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

48. The Fairy Ring

"So when am I going to be about to talk to animals?" Seamus winced in pain.

"You can't do anything without a conduit soon. You're not that sociable, so familiar druid sounds like the harder path for you... which give me an idea."

"Master I can see your evil grin through your mask." Seamus was not eager for what was going to happen next.

After a few more minutes Naomi tapped Seamus's shoulder and whispered. "Master is lying to be nice, the animals joined forces to kill you. The only reason they haven't tried is because they are waiting to see what Master will do."

"You can understand them?" Seamus whispered back.

Naomi nodded. "I picked some up back in my rebellious days. It was hard and I'm not as fluent as the druids. But even I can see how pissed they are, can't you?"

Seamus looked around. They just looked like dumb beasts to him. There was some bloodlust in the air, but they didn't threaten his life, so he brushed it off sharpening his sense for something dangerous enough to harm him. Something worthy... like Cal's next prank for instance.

After a few more minutes of travel they came upon a clearing. It was like a garden of rocks all set in a ring with a very deliberate ring of mushrooms.

A purple weasel sat in the center of the circle.

"Ah yes." Cal observed. He held a hand out stopping Seamus and Naomi short of the circle.

"What is this place? It wasn't here last time." Seamus examined the forest.

"This is a Fairy circle, uh don't cross, you might lose an eye." Cal warned playfully.

""Whahaaljdvnlka!"" Seamus and Naomi jumped back two stepped.

He then hopped childishly into the circle imitating a ballerina and landed on one foot inside the circle. "Boop!" Cal giggled with the griffon on his shoulder.

Turning to the weasel Cal addressed him. "I am Cal, Archdruid of Gaia. Raiju, I believe you have been harassing my apprentice." Cal pointed his thumb at Seamus.

The weasel began chittering angrily.

Seamus leaned over and whispered to Naomi. "What is he saying?"

"He hates you, you are a plague, you are not worthy of being a druid, you smell like death and ignorance, you are evil that needs to be vanquished. Um, he is using a lot of foul language, but he is strongly protesting your training as a druid. He is calling for your death, exile, and banishment. He is also questioning Cal's wisdom and station as an Archdruid. He says Cal isn't fit to have any disciples, he was too ignorant when he gave a sacred seed of the world tree to some fiend from the deepest pits of something stinky I'm not going to repeat. He is saying something I can only assume is vulgar, but I don't really understand it." Naomi whispered as the Weasel hissed at Cal.

"Oh you're overacting, he's new. He's bound to mess up a few times in training." Cal playfully shrugged.

The weasel hissed more.

"What's he saying now?" Seamus whispered.

"Something I'm not going to repeat, but he's mostly just hissing." Naomi whispered back.

"But we are all friends here. Look even the griffon likes me." When the weasel hissed more Cal gasped loudly, cradling the griffon in his arms. "She is not a fool, she is precious and special and cute and fluffy and my new best friend. She is soft and friendly and has a good taste in friends, did I mention she's pretty and soft!" Cal snuggled the griffon.

Seamus and Naomi sighed. Cal was obsessed with cute things.

Cal and the weasel hissed at each other, but it was obvious they weren't fighting over Seamus anymore.

"My credentials? Oh, so you are threatening me now. You do know that I cleanse the Segaro Sea all by my lonesome." Cal said, only it sounded like he was egging on a fight. Cal also never missed a chance to show off.

"This isn't going to end well." Naomi took a step back.

"Noob!" Cal called and Naomi squeaked.

"Yes, master." Naomi said reluctantly.

"Take care of her, and don't let Seamus touch her until I've cleaned up his mess." Cal tossed the griffon into the air and it perched on Naomi's head.

"Well... this is my life now..." Naomi whined.

Slowly Cal's form began to change with his robes swirling in an absent wind. They grew into tails behind him and his mask morphed into a snout and ears in front of him. Robes turns into grey silver fur, he lowered himself onto all fours. As if it were as natural as a river flowing, Cal transformed into a silver fox with nine tails. He was no larger than a large dog.

Cal barked at the Weasel and it whined backing off to the very edge of the fairy circle. Then he grew gigantic white wings with black speckles. When he did that the weasel's tail flicked between its legs so fast it was like it was never in the air.

But Cal wasn't done yet. His entire body began to turn transparently blue as he grew. His fur clumped to form a healthy sheen like refined crystal. His tails shimmered like solid stone yet moved as easily as they naturally would. His body grew and grew filling the clearing until his shoulders reached 10 feet high off the ground.

Naomi fell on her butt while the griffon floated down and landed on her head. But Seamus couldn't believe his eyes. The dread pirate powers were one thing, but just how many tricks did he have up his sleeve? The magical pressure was completely unlike anything he'd ever felt before, he felt... good.

The mana dripping from Cal and his wings were like a summer's rain. Everything around him grew a little brighter and more vibrant. Seamus's magic resonated, and it felt like he was entire body was full of life. His chest burned with calm warmth and he tingled all over.

Cal sat on his haunches and looked as noble as a divine being. The weasel panicked, his head darting back and forth noticing the animals around them bowing respectfully to Cal. Whatever Cal had just done the weasel was on his own now.