Mother Bird's Resolve Pt.1

~Mother Bird POV~

A few days ago, a miracle happened. I had laid 3 eggs and only 2 out of the 3 had hatched. I could instinctively tell that the final egg was a lost cause and that it wouldn't hatch. As soon as i found out i felt sorry for the little one yet to be born into this world but there was nothing i could do. Out of sentimentality, i decided to leave the egg in the nest. It was the least i could do to not let other beasts feast on it but i knew it was pointless.

A day passed by as i continued to tend to the hatchlings with my mate until i suddenly felt something. No matter how unbelievable it was, i sensed it. The presence of another hatchling that i mothered. I knew it wasn't the 2 hatchlings that had already hatched so that only left one possibility. It could only be the third egg that had failed to hatch. This was unprecedented. Once an egg fails to hatch, the hatchling will never emerge from it. But i could feel it. A presence ever so small that i could barely notice it, but it was there. I looked around the nest in search for the egg without any success in finding it. I immediately informed my mate of the situation and he so kindly offered to take care of the 2 hatchlings. With that settled, i took off, and looked around the area for the missing egg. As time went by, the presence of the hatchling within the egg grew but i only grew more worried. Each moment that went by meant more danger that the hatchling was exposed to. I had to hurry up and find them before it was too late.

It took hours but i eventually found the egg, under some dead leaves, safe and sound. A weight was lifted off my heavy heart when i laid my eyes on the egg. I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if an unborn hatchling was killed and eaten due to my negligence. I got the leaves out of the way and placed the egg in an upright position. I could tell that it was going to hatch soon so i decided to guard the egg until they did so. I didn't want it to hatch and fall to its death while i was flying back to the nest with it after all.

A moment later, cracks on the egg appeared. A sign that the hatchling was about to emerge. I watched with great delight while i also stayed attentive to the surroundings, making sure there wasn't any sign of danger.

When the hatchling finally hatched and poked his little head out, i was a little taken aback. How should i say this, he was very full of energy. As soon as he hatched and looked at me he tried to run while still inside the egg, only to fall face first into the dirt. It was so amusing that i couldn't help but giggle a little. I helped him get out of the egg afterwards. This particular hatchling seemed a little different. As if he was more intelligent than the rest. I felt him observing me for a moment but i thought i was mistaken then. He hesitated before eating the meal i prepared for him as well but i discovered he just preferred eating smaller pieces of food rather than biting off it, so i bit it down for him and thought nothing of it. On our flight back to the nest, i felt him stiffen and quiver until we made it back to the nest. I assumed all of these were side effects of basically coming to life when he shouldn't have. Besides, something like that had never happened before but i was overjoyed nonetheless.

A few days later, it was time for the hatchlings' first flight. I demonstrated how to fly and the hatchlings followed my example without any problems. Well except for the adorable little abberation, the one that hatched a day later. His behaviour was different from the norm. To the point he was starting to influence his siblings. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not but i didn't want to have any influence on their actions. I wanted them to do what they wanted to do. My mate was of the same opinion as me and so we didn't interfere with them much.

During the first flight, the abberation failed to stay in the air and fell, diving into a bush, to my relief. It was too late when i noticed he was having trouble so i was really glad. What happened next, however, really gave me a fright. I could sense a serpens nearby where the hatchling fell. I immediately shot off my feathers and impaled the serpens before it could attack the hatchling. I thought i killed it and let my guard down. Just as i was swooping down to fetch the hatchling, the serpens stroke, biting into my poor child. I was enraged and immediately prepared to finish the serpens off before it could do anymore harm.

To my surprise, it was the abberation who finished off the serpens. No more than 2 days old and he got his first kill. I couldn't be more proud. I finally reached the ground and grabbed him while he was beating up the corpse of the serpens. It seems he is blinded by rage right now. Thats not necessarily a bad thing though, it means he can probably unlock the berserk skill in the future. It also looks like he leveled up and has healed. Before he could damage the corpse any further, i brought him back to the nest. I needed him to cool off a bit first. Can't let precious meat be wasted.

Call it a mother's intuition if you would, but i have a feeling that he would develop into a very strong and spectacular Avis in the future. With that thought, i happily carried the corpse of the foul reptile that dared to hurt my precious little abberation back to the nest.