An hour or so later, it was officially time to return to the Mere for the Exhibition dinner, and the group made their way north to the stadium. Impressively, the Gaming Guild had included a large dining area above the stadium for just such occasions, many of which Bash had "attended" in the past. These dinners were great locations to find high concentrations of important people, like many of the guildmasters, and important secrets that they liked to discuss "privately."

As they entered, Bash scanned the room and spotted, to his surprise, several fans of the competition milling about amongst the competitors. But the most important people in the room were the three guildmasters sitting together at a table on his left, and the two groups of monster-slayer competitors across the room.

Bash's eyes were drawn to the Night's End and their ravishing rogue, but his ears could only focus on the boisterous group of dwarves drinking away in the corner. Every so often, they'd offer up a rousing chorus of laughter or snippet of a drinking song, earning several irritated glances and a few audible complaints.

"Look!" whispered Enna as she tapped Bash's arm. "Hestia's over there. We should go talk to her."

"If you want," he shrugged before following her to the table of guildmasters.

Hestia, a blond human and the guildmaster of charity, sat in idle chatter with her companions: Drasloc, guildmaster of gaming, and Ewyn Windrest, guildmaster of curation. Had circumstances been different, Bash would have given a wink and sly grin to Ewyn, as that had always been a quick way to earn favors, but he was not Bash tonight. Peren had never met Ewyn before, and the strict- and librarian-looking woman would have scared off any flirtation from strangers.

"Hestia!" said Enna in greeting. "It's been a while."

"Enna!" replied the guildmaster. "Indeed, it has. A year, perhaps?"

"Something like that."

"I saw that you were competing in Colosso, but I never expected to see you do so well!" Hestia grinned.

"Thank you! But we are here for more than just that. We've heard about the problems in the Dandelions and black taffy, and we were hoping to be able to help handle that problem. Have you heard anything that could help us?"

Hestia sighed and shook her head. "Alas, it is a terrible epidemic. We know too little about it. Only that the illicit substance is derived from Denr resin. The painkiller is very common, and of course, the charity guild is the primary importer of the Denr plant, but we could never use it without the help of Delthorn Holdings."

Bash felt Enna tense next to him as she heard her brother's surname.

"How's that?" prodded Enna.

"Delthorn is the only one who knows how to make the resin from the plant. The plant is common, yes, but its only value is in a form that nobody knows how to make, save Rolen. And somehow, it's being used for this… drug. It's been poisoning the common people for quite some time now, and there seems to be little that we can do to counteract it." Hestia paused and watched Enna for a moment. "I wish that you had been here to help earlier. We could have used your expertise."

"Our plan is to get to the bottom of this," assured Enna.

Their chatter about the Dandelions continued, focusing on various sicknesses that had been sweeping through the area, and Bash found his eyes drifting away from Hestia and toward the other livelier groups. He also spotted the buffet, a table so laden with food that he was surprised that it hadn't collapsed yet. He nudged William.

"Hey, check that out," he muttered, indicating the table.

"Sooka, look," said William as he pointed. "Do you want food?"

She nodded furiously before heading off in that direction, and William and Bash followed. A few moments later, they each carried plates overflowing with delicacies, and Bash was pretty sure that every pocket of Sooka's cloak was also filled. Just as they were about to find a seat, the half-orc barbarian woman from the Night's End walked up to the table and grabbed a plate.

William tensed next to him, and Bash turned to see him fixated on the massive woman. As she approached, he forced an awkward greeting as Bash stifled laughter.

"Hello, ma'am," he said stiffly.

"Hello," she replied in a gruff voice before ladening her plate and heading back to her group.

Grinning, Bash watched the encounter with glee.

"Hey," he called, breaking William from the trance. "Let's go find a seat."

"Yes," nodded William before wading into the sea of tables.

Several minutes later, the entire party was enjoying a meal together, William keeping one eye always fixed on the half-orc, Bash making casual glances toward the rogue. Unfortunately, the wood elf cleric seemed to believe his attention was directed at her, because she soon began returning glances, and then winked at him once when they made eye contact.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" called out the halfling suddenly. Pulling out his fiddle, he jumped on a table, silencing the crowd and drawing every eye as he began to play a soft tune.

