Chapter 22- the departure to Rio begins

Back in the Spix tribe's ravine

Blu, Aurora, Roberto, Ferdinand, Orion and their families got prepared for their early return trip to Rio. The glaucous macaw families, Sirius, Bellatrix and their mates and chicks, had gone to the mixed-species tribe's home grove to collect Trixie from Falkor's infirmary to bring here ready for the trip to save having to fly there at the moment of setting off and collecting her. In the meantime, the rest of the group got prepared for their trip. As Blu packed a few things into his fanny pack or bum bag while Jewel checked the six chicks, Ferdinand sat with Ruby, Sheldon and Opal watching a group of scarlet and green-winged macaw messengers from Felipe's tribe as they talked with Eduardo and Mimi and some of their inner circle birds about something. The four gazed worriedly at the looks of dread on the red macaws' faces.

"I don't like the looks of the faces on Ramon and the others over there," said Ferdinand in a low voice.

"They're reporting an incident about some hyacinth macaws that had been hatched and raised in captivity in Manaus and then brought here to be released into the sanctuary to add to the hyacinth macaw population as part of a conservation project," said Ruby. Sheldon and Opal then got closer to the red macaw group led by Ramon, the scarlet father of Petunia the half-scarlet, half-green-winged macaw and Sheldon's date, as they continued to explain to Eduardo and Mimi and the inner circle birds with them about that group of hyacinth macaws.

"We have found his body in the Brazil nut grove just near your territory boundary to ours," said Ramon, "Felipe has sent reporters to Augustus and Melissa's mixed-species tribe to report the death of the poor hyacinth macaw who had been raised in Manaus by some of our human friends and released here, along with a dozen other hyacinth macaws."

"And as we examined how he died, we found that he had been shot with a porcupine spine laced with poison dart frog poison," said a female scarlet macaw. Horror tore through Eduardo, Mimi and some of the inner circle blue macaws and also Ruby and her family.

"That doesn't sound good," said Ferdinand. Sheldon and Opal also flinched and Ruby put her wings to her beak in horror and disbelief.

"Do you believe that the poisoned porcupine spine may have been shot by any of the intruders from Rudi's clan?" asked Eduardo sternly. Mimi then turned her gaze in Ferdinand and his family's direction, unadulterated worry clearly present in her eyes. Then flashing a look at the visiting red macaw group led by Ramon, the chubby older sister of Eduardo broke away from the group and approached the blended scarlet/blue-and-gold macaw family.

"A captive bred-and-raised hyacinth macaw male, one of around a dozen only released into our sanctuary around a week ago from some human environment carers from Manaus, has been shot dead with a porcupine spine, Ferdinand and Ruby," she said, "His body had been found in the Brazil nut grove of your tribe's territory by that group of scarlet and green-winged macaws."

"That's very serious, isn't it?" said Ruby.

"VERY!" said Mimi angrily, "And we deduce that a group of you-know-who may have shot that hyacinth macaw with that poisoned porcupine spine. I'm glad my younger brother and Augustus have STRONGLY recommended you take an early trip to your other place in Rio; you will be safe there until we have dealt with that moronic glaucous macaw and his clan." Then dread came over the blended macaw family.

"Sirisu, Bellatrix and their families," Ruby blurted out.

"They've left here to collect Trixie," put in Ferdinand. Sheldon and Opal also began to panic for the glaucous macaws. However, Mimi calmed their boiling nerves.

"They have Augustus and some of his inner circle members with them as their escorts according to Eduardo," said she, "and they will accompany them there and back."

"But if there is an armed flock of renegade glaucous macaws from Rudi's clan armed with these porcupine spines then Sirius and Bellatrix and company are still an easy target," said Ferdinand, "Furthermore, shooting darts laced with poison is an excellent method of long-range attack on an enemy without having to face the enemy directly to attack."

Just then Eduardo appeared; an OUTRAGED look on his face.

"It is clear that whoever had shot that hyacinth macaw with the poison dart points to a group of Rudi's minions without a doubt," Mimi's brother growled, "That glaucous macaw is HONESTLY crossing the line in SO many ways and on SO many levels."

"What are you planning to do?" asked Mimi. Eduardo gazed at Ramon and his group and then back at his sister.

"We're gonna confront Rudi directly and demand he recall his intruding clan members under a SERIOUS threat," he continued, "As well as SEVERELY remind him of the truce we made that his glaucous macaws remain in their territory while WE remain in ours. This is HONESTLY going too far."

"INDEED it is, bro," snapped Mimi angrily, she then turned to the blended macaw family, "You four go and prepare to set off to Rio with the rest of your group while we continue to discuss this."

