By his side

The nature was peaceful and there was no one besides them in the deep forest. Only a man in casuals with his head lowered and the face behind his long ruffled hair barely visible, along with a beautiful bird with patterns on the edges of her raven wings, traversed the forest at a lagging pace.

The vulture had come out of her inconspicuous state, turning her head every once in a while to look at her dizzy master with concern.

His decision to leave the city was complex. There was no place he could claim as his own, be it the strange apartment he would wake up at. Yet he decided to leave the bustling streets and that estranged apartment.

And because of that he was repelled strongly by much influence.

Yet he didn't stop taking small, baby steps to reach at an isolated place. He might not have complete control over himself, he might not have the liberty to think and act on his own but all he wanted was to dive deep into the silence.

Maybe somewhere he could find solace.

Or maybe somewhere he could hear the voices clear in his head.

The solitude was just blissful to the eye.

Because those voices swirled in his head, loud and incoherent, demanding action. A name, a face, a target. He couldn't make sense of them but were enraged which made him numb.

His suffering was unbearable to the bird's eye. The repulsion and opposition, a part of which she herself could feel. But again there was nothing she could do.

Somewhere in the dimly illuminated part of the forest, he took his first stop. Despite the daylight and scorching sun above their heads, tall gigantic trees formed a dim room of their own where they veiled everything underneath.

The lack of light gave an eerie appearance to thick trunks and bark of those trees. One that could make any mind insinuate that a serrated transverse slit from trunks will soon open. It's ends will curve to give a crooked, evil grin. That is, only to someone who actually saw their current appearance.

However the trees who could be imagined to have such dark side, were rather anxious as they forcibly stiffened their juicy flexible arms so as they not wobble along the playful wind.

But, the dry, lifeless branches were entirely out their control which kept them at edge. If one such branch detached and hit even this strange visitor's shadow.....

He settled near a stump carelessly. A stump of considerable height, supported the entire back of a six feet man.

The stump was rough against his back, it's coarse, rugged surface pressing through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. He didn't care.

A little far away, the bird laid still. Peaceful and calm vulture bore the weakness of her body for she hadn't eaten for days in her master's shadow.

Even the energy needed to scuffle was all exhausted so she could only lie listless and even then think about her master.

She knew what threw him in pain, she could hear a part of those voices as well, like a storm in her mind that left her exhausted. It was partly a reason why her own state was nothing to her.

Deep, sinister voices had been camping inside her head since the night she had experienced seizures.

A few drops of his tears had made her soul shiver that night. So dense that as soon as she got in contact with his body fluid, there was similar bombardment of murky, infinite groans inside her.

Fortunately, the fits ended and later he took her under himself, a blood pact which allowed her to follow him everywhere but discreetly.

So there were mixed set of emotions she went through since then. She could be invisible to other people, have the same sinister aura. Though she did not know anything about who her master was, she did not want to be like those voices, inconspicuous and somewhat troubling.

But at least she got to remain by his side.

Thoughts made her body give in to the weakness. She did not know when she zoned out, it was definitely not a slumber because her need for sleep had decreased a lot.

Evening came sneakily through the gaps. The darkness was equivalent to that at midnight. The wind still playful, brushed against the giant leaves, leaving a rustling sound predominate in the dark.

She snuggled beside him unknowingly. A sense of cold brought her comfort equal to that given by a warm hug.

Those relentless voices pressing against her chest, heavy and suffocating. Not letting her rest for once.

If they affected her this much, what would they be doing to her master?

Even in her weakness, she longed to do more.

[ I just hope I'm not causing him-]

Drip drip

Her eyes opened at a similar sense of presence.

In the gentle pouring of raindrops, there was something she admired but felt much overwhelming at the moment.

He had noticed the bird nesting beside him when a slight nudge, a brief contact reminded him of her weak state.

The pact defining his subordinate's starving body and it's worrisome condition.

His head turned slowly to look at her. A bird, inkier than the gloomy night, glowing abstract patterns on her beautiful, broad wings reminding him of those voices again.

The voices turned enthusiastic all of a sudden.

His lowered head helped him see the bird for the first time. The bangs separated from his face as his face lowered, uncovering his eyes.

His heightened senses seem to get dull for a moment. All he focused on was this follower who was with him for months.

Did she ever remind me of her presence?

A sharp twinge stopped him from having any thoughts.

Small followed by large drops perched on her glowing patterns. Refraction in them glinted the listless body in the dark.

That was when the bird woke up with a jerk and he turned his head to the front.

His demeanor was calm but terrifying and he gave a command after a while.

The bird as she felt her master convey a message through their pact, flew right away.

Her resistance would have been of no use. Also she would have been starved to death if she didn't eat anything now.

He had no appetite himself. But at least he told her to go and hunt something to eat.

A few hours later when the bird returned, full of energy, the stump was empty.

She circled the area, her wings cutting through damp air. Where had he gone? The ground was undisturbed, the stump cold and distant.

Not even his unique scent lingered, as if he'd never been there at all.

The air felt lighter but was no comfort to her. The trees now free of their anxiety, swayed their branches in mockery. She let out a low grunt, clashing with despair.

*****