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

26. Druidic lessons

Cal and Seamus sat across from each other on the deck as Cal taught his lesson on druidry. In the game it was just a supporter class but for Cal, it had been a class of hope and change. looking back on his time as a druid he realized how much the mentality of it had affected him since the play style was infinitely different.

"Gaia is the world. Her love for the creatures on her surface is nigh infinite. She is the mother of mothers and is thereby called Mother Nature." Cal explained to Seamus on the deck of the ship. Seamus had the seed in a pouch that he wore around his neck for safe keeping, and was listening intently.

"Even on the sea you can feel her love. She willingly offers her bounty to those who ask. Feel it. the wind as it courses through you as she gives you breathe. The sky wide and open to show you the expanse of freedom. Gaia has given us many things and we in turn give back. Once you understand your place in the world as a child of Gaia and truly feel her love, your destiny will become clear. Look at them." Cal pointed at the girls chasing each other around playing pirate.

"Every creature, male and female, Human, elf, and animal, becomes your sibling. You know the truth of Gaia's boundless love for you and everyone. Family is a word that strengthens and expands. You not only want to bask in it, you want to protect those in your family and Gaia as well. Experience breeds love and knowledge. But it also unveils the dark truths of the world. You see, for all her love and power, Gaia's only means of defending her cherished ones is through the Druids unto whom she gives gifts a portion of her power and authority. For where there is light..." He held out his left hand and it glowed green as vines wrapped around it sprouting flowers.

"... there is also Shadow." He held out his right hand and shadow tentacles twisted around it.

"But nature adapts. In the cycle of life there is both life and death, predator and prey." Cal put his hands near one another. At first the tendrils stole away the life of the vines and they started to die. But then the vines grew thorns and began whipping back at the tendrils until they ate away at them and coated both of his hands with thorn ridden vines. However, they then sprouted beautiful flower as well.

"Given enough time, a single seed can grow roots through solid rock. Left unattended a city will be reclaimed by the forest. Nature's greatest ally and enemy is time. With enough time, Nature can overcome anything. But with enough power applied fast enough..."

Several large tendrils whipped from all around Cal stemming from his back, engulfing the vines in his hands. It was so sudden that it startled Seamus and a few of the crew nearby.

"... nature can easily be overwhelmed." The only thing left in his hand was one of the flowers from the vine that looked like it had been dried in the sun. "But that's where Druids come in. We revive the fallen..." the flower glowed and then came to life again wrapping gentle curling vines around his fingers. "... We Renew..." in his other hand another flower grew that hadn't been there. "... And we protect." The tendrils returned and beat against a shield that appeared around the flowers.

"And although we a few in number our allies are great since everything alive is already are sibling." Mice, scorpions, butterflies, ladybugs, snakes, and hummingbirds came out of his shirt sleeves to rest in his hands. "They help us in every way they can. A mice can spy, a scorpion can sting, butterflies and ladybugs help in their own sphere with gardening and care, but it's obvious they aren't warriors. Snakes can strike fast, and hummingbirds can act fast." The animals fought off the tendrils while the flowers grew larger. The flower in his left hand glowed green and released green spores that healed the animals. The flower in his right hand green more thorns on its vine and the flower grew teeth it helped fight the tendrils.

"We Druids are the big brothers and sisters that bring everyone together and bring out there potential and when needed we bring in the big guns." Cal smiled. A purple silver fox with five tails walked out of thin air and hoped on his head. She yelped and her tails whipped purple flames that burned away the tendrils with ease. "Hey Calico. I had a feeling you were going to be here."

He picked up the fox and set her in his lap.

"CALICO!" Ophelia squealed and ran over with Ellie and Loca.

"No wait! Stop!" Cal help up his hand, but they tackled him into one big pile.

It took a moment to shoo off the girls so that he could continue his lesson.

Cal cleared his throat and placed Calico back in his lap.

"Yes, well. We are given many ways to use our alliances like you saw some of us choose to summon the spirits of Gaia and bind them to physical form. Some focus on the healing with magic, some wield the forces of nature. Still other choose to bind themselves to animal form or bind themselves to animal companions who become their familiars."

Cal pet the happy fox. "Although I have explored all of these, I specialize in the last. Calico is just one of my many Familiars. Currently she is one of my most trusted ones, although she is far from being the most powerful."

"How many do you have, and who is your most powerful?" Seamus asked.

"Those are good questions. Calico, how many are in your clan?" Cal asked.

There was a popping sound and a puff of smoke. A teenaged girl with long fluffy purplish silver hair appeared sitting in Cal's lap.

"Hmm. If I remember there were a total of 597 of us now." The girl guessed while staring off into space. Then she tilted her head. Cal hand frozen in place and began sweating. Seamus had gone completely pale. "What's wrong?"

"Girl..." they both choked for different reasons.

Calico went red as she jumped up and away from them looking for Shayley and breathed a sigh of relief when she was nowhere to be seen.

Cal's total life experience equaled 25 years. Calico's total life experience equaled neared 300 years. But for an elf Cal was only a few decades away from 400 years. The issue was that for Cal he was 25 and Calico only looked 16 at the oldest. Even though the line was blurred in a society of immortals he couldn't get over it, and most importantly he had Shayley.

"Give me a little warning before you do that!" Cal shouted.

"I'm sorry master," the fox ears on her head drooped.

"Master, she... she's a she. She's a girl. She's not just a fox." Seamus stammered.