Callie's Heroes

PART I - RUSHING TO AID

The bright white of the fake world was replaced by the darkness of the real one, and instinctively Callie activated her Darkvision. Next to her, Pixyl was scrambling to consciousness as well, disentangling from where she’d entwined herself with Callie. There was another piercing scream and that helped to force a little more of the murkiness out of Callie’s head. She started to leap to her feet, solidly clunking herself on the underside of the bed over the blanket fort.

“Ow!” Callie grunted as she grabbed the top of her head with one hand while groping for her shirt with the other, before rolling out through the blanket walls. On the other side, Pixyl was likewise scrambling out. Around the cabin, Vanis, Tazrok and Xin were all waking up as well.

Standing in front of the table between Vanis and Tazrok’s beds was Lena, wearing only her binder and underwear and looking into the mirror, screaming in panic. She had let her hair down, and there were subtle wisps of what looked like smoke coming out of it, and many areas looked blackened and scorched. She screamed again!

“Lena!” Callie shouted as she shrugged her top on, not sure what was happening to her friend.

Lena just continued screaming as Tazrok’s feet loudly hit the floor behind her. His face was still a little confused from just waking, but he called out, “Need light!”

Callie caught Tazrok’s call and was just about to summon her bow to put a Flare arrow into the underside of the roof, but Xin’s Lizardkin reflexes were faster and she launched a Ball of Light out from her clawed hand. It splatted onto the ceiling, lighting up the room fairly brightly, before being followed by a second Ball that quickly moved to hang in midair close to the screaming Elf.

“My stars!” Vanis gasped seeing Lena’s burning head.

Tazrok’s eyes went wide in recognition. “Firelice!” He looked around the room. “Need to wet blanket!” There was a wibble of magic as the Ogre held his hands over Lena’s head before a stream of summoned water began.

“I’ll get it!” Pixyl said near instantly, apparently understanding what was happening, but not realizing Tazrok was creating the water. She ran by Callie, stopping just long enough to rip the blanket off her own bed, before rushing through the door. This was followed immediately by the whooshing sound of her Dash being activated, as she ran at enhanced speed to the fountain.

“Was she even wearing clothes?” Vanis asked as the door fell shut.

“Her underwear, I think?” Callie said, still a little confused and rubbing her head where she’d clonked it. “But nothing up top.”

Before that question could be properly digested, Lena screamed again, this time looking at her hands. They were covered with a sticky discolored something that was lightly smoking, what looked like a few blisters already visible.

“Hold arms!” Tazrok commanded, pointing to Vanis and then to Xin. “Do not let Lena Elf touch anything! Do not touch oil!”

Xin vaulted over Vanis’s bed, grabbing one of Lena’s arms while Vanis grabbed her other. Lena struggled, still staring at herself in the mirror, screaming in pain and pure horror, watching as large swathes of her butt-length hair smoldered. A long chunk fell to the floor, leaving minute pieces of ash floating in the air behind it.

“What is firelice?” Xin asked, struggling to hold Lena still and keep her from touching anything, not knowing what the Ogre was talking about.

“Oil burn hair and skin,” Tazrok replied.

Callie was starting to get her wits about her, the final remnants of the mind-conversation with her Symbiote fading away, or maybe being pushed aside for later. Smacking her head hadn’t helped any, either. “What do we do?”

“Need wet blanket,” Tazrok said again. He pointed with a wet hand towards Lena’s bed, spraying water in an arc. “Mine too heavy.”

Before Callie could make a move, there was a crackling sound from outside coinciding with something solidly thumping into the door. “Ow!” came a groan, which was followed by a second, softer thumping noise.

Callie ran for the door,, throwing it wide to find Pixyl sitting on her rear, hand rubbing her head and looking a little dazed. The blanket was in a heap next to her, now soaked, with water running in tiny rivulets across the porch. Callie grabbed it, racing back into the cabin, dragging the now-heavy blanket across the floor. “Here!”

Tazrok reached, taking the blanket from Callie and letting it fall fully open. With no warning to Vanis and Xin, he threw it over Lena’s head, trapping the other two momentarily. “Wrap head. Wrap hands.”

Struggling to keep Lena subdued, Vanis and Xin worked to wrap the heavy, soaked blanket around her head, yet leave an opening so she could breathe. Somewhere in there, she opened her blistering hands enough to grab some of the wet fabric, seeming to audibly sigh as the water helped soothe the burning.

