Legend of the OmeletWings - Chapter 19: Gathering
#19 of Legend of the OmeletWings
OmeletWings lined the battlements of the castle looking out at the distant mountains, the Sun beginning to set, the lights of the Three Moons in their various stages of their cycles rising into the sky. The King Chef landed at the front of the group and turned to face the waiting dragons.
"Tonight is the night the world has been waiting for, tonight we step out of the shadows and show Pyrrhia the beauty of the Omelet. Gather up every egg you find, travel to tribes far and wide, leave no egg unflipped. As the Great Egg-Sun rises over the land tomorrow morning, it will be the Dawn of the Age of the Omelet. Now fly! For the Omelet!"
"FOR THE OMELET!" Cried the proud dragons.
And with that, the OmeletWings alighted from the Castle's battlements into the night air, taking off for the mountains that surrounded their valley in every direction.
Embryo sat listening to the sounds of many wings overhead as the OmeletWing search party departed. A guard had escorted her to a quiet room a few minutes ago and locked the door behind her.
Though she was obviously being held captive, the accommodations weren't bad, the room was cozy with soft curtains and bedding, and all the comforts you could expect out of a royal guest room. A tray of food had even been laid out for her loaded with - guess what - Omelets.
Embryo checked the windows looking for an escape, but they weren't the kind made to be opened. Embryo wasn't in the mood for breaking them, but it wouldn't have helped anyway, even though they were surely big enough to let in enough natural light during the day, they were too narrow for a dragon to have any hope of fitting through. Wincing, Embryo realized it would be no tighter a fit than an egg being laid by a dragon, the only difference was, her body was made to lay eggs, no matter how impossible it may have seemed. She knew there was no way she could have done it if her bodily instincts hadn't naturally taken over to get the impossible done for her, and with this window, she knew there was no such natural method to make the impossible possible. She'd need to reshape her entire body, and the only time a dragon could do such a thing without permanently damaging themselves is while laying an egg, and even then, no matter how natural, having one's body forcefully reshaped to make room for an egg hurts just as much.
Embryo didn't want to think about it anymore, just the thought made her nauseous. She couldn't believe she'd actually done something so painful before.
Knowing there was not much to do, she moved to the bed and curled up. The bed was soft, the sheets made of the finest material with not a hint of roughness to them. Her bed at home was fairly comfortable, but this was a bed made for royalty. As much as Queen Omelet loved her Omelets, she obviously still had some appreciation for the finer things.
But though Embryo tried to rest, she couldn't. So she just lay their silently, her mind wandering to all the things that had happened, all the things she'd caused. She lay there, just breathing, letting the air and the feeling of the blankets calm her mind.
You experience things. Summit's words came back to her. To her, those words had meant nothing, but as she lay there, she realized that maybe they were true in some way, right now it was just her, breathing in and out, feeling the blankets, acknowledging her existence. Even if it wasn't much, it was still her, something only she could have, and no one else would truly know.
Finally, she got back up, and began wandering the room, the Omelets still laid on the table uneaten. Embryo found herself looking in a mirror at herself. She truly was a girl, wasn't she? Admittedly a pretty one at that if you liked slightly plump and all. She could see why Summit had liked her.
Embryo's heart deflated. If only that wasn't the only thing there was to like about her.
If only it wasn't because her sole purpose was to Lay Eggs.
Embryo was suddenly starting to feel self-conscious thinking about her crush upon herself when she heard the knock on her door.
Embryo was silent, not feeling the heart to reply. A moment later, the door cautiously opened, and Embryo's parents stepped in. Then they saw her, looking at them with those sad eyes.
Instantly they rushed to her, wrapping her in their talons in a hug. Embryo just stood there, taking it in. They just stayed there a moment saying nothing.
Finally, her parents pulled out of the hug and looked at her.
"Embryo, are you okay?"
Embryo just stood there speechless; she didn't know if she had it in her to say anything anymore.
"Embryo, we know everything's hard and you're confused, but we've been given a room right next to you, and we'll be here for you when you need us," Albumen said.
