Chapter 34- implementing the plans part two: evacuating the elderly and preparing the young for evacuation
The next morning
The sun rose into the sky above the Amazon rainforest and various diurnal animals were walking up to start their usual daily activities. However, in the Sanctuary de Amazon, birds of various species were flying back and forth carrying a variety of fruit, plants and nuts to the Spix tribe's ravine waterfall cave. The birds of the Sanctuary de Amazon including the archaeobirds had woken up early in the morning, before sunrise, to continue the task. As various bird species dropped off the food in the waterfall cave before flying off to gather some more, Zephyr and Aurora went about the stocks, checking the amounts. Outside, the Spix macaws fit enough for battle were training under Jewel's leadership, some using weapons such as sticks. Among the piles of food were Brazil nuts collected from the Brazil nut grove, various types of guava, other nuts including the Lear's macaws' favourite nut, the licuri nut, plant material that was edible, pineapples, berries and much more. Zephyr and Aurora smiled at the wide variety of food gathered into the cave.
"How's it going?" asked Eduardo as some blue-throated macaws left after setting down some citrus fruit they had picked from the Navyfeather Clan's territory around a foot away from him.
"Very well," said Aurora, "Looks like we've been gathering plenty of food over the past day and this morning."
Zephyr's eyes then travelled to the Spix macaws that had already evacuated to the waterfall cave, many of them parents with un-hatched eggs or chicks too young to fly as they settled in the makeshift nests the birds had also constructed in the cave. Kira and Finnick helped one couple carry two chicks and place them into one such nest directly in front of him while many other birds, among them red macaws, green macaws and blue-and-yellow macaws, continued to build more nests on the walls and floor with more plant material.
"The nest building is also going well," he said, "Soon there should be enough nests for everyone."
Aurora's attention then turned to the nests being built by some hyacinth macaws, among them Phoebe. The hyacinth macaws had decided to sit closest to the waterfall in case any intruders found the ravine for they were larger and more powerful. Going over to Phoebe as she sat down to take a break, Aurora asked, "How's your clan doing, Phoebe?"
"Oh, fine thanks," said Phoebe in reply, a wing brushing her brow, "We're just grouping all the elderly hyacinth, blue-throated and glaucous macaws and archaeobirds ready for their evacuation to here once this task has been completed."
"Falkor is assisting in the gathering of all the elderly birds from the smaller group as well," said another hyacinth macaw after he had checked the nest.
"That's good," said Zephyr, "Make sure that they're ready for their trip to here and then see to the chicks, the eggs and the parents of those eggs and chicks."
Phoebe nodded and turned to leave through the gap between the mouth of the cave's rim and the waterfall while Aurora sat down and placed her face into her wings.
"This task is honestly exhausting," she moaned tiredly as Eduardo came over, "I hadn't slept much at all last night."
"Neither has many other macaws, star flower," said Zephyr, a wing on his mate's back. "The situation with the flying foxes is causing everyone stress."
"Huh, tell me about it," growled Eduardo. Just then, flapping wings reached the three's ears as a Spix, red and glaucous macaw patrol group touched down.
"Report on the flying fox intrusions in our territory, Brisa," asked Zephyr. The Spix macaw at the front, Brisa, stepped forward from the group of Spix, scarlet, green-winged and glaucous macaws to deliver the report.
"Very little activity," she said, "We've checked the territory of the Spix macaw tribe and also that of the red macaws but no flashes of drab coloured fur or membranous wings."
"In fact we've not seen any groups of flying foxes at all, other than Augustus and Melissa who is helping us in the food and nest gathering near the Brazil nut grove," said Carolina, Fernanda and Ariel's mother who had been on the patrol with the group, "But based on Augustus's warnings, we don't know how long this will last."
"We'd better be quick in evacuating the elderly and the young as soon as this is finished," said one of the glaucous macaws named Rodrigo, "Before any of those furballs show their faces again, the sooner the better, really."
"Okay, thank you," said Zephyr, "You may return to gather some food or practice your fighting skills."
Carolina, Brisa and Rodrigo and their group nodded and left. Aurora watched them leave.
"I would like to participate in the upcoming battle too," she said. Zephyr turned round and grabbed her by the sides, shaking her.
"You CAN'T!" he said, "You remember what almost happened the last time you ran into that group of some of those furry membrane winged barbarians after the most recent fire."
