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

50. The New God-King

Both Seamus and Naomi looked at Cal with new eyes. He had never expressed this kind of fondness for them. Both of them felt like they were the butt of Cal's shenanigans more often than not.

"And how long will you be sticking around, are you ignoring me?" The bubbly Fand attached herself to Cal's other arm while he spun around.

"Um, We're leaving as soon as possible. I'm engaged and with everything going on with the priestess, I think it will be best if they don't meet too many times before we finally tie the knot. I don't think-" Cal scratched his head.

Azuras twitched. "The Dravenkin girl is your lover?"

"Yaaa." Cal blushed through his mask.

"Don't worry I'll discipline the Head Priestess for her infraction! She'll be suspended, removed, killed! You name it, she shan't bother you again!" Azuras boldly declared while her body shook slightly.

"No No!" Cal flailed his hands nervously. "That's not the problem, she's my childhood friend and I don't want Shayley getting the wrong idea, we've just reconnected and she's better than I deserve I don't want to screw up a good thing. Selene is just fine, starting fights is just part of my nature. Honestly, it would be stranger if I went somewhere people weren't trying to kill me."

"Calm down boyo, Azuras is just nervous having the Dravenkin Dragon slayer, and you in particular, here." Raijin laughed.

"Raijin! Shut up!" Azuras shouted at Raijin, her cool façade vanished. She was now a nervous wreck. She looked nervously between Raijin, Fand, and Cal.

"Hold on. I can understand why you are nervous about Shayley but why me?" Cal asked.

"You're the new god-king of a new Pantheon, Sweety." Fand cooed. "We gotta pay our respect to you and stay on your good side, and if you're getting married to the two-in-one dragonslayer and godkiller, that just spells double trouble for divine dragons like Azuras."

"Are you kidding? I'm no god, I said it was a false church that worships someone that's not really me!" Cal denied.

"God of Peril, the avatar of your city claimed you." Raijin said. "I'm a god of thunder so having you as an ally would be nice. And since you're an Archdruid you are no enemy to Fand. But Azuras is one misstep from having your entire Pantheon out for her blood. She asked us friendlies and neutrals to come ask you not to destroy her, she's not so good with talking to people without offending them, you see?"

"I don't feel any different. No, that's not the issue I can't be a god!" Cal peeled off his mask and pointed at his face. "I mean look at me! I'm an Elf!"

"The elves are pretty much already demi-gods in their own right." Fand said still attached to his arm. "The only thing separating Elves from divinity is their complacency and the potential of the individual. You are both potential and complacentless."

"No, no, I deny it. I'm too irresponsible to be a god on top of everything else, how do I resign?" Cal asked.

"""You don't want to be a god?""" The three god's asked.

"NO! I just want to get the war with the darkness over with and then make tons of babies with my wife, oh and train my disciples... and a few other things. The point is, I can barely handle my own life I can't do what you guys do. No, I won't do what you guys do. My name as a god was used to kill children, I won't allow it. I am an adventurer no more no less!" Call shouted at the Gods, and it left them stunned.

Azuras spoke up first. "But when you marry the Queen you will become king, that is a fate you can't avoid."

"Don't you think I know that!" Cal stomped, and the ground cracked under his feet with glowing red lines.

Azuras's mask broke again and she visibly panicked looking at Raijin for help.

"Easy there, Boyo." Raijin stood in front of Azuras tactfully. "It's like I said, she's not good under pressure and whether or not you accept your call to godhood you and your panth-... clan, family, guild whatever your chose to call yourselves, you still represent a significant power shift that the gods of this world have formally recognized. We have noticed the growing dangers of the demon army rising from the south and the budding power in the north. If I can be frank, the majority of the gods are split on which of you is the bigger threat." Raijin crossed his arms and looked seriously at Cal.

"The bigger threat huh?" Cal asked as his head reeled at the knowledge that he was one the map as a world power.

"The God of Peril, whether or not you accept it, even before you cleansed the Segaro Sea that plagued the sea gods for centuries, your name has been on the lips of the divine." Raijin said. "Accept your title or not, it matters not to me, but how you will use your influence does. The new god-king marrying the godkiller, you can understand how some are nervous about your ambitions."

"My ambitions?" Cal narrowed his eyes. "I am an adventurer by nature, I live for the sake of living. I seek to stoke the flames of potential around me, and save the lost souls I can. I will also destroy anyone who threatens my family. I have no designs on godhood, but if the gods will declare war on me I will cleanse them like the Segaro Sea. Plain and simple."

Cal glared at Azuras. "Will you declare war on me blue dragon?"

Azuras shook her head.

Cal shrugged. "Then we have no quarrel. I will not fault you for your servant's mistakes." Then Cal smiled wickedly, "but if you want to get on my good side, I am easily swayed by bribes."

Azuras coughed. "Well if that is the case, I could be swayed to toward generosity."

Fand butted in, "That's just her way of saying that she'll give you anything you want."

"An alliance." Cal smiled shocking them.

"You- you have no desire for my end?" Azuras asked.

"I am building a nation, a powerful one that one that change the world forever. I need allies. Since you are so desperate to be on my good side why not just team up with me. If I get the support of the goddess of this land, enlisting the aid of its people will come naturally, no? I haven't accepted this whole God of Perils bit, I was told when the time came I could pick." Cal shook his head. "I'm just an adventurer turned guildmaster out of necessity. Cal of the Verdant Oathkeepers. Soon, in order to honor the woman I love, I will become king, but that has not happened yet. And truth be told, I am at war with the very religion that worships me, so godhood is the furthest of my desires. So will you ally with me and the Kingdom of Calphian as we are and as we might become?"

Azuras hesitated.

Cal held up a hand. "As a symbol of my good will I will give you until I leave port to make your decision. But Raijin I have a request for you, it concerns this fellow." Out of nowhere Cal held up the Raiju Weasel by his tail. "He said some pretty nasty things, but he made some valid points. With your permission I'd like him to be Seamus's familiar."

Both Seamus and the Raiju gasped while Raijin raised an eyebrow before laughing. "And may I ask why you think that is a wise idea?"

"I think it will be a riot for one." Cal snickered. "There is a saying: if you want something done right than you got to do it yourself. Since little Raiju has such strong opinions about Seamus's worthiness and druids, who better to help guide my thick-headed disciple as his first brother."

Both the Raiju and Seamus paled.

Raijin blinked a few times before slapping his forehead with a thunderous echo and began to laugh. "You know Cal, I think I like you. Why not? Little Raiju, you are now to aid Cal's disciple Seamus in the capacity Cal has stated. Good luck."

"Yesh!" Cal celebrated.

Fand spoke up next, "what about me? Come on, join us for a feast. I may even let you go home." She teased.

"Azuras, about the details of our proposed alliance..." Cal smiled still ignoring Fand as best as possible.