Griffin didn't bother with faking his limp when he made his way back to his home. He kept his head down, looking at the cobblestone sidewalk he stayed on without a care of who saw him. There was no reason for Ausio to not make it back to Griffin's home, and even though the noble only knew part of what happened, what he did know would have Tiran become suspicious. He dreaded the conversation that was waiting for him at home and knew that lying to his brother about his activities was impossible.

It was time for the truth to come out and Griffin wasn't sure what would happen next.

In all honesty, Griffin should have known better than to take up his identity as Indigo, or that he should have stopped his vigilante activities after clearing Tiran's name. Instead, he continued to sneak out when he thought no one was looking to fight alongside his new friends. He had skirted around the law, and if word got around Korvosa, it would bring great shame to the Vossler family. Griffin was already an outcast among nobility due to his parentage and now he was giving more reason for people to keep their distance away from him, and quite possibly, his family as well.

The truth was Griffin was bored with his life. He had a loving family but he couldn't help but feel he was stuck in his brother's shadow. It was Tiran who fought duels in tournaments, enjoyed the various galas and masquerades the nobles hosted, and would one day lead House Vossler. Griffin was never upset that he would never become the lord of his noble house but he was jealous of his brother's freedom. With his charm and status, Tiran was free to follow his heart's desire. As for Griffin, he had to be careful with what he did since he was only a Vossler through his mother's marriage.

It was as Indigo that Griffin found a chance for excitement. He fought in daring battles against criminals, wererats, and undead monsters. He had made new friends: Alexander, Viera, Falenas, Takota, and even Verik, who he would gladly fight alongside with no matter the foe. Even after being put to the sidelines for acting by himself, he wouldn't have thought of leaving his friends. Griffin should have given up fighting as Indigo after Gaedren Lamm was killed and focused on other matters but he couldn't bring himself to leave behind the life he enjoyed.

Griffin stood outside the front door of his manor, trying to muster up the courage to continue on and face the consequences of his actions. He was thankful that his parents were away but he still didn't look forward to having to meet with Tiran after everything that had happened. While his brother tried to be carefree, he could be serious when necessary. He heard footsteps behind him and he glanced over his shoulder to see Viera. He offered a faint smile, glad to see her but knowing that she may not have approved of going out on a fight, even if it was something he never intended to.

"Viera," Griffin greeted.

"Griffin," Viera stepped by his side, keeping her attention on the door and away from him. "Is something wrong?"

With a sigh, Griffin nodded. "I made a mistake while you were away. It's a long story, and I didn't mean to-"

"Please, stop," Viera told him, her tone soft, and she turned her head to face him. "I'm sorry but I have a lot on my mind right now. I trust that after whatever happened, you'll do what you have to do."

"Of course," Griffin clasped his hands in front of him and frowned. "Did something go wrong with your meeting with Cressida?"

"Don't worry about it," Viera said and turned away from Griffin, hiding her face from him. "Have you seen the others?"

"I haven't seen Alexander all day and Takota is still on patrol. Verik and Falenas will be here shortly after-"

"Good," Viera interrupted Griffin and grabbed the door handle. "I'll be fine soon enough, Griffin. There's something I need to take care of, and then, I'll feel better."

Griffin nodded along despite how he felt something was off about Viera. He could tell that something had happened to her but she was going out of her way to not let him know about what was on her mind. This wasn't like when Viera hid she had blood veil because she wanted to help the ground. Instead, Griffin felt that whatever was on her mind was something she thought she had to do on her own. He wouldn't press the subject any further but he was worried that she was about to do something dangerous.

Viera stepped inside, and with Griffin realizing it would be strange for him to stay outside, he followed her in as well. Tiran was waiting at the top of the stairs with his typical smile replaced by a frown. Griffin knew that Ausio had told his brother enough about what he had seen in the manor. Viera pressed on, not noticing Tiran, and made her way into the lab. Griffin was tempted to follow after her and to come up with an excuse not to talk to his brother, but after seeing Tiran nod in his direction, he made his way upstairs. There was no escape for him now.

