Legend of the OmeletWings - Chapter 16: Returning
#16 of Legend of the OmeletWings
The beat of Embryo's wings as they carried her on mile after mile back over the MudWing Kingdom and toward the mountains of the Claw of the Clouds repeated their steady rhythm one after another, up down, up down, up down, one beat at a time. Her wings were sore, aching through every part of her, but she just kept going, going and going. What was this ache in her muscles compared to the pain she had endured with her egg?
Embryo was glad for the rain that had started falling shortly after she left, it helped cover up the tears she could feel beginning to well in her eyes. She tried not thinking about Summit, the look on his face when she left him, how he wanted to love her so much. But he couldn't. How could he? What was there inside her to offer that he could truly love? She was just an Egg Layer, a simple OmeletWing Egg Layer.
As time drew on and she began passing into the Claw of the Cloud Mountains, Embryo's fatigue grew more intense. Many times Embryo's wings felt so tired, her eyes so heavy, she wanted to drop out of a sky in a doze. But shaking her head, she stopped herself. If she could go through all the effort of Laying an Egg, she should be able to keep doing this, this was nothing in comparison.
But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself to keep going, no matter how much worse she knew Egg Laying was, she just had to stop, she did not have it in her to fly anymore.
Yeah, if I was Laying I wouldn't have the option to rest if I was this tired, which I would be after like... 5 split seconds, I'd just keep going anyway. What a girly wimp.
Embryo finally came in for a landing in a cave in one of the cliffs. Looking around, she realized that her and Summit had once spent the night in this one. She felt her eyes filling with tears. She remembered the jokes they had shared together here, what not. The sound of the pattering rain continued behind her; though it was raining outside, it was all dry in here, and there was nothing here to cover up her tears. So, as she curled up on the cave floor in her lonely ball, she decided to just let them flow.
Embryo woke up after only about four hours of rest, it was still very dark out. She knew that eventually Summit would come after her, he'd want to help her, that's just how he was. But she just didn't want to face him again, she couldn't. So, though she wasn't really ready to wake up, she knew she had to get a move on.
She was still exhausted from yesterday's flight, but the sleep had taken the edge off. Her wings were still sore with each beat as they carried her through the starlit sky, but she'd been through worse, right?
As she flew, Embryo's mind went back to her Laying, all the pain, the writhing, the screaming. Had that really been her? Embryo winced just thinking about it. How could the gentle, hypersensitive Embryo she knew herself to be have actually gone through all that and actually be here to reflect on it now. She could hardly think back on it without it making her want to cry out with how horrible it had been. She couldn't fathom going through it again, she could hardly fathom anymore that there was a time when she actually had to experience it the first time to get to being who she was now. But no matter how much she still couldn't imagine herself taking it, there was no denying that she already had. That she could know so well that it was something she couldn't bear, know that she had still had to experienced every single awful moment of it anyway, and to realize that she was still here after to remember, she just couldn't process.
The Sun rose high in the sky, and then continued on its downward arc. It was setting in the horizon by the time she spotted her village, the Moons becoming visible in the sky. Her village sat isolated in the empty valley, and Embryo couldn't figure out if it felt like the welcoming presence of home, or just a lonely speck in all the world she had left behind.
She landed on the streets of town feeling the familiar stones under her talons, and began to make her way home.
As she made her way through the streets, all was mostly quiet, it seemed the majority of the dragons had gone home for the night and the bustling for the day was over, though here and there she'd hear the occasional screams erupting from one of the houses of a dragon in the process of Laying an Egg. Embryo flinched.
Before, these screams had always disturbed her, but now that she knew what it was like to actually go through it herself, she couldn't help but wince, her heart twisting up inside her knowing that even while she was still recovering from her own, another dragon was going through that same pain and agony right now, the experience firmly rooted fresh and raw in their present.
She shook her head. She just needed to get home and put this whole thing behind her.
Finally, she was there. Standing at the doorstep of her house. Looking at the door, she raised her talons to knock.
There was a rustling inside, and a moment later, the door opened. Albumen and Yoke stood there, looking at her, their eyes filled with light.
Without saying a word, they threw themselves around her in a hug. Embryo just stood there, taking in the warmth of their embrace, and let the tears slide gently from her eyes.
Leading her inside Albumen took in her body, "You look exhausted my little Embryo, you must be starving." She led her to the table and gestured for her to sit down. "Sit down, I'll get you some food."
Embryo did as her mom asked, and Albumen hurried to the kitchen. As the sound of dishes clattering started inside, Yoke looked at her.
"So," Yoke said, "you were gone a few weeks. How did your travels go? How was the world?"
Embryo looked away, she could feel her eyes filling with tears again.
"Not to good I see," Yoke replied, "Embryo, I'm sorry."
