Chapter 83- something afoot
A few minutes later
Dash, Ginger, James, Esperanza, Danny, Avellana, Rusty, Worf and Ebony eventually arrived on the outskirts of Tulio's Aviary with the four macaw chicks they had found and rescued on the tourists' footpath leading through the forest riding on their backs. James carried Achernar; Dash carried Diego; Ebony carried Canopus and Esperanza carried Arcturus. All four chicks had either dozed off or had fallen asleep altogether due to the exhaustion that had built up from the trauma of getting kidnapped by the horrible toucans and escaping their kidnappers. As the seven younger greyhounds trotted ahead, Dash and Ginger with the former carrying Diego struggled to keep up. As soon as the seven younger greyhounds had stopped, Dash and Ginger walked wearily up behind them, puffing and panting.
"(Puffs, pants), you seriously need to slow down, my sons and daughters and you other two," puffed the ageing light grey greyhound as he plodded towards the side of Rusty and Avellana, his ageing legs struggling from fatigue.
"Yes," said Ginger as she stopped to regain her breath, "Your mother and father cannot trot as fast and as energetically as they used to when they were younger…"
She then entered an episode of puffing and panting. Dash then flashed a glance at Diego on his back as he slowly began to wake up, to make sure that he had not fallen off. Then Ginger came up to the seven younger greyhounds but when she saw that all seven of them were staring ahead with agape mouths and gawking eyes, she became confused.
"Something wrong?" asked she.
"There's commotion at Tulio's Aviary," said Avellana as she stood gawking at the building with Rusty. On Ebony's back, Canopus began to wake up.
"Has something happened?" asked James as he and Ebony also gazed in horror and dread at Tulio's Aviary. Dash and Ginger followed James, Esperanza, Danny, Avellana, Rusty, Worf and Ebony's gazes and saw that Tulio's Aviary's entrance was blocked by a small crowd of humans when Worf noticed something else parked close to the building. When he recognised the vehicle, horror flared within him.
"Guys, LOOOK!" he cried and pointed a paw. The other greyhounds followed Worf's point and to their immense surprise, they saw a large red truck with blue flashing lights and bright fluorescent colours marking its sides parked outside the building. Then the urge to investigate, along with dread, sparked within the seven young greyhounds and without warning, the air above the group was flooded with the pattering of greyhound paws as James and the other six, on the way those with chicks on their backs yelling at them to hang on, jolting them awake, dashed off. Dash and Ginger were forced to follow as they were left behind again.
"Hang on," barked Dash, "WAIT FOR US!"
He then turned to Diego on his back and said, "Hold on!" and rushed off with Ginger. Diego woke up but before he could ask, he felt Dash's body jerk as he launched into a hasty rush after the other seven greyhounds with Ginger, making him shriek with surprise and hang on.
"What's going on, Mr Dash!?" shouted Diego. Dash and Ginger did not answer and continued rushing after James, Ebony and the other five younger greyhounds towards Tulio's Aviary.
As the nine greyhounds approached the small crowd of humans gathered outside Tulio's Aviary, small groups of people breaking away from it as those groups climbed into their jeeps and cars and drove off, they all screeched to a halt. James managed to stop Achernar from flying forward off him by raising his head as he braked abruptly. By this time, all four chicks were awake, having been jolted out of their doze by the greyhounds' sudden movements.
"What's going on?" asked Achernar groggily before releasing a yawn.
"I don't know, little one," said James as he examined the splintering crowd of humans, "But by the look of things, it's not good."
"Especially with that fire truck parked outside the building," said Worf worriedly. This was met by dreaded looks from the other greyhounds including Dash and Ginger as they plodded along and caught up with the younger seven, Dash carrying Diego on his back.
"I hope Tulio's Aviary hasn't caught…" began Dash but before her could say the 'f' word, a shout erupted from nearby. All nine greyhounds' gazes were yanked in the direction of the shouter and to their surprise; they saw a group of small birds, many of them covered in bandages and plasters, struggle past the crowd of humans and rush towards the group. Dash recognised the few macaws at the front but as they melted into view as they came closer, he and the other greyhounds were horror-stricken when they saw the state of the macaws.
