Chapter Six: The Unusual Suspects

The A&S Guild's Lower Chapter Headquarters had little need for offices or cubicles, seeing as the organization was mostly dedicated to fieldwork, but it was an office building before being given to Talus Archibald. As such, it retained a few of these features, such as a conference room, one of which was often used for giving presentations. Such as that which Alvin and Patience were about to give to Talus, Vesh and his crew.

Alvin nervously peered into the room. "I'm not so sure about this, Patience," he said. "Do you really think they'll go for it? I mean, it's just so base and lackluster a plan…"

"That's what makes it effective," she assured him, with a light punch on the shoulder. "No fancy bells or whistles, just a simple, no-frills, easy to execute plan. The less steps there are, the less likely it is for somethin' to go wrong, right?"

"Right," he replied, but he sounded far from confident. "I guess it's time to get this over with…" The two of them strolled into the room, those at the table turning to watch them approach the projector. He continued to be a small bit anxious at the amount of faces watching him, especially because many of them were potentially hostile, but with both a confident nod from Patience, and the sagely eyes of Talus, he began. "Um, hello. We've called you all here to discuss a potential lead we have on the revenant."

Alvin waited as the congregation eyed him expectantly. Greta nudged him; "Well? Tell them!" she whispered. He fumbled with the projector for a moment, before a map of the revenant's sightings appeared on the wall, along with a copy of Mary Pembrooke's medical history.

Taking a deep breath, he began to run through the speech he had prepared earlier. "Now…the revenant has been an inscrutable beast for this entire time. What does it want? Why is it here? How can it be here? And while I haven't gotten far enough to answer two of those questions, I can at least answer the first: it wants bile." He pointed at Mary's records. "Mary Pembrooke had BPDS, and as such, kept a good deal of bile in her house for transfusion. Perhaps coincidentally, or perhaps not, she is the only confirmed civilian casualty of the revenant." He nodded to Patience to begin her segment.

"Furthermore, one of the first sightings of this thing on the Isles was here, at a stall that happened to be selling bile sacs." She tapped the map at this location. "When we spoke to the owner, he said it was eating them."

"Not for sustenance, but to power its own magical abilities," added Alvin. "If you recall, the revenant has been sighted casting spells on several occasions. Pursuit and direct confrontation have so far proven fruitless for this reason, but now we know what it's after. Now we have a way to trap it."

Some of Vesh's crew murmured to each other. "So, we lay a trap for it, using bile as bait?" asked their leader. "Sure, seems like that could work. But if it really can use magic in addition to its natural agility, what kind of trap could hold it?"

"You can leave that part to me," said Talus. "Give me a day or two, and I'll build something he'll never be able to walk away from!"

"Of course, we'll need bile, and lots of it," said Patience. "The vendor we talked to, he has a lot more, but we were pretty light on cash, so…"

Vesh got up from his seat, followed by the rest of his crew. "No need to worry, we'll take care of that!" he said. He pointed to one of them; "You, go and fill a barrel with cash. Everyone else, meet up at the front gates. We've got some shopping to do…and then the hunt's on!" The rest of the Wild Hunt responded with a triumphant shout. "Hope you don't mind us steppin' out on you, Archie."

"Never you mind, I trust you," said Talus. "As a matter of fact, I may be busy for the next day or two, so take all the time you need!"

He nodded. "I'll take this as an opportunity to rest up and recharge!" Him and his crew made for the exit, but he stopped before Patience and Alvin. "Hey, keep on keepin' and eye on her, would you?"

"...Oh. Um, sure," said Alvin, unsure of what else to say.

Grinning, Vesh gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "I told ya we'd make a good team, huh? See you back here once we're ready!" He headed out as well, leaving them alone with Talus.

The Guildmaster donned a pair of leather gloves. "I suppose it's back to the workshop for me. I'll need to go into overdrive to make something that can hold a revenant!" He began walking away, but turned back. "I don't suppose you have any idea what might be most effective, would you, Alvin old boy?"

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. The books I've read are very clear on what a revenant is, but any details beyond that are incredibly vague. Their abilities, the nature of their creation–most of it has been lost to time. I'll trust your intuition on this one, sir; it hasn't steered us wrong before."

"Yes, except for signing off on an expedition to an uncharted island, perhaps," he said under his breath. Alvin felt that same touch of guilt that had been gnawing at him for the past few days, but quickly pushed it back down. "Is there anything you'll be busy with?"

Alvin knew this preceded Talus asking him for help–but he had other things to do. "Actually, I should probably get the, er, dissection lab ready. You know, for when we capture the creature." Patience narrowed her eyes–he wasn't exactly the best liar.

Still, it was good enough for Talus. "Right, then. You never know how quickly their bodies might decay. Better to be ready. Be seeing you, then!" With the pull of a lever, he was off, leaving the two alone.

"Are you sure it was the best idea to leave them in the dark about this Eva character?" asked Patience. "Seems to me like she's connected with it somehow."

"All the more reason to keep it from them," Alvin replied. "When I first met Eva, she insisted that revenants were nothing more than legends. But when our friend at the bile stand gave his account, not only did he see her directly interacting with the beast, but she wasn't frightened of it in the slightest, even when it attacked her. She even paid for the sacs it took!"

The two of them began to head for the elevator. "Okaaay…but why keep it a secret? I thought you trusted your boss?"

"It's not him I don't trust." Alvin always seemed uneasy around Vesh. Not that Patience didn't blame him, but he really had no reason to be, as they were on the same side. Well, technically, she was too, just not by choice. "I just…I can't shake the feeling that there's more to this than we know."

"Uh, duh."

"Come on." Alvin led the way once they reached the ground floor. "Eva told me that I should come find her if I found anything out. And now…is there any reason why we shouldn't?"

Patience shrugged. "Does the fact that you seem to think she's somehow working with the revenant count?"

