Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kremy leaned back against the bar, sipping his drink. He looked around the casino floor, doing a bit of people watching. Garou's riverboat was busy this time of night; plenty of people eager to gamble away their savings and enjoy a little debauchery. He was off for the night, having just gotten back from a rather messy job the next town over. It had worked out in his favor, and he'd even made a little extra cash on the side, for his contract fund. Although he had been a little worried that Garou would be upset at him for taking longer than intended. But it seemed like his boss was in a good mood tonight, or at least too preoccupied to care about the little details, and Kremy wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Although he was curious. Garou had basically shooed him out of his office, instead of the normal critique Kremy would usually receive, even with a great success. Which meant that he had someone else to see or somewhere else to be. And judging by the fact that he was still aboard, Kremy figured it was the former.

So as much as he wanted to go home and get out of his Business Dress and get some sleep, he'd sat himself at the bar, ordered something to keep him awake, and watched the balcony for any sign of his employer.

The stakeout was not going well; he'd been here at least an hour after getting unceremoniously shoved out of Garou's office, and he hadn't seen a hair of the man. Nor had he seen anyone go in. He finished his drink with a sigh, pushing the empty glass toward the bar.

"Another?" the bartender croaked.

"Nah, I think I'm callin' it a night, Pierre," Kremy straightened his top hat, fixing his voluminous skirts as he pushed off the bar.

"Too bad," the bullywug replied, taking his empty glass to clean it. "You missed the show earlier."

That stopped him. "Show?"

Pierre nodded. "Some strange airship plopped down earlier this afternoon. Almost tipped the boat!"

Kremy frowned, his snout scrunching up. "What the hell was an airship doin' landin' on a riverboat?" Airships weren't exactly rare around big cities like Agwe, but they usually stuck to deliveries around the edges of town and away from private property. Especially property of someone as powerful as Garou.

"Delivering a package, seems like. Garou was awfully interested in it. Took him downstairs."

Kremy's interest was piqued. Maybe that's why Garou had been so dismissive. He had some new toy to play with. "Why downstairs?" Downstairs was the ship's brig, where Garou kept the people dumb enough to get caught pissing him off, until they could be thrown off the boat or Dealt With.

Pierre shrugged, flicking a towel over his shoulder. "Seemed real secretive 'bout the whole thing. Which is weird, considering the whole airship thing was kind of the opposite of a secret."

"Huh, well, interestin' as all that is, I'm tired, and it don't concern me, so I'll be seein' ya 'round, Pierre." He waved a gloved claw, sauntering toward the exit with a click of heels and a swish of skirts. "Won't catch me in any damp basement."

 ===

Kremy grumbled as he stepped in a puddle, lifting up his skirt to keep it from getting wet. He knew it was a dungeon, and the ambiance was meant to intimidate or depress those left in here, but really, a wet floor?

He continued on, steps brisk as he moved down the long hall. Walking past the guard on duty, he didn't stop, As the bullywug started to protest, he waved him off with a hand. Most of them knew better to question Garou's right hand, even if he personally knew he wasn't supposed to be here. He knew from experience that if you looked like you had business and looked angry, you can get in anywhere.

The place was mostly empty. Garou didn't suffer people who crossed him lightly; most never made it here and were taken out on the spot instead. So this was already an interesting special case. Something-- someone-- he was collecting. Kremy wanted to know who would be so interesting that he'd keep them, but not impressive enough to be treated like a guest. Especially someone he wouldn't tell Kremy about. Not that he knew everything about his employer's activities, but he liked to consider himself pretty high on the need-to-know list.

The only occupied cell was at the far end of the hall. Not close enough to the guard, so they obviously didn't expect a lot of trouble out of their prisoner. It suited Kremy just fine, being far enough away that the guard wouldn't hear them talk.

Kremy stepped up to the bars, arms folded across his chest. There was no light in any of the cells, only the hall itself, but light came from the inside regardless, an odd pink glow. Slumped against the wall beside the ratty cot, turned toward the bars, was a bugbear. He was tall, taller than any Kremy had ever seen, gangly and hunched in on himself, his long legs grazing his shoulders at the knees. The pink glow came from his back, where two glass canisters rose above his head, filled with some glowing liquid.

Immediately, the bugbear looked up, eyes wide and sad, staring at Kremy like a scolded dog. They had the same glow to them, as if whatever was in those canisters was in them as well, masking over what had been a warm brown. He didn't say anything, just stared. He clutched at his throat with fingers that were far longer than they had any right to be, and Kremy could see blood seeping from behind the claws. He had various other injuries as well, a gash on his cheek and a few cuts on his arm. Kremy wondered if he'd put up a fight before getting thrown in here.

"Whattado, friend, the name's Kremy Lecroux," Kremy said quietly, leaning against the bars in a forced air of casualty. "Seems like you're in a bit of a mess."

The other let out a grumble, not a growl, but the noise of someone who hasn't spoken in awhile. His voice was loud in the quiet cell, and Kremy flinched at the grating noise of it.

"Torbek has been better..."

Kremy cocked his head. "That seems like an understatement. How'd you wind up in here, friend?"

The bugbear shrugged, although he seemed to abort the motion halfway with a wince of pain. "It's a long story."

"Well, how about we start with the most interestin' thing. Why're you here?"

"Torbek thinks it's because of the Witchlight."

"Witchlight?"

He reached up a clawed hand, gesturing behind him to the canisters. "The gooey stuff is called Witchlight. Apparently, it's important."

Kremy arched the equivalent of a brow. "Important how?"

"Torbek's not sure, exactly. Torbek hasn't had them for long."

"Wait, what?"

He wiggled a bit, sloshing the canisters. It was then that Kremy realized they were actually attached to the bugbear's back. He winced.

"So this Witchlight stuff, it's valuable?"

"Torbek guesses so, since nobody wanted Torbek before, but now they all seem to want Torbek." His head tipped to the side with a frown. "Although not in the fun way."

Kremy snorted. "Well...I dunno who was in charge of you before, but you're in Garou's place now. So I don't think you're in for a real good time."

"Torbek figured."

Kremy tapped a claw against the bars, deep in thought. If he played this right, he might be able to use this guy to pay his way out of his contract. If enough people wanted whatever this Witchlight was, he could shove this bugbear-- Torbek?-- off to the highest bidder and take the cash to Garou. Granted, if he took Torbek from here, there was a chance that Garou would put together the fact that his prisoner escaped at the same time his loyal assistant disappeared, but he'd have some time to come up with a good story. Maybe he was kidnapped while trying to return Torbek to Garou?

"Is Mr. Kremy okay?"

Kremy blinked, focusing back on the bugbear. "Am I okay? You're the one in the prison."

Torbek shrugged again. "You just got really quiet. Were you talking to your voices too?"

"Voices?" He frowned in confusion. "'Course not. I was thinkin'."

"Ohh. About what?"

Kremy looked to the side without moving his head, trying to clock the guard. He was right where Kremy had left him, uninterested in their exchange if it didn't concern him.

"I'm assumin' you'd like to get outta here?"

Torbek's eyes widened. "Torbek would like that very much."

"If we can get you outta this cell, we'll hafta be quick about gettin' you off this boat," Kremy muttered, more to himself, working through his plan in real-time. Torbek nodded along, rubbing at the bloodied fur on his neck. “Your're awful tall, and we’d hafta cover those glowin’ beacons you’ve got on your back…”

“What about the guard?”

Kremy frowned. “Your're scared of a lil frog?”

He seemed to deflate a bit. “He was really mean to Torbek…”

The gator huffed, puffing up his chest. “Well, not to brag, but I’m pretty high on the ladder ‘round these parts. If I say we go, he’ll let us go.”

Torbek looked impressed. “Ohh! That’s amaaazing, Mr. Kremy!”

“The only problem is gettin’ you past my boss. So we’ll need to come up with some kinda disguise for ya.”

“Torbek is really good at being sneaky, if that helps.”

Kremy looked the bugbear up and down. He sincerely doubted someone that tall could sneak anywhere. But if they got him a cloak or something, they could at least sneak out the back. Once they got to town, Kremy could hide him at his place until he could set up a buyer for those canisters.

He took a deep breath, settling his mind. “Well Torbek, are you ready to do somethin’ pretty damn stupid?”

Torbek rocked from side to side, using the momentum to slowly getting to his feet. He loomed over Kremy as he grabbed hold of the other side of the bars. “Torbek does like, ten stupid things before breakfast. Torbek is ready.”

Kremy bit back a snicker, turning on a heel to head back to the guard. The bullywug was tipped backwards in his chair, feet propped up on a desk and arms behind his head.

“You got the key?”

“Nah, I ate it.” he rolled his eyes. “‘Course I got the key. I’m the prison guard, ain’t I?”

Kremy leaned down, placing his palms on the desk, locking eyes with the bullywug. “Then would you kindly give over the key and forget we were ever here?”

The guard’s eyes flashed, glowing a bright purple for a moment as the spell took hold. He set his chair right, grabbing the key ring from his belt loop. He flipped through the keys for a moment before singling one out, handing them to Kremy’s outstretched hand.

“Much obliged, friend,” he murmured, sauntering back to the cell.

Torbek had been listening, his furry face pressed against the bars to see as much as he could with the terrible angle of the hall. His mouth was agape, wringing his hands together, watching Kremy fit the key into the lock.

“Mr. Kremy, that was so cool! You really aaaare high on the ladder!”

Kremy opened the cell door, ushering Torbek out into the hall. As he passed, he got a good look at the canisters. The bugbear was wearing a long coat, which covered up some of the glass, but they seemed to be attached right onto his back, hanging at an angle that looked painful. It didn’t seem to bother Torbek, at least, not as much as Kremy figured it would. He lumbered out into the hall, surprisingly quiet.

“Okay, first thing’s first, we gotta get outta here in the next…minute or so.” That Suggestion was going to wear off pretty quickly, and Kremy needed them to be out of sight to be forgotten.

Torbek nodded, following Kremy as he strode down the hall toward the entrance. They brushed past the guard, still sitting in his chair. His eyes were half-lidded as he watched them go, as if he wasn’t even seeing them. Kremy grabbed the bugbear’s sleeve, dragging him up the stairs.

“Second thing we gotta do, is get you somethin’ to hide those canisters of yours.”

“They aaare pretty bright,” Torbek grimaced, twisting around while trying to look at his own back. Only Kremy’s grip on his arm kept him from stumbling back down the stairs.

Kremy huffed in annoyance, jerking his arm to get him to stop. He looked around, searching for something large enough to drape over a tall bugbear with two glass cans sticking out of his back. Thinking fast, he pulled the taller man down, getting him to hunch down. Then he made a beeline for the coat check room, to the side of the large room.

He all but pushed Torbek inside, concealing him from the crowd of gamblers. Thankfully, at this time of night, no one was manning the station. Kremy let go of Torbek, starting to shift through the various coats and garments on hangers.

Torbek peered over his shoulder, curious. “Isn’t someone gonna miss their coat?”

“If they do, we’ll be long gone before they realize it,” he replied, shaking out a black cape from somewhere in the back. It was absolutely a decade out of fashion; how long had this been in the coat check? “Here, put this on.”

Torbek did as instructed, whipping the cape over his shoulders. He looked like a dark wad of clay, the fabric doing little to conceal that there was something going on under there. But it was thick enough to mask the glow of the Witchlight, so it would do for their purposes.

“How does Torbek look?”

“Like you oughta be in a cathedral ringin’ bells,” Kremy shot back. “But we’re not here to fancy you up, we just need to get outta here.”

Clawed hands on the bugbear’s back, careful of the glass, he pushed the other out of the dim closet. Luckily they weren’t too far from an exit, one of the side doors that the staff used for getting in and out. There was little chance of running into too many people in there, and any wayward employees could be quickly Suggested to turn the other way.

He led Torbek to the door, hoping that it had been propped open like it usually was. Luck was on his side, and the pair quickly ducked inside, leaving the noise of the crowd behind. Kremy shut the door after a quick look around to make sure no one had paid them any mind. Fortunately, on a riverboat casino, there was far too much to pay attention to.

Kremy gave the other a shove, keeping him moving. “Okay, that was the tricky part. Now we’re outta here. We can head to my place and lie low for a bit.”

Torbek turned to face him, still being led forward. “Mr. Kremy has his own place?”

The gator blinked. “‘Course I do. Don’t you?”

Torbek shook his head. “No. Unless you consider the dumpster Torbek’s place. Torbek could probably get mail there, if Torbek was to get any mail.”

Kremy opened his mouth before deciding that he didn’t know how to deal with that, and closed it again. They pushed on, down the winding staff hallway. It was quiet this time of night; most of the employees were either on the show floor or off-shift. The door to the break room was wide open, but Kremy quickly shoved Torbek away from it, to the other end of the hall and ducking past before anyone inside could catch more than a glance at them.

At the end of the hall was the large steel door that led to the outside of the boat. Kremy wrenched it open, dragging them both outside and shutting it just as quickly, leaning against it to give himself a moment to breathe.

Torbek, meanwhile, leaned over the banister, taking in the view. He let out another of those grumbling noises; this time the tone lilted upward, as if he was interested in something. His strange, glowing eyes darted around, looking with awe at the water, the horizon, and the moon.

The boat was docked for the night, the gangplank set up for anyone wanting to leave early once they’d gambled all their money away. Kremy took another breath, straightened his skirts, and started down toward the shore.

“Alright Torbek, let’s go.”

Torbek nodded happily, hurrying after him.

===

Bonus art from this chapter!

Chapter Text

Kremy was right when he said that the hard part had been getting Torbek off the boat. Once they were out of Garou’s lair, no one paid them any mind. Agwe was a bustling town, even in the later hours of the evening. The lamps were lit, dull against the dark of the night, and there were enough people on the streets that they could blend in, as much as an alligator man and a giant mass of black lumpy cape could, anyway. But no one seemed particularly interested, and Kremy quickly grabbed onto one of Torbek's long arms, practically dragging the poor bugbear through the cobblestone streets.

Kremy's apartment wasn't much. It hadn't been fitted with electricity like some of the nicer places, still relying on steam and candlelight.  He spent most of his time at Garou's beck and call anyway, either on the boat or out doing odd jobs for his employer. It served its purpose, and it was nice to have a moment alone every so often. A single room, a washroom, and a tiny kitchen, on the higher floor of a middling building in a middling part of the city. As much as he'd love to rub elbows with the high class, he wanted to keep his things where they were, in his apartment.

The elevator was rickety, but functional, and it wasn't long before Kremy opened the door to his place, ushering Torbek inside and quickly locking the door behind them. All in all, it hadn't taken them much time, an hour tops, but Kremy felt like he'd been running all night. He flipped back, collapsing onto his plush couch in the main parlor, kicking off his heels. Torbek, meanwhile, stood in the middle of the room, looking around.

"You can sit down, y'know," Kremy grumbled, setting his top hat on the couch arm and draping an arm over his eyes. "Just try not to mess anythin' up too bad."

"Um...Torbek doesn't wanna bleed all over Mr. Kremy's nice couch."

Right, the blood. Kremy let out a groan, sitting back up. "Okay, well, we can deal with that."

"Torbek can just...stay here."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm not leavin' you standin' in the middle of the room. It makes me nervous when people do that. C'mon, let's just get you cleaned up."

Torbek let out a little growl of a whine, but followed Kremy as he heaved himself off the couch, padding across the room and into the tiny bathroom.

Kremy stood for a moment, considering the logistics of how this would work. Torbek was much too tall. "Alright, just sit on the floor, we'll make it work."

Torbek nodded, dutifully taking a seat on the cool tile floor. It was a cramped space, so he had to bring his knees in so Kremy could fit in front of him. Even sitting, the top of his head came up to Kremy's chest. Reaching past him to grab the first aid kit in the cabinet, Kremy set to work.

"Did they rough you up?" he asked, shuffling through the contents of the box. He was out of a few things, courtesy of his last botched job with some thugs downtown. He settled on the bottle of alcohol, grabbing a washcloth from the sink. "This's gonna sting."

Torbek let out another sad little whine as the alcohol touched the cut along his face, but tried his best to keep still. "They weren't very nice to Torbek, but most of these were from before."

Kremy worked efficiently, quickly wiping most of the blood from the fur despite the bugbear's twitches. "Before? What happened before?"

"Torbek isn't sure, exactly. Torbek doesn't remember much. Just that that's when the Witchlight was put in."

"So that's when they stuck those cans to you?"

Torbek nodded, until Kremy grabbed his chin, tilting his head up. He hissed a bit as the gator dabbed the washcloth against his throat none-too-gently.

"You think we could find a way to get those things off you?"

The bugbear's eyes lit up. "Mr. Kremy said 'we'? Are you offering to help Torbek?"

Kremy paused for a moment, taken aback at the hopeful look. "W-Well, I dunno about all that, I just wondered..." He mulled it over. If he could convince Torbek to give him the canisters after they were detached, it would save a lot of effort in trying to sell the Witchlight. Not so messy when it's not attached to a person. "I suppose I'm not doin' much else at the moment."

Without warning, Torbek's long arms wrapped around Kremy's legs in a hug, claws snagging on the fabric of his skirt. "Oh thaaaank you, Mr. Kremy! Torbek is so happy someone wants to help!"

Kremy dropped the washcloth, arms flailing before grabbing the doorway to keep his balance. He squirmed out of the bugbear's grasp, sputtering in embarrassment. If he could blush, his face would've been on fire. He grabbed the roll of bandages from the kit, grabbing at one of those arms to start wrapping the gauze around the slashes.

"Fine, fine, whatever! Jus' keep your hands to yourself and let me finish this, so we can go to sleep!" he huffed.

Torbek only nodded, still staring at Kremy like he'd saved his life. Which, Kremy supposed, he sort of did. From a certain point of view.

He finished with the bandages as quickly as possible. They were probably too tight, but Torbek didn't complain, just rubbing absently at the bandaid on his cheek until Kremy slapped his hand away for messing with the work he'd just done.

Kremy left the discarded supplies on the sink, making a note to move them later. He stepped out of the doorway, looking behind him to see if the other could actually get out. Torbek managed after a few false starts, getting to his feet and following him.

Kremy stifled a yawn. "I really only have the one room, but uh, the couch is nice, if you wanna use that?"

Torbek nodded, gingerly sitting on the sofa now that he wasn't worried about staining it. "This is much better than most places Torbek has slept, so Torbek considers this a win."

"Well, okay, that's good, I guess? I'm gonna go to sleep."

"Good night, Mr. Kremy!" Torbek immediately flopped over, landing on his side against the cushions. The Witchlight tanks sloshed so loud that Kremy was worried for a moment that they'd break.

But nothing happened, so he left the bugbear and padded into his room. Much the same as Torbek, Kremy flopped onto his bed, face first. He really ought to change into his pajamas; the dress and stockings he'd worn on his trip out were nothing short of a nightmare to sleep in. But he was so tired...

He'd just let his eyes settle, in that familiar limbo between sleep and waking, when he heard a noise that sounded like a gramophone after the record had stopped, staticy noise. He chirped, half-asleep and confused as a bright light flashed in front of his closed eyes. Then something landed hard on the bed beside him.

He shot his head up, fully expecting Torbek to have decided to invade his privacy and steal the bed. "I didn't say you could--!"

On his bed was not Torbek, however. A stranger he'd never seen, a large, human-sized off-white Harengone perched atop his sheets. He wore a top hat and tailcoat, and an almost absurdly long blue scarf.

"What the fuck?!"

Kremy jumped from the bed, right as the rabbit lunged for him. The rabbit held something in a paw, an iron wand of some kind. He slammed it down at the place on the sheets Kremy had been a moment before, and he heard the fabric sizzle. Falling to the floor, Kremy scuttled backwards, away from the intruder. He scooted back until he hit something, looking up to see Torbek standing in the doorway.

"Is Mr. Kremy okay?!"

"Aha!" The rabbit bounced on the bed, pointing the wand-- which Kremy realized after he'd burnt the sheets was a branding iron-- at Torbek. "It's you!"

Both Torbek and Kremy turned from looking at each other in shock, to the intruder, just as confused.

"It's Torbek?"

"Yes!" the rabbit hopped up and down, and if Kremy wasn't so surprised by the whole thing, he'd be angry over the treatment of his furniture. "I've found you! Easier than I thought!"

"You know this guy?" Kremy snapped, glaring at Torbek.

The bugbear reached down, pulling him up by his arm. "Torbek's never seen him before!"

The rabbit reached up with his free hand, tipping his top hat to the pair of them. "Agdon Longscarf, at your service! Now, if you'll follow me, we can make this painless!"

"Follow you?" Kremy's claws clenched at his sides. "Who the hell are you and what are you doin' in my apartment?!"

"Not you!" Agdon's long ear twitched in frustration, beady eyes barely sparing him a glare before focusing back on Torbek. "Him!"

Torbek pointed a long claw at his own chest. "Why do you want Torbek to follow you? Torbek doesn't know who you are either."

Agdon hopped off the bed, landing heavily against the wood floor. At his full height, he barely reached Torbek's chest. His large foot stomped with a huff. "You're my prisoner now, so you simply must follow me!"

"Torbek doesn't feel like a prisoner right now," the bugbear tipped his head to the side.

"Yeah, you're outnumbered, friend. And I'm still not even sure how you got in here," Kremy crossed his arms. "Plus you can't have him, I got dibs."

He hadn't realized exactly how that sounded until he saw Torbek perk up. For a moment, he worried he'd blown his cover, and that Torbek was going to realize that Kremy had plans for those Witchlight tags himself. But instead, those glowing puppy-dog eyes turned to stare wide at him in... adoration? "Really?"

"I mean..." Kremy backtracked, sputtering. "Just focus!"

Torbek nodded, turning back to Agdon. "Mr. Kremy says you have to leave now, so Torbek isn't following you, sorry. Torbek can't be your prisoner, Mr. Kremy is gonna help Torbek get rid of the Witchlight."

Foot stomping again, the Rabbitfolk's grip on the branding iron tightened threateningly. "That's the entire point! You're my prisoner because of the Witchlight! I'm taking you to the King of Hearts!"

"Who?" Torbek and Kremy asked in unison.

Agdon let out a growl. "The King of Hearts! Don't you know anything?"

"I know you're gettin' the hell outta my house," Kremy snapped, taking a step towards him.

Agdon leapt, dashing away and narrowly missing the swipe of Kremy's claw as it reached for him. The Harengone was back up on the bed with one bounce, making Kremy let out a growl as his blankets were thrown about once again. All the while, Torbek stood in the doorway, watching the two chase each other.

Finally Kremy turned to glare at the bugbear. "Don't just stand there, do somethin'!"

Torbek moved then, using a single long arm to grab Agdon by the scruff of his tailcoat, holding him in the air. "Like this?"

"Great job, now toss his fuzzy ass outside!"

"Unhand me, prisoner!" Agdon lashed out, knocking his top hat of as he tried to hit him, but Torbek's arm-span was much longer.

"Torbek already told you, Torbek is too busy to be a prisoner."

Torbek held him out at arm's reach, turning towards the parlor. As he took a step, his foot caught on Agdon's... long scarf. He slipped on the fabric, whirling his arms to keep his balance. He lost his hold on the Harengone in the process, and the rabbit man dropped to his feet. He leapt away, trying to keep out of Torbek's long reach.

Kremy kicked a leg out, tripping Agdon. As he fell, he grabbed at Kremy's skirt, taking the gator with him. They collapsed onto the floor in a pile, kicking and clawing at each other.

Agdon landed a foot into Kremy's gut, knocking the breath out of his lungs as he curled in on himself. Agdon took the pause as an opportunity to clamber over the gator, trapping him against the floor. He raised the branding iron high, pressing it down on Kremy's shoulder.

He let out a howl of pain, thrashing to get the other off him. His shoulder throbbed in pain as he heard the hide sizzle. He grit his teeth, trying to wiggle away.

And then it was gone. Kremy was suddenly free, the rabbit and the brand lifted off him. He opened an eye, blinking away a few tears of pain, to see Torbek holding Agdon up once again.

Something was different. There was a tenseness in the air, that static feeling from before. Torbek was holding the Harengone by the throat this time, as he kicked wildly to free himself. The bugbear's grip only tightened, making Agdon wheeze out a choked breath. Torbek's face was furious,  his eyes glowing dangerously with more of the Witchlight normal. Behind him, the canisters bubbled, the liquid inside almost boiling as it churned in the glass. Some sort of mechanics inside the canisters pumped the liquid, seemingly into the bugbear's body.

Kremy clutched at his shoulder, staring up at Torbek as the other's body seemed to twitch wildly, like film jerky on a projector. His limbs seemed to get longer, his claws getting sharper as they gripped at Agdon's neck. The Harengone watched with wide eyes as Torbek snarled, pulling him closer to loom over him.

"Caughtcha, lil rabbit," he teased, in a voice very different from normal.

Agdon whimpered, the iron dropping from his paws as he wrapped them both around Torbek's sharp claws, trying to get free. It clattered to the floor, but Torbek-- not-Torbek-- didn't even notice, gleefully staring down his prey.

The Witchlight bubbled in the canisters behind him at Not-Torbek shifted his weight to one long leg, dropping Agdon to the floor suddenly. The Harenfone collapsed, sucking in a few panicked breaths, paws at his throat as he coughed.

Not-Torbek leaned down, almost bent double, sharp fangs inches from Agdon's face as he smiled maliciously. "Yer the rabbit, an' I'm the fox," he growled, an accent that Kremy definitely hadn't heard from Torbek before. "Now run, so I can huntcha down!"

Agdon didn't need to be told twice. He bolted out of the room, paws skittering in place on the wood floor for a few seconds before he hopped away. Kremy couldn't see which direction he went, but he hoped it was to the front door and not further in the apartment; there was only one exit.

Torbek waited a moment before he gave chase, a cruel laugh grumbling in his chest as he did. Kremy stayed on the floor until he was alone, panting for breath. His shoulder throbbed, scales burnt and dark. Getting to his feet, he grabbed Agdon's iron, holding it out in defense. Whatever was going on, Torbek wasn't himself and Kremy wasn't sure that he wouldn't turn on him when he was done hunting Agdon.

There was a scream from the bathroom, and Kremy winced, his shoulders hunched. He guessed Not-Torbek had found Agdon. He pressed himself against the doorway, listening to the sounds of struggle. Another screech, and the sounds of something wet slapping on the tile floor. Kremy put a wrist to his snout, forcing bile back.

Kremy was no stranger to murder; hell, he'd done more of it than most people. He worked for Garou, after all. But the noises coming from his bathroom sounded less like a person being murdered and more like an animal being torn apart.

He didn't know how long he stayed like that, hidden in the doorway to his room and holding a branding iron in front of him, legs ready to give out and arms shaking as his heart thudded in his chest. Eventually, the noises softened, Agdon's cries dimming to a few choked whimpers, and then finally, silence. Not-Torbek chuckled darkly, letting out a few mocking coos and growls. Once even he was quiet, he dared to tilt his head the barest bit, trying to see out into the rest of the apartment.

Before he could get very far, the bugbear's head tipped in front of him from the side, blocking his view as if he'd been waiting for Kremy to poke his head out. Kremy yelled, jumping away. He held the iron in front of him, a warning.

The pink glow was still strong in his eyes, grinning wildly and breathing heavily as he pushed his way back into the room, looming over him. He looked at Kremy, claws dripping with blood. Agdon's scarf was around his neck. He saw the Lizardfolk with the weapon in hand, and chuckled.

"Scared, lil gator?"

Kremy didn't answer. His eyes narrowed, trying to look threatening. "What the hell happened to you?"

Not-Torbek slid in, moving with far more grace than someone his size should have, and far more than Torbek normally had. He draped a long arm over Kremy's shoulders, and the gator hissed as the other's fur dragged across the raw burn, making his grip falter.

"Got a bit o' an upgrade, dontcha think?" he spun Kremy around, grabbing onto his arm and holding it up in a mockery of a dance. It was wet with blood, getting all over his scales and soaking into his fingerless gloves. The iron clattered to the ground again.

"You're definitely not Torbek," Kremy said cautiously. He wasn't being mauled to death yet, so maybe this version of Torbek could also be convinced to be on his side.

"I'm even better!" Not-Torbek gave him a twirl before dropping him down, catching him in a dip. He grinned, showing off sharp teeth, before his eyes flicked to the burn on his shoulder. The smile immediately dropped from his face, eyes going blank as they stared through him rather than at him.

Kremy tensed at the change of mood, wondering if he had time to get away before he was ripped apart. Not-Torbek shook his head violently, growling low in his throat. Kremy found himself dropped to the floor, and he scooted away, legs getting tangled in his skirt.

Not-Torbek's long claws grabbed at his own head, digging into the fur with a frustrated yell. He heaved a few ragged breaths, and the canisters bubbled again. The machines whirred as they worked, and the Witchlight that been pumped into Torbek slowly refilled the glass. As the tubes settled, the growls turned to whines, and when he looked at him from between too-long fingers, Kremy could already tell that whatever had been possessing Torbek was gone.

"M-Mr. Kremy? A-Are you okay?" Pink-tinted brown eyes stared at him, looking like he was about to cry.

With a sigh of relief, Kremy let his head fall back against the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

"Torbek, what the fuck was that?"

===

This chapter's bonus art!

Chapter Text

Kremy eventually had to get off the floor, once his back started protesting. He sat up, slumped over in a pile of skirts. His shoulder ached. His hand was covered in blood, the same blood that was all over Torbek's hands, and most likely painting his entire bathroom.

"I don't have time nor energy to clean up a crime scene right now."

He looked up at Torbek, who'd been silent since his.. return? Depossession? Kremy wasn't sure what exactly all that had been. Something to do with the Witchlight, obviously. If he didn't have the energy to clean Agdon's corpse from his tile, then he also didn't have the mental energy to unpack whatever the hell was going on with the bugbear.

Said bugbear hadn't moved. He was hunched in on himself, claws-- normal-sized now, at least-- gripping his own upper arms as he trembled. He stared down at Kremy with the most devastated face.

"Y'alright, Torbek? What happened there?"

Torbek whimpered, flinching as he was spoken to. "Torbek's not sure... about either of those things."

Kremy pushed himself to his feet, ready to collapse again. Hopefully Agdon hadn't broken his bed. "Well, that's okay. Not great, but we can work it out, yeah?"

He whined, uncurling a long hand, almost going to reach out to Kremy before seeing all the blood on his fur, retracting it. "Torbek remembers Agdon Longscarf burning Mr. Kremy, and the voice got really loud. And then Torbek was here again."

"You don't remember--?" He frowned. "You tore Agdon to pieces. Like, I'm pretty sure that's never comin' outta my bathroom."

"Torbek did what?" He looked stricken, turning toward the bathroom doorway. It was then that he noticed his new accessory, the long blue scarf wrapped around his neck, covering the bandages that Kremy had wrapped there. "But why?"

Kremy seemed to be taking this a lot better than Torbek. But he supposed he wasn't the one possessed by some British demon or whatever that had been. "I was hopin' you could tell me. At least so I know how we can use it to our advantage and not have him gut me like a turkey when he runs outta rabbits to hunt."

He tried to seem unaffected, hoping to calm Torbek, but it seemed to have the opposite effect; his choice of words made the other hunch even further down on himself, glowing eyes rimming with tears.

"The voice is always so mean to Torbek! But when Torbek got really mad, the voice said he knew what to do!"

Kremy held his hands out, placatingly. "Well, okay, how 'bout we just don't listen to the voice for awhile, yeah? We can work on that later. Right now, there's more important things to think about."

"Like what?" the bugbear sniffled, dragging a sleeve across his eyes. Thankfully a non-bloodied area.

Hands on his hips, Kremy leaned back, stretching. His spine gave a satisfying pop. "For starters, sleep. Then we'll figure out what to do in the morning. We're gonna have to deal with the rabbit. And then we'll work on the Witchlight thing."

Torbek turned his teary eyes on Kremy. "M-Mr. Kremy still wants to help Torbek? After all this?"

Kremy started to answer, but a knock on the door interrupted him. The pair turned to look at the door, then to each other.

Another knock. "Lecroux, we know you're there, we heard you talkin'!"

The gator's eyes widened. He recognized that voice. One of Garou's other employees. He must've put the pieces together quicker than Kremy had hoped.

"We gotta talk to you! Open the damn door!" The man started banging against the door, and Kremy sprang into action.

"Okay, change of plans again, we gotta get outta here," he hissed. He grabbed his hat and heels from the sofa, ushering Torbek away from the door. "Those are Garou's men, and if they catch us, it's back to the brig for you, and probably luggage for me."

Torbek whined, letting himself be shoved. "Where can we go?"

"The fire escape, outside," pushing the bugbear toward the parlor window, he went over his escape plan he'd come up with for just such an emergency. One didn't work for the most powerful man in Agwe-- and occasionally double-crossing him-- without multiple escape plans. "If Garou's onto me already, we're gonna have to get outta town quick."

He opened the window, leaning out onto the ledge. It was longer down than he'd like, and the stairs weren't in the best condition. He wasn't sure if they could handle his weight, let alone Torbek's. He slid out the window, settling gingerly on the platform. It wobbled ominously under his stocking feet as the bugbear followed after him.

There was a crash, Garou's men starting to break his door down. They didn't have much time.

Torbek looked at the door, letting out another whine. Then he turned, scooping Kremy up into a long arm and jumping over the banister.

Kremy yelled out, clinging to him as quickly as he could. He heard a tearing sound as his long skirt caught in the joints of metal between bars, ripping apart. He didn't have time to mourn its loss, barely managing to hang onto his shoes and hat as the pair fell. After a few floors, Torbek grabbed onto a random banister, halting their descent with a jerk. They hung off the railing for a moment, looking up to where they'd been. By now, the faces of a few of Garou's security guards peered over the ledge, yelling at them.

The metal creaked loudly, the old construction not up to the amount of use it was being subjected to. The rail bent under Torbek's hand, threatening to break off entirely. He let go, and they fell again with another yell.

Torbek managed to grab another railing before they hit the sidewalk, saving them from becoming splatter on the cobblestone. Garou's men weren't faring as well, taking the stairs quickly down, but not quick enough to keep up with the pair. The bugbear dropped them the rest of the way, just a few feet into a safe landing.

He didn't waste any time, shifting Kremy into a two- handed carry and taking off in a sprint down the street. Kremy kept a tight grip on his things, looking over Torbek's shoulder to clock their pursuers. They were still clambering down the metal steps, but the whole thing was shaking badly.

Torbek turned the corner sharply, just as Kremy watched the fire escape detach from the side of the brick building, crashing to the street in a cacophony of metal against stone.

"Where should Torbek go?" Torbek huffed, ducking through the people milling about the street. Most people got out of their way, seeing a 7- foot bugbear tearing through the street carrying a full- grown alligator man. Fortunately, for his size, Torbek was pretty nimble, slipping around the few unlucky enough to notice them in time to move.

Kremy tried to think. "Turn left at this street!"

Torbek did as instructed, taking another sharp turn without breaking speed. They went like this for a few minutes, Kremy directing him and Torbek ferrying them further from the apartment. Eventually, it seemed like they were far enough away, and Kremy couldn't see any of Garou's men following them. With any luck, they were still tangled in a fire escape.

Kremy urged him to stop, and the bugbear finally set up down. The gator stepped back into his heels, fixing his clothes. He huffed, seeing the state of his dress. What had been a proper business skirt was torn short, barely coming to his knees. The bustle was still attached, but the lace in the middle was in tatters, giving the whole thing a mini-skirt look.

"This was my best dress, too."

Torbek, at least, looked sheepish. "Torbek is sorry, Mr. Kremy. Torbek panicked."

He huffed, settling his top hat on his head. It would have to do for now; they didn't have time to look for new clothes, and he certainly wasn't going back to his apartment. Hopefully they didn't go back in there, looking for anything. They were in for a mess in his bathroom, at any rate.

"Can't be helped, Torbek. At least we got outta there with our heads intact. We can look for somethin' better once we're outta Agwe.

===

"Torbek thinks we're loooost," he whined. They'd been wandering the streets in the tiny town for awhile since they'd left Agwe behind.

Kremy grumbled, snout buried in a map they'd snatched from a shop at the edge of town. "We're not lost, I just haven't been here in awhile. Just stay close, I didn't break you outta Garou's ship to lose you in the crowd."

Torbek let out an affirmative growl, and Kremy jolted as he felt something touch his tail. Whipping his head back, he found one of Torbek's long hands wrapped around the end of it, keeping him close to the other. He decided not to comment on it, turning back to the map. At least he wouldn't get lost.

"According to the map, there's a ferry service around the other edge of town that'll take us wherever. We just gotta make it through the market to get there."

Torbek kept a grip on Kremy's tail, matching step with the gator and making sure he didn't run into s lamp post with his snout stuck in the map. The crowd swirled around them, smaller than a major city like Agwe, but still quite busy. It was mid-morning now, since they'd made their escape, and the pair was exhausted. Kremy insisted they get further away before they could relax; he knew Garou had less presence in this town, but still had enough influence to have eyes here.

