Callie's Heroes

PART VIII - BLUE-HAIRED ANGEL

Callie’s world froze!

Behind the unmoving Pixyl, out on the field, a bolt of lightning was lashing out at an incoming boulder, the rock just starting to break apart into tiny pieces, but nothing moved. Major Celeste, in mid-Flashstep, was held still, crackles of orange energy twisting over her body as she zipped to her new target, held frozen in a moment of time.

Pixyl had just kissed her!

Like a series of snapshots, images began to race through Callie’s mind. Images of all the times the little Pixie had sat by her, worried for her, been there for her when this new world became too much. She saw all the times Pixyl had held her hand and memories of the many times Pixyl pushed her hair back from her ears, her tiny pointed ears, before shyly looking away. She remembered when she had woken up in the medical tent after almost boiling her brain away, to find her friend asleep next to her, protecting her, and eventually coming to tears of relief when finding out Callie would be fine. And then there was that first night they met, when they had locked eyes as the little Bladeweaver’s Symbiote took hold, and Callie now realized Pixyl had such amazing, beautiful eyes.

Callie could only sit in stunned confusion while time stood still, more and more images of the last month washing through her head. All the moments she and her sister-like friend had been there for each other. That first day in the mess tent when Pixyl collapsed from her skill reveals, and soon after kicking Bratig in the crotch. Pixyl’s offhand comment that she looked great ‘from behind’ that Callie had taken for simple encouragement, but now seemed to take on a whole new meaning.

Was she more than just a sister? Did Pixyl have feelings for her? She must have them, to kiss her like that! If so, how did she feel about that? Callie didn’t really have time to analyze it, but in that instant … she realized it felt … it felt good!

“Pixyl?” Callie called out. The Pixie looked back again. “Ask …. Ask me when you get back!”

Almost in slow motion, slyly waggling her eyebrows, Pixyl turned and leapt into the air, taking off at high speed, a sword of energy flashing into existence.

Callie tried to focus, pushing aside the rush of confusing emotions that had just been dumped on her. It was a distraction, but one she found she was looking forward to exploring, assuming they lived through this battle. She mentally checked, seeing Piercing Shot was still on cooldown, and tried to figure out a plan.

Not far away, Vanis was nearly squashed by another strike from the Elemental’s extended arm as he dove out of the way. The monster seemed to have figured out where the Fiends were coming from. Vanis was in the open for a moment, but scrambled towards new cover as Juniper leapt into the path of an incoming boulder that had made it through the lightning point-defense, deflecting it aside with her thorny shield, before picking up and literally throwing the Warlock to safety with surprising strength. Unfortunately, her attention now focused on Vanis, the two pairs of vine tentacles were left to their own, and the Elemetal ripped its legs out of their grasp.

Callie locked eyes with Vanis, who was struggling to sit up, the two communicating without words. She could see something in his eyes that went beyond simple worry. He was actually afraid and his eyes were full of indecision. Vanis looked around momentarily, and then gave Callie the subtlest of nods, as if resigning himself to something. “Callie, take over,” he said flatly, the words coming clear despite the chaotic noises all around them.

She didn’t hesitate, something inside her clicking into motion. Looking around, she took in the status of everyone. Not far away, Lhawni was hiding behind some rocks, and beyond that were Ambria and Wallir, also under cover, although the blood on her face looked even worse than earlier. She was at least on her feet though, so something to worry about later. Good! The healers were safe for the moment. Juniper had Vanis guarded, so they were fine, too.

In front of their positions, Cheena and Maugra were using their Totems to shoot down incoming boulders. They managed to get most of them, with only a few getting through. But it was a losing battle of attrition, as Totems were needing replacing often, when the Elemental would smash one of them with its arm as it drew closer. Olin and the Major were both engaged, tag-teaming a trio of normal-sized Elementals that had either been missed, or had been summoned by the Rift at some point. They were basically safe for the moment.

Underneath the Elemental were Tazrok and now Bratig, both smashing and tearing at whatever they could get to. Not far from them was Melga and Rowani, both struggling to use their Entangling Roots spells to slow the Elemental’s movement.

Finally, flying through the air was Pixyl, taking occasional but ineffective shots at the enemy, mostly acting as a distraction. Pixyl … the one that had just kissed her … the one … “Not now, Callie!” she hissed to herself, shaking her head away from what had happened moments before. “Think! We need a plan!”

