Callie's Heroes

PART I - THE QUEEN OF THE MARANDINE PITS

About thirty minutes after Tazrok and Major Celeste left, the clear call-to-muster bell could be heard. Word had rapidly spread among the recruits of the upcoming public punishment, with rumors of public limb removal by the Ogre running rampant, with mixed amounts of seriousness. As a result, many were morbidly curious as to what might happen, while others were looking a little pale at the prospects.

Within minutes of the first bell, staff were going from house to house ordering all recruits to head to the parade grounds immediately, and to drop whatever they may have been doing to pass the time. With a slow, unorganized march, the sixty-plus recruits began to gather, with the shorter races naturally moving towards the front, while the taller ones such as Kodan stood in the rear. As they arrived, the Rhinokin and the Wolfkin were both pulled out of formation, as were their two fellow Dwarves. They were all nervous, but the two Beastkin were trying to make light of the situation as much as they dared.

Callie and the other four from Ogre House gathered in a small group to one side of the formation, with she and Pixyl taking up spots at the front where their view wouldn’t be blocked.

“Recruit Vanis.”

Vanis turned to see the Warlock Trainer, Terrin, approaching. “Trainer Terrin,” he acknowledged with a nod of his head. “All is well?”

“It is,” Terrin replied, joining the five. “Everyone seems to be excited about what the Ogre may do. Any hints?”

“He wouldn’t tell us anything,” Lena said with a shrug.

“We have a small wagering pool going as to what the punishment might actually be,” Terrin said with a sly smile. “So far only the Major knows what he really has planned. My money is on a public spanking.”

“Knowing Tazrok,” Lena said, “It will probably be something to remember. He’s taking his responsibilities as ‘Corporal Punishment’ incredibly seriously. Although I think most of the dismemberment rumors were started by the Major to insert a little fear.”

“As I understand, Recruit Dunni is going to be part of the event?” Vanis asked.

“Yes. It seemed fitting given his absolute fuckup earlier today,” Terrin hissed angrily. “That reminds me, I wanted to personally thank you, Vanis, for your help eliminating the demon. I didn’t arrive in time to see your actions, but for a first casting of Nether Hold, even the temporary delay you provided was admirable.”

“You are too kind,” Vanis said.

Terrin looked at Pixyl and bowed just slightly. “And I especially want to thank you, Recruit. If not for you, I fear things could have gone catastrophically for the rest of the recruits on the field. We certainly would have lost a few.”

“G-G-Glad I was able to help,” Pixyl said, blushing slightly and shrugging nervously. Her wings fluttered slightly with embarrassment.

“You both did more than you think,” Terrin said. “In addition to defeating the Demon, you both set an example to the rest of the recruits, and a standard for all of them now to strive for. I’ve been a trainer here since the camp’s inception, and while we always have a few stand-out recruits that others try to measure up to, this is the first time it has happened before training has even begun.”

“You are far too gracious,” Vanis said with another bow of his head.

“Tell me, Recruit Vanis,” Terris said inquisitively, “if it was your call, given what happened, what do you think would be an appropriate punishment for Recruit Dunilalwal? I’m curious as to your thoughts.”

Vanis paused a moment before answering. “If the scenario played out as it did, and no one was killed or permanently injured, it would depend on how contrite Dunni was. If he showed no remorse or appreciation for what a mistake he made, I’d immediately eject him from camp, sending him to the front. It would likely result in the recovery of his worm quite quickly.”

“That’s cold, Vanis,” Callie said.

“And if he realized the error of his ways?” Terrin asked, ignoring the little Gnome. “What would you do then?”

“Besides having him face the mysterious public punishment from Tazrok?” Vanis said, gesturing towards the stage. “Assuming he was apologetic, and seemed to realize he needed to play by the rules, take his training seriously, and that there were no shortcuts, then minimal punishment. Perhaps make-work in the kitchen or around the grounds for a day or two, or house confinement for a few days. But it would do little good to waste a potential fully-trained Warlock who realized the folly of his ways. Plus a warning that should something like it ever happen again, the resulting punishment would not be at all lenient.”

Terrin nodded appraisingly. “Interesting. I had much the same thought. Thankfully, Dunni was very apologetic about the whole thing; I think the demon’s head landing at his feet when the Pixie sliced it off may have helped. You had recommended that he might need a good scare to get him to take his training seriously, and it looks like he got exactly that.”

“You’re letting him off?” Callie said with shock. “Pixyl almost died!”