Kremy stopped short, and Torbek bumped into him slightly, bending his tail at an uncomfortable angle. A noise caught in his throat, his tail swishing out of the other's grip with a glare. Torbek looked cowed, but Kremy ignored him, focusing on the conversation he'd heard that made him stop.

"We're flyin' out tonight, so I guess?"

Flying? Kremy looked around for the source of the voice, a thick drawl coming from one of the market stalls. Kremy zeroed in on him, a tall man with a pleasant red skin tone and dark red coveralls tied at the waist and a pair of heavy looking machines on his wrists that kind of looked like manacles. He definitely looked like an airship's mechanic.

He nudged Torbek with an elbow, tipping his snout toward the other man. "Watch that guy. He's our ticket outta here, so we're trailin' him, got it?"

Torbek nodded, keeping his eyes on the man like he might disappear otherwise.

Kremy inched closer, pretending to peruse the goods of the stall. He picked up an apple from a basket nearest to him, looking it over while he listened in.

The man laughed at something the shopkeeper said, hefting a sack of something over a shoulder. "Yeah, I told Gricko we'd need more'n jerky and bread fer the trip. Hell, what he had in the galley wouldn'ta lasted me a week on my own, let alone the whole crew! He's a good pilot, but I dunno how he survived so far. Had me catchin' rats last time!"

Kremy waited while the man purchased his goods, a decent bit of food in sacks and bags, which he managed to balance on his arms and shoulders. With a friendly nod to the shopkeeper, he went on his way. Kremy waited a few seconds and followed, Torbek on his heels.

The man seemed to know where he was going a lot better than Kremy and his stolen map. He made it through the market within a half hour, and hadn't noticed he was being followed. Kremy was used to tailing people, and Torbek, for as large as he was, was surprisingly stealthy, keeping quiet behind him.

At the edge of the town was the airship garage. All deliveries to the town came through here before being carted off to the various businesses and shops in the market. It was normally full of ships for either people or product. Unfortunately, it seemed nearly deserted during this particular morning. The passenger ship Kremy had been counting on to get them further away to some other big city was gone.

He cursed under his breath, ducking behind the waiting area shelter. He dragged Torbek along, before the mechanic could spot them in the empty runway.

"What now?" Torbek asked, looking around with interest.

"Guess we got no choice. We'll have to sneak on this guy's ship."

"Do you think he'll let us on if we asked?"

Kremy leveled a glare at him. "We're not takin' that kinda chance. We'll get on here, and either sneak off at wherever they stop, or hijack the thing when everyone's asleep and make 'em drop us off where we wanna go."

"Does Mr. Kremy know where we wanna go?"

"Well, uh..." he didn't have an answer for that. In his panic to get away from somewhere Garou could easily reach him, he hadn't put much thought into what to do next. "We could look up that King of Hearts guy that Agdon mentioned. He might know more about this Witchlight stuff."

Torbek shrugged. "If Mr. Kremy thinks it's a good idea, Torbek is on board."

"Great," he watched the mechanic head up a small ramp into the ship parked at one of the fueling stations. "Now let's get on that ship."

The airship wasn't the biggest Kremy had ever seen; far smaller than the large passenger boats that flew through town. And, from the name painted on the side, was called 'Snail #2', which only left more questions. Where had the first ship gone? And why would an airship be named after such a slow animal? Despite the name, she was decent enough sized, good enough to get them wherever they needed to go. The deck was smaller than Garou's boat, but not by too much. The air-filled balloon seemed much larger, at least double the size of the main boat, with its various mechanical instruments and propellers in the back.  She only had one top deck and a couple levels beneath. It might be tough to stay hidden, depending on how much crew she had, but they didn't have a lot of options.

Kremy pondered their way in. They couldn't just go up the ramp; they'd be spotted for sure. He grabbed Torbek's coat sleeve, dragging the bugbear around to the back of the ship.

The back had a few fins, almost like fish tails, for navigating the wind, Kremy assumed. He'd never been an expert at airships. But they reached from the bottom to top of the main boat and looked decently climbable.

"Alright, go ahead and climb on up there," he instructed Torbek, pointing to the longest fin in the middle.

"You want Torbek to climb up there?"

"You managed with the fire escape, didn't you? You'll be fine! Just get up there and find somethin' to pull me up with. And hurry up, we gotta find some place to hide before they think about takin' off!"

Torbek whined, but did as he was told, scampering up the fin with an ease that impressed even Kremy, not that he would mention it. It didn't take long for him to reach the deck of the ship, disappearing from view. Kremy waited, looking around in case someone came asking what he was doing here. After a few moments, a rope flew down from the deck. Kremy grabbed on, and started pulling his way up, careful of his stockings. Torbek pulled from his end as well, reaching out to grab Kremy by the back of his dress once he was close enough.

Once they were both aboard, they kept against the back of the ship. Thankfully, there was no one on the top deck. The mechanic had made his way below deck as soon as he'd boarded. Kremy led them to the door, peeking through the small porthole before opening it. Maybe the majority of the crew was off? The mechanic said they were leaving that night, so maybe the pilot had given them the day off?

Either way, any trouble Kremy was expecting was non-existant, and the pair snuck in with ease. Below deck, there were a few rooms on either side of a hall that lined the ship. Each door had its own porthole, so Kremy went down the line, looking in each for the best place to hide. FInally, he found the storeroom, quietly opening the door and ushering Torbek inside.

The room was windowless and dark, aside from Torbek's Witchlight canisters. The pink glow helped them navigate the room, crowded with crates and boxes of supplies. There were plenty of places to hide here, and Kremy wandered to the back of the room, coming across a few stacks of burlap sacks holding something grain-like. He flopped back on one, his hat falling to the side.

"Finally," he sighed, sinking into the burlap slightly. "I'm too old to be pullin' all-nighters."

Torbek perched on the stack beside him, drawing his long legs up. "Torbek still thinks this is a nicer bed than where Torbek normally sleeps."

"Well, take a load off," he let his eyes slide closed. "We've got some time until this thing gets movin'. Plenty of time for a quick nap. Then we'll make our move."

===

Kremy wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep. He was still tired, but something kept nudging him in the side. He reached a claw out, batting it away. Probably Torbek shifting in his sleep or something.

The nudges got more insistent, something harder than a bugbear limb. It pecked at his scales, this time hitting him in the shoulder. It knocked against the burn Agdon had left, sending a jolt of pain through him. He jerked upright with a yelp, backing away and covering the burn with a hand.

He backed into Torbek, who grumbled as he woke. "What's wrong, Mr. Kremy?" he asked sleepily.

Kremy whipped his head around. If Torbek hadn't hit him, then who---?

In the pink glow of the dark room, Kremy couldn't see very far. There was no one around him, probably scared off when he'd jerked up.

From just beyond the Witchlight's glow, a pair of large, gold eyes stared at him.

===

This chapter's art fix!

Chapter Text

Kremy yelled, scooting away from the gold eyes. He slammed into Torbek's side again, sending them both off the stacks, tumbling onto the floor.

Torbek was shocked into full awareness, long arms flailing. Kremy managed to avoid being hit, scrambling to his feet and reaching for his hat.

His hat was gone. He looked back toward the large eyes, watching as they came closer. The creature padded into view slowly, its head tilting as it watched them.

A young owlbear regarded them curiously, Kremy's top hat in its beak.

"Hey! That's mine!" Kremy snapped, lunging over the bags to reach for the owlbear.

The creature gave an amused hoot, thinking they were playing. It ducked away as Kremy swiped at it, keeping the hat from his reach.

Torbek sat up, rubbing at the fur on his cheek with a yawn. "What's going on?"

"This little... creature stole my hat!"

The owlbear chirped around the brim of his hat, still held tight in their beak. It turned and ran further into the darkness, expecting him to give chase.

"'Ey!" a voice cried out. "She ain't a creature! She's me daughter!"

Kremy and Torbek froze in unison. A bright light lit up the room from its center, a gust of fire larger than a lantern. It sat in the palm of the mechanic that Kremy had tailed to sneak them aboard. With him was the owlbear, still holding Kremy's hat in her beak. There was a third person there as well, a Goblin with a sloppy blond ponytail half-hidden under a newsboy cap far too big for him. He glared at the stowaways, hands on his hips.

"Mind explainin' yerselves?" the mechanic was the one that spoke, holding the fire above them with an arched brow.

Kremy held his hands out, palms up. Torbek huddled behind him like he wasn't a 7- foot tall bugbear who had torn a man to shreds.

"Whattado, friends! I'm Kremy Lecroux, and this here is my... traveling associate Torbek!"

"Hi," Torbek peeked out from around Kremy's head.

"Okay," the goblin didn't seem impressed. "An' what are you doin' on me boat?"

"Your boat?" Kremy cleared his throat, slipping into charm mode. "This fine ship belongs to you? Absolutely stunnin', she is! Wonderful craftsmanship!"

The mechanic let out a snort. The goblin looked confused.

"We were just admirin' the vessel, y'see, and would't you know it, y'all took off before we could disembark!"

"Did you follow me from the market?" The mechanic pointed a finger at him, accusingly.

"Me?" Kremy squeaked.

"Don't see many other fancied up gators 'round here," he drawled.

"Oho," the goblin turned to his friend, waggling his brows. "Bringin' someone back to the ship, how ris-kay... a pair at that! A li'l menage-e-twois?"

"Shut up, Gricko, we got stowaways!" the fire in the man's hand seemed to grow as he snapped.

Kremy sighed, rubbing at his temple. "Okay, fellas, I'll level with you. We were in a bad way, and the passenger ship was gone. We needed outta town and you were the only ones in the station. So would you kindly just drop us off at the next town and be on your way?"

He felt the Suggestion on his tongue, but it didn't seem like either of them were affected. He must not have gotten as much sleep as he'd hoped.

"Why would we jus' let you stay on board?" the goblin, Gricko, tilted his head, long ear twitching.

"Would it help if Torbek said please?" Torbek piped up from behind Kremy's shoulder. "Mr. Kremy is trying to help Torbek get away from his mean boss."

"This a rescue mission?" the mechanic looked from Torbek to Kremy.

Kremy nodded quickly. "Absolutely! I broke this uh... poor gentleman out of Garou's riverboat. He had him locked up in the brig."

"Is he dangerous?"

"Torbek doesn't wanna talk about it..."

"No! 'Course not! Wouldn't harm a fly!" Kremy nudged him. "Just an unfortunate in the wrong place at the wrong time. So I helped him escape-- at great risk to my own well-being, I might add-- and I'm tryin' to get him to meet someone who can help him!"

Gricko looked up. "Gideon? Sidebar?"

The mechanic nodded. Gricko hopped up onto the owlbear's back, making him tall enough to huddle with Gideon. Being only a few feet away, Kremy could hear everything they said, but he wasn't going to tell them that.

"Do we trust this guy?" Gricko asked.

Gideon shrugged. "Seems alright by me."

"He followed you from the market and snuck on our ship!"

"Heh, yeah, he did do that."

"If it helps," Kremy spoke up, "I hear you fellas aren't getting much in the way of proper meals on board. I happen to be a bit of a chef myself, and I'd be more than happy to provide my services in exchange for room and board for the pair of us?"

That seemed to get their attention. They broke away from their 'sidebar', the pair of them looking a lot more interested in the offer.

"I can get started right away, if you want?" To be honest, Kremy was starving. He hadn't eaten since before getting back to the riverboat, and he'd been through a lot since then. If he could fix up something quick and impressive, he could cement their place on board.

Gideon looked from Kremy to Gricko, an almost pleading look in his eyes. "C'mon, man, I can't deal with any more rats."

Gricko looked offended. "The rats were fer Hootsie! I never wanted you t'eat 'em!"

"Oh."

"Did you eat me daughter's rats?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Gideon suddenly found his manacles in need of inspection.

"Torbek has had rats before," the bugbear finally spoke up. "Not as good as licorice, though."

Kremy scrunched up his snout. "No one's eatin' rats!"

Gricko let out a whine. "Aww, but they're Hootsie's favorite!"

The owlbear let out a trill, hearing one of her favorite words so much.

"I mean-- fine! She can have the rats," Kremy huffed, reaching out to grab his hat from the owlbear's beak. She let go easily enough, her thoughts on rat snacks, and Kremy set it back in its proper place atop his head. "Someone wanna show me to the kitchen?"

"I'll getcha started," Gideon offered, a hand out to allow him to go first.

Kremy went to move, but Torbek's grip on his sleeve stopped him. He looked up to see the bugbear looking at him with a mixture of terror and sadness.

"We're gonna be on this ship for awhile, Torbek, you can't be attached to me the whole time," he sighed, trying to pull his arm free without ripping his sleeve in Torbek's claw. His poor dress had already taken enough damage.

Gricko noticed the other's distress, hopping off Hootsie to bound over to the bugbear. He wasn't wearing shoes, just some kind of long socks that ended where his claws peeked out, tapping against the floor as he scurried over.

"I could give ya a tour'a the ship, if y'want?" he offered, reaching a hand up.

Torbek looked at Kremy again, and the gator gave him an encouraging nod. He took Gricko's hand, the long claws engulfing the goblin's. Gricko wasted no time, leading him away and out of the dark of the store room. Hootsie padded along after them happily.

Gideon led Kremy to the kitchen, a small room at the end of the hall. It seemed almost an afterthought, tucked away in a corner of the ship. There was barely room for the pair of them amongst the appliances; the mechanic squeezed in between a cabinet and the icebox, watching as Kremy surveyed the area.

"It ain't much," he shrugged, leaning against the cool metal of the icebox. "I keep tryin' to get Gricko to do more with it, but he's not the most focused."

"Y'all don't have a cook on the crew?" Kremy opened a few cabinets, looking around.

"Nah, 's just him and me. And Hootsie."

"Huh. Guess that makes it easier to cook for," He found a bag of rice, and figured that was a good thing to start with.

Gideon ducked out of the way as Kremy moved for the icebox, opening the door to see what he had to work with in terms of protein. Kremy seemed like he knew what he was doing, even in an unfamiliar kitchen. "So what's the deal with you two, anyway?"

Head inside the icebox, Kremy was grateful Gideon couldn't see the face he made. "What d'you mean?"

"Was that stuff true, about you breakin' him outta some brig?"

"'Course it was. Never lied a day in my life," Kremy lied.

"What're those things on his back for, anyway?"

Deciding on a paper- wrapped cut of meat, Kremy let the icebox door shut with a swing of his hip, setting everything on the tiny counter beside what he hoped was a working stove. "He's not sure. He apparently don't remember much about it."

Kremy decided to leave out the fact that the Witchlight apparently turned Torbek into some kind of deranged destroyer of rabbits. The less they worried about these strangers on their ship, the better. Not to mention that he didn't need them knowing the Witchlight was valuable enough to send people after them.

"Where're you headed?" Gideon switched tracks, pushing himself off the icebox. He squeezed past Kremy in the narrow space between counter and cabinet, reaching down to pull a pot out of a lower one for him.

Kremy froze at the close contact before taking the offered pot and moving to the sink. "Not exactly sure yet. Somewhere away from here. Garou's got too many eyes 'round here for my likin'."

"He's the one that locked Torbek up?"

Kremy nodded, setting the pot on the stove to boil. He didn't want to talk about Garou. He needed vegetables. Potatoes. He should have inspected the store room more. "I'll have a better answer soon, I suppose. After some food and a look at a map."

Gideon hummed, accepting the answer for now. He watched Kremy work, finding a few carrots and potatoes from their stock and chopping them, once Gideon had shown him where the cutlery was. It didn't take long to cook the food; it was just a simple stew. Kremy was too hungry for anything complicated, and he didn't know his way around this kitchen yet.

The pair served up portions of rice and stew for the four of them, plus a bowl for Hootsie. Gideon picked up a plate in each hand, balancing the bowl in the crux of an arm, leading Kremy out of the kitchen toward the dining area.

Kremy took the remaining bowls, watching him as he followed.

 ===

"And this is where I steer the ship, when she's not on auto-pi-lotay," Gricko waved proudly, beaming as Torbek looked around the pilot's room in awe.

"It's all so big!" the bugbear exclaimed, twirling around to look at everything at once. "Torbek's never been on an airship before! At least not when he was conscious."

Gricko blinked, watching as the other went to the window, face pressed against the glass as he stared out into the sky. He hopped up on the navigation table, his legs kicking idly. Hootsie padded up to him, and he scritched behind her ear.

"You guys really on the run?"

Torbek didn't take his eyes off the view. "Yeah, Mr. Kremy saved Torbek from some mean guy named Mr. Garou. He's gonna help Torbek figure out what to do about the Witchlight."

"Witchlight?" Gricko's ear flicked, tilting his head curiously. "Whazzat?"

"The stuff on Torbek's back," the bugbear replied, a claw reaching back idly to gesture to the canisters. "Agdon Longscarf talked about somebody called the King of Hearts, and Mr. Kremy said he'd be a good person to ask."

"Where is this King o' Hearts guy?"

"Torbek doesn't know. Mr. Kremy didn't get a chance to ask before Agdon...died."

Gricko made a face, wondering if it was a touchy subject. "Well, I'm on me way to see a friend o' mine, he might be able to help. He's the smartest guy I know!"

Torbek peeled his face away from the window, looking at Gricko with the same wide eyes. "Reeeally?"

He nodded. "He might know somefin 'bout this Witchlight stuff. Or wherever this King o' Hearts could be."

"Torbek would appreciate that very much!"

 ===

They reconvened in the dining room over what Kremy supposed was dinner. He hadn't been sure what time it was, with all the shenanigans he'd been through, and their late morning nap.

Gricko explained his plan to Gideon and Kremy, who seemed to be on board with it. Kremy wanted to keep the whole Witchlight thing as much on the down-low as possible, but he also had to admit he was out of his depth with this one. He knew it was something valuable, something Garou would keep secret, and someone would send Agdon to steal from him. He just didn't know much about it. And if he wanted to cash in on this, he had to know the value of what he had.

At worst, he'd have to ditch these two and the airship. Maybe he could still hijack it.

Dinner went over well. It wasn't much, but the others seemed to enjoy it. Everyone was full and safe for the time being.

Kremy decided to take stock of their pantry after dinner. If he was going to be the ship's cook, he'd have to know what he was working with. Considering what Gideon had said about Gricko's food list before, he considered it a blessing that the mechanic had fought for more supplies.

He heard a noise behind him, expecting Torbek to slink in. He'd barely left Kremy alone since they'd left the riverboat, and Kremy supposed Torbek was just nervous about this whole adventure, looking for someone he could trust, and Kremy hated that it was him of all people. But instead, he found Gideon, leaning against the doorway to the store room, munching on an apple.

Kremy snorted, looking up from his list. "Didn't get enough at dinner?"

Gideon shrugged. "I burn through it pretty fast. It was damn good, though."

"Appreciate the compliment," he nudged a bag of something with his heel. More rice?

He hummed. "Wanted to let ya know, we got some rooms fixed up for you both. Figured it's a bit more comfortable than sleeping on flour sacks. But not by too much. Those things are deceptively comfortable."

"I guess that means I passed the interview then?" his tail swished slowly behind him, and he glanced back to see Gideon watching it.

"Are you kiddin'? You knocked it outta the park! Although, really you coulda made us sandwiches and it woulda been good enough. I'm a terrible cook outside'a grillin' meat, and Gricko eats like a woodland creature."

Kremy chuckled, leaning against a crate and crossing his legs in front of him. He grinned at Gideon. "Give me a chance to make a pot of gumbo, and I'll rock your world."

Gideon didn't miss a beat. "Lookin' forward to it."

Kremy's tail hit the crate, whipping against the wood with a thunk. If Gideon noticed, he didn't say anything, continuing to chomp on his apple until only the core remained.

"So do I get my own room?" He tapped a claw against the crate, grinning. "Please don't tell me I gotta bunk with Torbek."

Gideon laughed. "Don't worry, we got enough room on this ship for a couple more. But if y'get lonely, I'm right across the hall."

The tone was teasing. Kremy pushed himself off the crate, taking his time to saunter across the room to the doorway. He could do teasing. He moved past Gideon as he left the room, letting his tail brush the other's leg as he did so.

"I'll keep it in mind. Have fun catchin' rats tonight, Gid."

He turned on a heel while Gideon sputtered. He managed to bite back a grin until his back was to the mechanic, heading down the hall. From behind him, Gideon shouted.

"I said I didn't wanna talk about that!"

===

This chapter's bonus art!

Chapter Text

It was a few days' journey by airship to Yulong, so the group decided to stop for a small break at the halfway point. Kremy pointed out that he could make much more impressive meals with a better- stocked pantry. Gideon was on his side because everything Kremy had made so far was the newest 'best meal he'd ever had', and he was excited to see what could be better than that.

Gricko wanted to give Hootsie a chance to 'touch grass', which Kremy assumed meaning some time to let the poor owlbear actually interact with nature and not be cooped up on a ship all the time.

Torbek, as much as he enjoyed flying and watching the view from the balcony, had gotten airsick after the first night. Kremy had been woken at the equivalent of 3am to find a giant shadowy figure with glowing magenta eyes staring at him from the side of his cot. He'd nearly leapt out of his skin until he heard Torbek's pitiful grumble of "Mr. Kremy, Torbek threw up...".

So when the Snail landed, the makeshift crew disembarked, leaving the fueling station to head into town. Gideon and Kremy went into the market, while Gricko took Hootsie out of the city proper, into the nearby woods for a play date. Torbek was conflicted, caught between having a fun day playing with Hootsie or helping Mr. Kremy. He eventually shadowed the pair at the market, helping carry things.

Kremy was loathe to admit that he didn't have a lot of gold on him. While he had his coin pouch, thankfully with that bit he'd made from the last job Garou sent him on, he was without his last paycheck, so to speak. And asking Garou for anything would definitely lead to questions about where he was, where his prisoner had gone, and why he'd run away from the bullywugs he'd sent after him. So that was a no- go. Fortunately, he'd convinced the others that the food supplies he was cooking with should be provided by the ship, and not the chef.

So, with Gideon paying from the ship's funds, and Torbek splitting the duty of carrying everything, Kremy was having a nice day.

Until he heard something that sent a shiver down his spine, and he knew he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up.

That gramophone static sound started from behind him, the same one he'd heard in his room before Agdon had appeared. It made his scales feel fuzzy, like rubbing a balloon on them. He turned quickly, looking for the source of it. The market was a decent size, and fairly busy for the afternoon, but no one seemed out of place. People walked around them, tending to their business and not sparing him a thought.

Torbek leaned over, trying to be quiet but failing miserably. "Is Mr. Kremy okay?"

Gideon stopped as well, seeing the pair had paused. He took in Kremy's wide eyes and Torbek's concerned look "What's goin' on?"

Kremy scowled, surveying the market. He knew that sound, and he knew he'd heard it. "Nothin' I guess. Just thought I heard somethin'..."

He turned back toward the others, ready to move on, but the second his back was turned, he heard it again, humming behind him. He whirled back, hoping to catch it in the act, and found... nothing, once again. Just shops and people milling about.

"You sure you're doin' alright?" Gideon frowned at him. "We can go back to the Snail if you're feelin' sick or somethin'."

Kremy was about to argue, when he felt Torbek freeze beside him. The bugbear's ears, normally low, sank even further, flattening against his head. He grabbed at Kremy's shoulder with a long claw, luckily clinging to the non- burned one. The injury from Agdon had scabbed over, and he was missing a few scales from the area. It still hurt when prodded, but didn't throb the way it had. Still, he didn't need that on top of this frustrating noise business.

"You heard it too?" Kremy asked.

"Heard what?" Gideon ran a hand through his hair, scratching at his head. "I dunno what y'all're on about.."

Torbek's other claw reached up, pointing to the stall they were currently facing. Kremy and Gideon looked, but didn't see anything amiss.The stall was covered in tapestries, obscuring most of what was inside.

"Torbek feels like there's Witchlight in there," his eyes hadn't moved from the shop since he'd stilled, hunching in on himself a little.

"Well, what're we waitin' for then?" Gideon pushed past them, heading for the stall. "Let's go in and ask if they know anythin' that can help us out!"

"No, don't!" Kremy grabbed at him, but he was already gone, parting the flaps in the tapestries and sliding inside the stall.

Torbek whined. "What do we do?"

Kremy huffed. "We're gonna have to go get him. Just stay close and let me do the talkin'."

The bugbear's grip on his shoulder tightened, but he nodded, following along as Kremy ducked under the fabric. Torbek paused at the doorway, half in and half out, reluctant to go all the way in.

There was a sharp hiss from inside. "In or out!"

Kremy pulled him in, letting the tapestries settle behind them. The inside of the stall was shrouded in darkness; even the glow from Torbek's canisters seemed dimmer than usual. When he entered, he'd felt his ears pop, like a pressure release. The same static noise was all around him here, though quieter. More of a low buzz. Torbek's ear flicked, and he cowered behind him, despite being a good few feet taller than him. He could feel the bugbear shaking. He ventured further into the shop, trying to see anything.

The tented walls were lined with shelves, stretching from the cobblestone floor to the fabric ceiling. In the dim light, he could make out various items on the shelves, a wild array of items that seemed to have no rhyme or reason. An empty bucket sat next to a little jade statue of a cat. A toy train nearly teetered off the edge of a shelf next to one of the ugliest looking marionettes Kremy had ever seen. The shop was full of boxes and bags of mystery items, as much crammed on the shelves as was possible.

Kremy wove his way into the shop proper, letting Torbek keep a firm grip on his sleeve. Gideon was in the center of the stall, where a counter was set up as sort of a register. Even that wasn't free from merchandise.

The mechanic was speaking to someone Kremy couldn't see in the darkness, behind the counter. Avoiding as many shelves as he could, he guided them to Gideon's side.

"Why's it so dark in here?" he grumbled. "It's an accident waitin' to happen."

"Welcome to Bauble and Charm," the same voice that had hissed at them from the door replied, ignoring his question completely.

Kremy peered over the counter to see a pair of gold eyes in the darkness staring back at him. About Gricko's height, wearing a gray cape over their shoulders. Their skin was almost the same shade as the clothes they wore. Their hair was the lightest thing about them, draping over their shoulders in a pale silvery white.

"Whattado, friend," Kremy greeted with as charming a smile as he could, given the unnerving situation. "Fine establishment you got here. What is all this, if you don't mind me askin'?"

"Wondrous items, for the elevated consumer," they replied.

"Get many sales in a town like this?" he drawled.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," they snapped back.

"I was just askin' Trinket here if they knew anything 'bout Witchlight," Gideon said.

Kremy winced. So much for down- low. "Yeah?"

Trinket hummed, looking bored of them already. "Not something I hear a lot about in this realm. We don't sell any, unfortunately."

"W-What is it?" Torbek asked, peeking over the top of Kremy's head.

Trinket looked up, as if only seeing him for the first time. Their eyes widened a bit, taking in the glowing canisters on his back. "You carry it on your back, but you don't know what it is?"

Torbek shrunk down again.

"Can you tell us anythin' about it?" Gideon asked, entirely too casual about the situation.

The darkling seemed to think about it, leaning their small frame against the counter. "What would you trade for the information?"

"Uh...?" Gideon looked to the others, unsure.

"Y'all don't take coin here?" Kremy frowned, suspicious.

"We're... not from around here," Trinket explained. "We trade in things outside of currency."

"Torbek doesn't have anything worth trading," the bugbear shuffled awkwardly.

"Would you trade the Witchlight to know all about it?" Trinket leaned closer, eyeing the canisters.

"Why the hell would we do that?" Kremy put an arm out, blocking the darkling from Torbek. Like hell he was giving his big break over to the first person who asked.

Trinket shrugged, settling back and trying to look uninterested once again. "If you made the deal, then you'd know."

Kremy's tail whipped in annoyance, knocking into Torbek's leg. The bugbear let out a yelp of surprise, nearly crawling onto Kremy's shoulders.

"Something touched Torbek's leg!"

"That was me, you idiot!"

"Ohhh,"  the tone in his voice changed, lilting up at the end.

Kremy glared at him. Maybe he would trade the bugbear away.

"Is there somethin' you particularly want?" Gideon tried, leaning against the counter. He was going for casual, but the clink of his manacle against the register sounded a bit more threatening than he might have intended.

Trinket shook their head. "That's not how a pact with us works. You offer, I offer."

"You just asked for Torbek!" Kremy huffed, hands on his hip.

"That was a chance of opportunity."

Kremy was going to start biting. He narrowed his eyes, moving to take a step forward, but was stopped by Torbek's iron grip on his arm.

"Okay, maybe this was a bad idea," Gideon made a face, looking between Kremy and the darkling. "Thanks for the offer, I guess?"

He pushed off the counter, urging Kremy and Torbek toward the opening in the tapestries.

"Don't say you weren't warned!" Trinket called after them. "You go around flaunting them like that, and you'll have the hags on you in no time."

Kremy turned, peering over Gideon's arm. "Hags?"

"You don't even know about the hags?" Trinket shook their head with an exasperated sigh. "It's too bad you'll be hagnapped before you even realize what you have."

"Torbek doesn't wanna be hagnapped," he whispered to Kremy, which, with his voice, was loud enough for everyone in the tent to hear.

"I still offer a trade," they draped over the counter, chin resting on their hand with a sharp grin.

"Torbek doesn't have anything to trade," he whined.

"I'll trade you what I know for... a scratch."

Kremy frowned. "Scratch? Like money? Thought you said you didn't deal in money."

"Not that," they hissed, looking to Torbek. "I want you to scratch me."

"Why would you want that?" Torbek's brows furrowed, a mixture of confusion and concern.

"None of your concern. You just have to agree."

Torbek looked to the others for help. Gideon shrugged. Kremy stared at the darkling, trying to figure out their angle. He couldn't think of any reason they'd want to trade anything for an injury... unless...

"Is this some kinda sex thing?" he deadpanned.

Torbek perked up. "Ohh."

They didn't dignify the question with a response.

Kremy scrunched up his snout. "Ugh, whatever. Do whatever you want, I guess."

Trinket held out their arm, wrist up. Torbek slunk back into the tent and up to the counter. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out a claw, dragging the sharp tip carefully along the darkling's arm. It glowed a bright magenta, the same as the liquid in the canisters, before settling in to the skin. The darkling's eyes widened for a moment, pupils glowing the same color before quickly returning to their normal gold.

"It's a deal," they said, resting that same arm on the counter. "The hags, much like the Witchlight, are Feywildian."

"Torbek doesn't know what that is."

"Doesn't ring a bell," Kremy agreed.

"Never heard of it," Gideon shrugged.

Trinket rubbed their temples, as if they already regretted dealing with any of them. "The Feywild is a plane parallel to your own. The Secret Cities. Feywildians sometimes come to your plane. Mostly to slum it with the humans, I suppose. But others come to trade and do business."

"Like yourself, I'm guessin'," Kremy ventured.

They nodded. "The hags are a power in the Feywild. Not the ultimate one, but an impressive one. But they will always crave more, to turn the tide. And Witchlight is a power that would interest the hags very much."

"What does it do?" Gideon asked, staring at the canisters on Torbek's back with a newfound mechanical appreciation.

"That's more than I can say. But any Feywildian who knew it was here, unprotected, would attempt to capture it."

"Would anyone here know anything about it?" Kremy tapped his snout, his mind whirring with what he'd learned. Garou had to know something about it, if he'd thought Torbek was someone worth keeping locked up in the brig.

"It's possible," Trinket shrugged a thin shoulder. "There are Feywildians all around, if you know where to look. And a few humans who deal with them that are in the know."

"Can Torbek get rid of it?" the bugbear asked, wringing his long hands.

"I don't know. It could be as simple as taking those canisters off your back. Or it could kill you."

Torbek whined, hunching down on himself. Kremy frowned. So much for an easy detachment.

"But I've told you all I can," Trinket waved them away with a hand. "Unless you'd like to make a trade for another item, you've done all your business here."

Torbek opened his mouth to speak again, but Kremy reached for him, tugging at his coat sleeve to usher him towards the entrance.

"Well, thanks for the information, we'll just be goin' now," the gator reached up, tipping his hat as he guided the others out of the tent. He wasn't sure he completely believed the darkling, but he certainly didn't need to be told twice when to leave a situation. He really just wanted to get out of this tent. The buzzing was giving him a headache.

"But, Torbek was gonna ask about--"

"Hey! You!"

All three turned as a unit. Pushing through the crowd toward them was a group of men, probably five or six of them. They were tall and bulky, though not quite as tall as Torbek. Kremy had seen a few hobgoblins in Garou's line of work, usually in the shadier dealings. These ones looked angry.

Beside him, Gideon flinched back. "Fuckin'... shit!"

Kremy turned to ask what was going on, but before he could get a word out, Gideon grabbed him, hoisting the gator over his shoulder like a sack of rice, and took off running.

"What the fuck?!" Kremy barely had time to grab the brim of his hat to keep it from flying off.

Torbek let out a yelp, breaking out into a run behind them. "Wait for Torbek!"

Gideon didn't look back, tearing through the crowd at a speed that left Kremy clinging to the other's shirt to keep from being knocked around. The genasi's grip was tight; he was in no danger of falling, but the top half of him was swaying. His tail thrashed, clocking Gideon in the side of the head, but it didn't seem to bother him. Torbek kept pace, thankfully his legs were longer than Gideon's.

There was more shouting behind them. Kremy watched as the group of hobgoblins gave chase, pushing people out of their way and growling at them to stop. Gideon had no such intent, and poor Kremy was along for the ride, with Torbek hot on their heels.

They didn't stop, even when they reached the town's gates. By then, they'd made a bit of distance between their pursuers, but not enough to slow down. Gideon led them all the way to the shipyard, where they'd left the Snail for refueling. Fortunately for them, this station was far busier than the one Kremy and Torbek had stowed away in, and they quickly lost themselves among the other ships doing business in the port.

Gideon only slowed once he heard the loud voice of one of the hobgoblins yelling for the others to look for them inside the passenger area. They seemed to think they were tourists and not on their own ship. He hurried onto the Snail, pulling up the ramp as soon as Torbek was aboard.

"Fuckin' put me down!" Kremy whacked at him again with his tail now that they were out of danger.

Gideon relented, setting the gator down on the deck. But he wasn't done panicking, grabbing him and Torbek by the hands and yanking them below deck. He slammed the door shut, leaning against it to catch his breath.

Kremy glared at him, fists clenched. "Mind tellin' us what the fuck that was Gid? Y'can't just manhandle me any damn time you feel like it!"

"Is Gideon okay?" Torbek worried at his hands, looking like he was about to cry. "Torbek thought he was gatornapping Mr. Kremy for a minute!"

There was a bang on the door. Kremy felt all the anger leave him, looking at the pure terror on Gideon's face.

"Open the door, it's me!" Gricko's voice came quick, muffled from the other side.

Gideon practically melted against the door in relief. He moved aside, opening the door only enough to grab the goblin and yank him inside. Hootsie followed quickly, seeming to sense the urgency. The door was slammed shut again immediately, and Gideon started pushing them toward the pilot's room.

"We gotta go. Now."

"Yeah, I saw 'em comin' in while we was on our way back," Gricko seemed just as worried, though he seemed to be a little calmer than Gideon.

"What the hell is goin' on?" Kremy tried again, annoyed at being ignored and confused.

Gricko padded into the pilot's area, getting the ship ready to take off. Hootsie went to her place among the controls, pulling a few strings attached to things Kremy had no idea what they did, but seemed to start the propellers and motors as Gricko flipped switches and pushed buttons.

Gideon had latched onto the balcony, watching out of the window for the hobgoblins. There was no sign of them yet. The waiting area for passenger ships was thankfully very large in this city, giving them a fair bit of time to take off before they were noticed.

Gricko got the Snail up in the air in record time, taking her out of the fueling station and into the sky. Only then did Gideon seem to calm down, sinking down to sit against the window.

Hootsie padded over to him, nuzzling her face against his arm. He reached up, petting through her feathers.

"Is this a bad time to mention that Torbek allegedly stole something from the shop?"

"You stole somethin' from that darkling?" Gideon stared at Torbek from over Hootsie's fluffy head, where he'd buried his face.

Torbek blanched, curling in on himself. "Torbek didn't mean to! Torbek thought it was a piece of candy, and was about to ask Trinket about it, when Mr. Kremy made him leave the shop! Then we got chased, and--!" He breathed heavily, more than he had after the run through the market.

Gricko hopped away from the steering wheel, rushing over to him. He quickly grabbed Torbek's claws in his own, soothing him. "'Ey, it's okay! Don't worry about it, these fings 'appen, yeah?"

Torbek leaned down, closing some of the distance between their heights. "Torbek just got caught up in the moment."

Gricko nodded, ushering him over to where Gideon and Hootsie were sitting. Kremy peered out the window, scanning the skies to make sure they weren't being followed. "Well, what was it?"

