Chapter 29: Journey of haunting memories

The skies were painted with the red and blue colors of all the spix macaws of both the Azul Clan and Eduardo's tribe, as well as the scarlets and green-winged macaws from Felipe's and Mia's tribe.

Some birds carried food supplies that were preserved in nests made out of vines, which is most certainly the work of the Azuls, since they have more of an understanding of craftsmanship than other birds.

Within the flock, males and females chatted with each other, whilst children played with the usage of some flying tricks. Some chicks that would get tired laid on the backs of their fathers and/or mothers.

Bia used to be a chick that would get tired easily due to her short wings, but after Blu trained her last year for the fancy flight, she got used to fly long distances and now she also had Miguel as a companion to talk to. To Blu and Jewel's kids, Renaldo, Miguel and Skye's irritation, Antonio had also decided to come along to Twelve Peaks, although he hadn't bothered them so far.

During the flight, Roberto couldn't help but look how elegantly Jasmine was flying through the skies. She almost looked like a strong angel. Felipe had also faced a similar thing when he saw Mia flying.

After about a day of non-stop flying, the flocks decided that it was time to get some rest and landed onto some trees that were not habited by any birds at all. The only animals that seem to live in that area, were howler monkeys, who didn't mind the birds' presence at all, as long as they didn't bother the monkeys.

Everyone settled down and ate a few fruits, both from the supplies they carried with them, as well as the fruits and even a few Brazil nuts that were present in the area.

The leaders of the tribes, as well as Blu, Jewel, Rafael, Nico, Pedro, Willfried, Mimi, Roberto, Bia, Carla, Tiago, Jasmine and Thomas were all gathered somewhere on the ground, where Jasmine drew with a stick in the sand, explaining how they could best attack the eastern and northern temples of Twelve Peaks when they will face the Emberwings. As she was explaining her strategies, however, Andor couldn't help but think about something from a few days ago, when Sapphire told her story about the Emberwings.

"Sorry to interrupt, Jasmine, but Mia, can I ask you something?" Andor asked.

"Surely, Andor." Mia replied.

"It's about something your brother said a few days ago." Andor said.

"And what was that?" Mia asked.

"Did the Emberwings truly almost burn him alive?" Andor asked.

All the eyes of the birds were either turned towards Mia or Sapphire.

"Yes" Mia said with a little sigh.

Mia: "We weren't yet at war, but relations between the 4 tribes and the Emberwings had been hostile for quite some time at that point. Arturo got it into his head that he could improve relationships by sharing our knowledge of planting seeds to raise fruits with them. These techniques were inspired of how humans plant those fruits, enough to feed an entire bird population.

Mia paused for a while before saying with some disgust: "Almost getting set on fire was the thanks he got."

"It's true." Sapphire said. "The Emberwings were too impatient at that point for the subtlety on how to raise fruits at different locations. And since they were already so battle-crazed, they decided to lock him up for a few days, making the 4 tribes and I wonder why it took him so long to come back."

"So Arturo was a guest when Terrin burned him?" Carla asked with some disgust in her voice.

"Not exactly, Carla…" Sapphire said.

Sapphire: "Terrin didn't mind locking Arturo up; he saw the potential in demanding more secrets from his tribe – and to another degree, all the 4 tribes – and wanted to know much more than to improve fruit production. He wanted to do that to demonstrate his might and power."

Sapphire: "It was a mob of lesser Emberwings, bitter and shortsighted, who tied him up and almost lit him aflame, as punishment for the 'sabotage' they imagined him guilty of. Obviously as you can all see he survived. In fact, after some days of not returning, I send Megeslav to investigate and he was the one who saved Arturo from near-death, by knocking out the Emberwings that were about to set him on fire and freeing him from the vines that bound him to a small tree in a rare open clearing. They both used that opportunity to escape, but such an affront made war inevitable."

"Wow, he truly must have been traumatized by that, right?" Blu asked whilst looking at Mia.

Mia (with heavy heart): "Arturo certainly wasn't the same after that towards his tribe members, Sapphire and us, his 3 half-siblings… At least for a while. His dreamy and carefree ways were replaced with nightmares, intense fear, bitterness, paranoia and lashing out."

Mia: "Only towards Megeslav and his daughters he would hold his temper, since Megeslav was the one that saved his life. Arturo says to this day that he's in debt to Megeslav."

Sapphire: "It doesn't excuse the fact that he lashed out a bit when I didn't tell the crowd what the incident was behind the start of that war, but I do understand where his anger came from."

"So in general, he wants to see the Emberwings burn for what they have done to him?" Jasmine asked.

