Dealing with the aftermath of Racker's Alley took the group the rest of the day. Destroying the vampire spawn was easy enough with them unable to act in their coffins even as they burned in the sunlight. Falenas and Verik searched the soil within the coffins, finding several pouches of gold and platinum along with a ring and a pair of pipes for music. Afterwards, they returned to Citadel Volshyenek to report the body dumping operation at Racker's Alley along with tales of vampires. Cressida was alarmed by the undead in the area and promised to have her men patrol the area in case of further trouble.

Afterwards, they made their way to the Vossler estate as the sun started to set. Griffin took the coins and items the group had found and promised to divide the money and determine if the items were magical or not. Viera told the adventurers that they would have a meeting tomorrow morning before Takota was expected to go on patrol as part of his new responsibilities. Alexander picked up Silana from Tiran and led the way back home along with Verik and Duke. It was Silana who noticed how exhausted Duke was and Alexander assured her that he only needed rest.

Unfortunately, Duke wasn't feeling better the next day. He rested in his corner in the living room and didn't seem as active as he was before. Silana sat by Duke's side, petting him softly with a sad frown across her face. Alexander and Verik looked down at the dog, unsure of what was wrong with him. Duke was fairly young and was in good health even after everything he went through but something about him changed after the encounter with the vampires.

"Duke's not feeling well," Silana said quietly with a sad frown. "Is he sick?"

"Can dogs catch blood veil?" Verik whispered to Alexander.

"I don't think so," Alexander shook his head. "I think Duke just needs some rest."

"But Duke slept all last night and is still like this," Silana said, pouting. "There has to be something we can do for him."

Alexander tapped his chin in thought before turning to Verik. "You're going to have to go to the meeting without me. Let the others know that I'm dealing with an emergency."

"I'm sure Vee and the others will understand," Verik nodded. "What are you going to do with Duke?"

"I'm not too sure," Alexander admitted. "He needs a break from the action but we need to keep him active instead of having his waste away like this."

"We could take him out on a walk," Silana suggested, looking up at the adults. "Duke loves going on walks."

"That he does," Alexander said with a smile. "Good thinking, Silana. We'll take him out for a walk, just the three of us."

"Come on, Duke," Silana said, helping Duke up onto his feet. "You'll feel better before you know it!"

Alexander chuckled and glanced toward Verik. He nodded, encouraging the archer to head on to the meeting at the Vossler estate without him. Verik nodded back and made his way to the door, leaving the Fletcher family behind. Alexander wasn't sure if taking Duke out on a walk would be enough to help but he knew that he had to try something. If he didn't, Silana wouldn't stop worrying for Duke until she saw that the mastiff was feeling better for herself. At the very least, he was sure that the other adventurers would be able to get by without him.

Although the others missed Alexander at the meeting, the adventurers proceeded once Verik had let them know what the warrior was up to. Griffin fought back the urge to frown, wishing that he had been at Racker's Alley to help fight back against the vampires. He wasn't sure if he could have made a difference but he felt he had a chance to have kept Duke safe. For now, Griffin could only help the group behind the scenes while he worked out a way to ask Viera about rejoining the group on their adventures.

The meeting started off without a problem in Falenas' lab at the manor. Griffin divided the coins that the group found buried in the coffins. Although they were from Ustalav, they could still be used to buy goods in Korvosa. Griffin opted out of taking a reward for himself, feeling that he didn't do anything to get any gold. As such, he excluded himself when he handed out pouches containing sixty gold and three platinum to the adventurers. Griiffin volunteered to hold onto Alexander's share of the gold until it could be claimed by Alexander.

There weren't only coins in the coffins as the group had discovered a ring and a pan flute. Griffin had spent time studying the items and concluded that they were both magical. The ring increased its wearer's jumping ability while someone playing the pan flute could instill fear in those who've heard it. Viera was quick to note that the instrument was made by dark magic and insisted that it was destroyed by the clergy within the city. None of the group opposed the idea since they lacked the talent to play the pan flute. Otherwise, no one was interested in claiming the ring and Griffin promised to hold onto it until he could check with Alexander. If Alexander didn't want the ring, he decided that he would take the ring for himself rather than put its magic to waste.