"Well. That's all the more reason to find her."

The walk back to Bonesborough had been uneventful. Seeing as how Domovoi had not exactly been Domovoi, Belos was frequently uneasy to have Kikimora at his heels, especially since she looked a lot like her late husband. Still, it was clear she wasn't an imposter this time, so he gradually came to accept her presence.

Dawn was just beginning to break by the time they entered the city. Belos had donned his disguise again, though Kikimora thankfully didn't need one of her own. The few people awake at this hour didn't give them a second glance.

"My home." Belos gestured at the roots of the tree he was currently living under. He waited for her to crawl through the hole before he followed. After both the fight and the walk, he was glad to be able to rest, slipping off his disguise.

Kikimora seemed right at home, despite the lack of furniture. Or floors, walls, and a ceiling. "Cozy," she said quietly, sitting down next to some of Mary's parting gifts. She picked up one of her journals, flipping through the pages. "Are these yours?"

Growling, Belos forced the book out of her hands, placing it back with the others. "Are now." He slinked over to where he kept the extra bile pouches, beginning to tuck into one. For a good few minutes, the two of them simply sat there, neither making a sound. The sun was fully risen now, and the townsfolk were beginning to stir.

"So…what's with the disguise?" asked Kikimora. "Is there someone after you?"

He looked at her for a moment, unsure of whether she knew what he was. "Yes," he answered bluntly, going back to his bile.

A bit more silence. "What should we do today?" she asked.

Belos looked at her again, quizzically. Did she expect the two of them to be some sort of a unit, exploring the Isles together? Or was she simply bored, and wanted something to do? Either way, he couldn't blame her, seeing as he had allowed her to follow him home. "Don't know," he said. "Walk around town, maybe. Look for clues."

She perked up a tiny bit. "Ooh, clues! Are we solving a mystery? Oh, does it have something to do with why you're in hiding? A crime you were framed for, perhaps?" She walked over to him, excitement in her eyes.

"No," he replied. "I need to know…what I am." He cast a quick glance over at the notebooks. "What is…a revenant?"

It was Kikimora's turn to look at him quizzically, tilting her head to the side. "You're a revenant, eh? I've definitely heard of them before…but only in stories. Plus, they're supposed to be a lot bigger, and meaner, and uglier than you!" He fought a desire to snarl. "I know! Why don't we go down to the library, and see if they have any books about revenants?"

He did snarl this time, though not at her. Memories of Vesh and the Wild Hunt silhouetted by fire flashed through his mind. Mary had been a librarian, so if there were any books on the subject, she would have known. "No," he said.

Kikimora wracked her brains to come up with another idea. "Well, could we ask around? There has to be someone out there who knows a thing or two about you!"

"There are," he said angrily. "Hunting me."

"Oh. Yes, well, then I guess we can't just go around parading you, then." She thought some more. "Come on, there has to be something we can do! It's not like you can just sit around here all day!"

Belos agreed, even though that had been his plan. There was really nothing he could do aside from get by day-to-day. He didn't have any leads, and venturing out of Bonesborough without purpose could lead to more trouble. And now aside from Kikimora, it wasn't like he had any allies–or did he? "Bird woman," he said quietly.

"Beg pardon?"

He approached his disguise. "I met a woman. White cloak. Bird mask." The sight of that beak-like protrusion made him bite back a pang of anger. "I didn't know her, but she knew me. She wasn't afraid. She helped me." He began to don said disguise in preparation to leave. "We need her help."

With him getting ready to leave, Kikimora stood by the door waiting for him.
"And you know where to find her, right?" Belos stayed silent in response, but this didn't seem to affect her confidence. "So, do you have a general idea of where to find her?"

"Bazaar," he replied. Although Belos was hesitant to return to the place where his troubles on the Boiling Isles had started, this was the only lead he had. "Come. We go now."

After checking to make sure nobody was around to see him crawling out of his hole, Belos emerged, closely followed by his new follower. "Lead the way, sir," Kikimora said, closely following at his heels. "I'll do my best not to draw attention to us. If you need me to do anything, just say the word!"

Belos grumbled. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about her calling him 'sir.' It felt unfamiliar, yet there was something strangely natural about it. He put it out of his mind before he decided it suited him, as he imagined he wouldn't be hearing it often. Soon enough, the lively sounds of the bazaar filled the air. Belos, however, walked past the noise, heading inside a nearby building.

"Um…Belos?" asked Kikimora, once she saw the building was empty. "What exactly are we doing in here?" She followed him upstairs, the office or whatever it was all but completely deserted. "Might this be where you last found this mystery woman?"

"Quiet." Belos' path took him up to the rooftop, giving him a bird's-eye view of the bazaar down below. It took Kikimora a few tries to climb up onto the handguard, finally pulling her way up. Beneath them, folks of all sorts passed by the stalls on the street, unaware they were being watched. "Keep an eye out." He was already doing so.

"I understand!" said Kikimora, leaning over the edge as she searched for the illusive 'bird woman.' Truth be told, she wasn't entirely sure what to look for. Based on Belos' description, she kept an eye out for anything white, and looked from there if it was someone wearing a beaked mask. She had no such luck, and it was only a few minutes before she got bored. But, since her new 'master' was watching the shoppers like a hawk, she continued as well rather than suggest a new plan.

It was a while before anything happened. Kikimora was beginning to fall asleep when a noise jolted her awake. She turned to her left to see Belos growling like a dog with its hackles raised. His gaze was fixed on one single spot, which, when she followed his gaze, appeared to be on a group of demons. One in particular led them, notable for his imposing spear and single horn.

Given how zeroed in on the demon he was, Kikimora was worried that Belos was preparing to hurl himself off the rooftop and attack the stranger. But as enraged as he was, he at least seemed to be in control of himself. "Uh, Belos?" she said, getting his attention by waving her hand in front of his face. He snapped out of his trance, looking down at her. "What's going on with you? Who exactly is that?"