Ruby, Ferdinand, Sheldon and Opal nodded and obediently left to join Blu and the others while Eduardo and Mimi resumed their conversation regarding Rudi and his clan and their intrusions.

Nearby, Zephyr was doing a headcount of the five chicks and instructing them to stay together during the return trip to Rio. However, Roberto came in and interrupted him for a talk, so he turned from his kids and entered into a conversation with him. While he did this, Virgil gazed at his feet, guilt at attacking Katrina including tearing her tail out and clawing her in the face boiling within him.

"Bros, sissies," said he to his four siblings, "Do you four agree with Mom in the fact that I went too far with attacking that glaucous macaw when she had Bia in her death grip?"

"Well, she WAS strangling Bia to death, Virgil," said Charlotte, "You did right to pounce onto her to drive her away from Bia but I'd say you did go a little too far in ripping out her tail."

"I'd say I'm not surprise he gave Katrina such a good hiding in attempting to kill Bia," said Justin with a frown, "If I had seen that brute brat with CARLA in her clutches and strangling her to death, I'd have done the same thing. After all, you tend to go crazy if you see your relative or closest friend in a deliberate life-threatening situation at the clutches of a macaw or other animal."

"But not like THAT," said Eustace while Matilda said nothing. Virgil just breathed a guilty sigh as Jewel came by to check on Aurora and Zephyr's sons and daughters.

"Virgil, don't feel guilty about giving that brute brat Katrina what for, for almost killing our daughter," said Bia's mother, "You saved Bia's life after all. You should be incredibly proud of yourself."

"I beg to differ, Jewel," said Aurora, a frown on Virgil, "I think he was INCREDIBLY foolish in tearing out Katrina's tail like that."

"Well, what would YOU do if YOUR chicks or even your MATE or friends were in mortal danger like Bia had been, Aurora?" asked Jewel slightly angrily.

"I'd defend them, obviously," said Aurora, "Especially my five chicks if they were EVER in any danger at the clutches of, say, a murderous macaw."

"Exactly," said Jewel, "And THAT was how Virgil reacted when he saw that beastly glaucous macaw teen strangling my daughter to death."

Aurora just breathed an uncertain sigh as Jewel returned to her six chicks Carla, Bia, Tiago, Neptune, Arrokoth and Chrysocolla.

Nearby, Orion and Ahsoka's three older offspring Sandalwood, Acerola and Hermione talked with some visiting macaws from Augustus and Melissa's very large multi-species tribe. Two of them were new friends of Carla and company, a male glaucous macaw named Erik and a female Lear's macaw named Indigo, both roughly the ages of Carla and company excluding the later additions. Erik was a handsome young male teen glaucous macaw with a rich sky blue plumage and grey head and neck. His build was slender and he had a ruffle of feathers on his head and deep blue eyes. Indigo was an unusual Lear's macaw. While most Lear's macaws were very dark navy blue, her feathers were tinted violet, giving them a blue-violet appearance. Her face and neck, however had the distinctive dark teal tinge all Lear's macaws had. She was lithe in build and had a navy blue ponytail and violet eyes. Indigo gazed at the bats.

"We heard what had happened to Trixie from Teresa and Victor regarding Volo and also at the clutches of him and Millie and Tillie and their gang," she said sadly, "I hope she's okay and that he will be able to fly again once her left wing's feathers grow back."

"That clan of glaucous macaws and their friends, honestly, are such bad company," said Erik, "I got involved with them once and was grounded severely for a month."

"You had an incident with Millie, Tillie and also Tybalt at some point didn't you?" asked Acerola.

"We certainly did, only a few weeks ago," said Indigo, "Millie, Tillie, Tybalt and some others with them including Maugrim, the banished flying fox, and two more of Rudi and Tremaine's chicks, Draco and Lucius, were intruding into our territory and stealing some fruit and we went to confront them."

"However, Lucius severely insulted Indigo here by calling her the EXTREMELY offensive 'you are FAR more disgusting even than animal dung and parasitic worms, bird or pterosaur' name of 'ovo podre'," said Erik, "and I tried to give him a piece of my mind for using that word but he sent me flying into the spikes of a porcupine on the forest floor and I got my back spiked. I had to go to Falkor's infirmary for him to pluck those spikes out of my back and Falkor and our parents explained to us what 'ovo podre' meant."

As he talked, Jewel came by with Orion, a scowl on their faces when they heard Erik mention the EXTREMELY naughty insult. However, Hermione assured the pair that they were only discussing an incident that had happened with Indigo involving the slur. Nearby, Ahsoka was cradling Ganymede and Gordie while Brisa talked with Lavendulan and Finnick about Rio.

