Moo

"Pull!"

I'm pulling. I'm pulling as hard as I can, although I'm having trouble finding reasons to.

"Pull!" A whip snaps over my head. Does he really think the threat of pain will make me pull faster?

"I'm pulling as hard as I can! The wagon is heavy!"

"And shut up! You moved faster last time!"

Of course I should be quiet. Dumb animals are supposed to stay dumb. And of course I'm not pulling as fast as before. Not with what I'm carrying...

I heard Moo has arisen again, or some other powerful monster. My 'master' seems scared by it. Many of us are. Moo is considered the ultimate evil, even by monsters. So few of us can still remember back when Moo was in power.

Moo wasn't so bad, not really. He was stronger then any other monster, but he was not all-powerful. If he treated us badly, his army would have risen up and destroyed him. When one of his generals deserted him, she fought back. She managed to hold back half his full power. If all his generals ever arose, they would beat him.

Monsters didn't need to fear him. Yes, those who fought back would be driven from their land, and sometimes (very rarely) killed, but that happened anyway. And as for joining, what monster wouldn't? Only those who believed that junk the humans told us, about monsters serving humans willingly. Sure, for humans it was bad, they would just be killed, but an eye for an eye. I didn't cry when I heard about villages that were destroyed. The humans abused us for too many years.

When the searchers started looking for the phoenix, yes, then things got bad. Moo and his army became violent. Because of them Moo found his original body. Then, because of them, he even managed to merge with his body. Then he was a danger even to monsters, but still, not quite all-powerful.

If they had just left the phoenix alone, it would have been fine. It was because of their search most of the bad things happened. Sure, he might have killed my so-called 'master' but I wouldn't cry over that. Hell, I'd jump for joy if he ever did.

Even if Moo never came near a place, it was still better for my kind. Monsters were treated with a shred of respect. After all, treat one bad enough and it might run away to join Moo.

Now all we are good for is beasts of burden and to fight in the arena.

Back when Moo was in power, wild monsters still existed. They lived free, no masters of any kind.

Without Moo to run away to, without Moo to scare people, without a safe haven, humans wiped out or enslaved all those still free.

I wish I'd tried to run away to Moo, but he was far away. I waited for him to come close enough. I waited too long. I didn't think he would lose.

Sure, I would have been on the losing side, but at least I'd have a short taste of freedom. Yeah, I would probably have died. In an abstract way, that would be bad, yet I find it hard to care anymore.

"Move it!" he screams, whipping me. Does he actually think that him whipping me this time is going to make any more impression on me then it did the last time?

I'm thankful for my thick coat. It helps protect me from the whip, and covers the many scars on my back.

I could turn on him, rip out his throat, kill him in an instant. And yet I don't. I, a purebred tiger, reduced to pulling a wagon and taking his abuse.

But what good would it do? They would hunt me down. Other monsters would kill me, for killing a human. Too few of us can still remember what it was like when Moo rose.

I guess I could wait, wait for Moo to come and conquer the area. But after all, isn't that what I did before?

It only gets worse, after all. Every day I don't attack him for what he does, the next day he hits harder.

He'll kill me soon, I know it. Kill me and get a new, younger monster, one who doesn't remember Moo, or think for itself, or know that the 'master' is not a god.

Maybe it will be my own child...

Is this really worth it? I'll be killed if I kill him, but if I don't he'll kill me soon. Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

If I am to die, better free then as a servant, after all. Even if I die sooner. Perhaps my child may even escape, and be free...Besides, I don't care much about living or dying. My unborn child, yes, but my own life? How can I care when it isn't mine?

"Stupid tiger, why'd you stop?" The whip hits me once, just once, as hard as he can. Blood drips down my face. Before he can hit me again, I turn around, and leap for his soft, unprotected throat.

I tear out his throat, killing him. I rip his arms and legs off, I mangle the body, I slash his face. The resulting pile of flesh isn't the least bit recognizable. I blast the body and the wagon a few times, until it is just a heap of ash.

And then I run. I will try to find this new monster. I hope it is Moo revived, but all I ask, is that it be strong.

I don't need to wish that they will win this time. It doesn't matter as much. What matters is that the army is here now. If we lose, I will die. Better there then here.

All I ask is for a short taste of freedom, for my child to know life-however short-without a human master.