Chapter I

Viæ, The Road

June 29, 23XX

The Horse and Otter stepped out of the Remedium and into the bright afternoon sun. It was one of those rare days that the clouds retreated from the skies over the Institute, allowing the warm rays to mix with the bracing sea air that blew up the cliffs at the edge of the complex. The dozen white stone and steel buildings glowed in the light of the sun, offset by lush green grass. Several Animals were out enjoying the day, running across the quad, playing Frisbee, rugby, and football. An Ermine and a Badger were fencing along a series of beacons that stood in a row about three metres before the sheer drop into the ocean below. In the middle of the quad was a concrete fountain, a streamer of water sailing from the pillar in its center and eight more from the pool surrounding it. One of the plumes of water deviated from its natural path, sailing in spirals and whorls around a nearby Squirrel who seemed to be conducting it. A gentle breeze blew across the Institute, ruffling the Horse's mane and tail.

"Remember Cadets, part of being a good fighter is having the discipline to train on your own," came the voice of a slim, yet formidable looking Lion from a short distance away. He was addressing a small group of Animals all dressed in the same dark blue uniform. "The exam is in five days. Make sure you are prepared. Dismissed!" The class saluted their instructor: snapping their heels together, standing bolt upright, and holding their right hands up next to their faces, back out. The Lion saluted back and the group dispersed, the Lion walking in the Horse and Otter's direction.

"Afternoon MT Cleod," he said stiffly when he reached the pair.

"Commander Nero," replied Weir, saluting the same way the other Animals had. "May I ask you a question?"

"If it's quick."

"Have you ever come across information missing from the computer?"

"No. Missing how?"

"Erm... I guess I'll ask Irvine... CMO McGuinness about it. He'd probably know more about it anyway."

"Hm." The Lion nodded curtly and walked inside the Remedium, the doors sliding closed with a pneumatic hiss behind him.

"Hoo was that?" asked the Horse.

"Commander Justin Nero," replied the Otter. "He teaches hand-to-hand combat. He's supposed to be the best but rumor has it his brother is better. Anyway, let me show you around. The building we were just in is the Remedium where the Medial branch is. If you ever get hurt you'll be brought here." The Remedium was a three-story building, decorated with ornate metal scrollwork. The walls of windows glinted in the sunlight, rooms of white visible within. The Horse and Otter started walking towards the front of the Institute. They passed by two parking garages, pausing for a moment.

"These two buildings are the Debello and the Sear. They're for training with weapons like swords and staves, and a shooting range for guns. There's another one behind these for the Navitages to use called the Postern." The Debello and Sear were three-story enclosed parking garages, plain in comparison to the opulent Remedium. Behind them was the smaller Postern, just as tall, but significantly narrower than its brothers.

"What's a Nah-vee-tage?"

"Er... I-I'm probably not the best person to explain that." Weir wasn't sure why, but the Horse was making him very nervous. He started walking again, more quickly this time, the Horse in tow. They passed the training facilities and approached a four-story glass and steel building, a contrast to the white stone of the others. Many Animals were coming and going through the main doors. A couple of them waived to the Otter as they approached.

"This is the Conscientia. The senior staff have quarters here and there are meeting rooms and the canteen is in here too." He pointed across the lawn to a long, plain building with a large opening in the middle of it, columns flanking the great corridor. "That's the Bailey, the entrance to the Institute. You need permission to go past there, and even then you can only go about a kilometre out before you reach the edge of New London."

"Have yoo been owt thair?"

"N-no... I haven't." Weir quickly redirected back to his tour. At least that was something he could talk to the Horse about without feeling jittery. They cut across the lawn and resumed their circuit back towards the rear of the Institute.

"These buildings are the Depot and the Metamorphics Lab, and over there are the barracks where you'll be living." The Depot and Metamorphics Lab formed a large L shape, connected by an open breezeway. Patterns of metal and glass wove along the sides of the structure, not as ornately as the Remedium, but still very impressive to see. The barracks were the tallest buildings at the Institute; five stories of stone and glass, shining like three monoliths in the sunlight. They also occupied the whole of the center section of the Institute.

"Where do yoo live?"

