Chapter 46- emergency rushes and a massive reunion
Meanwhile, back in Rio
Blu and company had hurried off to Tulio's Aviary with Blu, Athos and Ruby hitching a ride with Susan, Lucy, Bernardo, Jack and Jill. The twin daughters of Susan and Bernardo, Molly and Mary, had been put in the care of a babysitter while their parents and older adopted siblings sought to this emergency rush. Tulio and company, together with Susan and her company, had rushed Porthos with his badly slashed leg to the medical centre of Tulio's Aviary, and by now they, and also Blu and company apart from a few missing ones had arrived at their destination.
Porthos was then put straight into emergency surgery to have his wound stitched up, along with Neytiri who had a broken wing in need of repair. Several others, including Eustace and his family, and Jewel as well who had regained consciousness, had been put into medical care to be kept an eye on and to have their minor injuries checked. Sebastian had a large bruise forming on his chest where he had been head-butted by one of the savage toucans; Justin had a bump on his head where a stone had struck, Virgil and Bia were being treated for minor injuries with Virgil bearing a number of scratches from his savage fight against Marco when he threatened Bia and their sons, Miles and Einstein; Matilda was covered in cuts and bruises as a result of being the focal point of some of the rocks and Finn's wing had formed a bruise where a rock had hit and Kira also had a large bruise forming on her back where she had been struck by a rock and her face was twisted with intense pain. None of the hyacinth macaws were badly hurt but Phoebe bore a scratch on her right cheek and Zebedee was missing his bandana and had to have it replaced with a bandage made into a temporary one until a new replacement bandana was made or found for him, and Violet was severely shaken, just like she was when she was almost kidnapped by the poachers along with the remaining kids. As for Augustus, Spyro and the other flying foxes and archaeobirds, they were pretty much fine other than Sebastian's bruise, but all were also badly shaken and traumatised from the whole ordeal, as were Ferdinand, Einstein, Miles, Sonia, Spica and Diego, but they in particular. However, one of them was missing.
Tiago and Matilda's last remaining chick, Byron, who had been successfully kidnapped by the toucans was absent, and his parents were in an indescribable state. Some of the others were also in a worse-off state than before and disbelief, outrage and devastation laced the group, especially Eustace, Milo, Rosa, Clemont, Serena, and Yolanda and Peach the cockatoos, all of who were nearly burned alive inside their birdhouse when one of the toucans evilly set it alight. Thankfully, and if it weren't for Athos's quick-thinking actions, all seven cockatoos had escaped unscathed without any burns. The casualties from Blu's group who had already been admitted to Tulio's Aviary: Rafael's mate Eva (who had been resting during the attempted theft of the fruithawks), Eragon, Vincent and Luna, and the other birds, who were still grieving the loss of Merlin after he had been killed by one of the crows while protecting the two fruithawks from certain kidnap, had been asleep when they were roused by commotion. When the group came to see what the commotion was, when they saw that it was caused by none other than Blu and company, much to Eva, Eragon Luna and Vincent's immense disbelief and worry. During this, Tulio's team members who had been in charge of the toucans had by now loaded most of the cages into trucks to be taken away in the hopes that they will be allocated to other sanctuaries, but NOT the Sanctuary de Amazon for they did not want these toucans to cause the inhabitants there any trouble and competition, or else face the last-resort option, and Eva, who had been watching most of the process, had come to accept those toucans' fate.
While Eva, Eragon, Luna and Vincent looked on in utter disbelief with many of the other birds, Porthos and Neytiri had been rushed into the operating theatres while the rest of the group, all of them severely shaken, waited for them in the main medical room. It was as though the lot had had another narrow escape from a bunch of poachers as Eragon had assumed, but Luna, Vincent, and Eva had deduced a narrow escape from something, or rather SOMEONE, else, especially how Eustace and company had managed to escape being consumed by flames within their birdhouse, but as they came to that conclusion, Eva had begun to tremble very violently and had eventually fainted, and Luna and one of the green-winged macaws had to carry her back to her cage. Sometime later, Orquidea and Wilbur stood outside the operating theatre in which Porthos had been taken in.
"I hope Dad's going to be alright," whispered Wilbur worriedly, "How did he cut his left leg? Did he hit something sharp?"
"He did, son," said Orquidea, "He cut it on a shard of glass of the broken window he escaped through with Linda's cellphone in his clutches, according to Blu."
