//------------------------------// // First Day (Revised) // Story: Keys, Suits, and Swords // by Silent Ghost //------------------------------// ~~~>><<~~~ "...I can't....this ship around...too late, we're entering...” The decks shuddered as the ship entered the fold. The lights of the halls flickered, vague shadows scurried about, thrown into the walls as the ship lurched to the side. The energy surged through the hallways and chased after the shadows. Their bodies fell to the ground as the energy inhabited their bodies...changing them... "...this one is promising....the new model...energy matches...." The bright overhead lights blinded, the sounds of torture echoed throughout the dark hallways. Two figures walked besides the gurney and passed glances to each other, then to the person on the gurney. There was chatter all around, but while deafening it did nothing to block out the sounds of death. A scream pierced the hallway, becoming gurgled as blood spurted out of a room, followed by a dull thump of a head. "Get her on the operating table, we must work quick...." They threw the body on the clean, white table, the doors closing and muffled the sound of horrors from outside. "Anesthesia...not working...conscious....void energy is becoming unstable...infested skin not accepting...." they bound the hands and feet of the person on the operating table, latex glove-covered hands and mechanical arms appeared from the darkness with various instruments and began slicing into flesh, large pieces taken and blood spilled. The sounds of shrieking echoed like a chorus, resonating louder and louder until it became deafening. ...It's okay... ...I'm here now... ...It was all a dream... ...Open your eyes, little sister... ...It's just a dream... “T'Mir!” She jumped, awaking from her nightmares. The voices in her mind subsided in a matter of seconds, leaving her in the relative silence of the room, save for the intermittent beep of an unknown machine. Looking around, the room was extremely well lit, the walls of the room a pale ivory color. Wooden furniture adorned the room with a pair of chairs and small table in the far corner of the room, the vase on the table held an assortment of brightly colored flowered. A wooden nightstand stood next to the metal bed she sat upon, legs covered by a thin white blanket. A small table lamp stood on the nightstand along with a metal tray with an assortment of metal instruments, precariously perched on its edge. the window next to the chairs showed the snow-capped mountains in the far distance, the tips covered by dark and swirling clouds. Looking towards the opposite side of the room, two more chairs lined the wall. The intermittent tone came from an EKG monitor, its design ancient compared to traditional Orokin devices. Placing a hand to her temple, she flinched as her head throbbed suddenly. A sudden realization came to her, the tips of her fingers felt warm instead of the usual metallic coldness. Bringing the hand into her line of sight, she gasped as she looked at her pale arm. She stared in quiet astonishment at her arm and hand, balling it into a fist and splaying out her fingers as far as she could repeatedly. Countless years locked away inside the Zephyr armor left her skin a ghastly pale. “I’m….I’m out…” Ilik whispered, tears beginning to form. “I’m….out….” She said, her excitement growing. Throwing off the blanket, her legs were the same color as her arms, her body covered by a small medical gown. She looked at her hands, her excitement increasing. taking the metal tray and carefully removing the needles and other instruments. Using the tray as a makeshift mirror, the polished surface of the tray revealed a equally pale face, round with no signs of malnutrition, her short brown hair unkempt. The tray revealed a striking green left eye, the right eye black with a sky blue iris. An ivory colored implant with gold trim encircled the digital iris, fiber optic cabling ran from the implant and down her cheek, down the side of her neck and down her spine, pulsing a sky blue. Running a hand down her spine, the metallic object that lay grafted into her skin affirmed her suspicions, assuring her of the spinal implant, also colored ivory and adorned with gold trim if she remembered correctly. She chuckled as she placed the tray down, looking at her arms again with curiosity. Balling her hands into a fist, she flexed the muscles in her arms and forearms. Leaf  shaped platelets began to rise from her forearm, wires peaked out from the spaces between the platelets, moving in a manner that seemed sentient. She relaxed the muscles in her arms, the