“He said she was here somewhere…Here somewhere.” The young parrot flew low to the ground, away from his flock in the jungle, away from everything that was once familiar. And why? Because the urge for adventure, to seek his destiny, had been too great to ignore. He knew he had something more to do in life. Something more than fly with his flock, find a mate and have a new family every year. He needed more than that. His family had called him silly, sometimes worse things, and though it got him down it had never killed that adventuring spirit.
Then, one morning, he woke to see the sun just beginning to rise and he left. Just like that.
He wasn’t sure what had made that day the one. Why he had known that it was time, the moment he had been waiting for. But it had been right and now he was free.
Sometimes he was lonely, but other times he was so struck with awe at the world around him that he seemed no longer able to remember his pitiful, boring past.
This morning he had met a young male lion who had spoken to him about a magical lioness. A lioness who could peek into the future of another. The parrot, astounding by such news, had vowed to find this lioness, and was now tracing the lions path back, trying to find this lioness of such astounding ability.
A minute later and he would find her.
--
Aryiola lay half in and half out of her den, yawning into the rising sun. The night she had shared with that passing male had been one of her most wondrous encounters yet. So full of passion and warmth. She had no regret or guilt about her little hobby, no wish to find a male to settle down with. All she wanted was a night here and there. Nothing more than that.
She peered up into the bright sky, wondering what she was going to spend her day doing. Hunting with Mother. Speaking with Aunt. She wasn’t sure what she really felt up to doing at the moment. In any case, she knew that no matter how boring things got, she was destined for great things.
Her Aunt had a plan and Aryiola would follow it always.
And then the sky was blemished.
She squinted into the rays of that golden orb and after a moment, realised the blemish was a single, lone bird, seemingly flying towards her. She didn’t question it for long and a moment later, her mind was back on the rest of the day.
She was just getting herself ready to depart – stretching and grooming the fur from her eyes – when something landed with a soft thump only a few strides away. She turned and blinked in mild surprise. A bird. That bird she’d seen flying. Apparently it was suicidal and wanted to become her breakfast! To think that it might choose her to offer itself to! Well now, she knew she was beautiful and talented, but wasn’t this a tad too much?
“Good morning, Breakfast.”
--
At seeing her, his heart had soared with renewed hope. She was an odd looking creature, beautiful in a magical way. For though her pelt was grey and plain, her eyes were rimmed with blue. Mystifying eyes that drew him in; lulled him into a false sense of security. This feeling ended when she spoke. Breakfast? Did she want to EAT him!?
“Good morning, Breakfast. Breakfast!” He mimicked, flapping his wings in a flash of green and red. “No Breakfast. Name Hister. Hister. Hister. Got that, Magic One?!” Even still, he hopped backwards a little, eyeing her somewhat sceptically. He didn’t like that glint in her eye.
He thought himself stupid then, thought himself losing his mind. Hadn’t he always been taught that the big cats liked to prey on his kind? Maybe the male lion back there had already eaten, or didn’t like bird-meat. Either way he’d been lucky. Now, his luck might just have run out.
--
“Oh, but dear, you are Breakfast. You see, I like to eat your kind when I can get them. I love to pluck the feathers from their wings, to crunch their fragile little bones between my teeth. The sound of it warms me, fills me with the desire to do it again and again. Besides, you’re a pretty little thing, aren’t you? Maybe I could use some of your feathers for decorations.” She indicated the many trinkets and baubles hanging about her person. The veil, for the moment, hung down away from her face, but all she needed to do was tighten it and she’d enter her fortune-teller state. “As you can see, I currently don’t have feathers in my collection.”
She advanced on him and when he didn’t fly away she smiled anew. “You are a brazen little thing, aren’t you? Fine, what do you want, Hister, Hister?” She replied, mimicking him lightly.
--
He blinked and peered up at her, his silken, green head shining beneath the sun. Was she considering to help him? Was she actually going to listen to what he had to say instead of just pouncing and eating him? He could only hope!
“I met a male. A male. A lion like you. He told me of a lady. A lady. A lady who is you. A lady of magic. Yes, a lady of magic. Are you the Magic One? You are!” He was hopping now, his beady eyes glimmering with excitement despite his somewhat dangerous predicament.
“You can see the future, yes?”
--
“So the kitten spread the word. What a good boy.” She purred and after a moment swung back to the little den, rummaging there for a moment. When she returned, she had a jewel with her, a beautiful, shining jewel that threw bands of light offered to it from the sun. She set it on the grass and sat back, pulling the veil into place around her muzzle.
“I met a cheetah once. He had a friend who was a bird. I mocked and scoffed at him for a while. Why would one bother with even talking to prey? However, perhaps I’ve found a use for you. You’d be good practice, wouldn’t you little parrot?” Her smile widened behind the veil. “And if you don’t like what I see in the future I can end your misery and ease my stomach.”
She settled, drawing the jewel close, cradling it between her forepaws. “So, little parrot. Little Hister. What do you want me to see for you today?”
--
“That’s it?” Hister squawked, surprised at how easy it was to get her to comply. “It’s that easy? I thought you were going to eat me. Eat me!” He hopped a little closer, prepared to fly away in case she pounced at him last minute. “Then tell me! I have a great future ahead. Ahead! Tell me what it is. I know this. I feel it. I am meant for something wonderful. That is why I seek you Magic One. Seek you Magic One.”
He drew closer, his little heart fluttering beneath that green, feathered chest. “Please.”
A pause. “I want to know anything about my future. Anything!”
