Chairo

The knight noticed and his hand tightened around his sword " My King...." he whispered. Farther away, thousand of spears could be seen and men riding horses

An entire army was coming towards them slowly, but not just any army, the Saladin's army

Panic happend before the enemy even reached them, men began to look for their shields. Others searched for the weapons they had dropped

Arrows were being shot, one struck a soldier through the throat and collapsed without a sound. Baldwin's bodyguards closed around him " Protect his Majesty! "

The King tried to rise, holding the arm of a knight beside him, but he was slow, the leprosy catching up with him

Another knight raised his hands, just as a spear was given into his chest, the force threw him backward into the mud, dead

The knight dropped to one knee before Baldwin " My King! " and without hesitation, Baldwin was lifted onto the man's back and onto the horse

The field Marj Ayyun began immediately filled with dead bodies, screams and prayers to God

It became clear that this was no longer a safe place for anyone to stay, especially for the civilians and families who were just trying to survive

Some civilians were caught in the battle and lost their lives as they tried to escape. Others, however, were lucky enough to find a way out

A knock on the door was heard. I frowned and buried my face deeper into the pillows. " Lady ? "

For a moment, I stayed where I was, beneath the warm blanket, groaning

Another knock " Lady, are you awake ? "

Slowly, I opened my eyes, unfortunately, nobody cared that I wished to stay there all day. With a sigh, I pushed the blankets aside and sat up, rubbing my eyes with my hands " Come in "

A maid entered and hurried toward the curtains. With a pull, she opened them wider and left

For a brief moment, I considered climbing right back into bed but Sibylla would be awake soon and there was work to do

Forcing myself up, I crossed the room and splashed cold water over my face. I dried my face quickly before reaching for my dress and doing my hair

I hurried down the corridor, there were servants carrying baskets of laundry or food. I moved quickly through the familiar halls until I reached Lady Sibylla's rooms

The guards standing outside the entrance gave small nods as I passed. The outer room smelled of lavender and one maid knelt, sweeping the floor with a cloth

Near the windows, a younger servant stood on her toes, trying to close the curtains despite her quite small height

My eyes moved around the room, the water basin stood near the dressing table. Crossing the room, I bent slightly and checked the water temperaturea and it was neither too cold but neither too warm, perfect

The table was clear, fresh towels waited where they should, nothing seemed in any wrong order

For a moment, my eyes turned toward the door of Lady Sibylla's bedchamber

Beyond that door she was still sleeping while servants prepared everything she would need before she even opened her eyes

I looked down at my hands. What would it feel like, I wondered, to stay in bed and waking up with everything prepared ?

I sighed, crossing the room, stopping before the bedchamber door. My hand rose and three soft knocks sounded " Lady Sibylla ? "

For a moment there was only silence. I waited then I carefully opened the door and stepped inside

The room was dim, heavy curtains covered the windows and Sibylla remained curled beneath the blankets

Stepping quietly across the room, I reached for the curtains and opened them, the room brightened at once and a quiet groan came from her

I turned with a small smile " Good morning, my lady " and I watched her struggle to wake up

In the meantime, my thoughts drifted far away. I wonder where my Baldwin was at this very moment, would he be awake already ?

Was he safe ? Would he return from his journey and when he would return ?

I did not notice Sibylla watching me " My dear "

I blinked, Sibylla had pushed herself up against the headboard of the bed, her eyes fixed on me " What are you thinking about ? "

I looked away " Nothing important, my lady "

" You always say that.. "

A knock came at the door before I could answer, one of the other ladies in waiting, which was Miriam, entered holding the basin " Good morning, Lady Sibylla "

She placed it on the low stand near the bed and stepped back, lowering her head

I took a clean cloth, dipping it into the warm water, the cloth darkened as it soaked then I washed off the excess of water from it

I knelt beside Sibylla and the warm cloth brushed across her forehead first, them cheeks and neck. As soon as I finished one area, I reached for a dry cloth and gently dried her skin

" There...was a messenger yesterday " she broke the silence, her smile fading

" What news did he bring, my lady ? "

Sibylla took a breath " The messenger said the army believed they had won " and I lifted my eyes to her when she said that " The men stopped to rest, then....then Saladin's army attacked "

I swallowed, stopping what I was doing

" They were attacked suddenly " she said, her eyes lowering for a brief moment before returning to me " he said it was unexpected… they were not ready "

My stomach tightened " What about the King ? " and this time the question escaped before I could stop it

" The messanger did not know everything " Sibylla added, her tone softer now " he saw it from a distance, and he had to leave.... he could not have remained in the battlefield as a simple civilian "

My heart had already started to beat faster, and a question came back again, impossible to ignore

Is he still alive?

I forced myself to look down at the basin instead of Sibylla, because if I looked at her any longer, I thought she might see everything I was trying so hard to hold inside

" I am sure that he survived " she said, as if saying it could make it true " My brother is strong..."

