Zalerian chugged down his water, washing away the taste of dried fruit. He woke up when the sun rose and joined Belash, Teshak, and a few of the mercenaries for an early breakfast. The rations the caravan provided were bland but Zalerian grabbed another handful of dried grapes, knowing that he couldn't travel on an empty stomach. He took another drink from his waterskin, reminding himself that he needed to get a refill before setting out. It was likely that Almah had a task for the adventurers and Zalerian would need to be prepared when it was time to set out.

After finishing the rest of his rations, Zalerian took a quick glance around the campsite looking for the others in his group. Melkia was patrolling the perimeter of the camp with her bow in hand, on the lookout for any threats. Arguk was awake over where he had set up his bedroll and he threw a cut of meat toward Trax. The hyena bit down on the meat and Arguk chuckled to himself. Zalerian was still processing that the gnoll was a slave. Arguk didn't carry himself like he was owned by others, especially since he carried weapons and cared for Trax. Zalerian wasn't sure how best to bring the subject up with him and wondered if he even should.

The only member of the group that Zalerian couldn't find was Emra. He had caught a quick glimpse of her on his way to breakfast and was able to see Garavel approach her before leading the way to Almah's tent. Zalerian figured that the merchant princess had something to talk to about Emra. It could have been a personal conversation but he wondered if the meeting had anything to do with the group's plan for today. If that was the case, he wasn't sure how he felt being left out of the planning. Zalerian would have liked to have a chance to give his opinion but understood that Almah would have the final say on how to proceed toward securing Kelmarane.

"Do you think we'll get to Kelmarane today?" Belash asked, looking toward Teshak and Zalerian.

"Maybe," Teshak answered with a shrug. "We're a few miles out from Kelmarane, but if we really wanted to, we could make it there."

"Would that be such a good idea though?" Zalerian asked.

Belash raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Look around us," Zalerian gestured with his hand. "Sultan's Claw is a good place to meet because the features stand out. It's difficult to get lost when we know what to look for."

"Right," Belash nodded along with the explanation although he was still confused. "But what does this have to do with going into Kelmarane."

"I don't think we're going to be able to defeat all of the gnolls in one fight," Zalerian continued. "We'll have to fall back to camp. The gnolls might not appreciate that we're trying to force them out of Kelmarane."

"Sultan's Claw is hardly a good place to defend from an attack," Teshak nodded in agreement. "We all know what happened when one pugwampi snuck into camp. The gnolls will be more dangerous."

Belash tilted his head and glanced toward the burnt wagon, understanding what Zalerian and Teshak meant. While the adventurers had gone out hunting for pugwampis last night, the mercenaries that stayed behind had moved the burnt wagon out of the way and buried Eloais by the tree that Sultan's Claw was named after. Sultan's Claw was far from secured, and even if the gnolls never bothered with a counterattack, there was still a chance of pugwampis or other wild animals causing havoc. Zalerian wasn't sure where else they could know since he was new to Katapesh but he knew they couldn't stay at the Sultan's Claw if they wanted to be safe from attack.

Having finished his breakfast, Zalerian made his way over to one of the water barrels to refill his waterskin. Regardless of what the plan was, he was going to need water. The sun was bearing down on the camp even during the morning and it was only going to get hotter throughout the day. Teshak could help provide water with his magic but his powers drained him. It was best to prepare ahead of time and rely on the sorcerer conjuring water as a last resort.

Zalerian attached his waterskin to his backpack and turned back to Belash and Teshak. He smiled to see Emra walking over to join the pair with her motioning for Arguk and Melkia to join her. Zalerian jogged over to the group to hear what the plan for the day was. He was eager to get back to traveling around Katapesh and was still curious as to what Almah and Emra met about.

"Everyone, Lady Almah has asked us to head to the Monastery of Saint Vardishal," Emra explained to the group. "She wanted my opinion on if I thought it would be a good base to attack out of and I told her that it likely was if it remained standing."

"A wise idea," Arguk nodded in agreement with the plan.

"Some of us were worried about the gnolls attacking us at Sultan's Claw," Zalerian said. "Is the monastery more secure?"

"It will be eventually," Emra answered. "The records I've read about the monastery say that it was built on a hill overlooking Kelmarane so we'll have the high ground, and depending on the state of the building, it may have stone walls for cover."

"But it was abandoned," Melkia crossed her arms. "The gnolls may have claimed the monastery for themselves."

"That's why Lady Almah is sending us ahead of her," Emra said. "We clear out the monastery of any threats and then report back to her. The monastery's only about a mile out from where we are now so we should have plenty of time to clear the building out and make it our base of operations."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Belash asked, grinning. "Let's head out and get started while the day's young!"

