Gain and Loss chapter 3

Gain and Loss chapter 3

by

Mastermindhunter

The toucans were all gathered for a flock meeting. All thirty three toucans of the flock were grouped together. We needed to send this news to all the toucans. My mother, two brothers, and I wore our royal jewels, pointing out that this was a flock meeting of important matters. We had gathered near my nest, in order to have Runako join us as well. As the princesses husband he was obliged to be part of the royal council, and that meant being involved in duscussing the matters at hand. The group was ecstatic. A few of them were jumping from one branch to the next. Others were questioning what the meeting could be about.

I had informed my mother of the new human visitors. She said that since I knew most about them, that I would be taking an important role in the discussion of them. She wanted me to speak my opinion of them to our group, so we could decide on a course of action. I knew this was her method of getting me ready for the throne. I figured that if I decided to just face the matters at hand, instead of putting it off, then I wouldn't have to worry about the troubles later when my eggs were hatching. Nothing would seem more pathetic than your mother acting eratic when you first hatch.

I was hiding with the family behind a bush of leaves, to let it be known that we weren't ready yet. The toucans faces were all different. I knew they were frightened, and so very confused. To be perfectly honest, I was confused as well. I looked at my mother. She was on putting her crown, and I was putting on my necklace, which meant this meeting was of the utmost importance. She took a deep breath. I knew this would be troublesome for her. She was so used to making decisions with my father, the king by her side, but ever since the jaguar incident, she has been forced to make these decisions on her own, but never one this big! She walked on out, and met the gaze of all the toucans.

She held the bush aside, and let me through, along with my two other brothers. The younger one Pogo, and then the older one Davi. We all came out with just as much fear in our hearts as the other toucans did. We tried to keep it out of our eyes, but we saw the fear reflect quite clearly in the other's eyes. Mother held her wings above her head, signaling everyone to calm down, and that the meeting had come to order. "My brothers and sisters! I have called this flock meeting to order for we have an important new matter up for discussion." She turned towards her left, and spread her wing in my direction. "My daughter has done her surveilance of the Amazonian tribe, and has found new knowledge that has potential to threaten us." She cast her wing forth, allowing me to step up to the main speaking branch, and explain to the flock. "Tell us my daughter. What did you see?"

Everyone was focused on me, so I told them all that I had known about their kind. "My brothers and siters. I have discovered a new species of human beings." A loud group of gasps was heard over the flock. They had turned towards each other, in awe. "They are not like any human I have ever seen. They are a very strange group of beasts. They wear not one but two coats of skin." My mother was staring at me with a look of sheer terror, since I knew it was of something she could hardly imagine. If she was this surprised just hearing about them, I could barely imagine her reaction to seeing them for herself. "One of these coats is a skin that they can shed like the anaconda, but instead of leaving it, they can put it back on again. This skin is soft and fur like in texture" I saw a group of three baby toucans gasp, and grab on to their mothers legs in fright. "Their second skin is all the more astounding. It is the same as the villagers, but the color is different. Their second skin shines like the sun. It's white like our eggs we lay. Their skin color represents the marmoset, just furless. But their faces have fur on them like jaguars." I saw a young couple hug eachother in fright. Th female hid her face, and the male comforted her whispering that things would be alright. "Their hair is unlike any color that I know of. Some have hair that is red like blood, but others have hair that is yellow like the boa constrictor. They do not speak our language, but one of them translates their language to Bazilian Portuguese." At my final sentance the toucans were at a dull roar of surprise.

"What do we do?" Shouted one of the elderly ones to me. "They seem frightening. Are they at all dangerous?" The flock turned from the curious one to me. I honestly couldn't answer that with certainty.

"Well, I wouldn't be too sure of that. The one that translated stated that they are here to learn about our world." I said clearly to the flock. "They do not speak our language, except the one that has dark skin like the villagers. I know not where they come from, why they wish to study us, or why they come here." I said with certainty. "I witnessed them weiding shiny sticks that are very strange." I remember their odd weapons of shiny material.

