The outside

Well.

Seems like I've reached a bit of a predicament…

I twist my head up as far as my neck allows and look over at the giant red wall looming over me, it was emitting a faint orange glow, lighting up the building I was in. The system says that the water is located just a bit beyond, getting through the wall will be a challenge…

Oh, an idea!

I pecked at the ground right below the wall, peck down, pull back to move the dirt… peck down, pull back to move the dirt… I did this for about 10 minutes before I gave up, I was hoping to dig a small hole that allows me to go through the wall but it seemed to go into the ground forever; that may be an exaggeration, but I didn't want to waste my time doing something useless…

After a while of pointlessly pecking the floor, I thought of using the system! I immediately kicked myself at my stupidity, pecking at a wall before asking my godly system.

So far, whenever I've had a question or query, the system answers it without any sense of doubt or hesitation, it almost feels like my own personal internet. There may be a limit to that knowledge, but I doubt I'll reach that limit soon.

'Hey system, what's the quickest way to get out of here and into the water source?'

[GPS Tracking on… route calculated]

[walk 20 meters backwards]

'Ah wow... it actually worked'

I was hopeful, but seeing the system actually having a method to help me was really amazing, at most I was hoping for some instructions… I gained a newfound appreciation for the system.

I followed my system's new minimap lines, and upon arriving at the spot, a new notification popped up

[Clear the hay and enter the cellar]

'Huh? A cellar? Weren't we in a coop or barn?'

Setting aside my curiosity, I pushed the hay away from the ground with my beak, for a second I was shocked at how quickly I had become accustomed to using my beak as a limb, but then I saw a small black handle, blending into the brown floor beneath the hay. Excited I let out an unintentional:

"YEEP!"

Ahem… how embarrassing.

I bit the tiny handle, and pulled with all my strength, little by little, the floor beneath the handle opened up, it seemed to be some sort of heavy tray, peering into the newly opened up floor I saw a ramp, bending down onto patches of grass and dirt.

I braced myself and hopped down onto the ramp, rolling over it, and then collapsing onto the earth. The sensation of grass pressing my body felt quite ticklish, brushing it off, I waddled towards the new set marker on the minimap.

[Proceed 23 meters North]

I waddled even faster, as fast as my tiny legs could carry me. Into the distance, I saw a curtain, with white light spilling over below it… finally! Daylight! I ran as fast as I could and burst through the curtains, it was certainly stupid and dangerous to bust through without checking it out first… I know, but as I looked at the outside world… I did not regret it a bit.

The grass was as green as a polished emerald, after leaving the 'Cellar', the contrast between the grass next to the ramp, to that which was hit by the sun seemed was striking. The sun-kissed grass was infinitely more healthy, I could hear the chirping of other birds, colorful butterflies speckled with all sorts of colours flew by in packs, contrasting with the bright white trees that surrounded the enclosure.

'… it's beautiful…'

Living in a city most of my life on earth, seeing this made my heart stop for a moment, on second thoughts, even on earth I was unlikely to ever see something this ethereal or pretty.

Breaking me out of my stupor was a sound just as beautiful as the sight before me… flowing water!

I continued following the minimap, admiring my surroundings while I walked, and after traversing through a particularly tall patch of grass that blocked my vision, I found myself staring at a river, I waddled over to the shore and plunged my beak into the water, it was difficult to drink at first, but I got the hang of drinking with a beak pretty quickly.

I didn't feel like my thirst had been parched or anything, so I asked the system, just to be sure that I was ok.

'Mr.System, is my body safe now?'

[Yes, the previous threat has been eliminated, however other creatures stronger than you have been detected nearby]

'YESS!!' = "YEECHHHIIIIIEEE!!"

The 'other creatures' bit was quite ominous, but I decided to disregard for a few seconds while I rejoiced, I was finally safe again, whew that was troublesome…

I had put it out of my mind for a second, but the fact that there were some predators here worried me quite a bit, I dove back into the thick grass and headed my way back home, as I escaped the thickets and gazed at the scenery I was shook. The previous sight I saw of the beauty and elegance of nature was gone.

I saw something else.

No elegance or beauty.

A golden eye.

I looked up in horror… a giant eye was covering my vision, this eye was larger than my entire body, peering into the depths of my soul. I could tell that the creature who this eye belonged to was larger than the building that I was just born in for sure.

It turned its eye from me, and stretched itself out, it stood about 30 times taller than I did.

The creature was enveloped by jet black feathers drawing you in, they each ended with a sharp point, it felt like looking at it any longer could cause your eyes to bleed. It had black, ashen gray feet, accompanied by blood-red talons.

I didn't know if they were naturally that red, or if some act has caused such a discolouration. Around its neck were two golden rings, they reflected no light, similar to the 'Matte' version of colours from Earth, it exuded a certain elegance, if one were asked to describe the golden rings, "pristine" would be the first word to come to mind.

A giant black, red, and gold chicken.

By all means, this being was a terrifying one, it's height combined with it's markings would cause one to think this was an otherwordly creature… which by my terms... I guess it was.

But for some odd reason, I felt no fear…

I felt…

calm….

Was this a friendly creature?

I looked up at its eyes and felt that maybe I could trust this new being I had never seen before, it too, looked at me, slowly lowering it's head, keeping eye contact with me at all times. I didn't break it off either. It was once again at eye level with me, but this time I could see its golden beak, pointed right at me.

Was this perhaps… my mo-

Before I could finish that thought, with blinding speed, the creature opened it's beak and snapped it's neck forward, and yet again… I was in a cold, dark and wet environment.

I took a few seconds to process what just happened.

And then, my brain finally caught up.

'OH SHIT **CK YOU- YOU SONNOFA'

In the middle of my tantrum, I was ejected out of the giant chicken's mouth, once again on the familiar, soft hay. I looked up, expecting to see the chicken again… but all I saw was the black roof.

Wait… the *BLACK* roof.

In realisation of what I've been staring at, I gasped, or at least, tried to, this body really wasn't suited to display many emotions.

The warmth I've been feeling had been mainly emanating from the ceiling, seeing a living creature there made me convinced that this was either my mother or my father, the absence of a crest on the chicken's head made me assume it was a hen…

Is it some form of magic? Normally with heat I'd associate some level of brightness but the creature had pitch black feathers and yet still eminataed light, I kept thinking about how something like that could work, maybe as a sort of heater? My thoughts on trying to solve this puzzle were immediately interrupted by another stray thought.

'Damn do I have a helicopter parent in this life?'

Chuckling to myself, I plopped down onto the hay, there was so much to process and this world's rules were currently inconceivable to me, but for now, I just wanted to rest, I tried to forget the implications of what just happened for now as the mini-adventure I was on was quite tiring.

I once again welcomed sleep like an old friend.