Chapter 15: A blind traffic controller

Marina and Shade flew fast as their wing can carry them while I gripped her feet. I glance over and saw Shade's right wing were badly torn a bit close to the tip. He was having troubles staying afloat to stay close to us.

"Shade your wing," I said.

"Do you want to stop and rest your wing?" Marina panted. He shook his head answering breathing heavily and then growls.

"Pigeons, I hate them almost I hate those stupid owls."

"Shade don't let them get to you," I replied.

"She's right, revenge isn't worth it," Marina added. "We need to warn your colony, we gotta find that cross."

"It won't be hard to find, just look for a top that has a cross sign." I spoke helping them a bit. All of sudden we all heard a familiar bell ringing that sounds more melodies than the clock tower.

Marina beamed. "Guys that's it!"

"What?" Shade looked over to where she was looking at.

"Its the cathedral we made it!" I smiled in relief to see two towers with a cross sign towering above. "You know from your sound map, the cross, the bell.."

"That's where they meant to stop!" He beamed and flew ahead of us as if the church has given him new strength. Marina and I followed him. But then I notice three grey moving spots by a gargoyle. I gasped when we got more close they were pigeons guarding.

"Marina pigeons, dead ahead!" She saw them and panicked. She quickly swopped down towards Shade and I quickly use my legs to wrapped around his neck which startled him. We dragged him to the edge of the building where they can't see us.

"Hey what's the big deal…?" I cover my mouth with my mitten while I put my other one up to my lips.

"Shh! Their's pigeons on the cathedral." I hissed. I let go of him mouth and three of us peek out quietly and see the three on night watch duty. I notice Higlend was with them and look more paranoid about his encounter with giant bats.

Shade huffed. "Great now how are we going to get in without them seeing us?" Marina notices a couple of lights were shining on the cathedral. She hummed and looked at it and the pigeons couple times. Then she smirked.

"I got it, you two follow me" We both followed her quietly with a puzzled look on our face. We manage to sneak over under one of the lights that were shining on the pigeons. I realized what she was planning and I smile trying not to giggle.

Shade heard me and glance at me funny. "What's so funny?" I only give him a sneaky smile and whispered in his good ear what Marina's plan was. His eyes lit up after I told him and smiled back.

I watch as Shade and Marina were flying near the light and its my job to give them the right moment to make it happen. I overheard Higlend still saying about the giant bats of how scary and big they were like gargoyles coming to life. With sigh feeking a bit sorry for him I give them a single and they both flew over the light.

Their shadow created a huge shadow above to make them look like giant bats. On cure, we heard all three pigeon screaming going all crazy bonking each other trying to escape.

I couldn't hold my laugh anymore while I watch the show from below and they zoom out of the cathedral with a speed like their tail was on fire and disappeared in the city.

Shade and Marina joined me as we all laughing our heads off after we watch the whole show.

"Oh my gosh I can't believe they feel for it! Marina your a genius!" I breathed from laughter, holding on my stomach.

She nodded laughing along. "I thought someone's going to break their wing trying to get away first." She flew over as I grabbed her feet with my hand and we all soared up to where the pigeons were while we were still laughing.

Marina landed me before she did while Shade landed beside me. We calmed down our laugh and then Shade gasped and groaned, holding his wing closely in pain.

"Shade let me see your wing," I said. He folds out his right wing a little bit and I saw that torn again and it's getting worse of how much flap he took. After he showed me he gripped his wing close against his body and hiss more with hurt. We begin to wait for his colony to come out from somewhere to greet us but we waited for an hour.

"Shade I think your colony is not here," Marina finally spoke through silence. I sighed heavily felt sorry for him after what we have gone through of reaching this place.

"I know," He replied gloomy.

I huffed and crossed my arms." Those stupid rumors about giant bats, their better be real or else so help me.."

"You think we miss them?" Marina interrupted.

He shrugged. "I don't know." Then he turns and looked at the gargoyle statue that was near us that has his mouth opened, his face was replaced from disappointing to smirked. "Hey check out Mr. Ugly over there. Tell me he doesn't look like a giant bat,"

I laughed a little." He could be, do you guys think these giant bats are true?"

Marina rolled her eyes." Come on guys, you don't really believe giant bats do you? That just a story made up by scare birds" She quoted her claw for scare birds after she spoke.

