THE GREAT MASTER

"Can you tell how many knick-knacks these humans have?" Genji asked as he fumbled in a giant piece of furniture. "Frippery? But you saw that they have a room that is alone and uniquely full of clothes! "Said the albino squirrel Cong as he rocked on the chandelier. "How do these things emit light if there is no fire?" Asked the Sparrow Lok "Is it not fire? Yet he still burns! "His brother Long complained, flying to the right and left, following the rhythm of the chandelier, as long as he could see the bulbs better. "Interesting!" Bo admitted as he hung upside down in front of a huge mirror. The bat was held to a strange construction to which numerous and bizarre human clothes had been placed. He joined him "What?" He asked curiously. "All the furniture hangs from the ceiling!" Joked Bo. "Cabbage! It is true! "The ferret said, laughing, putting himself also upside down. "But does the time seem to you?" Jian asked, the albino blackbird that had perched on the headboard. "Guys! Mirrors also exist with us! I would show such interest to this container instead! "Ki Ju said as he carefully inspected a stadium trumpet, mixed with curiosity. Genji came out of a chest of drawers to slip into the lower one, before throwing all of its contents onto the floor of the room, facing the melanian squirrel Cheung, whose job it was to look for small, sharp objects like pocket knives, scissors or any other what could be useful to build arrows. Of course, this would have been possible only with the arrival of spring and their release in the reserve, but since the period of stay at the castle was about to expire, it was necessary to hurry up and make the most of the time by robbing men of useful things for escape. Especially because they, perhaps to avoid problems, had not given any kind of weapon. Then Shen had arrived and had not taken out his knives or sword ... but they were details!

Qiang, the albino hummingbird, was a lookout at the door, ready to let everyone go into the air ducts to escape any guard who was patrolling. Already, the homes of the humans were very large and not happy they had created a network of large metal pipes to get fresh and clean air everywhere. Too bad they were so big and resistant that they let us pass small animals. It was basically humans who built and offered something that would allow everyone to make their own comforts, like stealing, or even borrowing, some items strictly necessary for escape! The Jian albino blackbird came out of the bathroom completely soaked followed by a flood of water. Between the wings he clutched a medium-sized knife that was placed in the large bag gently and unknowingly offered by Rose. "Did you take a bath?" Lok asked, amazed. "How did you get there?" Jian asked sarcastically. "Brother, humans use magic to transport water closer to them!" Long said, extremely surprised. "What are you saying! It will be another damn invention! Cabbage! One never ceases to be amazed by their inventiveness! "Dishi said as he checked the contents of some large containers placed on the bedside table next to the bed, only to find inside them, apart from, a lot of paper. "But I have to admit that it was nice to be able to use water as a weapon against you!" Long said looking at the blackbird with a grin. "What do you say?" His brother asked curiously. "It was enough for me to move a piece of iron that poor Jian was hit by a flood of water and found himself on the other side of the pool!" Lang explained. "I will avenge! Remember that! "He said the blackbird in question as he dried himself with a piece of cloth found in the bathroom. "They're really good at painting, there's nothing to say!" Cong said, looking at some photos on the dresser. Bo joined him "But how the hell did they do it to ..." he was abruptly interrupted by a high-pitched sound and after making each a jump of at least two meters they ran to hide in terror. After several minutes of absolute silence, Genji leaned out of the big drawer in which he had taken refuge in the most total panic "Are you all right?" He asked in a whisper. "For nothing! I lost ten years in ten milliseconds, do you realize? "Dishi asked as he poked his head through a large vase.

