"Hey! Watch it, brat!" The voice of a shopkeeper yelled.

"Sorry, we're in a hurry!" I yelled back.

"Come on, Rage! We'll cut through the back alleys!" Sonny called over his shoulder.

"Yeah!"

Sonny dove onto his stomach and slid through a narrow opening in between two stalls, while I leaped between them. I landed roughly and stumbled into the alley wall.

"Are you okay?" Sonny asked.

"I'm fine. Let's go." Pushing off the wall. I started to run as fast as I could. My talons clicked off the rough wooden floor and echoed off the walls as I ran. Meanwhile, Sonny was as quiet as the grave. His smooth, padded feet muffled the impact as he ran on all fours.

It was somewhat surprising how fast he could run, considering how long his body was. In areas filled with obstacles, sharp turns, and narrow corridors. Sonny had long since proved himself to be king... But this was my territory. An uninterrupted straight away.

I dipped my head down and poured on even more speed as I raced past Sonny. I tucked my wings in just before leaping between two more stalls, and sliding to a stop in the center of a busy walkway. I quickly scanned my surrounding for the shortcut I knew to be there. Ever since mom started letting me walk around town on my own seven months ago, I'd begun making a mental map of the place.

And now? I knew this place like the back of my wing.

"Sonny! This way!"

"Yep!" He huffed as he slid out from underneath the stall and wormed his way through the crowd.

"Hey!"

"What's the rush, little man?"

"Ahh!"

"Sorry, lady!" I apologized for causing the woman to drop her back. I felt bad and thought about helping her, but if we were late, we were dead.

"Alley on your left!"

"Yep!"

He bounced on top of a low railing, then used it to clear the much taller fence behind it. I bounced off the same rail he did, then crashed into the top of the fence. I slammed into the ground on the other side and had to be helped up by Sonny.

"Still good?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Just not at climbing." He joked.

"Yeah yeah yeah. Laugh at me later."

He shook his head in a show of amusement, but stopped laughing. The two of us raced through back alleys, wound ourselves through several more busy streets, even climbed a small building just to avoid a crowded street. And it was all for this.

Nest. Military. Academy or NE.M.A for short.

NE.M.A was a mandatory curriculum that every citizen of the nest must attend for six months. And today was a most exciting day... Because today, was the day Sonny, my siblings, and I finished our mandatory Bootcamp. From the moment we finish the program, we are considered adults in the eyes of the nest and can apply for jobs.

After today, Mom was going back into the military, Dad was going back to the first squadron, and my siblings and I would separate for the first time since I met them... Good thing, too. The room I'd shared with them for the last year was incredibly cramped.

Sonny and I passed through the opening on the easternmost side of the tree, hopped over a few branches that crisscrossed our path, before coming to a stop on a large wooden square. The square itself was between twenty and thirty feet wide and forty or so feet long.

On that square, nine by nine rows of fresh cadets stood in attention. Birds of every shape and size and, like Sonny, a few other species could be found scattered amongst them. Ferrets, Moles, Bats, Lizards, and a Rabbit or two could be seen amongst the crowd. And they all awaited the arrival of the Forest King.

"You're late." Kali whispered as Sonny and I came up next to her.

"Sorry. Sonny overslept."

Sonny smacked the back of my head and glared at me.

"Who's the one that kept me out all night?"

"Hey, you could have stayed home."

"Yes, but you said—"

"Will the two of you shut up." Kali hissed. "You're making a scene."

I glared at Sonny, he glared at me... And we both wisely kept our beaks shut.

A short wait later a group of birds, Dr. Lynes, and a massive owl walked to stand in front of the cadets.

The birds were our instructors for the last six months. Raati, a sleek gray bird that bared a striking resemblance to a pigeon, was our history teacher. Shan, a puffed up, chicken-looking bird was our athletics teacher. And Chris, a re-lifer from the U.K that looked eerily similar to a flamingo, was our maths teacher.

The Owl was Lord Deeku, the Forest King of the south. He was an aging bird in his twenties with ruffled black feathers, bone-white face, and eyes the color of the abyss.

And Dr. Lynes was... Well, Dr. Lynes. I wasn't sure why he was here since he'd had very little to do with our schooling. But... Maybe it had something to do with his work? He was the 'expert' mom mentioned way back when, after all.

Apparently, Dr. Lynes was a re-lifer from Australia, and his real name was Hugo Lynes. He claimed to have something called a 'Ph.D.' in archeology and geology.

I just called him Dr. Lynes since 'Doctor of Archeology and Geology Hugo Lynes' was a beak-full.

"Hello... cadets." Lord Deeku's words came out so slowly you'd think they'd stop to ask for directions... "How... are... you... doing today?"

"Great, Lord Deeku!" We said in unison.

"Excellent... That is all." He stepped back and closed his eyes.

"Thank you, Lord Deeku," Chris said as he stepped forward. "Now, cadets. I—"

"Zzzz"

Chris stopped speaking at the thunderous snore.

"I—"

"ZZZZzzzz"

"Oh, for the love of— Lord Deeku, would you kindly Shut up!!?"

"Hmm? Oh...My... apologies... Pink one."

"It's fine, my Lord. I'm just trying to do my job, yes?"

"Yes... Your job... Who... are... you... again?"

....

"Anyway, I had a whole speech prepared. One that would motivate you all to do your best, strive for glory, triumph over hardship, and all that jazz... But realistically, most of you will be dead before the next class graduates in six months. And that's if you stay within the Nest... For those of you joining the military, or the delivery services. You're more likely to be dead within the next month, if not sooner. However, those of you that make it through that first month has a better chance of living to this fossil's age, "He pointed to Lord Deeku. "Than the rest of us."

"You'll certainly face hardship wherever you go... You'll face danger and death at every corner... But if you can make it to the end of your service, then you'll come back a hero to the Nest. A Hero to the birds the world over... Good luck, cadets. You're going to need it."

"Now, I believe the good Doctor has something he'd like to say?."

"Yes, thank you." Dr. Lynes agreed. He stepped forward and looked around at the gathered cadets.

"I don't want to ask this of any of you... But I need volunteers. My research shows," He took a breath." That within the next four to five years, the volcano beneath the nesting grounds could become active again."

I saw the bird around me tense at that. Some managed to keep their feathers to a minimal twitching, while others looked like a pillow without the case... I was one of those 'others'.

"We don't have the resources to send out more than a few groups without seriously crippling or forces here at home... Which is why I must ask you."

"Will you volunteer to become a part of the new scout squadron? I'm not going to lie to you. You'll be sent far and wide to find a suitable place for a new place the denizens of our fair forest to call home, and It'll be far more dangerous than anything you'll encounter around here... But you'll be helping out the entire forest by doing this."

"So? Any takers?"

"Is he kidding?" I wondered. High chance of death, dismemberment, and any other horror the mind could imagine. Coupled with the fact that we may never return home again? Only someone suicidal or a complete Idiot would volunteer for such a thing... So, naturally, I raised my wing.

"I volunteer!" I yelled.

"Rage!?" Sonny and Kali yelped simultaneously.

"What?" I whispered. "I'm not about to let an entire forest full of creatures die when I could have done something to stop it."

They stared hard at me for only a moment... Then Sonny raised his paw in the air.

"I volunteer too!" He declared.