Aurora nodded. Five years on, the memories of the terror Aurora faced with Voldemort's group was still as vivid in her mind as though they had happened yesterday. However, she still wanted to go into battle against the flying foxes but Zephyr had been utterly concerned for her safety and had argued against it. This clash had led the couple into bickering a lot over the matter over the past day since the decision to declare war on the bats had been reached. Aurora was at times a very stubborn macaw which Zephyr sometimes found very annoying.
"I know I was almost killed by a group of those bats," she snapped stubbornly, "But I still want to fight by your side. I CANNOT stand the thought of you getting injured or killed in the battlefield."
"Same here," snapped Zephyr with a bit of anger in his voice, "I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt or killed either…"
Eduardo rolled his eyes as the couple began to argue back and forth once again, knowing there was nothing he could do.
"This has been going on since we had sent the message of war declaration to Cicatriz and his colony," he muttered and left to assist a family of Spix macaw settle into one of the nests, leaving Aurora and Zephyr to have yet another argument over the matter.
Meanwhile
The flying foxes continued training for the upcoming battle against the inhabitants of the Sanctuary de Amazon. As the sun continued to creep along the sky, the Amazon air in the heart of the flying foxes' territory continued to shake at the sounds of clashing of weapons and mock battle cries as the flying foxes, those that were going to participate in the war, continued their mock fights against each other. Cicatriz and Iracebeth watched the fighters as they continued to sharpen their skills, Iracebeth also admiring her prized possession, her weapon and the number of feathered trophies she had harvested from her kills, including one from a harpy eagle.
"Our bats certainly are improving on their fighting skills, eh, my dear?" said Iracebeth.
"Yes," said Cicatriz with a croon, "Soon, we will be goin' against those good-for-nothing feathered worms and hopefully, the war will be won and those protected habitats those birds currently own will be OURS!"
And with that, he released an evil snicker.
"While those feathered rodents, if any of them survive, will be facing poaching and logging, the disasters they have caused us for generations," crooned Iracebeth despite the fact that this was an outright lie. Cicatriz sniggered in agreement and swept his mate in his membranous wings, staring lovingly into her eyes while Iracebeth embraced him in return. Just then, the sound of flapping membranous wings reached their ears, causing the two to break their embrace. Ratigan touched down before the leaders.
"Ratigan, you're just in time," said Cicatriz.
"You called, Cicatriz?" asked Ratigan. Cicatriz stepped forward.
"Yes, I have called you with an important task," said Cicatriz, "You know whenever a bird tribe or clan we plan to drive out have chosen the war option and a group of bats sneak into that tribe or clan's home to kill any members that stay behind and away from the fight? I want you to set up that group of bats and have them ready to sneak into those feathered rodents' homes to carry out the slaughter of their chicks, eggs, adolescents, and the elderly members of those tribes and clans and smaller groups on the day of the war. You know what to do."
"Yes, sir," said Ratigan respectfully and with that, he took off to round up some of the flying foxes for the task. Cicatriz looked on as he left.
"You know something my dear Iracebeth," he said evilly, "This is certainly an effective strategy in grabbing land from particularly stubborn bird tribes and clans. Grandfather certainly was a genius in coming up with that tactic."
"Yes and those good-for-nothing birds know nothing about it," crooned Iracebeth, her faced creased into a fiendish grin, "I love it when our enemies fall for our stealthy tricks and when they do, they fall for it bait, cage and poacher's trap. Hopefully, those Spix pests and their neighbours will do just that."
"Absolutely," said Cicatriz and with that, an "Hm-hm-hm-hm!" escaped his throat. However, the colony leaders were completely unaware that Augustus and Melissa had divulged this secret to the bird tribes and clans who were soon to prepare to evacuate the elderly members to a secret cave behind the waterfall in the Spix tribe's ravine.
