Chapter Seven: Stranger Bedfellows

He had to admit, keeping Kiki around had proven to be a good choice. Not only was she loyal, positive, endlessly supportive, but she had an advantage that he had never even considered: she could read.

In all his time with Mary, although Belos had further learned how to speak, reading was not something he had ever bothered with. This was despite his host being a librarian, or perhaps because of it; on the rare occasion he wanted something read, the kindly woman would simply read it for him.

Likewise, the always eager-to-please Kikimora was more than willing to narrate some of the notes Mary had written in her journals. "This passage here says that titans would create revenants using their own internal magic," she read. "As in, the revenants would literally emerge from their bodies." There was a slight look of disgust on her face.

That would explain why he had emerged from one's bile sac. "Does it say what we are?" he asked curiously.

"Hmm…not directly," she said, flipping through the pages. "Different experts have different guesses, but the most common one is that you were a sort of defense mechanism. Living weapons, warriors summoned to protect the ones who created you. And from the looks of it, there could be a lot of you." She showed him the picture of hundreds of revenants storming through a village at the direction of a titan.

This reinforced what Belos had long suspected: his birth had not been a fluke. He had been summoned for a particular reason, but by whom, and for what? And, for that matter, from where? "Could a witch have used titan magic?" he asked.

Kikimora began rifling through the pages. As she did, Belos had a sudden thought. What if his island had summoned him? What if, by traveling to the Boiling Isles and leaving his old home behind, he had abandoned the one he had been created to protect? Thankfully, Kikimora interrupted him before he could think too deeply about this. "I don't think so. At least, there doesn't look like anything in here that says so."

"More dead ends," he muttered. He sat back against the wall, trying not to get frustrated. He was being hunted, he was no closer to finding out who he was, and had possibly turned his back on his true purpose. "Now what?"

Unlike him, Kikimora was much more positive about their chances. "I know!" she said, closing the book. "Let's ask Alvin and Patience for help! I could tell right away they care more about finding the truth than going after you for money or fame. If we had them on our side, our witchpower would double!"

"You got their names?" he asked in tired disbelief. Given that a grand total of one witch hadn't attacked him since arriving on the island, not counting the ones he had rescued from Adeghast, he wasn't very confident in his track record. "How can you be sure?"

"You saw them last night: they were shocked when you told them the truth about Vesh!" she said. "They thought you were a vicious beast, but now that they know what you're really like, I'm sure they'll do the right thing if we ask them for help." She was already on her feet, clearly raring to go.

But Belos was very much not raring to go. "Too much risk," he said. "Broad daylight. Someone might see us. Vesh might see us." He picked up the notebook, more to just hold it than anything.

Not one to be deterred, Kiki quickly thought of a solution. "Maybe he'd see you, but he wouldn't care about me! Why, he saw me when I was in that trap last night, and he didn't even bat an eye! I could go and talk to Alvin and Patience for you! I did say it could be helpful to have someone like me on your side, didn't I?"

Belos couldn't remember if she had said that or not, but it was true either way. "Fine," he said, despite his hesitance. He trusted her. "Be careful."

"'Careful' is one of my numerous middle names!" she said, making her way through the exit. "I'll be back with the results, and hopefully the time and place for your next in-person rendezvous! This is gonna go great, just you wait!"

"Mmm." As she hurried away, he began to have second thoughts. Vesh had already proven himself a crafty individual, and he was reluctant to let her near him. Last night had been different: he had no way to know they were in league, and those other two had only found out through a fluke. But if he saw her near them again, he might get suspicious.

For a moment, he considered throwing on his disguise and going after her. He decided against it, reasoning she was more than capable of handling herself. It wasn't like she was a fugitive as he was. Nevertheless, a small part of him, one he couldn't name, had a bad feeling about this.

Their attempt to trap the revenant last night hadn't exactly gone as planned. Talus attempted to keep his employees' morale up, telling them they had gotten some valuable information from the expedition even if it hadn't been entirely successful, but everyone knew he was just avoiding calling it what it truly was: a fiasco.

"Everything was perfectly set up," Vesh had said, "and we still dropped the ball. Either that revenant's smarter than it looks, or we're all dumber."

Alvin and Patience had finally gotten a moment to themselves, excusing it as a joint brainstorming session. And while they were there to talk about last night, it wasn't the failed trap that was on their minds. "Okay, let's start from the top," said Alvin. "Point for: we've both had a bad feeling about Vesh since day one. Point against: the revenant is a murderous killing machine who most likely can't be trusted."

"Point for: he did save all those people from that kidnapper," said Patience. "Point against: we don't know if he was lying about that, too." She slumped down in her seat, resting her head on the table. "Gah, logic puzzles are hard!"

"I don't know if this could even be considered a puzzle," Alvin said. "Every puzzle, no matter how, um, puzzling, has a solution. I'm not sure if this one does." He waited to see if Patience had something else to add. She didn't. "Unless leaving Bonesborough and starting a new life somewhere else counts as a solution, which I doubt."

This was enough to spur Patience into action. "Y'know, for a scientist, you sure do give up easily," she said. "I thought you guys were supposed to gather data and test hypothesisisises, not mope around the moment you hit a wall!"

