The Republic

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 30650

Astra responded to Checkers. "What you have to say is interesting. We in Aqalaria know nothing of your people. Certainly we would not want to kill them, or make them slaves. Slavery is considered barbaric and against the law in Aqualaria, too, by the way, so not all humans tolerate it.

"I am glad to hear that. Maybe Aqualaria has a higher standard of civilization than the humans have on our poor continent, or the places that I have seen in the Eveninglands, after I crossed the Great Sea. I would love to visit on my way back, if our quest to kill the evil dragon is successful."

"I am honoured, and think that some of your bad ideas about humans would be changed if you could visit, although we are not angels, either. There was one thing that bothers me, both personally and as an Aqualarian. I am of noble birth - a Princess of the Royal House, although not in the direct line of succession. I believe that we are guardians of our nation, responsible for its safety. Why would you consider me to be no better than a slaver?"

"From what I have seen, Astra, you are honourable. If you were lucky enough to have been born a Glider, you would be well-respected - certainly you would be a captain of the hunt or one of the guides destined to become a dean of one of the Glider schools. We have a problem with the idea of king and vassal, for the same reason that we have problems with the idea of a special class of magic user or of slaver. This idea that there is a group, that is gives its members some form of superiority just by virtue of one's birth, wealth, or special knowledge, and not through one's character, is barbaric. Ideas like that belong to the Dark Ages. This lesson that is drilled into us all even before we develop our first set of wings. Now some of our kings were good kings, but it was not until we did away with royalty under the First Council of Burgesses that we stopped losing our lands and were able to hold onto the Dolomite Range. We think that there was a cause and effect. The Glider nation was using the kings to avoid the responsibility for making the choices needed to defend our nation, and the individual Gliders were using magic to avoid exercising the virtues that shape the Glider Ideal. The Laws of the First Council made sure that there would be no inherited titles of royalty and no hoarding of knowledge - your so-called magic - for those reasons."

Astra was dumbfounded. "Who chooses the Burgesses, then? Wouldn't you consider them royalty?"

"No. The position is not inherited, and the Burgesses only speak for the League in things that affect all of the cities. There are sixteen Burgesses that meet every year at the Celestial Mountain, each representing one of the major cities in the league. My home village was a place called Electric Pass, but it is a dependent city of Lightning Pass, which sends a Burgess to the Council. Most of the laws and decisions that affect us from day to day are decided by the town elders. As to who chooses them, that is up to a vote of the citizens."

"So anyone can vote for a Burgess or elder? Have you ever voted?"

Checkers smiled and shook her head. "No Astra. I am a fertile Glider, and will probably be for the next thirty years or so. One only becomes a citizen past the age of child-bearing, when he or she has dropped the wings for the last time. The rest of us are charges of the League."

Astra listened curiously. She was not personally offended, but had never known someone to show such indifference or disrespect to nobility and the arcane arts. At least Checkers saw something in her that she admired. Astra then said what was weighing on her mind.

"Well, Checkers, I am afraid that my noble birth is going to avail me nothing. I love Fred dearly, and I am going to pay a price for it. I am not sure that I can bear the burden, and the shame of being a slave."

"What makes you think that Belboz is going to degrade himself that way? And if he does, will Belboz be able to bear the shame of being a slaveowner? I would think not, if his character proves to be that weak. As for you, slavery is only degrading if you choose to see yourself as being degraded. Surely Fred, unless he is a worthless churl, would feel an unbounded respect, as well as a debt, toward you. I would see it as being a special opportunity to confirm that your nobility is true, and not just an accident of birth. Who are you trying to impress? Belboz?"

"What would you know about it? Have you ever been a slave, or faced the prospect of being cut off from your family and homeland due to being humiliated?"

Checkers looked at Astra and shrugged her shoulders. Then she said, in a quiet, but clear voice, "Yes to both questions, Princess. That is the reason that I am here. My period of slavery came after my humiliation before my family and nation, though, so I think of them as two separate times in my life."

Astra could say little. She really did not want to know the details. She felt as if she had accidently opened an old wound, and did not want to speak further and make matters worse. It was Checkers who spoke next. "Astra, I am sorry that I have not given you much comfort. I did not resist slavery because my master knew the routes to the west coast of the Eveninglands and the Great Sea. And my master eventually freed me. So maybe I did not feel the sting of slavery in the way that you are fearing that it may come to pass. The only comfort that I can give you is that what I have seen of your virtue and wisdom should be enough to get you through the ordeal that you fear." Checkers then place her head under a wing, to cover herself. "I am tired, Astra. I am afraid that I will see that dragon in my sleep. I am glad that you are here; at least I do not feel alone." Checkers said nothing more, but fell asleep on the floor of the cave. Astra thought about the Glider's words.

  1. Four hours passed. Nothing happened, and Checkers took the next watch.
  2. During Astra's watch, she saw a glimmer of light come from one of the passages.

Add New Option

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree


Anableps

7/5/2003 11:24:19 PM

Extending Enabled

The Never Ending Quest Home

Extend-A-Story Home

21381200 episodes viewed since 9/30/2002 1:22:06 PM.

Do not click me.