Rio 1 and a Half

by VPVPVP

Spix macaw Aurora, glaucous macaw Sirius, Lear's macaw Milo and Amazon flying fox Ahsoka must pair up with Zephyr, Samara, Celeste and Orion respectively to breed and save their species. However, things go wrong when a second band of smugglers kidnap them for the pet trade. Aurora and company must escape and deal with the smugglers before it's too late.

14. Into the jungle

Chapter 14- into the jungle

An explosion of panic erupted in the garden of the house where a band of late night partiers were throwing a party as some of them that were in the outdoor pool scrambled to get out of the water in the plastic swimming bath as something viciously attacked them. Screams and splashes erupted from these people as they hurriedly climbed out of the water. It was like a scene on the beach where bathing beachgoers were scrambling to exit the water back to shore due to a shark present in the water. In this case it wasn't a vicious shark, but a VICIOUS swan that had plunged into the outdoor pool from the first floor. As a young man, a high-pitched scream exploding from his mouth, scurried for the edge of the pool to climb out of the water after his friends, a savage white feathered mass with a long neck and enormous wings exploded from the water, landed onto his back and dragged him back into the water with its massive body weight. Then it clamped its orange beak HARD onto his left shoulder and flapped its wings. Howls of agony exploded from the man as the vicious white beast, Vecna who was FURIOUS at being outwitted and humiliated by two of his most DETESTED species of bird, the parrot, took his wrath out of on the partiers, this poor young man being unfortunate enough in taking the brunt of it. Then as Vecna dragged the man back into the pool and began to attack his face and upper body, the other partiers looked on and screamed at the horrific sight. But then some of them sprung into action. Grabbing anything they could find that would be a makeshift weapon such as sticks and rods, the man's friends surged towards the pool as Vecna continued fighting with him, splashes exploding from the pool along with garbled screams.

Vecna was indeed a monster of a swan and once he snapped, all bets were off. Anyone who was unfortunate enough to end up caught in the fires of the abnormally massive swan's wrath faced a VERY violent beat-up. Quite a number of poached animals, especially parrots, have died at the merciless clutches of the savage bird when they provoked him and it was one of the reasons why Marcel's group split away from Frank's because Vecna was such a threat to Nigel who had an equally violent personality due to him being a cockatoo, a type of parrot and Vecna's MOST detested type of bird. The pair of violent birds had gotten into vicious fights throughout the time the two poacher groups worked together and following the final straw in which Vecna had almost killed Nigel, as well as Marcel and Frank's hatred of each other and conflict over profits, the poachers split up but I digress.

The armed partiers then proceeded to batter Vecna with their weapons in an attempt to get him to release his victim but Vecna fought back, seized a rod in his beak and yanked it out of one of the partiers' hands to his horror. With the savage swan distracted, the wounded and bloodied partier, his consciousness hanging in the balance, was pulled out of the pool by his friends and dragged him to safety. As Vecna continued fighting against the other armed partiers as they attempted to drive him away, one of them yelled, "It's a MONSTER!" as the massive swan released a MASSIVE hiss at his opponents, lashed at one of the female partiers and attempted to bite her face only to receive a whack to his own face with her stick, driving him back. Vecna certainly did look far more terrifying than a shark attacking its prey and after being struck in the head by the female partier, he reared up in the pool, spread his enormous wings out and straightened his head with his head feathers flared and released a MASSIVE, rabid screech at the partiers, making them scream and back away. The casualty's friends also carried him back to the house to tend to his injuries, resuscitate him and call an ambulance. He needed medical attention for Vecna had so badly attacked his face and upper body. Then after frightening the partiers and things had calmed down, Vecna raked his freezing cold single blue-eyed glare over the terrified young men and women. Those armed with makeshift weapons also pointed them defensively at the swan in case he decided to leap out the pool and go on an attacking spree.