Torbek settled into the cuddle pile on the floor, Hootsie taking turns rubbing her feathery cheeks against both Gideon and Torbek. The bugbear reached into his jacket pocket, holding out a... chess piece?

Kremy grabbed it from him, looking it over. It seemed like any other chess piece, a queen in a pearled white. He shrugged, handing it back to him. "Don't seem very special to me. Wondrous items, my scaly ass."

Gideon snorted. At least that seemed to distract him for a bit. Torbek pocketed the chess piece, still looking like a kicked puppy. Gricko gave him a sympathetic pat on the back.

"We'd letcha go back 'n return it, but we gotta stay clear o' that place for awhile."

"Yeah, what was all that about, anyway" Kremy crossed his arms, leaning back against the banister beside the pile. "You tore outta there like the devil himself was chasin' you."

Gideon's face fell. He got up, setting Hootsie in Torbek's lap as she let out a confused trill. He moved past Kremy, heading for the door before he answered.

"Yeah, maybe he was."

He left before anyone could reply. Gricko sighed, shooting Kremy a frustrated look before getting up to follow the genasi. Kremy and Torbek shared a confused look.

"The hell did I say?"

===

Bonus Art:

Chapter Text

The mood aboard the Snail was tense for all of a few hours. Kremy went to the kitchen to start dinner. Torbek followed, but he was too gangly for the kitchen, his limbs knocking into pots and pans. Kremy banned him from the area, though he permitted him to sit outside the doorway with Hootsie while he worked.

He'd worried that he'd upset Gideon without actually meaning to, and that the other would avoid him. But he also knew how much Gideon had come to appreciate his cooking, and figured the way to lure him out would be through his stomach.

Sure enough, once he brought the pot to the table and started to dish it out, the crew came out. Gricko hopped into his seat, immediately chatting about their destination. Kremy passed Gideon a heaping bowl by way of an apology. He took it was a small smile.

Once dinner was served, Kremy sat, listening in as Gricko told some story about this friend of his they were going to see. Torbek was already rapt in attention, his mouth agape as he held the spoon to it.

"An' he blew up the guy! Wit' his mind!" Gricko waved his arms for dramatic effect, mimicking an explosion.

Kremy frowned at him over his bowl. "You're tellin' me you know some kinda psychic? With mind powers?"

Gricko nodded excitedly. "It was awesome!"

Kremy turned to Gideon for confirmation, but the mechanic just shrugged with that same tiny smile. Didn't seem like he was fully back to himself yet.

"Torbek can't wait to meet him!" He stopped, tilting his head. "Wait, he's not going explode Torbek's brain, is he?"

"Nah, not unless you're tryin' ta eat him."

"Torbek doesn't think he would."

Kremy thought of the wet sounds he'd heard in his bathroom mixed with Agdon's screams. He suddenly wasn't so hungry anymore.

 ===

The Snail landed the next afternoon outside the small town. While Kremy had never been personally, he'd heard a few minor things about the mountain town. It was colder than he expected, but most places were, being cold- blooded. There was snow capping the mountains, and Kremy lamented the loss of the bottom half of his skirt.

The town had a very small port, only enough spaces to hold one of two ships at a time. Thankfully, it was empty, and Gricko had no problem getting her parked. The crew disembarked, a good deal more cheerful than they'd been upon their last return to the ship.

Gideon seemed to be doing better. He was still a little quiet, and Kremy had yet to drag the reason out of him, but judging by his escape from the market, he could take a few guesses. He'd been working on something in the hull of the ship, taking up most of his time when he wasn't sleeping or eating. Kremy could hear noises from the floor while he worked in the kitchen. He wasn't sure what was going on, but it sounded like a lot of metal being clanked around.

Gricko was positively beaming, excited to visit his friend and show off his new temporary crew. He perched atop Hootsie's shoulders as the owlbear plodded happily along, leading the way. Kremy stayed close to Gideon, who gave off a radius of heat that was helping tremendously. Torbek followed after them, looking around.

They made their way to the largest building in the town, located at the far end. Some kind of church or library, if Kremy had to take a guess. The streets were wet with freshly cleared snow, and the cold seemed to keep all of the people inside. They were alone for their entire trek through town.

It didn't seem to bother Gricko, and Hootsie carried on up the steps without pause. Gideon pulled open the heavy wooden doors once everyone reached the top of the stairs, and they were all ushered in.

Kremy was right; it was some kind of old library. Though he supposed it could've once been a church. The ceilings were high, lined with shelves full of books, and the walls made of thick stone slabs. Not exactly the warm, cozy building Kremy had been hoping for.

There was a fire going in the back, where a sitting area had been set up. Tables and chairs, along with a few more comfortable chairs closer to the hearth. Kremy gravitated toward it, rubbing his arms with the chill.

"'Ello?" Gricko called out, and Kremy winced at the echo of his voice against the walls.

Something buzzed, and for a moment, Kremy worried he'd hear the familiar static once again. But this sounded different, more like a bee's wings than an old gramophone.

And then there was a face in front of his snout. He jerked back with a short noise.

"Oh! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare ya!"

Blinking, Kremy looked at the newcomer. She was about the same size as Gricko, maybe a little smaller. She was still at Kremy's level, however, because she floated above the ground. Her chestnut hair was curly, tucked under a crochet cap made to look like a mushroom. She stared at him, wide eyes and freckles behind giant glasses. Her tail swayed curiously behind her, ruffling the lace at the bottom of her dress.

"Twig!" Gricko hopped off Hootsie, scurrying over to the small woman.

"Gricko!" She beamed, floating away to meet him in the middle. "You guys took so long!"

"Had a run in a couple days ago," Gideon looked a bit sheepish, before grinning. "Hey Twigsy."

"Gideon!" she squealed, zooming over to the genasi and slamming into his chest in a hug. He patted her on the head, ruffling her hair.

"Where's Frosty?" Gricko looked around, hands on his hips. "I brought company an' everyfin."

"That's probably why he's hidin'," Gideon snorted.

"Not my fault he's anti-socal."

"Antisocial," came a tired monotone from one of the halls. "And I'm not. I was just coming back from the shop."

A tiger tabaxi stepped into the library proper, an open book in his hands. He was dressed smartly, in a dark green coat and top hat. He looked at the others in turn through small wired spectacles, his tail swaying lazily.

"Good thing I did, since I seem to have extra guests."

"Frosty!" Gricko took a running leap at him, jumping into his arms. He seemed to be expecting this, not even dropping his book as he caught the smaller man.

"This here's Kremy and Torbek. They're our new crew. F'r awhile, at least."

Kremy tipped his hat. Torbek gave an awkward wave.

"Nice to meet you,' the tabaxi nodded, making no move to force Gricko down. "My name is Morning Frost, but you can call me Frost And this is my research assistant, Twig." he nodded to the tiny form still attached to Gideon. "I wasn't aware Gricko was hiring new crew mates."

"Dire circumstances," Kremy went back to the fire, holding his hands out toward the flame. He was still feeling a little sluggish from the cold.

"Torbek is lucky Mr. Kremy is a good cook, or they might have thrown Torbek overboard."

Twig gasped, looking up at Gideon. "You wouldnt'a, wouldja?"

Gideon laughed. "'Course not."

Kremy huffed, only half teasing. "So you let me slave away in the kitchen for nothin'?"

"Not fer nothin', I've never eaten as good as I have since you came aboard," he sent a charming grin Kremy's way. The gator felt warmer suddenly. The fire must have done the trick.

"I brought 'em cuz Torbek wanted to see if ya knew anyfin' about somefin' called Witchlight."

Both Frost and Twig turned toward the bugbear. Once again, it was like they were seeing him for the first time, even though he'd already spoken. Twig flew away from Gideon, circling Torbek and looking at the canisters on his back. "Whoa! Where'd you get those?"

"Torbek's not sure," he twisted his head, trying to keep up with her. "The person in the market told Torbek it was from somewhere called the Feewild."

"Feywild," Kremy corrected. "Also mentioned somethin' about some hags."

Frost and Twig looked at each other. Frost frowned in thought. After a moment, he set Gricko down.

"Twig, can you help me with the tea?" he asked finally. She nodded, flitting over to him. "Please excuse us, we'll be back shortly with refreshments."

The others watched them go. Kremy frowned. "That was weird, right?"

Gricko shrugged. "Tha's just Frosty. He's fine."

"Get the feelin' they're talkin' about us behind our backs. Torbek especially."

Torbek whined.

"They're usually pretty nice, don't worry so much,' Gideon took a seat in one of the cushy chairs by the fire, draping his arms across the back of it. "We did kinda surprise 'em."

"Not like I coulda written a letter before we got here," Gricko ruffled Hootsie's fur.

"Gricko, you got a mind link with the guy, you coulda told him at any time."

"Oh yeah..."

"That's the psychic then?" Kremy curled his tail closer to the fire, careful not to burn it.

Gricko nodded. "He's so smart he got mind powers!"

"Is Frost making Twig fly?" Torbek asked.

"Nah, she just does that," Gideon shrugged. "It's a brownie thing, apparently."

Torbek made another noise in his throat. "Torbek could really go for a brownie."

"I got cookies," Twig flew back in, holding a small tray of baked goods. "But I'd 'ppreciate it if you didn't eat me."

"Torbek would never," he gasped, hand to his chest. She held the tray up for him, and he took a cookie from it, eating it in a single bite.

Frost returned soon after, rolling in a metal cart with a tea set. "Pardon the abrupt exit."

The rest of the crew gathered in front of the fire, settling in as they were served tea. Even Hootsie got a cup, although hers was a tin cup instead of china. She hooted happily, sipping the tea and nibbling at a cookie.

"You wanna know about the Feywild?" Twig fluttered down onto the arm of Gideon's chair, curling her legs under her.

"Twig is Feywildian," Frost mentioned, passing Kremy a cup and saucer. "Brownies aren't exactly normal around here."

"I always jus' thought she was some kinda beastie," Gricko said around a cookie, sending crumbs down his shirt.

"Do you know anythin' about these hags?" Kremy asked, sipping his tea.

"Well, I know they're really mean," she puffed her cheeks up with a frown before taking a cookie for herself. "There's three of 'em. They're sisters."

"Trinket said they were powerful," Gideon passed on the tea Frost offered him, though he did take a cookie.

"Who's Trinket?" Gricko took a seat between Frost and Kremy, his legs kicking. He took the offered teacup and slurped it obnoxiously. Kremy glared at him, but no one else seemed to mind.

"The darkling at the creepy shop," Torbek fumbled with his teacup in his large claws. "They made Torbek scratch them and they told us about stuff."

"Scratch you?" Frost frowned, peering at him over his spectacles. "Why would they want that?"

"Pretty sure it was a sex thing," Kremy snorted.

"Well," Twig tilted her head, looking at Torbek's claws. "Maybe it was a Witchlight thing?"

Frost shrugged. "I suppose it could be. You'd know more about it than I would."

"Well, sometimes, Frosty," Gideon grinned, "People like it when you hurt 'em a little during--"

"Not that," the tabaxi cut him off, tersely. His tail flicked in annoyance, embarrassment, or both, knocking against Gricko's side. "The Witchlight."

"What is that stuff, anyway?" Kremy asked. "They wouldn't tell us anythin' about it. Which was kinda against the deal we made, now that I think about it..."

"Maybe it makes up for Torbek stealin' from 'em?" Gricko pointed his cup at the bugbear, who let out a groan.

"Witchlight is that pink stuff," Twig fluttered over to Torbek, tapping a finger against the canisters. "There's not usually so much of it in one place though! It's made of a lot of Feywildian stuff, mostly mushrooms. Just a little bit does weird things."

"What sorta weird things?" Kremy asked, thinking of the encounter with Torbek's possessed form.

Twig shrugged. "All sorts! I saw one guy breathe a little in and he thought he was a vampire for awhile!"

"So it's drugs, then."

"Well, I guess? If drugs can make your head turn into a donkey."

"Like, meta-pour-ically?" Gricko reached down, feeding Hootsie another cookie.

"Metaphorically," Frost corrected softly.

"No, like a real donkey head!" Twig waved her arms. "He hadta keep sayin' 'hee haw' after everything!"

"Feywildian things tend to have magical properties," Frost explained. "It's a realm outside our own. I've often wondered how it could be harnessed in our day to day life."

Kremy sighed, rubbing at his temple. "I have a feelin' you ain't the only one."

Of course, Garou would want something like that. He had to know something about the Feywild. Whoever had Torbek had sold him to Garou, promising him whatever power this Witchlight could give him.

"So what kinda time bomb is Torbek, with this much concentrated magic stuff?" Gideon stared at the canisters.

"I dunno!" Twig went back to her spot at the arm of his chair, sipping her tea. "I haven't seen that much in one place before, 'specially not attached to a non-Feywildian!"

Torbek whimpered. "Torbek doesn't wanna be a bomb!"

"Jus' relax!" Gricko offered a sympathetic smile. "Stressin's only gonna make it worse anyway!"

"I don't think that's the comfort you think it is," Frost told the goblin, nodding to Torbek, who'd only curled in on himself more, teacup shaking a bit in his hands.

"What are the chances of these hags comin' here, lookin' for him?" Kremy changed the subject, though not exactly for the better.

Twig hummed in thought. "Well, not really big. The hags're strong, but all their power comes from the Feywild. So if they left, they'd be pretty weak, actually."

"Hear that, Torbek? Y'got nothin' to worry about!" Gideon reached past Twig with the tray of cookies, holding it up to the bugbear, who took another few.

"A'course, they could just send some others to do it for 'em."

"Agdon," Kremy set his cup down. Torbek looked at him, reaching up to fiddle nervously with the scarf he still wore.

"Wasn't that the guy you said died?" Gricko's ear flicked, curious.

"He was a rabbitfolk," Kremy explained. "He just... appeared in my apartment. I heard this static noise, the same one I heard at Trinket's shop..."

"Sounds like a portal," Twig's tail swished behind her, curious. "That's definitely Feywildian."

"So it seems like they're already after him, unfortunately," Frost adjusted his glasses.

"Yeah, but that was all the way in Agwe, we ain't seen anyone else since then, aside from Trinket, and we ran into them by chance." Kremy frowned.

"Was it?"

"The fuck you mean?" he scowled at the tiger.

"Seems unlikely that the same market you go to happens to have a Feywildian creature there who knows information on Torbek."

Torbek whined, his shoulders hunched. Kremy started to reply, when he heard the noise again. The static. Both of them looked to Twig for confirmation. Her floppy ears twitched, and she nodded.

Before anyone could speak, glass shattered from another room. Frost was up in an instant, whirling around toward where he'd come with the tea cart.

"Please tell me that's just your roommate or somethin'," Kremy said warily.

"It seems like we're about to have more company," Frost deadpanned.

Chapter Text

"What do we do?" Torbek cowered in his chair, looking to the closed door where the noise had come from.

"Well, whoever it is, it's obviously here for you," Twig flitted around him, nervous. "Should we make a break for it?"

"I can't leave all this behind," Frost frowned, gesturing to the shelves of books. "There's priceless information here."

"I don't fink they're interested in the books, Frosty," Gricko hopped off the sofa, rousing Hootsie, who'd settled in for a nap by the fire.

"They picked a bad time," Gideon grinned, looking delighted. "I've been itchin' for a fight."

Kremy put a hand up. "Maybe there's no one there at all? It's been awful quiet since the glass. Did somethin' just fall?"

Gideon was already on his feet, striding to the door. "I guess we'll find out!"

As soon as his hand touched the knob, the door was wrenched open. On the other side stood a girl, about half Gideon's size, wearing a pig mask and carrying what looked like a giant lollipop. It surprised him so much, he froze, giving the girl an opening to swing the lollipop, catching him in the shin.

"Fuck!" his leg buckled, knocking him down to a knee. The girl darted past him, into the main room with a gleeful laugh.

The others were up in an instant. Torbek cowered behind his chair with Twig. Gricko and Frost made to intercept the girl, but were suddenly tripped. A shadow slid along the floor, coming from the same room the pig- mask girl had, wrapping around each of their legs and yanking them down. The shadow rose from the floor, its form a woman in a flowing dress and a crescent mask circling their face. It floated between the pair of them as they struggled to stand, suddenly feeling weaker.

Kremy grabbed the first thing nearby, his empty teacup, and made to fling it at the pig- mask girl. His hand was stopped as something wrapped around his wrist, almost like a snake. He looked up to find a... tongue?

A frog- like creature hopped in from the back rooms, its tongue long, slimy and wrapped around Kremy's arm.

"Fuckin' gross!" he yelled in disgust, frantically waving his arm to free it.

By now, Gideon had recovered, and swung, catching the frog in the side of the head with a crack. It let out a pained noise, its tongue going slack and allowing Kremy to yank his arm away. It was covered in a thick ooze of drool and he gagged, trying to wipe it off. Then he went stiff, suddenly paralyzed. He fell back, unable to stop himself.

Torbek, seeing Kremy fall, rushed from his hiding place in time to grab the gator before he fell into the fireplace. He held the other up, catching his hat before it fell off his head. "Is Mr. Kremy okay?"

"No!" he snapped through clenched teeth, barely able to open his mouth, "The damn thing did somethin' to me! I can't move!"

Torbek looked to the others for help. Twig and Hootsie had rushed to help Frost and Gricko, who were being tapped on the head by the shadow as soon as they managed to push themselves up again. It looked like it was getting more difficult each time, as if the shadow was sapping their strength each time it touched them.

Twig flew at the shadow, letting out a little growl as she released a puff of orange dust from her palm. It didn't seem to affect the shadow at all, though it slunk away from the pair at least. Hootsie nipped at the edge of their dress with an angry trill before moving to help her Papa and his friend. She nudged at him with her beak, before nipping at the back of his vest, pulling the goblin onto her back, and moving to do the same for Frost.

Gideon kicked the frog creature before it could get back up. He looked around. Weren't there three of them before? The pig- mask girl was missing!

"Torbek, watch out for the other one!" he yelled, whirling around to try and spot her.

Torbek kept a tight grip on Kremy, glowing eyes darting around the room. It was too big, and there were so many places she could hide!

Something came running at him with a screech. He ducked as low as he could without dropping Kremy, his hulking frame quite limber. The pig- masked girl, who had attempted to jump on his back, instead leapt over him. Directly into the waiting fireplace.

She let out a howl of pain, scrambling away from the hearth. Torbek danced away, holding Kremy up to keep him out of harm's reach as the girl flailed, screaming as she tried to put herself out.

Crashing into tables, the upholstered chairs, and anything else in her way, the poor thing lit up whatever she touched, flames quickly catching on the furniture. She collapsed, finally, but the damage had been done. The fire spread, helped along by the shadow, who seemed intent on making things worse, and didn't seem bothered by her companions' defeat. She scooped up the fire, tossing it against the shelves to catch.

Frost looked up from where Hootsie was tugging at his coat, trying to pull him away. "The books!"

Torbek, panicking at the sight of all the fire, looked towards Gideon for instruction. Twig and Hootsie were managing with Frost and Gricko, despite Frost's struggles as his library went up in flames. He didn't seem to have the strength to put up much of a fight, and Gricko was limp on Hootsie's back. Kremy was still locked up, eyes darting around wildly.

Gideon turned, leaving the lorning in a heap on the floor. "Fuck, okay, we gotta get outta here! Torbek, help Hootsie and Twig get everyone out!"

"What about Gideon?" Torbek asked, moving toward the group to easily pick up Frost in his other arm.

"I'll deal with the last one, we can't let her get the Witchlight if she's gonna give it to those hags!"

Twig zipped past Torbek, knocking into the shadow. This worked better than her powder had, and the shadow seemed solid enough to be forced back.

"Take 'em all to the ship!" she commanded, flying circles around the shadow, dodging her swipes and distracting her.

"Not this time, Twigsy," Gideon grabbed her by the back of her apron. "Hootsie, catch!"

The owlbear turned around just as Gideon tossed the brownie, leaning up to catch her by the collar in her beak. She followed Torbek as he started to drag the others outside, despite the small woman's flailing limbs and complaints.

Kremy couldn't see past Torbek's shoulder and the Witchlight containers, but he could hear Gideon yell something at the shadow, something about reading it a story and putting her to bed. He seemed sure of himself, but Kremy worried about the fire. The room they were in was going up fast, and if he didn't get out soon, Gideon would be trapped in it.

Torbek and Hootsie pulled their friends to the safety of the outside. Torbek looked conflicted, holding onto Frost and Kremy.

"Gideon said Torbek should take you all back to the Snail."

"He needs help!" Twig shouted, kicking uselessly against Hootsie's grip. "You gotta go in there and help him, don't be a li'l bitch!"

The bugbear nodded, moving to set the others down. Before he could, however, the front door blew open in a burst of flame. The force of it sent them all down the stairs, and Torbek and Hootsie tried their best to protect the others as they fell.

Kremy landed on top of Torbek as he twisted, trying to cushion their fall. He looked up the stairs toward the doorway, where a figure stood among the flames. For a moment, he worried it was the shadow; that she'd gotten the best of Gideon and would come finish them all off.

But instead, Gideon stomped through the doorway, looking a little roughed up, but otherwise in good spirits. He patted out a few small flames on his shirt, taking the stairs quickly.

"I said get to the ship!" he huffed, grabbing Kremy and hoisting the paralyzed gator over his shoulder. "Let's go before this whole place blows!"

"Shouldn't we call the fire department or somethin'?" Kremy gritted out.

"No one's here to help," Frost replied, miserable as he dangled from Torbek's arms. "The stone walls and Twig's wards will keep it contained, but there's no saving it."

"Sorry, Frosty," Gricko sounded near tears, barely able to raise his head from Hootsie's fur.

"Can the town help?" Torbek asked with a whine, looking around.

"Everybody's gone," Twig mumbled. "We were the only ones left."

Gideon sighed. "Yeah, sorry Frosty. But we gotta go."

The tabaxi nodded quietly. Gideon, Torbek and Hootsie dragged their companions away from the library.

It was a slow walk through town, and Kremy realized that where he'd thought people were just in their homes, avoiding the snow, instead was just deserted. No lights were on in any of the houses; even the street lamps hadn't been lit against the coming evening. The brightest light came from the windows of the burning library behind them.

Once everyone was aboard the Snail, Gideon went to work. He had Torbek set the others up in one of the rooms they hadn't used. This one seemed to be an infirmary or sorts, lined with a few cots and not much else. Torbek deposited Frost on one, before taking Gricko from Hootsie and Kremy from Gideon, lining them up. Twig settled on his shoulder, sniffling.

The mechanic left them there, and along with Hootsie, went to start the ship. Torbek slid down against the wall beside the cots, legs up past his head as he curled in on himself, exhausted now that the danger was over. Twig curled up on his shoulder, face buried in his jacket. He reached a hand up to pat her on the head gently.

"Can't believe it's gone," Frost sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I really am sorry, Frosty," Gricko's head flopped over, turning to look at the tabaxi.

"Torbek is sorry too," he called from the corner. "Torbek didn't know there were monsters chasing him."

Twig sat up, scrubbing her arm against her face. Her large glasses were knocked askew, her eyes red with tears. She dabbed at them with the collar of Torbek's jacket before flying off his shoulder toward Gricko's cot.

"Hey Twig, got any o' that magic powder left?" he looked at her with half- lidded eyes. "Feel like me legs've turned t'jelly. Along wit' the rest o' me."

"Our fucking legs, Gricko," Frost monotoned.

Twig reached into her apron pocket, holding a handful of something. She sprinkled it on Gricko, more of the orange powder she'd flung at the shadow. It didn't seem to do much, but it was enough to let Gricko sit up, slowly easing off the cot.

"Only got 'nough for one," she said, sadly. "You'll hafta fix the others up yourself."

"S'okay," he smiled, wobbling a bit on his feet. "Not much I can do anyway. Think I might be able t'fix Kremy, but me 'n Frosty jus' need some sleep."

"Please do," Kremy managed. The strain of his muscles being locked up was starting to hurt.

Torbek stood, helping Gricko over to Kremy's cot. The goblin clapped his hands, rubbing them together before setting them on Kremy's arm.

It felt like a mixture of cool water and electricity flowing through his veins. Kremy hissed, more from the sensation than the pain. Because it wasn't painful. In fact, it was the absence of pain. His body slowly relaxed, letting him move again. Even his shoulder, with Agdon's brand scar, felt better. He sat up, rolling his shoulders.

"The hell was that?"

Gricko shrugged, falling back to lean against Torbek's legs. "Jus' a little speck-i-all-itay o' mine."

He looked toward Frost's cot, expecting the correction, but heard nothing but soft breathing as the tabaxi had settled in to a deep sleep.

 ===

Gricko was right; they did feel better after some sleep. At least physically.

Night had fallen proper by the time Frost found himself on the deck of the Snail. The others were still below. Kremy had made a half- hearted attempt at dinner, but he wasn't feeling particularly up to it after everything. None of them were, so no one really complained about leftovers and sandwiches. Gideon and Twig were in the ship's hull, doing something. They'd dragged Torbek along.

Frost leaned against the railing, arms folded under his chin as he stared into the night sky. They were long gone from Yulong by now; he wasn't sure where they were going now. Kremy and Gricko were trying to figure that out, since Frost had been their last lead, and he hadn't been able to help them.

"Y'alright, Frosty?" Gricko's voice startled him, his fur rising for a moment before settling back down. The goblin padded across the deck, climbing up onto the rail beside him.

"I've been better," he replied in his wry monotone.

Gricko hummed. "We really didn't mean t'bring them beasties to your library."

"I know, I can't really blame you for it," he sighed, tapping a paw against the rail. "It's just... unfortunate."

The pair sat in silence for a while, Gricko leaning his side against Frost's shoulder. Frost let him, relaxing a bit. They still felt a little off, weakened from whatever the shadow had done to them. It wasn't their normal routine, usually Gricko would talk away with some story while Frost hummed and interjected where needed. This time, Gricko was waiting for him to talk, if he wanted to.

Eventually, he sighed again, tail twitching behind him. "I was always taught to put the mind over everything. I suppose this is what I get for ignoring that."

Gricko frowned. "Whatcha mean by that?"

"I put too much weight onto material things. All those books. I collected them, thinking they'd come in handy. And now, they're gone."

Shrugging the shoulder not pressed against his friend's side, Gricko mumbled. "Ain't that the mind though?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"'S books, innit? All the knowledge in 'em. That's mind stuff. So y'weren't tech-nee-clay wrong."

"Technically," Frost's lips quirked in the smallest smile, barely there unless you know what you were looking for. Luckily, Gricko did. "I suppose you might be right. Technically."

"You didn't do anyfin' wrong, Frosty. Sometimes shit jus' happens. We was tryin' to help a friend, and things went wrong. Can't blame yourself for that."

"You seem to be trying to," Frost shot back.

Gricko's ear twitched, grinning. "Do as I say, not as I do."

Frost snorted.

"Anyway," the goblin continued. "Y'know you're welcome here as long as y'need. Twig too. We're happy t'have ya."

"Thank you," Frost was quiet again. Gricko didn't mind; Frost was just like that a lot of the time.

"I wish I'd packed more," the tabaxi eventually said, wryly.

Gricko chuckled. "Well, you're not the first t'board the Snail with nofin'. Kremy's skirt's pretty much torn t'shreds. We seem t'take in a lotta emergency strays."

Frost shivered a bit, a breeze riffling his fur. "I didn't even save my hat."

Gricko stood, balancing on the rail. Frost was concerned he might fall, but if anyone knew how the ship moved, it was him. He leaned in closer, and Frost felt something warm cover his head. Gricko's hat, the floppy brown newsboy cap he'd worn since Frost had known him.

"Y'looked kinda weird without one, anyway," the goblin grinned at him. "So you can take mine."

Frost smiled softly, looking at the stars again. "Thank you, Gricko."

===

This chapter's Bonus Art!

Chapter Text

Torbek sat on the metal floor of the ship's hull, knees on either side of his head. Twig sat atop his head, her tail occasionally brushing against the fur of his ears, making them twitch. He toyed with the scarf around his neck, claws picking at the wool.

Behind him, Gideon sighed. He paced from one side of the bugbear to the other, scratching his beard as he examined the Witchlight canisters. "Somethin' tells me that bangin' on it with a wrench ain't gonna help."

"I mean, unless we wanna see if he'll explode?" Twig tapped on the glass of one. "Never tried it before."

"Torbek would rather we didn't do that," the bugbear whined, twisting his head back as much as he could without dislodging Twig.

"Just wish I understood how it worked," Gideon huffed, crossing his arms. This was a challenge he couldn't seem to solve, and it frustrated his mechanic's mind.

"Torbek doesn't understand either, and it's attached to Torbek's body."

Twig patted his ears. "If we could figure out who did it, we could ask them!"

"Agdon mentioned someone called the King of Hearts," Torbek tugged on the scarf.

"Oh," Twig's face went pink, covering her freckles in a blush.

Gideon raised a brow. "You know the guy, Twigsy?"

She squeaked. "Well, I don't know him, but I've heard of him! He's pretty... pretty uh, popular, in the Feywild."

"He the kinda guy that would hook something like this up to Torbek?"

"Couldn't say! I've never met him. But if he knows about Torbek, maybe it'd be a good idea to ask him!"

"Agdon wanted to take Torbek prisoner to see him," Claws gripped the scarf. "Torbek doesn't know if that means he's a very good person. But Mr. Kremy seemed to think it was a good idea, before Gricko suggested Frost."

Gideon did something to Torbek's back that made the bugbear let out a howl of pain, jerking away from him.

"Sorry! Sorry! Just wanted to see how attached it was!"

"Pretty attached!" Torbek snapped, curling up.

"Yeah, it's definitely in there," the mechanic hummed. "Maybe Trinket was right about this not gettin' outta you without killin' you."

"Does it do anything?" Twig asked, righting herself on Torbek's head after she was nearly flung off. "Or is it just stuck in there?"

Torbek whined. "It did, once. When Agdon Longscarf burned Mr. Kremy, Torbek got really mad, and the Witchlight started moving."

"Moving?"

He nodded. "It got pushed into Torbek's body. It made his claws grow." Mr. Kremy hadn't mentioned the Other Torbek that he'd seen when Torbek couldn't remember. So Torbek figured he didn't want the others to know. He was worried they'd kick him off the ship if they knew he could be dangerous. Beisdes, it hadn't happened since that first time at Mr. Kremy's apartment, maybe that was just a random fluke?

"So it does somethin' when you get mad?" Gideon peered at the top of the canisters, before taking a small notebook from his cargo pockets, scribbling something. "Like some kinda pressure release, that makes the Witchlight react..."

"Do Gideon and Twig think it's a good idea to find the King of Hearts?"

"I'd like to meet him," Twig's tail swished.

"Dunno," Gideon shrugged. "Guess we should talk it over with Kremy and Frost."

"Torbek thinks that-- OW! Gideoooon!"

"Sorry!"

 ===

Kremy had no idea where to go. It had been a few days since the Yulong incident. Gricko had asked for his input, but he had nowhere to lead them. Eventually, they settled on a destination to refuel and get supplies, but they wouldn't reach town until tomorrow.

The only lead he had was the King of Hearts guy that Agdon had mentioned. But he didn't know anything about him. Twig had heard of him, but no one knew where to find him. Hell, for all Kremy knew, he wasn't even on this plane! Not to mention they didn't even know where he would fall on the scale of things. Would he want to deal for the Witchlight? Was he the one who did that to Torbek in the first place?

The longer he stayed on this ship, with Torbek and the Witchlight, the more danger they were in. From more Feywildians finding them, and from Garou tracking him down for stealing the bugbear in the first place. He'd figured that having something so valuable that creatures from another plane of existence wanted enough to come here to get it, he'd be able to move the goods a little quicker.

For now, he was stuck on an airship with an annoying crew, the tiniest kitchen he'd ever worked in, no destination, and not even a decent suit to replace his ripped dress. The stress was getting to him.

He rubbed at his temple, trying to soothe the headache he could feel brewing. The dining room was quiet, everyone else having gone to bed a few hours ago. They were all feeling strangely, he could tell, since the attack in Frost's library. Gricko and Frost had complained for days about feeling weaker than they had; the shadow creature had done something to sap their strength. Kremy himself had taken a day to recover, even with whatever Gricko had done to him, he still felt weird tingling in his limbs, as if they were asleep, at random intervals. That frog slobber had definitely done a number on him. Torbek and Gideon seemed fine, the bugbear had been a bit jumpier than usual for awhile, but he was starting to relax again. Gideon seemed to be faring the best, Kremy figured he'd gotten some pent- up energy out in that fight.

Kremy took a sip of his coffee, his snout scrunching up when he found it cold. He must have been sitting there longer than he thought. He got up to return to the kitchen, ready to dump the rest of it and go back to bed. Upon reaching the doorway, he almost dropped the cup in surprise. In the dark of the kitchen was a hulking figure, just standing there. Kremy started to panic, before he noticed the glow of the Witchlight behind them.

"Torbek!" he hissed, clutching the half- full cup to his chest. "What the hell are you doin' out here in the dark?!"

Torbek jumped, as if Kremy were the one who'd surprised him. His glowing eyes landed on the gator, wide before turning sheepish. "Torbek is sorry, Mr. Kremy. He knows he's not allowed in the kitchen, but Torbek was hungry and everyone else was asleep."

Kremy winced at the bugbear's volume, so loud in the quiet. "Okay, okay! Just let me through!" He pushed Torbek to the side, clearing enough space in the doorway to get by him. It was a tight fit, the kitchen really was too small for two normal sized people to share, let alone a giant with two massive glass canisters on his back. He wrangled Torbek into a corner, giving him a little room to work. He set his cup on the counter and planted his hands on his hips, looking around the kitchen.

"Okay, what do you want?"

Torbek made a little worried noise in his throat. "Mr. Kremy doesn't have to—"

Kremy held up a hand. "It's fine. I'm the ship's cook, after all. Plus I need somethin' to keep me distracted." The less he focused on how lost he felt, the better. Cooking was something he knew.

"Torbek is happy with anything. He was just gonna eat some of the dinner scraps."

Kremy blanched. "I'm not lettin' you eat garbage, Torbek, that's disgustin'."

He shrugged. "It's not so bad."

Kremy shook his head in annoyance, starting to open up cupboards. He didn't feel like going all out, and he didn't want to make too much noise, but he wanted something a little more involved than reheating leftovers. "Pancakes?"

Torbek's hunched shoulders straightened as he perked up. "Torbek loves pancakes!"

"Alright," he nodded, getting a bowl from the top cabinet. "Get in the icebox and pass me the milk."

He had to wiggle to get his hand into the icebox, pulling out the glass container of milk. Luckily Gricko insisted that Hootsie needed it for her 'growing bones', so they always had some on hand. He didn't have to move, the kitchen was so small that his long arms could reach across, handing the bottle to Kremy.

Kremy went to work, gathering ingredients and starting a batter. He felt a bit more relaxed, getting into the routine of making something. Torbek didn't say much, letting him work and watching him with interest. In the quiet of the too- early morning, it was peaceful.

Kremy was just plating the first round of pancakes when Gideon trudged into the doorway. He looked half- asleep still, night clothes rumpled and stifling a yawn.

"Thought I smelled somethin' cookin'…" he rumbled, running a hand through his hair and failing to straighten it at all.

"Mr. Kremy made pancakes!" Torbek beamed, his tail thumping softly against the icebox behind him.

"I could go for some pancakes," Gideon seemed to wake up a bit more at the idea.

Kremy smiled easily, setting the plate on the counter between them. "Well, have at it. I'll start another batch, I'm sure the others'll want some too."

He turned back to the ship's small stove, stirring the batter to start the next round. Behind him, he could hear the plate moving over the wood of the counter.

"Those were Torbek's pancakes," the bugbear muttered sadly.

"Gotta be quicker," Gideon replied, mouth full.

The plate moved again. And again. And again. There was a sad growl and a laugh.

Kremy rolled his eyes. "I'm makin' more, y'all don't have to fight—"

He turned around, still holding the bowl of batter, just in time for something to hit him directly in the face. Something soft and sticky. It surprised him into silence.

The rest of the kitchen was deadly still as well. The syruped pancake slid off of Kremy's snout and down to the floor in a mess, leaving a furious gator glaring at the pair of them, who hadn't moved a muscle since their prize had escaped.

"He started it!" Gideon nearly leapt from the table, pointing at Torbek.

Torbek let out a scared kind of shriek. "Torbek did not! Gideon wasn't sharing!"

Kremy didn't say anything, his death stare leveled at the pair as they grew increasingly more panicked.

"Look, Kremy—"

"Torbek is sorry, Mr. Kremy!"

Without a word, Kremy stepped over the discarded pancake, he made it across the tiny kitchen in a quick few steps. Before either of them could move away, he slammed the bowl on the table, reaching out to grab them both by their collars, one in each hand.

They could've resisted, but neither one was brave enough to try, simply being pulled closer.

"It's too early for y'all's shenanigans," he said, voice low.

"We didn't mean to!" Gideon put his hands up, placating.

