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

15. Chains of Fate

Ophelia was shaking a little as Cal held her hand and walked her down the street.

"But papa what if she doesn't like me?" Ophelia squeezed his hand.

She was wearing her pirate outfit and was holding her tiny fist to her chest nervously.

"You'll be fine. It's a little funny to see you so nervous." Cal giggled. "And no cheating, just do your best to be nice."

Cal stood in front of the noisy door of the business called Kadoka's fluffy dragon.

"It's about to get loud, but remember each person in here would put their lives on the line before they let anything hurt you." Cal squeeze her hand. "Just let me know when you are ready."

Ophelia took a couple deep breathes. "I'm ready papa."

She walked in the room and felt the chains of fate swinging widely. Everywhere else in the world fate was like a red string connecting people to destiny. And most of their destinies were tied to the city in one fashion or another, especially the Elementals who were chained to the city.

But the pirates of Kadoka's crew danced around, the wild chains of fate whipping back and forth slipping off of each pirate like they were coated in slippery armored bubble. All but two, one chain reached out to Ophelia a purple chain of fate reaching out to her as a choice presented itself to her. Just like the purple chain that connected her to papa when they met and mommy when she met her. The purple chain was Ophelia's to take or leave. The second chain was an inky black chain stretched from one end of the room to the other.

With her mind she reached out to the purple chain it led to a small girl about her age dancing with her blade in the center of the room. Instantly, she knew it was her father that she was training with. But from her the black chain connect to a man with a sickly distorted glow at the far end of the room.

It was like time was frozen and moving all at once. Her heart thundered, and her mind spun wildly it was like taking a step outside time inside of her own body. Everyone around her froze but her eyes peered into the ether of time. As she fast forwarded through time, everyone turned into grey blurs of stunted motions. The only clear figures were the girl in purple and the hazy man in black. He sneezed and she watched as a small glowing needle came out of his closed fist the struck the girl wrapped in a purple chain.

When the needle struck her the purple chain shattered. That could only mean one thing, her fate ended.

She died.

Time rewound to the present and she watched several futures through her own eyes until she found one where the purple chains didn't break.

Then her body moved in time with the future that might save the girl with the purple chain.

Papa said no cheating, but he had also taught her how to fight like a pirate.

*

Cal saw his daughter's hair curl into a dark black like dead vines as her eyes glowed like a blue moon. As soon as she entered the establishment her fingers tightened around his, then she reached for her matching cleaver that was like Cal's, only it was a normal cooking utensil... Well mostly normal since she had gotten it from Tiki. She darted between the pirates with the practiced ease of a feline predator. She grabbed Loca by the hair and yanked her out of the way as she swatted something in the air to the ground.

But she didn't stop, without missing a beat she continued to move and attacked one of the crew at the end of the room. She hopped onto the table and flew at him sweeping her blade back and forth as he dodged backward.