That was amazing, how did you do that?

I stare wide eyed at this, at first, unimpressive specimen, honestly expecting some sort of response back. That is, until I realized I was having a one-sided mental conversation with not a person, but just another creature in the forest. But is it fair to call it just that? In a rough, strange sort of way, it was able to communicate! At least I think that's what it was trying to do, those thoughts had felt as if they had originated from me, but it's clear as day that they were foreign. Thinking back on it, if it were more extreme, wouldn't it be considered mind control? Okay, now I'm starting to overthink this.

Let's try getting it to do it again… hmm. Looking at it, the tortoise doesn't strike me as bothered in any way. No stress, no rush, and no visible aggression. Just peace and calm, how strangely charming.

Thinking of my approach, maybe I could elicit it to invoke that warm feeling from earlier, the one where I'm pretty sure where it was expressing 'thank you'. Several layers of dirt and moss are caked onto its shell, with some small plants taking purchase as well. Maybe a little manicure session will make it more talkative.

While it continues to bob its ancient head up and down, taking slow sips of water, I get to work. Using my claws and starting from the top, I nimbly pry off clumps of fuzzy moss, flicking them to the side as I peel the layers back. While not difficult per se, there is a lot of it, and I can tell some of it has been attached for a looong time. Peeling back some of these surface layers of moss reveals a messy, web-like system of roots underneath. No doubt from all the ivy, shrubs, ferns, and other plants that have established themselves on the back of this shell. Speaking of, when I finally get done clearing away the first section of dirt and growths, what I find is not a shell with a predictably smooth surface, rather a knotted, rough texture instead.

I carry on trimming all the overgrowth on the tortoise for several hours, absorbed in my strange urge to clean up this creature. About half-way through the session, my patient resigned themselves to the forest floor, laying their tired head upon the soft grass. Looking up now, the bits of exposed sky that can be seen are beginning to turn a shade of fiery orange and the shadows of the trees have begun to creep up past the water's edge. But at this point, my work is just about done. The dirt and moss proved easy enough to clean off, but the roots embedded into the shell were another matter entirely. I tried to be as gentle as I could with the more established sections, but there is only so much I could do with the taproots. For these, I had used my beak to sheer them off the tortoise's shell, after which I used my claws to scrape away as much as I could. All of this goes without mentioning one tiny little detail I discovered during all of this.

The shell was made out of wood and bark!

At first I wondered why so many plants managed to establish themselves, one would think they would have trouble finding purchase on a hard shell. Who would have thought, right?

Anyways, with my job done, I step back and admire my handiwork. Given the unexpected material underneath it all, I feel as if I did a fairly good job. Only a few of the more stubborn roots remain, hopefully unable to grow back.

Perhaps sensing that the grooming session is over, the tortoise lifts up its ancient head and turns to face the exposed shell. Meanwhile I'm staring at this thing with dirty claws and feathers from all of my hard work, doing my best to get a read on this creatures expressions.

It blinks once. Then twice. Then yawns and turns to face me now with shiny black eyes and an unreadable stoic face.

The two of us stare each other down in peaceful silence.

Just when I think it was all for naught, that same warm feeling that inched its way into my mind from before emerges once again. At first, I was feeling a bit anxious, worried that I wasted my time with some silly theory. However, it is replaced with a proud, accomplished sensation, one that is foreignly introduced, but not unwelcomed.

While absorbed in my own high spirits, the tortoise makes slow strides towards me, then rests its forehead against my chest. I'm startled at first and almost back off out of instinct, but instead I end up accepting the sudden and unexpected gesture.

In those few intimate seconds of contact, I experience genuine comfort. As if a grandmother were holding me tight in a loving hug, as if it were only natural that we were family.

Before I can compose myself, the old tortoise is already making her way to the tree line, off to her home I'm sure.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Home…

I've been so focused on what I should be doing or where I should be going that such a thing never crossed my mind.

While I don't fault myself for ignoring the matter, as survival is important, I should give it some thought later. Maybe it will help keep my moral up. And speaking of keeping something up, I should really address this rumbling stomach of mine. I've been so distracted with cleaning off all the foliage off that tortoise that I almost forget to get myself some food.

I have to head downstream for a bit, and after a couple minutes, I find what I'm looking for. A nice flat fishing rock that sticks out just above the water. Only a couple feet out too, don't have to go too deep.

Plucking a large flat leaf about a foot in diameter, I set it beside me while I grab some of these little minnows in the shallows. Once I get about a dozen of them, I place them in the center of the leaf and fold it up into a primitive little basket of sorts. Taking it into my beak, I ferry it over to the rock, only to nearly lose my grip on it as I try to climb up. The thing is bloody slippery!

By time I manage to clamber on top, I'm exhausted, not to mention cold too considering how soaked I am! Nevertheless I need to tough it out. There isn't much time left in the day, night is already approaching fast, and I really don't want to go the day without eating anything.

After catching my breath and collecting my composure, it's only a matter of waiting at this point. Taking one of my bait fish from the leaf basket, I dangle it cautiously over the edge, careful not to wreck my balance and topple back into the water.

