--------- Melody’s Tale - Wendigo ---------

Her sleep was uninterrupted and oh so sweet. When she awoke to the cold, bleak sunlight filtering through the heavy grey clouds, she couldn't help but smile. She was nestled in between Lily and Verse, the three of them sharing the bed in the house they had commandeered. It was warm, it was quiet, and she felt more rested than ever.

Her dreams were not absent, however. They weren't the feverish nightmares that robbed her of her strength and sanity, but they were there. Even as she tried to recall the details, they sifted through her fingers like droplets of water. The harder she tried to hold them, the faster they oozed in between the cracks of her memory and into obscurity. Judging by Verse’s snoring, he had slept much the same.

“Morning.” Lily said quietly, hardly more than a whisper. Melody smiled softly and glanced over her shoulder at her mother.

“Mornin’.” She muttered.

“Sleep good?”

“Oh you don’t even know…” Melody stretched as best she could under the heavy quilt, smiling to herself as she felt her muscles twinge and fill with energy. A hearty breakfast, and Melody would be back on her feet in no time… The whole night of sleep really had done wonders for her. She felt a little musty, in need of a shower, but now they had the facilities to accomplish her needs.

“C’mon.” Lily said quietly, silent as a shadow as she slipped out of bed. Melody followed, taking extra care not to wake Verse up. Her brother slumbered on, blissfully unaware of the two women preparing for their day around him. In the interest of time and saving hot water, they showered together, and Melody was glad for the light, gentle teasing her mother gave her.

“I swear, they’re getting bigger!” Lily exclaimed, lifting Melody’s breasts.

“Hey, stoppit!” She laughed and swatted at Lily’s hands, blushing as she covered her bust.

“No, really! I hadn’t noticed it before! You’re almost as big as I am.” Lily lifted her own, grinning as her breasts jiggled a little in the steamy water.

“You think so?” Melody pulled her arm away, inspecting her chest. She really was getting larger… More so in the past few weeks than ever before. Sure, she had her growth spurts, but this one was quite noticeable. They felt a little heavier, and unless she was mistaken, her lower back would ache at the end of the day.

“Trust me, kiddo. You’re growing faster than you know what to do with yourself. C’mon, let me scrub your back.” Melody turned around and pulled her hair over her shoulder, pondering her mother’s words as she was subject to the rough scrubbing. She idly ran her fingers through her hair, her thoughts wandering, as they often did, to her nights with Connor.

“Do you think it’s because of my recent… Activity?” She asked, half to herself, half to her more experienced mother.

“Most definitely. Your hormones awake when you first have sex. Unless I’m mistaken, we’re coming up on our flow soon…” The downside to living with two mothers, they had all synchronized early on. Melody could attest to the truth that women who lived together synced their periods. “Trust me when I say the first one after sex is different… I won’t say worse or better, because it changes from woman to woman, but it is different. Rinse.” Melody switched places with Lily, obligingly returning the favor as Lily continued talking. “Yeah… Don’t worry yourself with it, though. I’ll tell you this much… Soon, you’ll start producing milk. It might hurt the first time, but if you don’t purge, you might ruin your breasts forever. Don’t quote me, because we both know you’re anything but normal, but yeah… You might want to squeeze some of it out in the shower if it starts to hurt.”

“You think that might be the cause of the growth?” Melody asked. Lily shrugged.

“Difficult to say, really… Mine never did, but I’m not normal myself. I’ve seen other women fluctuate whole cup sizes because of milk buildup.”

“Huh… Rinse.” The conversation stopped there, both of them drying and dressing in silence. Melody did notice her bra was a little tighter than she remembered it being as of late… Still fluffing damp hair, she and Lily exited the bathroom, Verse sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“Mornin’.” He muttered, yawning. Melody smiled at him and nodded towards the bathroom.

“All yours. Left enough hot water, I’d think.”

“Awesome.” He tiredly slipped out of bed and into the bathroom. With how groggy he appeared, he must have really enjoyed sleeping so long. When the sounds of the shower started, Melody figured it was about time to go start breakfast. To her surprise, there were actually two soldiers downstairs. They held their spears in mittened hands, sitting on the long bench in the main hallway. She started a little when she saw them.