"Fair enough, but I don't see any way forward with this," Alvin countered. "I suppose we could ask one of them about what's really going on, but I don't see that ending well. Let's consider, for a moment, that Vesh really is a murderer, killing people and blaming it on a monster. How do you think he'd react if he knew we were onto him?"

"Okay, so then we talk to the revenant. An actual talk this time, not a fight where we barely get a word out of each other." Patience stood up, walking around the room. "At the very least, we know he's open to a chat."

Alvin wasn't exactly comfortable with meeting that thing again, even if it was a bit more sentient than he had thought. "I don't see that turning out well either. Again, making assumptions, but even if it didn't kill Mary Pembrooke, it still has Julius and Grimsby to answer for…"

"Well, he did say he killed Grimsby to avenge Mary," Patience said, pacing. "If Vesh is crooked, I'll bet at least some of the Wild Hunt is in on it. Maybe Grimsby went after him next? And as for that other guy, I wasn't there, but did he attack the revenant in some way, or do something to tick it off?"

"Once it showed its face, everyone started slinging spells," said Alvin. Although details of that night were fuzzy, the creature's enraged face was seared into his memory. "I-I guess that might have set it off, but–"

"Then there's your answer!" Patience declared excitedly. "This thing can talk, it only attacks people it considers a threat, it's able to form alliances, with people it saved, no less; I don't think it's as big of a threat as you all thought."

It was Alvin's turn to stand up as well, taking a moment to try and process all of this. "So, according to you, not only is this revenant just some…person, not only is it not a threat to everyone it comes across, but we are in the wrong for trying to hunt it down?" It was clear from his voice he was getting frustrated.

Sensing his disbelief, Patience offered some advice she knew he would take to heart. "You can deny it all you want, but the evidence is there. Now all you have to do is test your hypothesis."

Since the day he had seen the revenant, Alvin had known in his heart of hearts it was a beast of unfathomable evil, a monster that had no place in a civilized world. And as much as his animal instincts were telling him to stick with this train of thought, his rational brain reminded him that a real scientist was never unwilling to challenge his preconceived notions. "And how exactly do we get in contact with it?"

There was a knock at the door, startling the two. Fortunately, Vesh didn't seem to suspect anything when he peered inside. "Hey, you two. Makin' some progress, I hope?"

"Y'know…we're still at it," lied Patience. "We were trying to brainstorm if there was another way to bring this thing to us; it's clearly too smart to fall for our bait, but we were wondering if it would fall for something else?"

"Huh. And what have you come up with so far?" he asked, amused.

"Nnnothing much," admitted Patience, which wasn't a lie. "How about you? You're the master trapper, surely you've had some ideas since then?"

He chuckled as he casually strolled into the room. "You could say that. The boys and I're workshopping some things. Nothing for certain yet, but you can't rush progress, as boss man always says. Oh, Alvin, the whole reason I came in here! That weird lady's in the lobby asking for you. Y'know, from last night? The suspicious one?"

Kikimora. "O-oh, is she?" asked Alvin, genuinely surprised and a little worried. "Did she say what she wanted?"

"If she did, I didn't hear," said Vesh. "So, should we go and see?" He seemed a bit too eager for the three of them to go together.

"She probably just wants to thank him," Patience said. "You heard how she was going on about how her family had nothing to eat and all that. Why, you think she's involved somehow?"

Vesh pulled aside a seat for himself. "Oh-ho, suddenly vouching for the so-called con artist, are you? Don't look at me, I just think it's a little bit odd how she happens to stumble into our trap after the generator is slashed by those massive claws…"

"In fairness, her hair did look pretty sharp; that very well could have been her doing," Alvin said. "And even if it was the revenant, perhaps our presence followed by the trap being sprung scared it off?"

For an uncomfortable amount of time, Vesh stared at Alvin, occasionally glancing over at Patience. Alvin was worried he would call them out on hiding something, but thankfully, he only laughed. "Yeah, I'm probably just being paranoid. Alright, head on down. Wish her family the best for me, would you?" Patience was ready to leave without a word, all but dragging Alvin with her.

"Of course, will do," he said, just as eager to leave, but held back by his politeness. "Just call if you need us."

"Mhmm." Vesh made no attempt to stop them, but he did offer one last comment before they left. "Feels a bit strange, doesn't it? How you're the one she wanted to thank, even though Talus gave her the bile?" Alvin hurried to leave him behind, shutting the door behind himself.

Both of them hurried down the hallway, only resuming their discussion once they were alone in the elevator. "Okay, so, he definitely knows something's up, right?" asked Patience, suppressing a touch of worry in her voice.

"He definitely sounded suspicious, but we don't know if he knows anything for certain," Alvin said, trying to reassure himself more than her. "In fairness, we were suspicious as well of Kikimora's motives, and that proved to be warranted."

"Wha… How is that supposed to be a good thing!?" asked Patience in disbelief. "If we were onto her, just a thief and a nerd, then a professional hunter'd be able to read her, and us, like a book! And if he thinks something's up, he's bound to tell Talus, and then where does that leave us!?"

Alvin was getting heated as well. "First of all, I'm not sure I appreciate being called a nerd," he said. "Secondly, even if he's onto Kikimora, that doesn't mean he's onto us as well. If we return unharmed from wherever it is she ends up taking us, he'll have no reason to think she and the revenant are related. And third, even if he does tell Talus…you said it yourself, any decent scientist is always willing to challenge his beliefs."

