Animal Legacy Haliastur Soaring The Chestnut Sunset

Chapter 4 The Neighbor

"I get to name our daughter first!" father claimed quickly while lowering his head to rub their daughter's head with his. My sister just sat there, smiling and giggling while he kept on nudging her.

"Wait, what? That's not fair!" mother protested, looking at him and definitely not pleased with his sudden claim to name my sister first.

"Well she di-...," father argued but was abruptly interrupted by the sudden sound of wing flaps closing in on their home.

Suddenly, a male white bellied sea eagle swooped down and perched on a branch on their tree near the nest and then folded in his dark grey wings on his sides.

It was our neighbor who lived in the tree not very far from here.

"Hiiii!!!!" he said in a friendly voice while beaming.

A moment later, my little brother fainted as we never had seen anything bigger than our parents before.(I still pitied him though for being born a shy bird).

Frankly, I thought and expected his voice to sound a little bit more frightening and that he was going to hurt or eat us. But there was something about his tone and calm eyes that made me think otherwise.

Mother, on the other talon, looked a tiny bit (about seventy percent) more aggressive and furious.

" What are you doing here, Laut??!!!" mother demanded and took a few steps toward him and put herself between him and me and my siblings. "Did you forget about our pact? Which was that we would share this territory as long as we stay out of each other's way???!!!! Why would Bai even send you over here anyway if she knows that, huh??!!!!" mother looked as if she was ready to rip out his eyeballs.

However, Laut's expression was surprisingly really calm although he might be insulted on the inside.

In fact, father didn't show any signs of extreme aggression like Laut either. His's expression was rather more worried as he watched the scene from behind mother.

"Listen," Laut's reply was as tranquil as his eyes as he remained eye contact with mother's outrageous eyes. "Bai sent me over here to investigate because she knew if she had gone over here instead, you and her will start engaging in a battle the moment you see her coming. So, as being the slightly smaller, slightly less dominant and less powerful mate in a fight, she persuaded me into this mess. And to face your wrath alone," he mumbled out that last sentence. I think he was a bit frustrated with his mate for compelling him to come here just to face mother's wrath for some answers.

Mother inhaled deeply and then exhaled slowly, trying to recollect herself. "Okay," she was trying so hard not to yell again. "So, what are you investigating here? Please don't make it too long, I don't know how long I can keep this up for," she said while trying to hold back her aggressive motherly instincts for as long as she can as it was written all over her face. Behind her, father stifled a giggle as he saw the face she was making, a really wobbly smile.

"Umm......pffff okay," said Laut, trying to restrain his laughter but still managed. " My family heard what it sounded like the most enormous laugh ever heard coming from your tree," he said while twisting his head around to take a glance at his tree which was kilometers away from our tree and seemed like making sure his mate didn't leave the tree to sneak up on him before asking, " Do you anything about this?"

My mother suddenly looked embarrassed as she turned her head away and gazed down at her left wing.

Then, father stepped forward, meeting Laut's eyes. " I will tell you everything, if that is okay with Kawi,"

"Sure......" mother replied guiltily while still looking down at her wing.

It took father like half an hour to tell Laut the whole tale, not leaving out any detail. That's how I knew the beginning.

When he was finished, Laut began staring at mother who felt his stare and looked up. "I'm sorry. I ......," she paused, not knowing what to add next.

"It's okay," the eagle smiled. "My mate bosses me around almost all the time including when asked me to come here. Nobody is perfect." Something glittered in his eyes that made him sincere of what he said.

Then, he turned his attention to me and my siblings with my brother still unconscious as he examined us with his glittering dark eyes.

My sister and I just sat there, staring back at him with more curiosity than fear.

"Hmm........" he said, watching us with interest. "Do your chicks happened to have your gift, Indus?"

Father shook his head slowly. "It's a pretty rare gift, almost unheard of. It has a pretty slim chance of getting passed on by a single parent with that gift, but with two parents......" he stopped before finishing his story.

"Well, it would be a blessing if one of them does have it," Laut said, carefully turning himself around on the wobbly branch he perched on toward the direction of his tree.

"Farewell, Indus and Kawi," he bid while spreading his wings. "May peace be upon you,"

"May peace be upon you to," father said as Laut started flapping his wings and the air current from them hit us like wind.

Then, he launched himself from the branch and flew away back to his tree.