darkSpyro

Harland followed with a prance in his step. "Got it!"

"You needn't worry about me long as you keep your pace slow," Raul responded with a soft hum, following Stripes.

The warblers, being too inside the forest, never noticed the newcomers. Ami, after losing Sybil again and again, went to the kea tree to ask for one of them to search for her, but she was in luck since the civet was already there.
"Ami? This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?" Sybil asked, wondering if the seagulls and pelicans also wanted to be part of the meeting. Unlike the warblers, the marine birds weren't at risk of the python hunting them, since the cliffs where they lived were very hard and unstable, not to mention the snake would have to risk falling to that sea full of orcas.

"I just saw them. Two new recruits." Ami informed, with Sybil lowering her head. She has forgotten that she put the Haven to work after the drought was over, but before the python attacks.

"Listen. If you see them, tell them that I will be right over there to greet them. I'm very busy right now." Sybil said, with Ami understanding. She and the marine birds were fully aware of the python threat, but since they weren't at risk and there was no room for all of them at the kea tree, none of them had attended the previous meetings.

After Ami left, Sybil waited for the remaining warblers to show up. Some of the have already arrived, but they were still a few left. She didn't blamed their delay though, since there has been so many meetings lately it was hard to keep track of the time.

The new residents weren't going to be the only visitors though, for arriving at the Haven was the always naughty cockatoo cousins, Nia and Angus. Finally, after the playground was done, they had arrived to see their friends from the other island, whom they hadn't seen for quite some time. The pair was bigger now, just reaching their teenage years, but they were as mischievous as ever, especially Nia.
"Say, this is strange. The Haven residents hasn't played with the orcas for a while." Nia said, not being aware of the new danger there. Having nothing else to do, the cousins decided to explore, hoping to either find someone along the way or get to know that island better. With Shadow gone, they weren't cautious at all, thinking the Haven was finally a safe place...

Harland pranced directly behind Stripes.

Raul, who had been lagging behind a trifle, arrived about five seconds thereafter. Upon arrival, Stripes spoke to them. "Thank you," Raul said with a polite nod of the head.

"We're here. Rose? ..I believe we have company.," Sayan said getting up first. 'New arrivals... Now?' he thought to himself.

Raul bowed his head. "Hello, I am Raul. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Harland, a little more excitable, took a large leap in Rose's general direction. He landed firmly on the ground, cocking his head a little, and smiled wide before saying, "Hi! My name's Harland. I'm looking forward to exploring this island."

Harland's smile widened a little, taking the comment entirely as a friendly compliment. "See you around!" he called to her.

"We understand," Raul denoted calmly. "I am sure you have important business to attend to. It was still a pleasure meeting you."

As Rose headed her way, there were still a few warblers that needed to arrive. But before Sybil explained everything to all of them, she whispered the information to Peepers.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Peepers asked, when he heard about Shadow's spirit and how it was influencing the python, plus the caracal and her help.

"Yes Peepers. I know it' hard to believe. And many of you may dismiss it as a simple nightmare, but it's true. You see, Guardian has always visited me, and it was thanks to him I could somehow contact the python. And Shadow, I know it was him. And he'll probably continue to torment me and Rose, and who knows who else, just to get revenge. I will need your help to convince everybody to find this flower and get rid of Shadow's influence once and for all." Sybil begged, knowing it was a story too incredible to believe. Peepers was a very influential warbler in the community, but even he was having his doubts on how everyone was going to take that bizarre information.

Sybil was too high up to hear, but Cheryl was near the ground keeping guard.
"Yes, she's up here waiting for all the little birds to arrive." she explained, with that neutral voice she was so well known for.

"Come on, climb up. Unless you need me to carry you." Cheryl said sarcastically, quite bitter since she was getting sick of so many reunions in so little time.

The last of the warblers were finally arriving, and Sybil still wasn't sure how to give the news. It was when she saw Rose climbing that she was more calm.

"Alright Miss Sybil. I believe that is all of them." Peepers said, as he saw the area of the meeting full of the few warblers that remained. Ever since Sybil talked to the python, no more attacks have happened, at least so far. While everybody believed Sybil had an update about the snake, the civet took a deep breath... and explained everything. From Shadow's spirit, to the nightmare, and the caracal's visit, plus the flower she needed. There was a scandalous chatter among all the birds, even some of the keas. It was when Peepers interceded.

"Listen to me! I know how crazy and bizarre that sounds. I know many of you don't believe in the supernatural, but if Sybil claims it's true, then you should believe her. She is always there for us when we need to. And she always tries her best to help us. And she has never lied to us." Peepers expressed, yelling on top of his lungs so that his voice could be heard though the canopy. That moment was vital, since many warblers were starting to lose faith in the civet for not being able to protect them from the python.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

"Well aren't you a spirited one." Rose said. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." Rose said. "Sayan do you mind showing them around? I've got to go to the meeting." Rose said. "Sorry to cut it short but I must go."

"Come on you too... I'll show you around.," Sayan with a smile. "Just keep an eye out and follow closely.," he warned looking at the two newcomers.