“Oh! How long have you two been here?” She asked, laying a hand over her hammering heart.

“Not long. Less than ten minutes. We just thought we were coming down with a bit of a cold, thought you could help.” The first one said, sniffling a little as he looked up at her. His nose was red and his eyes a little puffy. One way or another, he was suffering from a little something.

“Sure. Come on in.” She ushered them into the other room, gesturing to two open medical tables. These they had found in a clinic across the town. Since it was about half a mile away from the hub where everyone slept and worked normally, they had them transported into the small house they currently occupied. Just across from the barracks, their makeshift clinic had sprung up in the two days they had been there. Melody worked at tying her hair back and tucking it down the back of her tunic, a practice one adopted when they worked with wounded and sick people.

“Go ahead and take off your jackets and coats… Weapons against the wall.” She said, pushing her hands into latex gloves. The men obliged, their upper halves stripped down to undershirts. “Relax. Just gonna take a look at what’s happening.” Her hands glowed as she rested one on the front and one on the back of the nearest soldier. “Breathe in.” He obliged, his chest expanding under her hands. “And out.” As he did, she felt the rattle in his chest, her magic finding the spare bit of phlegm.

“Urk.”

“Oop.” Verse interjected with a metallic bin. The soldier spit the upchuck into the pail, purging the extra phlegm with Melody’s help.

“Good catch, bro.” She smiled at him as Verse padded the rest of the way into the makeshift clinic, his own hands glowing as he held the metallic bin with his magic. The soldier spat a few times, then coughed and breathed deep and easy.

“Anytime.”

“Oh fuck.”

“Better?” Melody asked, pulling away with a smile. The soldier breathed a few more times, his lips spreading into a smile.

“Yeah, actually… I feel great. Still a little stuffed up, but…”

“Well… I can do the same thing I just did…” Melody offered.

“With my nose?”

“It’s a little uncomfortable, but it’ll clear you right up.”

“Shit, if I can bandage my buddy’s stump in a puddle of blood and vomit, I can handle this. What do you need me to do?” Melody smiled at him then glanced at Verse. Holding the bucket at the ready, Verse was all in. Like or not, he had the same touch she did. The touch of a healer.

“Just act like you’re going to blow your nose.” Melody placed her fingertips on the bridge of his nose, her other curled around the back of his head. Verse moved the bucket under his nose and mouth, ready to catch whatever came out. When the soldier exhaled through his nose, Melody scooped out all the gunked-up sinus congestion, and pulled out with his help. The sound was sickening, but she’d seen worse. With the cold temperature, she figured she’d be doing this often… Small price to pay to keep all the soldiers healthy. That, and it helped improve her standing with the wary men…

“Ugh.” Verse carried the bucket away after the purge was over. Melody chuckled and directed the soldier to a sink where he could wash up. Once Verse returned with a cleaned bucket and Melody had washed and switched gloves, they repeated the process with the second soldier. Afterwards, they both breathed deep and heavy, their senses clear and the groggy congestion gone from their voices.

“Oh wow, thanks a bunch.” The first said, inhaling through his nose.

“Not a problem. We’ve got breakfast coming up soon if you feel like staying.”

“Sounds good. I’m in.” Melody and Verse transitioned from medical help to host and hostess flawlessly. They poured orange juice and water, cooked eggs, hashbrowns, oatmeal and at request grits. Taking care of the soldiers gave Melody a sense of purpose, of belonging. For now, she would act as their medic, their caregiver, so they began to trust her. To like her. When Lily joined in for breakfast, they all chatted and laughed, generally just making Melody feel better.

She had slept well, she was eating hearty food once more, and the soldiers were being friendly instead of standoffish and a little cold. She learned their names were Jake and Benjamin, both of them corporals with the support unit. Once breakfast was over, they reported back to the command center, taking Lily with them. Melody and Verse stayed behind in case any other soldiers came in.

“Hey.” Verse said, right as they were in the middle of cleaning the dishes up.

“Hmm?”

“About what Gale said yesterday… Do you think it’s true?”

