The Rio the Darkness Saga Remastered
Rio the Darkness 5: Alternative Darkness
Chapter 45: Candestine
Hey everyone, we're back. Once again, appreciate the feedback on the previous chapter and hope you enjoy the rest.
It's dark.
It's also warm. An odd sensation for Blu; he's become accustomed to the feeling of the cold snow settling deep into his bones.
His wings ache. But for some reason his mind focuses on his wings, particularly his right one. He tries to move it, but it's stuck in something.
"Denial will not save you."
The sound of the familiar voice sends Blu's heart plummeting down into his stomach. No. Not again. He strains to push through this strange mugginess he's in. Is he inside a water tank of some kind? He doesn't feel wet, but he can only describe the sensation his body is experiencing as similar to the one a person feels when trying to swim through water.
"I watched your family die"
His breath quickens as panic rises. Where is he? Where is Ivan? He needs to see. He needs to know where the dark lord is. Is he blind? Had Ivan blinded him?
"You failed to protect your family!"
He can't breathe. He's gasping for air, but he can't draw breath.
"You let your family die!"
He is suffocating in his panic. No, no, no. Not again. Please no. He's choking, pushing through the murky blackness.
"You will die."
With a gasp, Blu's eyes fly open and his body jerks forward as he is jolted back to consciousness. He struggles to draw in ragged, panicked breaths as his eyes dart around, searching for where Ivan may be standing. But once the shock of the nightmare passes, Blu blinks in confusion and examines his surroundings with a bewildered gaze.
Briefly sighing to calm his serves, Blu felt a sense of relief to recognize the surrounding safe haven of the rebel's base. It had been a dream or a nightmare for that record. He calmly rested against the nest, grasping the blanket keeping him warm for comfort. His second night within the base proved to be less comforting than he imagined.
He rolled to one side with his wing rested under his head, imagining the thought of his beautiful wife lying beside him. Fifteen years he had spent sleeping alone within Minnesota, but it was nothing in comparison with having someone to share a nest with. "I wish you here, Jewel."
Trapped within a mysterious world as many questions continued to frustrate him, Blu was forced to endure the strange surroundings in the days that passed. With both an injured wing and talon, there was little he could do to go and search for answers. Though initially uncomfortable within the new surroundings, he was slowly growing accustomed. At nights, he would dream about his past and the possible future, each dream becoming clearer.
Sapphire had been a big supporter during his time here, helping him settle into his new home. With her responsibility as rebel leader, there was a little time she could spare, but that didn't stop her from visiting Blu and helping him settle. Joe and David were just as supportive, the latter checking in every now and then to inspect his injuries.
On the fifth day, David gently examined Blu's wing, rubbing it softly to check for anymore fractures. "Good news, your wing is healing nicely, and you should be able to fly again within a few more days. As for your talon, it's still pretty bad."
"Can't I just hop around on one foot?" Blu suggested. "You know, like how pigeons and flamingo rest."
David shook his head. "Not gonna happen, I don't want you putting more strain on your injuries than necessary. But not to fret, I bought you this."
Stepping out of the nest, David revealed a small wheelchair in their size, something Blu could have sworn he recognized within Tulio's many medical supplies. He couldn't avoid a frown to observe such a ridiculous object, but like it or not, this was his only means of mobility. He sighed and allowed David to pick him up and set him down with ease.
Blu grasped the wheels and tested it out, immediately grasping the concept. "Think I'm good to go. Mind if I go exploring?"
"Sure thing," David nodded, briefly stepping forward to stop him from moving. "There are a couple of rules you must follow, Sapphire enforced these herself. No leaving the base without telling anyone, don't enter the armory and do not steal. That all clear?"
"Crystal," Blu reassured. "I promise to follow your rules; you guys have done so much for me and I can't forget that."
Satisfied that he understood, David prepared to leave. However, he stopped to offer one final advice: "It's not a rule, but I recommend not bothering Rico at his workshop."
Amid the chaos, Blu had almost forgotten the black hawk was present once more, albeit with different personality. "At least until he's had a drink."
The two chuckled in amusement to Blu's joke as he finally smiled for the first time in a while. David patted him before leaving the medical room. With the help of his wheelchair, he moved through the various hallways and inspected each room he passed. The various beams and lights supporting the base allowed him to see and feel comfortable within these new surroundings.
