Rise of the Zealots

League of the Red Dragons

Chapter 10: seeking aid

Hello everyone, we're back with the 10th chapter of Rise of the Zealots. In case any of you was confused to the title Return of the blue macaws allow me to explain. Now I was originally going to write five different stories with each one revolving around one of the four main villains and then the final one being about the mysterious figure we saw in the prologue, but I was unable to find a way to expand them. For example, the story with Max and Butch was meant to be a lot longer than I hoped, but I was unable to think of a way to make it longer, the same goes for the other stories.

That is why I thought it was best that I put all these parts into one story instead. Return of the blue macaws was the first part of the story, and now we are moving on to the second part which is League of the Red Dragons. I hoped I've cleared that up so everyone understands why the story with Max and Butch felt a little short.

Anyway, I think I have spoken enough for one chapter. Here's chapter 10 and the beginning of the second part to the story. Enjoy.

A couple of days had passed since the events of rescuing the blue macaw kids and defeated Max and Butch. Since then, Blu had become quite protective over his children and had rarely taken his sight off from them. Sure, he was protective of them on an everyday basis, but now he had become even more protective of them.

The only thing that had been on his mind these past couple of days was the message on note that he had discovered in his home. Three more villains were going to attack him. When they were going to attack was the question on his mind.

Blu was hardly prepared and almost died when he engaged combat with Butch. Unless he got prepared soon, then he was going to be in trouble when it came to facing these other villains. He needed to get himself prepared, he needed to train otherwise he was not going to stand a chance.

During early morning, Blu sat at the edge of his home, watching the sunrise in the distance. His family was still asleep at the moment. Blu was slightly surprised that his family could sleep that well after the kids were kidnapped and all of them could have died if it weren't for Drako saving them.

As a couple of silent moments went by, Jewel had woken up from her sleep and leaned up to see her mate sitting by the exit/entrance of their home. Curious to what he was thinking, Jewel got up from her nest and proceeded to join Blu.

"Morning." Jewel greeted as she took a seat beside him.

"Morning." Blu returned the greeting and leaned over to peck the side of her beak. "Sleep okay?"

"I slept fine. I'm just concerned about you." Jewel admitted with a somewhat concerned expression across her face.

"Why would you be concerned about me?" Blu asked, but deep down he knew the truth, he was just did not wish to admit it. He rubbed his wing against the back of his neck. "I'm fine."

"Blu, you're clearly stressing about the note you were left with the other day." Jewel explained as she placed her wing over him for comfort. "I know you're worried, and I am too, but you seem to forget that you are a hero, Blu. You're my hero. You saved all of us many times. I know you can do it again."

Blu felt encouraged by his mate's words and appreciated it deeply, but nevertheless, that still did not mean that this was going to make things better. "Thank you, Jewel, but you saw what happened when we fought Butch. He almost killed us. I have to get prepared otherwise...I...I don't what to imagine what will happen if-"

Jewel placed her wingtip upon Blu's beak to prevent her from speaking further. "I understand, Blu, but don't think that. You're not going to lose any of us, I promise. Now you need to go and talk to Captain Lenny about getting some training if you want to be prepared like you said."

"You're right, Jewel. I'll head there ASAP." Blu agreed with a nod. Before he left, he took Jewel's wing in his own to get her attention. "Jewel, if I'm going be to training then there is nowhere that I can protect you and the kids at the same time, but fortunately for us all, I made a little something for us during my free time here."

"You did?" Jewel questioned with a curios eyebrow raised. "What would that be?"

"Follow me." Blu smiled. He jumped down from their home and proceeded to descend towards the bottom of their tree.

Jewel smiled too and remembered to check on her children before following Blu. They were still asleep, but after last time, she did not wish to leave them on their own for too long.

As they reached the bottom of their home, Blu revealed a hatch covered in grass as camouflage, similar to the hideout he had built in the World of Darkness. He opened the hatch and jumped down inside, waiting for Jewel to follow him.

Jewel jumped down inside too and looked around, only to see nothing but darkness. "I can't see anything."

"Just looking for the switch." Blu responded while tapping his wing against the wall in search of the light switch. Once he located it, he flicked on the light and revealed their little hideout. "Ta-da!"

Jewel studied the area and was surprised to how similar it resembled the hideout they had in the World of Darkness. There was a couch in the center of the room, a table with some food and water stacked up, an armchair, and lights to keep the place lit, four doors that led into different rooms, all of which were in bird size. "Wow, I'm impressed."

"Just a little handyman work." Blu praised himself as he gestured his wings to the other rooms. "That room on the right as ours, the room at the front is for the kids, and the two doors on the left are for medical supplies and to bathe."

"This is great. How did you find the time to do all this?" Jewel inquired as she took a seat on the couch.

"Just took every moment of my free time to get this prepared." Blu explained, taking a seat beside his lovely mate. He took her wing in both of his own while looking into her eyes. "Jewel, I made this hideout for you and the kids to be safe. After what happened the other day, I don't want you or the kids to get hurt while I'm gone. Can you promise me that you and the kids will be safe while I'm gone?"

