Chapitre 5: Chapter 5: First Breath of the Pack
The cube sat in the center of the nest, its faint green glow steady.The System's display showed:
[Hatchling Status: Incubation – 2 minutes until first emergence]
I stayed in place, knees bent, my weight evenly balanced. I didn't speak, didn't move more than necessary to breathe. This was not the moment to act—this was the moment to watch.
The forest was still. Only the smallest noises reached me: the occasional shift of leaves in the wind, the faint trickle from the pond, a distant bird calling once before falling silent again.
The timer reached one minute.
The glow from the cube shifted slightly in tone, brightening, then dimming in slow pulses. The metal sides retracted along clean lines, folding down and away until the incubator lay fully open. Inside, the five eggs rested on their cushioned mounts. The leathery shells were dappled in brown and gray, each about the size of a large melon.
[Hatchling Status: Emergence Phase – Do not disturb]
The first sound was soft—like a faint tapping from inside one of the eggs. A moment later, a second egg joined it, the rhythm uneven. The surface of the shells shifted slightly under the pressure from within.
I stayed completely silent. My breathing was slow, steady, controlled. The Beastmaster's Ring was warm now, not faintly as before, but with a steady, constant heat that matched my heartbeat.
The first tear appeared on the nearest egg, a thin line in the shell's surface. A small piece of the outer layer flaked away, falling onto the cushioning below. The movement inside grew stronger. The tear widened, another piece broke free, and a small snout pushed through—scaled along the tip, with the faint outline of short feathers along the sides.
The hatchling worked with short, repeated movements, pushing and twisting until more of the shell broke away. The head emerged fully—eyes still partly closed, breathing fast and shallow.
The System registered the moment.
[Utahraptor Hatchling – Bond Established]
The connection was immediate and clear. It wasn't words or thoughts, but an awareness—this creature knew I was here, and that I was its point of focus.
I did not reach out. I kept my hands still, letting it orient itself naturally.
The second egg cracked a heartbeat later, a sharper sound, the shell splitting in two directions. This hatchling emerged more quickly, claws pressing against the break as it forced the gap wider. It tumbled partially out onto the nest's leaves, wet and unsteady. Its head lifted, eyes opening fully—sharp, amber-colored, already watching me.
[Utahraptor Hatchling – Bond Established]
The third egg began to rock more than crack, rolling slightly on its mount. A few moments later, a large piece of shell broke off in a clean chunk, revealing part of a wing-arm covered in short, damp feathers. The hatchling paused, then pushed hard enough to snap the shell along its side. It slid free with a low, brief chirp.
[Utahraptor Hatchling – Bond Established]
The fourth egg took longer. The sound of movement inside was strong, but the cracks appeared slowly, spreading in small lines across the shell before any piece broke loose. When it finally did, the hatchling's head pushed through in a quick, decisive motion. It rested there for several seconds, breathing fast, before working the rest of the way out.
[Utahraptor Hatchling – Bond Established]
The fifth egg was last, still intact while the others were already shifting and testing their limbs. When the cracks did appear, they spread fast—three large lines splitting from a single point. The hatchling burst through in one final push, shell fragments scattering across the nest. It landed on its front, then pushed itself upright.
[Utahraptor Hatchling – Bond Established]
All five were out now, each breathing steadily, eyes moving between me and their surroundings. Their sizes were similar—no more than half a meter from nose to tail at this stage. The feathers along their arms and tails were still damp, sticking close to the body. Their claws flexed and relaxed in small movements as they adjusted to being outside the shell.
The System displayed a full update:
[Pack Status: Utahraptor Hatchlings – Bonded (5/5)]— Health: Stable— Mobility: Limited (Hatchling Stage)— Growth Rate: Accelerated – Full juvenile size in 6 weeks— Training Influence: Optimal within first 24 hours
I let the moment settle. The bond was there—strong, direct, unshakable. They recognized me as the central figure in their awareness, the one they would respond to above all else.
One of them—the second to hatch—took a few slow, testing steps toward me. I did not move. It stopped just short of my reach, head tilting slightly before it stepped back toward the others.
The group began to make soft, short sounds—not calls, but the kind of low noises meant for close communication. Their heads moved constantly, taking in the nest, the grass, the trees at the clearing's edge.
I kept my position until their movements slowed. They were alert but not distressed. No immediate threats, no signs of agitation. The clearing remained quiet.
My focus shifted back to the plan. This was the first day of their lives. How I handled the next hours would set the tone for their behavior going forward. I had to decide where they would stay, how they would feed, and when to begin moving them to a more secure location.
For now, I reached forward slowly and closed the incubator's now-empty mounts, folding the cube back into its compact form. It went back into the satchel. The nest would remain here as their first safe place until I decided otherwise.
I stood, the ring still warm on my finger, and looked down at the five creatures watching me. The beginning was complete.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone