Chapter 37: The bird king of fear
The air was thick with tension as the name "Scarecrow" reverberated through the cavern. The faces of the Azuls, the Spix, and Mia's tribe were a mix of shock and dread. The shadowy figure, draped in blackened leaves, loomed ominously at the tunnel's entrance. His presence was like a dark cloud settling over them, sapping the warmth from the air.
"You still know how to make a creepy entrance, don't you, Jonathan?" Sapphire's voice cut through the silence, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she addressed the sinister figure.
Scarecrow's cold gaze turned to Sapphire, his expression unreadable beneath the shadowy hood of leaves that cloaked his head. "How many times do I have to tell you, Sapphire?" His voice, deep and cold, sent shivers down the spines of those present. "There is no 'Jonathan.' There is only Scarecrow."
Jasmine, her eyes narrowed with suspicion, stepped forward. "What happened to your voice, Scarecrow? You don't sound like the cackling maniac you used to be."
Scarecrow let out a low, humorless chuckle. "That flood damaged my syrinx, and these scars," he gestured to his marred beak and the blind eye, "are thanks to one of your caiman friends who mauled me when we were washed away."
"Serves you right for hurting so many innocent birds," Jewel snapped, her voice steely and unwavering.
Scarecrow's gaze shifted to Jewel, and a chilling smirk played across his beak. Before he could respond, Blu stepped forward, his eyes narrowed as he tried to keep the situation from escalating.
"So," Blu began, his voice steady but filled with quiet menace, "you're the Emberwing that tries to break his enemies by destroying them psychologically, the one who came from Texas."
Scarecrow's cold stare locked onto Blu, studying him for a moment before responding. "Your voice sounds pretty American. And if I'm not mistaken, an Upper Midwestern dialect."
Blu's expression remained impassive. "That's right."
"Let me guess…" Scarecrow's voice was taunting, almost playful in its darkness. "…Wisconsin, North Dakota, or South Dakota."
"Minnesota," Blu replied, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Ah, the state in between," Scarecrow mused with a nod, his tone eerily conversational. "So, what's your name again? Blu, was it, as I heard in the argument?"
The silence that followed was palpable, but Scarecrow knew he was correct. A sinister chuckle escaped his beak—three short, mocking laughs.
"That's a name even the simplest of minds would laugh at. You don't even look like a brave bird to begin with."
Jewel's frustration reached a boiling point. She stepped forward, her feathers bristling with anger. "My husband isn't a simple-minded bird, Scarecrow, and he's far from a coward. In fact, he's the reason I'm still alive. His bravery, coupled with his intelligence, is why our tribe still has a home in the Amazon – a tribe that initially scolded him for being raised by a human."
Scarecrow tilted his head, his blind eye seeming to pierce through Jewel's defense. "And why do you think he might have saved you? Why do you think he saved the tribe?"
"Because his love for me and the ones he cares about is greater than anything in his life!" Jewel shot back, her voice filled with conviction.
"No," Scarecrow replied, his voice chillingly devoid of emotion. "It's because he's afraid."
Blu, Jewel, and many others around them raised their eyebrows in confusion. The sinister claim hung in the air, heavy with implication.
"What do you mean, 'afraid'?" Blu demanded, his voice hardening as he fixed Scarecrow with a cold stare.
Scarecrow's cold, dark voice seemed to echo off the cavern walls, wrapping itself around the gathered macaws like a noose tightening slowly. "Blu's actions – every time he's saved you, every time he's fought for your tribe – it's all driven by fear."
Blu's expression darkened, but he remained silent, allowing Scarecrow to continue.
"Fear that he would lose the ones he loves. Fear that your tribe wouldn't accept him because he was a pet."
Blu's eyes flared with anger. "I'm not a pet," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "I was a companion. And if you call me a pet one more time, I'll make sure your face is even more mauled than it already is."
Scarecrow merely laughed—three short, cold laughs that sent a chill through the group. "And yet, even now, fear drives you. That little argument you had about your children being here in Xlaxlan Twelve Peaks? Solely driven by fear, and nothing else."
Eduardo, who had been quietly seething, stepped forward. His eyes were narrowed into slits as he stared Scarecrow down. "And how do you figure that?" he asked, his voice dangerously calm.
Scarecrow's blind eye gleamed with a sick sort of satisfaction as he turned to face Eduardo. "Blu's side of the argument is driven by fear because he's terrified of losing his children – either to the talons of an Emberwing or to the jaws of Gobbla. Every decision he makes is out of the fear that he might fail them."