"Torbek just wanted a pancake!" Torbek whined, ducking low to stay in Kremy's grasp.

He let them go, pushing them both back a bit with the force of it. The three of them stood for a moment, locked in a standoff.

Finally, Gideon couldn't help himself. He reached over, tapping a finger against Kremy's snout. It came away sticky with syrup. "You got somethin' right here…"

"OH, THAT'S IT!" Kremy snapped, jaws nearly catching Gideon's finger.

Luckily, he was quick enough to jerk the hand away, moving around the other side of the counter to duck behind Torbek, who looked like he might cry.

Kremy leapt after him, hands grasping at air as the genasi narrowly avoided him. He climbed on the counter, towering over them.

"Torbek, move!" he demanded, reaching for Gideon.

"Torbek is trying!" he whined, squirming. Gideon held on to his shoulders, keeping him in front like a humanoid shield.

Kremy reached for him again, but Gideon ducked to the side, taking Torbek with him. The bugbear swung his long arm out, trying to keep his balance. Kremy stepped back, not wanting to get caught by the claws, but his foot caught on the bowl, tripping over it and sending batter all over.

Torbek caught him before he could fall, hands wrapping around his waist in a way that would send his thoughts spiraling, if he weren't so shocked. The bugbear held him up. "Is Mr. Kremy okay?"

He dangled, wondering how he got in this position. His face was sticky with syrup, his shoe was caked in pancake batter and he was being held like a rag-doll.

"Did we break 'im?" Gideon peeked out from behind Torbek's arm.

Seeing his opportunity, Kremy lifted his foot up, pressing his batter-covered boot right into Gideon's face. The genasi let out a yell, batting his foot away and trying to wipe his face off on Torbek's shirt.

Torbek giggled, a rumbly thing in his throat, setting Kremy back on the table. While Gideon was busy trying to clean his face, Torbek scooped up some of the goop from the table, adding to the mess on Gideon.

"That's for stealing Torbek's pancakes!"

"You got a li'l somethin' there, cher," Kremy teased, pointing to his face with a devious grin.

"You're gonna regret that!" Gideon pushed Torbek aside, going for the spilled bowl to grab a handful.

Kremy stepped back again. "Don't you dare…!"

Gideon dared.

===

When Frost shuffled into the hall after his morning meditation, he was surprised to see Gricko and Hootsie standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Twig was on Hootsie's back, laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes.

Gricko caught sight of him, waving him over with a gleeful grin. "Frosty, come check this out!"

Curious, Frost padded down the hall. The first thing he noticed was the mess. The kitchen was small, something he'd already heard Kremy complain about during his short stay on the Snail. But it was now covered in some kind of goo. The walls were lined with it, splashes against the cabinets and counters. There was a pan on the stove, as if someone had been cooking. Thankfully, it had been turned off at some point.

"What happened?" he frowned. It looked like a bomb had gone off.

Gricko put a finger to his mouth, motioning him to be quiet. With the other hand, he pointed towards the back of the kitchen, behind the counter island where an upturned bowl explained some of the mystery goop. Some kind of batter, a baked good.

Frost stepped into the kitchen proper, swerving around splotches of it on the floor. Thankfully, he was wearing shoes. He leaned behind the counter, eyes widening.

In a heap on the floor were the rest of their crew-mates. Torbek was on the bottom, sprawled out in a way that looked uncomfortable with the Witchlight canisters; but he was fast asleep, snoring lightly. Gideon leaned against his side. Kremy was draped across the both of them, a claw curled in each of their shirts. All three were sleeping soundly and covered in pancake batter. Gideon had a footprint of it on his face, Kremy's scales were covered in it, and Torbek's fur was going to be a nightmare to clean later.

"Ain't they cute?" Gricko leaned against his side, arms crossed in fake disappointment. "But they didn't even make us any…"

===

Kremy grumbled, scrubbing at his face with a washcloth. The flour mixture was sticking, and it felt terrible after drying. His scales itched and his clothes were a mess. His dress was already ripped apart; he didn't know if it would even survive a wash!

Still… the look on Gideon's face when he'd pushed his boot into it. And Torbek's rumbly little growl of a giggle. He definitely felt better after letting out some of stress. It'd been quite some time since he'd let himself just do something dumb. It was kind of refreshing. He felt lighter.

Well, he would feel lighter after rinsing all the gunk off of his scales.

Kremy had gone to clean up, leaving the other two to fix the kitchen. The whole thing was their fault, so he wasn't letting them off easy. He scrubbed at his scales in the ship's washroom, wearing one of Gideon's shirts. Only he and Gricko had a change of clothes, and the goblin's weren't fitting anyone besides Twig. He really hoped his dress could be recovered.

He looked in the small mirror on the wall, turning his snout this way and that. Checking for any missed bits of pancake. Satisfied, he set the cloth aside, running a hand over his face.

As he opened his eyes again, the mirror wobbled.

He stopped, staring at the glass. A perfect reflection cast back. Obviously, he was tired, and his eyes were playing tricks on him. He needed to get some sleep, to take a nap before the ship landed for resupply.

Turning his back on the mirror, he got up to sneak back to his room before anyone caught him in the borrowed clothes. He only made it a few steps before he heard… calliope music?

He whirled around, tail thrashing. The room was empty. He searched, checking behind the small metal tub and all the wash basins. But the music still played, loud enough for him to hear, but not leaving the confines of the room.

"Who's there?" he demanded, baring his teeth.

No one answered him. The music played on. It got so loud, Kremy had to clamp his hands over his head. It didn't seem like anyone else could hear it; no one came to his aid, and the door remained shut.

Before he could say anything else, the mirror wobbled once again. Like it was a rippling pond instead of hard glass. It shone with a soft pink light, similar to Torbek's Witchlight containers.

And then a hand emerged from the glass.

Kremy fell back, landing on his ass and scooting away from it. The hand didn't seem to mind. Clad in a red velvet glove, it gave him a jaunty little wave.

Kremy scowled. "Who are you? What the hell are you doin', tryin' to peek in the bathroom!?"

The hand waved a finger, as if scolding him. It gestured with a flourish, and something appeared in its first two fingers. A slip of paper in a shining foil. The hand let the paper fall, weaving its way to the wood floor. Then it gave him a two- finger salute, before disappearing back into the glass.

The glow and the music faded, leaving Kremy alone once again.

He got up, creeping over to the mirror. Tapped on it with a claw to make sure the glass was really solid again. There was no sign of what he'd seen, no hand, no glow, not even any music.

But there was the paper. He bent over to pick it up, the foil shining in the light of the lamps. It looked like a ticket. Embossed on the foil were the words 'Witchlight Carnival, Group Pass'.

Kremy frowned, looking the ticket over. A carnival about Witchlight? Was it Feywildian? The mirror definitely seemed like Feywildian shit.

He supposed he had a lead now, at least. Whoever gave him this ticket obviously wanted to meet. And if they knew about the Witchlight, then they were probably interested in Torbek.

With a bit of persuading and luck, he could solve his problems quickly and get out of this mess. And it's not like it would be hard to convince the others to visit a carnival. Hopefully Twig knew something about it. He'd never heard of it before, but if it was a Feywildian carnival, maybe she'd know where to find it.

He left the washroom, ticket in hand, tail swinging happily behind him. Things were starting to line up for him.

===

This week's bonus art!

Chapter Text

As it turned out, it was very easy to convince the rest of them to go to a carnival. Gricko loved the idea, wanting to take Hootsie out for a day of fun. Gideon seemed on board, and Torbek had apparently never been to one before, but the others were making it sound so exciting, he couldn't wait to go. Twig was less enthused, but she said it was because the rides made her dizzy. Even Frost didn't seem against the idea.

The only problem was finding out where it actually was.

Kremy showed Twig the ticket. She knew about the Witchlight Carnival; she'd been a few times. He'd been right in his assumption that it was a Feywildian carnival. Usually people from the material plane weren't allowed. Twig explained that there was a certain amount of magic that was explainable to normal people, and then there was the Witchlight Carnival. Which only made them want to go more. Besides, if Kremy had received a ticket, then it was meant for them. It wouldn't find its way into the hands of someone that wasn't invited.

"So how do we find this carnival?" Kremy asked her, tipping a chair back on two legs.

The ship was docked, and the others had made their way into town. Kremy decided to stay behind, since their last few encounters outside hadn't gone well. Not to mention, he was forming a plan and didn't need any distractions. Twig had stayed with him when he'd presented the shiny foil ticket. The cookies he'd baked hadn't hurt, either. He'd had to promise Torbek a few times that he'd save some just to get him off the ship so they could talk.

"Well," she mumbled around cookie crumbs. "You got the ticket! Once you're invited, the carnival finds you!"

"So it's multiple places at once? How does that even work?" He frowned. "It can't just show up for everyone that gets a ticket…"

Twig shrugged. "It's magic, Kremy! It works however they want it to! And Mr. Witch and Mr. Light are pretty showy, so their magic makes a really nice carnival!"

"Huh…" he leaned his chin on a hand, thinking. "Carnival don't sound too bad, actually. Probably good money in it too…"

"Not a Feywildian one," she laughed. "Everything's free there!"

"That don't sound like a wise business idea…"

"It's not about business, it's about fun! Amazement! Puttin' on a show!"

He scoffed. "Well, if I had a carnival, it'd be makin' me money." He put the chair back on all its legs, folding his arms on the table. "So what, is this carnival gonna just show up now?"

Twig snagged another cookie off the plate, popping the whole thing into her mouth. She at least waited until she was done chewing to answer. "When they think it's the right time for you to visit, you'll find it."

"Well, hopefully they're eager to get a meetin'," he sighed.

More waiting…

===

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long. By the time dusk hit, the team had found their way back from town. Kremy had dinner ready, along with the promised cookies. It had gotten cloudy, and they decided to stay at the port for the night, since Gricko didn't feel like trying to navigate in the clouds.

Kremy was just about to turn in for the night, when Gricko yelled out from the pilot's room. Panicked and expecting the worst— one of many worsts this party could have— he ran for the end of the hall, slamming the door open and ready for a fight.

Instead he found Gricko with his face pressed against the glass, much like Torbek had on his first view of the outside.

"Kremy! Lookit!'

Before he had a chance to move, the others had collided with him, all crowding through the doorway to see why Gricko was shouting. He wound up on the bottom of a very heavy pile, air knocked out of his lungs by an unfortunate genasi elbow.

Twig fluttered in last, avoiding the mass of bodies on the floor. "What's goin' on? Oh! The Carnival!" She flew up to the window beside Gricko, looking out.

Kremy managed to wiggle out from under Gideon, tail thrashing. Coughing to get air back into his body, he staggered over to the window.

The darkness was lit up in flashing pink light. Where there had been a clearing and forest before was now a magnificent carnival. A Ferris wheel stretched high into the sky, taller than the Snail's balloons. He could see the tops of tents, lit up with floating globes of light. There was so much to take in, Kremy's eyes darted everywhere at once. This definitely hadn't been there when they'd docked!

"Is this the Witchlight Carnival?" Torbek peered over Kremy's shoulder once everyone had disentangled themselves. His eyes were wide, looking like a child at Yuletide morning.

"Yeah!" Twig perched on his back, sitting in between the canisters. "Guess they're in a hurry to meet you, Torbek!"

"Do you think they know how to get the canisters off?" Gideon watched the Ferris wheel spin.

"I'm sure they do!" Kremy wasn't sure, actually. But he hoped so. He needed to get rid of that stuff, and fast. If Witch and Light wanted to talk business, Kremy was happy to oblige.

Hootsie trilled, nipping at Gricko's sleeve, trying to pull him out the door.

"Okay, okay!" he laughed, ruffling her feathers. "I know it's late, but I guess y'can stay up a bit tonight…"

"I don't think we have much of a choice, if we want to meet with the owners," Frost didn't seem particularly interested, but his tail twitched behind him, betraying his curiosity.

Kremy adjusted his top hat. "Well, fellas, let's not keep 'em waiting!"

===

Despite being well into evening, the carnival was full of people. Twig had said that people on the material plane didn't normally attend, but there seemed to be a fair amount of them here. They mixed in with the crowd, shuffling toward the entrance. There were definitely Feywildians all around them; winged creatures like Twig flew past them, and creatures that Kremy couldn't even name wandered about, enjoying the dazzling mood of the carnival.

Kremy kept them all close, hoping not to lose anyone. He had the ticket, and he wasn't sure they'd all be let in if any of them got separated. He kept a claw in Torbek's jacket, making sure the bugbear wasn't out of his sight. He didn't need his bargaining chip wandering off and getting snatched by some Feywildian.

At the gate, the man at the ticket booth, a short gnome with a swirling hairstyle that reached taller than Gideon, looked over the ticket Kremy presented. He frowned at it, and for a moment, Kremy worried they'd been tricked. But the gnome put the ticket into his mouth, biting at the paper, seemingly to test its authenticity. Apparently he was satisfied, and he nodded.

"You're the ones Mr. Light sent for!"

"We are, indeed," Kremy drawled, tipping his hat. In honesty, he had no idea who sent him the ticket. But if it would get them to see the owners, he'd take it.

The gnome clapped his hands together. Suddenly a pixie fluttered into Kremy's face. He leaned away with a yelp, falling backwards into Torbek, who held him easily.

"Don't do that!" he snapped, glaring at the winged creature.

The pixie was small, even tinier than Twig. Her bright green hair was swirled into twin pigtails at the top of her tiny head. She didn't seem to particularly care that Kremy was yelling at her, rolling her eyes at his dramatics. She darted around the party, as if to corral them.

"Just follow Vickxi, she'll lead you to Mr. Witch and Mr. Light's caravan."

Gricko sniffed. "Ooh, she smells like menthol."

Frost pushed him forward. "Stop that, it's rude."

Vickxi wasted no more time, flying one more circle around the group before darting off. They hurried to follow her, Kremy diving through the crowd with a claw latched onto Torbek's jacket. Gricko was on Hootsie's shoulders, trying to steer her away from getting distracted. And Frost was trying to keep Gricko from getting distracted by various food carts and rides. Gideon stayed close to Kremy and Torbek, looking around curiously, while Twig rode on his shoulder.

The caravan in question was at the far end of the carnival, away from most of the crowd. Tucked in the back, behind the performers' tents and the big top was an unassuming wooden caravan. The outside was decorated in spirals of magenta and yellow paint, but otherwise looked plain.

Vickxi slammed against the door, and for a moment, Kremy worried she'd hurt herself. But she seemed fine, fluttering in front of the door until it opened. She said something he couldn't hear; he wasn't that far away, but pixies' voices were terribly small sometimes.

She darted off in a flurry of green, before any of them could say anything. But their attention was returned to the door as it burst open. A figure emerged in a puff of smoke, arms splayed as he regarded the group.

Gricko clapped his hands. The rest of them were shocked into silence.

"Thank you, you're too kind!" He smiled a dazzling grin, taking a wide bow. Kremy could definitely tell, this was the guy who gave him the ticket.

He was a pale gray, but his face was covered in costume makeup in red diamonds. Dressed like some kind of harlequin clown, with the most absurd jester hat Kremy had ever seen. He carried some kind of staff, a sort of weather vane that looked like a jeweled dragonfly. Waving it around, he appraised each of them in turn, going down the line. He arched a brow at Twig, who was perched on Hootsie. She frowned up at him, but the two didn't speak. He quickly moved on, ending with Frost, who stood at the far end of the group.

He clasped his hands together. "Wonderful! So glad to see you all! Thank you for agreeing to meet with us! I am, of course, your host, Mr. Light!"

There was a cough from behind him, and an arm waved away the remaining smoke. "What did I tell you about doing that in the caravan?"

Light waved him away. "It's called showmanship, Witch. Try it sometime."

"It's called a fire hazard, is what it is," the man huffed, crossing his arms. Witch was far more sensibly dressed, a long coated suit and top hat. He was the same kind of gray- toned elf as Light, though he seemed the straight man to Light's whimsy. Though plain, his cane tapped in time with Light's weather vane.

Witch zeroed in on Torbek, looking the bugbear up and down. Torbek shrunk behind Kremy, nervous about the attention.

"Wonderful." He clapped once, with far less flourish than his partner. His gaze turned to Kremy. "I'm assuming you're the one in charge?"

"Actually, I'm the captain—" Gricko started, before Kremy elbowed him, nearly knocking him off Hootsie.

"Of course! Whattado, Kremy Lecroux at your service!" He swept into a bow as well, tipping his top hat. "Pleasure to visit your wonderful attraction, fellas! Impressive place! Truly magical!"

"Ain't that what he said 'bout the Snail?" Gricko whispered to Gideon.

Kremy sent him a glare, before looping an arm around Torbek's back, shuffling him forward. "Heard you were interested in a bit of Witchlight! Funny thing, considering your names!"

Light giggled. Witch hummed, clearly unimpressed, but amenable.

"Well, there's no way you're all fitting in here!" Light tsked, looking at the caravan. "I'm no good with the negotiation, so I'll leave that to dear Mr. Witch." He glided away, wandering over to settle an arm over Frost's shoulders. The tabaxi tensed.

"How about we leave the gentlemen to talk business, and I'll give the rest of you the grand tour!"

"Sounds like fun," Gideon sounded relieved.

Kremy supposed most of them didn't have any kind of interest in this transaction. Waiting around in a tiny caravan wasn't going to be any kind of fun for them. He nodded, spinning Torbek around and ushering him towards the others. "That sounds like a great idea! Let the adults talk, you kids go play!"

Light didn't wait for the others to agree; he pulled Frost along. Frost stumbled, fur raised a bit. Gricko led Hootsie after them, grumbling about stranger danger, and Gideon followed with a laugh.

Torbek hesitated, looking back towards Kremy with a worried look. "Is Mr. Kremy sure?"

Kremy offered him an easy smile. "Sure, I'm sure! Go on and have some fun, y'all deserve it after everythin'. The rides make me sick anyway, I'd just get in the way. Me and Mr. Witch will have a discussion about helpin' you with those canisters, okay?"

He whined in concern, before nodding, hurrying off to follow Gideon, who gave the bugbear a little punch on the shoulder.

Kremy turned back to Witch. "Okay, let's talk business."

Witch smiled, leading him into the caravan.

Inside looked far more lavish than the exterior. Brightly colored cushions lined the sitting area, and strings of lanterns hung from the ceiling. Instead of candle light, they held more of the orbs Kremy saw lighting the carnival. Witch gestured to some of the cushions, and Kremy sat, tucking his skirts under him.

"I really am glad you agreed to meet," Witch started. "Light can be a bit… excessive. I was hopin' he hadn't scared you off."

Kremy thought back to the mirror on the Snail. "He's an eccentric one, that's for sure. It was mighty fortuitous though, I was just startin' to close in on makin' some deals, so I figured why not add one more option to the pot?"

Witch hummed. "Well, I'm sure you know what you've got there. I can tell you've had Feywildians breakin' down your door to get to it."

Kremy laughed. "You have no idea…" Technically, Agdon didn't break down the door, but he did make a mess of his apartment. "So, you've seen what I have to offer, how much are you willin' to put up?"

Witch chuckled, shaking his head. "You forget, Mr. Lecroux, that you're dealing with Feywildians, here. We don't deal with money."

He scowled for a moment, before easing back into his poker face. "Alright, what did you have in mind?"

"We've got plans for that bugbear of yours. I don't mind tellin' you. Never seen that much Witchlight in one place. Where did you find him, anyway?"

"Around," Kremy replied, shrugging a shoulder. "I won't say I'm a Feywildian expert, bein' from this plane and all, but I've heard some things about this Witchlight stuff."

"That it's drugs, or that it's a power source?" Witch huffed.

"Depends on who's talkin'."

"Well, you've seen the Carnival. It takes a lot of power to run somethin' like this on your plane. And steam power doesn't even come close."

"Suppose Frost was right then," he mused. "But why are you tellin' me all this? Not a good bluff, Mr. Witch."

The man laughed abruptly. "Suppose I've been hangin' out with Light too much. Subtlety's not exactly our specialty. I just know the other sorts of people after a prize like this, so I wanted to give you a… more humane offer."

"Humane?"

"Say you leave the bugbear with us. He gets a job at the Carnival, uses the Witchlight to help run the place. That's a far nicer option than some of these… creatures that would just use him until there's nothin' left."

Kremy frowned. He was hoping that there'd be a way to get the Witchlight off of Torbek. He really did want to help the other. As much as a bastard as he could be, the thought of selling a person didn't sit right with him.

"So those things, there's no detachin' 'em?"

"Hard to say," Witch sat back against the cushions, arms crossed. "Like I said, you don't see somethin' like that very often. Can't say I know exactly what all is goin' on with the thing. It's possible you could, but that'd be better asked to the person that made him."

"Well, that's unfortunate. I'm honestly not sure who's to blame for that. Best I've got is something about a King of Hearts."

Witch made a curious noise. "The King of Hearts, huh?"

"Heard of 'em?"

He laughed. "Every Feywildian has. He's famous. Now, whether or not they've ever met him is a different story. He prefers his anonymity."

"Is there a chance he's responsible for Torbek's condition?"

"Not my place to guess," Witch replied. "Nor is it my aim. I'm here to make a deal."

Kremy huffed quietly. So much for getting more information. "Well, instead of an offer, you gave me a business plan."

Another laugh, sharp and surprised. "Suppose I did. Well, like I said, I wanted to give you a humane option for the poor creature. But suppose you're lookin' for a reward as well."

"It's been a lot of trouble, just tryin' to recoup some losses…"

"Unfortunately, you won't find that here. But we can offer you somethin' you might like. For yourself and that crew of yours…"

"Such as?"

Witch stared at him. Kremy resisted the urge to squirm, trying to keep his cool demeanor when it felt like the man was peering into his mind. Damn Feywildians.

"Seems like what your group needs… is freedom."

Kremy frowned. "Come again?"

Witch spoke low, as if he was sharing a secret. "You've got some powerful enemies."

"And you could do somethin' about that?"

He grinned. "A Fey pact beats a contract."

Kremy froze in place.

"So, for you, the severing of a contract to someone far too powerful to keep crossing. For the others… I'm sure that genasi of yours would appreciate gettin' rid of those hobgoblins…."

How could he know about all this? Kremy didn't even know why Gideon was running from them, how could this stranger they'd just met?

"The tabaxi and the goblin though… suppose they're not runnin', not in the way you are. But they'd need a reward as well. I'm sure that owlbear could use a little protection from the world. The goblin would sure appreciate that. And for the kitty cat… heard there was a library in Yulong that went up in flames. I'm sure that could be replaced, with the right kind of magic."

Kremy's mind was whirling. It seemed too good to be true, but also too good to pass up. Not only could he be free from Garou, but the rest of them would get what they wanted as well. And Torbek… well, he'd be taken care of, wouldn't he? Witch and Light seemed like the good sort, they'd offered him a job.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

Witch had taken a pocket watch from his vest, cleaning it off even though it already shined in the light. "Does what hurt?"

Kremy's tail lashed behind him, and he hoped Witch didn't notice. "Powerin' stuff with the Witchlight. Would it hurt Torbek to do it?"

Witch shrugged, easy. "Couldn't say. Never done it, myself."

That wasn't the answer he was hoping for. "W-Well, you've made a generous offer, Mr. Witch. If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate some time to go over it with my crew, see how we feel about it and get back to you?"

Witch flicked open the watch, checking the time. "Afraid we ain't got that kind of time, Mr. Lecroux. Carnival's on the move, y'see. It's only here for the night."

"Seems like you've got me in a sort of a bind, then, Mr. Witch." His tail twitched despite his best efforts. He needed time to think about this. He'd thought he'd be able to get more information out of them, have time to consider the offer. He didn't expect to feel so bad about trading Torbek away.

Witch didn't seem concerned by his lack of an answer. He continued to stare at his pocket watch. Kremy shifted in his seat. Eventually, he sighed.

"It seems I ain't got no choice…"

Chapter Text

Kremy made his way out of the caravan. He felt like he'd been cooped up in there for hours. He was antsy and ready to leave. He felt twitchy; his tail wouldn't behave, thrashing behind him as he walked.

Witch didn't bother to show him out. He'd said all he needed to say. Kremy needed to find the others and leave, before he regretted what he'd done.

He looked around, hoping to see a sign of them in the crowd. It was a big place, but there weren't many seven-foot-tall bugbears with glowing pink canisters wandering around. Maybe he could just go back to the ship and wait for them? He felt like he was going to be sick if he stayed here for much longer. He felt nervous, like he was going to be found out at any time.

He made up his mind, heading for the entrance. He'd have to just meet up with them later. He couldn't—

"There you are!" A hand clamped down on his shoulder and he jumped, whirling away.

Gideon yanked his hand away, surprised. "Whoa! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you!"

Kremy shook his head. "It's fine, Gid. Y'all done?"

He looked past the mechanic, who was wearing a tiny pair of glittery fairy wings for some reason. The others were wandering up, looking far more relaxed than Kremy felt. Hootsie was carrying both Gricko and Twig; the brownie looked like she'd passed out at some point, though no one seemed concerned. Gricko was eating some kind of meat on a stick, feeding pieces of it to Hootsie as they walked. Torbek held some kind of stuffed animal, roughly the size of Gricko. Frost was still being led around by their tour guide; Light had an arm wrapped over his shoulder, a wry smile as he explained something to the other, who had something that looked like cupcake icing on the fur beside his mouth.

"I guess so. You finish up things with Witch?" Gideon frowned at him. "You're not lookin' too good, Krem, you okay?"

His claws worried at the edge of his gloves. "I— yeah, I'll be fine. Just uh… we should get goin'…"

Before Gideon could reply, the rest of them caught up. Torbek looked positively ecstatic, hurrying over to Kremy to shove the stuffed toy into his arms.

"Mr. Kremy! Torbek won you a prize!"

Kremy blinked. "What?" He looked down at the thing, finally focusing. It was a fluffy lavender unicorn with a rainbow yarn tail. Kremy froze.

"He felt bad 'bout you missin' the carnival to talk with Witch, so he wanted to win ya somethin'," Gideon grinned.

Kremy choked down an undignified noise, his arms curling around the unicorn's neck. "Look, fellas…"

Light interrupted, not letting go of Frost, but using his free arm to wrap around Kremy as well. "Mr. Lecroux! Good to see you again! I hope you had a nice chat with my partner!"

"Uh… yeah…"

"Wonderful! I hope you've made your decision. Because I've got to say, I am definitely taking Mr. Frost hostage until you trade Torbek for him!"

Kremy whipped his head around, nearly knocking into Light with his maw. "What?"

Frost was also confused, frowning at him. Torbek looked crestfallen.

Light laughed, patting him on the shoulder as he removed himself. "Only joking, my good man. Although if he wanted to stay, I could certainly find a place for him… in the carnival, of course."

Gideon snorted. Gricko looked like he was about to tell Hootsie to attack.

Kremy barked out a laugh; it didn't sound real, and he didn't care. "Okay! Well, if y'all are done with the carnival, I think we'd better head back… it's past Miss Hootsie's bedtime!"

The owlbear tilted her head at him, trilling in confusion. From behind her giant bow, Twig's face emerged, rubbing her eyes behind the giant lenses of her glasses.

"Kremy? Why're you bein' so loud?"

Light frowned for a moment, before his charming smile replaced it. He stepped in between Kremy and Twig, spinning Frost a bit, as he refused to let the tabaxi go. "Leaving so soon? You didn't even get to see the carnival, Mr. Lecroux!"

"I've seen enough, thanks," he returned the smile with one of his own practiced ones. He shifted the unicorn to one arm, using the other to start pushing Gideon toward the exit.

The genasi shot him a confused look, but thankfully got the message. "Alright guys, time to head back."

Gricko nodded, urging Hootsie forward. She bumped into Light as she moved, pushing him to the side to get between him and Frost. The goblin smirked, petting her head. "Atta girl, Hootsie. You wanna head home, huh?"

Frost didn't seem concerned either way, following after the owlbear. Twig turned to look at Light, sticking her tongue out at him. He returned the gesture.

Kremy looked back, watching as his crew followed him. All except Torbek, who hadn't moved, claws toying with his scarf and looking like a kicked puppy. Light patted him on the shoulder, a hand wrapping around his wrist as he turned, moving back towards his and Witch's caravan.

"Torbek, what're you waitin' for? Let's go."

Hearing Kremy call him, Torbek's face lit up, ears lifting from their normal flattened state. He nearly tripped, stumbling to catch up with them. Before Kremy could say anything else, he found himself scooped up, unicorn and all, as Torbek wrapped him up in a hug, spinning them in a circle.

"Torbek thought Mr. Kremy was gonna leave him here!"

Kremy yelped, kicking as his legs dangled in the air. "Put me down!"

He could hear Light behind them, sputtering a bit, indignant. He didn't want to look back, ready to get out of there before the pair decided to be less polite about his decision.

He grabbed Torbek by the sleeve once he was set down, starting to lead them all out of the carnival and back towards the ship.

===

Kremy groaned, throwing himself onto the small sofa in the common room. He tipped his head against the back of it so hard that his hat fell off onto the floor. Staring miserably at the ceiling, he scrubbed his hands over his eyes.

"'M done for…"

He felt the couch dip beside him. He slid his hands down, looking to see Gideon sat on the other end, frowning in concern. He had Kremy's hat in his hands.

"What's got you so worked up?" he asked. "The way you were actin' out there, i figured you'd made that deal."

Kremy groaned again. "I'm definitely loosin' my edge, Gid."

Gideon snorted. "Seem alright to me."

"Makin' the deal would've been the easiest thing to do. Witch would've fixed it all. My contract, Frost's library, Gricko's kid. Whatever you've got goin' on." He gestured aimlessly at him. "But they can't help Torbek. The best they can do is puttin' him to work at the carnival. Which ain't that bad, when you think about it. A job's a job."

"Sensin' a 'but' somewhere…"

Kremy huffed. "They'd make him use the Witchlight to do it. And… I've seen what happens when he uses that stuff, Gid, and it ain't good. For him, or for anyone else around."

Gideon hummed. "So you turned them down cuz they couldn't make sure he was safe?"

With a third groan, Kremy curled up on his side, hands gripping his snout. "I'm goin' soft! And now instead of gettin' a good deal outta them, we're in deep shit!"

"How so?"

"They knew everythin', Gid! Somehow he knew all about us. They knew about my… employer, about the library in Yulong. Hell, they knew more about your situation than I did!"

He frowned. "How d'ya think they know so much?"

He threw his hands up. "I dunno! Feywild bullshit! Maybe they got spies everywhere! Slinkin' 'round in portals and all. They could be anywhere! And I've royally pissed 'em off!"

Gideon was quiet for a moment, rubbing a hand through his beard in thought. He stared at Kremy's hat in his lap, rubbing a finger over the soft material of it.

"My situation… well, you saw how we got chased outta that market…"

Kremy pressed his cheek against the top of the couch, looking at the mechanic. "Those hobgoblins after you?" he asked, softly.

He nodded. "I uh… used to work for 'em. And it weren't voluntary. "

Kremy frowned, sitting up a bit to lean closer.

"I mean, you know how airships work, right?"

Kremy made a face. "Not too much. I'm guessin' like a lot of things, they use steam?"

Gideon nodded. "Coal and fire and steam, mostly." He snapped his fingers, and a tiny flame appeared in his hand.

He felt cold, all of a sudden, colder than usual. "They had you powerin' a ship?"

Nodding again, he dispersed the flame, running the hand through his hair instead. "The fire was… easier, I guess. That comes naturally. The steam was a bit trickier. Y'get steam with fire and water…"

"You got water powers too?" Kremy frowned.

"Nah, man," he chuckled softly. "But I got fire. And they had water. And weren't shy 'bout dousin' me with it when they needed…"

"Shit," Kremy whispered. "Gid, I'm sorry…"

He shrugged, toying with the feathers on Kremy's hat. "But I got out. Broke out, usin' these." He twisted his wrist, the manacle clinking softly. "Engineered 'em myself, whenever they weren't lookin'."

"What do they do?"

"Heat control," he replied, tapping at the dial on the side. "I can crank up my natural fire with 'em. Hobgoblins can be really flammable. So can airships."

A gruesome thought, but Kremy wasn't bothered. It was fair, after all. "Don't it bother you?" he asked instead. "Workin' on an airship after all that?"

"Nah," he shrugged. "Well, maybe at first. But Gricko's a good guy, he ain't gonna mistreat me. Plus, we're kinda co-owners at this point."

Kremy hummed. He supposed he'd still run business even if he wasn't under Garou's contract. "Doin' what you know, I guess?"

"Yeah, " he grinned. "No one knows this ship better'n me."

"I believe it," Kremy laughed.

They sat in silence for a few moments, lost in their respective thoughts. Eventually, Gideon reached up, setting Kremy's hat back on his head.

"Anyway, I brought it up cuz I wanted to let ya know, I don't think you made a bad call back there. Whatever dirt Witch has on us don't matter. You kept Torbek safe from bein' forced to work for people who only want him for his power and wouldn't care what happens to him. I can kinda relate."

Kremy stared at him, mouth open. He wanted to take the praise, but he only felt guilt at being willing to do it in the first place.

Gideon got up, leaning back to pop his spine. "We'll just hafta find someone else to try and help him. For now, y'all're still crew, so don't worry. Whatever they throw at us, we'll kick its ass."

Smiling with mirth he didn't feel, Kremy rolled back onto the couch. "Yeah. Thanks, Gid."

"Anytime, Krems." With that, he shuffled out of the common room, leaving Kremy to his thoughts once again.

He sighed, tipping his hat over his eyes to block the light. His head was starting to hurt from all the thinking he was doing. He should really go to bed. He still needed to figure out their next move, before the carnival owners could spill the beans to Garou. You really screwed it up big time, Lecroux.

He might have dozed off at some point, he wasn't sure. But he jolted into awareness as something landed on the couch beside him, shifting the cushions enough to tip him to the side, face- first into something furry.

Kremy flailed, his hat falling to the floor once again. He looked up, finding himself pressed against Torbek's arm, as the bugbear sat with his legs curled up to his chest.

"Torbek! What the hell?" He sputtered, getting a mouthful of fur. "You're lucky I didn't bite ya!"

Torbek hunched into himself further. "Torbek is sorry, Mr. Kremy."

Kremy pushed himself up, spitting out fur. Gross. "What are you doin' up anyway? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Torbek doesn't sleep much."

"Apparently you just haunt the halls instead. First the kitchen and now this."

Torbek rested his chin on his knees. "Mr. Kremy should be asleep too."

He scoffed. "Yeah, well, I probably was before your furry ass came jumpin' on the couch."

"Torbek said he was sorry…" he mumbled, curling in on himself.

Kremy sighed, tipping his head back again. "What's got you so out of sorts tonight?"

Torbek made a noise, a mix between a whine and a growl that Kremy was becoming an unfortunate expert on. He was hesitant, trying to decide whether to tell him what was on his mind. Kremy wished he would hurry and decide, so he could go to bed.

"Torbek…Torbek really thought that Mr. Kremy was gonna leave him at the carnival…"

Scowling, Kremy turned on his side, facing away from the bugbear. "Yeah, well, I didn't."

"Torbek is glad."

"I dunno what for. Still no idea how to get those things offa you."

"That's okay…" The canisters sloshed a bit as he shrugged. "Torbek is patient. He's happy on the ship with his friends."

"Yeah, well…" He thought about telling him that his days might be numbered. That Garou could find them and take him back, and there wouldn't be anything Kremy could do about it. But he figured he could give the other a little longer before he had to worry about that. "Thanks for the unicorn, I guess…"

Torbek's ears perked up from their normally flat position against his head. His face brightened. "Mr. Kremy really liked it?"

"Yeah…that's me, Kremy Lecroux, I love unicorns…"

Kremy flailed again as he was grabbed from behind, Torbek pulling him into a tight hug. "Torbek is so glad! He wanted you to enjoy the carnival too!"

He gave up, back resting against the bugbear. At least he was warm. "Can't say I enjoyed the carnival. But it's pretty cute."

Torbek's chin rested on the top of his head, staying wrapped around him. "To be honest… Torbek was giving Mr. Kremy something to remember him by. In case Torbek had to stay at the carnival."

Kremy swallowed the lump in his throat, clearing his throat before replying. "We'll find some other way to help you out, I guess. Maybe Frost and Twig can find out more about that King Of Hearts guy."

"Torbek is sure you'll figure something out."

He could feel Torbek relax, long limbs going nearly boneless as he leaned against Kremy's back. He was heavy, but Kremy was too tired to care. When he wasn't immediately pushed away, Torbek started to purr, a rumble in his chest that Kremy could feel against his spine. He hated how good it felt.

"Guess we'll have to," he eventually replied. "You're like some kinda Feywildian beacon."

"Torbek likes bacon…"

He snorted, eyes slipping shut. "Beacon. That Witchlight is like a carrot on a string for 'em. We gotta do somethin' before more of them come after us."

