Birds of a Feather
Note: A sort of "sequel" to "Heart of a Vulture". We all know how Vlad met Roxanne but what about Roxanne herself ? All we know about her is her gentle, gregarious, congenial nature and her sweet disposition but not much else.
Prologue
We all know the story of a vulture named Vlad
And how everyone in Nool perceived him as bad
His heart was ripped apart and it hurt to be alone
He spent most of his days in Portool, his home
He had no friends, nary a soul
Nobody to care for, or to be by his side when he was old
Until one fateful day he met Roxanne
To fall in love wasn't part of his plan
Not much is known of this sweet bird of prey
But allow her to tell it from her words anyway…
Chapter 1—Day of the Dark Clouds
I'll never forget that story mama Lita used to tell me as a hatchling. I wasn't even conceived yet and Portool was surrounded by dark, black, ominous clouds. It wasn't known what caused them or why they had destroyed most of the vulture brood, but my mama was intuitive to changes in climate. She could sense the barometric pressure alter and felt danger deep to the marrow of her bones. Papa Kremlin was a heavy sleeper but after many prods in the side from mama, he awakened and took on the wing with us. I don't remember any of this, except feeling as if I was aloft. I was still within the protection of my mother's uterus, not knowing the harsh reality of the outside world.
No sooner had I been hatched did I begin asking questions about where we were and what had happened in Portool.
"The rest of our clan…died, my dear.", Kremlin responded, his voice sounding sorrowful. I swore I could see tears in my papa's sapphire eyes. Lita too, my usually pleasant mother, had a frown upon her face, lowering her gaze from mine momentarily.
"Died ? You mean, there was some sort of poison in those clouds ? I need to see Portool again, no matter the circumstance. Not all of us could've died.", I said, determined that there was at least one last vulture among the ruined landscape of Portool. I was still young, and couldn't fly so I was forbidden to venture into Portool until I matured. A bit flustered, I sighed but I wasn't too terribly upset. I was strong, after all, having known death so early. I kept my optimism and faith close, however, sensing deep within my heart that there was one of us left, one that had been treated unfairly and used rather foully.
Chapter 2—Venture to Portool
My best friend, Patricia wondered why I was setting out so late at night for.
"The time has finally come, Patricia. I'm going to see whether my intuition is correct or not.", I said, as she approached to hug me. She kissed my cheeks warmly and patted my shoulder.
"Success attend you, my dear.", she said, gently, ruffling my hair as mama and papa always did to tease me. I chuckled, taking that affection with me as I gave myself a running start and gained enough lift to set myself in flight. The thermals guided me to the stratosphere and below I could see the entire jungle of Nool. It was even breathtaking from this viewpoint and I sighed peacefully as the wind rushed over my iridescent purple feathers. I landed outside the grotto of Portool but saw nothing. I did see bones that were leftover in the cave, and it gave me an overwhelming sense of dread. But, strangely, it still felt like home because I knew a fresh kill had been made. I smacked my lips at the thought of food but only for a nanosecond. Food would await me at home. There were more important matters to attend to. The bones did give me a sense of joy though. There was a vulture nearby and I could smell his musky scent not too far from here. Spurred on and captivated by the essence, I moved forward through the night until I found a smaller cave outside of Portool and slept until the next day arrived.
Chapter 3—A Refreshing Dip
I liked it much better here in the jungle than in Portool. It wasn't the place I had been told it had once been. At one time, instead of brambles, there were flowers and trees everywhere. It was green as far as the eyes could see and the smell of wild berries was common. Like the mountains of Nool, called "The Peaks" respectively, the jungle had its allure and serenity about it. I felt a bit sad for the soul who lived in Portool alone, with no friends and no one to call his own.
It was hot, but the sunlight felt incredible in my plumage. I fanned my feathers out, gathering in the rays before stretching and starting my search again. While I was out, strolling in the jungle, I found a watering hole. I hadn't been swimming since I was a hatchling so I thought to myself,
"Why not ? It's a perfectly fine day for a refreshing swim." And without thinking I jumped in, full speed ahead, not thinking of what or whom I might splash along the way.
