Gain and Loss chapter 2

Gain and Loss chapter 2
by

Mastermindhunter

I laid there on my eggs the next day. They were so comfy underneath me. I almost fell asleep in mid day. It felt good to be with my babies. It certainly helped me get distracted from the troublesome issue that I had tried to avoid all day the day before. My mother was still on me, with the whole heir to the throne responsibilty. She kept assuring me that since I was the first egg she ever laid in her life, that I was destined to take the throne. It was tradition. How could I break a tradition that has been held strong over a thousand years? The thought of that only made me feel more of a dissappointment in my mother's eyes. I knew that she loved me, and I also knew that she didn't take no for an answer.

My brothers who were princes were acting very rude, ridiculing me of my duties. "Well look brother. There is the royalness little miss princess Kiki." I loved when they called me Kiki. They were the only ones who called me Kiki. I rolled my eyes, and smiled in their direction.

Runako didn't like their spunky banter. He tried chasing them off. "Leave my wife alone. She's suffered enough yesterday. She is very tired, and needs her strength both phsically and emotionally!"

I told him they could stay. They were just my little brothers, and having a bit of sibling teasing. "Don't worry Runako. They are fine. They are just coming to talk to me about casual topics." I smiled. He looked at them, and nodding, saying his apoligies. They accepted it, and hopped up the branch that was leading into my hole. They stayed out of the hole, since it was awfully crowded, and only two toucans could fit at a time.

My younger brother spoke first. "You know mother wants you to take charge of the flock, once she passes on." I took a deep breath, and nodded. Runako smiled at me, and laid his wing on my head. I knew my husband would be thrilled to be king, though I was not. He got closer, and spoke to me. "So are you going to do it?"

I shrugged. I didn't know. As much gain, and privilige as I could get, I was still pretty skeptical. There were pros and cons to being queen of the flock. It would help the flock to have a leader, but what if I made the wrong decisions? I would be well known throughout the flock, but wouldn't being princess already have me known already? I would have alot of respect, but if a predator came I would be first to be eaten. I turned towards my two brothers, and said the honest truth. "I really can't decide right now."

My older brother got close as my younger brother did before. "Well you better think of your decision quickly. Mother's spreading word that you are going to be the new queen. She's telling people that you accepted the crown." My eyes got wide. I suppose that she figured I would accept it. "We just wanted to tell you that. We know mother well enough to know that you didn't agree to it. She tends to assure herself. We are headed to the riverfront to get a few fish before the pirahna do. Would you like to tag along?" I shook my head. Since I had children, I figured I should be playing it safe, and not try to get involved in river affairs. Pirahna didn't mind if you were commoner, or royalty. To them a bird was a peice of flying meat.

"No, head on without me. I think I'll stay here, though I will be headed out to the village, to see what the humans are up to." I assured them. If there was ever a safe haven, it was the humans. The village took favor in us toucans, and respected our kind, though I was the only one who went to them. Ever since I was little I went to see the humans. They fascinated me for the longest time, and in time they had gotten use to me, and observed me as well. The flock had alerted me as the observer of the humans. I would report their activities, and check for signs of hostility toward our kind. So far they had not harmed us stating personally to each other, that we were "deteriorating", and becoming "endangered." I hadn't exactly known what that meant, but knew that if it was keeping us and the village as friendly neighbors, than "endangered" must have meant something good to our kind.

My brothers nodded, and flew off to their roosts. They shouted back before they left. "You might want to think about the royal princess necklace. You'll be needing it, when you accept mother's proposal for royalty." Yes I knew that too well. I looked up at a higher perch in the hole, and stuck my wing up there feeling around for my royal family heirloom. I felt it, and tightened my grip around it. A simple necklace weaved from thin vine. In the middle an exsquisite purple gemstone. The heiress to the throne was to wear it until the queen passed on, and the necklace would be replaced with the crown. It was a larger purple gemstone in the middle of many more woven vines in the form of a crown. We wore our royal family jewels only during important meetings. The queen, and princesses wore purple gemstones, while the king and princes wore red. We used our jewels as social order of royalty.