"Yes, it is NOT a term ANY animal with common sense would DARE use in ANY civilised conversation," said Indigo sourly, "That son of Rudi and Tremaine HONESTLY jabbed me FAR deeper than those spines that had jabbed Erik when he crashed into the porcupine when Lucius tackled him."

"ABSOLUTELY right," said Jewel in agreement, "'Ovo podre' must NEVER, EVER be used. You risk SERIOUS punishment if you EVER use it against anyone. Frequent use of it could mean expulsion from the tribe. It was a frequent slur we Spix macaws and the red macaws used during our rancourous war against each other."

Then a feeling of dread hit Orion and he gazed at Blu's mate. "Speaking of the use of the anti-bird and pterosaur slur, Jewel, do you think Rudi's clan could be using it against human-associated animals?"

"I don't know but I do NOT wanna find out," replied Jewel, "The sooner Sirius and Bellatrix and their families are back with Trixie, the sooner we're off to Rio before that second storm wave hits. The last thing I want is Arrokoth and Chrysocolla facing trouble from those brat children of Rudi and Tremaine, and certainly NOT your two twins sons with Ahsoka over there," she nodded to Ganymede and Gordie before turning and leaving to meet with Blu, Orion following her. Indigo, Erik and the two Lear's macaws and three glaucous macaws accompanying them looked on worriedly.

"Ganymede and Gordie?" asked the purple-tinted Lear's macaw.

"Flying fox pups are largely helpless against a gang of birds armed with sharp beaks and talons," said Acerola, "And to hear that our twin brothers are potentially next targets of Millie, Tillie and their gang has had us filled with dread."

"You'll be safe away from here in your other place," said Erik with sympathy. Indigo and the other macaws with them nodded in agreement. Sandalwood, Acerola and Hermione thanked the group before turning to rejoin their parents and brothers. As the three walked along, Hermione noticed a volcanic look on a certain Spix macaw's face as he talked with Jewel and Orion.

"Do you two hear the fiery tone in Uncle Blu's voice?" she told her brother and sister, "He sounds so INCREDIBLY furious."

"Not to mention talk badly about Rudi and Tremaine," said Acerola.

"I'm not surprised," said Sandalwood with a frown, "Rudi's behaviour regarding his violent offspring and their love of endangering lives has driven him to the edge of the branch."

Suddenly, the three bats flinched when they heard Blu yell, "If that glaucous slug-face were here RIGHT NOW, I'M GONNA BREAK HIS WINGS AN' THROW HIM INTO A THORNBUSH!"

"Blu, calm down!" barked Orion, "We've got a LONG trip to Rio ahead of us so you NEED to get your composure together."

Nearby, Jewel gently escorted Carla, Bia, Tiago, Chrysocolla, Neptune and Arrokoth, the latter three trembling, away from their fuming father. Sandalwood, Hermione and Acerola also shuddered. They had NEVER seen Blu THIS angry before but as stated before, the endangerment of one of his daughters and one of his second brood sons getting clawed by one of Rudi's savage daughters and the fact that he wasn't least bothered by it had been the final leaf and Blu had COMPLETELY lost ALL respect for the glaucous macaw. In fact, Rudi was now Blu's number one nemesis besides Nigel.

A little while later, Sirius and Bellatrix, together with Samara, Antares and their chicks Tristan, Quincy, Sapphire, Levi, Aiden and Phoebe had returned to the ravine with Trixie and under the escort of some macaws and parakeets. Trixie was being carried by Samara due to being unable to fly with her damaged wing and thankfully, her chill wasn't severe but she still felt unwell. Then as soon as the glaucous macaws had reunited with Blu and company, they immediately departed for Rio. A pink-and-purple macaw had told them of a boat sailing for the city of Manaus and if they move fast enough, they should be able to catch it. And just in time as well as the second wave of the storm was about to unleash its fury on the jungle with its massive downpour and winds. Blu, Ferdinand, Sirius, Bellatrix, Ahsoka, Aurora and Roberto and their families all said goodbye to their families and friends before departure with Eduardo issuing them a stern warning to be careful during their time in Rio. Zephyr and Brisa also said goodbye to their parents Viento and Gael and cousin Nuvem while Ruby sent her goodbyes to Felipe, Pearl and their chicks Luca, Spinel and Realgar via Ramon and his group and as soon as the group was ready, they left the ravine under the escort of some of Augustus' patrol macaws and they began to search for the boat spotted by the pink-and-purple macaw.

Blu and company's early departure to Rio had begun.