"Yeah, scream and flee like a bunch of COWARDLY kids," he snarled, "Just be thankful that I didn't decide to drown ya lil' FRIEND under the water!" his caustic words sounded like screeches to the humans but it frightened them severely. After this, Vecna whirled round, flapped his large wings and lofted into flight, leaving the stunned and frightened partiers to look on. As he flapped into the dark sky and in the direction of his group's den, Vecna declared, "This means WAAAAAAAR against those blue macaw and flying fox RAAAATS!"

Then with a vicious hiss, he continued his return journey, flying like a terrifying ghost crisscrossed with scars.

Meanwhile

In the jungle, Aurora's group walked through the forest floor with their chains. Aurora, Zephyr and Brisa the Spix macaws, Sirius and Samara the glaucous macaws, Milo and Celeste the Lear's macaws and Orion and Ahsoka the Amazon flying foxes crept through the dark bottommost parts of the forest, looking for a safe place to spend the night. Being in the jungle had different effects on some of the individuals. For Aurora, Sirius and Milo, they felt like this was familiar for some reason and they were even a little unnerved. Ahsoka was also unnerved and wished she was back with Joanna. As for Zephyr, Brisa, Samara, Celeste and Orion, they were familiar with this environment for they had lived in it throughout their lives. As the group of macaws and flying foxes continued their search, Orion stumbled. He then shot a glare in Ahsoka's direction as she hid behind a tree trunk and yanked his right leg and the chain to get her moving, pulling the timid ginger bat from her hiding place, the seven macaws looking on. After this, they continued. Sirius gazed warily and nervously at the surroundings as Samara walked sourly alongside him.

"Boy, I remember getting lost in a forest at night back in England when Brandon, Aurora and I went to visit Brandon's mother's parents, his maternal grandparents in the countryside by foolishly wandering from the house into it," he spoke, "And boy were Aurora and our owners UTTERLY flustered when they finally found me."

Samara just released a bitter hiss and continued, Sirius staying nearby due to the chain holding them together. Aurora and Milo also gazed nervously at the forest.

"This place feels familiar somehow," the former spoke in a low voice, "I don't know why but..."

"Maybe you've lived here perhaps?" asked Celeste.

"Well, it's where we macaws naturally live," said Zephyr.

"I know, I know, mate," Milo replied, his Australian lingo kicking in somewhat, "It's just... like déjà vu here."

"Why is Ahsoka acting so frightened?" asked Brisa, her gaze on the flying foxes. The other six including Samara turned and gazed at Orion as he kept reprimanding Ahsoka for trying to hide.

"Don't you macaws and Orion realise we're in a jungle, at night, alone?" the ginger bat demanded, "We should be back in the safety of Rio."

"Haven't you not studied nature, Ahsoka?" asked Sirius.

"Flying foxes do NOT belong with humans," said Orion, "We belong in the jungle."

"Yes, and besides that, flying foxes are NOT suitable to be pets, like macaws," added Milo. Ahsoka just gazed back at the others and continued taking in the dark and sinister-looking surroundings nervously as the group carried on.

"Did you see how Milo and I outwitted Vecna when we lured him away from the rest of you guys?" asked Celeste, hoping to provide a bit of hot air to the dense mood a bit.

"How did you do it?" asked Orion.

"We shot upwards in front of a house and sent the swan crashing into it via a window," said Milo, "He ended up landing in a pool or something," then shivers travelled down his spine and froze it, "Ugh, I hope to NEVER meet that AWFUL swan again. Even the mythical drop bears are friendlier than he is."

"Drop bears?" asked Celeste.

"They're fictional koala bear-like monsters armed with fangs said to hide in the treetops and ambush unsuspecting passers-by walking under them by dropping on them," explained Milo.

"Oh, thanks for adding fuel to my nerves, Milo," grumbled Ahsoka, "You've just made this forest look all the more terrifying," she then winced at a rather unnerving form in the shadow of a tree but thankfully it was a fern.

"We ALL helped each other to get to safety," said Aurora, "Especially Sirius and Samara with Orion and Ahsoka as those bats wouldn't have been able to move quickly by themselves due to their chain."

Sirius and Samara didn't take this compliment very well and longed to be separated as they still did not like each other.

