The group stands at the entrance to the hall. Each taking a look down it. Wondering what to do. They discuss their options.

"We're not going through those, no?" Nortom comments.

"I can make it through if you deal with the crushing trap," Noah says proudly.

"I can teleport us around the traps as well.” Felix mentions offhand.

"Ah, that would save me some resources, yes, please." Noah relents.

"I'd like to be able to traverse the hallway naturally just in case there is nastiness on the other side,” Sara comments as she moves forward taking out a leather roll full of tools.

Sara disables the first trap, disabling its mechanisms. Sara and Noah will both pause to take notes on the mechanisms of the trap.

"I can teleport us past the saw blades if you'd like?" Felix will mention it again.

“I mean, I’m the only one seeing through the illusion.” Drek comments.

"So you keep saying, but I've been using a divine illusion spell this entire time, and I've seen nothing," Noah says.

"Well, it might just be that my heritage has something to do with it.” Drek will say.

"What precisely is your heritage?" Noah asks.

Sara, Nortom, and Felix continue down the hallway disabling the traps while Noah, Erevan, and Drek stay behind.

"Ratfolk and I gained my powers by dying.” Drek answers.

"Fascinating. I'll have to ask you more about that at a later date." Noah Windtome writes this down in the tome. "If you're fine with being interviewed, that is. I'm sure your tale would interest my patron."

"I wouldn't mind but I don't think this would be the most appropriate place to conduct it." Drek answers.

Sara will fly back down to the three of them and tell them that the hallway is clear of traps.

"We're all good down the hallways, the traps are disabled. Clever designs, I'd have loved to have helped work on this place.” Sara will say.

“Alright, let me check this last door,” Drek says as he pulls another lever opening the last door in the room.

The door doesn't open. Instead, six warriors teleport into the room around the group. Drek will immediately slash a wizard apart. Erevan will flick his hand and a ballista bolt will go through an armored warrior.

One of the warriors will attack Noah, but he will sidestep the attack. Sara will swing a mace at one of the warriors and miss. Drek will kill an archer with a quick slash. A warrior will club Erevan over the back of the head from behind.

Noah will step away from two warriors and use a wind sphere to kill them. Drek will slash out and kill the warrior behind Erevan finishing the fight. Nortom comes running around the corner seeing the fight is over.

"We're late to the party, I see. Are you alright?" Nortom asks.

"Well, that was interesting,” Drek says. “We’re fine.”

Sara frantically puts her mace away and looks around, somewhat panicked and clearly terrified by being unexpectedly in up-close combat.

"They were suddenly everywhere! I like my combat from a good safe distance. Thank you very much!" Sara says loud and frantically.

"They did drop from the trap doors I mentioned earlier.” Drek mentions.

Sara’s bat-like nose twitched at the smell of blood. Erevan looks up and sees a flat ceiling with no trap doors. This will frustrate the hunter.

Noah will walk into the third room and fetch a shiny bauble from a pedestal. Bringing it back he will hold it up. Erevan squints at it appraising its worth.

“That’s useless. We’ll make more from this mission than selling a hundred of those.” Erevan says.

“I’ll give it to my patron then,” Noah says.

"And could we maybe move down the hallways? I can smell the blood and it reminds me of the worst aspects of my heritage.” Sara says.

The party moves on down the hall of disarmed traps to a set of stairs and will go down. They enter a large room with ankle-high water and a large statue of a dragon at the back of the room. Sara will turn into her bat form and perch on top of the dragon.

"Hmm... any ideas, Noah?" Nortom asks.

Erevan sets up his ballista in the corner of the room. Sara will turn back into her halfling form and chill on top of the statue. The statue starts to move as soon as she does.

"Uhhh, Guys?!" Sara yells.

"Uh...." Nortom stares in disbelief as the statue awakens.

“I’m so sorry for being on you,” Sara screams. She turns into a bat and flies away.

“Have you all come to take back the slaves to their masters?” The dragon calls out in a booming voice. Now that it's moved Erevan watches the dust fall off of the light blue scales of the creature.

“Slaves?” Nortom asks.

“The slaves are safely behind me. Do you intend on taking them?” The dragon asks. It raises a brow and scans the group. Erevan winces as its eyes pass over him. The dragon had some form of telepathy, the hunter could feel it, and he didn’t like it.