One of the young females raised her head to my stating their weaponry. "These shiny sticks sound very hostile. What do they do?"

I shrugged. "I am not sure. The village insisted that they leave their weapons if they decide to venture through the village. They did not demonstrate the effect of these weapons, but whatever it is, I know will be very different to us." I spoke in her direction. " I know they are not permitted in the village, but I am not so sure about the forest, but I had noticed something. They did not attack. They bare no war paints, or battle cries, therefore I predict that they are not here to act hostile toward the villagers. I cannot say the same of our lands."

Runako spoke next, from the hole. "If they are not here to fight the villagers, then I must ask why they bring these weapons. Will they be using them against something else?" He asked. "I mean after all, they had to bring weapons for some reason." he said with seriousness. "It might be for the anteaters, or the tapirs. Who says that we are any safer? There have not been new humans in the jungle for thousands of years"

I nodded. "Yes, Runako. That is true. They must have brought them for a reason. Perhaps they were frightned as we are, and were bringing them for fear of the villagers. I can understand if they are just as frightened as we are. It makes sense to bring protection to a frightening unknown world." I was very protective of this new species of human. I knew that if this species was not accepted that they could dissappear as fast as they arrived.

My mother got next to me. She laid a wing on my shoulder "My daughter has learned much from a mere glimpse of these humans. If she has learned that much, just by mere moment, then I feel that this species has much more information for us to gather."

Pogo and Davi were not very happy with these two skinned humans. "I feel that these humans are here to harm, and attack. I say we relocate the flock as soon as possible." Pogo urged.

Davi agreed with the youngest of us. "Yes they will cause none other than trouble. We must flee before they decide to destroy all of us. We must run before they have chance to find us out."

My mother spoke next. "We should not. There are many reasons to stay. For one, Princess Kikiana has just layed her first batch of eggs. They will die without their care, I assure you that Kikiana does not plan on loosing them over assumptions. Also it will be difficult to leave our nests. We are unaware of any vacant holes nearby." I could tell by her voice that she did not like to disagree with her youngest children. "I understand that they may seem dangerous, but we cannot be for certain. They claim to be here for educational pourposes, but these two skinned humans are strange to our kind." She was ready to make her decision. "I have decided to take my daughter to the scarlet macaws, and alert their people. With luck they will agree to send their kind with Kikiana to the village to observe them."

A slight raise in the flocks voice signaled that they did not want me reasoning with the scarlet macaws on any circumstances. They were known for living very long lives, and failure to get along with our kind.

Pogo and Davi jumped from their prince branch, and settled on my mothers branch, showing opposition towards the queen. "Mother, they will not understand. This is the scarlet macaws we are talking about. They keep to themselves. They are elderly and cruel. They care nothing for the sanctity of our flock, or our people." Davi said with great intolerance.

Pogo spoke next. Despite the flocks surprise, my mother was not surprised when they had opposed the idea. After all we had enough reason to understand the fact that we would all disagree on matters. "It is true mother. The scarlet macaws are elderly and stubborn. If we tell them of the new species of human, they will surely not believe us." Davi urged. "All they care about is their clay licks. As long as they aren't away from their precious clay licks, they will not intervien."

My mother shook her head. "My sons. These are dire times. With such strange occourences, you must lay aside you pridefull values, and learn to accept an era of peace with the elders of the scarlet macaws. As your mother and queen, I advise you to accept my proposal to alert the different animals. It would be best to keep our world informed. Both as a flock as well as a rainforest. Now learn your role as prince, and step away from your mother's branch." She looked at her two sons with an angry glare. They had nodded once, and jumped to their branches. They looked a bit ashamed of themselves. I looked at them and nodded in their directin stating that it was alright. "My brothers and sisters. If they strangers are at all dangerous, then I will hope that they don't intend to stay. If they seem to cause strange occourences in the flock's grounds or venture too close, I will consider relocating, of course with a plan on getting Kikiana's eggs out with safety." I nodded when she turned towards me. "This meeting is adjourned."