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Another commish from my friend 
JoelTheGWM
This was a fun one to write, with a lot of little details and concepts interwoven. So, the story takes place on a world called Griffia. A long time ago, the world was a peaceful place with many races living in harmony. Then, an insectoid race called the Serans invaded and enslaved the people of Griffia. A long time has passed since then. A prophecy speaks of a ball of fire ending the enslavement and 2 Gryphons are about to see it all unfold. The character Danny was based on my OC Daniel and his friend Falkie was based on
Falkie 's OC, Falkie
I decided to go with a mystery trigger for the tf. I know exactly what caused it, but the trigger is gonna be important in future parts.
The IC-9 Warbot was heavily inspired by the Sentry Bot from the Fallout series: https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/631210559437799434/708432726625091674/muh051725.jpg
The planet called Griffia was once a peaceful place, a backwater world tucked away in a forgotten corner of the Milky Way Galaxy. It was a beautiful, verdant world governed by a benevolent old Gryphon. The many intelligent races of Griffia lived in harmony and traded resources openly. To the universe at large, they were prehistoric in terms of technology, but they were advancing.
Then, all of that ended with the arrival of the Serans. A military-minded race of insectoids, the Seranian Empire had already conquered hundreds of worlds by then. Griffia’s meager military had no chance against them and the world was quickly subjugated.
2 young Gryphons, Falkie and Danny, were born and raised in this world and lot in life, working for the Serans in the fields. However, they believe that change is coming. A prophecy told by their village elder speaks of a ball of fire falling from the sky, bringing with it the salvation of their kind and all natives of Griffia. The downfall of the Serans.
This is their story.
Danny panted as he worked. It was a hot day, but the Foreman was merciless. He was allowed water and food at regular intervals and 3 days off a month, nothing more. When the seasons changed and the harvest days were finished, he’d be given a new work order.
He uprooted another turnip with his beak and deposited it into the basket hanging from his left side.
~The same thing every day,~ he said silently to himself. ~But at least my shift for the day is almost done.~
He’d wanted for years to work the factories in the nearby city. The equipment was more dangerous and the air was filthy, but at least he wouldn’t have to work out in the blistering heat 11 hours a day. Or in the pouring rain, depending on the season. He’d practically begged to be reassigned, but to no avail.
Suddenly, his ears perked as a sharp, drawn-out whistle sounded in the distance. He sighed in relief, almost dropping his load right then and there. But no. Quitting time or not, the Foreman would be pissed if he didn’t bring in the load.
He glared angrily at the Seran Foreman standing guard at the depository. The bug looked back at him coldly. He held up his ID band to the scanner and the hatch opened up.
The Serans were a creepy race, to say the least. Danny had nothing against bugs, but these things earned a special hate from him. It was the cold indifference, the unspoken superiority, that he hated.
"Daniel and the other gryphons working the field were overseen by one of the Seran occupiers. It was a supervisor, spider-like in appearance, augmented with voice caster machinery to issue orders in an unpleasant, metallic voice at his subordinate gryphons. Supervisors were fragile and easy to take down. Many Gryphons did so in the early days of the occupation, but this brought the Punisher drones down on them. The Punishers weren’t as geared toward war as the warrior caste that originally conquered their planet, but more geared towards terror and fear. Death by a Punisher was gruesome. Their big bodies were twice the size of a grown Gryphon, covered in tough hide, and their front covered with creepy long legs tipped with sharp claws. Their abdomen was bloated with corrosive bile that would horribly mutate anyone touched by it. Daniel had never seen the warrior caste but heard stories of them.
Once the vegetables were loaded onto the conveyor, Danny quickly spread his wings and took flight. The flight home was quick and only took 5 minutes. The air was thick with fumes. He hated it. The skies over the mountains were so much clearer.
He hatched after the Serans invaded, but he, like everyone else, knew it wasn’t always like this. The pollution didn’t come until the Serans built their factories and cities. The skies around the nearby city were almost pitch-black. He liked his archaic lifestyle with his friends and family in their rural village.
He didn’t know it yet, but things were going to change that night. Something astounding was going to fall into his life. Something that would change everything.
“Hey, Mom!” Danny called out as he stepped into their house. “I’m home!”
“Danny!” she greeted as she entered the room. “Oh, you’re filthy!” She pecked at the feathers around his neck, pulling out clumps of dirt.
“It’s fine, Mom,” he said exasperatedly. “Really.”
He griped about it, but he actually liked the attention. He hadn’t seen his dad in years and he and his mom were very close.
He was exhausted and skipped dinner, heading straight to bed.
He was awakened late at night by an excited voice and head ramming into his side. “Hey, Danny! Wake up!” Danny groaned and blinked open his eyes.
It was his best friend Falkie standing over his nest, smiling broadly. “You remember what tonight is?”
Danny groaned again and rolled over. “The night I sleep soundly for once?”
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain as Falkie bit his tail and yanked on it, trying to drag him off the nest. “Cohm ahn!” Falkie said through the fur. “Meteuh showah!”
Oh, right, the meteor shower was tonight. Danny sighed and rose slowly to his feet. “Alright, alright, I’m up!” He yanked his tail out of his friend’s beak. “And don’t bite me!” He stretched like a cat and followed his friend outside.
The flight to the hilltop was brief. It was the one place with a truly clear view of the sky, especially at this time of year. Every year since they could walk, Danny and Falkie went up there to watch the annual meteor shower. That first time all those years ago, Danny’s father brought them up there.
It was a beautiful night tonight. The sky was already ablaze with streaks of light as they arrived. They laid down on their backs and looked up.
“You wanna make a wish?” Falkie suddenly asked, looking over at his friend.
Danny chuckled, shaking his head. “What are you, a yearling?”
“Come on, this only happens once a year!” Falkie cleared his throat and declared, “I wish we could live somewhere nicer, like in one of those big-city houses.”
Danny rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright...I wish…” He thought for a moment, then said, “I wish that I didn’t have to work tomorrow.”
There was a long silence. Finally, Falkie scoffed, “Wait, that’s it?”
“I’m not good at wishing, alright?”
They didn’t know it yet, but Danny’s wish was about to be granted.
It started with a distant, almost imperceptible bang and flash of light in the sky. They thought at first it was just a weird shooting star, just another among thousands in the sky. Then, the light got brighter and brighter.
~What in the world…?~
A ball of fire streaked through the heavens. Like a missile, it shot downward at angle. They jumped to their feet as it flew overhead and crashed into a field.
“Was that a meteorite?” Danny wondered aloud. He turned to Falkie, but the Gryphon was already airborne, heading for the crash site. “Hey!” He spread his wings and flew after his friend.
After working there for months, Danny already knew where it landed: the turnip field he’d been working in earlier that day. There was a massive crater in the field, but no space-rock made it. Falkie was already sliding down the side of the crater toward the center. Danny quickly followed.
Danny’s first thought was that it was a Seranian weapon prototype or satellite. It wouldn’t be the first time one malfunctioned and crashed. But this...he’d never seen anything like this before. It was a long metal cylinder with buttons along the bottom and strange alien writing all over it. Definitely not Seranian glyphs, either.
He started to slowly back away. Whatever it was, he wanted nothing to do with it. He squawked in alarm as Falkie started pushing the buttons. “What’re you doing?!?!”
“Don’t you remember?” Falkie answered, looking back at him. “Remember what Elder Nyin said about a ball of fire falling from the heavens? What if this is it?”
Danny paused, uncertain. He’d always been a romantic, but…
Suddenly, with a beep and a hiss, the cylinder split open. They both scurried back as a chamber was revealed within.
They stared in confusion at the contents. The chamber contained a thin, bipedal creature draped in pieces of cloth and metal. It had a patch of fur on its head. It was fast asleep. There were objects mounted on the walls, some of them obviously weapons.
“Is...what kind of an alien is that?” Falkie muttered, sounding awed.
Suddenly, Danny’s ears perked as he heard mechanical chirps and shrills off in the distance. Serans. For some reason, that scared him. But why? He hated them, but he was never afraid of them before.
“Come on!” Falkie suddenly called out to him. “Help me!” He was trying to pull the alien out of the cylinder.
Danny hesitated, unsure of what to do. “Maybe we should…”
“Please, just help me!” Falkie snapped at him. “It’s heavier than it looks! We can’t let the Serans find it!”
It wasn’t easy, but they managed to get the creature on Daniel’s back. Falkie wanted to take the tools as well, but there wasn’t time. He grabbed a heavy bag from inside the cylinder and they took off.
Danny was panting as he collapsed on the cave floor. The alien was heavy. “So...now...what?” he asked between gasps.
Falkie was silent for a long time, looking worriedly towards the mouth of the cave. “I...uh…” They could hear sirens off in the distance. The Serans were on the hunt. “I...don’t know…”
Suddenly, they heard a groan. The alien was moving, clutching its head. They slowly backed away as it sat up.
Joel woke up slowly, unsure of where he was or how he got there. He wasn’t in the stasis pod anymore, that was certain. He was in a cave somewhere. The air was thin, causing pain in his chest. He could breathe but it was hard.
