The 2 Birds (Completed)

Chapter 1 - Bird Life

On a sunny day in the middle of spring, with summer not too far behind, a pair of birds found the perfect perch on the perfect tree. They made their nest in the branches of this tree and lived their lives flying to and fro. Not long after, the female laid her eggs and she stayed within the nest to take care of her soon-to-be hatchlings while the male left to forage for food. As the days went by, the male had to fly further and further to gather more food. He feared that if he didn't put much effort into finding more food, she'd go hungry so he persevered and traveled the distance.

One day, he travelled a far distance away from the nest to a lake with beautiful flowers and lily pads resting on the water surface. As night crept over the horizon, he realized it was nearing the time he always headed home. A thought occurred to him that his wife at home may be starving so he decided to search the flowers that flourished on the water to see if there was anything he could take home to his wife to eat.

Swooping down, he searched the flowers to see what they could offer and to his discovery, he'd found flower seeds to take home. He was determined to fill his food pouch to the brim so that it'd be enough for his wife and family. With none the wiser, night had fallen. To his dismay, the flower had closed along with the dying sun. It shut so tight he couldn't move a feather or wiggle his way out. He thought, "This may be my last moment," as fear gripped him.

My wife at home must be out of her mind with worry. He prayed to the heavens, if I were to die within the flower without the chance to see my wife, please grant me the chance to meet my love in the next life. I'd tell her endlessly how much I love her.

At that time, the wife at home was furious and was sleepless through the night. Thoughts and suspicions ran through her mind. What's taking so long that he hasn't made it home yet? He must be keeping the company of a new bird that he hasn't returned. She sat and waited throughout the night and glanced at his empty spot every time she nodded awake in her drowsy daze.

When morning came, the flower petals slowly unfurled with the rising sun. The male bird that was finally free after a night of restriction rejoiced that his life hadn't ended in the embrace of the flower. Stretching his wings, he sped towards home with the wind under his wings. When he reached home, he was greeted with a furious wife with fire burning in her eyes. He tried feeding her the seeds he had stored in his pouch. She turned her head and vehemently refused to look at him. Finally, he'd asked her in his bafflement, what did I do that would make you so angry with me?

She finally looked at him apprehensively and asked, "Husband, you disappeared all night. What were you doing all night that you finally got home now?"

He told her of what he'd done that day and what he'd encountered as well as the flower that held him in its embrace that night. Though he'd told her every detail and laid all the truths bare to her, it could not placate her uneasy heart.

Not long after, their eggs finally hatched and they got a healthy batch of younglings. With their nest sitting safely within the cradle of the tree, they both left to forage for the new lives depending on them. Just as the hatchlings were beginning to grow their baby flight feathers, their environment were discovered by humans who decided that that plot of land was perfect for agriculture.

The humans started cutting down shrubs and trees and uprooting things by clearing out the ground. Within the next couple of days, the humans lit everything they'd cut and uprooted on fire. Fire danced and consumed the things that had dried within those past few days. Soon, their roost was surrounded in a sea of fire and smoke and they feared for the survival of their family.

He turned to his wife and said, "Dear wife, the humans have started to burn everything and it's consuming our world. Our nest is small and our hatchlings haven't learned to fly yet so hold them close and I'll stay on the edge of the nest. Perhaps the fire won't reach where we are. If it does reach us, then we'll die together. If it doesn't reach us, at least we'll still be together."

As soon as he said those words, she raised her wings and shuffled their hatchlings into the safety of her embrace. He moved closer to the opening of their nest and with a couple of leaves he'd grasped in his beak, he shoved them under himself to cover as much as he could from the fire. When the fire made its path to the foot of their tree, it licked and nipped it's way to the skies. The female bird, too scared about what was happening around them, placed her head under her wings with their hatchlings while the male bird sat outside with a couple of leaves for cover. The heat from the fire started burning and toasting everything it touched. The male looked around, not knowing what to do or how to save his family from the impending danger. Fire singed his feathers as the heat from the fire danced along his body. Losing his grip, he fell to his death into the glowing, life consuming oblivion below.

A couple of hours passed and the flames died down as they passed to wreak havoc on a different  path. The female finally craned her neck to look towards the opening of their nest after she felt that danger had passed. She realized that he was gone. She was livid and flashed to where she last saw him perched then saw that he was no where to be found.

She despaired and grew bitter and resentful. "How could you be so cruel. You were so cruel to me and I was too blind to see that you never truly loved me. You didn't want to die with your children and me. You instead chose to flee on your own, leaving us to die. Fine. We shall perish here so you won't ever have to see us again. You can flee to find your happiness."

In a fit of rage, she pushed her hatchlings, who still couldn't yet fly, down from the nest and into the still opened maw of the fire raging below. She made an oath to the heavens, "With the heavens as witness, if I am to be reincarnated as female again in my next life, I vow that I will never speak another word to those detestable males because the hearts of males are cruel." In her sorrowful rage, she tossed herself from the nest and into the fire that was still burning brightly below.