Callie's Heroes

PART I - THE NOTHING

“That’s not the best part, Galin,” Master Trainer Thorn said, laughing, “she then glares right back up at him and says ‘Fine! You’ll love this one then!’ as she proceeds to shoot, what was it, five water exploding arrows right through the monster mockup. Water went everywhere.”

Xera nodded. “That’s right, she did that layered perk thing she has now. Rapid Fire, Piercing and then finally the water burst.”

Legate Galin grinned as he shook his head in laughter. “Wait! Are you telling me that she made it to the end? After only the second week? Nobody makes it after the second week! Unless they’ve been well-trained before coming here, like that Paladin, Koda.”

Thorn took a bite of his mushroom and egg scramble and nodded. Speaking around his food he said, “Xera was sure she’d make it from the start, too. Even Reynard didn’t think she’d get very far. Cost me a hundred crowns.”

“She’s a tricky one and she wanted to rescue the princess. If anything, that’s significant motivation right there,” Xera said, shrugging as they poured fruit juice into a cup.

Galin’s face turned confused.

“She turned it into a game,” Thorn said. “Storm the castle? Rescue the princess? That kind of thing.”

“That’s our Callie,” Tasi laughed loudly.

It was Homeday, and Xera, Galin, Thorn and Tasi were in Xera’s conference room having a late-morning brunch. Xera wanted to review a few administrative things before everyone returned to relaxing for the day, promising to be done before the second battle of the game ended. In the distance, occasional cheering could be heard from the training field where this weekend’s Bunkerball game was just getting started.

Xera switched to the topic at hand, quickly receiving Galin’s latest casualty reports from the front, which thankfully were much improved this week. Unlike last week, this week only saw fifty-eight deaths, and a fair amount of progress made in retaking some lost territory. It still felt like a stalemate, though. For every ten kilometers the front moved forward, it seemed to move back ten somewhere else. There was a sense that the army needed something to change the momentum, or things would just continue to be a quagmire.

The casualty report delivered, Xera switched topics to quickly review requisitions, training schedules, and a few other items on their list. None of it was exactly critical, but it wasn’t something that could be ignored either. The three interspersed the work with general commentary about the state of the training. Particularly, which recruits may be struggling, and which were showing promise for the extended session at the end of the term. It was still too early for the most part, but a few were getting attention. The rule of this meeting was, beyond the casualty report, there was to be no talking about the war. It was just too distracting. They focused on the camp, the recruits, and what, if anything, needed to be addressed. So far, things seemed to be going well this term.

Tasi had received word via Scryer that Kaisess was on his way to the capital, riding with a caravan heading that way. A few days without an officer would be fine, and then he’d meet up with a proper officer escort who would accompany him the rest of the way. “He is very eager to return once he’s healed,” Tasi said to the room. “In part, I’m sure, because of the new bow he’d get, but he is also driven to do his part for the war, despite being chosen by lottery.”

“That’s good to hear, Tasi,” Xera said. “I’m glad his spirits are high. It’s a shame to lose him for this term, though. I forgot to ask, how is the Faun taking things? I heard she blamed herself for the Catkin’s injury.”

“She did. She missed a spell to prevent blood clots, but she also was never trained on the procedure, so it wasn’t really her fault at all. Still, it rattled her. Your first big screwup as a Healer is always the hardest, and after that you still never really want it to get easy. She eventually went to the Ranger to ask his forgiveness, I think. She must have received it, as they were chatting quite friendly before he left, so I think there’s no hard feelings.”

“Well, please keep an eye on her, if you would, since you have a rapport,” Xera continued. “See how she handles her next crisis and let us know. And maybe talk to her, Combat Healer to Combat Healer, so she’s better armed when it happens on the battlefield. That’s the one place she needs to be emotionally numb, at least in the moment.”

“I was thinking about doing just that. Both for the two Combat Healers as well as the other healing classes. Maybe I’ll just call them all together for a group conversation about suppressing battlefield emotions for us Healers. Seeing people hurt will grind you down over time, so they need to be prepared. Or at least as prepared as anyone can be, I suppose. Scars can run deep for us, even if we’re never actually wounded.”

“Good plan,” Thorn said. “Let me know if you need me to coordinate it, but I am sure we can find a time for all of them.”

From outside the conference room, in the waiting area, there came the sound of a female voice, rising in volume. “I said you can’t just barge in there! Be seated and I will inform them you wish to be seen.”

“This cannot wait!” came another female voice, this one quite agitated. “This is an emergency. I must see Xera, immediately! We could be in danger!”

Xera frowned. “What’s this about?”

Galin shrugged, adding a mumbled, “I dunno.” He started rising to walk to the door, but it suddenly burst open.

