Rio One and A Half- edited

by VPVPVP

Athos and his friends must travel to Rio so that Levi, Aurora and D'Artagnan, who are members of three very endangered species, can breed and have chicks to propagate them but things go wrong when they are kidnapped by smugglers with cats who also threaten another rare macaw family. Athos and the others must escape and get the smugglers caught but that is easier said than done

11. 11- A 2nd Aviary theft

Chapter 11- a second theft at Tulio's Aviary

Francisco, Susan, Lucy, Blake, Drake and Jake left Tulio's Aviary through its entrance and prepared to go to Francisco's favourite restaurant for dinner where Francisco's family was expecting him. Before leaving, Veggie, Dash, Travis and Sunset had opted to their five owners to stay outside the entrance to Tulio's Aviary and wait for them to return to pick them up before going off to a booked hotel room. Susan had told Dash, Veggie and the two cockatoos to be good and that she and the other four owners Lucy, Blake, Drake and Jake will be back by around sundown. Lucy, Blake, Jake and Drake then took out Dash, Veggie, Sunset and Travis's food bowls, set them down before them and filled them with the food while Lucy set up two of the cages used for transporting the pets for the four non-macaw pets to retreat into in case they wanted shelter. She also placed some toys in the cages in case the cat, greyhound or the two cockatoos wanted something to play with. Then as soon as Susan, Lucy, Blake, Drake and Jake had finished checking everything to see if Dash, Veggie, Travis and Sunset would be alright while they were away and that they had everything to occupy themselves, they left with Francisco, got into his jeep and drove away to the restaurant.

It was approaching evening and the sun was sinking closer towards the horizon. Workers in Tulio's Aviary in charge of dayshift jobs were leaving to go home while the nightshift workers arrived to start their jobs, one of them being guard duty. Although Tulio's Aviary had some anti-burglar devices installed, guards still went on patrol in the building, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity and trouble on the premises. Since Blu and Jewel's kidnap, these guards had been thoroughly trained and better prepared for such. While the dayshift workers were leaving the building to their cars to go home, Veggie sighed as he ate his dinner.

"You know, I'm still disappointed that I'm not allowed to enter Tulio's Aviary, Dash," he muttered, "I'm bird-friendly. I'm sure I'll be alright with those birds inside."

"Yeah but don't forget," said Dash as he ate some of his dog food, "You're a cat, and cats are often a bird's natural enemy. If those birds saw you in there, they'd be driven by instinct to flee from you."

"They'd think that you'd catch them to eat," said Sunset as she ate a piece of pineapple.

"They wouldn't know or understand that you're a vegetarian," said Travis. Veggie sighed and just looked at him and finished his meal which consisted of vegetarian cat food.

"Well, looks like I've finished my dinner," he said as he looked at his empty food bowl, "Now to wait for you three."

He then sat down and waited patiently for Dash, Travis and Sunset to finish theirs. However, the four pets were about to be disturbed by something. By now, the majority of the dayshift workers had left; the nightshift workers such as the guards arriving to take their place. However, the car park had fewer cars. During a typical workday, the car park was usually full of cars but when it was evening or the weekend, the number of cars present was lower for there were fewer workers at the Aviary. It was important that Tulio's Aviary had around-the-clock occupation so that the bird patients and residents were kept a constant eye on and this timetable made this possible.

Just as Travis had finished the last piece of apple, he thought he saw something black out the corner of his eye. Wonder taking the cockatoo over, he looked up and saw a strange shadowy object approach Tulio's Aviary's entrance, much to his suspicion. As the sulfur-crested cockatoo looked closely at the object and examined it carefully, he realised that it was a large cloak covering something or rather, based on the shape of the object's top, several things. He alerted Sunset, Veggie and Dash.

"What is it?" asked Dash. Travis pointed a white feather of his wing at the approaching object. When Dash, Veggie and Sunset saw the large cloak, Sunset dropped a piece of pineapple she was eating and dived into one of the cages set down by Lucy. Veggie, Dash and Travis followed immediately. Then the cat, greyhound and two cockatoos looked out as the large cloaked thing or things stopped just outside Tulio's Aviary's entrance.

"That is indeed strange," said Sunset in a low voice, "I wonder what or who is under that cloak and why they are here."

