We're off to see the wizard

[TinyBlueBird]

((I guess this can help set the mood for a "spooky graveyard": www.youtube.com/watch?v=8waJ7W3QcJc))

Shrike 

Aravind kept flapping his large wings as he followed Kyra, until Ar noticed a slight fog starting to cover some of the foliage, at first it seemed really weak, almost like a veil, but soon Tiny couldn't see a wing in front of his beak, a shiver went down his spine as he noticed a swift yet, small movement in the layer of grass and dry leaves below him, that turned out to be just a lonely beetle roaming through the ground, he decided stop for a moment and started hovering in the same spot and Arav asked with a kind of worried tone "Um, Kyra? Where are we exactly?" 

[Shrike]

Kyra flew with swift tireless wing beats. Her bluish green flight feathers cutting through the air cleanly. But she knew that was about to change. And it did. The atmosphere around her body became thick and wet as a murky fog enveloped her. She hoped that Avarind was still somewhere behind her. This to was proved to her when she heard his unsure, wavering voice. Adorable. Kyra rolled her eyes, though no bird could see that in this fog. "I know exactly where I am. The location is for me to know, and you to find out." She tweeted, a completely foreign sound in this gloomy place. In fact Ky still felt that she could hear the long ago echoes of sobs and screams. Yes. She could feel the lingering prescience of the dead. Why did he choose this place? Of course her fathers old friend was very reclusive, so it only made sense. But...here? He could go live in a cave on the island. It's much better than here.

Raphique heard them long before he could see them. His glowing yellow eyes could see through this mist easily. Though at times things were a bit blurred. He was pretty old. His bones creaked as he stretched out his neck. "Go away." He hooted grumpily. Stupid fledglings.

[TinyBlueBird]

Aravind started smoothly flapping his steely blue, black-tipped wings, following Ky's rather comforting voice, "at least I'm not alone" he thought for a moment, Arav felt himself slightly calmer and tweeted in a cheerful-ish tone "To find out, I need to know what we're here for." the fog kept getting thicker, but Ar could still see the small sillouette of Kyra, rather blurred thanks to the gloomy yet beautiful fog, Aravind heard some echoes in the slow, calm wind running gently through his feathers, the fading echoes sounded like flapping wings, some of them even resembled incomprehensible tweets in the distance, Arav was surprised to hear a voice, not from Kyra, but yes, a harsh, tired voice coming out of a tree, his back feathers instinctively fluffed up as he asked "Who is there?"

[TinyBlueBird]

(Bump)
Shrike

[Shrike]

Kyra fluttered to a halt as she perched on the slender, dusty white branch of an aspen. She could hear him. Old Raphi. A small smile showed on her face as she spotted his home. He had chosen an inconspicuous tree, it looked exactly like the knew around it, save for one detail. This tree had grown next to five other trees. Very very close. The trees, being originally all one plant ((look it up, it's possible)), had melded together forming one bumpy, scarred, twisted knot of trees. In the center was a hole, likely chipped out by a pileated woodpecker. The kingfisher flitted over to the hole, the fig parting. Just there in the darkness she could see his old brown feathers. "It's been awhile hasn't it Raphi?" Her father had taken her to Raphique once. The two males had once been good friends. Kyra had been extremely young then and the memory was fuzzy. "Hey Avarind, he's over here."

Raphique sighed audibly at the upstart invaded his privacy. He remembered her. Raphique remembered everyone and everything. "Aw come on in." He hooted grouchily, though he was glad to see a familiar face. Believe it or not, the old owl did get lonely.

[TinyBlueBird]

Aravind grasped for the same branch that Kyra had settled, he saw the odd tree, and slightly tilted his head, *What a weird tree, it's so big and...Twisted...* He thought to himself. Arav started to try to peek through the thick leaves, he managed to see some seemingly old, brown feathers with subtle black spots make very slow movements along the hole, still a bit nervous about his surroundings, Ar tweeted in a polite tone, with a slight hint of fear "H-hi, Um... Raphi, right?" He seemed old and grumpy, until Kyra's voice somehow soothed him, Arav could see a really small and almost muffled smile on the old bird's beak. He looked at Kyra then back at Raphi, Aravind decided to tweet once more, this time, in a more confortable tone "If you don't mind me asking, are you two friends?"

[Shrike]

Raphique frowned as the blue bird uttered a ridiculous question. Kyra grinned. "Yes!"she twittered happily. "No." He cooed drably. "And you can call me Raphique." He spoke roughly. He was just old and tired. That's what birds who had lived as old as him did. Kyra hopped on in, motioning for Aravind to follow. "My friend Tiny and I are actually looking to go to the tropics together." Kyra accidentally emphasized 'together.' Raphique turned, his yellow eyes wide, beak disapproving and a bit smug. "Well, don't have too much fun. Why are you here anyways?" Raphique grouched.