Tiran didn't say a word, expecting Griffin to follow him when he walked toward a hallway. Griffin followed his older brother quietly until he stepped into Tiran's bedroom. It was a large room with a lot of empty floor space aside from a clean bed, a desk, and a weapon rack that held half a dozen rapiers. Griffin could imagine Tiran practicing his swordsmanship in the open space in preparation for the duels he fought in. Tiran made his way over to his desk and grabbed a half empty glass of red wine to drink from. Griffin caught a glimpse of the empty wine bottle on the floor by the desk and frowned.

"That was from Father's private collection," Griffin noted, keeping his hands clasped politely behind his back. "He'll be furious when he returns to the city."

"Then he'll be furious with both of his sons," Tiran chuckled and set the glass back down on his desk.

"Ausio told you."

"Ausio told me," Tiran confirmed with a slight nod. "What were you thinking, Griffin? You were always careful and then you had to slip up and let the neighbors know what you've been up to!"

"Brother I can…" Griffin started with his words trailing off as he processed what his brother had said. "What do you mean by that?"

"What do I mean?" Tiran stepped toward Griffin, shaking his head. "You're a smart man, Griffin. You know what I meant."

"You knew," Griffin gasped.

Tiran nodded when he stopped. "Do you think I'm such a fool that I wouldn't notice my little brother acting strangely?"

"You're no fool, Tiran," Griffin quickly said and shook his head. "How long have you known?"

"For some time," Tiran admitted. "I knew something was up when I saw the way you acted with your new friends. I've always thought that it was strange that they would be so open to having their noble patron as a friend. I figured that there was something you were hiding from me and it was when I caught word of a masked man that fought alongside Korvosa's heroes that I connected the dots. The kind of bond that you share with your friends was something that could only be forged in a life-or-death situation such as the battles you fought together. It was only today that Ausio was able to confirm my suspicions.

Griffin remained silent, still in shock at Tiran revealing that he knew about what he had been up to before today. Tiran was carefree to the point that he had learned from the brightest tutors and instructors his parents could find. Griffin knew that there had been a few close calls when he was worried of his brother finding out but thought that he had maneuvered his way into keeping his second life a secret. Instead, he knew that Tiran was only humoring him and his attempts to hide his activities with the rest of the adventurers.

"So you've always known," Griffin said, stepping toward his brother. "Yet you're more mad that I've been caught rather than what it was I did."

"That's because you were making a difference," Tiran explained. "You and your friends have done plenty to keep Korvosa safe. However, you did so through scandalous means such as fighting criminals on the streets with adventurers. If it was the action or change you wanted, why not join the Korvosan Guard or the Sable Marine Company?"

"You and I both know that wouldn't end well for me," Griffin argued, crossing his arms. "You're the one that was born into this life. I wasn't. I was never going to get anywhere in life with tradition even with our family name. I had to take my own path."

"And your path will be the gossip of the city when word about your actions start to spread," Tiran noted. "You've given the traditional nobles more reason to look down on you, and by extension, the rest of our family. What would our parents think if…"

"What?" Griffin asked, his tone more frustrated than before. "Go on and say it."

"You're bleeding."

"Huh?" Griffin blinked in surprise and looked down at his shoulder to see a red spot form. He winced in pain. "Indeed I am."

"Damn it," Tiran cursed. "Ausio told me that you weren't injured!"

"I didn't appear to be injured to Ausio," Griffin chuckled painfully. "I guess that I didn't secure the bandage properly. I should have left it to Falenas."

"Lay down," Tiran stepped aside and gestured to his bed. "I'll send for a healer."

"I have healing potions in my room," Griffin shook his head.

"I said lay down," Tiran repeated himself firmly. "I'll get the potions for you. Where are they?"

"Under the floorboard by my desk," Griffin answered and stepped toward the bed. "You don't have to worry about me. This hasn't been the first time I've been injured."

"And that's why I worry," Tiran shot back. "No matter what you do, you're my brother, and that is something that will never change. It is my duty to look out for you, physically and socially, when you don't think to do so yourself. Now, let me do what I can to help you."

