Melkia thought that the job to take back Kelmarane would be simple enough. She, along with the other adventurers she had to work with, would kill the gnolls that occupied the ruined town one by one until the rest ran away. The Lions of Senara having been taken prisoner by the gnolls along with the monsters that fought with them were unexpected complications but nothing that she and her companions couldn't handle. Even after they rescued Felliped and learned of these complications, Melkia felt that they could have dealt with the gnolls in a timely manner.

However, Melkia never signed up to fight a genie and was considering whether she could get away with abandoning the job. She hadn't seen genies before but heard tales of their great power as a result of the wishes they granted. Melkia was good in a fight but she didn't have any way to deal with the power of a genie. The fact that there was something beneath Kelmarane that had influenced Kardswann was even more concerning. The Pactmasters may have wanted to take Kelmarane back but it was likely a lost cause at this point.

For now, Melkia would stand her ground against the gnolls. Kardswann may be powerful but he had yet to leave the battle market despite Kelmarane being under attack. If he thought that the gnolls would be able to handle any intruders, Melkia would take that as a small victory over the genie. She would keep her distance from the battle market, and when she returned to the Monastery of Saint Vardishal, she would see if Almah had a plan to deal with Kardswann. Melkia hoped that her employer would be reasonable to the idea of abandoning Kelmarane if Kardswann proved to be too strong to fight.

Melkia hid in the stables that they found Felliped in along with Emra and Zalerian, waiting for a gnoll patrol to show up. They have been waiting for several minutes without any sign of the gnolls. They remained silent just in case, wanting to ensure that they could ambush the patrol when it showed up. Melkia kept her bow nocked, ready to ambush the gnolls as soon as she spotted them. She was glad to have Emra and Zalerian to fight alongside for the next battle. They may have been more distracted with each other than keeping an eye out for danger but she knew that she could trust them in a fight.

At first, Melkia was relieved that Arguk had chosen to go to the battle market as it meant she didn't have to worry about him betraying the group. It was only a matter of time until Arguk showed his true nature and sided with the gnolls they were fighting. Unfortunately, Melkia realized that Arguk's plan of splitting up may have put Teshak in danger. She had taken the sorcerer under her wing since learning the fate of his family and wanted to make sure that he was able to live a better life than she had. At the very least, Melkia could rely on Belash to keep Teshak safe if anything happened. He was likely the best warrior of the group and was more than a match for the gnolls.

Of course, if they ran into Kardswann, there likely wasn't anything Belash or Teshak could do to survive.

Melkia pushed her worries aside when she spotted a gnoll turn the corner of the road ahead. The gnoll was followed by more gnolls and Melkia frowned when she realized there were six of them altogether. In addition to the weapons, the gnolls carried lumps of meat with them which she thought was to feed the peryton. There were more gnolls than Melkia expected but she believed that they would be able to defeat them with the element of surprise. She let out a quiet whistle to alert Emra and Zalerian and the two stepped up to see the gnolls. The pair nodded to each other and dashed out of the tables and toward the gnolls. Melkia took a step out for a better view and pulled back the drawstring of her bow, preparing to fire into battle.

The gnolls didn't see the charging adventurers until it was too late. Melkia waited for her companions to close the distance before she fired her arrow, knowing that if she let her arrow fly too early, the gnolls would have time to prepare. It was when Emra slashed her scimitar across the back of a gnoll that Melkia took her first shot. An arrow embedded itself into the shoulder of a gnoll that Zalerian ran up to. With a swift kick to the head, the monk brought down the injured gnoll with ease.

As Melkia reached for her next arrow, she tensed up when she heard a bestial shriek coming from a building by the gnolls. A giant warthog emerged from the building, charging toward Emra. Melkia cursed under her breath as she nocked another arrow on her bow, realizing that the gnolls had meant to feed the beast instead of the peryton. The warthog charged Emra but she was able to gracefully avoid the beast's charge while slashing her scimitar across the neck of the gnoll she fought. Two gnolls had been killed already but the warthog changed their odds as the gnolls pulled out their spears and crossbows to fight back against the adventurers.

