It's been suggested that I stop apologizing for being late as it could become grating. Ok then, I'm just going to hope that those who have favorited this story will stick with me as I plod along. I promise I will finish it, as I have most of the ending planned out already & even have plans for a sequel, It's just getting there that's taking me a while. I thank you all for your patience so far & I will keep striving to update as quickly as I can.
3 Things about this chapter: Yes, I'm aware that the real Statue has anti-perching measures, but the one in the movies doesn't so that's what I went with. Also, I've tried to do my research about clouds but opinions are all over the place. I just went with what seemed the most likely interpretation about what would happen. Lastly, the identity of the villain is hinted at much more strongly in this chapter, especially if you've been keeping up with the side-story I've mentioned in the last few chapters. As I mentioned before, things are going in a different way in this parallel universe to the films, but the major events are still on track to happen.
Once again, many thanks for reading, & I hope this story continues to entertain. As always, reviews & comments are most welcome.
Disclaimer: Do I own Rio? I don't think so, but let me check my paperwork... Hmm...Location of Atlantis...Recipe for KFC...How to turn Lead into Gold...Nope, there's nothing about Rio amongst all this useless junk. I really should get round to incinerating it all sometime.
Chapter 21
Above the Jungles of the Conservation Centre, a blue Macaw family flew up through the canopy, followed closely by a group of Scarlet Macaws.
Jules had decided to leave behind his notes & Tulio his iPhone in the tree they had spent the night in. This was so they wouldn't have to carry anything on the trip & would have their claws & beaks free to bring back whatever items they collected from Jules' home later in the day. As it was Blu & Jewel's planned excursion, it had also been agreed that they should lead the way with their kids while Jules, Ana, Linda & Tulio followed along behind. The route was planned, so all that was left was for the travellers to just enjoy the journey.
And enjoy it they did. While the Blue Macaws & Ana looked happy to be back in the air, the smiles on the faces of the transformed humans spoke volumes about how much they were enjoying the experience as well. Now that the heavier issues were out of the way (at least for now) the 3 could allow themselves to just relax & enjoy the sensation of flying. For sure, it felt a little weird to have these new limbs of theirs beating the air down in such a manner. Human arms would never have been capable of such rapid & powerful motions, but whether it was instinct, something in the formula or the fact that their flight feathers, muscles, etc were fully mature, (or perhaps all 3) getting & remaining airborne was relatively easy for them & functioned kind of like an autopilot, allowing them to take off, hover, & fly in a straight line without devoting too much conscious effort towards the activity. Steering was trickier, with them having to learn by experience exactly how much to angle their bodies, wings & tails to go in the desired direction, but even that was getting easier the more they practiced & they were now almost to the point where they could move though the air as easily as they would have walked across a room.
It was like nothing they had ever felt before, & the view that greeted their eyes as they flew was truly glorious.
There was the tiny niggling thought in the back of their minds of just how much of this appreciation was hardwired into the body of a Bird & how much was genuinely their own, but none of them paid it much mind. Humans had always been fascinated by flight, & now being able to fly under their own power was like a dream come true, so it was at least not all one-sided. Another little niggle was the knowledge that they would have to give this ability up come the evening once they were returned to their Human forms, but that party-pooper thought was quickly bounced out of the head by the other neurons. They were going to enjoy every moment of it while it lasted, & thoughts like that weren't going to be allowed to get in the way.
Ascending to travelling height, the group of Birds levelled out as they crossed the Jungle & headed closer to the City. They had a clear view of the Jungle & City all the way up to the sea & the ever-present Statue of Christ the Redeemer was also clearly visible on it's mountaintop, watching over all. Blu & Jewel began to lead the group in a gradual ascent towards the Statue & as their altitude increased, Linda, Tulio & Jules experienced a thrill. They were now going much higher than they had flown before, supported only by their own wingpower hundreds of meters in the air & with the landscape shrinking away below them. Hang-gliding & cable cars had nothing on this, & whether it because none of them were succeptable to it anyway or because of Bird Instinct, it was a good thing none of them experienced any fear of heights or Vertigo as they looked down upon the view, somewhat awestruck by it.