Later
The birds' gathering of the food continued for another whole day right into its evening. Birds continued to train in their skills while the elderly tribe, clan and group members prepared for their evacuation to the Spix tribe's ravine and waterfall cave, and on the morning of the following day, the food gathering continued until at last, there was enough food for all the evacuees in the cave to last them a few days, which the birds had hoped that the war against the flying foxes would be shorter before the food stocks ran short. Once the food stocking job had been completed, the next step was to evacuate the elderly to the Spix tribe's ravine, so in all the tribes, clans and small groups, aged birds had been rounded up and their numbers counted before being escorted through the territories and into the Spix tribe's ravine to behind the waterfall. In the red tribe's home grove, elderly scarlet, green-winged and Lear's macaws had been rounded up while the elderly birds of the smaller groups gathered in a separate group. Sapphire and D'Artagnan helped with the rounding up of the Lear's macaws, among them Rosalind who was well on in her years, as well as some of the red macaws. As she perched with the other elderly macaws from both tribes, Rosalind gazed at the other elderly macaws as and two other younger adult macaws counted the elderly red macaws. In the space of the grove, younger red and Lear's macaws were practicing their battle skills ready for the upcoming fight with the flying foxes like how the Spix macaws did in their ravine. The same was true for the other eligible macaws in the other tribes, clans and smaller groups' home patches. Monique soon came by, a worried look on her face.
"I don't know how I am going to lead the Lear's tribe in the war with your first-cousin, once-removed and her mate, Rosalind," she said, "Especially without Waldo by me side."
"You're gonna just have to do your best, sweetie," said Rosalind. Monique then perched beside her and bowed her head tearfully.
"If only we had rescued him in time from those flying foxes," she moaned, "And prevented him from going through such a horrible and torturous ordeal in their territory for information about us, he wouldn't have come out like this…"
She shuddered as she remembered seeing Waldo's near-featherless, bruised and scratched body, the immense terror and delirium in his eyes from complete lack of sleep for four whole nights, and his gauntness caused by absolutely no food as well. Furthermore, the death of former patriarch of the Lear's macaw tribe Valentino had added to Monique's fury against the flying foxes and she looked forward to sinking her claws and talons into their fur and flesh in the upcoming battle. Rosalind's wing came and rested gently on her shoulder.
"Look, those furballs are gonna learn a lesson from us that they will never forget," said Rosalind firmly, "And besides that, we've got Augustus and Melissa by our side helping us. Let's just remain focussed on evacuating us old macaws to the Spix tribe's ravine and then concentrate on the young and parents next, okay?"
Encouraged by Rosalind's kind words, Monique nodded and returned to counting the other elderly Lear's macaws.
As the oldest members of both the Lear's and the red macaw tribes continued to gather and be counted, nervousness hung over them like a cloud for some feared for the trip to the Spix tribe's ravine awaiting them. Despite the fact that the flying fox intrusions had drastically reduced, some of the macaws feared that a few of those barbaric bats might still be roaming the territory even now and they feared that a group of them might jump out at the elderly and attack them during their evacuation through the territory. However, Felipe and Monique had organised escorts to guide the elderly members through the territories on the way to the Spix tribe's ravine, but the concern for the elderly were the least of the two tribes' worries. The next group to escort over to the Spix tribe's ravine were going to be the chicks, parents with un-hatched eggs and chicks too young to fly, adolescents and the youngest adults, among them the oldest broods of the leaders and inner circle birds: Benjamin and Regina of Felipe and Pearl; Alexandre, Spinel and Poinsettia of Athos and Ruby, and Miranda, Jasmine and Annette of D'Artagnan and Sapphire. The older siblings had also been assigned the task of looking after their younger relatives, among them their younger siblings and cousins. Alexandre and his sisters had been entrusted with their second brood brothers Oliver and Cinnabar, and Miranda and her sisters with their half-cousin, Delores who was the daughter of Monique and Waldo.
Like the rest of Waldo's relatives, Delores had been devastated over her father's capture and torture and often kept wishing her father was present and because Monique had so much on her wings in leadership responsibilities without Waldo, she had difficulties spending time with her so she had been placed in D'Artagnan and Sapphire's care. Now Delores had been entrusted to Miranda and her sisters by D'Artagnan and Sapphire as the two seconds-in-command trained for the upcoming battle.
The Lear's and red tribes had been very worried for the younger members. Kids and adolescents were more difficult to control than the elderly and they had a greater tendency to wander away from the group than the wiser aged birds. It had been very difficult to convince overprotective parents who had volunteered to go to war to entrust their kids to the young adults who had been barred or had volunteered not to go to war. Monique had been reluctant to entrust Delores in the care of Miranda, Jasmine and Annette after what happened to D'Artagnan and Sapphire's youngest son Ozzy, the loss of him still lingering over Sapphire and her mate like a faint black cloud but she knew that she had to. And while the younger adults had been glad that they will not be going to war, some of them had quite an opposite desire.