Dash, however, felt suspicion seep in when he thought he saw some feet just peering through a gap between part of the cloak's edge and the floor, as well as a brief glint of light from a reflective object. There was also no-one around, which added to Dash's suspicion.

"This isn't right at all," the greyhound said, "What or whoever is under that cloak shouldn't be here."

Sunset then looked harder at the glint. The glint implied a metallic surface, which further implied that something made of metal was also under the cloak. An idea of what it could be entered Sunset's head, but it was a guess that she didn't like at all.

"Is that a..." she began. Veggie, Dash and Travis shot her a horrified glare. Then Veggie frowned.

"We're going to follow that mysterious cloak as soon as it leaves Tulio's Aviary and see whoever hiding under it is," he said.

"Good idea," said Dash, "I don't like this one bit at all."

"Neither do us," said Travis and Sunset together. Then the four pets continued to watch the mysterious figures under the cloak as they deployed something. Interestingly enough, they were not at the doors at all, which was even more unusual.

Back in the medical room of the aviary, Athos, Porthos, Aramis and Phoebe were preparing to turn in for the night. They had socialised with many of the birds here and had managed to make some new friends. However, one particular group of birds that had most of their attention was the unhappy female scarlet macaw and her companions. Phoebe smiled as she watched two of the nightshift employees as they walked around and checked the anti-burglar devices, such as the trip lasers, and making sure that they worked properly.

"Well, it won't be long now until they start their duty," she said to Porthos and Aramis.

"I'm surprised that a theft has actually happened here before," said Aramis, "Involving those two Spix macaws named Blu and Jewel."

"From what I've heard from one of the discussions from the human doctors here," said a parakeet, "A cockatoo managed to knock out the guard with some sort of cloth soaked in sleeping gas and had allowed a thief in to snaffle those two blue macaws."

"A cockatoo?" asked Porthos.

"Nigel," said the parakeet darkly, "He's that infamous sulfur-crested beast who had a burning hatred of exotic birds like us. He loved to torture us and see us in pain and distress, especially when we were in a helpless situation such as in the cages of the smugglers' den waiting to be taken out of Brazil to an unknown demise. A toucan friend of mine told me that he had driven a peach-fronted parakeet into insanity by that cockatoo psycho's abuse."

"Good grief," whispered Aramis in shock.

"How did that Nigel cockatoo come to hate exotic birds?" asked Phoebe.

"Apparently," said the parakeet, "He was a famous show bird until a parakeet came along and replaced him. Since then he had developed an extremely bitter hatred of exotic birds which drove him into the criminal activity of smuggling. That's what I heard anyway. I hope you guys never meet him. He's NOT a cockatoo you would want to mess with."

"I hope we never do," said Porthos in disgust, "There's no way we would have a bird with such an attitude like him at all."

"Especially if he takes pleasure in torturing caged birds," said Phoebe. Aramis nodded in agreement.

Across the room, the female scarlet macaw and her companions were in their cages. With the female scarlet macaw were a female great green macaw, a female blue-and-gold macaw and a male hyacinth macaw. They were in a cage of their own and the male hyacinth macaw had his left wing in a bandage, implying an injured wing but it wasn't a fracture. All four birds looked very despondent and/or angry. As they continued looking down at the floor with angered or sad eyes, Athos observed them when Porthos and Aramis flew over to him, leaving Phoebe to continue to talk with the parakeets by herself and due to the curiosity at Athos's investigation of the four downcast macaws.

"You know, ever since we first saw that group," said Porthos, his sad look on the group, "They've always had that look. I wonder why."

"I thought all the birds here would be happy since they know they are in good human hands getting their injuries treated," said Aramis, "But not those four, including that hyacinth macaw with his wing in a bandage."

"I don't know," said Athos who was equally puzzled, "I'm thinking about talking to them."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" asked Porthos warily, "They could be snappy. Remember when that scarlet macaw glared and hissed loudly at you after you gave her a word of encouragement."

