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Commander Zard marches ahead of the group. Every single army soldier rode his Valpian in a single-file fashion. They were armed and ready in case danger appeared from the depths of the jungle. They bravely escort you, Inkagi, and Karaee through the jungle. A total of eight military apes were in your expedition group. Four of those eight, however, followed behind you, Inkagi, and Karaee, while another four were in the front with Commander Zard.
As your party goes deeper into the jungle, you begin to worry, feeling as if many creatures hidden within the thick foliage were watching you. Inkagi, who was riding his Valpian to your right, didn’t look worried at all.
A group of wild mutated Stegosauruses can be seen in the distance. The scenery is incredible as the Stegosauruses all congregate near a small lake to drink some water.
Karaee was riding her Valpian to your left. “Look at how beautiful the reptilian beasts are.” Karaee points to the Stegosauruses. You look out to your left noticing the Stegosauruses roaming around. You figure that reptilian beast to them means dinosaur. “But I wouldn’t dare get close to one of them. They look dangerous.” She chuckles and begins to coo fascinated at the sight.
You can't help but feel a sense of unease. You know that you’re surrounded by creatures that might not be friendly. When Inkagi and Karaee point out the mutated Stegosauruses near the lake, your heart races a little faster. You’ve never seen a creature like that before, and you have no idea what to expect. Despite your fears, you can't help but admire the beauty of the scene.
“I hate reptilian beasts…” Inkagi’s face becomes serious. You sense something odd about his comment. You wonder if Inkagi doesn’t trust Pyro.
You close your eyes quickly and reach into your pocket to touch the red Guardian Stone. You sense Pyro a great distance behind, keeping a close eye on you and the rest of the expedition party. You were glad that you could keep close tabs on him with the power of the Guardian Stone without anyone else knowing. That’s when you hear Inkagi continue speaking.
“My… my village was once attacked by a grand reptilian beast we call Zycmagna.”
Karaee’s eyes widened. “Oh my, what? Zycmagna. That hideous thing? I’ve never seen it before, but I’ve heard countless stories about its rampage across the land.”
“No one is safe if they encounter that….. that monster. I swear, if I ever face that thing, I’ll kill it.”
You and Karaee stay quiet for a moment. “You think you can kill a Zycmagna?” Karaee asks Inkagi.
“I will. I’m not ready now, but someday, I’ll avenge my people.” Inkagi clenches his fists tight. There was so much about Inkagi you never knew. You have yet to visit the village where he came from. The moment Inkagi found you and Alaska in the jungle, you spent all your time in this world trying to find a way back home.
Commander Zard orders everyone to keep their distance from the reptilian beasts. It was a smart move. Even though the reptilian beasts are beautiful, they could pose a danger to their expedition. You also knew that some dinosaurs also attract others. If a small dinosaur was roaming around, you knew for certain that a much larger predator was possibly trailing behind trying to hunt it down.
To ease your worry about the jungle you start to ask Karaee how tough and strong Commander Zard’s military is. Of course, you spoke in a very low voice so that the other apes didn’t hear your conversation.
Karaee laughs. She smiles as tears of joy form in her eyes from all her laughing. Some of the other apes look back to see what all the laughing was about. You feel uncomfortable when they look at you. “No need to worry. His soldiers are some of the strongest and bravest warriors I've ever seen," Karaee says in a low voice. "They're trained to fight against all kinds of enemies, and they never back down from a challenge. They're also extremely loyal to their commander." You were glad to hear her response. “Besides, we have the Ociramma stones.”
You look at Karaee very confused. You wonder what kind of stone she's referring to. “What kind of stone is that?” The only thing that came to mind was the Guardian Stones.
Inkagi speaks up and interrupts both of you. “Ociramma stone is a stone that creates a barrier of energy. No other living thing can track you down if the barrier of energy from that stone remains. The energy messes with the subjects’ senses. If you are in the barrier, it is as if you are invisible.”
“Exactly!” Karaee agrees with Inkagi, then looks at you and asks, “Uh, you never heard of Ociramma stones before?”
