PART IV - SERGEANT CALLIE’S ARMY

Galin, Thorn and Xera all laughed. “No,” Galin finally said. “Any non-officer ranked lower than Sergeant who is leading a mission is an acting Sergeant for that mission, regardless of underlying rank. Even a Recruit in this case.”

“Huh. Weird.” Callie said with a shrug. Returning to the topic at hand, Callie continued. “Healer Tasi, mana and healing potions? We can get them, too?”

“Absolutely, standard provisions.”

“Great, thanks. Juniper, would our new bows be susceptible to this parasite?”

The Dryad thought for a moment and then shook her head. “I don’t believe so. Their repair magic is quite strong with the enchantment.”

“But you’re not sure?”

Juniper took a moment to respond as she mulled the question in her head. “Since they are Everliving, the potion the Healer described would help, I believe. Just to be sure, cover your bows in the elixir before you begin. Just wiping it down should suffice. When you return, use your magics to remove any remnant disease on them, just as you would each other.“

“Good.” Callie returned to tapping her cheek with the pencil, mumbling to herself “We'll need extra of those disease potions then, and rags or something to rub them with.”

“Let’s talk about your team's construction. Besides a Shaman, what other classes do you think would be helpful?” Reynard asked.

“And tell us why?” Xera added.

“Give me a sec,” Callie said as she continued pacing, still lost in thought, the pencil still tapping rapidly against her cheek. Her mind was racing, repeatedly reviewing everything that Reynard and Rowani had said about the Bogwump nest. She thought back to the four-role tactics she had learned from Koda on that second day. Ranged. Strikers. Guardians. Healers. In theory, she needed them all, but couldn’t take too many people or the critter army would be even worse. She needed a balance, but also a team designed for the expected fight. She also needed backup options if something went wrong. After all, no plan survives first contact with the enemy.

Callie started using her pencil to motion in the air, as if sliding people and classes into and out of the team roster. She was working to find an optimal balance that accounted for all the expected variables, and some combinations obviously didn’t work. There had to be a way to make this work, though, and keep the team from getting too large while still being large enough to handle what was coming.

How many of what roles were going to be needed? Basically, they were going to be playing a game of King on the Mountain, or some other variation of standing their ground, while the cocoon was cracked open. That leaned towards taking out the wildlife before they even got close. From what Reynard and Rowani said, there would be a lot of them. Most would be smaller, common swamp critters, so whoever was ranged needed to be able to handle a lot of targets, preferably without worrying about mana issues. There wouldn’t be time for multiple mana potions. Actually, that made that decision pretty easy.

Next, the Strikers. As Callie thought about it, dedicated strikers might not necessarily make a lot of sense. They’d be fighting in a swamp, or at least on marshy ground, for one, so mobility could be difficult. Plus, the Ranged should take out everything before they get too close. Guardians could then take care of them at that point. Skip the Strikers, or maybe come back to them if it made sense and there was still a spot or two open.

Guardians. One needed to be Tazrok, that was for sure. His Spider form, with its multiple long legs and ability to see in all directions, was well suited to the environment and lots of small attackers. Plus he could heal or even Striker on the side, if need be. Did they need another Guardian? Callie wasn’t sure, but probably would want a backup … table that for the moment.

Next, the Healers. Callie needed a Shaman, that she knew for sure, for the small wounds. A Shaman actually had some ranged offensive powers, too, if needed. Did they need a second dedicated healer? Maybe a third? No, can’t let the party get too big. Two healers, with Tazrok able to do the Druid thing if required as a distant third. That should be enough. So back to definitely needing a second Guardian to cover if Tazrok had to break form and toss a spell.

Next, how to get into the nest or cocoon or whatever it is? Reynard said it was hard as rock, and he had needed a pickaxe to get in. Tazrok might be able to simply smash a way in, but that wasn’t optimal. If it cracked open too far, the hatchlings could escape. No, they needed to go in from the top and then burn them out from above. Smashing was a very backup plan. Bring a couple pickaxes, then. Or maybe there was another option; a way to surgically get into the dome with no risk of escape?

Finally, which trainers to bring. Reynard was obviously going to come. Callie could use him as Ranged and he obviously had experience with Bogwumps, so that was another no brainer. Who for the second one? Rowani in her Guardian form? A Paladin? No, they wear heavy armor, so a bad idea in a swamp. Maybe a Bladedancer because they were light on their feet and because of that Flashstep thing, Yes! Perfect for what could be a pretty chaotic wildlife assault.

“Callie?” Reynard finally asked impatiently, the Gnome having been pacing and quiet for almost a minute as she cycled between tapping her cheek with the pencil, or using it to draw in the air, as if plotting something out and pushing pieces around on a board.

