, fast asleep.

“Boss!” yelled the demon at his side. Just as he turned his attention back to the fugitives, he found himself battered aside by Belos. The revenant did the same with more of the hunters who charged him, their spells barely stinging him.

More of the vials full of sleep mist landed from above. Demons like Kikimora were unaffected, but witches were–unfortunately including Patience and Alvin. “W-what’s happen…ing…?” asked the former, succumbing to the fog’s effects. Despite having a numbers advantage, the hunters were falling not just to Belos, but to an unseen source as well.

Alvin slumped against the nearby wall. In his last moments of consciousness, he saw a hunter rushing him with a spear…only for a person cloaked in white to fall from above, tackling them to the floor. Just as his eyes closed, he felt something being pressed to his mouth.

The next thing Alvin knew, he was wide awake, having inhaled some sort of antidote to the spell. “Keep that on!” shouted his rescuer, which he did, holding the breather to his face. His now-open eyes saw the distinctive form of Eva pulling a vial out of her coat, hurling it at an approaching hunter. He was coated in an adhesive, taking him out of the fight.

Belos ripped a spear from his shoulder, tossing it aside as he did the same to its owner. “Bird woman!” he shouted, noticing her as well.

Eva lifted Patience up, giving her a mask as well. “What, am I late?” she said as Patience woke up. “Follow me, we need to get out of here!”

“And go where?” asked Patience. “Also, who are you?”

The plague-masked woman hurled more exploding potions at the remaining hunters. “I’ll explain everything once we get there, but we have to leave now! Vesh isn’t far away, and he’s no doubt bringing reinforcements!” She gestured for them to follow as she ran down the street, and they did with nary a second thought.

A quick glance over his shoulder showed Alvin that nobody was following them–for now. “Eva! Y-you… How did you know we were in trouble? How did you find us?”

“Long story short, I’ve been keeping tabs on you and tall, dark, and creepy,” she said. “I figured you’d run into each other sooner or later, but I also figured Vesh might figure that, too. I couldn’t exactly have my two best leads getting captured, now, could I?”

“Leads?” Kikimora asked. “What do–”

“Again, I’ll explain everything soon!” She stopped them before they could head out into the open, handing Belos his hat. “Here you go, big guy, you dropped this.” It was a bit tattered, but it still hid his face. He quickly donned it.

Patience was looking back the way they came, through a spell circle like an eyeglass. “Bad news: our friends are done with their nap, and they aren’t too happy. Wherever it was you were taking us, could we maybe get there sooner than later?”

Eva was scanning the plaza, and caught sight of their escape route. “Aha! Right there!” She pointed out an empty carriage pulled by rat-worms. “Everyone head over there, quickly but casually.” She darted out, looking anything but casual.

The others followed her lead, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Luckily, this sort of thing happened fairly frequently in Bonesborough, so they didn’t get much more than a few glances. Eva pulled herself up into the driver’s seat, with Kikimora hopping up beside her. “Hyah!”

The carriage took off down the street. “Oy! What d’you think yer doin’!?” Yelled an indignant demon, presumably its owner, as they rode away.

“Sorry! I’ll return it, hopefully!” Eva called back. Citizens in the streets hopped out of their way as they raced through the town, and hopefully faster than the Wild Hunt. Alvin and Patience had managed to climb in, and Belos was clinging to the back. For a moment, Eva’s speed demon tendencies aside, they had a moment of calm.

“So…I take it you’re that lady Alvin was looking for?” said Patience. “For someone who sticks out like a sore thumb, you sure are hard to find! Where were we when we were looking for you the other day?”

“I can be pretty elusive when I want to be!” she answered. “It’s how I’ve survived this long with so many people after me!” It was at that moment, when they passed the city limits, that another carriage rode into sight. Heading straight after them. “Case in point…”

Pulled by pitch black, demonic horses, the other carriage raced towards the retreating party. Numerous hunters waited at the ready to board, including–making Alvin’s blood run cold–Vesh. Spear in hand, he grinned as his vehicle gained on theirs. “Faster, must go faster!” Alvin said, trying to hide himself.

Eva cracked the reins, but the rat-worms were already slithering at their top speed. “We’re already running these guys ragged!” she called back. “We’ll have to ditch them somehow!”

“Look out!” Kikimora grabbed hold of the reins, pulling the carriage to the side just as a second one, also belonging to the Wild Hunt, came careening down the hillside and almost rammed into them. They just barely missed, but were now neck-and-neck with them. “That was a close one!”

A moment later, Eva had taken the reins back and was attempting to get away from the offending carriage. “Everyone, take cover!” The hunters within began firing several spells at the runaways, damaging their ‘borrowed’ vehicle.

“Got anymore potions in that jacket?” asked Patience, firing back. Belos snarled and swiped at the carriage, but neither of them were making any progress.

“I’ll have to check!” she said. “Here, Kiki, take the wheel!” She handed over control to Kikimora, who wasn’t exactly happy with the responsibility of keeping them stable. Eva dug through her coat to try and find an elixir or concoction that could help them.

A spear embedded itself in the back of their carriage, barely missing Belos. An ethereal chain was attached to it, which he followed into the hand of Vesh. Using it as an anchor, the leader of the hunters pulled them closer in an attempt to pin them between their two vehicles. Belos pried the spear from its place, but not before Vesh could pull his carriage into position.

The spear fell to the ground, then was pulled back into Vesh’s hand. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this!” he announced, as both carriages pinned Eva’s between them. He gestured for his men to begin boarding.

Some of the hunters began climbing onto their carriage. Belos was the first obstacle they had to get past, as he was easily able to throw most of them off. Those that opted for a sneakier approach were intercepted by Patience. “Oh, hey, nice of you to drop by!” she said, before kicking one to the dirt.

“Ah! This should do it!” Eva finally found the right potion, immediately hurling it onto the ground in front of Vesh’s carriage. It created a bed of ice upon landing, making the horses slip, and their carriage to recede. No longer stuck in place, Kiki gunned it, speeding ahead of them. But the other carriage was able to match speed, and the hunters were preparing to board.

With a snarl, Belos leapt before they could, battering a few aside. The other four watched as he made short work of them, hurling most off the edge before jumping over the driver, severing the ropes with his claws. With nothing connecting the carriage to its horses, it fell behind as they ran off.

Eva looked ahead of them as Belos leapt back on. “Just a little longer! We’re almost there!” she said. “Keep going!”

“I don’t have much of a choice!” said Kikimora, who had never driven a carriage before.

Vesh looked back at the other carriage as it fell behind, letting out a frustrated growl. “Go! Forward!” he urged, forcing the horses to run faster than they ever had. Slowly gaining on them, he readied his spear. “I’ve got you now…”

Patience shoved the last of the boarders through the door. “That’s that, but we’ve got a bigger problem! Vesh’s on the warpath headed straight for us!”

“No.” Belos stood tall, his blue eyes glowing red. He seemed to leap from the back of the carriage, but grabbed hold just as he was about to touch the ground. Magic surged from his arm as he dragged his claws through the dirt, and with one slash, gave rise to a series of spires that blocked the path.

Vesh’s eyes widened, and he grabbed the reins. “Move!” He tried to pull to the side, but they were going too fast–the back of his carriage clipped the spires, knocking off a wheel and throwing it to the side. It skidded through the dirt for a moment, before toppling over.

With a roar, Vesh pulled himself through the window of the crashed vehicle. He glared as the revenant once again raced away, just out of his reach. “They’re gettin’ away, boss!” reported one of his subordinates.

Resisting the urge to reiterate the obvious nature of this statement, Vesh instead readied his spear. “No, they’re not.” After a single second of careful calculation, he hurled the weapon with a shout. The spear raced through the air towards the retreating carriage.

Meanwhile, the five of them cheered as their trouble was seemingly over. “That was…incredible!” said Alvin. “I had no idea a revenant could perform magic like that!” With the danger passed, he was no longer curled up in a ball in his seat. “I… Thanks. For saving us.”

“Welcome,” Belos said.

Patience playfully socked Alvin’s shoulder. “Hey, I helped out too, ya know!” The two chuckled. “So, you said we were almost there?”

“Yeah, my hideaway’s just past these rocks,” said Eva. “I figure we can loop around to confuse ‘em, and then–”

The carriage was rocked as one of its wheels came undone. Vesh’s spear had hit its target, severely limiting its mobility. “We’re hit! We’re hit! Mayday, mayday, going down!” shouted Kiki, trying in vain to regain some control.

Eva picked her up and tucked her under her arm. “We’re gonna have to bail! On my mark, ready?”

Wait! I can’t just jump out of a moving vehicle!” said Alvin. He looked with fear as the ground raced by, while he was frozen in place.

“You’re gonna have to if you want to live!” Eva retorted. “And…now!” She and Patience leapt for it, while Alvin found himself unable to. But, he still was drawn into the air, but not by his own power. Belos had grabbed hold of him, pulling him free from the carriage.

All five of them landed, safely but roughly. The out-of-control carriage collided with a tree, setting the rat-worms pulling it free, who ran off into the forest. The vehicle itself was unusable even with something to pull it, having nearly been torn in half. “Hoo boy…so much for returning that,” said Patience.

Eva looked over her shoulder to see the Wild Hunt was gaining on them. “Go, go, go! We’re so close to safety, you wanna get caught now!? Move!” She led the others in the direction of her safe haven.

“Are you sure we’ll be safe there?” asked Alvin as he and the others followed her. “If they follow us, they’ll know where it is!”

“No they won’t!” she said, getting one last potion ready. “Just follow my lead, and we’ll be fine!”

The Wild Hunt drew closer to their targets. The sight of their ruined carriage came into view. “They can’t have gone far! Close in for the kill!” ordered Vesh. “And get ready to surround them!”

The team ran past the wreckage and soon came to a small gorge. There was an abandoned shack near the entrance, but a glance revealed nothing within. However, within the gorge there was a cave, into which they caught the fleeting glance of Eva retreating.

A few of the hunters ran after her. “Ha! Good luck having the upper hand in there!” one of them called. However, in their haste, none of them noticed the pile of broken glass near the cave’s entrance, or their target fizzling into smoke as she ran deeper in. Nor did they see the tripwire until after they had triggered it.

“No, you idiots!” yelled Vesh, but it was too late. The wire had uncorked several bottles of potion placed above the cave entrance, and as soon as the liquid touched the air, the canyon was rocked by explosions. The hunters shielded themselves as a rockslide blocked the entrance of the cave. “You… Look what you did! Morons!”

The hunters examined the blockage. “Even with magic, this’ll take some time to clear,” one of them observed. “What’s the play, boss?”

Vesh breathed heavily. “Well, if it will take some time, no time to start like the present! Get digging!” He all but threw his followers at the obstruction, and began pacing as he waited to be able to get through. He did not like being outmaneuvered one bit, especially when it pertained to a hunt. “Belos…” he hissed.

Had the hunters been a little more careful, they would have noticed that the empty shack’s floor was not uniform. The cave was merely a pathway through the mountain, while the shack held a trapdoor that led into the real underground tunnel. The five of them now followed Eva through, and she snickered when she heard the explosions.

“That should keep them busy for a while,” she said. “Gives us plenty of time to get acquainted. You two, I’ve already met,” she pointed at Belos and Alvin, “but I don’t think I’ve met you two. You got names?”

“Kikimora, Belos’ assistant and friend! But you can call me Kiki!” she said proudly. “He saved my life!”

“Name’s Patience. I’m sorta his partner, mainly ‘cause of Vesh.”

Eva shook her head. “I always knew that guy was bad news, but it seems like we all have a reason to hate him, huh? Well, just more of a reason for us to work together!”

“On what?” Belos asked. “You know us. Now tell us about you.”

“And here we are!” said Eva, the group having reached a ladder at the end of the tunnel. “I’ll explain everything once we’re inside. Watch your step on the way up!” She began climbing.

Patience shrugged, and followed after her. Kiki was next, and Belos waited for Alvin. “Uh, after you,” he said quietly. Belos began ascending, and Alvin waited a moment before following. The revenant still intimidated him, but…after everything that had just happened, he was no longer paralyzed with fear at the mere thought of it–him. That was something, he thought.

The party soon pulled themselves up into what looked like an abandoned weather station atop the hill. The walls were decorated with pictures and newspaper clippings, all linked together to appear to tell some sort of story. “Huh. I can see why you and Alvin get along so well,” Patience observed.

Belos glanced out the window. From here, one could see almost all of Bonesborough, but especially the A&S Guild headquarters. He scowled at the building before turning his attention back inside. One of the pictures on the wall bore a strange symbol resembling an eye. Although he had never seen it before, it somehow felt familiar.

“Right…thank you for inviting us in, Eva,” said Alvin, as Eda hung up her coat. “Not to be rude, but could you explain exactly what’s going on here? You’ve clearly been following us all for a reason. Would now be a good time to tell us what that reason is?”

Eva removed her mask, placing it on a table. “I did promise I’d tell you everything, didn’t I?” she said. At first, nothing about her seemed out of the ordinary. She was a fair-skinned woman with medium-length brown hair. But it was when she turned around that everyone was taken aback. “So, I’ve already introduced myself, sorta, but I didn’t tell you all the full story.” It wasn’t her face that they were amazed by: it was her ears. They weren’t pointed in the slightest, and were in fact perfectly round. “My full name is Eva Wittebane. I’m…not from around here.”

Chapter 8: Shake the Earth

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight: Shake the Earth

‘Not from around here.’ Well, human or not, at least she had a sense of humor. She didn’t seem to care that the others, save Belos, were looking at her in stunned disbelief. “Sheesh, look at you all,” she said. “You act like you’ve never seen a human before!”

“We have never seen a human before!” exclaimed Alvin. He began excitedly pacing around the hideout. “This is–I have so many questions just from this alone! How did you get here? Where did you come from? A-are there other humans out there, or are you alone?” Patience placed a hand over his mouth, after which he calmed down a bit.

Eva took his questions in stride. “Through a portal, from the human realm, and If there were more humans, I’d probably be hanging out with them instead of traveling all over the Boiling Isles in disguise.” She went over to a small refrigerator, taking out a six pack of canned drinks. “Anyone want some human soda? I’ve been saving this for a special occasion!”

“Ooh, I’ll have one!” Kiki said, apparently forgetting the preceding revelation.

While the two witches and one demon processed their new friend being a human, Belos instead had a different question in mind. “What is a human?” he asked.

“‘What is a–’ Oh, right, I guess you wouldn’t know, huh?” said Patience. “Well, humans are supposedly imaginary creatures that look like witches, only they can’t use magic. Nobody’s really sure how they get by without magic, but there’s a few different ideas: some say they can use their mind to move things, or even alter the world around them. According to others, they have these invisible tentacles that can do pretty much whatever they want.”

Kikimora opened her soda, jumping a bit at the sudden hiss. She then examined Eva, hoping to catch a glimpse of these so-called invisible tentacles.

“I hate to burst your fantasy bubble, but the truth is a bit more mundane than that,” Eva said. “We don’t really have anything to make up for our lack of magic, except maybe our ingenuity. Speaking of which…” Over in one corner of her hideout was a brewing stand, sat beside a table loaded with potion ingredients. “I’ve had to make my own magic since coming here. Making potions seemed to be the best choice without a bile sac of my own.”

Alvin took a seat on a nearby hammock, which was one of the only places to sit in the cramped room. “Ah, yes, I have heard stories of humans being remarkable improvisers! If I remember correctly, in the tale of Philip Wittebane, he was able to–” He suddenly paused, staring at Eva once again. He thought something about her name sounded familiar. “Don’t tell me…you’re a descendant of the Philip Wittebane?”

She nodded, unable to help nodding proudly. “Sure am! He’s my great-great-great granddad. Or something like that–I always forget how many greats there are. Point is, yes, everything we know about the demon realm came from him.”

“Hold on, ‘we?’” asked Patience. “You mean there are more humans here?”

“Well, not here here, but…” Eva sighed. “I should probably explain everything to you. Let’s start off with the important stuff: my family, the Wittebanes, have been obsessed with the Boiling Isles, ever since Great Grandpa Philip came back with stories of another world. Now, not surprisingly, he only revealed his findings in his diaries, since people at that time really didn’t like talking about witches and demons. Lots of people don’t believe in humans here? In the human realm, lots of people don’t believe in witches and demons, either!”

With the other three enamored even with her story only just beginning, Belos felt left out. “Phillip–you all know him,” he said. “Who is he?”

“So, up until a few minutes ago, there was next to no scientific evidence that humans existed,” Alvin explained. “Of the few credible accounts out there, that of Philip Wittebane was the most probable by far. Numerous eyewitnesses, physical evidence left behind, corroborating statements of his appearance–he skirted the line between real and urban legend for some time. And now we finally have concrete proof that he existed!”

Eva’s proud smile grew even wider. “Glad I could be the cause of such a huge scientific discovery! Anyway, he kept his adventures here to himself, but he gave his journals to his descendants. Over the years, generation after generation of Wittebane inherited his fascination–and in some cases, his fear–or the demon realm. For various reasons, the whole lineage strove to find a way back here. And my father, Curtis Wittebane, was the latest in that line. And as you can imagine, he succeeded.”

“Wow… So, what about you?” asked Kikimora. “Why did you come to the Boiling Isles?” She took a sip of her soda. “Ooh, that’s tingly!”

This question caused a dark shadow to spread across Eva’s face. “That’s where my part of the story begins, and I can’t say it’s a happy one. You see, spending most of our time trying to find a magical dimension of witches made my family something of a social pariah. Most people thought we were a bunch of recluses, and those who had an inkling of our goals thought we were insane at best, sacreligious at worst. Finding how Grandpa Philip found this place turned into my dad’s obsession. But one day, after years of studying, he finally made a breakthrough.”

She went over to the wall of pictures, removing one of them and setting it down for everyone to see. It was of the eye sigil, the one Belos thought was vaguely familiar. “I…can’t say I recognize this,” said Alvin. “What is this of?”

“This thing here, this eye, was the secret to traveling to the demon realm,” Eva continued. “Dad tracked Philip’s path to this old house just outside of Gravesfield–that’s the town where we live–and managed to unlock it with a…picture of some sort, like a glyph. It was a long time ago, and it was pretty complicated, so I can’t remember what it looked like. All I remember was that this symbol was in the center. Normally, the door just led into the house, but when it was activated, it brought us here.”

Patience glanced around the room. “Lemme guess, right through there?” she asked, pointing at a wooden door over to the side.

“No, that’s just a broom closet,” said Eva. “When I say ‘here,’ I mean to the Boiling Isles. Where we actually ended up…let’s just say it wasn’t the best place we could have ended up.” This was apparently a sore spot for her, as she looked away with a mixture of anger and regret.

“Oh, no,” Kiki said, looking up at her with sympathy. “Was it somewhere dangerous? Were the people there not happy to see you?”