wires retreating back into her forearms are the platelets relaxed, overlapping one another. “Still got it….” She whispered, the sound of her voice still surprising to her. Throwing her bare legs over the side of the bed, the feeling of the cold floor came as a surprise, but was quickly forgotten. Her knees shakily held her up, unaccustomed to walking with her own legs without the assistance of her armor. Using the wall for support, she attempted to walk only to stumble and fall face-first. She groaned as she attempted to get back up, looking over at the door as it opened, a pair of strange creatures looking right back and the prone Tenno. ~~~>> <<~~~ “It’s quite an interesting creature. A mixture of metal and flesh...why, I have no words for it.” Dr. Grinclaw exclaimed, regaining his composure as he passed another Griffon and nodded. Doctor Arden Grinclaw,head doctor of the Griffonian Imperial Hospital in Ira Province and well known for numerous advancements in medical science. The white lab coat he covered the greying light brown feathers of his body, his tips of his neatly folded wings a more noticeable tinge of grey. A small pair of glasses hung of the bridge of his beak, their small size looking more to be reading glasses than prescription. “I’m just excited to be here.” Nurse Redquill responded. A young Griffon, recently graduated from medical school and chosen to be Grinclaw’s protege. A small nurse’s cap upon her head, the long white plumage that covered the crest of her head was tied into a ponytail, her coat a light hazel brown with eyes to match. “But...Dr. Grinclaw….why me?” She asked, wings fluttering. “I’m honored, but...me, your protege….why?” The doctor contemplated the question, raising his glasses into the light and cleaning them on his lab coat. “I have my reasons.” He said, fixing the glasses in place. “I’m not getting any younger, either. I might as well begin teaching what I know to someone who is eager to learn.” “I see….” Teles responded, accepting the answer half-heartedly. He was a reserved old man, anyways. “So,” she said, changing the topic. “What’s this creature look like? Does it have big teeth? Does it smell?” The Griffon doctor chuckled, gesturing a talon to his beak. “You will have to wait and see. But,” he leaned in, his voice lowering to a whisper, “you mustn't talk about this in public. If word were to get out…” “Oh, right…” She whispered as they rounded a corner, cautiously looking at the medical personnel that passed. “Just….contain your excitement.” He said normally, stopping in front of a double door with an imperial guard in front. “This is a serious matter, after all.” He warned Teles before handing a badge to the guard. The guard inspected the badge carefully before handing it back. “What about her?” He questioned. “Oh,” Grinclaw realized, pulling out a sheet of parchment from inside his lab coat, “she’s with me. King’s orders.” The guard unfolded and scanned the parchment carefully, noticing the mark of the king in wax at the bottom. “Very well.” he said, handing the parchment back.  Stepping aside, he held the door open for the doctor and his assistant, returning to his position once they passed, spear in claw. The hallway on the other side of the double doors contained an eerie quiet, fluorescent lights illuminating the white tile floors and sky blue walls. Medical carts with various instruments and gurneys with white cloth neatly folded on top stood by the walls. “It’s pretty quiet in here,” Teles whispered, feeling it was appropriate,”Is the entire wing sealed?” “Not the entire wing,” Grinclaw answered, “just this level.” Teles looked around. “Shouldn’t there be more guards?” “There was, the creature’s been in a comatose state for over two weeks.” He said, cleaning his glasses again. “The king saw it as less of a threat after the first week and  removed, well, all except one.” “Hmm...bit of a narrow-minded decision, isn’t it?” Dr. Grinclaw shrugged. “King’s orders. I’m just glad he chose me to study this creature.” He said, “And so should you.” Teles chuckled. “I suppose I should.” Grinclaw nodded, stopping in front a of door markes 2214. “The creature is right in here.” A deep thump resounded from inside the room, followed by a quiet groaning. “What was that?” Teles questioned. Dr. Grinclaw shrugged. “I’m not sure.” He said, turning the doorknob. His gaze turned to the creature, lying prone on the floor. The creature’s gaze met the doctor’s, both remaining motionless for several seconds. This creature was nothing like it was described in the reports. The creature was completely hairless except  on the top of its head. It had digits like a minotaur’s, only smaller, and oddly shaped flesh talons on its legs. There was barely any metal on its skin, except for a piece of curved metal that encircled one of its eyes and a long piece of segmented metal that ran down its back, the teal medical it wore slightly covering it.   