He couldn’t remember much. He was in stasis aboard his personal ship last he knew, en-route to a new human colony. He’d been assigned there as security. Obviously, something happened. Was his ship boarded?
He suddenly tensed, reaching for his sidearm as he spotted 2 large creatures in the cave with him. He grasped at empty air. His pistol was gone from its holster. Of course, it was still in the pod.
He stared at the creatures warily, braced for an attack. They watched him curiously, silently. They looked like Gryphons from human mythology, but he was nowhere near Earth. The larger one had blue feathers, a black beak and gray fur. The smaller one had white and metallic-blue feathers, almost like a Peregrine Falcon, and the hind end of a lion with normal yellow fur.
Suddenly, one of the Gryphons, the smaller one, reached around and tossed something to him. He quickly grabbed it as he recognized his backpack. Dehydrated food, some bottled water, binoculars, a survival knife, and several other things. He quickly pulled out a syringe from the bag and injected it into his arm. After a few seconds, he found it easier to breathe, the chest pain went away. The injection was a standard part of the survival kit, in case he ever got stranded for an extended length of time. It changed his genetic makeup slightly to survive in the environment. Once he got out of here, he could get an injection to reverse the effects.
Hoisting the backpack over his shoulder, he made for the cave entrance. The Gryphons made no move to stop him and followed after him. The world he emerged into wasn’t so dissimilar from Earth. He could even see a city off in the distance. Civilization. A good sign. This wasn’t Earth, though. The 2 moons in the night sky made that clear.
“I need to figure out where I am,” he muttered to himself. He pulled out the binoculars from the bag.
A few days passed. Joel tried to learn as much as he could about the world he was on, and about its denizens.
There were 2 primary species on this planet: the Gryphon-like creatures and large, insectoid creatures. He didn’t understand their language, but it was clear the Gryphons were enslaved by the bugs. Were the bugs invaders or was this just the natural hierarchy of this world? It pained him to see the cruelty directed at the beautiful bird-creatures. Both species were obviously intelligent.
He laid on his stomach, observing the farmland through his binoculars. It wasn’t hard to figure out his pod crashed here. He took a drink from his canteen and returned to his survey.
He was getting low on water, which was gonna be a problem soon. He had plenty of dehydrated food, but it was worthless without water. Thanks to that injection, he could breathe, but that didn’t mean the local water didn’t have toxins in it - toxic even for a native. He didn’t have the means to test the water, either.
“I need to reach that pod,” he mumbled to himself. The pod contained not just his gear and weapons, but a distress beacon. That was his ticket out of here.
The bug aliens were excavating the pod using some sort of crane. The place was swarming with them. Even with his weapons, he’d never get close. He swore an oath and put away the binoculars.
Suddenly, he grimaced, clutching his stomach. He’d tried a turnip those Gryphons brought him. It tasted fine and looked like a normal turnip, but it gave him indigestion.
He slowly crept away and made his way back to the cave.
He sat down against the wall and pulled out his journal and a piece of black rock. It was a good substitute for charcoal. There were several sketches of the different aliens, especially of the bugs. He started writing on a new page.
Day 3, Date Unknown
Alien slavers observed excavating the stasis pod. No opportunity arose to recover the pod or its contents. Need to find an alternate solution.
Drinking water running low. Need to ration my supplies. Will consider trying a local water source.
He quickly sketched a drawing of the crane the bugs were using. He saw the sun setting through the mouth of the cave and moved to the wall to add a third tally. Another day and almost 0 progress made. He laid down in a corner of the cave and quickly fell asleep.
“Does it look different to you or is it just me?”
“Of course it’s you.” another voice replied.
Wait, voices? Joel was instantly awake and sat up.
The Gryphons were back. They looked toward him as he sat up.
He shook his head and stood up. Was he hearing things now? That turnip really did mess with him. “Well, I’m off.”
“Wait, since when can you talk?” the larger one said, blocking his way.
This caught Joel off-guard. He staggered backwards, falling on his ass. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, trying to comprehend this: He could suddenly understand them - and they could understand him.
“I…” He shook his head. “I...don’t know. I just woke up able to understand you.”
“Oh, that’s Seran sh-” The bigger Gryphon took a step towards him, but the smaller one stopped him.
“I’m sorry for my friend,” the latter apologized. “I’m Falkie and this is Danny.”
“Joel Forrest. Just call me Joel.”
“We’ve never seen an alien like you before. What are you?”
“I’m a human.”
The conversation was awkward at first, but that quickly passed. None of them knew how this was possible, but Joel would readily take advantage of it.
So, this world was under the tyrannical leadership of a race called the ‘Serans’. It was subjugated a long time ago, though neither Gryphon could tell him exactly how long ago that was. What they did tell him confirmed a lot of what he already figured out. In turn, he tried to explain to them why he was here. This is where it got harder for them. They weren’t stupid, but he used a lot of expressions and terms they didn’t understand. Mostly it was the profanity he occasionally used they didn’t understand.
He tried to learn as much as he could from them. After a few hours, he started to understand the hierarchy around here. It was cruel but efficient the way things were run. Even the Serans were ranked, though all of them were above the highest-ranking Gryphon. It was remarkably similar to human military ranking.
As time passed, the discomfort and strangeness he felt grew worse. It was annoying at first, but there was obviously something happening to him. His uniform and armor were constricting, painfully tight. He finally took his armor off, and later his shirt. He tried to continue working, but he was too distracted. Eventually, it got hard to move.
One morning, he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that he was changing - physically changing. He had a massive headache and couldn’t lay comfortably on his back. As he gripped his head in agony, clumps of his hair fell out in his hands. He stared for a long time uncomprehendingly at the short strands. Then, he screamed in agony as his body convulsed. His back wrenched, his bones broke and realigned. Tears were streaming down his face when it was finally over.
He looked back over his shoulder, staring at the bulging skin and lump in the back of his pants.
“What’s happening to me?” he begged no one.
He couldn’t deny it anymore: he was changing. His body was turning into...something.
Days sloughed by and the changes and seizures grew more violent. His face pushed forward into his vision, his teeth fused in his mouth, the bulges on his back stretched into tiny limbs. The nub on his rump extended slowly into a long, feline tail. Tan fur with black spots covered it.
On the third morning, he couldn’t breathe. Terrified, he rolled onto his front and hacked, trying to force air through his nostrils or mouth. His growing claws on his hands scratched at the rock under him as he convulsed again. His growing wings stretched longer.
He stared as his face cracked painfully, pushing outward further. Then his teeth started to push out of his mouth. They jutted out an inch or so before stopping. He finally collapsed on his side, the changes exhausting him.
He closed his eyes. “I’m...I’m turning into a...a…” He didn’t want to say it, but the more time that passed, the more obvious it became: he was turning into a Gryphon, just like the 2 that kept visiting him.
He curled into a fetal ball, terrified and in so much pain. He was turning into a Gryphon...but why?
The next time Danny and Falkie visited him, he was in that position again, holding his face in his hands. He was completely naked, having torn off the last of his clothes.
“Hey, Joel!” Falkie asked worriedly. “You doing alright?”
Joel shook his head but didn’t turn to face them, silently begging them to go away.
“We brought you some food,” Danny told him. “It’s not much, but…”
As his bones shifted again, Joel turned and squawked at them angrily. They backed away in shock.
His beak was nearly finished, extending out of his face at least 8 inches. It was crescent-shaped like a parrot’s. The top half was tan and the bottom was black. Red and white feathers were spreading across his face and bald head.
Joel started to cry again as he turned away. He’d been trying and failing to talk for hours. It was so hard to talk without lips. What if he never spoke again? What if he could never be human again? That uncertainty terrified him.
The 2 Gryphons approached him slowly.
“You…” Danny said hesitantly. “You’re looking a LOT like one of us.”
“No shit!” Joel wanted to snap back at him but only a squawk came out.
“We’re going to find a way to help you,” Falkie reassured him. “I promise.” He nodded at Danny and they walked out of the cave.
Joel closed his eyes in pain as claws pushed out of his feet and his beak extended a few more centimeters. He just wanted the pain to end.
Danny was following Falkie through the village, unsure of where they were going.
“Falkie,” he called out to his friend, “do you even know where you’re going?”
Falkie paused, looking worried for a moment. “Joel needs help. I thought maybe Elder Nyin…”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Danny shook his head. “I thought we weren’t going to tell anyone about him?”
“Whatever’s happening to him, it’s way over our heads. Besides, the Elder’s the one who said Joel would come. Maybe he can help.”
Usually Danny was the voice of reason in these situations. It was weird when it was the other way around. However, Falkie was right.
Nyin was strange, and young for a village elder. However, he had the respect of everyone here and was a kind Gryphon. Years ago, he told them that prophecy, about fire raining from the heavens and ending the Serans’ reign. He never said where this prophecy came from but seemed to really believe it.
“Fine, but we have to be careful or…”
“If you wanna keep something a secret,” an unfamiliar voice declared, “you shouldn’t talk about it out in the open.”
The 2 of them stopped dead in their tracks as a large red and black Gryphon dropped down from a nearby rooftop, blocking their path.
“After all, you never know who might be listening. Boss wants a word. Don’t make this hard on yourselves.”
