Over the course of the next hour, Zalerian and Belash spent time cleaning up the upper portion of the Refuge of Nethys. There was little conversation to be have between the two given that Belash was still depressed after yesterday's events. Zalerian tried to cheer him up by noting how hard Belash fought today but it did little to improve the warrior's mod. There was little that Zalerian could do to help Belash and he felt that the best thing for him was for time to pass. Eventually, Belash will come to terms on his own, and if he doesn't, his sadness hasn't hampered his ability in combat yet.
Belash took care of the heavy lifting for the debris in the area, leaving Zalerian to handle the grisly task of removing the spiders they killed entering the Refuge of Nethys. He wasn't afraid of spiders but it was uncomfortable to take them out of the area and behind a nearby sand dune. Weary of predators in the area, Zalerian also had to bury them partially in the sand. It didn't take him too long given that the spiders weren't heavy, and eventually, he joined Belash in clearing out most of the debris. While he was light on his feet, Zalerian was strong enough to carry the heavier rocks with help from Belash. He honed his body to have the strength for his punches and kicks to be devastating to his foes. Zalerian would never say he was as strong as Belash, who was on another level entirely, but he could hold his own with manual labor.
Unfortunately, what held Zalerian back from keeping up with Belash was his stamina. After some time of heavy lifting, he felt his muscles ache from the repeated effort. The heat of the desert certainly didn't help the monk, who found himself sweating terribly. Eventually, Zalerian was forced to take a break and fought the urge to chug down his water while he rested in the shaded area. Belash, who was used to Katapesh's temperatures and had plenty of endurance, kept on working with clearing out the Refuge of Nethys.
Although Zalerian needed a break from heavy lifting, he didn't want to feel useless. He took time to use the supplies he had to set up the base of the campfire, even though he didn't light it. When the sun set, the adventurers would be able to set the wood on fire for light, and given the placement of the fire in the ruins, it wouldn't alert anyone to their presence or cause any form of suffocation. Afterwards, Zalerian stripped out of his shirt to cool down, and with some linen bandages he kept in his backpack, wrapped them around his arm where Haidar bit into him after cleaning the injury. He hadn't bled terribly but it wasn't the physical damage he was worried about.
Zalerian tried his best to keep thoughts that he was a wereleopard out of his head. He was worried, yes, but at the same time, he didn't feel any different like he expected he would. There was a feeling of dread within him but he didn't feel anything that was more bestial. Maybe that would change when it came closer to the full moon, but for now, there wasn't anything Zalerian could do but wait. If he changed his mind, he could try finding someone to rid him of his curse, but there wasn't anyone in the area that could do so.
When Zalerian heard shuffling coming from the shaft leading into the lower portion of the Refuge of Nethys, he turned to see who was coming up and stepped forward to help them out. He smiled to see Emra poke out of the hole, and when she held out her hand, he grabbed it and pulled her out.
"Thank you, Zalerian," Emra said, and after a second, quickly glanced away.
"It's no problem," Zalerian blinked in confusion. "Is something the matter?"
"You're not wearing a shirt," Emra said, her cheeks flushed.
"Oh," Zalerian stepped back, realizing how close they were. "I'm sorry but all of that heavy lifting took quite a toll…"
"You don't have to apologize," Emra told Zalerian, turning to face him with an awkward smile. "It was just unexpected. You look great."
Zalerian rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as he felt the heat in his cheeks. He wanted to think of something to say back to her but he couldn't think of the right words to say. Instead, he simply held up his hand, showing the bandages wrapped around his arm.
"Thank you," Zalerian said softly. "I only wish that were true."
"Your wounds will heal," Emra told him with a gentle smile. "Speaking of, Teshak was right about how we were able to salvage some of the supplies. It turns out some of the potions have dried out, but if you add water to them, it restores the potion's powers."
"That's incredible!" Zalerian gasped. "I'm glad that we were able to explore the Refuge of Nethys. I couldn't imagine it being left like this with no one to learn about its existence."
"I'm sure the Pathfinder Society will be impressed that the Breath of Nethys existed," Emra said. "That's something that might not exist anywhere else."
"Indeed," Zalerian nodded, stepping away from the way down and toward the unlit campfire to sit down by it. "I still can't get what I saw out of my mind."
