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

179. From running to walking

[Moments earlier]

Lord Bansfivner shook his head. It was thundering.

Someone was banging on the door nearby and it took a second for him to get a hold of his bearings.

He was shaken up by the lack of magic and the residual nightmare he had just experienced. However, when he looked around, he realized it wasn't a nightmare. He was in the room where he was using the seer stone. Then he heard a phrase from the other side of the door that sent a wave of terror and memories through his body.

"Lord Bansfivner! Father! Father, it has been four days, the army is at our doorstep!" Groveon urged.

His vision. It was happening right now. Calphian had stalled him. That meant that blue haired woman that was different this time she was the key!

"We need to kill Selene Thetis before it is too late!" He called to his son on the other side of the door.

Then a glowing woman of pearly skin appeared in front of him. She could have been Shayley's twin and Lord Bansfivner was now very familiar with her and her wrath. "It's too late, Calphian. I have sealed the fate of the Pearly City. My people will make sure of its fall."

"I guess it all comes down to who is the better gambler." Calphian cracked her knuckles. "I'm going to place my bets on Lord Perilous. Heads I win, tails you lose."

"Wha-" Lord Bansfivner was taken aback by her statement and wasn't able to properly respond when her right hook met his chin.

Lord Bansfivner spun around before he fell to the ground and lost consciousness. He landed face down with his butt high in the air.

"Looks like it's tails. You lose." Calphian smiled as she felt the call of a summoning. "Toodles." She said as she vanished leaving the man alone in the room.

*

[That Morning]

Cal woke up early and summoned everyone to the guild. Even the nightmares were present. He wore his full dread pirate outfit and stood on the loft to address everyone.

"The day has come. Ragnarok is upon us." Cal announced. "Those of you who have been through an invasion before will have to guide those who haven't. Wendy and Peter are in charge of strategically placing and operating the Oathkeepers guildmembers and Academy students." he turned to Kadoka the new captain of the Nightmare crew. "Kadoka, you and the Nightmares are in charge of taking advantage of the confusion and guiding the fiends to the previously disclosed locations within the city. Don't interfere with combat unless absolutely necessary."

Cal turned to Vera and her party who were wearing brand new equipment. "Hero Party, you know your mission. Dying is not an option. And Seamus do not let any harm come to Ophelia. I'm leaving her in your care. Selene, you are to stand by the queen as her formal ally for all to see."

"If you have any questions, Grow up." Cal shot a glare at them all. "This is war. The most important thing you can do is survive. You can't help anyone if you are dead. Even I cannot guarantee anything when the real chaos of battle breaks out. So, grit your teeth. Because adventure is at our doorstep so show them your fangs."

*

Cal left the stand and walked down to his family.

Ophelia ran up to him and Cal bent down to greet her with a big bittersweet hug. She was already crying.

"It's- snf. It's going to be okay, papa." Ophelia sniffled as she tried to put on a brave front for Cal.

He squeezed her and petted her hair. "You're right." He tried to comfort her. He had a lot of confidence in his plans but at this point they felt more like a scattering of hastily placed booby traps that would trip each other like a haphazardly set up string of dominos than a carefully orchestrated strategy. But thanks to Ophelia his plans had changed so that there were more people involved.