Chapter 18- horrific nightmares
Night time
Night has fallen on the Amazon rainforest and like always, the diurnal (day-time) active animals were turning in for the night while the nocturnal ones were coming out. The jungle was awash with a silvery sea of moonlight beaming down from the full moon hovering in the cloudless sky with a massive sea of stars. The Milky Way flowed across the sky like a massive sea of glitter against a black canvas. It truly was a beautiful night and it appeared to transform the jungle into a mystical land. Fireflies danced about like tiny stars above lakes and through the canopy, further adding to the beauty of the night jungle. The majority of the macaws and other diurnal birds had gone to bed but some were staying up late, either to do night time patrols, to spend some romantic time together in the case of couples or to stargaze.
It was approaching midnight now and the sky was as clear as it had been after sundown. In the Bluewing Clan and blue-throated macaws' territory and home patch, the majority of the hyacinth macaws and blue-throated macaws had all gone to bed. However, some of them were awake, unable to sleep. Some of the blue-throated and hyacinth macaws were out on patrol tonight, keeping an eye on things and making sure everything was alright and that the flying fox intrusions weren't getting any worse, while those that remained back in the home patch were loitering around near their hollow entrances. Violeta was one of them. She sat perched outside her family's hollow. Her two sons, Vincente and Arlo, were asleep, Vincente with his mate and daughter. Demetrio, Violeta's mate was also in bed. However, Violeta had felt restless and had decided to come out to gaze at the clear star-studded night sky. The atmosphere hanging over the home patch of the Bluewings and the blue-throated macaws was dull and dismal with clouds of uncertainty and worry plaguing it and the main cause of it was the flying fox intrusions. The two clans and the other none-tribe and clan residents that lived on their territory had been troubled by the ever increasing frequency of the intrusions from Cicatriz's bats, as well as the violent attacks on patrol and foraging groups. Because of this, chicks, elderly and the other vulnerable had been strictly forbidden in leaving the home patch for their safety while the smaller groups of birds, such as the golden conure group, the group from which Caspian and Citrine came from, had been evacuated nearer to the home patch so that the hyacinth and blue-throated macaws could keep a close eye on them. Tonight, some hyacinth macaws had been stationed around the group of trees and small caves in which the birds stayed in, keeping watch for any flying furry creatures with membranous wings. However, what was most troubling of all was that many of the flying fox intrusions had been reported nearer and nearer the home patch, much to the timidity and fear of the residents, and this was pushing Violeta and Demetrio, and Reynaldo and Anita closer and closer to the edge.
Violeta sat perched on her branch, her eyes on the night sky. She loved nights like this for she had often gone out with Demetrio when the two had been boyfriend and girlfriend when they were younger. Clear nights with a star-strewn sky and full moon were ideal for a romantic atmosphere. However, there was something about this night that was different. Violeta seemed troubled and worried and as these pricked at her; her mind began to drift off into thought. She had hoped that the strong warnings she and Demetrio and the other leaders of the macaw tribes and clans had sent to Cicatriz and Iracebeth would make them put an end to their bats' intrusions and to scrap whatever they were planning. It was the only peaceful option the macaw tribe and clan leaders could think of in persuading the colony leaders in calling off their bats' spying and roaming of the territories of the bird tribes and clans, especially since it was pushing many of them, in particular, Demetrio, towards breaking point. However, some of the hyacinth and blue-throated macaws had protested to Demetrio, Violeta, Reynaldo and Anita that they confront Cicatriz and Iracebeth face-to-face and in person over this matter, rather than send them a warning letter, but that would mean flying deep into the flying foxes' territory where every corner was teeming with bird-detesting bats that would not hesitate to kill any bird they found flying on their territory. There was no way the Bluewing and blue-throated macaw clans' leaders would risk their lives doing this. But this was what was so infuriating: how could Cicatriz and Iracebeth allow their bats to intrude into the birds' territories and yet ban the birds from entering theirs? Violeta could not make sense of this hypocrisy.
Furthermore, Violeta had to admit that she was easily repulsed by Cicatriz. His scarred appearance and his damaged right eye, a result of the violent fight with an amazon parrot that bat had as a teenager, as well as his attitude, was enough to make Violeta flinch and her stomach lurch. Furthermore, Cicatriz, along with Iracebeth, were especially violent, brutal and tyrannical. 'No,' Violeta thought, 'those three words aren't good enough in describing those two leaders. Those two are a pair of savage barbarians.'
