"OI!" A hoarse voice rang out through the trees. "Hey! Come back here!"
"Who are you?" Nixee called back "And what do you want from me?"
"Slow up you bloody hooligan, why are you going so quickly?" He ignored her questions and kept up the chase.
"Fine, just answer my questions. Okay?" Nixee stopped abruptly on a thin branch and glared madly at the bee eater that had been persuing her for the past 20 minutes.
"G-Day mate, I'm Rannie. Call me Ran" He held out his wing and smiled crookedly at her, she waved him off."Okay then, are you going to tell me your name?"
"Nixee. Call me." She paused "Nixee. Now, why were you following me? What do you want?"
"I want to know where you were off to, you're fast mate, real fast and I've never seen you around here. Are you a tourist?"
"Mmmmffffffff! No I'm not a tourist and they're following me."
"Who? What are you talking about?"
"The humans" She muttered with disgust." You should flee aswell, that's if, of course, if you value your god damn life!" she went to fly away but he stuck a foot on her tail.
"Ouch!" He yelped "What the bloody hell was that? What are you?"
"Excuse ME!"
And with that she flew off into the distance leaving Rannie with a burnt foot and spinning mind.
"RANNIE!!!"
"Nixee?"
"Uhhh, no it's Kat? Who's Nixee?"
"I, ah, I don't know."
"This is Arkfree, Ran, everyone knows each other."
"Explain why you don't know her then." Rannie grinned, a grin to say 'I told you so'.
A loud wirrrrhhhhhh came out from the trees just as Kat was about to continue. Then a thwack, the sound of splintering wood, they stared in amazement as one of the largest eucalyptus trees came crashing down and smoke flowed up along with hundreds of flocking birds.
"Crikey, Nixee was right, they are coming."
"Who? Who's coming. Mate," Kat chuckled "what's goin' on?"
"I" He paused "humans, Nixee warned me, we should go, follow me Kat." His tone was final, but, to be honest, it always was.
"I don't want to agree with you, but, you are right. Right?"
"Kat, be serious, I'm always right."
She leaned in to reply but he was off before she had the chance to do so.
Nixee sat watching Ran and Kat having their conversation, she knew she couldn't butt in so she nodded off. She was awoken by the sound of metal against wood and then splitting branches having just had the most awkward conversation she had ever experienced and now this? The thought of it made her wonder, just how long her life may be. Time seemed to slow and a soft glow seemed to flare up in her mind. The next thing she knew she was lying on the floor of someone's living room. She went to stand up but an agonizing pain shot up through her ribs like a bullet through a pipe, she slumped back down with a thud and the golden wash rushed through her again. She squinted open her eyes again and saw three faces glaring down at her worriedly. She coughed and they stepped back hastily watching her rise from her searing slumber.
"Muuurrrrrhhhh" She groaned feeling pain in her neck.
"This is Nixee is it Ran?" Asked a familiar voice.
'Kate' she tought 'no, no, Kat! Yeah Kat'
"Where am I? Who are-oh Rannie." She felt like passing out again after seeing him again.
"I see that you've met Ran, I'm Kat and this is Cara."
"Pleasure to meet you Nixee."
"You too, I guess." She sighed but Cara nor Kat seemed convinced. "Well, where am I?"
"Welcome to Arkfree-Australia, you were right Nixee, the humans are progressing. I just don't know what to do." Rannie said with a hint of excitement in his voice. "You dispatched one of those metal monsters exceptionally back there Nix!"
'Huh? Dispatched? What's going on, take me home!"
"Nixee, where is your home? Kat sounded weary.
"I apparently burnt a hole back there so I left. I don't want to hurt you guys."
"Good to know." Rannie said, his voice dripping sarcasm.
"What did I do?"
"Burnt my bloody foot. Look." He showed Nixee his bandaged foot and frowned.
Nixee held off her laughter and almost failed. "Sorry man. But hey, thanks for taking me in for this time I'd better be off though."
Before they could reply she was off again leaving what seemed to be embers in her wake.
"I see,"
"See what, Kat."
"You did say she burnt your foot," Kat giggled "And now," She pointed at the floor"I believe you."
"You didn't believe me?
"No, I thought you stepped on a really hot rock or something." Ran could see that Kat was holding off laughter.
"Bloody hell!" He muttered sharply.
"Do you know what she is?"
"She yelled at me when I asked her that, I thout she was a heron or something."
"Hmmmm, bogans!"
"NOT a Bogan!"
"Herons are bogans"
" I think its pretty clear that she is not a bogan."
"Alright, speak for yourself."
Rannie sighed and strode out of the room intent on finding Nixee before sunset, where she would be as lost as a grey needle in a pile of, silver needles or something along those lines.
Nixee stood, alone, on the borders of Arkfree watching over the hills and valleys, now covered in ant like machinery and trees dead or dying broken off their stumps.
"Are you the fire bird?" A small voice drifted by, it was familiar and young.
"Fire bird? Ah, no, I mean, I don't think so." Nixee replied wearily.
"I'm Cara, remember, you passed out on my living room floor in front of my uncle and mum."
"Oh, ah, yes, how could I forget." Nixee wasn't impressed but it was nice to hear a friendly voice again. "I'm-"
"Nixee, I remember." She quickly added. "Mind if I join you Miss?"
"Please, call me Nixee. And sure, you can join me."
"Thank-you Miss Nixee." Cara walked hastily next to Nixee and told her about Arkfree and how it has been protected and out of sight to humans for thousands of years. "You're warm Miss, are you feverish?"
"No, I think that I may be the 'fire bird' you speak of. I'm always scorching things when I sleep, I don't know what I am anymore."
"Don't worry Miss-"
"Please just call me Nixee, or Nix, whichever you prefer." And with that Nixee took off into the valley, leaving just a wisp of smoke as proof that she was even there in the first place. She flew out over the devastation left by the machines, faster than Cara had ever seen anyone fly. Cara knew that Nixee may just be the only hope of saving Arkfree from the humans and their metal monsters. She may just be right