Miranda, Jasmine, Annette and Finn stood with some of the younger adult Lear's and red macaws who will not be going to war, Delores in Miranda's wings, as more red and Lear's macaws continued to round up the chicks of both tribes. With them were Alexandre, Spinel and Poinsettia and their brothers Oliver and Cinnabar, and Sheldon, Estelle, Benjamin and Regina. Alexandre gazed grumpily at the flock of training red and Lear's macaws. He had been one of the macaws who wanted to participate in the battle against the flying foxes but his parents had forbade him for they feared for his safety, especially after what had happened to him and both his sisters, and also to Estelle's cousin Gabby, and Poinsettia had almost died in the Bluewing Clan's former territory on the night Orquidea and Ruby were taken.
"It's just not fair, my friends and sissies," he muttered as Sheldon held a fearful and nervous Spinel in his wings while Benjamin daydreamed about his green macaw girlfriend Petunia. "It's just not fair. How is it that Dad is able to go to war and not me!? I'm a skilled fighter, you know."
"And I've fought against foes before when I embarked on a journey to Guyana to find the legendary treasure to save the sanctuary," said Estelle in agreement. She shot Athos and Sheldon's scarlet father, Ramon, as they practiced their fighting skills against each other. Estelle and the others then heard Ramon shout, "Come on, Athos, put your back into using that stick like how Tito showed us."
The pair of friends then began to engage in a mock stick-fight, clashing their sticks together in an attempt to 'strike' each other and defend themselves. Because it was only a practice fight, Athos and Ramon were careful to avoid inflicting too-hard strikes on each other. Athos was performing particularly well and was able to block Ramon's attempts to 'hit' him with his stick with his own. Nearby, Dani, Ramon's green-winged mate, practiced her agility against a Lear's macaw. The young red macaws, especially Sheldon, all continued to gaze at their parents jealously. Then Jasmine moved on.
"I'm surprised that our leaders didn't declare the 'war' to be in the Pit of Games like old times," she told the others, "Surely that would have been a more peaceful way of dealing with this conflict."
"That's not an option, Jasmine," said Sheldon, "You see, those flying foxes are ruthless. One, they had already crossed the line too severely for a Pit of Doom match to be pitted against them by driving out two of the clans; two, they are too violent and would likely slaughter their feathered opponents in the stadium rather than play soccer like we did…"
"So it seems that a massive battle of a lifetime is the only option," said Jasmine in disappointment. The others sadly nodded to this.
"It seems that Cicatriz hates using peaceful resolutions to conflict," said Poinsettia, "I heard Uncle Felipe talk about that with the other tribe and clan leaders while we were on our way to the Spix tribe's ravine for the meeting."
"Three bird clans or tribes had challenged the flying foxes to a Pit of Doom soccer game and the result was a massive slaughter of the players in the stadium by the bats while more flying foxes overtook their territories," said Alexandre as he held Cinnabar and Oliver, "And that is what we want to avoid."
"Augustus and Melissa noted that to us," said Spinel.
"It seems that every other option is nothing more than a dead end," said Annette, her eyes on Delores as she snuggled in her wing cradle, "With war being the only solution."
"Exactly, Annette," said Miranda. Annette and Jasmine just sighed. It was going to be an extremely difficult and nerve-wracking event ahead of them and for everyone. Just then, the group heard a macaw shout, "Alright, Felipe, Monique, the elderly birds are ready to go."
The group of Lear's, scarlet and green-winged macaws all turned their heads and fixed their gazes on the group of oldest tribe members as they began to move. Many macaws said their last-minute goodbyes to the elderly members, something Miranda, Alexandre and company had done a while ago. Sheldon watched as his paternal scarlet grandparents and green-winged maternal grandparents prepared to leave, the escorts flocking around the group, ready to guide them out of Felipe's tribe's home grove, through the territories and to the Spix tribe's ravine.
"Once that lot is safely in the Spix tribe's ravine, folks," he said, "It'll be our turn."
The others nodded. Then within moments, the group of all the elderly members of the red and Lear's tribes was on the move, their wings flapping at the air as they rose off their perches. Under the guide of the escorts, the group was led like a flock of sheep led by shepherds towards the grove's entrance.