With the matter of the gold and magical items handled, the discussion turned to the different assignments of the group.

"We'll need to decide on who'll go out on patrol today," Viera started.

Takota raised his hand. "The Sable Marine Company has already assigned my patrol schedule for today. I won't be able to have anyone join me with Wildclaw."

"I see," Viera nodded. "Well, I can't ask you to step away from your responsibilities. With Alexander away, this complicates matters if we're going to send a pair out to patrol the city."

"I don't have anything to do," Verik offered. "We can patrol together, Vee."

Viera smiled. "That is a wonderful idea but I have other matters to attend to today. I'm going to meet with Field Marshal Kroft to give an update on our efforts and I'm afraid it might take most of the day."

"Most of the day?" Griffin questioned.

"There's a lot to talk about," Viera quickly said. "I also have to stop by the Grand Vault of Abadar and drop off those haunted pipes we found."

"Perhaps I can take the pipes there for you?" Griffin suggested. "It would save you some time, right?"

"That… that would be wonderful," Viera nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Griffin."

"It's no problem at all," Griffin said with a faint smile.

"Falenas," Viera turned to face the alchemist. "You and Verik-"

"I did my patrol for the week when we went to Racker's Alley," Falenas reminded her with a shake of his head. "I've made plans for the day already."

Viera crossed her arms. "I don't recall you consulting me about your plans for today."

"I didn't feel the need to," Falenas stated matter-of-factly. "As it so happens, my work to discover a cure for blood veil has slowed down significantly. I needed to change my approach so I asked one of the servants remaining at the manor last night to ask Ishani for information about the people who were infected with blood veil during the start of the outbreak. In his response, he said that he would send what he could today. I'm hoping that if I can figure out a common sign from the first wave of the infected, I can better prepare a cure."

"I'll admit that's a good plan, but in the future, I would like for you to let me know whenever you have a plan," Viera told Falenas. "We're supposed to work together."

Falenas shrugged. "I'll consider it."

"So, am I going out on patrol alone?" Verik asked.

"Not after what happened yesterday," Viera shook her head. "Takota will be the only one of us to go on patrol for today. Verik, I want you to stay here with Falenas and try to help him. Given that this task likely doesn't require any training with alchemy, you should get by without a problem."

"In other words, she wants to keep an eye on me," Falenas chuckled. "How wonderful."

"I don't want you to overwork yourself," Viera said with a frown. "Unless there's any other business, we should get to work."

Griffin contemplated if now would be a good time to bring up the tension between Viera and Falenas. He worried that it was affecting both of them in a negative manner. This hadn't been the first time the two clashed since Viera became the group's leader. With Viera wanting the group to take a more active stance in protecting Korvosa and Falenas believing that the best way to help was to create a cure for blood veil, the two had argued with each other more than Griffin would have liked. However, he didn't feel like he could serve as a mediator. If Alexander were around, it might have been possible, but that wouldn't be possible for today's meeting.

With no one else speaking up, Viera called for the meeting to end and the group dispersed. While Falenas and Verik stayed behind at the manor, Griffin, Viera, and Takota left the building. Takota made his way to head out on patrol and Viera walked toward Citadel Volshyenek. Griffin wondered what she planned to talk to Cressida about but would have to wait and see. With the haunted pan flute secured in his belt pouch, Griffin made his way to the Grand Vault of Abadar. By ensuring that the magical item is disposed of properly, he took one step closer to earning Viera's trust and being able to return to action.

Going out on a walk with Duke didn't have the results Silana was hoping for. Alexander noted that while Duke tried to lead the way, he didn't have the energy to keep up a decent pace. He slowed down considerably, and while Alexander and Silana had left the house following Duke, they had to slow down their pace to not walk by Duke. Silana tried to get Duke active again by playing games such as throwing a stick for him to grab or running ahead to race him but the mastiff was too exhausted to show any interest.

The family turned around the corner onto the next street, and for the first time, Alexander realized how empty Korvosa felt. He sighed, realizing that even if Falenas or the Queen's Physicians found a cure for blood veil, Korvosa would never be the same. Alexander imagined that the death toll from the plague was higher than anyone would have liked. As for the living, they likely kept themselves inside to avoid becoming infected. Alexander didn't have time to make a lot of friends but he wouldn't be surprised to find out if someone he knew had perished from blood veil. He couldn't imagine how someone who had lost a close friend or even a family member could get through the pain of the loss and return to society even after the plague ran its course.

