PART I - PERFECTLY PRISTINE
As Callie exited the Commandant’s office, she was joined by Vanis, who had been waiting for her outside. By now, the sun had completely set, the skies nearly dark, save stars twinkling, seeming a little familiar even if the patterns were foreign.
“I thought I might walk you to Medical,” Vanis said comfortingly.
They strolled in silence for a while, letting Vanis lead since he knew the way from the previous day. While it had grown dark, Callie’s Darkvision and Vanis’s Night Vision made navigation easy, although a few dim, artificial magical lights were strategically placed for those races with normal eyes. Finally, the Warlock quietly said, “I believe that went rather well.”
“I guess so,” Callie replied. “At least they aren’t shipping me off to be dissected somewhere.”
“How do you feel?”
“Relieved, I suppose. It really was eating at me keeping things secret. They really did have a right to know.”
“Your solution was quite a brilliant bit of wordplay, invoking my father in that manner.”
“Will your dad be mad?” Callie wondered. “Speaking for him, that is.”
“He won’t be angry,” Vanis said, shaking his head. “Once I explain the situation and your clever solution, I believe he will hold the same position, and likely find it quite amusing. Of course, it’s unlikely I’ll see him for some time. The front is to the south.”
“How far?”
“At least thirty to forty days moving en masse. Perhaps less if there is a Bard setting a faster pace magically. It takes quite a bit of work to move large groups. You can imagine the nightmare it would be to organize.”
Callie could, in fact, see the logistics required in moving hundreds of soldiers long distances. Food, water, Healers, not to mention transporting all the gear, too. A part of her was thankful she didn’t have to plan such a massive undertaking, although another part seemed to reach for the logistical challenge that her perk embraced.
“That’s odd,” Vanis said as they approached the medical tent, and quickly Callie saw what he was referring to. Several long vines appeared to be growing over the tent. The entries weren’t being blocked, but slowly the entire structure was being overrun.
“This has got to be Juniper,” Callie said with a chuckle.
“Yes, I suppose it must be. I hope she is well.”
Callie looked up at her friend, seeing legitimate concern on his face. Then it dawned on her. “You like her!” Callie said, slightly teasing, but also genuinely curious.
“What?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen that look on people before. You have a thing for her. And after only one evening of dancing!”
Even with her false-light vision, Callie could see Vanis blush. “Not at all, she is a sophisticated lady, and quite … fun … to be around.”
“As denials go, that was pretty bad,” Callie said flatly. She then added, “I guess I thought Lena might catch your eye.”
“I’m very much not her type,” Vanis laughed. “Could you possibly imagine Lena at a formal occasion? She’d kill me for spite before the evening even concluded, or disappear to drink with the staff. Probably both, for that matter.”
“Both, I’m sure,” Callie agreed.
“It doesn’t matter,” Vanis said wistfully. “This is neither the time nor the place for such things.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”
Together, they entered the tent, passing through the overgrowth surrounding the doorway. The interior was well-lit with magical lights, and Callie’s Darkvision instinctively switched off as she entered. Tasi emerged from a partitioned off area, a slightly concerned look on her face.
“Is there a problem? A complication with Juniper?” Vanis asked quickly, worry in his tone.
“I don’t think so,” the Healer responded. “Juniper is still in her trance, but it’s going on longer than I would have expected. We took far, far more time with the Commandant than I thought we would, so she should have been awake by the time I returned. She’s now been in her trance for nearly three hours.”
“My trance took longer, too,” Callie said. “I talked to my Symbiote, or at least I think I did. It was reluctant to join with me since I might go back home, or become a boring bookkeeper in this world.”
“Yes, Fidas mentioned that. You’re sure this was real?”
“I honestly have no idea what’s real any more,” Callie said with a laugh. “It could have just been my subconscious trying to deal with the situation that first day. It did say we would talk again, but only when I’m sleeping. There was no sign of it last night, though, so who knows.”
“Interesting,” Tasi said, still distracted by her concern for the Dryad. “If you speak with it again, please let me know, even if you determine it may be only a dream.”
