Origins of the Fates

5: Callisto Carver

As soon as Callisto Carver realizes that the city around her is far more corrupted than she had originally thought, she and her friends had left.

Cal had taken Moriah Redthorn, Andras Halloran, Santos Redvers, Quilla Halstead, and Soren Allswell — as well as around a dozen others — to a new place to call home. Cal and her friends would be the unofficial council of this new place, a small village far away from Ilyntalos called Rye Belanore.

Now, it has been seven months, and the village is very much so thriving and happy. There are about twice as many people who have arrived from the Wastes, all of them here to make their own lives far from the only remaining city of the once proud United States.

As Callisto assists an elven man till his fields, carving the soil into a better shape for crops, she hears a familiar voice call her name. She bids goodbye and good luck to the elf. He nods and she leaves him, heading over to join Santos.

A werewolf, Santos is commonly thought of by others as a bit of a hothead. However, as Cal has known him practically her whole life, she knows the truth. He's kind. He's caring. But yes, he's got a bit of a temper for things that upset him, as well as people who push the wrong buttons.

Cal knows what to say as well as what to avoid.

"You seem happy," he comments as she removes her gloves and shoves them into her overalls pocket.

Rubbing her nose, Callisto nods. "Yeah, well, I'm sure it's just the fact that elves are typically interested in different aspects of nature. That tends to help rejuvenate us."

Santos nods, black curly hair waving as a warm breeze drifts through the fields.

The place they'd taken over was originally as barren as the rest of the Wastes, but with tons of love and magick, they have made fertile soil and places for crops to grow. Cal loves this place, as Rye Belanore has blossomed into a beautiful little home for all of them.

She turns to the field that has tons of wheat planted, which waves softly, rustling in the wind. The smells of fresh cut grasses, warm soil, and foods cooking all drift to her nose, and she sighs in contentment.

"Oh, yeah," Santos mutters, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, Quilla was looking for you."

"Oh?"

Santos nods. "You uh, you talk to her lately?"

Shaking her head, Cal folds her arms over her chest. Quilla is a dragon shifter, and it is well known between the Council that she has a crush on Callisto.

Santos releases a puff of air, then shrugs. "Maybe you should. She's been askin' 'bout you."

"Alright," she says. "Where did you see her last?"

"Over by the entrance to the Underground," he says.

Nodding, Cal walks down the slope in the thick, pale brown dirt, leaving Santos. He doesn't mind, just walks away, no doubt searching for Soren. Yes, they are one of those "Maybe a couple, maybe not" kinds of guys.

Callisto walks up to the cave that serves as the entrance to the underground portion of the village. Rye Belanore has an underground chamber where the members all live. They also have tons of fields for crops, using their powers to feed and water the crops. As soon as she reaches the sloped and cooler feeling tunnel, Quilla calls out.

Turning on her heels, Cal sees Quilla leaning against a wheelbarrow, which is full of various tools for farming. She looks up at Cal, her pretty silver eyes aglow in the dimness of the tunnels.

Quilla is pale, her hair the same shade of silver as her eyes and leather wings. Atop her head are sharp S-shaped horns, which are mostly black, but highlighted by silver. She wears a pale blue dress that falls by her knees, as well as boots that go up by her knees.

Callisto herself is the opposite of Quilla in many ways. As an elf turned into a vampire, Cal's body went through many changes. She too has leathery wings, much like those of a bat, but hers are black with pink highlights. She's got claws and fangs that can retract at will. She is pale, with long red hair she always has up in an intricate braid. Her horns are shaped like a Z, but she usually says they look like lightning bolts, but black. Her eyes are red as blood, but the whites of her eyes are black instead, causing her irises to seemingly glow all the time.

"You look great," murmurs Quilla.

Cal chuckles. "Um, thanks. But I am covered in dirt. So ... I don't see it."

"Well, I do," she says. A small blush crosses her face, but she turns her head to the wheelbarrow. "Uh, it's gonna be hard to push that the whole way down the slope, without it spilling. So, you um, think you could help?"

Nodding, Cal steps up to the other side of the wheelbarrow, and she walks backwards as Quilla pushes it down the slope. As they enter the dim chamber of the Underground, Cal smiles.

This place is home.