“Uhm.” You hated being the odd one out, but you admitted to Karaee you never heard of such a stone.
Inkagi speaks up again. “Legends say that there are creatures out there that have overwhelming senses. Those that have these heightened senses are the ones to be cautious about. The Ociramma stone's energy does not affect creatures like these.”
“Oh, do not listen to him. He’s just trying to scare you. We are perfectly fine with using the Ociramma stones. I’m just surprised you’ve never heard of these stones.” What Karaee didn’t know was that you came from another world. That information you decide to keep to yourself. Only Inkagi knew that.
Karaee proceeds to point to the first two ape soldiers and then the last two in the group behind you. She said that they are responsible for carrying the Ociramma stones. They keep the barrier up as they travel deeper into the jungle. You give a big sigh of relief when she explains all that to you.
A sudden thought occurred to you. If the Ociramma stones were so great, why doesn’t Inkagi carry one? “Why doesn’t everyone have their own Ociramma stone to protect them against the reptilian beasts?” You ask curiously.
Karaee turns to you to answer. “Well, they are very difficult to find. That’s mainly the reason why. You also need more than just one stone to create a barrier. Everyone that’s in that barrier must stay in it or they too will not be able to find entrance into the barrier that was created. Unless someone helps them in of course.”
“Hmm.” You nod your head after Karaee finishes speaking. It was difficult at first to understand but you slowly started to get the point of how the Ociramma stones work.
You take the time to thank Karaee for all her efforts. She was confused at first. “Why are you thanking me?”
“Well, if it wasn’t for your idea, Inkagi and I would be dead by now. You said we would be fed to some monster, right?”
Karaee says that trespassers that wander into their sacred land would be punished by being fed to a giant serpent. “Normally the way it goes is, our soldiers would have escorted you and Inkagi to a land far away, where there they will tie you both up to a post and let you be eaten by a giant legendary serpent that roams the area. They use another special stone to attract the giant beast.”
“A giant serpent?” Your mind begins to go wild with how big the serpent could be, but you’ve never seen one in that world before.
“Yes. We call it Acaer. It’s a monstrous beast,” As Karaee said the name, you start to remember the moment that you heard King Soren say it for the first time. He kept threatening you to give up climbing the Tower of the Great Ape Uzal. Then he said he would feed you to the Acaer once you give up. “It is my father’s favorite pastime…. Feeding a giant serpent his enemies.”
You gulp just thinking about it. “I’m glad you saved us from being eaten.”
An ape soldier’s Valpian stops in its tracks. It lifts its massive head and scans the sky. It lets out a high-pitch sound indicating something was coming in the distance. “Hmm, what’s going on?” Karaee tries to look ahead and wonders what exactly was happening.
Commander Zard stops the group and proceeds to look at the dark clouds forming in the sky. Electric static can be sensed in the air. The sky turned a dark hazy orange. An orange-colored fog began moving in, contaminating every inch of the jungle. Commander Zard’s face became serious.
As the jungle becomes shrouded in darkness and orange fog, you begin to feel truly uneasy. You tighten your hold on your Valpians lead rope, knowing that the group is now facing the first signs of danger. You keep a close eye on Commander Zard, hoping he knows how to handle whatever is happening. You turn to Karaee and Inkagi and ask them what is going on.
Before they could answer, an intense electric storm interrupted the expedition. The thick orange fog completely blankets the entire jungle in seconds, making it nearly impossible to see beyond a few feet. The Valpians start to grow restless and agitated, their heavy breathing and desperate whining filling the air. You can sense the fear in their eyes, and you realize that you are all in grave danger.
“It’s alright.” Karaee pets her Valpian and talks to it in a soothing voice, but her attempts to calm it down were futile. She holds on tight as strong gusts of wind begin to pick up.
A soldier takes out from an animal-skinned sack a couple of small dark purple cloths. The air was getting thick. It was almost difficult to breathe. He passes the small dark purple cloths to everyone in the group. Everyone instantly ties it around their nose and mouths. You follow what everyone else does.