It also seemed that Cicatriz and Iracebeth showed little care about the consequences the flying foxes faced whenever they drove out a bird tribe or clan to grab their land. It was a risky business for membranous winged creatures to go against a flock of flying creatures armed with beaks and talons, especially for their membranous wings, and badly damaged wings had not been uncommon during these processes. Furthermore, many bats had died during or shortly after the driving out of a bird tribe or clan whilst countless more has suffered horrific injuries. Violeta could not figure why Cicatriz and Iracebeth, or any of the leaders before them would have their bats attack a flock of such dangerously armed creatures, but she knew that it all boiled down to one big reason: the flying foxes saw all birds in the Amazon as vermin that deserve to be driven out and their land for the taking. It was the main teaching of the flying fox colony about birds that had been passed down from one generation to the next through fighting classes, where pups practiced their fighting techniques with bird dummies, and through spoken classes. This teaching was what motivated the flying foxes in driving out so many bird tribes and clans to grab their land, and also kill countless birds with their weapons and harvest their feathers for their trophies, the cluster of feathers they tied to their weapons. However, there seemed to be more than meets the eye regarding this teaching but none of the birds could figure why. It was like gazing into an opaque layer covering a swamp such that everything under it was completely obscured. Whatever that deeper reason was, Violeta hated to think of it, but she knew that so many bird tribes and clans in the past, such as the glaucous macaw tribe now living with the other hyacinth macaw clan, the Navyfeathers, had suffered terribly with nightmarish memories carved into them like ugly scars from a serious injury. But it seemed that the macaw tribes and clans and the other birds, such as Eragon and Andromeda's clan living on the Sanctuary de Amazon were next on the flying foxes' list, which had been confirmed by one family of flying foxes who seemed to sympathise with the birds, Augustus and his family, alongside the attempted kidnappings of some of the macaws from the patrol and foraging groups. The question was, who?
Violeta had been particularly worried for everyone else in the Sanctuary de Amazon, the neighbouring tribes and clans, the smaller close-knit bird groups and the clan of archaeobirds as well. Visitors from those groups had been vastly reduced for fear that a group of armed flying foxes might leap out at them and attack, and there were countless flying fox groups roaming around the entire sanctuary now, and Violeta and Demetrio had heard a report from a visiting patrol of glaucous macaws about some flying foxes roaming Eragon and Andromeda's clan's territory as well. Violeta sighed as worry for the archaeobirds pricked at her. The archaeobirds were very peaceful creatures and hated war and fighting and would only become violent if they sense any serious threat. Furthermore, archaeobirds could only glide between trees, and could only fly on their bat-birds which added to their vulnerability. It was obvious that someone was going to get badly hurt over there or what's worse, a kidnapping by a group of bats to haul back to their territory for information extraction, as what had almost happened to Spock during his and some other archaeobirds' visit to the Spix macaw tribe.
While Violeta's mind continued swimming through this churning river of worry, a familiar voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Hey, Violeta, what are you still doing out here?" it asked. Violeta snapped her gaze from the night sky to the speaker, which was Demetrio. The hulking hyacinth macaw loftily stepped towards her and then stood beside her.
"It's almost midnight," said Demetrio but then sympathy welled up within him when he saw the worried look on his mate's face. "Something's troubling you, isn't it?"
"Yes, Demetrio," Violeta said with a sigh. Demetrio then draped her with an enormous navy blue wing.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. Violeta sighed again.
"It's just this flying fox situation that is on my mind," she confessed, "It has been… for the past few days."
Demetrio felt a spark of irritation within him when Violeta mentioned this.
"Oh, I know," he muttered, "It's been going on for days now." Demetrio breathed a sigh of his own. "I just hope that Cicatriz and his mate get the message to stop their bats' intrusions and attacks on us…"
"It's pushing everyone to breaking point, especially you," said Violeta, "I know you've been struggling to control your temper for quite some time."
"I know and I'm really sorry for snapping at you and our two sons, Vincente and Arlo and daughter-in-law, Ligia and our granddaughter, Nadia at times," he said apologetically. Violeta smiled, her troubled spirits easing a bit.
"You've said that once already, dear," she said and returned the one-winged hug. "I sure hope that this flying fox situation will be sorted soon."
"Yeah, I hope so, too," said Demetrio glumly. Then the two Bluewing Clan leaders stood on their perch gazing into the night sky.
Not too far away in the blue-throated macaw clans' trees, some blue-throated macaws sat outside their hollows. Eriko and Carolina were two of them, and their two first-brood daughters Fernanda and Ariel were also awake trying to watch over their timid younger brother Peitro and sister Wanda as they slept uneasily. After that disturbing encounter with Cicatriz, Iracebeth, their kids Iago and Veruca and their bodyguard the other day, these two chicks had been forbidden from leaving the home patch and had stayed mostly near their parents and older sisters' hollow. Furthermore, the sight of Cicatriz and Iracebeth's scarred appearance had somewhat traumatised the little brother and sister and they had been sleeping uneasily since that day. Around Eriko and his family, several deep blue or turquoise and yellow forms flew about through the shafts of moonlight illuminating the jungle but despite the beauty of the air because of the moonlight, the atmosphere was cloudy.
