healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2022-02-26 09:32 pm
healingbonds) wrote2022-02-26 09:32 pm
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Fantasia of the Silver-Biding House of Eggs ~Eastern Country & Northern Country~ | Chapter 6
Chapter 5 << | index | >> Chapter 7
As we chat away amicably, a chicken trots over to the owner’s feet. It clings to the owner like a spoiled child, refusing to leave his side.
Akira: Ahaha, how cute.
Shino: Yeah, it looks delicious.
Heathcliff: Stop it, Shino. It looks like the chickens are really attached to you.
The owner gently scoops up the chicken, his eyes crinkling fondly.
Owner: To me, they are more like family than work...... I think of the chickens, and the eggs they lay, as my own children.
When that large egg was about to be destroyed, it truly felt like my own heart was being crushed.
I knew it was what had to be done, and yet I couldn’t help but feel pity......
The owner turns towards Nero.
Owner: Just as we fear, there is every chance of this egg hatching into a magical beast. But at the very least, this means it gets to be born — it gets to see and feel the world, no matter how brief that moment might be.
I find that a happier fate than if it had died before it even had the chance to break out from its shell.
It was you who bestowed it with this chance. I cannot thank you enough.
Nero: ......It wasn’t that big a deal.
Nero falters at the owner’s show of gratitude, casting his gaze downwards.
For some reason, his expression reminds me of a gray, overcast sky before rain falls.
✦✧☾✧✦
That night, we retire to each of the rooms prepared for us.
Akira: (...... Hm......)
Maybe it’s the sudden change in schedule. But although both the room and the bed are clean and comfortable, I can’t sleep no matter how long I lay there.
I give up on trying to fall asleep and head outside for a walk.
✦✧☾✧✦
It is a quiet night, illuminated by the clear silhouette of the moon against the night sky. The occasional breeze feels great on my skin.
Akira: (Oh, who’s there.....?)
I walk to the gardens, where two figures sit by the side of the pond.
Faust: This is really good wine.
Nero: It’s just right for a small nightcap.
It is Faust and Nero. It appears they’re sharing a drink while enjoying the view of the garden.
I hesitate over whether to call out to them, but Faust notices my presence and turns around.
Faust: Is that you, Sage?
Nero: What’s wrong? You’re up so late.
Akira: I couldn’t fall asleep, so I thought I’d take a walk. I see the two of you are sharing an evening drink.
Nero: Keep it a secret, okay? The owner quietly passed me a bottle of wine as his way of saying thanks.
We could have opened it during dinner, but the Northern wizards would have downed the entire bottle in an instant if they caught sight of it.
Faust: I happened to stumble across the exchange between Nero and the owner. So this glass of wine is a bribe to keep me quiet.
Akira: Ahaha, I see how it is. Looks like the owner was really grateful to you.
Nero gives me a strained smile. It looks troubled, in contrast to his usual embarrassed smile. It is the same expression he wore when the owner thanked him earlier today.
Faust: ......Have you been to this shop before?
It seems like Faust also noticed Nero’s odd behavior today.
Since we arrived, Nero spent most of the day looking unhappy. The downcast air around him isn't full of storm clouds yet, but it hangs over his face like a gray haze of melancholy blanketing the skies.
Nero frowns and raises his glass to his lips.
Nero: No..... I’ve never been.
But for some reason or another, I did find myself taking care of a silver egg once.
Akira: Eh......
Faust: Really?
Nero: Yeah. But it didn’t turn out to be a great memory for me.
His tone sounds too parched for it to be a joke. Both Faust and I hesitate over whether we should continue to press for details.
But if he didn’t want to talk about it, he would’ve just laughed off Faust’s question instead of answering.
While the moonlit night might not be pitch black, it’s just dark enough to cloak our exchange of secrets in the shadows.
Akira: ......May I ask what happened?
At my tentative question, Nero nods as he gazes out across the pond.
Nero: We got hold of a silver egg by pure chance. I guess you could say we got lucky. Back then, I got to hear all sorts of rumors from my job, so I already knew how to hatch a silver egg before we ever got our hands on one.
As long as a wizard keeps the egg warm and raises it carefully with magic, it will give birth to silverwork in the form of the desires within their heart.
I kept to those instructions. I raised it and watched over it from the moment I got it, hoping to hatch the egg.
It became my daily routine — I would cast magic to keep the egg warm, lightly tapping it twice with my fingertips before falling asleep as if I were greeting what lay inside.
Bit by bit, Nero shares his memories, punctuated by the occasional soft laugh and brief silence.
As he goes on, he suddenly lowers his voice, as if he’s reopened an old wound.