“It was f-f-fine,” Pixyl said, trying to calm Callie. “I was n-n-never in any r-r-real danger.”

“There was a Gold Tier Druid right there,” Terrin said, “and all the officers present had healing potions. If Tazrok hadn’t cast his spell in a few more seconds, Trainer Rowani would have taken over.”

“But seriously? You’re just letting him off?” Callie asked again.

“Let’s just say that he is on probation,” Terrin said with a nod. “If he fucks up again… well … he had best hope he doesn’t fuck up again.”

“At least Tazrok will be able to punish him,” Xin suggested to Callie as a consolation.

“Well, he better make it worthwhile, then,” Callie grumped in response.

“What would you have done if someone had been permanently injured or killed?” Lena asked both Terrin and Vanis.

The two Warlocks looked at each other, and then Vanis glanced sidelong at Callie.

“He would have been hanged,” Terrin said flatly. “At least we’d get our worm back.”

Callie gasped, and then gulped.

“You need to understand, Little One,” Terrin said. “He intentionally disobeyed direct orders not to summon anything. Orders designed to prevent exactly what happened from happening. If someone had died? It would have been out of my hands.”

“And your verdict, Vanis?” Lena asked.

Vanis glanced once again at Callie before hesitantly responding. “It would have been a matter for a Military Tribunal at that point. However, I would have made the case for mercy, as it happened before training had even formally begun. He’d be on probation, and if he was to disobey the rules up again, the Tribunal’s punishment would stand. Let us be thankful it did not play out that way.”

Callie frowned hearing those words coming from her friend’s mouth. Logically, she got it. People who got people killed needed to be dealt with, and the rules were far different in the military. Heck, the rules were different here in general than they were back home. But it was still hard to imagine a summary execution for what was an incompetent mistake. Callie realized that she might need to have a conversation with Vanis about how the criminal justice system worked here.

“I must take my leave,” Terrin said. “It was good to speak, Recruit Vanis.” With a nod to both Lena and Vanis, he added, “Duwana.”

“Duwanai,” the two Elves responded in unison.

“Recruit Pixyl,” Terrin said, “might I have a word with you in private?”

Pixyl pointed towards herself, surprised. “Um, okay.”

Terrin turned and began to walk away, the little Pixie trailing behind him with a confused look on her face.

The remaining four watched their friend go, before Callie interrupted their thoughts. “You told me yesterday to be extra observant, so tell me if I have this right. ‘Duwana’ and ‘Duwanai’? That would be some kind of an Elven goodbye, right? I’ve only seen it between you and other Elves.”

Vanis and Lena looked at each other. “Essentially,” Vanis said, “although there is a little more history to it than that.”

“Oh?”

“It’s really just used as a farewell today, but originally it was used as a statement that said ‘this conversation has ended’. Queen Duwana, a Legacy Queen in one of the other kingdoms perhaps eighty years ago, and still a Queen Regent mind you, was famous for putting her foot down to end bickering about a subject, stating debate was over and the topic would no longer be discussed unless there was a new reason to.”

“So her name, the word ‘Duwana’, evolved to mean exactly that, and the response is an acknowledgement?” Callie said.

“Essentially,” Lena said with a shrug. “Although over the years it has become just as much a common farewell as anything, I suppose. The important thing is, that it is only said between Elves.”

“Why?”

“Cultural?” Vanis said, also shrugging. “It just … is. I’m not quite sure why that is the case, but if you or Xin were to say it, or to respond, it would be considered a social misstep.”

“Huh. Good to know, then,” Callie said with a shrug. “At least I didn’t put my foot in it trying to emulate you two with that one.”

Pixyl and Trainer Terrin walked a short distance away to get away from the crowd. Terrin kept his pace slow so the Pixie did not have to race to keep up, which was both polite and showed he’d spent enough time around the small people to know to do so. Pixyl was curious what Terrin might possibly want with her, unless it was something related to the Fairy that did the Demon summoning.

Terrin waved at someone, and soon, Master Trainer Thorn joined the two.

Thorn gave Pixyl a welcoming nod, before turning. “Trainer Terrin, you wanted to speak with me in private? I have little time, unfortunately. They want me on the stage for this … event with the Ogre.”

“I’m short on time, as well. They have me also playing a part, apparently. This should not take long, though.”

Coming to one of the class tents, Terrin checked for occupants and then motioned Pixyl and Terrin inside. He took a seat on one of the seat pillows and invited the others to do the same.

