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

198. The Tides Change

"Just look at t'em." Surtr chuckled quietly as he looked at the children who were completely passed out on the soft grass under the world tree. "T'ey were wound so tightly t'ey didn't even know it was night-time. All ready to go 'n fight a war in t'e moment and t'en just collapsed when we told them we were gonna start in t'e morning."

Surtr sat next to his sister Diana and watched the kids sleep.

Seamus leaned against the tree with Ophelia curled in his lap. Loca was leaning against his left leg while cradling Ellie in her Parrot form. HIs right arm was being cuddled by Greffin who seemed to have her whole body wrapped around it. Speaking of which Jasmine was huddled in Greffin's wings while her snake body spiraled around her. Juliette was curled on the spiral while clutching her new staff of Anubis for the mission in the morning. Since they had to eliminate elementals with specially enchanted items Juliette literally jumped at the chance to get her hands on that staff.

On the other side of Seamus next to Loca, Vera had fallen asleep with her head on Kara's lap. Meanwhile Kara played with her daughter's hair while using her free hand to wipe away her own tears of happiness. Their reunion had been a bit rocky and they didn't say much to each other.

More like they didn't know what to say to each other.

Plus when Vera asked to 'borrow her leg', Kara looked like she was ready to chop it off and offer it as some sort of macabre tribute and apology. But the Valkyries were very literal like that. Combat and honor above all else. It was hard to say what was going through her head, but it was obvious from Kara's smile that they weren't heartless killing machines as they were often portrayed. Anastasia's betrothal to Dakota proved that.

*

[The next morning]

[Ragnarok day 2]

Yullian tried to brush the white ashy dust from the red throne's frustrating seat from his clothes. How was any throne so uncomfortable? It was probably that flower thing. It hadn't sprouted since he'd imprisoned Cal. But that wasn't the only thing wrong.

The city hadn't reverted back to normal. The siege appeared to be over, but neither Queen Shayley nor General Charli had emerged.

He had officially taken up residence in the Castle but hadn't been able to access the master suite or any room above the second floor like they had been sealed off. He hadn't even been able to get a proper bed to sleep in. it was humiliating. Even Fauna couldn't get into her own room and had been trying all night to make some progress.

"Your majesty. We have some bad news." Fauna reported to him appearing from a shadow behind the throne.

"Report." Yullian groused.

"It appears that Diana, the first chair of the fire clan has gone rogue. She and a strange red-haired male have begun slaughtering the Phoenix elementals of the fire clan." Fauna reported. "My men are already on their way to intercept them."

"What!" Yullian gasped. This wasn't in the prophecies. The fire clan is turning on themselves. This was completely unprecedented. "Can your people stop them?"

"That's the interesting thing, your majesty. They don't seem to be fighting back. I would expect there to be some room to act during combat, but Diana isn't one someone to look down upon. And the unknown man with holds Elfenhiem." Fauna reported. "It's able to cleave through magic like a hot knife through butter. He is quite the swordsman on top of that."

"Where is Sinder the Sylvan Knight of the fire clan?" Yullian asked.

"She's gone AWOL, she left for the undercity to find Shayley against my orders and hasn't been heard from her since." Fauna reported. "The slimes have been especially agitated by the war so traveling to the undercity is especially dangerous, even for us."