All the while, the river splashes softly in the background, lapping over smooth stones while a light breeze tosses around nearby branches. All in all, quite the relaxing experience once I finally get settled.

But as time goes by, my anxiety returns just as fast as the sky was turning dark. Luckily, in the last hours of twilight, I manage to catch a decent fish, much more normal looking compared to the ones I grew used to back in the caverns. With a quick bite to the back of the head, I pick it up in my beak and make for the forest line. While I would love to perch up in a tree right by the river, something tells me it wouldn't be wise to be so close to such a place, not to mention the feeling of being so exposed.

So I head back inside the forest, heading uphill as I travel. At this point, it's getting difficult to see where I'm going, and I lament over the loss of my precious light. If only I didn't leave it behind…

Sigh

Oh well.

Finding a decent tree that can hold up someone as large as I am, I get to climbing and find a flat group of branches. While a bit uncomfortable, it will do for now. Maybe if I were to build a nest… Ha. I think I'm starting to go native.

Is it so wrong though?

Hmmm, maybe. But if being wrong means I could be more comfortable than trying to roost up on some random branches, then maybe it's not so bad.

Pushing aside these amusing thoughts, it's time to finally eat! Carrying this fish in my beak and having the aroma of freshly caught fish flood my nostrils the entire time… truly an exercise in patience. It doesn't take much effort to pull of the scales, and before long I'm digging into the white flesh of perch-like fish.

While satisfying with a fresh delicate taste, I can't help but consider it a bit bland. A bit of spices would go a long way here, not to mention salt. For now I make a mental note to keep an eye for anything aromatic that I could use if I'm walking through the forest. Doubt I'm going to find any basil, parsley, or anything similar to what I know. Who knows what's out there now, maybe there's herbs out there waiting to be found, ones far tastier than I can even imagine.

Makes me think of those big round lemonfish back in the caves, those were the best! I wonder what other tasty critters are out there? Didn't have much opportunity to hunt back in the caves, there was mostly just the fish. Maybe I should try hunting tomorrow, see if I can catch a small rodent or something. How hard could it be?

Then it dawns on me, something I knew all along but pushed aside out of necessity. This entire time I've been eating only raw food, without hesitation too. Not something a normal person would be inclined to do, not that I am one… When I first woke up, sure, I truly believed that I was some human that woke up in a new world with a new body, but turns out that's not quite the case. But all of my knowledge of what the human world is like and what it means to me… It makes that illusion feel as if it's reality. And perhaps as more of my memories return, my perception of it all will change. My thoughts about 'going native' earlier might be what's truly right, but my humanity challenges that notion. Makes one think if it would be better to be ignorant of it all. If that were the case, I'm sure I never would have made it out of those caves. It was human ingenuity that got me out of there after all.

So what does it make me at the end of the day? Honestly, it makes me feel like a freak. I don't think I'll ever truly find a place where I belong. Joining a flock of birds and living a wild lifestyle seems wrong, but living in some human settlement seems equally as wrong. A cruel prank from destiny if you ask me.

At this point, it's near pitch black outside, and I can hardly see anything around me. I should go to sleep but I don't think I can at this point… Maybe I can try and get some magic practice in now that I'm not so distracted.

With one last sigh, I push out the last of my worrisome thoughts and focus instead on the essence within my body. Starting with some deep breathing, I withdraw my awareness from the distractions of the outside world. Now in a trance that narrows my perception, I think it's appropriate to begin with simply observing. Feel how this mystical, almost tangible lifeforce, circulates throughout my body. In this state, it's as if I could reach out and touch it, to allow the streams of life to trickle across the tips of my feathers, yet I abstain. Instead, I follow the flow as I take each purposeful breath. Only when I am content with my observations do I finally try to redirect the swirling essence within my body.

Very gently, I usher a small trickle of essence away from the great collective and direct it towards the tips of my wings, similar to what I tried doing earlier. Unlike before, I can tell that this attempt is far more successful. Now instead of holding it in place for too long, I try to expel it from the closed system within my body. Upon opening my eyes, I am shocked to see a shimmering aurora-esque light cascading from the tip of my wing, falling like a luminescent waterfall to the branches below. Where this makes contact, the tree springs to life. Ivy emerges from seemingly nowhere, blossoming with violet flowers that draw in the essence like a sponge. The more it absorbs, the more lively the growths become.

The whole thing takes me by surprise, and I unintentionally cut off the connection I was maintaining. The so called 'damage' was already done, and the immediate area became a glowing landscape straight out of a fairy tale. Maybe it's my imagination too, but I could swear the branches I'm sitting on have grown ever so slightly larger as well. Man did this have way more of an effect compared to anything I could have imagined.

For now I think that's good enough, I'll try messing around with magic again later. And honestly? I feel like I need to move, I practically have neon signs pointing to me saying "Hey! Dumb bird here! Come and get me!"

Just as I'm thinking that, a chorus of howling breaks the silence of the night.

Yeah, maybe I should find a new spot…