“I apologize for taking you away from your housemates,” Trainer Terrin began, speaking to Pixyl. “I thought this might be a conversation the three of us would want to have in private.”

Pixyl furrowed her blue brow. “What’s wr-wr-wrong?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Nothing is wrong,” Terrin apologized. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

“That’s g-g-good at least.”

Terrin cleared his throat. “About a year ago, maybe fourteen months, I was in the city of Marandine visiting some old Warlock compatriots of mine.”

Pixyl’s face immediately lost all its color, and she swallowed hard.

“While I was there, my colleagues and I went to see some of the local arena fights. Specifically, this was a bit of a … shall we say … off-the-path arena.” Terrin looked uncharacteristically sheepish. “I’ll admit it’s a weakness of mine that I still enjoy attending the underground fight clubs. Something I picked up a hundred years ago when I was much younger.”

Pixyl said nothing, but she was feeling quite worried now.

“Still visiting the Pits, I see?” Thorn said with a chuckle. “I had no idea that was still something you did.”

“It’s one of my few vices, Thorn. You wouldn’t deny an old man some joy, would you?”

“Not at all. I still remember that time you and …”

“We don’t really need to talk about that time,” Terrin interrupted while clearing his throat. He gestured with his head towards a very confused Pixyl.

“I suppose we don’t,” Thorn replied with a chuckle.

Terrin sat up straight again to get back on topic. “As I was saying, while I was in Marandine, one of the more interesting matches I witnessed was between a small, blue-haired Pixie fighting with two swords against not one, not two, but three Iron Tier Fiends. Remarkably, this Pixie handled that fight without even breaking a sweat, her swords … her glowing swords … finally slicing through the Demons like they were made of fabric. They called her the ‘Pit Queen’. That was you, wasn’t it.”

Pixyl nodded slowly , wondering where this conversation was going. She was the only Pixie in the Marandine Pits, so there would be little point in trying to deny it.

“Seriously?” Thorn said with shock. “She fought in the Pits?” He turned to Pixyl. “You fought in the Pits?” Pixyl just shrugged her shoulders.

“At the time,” Terrin continued, “I thought you were using normal swords in the arena and they were just enchanted to glow for the crowd, at my distance I didn’t realize you were actually manifesting them. You should know, you cost me ten Gold Crowns!”

“You bet against me?” Pixyl said incredulously, raising one eyebrow.

Terrin winced. “In my defense, it was three demons and you’re …” He gestured vaguely towards all of Pixyl. “I thought for sure someone would have to intervene. But I’ll say this, it was worth every Crown to watch you fight. I heard yesterday we had a Pixie Bladeweaver here this session, but didn’t make the connection until I saw you on the training field and recognized your blue hair.”

“This one was easy. I’ve fought Silver T-T-Tier Fiends and Nether Hounds. Up to three Bronze Nether Hounds at once, t-t-too,” Pixyl said flatly with a shrug. “Even a dozen Imps at one time.” She wasn’t bragging, just being honest, but she was curious what Terrin’s reaction might be.

“You have? And you’re only Iron?” Thorn said. “That would be a sight to see.”

“It certainly would,” Terrin agreed.

“W-W-Why are you telling me this?” Pixyl asked, still confused.

“Right, of course, my apologies. Earlier I was quite serious when I said the way you and Vanis dispatched that Fiend set an example to the other recruits. As I’m sure you’re aware, when it comes to magic, confidence and morale matter as much as anything, especially when it relates to combat magic. Showing half the recruits that a Pixie, of all people, was able to easily hold off and then kill a Demon will do more to inspire many than any words or Aura we could bestow upon them.”

“It was only Iron T-T-Tier,” Pixyl scoffed dismissively.

“Yes, but they don’t know that,” Terrin said with a chuckle. “By the time they realize it, they’ll have enough confidence that it won't matter.”

Pixyl narrowed her eyes, suspecting there was an ask coming. “W-W-What do you want from m-m-me?”

“Yes,” Thorn agreed. “What are you planning?”

“Am I that transparent?” Terrin asked.

Pixyl shrugged in return. “Usually people w-w-want something from m-m-me.”

Terrin winced. “Then I will apologize for my brazen request. Normally as we progress through the training program, we will have the recruits battle stronger and stronger summoned Demons. We even have high-ranking Warlocks arriving in a few weeks to help keep up with the demand for summonings. With you here, we have a unique opportunity. I would like to use you as our … demonstrator … to the rest of the recruits when we introduce new Demons at the higher Tiers.”

