Cheep! Cheep!... CHEEP!

Laying on his back under the cool shade, a boy dazedly opened his emerald eyes.

The faint pressure on his forehead forced him to slowly glance upward, and as he focused on the hazy black hovering over his face, those curious, beady eyes came into full view. Locking eyes with the fluffy being, he let out a groan and abruptly rolled over, which sent it tumbling into the grass.

Shrilling aggrievedly, the baby bird eventually managed to stop when it collided into a soft clump of flowering dandelions nearby. Taking a glimpse at itself, the nestling then puffed up its chest in frustration. The feathers it had preened to perfection had been ruined!

Glaring at the unmoving giant lying underneath the broad tree, the tiny bird charged at the boy's hand and gave the hardest pecks it could muster.

"Ouch!" the boy yelped as he shot up abruptly. Spotting the naughty bird, he blurted out a name with a scowl, "Whistle!"

Despite the giant's apparent anger, the nestling kept up a strong front with a glare of its own. After letting out a huff or two, the boy grabbed Whistle, which feebly squirmed to escape.

He growled at the bird, "I'll strap you onto the nest if you don't behave. Got it?"

The bird promptly ceased its squirming, but it was only for a moment before the nestling decided to jab the web of skin on his hand. Freezing up, the boy nearly bit his tongue from the sudden shock.

Hurriedly, he pulled out a bandanna from his side pocket and wrapped the bird into a burrito— extra tight. Whistle attempted to extricate itself but to no avail, so it feigned a faint, hoping that he would loosen the fabric.

"I know you are faking it," he murmured as he prodded the bird lightly. After receiving no response, he leaned against the hardwood tree as he held the inert bird in one hand while running the other through his tousled, raven hair. He sighed bitterly. "Even my birthday is no exception..."

Ensuring that the bird couldn't escape, the boy placed the 'burrito' on the ground and stretched his arms and legs languidly. Through closed eyes, he caught the whiff of the rich, earthy scent mixing with the lingering aroma of the tree behind him, soothing his irritated mood.

"Nothing beats nature..." he mumbled with a slight smile before opening his eyes. From the dandelions dotting the sunlit clearing to the towering trees surrounding the area, he took in the sight with misted eyes.

'Wait, what time is it?' the question passed through his mind.

Cheeeeepp... Unwilling to be forgotten, Whistle attempted to grab his attention, but the boy ignored it and pulled out a silver pocket watch instead. Popping the lid open, he looked at the time for a brief moment.

His jaw dropped, "Crap!" He scrambled to his feet hastily. "I'm supposed to be halfway home by now!"

Putting the 'awakened burrito' into the empty seed pouch hanging off his waist, he agilely clawed his way up the tree. Squatting, he shuffled his way across a thick bough and finally spotted what he was searching for: a feathered nest hiding among the leaves.

Without delay, he dumped Whistle into the nest, and if bird glares could kill, the boy would have been dead multiple times over.

"I'm going home; don't you dare fall off the nest because I'm not going to put you back up there this time," he remarked with a wag of his finger.

In response, Whistle stuck up its butt at him. Utterly speechless, he left only after spanking the bird.

CHEEP CHEEP!!! Whistle seethed with anger at that point, but unfortunately, the heartless boy had slipped away before it could peck him again.

As the boy scurried off into the distance, the nestling watched his receding figure eventually disappear into the dense woods around the clearing. Its beady eyes, initially set aflame from fury, dissipated, leaving merely a hollow look in them.

As it sat in its nest, the bird tried to distract itself with its grooming, but despite its best attempts, its beady eyes would eventually gravitate at the last place where it saw the boy. As if waiting for him to return...

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

…

Checking the watch ever so often, the boy hastened nimbly over the rough terrain covered with twisting roots. As he leaned against a tree with his hand, his fingers traced the rough grooves of the bark as he caught his breath amid gasps. Scanning his surroundings, he broke into a grin once he finally spotted the prickly bushes further up ahead.

Almost there, he mused, checking his watch again. I think if I run a bit more, I should be able to make it. Occupied by these thoughts, he nearly missed a flowering plant growing next to his shoes if it weren't for a slight brush against his ankle.

He crouched down to examine it, only to detect the faint whiff of an onion plant.

Digging a little into the soft dirt, he then discovered a small bulb at the plant's base, which further reassured him that it was a wild onion. Plucking it out, he began to keep an eye out for other edible plants along the way, and by the time he had stepped onto the gravelly road, his pouch bulged with onions and other herbs.

"Quite a harvest," he hummed softly while confirming that the plants were secured properly.

Home sweet home... here I come! the boy shouted inwardly as he sprinted forward down the empty road.

…

Thwack...thwack...

The hacking noise stopped before a thud was heard as the piece of wood fell apart into two onto the ground. Lowering the axe, the man wiped his sweaty forehead with a cloth before placing another wood onto the chopping block. Just as he was about to swing, he heard something in the distance and turned toward the sound. He grinned widely as he watched a boy dashing towards him.

Placing the axe down, he opened his arms wide, "Welcome back, Kalani! Oof—" the man grunted a little from the boy's collision into his arms.

"I'm back, Dad!" Kalani spoke in a muffled voice as he hugged the man tightly.

His dad laughed heartily before asking, "Did you find anything?" The boy nodded as he displayed the various plants jutting out of his pouch.