"And what did you see?" Emra asked, moving to join and sit next to him.
"It was like I was on an incredible journey unlike any other," Zalerian started. "I started out in Varisia and I just kept running. I made it to the deserts of Katapesh, which I felt was rather odd since there was no sea to cross, but that didn't stop me. When I did stop, I was in a city that was out of this world."
"Really?
Zalerian nodded excitedly. "The buildings were made of bronze and there were rivers of lava. I've never heard of such a place before, even when I was in Absalom."
"That does sound incredible," Emra nodded along to the story in awe. "I've also never heard of such a city before. It certainly doesn't sound like it's Katapesh or Solku at least."
"I wish it wasn't a vision," Zalerian admitted. "I wish I had a chance to see what it really was for myself."
"I'm sorry for waking you up then," Emra said, and then, sighed. "I wonder what I would have seen from the Breath of Nethys."
"Do you want to find out?" Zalerian suggested, gesturing toward the hole she climbed out of.
Emra chuckled lightly and shook her head. "Hearing about what you saw was enough to satisfy my curiosity. I don't regret avoiding the Breath of Nethys either. Who knows how long you and everyone else would have been out if I hadn't been able to get everyone out."
"I'm sure Trax would have thought of something."
Emra laughed again and Zalerian couldn't help but join in with her. He enjoyed spending time with all of his new friends since he arrived in Katapesh but there was something different about Emra. They got along well enough as friends and he started to realize that there may have been a chance for them to be more than friends. After the awkwardness between them just a few moments ago, he was convinced that she was attracted to him physically as he was to her. As the conversation grew quiet, Zalerian and Emra found themselves gazing at each other, enjoying their company together.
Zalerian wondered if now was the time to raise the question to Emra. It was tempting to bring up, but after some thought, he didn't think it was the moment. He simply enjoyed the time he had with Emra in the moment and felt that he didn't need to bring up the idea now. It certainly didn't help that he was shirtless and exhausted from his work. Still, he noticed how close her hand was to his on the sandy ground, and after a moment of hesitation, scooted closer to Emra. It could be that he could make the moment just a little better.
His hand brushed against hers, but before anything else could happen, there was a commotion from the hole. The rope was pulled tight and someone was climbing out. Zalerian and Emra pulled back their hands and stood up in silent agreement to help whoever was trying to climb out. They made their way over to the rope with Zalerian pulling on it to help lift up whoever was on the other end. When Teshak emerged from the shaft, Emra helped him up onto the ground and back onto his feet. Zalerian let the rope drop from where it was tied to a nearby slab for Arguk to climb up if the gnoll was behind Teshak.
"Arguk wouldn't leave Trax behind," Teshak told the pair as he dusted himself off. "We're going to need Belash to help out."
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind a short break," Zalerian said with a nod. "Speaking of, I should get back to work."
"I'll lend you a hand," Emra offered. "It seems we still have a lot of work to do around this place."
"Unfortunately, I'm not one for heavy lifting," Teshak shrugged. "I'll keep watch. I don't think we have to worry about any gnoll patrols this far out but better safe than sorry."
"That's good thinking," Emra told Teshak with a smile.
"I'll pass word along to Belash as well," Zalerian said. "We'll have these ruins ready to serve as a base before the sun sets."
Belash climbed down the rope leading into the lower portion of the Refuge of the All-Seeing Eye. It didn't matter if it was debris or a hyena that he needed to carry. By now, he knew that he was best for his strength, both on and off the battlefield. Belash had hoped that there was more to him than that, but after his plan to rescue Haleen ended with her staying behind, he didn't want to think about Kelmarane. It helped him to stay busy as it kept his mind off of Haleen, but with the battles behind them for the day, there wasn't much choice. Even clearing out the upper portion of the shrine wasn't enough to keep him distracted and he didn't think carrying Trax up through the hole would make much of a difference either.
When Belash landed on the ground, it didn't take him too long for him to find Arguk and Trax. The gnoll sat up against one of the walls with his hyena companion laying on the ground with his head on his master's lap. Arguk smiled in Belash's direction and the warrior shrugged. Belash watched Arguk whisper for Trax to get up before standing up as well. Arguk picked up his backpack and put it on, adjusting it as it was heavier than it was before.