Griffin took a seat on the bed, understanding that Tiran meant more than patch up his injuries. His brother would do what he can to try to keep word about his secret life getting out. Of course, Griffin knew that it was impossible for Tiran to stop the rumors from spreading. He didn't think that Ausio would agree to a lie when relating to how he escaped the tragedy in his manor. As long as Ausio stayed at the Vossler estate, they could keep him from telling others, but they wouldn't be able to keep him a prisoner. Griffin would need to come up with a plan to deal with the consequences of his secret getting out.

Tiran nodded toward Griffin and stepped out of his room. Griffin didn't lay down but he remained seated, knowing that his brother wanted him to stay still. Even after their disagreement just now, he was glad to have Tiran to look out for him. He understood that Tiran's anger and frustration was less to do with the scandal and more about Griffin's safety. Griffin knew that whatever his next course of action was regarding his life as Indigo, he would need Tiran's help.

It didn't take Falenas and Verik too long to ensure that the elf jester was secured as a prisoner. Falenas had surprised Verik when he pulled out metal chains from a lock chest and had to explain that he kept them to test how strong he was while under the effects of his mutagen. The chains were sturdy and would secure the elf, who likely thought that she could slip out of the ropes that were wrapped around her. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the metal chains, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get out of those without a struggle, and her protests were silenced when Verik tied a piece of cloth tightly over her mouth.

Truth be told, keeping someone locked up in his clinic was far from ideal for Falenas. If it wasn't for the circumstances, he wouldn't have considered doing so. However, as she knew what happened to Ruan and may have an idea on the origin of blood veil, he was willing to make an exception for her. There were ways that he could get her to open up with the alchemy he practiced but such methods would cross certain ethical lines that he wouldn't consider. Instead, he would rely on breaking her addiction to pesh and hope that it would alleviate her insanity. While such a task would be more time consuming, it was best not only to learn what he needed but to help his new patient.

Falenas had to make sure the pesh was secured in a strongbox and hidden while the elf woman was locked away in a storage closet. In addition to taking care of the prisoner's basic needs, he would also need to slowly wean her off of pesh. To have her stop completely could be devastating to her health if she was dependent on the drug. While it may be possible for her to get through her withdrawals if he was present to help, Falenas didn't have the time. He had a plague to find a cure for and he couldn't divide his attention between two important tasks.

With the elf woman secured, Falenas and Verik left the clinic and headed to the Vossler estate. Falenas listened to Verik's theories about how it was gold that had been responsible for blood veil. At first, he was ready to write it off as a conspiracy theory but he thought to how the elf jester had gone out of her way to fake the symptoms of blood veil on her murdered victims. While it was typical for the poor to be the first infected and for the upper class to be safer, something about that felt off, especially considering that blood veil was likely manufactured. Faleans didn't tell Verik but he intended to look into the theory. Based on the logic that gold is the source of the plague because the poor and bankers were the first sick, then it would stand to reason that the second wave of infected would be composed primarily of merchants and those who worked in stores.

Eventually, Falenas and Verik made their way to the Vossler estate and found the door unlocked. They headed to the makeshift lab to return to the records Ishani provided to find Viera looking over the alchemical contents the alchemist crafted. Verik greeted Viera with a wave and made his way to his seat to get back to the records but Falenas stood still when the priestess turned to face him. The warmth in her eyes that he was used to seeing even during her worse was gone. Now, she glared coldly at him without a smile.

"Verik, would you give us the room?" Viera asked the archer although she never took her eyes off of Falenas. "I need to have a word in private with Falenas."

"Huh?" Verik blinked but rose from his seat. "Uh, sure, Vee. I'll be around if anyone needs me."

Falenas didn't glance in Verik's direction as the archer left the room. He kept his attention on Viera, trying to think about what was on her mind. She wanted to meet with him in private, and given her mood, Falenas figured that this had to do with him not joining enough patrols. Viera had time to think when reporting to Cressida and must have been disappointed that the group she led wasn't able to get a patrol out like they have in the past. Falenas clasped his hands behind his back, deciding that the best thing to do was to fix the problem before Viera brought it up. It wasn't like he was making any meaningful progress with a cure yet.

"Viera, I've been thinking, but I would like to be more active with the group," Falenas said politely. "I could-"

"Tell me about your brother."

