Chapter 18:

Four days later, Jung was running for his life in the forest while the bird in his arm tweeted a storm. A boar the size of a small cow shriek its displeasure as it ran after them.

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The bird's little wings were getting stronger with each passing day, and it was now able to float for longer periods of time before falling back. As Jung arrived at the bird's nest, the bird would call out excitedly, chirping and flapping its wings. And then, with a leap of faith, the bird would jump from its perch, soaring through the air with its tiny wings. Jung would watch with bated breath, following the bird with his eyes as it flew... well, glide downward. Jung then made sure that it landed safely and unharmed.

“You are getting better every day, bird,” Jung admitted to himself, a wry smile etched on his face.

Jung would not admit it, but he watch with a sense of awe and wonder as the bird flew, feeling a sense of parental pride for the small creature. He knew that the bird was still learning how to fly and that it would take time and patience for it to master the art of flight. But despite the challenges it faced, he could feel the bird never giving up and continuing to push herself to fly higher and further almost every day.

But her determination today almost ended in disaster for both of them.

This time, she circled around her tree and lazily glided to a section of bushes Jung had not explored before. The bird landed behind those bushes that led to an opening where a giant boar slept. Unaware of this, Jung followed the little bird while muttering to himself. When Jung's eyes landed on the massive boar, he froze. Jung caught his breath and slowly returned the branch of the bush he had brushed aside. The little bird landed exactly at the top of the pig’s head and Jung held his breath. The bird landed, somersaulted since it could not stop its momentum, and fell on its buttocks. It shook its head vehemently and looked around its surroundings. The boar snorted a bit and wiggled its curly tail for a moment, but otherwise, the pig kept sleeping, much to Jung’s relief.

The stupid bird scratches her feet in the boar's rough skin, completely unaware or unconcerned that there is an animal beneath her. Then she noticed something. Her big eyes narrowed as she leaned closer. She hopped towards its snout, leaning in closer to a specific hair growing inside the porcine nose.

Jung saw it and unconsciously raised his hand to stop the moronic bird. He knew what the bird was planning because his skill still gave him a rudimentary connection to the bird, and he knew the bird thought the hair inside the nose was some sort of wriggling worm, and the first thing that came to its mind was “Food!”

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Before Jung could do anything, the little bird hopped closer. She then pecked at a particular morsel hanging in the boar's nose and violently pulled the nasty hair. The boar squealed in pain and surprise. The startled bird flipped in the air, bounced in the soft grassy ground once, and landed with her butt in the air, dazed. The bird would have turned into a bloody paste if it hadn't been for Jung's timely dive to snatch her and roll out of the way. When the boar regained his bearings, he saw Jung for the first time, and his little beady eyes narrowed even more.

"Wait... wait! It wasn't me... the bird-"

The boar charged.

Jung rolled to his side, instinctively protecting the bird in his hand, and narrowly avoided the attack. He scrambled back to his feet and started running in the other direction. The boar turned and went in pursuit, hot fumes of smoky breath trailing behind him.

"Gaaahh!" Little Jung ran as fast as he could. He could feel new messages coming up one after the other, but he made sure they were minimized, or else he risked obscuring his vision when he needed it the most.

Jung burst through shrubberies and stumbled on stiff little cliffs, but he doggedly jumped back up and continued running. He could hear the berserking animal right behind him, its hooves pounding the ground and its snarling breaths hot on his heels. He pushed himself harder, his legs pumping as fast as they could go.

The animal would have run him through a long time ago, but it was his quick turns that compounded the angry animal. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his breath came in gasps, but he didn't let up. He was determined to outrun the wild boar.

Faster! the bird said excitedly in his mind. The little beast from hell is actually enjoying this. Jung can feel the bird in his arms, imagining she was flying on her own wings, as Jung dodges the trees of the forest and parkours his way out of the danger. Jung was tempted to throw the bird over his shoulder, but he just couldn't. So he continued to run instead.

He eventually slowed down and turned to face his pursuer when he noticed the boar slowing down, finally giving up after a while and simply watching him go. Boars are extremely fast in a burst of energy for a short distance, but they quickly run out of stamina. Jung meanwhile, just stood there, panting and trembling, but safe.

Jung did not let his sight leave the boar, even as it turned around in disappointment and trudged back to its territory. When he is further away, only then did Jung rest on his knees as he tried to take in more air in his lungs.

Food, the bird projected emphatically in his mind.

Jung almost tossed the bird behind him, but he calmed his mind just in time. With a gritted jaw, he slowly dropped the bird to the ground, and it started happily pecking the leaf-covered floor.

Jung meanwhile, slumped his back against a nearby tree and watched the bird eat. "What the hell am I going to do with you?" he asked aloud.

There is just too much danger in the forest. And Jung couldn't be near the little bird all the time to protect her. After thinking about it some more, he suddenly asked the bird, "Hey, wanna go home with me?"

The bird looked at him with those uncanny eyes of hers. Food? the bird projected.

Jung shrugged. "I think so, there should be enough earthworms in the place. You do have to compete with the chickens."

The bird stared at him for a moment longer, then bobbed its head in acceptance. Home, she thought with finality.

Jung smiled at her, who stared back at him. So he picked up the little bird and walked back home with his new pet in his disheveled state.

When his mother saw him, she did a double-take.

"Ah, Jung Hee?... Do you know that there is a bird on top of your head?"

"Coo!" answered the bird.