Suddenly, something tackled Danny from behind, taking him to the ground. Danny screeched and snapped at the assailant with his beak. The being cursed as he tore out a clump of feathers and staggered away. Seeing his chance, Danny made a break for it. Falkie tore off in the opposite direction.
“Blasted moons, Arnoc!” the first Gryphon shouted. “You weren’t supposed to ATTACK them!”
As Danny made for the edge of the village, a thousand possibilities ran through his mind. Not everyone here hated the Serans. He had to warn Joel!
Just as he reached the edge of the village and spread his wings, that Gryphon grabbed him again. He fought, he bit, but to no avail. A bag was thrown over his head and his limbs were bound.
Joel was half-conscious, having just suffered another attack, when strangers entered the cave. His transformation was nearly complete by now.
He tried to struggle, but the recent seizures left him drained. They easily picked him up and carried him out of the cave.
“Don’t worry,” one of them told him. “You’re among friends.”
Danny was panting and exhausted by the time he finally gave up. His head was still covered and he had no idea where he was. They’d been carrying him for a while. Finally, he was dropped unceremoniously on the ground. He felt cold metal under him.
“Your orders were to NOT hurt them,” a familiar voice said, sounding annoyed.
“They resisted,” a voice said.
“Only because you attacked him,” the red Gryphon from before’s voice said.
That first voice...Danny recognized it, but it COULDN’T be him…
“And what’s with those bags over their heads? They’re not prisoners. Remove them at once.”
They quickly removed the bag over his head and Danny winced at the bright light. His eyes quickly adjusted and he looked around. They were in some sort of building. Metal like the Serans’ steel but...different. It looked rugged, almost, not smooth. Joel and Falkie were lying on the floor on either side of him. Joel looked completely out of it still.
Danny stared for a long time at the large Gryphon laying across the room. He had bright-green feathers and a silver beak. He studied the 3 of them curiously, especially Joel.
“Elder Nyin…?” Danny asked, confused.
The red Gryphon removed the bonds around their legs as Nyin spoke. “Yes, Danny, it’s me. I suspected the 2 of you had found that pod, but hiding a fugitive? That could get you in a lot of trouble.”
Danny shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Nyin chuckled and shook his head. “Relax. You’re among friends here and no one here has any love for those tyrants. We’ve been organizing for years, planning. The time has nearly come and your friend is the key.”
Danny was confused. Edler Nyin was always odd, always had a bizarre way of describing things, but this was off-base even for him. What WAS he talking about? He never spoke out against the Serans.
“This building we’re in is called a bunker,” the Gryphon continued. “One of the last few traces of humans left on this planet. It’s also our headquarters. The Serans have no idea it exists.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Falkie interrupted. “Who are you?”
Danny found this question odd. They already knew who he was: Elder Nyin, village elder and leader.
Nyin chuckled at this, shaking his head. “I was once human, too. Many years ago, I crashed here as a part of Perseue Fleet
Joel was still weak, having trouble concentrating, but when he heard that name, his ears perked. The Perseue Fleet? That was at least 100 years ago.
“You’re…” Falkie said hesitantly. “You’re...human?”
“I am,” Kristoff responded. “Gryphons live quite a bit longer than humans. I feel half my age, in all honesty. I don’t remember what my rank was at the time, but I believe I was a lieutenant.”
As Joel heard that, his training kicked in. He tried to stagger to his feet, to stand at attention.
“At ease, soldier,” Kristoff said, chuckling. “We’re a long way from Earth. No need for all of that ceremony.”
Joel hesitated for a moment, then laid back down. Another human...it was slowly setting in: this ‘Elder Nyin’ was a former human, transformed after crash-landing on this planet all those years ago. Transformed just like he was.
Kristoff slowly approached Joel, looking him up and down. Joel felt intimidated by the Gryphon’s size, but his expression was soft.
“I wasn’t expecting another human to crash here - at least, not in my lifetime.” He paused for a moment, then looked toward Falkie and Danny. “I’ve been watching the 2 of you for a long time. I know you hate the Serans. You believe Griffia would be a better place without them, don’t you?”
Danny nodded vigorously. “Yes! They abuse us, degrade us, treat us like dirt! I hate them!”
Kristoff nodded. “And you would do anything to be rid of them? Even kill?”
Danny hesitated at this, looking away. “Uh...well…”
“This world won’t change as long as the Serans remain in control. We have a plan to end their tyranny once and for all - a plan that involves your friend here. Now that he’s here, we can finally move forward.”
“I don’t know if I can kill someone, but if you want to overthrow the Serans, I’m in.” Falkie said mostly the same thing.
Kristoff looked to Joel again. “Your stasis pod...did you have a signaller beacon inside it?”
Joel thought for a moment, thinking back. It DID, but how did that…
Suddenly, it hit him like a punch to the face: ~It can send a distress call!~ That was his plan originally, to send a distress call and get off this hell-hole. Now that he’d seen the type of place this was, though...these people needed help. That signaller could call in reinforcements.
“If we could get that beacon, we could finally go home,” the Gryphon continued, practically reading his mind. “When FleetCOM sees what’s happening here, they’ll come in force. We have a plan to get to that pod and retrieve the beacon. This mission will be the beginning of the uprising.” He paused and looked worriedly at Joel. “Normally, in your condition, I’d wait until you finished changing to launch this mission, but we’re low on time.”
Joel nodded firmly. He’d never get to the pod on his own, and they needed that beacon. He was in.
Joel could feel it in his gut: he was nearly finished changing. His wings were fully-formed, his flight feathers were all in place. Except for his eyes and hind-legs, he was a complete Gryphon. The seizures were getting more mild and further apart.
~When the fleet arrives,~ he thought silently as they flew, ~I hope they can turn me back.~ This body was strong, powerful, and growing more so by the minute, but it wasn’t HIS body. It was forced upon him, and he didn’t want it. Of course, if he ultimately COULDN’T be human again.
He shook his head vigorously. ~I can’t think about that. I’m a soldier. I have to focus on the mission. That’s all that matters.~
With Kristoff’s help, he could finally talk again, at least. It wasn’t easy without lips, but he learned to make words in his throat. Complex sentences and words were hard. He wasn’t a ventriloquist, after all. He was getting better, though.
Suddenly, they heard an explosion in the distance. A plume of fire rose from the cityscape.
“That’s our cue,” Kristoff called out to them. “Arnoc, Kayrnis, Danny, secure the perimeter. Joel, Falkie, with me. If things go south, do NOT go back to the hideout. Make yourselves scarce and we’ll meet up in a few days.”
They’d already been thoroughly briefed. Kristoff had to explain what some of the words and terms meant, but they all understood the plan ultimately. The distraction in the city worked and most of the guards were recalled.
Danny exchanged a worried glance with Falkie. Kristoff already told them this part of the plan, and they didn’t like it. According to Kristoff, Danny was better suited for battle than Falkie was, so he’d work best on the outside of the facility.
“Don’t worry,” Arnoc said confidently. “I’ll take good care of him.”
“I’ll be back soon,” Danny promised and turned to follow Arnoc.
Falkie looked like he wanted to say something as well but missed his chance. He nodded and followed after Kristoff and Joel.
This facility was a large disposal site. Trash, mostly. Kristoff’s spies tracked the stasis pod here. After failing to re-open the pod, they were getting rid of it, destroying all the evidence. Time was critical.
Joel followed Kristoff down. A single bug guarded the entrance. It saw their approach and made to sound the alarm, but Kristoff was on it before it could open its mandibles. He quickly tore into the unarmored base of its head, ripping out circuitry and flesh alike with his beak. With a gurgle and a twitch, it fell to the ground, dead. The bugs were easy to eliminate if you knew where to strike.
Falkie paused, staring at the corpse as the other 2 entered the structure. Kristoff patted him gently on the shoulder. “Don’t think about it too much. He wouldn’t have made our deaths that quick.”
Falkie nodded and followed them in.
The building was organized, reflecting the Serans’ spartan style. This wasn’t a trash heap, after all, but a disposal site. The first chamber held mostly broken robots and weaponry. They didn’t encounter any Serans - yet. They could hear machinery deeper within.
They made their way down the narrow corridors through the interior, moving through room after room looking. Joel was starting to get worried. What if the pod had already been incinerated? He was about to give voice to this when they entered a particularly-large room. This was one of the incinerator rooms. Long conveyors carried junk directly into the furnace. His heart leapt as he saw the stasis pod on its side near one of the conveyors, among a pile of other broken bits. There must’ve been an accident. The conveyor looked broken.
Kristoff suddenly placed a firm talon on his shoulder, stopping him from running toward the pod. “Look,” the Gryphon whispered to him, nodding to the right.
Joel squinted, looking down the row of conveyor belts. He didn’t have the sharp eyes of a Gryphon yet, but he quickly saw the problem: something big was moving about the chamber, operating the machines and occasionally moving objects.
“That’s an IC-9 Warbot. They must’ve repurposed it. This mission just got a lot more complicated.”
The machine was massive with a thick torso, 3 spider-like legs, and shoulder-mounted launchers. It hadn’t noticed them yet, thank God. It was packing a lot of firepower.