"If Torbek got rid of the Witchlight, then they would leave everyone alone?"

"Prob'ly," he shrugged lazily. The warmth down his entire back and the vibration from the purrs was lulling him to sleep.

"Then Torbek could stay with Mr. Kremy and the others?"

"I guess…" he said around a yawn, not really paying attention. Torbek was talking too much.

The bugbear seemed satisfied with the answer, hugging him closer as the purrs picked up in intensity.

===

"Mr. Kremy?" Torbek ventured, softly. He got no answer, the alligator in his arms sleeping heavy against him.

Torbek smiled, resting his cheek against the other's head. It wasn't the most comfortable position, his back was going to hurt tomorrow from being hunched over. But cuddled up to Mr. Kremy, Torbek couldn't find it in himself to care. He didn't want to move and he didn't want to move Kremy, once he'd finally gotten some sleep. It was a problem to deal with tomorrow..

For now, he snuggled in closer, arms wrapped tight around him, and drifted off to sleep himself.

===

Bonus art!

Chapter Text

Kremy was launched to the floor, with Torbek falling on top of him. Startled awake and unable to breathe, he panicked, his tail thrashing.

Torbek was quick to roll off of the smaller man, grabbing at his shoulders to steady him. "Is Mr. Kremy okay?!"

Kremy batted his hands away, trying to cough out enough air to get himself under control. He looked around. They were still in the common room, the light from the window was still dim. It couldn't have been that late into the morning.

"What happened?" he asked, grabbing for his hat where it had fallen.

Torbek shook his head; he'd been asleep as well.

Then the Snail shook again, sending them both back to the floor. The ship took a hard turn, correcting course.

Getting to his feet for the second time, Kremy grabbed at the wall, inching his way to the door. Torbek followed behind on shaky legs. Out in the hall, Frost poked his head out of his room a few doors down.

"What's happening?" he asked, clinging to the doorframe as the ship rocked again.

Torbek grabbed onto Kremy with one hand, the other pushed up against the ceiling to keep them upright.

"We're not sure!" Kremy grabbed at Torbek's arm. "Where's everyone else?"

"We should get to the pilot's room," Frost instructed, taking off for the front.

Torbek followed after, holding onto Kremy as they hurried, trying to make it there before the ship was hit again. They caught up to Frost quickly, and Torbek grabbed onto him as well, keeping them both upright.

Gricko and Gideon were already there when the three made it. Gricko was at the wheel, turning it in a determined sort of panic. Hootsie was strapped to the chair in the back, still able to reach her little pulleys and levers.

"What's going on?" Frost asked urgently, holding Gricko's hat to his head as he braced himself against the wall.

"Somefin's tryin' t'knock us outta the sky!" the goblin grabbed the wheel hard, turning fast as a shadow passed the ship, blocking out the light for a moment

"What is it?" Kremy grabbed on to Torbek's jacket, narrowly managing to avoid ending up on the floor again.

"Somethin' big!" Gideon held fast to the railing, staring out of the window. "It definitely ain't another ship though, that's some kinda creature!"

Twig flew in, a bit wobbly with the ship moving around her, but flying definitely gave her the advantage over the others. She zipped over to Gideon, clinging to his shoulder. "Why's the ship movin' so crazy?!"

"We got a beastie tryin' to attack!" Gricko nearly lost his grip on the wheel, getting jerked to the side as whatever it was slammed into the side of the Snail, tipping it to the side.

Everyone was knocked to the floor again, aside from Gricko, who managed to hold on and right the ship, and Hootsie strapped into her booster seat. The remaining passengers slid as the floor was tipped to a sharp angle, ending up in a heap against the far wall.

"We gotta do somethin'!" Gideon pushed himself up. "I'm gettin' the guns!"

"Wait!" Gricko held tight to the wheel. "What if it's jus' scared or confused?"

"It's tryin' to take us down!"

Twig flew back to the window, trying to get a glimpse of the massive creature. Her face pressed against the glass, she let out a squeak.

"The Jabberwock? That don't make any sense!"

"The fuck's a Jabberwock?" Kremy snapped, deciding to just stay on the floor after one too many falls.

"It's kinda like a Feywildian dragon!" Twig wrung her hands. "I don't know what it's doin' here though!"

Gricko spun the wheel, turning them. "Okay! Gideon, get to weapons, but try not t'kill it! The rest of ya, try to find some way t'make it leave!"

Gideon nodded, taking off and heading for the hull. Torbek grabbed Kremy and Frost by the back of their shirts, moving toward the deck. Twig buzzed after them, leaving Gricko and Hootsie to steer the ship and try to avoid the creature.

Once on deck, they could see the Jabberwock as it sped past them. It was massive, a dark olive green scaled beast with a long neck and large wings. Its eyes were like huge diamonds, locked on the ship. It screeched out as it tried to knock into the side of the Snail, but Gricko's steering narrowly avoided it.

Torbek set both of them against the ship's railing, before clinging on himself. "What do we do?"

Kremy gripped the rail, claws digging into the wood, watching as the beast circled around to come back at them. "Whatever it's doin', it's definitely on purpose! That thing ain't confused!"

Shots rang out from the hull of the ship, the Snail's gatling gun aiming for the thing. But it was quicker than they'd hoped, and ducked out of the way. The rain of bullets flew past it, and it made a wide circle to come back.

Gideon fired again, but the beast just avoided it, zipping around them. It didn't seem to care much that it was being attacked, focused instead on the ship. Or to be more exact…

"It's looking right at Torbek!" Frost cried, looking from the creature to the bugbear.

Sure enough, it's wide eyes were dead set on their companion, the Witchlight canisters a glowing beacon.

The Jabberwock took a dive, wings folding to send it towards them on the deck. The group scattered, separating into all directions. Still, the Jabberwock locked on to Torbek, it's long claws grabbing for him. He ducked out of the way just in time, tearing his jacket in the process. The beast sank its foot into the deck instead, splintered wood flying as it broke through.

The force jerked the ship around, and Kremy was sent rolling towards it. He barely missed slamming into the thing's foot as it tried to wiggle out of the deck. Torbek's long arm grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him to the relative safety of the railing.

"Try to get me in its face!" Kremy told him. "I wanna see if I can control it!"

Torbek let out a whine, but did as instructed, one arm wrapped around Kremy's legs, hoisting him up, while the other stayed on the rail. He inched them closer to the beast, who was distracted with freeing itself. The ship continued to wobble as the Jabberwock shook its foot, wings flapping.

When they were close enough, Kremy gave Torbek a nudge, and the bugbear lifted him up. Trying to balance his feet on Torbek's shoulders, with his tail wrapped around the other's arm to steady himself, Kremy stared up at the thing.

"Hey!"

The Jabberwock whipped its head around, long neck coiling like a snake.

"Would you kindly get outta here and leave us be?!" Kremy shouted, trying to put as much of his power as he could into the spell. He'd never tried to use it on anything this big before, but if they could get it away for even a minute, they'd be able to give Gideon time to aim at it.

The beast paused, and Kremy had a moment to hope that it had worked.

Then it snarled, head shooting out towards him. Its razor- sharp teeth snapped and Kremy screamed—

Torbek yanked him back just in time, dropping the gator into his arms. He hurried away while the creature snapped at them, stuck to the deck but wiggling its way free quickly.

Torbek returned to the railing, setting Kremy down beside where Frost was watching.

"Well, that was me," Kremy huffed. "Frost, you got anythin'?"

"I can try to calm it?" The tabaxi offered, "I'd need to be able to touch its head!"

"Braver than me!" Kremy nudged Torbek again.

The bugbear picked up Frost the same way he'd held Kremy, an arm looped around his legs, trying to ease them closer without letting go of the rail.

The Jabberwock kicked its leg, shoving away from the shattered wood of the ship's deck. It rocked the boat again, and Torbek stumbled, sending them both towards the creature. He skidded down the tipped floor of the ship, holding Frost up to keep him from getting hurt. Frost reached up, grabbing onto the creature's leg as it flew off, yanking him from Torbek's grip.

Frost clung to it, hoping the thing wasn't going to kick him off. But it didn't seem to notice he was there, instead locking on to Torbek again, as the bugbear tried to right himself.

"Torbek!" Twig yelled as she made it on deck. She shot past Kremy, hurling her small brownie body directly into his chest.

He went rolling across the deck with a grunt, curling around her. He hit the rail on the other side with a pained noise, Witchlight sloshing in their tanks.

"What does Torbek do?!" he whined, pulling himself up by the rail.

Twig fluttered around him, looking him over. "There's gotta be some reason the Jabberwock is after you! It's usually friends with—!" She stopped herself, tears building behind her large glasses. "We can't let him get you! In this state, there's no tellin' what he'll do!"

"Torbek isn't trying to!" he ducked away as a wing nearly slapped him.

Frost, meanwhile, was using the creature's distraction to climb up its leg, slowly making his way towards its head.

Kremy wasn't sure what to do. He'd tried his spell, and it hadn't worked. Short of getting close enough to bite the thing, he was out of options. He looked up; with the Jabberwock after Torbek now, it was taking shots at the ship more often. If it managed to hit one of the balloons, they were in for a rough landing. Gideon's weapons were useless with the creature on deck, and Gricko was busy steering. Frost was doing something, he wasn't sure exactly. But something dangerous, from the looks of it.

Torbek stumbled over towards him, holding onto Twig, who was still crying.

"What should we do?" the bugbear asked, clinging to the rail once again.

Kremy's tail thrashed. "I don't know! Maybe whatever Frost is doin' will work?"

Twig gasped, looking up. "How did he get all the way up there?! FROST!"

Frost cringed at the brownie's cry. But he was too busy to answer, climbing up the Jabberwock's long neck, clinging to scales like handholds.

It did get the Jabberwock's attention again, finding Torbek and making a beeline for them. Kremy pushed them out of the way, lunging himself and crashing on top of the bugbear and brownie.

Something stabbed him in the side, and he let out a yelp.

Torbek scrambled up, panicked that something had attacked Kremy. He grabbed onto the gator's shoulders, looking him over.

Kremy batted his hands away, rubbing his side. "What the hell was that?! What's in your damn pocket?"

Confused, Torbek reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out the chess piece he'd stolen from Trinket.

"Where'd you get that?!" Twig snatched it from his hand.

"From that darkling's shop," Kremy scowled, poking at a sore scale.

"No wonder the Jabberwock is after you! You've got a tracker!"

Kremy could've slapped himself. Of course they'd slipped a tracker on them.

"Is that bad?" Torbek frowned, grabbing them both and sliding down the deck as the Jabberwock came at them again.

"Yeah!" Twig's face was red with fury, cheeks puffed out. "Jabber's after you cuz you had this!"

Frost clamped his legs down against the creature's neck, trying to hold on tight enough to free an arm to reach out. He slipped the first time, but dug a claw in against the scales, keeping him from falling. His other paw made contact with the beast's head, and he focused on opening up his mind to link with it.

Whatever he expected to find inside the Jabberwock's mind, it wasn't what he got. A rush of words, thoughts jumbled and nonsensical. It slammed into his mind all at once, almost a physical force that knocked him back. His legs slid from their perch, and only his claws embedded in the creature's neck kept him from falling.

"Frost!" Torbek looked up in time to see the tabaxi slip.

Twig grabbed Torbek's hand, putting the chess piece into his palm. "Throw it at the Jabberwock! Quick!"

Torbek nodded, winding back and throwing the small bit of pearl with all his might.

The Jabberwock went after it immediately, swinging Frost around as it ducked its head to snap at it. In one quick motion, it gobbled the piece up.

Kremy's scales felt rubbed the wrong way, hearing that familiar static noise. Torbek clung to Twig, feeling the same. They watched as a large, purple and black void opened up behind the Jabberwock. It started small, but grew until it encompassed the creature. The Jabberwock was pulled in, letting out a furious roar.

"Frost, jump!" Twig yelled, trying to get out of Torbek's hold to fly to him.

Frost didn't have time to think. He knew he didn't want to go wherever this creature was going. He retracted his claws, kicking off the thing's neck.

The Jabberwock was fully dragged into the portal, the haze of purple and black closing around it. Unfortunately, that left Frost hanging mid- air.

The tabaxi flailed, weightless for a moment before he plummeted.

The three on deck panicked, but there was no way to reach him without jumping themselves. There was no way Twig was strong enough to support his weight.

Something flew past them, a flash of green and blue. Gricko kicked off the railing beside them, swinging on one of the ropes usually keeping the balloons attached. He flew in an arc, looping the ship to reach out and grab Frost around the middle.

Frost clung to him, and Gricko finished the swing back around and depositing them both on the deck in a pile. Frost sprawled on top of the smaller goblin, fur ruffled and panting with the adrenaline.

Gricko let his head fall against the wooden floor, grinning up at him. "Gotcha, Frosty…"

Frost slumped, his forehead pressed to Gricko's chest.

The others ran to them. Torbek scooped them both up, hugging them tightly. Kremy's legs finally gave out, dropping beside them. Twig joined in the hug, latching her small form to the side of Frost's head. Torbek grabbed Kremy, pulling him into it as well.

"Y'all had all the fun without me?" Gideon's voice came from behind them.

Kremy turned to look at him, utterly exhausted. "Next time, trade me."

"Mr. Gideon should come here and get into this hug," Torbek said. "Or Torbek's bringing it to him, and that's a lot of people to move."

Gideon snorted, but quickly made his way over, dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around as much of the group as he could manage.

"What the hell happened?" Gricko asked from the bottom of the pile.

"Feywild bullshit," Kremy sighed.

"Y'all let that thing tear up the Snail," Gideon complained.

"Mr. Kremy, is Torbek allowed to bite Mr. Gideon?" Torbek joked.

Kremy barked out a tired laugh. "Yeah, go ahead, cher."

===

Once they were all safe inside the pilot's room, Gricko set them down in the first clearing he could find. They stumbled out onto solid land, tired and sore, but alive.

"What the hell was all that?" Kremy sprawled on the grass, uncaring for once about the dirt on his clothes.

Twig made a sad little noise, sitting on Gideon's shoulder, leaning heavily against the side of his head. "The Jabberwock is a Feywildian creature. It's usually sleeping. Something musta woke it up."

"Whoever was in control of it, it wanted Torbek," Frost frowned.

"And it was workin' with Trinket to get to him," Kremy sighed. "Torbek, even if you think you stole that chess piece, that's exactly what they wanted."

Twig nodded. "They used it to track you, and it had portal magic attached to it. The Jabberwock was supposed to catch you, then use the piece to get you back to the Feywild. Luckily it's not the smartest, so it just wanted the piece back, so it activated the portal without having Torbek yet."

"How'd you know that would work?" Gricko lifted his head out of Hootsie's feathers, staring at her.

"Well, I didn't, really," she looked down at her shoes. "It was kinda a guess. We got lucky it worked!"

"Well, at any rate, the ship needs fixin'," Gideon scrubbed a hand through his beard. "We'll be good enough to make it to the next town, but I'll need to get some stuff to fix up the deck before someone falls through it."

"And we could use a break," Frost slumped against Hootsie's side as well.

Gricko perked up. "You know what this calls for, right lads?"

Gideon grinned. Frost groaned.

"What?" Torbek asked, feeling left out.

"Guy's Night!" Gricko and Gideon cheered in unison.

===

Bonus art!

Chapter Text

Kremy frowned. "Guy's Night? Gricko, it's barely noon."

Gricko waved a hand at him, dismissively. "It' ain't 'bout the time, Kremy, it's 'bout the vibe!"

"Also, we're in the middle of nowhere," Frost rubbed at his eyes, sounding exhausted.

"We'll hafta finish the run to the next town," Gideon crossed his arms, making a plan already. "We can't do much out here. We need somewhere to wait a bit while I get the deck fixed up. But I do think we earned a lil break."

"What do we do in a Guy's Night?" Torbek asked.

"Are Twigs included in Guy's Night?" Twig poked at Gideon's cheek.

"Twigs and Hootsies!" Gricko chuckled, nuzzling into the owlbear's fur.

"Well, I wouldn't say no to a break," Kremy propped himself up on his elbows. "Maybe do some shoppin', get somethin' good to eat…"

Frost glared at Gricko and Gideon. "Just as long as it doesn't get as out of control as the last time…"

"Guy's Night! No promises!" Gricko beamed at him.

Kremy was certain, whatever happened last time, this time would be much worse.

===

In a way, he was wrong.

Apparently, last time, Guy's Night had included a night of drunk karaoke in drag and Gideon getting so wasted that he crowd- dove into the unsuspecting bar patrons. Gricko had tried to carry him out while Frost tried to negotiate the damages with the owner.

So a nice, leisurely stroll through town was already less trouble than the story he heard. They docked in town, leaving the ship at the station. Frost insisted that they resupply before anything else, knowing how bad the captain and mechanic could get. If they were going to get anything done, they'd have to do it before the celebration.

Gideon and Gricko, along with Hootsie, handled the supplies for the ship repair, knowing better than anyone else what they needed. Kremy was in charge of the kitchen restock, and dragged Torbek along to carry everything. Frost took Twig to do some kind of research stuff, Kremy hadn't bothered to pay attention.

On their way back towards the Snail, Kremy stopped them abruptly. Torbek almost ran into him, making a confused noise and shifting the sack of flour he was holding.

"What is it?"

Kremy looked at the shop they'd stopped at, letting out a sigh. In the window, a display of several lovely sets of clothes were set up. He looked down at his own. It had been through the ringer in his adventure, the long skirt torn and torn again, the lace shredded and a few runs in his stockings. He looked like a mess and he was tired of it.

He handed Torbek the bag he was carrying. "Wait here, I hafta go get somethin'."

Torbek nodded, but followed Kremy into the shop anyway.

Kremy turned to glare at him. "I said wait out there."

Torbek's ears flattened against his head. "Torbek doesn't wanna lose Mr. Kremy. Frost said we should use the Buddy System."

Rolling his eyes, Kremy continued into the shop, choosing his battles. Torbek hurried after him, balancing their groceries in his long arms.

===

By the time everyone made it back to the ship, it was nearing evening. Gideon and Gricko returned first. They dropped off the lumber and hardware for fixing the Snail, and got cleaned up to go out. Frost was next, carrying an armful of books. Twig fluttered behind him, a bag of sweets in her small hands.

They were just starting to wonder where the last of their crew had gone when Torbek came up the ramp, loaded down with groceries. He didn't seem to mind, Witchlight sloshing a bit as he lumbered his way into the ship to put everything away. Kremy stepped up behind him, carrying a large, thin box.

Gricko clocked him immediately, a wry smile on his face. "Really, Kremy?"

Kremy huffed, snout in the air. "It was my own money, so mind your own business."

The goblin was about to say something else, when Twig offered him a piece of candy, which distracted him for long enough for Kremy to sneak into the ship and away from his teasing. After checking the kitchen to make sure everything was set up to his liking, he went to his room to change.

When he stepped out, he felt much better. It was amazing what a little change of wardrobe could help. He felt like a new gator. It had taken some time browsing to find something to match his top hat, since he didn't have time to get anything custom or tailored. But he'd managed well enough. He'd had to change the band, trading the light lavender for a darker brown, to match the leather corset vest he'd chosen. The shirt was a lighter purple, short and puffed with bell sleeves, and a cravat that matched the fascinator on the hat. His skirt was the same shade of purple as the hat, voluminous once again. But this time, he'd considered the dangerous climate he was in. The corset came with straps to tie the skit to, bunching it up if needed so he wouldn't tear it. Instead of stockings, he'd opted for pants, a charcoal black with lavender stripes to match the lace edge. They were a little on the short side, but his boots made up for most of it.

He'd made them wait, but it was worth it. Stepping out onto what remained of the deck, he stood straight, preening. "Ready to go, fellas?"

Torbek perked up, his tail wagging behind him. "Wow, Mr. Kremy looks pretty!"

Gideon gave a low whistle. "You clean up nice."

Kremy barely suppressed a happy chirp at the compliments. "Why, thank you both. What's the plan tonight?"

"Scoped out a nice place at the end o' the market," Gricko was tying Hootsie's neck bow, laying the pink fabric flat. "Figured we could get a few rounds, see what kinda trouble we can make."

"Please, a night without trouble is all I ask," Frost groaned.

Gideon laughed. "You're in the wrong crew for that."

"I'm starting to realize my mistake," he replied, monotone as ever.

They headed out, taking a quiet stroll through the market. The sky was dark enough for the lanterns to light. The lights were strung across the market stalls, giving the place a softer quality to it. At that time of evening, most of the stalls were closed, but the buildings on the edge of town were lit up and booming with the nightlife.

Gricko led them to the bar he'd found while they were split up. It wasn't as bad as Kremy had thought it would be. It looked nice enough, with a kitchen in the back and a band playing music in the front. There was no karaoke— he considered that a preemptive win for the evening— but there were people dancing while the band played.

Frost got them a table at the end of the seating area, far away enough to hear themselves over the music. No one seemed to mind the owlbear that slunk in after them, hiding quietly by Gricko's seat at the table.

Food and drinks were ordered, and they spent a few hours just enjoying themselves.

"And then Frost made Torbek lift him up so he could touch the Jabberwock!" Torbek was recounting the tale of their fight to Gricko and Gideon, who'd missed most of it.

"I had to reach its head to make the connection," the tabaxi huffed. "I wasn't doing it for fun."

"You shouldn'ta done it at all!" Twig snapped, hands on her hips. "You're a librarian! You shouldn't be fightin' Feywild creatures!"

"None of us should," Kremy snickered into his drink. "We were all terrible at it."

"Yeah, but we won though!" Gricko stood up in his chair, leaning over the table to refill his plate with food.

"Technically." The gator hummed. "Thankfully Twig knew what to do with that chess piece, or the thing woulda crashed the whole ship."

"Too bad my new project's not done." Gideon grumbled, stealing one of Gricko's dumplings and popping it into his mouth over the goblin's shout. "That woulda worked a lot better'n the gatlin' gun. Couldn't get the damn thing far away 'nough from the ship to do any good!"

"Lucky for us, the very thing that led to us being attacked saved us in the end." Frost sipped at his tea, before also stealing a dumpling from the goblin's plate.

Gricko squawked, batting at his hands. "Get yer own!"

Frost smirked, leaning in to face him before eating the stolen food.

Kremy snorted into his drink.

Twig was feeding Hoostie dumplings off her plate, the owlbear letting out happy coos at each one, despite having had a full plate of her own. She was a growing girl, after all. Gricko was battling the other two, Gideon and Frost having made a game of stealing the other's food. Kremy waved a hand when the waitress came close, quietly ordering another plate for the table.

They were all a few drinks deep, the food long gone, when Kremy noticed that the last member of their group had been strangely quiet. He looked over to find Torbek staring at the band.

Or… at the people dancing.

He was hunched over, hands on his knees and chin in his hands. His ears were against his head again and he watched the couples dance with a mixture of awe and longing.

"You know how to dance, Torbek?" Kremy asked, leaning over toward him.

Torbek shook his head. "It looks fun though…"

"It is." Maybe it was the amount of drinks he'd had, or the life- threatening situation he'd come out of a few hours ago, but he felt like dancing. "Want me to teach you?"

The bugbear straightened up, ears perked. "Mr. Kremy would do that for Torbek?"

He shrugged, getting up and offering a hand. "I'll give it a shot. C'mon."

Torbek beamed at him, taking the hand and getting to his feet, tail wagging under his coat.

"Just try not to step on my feet, okay?"

"Torbek will try his best!"

Kremy led them to the edge of the dance floor, turning to face him. He held Torbek's hand, while he took the other, placing it on his waist. "Okay, dancin' is simple, really. You just move to the music. The steps don't really matter. But they help, to start with. See?"

He started moving in a simple pattern of steps, giving him something easy to follow. A simple back- and -forth. Torbek had to lean down a bit to watch, eyes on Kremy's feet as the moved. The next round, he tried to mimic it.

"You're doin' alright," Kremy nodded, putting his free hand to Torbek's side, urging him to move a little. "Now just take that, and move to the music."

That was trickier, but he managed. Kremy guided them into the crowd, picking up speed as the tempo changed. Torbek stumbled a bit, but for the most part kept up. He didn't step on Kremy's foot either, even if he did bump into him a few times.

Kremy was just tipsy enough to not let it bother him. He laughed, spinning them around. He'd had good food, a new outfit and enough drinks to improve his mood. He deserved to have fun for awhile.

Torbek was grinning as well. He wasn't winning any dancing awards anytime soon, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. He relaxed a bit as the music played on, his movements getting less stiff as Kremy whirled him around the floor.

As the music wound down, Torbek pulled Kremy's arm up, twirling him around a few times like he'd seen another couple do. Skirts swishing around him, Kremy's boot scuffed the floor as he was twirled, almost dizzy before Torbek's other hand moved to the center of his back, pulling him into a low dip.

Kremy yelped in delight, clinging to the bugbear's arm and kicking a leg up.

The song ended, and the pair stared at each other, a bit out of breath. Torbek looked so happy, that goofy grin on his face. Kremy grinned back for a moment, before everything caught up to him.

He was dancing with Torbek. The one he was trying to get rid of. He still wasn't sure what to do about those Witchlight canisters, but he really shouldn't be cozying up to the person who was holding onto his best ticket out of his contract with Garou. As bad as he'd felt at the Carnival, he was still going to leave Torbek with the first Feywildian that didn't want to hurt or kill him.

Kremy pulled himself up and away from Torbek, easy grin on his face to distract from how quickly he'd moved. Torbek seemed surprised by the motion anyway. Kremy patted him on the arm, heading back toward their table, leaving a confused bugbear behind on the dance floor.

He made it to the table without looking back, grabbing for the first drink he could reach and downing it.

"Hey!" Gricko sputtered. "Kremy, not you too!"

"Sorry." He croaked, setting the glass down harder than he meant to. "I'll get you another." Before the goblin could argue, Kremy left, heading towards the bar.

He collapsed into a seat at the bar, rubbing at his face. He needed to get a hold of himself. He was Kremy Lecroux, he didn't feel guilty! Especially not for some mangy bugbear he picked up because he figured the guy would be more valuable to him than wasting away in Garou's brig! Kremy used people, that's what he was good at! Why was he suddenly feeling bad now? Because he danced with Torbek? Because Witch didn't think he could be separated from the canisters? What was Kremy going to do if he didn't get enough money from the Witchlight to pay off Garou? He was already on the run, it wasn't like he could just go back and pretend nothing happened.

He needed to see this King of Hearts guy. If he could just figure out a place to leave Torbek that wouldn't get him killed, he could go back and pay off Garou. Then he'd be free, and he wouldn't have to worry about any of this anymore.

Waving to the bartender for another drink, Kremy turned to look at the rest of the bar. Torbek was gone, Kremy couldn't see where he'd gone to. Gricko wasn't at the table anymore, instead the goblin was on the dance floor with Frost, trying to get the tabaxi to move. Frost, for his part, was trying, but Gricko was a little too short and a little too drunk to make things comfortable. Gideon was feeding Hootsie something from his pocket, having her do little twirls in between each treat. Twig was on her back, clinging to her bowtie like it was a carnival ride.

Kremy sighed, slumping against the bar. He'd felt so good, coming out here tonight, and he'd gone and messed it all up.

The bartender set a glass in front of him, and he grunted in thanks. Instead of bringing it back to the table for Gricko, he drank half of it. If Gricko was really upset about his missed drink, he could deal with it. He was having a fun time with Frost. Kremy needed the drink more.

Gricko's drink became a few more of his own, drowning his sorrows with his head slumped against the bar. Eventually, he didn't even want to drink anymore; he knew he'd had too much anyway. It wasn't worth the headache he'd have tomorrow.

He kept his back to the dance floor. Where he'd been content to watch his friends have fun, and even to have fun himself, now his mood was soured. Watching them all enjoy themselves and not feel guilty about it irked him. Not to mention no one seemed to be bothered by his absence. Or Torbek's.

His tail thrashed behind him, knocking into something. Or, judging from the grunt that came from his shoulder, someone. Kremy turned around, ready to snap at whoever had gotten close enough, but saw Gideon slide up to the bar beside him.

"You okay?" He asked. "You've been over here for awhile."

"I'm fine." He snapped, tail swinging again.

Gideon didn't take offense at the tone. He chuckled, taking a sip from Kremy's remaining drink. "You had too much?"

"Ain't had enough." He grumbled, grabbing for the glass without looking at him.

Gideon held it out of his reach, finishing it off before the gator could. "Was wonderin' what kinda drunk y'were. Kinda hoped you'd be the giggly kind."

"Did you come over here just to mess with me?"

"I came over here to check on ya, man." Gideon folded his arms over the bar, manacles clinking against the wood. "Ya looked like you were havin' fun, then ya freaked out and ran over here. So what happened?"

"Didn't feel like dancin' anymore." He lied.

Gideon sighed. "You sure? Cuz I was gonna ask you if I could take a turn."

Kremy glanced at him. "You serious?"

The genasi offered him a hand and an easy smile. "C'mon, man, it's Guy's Night. Have some fun."

Kremy scowled at the hand. Maybe dancing with someone he wasn't trying to actively get rid of would make him feel better. He supposed it would be a distraction, if nothing else.

He sighed, putting his hand in Gideon's. "I guess I didn't get this new dress for nothin'..."

"That's the spirit!" Gideon laughed, pulling him off his chair easily.

Kremy wobbled a bit at the sudden height change, his drinks catching up to him all at once. He swayed, but Gideon put a hand on his side, holding him steady.

"You're gonna be so pissed off tomorrow when that hangover hits."

"I'm pissed off now, it ain't gonna be any different." Kremy growled, letting Gideon lead him back to the dance floor.

They passed the others on their way. Twig was dancing with Hootsie, the owlbear balancing on her back legs with the brownie flying and holding onto her front paws. Frost had managed to wrangle Gricko into something like a dance. The goblin had climbed Frost's waist, legs wrapped around him while Frost moved them.

Gideon paused at an empty spot, stopping Kremy from falling over as his head spun. He slid his hand to rest against Kremy's back. "You sure you're not too drunk?"

"Jus' shuddup 'fore I change m'mind…" Kremy slurred, gripping tighter to Gideon's shirt than he normally would.

The song was slower than the one he'd danced to before, which was fine with him; he didn't know if he could handle anything faster than the gentle sway Gideon led him in. Frustrated as he was, he certainly didn't want to throw up on anyone.

After a few moments, the movement and the music lulled him into relaxing. He leaded heavily against Gideon, who took his weight easily. Gideon was warm, and Kremy all but plastered himself against the genasi. He wasn't even really dancing by this point, but Gideon didn't seem to mind, swaying with him softly.

Kremy sighed, tucking his snout over Gideon's shoulder. "Gonna hate m'self t'morrow..."

Gideon chuckled. "That's what Guy's Night is about."

Kremy wanted to argue, but he was too tired. Instead he just followed Gideon's lead, letting the mechanic drag him along like the dead weight he currently was.

He couldn't tell how long they danced. Or at least, the equivalent of a dance. Kremy was losing the battle with the alcohol he'd had; the booze and the warmth and the swaying had him fighting to keep his eyes open. Eventually, he felt himself being scooped up, giving a token protest as Gideon carried him away from the dance floor.

He was asleep before they made it through the door of the bar.

===

Bonus art!

Chapter Text

'It was all going so well… too bad you ruined it.'

"Torbek didn't mean to…!"

'You never have to mean to, it happens just by being yourself, don't it?'

"Torbek doesn't even know what he did!"

'You don't have to do anything, just being around you will drive them away eventually.'

Torbek sat outside the bar, curled into as much of a ball as a 7 foot bugbear with glowing canisters on his back could. The voice in his head was being louder today. Usually the alcohol quieted him, but for some reason, he was in a fighting mood. It might have had to do with his mood.

The crew of the Snail had been having a great night. Guy's Night had been some of the best fun Torbek had participated in, since he'd come to with the Witchlight on his back. He'd been full of good food, drinks and Mr. Kremy had even taught him to dance! He'd danced with Torbek!

But something had happened, Torbek wasn't sure exactly what. Mr. Kremy ran off, leaving Torbek alone on the dance floor. He guessed he'd done something to scare the gator off. And the voice of that Other guy, the one who came out when Torbek lost his consciousness to the Witchlight back in Kremy's apartment, was delighted in his misery.

'You've done it now, Torbek.' the voice cooed. 'They'll kick you out for sure, after you've upset the lil gator. They're not going to help you after what you've done…'

The bugbear whined, hunching his shoulders up. He didn't want to leave! It had been so nice, having a group of friends. A family.

"Maybe Torbek can apologize?"

'You don't even know what you did! How would they accept an apology if you can't even tell them why you're apologizing?'

"Mr. Kremy could tell Torbek what happened, and Torbek would promise not to scare him anymore!"

'Too late for that now…' the Other chuckled, the sound rolling around his mind like a vibration. 'Looks like you just made a lousy dance partner.'

Torbek focused, having zoned out while talking to the Other. He'd been facing the tavern's window, looking in on all his friends still having fun. They didn't seem to notice he was gone.

Mr. Kremy had been at the bar. He'd seemed sad, and kept drinking more. Torbek wasn't sure what he'd done, but he'd hated that he'd made Mr. Kremy so upset he got drunk.

But now he was back on the dance floor, swaying with Gideon. They were a lot closer than he and Torbek had been; Kremy was draped over Gideon like the genasi was the only thing holding him up.

'Guess it was just you, after all…' the Other sighed. 'They're doing just fine without you. They don't even realize you're gone. Probably relieved they don't have to deal with you and your stupid quests anymore.'

Torbek's ears pressed back against his head. He felt tears in his eyes, blurring the vision of everyone dancing inside. He wiped them away with a large claw.

'It was fun while it lasted, huh?' Another chuckle. 'Ready to give up yet?'

"On what?"

'All of this. The stupid hope of detaching yourself from the Witchlight. Getting rid of me. Fitting in with a bunch of people that are too good for the likes of you…'

"Torbek doesn't want to leave them though…" He said miserably. "They're Torbek's friends."

'Would real friends leave you out here to cry on your own while they enjoyed each others' company?'

"Torbek didn't tell them he was going, maybe they just didn't notice..."

'Is that any better? They don't even notice you're gone. You could have been kidnapped or killed and they wouldn't even know! What kind of friends are those?'

Torbek leaned against the wall, arms wrapping around himself with a miserable noise.

'I could help you, y'know...' the Other's voice wrapped around his mind with a purr.

"What do you mean?" Torbek grumbled. He knew better than to trust him. But what if there was a chance he just hated Torbek's friends and not Torbek himself?

'I could get them to notice you... They'd see how much of a good crewmate you are, how useful you can be...'

Torbek whined. He did want to be useful, to have his friends need him, to keep him around.

'Look at what happened in the Jabberwock fight,' he tsked. 'If you'd had control of the Witchlight, you could've taken that thing down easily. Protected your friends and saved the day. Imagine how proud of you they'd be.'

"Last time you came out, you killed Agdon Longscarf..." Torbek grumbled.

'I protected your friend! Remember how he burned that lil gator? I saved him for you!'

"And if Torbek hadn't come back, you would've hurt Kremy too!"

The Other let out an affronted noise. 'I would not have! I was just saying hello.'

"Torbek doesn't like how you say hello..."

'I may have gotten carried away...' He sighed. 'But I wasn't used to having control! Now that I know how it goes, I can help you. I can teach you how to use the Witchlight, and then you can protect them from the Feywildians that you keep luring to them.'

Torbek whined. He did feel bad that the others kept getting attacked because the hags were after him. "Torbek could use the Witchlight?"

'Of course,' the Other hummed. 'It' not hard. I can teach you, and you can make sure they keep you around...'

===

Kremy sat up before he thought better of it, immediately clapping his hands over his eyes and falling back onto the cot with a whine.

He knew better than to drink as much as he did. Kremy knew his limits well; being part of Garou's employ meant being at your best at all times. But he'd been upset and he hadn't wanted to think anymore.

And he was paying for it now.

His head was killing him. He could feel every throb of blood through his veins. His whole body felt like it had been tenderized, and every bit of light or sound felt amplified a hundred times over. He groaned, burying his face into his pillow.

The sound of the door opening was like claws against a blackboard with how loud the hinges creaked. He pulled the pillow over his head with a whine.

"Yeah, that seems right." Gricko's voice chuckled, quiet but not quiet enough for the hungover gator. He moved to the wall, doing something to Kremy's porthole window that bathed the room in darkness.

"Jus' put me outta my misery…" He whined, curling up on his cot. The lack of light helped, but he still felt miserable.

"Got a care package for ya, Kremy!" Gricko sat at the edge of his bed uninvited, patting at his calf.

"Is it a knife to my brain?" Kremy asked hopefully.

The goblin snorted. "Yer so dramatic…"

"'M hungover, be nice to me…"

Gricko set a tray at the bedside, holding on to it until Kremy moved his hand from his eyes to look.

The tray had a few things on it. A cup of tea, a plate of something that smelled fried and delicious, and some kind of wrapped sweet. Kremy sat up a bit, slowly fighting the vertigo still clinging to his head.

