"Ah so you are this Diaglo that Vivian's been telling me about!" Sunset was speaking in friendly tone as she studied Diaglo from head to toe. Diaglo could only smile in politeness and he didn't mind when the young adult was stretching out his wings for a look or to count his tail feathers. The scarlet macaw had certainly reminded Diaglo of Bia during her brainy fits that happen when she's discovered something new.
The scarlet macaw was at fresh adulthood, shorter than Perry and she looked like other scarlet macaws in her tribe with her mostly red plumage and yellow and blue wings; Only difference being her lighter and orange tinted red feathers and the larger streak of yellow in her wings making her wings resemble fire with blue streaks. Despite her being older than Diaglo and Vivian, she still had the heart of a teenager.
The girl had flown off to fetch something in one of the rooms in the hollow while Vivian nudged Diaglo lightly. "What do you think of this place so far? Pretty neat huh?"
Diaglo looked at her and shrugged with a frown. "I can't exactly answer that yet. I mean I hardly even got to know the story behind this area aside from the names of you and the other birds.." It was true. He had met the other locals which included Rosita, Perry and then Sunset. But other than that, he didn't know the history of the place other than the fact that it's not in the Amazon Sanctuary.
Sunset returned fluttering with coconut shell cups full of liquid, a warm smile on her face. "Wanna drink you two?" The two spixes smiled and each took a shell. Vivian gulped down hers in content while Diaglo had cringed after a first sip. The drink tasted odd. It was bittersweet, like that sweetened tea he's drunk from cartons. It took a while for his taste buds to like it and he was soon drinking down his. "That's melon tea, my very own invention." Sunset proudly explained. "It's just melon juice mixed with water and a bit of bitter fruit. Repulsive, but hey, nutrition counts!"
"I see," Diaglo commented as he lowered his shell, wiping his beak clean of the liquid. Sunset the scarlet macaw smiled and she gazed at the biggest room of the hollow. 'Stairs' were carved into the wooden wall leading to the entrance of the room that's covered with leafy curtains, behind that being a much bigger space. Apparently she and Vivian were waiting for a couple birds to come out, and until then, Sunset is entertaining the new macaw.
"So Diaglo, Vivian's told me she found you caught in that river during the rainstorm," Sunset looked concerned for the teenager. "That must be rough.. What were you even doing out in that storm?"
Diaglo felt a pang of sadness as he remembered. "I.. It was so sudden, really. The rain just started and me and my siblings got caught in it." Diaglo purposely left out the part where he encountered Vivian as if to avoid her involvement to be safe. "The rain didn't fail to slow me down and before I knew it, lightning struck my back and I fell into the river.."
Sunset cringed in disturbance and Vivian gently brushed Diaglo's shoulder with a comforting wing. The latter smiled at this softly and he continued. "I really owe Vivian my life. She saved me and I really could've drowned if she didn't." Sunset nodded approvingly at Vivian. "Orton will be so proud that you've rescued him, Vivian. Most birds in a storm would just leave another to drown."
Vivian shook her head and she playfully bumped Sunset. "Don't give the whole credit to me. I couldn't lift Diaglo out of the water by myself and I'm lucky you and Perry were there." She rolled her eyes and she looked up at the big room. She frowned. "I wonder what's keeping them? Nicholas has just come in and Orton is usually quick to work so he could meet a new bird." Sunset shrugged in response to which Diaglo looked confused.
"Wait, who?"
The girls exchanged very devoted smiles and they turned to Diaglo. "Nicholas and Orton are our leaders, the best ones ever!" Sunset was filled with glee as she talked about the heads of the flock. "Nicholas is a big guy. He's tough, but he knows what's best for us and he serves us with ways to protect us all as a whole. Orton on the other wing is just the loveliest of parrots who's happened to be the kindest you'll ever meet…"
The scarlet macaw rambled on, and then she stopped as the voices from the big room increased in volume. One voice was raspy and low with frustration while the other smoother but filled with protest. Diaglo and Vivian exchanged uneasy looks as the voices grew louder, meaning the two birds arguing are getting near.
"I'm telling you Orton! Vinnie and Balthazar have been missing for nearly a week now! Somebird's got to find them!"
"But Nicholas! There's a newcomer-!"
"I know there is, but the patrols have failed to find our two missing birds! This is the third loss to occur in two weeks!"