"You know, once this chain is off," Samara said sourly, "I will be back in the jungle and WELL away from the mud-pets."

That comment jabbed Sirius, Aurora, Ahsoka and Milo and also irritated Zephyr, Brisa, Orion and Celeste. Then Sirius shot an angry glare at the bad attitude-bearing glaucous macaw.

"The feeling's mutual, jungle brat," he snapped, "Especially since YOU put ME in danger of those stupid poachers by clawing my wing."

"Here we go again," grumbled Brisa while the others rolled their eyes. Samara glared caustically at Sirius.

"I put you in danger of those poachers!?" she snapped, "YOU provoked me to anger about the species thing in the first place."

"Look," Sirius admitted, "I was wrong to do that with you over that subject, and I am sorry, but what you did to me back in Tulio's Aviary was over the top, especially when you almost strangled me into blackness."

The group stopped as the glaucous macaws entered into another argument once again.

"Well it SERVES you RIGHT, apart from the strangulation part," Samara retorted, "Especially since you are a MUD-PET! What female macaw would wanna have YOU for a mate because of that!?"

"And what male macaw would wanna have a contemptuous macaw with such a VILE attitude like YOU for a mate!?" Sirius retorted even louder. Samara, offended, raised a wing to slap the male glaucous macaw's face but he swept on.

"YOU chose to lose control and claw me in the face and on the wing... AND batter me, Ahsoka, Aurora and Milo with that mud-pet insult just because we are human raised. Well, for your information, WE did NOT choose to end up with our human friends in the first place. It was probably through poachers that we ended up like that."

Samara opened her beak to spit a vicious retort but Sirius beat her to it. "Why can't you have even an OUNCE of UNDERSTANDING that NOT ALL animals have spent their ENTIRE lives in the jungle without some form of connection to humans in some way!?"

Samara then turned away and pretended that she hadn't heard.

"You SEE, Samara," Sirius swept on REALLY angry this time, "You're a BRAT... a BRAT with an attitude as SMELLY as a rotten apple. YOU would rather either beat up others or let that barbed Triffid plant stinger tongue of yours, do the wounding because in your eyes, using your tongue, your beak and your claws are the ONLY answer to those that offend you, even FRIENDS."

Samara then began to shudder, the pressure at Sirius' words building the pressure of anger within her. Sirius continued. "Is it any wonder nobody likes you or wants to be your friend, Samara!? Well, let me tell ya sommat, this group is BETTER OFF WITHOUT YA! ONCE THIS CHAIN IS OFF, I will be BACK WITH BRANDON and YOU can be back IN YOUR OWN LITTLE JUNGLE WORLD where NO ONE but YOURSELF EXISTS and where ANYONE who TRIES TO STEP IN IS DRIVEN OFF VIOLENTLY BY YOU!"

"Sirius," Celeste began but Sirius shot a wing out at her in a 'stop' gesture to nonverbally tell her NOT to interfere as he continued to lambast Samara. Celeste did so and looked on as Sirius continued shouting at the bratty female glaucous macaw.

"I DON'T CARE IF I'M THE LAST MALE GLAUCOUS MACAW in EXISTENCE. And if you like, I can chase ya off into the jungle and SCREAM AT YA TO NEVER COME BACK! NOBODY LIKES YOU, SAMARA! I WISH WE HAD NEVER MET! YOU'RE JUST A STUPID BRATTY MACAW with a VILE ATTITUDE!"

That did it. With a MASSIVE screech exploding from her beak and her woman's hair-like feathers flaring from anger as it exploded, Samara whirled round, raised a talon and flared its claws and prepared to bring it down onto Sirius to claw him while Sirius also flared the claws of his talon ready to slash Samara. However, before the glaucous macaws could inflict each other with claw marks, Celeste, Milo, Ahsoka, Orion and Aurora screeched, "STOP IT, YOU TWO!" at the tops of their lungs, immediately dispelling the red mist smothering the two glaucous macaws' visions and stopping their argument's escalation into a brutal fight in the nick of time. The two glaucous macaws then lowered their feet, spat at each other and turned their backs on each other without a word. Then the pair walked on without looking at each other. The other seven looked on.