“What, that the god of bitterness is alive and well?” She quipped, straightening herself. Verse nodded solemnly, his hands submerged in soapy water. Verse was always on dish duty.

“Well… Gale is young and new to the world. From the sound of it, he’s been up here fighting whatever’s causing this abnormal weather and those nightmares. I’d like to help him make his stand, but I just don’t know how…”

“I’ve been thinking.” Verse stood up, drying his hands on a nearby towel. “About what he said… The skies belong to him. The snow, the wind, the lightning… They’re his to command. Maybe… Maybe our job isn’t to just resurrect the old gods…” He leaned against the counter, speaking soft and low. “Maybe we need to help… I dunno… Restore them?”

“Like… Help them find their place?”

“Right… Look, Celestia and Luna are still awake and alive. Have been for thousands of years… Maybe they aren’t the only old gods that didn’t sleep… Ephemira, Gale and Hurricane... They’re only the ones we’ve awoken. Others might still be awake. Others like this god of bitterness…”

“So… Instead of waking them… We need to help them find their place.”

“Precisely.” Verse nodded, his point made. Melody stopped, her rag still on the tabletop.

“Verse, that’s… That’s brilliant. But how?”

“Think hard, Melody… Why didn’t Twilight come with us?”

“She… Well, Dash said he had a favor to ask her.”

“You forget. Before that, she said she was better off in Eyriewatch. With her books and research. She knows everything those books have, so why does she feel compelled to stay? And just because Dash had a favor to ask doesn’t mean she can’t help out her family. Twilight… That is to say Ephemira, may have been awoken. But I don’t think she’s found her place just yet. It’s been, what, two months? A month and a half? Gale still hasn’t reclaimed the north winds. How is Hurricane doing down south? They should be able to sweep whatever adversity remains aside and take their place with ease… Think about it.” Verse pushed off the counter, gesturing with his hands.

“We’re bringing these gods back into a world they haven’t lived in for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. Things have changed. Cities and civilizations gone and destroyed, or sprung up and flourishing… They’re confused, weak, and young. We need to help them, not just by bringing them back, but by helping them find their place once again.”

“Verse, I… Listen, it’s too early to think of this shit.”

Verse laughed and hugged her.

----------

“You want us to tag along?” Melody wrapped up the point with an arched eyebrow. Sergeant Icelash, who had previously been stuttering over the words he wanted to ask, dropped his hands defeatedly.

“Yes. But only if you’re willing.”

“Sergeant, do I need to remind you why Verse and I tagged along in the first place? We’re not technically here to wake up screaming in the middle of the night and play doctor with sick soldiers. We came, originally, to investigate these claims, to see what, if anything, we could do to locate Connor’s missing unit. Clearly, he used to be here. This is where they were posted. There’s obvious signs of recent life. Your teams have scouted the surrounding area thoroughly. All that remains is the mine.”

It was later on that same day when Sergeant Icelash had requested the two of them come into the command center. He had stuttered and drawled on for a few minutes, going on about how ‘the men need you’ and we’d ‘rather not risk it’ when Melody had just driven straight to the point.

“Fine, fine. I guess I had forgotten. Old habits die hard, eh? You leave at first dawn tomorrow. Questions?”

“None, Sergeant.” Both she and Verse confirmed. It might have been improper, but Melody felt it necessary. She clicked her heels together and saluted. The sergeant blinked at her before returning the salute, and when she and Verse left, he chuckled and shook his head.

“Well.” Verse said gently. “Thought about what I said any?”

“A little. I’ll admit it’s got to be confusing to wake up in a world you once thought familiar… I’m not saying I’ll do it because they’re gods… But I’ll do it because ANYone in that situation deserves a little guidance. Or, in the case of whoever this god of bitterness is, a stern reprimand. Come on, let’s go get some sleep.” She said, nodding towards their home. Bidding an early good night to Lily, the two of them ascended the steps to their bedroom and slept back-to-back, thankfully without the nightmares for another night. When they awoke, it was still dark out, though Melody felt refreshed and renewed. A quick shower and some coffee later, she and Verse were dressed and packed for the trip north, and they rendezvoused with their scouting unit in the barracks across the small street.