"Exactly." Mia said. "Although his paranoia, nightmares and lashing out ended after some months of fighting and his carefree ways returned, his bitterness of what they did to him, to his tribe members, the tribe members of his siblings and Megeslav's daughters remained. When the war ended, this bitterness also ended, since we all believed that they were gone for good, but hearing they had survived and now even live in the ancient home of the Azuls must have reawakened that bitterness."

"And now he has the chance to end that bitterness once and for all." Arturo's voice said from behind.

Everyone flinched and saw that Arturo standing right next to a tree behind them all.

"How long have you been standing there, Arturo?" Thomas asked a bit dumbfounded.

"Oh, ever since I heard the part that Meg saved my butt from those orange… maniacs." Arturo said.

"You truly want to see them finished, don't you?" Mimi asked.

"If going out in an inferno of glory and it means that Terrin and the Emberwings burn too… than that's where I'll be." Arturo said, before smiling and humorously saying: "With a big fat smile on my face."

After some more discussions, the kids decided to meet with their love interests. Bia, Carla and Tiago quickly found Renaldo, Skye and Miguel talking with Henrik, Bruno and Astrid. After they kissed their love interests, they told them where they had been and also told them the story that they heard about how Arturo almost got burned alive.

"Wow." Astrid said. "A few days ago, I was shocked to hear that he almost got burned alive, but hearing the details makes it all the more creepy…"

"Yeah." Miguel said modestly. "Not the mention the long-term traumatizing effects that it had on his psyche."

"Oh, but my psyche is going to be as strong the hardest rock in the entire grove." An all too familiar voice said, making the kids drop their mouths.

"What do you want, Antonio?" Renaldo said irritated.

"I just wanted to tell you losers that I'm ready for the upcoming fight, and you probably aren't at all." Antonio boasted.

"Back off, Toni." Tiago said.

"Or else what, shrimp?" Antonio snarled.

"Or else, you'll be the first one here who's gonna get a taste of the Azul Clan's power and not the Emberwings." Bruno said, whilst stepping in front of Antonio with narrowed eyes.

"You think, I'm scared of you, Azul?" Antonio barked. "Come on then and fight me, then!"

"You asked for it, Antonio!" Bruno yelled whilst launching himself at Antonio and wrestling him to the ground.

Antonio then grabbed Bruno by his beak, threw him to the ground and then wanted to claw Bruno.

Bruno, however, dodged his attack, got up and headbutted him.

"Yeah, give him the old one, Bruno!" Skye supported, Tiago and Renaldo were also supporting Bruno with words, but Astrid did the complete opposite.

Astrid: "Bruno! Stop it! Before mom and dad see you like this."

"Yes, Bruno! Stop this madness now!" Bia exclaimed.

"Yeah, Azul, listen to your sister and your egg-head friend." Antonio growled. "Back off, before I really hurt ya!"

"You first!" Bruno yelled whilst giving him a heavy punch with his wing in the form of a fist.

Antonio fell a bit backwards, but quickly got up on and then launched himself at Bruno, yelling. Bruno did the same thing.

Just before they could hit each other, they were suddenly grabbed in their necks by a talon. When the other onlooking children watched it, they saw it was Megeslav who held them, and his face was stern.

"What's going on here?" Megeslav said in his thick Russian accent.

"He started it!" Both Antonio and Bruno yelled and pointed at each other.

Then, more birds came, both spix macaws and scarlets.

"Hey, what's all the commotion here, guys?" Blu asked.

"I was thinking the same thing, we were able to hear you from afar." Jewel said sternly.

Then, Andor and Amalia saw that Megeslav was holding both Bruno and Antonio. Another one who saw that Megeslav was holding them, was Antonio's mother.

"What's going on here?" Antonio's mom asked dumbfounded.

"I was going to ask the same thing." Amalia said, whilst sternly looking at her second born son.

"I saw these two here fighting each other." Megeslav said while still holding Bruno's and Antonio's neck.

Many birds gasped, but Amalia put a wing on her face and sighed.

Amalia: "Bruno… how many times do I have to tell you not to pick a fight with others that disagree with you?"

"He started it, mom, we had no disagreement!" Bruno yelled while pointing at Antonio.

"Says you!" Antonio yelled.

"No." Tiago said. "Says all of us."

Bia, Carla, Skye, Renaldo, Miguel, Henrik and Astrid all nodded in agreement that Bruno was telling the truth.

"You little, weasels! I'll get you for this! Especially you, Miguel for not siding with your own kind!" Antonio yelled.

