Chapter 88- a life-and-death rescue
While the orange glow continued to hover menacingly above the treeline surrounding the clearing with smoke belching into the sky, Dalek and his little toucan 'accomplices' had just begun to gag Bellatrix and the others with the extra vines they had found and gathered. However, the chameleon had ordered some of the toucan chicks, who were obviously totally blinded to Dalek's villainy by their naiveté, to remove Bellatrix and rebind her while he and some of the other toucan chicks gagged the other six macaws on the log for Dalek was planning on killing Bellatrix separately. As Bellatrix was removed from between Polaris and Vega, dragged away and then retied by some of the toucan chicks, some of them holding the parrot feather-decorated torches (flames on branches), Bellatrix began to viciously struggle but she soon found her wings bound to her sides first by a number of pairs of toucan chick wings and then a tough vine as it was wrapped around her midsection. Sylvester, Aldebaran, Polaris, Vega, Regulus, Katniss, Sandalwood, Connie and Ferdinand looked on fearfully as they watched Bellatrix fiercely struggle in the grasp of the toucan chicks while Dalek and some of his other accomplices bound their beaks and mouths shut with the vines.
"Bellatri-!" began Vega as she was cut off when her beak was tied tight shut by two of the toucan chicks by Dalek's orders. Vega was then gagged by a piece of vine as Dalek let loose a hissy laugh at her terror-saturated eyes. Then Dalek turned to Regulus but he wasn't having any of this and kept snapping his beak at the toucan chicks and the chameleon defiantly as they tried to tie his beak shut, and one of his beak snaps managed to catch the talon of one of the toucan chicks, making him yelp and jolt backward. While Dalek and company continued to struggle with Regulus, the toucan chicks continued to gag the others. But as they got to Sandalwood, Ferdinand and Connie, Dalek ordered them to remove Sandalwood and Connie and bind them as well for he wanted to kill the two flying foxes separately, along with Bellatrix, which they did. As Sandalwood and Connie were pulled from their binds away from Ferdinand, who was restrained to prevent him from escaping much to his distress, Sandalwood began to hurl disgusted remarks at Dalek.
"You know what I think, Dalek!?" growled the amber flying fox as he was thrown facedown onto the partially grassy floor before he was then pinned down by toucan chick talons. Dalek turned his devilish gaze at Sandalwood, who then took the opportunity to insult the chameleon. His eyes then began to blaze green fire as they glared furiously at Dalek and as their owner began to struggle and writhe under the toucan chicks as they tried to restrain him, one of them holding a torch.
"You're twisted, did you know that, you scaly slowworm?" the flying fox pup hissed, jerking his head to one side as a toucan chick wing went to his head to hold him down, "You're as twisted as my psychotic great-uncle Cicatriz," at the mentioning of Cicatriz's name, Ferdinand, as he mouth was gagged, flashed his cousin a surprised look. Bellatrix and the other six birds did the same. Sandalwood then hardened his volcanic look at Dalek as the chameleon returned his glare with a fiendish grimace.
"In fact, you're more of a cross of Cicatriz and that devious exotic bird-hating cockatoo who used to smuggle birds out of Brazil, known as Nigel," continued Sandalwood, but then he flinched when Dalek let loose a loud rancorous hiss at the mentioning of Nigel, accompanied by the chameleon's trembling of pure rage.
"Dalek as heard of that Nigel cockatoo?" asked Bellatrix with surprise but then she flinched when Dalek's volcanic, rancorous glare moved to her and her toucan chick holders soon gagged her. Sandalwood, however, did not care about this and continued to glare at Dalek. His anger then began to boil dangerously within him.
"YOU want to see all PARROTS SUFFER, don't you!?" he bellowed, "YOU want to kill EVERY PARROT YOU COME ACROSS, don't YA!?"