“Melody, Verse. You two ready?” A different Sergeant, this one just one rank underneath Icelash, greeted them as they slipped into the barracks. All around, jostling movement and preparations were being made, gear clanking and fabric rustling as the soldiers prepared to move north.

“As we’ll ever be.” Melody affirmed with a nod. It was mornings like this she was thankful for the clothing Gale and Hurricane had blessed them with. She could see the soldiers shiver, their breath puffing white vapor even inside the heated barracks. It was cold.

“Good. We’re wings up in five. Meet outside. Oh, and… Here.” Shuffling about in his coat, the sergeant withdrew two leather sheaths, the buckles and straps creaking and clinking as he passed them off to Verse. “Trottingham steel, some of the finest in the land.” He explained as Verse gingerly pulled a wicked-looking knife free of the leather sheath. “Folded steel makes it a touch heavier, but it’s durable and won’t break easily. They aren’t standard issue, so no one will give you shit for not being soldiers. I know you two have your magic, but you won’t believe the things I’ve seen some magi do with a blade. Keep them, more for my personal peace of mind than anything else.” Verse sheathed his blade and handed Melody the other. She took it awkwardly in her hands, wondering how far things had come…

There, in the dark, cold morning, she wondered how she had come from a laughing, swimming, violin-playing little girl who frolicked in the ocean and napped through the hot afternoons to the world-changing, non-virgin, knife-wielding woman she was now. Nevertheless, she strapped the knife to her right thigh, the cold metal handle brushing her fingertips as her hand hung at her side. “Right then. We ready?”

“Three minutes. See you outside.” The sergeant said, nodding. She and Verse exited into the dark morning, standing close as they turned their eyes to the north.

“What do you think he’s doing right now?” Verse asked.

“Who? Gale?” He nodded. “Probably clearing the path for us, if we’re lucky. He might be somewhere else.”

”Or maybe I’m right here.” With an impact that made the ground shake a little beneath them, Gale’s massive body suddenly filled the street. His wings spread wide above them, his towering form hovering over the roofs of all the nearby buildings.

“Gale!” Melody smiled, despite the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Seeing the massive, imposing god land before her was never going to get old… “Good morning! Did you sleep well?”

”I do not sleep, little one. I stood vigil over your rest, however. There is much more trouble in and around this town than you know.”

“Trouble?” Melody arched her eyebrow. More soldiers poured out of the barracks, eyes wide as they beheld the sight of the massive Roc in the middle of the small town.

”Indeed. The Wendigo plague this place. I hold them off easily enough, but were I not here, I fear your lives may have been lost. They harbor very ill intent towards any who venture this far north. Your friend and his unit were very unfortunate to have crossed them.”

“Crossed? What do you mean, crossed?” Verse asked hesitantly.

”All through the night they howl and snarl and scream, demanding more avian to condemn.”

“Condemn?!” Melody said incredulously, her eyes wide. Gale nodded solemnly at them, the entire scouting party. Melody felt her jaw slacken. So they HAD taken Connor! But they said Condemn, not kill or sacrifice or murder… Condemn! Her hopes soared for the survival of the mission. For Connor and his men. They were in the cave, she knew it, just waiting to be saved. “You hear that, you guys?” Melody said, turning to the searching party behind her. “Scouting unit forty-eight is alive and imprisoned. Let’s go save our friends.” With a cheer that lifted spirits and bodies, they all spread wings and took off… Flying fast and free through the winds to the north. Behind them, Gale chuckled.

”I like her.”

------------

“Connor! Connor, come on man…” Verse’s panicked tone fit the situation well. He slapped the cold sergeant’s face, his eyes flitting to and fro in the dark recesses of the mine. “Connor, wake up. Don’t sleep on me, now… Not now, man. Come on.” His hands fell on Connor’s cold cheeks, the slaps echoing up and down the mine.

“Nn… Whuzit…” The big avian stirred slightly in Verse’s grip, his eyes flickering as he groggily came to.

“Connor! Thank the heavens. Come on, man. Get up. I need you.”

“Whuz… Vers…?” He muttered, lifting a hand to rub his temple.