"Vesh," he snarled, more hatred in that one syllable than Kikimora had heard before, even among her fellow captives of Adeghast. "Murderer…murderer!" He looked down, realizing he had created several large gashes in the concrete with his claws. He calmed down a little, but still glared at the demon in question. "Bad man."

"I gathered." Kikimora stared down at them as well; they seemed to be purchasing a great deal of something from one of the stands, enough that they needed a barrel full of money to do so. "That wouldn't happen to have something to do with the reason he's bad, would it?" she asked.

Belos looked closer at the stall, and saw what was being loaded into their barrel: bile sacs. Instantly, he recognized both the stall and the salesman. This was where he had been found out, all those weeks ago. Where he had met the bird woman, and all his troubles had begun. And there was only one reason, at least that he could think of, that Vesh would need so much bile. "They're planning something," he said. "Planning to lure me. To trap me."

Kikimora looked up at him. "He's the one hunting you, isn't he?" His silence confirmed this. Vesh flashed a happy grin at the vendor, giving a friendly wave as he had his cronies haul away the merchandise. Even from here, she could tell there was only a thin layer of joviality hiding his wickedness. "Well, we have to do something, then!"

It was true that Belos wanted more than anything to avenge Mary. But at the same time, he realized it wasn't worth the risk. "No. We keep hiding, he won't find us. Let him try his trap, it will catch nothing." He began walking back towards the stairs.

"And what about all that bile?" she asked him. "I've seen you eating it back at base, don't you need it to live? And that's quite a lot they have now, are you sure you wouldn't want to get it somehow?"

"Too risky." He gestured for Kikimora to follow, which she did. "Besides, I have enough for now."

"But what about later?" she asked. "You're going to run out eventually. If we can find a way to get to that stash without him seeing you, maybe we can–" It was then that a sudden idea hit Kikimora. "Oh! That's it! They're looking for a revenant, but they're not looking for a me! I can go and get some of their bile, and they won't even bat an eye!"

He shook his head. "I said too risky. Vesh is cruel. He will kill you if he catches you, even though you aren't me."

"And who's to say he'll catch me?" Kikimora said confidently. "You might not think it, but I'm sneakier than I look! Besides, now that we know he's setting a trap, I'll be able to see it from a mile away! C'mon, what have we got to lose?"

The obvious answer was 'our lives,' but Kikimora would probably brush that off as well. And it was true that he couldn't last on Mary's stash forever. It would do him good to be proactive, but he'd need some time to consider the risks. "Let me think about it," he said.

The two of them stepped back outside. "Great! I promise I won't let you down, sir!" Kikimora said, as the two of them disappeared into the crowd.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, they had just missed another pair, one who was also concerned with the doings of Vesh and the Wild Hunt. Alvin and Patience strolled into the Bazaar, neither giving the other two another glance. "This might go easier if we split up," Alvin said. "You check that way, I'll check this way, and we'll meet back up here in about twenty."

"How exactly will I know what to look for?" asked Patience. "You're the one who met this lady, not me!"

"You can't miss her," Alvin replied. "She's about yea tall, wears a white cloak and a gas mask, and–actually, this might go easier if I drew a picture." He produced a pencil from his pocket. "Do you have a sheet of paper on you?"

"Hang on, I'll grab a flier." Patience headed over to a wall covered in posters, notices, and fliers to take one, though there was one that caught her eye. "Hmm? …Hey Al, come take a look at this!"

He came over. "Huh? What is it?" She took down the sheet and handed it to him. It was a two-in-one 'wanted' and 'missing' poster, detailing both an at-large kidnapping suspect and some of his victims who had yet to be accounted for. "Who's Adeghast?" There were pictures of all those in question, with the suspect being a grotesque tentacled beast. One of his victims was an odd goblinesque woman with a hand for hair–she looked oddly familiar.

"Beats me, but look at this!" Patience pointed to the blurb beneath the pictures. "'Missing persons were returned earlier this day, claiming to have been rescued by a walking corpse that could perform magic.' Now, who does that sound like to you?"

Alvin had to admit, there were few individuals he knew of who could match that description. But although it was a short list, there was no guarantee it was who they were both thinking. "Okay, this is definitely worth looking into, just not right now," he said. "Let's finish up our first plan before we go chasing other leads." He turned the paper over, and began drawing a sketch of Eva on the back. "Here. She looked something like this."

Patience took the paper, looking over the drawing. "And how do we know she's still dressed like this?" she asked. "I mean, if it was me, I'd probably wear something different if I wanted to be disguised."

"We'll just have to trust that she wants to be found," Alvin replied. "The mask is apparently due to a breathing problem of some sort, so she likely won't have taken that off. Now remember: twenty minutes. We don't want to keep Mr. Archibald waiting."

"Or Vesh," Patience added under her breath. The two of them split up to look for any trace of this mystery woman, though neither of them were very confident of their chances. This was simply the first step in what Alvin hoped was a larger effort on their part.

Just as Belos and Kikimora had been watching Vesh from a nearby rooftop, another figure was watching Patience and Alvin. She peered through a window from the floor just below where the revenant had been standing, giving her the perfect view of everything that the others had seen and done. She had both seen and heard everything.

"Not just yet, Alvin," said Eva. "Not just yet." She descended the staircase and, once she was back on the main street, disappeared into the crowd.

If this thing was going to catch that revenant, it needed to be equal parts strong and complex. Eyewitness reports said that the monster could fight off numerous guards at once, and that it was perfectly powerful even without magical ability. But considering how it had worked its way to the mainland, and remained undetected for so long, chances are it was much smarter than they had previously thought. Something simple yet sturdy, and it could think its way out of, yet a more fragile yet sophisticated trap would likely be destroyed.

