Everyone returned to the tavern eventually. No one wanted to sleep on the grounds while the ghost was still causing problems for everyone. There was no way to know if he'd stay so contained or if his undead rage would filter through and cause further issues. Bait, however, was nowhere to be found.

"Has anyone seen our Goblin friend?" Illaria asked the group. She was met with a chorus of no.

"The baker did say he saw him cradling an egg and walking down the street," Naya informed Illaria. The table the four of them were seated at had quickly filled with food and drink. The day had been long and, in many ways, disappointing. They had hunches and not a bit of confirmation.

"Ya know what, I bet he be heading back to Archer's Market. He might think eggs are a rare cheese ingredient," Illaria stated.

"Might be a rare ingredient if it's a pea-hen egg," Alvec supplied. "He was asking about peahens."

"So, do we go looking for him?" Mavec asked.

"No, it wouldn't be the first time the scamp has wandered off without telling me. We just give him a little while to get back here," Illaria said while sweeping her red hair away from her eyes.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow then?" Naya asked.

"We're mostly stuck waiting. Abal, Feng, and Krog are trying to confirm something about Throne Land nearby. If Auraman manor hasn't been inspected since being declared Throne Land, it might be where he escaped to," Mavec said as he placed Piccora on the table and popped off a panel. He activated his light cap to better understand what fine mechanics he was working on.

"Perhaps we can see if he had any staff working for him. He was a powerful diviner, after all. He had to have someone assist him or provide some care for him. Perhaps he had a cook or a maid to whom he might have mentioned something?" Illaria suggested.

"Maybe you can track someone like that down. Maybe Sarbie at the church would have an idea or know someone who might know," Naya suggested as she slumped down on the table.

"You could be onto something, Naya. I'll certainly start my search there tomorrow. Alvec, what are you going to do?" Illaria asked.

"Besides continuing to refine my pitch to the Church of Kushang, I was thinking about heading to a forge. I've given my Mithril Shield a good workout; I'd like them to ensure it's still structurally sound." He left out the fact that forges were one of the few places where Tozhen was actively worshiped. Alvec only prayed to Kushang on holidays. His mother hated the fact, but Tozhen appealed more to what Alvec wanted to do with his life. Lead, defend, and protect. He was a strategist through and through in his own eyes.

"Alright. That sounds like a reasonable course of action while we be waiting," Illaria said, nodding her head. "With that, then, I'll be heading to bed." She left the table and disappeared from view in moments.

"I've got about another hour left in me," Mavec said as he continued to mess with Piccora's inner workings. "If I don't make sure she's properly calibrated, Piccora will break down on us and be more useless than a paperweight."

"Less helpful than a paperweight?" Naya asked, confused.

"Look, a good paperweight you can at least beam at someone's face. Piccora weighs too much for me to throw her with any accuracy," Mavec grumbled.

Alvec chuckled. "Well, I'll leave you to it, Mavec," Alvec said before he stood up from the table and headed to his room. The ink on the page seemed to be moving of its own accord. He no longer wanted to look at these depressing statistics of how much money he'd have to pay the church back each month, assuming he could get them to front the money at all. It was a big ask by a Tiefling with little to no reputation. Perhaps using his full legal name on the proposal would turn enough heads to get him what he needed. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, even thinking about needing to use the Reynore name. Not to mention, the chance that Anell heard about it and decided to "intervene" was just too much of a risk.

Naya silently got up and retired to her room, leaving Mavec with the last box of baked goods. She had set aside two for Bait: puff pastries filled with white cheddar.

Alvec: The Forge District

Morning came before long, and Alvec was up with the rising sun. Mostly because Rem had pounced on his chest at first light. He hadn't asked Rem to be his alarm nor implied that he should be, yet here they were. One misunderstood outcast to another. He scratched between Rem's shoulder blades with both hands before fluffing up his neck and smoothing the excess skin and fur around his face. With that, he gave Rem a solid ruffling of the fur on his head and gently pushed the fox off him. He sped through getting ready, using magic wherever he could to cheat his way downstairs to breakfast sooner. There was next to no one awake, including staff. Alvec frowned and grabbed a hunk of bread on the counter. He left a few coins behind him and headed for the door, breaking off pieces of it to eat as he moved.