She scoffed. "Yeah, just keep telling yourself that, nerd. Vesh could be a psycho killer, and Talus hired him. Do the math."

Even though Alvin was adamant that Talus would never be in on something like this, the seed of doubt was planted in his mind. The elevator reached the lobby, and they stepped out to see Kikimora waiting for them. "Ah, Alvin, Patience, hello there!" she said, happily waving as she hurried over. "I was worried you wouldn't want to see me after our meeting last night. I'm so glad you're willing to talk!"

"Hello again, Kikimora," Alvin said, trying to sound as casual and friendly as he could muster, without it sounding unnatural. "Can I call you Kiki?" She nodded, and he assumed she was smiling beneath her coat. "Yes, we've decided it would be for the best if we could…discuss the events of last night in further detail."

"I think he means about your family," Patience added. "We're just concerned that one barrel of magical bile won't be enough to support you all."

Kiki caught on to her cover story. "Yes, we are currently looking for a 'buyer' for all our 'bile,'" she said, giving them a wink. "Though we have to make sure the 'guards' don't get suspicious." She pointed towards the upper floors when mentioning the metaphorical guards.

Alvin looked worriedly over at the receptionist, who was thankfully not listening. "Speaking of buyers, we were just about to head out for our lunch break. I don't suppose I could buy you something? It's the least we can do after accidentally catching you in our trap."

"Ooh, I gladly accept!" she said. "I actually know a nice place that's just around the corner!" She held the door as Alvin and Patience headed outside. "I have a friend who would love to meet you, maybe I should invite him too?"

Patience stopped her before she got too hasty. "Maaaybe we should just keep it the three of us for now. We'd love to meet him, but let's wait for a better moment, yeah?"

"That's probably a good idea," Kiki said, leading them down the street. The three of them walked, acting casual, until she found the place she was looking for. She pulled them aside, making sure they weren't followed as they ended up in an alleyway. "So…I take it you know why I'm really here?"

"Obviously," Patience whispered. "Could you be maybe a little bit more discreet? Some of our guys might be onto us for this…"

She nodded grimly. "Ah, you must mean Vesh. Yes, Belos has told me all about him. A truly cunning and despicable character. I'm surprised he was able to fool you into trusting him!"

"I didn't exactly have much choice in the matter," Alvin replied. "My boss hired him, and he basically kidnapped Patience."

"Eh, I could escape if I really wanted to," she said with a shrug. "But I'm invested in all this now."

Kikimora thought for a moment. "So, if your boss hired Vesh…then your boss must be the true mastermind! Quick, you know him, what's he planning!?" She ran up to Alvin, gripping his legs.

Alvin shooed her away. "Alright, alright! Look here, Mr. Archibald is not evil! I've known him for most of my life, and his only goal is science!"

"By that logic, couldn't that mean he's willing to let people get hurt in the name of scientific advancement?" asked Patience. Alvin shot her a glare.

"That isn't important right now," Kiki said. "Whoever in this company is evil, I can tell that the two of you mean well. You may be the only ones who can help us now."

"I was just about to ask about that," said Alvin. "What exactly is it you need our help with? Aside from dealing with Vesh, that is."

Kiki looked around once again. "Follow me," she said, leading them through the shadows. "I'm just his messenger. If you really want to know more about these matters, you should probably ask him yourself. That's actually why I wanted to bring you here."

She had led them towards an old, abandoned lot far away from the street. It looked like it had been a garden at one point, or perhaps would have one day been paved over and made into a shop. The pair looked around, almost expecting the revenant to come creeping out of the shadows.

"So…what's the deal with this place?" asked Patience.

"Oh, this? Just an old meeting place I found back in the day," Kiki explained proudly. "It used to be a meeting site for all sorts of ne'er-do-wells–me and my hubby included! But nobody comes here nowadays, on account of you-know-who."

Alvin stared at her for a moment. "...We do?"

She grumbled. "Adeghast! This place used to be his haunting ground too! But now that he's dealt with, it should be free and clear for Belos to meet you face-to-face. I'll need to go and fetch him first. Meet back here in, say, an hour?"

Patience looked over at Alvin. "We don't have anything better to do, do we?"

"I don't think so," he said, mentally going over a list of plans. "My only worry is that this place isn't as secure as it looks."

Kikimora chuckled. "Steady your worries, friend! I can assure you that nobody has set foot on these grounds for weeks aside from the three of us. Most of the populace avoids it like the plague because of its criminal past, while most criminals avoid it because of Adeghast! Trust me, this is quite possibly the most remote place in Bonesborough."

Alvin looked at Patience, and then shrugged. "I guess if you're certain. You're the ones most at risk of being caught here, not us."

"Though that isn't to say there's no risk," said Patience. "But don't worry. We'll be here, one hour exactly!"

"Great! Belos will be thrilled to know he has two more allies!" Alvin wasn't sure he wanted that kind of commitment yet, but Kiki scampered off before he could speak up. She was gone just like that, leaving the two alone. With nothing else for them there, they headed back the way they had come, but not before he cast one last glance over his shoulder. Something about the place didn't sit right with him, and not just because it was in complete disrepair.

Patience nudged him as they left. "Something on your mind?" she asked. "You seem out of sorts. More out of sorts than usual."

