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"A taste of reality" (Unknown) Feather woke up grumpy. His bed was comfortable enough, but still he felt irritable and short-tempered. He snagged his breakfast off the ground as it raced by, foolishly thinking it was too fast for him. As he crunched through the bones of his once-mobile breakfast, he began to ruminate upon things in general. One thought in particular that caught his attention was a simple question. "Why should I bother helping any human?" Humans obviously had things better than animals did. They had fire to warm themselves with, they didn't have to catch their every meal themselves, and they made their own, and quite effective, weaponry. Feather had often wished he could use a bow or crossbow. Taking out your prey before it even knew you were there - what a simplification! No chasing nor running round. Just point, shoot, and chow down. Feather was musing about the other advantages that humans had over animals, when the voice in his head, whom he had simply dubbed 'Voice', spoke up. Humans may have their advantages...but they also have their disadvantages. And these two sets usually balance each other quite well. Feather was getting annoyed with Voice mentioning balance all the time, and told it so. Well, what ELSE would you expect me to talk about? I am the idea of balance, after all! To which Feather retorted with a slight smug grin, "Well, you really should spread your conversation evenly. You know, balance your subjects out!" Voice sounded a bit irritated as it replied, You know, someone could be executed for making jokes that bad. Feather decided to change the subject. "Why should I help humans? They have many more advantages than any animal, and they ought to be able to handle themselves!" Feather, you really should listen when I talk to you. What did I just say? Humans have a set of disadvantages that largely null out any overall advantage. Humans have fire, you say. But fire goes out of control if they don't monitor it constantly. Humans still have to catch most of their food - even they can't properly survive on grains and fruit forever. They simply have delegated the responsibility to a few people who make a living out of it. As for the weaponry, you have your own set of weaponry, you know. But yours can't rust or get lost, nor stolen. Feather grinned at the idea of someone trying to steal his claws. The poor idiot would probably get them too - in some most uncomfortable places. Do you see, Feather? Besides all that, humans have a society; a society that breeds all sorts of weaknesses into them. Why do you think humans run from large animals? Their society has put fear of animals into their minds, and put restraints on their ferocity. Largely, a human fears ferocious animals. Humans haven't got it quite as good as animals do! Feather muttered something that sounded like agreement, but he still sulked a bit. Voice ground on. You still don't beleive. Well, how about if I told you that the majority of humans live lives of quiet desperation? That they accept being crushed underfoot by those they consider more powerful than themselves? Here, I'll even show you! Everything flared brightly, and disappeared from Feather's sight. A cramped straw and wood hut, with bare furnishings and a generally poor look to it. A husband and wife, both peasants, sat down to their dinner table, and regarded their meager meal. The woman turned to her husband, and asked, "I thought you said you'd ask the baron for some food. What happened?" The husband looked at the ground sheepishly. flick A baron's lavishly appointed reception chamber. A peasant man was kneeling before the baron, and shivering in fear. The baron scowled at him, and asked roughly, "What is it, peasant? I haven't got all day!" The man looked up at the baron, and all at once his fear overwhelmed him. He bolted out of the chamber, while the baron looked on in disgust. flick A soldier's barracks-yard. A rank of soldiers stood in their polished armor, saluting the ranking officer who stood before them. The officer looked up and down the line with a sneer and picked a soldier out at random. "You, boy! Run twenty laps around the yard! Now!" When the soldier paused, confused, the officer barked, "Now it's fifty! Hesitate again, and it's going to be one hundred! Now MOVE!!!" At which point the soldier began to run laps, his armor making a loud jangle at every step. flick A government office, where dozens of clerks busily filed things away. A nervous-looking clerk approached a man who looked a bit more like a rat than a human. The man carried himself importantly, and scowled menacingly at the approaching clerk. The official-looking man ordered the clerk to bring him a comfortable chair for his office, which the clerk did. The man then smiled nastily and announced that he'd changed his mind; the chair should be put right back to where it was. The clerk was so cowed that he didn't even object - he just did it. flick A forest trail. A general store. A noble's library. A crystal mine. Scene after scene after scene, every one worse than the last, and every one showing someone not fighting back when their cause was just. Finally, the real world snapped back into view, leaving the visions behind. Voice addressed Feather again. You see, griffin? That is the human disease. They allow themselves to be subjugated, and help their tormentors to rule them - simply by their refusal to act. It doesn't matter if the act is futile. If they have a valid complaint, they should voice it! You are different from them in that. THAT is why you must help them. Do you understand at last, griffin? Or do you need more convincing.... Feather hastily assured Voice that he understood perfectly. Further convincing would definitely be unnecessary. He breathed a sigh of relief when Voice left him be after that. Feather eyed the sun and decided that he'd spent enough time in one place. Time to get moving again. Feather took to the air, and for a while just let himself get caught up in the rythm and joy of flying.
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