PART I - UNWANTED DISTRACTIONS
“I can’t see anything,” Callie grouched. From her low angle, all she could really see were a lot of legs.
“Tazrok, can you lift her up?” Lena asked. “She can get a better view and hopefully not get stepped on.”
Tazrok stopped and knelt down. “Up” he said and held out his hand in front of Callie. She very hesitantly stepped on his huge hand and the Ogre raised it so she was able to scramble up. Callie debated straddling Tazrok’s neck, but decided to simply perch on his right shoulder for now. The gigantic head next to her was almost as tall as she was in this sitting position, and rather intimidating, honestly. Being careful not to step on anyone, Tazrok led the group to an out-of-the-way spot by the wall.
Now Callie could see everything from atop Tazrok’s nearly four-meter frame, and looking down gave her a moment of wariness from the height. Quickly, though, the sights around her seized her attention instead, almost overloading her already disbelieving eyes. The courtyard was a chaotic buzz of activity. Dozens of people racing around, moving stuff from here to there and then from there to over yonder, yelling out commands and orders to move or do something else. In the center were dozens of people who just milled around looking lost, worried and a little confused, but generally chatting and laughing with each other. Immediately, Callie thought they must be other recruits like her new friends, and for that matter, apparently her.
And oh the people! Elves and Dwarves she had seen, and even Xin the Lizardkin and the adorable little Sprite, but around Callie were so many other strange people. Several with wings chatted in a group, looking much like the little Sprite she had just met, but much larger. Not far from them, a trio of green-skinned people, similar in size to Callie, were laughing it up with a tall man with the face of a tiger. It was chaos, and Callie simply grinned in awe.
“So what are the ones with wings over there?” Callie asked. “Are they the Pixies you mentioned?”
Lena stood on her tiptoes. “Ahh, those are Fairies, which are about twice the size of a Pixie, perhaps a head taller than you are.” The Elf turned, as if looking for something. “There. There’s a Pixie over there, standing under that tree,” Lena said pointing.
Callie turned her head, needing a second to see who Lena was indicating, then she saw her. The Pixie was standing alone, with a brooding look on her face as her wings fluttered nervously. She kind of gave off a ‘leave-me-alone’ type of aura, and people were certainly giving her a wide berth. What stood out to Callie was that her hair, which was cropped close, was almost a deep sky-blue color, standing out among all the more-normal hair colors of everyone else, save the little Sprite from earlier. With a quick second look, Callie couldn’t help but think the Pixie was actually sort of pretty, despite the sour vibe she was giving off.
“She looks kinda lonely,” Callie said. “If she wasn’t way over there, I’d try to make friends.”
Callie tore her eyes away from the Pixie, trying to get what she just learned straight in her head. “Okay, so Sprites, Pixies and Fairies; they are all sort of the same, just different sizes, then?”
“Mostly. Fairies are taller than Gnomes,” Vanis said, “by about thirty centimeters. Pixies are about half their height, so shorter than you, and Sprites, which you’ve seen, are quite small. Together, those three races are collectively part of the Fae. There are a few more Fae races as well, although I’m not seeing any others at the moment.”
“And what are those green skinned ones over there? I think they are about my height.”
“Those are Goblins. I mentioned them earlier, too,” Lena clarified.
Callie cocked her head, remembering Goblins from the Hobbit movies, and didn’t really see much of a resemblance, outside of maybe their size. Instinctively, part of her assumed that Goblins must be evil or bad, like in the stories, but there they were, smiling and chatting away just like everyone else, and Callie realized she needed to check any preconceived notions at the gate. They were just people, just like her and Lena and the huge Ogre she was riding. Just people being people.
Resisting the urge to keep rudely pointing, Callie just looked over the crowd, taking in all the various people. A good number were Elves, like Lena and Vanis, and there were now more Dwarves than just the ones from the wagon, most laughing it up in a group of their own. She didn’t see any other Ogres, though, and nobody else that would have been about her height, so apparently no other Gnomes, either, unless they were hidden amongst everyone. The realization that she might be the only Gnome here actually made her feel a little … lonely maybe?