“Sure,” Callie replied.
“Come, Little One, let us take a look at you,” the Healer finally said, getting her focus in order and gesturing for the Gnome to follow. Looking to Vanis, she added, “You should return to your bunkhouse. The Little One will be fine to get back.”
“Of course. A good night to you, Master Healer,” Vanis replied with his normal, formal politeness.
As Vanis left the tent, Tasi once again motioned Callie towards the back. They passed Juniper as they walked, the Dryad lying still on a bunk under a blanket, with a soft smile on her blindfolded face. For a moment, Callie wondered what Juniper might be talking with her Symbiote about, and then once again wondered when or if she’d hear from her own.
Tasi led Callie towards another partitioned area. “I sent the other healer on duty home, so we may speak openly,” Tasi said. She then gestured towards a raised examination bed.. “I don’t think this will take long, but if Juniper awakens, we’ll stop while I get her oriented.”
“No problem. What do you need me to do?” Callie asked, climbing up.
Tasi paused before answering. “Maybe just remove your top.”
Methodically, Callie began to unbutton her tunic, thankful she could keep her pants on at least. While she did this, Tasi collected a couple medical tools that seemed vaguely recognizable - a tiny hammer for hitting your knee and a flat piece of metal as a tongue depressor, for example. She also took down a small, wooden box, which opened to a dimly glowing stone of some kind. “What are you hoping to find?” Callie asked.
“I have no idea,” Tasi said. “I’m just curious if this body is any different than other Gnomes or Goblins for some reason. I don’t understand the kinds of magic required for your getting here, or how a body was made available for you to end up inhabiting.”
“Yeah, it’s all really weird, isn’t it. Well, exam away, I guess.”
Tasi had donned a headband, on which was affixed a small stone of some kind. She tapped it twice and it lit up, acting as a headlamp. She began by using the hammer on Callie’s knees and other joints, seeing the expected jerking reaction. Next, Tasi carefully inspected Callie’s eyes, mouth and ears, quietly talking to herself as she bumbled around. Like dozens of other medical examinations she’d had in her life, Callie just let the Healer do her thing, saying “ahhhh” and turning her head when required.
“Heart seems fine. Normal that is,” Tasi mumbled aloud to herself as she pressed her pointed ear to Callie’s chest. Next, she held the glowing stone in her palm and ran it in circles over Callie’s stomach, around each of her breasts, all over her back and finally along both of her arms, shaking her head in confusion and mumbling.
“What’s wrong?” Callie asked with worry.
“Nothing, actually. It’s just interesting, is all. I see no scars and no sign of you ever being injured; no previously broken bones or signs of healing magic ever used on you. It’s as if your body is pristine. No signs of odd growths in your breasts either. That’s common in Gnomes and Goblins, by the way, but easily healed if found in time. See a Healer at least once a year for an exam or if you ever feel anything odd.”
“Cancer,” Callie said. “That’s what we call it. Tumors that can form and spread and eventually kill you. That’s how my grandfather died, although his cancer was in his prostate. We have no magic, so the ways to treat it often require surgery or worse.”
“Surgery? How barbaric!” Tasi spat. “Your Healers slice people open to address the growths?”
“That’s our way,” Callie said with a shrug. “At least the patient is knocked out for it, so they don’t feel anything until after. I had surgery to get my appendix removed as a kid, as well as my wisdom teeth a few years ago.”
“Here we use sleep spells, if needed, usually if the injury is severe enough that the patient can’t stay still. For some injuries, the healing magic will be quite painful, too. Combat Healers have excellent spells to block a lot of pain, much better than normal healers, which is helpful when in the field with limited means.”
Tasi gestured for Callie to lie back and again she used the glowing examination stone, running it over Callies pelvic area and then down each leg. “Same thing. No signs of there ever being a broken bone or healing used on you. Your body is completely unblemished. You’ve never had a child, nor does it appear you’ve even had sex. It’s like someone wove a brand new body for you.”
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“Seriously? You can tell if I’ve had sex?” Callie asked sarcastically.
