The cavern held no more obstacles for Calypso. Once again, rubble shifted beneath her feet as she strode deeper. The sounds of her steps resembled a war march. As she entered the next chamber, Calypso noticed the smooth surface in the centre of the room. A small sigh escaped her lips at that moment. Finally, no more spelunking! The artefact she searched for lay below the smooth patch of earth. If a group of experienced miners dug to the artifact in question, it would take 2 hours. However, this was where Calypso's luck did not work against her.
The artifact's original owner died while clinging to his only treasure. Unfortunately, Calypso never had much respect for the graves of the dead. It comes with the territory for any practicing necromancer. Easy to say, the artifact holder's grave is toast! Calypso started to chant near the chosen spot, waiting for movement. The area began to shake, and from it emerged a skeletal hand. Within its grasp was a compass in the shape of a hexagon. Despite the years beneath the earth, the item maintained its luster. Even a blind man could feel the peculiar sensation the compass radiated.
Calypso gulped down her saliva before she grabbed the compass, stuffing it into her bag. This piece was the easiest of all the objects she had to obtain in the future, but Cali could not stop the spreading grin. No matter how small the victory was, it is still hers! Raiding graves and stealing treasure like a true treasure hunter! Who cared if she could not live normally? She could at least become the cutest treasure hunter ever!
This enthusiasm did not last long. Calypso soon found herself drained after cleaning up the cave incident. By the time she exited Capulta Cavern, the sky was already dark. She kept her bag wrapped in her arms the entire walk back to the town. Doing so made her quite conspicuous. "Ah!" A voice rang out in shock. Calypso's eyes darted in the direction the sound came. There stood a slender young man, looking at her curiously. He seemed a bit familiar to Calypso. However, she never saw the man next to the boy before. "Pardon me. I believe we met earlier today." The boy showed a sheepish smile before continuing to speak. "I was the one who delivered the note earlier. My name is Rye." The boy then indicated to the man next to him. "And this is my comrade, Axel." What a scary comrade he was.
Axel's body resembled an impenetrable fortress. He easily towered over Calypso and Rye. Perhaps he noticed Calypso blatantly observing him as he switched to a more relaxed posture and beamed. "We were about to head for a drink. Care to join us?" Axel asked. The fatigue on Calypso's face already answered the question. "A Tavern with an inn would be preferable." Calypso decided to kill two birds with one stone. It was easier to follow these two than wander alone until she found an inn. Technically, the two men were not even strangers! She knew both of their names!
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
That was the shallow excuse Calypso used to leech several drinks off Axel and Rye. The time she spent with the two flew by in a drunken blur. Crawling to her bed was the last thing Calypso could remember before a veil of sleep fell upon her. Unfortunately, this barely lasted a moment. "Congrats, Congrats!" A voice echoed. A child applauded from a high throne, oversized robed engulfing his adolescent body. This scene would be comical if not for the regal air he exuded.
The pressure in the area showed his authority! If not him, who belonged on this throne?
"Cali, you did well to find the first item." Calypso knew that mocking tone all too well. She approached the child and began to tie his long hair in a disciplined manner. This entity was the fourth Unholy Heir, Nox. Unholy Heirs are the seven sovereign devils in the Underworld. Nox was the Sovereign of Eternal Rest and the only devil who took the form of a child. However, his mannerisms were well-developed and sophisticated, ethereal in all respects.
"I did well? Excluding the elf situation, retrieving the artefact was simple," Calypso showed a wry smile. Of course, it was simple! She had all the details surrounding the artefact mapped out for her. Calypso's only complaint was that she had no idea how to get anywhere besides Capulta Caverns. She would have walked around Dalry searching for an inn if she had not met Rye and Axel.
Nox rested his chin on his palm, eyes looking nowhere in particular. "The next artefact will present you with a far more difficult challenge. I recommend you rest well till Nithar visits." How could she think about resting? Nox invading her dreams would tax her already hung-over body in the morning. Not to mention the upcoming visit from Nithar. The visit could be in the next month, and Calypso would not be mentally prepared. It was not that he was genuinely scary or showed her malice, but his personality was unnerving. If the Underworld followed typical labelling, he would be considered a black sheep.
Nithar was the third Unholy heir and the Sovereign of Sacrifice. Although he spoke in a regal manner, his words gave away that he had different mental functions. Calypso met all the sovereigns before and determined that Nithar was the worst. Her lips parted to complain, but another voice cut her off. "Tolerate it." Nox paid no heed to Calypso's sour expression, leisurely waving her off. There was nothing left to say, and morning would arrive shortly.
The old floorboards sank beneath her weight. Although Calypso could remember crawling to the bed, it became apparent that she did not make it that far. Making it to her room was a miracle in itself. As her aching body needed a few more hours of rest, the next course of action was evident.