Doc had immediately felt something upon entering the water. A powerful calling of her goddess, but it was several yards away from her entry point. She opened her eyes and felt the sensation of salt against their bare surface. This was not her first time underwater by any means. She had been raised underwater, so looking about with blurred vision was something she’d grown used to long ago.
She walked along the floor of the sea, careful not to disrupt the homes of any creatures. She felt her spirit being tugged through the water towards one, very specific spot, in which a large oyster lay, separated from its smaller brethren by a ring of algae. Doc reached out and pulled on the mollusk, gently separating it from its soft, green bed. It was beautiful. Just the oyster was glossy and blue-green on the bottom with a rigid black shell all around.
Suddenly, Doc became acutely aware of her need to breathe. She shot upwards very suddenly, the water below her pushing upwards in order to get her to the surface as fast as possible. She then felt herself propelled out of the water, her vision suddenly having to adjust once more to the light of the surface. She then felt a hand gripping the shoulder of her diving tunic and pulling up.
There was cheering and clapping all around her form the abbot and the others present. As her eyes cleared up she saw the faces of the abbot, Nessa, and Burk beaming happily at her.
“Did you get a symbol?” Burk asked, wanting to see what the ritual had borne.
“No,” Doc said, smiling broadly and jokingly rolling her eyes as her voice took on a comically derisive tone. “I just felt like going for a swim and suddenly learned I could float.”
“Good, good Docalser,” the abbot said, pleased at the dwarf’s enthusiastic sarcasm. “Now, let’s see that pearl.”
The crowd backed up slightly, forming a perimeter around Doc as she took out a small, old knife and pried the jaws apart. The pearl that was revealed was unlike any that those present had seen. It wasn’t a single color, but a soft swirling of pale blue and luminescent cream and a subtle but present pastel yellow. The pearl was nearly an inch across and had a number of small, bulbous protrusions around one side that looked to be yet more pearls. The curving form of a tremendous wave was imbued into the pearlescent surface as though carved by a master jeweler. It was the same symbol Doc herself had carved into a number of armor plates and weapons in her training.
“Oh my,” muttered the abbot. “My child, Cooglara has blessed you beyond what I had thought possible.”
“What do you mean, father?” asked the dwarf, in awe of the pearl’s beauty as well but unaware of its power.
“Many clerics and druids receive shells or bits of coral or large fish scales from the sea when their time has come, and a rare, adventurous few receive pearls. However, only a select few are chosen to bear this mark.”
“What does it mean?” Burk piped in, his curiosity piqued. The abbot turned to the bulky, green young man before continuing.
“It means that sister Docalser is destined to do great things for this island. I know not how or when, but some day she will bring great fortune to us all through her adventurous deeds.” His voice began to rise and project to the large gathering of townsfolk that had amassed. “This is a sign that our dear daughter of Cooglara will do great things by Cooglara’s hand. Blessed be Cooglara, goddess of Tides,” he held up one fist, “Sides,” he held up the other, “and Snides!” he opened his palms to the crowd and some among them bowed their heads.
Nessa was somewhat distraught. The day she had received her holy symbol, she had just gotten a small bit of coral that she now wore on a carved wooden ring. The coral was a mark of intelligence and ingenuity and she was sure Doc would have received a similar gift due to her mastery of many crafts, but here the two of them stood with vastly different gifts and vastly different roles within the abbey. Nessa feared she might lose her friend amongst the excitement over this symbol of adventure and hope.
Burk, on the other hand, was ecstatic. His first holy ceremony and it was one of the most significant occasions in the history of the island. He wanted to see the pearl up close but restrained himself, knowing that the abbot was going to speak one more time to the new member of the clergy.
“My dearest daughter,” the elderly man said, reaching for the string hanging about his neck, “You have received a Coog Pearl, just as I once received a Coog Scale.” He pulled the large barracuda scale from within his robe to show the dwarf. It was emblazoned with the same symbol and looked just as shiny as the day it was pulled from the water. “I am proud of what I have done with mine, and hope, some day, you will look back and say the same of yours. Whether you stay with our abbey on Loukusa or sail the seas and serve the whole archipelago, I am sure you will work wonders.”
“Hey, keep it down out there, I’m in the middle of a very important conversation,” came a booming voice from the shore. A pale man in a gray robe with a gray pointed hat had shoved his head from the window of the fourth floor window of the arcane shop. It was Carl, the eccentric Warlock that kept to himself outside of business hours unless he was very agitated.
He was very agitated.
“Sorry!” Doc shouted in a legitimately apologetic voice. “Didn’t mean to disrupt you, sir.”
“Don’t use your goddess’s sarcastic ways on me, dwarf,” he snapped, clearly unaware of how sarcasm worked. “I don’t much appreciate the tone.” He then slammed his window shut.
“Rude,” said Nessa.
“Yep,” said Doc.
“Father, what’s that?” asked Burk, pointing at the horizon.