“I heard you,” Callie said, acknowledging Reynard with her hand. “I’m just weighing my options. I think I know who I want on my team, though.”

“Specific people? Already? Who?” Xera asked.

Callie broke from her concentration and addressed the room. “Yup, I think I have a workable team. Let me know when I get to the end if I missed something.”

“Let’s have it,” Galin said gruffly. “Again, explain to us your reasoning.” Then he added rather cynically, “After less than two minutes, this should be interesting.”

Callie narrowed her eyes at the off-handed remark, but then focused back to Xera, nodding. “Okay. First, I want to bring all the Rangers. We can put out an almost unlimited amount of ranged damage without having to worry about mana, especially because of our new bows no longer needing arrows. Plus, we’re good in the woods and even in the damn swamps because of our survival perks. We also have some backup sword skills if something gets too close.”

“Interesting,” Xera said slowly. “Continue.”

Callie’s momentum wavered for a moment with Xera’s passive response, but she continued on. “Next I want two Healers. Specifically, I want Lhawni and Ambria. Ambria’s going to hate the swamp on her furry legs, but she kicks ass at healing. Lhawni can heal with her Totem and spells, especially for the smaller critter bites, cure the poison if the red-headed snake gets anyone, and cast spells towards the attacking creatures if she has the mana to spare.”

“Why her specifically and not one of the other Shamans? Or a Druid for that matter?” Tasi asked.

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“Lhawni prefers healing to combat. Don’t get me wrong, Xin is absolutely amazing, I’ve seen her practicing, but as a Spearmaster by training, she tends to think offensively. I don’t know the other two Shamans as well, but one was in the militia and the other mentioned he knows at least one wizard combat spell, so it leads me to think they may also think more offensively. I want the Shaman primarily as a healer and I have a different use for a Druid.”

“A Druid? Which one?” Rowani asked.

“Tazrok. He’s the only choice. His huge size will easily deal with anything. I’ve also been watching him practicing in his spider and Hellhound forms, and with all his Warrior skills from back home, he really has some fantastic moves. His forms using some of his Barbarian skills? It’s amazing and a little scary! He’ll be a Guardian, but in a pinch can back up the other classes if needed, and even fly to reposition if he needs to.”

“His Whirlwind when in spider form is truly devastating,” Rowani agreed. “He’s a good choice. The long spider legs will help in the swamp too.”

“Exactly,” Callie agreed. “Plus, he sees in all directions, so great for lots of critters.”

“How will you get into the nest?” Reynard asked.

“We’ll bring a couple pickaxes, just like you did. We have them available here, right?

“There should be some at outfitting,” Reynard confirmed.

“Good! But, those are actually the backup plan. I was also thinking Pixyl would be a good option to focus on getting into the nest. She should be able to slice right into it, even if it is hard as stone. Or blast her way in from the top as another option. With luck, she can get into it fast, then we burn it out and get the hell out of there. Plus she can provide air cover. We need your Dragon Oil stuff you mentioned, or something else flammable to dump into the nest.”

“Flying Fae cannot move as well over water,” Tasi interjected. “It’s hard to push against it. We still can, but it is much slower and can get tiring very quickly.”

Callie blinked in surprise. That was new information Pixyl had never mentioned, although it had never really come up in conversation. “I didn’t know that, Healer Tasi, so that’s good info.” Did this change anything? Not really. They could work around that if it meant fast access into the nest.

“Why not take Olin instead?” Reynard asked. “Or one of the other Bladeweaver recruits?”

“If the ground is soft, Pixyl’s small size and ability to fly, even if more difficult, would be a huge positive, plus we’ll have a little air support then. She’s small enough to ride on someone’s shoulders to save her strength, too. As for Olin, I can’t include him because I want a second Guardian, and Major Celeste would be a good choice because of her Flashstep and general nimbleness. The Commandant is only allowing me two trainers, so unless you want to stay behind, there’s no room for him. Honestly, I’d rather have your experience in dealing with this.”

“I’m coming, that isn’t really a choice,” Reynard said sternly. “Especially if all my Rangers are going.”

“That’s what I thought,” Callie mused. She then looked at Xera. “That’s ten people, plus Trainer Rowani running a quick scouting mission. I’m wary of adding more. It already feels like too many, in a way. But we’re all still learning, and for most of us it’s the first time actually fighting for real, so a few more people makes up for that.”

“What of me?” Juniper said, leaping to her feet angrily as Loki hung on to her neck, trying not to fall. “I must come along as well!”

“No,” Callie said firmly. “I don’t know what those parasites will do to you, and from what Healer Tasi said, you’re so closely tied to your tree that what affects you could also affect it. It’s too great a risk.”

“But …” Juniper began to sputter, Loki now standing on her shoulders, facing the room with his arms on his hips.