"Understood," responded Raul calmly, beginning to trail Sayan. He kept his pace slow as usual, conserving his energy.

"Got it!" cried Harland. Despite the excitement rushing through his veins, the urge to explore, he wanted to get to know the local people and the common sights.

Crocx did everything he was told to do with the heavy lifting and when he was done he was tired and went home to sleep.

After te warblers were done with their chatter, Sybil spoke.
"Whether you believe me or not, this is something that I need you to do." Sybil begged, with the warblers being too skeptical. There was a long pause, but then, it was a kea, and not a warbler, who stepped forward.

"I'll go find your flower Mistress. You're no liar. And you are kind and good. And if you need a favor, I'll do it." The young kea said. It was none other than that young lad who was terribly afraid of Crocux after he got attacked by a crocodile in Africa. He has been scared to travel from that day... until now. This taught quite a lesson to the warblers, who were quite surprised with the kea's offer. This made Peepers smile, for he knew what hat meant.

"In that case, I'll go too." A warbler said this time, and slowly, Sybil had almost half of them volunteering to find the flower. Soon, the only warblers who were foing to stay at the Haven were the juveniles, the male warblers with a mate, and the females with eggs. The rest, with the exception of Yodel, were going to fly off the Haven and search for this flower needed to be rid of Shadow.

Quote: Shadow-Cipher

"Understood," responded Raul calmly, beginning to trail Sayan. He kept his pace slow as usual, conserving his energy.

"Got it!" cried Harland. Despite the excitement rushing through his veins, the urge to explore, he wanted to get to know the local people and the common sights.

Sayan proceeded to show the pair around-- beginning with the creek he and sybil adored so much. "So if you don't mind me asking... what may we call you?," he gently asked as they soon approached the beautiful sight of the water and the fresh fish swimming within.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

"Then it's settled. The ones who volunteer will go to find the flower." Rose said. "The Caracal said it was called an Obsidian Wildfire. She said they are found on volcanos."

The warblers volunteering for the expedition made sure they got the name right, as they prepared to leave. Some of them at least. About half of them left immediately, but others wanted to stretch their wings first in order to be prepared for the long journey ahead. I has been quite a while since many of the, travelled around the world, so they wanted to be in shape today to leave first thing in the morning. As for the keas, very few of them volunteered, but it was enough for Sybil since she needed as many keas as possible on the island in order to have their watchful, nocturnal eyes.

The meeting was adjourned, and Sybil prepared to leave.
"Well Mambo, thank you as always for having us." she said, always grateful for his hospitality.

"You're welcome miss. Good luck with the rest of your tasks. Oh, and can Rose stay here a while? We haven't played for a long time." Mambo said, though he knew that was up to the tiger. What he really wanted was to watch Crocux to play rough with Sybil again, but since he thought he was still sick, he wanted to play with the tiger for a while instead.

Harland has already bound up to the fresh flowing river, his eyes glistening at the crystal clear water and the little schools of fish racing underneath the surface of the water. He wondered what they were doing and where they were going; he wondered what their world underneath the water was like. They seemed happy, energetic, and lively.

Raul tilted his head a trifle. "Oh, you may call me Raul," he hummed softly. The kouprey coughed released a clear exhale, attempting to catch Harland's eyes.

It was the combination of that exhale and a subtle drag of the foot through the dirt that caught his eye. His head sharply shifted in Sayan's direction, eyes bright and alive. "Oh, sorry! I'm Harland. I don't have a nickname or anything. Just Harland." One of his ears twitched before he glanced back to the fish in the stream once more.

Sybil climbed down the tree without Cole's help, since she wanted to do it herself. As she reached the ground, she remembered that she hasn't played with Crocux for quite a while, so she decided to pay him a little visit.

Nearby, Angus and Nia started following her quietly, having been attracted to the kea tree with all the yell and chattering of the small birds earlier. They had no idea what was going on, and being two curious individuals, they decided to tail Sybil in order to find some answers.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

"I'd love to stay awhile." Rose said with a smile. "Perhaps I can show you to Crystal?"

"Meh, maybe later. She sounds like a busy animal, so let's just stay here." Mambo answered, being more in the mood to play than to meet somebody.

As Mambo accompanied Rose down, he went deep in thought, thinking of a game they could both play and it would be fair. It was then that he had an idea.
"I know. Let's play Dunk-in-Basket!" he said exitedly, but he imagined Rose had no idea what that was, so he explained immediately.

"I suppose you don't know what that is, so I'll explain anyway. You see, we each grab a basket, or anything that would work as a container, and we collect a specific item and place them inside. It can be anything, from bugs, to seeds, you name it, and whoever has the most of that item in the basket at the end is the winner." Mambo explained, being that one of his favorite games. Not ony was it fun, it helped you excercise and practice your tracking as well, which explained why many keas were so skillful.

"Alright then, it is settled. Now first things first. Let's find something that could be used as a basket. Coconut halfs are too small, unless we're collecting seeds." Mambo explained, wishing for something bigger. Rose could collect a lot of seed in her mouth, but he cold use both his beak and his talons, so the game was going to be fair t least, at least if Rose wanted to collect something else.

