The sun was starting to set by the time Alexander made his way back home with Silana and Duke. Alexander figured that the other adventurers would be on their assignment by the time he made it to the Vossler estate, and since he didn't know of anything they needed to fight, he came up with a new plan to make up for his absence while spending time with his family. There was nothing stopping Alexander from keeping an eye out for trouble in Korvosa while taking Silana and Duke around. Not only was he patrolling the city on behalf of the group but he was also spending time with his daughter. Alexander was worried about what to do with Silana if violence broke out, but fortunately for the Fletchers, it was a quiet day and he was able to spend his time talking to her about her lessons as well as gently explain the situation in the city.

It pained Alexander to see how empty Korvosa was because of blood veil. Even if Falenas or another alchemist was able to develop a cure, the city would never be the same again. Korvosa was where Alexander grew up, and despite the city's flaws, he was proud of his home. He did what he could to help make life in Korvosa better for his neighbors but he felt out of his depth when it came to blood veil. There was very little he could do except wait and hope for the best. If only there was more he could do for Korvosa.

When Alexander turned around the corner leading to his house, he was surprised to find Verik pacing outside. He realized that the archer must have been waiting for him for some time and worried that something was wrong. He felt a tinge of regret of not making his way back to meet with the others as soon as he could if something disastrous happened. When Verik turned around, he waved in Alexander's direction with a serious frown across his face. Silana waved back at Verik, unaware of what was going on, as Alexander opened the door to his home.

"Silana, take Duke inside and get ready for bed," Alexander said quietly.

"Okay," Silana smiled.

Alexander watched Silana and Duke go inside before closing the door behind them. He turned to face Verik. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so," Verik nodded. "We have a problem, Alex. I don't know the complete picture but Vee and Fal got into a fight today."

"That's nothing new," Alexander said with a shrug. "This plague is bringing out the worst of us."

"You can say that again but they weren't arguing. They were fighting with blades."

"What?!" Alexander gasped.

"Apparently, Fal used to work for someone called Gaedren. Vee was upset that she lied to him, and if it wasn't for Tiran putting an end to the violence, she might have killed him."

"I can't believe this…" Alexander muttered, shaking his head. "Where are they now?"

"Vee's staying the night at the manor but she kicked Fal out of the group. She said that we couldn't trust him any longer. Griff sided with her and kept Fal's notes before kicking him out."

"This is terrible. We're falling apart."

"I know," Verik said, pausing for a moment. "Tir said you needed to do something about what happened, and honestly, I agree with him."

"What can I do?" Alexander asked, throwing his hands up in defeat. "It seems like I'm too late to do anything!"

"It's not too late to step up, Alex," Verik said, his tone firm. "Look, I get that you have your family and you want to step back from the adventuring life but this wouldn't have happened if you were in charge. I may not have been a part of the group when you led but I can see how everyone respects and looks up to you. Vee and Fal will listen to you if you speak up. It's up to you to fix everything."

Alexander took a deep breath and took a moment to think to himself. It came as a shock that Falenas had worked for Gaedren. He didn't want to believe it was true but he knew Viera and Griffin wouldn't act against Falenas unless they were certain of the evidence. Alexander still remembered the horror he went through when he discovered that Gaedren had kidnapped Silana and didn't regret helping to put an end to the crime lord's life. If Falenas did once work for Gaedren and kept it a secret, Alexander couldn't blame Viera for her violent outburst. Alexander wasn't sure if he could forgive Falenas if he helped with abducting children for Gaedren.

However, Alexander reminded himself that Falenas not only helped put a stop to Gaedren's crimes for good, but that he stuck with the group. The alchemist may have been difficult to work with at times but he always pulled through when the others were in danger. At the very least, Falenas deserved a chance to explain himself. He was sure Viera would have listened to him if not for her awful childhood as one of Gaedren's Little Lamms. Viera was pure of heart but even she could have been consumed by rage when she found out Falenas had worked with a man who had tormented her.

All of these ideas were hypotheticals at the end of the day. Alexander only knew what Verik had to say on the matter since he wasn't there during the confrontation. He didn't regret doing what he could to help Duke but he realized that he may have not done enough to help the group prepare for his absence. Alexander respected Griffin and Viera but he understood that they may not be ready to lead the others in their adventures. It was still his plan to focus on raising Silana without any adventuring after blood veil was dealt with but that didn't mean he couldn't step up when his friends needed him now.

"It might be too late, Verik. Still, you're right. I'll do what I can."

"That's great!" Verik exclaimed with a wide smile.

"I'll have a talk with Viera and Falenas tomorrow," Alexander said. "I can't make any promises but I can at least try to have everyone talk this out."

"Tomorrow?" Verik blinked in confusion. "Are you sure waiting's a good idea?"

"It's late enough as is and I need to give everyone time to think and cool down," Alexander explained. "We'll head down to the Vossler estate first thing in the morning."

"I guess that makes sense," Verik nodded. "Tomorrow then."

"I'll have to make sure that Silana gets to bed, but afterwards, I need you to tell me everything that's happened while I was gone today," Alexander told Verik and made his way to the door.