As the macaws at the front which were Porthos, Athos, Roberto and Brisa accompanied by Kira, were within a few metres of the greyhounds, Diego and Achernar immediately spotted their relatives. Joy exploded within them and they cried out, "MOM, DAD, UNCLES, AUNTS, GRANDPA, GRANDMA!" took off from James and Dash's backs and rushed straight towards them. Canopus and Arcturus also darted off of Ebony and Esperanza's backs when they saw their relatives, among them Tristan, Trixie, Aiden and Neytiri. The greyhounds then looked on as the four chicks were reunited with their parents and relatives. Kira hugged Diego and Achernar while Tristan, Neytiri, Aiden and Trixie hugged Canopus and Arcturus tightly, before the four chicks were then hugged by their other relatives and family friends. While this went on, Dash examined the state of the macaws and found that all of them were covered in bandages and plasters and bald patches where feathers had been ripped out, and that either one or both of their wings were missing their fought feathers. As he examined the macaws with horror, Phoebe and Cobalto came in and gave him and the other greyhounds a big hug of thanks.
"Oh, well done, my greyhound friends for bringing back four more of our missing kids," said Phoebe jubilantly. Roberto also came in and hugged Ginger and some of the other greyhounds while the other macaws issued the dogs massive thanks. As Roberto broke the hug with Ebony, Ginger began to ask the most important questions.
"What's going on?" she asked, "And what has happened to you lot?"
"And where are Blu and Jewel?" put in James. Dash, Esperanza, Danny, Avellana, Rusty, Worf and Ebony also looked on worriedly. Then Roberto gave them a dreaded look.
"There's a fire spreading in the sanctuary," he said. This sent disbelief tearing through the greyhounds.
"WHAT!?" barked all nine of them at once.
"A FIRE!?" blurted out Dash incredulously. As he yelled this, Broccoli, Daisy and Collette, also covered in bandages and plasters and bald patches where fur had been torn out, came in. Worf examined the macaws' state.
"You look like you've been in a fight," he said.
"This was the toucans' work," snapped Porthos as he gazed at himself, his wings and the plumages of the other macaws, and also his own bandaged talon, an injury he had sustained during the cottage incident.
"We were supposed to be stargazing when all of a sudden, a group of those toucans attacked us and stole our kids," added Roberto who was missing some feathers from his signature crest.
"Yes," snarled Broccoli as he, Collette and Daisy stopped, outraged scowls on their faces, "Marco, Anastasia, Sofia and their other equally spiteful siblings and in-laws and kids were among them. They attacked us, stole the kids and left many of these poor birds," he nodded to the macaws, "in a right state."
"They cannot fly due to torn out primary wing feathers thanks to those toucans," added Collette furiously and with that, Kira came forward and showed the greyhounds her tattered wings to back up the caliby (tabby calico mix) cat's point. Dash gazed at her tattered wings and those of the other macaws when they also showed the greyhounds.
"I see what you mean," he said worriedly. Then Kira returned to the group.
"And now we are stuck here with extreme worry for our other missing kids now that a fire is spreading through the sanctuary," grumbled she distressfully, her voice threatening to break.
"And Blu and the others with them have gone into the forest to find and rescue them," put in Roberto. He worried for Jewel, Aurora, Zephyr and Blu especially for they were like his closest friends and two of them were the brother and sister-in-law of Brisa, and she shuddered at the thought of losing them along with the missing kids as well. The greyhounds flinched in disbelief.
"Blu and the others have left to find those kids in THAT INFERNO!?" blurted out Ginger.
"B-b-but what if they end up caught in that fire?" asked Avellana.
"It's a dangerous risk they are taking," added James. The other greyhounds nodded in agreement. As Avellana said this, Eragon and Andromeda came in, severe frowns on their faces.
"It IS a dangerous risk," said the female archaeobird in a low voice, pulling the greyhounds' attention to her and her mate, "but those other kids are amongst our most precious treasures."
"We've lost over half of the kids once," said Eragon in an equally stern tone, "thanks to those toucans and if we lose any of them again, it's gonna cause a severe heartbreak and this time, with possible further complications."
Then Andromeda's wing claws went to her face and she began to shudder.
"And as to how that fire had started in the first place, I'll never know," she cried in a splintered voice, "but one thing is certain: something or rather SOMEONE must have mishandled that dangerous force and allowed it to run wild," she lowered her wings and gazed at the greyhounds and the macaws, "and THAT is gonna spell devastating and DIRE consequences for the sanctuary and everyone in it."
"It's not any of those humans, is it?" asked Danny timidly and worriedly. He flinched as a number of angry glares from the macaws were directed at the humans.
"I hope not," growled Roberto, the remains of his crest flaring out as his scowl bore into the talking humans, among them Tulio, "As this will be the last time I'll be visiting a human city along with my offspring and grandkids, I can tell you."
"Absolutely," put in Brisa in agreement. Kira and some of the other wild-born macaws nodded in agreement. Andromeda and Eragon also shot the humans a suspicious glare and wore agreeing faces. Then Dash darted in to restrain things.