As they rose higher they also started to get closer to the couple of cloud formations that hung around the same altitude as The Statue, formations they had passed under during their flights to & from the City the previous day. Blu & Jewel proceeded to lead the group on a curving course that passed around the clouds & avoided their drift patterns though, as the momentary loss of their bearings flying through them would entail could be risky to even an experienced Bird, let alone a group containing novice flyers (The Humans & Blu's kids both) that were doing their best to stay in a normal Bird flight formation. As they passed by these these wispy white masses though, Linda, Tulio & Jules wondered what it would feel like if they were to fly right through. They had done so in Hang-Gliders & such, but would it feel much different as a Bird? Perhaps they could find out later, they hoped.
As they navigated their way closer to the Statue however, Blu & Jewel appeared to be aiming to land directly on the Statue's outstretched left arm, & an expression of doubt appeared on Tulio's face. Just before they reached the Statue, with it's magnificent presence dominating their view, he brought his flight to a hovering stop in midair & called out: "Hey, guys? Wait up?" in a slightly worried tone.
Hearing his call & stopping & hovering in the air just before the Statue, the Blue Macaw family looked back to see that not only Tulio, but also Linda, Jules & Ana had come to a hovering stop too.
"What is it Tulio?" Blu asked, looking concerned. "Is something wrong?"
"We're not landing on the Statue...are we?" Tulio asked with his own concerned look.
Blu & Jewel exchanged uncertain looks. "Well...yeah. It's the best view in the whole area, Tulio." Blu said. "Is there a reason why we shouldn't?" He added, looking back.
"Well...it's just..." Tulio stopped & then started again. "You know, don't you, that...that Statue is..." He paused, apparently searching for the right term, & settled on: "...greatly respected?"
"Well...yeah, sure." Blu said, looking between Tulio's uncertain face & the Statue's Calm one. "It's not disrepect to land on it though...is it?" He finished as he looked between Tulio & Linda.
"I wouldn't say so Blu." Linda spoke up. She hovered a little closer to Tulio went on: "It's not like we're going to damage it or anything Tulio. I'm sure it'll be fine." She said to him in a reassuring tone.
"Well...Ok." Tulio said. He nodded to the Blue Macaw group & they turned & flew down to complete their landing upon the Statue's arm, with the Scarlet Macaw's following. As he landed, steadied himself & folded his wings, Tulio glanced across at the Statue's face for a moment & muttered something under his breath.
Now perched on the iconic monument & with the high-altitude wind gently ruffling their feathers, the group could see the entire city of Rio & it's environs spread out before them. Even though the Blue Macaw family & Ana had seen this sight from this vantage point many times before it was still impressive. But for the transformed Humans, it was simply breathtaking. Oh, for sure, they had seen this view before from the Statue's observation platform, but there was something about being perched right on the Statue's arm that gave it an extra majesty & meaning. Their beaks hung open slightly as they stared at the magnificent view, & the blue Macaw family & Ana couldn't help smiling at their reactions.
"Not a bad view, huh Linda?" Blu asked her & she simply nodded, still entranced by the sight in front of her.
After a few moments, Tulio got hold of himself sufficiently to move onto more practical considerations. "It's a wonderful sight Blu, & I feel privileged to have gotten to see it in this way." He glanced across at Linda & Jules, who nodded in agreement, still looking at the view, before he went on: "We can see Sugerloaf over there..." He pointed with a wing feather at the distant mountain across the city. "...And you said that was the end point of our trip?" He asked.
"Yeah, that's right." Blu confirmed. "We're going to take a winding course over the City, passing over the major landmarks on the way, with Sugerloaf as our end point. There's some good perching spots along thst course with some great views. Just follow along with us & you'll be fine. We'll also be able to show you where Nico & Pedro's Club is for later, but that's the general area, over there." He added as he pointed with his wing feather down at the city, indicating the general location of The Branch.
Tulio, Linda & Jules followed where he was pointing & Tulio nodded. "Sounds great." He glanced over at Jules before going on. "And we'll be stopping by Jules' home on the way back right? Jules, could you please point out where it is for our reference?"