Wilbur winced from the pain it must have caused his poor burly father. However, he knew how dangerous glass shards could be. They were as deadly as blades of metal, wood or stone, and it's a wonder Porthos did not lacerate an important blood vessel, like a main artery, in his leg on his way out, or the results would have been disastrous. Then Wilbur's attention turned to Eustace, his brother Milo, sister Rosa, mate Serena and brother-in-law and Rosa's mate Clemont, and the two adolescent cockatoos who were Vincent's sister and cousin, Yolanda and Peach, huddling together and trembling violently, hyperventilating and weeping. Nearby, Vincent, Eragon and Luna were trying to calm the shaken cockatoos but with much difficulty. Looking on a few centimetres away were Augustus, Melissa, Stella, Soren, Anabelle with Ferdinand clutched to her breast, Sebastian and Spyro. Marella was tending to the two bat-birds, her own and Spyro's, Garnet. Ferdinand felt a pang of sympathy for the cockatoos except Vincent who was still grounded with a broken wing but then he felt a flash of pure outrage blaze through him. Orquidea also saw the cockatoos and began to tremble with rage.
"And as for what happened to Eustace and company," she growled; her aqua blue and yellow feathers puffed out, "I cannot BELIEVE that those TOUCAN MANIACS would try to BURN THEM ALIVE!"
"Eva actually fainted upon hearing about that," said Wilbur's scarlet mate Poinsettia as she flew in, "But I'm not surprised, and I cannot calculate the immensity of the deed."
"Those toucans have HONESTLY crossed the line in MORE WAYS THAN ONE, they have," growled Orquidea furiously. She could barely restrain her anger at the beastly birds as well as her urge to kick something but she knew she would hurt her talon doing so. Then Wilbur moved onto something else.
"Speaking of toucans," she said, "How are our human friends doing with those that have been caught and caged?"
"They're going to allocate those birds to other sanctuaries, other than the Sanctuary de Amazon," said Wilbur but then his face fell, "But due to so many of them, that last-resort option may have to be applied..."
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised," said Orquidea with her wings folded, "Those offspring of Rafael and Eva apart from a few sensible ones like Diantha and Tom have been breeding like rabbits, leading to all the trouble we see now."
"Not only have the other residents been faced with so much trouble from gangs of the toucans including Basil and his bat colony," said Poinsettia, "But also competition for food and space too."
Her blue-and-gold mate and mother-in-law nodded in agreement, before turning their gaze to the badly shaken and incredibly depressed birds of Blu's group.
Carla, Justin, Sonia and Melody were snuggled up in one corner, the former two trying to calm the badly shaken latter while nearby, Bia and Justin tried to calm Einstein and Miles. Kira, some ointment on her back to soothe the dull ache of her bruise, was cradling Diego, trying to sing a lullaby to him, but with the extreme shock of the whole ordeal still shaking her system, her voice was broken up like interference breaking up a radio signal. Finnick was trying to assist, but he too was finding it difficult due to also being severely shaken. The Spix macaws who were truly heartbroken were Tiago and Matilda who had lost their son Byron. This couple was weeping and sobbing in each other's wings. Blu, Zephyr, Aurora, Roberto and Brisa worked hard to comfort and console Tiago and his mate but they were too depressed to accept it, constantly backing away. At the window, Spinel and Ruby were perched gazing outside into the night city, their eyes anxiously scanning the dark for any sign of Aramis and Esmeralda who had rushed off after the toucans to rescue Byron while some of the others such as Jasmine, Finn, Aiden, Trixie, Indigo and Victor (who was missing his fruit shell hat) went about comforting their friends, especially Tristan as he stood outside the operating theatre in which Neytiri had been taken to fix her broken wing. Around the room, the other birds looked on in utter shock and sympathy as the others in Blu's group, such as Benjamin and Petunia, stood together in their embraces, trying to calm down from the close shave with the malicious toucans.
While despair continued to hang over most of Blu's group, Finnick gazed at Einstein and Miles as they slept peacefully in Bia's wings in astonishment.
"How is it that those two have managed to drop off so easily despite the NIGHTMARE we have just been through!?" he shouted, "I-I-I thought they'd be struggling to go to sleep, like our son Diego!"
He flashed a glance at Kira as she continued to try and calm their son, but he was struggling to drop off despite her best efforts. Virgil came in, his eyes on Bia and their remaining two sons.
"They're very tough, especially Miles," said he, "In fact, they're like their great-grandfather Eduardo, hardy and tough."