It was a silhouette. More specifically, it was the silhouette of a small boat that had an unnecessary mast. It appeared to be a single-person vessel that was likely not meant for the type of sea voyage it had just been on. As it approached, the figure of a strikingly tall and broad-shouldered man came into view.
“It looks like some sort of vagrant,” The abbot replied. “Docalser, you may want to robe yourself before he arrives. I shall go prepare a bed in the abbey in case the inn is out of his price range.”
Doc, noticing that she wore nothing but her diving garments, rushed to put her vestments back where they belonged and straighten herself out, ringing her braid dry and standing proud with the Coog Pearl in her hand.
“Ho there!” a rumbling voice called from the little craft. The silhouette waved.
“I most certainly am not!” called back the cleric in jest.
“No, I mean hello!” the man corrected himself. “I’m looking for a temple of Cooglara.”
“You’re in the right place,” Doc replied. “Would you like some assistance docking your boat?” She knelt to pick up a coil of rope from the deck beneath her bare feet.
“That would be greatly appreciated,” he said, in a more conversational tone as he approached the shore. He was now within sight of the seven or eight people lingering on the docks, the late morning sun lighting up his bronze face and glinting off of his chain armor. “Greetings, dwarf. My name is Athastar. I come from the mainland of Jakross in search of others who, like me, follow the great goddess Cooglara and seek adventure upon the seas.” He looked Doc up and down. “Judging by your well-crafted robes and proud stance, I suppose you are a cleric of the great goddess herself?”
“Indeed I am, recently declared so,” she responded happily, holding up her pearl.
“My goodness,” Athastar replies, reaching into the neck of his chain shirt. “You’ve got one too?” He presents a small silver chain with a slightly smaller, bluer Coog Pearl hanging from it. “You are a true adventurous spirit, then, just as I am.”
“I suppose this world is smaller than we give it credit for,” Doc says, smiling broadly and lowing her hand. “My name is Docaalser Thunderclaut, but you can call me Doc.”
“Ah, a doctor, good. If I’m to build a crew here, we’ll need a surgeon.”
“Um, no, I’m not a-”
“And who this strapping, young fellow?” Athastar asked, turning to Burk. “You look like you could pack quite a whollop!”
“Oh, um, my name is Burk, but I’m just a monk. I haven’t had the training that Doc has,” the greenish fellow replied sheepishly, his face turning an odd shade. “Besides, if you’re looking to form a crew, I think you’d be looking more for fighters.”
“Nonsense!” Athastar shouts, “All crews need all types of folks to make them work.”
“Keep it down, damn it!” The Warlock shouted. He then gasped loudly and slammed the window again.
“Carl?” the newcomer asked in sudden and shocked confusion. “Carl, is that you?”
“No!” came a muffled shout from the tall building.
“Carl! By the gods, it is you!”
“What’s going on?” Nessa asked, having been thoroughly confused for most of this.
“It looks like these two humans know one another,” Burk offered. “I wonder if they know Tom!”
“Not all humans know each other, Burk,” Doc informed him.
“Again, what’s going on?” Nessa chimed in.
Athastar charged past the crowd and into the little wooden shop, the door slamming behind him as it usually did, though this time it felt more impactful. The window to the fourth floor slid open and out stepped Carl, creeping along his roof, seemingly with the intent of outrunning Athastar. He unfortunately caught one of his feet on the hem of his robe and stumbled, sliding down the roof and off of the top of the building, falling flat on his back upon a cart of wands. Athastar witnessed this through the second story staircase window and turned quickly to descend.
“Are you alright, old friend?” The armor clad man asked, bent over to look at Carl.
Carl just groaned in pain.
“Here, allow me to give you a hand,” Athastar said, resting a palm on the warlock. A golden light radiated form the space between his hand and the smaller man’s body, and the warrior rose, helping the other to his feet as well.
“So it’s finally happened,” Carl said with a grimace. Upon feeling the healing light of the larger man’s touch, he’d come to a realization. “You’re a Templar now.”
“Far from it my friend,” Athastar returned. “I am my own man. I simply educated myself in their ways so I might better serve whatever crew I accrue on my journey.” He wrapped an arm around his pale companion’s shoulders and pulled him in tightly. “I was disillusioned in respect to that bunch quite some time ago. In fact, I’d say your eviction is what started me down that path.”
“You don’t say,” said Carl, wary but slightly awed by this admission.
“I do say! And I also say that it truly is good to see you again. It has been too long.”
“What is going on?” Nessa asked, now with a tone of desperation in her voice.
“Okay, yes, now I’m lost too,” Doc replied, loud enough for the Paladin to hear.
“Oh, yes, dear cleric, there is a long story behind the two of us. I’d be more than happy to tell it to you all over a few brews at the local tavern, my treat of course.” Those present all seemed quite pleased with this offer for one reason or another, and followed the man towards the bar for a late morning drink.
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