"You're in for quite the story," Verik chuckled and followed Alexander. "The group falling apart wasn't the only crazy thing that happened today..."

Griffin's eyes snapped open when he woke up to the sounds of painful moaning, feeling metal manacles on his wrists and ankles. Only a single lantern lit up the room and he could see that he was bound to a bed like six other patients. Most of the others were unconscious but in pain and Griffin grimly noted that one of the patients was quite dead. He could see two Queen's Physicians 'tending' to one of the fallen beds, but given the state of the room, he doubted that they were healers. It was difficult to see much else of the room with the dim light not doing enough to fight back against the shadows. Griffin, thankful that he hadn't been stripped, strained against his manacles in a futile gesture to break free from his bed.

Slowly, Griffin started to recall what happened before he found himself in this situation. He remembered meeting with Doctor Davaulus in his office and had been served tea. Griffin tried to discuss a partnership by offering Falenas' notes but was surprised that Doctor Davaulus was more interested in his Varisian heritage. Doctor Davaulus revealed that he had noted that a small group of Varisians had shown immunity to blood veil, and while Griffin was amazed by the news, he quickly learned that the Queen's Physicians weren't doing anything with the knowledge to deal with blood veil. It was when he felt a sudden wave of exhaustion that Griffin realized something was wrong, but by the time he drew his sword cane, it was too late and he fell unconscious from something slipped into the tea.

"You're awake, Lord Vossler."

Griffin turned toward the direction of the taunting tone to see a man step out from the shadows. The man had pale skin and Griffin could make out strange blotches across his skin as if he had suffered from some sort of pox before. His brown hair was short and unclean and he had a twisted and wide nose. He was slim and garbed in leather robes with an assortment of pouches. Griffin's eyes went wide when he noticed the various sharp surgical tools and knives in the pouches and looked up at the man to see his wicked grin.

"Who in the Hells are you?" Griffin asked, trying his best to take control of the situation.

"Where are my manners?" the man replied mockingly. "But then again, it's not like you had manners when you sent your mercenaries to kill my father."

"Rolth," Griffin muttered.

"So you've heard of me," Rolth chuckled. "How wonderful."

"Is this some sort of elaborate revenge?" Griffin asked with a frown. "If so, go ahead and kill me. I won't have anything to do with what you have planned."

"I never cared much for the old man," Rolth admitted with a shrug. "He would beat me. He hated me, but even when I ran away, he would always find me and drag me back. It was only when I gave him a reason not to follow me that I earned my freedom. I want to thank you for killing him, but really, I'm furious that you fed his body to his pet. He would have made for a fine servant in undeath."

"You're terrible," Griffin said, shaking his head. "Even without Gaedren's influence, you're a necromancer and a murderer."

"You know a lot about me," Rolth commented, stepping forward toward Gaedren.

"I found one of your old daggers with Gaedren's belongings," Griffin told Rolth, putting up a brave face. "It was shaped like a key."

"How do you know it didn't belong to my father?"

"If Gaedren was the Key Lock Killer, he wouldn't have gone do as easily as he had. It's you. You're the Key Lock Killer."

The Key Lock Killer had been a mystery in Korvosa for years. The killer had been responsible for the deaths of dozens by breaking into the homes of his victims to practically butcher them. The Key Lock Killer was able to break into homes without alerting anyone, and after his killings, left the home locked as he found it. He earned his moniker from the key-shaped daggers that were left behind at the murder scenes. The Key Lock Killer had disappeared and it was thought that something must have happened to him. Griffin thought the Key Lock Killer was dead until he found a broken key-shaped dagger tucked away in one of Gaedren's chests at his hideout.

"I guess you're not just a pampered noble," Rolth chuckled. "You know that I'm the Key Lock Killer, and because of that, you should know that I won't kill you yet."

"My friends will come for me," Griffin warned Rolth. "Your days are numbered."

"As are yours, potentially," Rolth snapped back. "You should be glad you get to live a little longer. If not for my new allies wanting to experiment with you, I would have cut you, your brother, and anyone you care about to pieces."

Griffin went pale. "Experiments?"

"Now you're catching on," Rolth grinned, his rotten teeth glinting. "We've worked so hard on blood veil only to find out that a certain number of Varisians are immune to our disease. Blood veil is imperfect, but with your help, I can fix it. I hope you're ready to receive a dose of blood veil."

"And if I'm immune?" Griffin asked, his voice quiet.

"If you're immune, you'll pray that you weren't to begin with," Rolth answered and took out a large syringe from one of his pouches with one hand. "You'll wish that you had been killed by blood veil by the time I'm done with you. I hope you don't mind if I have a little bit of fun with my work. As long as you still draw my breath, my new friends won't mind."

Griffin pulled against his manacles once more as Rolth advanced and took a scalpel out with his free hand. As the necromancer got to work, his screams echoed throughout his prison.

With a lantern in hand, Falenas made his way through the dark streets of Korvosa. The stars were out but it was difficult to make his way through the darkness even with his lantern. His search was taking too long when time was working against him. There was practically no one awake at this hour, and while it meant there likely wouldn't be any witnesses, the search was quickly frustrating him. Falenas pressed on, knowing that he didn't have much other choice in the matter.