"Allow me to grace your ears… with a song."

"Ah, such showmanship," mocked Bash in a falsely high-pitched voice.

As the bard began to sing, however, Bash was impressed with the power and quality of the voice that emanated from such a tiny body. Though even more impressive was his song. It was a song that somehow pulled forth memories that had long been forgotten, though Bash was sure that he'd never heard the tune before. Solemn, yet beautiful, the song had the crowd enraptured for the duration, telling them a tale of time long ago.

All too soon, the song ended, and the crowd erupted into applause. After taking several bows, the halfling leapt off the table with unusual grace and seated himself at the table with his Night's End companions.

"Wow," remarked Bash.

"Such showmanship," said Sooka in his voice.

"Impressive," agreed William, though his eyes remained fixated on the half-orc. Bash cast a knowing glance to Aribis.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" asked Aribis.

"I… don't think I should," stammered William. "I wouldn't speak well."

"I have just the thing for ye then," trilled Aribis as he reached in his pack and withdrew his cask of home-brewed ale.

Oh no, thought Bash.

"Excuse me," came a voice beside him, interrupting the thoughts of what disasters might occur at the uncorking.

Looking up, he saw the wood elf cleric standing next to him, grinning widely as she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"My name's Adria," she said. Her voice was musical, if not a bit high-pitched, and her greenish skin reminded him a little of Enna's, though the color wasn't nearly as attractive.

"I'm Peren," he responded with a smile.

"I just love your beard," she laughed. "You want to grab a drink?"

Several red flags sprung in front of his eyes at this comment, but he set them firmly aside. It had been a while.

And I've done a lot worse, he justified to himself.

"Excuse me," interrupted William. "What's her name?" He gestured to the half-orc.

"Kjelle?" asked Adria, head tilted slightly.

"Kjelle," repeated William quietly to himself.

"Okay then," said Bash, standing. "How about that drink?"

He grinned at Adria before casting a glance toward Enna. She was focused on something at a different table, almost as if he weren't even there. He couldn't deny that some part of him had hoped to see irritation on her face, perhaps even a plea for him to stay. But he found none.

Nothing to lose then, he told himself.

Placing a hand on Adria's upper back, Bash led her over to the bar, where she ordered white wine and Bash ordered a stout ale. Their conversation began with platitudes and pleasantries, starting with origin stories – which Bash had expertly devised for his cover – and eventually moving into deeper conversations. But only on Adria's side.

Bash had dated many a chatty girl in the past, including one who managed to speak for an entire hour about whether she should dye her hair, but Adria was something else entirely. At least the other girl had asked for his input on the hair color. Adria talked so much that Bash couldn't even get a word in. He found himself nodding and grunting in reply just to appear interested, while his eyes and mind slowly but surely drifted off to focus on other things.

While Adria recounted something about her earlier trial in Colosso, Bash was shocked to see William saunter over to the Night's End table and speak to Kjelle. Apparently, Aribis's social lubrication had been effective. But even more surprising was when William sat with her and they began to talk. Though continuing to dutifully insert his verbal affirmations to Adria, Bash stopped paying attention altogether and kept his eyes fixed on William and Kjelle, amazed to find that his half-elf friend had actually found an interest in another person. Odder than the attraction itself was the intensity of it. Both parties were intently focused on the other, and Bash nearly died not knowing what they were discussing. The sparks – or explosion – became some odd form of sexual tension that Bash had never seen between two people before, and he wasn't sure if they would punch each other or start getting down right there in the middle of the dinner.

But then Bash's eyes snapped to movement in the corner of his eye, and he saw Erza enter and make her way over to the guildmasters, falling into deep conversation with Ewyn. Aribis, Enna, and Sooka all appeared to be heading toward her general direction, and Bash was forced to turn his attention back to Adria so that he could free himself.

"Adria, dear," he said, interrupting her. The shock on her face was apparent. "I must take my leave."

"Oh, but…" she stammered. "I thought we were having a connection!"

"And so we were," he lied dramatically, placing a hand on her cheek. "But I must go. Until we meet again."