"Well, it could be possible.." I answered, shrugging my shoulder. Marina decides to jumps up on the edge and spread her wings out, making herself huge and scary.

"Bah! You better dashed before I dined!" She shouted, pretending to be a giant bat. We both chuckled from her performance and she came back by us. "Really guys giant bats don't exist."

"Really?" All of us jumped in startled after we heard a booming voice out of nowhere. "You should be surprised," We looked to see it was coming from the gargoyle and we back fast, fearing it could be alive.

We heard the owner chuckling as if he just saw our reaction. I tip my head a little form his laugh and then I notice a white bat peeking out from the mouth. Then Shade came in front of me for protection just in case if bad happens.

"The world is full of strange and wonderous things."

Huh?" I muttered.

"Just because you never see them, doesn't mean they exist." He finished.

".. Like giant bats?" Shade question, unsure. The white bat gives us a warm welcoming smile and walked back inside. Marina took my hand with her feet before we followed him through the mouth of the gargoyle.

Inside the mouth of the gargoyle wasn't that bad than I expected. It was very roomy and a little warm, having attic look and there were many weird-looking plants that I never saw hanging from above on rails all over the place. Marina landed me on one of the rails while Shade landed by me.

She landed on the other side and the white bat that we saw earlier was roosting across from us, scribbling something on the wall.

"Ah, Graywings are even right on time." He sighed, still writing.

"Who are you?" Shade asked. The white bat drops himself from roosting on the ground and turns to us. My eyes lit up to see him as an old albino bat all white along with two large ears with a hint of fur. His eyes have no pupil in them all what as his fur but I wasn't scared about it but fascinated for I know he's blind.

"My name is Zephyr, "He introduces himself. "I'm um…"He put his claw on his chin trying to think and snap his finger finding the right answer and came to us. "…The bat traffic controller for the migrating colonies. This city is a central hobbit where all bat colonies pass."

"Wow that's pretty cool," I said, look pretty amazed. Marina flew down and landed to where the scribble was in curious.

"Those are the flight path my dear," I sat down after he spoke to rest my legs a bit, moving them around.

"Marina, my name is Marina." She introduces herself, smiling." And those are Shade and Ashlie."

Shade flew down to where they were and asked him. "You do you know where all colonies are, so where are the silverwings?"

"Um they pass here by two hours ago heading south," He answered.

"Wait how can you know..?" I asked, unsure how he did it due he's blind.

"We can catch up to them in no time come guys lets go!" Shade grinned at us.

Then Zephyr sighed. "Well, off you go then unless you think that ripped wing of yours can slow you down." He pointed to where his torn wing after he spoke. How did he do that? I thought, still look surprised by his knowledge.

Shade looked at his wing and gasped. Then he started to look woozy like that torn wing had him lightheaded all of sudden and fainted on his back.

I couldn't help but chuckle silently of how funny he was and Marina look at me sighing. I jump off from my spot and landed on another rail where they were and walk by them.

"Is Shade going to be okay?" I asked.

Zephyr nodded, smiling. "Of course, he just never experiences to have a torn wing I believe since he's a newborn pup.

"Do you have any cure for his wing?"

"As a matter of fact I do." He said. "And I can also help with that leg wound of yours as well, I can sense its getting worse." I breathed and lift my one pants up and took my bandages off. I saw my wound was getting much worse than before as me expected, all black with my skin coming off and I didn't feel any pain from it. I gently touch it and grunted.

"Don't touch it dear or else you'll spread the infection, wait here I go get some healing supplies."He flew over and left me and my friends behind to get some medicine for me and Shade. A minute later he return with a bag in his feet and landed by Marina.

I'll do yours first so it won't get worse," He came to me with some kind of berry and herb. "Now try straighten your leg on the ground."I did as I was instructed and grunted of how hurt is gotten. He hums and grabbed some kind of herb, use his thumb claw to cut the end root, and some liquid was pouring out a bit. Zephyr used that herb liquid to drop some on my wound couple which made me hiss sharply of how sting it felt.

"It'll sting hon,"

"Yeah thanks for telling me that," I muttered. He chuckled and after he done that he used the berry that is mushed to spread it around my wound. I bite my lips when the berry juice is all spread almost fill my wound completely I felt the urge to scratch it off.

