The three

The middle aged man who intercepted Bardeelus and the team, was more than helpful. He led them towards a shed which was right near the mine, and left them there to wait for about ten minutes.

Hot stews were provided, to keep the team both busy and to help them feel a bit welcomed. The two women who served the stew left the team alone in under two minutes, they were professional.

Audera was typically skeptical towards free meals, specifically since it could be filled with poison, however she wasn't too skeptical this time around. There wasn't a single malicious thought in the air, and if there were, she'd pick them up in a heartbeat.

These scorpion people weren't immune to her powers, after all, so she wasn't scared.

"They were a bit too nice," She thought, after downing half of the bowl. "No one asked about Fenik, we still have him in a bag."

"Maybe they don't see us as a threat?" She could only think, "That works for us too."

Thanks to that train of thought, she felt a bit more relaxed now. Though, the rest of the team didn't feel the same way. Conversations were at a minimum, because they felt locked up in this shed, it made them nervous.

At last, when the host disrupted this dense air, the team had a small panic attack. The place had been too quiet, and now, the host made an entrance equal to royalty.

"Thank you for waiting," He said softly, and with a great composure. "I see you've enjoyed the horned-boar stew. The maidens have very special recipes, from extinct countries even."

"Well, we definitely enjoyed them." Driola said.

Although she seemed like the least likely person to speak, her answer wasn't random. Her typical, piercing gaze correlated with her attention to detail; She had been observing the resurrected guards, who along with the team, had shared this meaty meal.

"They're just like normal humans… as if they didn't die at all." She thought.

The concept of 'pure resurrection' and its ties to necromancy was astounding, but she had to maintain a neutral face. The host had raised an eyebrow in suspicion at this point, it was obvious that he tried to figure things out, though he didn't have any information to work with.

For that matter, he brought the conversation back on track. "We brought you three girls, because we couldn't identify your sister, sir. They all come from the same camp, though."

A moment later, the aforementioned ladies walked in. Bardeelus recognized his sister right away, she was the second to walk in.

"Zera! We found you!" He celebrated.

"You!" Zera's tone spiked.

She was twenty-five years old, a bit older than Bardeelus, and naturally, she wasn't so respectful towards younger siblings. It wasn't easy to respect a necromancer either.

"I'm going to kill you!" She hollered.

Bardeelus knew where this conversation could head towards, so he tried to steer his sister towards the right direction. He had to keep his cover as a 'rich' guy, from a respected family.

"Kill me if you must, Zera, but let me get you out of here first. These mines aren't for you, I know, so we'll send you on a vacation along the Tetojan coasts. It'll help you relax." He said, as calmly as he could.

With a soft wink afterwards, he added. "I brought these failures, our guards, to take your place. They'll sweat tenfold for every nail you broke down there. Won't you lads?"

"We will, miss Zera. Our humble apologies." Kutal the Sturdy said, and bowed. The three other guards mimicked the gesture.

If Bardeelus hadn't intervened, Zera would've screamed about necromancy already. This could've put the whole team in danger, so now, although he had prevented that from happening, Zera still was absolutely terrified.

"He really is a necromancer…" She thought, the moment she looked into Kutal the Sturdy's cold, dead eyes. "They're dead, but walking."

Nevertheless, she was cooperative. Her little brother didn't seem as clueless as he usually was, and she was sick of these mines, so it was smart to play along.

She cussed, "A vacation isn't enough! One of these guards should be executed, they failed me miserably and so did that camp!"

"Hold on now, we need them to work here." The host interrupted, and then looked at Bardeelus. "That was the deal after all, four guards for your royal sister here. I assume that was the deal, at least."

"She's not royal, but somewhere close." He corrected, and looked at the two other captive ladies who had been brought to this shed.

His looks alone pleaded for them to play along. If these other ladies wanted to, they could snitch and put everyone at risk. Both of them knew Bardeelus, and they heard the rumors regarding his 'dark-art' practices. The panic in their eyes confirmed it.

He noticed that they could crack at any second, so he faced the host and asked. "What would it take to buy off these slaves? They can't replace my guards in any way, but maybe they'll help keep us clean on our trip home."

The girls remained quiet. One of them smiled softly, even. After a hard day in the mines, the sense of pending freedom was accelerating!

"I think you misunderstood this deal," The host said, "We want able-bodied people, so we don't trade people based on some social status. If we give you three able-bodied people, then this trade won't mean much."

As nicely as he behaved so far, the host at last, reminded everyone of their place in the world. "Remember, you're supposed to accommodate us. Respect my race."

"That's fair," Bardeelus played along, "My guards can't lift much, but they have powers too. You can use them out of the mine as well, they're good fighters."

"That won't do," The other's few scales crackled across his face as he spoke, he didn't give in easily. "Are you an illusionist, though? We could use your powers for something. It'll seal this deal for good."

"I'm not an illusionist, but one of us is." Bardeelus said, "What do you need one for?"

The host didn't respond immediately, which gestured that the reason couldn't be holy. This task could be anywhere from pure torture, to a few war crimes. It was stupid to accept the task without asking about it first.

However, the host seemingly pondered over many things at once. He didn't answer right away, because he mustered up a question.

"You're not an illusionist? How come you're the leader then?" The host asked Bardeelus, "How rich are you, sir. Because only royals and scorpions are more important than illusionists. Who am I talking to right now?"