"I-in the Remedium. I'm part of the Medical branch. We all live in the Remedium. Y-your speech is really improving quickly. I'm impressed." The Horse smiled.

"Thank yoo." They walked back across the quad, along the beacons, to the Remedium, going back inside and down the hall to the left. Weir pressed the door chime, it sounding softly from within.

"Enter," came a voice from inside the office. The door slid open and Weir stuck his head inside, seeing the Chief Medical Officer Irvine McGuinness seated behind his desk. "Oh Weir, please come in, sit down."

"Thank you sir," said the Otter, he and the Horse complying with the Tiger Irvine's request.

"Ah, you must need a name." The Tiger smiled a very warm and comforting smile. Irvine was about a head shorter than the Horse, but almost equal in definition except for a little paunch at his stomach. His thin, fuzzy tail, orange and black like the rest of him, snaked down to his calves, flicking back and forth playfully. He had mossy green eyes, very soft and inviting. When he smiled, his very pointy teeth poked out over his lips in a threatening, yet still friendly way. Overall he seemed nice, but formidable. Like the other Medical staff that the Horse had seen, Irvine wore tight-fitting pale blue scrubs and a white lab coat. His office was strikingly different from Weir's: rich wood paneling and floors, a vaulted ceiling with dark exposed beams. He had a beautiful wooden desk that seemed both vintage and modern. He sat in a high-backed brown leather chair. Situated behind his chair was an ornately decorated wood and gold bar, the bottles of fine Scotch whisky, brandy and cognac glistening in light that seemed to come from everywhere; a very odd phenomenon seeing as there were no visible light sources except for the windows along the wall to the left of the door, but even they wouldn't let in enough light to create that effect.

"What's his designation?" asked the Tiger, tapping on his desk with his middle and index fingers. A blue glow lit the top of the desk, a keyboard outlined in white drawing itself on the plane. Above the desk another blue glow faded into existence: a holographic computer monitor.

"E-1332," said Weir. It always surprised him how his superior preferred this method of entry over simply talking to the computer, but then again he also didn't understand his proclivity to opulence as reflected in the way he had the computer decorate his office. To each his own.

"Alright, your name will be Pyra Valentin. Your quarters are in block C, room 116. You're scheduled to see Q Angalis after lunch. I've already got his diet in the system so can take him to the canteen whenever you like."

"Oh! Er... alright," said Weir. Irvine gave the Otter a puzzled look. He had coached dozens of new arrivals but never had he been this nervous about it.

"Pyra Val-enn-teen," said the Horse, trying out his new name. The Tiger smiled at him.

"Excellent! Much better than some of the other new arrivals. Have you been helping him?"

"Not directly. He's just been listening to me talk. Troi said that Commander Redgard may have taught him. Is that true?"

"I'm sure the Commander has better things to do with his time than teach new arrivals to talk. Still though, his development is extraordinary."

"Y-yes.... Oh, I almost forgot. Have you ever come across information missing from the computer?"

"I haven't. What's missing?"

"Computer, give the status of Pyra Valentin's Europa exposure."

"Information not available." Irvine scratched his head, his small round ears subconsciously flattening against his scalp. His tail stopped swaying with the playful energy it had been.

"That's very strange. Computer, explain the result of your last inquiry."

"I cannot give information on Pyra Valentin's exposure to Europa."

"Why not?"

"The requested information is not in my databanks."

"Explain."

"The requested information has been erased."

"By who?"

"Classified." There was a stunned pause.

"What? Disregard... declassify the information for this inquiry. Authorization McGuinness, Irvine, Chief Medical Officer."

"You do not have proper clearance for that request." The Tiger growled softly out of irritation.

"It is abundantly clear that I'm getting nowhere. Whoever erased the information obviously didn't want anyone finding out who he is. Really though it's unimportant. I'll keep an eye on him, if he's been exposed then he should manifest Navita within the next few days, then we'll have our answer." Weir nodded.

"Thanks you sir." The Otter got to his feet, the Horse following suit.

"It was very nice meeting you Pyra," said Irving, his jovial attitude restored. "Well let me officially welcome you to EnSTAR." He extended his hand, the Horse took it, smiling.