The wind begins to pick up intensely as lightning can be seen striking in the distance. The wind was so intense it began knocking everyone off their Valpians. The winds howled through the jungle, uprooting trees, and tossing them like matchsticks. The group scrambled to get back on their Valpians, but the raging winds made it nearly impossible.
Amidst the chaos, Commander Zard’s voice could be heard over the storm. “Stay together! We need to find cover!”
The group tried to move forward, but the wind pushed them back, making it almost impossible to see where they were going. “What is this!?” You yell out to Karaee as you try to cover your face from the intensity of the wind.
“Tation-Su! It’s… a fog…. storm!” Karaee tries to yell back but the wind is so strong you only catch a word or two.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree, splitting it in half. The sound echoed through the jungle, causing the apes to roar in fear. The strike shook you to your core. It was just too close for comfort. You pull on the lead rope of your Valpian trying to hold the beast in place. The lightning strike startled your Valpian so much that the lead rope almost slipped out from your tight grip from how hard the Valpian was pulling away from you.
“We need to move! Now!” Commander Zard’s voice was urgent as he led the group through the storm. He pulled his Valpian with the lead rope trying to cover his head with its body. The wind picked up dirt and sand and was blowing it into everyone’s faces.
One of the ape soldiers points to a rock formation close by. He quickly notifies Commander Zard. Commander Zard then orders everyone to head to the rock formation as quickly as possible and take cover. The orange fog was getting worse. The group attempts to navigate to the rock formation trying not to stumble and bump into each other. Despite the intensity of the wind, the group was able to make it to the rock formation without any issues. Immediately everyone huddled together as the wind started to pick up. Leaves and branches of the trees moved wildly as the winds pushed the foliage in all directions.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a deafening roar echoes through the jungle, sending shivers down your spine. It was louder than the howling of the wind. “Did you hear that?” You say as loud as you can to Karaee.
Karaee looked up and scanned the area. No matter how hard she tried, the thick orange fog would not let her see. Sand kept hitting her face as the wind became even more relentless. She closes her eyes tight from all the dirt being picked up by the wind. She screams as the wind pushes her back, you react quickly and grab her before she's pushed back violently into the stone wall behind you.
“Thank you…” She’s grateful that you were able to catch her in time.
Commander Zard quickly orders everyone to hold their positions. He orders an ape to slowly make his way a few feet forward and try to scan the surrounding area for any danger. The ape soldier slowly crept forward, with his dagger in hand and the Ociramma stone in the other. He looked to his left and then to his right using the cover of the trees. He used his arms to cover his face from the brutal winds. To the rest of the group, the soldier was hardly visible in the distance. The more he walked forward the harder it was to see him in the thick fog.
“Do not worry!” Karaee yells out to you. The wind was still strong, so she tried to speak to you as loud as she could. “We have the Ociramma stones. Whatever is out there, it will not see us!” You could notice from her face she was concerned after she said that, and you notice Karaee put her hand over her sword. Although her trust was in Commander Zard and his leadership, this was her first time outside of the comforts of her village.
As the roar grows louder, you can hear something moving in the distance, something that sounds massive and dangerous. Every step it took was intense. It shook the ground beneath you. You can't see anything in the thick fog, but you can feel its presence growing closer by the second.
Then, it appears. A giant mutated Triceratops stomps wildly in front of the expedition group. It was covered in shimmering scales. Although it was difficult to see, the shiny scales on the creature made it easier to spot. It charges toward the one ape that was sent to scan for danger. His eyes widened as he freezes in place completely caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the massive beast. The Triceratops’ eyes glowed with a terrifying intensity. It crashes through the trees and vegetation, its massive jaws opened as it howled loudly. It must have been frightened by the intense electric storm that it began charging through the jungle to get away.
“Turn around, soldier! Come back! Hurry!” Karaee gets up and calls out to the soldier, who suddenly snaps out of his trance. He turns around and runs back toward the group with everything he had. Although the creature can’t see him, it could still crush him to death as it stomps its way through the jungle.
