Tales of the Pearly Kingdom (Pearly Tales Vol. 2)

172. The Conqueror

Vera and her party followed Cal to one of the deeper floors. They had been stopped in front of a large door the last time they had been down here.

The boss room.

They had been told a powerful enemy would be waiting for them. But it wasn't fully prepared since they were only supposed to make it that far in the best-case scenario. They had no choice but to leave. Today Cal personally escorted them back to this location.

The dungeon had a completely different feel now that Cal was with them.

Before, it had an eerie quiet feeling. A darkness that completely mimicked an underground cavern. It was dark, dank, cold. Danger at every turn. The mystery of the darkness, the threat of danger, the excitement of the unknown both chilled and excited Vera.

However, when Cal stepped into the dungeon. An unnerving dread oozed out of him. As if he was the most dangerous thing in the whole place and everything knew it. The shadows peeked at him as if afraid instead of staring at her and her party with blood thirst.

They made it to the boss room without a single encounter.

"It's so quiet..." Juliette's ears twitched.

"There weren't even any traps. What is going on?" Jasmine asked.

Cal stopped in front of the boss room.

He turned around and bowed.

"I am going to have to ask you for your forgiveness. However, times have called for extreme measures. I'm going to need you all to swear to secrecy. The very fate of the city depends on it." Cal said.

They nodded their consent with trepidation.

"My name, is Calloway Calphius." Cal pulled a tarot card from thin air and showed it to them. In the next moment his clothes and appearance had completely changed to their combined shock. "I am the Newborn God of Peril. Patron deity and rightful king of Calphian."

"Your Highness!" Juliette panicked. Her tail frayed all the way to the tip. She immediately bowed to the ground.

Jasmine completely froze in panic.

Cal chuckled. "Rise. I've never been good with people bowing to me." He ran his fingers through his hair so that it was styled back handsomely.

"I am going to give you a mission. And if you are successful, you will be ranked among my army of Peril. That mission is to claim the head of the boss behind this door." Cal pressed the door open without any more ceremony.

The room opened up it was set up like a throne room. Pillars lined the room while sconces erupted in fire and light at their entry. At the very end of the long expansive room was a dais with no throne. Instead a pile of large bones cradled a cushion of pelts.

Sitting on the dais was a woman in hunting leathers that barely covered her body to show off her toned muscles. She wore a headdress that obscured her face made of a dragon skull and decorated with black painted designs and long black feathers. She was covered in warpaint, bones, skulls, and other intimidating tribal effects that gave her a feral appearance.

"Calloway Calphius, at last you have arrived." The woman's husky voice sounded more like a growl than any normal speech.

"These are the heroes of the Pearly City." Cal introduced Vera and her party.