I carried the basin and cloth back, placing them carefully before reaching for Sibylla's red gown

Behind me, I heard her rise from the bed " You are worrying yourself sick already " she said

" How can I not ? " and I turned toward her, helping her dress

" You love him " She answered quietly

The truth was, there was no reason denying it. She had known this for a long time and never had never spoken a word of it to anyone

Over time I realized that she loved her own brother, as long as nobody wished to use him, control him or take advantage of him

And somehow, over the years, she had come to trust me as I trusted her

The gates of Beaufort Castle closed behind the last of the riders. The battle was over and the field of Marj Ayyun far behind

King Baldwin IV sat carefully upon a wooden bench near the wall of the castle, after all what happend, his body was drained of all the strenght

Yet before anyone could tell him to rest, he lifted his head " Where is Sir Rainald ? " he asked

The knight who had carried him through the battle stepped forward

" You saved my life "

The knight immediately lowered his head respectfully " It was my duty, Your Majesty "

"You have my thanks, you will be rewarded greatly for your service "

Around them, wounded men were being carried across the courtyard while servants hurried between them with cloths and water

One soldier cried out as an arrow was pulled from his shoulder

For the first time since arriving at Beaufort, his thoughts went somewhere else, to her

He wondered where she was at this very moment, perhaps helping Sibylla prepare for the day

For a moment he wished he could leave the castle immediately and go back to her

But the war losses were greatly

So many hearts and lives were lost, gone before the sunset and gone before they could return home. Most men had families and those families would not have a father coming back for them

Yet they laid into the ground now, slowly becoming only numbers for future historians to write down

The king has returned

The news spread thought Jerusalem faster than the speed of light. He is alive and has come back home

I heard about this hours ago and ever since then, I had not been able to keep my thoughts still along with my enthusiasm

I wondered if he thought of me, if he slept at all, if he had any injuries and what actually happend at the battle

The questions followed me everywhere. By the time evening came over Jerusalem and most of the palace would get ready to sleep, I could no longer sit still

Lady Sibylla's letter was in my hands as I walked, beside it a small carved box she had asked me to bring to him

The palace seemed larger and emptier in a way. The closer I came to the King's chambers, the harder my heart seemed to beat

Two guards stood outside the Baldwin's chambers. Both straightened the moment they saw me approaching and looked straightforward at me

" My lady... " One of them replied polite " The King is resting, the physicians have ordered that he should not be disturbed "

" Lady Sibylla asked me to bring these " I replied, trying to keep my excitement off my face " I will...I will not stay " I said, words coming faster now, because the need to see him was immense " Give me a minute "

After a long pause, he finally stepped aside just enough to let me pass, sighing

I opened the door softly and closed it, I crossed the room quickly and placed the letter and the small wrapped gift down on a table surface

I turned and I saw him, laying in bed sleeping, his body resting under thick covers. I came until I was standing beside the bed, close enough that I could see the rise and fall of his chest

A small smile came to my lips before I even realized it

I sat at the edge of the bed, my hand lifted without hesistation, touching the cheek of his gray mask, careful to not press too hard

His eyes opened a little, heavy with sleep, he reached out slowly and found my wrist where it rested near his cheek

" I am… " he began, his voice rough from exhaustion " I am glad to see you "

Before I could answer, the door behind me opened and I turned to look. The guard entered slightly " You said a minute....- "

" She can stay " Baldwin said simply

" As you command, your majesty..." and the door closed again

" I missed you " I said at least, leaning closer, bending down and pressed a small, careful kiss against his forehead, instead of his skin feeling the material of the mask

I pulled back sligthly " Are you alright now? " I asked quietly

A faint, tired smile came upon his face " I have been throught worse, my dear... " and his hand come to my cheek, sensing the soft material of his white gloves

" I have lost " he said lower, his light blue eyes did not leave mine while he spoke " I saw too many men fall and too many I could not bring back....."

" I should have done more " he added quietly " I should have thought better... "

" No " and I shaked my head. My hand moved to cover his, holding it gently against my face, keeping it there, refusing to let him pull away

He looked like he did not fully trust what he was hearing

" You did what you could " I continued, leaning closer " and I still love you "

His expression softened at my words " My sweetheart... "

" You know.." I said quietly, smiling " Life is like… sometimes you rise, and sometimes you fall, but you must always rise up "

And I wished, in this moment, that I could do more than hold his hand, I wished that I was able to kiss him on the lips

" I think…" he paused, his words sincere " You are the only person who looks at me and sees more than a King and ill man.... and...and I thank you for this "

And I climbed onto the bed beside him, laying myself down into the space next to his body

His head turned slightly toward me, my eyes began to feel heavy with sleep without warning but I tried to keep them open

I wanted to say something but my eyes closed for a second

And just before sleep took me fully, I heard his voice

" Good night....my angel "

A knock sounded at my door " Your Majesty ? " one of my servants called

" You may enter " and the door opened, three women stepped inside carrying pieces of clothing folded in their arms

I stood from my chair and walked toward them. Normally, when I left the palace, I dressed as a queen should

One servant carefully brushed my hair while another laid several dresses across the bed. " You cannot wear your usual gowns today " she said and I nodded

If I appeared in the market dressed as a queen, half the city would know and would recognize me

All the dresses options that they gave me were made from good but ordinary cloth with basic colors. Nothing about them would immediately reveal that I was the queen or a noble

I picked the one which I liked the most. One servant wrapped a veil around my hair, hiding most of it from view

When they stepped back, I barely recognized myself in the mirror. I looked more like the wife of a merchant than the Queen of Jerusalem

But the servants seemed pleased with their work. For the first time in a long while, I looked almost ordinary

As I adjusted my sleeves, another knock sounded at the door " Enter "

The door opened, and one of the king's advisors stepped inside and bowed respectfully " I see that you are determined to visit the market today, your majesty " he said

" I am " and I smiled kindly

" The city is overflowing with visitors today " and I could hear the worry from his voice " Citizens from every corner of Jerusalem arrived...the streets will be crowded. A single rumor that the queen is present could cause chaos "

" I will not be alone " I replied back as I walked towards the window, below, I could see people moving thought the palace courtyard

" Yes " he agreed " But even with guards, crowds are unpredictable "

Jerusalem was generally safe, especially near the palace but on days like this, anything could happen but this would not stop me