The soldier runs forward toward the group almost losing his footing from sheer desperation. However, he was able to run and jump out of the way just in the nick of time, only inches away from the stomping beast. Karaee gives out a sigh of relief when the soldier was able to escape the imminent danger. As you try to focus your view in front of you, you suddenly realize that in the dense cover of the jungle and orange fog, other large and small creatures also began running away from the electric storm. The stampeding Triceratops slammed into a tree sending wood pieces, foliage, and branches flying in all directions. Some of the wood pieces landed near your group. The Triceratops makes a hard left and completely misses the expedition group by only a few feet. Being next to the rock formation helped the whole group in the end not to get stomped on by panicking animals.
Once the stampeding animals all disappeared, you were all able to calm down and take a moment to relax. The only thing now to worry about was the intense fog storm.
As everyone huddles for cover from the fog storm, you notice Karaee was huddled just a few inches away from you. At the moment you didn’t think much of it. She looked at you when you closed your eyes. She smiled and inched closer to you when you weren’t looking, trying to cover herself from the relentless winds. Everyone’s Valpians tucks itself into a ball trying to take cover from the wind. You and Karaee position yourselves behind your Valpians and lean your back against the rock formation. You use the Valpians as a cover from the intense wind.
As the storm rages on, you feel a sense of panic begin to creep in. You keep your eyes closed, trying to block out the noise and chaos of the storm. Karaee's warmth beside you is a small comfort during the chaos. You turn to her and say, "Are you okay?"
“I’m doing alright, but it is cold. Thank you for asking.” You looked at her hands, you noticed them shaking. It made sense that a sheltered princess was frightened by the storm. You knew it had nothing to do with how cold she was. She wanted to feel safe, and you knew that. Not only were you experiencing these things for the first time but for Karaee these things were all new to her as well. You looked into Karaee’s eyes with a smile and nod. She understood your signal. She huddles up closer to you. As she places her body closer to yours and lays her head on your shoulder to keep each other warm, she begins to blush. She avoids eye contact and feels overwhelmed with emotions. She thought about her little brother.
Karaee was concerned that the storm would slow everything down. They couldn’t afford to waste any time getting to the Yertonu volcano. You notice Karaee sigh. You could see the worried look on her face as you tried to block the wind from hitting your face.
“Don’t worry. This storm will be over soon.” You weren’t quite sure how long the storm would last, but you wanted to say something. You didn't know what she was thinking about at that moment but you said whatever you could say to cheer Karaee up. Karaee understood your intentions.
You notice Inkagi a few feet away from both of you, unfazed by the wind. Inkagi didn’t even bother with taking cover from the strong gusts of wind. He was trying to look as tough as he could in front of the apes.
The intense wind dies down at dusk and it becomes dark out. The cold weather soon follows. You notice that the orange fog has lifted, and the lightning storm moved on. Commander Zard decides to make camp and settle for the night. Everyone lends a hand to set everything up to sleep and rest for the night.
You notice Karaee yawning. “Well, it looks like we have a long night ahead of us.” Karaee looked at Commander Zard. “Can we start moving tomorrow?” Commander Zard nodded.
“As long as the sky is clear and that fog storm is no longer in the area, I’m sure we can get this mission moving along again. But we’ll have to pick up the pace. The storm made us lose a good chunk of time.”
You look at Karaee as she responds to the commander’s comment. “I agree. We do need to pick up the pace. Good work Commander Zard. That is what I like to hear. We are all tired. It’s been a very intense day, so sleep is the best thing for all of us right now.”
“Alright, everybody sleep tight, and dream of warm fires and sleeping Puumo hogs.” Commander Zard laughs and goes to bed.
Karaee smiles. “Very well Commander. We will set out tomorrow. I should be able to make a fire and some food for everyone in the morning.”
Night falls quickly on the group, and you all sleep soundly, despite the loud snores coming from the ape soldiers. The cold air makes it difficult for you to sleep but you try to stay warm.
As you lie there with thick leaves under you, you try to ignore the loud snores coming from the ape soldiers and instead focus on the sound of the jungle at night. You hear the chirping of crickets and other night-time creatures, and it helps you to relax a little.