The group had set out from Sultan's Claw after finishing a few final preparations. Given that the Monastery of Saint Vardishal was close to the camp, the adventurers decided to travel by foot. The heat was a pain for Belash to deal with but at least it was morning and that they would make it to the monastery before the temperature became unbearable. The way to the monastery was sandy but far from rugged so he figured that it would take less than an hour before they arrived at their destination.

Zalerian led the way, relying on his wayfinder to guide the group toward the monastery. Emra trailed behind him with Belash and Teshak falling toward the middle of the group. As before, Melkia and Arguk, the latter accompanied by Trax, covered the end of the marching order. Belash was starting to get an idea of what each of his new friends were like and what they were capable of, but in a way, he felt that there was still a lot to learn about them.

Soon enough, they would fight the gnolls. Belash had seen his fair share of fights before and knew what it was like to fight alongside others. There were some warriors that he fought along with that he grew to respect and others that he couldn't be sure if they could be trusted. Belash considered getting to know some of his companions before the fighting began to build some trust. He had gotten to know Teshak fairly well and Emra and Zalerian seemed trustworthy from the few times he talked to them. It was Melkia and Arguk who kept their distance from the others, and while Belash didn't think he was going to get Melkia to open up to him, Arguk seemed to be a very reasonable gnoll.

Belash slowed down his pace, and while Teshak looked over his shoulder at him, the half-orc waved him off. With a shrug, Teshak turned back and kept up his pace. A few seconds later, Belash fell in line next to Arguk, standing to one side of the gnoll with Trax by the other. Melkia glanced in their direction before picking up the pace, walking between Teshak and the adventurers at the back of the group.

"I guess Melkia doesn't like to be around people," Belash commented quietly.

"It would seem so," Arguk said. "Perhaps one day she'll see that we can be trusted."

"Do you think she doesn't trust us?" Belash asked.

Arguk shook his head. "She trusts you and the others. I know that much at least. I, on the other hand, might never earn her trust."

"Because you're a gnoll?"

"That would be why," Arguk nodded.

"I know that we're about to fight gnolls and I've heard tales of the viciousness of their raiders but you're not like that," Belash said. "You said you were cityborn, right?"

"It doesn't matter if I'm different from the rest of my kind to Melkia," Arguk said, chuckling like a hyena. "The gnolls at Kelmarane, along with many other tribes across Katapesh, are more traditional, and in a way, more savage. However, there are some gnolls, like myself, who are raised in towns or cities along with others. I was born a slave and raised to fight, yes, but I was also taught to respect others."

"Lady Almah mentioned that you were a slave last night," Belash said, frowning. "It doesn't seem right to me. We get paid and you get nothing."

"If it makes you feel better, I hope that by liberating Kelmarane, I will earn my freedom," Arguk told Belash. "If that means I don't make the gold that you do, then so be it."

"Have you ever tried to buy your own freedom somehow?" Belash questioned. "That seems more reliable than hoping to be granted your freedom for good work."

"Unfortunately, many of my masters didn't feel the need to sell their slaves until they fell on hard times, and by then, they traded me to other slaves," Arguk said, shaking his head. "The government does have a set price for slaves to buy their freedom but I was sent to aid Lady Almah before I could start to save up the gold."

"I'm sorry," Belash bowed his head. "I should have been more considerate…"

"I do not mind," Arguk told Belash. "You were just trying to help in your own way. I take it you have personal experience about what it takes for a slave to earn their freedom."

Belash nodded quietly. Like Arguk, he had been born as a slave but that was about where the similarities of their life ended. Belash's former master saw his potential as a warrior given his orcish blood and had him trained to fight as a gladiator. He fought for the entertainment of others, and while he found some enjoyment in his life from fighting, he had felt that he wanted more from his life and dreamt of freedom. If it weren't for his closest friend, Belash knew that he would have remained a slave and likely wouldn't have found the chance to work for Almah.

"I got lucky," Belash admitted. "I'm not much of a thinker like my sister."

"Your sister?" Arguk questioned.

"Not by blood but that's what we are," Belash explained. "When my former master sent me into my first fight, I was partnered up with another slave, a woman named Haleen. She wasn't as strong as I was but she was smart and caring. If she hadn't taken me under her wing, I might have ended up as some mindless killer."

"I see," Arguk nodded along with the story. "It was Haleen who helped you out of slavery."

"And herself as well," Belash answered. "We were successful in the ring and our master would have only freed us with a large amount of gold. I don't know how Haleen pulled it off but she snuck out of her quarters to get money from criminals. It wasn't enough to buy our way out of freedom so she took a bet on us. The payout was large but we would have had to fight in one of our toughest battles yet against a dozen other skilled gladiators. I think it might have been rigged against us."

"Yet you're here now," Arguk said with a chuckle.

