[RLS] King Vulture Release

Prompt 1: Vet Check

He struggled in his wrappings, hating the feeling of his wings pinned against his sides as he was carried by the large ape-like things that cared for him. What were they going to do to him? He didn’t understand the sounds they made to each other or why the lights were so bright. A hand got too close to his face, so he snapped at it with his colourful beak, and was satisfied by the startled sound the creature made as the hand withdrew with a jerk.

The king vulture grumbled as he was placed on a table on his back. His claws were exposed, so he gripped at the air with his talons. One of his caretakers grabbed at them and stared at them, then stepped away to do something with a flat, rectangular item he could not identify. Then, they unwrapped each of his wings, one by one, and spread his feathers wide. They seemed satisfied with what they saw and wrapped him up again. 

They left him alone for a moment, so he glanced around. There were cupboards with doors and a white counter with a sink, though he could not put words to all those things. Suddenly, he felt a sharp poke and he hissed, then it was over. One of the ape-likes took away a vial of red blood, then suddenly he was being moved again. He hoped it would be back to his familiar enclosure. 

Prompt 4: Social Skills

The king vulture slept soundly in the holding pen. It was too small for him to stretch his wings, and the plain walls and floor didn’t really offer him anything to do. So he did the only thing he could and rested. 

The bird awoke at the sound of the door. Metal clinking against metal drew his attention and with purposeful creaks, the door withdrew into the wall and to the fresh air outside. Curious, the bird spread his wings and leaped from his perch, letting his flight feathers catch the subtle air currents as he glided out the doorway. 

He looked around. Trees, both artificial and real, loomed up to the spherical chain link keeping him in and the outside, out. He didn’t recognize any of it, but if he listened carefully, he could hear the sounds of other wings. His curiosity piqued again, he adjusted his flight to follow it. 

As he turned around the foliage of a tree, he spotted two of his kind, also exploring the new area. They were his age, their feathers still mostly grey. It would take another year or two before he would develop his proper plumage. They spotted him and both groups joined as one, gliding together in their new home. 

Soon, they grew tired. The trio landed on an artificial branch and slept, side by side, the young birds taking comfort in one another. 

Prompt 2: Finding Food

The king vulture flew with his new companions, enjoying the space the dome offered to them. It wasn’t the same as flying free without barriers, but it felt good to stretch his wings and glide like his species was meant to do. But flying took energy, and he was starting to feel like it was time to look for something to eat. 

He looked around, his sharp eyesight letting him pick up small details even at the pace he was flying. Most of what he saw was the same leaves and the same mixture of artificial and real trees. There wasn’t much to see except small, wild birds that could fit through the chain link dome and settle in the trees themselves. But wait, what was that?

He changed his course to land near a new object on the ground. Eying it, he realized it appeared to be part of a carcass. His instincts drew him closer, then he pecked at it. Wow, it tasted like the food the ape-like caretakers gave him, but even better! He dug in as the other two vultures landed too, and approached as well. Calmly, they devoured the meat and bone until there was nothing left, then settled in a tree to sleep their meal off.

Prompt 5: The Release

The ride was bumpy and uncomfortable. The king vulture clicked his beak, feeling insecure as the sedation wore off. At least he knew his flock was nearby, as he could hear one of them gnawing at the bars of their crate, and the other kept croaking to themselves, as if it was reassuring somehow. 

He had no idea how long they had been in the crates and the moving room. They had been giving something that had made them all sleepy, and they had gone suddenly from the comfortable forest they knew to this place. No doubt this was the doing of the ape-like beings, their strangeness always a puzzle to him. 

The movement slowed, then stopped. It was eerily silent as he and his flock stilled, waiting for the next thing to happen. Sure enough, one of the walls of the room pulled away and bright light flooded the space. They blinked and squinted until their eyes adjusted and the king vulture was greeted by the beautiful sight of green. People he did not recognize approached and he withdrew as far as he could in his crate, but all they did was open the crate door. Then, they appeared to leave. 

Were they free to leave? One of his flock didn’t wait and launched themselves into the air and disappeared outside. That was enough to encourage him and the other, and they quickly followed. 

It was beautiful! Real, lush trees made a great canopy overhead, and he could see other animals, some he’d never seen before, scurry through the brush. But the most interesting part was that there were no barriers above him, and he soon realized his flock had flown farther and straighter than ever before. They could fly forever if they wanted to! As he realized this, he soared and soared higher and higher, feeling a rush of freedom. Then, he gently dove down to one of the trees and gripped the branch with his talons. The sharp points dug into real bark and wood. His flock joined them, and they preened each other for a while, every so often looking at their new world.