"I hope Wilbur is alright with Casper from the Bluewing Clan," said Carolina as she sat next to her mate, "They should be coming back here soon like the rest of Casper's friends. It's getting late."
"I actually haven't been sure of Wilbur coming over here from the blue-and-gold tribe, actually," said Eriko, "Especially after what had happened to one of his tribe-mates Winona…"
"Well, I hope that Casper's family would be kind enough to escort him back to his tribe once his stay-over's finished," said Carolina with an assured smile. "After all, hyacinth macaws are often formidable birds to deal with for they are twice our size and armed with enormous talons and beaks that could break a coconut's shell. I doubt that any group of flying fox would dare to take a group of several hyacinth macaws on."
"You never know," said Eriko uncertainly. Carolina just sighed and continued gazing into the moonlit jungle. Then Ariel came out, a sad look on her face with her sister Fernanda close behind her.
"Peitro and Wanda are refusing to get off, no matter what we've tried," said Ariel disappointedly.
"We've told them about three stories including Carla and her group's trip to Guyana to find the treasure to save the sanctuary," said Fernanda, "And also counting dragonflies, singing a lullaby, but none of the methods are working. They are honestly too restless and have been since sundown and since the day we met those hideous bat colony leaders."
The two sisters were obviously weary and were showing signs of impatience and irritability. Then Eriko and Carolina walked over to the pair and the hollow. As Eriko entered the hollow to see to Pietro and Wanda, Ariel fluttered up onto a higher branch when she saw a familiar turquoise male blue-throated macaw fly towards her family's tree. Fernanda stood with Carolina, a suspicious look on her face.
"I have a feeling that it could have something to do with seeing the hideous faces of that colony patriarch and his family and bodyguard," said she to her mother. She shuddered as she remembered the faces of the said bats which were as clear in her memory as the moon was in the night sky and had been having nightmares about Cicatriz and Iracebeth once or twice since that day.
"I honestly could not stand the very sight of them, daughter," hissed Carolina with disgust. "Neither did Ariel and her boyfriend Eric…" she flashed a glance at the two macaws on the higher branch which were Ariel and Eric talking, the latter's face laced with a troubled look. "And I can see that he's as worried as us."
"That look has been on most of the two clans and the birds of the smaller groups living with us for two days now, Mom," said Fernanda, "These flying fox intrusions are obviously troubling all of us."
As she said this, Eriko emerged from the hollow with Peitro and Wanda in his wings. He had hoped that some fresh air would help settle their restlessness. Then the family with Ariel and Eric above them continued talking while some of the other blue-throated macaws continued uneasily looking out of their trees as though something were about to attack. However, that horrific thought was about to become reality...
While Violeta and Demetrio continued sitting together under the star-studded and moonlit sky, talking about happy memories of when they spent some of their time together as a dating couple under nights like this, the pair was made aware of the sounds of flapping of several pairs of large wings. However those wing flaps had a sort of frightened sound to them. Worried, Violeta and Demetrio looked up and saw a group of six hyacinth macaws, one of the night time patrol groups, approach them. Their eyes were ignited with immense terror and their feathers were flattened, a clear sign of terror. Then the one at the front, a female shouted, "DEMETRIO, VIOLETA!"
Seconds later, she and her five companions landed clumsily onto a branch before their leaders, shaking the branch violently due to their weight and size. Demetrio and Violeta went over to the six macaws as they began to gasp for air.
"Whoa, calm down you six," said Demetrio, "You almost broke that branch. What is it?"
"We'd better evacuate the two clans and the other birds outa here NOW," said one of the other macaws, a male, the moment he had got his breath back enough to speak, "We were patrolling when we saw a massive group of…"
But the macaw had no time to finish the sentence when suddenly, the quiet air of the night was shattered by the most terrifying, bloodcurdling sound Demetrio, Violeta and the macaws had ever heard in their lives. But these were no bird screeches, but the screeches of a group of a completely different flying creature. It sent terror flaring up within the macaws like an explosion. Violeta then sprang into action, bolting for the hollow like a frightened capybara attempting to flee a jaguar.
"I'LL GET ARLO, VINCENTE, LIGIA AND NADIA!" she screeched as she rushed for the hollow, a violet-tinted navy blue blur. While she did that, Demetrio commanded the patrol group to help him evacuate the two clans and everyone else and within moments, the seven macaws were aloft. As he flew about the Bluewing Clan's home trees, Demetrio began to use his booming voice to bark orders to his clan members and also to the blue-throated macaws, to evacuate.
