On the way home, you encounter another ghoul on the way, this one less dessicated than the revenant, and much faster. It managed to actually catch you with a horn when you were hurtling above it, hard enough to rip flesh, and your leg is bleeding sluggishly as you scramble out of the pipe.

Castor's pissed at you, and he's mostly dematerialised: even when you squint and tighten the leash, he refuses to become anything firmer than a cloud of blue around you. He took off the ghoul's head right at the brainstem when you screamed, and he hates doing that.

You think the blood makes him queasy, which is fucking crazy. It's not like it's his blood! But whatever, being a big, whiny cry-baby is just his thing.

"Pheres," you call as you pop out of the pipe. You're not sure what to expect: the hive looks fine, but he was screaming, earlier. "Pheres! You still here?"