One of the ape soldiers keeps watch at night over the group with an Ociramma stone in hand. All the Valpians are tied to a small stake nailed to the ground, so they don’t wander off into the jungle.
After what feels like hours, you finally drift off into a light sleep. You dream of a warm fire and a big pot of soup cooking over it. The smell of the soup makes your mouth water, and you begin to feel hungry. You wake up to the sound of Karaee moving about in the darkness, tending to the fire, and getting breakfast ready.
The smell of Karaee’s cooking wakes everyone up. The smell was inviting, arousing your appetite. All the other apes, including Inkagi, felt famished from yesterday’s ordeal. Everyone ate as Karaee got up to look at the destruction. She couldn’t believe what her eyes were seeing. She’s never seen so much destruction.
Commander Zard wakes up earlier than everyone else. He walked around the camp to look at the jungle around them. He scans the land assessing the devastation left behind by the storm. The bright sunlight slowly makes its way across the landscape. Everyone could now see how the storm affected the jungle. The foliage was everywhere, trees completely uprooted, and large tree branches littered across the land.
“We managed to escape with our lives. I believe it is safe now to carry on. The fog is nowhere to be seen, and the winds are no more.” Commander Zard was glad to see everyone safe. You see Commander Zard take out a small red crystal-like stone. Light from the sun reflects from the stone. It begins to glow in the commander’s hand as he uses it to scan the area. Karaee explains to you that the red stone will lead the group to the Yertonu volcano. It’s a crystal that came from the volcano itself.
The expedition continues. Although the storm slowed the group down for a day, Commander Zard hopes to pick up the pace to get to the Yertonu volcano. Everyone mounts their Valpians and sets off into the jungle once again.
As the group moves along into the unknown, Karaee rides her Valpian close to yours. You try your best to move low branches away from her face as you ride along. Karaee says thank you to you. This caught the attention of some of the ape soldiers. The ape troops can see that Karaee is completely infatuated with you. She pays no mind to whoever is around. She keeps smiling and staring at you. She's never felt like this before about anyone. She had butterflies in her stomach when she looked into your eyes. She was on a journey to save her little brother Aruvi’s life, and she couldn't be happier about it. She felt like you were her savior, and you finally arrived to rescue her from despair. She couldn't stop looking at you and making you look right back at her. But she was an ape girl after all. And you are a human. She felt like it wasn't fair.
After what felt like hours, the group stops at a small lake to rest and take a sip of water. Commander Zard felt it was the best place to set up camp for the night. “It is best if we refill our sacks with fresh water.” Commander Zard pointed at everyone's animal-skinned sacks that held water.
Everyone’s sack was empty after hours of traversing through the hot jungle. The water was so refreshing to everyone. Inkagi, who was completely dehydrated from the trip, takes a sip of water from the crystal-clear lake. Inkagi takes a deep breath, turns around, and makes his way toward you. While Karaee was busy speaking to Commander Zard about the route they will need to take to get to the volcano, Inkagi took the opportunity to speak to you privately.
“I need to tell you something.” Inkagi gestures to you to come closer.
“What’s up?” Inkagi then looks up at the sky a bit confused at what you said.”Oh, I mean… what’s the matter?”
“There is something about Karaee that I noticed, ever since we left the ape village.” Inkagi leans forward to whisper that to you. “She is willing to give you everything. Do not take this lightly, for she is willing to give you… her life.” You look at Inkagi dumbfounded not realizing what exactly he was getting at. “You see, If we manage to pull this off and save the apes from this illness, she will always be loyal to you, and only you.” Inkagi points his index finger to you.
“Wait, why just me?” You said, completely shocked. “You’re here too. We are on the same mission.” You feel your face getting hot.
Inkagi responds, “Because you are the one who climbed the Tower of the Great Ape Uzal. Not me. She’s completely captivated by you.” You become embarrassed that you couldn’t figure that out earlier on your own. Inkagi had to spell it out for you.