Nero: .....But I suddenly grew afraid.
What on earth could be inside this egg? What am I raising with my own hands?
The silver egg gives birth to silverwork that reflects the wishes residing at the bottom of your heart. Wouldn’t that mean giving shape to my own desires?
I felt seized by fear — the fear of coming face to face with what might lurk in the depths of my heart.
Faust: ............
Nero speaks quietly, as if trying not to disturb the slumbering night. We listen intently so his words don’t disappear into the darkness.
Nero takes a sip from his glass with each line, draining his glass in no time. Gripping the glass, he smiles sardonically.
Nero: Pathetic, right? It’s not like the egg would’ve hatched into a monster. I knew it would just be a piece of silverwork.
But I ended up handing the egg over to another person, even though I had treasured it until then.
They were delighted, and said they would raise the egg for me.
Faust: ......What was born from that egg in the end?
Nero: It never hatched.
Akira: Eh......
Nero: There was an accident, and it broke. The other guy apologized, and I was the one who gave it away in the first place, so it’s not like I had the right to say anything.
But I was crushed when I heard the news — far beyond what I expected to feel.
It’s not like I was mad about the egg getting broken. It’s just—......
The full moon’s reflection shimmers as it lays across the surface of the pond. A gentle breeze ripples through the water, wordlessly distorting the image.
Nero: If I hadn’t given the egg away, what would it have borne.....? I can’t help but wonder sometimes.
Beneath the moonlit sky, his empty wine glass glints with a forlorn light. Nero sets it aside instead of pouring a second glass.
Nero: If I hadn’t given in to that moment of weakness, I’m sure the egg wouldn’t have been broken. It would have emerged out of its shell and seen the outside world.
It’s my fault the egg ended up the way it did.
Akira: ............ But, Nero.......
Faust: It wasn’t your fault......
Bradley: What a gloomy guy. Typical of an Eastern wizard.
Nero: ............
Akira: Bradley!?
Bradley appears out of nowhere, snatching the bottle of wine out of Nero’s hands with a taunt. He carelessly wipes his mouth on his sleeve, looking like a pirate.
Bradley: Don’t think so highly of yourself. An egg is just an egg. If it broke, then that’s just the hand it was dealt.
Who the fuck do you think you are to determine its fate? Don’t get so full of yourself.
Nero: ......Well, that’s true.
Instead of retorting, Nero simply laughs weakly.
Chapter 5 << | index | >> Chapter 7
As we chat away amicably, a chicken trots over to the owner’s feet. It clings to the owner like a spoiled child, refusing to leave his side.
Akira: Ahaha, how cute.
Shino: Yeah, it looks delicious.
Heathcliff: Stop it, Shino. It looks like the chickens are really attached to you.
The owner gently scoops up the chicken, his eyes crinkling fondly.
Owner: To me, they are more like family than work...... I think of the chickens, and the eggs they lay, as my own children.
When that large egg was about to be destroyed, it truly felt like my own heart was being crushed.
I knew it was what had to be done, and yet I couldn’t help but feel pity......
The owner turns towards Nero.
Owner: Just as we fear, there is every chance of this egg hatching into a magical beast. But at the very least, this means it gets to be born — it gets to see and feel the world, no matter how brief that moment might be.
I find that a happier fate than if it had died before it even had the chance to break out from its shell.
It was you who bestowed it with this chance. I cannot thank you enough.
Nero: ......It wasn’t that big a deal.
Nero falters at the owner’s show of gratitude, casting his gaze downwards.
For some reason, his expression reminds me of a gray, overcast sky before rain falls.
✦✧☾✧✦
That night, we retire to each of the rooms prepared for us.
Akira: (...... Hm......)
Maybe it’s the sudden change in schedule. But although both the room and the bed are clean and comfortable, I can’t sleep no matter how long I lay there.
I give up on trying to fall asleep and head outside for a walk.
✦✧☾✧✦
It is a quiet night, illuminated by the clear silhouette of the moon against the night sky. The occasional breeze feels great on my skin.
Akira: (Oh, who’s there.....?)
I walk to the gardens, where two figures sit by the side of the pond.
Faust: This is really good wine.
Nero: It’s just right for a small nightcap.
It is Faust and Nero. It appears they’re sharing a drink while enjoying the view of the garden.
I hesitate over whether to call out to them, but Faust notices my presence and turns around.
Faust: Is that you, Sage?
Nero: What’s wrong? You’re up so late.
Akira: I couldn’t fall asleep, so I thought I’d take a walk. I see the two of you are sharing an evening drink.
Nero: Keep it a secret, okay? The owner quietly passed me a bottle of wine as his way of saying thanks.