"Now wait a minute before we jump to any conclusions…" he began but Brisa cut him off.
"I'm sorry Dash, but we can't risk facing another fiery catastrophe," she snapped, "We were almost killed in the previous fire in the Sanctuary de Amazon and we can't endanger ourselves or our friends and relatives again. And in the fire before that, Jewel, Zephyr, my mother Gael, father Tornado and I were torn from the Spix tribe," Brisa breathed an angry sigh and continued, "as were Ruby, Esmeralda and several other macaws. We actually assumed our tribes to have DIED in that fire until we were alerted that they were alive and well, along with Tornado and Gael but that's another story altogether."
"Fire is DEADLY and ABSOLUTELY DESTRUCTIVE if allowed to escape its containment and run amok," said Eragon with emphasis on the negative words, "And if you end up trapped in a burning forest, your chances of survival are often slim."
"That's right," said Roberto in agreement, "And that is what we want to avoid in future," his gaze then turned to Tulio and his team, and hostility boiled within it, "Especially if any of THAT lot are responsible for this fire's start, either carelessly or deliberately."
As Roberto said this, Aramis and Esmeralda came in with Petunia and Benjamin. They were still waiting for Aldebaran and Altair's return.
"Er, about that," said Aramis, "I don't believe any of those humans are responsible for this fire."
All eyes turned to the slender great green macaw named after the slim Musketeer.
"How do you know?" asked Brisa. The greyhounds exchanged glances and shrugged.
"One of the humans had packed a box of matches," said Petunia, "and he was going straight to his daughter's place to celebrate her… wedding anniversary I think it was with a barbeque from his shift…"
"Barbeque?" repeated Andromeda curiously for it was another human term she and Eragon were unfamiliar with.
"It's an event and gathering organised by humans, usually to celebrate special occasions or to have a get together," explained Petunia, "and in that event, a special cooking device called a grill is used to cook meat or other food," she then resumed her main explanation, "and that human man wanted to avoid rushing back home to get those matches and then rush to his daughter's place…"
"He needed those matches to start up the fire in the barbeque grill," said Aramis, "But while we were at the Vista Chinesa, Altair removed the box of matches from his bag but we scolded him to leave them alone. And Bill, which is that man's name, did return that box of matches to his bag. I have seen him do that."
"But the next thing we and that group of humans knew, especially that man," added Benjamin, "the box of matches had mysteriously disappeared from the bag."
Glances were exchanged between the listeners but before Roberto could ask, Esmeralda continued the explanation. "We don't know how those matches had gone missing but we know that something, or rather someone had snaffled them somehow while all our backs were turned…"
"It wasn't some group of toucans, was it?" asked Ebony in a suspicious voice. The others also hardened their glares but Aramis and mate, daughter and scarlet son-in-law shrugged their shoulders.
"We don't know," said Esmeralda, "We weren't looking when it happened."
"And Bill panicked after finding that box missing," said Aramis, "and him and his group are just as befuddled as we are over its disappearance…"
This was replied with speechlessness from the listeners including Roberto and Brisa and also Andromeda and Eragon. However, the silence was broken when the group heard Tulio bark orders to a group of vets to prepare the medical room for potential casualties. Aramis felt it was time to return to the room.
"Well, we need to be back inside," he said, "We shouldn't be out here, anyway and I can see Tulio's getting more and more flustered by the minute," he turned to Dash and the other greyhounds, "We'd like to thank you dogs for finding four more of our missing kids and bringing them back to us and I sure hope Blu and the others will manage to find the others before the fire gets to them…"
"We'll keep you informed," said Dash. Ginger, James, Esperanza, Danny, Avellana, Rusty, Worf and Ebony nodded in agreement.
"Yes, please do," said Roberto in a flustered voice and with that, the macaws, Andromeda and Eragon prepared to return inside with the other casualties and the birds still present, taking the four chicks Dash and the other greyhounds had managed to find with them. Broccoli, Daisy and Collette also flashed the greyhounds a stern look and followed the birds.
As the group left, Ginger shot the other greyhounds a worried look.
"It's obvious that something or someone has stolen that human called Bill's matches, folks," she said, "but I know for a fact that it can't be one or some of the Blu Bird Sanctuary residents for they would NEVER play with fire or anything that start fires anyway…"
"I reckon some of those wretched toucans excluding Rafael, Eva, Tom, Diantha and the other toucans who have a great amount of sense might have got hold of those matches somehow," said Ebony in a growl.
"How can you tell?" asked James. Ebony hardened her scowl.