"The chokers had quite the collection in their nest," Arguk told Belash. "There's plenty of gold to share among all of you along with potions that Teshak was able to restore with some conjured water."
"Uh-huh," Belash said quietly.
"I see that you're feeling down again," Arguk noted with a frown. "This is about Haleen, isn't it?"
"What do you think?" Belash snapped before immediately realizing my mistake. "I'm sorry."
"No apologies are necessary," Arguk assured Belash. "You're going through a tough time. I know it must not have been easy to leave Haleen behind."
"I didn't leave her behind," Belash said and crossed his arms. "She didn't want to come with me. She wouldn't even tell me why she wanted to stay behind or anything about the deal she made with the gnolls."
"It could be that Haleen only wanted what was best for you," Arguk told Belash. "She didn't seem overly hostile to see you."
"Maybe," Belash shrugged. "You know, whatever the Breath of Nethys was, it showed me an old memory."
"Of what?" Arguk asked.
"It was our final match in the arena two years ago," Belash explained, closing his eyes as he recalled the memory. "It was a fight we were expected to lose. It was Haleen and I against twelve other experienced warriors."
"Seriously?" Arguk's eyes went wide in shock.
"Haleen arranged for us to fight in a difficult fight," Belash told Arguk. "She wanted the odds to be against us so that when she betted what gold we had saved up for us to win, the payout would be enough to buy our freedom."
"A clever plan, if not dangerous," Arguk said with a nod. "But you're here now, a free man."
"It was a tough fight but we pulled it off," Belash said and opened his eyes. "Haleen was quick on her feet, luring enemies into making mistakes. I would overpower anyone who tried to come at me. There were many times where we were at risk of losing our lives to our foes, but anytime I had to back away from an opponent, Haleen was always there to give me a chance to escape. Whenever Haleen was at risk of being overwhelmed, I charged in to fight by her side. Without her, I would be dead."
"Without each other, you would both be dead," Arguk corrected in a polite tone.
Belash chuckled weakly. "I suppose so."
Truth be told, Belash was lucky to befriend Haleen so early on when sent to fight in the arena. He had been trained from birth to fight and kill for the entertainment of others. It had been Haleen who had taken him under her wing and her carefree nature influenced him. He could have ended up as a merciless killer, but under Haleen's care, he learned to care for the lives of others. Belash would never back away from a fight but he would never be a mindless killer like his masters wanted him to. The two often talked about what it would be like to be freed from slavery but never once did they consider what it would be like being apart from one another.
"Tell me, Belash, but what would you have done if Haleen had come with you yesterday?" Arguk asked.
"Huh?" Belash blinked in surprise and thought over the question for several seconds. "I suppose we would have completed the job to take Kelmarane back from the gnolls then return to our work as mercenaries."
"And what would you have done if you hadn't found Haleen?" Arguk questioned.
"I would have kept looking for her," Belash answered without hesitating and frowned. "Where are you going with this?"
"Don't mind my questions," Arguk said with a faint smile. "And had Haleen been killed somehow, what would you have done?"
"But she isn't dead," Belash protested.
"She isn't," Arguk nodded. "But what would you have done if she was? You would have mourned her, no doubt about that, but what would you have done afterwards?"
"I… I would have gone back to being a mercenary," Belash said, shaking his head. "That's what we both agreed to do once we earned our freedom."
"And whose idea was that?"
Belash paused. "Haleen's idea. What's your point?"
"My point is that you need to think for yourself," Arguk told Belash, his tone gentle. "Your loyalty to Haleen is admirable but you shouldn't have to base your life around her. I understand that you needed to work together to make a life for the both of you after you've earned your freedom, but after this job, even if Haleen comes back, you'll have a new life for yourself."
"What do you mean by that?" Belash asked.
"By freeing Kelmarane against great odds, you will earn the favor of Lady Almah, one of Katapesh's merchant princesses," Arguk explained. "Such a favor could set you up for the rest of your life. You wouldn't have to worry about taking work from seedy characters who are looking for someone to fight on their behalf. So, let me ask you a final question, but what do you want to do with your life after we've secured Kelmarane?"