His face covered with a welding mask, Talus worked to construct a trap that would fulfill these specifications. He had decided to go with the classic force field projector, but with multiple generators for better coverage. Making the field itself resilient to both physical and magical attacks would take quite a bit of resources, but it would hopefully be worth it.

His metal legs carried him around the work table, supervising as the tools floated by his magic around the project. Only half a day into the building process, and he was making better progress than he thought. Talus hummed to himself as the tools buzzed and hissed and whirred against the metal, the noise preventing him from hearing one of his workers trying to get his attention.

"Um, sir, you've–" said an anxious-looking witch, hesitant to raise his voice. "You've an urgent message! Sir!" He waved a bit to try and get Talus' attention. Eventually, he succeeded, and the Guildmaster set down his tools and removed his mask.

Talus directed his legs over towards the man. "So sorry about that, lad. Now, what was it you wanted?"

The man in question averted his eyes. "I… You just got a message. From…" He held up a small metal trinket. It was adorned with a crest, several circles arranged around one another. Half white, half red.

The moment he saw the crest, Talus' face became far more grave. "Now?" he asked uncertainly. "Is it truly time already? S-surely this can wait until I've captured the beast!"

"He…insisted this was urgent," said the man.

"Urgent-urgent, or Baltheus-urgent?" asked Talus. The man looked away again, shrugging with an uncomfortable expression. "Ah, very well then. Leave it here, I'll see what he wants."

The worker placed the device on the floor, and was more than happy to leave. With the clinking of gears, the symbol on the machine unwound, the two sides of the face opening up to reveal a glowing crystal within, the same colors as the crest. Talus stepped back as the glowing crystal projected a screen displaying an image he always dreaded to see.

"Talus! Long time no see, old friend!" The man on the other end of the screen lounged on his enormous bed, wearing only a bathrobe. His features were very defined and angular, especially his prominent teeth. His hair was long and unkempt, almost down to his shoulders, and it, like his robe, was red on one side, white on the other. "You've been keeping busy these past few months, I imagine?" He took a sip from the glass of apple blood in his hand.

Talus nodded respectfully. "Lord Baltheus, hello. I was wondering when you would be calling," he said. While not exactly afraid of the lord, he did seem rather perturbed by his presence. "Yes, things have been rather hectic around here as of late, particularly these last few weeks. And how about yourself, you've been well, I trust?"

"Oh, better than well, better than well!" said Baltheus. He downed the rest of his apple blood in one gulp, handing the empty glass to an unseen servant, who gave him another one. "Mmhmm. Yes, all good on my end. Though I think we both know the reason why I called." There was no trace of anger in his voice, yet Talus flinched regardless.

This was it–exactly what he had been dreading. "My Lord, recent Guild membership has been up seventeen percent since the last trimester! With this revenant running amok, the people of Bonesborough want to be a part of something that makes them feel secure!"

Baltheus chuckled. "Precisely my point, my dear Talus! Who would have thought a monster on the streets was all that was needed to boost membership? Whatever this thing is down there, it's proving very good for business!"

"So, then…you plan to continue funding us?" Talus asked.

More light laughter. "This Adventurer's and Scientist's Guild practically keeps my whole operation running! That said…" He swirled the drink in his glass, contemplating it as he waited for Talus to catch the change in his tone. "...much of our recent success in profits are due to this little 'revenant' of yours. And now, I hear talk you're planning on catching it. Tell me, what would happen to membership if the people of Bonesborough suddenly thought there was nothing to fear?"

"My Lord, the A&S Guild is not some paramilitary group, as much as you seem to see it as one," Talus replied. "People will continue joining so long as there remains a love for discovery in their hearts. If anything, capturing the revenant will inspire more people to join, seeing as we would have an undiscovered species in captivity." He momentarily forgot his discontent, growing excited simply talking about the prospect.

"And yet, we both know that a love of discovery doesn't pay the bills," Baltheus said. "Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful ploy. Let the people believe you truly do plan on solving this issue. I lent you some of my best trackers for this purpose, after all. Proceed with this plan if you must, but remember: it would be in both of our best interests if this…thing remains at large."

Once more, Talus had to suppress his outrage, as an outburst would likely cost him his job. "But, My Lord, this creature is dangerous! As I have warned my employees, it is far more powerful and cunning than any wild animal! It already has three confirmed casualties, perhaps more, and I cannot allow–"

"Just three!?" cackled Baltheus, apple blood flying everywhere. "Three, as opposed to the hundreds killed each year by slitherbeasts, or snagglebacks, or what-have-yous? Let's face it, this thing is likely a ghoul or some other such misidentified beastie. And how many of those deaths were their own faults?"

Talus fumed at the notion he would misidentify a ghoul, but held his tongue. "Even so, it poses a threat to the people of Bonesborough, and I cannot in good conscience allow it to run free like this!"

"Oh? Well, in that case, the Guild may not continue to be the profitable endeavor I thought it was," Baltheus lamented. "I may have to consider taking my funding elsewhere…"

Uncomfortably, Talus was forced to acquiesce. "V-very well, My Lord. We will proceed as normal."

Baltheus sneered. "That's the spirit, old chum! Remember, helping our pocketbook is helping Bonesborough!" He set down his glass, giving an attempt at a sympathetic grin. "If it helps, you're free to catch this beast to your heart's content. Just make sure it 'escapes' afterwards."

"Yes, My Lord." Talus stared at the floor, unable to make eye contact.

"I'll check up on you soon. Take care!" The screen vanished, and the projection device folded up once again. The room was left in silence.

Talus walked over to pick up the device, letting out a sigh. "'Take care,'" he repeated under his breath. "Of what? Your treasury? Certainly not the people of this town! Or any other town under your rule, for that matter." He placed the trinket on the table, and got back to work. "Perhaps I'm being too harsh. We all need money to survive, after all." He considered his options as his welding torch hissed.