“It’s very easy to determine,” Tasi said matter of factly, gesturing towards her own pelvic region.
“Of course, you people have a virgin detector here.” Callie mumbled sarcastically.
“For your first time, just go slow …” Tasi began.
“Yeah yeah, I know how it works from back home,” Callie said, waving a hand to cut off the impromptu sex education. But then she remembered one of the questions she wanted to ask Tasi related to the subject, because she wasn’t sure what they used in this world. “So, what do you do when you get your period?”
“Your? What is that?”
“When you menstruate every month? At least for Humans that’s what happens. Is it the same for Gnomes?”
“Oh, menstruation. We call it one’s ‘Red Days’!” Tasi said. “That happens for Gnomes, but I believe less frequently than once a month. Other races, too. Truthfully, nobody has Red Days unless they are trying to conceive, though.”
“Really? How does that work?”
“Right, I suppose this new body doesn’t have one,” Tasi said, sucking in a breath and nodding, remembering she was dealing with a fresh body. She lifted her tunic slightly, pointing to the side of her torso, right above her hip bone. Callie looked closer and could see a small lump under the skin.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a piece of wood from a Yogosi bush. Under your skin, it prevents the Red Days, as well as your ability to conceive. Nearly all females have Yogosi implanted when they come of age, so they don’t accidentally get pregnant until they are ready. Its effects will last about two years before it needs to be replaced. If you decide to have children, you simply remove it and you should return to fertility within two months.”
“Are you able to do that for me? I don’t need any of your Red Days, quite honestly.”
“Of course, and you wouldn’t want to get pregnant, either, having to go to the front and all.”
“That’s so not going to happen,” Callie said firmly, drawing a hard line in the air with her hand.
“I do have some. Staff occasionally need a replacement, and everyone will get fresh at the end of term so they don’t have to worry about it in the field before their Curse is satisfied.” Tasi got a far off look in her eye, and then lightly chuckled, “It’s funny, I remember when I had my first one done. My first was done twice, in a way, actually.”
“How do you mean?”
“We Fairy can change our gender throughout our life. My first was as a female, and then I became male and then back to female. I have children as well, so it’s been quite a number of times over my life I’ve had Yogosi implanted and removed.”
“You have kids?” Callie asked, surprised. Somehow, she didn’t picture Tasi as a mother. Or father for that matter.
“I do. Mother to three, and father to two. They’re all grown and off living their lives. My son, Delin, actually works on staff with the High Commander we talked about earlier.”
“So, Xera … the Commandant … she's ‘between’, right? My housemates mentioned it.”
Tasi pondered for a moment. “Usually these are details I wouldn’t share; medical confidentiality after all. I think this is good information for you to understand our society's ways, though. Xera is a good friend, and I know them well. I think, given your circumstances, they would be fine with me sharing. Please keep confidence, however.”
“Absolutely.”
“You’re friends are right. Xera is ‘between’ right now. They were male when they lost their arm and wing at the Battle of Betrayal.”
“So why did they change?” Callie asked.
Tasi shrugged. “I think they became ‘between’ partly to process what happened, to leave that time behind them, that is. However, it’s not common for a Fairy to remain ‘between’ for so long. I am pretty sure Xera hasn’t really dealt properly with her injury, in her head that is. They’ve put all their efforts into creating and running the camp, probably partly as a distraction. In time, when they are ready, they'll pick a new path. Maybe male again, maybe female again. Like me, female was their first chosen gender.”
“Do they have children?"
Tasi shook her head as she retrieved a small box from a shelf. “They have an adopted son, an Elf, but no biological children. Their life has nearly always been the Army, so children weren't really a priority.”
“And the son?”
“They were married briefly, decades ago, before the Army, and formally adopted their husband’s son. The marriage didn’t last long, though, and Xera is no longer close with either.”
“That’s too bad,” Callie said sadly. Seeking to change the subject, she gestured to the box. “Is that the Yogosi stuff?”