Melkia focused on a gnoll moving to flank behind Zalerian, concentrating on the foul warrior before letting her arrow fly loose. The arrow struck the gnoll between its eyes, allowing for Zalerian to throw several rapid punches at another gnoll to bring it down. Of the two gnolls still alive, one charged at Zalerian with his spear, drawing blood by striking at his leg, while the other aimed a crossbow at Melkia. The crossbow bolt flew past her shoulder and Melkia quickly took aim at the gnoll that shot her. Her arrow struck him in the throat, ending his life.

Now that she wasn't in immediate danger, Melkia looked over the battlefield to see who she should help. Fighting from afar gave her the safety she needed to make decisions while waiting for the right opening. Emra gasped out in pain when the warthog gored into her leg with its tusks but the ifrit fought back. She slammed her scimitar down on the back of the warthog's back and it left a deep wound that caused the wild animal to squeal loudly. Meanwhile, Zalerian struggled to get close to the gnoll, unable to get through his opponent's long spear. When he tried to get in close for a kick, the gnoll jabbed his spear into the monk's shoulder, drawing blood.

Deciding on her target, Melkia fired her next arrow toward the gnoll. At first, it seemed like her shot did little as the gnoll narrowly avoided the arrow when backing away from Zalerian. However, the arrow also distracted the gnoll, giving Zalerian the opportunity he needed. The monk swept the gnoll's spear with a sharp kick before delivering a powerful punch to the gnoll's skull. It fell to the ground and didn't move to get back up.

With the gnolls dead, that only left the warthog. Emra had been left to handle the beast on her own, and while she put up a tough fight, it wasn't enough. Her next scimitar swing cut off one of the warthog's tusks but the wild animal drove its other tusk into her uninjured leg. This time, Emra screamed out in pain, and while she pulled back from the boar, her stance was wobbly as she struggled to stand. Melkia took out an arrow and quickly fired it at the warthog, striking it in the eye. The warthog let out a final squeal before collapsing down to the ground.

The gnolls and warthog were defeated, but even with the element of surprise, the battle took a toll on the adventurers. Emra struggled to remain standing and fell down onto her knees. Zalerian tried to rush to her side but nearly tripped as he forgot about his own injuries. The monk limped over to Emra's side while Melkia dashed over to rejoin the others. She could tell that their wounds were terrible, and while they would survive with healing, they wouldn't fare well in their next fight. Zalerian helped Emra onto her feet and supported her but Melkia shook her head.

"You two get out of here," Melkia told them. "We won't have the element of surprise for the next patrol."

"I can heal us," Emra pointed out, wincing in pain. "I have magic. It won't be enough to heal our injuries but it's a start."

"We can't abandon the others," Zalerian nodded in agreement with a grimace across his face. "I'll keep fighting if I have to."

"You don't have to," Melkia insisted and shook her head. "I'll stay around for an hour and keep an eye out for them. Use your magic to patch yourselves up and get back to the monastery."

"But-" Emra started to protest.

"And save some of your magic if you can," Melkia interrupted Emra. "The others might need it, especially the prisoners, and Father Zastoran might not be enough if there are lives at risk."

It was only through appealing to Emra's altruistic nature that Melkia was able to convince her to retreat. She nodded slowly, coming to terms to the plan, and channeled her magic to heal the tusk wounds on her legs. Zalerian looked ready to continue fighting but Melkia knew that he wouldn't leave Emra to return to the Monastery of Saint Vardishal. It was for the best that they left while they could. There wasn't much Melkia could do to save them if they kept fighting and she didn't want to return to Almah to report that two of the adventurers have been killed as part of a jailbreak she never approved of.

Melkia turned back to face the road only when Zalerian and Emra made their way out of Kelmarane, doing what they could to support each other. She couldn't deny that she was tempted to leave when the two were out of eyeshot, not thinking that the others could make it out. For all she knew, Arguk may have betrayed Teshak or Belash, or they may have run into Kardswann. Melkia shook her head at the thought of abandoning her companions. She didn't care much for Arguk but she would wait to see if Teshak and Belash could make it out of the battle market alive. If anymore gnolls showed up, she would be able to kill them before they could reach her.

