W.L. LEFT

Chapter Five

[A/N] If you haven't read the most recent announcement, you might want to check it out. To summarize, LEFF was changed to LEFT. More relevantly, I'm now working to put definitions of words at the bottom of the chapter. This is only for "made-up" words. Go look at it if you're confused.

The Nightglow shone through the whole forest. It was so bright.

...

That wasn't Nightglow.

Aero shot up.

The forest was on fire!

Aero scrambled out of his nest. He looked around, shocked. Did my fire catch onto something? He looked at the fire. No, he'd made sure it couldn't spread. It still remained in its pit even despite the flames approaching.
Then what happened?!
He couldn't worry about it now. He had to get out!
Aero grabbed his bag, and carelessly stuffed all his belongings inside. The seeds. Rope. cloak. Water. Granola bar. And, the defective screenteller.
It still had the same screen open on it. "Error. The data has not yet been restored. Continuing the restoration process may delete the remaining information, would you like to restart the download?". "Yes, restart", "No, continue". Aero didn't have time for this. He had to get out, first. He shut off the screenteller and stuffed it into the bag.
He had to fly.
Maybe he could get out through the clearing above?
Fwoosh! Crash!
A burning tree fell over and blocked it off.
Nevermind!

He looked at the trees. Enough had fallen for him to fly inbetween several bunches of trees.
Aero couldn't hesitate. He launched into the sky swiftly.
He'd just have to improvise his route along the way.
To his dismay, he couldn't fly too fast with countless trees above, but he could still dart through, to an extent.
Aero's eyes darted across the various gaps and blockages.
He'd have to think fast.
Inbentween those two branches!
He tucked in his wings. 
Below that fallen tree!
He dove under.
Up over that boulder!
He spread his wings and swooped over.
Around that stump!
Through the vine gaps!
Away from that flaming bush!

The fire set a startling red glow over the forest, the once blue sky-lit trees now shone violent red. The once pure green grass was blackened, burned.
The forest was completely destroyed, yet the fire still raged wildly.
If this fire wasn't caused by my pit - Tree! ... I need to be careful, it will burn me - Rock!

He was going so fast, everything seemed to pass in a blur. He'd surely reach the thorny barriers blocking off the edge of the woods. If that wasn't enough, he had to slow down before he collided. Or, at the least, find a way to open sky.
There! That tree's going to fall and knock over another! It'll open up to the sky!

He was going too fast! He wouldn't make it.
He spread his wings, breaking the wind.
Aero wasn't slowing down fast enough.
It wasn't going to work. He had only one choice.
He threw his legs out in front of him, claws ready to catch the branch of a nearby tree. It wasn't preferable, but he didn't have any other solution.
Desperately, he flapped his wings, assisting to reduce his speed.
Aero was still shooting rapidly towards the trees.
The branches approached, reaching their arms as if they stretched to grasp a talon that could pull them away from the catastrophe they had fallen victim to.

Thud!

Aero hit the branch violently.
He managed to get a grip on the branch and bring himself to a stop.
Aero's talons scratched against the dry bark roughly.
He winced.
At least he'd stopped, rather than getting crushed by his to-be escape.
On cue, its roots began to burn away.

Fshhhhhhh whoooshh craashh!

The tree fell right in front of Aero, barely missing the startled bird. He shrieked and leaped back, just in time to escape the strike on his former perch. The once whole tree collapsed under the weight of the initial fallen tree.
But as the two trees dropped, they opened a gaping emptiness in the brush above.
Aero wasn't going to let this opportunity close up. He immediately shot back into the sky. His wings launched him into the free sky. A sky where he'd never fly too fast. Where such a falcon as him was unmatched. Where he'd always reach in times of need.
His wings beat, and beat, and beat, and repeat.
He was finally out! He flew up into the sky, all the way to the Skymist, and higher above. He spread his wings, his smooth feathers caught the wind, his gray plumage waved in his increasing haste.
He rose so far into the sky. It was the most amazing thing Aero could do. No bird could fly like him.
He felt like he could touch the skyswirls. Catch one as it shot past. Like he could race their ever speed.
Aero flapped his wings one last time, and...
He dove.
Ever so quick, descending towards the flaming forest with greatly increasing rapidity.
This was what he was meant to do.
The wind on his beak, the Nightglow shining on his silver-brown feathers. Nothing was faster than him.
Wow. I forgot how much I missed this.