"Thannk yoo." Weir escorted Pyra out of the office and back down the hall to the entrance.

"Hey Weir!" shouted the Rabbit Troi as they passed through the lobby. "Going to lunch?"

"Yeah. Er... Troi, this is Pyra, Pyra, this is my friend Troi." Pyra offered his hand, the Rabbit shaking it.

"Is he the new arrival?"

"Yeah, and a bit of a puzzle too. Anyway, ready to go?" Troi nodded.

"Don't forget that you've got another new arrival to process this afternoon."

"I haven't forgotten. After lunch I'm taking Pyra to Q and then I'll be able to take care of the other guy." The three Animals stepped out into the sun, walking across the lawn to the Conscientia.

"Ah you're very lucky. You'll get to meet the White Knight."

"Hooz the Wite Nite?" asked the Horse.

"First, everyone meets the White Knight, and second he's a 'what,' not a 'who,'" said the Otter. "The White Knight is the artificial intelligence that operates the Institute. Someone from Q will take you to it so it can finalise your registry into the system."

"I see." The trio reached the Conscientia, Troi leading the way through the opulent white marble and gold lobby and down the hall to the dark wood doors to the canteen. The doors slid open, the soft lighting casting an intimate and inviting glow over the lounge-like interior. Dozens of glowing white round tables dotted the room, six plush minimalist chairs surrounding each one. On the left side of the room, close to the doors, a beautiful white marble and gold bar ran parallel to the wall, dozens more of the chairs along it. Behind the bar were tall, glowing white shelves filled with bottles of alcohol. A Hippo, Bat, and Lemur stood behind the bar, mixing drinks for the various animals seated there. At the far end of the room, Animals were queuing up at a half-dozen food replicator bays, waiting to get their meals.

"Always busy," said Troi, leading the trio to one of the replicator bays.

"Not always," said Weir. "It's pretty quiet after hours."

"Oh? And how often are you here after hours?" Weir laughed.

"Granted." Troi got his meal, a wheat grass salad, and went to find an empty table. "Alright Pyra, to use the food replicators during mealtimes, just say your name and it will select a meal for you based on a menu set by Irvine. If you're here after hours, or just between meals, tell it what you want, or what kind of food you want, and it will give you some options."

"I think I get it."

"Weir Cleod." The replicator bay whirred to life, filling with light and dancing sparks that coalesced into a platter of prawns and leeks, steamed to perfection. The Otter took his meal and went to join the Rabbit at his table. Pyra tentatively stepped forward to the again dormant replicator.

"Pyra Val-enn-teen." Again the replicator whirred to life, this time producing a salad composed of leaves and grasses that the Horse didn't recognize. He took the dish and joined the other two.

"So what do you think of the Institute so far?" asked Troi. Pyra sat down, utensils and a glass of water materialising on the table before him.

"Itz a little overwhelming."

"Eh, you'll get used to it in no time. Just find some way to get involved and before you know it you'll be making new friends and finding your place."

"What doo yoo think Weer?" The Otter choked when the Horse said his name. He grabbed his glass and took a long, slow drink to avoid answering. Why did Pyra make him feel so nervous? Not just nerves, his entire body seemed to tingle. The dull roar that had been filling the room stopped suddenly.

"Well would you look at that," said Troi, nodding towards the doors. Weir turned to see a Wisent standing just inside the entrance, scanning the room.

"What's he doing here?" asked the Otter, more to himself.

"He doesn't normally slum with the peons," said the Rabbit.

"Hoo is that?" asked the Horse.

"That's Commander Redgard, second in command of the entire Institute," explained Troi. "Normally he takes his meals with the rest of the senior staff in the executive dining room. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen him in here...." The Commander stood like a monolith, his hulking frame dwarfing those near him. His dark brown fur nearly blended with the doors behind him. He had wide, charcoal horns that curved upwards, almost resembling some kind of instrument. He had steely eyes that seemed to pierce through everyone as they swept slowly around the room. He wore the same uniform that the Lion Commander Nero and his group of Cadets had been wearing. Commander Redgard's uniform, however, had additional insignia: three round pins on both of his collar flaps, a badge that looked like a platinum sword, and one that looked like a blue meteor. The Commander locked eyes with Pyra. The Horse felt a chill run down his spine, though he wasn't quite sure what it meant.