"We made ya breakfast! Well, Frosty made ya some tea, he said it'll help with the nausea. Gideon made breakfast, says that it's good fer a hangover. And Twig even saved ya a piece'a candy!"

Kremy reached for the tea with shaky hands, taking a sip. It was warm and soothing, just a little bit of honey in it. He already felt a little better. And Frost was right, it helped his stomach settle enough to try the food on the plate. He took a bite.

He wrinkled his snout. "Why's it cold?"

Gricko looked sheepish. "Well, he made it awhile ago, but I'm forbidden from usin' th' oven anymore."

Even if it was cold, it was still pretty good. Potatoes, fried in butter. Between that and the tea, he was feeling a little more humanoid.

Gricko rubbed his hands together. "And now fer my contri-boo-tan…"

"What?"

The goblin reached over, settling his hands on either of Kremy's temples. He was about to protest the touch, when he felt that numbing tingle again. Whatever Gricko had done to fix his paralysis in Yulong, he was doing on his headache. The pain flooded out of him, leaving him near boneless, almost slumping against Gricko with a sigh.

"I dunno how you do that, but I'm glad you can..." Kremy muttered, absolutely boneless.

Gricko laughed at the normally tense gator relaxing against him. "Frosty gets mind powers, I jus' do a lil healin'. Comes in handy wif this group."

"It already has," Kremy chuckled, sitting up. He felt better, but he didn't have time to be lazing about, now that his head was clear. "What's the plan now? Please tell me I wasn't the only one gettin' hungover, that's just embarassin'..."

"Nah, hadta fix meself up too!" Gricko tapped a finger to his own temple. "And Twig! Luckily Frosty and Gideon were around t'drag our sorry corpses back to the ship last night!"

Kremy hummed, getting to his feet. He was still in most of his dress from last night, although the leather vest and his boots had been removed, set aside with his hat on the nightstand. "So we're ready to go then? Everyone's all cured and on their feet? Cuz I was thinkin' last night, we really need to get workin' on this King of Hearts thing, I should probably talk to Twig some more..."

Gricko blanched. "Uh... about that..."

Kremy narrowed his eyes, immediately suspicious at the look. "What about that?"

"Weeeeeeell…" He drew the word out with a wince. "We're not really all back yet, so we can't leave…"

Kremy frowned. "Who's not back?"

"It's pretty much jus' you, me an' the girls right now."

"Where's everyone else?"

"In town."

Kremy grit his teeth. "In town doin' what?"

Gricko hopped off the bed. "Oh, Hootsie's callin', I better go—"

Kremy grabbed the back of his vest, yanking the goblin off his feet, turning him around to face him. "What are they doin', Gricko?"

"…Lookin' for Torbek…" he squeaked out.

Kremy's tail thrashed. "What happened to Torbek?!"

Gricko winced, waving his hands. "'M sure he's fine! He prob'ly had too much las' night! Like you did! He just kinda… went missin', last night…"

"Last night? He's been gone all night?" Kremy let him drop, landing on his feet.

"We're pretty sure," Gricko said, fixing his vest. "We kinda lost track of him at some point, so Frosty and Gideon dropped us off here an' went to go look for him!"

Kremy was already up halfway through his explanation, putting his boots back on. "Can't believe y'all managed to lose him, he's taller than anyone else in town! Knew I shouldn't have drank last night…" He grumbled, working at the vest with a frustrated growl. "Wonder if it's too late to sell him to the circus after all…"

Gricko handed him his hat when he was done. "Gotta find him first."

Kremy growled again, settling the hat on his head. He knew he was partially to blame; the last time anyone saw Torbek was after their dance. While Kremy had his drinks and tried to talk himself into continuing their plans, Torbek had wandered off somewhere. His… bargaining chip was out wandering in town where anyone could just snatch him up!

"You comin' with me?" He asked, heading to the door.

Gricko scurried after. "Sure! Twig can take care'a Hootsie til we get back. I've been worried 'bout him too!"

They left the ship, making a quick pace into the town proper. The market was back in full swing, people milling about their business. Not spotting any bugbears, or even Frost or Gideon, they continued on, toward the tavern they'd drank at the previous night. No one seemed to pay them any mind.

The tavern was quiet, a few early morning patrons getting an early start on their day drinking. Kremy looked around, finding no sign of any of their crew.

"Well, now we lost the other two…" he sighed, hands on his hips.

"Check behind the place?" Gricko suggested, scratching his head.

"They wouldn't have left town, right?" Kremy exited the bar with Gricko on his heels.

"Not Frosty or Gideon," the goblin replied. "Torbek, I guess it depends on whatcha said to 'im last night."

Kremy stopped short, causing Gricko to slam into him, nearly knocking them both over. He whirled around to face him. "What d'you mean, what I said to him?"

Gricko straightened himself out, hands on his hips. "I mean, he left after you got all weird last night. So we figured y'said somethin' to 'im."

Kremy felt a lead weight drop in his stomach. If it was bad enough that the others noticed, then Torbek must have taken his quick exit harder than he'd realized. "You don't think he woulda left for real, do you?"

Gricko shrugged, grabbing Kremy by the wrist and urging them toward the back of the tavern. "Don't fink so. But y'never know."

Kremy let himself he led, his mind racing. If Torbek left, he took the Witchlight with him, and Kremy's chances at getting his freedom. He'd done such a good job of keeping the bugbear in his sight against the Feywildians, he forgot that Torbek could just leave on his own, if he wanted to.

He was lost in his thoughts, hoping they could find Torbek and convince him to come back if needed. It was his turn to nearly trip over Gricko as the goblin stopped suddenly, bringing his attention back to the situation at hand.

Gricko was frozen still, straightened to his full height. His head tipped to the side, one large ear twitching as he listened to something.

"What is it?" Kremy asked.

Gricko didn't reply, just took off running. He still held to Kremy's wrist, dragging the other behind him. The pair dashed through alleyways, ducking around crates and discarded trash.

Eventually Kremy could hear it too. Sounds of a struggle, someone yelling. Someone familiar. Feeling dread again in the pit of his stomach, he picked up speed.

The alley they were in let out into a small courtyard. A few trees and flowers for a break to all the city trappings. Unfortunately the peace of the area was shattered by the fight going on in the middle of it.

Kremy ducked to the side as a familiar tiger tabaxi was flung his way. Gricko wasn't so lucky, and Frost crashed into him, knocking them both to the ground. He ran forward, toward the center of the small park, where the rest of his crew was.

Gideon and Torbek were fighting beside a small ceramic fountain at the courtyard's center. Gideon narrowly avoided a swipe of the bugbear's long claws as Torbek snarled. The second swipe took the mechanic by surprise, and he yelled out as Torbek cut into his arm, long gashes against the red skin.

"Torbek stop!" Kremy yelled, racing towards them.

The bugbear looked feral. His fur raised, teeth and claws bared, swiping at Gideon like he didn't know who he was. Kremy felt that familiar itch on his scales, and looked at the canisters against Torbek's back. The plungers were down, the Witchlight pushed into the bugbear's body. His eyes glowed magenta over their normal warm brown.

Kremy felt a chill. That wasn't Torbek, that was the Other creature that took over his body in the apartment. The one who'd torn Agdon to shreds.

"Gid, get away from him, that's not Torbek!" Kremy stumbled over a stone on his path, arms flailing to correct himself to get to the genasi's side.

The Other noticed him then, glowing eyes flicking up to stare. His mouth twisted into a sharp- toothed grin, wider than should be possible on the bugbear's face.

"Well well… if it ain't the lil gator…" he cooed, warping Torbek's normal gravel into something even darker. "Lovely to meet you again. Suppose I got you to thank for all this."

===

Bonus art for this week!

Chapter Text

"What do you mean, that ain't Torbek?" Gideon clutched at his arm, blood seeping between his fingers. "How many giant bugbears with glowing tubes on their back are there in this town?!"

Kremy grabbed Gideon's shoulder, trying to keep him away from the Other. "It's Torbek but it's not! It's the Witchlight! It does things to him sometimes!"

"Kremy!" Gricko called out, scurrying over to them. Frost was quick behind him. "What's wrong wif 'im?!"

"There's definitely something wrong," Frost said, his tail fluffed up and thrashing. "He doesn't even smell like himself anymore. His scent has changed."

Kremy tried to keep them all at bay. The last thing he needed was for one of them to start another fight. He wasn't sure what would happen if those canisters took damage. For all they knew, the things could explode and kill Torbek. Could kill them all.

The Other, luckily, didn't seem intent on attacking them. He watched them all, curling Torbek's fangs into a sharp grin. "Surprise?"

Gricko scowled, immediately recognizing the voice as something different. "Give our friend back, ya creep!"

"Oh, you want him back now, huh?" the Other tsked, shaking his head. "That didn't seem to be the case last night. You all had fun celebrating, while you left him outside to wallow in his own pity all night…"

Kremy felt a lump in his throat. That had definitely been his fault. He'd smooth it out later, right now, he had to find a way to get Torbek back to himself. "I'm sure you had nothin' to do with that, huh?"

The Other chuckled. "I'm helping him out. Getting rid of what's upsetting him."

"You think he's gonna like that you're fightin' his friends?" Gideon growled, taking a step towards him despite Kremy clinging to him.

"You still think you're his friends?" the bugbear huffed, tilting his head to look at them all, disdain on his face. "After abandoning him?"

"We didn't abandon 'im!" Gricko shouted, fists clenched at his side. He moved toward the Other, and Frost grabbed the back of his vest to stop him.

"We went looking for you," Frost said calmly, speaking to Torbek instead of the Other. "We were worried about you."

"Worried about the Witchlight, you mean?" He replied to Frost, but stared at Kremy.

Frost answered anyway. "If it were just about the Witchlight, Kremy would have left you at that carnival."

Kremy flinched; he didn't know Frost knew about that. That tiger was more observant than he gave him credit for. Either that or someone was talking.

The Other growled, baring his borrowed teeth in a snarl. "Don't you think you're so smart…?"

"He is!" Gricko piped up. "An' he's tellin' the truth! We're Torbek's friends! He's part of me crew! We're not lettin' him get taken over or whatever by the likes'a you!"

"Whatever he told you, it ain't true." Kremy tried Frost's approach, speaking directly to Torbek. He hoped he could still hear from wherever inside his mind he'd been shoved. Wherever the Other usually lurked, he assumed. "What happened last night wasn't about you, it was about me, and that's not your fault."

"Easy for you to say now." The Other snapped, huffing. Seemed like he was losing his patience. "Leave him outside like a dog tied to a pole while you all enjoyed the rest of your evening. And you didn't even think to look for him at the end of the night? Waiting until morning? Even the owlbear got to sit inside!"

"Leave me daughter outta this!" Gricko demanded. Kremy was glad they'd left Hootsie on the ship with Twig. "We all had a crazy night, we wasn't thinkin' right! It was a mistake! Don't mean we don't wantcha 'round!"

The bugbear flinched, his eyes narrowing. Whatever they were saying, it seemed to be having at least some affect. Maybe Torbek could hear them after all?

Before they could say anything else, The Other lunged. He went for Gideon, who was closest to him, still standing on the edge of the fountain with Kremy at his side. Kremy yanked the genasi away, almost falling as they slipped off the fountain's edge, but at least they were away from sharp claws.

The Other corrected himself, quick on his feet. Instead of swiping at Gideon, he put the hand to the ledge, stopping himself from tripping. He used the other hand to reach for them, Torbek's long arms giving him the length needed to catch Gideon by the leg of his coveralls. his claws tangled in the fabric and he yanked.

Gideon stumbled, and Kremy lost his grip on the other's shoulder. He was dragged closer, kicking at the arm that held him. The Other held on, weird strength in the lanky form.

This spurred the others into action. Gricko was off like a bolt, launching himself at the Other's arm. Before the bugbear could do anything, Gricko bit his wrist, goblin teeth sinking into the furred appendage.

The Other let out a snarl, trying to shake Gricko off. The goblin held tight. Gideon continued to shake his foot, trying to dislodge the claws in his pants leg.

While he was busy with the Snail's crew, Frost rushed past Kremy as well, hopping up onto the fountain with cat- like grace. He braced himself against one of the marble statues on the thing, and reached out, setting his hands against either side of the Other's head.

Everything froze immediately. The Other's borrowed arms dropped like they were suddenly made of lead. His shoulders slumped and he slid to a kneel in the fountain, water covering his legs.

"What happened?" Kremy rushed to help Gideon free himself from the claws.

Gricko let go, spitting out a mouthful of fur. "Frosty's doin' his mind fing."

"Are they gonna be okay?"

"Usually, yeah." Gideon fell back a bit as he was pried from loose claws, Gricko having helped untangle him.

"Usually?" Kremy didn't like the qualifier.

Gricko made a face. "Once or twice, he's exploded somefin's head. But that's usually a bird or somefin', not a whole bugbear!"

"What do we do now?" Kremy's tail twitched, uneasy.

"We wait, I guess. Frosty'll be done soon. If it works, we'll have Torbek back." Gideon sat on the edge of the fountain, pulling his legs out of the water.

Gricko sat beside him, watching Frost. The tabaxi's eyes were closed, a frown on his face as he concentrated. But there was a bright green glow behind his eyelids, flickering like candle flame.

Kremy sat down on Gideon's other side, drawing his legs up to keep his boots dry. He hoped Frost came through.

===

Frost was lost.

He'd mind linked with many people and creatures over the years. They all had vastly different minds, some simple and others more complex. Some had winding hallways, with their thoughts and memories arranged in tidy boxes and cabinets for easy recall. Some were more scattered, photos of abstracts tossed every direction. Some people's minds worked like major images, playing a constant reel of things on loop.

Torbek's mind was… something else.

It looked like it had once been a cave. Which wasn't that strange; he'd seen all sorts of representations of the mind. But this one was half crumbled, random bits of rock floating in the air with nothing to keep them held up. There were splashes of magenta in places, looking much like the Witchlight on Torbek's back.

Frost had the sneaking suspicion that this Other had done a number on their friend, inside and out.

He made his way through, stepping up on random pieces of rock. It was eerily quiet. Frost had expected arguing, yelling, or some kind of noise. Instead it was dead silent, his footsteps echoing against what remained of the cave walls.

If Frost had been there to find Torbek's memories, he wouldn't have the faintest idea where to start. Luckily for him, he was after something a little easier to call for.

"Torbek?" He called out. His voice rang out amongst the rocks, reverberating in the space.

He listened for a reply. Hearing nothing, he continued on. It was dark; the rocks soaked up any natural light there might have been. The magenta splashes glowed, casting a weird hue to everything. Frost climbed, occasionally calling out for Torbek. He hadn't even come across this Other.

He wasn't sure how long he went. Time worked differently in the subconscious. What felt like an hour to him might be a fraction of a second to the real world. There was still no reply to anything he'd done. It was odd that he was this far into someone's mind without being greeted by some representation of their consciousness.

Climbing to the top of a jagged cliff by hopping off of a floating collection of rocks, Frost found himself facing a cave. It was somehow even darker than the rest of the mindscape. There was no time to hesitate, so he started inside.

There was a sound in the cave, echoing off the walls. A clanking, frantic and getting louder as he wandered into the cave. The cave only had one path, so there was no chance of him getting lost as he followed the sound.

After a few minutes of wandering, he came to the end of the path. There was more magenta here, lighting his way a bit, even if it made him uneasy. Frost crossed the threshold, into the clearing.

It lit up suddenly, the magenta splashes brightening an alarming shade. Frost shielded his eyes with an arm. The noise got louder, more insistent. When his eyes adjusted enough to move his arm, he finally got a look at what was in front of him.

A giant glass canister stood a few feet away, at least fifteen feet tall, if Frost had to guess. It was an exact replica of the canisters on Torbek's back, complete with Witchlight filling it around halfway. It bubbled and sloshed, like something was shaking it.

Then suddenly, something emerged from it, sending it along the sides. Torbek was trapped inside, covered up to his chest in the pink liquid. He thrashed, slamming his fists on the glass, trying to break it. His face was panicked, eyes wide in terror before landing on Frost. He froze, surprised to see the tabaxi there, but it didn't last long. He immediately began slamming against the glass again, using his whole body this time.

Frost hurried toward him, looking around for some way to free him. There had to be some kind of lever or way to drain the Witchlight, or to open the canister to let him out!

Torbek struggled harder, knocking his shoulder against the glass. Occasionally he slipped, sending his head under the Witchlight until he righted himself, coughing out the pink liquid. He was saying something, but Frost couldn't hear through the glass.

He pressed his paws against it from the other side, looking for some kind of mechanism. Torbek looked at him, shaking his head. He mouthed something, pointing above Frost's head.

The tabaxi turned around, just in time for something to slam into the side of his head, knocking him away with a yowl. He landed hard on the rocky ground, his cheek and temple screaming in pain. He sat up, rubbing his face with a paw.

Torbek was still fighting his container, watching worriedly as a tall shadow slid out from the darkness of the cave. It slid from the walls into solid form in front of Frost, pitch black aside from glowing magenta slits where the eyes should be.

"You must be the Other..." Frost didn't bother to hide the disdain from his voice His cheek throbbed but he looked up at the large shadow with narrowed eyes.

The shadow-- The Other-- chuckled. While he'd been borrowing Torbek's voice in the real world, inside their mind, he sounded different. The tone was deeper, less rumbled.

"You shouldn't have come here, kitty cat..."

"I'm here for our friend." Frost replied, eyes darting toward Torbek.

The bugbear had stopped thrashing, frozen as he watched the two of them, brows drawn in worry.

"Too bad, he's...occupied." The shadow split into a grin, teeth sharp and gleaming against the darkness.

"Let him go," Frost demanded, getting to his feet. "That body doesn't belong to you."

"Oh, but it does!" The Other moved, the shadow swimming over to him, winding around the tabaxi. "I was here first, he stole it from me!"

Torbek shook his head, tears in his eyes.

Frost stood his ground, even as the shadow wrapped around him like a ribbon. "Somehow, I don't quite believe you."

The Other's face was inches from his own, that sharp- toothed grin too close for comfort. "It doesn't matter if you believe me or not. Soon it'll be mine again for good."

"Not if we have anything to say about it." Frost growled, his fur ruffling.

The Other laughed. "You don't."

Frost felt himself shoved back, the shadow slipping away. He fell, seeing Torbek's horrified face before everything went black.

===

Kremy had just sat down beside Gideon, taking a breath in relief, when Torbek's arm swung out, knocking into Gricko. The goblin slammed into Gideon, who caught him easy. Gideon was up in an instant, straightening Gricko and turning his attention to the bugbear. Kremy was up as well, his tail thrashing behind him as he watched Torbek carefully. Had Frost succeeded? Who was coming back, Torbek, or the Other?

The tabaxi jolted, coming back to himself with a jerk, like he'd been slammed back into his own conciousness. He fell from Torbek's shoulder, dropping into the water with a gasp.

Gricko jumped in, hurrying toward him. Torbek's arm swung out again, but Gideon blocked it with his own, the bugbear's claws knocking into the manacle.The Other's eyes opened, that pink glow covering Torbek's brown.

So much for that.

Gricko grabbed at Frost's shoulders, trying to get the tabaxi to his feet and out of range. Frost stumbled, dizzy from his sudden slam back into the real world, but with the goblin's help, managed to make it to the fountain's edge beside Kremy, who helped him the rest of the way.

Gideon was struggling with the Other, blocking the flurry of claws sent his way. A few managed to hit, tearing into his shirt and cutting into his arms where the manacles didn't protect.

Kremy didn't know how much longer he could last. "Can't you knock him out or somethin'?"

"You think I ain't been tryin'?" Gideon replied through clenched teeth, taking a step back in the water as the Other pushed him. "I don't wanna use my fire, I'll hurt him too bad! It's still Torbek in there!"

"He's trapped," Frost said, getting to his feet. "That Other presence has him locked inside his own mind."

Kremy huffed out a breath, snapping to get the Other's attention. It worked too well; the bugbear's eyes narrowed and focused on him.

"Would ya kindly let Torbek have control back?" He urged, feeding as much of his power as he could into the words.

The Other froze, his face turning from vicious glee to shock. He took a wobbly step back, putting a claw to his head with a groan.

"Did it work?" Gideon lowered his arms, breathing out a sigh of relief.

It was too early to celebrate. The bugbear snickered, using the moment to lash out, knocking into Gideon hard. It sent the genasi off his feet, slamming into the bottom of the fountain. Water splashed over him, not enough to fully cover him, but enough to send his head under for a few seconds. Steam flew from the water.

"Gid!"

"Sorry, lil gator…" the Other cooed, tilting his head in a mockery of sympathy. "Didn't take, I'm afraid…"

Kremy ducked down, grabbing at Gideon's shoulder to keep him from going back under. "Gid, c'mon, get up!"

Gideon sat up with Kremy's guidance, though it was slower than Kremy figured it should be. His normally red skin was a paler sort of pink, and he looked terrified. His eyes were wide, staring in front of him like he wasn't seeing them at all, but something else. Something deeper than a little water, but had him unresponsive. Steam still flowed from his head, puffing out around his hair as the flames tried and failed to reignite.

"Shit," Kremy hissed, keeping him sat up. He didn't seem to notice. "Those damn hobgoblins…"

"Kremy!" Gricko called out for him, leaving Frost's side to make a run for them. "Look out!"

Kremy looked up, seeing a claw coming for him. He didn't have time to do more than flinch, pulling an arm up to protect his face.

But the hit never came. After a moment, Kremy looked up. The bugbear's body was frozen, arm held above his head and shaking, but not moving. He looked into the Other's eyes, but the Witchlight was fading from them, leaving them Torbek's warm brown. They quickly filled with tears.

"Torbek—" Kremy started, but was stopped abruptly as the bugbear collapsed on top of him and Gideon.

===

Kremy all but collapsed on the side of his cot, his hat falling off towards his pillow. He sighed, finally letting himself relax. The room was quiet and dim, the porthole still covered from Gricko's attempts to help his hangover that morning.

Rubbing a hand over his snout, he stared at the ceiling. Things could have gone worse, all things considered. Everyone was alive; Gricko was taking care of the cuts and scrapes the others had gotten. Gideon was sleeping off the impromptu steam bath. Torbek was back to himself. The Other was back under control. For now.

That was the part that worried Kremy the most. When it had happened the first time, he could've chalked it up to a freak occurrence. It hadn't happened in all the time they'd traveled. Until now. If that Other guy had to be controlled, Torbek was an unfortunate liability. He was dangerous. Or he housed something dangerous. There was no guarantee that he'd be able to stop it, if it happened again. He couldn't risk everyone's safety— he couldn't risk his own— with whatever violent force lived in the bugbear's head. Whether he liked it or not, he'd have to figure out what to do with him, and fast.

He was taken out of his thoughts by a tapping noise. Like someone knocking on glass. He whipped his head up, worried he'd find another Feywildian slamming against his window, trying to get in.

The noise was coming from his mirror, against the wall. A familiar velvet- gloved hand rapped on the other side, as if it were a window and not solid glass.

Kremy's tail thrashed, nervous. There wasn't any reason for Light to need anything from him.

He got up, warily going to the mirror. "What do you want?"

The hand disappeared in a flourish, replaced quickly by Light's smiling face.

"Mr Lecoux, today is your lucky day!"

===

Bonus art!

Chapter Text

Kremy's eye twitched, staring at Light in the mirror. He wondered if the seven years' bad luck was worth smashing the thing so he didn't have to talk to the carnival owner. And if not the luck, then listening to Gricko whine at him.

"I assure you, Mr Light, nothin' could be further from the truth."

Light's head tilted, bells on his ridiculous hat jingling. "Oh? You don't even know what I'm about to tell you."

"You don't know the kinda day I've had."

He hummed. It didn't seem sympathetic. "Well, I have good news anyway."

Kremy felt lead in his stomach. Was Light here to offer him the trade for Torbek again? He supposed he should take it this time. With the Other effectively haunting them, this was the perfect opportunity to protect them by getting rid of the bugbear. He might even be able to get them to offer their original deal again. He hated to do it, but what other choice did he have?

"Witch and I talked it over, and we decided the next best thing to having your little bugbear at our carnival would be to get you to the King of Hearts."

That… wasn't what Kremy expected. "Sorry…?"

Light clasped his hands together. "I know, you can't thank us enough!"

Kremy shook his head, the fight from earlier making him a little slower on the uptake than he'd liked. "You… wanna get us to the King of Hearts? Why? How?"

Light appeared to be sitting on something on his end of the mirror, crossing his legs and resting an elbow on one, chin resting on that. "Well, we'd considered just letting your crew flounder, since you turned us down. But after some time to settle, we realized we're all friends and business people, correct? If we could help you out, it's the next best thing to getting the deal ourselves."

Narrowing his eyes, Kremy studied him, suspicious. "Why? What do you get out of it?"

"The finder's fee, of course!" the carnival owner chuckled. "Turns out, the King wants to meet with you as well! Very excited, in fact! He wants to know more about this creature of yours."

That sinking feeling came back, a lump in his stomach like he'd swallowed a rock. "He does?"

"Yes!" Light seemed impatient at Kremy's questions, though he answered them easily. Kremy supposed he did work with children. "He told Witch and I that he could absolutely help you all. So we told him we could arrange the meeting. Having a favor from the King of Hearts is a great asset to have, you know. Even more valuable than a Witchlight generator."

"Just the meeting?" Kremy crossed his arms. "We ain't promisin' him anythin' without talkin' it over first. He ain't gonna try to take Torbek away or anythin', right?"

Light tsked. "You're so suspicious, Mr Lecroux! But I suppose you don't get very far in your line of work without being that way."

Kremy hummed, neither affirming nor denying it.

"The deal is for the meeting only. What both sides do there has nothing to do with Witch or I. The King wants to meet with you, that's all we've arranged. I figured you'd be happy about this! Wasn't that why you declined our offer?"

"Among other things," Kremy said, rubbing at his eyes. "Don't get me wrong, Light, I do appreciate it. Definitely saves me the trouble of havin' to look for him. I just can't have my deals bein' made for me, you understand."

"Of course." Light assured him. "But with this, we all win. We get the King's favor, the King gets to see this marvel you've picked up, and you get to make your deals. It's win- win- win!"

"Suppose it is." Kremy replied, feeling a bit better. If he could meet with this King of Hears, he seemed to know how to help Torbek. Maybe the Witchlight could be detached from him after all, and that Other along with it.

"Wonderful!" Light clapped his hands again, smiling brightly. "We'll arrange it immediately. You won't keep him waiting, right? Royalty shouldn't be made to wait!"

"No, uh, yeah. Sooner is better." Kremy didn't want to give the Other any more time to fight Torbek's control. "Tell us where and when, and we'll be there."

"Lovely." Light purred, getting to his feet. "Witch and I will sort the details, just be ready with that bugbear of yours."

Kremy nodded. Light disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving his mirror reflective once again. He hoped that wherever the carnival was, Witch was choking on the smoke.

===

Kremy found Gideon up top, working on replacing the deck after the Jabberwock kicked through it. The mechanic was nailing new planks to the hole, the edges having been evened out from the jagged, splintered wood. Gideon worked in silence, lost in his thoughts as he swung the hammer down.

Kremy took a seat criss- crossed a bit of distance away, out of the danger zone. He was quiet for a few moments, watching him work. When it became clear that he either didn't notice him, or was ignoring him, he cleared his throat. "You doin' okay?"

Gideon jumped, his hand jerking mid- swing. The hammer slammed into the deck, and he whirled around. Finding Kremy there, he sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Jeez Krem, you scared the shit outta me."

"Sorry," Kremy drawled, trying not to look too concerned. "Been here for a minute. Lost in your thoughts?"

"Guess so…" the genasi ran a gloved hand through his flaming hair, calming the embers back into a light simmer. "Ship work's good for that."

Kremy hummed. Gideon grabbed the hammer again, going back to work. They sat in silence again, Gideon working and Kremy watching him.

Finally Gideon glanced back at him. "You need somethin'?"

"Not really…" He didn't want to admit he'd been worried about the other. After everything with the Other, it had taken a few minutes to get Gideon back to himself so he could be talked to. Then he'd had to carry the unconscious Torbek back to the ship. He'd disappeared before anyone could talk to him, hiding down in the hull with whatever project he'd been working on.

"Checkin' up on me?" Gideon chuckled, seeing through him.

Kremy would worry about that, but he was too busy being relieved that he didn't have to bring it up. "Do you need checkin' up on?"

"Really know how to make a guy feel special, Krem…" He teased, sitting back on his heels. He stared at the hole in the deck, chewing on his lip in thought. "I'm fine. Steam just surprised me, is all…"

Kremy hummed again, since Gideon couldn't see him nod. "Looked pretty rough…"

"Happens sometimes…" Gideon shrugged. "Usually I'm not in the middle of a fight when it does, but I don't get to choose, I guess."

"Yeah. These things got a habit of poppin' up at the worst times."

"Sorry I wasn't much use in the fight…"

Kremy snorted. "That's what you're worried about? You're the only one of us that stood a chance to begin with."

"And I got knocked out by some fancy water." He frowned.

"Anyone can take a punch…" Kremy started, before scowling. "Well, no, that's a lie. Not anyone can, I'll bet if you punched Frost, you'd knock him out until mornin'."

Gideon snorted.

"What I mean is that you're the kinda person who can take a hit. Shake it off no problem. But the mental stuff is trickier. That stuff digs down deep and hides until the worst time possible. Nothin' any of us can do."

"Ever happened to you?" Gid asked, turning to look at Kremy.

The gator shrugged, aiming for nonchalant. "Sure. My old line of work ain't what you'd call normal. Really messes a guy up sometimes."

Gideon didn't ask him to elaborate, and he didn't. The admission on its own was enough.

"Talk to anyone else yet?" the mechanic changed the subject instead, and Kremy let him.

"Not on the crew." He replied. "Need to, though. Got a meeting to get to."

"Yeah?" Gideon grinned easily at him. "Somewhere important to be?"

Kremy nodded. "If we're lucky, we might not have a repeat of what just happened."

"Gricko's gonna wanna talk to you two 'bout that." He drawled. "He's worried, but he also don't appreciate that neither of you mentioned that Torbek could do that."

Sighing, Kremy rested his chin on a palm. "It happened once back in Agwe, but it wasn't that… dangerous. At least, not to me. Agdon was another story. But it hadn't happened since, so I guess I'd just hoped we'd figure this out before it was a problem. Not to mention, I don't think you'd have let us stay on the ship if you knew."

Gideon shrugged. "We might. Gricko's a sucker for a tragic stray."

"I've noticed." Kremy huffed. "Sorry I didn't tell y'all, I guess…"

"Coulda gone worse." Gideon got to his feet, stretching back for a moment before offering his hand to Kremy. "Better go get this over with."

Kremy took the hand, getting pulled up effortlessly. "Ugh, bein' yelled at by Gricko, is there anythin' more humiliatin'?"

"Coulda got taken out by a damn fountain." Gideon replied.

"Tough choice…"

===

Gricko was on the couch in the common room, trapped in place by Frost's head in his lap. The goblin pet his head idly, while the tabaxi had the other's hat covering his face.

At Kremy's arched brow, Gricko shrugged. "Mee-garine."

Kremy looked at Gideon for more of an explanation, but the genasi only shrugged with a smirk. Seemed he wasn't getting an answer for whatever those two had going on. He had other things to worry about anyway.

"We're gettin' a meetin' with the King of Hearts." He said, lowering his voice for Frost's benefit.

Gricko's eyes widened. "How'd that happen?"

"Witch and Light. Apparently a favor from the King outweighs whatever grudge they'd have on me for turnin' them down. They're arrangin' it, and I'll get the details when they have em."

"And this guy can help Torbek?" Gideon sat against the arm of the couch.

"Light seemed to think so," Kremy said. "If nothin' else, this is just a meetin'. No deals until we know for sure what he wants."

"Hopefully we can be up an' runnin' by then." Gricko scratched idly at Frost's fur.

"Mostly done." Gideon replied. "Should be finished by tonight."

Gricko looked at Kremy with the most serious expression he could muster. Mostly he looked as tired as Kremy felt. "You coulda mentioned that was a fing that could happen…"

"Yeah, I know…"

"You should go talk to him. He's been in his room since we got back. Twig checked on him, he's awake, but he didn't wanna come out."

"Probably feels awful 'bout the whole fing."

"Probably…"

"He should really know, if we're takin' him to meet someone." Gideon urged.

"Got it…" He hissed through gritted teeth. That was the last thing he wanted to do. Not only did he not want to talk about what happened at the tavern, but he didn't want to talk about what a meeting with the King could mean. But there wasn't any hiding it, he'd have to bring Torbek to see the King anyway, so he had to know, and he had to be willing to come out of his room.

Frost reached up, moving the hat up so it only covered his eyes, leaving the rest of his face clear. "The longer he's alone, the more likely the Other is to talk him into spiraling again…"

The three of them looked at each other. None of them wanted that.

Kremy sighed. "Fine, I'll go… I gotta tell him about the meetin' anyway."

He crossed his arms, heading out of the room. Stopping in the kitchen, he found Twig and Hootsie with a plate of cookies in front of them. He snatched a few despite the brownie's complaints, going to the fridge to make a plate of leftovers to go with them. If Torbek hadn't been out of his room since they'd come back, he hadn't eaten. And what better way to bribe— convince him to talk than with food?

Pausing at the door to the bugbear's room, Kremy heard him grumbling inside. Talking to himself. Or to the Other? He knocked on the door, silencing the one- sided conversation.

"Yes?"

"I uh… I wanted to talk to you…" Kremy frowned at the door.

"Torbek is tired…"

"I brought food?"

There was a pause. "Mr. Kremy can come in."

The gator snorted, holding the plate in one hand while he opened the door. Torbek's room was similar to his own; they hadn't come with many personal belongings, so there wasn't much to decorate with. Torbek was sprawled on his cot, his long legs dangling over the edge. The canisters prevented him from laying on his back, so he was curled on his side, head buried in his arms with his eyes peeking over them.

There was no room to sit on the cot, so Kremy leaned against the wall. "Figured you'd be hungry after all that."

Torbek watched him set the plate on the night stand before dropping his gaze.

"I even got you a few cookies, before Twig had 'em all…"

The bugbear's brows furrowed, shoulders hunching up around his ears.

Kremy sighed, crossing his arms again. "Look, this ain't my kinda thing, talkin' about feelin's and all. If you're mad at me, I'd rather you just come out and say it."

Torbek made a sharp noise, looking up at him. "Why would Torbek be mad at you?"

He frowned. "The whole thing at the bar?"

"Torbek isn't mad about that," he said, shrugging. "Torbek understands that Mr. Kremy wouldn't want to be that close to him."

"That's not…" He sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "Look, what happened wasn't your fault, okay? I've got my own shit goin' on, I freaked out. Had too many drinks."

Torbek reached over to the plate, taking a cookie. "Torbek was more worried about Mr. Kremy being mad at him."

"I guess we shoulda been more up front about your… friend. To be honest, I'd hoped he wouldn't come back after the thing with Agdon."

"Torbek can usually ignore him better." He mumbled around the cookie, getting crumbs in his fur. "But Torbek got really upset, and he promised to help Torbek learn to use the Witchlight, so you wouldn't get rid of him."

Kremy winced. "We're not gonna get rid of you, Torbek. He was just lying to you, so you'd let him out."

"Torbek knows. But he really wanted to be able to be useful. He didn't do much in the Jabberwock fight, and you guys almost got hurt because of him."

Kremy pushed off the wall, swatting at Torbek's leg to get him to move. The bugbear sat up, moving his legs so Kremy could sit beside him, forcing him to look at him.

"Look, I'm only gonna say this once, so pay attention, alright? You're just as much a part of this whole crew as any of us. Gricko wouldn't kick you out just because of the Other. He's mad cuz we didn't tell him, so he didn't know to expect it. He's not mad at you." Possibly at Kremy, but he could deal with that. "I'm not mad at you either. What happened was… unfortunate, but it wasn't you, it was that voice in your head."

Torbek didn't look fully convinced, ears still flat against his head in guilt. But he reached for the plate, starting to eat.

"Anyway, I have some good news. We're gettin' a meetin' with the King of Hearts, and he's pretty sure he can help you with the Witchlight."

His eyes widened, before looking concerned again. "Mr. Kremy is sure he's going to help?"

"As far as I know." Kremy said. "We're arrangin' a meetin' with him to go over it all. If he can help, we'll let him. No promises. I'm not gonna let you be some lab experiment or carnival generator."

Torbek set the plate down again, looking at his now- empty claws. "Is… are you gonna leave Torbek with him?"

Kremy, to his credit, didn't let hesitation show on his face. Years of bluffing had made his facial reaction time near instant. Hadn't he thought of doing just that? Of taking what the King offered and leaving the bugbear so he could go back and pay off Garou, and he could finally be free?

