Chapter 4:

I woke up with the same feeling I had from the explosion near the human camp. Every single hair on my body stood up and my heart felt dangerously cold. Sweat was all over my body, and all my nerves felt like they were being pulled and twisted around. I felt like I had seen something that had scarred me for life. It was when I gathered my senses together than I found myself in my cavern. What happened? I was flying away with my ingredients and suddenly I could not remember anything that had happened in between that time and now.

I shook my head, trying to make myself fully aware again. My senses were barely responding, but then my nose began to sting. I took a whiff and my nose stung even more. The smell was all around me. I could feel the air all around me – it was terribly thick, and I felt very uncomfortable. I flared my wings and dove down from my perch, only to land sloppily on the ground, slipping and falling hard on my stomach. I tried hard to get back up, but my state made it near impossible. I stretched my arms out weakly, grasping the soft dirt before me and dragging the weight of my body forwards. As I dragged myself, I noticed that my legs felt numb; in fact, my whole lower body was numb. Did I injure myself? I stopped and looked around, noticing that all my ingredients were completely missing. I felt despair growing in the pits of my heart and I cursed, banging my head on the floor pitifully. Had all that work been in vain?

I was finally able to drag myself out of the cave mouth and I started to feel the muscles of my lower body again, but this did not help to cheer me up. I attempted to stand, but fell on my knees, my hands saving me from landing on my face. I tried to stand up again after a deep breath, and to my surprise, I felt my legs again in an instant. I popped my neck as I started to walk further to the source of the smell. My nose stung more and more as I treaded deeper into the forest. Tears started to stream out of my eyes and I eventually could not take it any longer. I lifted up and hovered over the treetops of the forest and saw something that forced my jaw to drop. In a distant area, a pillar of smoke rose from the tree foliage and poured into the sky. My eyes could not be pulled away from this sight. For some strange reason, I had a feeling inside that told me that I knew what had happened there. I felt that I should have known from the time it happened. I felt so confused and yet so terribly scared. I could not look any longer and turned back, flying as quickly as I could, ignoring the stinging pain of my tears.

I woke up again in my cavern and the moon was still up in the sky. My body was perfectly fine again and I felt the familiar gnawing in my stomach. The only thing on my mind right now was food. When I went out, everything was normal. There was no smoke, and everything was calm and still. I even saw some Silverwing bats hunting in the distance. Was all of that a dream? I could not have been, since I still did not remember what had happened after I came back with the final ingredients. That's when the thought had hit my mind. "Did I make the exploding stick?" I snatched up a fat Tiger Moth as I flew back to my cave. I went in with great anticipation and felt the cold feeling of disappointment. There was absolutely nothing inside the cave except for the basket, which was completely empty and lying upside down. I turned it over and sat down on the dirt to think for a while. How could this be? Everything I had stolen was missing. I started to wish that I could remember what happened in the past. Were my ingredients stolen? Did I make the stick but then it had been stolen? I shut my eyes so hard that it hurt my eyelids slightly. I started to think hard. I knocked on my head with my fist several times before something finally appeared in my mind's eye. I saw a silvery image of a bat figure crafting what looked like the exploding stick. I then realized that it was I. I looked so concentrated in my work, as if I had been completely brainwashed or hypnotized for that matter. I opened my eyes. So I did make that exploding stick, but now it was missing. It must have been stolen, because I did not even get a chance to do anything with it just yet. I began to curse myself for my assumptions, but there was just no other thought that I could think up of. I kept telling myself that my exploding stick had been stolen until the words sounded meaningless. I was wasting my time. I had to find the item I worked so hard to make.

I got up and flew out of my cave and into the tree foliage above. I started to think about what I had witnessed before. That pillar of smoke coming from the forest was burned into my mind and I knew it would remain for a very long time. Perhaps some humans just wanted to test out some more of their sticks in some other area? That could be it. I was stressing over something stupid, but why did I even get that cold feeling as I was in the presence of that smoke?

As I flew around the forest, I noticed with my echo vision some Silverwing bats that I had never seen in the colony before. When I got to Tree Haven, I had counted over ten of them. I was immensely confused and perched on a branch near the Haven. I stood, staring at the tree while thinking of this strange phenomenon. I justified my confusion by the fact that I never really got around to studying every single bat of the colony. But just looking at these "newcomer" bats gave me a weird, tingly feeling inside.

"You an outcast too?" I heard a voice near me sound out. My heart nearly skipped a beat. I turned around hesitantly to see a somewhat elderly male Silverwing bat perched behind me. I stared at the bat's face for a while and realized that I never knew him either.