" I think your Majesty should consider the risks "

" I will go " I said

He bowed his head " Then may God watch over your journey " After he left, I gathered my cloak around my shoulders

With that thought in mind, I stepped out of my chambers and began making my way toward the bustling market of Jerusalem

The palace gates slowly opened before me

People walked in every direction, merchants pushed carts loaded with stuff. Children ran through narrow alleys and I heard a few people speaking different languages

Summer meant more higher temperatures, which meant more people looking for shade

Behind me, four men followed at a distance, to anyone watching, they looked like ordinary travelers but they were actually my guards

For once, I was seeing Jerusalem through the eyes of an ordinary woman, I noticed things I normally missed.. two girls helping their mother carry water, people selling stuff everywhere, beggars

My thoughts drifted toward Baldwin, what would he like?that question had followed me all morning

I knew many people assumed gifts for a king should be expensive but I wanted something personal, something that came from my heart

Lost in thought, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Suddenly, I walked directly into someone

"Ah!" And I stumbled backward " My apologies ! "

The old man gave me an unpleased look " Watch where you are going, woman ! "

Several people turned to look and I was not used to being spoken that way. In palace nobody dared but here, he had no idea who I was

" Apologies won't open your eyes, woman " and the man muttered a few curses to me

Before the situation could grow worse, one of my disguised guards stepped forward " My friend " the guard said with a friendly smile " It was an accident "

The angry man looked around and seemed to realize he was making a scene over a simple mistake

" Fine... " With one final hateful look in my direction, the man turned and disappeared into the crowd

" Are you alright ? "

" Yes...thank you " I said quietly, nodding. He gave a small bow and returned to his position

We entered the market slowly and it was like the whole world had gathered in one place. Voice shouted from every direction " Spices from Egypt ! ", " Silk! Fine Silk ! , " Fresh Bread ! "

People pushed past each other in tight spaces. The air was warm, the smell of cooked food, herbs an animals all mixed together

I had to stay close to my guards so I would not be separated and I could feel how easy it would be to get lost in this crowd

My eyes moved from stall to stall, there were so many things to see and go

One stall had bright silk cloths from far away lands, another had a collection of spices and a little farther, I saw carved wooden animals and small statues

I slowed down, asking myself again. What would Baldwin like ?

People brushed past me from all sides...a woman carrying bread almost hit my arm, a man with baskets on his back stepped on my shoe accidentally

I thought about how Baldwin loved knowledge. He studied battles and strategies more than anything else

A book, that would be perfect!

We continued walking until I saw a small stall tucked between two larger ones. It was not as crowded as the others

The seller was an older man with white hair. He studied me carefully as I approached, as if trying to decide what kind of customer I was

" Looking for something special ? " he asked

" Yes " I said, looking at the pile of books scattered around " Something about history.... battles, if possible "

He reached under the table and pulled out a thick book. The cover was dark leather and it looked like it was quite old

" This " he said, placing it in front of me " is a record of great wars of the old kingdoms, including the famous battles "

I opened it slightly and I noticed how the pages were old but well kept. The writing inside was neat and there were some small drawings of soliders

" How much ? " I asked

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke " 35 bezants "

The number made a few nearby shoppers turn their heads, it was a high price for a book but money was no problem for me

I reached into the small pouch hidden beneath my cloak and without hesistation, I counted out the amount

The vendor’s eyes widened slightly as he saw the full payment. He quickly pulled the coins toward himself, as if afraid I might change my mind

" Thank you for buying this book ! " and he smiled at me

" You are welcome " I took the book in my hands and it felt havier than it appeared. Baldwin will love this, I am sure

The crowd was even thicker now, people pushed past each other, laughing, shouting, arguing over prices

My guards were still behind me, I thought

" Move ! " I heard a scream from somewhere

People started turning their heads in the left, I could not see what was wrong. People in front of me blocked my view. I tried to rise a little on my feet but without success

" It's FIRE ! " Another shout was heard and panic spread quickly

I turned my head scared, trying to find my guards but I could not see them anymore

Something hit the ground nearby, a stall, maybe. People suddenly pushed forward, running in various directions

A man rushed past me and kknocked my shoulder. I almost dropped the book, but I held it tighter

Then another push came from behind, this time I lost my balance completely and I fell. My hands hit the ground first and I felt pain through my palm as my knuckles hit against the stone

People rushed past me without seeing me while I was on the ground

Out of a sudden, strong hands reached for me " Over here ! " and I heard the voice of one of my guards

One of them pulled me up quickly, lifting me from the ground. Another stepped in front of me, blocking the crowd as people continued to panic around us

" Are you hurt ? " He asked worried

" I...I will be fine "

" There’s no time " another guard said sharply, but not unkindly " We must move " and they guided me through the crowd

We moved fast, turning away from the main path of the market and ending up in a narrower street. Here, there were fewer people

" What is happening ? " I asked, still shaken, holding the book

One of the guards looked back toward the direction we had come from " A stall caught fire " he said " People panicked when they saw the flames and smoke "

" I lost sight of you " I said quietly

" You were pushed into the center " one guard replied " It was difficult even for us to reach you "

" We should take you back to the palace "

And this is when the advisor’s words came back to me. Back then I thought he was only being careful, maybe even a little too worried but...he was right in the end

He had been trying to protect me from exactly what had just happened

By the time I returned to the palace, the sun was beginning to lower in the sky

The servants had cleaned the small scratches on my arm and knuckles, and while they still hurted a bit, they were nothing serious

I sat alone at a table, the wrapped book resting beside me. Before today, I had thought I understood Jerusalem well...but walking through the city disguisef had shown me something very different