Back at Crocux's cave, Sybil could hear his noticeable snores. The crocodile has accompanied her to the outback, but before the meeting, he has left. He went to sleep then? He really must've been tired, but she really needed a fun activity after all the stress and danger she has gone through. She could go with the orcas, but she noticed a scary tension the last time she met them, especially with Cairo, so they were off limits for a while.

Very unaware that she had some surprising visitors nearby, Sybil entered Crocux's cave, with Angus and Nia wondering what she was doing. They never got the chance to meet Crocux in person, so they didn't know about him. They waited to see what happened...

"That is a good idea, but are there any turtles around here? I don't think I have seen turtles here at the Haven. They're a few at Hunted island though." Mambo explained, though he wasn't sure if Rose meant using a live turtle or a dead one. She was a carnivore after all, and he understood if she knew about animals like that around.

At Crocux's cave, the cockatoo cousins remained hidden from view, spying from near the cave and hearing those thundering snores. They couldn't see Sybil inside, but knew she was there. She was trying very hard to wake up the croc so he could spend some time with her, but it was like trying to wake a boulder. As Sybil tried to move his head and even jumped on his belly, she cold see that he was getting bigger. Maybe it was just her imagination, but he did seemed bigger to her. He was a teenager after all, and he was going to continue to grow, perhaps more than the average saltwater croc, but that was a good thing since Sybil wanted somebody that could be capable of fighting off the python should the occasion demand it someday.

"Oh, well that's better then. Go ahead, bring them. And don't forget to tell me what should we collect." Mambo said, as he perched on a branch to prepare himself for the challenge.

Meanwhile, the tiny civet was still struggling to wake the crocodile. She knew he deserved all the rest he could get, but since he wasn't sick anymore, Sybil didn't want him to be lazy, and feeling naughty, she got close to him and yelled.
"Woah! Look at that waterfall of yellow tails!" she screamed, as she swiftly left the cave while he reacted. Crocux could wake up rather violently when it came to that fish, so it was better to be far away from him at the mention of it.

Quote: Shadow-Cipher

Harland has already bound up to the fresh flowing river, his eyes glistening at the crystal clear water and the little schools of fish racing underneath the surface of the water. He wondered what they were doing and where they were going; he wondered what their world underneath the water was like. They seemed happy, energetic, and lively.

Raul tilted his head a trifle. "Oh, you may call me Raul," he hummed softly. The kouprey coughed released a clear exhale, attempting to catch Harland's eyes.

It was the combination of that exhale and a subtle drag of the foot through the dirt that caught his eye. His head sharply shifted in Sayan's direction, eyes bright and alive. "Oh, sorry! I'm Harland. I don't have a nickname or anything. Just Harland." One of his ears twitched before he glanced back to the fish in the stream once more.

"Well-- nice to meet you Raul and Harland. I'm Sayan and you earlier you met my mate Rose.," he said with a smile following Harland's glaze to the flowing river. "Here... we we have a policy not to harm any of the residents, but any fish and some of the dumber birds are freely available for consumption." he added actually a little hungry.

Crocux eyes snapped open as he charged out of his cave yelling "REALLY!? WERE!?"

"Hah, got you!" Sybil said, chuckling at the joke as she entered the cave again. It's been a while since she smiled like that, so she tried not to feel bad for waking him up.

Harland glanced back to Sayan as he mentioned consumption of other animals. "Oh, you won't have to worry about that, Sayan. My friend and I are grass eaters. I wouldn't think to try and consume another animal."

Raul exhaled loudly.

"Not that there's anything wrong with meat-eating," added Harland, perking his ears upright. "It's just not in my interest. As long as I've got a frequent source of water and a patch of grass, I'm satisfied."

Raul smiled slightly. "I am fond of grazing quietly," he hummed. His smile widened a little as he added, "If you happen to find any salt concentrates I would be most thankful if I could be made aware of them." He shifted his gaze to the side. "I quite like the taste of pure salt."

AJ: I nervously flick my tail as I reply. "A while...I have been living a double life ever since Sholeh moved in with me." My deep, dark midnight blue eyes glisten in the light.

"Well, I was thinking of insects, but then again, you can't fly, so it wouldn't be fair. The same goes to seeds. You can only climb to get them. So to be fair, let's go to the wetland and catch fish. I can fly, and you can swim. That's fair enough... I mean, you can swim, right?" Mambo explained, thinking Rose could swim being a Siberian tiger. He was aware of the incident that took place on the bridge where she had to be rescued by the polar bear currently living in the mountain, so he hoped that motivated Rose to learn.

"Well, then it is settled. Let's go." Mambo said eagerly, helping Rose with the shells. But as the headed to the wetland, he grew too curious.

"Say lass, where did you get these turtle shells anyway? Did you find them? Or do you simply hunt the creatures and collect them?" Mambo asked, knowing that collecting stuff was a very common hobby among many.