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 amusement, 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."

AN: Funny story about the Forsythe brothers. Initially, I wanted to just have a bard, with the twist that he was a DJ (because I already had a bard with a rockstar twist in my other TOH fic). Of course, a bard playing dubstep would be a bit out of place considering this took place fifty years ago, which is why I have him a brother who can see the future, and thus predict musical genres that haven't been invented yet! Just something I thought I'd share.