Belash frowned at Arguk's words, and as much as he hated to admit it, the gnoll had a point. Haleen had saved him from slavery and was like a sister to him but she was the one who came up with ideas on what to do with their lives. Belash didn't mind as he always considered himself more of a warrior than a leader. There was wisdom behind Arguk's words. It may be time to start thinking about what he wanted to do with his life rather than let someone, even Haleen, suggest what he does for him.
If only thinking about what he wanted to do with his life was easy.
"I don't know," Belash admitted. "I usually don't think that far ahead."
"You should consider what ambitions you have at least," Arguk suggested. "You may be surprised at what you truly want to do with your life."
"Right," Belash nodded. "What about you, Arguk? What do you want to do with your life?"
"Truth be told, all I've wanted was my freedom," Arguk said optimistically. "Now that it's in reach, I've only just now started to think about what I wanted to do. Funny enough, the vision the Breath of Nethys showed me may have given me an idea."
"And what would that be?"
"I sat upon a throne on a mountain, overlooking tribes of gnolls," Arguk revealed, his voice growing quiet. "They knelt before me as if I was their king."
"That's quite the vision," Belash said. "I never took you as the type of gnoll to conquer the gnoll tribes."
"You would be right about that," Arguk nodded in agreement. "If anything, that vision has made me consider trying to find some sort of leadership position. I don't see myself leading gnoll kind anytime soon, but once we free Kelmarane, Lady Almah will need administrators to handle rebuilding. If I'm freed, perhaps I shall follow that path and see where it takes me."
"For what it's worth, I feel as though you would make for an excellent leader, whether it's as part of Kelmarane's government or with the gnoll tribes."
"Thank you, Belash," Arguk smiled. "Your kind words mean a lot. Now, I'm sure the others are wondering what's taking us so long. Let's head on up. You don't mind helping Trax."
"Not at all," Belash said with a small smile. "You can head on up first. I'll be right behind you."
Arguk nodded and approached the rope, clutching it as he started to climb back up to the surface. Trax sat down by Belash, smart enough to know that the warrior was going to carry him on his shoulder as he did climbing down. After a moment of thought, Belash hesitantly stroked Trax's mane. The hyena didn't lash out at him and let out an energetic yelp. Belash's smile grew a little wider, and once the rope stopped moving, he picked up Trax to hold over his shoulder. With his free hand, Belash climbed back up to rejoin his companions and to get back to work on making the ruins a suitable camp for the group.
When Melkia reported the group's activities to Almah, she was shocked to hear that they had gone on a side quest to secure a forward base camp. It was only after Melkia explained their reasoning, that they had done so to draw the gnolls' attention away from the Monastery of Saint Vardishal, that Almah came around to the idea. She only asked that they kept in touch with her each day while she would send messages if anything important came up. Melkia felt that the others would have agreed to the deal, and even if they had objected, there was nothing stopping her from making the journey back to the monastery on her own. She didn't mind traveling alone and it didn't take her long to travel to and from the Refuge of the All-Seeing Eye. After Almah dismissed her, Melkia left the monastery and made her way back to rejoin her fellow adventurers.
Between traveling to the Monastery of Saint Vardishal, her report to Almah, and the journey back to the Refuge of the All-Seeing Eye, the sun was starting to see by the time Melkia grew close to the mountains where the shrine was hidden. On the way back, she could make out activity from Kelmarane, as if the gnolls had come back from patrols. With the adventurers attacking the gnolls each day, it made sense that they would try to find their enemy. Moving from the monastery to the refuge had been a smart move as it would mean the gnolls would have a harder time of finding them until the adventurers struck again. Melkia picked up the pace to avoid the possibility of running into a patrol of gnolls even though a small part of her hoped for a chance to kill a pack of them. The only downside of the day was that she hadn't been able to fight the gnolls, but as much as she wanted to change that, the journey back was uneventful.