Inkagi continues and leans in closer to tell you something. “As long as Karaee is on our side, none of these apes can touch us. Remember, not everyone here is thrilled to have humans be a part of this expedition.” You shift your view from left to right after Inkagi says that. You knew for certain that some apes weren’t happy with having humans join the group. The only reason they are mild-tempered toward you and Inkagi is because the princess is present. If she becomes unhappy with their actions or they say something to you and Inkagi that she does not like, they will have to answer to the king.
That night, the apes played some music with strangely made string instruments. They sang out loud in their language. You could hear the apes sing in harmony:
Kala kah ka ma ka sa ma
Ka na sa ra pa ta
Ka pa ta ma ta na sa ka ma ka saaa
Ka na sa ra pa ta
Ka pa ta ma ta na saaa
You could see some apes clapping and dancing around the fire. The singing brought a smile to your face, especially seeing everyone singing along together. The campfire burned brightly and Karaee was to your left sitting alone staring at you. Her eyes sparkled in the light of the campfire, and she blushed every time you looked in her direction. You then think back to what Inkagi said earlier that day. Karaee couldn't take it anymore. She got up and asked you for a dance to ease her nerves.
“What are you waiting for?” She says to you in a soft-spoken voice. “Say yes”. She said kindly, her heart racing waiting desperately for your response.
You turn and look at the fire, not knowing what to say to her. Your view then zips to Inkagi who was busy eating. He knew what was happening and he just raised his eyebrow when you looked at him, gesturing to you with his hand to go ahead and dance with her. You were nervous because you never really danced to the type of music the apes were playing. She pouts, as you finally turn to her and say, “Karaee, would you like to dance with me?” Overjoyed, she begins to sing in her native tongue to the rhythm of the music being played. "Kaa-Pa-Ta-Ma-Saaa-Ra.” She shakes her hips from left to right with a big smile on her face.
You look at Karaee in the light of the fire and notice her bright red cheeks. She smiles at you seductively. “You’re so silly. What took you so long to ask me? I love dancing the KaPaTaMaSaRa.”
You think to yourself, “What have I gotten myself into?” You slowly reach your hand out and gently grab Karaee's hand and begin to dance. Karaee comes to realize that there was no way that you would know how to move in the traditional way of her people. So, she offers to teach you. And realizes that the reason you didn’t ask sooner was because you were nervous and didn’t know how to dance. The moment you hold her hand for the first time she feels weak, completely engrossed in every second you’re both together. She begins to dance with more passion than ever before. She is so happy she found a true friend in you. When the music finally stops, you look at Karaee and smile. She smiles back.
Commander Zard yells out for soldiers to play another song with a big smile on his face. He began to clap loudly, urging them to continue. The music was something everyone needed to cheer themselves up. At that moment, you could tell the commander knew when it was the right time to be serious and when it was the time to rest and enjoy yourself.
Karaee lifts her head to look at you, “Want to dance one more time?” You nod and smile. She smiles back and quickly wraps her arm around you. You can feel your face turn hot. You’re embarrassed when you feel the warmth of her arms. You both hold each other closely; she wishes your embrace never ends.
You feel the rhythm of the music taking over you as you move your body to the beat. The other apes are watching you two and cheering. You and Karaee are lost in the moment together, enjoying the feeling of the music and each other's company.
You felt a bit awkward at first. You didn’t know what to say or talk about with Karaee as you continued dancing. You listened to the rhythmic melody of the stringed instruments played and the soldiers sang loudly in their native tongue. As you move about trying to get used to the dance moves, the one thing that comes to mind to ask her is about the word Ohee-Lum. “What does it mean?” You spin her around to the music as she tries to listen to what you’re saying. “Ohee-Loom was it?”
“Hehe,” she giggles and makes monkey noises. “No, you said it wrong.” She covers her mouth, hoping she wasn’t rude with her response. “Sorry that I laughed. It’s O-hee….Lum.” She says it slowly so you can hear. “Now, don’t get offended.” You notice the big smile on her face. You were trying to prepare yourself for what she was going to say next. “It’s a blend of evil and repulsive in our language. So, we see you… Well, not you, you. I mean…. Yes you, because you’re a human of course but it’s impossible for anyone to say something that horrible about you, you're incredible….. I mean…. You know what I mean, right?” When saying that Karaee tried to avoid eye contact and began to blush.
