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."