Demetrio's voice carried through the night air like a shockwave, reaching the ears of the blue-throated macaws. Those asleep were jolted awake while the others that were already awake snapped their heads to the navy blue form flying around, screeching at the top of his lungs. At their hollow, Eriko, Carolina, Ariel, Fernanda and Eric, together with the other blue-throated macaws, turned their eyes to Demetrio as he continued flying around screeching for everyone to abandon their homes and take their eggs and chicks unable to fly with them, as well as navy blue comets screaming in terror emerging from the trees of the Bluewing Clan's home area and filling the air. However, through the cloud of screeching navy blue comets in the background, the blue-throated macaws saw something else; a thick black cloud. Many of the blue-throated macaws, among them Eriko and his family, froze in horror and disbelief. Eriko stood with Peitro and Wanda who were awake in his wings, Fernanda standing near him while Carolina stood by herself and Ariel and Fernanda on the branch above. Their eyes were wide and beaks agape as they saw the thick black cloud approach the Bluewing Clan's home trees at a terrifying rate. It was like a thick black tsunami. However, it wasn't made of water, but of fur, membranous wings, and weapons. As Demetrio continued barking orders for his clan to evacuate, his eyes turned and saw the incoming tsunami of black creatures rush into his clan's trees like floodwater. The moment he saw this, terror of all terrors violently flared within him. The other hyacinth macaws that also saw the black cloud released screams of immense terror and within seconds, as Violeta was hastily leaving with Vincente, Arlo, Ligia (Vincente's mate) and Nadia (the daughter of Vincente and Ligia), the black cloud of flying foxes were upon the clan and a savage fight broke out, resulting in the air filling with agonised hyacinth macaw screeches of agony and flying fox war cries.
The flying foxes looked absolutely terrifying in the shafts of moonlight. Their appearance resembled black cloaks with gleaming eyes that were lit up by the light of the full moon, and some parts of their bodies had blood-red markings streaking them. The bats had covered their entire bodies from head to toe with some sort of pitch-black fruit paint streaked with vivid red on their faces, bodies and wings, the red on their wings intended to paint in their wing fingers and the red stripes on their chests intended to resemble a blood-red ribcage. The red paint on their faces were painted mostly around their eyes, enclosing them in a red ring each but the bats had also painted streaks down their cheeks from those rings to give the appearance of them weeping blood. This body décor and the way it was painted was not at all like the beautiful and colourful body décor the bird tribes and clans used for their theme dances, such as the yellow pollen and red fruit paint the Spix macaws used for dancing to 'Beautiful Creatures' for example. This frightening body décor was designed to make the flying foxes look more terrifying to their feathered opponents, especially in the dark, as well as better conceal them in the shadows of the night. The bats therefore looked like shadowy ghosts with red markings and gleaming eyes. The moment the flying foxes were upon the hyacinth macaws, the weapons they had brought with them, sharp-sticks, sticks with stones tied to one end like a club, porcupine spine ball-ending sticks, etc. were then brutally put into action in bludgeoning and stabbing their intended victims.
The Bluewing Clan then found themselves at the mercy of these weapons and though they were armed with powerful beaks and talons, as well as their size, they were no match for this enormous cloud of savage bats and soon, bodies, feathers and blood began to fall from the battle cloud. The blue-throated macaw clan watched the carnage in utter horror, but then an overwhelming urge to flee for their lives took hold, especially as some of the flying foxes emerged from the cloud of brawling bats and hyacinth macaws and charged straight for them, their weapons ready and poised to attack. Now it was the blue-throated macaw clan's turn to scream in terror and soon, blue and yellow streaks filled the air as blue-throated macaws fled for their lives. Carolina snapped a glance at Ariel and Eric on the higher branch, the latter having abandoned his perch to rescue his family. Fernanda was about to take off but then she became rooted to the spot when she saw the terrifying black and red winged creatures with eyes glowing menacingly in the moonlight and their weapons in their clutches. Carolina then yelled at Eriko to get Peitro and Wanda, both who were screaming with terror, out of here.
"FERNANDA!" screeched Eriko as he hastily wrapped his talons around his younger son and daughter.
"DAAAAD!" screeched Fernanda as the swarm of bats rushed towards the blue-throated macaws. Then Eriko leaped off the branch with Peitro and Wanda firmly in his talons, Carolina following closely behind. Fernanda then dived off the branch and plummeted through the canopy like a falcon as the tsunami of bats swallowed up the tree, one of the black and red war paint-donning flying foxes just missing impaling her with a sharp-stick. Only Ariel remained, but she was too rooted to the spot by fear of the incoming bats to move. Fearfully, she braced herself and covered her head with her wings as Demetrio's voice bellowed, "PROTECT THE BLUE-THROATED MACAWS!"…
Meanwhile
Wilbur and Casper were flying back to the Bluewing Clan and blue-throated macaws' home patch, yawning tiredly. These three had been stargazing with some non-tribe and clan residents and now they were heading back. Casper was a new addition to Carla and company's circle of friends, along with his girlfriend Gloria, and had become close friends with Wilbur and Poinsettia and also Caspian and Citrine the golden conures. He was also a friend of Ariel, Eric and Fernanda. He was a typical hyacinth macaw with navy blue feathers and blue-grey eyes, stocky build and a flick of feathers on his crown.