“I’m sorry, Commandant,” Kyra gasped. “I tried to stop her.”

“It’s quite alright,” Xera said, holding up a calming hand. “How may we help you, Juniper?”

“There’s a … Nothing … in my land! I need your help!”

“Juniper? What are you talking about?” Xera asked, before they motioned to their assistant. “Kyra, it’s fine. Thank you.”

Juniper looked flustered, worried, angry. A dozen emotions seemed to be crossing her face simultaneously. “There’s a Nothing in my land!”

“So you said. You need to calmly explain,” Xera said. They then looked at Tasi and made the tiniest head gestures towards the Dryad, knowing she had a closer rapport.

“Juniper, please sit, and explain what has happened,” Tasi suggested, pulling out a chair.

“No, no! I must stand,” Juniper said, wringing her hands in worry as she paced. Next to her, Loki paced using the same gait, mimicking the Dryad’s worried posture.

“As you wish,” Xera said calmly. “Still, please start at the beginning.”

Juniper looked at Xera, and then the other officers, before nodding. She began to pace even faster, seeming to search for words. “Something is in my domain, and it’s making it so I can’t see. Last night, after the gathering and the group celebration around the safe fire, I returned to my tree. I must do so every three days or the separation will begin to take its toll. I was very tired, and my head was very fuzzy from the wine and company, and I immediately fell asleep. When I woke, I surveyed my lands like I always do, but this time I found a hole in it. A Nothing! A place I could not see!”

“A … hole?” Galin asked. “Like, a deep pit or something?”

“No! A place I cannot see. A place of death and of … Nothing. I fear something terrible has happened! I came straight here rather than risk seeing what it was alone.”

“Tasi? Any chance you may be able to help clarify?” Xera asked the Healer.

Tasi rubbed her head. “Maybe? A Dryad is the guardian of her domain, centered on her Heartwood Tree. I don’t understand it fully, but Juniper can sense things in her area of influence, maybe around fifteen or twenty kilometers from her tree in all directions. If something bad happens, as the land’s protector, she can feel it.”

“Yes!” the Dryad exclaimed, pointing at Tasi in confirmation. “I have been so distracted by my training and these odd feelings towards…” she trailed off wistfully. “As a result, I have been neglectful of my duties. Now there is a hole in my land that I cannot see. A great circle of Nothing! I must have help!”

“Demon incursion?” Xera asked the Legate.

“Here? This far north? I doubt it,” Galin said, shrugging. “A fire maybe? I’d think we’d have seen the smoke, though.”

“No, not a fire,” Juniper assured. “That only cleanses the land. It does not become a Nothing. Something bad is there.” Juniper was getting agitated again with worry. She was trying to explain it in ways that others would understand, but all she could see was a blank Nothing where there had once been beauty and life and the balance of Nature.

“Could you lead us to this … Nothing?”

“I believe so,” Juniper said. She seemed to roll the question around in her head some more. “Yes, I am certain. But we must bring all of the Army to fight the Nothing!”

Xera held up their hand, adding in the tiniest amount of Command Aura to calm and focus the room. “Juniper, we will help, but we will take this one step at a time since even you don’t know what has happened. You’ve learned of this in your training. Careful, planned steps, remember?”

“Yes! I know that is your way, but …there is a Nothing out there! You have sworn to help me defend my lands.”

Xera rolled their eyes, and slowly stood, pushing out another tiny command pulse directed towards Juniper in an effort to calm the Nymph. “Juniper, you have brought your issue to me. Yes, I have sworn to aid you, we all have, but I will do it my way. That means we plan first, then investigate, then plan some more, and then do what is necessary.”

“But…”

“Kyra?” Xera called out, cutting the Dryad off.

The Elf assistant immediately opened the door. “Yes, Commandant?”

“Send Sprites to bring me Rowani and Reynard. Alas, I don’t know where they are. Their wilderness expertise will be invaluable.”

“Reynard is on the game field. He’s acting as Marshal for the camp team, trying to counter Callie,” Thorn added, before amending to the room, “He thought it would be a good way to push her.” He then chuckled. “He may have wanted to mess with her head a bit, too, I think.”

“Very good,” Xera nodded curtly. “Send a Sprite to fetch him from there. And for that matter, have Reynard bring Recruit Callie as well.”

“Yes, Commandant,” Kyra nodded in acknowledgement. “Priority?”

Xera looked briefly at the still-panicked Juniper. “This is an emergency and this is an order.”

“Understood.” Kyra said immediately as she ducked out of the room to relay the directives, closing the door behind her.

“Why do you want Callie?” Thorn asked.

“I have an idea…” Xera responded with a twinkle in their eyes.