"I… Probably just nerves," he answered. "Both times I've been up close and personal with this thing haven't exactly been pleasant. I doubt I'm alone when I say I'm not looking forward to a third…"

"Ah, it's different now that we know he can talk and stuff," Patience said. "Hey, speaking of talking, how're we gonna explain this to Talus? We're gone for a minute, and then we leave again in an hour?"

Alvin thought for only a brief moment. "Why don't we go and get some lunch for real? We can wait for an hour and then come back here without ever returning to headquarters."

"Now there's an idea I can get behind!" said Patience, rubbing her stomach. As the pair's voices faded into the distance, the source of Alvin's unease–of the unseen sort–emerged from the shadows. The white-robed figure had been perfectly hidden behind some slats in a decaying fence, listening to their conversation.

Eva looked in their direction from behind her curved mask, before silently darting off. She would have to move quickly to stop what was coming.

The revenant was startled awake from his nap with a sudden cry of "Master Belos! Master Belos!" He was none too happy as he looked up at the entryway to see Kikimora sliding into their little hovel. "I did it! I gained their trust! Now all we need to do it–"

"Stop shouting!" he hissed, having to remember to keep his own voice down. "Might hear you!" He listened for a moment, unsure if there was anyone above who could have overheard her outburst.

Kikimora wasn't worried, though, as she began unfolding Belos' disguise. "No worries, the park's practically empty! Now, I arranged a meeting in about an hour at the perfect spot, there shouldn't be any disturbances as we have a heart-to-heart about our motives!"

His eyes narrowed, unimpressed. "Shouldn't?" He was beginning to regret letting Kikimora handle this herself, for different reasons.

"I'm willing to stake my reputation as your assistant on it!" she declared. "Anyway, I told them you'd answer some of their questions, so we probably shouldn't be late." She handed him his clothes.

"An hour?" he repeated.

She giggled. "Never hurts to be early!" She ran over to her usual spot to get ready, which mainly consisted of dusting herself off from the little cave's entrance.

Belos looked down at the dress and such he wore as a disguise. As many second thoughts as he was having, he couldn't back out now. He depended on those two for their help, and Kikimora depended on him–and Mary needed to be avenged. "We have time. Let us…wait."

"Wait?" she asked, turning around. "I thought you'd be too excited about this to wait!"

He shook his head. "We cannot rush in. Must prepare first." Before a hunt, back on the island, he would sometimes spend some time sitting in silence to focus his mind. Here in Bonesborough, he rarely had the time to do this before he was thrust into danger, and it was better to be safe than sorry. Crouching low to the ground, he closed his eyes, visualizing every possible outcome of this scenario. He would not be caught unawares this time.

Kikimora awkwardly imitated his pose. "Uh, alright… Preparing, preparing… What are we preparing for, again?"

"Anything," he answered. "Must prepare for anything."

Although Kiki seemed skeptical of his process, she went along with it anyway. "Okay. Preparing for anything…" She opened one eye to peek around. "But, um, could we maybe find something to eat before we get there?"

"Yes," Belos said, quite hungry himself. "We may."

Kikimora's belly was full of food, but her mind was full of worries. "I suppose not everyone can arrive early all the time," she said as she paced across the empty lot. "But it's been an hour and two minutes, almost three! I would have thought they'd be here by now! You don't suppose something bad happened, do you?"

Belos was crouched in the shade to better hide himself, just in case. "No." Even for someone with next to no concept of punctuality and the faux pas therein, he felt she was overreacting. "Be here soon."

"I sure do hope you're right," she said. "It would be a tragedy for us to set all this up, only for Vesh to get wise to our scheme at the last moment! Or Talus himself…I do wonder how high up this corruption goes…"

"We…" Belos wanted to assure her that they would root it out, get to the bottom of it, eliminate all threats, but even he wasn't sure they could. All they could do was survive–which is what he settled on. "We will be okay."

Although still concerned, she nodded. "I hope you're right. I'd much prefer to stay alive if I could help it, even as your loyal follow–Oh! It's them, they're here!" She sprang up excitedly once she saw the familiar forms of the two witches approaching.

On their approach, Belos rose to his feet, his sudden appearance startling them. It was just a momentary start for Patience, but Alvin was considerably more affected. He hid it well, but Belos was accustomed to the smell of fear by this point. It was far from an unpleasant scent, but he needed his potential allies to be on the same page. "Welcome."

"Glad you could make it," said Patience. "It can't be easy for you, sneaking through the city all the time. I've faced similar problems before, but with a face like that…yeesh!"

"I manage," he muttered. "Why are you here?"

Alvin's fear turned to a kind of irritated curiosity. "Because your assistant told us to. We do have some questions, but–"

"Then ask," he said. "That is your reason. Ask them."

"I believe he means, 'what questions do you have for him?'" Kikimora clarified.

The two looked at each other, suspicious of how well this was going so far. "Y-you're sure? You don't want anything in return?" asked Patience.

He shook his head. "Only to be left alone."

"Huh. Well, he's all yours." Patience took a step back so Alvin could have the floor: something he wasn't too happy about. Being unable to see the revenant's face made it a bit easier, but it wasn't enough to hide the fact that he was still across from the creature he had been haunted by for weeks. He could just feel its eyes piercing through him as he thought of what he should ask first.