Finnick breathed a sigh before turning his gaze to Eustace and company, "And as for the cockatoos, I don't think they are gonna sleep for days after almost being roasted alive when those stupid toucans set their birdhouse alight."
"Travis and Sunset, who are currently helping Andromeda take care of the Linda's golden orange bats are gonna blow their tops off when they hear what has almost happened to their only three children and their families excluding Vincent, I can tell you," hissed Virgil with a frown as he also gazed at the cockatoos, "If it weren't for Uncle Athos's quick-thinking and actions in rescuing them, they would have died and Vincent would've been the only descent of Travis and Sunset remaining."
"Travis and Sunset could have lost their only three children since they cannot have any more chicks as they've told me and my family," said Finnick with disgust. Virgil nodded in agreement as he continued to gaze at Eustace and company as they continued to struggle to settle down with Vincent looking on with a sad look.
As Blu's group continued to settle down and allow their human friends to treat their injured comrades, Blu, Jewel (who had recovered from her knockout), Athos, Zebedee and Iris were taking a walk towards the breeding chamber with Eragon. Around the group, more birds were chatting quietly or trying to get some sleep while some of the others continued to watch with smug-laced faces, the caged toucans, those that had been captured, get loaded into trucks by some of the Tulio's Aviary workers through a window. However, they did not see the uncertain looks on the humans' faces as they did their job for the humans were concerned that there could be even more toucans out in the Blu Bird Sanctuary. However, they put this worry off to focus on the current job. Nearby, Levi and Lapis Lazuli were trying to console Tristan as he continued to anxiously wait for Neytiri who was still in surgery.
"Have you heard about the near theft of those two golden fruithawks resulting in Velocity's mate losing his life?" Eragon asked the five macaws with him.
"Yes, Cometa told us," said Blu, his face falling into a sad look, "It's a seriously sad loss."
"First Orion and Hermione's son," said Athos, "Now Velocity's mate and Zelda's father."
"She also told us how you, Vincent, Luna, Stella, Soren and Tristan, along with Velocity and Merlin, had helped in protecting those two precious fruithawks from certain theft by those crows who had managed to find their way into the Aviary," said Jewel. She then shuddered with rage as she remembered herself and Blu getting captured by Fernando, who back then used to work for Marcel's group, and the evil Nigel, and also how Aurora, Zephyr, D'Artagnan, Sapphire, Brisa, Lapis Lazuli and Levi and the others including Athos who also remembered this, were seized by cats of a second smuggler group alongside countless other birds, Jack and Jill participating before, like Fernando, they forsook the whole business of smuggling birds for a better life as Susan and Bernardo's adopted son and daughter and Lucy's adopted nephew and niece. Athos' sad gaze then turned to Susan, Lucy, Bernardo, Jack and Jill as they observed the shaken birds, concern lacing their faces. He got a glimpse of some healed scratches running over Jill's eye, evident from the skirmish against a bunch of crows while trying to protect the fruithawks from getting kidnapped.
"Looks like our former owners have noticed something different about our grown-up children and our families, folks," said he, "I can see Jack gazing worriedly at Poinsettia and Wilbur and discussing their four chicks' absence over there."
"Susan and Lucy are also observing Carla, Bia, Tiago and their mates," said Zebedee, his single eye gazing at the two ladies as they sympathised with Carla and the others, "And have noticed that Tiago and Matilda are missing both their chicks."
"They have also noticed that Spinel is missing her mate and her three chicks as well," said Athos as he gazed at his former owners-but-still human friends and discussing about the chicks missing from Blu's group's families, "And that one of the bat pups is missing from Augustus's family."
Then a thought entered Athos's head. He hoped that Esmeralda and Aramis were alright as they had gone after the toucans to rescue Byron, the only chick who had been taken. If anything at all happened to Byron, even more heartache would ensue for Tiago and Matilda, and they will have lost both their chicks
While these thoughts and worries for Byron and his rescuers continued to churn in Athos's mind, Jewel turned her attention to the entrance of the breeding chamber.
"That's where I met Blu and Brisa, Zephyr, Sapphire and Lapis Lazuli met Aurora, D'Artagnan and Levi," she told Eragon.
"It's also where those two golden fruithawks currently reside," added Eragon with a smile.
"Are those two the very last known golden fruithawks alive?" asked Blu, Athos gazing at the archaoebird in fascination.