“Yeah, it’s Verse, man… Come on. Wake up.”

“M’lody?”

“She’s here… Or… She was.” Connor blinked a few times, looking at Verse with a confused expression.

“Was?” It was his first coherent word. Verse was glad that his brain hadn’t been damaged. At least, not much.

“Come on. You gotta get up.”

“NGH!” Connor grunted as Verse started to lift him. “The Fahhh- AHHH!” He cried as Verse pulled up, tweaking the avian sergeant’s leg.

“Yeah, that’s pain… Come on, man.” He had feeling… One way or another, this was good… “Here,” Verse took a moment to rip a strip of his overcoat off, balling it up and stuffing it into Connor’s mouth. The man bit down hard, grunting into the makeshift gag as Verse lifted him the rest of the way. Connor’s left leg was alive and healthy… But his right… Verse didn’t want to look at it. Not again.

“Meehhooy.”

“Yup. C’mon, buddy. Let’s get you to Melody.”

“Hnnng…” Verse hoisted Connor up onto his one good leg, half-dragging half-supporting the big man forward, taking it one step at a time. Verse turned his eyes to the way he had came, back towards the entrance of the cave.

Back towards the heart of bitterness itself.

--------------

“Two more, Melody!” She didn’t hear it. Rather, she didn’t listen to it. The sound wafted past her ears, went into her brain, but there it died. She was using every ounce of her magical ability to try and save the one she was already working on. That, combined with the two that had already been there, and these extra two, five of their fifteen-avian party were injured. She focused, and let her magic fill the form before her. Flesh knitted together, bones re-connected, and breath returned to lungs. The avian coughed and sputtered blood. He was stable for now.

Her attention then turned to the next avian. His arm was laying detached next to the bloody stump of his shoulder, and he was bleeding a lot. Melody stemmed the tide with a plug, her magic working to separate and make sense of the ragged flesh. Blood oozed from smaller ruptured veins, adding to the pool, but at least the major artery was plugged for now. Finally, the puzzle of blasted flesh righted itself, and she was at least able to place them together. Then came the tricky part. She started weaving the flesh together, and once the severed artery was re-attached to it’s constituent tube, she finished closing him up. Bones would need restructured, but he was stable.

Stabilize first. Then treat. Triage. Move, work, think, heal, put flesh and bone back together, let nothing faze you.

This man was clutching his own stomach, trying to hold in his organs as the internal pressure tried to equalize. Pulsating, sickeningly pink flesh spilled around his fingers, and he gurgled on his blood. Melody’s hands glowed as she set her attention on him, her tired and weary eyes scanning the situation.

“You’re going to die.” She spoke low and quiet, her hands still working. Sometimes, there was nothing she could do for someone... Still, she fought, staved off the inevitable, her eyes meeting the poor man’s beneath her. “I can make it quick. Or I can try and give you longer.”

“Longer.” The shaking man whimpered. Tears welled up in his eyes. “I… Sarge…”

“I’m here, son.” Melody hadn’t even noticed him. His hand laid on the feverish soldier’s forehead, stroking his hair back off of his face.

“Tell… Tell my family…” He coughed, blood gurgling up into his mouth. Melody lifted it out with a simple touch, tossing the blood heedlessly off onto the cold stone floor. “Tell them… That I l… Love them.”

“Of course.”

“I want my mom…” He whimpered.

“Shh… Shh… It’s okay, son… Relax.” Melody stopped trying to heal him. Her hands dulled as she watched. “Shh…”

“I want my m-… Mom… Mama…” Tears flowed unheeded from his eyes as he twitched. Melody watched, fighting tears of her own, as this soldier cried for his family. “Mama… Ma, I’m… I’m… I want my mom…” Unable to stomach it longer, she turned away, to the next dying man. Behind her, she heard the sergeant soothe the man, try to calm him. She turned her attention to a different soldier, this one’s jaw dangling from his face. A simple heal, just time-consuming. She plugged the largest veins she could find and left him as stable as he would be, turning to the last one.

As she began working on his shattered arm, Melody let her thoughts go back, just five minutes prior. What had happened?

In a breath, it returned to her.