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

80. Outsiders

Wendy ordered a drink, a strong one at that. "You are amazing too, Master. If anyone can raise this city from these ashes it's you, but you're not going to be able to do it without her."

"I'll admit I was really frustrated at the lot of them. But I understand where they are coming from. Ultimately, I just have to think of this city differently than I did before." He leaned on his arm again, and rolled the juice around in his glass. "I need a new plan... maybe I'll start a school, a magic school? Probably, and adventurer one, now what should I call it?" he tapped his glass on the table. "Guildergarten?" He snorted with a wry smile.

"It's amazing, how do you do it?" Wendy looked at him.

Cal noticed that they both had the same bewildered look.

"Dooo what, exactly?"

"Bounce back. No matter how many times you get beaten down you get right back up."

Cal chuckled, "oh that. Before my old man passed away he would always tell me, "Son, it doesn't matter how many times you're knocked down, the true measure of a man lies in the amount of times he pulls himself back up. A real man always finds a way to stand back up.""

"He sounds really wise." Peter admired.

Cal let out a loud laugh, "the guy was a goof. It was about the wisest thing he ever said."

"Did your mom ever have any words of wisdom?" Wendy asked.

"Ya, actually, she always said "There ain't no substitute for love, but laughter will darn near cure everything."" Cal smiled.

"Are they both...?"

"Yes, they both passed away while I was stilling growing into adulthood. After that, I had to look after myself. I was forced to mature fast and was put through my paces. It wasn't an easy life but it was mine. It's part of the reason I try and spoil Ophelia so much."

Peter put his hand on Cal's shoulder. "They raised a good man."

Cal laughed, "You're just saying that because you know me."

The door to the tavern door opened.

"Damn it, we came all this way and she turns us away!" In the forefront of the group of travelers in cloaks to protect them from the rain was a woman by the sound of her voice.

She had two companions with her. One was almost twice her size in pure muscle and the other had a slender frame and carried a staff.

"Calm down, we'll go back tomorrow. They were nice enough to recommend us a tavern. We should at least have a hot meal and get some rest." A fourth figure came in last. He had a silky masculine voice. "Owner, do you have a stall for our horses?

"Out back, pick any open stall there's sure to be one." Peter answered.

The last man and the big guy stepped back out into the rain.

The woman in front sat next to Cal on the opposite side of Wendy, "Owner, I'll have a tall glass of your strongest, and a plate of your finest. Oh, and two rooms with two beds each." She passed Peter a pile of silver. She had a glove on but the skin past the glove was red.

She was a demonkin, they were the unfortunate offspring of half demons. But they were cursed, no matter how far down from the progenitor they got they would always look like demons with horns and a tail.

"Damn these prissy elves, a little rain and the princess isn't feeling well enough to see anyone." The demonkin took her drink and knocked back half of it. "Wah! Nothing like a good ale! I'll give you elves this much you sure know how to brew!"

Cal waved his hand at Wendy to pacify her, she was probably worried Cal was going to send her flying. But right now, his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"Elenora." The girl with the staff warned. But the demonkin Elenora ignored her.

"So what brings you to town, stranger?" Cal sipped his drink.

"Heard the Pearl city was looking for allies. We came running."

"Elenora!"

"Oh hush, our business is with the princess and the guild. What's one elf going to do?"

Now Cal was really interested.

"I can understand looking for the princess, but the guild is full of lay-abouts, what do you want with them?"

"Ha! Lay-abouts or not, they're the only guild of elves left. I'd like to see what they're made of, even if I'm disappointed."

The woman with the staff sighed. She sat down and ordered a meal. Peter who was good at his job already had two plates of steaming food.

"Does that make you adventurers?" Cal asked.

"You bet, unlike the elves, back in the west we aren't so content that we don't need a guild!" Elenora proclaimed. "Of course, back in the day there was a guild so formidable that this city used to be called the City of Perils instead of Pearls. Many people don't know this, but the last guild was full of monsters. I'm really surprised it disappeared so easily."

"You say that like you were there."

"I might have been..." Elenora teased.

The woman with the staff just sighed heavily.

"I may not look it but, I'm over Two hundred and fifty years old." Elenora leaned in to whisper.

Cal smiled. "I see. But someone of your caliber probably doesn't need the alliance of the Pearly city, or their Verdant Oathkeepers."

"The Verdant Oathkeepers is it? Well, most of the world doesn't act like it, but something big is coming. Nobody is doing anything except the Pearly City and their guild. I heard their guildmaster single-handedly led a raid on the Dravenkin elves and already established an alliance with them."

"Indeed, we have seen a greater concentration of Dravenkin in the city. Although, nobody saw it, it could have all been an elaborate ploy by the princess to give the guild some credibility." Cal sipped his drink and looked away. "They are her family after all."

Elenora slammed her fist on the table. "Don't give me that! Don't you dare besmirch the names of us Adventurers like that!"

"Elenora calm down you're going to get us thrown out." The girl with the staff nervously waved her arms around.

"No, I won't," Elenora grabbed Cal by the collar and lifted him from the bar, she fumed with Bloodlust. "No wonder your guilds always fail when the people of this city don't even support them."

Cal scoffed. "Whatever, they don't reverence Brother Calloway and they are all goofing around playing café. Why would we support them? There's a reason they haven't had any requests since they opened."

"You, Bastard!"

"Look we are safe inside the city that Brother Calloway made. There's no reason to hire the adventurers to do anything."

"Adventurers aren't just mercenaries you, dumb fuck. We are the spirit of freedom of the city. Adventurers put their lives on the line to do what others can't, to go places nobody else dares. A city without adventurers is more like a prison!"

"So what do you want with a prison city?"

"I brought the prince here to save you!" she loosened her grip. "And we need The Dread Pirate of the City of Perils to save the world."

The tavern doors opened.

There stood a lone figure with red hair dripping from the rain.