It was just after the baby bird opened its eyes that Tym realized he should have studied more. That had always been his problem. The stars of his birth foretold of great magical potential, and there was little doubt that potential existed, however Tym seemed to actively avoid the work that would activate said potential.
Natural talent had opened the doors to the most famous of magical academies. Natural laziness had ensured that he was kicked back out of those doors with only a base understanding of any of the complex mysteries of ether.
He had drifted aimlessly, forever looking for the easy route, the path of which seemed beset by hardships.
But then he has discovered the original Deadland’s Scroll. This much fabled scroll held answers to questions long thought unanswerable. Assuming, that is, one put in the effort.
Instead of parsing mysteries, Tym perused the Deadland’s Scroll in search of a quick payday.
And that is exactly what he found. Or so he thought. Even he was surprised that the path to wealth would be illuminated by baby birds.
But Tym was eager for riches, and more than a little full of himself. And the eggs he purchased, once hatched, would make his future.
He waited for the first to hatch, and when it did, he hand fed the chirping bird that exited the shell.
He enjoyed tending the hatchlings. He even found them cute.
But all that changed when the first, Beaksie, at last opened its eyes.
And Tym realized that he should have studied more. Especially languages and translations.
After all, it now seemed unlikely that the passage that started him on this journey read “Looking into even a newly hatched roc’s eyes will get you stoned.”
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