"Especially after those three parrots displaced you from your beloved spot as your former owner's favourite pet," put in Connie as she was held by three toucan chicks. At the mentioning of his shattered life as a beloved pet of that boy, Dalek began to tremble all the more. His turret-like eyes became blazing infernos like the fire he had manipulated some of the toucan chicks into starting tearing through the Blu Bird Sanctuary and without hesitation, he ordered his little accomplices into binding Sandalwood and Connie, which they did. Sandalwood and Connie let loose whimpers as their mouths were gagged shut by the vines. This done, the toucan chicks set the three kids aside while the other toucan chicks and Dalek finished off gagging the other seven, finishing at Ferdinand but not before he lashed out and bit one of the toucan chicks on the arm part of the wing while she held the flying fox pup's head against the log while two other toucan chicks gagged him with the vine. The toucan chick then grasped her bitten wing as it began to bleed a bit.
"Snappy furball with wings," she hissed, much to Ferdinand's enraged flash of his eyes. As soon as all ten kids were gagged, Dalek began to rally his toucan chick accomplices together to discuss the next part of his plans: how to kill the kids. However, he and his accomplices hadn't noticed Sylvester, who was above Polaris on the log; begin to use his talons, which were close to Polaris' binds, to help her s uirm out of her binds.
While Dalek and his accomplices began their discussion on how to kill Bellatrix and company, Rafael continued leading Blu, Jewel, Zephyr, Aurora, Carla, Bia, Spinel, Diantha, Tom, Augustus, Melissa, Stella and Soren to where he had found Bellatrix, Sandalwood and the other eight in the clutches of Dalek and some of the toucan chicks.
"This is HONESTLY like our rush to the Spix tribe's ravine after hearing from your falcon friends that your offspring and the evacuated birds had become in severe danger by those bats that had managed to find that place!" snarled Augustus as he flapped his membranous wings like mad.
"It feels like that chameleon that had kidnapped me, Carla, Tiago, Finn, Jasmine, Aiden, Stella and Spyro back at that pseudo-conservation area is another incarnate of that horrible cockatoo Nigel," growled Bia.
"I think he must have stowed away on that plane back to Rio with us," said Carla.
"And may have tried to smother you and Jewel with that cloth thing while you were sleeping," added Stella to Blu and his mate, "I guess Sandalwood and Katniss hadn't been playing a trick on us with their wild screaming after all."
"Oh, forget about that incident, Stella," said Blu, "And let's just focus on saving Bellatrix and the others."
Stella nodded and resumed flying on with Soren right behind her.
"I hope we're not too late!" cried Melissa hysterically, tears of terror flooding her eyes and dripping from them. She had images of Sandalwood and the others being tortured and other horrible things done to them at the clutches of those toucan chicks and their 'leader' flash in her mind.
"Are we nearly there yet, Uncle Rafael?" asked Spinel, Diantha and Tom flying alongside her. Rafael didn't answer and continued leading the group in the direction of the clearing where Dalek and his group were with Bellatrix and company.
Dalek continued his discussion with his toucan chick 'accomplices' using gestures and points with his pad-like hands as to how Sandalwood and the others were to be 'dealt with', as the next part of their 'game'. As Vega and Regulus, their beaks gagged, watched fearfully, Sylvester had managed to help Polaris struggle out of the binds. However, he knew he didn't have time to free Vega and Regulus. One was enough, and as soon as Polaris had seized the vines gagging her beak shut and removed them, she began to speak. She also flashed a glance at Dalek and his toucan 'accomplices' as they continued their discussion and also the toucan chicks holding a bound and gagged Sandalwood, Connie and Bellatrix, as she struggled to free her talons from the hard binds. After one final tug, Polaris was completely free and as soon as she was, she climbed up, she turned to Vega and Regulus.
"Now to untie you," whispered she but before she could start untying the two Lear's macaw chicks, they insisted that she flee and get help. Though their beaks were bound, they managed to get some muffled words out.
"No, you go get help and make sure you get it fast," said Vega through her bound beak. Then Regulus stole a terrified glance at Dalek and his accomplices.
"There isn't much time. That psycho chameleon's gonna put his murderous plans into action any second," he added, his beak just moving to shape his voice into words. Aldebaran and Sylvester also insisted that Polaris fly for it, grunts emitting through their bound beaks to reinforce the Lear's chicks' message. Polaris, though she was weighed down with the reluctance of leaving the others, nodded, spread her wings and lofted into flight. Vega, Regulus, Aldebaran and Sylvester, together with Ferdinand and Katniss who were the last two in the lower row due to Sandalwood and Connie being removed and bound separately, looked on hopefully as they saw Finnick and Kira's daughter hastily flap off into the night air like a pale purple-blue comet. Bellatrix, Connie and Sandalwood also saw the flash of purple-blue of Polaris as she made her hasty escape, hope welling within them.