Eventually, he figured out the question that would reveal the most in a single answer. "So, Belos…I hear that's what you're calling yourself. Can you tell me exactly what happened with Many Pembrooke? You mentioned that you didn't kill her, but how did that night go down?"

"Mary was…friend," he replied. "She took me in when I was hunted. Showed me many things." Even with his veil, everyone could see he was looking aside wistfully. "Taught me to speak. Gave me bile. Fed me, named me, sheltered me. And Vesh…" He suppressed a snarl. "He killed her. To get to me. Killed her, blamed me. Kill him!" he growled.

Everyone took a cautionary step back, even Kiki. Meanwhile, Alvin huddled up with Patience. "You think he's telling the truth?" she asked. "I don't know if he knows how to lie, but…"

"As unbelievable as it seems, it's plausible," replied Alvin. "There was a sizable gap in sightings between when Mr. Archibald hired Vesh, and when Mary died. But given what I saw on the island, I'm finding it hard to swallow that she'd let something like him into her home for no reason."

Patience shrugged. "Maybe her mind had faded in her later years, and she thought he was a cat or something?"

"No, no, the library where she worked said she was a very lucid woman," Alvin said. He fixed his eyes on Kikimora, who seemed to be examining an old flower bed. "But there is something else I'm curious about." He returned his focus to Belos, stepping forward again. "Another question: why did you save Kikimora?"

"By accident," Belos said. "Tricked by Adeghast. He attacked me. Attacked back. Freed prisoners." He gestured towards her. "She followed me home."

"My husband Domovoi died some time ago," Kiki explained. "Adeghast used his form to trick Belos. Once he saved me, I couldn't just leave without repaying him, could I? Besides, I didn't have anywhere else to go."

As she spoke, she continued to root through the flower bed. "And what exactly are you doing?" asked Patience.

"Nothing–I thought I saw something," she said. "Don't mind me!"

Alvin eyed her for a moment, before asking his next question. "So, why did you decide to help Domovoi? What was in it for you?"

"Nothing. No one else would help. He was alone. Like me." Belos evidently didn't want to dwell on this, as he quickly changed the subject. "You've asked me. Now I'll ask you." He inched closer to Alvin, the witch looking like he was moments away from bolting. "Why are you hunting me?"

The answer to this seemed so obvious, it took Alvin a moment to form it into words. "Because…because you're dangerous," he finally said. "Part of the A&S Guild's job is to handle any dangerous wildlife that puts people in danger. And ever since you came back with us from that island, well, you've been pretty much at the top of our list." It felt so strange, explaining to a creature why it was being hunted. At least the revenant had proven himself capable of speech.

Belos took some time to contemplate this as well. After a while of self-introspection, he spoke. "Not dangerous." Although Alvin still had his doubts, something in his tone sounded genuine. As though he himself was only just realizing it. "Just want to discover."

"Discover what?" Patience asked.

The revenant placed his hand on his chest. "What is a revenant? What am…I? Who am I, and why?" Moving slowly, as though to not startle his guests, he raised a hand up to remove his veil. Although the sight of the fang-filled mouth and those sunken eyes visibly unnerved Alvin, he at least didn't run. Patience was more creeped out than actively scared, but she too recoiled slightly. "Help me."

Alvin opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He choked on his words for a second or two before Patience spoke for him. "We have been researching revenants on our own for a bit. If you aren't actively eating people anymore, then…maybe we could combine our findings?"

He nodded, a brief flicker in his eyes. "I…would like that. Kiki?" He turned to his assistant.

Kikimora, meanwhile, had shifted her focus to digging through the flower bed. "Just a moment, I've almost got it!" she said, her hand through the slats. Nobody else was even remotely sure what 'it' was, but she was intently going after it.

Eventually, she gasped, apparently having felt something. She struggled a bit with grasping at the mystery object, before she grabbed hold and pulled. One strong yank dislodged her hand from the wooden bars, and she landed on her back.

"Got it!" she declared, lifting up her hand. She then opened her fist to reveal a small silvery beetle.

Belos stared blankly at it. "You found…a bug?"

But Kikimora was much more fearful of this bug than the other three. "This isn't just any bug!" she said in a hushed tone, trying to squish it. The beetle flew off before she could, to which she worriedly tugged on Belos' dress. "We have to get out of here! This place was bugged!"

"What does that mean, 'bugged?'" asked Alvin, just as confused. "Is this some sort of demon cultural thing I'm unaware of?"

Patience, however, seemed to know just what she meant. "No…it means someone was listening in on our conversation. She's right, we should probably go before–"

"Before we show up?" None of them recognized the voice, but if someone was spying on them, whoever it was, it couldn't have been good. A trio of two witches and a demon rounded the corner, and it was clear who they were: part of the Wild Hunt. The one who had spoken held out his hand, where the bug landed. "Conspiring with the enemy, eh, you two?"

Much to everyone's displeasure, several more Wild Hunt members appeared, surrounding them. Alvin couldn't see Vesh anywhere, not that it made their situation any better. "What's going on here?" he asked. "Why were you spying on us?"

The witch who had temporarily taken command chuckled. "To catch the revenant, stupid! Y'know, that thing we've been trying to do for the past few weeks? And this whole time, I thought we were working together on that…guess I was wrong."

Belos growled, showing his claws. His eyes turned an icy blue as he glared at them. Kikimora stood between him and them. "Stay back, sir! I'll protect you!"