Then he took her hand, kissed it gently while making intense eye contact, and walked away before she could protest again.

Guess William is the one getting lucky tonight, he though sourly. What a turn of events.

Bash's companions were already locked in conversation with Erza and Ewyn as he stepped up behind them, tapping Enna on the back of her arm to announce his presence.

"You've seen the Ghost?" asked Ewyn, astounded. "Hang on a moment…" She opened a bag of books and delved her hand into it. A smattering of books could be heard clambering around within the bag, clearly some kind of bag of holding, until she withdrew a tome and opened it on the table. "What have your symptoms been?"

"Bad dreams," said Aribis.

"Scars that don't heal," added Enna.

"Hmm…" mumbled Ewyn as she flipped through the pages enthusiastically. Then stopping, she peered at the words for a moment before tapping the book and saying, "It matches the description of a rakshasa!"

"It seems… you were telling the truth," said Erza. "This could be grave indeed. Should we involve the knights?" she asked Ewyn.

Ewyn hesitated, and Erza turned to eye them carefully, her gaze settling on Enna.

"Aren't you related to Rolen?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yes," affirmed Enna. "He's my half-brother."

"And you're saying he's a doppleganger. How can I trust you? Why are you even here?"

"I got a letter from my mother a few weeks ago saying that Rolen had been kidnapped. We came to try to find out what happened, although when we got here, he had already been rescued… it seemed."

"Hang on," said Ewyn. "Rolen's business is very important to this city. He helps us, and we would not be able to care for the sick without him."

"It's true," agreed Erza with a quirked brow.

Bash elbowed Enna and said, "Show them the letters."

Reaching into her pocket, Enna extracted her mother's letter and the scrawled letter from Rolen and presented it to the two women. Ewyn grabbed the latter and scanned it, her eyes bouncing back and forth quickly from under her gold glasses while Erza studied Althea's letter. After a moment they swapped, and when finally finished, they returned them to Enna.

"You speak of dopplegangers," said Ewyn. "How do we know that you yourself are not a doppleganger? These letters could be forgeries."

Bash rolled his eyes as Erza studied them all carefully. At last, she said, "I know what we can do," before reaching into her pockets and retrieving a circular key covered in glittery scales. "This is the Lawmaster's key. Take it to the Bastion's Crest and use it at the base of the pillar. The Lawbearer will judge you, and if he deems you worthy, I will give you what you need. You have one day." She handed the key to Enna. "This is now out of my hands."

"Thank you," said Enna, somewhat sharply. "But if you need a second opinion, just ask Hestia. She knows who I am."

"We really must be leaving now," said Erza, ignoring Enna's comment. "Come, Ewyn."

The women stood and nodded before leaving the stadium.

"That was helpful," scorned Bash.

"You have one day," said Sooka in Erza's voice.

"Yeah, we're going to have to plan carefully," said Enna distantly.

A bustle of movement arose from the far corner, and they turned to see the Night's End gathering their things to leave. William had already stood and bid farewell to Kjelle and was on his way to rejoin them. As he came to stand next to them, Bash patted his back.

"So, how was your date?" he asked.

"We're going to train together," replied William flatly.

Bash exchanged a grin with Enna and Aribis, which only grew wider as the Night's End passed them and Kjelle nodded jerkily to William, who grunted in response.

He's in love, Bash mouthed to Enna, who snickered in response.

As the night was winding down, the group began to contemplate where they would stay that night. Marigold Manor was out of the question, of course, and none of them felt like burdening Kayl again with their high-population intrusion; so they settled on going to ask Mistress Ilya, whom they hadn't seen in what seemed like several days. The trek to her home was quick and painless, but they all felt the burden of their situation as they traveled through the city.

"Hey, everyone," said Enna, cutting their uneasy silence. "I think we need to make some countermeasures against the doppelgangers."

"Agreed," nodded William.

Enna sighed. "I don't want to lose any of you, and there's so much at stake. I'm just worried about what might happen."

"We must have strength, my sister," replied William quietly, placing a hand on Enna's shoulder.

