Chapter 5: Invasion
Even though night had taken over the skies, the heat of summer still hung in the air. Insects drones lazily outside Tree Haven as the females hung in their roosts, tending to their newborns who hung against their chests. It was unnaturally quiet, especially after all the chatting that was done in the past. Soon they would go out to hunt.
Luna was sitting on a ledge high up in Tree Haven. She bent her body at a backward angle so that her stomach could rest at a comfortable position. Just beside her, a female medic bat was concentrating deeply on her stomach, pressing her thumb softly against various parts around her abdomen. Luna sighed raggedly as she looked upwards into the huge opening that served as an alternate exit for Tree Haven. The moonlight shone through the opening and painted the great oaken walls with its magnificent silvery lights. The only sounds that echoed throughout the interior of Tree Haven were the muffled whines of the newborns and the soft rustling of the mothers' wings. Even the elders were resting, huddled together on a ledge just on the other side of the one Luna was resting on.
Luna had told no one of her appointment with the medic bat. Not even her own mother knew about it. She was desperate, and needed to know what was going on inside of her. She had enough of the horrible thoughts that occupied her through the day. Luna looked down at the nursing female who now pressed her right ear gently on her belly. Luna knew this medic well, even when she was younger. She smiled indistinctively as the medic stood perfectly still, listening with great concentration. The medic then turned her head around and used her right ear to listen. Luna quickly hid her smile and looked away. She had to say something.
"Thanks for helping me, Mia." Luna said shyly. Mia chuckled.
"Always a pleasure." Mia used her left ear again. Luna started to feel pity towards Mia when she looked down at her stomach to find her own newborn clinging to her chest with all its might. Why did she have to ask for Mia's help when she had her own child to take care of? She was amazed at how well she balanced herself so her pup wouldn't hit the floor or most likely lose its grip.
"Male or female?" Luna asked her as she pressed her thumb onto Luna's stomach once more. She lifted her head and smiled without looking at her.
"Joy." Mia simply said.
"Ah." Luna replied, knowing now that her child was indeed female. "It's a nice name."
"Thank you." Mia responded. Minutes passed by as Mia did the same procedures, and Luna wished she would come up with a final diagnosis already. In just another minute, Mia finally raised her head for the last time and sighed with relief. Luna almost smiled.
"Well?" She said anxiously.
"Nothing wrong. All you have to do is wait a little longer!" Mia stated. Luna sighed happily.
"I wish I could hug you." She said. Mia just laughed in response.
"Me too, Luna. Don't worry now, your child will be just fine." With that, Mia stood up, wrapping her wings around her clinging pup. She lifted her effortless, the pup now clinging on tightly to her chest. Mia nodded down to Luna, who returned the gesture, and then hovered down from the ledge to perch back to her own roost. When she was gone from sight, Luna looked down tenderly at her swollen stomach and embraced it lovingly. No longer did she have to worry about her child. Mia was never wrong with her final decisions. She was finally sure now that her pup would exit her womb soon. She couldn't wait to meet him. Luna noticed her heart pumping fast – she had to settle down. Just as she was going to go back to her roost, all the females started to rustle about, getting ready to take off. In a flurry of beating wings, they exited Tree Haven in a blur. It all seemed so fast that Luna was breathless at the sight, and in seconds, the tree was nearly empty. She saw Marina flying up to her from below and in response, Luna clung to the edge of the ledge with her claws and swung upside down. Marina grabbed hold of the edge just beside Luna and swung down. She gave Luna a warm smile and nuzzled her neck.
"You look happy." She said. "I'm glad."
"I'm more than glad to know I'll be fine."
"I always knew you would be." Marina said, nuzzling her again. "Ready to hunt?"
"Slow down so I can catch up."
"I know." Marina replied mischievously.
The sun was starting to rise through the warm and lazy morning time. After the females had hunted, they went back into the cozy interior of Tree Haven and tended towards their newborns. Luna was hanging from her ledge, amazed at how well they followed their routines. It was almost like they were all mindless drones made to fulfill only a couple things without a thought or a care. She only wished that her own child were clutching onto her chest right now. She still had to think of a good name for her child. She did not know whether it would be a he or she, but that didn't worry her. She never was good at thinking of names.