Eventually, Duke came to a stop and laid down on the street, panting. Silana sat next to Duke, stroking the top of his head.

"What happened to Duke?" Silana asked quietly. "He was never like this before."

"It's a long story," Alexander said while he took a seat next to his daughter. He paused for a few seconds to consider his words before continuing. "We were fighting a monster and he took a bad hit. I'm sure Duke will feel better after another day of rest."

"Are you sure?" Silana looked up to her father, still worried.

"I'm sure," Alexander nodded. "If not, I'll bring him to Falenas and get him to treat Duke."

Silana nodded. "Did anyone else get hurt like Duke? What about you?"

"The rest of us are fine," Alexander reassured Silana with a smile. "My armor kept me safe from the monster."

"It did?" Silana asked, an idea coming to her mind. "Why doesn't Duke wear armor then?"

"Huh?" Alexander blinked in confusion. "Duke's just a dog."

"But Duke's fighting with you and your friends to keep the city safe," Silana pointed out. "He should wear armor like you."

Alexander thought about Silana's words and realized that she had a point. He had come to rely on Duke to help him during fights and the mastiff had gotten into trouble more than once because of it. When Alexander knew he was going into a fight, he made sure that he had his armor on and his shield at his side. He didn't plan on continuing his adventures after blood veil came to an end, but if he was going to bring Duke to another fight, he should make sure that Duke would be protected.

"You're right," Alexander said and stood up. "Silana, try to get Duke up. I have an idea."

Silana gasped in surprise and reached over to wake Duke up with a gentle shake. Duke slowly stood up along with Silana and they followed Alexander. He thought about how best to help his loyal mastiff with finding the right armor. For one thing, he didn't know any store that sold armor fitted for dogs so he would have to get it specially made for Duke. He considered that Duke wasn't used to wearing armor and would need time to adjust. He would need to start off with something light, like leather, instead of heavy steel armor. In theory, he could train Duke to wear heavier armor but he didn't think he would be part of the group long enough for that to be necessary.

Several of the shops around Korvosa had been closed and it took longer than Alexander would have liked to find the right shop that was still open. Finally, he found a leatherworking shop that had a sign saying that it was open. He opened the door to find that the shop was empty of people aside from a burly man behind a counter who nodded as the family stepped inside. Alexander glanced around at the different items, noting the different harnesses, saddles, and armor, but nothing that a dog could wear into armor. With a shrug, he approached the counter to ask the shopkeeper for help.

"Good day, sir," Alexander greeted. "I have a strange request."

"If it involves leather, I can see what I can do," the shopkeeper told Alexander.

"I'm… a mercenary, I suppose, and I fight alongside my dog, Duke," Alexander explained, gesturing towards the mastiff. "I was wondering if it would be possible to get some leather armor for him to fight in."

"Armor for a dog, huh?" the shopkeeper chuckled and looked over Duke. "It'll take me a few days to get it made and I'll need to measure your dog before you leave but I can do it."

"Excellent," Alexander said with a smile. "How much do I owe you?"

"It's a special request so it'll have to be twenty gold."

The price was fair in Alexander's mind. He knew that leather armor for a man cost less than twenty gold but that the specific details for a dog would take more work. Without any haggling, Alexander reached into his belt pouch and offered the shopkeeper the price he requested. The shopkeeper nodded, and grabbing a piece of rope with measurements behind his counter, made his way to measure Duke to see how much leather he would need.

Silana stepped aside to let the shopkeeper do his work and smiled at Alexander. He didn't think that he was going to be getting into fights after a cure for blood veil was discovered but he could see Duke perk his head up at the shopkeeper. The mastiff was smart enough in a fight and may have understood what was happening. Alexander thought that there was a spark of Duke's old energy back in the mastiff hound and thought that even if he was going to stop fighting soon, getting the armor for his pet was worth it.

