Small Discoveries

Having returned to the Pathfinder Hall, your small office became slightly more cramped now with the sizeable egg-like object, taking up the space in your desk that your accounting and other projects had been. You’d tried to bring it in without notice, fearing that you would attract undue attention. Worse than becoming the conversation piece of your fellow Pathfinders, you feared that if it were what it seemed to be, that the project would swiftly be swept away from you and some more senior individual would try to take over. You particularly didn’t want your father to catch word of this; not yet at least. Gods know he’d have his thoughts about this you thought yourself, telling you what to do immediately as if he was an expert on eggs or dragons. Door closed behind you, an uncommon behavior for you, you tried to study this more closely.

“Hello, my little friend” You spoke softly as you ran your hands across it’s rough, firm surface. Whether it was an egg, whether it was still alive, you didn’t know, but speaking to it as if it could listen helped clarify your mind “So many secrets you have, are you going to share any of them with me?”

You spotted a small collection of feathers that would later be used for quill pens, and saw another useful purpose. You wanted to clean the heavy caked on dirt and mud on it, but were concerned about using water. If it was alive, a porous shell would let the water inside, possibly drowning it. Instead, you grabbed a group of them in a small circle with one hand, and your staff in another. Overlooking the page in your spell book, now demoted to lingering on the floor, you enchanted the feathers. Now animated, they moved across the surface of the object. Helping with your own hands, removing the larger globs, the majority of the dirt was removed, giving a more clear sign of it’s surface and texture. It clearly had the appearance of an egg, though you’d be afraid to call it an egg of a dragon. There are too many large beasts in T’sara that originate from eggs to be able to make such an assumption. With the dangerous most of them would be, trying to hatch this yet still seemed like an incredibly risky endeavor.

As the animated feathers dusted it, you had an unexpected visitor. Your familiar, who in all of the activity you had surprisingly forgotten about, flew up from the floor to the desk, clearly curious about the new, large object taking up all of your attention. You let out a slight giggle as the kitten got close, first trying to play with the animated feathers before looking over the egg much larger than him.

“What do you think? You asked “You ready for a new winged brother or sister?” A solitary meow was your only response, leaving you the room to fill in the blanks

“No, I’m not sure I’m ready either. Even still, we probably shouldn’t leave this up here too long, lest we knock it over. I can’t imagine the smell it would let out if it cracked and it had been fertilized at any point.”

Comfortable at last to call it an egg, you hoisted it off your desk and put it in a quiet corner next to your small shelf of books, free from where anyone may stumble over it or damage it, or their own feet. The extra benefit, you could keep an eye on it from your desk, and be out of sight from most onlookers who might come in. Your own personal collection of books had nothing approaching dragons specifically or biology more broadly. Closing your office behind you, you made your way into the Pathfinder’s communal library, hoping to find something that provide some clarity. The last LoreMaster responsible for curating these books was something of an eccentric, and with no one to replace them after their untimely demise, it had been left in this chaotic state.

“Gods!” You protest angrily and quietly, trying to find any rhyme or reason and how you may find the book that you need. “I can’t believe this. Why can’t I find the book I need!?”

“Because books don’t always have the answers” You heard a loud, deep, gentle voice suddenly behind you that made you jump. Startled, you grabbed the book case as you looked behind you, seeing Thraggazk, a kind, heavy set Orc among the Pathfinders. He was a Druid, and had been something of a Shaman among his own people before a vision lead him to leave.

“You scared me half to death Thraggazk” You said with a slight stern in your voice, knowing it was not intentional. “How is it someone so big as you is always so quiet.?”

“I move as the wolf moves” He answered in his typical manner, in a poetic manner of few words.

“Did you need something?” You asked, deliberately more polite. “Can I help you?”

“No.” He shook his head as took a step to the side, revealing your familiar behind him. “Your friend didn’t want to be left alone.” The winged cat flew up and perched on your shoulder.

“Oh, thank you” You responded “Sorry for leaving you alone,” you turned to Bande, your feline familiar “You’re not used to being all by yourself, are you?”

The hefty druid began to walk away, not another word spoken, before you stopped him “Wait, Thraggazk, actually, back to what you said, I’m wondering if maybe you can help me with something. Do you think you can help me identify an egg?”

“Gladly.”

Journeying into your small office, the increased size of Orcs relative to the other species was more obviously pronounced. The old shaman had stopped dead in the doorway, seeing immediately what you had, propped against the shelf.

"I have some answers, Molerre, but they are outnumbered by the questions. That is unquestionably a dragon egg."

"How do you know?" You asked. Your tone may have been more accusatory than you intended, based on his response.

"I know because I know." Thraggazk responded sharply "my vision and my experience tell me, that is enough."

"It was found buried in the ground, do you know what kind it is?"

"That, I cannot help you with. It does not match any dragon eggs that I know of. There are some that are thought to only exist in legend, or that have gone extinct. In any event, Miss Molerre, I strongly suggest you take your next actions carefully, as you will soon find out."

"Why, what do you mean?"

"It's alive, and from the energy within, will hatch soon."