When Melkia made it back to the ruins, she could see the light of a campfire from the back of the ruins, towards the secret entrance to the lower portion of the refuge. She took a second to look around, worried that a gnoll or another predator would see the light, and was surprised to find Teshak by chunks of rock and debris moved out from the ruins. Teshak hadn't noticed Melkia and had Tempest out in his hands. Melkia narrowed her gaze when she noticed that the sorcerer's lips were moving and frowned when she realized that he was whispering to his dagger. She hated to admit it but she was worried for Teshak. Ever since the incident at the monastery, Teshak had an unhealthy attachment to Tempest. She was tempted to take it away from him but feared for what he would do if she did so. Instead, Melkia made her way over to him. She wasn't quiet in her approach but Teshak still didn't notice her.
"Teshak!" Melkia called out, and when the sorcerer still whispered to Tempest, she called out to him louder. "Over here!"
Teshak jumped up in place and glanced toward Melkia. "Ah, Melkia. I'm sorry but I didn't notice you. I guess it might be time for someone else to stand guard."
"Why would you want to be on lookout anyways?" Melkia questioned. "You're hardly a fighter. I would have thought Zalerian or Belash would have been better suited for the role while I was gone."
"They were busy cleaning out the ruins," Teshak explained with a shrug. "I didn't mind. If I could have spotted an enemy force ahead of time, I could have come up with a plan to face them."
"Right," Melkia said skeptically. "Let's go check in with the others."
Melkia stepped toward the ruins when Teshak spoke up. "Actually, before we do, could I ask you a question?"
"You just did," Melkia rolled her eyes and stopped walking away.
"Right," Teshak chuckled awkwardly. "I was just wondering what you saw from the Breath of Nethys."
"Don't pry, Teshak," Melkia snapped, looking over her shoulder. "I don't care to talk about what I saw."
Melkia had been so quick to volunteer to report back to Almah was to avoid talking about what she saw from the Breath of Nethys with the other adventurers. She saw a part of her past she pushed out of her mind, and even traveling to and from the monastery, it had been difficult to move on from what she saw in her vision. Melkia had no intention of sharing what she went through with any, and even though she was going out of her way to look out for Teshak, he wouldn't be an exception. The sorcerer bowed his head, accepting Melkia's decision, and continued.
"It must have been personal to you then, right?"
"I said I didn't care to talk about what I saw," Melkia warned Teshak again, crossing her arms.
"I'm sorry, but I was just thinking about how I heard some of the others had visions that were about them," Teshak said with a frown. "Apparently, I'm the exception. What I saw didn't have anything to do with me."
"Is that so?" Melkia raised her eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"
"Because I've never commanded armies before nor do I think that's what my future holds for me," Teshak explained. "I couldn't even see what I looked like but I didn't feel like myself. It was as if I was another person entirely. The only thing that felt right was that I wielded Tempest."
"Your dagger was in your vision?" Melkia frowned and shook her head.
"It was," Teshak nodded. "I used it to cut through my foes. Gnolls, cultists, and genies alike."
"Genies?" Melkia questioned.
"That's right. Given their power, it was quite a magnificent battle. I wielded magical power greater than anything I can control now that changed the very fabric of the desert we fought across. I don't remember why it was I fought or who the battle was against, but before Emra woke me up, I recalled that it was for an important cause, something about the world itself being in danger."
Melkia wasn't sure what to make of Teshak's vision other than that the young sorcerer was still losing his mind since claiming Tempest. It could be that the vision Teshak saw was a memory of one of Tempest's past wielders or it could be that the magical dagger itself was still influencing Teshak. When Melkia set out to make sure Teshak made it out of Kelmarane alive, she thought that his reckless drive would be her biggest challenge. She hadn't planned on a dagger likely possessing Teshak and wasn't sure what to do about Tempest. The best thing she could do is try to limit the amount of time he had Tempest out.
"For now, you shouldn't worry about the vision," Melkia told Teshak. "It's like you said, it wasn't you in the vision. It's likely nothing."
"I suppose so," Teshak said, although he didn't sound too convinced.
"Right," Melkia nodded. "Come on. Let's join the others and see what they have to say. It's about time you take a break from standing guard."
"You're right," Teshak stepped up to follow Melkia.
"And you should sheath that dagger of yours," Melkia suggested, gesturing to Tempest. "I didn't see any gnoll patrols in the region by our new camp. You don't have to be ready for battle."
"Are you sure?" Teshak asked, clearly hesitant.
"I'm sure."