She sighed. “Somehow, despite being neither of those things, it was worse. See, the other end of the portal to the human realm takes the form of a briefcase here. And that briefcase was, and still is, in the possession of someone who was actually very happy to see us. At first, it seemed he was just as enthusiastic about humans as my dad had been about witches. Once the initial shock of the whole ‘two worlds’ thing wore off, they got along pretty well. I…I considered him something of an uncle, after a while.”

Even Belos could tell that something horrible must have happened, what with how good things seemingly were at this point. He stayed silent, waiting for the other shoe to inevitably drop.

“For a few years, we sorta just hung out at his castle. He’s very rich, by the way, almost royalty. Neither me or Dad had any reason to go back to Earth, so we spent most of our time with him. We taught him about humanity, he taught us about demonkind. I was happy…for a while. As it turns out, he wasn’t being friendly with us just to be friendly. He wanted something, and I think he thought Dad could give it to him.”

“And…what is it he wanted?” Alvin asked curiously.

Eva shrugged. “To this day, I’m still not entirely sure. All I remember is he kept talking about ‘human ingenuity’ and ‘the wonders of modern science and medicine’ and stuff like that. Basically, things all started going downhill when he realized Dad wasn’t some kind of super-genius. He started getting angrier, more demanding. Before long, it was like we were his prisoners. Not long after that, we were his prisoners.

Dad was the one who helped me escape, actually. See, he never taught me anything, only Dad. But then Dad showed me the things he learned about magic–namely, brewing potions. Potions for healing, potions to help you sleep…potions to help other people sleep. Potions to blow holes in walls.

I was supposed to take him with me. We were supposed to get out together, take the portal with us, and never look back. But he knew we’d try to escape. In the end, only I got out. I’ve got Dad to thank for that. But he had to stay behind. So for years, it was just me. All this time, I’ve been trying to find a way back there. A way to save my dad, to get home. I know this might be a bit of a tall ask, but I know you all need help as well. And if you help me…I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

Ever since she brought it up, Patience couldn’t help but fixate on one small detail of the story. “This person who kidnapped you…the rich guy, with the castle. What did you say his name was?”

Eva looked out the window, glaring at Bonesborough–no, glaring beyond it. “He calls himself Lord Baltheus,” she answered. “Like I said, I don’t think he’s a real lord, he just–”

“I knew it!” Patience pounded the table and jumped up. “What are the odds that you and me have the same nemesis!?” She excitedly ran around the table, grabbing Eva’s hands. “We’re absolutely gonna help you now!”

“Great!” said Eva, both glad and slightly confused. She looked at Alvin for clarity.

“Uh, it’s kind of her life’s mission to assassinate him,” he said. “Long story.”

While she had questions, Eva was still glad to know they were onboard. “Well then, I guess only good can come from us having a common enemy.” She awkwardly backed away from Patience before regaining her previous attitude. “Now, I imagine today’s been a lot for all of you. You’re welcome to stay here and relax if you want–I can’t imagine you’d be welcome back in town at this point. Our first mission starts tomorrow!”

“...And, what mission is that?” asked Belos.

Eva winked at him. “I’ll explain everything soon enough!”

The relative silence was broken by a loud belch from Kikimora. “I don’t suppose I could have another one?” she asked, examining her empty can.

While Eva’s house, if it could be called that, was by no means large enough for five people to live comfortably, they got by. Evening was rolling around, and everyone was quite tired from their hectic day, so sleeping arrangements were being made in advance. Eva was generous enough to offer her cot to Alvin, while she and Patience volunteered to sleep on the floor–with the addition of a bundle of sheets and blankets. Kikimora had found a nice box to curl up in, while Belos was content to sleep up in the rafters.

As it was now, Eva was preparing some potions for their mission tomorrow. She sat near the boiling cauldron, her eyes fixed on Bonesborough out the window. Her musing was interrupted when someone sat down next to her. “Looking at something specific?” asked Alvin. “Sorry if I’m barging in. I just thought you looked lonely.”

“Probably because I am a bit lonely,” she said. “As you can imagine, I don’t take off my mask for many people, let alone give them my full name. I’ve been wandering the Isles for years, doing what I could to get by, trying to find some way to get back to Baltheus. I actually only arrived here a couple months ago, once he started cracking down. Not long after, I met your little friend there.” She pointed over at Belos, who was angrily staring at her mask.

“What’s with him?” Alvin asked.

Eva shrugged. “I guess he hates birds. He almost attacked me when we first met–that’s what gave away his cover, actually. Just another reason this mask is a bit of a hindrance…”

Alvin looked confused. “Hang on, I thought you said the mask was to help with a breathing problem. Was that just a lie to obscure your human identity?”

She smirked. “Well, not exactly. The mask does help with my asthma, but no, that’s not its main purpose. I’m just surprised you remember that conversation we had.”

“When it comes to my work, I have a photographic memory,” he said, sounding almost proud. However, his face suddenly turned pale as bringing up ‘work’ reminded him of something. “Oh, no…Mr. Archibald! How am I gonna explain this to him!?” He jumped up in distress, pacing around the room. “Vesh has probably told him all sorts of horror stories about how I’m ‘working with the revenant’ now… He’ll probably attack me on sight if I try to go back to work!”

“All the more reason not to go back to work,” Eva said. She got up as well, bringing him over to the window. This time, her focus was directed at the A&S Guild headquarters. “You do realize who funds that branch, don’t you?”

He did know, but he was hesitant to say it. “B-Baltheus,” he eventually said.

Although more didn’t need to be said, she continued. “I’m sorry to say, Alvin, but it’s likely your boss is one of Baltheus’ stooges. He controls so much of the lower torso, it’d be hard to believe if he wasn’t.”

“No, I can’t believe that,” said Alvin. “I mean, sure, the Guild gets most of its funding from the local Lords, but…but Talus would never work with someone like that! If Lord Baltheus really is as bad as you say, then I’m sure Talus doesn’t know!”

Eva gave him a sympathetic look. “He’s working with Vesh, isn’t he?”

Silence. Alvin wanted to say something along the lines of ‘That’s different,’ but in truth, he didn’t know if it was. “M-maybe he just doesn’t know how bad he is!” he offered, but deep down he knew this was unlikely.

Seeing he was upset, Eva patted him on the back. “Um…look, why don’t we focus on something else for now? I’ll tell you about where we’re going tomorrow: a friend of mine has a club down in the southern borough. He calls it the ‘Foresight Site.’ Yeah, the name’s a bit goofy, I know.”

“What exactly are we gonna be doing there?” Alvin asked.

Eva got up, packing up her potion things for the evening. “Oh, nothing much. He’s been having a little trouble with holding onto the joint–Baltheus wants to foreclose it. It’ll probably just be some boring paperwork on my part, but you never know when things could escalate with that guy.” She noticed that Alvin still looked a bit melancholy. “Seriously, though, thanks for agreeing to help out. You’re the first witches I’ve met in a long time who still care even after knowing what I am.”

Alvin couldn’t help but smile. “Are you kidding? I could never miss the chance to hang around with a real, live human! Besides, it’s…not like I have anywhere else to go.” He looked out at the Guild Headquarters, his melancholy returning.

“I’ll…leave you to it, then,” she said, giving him some space. Given what she knew about Baltheus and those who worked for him, this was probably the best outcome for Alvin. He seemed kind and honest, and she would hate to see him turned into another pawn forwarding the lord’s agenda, much like she and her father had been. But at the same time, by the same logic, she also hated getting him involved…

No matter. Hopefully, tomorrow would go off without a hitch. As the sun started to set, everyone prepared to get some sleep for the big day ahead.

Belos stared out the eyeholes of his mask at nothing in particular, occasionally uttering a growl that most passersby thankfully ignored. Although he couldn’t really see his plague mask while wearing it, the idea that he looked like a bird upset him. It was for this reason he tried not to look at his teammates.

“I get that we don’t want to show our faces after that incident with Vesh,” Patience murmured, “but is this really the best option? I feel like we stand out even more dressed like this.”

The four of them were dressed exactly the same: white robes, and a long-nosed plague mask, courtesy of Eva’s extra attire. Due to her smaller size, Kiki was excluded, though they still managed to include her: she was hidden underneath Alvin’s robes. “Could you try not to move around so much?” he asked of her. “You’re hard enough to conceal without you bouncing around all over the place!”

“Sorry!” she said, absent-mindedly. She was too busy taking in the sights. “There’s just so much neat stuff around here! Can we check out some of these stores after we’re done?”

Eva ignored her, replying to Patience’s query. “Nonsense! I’ve been running around dressed like this for years without incident. Sure, I’ve gotten some weird looks, but nobody ever gets too suspicious.”

“Maybe it’s because you just belong to some religious order, something like the Whispering Order. That’s what I thought when we first met,” suggested Alvin.

As they traveled down the street, a strange sound came to Belos’ ears. He could feel a rhythmic thrumming traveling through the ground, which apparently nobody else could. The sound made him uneasy, but seeing as nobody else was reacting to it, he assumed it was normal. As he was about to find out, he was both right and wrong.

“That’s it, right up ahead,” Eva declared. A sizable building stood apart from all the others crowded against each other on a corner. Above its door, an unlit sign reading ‘Foresight Site’ hung, written in a blocky, futuristic font. Belos could tell, now that they were close, that this was the source of the noises he had heard and felt. “Sounds like they’re doing a sound check for tonight. Hope you all like your music loud!”

“Oh, is that was that cacophony is?” said Alvin, wincing at the sound. “And here I thought a swarm of angry wasps were being tortured. Or being used as torture.”

The buzzing of angry insects was the best way Belos could describe the music. It clearly didn’t belong to any instruments he knew of. As they walked through the door, it seemed to increase in intensity, speeding up as it built to some manner of crescendo. Once it reached its peak, there were some words in a distorted voice, and then the music, for lack of a better word, ‘dropped.’ The pounding resumed much more intensely, along with some strange harmonic ringing noises. Although he couldn’t see their faces, everyone except for Eva seemed just as confused as he did, something that he took solace in. For once, he wasn’t the only one out of his element.

The entryway led into a larger room, most of which was a currently empty dancefloor, with some tables and chairs on the sides. A lone witch was up on stage, seeming to be playing the music, though through an instrument none of them recognized. It seemed to be more a control panel than anything. “Yo, Russel, I’m here! Turn that down!”

The witch, Russel, hadn’t even realized they had arrived. “Oh! Eva…and friends?” He turned off the music, stepping down from the stage to greet them. He was a rather unremarkable looking fellow, rather tall and thin with wispy brown hair that almost covered his eyes, and a small beard on his chin. One thing that stood out to Belos was that he was wearing bugs on his head: he had a pair of large beetles attached over his ears, connected by their antennae above his head. “Which one’s you, I don’t know who to say hey to!” he said jokingly, looking back and forth between the four of them.

“That’d be me!” said the real Eva, walking up to Russel to do a strange sort of handshake/shoulder-bump greeting. “Already getting ready for tonight, huh? You must put a lot of faith in me!”

He chuckled. “Hey, never hurts to be prepared, right? Speaking of, seems like you got some body doubles here. Who’d you have to cash in some favors with to get those?”

“Just a few friends. Consider them hired muscle in case things go south. Russel, meet Valin, Prudence, and…uh, Cecelia,” said Eva, gesturing at Alvin, Patience, and Belos. Kikimora emerged from underneath Alvin’s cloak. “Oh, and Kiki.”

Kikimora crossed her arms indignantly. “Hey, why don’t I get a secret name?” she asked.

“Thanks, just tell ‘im what we look like, too, why don’tcha!” said Patience, irritated.

Russel waved off their worries. “It’s all good, I can keep a secret. Eva’s already told me she’s…you tell ‘em yet?” he asked, pointing to his ears. She nodded. “Welp, Indie should be around here, and then we can get started. Yo, Indie!” he called towards the back of the club. “Our friend’s here! C’mon out!”

Another witch emerged from a back door, walking over to join the others. He looked very similar to Russel–not close enough for them to be twins, but they were clearly related. He was just as skinny but not as tall, with slightly darker hair that covered one eye, and lacked his elder brother’s facial hair. “Hey, Eva,” he said quietly. “Glad you could make it.”

She nodded, seemingly not as close with this one. “Hey Indie. Oh, right–everyone, meet Russel and Indie Forsythe, the owners of Foresight Site. I met them a few years back–I guess you could call us business partners now.”

“Something like that,” said Indie. “Long story short, we helped hide her from the royal guards, and she helped us start this place up.”

“Speaking of, what kind of place is this?” asked Patience, examining the room. “I’ve never heard music like that before. It sounded pretty cool.”

Russel chuckled. “There’s a reason you’ve never heard anything like that before! C’mon back, I’ll give you the scoop. He, Indie, and Eva made their way into the back, with the other following. “See, music’s always been my passion–I am in the Bard Coven, after all. Ever since I was little, it’s been my dream to discover a new sound, one nobody’s heard before. And my little bro here is how that can happen!”

“The technical term for that music is ‘dubstep,’” Indie explained. “It won’t be popular for another fifty or sixty years. Actually, it won’t be invented for that long. But I use my Oracle Coven magic to peer into the future to see what music will be popular decades from now. That’s how the club got its name.”

Although the music itself didn’t really appeal to Belos, he had to admit that was a pretty ingenious usage of their talents. “Impressive,” he said.

Russel looked at him oddly, surprised by his voice, before smiling. “Thanks. It was her idea,” he said, gesturing to Eva.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” she said. “I just planted the seed, this whole enterprise is your work!”

The back room of the Foresight Site was much more blank and businesslike than its bright and colorful main room. Eva and the Forsythe brothers sat down at a table, with the elder producing a folder full of papers. “Alright, let’s talk business,” Russel said. “I’m sure you’re aware of Baltheus’ new Land Requisition Act, but here’s all the details anyway.” He placed some of the papers down on the table. “Now, normally, nonessential family-owned businesses like ours get a five year buffer, but in our case–”

Kikimora had climbed up on one of the chairs, looking over the paperwork with increasing disappointment and aggravation. “Wait a minute, this just looks like a bunch of paperwork. Is this why you came out here? What does this have to do with us!?”

Alvin checked the papers over as well, but was more intrigued than Kikimora was. “You’re building up a case for keeping your club open, aren’t you?” he asked. “Is that what this is about?”

“Mm-hmm,” said Indie. “Neither of us are very good with paperwork or legal jargon, especially when it’s rigged against us. That’s why we asked Eva for help sorting it all out.”

Patience let out a small laugh. “That’s why you brought us out here? Because your friends needed some help with their homework? I mean, good for you, but why do you need us for this? And why are we in disguise?”

“Short answer? Yes, that is the case,” replied Eva. “I didn’t know for sure who would be showing up today, and I figured we could use some help if the royal guard decided to crack down on this place before we could finish up here. Make sense?”

While Belos and Kikimora were both a little annoyed, Alvin didn’t seem to care. “Makes perfect sense to me,” he said. “Actually, I know a thing or two about Baltheus’ policies. If you need it, I could help you out.”

“Thanks–we could use all the help we can get!” said Russel.

“What, I’m not good enough on my own?” Eva joked.

As the three of them got down to business, Patience decided she was in no mood to hear them talk legal jargon. “Welp, I’ll just be out here if anyone needs me. I’ll be keeping an eye out for any of Baltheus’ goons.” She headed out into the main room, with Kikimora and Belos following after her.

And so, the four of them got to work. “This isn’t the first time we’ve been threatened with being shut down,” Russel said. “Most of the time, though, it’s just two-bit landowners who want our spot, not people working directly for Lord Baltheus. It’s gonna make fighting this a bit harder.”

“As far as I can see, all your paperwork checks out,” said Alvin. “You have everything you need here to build a coherent case for staying in business.”

“That’s assuming Baltheus is willing to play by the rules,” Eva replied. “He doesn’t need to play fair, he just needs to make it look like he’s playing fair. Armed guards storming into a civilian business and shutting it down is a lot easier when you hide your reasons for it behind a bunch of legal jargon.”

Indie had stayed mostly silent, looking between the others as they spoke. He glanced at the papers occasionally, but didn’t understand much of what they said. “What I don’t get is why he wants this place specifically,” he said. “What’s so special about our club?”

“Well, it isn’t just us he’s going after–it’s businesses all over town he considers ‘superfluous,’ in his words,” Russel told his brother. He could tell that Indie didn’t really understand much of the complex politics of their predicament; not that he blamed him, of course, as he barely understood. “Why don’t you go and get things set up for tonight? We’re gonna be raisin’ the roof extra hard to celebrate when we’re done here!”

Indie nodded, slightly cheered up. “M’kay.” He got up, slowly leaving the room.

“Are you sure he doesn’t need to be involved?” Alvin asked after he was gone. “I thought this place was his too.”

“He…it’s complicated,” Russel replied. “Indie’s a good kid, but he’s still just a kid, y’know? He’s a talented oracle and all, too, but I don’t think he’s ready for all this stuff. All the ins and outs of running a business, keeping everything together…it’s just not his style.”

Eva appeared to have had this conversation before. “I keep telling you, Indie’s smarter than you give him credit for. If you keep treating him like a child…”

“...Then he’ll keep acting like one, I know,” Russel said. “I can’t help it. I’ve practically been taking care of him since we were little,” he explained to Alvin.

“But you shouldn’t have to,” Eva replied. “You’ve got enough on your plate worrying about Baltheus kicking you out of your own club, you don’t need to be a parent to your brother on top of that.”

A short silence followed. “...I don’t think I’m qualified to comment on the matter,” Alvin said, “so instead I suggest we get back to the matter at hand.” They did so, putting aside the other matter for now.

Meanwhile, back in the main room, Patience and Kikimora were studying the strange device that Russel had been playing the music on. “Apparently it’s called a ‘turn table,’” the former said. “What that means, I couldn’t tell you.” Kiki resisted the urge to fiddle with it.

While they were doing that, Belos was occupying his time doing nothing much of anything, just sitting on the steps and contemplating his situation. In the long run, he couldn’t care less about playing useless guard duty, as long as Eva could help him in his search. But the more he thought about it, he began to wonder if his search was really as straightforward as he believed. Was there really one definitive answer to who he was, and why he was here? Furthermore, the idea that there was an entire other world with entirely different rules than those of the demon realm added yet another layer to his search. Could revenants have some connection to the human realm?

He was shaken out of his thoughts when he was suddenly greeted. “You alright?” He turned to see Indie having approached him, nervously waiting for him to respond. “It’s just that you seemed a bit sad over here. Are you sad?”

“No,” Belos replied, “just thinking.”

“Oh.” After a brief pause, Indie sat down beside him. “What’re you thinking about?”

Though Belos preferred to be left to his own devices, he decided to indulge Indie despite his irritation. “About myself. About who I am, and where I come from.” He considered leaving it at that, but then added “Do you ever wonder that?”

“Uh…not really,” Indie replied. “Russel and I grew up here in Bonesborough. We came from the slums, so we didn’t really have a lot growing up. That’s why we were so happy when we bought this place.” His nervous air faded entirely, replaced with a happy one as he reminisced. “I always used to love listening to my brother play his music. Now that we have a way to do that for a living, and to share his music–our music, with so many people…that’s just so special. I couldn’t bear to have that taken away. So, yeah, actually…I think that’s why I’m here. Some people see our club as just some trashy hangout, and maybe it is, but it’s so much more than that for me. You?”

