My trip back to the farmsteads was far more melancholic, quiet except for the occasional bustle of townsfolk I didn’t bother to listen in on, or the ever-present squeak of the cart wheels that produced a dull rhythm as I headed back to the farmstead. The cookie… well, the cookie had helped! But it was a bucket of water on a firestorm. Still, as I got closer, and I remembered the egg, I recalled just why I was originally in a rush to get back in the first place, and my feet found a little more wind beneath them as I left the cart by the steps, and came in with the groceries to put on the table.
Mary was waiting there for me, as was Miss Chloe Sherr, and as I put them down and went to explain my day - as well as show them the bill, the Sherr matriarch put a hand on my shoulder even as Mary pushed on the small of my back.
“i got everything you needed?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s all fine.” Chloe reassured me, nudging me forward without even looking back at my bag.
Mary just pushed me harder out the back door and towards the barn. “Who cares. Move!”
“What’s going - oh, is it…?” I stuttered, as my own excitement grew, and my tired brain started to put the pieces together
“Go and see! It’s been peeping loud for the last little while. We think it’s going to hatch soon!”
My smile grew ear to ear as my legs found momentum. I knew this was a moment where I needed to be there, more than any other I’ve had so far, and I wasn’t about to be dragged like I didn’t want with every fiber of my being to be in there.
I headed into the barn in a rush, no longer pushed, and only slowing down the second I heard it’s voice - a squeaking cry, something smaller than I would have expected, but insistent, loud, constant. I sat down in front of the egg so quickly it even felt to me like I apparated.
The baby that had once been barely wiggling was now struggling so much I’d have been concerned about the egg rolling off someplace dangerous, were it not so firmly stuck in the hay bale. As it gave a constant ‘chirp’, in the eggshell, it had formed numerous more chips, several cracksand breaks now popped through the shell itself. I inspected each hole closely, and I could finally see more of my adorable little creature.
Scales, and slitted eyes showed through. I wondered initially if this could be a Dimetrodon child, or maybe Velociraptor, but there was a little bit off for both options that made it seem less than true to me. There was definitely some down though, which… definitely got me thinking theropod.
There was an excitement that ran through my frame at the thought. Not the biggest or the fastest dinosaurs, Theropods were after all some of the coolest and most social dinosaurs on the planet. I’d definitely hope for it to be a smaller one, but as the teeth of the little creature started to show, and it started beating against the egg with its head as well as pushing with powerful little stick legs, it started to show off a small row of razor-sharp triangles. Slicing teeth… it could have been a raptor, certainly, and at what looked like the size of a chihuahua it was hard to tell.
Watching it beat it’s way out of the egg with a mixture of desperation and indignation was a mixture of agonizing and cute. I wanted to help the chubby little creature out, it’s black, fluffy -and slimy - down bumping around as it awkwardly pushed and broke apart what was around it. It certainly seemed to understand the basics of how to bite already, but how to aim that bite was a bit more difficult, as it bumped it’s nose on bits of the eggshell. Luckily, it seemed a little more pliant than a chicken eggs, and the little guy was breaking through it fast.
“Is that a bird or a lizard?” I heard Adam’s voice boom behind me, but not even his usually terrifying thunder of a baritone so much as phased me, as I watched my little creature push, And suddenly it was out from the shoulders down.
Its claws were almost as long as it’s body, sharp and hooked already, though I had the feeling they weren’t particularly more dangerous than the claws of a kitten from looking at them right now. no theropod I knew had claws that long, but we didn’t know that much about them at this point - maybe babies needed them more? That made plenty of sense to me. It screamed out looking around, still pushing it’s way out as it gave it’s shrill little call, somewhere between a baby bird and a crocodile. It was cute… and probably just a little annoying, but it looked between everyone standing near it, most of them gazing with shock. Chloe, Mary, even Adam seemed to be almost disturbed…
I kinda got it. but I also didn’t have one care in that moment as I leaned forward, offering my hand to it to sniff. Probably with too many exposed fingers, if I was honest with myself, but there was an immediate feeling in my heart as it called out for someone, anyone. It was looking for food and water, probably, but something in my heart told me it was looking more for that. Connection. someone to confirm it was not alone. A parent to make the world it was suddenly born into less terrifying to tackle.