The gathered macaws exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions reflecting the unease Scarecrow's words were stirring within them.
"And Jewel?" Eduardo pressed, his voice still sharp.
Scarecrow's gaze shifted to Jewel, his tone turning even more sinister. "Jewel's fear is that her children might never grow up. She's terrified they'll stay within their comfort zone, never realizing their full potential. And that fear drives her to push them into danger, to force them to face challenges they might not be ready for."
Jewel's eyes blazed with defiance, but a shadow of doubt flickered across her face.
Scarecrow's voice dropped to a whisper, yet it carried through the cavern like a deadly wind. "You're both afraid because you know, deep down, that one day you'll fail them. And that fear, that inevitability, makes you both mine."
As Scarecrow's words seeped into the minds of those gathered, the cavern was filled with a heavy silence. Sapphire, Mia, Eduardo, Mimi, Arturo, Thomas, Jasmine, Nico, Pedro, Rafael, Andor, Amalia, Willfried, Roberto, Felipe, and Megeslav all stared at Scarecrow with narrowed eyes, their distrust and anger evident.
Carla, her feathers trembling, clung to Renaldo, seeking comfort in his presence as Scarecrow's chilling words played on her fears. Renaldo tightened his wing around her, his own expression hardening as he glared at Scarecrow.
Bia stood frozen, her intelligent mind grappling with the logic – or twisted sense – in Scarecrow's words. Beside her, Miguel wore a similar expression of deep contemplation, his eyes locked on the dark figure.
Tiago, however, remained fearless. His eyes were narrowed, his gaze never wavering from Scarecrow as he silently fumed at the insult to his parents. Beside him, Skye mirrored his stance, her eyes filled with a steely resolve.
Then, as if driven by some internal switch flipping, Scarecrow leaned slightly closer to Blu. His voice dripped with mockery as he said, "But then again, what else could one expect from a pet?"
The word had barely left Scarecrow's beak when Blu's rage erupted. With a furious scream, Blu launched himself at Scarecrow with a speed that startled everyone.
"BLU, NO!" Jewel shouted, but her cry was lost in the flurry of feathers as Blu collided with Scarecrow.
Blu's talons slashed mercilessly at Scarecrow, his anger fueling each strike. But Scarecrow's reflexes, honed by years of surviving in a brutal world, were razor-sharp. He dodged one of Blu's attacks and, with a swift movement, raised his right talon. The iron brace strapped to it gleamed in the dim light, and the syringes attached to it hissed as an orange gas spewed forth.
The gas hit Blu full in the face, and he let out a cry of pain as he staggered back, coughing violently. The harsh, acrid scent of the gas filled the air, and Blu's vision blurred as he fell to the ground, his breath coming in desperate gasps.
"Blu!" Jewel's scream echoed through the cavern as she rushed toward him.
The clash of talons and beaks echoed through the space as the two sides collided. The Azuls, spix, and scarlet macaws fought with fierce determination, their strikes fueled by the need to protect their fallen leader. But the Emberwings were ruthless, their savage attacks keeping the defenders on their toes.
In the midst of the battle, Scarecrow slipped away, his dark form blending into the shadows of the tunnel from which he had emerged. His cold laugh echoed in the distance, a haunting reminder of his presence.
The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity, though it lasted only a few short minutes. The macaws fought valiantly, but the Emberwings, outnumbered and outmaneuvered, began to fall back. After five Emberwings had fallen, the remaining orange macaws retreated into the tunnels, disappearing into the darkness from which they had come.
Some of the Spix macaws made to follow, their blood boiling with the desire for revenge, but Andor raised a wing, his voice firm. "Stay! Who knows what traps they might have set in those tunnels."
The group hesitated, and then slowly backed away from the tunnels, their wings still quivering with adrenaline.
As the dust settled, Jewel's desperate cry rang out once more. "Blu!" She rushed to his side, with Bia, Carla, and Tiago right behind her.
"DAD!" they shouted in unison, their voices filled with fear.
Jewel carefully turned Blu onto his back, her heart pounding in her chest. When she looked into his eyes, she gasped in horror. Blu's normally hazel eyes were dilated, and his sclera, which should have been white, was now tinged with a light orange color. His breath came in shallow gasps, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
The cavern fell silent as the macaws gathered around, their expressions a mix of concern and dread.
"To be continued…"