Across the Sanctuary de Amazon, the elderly members of the blue-and-gold, the green, the glaucous, the blue-throated and the hyacinth macaw and the archaeobird tribes and clans, as well as the elderly members of the smaller groups had also left their respective home groves and were being guided by escorts to the Spix tribe's ravine, the elderly of the Spix tribe having already evacuated to the waterfall cave. A huge cloud of nervousness hung over the flocks, and as they passed through the territories on the way to the Spix tribe's ravine, nervous eyes darted this way and that expecting furry creatures with membranous wings and armed with sharp-sticks to jump out at them and attack. Escorts were especially prepared for action should the group encounter any groups of flying foxes. Some carried weapons such as sticks, ready to bludgeon any bats that would dare jump out and attempt to attack the elderly members, some of who were fragile from age. While the elderly was being evacuated, the last of the kids, adolescents, and parents with eggs and young chicks were rounded up. The parents kept their eggs and young chicks very close to them, not wanting any of them to accidentally end up lost or mixed up with the clutches of the other parents, otherwise it would be a total disaster. Eggs and young chicks were being placed in special leaf bags, ready to be carried by the parents or by their closest relatives such as siblings.
Meanwhile
Cicatriz continued watching the flying foxes as they continued practicing their combat skills, the usual fiendish grimace spanning his facial width and single eye burning with glee focussed on them. He continued watching as sharp-sticks were thrown in mock fights and reddish, brown, dark brown, orange and auburn furry forms with black wings sliced through the air as flying foxes practiced their dodging skills against each other. As Cicatriz continued watching his colony members as they continued to train, he felt a spark of confidence flash within him when a pair of flapping membranous wings reached his ears.
"The infiltrators are ready, Cicatriz," came Ratigan's voice as the bat touched down. Cicatriz turned and faced him and two other flying foxes accompanying him.
"Good," he said, "And make sure they're ready to enter those feathered worms' home patches and slaughter whoever has stayed behind once the tribes and clans had left them to fight us which we're going to in a few hours."
"Sir?" asked Ratigan confused.
"There's been a change of plan," said Cicatriz, "I would like to get this over with as soon as possible."
Turning his eyes to the two bats accompanying Ratiga, he commanded, "You two set up a group of messengers with a message to send to those birds to let them know that we have like to have our battle with them at midday, today, and make sure that they get it on the double. Understand?"
The two bats nodded obediently despite having the urge to question Cicatriz's change of decision and dropped from the branches to organise a messenger group.
"Why midday if I might ask?" asked Ratigan. Cicatriz hardened his gaze.
"I'm confident that we'll be able to defeat those good-for-nothing birds and capture their land that has been set up as a nature reserve by humans today," replied he, "Our fighters are trained enough for the fight and I want to get down to the war as soon as possible. Now you go and get the infiltrators ready while I call together our colony with Iracebeth."
Ratigan, now understanding the reason, nodded and leaped off the branch, the flying foxes' way of taking to the air for they could not lift themselves off their perches unlike birds, and flew away to prepare the infiltrator group while Cicatriz left to find Iracebeth.
A while later
In the Navyfeather Clan and glaucous tribe's home grove, the Navyfeather Clan and their glaucous and smaller group co-inhabitants and blue-throated guests, and Andromeda's clan of archaeobirds who had moved to here, had finished the gathering of all their young and parents with eggs and young under-flight aged chicks. The flocks were waiting anxiously for the escorts to return to confirm that the elderly had made it to the Spix tribe's ravine. In the meantime, all the young from each of the three clans, the glaucous tribe and the smaller group birds had been gathered and final checks were being made. Augustus, Melissa, Sebastian, Stella and Luna, together with Eustace, Milo, Rosa, Clemont, Serena, Diantha, Orion and Velocity were also here, having come to assist in the evacuation of the young hyacinth, glaucous and blue-throated macaws, the archaeobirds and smaller bird species to the ravine of the Spix macaws. With the archaeobirds, the bat-bird mounts were also present.
Indigo, Zebedee, Penelope, Victor, and Casper and Gloria, two of the last-surviving Bluewing Clan macaws, stood with Tristan, Quincy, Larimar, Trixie, Aiden and Neytiri, and Spyro, Bellerophon and Pandora, the offspring of Andromeda and Eragon, and Fernanda and Eric, and Hedor, the son of Fedor and Rafflesia the hoatzins. Also present were Violet, the younger sister of Zebedee and Indigo; Peitro and Wanda, Fernanda and also Ariel's younger brother and sister; and Casper's brothers Buddy and chick Matheus. The group wore very nervous looks on their faces as they looked at the other young adult macaws, archaeobirds and some other bird species, as well as parents with eggs and young chicks placed in specially designed bags ready to carry to the Spix tribe's ravine. Nearby, macaws and other birds, among them Phoebe, Cobalto, Carolina, Eriko and Levi, continued practicing their fighting skills while more birds flew about doing the final checks of the evacuees, which was thankfully the last group of vulnerable tribe members to be evacuated before the massive war with the flying foxes. Before the group, Falkor the milicinth macaw began to give the young firm instructions of safety and the importance of obedience and not wandering off while Ámbar the lutino blue-and-gold macaw checked the young of the smaller group birds.