I touched the little saurian gently on it’s fluffy head, and in that heartbeat something else happened. A blue shock of electricity, too bright to be static and too visible to be a trick of the light, coursed through the little dinosaur, and then back through me, briefly illuminating my whole body as everyone stepped back.
I was left bug-eyed, to say nothing of the Sherr family. Mary spoke up first. “Noah! are you alright?!” She asked, horror etched on her face.
“Yeah. It… didn’t hurt?” I replied, not any more sure than they were about it. “She’s fine too.”
“She?” Chloe asked, as I locked the little theropod in the eyes, and…
Something was different. From her. From me. I saw her, and I could feel that she saw me. Her fear, her shock, how overwhelmed she was at the start of her life. How cold she was. How hungry she was. How much she wanted to be coddled and cared for and held in this moment.
Leaning down, I picked her up with only a little effort. Somehow I understood even now how rigid that tail was, and I aimed to pick her up from just beneath the hips, avoiding her fragile chest for right now. She already knew how to walk, even if she stumbled at it still, and the 7 inch dinosaur that now pushed her way into my jacket, egg-slime and all, with no intentions on moving for the next day.
“She’s a kind of Theropod. Technically, birds are related to her.” I finally answered. “And her name is Luster.” I said, as the creature gave something of a pleased ‘jrrr’.
“...and she’s very hungry. I don’t know what to feed babies!” I added, suddenly panicked. Luckily, while the rest of the family had been stunned, Chloe had grabbed a small bucket and filled it with water, placing it next to me. Luster was a little suspicious, but eventually began lapping it up eagerly.
“I think this one probably needs bugs, some proper meat, but I mixed just a little beef broth in that water. Hope it doesn’t encourage it to go after the cow, once it gets bigger.”
“Heh. Yeah. Hopefully Luster doesn’t get that much bigger, then.” I replied, cringing as I realized I still didn’t know what kinda dinosaur this was precisely. I chose to avoid the subject internally, until I had a bit more to work off of than what Luster looked like as a tiny fluffy baby. “We might want a towel too.” I added, Luster already trying to wipe her nose off from all the amniotic fluid using the nearby water basin. “I’m sure she’s going to look absolutely pretty once she’s less slimy.”
“I am not sure I agree, but I’d definitely like you to clean the gross off your new pet while staying in the barn.” Adam added, crossing his arms with a stern expression “and you aren’t coming into the house until you clean off either. We’ll get a fresh change of clothes prepared - you might fit in some of my old clothes.”
“...For a certain definition of fit.” I replied with a slight cringe. “maybe if we use some belts and a sash...”
“That was what I was thinking. Either way, give us a moment to get some things prepared for the little ankle biter.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she’s not biting any ankles…” I assured them, the small lizard in my hand currently snapping at the air with enthusiasm, already begging. “...if I’m given food for her in time.”
There was a bravado to the ‘eep’ that came out of the lizard, and I wondered even now how self-sufficient my little girl was right now.
I gave her an affectionate pat. “Welcome to the world, little one.” I said with a smile, and not soon after did it’s little head push against my hand.
The downy feathers were pretty soft and warm once we cleaned it off, but it was recommended I sleep in the barn for the night, taking care of the little beast. Mary kept us company, once she got used to the toothy little beast, and pretty soon the two of us were left alone with the little lizard.
“Honestly, your little guy here looks kinda like a dragon. if a dragon was made of like, 50 percent fluff.” She added, motioning to the mane of down that spread across Luster’s body, tummy to chest.
“Heh, yeah. We used to think tales of dragons in our world were actually inspired by dinosaurs. Their bones used to create tall tales of fire breathing lizards.”
Mary placed a bit of straw in her mouth, kicking her legs as she sat on the nearest hay bale. “Heh. Sure wish that was the case here.”
“Do you guys have dragons for real here? I guess I'm not surprised, but…”
“Yeah.” Mary replied. “big, fire breathing lizards that live in the mountains in the deep north. They eat people. Kind of a problem. ”
I gave a slow nod. “Dragons are a thing mythologically where I’m from… but we don’t have any evidence for real winged, fire-breathing lizards…”
“Oh, dragons don’t have wings.” Mary replied. “...at least, anymore. Tambor the Dragonslayer killed those off some three hundred years ago. ‘Least, that’s how my bedtime stories went.”
“Oh. There were dragonslayers here at one point?”