"Sure." Jules said. He looked down at the city, scanning it with his gaze, before pointing with a wing feather. "You see that Apartment tower right at the edge of the city, back in the direction of the Sanctuary?"
The others looked & saw the building he was referring to. Tulio was mildly surprised by just how close to the Conservation Centre offices it was. It was a twenty minute walk (at most) from the Conservation Centre's main buildings & he realized that he & Linda passed it every day when they drove in. "Yeah, I see it." He said.
"7th Floor on the East side." Jules informed them. "We'll be able to land on my balcony & the door into the apartment will be unlocked."
"Wonderful." Tulio said. "Being so close to the Sanctuary also means Ana won't have to go far when she visits, so that's convienient." He glanced at Ana as he said this & she nodded in acknowledgment.
"That's on the way back though right guys?" Blu asked, & Tulio nodded. "Great. Now we've got that sorted, we can continue with our route. Whenever you're ready, of course." He added.
"Just a few more minutes please Blu..." Tulio said as he let himself get lost in the view once more. There was no telling when or if they might get to see this sight again. For sure, they had seen similar sights from Airplanes, & Hang-Gliders, but never like this, perched on the arm of an inconic monument.
Blu & Jewel graciously gave them the time to soak it all in, & after a few moments of them doing so, Blu felt a small tug on his wing. He looked down & saw that Andre, perched next to him on the opposite side to his mother, was trying to get his attention without getting hers & had rather conspiratorial look on his face.
"Dad?" He said in a very low voice & went on quickly. "Can we?" he said with a an eager expression as he pointed with his small wing down towards the city.
Knowing what his son was referring to, Blu nonetheless glanced down at what Andre was trying to draw his attention towards. Sure enough, the round, open dome of the Macarana Stadium was clearly visible from their vantage point.
Blu sighed. "I'm sorry son." he said, loudly enough for Jewel to hear. She glanced over at him curiously & he met her gaze as he went on. "You know what your mother said. She doesn't want any of you getting close to such things. Maybe i'll teach you how to play when you're older." He said to them sympathetically.
Jewel appeared to twig what Blu was talking about, but before she could say anything Andre spoke up again. "Awww!" He whined in disappointment. "But we're big enough now!" He insisted. "And what's so bad about that place anyway?" He complained.
"What's this about Blu?" Linda questioned from Andre's other side, looking between him, the young Macaws & Jewel with a curious expression on her face that was mirrored by Tulio, Jules & Ana as they leaned over to peer around & over her shoulders.
Blu hesitated, looking unsure of what to say, but as he did so Jewel spoke up. "Andre, Paulo & Gia want to take a closer look at...that place." She said as she pointed her wing feather down at the Stadium. "You know, where the Humans play the game you call Soccer?" She added. "I've...not let them do so because I don't think it's a very appropriate thing for a Bird to take an interest in..." She paused for a moment & a look of disappointment was visible on all 3 of the youngsters faces. "...until now." Jewel finished.
Andre, Paulo & Gia looked up at her, their looks of disappointment replaced by surprise that quickly morphed into joy. Blu was the first one to speak however, his own surprise clear in his face & voice. "Wait...really?" He said to Jewel.
"Really." Jewel confirmed. She met Linda's gaze as she went on: "Linda & I were discussing our schedule earlier & like I said yesterday, maybe i've been coming down a bit too heavily on one side. Just taking a look from the roof couldn't hurt, could it?"
"Well...no." Blu said, still sounding a little taken aback. He smiled as he recovered his composure & he was about to say something further when Jewel spoke again.
"Linda was also saying that, later on today, when we get to Sugarloaf, she'd like to join in on that training we were discussing Blu." Jewel said smoothly. "You remember right? What we were talking about?" She prompted him.
Blu blinked. "Training...oh, you mean the Jungle survival lessons you wanted the kids to learn?" He recalled. "Well, uh, Jewel, like I was saying at the time, I don't think it's strictly..." He began but Jewel cut him off.