I felt a gaze on me and as I looked up, one of the servants stood in the doorway " My Queen "

" Yes ? " I replied

The servant bowed " His Majesty requires your presence "

I smiled slightly and stood " Thank you " and the servant stepped aside as I picked up the wrapped book

The book was the reason I went to the market in the first place. Despite everything that had happened, I was glad I had found it

I made my way through the palace corridors until I reached Baldwin's place

A guard opened the door for me and inside, I found Baldwin seated at a large wooden table. Several scrolls were before him and his attention was fixed on what he was writing with his bandaged hand

His silver mask covered his face as always, hiding much of the illness he carried

He wore white robes trimmed with gold, making him stand out against the darker colors of the room

The moment he saw me, his attention shifted completely " My love... " his voice was warm, though I immediately noticed that he had a hint of worry

" How was your journey to the market? "

I blinked " How do you know about this ? "

A faint sigh escaped him " I am King of Jerusalem, very little happens in this city without someone actually informing me.. "

Baldwin setted down his quill and raised slowly from his chair " And from what I heard " he continued " Your visit to the market became far more dangerous than it should have been " and he walked slowly

" And you were injured..." his eyes lowered briefly toward my arm, the scratches had been cleaned, but they were still visible

" My dear " he said softly " do you have any idea how easily this could have become worse? "

I opened my mouth to say something, but I could not, he was right...

" I spent the entire afternoon wondering whether you were safe.. "

The concern in his voice made me feel far worse than any lecture could have

He was frightened of what might have happened and I understanded his worry " I am sorry " I said quietly

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then I remembered the wrapped package in my hands

A smile slowly returned to my face " This...this is for you " and he tilted his head slightly toward the package

Knowing that it would be hard for him to open the package because of his bandages, I did it instead

" This is for me ? " He asked as he looked at the book " Yes " I said " I thought you would like it...it speaks about the great wars of the old kingdoms "

I handed him the book and he slowly opened it, turning the first page with care " I love it, thank you " he said softly

Baldwin closed the book gently and placed it on the table, as if it was something precious " You should not have gone through all that trouble "

" It was worth it, if it makes you happy " I smiled

Baldwin reached up slightly, as if he wanted to touch my face, but he stopped halfway and slowly pulled back his hand

" Baldwin…" I whispered

He shaked his head " My condition… it's dangerous...I cannot forget this and I cannot risk you because of me "

My heart sank a little " You are not dangerous to me " I said quickly

He gave a small, sad breath " I wish that was true " and then he stepped back again, putting a little space between us

His bright blue eyes looked at me like I was something he wanted to touch, but could not allow himself to

I stepped forward without hesistation and gently wrapped the hands around him, my face rested lightly against his chest

I could feel the soft fabric of his white and gold robes and his heartbeat

" You...you should not-.. " he started again, but his voice was weaker and very gently, he placed one hand on my back

I pulled back just slightly so I could look at him

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. A servant stepped in carefully, keeping his eyes lowered " Dinner is ready.. "

I stepped back from Baldwin and his eyes stayed on me for a moment longer. He turned slightly toward the servant " Thank you " he said calmly

The servant bowed quickly and left the room without another word

And for a second, it felt like he wanted to say something else but he didn't

Instead, he gave a small nod " Come " he said softly " Let us eat "

And as we walked, I thought that today was not a simple day

I woke up before the alarm even rang, the room was small and plain. Since I arrived, I'd figured out that most of the facility's primary colors were black, gray and white and my room was no exception

I got up slowly, pulling on my clothes that still felt new and doing my usual morning routine. Days seemed to blend together because there was no real daylight, only artificial lights

I left my room with my ID badge already hanging around my neck

The cafeteria was big, I saw other staff members, but nobody really talked much. The food trays were simple, nothing special

After I finished eating, I returned my tray and that was when a security guard came toward me " Y/N " he said in a flat voice " Dr. Hamm requested you "

I nodded quickly and the guard never once looked back to check if I was still following, because he probably already knew I had no choice anyway

People passed by us sometimes, researchers in white lab coats, guards with tired eyes and most of them looked like they had not slept properly in a very long time

I followed the guard through another long gray hall and I noticed how every door we passed needed a card, a code, or both

The guard stopped in front of a metal door and gestured with his hand for me to enter " Doctor Hamm is waiting..."

As I entered, I saw how the office inside was small but clean, gray shelves covered the walls and papers across his desk

Dr. Raymond Hamm looked tired already, even though it was still early morning and my third day at the SCP Foundation

" You made it " he said, his voice flat but not unkind " Good...Sit down. "

" Good morning " I told as I closed the door behind me and sat across from him.

Dr Hamm studied me for a moment before speaking again " Do you know why you are here ? "

" I was told I'd be working on translation " I answered

He leaned into his chair " That is the simple version... " and Dr. Hamm reached into a locked drawer beside him and pulled out a thick leather journal " This journal belongs to SCP-049 " and he looked at me " I suppose you readed the file " and I nodded in approval

" You will only have limited access to the journal each day "

" Why so ? " I asked

" 049 keeps the journal near him most of the time, he writes in it daily...medical notes, observations..You’ll only get a few hours with the journal each day before they are returned to containment "

I swallowed " And he just… lets us borrow it?"

With my sentence, Dr. Hamm gave me a long look " He... tolerates the arrangement "

I carefully opened the journal. The writing was messy in some places and perfectly neat in others, there were some occasional sketches and some pages seemed worn " What language is this ? " I asked

" That " Dr. Hamm said " Is what we’re hoping you can tell us.."