"As you were gentlemen," said the Wisent, his deep voice freezing the air around him. He turned and left the canteen, the wood and glass doors gliding silently shut behind him. The noise level returned to normal.

"Wonder what that was all about," said Troi.

"Weird day getting weirder," replied the Otter. Pyra couldn't shake the ill feeling that coursed through his body. "What's wrong?"

"I... just lost my appetite, thatz all."

"Are you feeling any nausea? That's not uncommon within the first few days post arrival." Weir's nervousness seemed to vanish, at least temporarily, as his triage training took over.

"I'm fine, just not hungry right now."

"Alright, if you're sure." Pyra couldn't help but feel uneasy, and he didn't know why. Who was Commander Redgard? Why had he looked at Pyra with such force? It felt like the Wisent had been trying to bore a hole through the Horse's skull.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Troi. Pyra snapped out of his trance, seeing that the Otter and Rabbit had finished their meals.

"Oh! Y-yes, sorry," said Pyra. Troi just smiled as he helped the Horse up. The trio left the canteen, their table clearing itself as they walked away. The sunlight seemed to shine twice as brightly as before; it took a moment for the Horse's eyes to adjust.

"I'm heading back to the Remedium," said Troi

"Right. I'll be along as soon as I get him to Q," replied Weir. The Rabbit waved and darted off across the lawn with amazing speed.

"Okay Pyra, let's go." The Otter felt the familiar knot starting to form in his throat. They started off across the lawn as well, heading towards the Depot.

"Who is Commander Redgard?"

"Er... well like Troi said he's the second in command here, so all of the other branches obey him, especially the Combatants. He keeps to himself mostly, but from what I've heard from Irvine he's a really nice guy."

"Thatz good. What are... kom-batt-ants?"

"The Combatants are trained to fight. They put a lot of effort into preparing to protect the Institute if they ever need to, and I have great respect for them, even if a few of them could stand to remember that they aren't the only branch." The doors to the Depot slid open with a hiss as they approached. The halls within were cluttered with all manner of equipment, scrap metal, fabric, wooden logs, and bins filled with glass and plastic. It was all very incoherent to the Horse. Several Animals were milling about, all of them wearing the same dark red jackets and trousers with black shirts. On a few of them Pyra could see platinum pins in the shape of a shield affixed to their uniforms. Some of them also had the same blue meteor pin that Commander Redgard had been wearing.

"There are three branches," started Weir, preempting Pyra's next question. "The Combatant branch are the fighters, like I said. They wear the sword insignia; I don't know if you would've noticed it on any of the Cadets we passed earlier. The Scientific branch are researchers and engineers. They build and maintain the technology for the Institute. They wear the shield insignia and the red uniforms." He motioned to the Animals around them.

"Then there's the Medical branch, which is the one I'm in. We're healers and technicians mostly. We usually wear white lab coats and the stave insignia." He lifted up the collar of his coat to show Pyra the pin affixed there. They entered one of the many doors down the long hallway. This room made a little more sense to the Horse, but only slightly. It was littered with all kinds of fabrics, large pieces of metal, and bits of random wiring. A workbench in the middle of the room was covered in tools, come completely foreign to everyone but the Hart seated next to the table.

"Sorry to bother you sir, but I've got a new arrival that needs to be registered with the White Knight," said Weir with a kind of unusual tentativeness. The Hart looked up from his work at the pair of interlopers.

"Any Q can take him to the White Knight. Why bring him to me?" The Hart's voice was very calm and controlled, almost to the point of falling headlong into the uncanny valley. It made Pyra feel apprehensive.

"I'm just following CMO McGuinness' instructions."

"Hm... very well. You shouldn't keep your other new arrival waiting."

"Yes sir." The Otter turned to Pyra. "I'm going to leave you with Q Angalis for a while so he can take you to the White Knight. Don't worry, just do what he says and I'll be back when you're done." He turned and left the room, the door gliding shut behind him.