"Tell you something, even we are getting SICK of those two's rotten attitude towards each other," said Zephyr.

"If Samara doesn't change her rotten attitude, she WILL be like her mother," added Brisa, "And NO-ONE would certainly wanna be her friend like the glaucous macaw pet says."

Orion, Ahsoka, Celeste, Milo and Aurora looked on and couldn't help but agree with the brother and sister's statements about Samara. If the female glaucous macaw didn't change, she will end up alone. However, they had already given up on her.

"We're gonna have to let her go once we break the chain holding her to Sirius," said Orion, "But that means she will be vulnerable to those poacher snakes to capture and re-cage. There is NO WAY she will be able to defend herself from those horrible ravens, crows and ESPECIALLY Vecna."

"We agree," said Milo.

"And those poachers are HOT on their tails since they are the last known pair of glaucous macaws in existence just like how they are after us Amazon flying foxes," added Ahsoka. The others nodded in agreement before continuing.

As the group continued, Celeste checked Sirius' clawed wing while Samara went on ahead, not looking at the others.

"I can see the claw marks Samara has given you have started to heal," said the female Lear's macaw, "Hopefully by tomorrow they'll have healed up enough for you to fly without pain again. They should be completely gone in a few more days."

"The marks are still quite painful," said Sirius, "It is because of them I cannot stay airborne for long."

Nearby, Ahsoka continued walking with Orion and gazing nervously at the dark forest. She then saw a mouse run past but then suddenly, a green scaly vine darted out from under some ferns and in a blink of an eye seized the rodent in its fangs. Ahsoka released a short shriek upon seeing this. Snakes were NOT her favourite animals at all but the larger constrictors such as anacondas terrified her more.

"You see why we bats and the macaws are tree dwellers up there and not ground floor dwellers down here?" Orion explained, having also witnessed the green snake seize the mouse. Ahsoka just continued to quiver.

"Aren't monkeys like marmosets and tamarins tree dwelling mammals?" asked she.

"Yes they are but they swing through the trees, NOT fly like us bats," Orion replied, "Our arms are wings, giant hands with fingers linked by membranes. The best we can do when it comes to climbing in the trees is creeping around. Primates are different as they don't have giant webbed hands."

"You definitely cannot fly at all, can you, mate?" asked Milo, Celeste looking on. Nearby, Sirius, Brisa, Zephyr and Aurora also looked on.

"That's gonna be a SERIOUS problem for you then," said Aurora, "Not only for yourself but for Orion as well. He cannot fly with a flightless bat chained to him."

"Tell me about it," grumbled Orion as he remembered being dragged down by Ahsoka at the smugglers' den hours ago because of the chain.

"We'll have to deal with these chains tomorrow," said Milo, "But for now, let's find a tree to spend the rest of the night."

As he said this, Zephyr came to the foot of a large tree.

"How about this one?" asked he with a gesture to it. The others came in and gazed up at the top.

"Perfect," said Orion.

"I like it," said Aurora.

"Let's get up there," said Sirius, Samara sourly looking on like a spoilt chick, her arms defiantly folded. The other macaws and to their surprise, Ahsoka also agreed that this tree will be their lodging for the night. And so, the macaws flew up through the canopy and onto the branches of the tree. Sirius and Samara went first, being careful not to stray too far from each other because of the chain and quickly before Sirius' clawed wing emitted too much pain to continue flapping. They found a spot to perch and landed there, Sirius a little clumsily and he shook the branch a little. Then came Aurora, Zephyr and Brisa, flying in their triangle due to their chains and they perched near the glaucous macaws. Then last of all, Milo, Celeste, Orion and Ahsoka. Orion flew by himself with Milo carrying Ahsoka with Celeste flying nearby and at Orion's directions; the Lear's macaws placed Ahsoka onto a branch higher up than the macaws' choice of perches while Orion flipped himself upside down to clutch the branch. Ahsoka also dropped upside down and hung beside him, the chain dangling between the two. Celeste and Milo then perched under them. As soon as the nine got comfortable, Aurora, Sirius, Milo and Ahsoka took in the view of Rio and the sky.