"Hmm?" Falenas blinked in confusion at the question Viera asked. "I don't see how-"

"He was addicted to shiver, wasn't he? Viera interrupted Falenas again and stepped toward him. "Your brother overdosed on shiver he bought from Gaedren. That's why you wanted to kill Gaedren."

Falenas frowned. "That's right but that's in the past."

"Fifty years ago, right?"

"Huh?" Falenas' eyes went wide in surprise. "What makes you think that?"

"Delrick was your brother, right?" Viera asked and Falenas nodded quickly. "After I met with Cressida, I visited the Gray District to see how the body disposal was going. While I was there, I discovered Delrick's tombstone, which said he died fifty years ago. That was a long time ago. I'm surprised Gaedren was in business back then."

"You'd be surprised at how prominent of a crime lord Gaedren once was," Falenas chuckled and stepped toward a table that had different alchemical vials on it. "Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do, and bringing up my late brother is distracting."

"One more question," Viera held up a single finger. "Was Delrick an elf like you?"

Falenas paused, thinking over how best to answer. Viera knew more about his past than he expected and he figured that she already knew that Delrick wasn't a human. He glanced over his shoulder to see her scowl and noticed that she had a hand on the hilt of her longsword. Falenas wouldn't have thought twice of the gesture if it wasn't for her cold interrogation. The alchemist sighed and turned to face her, shaking his head.

"Delrick was a human," Falenas admitted. "I assume you worked out how old he was when he passed away."

"I did, and I'm glad you're finally telling the truth," Viera nodded. "Ninety-nine years old. Isn't it odd that a man so old would seek out Gaedren for shiver?"

"It is," Falenas said and raised his hand. "It's not too late to stop this, Viera. We can both go our separate ways and pretend like we had never had this conversation."

"You would like that, wouldn't you," Viera drew her sword and pointed it toward Falenas. "I went through Gaedren's ledger. It wasn't Delrick's name I saw but yours! You've been lying to me and to everyone else ever since we've met"

"Put the sword down, Viera. I can-"

It was by instinct that Falenas reached for his dagger as a way to reassure himself in case violence broke out. If he had more time to think, he would have realized that the gesture would have set Viera off. Viera saw him go for his dagger and it was that moment she charged at him. Falenas was able to slip away to the side in time and Viera struck the table, shattering numerous glass vials. The alchemist drew his dagger and took a defensive stance while Viera turned to face him, her eyes burning with anger.

"You were the man from my nightmares all along and you knew!" Viera snapped. "You've been lying to me since we've met! You sabotaged my attempts to learn it was you because you didn't want anyone to know you worked for Gaedren and helped him out in his operations!"

"You're right, Viera," Falenas nodded, his eyes darting across the room for an escape. "Let's put our weapons down and talk this out. Let's get Griffin and-"

"You'd like that wouldn't you?!" Viera shook her head and advanced on Falenas. "That way, you can lie your way out of trouble like you did before! This is between you and me! Throw your dagger down so I can take you to Citadel Volshyenek in one piece!"

"Verik!" Falenas called out as he stepped back from Viera.

"Fine! I'll drag you to your cell myself!"

Viera lunged with her sword and Falenas carefully shifted the blade away with his dagger. The alchemist wished that he didn't need to fight but he knew that Viera wouldn't listen to him after she found out he lied to her. Falenas took a step back toward another table, knowing that Viera was both stronger and more skilled in a fight. He had his bombs and mutagen but he wasn't going to escalate this fight. Viera slashed out her blade vertically and Falenas leaned away from her blade's reach. He looked toward the doorway out of the room and knew he needed an opening if he was going to escape.

The one advantage Falenas held was that despite being surprised by Viera's actions, he was able to keep himself composed. Between Viera's drive for justice and her anger over his betrayal of her trust, she likely wasn't thinking clearly. Falenas blocked another of Viera's sword jabs and grimaced when he felt his arm tremble at her might. A plan came to mind as he bumped into the table behind him. Viera moved to strike at him with an overhand swing and Falenas moved to the side. Her sword shattered the different vials and cleaved into the wood. She tried to pull her blade free, but for the moment, it was stuck.

