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

22. The Disciples.

[Days to Ragnarok]

[27 days]

Cal stood on the quarter deck of his ship the L. Craft Nightmare as the ocean sprayed across the wooden planks. A red parrot sat on his shoulder as the he guided the Dreadnaught into the open sea. Kadoka left Dakota in charge of the Fluffly Dragon, their company's ship, with a skeleton crew.

The Nightmare was a monster in its own right. It had enough cannons to sink half a fleet with a well-placed shot. It was easily three times the size of the frigate model ship named the fluffy dragon and it looked pitiful next to the Dreadnaught's mass.

Unfortunately, guiding the Nightmare into the open sea was all that Cal had time for. He sighed.

He took off his pirate hat and put it on his daughter Ophelia's head.  She was in front of him with her hands on the steering wheel "Helping" him steer the ship.

"Well Squirt, off you go. I've got stuff to do. Why don't you go play with Ellie and Loca, explore the ship or something just don't get in the crew's way." Cal teased Ophelia by poking her a few times making her giggle.

"Aye aye, Captain Papa." Ophelia saluted with the hat that was too big for her head.

The parrot lept off his shoulder turning into a red haired girl. "Come on I have so much I want to show you!" she grabbed Ophelia's hand.

"Me too." Loca the short brunette their age joined them as the pattered off.

"Captain," Kadoka asked. As she reached to take the steering wheel in his place. "Who was that girl with the red hair? And when did you get a parrot?"

Cal smiled, he was glad Ellie finally had friend that were unaffected by her godhood. "She's a good friend. Don't worry, your daughter is a bigger danger to her than she is to Loca."

"Who is?"

"Nevermind, just steer the ship. I have to go train my disciples." Cal rubbed his eye while opening his inventory. He was pulling out more stamina and mana potions. They kept him going for two weeks straight before his body crashed. He was on day three now, but he had planned on going to bed tonight as he downed the bitter potions.

"Attention Noobs! Front and center." Cal ordered as he walked onto the deck.

Seamus, Naomi, and Yvette stood in front of him.

"I have taken the three of you on as my personal disciples. You all have the same things in common. Each of you has potential of some kind that I plan on cultivating, and you have nowhere else to go. Sprouts and Noob are slaves, and Cabin boy betrayed his old masters and has nowhere else to go. But in one way or another you all choose to be here. Now, this is going to be different than Hell week."

Naomi and Yvette let their relief show on their face.

"I need to teach you much more in a shorter amount of time."

Then the sisters groaned.

"First we trained your bodies, now we need to train your minds and ways of thinking." Cal handed them each a book. "These are book compiled by the fire clan. Yvette, this is a comprehensive volume on magic, it's history, origins, different types, and how it has changed in the last three hundred years. Don't worry its enchanted so this one spine holds 42 volumes. It's basically the answers to life the universe and everything. Here are three notebooks."

Yvette blinked. As she held the four books in her arms. "Um, master?"

"Yvette, you were given the talents to become a successful alchemist, but weren't given the opportunity to explore that. But what you have been left with is an incredible mind of great potential. The first notebook is for your personal use. The second I want you to write a thesis breaking it down into useful knowledge for guildmasters and adventurers. How you go about it is up to you, an instructional guild on picking a class to how to counter each different type. Just make it practical and easy to digest. No cutting corners, but fill the book. The last book I want you to start on, I want you to go through and outline all the different gods, types of gods, and such, even pick a favorite and role with it. I want regular updates at least every day when you can manage it."

Yvette dropped her jaw. Naomi snickered.

"I'm glad you find that funny, this one is yours." He handed Naomi a volume that was thicker than the one he handed Yvette, and it wasn't enchanted to hold 42 books. "Memorize this word for word."

"HEH? This whole thing!" Naomi gaped.

"Yep, it's a beginners guide to magic. Learn every chant and as many spells as you can. Use your first hand experience to pick out the most practical spells for novice adventurers. Keep in mind your days as a delinquent and what might have helped you out the most. Keep in mind you are a registered adventurer, so learn responsibly while you memorize this whole thing." Cal patted her on the head.

Naomi looked like she was about to cry.

Seamus looked like he was ready to receive a book of his own.

"Seamus hold out your hands." Cal said reaching into his jacket.

Seamus did as he was asked. Cal pulled something out of his jacket and placed a small pebble in Seamus's hand.

"This is just a seed." He said looking at it.

Cal chopped him on the head. "Of course it's a seed. Druidry isn't something you can just learn from a book."

"So what am I supposed to do with it?" Seamus asked.

"Take care of it. This is a seed of the world tree. One of only a handful in existence. Just like you it has the potential to change the world as we know it, but first it must start out as something small. Contemplate it, and its destiny, one day its roots and mana could stretch to the ends of the world. How will you cultivate this, and how will you cultivate yourself? Your quest is not written in a book, but is waiting to be etched into your soul." Cal enclosed the seed in Seamus's hand.

Cal turned to the three of them.

"Every morning we will have training after breakfast. Laps around the deck and then drills with me and the crew. So let's go through the what you will be doing." Cal smiled. He then turned to some of his crew that appeared behind him. "I even rounded up some volunteers to help whip you into shape."

The pirates smiled wickedly while they cracked their knuckles.

The disciples faces paled.