Callie ran back to the door. Just outside, the nearly-naked Pixyl was sitting on the porch in only her underwear, still stunned from what Callie presumed was a mis-judged Flashstep right into the door. “Are you okay?” Callie asked, kneeling at her side.

The Pixie groaned, continuing to look unfocused and still holding her head. She was probably seeing stars. “Xin!” Callie called. “Pixyl’s hurt! I need you!”

Looking up, Callie saw the faces of several people beginning to emerge from their cabins, awakened by the screaming commotion. Refocusing back to Pixyl, she pulled Pixyl’s hand away and could see something starting to form on her forehead with a split in the skin dribbling a little bit of blood. “Help is coming!” she said quickly. She resisted the urge to get Pixyl on her feet and back inside, not daring to move her until Xin had taken a look.

Xin heard Callie’s call for help, and was momentarily unsure what to do as she held Lena’s screaming, flailing form. Even with the wet blanket over her head, Lena was still obviously in pain, but Callie’s voice had been insistent. “We do not have time for this!” she finally hissed. With no warning, the spikes in her tail snicked out, and she drove them right into Lena’s squirming butt, right through the Elf’s underwear. A hard few seconds passed, and then Lena started to slow, before going limp. “Here!” Xin said, handing her half of the now-unconscious weight off to Vanis. She cast a fast touch-heal to Lena’s now quite-bloody bottom as a stopgap. “I will heal the rest later.” she assured, before running for the door.

Callie heard the sound of footsteps, and glanced back to see Xin rushing for them. Behind her, Vanis struggled to hold Lena upright. “I think she Flashstepped head-first into the door,” she said to Xin, sliding to the side as the Shaman knelt. “She’s all woozy.”

“Woo-zee?” Xin said, before shaking out of the confusing Callie-speak and getting her focus back to the injured Pixie. There was definitely a bloody lump forming on her forehead, which could indicate a possible concussion. The Pixie was moving her feet, though, so Xin just scooped her up, being careful of her wings as they’d been taught, and walked back inside. Lying Pixyl down on her bed, again being careful of her wing positions, she called up the Diagnose spell. Despite the big bruise and lump forming, as well as the blood, she was able to determine that there were no broken bones and no immediate sign of a concussion. Xin quickly pushed a touch heal into Pixyl. “She will be fine. It is not serious. Let me work, but she should get her wits soon.”

As Xin tended to Pixyl, Vanis nearly collapsed from the dead weight of Lena’s heavily muscled form being dumped on him. He was saved only by Tazrok, who, with unexpected dexterity moved under Lena, first catching her, and then scooping her up in his arms.

“Must get to shower to slow burning. Then need milk,” the Ogre said, starting for the door.

“Milk?” Xin said, glancing up from Pixyl’s groaning form, unsure if she’d heard correctly.

“Yes. Lots. Remove fire oil.”

Callie overheard the call for milk, and turned away from where Xin was tending to her girlfriend. “They’ll have that in the kitchens. There should be lots of people there, including Pama to replicate, if needed.”

Tazrok stomped past with Lena, his heavy footsteps sending pulses through the wood flooring as he shouldered the larger Ogre door nearly off its hinges, splinters of wood from the frame flying. Vanis followed close behind, an intense look on his face.

Callie was torn momentarily between following, or staying with Pixyl. But Xin had the Pixie under care, and Lena was apparently still on fire. She rushed after Vanis, emerging into the predawn light just as Jesca raced up, wearing only her skimpy running outfit, Artemis next to her.

“What’s wrong?” the Beastmaster asked as Tazrok rushed by, carrying the unconscious Bladedancer in his huge arms.

“Firelice,” Tazrok grunted, turning towards the bathhouse.

“She needs …” Callie started.

“She needs milk!” exclaimed Jesca.

“... milk!” Callie finished, before realizing that Jesca already knew what to do. “The kitchen will have it! Go! Use Dash. I’ll be right behind you!”

Jesca nodded, turned, and took off in a streak of light, Artemis racing after her in a sprinting gallop to catch up.

Jumping down from the porch, Callie started to chase after as well.

“Callie!” Vanis called, urgency in his voice.

Screeching to a halt, Callie looked back, angry at being stopped. “What!”

“Clothes!”

Callie looked down, suddenly realizing that all she was wearing was her loose shirt, underwear and a pair of wet socks, the buttons on the shirt undone and letting in a goodly amount of air. “Oh for fuck’s sake!” she growled to herself. Hugging her top fully closed, she quickly ran back inside. Behind her, she heard a wolf-whistle from someone.

Apparently, unlike socks on the damn door handle, catcalls were universal.