44. Campaign 6- Hollow Bodies

"Good morning, Isabella," Dolores said, smiling at her prima before turning her attention back to the griddle she was working on. There was a bowl of pancake mix nearby and while it was a touch lumpier than her Tia's and they weren't the perfect little circles when she made them, and at least one of them had flipped onto itself and cooked weird… Dolores was actually enjoying being able to take care of her family. The adults were still sleeping off the festivities but the kids had proven to be far stronger than them and were thus up and about. "How are you today?"

Isabella let out a relieved sigh before flopping down into a chair in an ungraceful heap. "I'm gay."

"We know, sweetie," Camilo said, patting her on the shoulder as he walked up to join them. "We know."

Isabella had been turning that into her new 'hello' ever since she'd finally revealed her deepest secret and found so many utterly accepting, walking up to guests at the party and happily declaring "I'm gay". It honestly startled everyone how relaxed Isabella had become. Where before she had seemed like a chain that was at its breaking point now she was a lazy kitty, happy to let the world move all about her. Yet for Dolores it also reminded her so much of happier times, when her prima hadn't been consumed by her gift and had understood how to just take in the world and enjoy it.

"Well luckily for you these pancakes are for everyone so eat up."

Isabella considered the stack before glancing up at Dolores, a look of consideration slowly forming across her features. "Abuela is going to be very cross with me about last night, isn't she?" Before Dolores or Camilo could answer she continued. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she decides that the future of the family is no longer mine to deal with. Pass it along to someone else, disown me, all that. So… I guess that means…" she let a smile slowly form on her lips, "…that I don't need to keep worrying about looking perfect. No more needing to spend an hour each morning checking my hair… no need to worry about my makeup…"

She licked her lips and grabbed three pancakes, plopping them onto her plate before drizzling butter and syrup on them.

"No more watching my weight."

"You're weight?" Camilo asked as Isabella began to tear into the pancakes with a gusto.

Dolores' eyes went wide, looking over at her brother. She knew that he needed more food because constantly shifting his body burned so many calories that he had to eat twice the normal person. Same with Luisa burning so many calories working.

"Isa… have you been starving yourself just to make abuela happy?"

"…maybe?" she admitted, the final bit of pancake dangling from her fork.

Camilo instantly swapped Isabella's empty plate with the one Dolores had been using to stack the pancakes. "I'll get to work on more batter."

"Why do you need more batter?" Mirabel said, having jogged into the kitchen while they'd been distracted by the latest revelation about their abuela and the affects she had on the family. Behind her came Luisa, Dryft, Saharah,Antonio (who was riding on the back of his new jaguar friend) and Ulika, the last of whom plopped down beside Isabella and gave her a kiss on the cheek like it was the most natural thing to do. Of course Isabella had merely grunted, "Can't talk, eating" but it was the thought that counted.

"Because all of the pancakes I just made are Isabella's."

"Did she call them?" Saharah asked. "No offense if that is how you guys do things but I always hate when people do that. Just share."

"She didn't call them," Camilo said, helping Antonio down before returning to mixing batter. The rest of the group would need baths before they ate but Antonio had just gone for a fun ride. "Apparently abuela had her convinced she needed to starve herself."

"And her gift clearly is like yours, Luisa, and she needs extra calories."

"…carechimba," Luisa hissed, only to receive an elbow from Mirabel for swearing in front of Antonio. The boy in question, understanding just what his prima had been doing, hurried over and gave her a hug, Isabella pausing mid bite before returning it, looking about with tear-filled eyes at how her family was rallying around her. At once Dolores could tell that Isa was wondering how they could all still love her after all the horrible things she had done. She wanted to tell her that she was family so of course they would love her no matter what but instead all she managed was a watery smile before she began to work on making more pancakes.

Ulika, for her part, narrowed her eyes before turning to Dryft. "Examination, now."

"One moment," he said before holding out his hands, causing water to burst from the sink. It swirled around him rapidly, covering him completely before it all pulled away and down the drain, leaving him completely dry once more but also cleaned of the sweat and dust he'd gathered from the morning exercise. "Saharah?"

"On it," the dragonborn said and Dryft retrieved a metal pot, filling it with water before putting it on the stove. Ulika grabbed the table and Isabella's chair, dragging her over to the stove while Saharah unleashed a blast of flames that within moments had the water bowling. "Sanitized."

"Thank you," Dryft said and Dolores blinked at how utterly… detached… he sounded. Cool. Professional. At once she realized that this wasn't Prince Dryft… this was the Party's doctor and healer. "Ulika, she can keep eating… I'd actually prefer it." He dipped his hands into the water, not even reaction to the heat, before drying them with his powers.

"Of course," the orc woman said.

"Uh… do I get a choice in this?" Isabella asked only for Ulika to shove a forkful of pancake into her mouth.

"That answers that," Camilo snarked.

"Below average height," Dryft commented to himself as he began to look Isabella over, moving about her rapidly. He glanced in her ears before leaning down, looking her right in the eye before he began to rub her jaw, large fingers gently feeling the muscles there before moving to her lymph nodes. "Dizzy spells?"

"Sometimes?" Isabella said though with how full her mouth was it came out more like 'thom-imes'.

"Hmmm. Muscle weakness?" He suddenly held up his hand. "Don't answer, I'll check." He rolled his hand and wiggled his fingers and Isabella's eyes went wide. The veins in Isabella's neck bulged out for a second before returning to normal.

"Oh," she said softly.

"Hmm… electrolyte-water imbalance. Fluid accumulation in organs. I can fix that for now but its only a patch, not a cure."