Polaris continued towards the row of trees and began to ascend towards the treetops. However she hadn't ascended as far as the half way point of the wall of trees' heights surrounding the clearing when a shout made her heart drop and freeze her blood.
"HEEEEY!" called the shout of multiple young toucan voices, accompanied by a massive chameleon hiss. Polaris, dread igniting within her in the form of a burst of adrenaline in her body, snapped a terrified gaze behind her and to her UTMOST horror, saw a small group of about four or five orbs of fire ascend after her. Sandalwood and the others also looked on, their hearts dropping as Polaris, adrenaline taking over, began to flap her wings faster as the group of six toucan chicks, five of them holding five of the parrot feather-decorated torches, took off after her as sent by Dalek. Then the volcanic eruption of the adrenaline release fully took hold of Polaris and she felt the urge to fly faster take control. Letting loose a short shriek, especially in response to the beyond-mischievous faces of her six toucan chick pursuers and the dangerous torches held by five of them, the terrified Spix macaw chick, fearing for her life, accelerated her ascent. However, Polaris was soon forced to enter the tree wall when the fight against gravity began to seriously put strain on her wing muscles and tire her out, so she broke off the ascent and rocketed into the trees with her six toucan chick pursuers following. As soon as Polaris had vanished into the trees with her six pursuers in hot pursuit, Dalek, a fiendish look of pure insanity lacing his face in the form of a psychotic grimace, then clapped his pad-hands to the toucan chicks that it was time to implement his plans, and the toucan chicks dispersed and flapped over to the still-bound macaw chicks and Ferdinand, six of them still on the log and Connie, Sandalwood and Bellatrix held and bound separately, as they began to shudder. Dalek then ordered the toucan chicks holding the three separated kids to bring them over to him for he was going to take these three for himself (and kill). Sandalwood and the others shuddered as they were soon enveloped by as blanket of crow-cackling black and red-cream fronted forms with colourful big beaks and torches.
Polaris continued her frantic flight through the dark trees, the fingers of the fire still flickering in the background and sending fumes of smoke into the night sky but it won't be long until the sea of flames spread in this direction as well, and Polaris could smell the polluting stench of the smoke which caused her to cough and splutter but she still continued on. Behind her, the six toucan chicks, give of them holding torches, continued to chase her through the branches. However, as the six pursuers of Polaris continued to fly through the trees, the flames of some of the torches came into contact with the leaves and twigs of some of the branches and a few of them were ignited, small threads of smoke rising lazily from the new progeny flames as they began to grow larger and brighten as they began to hungrily consume their food. Polaris flashed a glance at her chasers and saw that the flames on their sticks were igniting some of the branches of the surrounding trees. With a shriek, she fluttered on, continuously ascending through the canopy towards the treetops, and within a while, she was finally out of the sea of trees and in the air. Fortunately, Polaris' trajectory was right in the path of a group of certain adult birds and flying foxes. Rafael, Blu, Jewel, Carla, Bia, Zephyr, Aurora, Spinel, Diantha, Tom, Augustus, Melissa, Stella and Soren continued rocketing in the direction of the clearing.
"We're almost there," called Rafael but then Diantha spotted something below them.
"Dad, guys, LOOOK!" she shouted. All eyes followed Diantha's gaze and sure enough, they spotted what appeared to be small, glowing orange fireflies flying above the treetops and ascending continuously. Then a scream sounded from the group of fireflies, making Rafael's group stop to listen.
"That sounds like a distressed chick," said Carla.
"Bellatrix?" asked Bia.
"And what's with those orange things flying along?" asked Jewel, but then an awful look appeared on Zephyr's face as dread began to take hold. Then Carla's green gaze slowly turned as dread, but for a different reason, also overtook her and looked at Bia and also Spinel, Diantha and Tom.
"I believe it's ONE OF FINNICK AND KIRA'S CHICKS!" she screeched, "We'd better intercept those FIREFLY THINGS, QUICK!"
