Chapter 22 Boiled Egg

Most low level ingredients could be prepared in the same way as mortal ones, but as with everything there are exceptions. The toughness of the mammoth's meat wasn't something that would go away with slow cooking it in normal water. As such the hungry trio either had to find a way to cook it properly in order to make stew out of it, or do something else with it. Toz eventually decided to mince it and turn it into minced meat soup, turning the meat into more of a backdrop in the food, that enhances the texture of the soup, along with some veggies. But the cats weren't too keen on a veggie filled soup so they got a couple of patties instead.

While planning and making the food the egg kept swirling around in the pool of lava. The shell that had previously had a feeling of indestructibility started showing signs of fragility. No longer a completely even and smooth surface. Turning slightly wobbly, as if slightly melting in the heat. Despite the shell weakening, there was no sign of the spirit beast inside, the previous shadowy figure had disappeared in the orange light.

Disregarding the potential cash out disappearing, Toz was worried about the spirit beast's well being, although the egg had only been in their possession for a few days, he had constantly kept watch over it and held it closely. Considering how it looked like the egg was about to collapse without forming a body Toz wanted to save it at once. Unfortunately the lava was too hot, and even if he managed to get it out of there it might affect the egg adversely instead. He could only trust in the little fellow.

Nil and Lucy were also worried, Lucy mostly because Toz would be sad if the egg failed and died. Nil on the other hand held sentiments similar to Toz. While Lucy had been out and about creating chaos in the mountains he and Toz had spent time cradling the egg, watching it's shadowy figure shift around, trying out all sorts of shapes. Although the egg didn't interact with them they felt like a bond had been established between them.

Since Toz and Nil were too busy watching the egg to eat properly, Lucy was also forced to control himself in order to not break the atmosphere. Although that just meant eating incredibly slowly while watching Toz out of the corner of his eye.

The egg continued deforming, quicker and quicker while it's shape transformed rapidly, as if it was bubbling from the inside out. The shell looked like it was on the verge of completely breaking and the sight had Toz clenching his fists.

The trembling and wobbling increased in intensity and the original shape of an egg had been completely lost, the shell had turned soft enough to look like slime. While Toz was anxiously walking back and forth the trembling finally stopped and the egg froze, in the middle of the boiling lava, for a moment.

After that moment passed the shell burst into tiny pieces that hovered in the air a couple of meters away from it's original location. In place of the egg, barely visible in the midst of all the lava was a tiny wisp of flame floating calmly.

As the pieces of the shell hang in the air they slowly melted, then after all the bits turned into liquid they began to evaporate. The evaporated bits and pieces created a floating translucent ball of white smoke around the flickering flame, separating it from the lava and the air around it. After the air inside the large ball was sucked out, turning the inside into a vacuum, aside from the flame.

The flame started flickering more wildly, and spread out to cover the area inside the smoke. The fire was barely visible after it spread out and only a faint orange sheen could be seen in the part of the air.

After the flame had spread out and calmed down the smoke started swirling and twisting, very much like the shell had done previously but in the opposite direction. At one point it looked like a vortex, trying to swallow the pool of lava beneath it, but only for a moment. The ball began shrinking and pulling the smoke into itself while at the same time condensing the fire withing, returning the look of actual fire, not the orange sheen it had become when expanded.

As the ball kept shrinking, twisting and pulling on it self the smoke gradually seeped into the fire, and the fire began to lose it's round shape, turning into something that looked like an animal more and more.

The wildly flickering flame started settling down as it reached a size slightly smaller than a human head. Although it was still very much a fire, with no physical body it had four legs, a couple of ears and sharp teeth. The fire had taken on the shape of a cat. The fire cat floated in the air above the lava like a puppet for a few seconds after it's final shape was completed.

The cat opened it's eyes and the trance that had captured Toz, Nil and Lucy let go of them. Their slackened jaws pulled themselves back up and they remembered to breath and blink again. The magical display had enraptured the trio and they were completely frozen during the entire process.

After the cat opened it's eyes it slowly drifted over, through the air, toward the three of them. It touched ground as it left the range of the lava pool and carefully walked over.

Despite being newborn it didn't look like a kitten, nor was it's walk unsteady.

All three, Toz, Nil and Lucy, had witnessed the birth of a spirit beast previously, and it wasn't very different from the birth of a normal egg laying animal. The beast usually cracked open the shell and crawled out after condensing it's soul and body. Sometimes accompanied by some magic. This fire cat had not followed the script and instead done whatever it had just done.

Since the cat was already abnormal since before birth the trio didn't want to scare it by acting rashly as it familiarized itself with it's surroundings. They stood and sat motionlessly, curiously spectating the cat as it made it's rounds around the campsite they had made for food preparations.

The cat went around sniffing most things, touching some of them, it even got close to Toz and sniffed him, it didn't get close enough to touch him but it wasn't far from it. And despite it's closeness Toz didn't feel any heat coming from the cat made of fire. After having observed and inspected Toz for a bit the cat finally stepped close and brushed against his right shin, standing with it's forelegs on his foot.

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