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Sophiena, the angel of mammals, was giving a lesson on logic and wisdom to a group of young and eager animals of Ecovia's Egg. Mammals, fishes, and birds from far and near had gathered under a large tree on the outskirts of the Grizzle Forest, where they could learn from nature as well as her words.
"As you go through life, remember that your grades are not as important as how you use your knowledge to survive in the wild," Sophiena summarized as she wrapped up her class.
Dino Weiser, a bookish and bright aquiline fledgling, was always curious about everything. He had more intelligence than his peers, but he also had more pride. He looked down on the other animals and acted rudely and arrogantly toward them.
While the rest of the animals left for their respective physical training classes with other angels, Dino stayed behind. Sophiena noticed him and advised, "You should attend Angel Aviana's class and learn to fly like your cousins. Some of my mammals go there too. You are a bird, after all. I appreciate your passion and curiosity for learning, but physical training is equally essential."
"Bah! I hate flying," Dino bluntly expressed. "I don't need to flap my wings around if I am smart. I want to be the most intelligent creature and prove that the best way to survive is by using the brain, not brawn."
Sophiena could not argue with his logic, so she let him be.
Later that evening, as Dino was heading home to his nest, he caught sight of Ferro, the lupine cub with cream-white fur. He was all by himself, running around in the clearing of the Grizzle Forest. Ferro was agile and athletic, capable of wrestling animals twice his size. Though younger than Dino, he had the potential to rival him in intelligence.
Dino was jealous of his all-rounded abilities. He snapped a branch from a tree and tied an elastic band to make a slingshot. Collecting a claw full of stones in his pockets, he used the weapon to shoot them at Ferro.
"Ow," Ferro cried out as a stone hit the back of his head. "What is your problem!"
"What are you doing, you stupid cub?" Dino sneered.
"Go away. I am training to become the fastest animal," Ferro naively answered.
"Tsk, Tsk," Dino shot another stone at Ferro's head without mercy. "You do not value your intelligence and waste your time on athletics."
"Stop it! You're hurting me," Ferro snarled and barked, backing away. But as Dino kept slinging stones, he warned, "If you don't stop, I will rip your head off, coward!"
"Using the weapon I engineered with my cleverness does not make me a coward; it makes me smart," Dino smugly argued. "See how you're running away from someone who's not athletic at all? That is why I will be on the top of the food chain when I grow up."
Ferro had had enough. He charged toward Dino, his sharp claws bared, ready to pounce. But Dino slung a bunch of stones all at once, knocking him down. As he lay on the snowy ground, whimpering in pain, Dino pulled back his slingshot as far as he could and aimed at his left hind leg to break it.
