The Crypt Keepers hustled through the canyon. They had lived there for well over a year, yet as they rushed across the flat tops, leaping over deep ravines and spindly passages, the environment suddenly felt incomprehensible. They decided to make a break for their main base, inconveniently located at the farthest end of the canyon from the entrance. If they ran, it would take about an hour to reach.

  Hiri's mind was overwhelmed with thoughts. The mysterious woman she let escape returned with a group of wizards. She felt like a fool for thinking the girl would stay away. Based on how long it took the mysterious mage to double back Hiri concluded that they must have come from Opal City. But if that was the case, she couldn't figure out why they fired on the Opazyr forces. Regardless of their alliance, it was clear they were here to harness the power of the crystals, and while that didn't make them natural enemies, she was not inclined to let them claim all that power.

  Hiri's thoughts were so loud that she didn’t hear Linette calling her name—not until she was practically screaming it in her ear.

  "HIRI!"

  The leader jolted out of her trance and turned to her subordinate. "What?!" she squeaked reflexively.

  "What are we going to do about this? Who were those wizards?"

  "I don't know who they are, but they're here for the crystal deposits. What I really want to know is: where are the extra Descended? We're outnumbered! We need something!"

  A tired sigh escaped Linette. "This is becoming more than we can handle. Maybe we should pull out."

  "We can't," said Hiri, "not so long as the canyon is the way it is. The souls that are trapped in this place are bound to become Descended if we don't resolve the issues."

  Another crypt keeper spoke up. "How long are we going to play nice with that... Thing?" Her voice was breaking from irritation.

  "As long as it takes, Draiza. Do you really think we can fight Azylith and live to talk about it?" Hiri looked back at the uppity woman, the edges of her lips curled into a mocking grin. "If I remember correctly. The first time we met Azylith you fell to your knees and cried like a baby."

  "I did not!" She lashed out. "I was merely overwhelmed by the malice. No tears were shed!"

  Another crypt keeper leaned in. "No, you definitely cried Draiza. There's no point in trying to rewrite history."

  "Shut up!" she growled. "The point is, we are here to prevent descended from happening. Now we're working with them directly! What if the higher-ups back home found out?"

  "They won't," Hiri stated bluntly. "Besides, we're doing our job. Normally, the massive number of souls stuck here would have already coalesced into something nasty—but they haven’t yet. Azylith also commands some kind of control over the Descended. That is not a coincidence. If we eliminate Azylith carelessly, we could end up with a much bigger problem on our hands."

  ""And we can't release the souls easily either," Linette added. "The canyon is too big, and they're trapped under multiple layers of rock. Plus, Azylith's power is interfering with our purifying techniques."

  She puffed out her cheeks and pouted. "The only thing we can do is uphold our end of the deal we made."

  Another Crypt Keeper sucked her teeth. "It's still a crock of shit if you ask me. By fighting the Opazyr, aren't we turning our backs on our own kind?"

  Linette shook her head. "Look, Sharla, I'll be honest—the Opazyr have it coming. They've never been great, and Azylith's hatred of them feels justified to me. So our deal kills two birds with one stone. We help Azylith gather her power and get her revenge, and then she goes away peacefully."

  "And if she doesn't? If she's just using us?" Sharla asked.

  "That's a risk we have to take," Hiri responded. "HQ already said they can't spare any more manpower. If they didn’t want compromises, they should've sent more people.

  "For now, we retreat. We need to figure out who we're going to take on first."

  After a long trek across the canyon, Maria’s group finally reached their new hideout. As they made their way down the cave path, they noticed it was dimmer than when they had left.

  “See? I knew stocking up on crystals would be a great idea!” Lucy chirped proudly.

  “It was very wise indeed, Lady Lucy. Now we won’t have to constantly go out and expose ourselves,” Anise said, giving her a pat on the back and a warm smile.

  Maria rolled her eyes. Sometimes, it felt like she had been sent on a mission with a toddler. But she couldn’t lie to herself—a part of her found Lucy’s bright nature charming, especially now that she had shown some real resolve.

  When they reached the main sanctum, Maria quickly popped in another crystal to reinvigorate the lights. The cave began to hum with renewed vigor, a sound that put her at ease. To her, it had the same soothing effect as a crackling fire.

  "Alright, for now, that almost solves all of our problems. We have food, we have real shelter, all that's left is—"

  "—water?" Veronica cut in on her thoughts. "I can scout for a close path."

  Maria nodded. "You and I can go together later. For now, we might as well rest."

  Veronica shot her an almost imperceptible smile and returned the nod.

  The masculine voice of Naviiur cut through the air like a hot knife. He approached the quartet with a confident stride, barely concealing his amusement. "So, you've returned. Did anything interesting happen?"

  "There was a small encounter with one of the enemy forces, but nothing of much note," Lucy explained. She put a finger to her chin, raking her mind for anything noteworthy. "Actually, we ran into an elk while collecting crystals. It was oddly stalwart and clearly mutated. But it wasn’t hostile… Well, not until the enemy provoked it."