Indie came across to Belos as naive, and yet genuine. He almost seemed like a calmer, gentler version of himself back before he and Mary had been separated. “I wish I knew,” he said. “You have your brother–I don’t have anyone. No place to call home. Not anymore. Vesh took that away from me.”

He didn’t know who Vesh was, but Indie knew how to respond. “You have all these guys, right? Eva, the smart guy, that lady, the little one…aren’t they your friends?”

Belos was about to tell him that no, they weren’t. Aside from Kikimora, he was only cooperating with the others now that they shared a common enemy. He wasn’t close enough with any of them to call them his friends, especially Alvin. But it dawned on him that, like it or not, he would probably be spending a lot more time with all of them in the coming days. “I suppose so,” he replied, the answer a surprise to him.

“Ah, that’s good, then,” Indie replied. “So, uh…how’d you meet Eva, anyway? For us, she just showed up one day on the run from the royal guards. Something tells me she just sorta stumbled into your life, too–or you stumbled into hers.”

That was a pretty accurate summary. “We met at the bazaar,” said Belos. “She offered to pay for my bile sacs. Then I attacked her.”

“...Why?”

Belos gestured to his mask, a copy of hers. “Don’t like birds,” he said. “Don’t know why, either; just don’t. She knew what I was before I revealed myself. Didn’t bother her. In fact, I think she was looking for me.”

“What do you mean by ‘what I was?’” Indie asked. Belos froze, realizing he had said too much. “Oh, sorry if that’s too personal. I’m a curious sort, y’know? Sometimes I ask questions without–”

“Nevermind.” Belos stood up, making his way over to the club’s entrance, where he gazed out the window. Indie stood up as well, about to join him to apologize, only to figure that might not be the best idea. He decided to give Belos some space, instead joining the two women on stage.

Kikimora had lifted herself up to the table, and was fiddling around with the multitude of buttons and knobs. “What gives? Why isn’t the music happening?” she asked, frustrated.

“Usually, it works better when the power’s on,” Indie said, walking up to them. “Still, it’s nice to know you like our music. Sounds pretty weird, doesn’t it? I remember being pretty confused when I first saw it!”

“Uh…” Patience looked for a kind way of putting it. “It’s definitely intriguing. I’m more impressed that you can see in the future that far at all! How does that work, exactly?”

Indie smiled, clearly touched that she was impressed by him. “It definitely takes a lot of time and effort, that’s for sure! Y’know, it’s actually easier for a lot of oracles to see further into the future than sooner! ‘Course, it doesn’t mean we can see everything that’s going on. Most of it’s just minor details, flashes of little, irrelevant things. I think the reason I mostly hear music is because the two of us have been listening to music all our lives. He may be the bard between us, but music is still ingrained in the both of us.”

“How about that?” said Patience. She noticed Belos had disappeared from the steps. “Uh-oh. Where’d the big guy–er, gal go?”

“I think I might’ve offended him–er, her,” Indie said bashfully. “She doesn’t like talking about her past.”

Kikimora and Patience looked at each other and nodded. “I think I can guess why,” said the latter. “Don’t worry about her, she’s just a bit prickly. How goes the effort to keep you guys open?”

Indie glanced back at the door where Eva and his brother were hard at work. “Going well, hopefully. Your guy seems to know his way around a bureaucracy, so that’ll be helpful. Oh! You guys should totally stick around for tonight! Russel said we’re gonna be partying extra hard to celebrate getting this thing finalized!”

“I’m in!” Kikimora exclaimed before Patience could offer an excuse. “I want to know more about that weird music!”

Patience laughed awkwardly. “That depends on what the boss says,” she said. “We’re probably gonna be busy, what with our quest to mur–take down Baltheus. I’m sure we’d all love to stay, but it’s not up to us.”

That was when there came a commotion from the back room. The three of them emerged, laughing proudly, with Eva holding up a slip of paper. “And that should be the end of your troubles!” she said. “Everything’s all set up and squared away!”

Indie excitedly hurried over. “You mean it? You saved our club?”

“We sure did!” replied Russel. “...In theory, at least. Like you said, we’re expecting Baltheus and his goons to play fair. I’m not so sure they’ll be too happy when they see this.”

“Well, we could always stick around,” Eva said. “Just to make sure. Hey, everyone! How’d you all like to go clubbing tonight?”

An irritated Patience groaned. “Do I have a choice?”

Night had fallen, and the party was in full swing. Dozens of patrons moved their bodies on the dance floor to the pumping music, illuminated by the flashing lights. The sight was so alien to the group, but Russel, Indie, and all the witches dancing looked to be right at home.

Belos watched the scene from the second floor. All the lights and noise was a bit overwhelming for his enhanced senses, but it still captivated him somewhat. The music was otherworldly, but not altogether cacophonic. Plus, with the way Russel expertly managed the booth, he seemed to be very passionate about it.

“Uh, hey.” Belos turned to see Alvin standing behind him. The man was, perhaps understandably, still a bit uneasy to be around the revenant. “Eva wanted me to check up on you. Anything untoward happening up here?”

He shook his head. “No.” Alvin waited a bit to see if there was more to his answer, but there wasn’t.

The five of them had waited around as extra security, just in case the lone bouncer outside wasn’t enough. While Russel was glad to have them, he was sure that the large demon could handle things, but Eva had insisted. It almost seemed like she knew something they didn’t.

Alvin was about to walk away, but he noticed that Belos seemed tense. He produced a half-empty vial of a bluish liquid from his cloak. “Here, you want some? It’s a calming potion. Eva gave it to me for my nerves, but…it looks like you could use some, too.”

After a moment of consideration, Belos took the potion, lifting his mask to swallow it in a single swig. He coughed–it was bitter, but he noticed its effects soon after. “Thank you.”

“Don’t…don’t mention it,” Alvin said awkwardly. Figuring their interaction was done, he crept away.

Meanwhile, Eva stood near Russel’s turntable, scanning the dance floor for signs of any sort of ne’er-do-well. So far, nothing out of the ordinary…until she felt something tugging on her robe. “Hey, human lady!” Kiki whispered, barely audible due to the music. “We’ve got a situation! He showed them the paperwork, but they didn’t care!”

Kiki pointed towards the entrance, where five or so figures had pushed their way past the bouncer. All of them wore the same red and white armor that Eva had become so familiar with. “Great,” she muttered. “Come on. Let’s hope they’ll listen to reason.” She climbed down from the stage to confront the guards, joined by Kiki and eventually Patience. The guards approached the stage, pushing past the dancers in their way. They only stopped then they were blocked by the three of them. “Just so you know, we do have an entry fee.”

Their apparent leader loomed over her. “Just so you know, this place should’ve been shut down weeks ago,” he growled. “By being here, you’re all violating his lordship’s decree.”

“Sheesh! It’s just some dancing, what’s the big deal?” asked Patience. “Why does Baltheus have such a vendetta against this place, anyway?”

The captain stared at her for a moment, before turning back to Eva. “We’d like to speak with the owner, and something tells me you aren’t the owner. Might you step aside so we can have an, ahem, polite conversation?”

“No need; I’m right here,” said Russel, appearing behind them. Eva looked over to see that Indie had taken over the music. “Why don’t we head upstairs so we don’t disturb my paying customers?”

Although the other guards moved in, they held back on their captain’s orders. All of them headed up the stairs, with Russel and the captain taking a seat at an empty table. Their respective entourages stood behind them, sizing up the other party. Belos and Alvin stood nearby, watching in case things went south.

“I’d like to think I was quite clear when I said, in no uncertain terms, that this plot of land is now under our ownership,” the captain said. “And yet, here you are, partying away as usual. Playing your ‘music,’ if it can be called that. I consider this flagrant disregard for the law tantamount to spitting in the face of his lordship. What do you have to say in your defense?”

Despite the (much larger than him) armored knight sitting across from him seething with hatred, Russel remained calm, at least outwardly. “If you want to talk about ‘flagrant disregard for the law,’ maybe you should ask yourself why you’re barging in here and demanding we be shut down. If you cared at all to listen to our doorman, you’d know that everything checks out. There is no legal reason why we shouldn’t be allowed to stay open.”

A scoff from the captain. “In case you’ve forgotten, Lord Baltheus is the law. He has declared that all non-essential businesses in the lower torso be shut down to open up land for his latest projects. And I’d like to think that the word of his lordship supersedes any sort of paperwork you may have, no matter how well-sorted it may be. So I’d suggest you ask your patrons to kindly clear out, and then follow suit.”

“Who do you think you are, threatening us like that!?” said Kikimora, pulling herself up to the table. “All these two want to do is play their music for the masses and give them a night of fun! Who are you to barge in here and ruin that, all because of some stupid order from some guy who’s probably never even heard of this place! So why don’t you clear out so they don’t have to worry about–”

Without the captain batting an eye, another of the guards grabbed Kiki by the collar, lifting her up. “What should I do with this one, boss?” he asked. Patience and Eva prepared to intervene if necessary.

The captain looked closer at the struggling demon. “Teach her some manners. I should have this wrapped up before long.” The guard carried Kiki off. When Patience tried to stop him, the captain had his other guards block her path. “Don’t wander off, now. We’re in the middle of something.”

Russel clenched his jaw. “You wanna hurt someone, hurt me,” he growled, moments away from getting up.

“You know what?” said the captain, sounding like he too was on the verge of leaping into action. “I just might take you up on that. I’ll say this one more time: clear. Out.”

Behind him, the guard holding Kikimora never got the chance to do whatever it was he was going to do with her. One moment he was viewing her struggle with amusem*nt, holding a spell circle close to her face, and the next he had been tackled to the ground. The other guards only saw that it was one of the four robed figures, but they knew that it was Belos with the way he clawed at the armored figure like a wild animal. Kiki scrambled to safety, watching her savior intently.

This was the last straw. “Violence it is; get them!” shouted the captain. With a point, his soldiers launched spells at Russel’s other guards. The man himself and Eva managed to duck, but Patience took the hit, being launched backwards. She was on her feet soon enough, warping away from the fray.

Belos tossed the battered guard away, moving his attention to the two others converging on him. He snarled as they fired their spells his way, powering through the stinging sensations as he launched himself at one of them before tossing him at the other. The pair clattered to the ground. Belos whipped around and raised a claw to strike the figure approaching from behind, stopping when he realized it was only Alvin.

“Woah! Friendly, friendly!” Alvin shouted, holding up his hands. This brief pause gave the first guard, the one about to attack Kikimora, the opportunity to sucker punch Belos, knocking him to the floor. Alvin instinctively staggered back as the armored figure began blasting spell after spell into his fallen ally.

The guard was clearly grinning beneath his helmet as Belos tried and failed to get up, being repeatedly stunned. “You like that, huh? How’s that feel? Think I’ll do this to your little girlfriend once I’m done with you!”

A minor projectile spell collided with the guard’s head, succeeding only at getting his attention. He looked over to see Alvin, cowering by the bannister with a finger pointed his way. Ignoring Belos, the guard headed over, preparing to do the same thing to Alvin.

Freezing in place, Alvin was only able to close his eyes, preparing for being stunned over and over. Instead, he opened them again as he heard a commotion. Belos had leapt to his rescue, rushing the guard from behind. He staggered, before tumbling over the bannister, landing with quite a crash if the sounds from below were any indication.

Alvin shakily got to his feet, peering over the edge. “T-thanks,” he said to Belos.

“Thanks,” Belos repeated.

The music continued to pump as Patience darted around the other guards. Warping onto one’s head, she used her momentum and weight to bring him to the ground, teleporting away to dodge a spell slung her way. She was about to do the same to the one behind it, only for him to be suddenly hit by a chair. Eva flashed her a thumbs-up, before continuing to fight with her makeshift weapon.

Not being knocked around so easily was the captain, tanking everything Russel could throw at him. He kept walking forward, no matter how many blasts of sound he endured. “Get back here so I can snap you like a twig!” he said. “That’s what you wanted, right? You wanted me to hurt you?”

Russel was about to fire another, only to suddenly stop. He kept still as the captain approached, as though he heard something nobody else could hear. “Belos! Over here!” he suddenly yelled.

Hearing his name, Belos turned in that direction. Seeing the captain approaching Russel, he ran at the armored intruder, his hand glowing with magic. The captain turned just in time to see him coming, just as he was blasted against the wall by a wave of energy. Alvin hurried over to help Russel up. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yeah, just fine, thanks to your friend there.” He shook himself off. “What’s her deal, anyway? She seems pretty…intense.”

Alvin watched as Belos ran up to the dazed captain, repeatedly slamming him into the wall before he could recover. “‘Intense’ is putting it mildly,” he replied.

But he didn’t achieve his rank for nothing, as the captain had soon freed himself from Belos’ grip, blowing the revenant across the room with a point-blank explosive spell. He crashed into the railing hard enough to bend it, though thankfully it held. He growled as the captain stomped towards him, pulling himself up.

That’s when the music got louder. Or so it seemed–Belos noticed his body had gained a glowing red aura, accompanied by a feeling of empowerment. Any wounds or fatigue he had gained during the fight seemed to melt away, courtesy of Russel. He held a pair of pulsing spell circles in front of his hands, and a line of colorful bars, jumping up and down in time with the music, hovered behind his back. “Go for it!” he yelled, to Belos as well as the others, who had also been enhanced by his magic.

Several of the guards tried to stop Belos as he approached their leader, but he proved too strong to overcome. He weathered the spells they fired at him, and when one summoned a magical blade to shank him, he dodged, grabbing the guard’s arm and slamming him into the ground.

“Look out!” Belos looked up in time to see the captain rushing him, his fist wreathed in magical energy. He dodged out of the way of the punch, which created a devastating burst where he just was. The voice that had warned him…he was certain it was Indie, but the younger Forsythe brother was nowhere to be seen. “Behind you!”

He whirled around just as another guard shot a fireball his way. The projectile hit its mark, throwing him back and setting his cloak ablaze. As he hurriedly tried to put it out, the guard readied another blast. Just before he could fire, Patience appeared beside him, lashing his wrist with a magical lasso. The fireball missed Belos, instead hitting and knocking out another guard going for Alvin.

Belos lifted up the guard before he could chase after Patience–not that he would have gotten far, as she warped away just as fast as she had appeared. But as he held the man over his head, a sudden change came over him. His strength was fading, as was the red glow around his body. He slammed the guard down into a table before his power was completely gone, and soon after his fatigue and injuries returned.

Panting, he looked over at Russel to see what had happened, finding that he had been captured by the captain. “Alright, this has been a fun little distraction,” he said, holding a spell circle against Russel’s temple, “but unlike you vagrants, I have places to be. So how about we wrap this up?”

Everyone stood still–there wasn’t much they could do without putting Russel at risk. Unwilling to simply surrender, they were caught in a stalemate–which is when Belos heard the voice again. “Alvin’s going to make a move. When he does, just ignore the big guy–get my brother out of there!” His gaze drifted behind the captain, and sure enough, Alvin was sneaking up on him. He didn’t exactly trust the voice, even assuming it did belong to Indie, but then he noticed everyone else. Patience, Eva, and even Kikimora looked ready to move, as though they too had been given instructions. He may not have trusted the voice, but, at least in this situation, he trusted them.

Alvin leapt onto the captain, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “You little–!” He let go of Russel to grab Alvin, and Belos darted in. Resisting his urge to attack, he focused only on Russel, grabbing the bard and getting him to safety. The captain had merely swapped captives, now holding onto Alvin. “You wanna play the hero, huh? Don’t know if you’ve heard, but heroes don’t fare too well around here!”

Just as he prepared a spell circle, Patience teleported up, blasting him before he could blast Alvin. He dropped him and staggered back, with Patience grabbing Alvin and warping him away. Now that the way was clear, Eva hurled a vial of potion at him, which shattered against his armor and drenched him in the liquid.

When the potion seemed to have no obvious effect, the captain simply laughed at them. “Really scraping the bottom of the barrel now, aren’t ya? It’s gonna take more than water to stop me!”

“Good thing that’s not water, then,” said Eva. She nodded to Kikimora, who emerged from underneath a table to fire a spell from her hair-hand. It was only a small spark, likely unnoticeable otherwise. But as Eva said, that wasn’t water, and the spark reacted rather violently to it.

There was a loud crack and a flash of light as the potion was ignited. Most of it had pooled on the floor, with the explosion throwing the captain upward. He crashed against a light fixture, before falling hard back on the floor. He struggled to get back up, but was unsuccessful, as the damaged light fixture fell down, pinning him to the ground and finishing him off.

Russel got to his feet, examining the scene. Each of the guards had been defeated, now laying around them. Most of the club hadn’t even noticed the fight, as it had mostly been confined to the second floor, with the music still going strong. He helped Belos to his feet. “Thanks for that,” he said.

“Of course,” Belos replied.

All of them regrouped now that the fighting was done. “That was…marginally more intense than I was expecting,” Alvin said. “Hang on, did you know these guys were coming?” he asked Eva.

She shrugged. “Kinda, kinda not. I had my suspicions, but I was hoping it wouldn’t escalate into a full-on brawl like that. Good thing we were here though, hey?”

“That it was,” said Russel. “Eva, you really helped me out here. I’d be out of a job without you. And arrested. And probably dead. So basically, I owe you one. If you ever need anything from me or my brother, just say the word.”

Eva’s gratitude was suddenly cut short by a cacophony of clanking footsteps ascending the stairs. A legion of more guards rushed up to the second floor, surrounding the area. “Look out! Reinforcements!” Kiki cried. Belos and the others prepared for another fight, when…

“Wait! Hang on! They’re with me!” The club’s bouncer appeared from behind these new guards, standing between them and the group. “It’s alright. I went and got them when the fighting started. They’re here to help.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The club was winding down for the night, and all the patrons were heading home. The captain and his rogue guards had all been escorted away by the other troops, one of which was now looking over the paperwork. “Mm-hmm…uh-huh…okay then, Mr. Forsythe, everything checks out.” He handed back the papers and shook Russel’s hand. “The Foresight Site is officially exempt from the shutdown.”

“That’s great news, sir,” he said. “Things were looking a bit spotty there for a bit. I was worried all of Baltheus’ guys would just ignore these and kick us out regardless.”

“Oh, no, no, these five way overstepped their boundaries,” the guard assured him. “Though, I understand where their hesitance to believe you came from. Places all across Bonesborough are being shut down left and right, and we’ve come across plenty of forged documentation before. You lot should be fine though. Now, if there won’t be anything else, we’ll be on our way.” With that, he and the others left without further comment.

Now it was only the seven of them once again, alone in the empty club. “...That was certainly an eventful night,” said Patience. “A bit too eventful if you ask me. Can we go now?”