Belash laughed alongside Arguk. "It was just me and Haleen but we were quite the team. I was strong, she was fast, and we were coordinated. It was a hard battle but we won. Haleen earned enough gold from her gambling on us to pay our master to free us both."

"Impressive," Arguk commented, smiling. "And where is your sister now?"

Belash paused for a second before answering. "She disappeared a year ago. We had tried to start a career as mercenaries but she left. All I had was a note telling her not to look for her. Of course, that wasn't going to stop me. It took me a while but I've heard someone matching her description was heading to Kelmarane. I found that out a few weeks ago and I was lucky enough to find Garavel looking for mercenaries to help take back Kelmarane."

"Do you think that she's in Kelmarane?" Arguk asked.

"Truth be told, I don't know," Belash admitted with a shrug. "If she left Kelmarane already, I'll need to find out where she went."

"I'm sure that you'll find her," Arguk said encouragingly. "I can't speak for what will happen after we take Kelmarane back, but as long as we're in the area, I'll do what I can to help you in your search."

"Really?" Belash asked before smiling. "Thanks, Arguk. That means a lot."

"Of course. It's the least I can do for a friend."

Teshak wasn't too surprised to see Belash wanting to get to know the others but what really surprised him was when Melkia picked up her pace to walk alongside him. She kept to herself and didn't acknowledge Teshak except for a quiet nod that he returned. Instead, Melkia kept looking over her shoulder at Arguk with a suspicious glare, not bothering to disguise her distrust of the gnoll. Teshak didn't know a lot about Melkia with how she kept to herself but everyone in their group understood that she hated gnolls with a passion.

Almah expected the group to get along and work together but Teshak struggled to find a reason to trust Melkia. There was no denying that she knew how to hold her own in a fight but he also felt that she was a dangerous loner. Melkia had caused a scene with her accusations against Dashki and Teshak worried that the way she thought about the others in the group would influence what she did in battle. Teshak didn't think that Melkia would outright attack anyone in the group, even Arguk, but that didn't mean she wouldn't go out of her way to help them out of a dangerous situation if she had to.

When Teshak caught Melkia looking over her shoulder, he decided to speak up, even if it put him on her bad side.

"I don't think you have to worry about Arguk."

Melkia turned to face Teshak, narrowing her eyes while remaining silent. Teshak gulped and fought back against his nervousness.

"Arguk keeps to himself, sure, but he hasn't done anything to sabotage us in the week that we've traveled together," Teshak pointed out. "I know that he's a gnoll but is that enough reason for you to keep an eye on him as if he's plotting to stab us in the back?"

Melkia chuckled and shook her head. "I remember what it was like to be naive and young."

"I'm not that young," Teshak frowned and crossed his arms. "I'm only seventeen."

"And I was younger than that when I learned how terrible gnolls are," Melkia shot back. "If you had bothered to set foot outside of whichever city you came from, you would have seen for yourself that gnolls are not only ferocious but cunning as well. Don't let your guard down even if you think Arguk can be trusted."

"What makes you think I'm from a city?" Teshak questioned.

"You have that look about you," Melkia said bluntly. "Scrawny, too trusting, and young. I'd say you're from the City of Katapesh and that this is your first time leaving home."

Teshak remained silent for several seconds before letting out a sigh. "You're right."

"That's what I thought," Melkia said. "Word of advice for when we get to Kelmarane, but if you think about running, you're already dead."

"Good thing I'm not going to think about running away," Teshak said, turning away from Melkia to focus on the road ahead. "I know what I signed up for and I'm going to follow through with it and succeed where my father failed."

"Your father?" Melkia asked and picked up her pace to continue to walk alongside Teshak. "What are you going on about?"

Teshak turned away from Melkia, realizing that he had accidentally mentioned something personal. He didn't mind sharing his family history with friends he trusted but all Melkia had done so far was taunt him about how inexperienced he was. He would have let the conversation end there but what little he revealed was enough to catch Melkia's attention. Teshak glanced at her and noticed that she looked at him expectantly. He hesitated, surprised by her interest, before speaking up quietly.

"My parents were from Kelmarane," Teshak started. "They fled when the gnolls took over Kelmarane twenty years ago but my father always dreamed about returning and driving the gnolls away. Shortly after I was born, he gathered a band of mercenaries and left the City of Katapesh to take back his home. Given that we're heading to take back Kelmarane years later, you can tell how successful he was."

"The gnolls killed him," Melkia said.

"Most likely, yes," Teshak answered and patted his dagger's pommel. "This dagger had been in his family for generations and it's all I have left of him. I may not be the warrior he was but I can finish what he started all the same."

"Or get yourself killed following in his footsteps," Melkia pointed out with a frown.

"Maybe," Teshak admitted. "Still, I'm not turning back when I've come so far just because it may be dangerous in Kelmarane."