“Can we sneak past it?” Falkie whispered.
“We’ll have to. Otherwise, this whole operation will have been a waste of time. We need to do this slowly and methodically.” He nodded at Falkie. “Stay here, and keep an eye out for anyone heading this way.”
With a nod to Joel, Kristoff jumped down to the main floor. Joel quickly followed him.
The robot didn’t take notice of them and they crossed the room easily.
As they approached the pod, however, that changed. Joel felt an all-too-familiar pain grip him and he staggered. ~No, no, no...not here! Anywhere but here!~
Kristoff looked back at him, alarmed. “Oh, no…”
He tried to hold it in as his bones shifted, but a squawk of pain escaped his beak.
The robot paused. Kristoff grabbed Joel and dragged him behind the stasis pod quickly. The IC-9 scanned the room, searching for the source of the noise. The older Gryphon held Joel’s beak shut.
Joel’s eyes filled with tears, wanting to scream in pain as his hind-legs shortened and eyes burned. He writhed.
“I know it hurts,” Kristoff whispered to him. “Believe me, I know that better than you possibly can imagine. But if you scream, WE’LL ALL DIE.”
The robot’s single eye stared at the pod they were behind.
The agonizing seconds dragged on for an eternity. And then, finally, it was over. Joel collapsed, gasping, on his side. Kristoff released him. After a few minutes, the robot lost interest and returned to what it was doing.
“I’m so sorry.”
Kristoff shook his head. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault this is happening to you.” He nodded at the pod. “We need to do this fast and get out of here. Ready?” Joel nodded. “Good.”
They waited until the bot was on the other side of the chamber, then moved to the other side of the pod. Joel felt weak, but not nearly as much as after previous attacks. The pain was passing quickly. He wondered if the changes were finally finished. He hoped they were. They couldn’t afford another incident on this mission.
The pod was beat up and ruptured. The bugs weren’t gentle when trying to crack it open. He scanned the controls along the base, then tapped a few buttons. He swore silently as nothing happened. Of course it was broken. Why WOULD it be that easy? He opened a panel on the side and pulled the manual-release lever within. The hatch popped open and, with Kristoff’s help, he opened it up. Most of his gear was on the bottom of the pod in a pile. He pulled out his wrist-computer and strapped it on.
The device wasn’t designed for talons, but it fit easily around his wrist. It took a few seconds, but he managed to boot it up.
“Come on, Joel,” Kristoff whispered to him, eyes glued firmly to the massive war machine. “We’re on borrowed time here.”
Joel tapped the buttons, watching the display carefully. Then, with a nod, he pushed one last button. The device let out a soft beep and the display flashed green. He looked up at Kristoff. “Transmission’s away. Mission complete.”
Kristoff looked back at him, surprised. “That’s it?”
“Technology’s advanced a bit in the past 100 years,” Joel replied. “That’s all there is to it.”
Kristoff paused, suddenly looking uncertain. “100 years?”
Joel looked back at him. “Wait, you didn’t know?”
Kristoff shook his head. “I...I lost track of the years. I thought it’d been...” Then, his expression hardened. “It doesn’t matter right now. Grab your gear and let's go.”
There was sadness in Kristoff’s eyes, an unmistakable regret that he quickly hid. Joel realized that the man must’ve had family out there - or something else to go back to. His mind went back to his own family. It occurred to him he might never see them again. What if he ended up trapped here like Kristoff had been? What if he grew old here and they all died before he realized how long it’d been?
He shook his head. He couldn’t think about it now. He pulled off his backpack and quickly loaded up his gear. He made sure to grab his rifle. With a tap of the button along the side, it compressed into a smaller size better for transport.
He knew this was too easy, but he got cocky, overconfident. He nearly got them all killed in the end.
He was just pulling out the last piece of gear, a large metal cube, when suddenly a sharp, piercing shriek split the air. He clapped a talon over his sensitive ears, wincing in pain as the noise sounded again.
It was the damn counter-intrusion alarm! The pod didn’t recognize him as human.
Suddenly, Kristoff pulled him away, shouting, “Run!”
Joel managed to stow the cube before a blast of heat hit him. They were both sent flying as the pod exploded. The IC-9 cycled another missile into the chamber, preparing to fire at them again. The 2 Gryphons made for the exit. Joel was still weakened, but fear and adrenaline rushed through him.
The door slammed shut behind them just as a missile slammed into the metal. The door nearly buckled but held.
“What happened?” Kristoff demanded.
“We have to go!” Falkie said urgently. “They’re coming!” They could all hear an alarm blaring through the facility.
Joel tried to run down the hallway but Kristoff stopped him. “What happened?” he demanded again.
Joel shook his head, looking away. “The counter-intrusion alarm went off. It didn’t recognize either of us as human.” He felt ashamed. He’d been so stupid. “It must’ve been damaged in the crash or when they tried opening the pod and didn’t scan us immediately.”
Kristoff looked angry for a moment, but he quickly calmed down. “What matters is that we got your gear and the transmission was sent. We need to get out of here. NOW.” He was about to continue when they heard the clanking of metal echoing down the corridor. Serans. They were nothing if not punctual. Kristoff turned to an adjacent hallway. “This way!”
As they sprinted down the corridor, Joel powered up the computer again. He tapped a few buttons and the display flashed green. The cube he picked up from the pod rose out of his backpack. It split and rearranged as it rose, turning into a large mechanical bird.
“Hawk!” he called out to it. The drone clacked and beeped, confused. He called out again, more slowly this time, trying his best at English: “Identification Code Alpha-Zulu-Niner-2-2-1-Foxtrot!”
The drone hesitated for a few seconds, pausing in mid-air. Then it beeped excitedly and followed after him. Good, it identified him as Joel. For once, technology was working for him today. “Scout ahead and find us an exit,” he ordered. “The giant metal bugs are hostiles!” The bird beeped an affirmative and dissolved into thin air. Active camouflage.
“What was that thing?” Falkie asked as he caught up with them.
“An old friend.”
With Hawk’s help and the holographic display, they quickly made it to an unguarded side entrance. Joel was lagging behind. His heart soared as he saw daylight. The others quickly bolted outside and spread their wings.
Then, everything went pear-shaped - again. The only warning he had was a screech of tearing metal overhead before something heavy landed on his back, taking him to the ground.
The Drone was small for a Seran - small but strong. It held him down with its 6 legs as he struggled, moving in for the kill with snapping mandibles.
Suddenly, the bug shrieked, swinging at the air. Joel could hear a sizzling sound and smelled a faint burning smell. He rolled onto his back and jabbed at the underside of the bug’s head - the same place he saw Kristoff strike at to kill that other guard. The flesh there was surprisingly soft and he cut into it easily. With a wrench of his head, he ripped out a large chunk of flesh and circuitry.
The bug trembled for a second, then collapsed, dead - right on top of Joel.
He struggled, trying to push it off of him, but it was too heavy. Then, suddenly, something slowly pulled the corpse off of him. Kristoff’s face smiled down at him. “You’re a fast learner.” He held out a talon.
Joel nodded and accepted the hand up. “I learned that trick from you.” He saw Hawk nearby, whirring happily. He remembered now there was a small laser cutter built into its head. Clever drone. It wasn’t a weapon but made for a perfect distraction. It was mostly used for cutting through door locks or chains.
They made their way outside and took flight. Hawk returned to the backpack right before they took off.
Joel, Kristoff and Falkie landed on a hilltop. Seranian shrieks and alarms could be heard clearly even from here, miles away from the facility.
“You handled yourselves well,” Kristoff commended them. “Both of you.”
Joel shook his head. “But...we nearly died - because of me.”
Kristoff shook his head. “As a soldier, you of all people should know that shit happens mid-mission. When things go wrong, we adapt. All things considered, you did exceptionally well. You think well on your feet.” He paused and nodded slowly. “The transformation’s finished, it seems.”
Joel paused for a moment, then looked back at his body. He spread his wings, looked at all of his legs. “I…” He didn’t know what to think of that. He was a little bigger than Falkie but smaller than Danny. He had the bird half of a Green-Winged Macaw and the feline half of an Ocelot.
“We could use your skills in the future,” Kristoff continued. “All 3 of you. I just got word from Arnoc saying they all made it out alive. Danny exceeded all expectations. He really pulled his weight out there.”
Falkie looked relieved, like all the stress and anxiety left his expression and muscles. “Oh, thank the moons.”
“This is only the beginning of the uprising. We need all the help we can get. There’s a place in our ranks for the 3 of you. And if there wasn’t, I’d make room. Your talents would be wasted anywhere else.”
“There’s no way in hell I can go home now, not after this mess. I won’t live in fear of those monsters anymore,” Falkie said solemnly.
Kristoff nodded. “Good, cuz we have work to do. It’s time to get started.”
Joel wasn’t sure what the future held, but he’d stick with it to the end. It was clear these people needed his help. Maybe he’d be human again someday, but for now, he’d do more good as a Gryphon.
Joel stood up a little straighter, getting as close to standing at attention as he could. “We await your orders, Lieutenant.”