"That's enough, Antonio!" Antonio's mom yelled. "You have a lot of explaining to do, mister!"

"You too, Bruno!" Andor said.

"Me, dad?! I didn't bother anyone!" Bruno exclaimed.

"We're gonna have a word about your temper issues, even if you weren't the one who started everything." Amalia said sternly.

"Ugh! Fine!" Bruno said.

Bruno: "Can you let me go now, Megeslav, please?"

Megeslav loosened his grip on both Bruno and Antonio.

Antonio's arrogance however took him over a bit and muttered to himself: "Now I'm gonna feel a pain tomorrow in my neck thanks to that foreign daughterless bird."

However, Antonio shouldn't have said that, as all birds heard it and gasped.

"ANTONIO!" Antonio's mother yelled in pure rage.

This startled Antonio and said with fear: "Y-yes, mom?"

"We are gonna have a little discussion when we get back on the tree we're perched at, come with me now!" Antonio's mom yelled.

Before Antonio could leave with his mother, he felt a talon grabbing his left wing and when he turned around, he met the furious eyes of Megeslav, making Antonio shiver to the bone.

"Listen very, VERY well, Antonio." Megeslav said in a dark voice.

Megeslav (in a dark voice): "I protect children no matter the cost, but if a bird, adult or child, says a bad thing about my dead daughters, like you just did, I'll be very… grumpy…"

Antonio's eyes were filled with pure fear, and he let out a big gulp.

"You don't wanna see me grumpy, capiche?" Megeslav said, still with a dark voice.

Everyone was startled and even Bruno, who was so furious moments earlier, was not shivering with some fear.

"Understood…" Antonio said with much fear in his voice.

"Lovely." Megeslav replied as he let Antonio's wing go.

And with that, Antonio took off with his mom to the tree they were perched at, without a word.

Megeslav then took one stern look at everyone around him, who were frozen with fear, except perhaps Mia, Arturo and Sapphire, who kind of expected Megeslav to say something like that. After that one look, Megeslav took off to the tree he slept at.

As everyone regained their senses and started going about their business again, Bia and Carla couldn't help but stare at each other. Both sisters knew that Megeslav still misses his daughters and that they reminded him a lot of them. Both Bia and Carla didn't know what to do at that moment.

The next day, after Antonio and Bruno got a really fiery argument with their parents, the flock flew once again further to the west, to the direction where the sun would set.

On the way, Miguel and Renaldo saw that their paramours were looking a bit down and decided to ask what's wrong.

Renaldo: "Hey, Carls, what seems to be bothering you?"

Miguel: "You too seem a bit down, Bia."

Carla and Bia were a bit startled and snapped out of their thoughts.

Bia: "Oh, Miguel, Renaldo, we didn't see you coming."

Carla (a bit nervous): Yeah, we were just thinking a bit.

"Thinking about what?" Renaldo asked.

Bia and Carla shared a concerned look at each other before Bia sighed and said: "It's about Megeslav, how we remind him about his daughters."

"Yeah." Carla said. "And the both of us kinda wanna know what really happened to them."

"But we do already know, don't we?" Miguel said. "Megeslav said they were both killed by this Skarsnik person."

"Yes, we know that, Miguel." Carla said. "But what my sis and I truly wanna know is why he sees so much of them in the two of us, aside from the shape and different colors."

"Why don't the two of you ask him?" Renaldo asked.

"What? Are you crazy, Renaldo?" Bia exclaimed. "He'll yell at us if we ask him! Remember how he was yesterday to Antonio?"

Miguel: "Antonio was so stupid to insult his deceased daughters. But I agree with Renaldo, he'll listen to you two, especially if you're kind to him and since you remind him of his daughters."

Bia (uncertain): "You think he'll do?"

"Think?" Renaldo bluffed. "Miguel and I are certain of it."

This gave Bia and Carla some hope and Bia said: "Thank you, guys. Imma try and talk to Megeslav when we stop and when he's alone."

"Hey, I'm also with you, sis." Carla assured Bia.

Bia smiled at this and said: "Thanks, Carla."

After a day of flying and the sun was setting, and the tribes decided to get some rest.

Jasmine was exhausted and perched herself onto a tree, alone, staring to the east from where they came, wondering if she could see the sanctuary again.

It was then that she heard the flapping of wings from beside her and saw that it was Roberto. He was holding something, something that looked like a fruit.

"Evening, Jas." Roberto said suavely.

"Evening, Beto." Jasmine replied.

"I brought you a little gift that I wanted to share with you." Roberto said as he held uit the star fruit.