Large rooms for the rebels to rest, a cafeteria with collected food to supply them and even a small prison for some captured rebels. There was a private bedroom he assumed to be Sapphire and Joe's, deciding it would be best to not disturb their privacy. As he continued moving forward, he suddenly froze to see the familiar gangsters passing him. To his surprise, they showed no hints of aggression and even greeted him with a friendly wave.
He briefly froze. "What is wrong with this place?"
As he turned forward to continue, he suddenly bumped into a blue macaw turning around the corner. They abruptly apologized. "Sorry."
Sapphire looked down to their new guest and smiled. "Look who's up. How are you feeling?"
"Better," Blu answered simply. "David said I was free to explore, so here I am."
"Your much more enthusiastic than most of our injured here," Sapphire noted. "They get so much as a splinter and want to spend a week off their feet."
Blu nervously chuckled and rubbed one wing across his neck. "I was quite the athletic in my younger days. Can't keep this bird down."
He felt a small sense of embarrassment to reveal he spent most of his life on the ground without the ability to fly but said nothing of it. As of now, he wasn't in any condition to move much.
"I am on my way to a group meeting; would you like to join us?" Sapphire offered.
"Thank you," Blu accepted. With little mobility, the most he could do was build up his intelligence and learn more of recent events.
Together, the blue macaws joined side by side as they entered a room in the distance. There, a dozen or so gold and blue macaws sat within small chairs, eagerly waiting for their leader to arrive. Leaving Blu with the audience, she took her stand beside her brother and begun.
"Rebels, it is time for our monthly battle analysis," Sapphire begun and nodded towards Joe, who in turn rolled down a large poster. "So far, we have successfully reclaimed the western and eastern section, but they are relentless and desperate to reclaim them from us. Holding down the forts is proving difficult and we are limited in resources to send reinforcements."
Between her speech, Blu developed another interest enough to begin taking notes, hastily gesturing for a nearby rebel to hand him a pencil and paper. Taking notes on the situation may help him figure out the key of solving this problem. The more facts he received, the better.
"Unfortunately, taking their lieutenants has not deterred their strategy to any significant degree," Sapphire continued and gestured towards the drawings of their targets. "King Lenny's fortress is too forfeited for us to take on, at least for now. As long as he resides within, we cannot touch him. But Raxos is not. He still resides within the northern section of the jungle. Defeating him will deliver a devasting loss to his army. Lenny may be a battle strategize, but even he cannot operate alone. Not many have the skill, nor the experience to serve as his right hand. Therefore, that will be our opening."
She briefly paused as Blu raised his wing for permission to speak. "Yes Blu?"
"If Raxos were to fall, wouldn't Lenny's first reaction to fortify his defenses and prepare for an assault?" Blu inquired, earning the attention of all the rebels around him.
"A fair point, Blu," Sapphire agreed, snapping her talons as a que to change slides, revealing a blueprint of the fortress. "Upon defeating Raxos, we will gather all of our army for a coordinated attack. But that plan may not come for weeks, months even."
Barely containing a frown, Blu placed down his paper. He did not have months to spare, he needed to end this ordeal as soon as possible. His location remained a mystery, but as far as he was aware, this was a different timeline to his own. An alternate dimension, a possible future or a dark hallucination. Regardless, reclaiming the orb from Lenny was his main priority.
"Lenny and Raxos are the key to freeing the jungle," Sapphire concluded. "If we can defeat them and claim the orb, peace will finally be restored."
Though her words sounded sincere, Blu hoped her desire to win wouldn't consume her and become the very thing they fought to destroy. Before he could dwell on such a thought, another one crossed his mind. "What about the other one?"
Sapphire raised an eyebrow. "Other one?"
Blu nodded. "That golden-collared macaw, carries a blade. He murdered someone in cold blood."
That was enough details to confirm her worst fears. Dropping her confidence into a fearful state, Sapphire suddenly approached, dropping her leadership demeanor. "Tacito."
"Tacito?" Blu repeated.
Without warning, Sapphire suddenly took both of his wings to gather his attention. "Blu, listen to me! If you ever see Tacito, stay away from him."
Blu was briefly stunned to her sudden change of personality, shocked to see the fearless leader of the rebels suddenly overwhelmed with fear. "I don't understand. Is he part of the military?"