"Yes they are," said Eragon, "In fact, it has been confirmed that Aurum and Gylfie, which are their names, are indeed that which is why they are extremely valuable and the human carers are anxious about them having chicks."
Jewel gazed at Andromeda's mate as she remembered herself and Blu being the last known Spix macaws alive, along with Carla, Bia and Tiago until Aurora, Zephyr and Brisa and then the Spix macaw tribe were discovered. Then it was Levi and Lapis Lazuli being the last pair of glaucous macaws alive with their four chicks Tristan, Trixie and their brother and sister, Larimar and Quincy, until a flock of more glaucous macaws, Lapis Lazuli's tribe, were discovered in the Amazon Rainforest shortly after the Spix macaw tribe and some of the other bird flocks. Iris then formed a smile on her beak.
"When Zebedee and I have chicks," she said, "I would like to show them where Zebedee's mother and father met and where he was born."
Zebedee shot her a disbelieving glare at her mentioning of this.
"But Iris, we've been over this before. I don't think I'll make a good father," his wing went and pointed to the bandage covering his scared left face side; "Especially with these unsightly scars and clouded left eye our kids would have to put up with."
"Look, Zebedee," replied Iris sternly, "I may have some scars too and also a bad background as an abused show-bird at the hands of some uncaring humans but that's not to say I can't have chicks. After all, I've learned to manage those bad memories and the trauma thanks to some helpful birds that live here after some of your cat and dog friends rescued me," Iris then breathed a sigh, "And besides that, it seems that I have loved you for a thousand years since our relationship began to develop further, DESPITE your scarred face, and I'm sure your kids would love to have you for a father."
Zebedee just gazed at Iris with an uncertain look but Athos, Blu and Jewel agreed.
"You'd make an excellent father, Zebedee," said the former, the scarlet macaw, "After all, you are an excellent uncle to Sugilite, your sister Indigo and her mate Victor's daughter."
His face then fell as he grieved the hyacinth chick's absence, along with the other kids, now possibly including Byron. Iris then smiled slightly.
"We'll discuss this after the toucan problem has been dealt with," she said.
As she said this, the group heard talking through the door to the breeding chamber which was partly open.
"I'm afraid the two fruithawks stay here, pal. We don't want them going missing like almost last time."
Glances were exchanged between Eragon and the five macaws when they heard this, and the six hurried over to the door to investigate. As the group entered the breeding chamber, Eragon nodded to a specific spot at the foot of the door.
"This is where Merlin died," he whispered. Blu, Jewel, Athos, Iris and Zebedee gazed at that spot and imagined a peregrine falcon's body lying limply in that area with Velocity crawling over him, crying her eyes out, before pulling their gazes from that area and placed it on the speakers who happened to be three of Tulio's employees, among them Francisco, the person who had visited Susan and company in London before their journey to Rio, and a group of another three humans whose faces Blu, Jewel, Athos, Iris, Zebedee and Eragon couldn't recognise but were dressed in white uniforms like the Tulio's Aviary staff.
"Oh, come on," protested one of the three humans opposite Francisco's trio, "I'm sure they'll be fine at our conservation area in Peru."
"And besides that," said one of the man's companions, a woman, "Our area has an artificially grown indoor jungle with real fruit-bearing trees, other real plants and other real environment-based things like a lake, and I'm sure those two fruithawks would thrive in that environment. In addition, there are other animals that would make great friends for them."
Blu and Jewel then fluttered up onto a tree branch and gazed at a pair of glistening birds perched on a branch of an artificial tree behind Francisco and his companions. They resembled fierce hawks with golden body plumage and yellow heads and necks but their fierce, dagger-like orange-coloured beaks (tipped black) and talons which Blu knew were the flesh-butchering weapons of nearly all birds of prey were used for tearing and butchering the flesh of fruit and plant material, for these two hawks were vegetarian and herbivorous, something Blu had never heard of in a bird type that eats meat. As Blu observed the two fruithawks, which were a male and a female, he saw that the two individuals had their backs turned to each other, their faces twisted into disliking scowls as though the two didn't stand each other's company.
"We were like that before we warmed up to each other," whispered he, referring to himself and Jewel when they first met. Jewel just flashed him a glare as she heard this but then her attention was pulled back to Francisco and his companions.
"You may have a massive indoor artificial jungle," replied Francisco, "But these two fruithawks stay here as I've said before and we don't want to let those two birds out of our sight again."
