By the time my eyes had peeled themselves open. My mother had moved away from cuddling me. She stood a few feet away from where we had rested, the rest of our flock stood near the fringes of this nest. I could see other chicks that looked just like me. Some had colourful scales while others were brown or a dull metallic green. I looked my way over towards my mother, my head cocked to the side as she began to trot her way over to me. She pushed me gently with her snout, her eyes were intelligent, and caring. She gave off an emotional warmth I couldn't see but only felt within my beating heart. She was my mother, I could feel that. I knew that. Her feathers were a dull brown, her scales a metallic brown, shining with pride. Then, the dust below me flew into the air, I wanted to cough but I resisted it, aiming my snout away from what just happened.

    To my surprise, my mother had gone hunting, killing a rat that had two horns on its head. The horns both sat delicately just above its eyes, like spears ready to shield any incoming enemy. Yet it had failed, one horn was broken, cracked near the base, yet the other still kept itself mostly intact, small chips on the side of its bone. She purred towards me. It was deep, terrifying even. Yet I knew it was just a single word, "eat".

    My snout edged itself closer, the canines slick with my saliva. The fur on the rat looked thick and tough. Yet when my teeth sunk into it, the sound of bones snapping and crunching as I ripped away a chunk filled my ears. It wasn't pleasant, nor was it discomforting. No, it wasn't any of that, it made me hungrier. I felt my body gain energy, my arms pushing weakly at the floor to get up and bite at this dead animal some more. My jaws moved ruthlessly, every single one breaking and snapping the flesh off the body. The flesh tore and ripped with crunches. I saw bone, red and bloodied, broken and shattered. It was food, it tasted good. My mind seemed to go blank as I ravaged this dead animal, eating every bit of it I could. My hunger was insatiable, and every bite only calmed my need for more. The gluttony that had full control over my limbs made me messy, bloody. It felt sticky, clotting globs stuck to my body.

    By the time I had finished eating, I felt my body grow heavy, every inch of me was like lead refusing to move. I leaned forward for one last bite, taking out a chunk of the rat's meaty thigh. To eat a meal with such zeal was exhausting. I wanted to collapse, but my mother kept on nudging me to look somewhere else to lay down. I saw the other chicks all huddled together, some sleeping, some crawling around. It was my invitation to join.

    In the outer circle I sat myself comfortably between a colourfully adorned chick, his scales covered with a bright lush green. It was beautiful. His plume was growing in, he was fatter than the rest of us. He was older, I could tell. But to my left stood an earthy brown chick. Her plume was as immature as mine, it was dry yet it still had to grow in the rest of its way. Her scales seemed weaker but her body was sleek, agile. Her head shaped like a spear tip, tapering into a sharp point. Her body elongating out from there, she stood like a soldier in the wind of victory. The sight of my sister burned vividly into my mind as I begun to drift back into a sweet delicate slumber. From the corner of her right eye, the beautiful green chick looked down and began to place his muzzle near her face, licking the plume that came gently from my neck. It felt like a brother giving a kiss good night. It was warm and kind. A toothy grin began to form on my face.

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    My eyes, sticky and weak, began to part away as I saw the light of day once again. It was still such a glorious sight. The sun softly warms my scales and plume. The blood on my body had long since dried as I felt it peel and crack with the movement of my jaws and neck. Before me in my very eyes was my mother. She held a squirming rat in between her clawed fingers. Her arms held said rat near her chest, it was terrified. It had been captured, and now sat before a clutch of predators, raptor-esque bodies surrounding it, drooling and a hungry desire was palpable through the air. Then the rat was dropped only to be captured by my mothers talons. It felt fear, I felt terrified. It was brutal but my body hungered for its flesh. My mom growled a command, I felt myself stand erect. My legs trembled beneath my weight. I wanted to flail my arms to keep my balance. The trot I had followed was shaky and chaotic. Each step didn't hold the elegance of my own mother. She walked with poise, with purpose and strength.

    She growled once more as I stood before the squirming rat, bite and kill. That was what it said. To bite and kill this creature. Its legs were sprawled across the floor, its squeaks panicked, rushed, leaving almost no time to breath. It fought with all of its strength. The rat eventually gave up as I leaned my head forward, my jaw hovering with the poor rat's neck between. My body urged me to snap my jaw. To grant it a swift death, but I was hesitant. I had morals and thoughts that put me against it. I fought the urge to pull away. Closing my eyes, I felt my mother growl at me once more. This time it was much more threatening. It was angered, as though she were exhausted by my hesitance. So, with no choice, I let my jaw clamp down. A sickening snap filled my ears, blood poured into my mouth. It tasted of metal and dirt. I had taken a life with such ease. But why did I feel so guilty for such a small action? My family looked at me with annoyance. I was hesitant. Then I felt a wave of power flow through my flesh, my bones growing harder. I had grown stronger as before me stood a transparent board of light. It shone into my eyes. Numbers and letters plastered throughout the board.

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EXP gain is sufficient for the host to progress in level. Commencing activation of system.

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Status shall be shown in full. Thank you for your patience.

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    Before me the two boxes contained words I had never seen before. Yet I understood them clearly. The meaning they held was far too deliberate for me to simply ignore. I continued on as my family began to shift away from me. They had seen I had succeeded in the kill. Now it was time for everyone to eat. I held no hunger in my body. Just questions and ideas.

    So I read on. To understand what had happened before my very eyes.

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Name: ------

Race: Lesser Feathered Raptor

Age: 2 Days

Level: 2 (11/100)

Class: ------

Status:

        Strength: 7

        Dexterity: 10

        Defence: 5

        Constitution: 8

        Wisdom: 6

        Intelligence: 6

        Magic Power: 10

        Charisma: 4

          Luck: 6

Skills:

[Level 1 Claw] [Level 2 Bite] [Level 1 Quick Step]

Unique Skills:

[Memories of a Lost Past] [Humanoid Polymorph](Locked)

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    I saw the number lines themselves in front of my eyes. It was beautiful. I saw my skills, I had already used my jaw enough to make it stronger? That's cool. What are Memories of a Lost Past? Or Humanoid Polymorph. What was a humanoid? It certainly couldn't be me right? It's locked after all.I had so many questions, yet I still needed to find out what all of this meant. Currently it has provided me with nothing useful. Just numbers and letters.

    Closing the screen, I looked down towards the rest of my siblings, the pile of plume and feathers, off in the horizon I could see the sun sinking under the earth, it was magnificent. I felt a sense of comfort and calmness once again. My emotions couldn't help but stabilise even after all the confusion with this "system". Maybe tomorrow, my mother will bring me around and I can see the world. It would be amazing to see everything.