Chapter 149: Silver Eggs

Chapter 149: Silver Eggs

Crow pushed the door open to the dungeons beneath the castle. Marek and the others stood looking over a large pit, an ancient rudimentary, albeit effective, prison cell.

Looks like we made it, Crow said.

Indeed, Lysaila nodded behind him.

They walked over to the edge of the pit, next to Marek and the others.

Just in time. Our men finished chaining up the Mora family a few moments ago, Marek pointed at the soldiers climbing the rope at the side of the pit.

The little Moras? Lysaila glanced down at the pit.

Lord Mora and his family were chained to the walls by both their hands. A bundle of over a dozen silver eggs the size of a small dog sat snug in the center of the pit floor.

Yes, Nokuti found it poetic that the Moras are sacrificed first in their own castle. Death given for new life. I agreed with her, Marek nodded.

Bit dramatic, Crow shrugged.

I think it fits perfectly. We are witnessing the end of an age, Dawn said solemnly.

End of an age? Now thats dramatic, Crow laughed.

My sister was just being poetic, Vaughn said.

Your sister can be as poetic as she likes, so long as I can keep hearing her beautiful voice, Kyriil winked.

Elves, Dawn rolled her violet eyes in disgust.

Kyriil frowned and gripped his chest, That hurts, more than getting beat up by that dark elf woman ever did.

Whos dramatic now? Nokuti shook her head.

Look, the eggs are shaking! The axlean, Grim, pointed.

Everyone stopped talking and stared down into the pit. The silver eggs were beginning to move, at first, it was a small twitch, then a wobble, and then full-on lurching from side to side.

What are those!? The eldest Mora son yelled.

Whats in the damn eggs!? The eldest Mora daughter screamed.

Please, help us! The youngest Mora son cried.

Lord Mora tried to yell, but only a gurgle came out from his tongueless mouth.

One of the eggs fell over and rolled away from the rest. It kept rolling until it stopped a few feet from the eldest daughter. She tried backing away, there was nowhere to go. The silver egg cracked, a piece of shell broke off the top. A small pale grey snout poked out. The little mouth opened partially and took quick shallow breaths.

Everyone grew very quiet. The egg suddenly cracked down the middle and fell apart in two halves. A small hatchling fell to the ground in a mess of egg fluids. It banged its jaw on the cold stone floor and cried in surprise, its tail flinging around wildly.

The baby Unildyr was only 6 inches long. At a further inspection, Marek noticed the hatchlings skin wasnt pale grey but a smoky translucent with grey muscles underneath. Two little black nubs for horns sat atop its tiny skull. Five sharp translucent claws protruded out of each small chubby paw. The hatchling licked one of its paws with a long black tongue.

The hatchlings eyes were two ebon black orbs, an inner clear eyelid swept past the dark eyes similar to a lizard. It glanced at its surroundings for a moment, before it sat down on its haunches and yawned, revealing a row of sharp petite fangs. Moras eldest daughter tried moving her hands, but the manacles held tight. The hatchling ignored her, its attention occupied with licking itself clean.

Huh, its kinda cute, Kyriil cocked his head to the side.

The Mora daughter narrowed her eyes and channeled orange mana into her legs. She kicked the air, a plume of flame burst out and engulfed the unaware hatchling. The fire diffused around the hatchlings body, waves of orange light swept across its translucent skin before being absorbed into its body. Two faint specks of white light formed at the center of its black eyes.

What just happened? Marek frowned.

It absorbed the flame spell. It's as if the hatchling was using an advanced grey drain spell-form, Grim muttered.

No, drain spells require direct contact and can only absorb mana in its natural pure state. Drain magic cannot absorb spells. This is something entirely else, Vaughn shook his head.

The Mora daughter threw out another flame spell, the flames diffused over the hatchling again. The baby Unildyr turned its head towards the woman. It pounced at her with blinding speed and sank its fangs into her neck. The vampiress screamed a hollow sound as the hatchling ate away at her throat.

Blood pooled over her body as she spasmed uncontrollably. The hatchlings translucent claws sank through her flesh and bone with ease and ripped open her chest cavity. The Unildyr buried its head inside and began devouring her heart. The eldest Mora daughters head fell limp as her body was ravaged.

Oh gods, what the fuck!? Not cute, not cute at all! Kyriil yelled.