"Linda does." She said firmly. She looked up & met Linda's gaze again as she went on: "Isn't that right Linda?"
Linda in turn, backed her up instantly. "That's right Blu." She said in her own firm tone. "It's an important thing for a Bird to learn, so both you & the kids really should. And...well, I can join in too along with all of you. We can all learn together. Doesn't that sound like fun?" She encouraged.
Blu looked between Linda & Jewel, flanked by them both literally & figuratively, & said. "Well...if you're both sure..."
"We are." Both Jewel & Linda said at the exact same time. They exchanged mildly surprised looks with each other, but then both of them chuckled.
Blu looked slightly disconcerted by this, & Tulio raised an eye-ridge at Linda curiously. She caught his gaze, but gave him a look that just said 'later' & picking up on it, Tulio just gave a slight nod in response.
Recovering quickly from his nonplussed state, Blu said: "Well...that's that then." He said with acceptance but also a faint note of humour in his voice. He then addressed his kids. "Kids, you heard your Mom & your Aunt. We're can take a look at the Stadium, & later on we're going to engage in some err...'training' in the jungle. That should be...fun?" He finished with a slightly questioning look at Jewel. She nodded empathically & looked down at her kids too, whose expressions were a mix of excitement, curiosity & uncertainty.
Seing these looks on their faces, Jewel hastened to reassure them. "Yes Kids, it will be fun. Like Linda said, it's important for young Macaws to learn these things, but i'm sure it'll be enjoyable too. I'll make sure of it." She finished encouragingly.
The young Macaws looked at each other & then back at their mother. They nodded.
Jewel smiled, pleased at their reaction, & Blu took the opportunity to clear his throat & draw everyone's attention. "Well, we should get going then guys. Time's getting on. You all ready?"
The group indicated that they were, & Blu & Jewel prepared to take off & lead the way to continue their trip. Just before they did so however, Blu paused as his gaze fixed upon a small wispy cloud drifting along at slightly below The Statue's head height, coming inbetween them & the city.
"Hey guys?" He said & when everyone gave him their attention he pointed at the cloud. "What do you say we head right through? It's a wonderful feeling, & that one is small enough that you won't lose your bearings. What do you say?"
The group eyed the small innocent little cloud. It was thin enough that they could see through it, & at normal flying speed they would go through in physically in just a few seconds. "That sounds like it'll be an interesting experience Blu." Linda spoke for not only her, Tulio & Jules, but also Blu's kids, who also looked excited at the prospect. "I'm certainly up for it." She added with a glance at the others, who nodded in agreement.
"That's great!" Blu said with a smile. He then looked around the group & slipped into his 'teaching mode' again. "Ok then guys, listen up. When we take off, we're going to fly right towards it just like we've been doing. When we pass into it be sure not to let how it feels throw you off the rythym of your wingbeats though OK?" He instructed as he pointed at the cloud & looked around the group to make sure everyone was following him. He received affirmative nods, & he continued: "Now, it'll feel a bit weird, but just ignore it. It can't hurt you, & it won't intefere with your ability to fly. Got that?"
More nods, & turning & spreading his wings, Blu looked eager as he said. "C'mon then guys. Let's do it. I tell you, it's a great experience!" He said enthusiastically, & without further ado, he took off from the Statue's arm, his family following along behind him.
Jules, Ana, Linda & Tulio took off after them, with Tulio once again giving the Statue's face a quick look & muttering something under his breath just before he did. The group then flew steadily in a gradual decline away from The Statue towards the City, with their target cloud drifting along serenely, directly in their flight path.
The Blue Macaws entered the outer edge of the cloud first, but the others were right behind. As they flew straight into it, Tulio, Linda & Jules braced themselves for however it might feel...
Cool. A cool damp feeling, much like walking through Fog or Mist, washed over them as they flew into the wispy white mass, coming as a welcome & refreshing change from the heat of the day. They could feel the moisture of the cloud passing around their bodies & feathers, but the fact that it wasn't a raincloud combined with the Cloud's thinness, their airspeed & the motion of their wingbeats prevented it from condensing on them. Like Blu had said, the cloud wasn't thick enough to block their vison & they could still faintly see the Blue Macaw family up ahead as well as the sky around & the land below the cloud. Also like he had said, the passage through it was brief. In just a few seconds, they were through, flying back out into the warmth & light of the sunny day.
