Callie's Heroes

PART II - NOT GREAT; NOT TERRIBLE

Tazrok rushed Lena into the showers, charging into the empty female side of the building. Vanis followed right behind, rushing around him to pull the chains that would turn the water on. Since it was one of the normal-sized stalls, Tazrok simply sat on the floor, cradling Lena’s unconscious form face-down while both of them were drenched. The water was only a stopgap, though, able to slow or temporarily halt the burning reaction, but not able to remove the oils.

Having awkwardly run back into Ogre House, Callie retrieved fresh clothes from her footlocker. Finished with tending to Pixyl, Xin rushed after Lena, presumably to repair her punctured rear and maybe cure the poison that knocked her out. Pixyl was still lying on her bed, groaning a bit with a hand to her forehead, still fuzzy from her Flashstep header into the door, but seeming to be getting it together.

Callie dressed quickly, and then got a set of new clothes from Pixyl’s footlocker for her as well. Sitting up, but still holding her head, the Pixie grudgingly accepted help from Callie getting dressed. “What happened?” she asked with a groan.

“You Flashstepped right into the door, you beautiful goof,” Callie said, trying to put on a bit of a smile. “Up to now, how many times have you used that skill?” she asked as she hooked Pixyl’s binder into place.

“Um … just twice?” Pixyl said, a bit of a questioning inflection to her shaky voice.

“Maybe you should get a little better with it in open areas before you try something like that again?” Callie suggested rhetorically. As she buttoned Pixyl’s tunic for her, Callie realized part of her was oddly enjoying helping Pixyl get dressed. It felt intimate, without being necessarily sexual, and she felt closer to her girlfriend because of it. A vision of doing this as a pair of old ladies in some far distant future then unexpectedly danced through her head.

“Lena!” Pixyl suddenly shouted, eyes going wide, finally remembering what all had happened a short time before. “Is she okay? She needs m-m-milk!”

“Hey, hey … they took her to the showers and Jesca went for the milk,” Callie said with a soothing tone, holding a pair of pants open so Pixyl could slide off the bed into them. “We’ll go see how we can help as soon as you are able, okay? I think they’ve got everything in hand. Do you know what happened? Something about firelice. Doesn’t sound friendly, whatever it is.”

Now standing, Pixyl was mostly refocused and gestured towards her boots, where a pair of socks had been pre-stuffed. “They are a little green b-b-beetle,” she said as Callie put the boots before her and started helping with the socks. “Usually, they are harmless, but if they feel threatened, they spray an oil that melts skin and hair. It’s super sticky, too, so you can’t just w-w-wipe it away.”

“And milk? I’m guessing it neutralizes it?”

Pixyl responded with a quick nod. “That’s right.”

Soon, socks and boots on, Pixyl stretched her body long to get her clothes comfortable. Confirming she was able to see and walk straight, the two jogged over towards the bathhouse just as Jesca sprinted up, using her charge of Beastmaster Dash for the return trip from the kitchens. In each hand was an oversized waterskin, presumably filled with milk.

“I got what I could, but Pama is replicating more from the last little bit,” Jesca said. “They are all inside?”

“Where’s Artemis?”

“I recalled her. She won’t be happy, but I didn’t want her to get in the way.”

Callie nodded, and together the three entered, finding Tazrok sitting, still holding Lena face down across his lap, her head under the falling water. Xin was kneeling, tending carefully to Lena’s bottom. While the punctures weren’t necessarily large, they were deep and bloody, the three spikes in her tail almost fifteen centimeters long when fully extended. As a result, the Shaman was focusing on using her slow healing spell, rebuilding the damage layer by layer.

“I’ve got some milk,” Jesca said.

“Water off!” Tazrok grunted pointing up, and Vanis quickly grabbed the chains to close the overhead valve. “Pour milk,” he said, then looked at Jesca. “Will need more.”

“I know, they’re bringing it,” Jesca confirmed as she handed off the first oversized waterskin.