"Much worse than that," Sapphire said with a hint of regret, briefly turning towards the many eyes facing her. "Tacito is a psychopath, he takes pleasure in murdering birds just for the sake of art. He's sadistic, merciless, cruel, all your worst fears combined. Blu, if you see Tacito, if you even spot him, promise me you will not confront him."
Her pleads were desperate, almost begging for him to not confront the mysterious killer. Shaking off his confused state, Blu softly nodded. "I promise."
Satisfied that he would stick with his word, she resumed her confident expression and dismissed them. "Meeting adjured."
Everyone vacated the room and returned to their previous duties. Clutching his notes tightly, Blu wheeled off elsewhere. The facts he received from Sapphire would help, but he needed more and there was only one familiar face he trusted to find this.
Rico.
According to David, the hawk owned his own workshop nearby. Wheeling his way through the narrow hallways and dodging the various rebels he passed. Arriving at the workshop, he entered without knocking and approached. "Rico?"
The black hawk had his back to his opponent, his hearing blocked from a pair of earphones blasting music as he worked, connected with an MP3 player nearby. How he claimed this, knew what it is or charged it was a unknown, but there were enough mysterious for Blu to handle for one lifetime.
"Excuse me?" Blu called, but receive no response, his words drowned out by the music. Pushing closely, he tapped him.
Rico whelped with surprise and turned, raising his wings defensive. On instinct, Blu fell back and accidently tipped himself over on his back. Groaning softly, he held one wing over his head.
The hawk whipped out his ear phones, leaning down to pull Blu back up. "You scared the life out of me! Why don't you just pull out my heart while you're at it?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Rico," Blu apologized. "I just wanted to see how you were."
Rico stepped back and frowned with surprise. Very rarely would the others come to take an interest in his work, let alone check on his wellbeing. Not too surprisingly due to his sarcastic and anti-social personality. "Great. You know what, I'm glad you're here. Wait there."
Blu obliged and remained still as the hawk searched through some junk and tools. Returning a moment later with a laugh triumph, he revealed two metal objects. "Hold out your wings."
Without hesitation, Rico tightly strapped them above his wingtips and stepped back. "Fit like a glove!"
Blu examined the metal objects attached to his wings. They were wrist gauntlets, built to protect his body from sharp or heavy objects. "Did you make these?"
"With my own talons," Rico said proudly. "These gauntlets are made from chrome steel-almost impossible to break. If you encounter any guards with swords or axes, all you need to do is block their attacks using these."
Further inspection from the blue macaw confirmed the hawk's facts. With his current condition hindering his movements and lacking any light powers, the best thing he could do was build up as much of an advantage as possible. "Thank you, Rico."
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted when the door was thrown open, revealing Joe, who was now armed with a sword. "We got trouble! Code yellow!"
Hastily, Rico grabbed his bandolier and tightened it around his body, swiftly leaving the room with his ally. Dumbfounded, Blu wheeled himself outside, bumping into Sapphire once more. "What's going on?"
"A few of the king's soldiers are patrolling nearby and are now scanning the area for our base," Sapphire debriefed as they moved through the hallway. "There are only five of them, but if even one escapes- "
"And they'll report our location," Blu concluded. "What are we going to do?"
"Joe and Rico are taking action as we speak," Sapphire reassured. "We have a command center to overlook the area. Come and join me, it'll give you the chance to see how we operate."
This was an opportunity Blu wasn't willing to miss out on. Following the other blue macaw, they entered another room at the end of the hallway. Immediately, his eyes widened with surprise. There were many monitors set around the room, each managed by a single bird. The monitors offered a live feed of cameras outside. Blu could only question how wild birds understood the concept of technology.
"Where did you get all this?" Blu inquired.
"One of our old suppliers use to take tours to the city and scavenge technology for our cause," Sapphire explained while her eyes were locked upon one of the many monitors. She frowned and lowered her voice softly. "They're here."
Blu wheeled himself forward to investigate and scanned the various cameras positioned on the high ground. Entering the view was a group of five military macaws, landing in formation and marched through the thick snow. Marching slowly, they investigated the area for signs of hostilities. From their perspective, the jungle around them was clear, but to the trained eye, they were not alone.
From a single bush, two soldiers were yanked inside and did not emerge, so swift that their allies were unaware of their absence. As they continued forward, the ground beneath them began to move. In seconds, Rico and Joe emerged, dressed in ghillie suits to blend in with their environment.