Mary swept her hair out of her face as she grinned. “Still are, technically, but they’re sort of more like a police force that are mostly out of policework to do. It’s a ceremonial position. But back in the day… yeah, they’d fly into our lands, eat our farm animals, and generally cause a problem ‘till they were driven back. Best make sure they don’t mistake Luster here for one.”
I gave a frown. “Luster’s nowhere near a dragon. She’s so distinctive, and she’s nice!” I insist.
“She did bite you while you were feeding her earlier.” Mary pointed out.
I winced, as I rubbed my bandaged hand. “Well, not hard. I stopped bleeding almost immediately. And she learned what ‘nice’ meant pretty fast too.”
“I learned that she doesn’t fully understand the difference between ‘bugs’ and ‘toes’ yet.’ Mary shot back. “You’re gonna wanna make sure she does sooner rather than later.”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
I gave a determined nod in response. “I’ll have her beloved by everyone in the city!... I won’t settle for less.”
Luster, for her part, responded by hopping off my lap for the first time since she’d woken up, running forward like a little blur, and snapping up a beetle I hadn’t even seen from the barn floor, slicing it in two between her teeth and swallowing up both pieces in seconds.
Mary was shocked, before giving a grin. “Well, if she does that around the barn to the mice, you’ll have her beloved by mom, anyways.”
I gave a grin, but realized Luster was looking at me, one eye craned towards me like a bird focusing. I felt that connection again, a question without words, a craving, centered towards me…
It didn’t take me longer than a second - shouldn’t have taken me that long, I realized, missing something even a regular pet owner would know, as I walked forward and tapped her softly around the neck. “Good girl, Luster! you got that beetle!”
The soft croon of the dinosaur below as she pushed into my hand was absolutely adorable, before Mary spoke up.
“She’s really self-sufficient for her first day awake. and… honestly, she looks like she’s already a little bigger. is this normal for a…”
“Dinosaur? Theropod?” I asked.
“...whichever of those words you think is relevant?” Mary asked, looking at me with a look of confusion.
“Right, you guys don’t have uhh… Paleontology, right?” I asked.
Mary shook her head. “Really don’t know what it is, it’s one of those words that’s very much a ‘your world’ thing.” She admitted, leaning in to scritch Luster on the chin, something she happily accepted.
“so, have you figured out why you think she’s a she.”
I gave a shrug. “No, I mean, I know she’s a she. I just… can’t tell you why.”
Mary blinked, before looking at me like she was trying to process something. “...Maybe it might be… one of your druid powers? the ones you were telling me you can just… check with a ‘menu’?”
It took me a few seconds to reply.
“...Oh. Yeah.”
I opened up my status window, noting the usual, “mana exhaustion level 1’, ‘Create plant’, ‘animal companion’ ‘bonded soul…” I replied, before stopping. “Oh. That last one’s different.”
Mary gave me a look of concern. “How often do you… actually look at your menu?”
“Whenever someone reminds me I have it.” I sheepishly shrug. “All I’ve been worried about is farmer levels recently, and those just go up everytime it gets easier to pitch hay.”
“For someone with magic hero powers, you seem pretty unconcerned about using ‘em…” Mary noted with a smirk.
I just focused on opening up the section on ‘bonded soul’ by tapping on her name… then tapping again, since the first time it didn’t seem to register. “...Probably a good thing I’m not one of the important ones, huh?” I replied with a wry smile.
Mary just laughed at that, though I found myself involuntarily wincing at the statement, the conversation from the city coming back into my head. I shook my head and focused on the funny menu text instead.
Bonded Soul, rank 1:
A symbiotic connection to your bonded animal companion, giving you and your pet a potent bonus to stats based on one another, increased statgrowths for your companion, and an empathic bond. Allows for unique Traits to be obtained. Accelerates animal maturity. May be upgraded through increasing affection levels!
Causes spiritual damage to be shared.
“...Huh.” I murmur, processing all that slowly. Then, I noticed something new in the corner. It seemed there was a sub-menu for Luster! I opened that part of the menu, excited to see… statistics?