The blue Macaw family was hovering on the other side of the cloud, waiting for their friends to catch up. As they did so, Andre was fluttering in circles around his parents & siblings, looking jubilant.
"Woo-Hoo!" He called. "That was Awesome! Can we do it again Dad? Can we, can we, pleeease?" He begged his father as he came to a hover just in front of him.
"Another time, son." Blu said firmly. "We have a schedule to keep today." He paused upon seeing his son's disappointed expression & added playfully: "You know, like visiting the Soccer Stadium?" At this, his Andre's face lit up once more & Blu smiled at him before looking up as the Scarlet Macaw group came to a hovering stop in front of them. "Well guys?" He asked them. "What did you think?"
"Cool, but refreshing." Linda spoke first. "Going through it as a Bird is definitely a different feeling than as a Human in a hang-glider Blu. It feels all...tingly...upon the feathers." Tulio & Jules nodded in agreement.
Blu, Jewel & Ana chuckled. "True." Blu said. "Another unique experience to add to the long, long, list huh then guys?" He added with a smile. The others returned it, & then he went on: "And there's still more to come! C'mon, guys, let's show you Rio the way we Birds see it!" He said enthusiastically. Upon receiving their nods, he then twisted in the air, & resumed his downwards flight towards the city, his family & friends following along behind.
"Well guys? What do you think?" Flora asked.
Nico & Pedro were perched on a crate in the Backstage area of the Branch, listening to the Rio Trio perform a quick sample of the songs they'd picked up on their travels & intended to perform later on that day. Upon Flora's question, the 2 snapped out of their slightly spellbound states & put their wings together in a round of quick applause, wide smiles on their beaks.
The Trio looked pleased, & Nico spoke up: "Fantastic stuff guys!" He said approvingly. "You weren't kidding when you said you'd found some awsome new music on your travels."
"Yeah!" Pedro agreed. "And especially that last one. It's so...so..." He paused searching for the right word to express his feelings.
"Apt." Nico agreed. "As in, it seems to fit Jules & Ana so well."
"Yeah, that." Pedro said. "If you could hold onto that one until they show up, that'd be awesome!"
Flora nodded in agreement. "That's certainly the plan. Just some light instrumental tunes to start led by the Meastro here..." She gestured with her wing to Clubs, who returned her smile with one of his own. "...And we'll keep these in reserve for your new friends...hopefully to be our new friends too."
"I don't think you need have any worries on that score Flora." Nico assured her confidently. "They're a friendly bunch, even if some of their behaviour is a bit weird. I'm sure you'll all get along great."
"I hope so." Alfonso said. "Speaking of the instrumental part though guys, is there anyone here who'd be up for backing Clubs up? He's good, but he still needs a band." He added as he looked to the Club-winged Manakin, who gave a confirming nod. "We could also use some backing singers too, just to give the songs the full impact." He added as he looked back at the Duo.
Pedro waved a wing dismissively. "Aw, don't sweat it guys. I'm sure a number of the guys here will jump at the chance to back you up, either with song or some tunes on the instruments we have ready." He indicated the pile of both makeshift & proper instruments stacked on the side of the room.
"Yeah." Nico nodded in agreement. "When we get up on stage to let everyone know what's up with our plans for today, we can ask for volunteers at the same time, & you can do some quick interviews at one of the tables in corner, before moving on to rehearsals so you can bring them up to speed on these new songs you're gonna play. In fact, we should probably do that right now…as long as you're ready that is?" He added with a questioning look at the Trio.
