Chapter 12: A lesson for life

With Marina's help, I managed to roll the unconscious Silverwing off my lap and got back up, rubbing my temples in annoyance. Shade could be such a drama queen sometimes.
However, his wing was injured and needed to be healed before we could continue our flight back to his colony. Otherwise, Shade might really lose his wing and even though Zephyr just said it like a joke, it wasn't really something to laugh about.
I gulped thinking about how the pigeons wanted to amputate our limbs just to make us talk back at the clock tower.

''Argh, stop thinking about that!'' I admonished myself and shook my head, to get those thoughts out. Afterward, I leaned back against the wall, the white hood pulled over my face and let out a deep sigh. Even though we were temporarily safe here for the pigeons and owls I couldn't help but hoped for Shade to recover fast, feeling worried for his colony. What if Brutus threat had already reached them? What if he got them all captured or killed?
We really needed to get back on our road, but not until Shade's wing was fully healed.

Hearing a slight cough I looked up to see Zephyr smiling down at me with a few red berries in his hands.
''Here my child.'' he said friendly, offering me the berries,'' eat this. You probably haven't eaten for a while and you will need your strength for the long journey that lies ahead for you three.

''Uh, thanks,'' I said and took the berries, just then realizing how hungry I was, since my last meal had been last evening at the beach before our flight into the city.
While I was eating the berries Zephyr also brought me a leaf with water to drink before fluttering off to his herbs.

Boy, must I have been thirsty. In only one — two sips I emptied the whole leaf and felt so much better afterward.
Now, the only thing I longed for was a snatch of sleep. We had been through so much tonight no wonder I was feeling tired by now.
Looking around, I spotted Shade snoring softly on a bed of soft leaves with his injured wing stretched out to the side while Marina hung close to Zephyr, talking to him a bit. Soon I saw her trying to hide a soft yawn with her wing, telling me that she was getting tired as well.

Without a doubt, sleep was something we all needed, so I got up to find myself a good spot to rest. Preferably as far away from the deep opening in the middle as possible.
I was scared to accidentally fall down the beam during my sleep. But then I heard our host calling my name and walked over, wondering what he might want.

''Here my dear. Since you cannot sleep like we bats do, I hope this uh... nest here is comfortable enough for you to sleep in instead,'' he said, showing me a cozy-looking pile of soft green leaves.

''Oh, it is. Thank you, Zephyr,'' I replied with a smile and was about to climb into the leaves but stopped feeling slightly confused for a moment. ''Uh, how come you know I'm not a bat? I mean you ...''

''... are blind?'' he finished my sentence, chuckling a little. ''My child it's true my eyes are no use for me anymore but I still have my ears and echolocation to orient myself plus I can smell a strong scent of human coming from you.''

''Oh.''

''Also, can I sense your fear of highs and I never heard about a bat feeling anxious about something like that.''

I chuckled softly, ''Eh, yeah.''

''But don't worry the beams a wide enough for you not accidentally fall down.''

''That's good.''

''Well then, I'll leave you to rest now. Good day.''

''Good day,'' I replied and finally climbed into my makeshift bed, taking off only my boots and cloak to use it as a blanket for some extra warmth and let out a soft yawn before closing my eyes to sleep.

Back at the sawmill most of the Silverwings were dosing under the water tower with only a few still flying around, catching some bugs in order feed themselves or their young.
Chinook, however, wasn't hunting. Something else kept him awake. Something he had to think about since the burning of Tree-Heaven. The feeling of guilt that had grown bigger once set into his mind since this dreadful night.
He knew he should talk to someone about it but Todd was still holding a grudge against him and his mother probably wouldn't understand him as well. In her eyes, he was her perfect little boy who couldn't do anything wrong. Touching but unhelpful.
Then he spotted Ariel talking with Mercury and figured that from all bats it was they he needed to talk at most. With a deep sigh, he jumped from his roost and flew over to them.

''Ariel! Mercury!''

Both Silverwings looked over their shoulders, stopping their conversation to fly over to his side.
''Is it Shade? Or Vanessa? Are they here?'' Ariel asked, hope glittering in her eyes but Chinook shook his head and looked away sadly, causing Mercury to sigh deeply. ''What is it Chinook?'' he asked.