Tasi withdrew a small piece of tree branch about a half-centimeter in diameter and roughly two centimeters long. “It is. The wood will leach slowly into your body, stopping your reproductive cycles. Usually, you’ll want to replace it every eighteen months, as they become ineffective after about two years. For you, since you should do the yearly exam anyway, just replace it then. You don’t want the effects fading unexpectedly.”
“Talk me through what you’re doing,” Callie asked, gesturing to the piece of wood. “I’m just curious how a Healer works.”
Tasi handed Callie a small mirror of reflective metal so she could see, and then started to prepare everything, guiding instructively through the steps for the procedure. First, she sterilized her hands with a spell, and then used the same spell on the Yogosi wood. The implanting of the Yogosi was remarkably simple and took less than a minute. Tasi used a simple spell to completely numb the area, followed by using a minor healing spell, but cast in reverse, which actually created a small break in the skin. Apparently, the control required to make such a tiny, precision wound required at least Silver Tier mastery and a lot of practice, and Tasi warned replacements in the future would likely be done with a knife.
“So that gives Healers a combat ability then?” Callie asked, curious about the capability to reverse a spell, and seeing it as an offensive option.
“Most Healer and Healer Specialist classes are able to reverse the spell, but not the Hybrid ones. The Combat Healer specialist class, like myself, is particularly adept at reversing a healing spell. Using it in combat? It certainly can be done, although it’s of limited effectiveness against Demons.”
“Oh, I met a Combat Healer recruit last night. Her name is Ambria and she’s a Faun.”
Tasi perked up at the mention of Ambria. “I heard there was a Faun, but didn’t know she was another Combat Healer. Fauns are very rare around here, as they don’t tend to leave the Fae Woods. I haven’t had a chance to meet the students, yet, but I’ll need to make time tomorrow and introduce myself.”
As they chatted,Tasi continued the simple procedure, pushing the wood under Callie’s skin with deft, practiced fingers, the Gnome feeling only a slight pulling but no pain. This was followed by the casting of the same healing spell, this time forward, to seal the wound closed once again. With a wet cloth, Tasi wiped away the small amount of blood, revealing a wound-free site, with not even a scar to show for it. Only a small lump under the skin gave away anything that had happened. Callie didn’t feel a thing, the numbing spell and Tasi’s years of practice showing.
“That’s it?” Callie asked.
“That’s it,” Tasi confirmed, throwing the cloth into a basket and returning the box of Yogosi to the shelf. “The numbness should wear off within an hour. You might feel a little queasy in your stomach for a day or two, but it should be mild. Avoiding heavy and greasy foods will help. Come to me if you need to, but nothing should prevent your training.”
Callie reached for the little lump under her skin, curious.
“And don’t poke at it!” Tasi snapped, slapping Callie’s hand away.
“Fine,” Callie responded with a grump.
“I think I’m done here, at least for now, so go ahead and get dressed. Do you have any other questions about your body?” Tasi asked.
“Just one for now, I think,” Callie said, slipping the tunic on once again. “How do you clean your teeth? There’s no toothbrushes or anything like them that I’ve seen.”
“Toothbrush?”
With a sigh, Callie explained Earth's dental hygiene using a toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as getting cleanings twice a year like clockwork if able. Eventually she had to explain braces and cavities.
“Still barbaric,” Tasi said, shaking her head. “Drilling into a tooth to remove decay? That sounds dreadful.”
“Okay, so what do you do here?”
“Odomi Grass.”
“What’s that?”
“A common plant, almost a weed actually. It tastes salty, so once dried it is used in cooking as a substitute for salt. When ingested, one of its properties is to prevent tooth decay and gum issues. It’s so common, simply eating prepared foods gives everyone what they need. It’s also easy to find, and just chewing on a few blades is all you need for about a week, if you aren’t getting your requirements met from foods. Fresh Odomi actually tastes quite good, having a sweetness to it, in addition to the salty flavor.”
That surprised Callie, and instinctively she ran her tongue over her teeth. “What about the minty freshness that our toothpaste provides?”
