PART I - AFTERCARE

It took a few moments for Callie to collect her wits as she was plunged from the bright white of the dreamlike conversation with her Symbiote to a near total darkness. Vague noises could be heard in the distance, like the muffled sound of people talking. Callie groaned and the speaking stopped.

“Callie?” called a distant, echoing voice.

With her head swimming, Callie attempted to reach up to her head and found she couldn’t move. There was a pressure about her pinning her arms to her body. Opening her eyes, she was unable to see. A panic began to set in.

“Hey hey,” said a soothing voice, growing close.

“I can’t move,” Callie said hoarsely.

“You’ve been out a while, so you were restrained,” the voice said again, this time more familiar. “And you have a blindfold on.”

Callie remembered she was going to be blindfolded when she woke up, and the panic related to her sight lessened slightly.

“Lena?” Callie croaked out. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, I’m here, Callie.”

“What’s going on?”

“Excuse me,” an unknown male voice said. “Let me get to her.”

Callie felt someone move Lena away, and take her place.

“Good evening. I am Healer Fidas. You are restrained for your own protection as we were worried. You were out much longer than normal. I need to ask you some questions, and I need you to concentrate on answering and being completely truthful. Are you able to do that?”

Callie shook her head to clear it, causing her mind to swim in dizziness. It took a moment, but she got the vertigo under control before saying, “Yeah. I think so.”

“Do you know your name and where you are?”

“Um,” Callie fumbled. “My name is Callie, and I’m tied up on a bed, I think. In a military camp.”

“Close enough,” the voice said. “Now, I need to know if your Symbiote rejected you.”

“I think it accepted me,” Callie said, remembering back to her emoji-based conversation. “It seemed like it wanted to. Is there a way I can tell?”

“Hey Little One,” a new voice said as a hand touched her shoulder. “It’s Vanis. Try this, and see if you get a response. Take a deep, calming breath or two and think hard to yourself the words ‘What is my Class’. Try to be as calm as you can.”

“Okay,” Callie said weakly. She took in a deep breath, held it a moment and then blew it out through her pursed lips. She did it a second time, finally feeling her mind overcoming the sense of panic that was beginning to build, if even for a moment.

What is my Class?

CLASS: RANGER

The answer came to her not as a voice, or as printed words before her or as anything remotely describable. It burst into her mind from nowhere and everywhere all at once. It simply answered the question, saying definitively what her class was.

“Ranger,” Callie said, quietly. “It’s Ranger,” she said again.

A noticeable sense of relief filled the blackness around her. Callie could hear both Lena and Vanis release a held breath.

“Thank goodness,” Lena said with a gasp, followed quickly by a groan. “Shit! I have to lie back down, the room is spinning again.” Callie heard the sound of someone shuffling onto the neighboring bunk.

“Recruit Vanis, you should lie down as well,” Healer Fidas said. “Don’t push yourself.”

“Agreed,” Vanis said with a tinge of a moan. “Callie, we’re all here, although the rest of the group may be asleep. With the new Symbiotes, we all feel quite drunk, so we’re just keeping still.”

“What’s wrong with being drunk?” Callie asked, feeling her own buzzing as she did.

“Ask a cup of water,” Lena moaned.

“Just stay still,” Fidas said. “Are you sure your Symbiote has bonded with you?”

“Yeah,” Callie said. “We had a long conversation and everything.”

“You …” Fidas trailed off, sounding puzzled. “You spoke to your Symbiote?”

“Well, I spoke. They only responded in pictures and sounds, though.”

“That is very … strange. I have never heard of anyone speaking with their Symbiote. I know I never have. Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?”

Callie resisted the urge to snap an answer, and took a calming breath. Could it have been a dream? Possibly. But it felt so real. Finally, she said “I don’t know. I think it was real, but I have no idea, really.”

“Hmm,” the Healer pondered. “May I have your permission to have someone scry you? It will not be painful. I just wish to confirm your Symbiote is in place.”

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“Sure. Whatever you need to do,” Callie said.

“Thank you. I’ll return as soon as I can locate a Scryer. There should be one close by.”

Callie heard Fidas walk away and the front door open. She concentrated on staying calm, and ignoring the bindings that were making her legs sore. A moment later, a pair of footsteps returned to her bedside.

“Little One,” someone said in a quiet voice. “It’s Scryer Yulayla, from the intake line. Fidas has asked me to confirm your Symbiote is in place. It will not need to be the painful scry.”

“I understand. If you need to do the deeper one, though, just let me know.”

Callie felt a tingly, buzzing sensation throughout her body. Combined with the intoxicated spinning, the probing actually felt warm and embracing, like a snuggly blanket, fresh from the dryer.

“I can indeed see your Symbiote in place,” Yulayla finally said. “Although your class still does not show. How odd.”

“What? But when I asked what my class is, it said Ranger. I don’t understand,” Callie whined.

“I don’t either. It must still be a remnant from your memory loss. However, the important part is that your Symbiote appears firmly attached. There is no indication it has rejected you. We’ll know definitively soon if your skills begin to be revealed to you.”

“Thank you, Yulayla,” Fidas said. “Miss Callie, that is why you are restrained, you were unconscious much longer than normal, and I was worried you might disturb your Symbiote when you woke, if it was rejecting you. This would cause it to release its brain toxin.”

“Thanks for thinking of that,” Callie said

“Have you need of anything else?” Yulayla asked quietly.

“No. Thank you for your help.”

“Very good. I’ll see myself out.”

Footsteps faded as Fidas returned his attention to Callie. “I will untie your binds, don’t move your arms and legs too much right away, and do not remove your blindfold. I will take care of that next.”