Finally, Embryo found her voice. "The eggs, the Queen... She sent them to eat the eggs... You can't let..." She looked at her parents, searching their eyes. "You don't believe me, do you?" Her voice cracked.
"Embryo," Yoke said, him and Albumen exchanged glances...
"We don't know what to think about this egg business of yours," Albumen continued, "We know you mean well, but all this? We just don't..."
"We just want the best for you," Yoke finished.
"We want you to have a future, we want you to be happy, we want you to find love..."
Albumen stopped as she saw the look clouding Embryo's eyes.
"To find love." Embryo repeated. She hesitated a second. "About... about that... about Vitellus... I don't think I can..."
As she trailed off Albumen looked at her, understanding lighting her eyes. "You've met someone else, haven't you?"
Embryo started. "I mean, about the eggs and all... for the cause... laying to eat... I can't-" but then she started to break down, "But then there was Summit, and he was there for me, and I said he didn't love me, and I left him, like I... like he didn't... that I didn't-" Embryo didn't know what she was saying anymore, she was just stumbling over herself. She just felt herself overflowing with such emotion, such regret, that she burst out crying.
There was so much heartbreak written on Embryo's face, Albumen let her fall into her embrace once more, holding her tight.
"I laid an egg, and I was so weak," Embryo stuttered, "and I screamed, and I wish I was never born, because I'm just a stupid girl. Summit doesn't need me, a stupid weak Egg Layer, that's all I am."
Albumen recalled how Embryo had mentioned having an Egg while she was out in her debriefing with the Queen, but this was the first time she was bringing it up directly to her mother. She'd kept it all bottled inside, and Albumen had never known of that proud moment when her daughter had laid her first Egg, and Albumen didn't know how to feel about that. But feeling Embryo in her embrace, she didn't sense the same level of enthusiasm that she'd come to expect from a first time Egg Layer, only a strange sense of grief.
She'd known Egg Laying could be rough, but she'd always figured that once it was done, it was done, it had never occurred to her that once it was over her daughter would have held onto the experience and let absorb into how she saw her life. But why wouldn't she have, it was such an important part of their lives as OmeletWings, why should they always conveniently just forget their struggles to bring such a treat into the world just because the result was so delicious? It didn't erase the fact that there was very real pain leading up to it, even if the good outweighed the bad. Was it possible that Embryo didn't see it the good the same way the other OmeletWings had?
Finally, Albumen spoke, "Being an Egg Layer is nothing to be ashamed of," she said, "It's something to be proud of."
Embryo buried her face into her mother, the tears rolling from her face. "I know that's how I'm supposed to feel, but I don't."
Albumen wrapped a wing around her daughter. "I know. You don't see it now, but someday you might." Albumen hesitated, preparing for what she had to say next. "We don't know how to feel about your claim of the Eggs being alive or whatever," she continued, "But we do know, as much as we've loved our Omelets, the best Egg we ever had was you."
Embryo just remained in the hug, accepting its warmth. Her heart was still heavy, still ached when she thought of Summit, and nothing still made sense, but her parents' love at least allowed her to feel there was some comfort in the world. It solved nothing, and maybe they didn't even believe what she'd come to believe about eggs, but they accepted her anyway, and that at least made every breath just a little easier to breathe.
Finally, Embryo gently pulled out of the hug and wiped her eyes, feeling a little better.
Before they left, her parents gave her one last hug, "Let us know if you need anything." And turned to leave the room to herself.
Once they were gone, Embryo shifted her legs, suddenly feeling the self-consciousness of the weirdness of her own existence coming back to her as she reflected on what she'd just revealed out loud to her parents. She was an Egg Layer, and she'd laid an egg, because she was a girl, and despite what her mother just said, it wasn't just painful it was weird, something only weird girly bodies did. And she'd had Summit there with her, and with Summit, a boy, she'd shared everything weird about herself. A boy who now knew all there was to know about girly weirdness because he'd simply been friends with her during that moment in her life.
But as awkward as that made Embryo feel, she didn't regret a single moment of it, she only regretted how it could never have worked.
Embryo sat on her bed and took out the Peregrine carving she had carried with her from her place. She felt the soft edges, once again appreciating the work that went into it.