"Boy, it sure has been a fantastic stargazing session hasn't it, my little friend?" Casper said with a smile, "You ought to bring your nerdy scarlet girlfriend Poinsettia here at some point. We would love to hear her point out some constellations."
"I'd love to, Casper but she's been banned by her parents, aunt and uncle from coming here due to the flying fox problem, especially after what had almost happened to her brother Alexandre," said Wilbur. His eyes then turned to the star-studded sky and full moon in slight disappointment, "Mind you it would have been a romantic night out with her as well. I remember my Mom and Dad telling me that they used to go out on nights like these."
"I had plans on taking my girlfriend out to stargaze as well but I never really had the chance," said Casper, "Again due to the flying fox problem. I had been swamped with the task of looking after the hyacinth and blue-throated chicks and preventing them from leaving our home patch for their safety..."
Wilbur breathed an understanding sigh at this as he and his friend continued flying back to the former's clan's home patch. However, they were unaware of the horror that lay before them.
As the two approached the outskirts of the Bluewing and Blue-throated macaw clans' home patch, the sound of screeches and fighting filled their ears. Hearing this, the hyacinth and blue-and-gold macaws stopped into a hover.
"What's that sound?" asked Wilbur confused.
"Sounds like a war going on," said Casper.
"On an area that is part of a protected sanctuary in which every bird tribe, clan and group has made peace?" asked Wilbur sceptically. Casper, dread slowly taking hold, slowly turned his head in the direction of the terrifying sounds. Wilbur also felt that same feeling.
"MY/YOUR CLAN the BLUEWINGS and the BLUE-THROATED MACAWS!" screeched the two together and with that, they bolted and accelerated towards the home patch of the said clans, their wings beating furiously.
Then within seconds, Wilbur and Casper arrived at the Bluewings and blue-throated macaws' home patch periphery, Casper first for he was larger and had larger wings and was able to fly faster than the smaller Wilbur who was smaller. However, the moment the pair's eyes landed on what was producing the terrifying sounds, freezing icy water splashed over their hearts.
Amongst the trees of the Bluewing Clan, a bloody battle was taking place. A cloud made of navy blue feathers and something else was violently thrashing in the moonlight air while more navy blue comets were fleeing the trees but when Casper saw the something else in the cloud, his heart plunged into subzero-temperature ice. Black membranous wings and wooden items, as well as black shadowy figures streaked with red were clearly visible in the cloud. Further in the background, blue and yellow comets, which Wilbur had deduced was the blue-throated macaw clan, were shooting off into the darkness, more black figures chasing after them. Casper, at first, continued to hover in utter horror and astonishment but then the thought of his family and girlfriend flashed in his mind. He was about to bolt when an aqua blue and yellow form flew into his way.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" bellowed Casper in disbelief, "MY FAMILY AND MY GIRLFRIEND GLORIA could be AMONGST THAT CARNAGE!"
"Don't go into there," shouted Wilbur in reply, "You'll be killed!"
Then a thought came to him, making him draw a sharp gasp through his beak.
"THE GOLDEN CONURES AND THE OTHER RESIDENTS!" he screeched, "WE NEED TO RESCUE THE GOLDEN CONURES and those OTHER BIRDS!"
Casper was about to bolt for the fighting cloud but Wilbur once again blocked him.
"No, you'll get to the golden conures while I see to saving your family and your girlfriend and her family, if they've managed to escape," he said.
"WHAT!?" retorted Casper, "But my Mom, Dad, brothers, Gloria…"
"Look, I'll try and find and get them out while you see to the conures and other residents," said Wilbur, "You know where they are and besides that, you'll be able to reach them faster than I would since you're larger than me."
Casper, at first, paused. Neither he nor Wilbur wanted to leave each other and endanger themselves but they knew that this was important. Then Casper, as soon as he had made his decision, lunged at Wilbur and pulled him into a tight hug, much to his blue-and-gold friend's surprise. As the two broke the hug, Casper said, "Right, I'll go and find the conures while you help with the evacuation of my clan but be CAREFUL! Those bats in there could be armed with dangerous weapons."
Wilbur nodded and with that, the friends broke apart. Wilbur rocketed towards the carnage while Casper headed off in the direction of the golden conures and the other avian residents' temporary lodging site.
