CHAPTER THREE
The first thing BrightFlight noticed when he found Delta alone by the waterfall upon his return was that she looked shy and her usually happy features were subdued.
"Delta?"
"hello," she replied with a small smile. There was the same mischievous glint in her eyes, but it wasn't showing through in her behaviour.
"...So, did you find Tyson?"
"Tyson?" Delta looked genuinely confused. "Oh! Tyson! Um, I didn't find him, but the others are still out there." she finished.
Something wasn't right, BrightFlight thought. He frowned, looking visibly concerned.
"Sorry," Delta shook her head. "I've had a huge day."
(Some of you should know what this is about.
)
BrightFlight decided to accept this explanation. He'd find out what was wrong when she was in a better mood.
"You should get some rest," he told her, leading her to the warrior's complex, where she perched in an empty tree. "Thanks, BrightFlight. This is very good of you." He felt oddly happy inside.
The next morning, BrightFlight and Red were awoken by a thunderous roar. They looked at each other in alarm and recognition, collapsing the entrance to the kits' burrow and bolting through the maze of tunnels to the surface. Two of the older warriors, KernalCorn and LeonIva, had beaten tehm to it.
The scene confronting them confirmed the worst: It was back and it wasn't back to share breakfast.
The four-foot tall monstrosity was nothing like anything ANY of the chickens had ever seen. It had a menacing, cat-like face, but claws of steel and the roar of a lion. It stood on two feet - it could only have been engineered.
Engineered to fight.
Delta was still confused about her surroundings when she opened her eyes and took it all in.
Wait, why am I here again? Do I know these other? Um... that rooster down there looks familiar, I think I met him yesterday.
She really needed the chicken equivalent of coffee.
She stayed rooted to her perch in fear though when she caught sight of It. What was THAT?! She was glad a large branch barricaded its view of her. She peeked out from behind the leaves.
"What do you WANT from us?" KernalCorn snapped. "Will you just leave us alone?"
It laughed. "This I don't need to tell you." It eyed him levelly.
"Get off our territory! Your'e a threat to us!"
"I told you I would be back."
LeonIva chipped back icily. "Oh yeah? For WHAT, exactly?"
"Oh look at you all! Still as nosy as before!" It said.
KernalCorn could stand it no longer. "Get out!!" he demanded, flying into its eye and sinking in his claws.
It simply picked Kernal up by the wing and helf him in front of its face. "Not until I get what I'm after."
"Just tell us!"
"No, then you will only protect it harder. It is better to attack by surprise, do you not agree?" It leered. "Why-"
It screamed.
BrightFlight was attached to the back of its head by his spurs. He sunk them in for all he was worth. LeonIva saw his shot and leapt up, clinging to the front of its head, so that together they couldbadly twist its neck.
it howled in rage and reached up to claw the roosters to pieces. "You think I will merely lose to a bunch of cowardly, gutless featherheads?"
Its hand met Red. She grabbed it in her beak and bent it down hard, until she heard the satisfying crack.
Delta fell out of her tree in fright, landing right under It's foot. It cackled wildly and lifted the foot for the kill.
"Pick on someone your own size!" IcePaw yelled, ramming into its knee and clawing two huge gashes down its leg. She had come speeding out of nowhere. It flailed wildly and almost lost its balance. StarryNight finished It off by lifting a log and spearing it straight through its neck. The blood flowed freely from its wound as It toppled over and crashed into the dirt.
"It's not over yet!" it roared, rising from the dust minus BrightFlight and LeonIva. Delta saw it come straight for her. She squawked angrily and flew up, latching onto the top of its head. She sank her claws in, tasting the sweet aroma of revenge. StarryNight and icePaw flew round and round its face, slapping it with their wings.
Kernal sprang at the bare back and spurred it repeatedly until It could take no more. A final push from Red sent it crashing straight into the river, with Delta still attached to its head.
"That should teach it," spat IcePaw.
Red was badly hurt. StarryNight had a gash down her wing, so LeonIva got about helping BrightFlight carry herbs from the med den as quickly as they could.
Kernal pulled Delta spluttering out of the water, her feathers drenched. They rested in the aftermath of the fight, and Delta felt strangely calmer. "So that's how you do things round here," she said aloud, as the healthy scurried around frantically treating the injured.
BrightFlight smiled. "We fight as a team. That's the TRUE meaning of being a warrior."