"If we gave that only pair of the newly discovered species of hawk to you to take away to your conservation area," said Francisco's other companion, "Tulio'll be furious and he may fire us from our jobs. It is our duty to look after them and any chicks they have."
However, the faces of the three humans remained unchanged and Athos could clearly see that.
"You remember what happened to Tulio when you and Blu, alongside your three chicks Carla, Bia and Tiago, and Brisa, Aurora, Zephyr, Levi and Lapis Lazuli were targeted by the second group of smugglers when you guys were the last known Spix and glaucous macaws known," Athos whispered to Jewel, who nodded in agreement, "He was absolutely flustered."
"I'm not surprised," whispered Blu, "According to my human companion Linda, he at one point almost lost his composure during those events."
However, as the leader of the unidentified three humans spoke, Blu and Athos's attention was pulled back to them.
"Look, I'm sure he wouldn't mind us taking the two golden fruithawks to our conservation centre," said the leader insistently and adamantly, "Please, give us those two birds behind you."
However, Francisco and his two companions adamantly refused. Blu, Jewel, Athos, Eragon, Zebedee and Iris glared at the opposing trio of humans, especially their insistent faces.
"I don't like those three humans' refusal to yield to Francisco's warnings," muttered Zebedee as his right eye scowled at the three pestering humans.
"They do sound very persistent," said Jewel.
"I'm sure these human environment care groups wouldn't compete with one another when they are trying to preserve rare animals in their natural habitats, would they?" asked Eragon. Blu glared at him.
"They normally wouldn't," he said, before his glare returned to the three humans pestering Francisco and the other two that they hand over the fruithawks, "But the way those three are behaving towards Francisco, Amy and Russel is not right at all."
Suddenly, the group heard Francisco shout at the three opposing humans, making the six birds jump. The three humans opposing Francisco and his two companions Amy and Russel, in response to Francisco's angry retort, finally admitted defeat and left for the door to the main medical room. Blu's group all dived behind the door to avoid the three humans.
"If that's what you want," said the leader as he left with his two companions, disgruntlement in his voice and his glare back at Francisco and his supporters, "Then we'll not bother you anymore."
And with that, he and his two companions continued to leave. Francisco, Russel and Amy then walked in.
"Well done, Francisco," said Amy with relief, "I thought those three numskulls would never leave."
"We'd better keep a close eye on those two fruithawks," said Francisco, his gaze on the glistening pair as they flew across the breeding chamber to another tree, "If anything happens to those only two known individuals, Tulio will be steamed."
Russel and Amy nodded in agreement and then followed Francisco back into the medical room. Eragon, Blu, Athos, Jewel, Iris and Zebedee followed as Russel closed the door.
However, as the six returned to the main medical room, commotion was stirred as some humans rushed through the medical centre.
"Gangway!" shouted the person in front as she carried something wrapped in blankets in her arms, "Emergency coming through."
As the group ran through the room, the other humans and some of the birds all scrambled to make way while the commotion jolted awake the majority of the birds around the room, including Carla, Bia, Tiago, their mates and their remaining chicks and the rest of their friends. Indignation tore through Blu's group.
"Now what's up," snarled Blu in frustration. Zebedee and Iris then fluttered up and watched the group of humans as they rushed through the medical centre, birds and the other humans having parted to let them through. Then within seconds, the group of humans disappeared into one of the operating theatres. The pair of hyacinth macaws, along with Blu, Jewel, Athos and Eragon, feared the worst.
"I hope it's not…" began Zebedee when suddenly, anguished cries from a familiar young female great green macaw erupted and reached his and the other five's ears. The two hyacinth macaws, two Spix macaws, the scarlet macaw and the archaeobird with his wing in a cast all shot horrified gazes in the direction of the squawker and saw that it was Petunia, and she was flying after the group of humans as they rushed something into the operating theatres, squawking with anguish and horror and with Benjamin behind her, only to be stopped by Susan and Lucy as the pair almost flapped through the operating theatre door. Crying hysterically, Petunia erupted into a flapping frenzy to escape Susan's arms but Susan kept a firm grip on her and dragged her away with Benjamin, a severely worried look on his face, following.
Carla, Bia and Tiago, together with Ruby, Zephyr and Aurora, then rushed over to Blu, Athos, Iris, Zebedee, Jewel and Eragon, horrified looks on their faces.
