Suzette wanted to scream but kept the thing talking. "I'll bargain for what's left of him." Rolly and Squirmie began to sneak their way around the perimeter.

"A bargain. My, my. I suppose we can sit and discuss a payment for this fine, Fae Lord. Is he a relative? Or do you just want to collect a bounty for him? I have an idea! Let's keep talking until your friends make a rescue attempt, and I slit his throat and retreat to my caves." Rolly and Squirmie quit sneaking as Suzette sighed, and Ozzy said softly, "Got a smart one here. That's tough; they usually like to rant, not talk."

The ghoul replied to Ozzy as if he hadn't whispered. "Indeed. It's a failing of most of the other monsters. But all is not lost. I detect the savory smell of sausages as well as the sweet smell of apple wine. Give me a dozen of those links and three bottles of wine to make a feast, and I will give you not only the still-living Fae Lord to do with as you will but also some information about the encounter in the sound and other small tidbits of knowledge. Betray my trust, and I feast on my hanging meat."

They all looked at each other, but it wasn't really a question. Suzette yelled up. "You have a deal. How do we do this?"

"Yes, it is like the classic problem of the fox, the grain, and the goat. I have a basket and rope that I will lower down, and you will send up the wine. I will lower the Fae, and you will send up the sausage. Not a foolproof plan, but one that I think could work. If you betray me, I can always leap to the sand and summon the horde of hungry ghouls." He lowered a basket made of bones and strips of cloth. Rolly took over the wine. Squirmie was ready to fly up, and both Suzette and Ben had spells ready to kill the oddly talkative ghoul. He danced and chuckled as he looked at the wine. "Oh, this is perfect. Please be ready to catch him; I don't trust my rope." He lowered the still-living Fae whose one eye was weeping. Sausages went up, and the ghoul sat down and began eating.

Suzette held the nearly dead lord in her arms and cast the small healing spells she had on him, and put a healing potion to his lips. He sucked it down as fast as he could, and she followed with a few gulps of water, knowing he must be parched. Ben's healing was more effective, restoring his skin tone to pink from deathly white and curing cuts and abrasions from his body. Ozzy cleansed his clothing, casting it several times until the smell of rotting flesh and filth went away.

It was Rolly and Squirmie who made the biggest difference. Each of them had the ability to heal using their own stamina. It was limited to restoring health and couldn't replace missing limbs, but their ability at this point was quite strong. With four levels of the enhanced ability and two more levels from synergy, they could heal tens of thousands of points. And that is what it took in this case.

"Wow, I think I've healed over ten-thousand health."

"I can also give him some stamina and see if it helps."

Suzette began feeding him mana potions. After each, he nodded and asked for another until he had drunk a half dozen. He looked better. His wounds were healed, with skin over the missing eye and limbs. After gaining some mana, he seemed to relax and fell asleep.

The ghoul had eaten one sausage and took one sip of wine. He held it for a moment and then spat it out. "As I thought, like sunshine! I will endure the burning to taste that sweet taste once again. And yes, he was a terrible foe. He fought and fought again and again, running through the catacombs and slaying foes but slowly taking wounds. The sands of the arena were his downfall. Did you know a bell will appear if you kill all the ghouls? Tinkle that bell, and another wave will attack. Each wave is stronger than the last, and the rewards for winning grow larger and larger. I've heard the Fae can't resist such a challenge. He certainly couldn't. After seventeen rounds, he fell to the floor, and we argued over him. I won what was left and only killed two challengers. I've been hoping his tongue would regrow so we could talk."

Ozzy was feeling the challenge himself. "And I assume a boss with each wave?"

The ghoul nodded. "But of course! Although the first is fairly weak. Limb Eater is a pitiful boss of eight levels, and just his name to mark him as special. You can kill his horde with impunity, I'm sure. After that, you can easily walk to the next courtyard, which has a lovely staircase going down, with carvings of angels on the railings. You should have no trouble finding the way down to where the Rawheads and their leader, Sartorius the Red, strive to create a Blood Altar. I'd be upset if that happened; he's a pompous ass. But perhaps you can run out before that happens? I don't think so because I'll be stirring up the little ones to slow you down, especially now that you have an injured person to slow you down." He retreated a half step into the shadows, just in case.

"How long do we have?"

"Oh, plenty of time if you wish to play with the arena for a few rounds. I would not do more than seven. They become very hard after that; even a refugee Butcher from the Pit will find too much rotten meat to carve. It is only a short way to the Red Chapel from here. A very short way and a way that I control. Fight for three rounds to amuse me, and I will open it for you. Leave and find out how many hungry undead I can bring with my call."

Ben turned to Ozzy. "I'm thinking I really like the dumb ones better."

Ozzy and everyone else agreed. Billy yelled at the ghoul. "Fine, you have a deal. Three rounds, and then we head to the Red Chapel. I don't suppose your information would include knowledge of what they stole from my courtyard?"

Laughter floated down. "Oh, what do you think gives Sartorius the runes he needs for his Blood Altar? But hurry, he begins carving soon."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"We ready?" Billy looked at the group.