"Of course not," he said instead. "Well, I mean, there's a chance you'll have to stay there for awhile, if he can remove those things from you. But the crew will be there too. When you're done, you can get back on the ship and stay. Happy endin' and all."

Torbek's eyes filled with tears, and before Kremy knew it, he was wrapped in a tight hug. Torbek buried his face against Kremy's shoulder, getting his shirt wet with what he hoped were only tears.

"Torbek is so happy, he didn't want to be left alone!"

Kremy was stiff, feeling totally out of his depth as he patted his back awkwardly. He was glad the other couldn't see his face from this angle, something mixed between a wince and a scowl.

Kremy was used to lying without a thought. This time it was harder. But he had to do what he had to do.

"You don't have to worry about that, cher. Crew's not leavin' you alone, I promise."

===

No art for this chapter, cuz I got my chapters mixed up and did another piece for last chapter. But here's that!

Chapter Text

If Kremy ever saw Light again, he was going to make him eat his own stupid hat.

He was in the middle of cooking dinner, stirring a pot of carefully watched roux, when he felt the prickle of static on his scales. Brandishing the wooden spoon as if it would protect him, he whirled around. Expecting some new Feywildian enemy to deal with.

The kitchen was empty. Not even Twig sneaking around to steal sweets.

Confused, Kremy turned back to his pot, when one of those portals opened up above him. It looked the same as the one that had sent the Jabberwock back to wherever he'd come from, a wavering purple- pink thing.

Kremy stared at it. It didn't seem big enough for anything too terrible to come through, but he didn't put anything past them.

He wasn't expecting a hand to pop out. That same velvet red glove he was beginning to loathe as Light's. After giving Kremy a quick wave, Light produced a small envelope, letting it drop.

Directly into Kremy's cooking pot.

The hand slipped back into the portal and was gone, leaving Kremy to yell curses as he tried to fish the paper out of his roux.

The envelope itself was a lost cause, stained and sticky. Kremy managed to open it, saving most of the message inside. He read it a few times, lost in his thoughts as he worked to finish dinner. He wanted to feel excited. At the very least, he wanted to feel relieved that this whole disaster of a plan was actually coming together. That the end was in sight.

Instead, he just felt dread.

===

"Goin' in alone? That don't seem suspicious to you?" Gricko frowned around a forkful of rice, tipping back in his chair.

Kremy rolled his eyes. "Of course it does, Gricko! D'you think I was born yesterday? Unfortunately, there's not much I can do. That's the terms. Torbek and I go in alone to meet with the King. Y'all can wait with the Snail nearby."

Adjusting his glasses, Frost looked over the note Kremy had given him to read. "It does seem to leave no room for argument. I'd imagine a King is used to getting his way."

"Don't mean we gotta like it," Gideon said, arms crossed. "Sounds like you're walkin' right into a trap."

"Obviously." Kremy tapped a claw against his fork, pushing the food around his plate more than he was eating it. "But this is the best lead we've got. We're gonna have to play ball here."

"Kremy's right." Twig spoke up, stood on her chair so she could reach the bread rolls in the middle, snagging one. "If that's what the King of Hearts wants, there must be a reason. Maybe he's worried we'll try to attack him?"

"We couldn't even fight a Jabberwock…" Torbek lamented, hunched in on himself with worry. "We only won because it got sent back home…"

"If he's a king, shouldn't he have guards or somefin'?" Gricko frowned. "Seems like he shouldn't care whevver the whole crew comes in…"

"I wish to meet with you. Bring the bugbear only, and meet at the listed location at the assigned date and time." Frost read the card, which smelled like spices. "Seems cut and dry."

"Any advice, Twigsy?" Gideon turned to the brownie.

She paused, mid- bite. "Not really… I never met the guy. I just hear stuff 'bout him. If he says he wants to help Torbek, I believe him!"

"Like I said, we ain't got much other choice. If we wanna get this Witchlight taken care of, we gotta do what he wants. At least until I can figure out what his angle is. That's why I want y'all close by, in case the deal goes sour."

Gricko nodded. "D'ya think he lives in a big castle?"

"It don't matter where he lives," Kremy replied. "He ain't bringin' us to his house. It's a third location. Secret- like."

"More opportunities for a trap." Gideon grumbled.

"Well aware…" the gator sighed.

===

Kremy had Gricko look the place up beforehand. They had the day before the meeting, and Kremy wanted to get as much info as possible. When Gricko looked up the coordinates they were given, there wasn't much to it. It was close enough to Agwe to give him pause, but not so close that he worried that Garou would get word of it. It made sense, if the King of Hearts had something to do with Torbek. Garou had found Torbek, so it would've been somewhere relatively close.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much to it. It was far enough from the swamps, on the edge of the continent and closer to the dry heat of Nekhbet. It seemed like mostly abandoned area, a small collection of caves in the middle of nowhere. They were to meet at the entrance, and there wasn't a lot of hiding spots for the Snail in the meantime. Gricko figured the best plan would be to just hide behind the caves themselves and hope for the best.

They got there early, to physically scope the place out. Sure enough, a random spot with caves. Not a lot to plan around. Gricko and the crew would wait with the Snail behind the caves. Frost would be waiting, having the link with Torbek from their fight with the Other. If there was trouble, Torbek could tell Frost without giving them away. He'd alert the others and they'd fly in to help. It wasn't a great plan, but it was the best they had.

Kremy and Torbek were dropped off at the entrance. Kremy read over the note once again, making sure they were on time and at the right spot. He wanted this to go well. He fixed his hat, brushing off his clothes before heading in. Torbek followed him, claws curled to his chest anxiously.

Inside the cave was dim and damp. There was a path leading them forward, lit by the same glowing orbs that decorated the Witchlight Carnival. It was a bit of a tight squeeze. Torbek managed to get through with only a little bit of hunching, his clothes catching on the rocks and the canisters clinking noisily as they hit the walls and ceiling. If they'd hoped for any kind of element of surprise, they definitely weren't getting it now. Kremy looked around as they walked, but didn't see many places for anyone to sneak up on them, at least not yet.

"Don't do anythin' I don't tell you to, got it?" Kremy whispered, keeping his head forward.

"Torbek will wait for Mr. Kremy's orders…" the bugbear confirmed. He scooted closer, bumping up against Kremy's tail.

They continued in silence, Kremy on alert for any sign of a trap and Torbek stumbling into him in an attempt to stay close. Eventually, they came to an opening in the rocks.

The path let out into a cavern. It wasn't terribly big, but compared to their cramped space a moment ago, it was a sigh of relief for claustrophobia. There were more of the glowing orbs spread around, giving them some light. Stalactites and stalagmites lined the ceiling and floor of the cave, dripping condensation into small pools littered around the cavern. At the far end was what looked like some sort of altar. A stone table carved out of the cave rock.

And on that ledge, a figure lounged, one leg up on the table while the other dangled, kicking idly. A tall man, dressed in a flowing white shirt, long boots and pants tight enough to make Kremy raise a brow. He turned to face them, long blond hair dragging along the stone. He wore a mask that covered the top half of his face, a barn owl in white with golden edges.

Seeing the pair, he smiled. "Right on time. I appreciate that."

Kremy tipped his hat with a nod, sliding into his easy- going act. "Whattado, your Majesty. The name's Kremy Lecroux, and this is Torbek, my employee. Heard you'd like a meetin'?"

The King hummed, amused. "Your employee?"

Torbek shrank behind Kremy, too tall to really do any good at hiding himself.

"That's right," Kremy said. "I find myself the leader of a crew these days. We're lookin' to help this one with an unfortunate problem. Seems you might know somethin' about it?"

The King tipped his head back in a laugh, before hopping off the table. "Come a little closer. I don't bite."

Kremy started across the cavern, pulling Torbek along with a hand on his wrist. The bugbear whined a bit, but followed without a fight. The King waited for them, leaning against the stone ledge with his arms crossed, watching.

When they reached him, the King pushed away from the ledge. He circled them, arms crossed behind his back. Kremy kept a hand on Torbek's wrist, squeezing a bit to keep the bugbear still. Torbek's ears pinned to his head, watching nervously as the King paced behind him to inspect the canisters.

"So? You have any idea on how to get those things offa him?" Kremy asked, turning to watch the King inspect Torbek.

"Hmm. It's very interesting." The King tapped a gloved finger against the glass, making Torbek jump. "Luckily for you both, I know exactly what to do."

Despite his nervousness, Torbek perked up, turning his head back as far as he could without moving. "You do?"

Digging an elbow into Torbek's shoulder as he leaned casually against him, the King looked at Kremy. "You've done well, bringing him back to me."

"Uh, back to you?" Kremy asked.

"Of course." The King replied. "Before he was your… employee, he was mine."

"Torbek doesn't remember that…" Torbek muttered, earning himself an even sharper elbow in his shoulder. He winced.

"This is your doin' then?" Kremy gestured to the canisters.

"Well, I didn't put them there, if that's what you're implying." He scoffed. "But he came to me for help. Poor thing couldn't remember anything but his name."

Kremy glanced at Torbek who lifted his free shoulder in a shrug. It was hard to clock the King as truthful, since Torbek had mentioned that he didn't remember much before the Witchlight.

"So you lost him then?" Kremy prompted.

"He was stolen away," the King said with a sigh. "I was trying to figure out what to do to help the poor thing, when someone snatched him up."

Kremy frowned. That had to be Garou, or at least someone who dealt to him.

"I've been searching for him ever since." He continued, grabbing on to Torbek's arm and shaking Kremy's hand from it. "I'd just figured out how to help him, and he was taken from me…"

The gator shifted, holding his hands up disarmingly. "Now, I hope you ain't thinkin' I'm the one that did the takin'…"

"Of course not…" He waved his concern away. "You're no sort of match for my powers. Something like you couldn't have gotten in, let alone taken anything from me."

Kremy bristled, but kept quiet. He needed to get on this guy's good side, but he didn't like letting a comment like that slide. "Well, we've surprised a few people…"

The King laughed. "So I've heard! Imagine my surprise when I get a message from Mr. Light, saying he's found a whole crew of little non-feys looking for me…"

"We heard from Agdon Longscarf that you were lookin' for him…" Kremy offered.

"I was indeed!" The King was looking at Torbek's claws, twisting his arm back and forth. "Where'd he get to, anyway?"

"Agdon?" Torbek squeaked as much as someone with his tone could. It sounded awful. "He uh… didn't make it."

Another laugh. "You killed him?"

"Awful sorry 'bout it," Kremy said, taking his hat off for a moment of respect. "He surprised us and attacked. Torbek unfortunately dealt with him."

Whatever anger Kremy expected at the King's employee being killed looking for Torbek, he didn't find. He didn't seem to care in the slightest. If anything, he seemed interested, a strange glint in his eyes behind the mask.

"Light said you tried to sell him off?"

Kremy blanched, seeing Torbek's hurt look. "Well, the plan was to see if they could help. We're tryin' to detach those things, after all. Figured if anyone could help, it'd be the Witchlight Carnival owners. Or at least they could've gotten me in touch with you. Which they did."

"And they couldn't help you?"

Shaking his head, Kremy put his hat back on. "No sir. They just wanted him to power the Carnival."

"That would've helped them a lot," the King said, appraising the tanks on Torbek's back again. "There oughta be enough in there to power that Carnival for years, at least." He looked at Kremy. "Do you have any idea how powerful this stuff is?"

"Well, Witch told us a few things…"

"I'll bet they offered you something good for him…" He tilted his head, studying the gator. "Feywildians don't deal with gold, so they must've had something else for you. Power? Luck?" He leaned closer with a grin. "Freedom from a contract?"

Kremy froze. He wanted to ask how he knew about that, but Witch knew. So obviously the King knew. He wasn't going to give anything away if he could help it. "It was a temptin' deal, I'll say that. But a smart businessman knows never to jump at the first offer."

The King laughed again. "Seems like someone taught you well, Lecroux. And just as well for me, since I would absolutely like him back."

"But—" Torbek started, only to be interrupted.

"Well, we weren't really plannin' on lettin' him go, persay…" Kremy put his hand back on Torbek's arm. "The crew's kinda fond of him at this point, it'd be a shame to have them lose a friend. We were moreso hopin' that you could take care of the Witchlight."

He hummed, looking at Kremy's hand. "Not exactly what I had in mind…"

"Please, Mr. King?" Torbek twisted his head to look at the shorter man, brown eyes pleading. "Torbek wants to stay with the others…"

The King straightened, looking offended. "But you're under my protection. Ain't that good enough for you?"

Torbek whimpered. Kremy pulled him closer, away from the King.

"What Torbek means to say, is that I'm sure we can come to some kinda agreement that suits us all, if you're willin'…" He offered his best disarming smile.

The King of Hearts did not look amused. His mood had shifted, staring at Kremy with disdain. "What suits me is gettin' back what's mine…"

"We know the Witchlight is important, so if you wanna detach 'em, they're yours to have! All I'm askin' is the small fee for findin' and bringin' him here for you!"

"Counter and final offer: You'll get your fee, and you and your crew walk away. But you don't get him back. The Witchlight ain't all that's important."

Kremy felt Torbek's claw grab onto the back of his jacket, twisting. "Well, that's the same problem I had with Witch and Light…"

The King suddenly smiled again, mood flipping faster than Kremy's pancakes. "Of course! You're worried about him?"

"W-well, I'd like to make sure he ain't bein' mistreated…" Kremy stammered, losing a bit of ground.

He put a hand to his chest with a scoff. "That's what you're worried about? You think I'd hurt the poor thing? I'm trying to help him!" He reached past Kremy, grabbing Torbek's hand in both his own. "Why, I've been devastated since he's been gone. He was like a son to me!"

"He was?" Kremy asked, suspicious.

"Torbek was?" Torbek echoed.

The King let out a huff. "I was trying to play this cool, but I'm no deal maker. I was hoping if I didn't seem too interested, you'd give him up easy. But I'll be honest with you, Lecroux. I need him back, whatever the cost."

Kremy matched eyes with Torbek, who only shrugged.

"And you're okay with him not rememberin' you?"

He nodded. "I'm sure once the Witchlight is gone, he'll be back to his normal self."

"You for sure know how to help him?"

"I've had just as many people working on it as I did people out looking for him," the King admitted. "I was hoping someone would eventually find him, so I could get right to fixing him up."

Kremy sighed, studying what he could see of the other's face. He seemed a lot more earnest since dropping the facade of the aloof royalty. This was the best outcome. Torbek would be taken care of by someone who would keep him safe, not use him for his Witchlight. And if he was right, then Torbek would be happy to be back with someone he knew once this was all over. And if he didn't, then he'd be free to do whatever he wanted.

So why did he feel like he was going to be sick?

"And if he don't remember you? You'd let him go, right?"

"He's free to do what he wants, I'm not going to imprison him…" He frowned at the thought.

"I have your word?"

"The word and bond of the King of Hearts," he said, hand over his heart.

"Mr. Kremy…" Torbek whined.

"I guess we've got a deal then…" Kremy said around the lump in his throat.

Behind him, Torbek tugged on his jacket. "Torbek doesn't want to—"

"Perfect!" The King held his hand out, palm up. "Won't you sh— We should shake on it, yes?"

"Mr. Kremy!"

Before Torbek or himself could talk them out of it, he grabbed the King's hand, giving it a firm shake. He pulled away, but the other held on, gripping tight and digging into the scales. Kremy looked down, trying to yank his hand away.

"I don't take kindly to those stealin' what's mine, boy…"

Kremy whipped his head up, staring as the mask dropped to the ground. The form of the King shifted, rippling like water splashed in a pond.

Until he was staring back into the cold eyes of Remy Garou.

===

Bonus art!

Chapter Text

Torbek panicked, trying to get Kremy's attention. He didn't want to stay with the King, he didn't remember him the way he said he should. If he was telling the truth, shouldn't he at least know the King from after he came to with the Witchlight? He felt like he'd never seen this man. But Kremy seemed to believe him. Maybe he was just worse off at remembering than he thought?

But all the same, the King said he would help Torbek, and as excited as he was to possibly be rid of the canisters on his back, he didn't like the thought of the others leaving without him. If they expected him to want to stay with the King, they wouldn't wait for him to get the Witchlight removed, and he'd never be able to find them!

Despite his protests, Kremy was already shaking the King's hand. Torbek whined, ears flattening against his head. Kremy had said they'd stay with him!

But then the King wouldn't let go of Kremy's hand. Immediately, Torbek felt the air get heavier. Something dark and oppressive. The King's whole body changed as he growled at Kremy in a completely different voice.

Kremy squirmed, trying to pull his hand away, but the man kept a tight grip, gripping in a way that had to be painful. The gator looked terrified, his tail thrashed so hard it hit Torbek in the legs, nearly knocking them out from under him.

"Mr. Garou!" Kremy yelped out, still trying to pull away.

Garou. Torbek's heart beat fast, his panic only growing. This was Kremy's old boss, the man he'd saved Torbek from in the riverboat. He was big; not as tall as Torbek, but broad, around Gideon's size. His dark hair and thin mustache were perfectly groomed, slicked back. Looking put- together and professional in a dark red suit, even as he tried to crush Kremy's wrist under his fingers.

"I was jus'—"

"I know all about what you were tryin' to do, boy!" Garou snarled. "Thinkin' you could steal this thing from me and trade it off to whatever Feywildian stupid enough to deal with a non- fey! Do you have any idea what it took to get that bugbear in the first place?!"

"I didn't—! I was—!" Kremy stammered.

Torbek had never seen him so frightened, even with the Jabberwock. He growled, reaching over Kremy to take his arm, pulling it out of Garou's grip and bringing the other against himself.

Garou arched a brow, looking up at him with a sneer. "Well, ain't that cute?"

Torbek fought the urge to shrink back, scowling at him.

"Wait, wait!" Kremy shook Torbek off, hands held up. "Mr. Garou, give me a chance to explain! It looks bad, I know, but it ain't what it looks like!"

"Really?" Garou's attention returned to his employee, disdain clear on his face. "So you mean to tell me I didn't get a call from Mr. Light, tellin' me that my godsdamned employee was off tryin' to trade MY Witchlight away?!"

"Well, yeah, that part was true…" He muttered with a wince. "But the reason! The reason is the important part!"

Garou huffed. "I'm all ears, boy."

Kremy's hands moved in jerky movements, matching those of his tail. Torbek could tell he was scared, trying to talk them out of this. Torbek stood back, trusting him to do what he did best.

"I went into the brig to see what you'd brought in! I was just curious! But while I was there, this… this portal opened up! Purple and black thing! And this rabbit guy came out of it, and kidnapped him, right outta the cell!"

Garou's eyes narrowed. Whatever he'd been expecting Kremy to say, that hadn't been it. "A portal?"

Kremy nodded quickly. "Yeah, some kinda Feywildian thing! There's some hags after Torbek, y'see! And they snatched him from your boat! So I went lookin' for him!"

"And how did you know where to look?" Garou looked like he half- believed any of the story.

"There's a place in the market, some magic item seller!" Kremy explained. The tip of his tail curled around Torbek's ankle. "They told me about the hags and the portals! And— And I got an item there, that led me to Agdon— the rabbitfolk— and I took care of him for you!"

"That's all well and good," Garou said, almost bored with the story. "But why were you tryin' to trade with Witch and Light?"

Kremy swallowed hard. "W-Well, I figured if I could get the Witchlight off of Torbek, then the hags wouldn't be able to get it! I could keep it safe, and get it back to Agwe! So I went to Witch and Light to see if they could do that! But when they couldn't, I refused them! They wanted Torbek to run their carnival, and I knew I had to get him back to you!"

Torbek watched Garou's face. The man was hard to read, but he hoped that he believed Kremy. He hoped Kremy had a plan. He tried to think about the mental link like Frost had told him. 'Frost! We're in trouble! Come get us!'

He didn't get an answer immediately, and he didn't know if it had worked. After a moment, he heard Frost's voice in his head. 'We're on our way.'

The pair in front of him hadn't spoken while he was busy. Garou studied Kremy, trying to get a read on him, To his credit, Kremy didn't squirm under the attention. Whatever panic he'd felt at seeing Garou had been shoved back, trying to put on the confident persona he used when talking to others.

Eventually, Garou let out a breath, lips pulled into a thin line. "Sounds like you've had quite the adventure. Come here, boy…"

Torbek wanted to grab at Kremy's skirt, to keep him from moving closer to the man. But he had to trust the Kremy knew what he was doing. He let the gator go, boots catching on loose gravel as he stepped closer to his employer.

"You're one of my best," Garou said, his deep voice a purr as he slid an arm over Kremy's shoulders when he got close enough.

Kremy looked up at him, eyes going wide for a second before schooling them into a more confident look. "Appreciate that, Mr. Garou…"

"Went through a lot of trouble to get the bugbear back to me, didn'tcha?"

"Well, of course, sir, I knew he'd be important to you."

"Good…" Garou took something from his jacket pocket, pressing it against Kremy's stomach. "Just one more job for you, and we can go home…"

Kremy took it, looking down to find a dagger in his hands. "Mr. Garou…?"

Garou sighed, pushing Kremy forward, back towards Torbek. "I don't have the time to be dealin' with this thing anymore. Kill him and we'll get the Witchlight back to Agwe."

Torbek let out a whine, ears pinned back. He froze in place.

"Kill him…?" Kremy squeaked, clutching the dagger. He met Torbek's eyes, the confidence gone.

"I ain't in the habit of repeatin' myself, boy." Garou growled, voice dark. "You oughta kill him, like I said."

Kremy's eyes widened, the light leaving them for a moment. The gold darkened as he continued to look at Torbek, taking a step towards him. His fingers curled around the hilt of the dagger.

"Mr. Kremy…?" Torbek leaned back a bit, watching in shock as Kremy took another step.

His motions were stiff and forced, but he reached out with his free hand, grabbing at Torbek's collar. Torbek whimpered, tears building in his eyes. He figured Kremy was just bluffing and they'd escape somehow. But Kremy raised the dagger.

'You idiot!' the Other hissed in his head. 'You're just going to let him—!'

Torbek couldn't make his limbs move. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain.

When it didn't happen, he blinked an eye open. Kremy's form was blurry behind the tears in his eyes, but he was still. The arm holding the dagger shook with effort.

"S-Sir…!" Kremy's teeth were clenched tight, barely able to get the words out around them. "He's better a- alive…!"

Garou sighed, impatient. "Quit fightin' and get on with it!"

Kremy jerked forward, looking like he'd been shocked. The dagger lowered, but still didn't make contact with Torbek's chest. He shook like he was freezing. A line of blood dripped slow down his snout.

"You get more… if he's alive…" Kremy forced the words out.

"Stop," Garou said, and Kremy slumped like a puppet with cut strings. "Explain yourself, boy…"

Kremy panted, reaching up with a trembling arm to wipe the blood from his nose. "H-His body makes more Witchlight. What's in the canisters ain't all of it… So if you keep him alive, you get a never- ending source of it, but if you kill him, that's all you get."

Garou hummed in thought, looking from Kremy to the canisters on Torbek's back. The only sound was Kremy's breath as he tried to get it back under control. Torbek reached out, taking his hand.

"How do I know he ain't gonna run?" Garou asked finally.

"He won't," Kremy said, looking at Torbek with pleading eyes where Garou couldn't see. "I've got him under Suggestion. He ain't goin' nowhere I don't say, right Torbek?"

Torbek's words got stuck in his throat at first, but he managed a nod. "Yes, Mr. Kremy."

There was silence, as Garou took all this in. He took his time, considering it. Kremy's shaking lessened as he got himself under control, and Torbek fought against his want to help him.

Finally, Garou sighed. "Fine, fine. Get him movin'. Better not hear a peep outta him or else it's your hide…" He warned, pushing Kremy forward as he took a step.

Kremy stumbled into Torbek, dropping the dagger. Torbek was relieved as he steadied the gator.

"You heard him…" Kremy snapped, giving Torbek one last look, as if apologizing. "Get a move on."

"Yes, Mr. Kremy," Torbek said dutifully, giving his arm a comforting squeeze before letting go, turning around to move back towards the tunnel they'd come in from.

He heard Kremy following him, boots crunching the gravel. He also heard Garou moving further back, steps casual and unhurried. Torbek led them through the cavern, keeping his steps measured. He needed Garou to believe that Kremy had him under control. If he went too fast, he might get mad and make Kremy kill him again.

The walk along the cavern seemed to take forever, much longer than it had taken to get in. They moved in silence, their steps and the water dripping into pools around them the only sounds. Torbek wanted to grab Kremy and run, but he knew they wouldn't make it far.

When they reached the entrance to the tunnel, Torbek didn't hesitate, hunching himself down to fit inside the narrow space. His ear flicked, listening to Kremy step behind him. Garou gave them a bit of space before following. It wasn't much, but it let Torbek breathe a little easier.

They were a decent way through the tunnel, when Torbek's ears perked up, hearing a noise. It sounded like something fluttering. And it sounded like it was coming their way fast. It flew into Torbek's vision and he ducked quickly, reaching back to pull Kremy down with him.

The thing slammed into Garou, knocking the man backwards with an angry yell. Torbek looked back. It looked like… a pig? With fairy wings? The pig bullied Garou, squealing wildly as he batted at it.

Torbek didn't waste any time. He kept his grip on Kremy's arm, dragging the confused gator down the rest of the tunnel while Garou was dealing with the pig. He could hear Garou yelling, echoing in the small space. The pig continued to squeal, until it stopped suddenly. Then he heard Garou running after them.

===

Kremy urged Torbek forward, pushing the bugbear as his heart pounded in his chest. If Garou caught them, they were done for, and it sounded like their distraction wasn't going to be much help anymore.

They reached the tunnel opening, spilling out into the daylight. The Snail was waiting for them, hovering by the entrance. Twig was floating beside it, arms outstretched. Suddenly the pig popped into existence next to her and she hugged it tight around the neck. The Snail was drifting back, autopilot taking them away.

"Hurry up!" Kremy pushed Torbek towards the ship. He could hear Garou catching up to them, too fast.

Gideon was hanging off the railing, half overboard. He reached out to grab Torbek's hand as soon as the bugbear got close enough, pulling him up by the arm. The others were there to help, Frost trying to grab for Torbek's other arm and Gricko pulling mostly- uselessly at the back of Gideon's coveralls. Hootsie tugged at her papa's vest, keeping the goblin from falling overboard as well.

Torbek wasn't going easy, however. He squirmed in their hold, reaching for Kremy.

Kremy grabbed for it, hoping to get pulled up, but something grabbed his tail, yanking him away with a shocked yelp. He kicked wildly, frantically trying to free himself as the ship continued to move away from him.

Garou had caught up, hands latched onto Kremy's tail and pulling. His normally pristine appearance was disheveled, his hair a mess and suit torn, messed up by Twig's magic pig. He didn't seem to care, huffing out growls as he dragged Kremy backwards.

Torbek tried to break free of Gideon, to go back for Kremy. The boat rocked to the side a bit with the struggle.

Kremy clawed at the grass under himself, trying to get some kind of leverage to break Garou's hold. The man was strong, however, and wasn't giving up. Kremy felt himself lose ground, sliding back towards his boss. His tail felt like it was going to snap.

Thinking quickly, he noticed that Garou wasn't out of the tunnel. Just shy of the entrance. If he could collapse it, he could get away!

"Hit the cave with somethin'!" He yelled, still kicking against Garou's hold. He tried to thrash his tail, but it wasn't moving. He knew Garou was strong, but he shouldn't be able to stop a gatorfolk's tail!

Frost and Gricko had taken over holding onto Torbek, who continued to fight them to reach Kremy. Gideon grabbed a crate from the ship, heaving it with all his might towards the cave entrance. It slammed into the rock, sending a pile of it cascading down.

A few of them hit Kremy, who curled up as best as he could to protect himself. The majority fell onto Garou, blocking the cave with the rubble. Kremy tried to pull his tail away, but still Garou held on, just as strong as before.

Kremy let out a frustrated noise, near tears. He wasn't getting out of this. Garou wasn't going to let him escape. He looked up, seeing the crew. The Snail was still drifting away. The others were holding onto Torbek, just barely. If he didn't do something, the bugbear was going to fall and then they'd be right back where they started. Only this time there'd be no talking Garou down. He'd never seen the man this mad, and especially not directed at him.

He couldn't save himself, but he could at least be sure the others got away. At least he could deny Garou the Witchlight and he could save his friends.

Kremy locked eyes with Gricko, who was watching him worriedly, trying to see if there was any way to get him away from Garou. The goblin paused, holding his stare.

"Gricko, would you kindly take the others and get outta here?" He pushed as much of his magic into the request as he could, hoping it would work.

Gricko's eyes flashed purple for a moment, and he hopped off the railing while the others were busy wrangling Torbek. He scurried down into the ship, and a moment later, the Snail took a hard turn, pulling them away.

"Mr. Kremy!" Torbek yelled, reaching for him again. It took all of them to hold onto him, pulling the bugbear over the railing to keep him aboard the ship as it picked up speed.

Kremy watched them go. Gideon looked at him helplessly, and all Kremy could do was look back, hoping he could apologize with the look in his eyes. He hoped they'd get far enough away while Garou was dealing with him.

Garou shook the rocks off his back as if they weighed nothing. He kept his hold on Kremy's tail, yanking the gator toward him. Kremy didn't fight it anymore, going limp in his hold. Garou was furious, heaving breaths that sounded like a wild creature more than a human man. His clothes were a mess, torn and dirty from the cave.

"You think you're pretty clever, dontcha, boy?" He grabbed Kremy by the shoulders, giving him a shake. "We're goin' back to the boat. I'll deal with you when we get there.."

He knew what he was in for. Garou didn't suffer betrayal easily. If Kremy made it out alive, he'd wish he were dead anyway.

===

This chapter's art!

Chapter Text

Once they were too far away, Torbek stopped fighting. He dropped to the deck as the others pulled him in. Twig flew in close, wrapping her small arms around his neck.

"What happened in there?" Frost asked, kneeling beside him. Checking him over for injuries.

"Mr. Kremy's boss tricked him," Torbek said, shoulders slumped. "Mr. Kremy had rescued Torbek from Mr. Garou, but Mr. Light told him that we came to see him."

"That was Kremy's boss?" Gideon pulled a hand through his hair, hissing out a curse. He looked like Torbek felt, like he wanted to jump ship and go back for him. "What do we do now?"

Frost shrugged. "We could go back."

Gideon sighed. "Ain't no way. Whatever he did to Gricko got him movin' this ship fast as she can go. By the time we got her turned around, they'd be long gone."

Torbek looked sadly over the railing. He couldn't even see the cave anymore. "Why would Mr. Kremy do that?"

"He was trying to protect us," Twig said, petting his fur. "Whoever that guy is, he's bad news. He took down Pigtunia with one hit!" She looked over, where the little fairy pig was cuddled up with Hootsie.

"I'm sure Kremy thought it'd be better if we could get away." Frost leaned against the railing, tail flicking from side to side. "If Twig is right, we probably wouldn't have been able to fight him."

There was a wail from inside the ship, followed by hurried footsteps. The others turned to see Gricko leaning against the doorway, looking near tears.

He ran across the deck, launching himself at Torbek. "I didn't wanna leave him! You gotta believe me! I couldn't stop meself!"

Frost reached over, patting Gricko's head. "It wasn't your fault. Kremy has a form of suggestion magic. He tried to use it on the Jabberwock and the Other."

"It's okay, Gricko…" Torbek wrapped a long arm around him. "Mr. Kremy's done that to other people before. It's how he broke Torbek out in the first place." He thought about Kremy in the cave, after Garou gave him the order to kill him. How hard it had looked for Kremy not to obey it, even to the point where he was bleeding. Did Garou have that same kind of power?

"We're goin' to get him, right?" Gricko looked around. "I can turn the Snail 'round, we can go back…"

"We can't fight him." Frost shook his head.

"That guy ain't normal." Twig huffed. "Did Kremy know he was workin' for a Feywildian?"

"Mr. Garou is Feywildian?" Torbek asked.

Twig sat on Torbek's shoulder, kicking her feet. "Sort of? He's some part of it, anyway. I can sense it on him."

"Explains why he had Torbek in the first place." Frost's paw tapped on the rail in thought. "I wonder if Kremy knows."

"Well, now we really gotta go get him back!" Gideon's hair flared up, sparking. "We can't just leave him with the guy!"

"We need a plan." Frost argued. "If he's even part Feywildian, there's no way we can fight him."

"Mr. Kremy tried to save us." Torbek pouted. "We have to try to save him too!"

"Not sayin' we don't," Twig said. "But we can't just go rush in and grab him. He ain't gonna let us do that."

"We don't even know where to find them." Frost continued.

"Torbek thinks they'd go back to Agwe. Mr. Garou has a riverboat there, that's where Mr. Kremy rescued him from."

"Riverboat, huh?" Gideon ran his fingers through his beard. "Think I might have somethin'…"

===

Kremy sat up with a groan. He hurt everywhere. His tail was bruised with Garou's handprints. The rest of him was bruised with the result of Garou's more loyal employees dealing out the beating he knew had been coming. Garou hadn't killed him, though, which meant he wanted to use him for something still.

One of his eyes were swollen shut, but he managed to peek the other one open, looking around. He was in the brig, as expected. Funny enough, he was in the same cell he'd stolen Torbek out of. The cold stone walls provided a moment of relief against his burning scales, but he couldn't sit for long or else he'd lose all his heat.

He pushed himself up on shaking arms, managing to get from the floor to the hanging sheet of metal that jokingly called itself a bed. There was a tattered blanket over it, which was better than nothing. Kremy all but collapsed onto it, heaving a sigh.

He had to think of a plan. But his head ached as much as the rest of him, like his hangover but ten times worse. And no Gricko to use his little trick to cure it.

Kremy sighed, even though it hurt his chest to do so. They might have cracked a rib or something. At least he had managed to get the others away in time. Garou was still looking for them, but he'd bought them a distraction. They'd managed to evade him so far, without Kremy being an idiot and trying to make deals and giving away their location, they'd probably do even better.

He supposed Garou wanted him to help get Torbek back. He wouldn't have left him alive otherwise. Not after everything he'd done. Beaten and bruised, sure, but alive. Joke was on him, though, since he wouldn't be any help. He didn't know where the others were. The King of Hearts had been their last lead, and after that disaster, along with Kremy being gone, the others were probably just going back to whatever it was the Snail did before they'd stumbled upon it. At least they'd take care of Torbek without trying to trade him away. Maybe Gideon would figure out how the canisters work, and be able to fix them himself.

If Garou wanted him to be bait, well, that wasn't going to work either. Kremy knew better than to expect the others to come save him. For one thing, he'd brought them nothing but trouble. Not to mention he'd made that deal. Torbek had tried to stop him, but Kremy was so convinced he'd been making the right call, he was going to dump the bugbear onto the King. He knew he'd said they'd wait for him, but who knows what would've happened. And then he'd made Gricko leave him behind.

So he was sure he'd burned all his bridges before they were gone. Maybe there'd be a token protest from Torbek or Gideon, but they'd know better than to come to Garou's territory to look for him. Frost and Twig would know they were no match for Garou. The smarter thing was to leave Kremy here with what he deserved.

Kremy wheezed out a sigh, letting his eye close again. Nothing to do now but wait and see what Garou had planned for him.

===

The second time Kremy woke up, it was on a far more comfortable bed.

He sat up slowly, expecting to ache the way he had before. But he felt fine. His eye wasn't swollen, his ribs didn't protest each breath. He looked down, seeing his scales in their normal green. No bruises or cuts. Just green scales in his usual purple silk pajamas.

He was confused. He'd been in the brig, beat to hell and waiting on his impending doom. Now he was in bed, in his pajamas. He looked around. The familiar walls and furniture of his room on the riverboat surrounded him. This was his bed, his pajamas.

Frowning, he rubbed at his head. Had he dreamed the whole thing?

He slid out of bed, padding over to his vanity. Everything was set up just how he'd left it. He looked in the mirror. He looked tired, but otherwise fine. His clothes were folded on the chair, his top hat resting on top of them. The clothes were the set he'd purchased, so that put a line through the dream theory.

So then why was he here? Why keep him locked in the brig and beaten if he was just going to heal him and put him to bed later?

Had Garou forgiven him? Highly unlikely. Was he trying to pretend he had, to get Kremy to help him? Smooth talking was Garou's style, but it didn't seem like he'd go through the trouble, when he could just beat the answers out of Kremy.

Kremy was suspicious, but still relieved. If Garou wanted to play nice, Kremy could play that game. Maybe they could forget this whole thing ever happened, and Kremy could go back to working for Garou and planning his escape on the side.

His mind worked as he got dressed. Whatever Garou was planning, Kremy could play along. However he could get himself back in Garou's graces. Despite trying to escape the cave, maybe Garou believed his story about trying to find a way back to him. Maybe that would be enough to get on his good side again, if nothing else. He could pretend to help try to catch Torbek again, or find something else just as good. Maybe now that he knew more about Feywildians and their Witchlight, he could find a suitable replacement, and Garou would forget all about Torbek.