Callie’s eyes kept coming back to the animal people. So many different ones! A wolf. More tigers of various colors, many with obvious feminine curves. Another Lizardkin that she was pretty sure wasn’t Xin. A yellow-furred cat-featured girl with black spots, like a cheetah. Even a big burly bear guy laughing with one she could swear was a rhino. Different races of people just … getting along. In a way, it warmed her heart to see that.
A realization hit Callie and she shook her head as if to clear it. “Stop it! Focus!” she mumbled to herself. She could feel her attention drifting all over with all the strange sights, and it had been getting worse ever since her initial panic had faded when Lena had helped her calm down. Everywhere she looked was some new stimulus, and it was distracting her from what the real issue was, which was figuring out what the hell was going on with her, where she was, how she got here, and how she could get back home. She hadn’t felt this scatterbrained for years, and now wasn’t the time for it. Closing her eyes for a moment, Callie took a deep breath, trying to center herself just a bit, concentrating on pushing the minutia and distractions to the side.
“And what class are you?” Callie heard someone ask, overhearing the middle of a conversation. She opened her eyes to see who it was. Not far away, a tiger person with slightly dark-green fur and orange stripes was chatting with another Elf, a male.
“Druid,” the Elf replied.
“Ahh, how fun! You are able to change shape, right?”
“That’s what I’ve been told, but I can’t do it yet.”
The tiger-person’s mention of classes brought Callie’s thoughts back to the wagon, and the information that Lena was about to explain just as they arrived. “Hey Lena, so what exactly is a class? You started to tell me, but we arrived, so it was a bit crazy.”
“You really don’t know.” Lena said, a tinge of disbelief in her voice. She turned to Vanis. “How do you explain something so simple as classes?“
“I can give it a try,” Vanis replied with a shrug. “Let me see.” His face put on a concentrated look for a few seconds, before seeming to find somewhere to start. “How about this? All people receive a class, generally around age fifteen or sixteen,” Vanis began. “It will simply … just happen … I suppose. For some, they may have an idea what it might be based on their interests or upbringing, but for most they will not know what it is until they receive their first skill or a Scryer can deduce it.”
“So one day you just wake up and realize you’re a baker or a weapon maker?” Callie asked.
“Not exactly,” Lena said. “Baker and blacksmith is simply someone’s vocation; what you might do to earn a living. A class is what determines what skills you can easily use; think of it as what you have a talent for.”
Callie gave Lena a very puzzled look. “I don’t understand.”
“Maybe I can explain it another way,” Vanis said. “I am a Warlock; that is my class, which I received when I was sixteen. Of this class, I know three Warlock skills currently, although there are several more at Iron Tier. For my first, I can throw a magical bolt of deadly energy, and with the second I am able to summon little beings to do my bidding called Imps. The third allows me to create a Ritual Circle, where the Imps need to be summoned to. While I do know these Warlock skills, that doesn’t mean I need to be a professional Warlock. I could still choose to become the aforementioned baker as a vocation.”
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That still didn’t make a lot of sense to Callie, but she deduced that skills must be what they called magic spells, and it sounded like Vanis knew a few of them. The whole idea of somehow simply receiving a random class was a little crazy, though. Some hand of fate just decides that someone is going to be a Warlock or a Druid? That would kind of suck if the person had no interest in Warlocking or … is Druiding a word? Then a part of Callie's brain simply said ‘It’s magic’, as if that explained everything. Looking around again at all the strange people, Callie started to think that was going to be the answer to a lot of her questions … It’s all magic.