"Well I won't deny that I prefer a tree any day." Jewel admitted, but she raised a smile and agreed to Blu's advice. "I promise, Blu, we'll hide here until all this is over, but don't think that you're alone in all this. I am going to help you, one way or another."

Blu did not wish for Jewel to join him in his battle and wished she would remain safe, but if she honored his request, then he was going to do the same for her. "We'll take them together. Now let me show you around a little."

Blu proceeded to give Jewel a tour around the hideout and what to do in case of an emergency. There was a lock on the hatch to stop intruders getting in, but that was very unlikely considering that the hatch was camouflaged with the jungle and would be very difficult to see, even at close range.

"That's everything you need to know." Blu replied as he climbed out of the hideout and waited for Jewel to exit before closing the hatch behind her.

"I think me and the kids can manage while you're gone training." Jewel assured as she began to ascend back towards their home, Blu following closely. "You think you'll be going soon?"

"I will, but I want to say goodbye to the kids first." Blu answered before they reached their home and walked inside. "I'm not sure when I'll see them again."

"You'll be back before you know it." Jewel reassured, leaning forward to peck him on the side of his beak.

As a few moments went by, the kids had woken up from their peaceful sleep. Little did they know that this was going to be the last time they saw their father for a while. After explaining to their children that Blu was going away for a while, the kids shared their goodbyes with their family.

Blu shared a hug with all four of his children, embracing them close as cherished every possible moment he could with them. Rey, Azul, Crystal and Jessica all wished their father the best of luck simultaneously.

"Be safe, Dad."

"We'll miss you, Dad."

"Good luck, Dad."

"Don't get hurt, Daddy."

"I promise kids, I'll be okay. It'll be over before you know it." Blu assured them while he continued to hold them for a couple of more moments.

After sharing his final moments with his children for now, Blu released them from his embrace and prepared to leave. He and Jewel shared a goodbye too, sharing a hug along with a few second kiss.

"I love you." Jewel whispered as she leaned her head down against his chest.

"I love you too." Blu replied, nuzzling his head on top of her own.

With their goodbyes shared, Blu proceeded to turn away and prepared to depart. Before leaving, he turned back toward his family one more time before leaping out of his home and taking flight through the jungle of Rio de Janeiro.

Blu's first and possible last destination was the military macaw prison. The military were not martial-artists of course, but they were still capable of holding their own in combat. Unless there was some type of martial-arts schools around here, then they would have to do.

It did not take Blu too long to arrive at the military macaw base that was directly next door to the prison inside of the cliffs by the ocean. Blu arrived via the hole in the cliff where it was guarded by a few military macaws. Usually they did not let in civilians, but Blu was well known here.

"Hey it's Blu." one of the military macaws greeted.

"How you doing, Blu?" the second military macaw inquired.

"Not too good to be honest." Blu admitted, but he had no time to go into the details of the situation and needed to find Lenny as soon as possible. "It's a long story. Is the captain here? I need to speak with him, it's important."

"Yeah, he's in. I think he was with Raxos in the cafeteria area. I assume you know the layout by now?" the military macaw questioned. He got a mere nod in response from the blue macaw, but that was good enough for him. "Alright. Well, head on in."

The military macaws stood at the sides of the entrance/exit, allowing Blu entrance to their base. Blu thanked them as he walked inside, immediately heading for the cafeteria. If he remembered correctly, the cafeteria was located at the left side of the base.

Fortunately for Blu, he was correct. He located the cafeteria with ease and walked inside. Not too many military macaws were present (most of them more than likely working) and they seemed to be obvious to Blu's presence. Nevertheless, they continued eating in peace.

Blu located the captain speaking with Raxos on a table for themselves and proceeded to go and join them. He felt a little guilty interrupting, but with the situation at hand, he had to be prepared no matter what.

Lenny spoke before Blu could and was slightly surprised to see him back here so soon. "Hey Blu, back already?"

"I hope you're not thinking of joining the military." Raxos joked with a smile across his beak.

"Actually, you're not one-hundred percent wrong, Raxos." Blu replied as he took a seat beside Raxos and opposite of Lenny. "Captain, I have a problem. It's not over yet."

"What do you mean by that?" Lenny questioned, raising a curious eyebrow. Not over yet?

"Max and Butch weren't the only problem." Blu explained while he began to go into the details. "Someone left a note in my home, saying that three other villains are going to attack me too. I don't even know who they are! Long-story-short, I was unprepared when I fought Butch and I need to start training again before they arrive. Can you help me?"

Lenny appeared astonished by this sudden news and it was quite a bit to take in all at once. Nevertheless, he shrugged it off and responded. "I take it that there isn't a chance it's just someone playing a prank on you?"

"I wish that were true, but it isn't." Blu denied while shaking his head left to right. He placed his wings upon their table they were seated at. "I have three villains and the person who left this note for me in the first place to deal with. Can you help me?"

Lenny turned towards Raxos before answering since he usually turned towards him for advice. Raxos shrugged in response, leaving Lenny to come up with a decision himself. The truth was that he did not believe their military training was capable of turning Blu into the warrior he once was. "Blu, I appreciate you coming to us for help, but I don't believe our training will be enough to stop these villains of you. We will try our best to help you, but without knowing who these villains are, we can't watch everywhere at once."