“We probably should be leaving,” said Eva. “Word will probably get out soon of our little escapades here tonight, and there’s no telling who it’ll reach. You watch yourselves, now.”

Indie, though sad to see them go, smiled nevertheless. “We will! Now that those guys know what our new bodyguards are capable of, I doubt anyone will bother us again!”

Everyone said their goodbyes, with Eva leaving behind a few identical robes and masks, to give the illusion that they were still around. But before they made their way outside, something stopped Belos. He turned around to face Indie. “That was your voice, wasn’t it?” he said. “You helped us.”

“I did,” he said with a slightly bashful grin. “One of the perks of being an oracle is that I can project my thoughts into others’ minds, and vice versa. So I…kinda might’ve read your mind, too. Sorry about that. I try not to do that without permission, but it seemed like an emergency.

It had been, and it was thanks to him that they came out on top, so Belos wasn’t upset. That said… “That is how you knew my name.” Indie nodded. “Then…you also know what I am.”

“I do,” he said. “Don’t worry, though–I won’t tell a soul.”

“He won’t, either,” said Russel. “My bro’s very good at keeping secrets.”

Satisfied, Belos followed after the others. Some months ago, he would have been mortified for someone to see through his disguise. But after Mary, and Kikimora, and now Patience, Alvin, and Eva…the more people knew he was a revenant, the less he was bothered by more people knowing. He left as well, leaving the two brothers alone.

“That said,” said Russel, “what did he mean by ‘what I am?’ Is he not some sorta demon?”

Grinning, Indie shook his head. “That’s not my secret to tell.”

“All I’m saying is, I think all we did was piss off Baltheus more,” Kiki said as the five of them walked through the underground passageway. “We defeated five guards. Where does that get us in the long run?”

“It gets some friends of mine out of trouble,” Eva replied. “That’s more than enough for me. Plus, now they owe me a favor. Win-win, right?”

“I’m not sure that’s how you use that phrase,” replied Alvin.

Belos was the first up the ladder, disappearing through the trapdoor. “Just as long as we never have to go back there again,” Patience said. “I don’t know about you all, but hours of listening to that thumping and buzzing have given me a headache.”

“Fair enough,” said Alvin. He headed up the ladder next, but strangely, he heard no sounds from Belos. He imagined he would hear some shuffling as the revenant discarded his disguise and bedded down for a rest, but there was only silence. “Uh, Belos?” he said, ascending cautiously. “Everything okay up there?”

When Alvin peered up into the hideout, nothing out of the ordinary caught his attention. Then he noticed Belos, down on all fours, his hackles raised. He let out a low growl in the direction of the window. Turning slowly, Alvin was relieved to find that it was only a simple crow, perched on the sill.

He climbed up fully, followed by Kiki. “Boss, it’s only a bird,” she said, holding onto his arm. “It can’t hurt you.” Belos likely wasn’t afraid of the crow, per se, but he eyed it hatefully as he moved away. “Human lady, there’s a crow here for you!”

“A crow?” said Eva. “Who’d be cawling me?” She pulled herself up and went over to inspect the bird, but it ignored her. “Looks like it’s for one of you.”

“But who could…?” Alvin realized with a slight jolt that the crow’s eyes were fixed on him. He stepped to the side, and it followed him. It let out a caw, flying up and landing on his shoulder. He froze up, and Belos resisted the urge to pounce. Hesitantly, he took the bird in his hand, pressing gently on its stomach. “H-hello?”

“Alvin? Alvin, my boy, is that you?” It was unmistakably the voice of Talus. He sounded impatient, as though he had been wondering why his employee wasn’t answering his calls.

His throat dry, Alvin gulped as best he could. “Y-yes, sir,” he replied. “It’s me.”

Chapter 9: Family Ties

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine: Family Ties

Alvin was completely paralyzed. He tried to convince himself that Mr. Archibald was unaware of his actions down at the Foresight Site, and was cawling him for a different reason. But it seemed like the more he tried, the more assured he was that this was not the case. “What can I do for you?”

“What can you do? You can start by explaining what’s going on around here!” shouted Talus, sounding far more agitated than Alvin had ever heard him. “Vesh is telling me you helped the revenant escape! Please, help me understand, what exactly are you up to!?”

The revenant in question, Kikimora, Patience, and Eva were all huddled around Alvin as he continued the call. “Um…okay, you’re right, this probably doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But I can explain everything, I promise! Bel–er, the revenant isn’t as dangerous as we thought.”

“‘Not as dangerous?’ What do you call killing three people!?” exclaimed Talus.

“He was framed for one, and another was in self-defense!” Alvin insisted. “Please, sir, I’ve worked for you for years. Why would I suddenly go rogue just to protect a monster if I still thought it was a threat?”

Talus was quiet for a moment as he processed this. He seemed to move the crow away from his mouth, as he was heard talking with someone in the distance. “Are you sure there isn’t something else you aren’t telling me, my boy?” he asked.

“No, nothing, of course not!” said Alvin, relieved that Talus seemed to be seeing reason. “So, listen, our previous assumptions about the revenant turned out to be unfounded. It is dangerous, yes, but it’s not the malicious monster we thought. It’s actually intelligent, thoughtful, introspective, even capable of compassion! If the two of you were to meet, I’m sure that you…sir?” More talking coming from the other end made him pause.

“Hmm? Oh, apologies, Alvin, Vesh is here as well.” Everyone tensed up upon hearing this. “Now then, how can I be certain the revenant isn’t as dangerous as you say?”

Seeing as Talus had yet to mention Vesh’s encounter with the group, two things were possible. One was that Vesh simply hadn’t told him yet, which seemed unlikely. And two, he told him everything, and this whole call was something of a test. Alvin decided to cut the thread then and there. “Sir, listen to me, you cannot trust Vesh! He sent his goons after us! He’s the one who killed Mary Pembrooke! Please, sir, I don’t know what he’s told you, but–”

“Alvin, please, calm down,” Talus said, sounding worried. “Vesh has told me everything. I don’t know what’s going on, but I trust you.”

Alvin faltered. “Y-you do?”

“Of course I do.” Something in Talus’ voice sounded pained. “I’m sure we can work this all out. Come back to headquarters immediately–and please, bring your friends. I want to know every possible account on this.”

Looking for answers, Alvin glanced over at Eva. She was silently shaking her head, a pleading look on her face. “Um, who’ll be waiting there for us?” he asked.

“Waiting?” They heard some whispering from who they could only assume was Vesh. “You aren’t…afraid of something, are you, my boy? I can assure you, I’m not upset with you.”

“Why would he need to point that out unless–” Patience said, before being hushed by Eva.

It seemed Alvin had the same thought. “Sir…when you say Vesh told you everything…how much of ‘everything’ do you mean?”

There was another long, uncomfortable silence as Talus and Vesh spoke. “He told me you, Patience, and an oddly-dressed woman ran off with the revenant,” he finally said. “Specifically assisting him in escaping from Vesh’s hunters, I might add. What happened, Alvin? What prompted this sudden turn-around?”

“I told you, the revenant’s not what we think it is!” Alvin cried. “Please, if you could only see it for yourself, I could convince you it’s not dangerous! Just come to us, without Vesh, and–”

“What!? Hey, you can’t just invite him into my house!” shouted Eva. “I told you, this guy’s not to be trusted! Don’t let him fool you!”

Before Alvin could respond, he realized that Talus had overheard this outburst. “What? Who is that? What do you mean ‘don’t bring Vesh?’ Alvin, work with me here!”

Kikimora took that moment to snatch the crow away from Alvin, taking it over to a window. “Okay, thank you, sir, good talk, I’ll see you later, don’t call back, bye!” she said rapidly, before hurling the bird outside and slamming the window shut. She didn’t turn around until she was certain it had flown away. “Phew! That was a close one.” The other four all stared at her. “...What?”

“Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you,” Eva said, walking over to her workbench. “I did say you couldn’t trust Archibald, didn’t I? He’s working with Baltheus, who is working with Vesh, who already tried to kill us! If that doesn’t convince you, then…” She trailed off when she saw just how upset Alvin looked.

Though not exactly in shock, Alvin stared out the window as though hoping the crow would come back, so he could explain everything. “I…it’s not…he just doesn’t know the whole story,” he said quietly. “If he could just meet Belos, I’m sure he’d realize he doesn’t mean any harm!”

“I’m not meeting him,” Belos said bluntly.

“Y’know, I have to agree with the revenant,” said Patience. “Not only did he hire Vesh with the express purpose of hunting him down, but you’re the one who brought the revenant to his attention in the first place. A total one-eighty like this just seems suspicious.”

Alvin visibly sank at these words. As much as he tried to deny it, the notion that he was up against the man he admired most, who was like a second father to him, was disheartening to say the least. “But…we should…” He didn’t finish his thought. He didn’t really see the point.

For her part, Eva approached to give Alvin a pat on the back. “Hey, trusting someone’s nothing to be ashamed of. I trusted Baltheus, and look where that got me. But I learned from it, and got to where I am now. I’m sure you’ll be able to do the same.” Her pep talk didn’t have much effect, but she continued anyway. “Now, we need to figure on our next move: how to take down Lord Baltheus.”

“Am I the only one who thinks our goals are a bit too lofty?” asked Kiki. “Baltheus is one of the Isles’ Lords, and we’re just five people! Bigger groups than us have tried and failed to take on a Lord, so what shot do we have?”

Eva grinned a little. “I’m so glad you asked! That’s a problem I’ve been slowly but steadily working on for the past few years. That business with the Foresight Site was just the first step towards building a special team of highly trained operatives who can take Baltheus down for good!”

“Nice!” said Patience, pumping her fist. “So, what’s the next step?”

“...There isn’t one yet!” Eva replied.

Silence. Belos stopped paying attention and wandered off.

“So, we’re basically just playing it by ear now?” Patience said. Eva nodded. “Okay, not–not ideal, but I’ve worked with less. So, who else is on your list for this special team?”

Eva gestured to everyone in the room.

“We’re your highly-trained operatives?” asked Alvin. He took a quick glance at the others. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I doubt we’ll be getting anywhere with just us.”

“Not with that attitude we won’t!” Eva said. “Sure, we’re a bit of a motley crew at the moment, but with a little bit of practice, and getting used to each other, we’ll be a well-oiled fighting machine! Nothing can stand in our way!”

Kiki raised her hand. “Uh, does that include armies? Because I’m pretty sure Baltheus has one of those. At least one.”

“We’ll, eh, figure that part out later,” she said. “Right now, we need to focus on our main threat: Vesh! Not only is he relentlessly hunting us down, but he’s one of Baltheus’ loyalest lapdogs. It’s safe to assume that everything he knows he’s already taken to his master. If we stop him, we deprive Bal of a pretty big advantage.”

Despite everything that had just happened, Alvin still held onto a glimmer of hope. Everyone else seemed convinced that Talus was just as bad as Vesh or Baltheus, but they hadn’t known him as long as he had. Was it still possible, then, that he had merely been led astray by Vesh’s lies?

Talus stared in confusion at his crow, the cawl having suddenly been interrupted by an irritating third party. He let the bird fly away, looking up at the man standing over his shoulder. “What in blazes was that about?”

“That was no doubt Kikimora, the little helper the revenant picked up,” said Vesh, strolling over to the window. Much of Bonesborough could be seen from up here, and in the distance, he could just make out the shape of Baltheus’ fortress on the lower stomach. “Given the way things are going, we think it has some way of acquiring…for lack of a better word, ‘thralls.’”

“Explain,” Talus said, turning around in his chair to face the hunter.

Vesh hid his true feelings behind concern. “You see, the idea first occurred to me not long after we lost Grimsby. When doing some investigating, it turned out that the revenant had been hiding out at Mary Pembrooke’s home for some time before it finally killed her.” Talus shifted slightly, but didn’t interrupt. “At first, I couldn’t rectify how something so large and aggressive would be able to hide right under her nose for so long. It could’ve hidden, but for months? And she never once got suspicious, or brought this to anyone’s attention? And then, after Adeghast’s victims escaped, one of them began following at the revenant’s heels. Why? Surely there were better options than attaching yourself to a monster!”

Finally, Talus couldn’t hold his question anymore. “And why wasn’t this brought to my attention sooner? Whatever this theory is, it could aid us in capturing the monster!”

“I’m getting to that,” said Vesh, holding up a hand. “First it was Pembrooke, then Kikimora, then that odd woman dressed like a bird. And now Alvin and Patience are aiding the monster? Tell me, Mr. Archibald, what do these five individuals have in common?”

The answer soon came to him. “They each had contact with the revenant at some point.”

Vesh smiled. “Precisely! I believe–and keep in mind, this is only a theory–that the revenant has some way of swaying individuals to its side. If not completely controlling their minds, then altering them to somehow believe it’s harmless, and making aiding it their top priority. It would not be the only creature to possess such an ability: the hypnockatrice works similarly as well, doesn’t it?”

It was true. There were species of demons that utilized forms of hypnosis and mind control to bend other beings to their will. “I must admit, although it’s possible, it doesn’t sound likely,” said Talus. “I’ll need more evidence before I consider it more thoroughly.”

“What more evidence do you need?” asked Vesh. “Alvin Grizzwold, adventurer extraordinaire, one of your star pupils, trusts some random monster more than he trusts you! Does that sound like the Alvin you know? Or does that sound more like the Alvin who’s been brainwashed by a revenant?”

Talus really felt like Vesh was jumping to conclusions about the revenant’s abilities. But at the same time, he couldn’t fathom any other reason why Alvin would drop everything to protect such a dangerous animal. “You…may have a point,” he admitted, as much as it pained him. “But I still need proof! Anything and everything you find out about the revenant, you bring directly to me. We need to understand it if we have any hope of defeating it…and, if you’re correct, freeing its captured thralls.”

He nodded. “Of course. I already have all of my men looking into any lead they can find. If I discover something, you’ll be the first to know.” Talus dismissed him, and he walked towards the elevator. However, before he left the office, he turned back. “Oh, and one more thing…have you heard from Lord Baltheus lately?”

Something about the way the question was asked put Talus on edge, let alone the question itself. “Not since a few days ago. Why?”

“No reason,” Vesh casually said, shrugging “I just wondered how he was taking this whole revenant debacle. He’s not the kind of person to take setbacks lightly. Take it from me, he can have quite the temper when he wants to…” Leaving this thinly-veiled threat to linger in the air, Vesh disappeared through the door.

Talus stared down at his empty desk, processing this new information. By this point, it was clear that Vesh had been lent to him by Baltheus as a way to keep him in line. But that didn’t mean what his speculations about the revenant didn’t hold water. So little was known about the creatures, much of it hard to believe as-is, meaning it was entirely possible it had mind-altering abilities. He let out a heavy sigh, knowing his work was cut out for him.

“The best I can think of is luring Vesh into some sort of trap,” said Patience, seated around the table with the others. “He’s pretty full of himself, so it shouldn’t be too hard to trick him.”

“He isn’t stupid.” Belos was not seated at the table, instead crouching against the wall. They had asked why he would rather be over there, but he hadn’t answered. “Don’t underestimate him. He is vicious, and cunning.”

“All true,” said Eva. “But I do think tricking Vesh is our best bet. Maybe instead of taking him out outright, we should get him to take us to Baltheus! If we play our cards right, we might not even need to deal with his armies, and cut right to the chase. ‘The chase’ being Baltheus’ neck. …Is that too grim? I feel like that’s a bit too grim.”

Kikimora sighed. “Grim or not, I really feel like the deck is stacked against us. Baltheus doesn’t feel like a person–he feels like this big, untouchable figure that mere mortals like us can’t even hope to see, let alone kill.”

“Nobody’s untouchable,” Patience muttered. “It might take years, but we have to make sure Baltheus gets what he deserves.”

Even after working with her this long, Alvin still didn’t fully understand Patience’s hatred for the lord. “Let alone the methods, have we even considered the consequences?” he asked. “Even if we do manage to kill him, what then? Killing one of the Lords is about as treasonous as it can get! We’ll be hunted, and if we’re caught, executed, or worse! And who's to say his replacement won’t be worse?”

“Hard to get worse than Baltheus,” Eva muttered, but she had to acknowledge his points. “Well, we’ll just have to wing it, then. Or, better yet, why doesn’t one of us take his place? That’s a thing, right? Killing a Lord and becoming one yourself?”

“That’s largely a myth, though there is some truth to it,” Alvin explained. “Lordship can only be transferred by combat in a one-on-one duel, and even then, only if there is nobody else who claims ownership of the title. Not to mention, such a duel has never been attempted in many, many years. It would be suicide to even attempt to…Belos, what is the matter?”

Belos didn’t seem to be listening to the conversation. He seemed distracted, his head up against the wall. His claws raked down the wood, leaving little gashes as low growls emanated from his chest. “Bile,” he growled.

Kikimora jumped to her feet. “Oh, that’s right! In all this excitement, we forgot our bile back at the hideout! Oh, boss, you must be starving!” She hurried to Belos’ side, holding his arm. “Don’t worry, I’ll go out and retrieve it for you! I’ll be back before–” She began running for the door, only for Belos to reach his arm out to stop her.

“No, too dangerous,” he said. “Vesh will recognize you. Stay here–I’ll go.” He hoisted himself up, moving with some difficulty over to their disguises. Kikimora stayed at his heels, clearly unwilling to let him go it alone.

Eva seemed to think this was a similarly bad idea. “Am I the only one worried about letting the revenant roam around in this state? I mean, we’ve established he’s not a vicious beast–at least, not just a vicious beast–but someone could get the drop on him like that.”

“I agree,” Alvin said. “If not Kikimora, at least let one of us accompany you. If anything, we can help you carry your supplies.”

Everyone looked over as Patience’s chair slid back. “I’ll go. I’ve been meaning to head back into town, there’s some…things I need to take care of.” She didn’t elaborate further, simply leaving it at that as she helped Belos into his robe.

Eva said what was on everyone’s mind: “What sort of things? You aren’t keeping secrets from us, are you? It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just…”

She waved off their concerns. “It’s nothing important, just some family stuff. Important for me, but nothing you guys should be concerned with. We’ll be back before sunset, you have my word!”

“Uh…okay, I guess we’ll catch them up later,” Eva said. “Good luck doing what you gotta do.” Patience and Belos climbed down the stairs into the tunnel leading outside. “Guess we’re handling this one on our own.”

Kikimora kept staring at the exit. “I can’t help feeling like I should’ve gone with them,” she said. “Who knows what sort of trouble Belos could get in without me!?”

Taking pity on the tiny demon, Alvin pulled out a chair next to him. “Don’t worry. With Patience by his side, Belos will be more than fine–I trust her. For now, why don’t you help us brainstorm how to avoid being killed by a mad Lord and his bloodthirsty hunter?” He offered an unconvincing smile.

“...Maybe I should’ve gone with them regardless,” said Kiki.

“So, this is the secret spot where you hid your highly valuable and incriminating spoils?” asked Patience, glancing around nervously at the other people parading around the park. Thankfully, she had plenty of practice in not being seen, and their disguises had helped, but there was no way they wouldn’t be noticed out here.”