The smoke stacks he sought stood out against the pink morning sky. Plumes of deep black smoke roiling over rooftops further north and west in the city were his destination. Wandering the streets with his eyes to the sky, it took some time for him to arrive in the forge district. He kept his eyes peeled for the symbol of Tozhen. A hammer hung above the sign of a forge shop gave Alvec hope. He stepped on in and found a trio of Dwarves manning the forge. He pulled out his own holy symbol and displayed it prominently. Though he venerated Tozhen, he still couldn't be considered particularly pious. But if a god is out there that aligns with your worldview, why wouldn't you venerate them?

"What can we be helping you with?" One of the dwarves asked without even turning away from his work. He was a stout fellow, standing maybe four to four and a half feet tall. His hair, a ruddy brown, was braided loosely and pulled neatly behind his head. His beard was trimmed short to his face, but his mustache was plump.

"I was hoping I could get my buckler checked out. I've been in more than a few fights lately, and it might need some adjustments. I've put a few dings in it," Alvec said as he unstrapped the mithril buckler from his left arm. The Dwarf finally turned around and took a look at him. He grunted and took the shield, his eyes going wide. His square jaw went slightly agape.

"Actual Mithril. Not too often we see this sort of thing," He said, taking a much longer look at the Tiefling before him. "And you're wearing our symbol. What's your story, stranger?"

"Alvec Snaptail, shield wizard, at your service."

The Dwarf chuckled. "Shield wizard, that's rich, kid."

"Hand me back my buckler and take your best shot if you doubt me," Alvec said as he took a defensive stance.

The Dwarf laughed hard, deep from his belly. "Nah, I think I've seen enough already. Not many Wizards take a fighting stance like that. Your knees are bent right, and your arms are firmly where they must be to block your vitals. Aye, I'll admit you might just know how to scrap... but Shield-wizard. Still a strange concept and strange choice."

"Just one of many from one strange young man," Alvec replied.

"So what did you really want? This bucklers only got a few dings in it, nothing I can't hammer out in a half hour for a small fee," he asked.

"I wanted to know how much trouble the local church of Kushang is. Let's not mince words; some of the higher-ups have a lot of hatred for those of us who have infernal heritage. Does that sentiment hold much sway here?"

The Dwarf took a moment to think about it before answering. "No, it doesn't hold much sway here. You might find a few of the old guards who treat your kind with a bit of prejudice, but for the most part, you should be pretty accepted." He spun the mithril buckler around and started working on it between words. "I reckon it's lingering resentment over the devil's work in the Anarchy and Ageneon's War." Alvec nodded.

"And what of worship of Tozhen? I know you're not allowed to have a proper church here, but are you guys suffering any?"

"Not being allowed to have a proper church and shrine has been a struggle, but the church of Kushang is smart," the Dwarf grumbled. "They make a show of appeasing the other gods and have some good shrines set up in most of their churches."

Alvec grumbled in solidarity. "I hope Ageneon eventually allows more religions to re-establish themselves. It's not fair for there to be only one church."

"Especially in a land like the Empire of Fire and Water. The spirits are old and deserve veneration as well," said the Dwarf.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Alvec nodded in agreement. "I don't know much about the spirits, to be honest, but all things have their place."

"Not a lot of city folk do. Nine hells, I barely know anything more than the three sisters. Old fire spirits who watch over people. Campfires, forges, and hearth fires all fall under their domain. As you can imagine, the one involving forges is my favorite. I pray to her right after my prayers to Tohzen." The Dwarf handed back the shield. "No charge for today; I enjoyed the conversation. It only would have been a few silver to inspect it anyway. Now, be careful, Shield-Wizard; I want to see you in here again." With that, the Dwarf returned to his work. Alvec returned to the tower. Hopefully, the girls were having better luck tracking down anyone who used to work for Vato.

Bait: Archers Market

Bait made it to Archers Market by sundown. His little goblin feet were tired, but he couldn't slow down now. Pee-egg almost to Ben. Ben make great cheese with it; teach Bait how to make accelotic cheese with it. Arriving at Ben's cheese forge, he found that the doors to the shop were already locked. Bait no take no for answer. Lock door is just door that needs to be unlocked first, or maybe he go through window or under door with large gap. Bait not picky. Just need to get in and give Ben pee-egg. He circled the building, trying every door first. No sense committing "crime" if no need to. Entering not a crime, just breaking to enter. Bait, be careful not to break while entering, even if it took longer to find. The doors on the first floor were all secured and locked, but there looked to be a doorway on the second floor. Perhaps that unlocked? Who have gumption enough to climb up to the second floor? Bait do. He got as close to the doorway as possible and began attempting to scale the building.