Almost like the clockwork cogs of Fizzlebek’s Golem arm, Callie’s brain whirred into motion, connecting individual actions into a chain of events that would need to occur in the correct order for what she needed to do. She was only going to get one shot at this, and while she was fairly sure it wasn’t going to kill her outright, it was certainly going to leave her helpless, and she could just as easily get killed that way.

“Major!” Callie shouted, grabbing the officer’s attention. “If this doesn’t work, then take over and call a retreat. Get everyone to safety!”

Celeste looked confused for a moment, before glancing at Vanis, who simply returned a subtle nod. Part of her was incredibly pleased with the Warlock. It was hard for someone to admit when they were in over their head, and even harder to turn control over to another. It was a good lesson for the young prince, and the rest of the team as well, and one she was looking forward to reviewing when the time came. She wasn’t completely sure turning things over to Callie had been the right answer, but he had, and she was going to accept that for the immediate moment.

“Understood!” the Major shouted to Callie. “What do you need?” That simple statement let everyone in hearing range know that the person in command had changed.

Callie looked around, putting the mental finishing touches on her plan, and started to issue orders. She pointed to Vanis. “I need mana, as much as you can give me.”

“Do … Do you need a potion?” the Warlock asked.

“No, I need the potion cooldown for something else. Use that Lifetap thing in reverse,” Callie clarified. She turned to Lhawni, only a dozen meters away. “As soon as I do this, hit me with a Rejuvenation spell and dump a purple potion down my throat!”

The Goblin swallowed, almost asking for clarification, but then glanced briefly at Major Celeste, before closing her mouth and nodding, simply acknowledging the order.

“Maugra!” Callie shouted.

“What the hell now!” the Shaman snarled back, instinctively cranky as she kept her focus on the incoming boulders and the swinging arms of the Elemental.

“When I tell you, count to three and put one of those Lightning Orb things on the monster to stun it!” Callie called back. Then she added, “Cheena, you too, if you are able. Wait for my signal before you attack. After that, I need both of you to put out a Rejuvenating Pulse maybe ten seconds later. You’ll know when.”

The two Shamans grunted an acknowledgement as they both gestured at an incoming missile, two lightning bolts shattering it in mid-flight.

Finally, Callie needed to give an order to Pixyl. She had to give an order to the girl that had just kissed her. Give an order to … not now Callie! “Pixyl!” Callie screamed out, the Pixie pulling up from a swoop and looking her way. “Put your bomb on its chest, but wait until I tell you before you blow it!” Pixyl was confused for a half-moment with all the chaos and noise, looking briefly to Vanis and then to Celeste. Callie pounded her chest, trying to get the message to her another way. It took a moment, but the Bladeweaver finally nodded in understanding.

Finally, the little Gnome shouted out one final set of orders. “Bratig! Tazrok! Get clear!” She didn’t want the thing falling on them. Even with their tough bodies, that was a lot of rock and they would certainly be squashed.

While she had been issuing those orders, Vanis chugged back a mana potion, and then began weaving his channeled Lifetap spell towards Callie. Normally, it would drain mana and stamina from the living target, but he reversed it, sacrificing his own raw mana to give some to Callie instead. It wasn’t efficient, though. Maybe only twenty percent of the mana he used would be transferred at Bronze, but it was something, and he pushed as much as he could, as fast as he could, trying to top off Callie's reserves.

Callie took shelter behind the rocks again, impatiently waiting for all the elements she needed for her attack to come off cooldown. For the briefest of moments, she had doubts her plan was even going to work. But, if it didn’t, the Major would take over. She’d be sure to sound a retreat and get everyone to safety. They could move faster than the huge Elemental, right? Even if they were carrying Callie, they’d be able to get away … right?

The incoming mana infusion from Vanis was helping significantly. A potion would have been better and faster, but not with that blasted five-minute cooldown, so this was the only other option. After an unending eternity, Callie felt the missing Piercing Shot charge finally return, giving her all the pieces she needed. She peeked out from cover, zooming in and seeing the telltale magenta glow on the chest of the Elemental. Pixyl only needed her order to blow it at exactly the right moment. It was now or never!

“Maugra! Lightning Orb! Now!” Callie called from behind cover at the same moment she began to cast. This was a stupid idea, but it had to work! It just had to! She … she wanted another kiss!