They nodded, & the Duo turned & exited the backstage area with them following. As they emerged onto the stage, Nico then hopped up onto a crate & loudly called for the attention of everyone in the room, which they gave him, looking for what he had to say with great interest. Nico then proceeded to outline the performance plan for that afternoon & evening. There were a few raised eye-ridges at the news that the intention was for a lower-key performance than usual, but no-one appeared to really mind, & the one or 2 faces who looked a little disinterested perked up when he announced that the Rio Trio would be taking over hosting duties for the day. Nico went on to announce the special guests they were expecting, but also clearly warned the assemblage that they were a little shy & had only agreed to come as long as no fuss was made over them, such as pushing them into the spotlight, so everyone needed to banish such thoughts from their heads & give them their space. There were some exchanged glances at this, but then Nico received a general nodding of heads. Nico finished up by putting out a request for Backing Singers & Musicians to help the Rio Trio with their new material, which garnered a general stir of excited interest from the group, & directed anyone who was interested to approach the Trio at their corner table to sort out the details.
Nico fluttered down from the crate, & he & Pedro joined the Trio at their corner table. They started to get interested candidates for the backing singer positions almost immediately, so the discussions became strictly professional as they & the Trio devoted a chunk of their morning to interviewing & selecting Birds to be their musicians & backing singers.
"When they flew off towards the City, we lost them sir, just like you said." The scout reported.
He leaned back, putting on a serious & contemplative air, but secretly observing the scout's nervousness with amusement. Reporting failure to him didn't tend to go well, which was why the scout was so obviously throwing in the reference to the Leader predicting these events. If he felt so inclined, he could still tear the scout apart (metaphorically speaking, of course) for 'failing' & reinforce the fear the group had of him (a fear that had proven most useful in getting him into the position of influence he now held) but this evening, if all went well with his plan to commandeer the Human's wondrous invention, then all of their lives would be improved greatly, a prospect that put him in a good mood, so he let the opportunity slide.
"No matter." He said. "We already know their plans, & we have our own. Keep the tree under observation, & report when they return." He ordered with a wave of his wing in dismissal.
The Scout saluted, looking relieved he wasn't going to be chewed out or punished, & scampered off quickly.
With the scout gone, he transferred his attention to the 2 other occupants of his chamber. "Come forth." He ordered with a beckoning motion of his wing, & they obeyed. One was his ever-present assistant who was escorting a rather nervous-looking youngster.
"Is this him?" He questioned the assistant, but not taking his gaze off of the youngster.
The assistant nodded. "Yes Sir. Consistent 10 out of 10 accuracy on the practice targets." The youngster straightened up a little at this, a faint hide of pride in his face, but still looking rather afraid at being brought before the Leader & what would be expected of him.
He smiled internally, but didn't let it show on his face, which he kept stern & appraising as he looked at youngster. Threats worked well against most of his underlings, but he would need a more…nuanced approach here. He needed this youngster to be eagerly awaiting his every command. He gestured again. "Step forth young one." He commanded.
The youngster obeyed, still looking nervous. The Leader approached him & gently lay both of his wings on the youngster's shoulders in a friendly fashion. "What's your name young one?" he asked with a smile.
"C…Clyde Sir." The youngster said with only the slightest stammer.
"Well Clyde, you're in a line for a great honour." The Leader said pleasantly, his smile still in place. "You will be the one who will handle the device at the Centre tonight, & you will take your instructions as to what targets to hit & when to hit them directly from me. Is that understood?"
"Yes Sir!" Clyde said immediately. "I won't let you down Sir!" He continued earnestly.
"That's good Clyde, very good…" His smile faded slowly & he took his wings off of Clyde's shoulder as he went on, his manner no longer so friendly: "For if you did you see…it wouldn't just be me you'd be letting down. You'd be letting down the entire Clan. Your family, your friends…the bright future that's in their sights…a chance for a better life of power & prestige…snatched away from them. If you were to fail them. And they wouldn't like that would they?"
Clyde's eyes were wide & he was trembling slightly. He shook his head dumbly.
"Of course they wouldn't." The Leader said smoothly. "They'd be most upset…with you in particular. They'd probably never want anything to do with you again…" He gave a mock sigh & shook his head sorrowfully. "I'd probably have to do…something to assuage their rage. Banishment at the very least…"
Clyde looked terrified. The Clan was everything to them. Safety. Family. Being shut out from all that was a fate worse than death.