Wilbur flapped his wings furiously as he entered the Bluewing Clan's grove of trees. As he did so, he felt his blood's temperature plummet as he passed by the carnage. Flying foxes, black and red war paint covering their entire bodies and their eyes glowing menacingly in the moonlight continued chasing and slaughtering hyacinth macaws with their weapons, screams of terror from those petrified macaws flooding his ears. Wilbur examined the trees and saw more flying foxes force their way into hollows and without hesitation slaughter those that lay within, regardless of whether they were chicks, elderly or fit young macaws, screams of agony exploding from within those hollows. However, Wilbur had no time in watching the carnage in horror and he knew this too well. He had to focus on rescuing Casper's family, girlfriend Gloria and her family. Pulling his gaze from the massacre that went on, Wilbur began to call out for Casper's family: his mother named Lizzie, his father named Orlan and his two younger brothers, Matheus, who was a chick, and Buddy, who was Casper's clutch-mate and the younger of the two. Gloria's family consisted of her parents only. Wilbur shouted their names through the cacophony of screams and screeches, being careful not to get spotted by any of the attacking flying foxes. The screams were ear-piercing and frightening, and it made Wilbur's insides quiver but he knew he had to help get Casper's family and Gloria and her family out of this massacre.
As he weaved in and out of the trees' branches, searching for Casper's family's tree and also that of Gloria's family, he bumped into something feathery. At first, Wilbur was alarmed and released a shriek but when he saw that it was only a hyacinth macaw, he breathed a quick sigh of relief. However, the hyacinth macaw flashed a look of alarm when he saw who was present.
"WILBUR!?" he blurted out, "What are you doing here!? Get to safety before any of those bats kill you!"
"Where is Casper's family and also Gloria and her parents?" asked Wilbur. Suddenly, he heard screaming. The young blue-and-gold macaw's gaze snapped to the owner of the screams but when he saw who they were, his heart lurched violently. Immediately, Wilbur darted off while the hyacinth macaw fled. The screams had come from Orlan and Lizzy, the parents of Casper and also Casper's brother Buddy who carried baby Matheus, and with them was Gloria, Casper's girlfriend but Gloria was without her parents. The five hyacinth macaws were helplessly trying to escape a pack of eight savage flying foxes, all with glowing eyes flooded with untold bloodlust and murderous desire and armed with weapons that kept lashing and jabbing mercilessly at their targets, trying to inflict a fatal injury on them. Orlan then fluttered to the front of his mate, two sons and his third son's girlfriend as one of the sharp-sticks lurched towards them.
"Get outa here, Lizzie and take Buddy, Matheus and Gloria to safety NOW!" Orlan only had chance to say before the sharp-stick hit home. Then some drops of his blood flew into the air, accompanied by a scream of agonising pain, as well as the frightened screams of his mate, older son and the other female hyacinth macaw. Orlan's body then fell through the canopy towards the forest floor, his killer, its sharp-stick streaked with red, swooping down after him. Lizzie then yanked her gaze from her dead mate, tackled Buddy and Gloria in the side to get them moving and off they set, desperate to escape the bats. However, their pursuers gave chase, determined to kill them.
As Lizzie, Gloria and Buddy with the frightened Matheus in his talons flew along; they were met by an aqua blue, darker blue and yellow macaw with a green forehead. Much to their shock, Wilbur lashed at the four flying foxes and began to savagely claw them with his talons, an enraged screech erupting from his beak. The flying foxes tried fighting back but Wilbur's claws made their mark first. Lizzie, Buddy, Gloria and Matheus looked on in horror as Wilbur then lashed his beak at one of the flying fox's wings and clamped onto it as hard as he could. The flying fox screeched in agony as a sickening crack was heard as Wilbur's beak broke its wing, the power flooding into it being fuelled by sheer wrath. Then suddenly, bat claws appeared and slashed Wilbur down the back, making him screech in pain and retaliate with a savage slash of his talons. Then Gloria flew in to help drive off the bats, her claws tearing wildly at the armed flying mammals.
Wilbur had never fought this violently in his life before but during one visit to Rio with his mother Orquidea, father Porthos and brother Azul, Veggie had taught him and his brother and also the other chicks including Carla, Bia and Tiago some cat-based self-defence techniques and how to use their talons in a similar way a cat would use its claws in defence. However, Veggie had warned them only, ONLY, to use these techniques if they were in serious, life-threatening danger and not to use the skills in unnecessary situations, such as starting fights. This was exactly how Wilbur applied his talons in warding off the flying foxes to save Lizzie, Buddy and Matheus with Gloria assisting him; he literally lashed his talons like a cat would slash its claws at its attackers. Then after a few more frightening seconds, Wilbur and Gloria managed to drive away the last of the flying foxes who fled. However, sharp pain began emanating from the blue-and-gold macaw's back. Wilbur then reached with a wing to where he had been scratched and when his wing came away, he was alarmed to see the yellow streaked with red. He then turned his attention to Lizzie, Matheus and Buddy who were utterly dumbfounded while Gloria hovered nearby. However, Wilbur knew he did not have time for delay. Without hesitation and ignoring the pain of his scratched back, he began leading Lizzie and her sons and Gloria to safety. However, when he saw that Orlan was missing along with Gloria's parents, his heart sank and Gloria explained to him that he and her parents had been slain by the bats. Then Lizzie noticed that someone was missing.
