The Fray of Werebirds [Discontinued]

Chapter 27 - Heroes

"Everyone! Attack them before they reach Lady Sirena!" Millicent commanded.

"No, don't! They'll outnumber us. We should retreat into the forest."

"So you're running away, Gregory? Like you did back then?"

"We need to be smart about this," he shot back. "We ought to devise a plan first before tackling them head-on."

"Oh, really?" Millicent snarled, "Did you forget what happened the last time we followed a plan of yours?"

"Shut up, both of you!" Jay hollered.

Fernando chuckled gleefully on the rock he stood on. I gritted my teeth. He was enjoying the panic and frustration in our voices. In different circumstances, I wouldn't have hesitated to waste him, but fortunately for him, we had bigger problems. For instance, there happened to be an army of sharp-clawed criminals advancing rapidly towards Sirena.

I switched into my bird form and jumped in front of Sirena, blocking the first wave of foes. Brock came to my aid, screeching fiercely and snapping his beak at the oncoming jailbirds. One by one, Jay, Ethan, Millicent, Gregory and Leigh joined us, forming a scattered barricade on the shore. We were goal keepers desperate to deflect the countless of balls shooting our way. Despite our combined strength, though, we couldn't keep Sirena out of their reach for too long.

Our enemies seemed to be duplicating, increasing in number with each passing second. The seven of us were no longer enough to stop them from finding their way to Sirena. They used multiple directions, either plummeting from directly above or worming their way through like a pack of hungry dogs. I glimpsed Sirena receiving a gash on the back by one of the many jailbirds my companions were trying to hold back. As much as I wanted to help Sirena directly I was unwillingly dragged into a subsidiary fight. I ducked and clawed repeatedly, trying to ignore the angry scratches and bruises as I battled. I had just managed to shake off my own mass of opponents when I heard Gregory's order.

Form a circle around Lady Sirena!

It wasn't easy, considering there were so many raptors lunging at Sirena, but we complied as soon as possible. On my way I helped Brock knock out an exceptionally huge bird and then we both played a part in Gregory's plan. Once we were all reunited in the midst of the bird mob, we temporarily drove away the criminals closest to Sirena and revolved around her just as Gregory had told us to.

I wasn't great at physics back in school, but I knew that our structure represented that of an atom. Those of us orbiting Sirena, the nucleus, would be electrons. Who said being ambushed by an army of wild birds didn't count as studying?

At first what we formed was only a defense ring, but we soon rearranged ourselves so that Gregory was positioned above Sirena and Jay under. It was almost as if we had launched an invisible sphere-shaped shield that repelled every charging enemy. Only one or two jailbirds managed to leak through, but Sirena finished them off with ease.

Chew! Slash! Thud! Squawk!

Sparks flared with each clash of our beaks and claws. The air was thick with plucked harlequin feathers. We hovered confidently among the floating plumes, crests erect with resolve and wings bristling with courage.

We were heroes.

And yet even this seemingly perfect formation had a flaw - our energy was never meant to last forever. Eventually, the swarm of werebirds overwhelmed us, penetrating our barrier. Luckily, Gregory was already giving out his next order.

Dive down and into the forest! Remain in your current positions around Lady Sirena as we fly.

When I glanced downwards, I noticed that the amount of foes in that direction was evidently less. Gregory was right. This was our only chance of escape. At the count of three, we plunged down as one, ripping through the thin cluster of jailbirds with our speed, and sank into the void of trees. We landed on our legs and immediately started running feverishly as Gregory laid out his plan.

"Flower boy, ginger and Leigh - you three accompany Lady Sirena. The rest of us will stay behind and distract them." To Sirena, he said, "If you get the chance to, don't forget to perform the final counter-curse on Leigh."

"But won't they notice my absence eventually?" Sirena asked. "They'll leave you and catch up with us. There are more of them after all."

Gregory grinned, almost maniacally, and explained the latter part of his plan. Even Millicent's lips curled upwards after hearing what he had in mind. Not only was he a magician but a cunning strategist. We all agreed on a meeting location and split up into two groups just as the jailbirds started entering the forest.

For hours, we played hide and seek on the island, like mice trapped in a maze. The enemies were everywhere, lurking above the trees and sometimes popping out of nowhere. Being an escapee was awfully tedious. By the time the sun was slinking back to sleep, my legs were throbbing painfully from sprinting, crawling and crouching.

I tugged at the hood of my jacket, making sure it was still concealing most of my face. We were all wearing black jackets by then, in a way that made us blend perfectly with the shadows of the forest. Ethan had given us our new clothes earlier in the day, during one of the many times we crossed paths with Gregory's group. As far as I knew, everyone from both groups was still alive and breathing.

"Pause," I croaked at some point in the night, slowing into a jog and attempting to wet my parched throat by salvaging what was left of saliva in my mouth.

Brock slumped against a tree, panting. "Dude, I think we just beat every cross country record!"

"More like cross island," Leigh said, clutching his sides.

"How pitiful."

"Who's there?" I demanded, although I already had a pretty good idea of who it might be.

The owner of the voice revealed himself by stepping out into the moonlight along with a dozen other convicts.

"It seems like your senses have died out," Fernando sniggered, calmly inspecting his nails and rubbing them against his shirt. "We've been following you four little birdbrains for quite some time. You thought we'd be fooled if you all dressed up in the same color, eh? Too bad, that didn't work well for you."

"Oh come on, there's no need to be so shy and roundabout," Brock shrugged, unfazed. "You can just ask me to take out your other eye."

At that, Fernando's good eye flashed with rage, but he suppressed it and growled, "Just give up and hand her over! Hand over that cow!"

"Cow?" Leigh feigned surprise. "There are cows on the island?"

"Since there are cows," I suggested innocently, "Maybe we can discuss this over a cup of milk?"

"I said hand her-" the lead jailbird stopped himself, took a deep breath, and forced an ugly smile, "Well, it's not like I'm in any hurry. You rats are pretty much doomed anyway. You're surrounded! Your pathetic game is over."

"Aw," Leigh pouted, placing the tip of his index finger on his chin.

Ignoring him, Fernando trained his eyes on his primary target, and sneered, "Now, how about you hand yourself over? That's the least you can do in order to preserve your pride. Or are you not so noble after all?" He added with mock emphasis, "Lady Sirena."

The heavy silence that followed drained the satire out of the air. The trees leaned in, anxious for what was coming next. Several heartbeats passed before Fernando finally earned a reply.

"Fine, I'll hand myself over. You can take me."

Author's note: I apologize for not updating frequently. School is absorbing my time, but I'll do my best to keep writing! *CUZ WE COULD BE IMMORTALS!* Has anyone seen Big Hero 6? ^_^