"The lookout must be faulty!" Bo complained as he left the clock in which he had entered. "I have not seen humans!" Qiang affirmed with confidence. A flap of wings preceded the arrival of Wu, the albino kingfisher "Ragazzi! Everything good? I heard a strange and very frightening noise! "He asked still shaken. He was the only one on that mission who had moved alone. His job consisted of going ahead to find rooms to which he could easily access and with a few guards, in which there were useful objects small enough to be easily taken and hidden. Not seeing nearby dangers he immediately ran to his friends once he heard that strange noise, alarmed and convinced that they were in danger! "But if it was not the humans ... then who was it?" Lok asked "And how?" Long asked. "Excuse me ..." everyone turned to Ju who had simply fallen to the ground badly after the fright "... I think I made that noise!" He admitted, heartbroken that he had created so much havoc. "I didn't know you kiwis could make sounds like that!" Jian said, bewildered and amazed. "It wasn't me, but that thing!" Ju said, pointing to the container he had been examining with extreme curiosity a while ago and was now looking very frightened. Everyone's attention shifted to that strange object that now lay on the ground next to the shocked kiwi. "How did he do that?" Cheung asked as he stepped out of a large vase after hiding in a large green helexine near the entrance to the room. "I pressed a kind of mechanism at the top of the container!" Replied Ju. "I don't hear or see anyone! Go ahead! "Qiang said that he hadn't wasted any time and started back at the door. "I think the hummingbird is right! For today I would say we can go! "Cong said, jumping on a big cupboard under the air duct entrance. "In your opinion, when will they realize that we are making a lot of noise?" Churches asked as he entered the tube "We've been searching in their stuff for several weeks! I don't think they'll ever get there! "Genji said laughing before disappearing inside the duct.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A full-blown Mei avoided Fai, who walked quietly in the soft snow as they waited for Rose's expected arrival. Which fortunately did not delay! At last the humans had opened the gates and apart from the night, they could spend the whole day in a limited area of the reserve. It wasn't much but already something! Hong and Yong had received orders from Xian to make more confusion than usual. The motivation behind this request was unknown, but being the only time they had free camp they had let loose, making the guards take shots with the few remaining firecrackers, or sprinkling the humans with the paint kindly offered by Rose. Not even Kang or Tai had complained and the fact, even if strange, had been extremely exciting! Meanwhile, the girl had been very busy explaining human holidays to anyone interested, so as not to take part in any of the twins' jokes for days. Many had been thrilled to learn about the many festivities of its people and even some strange tradition. What had most impressed them according to Rose, given the exorbitant number of questions, was the race behind the cheese! In a village in a place called Brittany, humans celebrated the traditional cheese race every year, a dish much loved by humans. Told it seemed very simple, as well as bizarre: from a very steep slope the humans rolled down a cheese, circular in shape, as almost all the cheeses apparently, and behind it began to run dozens of boys and girls at a speed impossible to control for the human body, so much so that they always ended up practically flying! After a story of the genus Hong and Yong had promised to try another kind of food, since they did not own this mysterious cheese. At the time Rose was explaining the operation of a glider with the help of a large drawing depicting this object. After having satisfied the curiosity of the animals on the airship, they had ended up talking about gliders because she had let slip that word! Once the "lesson" was over, Rose had gone home, while everyone had gone to their homes to have lunch together. While some had stopped in the main square to discuss.

"Now we know how to make that thing work!" She said moving her happy tail. "Already! The human has provided us with a perfect means of escape! "Shu said equally enthusiastically. "In your opinion, did you realize that we are exploiting it to obtain information in view of the escape?" Lang Min asked. "I don't think so! Remember that we have put up with his stories of human traditions! "Hua answered, trying to hide his curiosity about what Rose had told them. She was one of the few to have such a desire to learn more about the world in which they suddenly found themselves catapulted, given that everyone else thought of their future life in freedom. "What's with the speech?" Xu asked confused. "Since we have heard many stories about the human world, it is normal to even ask for such things!" Hua explained. "Are you talking about the airship and the thing that allows humans to fly?" Shu asked. The owl nodded. "He's right! If we are interested in more things we will never understand that we are using it! "Kuen said. "We're not using it!" Lang Min protested. "No?" She asked teasingly. "It seems bad to say!" The peacock defended herself. "You ... have guilt feelings ... for the one who keeps us in a cage?" Xu asked, surprised. "He is a living being! Exploiting someone in this way, planning plans behind him and pretending to be interested in all the things he says seems petty to me! Even if he is one of our jailers! "Lang Min said, feeling immediately light after being able to express his thoughts. Everyone in the reserve knew that newcomers, captured by adults rather than raised in captivity like most peacocks and some other animals, did not like humans other than being locked up. Shen approached the group, attracted by the conversation. "Hi Sheng!" Kun the albino gorilla greeted him. "I'm Shen!" He pointed out. "Sorry, but without your silk robe you look like him! Seriously! "Kun defended himself embarrassed by not recognizing him. Those two looked very much alike, only the red color of the eyes and the long tail differed slightly, but they had to be close to be able to notice it!

"Has anyone seen the ghosts?" Ning asked, sitting on a large chair in front of a long table in the center of the square. "Not yet!" She replied imitating him. "This time the votes are against them!" Xu said, sitting directly on the table. "Jokes? I bet a whole ration on them! "Hua said suddenly frightened to death. A roar made everyone turn around and they saw that the culprit was Deshi, an albino bear with big problems of clumsiness. But he always managed to get by, even this time, since the trays he carried were still intact after he badly hit a tree. "Who wants lunch?" He asked, smiling. Everyone rejoiced and she ran to help him, while the others prepared the table by putting plates, glasses and cutlery. "Of course it's weird!" Shen admitted seeing what humans called a fork and with which they ate. It was ... different, skewering the food instead of grabbing it gently with chopsticks! "I understand you! I too had a bit of trouble getting used to it! "Mei said as soon as she arrived. She was about to head to Ji's house, but that crowd that prepared a rich outdoor lunch had seemed like a better choice. Every day went how it went! Only in this way he had begun to know more people. And apparently it was the practice, since everyone was doing so! "I still have things to take ..." Deshi was interrupted by the peacock and the feline who said in chorus "I'll help you!" Just to look surprised before doing what they said.