It wasn't as easy as climbing the ropes of a crow friend's nest. That was Bait's favorite spot on the ships. Able to see far and shoot far from way up high. Kill Pirates, search for clan. Good times. Teach him how to climb good. His little fingers could find small grooves where the boards weren't quite nailed together seamlessly, and with that, he began pulling his tiny body up the wall.

It took longer than Bait wanted; the sun was setting by the time he pulled himself onto the balcony and tried turning the brass doorknob. It spun in his sticky hands, and he opened the door. "Ah ha, entering!" He stated before walking into the room. It led to a walkway that overlooked many cheese vats in various states of production. "Bait find heaven." He whispered to himself as he imagined how fun diving into one of the vats would be.

"Bait, by the cheese, what are you doing here at this hour?" Ben's voice came from further down the catwalk.

"Ben!" Bait called out, waving excitedly to the halfling. "I bring rare cheese ingredients! Ben take PEE-EGG. Make rich, creamy cheese with it. Strange Elf, who sells fine cutlery, said he had some like this once upon a time."

"EXCELLENT. Biswell, FETCH THE EXPERIMENTAL CHEESE; I wish to celebrate our acolyte's first successful mission."

A hearty sigh came from the floor below. "Sir, WHICH experimental cheese? You've got about six of them going right now," called Biswell

"All of them!"

"No, my workday ended about a half hour ago, to be honest. I'm willing to grab you one of the experimental cheeses, but I'm not carting them all up to you. The two of you come here, and I'll have some samples ready," he said. Ben waved for Bait to follow and headed towards a staircase. Biswell met them near the bottom of the stairs with a plate of cheese as promised. This particular cheese had a distinct red coloration.

"I call it blood cheese... for now," Ben said before eating a piece.

"Oooh, use real blood?"

"No, of course not, beetle carapaces. Lots of red beetle carapaces are ground up into fine pigments. It looks great, doesn't it?"

"Taste like bugs?" Bait asked.

"Try it and find out," Ben said, giving him a large, toothy smile. Bait grabbed a piece and popped it into his mouth. The color might have been excellent, but the taste was nothing extravagant, a simple, mild, and dull cheddar.

"Bait think color nice but lack kick. Add hot peppers to it so that its color matches its punch? Too dull as is."

"Right you are, but what would happen if we leaned in the opposite direction? They expect spicy, and instead, get sweet! Defy expectations, claim the future Bait!"

Bait nodded his head. Ben give best wisdom. Doing something unexpected would make Bait stand out far more than if he did what was normal. "Bait, bring more exotic ingredients next time. Pee-egg not enough. Need something wilder than Pee-egg. Something no one think of but Bait."

"Wonderful, I will greatly await such a magnificent ingredient and your metamorphosis from acolyte to master. Now it is time for us to leave the cheese alone and let it continue its process until it has become what we desire it to be." With that, Ben ushered Bait out the door. Bahzugs was lying on the ground in front of the shop. He hissed in excitement and nuzzled up to his favorite goblin. Baits skin burned delightfully.

“Bahzugs such good goblin dog. We run back to Sha-lie-ral now. Must find NEW ingredients. Bahzugs can help." It was several hours back to the gates of Sha-Laial. He arrived in the dead of night. The town guards at the gate stopped him.

"What exactly are you doing here at this hour, goblin?"

"Ran errand to Archer's Market took longer than expected. Now heading back to inn in Sha-lie-ral. Friends there."

"Which inn?" the younger of the two men asked.

"Bait no know name. It next to tavern with mean muscle angel."

"Muscle angel?" The other asked.

"Ass-i-mar. Dat right word. He buff and work there. On Seinfeld street." The older guard cleared his throat.

"Alright, carry on."

"Really? We're letting him in?" the younger asked.

"Look, son, if a Goblin can provide you that much detail, wrong as it may be, he's certainly been wherever he claims to be going. They aren't exactly known for their ability to lie. Seinfeld street must be a street that starts with an S."

"Alright, I still think it's a bit suspicious," The younger said.