At first, I thought the journal would be simple...maybe some old french, latin? But I was so wrong

A week passed and I still understood almost nothing. I had compared the writing to every possible language

The journal sat open across my desk while I was looking at it almost hopeless. Some symbols repeated often, but not enough to form actual sentences and on top of that, he had a quite messy writing

I rubbed my eyes and leaned back in my chair with a tired sigh " What does this even mean ? " I asked myself

" You tell me. "

I nearly jumped out of my chair. Dr. Hamm stood near the door holding a folder under one arm " I am sorry " he smiled " I didn't mean to scare you "

He walked over my desk and looked down at the journal " So, " he asked " Is the work going well ? "

" I don't know... " I admitted " It’s like he made his own language.. it doesn't resemble any language "

" That’s possible "

I looked at him when I heard that

" 049 have been alive for a long time " He told " If there’s anything you want me to tell him, I can "

" What if…" I started carefully, because the idea didn’t feel like a simple request anymore " I mean…" I tried again " What if I ask him directly? "

And the words came out before I could fully stop them. For a moment, I thought I had said something wrong as Hamm didn't move

" I could speak to him " I added quickly, trying to explain " I would understand better.. "

" Y/N, it's dangerous " and he looked at me like a worried father would do

" I know " I answered, knowing that every job would have it's own risk

Dr. Hamm sighed tiredly " He anyways noticed the journal was being moved more often. Asked who was reading it.. I told him that a specialist was examining it "

" And ? "

" He laughed " and Hamm rubbed his forehead " But I will consider your request.. " and he carefully closed the journal sitting open beside my notes

He checked his watch " You are past dinner by almost forty minutes " and two armed guards appeared outside the office door almost at once, like they had been waiting and one of them stepped forward to take his journal

" Get some sleep, Y/N " he told as he left, leaving me alone

By the time I reached my room, my head hurt badly. I changed into my pajamas and laid against the white mattress and closed my eyes, ignoring the dinner

A few more days passed after that and I stopped asking Dr. Hamm about meeting SCP-049, but as the days passed, I felt more sure that hearing him speak would help

But I would no make any progress in dechypering the journal itself, feeling like I am a failure slowly

Two guards stood outside my office door as usual and one of them nodded at me when I stepped out " How is the journal thing doing ? "

" You have no idea... " I looked at him

" At least your job isn't sometimes watching 049 all day "

At hearing this, I paused, maybe this would give me some information

" You guard his chamber sometimes ? " I asked

" Unfortunately.. " He looked back at me grinning " He gets animal corpses delivered usually.....Then he performs surgeries on them for hours ~ "

" Stop " The other guard snapped at him " Don't scare people... "

" What? They work on his journal. They should know what kind of thing they’re dealing with... ! "

Suddendly, I felt sick again, the first guard probably noticed my expression because his smirk faded a bit " Relaxxx....He is locked up... "

For some reason, that didn't comfort me at all. I forced myself to walk away from them and go to the cafeteria as it was the dinner time

I took a tray and I sat alone at a table near the wall but all I could think about is how SCP 049 would perform those kind of surgeries...

" Hey ! " I heard a known voice and I looked up. I noticed Charlotte, a fellow researcher I knew, a 28 year old girl with beautiful blonde hair " What’s going on? " she asked " You’ve been… off "

For a moment, I thought about telling her everything " I’m working on something difficult " I said instead and up close, I noticed the concern in her expression immediately

I had met Charlotte during my second day at the foundation, one of the few normal people here. Or at least as normal as anyone in this foundation could be

" You know that you can renounce the assignemnt, right.... ?

I looked up at her. How could she say this ?

She lowered the voice " Before you, there were other paleographers, you are probably the last one "

" They didn’t succeed either " Charlotte continued softly, and her words would not make me at all confident that I will succeed and her words made me feel worse

" Hey...I am not trying to scare you, you are doing a pretty good job ! " and she patted my shoulder

Charlotte looked toward the cafeteria doors for a moment before continuing " Everything connected to those anomalies is difficult...we don't understand most of them.. "

A researcher near the cafeteria entrance waved at her urgently and she stood up from her chair with clear annoyance " Just… think about what I said, okay? " and she went off

My thoughts stayed stuck on Charlotte’s words.. You can renounce the assignment...but could I ? I did not want to give up

I hated admitting it, but I could barely remember the last time I had thought about anything else

Maybe I had focused too much on the work...Maybe I should try focus on relationships too, like my family

For the first time since arriving at the foundation, I suddenly realized how trapped I felt here

A few days passed, and I took my work more lightly

I even contacted my family for the first time since arriving at this site but I could not explain where I worked or what I actually did, the public isn't supposed to know about the foundation

My office looked less chaotic now and organized my notes into proper folders. A knock from the door interrupted my current thoughts

Dr. Hamm entered and closed the door behind him carefully " The Ethics Committee reviewed your request "

" You will be permitted a supervised interview with SCP-049 " he looked at me serious and I let out a nervous laugh before I could stop myself

Dr. Hamm pulled a chair closer and sat down across from me " But you must understand....049 is cooperative compared to many anomalies here, but he is still extremely dangerous "

And a small chill ran thought me, maybe it was better that I have kept my mouth shut back then

" He is intelligent, extremely intelligent...and if 049 believes you have the Pestilence, you evacuate immediately " and I frowned slightly at those words

I noticed him putting a thick gray folder on my desk and I asked " When is the interview? "

" Tomorrow morning " he said

Dr. Hamm stood up from the chair and adjusted his coat like the conversation was already finished " You will be escorted at 09:00 " he added

