It took four days of focused work to finish the arm entirely. The arm was a sleek thing, made of a glowing reddish-yellow metal that Catherine called orichalcum. According to her the metal was incredibly durable, as it was used in the construction of Atlantis in Greek Mythology it could endure the crushing pressures of the ocean’s depths. The arm was covered in glowing, silver, runic script, that aided in the transmission of magical and electrical energy, as well as reinforced the item even further. Catherine and Viktor got a little carried away when going for its ‘artistic’ design.
The shoulder of the arm looked like a small engine block, with three exhaust ports sticking out the back. They were fully functional as well, though Damian had no idea where the copper-colored mist they exuded came from. The port for the runic gem battery was placed inside the engine block, which opened up and then closed around the gem to protect it. Extending down from the shoulder the bicep bulged and had a grip pattern that when twisted caused the engine to rev. The forearm expanded into a bulky block of solid metal that housed a number of tools inside, to be deployed at Damian’s discretion. Using a simple ritual from his sympathetic magic tome, Damian was able to magically bind his rune crafting tools to the arm. The hand was sleek and streamlined meant to help with fine precision and motor control when he was crafting.
When they put it all together and slotted in the gem battery, a system window popped up.
Damian rolled his eyes, “Get on with showing us its details, the suspense might give these two a heart attack.”
Sure enough, Catherine and Viktor were vibrating in place with pure excitement.
The trio were quite happy with how the arm turned out. With Damian deciding to focus on crafting skill trees going forward this arm would prove invaluable in aiding his growth. The only thing that made him hesitant, was the fact that he would have to remove the rest of his arm at the shoulder. No matter what they tried, the trio didn’t have the skill to make a connector plate that could attach to his stump. The connector needed a large area to settle into, with a hub for major nerves it could connect to. So, they were forced to design it for his shoulder.
The connector would replace his shoulder joint, and a portion of his collar bone and rib cage. Damian designed a sympathetic ritual that would tie the device to him, preventing any chance of rejection from his body. Unfortunately, it required not only his blood, but also a few bone fragments he had to have his sister retrieve for him. To say she was less than pleased was an understatement. She spent a good two days kicking Damian in the shins every time she passed by, and Damian could only bear it in silence to let her cope. With the completion of the arm, it was time to install it.
When the group tried to reserve a surgery room, they were quickly redirected to a lecture theater so that all surgeons with free time could observe. If this new arm worked as advertised, they might have to preform similar surgeries on amputees at a later date. Best to prepare now rather than later. Damian, in a surgical gown, plopped down on the operating table and gave his sister a reassuring grin.
“You got this, sis. I trust you.” Damian said.
“Damn right you do.” Amber snorted. “The surgery is only supposed to last for four hours, but we will put you under with a dose that should keep you under for eight as a precaution.”
“It vill be fine. Once Amber has you cut open, I vill assist in installing connector. Arushi provided her most potent healing salves to assist should something go a vry.” Viktor said as he shuffled into view. The surgical scrubs the large man wore were four sizes too small and made the quote ‘fat man in a little coat’ run through Damian’s brain.
“Should something go even slightly off, she will likely break the glass and rush down here herself.” Damian joked as he motioned to where Arushi and Catherine sat in the viewing section.
The anesthesiologist came over and placed a mask over Damian’s face. “Alright we are set to begin, doctor. Now, Damian count backwards from one hundred for me please. Out loud if you could, the record is eighty-nine, I want to see if one of you Inducted can beat it.”
Damian chuckled and did as requested, he reached eighty-four and then everything faded to black.
Stolen novel; please report.
When Damian next came to, he was sitting propped up in a hospital bed. The steady beep of a monitor and drip of the IV nearly lulled him back to sleep. Fighting against the pull of Morpheus, Damian looked around and found the call button resting near his hand. He pressed the button and waited; he was met with the sound of hurried footsteps not long after. His sister walked briskly into the room followed by relived Arushi, and excited Catherine. Just behind them was a still, for some reason, scrubbed up Viktor, carrying the Crafter’s Engine.
Picking up his chart, Amber quickly glanced through it and turned to Damian. “Good morning sleepy head, you’ve been out for six hours. Have a good nap?”
“The bed is lumpy and the pillow isn’t fluffed, two stars.” Damian snarked. “I feel good, like, really good. I honestly expected a bit of the post-surgery grogginess; this is both weird yet not unwelcome.”
“You can thank the salves provided by Arushi for that. They really accelerated you natural healing and helped your body adapt to its new additions at lightning speed. You likely didn’t even need the IV but it was better to ere on the side of caution.” Amber said.
She stepped forward and removed everything hooked onto Damian. When she stepped back an excited Viktor and Catherine took her place.
“Come on, put the arm on already! I want to see it in action!” Catherine cheered.
“Da! Come friend I vill help!” Viktor pulled Damian to his feet.
Damian shook his head at their antics, “Hello to you too, guys. Why yes, I would like a drink of water before we move on. Thanks for asking.”