BURST SHOT + PIERCING SHOT + SNIPER SHOT + RAPID FIRE

It wasn’t long ago that Callie vowed never to try another four-layer attack. The first time had almost killed her, and even with the mana infusion from Vanis, she wasn’t at full strength. Thankfully, mana wasn’t actually used when applying the spell to the arrow, instead it was consumed when the arrow was released, so she would be able to keep her wits about her until the actual attack. Her only hope was that immediate Rejuvenation attention from the three Shamans and a potion would be able to keep her brain solid. That, and the fact that all four layers were spells she had received at Iron Tier and they were well-practiced, so maybe that would make it a little more likely she’d be okay. Maybe?

The first layer was cast instantaneously, and it was while the second layer was being applied that she heard the crackling sound of Maugra’s Lightning Orb being launched across the field, followed a split-moment later by a second, presumably from Cheena. The third layer began to weave into place, but even with the rune on her bow speeding up the casting time, it would take a glacial four seconds to apply. Finally, the fourth layer, the one that could melt her brain, was applied, instantly turning her into Machine Gun Callie. Then it was assembled, her deadly four-layer munition.

Racing from behind cover, Callie knelt to get as much stability as she could. Charges of electricity were dancing up and down the Elemental’s body from the Lightning Orbs, temporarily stunning it. It was about as perfect a shot as Callie could want. A huge, unmoving enemy with a bright, shiny target for her. She sighted in on the glow of Pixyl’s bomb. “Pixyl, blow it now!”

She counted out a one-Mississippi followed by a two-Mississippi. Five arrows flew from Callie’s bow, their damage potential hugely cranked up by the Sniper Shot, just as the bomb exploded. The armor plate protecting the core of the Elemental was again vaporized, clearing the path for the quintet of arrows to thread through the remnants of Ethereal magic. One after the next, they each pierced deep into the exposed core, before their deadly final layer activated.

The final explosions almost seemed anti-climactic. The solid body of the Elemental contained the bursts, seeming to be lit from within by five concurrent flashes of light. Yet, chunks of its core were thrown from the exposed hole, the glowing light on them rapidly fading as they fell to the ground. In turn, the incoming monster simply … stopped, a leg held a meter in the air, having been in mid-stride. One long arm was extended after being thrown out to smash one of Maugra’s totems, and it simply ceased retracting, frozen.

Callie didn’t see what happened though. Immediately after shooting, she collapsed to the ground, first on her butt and then falling to her back. She wasn’t quite unconscious this time, but her eyes were filled with sparkling lights that streamed by her as she fell down an endless tunnel towards darkness. She wasn’t sure how long she was like that. Moments? Minutes? Then, almost like a defibrillator, she felt a whump somewhere inside the core of her being, as someone’s Rejuvenation spell hit her. Unsure if it was from Lhawni or from the Totems of the Shaman trainers, Callie was filled with just the tiniest amount of strength, slowing her fall into the dark and pushing the lights just slightly away. There was a second jolt of power, this time pushing the lights even farther, and she was able to open her eyes, seeing the blue sky above, and a wispy cloud that looked a little like a swan.

Lhawni came into Callie’s view, blocking the swan. There was another whump of magic, causing her body to jolt, as the Goblin’s own Rejuvenation spell was pumped into her. Callie felt even more like she was pulled away from the abyss that was the never-ending tunnel of darkness and lights.

“Callie!” Lhawni cried, leaning over her friend, her voice sounding hollow, distant and echoey. “Wake up, wake up!” she intoned in panic, slapping the Gnome’s cheek.

There was a scrambling sound, and Cheena came into view, a look of worry on her face. The Elf quickly pushed her own touch-based Rejuvenation spell into Callie, giving the Gnome yet a fourth infusion of magic and strength and causing her body to jump. This was enough to clear most of the fog in her brain, and even push back some of the headache that had started to form. “Mana drain?” Cheena asked Lhawni, the sounds starting to no longer echo inside Callie’s head. “How bad?”

“Bad,” was all the Goblin could respond with. “Stupid of her!”

“Did we get it?” Callie somehow groaned out.

“Foolish Gnome,” Cheena snarled, holding up a faintly glowing hand that she started to run all over Callie’s body, focusing primarily on her head. The examination only took a moment, before the Shaman sighed, seeming relieved. She put on a lecturing face. “Foolish, foolish, Gnome. I think you’ll be fine, though. You’re lucky we were here!”

Forcing Callie to sit up, the trainer took the purple potion from Lhawni, grabbing the stopper in her teeth before spitting it aside. “Drink this!” she ordered, holding the vial up to Callie’s lips.