"I'm aware of their potentially short fuse, Porthos, thanks for reminding me," said Athos and with that he began to approach the four macaws. Porthos and Aramis followed closely behind. As Athos slowly approached the angry female scarlet macaw at a slow and careful pace, the female scarlet macaw turned her head up and glared at him. The female scarlet macaw had red feathers like Athos and her wings were a brilliant yellow with wing flight feathers a lush blue. Her tail was blue and then red and she had stunning yellow eyes like Aurora. However, that yellow was brighter than Aurora's for the Spix macaw's eyes were amber. The scarlet macaw's head feathers looked quite unusual. The feathers were arranged like a flower's petals and they were tied together by a piece of green string-like thread. Like all scarlet macaws, she had a white mask of skin surrounding her eyes and beak, a black and white beak and greyish feet. Her mask of skin was heart-shaped and her body build was slender, slimmer than Athos's burly build. When the scarlet macaw saw Athos, she scowled.

"What do you want?" she growled in a low voice laced with hostility. Athos stopped.

"I'm sorry to scare you," replied he politely, "But I'm wondering why you and your three companions are so down and angry."

The female scarlet macaw then bowed her head again and sighed as though bored or frustrated. Her eyes were tinted with a look of anger and frustration.

"We want to be out of this miserable place," she growled in a low voice, "And flying free in the jungle, away from these wretched two-legged pests."

Behind the female scarlet macaw, the great green macaw looked less angry but still had a frown on her face. The hyacinth and blue-and-gold macaws also looked despondent. Then Porthos began to ask his first question.

"Why?" he asked the scarlet macaw, "Why do you want to be out of this place?"

The scarlet macaw shot the blue-and-gold macaw a glare and bushed her feathers out hostilely.

"It's none of your business, nosy blue-and-yellow pest," she snapped, making Porthos flinch and throw on a stunned face at her attitude, "And don't you DARE bother Esmeralda, Cobalto and Orquidea here either."

Porthos then scowled, the scarlet macaw's attitude angering him.

"I was only asking a polite question," he retorted when suddenly, a yellow and teal-tinted turquoise wing slapped over his beak. Athos had covered his beak with a wing.

"Don't start an argument, Porthos," he said firmly, "I think it's best if we leave those four macaws alone. They are not in the mood for talking after all."

"Then please DO!" shouted the scarlet macaw angrily and harshly.

"Yes, please just leave," said the female blue-and-gold macaw in a gentler voice. The hyacinth and great green macaws also shot Athos, Porthos and Aramis an agreeing glare as if to say, 'please, just go and leave us alone.'

Athos opened his beak at scarlet macaw's snap while Porthos recoiled in shock. They had never known a group of macaws to be so bossy and rude. However, they knew better than to stay and get into an argument with these four moody macaws, so they left.

As they flew away, Aramis stole a glance at the four macaws.

"Talk about grouchy," he said in a low voice to Athos and Porthos, "Even the sad looking blue-and-gold and hyacinth macaws didn't want us anywhere near them."

"Is it any wonder Francisco told Susan not to put her fingers anywhere near those four," said Athos, "Otherwise they would have probably bit her, and that would have been injurious if the biter was that hyacinth since they have very strong beaks."

Then the three macaws landed on the table with Phoebe. As the trio returned to the hyacinth macaw, that macaw looked out of the window and saw that the skies were getting dark as the sun was setting.

"Well, I hope our five owners and Francisco aren't too long with their little trip to the restaurant with Francisco's family," she said, "It's getting dark out there."

"Yes," said the parakeet nearby, "And it's time to turn in for the night as well."

And with that, he yawned. Phoebe also yawned.

"Yep, bed time for us all, I think," said Athos.

"But what about D'Artagnan, Aurora and Levi in the breeding chamber?" asked Porthos. Athos was about to answer when a shadowy figure appeared out the corner of his eye. He turned and looked at it but as he did, a perplexed frown formed on his face.

"What in the world..." he said in a low voice. Then he frowned more when he noticed the shadow's shape.

"I hope that's not Veggie since Francisco had forbidden him from entering this bird place," he said annoyed and flew off to investigate. Phoebe, Aramis, the parakeet and Porthos looked on with raised eyebrows.