“Why?” Pixyl asked, her look confused.

“Yes, Terrin, what are you hoping to accomplish?” Thorn asked, echoing the Pixie’s question.

“For two reasons. First, I believe seeing a tiny Pixie fighting and winning against the higher-tier summons will be inspirational. Far more than simply seeing one of their instructors doing the demonstrations. I assure you, Pixyl, it will all be safe and controlled, or as safe as we are able to make it, and you won’t have your suppressors holding you back if you don’t want them.”

Instinctively Pixyl felt for the leather band around her left bicep, covered by her tunic’s sleeve. She had a flashback to fumbling through the torn hole, looking for the band in all that sticky, wet blood. Her blood. An involuntary shiver went up her spine, causing her wings to twitch.

Thorn scratched his furry chin as he contemplated Terrin’s reasoning.

“Second, and more importantly,” the Warlock continued, “I think you are well-suited to doing these demonstrations because you know how to control a fight to keep it from ending too quickly. You could have ended that fight in the Pits at any time, but you dragged it out, didn’t you? For the crowd?”

Pixyl nodded skeptically.

“Military combatants are trained to end the fight as quickly as possible, Recruit Pixyl, but you would be able to prolong it, just like you do to build excitement in the Pits. If you can do that, the recruits will be able to see all the power of the Demons in action before you finally end it. That is immeasurably helpful.”

“Interesting idea,” Thorn said. “It certainly would change those demonstration dynamics.”

Pixyl pondered the request some more. Could she do this? She had been the reluctant center of attention so many times in the past, even if she hated it. Was this really any different than all the times in the Pits? There, all she had to do, after all, was to get into the ring, put on a show, fight some Demons or other summoning for a while, and finish with a flourish. Pixyl’s instructions always were to stretch out the fights and make them look harder than they were, so that the bets stacked up. This was basically what Trainer Terrin was asking for here, although his reasoning was different.

“I know it’s a big request,” Terrin said defensively. “It’s just that you are an obvious expert in hand-to-hand Demon combat, and presumably the only Recruit here with significant experience fighting any of them. I didn’t want to …”

“I’ll d-d-do it,” Pixyl said curtly.

“You will?” both Terrin and Thorn said together.

“Yes. But in exchange for t-t-two things.”

Terrin’s face fell slightly. “What would those be?”

Pixy held up a finger.. “First, teach me the spell Banish Demon.” If she was going to be fighting armies of Demons, additional skill options were always good, and it would be an incredibly useful and showy spell to use in Pit fights.

The Warlock cocked his head. “I … might be able to do that. Bladeweavers are a Wizard Hybrid, right Thorn?”

“They are, Wizard and Warrior, with the Wizard being primary.” the Ratkin Trainer confirmed. “It would take some work, but not as much as something outside of one of her Hybrid classes.”

Terrin pondered before nodding. “I’ll see if I am able to track down training materials for the skill. With all my students learning it via Symbiote, I don’t keep any here. It might take a week or two to put it all together. As for training, once you have learned the skill, Vanis would be able to assist by summoning Demons for you to practice the spell on; or really any of the Warlock recruits could help for that matter. Any concerns with that, Thorn?”

“I don’t think so, as long as your recruits are able to keep their summons under control. And only on the training field, obviously. You’ll want to coordinate with Olin, though, to make sure her Bladeweaver studies aren’t interrupted.”

“I'll be sure to do that. Pixyl, I’m sorry to ask so directly, but are you able to read?” Terrin said with an awkward wince.

Pixyl nodded, not insulted by the question, but curious if her speaking problems were part of the reason Terrin wanted to know. “I am. It’s only m-m-my mouth that d-d-doesn’t work.”

“No! Terrin said quickly. “That wasn’t why I was asking! It’s simply much easier to get the instruction tomes if the student is able to. There are instructions for non-readers, but as you can imagine they are not as common and would be more difficult to locate. I’d probably have to order something from the Nexus Library in that case.”

Pixyl relaxed, glad that her stutter wasn’t the reason for Terrin’s question. It was far too often people simply assumed she was stupid because she couldn’t speak right. Rarely, she could take advantage of that naivety by playing the part, but more often it was just frustrating.

“What was your other requirement?” Terrin asked.

“You owe me t-t-ten Crowns,” Pixyl shot Terrin a mischievous grin, “for betting against me.”