Not much later, his progress was interrupted once again. He heard them before he saw them, even with the roaring of his tools, as they joked and laughed raucously on their way into his workshop. He set down his tools as Vesh led his crew inside.

"Success!" he declared, having them bring in not just one, but a good five or six barrels filled to the brim with bile sacs of unknown origin. "If that thing really does eat bile, he won't be able to resist this smorgasbord! And, uh, just checking, this was a business expense, right? 'Cause I put it on the company tab…"

"Of course, it's all for this mission," Talus said. Feeling it rude to work now that he had company–again–he stepped back to admire his handiwork. "A few more hours, give or take, and we should be ready to begin the operation!" An optimistic projection, but he had made good time so far.

Vesh rounded the table, taking in the trap-in-progress. "Very impressive, boss man! I've never been too knowledgeable on the technical side of things, but as a hunter, I know a trap when I see one! Oh?" He noticed the device sitting on the table beside it, recognizing it instantly. "Ah, I see the other boss man called! Anything urgent he had to share?"

"...Nothing crucial," said Talus. "Just to keep up the good work." He quickly pocketed the device before Vesh could inquire further. "Now then, I trust your men are ready for deployment?"

"Definitely!" Vesh said, looking over his troops. "Once you're finished here, we'll be at your beck and call to finish this thing off for good!" There was a momentary waver in his tone, as though this fight was more personal to him than he was letting on.

Talus lowered his mask. "Very good. Stay ready: as soon as I'm finished here, we move out to bring that thing in for good!"

Although it was nearly impossible to triangulate exactly where the revenant had chosen as its lair, and even that was assuming it stayed in one place, the rash of sightings did provide a general outline to its territory. Thanks to Alvin's efforts, a spot was chosen, one close enough to the revenant's possible territory for the bait to be easily detected, yet far enough away that it wouldn't pick up on the trap before they were finished setting it up. An empty lot near a warehouse was the perfect spot.

The members of the Wild Hunt had placed the contents of the bile sacs into a handful of oil drums, stacking them against a far wall. The man generator was placed directly underneath one of them, while three secondary ones were attached to nearby walls. A little bit of the bile had been carefully spread on the ground to better attract their target, with extra effort made to make it appear like it had been spilled accidentally. At least, that was what they told Vesh.

And speaking of Vesh, he was instructing his fellow hunters to be on the lookout. "And remember, if you do spot this thing, keep visual, but let it go to the trap on its own! Don't cause a big scene, and especially don't go after it yourself! That's a mistake Grimsby won't make again. Alright, now get to your positions!" The hunters spread out, taking their places on rooftops and down alleyways, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of the revenant.

A small makeshift base of operations had been set up inside the warehouse, where the other three prepared for the creature's arrival. "Hey, uh, Talus?" asked Patience, absently fanning herself with Alvin's sketch of Eva. "How do we know this thing's gonna come here tonight?"

"We don't," Talus replied. "I'm relying on the evidence, which tells us that the revenant has a way of seeking out magical bile. Plus, it seems to only travel at night, though this may simply be due to there being too many witnesses during the day rather than it being a nocturnal animal. If it does not show itself tonight, we'll simply come back tomorrow, and the day after, until either it shows, or our plan is rendered extraneous by outside circumstances."

"He means if it ends up being too smart for this," Alvin translated.

"Ah," said Patience, nodding.

With the lookouts in place, Vesh joined the three of them. "It didn't seem all that smart when I ran into it, I don't think we have anything to worry about," he said, leaning near the window. The barrels outside were illuminated by flickery streetlights, which hopefully didn't shine through the windows. "If anything, I'd be worried about one of my guys screwing this up!"

Patience turned to him. "What, you don't trust your own people?" she asked. "Weren't you saying the other day that they were like family to you or something?"

This earned a snicker from him. "That's why I don't have any confidence in 'em!" he said.

Talus had gone over to do a few last-minute checks to the transportation system. If they did succeed in capturing the revenant, they needed a safe way to transport it back to the Guild Headquarters, so he had thrown together what was basically a cage on wheels. He would describe it as a bit more sophisticated than that, but it was identical in its function. Now that he was busy, Alvin took this moment to approach him. "Er…Sir? You haven't happened to have heard about that recent missing persons case, have you?"

"Why…no, I haven't," he said, turning around. "Why do you ask? Might it have something to do with the revenant, perhaps?"

Alvin wavered with his hand. "Well, yes and no. Patience and I only just heard about it while we were out today. Apparently, several missing persons have recently returned to Bonesborough. They all claim to have been kidnapped by the same individual, but here's the strange part: they also claim that they were rescued by a creature bearing a great resemblance to our revenant."

Talus gave this some thought. "Hmm. Do you have any other information?" Alvin shook his head. "I… This is difficult to make anything of," he admitted. "You say they were 'rescued,' but that could mean any number of things. Perhaps it was merely incidental."

"I thought so as well, but something about it feels off to me," replied Alvin. "We keep thinking of the revenant as a mindless beast, but what if it isn't? We already know it's intelligent enough to avoid being spotted, so who's to say there isn't a deeper agenda there?"

"It certainly is possible," Talus said. "Though I seem to recall your research claiming the revenant could be under someone's control, akin to an abomination. Would it be possible that its master had a grudge against this shady character, or was seeking to be a vigilante by proxy by rescuing his victims?"

There was still so much more to this that Alvin hadn't considered. There were so many more theories that he wasn't sure where to start. "Perhaps said character's wanted poster would shed some light," he suggested. "Patience, could we see that for a moment?"

She looked over at them. "Oh, this? Yeah, hand on, I'll–" But just as Patience got to her feet, the warehouse and adjacent lot were suddenly plunged into darkness. "Wuzzat?"

"Blackout," Talus mumbled, trying to manually restart his systems. "Just perfect, of all the nights!"

