Unmade Chapter 22: Chapter 22: i little louder

Read chapter 22 of Unmade by churro on NovelPedia.

Vale walked across the wet surface of the bloody sea, each step sending faint ripples outward like liquid glass. Ahead of him, the small pale egg trembled violently. Whatever was inside was struggling, desperate to break free. Cracks spread across its smooth surface, glowing faintly from within. “Calm down, will you…” Vale murmured as he approached, his voice quiet but oddly gentle. The chained man followed a few paces behind, his heavy steps silent despite the weight of his armor. Even he seemed interested, something rare enough to unsettle Vale more than the trembling egg itself. Vale crouched once he reached it. The egg lay where it always had, beside the pile of books and the faint reflection of the black suns above. He lowered himself to sit cross-legged and reached out carefully. It was warm, alive even. Despite the chaos of its movements, it fit snugly in his hand, though only barely. The chained man came to stand beside him. Then, almost uncharacteristically, he crouched down as well. His masked face tilted slightly, dark gaze fixed upon the egg. “So…” Vale began, watching the cracks deepen. “What do you think it’s gonna look like?” The man turned his head toward him briefly, then back to the egg. When he spoke, his voice was smooth, deep, almost unreal in its clarity, like the voice of something meant to be obeyed. “You can’t really know,” he said slowly, letting each word form with deliberate weight. “After all… it’s that woman’s child.” Vale blinked, frowning slightly as he processed the words one by one. He had grown good at deciphering the man’s speech, but this time, confusion slipped through. “Her?” Vale asked. The man’s gaze didn’t move from the egg. “Did she take a male form when you met?” The question hit Vale like a quiet revelation. Understanding dawned, and he gave a small, breathless laugh. “So that’s what it was… she can change her form.” The memory of that creature, her distorted, corpse-like voice echoing through the sea, flashed briefly in his mind. No wonder he hadn’t recognized her true nature. A fragment of the eggshell fell away, landing softly on the sea’s surface before being swallowed by it. Vale leaned closer. The massive white tiger had returned by then, padding silently across the crimson waves. It sat beside them, tail curling neatly around its paws as it watched. The other two creatures, the black lizard and the crimson centipede, soon joined as well, forming a quiet circle around the hatching egg. Through the widening cracks, Vale caught glimpses of motion, something pale and sinuous. Then, for a heartbeat, he saw it clearly: a tail, twitching weakly. In the center of that tail… an eye opened. It was slitted like that of a cat or serpent, burning bright ember, but the color wasn’t stable. It shimmered and shifted between hues, as though the creature’s very essence was undecided, its nature still being written. The moment their eyes met, Vale felt it. A jolt, not pain, but recognition. A link forming deep inside him, resonating in a place beyond thought or language. The chained man’s gauntleted hand came to rest on his shoulder. “Don’t worry,” the man said, his tone softer than usual. “It’s establishing a resonance link. Like telepathy, but for emotions, not words.” Vale didn’t answer. He couldn’t. The connection was too strange, too intimate. He could feel the creature’s heartbeat, its confusion, its fragile sense of trust bleeding faintly into his own chest. Another fragment of shell broke off, then another. Piece by piece, the egg came apart, revealing the small being curled within. When at last the shell gave way completely, Vale found himself holding a pale reptilian creature no larger than a newborn bird. Its body was lean and powerful, shaped like that of a miniature theropod, a mix between a drake and something older, rawer. Two small foreclaws clutched weakly at Vale’s fingers, while its hind legs trembled as it tried to stand. Its scales shimmered faintly under the dull light of