JoelTheGWMThis was a fun one to write, with a lot of little details and concepts interwoven. So, the story takes place on a world called Griffia. A long time ago, the world was a peaceful place with many races living in harmony. Then, an insectoid race called the Serans invaded and enslaved the people of Griffia. A long time has passed since then. A prophecy speaks of a ball of fire ending the enslavement and 2 Gryphons are about to see it all unfold. The character Danny was based on my OC Daniel and his friend Falkie was based on
Falkie 's OC, FalkieI decided to go with a mystery trigger for the tf. I know exactly what caused it, but the trigger is gonna be important in future parts.
The IC-9 Warbot was heavily inspired by the Sentry Bot from the Fallout series: https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/631210559437799434/708432726625091674/muh051725.jpg
The planet called Griffia was once a peaceful place, a backwater world tucked away in a forgotten corner of the Milky Way Galaxy. It was a beautiful, verdant world governed by a benevolent old Gryphon. The many intelligent races of Griffia lived in harmony and traded resources openly. To the universe at large, they were prehistoric in terms of technology, but they were advancing.
Then, all of that ended with the arrival of the Serans. A military-minded race of insectoids, the Seranian Empire had already conquered hundreds of worlds by then. Griffia’s meager military had no chance against them and the world was quickly subjugated.
2 young Gryphons, Falkie and Danny, were born and raised in this world and lot in life, working for the Serans in the fields. However, they believe that change is coming. A prophecy told by their village elder speaks of a ball of fire falling from the sky, bringing with it the salvation of their kind and all natives of Griffia. The downfall of the Serans.
This is their story.
Danny panted as he worked. It was a hot day, but the Foreman was merciless. He was allowed water and food at regular intervals and 3 days off a month, nothing more. When the seasons changed and the harvest days were finished, he’d be given a new work order.
He uprooted another turnip with his beak and deposited it into the basket hanging from his left side.
~The same thing every day,~ he said silently to himself. ~But at least my shift for the day is almost done.~
He’d wanted for years to work the factories in the nearby city. The equipment was more dangerous and the air was filthy, but at least he wouldn’t have to work out in the blistering heat 11 hours a day. Or in the pouring rain, depending on the season. He’d practically begged to be reassigned, but to no avail.
Suddenly, his ears perked as a sharp, drawn-out whistle sounded in the distance. He sighed in relief, almost dropping his load right then and there. But no. Quitting time or not, the Foreman would be pissed if he didn’t bring in the load.
He glared angrily at the Seran Foreman standing guard at the depository. The bug looked back at him coldly. He held up his ID band to the scanner and the hatch opened up.
The Serans were a creepy race, to say the least. Danny had nothing against bugs, but these things earned a special hate from him. It was the cold indifference, the unspoken superiority, that he hated.
"Daniel and the other gryphons working the field were overseen by one of the Seran occupiers. It was a supervisor, spider-like in appearance, augmented with voice caster machinery to issue orders in an unpleasant, metallic voice at his subordinate gryphons. Supervisors were fragile and easy to take down. Many Gryphons did so in the early days of the occupation, but this brought the Punisher drones down on them. The Punishers weren’t as geared toward war as the warrior caste that originally conquered their planet, but more geared towards terror and fear. Death by a Punisher was gruesome. Their big bodies were twice the size of a grown Gryphon, covered in tough hide, and their front covered with creepy long legs tipped with sharp claws. Their abdomen was bloated with corrosive bile that would horribly mutate anyone touched by it. Daniel had never seen the warrior caste but heard stories of them.
Once the vegetables were loaded onto the conveyor, Danny quickly spread his wings and took flight. The flight home was quick and only took 5 minutes. The air was thick with fumes. He hated it. The skies over the mountains were so much clearer.
He hatched after the Serans invaded, but he, like everyone else, knew it wasn’t always like this. The pollution didn’t come until the Serans built their factories and cities. The skies around the nearby city were almost pitch-black. He liked his archaic lifestyle with his friends and family in their rural village.
He didn’t know it yet, but things were going to change that night. Something astounding was going to fall into his life. Something that would change everything.
“Hey, Mom!” Danny called out as he stepped into their house. “I’m home!”
“Danny!” she greeted as she entered the room. “Oh, you’re filthy!” She pecked at the feathers around his neck, pulling out clumps of dirt.
“It’s fine, Mom,” he said exasperatedly. “Really.”
He griped about it, but he actually liked the attention. He hadn’t seen his dad in years and he and his mom were very close.
He was exhausted and skipped dinner, heading straight to bed.
He was awakened late at night by an excited voice and head ramming into his side. “Hey, Danny! Wake up!” Danny groaned and blinked open his eyes.
It was his best friend Falkie standing over his nest, smiling broadly. “You remember what tonight is?”
Danny groaned again and rolled over. “The night I sleep soundly for once?”
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain as Falkie bit his tail and yanked on it, trying to drag him off the nest. “Cohm ahn!” Falkie said through the fur. “Meteuh showah!”
Oh, right, the meteor shower was tonight. Danny sighed and rose slowly to his feet. “Alright, alright, I’m up!” He yanked his tail out of his friend’s beak. “And don’t bite me!” He stretched like a cat and followed his friend outside.
The flight to the hilltop was brief. It was the one place with a truly clear view of the sky, especially at this time of year. Every year since they could walk, Danny and Falkie went up there to watch the annual meteor shower. That first time all those years ago, Danny’s father brought them up there.
It was a beautiful night tonight. The sky was already ablaze with streaks of light as they arrived. They laid down on their backs and looked up.
“You wanna make a wish?” Falkie suddenly asked, looking over at his friend.
Danny chuckled, shaking his head. “What are you, a yearling?”
“Come on, this only happens once a year!” Falkie cleared his throat and declared, “I wish we could live somewhere nicer, like in one of those big-city houses.”
Danny rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright...I wish…” He thought for a moment, then said, “I wish that I didn’t have to work tomorrow.”
There was a long silence. Finally, Falkie scoffed, “Wait, that’s it?”
“I’m not good at wishing, alright?”
They didn’t know it yet, but Danny’s wish was about to be granted.
It started with a distant, almost imperceptible bang and flash of light in the sky. They thought at first it was just a weird shooting star, just another among thousands in the sky. Then, the light got brighter and brighter.
~What in the world…?~
A ball of fire streaked through the heavens. Like a missile, it shot downward at angle. They jumped to their feet as it flew overhead and crashed into a field.
“Was that a meteorite?” Danny wondered aloud. He turned to Falkie, but the Gryphon was already airborne, heading for the crash site. “Hey!” He spread his wings and flew after his friend.
After working there for months, Danny already knew where it landed: the turnip field he’d been working in earlier that day. There was a massive crater in the field, but no space-rock made it. Falkie was already sliding down the side of the crater toward the center. Danny quickly followed.
Danny’s first thought was that it was a Seranian weapon prototype or satellite. It wouldn’t be the first time one malfunctioned and crashed. But this...he’d never seen anything like this before. It was a long metal cylinder with buttons along the bottom and strange alien writing all over it. Definitely not Seranian glyphs, either.
He started to slowly back away. Whatever it was, he wanted nothing to do with it. He squawked in alarm as Falkie started pushing the buttons. “What’re you doing?!?!”
“Don’t you remember?” Falkie answered, looking back at him. “Remember what Elder Nyin said about a ball of fire falling from the heavens? What if this is it?”
Danny paused, uncertain. He’d always been a romantic, but…
Suddenly, with a beep and a hiss, the cylinder split open. They both scurried back as a chamber was revealed within.
They stared in confusion at the contents. The chamber contained a thin, bipedal creature draped in pieces of cloth and metal. It had a patch of fur on its head. It was fast asleep. There were objects mounted on the walls, some of them obviously weapons.
“Is...what kind of an alien is that?” Falkie muttered, sounding awed.
Suddenly, Danny’s ears perked as he heard mechanical chirps and shrills off in the distance. Serans. For some reason, that scared him. But why? He hated them, but he was never afraid of them before.
“Come on!” Falkie suddenly called out to him. “Help me!” He was trying to pull the alien out of the cylinder.
Danny hesitated, unsure of what to do. “Maybe we should…”
“Please, just help me!” Falkie snapped at him. “It’s heavier than it looks! We can’t let the Serans find it!”
It wasn’t easy, but they managed to get the creature on Daniel’s back. Falkie wanted to take the tools as well, but there wasn’t time. He grabbed a heavy bag from inside the cylinder and they took off.
Danny was panting as he collapsed on the cave floor. The alien was heavy. “So...now...what?” he asked between gasps.
Falkie was silent for a long time, looking worriedly towards the mouth of the cave. “I...uh…” They could hear sirens off in the distance. The Serans were on the hunt. “I...don’t know…”
Suddenly, they heard a groan. The alien was moving, clutching its head. They slowly backed away as it sat up.
Joel woke up slowly, unsure of where he was or how he got there. He wasn’t in the stasis pod anymore, that was certain. He was in a cave somewhere. The air was thin, causing pain in his chest. He could breathe but it was hard.
He couldn’t remember much. He was in stasis aboard his personal ship last he knew, en-route to a new human colony. He’d been assigned there as security. Obviously, something happened. Was his ship boarded?