The duo had the good grace to look embarrassed. Damian chuckled and reached out for the arm. Viktor eagerly passed it over and took a step back. Damian gripped the arm by the shoulder and stared at it for a second. He slowly lifted it up attempted to align the sockets on the arm and connector. Catherine stepped forward and helped him line it up and, at his nod, helped him latch it into place. There was a sharp, painful jolt that ran though his body, then the arm revved to life.
“Fuck!” Damian cursed, gripping his shoulder as it flared in pain.
Catherine started to panic, “What’s wrong?! Did I push it in too hard?! Is there a problem with the design we didn’t account for?!”
“No, its working as intended,” Damian soothed her, “it’s a side effect of the sympathetic magic. For all intents and purposes this is my arm now.”
Indeed, the arm wasn’t just an item thanks to the ritual. The magic had tied it to his very being, and that meant it copied everything his body told it about how an arm should work. It read the signals his nerves sent without a single delay, however that wasn’t what he most cared about. The sympathetic magic allowed him to feel through the new arm. It was faint and dull, like when your arm falls asleep but it was there. He could feel the breeze coming of the air conditioner, the slick fabric of the hospital gown tickled his new fingers, and the heat of Catherines hand laying on his forearm.
Damian broke into a wide, grin and began to laugh. He grabbed Catherine up in a hug and spun her around, “I can feel through it! I can actually feel things!”
Catherine giggled along with him, “That’s so cool! But, if you don’t put me down, there will be consequences mister.”
Damian set her down then looked to Viktor. The big man grinned and stepped forward to meet Damian in the middle of the room. He gave a ‘bring it on’ gesture and spread his arms wide. Damian reared back and punched him as hard as he could.
“Oof!” Viktor gasped and took a step back.
“Shit!” Damian said as he shook his metallic hand, “The hell are you made of man? That actually stings!”
Viktor laughed, “Premium Slavic beef, my friend. Is not my fault you punch like child vith vimpy noodle arms.”
“Dick.” Damian chuckled with the big guy.
Amber started to tap her foot. “That’s all well and good boys, but stop creating more work for the medical staff. Viktor go get that burn treated and Damian can you stop the revving? It might disturb the other patients.”
“Is only second-degree burn, nothing serious.” Viktor mumbled sheepishly as he pulled a tub of some kind of paste, and bandages from his inventory.
In the middle of Viktor’s chest, where Damian hit him, was the imprint of a large mechanical fist. Apparently even the slightest revving of the engine was enough to perfectly outline his hand due to the heat it put off. Unsure if it would work, Damian focused on the Crafter’s Engine, and felt a weird sensation. Concentrating on that feeling, Damian could sense two possible actions, a clenching sensation that would rev the engine, and a loosening sensation that would stop it. Damian tried to ‘loosen’ the feeling, and the revving engine slowly sputtered to a stop. He made sure to remember that sensation for later.
Catherine had stars in her eyes as she poked and prodded the arm. “How did you do that? This is so cool! Can we add weapons to the next one? Please?!”
Damian smiled at her enthusiasm, “It’s weird, but its like flexing your arm. We’ll see about the next arm; I want to get used to this one first.”
Arushi walked over and ran her hand along the new arm. “No strange sensations? No pinching or strain anywhere?”
“None. Everything feels………. strangely normal. I’ll be careful over the next couple days and let you know if anything changes.” Damian said with a soft smile. “Let’s get out of the hospital, the nurses passing by the door are starting to look annoyed.”
The group made their way out of the hospital, in a cheerful mood. Nearly everyone they passed stopped and stared at Damian’s new arm. There were exclamations of surprise and Viktor swore he heard a man squeal something about cybernetics. The families of a few soldiers who lost limbs approached to inquire if their loved ones could get a new limb. Viktor, ever willing to help, promised that he would make each of them one. The big man broke off from the group and accompanied the families to see their loved ones. Amber gave Damian a quick hug before rejoining the hustle and bustle of a busy hospital.
Once outside, a loud avian shriek split the air. Bronze landed just before Damian and leaned in to examine his new arm, giving it a few inquisitive pecks. Damian just let her be and reached up to stroke her chest feathers. In the last three weeks Bronze had grown at a rapid rate, and now stood at an impressive fifteen feet tall, her wingspan easily thrice that. Damian believed it had to do with all the dragon meat he was feeding her. Dragons were creatures steeped in magic; they were nearly inseparable from the concept for most people. Due to that their meat added as an accelerant to any natural growth function, hell Damian himself shot up two inches in height from eating some.
Done with her inspection, Bronze cocked her head to the side and considered the arm. Eventually she nodded her head in approval and wrapped her human into a hug. Damian laughed and hugged her back, seems Catherines work met Bronze’s high standards for aesthetics.
“Alright girl, let’s go home. I’d like to rest up before going to the integration market.” Damian said as he pulled out the ornate saddle from his inventory. It was finally time to soar in the sky with his beloved bird, Damian couldn’t wait.
