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

45. Consequences

Cal ran through the forest. He needed to move faster.

[Greater Flash Step]

When he ran he teleported five feet and tripped over a branch.

"Damn, no wonder you need an insane dexterity and wisdom score to use Flash step. You can't turn away for a second."

Growl.

Cal saw a dire wolf approaching him while licking his chops. He couldn't get to his feet fast enough to dodge. So he swung his arm. No teeth sank into his arm. When he opened his eyes there was a line of broken trees and a downed Dire wolf. His arm had no sign that it had just sent a monster flying.

"Shit, I really am overpowered." He clenched his fist. "What have I been doing with this power?"

He stood up and brushed off his clothes. "Okay, let's try this again."

[Greater Flash step]

He tripped again.

"Ow, why was this so much easier before?"

[Greater Flash step]

He gradually made his way through the forest and when he managed to run without tripping he made it to his destination.

Truth be told he was just trying to get as far away from the city as possible, but when he started questioning his own actions he decided on a destination.

** ** **

The air was colder here. It was the kind of cold that chilled your bones and no campfire would change that. He took a deep breath and examined the fog above him where the bodies of an entire Dravenkin hunting party hung by their necks.

"So this is the power of an unrestrained Dread Pirate. Fuuu~ck me."

In a game, things like this disappear after a while. But the haunted sea was proof that things in this world didn't work the same as in the game.

Time to face the consequences, Calloway or Jasper, he did this.

"Your Captain summons you."

Once Cal murmured the command the ghosts of the Dravenkin appeared.

"Aye aye captain." They said.

Cal couldn't imagine the pain that he'd caused them, but as a dread captain he couldn't show any weakness.

"So you really are a great one." The ghost of Vorn appeared before Cal and kneeled. "Permission to speak Captain."

"Granted."

"I want to formally apologize for my actions against your family and ask that you don't seek reparations against my own wife and children."

"I have nothing against your family, Vorn. You may be at ease knowing my hate is for you alone."

"Come on, Captain, hate is such a strong word." He tried to laugh it off casually.

Cal grabbed the ghost by the collar.

[Keelhaul] Vorn grabbed his throat as water gushed out of his mouth.

"You threatened to rape my daughter you bastard!" His fury spilled out of him. [Aura of the Dread Pirate]

The rest of the ghosts stepped back once they felt his hatred.

Cal analyzed his feelings, he WAS hurt over his "daughter" being threatened.

He still felt like a terrible person, but at least he still loved Ophelia.

Cough cough.

The ghost Vorn hacked and coughed even though he was already dead and technically shouldn't need to breathe.

The bloodlust also dissipated.

"Captain if I may?" another ghost spoke up.

Cal decided that calling him 'captain' over 'master' must be a direct side effect of the dread captains curse since he wasn't strictly a necromancer.

"Speak."

"Captain, we were never going to rape anyone, in the interest of keeping up appearances we say things like that. The chief would never condone such behavior."

Cal realized the disconnect between Vorn's behavior and Steinman's way of running things.

"Tch, well Vorn, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Vorn coughed, "It's true... the chief deals with anyone we capture... weren't to touch them... it's my job to scare off trespassers with rumors..."

Cal clicked his tongue again, now he felt like he overreacted. But when he thought about that moment he still burned.

"For the record I don't blame you, Captain. And I'll serve you for as long as you desire." Vorn coughed.

"You're going to have to earn your keep, Maggot." Cal couldn't forgive him right away. He wanted to clear things with Steinman first, and he was pissed at the oversight.

"Aye aye, captain." Vorn answered finally free of his coughing fit.

Something pinched Cal's chest where his heart was.

[Poison Resisted]

[Poison Resisted]

[Poison Resisted]

[Poison Resisted]

[Poison Resisted]

[Poison Resisted]

[Poison Resisted]

[Poison Resisted]

[Poison Resisted]

Cal's health dropped by 15%. With nine Poisons resisted, It was enough to kill any regular unarmored level 90 character.

"Captain!" the ghosts reacted.

"Bring him to me. That's an order." Dark shadows fell over Cal's eyes.

The ghosts disappeared and there was a scream in the distance.

"What kind of necromancy is this?" Roared a dark elf wrapped in dark clothes. He struggled against the ghosts. "Are you a lich, how are you alive!"

Cal slowly turned around masked in darkness. He pulled the arrow from his chest. "Tell me assassin, who were you asked to kill?" He dropped the arrow in front of the dark elf.

"A threat!" The dark elf showed no fear, even as he was incapacitated by the damned.