20 The Littlest duckling
- Perspective change -
The little duckling loved his life. He might have been the last to hatch and might be the last one to get food, but he was by no means angry at those things. In fact he liked being the smallest because it meant that his mother would keep dotting on him for a little longer than the rest. It also meant that he had to fight harder against his siblings when they played, or he would never get to choose the game they played.
His favourite was a climbing race. He loved to climb up through the branches of his home with his siblings as they raced to the top. He had a much easier time than they did since he was small and the branches were thin closer to the tip, so he always won. He loved looking out at the forest from that position. Being able to see his parents flying in the distance gave him great hope for what he could do in the future. He longed to fly freely like they did.
His siblings weren't too far off from it either. But his feathers and wings were still too small and weak to lift him off the ground. He didn't mind though. Especially since his mother would nestle herself against his ruffled feathers when ever he failed.
His father wasn't caring like that, but he never forced the little duckling to try too many times and would always quack proudly whenever he would make progress.
He had a good life. But sadly, life isn't fair.
One day while he was wrestling with his siblings, in the hollow of their tree home, a sound came from outside the nest. They ignored it at first. Till the tree started to shake and before the littlest duckling knew what was happening, a massive paw had lunged into their home, striking wildly around until it grasped all his siblings in its claws and jerked them into out of the tree and into the forest.
The tiny duck was terrified. He was only saved because he was so small. Otherwise he would have been caught in those hooked claws.
The duckling waddled to the entrance and peered over the side once it had stopped shaking. Bellow the tree in front of the strange, feline beast, lay its siblings. A red liquid marring their plumage. The duckling panicked. It had seen that liquid many times. It was the same as when it's father and mother brought back a fish for them to eat.
The duckling froze. It imagined his siblings being eaten and refused to let that happen. All it wanted was to keep living peacefully in the tree. They have to be ok! In a second it had hurled itself from the tree and down towards the predator below.
Seemingly toying with the ducklings at the base of the tree, it failed to notice the tiny bird dive bombing from above. The duckling tucked its feathers, as it had seen its parents do when they dove, and it clenched its beak.
'Rraaawwwrrr' slamming right into the massive black cats eye. It then flapped its wings as hard as it could and pulled away just before the creature swung its paw at it. The wind from its strike made the tiny duck loose balance for a moment before it steadied itself.
It was flying! It couldn't believe it. Wait until it shows his parents. Won't they be surprised. Not to save his siblings. It was then the duckling noticed that not far from the tree, lay both his mother and father.
"QUACK QUACK QUACK" The duckling flew over to them screaming, but before it ever reached them, the creature bellow had spun around and swiped the poor duck out of the air and into the ground.
The small duck had never felt so much pain, but none of that mattered. His siblings were hurt. His parents weren't moving and he couldn't do anything to protect them. Forcing his tiny injured body to stand the smallest duckling charged, wings flapping, at the monster who destroyed his family.
The large cat seemed to enjoy the sight as it went to pounce on the last of its prey. Just as the predator bent it's knees and opened its mouth, the duckling saw something it didn't understand, a flying stick smacked right into the side of the creature. Leaving a long line of that strange red liquid from its back to its shoulder.
The duckling turned to look at were it had been hit from. There he saw a being he had never seen before. Tall and standing on two legs. Like a big duck with a small head, no beak, feathers or feathers even wings. It had a single long, sharp, shiny claw.
The creature pounced at the unknown entity. The duck could hardly stand and struggled to watch. Confused and terrified, angry and hurt the duckling watched as the shiny claw in the upright creatures hand clashed against the monsters own hooked claws. They leaped back and forth as they attacked one another. Claws striking as they drew close before retreating again. A loud high pitched sound assaulted the ducklings ears every time there claws struck.
Eventually the creature lost and another long line of red liquid appeared on its body. This time near its stomach. It narrowed its eyes and growled menacingly before running off towards the forest.
Just before the creature departed it gripped the ducklings father in its jaws and leaping away. The last thing the duckling saw was three small pairs of eyes and several tiny paws at the edge of the bushes before they disappeared.
It didn't understand. All it wanted was to go back to playing with its family. It wanted to show them that it could fly and tell them that it was brave. But they wouldn't move.