I could hear sputtering in the background, and then I saw him, but he didn't see me. He had exclaimed, "Show yourself, you coward !" He had his fists up, ready to fight his unseen foe. He was the most glorious vulture I had ever set eyes on. He had deep red eyes, a smile that could kill and a voice that hypnotized me. My heart palpitated out of control and I had the silliest idea. Like with my compatriots, I would play with him and see what came out of it. I took to a peak not far from the watering hole and threw myself off of it.
"Cannonball !", I cried, jubilantly and splashed into the water. I heard him grouse and throw insults until, our eyes met. I had fallen for him upon seeing him instantly, but his expression was one of awe, wonder and if I wasn't mistaken, genuine interest. I came to know this vulture as Vlad Vladikoff, the one who I would give my heart to and spend the rest of my life with.
Chapter 4—His Side of the Story
I was a bit angered when I had heard of what Rubella, the Sour Kangaroo had put poor Vladamir through. I couldn't imagine a soul like his, pure from the beginning, being twisted into something so hideously evil that everyone despised him. Sure, he was a killer, like me, but only out of survival instincts. I often killed humanely when I was hungry. I didn't become hungry too often, but Vlad had been merciless in the past. He often poured his soul out to me, and told me how he had to begin once more with a clean slate. I encouraged him, finding such an act honorable. If he hadn't had a conscious or a kind heart, he never would've wanted to do so, but I saw that in him more so than others. I had a gift for that. I could often look into someone's eyes and sense their true being. Vlad's being was one that had been convoluted, but with a little nudge and a little love, it would return to what it once was, a pure, shining, giving heart.
Chapter 5—A Happy Ending for All
I hadn't expected Vlad to propose to me but after having known him for a year, I had gotten to see all sides of him. He was much sweeter than I had realized and not at all a brute. He was a transformed vulture and always willing to share with others. There were times he would fly to the top of Mount Nool and speak to the civilization that lived there. I had heard about them before from his past trips there. I wanted to meet them too, and hoped that I could interest my children in the society of "Whos" as they were called. Upon first meeting them, I was a bit shy, but very polite in my speech.
"Is this the lovely wife you've been telling me about, Vlad ?", a masculine voice questioned.
"Yes, I am. I'm Roxanne. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir.", I responded. I learned the name of that man. His name was Ned O' Malley, and he had a wife, named Sally. He had 96 girls and a little boy named Jo-Jo. I thought I had it rough with 5 little vultures of my own, but I never thought of a day going by without them in my life. They uplifted every day in their own special ways for me, and I loved them all very dearly.
When our little ones, Junior, Misha, Taelia, Inga and Sveta had been taught how to fly, the whole family would take flights up to Mount Nool. We all spoke to Ned and his family.
"Do you know Horton ?", Ned questioned, curiously. Of course I knew Horton. Horton knew everyone in the jungle and I had become a close friend of his. I often wondered what the Whos looked like and what their culture was, and through Ned's description I could get a pretty good idea how they functioned day by day. My children were more curious as to what games the Who girls and boys played and what kind of technology they used, if any. Jo-Jo and his sisters were more than happy to speak to them, glad there were creatures that cared sincerely for them. Our conversations would last for hours until one family or the other became hungry or had to sleep for the night.
Epilogue
To this day, the Whos in Whoville, the tall and the small are all considered our extended family. True, we cannot see them, but we know they exist through their stories to us and their sincerity in how they share their hearts with us whenever we visit them. Horton has often asked me how the Whos are, and I am pleased to tell them, all is well. Everything has been rebuilt since the devastation long past. It's something that has been wiped clean of Vlad's record for good and I must say it does my heart good in knowing that. Every night, I thank the heavens that he is no longer known as "Vlad the Terrible" or "Vlad the Horrible", but "Vlad the Just", and "Uncle Vlad" to many.
The End