"Who in the world are you?" I asked curtly.

"It's not like I know you either, friend." The bat said coolly.

"Maybe I was not born when you were still alive, but I have honestly never seen you around here. Seriously, who are you?"

"I'm banished." The bat said with a fanged smile. My face cringed. "But not any longer." I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I was banished because of my strange skills, but when I came back, I was accepted back. I was not one to complain about the elder's complete lack of common sense anyhow." When the bat had finished the sentence, I felt like I could connect with him. He sounded like he had the exact same experience as he did.

"What kind of skills did you have?" I said feeling excited. The bat grinned.

"Great skills. I believe bats are starting to evolve." The bat said, his eyes trailing off in a trance. "This will be a great change. It will revolutionize society as we see it now." I started to become even more excited. This bat's words fit to my tastes with such great accuracy. I felt I could learn a lot from this mysterious bat. I was about to say that I had been banished too, but I already acted out as an innocent member of the Silverwing colony and I would not start confusion. "Go ahead, say what you like." The male had said. I smiled.

"I like that idea." The bat nodded and smiled back at me.

"It's all in due time."

"Are you saying there are more like you?"

"Yes, of course. They've all been accepted back too. They all roosted with me after we were banished." I was fascinated.

"Please continue." I said, not really knowing what I had just said.

"I had a little group I developed myself. It was all for the banished bats. I just couldn't stand seeing them so pathetically weak and heart-broken after being separated from the Tree. I wanted them to be strong, strong like me, and, hey, don't give me that look! I'm trying my best to be humble, but listen, I had the power to bring myself back together. We don't need them. We never did need them. All we needed was proof – we needed proof that bats were starting to evolve, and the multitude that had the same skills as me were the cream of the crop for this. It was time to show that superstition is a wasted opportunity to acknowledge a greater thing arriving for us all. Soon, in the near future, every single bat in this earth will be like us: evolved for the greater good. We know this, and soon, we'll help all bats know this. That is just a goal of mine." He finished and I felt absolutely speechless. This was a bat I was looking for for a long time. I could not help myself as I let the words seep out from my mouth.

"I have the same thoughts! Everything you had said! I even have the same power!" I said ruefully. Why did I let myself go? The bat smiled and extended his wing outwards.

"Elias." The male said. It took me a while to realize he was introducing himself. Was I worthy enough to shake this bat's hand? He had a strange aura around him that would make one feel like he was some old prophet with more knowledge that can even fit in one's brain. I felt stupid looking at this amazing bat. My arm was shaking as I extended my wing, grasping my hand around his and shaking it heftily. Elias smiled. "What's your name, then?"

"Rufus." I said with regret.

"Good to meet you, Rufus. I'm very glad we have much in common. You are always welcome to join us if you wish."

"Join you? But what about the colony? You were accepted back, right?"

"Our group will live on until all bats are fully revolutionized, Rufus."

"In that case, let me think about it."

"Take your time." Elias said. I just flew off of my perch and towards Tree Haven, my mind filled with joyful thoughts. This was the first time I have met anyone that was so close to me. Not even my parents would probably have enough closeness as Elias did, even if I never knew them. I went into the Tree to look for Dayla and to tell her the good news. Did she even know what happened?

Dayla was perched in the lower parts of Tree Haven, which confused me since she never usually perched in that area. I perched beside her and she did not even seem to notice me. She was wrapped up in her wings, her head buried in her thick neck scruff. I could hear her soft breathing and I knew she was asleep. It was the middle of the night and she was still sleeping? I nudged her to wake her up and she yawned loudly, groggily opening her eyes and shuffling around.

"What." She said loudly, clearly irritated.

"It's me Dayla." I said. My cheerful tone of voice caused her to look at me with a strange awareness.

"Whoa, what happened to you?"

"Something wonderful."

"Well, you can tell me, I suppose." She started to brush her hair with her claws.

"I've met somebody that I can finally connect with." I said happily. Dayla looked at me with a fake smile.

"Really? I guess he was banished for the same reason as you, then?"

"Yeah! Wait…how do you know that?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Everyone knows Rufus!" Dayla said, annoyed. I wished I were not so naïve.

"Sorry, but this is a big thing to me."

"I'm glad it is, Rufus." She said, extending a claw and pinching my cheek. "But could we talk later? I'm a bit tired." I scoffed. I could not believe Dayla wanted to get rid of me like that. It did not matter that much though, because I wanted desperately to talk to Elias again. It was a while since I had this longing feeling. I flew out of the Tree, leaving Dayla to herself. I went back to where Elias was perched, but to my disappointment, he was gone.