"What's going on, Ruby?" asked Athos. As the six macaws clumsily landed onto the floor before Blu's group, Ruby took to answering Athos's question.
"It's ESMERALDA!" she managed to get out.
"She's been SERIOUSLY ATTACKED WHILE RESCUING BYRON FROM THE TOUCANS," added Zephyr. The colour drained from the skins under the facial feathers of the six birds, and the legs of Athos, Blu, Jewel and Zebedee began to lose their strength as dread took hold. Esmeralda was one of their closest friends. She was like a sister to the first three and an aunt to Zebedee.
"Are you alright, you four?" asked Eragon with concern.
"Your skins have gone a funny colour under your feathers," put in Iris. Blu didn't answer, the shock of the news about Esmeralda gripping him hard. Then Athos managed to find the strength to speak.
"How did those two end up seriously attacked?" he demanded, "Did those toucans do this?"
As the question left her beak, more wing flaps reached the group's ears, pulling attention to a group of birds which turned out to be, to their surprise, a group of falcons and a red-tailed black cockatoo as they touched down onto the floor and began to take a minute to get their breath back for they had been flying so fast. With them was a lithe great green macaw.
"Ónix!?" cried Athos in disbelief, "And Cometa, Lightning, Orion, Velocity!? What…?"
"What are you lot doing here?" asked Jewel. Lightning put a wing up to tell her to be quiet until the newcomers got control of their breathing. Eragon examined the puffing and panting falcons, cockatoo and the great green macaw, Aramis.
"Looks like those guys have been flying a mile," he commented to the others. Then after finally regaining control of their breathing, the red-tailed black cockatoo, Ónix took the first turn to speak.
"We've managed to help Aramis and Esmeralda rescue that Spix macaw chick from a bunch of hoodlum toucans," she said. Shock and relief tore through Blu and company, especially Carla, Bia and Tiago.
"Did you manage to rescue our son?" blurted out Tiago as hope violently sparked within him. Cometa turned to him.
"We did, yes," she replied, "But it had been an UTTER nightmare. Hermione is outside trying to unlock his cage with…"
But before she could finish, Tiago had disappeared, followed by Carla and Bia, a trio of blue or cerulean blurs, eager to see the rescued chick and reunite with him. Blu, Jewel, Athos, Zephyr, Aurora, Zebedee and Iris, and also Zephyr and Aurora followed.
"Thanks for letting us know, Cometa," barked Athos as he left, leaving Cometa, Lightning, Orion, Ónix and Velocity standing with Eragon and Ruby. Then Orion, Velocity and Ónix's wings shot out.
"We're gonna follow them and make sure that Byron is freed from the cage as well," said Orion and with that, the two falcons and cockatoo were off while Ruby went to check on Petunia as she continued to wail in anguish for Esmeralda who was by now in the operating theatre, Aramis, his heart also flooded with utmost worry for his mate such that he had been unable to speak, following.
Carla, Bia and Tiago, together with Blu, Jewel, Zephyr, Aurora, Athos, Zebedee and Iris, and also Matilda, Porthos, Aramis and Phoebe, who had joined in with the hurrying group, all exploded through the main door entrance to Tulio's Aviary and rocketed outside to where a group of more falcons were gathered, a lump of metallic bars connecting two slabs of steel to each other and containing a familiar lump of blue feathers placed on the tarmac near a parking space or parking lot. Hermione was struggling with the padlock locking the door to the lump of bars and slabs using a paperclip to undo the lock, the chick in the cage looking on in utter desperation while some of the falcons in the gathering held the thing in place and trying to calm that chick inside. Hermione looked a right state. The merlin mate of Orion was covered in cuts and bruises and bald patches where feathers had been torn out, indicative that she had been in a vicious fight with someone. As Carla and company saw the gathering of falcons of various species, surprise struck them.
"Isn't that…?" began Carla.
"The Control de Plagas Squad," said Bia, finishing her sister's sentence. Then Tiago gazed at the chick in the cage and when recognition took hold, immense and indescribable relief tore through him and Matilda.
"BYRON!" cried the two together. The chick, which was indeed Byron, shot his parents a jubilant gaze.