Vanis knelt, pulling the stopper and pouring steadily over Lena’s head and her upturned hands. As he did, it was quickly apparent the amount of damage the Firelice had done. Long locks of hair had broken and washed away from Lena’s scalp, forming an ever-growing pile on the floor. Her head was red with the oil, and even blistered in a couple places, and Callie was silently thankful that her friend was unconscious at the moment.

“More!” Tazrok said, pointing at Jesca for the second waterskin of milk. Just as the first, Vanis slowly poured the white liquid over Lena’s head and hands. More and more hair was being dislodged, though.

“What’s going on here?” Callie heard a voice outside say. She quickly recognized it as the Commandant, probably coming by for their morning shower. “All of you disperse. Now!”

“The Commandant is here,” Callie warned in a loud whisper. Everyone was so focused on what they were doing or watching, she wasn’t sure who heard her.

“Recruits?” Xera asked with a puzzled expression as they walked in, before quickly jogging up to see what was going on. They saw the prone figure being covered in milk. “Firelice?”

“It appears so. More milk is coming.” Vanis said, standing, the second waterskin now empty. “Hopefully this has slowed the effects.”

“How is she?”

“Not great. Not terrible,” Tazrok answered, glancing up at the Commandant and putting everything succinctly.

“Why is she unconscious, and why is her rear bleeding and being healed, for that matter?”

“She was screaming. And wiggling too much. I fixed that.” Xin snapped, the spikes in her tail popping out for the briefest of moments to explain how. “I am repairing the holes.” She returned to focusing her spell.

Xera made an approving sound. “Good thinking, Recruit. Is it just her head?”

“The palms of her hands too,” Vanis clarified.

“No offense to your skills, Recruit Xinchaine, but more-expert healing may be required to address the skin damage. Even then, it may require extensive work, since Firelice oil does damage similar to an acid. I’ll send word for Trainer Cheena. She’s probably the best Healer in camp for this.”

If Xin was offended in any way, she didn’t show it, or maybe hadn’t heard the comment. Xera stepped outside, and Callie heard a sharp whistle, which she assumed was to call a Sprite down. Not sure what else to do, Callie, Pixyl and Jesca just sort of stood around. They didn’t want to leave, but didn’t really have a good reason to stay. They stayed anyway. Lena was their cabinmate and friend.

Eventually, Vanis had to turn the water back on when the milk residue started to get dry enough that the remaining oil’s reaction was resuming, once again drenching both Lena and Tazrok. For his part, the huge Ogre simply sat still, a worried look on his face as he watched through the falling rain while Xin worked.

Before long, more milk arrived, transported from the kitchen by nearly a dozen Goblins, each carrying a large waterskin, or two smaller ones. Callie and the other girls helped bring everything inside, the male Goblins not wanting to enter the ladies side of the building for some reason. Tazrok still wasn’t sure it would be enough, but once again the water was turned off and Vanis restarted dousing Lena’s head and hands. While he did that, Xin finished her healing on Lena’s bottom, before standing and backing out of the way.

“I can cure my sleeping poison in her body, but she will awaken,” Xin said. “I do not wish for her to wake to pain.”

“Let’s wait until it’s all been neutralized,” Xera suggested as they quietly observed.

NEW SKILL: STICKY WEB ARROW

NEW MELDED SKILL: SUMMON GRAPPLING HOOK

MELDED SKILL EVOLUTION: SUMMON TURRET to SUMMON MODULAR TURRET

NEW SYNERGIZED CLASS PERK: BASIC HERBALISM

NEW CLASS PERK: ENDURANCE (WILDERNESS)

NEW OFF-CLASS SKILL: SIGIL OF AMPLIFICATION (IRON TIER)

NEW OFF-CLASS LEARNED SKILL: INSPIRING MELODY (IRON TIER)

NEW OFF-CLASS LEARNED SKILL: SEASON (IRON TIER)

NEW OFF-CLASS LEARNED PERK: MUSICIAN - HAND-HELD CHORDOPHONES

I APOLOGIZE I COULD NOT HOLD OFF ANY LONGER

“Oh shit!” Callie exclaimed, her eyes going wide in surprise and worry.