“Who were the people we fought coming in here?” Felix asks.

“They were warriors that came before you to reclaim the slaves. I controlled them.” The dragon replies.

“Are the slaves being controlled?” Noah asks.

“They are here of their own free will.” The dragon growls.

“Why use the symbol of Arshea?” Nortom asks.

“I am surprised you realized what the symbol was. I am a follower.” The dragon replies.

"Okay, so you're freeing the slaves from their bindings." Noah states.

"What is the legality of slavery in Qazar?" Felix whispers to those around him.

"Legality be damned, it's not right,” Sara calls out.

"I agree. Though I’m speculating whether our employer could be turned into law enforcement." Felix says.

"Paperwork is very important. So they were forced to work against their will... No different than my mother's business, I'm okay with them 'slipping through our fingers'." Noah states.

"We're not getting paid are we?" Felix mutters to himself. "Every time." Felix shrugs despondently.

“I can disappear with the slaves and if you would be so kind you could go to the person that hired you and expose him.” The dragon says.

“Fuck the slaver. I’ll bring him back to you dead or alive.” Erevan spits on the ground.

"You do not mind if I inform a bronze dragon of this event, do you?" Noah asks.

“I do not mind.” The dragon responds.

"This is the right thing to do. Gold be damned." Nortom says.

"I would like to do the last two. Let's not resort to murder this time. Why not make him suffer instead.” Noah says.

"Slavery is a capital crime in the Khaldun Dynasty,” Felix says. “We aren’t being paid, let's just use minimal effort to solve this.”

“Did you have a name?” Erevan asks.

“No.” The dragon says.

“It’s a mist dragon,” Drek says.

“Okay, Misty, violating autonomy is the worst offense against man. I am behind you and your efforts a hundred percent.” Erevan says, stepping into the forefront of the party.

"I volunteer to assist the freed slaves to where they want to go," Felix says.

“I will too,” Noah says half-heartedly.

“Any of you who share similar sentiments will be visited by my colleagues.” The dragon says.

A door opens up behind the dragon and five humanoids emerge from a hidden room.

"Guys, guys, holy shit I just sat down on a dragon and it didn't eat me. I am the coolest damn Halfling in the world" Sara will shout as they leave.

"Drake.” Noah corrects her. “I could always introduce you to an actual dragon who wouldn't mind you sitting on him."

"Close enough, you'll have to forgive me for not trying it again on a random dragon I see" Sara will say. "Wait did you say you know a dragon who'd let me perch on him?!"

"My patron, Bingus. Stripped me of my surname and gave me the title of Windtome." Noah replies.

"Well, this will be something that should most assuredly go in your book there,” Drek adds.

"I'd love to meet Bingus! I'll have to hold you to that someday" Sara says.

"Bingus will definitely be entertained by today's events." Noah smiles.

Erevan scoffs hearing the ridiculous name.

“Where are you and the workers going?” Erevan asks.

“Ashsuru, the port city, to get crossing and be far from here.” The drake replies.

“Maybe the group can head with you. Protect your group.” Erevan suggests.

“I wouldn’t mind protection. Although, who will deal with the slaver?” The drake eyes Erevan. The hunter can feel the drake reaching into his mind. As if analyzing him.

“Leave it to me,” Erevan replies.

“Very well.” The drake smiles as its presence retracts from the hunter’s mind.

“Nortom, I’ll be hitting you up in Lightfort in a couple of days.” Erevan packs up his ballista and starts to leave.

“I’ll be waiting!” Nortom calls out.

The hunter leaves the ziggurat and begins to walk back the way they came. The mist is no longer surrounding the building and the sun is high in the sky.

Erevan walks through the Tamiob Desert, his ballista over one shoulder, slowly making his way to Kaesero. Unused to the desert he's sweating through his armor. He has his helmet tied to his belt, clanging at his side. He wanted to see the world, get away from the Waystones, and really make his own way. Find his own path. But he has a few regrets now that he's a few days into a desert.

The sun beats down on his back, glistening off of the bits of metal armor he has. His movements are staggered and slow as he tries to conserve his energy. He knew he was a Champion. That he was stronger than others. But could he die from exposure still?