The other bird was silent and didn't reply. The curtains of the hollow were drawn apart by wings and a large, dark colored figure flapped out. It was a hyacinth macaw, Diaglo had recognized as the biggest of macawkind. This hyacinth was huge, his plumage far darker than the usual navy blue; It looked almost black with only his yellow facial markings sticking out. He was almost four times the size of Diaglo and even bigger than him, Vivian, Sunset and even Perry combined. He's that huge, it's a miracle he had found a large, trunked tree to live in such as this one.
The hyacinth just barged past and flew out of the hollow, though Diaglo had seen him glance briefly at him. He watched the hyacinth disappear with the other girls until a weary sigh sounded behind them. "Sorry about Nicholas. He's having one of his stressful fits again," The next bird said softly as he got out of the room. Vivian and Sunset smiled in joy and Diaglo's eyes were wide with awe.
The bird wasn't of the macaw line but rather, a type of New Zealand parrot. Like the Hyacinth he was somewhat big, but not as gigantic as the one that left. Light brown with streaks of green all over his body and red and yellow with faint tints of blue decorated his wings. His grey eyes were filled with tiredness from the fresh argument, but they contained great kindness. His appearance and size greatly reminded Diaglo of the New Zealand Kakapo bird but yet the color pattern on his wings resembled that of a Kea; He had seen both parrots in books, but never in real life.
The middle-aged parrot had exchanged small words with Sunset before his eyes rested upon Diaglo. He gave a nod in greeting. "Kia ora," He greeted, his accent thick with Kiwi accent laced with a bit of British. Diaglo flinched in not understanding the word. He was about to open his beak to speak up but Vivian had beaten him to it. "He's American," She said to which the parrot's eyes widened.
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry, my boy. Where are my manners? Don't worry, I speak english too. I have yet to fully shed New Zealand out of my feathers" He looked apologetic and held out a large wing with a friendly smile. "Call me Orton. And you are?"
Diaglo couldn't help but feel attached to this bird thanks to his radiating kindness. He shook the elder's wing. "I'm Diaglo, Diaglo Gunderson of the Spix Macaw tribe. Nice to meet you in bird at last, Orton sir. Vivian and Sunset were telling me about you and..." He glanced at the exit of the hollow where the hyacinth had disappeared. "I guess that's the other leader?"
"Oh yes, that would be Nicholas," Orton said with a sigh. "He's the main alpha bird of the flock and I'm usually his voice of reason. Or should I say, the mama bird who keeps him in line," He joked with an eye roll to which all three youngers smiled amusedly. "While Nicholas is more on coming up with the ways of the flock along with providing security, I'm the one who interacts with our birds to ensure everyone is alright and comfortable. But honestly, the flock needs birds like us. Wherever there is a strict bird, there has to be a soft bird."
Diaglo smiled warmly at this. Orton seemed so kind and loveable that it wouldn't be surprising if it turned out that he was loved by every bird of the flock. Nicholas on the other wing, seemed a bit tense. He reminded him of Eduardo a long way back when Diaglo and his family have just arrived to the Amazon. Eduardo had been stressed and protective, the only reason for his lighting up them was due to Jewel's return and his being blessed with grandchildren. He felt a pang of despair wash over.
"Pop-Pop, mom, dad... Everybody," Diaglo whispered and his wings went slack against his sides.
The air had grown quiet and Orton was gasping slightly in feeling pity for him. He began to feel that parental instinct to comfort the young teenager. If there's anything that made Orton heartbroken, seeing chicks on young birds crying over loss of family was one of them. He had cast a sad glance of relating to Vivian before approaching Diaglo
"You poor thing, come here.." The large parrot was gently hushing the upset boy and Diaglo lost it. He cried in anguish and buried himself against Orton's feathers crying at last. Vivian could only watch in feeling Diaglo's pain. She knew exactly what it was like to lose a family - She had even been comforted like this by Orton too when she was younger and he had been like a father to her. But unlike Diaglo, he still had a family even if they're so far away. Vivian didn't…
"Should we tell him that the Spix's Tribe is miles away from here?" Sunset whispered to the bespectacled female who stared at her. "It's gonna take a long time, that and I doubt Nicholas would let him go back to the tribes, what with Jorge trying to endlessly pressure him into executing any tribe macaws we find-!"
"Sunset don't say that now, he's already distressed!" Vivian whispered harshly to which the scarlet macaw flinched. A 'sorry' came out of the beak of the guilty scarlet and Vivian had gazed sadly at Diaglo before joining in to hug him from behind. I know how you feel.. It hurts when you are without your family. The young Spix had thought as she rested her head on Diaglo's shoulder.