He suddenly tensed, reaching for his sidearm as he spotted 2 large creatures in the cave with him. He grasped at empty air. His pistol was gone from its holster. Of course, it was still in the pod.
He stared at the creatures warily, braced for an attack. They watched him curiously, silently. They looked like Gryphons from human mythology, but he was nowhere near Earth. The larger one had blue feathers, a black beak and gray fur. The smaller one had white and metallic-blue feathers, almost like a Peregrine Falcon, and the hind end of a lion with normal yellow fur.
Suddenly, one of the Gryphons, the smaller one, reached around and tossed something to him. He quickly grabbed it as he recognized his backpack. Dehydrated food, some bottled water, binoculars, a survival knife, and several other things. He quickly pulled out a syringe from the bag and injected it into his arm. After a few seconds, he found it easier to breathe, the chest pain went away. The injection was a standard part of the survival kit, in case he ever got stranded for an extended length of time. It changed his genetic makeup slightly to survive in the environment. Once he got out of here, he could get an injection to reverse the effects.
Hoisting the backpack over his shoulder, he made for the cave entrance. The Gryphons made no move to stop him and followed after him. The world he emerged into wasn’t so dissimilar from Earth. He could even see a city off in the distance. Civilization. A good sign. This wasn’t Earth, though. The 2 moons in the night sky made that clear.
“I need to figure out where I am,” he muttered to himself. He pulled out the binoculars from the bag.
A few days passed. Joel tried to learn as much as he could about the world he was on, and about its denizens.
There were 2 primary species on this planet: the Gryphon-like creatures and large, insectoid creatures. He didn’t understand their language, but it was clear the Gryphons were enslaved by the bugs. Were the bugs invaders or was this just the natural hierarchy of this world? It pained him to see the cruelty directed at the beautiful bird-creatures. Both species were obviously intelligent.
He laid on his stomach, observing the farmland through his binoculars. It wasn’t hard to figure out his pod crashed here. He took a drink from his canteen and returned to his survey.
He was getting low on water, which was gonna be a problem soon. He had plenty of dehydrated food, but it was worthless without water. Thanks to that injection, he could breathe, but that didn’t mean the local water didn’t have toxins in it - toxic even for a native. He didn’t have the means to test the water, either.
“I need to reach that pod,” he mumbled to himself. The pod contained not just his gear and weapons, but a distress beacon. That was his ticket out of here.
The bug aliens were excavating the pod using some sort of crane. The place was swarming with them. Even with his weapons, he’d never get close. He swore an oath and put away the binoculars.
Suddenly, he grimaced, clutching his stomach. He’d tried a turnip those Gryphons brought him. It tasted fine and looked like a normal turnip, but it gave him indigestion.
He slowly crept away and made his way back to the cave.
He sat down against the wall and pulled out his journal and a piece of black rock. It was a good substitute for charcoal. There were several sketches of the different aliens, especially of the bugs. He started writing on a new page.
Day 3, Date Unknown
Alien slavers observed excavating the stasis pod. No opportunity arose to recover the pod or its contents. Need to find an alternate solution.
Drinking water running low. Need to ration my supplies. Will consider trying a local water source.
He quickly sketched a drawing of the crane the bugs were using. He saw the sun setting through the mouth of the cave and moved to the wall to add a third tally. Another day and almost 0 progress made. He laid down in a corner of the cave and quickly fell asleep.
“Does it look different to you or is it just me?”
“Of course it’s you.” another voice replied.
Wait, voices? Joel was instantly awake and sat up.
The Gryphons were back. They looked toward him as he sat up.
He shook his head and stood up. Was he hearing things now? That turnip really did mess with him. “Well, I’m off.”
“Wait, since when can you talk?” the larger one said, blocking his way.
This caught Joel off-guard. He staggered backwards, falling on his ass. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, trying to comprehend this: He could suddenly understand them - and they could understand him.
“I…” He shook his head. “I...don’t know. I just woke up able to understand you.”
“Oh, that’s Seran sh-” The bigger Gryphon took a step towards him, but the smaller one stopped him.
“I’m sorry for my friend,” the latter apologized. “I’m Falkie and this is Danny.”
“Joel Forrest. Just call me Joel.”
“We’ve never seen an alien like you before. What are you?”
“I’m a human.”
The conversation was awkward at first, but that quickly passed. None of them knew how this was possible, but Joel would readily take advantage of it.
So, this world was under the tyrannical leadership of a race called the ‘Serans’. It was subjugated a long time ago, though neither Gryphon could tell him exactly how long ago that was. What they did tell him confirmed a lot of what he already figured out. In turn, he tried to explain to them why he was here. This is where it got harder for them. They weren’t stupid, but he used a lot of expressions and terms they didn’t understand. Mostly it was the profanity he occasionally used they didn’t understand.
He tried to learn as much as he could from them. After a few hours, he started to understand the hierarchy around here. It was cruel but efficient the way things were run. Even the Serans were ranked, though all of them were above the highest-ranking Gryphon. It was remarkably similar to human military ranking.
As time passed, the discomfort and strangeness he felt grew worse. It was annoying at first, but there was obviously something happening to him. His uniform and armor were constricting, painfully tight. He finally took his armor off, and later his shirt. He tried to continue working, but he was too distracted. Eventually, it got hard to move.
One morning, he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that he was changing - physically changing. He had a massive headache and couldn’t lay comfortably on his back. As he gripped his head in agony, clumps of his hair fell out in his hands. He stared for a long time uncomprehendingly at the short strands. Then, he screamed in agony as his body convulsed. His back wrenched, his bones broke and realigned. Tears were streaming down his face when it was finally over.
He looked back over his shoulder, staring at the bulging skin and lump in the back of his pants.
“What’s happening to me?” he begged no one.
He couldn’t deny it anymore: he was changing. His body was turning into...something.
Days sloughed by and the changes and seizures grew more violent. His face pushed forward into his vision, his teeth fused in his mouth, the bulges on his back stretched into tiny limbs. The nub on his rump extended slowly into a long, feline tail. Tan fur with black spots covered it.
On the third morning, he couldn’t breathe. Terrified, he rolled onto his front and hacked, trying to force air through his nostrils or mouth. His growing claws on his hands scratched at the rock under him as he convulsed again. His growing wings stretched longer.
He stared as his face cracked painfully, pushing outward further. Then his teeth started to push out of his mouth. They jutted out an inch or so before stopping. He finally collapsed on his side, the changes exhausting him.
He closed his eyes. “I’m...I’m turning into a...a…” He didn’t want to say it, but the more time that passed, the more obvious it became: he was turning into a Gryphon, just like the 2 that kept visiting him.
He curled into a fetal ball, terrified and in so much pain. He was turning into a Gryphon...but why?
The next time Danny and Falkie visited him, he was in that position again, holding his face in his hands. He was completely naked, having torn off the last of his clothes.
“Hey, Joel!” Falkie asked worriedly. “You doing alright?”
Joel shook his head but didn’t turn to face them, silently begging them to go away.
“We brought you some food,” Danny told him. “It’s not much, but…”
As his bones shifted again, Joel turned and squawked at them angrily. They backed away in shock.
His beak was nearly finished, extending out of his face at least 8 inches. It was crescent-shaped like a parrot’s. The top half was tan and the bottom was black. Red and white feathers were spreading across his face and bald head.
Joel started to cry again as he turned away. He’d been trying and failing to talk for hours. It was so hard to talk without lips. What if he never spoke again? What if he could never be human again? That uncertainty terrified him.
The 2 Gryphons approached him slowly.
“You…” Danny said hesitantly. “You’re looking a LOT like one of us.”
“No shit!” Joel wanted to snap back at him but only a squawk came out.
“We’re going to find a way to help you,” Falkie reassured him. “I promise.” He nodded at Danny and they walked out of the cave.
Joel closed his eyes in pain as claws pushed out of his feet and his beak extended a few more centimeters. He just wanted the pain to end.
Danny was following Falkie through the village, unsure of where they were going.
“Falkie,” he called out to his friend, “do you even know where you’re going?”
Falkie paused, looking worried for a moment. “Joel needs help. I thought maybe Elder Nyin…”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Danny shook his head. “I thought we weren’t going to tell anyone about him?”
“Whatever’s happening to him, it’s way over our heads. Besides, the Elder’s the one who said Joel would come. Maybe he can help.”
Usually Danny was the voice of reason in these situations. It was weird when it was the other way around. However, Falkie was right.
Nyin was strange, and young for a village elder. However, he had the respect of everyone here and was a kind Gryphon. Years ago, he told them that prophecy, about fire raining from the heavens and ending the Serans’ reign. He never said where this prophecy came from but seemed to really believe it.
“Fine, but we have to be careful or…”
“If you wanna keep something a secret,” an unfamiliar voice declared, “you shouldn’t talk about it out in the open.”
The 2 of them stopped dead in their tracks as a large red and black Gryphon dropped down from a nearby rooftop, blocking their path.
“After all, you never know who might be listening. Boss wants a word. Don’t make this hard on yourselves.”
