Rubble shifted beneath Cali's feet as she entered the cavern. She flinched as a drop of liquid fell near her feet. It was not her first cavern expedition, but she was on edge. As if being followed in a city where she knew no one. Not including the over-clingy captain, of course. It took longer than necessary to realize she had not been alone. The thought of those cheap wretches chasing after the artifact made Cali stir faster. Fine, they could only pay for their offenses once Cali showed them the cost.

"She noticed that we were following her." The leader of the group asserted. It did not matter to them if Cali noticed the company. There was only one exit, and that exit was behind them. No one needed to fight if Cali gave up the artifact to them. Following Cali's example, the group quickened their pace behind her. If her plan is to through them off her trail, the group could not give her that opportunity.

Cali did not need them to slow down for her. Why would she? The group had given up on hiding themselves, giving Cali long enough to prepare. Her fingers wrapped around the glass container in her bag before it moved to the familiar red scarf. Without slowing her pace, she quickly tied the cloth around her face. The group behind her slowed down after noticing Cali had stopped walking. "Can I take this as you giving up?" The lead asked cautiously. Everything seemed to work out too quickly.

She stopped while knowing the group was behind her.

The group did not have time to process their temporary success. Crash! The sound of glass breaking rang through the entire cavern. Cali had thrown a glass vial at the floor beneath them and ran. The shattered vial released a large puff of yellow smoke behind her. The group had no time to create distance as the concoction already took effect. It was a potion of confusion. The room began to contort, and lines of differing colours bounced around the cavern. Motion sickness set in for the group leader, and she fell to the floor before vomiting. The group leader would have preferred poison. Out of all the bodily fluids, she hated vomit the most!

So gross! So revolting! Not even a gold coin could compensate for the emotional trauma. Enraged and queasy, the group leader leaned against the cavern walls to chase after Cali. The two other men wriggled on the floor like they were intoxicated worms.

"You, you should have stayed in the desert!" The leader spat. All they needed to do was ditch the girl and grab the artifact, and yet Cali kept changing the plan. Rage got the best of the leader. Still leaning against the wall, she muttered a spell. Cali immediately took a step back as she knew what would happen next. A giant icicle appeared from below the spot she had just stood. Then the amount doubled, then tripled, and kept multiplying. Cali managed to dodge them one after another. Perhaps the leader had gone mad and cast as many spells as she could. The only thing undeniable was that the leader forgot mana was not infinite. The emergence of icicles stopped as the leader grabbed a knife in a hurry.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

How exactly did she expect to win while still leaning against that wall? Cali felt a chill behind her and quickly jumped forward. It was another icicle forming at the last second. It was a clever move, although distasteful. No one in that group had shown any moral character before, but it was still surprising to have an icicle nearly kill you.

"Ah, this is where you were?" A tall elf rounded the corner. Cali did not like meeting a second elf in the desert. Especially when this elven woman made her stomach turn in the most unpleasant ways. "Albia, you have done enough." The frenzied spell casting stopped, and the leader approached the elf. "Enough? I am just starting! This woman, she-." Sound of gagging cut off all speech as the elven woman gripped the leader's throat. Shocked and now on edge, Cali noticed the bloodied gloves on the elf. It seemed the other two members would not be joining them anytime soon.

The leader struggled in the elf's grasp, kicking and hitting until she made a final attempt for freedom. An icicle rose from the ground and extended toward the elf. The elf made no move to dodge the attack, instead allowing her shoulder to receive the icicle. Smiling, she ended the leader's life with an eerie snap. Cali did not like the quiet that remained.

The elf before her had most likely hired those people after finding out they worked for Cali. The question remained as to why. Why go through the trouble just to come here themself? Soon enough, the elf added questions to Cali's questions. "Did you see that? That glimpse of hope when the icicle hit? How it faded when her neck snapped?" The elf grinned at Cali. "That look would suit you well."

"Are we familiar with each other?" Cali did not recognize this crazy person, but the elf knew her. "Boy, were you hard to find! You left Saclesh two years ago and kept moving around like a flea." The elf began to rant, ignoring Cali's question. Saclesh? Cali's body visibly tensed at the mention of that small town. Saclesh is the town where Cali first saw an elf. "Are you starting to remember?" The elf hummed as if amused by the thought.

Compared to dark elves who remained in seclusion, other elves would stay in communities surrounded by nature. In Saclesh, Cali met and befriended a pair of elven sisters. The older, Omelia, and the younger, Ellis. Two men cornered Omelia the day before Cali left Saclesh. She rushed to save her friend, only to realize Omelia had lured the men there herself. Hunting men at night was Omelia's sick hobby. After discovering this secret, Cali became the elf's next target. Their brawl left no room for past fondness.

That day when Omelia died was the last day someone would call Cali by name. Cali quickly left the next day and forgot all about the youngest sister. Unfortunately, the sister did not forget about Cali. Yes, the elf in front of her had to be Ellis. Cali revealed a pained expression. Why did she take after her sister? "Calypso, I have missed you."