''Tree-Heaven burning down ... i-it was as much my fault as it was Shade and Vanessa's,'' he confessed. Shocked by this both adults gasped then flew up towards a streetlight and waited for Chinook to roost next to them, so they could talk more privately.
''I was showing up in front of Todd and Breeze,'' he began his voice shaking a little, ''I shouldn't have listened to Shade when he dared me to see the sun but I couldn't let the runt-'' he paused noticing Ariel frowning at him and quickly corrected himself, ''I'm mean I couldn't let him show me up.''

''Oh, boy,'' Mercury muttered, rubbing the space between his eyes. Newborns and their foolishness. Ariel just shook her head and turned away with a sigh, not believing what childish act caused them all so much trouble.
But then she looked back and saw the young boy turning his own head away with a tear rolling over his cheek. Seeing this Ariel's expression changed into a soft smile. Quietly she moved closer to him and wrapped one wing around him in comfort to show him she wasn't mad.

''I bet they are still alive,'' Chinook said changing the topic a little by talking about Shade and Vanessa.

''I hope you are right,'' Ariel said still smiling at him. ''We both do,'' said Mercury, slightly smiling at him too. Chinook smiled back at them, rubbing the tears out of his eyes.

Early the next evening I woke up again, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I felt like I'd just closed them just for a few minutes, but looking at the fading light shining through a few holes in the walls I knew it had to be at least sundown by now.
Looking around, I noticed that the others were already awake as well and got up from my nest to stretch myself a bit. A few feet away I saw Shade roosting on one beam, testing out his wing.
I smiled a little, happy to know he would be okay despite his injury.
Zephyr was writing something on the wooden wall while roosting on a beam above it and Marina was sorting some herbals and berries and piled them up into small heaps.

Feeling like it was better to do something than just awkwardly standing around I walked up to her asking if I could help.
''Sure, whatever,'' she mutter without really paying attention to me. I sighed but began to sort the herbs as well while sitting beside her.

As Zephyr was scribbling on his wall, mumbling something to himself I picked up a large, rolled in red leaf and turned around to see Marina looking curiously at some red berries on the ground.
''Eh, Marina I don't think you should it that,'' I said warningly and threw my leaf next to the others.
The Brightwing looked at me skeptically. ''And what makes you think so?''

''Well, ... you can't just eat any berry you see lying around,'' I said, not knowing how to explain myself better.
Marina just shrugged and decided to eat the berry despite my warning but stopped as Zephyr cleared his throat to get her attention.

''You really shouldn't eat that,'' he said, ''But you might wanna squeeze some of its juice under your band.'' Marina hesitated, seeming unsure what to think of this. ''Go ahead,'' Zephyr coaxed her gently, ''I can hear your skin chafing against the metal.''
Doing like she was told the young Brightwing squeezed the berry a little and rubbed its juice under her band, sighing happily. ''Ah, that feels good,'' she said with relief.

Zephyr smiled friendly and waddled across the room, stumbling right into some leaves hanging from the beams. However, he just shook it off and went on as if nothing happened and picked up a leaf.

''The old guy is as blind as a mole,'' Shade whispered as he landed beside me and Marina.

''Shade!'' I hissed, thinking that was a little rude of him but the albino didn't seem to be bothered by this at all.

''Technically I'm blinder,'' he said, grinning a little.

''Who in his right mind would put a guy who can't see in charge of air traffic control?'' Shade asked irritated and sat down with his wings crossed before his chest.

''Sometimes hearing might be the better way of seeing,'' I said frowning at him a little.

''Incredible insight for one so young.'' Zephyr praised but Shade just huffed and rolled his eyes. ''I heard that,'' Zephyr said.

''Huh?!'' Shade shortly blinked in surprised then huffed in annoyance and stood up.
''I'm going to test my wing. Maybe catch a bug or two,'' he said and flew out without looking back.

I sighed watching him go and looked back at Zephyr who could only shake his head at Shades rash behavior.

Marina looked a bit disappointed after our friend as well, then walked over to the albino bat.
''Zephyr,'' she asked, ''do you know why the humans banded me? Is it a curse?'' I felt hurt knowing that she still thought bad about something so harmless like the bands. Sure I could understand her suspicion, she just lost her family and friends just for having one, but the pure idea of those pieces of metal being a bad omen and such was just ... ridiculous.

''My child,'' Zephyr replied, ''the actions of the humans are inconsistent and ... eh, difficult to inter-operate.'' The young female sighed, obviously not satisfied with that answer, so he flew down from his roost and landed beside her, wrapping one wing comfortingly around her shoulder. ''Marina, you are special. But that has nothing to do with any bands.''