While Callie was working to puzzle out all that Vanis had said about getting one’s random class at sixteen, the Lizardkin from the wagon walked up to the group. For the first time, Callie got a good look at Xin, this time not silhouetted by the sun. Her scales were a medium green, save her front which was much lighter, almost a pale yellow. She wore very little clothing; that being just a cloth tunic of some kind and what could best be described as a pair of cloth shorts. They didn’t seem to fit well, and barely functioned to preserve modesty. At the end of Xin’s hands were three-centimeter long claws, and her feet had similar-looking claws that were even larger. Her long tail swished as she walked, but held high so it didn’t drag on the ground.
“Hello,” Xin said, briefly raising a clawed hand in greeting.
“Did you come for your waterskin?” Lena asked.
“Yes, but I also wished to check on the Little One. Has she remembered anything from before she woke up?”
Lena quickly introduced Tazrok and Vanis. “Callie here seems to be suffering from some loss of memory. We had hoped to track down a healer at some point, but it’s a madhouse here. We think she might have been kidnapped and drugged before being put in the wagon. She doesn’t even know her class.”
“I see. It would be bad if that was the case, and very confusing for the Little One to not know her class. Is she Conscript?”
“We don’t know that either. We’ll need a Scryer to know for sure.”
“It is good of you to care for her then, Miss Lena. Know that I was talking to the guards about what is going to happen, and it may be some time until you will have the freedom to find help. We were the last group of recruits to arrive, so they will start processing us all very soon. The camp commander will be speaking shortly and explaining everything. It all may become quite chaotic.”
Lena looked at Vanis with concern. “I guess we can wait. But I don’t want to wait too long. This isn’t exactly a safe place for a little Gnome and it is really stressful for her.”
Unbidden, Callie suddenly gasped. Across the courtyard she saw one of the beast people, this one wearing leather armor, but not any swords. He was walking confidently, wearing a huge smile on his face, towards the far end of the courtyard where there was what looked like a stage of some kind. What really caught her attention was that he had a huge mane around his head. “A lion person!” she squealed unconsciously.
“She is very odd,” Xin said. “Do you think she might be brain damaged?”
“Hey!” Callie snapped, hearing the Lizardkin and glaring down at her. “My brain is just fine. I think. This is all just new for me. It’s just, the guy with the big mane looked cuddly.”
Xin leaned close to Lena and whispered, purposely loud enough to be heard, “Very likely brain damage.”
Lena slapped her hand to her face, and tried to hold back a laugh.
Pulling her attention back to the surroundings, Callie looked around, trying to take it in, rather than focusing on the people. Around the edge of the yard were several large tents with one or more signs hanging on them, or posted by the entry flaps. Some of the signs had two circles, one large and one smaller, of different colors. The remainder had a single colored circle with a symbol of some kind in the middle of it that was a different color.
The stage at the other end was a raised wooden platform that currently had several people of all manner of races milling around on it. Most wore some form of light armor and carried swords or spears, while a few wore decorative robes. A Fairy seemed to be gesturing and directing people into places on the platform. Callie was pretty sure all those people were the people in charge here.
In the distance, a building without walls stood, a great amount of smoke rising from its center. Over the din of the voices and general mayhem, a distant ‘clank clank clank’ of metal on metal could be heard. For a split moment, Callie saw something that looked bright blue, before whatever it was disappeared back inside.
“What building is that?” Callie asked. “The one with all the smoke.”
“Forge,” Tazrok said. “Make weapons. Repair weapons.”
“Oh,” Callie said. In the space of a breath, Callie didn’t feel so excited any longer. A sudden realization washed over her that this was indeed a war camp. That this was a place for training soldiers. That someday, some of these people, including her new friends, would have to go and fight, and they could very well die. That forge building was making the weapons to do that very thing. And if she was cursed, she would have to go fight as well.
Vanis saw the look on her face. “What is wrong, Miss Callie?”
Callie tried to put on a smile, but it didn’t work very well. “I don’t know. I think I just realized that this is all real. That I’m not dreaming, or if I am, it’s detailed enough to be real. And that there’s a lot I don’t know. I’m actually a little scared, honestly.” All the distractions had made her forget for a moment that everything was wrong. She had to be more focused!