Slowly, Teshak slid Tempest back into its sheath on his belt. Melkia could see the worry across the sorcerer's face but she was glad that he was no longer whispering to Tempest. She would need to eventually find time to discuss Teshak's bond with Tempest with the others but that would have to wait. She led the way into the ruins to find the rest of the adventurers seated around a lit campfire and finishing their rations. Melkia took notice of how Emra and Arguk were dividing gold coins, vials of liquid, a chain shirt that Haidar once wore, and a single bronze scarab. The ifrit and the gnoll were in the middle of deciding how to divide the loot they found from the Refuge of the All-Seeing Eye when Melkia and Teshak took their seats around the fire.
"...wouldn't want me to get paid for our work with how I'm technically still a slave."
"And as far as we're concerned, when you're out here with us, you're free," Emra told Arguk with Belash and Zalerian nodding in agreement with her.
"Also, if we don't include you for the treasure, it'd be an uneven number," Zalerian added before turning to Melkia and Teshak. "Welcome back."
"Thanks," Melkia said with a shrug. "How much gold did we find from the refuge?"
"Ninety-eight gold for the six of us," Emra said and glanced in Arguk's direction, silencing the gnoll's argument before he could speak up.
"Not a bad pay day," Melkia said with a low whistle. "What about the potions?"
"We have six potions altogether," Emra explained, gesturing over each of the vials. "Two of the potions can heal our wounds, two can provide a blessing for battle, one can let the drinker see something that's invisible, and the final one can allow us to scry a location that's not too far away. You can thank Teshak for figuring out what each potion does and for restoring them as well."
Teshak looked up at the mention of his name. "It was no problem. What about the scarab and chain shirt?"
"The scarab is magical and can be used to open locked doors," Emra told Teshak. "The chain shirt has faint magical runes along the coat which makes it more durable in battle. Truth be told, I'm interested in the chain shirt myself. I could use a little extra protection fighting the gnolls."
"That's not a bad idea," Arguk nodded. "I can go by without it."
"I move better without armor," Zalerian said. "It's yours unless anyone objects."
"If a gnoll gets close to me, I'm doing something wrong," Melkia shook her head. "Take it, Emra."
"Thank you, everyone," Emra smiled as she claimed the magical chain shirt.
"I'd like the scarab unless anyone objects," Arguk said, reaching for the scarab. "You never know when you need to get through a locked door."
When no one objected, Zalerian spoke up while Arguk claimed the scarab. "That just leaves the potions then. We could each take one."
"It wouldn't feel fair since Arguk and I each have our own magical items," Emra frowned. "I think the four of you can divide the potions up among yourself."
"Make that the three of you," Melkia said, earning looks of surprise from the other adventurers. "It's the logical choice. We can't divide six evenly among four people. This way, Belash, Teshak, and Zalerian get more potions and I can get the first pick on which item we get next."
"That seems fair enough," Zalerian nodded slowly as the others came around to the idea. "Thank you, Melkia. We won't forget this."
Melkia shrugged and watched Belash, Teshak, and Zalerian decided who would get what potion. As they did most of the fighting in melee, Zalerian and Belash took a potion of healing and a potion of blessings each, leaving Teshak with the remaining potions to use if he ever needed to. For what it was worth, Melkia simply thought it was fair that she let the other adventurers have the potion since she was keeping Haidar's katar. She noted the magic it possessed when Haidar fought the adventurers, and even though she preferred a bow, the katar would give her another option to fight off any enemy that got close to her. Melkia would have reminded the group of the katar if she wasn't worried that Zalerian or Arguk would want it for themselves.
It had taken great effort, but finally, the adventurers had claimed a new forward base for their campaign against the gnolls that occupied Kelmarane. Melkia looked forward to returning to fighting the gnolls tomorrow. The gold from the Refuge of the All-Seeing Eye was nice to have but today had been a side trek for a minor tactical advantage. There were plenty of gnolls left in Kelmarane, and to make up for a day of not fighting them, Melkia would have to kill twice as many gnolls as she expected. Melkia smirked to herself as she was more than ready to begin the hunt.
A/N: And with that, the set piece for Howl of the Carrion King has been completed. We move back to the main story starting next time as we get closer to the end.
Until next time.