“Recruit?” Xera asked.

“I just got all my Silver reveals! With all of this, I forgot that was going to happen.”

“Sit! Quickly!”

Running over to the wall of the shower stall, Callie slid down to the wet floor, closing her eyes and waiting for the inevitable. A second later, someone took her hand, giving it a kiss as their tiny body slid down the wall next to her. Arms reached around her and held tight. Then it came. The all-too-familiar vertigo of new things being revealed slammed into her. Like she had done at Bronze, Pixyl’s tight grip kept her from floating away as the world spun.

Callie wasn’t sure how much time passed, but the world finally seemed to settle into something right-side-up, and the sounds of her loud heartbeat and hard breathing faded from her ears. Slowly she opened her eyes, seeing Pixyl was still holding on tight, while Jesca had taken up a spot sitting on the other side, likewise embracing her. For the briefest of moments, the world was simply perfect.

“Congratulations on reaching Silver, Recruit,” Xera said, with a nod towards Callie when the Gnome finally seemed focused.

“Thanks,” Callie groaned weakly. “Jesca got it this morning too, right?”

The Cheetahkin nodded. “I did, just after I woke up, before I went running. I didn’t make it to Bronze with Beastmaster, though. I think that might come tomorrow, or the next day.”

“Equal congratulations to you as well, Recruit Jesca,” Xera added. “Recruit Callie, I find it interesting it took so long for your new skills to be revealed. Usually they come quite quickly after waking.”

“Yeah, they said they held off as long as they could.”

“They? They who?” Xera asked, tilting their head.

“Sorry. I meant my Symbiote. We were talking before Lena woke me up, and there was a message at the end apologizing for not being able to wait any longer.”

“You talked to it again? How long has it been?” Jesca asked, eyes going wide.

“The last time was when I got Bronze. We actually had a fascinating conversation last night about how magic works, until Lena broke it up with her screaming.”

“Interesting,” Xera said contemplatively. “Master Trainer Thorn will be quite intrigued that you apparently spoke again. Master Healer Tasi, as well.”

“Of course, this is assuming I’m not …” Callie began.

The conversation was interrupted by Trainer Cheena running in, slightly winded. "I received word I was needed, but the Sprite didn't say why," she said.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Xera said, breaking from the conversation while ushering Cheena towards the shower stall.

"Good morning, Xin," she said as she walked past the Lizardkin. "Oh my! Is this from firelice? How badly is she hurt?"

"Not great. Not terrible,” Tazrok grunted, repeating himself.

"How did this happen?" Cheena asked in additional worry as she knelt, pointing to Lena's bloody underwear and the three evident holes in it.

"She was moving much and making annoying noises, so I put her to sleep," Xin said. "I have repaired the damage."

"Her tail," Xera clarified to the confused Cheena. "It was quick thinking on her part, actually. She may wake with a headache, but it surely prevented her from hurting herself further."

Cheena pulled back Lena’s underwear slightly, exposing the injured cheek. There wasn’t so much as a pink spot to show where the wounds had been. “For as much as you dislike healing, this is very good work, Xin.”

It was almost as if you could see the Lizardkin blush with the praise, despite her scaly face.

The ongoing application of milk to Lena’s head and hand finally seemed to be having the desired effect. The red oils on her skin had slowly become hard before cracking, and were now flaking off in large pieces, apparently rendered inert. The skin left behind looked pink and quite tender, and several large blisters or boils could be seen.

“I agree with your assessment, Tazrok,” Cheena said, wincing as she pointed to another area that needed a little more milk. “This could have been much, much worse. Still, there’s a lot of damage.” She looked up at Xera. “I can repair most of it, but I’m not sure she’ll be able to regrow hair. Probably not, in fact.”

“Oh no,” Callie groaned in sympathy. “She’s been growing it out since she was a kid. She’s not going to handle this well.”