[TinyBlueBird]

Aravind noticed Kyra's movement and hopped in her direction, the owl's grumpy tone still left him slightly unconfortable, he didn't want to make him angry, not only because he was an elderly bird and seemingly some kind of friend of Kyra, Aravin didn't want to cause trouble in a place he just got to, he knew he was just a lost kid, full of questions, void of answers, looking around once more, admiring the tree curves, Aravind tweeted, maintaining a low, respectful tone "So Raphique, what do you know about this place?"

[Shrike]

Subconciously, Kyra had been hopping gradually to Aravind's side. She now stood a mere talons length away from him.

Raphique snorted at his question, turning to face the blue song bird. "What place? If you want a worthwhile answer you must be specific squirt. Here? The tropics?" the old owl shook his head and ruffled his paling, faded feathers. He hopped away into a crook of his abode. There he placed a wing tip onto the many runes that he had scratched into the wooden walls. It was his code, a language only he knew. It was his journals, his recipes, his adventures and wisdom. It was a whole library written by him.

[TinyBlueBird]

Noticing Kyra's distance to him, Aravind smiled a bit, his heart beating faster as he tried to hide his blush by fluffing his facial feathers a bit.

Aravind soon noticed how silly his question was, he thought about it for a bit before tweeting "I mean, the place as a whole, I got lost, ended up in a swamp and met Kyra, so...What is this place and, do you know how to get to caribbean? My flock is there." Even trying to keep his voice tone polite and respectful, he started to sound worried and even afraid.

[Shrike]

"This is a place of grief and gloom. The echoes of agony resound here. Yet there is an air if solace and peace. Being living among the dead. The tropics however beautiful, are dangerous. The most colorful things are often the most lethal. I know more than any bird about healing and fighting. I'm a jack if all trades. If you need healing come to me. That's one thing I'm good at." The old owl turned towards him. "But that's also why I came here, so I can watch over those I could not heal." His voice cracked, full of feeling. Kyra's father had died under his care, the little kingfisher pained him to see, she was the spitting image of her father.

[TinyBlueBird]

Aravind started to pull the pieces together and tweeted in a reluctant tone "Kyra reminds you of someone doesn't she? Who is it?". The old owl's words echoed on his mind "The most colorful things are often the most lethal" and "The echoes of agony resound here" Aravind started to get the impression that this place wasn't for him, what would he give to get back to his nest...So cozy and warm, filled with autumn leaves and feathers. Aravind could hear something on the back of his head, a soothing, yet strong and ordely voice ^{"Listen here son. The more color, the more soul, the more life! That's how you distinguish the greyiest bloodthirsty racoon from the brightest red flower!"}

That doesn't work anymore, what am I supposed to do father? This island is a really weird place, I must adapt if I want to survive!_{....Do I?}

[Shrike]

Raphique crumbled. "Kyra, please...step outside..." He asked in low tones. Kyra, surprisingly obeyed, her expression hard and worried, she wasn't the most curious bird. She fluttered out to perch on a far branch.

The old owl ushered the tree swallow farther inside. "Listen..." He sighed wearily. "Kyras mother was a thief really, a criminal. A killer. She and her father had only one surviving chick, Kyra. The mother left, so he went after her and she...well...she didnt love him any more...she poisoned him...I-I couldn't save him. Don't tell her this, please. Not yet...she doesn't know...."

[TinyBlueBird]

Aravind turned his head at Kyra as she fluttered away, a bit nervous to be alone with a stranger but still confident about the situation, he was a friend of Ky after all, Arav turned back and settled on a corner of the tree cavity, his large wings making a rather comfy "pillow" of feathers around him, he tilted his head looking at Raphique, accidentally making his neck feathers fluff up, not enough to appear "threatening" but still fluffy, Arav looked curious to listen to what the owl had to say.

The owl's words shocked Aravind, How could a mother kill a father, sure, his parents would ocasionally fight about dumb topics such as "Stop feeding butterflies to the kids! They'll get spoiled" but, he'd never thought about a family murder. Aravind took a deep breath, Kyra didn't know that and he didn't want to be the one to tell her. He took another deep breath and tweeted trying to keep the corageous act "I see, you know...I really like Kyra, and I wouldn't want her to be hurt!" Aravind slowly put his wing in his chest and chirped "I promise, I will not tell her, you have my word of honor." Arav put his wing down and kept silent for a moment before tweeting almost breaking his brave-ish tone, his voice cracking at some parts "I-I want t-to protect her...Please, teach me how to! Ever since I fell into this island, she was the only one who talked to me, she took me in no questions asked, she didn't leave me alone, she actually cared for me! Please... I want to return that favor, I know I'm just a song bird, and I'll never be as swift as her, nor as wise as you! But...I wanna be just strong enough to fly along with her...Please?" Aravind's feathers were fluffed, he soon smoothed them as he took quick, short breaths to recover from the "speech" he just did, Arav looked up, waiting patiently for the owl's response.

(Aravind is gaining courage, the plot is finally moving!)

[TinyBlueBird]

(Bump)
Shrike

(Bring Up My Post)