Dr. Grinclaw cleared his throat. “...Well….” he said, unsure of what to say. “H-hello?” Teles peaked from the doorway, mouth agape at the creature. “It’s awake…” She whispered, “It’s really awake.” The creature shakily stood up, carefully walking into the corner of the room. “Wh-what is this? Where am I?” It said, struggling to stand up. “Calm down, we only want to help.” The doctor calmly said. “You’re in the Griffonian Imperial Hospital. You were found on Mt. ferun and were sen-” “Wait-oh nonono-where’s my armor?” It interrupted, muttering something under its breath. “Where’s my armor-nonono...how could I’ve forgotten...WHERE IS IT?” A confused look struck the doctor and his assistant. “Umm...what….armor?” he said, looking towards his assistant, the same confused look on her face. “How long was I out?!” It said, panicking. “...Out?” “No...no NO, I can’t out stay out for too long-WHERE IS MY ARMOR?!” it screamed, placing its hand on its head. “If I stay out too long, I might-URGH!!” The creature groaned as it fell to its knees, its hands digging into its head as it screamed. Grinclaw and his assistant ran over to the creature, unsure what to do. “What’s wrong?” The creature, as soon as it started, stopped screaming and fell to the floor. Teles remained still, unsure what to do as Dr. Grinclaw grabbed the creature. “Teles,” He grunted, attempting to lift the creature, “thing’s heavier than it looks…Teles, help me lift it onto the bed.” “Huh?” she said, coming out of her immobility. “Oh.” she said, grabbing the creature’s legs and hoisting it onto the bed. The creature arched it's back before curling into a fetal position, head between its knees before falling silent. The diagrams on the EEG began to flatline, the steady beeping now monotone. “It’s going into cardiac arrest.” Grinclaw watched as the creature flatlined. “Get me the charged runes, there might be some in the hall.” His assistant threw open the door, checking each gurney and cabinet.  “Ah!” she exclaimed, finding a silver case on top of a pile of folded linen and ran back. The creature lying flat on its back now, she opened the case to reveal a pair of smooth rocks with arcane runes etched into their surface, a small thimble in its own little space. Removing the medical gown from the creature’s body, Grinclaw motioned Teles to hand over the stones. Placing the metal thimble over his right index claw, he placed a stone on the creature’s side and another above its right teat. “Is….is it pregnant?” Teles questioned, noticing the creature’s chest. “Didn’t you read the report?” Grinclaw mused, rubbing the flat undersides of the two stones together, the markings glowing a faint blue. “Clear!” Quickly placing the stones back in their spots, a hard tap on the stone sent the body to arch upward before falling back. “No pulse.” Teles informed. Grinclaw breathed. “One more.” Charging the stones again, he gave another hard tap that sent the creature’s back arching upward. “Still no pulse.” Grinclaw growled, angrily charging the stones for another try. “C’mon…” he grunted, giving the stones another tap. The creature violently arched upwards, a steady beeping interrupted monotone hum of the EEG. “We got a heartbeat.” Teles commented. The doctor sighed heavily, handing the stones back to his assistant. “It’s...or rather, she is breathing normally, probably unconscious.” Teles sighed lightly. “What happened, anyways?” Grinclaw nodded, “I’m not sure. Could have been shock.” He suggested, “It’s difficult to tell, especially with a creature that I’ve never seen before.” “Well...what do we do?” She questioned, placing a blanking over the unconscious creature. “Hmm….” The doctor hummed, thinking intensely. “....We wait. See if there was any neurological damage.” Teles nodded. “How long before she wakes up?” “Hours, maybe. Someone needs to be here when it wakes up, though.” “I’ll stay.” Teles declared. “You can run your tests and someone will be here to watch in case she wakes up.” She said, taking a seat by the window. The Griffon chuckled. “Fair enough, but this is coming out of your break.” Teles scoffed jokingly, watching as the doctor exited the room with vials of blood samples. Looking out the window, dark clouds loomed even closer to the city edge. The clouds visibly churning and wind howling. “Gonna be a bad one…”