Tales of the Pearly City (Pearly Tales Vol.1) [Completed]

78. The Curse of the Timeless City

"You know she cheated!" Flamel argued.

Cal shrugged, "as I see it, she effectively disarmed you by giving you a wooden sword, and got the drop on you because you underestimated her. You let your guard down and were defeated. Simple as that."

Shayley crouched and started running her finger through Ophelia's hair.

"What was that thing you did earlier with your hair and eyes?" Shayley asked. "There are no negative side effects, are there?"

"Not as far as we've been able to tell. Essentially Ophelia focuses her mana into seeing several possible futures as far as one second ahead in time. She used to think they were ghosts in the forest, until we discovered they were just one of the manifestations of her powers."

"You know when someone learns of an oracle, traditionally, it's a delicate old lady in a temple somewhere. But you're raising Ophelia to become a pirate."

"...That's not completely accurate."

"huh?"

Cal crouched down he pulled off Ophelia's hat and pet her head. "I'm not raising her to be any such thing. I'm simply raising her, I'm giving her a future where she is given the tools to walk through life with her head held high. Whether she wants to be an old lady in a temple or a pirate is up to her as long as she chooses her destiny and it makes her happy." Cal mussed up Ophelia's hair making her giggle. "Isn't that right twerp?"

"Cal..."

Cal looked up and everyone was looking at him.

As far as they were concerned everyone had a place and it was set by Cal. They all had designated roles and they never considered that Ophelia's future would be so... open.

"What is it?" Cal asked.

"What do you mean she gets to choose her destiny? Are you kicking her out?" Shayley asked on the verge of tears.

Ophelia's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Papa?"

"Hell No!" Cal pointed a stare that could kill at Shayley. "And if you were anyone else I'd kick you out right now." Cal seethed as he held Ophelia and tried to calm her. He looked around and he could read by their expression that they all felt the same way.

"Shh shh shh, it's okay baby you're not going anywhere. Papa is always going to be here for you, just like we promised."

Cal rocked Ophelia up and down gentle while he pat her back as she cried into his shoulder. Cal knew Ophelia's trauma better than anyone here, it was not funny that Shayley was the one that caused her to cry like this.

"The children of our city are our most precious treasures. How could you even joke like that?"

"No, no. that's not what I meant." Shayley panicked. The daggers Cal was giving her made her heart hurt.

"..." Cal waited.

"I only meant in the past everyone you've ever worked with, had an assigned role in the city. If you don't have a role or job it's hard to belong."

Cal's anger only intensified.

"Do the rest of you feel this way?" Cal asked the knights, but none of them would meet his gaze.

Cal looked towards the kitchen and there he saw Naomi and Yvette amongst those watching the drama.

"I see." Cal's burning heart drowned in sorrow. He looked back to the Princess with the sad expression of a broken man. "The guardians of the city were supposed to open the doors of destiny, not close them. The children before the migration were given potential, gifts that would let the grow in new ways that would shape and beautify the city. But the city is exactly the same as I left it. I found Naomi in prison and Yvette stuck in a diner wasting away. The half-breeds were massacred. New technology and innovation were ostracized. The Elementals haven't seen anything outside the city walls. The denizens of the forest have never been reached out to. And the other elves hate us."

Cal never thought that he'd feel heartbreak like this. It was as if the very city he loved betrayed him.

"A kingdom with no children has no future... This city is already dead." He muttered, his heart hurt.

Cal turned to Wendy, "Excuse me Wendy, a sudden fever has come over me and I will not be able to finish the inspection." He turned his conflicted gaze to Shayley he wanted to say something but couldn't, he turned to Flamel who was the closet of the knights. "Wendy is my assistant guildmaster, she will take care of you for the foreseeable future, please excuse me."

Ophelia's crying never let up as she hung on to Cal for dear life. Her hair flickered between its vibrant green and an unhealthy brown. He carried her passed the debris and down the stairs.

"Cal, Wait!" Shayley jumped over the banister and chased after him once he got to the first floor. "Please wait, I'm sorry! Please talk to me! We can fix this! You're here now, we'll do whatever you say!" She pleaded and begged.

"Princess, please remember the dignity of your station." His cold words froze the room. Who would have thought that just the day before, they had been sharing dirty jokes at the knight's expense?

"Cal, look at me." She turned him around, she couldn't lose him again. She just got him back! "Please." She tried to meet his eyes through her tears, but all she found was frustration and sadness.

"Your highness. Please step aside, and do not provoke me further."

Shayley's hands loosened their grip. He freed himself with no force and disappeared with the wailing girl.

"Princess...?" Clera called over the broken banister.

Shayley sniffled. "I think we've overstayed our welcome. Assistant guildmaster, thank you for the food, it was delicious."

With that, Shayley led the solemn procession out of the guild.