Osuin had just finished his lunch at the mess hall, consisting of simple meat and potato stew. It was a simple meal composed of the leftovers of yesterday’s dinner – and was just as bland, to boot. Osuin was prepared as ever for that, with an addition of spices that helped with the taste of the meal, but not the texture. Dry and dull as the stew was, it was beyond his complaint. They’d served far worse before, but they had always served food. That he could count on daily meals before him was a blessing he’d not take for granted when such fortune had been well beyond him in his youth. On some days though, it seemed as if the cooks were testing this outlook.
With lunch concluded, Osuin continued on with the next item on his list of tasks for the day. Next on his list was to check on those items he’d been trusted with, and the first of those were the eggs saved from the mystical heron he and Helena had encountered those fateful five years ago. Eggs laid by the Ur-Beast, the great mystical Heron, had been kept safe ever since, they were far from typical. Orphaned in that great battle he fought alongside Helena, the Order had taken it upon themselves to safeguard them.
At first, Osuin had checked in on the eggs daily, noting no development with them. After a period of several months and the onset of further duties, his checks decreased in frequency to thrice a week, still with no noted development of the eggs. In another couple of years, his vigilance decreased further to the point where he checked on them once per week. By now, it had become a monthly affair and was largely performed simply to ensure they were safe. By now, he doubted they ever would hatch, and were merely a relic for safekeeping.
Entering the shelter they’d constructed for them, Osuin became immediately alarmed at the sounds of movement that met his ears. It seemed someone else was already here, when no one else ought be. Suspecting the worst, Osuin moved forward with care. The sight that awaited him was far beyond expectation. Pieces of a broken shell met his sight, and he kept a hand on the handle of his sword in preparation to battle whatever intruder had tread into this sanctuary.
The eggs themselves had made the sounds he’d heard, and two was still cracked stirring on the straw-lined floor before him. The third egg was now nothing more than broken fragments of assorted size, without any sign of the heron chick that had been within for so many years. Stunned at the sight, Osuin scrambled around the keep for any sign of the missing chick, but his brief search yielded nothing. The breaking of a toothed beak through one of the eggshells snapped him free from his search and brought him to concern over the present predicament. Without a clue what to do, he made a hasty exit to alert the knights.
“The Herons have hatched!” He bellowed out to anyone in earshot, before returning to the hatching eggs. On his return, the chick who had pierced it’s shell had cleared enough to poke it’s head through, pausing to look at Osuin with a shrill squack before pecking at the shell to fracture it further. In another moment, it broke entirely through and flapped twice with it’s featherless wings before opening it’s beak wide. Osuin had nothing to feed it, and only gazed down with a wish that he had. Without food, the heron chick closed it’s mouth with a look to Osuin before scrambling off between his legs without warning.
“Hey! Hey now! We have food, we have food. You’ll get fed, yeah? Come on now.” Osuin spoke, attempting to calm the housecat sized heron hatchling as he reached down to scoop it up in his arms. It still squacked and opened it’s mouth again, but the sound of the other egg hatching diverted his attention. Osuin deftly made his way outside again to repeat his call.
“I need some aid!” Osuin repeated, and to his relief there were knights in sight already on the way to assist. One hatchling remained missing, while the other two were quickly fed with what the Order had available. They were far less fussy about their meal than Osuin had been.
* * *
Report: Missing Ur-Hatchling
Attention to all Knights of the Order! Please be alert that there is a missing creature among the grounds of great importance. Recently hatched on the ninth day of the 7th turn of Pneria, we’ve no sight of it save for the remains of it’s shell.
The hatchling itself about the size of a housecat.
It’s last known location was in the nest housed within the sanctuary on the northeastern corner of the monastery grounds. We're unsure whether it may be loose in the woodlands, or hiding somewhere on monastery grounds. If the former, it may have wandered further northeast. If not, the mess hall or food stores might be a fair guess. We cannot discount that it may be elsewhere, as these three locations are merely a guess.
It is hungry and hasn't yet eaten, and likely to beg for food. If found, please return it to the sanctuary immediately. Speed is of the essence, as it has just hatched and requires immediate care. As of this posting, it has been missing for two hours.
Please assist, if able.
Signed,
Syr Osuin
Knights of Anathaeum
With lunch concluded, Osuin continued on with the next item on his list of tasks for the day. Next on his list was to check on those items he’d been trusted with, and the first of those were the eggs saved from the mystical heron he and Helena had encountered those fateful five years ago. Eggs laid by the Ur-Beast, the great mystical Heron, had been kept safe ever since, they were far from typical. Orphaned in that great battle he fought alongside Helena, the Order had taken it upon themselves to safeguard them.
At first, Osuin had checked in on the eggs daily, noting no development with them. After a period of several months and the onset of further duties, his checks decreased in frequency to thrice a week, still with no noted development of the eggs. In another couple of years, his vigilance decreased further to the point where he checked on them once per week. By now, it had become a monthly affair and was largely performed simply to ensure they were safe. By now, he doubted they ever would hatch, and were merely a relic for safekeeping.
Entering the shelter they’d constructed for them, Osuin became immediately alarmed at the sounds of movement that met his ears. It seemed someone else was already here, when no one else ought be. Suspecting the worst, Osuin moved forward with care. The sight that awaited him was far beyond expectation. Pieces of a broken shell met his sight, and he kept a hand on the handle of his sword in preparation to battle whatever intruder had tread into this sanctuary.
The eggs themselves had made the sounds he’d heard, and two was still cracked stirring on the straw-lined floor before him. The third egg was now nothing more than broken fragments of assorted size, without any sign of the heron chick that had been within for so many years. Stunned at the sight, Osuin scrambled around the keep for any sign of the missing chick, but his brief search yielded nothing. The breaking of a toothed beak through one of the eggshells snapped him free from his search and brought him to concern over the present predicament. Without a clue what to do, he made a hasty exit to alert the knights.
“The Herons have hatched!” He bellowed out to anyone in earshot, before returning to the hatching eggs. On his return, the chick who had pierced it’s shell had cleared enough to poke it’s head through, pausing to look at Osuin with a shrill squack before pecking at the shell to fracture it further. In another moment, it broke entirely through and flapped twice with it’s featherless wings before opening it’s beak wide. Osuin had nothing to feed it, and only gazed down with a wish that he had. Without food, the heron chick closed it’s mouth with a look to Osuin before scrambling off between his legs without warning.
“Hey! Hey now! We have food, we have food. You’ll get fed, yeah? Come on now.” Osuin spoke, attempting to calm the housecat sized heron hatchling as he reached down to scoop it up in his arms. It still squacked and opened it’s mouth again, but the sound of the other egg hatching diverted his attention. Osuin deftly made his way outside again to repeat his call.
“I need some aid!” Osuin repeated, and to his relief there were knights in sight already on the way to assist. One hatchling remained missing, while the other two were quickly fed with what the Order had available. They were far less fussy about their meal than Osuin had been.
* * *
Report: Missing Ur-Hatchling
The hatchling itself about the size of a housecat.
It’s last known location was in the nest housed within the sanctuary on the northeastern corner of the monastery grounds. We're unsure whether it may be loose in the woodlands, or hiding somewhere on monastery grounds. If the former, it may have wandered further northeast. If not, the mess hall or food stores might be a fair guess. We cannot discount that it may be elsewhere, as these three locations are merely a guess.
It is hungry and hasn't yet eaten, and likely to beg for food. If found, please return it to the sanctuary immediately. Speed is of the essence, as it has just hatched and requires immediate care. As of this posting, it has been missing for two hours.
Please assist, if able.
Signed,
Syr Osuin
Knights of Anathaeum
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