That was all Falenas needed to make his escape as he reached over to a vial that survived Viera's vicious attack with his free hand. He quickly deemed the contents were mostly safe and splashed the liquid across her face. She screeched out in pain, and while the liquid didn't burn, it stung at her eyes and blinded her for a few seconds. Water would help deal with the stinging but Falenas knew that Viera wasn't going to listen to him. He sprinted to the door, and fortunately enough, ran into Verik in the hallway.

"Verik!" Falenas exclaimed. "Where's Griffin?!"

"I don't know," Verik said, his eyes going wide at Falenas' shock. "What was all that noise from the lab?"

"It's a long story that I don't have time to-"

"He's a traitor, Verik!" Viera called out. "Stop him!"

"Huh?!" Verik gasped.

Falenas turned around in time to see Viera, her eyes tinted red from the vial's contents, charging at him with her sword in hand. Thinking quickly, Falenas threw himself toward the door, avoiding yet another of Viera's swings. He quickly scrambled back onto his feet and ran toward the front door with Viera behind him. However, in his haste, Falenas tripped over the run and slammed his shoulder against the door. He groaned in pain and sat up in time to see Viera coming at him again. The alchemist hoped that Verik would intervene, and while he had his spear out, the archer was confused on who to side with.

The door handle was so close but Falenas found himself on the defensive against Viera's onslaught. She swung down at him and he held his dagger to block the blade from reaching him. Faleans recognized that Viera was blinded by her rage and was more likely to strike him down than take him to Citadel Volshyenek. He was certain that this wasn't the kind of justice Iomedae approved of, and even if Viera would listen to him, he wouldn't try to use that to talk her out of her attack.

Viera had every right to strike him down because she was right about him. Falenas had lied to not only her but the others he counted as his friends. His story of how Delrick died from a shiver overdose with Gaedren responsible was a complete fabrication. He did what he could to hide the truth but he had worked for Gaedren for years. Falenas was so desperate to keep his shameful past a secret that he had done what he could to make sure that Viera didn't recognize him as the healer that tended to Gaedren in her nightmares. He lied to Viera up until the very end and he couldn't blame her for not thinking he would tell the truth.

Falenas shook his head and lowered his dagger as Viera raised her sword for a downward swing. She had been the one to strike first but he was the villain in her story. He saw Verik try to run toward them, now knowing what to do, but it was too late for him to make a difference. Falenas looked up at Viera, locking eyes with her. He accepted her judgment but he would face his punishment with his eyes open. Afterall, he didn't deserve the mercy of looking away from his end.

Suddenly, a flash of steel struck Viera's hand. She yelped out in pain and her sword dropped down to the ground, fortunately missing Falenas. The priestess clutched her hand and she turned to face Tiran, who had come from the side hallway with a rapier in hand. He pointed the tip of his rapier to her neck, and despite her rage, she knew better than to make a move against anyone. Falenas sheathed his dagger, and while he was still ashamed of himself for his lies, he was relieved for a chance to tell his side of the story.

"That is enough, Viera," Tiran said firmly. "Back away from Falenas."

"He's a criminal," Viera told Tiran harshly. "He-"

"Viera, this is my home, and I will not stand by and let any kind of violence take place here," Tiran interrupted her, shaking his head. "Back away."

After taking a deep breath, Viera took a step back. "Be careful. Don't trust his lies."

"What is the meaning of this?" Griffin asked, making his way down the stairs. "Viera, are you okay?"

"She'll be fine," Falenas said and slowly stood up. "Verik, please collect a wet cloth to help clean her eyes."

"Uh, right?" Verik nodded, although he didn't sound sure of himself. "Should I…"

"Do so," Tiran told Verik, prompting the archer to leave to find a wet rag.

"Now, if I may explain myself…" Falenas started.

"No, you may not," Viera shook her head. "You lied to me numerous times. I cannot trust anything you say. You worked for Gaedren and kept that from all of us. How can we trust you after you've betrayed us?"

"I'm sure if that were true, Falenas has a perfectly good explanation for everything," Tiran said and lowered his rapier.

"There's no explanation that can justify him working for Gaedren," Viera told Verik while she glared at Falenas. "Tiran saved you this time but you can't escape from justice forever."