As a young child trying to survive in Korvosa, Takota always wondered what it would have been like to fly while riding a hippogriff. He dreamt of flying back home with a hippogriff and escaping from his troubles in the city. Takota. never thought that a Shoanti orphan would be accepted by the Sable Marine Company, let alone ride a hippogriff across the skies. Now, he had Wildclaw, and flew above the streets of Korvosa. It would have been so easy to close his eyes and take in the feeling, but for now, he had to stay focused on his patrol route.

Takota had an assigned patrol route meant to fly around the various districts of Korovsa for several hours and to be on the lookout for trouble. Old Korvosa was a no fly zone due to the quarantine but the rest of Korvosa was still at risk. From his vantage point, Takota could see that there weren't a lot of people outside. He caught sight of a few citizens walking the sidewalks and several of the Queen's Physicians at work but nothing that stood out immediately. There weren't any riots taking place or anyone in danger. The city had fallen into a quiet peace with blood veil as the citizens took shelter to avoid infection or were unable to leave their homes because they were too sick.

It would have been an uneventful patrol if not for what Takota spotted after two hours into his work. While flying over the Grand Vault of Abadar, he took note of the large line of hopeful citizens trying to receive magical healing during these trying times. He made out a man walking away from the temple with support from a cane and figured it must have been Griffin. Takota was glad to see Griffin was doing his part for the team and hoped that it was the first step to have him back as Indigo. He understood Viera's reason for benching him after he acted on his own without the others but to fight without Griffin felt wrong in a way.

It was only when Takota spotted two armored figures on the rooftop of nearby buildings watching Griffin that he thought something was off.

Takota did a flyover to ensure that the pair he spotted were watching Griffin when they could have been keeping an eye on the situation at the temple. It was then that he noticed them jump from one building to the next, going in the same direction as Griffin. He frowned when he recognized their armor, marking them as Gray Maidens. Takota recalled that the Gray Maidens were meant to protect Korvosa and he had seen them patrolling around Korvosa before. However, he also knew that they answered to the queen and that they wouldn't follow a minor noble like Griffin without reason.

Needing time to think it over, Takota directed Wildclaw to land on a nearby rooftop of a shop. The roof was flat and he was able to dismount and look around his immediate surroundings. He felt that if Ileosa wanted Griffin watched, she may have ordered for the Gray Maidens to watch the rest of his companions. Takota wasn't able to find any Gray Maidens watching him but he couldn't deny that it was possible. They weren't likely to track him down while he flew around Korvosa with Wildclaw but they could find him at the Vossler estate or his barracks with the Sable Marine Company. For all he knew, they could try to keep an eye on him with magic if it was possible.

A bird flew down landing on Takota's shoulder. Wildclaw let out a screech but the bird remained in position with a parchment tied to his leg. Takota motioned for Wildclaw to calm down with a wave of his hand and untied the message. The bird flew away while Takota unrolled the parchment, recognizing the handwriting.

Takota,

I'm glad to hear that you're almost done training with the Sable Marine Company. Honestly, I think that they should have skipped the training. You were able to catch up to me when we first met in the Shingles and that must have taken a lot of skill. If only the marines took into account your adventures that you told me about. I doubt the average soldier has fought monsters underwater or faced off against wererats like you have.

As for me, I'm settling into my new home away from home. I liked your idea about becoming a guide for adventurers and explorers around the region. If you hadn't pointed out how dangerous it might be on my own, I might have gotten into more danger than I could handle. Speaking of, I've been practicing how to fight in my spare time, partly because I'll need to defend myself in case of trouble and partly so that if the opportunity ever comes up, we can fight together. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we can go on adventures together?

Be sure to write to me when you're officially a member of the Sable Marine Company and stay healthy. I would hate for you to catch blood veil.

Take care.

-T

Takota closed his eyes. He had waited to hear back from Trinia after he sent a letter to her through an enchanted animal but her letter couldn't have arrived at a worse time. If Queen Ileosa had her Gray Maidens watching him, they might spot him receiving a letter and wonder who he's been in touch with. As much as he wanted to keep in touch with Trinia, he couldn't risk the Gray Maidens finding out where she was until they could prove she was innocent. He grimaced, recognizing that there was only one thing he could do to keep Trinia safe.

