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

78. Noob is offered a job

Peter sat alone in his Cal's office.

"Sorry, about that. I just had something really exciting happen." Cal walked in and closed the door behind him.

"It's alright, I've made my decision." Peter passed a paper he had signed to Cal when he sat in his chair.

Cal looked at the paper. "You know how Wendy is going to react to this, right?"

Peter squared his shoulders. "Someone has to make sacrifices for my family." He picked up an iron bound wooden chest and placed it on the table. "All the money I have to my name for Yvette's freedom." He pushed another paper toward Cal. "My business and everything I own for my wife." He then nodded at the paper Cal already held. "And a life for a life. Mine for Naomi's."

Cal sighed and then smiled. "Very well." He pulled out three documents from his inventory. He tore them in half. "Your family is free. Your life and everything you own are mine."

Peter smiled weakly. "Wendy is going to kill me."

Cal laughed back. "You're my property now, we'll figure something out."

*

Cal stood in front of the guild wrapped up in a scarf and jacket. Naomi ran to meet him wearing warm clothes for the night.

"Ready?" Cal asked.

"Ya, I guess. Where are we going?" Naomi asked.

Cal laughed and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Still asking questions. Honestly, I'm kind of glad that you haven't changed too much."

Naomi pouted.

"Come on, let's walk and talk." Cal began walking.

The streets were completely different at night. Street lamps powered by the cities residual magic colored the beautiful pearlescent buildings with everchanging lights. Performers were out on the main street they were traveling in. One beastkin magician created a spiraling multi-colored fire show to the music of three elf maidens, while a Human woman danced and sung. Another girl danced and slid on swirling spirals of ice she had created. A human man with a beard played a tune with a lute that almost sounded like bluegrass.

Many other performers and musicians gathered for merrymaking in one of the squares where Cal had created a garden with likenesses of all the original elven residents carved out of stone, living happily as if cut out of a moment in time.

"Is there some holiday, I'm not aware of?" Cal asked seeing the crowds of people.

"Not tonight. Alea mentioned that this square was getting popular and was going to ask Yvette here on a date. We're... not on a date... are we?" Naomi asked.

"I have enough women problems already, we are out on business and we'll only be passing by." Cal continued walking but tossed a silver in every hat or cup he passed. "Speaking of your sister, did you know that she came to me asking me to teacher her to be an Elementalist. Tomorrow, we're going to summon her first elemental."

"An Elementalist? Really? Why?"

"She has a goal. I haven't been around, what was she like to grow up with? Was she always this driven?" Cal asked.

"I don't think I would have ever called her driven before. She just took care of us, it was like having a second mom sometimes and we always fought. Mom never really pressured me into anything, but obviously I was against the deist movement and was very outspoken. Yvette didn't like me bringing trouble to the family, we always said harsh things to each other." Naomi hugged herself. "She was always wound so tightly that we couldn't even have a conversation, but at the same time she was more hollow than driven, she was like a doll or raging dire bear trying to keep our family together while acting like I was trying to break it apart."