Towers And Tieflings: ONC 2021 Longlist

6: An Abnormal Reaction

Much to Adam and Orianna's surprise, Seamus and Kohl return to camp with the body of an elf slung across Kohl's back. 

"Oh my God, is that the druid from earlier? Is she dead?" Orianna rushes over to the newly arrived with eyes enlarged, looking for signs of life from the elf girl.

"She's...alive," Kohl says, her words winded, "...but unconscious." Though she managed to clear the necessary 'Strength' check to lift the druid, the pirate's relatively weak 'Constitution' stat has caught up to her during the short walk back to the campsite. Kohl longs to unceremoniously dump the elf's body onto the ground and catch her breath, but manages to hold on until Adam comes over and carefully takes the druid's body from her.

"Yeah, Katniss Everdeen over here shot her out of the sky." Despite the jab at his friend, genuine concern crosses Seamus's face as he watches Adam lay the druid onto a bedroll to examine.

"I think you should maybe stop shooting arrows at people, Kohl," the tiefling wizard says, and the pirate sputters out a defense about not meaning to this time around. 

As Orianna watches the skinship between the human paladin and elf girl, a prickly, uncomfortable sensation crawls throughout her body. She shakes it off, knowing the situation between the two isn't something to be envied. 

Adam's eyes roam the druid's form for injuries. "Where's the wound? And what do you mean, the sky? Was she shape-shifted?" 

Kohl flops down onto a nearby log adjacent to the campfire; the deep breaths she takes in help to steadily restore her composure. "Yeah, as a giant hawk. She scared the shit out of Seamus and me."

Adam immediately stands and steps away from the elf, backing several feet away. 

Seamus's brow furrows in confusion as he watches Adam act like the mystery girl has a contagious disease. "What the hell, man? Aren't you gonna help her?"

"She's fine. She doesn't need or want our help. Just pretend she isn't there." Adam doesn't even look in the elf's direction now, turning himself so that he looks the opposite way.

The other three party members stare at the lawful good paladin, all convinced he's lost his mind.

"Dude, my arrow pierced her hawk's head, and then she fell like fifty feet. She hit the ground hard. I really, really don't think she's okay." Kohl crosses her arms and glares at Adam. 

After an uncomfortable impromptu staring contest, the paladin beckons his friends closer and drops his voice to a whisper. "When a druid shapeshifts, the damage they take in animal form typically doesn't carry to their humanoid form. Unless the hit was strong enough to kill her two times over, she's totally fine." 

Seeing his friend's dubious looks, Adam continues, "There's just no way you did enough damage with a normal shot, unless you had decapitated her or something. Seeing as she's completely unscathed, I think it's safe to say that that's not the case."

Seamus glances over at the druid's unmoving form. "So she's not actually unconscious? Why is she just lying there then?"

Adam shrugs. "Take your best guess. Mine would be that she doesn't want to talk to us and is gonna take off again the first chance she gets."

"What? But I'm amazing! Who wouldn't want to hang out with a kickass pirate like me?" Kohl says, only half-joking.

"Having known you for the past two years, I can see why she doesn't want to buy a ticket aboard the friendship bus." Seamus narrowly dodges the pirate's punch. "Still, why didn't she say something or take off before?"

Adam scratches his chin. "Embarrassment? I don't know, I'm not her. I say we all get to sleep and give her the chance to leave quietly."

The four quickly divvy out the shifts for keeping watch and settle in for the night, ignoring their growling stomachs and decaying 'Hunger' status bars. Since the druid is currently using Adam's bedroll, he rests on the spare clothes and blankets in his pack, politely refusing to use  Kohl's unoccupied sleeping bag while she watches over the group.