Back in the breeding chamber or artificial habitat, Aurora, Levi and D'Artagnan were trying to rest in a hollow in two of the trees: Aurora in one and D'Artagnan and Levi in the other. They, especially Aurora, were tired from the intense flying around they had to do to escape the enraged Zephyr, Brisa, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire, especially Aurora who was forced to face the brunt of the four macaws' wrath after D'Artagnan and Levi flew into a tree hollow to hide. The pair had refused to come out while poor Aurora was left to face the wrath of the four enraged macaws alone. Levi was especially shaken even now. He hated fights and arguments and always dashed off to hide, especially when he got dragged in. Lapis Lazuli's fury had shaken him greatly. However, after Zephyr, Brisa, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire's rage had calmed, D'Artagnan, Levi and Aurora's fright had eased as well. However, the commotion had worn the trio out.

Levi and D'Artagnan lay in their chosen hollow, tired and relieved that the four macaws' rage had calmed. Aurora was in the hollow of the adjacent tree. She was the most worn out of the three which was no surprise for she had faced most of the four wild macaws' anger. While Aurora, D'Artagnan and Levi were trying to rest in their hollows, they heard the voices of three of the wild macaws as they chatted loudly. Amidst the chatting were the sounds of metallic crunching.

"Boy, I can't wait to get out of this place, you two," growled Brisa's voice, "Especially me and my brother."

"Yeah, neither can us two," said Lapis Lazuli's voice.

"Who do those humans think we are?" snarled Sapphire's voice, "Collector's items? We're animals! In other words, we're living things, not mere objects."

"Huh, it seems to be the thing with humans. They think we're nothing more than collectable things," muttered Brisa's voice again. Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire's voices sounded in agreement. Lapis Lazuli, Sapphire and Brisa were sat in a triangle on the floor, talking. Because they were talking so loudly, their voices kept interrupting Aurora's attempts to doze off and she kept turning one way or the other in a frustrated attempt to sleep. D'Artagnan turned and saw Aurora mutter tiredly from his and Levi's hollow, before eying the three female macaws on the floor. Zephyr was at the air vent, trying to pry the metal bars open with a rock but seemed to be struggling. Seeing the lack of consideration the three female macaws on the floor had for Aurora, D'Artagnan jumped out of the hollow, fluttered down to the ground and walked over to them, a slight frown on his face. When Sapphire, Lapis Lazuli and Brisa's eyes spotted a dark navy blue and teal form with grey eyes and orange-yellow facial markings appear and approach them, the three shot him hostile scowls.

"What do you want?" growled Brisa, making D'Artagnan flinch at her attitude. Sapphire and Lapis Lazuli did not say anything but then the male Lear's macaw managed to pluck up some boldness.

"Can you please try and keep your voices down?" he asked as gently and politely as he could, "Aurora is trying to sleep. She's very tired."

"Oh, we're sorry about that," replied Lapis Lazuli sarcastically, "We're only trying to have a talk."

"Yeah," said Sapphire obnoxiously. Then Brisa let loose an irritated sigh.

"Why don't you just BUTT OUT and LEAVE US ALONE!?" she shouted, "You and your two friends have caused us enough trouble already!"

Brisa's shouts made Aurora groan and turn over as she tried in vain to drop off.

"Look, I don't mean to be rude but you're keeping Aurora awake," said D'Artagnan, barely restraining himself from retorting too fiercely. As soon as he had finished this sentence, a maya blue macaw with pigtails touched down behind him and walked to his side. D'Artagnan was slightly startled by Aurora's sudden and unexpected appearance.

"Aurora," he said surprised, "I thought you were trying to sleep."

Aurora shot him a tired and irritated look.

"I gave up because those three wouldn't keep their voices down," she muttered. Then the Spix and Lear's macaws were joined by a teal-turquoise and grey bird as Levi had decided to join them. Lapis Lazuli, Brisa and Sapphire laughed mockingly at Aurora's irritated response to D'Artagnan's surprised sentence. Aurora then glared at the three macaws as they continued to titter while Levi said nothing.

"I seriously don't like your attitudes, you three," she muttered, "Plus, Zephyr's activity with that air vent grate isn't helping either."

"We're trying to get out of this wretched place," snapped Brisa, "My brother is trying to make a hole in that grey thing blocking that hole in the wall large enough for us to climb through and escape."

"Get out of this place?" asked D'Artagnan curiously, "Why?"