Fidas fumbled with what must have been long strips of cloth and Callie’s arms were freed. She immediately had to resist the urge to touch her head or remove the blindfold. Even moving her arms caused her head to swim.

“Easy,” Fidas said quietly, pressing Callie’s arms back to her side. “Stay still.” He worked the cloth around her knees and another binding around her ankles, fully freeing her legs. The blood rushing into the fully-open circulation was prickly, and a jolt to Callie.

“I will remove your blindfold now. There was some bleeding from your ear, which is expected. This will cause the bandage to stick as I remove it, which can be unsettling. I know it was for me. Do not touch your ear, understand?”

“Uh huh,” Callie said.

The cloth wrapped tightly around Callie’s head was slowly undone. Each time the loop was removed from over her right ear, it caught on the dried blood and had to be pulled slightly to come undone. It wasn’t painful, but it was very weird to hear that crunching sound and feel the pulling, knowing what it was from.

“Keep your eyes closed and open them slowly,” Fidas said as he worked on the last loop of cloth.

Callie did so, and the Healer deftly finished the removal. Slowly Callie opened her eyes to a dimly-lit room. The sun had set by now, the room being illuminated by two lanterns of white light that cast deep shadows against the walls.

“Hello, Callie,” a male Fairy, Healer Fidas, said. “Can you tell me how many fingers I am holding up?”

“Four,” Callie said. Fidas quickly changed the finger count. “And now two.” He changed the count again. “And now five.”

“Excellent. Please count to ten.”

Callie did so.

“Good. Please follow my fingers with your eyes.”

The Healer held Callie’s chin with one hand, and moved his other through the air, watching her eyes intently. Callie followed the hand around, moving only her eyes.

“Good. Finally, squeeze my fingers with your hands and wiggle your feet.

Callie did both as well.

Fidas nodded. “Excellent. Nothing seems immediately amiss.”

Callie glanced around the room. Lena was lying on her back in the bed next to her, a hand held over her eyes, a slight moaning sound coming from her scrunched face. Vanis was sitting up in his bed. His back was against the outside wall of the bunkhouse and his eyes closed, also seeming to be a bit out of it. Tazrok appeared to be asleep, as did Xin, her scaly tail occasionally swishing hypnotically in rhythm with her breathing.

Sitting up just enough to see over Lena’s body, Callie could see Pixyl on her bed, still lying on her stomach. She had her eyes half-open and a happy smile on her face. Callie and the Pixie locked eyes, and the little Fae slowly raised her hand and carefully waved once, the warm, contented look on her face remaining unchanged. Callie returned the wave and smiled. Her friends were all safe.

“Head down,” Fidas said quietly, pushing the Gnome's head back to her pillow. “You are going to be very dizzy for a few hours. It is best to sleep if you can, but if you are unable, just lie still. You will feel better by the time dawn comes. Stay there while I grab a cloth to clean you up a little.”

The Fairy rose and disappeared from view. Callie heard the sounds of water lightly splashing and he returned. “I’m going to wipe some of this dried blood off. There will be fresh water and towels brought in the morning, so you can clean in the daylight.” Fidas proceeded to wipe the side of Callie’s face and around the outside of her ear. Her pointed Gnome ear. Such a weird thing to say.

“Thanks,” Callie said, letting the Healer do what he needed to do.

Fidas finished his work. “One last thing. Here, eat this.”

Callie accepted a small, dark fruit of some kind. “What is it?”

“Druid Healing Berry. It acts as a mild healing potion. It will help with your ear.”

“Did Tazrok make this?” Callie said, straining to twist her head and look at the sleeping Ogre.

“What? No, Trainer Rowani did,” Fidas said, implying it was a foolish question. “Oh, that’s right. The Ogre is a Druid, too. So strange. I think he will learn that skill tonight. His will be only Iron Tier, but the effects improve at higher tiers.”

Callie looked closely at the little fruit. It was roughly the size of a cherry, but had a spongy feel to it, rather than a firm skin, and in the dim light it looked nearly black. Shrugging, Callie popped it into her mouth. The taste was both tart and sweet, like a cross between a raspberry and a blueberry. The texture was a little disconcerting, but not overly so.

By her second bite, a warm sensation began to creep throughout Callie’s body. It was hard to explain, but she could feel her body absorbing some kind of energy, and then directing that energy to where on her body it was needed. In this case, it settled on her right ear, causing a tingling sensation. The experience only grew more intense when she swallowed the berry. The feeling lasted only a few moments, and left Callie with a calm, easy sense. It did nothing for the swimming vertigo she was experiencing, but her body itself just felt … better.

“Good,” Fidas said. “You should try to get some sleep now. It might take a little while to feel it, but we soaked the berry in a mild sleeping draught, so it will help keep you calm. Don’t try to fight it. Sleeping is fine at this point. If you feel you might be sick, try to get to the latrine if you can, or outside, but if you can’t we understand. If you keep still and your eyes closed, you should be fine.”

“Understood,” Callie said.

“Also, whatever you do, do not stick your finger, or anything else, into your ear until at least morning. If it itches, deal with it. The Healing Berry should have healed any damage and sealed your Symbiote in place, but it’s best not to take chances on disturbing it while it’s settling.”

“Good warning,” Callie said with a gulp. “Do not poke the worm. Got it.”

“Thank you, Fidas,” Vanis said. “We appreciate you staying with us this evening until we were all awake.”

“Not a problem. Every bunkhouse had a watcher; yours just took longer than expected. I’m glad the Little One is awake now.” Fidias started to walk for the door. “Someone will bring some fruit with the water and towels in the morning, but try to get to breakfast if you are feeling well enough for a larger meal.”

“Thanks,” Pixyl mumbled, half in a daze.

The door opened, and then closed quietly behind the Healer.