Everyone was getting ready to fall into slumber until suddenly, a high-pitched scream rang just outside Tree Haven, reverberating painfully across the oak's interior. Panicked discussions started to rise from the mothers as well as the cries of their newborn. The scream was so unexpected and sudden that Luna fell off of her perch. Lifting into the air and balancing herself, she hovered back to her ledge and landed on her knees and claws. She peeked over the edge and saw the fearful shuffling of the mothers, some trying hard to keep their newborns from crying any longer.
Luna herself was in a state of panic, and all she could do was watch helplessly at the pitiful sight below. She noticed an elder spreading her wings and landing on a ledge just below the Elders' roost. Ariel awakened from her sleep and peeked downward at the elder in surprise.
"Alanis, what are you doing?" She asked. The elder looked up and spread her wings.
"Did you not hear the scream outside?"
"It sounded much like a bird."
"No, it was a bat. One of us." Hearing her mighty voice, the mothers started to chatter anxiously towards each other. Luna could see that most of them had an expression of pure fear planted on their faces. "We must investigate! We could be in danger!"
"I see no need to be so straight-forward and reckless, especially after what had happened two years ago." Ariel said, raising her voice enough so that it reverberated throughout the interior.
"We must be cautious at all times, Ariel."
"Then, I shall go with you." Ariel, spreading her wings, hovered down next to Alanis. Nodding to each other, Ariel rustled her wings loudly. The entire colony fell grimly silent. "Everyone, calm down! Alanis and I shall investigate this matter with great haste. Everything will be fine!" Alanis shot Ariel a quick look of disapproval. Ariel lifted from the ledge and flew over towards the exiting hole, moonlight mysteriously peeking in. It shone bright against her silver fur as she clung on to the edges of the hole, waiting for Alanis. Alanis hesitantly hovered down towards the hole as well, clinging on the other side.
"I'll go first, Ariel. Who knows what will be out there?" Right when she finished her sentence, a sick, bony claw whipped out into the hole and tightened its grip completely around Alanis's head. Her body was dragged out quicker than a flash as another claw extended and swooped downwards toward Ariel. She pushed herself off of the wall speedily and the claw caught her in the cheek, making a clean cut across her face. Ariel yowled in pain as the claw retracted out into the night. Screams started to arise from the mothers in the tree. Panic and confusion filled Tree Haven like a wildfire.
Luna was frozen solid with fear. Seeing Alanis dragged out of the knothole caused her heart to feel like it was shattered – she knew the colony was in danger now. She peered over at the hole and saw nothing else. There were no signs of any kind of figure. It was all just as sudden as the piercing scream outside. Whatever did this to the bat was waiting outside, ready to kill all who would exit.
Ariel eventually landed on a ledge just on the other side of the exiting hole and spread her wings swiftly.
"Silverwings! Leave through the upper opening! The creatures most definitely do not know about it!" Suddenly, shouts of despair rose from the mothers.
"Are you crazy??"
"We're all going to be killed!"
"What kind of murderous thing is out there??" But Ariel, the elders, and several Silverwings were already exiting through the opening above. Luna quickly followed behind the flying bats and hurried into the warm night. She did not know where Ariel was taking them, but it had to be someplace safe. She looked behind her and saw the rest of the colony rising from the tree and fluttering towards them in a blur. Luna looked around frantically but could find absolutely no sign of any creature. Ariel and the colony were heading straight into the forest northeastwards and Luna felt safe inside of the trees, hidden by the dark foliage. This feeling, however, was quickly torn apart when she suddenly heard screams echoing from behind. She peered behind her hesitantly to find several dark figures chasing them, a couple of them lounging back, each with a bat in their long claws. Luna forced herself to look back, shutting her eyes tightly. With her echo vision, she followed the elders and the flight seemed to last forever. She had no idea how far they were treading from Tree Haven, even though the colony did make curved maneuvers in their escape. It all felt like they were following a single trail, but where in the world were they going?