"Where's Casper?" asked she.
"I've sent him to rescue the golden conures and other residents," replied Wilbur
"Casper's gone to help the residents BY HIMSELF!?" blurted out Gloria in disbelief.
"We've got no time to discuss this," said Wilbur, "Let's just get outa here NOW."
Suddenly, Matheus uttered an ear-piercing scream. The other four turned and when they saw what Matheus saw, terror flared within them. An arrow of flying foxes, all bodies completely covered with black war paint streaked with red and armed with weapons such as sharp-sticks, were diving down towards them. It was obvious that three of the four bats that Wilbur and Gloria had attacked had sought help. Alarmed, the blue-and-gold macaw and the three hyacinth macaws dashed off into the trees, the group of bats in pursuit.
Meanwhile
Casper flew as fast as he could through the trees, desperate to reach the golden conures and the other residents that lived on the blue-throated macaw and Bluewings' territory. The horrifying noise coming from the battle scene sent his entire body and nervous system into overdrive and he continued charging on through the trees. When at last the trees in which the smaller non-tribe or clan birds stayed came into view, Casper's heart sank and he immediately slowed to a hover, a horrified look plastering his face. Right before his eyes, more black ghostlike creatures with glowing eyes and blood-red markings were viciously attacking a variety of colourful forms while colourful comets, most of them yellow with some streaks of lime green, filled the air, fleeing the marauding bats and into the trees. Like in the Bluewing and blue-throated macaw clans' home patch, terrified bird screams and flying fox war cries flooded the air as birds fled for their lives from the bats. Immediately, Casper accelerated towards the comets and their pursuers. On the way, he reached out toward a large, fallen branch on the forest floor and whisked it off the ground. Then Casper rocketed towards the pursuers of the golden conures and other birds, his eyes igniting into blue-grey flames of wrath on the approach and his talons grasping the branch rising to its position, an enraged screech exploding from his mouth. Then before any of the flying foxes could act, the navy blue rocket with the branch charged right past them, smashing the branch's arms across the faces of some of them. When the golden conures, among them Citrine and Caspian, and the other birds with them, such as a family of toucans heard the sound of a brutal whack of wood against some flying fox faces, they turned round and to their surprise, saw Casper knock some flying foxes out of the air before swerving around and striking them again. Bats flew everywhere as the branch hit home. Then after this, Casper dropped the branch and rushed over to the evacuating conures.
"Casper!?" Caspian blurted out in shock.
"No time to explain," Casper replied as he flew to the front, "Let's get you lot outa here NOW!"
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream reached the group's ears. All eyes turned to the source of the sound and to their horror, especially Casper's, a pair of orange-winged amazons standing in front of the mouth of a hollow log was screaming as three massive bats, all armed with mace-like weapons with porcupine spines jutting from cement-like mud on one end, tried forcing their way towards them, waving their mace-like weapons. The pair of birds were trying to protect something hiding in the log from the bats. Behind the pair, Casper saw some flashes of colour and when he saw what they were, horror tore through him. The coloured forms were chicks, all too young to fly.
"A family of orange-winged amazons have taken refuge in that log," he called, "I need to rescue them."
And with that, against Caspian and Citrine's protests, the hyacinth macaw bravely swooped down upon the bats and released an enraged squawk. The three bats, hearing the squawk, stopped their assault on the orange-winged amazon parents who had about seven chicks in the log and turned their murderous gaze up in time to see a navy blue comet swoop down on them, his talons outstretched. Then three winged furry forms were bowled over as Casper's talons brutally made contact, inflicting injury in the process. Seeing that their attackers were down, the orange-winged amazon parents seized their seven chicks in the log and prepared to take off, Casper returning to help carry them away. After this, Casper returned to the other birds in the air with the orange-winged amazon family of nine and began to lead the birds away as fast as he could.
Meanwhile
Wilbur flew with Lizzie, Gloria and Buddy, who carried baby Matheus, through the moonlit trees. They were now away from the Bluewing Clan and blue-throated macaws' home patch of tree groves, and the carnage still going on, and were making their escape. However, they were still being chased by some of the bats who were determined to slaughter them. Wilbur puffed and panted, remembering what Aurora had been through after the fire.
"Didn't Cicatriz listen to the warnings our leaders gave him at all?" he asked Lizzie.
"Well, based on that savage attack, obviously not," snapped Lizzie as she tackled into Buddy's side to help him dodge an outstretched arm of wood, "The others' reaction is gonna be indescribable when they hear what's been happening tonight."
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling flying fox screech sounded behind them. Alarmed, the four macaws snapped their gazes to their pursuers and to their horror; they saw one of the flying foxes swoop down in an attack dive on them, its sharp-stick point aiming its victim of choice: Wilbur. There was no way the blue-and-gold macaw could dodge this. When Lizzie saw this, alarm tore through her.