"Hey, our goal was to catch the revenant, and that's what we did," said Patience. She looked a bit angry, but hid it well. "How about instead of all the posturing, we let him come back to base willingly, so we can have a nice talk with Talus without more people ending up in the ground? Huh? Doesn't that sound better?"

The temporary leader scoffed. "Are you hearin' this broad?" He, and the others, laughed. "Sorry, hun, but Talus ordered us to catch the revenant, not invite it in for tea. Ya can't reason with a monster."

"No," Belos growled, "you can't."

With conflict seemingly inevitable, Alvin stepped forward. "Yes, bringing the revenant in was our top priority, but that was when we thought it was a mindless animal. Now that we know it is–that he is sentient, everything's different. He can be reasoned with."

"It's true!" said Kikimora. "He's very reasonable once you get to know him!"

They eyed the tiny demon. "So, it's buildin' itself an army now," their leader mused. He glanced up at Patience and Alvin. "You thinkin' about joining?"

Patience, fed up, stepped in front of Alvin. "Would you can this self-righteous attitude!? We're on the same side here! Either way, Talus asked us to bring it in alive, and that's exactly what we're doing! If you don't like how we're doing that, take it up with…with…" She trailed off when the witch aimed a spell circle at her. "So, that's how it is?"

He smirked. "Not so talkative now, eh? Personally, I think Mr. Archibald would be very interested to hear how one of his own proteges was pallin' up with the very thing he was supposed to be catching. He won't like that, will he?" Alvin couldn't imagine Talus being angry with him…but at the same time, he wasn't sure how he would react to something like this.

The hunters closed in, spell circles trained on all four of them, Belos most of all. He growled and prepared to attack as they drew closer, but knew taking on this many opponents was a bad idea. "Stay back!" he hissed.

"Yeah! Or else this'll get really messy!" said Kikimora, threatening them with a spell circle of her own. None of them seemed very threatened.

"Hey, this is a bad idea–it doesn't have to go down like this!" said Patience. She, too, was preparing for a fight. Alvin, finding himself in between the other three, couldn't muster up the strength to draw a spell circle. He found himself paralyzed, unable to move.

But just when a fight seemed inevitable, something small and glass hit the ground from above, shattering and releasing a cloud of bluish-white vapor. It quickly filled up a good portion of the empty lot, bringing everything to a halt. As soon as they began breathing it in, the changes began.

"What…what…" The temporary leader staggered once the mist reached him, barely able to keep his eyes open. He and many other hunters–all of them witches–soon fell to the ground, fast asleep.

"Boss!" yelled the demon at his side. Just as he turned his attention back to the fugitives, he found himself battered aside by Belos. The revenant did the same with more of the hunters who charged him, their spells barely stinging him.

More of the vials full of sleep mist landed from above. Demons like Kikimora were unaffected, but witches were–unfortunately including Patience and Alvin. "W-what's happen…ing…?" asked the former, succumbing to the fog's effects. Despite having a numbers advantage, the hunters were falling not just to Belos, but to an unseen source as well.

Alvin slumped against the nearby wall. In his last moments of consciousness, he saw a hunter rushing him with a spear…only for a person cloaked in white to fall from above, tackling them to the floor. Just as his eyes closed, he felt something being pressed to his mouth.

The next thing Alvin knew, he was wide awake, having inhaled some sort of antidote to the spell. "Keep that on!" shouted his rescuer, which he did, holding the breather to his face. His now-open eyes saw the distinctive form of Eva pulling a vial out of her coat, hurling it at an approaching hunter. He was coated in an adhesive, taking him out of the fight.

Belos ripped a spear from his shoulder, tossing it aside as he did the same to its owner. "Bird woman!" he shouted, noticing her as well.

Eva lifted Patience up, giving her a mask as well. "What, am I late?" she said as Patience woke up. "Follow me, we need to get out of here!"

"And go where?" asked Patience. "Also, who are you?"

The plague-masked woman hurled more exploding potions at the remaining hunters. "I'll explain everything once we get there, but we have to leave now! Vesh isn't far away, and he's no doubt bringing reinforcements!" She gestured for them to follow as she ran down the street, and they did with nary a second thought.

A quick glance over his shoulder showed Alvin that nobody was following them–for now. "Eva! Y-you… How did you know we were in trouble? How did you find us?"

"Long story short, I've been keeping tabs on you and tall, dark, and creepy," she said. "I figured you'd run into each other sooner or later, but I also figured Vesh might figure that, too. I couldn't exactly have my two best leads getting captured, now, could I?"

"Leads?" Kikimora asked. "What do–"

"Again, I'll explain everything soon!" She stopped them before they could head out into the open, handing Belos his hat. "Here you go, big guy, you dropped this." It was a bit tattered, but it still hid his face. He quickly donned it.

Patience was looking back the way they came, through a spell circle like an eyeglass. "Bad news: our friends are done with their nap, and they aren't too happy. Wherever it was you were taking us, could we maybe get there sooner than later?"

Eva was scanning the plaza, and caught sight of their escape route. "Aha! Right there!" She pointed out an empty carriage pulled by rat-worms. "Everyone head over there, quickly but casually." She darted out, looking anything but casual.

