CHAPTER 8
"Noooooo!" Nico yelled, then started coughing. He tried to see her so he could potentially save her. His lungs were filling with smoke and he couldn't breathe. He was also trying to dodge the flames that now reached the tops of some trees.
"Nico!" He heard his name yelled and looked to see his sister being carried by his father and both his parents and brothers coming towards him.
"I can't believe you actually tried to set the nest on fire, Nico!" Roderick said with disbelief written on his face.
"What? No, no I didn't!" Nico said, confused and having trouble breathing.
"And you tried to drop her into the fire! I can't believe you!" Thomas pitched in, ignoring the stammering Nico who tried to tell them what actually happened.
"Don't go trying to make excuses! Your brothers both saw what happened! I can't believe you. Just when I started thinking you had potential. That is it. Nico you are to leave the family and never come back." His father stared at him with hatred burning bright as the flames in his eyes. His mother had started weeping, as did Nico. Though he had started crying back before they showed up.
"Better yet dad, we should do to him what he just tried to do to our dear sister." Roderick suggested. His father considered this for a moment. His mother had a horrified look on her face. Finally, his father nodded solemnly.
"You think you can just murder someone Nico? Well, I don't think so. Boys take him down to the floor and make sure he stays there." His father flew off, his mother crying quietly while following. He saw his sister begin to cry and try and go back to Nico. As Nico's brothers took his wings and began to descend he smiled up at his sister in the best way he could. She saw him and cried out her first clear words.
"BROTHER NICO!" was the last thing he heard before being dragged down to the flames.
"Hmph. Won't be her brother for much longer. Come on, help me time him up." Thomas said to Roderick. Roderick nodded and the two of them tied him down using a couple of leaves and rocks. Nico sat there keeping his tears in by tensing up his body as much as he could. When his brothers finished they looked at him and laughed.
"You have no idea how long we've wanted to do this to you. At first it was cause you were just a hindrance, but then you went and got respect from mom and dad at the point when you needed it most. I can't stand you and that stupid charm and good luck you have. Just die already!" Roderick spat. Thomas actually spit on Nico hitting him in the face. Nico flinched at the action, which got more laughs from his brothers before they flew off.
When he could no longer see them, Nico burst into tears. But they soon stopped when he realized the leaves became loose when he untensed his body. He wiggled a bit and after a minute that felt like an hour to his hurting lungs he was free. He couldn't believe it! He was singed all over and the feathers on his head were forever ruined and matted but he was alive!
Nico flew up and out of the flames and into the fresh air outside of the forest. He cheered and did a little dance. He couldn't believe it. He looked around for his family, to see if he could explain that it was a misunderstanding, but they were gone. He was left to fend for himself and find a new place to live.
He thought about where he should go and decided to go somewhere he visited with his parents recently. Somewhere far away. He never thought he'd be thankful for his parents nomad life style. He set his sights in what he hoped was the right direction and started for his soon to be new home: Rio.