Then without a second's hesitation, Carla was off, a cerulean and turquoise blur. Bia followed with Zephyr, Aurora, Spinel, Diantha, Tom, and last of all, Stella, Soren, Melissa, Augustus, Blu, Jewel and Rafael close behind. Zephyr flew so fast that he caught up to Carla, his dread boiling more as he had identified those little firefly-like orbs to be balls of fire.
"I hope those fire sticks' carriers aren't who I THINK IT IS…" screeched Aurora's mate. Rafael flew alongside him and Carla, the colour under his facial feathers having gone deathly pale. Then as soon as the group was close enough to the orange orbs, everything became clear. Carla spotted a light blue-purple streak and immediately recognised her.
"POLARIS!" She screeched and rocketed off to intercept her, the others following. Polaris heard the cry of a familiar adult Spix macaw and turned in the direction of the caller and recognised a plump, cerulean macaw flying towards her. Immediately, the Spix macaw chick swerved upward and rocketed towards the macaw which was Carla.
"Aunt CARLA!" she screeched as she flapped like mad towards the macaw at the front of the group of incoming cloud of adult birds, the six toucan chicks, five of them with torches, pursuing her but totally unaware that they were being unintentionally led toward a group of adult birds, among them their own grandfather, and one of their aunts and uncles who had more sense than they did. Furthermore, as the toucan chicks ascended, the fireballs burning on the tips of their branches blew down and dangerously close to them as they pursued Polaris upward again, right near their wing and head feathers, but still they continued their chase of Polaris with absolutely no awareness of this danger, the adrenaline of the chase having blinded them. Then as soon as Carla and Polaris collided, the two shared a hug with Blu, Jewel, Aurora and Bia joining. As they did that, Zephyr flew in, gazed a split-second at the reunion before shooting a fierce glare at Polaris' chasers but the moment his green eyes landed on them, his heart, and the hearts of the others especially Rafael, Diantha and Tom, dropped like stones and their bloods turned into ice, and Diantha actually let loose a piercing scream. Jewel did the same as her teal eyes also landed on the burning fireballs on the ends of the sticks held by five of the six black and cream-red feathered, big beaked bird chicks.
As the six toucan chicks, five of them holding the torches, continued to chase Polaris towards Blu's group, the flames then kindled onto the wing feathers of the torch carriers and they began to let loose screams of terror and agony as the fire began to consume their wings. In the process, the burning sticks dropped from their wings and straight towards the forest while the five toucan chicks dived down towards some of the branches to try and put the fire on their wings out. As the sticks fell, Augustus, Melissa, Stella and Soren happened to catch a glimpse of a few colourful dashes tied to the ends of the torches but as recognition took over, the four flying foxes felt their stomachs jolt violently.
"So NAUGHTY AND OFFENSIVE!" shouted Augustus as a flash of outrage flared within him upon recognising the parrot feathers tied to the ends of the torches. Then Stella glared at the toucan chicks as they disappeared through the canopy, their wings on fire and screams of agony erupting from them.
"Well, THAT DOES IT!" she shouted equally outraged. Rafael had also seen the feathers tied to the ends of the torches as they were swallowed up by the trees, the flames flickering behind them like comets, and felt his stomach lurch as well. This was clearly the final leaf he had for the majority of his grandchildren, but then he returned his attention to the main task, especially as Polaris began to frantically explain to Blu and the others, her pale blue eyes laced with terror.
"You'd BETTER COME WITH ME NOW!" she cried, "Sandalwood, Bellatrix and seven others! They've been tied up by that psycho-chameleon and those toucan chicks, some of them armed with the branches with fire burning on one end. They're gonna KILL THEM!"
Carla and Bia shot Blu and the others a horrified look.
"Psycho-cham…" began the two but Blu ignored them and yelled at Polaris urgently to take the group there PRONTO! Polaris nodded and shot off with Rafael following. The others followed and soon, the flight to the clearing where Dalek and his group and victims were had resumed but at a faster pace. In their panic, none of the group members noticed the five of the six toucan kids that had chased Polaris were struggling to extinguish the fire consuming their plumage but their torches had landed in some bushes and had begun to ignite them as well.