Snow

It's only a few minutes before Callen awakens to the startling sound of thunder and clashing steel. Quickly rising from his snowy bed, after quickly checking and tightening his clothes, Callen almost falls as he trips over nothing.

"Geh, haven't done that in years..."

A quick recovery later, Callen frantically dashes towards the distant sounds of combat. Within a few seconds, a group he instantly recognizes comes into view, assaulting two of the ants.

"We gotta finish quick, Fredric's injured!"

At the front of the group, wielding a tactical shield and a large cleaver, a young woman with orangish hair actively deflects a flurry of slashes from the deadly scythes of an ant. Her animals ears twitching, she ducks and dodges a strike from behind, almost catching her foxlike tail with the end of the blade.

"Away from the middle Sera!"

Sera quickly jumps backwards as a robed man raises his staff, a magic circle appearing between the two ants. A pillar of flame twists upwards from the center, visibly scorching the exoskeletons of the ants.

Callen, not one to allow for needless sitting around, reaches for his weapons before realizing that they weren't there. Clicking his tongue in frustration, Callen quickly makes his way to the injured member of the team. Dragging him away with one arm while preparing a medkit with the other, Callen yells to the group.

"I got Fred! Focus on winning you guys!"

A man sitting upon a concrete pillar raises a crossbow, shooting a bolt into one of the ants neck. A crew cut of brown hair and a missing arm, he gives a confused glance at Callen before beginning to reload.

"Who the hell is that?"

Stabbing into the other ant, Sera raises her shield just in time to block a mandible strike.

"I don't know, but the fact that Fredric knows someone like that makes me kinda jealous!"

From the side, a woman with a helmet fully covering her head who had previously been lurking around the edge of the fight dashes in, making two strikes with a pair of kamas, each strike accurately severing a neck from an ant.

Callen gives a sigh of relief at the danger passing, and begins to administer first aid to Fredric. Sera, sheathing her shield and cleaver on her back, approaches Callen with the rest of the party behind her.

"I can't believe that Fredric knows a beauty like you, what's your name?"

Callen begins to snicker as he works, causing confused looks to be exchanged between the party members. Rising from his kneeling position after finishing, Callen gives a bow to the party, smirk upon his face.

"Callen Fabel, newly awakened at your service."

A silence covers the group for a moment, a shocked party observing the changes to Callen.

His previously crimson hair had turned white with reddish brown ends. He was much shorter and skinnier as well, having dropped to around 5'4. The most standout change was his face, having become describable as a modest beauty, a stark difference to his previous rugged look. Finally, with a pair of animal ears upon his head and a swinging tail behind him, the party had only one conclusion.

Interrupting the silence, Sera rushes over to get a closer look.

"Whoa, Callen! I can't believe you awoke into a female Werewolf!"

The mage, dropping his hood to reveal an older man with salt and pepper hair, a slightly crooked smile, slightly cut off by a scar stretching down the side of his face, gives a sigh.

"I always knew you'd awaken one day. We should celebrate with drinks later!"

Elbowing the old man before taking off her helmet, revealing a short blonde bob, pulls Callen into a hug.

"First, holy shit you are so cute now. Second, we don't know how old callen's new body is, so you can't just take her for drinks before we get her tested."

Glaring at the two men in front of her, the woman tightens her hug

"Got that you two? Destin? Jack?"

Destin, quickly nodding, puts his staff away, causing the deep and dark stare to be quickly pointed at the man named Jack. After a few moments, he shrugs.

"I got it, I got it. Also, nice strikes earlier Tia."

A slight red tint emerging on her ears, Tia turns her back on Jack before pulling away from Callen. "let's go get the truck and load up."

A majority of the party leaving, Callen and Sera both sit beside the injured Fredric, a quiet minute passing before either speaks.

"Y'know Sera, after all this time, I never would have expected to awaken after almost dying in a pile of snow."

A small laugh escapes from Sera as she pulls a wallet out of one of her pockets. From within she pulls an old photo out, a picture of the party with Callen. "Ten and a Half years. We've waited this long for you. You gotta work hard to make that up you hear?"

Sera, with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, tenderly grabs Callen's hand, looking into her eyes. They had turned from a greenish blue to an almost black brown, and they seem to almost mesmerize her, before Fredric stirs, startling her.

"Jeez! Fredric, are you okay!? You got hit pretty hard!"

Fredric, sitting up from his previous position, opens his eyes, then shuts them. he continues this process for more then ten seconds before Sera punches him in the chest, knocking him back down.

"Ugh, and I thought you'd be injured or something. Anyway, don't fall in love with her, it's just Callen."

At the mention of Callen, Fredric startles to his feet.

"What?! Callen became a beauty?! How does that even work?!"

A group moment of silence later, the entire party, minus Fredric, begin laughing profusely. Callen, taking a moment to recover from the laugh, gives a small cough before turning to Fredric.

"Fred, thank you for being the only one of us to have that reaction. Also, I finally awakened, so I think it's probably likely that I was super injured without realizing it and my body naturally adapted to the remaining usable mass that my body had available. Honestly, it's more surprising that you all say I'm beautiful now then anything else."

Callen, adrenaline suddenly wearing off, collapses to her knees.

"Someone wanna put me in a seat? Having a bit of trouble staying up."

Fredric, attempting to step forward is pushed away by Sera, who picks up Callen and carries her to a seat in the back of the parties truck. She fiddles with the temperature controls, and covers Callen in a blanket before stepping away to help with the ants. Warmth and safety overtaking her, Callen slowly falls asleep, beautiful smile on her new face.