"This reminds me of the cityscape of London at night when Brandon, I and Sirius saw it from a high elevation," she said.

"Get some sleep, Aurora," Zephyr said and with that, he tucked his beak into his wing and did that, Brisa doing the same near him.

"Okay, goodnight, you two but I'm gonna stay up a little longer," Aurora replied.

"Fine, but just don't try to fly off," Brisa snapped slightly, "Remember, you're still chained to us."

Aurora sighed and glared bitterly at the two chains with one holding her to Zephyr and the other holding Brisa to them, its anklet clipped directly onto the chain itself. Sirius and Samara went to sleep without saying goodnight to each other. Milo and Celeste look on with concern.

"I'm beginning to agree with Sirius and Brisa," said the latter, "If Samara does not shake off those toxic traits, she WILL end up alone again, possibly for the rest of her life."

"Well, if that's what she wants, mate, then so be it," said Milo with a glare, "I'm also getting sick of her rotten attitude especially towards us four human-raised animals. We'll deal with the glaucous macaws' chain first," he then turned to Celeste, "By the way, will you be going back to the jungle once OUR chain is off?"

"Possibly," Celeste replied, "But..."

"But what?" asked Milo. Celeste gazed at him and opened her beak to answer but then closed it, having changed her mind.

"I'll tell you what. Let's discuss this tomorrow," said she, "I'm UTTERLY tired, especially after that frantic escape from those poachers and especially Vecna. And I'm sure you are too," and with that, she too went to sleep, "Goodnight, Milo."

"Okay, goodnight Celeste," said Milo and with that, he released a yawn and also went to sleep. Only Aurora and the flying foxes were awake.

"So, why is flying so important, anyway?" asked Ahsoka who hung upside down next to Orion. Though she couldn't fly, at least she could clutch to an overhang and Orion and the macaws were glad for this. Orion gazed at her.

"My father Augustus once told me that flying is sometimes like being free and unrestrained by the binds of the land," explained he, "Even though we cannot fly as high as the flying birds, we bats can still enjoy the freedom of being free in the air. It is also an essential skill in the life of a bat, just like it is in the life of a flying bird like the macaw. As a bat, you cannot survive without it, whether you are a bat that lives in a cave or in the trees," he then turned to Ahsoka with surprise, "I'm still blown away by how long you have managed to survive without it under the care of your human but still."

"Joanna believes that the trauma of facing poachers and falling out of the trees is the reason why I refuse to fly," said Ahsoka, "She found me as a pup in the jungle."

"So you were born here?" asked Orion. Ahsoka nodded and then Aurora spoke.

"Funny you should say that, Ahsoka," said the pigtailed Spix macaw below the upside down bats, "Sirius, Milo and I seem to have that very same strange feeling about this place."

"Those poachers seemed to have been a bad trigger for you as well," said Orion, "You were extremely nervous in those cages before we escaped."

Aurora sighed before moving on, "But speaking of flying, that's an ability we flying birds and you bats, the only group of mammals capable of flapping flight, have in common. In our natural habitat, flying is a MUST survival skill for us macaws but while flying birds and bats can fly, we do have our advantages and our disadvantages and things we can do that bats cannot and vice versa."

"Yes," said Ahsoka, "And one thing you birds can do that we bats cannot do is flying at high altitudes. I think it's because of the differences in our breathing physiology and anatomy that gives that differences..."

Orion raised an eyebrow with intrigue as Aurora went to explain, "Yes, like every other mammal, you bats have bellow-type lungs while we birds have air sacs and single direction-flow tubes which allows us birds to obtain more oxygen far more effectively than the bellow lung type that mammals have."

"So much studying you've done Aurora," said Ahsoka in amazement, "Did you, Sirius and your human friend Brandon study animal anatomy and physiology at a very high level or something?"