Belos seemed far less concerned as he squeezed through the hole in the tree’s roots. “Don’t worry. Nothing illegal down here.” After some rustling coming from the hidden nook, a barrel full of liquid tried to force itself through the opening.

“Look, I’m not normally the self-conscious type, but someone’s bound to connect the dots sooner or later!” Her head was on a swivel, looking around for any sign of suspicious persons. Though, she noted, they were probably pretty suspicious themselves. “What exactly were you thinking here?” She helped him pull the barrel into the open.

The barrel soon popped through the opening, with Patience staggering back under its weight. Belos crawled out after it, stuffing his robe with notebooks and bile pouches. “Is this really so noticeable?”

Patience glanced over at a nearby shop, where two thieves were lifting basketfuls of kittens through a portal on the roof. She had to admit, on the Boiling Isles, a couple of ne’er-do-wells stashing bile under a tree was on the lower end of weirdness. “Okay, point taken. But still, we should be careful. Talus should have spies everywhere by now, and I’m sure they’re better at recognizing us.”

Belos took the barrel from her, hoisting it over his shoulder. “Lead the way.” He gestured towards the city, ready for Patience to show him the way.

“Oh, uh, it’s not that way. It’s this way.” Patience walked in the other direction, towards the slums. Belos paused for a moment, before following after her. He noticed that her eyes, which had been darting around looking for threats ever since they left the hideout, were fixed on the ground in front of her.

He figured he should say something, but couldn’t decide what. Eventually, he just settled on “How is your home?”

“I… It’s fine,” she answered. “It’s where I grew up, where my family lives. They can be a bit much, but they won’t, ah…” She trailed off, leaving a silent ‘rat us out’ unspoken.

With his free hand, Belos pulled his hood on tighter. “Best to be safe,” he said.

“You know what I noticed?” said Eva. “You’re the only one here who doesn’t have a reason to be doing this. Patience and I want revenge on Baltheus, Belos wants to find out who he is, and Kikimora’s indebted to him. But you just kinda got swept up in all of this.”

Alvin agreed. Ever since the moment he had first laid eyes on the revenant, he felt like he was in over his head. What was supposed to be a simple exploratory expedition had spiraled into a brewing coup. “It’s true. It feels like all of this is just sort of happening around me. Like I’m an outsider, living someone else’s life instead of my own.”

“You probably wish everything could go back to normal, huh?” Eva looked at a photograph at the edge of her worktable. A little girl who looked a lot like her was hugging a bearded man. “Yeah, I get that. I’m sorry I got you involved.”

“It isn’t your fault,” he said, sitting back down at the table. “Actually, now that I think about it, it isn’t anyone’s fault, except maybe mine. It’s only because of my expedition that Belos is here at all. So whether I like it or not, I’m as involved in this as any of you.”

He hadn’t noticed Kikimora climbing into a chair next to him. “So, what’s your goal?” she asked.

“M-my goal?” He looked at her, baffled. “What do you mean?”

“You know, what are you hoping to get out of this? Like human lady said, each of us has a reason for still being here. You gotta have one too, right?”

Alvin was briefly at a loss. The easy answer was no, he didn’t have any sort of goal outside of ‘survive Vesh,’ but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that wasn’t the case. He could easily have led him to Belos, and that would have been that. So why hadn’t he? “...Can I get back to you?”

Eva placed some cans of soda down on the table. “Hey, it’s alright to be a little confused. I mean, look at me, I have no idea how I’m supposed to take down Baltheus! I just know that I have to…I owe it to my dad.”

“It sounds like you care a lot about him,” Kiki said, sipping on the soda. “We’ll rescue him, and take down Baltheus, you can count on that.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Yes, he was–is very important to me. Do you have any family, Kiki? Anybody you’re doing this for?”

Kiki looked up at her. “My husband got eaten by a demon,” she said matter-of-factly.

Unsure of how to offer her condolences for that, Eva pat her on the head in a way she hoped wasn’t condescending. “I’m sorry to hear that.” Eager to change the subject, she turned to Alvin. “How about you, what’s your family like?”

Alvin seemed unprepared for the question. “Uh…well, y’know, family. I had one. Mother, father, the like.”

“Yes, as one tends to,” Eva said.

“I was never particularly close with either of them,” he continued. “They were never bad parents by any means, just busy. They were adventurers like me, you see, so they traveled quite a lot. Funny enough, they’re the reason I joined the A&S Guild, and how I met Talus.” He chuckled. “Funny, I’m probably closer with him than I am my actual birth father. You can understand why I was so reluctant with…you know.” He averted his eyes.

Eva could only imagine how he felt. Even though she tried, she didn’t think she could fathom her father turning out to be antagonistic. “I… Look, I know I said Talus was in on the whole thing, and I still think he is, but…maybe, and don’t quote me on this, he can be swayed to our side. He is a scientist after all. Isn’t reason supposed to be your guys’ bread and butter?”

Some part of Alvin got a little bit lighter after hearing her say that. “I’d love to talk to him about it in person, but…I don’t want to compromise everything you guys have going here. Though, don’t you think going straight to assassinating a Lord is a bit much?”

“No,” Eva said bluntly, staring into the distance. “I’ve been running from that man for years. You have no idea what he’ll do to get what he wants.”

He was willing to take her word for it. “Well, you have more experience than me. Have you given any consideration about what you’ll do after? Assuming you succeed, of course.”

Glancing over at the strange sigil, Eva nodded. “I like the Boiling Isles, but they aren’t my home. They’re just the answer to one of my family’s biggest questions. My dad was the one who wanted to answer it–once I save him, I assume I’ll be going after the portal next. I assume Baltheus has that as well.”

“Hmm. In that case…maybe I’ll come with you. I do live for discovering new lands, after all.” Eva looked up at him in surprise. “And what better way to, ah, wait out the heat from killing a Lord than in another dimension entirely?”

“I appreciate your logic there,” said Eva. “I’m sure Dad’d be glad to have you. I would be too. And anyone else who wants to lay low with us.”

“I’d like to see the human realm!” said Kikimora excitedly. “...but only if Belos goes.”

Alvin smiled. “Glad that’s settled, then. But now comes the hard part: coming up with a plan!”

“I’m not too worried,” Eva said. “Good ideas always come to me sooner or later. It’s just a matter of waiting for the right time.”

The pair passed by rows upon rows of dilapidated houses, crammed together and stacked on top of each other. What seemed like hundreds of witches and demons passed them on the crowded streets, as well as on the network of interconnected balconies above. Belos saw that just about every one of them looked either miserable or ornery, with many looking over their shoulders for threats. A not-insignificant number of them sat by the side of the road, clad in rags, with a hat or other container sitting beside them. Patience wasn’t kidding when she had called this place the slums.

Something about Belos’ demeanor seemed to rub her the wrong way. “What’s the matter?” she asked, sounding not quite angry, but the smallest bit combative. “Not what you were expecting?”

In truth, Belos hadn’t expected anything. “No,” he said. He felt the hint of an unfamiliar rustle at his cloak. Someone had appeared behind him, seeming to be rifling through his pockets. A snarl was enough to make the would-be pickpocket back off. “What should I expect?”

“I…well, be ready for some commotion once we get back to my place. My siblings can be a bit rowdy. They’re nice people, though.” Patience made her way over to a ladder, ascending to the slums’ upper levels. Belos followed, which was a bit tricky while carrying the barrel, but he managed. Once they were high enough, he was able to see much more of the place.

Despite its ramshackle nature, there was something beautiful about the slums. There was an artistry to its construction, with its residents making use of every inch of what little space they had. He was reminded of the little ants he often saw back on his island, so hardy and industrious. For the briefest of moments, he found himself homesick. Things had been so much simpler back there…

He soon realized that Patience had been waiting for him. “You coming? It’s just over here.” Lugging his cargo, Belos followed as she led the way to the place she called home. He was surprised she knew where to go, as it all looked the same to him. But, he supposed, she would probably think the same about his island.

Before long, they had reached one home among many. Belos never would have been able to single out this dwelling among the probable hundreds of others that lined the streets and above. “So, here we are,” said Patience. She raised a hand towards the door, but paused before knocking. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself before rapping three times with her knuckles.

The sound of a minor commotion came from inside, sounding like someone quickly jumping to their feet, not without some effort. This was followed by loud footsteps stomping over to the door. A gruff voice answered: “If this is about rent, I told ya, we’ll get it soon! Go ‘way before I make ya!”

Despite this clear threat, Patience smiled. “It’s just me, Pa! And a friend,” she added. After that, the door swung open, revealing a short yet broad man, whose eyes were wide at what (or who) he saw. Belos noticed a spell circle dissipating at his other hand.

“Patience?” he stammered, looking up at his daughter, as though he couldn’t believe he was seeing her. “What are you doing back here? Aren’t you worried someone might see you? Quick, come inside!” Wasting no time, he ushered both her and Belos through the door, looking around to make sure nobody was tailing them.

The inside of the house was almost as Belos had expected it. It wasn’t very well-kept, the same as the neighborhood it was in, but it still managed to retain a lived-in coziness he hadn’t anticipated. It was on the small side as well, but that shouldn’t have mattered if it only housed one or two people.

But, as Belos soon found out, it didn’t. “Is that Patience?” A child’s voice, followed by a child, rapidly flew down the stairs and passed him. A little mop-headed tot of presumably no more than five ran over to embrace his older sister. “She’s back! I thought you weren’t never comin’ home!”

“Aww, you know I could never leave you guys!” Patience replied, crouching down to hug the child back. “What about Charity, is she around?”

“There she is!” said the child, excitedly pointing towards the stairs. A second child was slowly walking down them, this one a bit older, carrying a bundle of cloth in her arms. Once she got closer, Belos saw that it was yet another child; an infant, rather.

The one apparently called Charity was glad to see Patience as well, but appeared much more reserved. “What are you doing back?” she asked. “Didn’t you get arrested?”

Patience ignored the question, instead hugging her other sibling. “And here I thought you’d be happy to see me!” she teased, turning her attention to the baby in her arms. “And I see little Joy’s gotten so big! Hard to believe she’s only five months old!”

“Seven,” said Charity. Patience momentarily froze, but she recovered quickly, moving to head up the stairs. “Wait. Mom’s in another one of her…”

Once again Patience froze, slowly returning back to the floor. “Hmm. Well then… Everyone, this is my friend Belos. Belos, this is–”

“Does he steal things too?” asked the smaller of the two children.

The father lightly bopped him on the head. “Ernest!” he chided. “What have we said about mentioning your sister’s ‘occupation?’”

“To not do it,” the boy, apparently named Ernest, said. “But why else would she bring a friend over?”

At the risk of things becoming even more awkward, Belos spoke up. “Not exactly,” he said. “I have stolen things before, but it is not my occupation. We are…associates.”

Her dad seemed to understand what he meant by that, even if Belos himself didn’t. “I see. Well, Mr. Belos, it’s nice to meet you. Name’s Justice, Justice Van Gheist.” He took the revenant’s hand to shake it. If he was put off by the claws, he didn’t show it. “Make yourself comfortable–as comfortable as you can, at least. Sorry we can’t offer a bit more than you see here!”

“It is fine,” Belos said, placing the barrel of bile next to a ragged old sofa before sitting down. “I do not wish to intrude.”

“Intrude? Hey, I’m the one who brought you here!” said Patience. “You’re gonna relax and enjoy our hospitality, and you’re gonna like it! Hey Pa, is there any apple blood left?”

Justice made to move into the next room. “Think so, I’ll go and pour him a glass.” He was stopped by Patience.

“Hey now, don’t trouble yourself, I’ll get it. You stay here and chat.” She left him alone–though not technically, as Justice, Ernest, Charity, and Joy were still there. The young boy approached, apparently sizing him up.

“What’s in the barrel?” he asked.

“Bile.” Belos didn’t see the need to obfuscate for the kid, so didn’t.

Ernest looked over at the barrel as though debating whether or not to peer inside. Instead, he decided to ask another question. “How come you look so weird?”

Justice shot another glare at the boy, but said nothing. “Because I was born that way,” Belos replied, praying that Patience would be back soon.

She was, returning with two glasses of apple blood, handing one to Belos. He took a cautious sip: not bad, though he would always prefer bile. “Hey, so, I wish we could stay longer, but the other guys are probably waiting for us to head back. I just need to grab something, then I’ll be out of your hair. Belos, mind giving me a hand?” She motioned for them both to head up the stairs.

“Don’t worry, I get ya!” said Justice with a coy nod. “If any guards come knockin’ you were never here!”

Belos stood up to follow, feeling three pairs of eyes watching him as he traveled upstairs. Or were they watching Patience? Either way, she had a nervous air about her, much in contrast to how she had been ever since he met her. “What did you need help with?” he asked.

“I…I wanted to say goodbye to my mom,” she answered. “I don’t know when I’ll be back, or…if I’ll be back, so…” They continued the rest of the ascent in silence, and she led him up to a bedroom door. “Try not to spook her, okay?”

Before Belos could inquire further, Patience slowly opened the door, quietly stepping inside. She made her way over to a lounge chair facing the window, where Belos noticed a woman was sitting. She blended into the seat so much that if Patience hadn’t been focusing on her, he would have missed her. She didn’t react to either of them entering in the slightest.

“Hey Ma, it’s me!” Patience whispered, taking the woman’s hand, to which she still had no response. “Sorry I haven’t been back in a while, things have been pretty hectic. I made some new friends though! This is Belos…he and I didn’t exactly get off to the best start, but we’re working together now. Belos, this is Prudence, my mom.”

Belos rounded the chair to get a better look at Patience’s mother. Immediately he was taken aback by her appearance: she was incredibly skinny, all but wasting away. Her eyes were unfocused and clouded over, to the degree that he was sure she was blind. But even if she could see, there was no sign of comprehension anywhere on her face. Her hand hadn’t even clasped around her daughter’s.

“So, things haven’t exactly been going too great,” she continued, “but I’m not about to let that get me down! I tried to go it alone, but I only ended up getting caught…but that’s okay, because I’ve made some new friends! They’re going to help me keep the promise I made to you.”

As sweet and very, very sad as this all was, Belos was thoroughly lost. “Would you care to explain why I am here?” he asked.

Slowly getting to her feet, Patience nodded. “Yeah. This is probably a bit confusing to you, huh? So, it’s like this: as I said, this is my mom. She was born blind, so it made it very hard for her to find work. My dad helped a bit, but they were barely able to scrape by. I mean, I know that’s the same for most of the people here, but still. And then, once they had me, putting food on the table only got harder and harder.”

“I take it this is around when you became a thief?” said Belos.

She shot him a look as though to say ‘obviously.’ “Dad taught me the tricks of the trade, but pretty soon I was handling things on my own. Then came Charity, then Ernest, then Joy…stealing to feed a family of three became almost twice that. As you can imagine, I was exhausted when I heard the announcement.”

“Announcement?”

“Little while back, they started puttin’ these posters up all over the place. Lord Baltheus was looking for people with, as they put it, ‘abnormalities’ for this new study. He was willing to pay big bucks for anyone he could poke and prod to see what was wrong with ‘em, and maybe fix ‘em along the way. I made the mistake of telling Mom. You can see where this is going.”

Indeed he could. He looked over at Prudence again, her vacant stare now all the more noticeable.

“She signed up for this thing, they shipped her off, and a few days later…she came back like this.” Patience now spoke like her throat was dry. “They never did tell us what went wrong. Only that they ‘couldn’t fix her.’” She stared out the window, her expression darkening. “They paid us, though. Oh, they paid us. ‘Here’s your money, sorry we lobotomized her!’ No, you know what? They didn’t even have the decency to say sorry!”

Patience angrily stomped over to a nightstand beside the bed, turning around to face Belos to continue her tale.

“That’s why I’m going to kill Baltheus. I promised my mom that I’d avenge her, and all the others his twisted experiments tore away from their families. Some might say we’re lucky they brought her back at all. But you know what I said? I said we should stop letting him dictate what happens to us!”

She then, to Belos’ surprise, tore a leg clean off of the nightstand. His surprise waned somewhat when he saw that it was a trick leg, meant to conceal something within. And that something was an ornate dagger that Patience grabbed by the hilt. With a look of trepidation that was replaced by determination, she slipped the blade through her belt and hid it with her shirt.

“I asked for your help, but I didn’t mean up here. I know we don’t exactly have much reason to help each other aside from a few mutual enemies, but…I’m willing to help you find out who you are, if you help me kill Baltheus. Like I said, we didn’t get off to the greatest start, but–”

“I will help you.”

Patience was silent for a moment, seemingly not suspecting such a quick answer, especially an affirmative. “You will? Huh. Okay, great. Honestly, I was worried I’d have to grovel a bit more…”

Despite being relatively new to the civilized world, Belos had been quick to grasp the nature of morality. Mary was largely to thank for that. Even though he felt for Prudence, and what had been done to her and her family, it wasn’t out of simple empathy that he had agreed to help. “We have a common enemy,” he said, “as well as someone to avenge. I will help you kill Baltheus, if you help me kill Vesh.”

“Yeah, that sounds doable,” replied Patience. “We’d be ridding the Isles of twice as much evil that way! Shall we make this official?” She held out her hand; Belos shook it. “I’d make a physical contract, but I’d rather not leave any potential evidence.”

“Good idea. Also, I haven’t yet learned to write.”

With everything wrapped up here, Patience bid her mother goodbye. “Sorry we have to leave so soon, Ma. But I promise we’ll put a stop to his reign of terror.” She kissed her on the forehead, waiting hopefully for a response, but wilted when she got none. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

The pair headed downstairs, where the rest of the Van Gheists were waiting at the foot of the stairs. They quickly scattered once they appeared, pretending to not have been listening in. “Do you really have to go?” asked Ernest, visibly saddened.

“Sorry, little man, but I don’t have time to hang around.” After patting him on the head, she approached her father, taking a pouch of some sort from her pocket. “Before I forget, here. This should keep you guys afloat for the next month. And please, cawl me if you need anything this time.”

Justice took the pouch with a bit of reluctance. “Oh, don’t you worry about us. Charity’s almost old enough to work, and once Joy doesn’t need constant tending to–”

She cut him off with a hand on his shoulder. “Pa. Please.”

“...Alright, I’ll let you know. Try not to get into too much trouble out there!”

Patience winked as she headed for the door. “No promises!” She said goodbye to Charity and Joy before she was out the door. Belos hoisted the barrel full of bile over his shoulder and followed.

“Please be careful,” he heard faintly from Charity, before the door closed behind him.

“Oh, good, you’re back!” said Kikimora, eagerly greeting the pair once they had returned. Belos lugged the barrel up the ladder, handing it over to her. Despite its significant weight, Kiki lugged it over to a corner.

Alvin and Eva were both seated at the table, a map of Bonesborough laid out in front of them. “I take it your mission was a success?” he asked.