He walked towards the door " The folder contains what you need to know " and he left

I opened it and the folder contents had various chapters : Interview protocol. Containment rules. Guard positions. Emergency evacuation steps

If I was going to speak to him… I needed something useful to ask, not just " what do these symbols mean? " thing of question

I had already gone too far into this to renounce this assignment. I could be the one who actually manages to decipher his journal

I can do it

I woke up and my hair was probably a mess. My white uniform was half on the floor and my notebook was beside me

I stood up after contemplating a bit and I fixed my uniform properly. Then I arranged my hair carefully, staring at my reflection in the small mirror above the sink

I washed my hands, splashed cold water on my face, and took a slow breath

Today it's a big day

I checked once again the notebook, where the questions I would give to SCP 049 were, hoping that I will not be an embarrassment there. Then I slided the notebook back in my bag

I left my room and walked through the cold halls toward the cafeteria where the smell of coffee hit me again

Charlotte was already there, she was sitting at a table with two other researchers I recognized by face. One of them was laughing at something she said

When she saw me, she waved to me " There you are ! " and I walked over carefully, forcing my expression to be normal " Morning "

One of her friends, a man with messy dark hair, looked up at me " You are the...linguist? Oh! My bad...paleographer "

" Yeah " I replied

Charlotte pointed at him " This is Lewis, he works at the antimemetics department....and this is Fuyuko, she is a junior researcher at petaphysics "

I clearly saw Fuyuko that she was japenese by her look

She nodded at me " We've heard about your project...the plague doctor thing? "

" Something like that " I answered

The conversation moved on around me. They talked about schedules and about someone who locked themselves in a storage room somehow

Eventually, I started walking back. Three heavy armed guards were waiting near a secure elevator

One of them nodded at me " Y/N? "

" Yeah " I answered

I expected for us to enter the elevator, but we walked instead through a long corridor painted in dull gray and a lot of cameras around, this area seemed with much more security

At the end of the hall, Dr. Hamm was waiting, he held a clipboard in one hand " Before we proceed, one last thing to sign " and he smiled at me

I took the pen he offered and looked down at the document, which had written risk acknowledgements I would probably be exposed to

I signed and Dr. Hamm took it back immediately, as if he didn’t want me to think about it too long

My thoughts kept trying to slow me down...it's just a conversation, it won't be so bad

We stepped into the pre-containment chamber, A long reinforced glass wall stretched ahead of us, thick and clean, dividing the space

On the other side was the SCP 049 containment chamber, it didn't look dark like I expected

A bed was placed neatly against one wall, metal tables stood with surgical tools arranged in precise order

Trays, instruments, and medical equipment filled the space with good organization

I could not believe that an anomaly would be more organized than me as workspace and living

The heavy containment door unlocked with a loud mechanical sound. I tightened my grip slightly on the clipboard in my hands and stepped inside

I saw SCP 049, sat waiting. Up close, he looked taller somehow and his black robes covered almost all of him

And there was his white mask, shaped like plague doctors once whore......but it actually was no mask, foundation medical analysis had confirmed that it's part of his skeletal structure as a bone

His white eyes turned slowly towards me as I got seated " Good morning " he talked politely

I forced myself to speak and I also greeted him

" You need not to fear "he said softly " I do not sense the Pestilence within you "

I tried very hard not to react visibly to those words

" I am paleographer Y/N...I've been assigned to dechiper your journal and translate it "

" I am aware "

I glanced down at my notes before speaking again " There....there are symbols and sentence structures I can’t trace to any known language "

I swallowed " I wanted to ask what language it’s written in "

For a moment, he said nothing,

" It is written in the language most suitable for understanding "

I blinked, that was surely not an answer " I mean…" I tried again carefully " is it bbased on Latin? French? "

" A surgeon does not use the same instruments for every operation. Why should thought be any different? "

That somehow answered even less but I wrote the sentence down anyway " That doesn’t answer the question "

" It does " he replied politely and I resisted the urge to sigh

Outside the containment area, I could see Dr. Hamm standing with his arms crossed

I looked back at SCP 049 " When did you start writing it ? "

" Long ago "

" That's not specific "

" I didn't note when I started because the cure isn't concerned with the passage of time or exact dates "

I was beginning to understand why the previous paleographers had struggled and given up

" The Pestilence is not still " he continued " Therefore language cannot remain forever still either "

Again...the pastilence...seemed that he rotated his world around this kind of diasese

" You are still looking at it as a product " he said " A finished object meant to be decoded...but it is not finished "

" That makes translation almost impossible " I said, figuring it out that he loves to give me vague answers

He tilted his head, like he was thinking very carefully about my words " But you persist "

" Then what is it? " I asked, trying to remain focused " If it’s not language, what am I trying to decipher ? "

" You are trying to decipher what you are not yet ready to understand "

No matter how I asked, no matter how I asked, he was not going to give me a direct answer

I looked up at him fully " I think that’s all I can do for today "

Then I added, more carefully " Thank you for answering my questions "

He gave a small, polite nod " You are welcome, Y/N. If you wish to speak again, you may return "

As I stepped out, Dr. Hamm walked up beside me, close enough that only I could hear him " I was sure that he would not give you actual answers " he said slowly

" So...it wasn't just me ? "

We walked slowly down the corridor together " Yeah...he doesn’t communicate like us, you can’t pull simple answers out of him "

Back in my office, everything looked the same as before I left

The assignment wasn't open-ended forever. At some point, someone would ask what I had found and how about the foundation wanted progress out of me

I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my forehead with my fingers, trying to organize my thoughts