Arguk, Belash, Teshak, and Trax decided the best way to get close to the battle market without running into a gnoll patrol was to climb up the rugged hill the building was on by where the manor they hid was. Belash made it to the top of the hill first given that Arguk had to help Trax and Teshak wasn't much of an athlete. To help out, Belash took out a coil of rope and dropped one end over the hill toward Teshak. Once the sorcerer grabbed the rope, he pulled him up to the top as Arguk and Trax finished climbing up.

Afterwards, they had to wait. While the battle market was in sight, the gnolls had a watchtower by a gatehouse nearby. Arguk could make out several gnoll guards along with a pack of hyenas kept in pens. Belash thought that they could deal with the gnolls but knew that it was too early to pick a fight. He reminded himself that they were here to rescue the Lions of Senara and not to fight anything in the battle market. For now, he could only wait and hide behind some nearby boulders with the others while they waited for the distraction to draw the gnolls away.

It was when a gnoll urgently ran to the gatehouse that Belash knew it was close to time to act. He couldn't hear what the gnoll had to say, but after several seconds, the gnolls at the watchtower climbed down and ran to the road, heading elsewhere to Kelmarane. The hyenas were left behind, but since they were locked in their cages, there was little chance they had to stop anyone from breaking into the battle market. Arguk and Trax led the way with Belash and Teshak following behind them. It made sense to have the gnoll of the group take the lead in case they ran into anymore gnolls but they were fortunate enough to make it to the battle market undetected.

Up close, the battle market was more grand that Belash realized and he could see why the gnolls made it their base of operations. The stone building had doors facing each of the cardinal directions, and without Undrella's key, the adventurers likely wouldn't have been able to break them down. There weren't any windows to break through on any of the three floors so the battle market was a fortified place to hold out from attacks. Arguk made his way to the door facing the north and unlocked it. He and Trax stepped inside first, and a few seconds later, the gnoll signaled that it was safe for Belash and Arguk to enter.

From the door, Belash looked straight down the center hallway to see a huge arena with a wooden stage dominating most of the room. A crowd of gnolls surrounded the stage, watching a large ogre wrestle against two bugbears barehanded. The fight made for a good distraction for the adventurers as everyone was focused on watching the match. Going down the hallway wasn't an option but to the group's left was a staircase and to their right was another door. Arguk tested the door to their right to see it was locked and cracked it open when he saw it was unlocked.

"I see cells through this door," Arguk revealed and looked over his shoulder to his companions. "There aren't any guards as far as I can tell."

"Then we found where we need to go," Teshak nodded. "How fortunate that we were able to find the cells this quickly."

Arguk opened the door completely and led the way into the prison, consisting of five cells along the left wall. Belash was surprised to find that the cells were clean and well-furnished with a clean mattress and a desk in each cell. There were two men in rags in the first two cells that stepped to the bars to see whoever it was that entered the prison. The man to the closest cell was slim with dark tanned skin with short brown hair. His youthful face was covered with a trimmed beard and his hazel eyes looked at the adventurers with optimistic hope. The second man was more muscular with fair skin and dark hair that fell down to his shoulders. A single green eye focused on the group as the left side of his face was covered in cloth torn from his bedsheets.

"Andrus, I think we may be saved," the thinner man said with a faint smile.

"That's right," Arguk assured the adventurers. "You can trust me. I'm not with the gnolls that caught you."

"Are you the Lions of Senara?" Teshak asked.

"What's left of them," the second man, Andrus, answered and crossed his arms. "How did you know about us?"

"We found your companion, Felliped," Teshak told the Lions of Senara. "He told us about how you were taken prisoner."

"I knew Felliped would have found a way to save us," the first man said. "I knew he wouldn't abandon us."

"It looks like this won't be our last adventure then," Andrus sighed in relief. "What are you waiting for? Get us out of these cells so we can make our escape!"