''True,'' I thought and wondered if Marina would realize this someday.
However, while hoping Shade to be alright out there, I continued to help Zephyr sort his berries and herbs. Withal I had to think about Frieda's words back at the Echo-Chamber a few nights ago and about the circumstance how I ended up in this situation. To be honest it still felt kinda like a dream to me but I couldn't tell if I would be happy to wake up from it or not.

''Is there something wrong my child?'' I hadn't noticed Zephyr walking up to me and was a bit startled.

''Eh. No, everything is fine. I was just ... thinking about something that's all,'' I replied.

The white bat stood there in silence and I got the feeling he expected me to say more. But I was unsure what to tell him and also felt awkward about the growing silence between us.
However, his friendly smile and maybe the fact that he was an animal, and no human persuaded me to tell him everything about what Frieda had told me and Shade in the Echo-Chamber, about the war and the great promise and my thoughts and doubts of being a human shrunk to the size of a mouse and thrown into this mess without preparation.

''Frieda said that there is supposed to be some kind of glow inside us that shouldn't be darkened but I don't understand what she meant, I mean It was just a coincidence that I found this pearl and ended up with the Silverwings.''

''Well, my child. I know Frieda for a quite a while now and I have a high trust in her words and decisions. Plus, I have to say, you do have something on you that makes you different from other humans. But it is on you to figure it out what it is yourself.

''Oh, OK,'' I said, feeling confused.

Zephyr smiled, ''Don't worry, I'm sure you will know your purpose in time.''

''Are you sure?'' I asked, still feeling skeptical about it and chuckled a bit doubtfully. ''I mean it was, like I said, sheer coincidence that I found this pearl in the first place.''

''Maybe but Nocturna's intentions are mostly something no one clearly understands. Not even I.''

''Hm, I don't know. It does sound reasonable Zephyr but seriously I doubt I play any special role in this ... story or the future of it or what so ever.''

''That's what you may think. But believe me, my dear. Everything that happens happens for a reason as insubstantial as it may seem at first,'' he said.

I sighed still feeling unsure, then saw Marina walking over to us.

''No offense, but I somewhat also doubt that she has any important role to play. I mean, sorry to say this, Vanessa is a human and humans can never be trusted completely.''

I glared at her angrily, having more than enough of her hateful attitude towards me. I didn't care if she was mad at every other human in this world as long as she would finally stop attributing me for everything my kind does, did or even will do in the future.

''I know you want to help all of us but maybe ...'' The white bat gently placed a hand on her shoulder, interrupting her speech.

''My dear child, I can hear by your words that you mean well even though the words you pick are not the best.''

''Well, I ...''

''It's true that it's been years since the last time I encountered a human being but that does not matter. I can still assure you that your anger at them will not get you further in life.'' With that, he turned around to walk back to his herbs but Marina wasn't ready to let this topic go.

With a soft growl in frustration, she crossed her wings before her chest and shook her head.

''Seriously Zephyr, I would never have thought that you would be so foolish.''

The albino bat chuckled in amusement. ''Maybe I am foolish to think I could see through their behaviours. Some of them are indeed horrible, while others are good.. Yet, I cannot prove anything. But they're only living beings like us. So you shouldn't put your blame on everyone of them.''

With a smile, he came back and pulled Marina a little around, so she and I looked at each other eye to eye. I could even see a reflection of myself, looking confused like her in the light of her pupils.

''Take a look at each other my dears and tell me: Are there any differences besides your appearance?

Or do you see that you both can think and feel? No matter if animal or human.''

Marina and I just kept starring at each other. Unsure what to tell him. But I knew she was probably thinking about Zephyr's words just like me. And I thought he was right. Both of us could think and feel like the other. Neither of us was a heartless monster which meant other animals and humans were no monsters at all. At least not all of them. There truly were some exceptions, maybe even too many. But that didn't mean that everyone should be hated for what a few did wrong.

Marina still looked thoughtful for a moment and then turned to Zephyr as if wanting to ask him something. But the blind bat shook his head before she could even speak a word.

''Don't ask for my opinion if you are not happy with,'' he said, ''It is like I said. They are only human after all. Don't put your blame on them.'' He then flew up to the entrance.

After exchanging a short look with Marina, we followed him up there and quietly landed beside him on the gargoyles stoned tongue, where he faced us again, more precisely Marina.''