"MOM, DAD!" he screeched. Hermione continued struggling with the padlock, a scowl on her face laced with determination to get the chick out of that cage as soon as possible. Then after a few more agonising seconds, a click was heard and the u-shaped mechanism of the padlock clicked out of the body. This done, another merlin, a male, rushed in, seized the padlock and tossed it aside while another falcon, one of the prairie species, opened the door. The moment the door was opened, a blue comet shot out of the cage and straight into the wings of his parents. Matilda and Tiago clasped their wings around Byron, sobbing with utmost relief that their son was safe and sound, the others looking on with relief as well. Cries of relief continued to erupt from the three macaws as the Control de Plagas Squad birds also looked on in amusement.
"Mom, Dad, I know you love me and that but can you let me breathe!?" protested Byron as he was almost crushed by his parents' embrace. His parents did so and slacked their wings. Then Matilda held her son by the head, tears falling from her eyes.
"We're sorry, son but you don't BELIEVE how RELIEVED we are to have you back," she cried, Tiago, also weeping, nodding in agreement.
"Absolutely," put in Bia as she stood with Virgil nearby, "We thought you would be gone forever like your sister and the other missing kids."
Byron just flashed his aunt and uncle a look before he was swept up into another hug by Carla and Justin, his other aunt and uncle before Bia and Virgil came in and joined the hug, followed by the others. Athos looked on at the reunion as Hermione limped in with Cometa, Velocity, Lightning and Orion. When he saw the state of Orion's mate, Athos felt horror flare within him.
"Hermione, look at the state of you!" he blurted out, "What happened?"
One of the other members of the squad, a kestrel, came in.
"While we were on an outing with Ónix and some other bird friends in the jungle," he explained, "We heard the sounds of distress nearby."
"And when we went to investigate," said Orion, his grief over the loss of his son Hunter pushed to the back of his mind, "We saw some toucans carry a cage through the trees."
As he said this, Athos, Zephyr, Aurora, Blu and Jewel came in with D'Artagnan, Sapphire, Porthos, Orquidea, Aramis, Esmeralda, Phoebe and Levi. Ónix also joined the group while Zephyr and Aurora left to join the reunion with Byron. Blu and Jewel will give their grandson their own hug a little later. In the background, a group of three cats and a greyhound, one of them carrying a bundle of paper sheets rolled up in its mouth, came rushing in and puffing and panting but none of the birds noticed their presence yet.
"Go on," said Blu.
"When we saw those toucans place that cage onto the forest floor," continued Velocity, her grief for Merlin's demise also pushed aside, and her daughter Zelda, along with Spike, Velocity and Orion's younger brother and Cometa and Lightning's youngest son, having been left in the care of a babysitter, "We saw what was in the cage and when we saw that it was a Spix macaw chick, we were horrified."
"That's when we went to help, especially when we saw two great green macaws, both of them being familiar to Hermione and her family, turn up," said another merlin. He then turned to Orion and Hermione and asked, "You knew those two macaws, didn't you?"
"Yes we did," said Hermione with Orion nodding in agreement. Blu and company's heads popped up. In the background, the three cats and greyhound got closer.
"And what happened next?" asked Jewel. At this question, the heads of the Control de Plagas Squad and Ónix all turned away and bowed, sombre looks forming on their faces.
"What happened next was a massive maelstrom," said Velocity in an edgy voice. This prompted glances to be exchanged between Blu and company. "When Esmeralda and Aramis went to seize the cage containing that blue macaw chick with us helping as soon as those deranged looking toucans had left, we were set upon by a bunch of corvid birds and dogs which we deduced were some of the poachers' pets."
Horrified gasps were drawn in throughout Blu's group. The three cats and greyhound also flinched in horror in the background.
"No," whispered Jewel for she did not want to believe that this was the second time Byron has faced kidnap from the poachers.
"We were forced to fight back," said Hermione as she began to shudder. The merlin then began to turn round to show Blu and company her many cuts, bruises and tattered plumage. Some of the other falcons also bore cuts, bruises and torn out feathers.
"This is the result of fighting so many of those savage crows and dogs," said Hermione as she finished her 360 degree turn, "They were honestly beastly birds and mammals, sort of like the bird-detesting colony flying foxes in the Amazon Orion and Velocity here told me and Merlin about when we paired up."
Velocity, Orion, Cometa and Lightning all nodded in agreement, much to the horror of Blu and company. At the window, Soren, Stella, Anabelle, Sebastian, Luna, Melissa and Augustus as they stood with Spyro, Marella and the two bat-birds, one of them being Garnet, all flinched at the mentioning of the barbaric colony of flying foxes. Then Cometa looked up, a sad gaze in her eyes.