Belash left Arguk and Teshak to free the Lions of Senara and quietly walked further into the prison, curious to see if the gnolls had any more prisoners. The next two cells were empty although the bed in one of the cells hadn't been made. When he made it to the final cell, he gasped when he recognized the woman held within. She was a slim woman in green robes. Her dark hair was cut short and she turned to face the cell door, her eyes widening in surprise. To many, she was attractive, and even though they weren't related by blood, Belash always saw her as his sister.

"Haleen."

"Belash," Haleen muttered quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"To find you," Belash answered and looked down to his companions. "Arguk, over here! We have another prisoner to free!"

"Quiet or else the gnolls will find you," Haleen firmly told Belash. "I'm truly glad to see you but I don't need you to rescue me."

"What?!" Belash gasped again as his companions and the Lions of Senara walked up to join him. "But you're locked up in a cell!"

"You shouldn't have come, Belash," Haleen sighed.

"She's no prisoner," Andrus told Belash with a frown. "She's here of her own free will. While she only fights for the gnolls' entertainment, she did nothing to help us."

Belash desperately wanted to prove Andrus wrong, believing that there must have been a misunderstanding. However, it was then that he noticed a chain shirt across the bed along with a rapier and buckler on the desk. He recognized that the rapier and buckler belonged to Haleen, having seen her fight with them many times before. Belash blinked several times, trying to process why the gnolls would leave a prisoner with weapons and armor. He had no choice but to accept the truth that was in front of him.

"If I tried to help them, the gnolls may have made me a prisoner," Haleen admitted and shook her head. "I have a deal that-"

"A deal?" Belash crossed his arms. "What kind of deal?"

"It's complicated, Belash," Haleen said. "This is something I have to do on my own."

"I can help," Belash offered. "You've helped me before. Without you, I would have still been a slave in Katapesh. This is my chance to return the favor."

"You don't owe me anything," Haleen told Belash with a strained smile. "We've been through a lot together and you're one of the few people I can trust with my life but this is something I have to do myself. It's time for you to find your own path."

"And what if my path is to help you?" Belash argued and shook his head. "When you went missing, I thought that something happened, and even though I know you've cut a deal with the gnolls, I still believe there was a reason why you ran."

"It seems like you've already found a new path," Haleen said and gestured toward the other adventurers. "Don't worry about me. I just need to fight in the arena for a few more days and then I can tell you everything. You can't stay and help though. The gnolls are frustrated with the recent attacks and you breaking the prisoners out isn't going to earn you their favor."

"I came all this way to find you," Belash said softly. "I can't turn back when I've come so close."

"But you have to," Haleen told Belash firmly. "I'm sorry but I can't come with you and you can't stay with me."

Trax let out a quiet bark and Arguk frowned. "Trax heard something. We can't stay any longer."

"This is where we part ways for now then," Haleen said and took a seat by the edge of her bed. "Take care, Belash. Maybe next time I can tell you why I had to abandon you."

Belash frowned, thinking about what to do next. He could unlock the cell door with the key Arguk held and drag Haleen out of the cell and the battle market. She may fight back but she wouldn't be able to reach her rapier before she found out what happened. He was strong enough to hold her down and carry her back to the monastery. However, Belash couldn't bring himself to do so, and even though he hated how she kept secrets from him, was ashamed that he considered the idea. There would be no sneaking out of the battle market with her calling out for help and he couldn't fight the gnolls off and keep her from running off. Belash had to accept Haleen's decision as much as it pained him to leave her behind.

Belash shook his head, showing his disappointment at Haleen's action, and made his way back to the prison's exit. He pushed his way through his friends and strangers alike, not wanting to talk to anyone about what happened. The warrior would find a time to process his thoughts and emotions on his own, but for now, he felt the urge to scream if anyone tried to talk to him. For now, Belash could push on and make sure that the Lions of Senara made it back to the Monastery of Saint Vardishal. Once he was somewhere safe, he would consider opening up about how he felt with Haleen's secrets and her abandoning him.

A/N: I did say I would do my best to get another chapter up over the weekend. I did cut it close but it has been a busy weekend.

Until next time.