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

46. The Cabin boy and the Heathen

"So kill me because you won't get much else out of me." Spat the arrogant assassin.

"Maybe I should show you what I do to threats." Cal snapped his fingers and the fog cleared, revealing the carnage in the skies. It was clear that those poor bodies resembled the ghosts now holding him down.

"What are those?"

"Do you understand now? Your death doesn't mean anything I'll have my answers one way or another."

"You really are a threat!"

"Maybe, but to whom?" He played the innocent card.

"I conquered the Dravenkin and formed an alliance to protect the city. I've started a guild and have been training members in order to serve. I work closely with the princess, the sylvan knights, and the council of guardians. These saps in the trees threatened my daughter so this matter was on the personal side. Finally, the next item on my agenda is to cleanse the haunted seas and reestablish contact with the Western Shore. So tell me assassin, who thinks I'm a threat? Whoever they are, they are no allies of the Pearly City." He held his hand up in the air and a cutlass from one of the bodies fell and landed in it.

"You play innocent, but Brother Calloway is the one true God you've done nothing to acknowledge him. This is his City and I'll do everything in my power to keep it as it is until he comes back. I'll terminate anyone labeled a threat." There was fire in the young elf's eyes. He was no ordinary fanatic. Intellect stormed behind his brainwashing, he had potential but something was off. He was talented for sure, but he was also too loud to be a seasoned assassin.

Cal bent down and removed his mask. Elves aged slower than humans and lived longer but this elf barely resembled a sixteen-year-old human.

"You're just a boy." Cal observed. "haven't even reached your first century."

"What of it."

Cal took a mental step back. Even by elven standards this kid was too young to be any kind of hardened assassin. He tracked Cal perfectly, hid his presence and made a near impossible shot when factoring in his scream when he was caught. He was good, too good. And anyone who done any research on Cal would have known how powerful he was.

"You're a genius, aren't you, cabin boy?"

The dark elf grit his teeth. "I'm the best there is." He spat not willing to give up his pride.

"I see, given your temperament you must really like Calloway."

"He is a god and deserves his recognition for giving us the holy city!"

He's still pretty loud for a genius assassin, Cal thought. But that's youth for you.

"Riddle me this Cabin Boy, If Brother Calloway stood before you. How would you recognize him from any other elf in the street."

"Don't be a fool, when Brother Calloway returns it will be on the back of griffons as he descends from the sky, everyone will know who he is just by gazing upon him."

Cal sighed. Wow they've done a number on this kid.

"Tell me kid, you're a member of the Deists aren't you?"

"Brother Calloway is a God and I will follow his example by protecting the holy city."

"Very well, but what if, Brother Calloway showed up in front of you and invited you to follow him and reject the Deists. What would you do?"

"Blasphemy! That would never happen!"

"Oh reeaaaally~" Cal smiled. "If I remember correctly the good Brother left behind a guild not a church, and when he made the city it was in harmony with Gaia not with any denomination. If he returned, don't you also think he would approach the Princess before he did anything else?"

"A heathen has no right to speak about such things."

Cal inspected the face of the dark elf, after a moment he sat down in front of the boy, he threw his sword over his shoulder like it was a piece of garbage and said. "Fine, I'll bite. Make me not "a threat" but use your words not your sword."

The elf was confused. "You want me to tell you how to kill yourself? Shall I instruct you on how slit your throat with my sword?"

"No dummy. Make me your ally."

"...?"

"..."

"...?"

"Okay, to make a long explanation short, convert me. Teach me the ways of Brother Calloway. Make me a believer and I'll help you attain your goal."

"I don't trust you, heretic."

"Shame. As it stands I'm beginning to realize the full impact of my actions and I am rethinking a~ll my life choices. If there were a chance for me to convert, now is the time to do it." Cal was as animated as always even considering this boy had just tried to kill him. When it came down to it, Cal didn't want to be a cold hearted murderer, especially if it meant killing a talented boy like this one.

The boy clicked his teeth.

"I can wait, I'm in no hurry. In fact, it might be nice to have a sounding board that isn't dead." Maybe he could clear his own head and motives by talking things out. It was worth a shot.

"I won't listen to your dribble, I am a loyal follower of Brother Calloway."

"Fine, fine, sounding board it is. Mind if I make some tea?"

"Do as you please, heathen."

Cal pulled a teapot out of his inventory and it appeared out of thin air over a fire he miraculous started with a few twigs and a simple igniting spell.

He laid down next to the fire, prodding it with a stick as the tea water boiled. The dark elf stood amazed, he was too young to have seen the original player characters do such things.

"What kind of dark sorcery are you conjuring? Is that a poison?"

"What indeed?"

To that answer, the boy scowled and mentioned something about a heathen.

"I feel like we missed something in our conversation. You can call me Cal, what shall I call you Cabin boy?"

"I care not what a heathen would call me."

"Cabin boy it is!" He poked another ember on the small fire. "Believe it or not, I am old enough to have seen the City of Perils rise from a small guild fortress of no more than forty Elves."

"Hmph. That doesn't make you any less of a Heathen."

"Heathen this, heretic that. I'm really not even sure what you mean anymore. I'm even less sure that you know what you're talking about. Maybe I should just tell you what I know."

Cal spun him tale of how the fortress of the Elves of the northern wind became the city of Perils.

The teenaged elf just sat and listened... not like he had much of a choice.