"Viera, please," Falenas said, bowing his head.

"As leader of our band of adventurers, I'm kicking you out of the group," Viera declared. "Take your leave and make whatever preparations you can to make sure we never see each other again."

"Viera, we need Falenas!" Tiran said, trying to keep his shock hidden from her command. "He's been working tirelessly to cure blood veil!"

"I am the patron of this group, Tiran, not you," Griffin reminded his brother and turned to face Falenas. "The door's right there. Take your leave. Your services have been terminated."

"You can't be serious!" Falenas gasped. "Griffin, if you would just listen-"

"Falenas, you had weeks to tell any one of us the truth of your past, and you kept quiet," Griffin said, shaking his head. "It's too late now. At this point, the best thing we can do is go our separate ways."

Despite Falenas' hopes that Griffin would hear him out, he realized that it was too late. He kept his connection to Gaedren a secret at first because he knew that bringing it up with a group of strangers to kill his former associate would be disastrous. Even as he got to know his new friends, he kept his past a secret, fearing that he would lose his friends if they found out the truth. In hindsight, he should have been open about who he really was. Now, looking at Griffin's frown and the quiet anger in Viera's eyes, Falenas knew that it was too late to make amends.

"Very well," Falenas nodded. "I shall collect my notes and leave immediately."

"You'll leave immediately," Viera told Falenas, her voice bitter.

"I am still going to work on curing blood veil even if I am no longer your friend," Falenas said. "I'll need my notes to continue my progress."

"Actually, according to the laws of Korvosa, your notes are technically mine," Griffin told Falenas. "You were my employee when you made those notes so I am the proper owner of them."

"You can't be serious!" Falenas shook his head in disbelief.

"I am," Griffin said, his tone insistent. "Now, take your leave. You've outstayed your welcome."

"Now the two of you are being needlessly cruel," Tiran frowned. "None of you are skilled alchemists. What use can you make of his notes?"

"We'll give them to someone we can trust," Viera said and crossed her arms.

"With all due respect, there isn't an alchemist out there with my expertise," Falenas said, his tone growing louder. "I've been practicing alchemy for decades. Yes, I've struggled to create a cure for blood veil but there is no one in this city capable of picking up from where I left off! I will be the one to cure blood veil!"

"If so, you'll have to start from scratch," Griffin told Falenas, waving his hand dismissively. "My decision is final."

Falenas took a deep breath, and while he was ready to continue his argument, knew that he had outstayed his welcome. Only Tiran was willing to listen to him, and unfortunately, the elder noble had no control over the group his brother was the patron of. It was disastrous to hear that he wouldn't have his notes, but legally speaking, Griffin was correct. There were no guilds to look out for the rights of workers in the city and his notes would count as goods made on behalf of a noble sponsor. His memory wasn't perfect and he would make mistakes trying to replicate what he had done for a cure but there was nothing to be done.

Without a word, Falenas turned to the door, opened it, and stepped outside. He walked away from the manor and took a final glance over his shoulders. Falenas sighed quietly, disappointed at himself, and turned back to walk toward his clinics. He was glad that the streets were empty when he felt tears fall down his face. After everything, Falenas had come to enjoy the company of his friends. It was painful to lose them, and even though he wanted to tell them why he did what he did, he couldn't get them to listen to him.

The mistake of keeping his past a secret had cost Falenas his friends and he wasn't sure if he could keep going knowing that.

Even after Viera explained that she found out Falenas was a criminal through Gaedren's ledger while applying a cool rag to her eyes in what remained of the alchemist's lab, Verik still felt out of the loop on what happened. He had been surprised by the sudden infighting in the group and even more shocked that Viera was the instigator. By the time Verik realized he had to help Falenas, Tiran had intervened and put an end to the violence. By the time Verik returned with a wet rag for Viera, he was stunned to discover Falenas had been kicked out of the group.

Verik joined Griffin and Tiran in hearing Viera's explanation from the nightmares she suffered all the way to finding out that Falenas had lied to her. The noble brothers kept glancing at each other and Verik could sense there was some tension between them. Griffin and Tiran likely disagreed on how the matter with Falenas was handled. As for Viera, she wasn't exactly calm after everything but she wasn't enraged. Her tone was without emotion as she finished her story and that worried Verik more than when she was lashing out at Falenas.