Spyro, Bellerophon and Pandora clung timidly onto Indigo, Zebedee and Tristan as they listened to Falkor's commands, fearing separation. During the roundup, the three had lost these macaws and their friends around twice and they did not want to be separated from them again. Zebedee then gazed around the group and saw dozens and dozens of archaeobirds on bat-birds, among them Andromeda, stand around them.
"They're going to help escort us to the Spix macaws' ravine," whispered Spyro.
"But I thought they were going to go to war with the other birds," said Indigo.
"They will do once they've finished evacuating us," said Tristan nearby. Zebedee and Indigo just sighed and looked around at the other young birds and parents with eggs and young chicks again. Then his eyes turned sadly to his parents, Phoebe and Cobalto as they continued their mock-battle against some glaucous macaws. As he continued shooting gazes around the group, Eric gazed into the sky. To his utter dismay, he saw a sea of grey clouds growing and he thought he heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. Soon, that cover will be screening the blue sky and golden sun which had been shining all through the morning.
"Looks like the weather's not very happy with what's coming up either," he whispered. Trixie, Tristan, Quincy, Larimar, Fernanda, Zebedee and the others with them only looked up at the darkening sky and said nothing. Not too far away, the cockatoos, Diantha, Velocity, Orion and Sebastian and his sisters Stella and Luna perched on a branch, puffing and panting as nervousness bubbled within them.
"Boy, this has to be the most nerve-wracking event since our trip to Guyana to find Jurassic Jungle and the legendary treasure," said Velocity, a wing on her forehead. She breathed a tired sigh as she felt her muscles shudder like jelly. Orion then found Sebastian gaze worriedly at the training birds and gathered young.
"Problem?" he asked.
"I think we should head over to the flying foxes' territory and check on the colony," whispered Sebastian, "I have a bad feeling about this."
As the others picked up these words, disbelief and horror tore through them.
"What are you crazy!?" snapped Rosa, her banded crest raised, "We could end up killed if we're caught!"
"Especially after what me and Serena faced in the former Bluewing Clan's territory," put in Clemont. He sighed as he gazed at the healed scratch on his stomach where Voldemort had struck him. Sebastian turned his gaze to the birds and his younger sisters.
"Look, we don't know if those flying foxes have formulated a plan behind you feathered friends' backs," he said firmly, "and I would like to find out to make sure…"
"You parents are gonna go bonkers if you go back over there," said Velocity. Sebastian nodded, aware of this risk, but the determined look never left his face.
"Let's coat ourselves in mud and fly over to the colony's territory and check on those bats," he said, "The sooner we do this, the better."
The others exchanged glances. None of them dare make the decision to go along with this crazy idea at first but soon, Orion stepped forward, knowing that Sebastian's idea might have a method behind the madness.
"I'll go," he said firmly.
"What!?" shouted Velocity.
"No!" said Clemont. Orion shot the two an adamant look.
"Look, we are having an important role in this war," he said, "And I want to make the most of it. I'm determined to go over to the flying foxes' territory to pick up some important information our allies might need to know."
Velocity and Clemont gazed at each other and back at the falcon. Then Velocity stepped forward.
"Then I'll go," she said firmly, "There's no way I'm gonna allow my older brother to run into danger again like last time."
"Hey, I am mature, you know," snapped Orion irritably. Then Milo stepped forward, followed by Diantha, having agreed to go along with the falcons and Sebastian. However, Eustace, Rosa, Clemont, Serena, Stella and Luna stayed behind.
"We'll help out with the evacuees," said Serena, "I think we've run into enough trouble with those bats already."
Eustace, Clemont and Rosa nodded in agreement and Rosa's wing went to the right side of her head where one of the flying foxes had whacked her the other day. She did not want to risk getting seriously injured again. Then as soon as the groups had made their decisions, Sebastian said, "We'll not be long. We've just got to sneak into the flying foxes' territory and spy on them. We'll see you guys when we get back." 'If we make it back', thought he as uncertainty gnawed at him.
