Themo approached Naveck outside of the Incubation Chamber, “Ever hear of anything like that?” he asked, nodding toward the building.

Naveck shook his head slowly, “Wouldn’t have believed it if I had.”

----------------------------------------

Within the Incubation Chamber, Malik admired the new gargoyle as she took in her surroundings. He didn’t dare take his eyes off of her and study the skill update he knew he had received. Finally, she laid her eyes on Malik and tilted her head slightly, as if she were trying to place his face.

“Welcome. How do you feel?” Malik asked, genuinely curious about what the female gargoyle was going through.

Her brow creased slightly, “Odd. I feel as if I know you, and so much more. In my time within the egg, I was flooded with information and memories that aren’t mine. How long was I in there?”

“Minutes? Seconds? Not long,” Malik said.

Her brow creased even further, “It felt like a lifetime. You are Malik, yes?”

“Fascinating,” Malik whispered. “Yes, I am Malik. Can you remember how you learned that?”

She shook her head, “Some things came to me as memories. As if I were watching, unnoticed, and standing with you. Other things, I just know. I know that I am the second Gargoyle and that I must protect this place at all costs,” the words spilled out of her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “Malik, can I have a moment, please? My mind is racing. I need to slow down for a minute.”

“Of course,” Malik said with some concern, picking off a small piece of shell from her hair and flicking it to the side.

She nodded her thanks and fell into a crouch, much like the one he had held for all of those years atop the castle.

Remembering his unchecked update, he thought it was a good time to check it while she gathered her thoughts.

Class Skill Unlocked:

Founder's Bloodline

Within an Incubation Chamber, transfer knowledge and strength to hatchlings through blood sacrifice of self. Effects determined by amount and freshness of blood. The first generation of your bloodline is granted this skill.

Malik thought about the amount of blood that had left his body — confirming to himself that he gave much more than the requirement of the structure. He thought that perhaps he nearly died during the ordeal, remembering Naveck’s panicked face and the way his strength had left him. Based on the description, the varied effects must have given her an abundance of what he knew and boosted her level to match his.

He wondered what just a couple of drops of blood would do. What kind of effects would there be if she used the skill within the incubation chamber? It was also dangerous for him. He didn’t think he would ever give so much in the future. Malik had many questions and would need to experiment further.

The biggest mystery to him was her class. He would need to ask her what skills she had, if any. Did she obtain the “Guardian” class because that had been his original purpose? It was possible, but he wondered what it entailed as a living gargoyle.

These questions would all be answered in time, but there was another phenomenon. One that he couldn’t explain. He didn’t know this other gargoyle, but the desire to help her, protect her, and see her prosper, took precedence above all else.

“Have you chosen a name yet?” he asked softly, afraid to disturb her.

She nodded, “Aisha.”

Malik’s throat constricted and his eyes felt strange, “It’s beautiful,” he said, clearing his throat. “When you’re ready, would you like to go outside and see the sky? There are dwarves, water, trees, and even tasty snacks out there too.”

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She gave a small laugh, “Yes, I’m ready. But not all at once. What is a ‘snack’?”

Malik bared his fangs in a smile, “I’m glad you don’t know everything that I do. Come.”

As they emerged from the Incubation Chamber, the dwarves’ attention had still been on the building, waiting for Malik to come out. They hadn’t expected another gargoyle to come out as well. However, once they saw her, they all looked away, faces turning red behind their beards.

Malik frowned, “What’s the problem?”

Naveck leaned forward, eyes focused on the ground, “Ah, well, the young lady doesn’t have any clothes, sir.”

Malik looked over at Aisha who shrugged and started walking toward the small fire. The dwarves in the vicinity all averted their gazes, trying to find something to do with themselves.

“You still have the shells from those beetle carcasses?” Malik asked.

Naveck nodded, “Ah, I see where you’re going with this. The lads will be excited to forge some armor.”

“Good. Now stop acting like that,” Malik said with disapproval. “Also, when will you begin building my personal structure?” He didn’t understand why they acted so strangely. Although, maybe that’s how other races were. He was given pants, even in his carved form. Still, it bothered him.

“Ah, I’ll get some of the lads to chop some timber as well. We managed to make a crude stone axe. It should get the job done, for now.”

“Very good.”

With that, Naveck shouted at the dwarves to help him. They all scurried to follow Naveck and save themselves from the awkward situation. One of the dwarves still carried a stick full of charred beetle meat. He didn’t argue when Malik plucked it out of his hands.

Joining Aisha by the fire, he handed it to her, watching her bite into it and savor the flavor.

“Oh, this is good,” she said, closing her eyes.

Malik laughed, “Come, let me show you the Altar.”

“Slow down, Malik. I want to see everything in time, just let me go at my own pace right now.”

Malik felt embarrassed. He was excited to show her everything, but after all, she had just hatched.

“My apologies, Aisha. Please, seek me out when you are ready.”

Aisha smiled at that, “Thank you, Malik. I will.”

The silver lining was that Malik could now look over his Founder’s Log. He was interested to see what information it might have regarding the Incubation Chamber. The map needed a thorough examination as well. He wanted to see if he could find a pattern in the beetle’s movements. He desperately wanted to explore one of the holes they emerged from.

He didn’t summon Zahid just yet, but he put his hands on the Altar to bring forth the Log. First, he went to the Citizens page.

Citizens of Stone Wing Spire:

2

Malik was glad that there wasn’t any further action needed to make Aisha a citizen of the settlement. Next, he went to the Buildings page.

Level 1 Incubation Chamber

Production:

1 Citizen per week (Founder Perk: First citizen born upon completion of the building - No longer available)

Altar Generation:

1 Altar Point per Citizen hatched

Activation Requirement:

Gargoyle Blood

Durability:

High - Unaffected by naturally occurring elements

Progress to Level 2:

(1/5 Citizens)

The durability trait was impressive, if not surprising. He had worried that they needed to cover the warm building to protect it from the outside temperature. This was also a reminder for him to experiment with creating a new egg and see what Level 2 had in store for the building. However, he still felt too weak to give any more blood. It was also interesting to him that the Activation Requirement only required Gargoyle Blood in general. It made him curious as to what the effects would be if a second generation gargoyle attempted to activate it.

Next, he went to his map. The sight made him blink in surprise. The surrounding area had expanded immensely since his glide and hunting trip earlier. There were also small markers showing where he had spotted the beetles, their levels, and which direction they were traveling. The map detailed much more than he could’ve ever remembered on his own.

Malik was buzzing with excitement at the thought of clearing out their patrols with Aisha at his side. Hopefully, she would be ready to join him soon. Until then, he would fly to the top of the peak where his extra beast cores still lay and watch over his valley while the dwarves worked and Aisha acclimated herself.