Moments later, some light was restored as each of the four cast a light spell. Vesh held his up to the window, but was unable to see anything outside. "Dammit, it's pitch black out there!" he complained. "If that thing shows up now…wait, your trap didn't need power to work, right?"

"No, it has its own internal power source," said Talus. "...Power source… Alvin, weren't you saying something earlier about a generator?"

"Um, these old warehouses tend to have them," he said. "The power outage may be localized, which means we should be able to restart it manually." He glanced towards the door, a wave of dread suddenly creeping up on him. "Though that would require us to go outside…"

"Then we'll go outside!" said Vesh, leading the way with his spear. "One of you tech folk, come with, I have no idea how to restart a generator." All three of the others followed, partly due to his request, and partly due to not wanting to be left alone in the darkened building. Talus lit the way with an orb of light, Alvin's eyes darted around as he resisted the temptation to explain why this was a bad idea, and Patience took up their rear, a spell circle ready to be fired.

Every sound, from the creak of the metal door to the chirping of crickets, had them on edge. But perhaps even worse was when there was no noise at all. Each of them stared into the darkness, worried that the revenant could come diving out of it at any moment–even Talus, though he kept a cool head about it. Patience was even beginning to miss the usual hustle and bustle of the industrial district, as it would at least be a respite from the deafening silence.

Soon enough, they reached where the generator was. All four shone their lights on it, and their fears were confirmed: it had indeed been tampered with. Three long slash marks had been carved through the metal, and while they were anything but clean, they were deep.

"Okay, okay, that's alright," said Patience. "This doesn't mean anything. Maybe it's just some punk with a knife, y'know?"

"A punk with a knife who cut three separate times?" said Alvin.

"Well, ya gotta be thorough!" she retorted.

"Both of you, shut it!" hissed Vesh, stepping closer to investigate. He felt over the gashes torn through the box. "You're not telling me that thing cut the power, are you? No way is it that smart. No, there has to be something else going on here."

Hesitantly, Talus agreed. "If it is attracted to magical bile, it stands to reason that it would also be attracted to the magic powering the generator." He stepped in front of Vesh, kneeling down to try and jumpstart the power. "As for where it's gone now, the sudden blackout may have scared it off."

That was something Alvin could relate with. "Might it have been…tipped off somehow?" he suggested. "If it's possible the revenant is operating under the orders of a master, they may have had the sense to avoid a trap such as–"

The relative silence of the night was broken by a quick clank of gears, followed by a piercing hum typically related to spellcasting. All four of them, plus many more, sprang to attention, as this was the sound of Talus' trap being sprung. "Go, secure it!" he said, as he doubled his efforts on returning light to the area. Vesh once again led the way with his spear, as Alvin and Patience nervously followed behind.

Green beams of light emitted from each generator, giving rise to a sphere of the same color hovering above the barrels. The rest of the Wild Hunt had begun to congregate once the trap had been sprung, waiting for their leader to give the okay before approaching. As it was too dark to see what they had caught, Vesh cautiously leveled his weapon at the bubble. "Everyone, stay alert," he said. "It's secure now, but who knows what else it has up its sleeves…" Many more weapons were drawn in preparation for a possible escape.

Something about all this felt off to Alvin. "Why isn't it making any noise?" he asked, to which Patience responded with a shrug. "Trapped animals are never this quiet. Did we even catch anything in there?"

Soon enough, Talus had worked his magic, and the generator roared to life, and the lights flickered back into being. Everyone readied themselves to be greeted with the revenant's fearsome visage…but what they got was slightly different. "...Um…" was all Patience could say at their actual catch: a small goblinish woman, with hair that looked like a hand. Or an actual hand in place of hair. She floated next to a barrel of bile, giving her captors confused glances rather than frightened ones.

"Oh…hello," she said awkwardly. "I didn't know there were so many security measures in place here. Is this bile really that valuable?" She poked the barrel floating next to her.

Talus finally arrived, just as confused as everyone else. "And what exactly is going on here?" he said, bewildered. "Miss, what exactly are you doing in our revenant trap? For that matter, why are you all the way out here at this time of night? And why were you attempting to make off with our bile?"

She briefly looked aside as she thought of an answer. "Apologies, I didn't think anyone would miss it. I understand magical bile is quite valuable to some, and I thought I could–my husband and I are very poor, you see. We have five children to support, and it's so very hard to keep us all fed. I've had to scrounge for anything to sell, and this much bile could…" Her voice began to get emotional. "So sorry, it's just been so hard these last few days, and…and…" Patience was unimpressed, not buying into her sob story, though Talus had a bit more sympathy.

"Vesh, let her out of there, would you?" Vesh did so, though he was clearly miffed at having missed this chance to catch their real prize. The woman caught the barrel, staggering under its weight for a moment before setting it down. "Apologies for all of this. Please, if there is anything I can do to help your family…"

"Oh, no need, no need!" she insisted, casting a spell with her head-hand. The barrel of bile levitated next to her. "A single barrel will be worth enough to feed us for weeks! Might I keep it?"

Talus nodded, much to Vesh's annoyance. "Of course, but I must warn you, it may attract something much worse than ne'er-do-wells. I'm sure you've heard the rumors by now, about a monster roving our town?"

She was unconcerned. "Oh, pshaw! I've been dealing in bile for weeks now, and haven't seen one fleeting glimpse of any so-called revenant! I was concerned at first, yes, but now I believe it's only a myth! Bye for now! Good luck with…whatever you're doing here!" With that, she walked off down the street, her prize hovering behind her.

"So, you're just gonna let her walk outta here with our hard-earned bait?" muttered Vesh. "What else are we supposed to do, huh? Put a little squeaky toy in there and hope for the best?"

Talus was in the process of resetting the trap. "Now, now, we still have plenty of bile left," he assured him. "A little charity never hurt anyone."

Vesh scoffed. "Yeah, until she gets ambushed by a bile-hungry freak!"