Jasmine gasped a bit and said: "Oh, starfruit, my favorite!"

"Bia told me about it." Roberto replied.

The two ate a bit of the starfruit, enjoying the moment of eating together.

Roberto eventually broke the silence by saying: "You know, Jasmine, you danced pretty well back at the Carnival show."

Jasmine giggled and said: "You weren't so bad either, Beto, those movements I shared with you were quite a spectacle to behold."

Roberto blushed for a moment and then said: "Jasmine… There is something I need to tell you."

"And what's that?" Jasmine asked curiously.

That…" Roberto said, but looked for a moment at the west, not daring to tell it in Jasmine's face directly.

"Wait, what's that?" Roberto said as he saw something.

Jasmine turned her head westwards, and her eyes widened as to what she saw.

She gasped and yelled: "Everyone! Azuls! Get your butts up here! There is something we need to show y'all!"

The Azuls and the most members of other tribes seemed to have heard Jasmine and came to ask what was wrong. When Jasmine pointed her wing tip to the direction of the west, everyone saw it and their faces were filled with joy and determination, but also a bit of shock.

When Andor, Amalia, their kids and Willfried were shown what Roberto and Jasmine had seen, their face turned into one as if they had seen a wonder.

In the far, far distance, all birds could see a line of some ancient temples standing next to each other.

"Xlaxlan Twelve Peaks." Willfried said. "The lonely Inca temples in the jungles and one the last of the remaining Inca temples in South America that are completely intact."

"Our home…" Andor said with much wonder in his voice.

Many Azuls were muttering words of conformation and joy amongst each other, they were almost finally home.

"What's all the commotion here?" Thomas asked as he landed next to Blu and Jewel.

"Look over there, Thomas." Jewel said as she pointed her wing towards the temples in the distance.

Thomas' eyes widened in wonder and after a few moments of silence, he smiled and broke the silence.

"Ah… Xlaxlan Twelve Peaks." Thomas said with a lot of pride in his voice. "The emerald of the Amazon Rainforest…"

Thomas paused for a moment.

"What beauties and riches lie within and underneath the temples?" Thomas said, but then his smile faded away and he asked himself: "What horrors?"

Sapphire heard this and it instantly made her think about Terrin.

"Terrin." Sapphire began. "Tomorrow you'll never guess who's gonna step onto your home, or should I say the home you've taken away from these honorable Azuls?"

She paused for a moment, with Eduardo looking with concern at her.

Sapphire: "Tomorrow, Terrin, you'll finally understand what it's going to be like to be unexpectedly attacked…"

Night was setting in rather quick, and all the birds were getting ready to sleep early, for early tomorrow they would have to use all their strength to breach the eastern and northern peaks of Twelve Peaks from the Emberwings, as the leaders told them in their plans.

Bia and Carla, however, decided that it was now or never. They had to find Megeslav and try to ask him more information about his daughters, Svetlana and Lilian.

After about 10 minutes of searching, they finally found him, sitting on a branch, looking at the the full moon that was shining brightly in the skies.

Bia and Carla were hesitant at the moment. Should they really ask him about it? Bia took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Megeslav?" Bia asked.

Megeslav flinched for a moment, until he realized it was Bia and Carla that stood behind him.

"Oh, Bia, Carla, it's you." Megeslav said. "Shouldn't you get some sleep? Tomorrow is going to be a very hard day, and as children, you will have to be carefull of what you're about to face."

Carla: "We know, Megeslav, but that's not why we're here."

"Oh." Megeslav said. "Did your grandmother or grandfather send you here to ask me something?"

"Actually, we were the ones who wanted to ask you something." Bia said.

"Oh, and what exactly do you wish to know?" Megeslav asked.

Bia and Carla both shared a look of concern, but they both regained their courage and Carla asked: "Megeslav, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to, but please don't get mad if we ask the following…"

Megeslav raised an eyebrow.

"…can you tell us more about yours 2 daughters, who looked like us? Like what their personalities were, how you raised them and the details on… how they truly perished?" Carla asked with compassion in her voice.

Megeslav didn't yell at all, but he did have a look of concern on his face and looked once again to the moon.

"If you don't wish to tell it, Megeslav, you don't have to, but we just want to understand your pain better and that we might be able to comfort you and lessen the burden you're carrying." Bia said with empathy.

Megeslav sighed for a moment and asked: "Do you really wish to hear the whole story?"

Bia and Carla looked at each other, nodded and both said at the same time: "Yes."

"Very well, but remember, when I tell you about how my daughters truly perished, you might feel uneasy or get highly emotional." Megeslav said.

