In the endless darkness, I awoke to consciousness and sentience. I can feel myself, my body, yet unable to move to my liking. I feel something within my mind at this inability to move.

.....Ah yes; it's annoyance. Strange how I know that yet I just came to being. Well, just thinking about this is strange in general I guess. It seems I have...what’s the word...memories. Yeah, that's about right I think. Well, at least the common sense memories anyway. I guess this would be retrograde amnesia?

No, that can't be right. Otherwise I'd be.......well, something else I guess. Seems that I am somewhere as something in a certain situation. None of which I know anything about.

Panic, is that word? No, not yet anyway. Right I remember now; I'm worried. This dark place is stifling and small. I don't like it very much, and I want to get out of here. Let's see, maybe I can escape?

First thing is first, though. What do I have to work with? I try moving what seems to be connected to me. I seem to have 4 limbs I think, the top two feel unfamiliar to my memories. They feel too weak to escape. My legs feel good, but seem to be stuck in front of me.

Head, body, limbs; Seems like I'm a creature of some sort. Hmm, something seems to be on my head.

It's a beak I think. Does that mean I'm a bird thing of some sort? Explains why my arms feel so funny anyway. That must mean I'm in an egg of some sort.

Birds, eggs, escape; maybe if I use my beak? I thrust my face forward, and feel the other side of my prison with my beak. Nothing happened though, most disappointing.

Let's try again then. "Hmph." Oh, looks like I can make sounds now. I hear something outside my prison, more noises and crying. It must be breakout time for everyone then; time to join them.

"Snick, snack." Oh, I think I see a small light now. Better go slow then, even that little pinprick is a little blinding. Little more than, ah yes the light is increasing.

"Squeak." ....I sound so defenseless and weak. Can't wait till puberty....huh I don't remember this word well for some reason. Anyway, back to escape.

"Crack." Oh, the light spread out. That's really pretty, like cracks of light in the endless void.

You have gained the "Art" Stat.

.....What the heck is this thing? Some sort of screen popped up in front of my face. Seems strangely familiar for some reason. Oh, seems like a mini memory rush there. Stats are numerical ratings of aspects of an organism. Commonly found in games and stories.

Does this mean I'm in a game or story? Am I a... NPC or reincarnated person? Well, whatever I am I sure feel alive. Most important thing anyway right now.

Art stat from birth; must be because I have the capacity to appreciate it from my memories. Why would a bird need such a thing anyway?

What's that? The cries sound a little panicked out there; almost like there's trouble. Must be a predator then; which means I need to hurry up and find somewhere safe.

One more time and....success!

'Fear me for I am Eggslayer! Well, my first thought in the real world and I'm already feeling like I took that from someone. Oh well, copying is the highest form of flattery.'

I look around my surroundings. It seems like I am in a nest made of straw. I'm the only hatched egg in a group of 6. We seem to be on an elevated rock shelf overlooking a...beach? Never seen green water before....oh right I was just born.

Anyway, it seems like there are a lot of nests scattered around; mine is just the highest. I don't see any parents, and I don't really have the time to give myself a once over. Those cries I heard earlier, they were all around me now.

Chicks were scattering to the wind as what looked like, err, a smorgasbord of creatures were eating them. I see reptiles, mammals, and even other bird types swiping and stuffing their mouths with as many chicks as possible.

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Looks like I'm safe at this high elevation for now. 'Or not.' I think as I watch a rather large bird fly to a neighboring nest and carry the entire thing off. That's one big bird, a condor like thing.

'Wait, that means I'm in danger!' I look back to my siblings. None of them seem to be close to hatching. As much as my instincts are screaming at me to escape, my memories seem to be telling me to save them. Some kind of...maternal instinct.

'Even if I'm not a girl.' I muse to myself, 'Anyway, I guess I should try to save them.' This left me in awkward situation though. I was on an elevated stone plateau, maybe 10 feet off the ground. I was the highest, and all the other nest were empty or gone at this point; their former occupants being eaten or fleeing.

'Need to hide them somewhere safe. Also, I need to hide too.' It was a rocky place, maybe there was a cave nearby. Thankfully my legs seemed to be working fine, and they felt strong. I ran around the platform and found...nothing useful.

'Not that it should be so easy.'

If I went down, the ground predators would get me. If I went up, the bird cannibals would get me. Also, I was just born with basically no limbs capable of moving this sizable nest.

Maybe making plans right after birth wasn't the best plan.

Giving up on this area, I inspected the closest rock cropping that didn't have nests. Not that one, not that one, oh hey success! I spied a small cave on a close rock. It looked big enough for the eggs and me to fit, but not anything else.

'Great! Now to actually do things.' Huh, my personality already seems to altering to my new experiences. Now how to I actually do that?

As I turned back to my nest, a mouse like creature was chomping on one of my brethren!

"Squawk squawk!" 'Get away from my siblings you furry menace!'

I ran over and began kicking the mouse with my legs. In hind sight, maybe attacking a predator was a bad idea. On a lucky note, the mouse was the same size as I was, so my kicks did actually work against it; enough to annoy it anyway. With an angry squeak, it turned and pounced toward me with anger in its eyes.

“Squeak squeak!” ‘Just die and become my food!’

I guess I can understand animals then. Also, this thing is a lot more evil than its appearance would suggest. What kind of animal demands prey to roll over and die?

“I refuse!” I yelled back defiantly, swinging my leg up to meet his chin. Being in the air, the mouse felt the full force of my leg and went flying over the edge of the rock, squeaking petty vengeance as it fell to its death.

You have slain a field mouse

Exp gained

Kick proficiency acquired

Title: Nest defender gained

‘Once again, more of this blue screen thing.’ I thought to myself. As it turned out, two of my siblings had been eaten by the mouse; quick little bastard left nothing behind. With only 5 eggs left, I used my head to push the nest toward the edge of the rock in the direction of the cave. There wasn’t any way to carry the eggs down safely, and I had nothing to use for hands.

With a silent prayer, I pushed the entire nest off to the lower rock face. I closed my eyes until I heard it land, than peaked over the side.

Success! 3 of the eggs made it with the nest, and two got smashed. ‘I’ll never forget you eggs 4 and 5.’ I inwardly sobbed. I was egg one, and the 4 lost eggs were 2-5 respectively. At least I saved 3 of my siblings.

I hopped down after them, landing on my strong feet. Actually, they weren’t that strong; the landing really hurt. My beak seemed to shift into the avian equivalent of a grimace I rolled the remaining eggs into the cave and followed them in. I pulled the nest over the opening and hankered down. I fell asleep as the cries of my species echoed outside.