For a moment, Melkia's features softened before she shook her head. "It's your choice. Try not to get yourself killed because of it."

"Have some faith in me, Melkia," Teshak said and picked up his pace, leaving her behind him. "I might end up surprising you with what I can do."

Melkia let out a quiet laugh, amused by Teshak's confidence. Teshak pressed on, determined not to let Melkia's words get to him. He knew that he didn't have a lot of experience when it came to fighting. He hadn't been trained with his dagger and his magic, while useful for traveling the desert, wasn't the most powerful in battle. Still, Teshak would prove himself capable and restore order to Kelmarane like his father tried many years ago.

At the very least, Teshak's story was enough to have Melkia leave him alone with her taunts. She trailed behind him, keeping a short distance between her and the sorcerer. Teshak wondered why she didn't walk away from him like she had when Belash fell back to talk with Arguk. Instead, Melkia stayed behind the sorcerer, respecting his personal space but close enough that he was aware of her presence even without looking over his shoulder. Teshak didn't comment on the matter but he felt something about her behavior changed. He couldn't say what it was but felt that she was keeping an eye out for him. If that was the case then he might be able to count on her to keep him safe in battle.

The wayfinder was a fascinating tool of magic and engineering. Zalerian never learned the details of how they were made, but each time he pulled his wayfinder out, he couldn't help but be in awe of what it was capable of. Last night, his wayfinder lit the way through the cacti field with magic, and today, it allowed him to lead the way to the Monastery of Saint Vardishal without getting the group lost. By following the arrow that pointed north, Zalerian figured that they would make it to the monastery without any issue.

Zalerian reminded himself that the wayfinder wasn't technically his and that it was on loan from the Pathfinder Society. The two hundred gold Almah paid him for helping with the investigation went to help pay for him to keep the wayfinder but he had to make more gold. As long as he kept up the good work, he would be inducted into the Pathfinder Society and have enough gold to have his own wayfinder.

"We should be getting close to the monastery," Emra said, walking alongside Zalerian. "I can't wait to see it for myself."

"I'm excited as well," Zalerian said with a smile. "Exploring new lands is a dream come true."

"Have you always wanted to be a Pathfinder?" Emra asked.

"I've traveled across Varisia during my childhood, but to be honest, I only thought about becoming a Pathfinder after meeting one a few years ago," Zalerian answered. "Maybe if I had thought about joining the Pathfinder Society sooner, I would be a Pathfinder rather than an initiate."

"So you're not a Pathfinder yet?" Emra questioned and glanced towards the wayfinder Zalerian held. "I thought that you were."

"Not yet," Zalerian chuckled. "As a matter of fact, this is my Confirmation to see if I can become a Pathfinder. The Pathfinder Society is interested in learning about how Kelmarane fell to ruin to begin with."

"That is quite the mystery," Emra said. "I studied several records in the Lambent Citadel about Kelmarane and the Monastery of Saint Vardishal before joining this group and they're all vague as to what happened. All I know is that Kelmarane was abandoned two decades ago."

"It's not going to be easy but I'm going to do what I can to find out what happened," Zalerian said. "Maybe I'll find a clue at the monastery."

"I'm sure we'll find out something together," Emra nodded. "I'm more interested in restoring the Monastery of Saint Vardishal but I am curious to find out why it was abandoned to begin with."

"If you don't mind me asking, were you assigned to establish a church in Kelmarane by the other clergy of Sarenrae?" Zalerian asked.

"I volunteered, actually," Emra answered with a smile. "I was raised at the Lambent Temple in Solku. Some of the priests saw my heritage as a sign that I've been blessed by the Dawnflower. I was worried that I would disappoint them since I never became a cleric so I wanted to prove myself in other ways."

"You're not a cleric?" Zalerian blinked in surprise. "You healed me last night though."

"I didn't have what it took to become a proper cleric so I was trained as a Dawnflower dervish," Emra explained with a joyful laugh. "I learned magic from bards. It's not divine by any means but I put it to good use."

"Indeed you do," Zalerian nodded in agreement. "I'm sure with your skills, you'll have the monastery up and running in no time."

"Thank you, Zalerian," Emra bowed her head before she gasped. "Look ahead! I think that's the monastery!"

Zalerian turned from Emra to look ahead and closed his wayfinder. As Emra said, he could see the silhouette of a stone temple in the distance. At the pace they've kept, they would be able to make it to the Monastery of Saint Vardishal in a short amount of time. Zalerian and Emra turned to face each other, and with a nod, picked up the pace to get to the monastery more quickly. He heard the others following behind him as he focused on thinking about what secrets the Monastery of Saint Vardishal held.

A/N: I've always found traveling scenes a good chance for characters to interact and gives me a chance to show more about them. Next time, the adventurers make it to the Monastery of Saint Vardishal.

Until next time.