"Sirius": Southern Star Of Survival

"Sky in the south holding Sirius among; The Sirius Will guide you your course of action through the light in the winter twilight".

The only reminder was pattering inside my mind. The whole flight had turned to undesirable nightmare. But I decided to not lose any hope and have to complete this do and die journey with my family along with stranger pals, which we were facing in equal wings.

In the long run of early November winter. I, "Doiro" a Ruddy-Duck was part of one of the flocks to fly south in search of star of survival. By leaving our home beneath the base of ice behind. And for searching new warm place in the southside. But I'd a guilt of leaving my home, my memories with my dead parents behind for making new one. "What if I wouldn't make it further?" But I decided to give it a try. The whole flock was ready to leave their realm behind for searching a new one as I was. My friend "Coal" was leading our flock. However, every flock needs a leader with great accounting, understanding and co-operative skills amongst others. And he is enriched with it. Coal's night-black sharp tail and bright blue bill pin-pointed him rare amongst swarm.

On one shiny day, we decided to peak the sky and left our family behind. Our journey started as usual but who guessed how the way it will be completed.

We all were of more than forty in a single flock. We crossed high mountains amidst fog line and flew over lakes in the queue. We halted over so many biomes and rested near twelfth fall shore of brook. But the star of survival was still away from our reach. Continuously we were moving ahead, by following our star of destiny. Random ticking of bright daylight was cheering our spirit. We were almost touched the top and without losing hope we were up to crossing dusk-blue sea line. 

In due course, one thunderstormy night we all were flying beyond the clouds. The night was dark as burning hell. I and others were flying our heart out for saving each others lives. But suddenly a coup of nine fellas stuck with a thunderbolt and we lost them in the middle of the journey. It was not unusual to us. Every year, our alike fellas has faced the same dilemma as we were. My parents too lost their lives in a migration fall. They lost their connection when they were heading for displacement and died in the middle of the course 'cause of some life taking electromagnetic waves. No one survived that flight because of my father's single wrong decision who was leading them. Might be we'll be too not going to survive. However, we all are characters of the same story, they were plotted with. And I realized before the selection for troop leader. I had the same wrong decisiveness as my father had. And I too would be a wrong hero. So I dropped the idea of being a leader.

Coal announced a halt. But I decided it was not the time for mourning we have to save everyone. And I headed on for searching a safe place for all. 

We stopped near a forest line from where the town was not so far. My friend and our leader Coal decided to take flying friends to the town. We entered in the town. The town with vanished livelihoods. Maybe a place of no existence amidst. There was a major void in the town perhaps they left their realm like we are; or the town of ghosts?

But suddenly we saw some other birds in a clock-tower. But they were also not ready for a word with us; and flew away.

As time growing darker when the clock struck seven in the dusk. The residents lit their palaces and we got the essence of their presence in the town.

We got a place near the Town-hall and Coal announced his words for taking flock near chimney beneath a clock, I guess we found the place which make us safe. But there was an ample hole in the glass. Whenever clock struck at twelve; a passage like void got opened up which allows air to pass in our warm cabin. 

Later with the escape of time, Coal called me and took me with him for searching food and water for the others. As we moved some inches. I heard an announcement regarding infectious disease pandemic in the town. That they were all grounded for some reason and after some confirmation I got them exactly what those humans were facing; an "Era of Captivity".

Coal flashed his bulb and hurriedly told me his next plan, "What if we all stay here?"

He concluded me that; "Trap of captivity is far better than slap of liberty".

And without surviving terrible we will fulfil our and our fellas stomach.

And if we will get some food without doing struggles, so why are we chasing the star of destiny? And he made me think that "We've already found our star of survival here".

As first of all, I reacted so worse but as he magnified his point I showed him a green flag. He burst an announcement amongst all the fellas for staying in the town and called an end of our further journey. He convinced my other friends for living in the halt. He chose being in mortal than flying with liberty. But we all got agreed for our loss and nobody spread a fire of revolt. Although not me either.

In the fullness of time, our stay ran smoothly. Others of the ruddy ducks accepted our new realm. We started enjoying our livelihood along with humans. Humans treated us good, as they made us avail our food and needs so easily. But whenever I saw them in their cage it gave salt to my wounds. 

Beyond everything, How often they have chosen this cage for birds.

But with a slow run of late winter, it was time for rotating new round of season. When the sheath of ice will break down deliberately, and spring will bloom up. The aroma of new start will raise the rainbow above the ground and essence of flowers, sun and purple dawn will come up again. I was setting my wings in a lake near a statue of Waterman fountain of Town-Hall. In an instant, I saw the star of my destiny

"Sirius", quite near to fly. Maybe we were not that far from our fate. Either I have to reach the south or stay here with my only family. I closed my eyes and chose the town.

And our happy-go-fairer moments began from that dusk.

One gloomy night, I heard a piercing cry in quite distant from the chimney and saw the other flock of five Warbler members, those were looking miserable and neither in condition of happy wings. 

I introduced them that "I am too an immigrant". But they didn't give me fair stare and started sobbing for their wrong decision of halt. I took them in the chimney with others and what they told us, left everyone in awe.

I told Coal that we have to leave as soon as sand ran off. But he wasn't ready to listen to a word. 

Subsequently, we all heard a not so happening knock on the end of the chimney. The humans were on the other side and they were with the mind of doing the same thing they did to our stranger fellas "Warblers". 

Amidst pandemic, the humans ran off from their money and food and now, they were facing a depression in their economy.

And the scarcity of resources for survival was their mere dilemma.

So, they decided to kill and eat what only left behind; Migratory birds in the town. 

Coal still had a blindfold and tried to convince others to stay. I didn't know why he lost his mind. But that time I saw nothing else either my pals and their life, not even I saw a danger of my loss.

Without wasting a second we ran towards another verge. Plenty of humans were there with a trap. They continuously throwing stone on us. They made us injured. We all were drenched in the blood. Tardily the clock struck at twelve. And then we got a moment to fight back for our life. We tied up in a wings-chain and flew along. We decided to win the game by unity 'cause we have the first rule of our flock "Unity is our strength". 

We were flying after a long lapse of struggle. I, my Ruddy-duck family and my stranger pals Warblers flew for following our star of destiny. 

As the star was not so far with hitting first sunlight in the dawn, The flock reached southern sky with flying colours. To set our new home in the realm of the south. To settle down in the place ruled by our guide star "Sirius".

As the morning glory was blooming after peeking in gloom through Dawn. The Sky of liberty was laughing red. And I inhaled that aroma of freedom with others. My pals and Coal encouraged me to take the lead of our "Ruddy-Duck and Warbler kingdom". They made me realize that "How wrong I was thinking about myself".

Everybody not living with the similarities of plot; we all were living a different story in which either in the first phase we all are might be hero or vice versa. But it depends on how we are going to know our strength or our strengths.

Once in the Journey, Coal convinced me about choosing captivity instead of the liberty, but he was wrong.

In the view of the fact, today's fair free spring morning made me realise that;

"A slap of Liberty is far better than a trap of captivity".

We all have the right to live our life full of wilderness and free in our own choices.

"After all, we ain't migrants either; we are free-birds".