Blu appeared disappointed by this and prepared to leave, but where would he go next? The other worlds were not an option anymore and where else did they teach training.

"That doesn't mean I'm not going to help." Lenny assured before Blu could leave. He kept his voice lower for the next part. "Blu, listen to my carefully because I'm only going to say this once. I think I know just the place where you can get the training you need."

"Really? Where!" Blu's hoped raised, but then he remembered to keep his voice down. "Sorry."

"It's a secret organizing known as the League of the Red Ninja." Lenny whispered as he looked left and right for a quick moment to make certain that no-one else was eavesdropping. "They can give you what you need, but be cautious, Blu. They don't exactly take kindly to strangers and only those who are worthy may join."

"I'll take that in mind." Blu noted with a nod in conformation. "Thank you. I better get doing now; I don't have another minute to waste. If I need your help, I'll find some way to tell you."

"Understood." Lenny nodded in agreement. "I'll have my men keep an eye out the best we can for anything suspicious. You better get going then. I would send someone with you, but-"

"They may suspect that I am not worthy or am a threat to them?" Blu corrected and understand why it was necessary to go alone. "I'll be fine. I better get going, thank you for the information."

With the information he had received, Blu proceeded to leave the cafeteria and began to make his way to the exit of the prison. This was not exactly the plan he had expected to follow, but nevertheless, it was as good as any. At least he hoped so. Who knows how dangerous these ninjas were?

Blu wished there was an alternative, but there was alternative option now. He remembered the coordinates Lenny had written down on a piece of paper while he was talking and remembered to dispose of them once he remembered where to go.

"Here goes nothing." Blu talked to himself as he took a deep breath and exited the prison. He bid the guards outside farewell for now and took flight to the sky, heading directly for the coordinates he had memorized.

The coordinates Blu had followed had taken him into a deep part of the jungle he had never been too before. Any further and it might have taken him to the amazon. He had never been to the amazon before, but thought it would have been nice to take his family there on vacation there one day.

But that was for another day. Right now there were pressing matters to attend to. Blu arrived at the coordinates and descended down into an open area in a walkway style. At the end of that bath was a large boulder that was shaped quite accurately.

Could it possibly by their temple or their home?

Curiously, Blu began to walk towards the large boulder while keeping his eye out for anything suspicious. This was a dark area and he could not help but feel as if he were being watched by something, or worse, someone.

This was definitely the right place. When Blu arrived closer down the path, he was startled when he heard a twig break behind him. He spun around swiftly and got himself in a combat pose, but his worries were at an ease when he saw that it was a mere frog jumping past.

"Whew." Blu breathed in relief and turned back towards the boulder, only to receive a powerful blow across his face. He was knocked down to the ground but had no time to waste in recovering. He got back onto his talons to see two mysterious birds attacking him.

They were obviously birds, but they were wearing black ninja overalls all across their bodies, leaving only their eyes and talons exposed. They were also wearing a red ninja belt along with a read ninja headband, both which had a red dragon symbol in the center.

"Who are you?" one of them hissed in a female voice. She took out a dragger from her belt and prepared to attack.

"Are with Amanda's clan? Answer us!" the second ninja ordered, but he was a male.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about!" Blu assured with his wings raised in the air. "I promise, I am not here for trouble. I don't know who Amanda is; I just came here looking for help!"

"You are an outside, none who are not worthy may enter the temple!" the female ninja warned him as she prepared to move closer if Blu did not cooperate with her. "Leave now before you will face the consequences!"

Blu was afraid of them and wanted nothing more than to run away, but running as not an option. He refused to listen to their orders and stood his ground. "No, I am not leaving. You claim that no outsides are welcome, yet here you are!"

"How dare you!" the female growled and charged directly towards Blu. She leaped into the air and performed a dragon kick, knocking Blu into a nearby tree. She placed her dagger back into her belt and approached him. "You should have listened to my warning, now you will pay for your foolishness!"

Without warning, the female ninja performed all types of different combos and martial-art skills against Blu, who tried his best to block or counter them, but she was too fast and he was unskillful. She pinned him against a tree and placed her wing against his throat.

"Give me a reason why I should not kill you right now?" the female ninja told Blu while the male ninja merely watched from nearby.

Blu groaned as he weakly placed his wings up to steady himself. He struggled to get his words out with her wing against his throat. "Because...Because...I don't have a reason, go ahead and kill me then, but know that there is evil coming and that with my death, you will make matters worse."

The female did not seem to believe him, but nevertheless, she did look hesitated to kill him. She flipped Blu to the ground and placed her talon against his throat, beginning to choke him and cut off his air. "The Grandmaster will decide your fate."

Blu groaned as he felt his oxygen supply being cut off, but nevertheless, did not give up. He slammed his wing against her talon a couple of times in an attempt to make her let go, but she was not easing up on him one bit. Before long, he passed out from the lack of oxygen, slipping off into unconsciousness.

With Blu subdued, the female ninja turned towards her partner while released Blu's throat. "It is not our position to decide whenever he lives or dies. We will take him inside and let Master Yoshi decide his fate."