Lapis Lazuli, Sapphire and Brisa just stood there and exchanged mocking glances.

"He asked you a question, Brisa," spoke Levi for the first time but his voice was heavily coated with timidity as he feared another attack from one of the three free-spirited macaws. Then Sapphire stepped forward. She shook her head to one side to shift two of her long head feathers out of the way for they sometimes cloaked her eyes and face.

"You three wanna know why?" she growled, "It's because of those wretched humans. We're not going to tolerate being held here as though we're some sort of objects."

"They were only trying to save our species," said Aurora irritated, "They never had collecting you just for your feathers in mind at all."

"Well, those wretched humans that caused us a lot of trouble in the Amazon rainforest certainly did," retorted Brisa. As she said this, Zephyr slapped a wing against the grate and returned to the other macaws, having given up. Brisa, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire turned and looked at him.

"Any progress?" asked Sapphire. Zephyr breathed an irritated sigh.

"Nothing," he snapped, "I just cannot pry the horizontal grey stick things wide enough for us to squeeze through. It's hopeless. We're stuck in here."

"Well, that's just great," muttered Lapis Lazuli sarcastically. Sapphire also rolled her eyes while Brisa sat down. Then Zephyr's green eyes caught the presence of D'Artagnan, Aurora and Levi.

"What do those three pesky birds want?" he asked fiercely.

"They want to know why we want out of here," Brisa said irritably. Zephyr rolled his eyes and then faced the three domesticated macaws.

"Well, the answer's quite simple," he muttered, "We want out of this human's place for we don't belong here. Furthermore, those humans are nothing but trouble. All of them are, in fact."

"How are they trouble?" asked D'Artagnan. Sapphire eyed the male Lear's macaw with an irritated look on her face.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked in a low voice. Then Aurora looked at Sapphire in shock.

"Does that include those who care for the environment and the animals that live in it?" she asked.

"There are NO humans who care for the environment at all," retorted Zephyr, "What makes you three disagree with that?"

Then a smile of condescending mockery crept into Sapphire's beak.

"Let me guess," she said, "You three are pets of some of those wretched two-legged pests."

"How did you know?" asked D'Artagnan in shock. Then he made a scowl when he realised what Sapphire had just called Susan, Lucy, Blake, Drake and Jake.

"Wait, did you just call our five owners 'two-legged pests'?" he asked angrily, before his voice rose to a full-blown angry tone, "How DARE you!"

"Susan, Lucy, Blake, Jake and Drake are NOT pests," put in Aurora, "They're our loving owners who care for us and had raised us alongside some other birds including a scarlet macaw named Athos for around fifteen years."

This only made Sapphire's condescending attitude expand like a balloon. Zephyr then made a smile of mockery.

"It seems that you three pesky pets have absolutely no idea that we macaws were meant to live in the wild," he crooned. Aurora widened her eyes in shock at this snide remark while D'Artagnan and Levi exchanged glances.

"What have those pesky two-legged pests done to you?" asked Lapis Lazuli with an equally condescending attitude, "Make you believe that all humans are loving and caring? Well, that is not true, you 'I-have-no-idea-about-the-wild' macaws."

"Look, while it's true that there are humans who don't care about the environment or us animals," said Aurora defensively, "Not all humans are like that."

"The ornithologists here are an example of a group of humans who care for the animals and their environment, as well as the conservation of rare species, in this case, birds," said D'Artagnan.

"How? By forcing us to have chicks when we're not ready?" asked Sapphire rhetorically, "I don't think so."

"You wouldn't believe what those wretched humans believed Brisa and I were when they caught us and brought us to this miserable place," muttered Zephyr, "They thought we'd be a potential breeding couple that would have chicks."

Brisa flinched with disgust as Zephyr mentioned this.

"But thankfully, they discovered that we were brother and sister," added Zephyr. He then turned to Sapphire and Lapis Lazuli and said, "When those two were stuffed into here, we told them that we were brother and sister and they had been surprised."

"We actually thought you were a couple at first," said Sapphire, "Before you told us and I recognised you two."

Lapis Lazuli just said nothing. Then Brisa looked at Aurora, D'Artagnan and Levi and said, "And then when you three were brought in, it eventually became clear that those pesky humans wanted you three to pair up with my brother, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire to have chicks when we just weren't ready."