Suddenly, something tackled Danny from behind, taking him to the ground. Danny screeched and snapped at the assailant with his beak. The being cursed as he tore out a clump of feathers and staggered away. Seeing his chance, Danny made a break for it. Falkie tore off in the opposite direction.
“Blasted moons, Arnoc!” the first Gryphon shouted. “You weren’t supposed to ATTACK them!”
As Danny made for the edge of the village, a thousand possibilities ran through his mind. Not everyone here hated the Serans. He had to warn Joel!
Just as he reached the edge of the village and spread his wings, that Gryphon grabbed him again. He fought, he bit, but to no avail. A bag was thrown over his head and his limbs were bound.
Joel was half-conscious, having just suffered another attack, when strangers entered the cave. His transformation was nearly complete by now.
He tried to struggle, but the recent seizures left him drained. They easily picked him up and carried him out of the cave.
“Don’t worry,” one of them told him. “You’re among friends.”
Danny was panting and exhausted by the time he finally gave up. His head was still covered and he had no idea where he was. They’d been carrying him for a while. Finally, he was dropped unceremoniously on the ground. He felt cold metal under him.
“Your orders were to NOT hurt them,” a familiar voice said, sounding annoyed.
“They resisted,” a voice said.
“Only because you attacked him,” the red Gryphon from before’s voice said.
That first voice...Danny recognized it, but it COULDN’T be him…
“And what’s with those bags over their heads? They’re not prisoners. Remove them at once.”
They quickly removed the bag over his head and Danny winced at the bright light. His eyes quickly adjusted and he looked around. They were in some sort of building. Metal like the Serans’ steel but...different. It looked rugged, almost, not smooth. Joel and Falkie were lying on the floor on either side of him. Joel looked completely out of it still.
Danny stared for a long time at the large Gryphon laying across the room. He had bright-green feathers and a silver beak. He studied the 3 of them curiously, especially Joel.
“Elder Nyin…?” Danny asked, confused.
The red Gryphon removed the bonds around their legs as Nyin spoke. “Yes, Danny, it’s me. I suspected the 2 of you had found that pod, but hiding a fugitive? That could get you in a lot of trouble.”
Danny shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Nyin chuckled and shook his head. “Relax. You’re among friends here and no one here has any love for those tyrants. We’ve been organizing for years, planning. The time has nearly come and your friend is the key.”
Danny was confused. Edler Nyin was always odd, always had a bizarre way of describing things, but this was off-base even for him. What WAS he talking about? He never spoke out against the Serans.
“This building we’re in is called a bunker,” the Gryphon continued. “One of the last few traces of humans left on this planet. It’s also our headquarters. The Serans have no idea it exists.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Falkie interrupted. “Who are you?”
Danny found this question odd. They already knew who he was: Elder Nyin, village elder and leader.
Nyin chuckled at this, shaking his head. “I was once human, too. Many years ago, I crashed here as a part of Perseue Fleet
Joel was still weak, having trouble concentrating, but when he heard that name, his ears perked. The Perseue Fleet? That was at least 100 years ago.
“You’re…” Falkie said hesitantly. “You’re...human?”
“I am,” Kristoff responded. “Gryphons live quite a bit longer than humans. I feel half my age, in all honesty. I don’t remember what my rank was at the time, but I believe I was a lieutenant.”
As Joel heard that, his training kicked in. He tried to stagger to his feet, to stand at attention.
“At ease, soldier,” Kristoff said, chuckling. “We’re a long way from Earth. No need for all of that ceremony.”
Joel hesitated for a moment, then laid back down. Another human...it was slowly setting in: this ‘Elder Nyin’ was a former human, transformed after crash-landing on this planet all those years ago. Transformed just like he was.
Kristoff slowly approached Joel, looking him up and down. Joel felt intimidated by the Gryphon’s size, but his expression was soft.
“I wasn’t expecting another human to crash here - at least, not in my lifetime.” He paused for a moment, then looked toward Falkie and Danny. “I’ve been watching the 2 of you for a long time. I know you hate the Serans. You believe Griffia would be a better place without them, don’t you?”
Danny nodded vigorously. “Yes! They abuse us, degrade us, treat us like dirt! I hate them!”
Kristoff nodded. “And you would do anything to be rid of them? Even kill?”
Danny hesitated at this, looking away. “Uh...well…”
“This world won’t change as long as the Serans remain in control. We have a plan to end their tyranny once and for all - a plan that involves your friend here. Now that he’s here, we can finally move forward.”
“I don’t know if I can kill someone, but if you want to overthrow the Serans, I’m in.” Falkie said mostly the same thing.
Kristoff looked to Joel again. “Your stasis pod...did you have a signaller beacon inside it?”
Joel thought for a moment, thinking back. It DID, but how did that…
Suddenly, it hit him like a punch to the face: ~It can send a distress call!~ That was his plan originally, to send a distress call and get off this hell-hole. Now that he’d seen the type of place this was, though...these people needed help. That signaller could call in reinforcements.
“If we could get that beacon, we could finally go home,” the Gryphon continued, practically reading his mind. “When FleetCOM sees what’s happening here, they’ll come in force. We have a plan to get to that pod and retrieve the beacon. This mission will be the beginning of the uprising.” He paused and looked worriedly at Joel. “Normally, in your condition, I’d wait until you finished changing to launch this mission, but we’re low on time.”
Joel nodded firmly. He’d never get to the pod on his own, and they needed that beacon. He was in.
Joel could feel it in his gut: he was nearly finished changing. His wings were fully-formed, his flight feathers were all in place. Except for his eyes and hind-legs, he was a complete Gryphon. The seizures were getting more mild and further apart.
~When the fleet arrives,~ he thought silently as they flew, ~I hope they can turn me back.~ This body was strong, powerful, and growing more so by the minute, but it wasn’t HIS body. It was forced upon him, and he didn’t want it. Of course, if he ultimately COULDN’T be human again.
He shook his head vigorously. ~I can’t think about that. I’m a soldier. I have to focus on the mission. That’s all that matters.~
With Kristoff’s help, he could finally talk again, at least. It wasn’t easy without lips, but he learned to make words in his throat. Complex sentences and words were hard. He wasn’t a ventriloquist, after all. He was getting better, though.
Suddenly, they heard an explosion in the distance. A plume of fire rose from the cityscape.
“That’s our cue,” Kristoff called out to them. “Arnoc, Kayrnis, Danny, secure the perimeter. Joel, Falkie, with me. If things go south, do NOT go back to the hideout. Make yourselves scarce and we’ll meet up in a few days.”
They’d already been thoroughly briefed. Kristoff had to explain what some of the words and terms meant, but they all understood the plan ultimately. The distraction in the city worked and most of the guards were recalled.
Danny exchanged a worried glance with Falkie. Kristoff already told them this part of the plan, and they didn’t like it. According to Kristoff, Danny was better suited for battle than Falkie was, so he’d work best on the outside of the facility.
“Don’t worry,” Arnoc said confidently. “I’ll take good care of him.”
“I’ll be back soon,” Danny promised and turned to follow Arnoc.
Falkie looked like he wanted to say something as well but missed his chance. He nodded and followed after Kristoff and Joel.
This facility was a large disposal site. Trash, mostly. Kristoff’s spies tracked the stasis pod here. After failing to re-open the pod, they were getting rid of it, destroying all the evidence. Time was critical.
Joel followed Kristoff down. A single bug guarded the entrance. It saw their approach and made to sound the alarm, but Kristoff was on it before it could open its mandibles. He quickly tore into the unarmored base of its head, ripping out circuitry and flesh alike with his beak. With a gurgle and a twitch, it fell to the ground, dead. The bugs were easy to eliminate if you knew where to strike.
Falkie paused, staring at the corpse as the other 2 entered the structure. Kristoff patted him gently on the shoulder. “Don’t think about it too much. He wouldn’t have made our deaths that quick.”
Falkie nodded and followed them in.
The building was organized, reflecting the Serans’ spartan style. This wasn’t a trash heap, after all, but a disposal site. The first chamber held mostly broken robots and weaponry. They didn’t encounter any Serans - yet. They could hear machinery deeper within.
They made their way down the narrow corridors through the interior, moving through room after room looking. Joel was starting to get worried. What if the pod had already been incinerated? He was about to give voice to this when they entered a particularly-large room. This was one of the incinerator rooms. Long conveyors carried junk directly into the furnace. His heart leapt as he saw the stasis pod on its side near one of the conveyors, among a pile of other broken bits. There must’ve been an accident. The conveyor looked broken.
Kristoff suddenly placed a firm talon on his shoulder, stopping him from running toward the pod. “Look,” the Gryphon whispered to him, nodding to the right.
Joel squinted, looking down the row of conveyor belts. He didn’t have the sharp eyes of a Gryphon yet, but he quickly saw the problem: something big was moving about the chamber, operating the machines and occasionally moving objects.
“That’s an IC-9 Warbot. They must’ve repurposed it. This mission just got a lot more complicated.”
The machine was massive with a thick torso, 3 spider-like legs, and shoulder-mounted launchers. It hadn’t noticed them yet, thank God. It was packing a lot of firepower.