“Chew on some mint plants. Or mint candies.”
“I guess I’ll have to look into that. I kinda miss it,” Callie said with a sigh, smacking her lips lightly. “I also need to learn to recognize all these plants.”
“That knowledge should be part of your Wilderness Survival perk,” Tasi said helpfully. “Take some time to study the plants, and you’ll begin to recognize them and what they are able to do.”
From over the partition wall came the sound of groaning, and Tasi quickly dashed to check on Juniper. Callie finished tucking her tunic into her pants, cinching the rope belt into place, and followed along behind. Staying back to not crowd the two, Callie saw Juniper groggy but awake, holding her hand to her forehead. Tasi was speaking low to her, encouraging the Dryad to remain calm and reminding her she was wearing a blindfold.
“Oh, my head feels quite strange,” Juniper said. “Much like when I drank all that wine last night. Is this normal?”
“It will be that way for a little while,” Tasi said. “It’s best just to rest, or sleep if you are able.” Tasi looked to Callie, then gestured towards a pile of folded pieces of cloth and a bowl with water. Quickly, Callie grabbed a handful, giving them to the Healer, before bringing over the bowl and setting it close.
“This is a most wondrous experience,” Juniper said, trying to sit up. Quickly, she resigned herself and groaned, forced to lay back down. “I had quite the insightful conversation with this creature now in my head. They were unsure if they wished to join with me.”
Startled by this revelation, Callie interrupted before Tasi could speak and asked, “Why was that?”
“Is that you, Little One?”
“Hi. Yes, it’s me.”
“It is good to hear your voice. The dear thing was concerned that Dryads live such long lives. They were worried it might get … boring … being together for so many centuries. But, I promised to try to keep life exciting, so I believe they are satisfied by that response. Perhaps I’ll learn to dance.”
Tasi looked at Callie, a look on her face somewhere between disbelief and confusion. All Callie could do was shrug in return.
“I’m going to remove your blindfold now,” Tasi finally said, turning back to Juniper. “Keep your eyes closed and then open them slowly.” Carefully she did so, and soon the Dryad lay blinking at the magical overhead lights, which had been dimmed slightly in this area of the tent.
“Is the Prince with you, by chance?” Juniper asked, turning her head to look at Callie. She wore a slightly dreamy, far off look on her smiling face, solidly in the post-joining intoxication phase.
“Sorry, no,” Callie replied with a light chuckle. “He’s not here.”
“Unfortunate,” Juniper pouted.
“But I’ll let him know you asked for him. He’ll like that,” Callie quickly added, wondering if the crush Vanis was developing actually went both ways.
While they were speaking, Tasi wet a cloth, and wiped away the small amount of blood around Juniper’s ear. The Dryad seemed to enjoy the feel of the cool water on her skin, letting off several happy sounds, her face smiling wide and content. It was only a few moments more and Juniper’s breathing had deepened, her eyes closed, evidently asleep.
Healer Tasi stood, and gestured Callie towards the entrance to the tent. “Perhaps your dream of speaking with your Symbiote wasn’t a dream after all?” she whispeed
“I guess not,” Callie replied, also keeping her voice low. “I’ll be sure to let you know if and when we talk again.”
“Thank you,” Tasi mumbled distractedly, looking back to where Juniper lay sleeping. “I’m going to stay here tonight, on the off chance she wakes up. Do you know the way back, or would you like a Sprite to escort you?”
“I’ll be good,” Callie said with a smile, appreciating the sentiment all the same.
“Have a good night, then,” the Healer said. “I’m sure we’ll speak more in time.”
Callie left the tent with a lot of questions and thoughts tumbling around in her head at once. Tasi’s observations that her body was ‘pristine’, as if brand new, felt perplexing, and as if there was something significant to that fact. Did someone create this body for her to inhabit from nothing, and thus it simply hadn’t been broken in? And if so, what, if anything, were the ramifications of that? Was she just some Frankenstein’s monster; a brain dumped in an empty shell? Well, she knew about electricity, so maybe that wasn’t so far off after all.