''They're only human. They make mistakes. They're only human that's all it takes ... to put the blame on them. Don't put the blame on them.''

Smiling encouragingly he walked back up to us and put a hand on each of our shoulders.

''You're only human, you do what you can,'' he told me then faced Marina. ''Don't put the blame on her.''

Then he went silent and for a moment we all just stood there not knowing what to think or say. Eventually we were about to head back in when we suddenly heard something.

''What was that?'' I asked, looking around in alarmed. Then Marina let out a shocked gasped.

''Guys its Shade. He is in trouble.''

I looked up and saw she was right, Three pigeons were chasing our blue friend through the city.

''We got to help him,'' I said.

''Don't worry, let me handle this,'' Zephyr said calmly and hopped towards to the top of the gargoyle's mouth. Blinking in confusion, Marina and I followed him a little and from this point, I could see how Shade was trying his best to escape his hunters but with all the bright light from the city lamps, it was sheer impossible for him to find a place to hide.
And not just that, his injured wing was also slowing him down. I wanted to help him, but since I could not fly there nothing I could do.

Shade landed on a side of a building, t oo tired to fly any further and the pigeons got dangerously closer almost catching him. Suddenly they stopped right in mid-flight, looking confused.
What are they doing? I wondered feeling puzzled myself and got even more confused when I saw them flying away from Shade chasing after something else. But there was nothing.
Or was it?

''Who was that?'' Marina asked.

''Who was who?'' I asked her, turning around but instead of answering she just followed Zephyr back inside who, to top my confusion, chuckled as if he just scored a coup.
I stood there still not getting what just happened and waited for Shade to return.

''Vanessa, did you just saw that bat? He suddenly came out of nowhere,'' he said as if he couldn't believe what he just saw.

''Well, I...'' I had no idea what he was talking about but before I could say anything more, Shade grabbed my hands and brought me back inside to the others.

''Whoa that was weird,'' Shade said after he landed us by the others. ''One minute he was there, the next he wasn't. You know how he did it. Don't you?'' he asked Zephyr. The white bat turned to him with a smile but did not answer his question.

Meanwhile, in the city, a few blocks away from the cathedral, a young grey rat crawled out of a drainpipe and sniffed around the area in search of food.
Spotting a large container full of human trash, the rat scurried closer wondering if it might contain anything edible. Lost in its thought the rodent was not aware of the dark shadow walking closer to him from behind and when it finally realized the danger, it was too late. With one last, desperate screech for help, a pair of razor-sharp teeth thrusted deep into the rat's throat, killing it on the spot. As soon as the bat felt his prey go limp in its jaws, it carried it away to eat, leaving no evidence except for some scratch marks on the container.

Marina and I continued to help Zephyr sorting his herbs while Shade hung upside down on one beam. Still brooding about what happened earlier. Suddenly a curring sound distracted him from his thoughts, and he looked around trying to find the source of it.
Hearing it too I looked around to see Shade flying up the tower.

After changing a short questionable look with Marina, I let her grasp my hands with her feet, and we followed our friend up to another beam. Before anyone of us could ask what he was doing Shade hushed us to be quiet and pointed upwards. Looking up, I first noticed nothing special until I heard something moving on the beams above us.

I looked more closely and still couldn't see a thing. But Marina beside me gasped softly definitely seeing something I did not.

''What's wrong?'' I asked quietly.

''It's a pigeon,'' she replied still looking up, ''A female with a broken wing''

''What?'' Confused I looked back and saw no pigeon at all. What was Marina talking about?

Then Shade started growling, seemingly seeing something as well. And before I could ask him what was going on, he flew where the bird was apparently supposed to be.

''You are one of those birds who tried to kill me out there,'' he snarled and landed upside down on the wood, glaring at nothing.

''No, you are mistaken,'' a fearful sounding voice replied. But how could that be? There was no one up there beside Shade. Or was it?

''Look,'' the voice continued, ''can't you see? I'm hurt.''

Shade didn't listen to and instead kept growling. ''Owls probably killed my dad,'' he said. ''They burned down my home and then you guys tried to kill me and my friends.'' With each word, he crawled closer and closer to what I, for some weird reason, could hear but not see. ''I hate all birds.''