And I left the interview with more questions than I had entered with

I sat at my desk surrounded by papers and notes. I rubbed my eyes and looked down at another page

Papers covered almost every surface around me once again, trying to prove my worth that I would be actually the first one to decipher this

But I should go to the cafeteria , the dinner time would be coming soon. I letted out a tired breath and leaned back in my chair

One second my office was bright white, with lights on

And the next second almost dark. Before I could even react, alarms was heard through the facility

I suddenly felt scared for my safety while an automated speech was given " Warning. Site class D containment breach detected "

I stood up from the seat immediately and I rushed toward the office door and grabbed my keycard with slightly shaking hands

The scanner flashed red and showed me that the access was denied

The red lights kept flashing on and off every few seconds around me

I swallowed hard and tried the keycard again anyway, this time it worked and I thanked God

The hallway looked terrible under the emergency lights as I moved down the hallway

Suddenly someone grabbed me hard from behind. I gasped before rough hands slammed me against the wall " Don't move, asshole! "

And a gun pressed against my back

One of them grabbed my badge from my neck violently and looked at it " You will open that SCP chamber " one of them told

For a second, I genuinely thought I misheard " I...I can't ! " I said quickly " I don't have that level of clearance! "

The gun pressed harder against me " Yes, you do "

The person yanked me forehead " We don’t have time for this... " I looked at the person briefly with panic and I noticed they were Class D

As we arrived, my hands shook badly as I lifted the keycard toward the scanner. Then...access accepted was showed

" The chamber too " Another Class D snapped

" You don't understand what you are doing ! "

" Oh, but we actually fucking understand " and laughed harshly

My fingers shook badly as I raised the keycard again. SCP-049 stepped forward slowly out of the chamber

" Damn " A tall class D muttered " That thing’s ugly "

And another one shoved me hard enough that I stumbled, 049 looked directly at the person who did that " What, you got a problem, bird-face ? "

Before anyone reacted properly, 049 gloved hand closed around the man's wrist and the man fell down to the ground dead immediately

The remaining men stumbled backward " Let's...let's fucking leave " One grabbed the other and they runned away

I swallowed hard and slowly stepped backward, I had just watched him kill someone with one touch

Because now I knew exactly how dangerous he really was

" You should not remain in the corridors " he said calmly

I nodded and I finally turned and hurried down the hallway as fast as I could without fully running, I should get back to my room as fast as possible

I expected SCP 049 to stay behind but as I glanced back, he was going towards where I was going " What are you doing..? " I asked

" The facility is compromised " He replied calmly " Remaining still would be unwise for both of us "

I stared at him in disbelief for a second. If someone had told me a month ago that I would be walking through a containment breach next to an anomaly, I would have laughed at them

Suddendly, three armed men stepped into the hallway ahead of us wearing dark tactical gear with unfamiliar emblem, they were clearly not part of my side

" There ! " One screamed, aiming his rifle at me, shooting at me

For one horrible second, I thought I had died already

But SCP 049 moved in front of me, the bullets seeming to not affect him at all, the soldier hesitated " What the fuck ? "

Another soldier cursed while the other one started running away, hurried " They are calling us at wing D ! "

They went away, but one of them throwed a small glass bottle which flew through the air at us

It hit the ground near us and shattered instantly

A thin gray cloud began coming out of it, mist showing around

My throat tightened instantly as I tried to step back. It was getting harder to think, harder to focus on anything

SCP-049 turned slightly toward me, but did not move away, he seemed unaffected

My hand reached out weakly toward the wall, but I missed it

I heard SCP-049's voice somewhere above me, distant and unclear, as if it was coming from underwater

The last thing I saw was his silhouette standing in front of me

And everything went dark

But something in the back of the room caught your sensors, a faint, erratic ping.

You paused, optics narrowing. It was movement. Weak movement.

You approached the far wall, to a partially collapsed storage entryway, dangling wires formed a half-closed curtain above it.

You crouched, carefully shifting the scrap aside before entering.

There, beneath the ruin of a tipped-over containment cage, you saw it propely.

It wasn't longer than your forearm. The body was sleek and metalic, with tight defensive spikes. Six legs grabbed the floor, shaking with tension. The tail, if you can call it that, ended in a bladed tip that twitched faintly.

It's optics, bright red, locked on you the instant you leaned closer. The hiss it gave was sharp, warning, but the sound lacked the full force of health. This creature was wounded. Badly.

"I am not here to hurt you."You murmured.

You scanned it quickly, energon levels dangerously low, hurt, it's system in overheat and one leg joint twisted at an odd angle.

You slowly lowered yourself to one knee, extending one servo slowly, palm open.

Suddenly, a voice came from the room you had just left.

"Y/N." Lockdown's voice echoed through the air, sharp and clear. "We're done here."

The creature flinched at his voice, body curling tighter.

"Nothing worth taking." he added, with a hint of irritation. "Fragging amateur." And you heard his heavy footsteps.

You didn’t turn, but from the corner of your optics, you caught the shadow of his frame.

Lockdown came and stood a few meters behind you. Even without looking, you could feel his optics drawn to the creature sitting at your feet.

His growl was low and echoed through the air. "What are you doing ?"

The creature shivered again. Y/N heard the scraping of metal as it's claws sunk into the ground.

"You’re wasting time." Lockdown said flatly.

"It's wounded." You stated calmly, not looking at him. "It won't survive without help."

"That’s the point." Lockdown’s voice was cold, sharp.

"You know what that tail injects? Paralytic toxins. Not lethal to us, sure, but enough to leave you writhing. You want that crawling around my ship?"

