Bertrand hastily tears off an entire tree branch and drags it back to the nesting site. The sprouts atop their two precious eggs started glowing last night, which means they will hatch today. He sets the branch in place to complete the nest wall, ruffling out the leaves just so. Soil splatters around his feet as Audrey rapidly finishes digging out the central pit.
He carefully brings over the basket containing their eggs that he's carried the last week. The thick fibrous shells are tougher even than they look, but he still delicately scoops them out. The rich scent of damp leaf litter wafts over them as Audrey tips the rest of the basket's contents into the pit.
She takes the eggs, and he bounds away to collect armfuls of grasses, reeds, and moss to line the nest. Every Shadow instinct is telling him to conceal the nest - it should be tucked away in brambles in the darkness, but Nature eggs need sunlight as well as mulch.
Audrey is claws deep in the stuff, raking it precisely around the newly half buried eggs. At least decaying leaves are satisfying enough to a Plague dragon that she's not tempted to dunk them in goop.
She snorts at the few sweet flowers he offers, but doesn't object to him hanging them on the branches so their scent helps obscure their eggs. He wants some thorns to finish the nest, but none are around.
His body will have to do. He winds around the entire nest and anxiously peers over the side while Audrey calmly perches on his shoulder.
They wait, and wait. The eggs' leaves rustle. Tiny drips of sap ooze from steadily widening gaps in the fibrous shell until one egg suddenly bursts open like a flower unfurling its petals.
The little Nocturne flails, sap coated wings slapping his eggshell and sticking him there. His distressed chirps barely begin before Audrey hops down to tenderly lick him clean.
Bertrand did not think his heart could get any bigger, yet the feeling seizing him as the other egg splits open knocks all the breath from his body in a delighted wheeze.
Their Imperial son quietly blinks up at him. One swipe of Bertrand's tongue covers all of him. The hatchling squirms in surprise over his first bath, but makes no fuss. His tiny mane is all in disarray afterwards, so Bertrand smooths it down with a claw.
His besotted smile falters when they start wailing. He absolutely does not panic. Nope. He's completely calm when he turns wide-eyed to Audrey.
She boops him on the nose. "They're hungry, silly."
He guides the hatchlings into gnawing on their eggshells while they wait for her to hunt. She drags back a Blackwing Croaker and feeds them small strips of meat. Satisfied, the siblings curl up together for a nap. The bones make a good decoration for the nest.
Bertrand's tail flops down into the nest and his rambunctious sons take turns pouncing on the fluffy tuft at the end.
"He looks like an Etienne, don't you think?" Bertrand says as he untangles the Imperial's tiny claws. "And I'm not sure for him, but it should begin with a 'C'."
Audrey narrows her eyes at him. "Surely his name should begin with 'D' then, not an 'E'?"
"Well..."
"You expect our sons to find mates with names beginning with 'D' and 'F'?"
"Family tradition?" he tries.
She headbutts him fondly.
"We'll call this one Crescenzo then," she says as she scoops up the Nocturne.
Bertrand beams happily as he cuddles Audrey and his newly named sons.
Yep, their nest hatched. Say hello to Crescenzo and Etienne. Gene plans for them are in their bios and in the genes post. As you might see by now, I'm going for weird, unusual, and slightly unsettling looks for everyone in Amble Zigzags.
I also opened Barnacle-Encrusted Bottle X6 for 1,050t.
tucked away in the hollow remains of a tree pulses with a steady glow. Fluid shifts within the globules. Gently at first to match the pulse, then with increasing vigour until it sloshes violently.
dumped unceremoniously in the sand to hatch. Embers pulse, writhe, and the cragged surface explodes outwards in a shower of smouldering shrapnel.
tangled in reeds. Cracks spread slowly over the porous surface until the pieces split off and drift gently away.