They sat in silence while the sounds of Albumen cooking in the kitchen continued.
Finally, Albumen came back in, carrying a giant plate loaded with food. She laid it down before Embryo, and Embryo saw what it was.
"Creamed Omelet," Albumen announced proudly, "One of my own. I saved it specially for you."
Embryo felt herself growing cold. She remembered all the things Summit had said about eggs, about how they had dragonets growing inside. She looked at the fork in her talons, then down at the fluffy yellow Omelet on her plate. Albumen and Yoke were watching her with expectation, eyes filled with love. They didn't- The Egg- This was her mother's own... This could be Embryo's brother, her sister.
The egg sat on the plate in front of her, its aroma beckoning her.
Embryo felt herself growing sick. Very, very sick.
Unable to bear it anymore, Embryo shot up. "I'm sorry, I just can't do it."
With that, she dashed to her room, letting the door slam shut behind her.
Why, Embryo, why? Summit thought with every beat of his wings.
After Embryo had left, Summit had spent the next few hours debating what he should do. Should he follow her, or should he just let her go? At first Summit hesitated at the idea of following her. Didn't only weird guys follow the girls they had a crush on halfway across the continent after they had pretty much ended their relationship? But then, what about Embryo, who would be there for her?
Finally, Summit made up his mind, he would return back the way he came, which coincidentally was also the way Embryo had come. He wouldn't be following her, he'd just be going the same way. What a coincidence. And if he ran into her, well then...
But as he flew along, Em's egg was packed with care, he realized, who was he kidding? Of course he wanted to find Embryo again. He wanted to find her and make everything better. That's why he was going this way, to find Embryo, to try to be there with her.
But Embryo was too far ahead, and wherever she was, he didn't seem to be gaining any ground.
Ironic. Once he'd refused to fly behind her, now he was flying so far behind her that he didn't even know if he was on the right track.
Summit blushed, remembering the reason why he'd tried not to fly behind her. So much for that. He shook his head. As much as he tried, he couldn't help but remember how attractive he thought Embryo was. His face was burning with redness. Why did he have to find Embryo's differences from him so... crushible?
Before her suffering, he'd tried to keep himself from certain aspects of Embryo. And even though he knew his reason for allowing himself on that side of her during her laying was sincere, he couldn't deny now what he knew and how that made him feel. Though he'd suspected it before, after allowing himself to see Embryo that way while she was laying her Egg, Summit now knew he thought all of Embryo was pretty. Of course he couldn't think about Embryo without knowing how pretty she was, it was just natural, even as he had spoken to her just after she'd laid, he knew he'd never see her the same, that whenever he saw her, he would remember that aspect of her. He knew that him and Embryo were different, and he knew that made him find her attractive, but that wasn't really the only reason he liked her was it? That they couldn't connect on a deeper level because of it, right? He knew it wasn't, he just knew. But whatever it was he saw in her, he just didn't know how to find the words.
But just because he couldn't find the words didn't mean that it wasn't real did it?
As Summit flew on, he saw no sight of Embryo. Into the night he flew. Hadn't she stopped to rest at all? He knew he would have to stop soon; he just couldn't go much longer. He couldn't help but feel the rising annoyance within him. Maybe my female body is just not cut out for long journeys, Embryo says, my girly body is too weak to explore the Bay of a Thousand Scales - Well of course you can't - Just watch me fly all the way back to my village in one shot because I'm too weak and girly to do anything else- Three Moons you can't.
But as frustrating as it all was, Summit couldn't stay upset at her for long. Embryo was hurting, she didn't see how valuable she really was; She needed a friend. And he wasn't it. He was just that weird guy with a crush on her.
For the first time, Summit really began to regret his crush on Embryo. If only he'd just been her friend... If only he hadn't had a crush on her he'd have been able to tell her how valuable she really was. He'd be able to show her that he valued her not because she was pretty, but because who she was. But because he did have a crush on her, that's all he was to her, that weird guy chasing his ex-girlfriend halfway across the continent because he just couldn't let her go.
Oh Em, I'm sorry, he thought, I'm sorry I could never have been more. If only...
If only he had never found girls so pretty.
Embryo sat on the edge of her bed looking at the Peregrine carving Summit had given her, her hammering heart calming little by little, the memory of Summit relaxing her. The memories of a time long gone, or at least it felt like.
She felt the tears building once again in her eyes. She had returned home thinking this was where she belonged, but now everything felt more wrong than it had before. Everyone still expected her to marry Vitellus, and yes, she had expected to lay eggs for the rest of her life, that was her purpose, but how was she expected to tell everyone that the eggs created with the help of a partner, those were alive? How could she lay those for everyone, allow them to have them for Breakfast? Maybe Summit was wrong, maybe he was poorly informed... But was she really willing to sacrifice the life of her helpless dragonets on the chance that Summit was wrong?