A couple more screams arose from behind, and Luna didn't dare look back. It was immediately followed by a sick, tearing noise, and Luna nearly cried out in anguish.
A bat lied silhouetted in the trees' canopy, watching as the Silverwing colony blurred past him in a maddened frenzy, the beasts from behind chasing them. The beasts were not as fast in their flying maneuvers as the Silverwing colony, but there would be no doubt that they would catch up to them soon. He had to do something before it was too late. Spreading out his wings, shining brilliantly in the moonlight, he lifted off, keeping himself inside of the safety of the trees' foliage. His pure-white fur would give him off if he flew any lower than he already did. Spraying out a delicate sheet of sound concentrated by both his mouth and ears, he cloaked himself – his fur started to bristle and blend in with the leaves around him, changing into a soft blur against the trees. As soon as his entire body had cloaked in, he rested his larynx muscles just a little, and continuously spewed the sound from his mouth in short, quiet bursts. If he would stop, the cloaking would wear off almost instantly. Saving the Silverwings would be a challenge.
Ariel stopped in her flight and landed just beside the base of a large tree. The elders and Silverwings stopped abruptly and cries of newborns rang in the air as well as the muffled moans of the mothers.
"What's going on?"
"Why are they stopping??"
"They are going to catch up soon!"
"Silverwings! Land!" Ariel commanded in a mighty voice. The Silverwings immediately did as they were told and landed on the soft ground. "Everybody, into the hole!" Indeed there was a large hole set at the base of the trees, disguised by thin roots and crackled leaves. One by one Silverwings dived into the hole, Ariel and the elders staying behind so that they make sure everyone gets in alive and well. Luna stayed behind Ariel and caught a glimpse of Marina diving into the dark hole.
"Where does it lead?" Luna asked.
"Shelter Cave." Ariel said quickly, as if in a dreadful hurry. "Hurry, Silverwings! There are no signs of the monsters. We must act as quick as we can!" The pace didn't seem to quicken. Suddenly, the rustling of leaves above indicated their arrival. The remaining Silverwings started to cry out in fear and panic.
"Hurry! Hurry!" Luna said, assisting some of those who were too afraid to even move. She knew she had to do something. She glanced up and noticed the branches beyond twirling and swinging around, only a hundred wing-beats away. They would arrive soon. Luna hurried the scared Silverwing mothers along into the hole as quickly as she could. Her heart was racing – she didn't want any more lives being taken in those monsters' hands. She worried about Mia – was she still alive?
They gained in, closer and closer, until they were just several wing-beats away. The elders positioned themselves next to each other, hissing up into the tree canopy. Luna stayed behind and focused with great concentration into the foliage. The dark figures could be seen above them, baring their sharp fangs and brandishing with their unnaturally long claws. The first couple of beasts suddenly rocketed off of the branches above, extending their claws for the kill. Before they were within two wing-beats of the Silverwings, a quick and powerful burst of wind wisped around the scene and an almost visible barrier of sound forced the creatures backwards. Luna did not believe what she just saw. A couple more tried to attack, but surely the sound barrier appeared again and sent them careening into the air and hurdling onto the ground painfully. The remaining creatures resting on the branch looked back, bewilderment glistening even in their eyes. They looked back hungrily at the defenseless Silverwings and started to growl and snarl viciously. Almost too suddenly, a thin strip of light emanated from the ground just before the Silverwings on the ground. The strip widened and twisted in strange patterns until it was the shape of a huge serpent. The serpent image glistened and glowed in the morning sun. It jaws spread out, lined with incredibly sharp teeth, and an ear-piercing screech blared out of it. The sound was so powerful, the bushes, trees' canopies, and even the creatures swayed around wildly. This sight was so frightening that the creatures immediately turned away, whining and screaming in terror and soon disappearing into the foliage above. The image of the glowing serpent evaporated into millions of beads which eventually disappeared in thin air, and everything was still. Luna and the elders noticed that all the Silverwings had already gone inside.
"What – what just happened?" Luna breathed out. She saw Marina shake her head.
"Whatever happened just saved us. Right now we must take shelter in the cavern below and tend to the Silverwings, hastily!" Ariel exclaimed.