"WILBUR, MOOOVE!" she bellowed and with that, she tackled Wilbur and knocked him out of the way, substituting him for herself. As Wilbur tumbled violently through the air only for Gloria to swoop in and catch him before her could crash onto a branch, Buddy with Matheus in his talons flying by, an ear-piercing scream erupted behind them. The three turned and to their horror, they saw that Lizzie had been impaled by the flying foxes' sharp-stick, the flying fox's gleaming eyes gloating murderously.
"MOOOOM!" cried Buddy, tears forming in his eyes.
"LIZZIE!" screeched Wilbur and Gloria together but Lizzie flashed them a pleading glance. 'Get outa here, now!' it said. Wilbur, Gloria and Buddy flashed each other a heartbroken glance before finally obeying. Casper's girlfriend and brother, with baby Matheus in his talons, flew off into the trees with the blue-and-gold macaw friend in tow as the flying foxes gathered around Lizzie's now-lifeless body as it lay on a large branch. The flying fox that had made the kill then tore one of Lizzie's wing flight feathers and raised it into the air, cackling evilly, the others applauding. Ahead, Wilbur, Gloria and Buddy felt shivers spark down their spines. Frightened, they accelerated on.
Meanwhile
Ariel struggled on the forest floor, her face twisted in immense agony. Excruciating pain was screaming also from her left wing and her chest and side felt like it was on fire, her right wing clutching an injury on them, a red liquid pointing a series of streaks down the rich blue contour feathers, and her forehead bore three short gashes, also weeping blood, implying she had been scratched in the face. Through the canopy and trees, she could hear the sounds of screeching in the distance. It sounded triumphant but it obviously wasn't the cry of a flock of macaws. Ariel flashed a pain-filled and heartbroken glance back in the direction of the screeches and continued struggling on, her agonised gaze flashing this way and that in desperation, looking for any flash of colour or any sign of her sister Fernanda, boyfriend Eric, mother Carolina, father Eriko, her younger siblings Peitro and Wanda, or any of the other macaws.
Not too far away, Eric, who had also managed to escape the flying fox wave, struggled through the foliage of the forest floor too. Both of Eric's wings were fine and he was able to fly but his right talon was badly injured, thus he was limping. Furthermore, his heart had been shattered and the overwhelming shock of the flying foxes' siege on his clan and the Bluewings' home had been too much for him. Eric felt extremely sick and dizzy and his world spun round him as though he had been on a wild ride. Furthermore, he had been weeping a river of tears and his eyes and facial feathers had been stained as a result, and his eyes continued to weep even now. He had lost his entire family who had been unable to escape in time and had been mercilessly slaughtered by the wicked bats, and he was also wondering Ariel and her family were, especially his beloved Ariel, the only macaw closest to him he had left. The thought of her and her family lying dead at the feet of those murderous flying foxes made his heart scream in agony and tears to fall from his eyes. Furthermore, the triumphant flying fox cry through the trees only added to the internal agony Eric felt within his hearts He knew it was all over. The flying foxes had taken over the home of the Bluewing hyacinth and blue-throated clans while the survivors were left to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives. Eric had indeed lost an awful lot in one night; his clan, his home, his friends, his family, and possibly even his girlfriend. Heartbroken, the traumatised turquoise male blue-throated macaw continued to trudge and limp through the foliage of the forest floor, too heartbroken to fly. However, he was about to see a ray of light.
As Eric hobbled slowly along, he saw a flash of colour out the corner of his eye. Turning to the flash, he saw a rich blue and yellow form struggle along. Initially believing that he was hallucinating, he squinted to make out the form. The form was indeed real and furthermore, it was familiar. Then immediate recognition took hold inside Eric and a streak of joy penetrated the heavy burden of heartbreak.
"ARIEL" he cried. Ariel, who continued struggling with her broken wing and injured side and chest as well as the agony, heard her boyfriend's voice. Immediately, she turned and when her eyes landed on the familiar form of Eric as he flapped over to her, she drew in a shocked and relieved gasp. Then as soon as the pair met, they locked each other in a hug and a kiss, before finally breaking down into a sobbing episode.
"It's okay, my lovely flower," whispered Eric, his eyes sending streams of tears down his face as his girlfriend continued to sob into his chest. The couple remained there for a minute or two before Eric began to help Ariel through the foliage after seeing how badly injured she was. However, he could not carry her due to his badly injured talon. A while later the couple was found by a group of night-time ecologists who had come to the Sanctuary de Amazon to study the night-time ecosystem. When they saw that the two macaws were part of the rare blue-throated macaws and that they were badly injured, the group of kind humans immediately picked them up and took them to the animal hospital for treatment, Ariel and Eric immediately entrusting themselves to them to do this.