"Rest assured, Enna," interrupted Bash, "that nobody could take my place."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, casting a critical and worried eye to him. "Are you really sure that when those… things torture you and dig into your mind that they wouldn't be able to make a copy of you? I can't even tell if my own mother is real."

Sooka took Enna's hand and squeezed it, saying in a familiar girl's voice, "What do you want to do?" She reached in her pocket and withdrew her pet mouse, which she placed in Enna's hand.

"Thank you, Sooka," smiled Enna, stroking the mouse. "I don't know what to do, but we have to figure out some way to know if one of us gets replaced."

"How much can doppelgangers take?" offered Bash. "Fake Rolen seems to know a lot about Rolen, but do you think he remembers that one time the real Rolen scraped his knee on the corner of his dad's hideous desk?"

"What do you mean? Don't you think they could make something up for something so little?"

Taking her mouse back, Sooka grabbed Enna's hand again and watched her feet quietly before saying in a confident voice belying her obvious timidity, "Don't worry! I'll protect you!"

"Thank you, Sooka," smiled Enna again. "You're so brave. I'll do my best to protect you, too."

"Okay, but think about it," continued Bash, brushing aside the interaction. "I remember when Rolen was maybe eighteen, and he had this girl he was all enamored with. Nothing ever came of that, but he might have loved her, if he still had a heart back then. Do you really think doppelganger Rolen knows about that? It had no impact on him or his resin business. I bet we all have something really specific but doesn't matter, a story we could tell each other and use as a way to verify our identities."

"Honestly," said Aribis, scratching at his chin, "I don't know much about these double bubbles, but it would seem that if they were smart enough to pull something like this off, they would also have thought that well-traveled adventurers like ourselves would come up with some sort of signal to let each other know we are we. Do we know whether they do what they do through magic or some other means? Or, for that matter, do we know if the physical transformation is complete, or just mostly there? Like what if we had a little scar or something?"

Bash shrugged. "Rolen has his scars from Enna."

"I think they torture people, and then if that doesn't work, they dig into their minds. Rolen said the process took weeks, but the transformation was instantaneous."

"Easy then," waved Aribis. "We just surround ourselves with an antimagic field!"

"Let us be strong of mind," offered William. "They may be able to look like us, but if we can fortify our minds, none of them will be able to penetrate."

"Not all of us can cast spells," said Bash. "And as much as I hate Rolen, he was definitely strong-willed and incredibly smart. I doubt any of us would stand much more of a chance than he did."

"We could buy an amulet?" said Aribis.

"What if we need to split up?" countered Enna.

Silence persisted for a moment.

"Is this beyond us?" sighed Enna. "Do we even have a chance to succeed? The odds are stacked against us. I want to help people, but… what if we can't?"

Aribis placed a hand on Enna's elbow. "You can't always save everyone. It's a hurtful, sad truth, but it's a truth nonetheless. Sometimes all we can do is try. But even if we give it our all, sometimes we will lose."

"Losing isn't in my repertoire," said Bash stubbornly.

"A less-than-spectacular forced tactical retreat, then."

"Tactical retreats I can do," nodded Bash.

"Don't forget the less-than-spectacular bit."

"All you need is some dramatic flair, and then everything you do is fully spectacular."

A moment passed again, and then Bash spoke up.

"If magic replicates our bodies, there isn't much we can do about that. Tattoos, scars, stuff like that – all will be replicated. They'll take all our belongings, too, so trinkets won't do, either. We have to come up with something they don't know and can't take."

"Like what?" asked Enna.

"Tell me," he said, turning to her. "Who was your first kiss? How old were you when you first met a bear? Aribis, any funny stories about the first time you flew? William…? I don't know, man; did you have a life before us?" William ignored him. "Uh, Sooka…" Bash thought for a moment, realizing how little he knows about Sooka. Shame ran through him until he managed to say, "When did you first have… cake?"

They all turned to him, curious.

"Why would they care about that kind of stuff? If they interrogated us, they'd want the important details, not stupid things that don't matter now. We need to share that. Doppelgangers wouldn't be able to fill in those details."

"His name was Sai," said Enna. "And I have met so many bears, it's hard to remember."