We could have opened it during dinner, but the Northern wizards would have downed the entire bottle in an instant if they caught sight of it.
Faust: I happened to stumble across the exchange between Nero and the owner. So this glass of wine is a bribe to keep me quiet.
Akira: Ahaha, I see how it is. Looks like the owner was really grateful to you.
Nero gives me a strained smile. It looks troubled, in contrast to his usual embarrassed smile. It is the same expression he wore when the owner thanked him earlier today.
Faust: ......Have you been to this shop before?
It seems like Faust also noticed Nero’s odd behavior today.
Since we arrived, Nero spent most of the day looking unhappy. The downcast air around him isn't full of storm clouds yet, but it hangs over his face like a gray haze of melancholy blanketing the skies.
Nero frowns and raises his glass to his lips.
Nero: No..... I’ve never been.
But for some reason or another, I did find myself taking care of a silver egg once.
Akira: Eh......
Faust: Really?
Nero: Yeah. But it didn’t turn out to be a great memory for me.
His tone sounds too parched for it to be a joke. Both Faust and I hesitate over whether we should continue to press for details.
But if he didn’t want to talk about it, he would’ve just laughed off Faust’s question instead of answering.
While the moonlit night might not be pitch black, it’s just dark enough to cloak our exchange of secrets in the shadows.
Akira: ......May I ask what happened?
At my tentative question, Nero nods as he gazes out across the pond.
Nero: We got hold of a silver egg by pure chance. I guess you could say we got lucky. Back then, I got to hear all sorts of rumors from my job, so I already knew how to hatch a silver egg before we ever got our hands on one.
As long as a wizard keeps the egg warm and raises it carefully with magic, it will give birth to silverwork in the form of the desires within their heart.
I kept to those instructions. I raised it and watched over it from the moment I got it, hoping to hatch the egg.
It became my daily routine — I would cast magic to keep the egg warm, lightly tapping it twice with my fingertips before falling asleep as if I were greeting what lay inside.
Bit by bit, Nero shares his memories, punctuated by the occasional soft laugh and brief silence.
As he goes on, he suddenly lowers his voice, as if he’s reopened an old wound.
Nero: .....But I suddenly grew afraid.
What on earth could be inside this egg? What am I raising with my own hands?
The silver egg gives birth to silverwork that reflects the wishes residing at the bottom of your heart. Wouldn’t that mean giving shape to my own desires?
I felt seized by fear — the fear of coming face to face with what might lurk in the depths of my heart.
Faust: ............
Nero speaks quietly, as if trying not to disturb the slumbering night. We listen intently so his words don’t disappear into the darkness.
Nero takes a sip from his glass with each line, draining his glass in no time. Gripping the glass, he smiles sardonically.
Nero: Pathetic, right? It’s not like the egg would’ve hatched into a monster. I knew it would just be a piece of silverwork.
But I ended up handing the egg over to another person, even though I had treasured it until then.
They were delighted, and said they would raise the egg for me.
Faust: ......What was born from that egg in the end?
Nero: It never hatched.
Akira: Eh......
Nero: There was an accident, and it broke. The other guy apologized, and I was the one who gave it away in the first place, so it’s not like I had the right to say anything.
But I was crushed when I heard the news — far beyond what I expected to feel.
It’s not like I was mad about the egg getting broken. It’s just—......
The full moon’s reflection shimmers as it lays across the surface of the pond. A gentle breeze ripples through the water, wordlessly distorting the image.
Nero: If I hadn’t given the egg away, what would it have borne.....? I can’t help but wonder sometimes.
Beneath the moonlit sky, his empty wine glass glints with a forlorn light. Nero sets it aside instead of pouring a second glass.
Nero: If I hadn’t given in to that moment of weakness, I’m sure the egg wouldn’t have been broken. It would have emerged out of its shell and seen the outside world.
It’s my fault the egg ended up the way it did.
Akira: ............ But, Nero.......
Faust: It wasn’t your fault......
Bradley: What a gloomy guy. Typical of an Eastern wizard.
Nero: ............
Akira: Bradley!?
Bradley appears out of nowhere, snatching the bottle of wine out of Nero’s hands with a taunt. He carelessly wipes his mouth on his sleeve, looking like a pirate.
Bradley: Don’t think so highly of yourself. An egg is just an egg. If it broke, then that’s just the hand it was dealt.
Who the fuck do you think you are to determine its fate? Don’t get so full of yourself.
Nero: ......Well, that’s true.
Instead of retorting, Nero simply laughs weakly.
Chapter 5 << | index | >> Chapter 7