Gripping the parchment tightly, Takota ripped it in half, then into fourths. He continued ripping her letter up until all that remained was scraps before throwing the paper away. He opened his eyes in time to see a light breeze carry the remains of the letter away, scattering the scraps throughout Korvosa. Takota could only hope for a chance to make it up to Trinia when she was no longer wanted for regicide.

Takota mounted Wildclaw, and wanting to leave his thoughts behind him, directed the hippogriff to take flight so that they could resume their patrol.

Viera's report to Field Marshal Kroft didn't take too much time by itself but there was another reason why she needed to head to Citadel Volshyenek. She hadn't meant to deceive her friends and justified doing so because this related to her personal life. She finally intended to find Gaedren's accomplice from her nightmares and believed that the Korvosan Guard had the resources to do so. Falenas had made his feelings on tracking the man down clear and she wasn't ready to bring the subject with Griffin again. The rest of the group didn't know the full picture of what was going on with her, and of them, she felt like she would have invited Alexander had he showed up to the meeting.

Even with Ishani's advice, Viera thought that she reached a dead end with her investigation. Her nightmares revealed little else other than the memory that played over and over. There wasn't anyone that she could question about Gaedren's accomplices and she was ready to give up until she remembered that there was a lead she could follow at Citadel Volshyenek. When Viera explained her plan, Cressida was hesitant, but given the trust she placed in the adventurers, the field marshal agreed to help out.

Viera followed Cressida to the lower levels of the citadel, escorted to a dim room lit up by a lantern the field marshal carried. The room was full of several wooden cabinets with various items ranging from weapons, journals, and pieces of parchment placed on shelves. Each shelf was labeled and there were a few tables with chairs in the center of the room. Cressida set the lantern down on the table and motioned for Viera to take a seat. She did so and watched the field marshal grab two ledgers and a slip of parchment from a single shelf that was labeled under 'Gaedren Lamm.' Viera was close to finding her answers.

"This is it," Cressida told Viera, setting the items down on the table. "I'm sorry that we haven't had a chance to look through it ourselves. It's been one emergency after the other and I don't have the manpower to keep up and handle cold cases."

"It's quite alright," Viera assured Cressida. "You're sure that this will tell me about any of Gaedren's accomplices?"

"It's your best bet at least," Cressida answered. "Gaedren kept a ledger of his criminal activities and deals and your patron was able to translate his cipher. This is a collection of Gaedren's criminal deeds and who he worked with going all the way back to when he started out with his original gang decades ago."

"I won't be too long," Viera said. "For now, I'm only after one of his accomplices."

Cressida nodded. "I trust that you won't tamper with evidence after all you've done. I'll leave you to it and leave a guard outside to escort you when you're finished."

"Thank you, Cressida."

With that, Cressida left the room, closing the door to leave Viera alone. The priestess looked toward the ledgers in front of her. Written somewhere within the pages was the name of the man that Viera saw in her nightmares tending to Gaedren when his son had cursed him. There were plenty of crimes to go through but at least she had a way to narrow it down. Since Viera was a child when she first saw the cloaked healer, she would check the ledger for crimes ten to fifteen years ago and work her way back through Gaedren's criminal record until something stood out to her.

Viera took a deep breath, grabbed the translated copy, and flipped it open. She was close to finding out the truth and she would finally be able to rest once she ensured justice was dealt.

Aside from the long lines, delivering the pipes to the Grand Vault of Abadar so that they could be properly disposed of wasn't too difficult for Griffin. With little else to do, he had expected to have the rest of the day to himself. He thought that he could help Falenas with his project. If they could track where the outbreak of blood veil originally started in the city, it might give them the information they needed to come up with a cure. He imagined that Falenas would need as much help as he could get even with Verik already helping out.

It was when Griffin made it to his home that he wondered if there was more to do today. Tiran stood by the open door, speaking with a woman that Griffin had never seen before. He made his way closer to the pair, noticing that the woman had short dark hair, tanned skin, and was dressed in simple yet colorful clothes. Tiran gestured for the woman to turn, and when she did so, Griffin could make out she was a young Varisian and that her eyes showed how worried she was.

"You're right on time, Griffin," Tiran said. "I was just telling Deyanira that you were out on business but that you would be back."