Patience shook her head as the two continued arguing, fanning herself with the drawing. "No way is she stealing that for her family. I've seen more than a few cons in my time, but that was one of the more obvious–" She trailed off as she caught a glimpse of something on the sheet. She turned it over, her eyes widening as something clicked in her mind. "Uh…hey, Al? I don't suppose you could show me where the lady's room in this place is, huh?"

"It should be inside, next to the men's room," said Alvin, confused.

Patience led him away by the shoulder. "Ah, I'm terrible with directions! It'll just be real quick, point it out for me!" She held the poster in front of him, pointing to something near the bottom.

Alvin looked at what she was showing him. "I still don't see what you're–eh?" There it was. One of the missing persons from earlier. It was her, the woman they just caught. "Kiki–this is her!" Patience glanced over her shoulder at the others, particularly Vesh, before gesturing at Alvin to keep his voice down. "But…if she's back in Bonesborough, why is she still marked as missing?" he whispered.

"Look closer." Down below her picture was a descriptor: 'Kikimora, wife of Domovoi (confirmed deceased). No known family.' "I figured she was lying about that part. But why would she escape from being kidnapped and not go back home?"

"Well, she was kidnapped, plus her husband is dead, so she must not feel safe at home anymore," Alvin replied. "We don't really know all the details, so…where are we going?" He only just realized they had left the warehouse behind, and were walking down the streets.

"Following a hunch," replied Patience. "I've picked up a number of skills in my time, one of which is how to tail people." It was then that Alvin realized she was following after Kikimora. Close enough so as not to lose her, far enough away that they would blend into the crowd if she looked behind her.

He continued along with her, but tried to convince her to turn back. "Why are we following this poor woman?" he asked. "Even if she was lying about her motives, doesn't she deserve a break? We don't know if she knows anything!"

Patience hid the two of them behind a bench as Kikimora looked around, before continuing on towards the docks. "There's too many coincidences here," she said. "Kiki and the others are rescued by a creature that's a dead ringer for our revenant. Even though she's free, she doesn't return home. Then she steals some bile, which is the exact thing the revenant needs. If you want to steal something to hock on the black market, you can do a lot better than bile–trust me, I would know."

"But… Are you suggesting she's in league with the thing?" asked Alvin, incredulous. "That seems a bit of a leap, yes?"

"Yes," Patience admitted bluntly. "But it could be a leap that'll lead us straight to our mastermind." Although Alvin still had his doubts, he had to admit there was a chance, however slight, that she was onto something. After all, if the revenant had a master, who was to say that this master didn't have other subordinates? And he was only further filled with doubt, along with a heavy helping of worry, when he realized that the dock Kikimora was walking towards was the same one where the Siren's Song had docked upon its return to the Boiling Isles.

There was nobody around, but Kikimora was still alert. She looked over her shoulder several more times, but Patience knew exactly when to take cover. Before long, she set the barrel down, and the two found a place to watch whatever was about to happen. "Psst! Belos, it's me! I'm back with the stuff!"

Neither Alvin nor Patience knew who this 'Belos' was, but they were both a little alarmed when a cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows to inspect the bile. "Th–that's the woman from the bazaar," Alvin said. "I knew she looked familiar! We walked right past these two just earlier today!"

The costumed woman seemed to test the bile with a whiff. "Good. Never enough bile," 'she' said. "Were you seen?"

Kikimora chuckled awkwardly. "Eh…yes. I actually fell into the trap they set for you." You. Not 'your beast,' you. "I talked my way out of it pretty easily–like I told you I would, mind you! I think some of them tried to follow me, but I lost them, again, pretty easily."

"Don't be so sure," said Belos, walking past her. He reached up, and removed his veil.

Even if Alvin knew what was coming, it would have been difficult to suppress a gasp. Even though he was terrified by the sight, he still had the sense to cover his mouth to try and muffle the sound. But even though it was quiet, he was still heard. The all-too-familiar face of the revenant looked up to see both evesdroppers, and let out the same shriek that Alvin had come to dread.

"Run for it!" Patience tried her best to drag Alvin behind him, but he was frozen in terror. The revenant pounced as it shrieked, leaping atop the nearest shed, and landing in front of her to block her escape. She looked for a way out as it bore down on her, before opting to unleash a blast of flame. "Take some of this!"

The revenant stumbled back, and the sudden blast of light and heat caused Alvin to do the same. "I knew we should have brought Vesh with us!" he lamented. As he frantically scrambled to get away from the monstrosity, he was met with sudden resistance. He realized that Kikimora was clinging to his leg.

"I knew you were in league with that…that lowlife!" she said, trying to pull him back. "You were helping him with that trap, weren't you!? You were planning on catching Belos, then using him for your own nefarious ends, weren't you!?"

"Get off me!" cried Alvin, managing to kick Kikimora off, before making a run for what he hoped was safety. Patience was mostly doing the same, though the revenant absolutely refused to let her go anywhere. The spells she fired his way only seemed to make him angrier, which didn't seem possible at first. She managed to keep her distance fairly well though, avoiding his claws as his shrieks filled the air. But no matter where she went, his piercing blue eyes always zeroed in on her location.

As this battle went on, one of a much smaller scale occurred as Alvin tried to escape, hindered by Kikimora. "I won't let you hurt him!" she yelled, slinging spells in his direction.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you!?" asked Alvin, hiding from the revenant behind a nearby wall. Kikimora tried to drag him out, but he was more concerned with her partner. Patience was holding him off, for now, but nothing that ferocious could be deterred for long. "Look, I don't know what happened with Adeghast, but–"

"What happened was Belos saved my life–all of our lives!" yelled Kikimora, tackling Alvin to the ground. "You and Vesh want to cut him open, just like you did to Mary!"

"Wh–Mary? Mary Pembrooke!?" Alvin shouted in bewilderment. "What are you talking about!?"

