Chapter 155: Chapter 150: Rocket
The Flame-Mane mare, filled with intense motherly love, gave birth to the little one she had carried for over 300 days. As an excellent breed of warhorse cultivated in East Gorge, she was quite intelligent and spirited.
But she didn’t see a cute little foal snuggling up to her. Instead, she saw an egg.
Her happiness was shattered.
Perhaps recalling the traumatic experience of being forced upon by a monster, she sent the egg flying with a kick of her hoof.
Hearing that the egg had been kicked away, Leech searched frantically. Thankfully, he found it in a pile of hay.
The egg hadn’t been shattered.
Leech picked up the Horse-headed Eagle Egg. It was about the size of an ostrich egg.
The Groom hadn’t dared to mention the egg earlier, likely because a mare laying an egg was so bizarre he feared punishment from his lord. He had no idea that Leech had been waiting for this very egg.
The egg’s surface was covered in peculiar patterns. Rubbing his palm over it, he could feel a distinct, bumpy texture.
Moreover, life was stirring within the egg, as if it were trying to break free. It had spent 300 days growing inside the mare’s belly, with only the final step of hatching left.
Leech glanced at the mare, who lay on the ground looking as if she had lost the will to live. He turned to the Groom and said, "Take good care of her. You’ve done well this time. Your reward is 10 Silver Moons."
He was in an excellent mood and wasn’t stingy with the reward. Besides, the Groom’s successful experience this time could perhaps serve as a reference for the large-scale rearing of Horse-headed Eagles in the future.
"Thank you, milord!"
The Groom, who had raised horses his entire life, never imagined he would be rewarded with the enormous sum of 10 Silver Moons simply because a mare had laid an egg. Just moments ago, he thought he was going to be hanged for it.
Carrying the five- or six-pound Horse-headed Eagle Egg, Leech left the stables and headed for the small courtyard where Arkke had previously trained Wasps. The Wasp-based pest control system was now officially in its trial phase, leaving the courtyard vacant.
He gathered some Hay and piled it into a nest, then placed the Horse-headed Eagle Egg inside.
Magical Creatures were truly wondrous. Griffins were supposedly live-bearing, as were horses, yet the Horse-headed Eagle was born from an egg.
Leech had no experience with hatching eggs, so he simply ordered someone to keep a constant watch on it. As for himself, he spent any free time he had sitting beside the egg.
During the hot summer, there was no need for special incubation. Besides, Leech figured the Horse-headed Eagle’s hatching probably wasn’t as complicated as one might think. Otherwise, how were the wild ones born? It was obvious that neither a mare nor a Griffin would know how to incubate an egg.
He didn’t try to suppress the news about the Horse-headed Eagle Egg. A creature destined to soar through the skies would be difficult to hide forever.
Within the castle, the rumor was simply that a mare in the stables had laid an egg. No one knew any more details. It became something of a running joke, dominating the conversations among the castle’s manservants and maids.
People loved to rehash the story.
CRACK, CRACKLE!
The egg began to tremble.
This was the most violent movement from the egg since it had been laid.
’Is it finally going to hatch?’
"Come on, little fella!"
Leech watched in anticipation as the Horse-headed Eagle Egg trembled more and more violently.
CRACK!
Cracks appeared on the eggshell with its bumpy patterns.
Something was knocking from the inside.
The cracks gradually widened.
CRACK!
A small opening shattered, and a bald head poked out.
It was a featherless bird’s head.
Upon seeing Leech, the fledgling opened its sharp beak and let out a "CHIRP! CHIRP!"
The smile on Leech’s face grew wider.
CRACK!
The Little Horse-headed Eagle struggled. It turned its head, using its beak to break open more of the shell so it could climb out.
Leech simply offered encouragement with his eyes, watching it emerge from the shell bit by bit.
A small, bald creature appeared before Leech’s eyes.
The name "winged beast with the head of an eagle and the body of a horse" perfectly described its appearance.
It had the head of an eagle and the body of a horse, but its forelimbs ended in eagle talons while its hind legs had hooves. Its tail was also like a horse’s.
Leech noticed the bones of its eagle-like fore-talons were incredibly thick. As it shakily stood up from the broken shell, its talons were curled, making it look a bit like a gorilla walking on its knuckles.
On its back were two small, undeveloped wings covered in downy fluff like a chick’s, not proper feathers.
"CHIRP! CHIRP!"
It ignored Leech, instead lowering its head and rummaging around on the ground.
’It’s hungry, looking for bugs to eat.’
Leech turned and said to the squire standing guard outside the small courtyard, "Go to the kitchen and fetch some strips of meat. Oh, and also the sand worms the sailors brought, and some bugs from the fields."
"Yes, milord!"
The meat arrived quickly. Leech didn’t let anyone come near; no one else knew that such a peculiar little creature had hatched from the egg.
"How about this?" Leech said, holding out a strip of meat to the Little Horse-headed Eagle.
Unlike a fledgling clamoring to be fed, it didn’t immediately eat the meat Leech offered. Instead, it watched him cautiously.
Leech placed the strip of meat on the ground and backed away.
"CHIRP! CHIRP!"