"I haven't seen him that nervous before," said the Hart, returning to his work. Pyra stood silently, not sure how to respond. "He told you I was a Q, but did he tell you that I'm also the Chief Scientific Officer?"

"No, hee didunt," said the Horse. "What doez that meen?"

"It means that I'm in charge of the Scientific branch, so to be taking someone to see the White Knight is unusual for me. Normally Irvine will have one of the other Quartermasters do this, this time he wants me to do it. Why do you think that is?"

"I-I don't know." The Hart looked up at Pyra and smiled.

"You don't, and I don't think he does either. It's very interesting to me." The Hart put down his tools and stood to greet the Horse properly. "I'm Seymour Angalis, Q and CSO, nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand, Pyra shaking it.

"Pyra Val-enn-teen." Seymour was slightly shorter than Pyra, but his antlers gave him almost a third of a metre on the Horse. He had very soft, pale red fur. He was slender, yet well defined, like many of the Animals Pyra had seen. His eyes were very bright, almost seeming to shine gold like his hair, which stretched down just past his shoulders. He wore the dark red uniform of the Scientific branch, his jacket collar with silver piping. Affixed to the collar were three insignia: the Scientific branch's shield, the blue meteor, and a white and platinum Q.

He led the Horse out of his workshop and back up the hall that Pyra and Weir had come down before. They turned off down another hall, this one devoid of the clutter and bustle of the main hall, as well as the doors. As far as Pyra could tell, the hall came to a dead end almost immediately.

"White Knight," said Seymour, "I need you." The wall before them flickered and vanished, revealing a gargantuan room, a great white sphere suspended in the centre of it. Pyra's jaw hit the floor at the sight.

"Pyra, this is the White Knight, my computer."

"Yours? I thought hee ran the Institute?"

"He does, but I designed and constructed him, so in that sense he is mine."

"Good afternoon Seymour," came a steely voice, seemingly from everywhere. It was very similar to the Hart's, and Pyra recognized it as the voice of the computer in Irvine's office as well. Everyone in the Institute must use this one great computer.

"I need you to catalogue Mr. Valentin please."

"I anticipated this, and am already nearing completion."

"Oh did you now? You see Pyra, this White Knight is more than just a computer: he's a living intelligence that operates in the best interest of the Institute as determined by the senior staff."

"Catalogue and prognosticus complete."

"You have a prognosticus after just one day? Interesting things must be in store for you Pyra."

"Why is that?"

"Consider it a personal experiment of mine. I've had the White Knight forecast the futures of a lot of the Animals here, just to see if they'll live up to my expectations. Normally he has to observe the Animal in question for a few days but you... there's something special about you." He started walking back towards the hallway from which they had come, but Pyra didn't notice. He was entranced by the 10 metre perfect sphere that was the White Knight. How had Seymour built such a thing? How did it work? And how could it see what his future was going to be?

"Pyra, I have a message for you from Commander Redgard," came the White Knight's almost omniscient voice again. "Message follows." An ethereal copy of the Wisent flickered into existence before him.

"Pyra, I had hoped to speak with you sooner, but I was unable to reach you while you were alone," said the projection, the voice just as haunting as in person. "It regards the information about you that is missing from the databanks... and your development. The missing data is simply an oversight and will be corrected shortly. You have not been exposed to Europa. I do not know if you even understand what that means, but I am sure someone will explain it to you. Now about your development: I am very pleased with how quickly you are learning, and whichever branch you choose to join, I am sure your contributions to the Institute will be great."

"Message ends," said the White Knight, the holographic Wisent flickering away. Pyra wasn't sure what to make of what he had just heard, though he supposed that if Commander Redgard was happy with him, he was doing something right.

"Ah, there you are," came Seymour's voice from behind the Horse. He whipped around, startled out of his train of thought. "We have things to do. Come along Pyra." He started back out of the room again, this time making sure the Horse was with him. He led him back towards his workshop, the wall reappearing as they left the White Knight's chamber. Seymour turned off into the room just before his workshop, Pyra close behind. This room was almost completely empty, populated only by three full-length mirrors positioned around a raised dais.