They swiftly dispatched of the two soldiers, leaving only their team leader remaining. He turned around, dumbfounded to see all his troopers were gone, now replaced with a group of rebels surrounding him. Unable to escape, he raised his wings in surrender.
Sapphire sighed and picked up a nearby microphone. "We're clear. Code green."
In such a short time span, Blu had witnessed their operations. They were organized, confident, always expecting the unexpected.
Sapphire noticed his surprised look and snapped her toes to break him out of the trance. "Are you okay? You're looking at me like you've just seen a ghost."
"I'm just impressed," Blu admitted. "I've never seen such coordinated teamwork like this. It's incredible, it's amazing."
His expressions of joy attracted the attention of the rebels working within this room, but they turned away before long. Sapphire's confusion dispersed, and she smiled. "That's very kind. Being our leader comes with its responsibilities and it is taxing at times, but it will all be worthwhile when we defeat the king."
Blu knew that all too well, memories he thought back to over the past year. Since Nexus, he spent nights gathering the forces of his allies for future attacks, each day taking a heavy toll on his sanity. And now, those very allies were his enemy. Things were not right here, nothing made sense anymore. He was even considered the thought of admitting to insanity and the asylum was actually real.
Noting his silence, Sapphire cleared her throat. "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"
He was hungry, no doubt about that. "I am a little hungry," he paused as his stomach loudly growled, earning an amused smile on the rebel leader. "Maybe not that little."
With the area outside announced as clear, everyone was settled and free to perform their own activates for a while. Since it was still within the morning, most of the rebels were within the cafeteria, eating away on their collected and carefully rationed supplies. Sitting opposite of Sapphire, Blu calmly ate on an mango, a fruit he had grown to appreciate since moving to Rio.
"Delicious, aren't they?" Sapphire said. "My mother use to tell me there were two types: the common and the Indian, the latter is supposed to bring joy to those who feasted upon it."
Blu knew many facts and that was not something he recognized. "I've never heard of food bringing joy, though hot chocolate use to bring me happiness during the morning."
"Hot…Chocolate?" she questioned curiously.
"Long story," Blu assured. However, while they were sitting on a table alone, surrounded by other fighters too busy indulging in their own conversations, this was the perfect opportunity to learn more. "Excuse me, Sapphire? I was wondering if you could answer me a few questions?"
Sapphire nodded. "Of course, but I doubt there's nothing more to distinguish. What would you like to know?"
"Lenny is the king and Raxos is his second, right?" Blu inquired and she nodded. "Is there anyone else? Generals, commanders, anyone who poses a major threat."
"We have considered this before and as far as I'm aware, those two are the only large threats," Sapphire admitted. "The king is very personal and doesn't trust many to lead him to victory. As far as I'm aware, Raxos is his only personal aid. He personally trains the best of his soldiers, forcing them to endure great agony as a means of proving their loyalty. It's best I don't go into the details."
"I agree," Blu nodded, unwilling to hear more information and placing his questions on halt for now.
The center of the jungle once roamed with large trees and bushes was now reduced to a barren wasteland. No longer filled with wildlife, a large fortress was structured within in the center, standing at one-hundred feet tall. A large wall almost half the size of the fortress surrounded it whole, preventing anyone who was not of a bird species to enter.
Within the comfort of his home, King Lenny stepped up from his throne and approached the window overlooking his magnificent structure. Hundreds of guards were patrolling every entrance of the fortress, scanning the grounds and the top of the walls, all here to guarantee his safety. The rebels would never date to attack his home, they would be slaughtered within seconds.
Calmly caressing his scepter, he examined his reflection within the Orb of Light, a weapon of power he used for the greater good. Yet no matter how much he tried, those rebels would never cease their pathetic attempts to defeat him. Even if, by the smallest of chances they had breached his forces, defeated all the guards, broke through his fortress and even defeated his elites, they would never stand a chance against the power of the orb.
He had nothing to fear, yet he could not stop thinking about that blue macaw who confronted him days ago. He was courageous, smart and determined. It was as if he didn't seem to understand the danger that macaw was previously in. The simple fact that he tried to face him combat was a mystery he could not even begin to understand.
"They cannot match my power," Lenny reassured himself. "None can overthrow me. A new dawn approaches."