Em thought once again back to her time with Summit. Her mind drifted to all the times her and Summit had been awkward around eachother, how ironically amusing it had been to be embarrassed by themselves around the other. She realized that maybe she did like being a girl, not just despite the awkwardness of it, but also partially because of it. She liked feeling like she was pretty, and that Summit had a crush on her. But she didn't want that to be all that defined her. She remembered the pain she'd felt while laying her egg, the uncontrollable mood swings she had while her body was preparing, she didn't want these to be a part of her, she wanted to be the one who saw the world, breathed in different atmospheres, just enjoyed her presence in life, things she could do whether she was a girl or not. Being a girl was only a part of who she was, and she wished there was a way to pick and choose the aspects that she wanted to live with and those that she didn't, but she didn't see how that could ever be possible.
Maybe she'd even appreciate Egg Laying if it didn't hurt so much. But Egg Laying had hurt, it had hurt her to her very Soul. She was scarred, and she'd dug the scars deeper by rejecting Summit. Maybe Summit had loved her, at the very least, he'd tried his best, but now it was too late, she'd turned him away, Summit was gone, and she doubted she'd ever see him again.
The pain, the heartbreak of it all, that was her experiencing things.
The OmeletWing's hunt for eggs stretched far and wide, reaching to every corner of the continent. The OmeletWings' noses, highly fine-tuned to the smell of Eggs, discovered plunder in even the most discreet of nests. The strongest and fastest fliers were selected for the further reaches of the continent, being able to reach it in less than half the time as an average dragon by eating one of the rare animus eggs and consuming its power, while the more average of fliers would gather their eggs from the nearer areas. Of course, it would've been nearly impossible to find and carry every single Egg in Pyrrhia, but by the time they had gathered all the Eggs they could, and carried them away in large sacks in their talons, there'd be no shortage of Omelets for the royal feast to share with the world, and not one corner of Pyrrhia would be left unawares to this Grand Historic Event.
In the darkness of the night, while most the dragons were asleep, the OmeletWings managed to swipe many of their eggs without confrontation. When a mother or father did happen to wake up and start to defend their eggs, the OmeletWings, many of them, so used by the constant pain of Egg Laying so common in their weekly routine (at least the females), were barely bothered by the attacks in comparison, and though leaving beaten and bruised, most of them managed to get away with their fair share of eggs. The few who were lost would always be remembered for their sacrifice for the Omelet.
And at each and every place they visited, they left a note.
Dear Hungry Dragons of the World,
It has come to my attention, and the attention of all OmeletWings in general that you have not been getting your daily dose of Omelet every morning (or any morning at all for that matter), and because of this unfortunate state of circumstances, we have with heavy hearts decided it is our duty to step out of hiding, and make things right. You have received this invitation in response to your gracious contribution to rightening this great wrong with your donation of your eggs, which you may have noticed have been retrieved from you while you slept last night. Many of you may be worried about what we may do with your Eggs, but rest assured, this is for a greater cause. Come join us in 3 days' time in the OmeletWing village for a Royal Feast of Omelets and other delectable Egg Dishes to discover the true beauty your eggs were always meant to be for. Bring with you your friends and family and anyone else who may be interested. All of Pyrrhia is invited to this Wonderous Historic Event!
Sincerely,
Queen Omelet of the OmeletWings.
And enclosed were the instructions on how to reach the OmeletWing Valley.
The Great Gathering of the Eggs spread further and further across Pyrrhia, never before had so many dragons lost so many eggs overnight. When the Sun rose in the sky and dragons began to wake the next morning, a great cry rang throughout the continent. The name of the OmeletWings, previously unheard of to most as anything more than an age old joke, was now known all across Pyrrhia, every dragon from east to west, north to south, who had anything to do with other dragons, knew the name of the OmeletWings. The OmeletWings who had stolen their unhatched, the OmeletWings, the Egg Snatchers who came in the night to eat their young...
The OmeletWings who now must pay!