--
“An enthusiastic little chap.” Aryiola observed with an amused little thrum. “I am eager to practise my skills, that is all. Besides, you were brave staying here. Now, your future. Yes. I am well skilled in peering into the futures of those who have one. You seem to think that yours will be grand. Very well, still yourself and I shall do my best to pluck something out of the ether.
She drew her gaze from him and settled it onto the jewel placed close to her forepaws. She let her eyes sweep over its surfaces, losing herself in their colours, their images. She felt herself drown, enter a state of harmony. Then, with the ever sharpening senses, she reached into his future and wandered down the path of fate.
She saw things. Many things. Orange. Always the colour orange was present. And then something else. Orange on black. Smiles and adventure. A far away land.
She pulled back away from the images, gasping for breath, struggling to make sense of all she had seen. And then the images settled and she understood. She sat up and focused on the little green parrot. Who was staring at her with wild eyes.
“What an interesting little life you will lead, Hister. I did not realise that prey beasts could have such a life.” She smiled. “Do you wish to hear about what I saw?”
--
Hister was shaking with excitement and apprehension, unsure what was about to be revealed. Uncertain what the lioness was seeing. Her eyes were flickering wildly and her breathing had turned shallow and sharp. She was rigid, completely engulfed in her visions of the future. And then she surfaced from them, choking and gasping as if such sights had suffocated her.
He hopped forwards again, so close to her now she need only swipe out a paw to knock him aside. His feathers quivered. His heart thudded intently. This was it. This was it!
“Yes, yes! Want to know! Want to know! Everything.” His eyes were wide and hungry. He didn’t want to have to wait any longer. Today was the day he had his truth. Nothing else mattered beyond that.
--
“You are right, young one, you have much to do in this land before your time is up. I saw many things but I will not tell all for some I did not understand. I will tell you everything that I came to see clearly. The rest is for you to discover alone.” She paused for breath, surprised at how much adrenaline coursed through her every time she participated in these fortune-telling sessions.
“The colour orange is a dominant one in your life. Orange in friendship. In love. In family. Follow the brightness and warmth of its colour and you will not be steered wrong. Far away from here is a lonely, sheltered, suffocated soul. He is restless but trapped, unable to set himself free without help and guidance. Like yourself he hungers for a great destiny but he is wary of going out alone. Find this soul and help him realise his potential.”
--
“How will I know it is him? Where is he? You say far from here. Far from here. But how far is far? My wings travel swifter than your paws.” Hister was impatient, bouncing and spreading his wings high, almost as if ready to take to the sky there and then.
--
Aryiola waved a paw at him. “Listen. I am not finished.” She cleared her throat and frowned a little. “You will know him because he bears the colour orange. His home, from what I could see, lies to the north of here. A week’s travel by paw. Unknown by wing. The land has rich meadows, plenty of water and good herds. It is a healthy place full of comfortable people.”
She continued hastily before he could interrupt. “You will know him when you see him. When you meet, talk to him, encourage him and travel with him into the world. From there your future opens up. Fate is a fickle creature, it does not follow one path. What I saw then was mixed and hazy, but it shows you have many options, many paths. Some are right, some are wrong, some are both. Always follow orange. Always follow your heart.”
--
“Understand. Understand.” Hister squawked eagerly. “Find the orange one, lead him into the world. Go where orange and heart says. Journey together. Always together. Look for destiny. For destiny.” He bobbed his head in thanks but thought better of leaving just yet.
“Anything else?”
--
“Yes. Two more things made themselves clear to me.” She enjoyed this. Being worshipped. Being awe-inspiring. She felt magical. She felt like a Goddess. Perhaps she was, in a way, born to a God father. She had his blood in her. Perhaps becoming a deity through her skills was fate.
“Another avian, orange too, also needs your help. But help in a different way. The avian’s heart is lonely and lost. It seems your job is to help those who have lost their way. Who are too afraid of taking that first step into change. You will find this avian on your journey. Whatever you do, do not give up on it. It needs you more than it knows. You will also need the orange bird’s help to find your final destination.”
--
“Final destination? You mean there is an end to the journey? We do not continue to travel the world, helping people?” He couldn’t believe he would ever want to settle anywhere. His heart called for freedom of the outside world. And yet, here was this lioness telling him that one day he’d find a place that’d capture his heart more greatly than the outside world.
And yet, maybe stupidly, he believed this lioness. He didn’t think for one minute that she’d lie to him. She seemed too genuine. Besides, the male lion had sworn that she was very trustworthy and skilled in the art of ‘seeing’.
--
“That is right. This land is quite unique. I could not see enough of it to tell you its location. But you will love it and when you find yourself there you will know, in your heart, that it is the place for you.” She drew back, smiling at him in a way that he could see it in her eyes. “That is all I have to say. So, parrot, do you want to become breakfast?”
--
“No thank you! Thank you!” Hister screeched, wheeling up into the air. “Life is good. I have a destiny.” He circled her once, twice and then a current of air whipped him up into the air.
“Thank you Magic One! Thank you!” And then he was off, flying as fast as his little wings would take him.
--
Aryiola slipped the jewel into place against her shoulder and rose onto all fours. For a while she watched the bird and then, when he was gone, she turned back for home. She wondered briefly whether other prey animals had futures. Wondered if, by killing them, she ended what could have been a great life.
No, she thought to herself, not all prey has a great destiny. Some only live to die. That is the way of things. She paused and glanced back into the sky, but it was empty now. He was on his way.
/fin