The creature snapped faintly in response to his voice, it's claws digging further into the floor, as if it understood everything he said. But it made no move to attack.

You met Lockdown’s glare "I won’t leave it here." you murmured. "Not like this."

His expression hardened further.

But before he could answer, the distant rumble of engines vibrated through the room. You both turned your optics upward as the ceiling above trembled.

The retrieval craft.

Without hesitation, you reached down.

Lifting it, cradling the small, serpentine frame against your chassis.

Lockdown’s attention turned back to you. He tilted his head, optics narrowing. “You’re not bringing that onto my ship.”

“Watch me.” You replied

You stood at the central worktable.

In front of you, the creature lay curled, body twitching with small shivers.

Seeing it better, it's plating was sleek, black with faint red lines glowing weakly.

"Easy" You whispered, though you knew it couldn’t understand your words.

You placed a tiny kit on the table next to it, the tools clinking softly. You leaned in closer, carefully scanning for the most severe damage. Your servos worked slowly as you cleaned the dried energon from it's plating.

The creature’s optics, dim red, flicked up towards you, curious.

You selected a vial of neutralizing nanite gel, stretching it over the wound.

The creature hissed at the touch.

You steadied it gently with your other servo, murmuring again. "I know, I know...But this will help"

After some time, you finally finished.

"There."

"Not perfect...But you’ll live."

The creature blinked up at you, optics weak but clearer now, lowering it's tail to rest flat against the table. It's body uncurled somewhat.

For the first time, it seemed to simply breathe without strain.

That was when the door hissed open

And the heavy thud of metal paws echoed against the floor.

One of Lockdown’s hunting hounds.

The wounded creature's body tightened, tail raising again, blade twitching in fear as it let out it's own high hiss, sounding more like anxiety than wanting to fight, yet loud enough.

The hound lowered it's head, growling deeper as it's claws tightening in preparation for a lunge.

You moved quickly, positioning yourself between the table and the hound.

"No." Your voice was sharp.

"Go away."

The hound's eyes shifted to you, it's growl fading but not gone.

It took a step forward, shoulders raised, gazing at the creature with rage.

"I said go." you repeated, your voice lower.

But this time but with authority, the kind the authority Lockdown himself used when dealing with these beasts.

Finally, with a harsh sigh, it stepped back.

It's claws scrapping metal as it turned away.

It letted out a final warning snarl at the creature before walking out of the room.

Only when the room was silent again you turned back to the creature

It's body trembled once, then relaxed, tail lowering back against the table

You stood for a while in the silence after the hound left.

But you realized the work bay wasn’t safe.

What if another of the hounds wandered in? Or worse, Lockdown himself?

You sighed, glancing at the sealed door. "We’ll find you somewhere quieter," you whispered.

You slid your arms beneath the thing again, slowly and carefully.

And you stepped out into the long and dark corridor of the Knight Ship.

Lockdown came suddenly from the dimly lit hall ahead, his optics sharp.

When his gaze fell on your arms, his expression twisted in disgust immediately.

"You’re still keeping that thing?" His voice filled with irritation.

Before you could answer, he continued, stepping closer until he came closer to you

"Unbelievable. As if this ship isn’t already infested with enough beasts."

He then passed you.

For a moment, you thought that was all. But he stopped, his helm tilting back, one optic glancing at you over his shoulder.

"We’ve got a new contract. Prepare yourself. We leave at cycle’s end."

Time passed, not long, just enough cycles for wounds to heal.

Lockdown… tolerated it, at best.

At first, he made no secret of his hate towards it.

Every time he would come into a room where it was, his eyes would narrow and his face would grow with irritation.

"Keep it out of my way" he’d growl, not even sparing it a second glance.

But he never killed it. Never touched it. Never gave the order to remove it.

You saw the truth in his restraint.

He hated it's presence, thought it weakness, thought you were being naive.

But he tolerated it.

For you.

And still, you cared for it. You taught it to listen, to recognize your gestures, to move when you signaled

Until finally, you decided it was ready to prove itself.

In battle.

But the battlefield was a chaos.

There was dust and cracks on your plate.

And then you gave the signal.

A flick of your servo. Subtle. Almost unnoticeable, except to the one who’d learned to recognize it.

No one saw it coming.

Not even the target himself.

You watched, silent and unmoving, as the creature crawled up at the target's leg.

It's actions so quick and accurate that they almost blurred.

The target had barely time to shrug it off before the bladed tail lifted high and dug deep into his shoulder joint.

The effect was quick.

The paralytic poison sped through the mech's system, locking the servos in mid-motion.

He twitched violently, before his whole body stiffened and collapsed.

His weapons fell uselessly on the ground.

You stepped forward, helm tilting down, watching the mech writhe helplessly at your pedes.

That was when Lockdown appeared from the smoke and dust, dragging another corpse behind him, helm turning sharply as his optics landed on it.

He froze mid-step. His green optics narrowed and for a long moment, he said nothing.

Then he spoke.

"…You brought it here."

It wasn’t a question. It was an accusation.

"Well," he muttered at last, voice low and edged.

"Looks like the scrap isn’t entirely useless." His optics flicked to you, a small shimmer there, trapped between annoyance and reluctant acknowledgment.

From then on, Lockdown stopped pretending the creature wasn’t there.

He still didn’t like it, his scowls and mutters made that clear enough.

But in time, the serpent became part of the ship. It wandered the halls alongside the hounds, though always closest to you.

And on rare occasions

You’d see him seated in his chair on the command deck, hounds at his side, and the creature in the shadows not far away.

It had proven itself.

It had earned it's place.

And though he would never say the words, you knew : Lockdown began to trust it in his own way.