"We've heard a story about Uncle Tommy by Auntie Jassie that almost made our stomachs turn and also got a glimpse of what our aunt meant, yet we still love our uncle dearly, so, I believe we could take on your story." Carla said.

Megeslav took a deep breath, sighed and said: "Alright, then. I'll start from the beginning."

Megeslav: "Years ago, when my human companion and I were on a vacation in Peru, the country I originally hail from, I saw a female military macaw my age named Carina. When we looked each other into the eyes… it was like love on first sight. After two weeks of knowing each other, we became a couple and although it was painful to write to my human companion that I wanted to stay in Peru, he respected my wishes and wished me and my new wife a happy life, before he went back to Russia."

Megeslav paused for a moment, with Bia and Carla listening very attentively.

Megeslav: "After about a year of being together, Carina had laid two eggs and from those eggs, two beautiful girls emerged. Two beautiful girls who looked exactly like the two of you, with only the colors of their eyes and feathers being different. We named them Svetlana and Lilian, with Svetlana looking like you, Carla, and Lilian looking like you, Bia."

Bia and Carla smiled at hearing this.

"About 2 years after their birth, we decided to head deeper into the jungle and after some time, we found the 4 tribes that Mia's and Arturo's father ruled over, with your granny already being there. Your grandmother and I quickly became good friends of each other and although humans had claimed her tribe and family, at least what she believed then, she respected the fact that I was raised by a human and she loved also my wife and adored my two little angels." Megeslav told the two girls.

"Wow, it sounds like you truly had a great life back then." Bia said with awe.

"Indeed." Megeslav said. "But little did I know that a part of that life wouldn't last, for a year and a half after we had moved into the 4 tribes, tragedy struck Carina…"

Bia's and Carla's faces turned a bit sad, knowing a bit what he was about to say.

(Flashback to the past)

In the one of the hollows at the territory of the scarlet macaw tribe (the one who would later be ruled by Mia), it was dead silent. There was however slow and heavy breathing from within. Inside the large hollow, there were Megeslav, the young Svetlana and Lilian, Sapphire, the leader of the 4 tribes named Ignacio (also a scarlet macaw), Arturo, Mia, Nicole (the caninde) and Orlando (the grey parrot). They were all watching sorrowfully to Carina, who was breathing whilst she was laying asleep. She had been infected with a tumor in her brain for quite some time and it had weakened her drastically in the last month.

"Papa?" Lilian asked with some tears in her eyes.

"Yes, my angel?" Megeslav replied.

"Is mama *sob* going to be alright?" Lilian asked.

Megeslav sighed heavily and said: "I don't know, dear."

"Papa…" Svetlana said with tears in her eyes. "I don't wanna lose mama."

Then, Sapphire jumped in and hugged the two crying military macaw chicks.

"It's alright, dears, everything is going to be fine." Sapphire said.

A small groan was heard from Carina.

"Mama?" Svetlana and Lilian said at the same time, whilst Megeslav gasped.

"My dears…" Carina said weakly and with half-open eyes. "Please, come closer."

The two girls hugged their mother and started to cry on her belly.

"Mama, please don't leave us!" Lilian cried out.

"We can't lose you, mama." Svetlana said tearfully.

Carina stroked the heads of their daughters and said: "I'll watch you from above my dears. Remember, I'll always be with you."

Carina then turned her head towards Sapphire.

"Sapphire…" She said weakly.

"Yes, Carina?" Sapphire asked.

"You've truly been a great friend of ours and I hope you keep acting like a motherly figure to all young birds…" Carina said weakly.

Sapphire shed a tear for this.

Carina also said some nice things to Ignacio and his 4 children, before turning to Megeslav.

"Meg, dear…" Sapphire said extremely weak.

Megeslav went on his knees, almost on the brink of tears, and came next to his wife.

"Promise me something." Carina said.

"Anything, dorogaya (dear/honey) …" Megeslav replied.

"Take care of our two female angels and protect them to the last." Carina said.

"I will." Megeslav said heavily, with a tear rolling doing his face.

Carina smiled at her husband, gave him a final kiss on his beak and then she slowely closed her eyes. Eventually, Svetlana and Lilian noticed that their mother wasn't moving anymore and that she even felt cold.

"Mama? MAMA!" Lilian cried out.

"No, mother…" Svetlana said with tears in her eyes.

"Nyet (Russian for 'no') …" Megeslav said heavily.

Sapphire and Ignacio lowered their heads in sadness, whilst little Arturo and Mia were holding each other in their wings, crying. Nicole was on her knees, crying, whilst Orlando was trying to keep it together, but he also was shedding some tears.