"Alright, up you get," said Seymour, motioning to the platform. Pyra complied. "Now, your measurements.... Would you kindly hold your arms out to the side?"

"Liike this?" asked Pyra, lifting his arms to for a 't' pose.

"Perfect." Without warning, black lines began drawing themselves on the Horse's body, forming a grid pattern. "First, your formal uniform." The black lines turned white and began to break apart in a wave up his body, being replaced by blue fragments of light. The light solidified, forming a perfectly tailored uniform, similar to the one worn by the Combatants Pyra had seen earlier, only this one was black with silver epaulettes, silver piping along the sleeve cuffs, as well as along the pockets on the trousers. The jacket had a wide collar that folded downward, the Institute's emblem embroidered on the right sleeve, and a zippered front, slightly revealing a black skin-tight shirt beneath made of some strange elastic material. He also sported a black belt with a silver buckle. The Horse looked at his reflections, admiring the uniform.

"Excellent," said Seymour. He thought for a moment. "Do you mind if I try something?" Without waiting for a response he knelt behind the Horse, braiding his tail. "Computer, give me a silver clasp, about four centimetres in diameter." The ring materialised in the Hart's open palm, Seymour fastening it at the tip of Pyra's tail to hold the plait in place. "Now for some civilian clothing. I think a grey muscle shirt... black trousers... and a dark brown duster. Oh, and change the silver clasp to a black fabric band." The formal uniform dissolved away and, as the Hart named them, the pieces of the new outfit assembled on the Horse's body. "Yes, that will do nicely. What do you think?" He took a step back to admire his selections.

"I like it," said Pyra, inspecting himself in the mirrors. Seymour smiled. "Can I ask yoo something?"

"Go right ahead."

"The insignia on yore yoo-ni-form... what doo thay meen? Weer told mee about the sword, shield, and stave, but what arr the others?"

"Ah, well the Q is to show I'm, well, a Q, a Quartermaster. The Quartermasters handle direct relations with the White Knight and any of our equipment. The blue meteor is to show that I can use Navita, and if you want to know more about that you should talk to CMO McGuinness; he can tell you more about it than I can."

"I see."

"Other than that, there are more that are unique to the other branches. It would be more appropriate to ask someone from those branches about them though, either CMO McGuinness or Commander Nero." The Hart started walking back towards the door, the Horse jogging to catch up. "There isn't anything else I need from you today. I imagine Weir shouldn't be too much longer. Why don't you go out to the quad, meet some new people, get a feel for the Institute?" Pyra nodded.

"Thank yoo." The Horse turned off back up the hall he and Weir had taken when they first entered. The Hart returned to his workshop, taking a seat at his bench. He picked up one of his strange tools, paused for a moment, and then put it down.

"Computer... where is Pyra now?"

"Pyra Valentin is on the quad," replied the White Knight in his omniscient manner. A pale blue holographic screen appeared behind Seymour, the Hart turning to look at it. The screen showed the Horse walking along the quad towards the fountain.

"What is his prognosticus?"

"Displaying prognosticus for Pyra Valentin." A second monitor appeared next to the first. "Prognosticus for Pyra Valentin, prepared for CSO Seymour Angalis. Message follows: Unknown."

"Unknown?" repeated Seymour. He looked back at the image of the Horse. "What are you?"

Pyra stepped out of the Depot into the late afternoon sun. He wondered where Weir was, who the other Animal that he was showing around was. He walked across the quad to the fountain. There weren't as many people out here now as there had been the first time he came through. The Squirrel that had been manipulating the water in the fountain was nowhere to be seen, which disappointed the Horse as he had wanted to watch him more. He took a seat on the rim of the fountain and looked around. A short distance away an Ermine was laying in the grass watching the clouds overhead. He thought it was the same Ermine that had been fencing with the Badger earlier, but he wasn't sure. Past him, a Leopard Seal was volleying a football in the air with his head. In the other direction, a Corgi and a Shiba Inu were walking out of the Debello, talking intently. Pyra wondered if they were in the Combatant branch. He remembered what Weir had said about respecting them. Maybe he should join? He didn't know why, but he wanted to impress the Otter. Something about him resonated with the Horse. A strange sensation coursed through him. His heartbeat elevated.