  Naviiur raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. What did it look like?"

  Lucy described its appearance—its gray, scaly body and sword-like antlers. She explained how intimidating it was and how it simply watched until provoked into attacking.

  Naviiur and Maria both took a contemplative stance, exchanging a glance as if sharing the same thought.

  "Something ain't right," Maria said. "Elk, and any creatures like them, are skittish by nature. They have to be to survive. They’d never let a human get that close, let alone allow themselves to be trapped between two separate groups of people."

  Naviiur picked up where she left off. "And if it was Descended, there's no way it would have waited that long to attack. Irrationality and hate are all a Descended knows—it would never act so defensively."

  "So what do you think is wrong with it?" Lucy asked.

  Naviiur shrugged. "Hard to say. Maybe the crystals are influencing them somehow."

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Maria waved away the theory. "But those crystals are full of hatred. I can't imagine any amount of exposure would mellow them out."

  ""Not quite," the Agamic countered. "I was sealed away with the intent to draw on the mana of the land. From everything I knew before I was sealed—and from everything you four have told me—this place has been undeniably corrupted by that demon creating the crystals.

  Which means I have that very same hatred coursing through my veins, and yet—"

  He did a small twirl, motioning up and down for them to inspect his form.

  "I'm both completely sane and without mutation."

  "So you think low exposure over a long time could have different effects?" Asked Anise.

  "Precisely. But you never know with these things. So I think our first move should be to get the local fauna. If there's nothing going on with them we can move on. But if something's amiss, and it's directly connected to the demon, then we'll have a whole new problem we'll need to take care of first."

  Maria gave a heavy sigh, she found a well-placed piece of furniture and plopped down. "Damn... We're going to end up fighting the whole ecosystem at this rate."

  They continued discussing their plans. At dawn, they would set out to survey the area, searching for unusual animal behavior and identifying a space they could claim as their territory. They would seal off the paths leading to the cave entrance to deter potential wanderers, and only then would they decide how to handle the Purlikins and the Crypt Keepers.

  As the sun began to set, Maria felt her thirst creeping in. She slapped her thighs and hoisted herself up with a grunt, pushing her black curls out of her face.

  "Alright, let's go, Veronica. We need some water."

  Veronica quickly slid into place beside her. "What are we going to use to haul the water?"

  They both scanned the area, only for Naviiur to appear out of nowhere, holding a decently large bucket. It was pale gray with a strange texture, and a black, fibrous rope served as its handle.

  "Here. You can use this," he offered.

  "Thanks." Maria took the bucket and ran her hand along its bottom. It was rough and craggy, heavier than it looked.

  "What is this thing made of?" she asked.

  "It's a special bucket crafted by my predecessors. If you fill it with water, the stone will absorb all the contaminants."

  "That's pretty cool!" Maria muttered, shifting her eyes around suspiciously before leaning in to whisper something to the Agamic .

  Naviiur chuckled and patted her on the shoulder. "If we make it out of this Alive, I'm sure you and I can work something out."

  Maria gave an affirming grunt before strutting out. Veronica awkwardly shuffled after her, grabbing her spear along the way.

  The soldier eyed the mercenary sharply, trying to decipher the reason behind her devious grin.

  "What did you ask him?"

  "It was just business," Maria replied, "If we live through this bullshit, I might have a path to a good source of income."

  "But you already have a stable source of income set up after this."

  "What the hell are you talking about?"

  Veronica quickly dug into Maria's pocket with sly hands and pulled out the Opazyr family crest. "You're a part of the Opazyr now."

  Maria sank low, her face shadowed by disappointment.

  "Oh… right. I forgot," she muttered. "But still, I'd rather have my own flow of coin.

  Fia accepted me into the family because she wanted a capable hound. See, I’ve been in the mercenary business for a while, and I’ve hardly ever taken a job from a noble—let alone one in a position as high as Fia’s."

  "Why? That's where all the money is."

  Maria placed her hands and her hips and strengthened her posture to be more proud. "Because I don't like the way they do things. There's always some ulterior motive. The money might as well be forged in blood, and the cost of working with me is always more than you could imagine."

  "Then why'd you join us?"

  "Because I was forced! Isn't that obvious?"

  Veronica shifted her eyes from side to side. She was trying desperately to connect the dots. "No... Sorry, but I don't follow."

  "Well, to keep it short. I was raised in Opal City. I'm a common citizen just like anyone else. We peasants don't have the luxury to deny someone like Fia. If a noble like that wants you to do something, you'd better do it or make yourself disappear.

  So when she dumped her crest on me by surprise it sealed my fate. She knew it, I knew it.

  That's why I want to find my own little money source. Money controls, and I intend to be as free as possible."

  No more questions were asked as the two reached the surface. They stuck to the low paths, keeping to the right to avoid getting lost as they searched for a way to the river. They could hear it, but the twisting paths made reaching it difficult. The steep, sloping walls blocked any light from the setting sun, forcing them to rely on their own mana for illumination once more.