"While these Control de Plagas Squad here," she said, gesturing to the falcons that bore the marks of the skirmish including Hermione, "kept the dogs and crows occupied, Lightning, Orion, Veloicty, myself and Ónix managed to escape with the cage containing that chick with Esmeralda and Aramis in tow but then…" the peregrine falcon trailed off, reluctant to say what happened next but Blu and company demanded to know.
"Then what?" asked Athos, the others listening. Cometa gazed at the group with tears falling from her eyes. She was clearly reluctant to answer this question but she had to. Her voice broke as she began to speak.
"We were set upon by some of those toucans and… and…" she said before emotions overwhelmed her so Lightning took over.
"They attacked us by throwing fruit and stones at us," he said, causing outrage to tear through Blu and company but nothing could prepare these birds for what Lightning said next, "One of the stones hit Esmeralda on the head and she was sent dropping to the forest floor where some of the crows got her."
"That was when she was viciously attacked," said Ónix, much to the horrified gasps of Blu's group. The three cats and the greyhound which were Broccoli, Collette, Daisy and James, also flinched in utter shock. Behind them, Ebony and some other cat and dog clubbers were running up to the quartet to check on them.
"Then Aramis went to save Esmeralda but he was attacked as well, though not to the same extent of his mate," said Velocity, "As such, he could not reach Esmeralda so she was at the mercy of her attackers. But before they could kill her, Hermione had launched herself at them and began to savagely and brutally slash and bite them to drive them away…"
It was then that Blu, Jewel, Zephyr, Aurora and Athos gazed down at Hermione's talons and saw that they were covered in dried blood and some black feathers, indicative that she had been in a very brutal fight indeed. Then a look of outrage came upon Hermione's face.
"And when I saw those toucans through the trees during that," she growled, her patchy plumage puffed out, "I screeched at them to help us but they just turned and fled, leaving us to deal with those furry and corvid beasts ourselves. Then as soon as we had driven away the crows and dogs with some of the Squad helping Aramis, we then rushed Esmeralda to Tulio's Aviary while Cometa and Lightning carried the cage containing that Spix macaw chick."
Then as soon as she had finished telling this spine-chilling story, applause erupted from Blu's group but then it ended abruptly.
"Well, I'm very proud of you falcons and you as well, Ónix, for helping Aramis and Esmeralda in rescuing Byron from certain capture from those poachers," said Blu with a firm face. He took some time to grieve for Esmeralda and hoped that she was alright before continuing, "And we are glad that our grandson is safely back with us but it's time we moved onto the next big thing, and that is discussing where Sandalwood and the other kids have been taken to…"
"But Blu," said Cometa, "That is easier said than done."
"Those chicks and flying fox pups could have been taken ANYWHERE!" put in Lightning. The other Control de Plagas Squad members and Ónix all nodded in agreement. That fact made Blu and company's faces fall, especially those of Stella and Soren and their family and also Carla, Bia, Tiago and their respective mates Justin, Virgil and Matilda. It was true. Sandalwood, along with Carla and Justin's daughter Spica, Matilda and Tiago's daughter and Byron's sister Bellatrix, Bia and Virgil's son Sirius and the other chicks could have been taken absolutely anywhere in the world, and the thought of them being scattered during the trading process made the agonising thought even worse. However, there was hope and it was right near them.
As Blu and company began to wallow in the despair of ever finding Sandalwood and the other kidnapped kids, a familiar voice reached their ears.
"I think that question might be answered by this science magazine, Blu and company," it said. Blu and the others all looked up and to their surprise; they saw a greyhound resembling Dash to a great extent walk in with a Veggie-like tabby cat and two female cats looking like an exact combination of Veggie and calico cat Catina. One of them was carrying something rolled up in his mouth.
"James, Broccoli, Collette, Daisy," said Blu with surprise.
"What are you four doing here?" asked Athos.
"You know this place is strictly forbidden to cats and dogs," added Jewel. James, Broccoli, Collette and Daisy approached Blu's group regardless and Broccoli came forward and set down the rolled up magazine.
"We're sorry to come here but we have something very important for you to see," said he firmly. Blu and company gazed at each other and went over to the magazine. From the window, Augustus, Melissa, Stella, Soren, Luna, Sebastian and Anabelle and also Spyro and Marella, after ordering Garnet and Marella's bat-bird to join Eragon, all fluttered or glided from the window ledge towards Broccoli and the magazine as Blu and company took it and opened the first page.