"Pyra?" came a voice from behind the Horse. He jumped up and spun around, locking eyes with Weir through the water spraying from the fountain. "Oh good, I-I was wondering where you had gone. A-are you okay? You look a little flushed...."

"I'm fine," said the Horse. Why was his heart beating so fast?

"I've finished with my other new arrival... I need to get your room ready. This way please." He led the Horse to one of the barracks, the one closest to the Remedium. Pyra wondered if that was intentional. They walked inside and entered a nearby lift, taking it up to the second floor. They walked down to the east end of the hall and stopped.

"This will be yours," said Weir, motioning to the door. C-223 was imprinted on the door. Hadn't Irvine assigned Pyra to C-116? Why were they at this room? He decided not to say anything. After all, what did he know about the way things worked here? The Otter pulled his tablet out of his coat pocket, tapping out a few things on it. The nameplate next to the door shifted from reading nothing to bearing Pyra's name. The door slid open, Weir motioning for the Horse to enter. The room was fairly large, situated at the corner of the building. The floor was covered in a dark grey carpet, soft under Pyra's hooves. The walls were a pale tan colour with almost full length windows spanning the two outer walls, providing views of the northeastern section of the Institute, including the Remedium and the quad. A light green loveseat and matching armchair were positioned around a low oblong table across from the door. Next to the sitting area was a small alcove, a waist-high tan counter within, a mirror on the wall above it. Across the room, two beds made of what looked like a tan resin that matched the walls sat perpendicular to each other, flush against the banks of windows. They had green bedclothes that matched the other furniture upholstery. Near the beds stood a tall wardrobe, also made of the strange tan resin.

"You'll have this room alone for now, but eventually you'll get a roommate. If you like, you can redecorate the room, just ask the White Knight and he'll help you. The wardrobe has a replicator in it that you can use to change your outfits. The bathroom is back down the hall towards the lift, you can't miss it. I-is there anything else I can do for you right now?" The Horse took his duster off and sat down on the loveseat.

"No, I think I'll be fine." Weir smiled.

"Alright." He turned to leave but stopped. "Will I see you at dinner?" Pyra nodded. "See you then." He waved and left, the door sliding closed behind him. Pyra stood and walked over to the beds, deciding which he would sleep in. Outside the window he could see the Leopard Seal that had been volleying the football earlier gathering teams together for a match, two holographic goals materialising on the lawn. He saw Weir walking across the quad to the Remedium, a moment later appearing at a second story window almost directly across from the Horse's. He remembered that the Otter had said he lived in the Remedium. That must be his room. The thought that Pyra's room change had been intentional seemed more like a fact now. Coincidence or not, he smiled at the Otter, who was taking off his lab coat and sitting down to relax for a while. Something about Weir made Pyra feel a strange mix of emotions and, although he didn't know it, the same was true for the Otter.

Weir looked out his window at the Horse's room. There was a glare so he didn't know if he was still there, but at least he could somewhat keep an eye on him. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back. He wondered if he would get in trouble for changing his room assignment like that. Nah, he thought, they won't mind. They probably wouldn't even notice. He wasn't sure what it was about the Horse, but he had never felt this way around anyone else, even when he had been the new arrival. It was completely foreign to him.

There was something mysterious about Pyra Valentin, something almost hypnotic. Not only had he caught Weir's attention, but he was the stuff of Remedium rumors. Who had tampered with his medical log? Had Commander Redgard really taught him to speak, and if so, why the special interest, and why didn't Pyra remember it? What lay in store for Pyra? What was it about him that baffled even the White Knight, whose prognosticus had laid out detailed forecasts for others, but merely 'unknown' for him?

The Horse walked over to the alcove near the door. As he approached, the top of the counter receded into the wall, revealing a steel sink beneath it. Pyra ran his hands under the cool water and looked at his reflection, studying it. He wasn't sure why, but it seemed like someone else was looking back at him. Someone else with his face was looking back at him. He shook the idea from his head and dried his hands on a nearby towel before heading down the halls and back outside. This was an amazing place, and he felt like amazing things were yet to come.