Setting his hat on his head, he looked over his reflection. He'd opted to leave the skirts down for now, since he didn't figure he'd be getting into many adventures today at least. Today was for convincing Garou how glad he was to be back. Satisfied with his appearance, he went to the door.

It was locked. He frowned, twisting the knob again for good measure. So he wasn't totally forgiven. Garou still had reason to keep him locked down. At least he was in his room. He could work with that.

He sat on his bed, waiting. He didn't think it would take Garou too long to come get him. If he really wanted Torbek, he'd have to talk to Kremy. In the meantime, he planned. Trying to think of what to say, how to play this whole situation to his advantage. Garou thought he knew Kremy too well, and Kremy was going to make sure he kept thinking that.

Eventually, there was a knock on the door. Kremy was pulled from his thoughts.

"Come in."

A key turned, and the door opened. Garou himself stood in the doorway, looking much more put together than the last time Kremy had seen him. Perfect suit, hair slicked back and a calm smile on his face, he looked the part of the confident riverboat owner he was.

"Good to see you up, Lecroux… Hope my boys weren't too rough with you earlier…"

Kremy shrugged, aiming for unbothered. "I seem to be doin' just fine, Mr. Garou."

Garou stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. He didn't bother to lock it again, Kremy noted. He didn't sit, choosing to lean against the wall instead. His hands were clasped behind his back as he studied Kremy, and Kremy did his best to stay still under the intense inspection. Garou always looked at him like he were a bug under glass.

"Glad to hear it," he said eventually. "I know we had some… unpleasant business the other day. But I wanted to see how you were doing. I meant what I said before, you really are one of my best."

"I really do appreciate it, sir." He nodded in thanks. Maybe it would be easier to go back to normal than he thought. "Happy to be back, honestly. All that airship business was pretty annoyin'."

Garou chuckled. "I'd imagine so. Not much for the things, myself. I have better means of gettin' around."

Kremy hummed in agreement. It was a bit odd to be making small talk, but if that's what Garou wanted, Kremy would oblige. He wasn't going to mention the Witchlight until Garou did.

"I hope you're ready to return to your duties," Garou said after a moment, pushing off the wall. He stepped closer, toward Kremy. "Unless you need more time to recover, after your little… adventure?"

"Ah, no sir, I'm good, definitely." Kremy straightened, brushing out his skirts. "I'm sure I have some things to catch up on, bein' gone so long. I'm eager to get back to it."

"Exactly what I like to hear." Garou reached out, setting a small box on the bed beside Kremy's tail.

Kremy tilted his head, looking at it. "Sir?"

"Consider it a… welcome back gift." His hands, now free, slid into his pockets. "A show of no hard feelin's…"

Kremy tried to keep the frown off his face. It wasn't like Garou never gave him anything; he'd been gifted a few things from his boss over his time working for the man. But so soon after he'd tried to skip out on his contract? Was he trying to bribe Kremy into helping? The box fit in his palm, just barely, an unassuming white box with a gold ribbon around it.

He opened the box slowly. Inside was a bracelet, made of gold and a line of purple stones running along the center.

"T-Thank you, Mr. Garou. It's lovely."

Garou looked pleased with his response, holding out a hand. "I wanted to make sure you weren't thinkin' I was still mad at you."

"Of course not, sir." Kremy smiled. Bribery it was, then.

"Here." He offered, taking the box from him. "I'll help you put it on."

Hesitating for a moment, he held his hand out. If this was a trick, he didn't know what to expect.

But Garou just held the bracelet out, fastening it over Kremy's wrist. Enough room to dangle, but not enough to worry about it falling off.

Kremy relaxed. He didn't know why he'd worried. Of course there was nothing wrong with the bracelet. Garou was just showing his appreciation and his forgiveness for the wild stunt Kremy pulled. He really was a nice enough guy.

"I love it," he said, turning his wrist to see it from all angles. The gold shone in the light of the chandelier, and the purple stones were perfectly his color. Garou was very thoughtful.

"It's the least I can do, for someone so loyal, right?" Garou purred, looking a bit smug. He seemed to enjoy how much Kremy liked his gift. "You are my most loyal employee, aren'tcha, boy?"

"Of course, Mr. Garou…" Kremy's head felt a little light, like he'd stood up too fast. Maybe he needed to eat?

"And my most loyal employee would want me to get what I want…"

He nodded before he realized he was doing it.

"Where's the bugbear, Lecroux?"

Kremy hadn't wanted to tell him anything. Even telling him that he didn't know would reveal too much. But now, he couldn't remember why. What did it matter, when Garou was asking him?

"I don't know."

Garou studied him, as if waiting for something. When Kremy didn't offer any more, he reached out, running his fingers along Kremy's jaw. "Are you sure, boy…? You'd tell me if you did, right?"

"Of course, sir." Kremy shivered at the light touch on his scales, leaning in.

"So I'm askin' you one more time." His fingers tightened, holding onto his bottom jaw and making them look eye to eye. "What did you do with the Witchlight?"

"I really don't know, sir." Kremy answered honestly. "I told them to leave, but I don't know where they'd go. The King of Hearts was the last person I thought that could help. I'm not sure who else would know anythin' about the Witchlight, so I'm sure none of them know either."

Garou frowned, irritated. Kremy wished he had something better to tell him. He didn't want Garou mad at him.

"Well, that ain't really helpful." He let go of Kremy's jaw with a displeased sigh.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Garou." Kremy whined. "If I knew anythin', I'd tell you, I swear."

Garou straightened, adjusting his suit jacket. "I know you would, boy. And I'm sure as soon as we find where they're hidin', you'll help me get it back, wontcha?"

Kremy nodded, eager to please. "Of course I will! However I can help!"

"Good," Garou said, and Kremy relaxed. "Until then, why don't you just stay here then? Make sure you're rested up for when I need you. I'll send someone up to make sure you're bein' taken care of."

He didn't wait for a reply, turning to leave.

But Kremy gave one anyway, setting his hat on the bed. He wasn't going anywhere, he might as well take it off. "Yes sir."

Garou left the room, and Kremy heard the lock click once again. He wasn't worried this time, though. He knew it was to keep him safe. Garou needed him to be ready for when he was needed. Garou needed him.

Kremy's hand went to the bracelet, twisting it on his wrist idly. He tried to pull it off, but the latch wouldn't budge. His head felt foggy again. It was alright. He didn't need to take the bracelet off anyway. Why would he? Garou had given it to him. Of course he wanted to wear it!

He laid back on the bed, suddenly feeling tired despite just waking up. Garou told him to rest up, so he wouldn't mind if Kremy just took a nap. Maybe he could get someone to bring him something to eat when he woke up. He was sure Garou would take care of it.

===

Bonus art, I drew Garou for y'all...

Chapter Text

Gricko forced himself to walk at a normal pace. He knew that people were going to look at him anyway; he didn't go many places where a goblin walking around with a teenage owlbear didn't get a lot of stares. But most of the time, if he acted normal, no one minded them.

He ushered Hootsie onto the ramp, heading up from the dock onto the riverboat. His daughter, at least, didn't seem as nervous as he did. Which was good. She looked around, chirping curiously. She'd never been on a riverboat before, and if they weren't busy trying to pull a heist, he might've liked to show her around and have some fun.

'Focus, Gricko…' Frost's voice rumbled in his mind.

'I wasn't doin' noffin' yet, Frosty!' He shot back. He thought he'd been doing fairly well so far.

'The word 'yet' worries me more…'

'It's fine! Me n' Hootsie are on board!'

'Good. Start working on the distraction. I'm sending Torbek in next.'

'Right-o!' He turned to Hootsie. "C'mon, Hoots, time to put on a show!"

Hootsie cooed, turning in a little circle.

Gricko put his arms out, trying to get the attention of the passengers. "Welcome, everyone! We hope you enjoy your stay on this here riverboat! Tonight's entertainment is actually somefin' really special! Hootsie the Dancing Owlbear is here to do her most stylish jigs for you!"

The crowd gathered, curious, as Gricko and Hootsie led them to the corner of the boat, away from the entrance. Hootsie twirled and spun, dancing from foot to foot while Gricko played his ocarina.

He beamed as the crowd applauded, happy that people loved watching his daughter perform as much as he did. Even the ship's guards, some bullywogs, were curious enough to leave their posts to watch Hootsie dance as the audience clapped along.

When he saw the tall, shadowy figure in a cloak sneak on board, he directed Hootsie to do an even more impressive move. The owlbear hopped up, dancing with him on her hind legs like she'd done with Twig in the tavern.

The audience ate it up, applauding and even tossing a few coins to the deck in front of them. After another little jig, Hootsie nodded forward, tipping her top hat off. Gricko used it to quickly collect the coins.

Time to start the second phase of his part in the plan. "Now, ladies, gents, and anyfin' else you please! If you're interested in this an' more, you can follow us off the ship to the center of town, where the real show is!"

Gricko turned, weaving his way through the crowd. Hootsie gave a loud trill as she followed her papa off the boat, stamping like they were the head of a parade. Which, he supposed they were. A few of the passengers looked confused, but most were eager to follow him.

He'd have to leave these ones with Hootsie, and go back for the stragglers. They needed all the people off this boat before Gideon got everything set up. He'd have to think of some way to get the remaining passengers to leave.

'Frosty, any way we can fake an alert or somefin'?' He asked in the mental link. 'Some of the people ain't followin' Hootsie.'

He could hear Frost hum in his brain, sending a little shiver up his spine. 'I'll see what I can do. Good job on getting most of them. Torbek is heading down to the brig. Twig and I will work on getting the others off the boat.'

'Roger that!' He turned back to the small parade he'd amassed, hopping up on Hootsie's shoulders to see over them. "Right this way, folks!"

===

'Frost, Torbek can't find Kremy!' Torbek's gravel tone in his head made Frost wince. His ears flicked, despite it not being a physical sound. He looked around. The hall he and Twig had found themselves in was clear of people, leading into a line of doors labeled 'Employees Only'.

'We're heading to the front office, Torbek,' Frost replied mentally. 'I'll see if there's some kind of notice there about where he'd be. I can't imagine he'd be far.'

'Okay… Torbek will keep looking until then…'

'Sounds good. I'll let you know. Also ignore any announcements you hear.'

'Okay…'

Frost's mind cleared again. If Kremy wasn't in the brig, he had to be on the ship proper somewhere. Maybe one of the employee rooms? He'd thought Garou would be keeping Kremy prisoner, but maybe there was something else going on?

Twig zipped past him, heading for the door at the end of the hall. "This one, Frost! This has gotta be Garou's office, I can feel it!"

He nodded, moving on quiet cat feet to the door. It was locked, of course, Frost didn't think Garou for the sort of person to leave his office unlocked. "Can you unlock it?"

Twig giggled, a look of mischief on her freckled face as she rubbed her hands together. She pointed at the door, and a small blast of energy shot from her fingers, blasting the door handle clean off.

Frost scanned the hall again, before the pair ducked inside, closing the door after them.

Garou's office was quiet and dark. The walls were lined with shelves, displaying all sorts of trinkets and treasures. If he had more time, Frost would love to examine them all.

A large desk sat against a full window, looking out over the sea. Twig hurried over, starting to search the drawers.

"What are you looking for?" Frost asked, joining her.

"If we can find some kinda proof that Garou kidnapped Torbek, we can see if they mentioned where he came from!" She explained, rifling through papers. "It'll help us know who could help him!"

Frost blinked. "That's a great idea, Twig."

She beamed, her long tail swishing at the praise. "Thanks!"

The pair went through the desk. Twig looked for information on Torbek, while Frost focused on finding some way of locating Kremy. Eventually he came across a thin book with a directory. It listed all of the employees who had rooms below deck. Kremy had a room.

'Torbek, Kremy might be in his room. If you go up a floor, you'll reach the employee rooms, his is at the end of that hall on the left.'

'On the left. Okay, thanks Frost!'

Twig huffed, obviously not finding what she was looking for. Frost went to help, searching the drawers for anything that could be related to the Witchlight. Garou seemed to keep very careful notes on all his transactions. The desk was filled with ledgers and lists, but nothing seemed to mention Torbek or the Witchlight. This had obviously been something he didn't want on record.

'Frosty, you hearin' me?' Gideon pushed into his mind this time.

'Yes, Gideon. Are you in position?'

'If by 'position' y'mean am I down in the hull, then yeah. I'm down here, gettin' it all set up. How's Gricko doin' on gettin' everyone off the boat?'

Frost sighed. This would be easier if they could all communicate with each other instead of him having to go between them. 'There's stragglers. We're going to start an alarm before everything happens, give the guards and remaining passengers time to get off.'

He heard a snort through the mental link. He frowned.

===

'Getting off the boat, Gideon. Please try to be mature.'

Gideon bit back an actual laugh. 'Can't help it, sorry.'

'Torbek is going to find Kremy. Then I'll send the alarm, and Twig and I will leave. Get everything set up, and be ready for my signal.'

'Got it, Frosty. Tell Torbek to find Kremy quick. He's gonna wanna see this!'

'Just tell me when you're ready, please?'

'Fine…'

Gideon felt the static in his brain settle at that. Frost's mental link was always a little weird, like he was rubbing a balloon on his brain.

He set his attention back on the task at hand. Gricko and Hootsie's distraction had let him get on board with his pack while the guards were otherwise occupied. He set it against a boiler pipe, kneeling down to open it.

The explosives he'd been working on were smaller than normal, which helped in this case. It meant he was able to get more of them into the bag. Gideon reckoned he had enough little bombs to set up all along the hull of the boat.

He grinned, his hair flickering with a mix of excitement and satisfaction. If this Garou guy thought he was getting away with what he put Kremy and Torbek through, he was sadly mistaken. He'd make sure the riverboat owner paid for what he did.

Scooping up an armful of the little devices, he walked the length of the hull, tucking them in various places. Into corners, behind pipes, under a furnace. He didn't think anyone would be down here before they went off, but just in case, he wanted to make it impossible to find them all in time. And he wanted maximum damage.

At first, he'd planned to use the explosives as a distraction, something for the crew to focus on while they rescued Kremy. But as he'd thought about it, seeing how Kremy had acted at the cave and hearing Torbek tell them about what had happened, Gideon wanted more than just a distraction. He wanted to make it hurt.

Once Torbek had Kremy back, and Gricko and Frost had all the innocents off the boat, he was gonna make sure this place wasn't making Garou any more money.

With everything primed and ready, he grabbed his empty bag, hurrying up the metal stairs and back into the passenger area of the riverboat. It was mostly empty, the normally bustling casino and cards areas held only a smattering of truly dedicated gamblers. Gideon smiled in pride at his niece. Of course she could get a boat full of people to follow her.

His hand went to the switch in his coveralls pocket. He had to wait for Frost to give the signal and get the rest of these people away. But first Torbek had to find Kremy. He wondered what was taking so long. Torbek had been sure he knew where the brig was, having been there himself before Kremy rescued him. He hoped everything was okay. What if something had happened to Kremy? Would Garou have killed him? For the first time since coming up with this plan, Gideon felt a sort of panic.

He didn't have time to focus on it, however, as a familiar, monotone voice came over the ship's loudspeaker.

"Attention, everyone. The boat is now closed for the day. We apologize for any inconvenience, but you must make your way to the dock. There is an emergency on the ship, and all passengers and crew must leave immediately."

Gideon sighed in relief. Frost wouldn't be making the announcement if they hadn't found Kremy.

"One more time. Please all passengers and crew, leave the ship immediately but calmly. This is an emergency, but there's no need to panic. Thank you."

The remaining gamblers and their dealers looked confused. But everyone seemed to obey, leaving the casino area towards the exit. They muttered to themselves and each other, wondering what could be happening. Gideon didn't care, so long as they left and he could take this place down.

===

Torbek hurried down the halls, trying to be quiet. The canisters sloshed behind him, but that was the only noise he made. He was worried. He was sure Kremy would be in the cells where he'd been locked before. But once he got down there, he'd found them empty. He hoped Kremy was just somewhere else on the boat and not hurt or worse somewhere else. Did Garou even take him out of the cave? What if he was still there, and they'd done all this for nothing?

He ran to the room Frost had directed him to, left at the end of the hall. Pulling on the handle, he found it locked.

"Mr. Kremy?" He knocked on the door.

There was a muffled noise from inside, and the click of boots on the floor. "Torbek?"

Torbek could have cried in relief, hearing the gator. "Torbek is here to rescue you! Can Kremy unlock the door?"

Kremy paused. "No, it's locked. Garou told me to stay here."

Torbek frowned. "Don't worry, Torbek can get it open!"

"Wait—!"

But Torbek was already working on it, grabbing the handle with both hands and twisting it hard. The knob came off and the door split at the side, letting it open.

Kremy stared at him with wide eyes, mouth slightly open in shock. Torbek grabbed at his shoulders, holding onto him and looking him over. "Is Mr. Kremy okay? Did Mr. Garou hurt you?"

Kremy shook his head, batting Torbek's hands away. His tail thrashed behind him. "I'm fine, stop fussin'!" He hissed. "You shouldn't be here!"

Torbek made a confused noise. "What? But we're rescuing you! The others are waiting for us!"

Taking a step away, Kremy folded his arms across his chest. "I ain't leavin'. I can't desert Garou again, he's countin' on me."

"You want to stay with Mr. Garou?" Torbek scrunched up his face. "But Mr. Kremy hated him!"

"I do not hate him!" Kremy snapped, surprising the bugbear. He turned around with a huff. "I told you, you shouldn't have come back. I told Garou I'd help him find you. It was better when I didn't know where you were…"

Torbek felt the words like a stab to the heart. "Mr. Kremy…"

"You need to get outta here before he comes back." Kremy continued. His words were steady but Torbek could see his shoulders shaking. "If I know where you are…. I gotta help him… I wanna help Garou… he needs me…"

Swallowing against the lump in his throat, Torbek clutched his claws to his chest. "Does Mr. Kremy really want to stay here?"

Kremy turned suddenly, grabbing at Torbek's hands, holding on tightly. He looked near tears himself, shaking with the effort of staring at him with pleading eyes. "I don't.—" He let out a pained yell, his legs giving out.

Torbek caught him before he fell, holding him up. "What happened?!"

Kremy held his hands to his head, groaning in pain. "I need to stay. I have to help Garou, he needs me, and I wanna make him happy…"

Torbek wasn't sure what to do. Kremy kept saying he wanted to stay. But Kremy had told him how much he wanted to get away from Garou. He didn't want to make Kremy go somewhere he didn't want to, but he didn't seem right. He seemed like he was in the cave, where he had to try to make himself do something Garou didn't want. Was this the same thing? Could Garou do the same magic that Kremy had? Even when he wasn't here?

Kremy was still shaking in Torbek's arms, palms pressed to his temples and whimpering in pain. Torbek scooped him up, turning and heading back down the hall. He'd get them off of the boat, then Kremy could decide what he wanted to do.

As soon as they crossed the threshold, Kremy let out another pained noise, burying his face against Torbek's shoulder. Torbek whined in concern, running as fast as he could without jostling him too much.

'Frost, something's wrong with Mr. Kremy!'

'What? What's going on? Is he hurt?'

"Torbek doesn't know! He's acting weird and he looks like his head hurts a lot!'

'We've got to go.' Frost sounded distressed. 'Get him off the boat, we'll have Gricko look at him when we get back to the Snail. I'm making the announcement. Let me know when you're out and I'll signal Gideon.'

'Okay!'

Torbek wrapped his arms around Kremy, holding his shaking form closer as he sped up. He slammed through the metal doors leading into the passenger area of the ship, not stopping to look around as he rushed towards the exit.

Kremy wailed again as they left the ship. He started to struggle, trying to get away. Torbek held onto him tightly, wobbling dangerously as he ran down the ramp. Once on shore, Kremy thrashed in his arms, clawing at him. Torbek winced, but refused to let go.

'Okay, Frost, we're outside!'

Torbek backed away from the docks, wanting to get as much room between them and the boat as possible.

"Put me down!" Kremy snapped his jaws, narrowly avoiding Torbek's face as he leaned his head back in the nick of time. "Let me go!"

He kicked out wildly, tail slamming into Torbek's legs. It nearly knocked them out from under him, but he managed to catch himself. He held onto Kremy tighter.

"Torbek is sorry, Mr. Kremy! He can't let you go back!"

"Why not?!" Kremy growled, slamming his tail into the bugbear again.

"Cuz there's not gonna be anywhere left to go back to!" Gideon ran down the ramp, hair blazing and a dangerous smirk on his face.

"Gideon!" Torbek cried out in relief. He didn't realize how worried he was about the others until he saw them.

"I know you don't wanna miss the show, but ya'll're a little too close for comfort!" He didn't stop as he ran into Torbek, pushing the bugbear farther away from the boat.

"Why won't you listen to me?!" Kremy struggled to get out of Torbek's hold.

Gideon took the switch out of his pocket, holding it out and grinning at the pair of them. He pressed the button on the end of it.

It was quiet for a moment, before a muffled rumble came from the bottom of the riverboat. And then more rumbles. Smoke came from the hull, billowing out of the windows. It looked like a fire had started. Torbek watched with wide eyes as the boat started to sink.

Torbek had hoped that seeing the boat get broken would help snap Kremy out of whatever was wrong with him. Instead it seemed to make it worse. Kremy's struggles increased, kicking and thrashing against Torbek like he was dying. He screamed, tears in his eyes and Torbek was so shocked he almost dropped him.

Gideon jumped, holding onto Kremy's head to keep it from slamming into Torbek's chest. "What's goin' on with him?!"

"Torbek doesn't know!"

Kremy let out another yell, longer this time, before going limp. Gideon's hands on his jaw kept him from cracking his neck as his head fell forward. He was unconscious.

Torbek looked at Gideon, tears finally welling in his eyes. "What do we do?"

Gideon floundered, looking from one to the other. He shook his head. "Let's get him back to the Snail. Garou must've done somethin' to him."

Torbek nodded, sniffling as he followed Gideon, carrying Kremy's limp form. He hoped Gricko could help him…

===

This week's art!

Chapter Text

Kremy growled, pacing the floor. He was back in his room on the Snail, and they'd left him here. Those idiots had kidnapped him and blown up Garou's boat! If Garou had actually been there, they would've been killed before they'd even gotten onto the boat. And Kremy would've helped.

If one of them would come in and talk to him, he could use his suggestion magic to get them to let him go. Then he could get back to Garou and hope that his employer didn't think he was disobeying by being here against his will!

His head hurt, more than any hangover or headache he'd ever had. Every so often a fresh strike of pain would shoot through his temples, making him seize up. When it wasn't actively stabbing him with pain, it was a throbbing of ache through his entire brain. The pacing was the most he'd been able to move since he'd woken up. He wasn't sure how long he'd been here. He'd passed out while watching the boat sink, the pain in his head overwhelming him.

After a little while of pacing, he started to feel dizzy. The throbbing in his head and the lump in his throat at the thought of disappointing Garou were making him wish he was still unconscious. He sat on his cot.

At least back on the boat, he'd had a full bed. He could have slept this head pain away. On this thing, it was liable to make it worse. They were treating him like a prisoner. Which he supposed, on some level, he deserved. They'd probably only kidnapped him because he knew too much. They'd worry that Kremy would help Garou find Torbek. Which was only… partially true. So they had to keep him away from his employer so Garou wouldn't know where they were.

The spark of pain shot through his temple again. Maybe he could use this to his advantage. If he could get one of them to tell him where they were going, then he could escape and tell Garou. Then his boss might forgive him for being captured.

But… as much as he wanted to help Garou— and he did, so much— he also didn't want the others to be in danger. He'd been sort of grateful that he hadn't had any information to give. And now he was going to go looking for it?

His brain was at war with itself, both mentally and physically. Kremy was used to playing multiple sides, but this was proving trickier than usual. He knew he had to go back to Garou. That much was obvious, his employer needed and wanted him there, and he wanted to make Garou happy. To prove himself useful and worthy of the man's attention. But he also sort of cared about these idiots he'd traveled with. His… friends. And he didn't want them in danger, but maybe he could convince Garou to go easy on them?

He groaned in pain as the lightning struck again along his nerves. Rubbing his temples uselessly, he curled over on himself, eyes shut tight against the onslaught. At this point it felt like his head was going to explode, and that it would be a small mercy when it did.

The door opened. It took him a moment to be able to open his eyes against the ache. He groaned again. Two figures blocked the light from the hall, too tall to be anyone but Gideon and Torbek. For a moment, he thought about making a break for it and trying to get out of the room. But with the amount of pain he was in, he wouldn't make it far.

And if he wanted information, he had to play this smart.

He sat up as much as he was able, trying to fight the jolts of pain enough to straighten his spine, trying to look normal. Time to put on the Kremy Lecroux persona and charm his friends into letting him go.

"Whattado, fellas." It came out more hissed than he'd liked. "Come to set me free?"

===

Gideon knew there was something wrong with Kremy. You'd have to be an idiot not to. The gator was barely able to sit up on his cot, almost shaking and clutching his head every so often. His breath hitched at some unknown pain and at time he looked close to passing out.

But even without all that, there was something wrong with his friend beyond the physical. Something had happened to him while on the riverboat. Garou had done something, he was sure. Kremy wasn't acting like himself. From what Torbek had explained to him on the trip back to the Snail, plus what he'd seen on the dock before Kremy had passed out, there was no denying that something was very wrong.

Frost had offered, once Kremy was back on the ship and awake, to set up his mental link, to reach out to him like he had with Torbek while he'd been taken over by the Other. But Kremy had refused, insisting he was okay. And Frost let it go. Gideon wished he'd pushed a little more, but Frost had his morals, and Gideon couldn't blame him for that.

They'd had to lock him in his room. Gideon felt terrible about it, but there wasn't much they could do, until they figured out what was wrong. Kremy kept trying to leave, insisting that he had to go back to Garou. He'd been furious at them for destroying the boat. Which made Gideon a little mad, if he was being honest. He was hoping Kremy would enjoy seeing the place that trapped him go down. Apparently he'd been wrong.

Gideon frowned as Kremy spoke. He shut the door behind them, careful to let it lock again. He watched Torbek shuffle towards the cot, setting the tray of food he'd brought on the nightstand beside the gator. Kremy looked at it, eyes narrowed in what looked like suspicion.

"We brought you lunch, Mr. Kremy…" Torbek said helpfully, wringing his claws once they were empty. His ears were pinned back against his head, concern obvious in his big brown eyes.

"Not as good as what you'd make, but we're makin' do." Gideon added. He leaned against the door, arms crossed. He stared at Kremy, as if studying him could let him figure out what was wrong.

"Appreciate it," Kremy said finally, wincing a bit. He made no move to eat.

Torbek looked from Kremy to Gideon with those puppy eyes of his.

Gideon ran a hand through his beard. "To answer your question, we're not sure. There's somethin' goin' on with ya, and we needta figure out what it is."

"Well, I've got the worst headache of my life right now." Kremy sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "Feels like my head's gonna explode."

"We can have Gricko come in an' help." Gideon offered.

Kremy's eyes narrowed, glaring at him as he continued like Gideon hadn't said anything. "Not to mention that you idiots not only kidnapped me, but blew up my workplace!"

Torbek whined, hunching in on himself.

Gideon frowned. "We didn't kidnap ya, we saved ya! Garou's the one that snatched ya up!"

"Did I look like I was in trouble?" Kremy growled, looking at Torbek. "Sittin' in my own room?"

"You were locked in!" Torbek replied, eyebrows furrowed sadly.

"For my protection!" Kremy snapped. He glared at the both of them. "I'd just been through a lot, and Garou was makin' sure I was okay!"

Gideon snorted. "Sure he was. I'm sure he was real happy to get ya back after everythin' ya did."

Kremy snarled. He stood up, only to immediately fall back down onto the blankets. Torbek reached out to help, but Kremy wasn't having it, growling low until the bugbear yanked his hand back.

"Y'all don't know him!" Kremy continued. "He understood what happened. I was his best employee and I was gonna get back into my life! And then y'all couldn't leave that alone!"

"But Mr. Kremy hated Mr. Garou…" Torbek whined again.

"I don't hate him, he's—!" Kremy scowled, trailing off. He fidgeted, tail twitching behind him. His hand went to his wrist, twisting at the bracelet he wore.

Gideon frowned. He didn't recall the gator having jewelry before.

"Things were complicated." Kremy continued, claws toying with the metal band. "But we— he forgave me, and we're okay now! I'm his best employee! Things were gonna go back to normal, but y'all ruined everythin'! I have to go back and help him!"

"Ain't happenin'," Gideon said flatly. "I dunno what's gotcha actin' so weird, but until we know for sure, we can't letcha do anythin' ya might regret later…"

Kremy tried to get up again, this time managing a little better. He still swayed on his feet, although he didn't snap at Torbek when the bugbear reached out to steady him.

"Y'don't get it, Gid! He needs me! I gotta go back!" Kremy locked eyes with him. "Would ya kindly let me go back to him?"

Gideon felt his brain go fuzzy, and he was struck with the urge to do just as Kremy asked. Not like he usually did, but more insistant. Like he needed to. He reached for the door, but it was locked from the outside, like they'd planned.

Torbek shook his head. "Mr. Kremy can't use his suggesting on us. We can't open the door."

Kremy looked from one to the other, looking like he might bite. Torbek didn't let him go, regardless. Seeing that his magic wasn't working, Kremy huffed, looking away. Gideon felt that impulse fade, and he shook his head to clear it.

"There's no way he ain't lyin' to ya, Krem…" Gideon sighed after a moment. Torbek and Frost had warned him about Kremy's particular ability, and they'd figured he might try to use it on them to get out. Thankfully, they'd taken precautions.

"He ain't, I know it! He said so, I'm his best, and he can't do this without me. He even gave me a present to prove it."

That made Gideon pause. "The bracelet? Garou gave you that?"

Nodding, Kremy held the wrist to his chest.

Gideon frowned, mind working quickly. The sudden insistence on getting away from them, and back to Garou… Garou's 'gift'… If Kremy could suggest people into doing things, what were the odds that he learned that from his boss?

"Take it off." He ordered, pushing off the door and stepping towards him.

Kremy glared. "Absolutely not."

"Take it off or I'll make ya." He warned.

"You can try," Kremy said, a dangerous tone in his voice. He twisted, trying to put Torbek in between them.

Gideon ducked around the bugbear, grabbing Kremy's wrist. He held tight as the other yanked his arm, trying to get away, but between both of them, he was stuck.

Gideon looked at the bracelet, trying to find the clasp. There was none he could find, and when he tried to pull it off, it held fast.

"Joke's on you." Kremy spat. "It ain't comin' off."

Gideon raised a brow. If there was any doubt that this bracelet wasn't doing something to his friend, the fact that it was stuck on him cleared any of it. He curled his hand around the metal, careful to avoid hitting Kremy's scales with it, and let the heat rise in his palm. His hair ignited, flames burning on the ends with the effort.

Kremy squirmed, hissing at the sudden heat, but as the bracelet was melted off his wrist, he slumped into their hold. The pain in his head immediately slowed to a dull ache, no longer shooting through his nerves. He whimpered in relief.

Torbek looked like he might cry again, holding onto him. "Mr. Kremy!"

Gideon let his wrist go, but kept him steady with his other arm. He shook the melted gold away, the handful of tiny stones that had decorated the band peppering the floor. "You feelin' okay now?"

Kremy groaned, nodding as he steadied himself. They let him go, but stood nearby. "Yeah… Thanks, Gid."

"What happened?" Torbek asked.

"That bracelet." Gideon frowned, looking at his hand. The glove was covered in melted gold. "It was controllin' him somehow."

Kremy nodded, still not looking up. "Garou must've put some kinda spell on it. It was like the suggestion magic, but a lot more intense. It even worked when he wasn't around. And every time somethin' happened to go against what he wanted, it sent lightnin' through my brain or somethin'."

He sat on the cot, heaving a breath. His tail swished against the blankets.

Torbek sat down next to him, long legs hanging off the end of the cot in a way that looked uncomfortable. Gideon stood on Kremy's other side, watching.

"I'm not goin' back to Garou," he said finally, too quiet. "But I am leavin'…"

===

Torbek's heart leapt into his throat. "What?!"

Kremy curled up, pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. Torbek had never seen him look so small. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for you fellas gettin' me out of there." He smiled just a bit. "Good job on the boat, by the way."

"Little project I've been workin' on," Gideon said with a proud grin, crossing his arms.

"I… I didn't expect y'all to come back for me." Kremy mumbled.

"Of course we would!" Torbek shook his head, incredulous. "Mr. Kremy is our friend! And you saved Torbek's life so many times!"

Kremy sighed. "That ain't… necessarily true…"

"What d'ya mean?" Gideon leaned down. His grin melted into a frown of concern again.

Behind him, Kremy's tail thrashed back and forth under his skirts. "Y'all saved me from Garou, but I'm no better than him…"

Torbek's ears fell back, flat against his head. He wanted to hug Kremy, but he didn't know if it would be wanted right now. "That's not true! You didn't lock Torbek up! You didn't try to use him for the Witchlight!"

"But I did!" Kremy reached out, grabbing at Torbek's jacket, holding it tight in his claws. "The only reason I broke you outta there was so that I could sell the Witchlight off myself! He's got me under contract that I can't break, and I thought if I could get the money for it, I could pay that off and I'd be free…"

Torbek's eyes watered, his lip wobbling dangerously, but he held it back. He didn't want to cry now, he had to convince Kremy to stay! "Torbek doesn't care! Mr. Kremy didn't know him then, so it doesn't matter."

"You should care!" Kremy snapped back, glaring at him and looking near tears himself. Which was more shocking to Torbek than the declaration. "When the Other came out after the tavern, I thought we had to do somethin' about it, so even though I didn't want to, I made the deal with the King, before I knew it was Garou. I was gonna get rid of you, even though I promised not to."

Torbek watched Gideon from the side of his vision, sitting on the cot on Kremy's other side. The words hurt, thinking about Kremy lying to him and almost abandoning him. But he also sort of understood. At first, finding some strange bugbear with something he could sell. Then when the Other came out, it had scared him. He'd been trying to protect the others, Torbek could understand that, even if it hurt.

"Does Mr. Kremy feel bad about it?" He asked, wrapping his long fingers around Kremy's, still buried in his jacket.

Kremy sighed. "Yeah, but—"

"Then Mr. Kremy isn't the same as Mr. Garou!" Torbek insisted, his face set in determination. "Mr. Garou doesn't feel bad for any of the stuff he's done, does he?"

"No, but it ain't—"

"Mr. Kremy messed up." Torbek interrupted him again. "But he isn't a bad person. If you apologize and try to do it better, then Torbek will forgive you."

"It ain't that simple! I've done nothin' but lie to all of you!"

"Now that ain't true," Gideon said. "Sure, you made a few bad judgment calls, but you're still our friend. You're a part of the crew. You took care of us, cooked for us, and led us on one crazy as hell adventure. We ain't lettin' you go that easy."

Kremy rubbed his eyes with his free hand. He looked tired. "If I stay here, Garou's gonna keep comin' after you. If I'm gone, I can get him off your trail."

"Yer more use to us on board." Gideon nudged him with a shoulder. "'Sides, we handled him jus' fine."

Kremy laughed, sounding a bit hysterical. He shook his head. "I ain't gettin' out of this, am I?"

"'Fraid yer stuck with us, darlin'."

"Torbek doesn't want Mr. Kremy to leave." Torbek agreed, finally giving in and wrapping him up in a hug.

Kremy squirmed a bit, before sagging against him, too tired to argue anymore. "Well, then we'd better come up with some kinda plan to deal with him."

His ears perked up. "Mr. Kremy is staying?"

Kremy peeked up at him, looking unsure. "I suppose so, cher, if that's what y'all really want."

"Yes!" Torbek was so excited, it felt like a weight had been off his chest. Before he realized what he was doing, he grabbed Kremy, cupping his face on either side and kissing him.

Kremy froze for a moment, and Torbek was sure he was about to be in trouble. Kremy was going to throw him off, bite him, hit him or something. But instead, he felt Kremy press into it, the hand on his jacket tugging him closer.

Torbek made a noise as they broke apart, a bit dazed.

"Well, ain't that cute…" Gideon chuckled, grinning at the pair.

Kremy turned to him, grabbing his shirt with the hand not attached to Torbek. "You think you're gettin' outta this?"

Torbek watched as Kremy yanked on his shirt, pulling Gideon into a kiss as well. It didn't make him feel sad, like he thought it might, watching the two of them. Instead it made him smile, his tail wagging. "Torbek wants a kiss too!"

Gideon, already surprised from the attack from Kremy, didn't have time to do much before Torbek kissed him as well, leaning over Kremy' to do so. He nearly fell off the bed, landing in both of their laps for his efforts.

Kremy shook his head, still looking a touch hysterical, though he looked a little more like himself.

"We're gonna have to unpack all this later, fellas, we got work to do."

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