What have we released into this world? Nokuti covered her mouth in shock.

The other Mora children screamed in terror and tried their best to fling whatever magic they could at the small creature. The hatchlings translucent skin shined brightly in all sorts of colors as the spells dispersed on its skin. The baby was unaware it was even being attacked as it kept eating the internal organs of the woman.

One Mora son managed to create a sharp jagged rock by spell-casting a stone spell with his foot. He launched the projectile at the hatchlings back. The sharp edge glanced off the babys skin harmlessly before crumbling to dust, the green mana absorbed effortlessly.

Maeve winced, What I mean is, I have special dreams. Well, more like nightmares. I always have nightmares, but sometimes mine are special. Sometimes, the things I see in my dreams, later happen in real life.

Are you telling me you can see the future?

Well, when you put it like that I guess? Sometimes? Im not really sure how any of this works

Hm, okay, Stryg nodded.

Maeve frowned, Wait, thats it?

What do you mean?

Arent you going to question me? Call me crazy?

Why? Stryg tilted his head.

Because I told you something impossible, insane even!

He stared into her eyes, Ive seen many things I thought impossible since coming to Hollow Shade. I dont see why this is any different. More importantly, I trust you.

Maeve felt her cheeks grow warm, her eyes began to burn.

Are you alright? Stryg asked, a trace of concern in his tired voice.

Sorry, its just I dont think anyones ever ever told me that, she laughed awkwardly.

Oh, he blinked.

She sniffed and stared at the ceiling, Anyway, in every dream that came true, there were always a few common factors. One of them was an owl. I didnt know what to think of it, mostly because I have a hard time remembering my dreams.

Yeah, I can never remember my dreams either, he nodded.

The owl in my dreams, it had lilac eyes like yours I think you are the owl in my dreams.

Im not a bird.

Ugh, I know that. I didnt mean literally. I think the owl represents you, kinda? Im not sure how any of this works. I had one of these dreams last night. My house was burning and people died. There was this giant blue snake and the owl fought it. The ballrooms prime chandelier fell on me and the owl saved me. Ring any bells?

My back still hurts from the chandelier falling on me, Stryg rolled his shoulders painfully.

I told you, you should let the white mage take a look at your back, Maeve crossed her arms.

Nah, Ill be fine. Come morning there wont even be a bruise, he shook his head.

Wow, thats unexpected. Stryg there was something weird about one of my dreams, she mumbled.

What?

I had one dream that was different from all others. Everything just froze and there was this weird thing, that talked to me. I couldnt see it, the room was too dark. It knew I was dreaming and acted as if it wasnt part of my dream. Thats when the owl came, grabbed me by the shoulders, and flew me out of my house, she bit her lip.

I clearly never did that. Right, but I woke up that night with claw marks on my shoulders from where the owl grabbed me.

Stryg furrowed his brow, You were hurt?

I didnt think my dreams could hurt me. I didnt think they could affect the real world, I wasnt sure what was happening. Then you told me about the small girl you saw in the castle. The description you told me, it was me, when I was a little girl. Whenever I dream Im always that little girl again.

Maeve hopped off the bundle of hay and sat down next to him. I dont know how, but I think maybe we're somehow connected?

Stryg stayed quiet, mulling over her words. So, what now? Are we in danger?

I dont know. I really dont know anything, that is what is so frustrating, she clenched her fists.

Strygs ear twitched. Maximus?

He shot to his feet and ran out the stable doors. Maeve called out after him, he ignored her and kept running past the sailors walking outside. His feet smacked the deck loudly with each step. He ran to the edge of the ship and searched the waters of the raging Dire River.

He could barely hear it, but it was there, a faint voice past the storms howling winds.

~~~

Maximus kicked the freezing waters underneath him and pushed water past him with his burly arms. A giant wave slammed into them, sending Loh and him deep into the water. He gritted his teeth and pushed his numb body upwards, each stroke getting him closer to the surface. Loh gripped onto his back and held on for dear life.

The water roared in his ears and the cold felt like needles stabbing into his skin. Maximus burst through the water with a wild roar of his own. He glanced around, the burning docks and the Ghost Flame were no longer in sight, all he could see were waves circling all around him.

Maximus took a deep shivering breath and yelled at the top of his lungs, Stryg! If youre out there, we need help! Stryg!