"I just have the feeling that some of those naughty toucans might be behind the starting of the fire," said the black greyhound.
"Look, Ebony, we don't know how the fire got its start and we certainly cannot jump to conclusions," replied Dash, but the suspicious scowl never left Ebony's face. Dash rolled his eyes. "Let's just keep an eye on things and provide Roberto and the others updates of what's happening, okay?"
Ebony nodded and with that, the greyhounds left to the side of Tulio's Aviary and began to watch Tulio's group as it continued to fissure away in small groups as more humans left to carry out their duties in stopping the fire or search for any animal casualties to bring back to Tulio's Aviary.
Meanwhile
Sandalwood continued rushing through the forest; a part that had not been kindled by the fire that Sandalwood was unaware was spreading through the forest, tears flying from his eyes like a water sprinkler and his mouth emitting distraught sobs.
"Sandalwood!" cried two voices behind him, obviously Vega and Regulus'. However, Sandalwood was too blinded by distress to hear them. He then went over to the base of a large boulder, ran into it and turned round so that his back was to the stone's face and slid down it, his eyes continuously weeping tears like a waterfall.
"Sandalwood!" cried the two Lear's macaw chicks' voices and within moments, the two navy blue macaw chicks with eye rings and beak lappets and a teal tinge marking their facial and neck feathers, characteristic of their species, appeared through some ferns and touched down before Sandalwood as he began to really cry his eyes out.
"Sandalwood!" said Regulus and Vega but as they approached him, Sandalwood blurted at them to stay back.
"Go AWAY!" wailed the amber flying fox pup tearfully, "I'm NOTHING BUT A USELESS FLIGHTLESS COWARDLY BRAT OF A BAT… and a BURDEN TO EVERYONE ELSE!"
This pulled on the heartstrings of the two Lear's chicks and they tried to console the pup.
"That's NOT TRUE," snapped Vega. She then felt a flash of outrage against Connie for calling Sandalwood a brat and chiding his fear of heights and flying. She and Regulus planned on shunning the grey-headed flying fox pup for a while for burning Sandalwood with those offensive remarks and hoped that she would be disciplined. However, that aside, they began to focus on patching up Sandalwood's opened wounds.
"You're NOT a brat at all," cried Regulus pleadingly, "And you're certainly NOT A BURDEN, OR USELESS, OR A COWARD!"
"YES I AAAM!" bellowed Sandalwood and with that, he entered another uncontrollable episode of hard sobbing.
"Look, you've been brave countless times," begged Vega, her face twisted as Sandalwood released an ear-piercing, glass-shattering wail, "You've managed to rescue Sugilite from… getting eaten by those caracals and servals at that so-called Paradise Sanctuary place…"
"And you've helped to uncover the ugly truth under the Paradise Sanctuary's appearance of being a conservation group!" put in Vega.
"Not to mention help rescue Mr BLU from that savage caracal leader," added Regulus. However, still Sandalwood continued to sob loud and uncontrollably. The two Lear's siblings glared at each other, scowls on their faces.
"I'm gonna throttle that Connie when we reunite," snarled Vega bitterly.
"Same here, sis," said Regulus equally angrily. The two macaws then continued to watch Sandalwood helplessly as he continued to cry and wail like a newborn flying fox pup. Tears continued to fly everywhere from his eyes and he kept burying his face in his black membranous wings. The two Lear's macaws then tried to console the bat pup but he refused their comfort, yelling at them to go away, leaving the two no choice but to wait until Sandalwood's eruption of emotions calmed down, but to watch and hear him have a meltdown really tore their hearts into two and their desire to give Connie a piece of their mind to flare up even more. However, Sandalwood's constant wailing which carried and echoed through the dark jungle had attracted the attention of something; something sinister.
As Vega and Regulus continued to wait for Sandalwood to calm down, the former asked, "Where in the forest are we?"
Regulus, dread welling within him but then he gazed skyward through the canopy, an idea having entered his head.
"Wait here with Sandalwood while I fly through the canopy to determine our location, Vega," said he, "I'll not be long."
And with that, he spread his wings and took off upward through the canopy, leaving Vega to look after the still-sobbing Sandalwood. Regulus ascended through the trees until he finally reached the open air above the treetops. Movement in the trees indicated the presence of nocturnal animals and their business but Regulus was not interested in stopping and watching them. His main priority was gauging his, Vega and Sandalwood's location. As soon as he was above the treetops, the starry and moonlit sky hanging over him like a curtain with the moonlight bathing the treetops in a silvery ocean, Regulus began to do a full-circle scan. A faint flow hovered above the treeline in one direction. This glow was yellow and Regulus saw that it was emanating from the city of Rio but then he thought he saw another glow out of the corner of his eye. Immediately, he turned his gaze in that glow's direction. This glow seemed unusual for Regulus could not see any city lights. Furthermore, the glow was more orange and Regulus noticed some strange columns of clouds rise from the orange light, which he assumed were just sky clouds. However, scepticism made him doubt that conclusion. Clouds, all the way down to the treetops? That didn't seem right at all and Regulus saw that the clouds were completely opaque and blotted out the moon like a screen.