"Something small that sticks out in my mind is the first big fall I took," added Aribis. "It was off a cliff near my home, at least a couple hundred feet up. I fell so fast that I couldn't see or hear anything. Suddenly, someone's arms grabbed ahold of me, and we landed safely. Turns out, it was Kayl, and we were about ten feet off the ground."

"My mind has been trained to stop someone from reaching deep inside," added William. "I am confident that what we come up with will not get ripped out. Besides, who would protect the little one if I'm taken?"

"We wouldn't let anything happen to her," acknowledged Bash. "But there's nothing wrong with a safety precaution."

"Of course," nodded William. "I have a silver band around my ankle."

"And Enna has a panther tooth, but they can take that," said Bash, slightly frustrated.

"What about a story?" suggested Aribis. "What did you and yer lady orc friend talk about?"

"There was one time," muttered Enna, "or maybe several, where I hid a squirrel in my sister's closet."

A round of chuckles ran through them.

"Sweet Enna?" said Aribis. "I would never believe you capable of such mischievous deeds."

"Aribis," inserted William. "Kjelle and I talked about training regimes and diets and fighting techniques. She also shared some wisdom on battleaxes and their uses, and I shared wisdom on how to properly punch something. I may now go purchase myself a battleaxe."

"The most romantic conversations," smirked Aribis.

Suddenly, Bash was irritated that nobody had asked him his own unimportant story. He quickly sifted through his centuries of memory until he settled on something that stuck out just enough. It was something from before his time in Agneward, and therefore useless to a doppelganger working there.

"Alright, alright!" he said abruptly, tossing his hands out as if to stop the onslaught of begging from his friends. "I'll tell you my thing. Stop pressuring me." Enna grinned, and he took a deep breath. "I used to ride horses. I thought they were cool."

Even now, he recalled the ancient days of escapism most often enacted on the back of a horse. He'd ride through the woods and into the next town, anything to get out of that stuffy old house.

"That explains some things," remarked Aribis.

"Like what?" sneered Bash.

"You walk funny."

"And you walk like a chicken. You wanna go there?"

"At least it's not like I got a stick up my bum."

"Friends," interrupted William. "Must we act this way? You both walk abnormally."

Puffing out his chest, Bash held out his arms and walked with a wider gait. Then lowering his voice, he mocked, "I am William, I am strong, I punch things, and I walk normally."

"That is accurate," replied the monk.

Enna laughed as Sooka mindlessly retrieved a snack cake from one of her many pockets and began nibbling.

"Likely story," jeered Bash. "I dare you to an arm wrestle at dinner tomorrow tonight."

"I'll take that bet," said Aribis. "Ten gold on Bash."

Bash involuntarily straightened his back. "That's what I'm talking about."

"And twenty if William can work that stick out."

Enna chuckled again, and Bash thought he saw Sooka smile.

"Ever thought about arm wrestling a bear?" said Enna.

"I'd do it," said Bash seriously.

"I thought about getting eaten by a bear," said Aribis. "Almost came true once."

Bash clapped him on the shoulder and grinned, "I'd eat you if I were a bear."

"Aw, thanks, buddy!" The realization then dawned on Aribis. "Wait…"

"I could turn into a bear and I could help with all these things!" offered Enna.

"Okay, in all seriousness…" redirected Aribis. "What are we going to do? Play couples for a while?"

"That's a good idea," nodded Enna. "Nobody should ever be alone. At least someone can warn the rest of us."

"Each person gets someone," affirmed William. "I like it."

Aribis cocked his head. "So William and Sooka. Enna and Bash. And, hm… I'll go with the snail, I suppose."

Sooka pointed at Aribis and repeated in his voice, "The first big fall I took…" Then to Bash and said, "I used to ride horses." To Enna, "squirrel." Then to William, she said nothing and waited.

"Kid's got a point," said Bash, turning to William expectantly.

"The silver band, my friend," said William. "The silver band."

"That can be replicated, my friend," retorted Bash. "That can be replicated."

"And this is why you have a lot more growing up to do, Bash."

"What?" Bash shook his head indignantly. "Just tell us a story or something."