"Isabella, are you okay?" Dolores asked, watching as Isabella squirmed, jaw dropping as Dryft manipulated the water in her body, his hands waving about like he was conducting an orchestra.

"Aw crap," Ulika whispered, Saharah moving to pull Antonio away from Isabella who'd began to pant. "Dryft, I meant a surface exam. Please don't-"

The capricorn held up a finger. "Shhh, I'm trying to focus. Blood flow… let's check the veins directly. Increase flow… here. And… here."

Isabella began to wiggle in her seat and to Dolores' panic looked rather flush.

"Hmm… blood work is good but…"

"Dryft…" Saharah warned.

"Should we stop this?" Antonio asked only for Mirabel to cover his ears. "Hey!"

Luisa looked about before moving towards Dryft, eyes narrowed. "You need to stop-"

"NO!" Isabella screamed, startling them all as she gripped the table, body rigid. "Don't… you… dare…"

"Of course not, I am a trained cleric," Dryft said. "Now then, shift things… here."

Isabella bit her lip.

"And some pressure here… good, that's at least not damaged."

The eldest of the grandkids dropped her fork and began to hug herself.

"Almost done. Now-"

The Madrigal kids, save for Antonio thanks to having his ears covered, all jumped when Isabella let out a high pitch moan that lasted nearly a minute. Ulika quickly caught her as she finally collapsed in her chair, a lazy smile slowly forming on her lips even as she gasped for air.

"There," Dryft said, dropping his hand. "She is malnourished. Muscle mass is only 39% where it should be, several organs are in states of weakness that could lead to failure within the next 2 years, and I don't like how low her electrolytes are. She needs to eat 5 small meals each day… not big meals, that will make her sick as her stomach isn't used to normal size meals. Ulika, she can finish the pancakes but for lunch I want her to eat a sandwich, chicken would be best, light on sauce as that could cause problems with her bowels, and then in the afternoon she needs another meal. Roughly around 2:30 I would say. Maybe something with nuts. Also she needs to drink more water. At least a gallon today. I'll need to have her perform her magic so I can determine how much that drains her."

"Okaaaaaayyyy," Isabella said with a dopey smile, playing with Ulika's hair.

"…are we not going to talk about Dryft just making Isabella-" Camilo began only for Dolores to shoot him a dark look. "Okay, we aren't going to discuss it. Pancakes then?"

"Yes, thank you," Dryft said with a smile. "I could use a recharge myself after that." He shook his head. "Saharah, do you need your weekly deep examination?"

"…not now," the dragonborn said softly, Ulika shooting her a look. "Oh you've had him do it to you too!"

"I like doctors…" Isabella said drunkenly.

~MC~MC~MC~

Alma paced her room.

Her children… her children had lost their minds!

"How can they treat me like this," she hissed. It wasn't a question… it was a demand to the universe to answer. But everything was silent. Casita didn't obey her commands to bring the family to her, so that she could set things right. No one came to check on her. There had been no knock on the door letting her know it was time for breakfast and despite how hungry she was getting she refused to go down until they realized their mistake and came to get her.

Until then she paced and she stewed in her rage.

"Children… misguided lost children," she mumbled to herself. "Oh Pedro… what am I to do? Our children have lost their way. Pepa and Julieta no longer listen to me, allowing themselves to be guided by literal devils! Bruno… my sweet Brunito. What has happened to my little boy? Where is my sweet baby?" She shook her head, looking skyward. "And the grandchildren… Luisa refuses to obey the villagers anymore, thinking it is her right to question them! To give them directions! She is to lift and to carry, not plan! Dolores does not even use her gift anymore! Camilo was already so close to a lost cause… I tried so hard to make his gift something that would benefit all but I knew… I knew it was not a proper one. And now Antonio will not help…

"Isabella… what nonsense has been put into her hand! Leaving her home! Kissing a woman! Not even a woman! That green beast! It will take so much work to get Mariano to go on with the wedding!" She was already dreading the long talks she would have to have with his family, to get them to see that Isabella was still the better bride than Dolores. But it would happen… Isabella had to marry and it had to be now. A new baby had to be added to the family, one that Alma could have a firmer hand in raising. That was the problem… she had been too loose with how she guided the others and it allowed them to have these ill thoughts in their head.

Mirabel… it was all Mirabel's fault! Her and those demons that had tricked everyone!

"Assuming it even is Mirabel and not some… fae trickster," Alma thought only to wince. She kept getting headaches whenever she thought of the outside world. Of what lay beyond the valley. That should have been proof enough that they never leave! That they stay forever in the valley! It was safe at home. Outside there were dangers and threats. Necromancers and Blood Mages and-

A spike of pain hit her once more and she for a moment considered going to get some of Julieta's healing food but decided… no. No, she needed to focus.

"Pedro," she pleaded again, looking at the candle. "What can I do? How can I hope to fix this? To make the family right again?" she moved about her room without thought, finally ending at a cedar chest at the foot of her bed. She pulled off a blanket, touching the carved patterns in its surface; she couldn't remember why they were there but she knew they were important. Opening it up she smiled as she saw her greatest keepsakes. The dress she had worn on her wedding day. The blankets she had wrapped the triplets in. The-

She froze.

"They dare?" she hissed as she pulled out the mage's staff and the book of spells. She gripped them both, shaking them, before throwing each onto her bed. "Those… those vile beasts! They invade my room! Put their sinful relics in my chest! How dare they!"

This… this had to stop! It had too!

She whipped around, ready to break and tear the items apart, only to pause as she looked at the page the book had been flung open to.

…and a plan began to form.