"Right, you guys be careful out there, especially you, Orion," said Eustace firmly. Orion breathed an irritated sigh.
"Everything thinks I'm a chick these days," he muttered. "I'm sick of it!"
"We're all concerned for you," said Diantha. Orion just rolled his eyes. As he did this, Stella and Luna locked their older brother in a hug while Milo and Diantha hugged Eustace, Rosa, Clemont and Serena.
"I hope you make it back safely, bro," cried Stella. Sebastian wrapped his membranous wings around her and Luna and brought them close to his face. Then after a while, the group broke their hugs and Sebastian's group turned and left.
"If our parents or any of the others ask, tell them that we've gone to do some spying, okay?" shouted Sebastian as he disappeared into the trees, along with Velocity, Orion, Milo and Diantha. Eustace and the others shouted in reply and left to finish helping the evacuees prepare for their evacuation. During this, someone came into the grove, shouting, "The elderly have all made it to the Spix tribe's ravine and are safe."
All eyes turned to the lookout group and escorts as they returned and sighs of relief were breathed. However, that relief did not last long for they still had another group to send to the Spix tribe's ravine.
Falkor had only just finished giving his instructions to the young birds when suddenly; he heard the sounds of frantic wing flaps. Zebedee, Indigo, Penelope, Casper, Gloria and Victor gazed at the military/hyacinth hybrid surprise as he glared at the source of the sound. Spyro, Tristan, Fernanda and their siblings and friends also saw Falkor glare at something and then follow his gaze. To their surprise, they saw a large aged, hyacinth macaw, the only one who had stayed behind to assist in the gathering of the young, fly in as though he had just escaped a predator and perch clumsily onto a branch above them. The branch shook under his weight as several other macaws followed him, one of them carrying a large leaf, which the group assumed was a written message.
"Have you seen the look on Flavio's face?" asked Trixie, "He looked so upset and flustered."
"Don't tell me something's happened," asked Spyro as he held Bellerophon and Pandora and flashed a glance at Hedor the young hoatzin. But nothing could prepare the group for what happened next.
"EVERYONE, GET THOSE CHICKS AND YOUNG OUTA HERE RIGHT NOW AND PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" Flavio's voice boomed from his perch and echoed loudly throughout the Navyfeather Clan's home grove. The shout bolted all the fighters into listening to him and made the insides of Zebedee's group jolt. Falkor also jumped off his perch as the shout coursed through him. Driven by panic, he abandoned his perch and flapped over to Flavio. It was then that Zebedee heard Augustus and Melissa's voices shout.
"What!? Our son's disappeared!?" Augustus bellowed. Zebedee and Indigo snapped their gaze to the flying fox and his mate as several cockatoos and two small white flying foxes hovered before them. Augustus and Melissa's fur were bristled from panic and they looked outraged. However, the two bats turned and flew over to the evacuee group with Eustace's group in tow as Flavio took off from his perch and barked orders to the escorts to get the evacuees moving. It was then that Zebedee's group felt the crowd move.
"Looks like we're leaving right now," said Tristan. Spyro clung firmly onto his younger siblings and Hedor and hopped onto his bat-bird Garnet, commanding her into flight while Eric and Fernanda held firmly onto Wanda and Peitro, and Indigo onto Violet and Buddy onto Matheus. Soon the mixed flock of birds of various species was moving while the fighters set off to prepare for battle. Tristan looked up and saw Levi disappear with the other glaucous macaws eligible for war as Andromeda's voice rang out to the evacuees, "Hurry, everyone, keep together and DON'T WANDER OFF!"
Somewhere in the crowd, Augustus, Melissa, Stella, Luna, and Eustace, Rosa, Clemont and Serena were assisting some archaeobird parents in carrying their young chicks and eggs. Tristan, together with Zebedee, Indigo, Quincy, Larimar and Trixie, all shuddered. The situation with the flying fox threat has reached critical, and Cicatriz was planning on beginning his reign of tyranny as soon as possible. As fear and worry gripped them, Tristan and company moved with the other chicks, adolescents, young adults and parents with eggs and young chicks were herded by their escorts towards the entrance to the Navyfeather Clan's home grove, and in the direction of the Spix tribe's ravine.