Egg and Hunger

Cross the large grass plane in a quick paste, we endured the ever-growing hunger and thirst that worsened by the second. Opening my stats panel I could see that we were already traveling for 3 hours straight.

Deciding to take a quick break, we sat down and tried to lessen our hunger by eating and savoring the taste of the monster cores we saved up. As always the monster cores tasted unique and indescribable.

Letting out a tired sigh I looked towards Sahra to see how she is doing. She was just silently looking at the clouds above while drooling slightly. Probably thinking about eating the clouds.... yes, the curse is really getting to us. Nudging her arm she gave me a dazed glance. Signaling her that we should keep moving she sluggishly stood up and we continued walking through the endless flat plain.

After what felt like days we finally spotted trees in the distance. With renewed vigor, we soon reached a similar-looking sanctuary like the one on the first floor deep inside the forest. But for some reason, there weren´t any monsters around. Maybe due to the curse or something... but in contrast to the temple on the first floor, this one was almost completely destroyed. Walking through the rubbles I searched for monster cores that could have been left behind, but my luck seemed to have run out. Slithering back to Sahra I saw her rummaging in the rubbles. Getting closer I could see her digging out a small egg.

Holding the egg she inspected it. It was just as big as my head and is transparent and apparently filled with some kind of orange fluid. The shell was not hard, but rather tough and firm. Seeing something inside move, I and Sahra got our heads closer and stared at it. It seems like Sahra didn´t know what kind of egg she just dugout. We could see something inside turn ever so slightly. But with the murky orange liquid inside, we could only see a small black dot inside.

But the next thing Sahra did shock me. She smashed the egg on the ground with all her might, but it just bounced a few times before lying still on the ground. I didn´t know why she did that but something inside me told me I have to protect the egg. Glaring at Sahra, I slithered towards the egg and saw that it was unharmed.

Sahra who followed me wanted to take away the egg from me, but I just hissed at her and curled around the egg. My gleaming green eyes stared into her blank face. Not backing down from her gaze she grumbled, before letting out a defeated sigh. She kneeled down and slowly stretched her hand out.

Seeing the hand nearing me and the egg I hissed at her, but she just continued to approach me.

Just as I was ready to bite her hand she patted my head. Seeing the kind smile on her face I calmed down, before realizing what I just did. Looking at the egg again, my instincts screamed at me again to protect it. Slithering away from the egg, my pupils sharpened.

Looking at Sahra I could see her gesturing to me. She first pointed towards the egg then towards me and Sahra before tapping her forehead.

My eyes widen as I realized, 'that egg just hypnotized or somehow manipulated us so that we protect it...'

Getting angry at it messing with our heads I channeled mana into my tail and slammed down on the egg with full force. The ground cracked as a layer of poison coated the ground.

Removing my tail I saw the egg embedded into the ground without a single crack or leak. Hissing at the egg, we didn´t bother with it anymore and wanted to go away, when I suddenly felt like someone wanting to enter my mind. Not being able to fight it off I felt a slight connection with the egg. I instantly got causes and tried to push it out of my head, but it was like a heavy stone inside a room. Too large to be pushed through the door. But to my luck, it didn´t mess with my head and only felt it wanting me to come back. Turning around I looked at the egg again, but now I didn´t feel the same compulsion to take care of it anymore.

Sahra and I glanced at each other as we both felt it. It wasn´t someone speaking to us, but rather someone sending their intent directly into our mind. It is hard to describe it as it was my first time feeling something like that.

Starring at the egg I could feel the egg's despair and begging us to take it with us. It even promising us that it will never manipulate us again. It sounded so desperate and lost. Truly a mysterious egg. 'What an interesting dangerous egg. What is this bizarre feeling that I am getting from the egg... Wait a minute didn´t I wish for an exciting and adventurous life? Hmmm, it was strong enough to penetrate my mind even with my high mentality stats and it´s only an egg. How scary would it be once it hatched... Maybe I can tame it. Heh, funny! A monster trying to tame another monster.'

As if knowing what I was thinking about Sahra let out another sigh and waved towards me to get the egg already.

Slithering towards it I could feel the despair slowly growing and getting scared as I still looked at it with fierce eyes.

Standing in front of it I opened my jaw wide and grabbed it with my mouth. Feeling the egg crying and giving up on living I put it back down before flicking my tongue at it. Noticing that I wasn´t going to eat it a wave of happiness and relief flooded my mind, pushing away the feeling of extreme hunger and thirst.