"NYET!" Megeslav cried out with his head pointed upwards and tears streaming down his face.

Megeslav and his two daughters held Carina's body tightly and were crying all out loud.

(Back to the present)

Carla's face was as down as it could be, and Bia herself was even shedding some tears of empathy.

Bia: "That's *sob* so sad to hear, Megeslav *sob*."

"It was the second the worst day of my life." Megeslav sighed with a heavy heart.

Megeslav: "Still, I didn't give up hope and I kept my wife's wish to raise my daughters at all costs. They eventually got over their mother's passing and grew out to be more beautiful angels as they became adult young ladies."

This was something that made Bia and Carla smile again.

Megeslav: "You remind me of them not just in shape, but also personality. Svetlana was someone who loved music, dancing and performing and wasn't afraid to represent herself before a large crowd; Lilian was a bird who loved to learn about the secrets of the jungle and was extremely intelligent and detail oriented."

This made Bia and Carla smile with even more pride, hearing that their military macaw counterparts from the past were a lot like them.

"That's so sweet to hear." Bia said.

"And although the three of us still missed Carina, we still lived happily." Megeslav said with a smile on his face.

Then, however, the smile faded from Megeslav's face.

Megeslav: "But then, the war with the Emberwings changed everything."

Bia and Carla both gulped.

"In the early days of the war, my two girls also fought bravely against those orange demons. Svetlana herself managed to take down 19 Emberwings in 7 months time, whilst Lilian took down 13. They were both like two jaguars on the battlefield, fighting with both brute strengths, but also cunning. They both saved the lives of many of the tribe members." Megeslav said proudly, but then his smiled faded and said: "But little did I know that it wouldn't last, for on the 8th month… tragedy struck…"

Bia and Carla gulped, partly knowing what was about to come.

(Flashback to the past)

Megeslav was flying through the Peruvian jungle in the early hours of the day. Although he was in the middle of Mia's scarlet macaws' territory, he was aware of his surroundings, since it was possible that an Emberwing might attack him from any direction.

When he reached the hollow of his daughters, one they both shared after they had moved from their father, he saw that the hollow was empty.

Hm, they must have gone to search for food. Mecheslav thought to himself.

Just then, however, he felt something dripping on him, something wet. He looked up and what he saw on the ceiling of the hollow, made his heart race like a horse. On the ceiling in large letters, which were red (which obviously was blood), stood the following: Got 'em, Skarsnik.

Megeslav instantly dashed out of the hollow and flew in the direction of the Emberwings' territory. On his way he passed by Sapphire, who was startled at his sudden speed.

"Whoa, there, Meg, why the haste?" Sapphire asked.

Megeslav didn't stop, but he still yelled: "MY DAUGHTERS ARE IN DANGER!"

Sapphire gasped and instantly called Megeslav to come back and tell Mia about it, but it was already too late, Megeslav was speeding towards the east.

Whilst Sapphire went to the tribes' leaders to get help, Megeslav was already in the territory of the Emberwings, and to his surprise, no Emberwings have spotted him so far, or at least that what's he thought. But what was more surprising was that he didn't have seen any Emberwing either.

After about 20 more minutes of flying, he finally found what he had been looking for. His two daughters were tied up with their backs against each other with vines. What was more gruesome was that another vine was attached around it, making Svetlana hugged against a tree.

"SVETLANA! LILIAN!" Megeslav yelled as he dived down.

"NO, PAPA! IT'S A TRAP!" Lilian yelled as her father was coming

But before Megeslav could reach the vines that bound his daughters, he was bumped by an Emberwing and rolled a few meters onto the ground.

Megeslav's heart pounded like a war drum as he squared off against the five Emberwings, their menacing orange feathers gleaming in the dappled sunlight of the Peruvian jungle. The vicious leader of the group, Skarsnik, hovered above, his sharp stick-spear clutched in his talons, a sadistic grin spreading across his face. Below him, Svetlana and Lilian were bound and helpless, their wide, terrified eyes locked on their father.

"Must say that that it was a perfect scheme, wasn't it, Megeslav?" Skarsnik said evilly with a high-pitched and cruel hooligan-like tone.

Megeslav glared at him, his eyes burning with fury. "Is this how you fight your enemies? Stealing the ones we love and trapping those who search for them? Pretty low, even for a swine like you."

Skarsnik's laughter echoed through the jungle. "Alright, boys, show this foreign bird what you got!"