It rummaged in the dirt again, but it was destined for disappointment. All the bugs in this area had been used to feed the Wasps during Arkke’s training. It wouldn’t find a single one unless it dug three feet deep.
The Little Horse-headed Eagle craned its neck, inching toward the strip of meat and glancing at Leech.
"CHIRP!" it called again, then lowered its head, snatched up the strip of meat, and tilted its head back to swallow.
It ate exactly like a bird.
He suddenly understood the Baron of Longship Castle a little. So this was what it felt like to study Magical Creatures. They were highly intelligent with unique behaviors, and studying them gave one a very peculiar feeling.
In short, it was difficult to restrain one’s curiosity about them.
Leech moved closer to put down another strip of meat, then backed away. This time, however, he deliberately didn’t retreat as far, taking one less step than before.
The subtle movement went unnoticed.
Learning from the previous time, the Little Horse-headed Eagle quickly swallowed the meat and looked up at him, as if to say, ’I want more.’
For the third strip, Leech put it down and stood his ground.
This time, it wouldn’t eat. Leech had no choice but to take a token step backward.
Only then did the Horse-headed Eagle lower its head to eat, satisfied.
’You little rascal, you think I can’t figure you out?’
But unfortunately, after several more tries, Leech found that if he didn’t move back at all, the Horse-headed Eagle absolutely refused to eat. Resigned, he could only put down a strip of meat and then take a tiny step back.
The gesture of retreating was more important than the actual distance; as long as he made the motion, it would eat in peace.
Once it had eaten its fill, the Little Horse-headed Eagle returned to the pile of broken shells and curled up to sleep.
After making sure it was asleep, Leech waited a while before getting up to leave. As he left, he closed the door, caught a bug, and cast the Eagle Eye Magic on it to serve as a surveillance camera.
The well-fed Little Horse-headed Eagle slept soundly, only waking up in the evening.
Leech hurried over to feed it again.
It seemed to understand that Leech was its food provider and was now even willing to eat from his hand.
Its chirps also changed from "CHIRP CHIRP" to a soft "COO."
A huge leap in affection.
Holding a strip of meat, Leech watched the Little Horse-headed Eagle tilt its head back with its beak open, waiting to be fed. He couldn’t help but remark, "I don’t think I’ve ever been this attentive even when courting ladies."
He was telling the truth. Noble ladies were always the ones chasing after him.
Having waited a long moment for its food, the Little Horse-headed Eagle let out two soft "COO"s to hurry him along.
"Alright, coming!" Leech placed the strip of meat into its beak and watched it tilt its head back to swallow.
Next, Leech tried feeding it bugs. It wasn’t a picky eater, which was good.
However, the Little Horse-headed Eagle much preferred the uncut, still-wriggling sand worms. ’Perhaps the texture of fresh, moving prey is better than chopped meat.’
Leech tried to raise his hand to stroke its head.
The Little Horse-headed Eagle reacted violently, jabbing its beak sharply at the back of his hand.
Leech instinctively pulled his hand back. That stung a little.
It felt like being pecked by a rooster.
’Too hasty.’
But it didn’t matter. If there was one thing Leech didn’t lack, it was patience.
He held out another strip of meat. As the Little Horse-headed Eagle raised its head to eat, Leech took the opportunity to stroke it.
’Success.’
The Little Horse-headed Eagle just watched him as it swallowed, clearly unused to the touch, but it couldn’t object with its beak full.
’You little thing. As a Baron, you think I can’t win you over?’
After the first time, the second touch came naturally. He went from a tentative touch to petting its head, and then its back.
Leech employed the allure of delicious food. After feeding the Little Horse-headed Eagle its fill of 13 sand worms and 25 strips of meat, he finally obtained the special privilege of petting the featherless creature.
Now he could pet it freely, but he had to be careful not to push his luck. The little fella would peck when it got annoyed!
He scooped the Little Horse-headed Eagle into his hands. After hatching, it weighed about five pounds, roughly the size of a large rooster.
Its wings drooped, though they could manage an occasional flap. Covered in downy fluff, it looked rather ugly.
After such a long period of relationship-building, it was time for the most crucial step.
Leech lowered his head and looked between its legs.
"A male! Hahaha, excellent!"
The Little Horse-headed Eagle, sensing Leech’s inspection, gave him a peck.
Thankfully, it was just a light, indignant peck.
The scholars’ records were clear: Horse-headed Eagles had no reproductive barriers.
A horse and a donkey could be crossbred to produce a mule, but mules are sterile.
But a Horse-headed Eagle, the hybrid of a Griffin and a horse, could breed with a horse again and produce another Horse-headed Eagle.
"From now on, your name is Rocket!"
Leech declared, "You’ll soar into the sky like one! And when the time comes to ’hit on’ those mares, it’ll be one shot, one score. A bullseye every time!"
’A future Horse-headed Eagle stud farm... just the thought of it fills me with anticipation.’
The Little Horse-headed Eagle didn’t understand his words, but it seemed to like the name "Rocket."
It had no idea, however, that the detestable lord before it had already sealed its bittersweet fate: a future with a dozen wives lined up for it.
