The nest was high in the trees, hidden among the branches. I’d tracked the birds for weeks, and watched the birds make it. But I didn’t dare climb up for a closer look. These were no ordinary birds.
I scattered black stones around the tree and said the command word. They projected an illusion of a dragon climbing the tree. Even a magical animal will run from a predator it can’t fight.
I waited, eyes covered, until I heard two sets of wings taking flight. Climbing to the treetops, I found three gleaming cockatrice eggs waiting for me to sell.

“Chicken eggs in nest” by brittgow is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0