You could tell at that moment Karaee’s emotions were so overwhelmed dancing with you. She could hardly get the words coming out of her mouth right when she spoke to you because of how excited she was to be dancing with you. She pauses for a second and clears her throat. She tries to regain her composure. She looked at you with a serious face trying her best not to offend you. “We see, when I say we, I mean my people…. We see humans as evil and repulsive. Please…. please do not take this to heart. My people hate you, it’s obvious. But I do not. That’s all you need to know. …Maybe, one day they can look past the dark history between humans and apes. Maybe….” Karaee looked down with sorrow in her eyes.
“I know how you feel about me… I mean, me as in humans….. I know you don’t hate us.” Your face becomes hot again wondering what you just said to her.
As you dance, you wonder what exactly happened many years ago between Shintiro and the apes that could have caused all this hate and rivalry. The apes held on to their prejudices against the humans, even after a substantial amount of time had passed. You think back to when Inkagi told you about Shintiro’s actions. His decisions in the past affected the relationship humans had with the apes. You wanted to ask Karaee about it.
You explain how you've been thinking about the history between the humans and the apes, and how it all ties back to Shintiro's actions. You ask if she knows anything about it.
Karaee's expression turns somber. "I do know a bit about what happened," she says. "Shintiro was a proud and stubborn man. He didn't believe in treating the apes as equals. He thought they were inferior and should be treated as such.” You feel a knot form in your stomach as you listen to her words. It's hard to believe that someone could hold such beliefs. Karaee pauses and then smiles. You became confused by this. “But do not worry. That is all propaganda my people spread about humans and Shintiro. He is the most hated man in our village, and yet every ape thinks they know the reasons why. I found out that there is no ape, but my father and mother who knows the truth.”
“The truth?” You paid close attention to what she was going to say. Karaee gets closer to you to whisper this in your ear.
“Do not mention this to any other ape. But Shintiro was not entirely to blame for the war that started between humans and apes. I do not know all the details, but it seems that this conflict has ties with the reptilian kingdom.”
“What? There is another place out there with talking reptiles?” Karaee giggles at your response.
“Yes, of course. Where have you been? Everyone knows about the reptilian kingdom. And it should be no surprise to you that they are at the center of that conflict. Everyone knows how ruthless they are. And how much they crave fighting and war.” You try to act as if you know what she’s talking about. Once you start taking all this information in, you imagine that the ape civilization was the only place you needed to worry about. You gulp as your imagination goes wild as to what these reptilian people looked like. And on top of that, they were war experts.
“Then, if your father and mother know the truth, why do they hate humans?”
Karaee answers your question. “Well, Shintiro did have his flaws, from what I heard from my father. He wasn’t entirely to blame for the war but because of what happened, humans were placed in a bad light.”
“And what exactly happened? Do you know?” You wanted to know what started the war.
“It’s the reason why we are out here in the first place ... the Helx flower…. Supposedly, humans are to blame for the disappearance of the Helx flower on our sacred land. Because of that accusation, Shintiro must have retaliated negatively, causing even more harm to his reputation. Humans were the scapegoats for what had happened. Besides, it is just a popular thing in our village to do, to hate humans. As I said before, the problem is every ape thinks they know why they should hate humans. But no one bothers to find out the truth. So do not worry. My father and mother do not hate humans as much as the rest of the villagers do.”
You start to wonder about Inkagi, and if he knew more information about the conflict. Later that night you wanted to ask him about the war that happened between the apes and humans and if he knew about the reptilian kingdom being behind something sinister in all of it.
You were so consumed by the music and the dance that you lost track of time. Karaee didn't want the night to end, and she embraced the moment with you, lost in the singing, music, and dance.
ns 15.158.61.16da2