After the previous morning's conflicts, the rebels made the decision to move out and set up some more cameras across the area to gain more eyes on further attacks. As they were shorthanded, Sapphire personally set out to do the job herself. Blu volunteered to join her and while she initially protested due to his condition, she accepted for company.
The two arrived near a stream to gather some fresh water for the group while they were outside. The cold had fortunately not frozen over the streams yet, giving them more time to receive food and drink. Sapphire got to work on securing the cameras, leaving Blu to fill up a container full of water. Although he didn't cherish the idea of staying outside within an occupied jungle, she reasurred him they would only be out for five minutes at most.
"Are you sure it's safe to be out here?" Blu inquired.
"Certain," Sapphire reassured as she tightened the strap holding the camera against the branch.
She slowly climbed down from the tree and hit the snow softy. Now donning a robe fashioned with fur to compensate for the cold weather, she turned towards Blu and raised her eyebrow. "I am impressed to your resilience to the cold. We always caution everyone who leaves the base, yet you don't seem affected at all."
"It comes from experience," Blu reassured. "This is just an average day from my old home."
Sapphire chuckled, impressed with each trait she learned from him. However, her smile dropped to one of horror as a sharp object was slowly pressed against her back, followed with a voice growling within her ear.
"Don't move," the military macaw warned.
"Let her go!" Blu demanded as he was grabbed by a second soldier. Still lacking the ability to walk, he was restricted to a wheelchair and could do nothing more to help.
The first military macaw grinned and placed his sword around her throat. "The leader of the rebels herself. They'll make me a general for your capture!"
Under his struggle against his restrainer, Blu was surprised to see she was not panicking or showing any signs of concern. Instead, he observed with amazement as she threw her head back and stunned him, swiftly spinning around and grabbing his wing, pushing it backwards and stabbing him through the torso with his own weapon.
With no time to praise her skills, Blu whacked his wing against the second soldier, knocking him back enough for Sapphire to throw her own weapon into him, knocking him into the ground and killing him within an instance. Within seconds, they had dispatched the two random soldiers that had snuck on him.
"Are you okay?" Sapphire inquired as she immediately ran to his aid.
"I was going to ask you the name," Blu agreed. "How did…When did you…That…"
"A lot of residence tend to overestimate creatures they consider harmless," Sapphire explained. "You pick up a few things in the battle. We shouldn't stay out here any longer than necessary. Come, let us return to the base."
She turned and begun her slow walk towards the base nearby, treading softly to avoid leaving Blu behind. He prepared to follow, but that's when it dawned on him, he was stuck. Odd, he was able to navigate through the snow on his way here perfect. His eyes widened as a shadow loomed over him, one foot pressed up against one of the tires of his wheelchair to prevent him from moving.
Sapphire noticed his lack of speaking and turned, her curiously dropping to further horror. There, a familiar a golden-collared stood aside Blu, a blade held near his chest. "Tacito."
The artist grinned and raised his wingtip, stroking it against Blu's facial markings. "You lack the ambition of your species. The flesh and feathers are lesser malleable than clay, yet even my own inspiration cannot make an art piece out of your disability. I cannot work with this abomination! This poor example of structure! But you…" he narrowed his eyes over towards Sapphire. "Are perfect. You will become my art."
In one quick succession, Tacito kicked Blu hard towards the stream. He desperately tried to stop himself from falling, but it was too late. He yelled with terror as slumped out of his wheelchair and towards the water river stream below, caught in the current as it carried him away.
"BLU!" Sapphire shrieked with horror, growling with anger as she turned her gaze towards the sinister artist.
Choosing to save her ally over her own freedom, she moved to follow Blu and save him from certain doom. Birds couldn't swim, especially ones in Blu's condition. Refusing to allow his precious art to escape, Tacito jumped and caught her by the throat and throwing her to the ground with frightening strength.
Despite the heavy adrenaline, Sapphire hit the ground hard and slumped off into unconsciousness, leaving the world around her. Placing her down, Tacito ripped away her warmth protection to display the beauty of her feathers. "I have longed for a species of the blue macaws for so long. Do not fear. You will become a part of my masterpiece."
Even in a new world, Blu can't seem to catch a break. Left to his fate once more, Blu is took away by the stream while Sapphire has been captured by Tacito. Join us next time to see what will happen next.