  After twenty minutes of careful treading, the pair found what they were looking for—a small, claustrophobic path leading directly to the river. It was just wide enough for one person to fit through comfortably. They exchanged tired glances; neither wanted to be the one to haul the pail back once it was filled. After a brief back-and-forth, the task ultimately fell on Maria’s shoulders.

  She squeezed through the narrow gap in the rock, shuffling down to the stream to fill the large bucket with water. As she pulled it up, she let out a grunt—nearly 80 pounds of water strained her muscles. After a small adjustment, she shifted the weight into one hand, freeing the other to summon her mana light.

  Her red energy lit up the stream, its glow casting crimson accents across the rushing water and softly illuminating the wall on the other side. Maria had always been fond of the way her power lit up the world, so she allowed herself a spare moment to take in the environment.

  Her gaze drifted from the current to the wall, where smooth gray stone reflected her pulsing magic. Something stood out immediately. In a shallow hole in the rock sat a bird—a Towhee, to be exact. Its grayish-brown feathers blended seamlessly into its surroundings, offering near-perfect camouflage. If not for the crimson light catching in its eyes, Maria would have missed it entirely.

  It sat motionless in its barren perch. No nest, no signs of insect infestation—just the bird, occasionally grooming itself but always watching her.

  Maria's eyes narrowed.

  This wasn’t right.

  Without warning, Maria fired a powerful blast of mana from her fingertip. The energy struck the bird with overwhelming blunt force, killing it instantly. Its lifeless body dropped into the rushing water with a light splash.

  Without hesitation, she hustled back through the narrow passage, moving without the aid of her mana light. Emerging on the other side, she placed an urgent hand on Veronica’s shoulder.

  "I hope you're good with directions," she said, her voice low but firm. "Because we're making it back to camp in darkness."

  "Why?" Veronica asked, slightly rattled by the sudden contact coming out of nowhere.

  "I saw a bird perched over the river. Problem is, that bird had no business being there. No nest, no food, and it was resting in poor shelter. Everything about it was wrong."

  "Was it watching you?"

  "No doubt about it. I don't know if it's connected to this demon Naviiur keeps talking about, but it ain't impossible."

  "Wait. If the animals are watching, then we should use the light to move quickly. Animals can see in the dark—it’s useless to try and use human tactics against them."

  Veronica’s hand pulsed with bright blue mana, illuminating their path in the near pitch-black darkness.

  "Shit, you're right," Maria admitted. "Let's hustle back, then. If the camp gets exposed, we might as well be dead."

  Without another word, the pair ran as fast as they could manage without spilling the water. Maria grabbed Veronica’s hand, gripping it tightly.

  "You focus on getting us there. I'll keep an eye out for any critters."

  The sun had now fully set, leaving only the glow from Veronica’s mana and the faint shimmer of the stars to guide them. Maria kept her head in constant motion, scanning the shadows.

  She had only one way to spot spying animals—their eyes. She could use their light-reflective gaze against them.

  They rounded a sharp corner—only moments away from the cave entrance—but that’s when Maria saw it.

  Small eyes glinted as they zipped across the flat tops. At first, she thought she was hallucinating, but then the creature made the mistake of passing over a second time. Now, she was sure. They were being followed.

  "Veronica, don't stop! Run past the cave and go wherever the road takes us," Maria commanded, her tone hushed but firm.

  Veronica obeyed without a word, rushing past the cave with Maria in tow. She led them through a dizzying series of twists and turns while Maria kept her focus on their pursuer.

  It was a small mammal—maybe a squirrel or some other rodent. Either way, Maria wasn’t going to let it compromise their chance at securing good shelter.

  "Keep straight and don't stop!" she huffed.

  Maria let go of Veronica’s hand without warning. She planted her feet and skidded to a grinding stop as Veronica raced down the trail, taking her light with her.

  The mercenary could barely make out the outline of the pursuing rodent, but it was more than enough. She dropped her heavy water pail, poured all the mana she could muster into her legs, and launched herself from her idle position with a deep thud.

  She leaped onto the flat tops, drawing her scimitars from their holsters, both bursting with magic. Their glow was the only light guiding her way, but it was enough to see her target. Her feet struck the ground in such rapid succession that her footsteps merged into a deep, continuous hum.

  Within seconds, she closed in on the rodent, leaving behind her signature stream of red wind. Her blades danced in a violent arc, slicing the small creature into an unrecognizable mess.

  She took a deep breath and powered down, letting out a small groan of disgust. She couldn’t see it, but she could feel the creature’s blood and bits clinging to her.

  She made her way down from the flat tops where Veronica joined her shortly after, bringing her calming blue light back into the picture. Maria just gave her a simple nod, and the two hustled back to base before anything could pick up their trail again.

  As they stepped into the overly bright clearing of the Agamic cave, Lucy and Anise greeted them. A wave of relief washed over Maria—the kind one feels after coming home from a long, exhausting day.

  Somehow, she just knew she’d be returning to this cave often. And for the first time in forty-eight hours, that thought didn’t bother her much at all.