"We were doing a degree in bird conservation back in London," said Aurora, "And bird anatomy and physiology is part of the course."

"You're just like Blu," said Ahsoka, "He's very knowledgeable in the sciences and anatomy of both animals and humans is one of them."

"Who's Blu?" asked Orion.

"He is Jewel's mate and lives here," said Ahsoka, "When I met them, they hadn't had any chicks yet but now it seems that they have become parents of a clutch of three. I even had a picture taken with the pair along with Joanna."

Orion widened his eyes with surprise. "Jewel's alive and has managed to survive that fire that separated us from our tribes and clans, and she has managed to find a mate of her species OUT HERE!? The Spix macaw is EXTREMELY rare, you know just like the glaucous macaw and the Amazon flying fox."

Ahsoka nodded in agreement before turning back to Aurora. "Anyway, can you name me one advantage we bats have over you birds?"

Aurora obliged with a smile. "Yes, you are more agile in the air than us birds and that is due to the structure of your wing. While we birds have nothing but feathers attached to our arms to make our wings, you bats have your ENTIRE hand incorporated into your wing with the skin webbing between your highly elongated fingers. Unlike feathers, the skin membrane possesses senses which allow you bats to feel the airflow over your wing in flight, allowing you to change your wing position accordingly. Feathers cannot do that as much as skin membranes or... protagia I think they are called scientifically..."

"Of course we bats have to be very agile otherwise we would not be able to flip upside down to roost like we're doing now," said Orion with an amused smile. Aurora nodded in agreement before turning an angry glare at the chain hanging between the two bats.

"Ugh, what those poachers have done to you bats and us macaws as well was UTTERLY awful," she growled in disgust, "And I certainly cannot believe that they would chain you two together as well. You're probably not as mobile on the ground as us macaws which was why we had Sirius and Samara carry you two on their backs to escape those poachers..."

"Your, Zephyr and Brisa's situation is even worse," said Orion as he eyed the two chains, one linking Zephyr and Aurora together and the second chain connecting Brisa to that chain, "Not only are you and Zephyr chained together but Brisa is chained to you two as well, making movement almost impractical for the three of you unless you move together."

"And as a three," said Ahsoka. Aurora glared bitterly at the chain between her and Zephyr and the second one snaking from that chain to Brisa's left leg, the other anklet of Brisa's chain attached to the first chain. Then she felt a yawn escape her beak.

"We'll have to deal with these things tomorrow," said she, "I'm too tired to talk more so let's get some shuteye," and with that, she tucked her beak into her feathers and went to sleep. Orion and Ahsoka also snuggled into their wings which doubled as inbuilt sleeping bags as well as instruments for flight.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Aurora," Ahsoka said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Ahsoka and Orion," Aurora replied and with that, she and the bats entered slumber land. As she went to sleep, Aurora began to hope that changes would occur and the one she wished most was Samara and her rotten attitude and proneness to temper tantrums and outbursts. Despite being angry at her for her attitude towards human-raised animals like herself, Aurora did not want the female glaucous macaw to leave the group and be out there on her own, the likely consequence of her vile attitude and no-one would want to befriend anyone with such an attitude as hers, for several reasons. One was Samara was the only female glaucous macaw known in existence, alongside Sirius, the only known male of the species. If Sirius and Samara don't warm up to each other, the glaucous macaw will face possible extinction. Secondly, Samara would NOT stand a chance against the poachers should they find her and certainly NOT the sly crows, ravens and especially, especially the hulking and savage Vecna. Seeing how brutal he was with Zephyr, Brisa, Celeste and Orion back in the smugglers' den, Aurora could guess that Samara would be easily overpowered by the parrot-detesting swan and possibly even badly injured or worse if she tried to face him alone. Putting aside those thoughts, Aurora drifted off.

The night continued to flow by and back in Rio, Brandon, Francisco, Audrey and Joanna had returned to their hostel to retire to bed themselves. They will resume their search for Aurora, Sirius, Milo, Ahsoka and the other five the next morning.