“As well as it could have,” said Patience. She took a seat next to them, drawing her dagger and stabbing it into the table. “Belos got his bile, and I got my favorite knife! So, how’d things go back here?”

Instead of answering, Eva stared at her quizzically. “You went all that way just to get a knife?” she asked, incredulous. “You could’ve just asked for one! I’m pretty sure I’ve got loads lying around, if you don’t mind the kitchen variety.”

Patience held up her hands defensively. “Hey, it wasn’t just to get my knife! Belos got his bile, like I said, and I told my family what’s up. Besides, this isn’t just any old knife! My pops gave it to me for my very first heist, and I’ve used it ever since.”

Neither of them was impressed by her reply. “Are you sure going to see your family was a good idea?” asked Alvin. “Once Vesh or Talus put the dots together, they’ll definitely pay them a visit. Aren’t you worried about what could happen to them?”

“It is fine,” Belos said, sitting at the table as well, along with Kikimora. “Her family supports her…unique lifestyle, just as she supports them. They were adamant on keeping her secret.” He waited, as though expecting the conversation to move on.

The others still had questions, but they also had good news. “Okay…well, there’ll be time for that later, because while you were gone, we had a breakthrough on how to put the hurt on Baltheus!” said Eva. “See, rather than risk going after him directly, we figured it would be much easier to go after him financially!”

“Yes! We’ll ruin all his sources of income!” exclaimed Kikimora. “Nobody will want to follow a broke Lord!”

“A brilliant plan,” said Patience, with what Belos suspected was only partial sincerity. “What did you have in mind? Robbing a bank? Seems a bit…pedestrian, but whatever works.”

Eva grinned, her eyes sparkling. “Oh, don’t you worry, I had something a bit more personal in mind. If I may?” With Patience’s approval, she took hold of the knife, and stabbed it into a portion of the map. “Ha! There you go!”

After a few moments of staring at the map, Belos gave up. “...The significance is lost on me,” he muttered.

“Allow me to explain,” Alvin said. “For those of you unaware, a few years ago, Lord Baltheus suddenly took an interest in, shall we say, less-than-moral scientific studies. By preying on those desperate for money, he was able to bring in dozens of test subjects for his abominable experiments.”

Patience’s eyes darkened. “Oh, I’m more than familiar with that,” she muttered.

“So am I,” Eva said, “but most of the public isn’t. So, by disabling this research center, we’ll be freeing any prisoners still trapped there, and dealing a sizable blow to his income, and possibly revealing some of his shadier dealings to the people! It’s the perfect plan, yeah?”

“It will be, once we discuss our plan of attack,” said Belos. Despite his trepidation, it was clear that he was excited for the prospect of hitting Baltheus where it hurt. Patience noticed this, and appreciated it. She hoped showing up at home had been the right choice.

Their next order of business decided on, Alvin got to his feet. “In that case, I suggest we all get a good night’s rest. There will be a good deal of planning tomorrow, and we’ll need to be at our best–doubly so if we go through with this!” With murmurs of agreement, the others left to tend to their own business. As Belos went to place the barrel in his corner, he felt Patience approach.

“...Thank you,” she said quietly.

He blinked. “For?”

“I’ve wanted to see Ma for a while now,” she replied, “but it’s been getting harder and harder. I’m worried that one day I won’t even be able to look at her anymore… So thanks for being there. And for agreeing to help.”

With some degree of difficulty, Belos managed to twist his mouth into a small smile. “Of course,” he said. “We are allies now.”

With a weight lifted off her shoulders, Patience left him be. “Allies with the revenant…I like the sound of that. I like it a lot.”

Chapter 10: Into the Meat Grinder

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten: Into the Meat Grinder

The silence of the early morning was broken by the sound of a stick thumping against a wooden bell. “Alright, naptime’s over, everybody up and at ‘em!” shouted Eva, eagerly awakening her fellows. The sun had barely risen, leaving their responses to this to be…lacking.

“Huh!? Wha!? Wha’sgoin’on!?” cried Kikimora, leaping up from her cot. “Are we in danger!? Did they find us!? …Oh.” Unimpressed, she climbed back into bed. “Let me know when something important happens.”

Eva walked closer, hitting the bell right above her head. “Oh, c’mon, Kiki, don’t be like that! Today’s the day we take the fight to Baltheus! You don’t want to sleep through this, trust me!”

A snarl came from up where Belos had settled down from the night. The revenant pulled himself out of bed, albeit reluctantly. “This better be worth it,” he growled.

“What do you mean?” Of the three of them, Patience had handled the wake-up call the most gracefully. She was up and stretching the moment Eva had begun ringing–early mornings likely came with her territory. “If I’m remembering things right, you’re the one who wanted to go after Baltheus the most!”

“Vesh. You hate Baltheus,” Belos corrected. Now awake, but not necessarily alert, they made their way over to the war table, where they saw that not everyone had been woken up by Eva. “You are awake already?”

“Oh, I’m as surprised as you are,” said Alvin, rubbing his eyes. The two wondered if he had gotten any sleep last night, or if he had spent the whole time planning. “I was planning on just looking into this place for a few minutes, but I kept going deeper and deeper, and…” He yawned. “Next thing I knew, it was morning! But on the bright side, we’re more prepared to raid this place than ever!”

Eva carried a half-asleep Kikimora under her arm, setting her down in a chair. “Right. Between my research and Alvin’s connections, we’ve been able to come up with a foolproof plan to infiltrate Baltheus’ stronghold. With this excursion, we’ll deal the first of what will hopefully be many blows against his empire! Starting today, we light the first fire that will one day burn away his evil.”

“...Literally,” Alvin added after Eva’s dramatic speech. “We are literally going to light a fire. We’ve decided that’s the most efficient way to destroy the building and all of his research.”

The trio stared at him. “Really? Arson? That’s what we’re going with?” asked Patience. “I mean, fine, if that’s the plan, but did it really take you guys three days to come up with that?”

“Hey, it’s not like all we’re going to do is sling a fire spell and run!” said Eva, sounding a bit defensive. “There’s a boiler room located at the lowest level of the facility, we’re going to–Actually, I’ll let Alvin explain it. Alvin, you’re on.” She sat down, waiting for him to begin his speech.

He just sat there for a moment, thrust onto the spot. “W-what, just like that? I thought we’d have at least another day or two to get ready! Everybody just woke up, we can’t just–!”

Belos was growing impatient. Every moment they wasted here was another moment they could be spending on their crusade against Baltheus. “Get to the point,” he ordered, clearly frustrated.

“R-right, you’re right, we can’t afford to wait too long,” he said, shaking his head. “Okay, so, here’s what we found: this place is called Tailbone Institute. Most of the surrounding area thinks it’s just some run-of-the-mill research facility, but we know better. Some of us have been deeply affected by what goes on in here.”

Patience nodded, looking away.

“But the fact of the matter is, we don’t know what goes on in there. Which is why I’ve concocted this–”

“We’ve concocted,” Eva corrected.

“Hmm? Oh, yes, Eva and I have concocted this simple three-phase infiltration plan that requires all five of our unique skills and assets.” He laid out the blueprints from the facility. “Now, here’s what we’ll do…”

The unfamiliar music filled the air, shaking the very ground Vesh stood on. His eardrums pulsed in tune with the beat, further disorienting him along with the blinding lights and cheering crowd. But despite the assault on his senses, he was disciplined enough not to get distracted. He wasn’t about to let a little music, no matter how nauseating, keep him from his quarry.

‘The Foresight Site.’ What a stupid name for a club. Even if it didn’t play music that was yet to be created, he was surprised at just how many people were in attendance. Though far from a packed house, it was a respectable amount of people who had shown up. Just why they had shown up, though, Vesh would likely never understand.

“Boss, can we hurry this up?” asked a member of the Wild Hunt, covering his ears. “If we stay here any longer, I think I’m gonna get tinnitus!”

Vesh shot his subordinate a glare, silencing him. Flanked by about four or five others, the group’s leader pushed through the crowd over to the far wall. The deejay was fully absorbed spinning his records, but a little ways away was the man they were looking for. He sat at a nearby table, bobbing his head to the music as he filled out some paperwork.

He looked up to see Vesh and his posse approaching, his face growing pale. This was a good sign–it meant he knew who they were, and what their being here meant for him. He tried to greet them, but his voice was drowned out by the music.

“What was that?” asked Vesh. “I couldn’t quite make that out. Speak up!” In truth, he was speaking over the man just as much as the music was. “Alright, you know what? Why don’t we step out for a bit?” He led the man into the back of the club. Closing the door behind them, all that remained of the music was a dull rhythmic thumping. “Ahh, much better. Now then, you must be Indigo.”

The man was visibly shying away from Vesh and his crew. “Yes, that’s me. And something tells me you’re Vesh’tai, am I correct?”

Grinning, the great hunter took a folding chair from a nearby stack, setting up to sit in it backwards. “Call me Vesh. Now, word on the street is that your small family-owned business recently had a run-in with the revenant that’s been causing trouble around here.” One of the other hunters handed him a wanted poster bearing Belos’ likeness. “This look familiar at all?”

Indie examined the image. “Uh, can’t say it does.” Even though he had been able to deduce Belos’ identity, he still didn’t know what he looked like, so this wasn’t technically a lie. Even so, he was smart enough to put two and two together. “Only run-in we had recently was some trouble with a couple corrupt guards.”

“Mm-hmm, I heard about that.” Vesh leaned forward in his seat. “Word on the street is you brought in a few friends to help you out. Couple of tough guys in cloaks and masks. Plus a house demon. This friend of yours–Eva, was it? What can you tell us about her?”

Indie looked away–how did he know her name? He resisted the urge to peer into his mind, knowing someone as experienced as Vesh would likely have ways of preventing this, or even turning it back around against him. “N-not much,” he replied. “She’s pretty secretive. We don’t know where she lives, and she never takes off mer mask, either. If you want to meet her, I can ask, but she’s not exactly big on talking to strangers.”

Vesh stood up, causing Indie to step back. “No, don’t bother. See, as interested in Eva as I am, it’s more her friends I’d like to know more about. They tell ya any interesting secrets about themselves? Using their mouths, or otherwise?” He stepped closer to Indie, smiling as he watched the shorter man shrink away.

“I-I try not to read minds, it’s considered rude,” he replied, trying to stop himself from looking Vesh in the eye. “And I promise you, I’d never seen any of them before! They just showed up with her that day! If I knew any more, I’d tell you, honest!”

“Oh, I believe you,” Vesh said, in a tone that suggested he really didn’t. “But what I find hard to believe is that you didn’t, even once, take a quick peek inside at least one of their heads.” He leaned in closer. “See, some of my hunters are Oracles too, and let me tell you, from what they say, it’s hard to resist that urge! So, if you want to tell me you’re more disciplined than a couple of hardened professionals, that’s fine…but the least you could do is let me know if one of them was the revenant.”

He looked up. “The revenant? You’re kidding, right? That thing’s a monster that eats people, what would it be doing dressing up in robes and working a security job?”

Vesh shrugged. “You tell me, you’re the mind reader. Maybe that’s how it cases out its future victims. Tell me, Mr. Forsythe…” He looked at Indie, his eyes narrow. “Do you and your brother feel safe here?”

If he did before, he didn’t anymore. “W-why wouldn’t we? You’re out there hunting that thing down, aren’t you? It’s easy to feel safe when you’re on the case.”

“Flattery will only get you so far,” Vesh said, admittedly smiling a bit. “So, you really don’t know anything about the revenant, then? Really, truly nothing at all?” Indie shook his head. “Well then, that is a shame. I really thought we had a lead here. But it turned out to be a big…old…nothing.”

With a nod from Vesh, his crew began to circle around Indie. No immediately threatening maneuvers yet, but they were clearly boxing him in, as the door was the first place they blocked off. He did his best to stay calm, hoping that his message had been received…

“Hey, bro, you in here?” It apparently had, as Russel made his way into the back. “It’s your turn to–Oh my Titan.” His eyes went wide. “Is that Vesh’tai Walpurgisnacht in the flesh!? Aah, I’ve dreamed of this day for years!” Russel immediately ran up to the man and began pestering him. “What are you doing in a little old place like this? Oh, is it about the revenant? Are you here to film a new special? Is it a special about the revenant!? I’ve seen all of your crystal ball specials before at least twice each, I’m a huge fan!”

“...I can tell,” Vesh said quietly, put off by the display. He took a step away, pushing Russel back. “Welp, thank you for all your help, even though it got us nowhere.” He directed his followers to the door, leading them out. “Oh, but one more thing…” He stopped, turning back before exiting. “Until we catch that revenant, I’d watch your back out there, especially at night. Bonesborough’s a dangerous place these days–I wouldn’t want a couple of my fans getting hurt.”

With that, he was gone. The brothers waited a moment to make sure he had really left the building. When he had, Indie nearly collapsed, sighing with relief. “Thanks for the assist, Russ,” he said. “Pretty sure they would’ve killed me if you hadn’t shown up.”

“In a public place? Are you sure?” asked Russel. He was staring at the door, making sure none of them would come back through it. “Even if he is as bad as Eva says, with all these witnesses around…”

Indie got back up. “Oh, I’m sure. I was getting some major bad vibes from those guys, and–” He gasped. “Eva! Russ, I think they’re after Eva! We have to warn her!”

His brother glanced at him oddly. “Well, we already knew that. She told us as much. She was the one who warned us he might come here in the first place, right?”

“No, I mean, I think he knows more than she’s aware!” Indie said, pacing back and forth. “The way he was talking, it was like he already knew she was here, he was just looking for confirmation. And if he knows we know…there’s nothing stopping him from coming for us, or for her!”

“Hey, hey, easy,” said Russel, placing his hands on Indie’s shoulders. “We’ll give Eva a heads-up, but I don’t think Vesh is gonna find her. We don’t even know where she hides out! As for us, tell the bouncers to let us know if he or his cronies come back. All of us fought so hard for this place. I’ll be damned if some two-bit thugs disguised as monster hunters are gonna take it from us!”

Russel’s speech did its work, reassuring Indie. “Okay. You’re right. We can’t let this guy intimidate us. I’ll give her a cawl, you get back to deejaying.” He escorted his brother towards the door.

Though a bit taken by his brother’s sudden turn, Russel still headed out. “Alright then. You’ll take care of things, yeah?”

“Don’t worry about me! Just give the people what they came here for!” Indie smiled as his brother went back to the DJ booth. But as soon as he was gone, his expression fell. In truth, there was someone else he was worried for. “Belos, I hope you know what you’re doing,” he said quietly, walking off to find a crow.

First and foremost, we’ll need disguises. Luckily for us, the workers there use standard-issue biohazard garb. It shouldn’t be too hard to grab some of that. We’ll need two sets, one for Eva and myself.

Patience, using all of her thieving expertise, slipped in through the roof of the dry cleaners. Unseen by the lone sleeping worker, she was able to swipe two uniforms, before making off with her prizes and vanishing into the night.

Once we have those, we’ll need to get ourselves familiar with the place. A full stakeout is too risky, so the best we can do is camp out there the night before we move in. Anything more, and we’re likely to get caught.

After a trek, the group arrived at the building–more specifically, they were a short distance away, overlooking it from atop a hill. “It looks like any other research center in the city,” Patience noted.

“One this far out in the wilderness, though?” said Kiki. “That’s suspicious, even without knowing what we know!” She shivered. “It’s reminding me of the warehouse…”

Eva began setting up a tent. It was low to the ground, and camouflaged, so as to draw as little attention as possible. “Yeah, it’s hard not to imagine what’s going on in there. Given everything we’ve heard, probably a lot worse. Belos, come give me a hand, huh?”

He did. While helping out, he occasionally glanced over at the building in the distance, filled with a palpable sense of dread. Whatever nightmares were happening in there, he could sense them from here. A soft growl bubbled up from his throat, as though expecting an army to burst through the doors and descend on their position.

“Yeah, I’m nervous too,” she replied, also staring at the building. “This is probably the most dangerous mission any of us have ever taken. But when I think of all the things we’ve accomplished, both alone and together, it gives me hope we can do it. I’m willing to risk anything to see my father again.”

“Hopefully not anything,” Kiki said under her breath, crawling under the half-finished tent. “You’d better not be planning on selling us out!”

Eva rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Okay, I’ll risk anything within reason. Now c’mon–we’ve got a big day planned for tomorrow.”

The next step might be the most dangerous one of all. Once morning comes around, we’ll split into two groups: with our disguises, myself and Eva will slip in through the main entrance, while Kiki, Belos, and Patience will sneak through the air ducts. …Yes, I know it’s a cliche, but that’s our only way inside!

The five of them hid by one side of the building, peering around the corner at a convoy of approaching carriages being let in. “That’s our cue–wish us luck,” Eva said.

“You’re the ones who can just waltz on in,” Patience said. “You should be the ones wishing us luck.”

“And we will,” said Alvin, signaling for her to quiet down. “Alright, here we go, it’s now or never.” The two in disguises made their way to the door, while the others made their way to the roof. Belos climbed up the wall, with Kikimora clinging to his back, while Patience threw a strand of magic to pull her way up.

A single guard stood at the entryway. “Yeah, checks out, head on in,” he said, as the last carriage passed through. He didn’t bat an eye as Eva and Alvin approached. “You guys got your IDs?”

“I think so,” Alvin said, reaching into his pockets. “Oh, that’s right, I left mine with you. You should have them both.”

Patience fished through her pockets as well, coming up with nothing. “Uh-oh…I think we must’ve lost ‘em at the dry cleaners. Any chance you could look the other way, just this once?”

The guard chuckled. “No worries. People are always losin’ their stuff to that place. Just the other day, we lost two entire suits! I keep saying we should just wash our stuff here, but Lord Baltheus can’t be bothered to spring for a few washing machines. Go ahead in.” He rapped on the door, which crept open.

That was much easier than either of them thought. “Much appreciated,” said Alvin, following Eva inside.

“Huh. If I didn’t know better, I’d say we were being set up,” Kiki noted, peering over the roof as they headed in. “I do know better, though. Right? …Right?”

“Look, regardless of my hang-ups with this plan, I’m sure everything will turn out fine,” said Patience, magically loosening the screws on the grate. “If worst comes to worst, we’ll just wing it. Hasn’t failed me so far!”

She carefully removed the grate, waiting for Belos to go first. “That does not reassure me,” he growled, his lanky body slipping into the vent. Kiki climbed in after him, and Patience brought up the rear, reattaching the grate once she was inside.

Trying their best not to look like starstruck tourists in the process, Eva and Alvin both took in the interior of the research facility. It was fairly unremarkable, clearly not designed for visitors. “Huh. Thought this place’d be more heavily guarded,” Eva whispered.

“Its remoteness must do most of the work,” Alvin replied. “But I guarantee there’ll be more resistance once we get lower. Let’s just hope they can manage the next step…”

From there, the three of you will make your way through the vents until you’re able to swipe a guard’s keycard. Patience, I imagine this will be on you once again. Sorry to put so much on your shoulders, but this is where you have experience, after all. From there, we’ll make our way to the boiler room, which is through the testing chambers,

Carefully, Patience detached the grate on the ceiling, holding it so that it wouldn’t fall. The showers were loud, but not loud enough to disguise the sound of metal falling to the floor. “Okay, now go, quick, quick!” she whispered urgently.