The duckling went to its mother first. He poked her with his beak and nuzzled her feathers as she had always done to his. He quacked in her until he couldn't quack any more. She still didn't move. His mother had always woke up when he quacked like that.
Shaking and still injured he moved on to his siblings. Hoping they would be awake like him. He tried ever thing. Even tried to show off his flight skills to wake them up. But he failed and fell back the ground. Frustrated at their lack of movement and his lack of understanding he started to quack furiously hoping they were just playing around.
Eventually he stopped and was too weak to keep it up. He was tried, but he couldn't sleep by himself. He tried to get back into the tree, but the creature had broken too many branches and he couldn't climb back up. Feeling alone and afraid he waddled over to his mother and nestled his beak into her feathers. Relaxing himself in her warmth he fell asleep. He hoped that when he woke up this would all be a dream.
But it wasn't.
When he woke up he was cold. He felt more alone than ever. He wanted to go back to playing games with his siblings and being praised by his parents for his improvement. He didn't want to be alone and in pain. He just wanted his family back.
The duckling stared at his families home. He didn't want to leave. He looked at his families bodies. He couldn't just leave them. What if they got cold.
When he failed to wake them up again the duckling gave up. He say back and just gave up. He wanted his home back. But it was gone and he didn't know why.
The loneliest duckling was lost in its sorrow. Maybe that's why it didn't notice that the figure that saved it had been sitting down beside it the whole time. It didn't even notice when the figure out its hand out and placed it on the ducklings back.
The figure left it there for a long while. Eventually the duckling started to understand what had happened. Why his parents wouldn't move. They were like the fish his parents used to bring them. Memories of swimming together and playing together floating through his mind.
It started to feel warm and safe. That's when it noticed the figure and the hand it had placed on the ducklings back. It's first thought was to lash out and attack, but it was afraid it would never feel safe and warm like this again if it did. So it closed its eyes, turned it's head and cuddled into the figures palm.
It fell back asleep just like that. Hoping that when it awakes it will be far from here. Far from the feeling of loss that it feels when it looks at the empty tree. Far from the place where it's family had been destroyed.
- Perspective change -
I had entered the forest to sharpen my skills a little while Lenora gathers what we need to attack Keith's hideout.
I was intending to steer clear of the ducks nest that I had seen the first time he entered, but when I heard a noise coming from that direction I decided to check it out.
My instincts were right. Sadly I only got their in time to save a single duckling. I had witnessed its attempt to avenge its family and intervened before it could charge too its death.
I was just about to kill the mountain lion with a toss of my spear when I looked into the bush to my right, there were several small cubs peering out at their mothers battle. So I just used the spear as a warning. Wounding the creature.
I then took out my new dagger and met the creatures claws in a series of quick clashes. Eventually it started to get easier as I got used to its movements. That's when I changed it up and struck at its stomach. Forcing it to flee.
I then watched with tears in my eyes as the littlest duckling tried to wake it's dead family and cuddled into his mother for warmth.
As I sat and watched the poor little duck I had a thought. Back on earth, after I died, animals could sense my presence though they would usually freak out when they did. After getting sick of it I found a way to calm their minds and let them know I meant no harm. They would usually leave me alone after wards.
It was simple really, all I had to do was extend my conscience toward them and communicate calming, peaceful feelings. "I wonder if I could do the same here."
Moving forward slowly I placed my hand on the back of the bright feathered duckling. Focusing my consciousness on its mind I began to let it know that it would be ok. That I meant no harm and that it was safe now. I didn't feel like it worked at first, but after I sent it my own understanding of how death works and used its memories to connect the pieces It's mind opened up to me. It seemed to understand. Animals in this world are clearly much different and far more intuitive than on earth.
I slowly showed him my pain for his loss, my desire for his survival and as much love and care as I could send. It felt like the small duckling wanted to resist at first. But then he was seemed to stop shaking as I felt its mind embrace the warmth I was sending. It's body followed as it turned to nuzzle into my palm.
I carefully scooped the injured little one into my hands and placed him in my pocket while maintaining our minds connection. Constantly reassuring it. After burying the ducklings family beneath the tree they lived in, I headed back towards Grassroots town.