The Emberwings lunged at Megeslav with terrifying speed. The first of them, a particularly large and muscular Emberwing, came at him with talons outstretched, aiming for Megeslav's throat. Megeslav dodged to the side, his military training kicking in, and with a swift twist of his body, he drove his beak into the Emberwing's side. The bird squawked in pain, but Megeslav didn't relent. He grabbed the Emberwing by the neck with his talons and flung him into a nearby tree with all his might. The impact was bone-crunching, and the Emberwing slumped to the ground, motionless.

But there was no time to catch his breath. The second Emberwing, smaller but faster, darted in, aiming for Megeslav's wings to incapacitate him. Megeslav saw the move coming and pivoted, using his powerful wings to deflect the attack. He countered with a sharp strike from his talon, catching the Emberwing on the side of the head. The bird screeched in agony, blood streaming from the wound as it staggered back, disoriented.

The remaining three Emberwings circled Megeslav, trying to find an opening. They attacked in unison, two going high and one diving low. Megeslav snarled, his fierce eyes darting between them. With a mighty flap of his wings, he launched himself into the air, evading the low strike and crashing into the two above him. He grabbed the nearest Emberwing by the wing and twisted it violently, causing the bird to scream in pain. With brutal efficiency, he slammed the Emberwing into its companion, sending both crashing to the ground.

The last Emberwing hesitated, clearly unnerved by Megeslav's prowess. But there was no mercy in Megeslav's eyes. He dove at the bird, his talons slicing through the air. The Emberwing tried to evade, but Megeslav was too fast. He grabbed the Emberwing by the throat and, with a powerful squeeze, ended the bird's life.

Megeslav landed heavily, breathing hard, his body aching from the exertion. He looked up at Skarsnik, who was still hovering above, his grin now replaced by a twisted look of amusement.

"All that effort…" Skarsnik mocked, "…and you still couldn't save them."

Megeslav's heart skipped a beat as he realized what Skarsnik meant. He turned to his daughters, who were still bound to the tree. Skarsnik descended slowly, his spear in talon, eyes fixed on Megeslav's daughters.

"NO!" Megeslav roared, launching himself at Skarsnik.

But Skarsnik was ready. With a deft flick of his wings, he dodged Megeslav's attack and struck back with the spear. The two birds clashed in a furious battle, Skarsnik's spear glinting in the sunlight as it sliced through the air. Megeslav fought with everything he had, his talons clashing with the spear in a deadly dance.

The two circled each other in the clearing, wings beating furiously, talons slashing, beaks snapping. Skarsnik was fast, but Megeslav was fueled by desperation and fury. He managed to disarm Skarsnik briefly, sending the spear clattering to the ground. But Skarsnik was quick to recover, and the fight continued, each strike more vicious than the last.

Finally, Megeslav saw his chance. With a powerful strike, he knocked the spear from Skarsnik's grasp again, sending it flying across the clearing. Before Skarsnik could react, Megeslav lunged for the spear and grabbed it in his talons. He turned on Skarsnik, his eyes blazing with rage, and charged at him, the spear aimed straight for the Emberwing's heart.

But Skarsnik was not finished. With a twisted grin, he caught the spear with his wings, halting its deadly descent. For a moment, they were locked in a deadly struggle, the spear trembling between them as Megeslav pushed with all his might, trying to drive it into Skarsnik's chest.

At that moment, Sapphire arrived at the edge of the clearing, watching the scene unfold from atop a tree. Her heart pounded as she saw the dire situation, but before she could act, Skarsnik noticed her.

The Emberwing's smirk deepened, and with a sudden burst of strength, he yanked the spear from Megeslav's grasp. In a horrifying instant, Skarsnik turned the spear and drove it through Lilian's chest with brutal force. The sharp point of the spear pierced through her body and into Svetlana's heart behind her. Both girls let out a gurgle of pain.

Sapphire gasped in horror; her eyes wide with disbelief as she saw the life drain from the eyes of Megeslav's daughters. The world seemed to slow down for Megeslav as he realized what had just happened. His daughters, his precious Svetlana and Lilian, were now on the brink of death as their eyes closed.

"Papa…" Lilian said weakly with tears in her eyes.

Megeslav fell to his knees, his body shaking with grief and despair. He had failed them. He had failed to protect his daughters.

Skarsnik laughed cruelly, pulling the spear from the bodies of the dead macaws. He raised it above Megeslav, ready to deliver the final blow. But before he could strike, Sapphire let out a furious scream and launched herself from the tree.

