Fantasia of the Silver-Biding House of Eggs ~Eastern Country & Northern Country~ | Chapter 7

[healingbonds]

Chapter 6 << | index | >> Chapter 8


Bradley visibly holds himself back from saying something. He gazes at Nero, his wine-red eyes narrowing.

Bradley: .......So you’ve just given up on everything. You think you can keep dragging up the past as a pathetic excuse.
Then why did you step up and suggest we give the egg a chance to hatch? Were you just trying to make up for what happened back then?
What do you think your half-baked compassion is going to achieve? Don’t fool yourself into looking for salvation — either for that broken egg, or for yourself — by hatching this giant egg.

Nero: Who knows...... I don’t know either.

Bradley: ............
Before you go placing your hope in something besides yourself, you should realize nothing’s going to change until you quit being spineless.
If you don’t plan on confronting your own feelings, you’ll end up letting go of the silver egg you get after the mission.

Bradley falls silent, and Nero hunches over wordlessly. A tense air of silence and unease falls over us.
At that moment, I hear agitated footsteps drawing closer.

Shino: Nero, Faust! So this is where you guys were!

Nero: Shino?

Out of breath, Shino looks frantic.

Faust: Did something happen?

Shino: Something awful happened when Heath and I went to check on the egg. Head over to the coop right now!

Akira: Something awful......!?

Shino: We’ll talk later. I’ll go get the owner!

Shino sprints away.

Akira: L-let’s go......!

Nero: Yeah......!

✦✧☾✧✦

We rush to the coop and find Heathcliff crouched on the ground, his back towards us.
His voice, laced with desperation as he chants his spell, rings through the silent chicken coop.

Heathcliff: << Repsevaivulp Sonus >>......!

Heathcliff spreads his palm on the floor, casting his spell over and over again with an encouraging voice. Taking a closer look, I can see a chipped silver egg lying before him.

Nero: ......Heath......?

When we approach, Heathcliff looks up with a jolt. He groans, a plea for help.

Heathcliff: What should we do.... This egg is....!

Shino and Heathcliff came to check on the giant egg.
But they found this chipped egg on the floor.

Heathcliff: Earlier today, the owner mentioned how the chickens had been agitated from our arrival. Maybe a chicken laid this egg and accidentally dropped it in all the commotion......

Glancing at the nesting box raised off the ground, I can see several freshly laid white eggs.
It seems like a rare silver egg was laid, and fell to the ground in an unfortunate accident.

Heathcliff: I saw the cracks, and got scared that it was going to die...... So I cast healing magic over it.

Heathcliff looks down at the cracked egg with a drawn expression. His outstretched hand closes impatiently over a fistful of air as he battles between wanting to touch the egg and not being able to bring himself to do so.

Faust: Don’t worry. You did well with the healing spell — it’s characteristically delicate.

Heathcliff: Mister Faust......

(Footsteps)

Shino: Heath, is everything all right? I brought the owner!

Before long, Shino returns with the owner. Pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket, the owner carefully uses it to wrap the silver egg while he inspects it.

Heathcliff: I’m truly sorry...... We caused the commotion......

The owner shakes his head appreciatively. His tone is slow and gentle, consoling the pale, stricken Heathcliff.

Owner: Please do not worry yourself over it. As you can see, there are no railings in this coop so the chickens can run about freely.
Regardless of how vigilant I am, the occasional accident and broken egg still occur from time to time. These are all the workings of life, after all.

The owner smiles as he caresses the cracked egg.

Owner: But this egg was lucky to end up unhurt. It’s all thanks to your magic.

He takes the egg from his handkerchief and offers it to Heathcliff.

Owner: It’s yours. From today onwards, you are the owner of this egg.

Heathcliff: Eh? I wasn’t trying to......

Bradley: Just go ahead and accept it. Sooner or later, you were gonna get one as our fee anyway.

Heathcliff: That might be true, but the mission isn’t over yet......

Owner: You saved this egg. I think this child would be happy for you to raise it.

Heathcliff: ............

His gaze riveted on the egg, Heathcliff hesitantly accepts it with both hands. He awkwardly, gently cradles it the way one would carry an infant.

Heathcliff: ......Thank you. I’ll take care of it.

✦✧☾✧✦

Snow: So this is......

White: The egg Heathcliff received.

Mithra: Huh, good job pulling that off.

Owen: How did you manage to trick him into giving you one?

Heathcliff: I-I didn’t use any tricks.

After a night of commotion, the next day dawns. Naturally, the conversation revolves around Heathcliff’s newly obtained silver egg.

Nero: Yesterday, Heathcliff used his magic to save an egg that fell and cracked.

Mithra: Hmm...... Bradley, go and knock over some eggs in the coop. I’ll go in and save them.

Bradley: Don’t rope me into some stale hack job plot.

Faust: That’s a scam.

Akira: Um, the owner is right here.....

The Northern wizards are all agog with interest at the first silver egg they’ve ever laid their eyes on. They peer intensely at the egg, their gazes a mixture of envy and curiosity.

Owen: Hey, isn’t the burden of raising a silver egg way too heavy for an Eastern wizard?
Want me to take it before you mess it up? Here, give me the egg.

Shino: Cut it out. Don’t touch Heath’s egg.



Owen: Stop yapping, you guard dog. I offered out of the kindness of my heart.

Shino: I know. You’re just jealous of Heath’s egg.
Well, you can look at the egg. I can allow that much.

Owen: This pisses me off.....

Heathcliff spent the morning receiving instructions from the owner on how to care for his newly-acquired silver egg.
Instructions on how to handle the egg, and tricks for raising it well. Right now, the owner is teaching him how to warm the egg with magic.

Heathcliff: Um...... Like this?

Owner: Yes, yes, just like that.

Snow: You’re doing great.

White: Just what you’d expect from an Eastern wizard. You’re so skilful with delicate magic.

Shino: Good. Keep on praising Heath.

Snow: Heath, dear, you’re so amazing~!



White: You’re such a genius~!

Shino: Hehe. This feels great.

Heathcliff: Shino, please stop......

Owner: Wonderful. You’re doing well. If you continue raising it like this, it should hatch without trouble.

Heathcliff: Thank you.

Nero: That’s great, Heath. I’m sure you’ll do a great job.

Heathcliff: Yes, I hope so. It makes me nervous thinking about how I’m responsible for whether the egg gets to hatch or not.

The slight crack has all but disappeared with Heathcliff’s magic, the silver eggshell unblemished. Cradled in the protection of his hands, the silver egg lies silent.
As if quietly waiting for the right time to burst forth.

Nero: ......I wonder what will hatch from this egg.

Heathcliff: Me too..... I can’t even imagine what it could be. That’s why I’m scared too.
But...... No matter what shape it takes, I still want it to emerge.
I’m sure that’s how the owner feels about that giant egg, too.

Nero: I see. You’re right......

✦✧☾✧✦

In a blink, a few days have flown by at the House of Silver Eggs.
I’ve gotten more used to our time here, and can now fall fast asleep. Until one morning when I’m woken up by Shino yelling.

Shino: Wake up! There’s a crack in that giant egg!

The wizards and I leap up and immediately gather at the chicken coop.

✦✧☾✧✦

Owner: ......This is......

Bradley: So it’s finally breaking out.

It wasn’t there yesterday, but now a streak of patterned lightning runs across the surface of the giant silver egg.


Chapter 6 << | index | >> Chapter 8