Everyone nodded, but Ozzy held up a hand. "The first round isn't supposed to be that hard. I'm going to corral the Named one and see if I can hold him. The rest just need to die." Everyone nodded, and he stepped onto the sand. "Oh Lordy, I have stupidly tread into dangerous ground and set off a trap. What am I to do?"

Sand erupted from the arena as seven ghouls emerged, ribs showing and eyes crazed with hunger. Ozzy looked at the largest one and casually said. "Your momma was so Ugly, they had to tie a raw steak to her neck to get the other ghouls to play with her." With a howl of pure rage, Limb Eater knocked aside two of its pack to get to Ozzy. He let the ghoul come, leaving his axes in his Reinforced Butcher's Apron pockets. He thanked Myrna for goading him to gain enough dexterity and learn how to grill. He was quick enough to grab and pin the ghoul's arms to its sides in a bear hug and force its face into his apron. Limb Eater thrashed but couldn't break his grip and couldn't chew through the armored apron with his face smashed into Ozzy's chest. "Hurry and kill the rest; this guy has horrible breath."

These ghouls were even weaker than the ones they had been fighting before. Suzette killed two with spells, Ben Skewered one through the eye, Billy and Layla managed to deal with one on their own, and Rolly and Squirmie killed the rest. The fight was over in seconds. Ozzy walked to the edge of the sand, grabbed the ghoul by neck and leg, and held him over his head. "Everyone out of the pool except our Baron and Baroness. This one is all yours. Billy saw a ghoul flying toward him and slammed it with his raised shield. Layla had been turning and used the momentum to add power to her swing. She chopped into Limb Eater's back, enraging the ghoul further. He dove at the closest person, Billy, and was blocked again by the shield. Billy started to bring his sword into play as the ghoul bit into his shield, tore out a chunk, and swallowed it. The mouth came down again, coming close to chewing into his arm. Instead of slicing into it awkwardly, he punched out with his basket hilt, knocking the ghoul off him. Layla's next swing injured one of its legs, slowing it. Limb Eater went for Layla, batting aside her sword and biting down on her armored forearm. She screamed, mostly in rage, and stabbed it in the eye with a dagger as Billy put his sword through its heart and killed it.

Ozzy had to pry the jaws off of Layla's arm so that Ben could Lay Hands and heal the wound fully. Her vambrace was torn and bent, and she tossed it aside. "Damn, that hurt. But it gave each of us four points for killing it. I take it that's your plan for the next two?"

Ozzy shrugged. "If you can handle it. If not, we'll help you out. Tier 2 Named Bosses won't give us points, and you two need them. One down, two to go." He walked over to a small silver bell sitting on the sand and rang it. With a rumbling, the next round started. While a level higher, the next group of monsters was easier. They had more health and were stronger, but the Corpulent Marrow Suckers were slow and fat. Their boss, Bile Belly, had rolls of pale blubber and could barely move. It hunted its prey with a long tongue, like some monstrous toad eating flies. He nearly killed Billy with his first strike, wrapping his tongue around Billy's next to pull him to his maw. Layla was quick enough to cut the horrible appendage, and after that, they danced around him for ten minutes, slowly doing enough damage to kill it.

The two nobles were panting and out of breath, but the clock was running. They each chugged down a stamina potion, and the third round started. These mobs were Tier 3 Gnashing Gnawers, and the plan to power-level the nobles went out the window immediately. Rolly and Squirmie dove at Growler, a Level 11 Named Boss between them, reducing him to shredded meat. Squirmie hovered over his corpse, taunting what was left.

He emphasized his point by eating Growler's heart. The rest of the pack fared the same. They were Tier three ghouls, but they faced off against foes who used skills that were very effective against them, such as Strike Undead and Hack Undead that were designed to take them down. This fight took only a minute and gave each person one point.

Rolly was eyeing the bell. "I can see how this could become addictive."

Suzette was healing Billy, who'd taken a nasty bite to his leg, then checked on the injured fae. "I hate taking him with us into a fight, but leaving him here isn't an option."

"I have an idea." Ben dumped his pack into Ozzy's bag, and then he and Suzette slid their patient into his backpack, tying him in. Ben lifted him easily. "I'll carry him along and hang to the back of the fight and use spells. We can't set him down in a room of ghouls and might have to run."

The ghoul above them chuckled. "We all have our burdens to carry in this life and afterward, don't we? But now I keep to my bargain. Down this hall, you will come to an octagonal courtyard. The way down is quite obvious. You will see a set of stairs on the far side. Prepare yourselves well; the Red Chapel awaits. And I thank you for the conversation. Do come again."

Leaving the ghoul to his feast, they left.

The corridor and courtyard appeared as the ghoul had said, and they could see the stairs on the far side. Halfway across, with no warning, the paving stones crumbled to sand beneath them, and they fell thirty feet into a large chamber lit by red lanterns. Ghouls screamed and moved to the sides of the chapel, chanting in an unknown language. Squirmie managed to catch Ben by his collar, slowing his fall. The party put their backs to each other as they watched hundreds of ghouls prepare to charge.