As she started to swallow, a fifth jolt of Rejuvenation hit Callie, this one so much stronger than all the others. In fact, she was feeling quite strong now, all that fresh Stamina pushing away any exhaustion, too. Her brain fog was finally blown away completely by the winds of the magic elixir, and Callie fully realized where she was, and what was going on. Then the taste hit her. Potions were all so awful!

“She’s making a potion face,” Maugra said with a grunt, her head appearing in Callie’s vision alongside the others. “Looks like she’ll live. Get her on her feet, it will help.”

Callie groaned as she was helped up. “Is … is everyone okay?” she asked. She was still wobbly, and leaning against Cheena, but quickly getting her stability.

“We’re still counting heads, but I think so,” Maugra said gruffly.

“What about the monster? Did we get it?” Callie asked quickly, worry rising in her voice, as she tried to push people out of the way. She stumbled, Cheena offering a steadying hand.

“It’s dead. You got it,” the Major said, having just Flashstepped to the group, Olin quickly joining her. “At least it’s not moving, and not throwing stuff at us.” She moved aside so Callie could get a good look.

Seeing the Elemental, it seemed immediately obvious to Callie it was dead, or inactive, or whatever it was that an Elemental this big became when its heart was destroyed. The wisps of magic between the stones had hardened, and were slowly becoming a grayish-white, looking almost like cement. Smoke was rising from the exposed hole where its heart had been, and from the pieces that had been blown to the ground. The Elemental was simply frozen in place, holding the final position it was in. It had essentially become a statue, almost as if memorializing this fight.

There was a flapping of wings as Tazrok and most of the other Druids flew in, each assuming their people forms as their feet touched the ground. Bratig turned to face the Elemental, putting his hands on his head and whooping in excitement, before immediately groaning in pain. Tazrok likewise had the biggest grin on his face Callie had ever seen. Rowani’s face simply showed relief, and she knelt to embrace Maugra, who had rushed into her arms, seeming likewise relieved.

Callie turned, counting to see who was missing. Vanis had fallen to the ground and was panting, Juniper tending to him with a worried look on her face. “He might have mana drain,” Callie said, gesturing to the Warlock. He gave me quite a bit. Someone check on him. He just drank a potion, so watch that cooldown.” Maugra immediately pulled away from Rowani, and jogged over to render assistance. Ambria and Wallir had also joined the group now, the Faun’s face and armor utterly covered in nearly-dried blood, but she was at least still looking mostly alert.

There was just one face missing, and Callie’s heart immediately tightened in worry. Her throat became hoarse and she barely managed to croak out, “Where’s Pixyl?”

Everyone looked around, as if searching for something that had been misplaced, before Major Celeste laughed. She pointed up towards the top of the Elemental statue. There, high in the air, a triumphant Pixie was holding a heroic pose, her foot on what was effectively the monster's head, clearly showing that it had been vanquished. Then, Pixyl fluttered into the air, her wings making eddies in the rising smoke as she descended slowly. Her eyes were on Callie, and Callie’s eyes were on her. Both of their worlds shrank until it was just the two of them.

Her heart pounding in her chest and her stomach tied in knots, Callie pulled away and took a few steps forward, still locked on the sight of what truly had to be a blue-haired angel falling from the sky before her. She had no words, and all she could do was awkwardly smile, a tiny part of her feeling like a giddy teenager again.

Pixyl lightly touched down, taking a single step forward to steady herself. This was the one moment she feared and why she had never said anything to anyone, until Ambria and Pama figured it out. Would Callie reject her? Was their friendship over? She swallowed. “I don’t want to ask,” she said quietly, her voice meek, yet clear and stuttering free. If she didn’t ask, Callie couldn’t tell her no, after all.

“You … you don’t have to!” Callie said in response, almost before she even knew the words came out of her mouth. Then she nodded, just slightly, as her face brightened with a smile.

A beam of relief and surprised glee stronger than the brightest of sunshine washed over Pixyl’s face. Throwing all worry to the winds, she squealed and rushed forward, leaping into the Gnome’s Ranger-strong arms, wrapping her legs around Callie’s waist as she grabbed her face with two hands. Their lips met, and met hard, nothing but passion between them. For one it was love finally realized, and for the other it was love unexpected, and in that moment Callie and Pixyl loved harder than either had thought possible.

The kiss went on, the rest of the team soon feeling increasingly uncomfortable, not sure what to say or do. A couple people coughed lightly, while others eventually started to look around idly at really anything but the pink and blue sight before them.

“About time,” Tazrok grunted, finally interrupting the moment as he rolled his eyes.