The others followed her lead, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Luckily, this sort of thing happened fairly frequently in Bonesborough, so they didn't get much more than a few glances. Eva pulled herself up into the driver's seat, with Kikimora hopping up beside her. "Hyah!"

The carriage took off down the street. "Oy! What d'you think yer doin'!?" Yelled an indignant demon, presumably its owner, as they rode away.

"Sorry! I'll return it, hopefully!" Eva called back. Citizens in the streets hopped out of their way as they raced through the town, and hopefully faster than the Wild Hunt. Alvin and Patience had managed to climb in, and Belos was clinging to the back. For a moment, Eva's speed demon tendencies aside, they had a moment of calm.

"So…I take it you're that lady Alvin was looking for?" said Patience. "For someone who sticks out like a sore thumb, you sure are hard to find! Where were we when we were looking for you the other day?"

"I can be pretty elusive when I want to be!" she answered. "It's how I've survived this long with so many people after me!" It was at that moment, when they passed the city limits, that another carriage rode into sight. Heading straight after them. "Case in point…"

Pulled by pitch black, demonic horses, the other carriage raced towards the retreating party. Numerous hunters waited at the ready to board, including–making Alvin's blood run cold–Vesh. Spear in hand, he grinned as his vehicle gained on theirs. "Faster, must go faster!" Alvin said, trying to hide himself.

Eva cracked the reins, but the rat-worms were already slithering at their top speed. "We're already running these guys ragged!" she called back. "We'll have to ditch them somehow!"

"Look out!" Kikimora grabbed hold of the reins, pulling the carriage to the side just as a second one, also belonging to the Wild Hunt, came careening down the hillside and almost rammed into them. They just barely missed, but were now neck-and-neck with them. "That was a close one!"

A moment later, Eva had taken the reins back and was attempting to get away from the offending carriage. "Everyone, take cover!" The hunters within began firing several spells at the runaways, damaging their 'borrowed' vehicle.

"Got anymore potions in that jacket?" asked Patience, firing back. Belos snarled and swiped at the carriage, but neither of them were making any progress.

"I'll have to check!" she said. "Here, Kiki, take the wheel!" She handed over control to Kikimora, who wasn't exactly happy with the responsibility of keeping them stable. Eva dug through her coat to try and find an elixir or concoction that could help them.

A spear embedded itself in the back of their carriage, barely missing Belos. An ethereal chain was attached to it, which he followed into the hand of Vesh. Using it as an anchor, the leader of the hunters pulled them closer in an attempt to pin them between their two vehicles. Belos pried the spear from its place, but not before Vesh could pull his carriage into position.

The spear fell to the ground, then was pulled back into Vesh's hand. "I've been waiting a long time for this!" he announced, as both carriages pinned Eva's between them. He gestured for his men to begin boarding.

Some of the hunters began climbing onto their carriage. Belos was the first obstacle they had to get past, as he was easily able to throw most of them off. Those that opted for a sneakier approach were intercepted by Patience. "Oh, hey, nice of you to drop by!" she said, before kicking one to the dirt.

"Ah! This should do it!" Eva finally found the right potion, immediately hurling it onto the ground in front of Vesh's carriage. It created a bed of ice upon landing, making the horses slip, and their carriage to recede. No longer stuck in place, Kiki gunned it, speeding ahead of them. But the other carriage was able to match speed, and the hunters were preparing to board.

With a snarl, Belos leapt before they could, battering a few aside. The other four watched as he made short work of them, hurling most off the edge before jumping over the driver, severing the ropes with his claws. With nothing connecting the carriage to its horses, it fell behind as they ran off.

Eva looked ahead of them as Belos leapt back on. "Just a little longer! We're almost there!" she said. "Keep going!"

"I don't have much of a choice!" said Kikimora, who had never driven a carriage before.

Vesh looked back at the other carriage as it fell behind, letting out a frustrated growl. "Go! Forward!" he urged, forcing the horses to run faster than they ever had. Slowly gaining on them, he readied his spear. "I've got you now…"

Patience shoved the last of the boarders through the door. "That's that, but we've got a bigger problem! Vesh's on the warpath headed straight for us!"

"No." Belos stood tall, his blue eyes glowing red. He seemed to leap from the back of the carriage, but grabbed hold just as he was about to touch the ground. Magic surged from his arm as he dragged his claws through the dirt, and with one slash, gave rise to a series of spires that blocked the path.

Vesh's eyes widened, and he grabbed the reins. "Move!" He tried to pull to the side, but they were going too fast–the back of his carriage clipped the spires, knocking off a wheel and throwing it to the side. It skidded through the dirt for a moment, before toppling over.

With a roar, Vesh pulled himself through the window of the crashed vehicle. He glared as the revenant once again raced away, just out of his reach. "They're gettin' away, boss!" reported one of his subordinates.

Resisting the urge to reiterate the obvious nature of this statement, Vesh instead readied his spear. "No, they're not." After a single second of careful calculation, he hurled the weapon with a shout. The spear raced through the air towards the retreating carriage.

Meanwhile, the five of them cheered as their trouble was seemingly over. "That was…incredible!" said Alvin. "I had no idea a revenant could perform magic like that!" With the danger passed, he was no longer curled up in a ball in his seat. "I… Thanks. For saving us."

"Welcome," Belos said.

Patience playfully socked Alvin's shoulder. "Hey, I helped out too, ya know!" The two chuckled. "So, you said we were almost there?"

