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Author's note: These chapters will be flashfics – meaning they're intended to be short (under 1000 words).
I hate birds.
It was a decision I had come to long ago – not liking heights very much. It wasn't that I've ever envied a bird its freedom from fear when free falling towards the earth. Somehow, any time I saw a bird, I knew one day, I'd be at its mercy.
That day had finally come.
Riding on a huge Sand Bird was nothing compared to holding on to the feet of a Fluzzard. This bird wasn't even doing me the courtesy of flying. No, it was just gliding along, and I had to hope it wasn't going to run me into a wall.
I closed my eyes, at the mercy of this hunk of feathers above me gliding me through narrow spaces at terrifying speeds. My feet impacted with something below. The pain shooting through me forced my eyes open. Seeing another object approaching far too quickly near my danging limbs, I took a chance on reaching up to the bird's body and trying to get its attention.
In hindsight, plucking its contour feathers from its belly probably wasn't my best idea. Fortunately, the bird was shocked enough to veer away from the object in question before looking down at me angrily. It glared, and I gave it a sheepish smile in apology. It didn't appear the least bit appeased, the bristle surrounding its eyes standing on end in clear irritation.
Thankfully it didn't decide to grace me with its scat in retaliation.
I kept my eyes open as it continued gliding downward, not-so-silently praying that it wouldn't decide to try to shake me off. I could swear it had snickered as I tried to tighten my grip on its legs. Unfortunately, my hands were a bit sweaty which only served to loosen my already tenuous hold.
When I saw the Thwomps with their menacing grimaces loudly slamming into the ground that we were approaching, I took another chance on trying to guide the Fluzzard. The down feathers slipped between my fingers, though, and I desperately tried to keep hold of it as it glided past them, taunting me with death.
It seemed to look down at me once we passed, a smug smile on its face. I glared back at it, and as it raised its head once more, I reached up to yank out one of its tail feathers.
That was a mistake.
As we crashed headfirst into a tall, thin stone pillar, losing all momentum and gliding slowly into the path of falling debris, it dawned on me that there are some truths one should never go about testing. My last thought as I looked up to see the instrument of my death was that I should never have plucked the Fluzzard.