Luna entered the cavern inside and warm air instantly pushed against her fur. The smell was so welcoming that all the fear and sorrow temporarily disappeared from her mind. The cavern was huge. Above her, Luna could see systems of roots spreading out across the dirt ceiling as if reaching for something. She flapped around the cavern and noticed that each side of the walls had deep burrows perfect for roosts. Nearly every single burrow was occupied.
"This way, Luna." Marina called from behind. Luna turned around and saw Marina and the elders flapping towards the end of the cavern. She immediately followed behind until they reached an empty burrow. The elders perched onto the ceiling of the burrow as well as Marina. Luna perched beside the Brightwing.
"What were those things? I've heard of many species of animals, but nothing like this." An elder spoke out. Ariel shook her head and sighed raggedly.
"The colony is in danger." She whispered out loud enough so they all could hear it.
"Ariel's right. Those things are not done searching us out, but why us?" Another elder stated.
"This, even I don't know…" Ariel said. "We have to stay here until they give up."
"But how will we know even that?" Marina asked to the elder. Ariel put her hand on her forehead. Luna never saw her so frustrated.
"We must rest. Our encounter has stricken us with pain and sorrow. We need time to heal, but by Nocturna's will we shall escape and return home once again." Suddenly, a series of cries rang out from the distance, and Ariel took off from her roost immediately in response. Luna, Marina, and all the elders did the same, flapping vigorously to catch up. When they reached the entrance hole, Luna noticed a bat poking his head out of the hole, slumped on his stomach. She instantly knew that it wasn't one of those monsters.
"Everyone, relax! This is a normal bat!" Ariel shouted out. The colony started to calm down gradually. Once the cries settled, the bat crawled out of the hole and fluttered out from it, hovering just before the elders.
"They're gone – for now at least." The bat said. Luna was amazed. This bat's fur was the brightest she'd ever seen, even brighter than Marina's. His fur was pure white, as if enveloped by some kind of luminescence on its own. Seeing the many wrinkles strewn across his fur, Luna knew that this bat was of very old age.
"Zephyr." Ariel said, nodded her head formally. Zephyr shook his head and smiled.
"No need for formal introduction. I'm here to help." With that, Zephyr took off and fluttered over their heads, towards the empty burrow at the end of the caves.
"I am growing very old. I want to help your colony in my last days." Zephyr explained as they all were perched in their cozy burrow once again. The old bat's statement made Luna cold with pity. She had been told about Zephyr many times when she was younger, but she had never imagined seeing him at this time. She was absolutely speechless and could only listen as the albino spoke.
"I am assuming you have seen the monsters." Ariel stated.
"Monsters." Zephyr laughed. "Mutants. Halfwings."
"Pardon?"
"Halfwings. These 'monsters' are Vampyrum Spectrum." Those mere two words sent a shiver down Luna's spine.
"How do you know this?"
"I know their location. I know what they converse about. With these ears, I can find out things most useful." Zephyr said, poking his head. "They are raised with dark, restless souls delved deep inside of them, keeping their mangled bodies alive and their rightful souls clinging on to remain on the earth.
"They are rogues of the Vampyrum Spectrum. They practice the darkest rituals rejected by the Vampyrum themselves. They have heard of the fall of the 'Pyramid Vampyrum' two years back and are planning a brutal and cold-blooded genocide of all bats in order for them to have absolutely no opposition while they fulfill their rituals of raising Cama Zotz."
"Genocide." Ariel breathed out. The elders looked at each other uncomfortably. Luna herself started to become afraid. She thought that the Vampyrum were done for. Just how many rituals do they plan to complete? When will it all end?
"They aren't finished with this colony. Once they target their rightful prey, they won't stop until the prey is killed." Silence resumed in a short moment. Zephyr breathed in and coughed hoarsely before speaking again. "I will dedicated my last breaths to preparing your colony for battle."
"Battle, but the females don't – " Ariel started, but was immediately interrupted by Zephyr's raising of his wing.
"Leave it to me, Ariel Silverwing. When day rises, I shall contact the males and summon them to this cavern. United, we will stop the Vampyrum once and for all – with my help at least."