"Look, I'm sorry to have offended you about that earlier," said Aurora, "But it was for the good of the species."

"The Spix, Lear's and glaucous macaws are extremely rare, didn't you know," said D'Artagnan, "And the only way to increase their population and save them from extinction is through breeding."

He then glanced from Levi to Lapis Lazuli and continued, "And that is especially important for the glaucous macaw species. There was an article about rare blue macaw species and it stated that the glaucous macaw is believed to be extinct in the wild, which means Levi and Lapis Lazuli are the last surviving glaucous macaws in the whole world."

He then looked at Aurora and then at Zephyr and continued, "As for the Spix macaw, as that species is now not as close to the brink of extinction as the ornithologists has managed to have the first pair of Spix macaws, Blu and Jewel, breed and have three chicks..."

When D'Artagnan mentioned Jewel, Zephyr and Brisa's eyes lit up and their heads rose.

"Wait, did you say Jewel?" asked Zephyr.

"Yes," said D'Artagnan.

"Is she alive?" asked Brisa.

"Why do you ask that?" asked Aurora. Zephyr then glared at Aurora, D'Artagnan and Levi before sighing.

"I'm afraid you lowly pets won't understand," he said. Offended by this remark and demanding to know, Aurora walked up to him and made a scowl.

"Just tell us why, Zephyr," she demanded. Brisa's beak dropped open in shock at how she spoke.

"Don't you dare speak to my brother like that!" she growled, "Do you want us to chase you around this place again?"

Aurora backed away at this threat, any boldness she had vaporising instantly. Then Zephyr looked at Aurora, D'Artagnan and Levi again. At first there was a moment of tension hanging over the seven macaws until finally Zephyr relented.

"Brisa, Jewel and I come from a tribe of Spix macaws that live deep in the Amazon rainforest," he explained reluctanly, "Sapphire is from a tribe of Lear's macaws."

Aurora and D'Artagnan's heads rose in shock.

"There are more Spix and Lear's macaws out in the Amazon?" asked Aurora.

"There were but they're dead now," said Zephyr.

"How did they die?" asked Levi timidly.

Brisa looked at the male glaucous macaw and said, "They were killed by a fire... caused by loggers..."

Then Brisa and Zephyr began to shudder as they felt the bad memories flood back into their heads. Tears began to well in their eyes. Then Zephyr began to speak in a strangled voice.

"There was just... fire and smoke... everywhere," he moaned, "Trees were ablaze... animals were fleeing in fright... I, Brisa, and my father Tornado and mother Gael had to fly through that inferno to escape being burned..."

As Zephyr explained this, Aurora, Levi and D'Artagnan put on sympathetic faces and shuddered.

"And after we had managed to escape the fire," continued Zephyr as a tear fell from his eye, "We managed to settle into a patch of jungle we believed was peaceful for it had mane other birds but one day several years after that, the entire community suddenly erupted into indescribable chaos. Birds were rocketing away from something as spider-web shaped things flew after them."

"And you know what caused the chaos didn't you?" asked Brisa.

"Smugglers?" answered Aurora.

"YES!" snapped Zephyr, "Smugglers had intruded into that patch of jungle and during the chaos, Brisa and I were separated from Mom and Dad and were forced to flee the scene where we settled near Rio."

He then began to sob.

"And we were forced to fend for ourselves from then until now," said Brisa but then she began to break down. D'Artagnan, Aurora and Levi looked on sympathetically as did Sapphire and Lapis Lazuli. Then Sapphire stepped forward and said, "That same fire also tore me from the Lear's macaw tribe. However, unlike Zephyr and Brisa who were separated from the Spix macaw tribe together with their parents, I was left alone and was forced to flee that hellish scene..."

Then it was her turn to weep. D'Artagnan looked at her sympathetically.

"That is a sad and traumatic experience you three faced," he said.

"Traumatic?" said Aurora in disbelief, "More like catastrophic."

"I agree," said Levi, "I hope the three of us would never get caught in a forest fire."

Then Zephyr glared at the trio and said, "And that is why we loathe humans. They're nothing but trouble and pesky two-legged pests who destroy the environment and take us animals to be nothing more than collector's items, an example each being the fire caused by loggers, which also take away our living spaces and food, and smuggling. I hope you're happy now, pesky pets."