His dad glanced at the herbs and then at Kalani's palms. "Did Whistle do this?" he questioned, carefully touching the red, tender parts of his son's hands.

Kalani pouted as he recalled the roguish bird, replying, "Yeah, it's driving me nuts!" Kalani glanced up to see his father's frown. "But it only does this rarely, so you don't have to worry..." the boy then added softly. His father's lips curled up at his son's obvious defense of the bird but didn't expose him.

"Next time I'm free, let's visit the bird together," his dad remarked as he continued sifting through herb pile. But before Kalani could respond, his father abruptly picked up one of the onions and scrutinized it.

The man's brows creased, "Kalani, did you eat this?" Kalani blinked confusedly.

"No...? You told me to not eat wild plants," the boy stated as he stared at his father. "Why?"

The man let out a sigh of relief, "This isn't onion but death camas; it's poisonous." Hearing those words, Kalani subtly shivered.

If I hadn't asked... Kalani pondered before quickly erasing those possibilities from his mind. "Dad, can we just throw them away? I won't bring these kind of plants back anymore..." the boy wrung his hands nervously.

His dad studied his son's worried face before patting Kalani's head calmly. "Kalani, although you made a mistake, you shouldn't run away from it; instead, endeavor to learn from your experience," his father stated before adding gently, "Trust me; once you overcome it, your fear will turn into your strength later..."

Kalani opened his mouth to speak— only for them both to hear his stomach grumble aloud in dissatisfaction. He noticed his dad's lips curl up slightly before his rugged hand covered it, but it didn't take long for his dad to break out in guffaws. Kalani's cheeks burned.

Though before Kalani could retort, a bell clanged in the distance. "PETER WALKERS!!! Get your ass over here!" a woman's voice reverberated across the fertile meadow.

Glancing back at his father's face, Kalani snickered quietly when he observed his father's frozen features. "Guess it's not only my stomach complaining to me today," he remarked with a smirk.

Regaining his composure, his dad looked at him and grinned, "Hah, watch and learn."

In reply, Kalani stuck his tongue out naughtily and scampered off toward home. The man chuckled deeply before shaking his head in amusement while placing stacks of wood inside a metal rack; after slipping the rope straps on, he hoisted the load deftly.

He is not going to get far... his dad mused as he sprinted after Kalani.

…

A fair woman paced around inside the cottage near the door. Her slim frame coupled with her sparking jade eyes and light freckles would have made a lovely sight if it weren't for her grim face.

Hearing heavy footsteps outside, she spoke as she swung open the wooden door, "You—" she stopped mid-sentence once she spotted Kalani held in her husband's arms, and her darkened face softened with a smile. "Kal, welcome home sweetie."

The intoxicating scent of herbs and meat wafted out of the open doorway, and despite his tiredness, Kalani felt rejuvenated already. "Mom, it smells so good in here," Kalani mentioned, hugging her as she ruffled his hair.

After placing down the wood stack, his dad sheepishly smiled at his wife. "Your loving husband has returned~..." Reaching over, he curled his arm around her waist and kissed her tenderly on her ear.

Despite the faint crimson creeping on her cheeks, she cast a glare at her husband. "And what were you doing this whole time?"

His father uttered solemnly with a wronged expression, "An elf told me to leave with her, but I refused since I had a much more stunning fairy and imp waiting at home."

"Hey! Who are you calling an imp?!" Kalani retorted.

With her lips curling upward, his mom flicked her husband's forehead lightly. "Hmph, I'll forgive you this time," she finally said.

"Heh, see... this is what I call the power of love, son!" his dad exclaimed, picking her up as he twirled her around.

Placing his hands over his ears, Kalani groaned, his brows creasing, "Someone, please cleanse my ears..."

After mother was lowered onto the ground, she cleared her throat, "Ahem— Kal, take a bath now, so we can eat dinner. You too, hun." She gently nudged her son toward the wooden stairs in the back, and Kalani nodded as he rushed up the stairs and into his bedroom. Meanwhile, his father followed mother into the adjoining kitchen, resigning to chucking pieces of wood into the oven stove before heading upstairs himself.

After her husband was finished, the woman snapped her fingers, and a red flame condensed from the air and flew to the wood, sending it aflame. Then she closed the stove's door.

…

Reaching his room, Kalani walked past his bed and into the bathroom. He glanced at the large mirror above the sink. The clear mirror reflected his light olive skin and emerald irises; however, the most eye catching was the raven hair sticking out awkwardly.

I'm a mess... he could only muse embarrassingly, running his hand through his hair once more. When he eventually took his eyes off the mirror, he noticed next to him that the bathtub was filled to the brim with water, warm to the touch. After taking off his clothes, he stepped in and began to rub his body with the soapy scrub.

"Kal..." a faint male voice seemed to call to Kalani. He paused and looked up with a raised brow.

Is Dad calling me? Kalani mused for a moment before continuing to wash himself, Nah, must be my imagination.

…

About half an hour later, a fully clean boy emerged from his bedroom, and as he rushed downstairs and into the dining room connected to the kitchen, he was greeted by his mom and dad sitting at the table with mouthwatering cake and his favorite dishes beside it. He couldn't help but grin.

When they noticed him, they beamed and exclaimed,

"Happy 12th Birthday, Kal!"

"Kal... Kal!" the strange voice called again to him, but this time, Kalani perceived that his dad's lips did not move.

Who? Kalani turned his head.

"KAL!!!"

…