William paused, then said, "The band is to remember my parents. It was their last gift to me, a symbol of peace and bravery in a time of desperation and darkness. It is the last thing I received before they perished."

Sympathy swathed over Bash, but he pushed past it and said, "Is it real silver?"

"I would like for it not to be assessed," replied William simply.

"But like… can I look at it?"

Enna slapped his arm. "You're being insensitive," she scolded. Then turning to William, she added, "Thank you for sharing. I know that isn't easy."

Taking William's hand, Sooka cast a glare back at the elf. Trying to put on an innocent face, he said, "Come on, he's a big boy."

"I love you, Sooka. You're my best friend." Sooka's little girl voice was directed to William.

"I love you too, Sooka," he replied with a small grin. "You are my best friend."

"What about me?" said Bash dramatically.

Suddenly, Sooka jerked her hand away, eyes turning questioningly to William.

"What's wrong?" asked William. Bash peered closely at them both.

She pointed at William's hand and called, "Fire!" The voice was different from before. A panicked woman's voice.

"What do you mean? I don't cast magic."

Sooka seemed shaken and confused, but ultimately seemed to decide that it wasn't important enough to pursue.

"I don't know what happened, or what this fire is, but I'm sorry that it frightened you, little one," said William.

Bash rolled his eyes; William always went over the top with Sooka.

"You know, Bash," stated William, "If you cared to hold your tongue more often, people would respect you more."

"Wow. Someone can be your friend without you respecting them," said Bash indignantly.

Pointedly, Sooka turned away from Bash. In a woman's voice, she said, "I had a…" "sister!" She ended in the girl's voice once more. "I'm Clara! I've always wanted a sister!"

"Did you have a sister, Sooka?" asked William.

"We're sisters now, and we have a mom and a dad and a farm with animals! And we can play superheroes together and take turns being Miss Magnificent, and always help save people!" Sooka smiled, then quickly averted her eyes and dug around in her pockets before retrieving more food.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Enna said, "Sooka, it's okay. You're here with us now. I don't know what happened before, but we're here."

"Don't worry. I'll protect you!" Then in William's voice, Sooka added, "We're a family now."

"You are a superhero," nodded William proudly. "You will save many people and creatures, and maybe we will find your sister. But for now, you are our family, Sooka. Always and forever."

Sooka smiled sheepishly before returning to nibble on her snack cakes. Bash thought he caught a glimpse of sadness in William's eyes, but it passed quickly, and the conversation fell away.

Bash played the information in his head over and over. Enna put squirrels in her sister's closet, William got his band from his parents before they died, Aribis almost died but Kayl saved him, and Sooka had a sister. He wondered if they'd ever need that information.

They continued toward the Manse in silence, each of them uneasy at the thought of what could transpire. As they approached, Bash leaned toward Enna and whispered.

"You know, Ilya herself could be a doppelganger," he said.

"Yes, I know," she whispered back. "But I don't know who else to trust."

They arrived at the mansion and walked up to the door, Enna leading. She reached up and rapped her knuckles on the door, but to their surprise, it swung inward uninhibited. The group tensed, and Bash drew his dagger quietly, running his thumb along the carved grooves in the handle as Enna led them quietly into the house.

Each step from them was nearly silent, Bash's completely so as they made their way down the dark hallway, each of them afraid to breathe. A flickering light came from a room on the right, and as they came to the open door, they looked in and saw Ilya sleeping peacefully in a lounge chair before her roaring fireplace.

Flicking her hand, Enna snuffed the flames, and Bash peered around at the gray world now surrounding them, scanning for any signs of unwanted movement.

Aribis took a sharp breath, and Bash and Enna whirled to see Finwe with his rapier pressed against his neck.

"It's you lot," said Finwe through the dark before releasing Aribis, stepping fully into the room, and closing the door. Enna relit the fire as he walked over to Ilya and woke her.

"Finwe," she said clumsily. "And you all… what are you doing here?"

"Yes, why are you here?" asked Aribis, eyes staring carefully at Finwe.

"I came to find my mistress," he said.

Then he lunged forward, rapier aimed at Ilya's heart.