Luster: Level 1 Giganotosaurus / UnclassedStats:
HP: 29 MP: 4
STR: 33
DEX: 34
END: 15
MAG: 12
Armor: 1
Skills:
Natural weapons: 6+3
Unarmed: 0
Stalk: 0
Break: 0
Traits:
Growing Hunter, level 2 (0/5 kills to level 3!): Born predator still learning it’s abilities. Gives +3 Natural weapon skill at level 2! Grows with successful hunting.
Slicing Jaws, level 1: Efficient weaponry bonus. Adds a small amount of bleeding damage when attacking
Scales (tiny): Keratin Scales reduce incoming damage, in the same fashion as armor. Grows with user’s endurance. Adds base 1 armor.
Burst of Effort, level 1: Able to focus power into a short burst of power and speed, increasing DEX and STR by 10 and improving movement speed slightly for 10 seconds.
Growl, level 1:
Charming growl, allows for precise ideas to be expressed to your owner.
Keen Smell, level 1:
Allows for scent detection of nearby threats.
---
“...Huh.”
I looked over the menu. Those stats seemed pretty dang good, outside of the MP, but there was no part of me that had expected a newborn theropod to somehow be gushing with wizardly power, so this wasn’t any particular problem… Though I realized I didn’t really know what any of these stats meant ultimately, or how they affected what my little guy could do. Maybe I could check my stats here in a second and find out…
“Noah?”
Mrs. Sheer had come back, holding a strip of meat that Luster was already eager and hopping to gobble down. I patted her gently on the back to let her know to sit down nice, and she was quick to calm down, standing more at attention, but with her eyes still firmly focused on the meat in front of her. I was happy to take a break and stand up as she hopped off my lap and towards the meat.
“Do you want to feed her, Mrs. Sheer?”
“Call me Chloe, please, Noah.” She corrected me for what felt like the tenth time. “And I think I’ll let you do that. It is your responsibility to take care of your own bird.”
“She’s… I mean she is kind of a bird, actually…” I mumbled, as Chloe handed me the strip of what felt like beef. I fed Luster in small bites, worried she might struggle with the toughness, but it didn’t seem like she had any problems with it.
“Before you get too invested… I also got a message from Ionos.” Chloe added. “so I’m going to suggest you take five minutes for a quick wash, and then get moving to the castle.”
I bristled at that. “Wai-what?”
Chloe put a hand to her chest, giving a sigh. “It appears the king himself has requested you return to the castle. He’s curious about your powers and wants to make sure you’re well, with all the time you’ve spent at the farm.
I gave an irritated grunt. “I can’t just leave Luster here!” I blurted, but I heard a small chirr in response.
Somehow… I looked over, meeting Luster’s eyes as she gave a yawn. There was almost a feeling of ‘go on ahead’, that seemed to come from her. Did she… understand what was going on? I felt unmistakably like she was telling me I could go, and yet I wasn’t sure how a one-day old could possibly process any of this… maybe there was more to this beast bond than I realized. Or maybe her confidence was just very high for a newborn.
“...Do you think Luster can come in for a little bit? I think she needs to be warm when she’s sleeping. And I have a feeling she’s going to be doing that a lot these first few days.”
Chloe put a hand to her face, deliberating, before giving a sigh. “Sure. But if she's going to be an inside bird, she’s going to need to be cleaned first. She still smells like the inside of her egg.”
“Crrruh?” Luster chirped.
I just cringed as the smell finally hit me, and it was… rather what I’d expect out of an old man’s fridge after a power outage.
“Point taken. I’ll get moving after I dump some water on myself. Got a feeling the castle guards won’t let me in smelling like this.”
Mary just gave me a grin. “I’ll go get a bucket from the well and give you a good splash!”
“Adam is heating a bucket for the tub as we speak, so there will need to be none of that!” the Sherr matriarch replied, pointedly poking Mary in the chest. “Just go get washed up.”
I walked lazily towards the house, giving a nod, as Luster trailed behind me, her feet already more solid under her. “Got it. I appreciate the shower.”
Chloe turned behind herself and managed to give me a smile. “It’s no problem, dear. We’re all a little surprised about how far you’ve gone for this little one already, but we can’t help but be supportive seeing you work so hard for this little one. It brings out your best qualities.”
I gave a blush, as Mary just mumbled something I couldn’t quite hear.
“What was that?” I asked.
“Nothin’ you need to hear. Get ready to head to the castle. Luster and I gotta have a girl talk.” Mary teased.
“Chhrow?” Luster squeaked.