At long last, Falenas found what he was looking for. It was their bright white masks that Falenas saw even though they each carried a torch. Falenas sighed in relief at the pair of Queen's Physicians that were walking his way, their dark robes blending in with the shadows. He knew that they saw him from the light of his lantern and he quickly took on a panicked expression. Now that his search was over, Falenas ran up to the Queen's Physicans, waving his arms with his approach. Fortunately, there weren't any Korvosan Guards assigned to escort the pair at this hour and the alchemist was glad that he didn't need to find a way to separate them from the physicians.

"I need a doctor!" Falenas exclaimed. "Please! You have to help me! My daughter has blood veil! She'll die if you don't help her!"

The two physicians turned to each other, and without a word, they nodded and turned back to Falenas. The alchemist nodded in understanding, turned around, and started to lead them away. He could hear their footsteps follow behind him, and for a moment, he was worried that he was wrong. Falenas pushed those thoughts out of his mind. His plan was extreme but he couldn't believe that Doctor Davaulus would pick someone to join the Queen's Physicians that wasn't a part of his conspiracy. If it took drastic action to find the evidence he needed, then so be it.

It was difficult to keep track of the names of the streets but Falenas felt that he was where he needed to go. He led his way down a dark alleyway with the Queen's Physicians following behind him. Falenas knew that he was close to his clinic and that the alley he picked between two abandoned houses. Once Falenas spotted the stacks of crates, he dropped his lantern to the ground. He gasped out loudly when the lantern shattered on the ground and turned to face the Queen's Physicians.

"I'm terribly sorry," Falenas told the pair. "I was in such a rush that-"

Suddenly, a crossbow bolt slammed into the shoulder of one of the Queen's Physicians. The man let out a gasp that was silenced when the second crossbow bolt pierced through his throat. Takota, who had hidden behind the stack of crates, had emerged with his crossbow to ambush the Queen's Physicians. Falenas leapt into action, pulling out his dagger tucked away in his sleeve, and stabbed the remaining Queen's Physician. He slammed the physician against the wall of the building, wrestling with him as he pulled his dagger out to shank the man again. Falenas caught a glimpse of the Queen's Physician pulling out a club that had been hidden in his dark robes, but before he could make use of the weapon, a crossbow bolt struck him in the side. Falenas felt the man go limp and released the Queen's Physician, who fell down to the ground.

"This is the moment that'll change everything," Falenas said and knelt down by the fallen physician. "I hope we find the evidence we need or else we would have murdered two men for nothing."

"Doctors don't typically carry clubs," Takota pointed out with a frown as he walked up to join Falenas.

"And they don't typically carry daggers either," Falenas waved his bloody dagger for Takota to see before setting it down. "Korvosa has been rather chaotic recently and that was before blood veil. The Queen's Physicians could easily say they carry weapons for self-defense given the circumstances."

"What are we looking for then?" Takota questioned, standing guard over the alchemist.

"That I do not know yet," Falenas answered. "However, I'll know when I find it."

Falenas quickly went through the pockets of the Queen's Physician. There was only a standard healer's kit that physicians typically carried, and while Falenas noted that the physician wore leather armor underneath his robes, it wasn't anything suspicious. After a moment of thought, he reached over and took the mask off of the Queen's Physician. The man's face was unremarkable but Falenas didn't think that the identity of the man was what he needed. Instead, he flipped the mask over, noting that there were several differences from the mask he had. Falenas paused when he noted faint runes across the lower edge of the mask.

"How peculiar," Falenas said, tapping his chin in thought. "It would appear that this mask is magical."

"Is that strange?" Takota asked.

"Not by itself, no," Falenas shook his head as he examined the runes. "I've studied a little bit of magic since it goes hand-in-hand with my alchemy. I can't cast spells but I can recognize a few of these runes. This one, for example, would help prevent the wearer from becoming infected. However, it's this other rune that stands out to me. It's a rune that's meant to conceal one's true self."

"True self?" Takota raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Allow me to skip the definition and give an example of what this looks like," Falenas set the mask down and retrieved his dagger to clean on the dead physician's robes. "Certain clergy members, such as paladins, have the ability to look at someone and know if they are truly good or evil. If they look upon a killer, they'll see that they're evil. However, if a killer were to wear this mask, the magic of the mask would hide their true nature."

"That's what we're looking for," Takota said with a nod.

"It won't be enough for the Korvosan Guard but this does mean we're on the right track," Falenas sighed in relief. "Now I don't feel so bad killing these two."

"What's next?"

"I might have a plan to get us something that the Korvosan Guard will be able to use to take action," Falenas reached over for the healer's kit and opened it. "Just give me a few minutes. Thankfully, stitching a hole in clothes isn't too different from sewing up a cut…"

A/N: Not much to say here other than this story is officially over 250 pages. It's proving to be one of my longest fanfic projects yet and I'm quite proud of how it's turned out.

Until next time.