Her mind was so messed up. Maybe it wouldn't have been this way if she'd never left in the first place.
Her stomach twisted again as she thought of the egg. Her own sibling, served to her on a platter. She thought of the MudWings her and Summit had spent so much time with, how close they were to their sibs. How would they feel know that her sib... Embryo choked up. True or not, how could she ever look at an egg again the same way, knowing that she could potentially be eating her baby brother or baby sister? She just couldn't.
There was a knock at the door. Embryo really didn't want to talk at the moment, but she figured her parents must be worried - what must they think happened to her out there? She couldn't avoid them forever. Taking a deep breath, Embryo placed the Peregrine carving on the desk by her bed and turned to respond.
"Come in," she answered heavily.
The door opened and Albumen stepped in. Carrying the plate of Omelet.
"Hey sweety, I noticed you didn't finish your supper."
Embryo swallowed, not knowing what to say. "I... wasn't... hungry."
Albumen gave a weak smile, "I understand, I'll just place it here for when you are." She laid the plate on Embryo's desk, carefully scooting aside the Peregrine carving with it. Letting the plate rest, Albumen took in the carving. "Nice carving. You know, peregrines lay pretty tasty eggs too. Not as good as dragons, but good."
Embryo just sat there silently.
Albumen lowered herself on the side of Embryo's bed to sit down beside her, the way most natural for dragons. "You know, if you have anything on your mind, you can talk to me."
Embryo looked down, "I know, I just don't..." She went silent.
Albumen nodded. "You know, me and your father, we've been so worried about you... I mean, we've kept on our daily life, but... we haven't really contributed any eggs together since you've left."
Embryo looked up in surprise, "But that egg, from tonight...?" She looked over at it on her desk. Was it possible...
Albumen shrugged, "I made that Egg all on my own. Your father and I have been so stressed, but you know, nature calls as nature calls. I decided to save it specially for you when you returned - the village has enough other dragons contributing to our Great Breakfast - I figured I could save just this one for you."
Embryo went silent. "So this egg," she began again, "there's no dragonet in it?"
Albumen looked caught off guard, "No, of course not, I don't know what you're talking about."
"And dad, you're sure he wasn't involved in this egg?"
Albumen waved her talons dismissively, "I think I'd know of the time me and your father spent together. No, this egg was all mine, and I wanted you to have it. A special gift from me to you. To celebrate your return."
Embryo looked at the egg, her stomach settling, relief washing over her. So if what Summit said was true, this really wasn't one of her siblings. It was just an egg, like the one she'd given to Summit, empty of any life. Useless of any purpose except to become an Omelet.
Embryo looked at her mother, "Thank you."
Albumen nodded, "Anything I can do to help. I just want you to know, I love you." And with that, Albumen nuzzled Embryo's head, got up, and left the room.
Embryo looked back at the Omelet her mother had left her. She sighed at the relief that filled her. It was just an egg, nothing more.
Carefully picking up the fork, she portioned herself out a bite, picked it up, and put it in her mouth. Chewing, she let herself absorb the fluffy taste. With everything she'd been through, Egg was still delicious - maybe a weird result of girly weirdness, but still - very delicious.
As she ate, Embryo looked at the Peregrine carving on her desk. Her heart started to tremble as she remembered all the time she had spent with Summit. Embryo had shared all her girly weirdness with him, and she couldn't imagine what weird thoughts that had made him feel about her, and it was embarrassing... But despite all the weird aspects of herself, he had never let that make him see her as lesser than him. He had seen her in all her awkward weaknesses and vulnerabilities that he'd never know for himself - he was a boy, of course he'd never have to deal with those problems - and yet he had never looked down on her because of it. Instead, he had tried to stand by her as a friend and an equal. He had respected her because, despite the root of his feelings, he had loved her. He'd always tried so hard to be kind to her, and she'd just left him like she did.
Tears started to fill her eyes and silent sobs started to escape her. She'd left Summit... How could she just... she didn't want...
But it was over. She was back in her old life, her old purpose, it was time to accept that this was her future. Her time with Summit a thing of the past.
"Oh Summit..."
Summit arrived back at his home village late in the afternoon. Landing on a cliff overlooking it, he suddenly realized a problem. He had followed Embryo's route all the way back to where he had first met her, but this wasn't where she had started. A pit opened up in his stomach as he realized, he had no idea as to the way to the OmeletWing Village.
He looked around frantically. Maybe she was here, maybe she had stopped here briefly before returning home.
But deep down inside he knew that hadn't happened. Embryo was long gone, and Summit had no idea as to where to.
Summit swallowed hard as the truth hit him. Was it possible that Embryo of the OmeletWings was out of his life forever?