Patience, meanwhile, had found an area of weakness for the revenant. Using his largely physical fighting style against him, she kept her distance by employing teleport spells. He kept having to chase her down, hopefully exhausting himself in the process. "Alvin!" she said, pushing Kikimora off him, and helping him to his feet. "If we wanna get outta here, we should probably do it sooner than later!"

"Agreed," he said. "We'll go get Vesh and all the others, and let them know about–what's it doing?" The two of them had lost sight of the revenant for a single moment, during which it had made its way over to the bile barrel. Using its massive claws, it tore off the lid, before dunking its head into the liquid. "That…probably isn't good for us." Kikimora hurried off to the side, supporting this theory.

After having consumed some of the bile, the revenant threw its head back and shrieked to the heavens, its eyes glowing red. Both of them reeled back in alarm, which only doubled as it sent a wave of magic forth from its claw that sliced through the concrete. The projectile tossed the two of them aside when it reached them, though it wasn't a direct hit–leaving them to wonder what would have happened if it was.

Making its next move, the revenant lifted its arms, causing the various shards of concrete that had been torn up to levitate. Sensing what was coming, Patience created a shield just as the revenant thrust its arms forward, sending a cascade of shards towards her. Steadying herself under the barrage, she was unprepared for its next move: the revenant teleported next to her, battering her aside.

"Patience!" shouted Alvin, but he had no time to go after her. The revenant bore down on him, pinning him to the ground with its claws. He was forced to look upon that face, into those eyes, that he had seen on the island. Every fiber of his being knew that it would be the last thing he would ever see.

"You." The revenant spoke, the words coming up from its throat like knives. "You were on the ship. On my island."

He was, but he had no idea how to reply to this. "Belos, this is your chance," said Kikimora, scrambling over. "Ask him how to get to Vesh!"

Alvin looked back up at that visage, which, although still terrifying as ever, he at least knew could understand his words. "W-what exactly do you want with Vesh?" he asked. "I thought you wanted to avoid attention, especially from hunters…"

The revenant regarded him for a moment. "You know nothing," it said. "Just a pawn. A lackey." Alvin might have taken offense to this if his life wasn't in peril. "You are not worth–"

"Hey!" Everyone turned at Patience's shout. She stood near the docks, hovering the barrel over the edge. "Step away from the nerd! Otherwise, all your precious bile goes into the drink!"

The revenant didn't move, but Kikimora certainly did. "No! All our hard work!" She tried to rush forward, but Alvin grabbed her before she could get far. With both its partner and its prize in the grips of its foes, the revenant backed off.

Patience moved the barrel closer, but didn't set it down just yet. "There, now, maybe we can start to understand each other. Alvin, set down the thief, and come this way." He did so. "Okay, good. Now, Kikimora, was it? Why don't you go first–care to explain to us why you're helping this…murderous creature?"

"Unfortunately, Belos isn't murderous," she explained huffily. "He didn't kill Adeghast, he escaped before he could. But either of us will finish the job if we ever see that overgrown octopus again!"

"You must not know the full story," Alvin said, looking straight at Belos. "Like how he's killed Julius, and Mary, and Grimsby–"

"Lies!" Belos snarled. "Vesh killed Mary! Pierced her heart with his spear!" Alvin and Patience both froze. "Have to kill him! Avenge her!"

"Y-you think he's telling the truth?" asked Patience. "I mean, I always had a bad feeling about the guy, but…is he really a murderer?"

"I don't know," Alvin replied. "I'm not sure if we can trust its word just like that. We'll have to give it some more thought."

By now, the sun was just beginning to crest over the horizon. There were not yet any witnesses, but the telltale sounds of workers beginning to arrive, as well as those curious about the commotion on the docks, clued the four of them in that it was time to leave.

Kikimora could tell that Belos was anxious to be gone. "Alright, I'm calling a temporary truce! Give us the barrel, and we'll meet later to discuss things more thoroughly!"

"Oh no, I'm not about to–" Patience said, but Alvin encouraged her to hand it over.

"We should probably be going, too," he said. "If that thing is even a little bit right about Vesh…we need to do something about it." Reluctantly, Patience hovered the barrel over to Kikimora, who took it happily.

The revenant had donned his disguise once more. Although his face was veiled, Alvin could tell he was looking right at him. "Talk later," he said. He and Kikimora disappeared, leaving the pair alone.

Patience led Alvin in the opposite direction. "Now we just need to find a way to explain to Talus where we've been all this time!"

"Easier said than done," said Alvin. He looked over his shoulder at where the revenant and its new minion had gone, their words rattling around in his head. Was it possible he had been wrong about this thing all along? As a scientist, every possibility had to be considered, but… He decided he would leave the questions for their next meeting, whenever and wherever that would be.

Elsewhere, through a combined effort, Belos and Kikimora had managed to shove the barrel through the opening in the tree's roots. They followed in after them, the latter ecstatic they had managed not only to do that, but do it without anybody noticing. "What a successful outing!" she declared. "We outmaneuvered Vesh's trap, made off with a barrelful of bile, and possibly got two new allies out of the deal! Excellent work, wouldn't you say, sir?"

Although the night had been successful, it had also been exhausting. "Yes, very," said Belos, casting off his disguise. "Excellent work, Kiki." He patted her on the head, something she was clearly overjoyed about, before slumping over near the wall and bedding down for the day.

He was hesitant about agreeing to meet with those two again. He couldn't be entirely sure they weren't involved with Vesh, and had really only said it so that they would leave. Still, if Kiki believed they could be allies, perhaps there was a chance. After all, she herself proved there were people on the Isles willing to stick by him.

There was a sudden warmth as Kiki lay against him. "'Night, sir," she mumbled, falling asleep right then. He decided to let her stay there, before nodding off as well.

AN: So, uh, Happy New Year! And all that.