"He's the one in charge of those heroes I've heard about, right?" the woman, Deyanira, asked.

"I'm a patron of a group of adventurers, yes," Griffin nodded. "How can I help you?"

"I'm afraid that something may be wrong and that my brother could be in danger," Deyanira told Griffin with a frown. "Ruan was requested to play at a private gala a few nights ago. He's been gone for too long, and when I went to the manor he was playing at, I found the doors barred and the curtains blocking out the windows. I'm afraid that something's wrong."

"It was the Carowyns that invited Ruan to play as she told me before," Tiran quickly added. "I've seen Ruan play at the Marbledome once before. He's spectacular with the ocarina. I know I have nothing to do with the business you have with your friends, Griffin, but I think it would be worth it to look into the matter."

"Of course," Griffin said. "I'll go visit the Carowyns myself. I may not agree with them at times but I can assure you that they wouldn't do anything harmful to anyone."

"Thank you," Deyanira said, on the verge of tears. "I don't have much but-"

Griffin waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about payment. I'm sure this won't take too long."

"At the very least, you shouldn't go alone," Tiran told his brother. "Falenas and Verik are inside but I haven't seen the others."

"I'll take Verik with me," Griffin told Tiran. "I don't expect any violence checking in with the Carowyns though."

"It'll make me feel better knowing you have someone to look out for you," Tiran said, smiling. "Deyanira, would you like to come inside? I can see about getting you something to eat while we wait for Griffin to return with Ruan."

"You're too kind," Deyanira said, blushing at Tiran's offer.

Tiran led Deyanira inside, stepping to a side hallway toward the dining room. Griffin stepped inside and made his way towards Falenas' makeshift laboratory. A part of him felt guilty about making the decision on behalf of the group, thinking that at the very least he should have checked in with Viera. He shook his head to dismiss those thoughts. Griffin never got along with the Carowyns but they weren't the kind of nobles that took part in schemes that could put Ruan in danger. They might not open the door to a stranger but they would at least give him the time of day. It should be a quick visit to learn what happened to Ruan, and from there, he can report back to Viera if the rest of the group needed to help.

Griffin found Falenas and Verik going over several small ledgers. The alchemist was jotting down notes as he read the ledger he held and Griffin could tell that Verik was bored and on the verge of falling asleep. He was sure that the archer wouldn't mind the chance for a short break.

"Verik," Griffin greeted. "I hope you don't mind if I ask for your help. I'm-"

"Say no more," Verik said, closing his ledger with a yawn. "Whatever it is, I'm in."

"Is something wrong?" Falenas questioned, looking up from his ledger.

"I'm just visiting another noble family about a performer that went missing," Griffin told Falenas. "It shouldn't take too long but Tiran asked for me to not go alone."

"How interesting," Falenas noted, and with a nod, he closed his ledger. "I hope you don't mind if I ask to join you as well. I could use a break and a breath of fresh air."

"I take it that the research isn't going how you thought it would," Griffin said with a smirk.

Falenas shrugged. "The first wave of infected mostly came from poor neighborhoods. There were a few outliers, including plenty of priests and bankers at the Grand Vault of Abadar, but nothing that stands out. The only entertainment that I had came from Verik's conspiracy theory."

"I'm telling you that if poor people and bankers are the first sick, it's the money that's the issue," Verik said in a defensive tone. "What else could those two groups have in common? I'm sure if we follow the gold, we'll find an evil cult to fight."

Griffin chuckled. "If it comes down to it, we may investigate that theory. Now, we should head out. The sooner we can get answers from the Carowyns, the sooner we can find out if we'll need help finding Ruan."

A/N: So, I had this chapter done for a while, but I finished it the day I had to finish packing for a small vacation. I thought that I could upload this chapter once I made it to my destination but between all of the activities I did plus some problems with my laptop, I wasn't able to get the chapter up online. I apologize for the delay.

Not a lot to say about this chapter. It took me a while to get done but I felt that it was necessary to wrap up the last fight along with set up a few plot elements heading into the final act of this story. I'm very excited for the next couple of chapters so I hope that it'll mean that I get the next chapter up faster.

Until next time.