"Never scratch your wound while you healing is in progress."

"I'll try.." I said. "Thanks." He smiled kindly and walked over to Shade who is still fainted and used the same berry to mush on his torn wing. But however he woke up while Zephyr put some more berry juice on him.

"When are you going to migrate?" Marina asked, curious. She was resting on another rail with her wings covering her body.

"Never," He sighed.

"Why can you?" I said.

"My child my full name is Zephryana, means protection." He explained."I believe it's my destiny to protect the other bats as they migrate."

"Don't you miss your colony?" Marina asked more.

"I was abandoned as a baby, perhaps you know what that is like," He said. She sighed softly and glance at the wall for I understand she's thinking about her former colony.

"That's terrible," I said, feeling sorry for him.

He looked at me and smiled. "Ah it's not that bad, if they didn't abandon me I wouldn't be here to help your both wound and keep the migrated bats all safe. And besides, I always enjoy the colony visiting me including some new ones.

I chuckled softly. "That's awesome." Then Shade woke up and sniffed his berry on his wing and winched.

"Ah yuck, get this stuff off of me my wing is fine!" He snapped, shaking his wings off to get the juice off of him.

Marina rolled her eyes of him being stubborn. "That stuff is a healing Portus and your wing doesn't hurt because it's working." She flew down from her spot and land by Zephyr.

"Its true even though it itches I don't feel hurt at all." I added. He looked at his wing and tries to lift it. He groaned in pain and again he passed out.

Zephyr shook his head and walk up to him and give him more the healing Portus on his torn wing. Marina looked over and saw some more herb to looks like dried red pepper as she picks it up to study them.

"Careful that's strong medicine!" Zephyr warned her. "That herb kills the pain." Shade slowly wakes up and looked at his wound wing.

"And don't rip your wing or you'll be out cold in a week," He added, instructing him. Shade sighed in relief, looking like his torn wing is slowly healing. He got up and looked at us.

"Come on guys we got to find the colony,"

"Oh by the way, if that border falls off and your wing ripped in half just come on back. And I'll be happy to give you some more." Zephyr said, cheerfully. Shade's face grew pale after he said that and gripped his wings together.

"..My wing…in half…? He stuttered. He passes out on the same floor before Marina could catch him. Zephyr chuckled.

"Maybe its best if we don't say anything about his wing,"

Marina nodded. "Yeah that'll be a good idea," I flinched when my itch is getting worse, felt much tempted to scratch it off.

"Remember not one scratch," Zephyr reminded me.

I bite my lips. "Zephyr this healing is driving me crazy! Do you have any healing herb to stop this itch?" He laughed softly, shook his head.

"I'm sorry child I don't have any for that. But, I have a way to ease your mind off your itch." He walked over and grabbed out a pink leaf. He came back and I notice the leaf was coming close to my lips.

"Open up,"

"Whoa wait a minute what is this?" I flinched my head back, afraid it could be poison.

"Ash it's okay, those leave helps you fall asleep," Marina said.

"How do you know?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I experience it with the other beasts that ate them." I hum and looked at the leaf still not sure if I could eat it, after my bug-eating journey.

"Trust me, child, this will help set your mind off your itch." He said. I sighed softly, without any choice I took the leaf from him and ate the whole leaf. It does taste short of not bad except it doesn't have any taste to it. I swallow it after I chew it.

Mm thanks," I sighed. "When it'll take the effect?"

"Only a couple minutes hon," Zephyr replied. "While we wait you should make yourself a nice bed. I have some worn out strange leaves that humans throw out over by the stone edge."

"Strange leaves..?" I yawned all of sudden. That leaf is kicking in alright and I should quickly get to my bed before I pass out. I walked over to where he said and I realized the strange leaves he calls them were actually human clothing.

Its actually a blue sweater with socks. I climb on to the giant sweater and my head begins to feel heavier and somehow I felt kind of warm all over my body as if I was sitting in a hot tub for hours.

I quickly took my both boots and gloves off before I snuggle myself in a sock. Then before I knew it, my mind was completely off as I let the warm darkness come to me.

Author's Note: I hope everyone likes where this is going.

if not DONT READ AND REVIEW IT!

stay turned to find out what happens next as the heroes are all safe in care of

Zephyr ;)

I don't own any silverwing characters except OC's

Enjoy!