Lena reached up and put a cool hand on Callie’s leg. She didn’t need to say anything, the touch simply said everything.
Xin looked puzzled. “Of course this is not a dream, Little One. Do you not understand war? War is scary.” Xin pointed to herself. “I am scared. All of us are very afraid. But being scared is not a bad thing and we help one another, we do. I help you and someday, when I am sad or I am scared again, you help me. That is the way of things among the ‘Kin.”
Callie looked down at the Lizardkin, really taking in for the first time her long snout, the slight, scaled ridge running over her head and down her back, the corners of her mouth curled upwards in a crocodile-like smile. Callie watched Xin’s tail flick lightly and then curl around her waist. So different, but still just a person. “Thank you, Xin. Thank you all of you’” Callie took a deep breath and wiped at her eyes that had started to well up just a little. “I’ll try not to be too much of a downer.”
“Here, I believe this will help everyone feel better,” Vanis said as he fiddled with his belt. He untied a small leather bag and opened the top. Upending it slightly, he poured a few small objects into his hands. “Candy that a little old grandmother I know makes. A concentration of sweet cane sap and citrus flavors, plus a few extra secret ingredients. ”It always makes me feel a little better when I am out of sorts.” He held his hand out to Lena and Xin, who both took a piece.
“Wow! This is very good!” Xin exclaimed, her eyes going wide at the taste of the candy.
“Your hand,” Vanis said to Tazrok as he motioned the Ogre’s hand lower. He put two pieces on it and Tazrok raised it so Callie could take one, before he tossed the remaining into his mouth.
Tazrok’s eyes shot open. “Good! Sweet! Sour!”
Callie eyed the small off-white candy with skepticism, then shrugged and put it into her mouth as well. It was amazing. It was stupendous. Her taste buds exploded in glee. It was sweet and sour and seemed to radiate warmth and happiness throughout her body. “O.M.G. Vanis! This grandma is the absolute best of all grandmas!”
“She really is,” Vanis said with a chuckle as he also placed his own piece into his mouth.
Lena sighed and ate her candy as well and her eyes shot open. “This is great. Wait, is that stamina in there? And … satiation?”
“Yes, Lena. This woman is an alchemist, so she dosed this with a little bit of stamina draught, as well as some that will satisfy hunger and thirst.”
“Alchemist? Like, a potion maker?” Callie asked, still sucking hard on the candy.
“Exactly,” Vanis said. “But only a small amount. Not the kind of full effect an actual potion would give you, but still a little bit of a kick. It will also make it so you aren’t so hungry or thirsty for a few hours, although it doesn’t actually feed or hydrate you.”
Callie could feel some of the strength she had been using since waking up in the wagon coming back to her. That physical exhaustion that came from the adrenaline drain of being scared, the constant new stimulus, all of it, just eased in a warm, cozy feeling that ran throughout her body and tickled the bottom of her feet. Even her brain seemed to get a mild kick in the pants.
“No stamina. Just tasty,” Tazrok said.
“Sorry, big guy, it probably wasn’t enough for someone of your size. Would you like another?”
“No. Save for later. Still taste good.”
“You’re right, Vanis,” Callie said, still sucking on the energy-giving hard candy. “This really does make me feel better. If I ever meet this woman, I am going to have to get the recipe.”
“Good luck, Little One. I know several people who have been trying for years and she just won’t give it up. I may have to lead a group to steal her alchemy notes in the dead of night.”
“Oh, I bet I could do it,” Callie said, rubbing her hands together in a plotting motion, “I have a way with grandmas.”
Vanis chuckled, happy to see a tiny bit of a mischievous smile on the Gnome’s face.
With a happy grin, Xin said, “Vanis, I must say, the Little One is quite correct. The grandmother maker of this candy is the very best.”
“I will be sure to let her know when next I see her,” Vanis said. Looking around he took on a somber tone, “if there is a next time, that is.”