"K bye," Bait said before resuming his trek through the streets of Sha-Laial. This late at night, he encountered no one other than guards. Most just gave Bait a strange look, but since he was walking in the middle of the road, no one else accosted him on his return to the inn where the rest of the party was staying. The inn was small, and the doors unlocked. However, there was no one here to rent Bait a room. They all must be asleep. Bait could sleep in the common room, and owners not be happy with stink pile and no coin. Bad solution. Better solution, go to Illaria's room. Illaria let Bait join her for one night. Illaria good friend. The goblin crept up the stairs trying not to wake anyone else up as he entered the second floor. He found the room he knew Illaria had used the night before and knocked on the door. With no immediate response, he continued to knock on the door.

Eventually, a bleary-eyed Illaria greeted him at the door. "Bait, what are you doing?"

"Bait not get back till now, went to Archer's Market, gave Ben the Pee-bird egg. Inn-keepers are asleep, and Bait not able to rent a room. Stay here tonight?" He gave her a big, wide, toothy smile. Other humanoids love smiles. Illaria sighed heavily.

"You know the rules; Bahzugs can't come on the bed. He causes me to break out in a rash, and I will not be tolerating that very well, you hear me?" said Illaria.

Bait nodded in agreement as he and Bahzuggs entered the room. It was modest, but that was fine. He picked a corner of the room, and he and Bahzuggs curled up into it while Illaria returned to the bed by herself.

Sleep passed quickly for the young goblin. He was awakened by the morning light and by Illaria doing her usual stretches. He didn't understand it; Illaria already fast and limber; why do stretches? The two headed to the tavern next door early, where Mavec was already at a table tinkering with Piccora. He looked as if he'd barely slept; several mugs sat beside him, all drained of their content.

"It's a strong coffee morning," Mavec said as his only greeting.

"Mavec, Bait have idea. Add gun to Piccora, she zip around and go boom!"

"Look, it's not a bad idea, but it's more complicated than just taping a gun to her. I'd have to make a whole targeting matrix for her unless you wanted her to shoot you by accident."

Bait not understand what a targeting metrix was, but he didn't want to get shot. "Maybe no gun till you can make that thingy."

Alvec and Naya arrived together. "Hey, what's our plan today?" Alvec asked.

"I'm checking in with the lawyers again. Maybe they've got that information for us," Mavec replied.

"I think I'll be heading over to the church to ask around about people who may have worked with Vato. If he just up and disappeared without a trace, he probably left a few servants needing placement into new jobs. I imagine the church might have helped with that endeavor," Illaria said.

"I'm just going to go deliver some pastries to Mr. Beans," Naya said, pointing to the box of pastries under her arm. "I'm also bringing a map this time. Maybe he can point me exactly where to go to find the child of Akrixi."

"Who Vato?" Bait asked.

"He was a wizard who stole an urn and disappeared," replied Mavec.

"Urn full of cheese?" Bait asked.

"No, dead people," answered Mavec.

"Ew, why steal urn if no cheese?"

"The world may never know," Alvec said.

"We try to find Vato?"

"Yes, where have you been?" Naya asked.

"Bait, find pee-egg, bring to Ben, just get back now. I go ask people about Vato today. Also, search for new, more accelotic cheese ingredients." The goblin hopped off his seat at the table and scampered up to the barkeep, a man with a handlebar mustache and lustrous brown hair. "You know Vato?" When the man couldn't respond immediately, Bait said, "K, Bye." and went to the next person he saw. Repeating the pattern of asking and running off before an answer could be given. Bait excellent finder of information. He left the inn, seeking others more informed on wizards. People on the streets proved to be about as helpful as the people in the tavern. Which is to say that a lot of K, byes were said promptly. Eventually, Bait's wanderings brought him near the Academy, where someone finally answered yes.

A tiefling woman wearing a dark blue cape with a silver star pattern over an everyday outfit of a white blouse and tan pants responded. Her skin was a pale Ice blue, and her small horns stood straight at her hairline. "He was a diviner here in Sha-Laial. Rumor has it he went crazy. Some say that he saw something so terrible it caused him to go mad. The last anyone knew, he disappeared while muttering about what was to come."

"Why he take urn?" Bait asked.

"Probably for spell components. Perhaps he made a hideout somewhere and supplied it with everything he'd need to live out his life or weather whatever was to come," she said, accentuating the last words. "He did steal a lot of reagents from the Academy, too. That's my best guess. I'm only a fledgling diviner myself."

"You use magic to help us find?" Bait asked.

She laughed. "No small friend, he'd be warded well against another diviner. I think you'd have much better luck following other threads."

"Thanks, k bye." Bait said, heading out to find more people to ask.