After an hour, I got up, and let Runako gaurd the babies. I had left to the river to meet the Amazonians. I could see the huts, a few feet away. In no time I made my way over to them. They were so amazing to me. They had needles in their lips, and paints on their faces. I loved their traditions. A few women were grinding grains, as a few men were headed along the river to fish the waters. I was looking for the human, who I had grown up to trust. He was in a hut in the middle. I looked in and he was next to his woman. I saw them eating together. I chirped, and the human boy I had learned was named as Caddo, looked at me, and smiled. he walked over to me, and pet me carefully. I looked over at the opening, and a young girl was staring at me, and laughed. I smiled at her, and she ran over to me petting me carefully.

"I was wondering what happened to you. I bet you were busy laying eggs." I smiled. Caddo knew us so well. "Well I suppose you would like a fruit." He said smirking. He grabbed a mango toward me, and I twisted my head to the side grabbing it with my beak.

"I don't understand Caddo" The little girl said with confusion. "Why do we treat them with fruit? Why do we not hunt them?" Caddo smiled at the unknowing girl.

"You must understand, Nika. It is great to be human, but it is good to be toucan as well. The toucans of her species are rapidly deteriorating and are becoming endangered." I didn't know for sure, but was starting to think that "endangered" meant special. "We must be carefull with her kind, and treat their species with utmost respect." He said holding his arm out for me to perch on. I smiled, and jumped on his arm. He pet me, and stroked my beak. A loud horn was heard outside of the hut. I knew what it meant. It meant that somebody had entered the village grounds. Humans. Humans that weren't of the village. I flew away, and hid in the closest tree. I didn't let the strangers see me, but didn't want to miss out. I ducked behind a leaf, but let my eyes peek over the rim. It was most likely just another tribe.

When the village gathered in the center, I saw the human visitors. They were unlike anything I had ever seen. My beak hung open in surprise. I knew this was a species of human I had never seen before in my life. These humans were almost undescribable. These peculiar humans had not one, but two coats of skin. One was of different colors on each human. This skin was one that could be easily peeled off like snake skin, but it was furry looking like a jaguars fur. Their second skin was all the more interesting. It was the same as the tribal people's skin, but the color was all wrong. Their skin was shining like the sun. They were like furless monkeys. I could best describe their skin color as white like the shell of eggs. A few of the of the two skinned humans hair was of many weird colors. Some had hair red like blood, others had hair of yellow, like the banana snake.

I was astounded by these creatures. I knew it wise to turn and run back to the village, but these strange people caught my curiosity. I just couldn't turn away.

One of the two skinned approached the tribe. He had red fur on his head, and even had some on his face like the jaguar. Another two skinned human came along side him. He had dark skin and normal dark hair like the villagers, but still had an extra skin. The red furred human smiled, and shook hands with Caddo. He said something that sounded like words, but not words that I could understand. He nodded toward the dark haired two skinned human, and the dark haired one spoke in words that were understandable. He directed his words towards Caddo.

"The white man says, "Hello. I am from a land a far way away. I have come to the Amazon rainforest to study the forest." He said. I can only imagine he was a translator for this weird language.

Caddo spoke next. "Why then does he have so many people, and they bear weapons! I don't feel safe with their weapons in our village." He said. "Can you tell him that if he wishes to stay in our village, that he must get rid of them? He must surrendur his weapons, if he is to stay in our world." Caddo said defensively.

The translator spoke in the weird language to the red haired human. The red haired human gave his shiny sticks to one of the people behind him. The one who was given the sticks walked out of sight, and the red furred newcomer started speaking again.

"He says that he will give up his weapons, and that he merely wanted them as to face troubles they might encounter. He wishes to map out the jungle, and to find out where the tallest of the trees grow." Caddo nodded to this, and understood that he had come here just to learn.

"Tell the red haired man that the tallest of trees grow to the east, and that he must promise not to harm the animals, or the jungle. You may also tell him that if he offers my village his foreign clothes, then he will be unwelcomed." Was that what these second skins were called? Clothes? The translator nodded to this proposal. He spoke to the red furred man, and he nodded. All I could muster up was a simple "WOW"! I had no clue of what to make of it, so I headed straight to the flock to alert my mother.