''Shade, what are you doing?'' I asked, trying to make him back off. If there really was somebody who was also hurt then Shade shouldn't be harassing it. Otherwise an accident might happen. And a wounded bird was now really no threat. Unfortunately, he ignored me and crawled closer to the invisible bird. To make matters worse, I heard a piece of wood cracking and assumed that whatever was up there should move away from the spot as soon as possible as the beams under her weight would soon break through.

''Can't you see? I'm not a threat,'' she asked pleadingly while the wood underneath her feet cracked more. ''Please, I just came here to hide.''

''Hide?'' Shade asked, totally not believing her, ''From what?''

''G-giant bats. They attacked my family.''

''Well, they probably had a good reason. I know I would.''

''Shade, she's hurt. Back off!'' Marina said, trying to reason with him but again the Silverwing refused to listen.

''Shade!'' I called finally getting angry at his behavior. How could he be so blind with his thoughts of revenge? Did he not see what he was doing? The beam under the bird cracked even more. It was just a matter of seconds before it would break through completely.
''You are making things worse. Leave her alone already!''

''Please, don't you see what you are doing?'' the pigeon asked, sounding like she was about to cry but Shade just kept growling at the poor creature and even crawled closer to her too.
Just then I heard the wood underneath the invisible bird snap.

I gasped, imagining what was happening and saw Shade, who finally realized what he had done, dash after what seemed to plunge into the depth.

Letting out one last anxious curr that re-echoed inside the spire the invisible pigeon plunged deeper and deeper until I couldn't hear her anymore.
Still, in shock, I didn't notice how Marina carried me back down to the beams where Zephyr was, who scribbled something on the wood in front of him with his claws.

''Did you see ... uh, hear that?'' Marina asked.

''I heard a young bat blinded by his anger,'' he replied not turning around, ''Then I saw something changing him.''

I had no idea what to say or think. Had there really been a pigeon? I hoped not. Hopefully, it had been just a trick or something. After all, I hadn't see anything. But Marina did. And so did Shade, who landed between us. Horror written on his face.

''T — That wasn't supposed to happen,'' his said his voice shaking a little. ''I...I just ... I...''

He looked down to where the bird fell down and shook his head as if he couldn't believe that he probably just killed someone. Wanting to comfort him, Marina walked closer to Shade and wrapped a wing around his shoulder.

''You should never underestimate the power of a kind act even towards one's enemy. Real or imagined.'' Zephyr said with a smile and closed his eyes to take a deep breath before letting out a sonic wave. Seconds later Marina and Shade gasped in fright and stumbled away from something behind us before I even knew what was going on.

''Guys what gives?'' I asked totally confused.

''Vanessa don't you see? There is a ...'' Marina didn't finish her sentence because whatever she and Shade just saw dissolved before I could get a better look at it.
At first, both bats just stood there looking confused at what just happened but then Shade looked at me and finally got what was going on.

''That pigeon,'' he exclaimed, ''and the bat... those were echo projections?!''

I blinked in surprise and turned to Zephyr who just smiled and hopped away, chuckling softly.

''Will you teach me?'' Shade asked him with awe.

Zephyr thought about his request while scratching his chin and walked towards a pile of leaves. ''What I have to show you, you must be ready to see. Only one in a million bats can echo project,'' he says, picking up a leaf from the ground. ''We'll see. First, there are a few skills you need to master.''

''Like what?'' Shade asked impatiently and flew closer to the white bat.

''Oh like err ... sound mapping, star navigating and uh ... herbal remedies,'' Zephyr said.

''Herbal remedies? Ts, what do I do when I get cornered by an owl? Throw leaves at him?'' Shade laughed. Zephyr turned around and threw a sonic wave at Shade as Marina landed next to him.

''You obviously cannot use your size to overpower your enemy,'' he said.

''He is sensitive about his size,'' Marina whispered into the old bat's ear.

''The more you know the better chance you'll have against much stronger opponents,'' Zephyr continued to say and walked up to the Silverwing. With ease, he pushed him to the ground just by sweeping his foot away. ''Do you understand?''

''Oh, I see ... I'm ready,'' Shade smiled and held his hand up for Zephyr who, with a smile on his own face took his hand and pulled him back up on his feet.

AN: Ok, this one was a little more challenging to update ^^; Once again I took out the song. But instead of just writing something else or make the chapter shorter I tried to mix the song ''Human by Rag n' Bone'' still into it somehow. Also, since I want myself to be unable to see echoprojections (at least for now) I changed the part with the pigeon in the spire as well.

Anyway, I hope you you like it. ^^