After everything that had happened, Verik was worried. He may have been a newcomer to the group but he could tell that the others were close to one another. Now, it felt like everything was falling apart during a time they couldn't afford to break down. Korvosa was suffering and Verik could tell that the heroes he fought along with were the ones making a difference. He kept such thoughts to himself, knowing that he didn't have an idea on how the group could stand together, especially since Falenas had left.

"Griffin, weren't you the one who translated Gaedren's ledger?" Tiran pointed out, crossing his arms. "Did you not know about what Falenas had done?"

"All I saw was a name," Griffin said, his tone defensive. "I brought up my concerns with Cressida shortly after we started to work for the Korvosan Guard and she told me she would look into the matter herself. I thought that since nothing happened it was a case of someone else having the same name as Falenas but I know now I was wrong. I should have said something sooner."

"You did everything you could," Viera told Griffin, her voice quiet as she took the rag off of her face. "Don't blame yourself for Falenas lying when you at least told someone of your suspicions."

"I'm glad you think so," Griffin sighed in relief. "We should let the others know. I'll send a message to the Sable Marine Company so that Takota learns what happened."

"I can talk with Alexander," Verik offered. "But what are we going to do now? We can't work on a cure without Falenas."

"We can ask Ishani for help," Viera said with a shrug. "He's someone we can trust and he knows a fair amount of alchemy. He can pick up from Falenas' notes."

"I think we may want to consider asking the Queen's Physicians for help as well," Griffin suggested with a frown. "I hate turning to others for help but we have no choice."

"That's a good idea," Viera nodded as she turned to the window. "I can meet with them here shortly."

"Please, allow me to meet with them," Griffin said. "Viera, you should rest. You've been through a lot today. I can at least use my family name to secure a meeting as early as this evening."

"Perhaps I should," Viera sighed.

"Feel free to stay in one of our guest rooms tonight," Tiran offered with a kind smile. "Verik, do you mind if I show you out?"

"Uh, sure," Verik nodded. "I guess I should let Alexander know as soon as I can."

Tiran beckoned for Verik to follow him and they left Viera and Griffin alone in Falenas' old lab. He was glad that they had some sort of plan even if it meant turning to one of Ileosa's agents for aid. There was no doubt in Verik's mind that the young queen was still likely to lead Korvosa to ruin but there was little that he could do about it now. It was rebellious thoughts that landed him in a cell at Citadel Volshyenek to begin with. Tiran led Verik outside of the manor before clasping him on the back of his shoulder and leaning in close to his ear, speaking quietly.

"When you let Alexander know of what happened, you need to convince him that he needs to step up and do something about this situation."

"I'm not sure if he'll listen," Verik whispered back. "He's been wanting to step away from adventuring for some time. That's why he's stepped down as the leader."

"Right now, this group needs him to take command now more than ever," Tiran shook his head. "You can see that things are falling apart now, right?"

"I can," Verik admitted with a nod. "I'll see what I can do but it might be too late for Alexander to fix this mess."

"Be that as it may, if there's anyone who can get this group back together, it's Alexander," Tiran patted Verik across the back. "Go to him. I may not fight alongside everyone but I will do what I can to help."

"Right. I'll be back with Alexander."

Verik stepped away from Tiran, and by the time he made it to the sidewalk, he picked up the pace. Alexander had held the group together before, and if there was anyone who could find a solution to the problem the adventurers faced, he would find it. Verik wasn't sure where Alexander was after he had left in the morning but knew that he would have to return home at some point. He would wait for Alexander there and would do everything he could to convince him to help out. Verik may not have been around the adventuring group since it formed but he could tell that they were the people who would keep the citizens of Korvosa safe and that they had to stand united to keep the city safe.

A/N: This has been the chapter I've been looking forward to for a long time. A lot of revelations have been made. I tried to be subtle with the foreshadowing of some of the secrets over the past chapters as well as Edge of Anarchy and I hope that it pays off.

Until next time.