With his long arms, Belos lowered Kiki down to the floor. The shower could stop running at any moment, and they all knew it; she’d have to move fast. Kiki quickly scampered over to the clothes hanging on a nearby hook, rifling through their pockets.

“Come on, where are you!?” Kiki whispered urgently, trying to find the card in question. Much to her annoyance, the first few she tried were completely empty. “Does nobody in here have a keycard? How does anyone get around this place if they can’t open the doors!”

“Hurry!” Belos hissed. The longer they stayed here, the more likely someone would stumble upon them, ruining the whole thing. He was prepared to leap down and grab her if needed, but Patience held him back, worried that would only make things worse.

Eventually, Kiki got lucky, producing a viable keycard from one of the pockets. “I got one!” she shouted, before slapping a hand over her mouth. “Uh, I got one!” she repeated, quieter. She made her way back to the center of the room.

Just in time, too, as the shower turned off at that moment. Belos reached down, scooping up Kiki and pulling her up into the vent just as Patience replaced the grate. One of the workers rounded the corner, but was just too late to see anything. “Hello? Did somebody say something?” he asked. Looking around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. With a shrug, he went about his business.

The elevator opened, revealing a trio of figures that strolled into the room. Flanked by a pair of guards, the scientists within the room all looked at attention as the center figure walked with purpose towards the other end. He was a witch, tall and thin, with a bluish tinge to his skin. His graying black hair was slicked back, and a pair of sunglasses covered his eyes. “Right, what are we working with today, Callen?” he asked one of the scientists.

“Um, it’s Calum, sir,” he corrected timidly. His boss didn’t seem to care. “And, uh, we’re moving on to the type-seven formula after preliminary tests of the type-six ended up being…less than viable.” He cringed. “So, um, now that you’re here, should we get started?”

The head scientist removed his sunglasses, revealing heavily-bagged eyes, hooking them onto his coat. “Should’ve already started by now, but whatever. Bring in the first volunteer!”

The chamber where the scientists were was separated from another by a large pane of glass. On the other side was a single chair, covered in straps for restraining test subjects. A door opened in this other room, and a pair of guards escorted in an elderly one-armed witch. He seemed fairly out of it, with his half-lidded eyes suggesting he had been sedated.

The guards strapped into the chair before making a hasty exit. “Alright, test number…what’s this one? Three-hundred-forty-seven,” the head scientists said, disinterested. “Bring in the thingy.”

Another door on the other side of the chamber opened, and in came a pair of witches dressed in hazmat suits. One was carrying a small case, attached to which were several freezing spells. He set it down, opening it up to remove what was frozen inside: a severed arm. From its greenish coloration, webbed fingers, and claws, it appeared to have belonged to some manner of amphibian demon.

The other witch produced a pair of syringes. “Administering type-seven serum to subject,” he announced, injecting the witch in the chair with a greenish fluid. The elderly test subject showed no acknowledgement. “Administering type-seven serum to graft.” He did the same thing to the arm, with his partner holding the limb up to the empty spot by the subject’s shoulder.

In no time, the serum began to take effect. The skin, both that of the subject and the arm, began to shift. The veins near the injections started to change color to a sickly green, as something seemed to be moving beneath the flesh. Both affected areas began moving closer to the other, until a tenuous connection was made.

The scientists on the other side observed the interaction with eager anticipation. “Come on, give me some good news,” said the one in charge.

“Graft appears to be integrating seamlessly,” one of the hazmat-wearing witches said, observing the reaction closely. “We have full integration of muscle and tendons, and the bone looks to be in the process of setting. This could be the one.”

A light scattering of cheers and applause filled the observation room. The head scientists, however, knew all too well to never celebrate too soon. He waited and watched until they could say for sure the experiment had been a success.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before something went wrong. Rather than receding, the green veins began to spread across the subject’s body, which in turn started twitching. “Uh, something’s going on in here,” said the other. “I think we have a potential rejection here.”

But the boss knew this was no mere rejection. “You might want to step back,” he said, with the air of someone who had seen this many times before. Perhaps wisely, the two technicians did as ordered.

Soon, the twitching escalated into full-bodied thrashing, with the subject threatening to break through the restraints. Making matters worse, greenish liquid had begun to dribble out of his mouth. The new arm was getting the worst of this, with its claws raking the side of the chair until, finally, the strap couldn’t hold it any longer.

Once it had broken free, it became apparent that the arm had a mind of its own. Far from integrating with its new body, it took the elderly witch as a threat, and reacted accordingly. The scientists reacted in horror as it repeatedly slashed its host, providing the horrifying illusion he was attacking himself. Only the head scientists stayed calm, regarding the failure with disappointment. “G-get in there and restrain him!” shouted Calum.

“No–there’s nothing to do for him now,” his boss said. “Besides, get any closer and you’ll probably be next. Just mark experiment three-forty-seven down as a failure, and sanitize the testing area.”

The prosthetic continued to rake its claws along its new owner, though it began slowing down as they both began to fade. Due to the sedatives, the subject had not reacted in the slightest to any of this, something that perhaps made the incident even more disturbing. Cutting their losses, the two technicians moved in, both unleashing flame spells to mark the end of the experiment.

The head scientists sighed, rubbing his eyes. “What are we doing wrong here?” he asked. “If we can’t figure out how to attach a simple limb, how are we supposed to move up to whole bodies?”

“It might be the basilisk blood that’s causing the problem, sir,” Calum said. “We’ve observed it having necromantic properties, so it’s likely that–”

“Of course it’s the basilisk blood,” he replied irritably. “But if we remove that from the equation, what do we have? No basilisk blood, no seamless grafting. Our job is to find a way to prevent that from happening.” He pointed into the testing chamber.

Calum cleared his throat before continuing. “Yes, of course. …Er, shall we proceed with the next test?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” mumbled his boss, before strolling out of the room. “I’m gonna go take a walk. Get the next guy drugged up and ready for when I get back.” With that, he pushed his guards aside, heading out the door into the hallway.

“I don’t like this,” Alvin said quietly. Both he and Eva were standing by a vent in the duct system, waiting for their keycard to arrive. But as Alvin realized, just standing around doing nothing was bound to attract unwanted attention. “It feels like everybody’s staring at us.”

“Just calm down and look relaxed,” Eva told him. “Nobody’s looking at us, but they will if you draw attention to yourself. If anybody asks, we’re on break.”

Despite her assurance, he couldn’t help looking around to make sure they weren’t being watched. “How long can one break last, though?”

His question was answered as another hazmat-suited figure began to approach the pair. “Great…alright, just stay calm and act natural,” Eva whispered.

“You two, what’s going on?” he asked. “We’ve got some tests being run downstairs, we should have all hands on deck.”

“Hey, relax, we’re on our break,” Eva said. Alvin nodded to back her up. “If everyone needs to be down there, why are you here?”

Though they couldn’t see his face, he probably narrowed his eyes at this remark. “Funnily enough, I’m also on my break. But seeing as it’s been five minutes already, and you two were here when I left…”

Eva groaned. “Look, buddy, it’s been a long day. We’ll be done when we’re done, so you just worry about yourself. If the boss wants to dock our pay, well, that’s between us.”

For a tense moment, Alvin was certain their cover was about to be blown. Thankfully, he turned to walk away. “Fine. But don’t come crying to me when you two end up out on the street.”

“That was close,” Alvin breathed once he was gone. “Patience better get here soon. I don’t know if my heart can take that many more close calls…”

After a while, their attention was drawn to a rattling from within the vents. “Hey! Hey, guys!” Patience hissed. “Wait…that is you two, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s us,” replied Eva. “Did you get the card?”

Kikimora nudged her way past Patience, passing the keycard through the slats in the vent. “I sure did!” she said proudly. Eva quickly took it before anyone could see. “So, what now?”

“Now, we should be free and clear to make our way to the boiler room,” Alvin said. He inserted the card into a mouth near the elevator. The mouth bit down and, after a moment, the doors opened. “Good. Everybody inside.” He and Eva made their way into the elevator, while Belos, Kiki, and Patience slipped out of the vents into the shaft, standing atop it.

Eva hit the button for the bottom floor–or at least as low as the elevator could go. Shakily, it began to descend, rattling as they traveled underground. “What’s up? You aren’t claustrophobic, are you?” she asked Alvin, who was still quite nervous.

“No, but I’m realizing we didn’t go over our escape plan as thoroughly as we could have,” he said. “Once that fire starts, we’ll be right at the epicenter. As far as I can tell, the elevators are the only way up from down there. If they’re compromised…”

“I’m very familiar with how Baltheus runs his business,” Eva replied. “Safety is far from his primary concern. As far as he cares, subjects careless enough to let an accident happen in the first place aren’t worth saving.”

Alvin blinked. “Was that supposed to reassure me?”

“But because of that, everybody who works under him knows they’re on their own if something goes wrong. So that’s why every facility like this has all sorts of secret escape tunnels hidden where Baltheus’ loyalists wouldn’t find. That’s how we're getting out.”

“And…you know where to find these tunnels, right?” asked Alvin, still a bit anxious.

Eva chuckled. “I have a general idea. Don’t worry, I’ll look around for a bit before we take care of things.” She looked at the ceiling. “You guys got that up there?”

“Loud and clear,” answered Patience.

Soon enough, the elevator reached the bottom floor. Belos and the others returned to the vents, while Alvin and Eva stepped out once the door rattled open. “Coast is clear,” Alvin reported. The two plus three made their way down the hall, hopefully towards where they needed to go.

They weren’t alone as they thought they were, however, as a figure suddenly rounded a corner, almost crashing into them. “Move it,” snapped the bluish scientist, shoving them out of the way as he carried on. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Eva was about to offer a convincing cover story, but the man left without another word. “...Huh. Guess he’s too important for us,” she said, continuing on. “Ah, well. It’s the arrogant ones like him who look past revolutionaries like us.”

“So, that’s what we are now,” Alvin said, almost in disbelief. “We’re really starting a revolution.”

“Who knows? With any luck, this little act of rebellion will only be the first of many,” Eva replied. “People all over the Isles could rise up against their oppressive rulers…or at least just against Baltheus. I think I’d be content with that.”

Strangely, there didn’t seem to be anyone patrolling the hallway. With all the bad things that allegedly went down here, they both assumed it would be much busier. Neither was the type to look a gift horse in the mouth, though, so neither commented on the lack of resistance. Soon enough, they reached another door that needed a keycard. Alvin inserted it into the mouth, and the door unlocked.

After cautiously opening the door, making sure that nobody was inside, Eva led the way into the next room. “This looks like the place,” she said, taking note of the eerie green lighting and metal grating along the floor. If there was ever a room for containing a variety of horrific experiments, this was it.

The party ventured inside, and soon came to realize the extent of Baltheus’ side project. The room was full of giant vats, inside of each one a figure floated in some manner of liquid. Far from being recognizable as witches or biped demons, all of them had been hideously mutilated in a way that was unnatural even for the Boiling Isles. Alvin felt cold ice rising from his stomach as he beheld the aberrations hooked up to tubes that lined the room. Worst of all, a good number of them seemed to be alive, twitching or moving within their tubes.

One of the vents opened up, and Patience crawled out. “Titan above…” she said breathlessly. “What is Baltheus doing here?”

“Whatever it is, it’s all the more reason to burn this place to the ground,” Eva said, hatred clear in her voice. “You four go on ahead to the boiler room. I’ll look around for a quick way out.”

Patience nodded. “Got it! You guys comin’?” she asked to the vent.

“I…think I feel safer in here,” replied Kiki, remaining within the ductwork. She and Belos followed the pair from within, the latter regarding the twisted experiments with a sense of foreboding.

Alvin tried not to look at the mutated bodies as he and Patience walked past. His morbid curiosity nevertheless got the better of him each time, and each one seemed worse than the last. One had a series of arms haphazardly placed along its back. Another was missing its head, several tentacles emerging in its place. Yet another was two bodies stitched together, including their heads, with their faces twisted into grimaces.

“I’d…like to leave here as soon as we can,” he said, gulping.

“You’re telling me,” Patience replied. She was looking at the mutants as well, though her expression was one of growing worry rather than outright horror. “To think, this was what could’ve happened to my mom… Compared to all of them, she got off lightly.” She was silent for a while as they kept walking. “Are we sure this is the only one of Baltheus’ horror shows?”

Although Alvin knew what he wanted the answer to be, he knew that was only wishful thinking. “Who can say? It’s the only one we know about, but he could have places like this hidden all over the Isles. Don’t tell me you’re thinking about tracking down every one?”

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking,” she all but growled, turning away from the horrible sights they passed. “We can’t let him do this to any more people. We have to put a stop to this at the source.”

“And we will,” Alvin assured her. “Destroying this facility is only the first step in loosening Baltheus’ control over this section of the Boiling Isles. I’m…not entirely sure what we’ll do after that, but I’m sure we can think of–Oh my Titan, is that what I think it is?” Losing his train of thought, he hurried over to a glass tank he had spotted up ahead.

Patience observed the tank, which contained what appeared to be an amphibious, serpentine demon floating in a similar solution to the other tubes. “What do you think it is?” she asked. It didn’t appear to be a product of Baltheus’ insane experimentations, but she had never seen a creature like it before.

“If memory serves, this has to be a basilisk,” Alvin said in awe, examining the creature further. “I’ve never seen one in person–they’re supposed to be nearly extinct. I don’t know how he got it–this might be one of the last individuals in the wild, possibly ever.”

“I appreciate the zoology lesson, but rare species or not, we still have to destroy this place,” Patience pointed out. Not that it mattered much: the basilisk didn’t appear to be moving within its tank, even with all the various tubes connected to its body.

Alvin managed to pry himself away from the elusive creature. “Yes…yes, you’re right. We came here for a reason, and we can’t afford to waste time.” The pair quickly made their way towards the boiler room, which was only a side door away.

Perhaps obviously, it was much hotter in the boiler room. Numerous giant tanks filled the room, sending large quantities of steam into the rest of the facility. “Eva said you guys had a better plan than just setting a fire and running,” said Patience. “So let’s hear what ya got.”

“Well, if we sabotage all of the vents in here, all that steam will have nowhere to go,” Alvin said. “That pressure will build until it releases, and when it does, we open the vents again. The fire will spread all over the facility, burning every last trace of Baltheus’ experiments.”

“Something I can get behind,” Patience said, making her way over to one of the boilers. She turned a wheel to close the vents, and could already hear the metal creaking as the steam began to build up. “Well? You just the idea guy, or are you gonna help?”

Alvin went over to join her, but not before offering some advice to Belos and Kikimora. “Just so you know, you two weren’t in the vents just to make it through easier. There’s some fans in place by the boilers that prevent fires from spreading. I think you know what to do!”

“I think so, but I also think you should go first, just in case,” Kiki said to Belos. The revenant wordlessly made his way past her to assist in the sabotage.

“Hey, so I heard you guys talking earlier–you sure Eva knows what she’s doing?” Patience asked as the two of them tightened the boilers.

“I don’t see any reason why she wouldn’t,” replied Alvin. “The entire reason we can do this is because she spent most of her childhood living with Baltheus. She knows all the ins and outs of how he runs his operation, not to mention she has the motive to want to bring him down.”

Patience hummed in reply. “I guess. Still, I’d be a bit more comfortable if she told us what she was doing before she ran off. Just hope she finds the way out before this place goes boom…”

Alvin hoped so too. “I’m sure she will,” he said.

From inside of the boilers, Kiki was working up the courage to get close to one of the fans. Not only was it spinning rather fast, but all the steam pumping through made it red-hot. “Okay…just gotta…” She hesitantly reached out for it, pulling her hand back when she realized that wouldn’t be the best idea. “Okay, how can I–”

Belos reached past her, grabbing the fan and crushing it with little effort, not even reacting to the heat. He then wordlessly moved on to the next one, leaving an impressed Kiki behind.

“Huh. Okay, I can do that, too…probably.” She headed to another fan, cautiously drawing a spell circle and averting her eyes. The bolt keeping the fan in place shakily unscrewed itself, causing the fan to pivot violently. It soon tore itself apart, flinging the blades into the wall of the vents, narrowly missing Kiki. “Hey, that wasn’t so bad!” she said cheerfully, once she opened her eyes.

As the two of them continued restricting the steam’s movement, Alvin hoped Eva would hurry up with their escape route. He did trust her, as he told Patience, but things were getting worryingly close for his liking. If they were still in here when it started to blow…

He would soon see that wasn’t all they had to worry about. “Hey!” The cry made the both of them freeze. “What exactly are you doing in here!?” A trio of guards stormed into the boiler room, none too happy with what they had found within.

While Alvin froze, Patience, clearly having much more experience with this sort of thing, walked right up to them, acting like she was right where she belonged. “Mornin’, fellas,” she said. “Is something up?”

All three guards aimed a spell circle at her. “Hands above your head! Step away from the boilers, and get down on your knees!”

She complied, at least with the first part. “Hey, hey, easy! Look, we were told to perform some routine maintenance down here, I don’t know what everybody’s freaking out about all of a sudden! Look, if we did something wrong, why don’t we all calm down and discuss it like civilized–” She cried out as a spell hit her elbow, knocking her to the ground.

“Patience!” Alvin ran over to assist. It wasn’t a serious wound, just a small burn, but the guards were clear they were ready to give them another. The armored figures stepped closer, spreading out to surround the intruders.

As this went down, Belos watched through the slats of a vent, resisting the urge to growl as he bared his teeth. Sensing he was moments away from acting, Kikimora tried to hold him back. “Boss, calm down!” she urged. “If we get caught, it’s game over!” But Patience and Alvin had already been caught.

One of the guards pressed his spell circle against the back of Alvin’s head, making it clear the next spell wouldn’t just wing him. “Take off your masks,” he ordered. “Both of you. Slowly.”

Patience complied, with Alvin following suit. “I don’t recognize these two,” said another. “You have any identification?”

Alvin’s hands shook as he reached into his pocket to take out the keycard they had acquired, hoping that would suffice. He handed it to the one behind him, who took a moment to observe it. Only a moment, as he soon decided he had seen enough.

“Well, we’re already here–might as well make the most of it,” he said, dropping the card to the ground as he walked away. “Throw them both in the incinerator. No one will even know they were here.”

Both of them immediately objected upon hearing this. “What!? No, wait, she’s telling the truth! We’re supposed to be down here!” Alvin shouted. Each of them was grabbed by one of the guards, who began hauling them away. “Just ask our boss!”

“Oh?” asked the guard. “And who’s your boss, exactly?”

A brief pause. “Lord Baltheus himself,” replied Alvin. “He personally sent us down here to deal with the blockage.”