“Callie’s right,” Tasi interjected. “Even if we gave you a disease resistance potion, you could still get infected. With your link to your Heartwood tree, it’s best not to risk it. You cannot go.”

Juniper stared stunned at the rest of the room. You could see her mind trying to come up with any additional arguments she could think of, but all the hard faces returning her stare pushed back. Eventually, she sagged, defeated. Loki slid off her shoulders, and in a pouty manner, the Dryad absentmindedly made a sling with her arms for him to sit in.

“Sorry,” Callie added, apologetically. Callie didn’t want to mention that she frankly didn’t trust Juniper not to destroy the place in panic, anger, or simple glee at eliminating the cause of the problem. She could just see the Dryad going crazy, using her Sylvan powers to smash open the nest, and suddenly there are baby Bogwumps escaping everywhere. She needed to be kept far away from this for her own safety, if not maybe for the rest of the team’s, too.

“Anyone else you would like to bring?” Xera asked.

“Besides more trainers? I don’t think so. Did I miss something?”

“At first glance, your team is both large and Ranger heavy,” Galin said.

“Oh. Should I…” Callie began to reply.

“But…” Galin continued, interrupting the Gnome with a single glare. “I think your reasoning, that all the recruits are still fairly inexperienced, and a Ranger’s lack of reliance on mana for basic ranged attacks, makes them a good option. Reynard?”

The Foxkin shrugged. “Might as well bring them all. They're a better option than, say, a Warlock recruit. They’ve just started learning minion control and their damaging spells affect an area around the target. The Geomancer’s magic is too slow. The other Sylvan could be an option, but once again, she’d be mana dependent. Rangers make the most sense.”

“Why No Strikers? Except for Pixyl, that is, and you want her breaking open the nest.” Thorn asked.

“It’s a swamp and it probably isn’t the easiest for a Striker to fight there. Plus, most of the creatures should be smaller, so probably easily taken out by the Guardians if they get close. Both Tazrok and the Major have movement capabilities, too. Tazrok can use his flying-cat form and the Major has Flashstep. My hope would be that the wall of Rangers prevents anything even getting to them, to be honest.”

“Clever analysis,” Thorn said, nodding.

“How soon can you go?” Xera asked.

“No other recommendations?” Callie asked back, still worried she’d overlooked something important, and Xera was playing coy again.

“None from me. You seem to have most-everything covered and have a well thought out team.”

Callie looked around the room, trying to read everyone’s faces. Juniper was still pouting in her chair, Loki lovingly petting her neck in sympathy. Galin was standing next to the seated Thorn, and both were smirking like they were in on some joke, while Reynard’s face was plastic, betraying no emotion of any kind. Also seated at the table, Tasi was introspective, counting off something on her fingers as if she was mentally making a list. Rowani was the only one that seemed to show any emotion, and she actually seemed to be excited, flashing a huge grin on her face.

“Once again, how long until you and your team can set off?” Xera asked.

“Uh … I dunno … maybe an hour or so? That would give Trainer Rowani the time to fly out and look around, and we could go after she gets back with whatever she finds out.”

“How about two,” Reynard said coolly. “People are easy to get moving, but it might take a bit for the rest to be organized and collected.”

“Rowani will need to put on her armor, too,” Xera added, to which the Druid scowled in response.

“Uh, okay,” Callie replied with a shrug. She really had no idea what was involved in getting ready for something like this. What she did have, though, was an ever growing grocery list of what would be needed. Potions, pickaxes, flaming oils, not to mention everyone getting their armor on and something they could eat when they got closer.

“Juniper, would you please excuse us and step into the waiting alcove,” Xera asked the Dryad. Juniper didn’t hear them though, still lost in her own thoughts and still wearing a pouty face. Xera had to clear their throat and ask once again, slightly firmer this time, before Juniper got the hint, stood, and walked towards the door, Loki clinging to her neck like a little child might.

“Acting Sergeant Callie, if you would also step into the waiting room and close the door behind you. Don’t wander off,” Galin ordered.

“Is something wrong? Did I miss something important? What was it?” Callie asked.

“Nothing,” the Legate responded brusquely, and then added, “We simply want to talk about you without you here.”

“Alright,” Callie said carefully, her brain suddenly going paranoid. What had she forgotten? Was it something serious? For that matter, was she really actually even doing this? And now they wanted to talk about her? She must have missed something obvious, and if that was the case they should say it to her face now, before someone got hurt! She wasn’t sure why the snarky attitude popped up, but Callie put her hands on her hips. “You know, it’s a little rude to talk about someone behind their back.”

“Recruit Calliope?” Reynard said, getting her attention and putting on an obviously fake smile.

“Yes?”

“Get out!”

Callie gulped. “Um, yes, Sir.”