While Regulus continued examining the treetops above, Vega waited anxiously on the forest floor for her brother's return while Sandalwood's sobbing began to die down, the pressure of emotions finally having eased off, much to her gladness. However, her worry was now on Regulus.
"What's taking bro so long?" asked she in a low voice. As she continued to wait, she turned to Sandalwood whose eyes were red and bloodshot from crying so much.
"You alright now, Sandalwood?" asked Vega. Sandalwood, the tiredness from crying so much gripping him, shook his head for the hurt from Connie's scathing remarks had stabbed him deep like splinters or porcupine vines.
"No," whined the flying fox pup in a fragile voice, "I've really caused everyone trouble."
"Sandy, you haven't," said Vega but Sandalwood swept on.
"Yes I have," he said, "First I follow those stupid toucan chicks who tied me up and threw me off the end of the branch, then I land everyone in trouble with the poachers by wandering away from the rest of the group by following a butterfly, and now I burden everyone with my inability to fly… I'm HONESTLY the worst flying fox to have around…"
"You are NOT!" snapped Vega irritably, masking Sandalwood flinch and shoot her a surprised gaze, "Think about all the brave things you've done, Sandalwood. You've saved Sugilite and Blu from those caracals and servals like we've said before; you've stood up to that fiendish chameleon, and you've unravelled the Paradise Sanctuary's heinously true aims…"
Sandalwood just gazed at Vega with tear-stained red eyes as the Lear's macaw chick continued.
"You come from an AWESOME family of flying foxes, Sandy," continued she, "According to what Mr Augustus, your grandpa, told us, they have done some AMAZING things!"
Sandalwood continued to gaze at Vega as she launched into a recap of the heroic things his family had done especially during the reign-of-terror of the flying fox colony with the bird tribes and clans living under the dark cloud of its threat.
"Your granddad, grandma, mom, aunt and uncle have kept the bird tribes and clans informed of their colony's plans to drive them out of their homes as well as help them in the Great War for the Sanctuary while your grandmother's cousin, along with the parents of your dad and other aunt, Mrs Anabelle, had helped to keep many other birds safe and hidden from the evil colony with some other flying foxes who had been against the colony's false teachings about birds."
As Vega mentioned Lily, who had been Sandalwood's first cousin, twice removed, and her heroic efforts in protecting a lot of birds from bloody slaughter from the rest of the flying fox colony, as well as the parents of Soren and Anabelle, the former who was Sandalwood's own father who had been a pup at the time, along with the latter who was the mother of Acerola and Ferdinand, had assisted in those daring efforts along with several other flying foxes who had been against the colony's teachings about the birds of the Amazon, Sandalwood's emotional storm began to slowly die down and he began to listen to the story. Vega continued until she finally finished with, "And so if your grandparents, mother, aunt and uncle, as well as Mrs Lily and also the parents of your dad and Mrs Anabelle had done all that, then that means you have the potential to do something heroic as well."
Sandalwood tipped his head to one side.
"But what about my ability to fly?" he asked.
"That will come eventually," said Vega with encouragement, "But you must have courage."
Suddenly, she spotted something odd though the trees.
"B-b-but," began Sandalwood but Vega cut him off by putting up a wing in a 'Shh' gesture. "Vega?" asked Sandalwood confused. Vega didn't reply but went off to investigate what she had seen. Wondering what had caught Vega's attention, Sandalwood followed. As the pair left, Regulus had returned, but he wore a look of dread on his face.
"I don't like the looks of that cluster of thick black columns but…" he began but when he saw that Vega and Sandalwood had disappeared upon touchdown, Regulus was gripped by confusion.
"Sis, Sandalwood?" asked he, shooting confused looks about the area. Suddenly, a pair of loud screams erupted from nearby, making Regulus launch himself a good metre in the air. As he landed back on the soil, he shot a horrified gaze in the direction of the screams.
"Sandalwood, Vega!?" he called even more nervously. As he gazed in the screams' direction, a few small figures appeared. Regulus turned round just in time to be greeted by the figures but before he could act, the figures were upon him and he let loose a scream as well.