Lapis Lazuli then turned and looked at Brisa, Zephyr and Sapphire and said, "I come from the Amazon too."

"You do?" asked Sapphire.

"I'm the niece of the glaucous macaw tribe leader, Reymundo, and the cousin of Rudi," said Lapis Lazuli, "We also experienced that forest fire. However, I was separated from my tribe by a different thing altogether."

"How were you separated from your tribe?" asked Sapphire. Levi, D'Artagnan and Aurora looked at Lapis Lazuli and listened as she began to shudder and quiver.

"We ran into... trouble with... a large flock of... flying creatures..." Lapis Lazuli shivered as she tried describing a creature.

"Terrifying macaws?" asked Sapphire.

"No," said Lapis Lazuli, "The creatures weren't macaws at all. In fact, they weren't any type of bird."

She then began to shudder violently as though cold as she tried describing the creatures.

"They had fur... featherless wings supported by four long fingers..." said Lapis Lazuli, "...A-a-and terrifying faces, like a wolf. My tribe ran into serious conflict with those creatures and they violently drove us away. I was separated from them and was forced to flee. I had serious nightmares about those creatures, honestly. They're extremely terrifying."

"I bet they were," said Zephyr, "Mom, Dad, Brisa and I were also chased by some of those creatures a few days after we were separated from the Spix macaw tribe by that fire."

"I've never met those creatures at all," said Sapphire.

"What creatures are these?" asked Aurora. However, Levi and D'Artagnan already knew what creatures Lapis Lazuli was trying to describe. There was only one type of creature that could fly but didn't have feathers. Zephyr then stopped crying and glared at Aurora.

"I think we've told you three pesky pets enough of our histories," he growled, "Now you know why we despise humans. All of them are environment destroyers and animal thieves."

"I just told you that not all humans are LIKE THAT!" shouted D'Artagnan. Aurora and Levi flinched as he shouted. Zephyr was about to pounce on the male Lear's macaw when he saw the door to the breeding chamber or artificial habitat open. A smile forming on his beak at the way out, the male macaw took off for it. D'Artagnan, however, gazed at the open door with curiosity.

"Looks like we've got an assistant checking on us," he said to Aurora and Levi and with that he took off to follow Zephyr. Lapis Lazuli, Brisa and Sapphire saw him leave with scowls on their faces.

"Since all humans are nothing but destructive pests, why trust them with your wellbeing, anyway," muttered Brisa and with that she turned to take off when she heard the sounds of Zephyr and then D'Artagnan's voices cry in shock. Brisa turned round and rocketed off, worry for her brother consuming her.

"Zephyr, what is it?" she cried. Sapphire and Lapis Lazuli also followed, leaving only Aurora and Levi. The female Spix and male glaucous macaws were suspicious. Then suddenly, three female macaw cries, first from Brisa's, then Lapis Lazuli's and then Sapphire's were heard. These three squawks startled the two.

"What's going on?" asked Levi.

"I don't know but it doesn't sound good," said Aurora. Then she called for D'Artagnan.

"D'Artagnan, where are you?" she cried and with that she took off to look for him. Levi was left alone.

"Oh, I don't like this," he said timidly. It was then that Aurora's cry of shock was heard.

"Aurora?" asked Levi, "Aurora?"

He then began to timidly look around until his eyes landed on a pair of brown eyes under some vegetation. The brown eyes were narrowed, as though the owner of them was waiting to jump out and attack. When Levi saw the pair of eyes, he flinched but then he frowned, unaware that he was about to be attacked.

"Oh, Veggie," he muttered, "What are you doing in here? You know you're not..."

But before he could finished, the owner of the brown eyes leaped out of the shadow and pounced onto him. Levi let loose a cry of shock as an animal that was the same species of mammal as Veggie pinned him down against the floor with a paw to the head. It was clear that this creature was not Veggie for the creature's fur was white with black patches and not brown, orange and black striped like Veggie's fur. Then before Levi could protest, the white and black creature grabbed him by the neck with its paws and carried him off back to two humans where he was stuffed into something with the other six macaws including D'Artagnan and Aurora.