The guards were not impressed. The lead one wordlessly turned away, as his two subordinates continued dragging the pair off to their final resting place. “What kind of due process is this!?” shouted Patience. “We weren’t even doing anything wrong, as far as you know!”

With his allies’ lives in mortal jeopardy, Belos could afford to lay low no longer. He was seeing red–or more accurately, blue, as his eyes lit up the stark color. Amid Kiki’s panicked murmurings, he tore his way through the vent, descending upon the biggest threat.

The guard only had time to let out an exclamation of surprise before Belos was on top of him. His armor protected him from the revenant’s claws, but not well enough. Even his allies were surprised as he tore into the guard with his teeth, taking his bile sac for himself.

Patience used this momentary distraction to slip her knife from its sheath, jabbing it into the guard’s side through a gap in his armor, before rushing Alvin’s guard and driving the blade into his collarbone. Before he could retaliate, she blasted him with a spell of her own, throwing him a good distance away. “You alright?” she asked Alvin, helping him to his feet.

“I am for now,” he replied. “We’d better go, though. This place is bound to blow any second!”

The guard Patience had rescued Alvin from got to his feet, preparing to send another spell at them. Before he got the chance, Belos was on him as well, the two tumbling into one of the boilers. The revenant’s claws raked across the metal, but the guard managed to blast him back with his spell. “Come on, you want some more!? I’m right here, come and get–”

The boiler exploded, engulfing the guard in a ball of fire. The others went soon after this, filling the room with deafening bangs and searing heat. Patience and Alvin dove to the floor to avoid the worst of it, while Belos, his instincts in full control, clambered up a wall and out of sight. The third guard, the one Patience had stabbed in the side, used this time to hurry out of the room before things got worse.

Kikimora had long since vacated the vents, and made her way over to the other two. “What do we do now!?” she shouted. “This whole place is coming down on top of us!”

“Stay calm!” said Alvin. “Eva will come through for us, I know it! But first, we need to get somewhere safer.”

Patience helped him up, with him, herself, and Kiki quickly heading back into the room with the experiments. “Not sure there is somewhere safer now!” she replied. “We really shoulda thought this out more!”

And then, once everything’s primed to explode, we make our getaway and watch the fireworks from a safe distance! Everybody ready? Then let’s get moving!

The series of explosions had been felt by the entire facility. At first, the higher-ups had assured everyone that it was just a tremor, nothing to be concerned about. But once fire had started spewing from the vents, most of the workers wisely decided to egress, orders be damned. With many of his workers dispersing, one of the scientists decided to stay behind, remembering a certain encounter he had before all of this started.

The scientist lounged in the chair of the security office, looking over recent camera footage. Sure enough, those two technicians he had barged past headed into the boiler room not long after he left. It seemed he had been right to send those guards after them after all. Not that it did much good in the end.

Calum barged into the room. “Dr. Graydon!” he shouted. “It’s not safe here, the whole facility’s on fire! We have to leave before we’re all burned alive!”

His boss, Dr. Graydon, held up a hand to silence him. “Relax. A little smoke never hurt anyone. Besides, we have more pressing matters to deal with.”

“Um, n-no offense, sir, but what could be more pressing than an uncontrollable fire?” asked Calum, just barely keeping it together.

Dr. Graydon stared at the screen, paused on the image of those two intruders. “Calum? Would you do me a favor and contact Lord Baltheus? If I’m right, and let’s be honest, I’m rarely not, I think we have something that just might interest him.

“R-right away, sir,” Calum replied. “If I may, what exactly is it?”

The doctor smiled. “Just what he’s been looking for.” He got to his feet, leaving the room. “Oh, and tell every guard still here to converge on the lower levels. We have some uninvited guests…”

The room full of experiments was burning as well. Probably for the best, given everything that had been done to them, but it still meant getting through was a challenge. Several of the tanks burst from the heat, the preservatives within only fueling the fire further. “What do you think the odds are the elevator’s still working?” asked Patience.

“Not high,” Kiki said, practically clinging to their legs as they made their way through the smoke-filled room. “Eva! Eva, we could really use your help right about now!” But she got no response, the human seeming to have disappeared.

“Right now, I’d be more worried about Belos,” Alvin said. His eyes darted around the room, looking for movement in the smoke. “I’m not sure he can control himself in this state.”

“When did you become an expert in revenants?” asked Patience. But in truth, she was worried as well. One would have to be insane not to be worried about the rampaging monstrosity loose in a burning building, even if it was theoretically on their side. “Hopefully he’s still able to recognize us.”

And speaking of monstrosities, it soon became clear that not all of the experiments in the room had perished. The trio came across one laying in a pile of broken glass, and would have passed it by had it not suddenly twitched. “I’m…not the only one who saw that, am I?” asked Kiki. The multi-armed, many-toothed beast opened its eyes, clambering to its feet and screeching at the interlopers.

“Other way, other way!” shouted Patience, trying to deter the creature with several spells as she guided the other two to safety. Even with the numerous projectiles hammering against it, the abominable beast continued to give chase, though the fire slowed it down somewhat.

Things somehow got even worse as they stumbled through the burning room. “Freeze!” In spite of all the danger, they complied as they nearly ran right into another collection of guards, each of whom had a spell circle pointed at them. “On your knees, now! Final warning!”

“Come on, now is not the time for this!” cried Alvin, despite complying. His words fell on deaf ears, as the guards were paying little attention to the fire threatening to consume them all. “Look, let’s get out of here first, then we can talk about–”

The creature interrupted their negotiations by pouncing on the nearest guard, causing the others to unleash a flurry of spells in a panic. Just as well, as that likely would have been them in a few more moments. The party once again changed their direction, ducking down into a dead end in the form of a gated wall. “Guys! You made it out!” a voice called from the other side of the wall, belonging to Eva.

“Eva!” cried Kiki. “How’d you get over there?”

“There’s a door just down the hallway to the right,” she explained, pointing in the direction. “I found a way out through here, hurry! I’ll meet you guys halfway!” She paused, looking them over. “Where’s Belos?”

“He’s…handling things in his own way,” said Patience. “We’ll try and rein him in before we come to you, but if we’re not there in five minutes, leave without us.”

Alvin looked at her, quite perturbed. “I didn’t agree to that!” he cried.

The room shook, causing some of the ceiling to collapse. “You’d better move fast!” Eva said. “I’m not sure how much longer this place can hold up!”

They didn’t need to be told twice, making their way through the ruined laboratory. While the good news was that none of the guards or experiments were focusing on them, the bad news was that they were focused on each other, a minor war having broken out in the midst of the flames. Monstrous screeching and yells of panic filled the air almost as much as the smoke, making it hard to hear as well as see.

Alvin got down on his hands and knees to crawl underneath a fallen filing cabinet. Just as he made it to the other side, a guard stumbled into view, catching sight of him. “Freeze!” The guard prepared to fire a spell, only for Belos to intervene. The revenant sped past, tearing the guard’s arm off in a single motion. As he screamed, Belos dragged the rest of him off on a second pass.

Alvin suddenly found himself back on the island. No longer was Belos the intimidating but trustworthy ally he had grown somewhat accustomed to. Now, he had reverted back to the unknowable beast that had attacked the explorers in the woods, dragging off one of their own. The image of his piercing blue eyes and gaping, fang-filled jaws were burned into Alvin’s vision.

Acting almost entirely on instinct, he ran through the chaos, with Patience and Kiki shouting after him to be careful. He could barely hear them, both due to the fighting and him tuning out the rest of the world. He was lucid enough, however, to alter his path at the sight of Belos leaping out of the fire, wreathed in flames, and descending upon a party of unfortunate guards.

Spells collided against the walls as the trio finally reached the door. The hallway outside wasn’t much more pleasant than the lab, but it at least lacked the ongoing war, which was a small mercy at this point. Trying their best not to breathe in the smoke, the three hurried to the room Eva had indicated. However, one final surprise presented itself, as one of the experiments made its way out of the room and chased after them.

They rounded a corner with the mish-mash of witch and demon parts screeched while closing in for the kill, each of them running on fumes. But just when it seemed like the creature was about to overtake them, a vial full of liquid shattered against it, causing the nearby flames to envelop it. The monstrosity then fell to the ground, and the trio turned to see their rescuer: “Eva!” shouted Kiki.

“You guys are cutting it close,” the human noted, ushering them inside what seemed to be an office full of files. “Is Belos with you?”

“Not unless he’s on his way,” said Patience, as Eva pulled aside a section of wall to reveal a cave dug through the foundation. “Should we wait for him?”

Alvin glanced at the current state of the facility, which was growing hotter by the moment. “I don’t think we can afford to wait,” he said, maybe a bit too fast. “The least we can do is get somewhere safer for now.”

Unable to argue, he, Patience, and Eva made their way into the tunnel. Kiki didn’t move, looking back towards the door. “We can’t just leave him!” she urged. “He doesn’t know the way out!”

“I know, but if we stay here, we all might end up getting roasted,” Patience pointed out. “Besides, you’ve seen what Belos can do. He can handle himself just fine.”

Kiki was hesitant to leave, but she had to admit, they had a point. It was only a matter of time before the fire consumed everything in here, and everyone. From everything she had seen him do, Belos was likely more than capable of finding another way out…but she couldn’t know that for sure. Unwilling to leave her savior’s survival up to chance, she steeled herself before rushing back into the flaming hallway.

“Kiki, don’t!” shouted Eva, but the diminutive demon had already gone. She hissed, momentarily debating what to do. “Okay, you two go on ahead, I’ll be back in a moment,” She too chased after one of their own.

Patience and Alvin shared a glance. “And who’s going to save you?” asked the former. But Eva was already gone.

Stumbling through the halls, Kiki returned the way they had come. “Belos! This way!” she yelled out, hoping he could hear her. “We found a way out, but we have to go now! Please, hurry!”

There was a groan as the building shifted, shaking the foundation. More flames erupted from the laboratory, most likely from the rest of the boilers exploding. Kiki covered her face as the heat washed over her, looking back up with worry in her eyes. Could Belos have survived something like that?

Another group of guards appeared, just as the flames were pulled back in towards a figure stepping out of the room. They prepared their spells, but before they could fire them, the flames were launched back at them in an enormous blast. Their armor was not enough to protect them, with the attack reducing them to ash. The source of the blast, Belos, growled, as Kiki watched in awe. “B-Belos…?”

Eva dashed around the corner just too late to witness the display of magic. “Kiki, come on, there’s no time–” She was interrupted as Belos suddenly dashed over to Kikimora, picked her up in his jaws, and sprinted towards the exit. She had to leap to the side to avoid being knocked over. With both of them accounted for, she headed back the way she came.

Yet more guards showed up to block the way, unleashing a barrage of spells. Belos’ eyes flashed blue as he brought both of his hands down hard on the floor, magic flowing from them. Concrete and stone burst up from the ground as the hallway in front of them was torn apart, filled with spires of rock. Eva didn’t see what exactly happened to the guards, but she imagined it wasn’t pretty.

The three soon made it back to the tunnel entrance. “Eva, did you–” Alvin stumbled back and cried out as Belos burst into the room, carrying Kiki down the tunnel and out of the facility. Shakily, he got up again, with some help from Patience.

“That’s, what, the third time I’ve picked you up today?” she asked.

“No time for quips, move, move!” urged Eva, pushing them both into the tunnel. Not a moment too soon, either, as more of the facility collapsed behind them the moment they headed out. The trio crept through the narrow stone walkway, each having cast a light spell to illuminate their way.

The heat from the fires faded quickly, but the rumbling as the building continued to fall away behind them could be felt almost as strongly no matter how far they went. Dust fell from the tunnel’s ceiling as more quakes rocked it, with each of the party silently praying it wouldn’t collapse. “So…you think Belos and Kiki made it out okay?” asked Patience.

Alvin would have answered, but he was still too shocked by their narrow escape to think clearly. He had been especially shaken by being re-exposed to Belos’ violent nature when pressed, taking him back to his first encounter with the revenant. It seemed Eva noticed his silence, pressing him on the matter. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, just…glad we made it out,” he said quietly, hesitant to bring up the real cause of his distress. Belos was now one of his allies, so the last thing he wanted was to drive a wedge between the team.

“We aren’t out yet,” Patience pointed out. “Let’s not celebrate until we can see sunlight.”

A little while later, and they indeed saw sunlight. All three of them happily crawled out of the cave’s exit, climbing up onto solid ground once more. In the distance was the flaming husk of the research center, the fire having spread to the top level. A crowd of people was moving away from the danger, though the sight thankfully created enough of a spectacle that nobody would notice the trio making their escape.

Off in the other direction, Belos continued to carry Kiki away. “Thank you for rescuing me, sir,” she said, dangling from his mouth. “What about the others? Shouldn’t we go back for them?”

Belos looked over his shoulder, seeing the other three getting their bearings. He placed Kiki back down, before bounding off into the distance in the direction of their hideout.

“Hey, wait!” Kiki called after him. “It’s not safe alone!” But he was already gone, leaving the rest of them behind. “Oh…” Unable to follow him, Kiki returned to the rest of the group.

“So, we actually pulled it off,” said Eva, beaming with pride. They had begun the trek back home, hoping to put as much distance between them and the crime scene as possible. “Baltheus should be feeling that one pretty soon!”

Patience glanced back at the wreckage. “I can feel it from here! Hopefully this’ll only be the first of many–Kiki? What’s up? Where’d Belos run off to?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” she replied. “I think he’s going back to base, but I don’t know why he didn’t wait for us. It’s weird, isn’t it?”

“Very weird,” Alvin said. “It’s almost like the fight down there triggered something in him. He went into fight-or-flight, like how he was back on the island.”

“Y’know, you’ve never really gone into too much detail on what happened over there,” Patience said. “Do you ever feel like regaling us on your epic journey overseas?”

He looked away uncomfortably. “Not really. It’s…well, I wouldn’t call it traumatic, but I’m definitely not the same man I was before I went there. I’m just lucky I didn’t end up being eaten by the revenant.”

Kiki found it hard to believe that Belos used to be little more than a wild animal. But on the other hand, she had seen firsthand how ferocious he could be. “So, what’s the plan now?” she asked.

“Now, it’s back home to plan our next move–but not before resting up,” said Eva. “I imagine we could all use one of those…” Everyone agreed, making their way back to her hidden shelter. As they traveled, Alvin silently hoped Belos hadn’t fully reverted to his old ways…

Talus’ office was silent, save for the quiet sound of bolts being turned as he tuned up his robotic legs. Even with everything going on lately, he hadn’t expected any visitors today, which is why he was surprised to see none other than Dr. Graydon. “Everett!” he said, setting down his tools and getting up. “To what do I owe this sudden visit?”

The good doctor was not alone, accompanied by Vesh. “Yeah, sorry to drop in on you like this, but it’s urgent. I’m sure you heard what happened down at Tailbone?”

“Yes, the whole place went up in a blaze,” he replied, recalling hearing the news. “Thank Titan that so many were able to escape.”

Dr. Graydon grumbled. “Maybe, but all our research sure didn’t. Normally, I’d be a lot more annoyed at having to start from scratch, but I think I may have discovered something even more valuable than everything that was burned. But don’t take my word for it: I have it on good authority that Lord Baltheus will be very interested in my discovery.”

“Oh?” said Talus. “And whose might that be?”

Grinning, Vesh placed a crystal projector on the desk, to Talus’ shock. “His.” The device opened up, projecting an image of Baltheus above the three. He was seated on his throne, looking much more somber than his usual carefree self. When he realized the image was on, he looked up.

“Lord Beltheus,” Talus greeted, not used to seeing the lord appearing so formal, and presumably sober. “Is everything alright? I heard about the fire at your research facility, I’m sorry that–”

“Talus,” Baltheus interrupted, his voice quiet and restrained. “I apologize for dropping this on you so suddenly, but there has been a…slight change of plans. The last time we spoke, I told you that the revenant was of little significance, correct? However, due to the new information Dr. Graydon has given me, I now ask that you capture the revenant alive, and bring it to me as soon as possible.”

Appropriately, Talus was confused by this sudden pivot. “And this information, what exactly have you learned?” he asked the doctor.

“It came to me just after the fire broke out,” he said. “I initially wrote this revenant off as just another case of mass hysteria, or at the very least a creature not worth looking into. But after seeing what it was capable of that day, I believe there’s a lot we can learn from the beast. A lot we can gain from it.”

“You mean…it was there that day?” said Talus.

“Oh yes, it and all its friends,” the doctor replied. “One of them was your apprentice once, wasn’t he? Seems prolonged exposure to revenants makes people more privy to terrorism. Who knew?”

Talus was having a hard time processing this. “No, I refuse to believe that. It’s true that we haven’t heard from Alvin for a while, but it is simply not possible that he has become some manner of revolutionary!”

“Revenant’s got powers, remember?” said Vesh, tapping his head. “We’ve already established that it’s probably got Alvin under its control. And who knows what other sorts of things it can do?”

“We’ll know, if we can capture it and study it,” said Dr. Graydon. “Think about it, Talus: this isn’t just stopping a threat to Bonesborough, this could be about the scientific breakthrough of the century! History, chemistry, medicine…” He nudged his head upwards at Baltheus. “Just think of everything we could learn!”

Although he had a bad feeling about it, Talus couldn’t argue with the benefits. “That is true, such a creature would have profound effects on many scientific communities. But if I might ask, how can we be expected to capture the revenant now, when all our past efforts have ended in failure? This beast is clearly much more cunning that it lets on.”

“This is the exact reason why I sent Dr. Graydon to you,” replied Baltheus. “With the both of you putting your heads together, plus Vesh’s savviness regarding magical creatures, I’m sure you can put together something viable. And I don’t think I need to remind you that time is of the essence, yes?”

“Yes, of course, my Lord,” Talus answered. “We will capture this revenant and bring it to you as soon as possible.”

Baltheus nodded. “Good. I already lost one laboratory, I don’t need to lose another. Don’t disappoint me–that goes for all of you.” The image disappeared, and the projector clicked closed.

“Well,” said Dr. Graydon, clapping his hands, “we’ve got a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time to do it. I suggest we get started, ASAP.”

“Yeah, that sounds good, Mr. Doctor, but good ideas don’t just come falling outta the sky whenever we want. Unless you have a plan to trap this thing, I don’t know how we’re gonna–”

“Oh, I have a plan alright,” he said. “It’s true that the revenant is tricky. But he also has friends now, meaning he doesn’t travel alone. You yourself had some encounters with them before, haven’t you? All we need to do is find them–and they’ll lead us right to our target.”

Vesh grinned. “You know what? I think the two of us are gonna get along great!”

Talus, on the other hand, was far more skeptical of the whole thing. He didn’t voice his displeasure, as this was the best option they had, but the prospect of going after Alvin didn’t sit well with him. Would they really have to go after his protege? Or worse still, was Alvin truly under the monster’s control? If this was true, he thought, he would find a way to reverse the process.

After all, Alvin may have blamed himself for inadvertently bringing the revenant back to the mainland, but Talus had sanctioned the voyage in the first place.