There was another strange thing: serving the dishes on the table! Shen realized that it was the first time he had done it since he arrived! A big problem! Perhaps someone had noticed that he was not behaving normally! He looked around, everyone laughed and joked while they organized the table. They were his paranoia as always! Even if, perhaps, spitting up orders and expecting others to do humble things like making beds or washing dishes, they could be alarm bells! He had to work harder ... even if he felt sick at the thought of having to touch the plates where others had eaten! But it was better for everyone if nobody knew about his past! Derek could have taken advantage of it and poor innocents would have suffered. Even his parents. Although lately he wondered if they deserved so much interest ... Fortunately Deshi brought him back to reality putting a large tray full of rice and vegetables between his wings. Shen decided to stop tormenting himself and walked to the table where the others were. He and Mei had almost arrived as much as the noises attracted general attention. "The ghosts are back, apparently!" Hua said happily. Xu growled, banging his fist on the table as the bet was lost for the umpteenth time! "Ghosts" was the code name they gave to spies, as humans had explained the strange events that had taken place in those last weeks, like completely messy rooms and vanished objects ... ignorant, superstitious! "Hi people!" Dishi announced himself as he jumped out of the darkness as he jumped like a rabbit. "Mission completed successfully!" Lok and Jian said as one bird as they carried a large bag flying with its paws. Xu wasted no time and once he ran he ran to hide it in Shen's home. It was the latter who decided that. He had been taught to take full responsibility for his actions and deal with the consequences and would not endanger the lives of others for his idea. He had been the first to put on an escape plan and for this reason, the eventual tests, that is the objects taken from the humans, would have been put in his secret laboratory. So in case, the blame would fall entirely on him.

"I took a lot of stuff?" Kuen asked curiously "Ten knives, a hammer, two scissors and one last thing I didn't understand if it's a hammer or a strange cooking tool!" "Either it's one thing or it's the other!" She said. "He was between cutlery!" Cheung specified. "Now it's weird!" Shu said. "Singular!" "Maybe a human idiot put him in the wrong place!" Mei said as she put a plate full of vegetables on the table. "When you see it you will understand! It's really bizarre as a hammer! "Long said" Unique of its kind, we can say! "Lok said before approaching the table attracted by so many foodstuffs. "A strange thing happened though!" He began to tell Genji to be interrupted by the sound of a bell. Those who were seated jumped up. The bell never sounded, except for one occasion: new arrivals! This could happen at any time of the day, even in the middle of the night, and the animals flocked, curious and excited, to see the new members of the great Derek's collection with their own eyes. A Shen, Mei and Bo had been told of how others had arrived at unlikely times of the morning and that everyone had woken up and ran to the secondary gate from which foreigners arrived ... even in shirt from night sometimes! That was also the case that time. No one cared about the uneaten lunch any more and in a short time they found themselves running with all the others towards the meeting place for occasions like that. Once they arrived, Shen saw that many were already there. Apparently impatience and curiosity is deadly! When the first animal was thrown in surprise verses came from everyone present. An albino cobra rose from the ground looking with as much disbelief at those in front of him. His arrival was followed by two large pythons, a mantis, a varanus and a last strange animal that Shen could not recognize for how bizarre it was. The newcomers were all albinos. Apart from the reptiles and the insect that bizarre porcupine seemed perfectly calm. As if there were no oddities in being captured by humans and put in a strange place with animals like him!

The gentle and calm gaze he transmitted sent Master Rino back to the peacock's mind. The same good heart seemed to shine from those eyes, even though the beard and the obvious wrinkles on the stranger's face suggested that he was many years old, unlike his traveling companions. Kang stepped forward from the others and spoke in such a way that every animal could hear him "Welcome, here you can lead a new life! All of you ... "the bird turned to the six newcomers with a warm smile" ... you are safe! I know the journey was hard, but I assure you that your suffering ends here! We are friends and we want you to feel comfortable ... "

I must admit that I really enjoyed writing this chapter!

I always try to impersonate the animals that find themselves in this strange and strange world full of novelties that on one hand are curious to discover and on the other they fear seeing that they see humans as a threat! (and for good reason)

The tradition of Brittany of which I speak is real contrary to the fantasy style of my story! Some time ago I had seen a video on youtube and I was intrigued by research discovering it!

The strange object the animals talk about is a meat tenderizer!

What I write is always part of history, so there is no intention to criticize or mock the customs of other countries.

I will welcome any advice or observation!

See you soon,

Laura