“The poor thing,” Cheena cooed, almost sounding motherly. “How did she get firelice? There might be some nests out in the forest, but the beetles only come out at night. There’s none here in the camp that I’m aware of.”

“She sneaks out,” Pixyl said, “after everyone is asleep. She likes to think we d-d-don’t notice.”

“Why?”

“She’s … uh … quite close to Dregorio,” Vanis said, clearing his throat with the implied innuendo.

“She must have lain down on a nest in the dark,” Cheena said, looking back with sympathy. “They could have climbed into her long hair. When she took it down, they must have felt threatened and then … this.”

“Should have just tied a sock to the door,” Callie groused quietly, shooting Vanis a mild dose of stink-eye while making sure he heard her.

“Your cabin will need to be cleaned of any potential pests,” Xera said. “I’ll inform Kela’s people to get it addressed by this afternoon.” They gestured towards the barely clothed Tazrok and Vanis. “Shake out your clothes outside before you put them on, however. If any of the creatures fall out, stomp on them before they can hurt someone else. We can’t have them becoming an infestation again.” Tazrok was shirtless, wearing a pair of pants with the legs unbuttoned to make them shorts, while Vanis was the opposite, wearing a half-buttoned shirt, but only underwear for bottoms. Nobody really cared about modesty at the moment.

In fact, complete modesty had become largely impractical in this environment. Nobody was intentionally running around naked or anything, except maybe Jesca nearly-so on her morning runs. Yet, occasional glimpses happened, and it just wasn’t as big of a deal at this point as it was in those first days. Within Ogre House, the clothes-hating Xin slept nude, Lena had reduced to only her binder and underwear, occasionally forgoing the top part after sneaking back in from a late night with Dregorio, and Vanis would occasionally remove his shirt for sleep if it was warm. Callie and Pixyl had both been a shirt-and-underwear girl up until they got together. In the privacy of the blanket fort they could lose the tops, as well sometimes the bottoms, though they were making sure to fool around only when alone.

After turning the shower back on, Tazrok effortlessly held Lena’s limp form upright so the falling water could wash away any remaining flakes of the neutralized oil. She’d still need a proper shower from all the milk and such at some point once she was conscious, though. Unfortunately, washing away those remnants truly revealed the extent of the damage. Nearly all of her hair was gone, the majority of it in a sloppy, spaghetti-like pile on the floor. In addition to the blisters, in a few places the skin on her head looked a little deformed, as if it had been partially melted.

After Tazrok removed Lena from the water, Cheena winced as she examined Lena’s scalp, before directing Tazrok to set the Elf against the wall while Vanis turned the water off. “I can heal these blisters easily enough right now, but the skin deformities will need a better environment to regrow new skin, and more-concentrated healing. I want to do this together with Rowani, and will also need some time to prepare a skin tonic. We can work on it this evening in one of the recovery tents.“ She looked up at everyone. “It will take a few hours, but her head and hands will be scar-free when we’re finished, and she’ll retain all feeling, I am sure of that.”

“But no hair,” Callie said dryly.

“Just this, I’m afraid,” Cheena said, moving a long, single, still-attached lock off where it had been wetly sticking to Lena’s face.

“We need to be here when she wakes up,” Callie said.

“Why?” Xera asked.

“She’s our cabinmate, our family, and we’re her people. We’ll be with her when she wakes up.” Callie tried to set a firm tone to make it clear it wasn’t an option.

“She’s right, Commandant,” Vanis agreed. “We must be with her.”

“Very well,” Xera said simply. “I’ll give each of you until the midday meal, but then you will return to training.” Everyone nodded and agreed. Xera gestured her head to Lena. “She can have the day, if she wants it.”

“I’ll need about ten to fifteen minutes on these blisters first,” Cheena said, holding Lena’s hands. “Someone fetch her clothes in the meantime. The rest of you should dress as well. We can wake her once I’m finished and you’re all back.”