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

51. Guildmaster Candidate

Cal pouted while he poked the feathers of the tiny griffon in his room. He had gotten home later than he expected, and everyone was already in bed. He wanted to at least show Ophelia his new familiar, but Shayley must have been angrier at him than he had realized. Between his confessions of dabbling in dark magic for the sake of the city and the smoking hot childhood friend he didn't even know that he had, she had taken Ophelia and was going to sleep in their own room away from him.

The sooner he left the better. He had an appointment with his 'parents' in the morning to finalize some of his plans. He wanted to sob, what he needed most right now was a little cuddle from one of his best girls but that would have to wait until he smoothed things over with Shayley tomorrow.

Until then he could probably get some work done. He scrolled through his game menus and selected some of his paperwork and it materialized in his hands. Realizing that the gods of this world were taking notice of him was a shocker, and it moved his plans up when he realized just how much attention they were paying to him. He'd have to go over the gods of the world and figure out where they stood.

Obviously, Fand and most of the elven Druidic gods based on Gaelic myth were more or less on his side or neutral. He'd have to pull up the big names and make sure he was on their good side. Manannan mac lir, the sea god and Fand's husband could prove a valuable ally if he got in his good graces. Ellie's parents were already in his court and the benefits were already showing by how smooth sailing their journey to the Western Shore (now Dragoonia) was. Raijin and the oriental based gods were an enigma but at least they seemed mostly neutral, at least Raijin was on speaking terms with him.

It was the Dragon Gods he really had to worry about. Azuras had seen his power and was frightened of him. Just thinking about being God-king of a new pantheon was giving him a headache. But the kicker was that when beings, especially gods, were scared they tended to lash out rather than bow down. Having Azuras on his side would be a good foothold, but he had to admit that having union with Shayley could hurt his relations with the Dragon Gods.

The Norse Gods were going to be a problem if he was worrying about gods. They were the human's gods and he had very little influence with them. The Greek gods also shared the humans among their believers with the Norse. The animal headed Egyptian gods were more or less worshiped by the beastkin nations, they weren't too bad, but they were the most diversified in interests. Lastly, the Dwarves worshipped their ancestors, which basically just meant that they were reverencing the heroic dead.

Some part of Cal knew that he had to accept some part of what Raijin told him as fact. A new Pantheon. His pantheon. In his heart he knew that it was true, by race or location everyone somewhere worshiped someone. And he couldn't deny that his name carried a lot of weight in the Kingdom of Calphian. The elementals were his direct... something... children? Was he the god of the Elementals? But how many races had he invited into the city? Would he soon become the God of Waspkin, Lamia, Arachne, Foxes, Dryads, Nymphs, and Monsters? How was he supposed to react to that kind of knowledge, or that kind of responsibility?

He needed more information, a lot more information.

Cal made notes in one of his numerous notebooks. He had so much work to do. He needed help, a lot more help. He needed more time too. His hope was that the disciples he was grooming would be able to help him. They were his hope for the future and they didn't even realize it. Maybe they would be part of his pantheon. Shayley, the Sylvan Knights, and the council were candidates too. But they didn't fit the same way that Seamus, Naomi, and Yvette did.

There was a knock on his door.

"Master, are you back in?" Yvette asked from behind the door.

"Come in?" Cal called putting away the more sensitive documents.

"Master, Naomi is in a fit. What did you do?" Yvette asked after opening the door. "She mentioned gods and a new class. Normally, I could care less but... What exactly do you have planned for us?"

Cal sighed. "I don't suppose this can wait?"

Yvette planted her feet and crossed her arms.

"I was waiting until you came to me since you'd probably shout at me otherwise. It has been a long day, but why don't you take a seat." Cal waved at a chair.

"Master, you and I both know you aren't the fool you play. These assignments aren't just busy work, are they?" She put her paperwork on the table next to her. "I'm not reading or writing another word until you tell me just what in Gaia is going on."

"You're looking at the God of Perils, the new God-king of a budding Pantheon that the Dragon gods fear." He out stretched his hands theatrically.

"I am not kidding, Cal."

Cal's dead gaze narrowed on Yvette. "Neither am I." Cal sighed and collapsed into the other chair by the table. "Yvette, the more I learn about this world the more I learn about how important I am and how limited I am. I am one person, Yvette. God, elf, or mortal I am but a single power. I can't be everywhere at once."

"You're making even less sense than usual." Yvette said.

"Once I marry Shayley, I'll be king. I can't be king and guildmaster and teacher and the city's caretaker all at the same time." Cal stood up and walked over to the table with the book on it. "Wendy is a great leader, but only an adventurer can lead the guild when I'm gone. Someone cunning and smart, someone who can follow their heart without being ruled by it. Someone who grew up in the City of Perils, someone passionate enough about the people around them to get stronger for them. Someone is not just strong for their own sake. And someone with the potential to be better than any guildmaster before her. One that will lead the guild into a new age." He settled his gaze on her.

Yvette stood up. "I'm going to be guildmaster?"