She slammed into Skarsnik with all the force she could muster, driving him back and away from Megeslav. The two birds tumbled across the ground in a flurry of feathers and fury. Sapphire's rage was like a fire, burning bright and fierce as she attacked Skarsnik with everything she had. She pecked and clawed at him, landing blow after blow, her anger giving her strength beyond anything she had ever felt.

Skarsnik fought back, but he was caught off guard by the ferocity of Sapphire's assault. For a moment, it seemed like she might overpower him, but Skarsnik was cunning and ruthless. With a final, desperate maneuver, he managed to break free from Sapphire's grasp and retreated, his wings beating hard as he flew back into the jungle.

Sapphire didn't chase him. She was too exhausted, too consumed by the grief and horror of what had just happened. She turned back to Megeslav, who was still on his knees, staring blankly at the bodies of his daughters.

A moment later, Mia and Arturo arrived, having heard the commotion. They gasped in horror at the sight before them, their hearts breaking for Megeslav.

"Megeslav," Mia whispered, tears streaming down her face as she moved to comfort him.

Arturo was too stunned to speak, his eyes wide with shock as he took in the scene.

Together, they carefully lifted the bodies of Svetlana and Lilian, cradling them gently as they prepared to return to safer grounds. They could hear the distant sounds of an approaching Emberwing army, but for now, all they could think about was getting Megeslav and his daughters away from this place.

Sapphire stood by, her own heart heavy with sorrow. She had saved Megeslav, but the cost had been unbearably high. As they carried the bodies away, Sapphire cast one last glance at the spot where Skarsnik had vanished, her mind filled with a cold determination. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

After about 30 minutes of flying, the 4 birds and the two heavily injured Svetlana and Lilian made it back to the tribes.

Many scarlets, blue-and-yellows, canindes and grey parrots gathered around, horrified what they were seeing.

Megeslav held his two daughters tightly, tears rolling down his cheek.

"Nyet, please, God. Please, not them too." Megeslav said with much sorrow.

"Papa…" Lilian and Svetlana both said in a low voice, opening their eyes a bit.

"Yes, my dears?" Megeslav said heavily with tears on his face.

"We both love you…" Svetlana said.

"We really do…" Lilian said.

And after that, Svetlana's and Lilian's eyes closed, permanently.

"Nyet…" Megeslav said to himself.

Sapphire and the other 4 leaders were shedding tears themselves as the life had faded from Lilian and Svetlana.

"NYET!" Megeslav screamed on the top of his lungs and cried into the air.

All the surrounding birds gave a look of sadness and anguish, some even shedding tears themselves.

In the evening, the bodies of Lilian and Svetlana were both buried at in the ground, with Megeslav not able to bear to see how his daughters would be buried.

On that day, however, Megeslav developed a hatred towards Skarsnik that was as black as coal, which would only be settled when Megeslav would see Skarsnik and all of his Emberwing kin gone from this world.

(Return to the present)

"And that's how I lost both of my daughters at the talons and wings of that evil maniac." Megeslav said to Bia and Carla.

Carla's face was frozen with complete shock, whilst Bia's face was literally full with tears.

Bia: "That's *sob* so *sob* horrible to *sob* hear, Megeslav."

"I told you both it would be a hard story to tell." Megeslav said to the girls.

Then, flapping was heard from behind, it was Blu, Jewel and Sapphire.

"Bia, Carla, we've been waiting when you will come to sleep, since tomorrow-" Blu said, but was cut off when he saw Carla's frozen face and Bia shedding tears.

"Carla? Bia?! What's going on?" Blu asked.

Jewel and Sapphire also noticed and waited for Bia and Carla to say something.

Bia (saddened): "We were the ones who wanted to hear it and Megeslav did tell us. It was horrible."

"Tell you what?" Jewel asked concerned.

"Wait a second…" Sapphire said. "…did Megeslav tell you about his daughters?"

Bia and Carla both nodded.

"About their mother, about how they were personally and the details of their demise, but don't get mad at Megeslav, Granny Sapphie, we were the ones who brought it up." Carla said.

Sapphire sighed and placed a wing on her face, clearly recalling the memories from that day when Skarsnik took Lilian's and Svetlana's lives.

"I think it's enough for today." Megeslav said. "You should all get some sleep."

"You're right, Megeslav." Blu said.

And after that, everyone left to their tree, but not before Bia and Carla thanked Megeslav for telling the whole story about his daughters. Even though it was hard for them, they now understood his pain better and Megeslav himself now felt a bit more at ease now that he had shared his story with 2 other birds.

You would truly like those two girls, my angels and Carina. Megeslav thought to himself as he stared at the moon. You truly would.

To be continued…