"But that's not going to happen is it Clyde?" The Leader asked, his smile returning. "You're going to follow my instructions without question or pause aren't you?"
"Sir! Yes Sir!" Clyde said nodding his head vigorously.
"Excellent." And after the Stick, the Carrot.The Leader thought. "And when you do, everything is going to turn out just like I'd planned. The Clan will have what you Clyde, have made possible for them. Everyone will be praising your name, wanting to be your friend. Your family will be so proud of you. You'll be remembered as a Hero to the Clan for generations."
That last piece of buttering up, coming on top of everything else, sealed the deal. Being remembered as a 'Hero to the Clan' was the greatest honour any member could want. "Sir! I swear I won't let you down Sir!" Clyde said, his chest swelling with determination. He looked ready to crawl over hot coals for the Leader, exactly as the Leader wanted.
"I know you won't." The Leader said, smiling. "Still, a little extra practice couldn't hurt now could it?" He suggested & Clyde nodded rapidly in agreement.
The Leader looked up at his assistant, who had been silently watching the whole time. "Take Clyde here back to the target practice area. He's going to be honing his skills for the next few hours, but be sure he takes the occasional break for refreshment. I want him in top form when we leave for the Centre this evening." He ordered.
"Yes Sir." The assistant saluted, & with a nod down the eager Clyde, escorted him from the chamber, leaving the Leader alone.
As he watched them go, the leader felt his excitement building once more. He had felt this way most of last night & this morning, as the realization of what they were about to achieve fully sunk in. This was indeed a great opportunity, dropped right into his lap. Meeting up with this group & worming his way into a position of power within it had been a great stroke of luck after the…incident. But here was a chance to gain real power. The kind of power he always felt he should have had to begin with. He had had a kind of power once, but it had turned out to fickle. Taken away from him & given to another just like that. Afterwards he had sought power over others in a different way, but once again, it had been taken away from him. The Clan was his third chance, made possible by a lucky meeting just as his future was in the process of being decided by others, & he had jumped at the opportunity to escape & take control of his own destiny once more.
He relished the control & influence he had managed to build up over these rather simple creatures, but the fact remained that his power over them was still a construction. They were too stupid to realise that they didn't really need him…they had been doing just fine before he came along, (if a bit disorganized) & if the group as a whole ever stood up to him…he wouldn't stand a chance, he thought sourly.
But this wondrous invention made by this Human changed all that, he thought & his mood lightened once more. He turned & made his way over to a corner of his chamber, towards where he kept some mementoes & other small objects in a small box that the Clan was forbidden to look inside on pain of banishment. Checking quickly over his shoulder to make sure he was alone, he opened up the lid & scanned his eyes over his treasures.
His eye alighted on what he had been looking for, a small feather sealed in a tiny plastic tube. He reached into the box & picked it up, holding it reverentially. It had been obtained for him by the Clan in an attempt to please him. It did. Looking upon it reminded the Leader of a very useful alliance he had forged with a member of that species. Powerful, capable, & yet totally star-struck by the Leader & willing to obey his orders. He had lost contact with him after the…incident, & then remaining underground with the Clan & getting them organized into the efficient network they now were meant he hadn't been able to get any news about his old ally's subsequent activities or eventual fate. Most likely he had simply gone Home. The Leader always regretted sending him away on another mission at a time when he could have used his help the most. If only he had been present maybe things wouldn't have turned out…
No. He thought firmly. The past was the past. He couldn't have known that… that Bird…would have turned out to be such a nuisance. It was supposed to have been a routine job.
He held up the feather again, observing it closely & thinking about what it could mean for him now. A Ticket, an Access Key, a Pass to a state of being that he had always felt he was at Heart. And now, with this Human's invention, he could realise that dream. If what he understood from this Human, this Jules, was correct, then not only could he regain what he had lost, but he would also gain true power, & would be feared & respected by Birds everywhere… As it should be.
With a thin smile, he concealed the small tube about his person. Whatever else happened tonight, he was going to make sure that this oh-so-clever Human made his dream come true.