“Can we sneak past it?” Falkie whispered.
“We’ll have to. Otherwise, this whole operation will have been a waste of time. We need to do this slowly and methodically.” He nodded at Falkie. “Stay here, and keep an eye out for anyone heading this way.”
With a nod to Joel, Kristoff jumped down to the main floor. Joel quickly followed him.
The robot didn’t take notice of them and they crossed the room easily.
As they approached the pod, however, that changed. Joel felt an all-too-familiar pain grip him and he staggered. ~No, no, no...not here! Anywhere but here!~
Kristoff looked back at him, alarmed. “Oh, no…”
He tried to hold it in as his bones shifted, but a squawk of pain escaped his beak.
The robot paused. Kristoff grabbed Joel and dragged him behind the stasis pod quickly. The IC-9 scanned the room, searching for the source of the noise. The older Gryphon held Joel’s beak shut.
Joel’s eyes filled with tears, wanting to scream in pain as his hind-legs shortened and eyes burned. He writhed.
“I know it hurts,” Kristoff whispered to him. “Believe me, I know that better than you possibly can imagine. But if you scream, WE’LL ALL DIE.”
The robot’s single eye stared at the pod they were behind.
The agonizing seconds dragged on for an eternity. And then, finally, it was over. Joel collapsed, gasping, on his side. Kristoff released him. After a few minutes, the robot lost interest and returned to what it was doing.
“I’m so sorry.”
Kristoff shook his head. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault this is happening to you.” He nodded at the pod. “We need to do this fast and get out of here. Ready?” Joel nodded. “Good.”
They waited until the bot was on the other side of the chamber, then moved to the other side of the pod. Joel felt weak, but not nearly as much as after previous attacks. The pain was passing quickly. He wondered if the changes were finally finished. He hoped they were. They couldn’t afford another incident on this mission.
The pod was beat up and ruptured. The bugs weren’t gentle when trying to crack it open. He scanned the controls along the base, then tapped a few buttons. He swore silently as nothing happened. Of course it was broken. Why WOULD it be that easy? He opened a panel on the side and pulled the manual-release lever within. The hatch popped open and, with Kristoff’s help, he opened it up. Most of his gear was on the bottom of the pod in a pile. He pulled out his wrist-computer and strapped it on.
The device wasn’t designed for talons, but it fit easily around his wrist. It took a few seconds, but he managed to boot it up.
“Come on, Joel,” Kristoff whispered to him, eyes glued firmly to the massive war machine. “We’re on borrowed time here.”
Joel tapped the buttons, watching the display carefully. Then, with a nod, he pushed one last button. The device let out a soft beep and the display flashed green. He looked up at Kristoff. “Transmission’s away. Mission complete.”
Kristoff looked back at him, surprised. “That’s it?”
“Technology’s advanced a bit in the past 100 years,” Joel replied. “That’s all there is to it.”
Kristoff paused, suddenly looking uncertain. “100 years?”
Joel looked back at him. “Wait, you didn’t know?”
Kristoff shook his head. “I...I lost track of the years. I thought it’d been...” Then, his expression hardened. “It doesn’t matter right now. Grab your gear and let's go.”
There was sadness in Kristoff’s eyes, an unmistakable regret that he quickly hid. Joel realized that the man must’ve had family out there - or something else to go back to. His mind went back to his own family. It occurred to him he might never see them again. What if he ended up trapped here like Kristoff had been? What if he grew old here and they all died before he realized how long it’d been?
He shook his head. He couldn’t think about it now. He pulled off his backpack and quickly loaded up his gear. He made sure to grab his rifle. With a tap of the button along the side, it compressed into a smaller size better for transport.
He knew this was too easy, but he got cocky, overconfident. He nearly got them all killed in the end.
He was just pulling out the last piece of gear, a large metal cube, when suddenly a sharp, piercing shriek split the air. He clapped a talon over his sensitive ears, wincing in pain as the noise sounded again.
It was the damn counter-intrusion alarm! The pod didn’t recognize him as human.
Suddenly, Kristoff pulled him away, shouting, “Run!”
Joel managed to stow the cube before a blast of heat hit him. They were both sent flying as the pod exploded. The IC-9 cycled another missile into the chamber, preparing to fire at them again. The 2 Gryphons made for the exit. Joel was still weakened, but fear and adrenaline rushed through him.
The door slammed shut behind them just as a missile slammed into the metal. The door nearly buckled but held.
“What happened?” Kristoff demanded.
“We have to go!” Falkie said urgently. “They’re coming!” They could all hear an alarm blaring through the facility.
Joel tried to run down the hallway but Kristoff stopped him. “What happened?” he demanded again.
Joel shook his head, looking away. “The counter-intrusion alarm went off. It didn’t recognize either of us as human.” He felt ashamed. He’d been so stupid. “It must’ve been damaged in the crash or when they tried opening the pod and didn’t scan us immediately.”
Kristoff looked angry for a moment, but he quickly calmed down. “What matters is that we got your gear and the transmission was sent. We need to get out of here. NOW.” He was about to continue when they heard the clanking of metal echoing down the corridor. Serans. They were nothing if not punctual. Kristoff turned to an adjacent hallway. “This way!”
As they sprinted down the corridor, Joel powered up the computer again. He tapped a few buttons and the display flashed green. The cube he picked up from the pod rose out of his backpack. It split and rearranged as it rose, turning into a large mechanical bird.
“Hawk!” he called out to it. The drone clacked and beeped, confused. He called out again, more slowly this time, trying his best at English: “Identification Code Alpha-Zulu-Niner-2-2-1-Foxtrot!”
The drone hesitated for a few seconds, pausing in mid-air. Then it beeped excitedly and followed after him. Good, it identified him as Joel. For once, technology was working for him today. “Scout ahead and find us an exit,” he ordered. “The giant metal bugs are hostiles!” The bird beeped an affirmative and dissolved into thin air. Active camouflage.
“What was that thing?” Falkie asked as he caught up with them.
“An old friend.”
With Hawk’s help and the holographic display, they quickly made it to an unguarded side entrance. Joel was lagging behind. His heart soared as he saw daylight. The others quickly bolted outside and spread their wings.
Then, everything went pear-shaped - again. The only warning he had was a screech of tearing metal overhead before something heavy landed on his back, taking him to the ground.
The Drone was small for a Seran - small but strong. It held him down with its 6 legs as he struggled, moving in for the kill with snapping mandibles.
Suddenly, the bug shrieked, swinging at the air. Joel could hear a sizzling sound and smelled a faint burning smell. He rolled onto his back and jabbed at the underside of the bug’s head - the same place he saw Kristoff strike at to kill that other guard. The flesh there was surprisingly soft and he cut into it easily. With a wrench of his head, he ripped out a large chunk of flesh and circuitry.
The bug trembled for a second, then collapsed, dead - right on top of Joel.
He struggled, trying to push it off of him, but it was too heavy. Then, suddenly, something slowly pulled the corpse off of him. Kristoff’s face smiled down at him. “You’re a fast learner.” He held out a talon.
Joel nodded and accepted the hand up. “I learned that trick from you.” He saw Hawk nearby, whirring happily. He remembered now there was a small laser cutter built into its head. Clever drone. It wasn’t a weapon but made for a perfect distraction. It was mostly used for cutting through door locks or chains.
They made their way outside and took flight. Hawk returned to the backpack right before they took off.
Joel, Kristoff and Falkie landed on a hilltop. Seranian shrieks and alarms could be heard clearly even from here, miles away from the facility.
“You handled yourselves well,” Kristoff commended them. “Both of you.”
Joel shook his head. “But...we nearly died - because of me.”
Kristoff shook his head. “As a soldier, you of all people should know that shit happens mid-mission. When things go wrong, we adapt. All things considered, you did exceptionally well. You think well on your feet.” He paused and nodded slowly. “The transformation’s finished, it seems.”
Joel paused for a moment, then looked back at his body. He spread his wings, looked at all of his legs. “I…” He didn’t know what to think of that. He was a little bigger than Falkie but smaller than Danny. He had the bird half of a Green-Winged Macaw and the feline half of an Ocelot.
“We could use your skills in the future,” Kristoff continued. “All 3 of you. I just got word from Arnoc saying they all made it out alive. Danny exceeded all expectations. He really pulled his weight out there.”
Falkie looked relieved, like all the stress and anxiety left his expression and muscles. “Oh, thank the moons.”
“This is only the beginning of the uprising. We need all the help we can get. There’s a place in our ranks for the 3 of you. And if there wasn’t, I’d make room. Your talents would be wasted anywhere else.”
“There’s no way in hell I can go home now, not after this mess. I won’t live in fear of those monsters anymore,” Falkie said solemnly.
Kristoff nodded. “Good, cuz we have work to do. It’s time to get started.”
Joel wasn’t sure what the future held, but he’d stick with it to the end. It was clear these people needed his help. Maybe he’d be human again someday, but for now, he’d do more good as a Gryphon.
Joel stood up a little straighter, getting as close to standing at attention as he could. “We await your orders, Lieutenant.”
Category Story / Transformation
Species Gryphon
Size 88 x 120px
File Size 38.6 kB
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