Earlier into the night, as the OmeletWings had just begun their great gathering, a small party stopped at a village within the Claw of the Clouds Mountains, only a few hours flight from the OmeletWings' Village.
Entering a tavern that was now closed for the night, a single OmeletWing slipped into the kitchen and looked around.
And then he saw it, an Egg wrapped up in a blanket, glinting in the light of a nearby oven, just laying around waiting to be cooked like it was destined to be. Of course, these SkyWings lacked the vision to see the potential in such an Egg, and certainly it lying here in the kitchen was just a coincidence. What a waste. It was time for the OmeletWings to fix that.
So he approached the egg and prepared to grab it.
Earlier that night, Summit had offered to help Ravine in the kitchen, hoping to take his mind off of things, off Embryo, off everything. It didn't help, it just made him feel worse. As he worked, thoughts of Embryo kept coming to his mind, making him want to curl up and crack inside (maybe he already had). But because he was working, he had to keep it together.
But as the night wore on, as the other dragons began to leave, the silence of the kitchen just made him feel heavier. Ravine headed upstairs to clean up the rooms of the day's departed guests, promising to come back for her egg later when she was done, and with nothing but silence, eventually, Summit had dozed off in the kitchen, leaving his work forgotten.
Hearing the talons hitting the floor now, scraping the floor then lifting back up again, he regained awareness. What was happening? The lamps had burned themselves out for the night, but Ravine hadn't come back yet, or else she would have woken him up or something, so she must still be upstairs taking care of the keep of her tavern. And the talons didn't sound like hers anyway for some reason. They must be somebody else's.
Ducking behind a counter, he looked around it in the direction of Ravine's egg. As suspected, it was still there. And out of the shadows he saw them, talons reaching for the egg, ready to snatch it away.
Summit leaped, throwing himself at the dragon.
Summit and the OmeletWing tumbled across the floor, wrestling eachother for the egg, each struggling to pry it from the other's talons. The OmeletWing had not expected this sudden attack, but quickly regained his composure in sight of his mission.
"Let go of my Egg!" The OmeletWing cried.
"How's this your egg?" Summit sputtered, "You're a guy. And you don't seem Ravine's type!"
"It's for the greater good!" The OmeletWing declared, "You'll understand when you taste the wonder of the Omelet!"
In an instant, Summit realized who he was fighting. An OmeletWing! Three Moons, were these the dragons Embryo had to live with? What were they doing here?
Finally, the OmeletWing gained the upper talon, having more strength to him than Summit (Hey, he always made sure to eat a nutritious Breakfast every morning), and yanked the Egg free.
The OmeletWing ran for the door, Summit stumbling after him. Ravine, startled by from upstairs by the noise, quickly rushed down to join him.
"What happened!?" She cried.
"The dragon!" Summit cried, "He got your egg."
They both rushed after him, but they were too late.
As the OmeletWing flapped desperately out the door to the tavern and into the sky, Ravine's Egg in talon, he dropped something behind him, "Here, take this, you're invited, thank you for your contribution."
And Vitellus got the yoke out of there as fast as he could. He couldn't help but wonder what that guy's deal was. Who flipped his egg wrong?
Summit stepped over to what the OmeletWing had dropped, it was a small invite scroll. Summit read it, his suspicions confirmed. The thief was an OmeletWing.
But why were they doing this? Why make a sudden appearance after so long unknown? And so soon after Embryo had...
Summit swallowed. Did Em have something to do with this? Not willingly, surely, but...
Em, what have you gotten yourself into?
Summit looked after the OmeletWing, his moonlit silhouette beginning to disappear into the night.
Well, I guess I'm about to find out.
"I'm going to follow him," Summit told Ravine.
Ravine nodded. "Let's go," she said.
So, without hesitation, they took off after the OmeletWing, quickly before he disappeared from sight for good, following him as he flew into the distance with Ravine's egg, over the mountains, and in the direction of the hidden OmeletWing Village.
As he flew, Summit felt his heart growing inside him, he was going to save Ravine's Egg. But deep down inside, he knew there was another, more personal reason he was doing this, a hope sparking inside him that just earlier that night he'd feared had been lost...
He was going to find Embryo.