"Yeah, my hideaway's just past these rocks," said Eva. "I figure we can loop around to confuse 'em, and then–"

The carriage was rocked as one of its wheels came undone. Vesh's spear had hit its target, severely limiting its mobility. "We're hit! We're hit! Mayday, mayday, going down!" shouted Kiki, trying in vain to regain some control.

Eva picked her up and tucked her under her arm. "We're gonna have to bail! On my mark, ready?"

Wait! I can't just jump out of a moving vehicle!" said Alvin. He looked with fear as the ground raced by, while he was frozen in place.

"You're gonna have to if you want to live!" Eva retorted. "And…now!" She and Patience leapt for it, while Alvin found himself unable to. But, he still was drawn into the air, but not by his own power. Belos had grabbed hold of him, pulling him free from the carriage.

All five of them landed, safely but roughly. The out-of-control carriage collided with a tree, setting the rat-worms pulling it free, who ran off into the forest. The vehicle itself was unusable even with something to pull it, having nearly been torn in half. "Hoo boy…so much for returning that," said Patience.

Eva looked over her shoulder to see the Wild Hunt was gaining on them. "Go, go, go! We're so close to safety, you wanna get caught now!? Move!" She led the others in the direction of her safe haven.

"Are you sure we'll be safe there?" asked Alvin as he and the others followed her. "If they follow us, they'll know where it is!"

"No they won't!" she said, getting one last potion ready. "Just follow my lead, and we'll be fine!"

The Wild Hunt drew closer to their targets. The sight of their ruined carriage came into view. "They can't have gone far! Close in for the kill!" ordered Vesh. "And get ready to surround them!"

The team ran past the wreckage and soon came to a small gorge. There was an abandoned shack near the entrance, but a glance revealed nothing within. However, within the gorge there was a cave, into which they caught the fleeting glance of Eva retreating.

A few of the hunters ran after her. "Ha! Good luck having the upper hand in there!" one of them called. However, in their haste, none of them noticed the pile of broken glass near the cave's entrance, or their target fizzling into smoke as she ran deeper in. Nor did they see the tripwire until after they had triggered it.

"No, you idiots!" yelled Vesh, but it was too late. The wire had uncorked several bottles of potion placed above the cave entrance, and as soon as the liquid touched the air, the canyon was rocked by explosions. The hunters shielded themselves as a rockslide blocked the entrance of the cave. "You… Look what you did! Morons!"

The hunters examined the blockage. "Even with magic, this'll take some time to clear," one of them observed. "What's the play, boss?"

Vesh breathed heavily. "Well, if it will take some time, no time to start like the present! Get digging!" He all but threw his followers at the obstruction, and began pacing as he waited to be able to get through. He did not like being outmaneuvered one bit, especially when it pertained to a hunt. "Belos…" he hissed.

Had the hunters been a little more careful, they would have noticed that the empty shack's floor was not uniform. The cave was merely a pathway through the mountain, while the shack held a trapdoor that led into the real underground tunnel. The five of them now followed Eva through, and she snickered when she heard the explosions.

"That should keep them busy for a while," she said. "Gives us plenty of time to get acquainted. You two, I've already met," she pointed at Belos and Alvin, "but I don't think I've met you two. You got names?"

"Kikimora, Belos' assistant and friend! But you can call me Kiki!" she said proudly. "He saved my life!"

"Name's Patience. I'm sorta his partner, mainly 'cause of Vesh."

Eva shook her head. "I always knew that guy was bad news, but it seems like we all have a reason to hate him, huh? Well, just more of a reason for us to work together!"

"On what?" Belos asked. "You know us. Now tell us about you."

"And here we are!" said Eva, the group having reached a ladder at the end of the tunnel. "I'll explain everything once we're inside. Watch your step on the way up!" She began climbing.

Patience shrugged, and followed after her. Kiki was next, and Belos waited for Alvin. "Uh, after you," he said quietly. Belos began ascending, and Alvin waited a moment before following. The revenant still intimidated him, but…after everything that had just happened, he was no longer paralyzed with fear at the mere thought of it–him. That was something, he thought.

The party soon pulled themselves up into what looked like an abandoned weather station atop the hill. The walls were decorated with pictures and newspaper clippings, all linked together to appear to tell some sort of story. "Huh. I can see why you and Alvin get along so well," Patience observed.

Belos glanced out the window. From here, one could see almost all of Bonesborough, but especially the A&S Guild headquarters. He scowled at the building before turning his attention back inside. One of the pictures on the wall bore a strange symbol resembling an eye. Although he had never seen it before, it somehow felt familiar.

"Right…thank you for inviting us in, Eva," said Alvin, as Eda hung up her coat. "Not to be rude, but could you explain exactly what's going on here? You've clearly been following us all for a reason. Would now be a good time to tell us what that reason is?"

Eva removed her mask, placing it on a table. "I did promise I'd tell you everything, didn't I?" she said. At first, nothing about her seemed out of the ordinary. She was a fair-skinned woman with medium-length brown hair. But it was when she turned around that everyone was taken aback. "So, I've already introduced myself, sorta, but I didn't tell you all the full story." It wasn't her face that they were amazed by: it was her ears. They weren't pointed in the slightest, and were in fact perfectly round. "My full name is Eva Wittebane. I'm…not from around here."