Grinning at the egg I just picked it back up and slithered towards Sahra who was searching around the rubbles.

Seeing me carry the egg she sighed again and patted my head.

Meanwhile, the egg was sending us happy feelings making our hunger lessen just a tiny bit.

'Wow, it is like it is giving me shots of dopamine! While sad it makes me only slightly depressed... I will so keep this egg... for now anyway.'

Happily carrying the happy egg and putting it into the bag, Sahra and I continued to search for a way down inside the rubbles.

But even after hours of searching, we couldn´t find a way down so we decided to sleep here as the sun was beginning to set. Searching for a place that sheltered us from the cold wind we found a small corner with a little bit of cover. Deming it to be a good place to rest we laid down.

Slithering towards Sahra I curled up into a ball as we enjoyed each other's warmth. Feeling the layer of smooth sand on her body I smiled and snuggled closer.

Thanks to the egg that constantly sends us happy feelings we were able to fall asleep rather quickly even with hunger and thirst.

...

As the sun rises again my body began to heat up and my mind stirred.

*Yawn*

Letting out a giant yawn I looked around me. Waking up in the same position as I fell asleep I saw her dotless face. Still in Sahra´s arms hugged towards her chest I accidentally flickered my tongue on Sahras cheek, but even if she is almost always covered in a light layer of sand I caught myself thinking '... why did she taste so delicious?' Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I carefully slithering out of her arms. Searching for a flat stone in the sun, I soon found one not far from where we stayed and lied on top of it. Well, it wasn´t hard to find one with all those rubbles around us. Feeling the warm stone plate on my bottom scales as the warmth seeped through my body I let out a delighted hiss. "Hiss~"

'So that must be how Grian felt like when he was laying on a heated stone~'

...

'...wait... who is taking care of Grian when I am gone... fuck... I hope you will forgive me Grian when I join you in snake heaven... or hell...' prayed I towards Grian remembering the cute little pet snake that I left all alone in his giant terrarium.

Shedding a small tear I slithered back towards Sahra and got on top of her using her like a heated stone.

Looking at my stats I could see that I still had more than 2 days left.

[Time: 2d 9h 35min 01sec]

'But on the bright side, we are almost halfway through... who am I kidding I am soooooooo HUNGRY!!!'

*flick* *flick*

Flicking my tongue out of stress and hunger I tried to calm down but without success.

'I could suppress the feeling, but all the walking and searching made it unbearable. It is getting worse even with the egg giving me bursts of happiness ...'

*flick* *flick*

Flicking my tongue it accidentally touched Sahra´s shoulder. As the sand slightly pealed of I could taste her bare skin. Tasting fresh meat I fell into a trance as I continued to lick her smooth shoulder. 'Just a little bit more, she wouldn´t mind it right?'

Continuing to lick her shoulder I opened my mouth with my fangs bared. But before I could bite down a wave of happiness rushed through my head.

Snapping out of it I shook my head before realization dawned on me.

'Oh my god! I almost bit Sahra! This is already the second time that I almost bit her... Thankfully I kept the egg or I would have gone crazy from the hunger.' Looking towards the brown worn-down backpack where I put the egg in I let out a sigh of relief. 'Thanks, little egg, I will give you a name when I can name someone again. I wondered when I could name again...'

Sahra who was just sleeping a moment ago felt the movement and weight on top of her and woke up. Seeing me on top of her while thinking about something she wanted to hug me, but felt a slight wet feeling on her bare shoulder and looked at me with a questioning gaze.

I could see a light bulb light up above her head and a cheeky grin spreading across her face. Not knowing to what conclusion she just came to, I shrugged. Turning my back towards her to see how the egg is doing I slithered down, but before I could get off of her she held me before lanching towards my neck? shoulder? ...the part where my shoulders should be.

Thinking that she was about to take a bite out of me I hissed at her and tried to push her away from me with my tail. Waiting for the pain to come I looked away, but the pain never came and I only got licked and nibbled on. Widening my eyes I felt a slimy feeling brush my scales, sending shivers down my spine. Trying to squirm free I hissed at her, but with her, on top of me pinning me down, I helplessly waited. After a few seconds, she let me go and sat up, a string of saliva snapped apart as she licked her lips.

My mind slightly haltered 'Maybe the curse isn´t that bad after all...'