As you stand in front of the Tower of the Great Ape Uzal you notice that the sun is starting to set. After all the cheering for your grand accomplishment, the apes began to settle down.
The queen then approaches you. “I am Queen Janaa. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” The ape queen proudly introduces herself; she bends her knees to curtsy to you and Inkagi. As the king keeps cheering on and clapping around the tower, she whispers something to you and Inkagi, “I can see that Karaee has taken a liking to both of you.”
You’re completely silent, not knowing how to respond to that. You look over at Karaee who is blushing and looking away down to the ground. King Soren turns to his chamberlain and whispers something into his ear. The king’s chamberlain nods.
The chamberlain positions himself in front of the big crowd of apes and begins to speak. He makes an announcement, getting the attention of everyone that was standing around the tower. “In response to the incredible feat that was witnessed today by all, a special request has been made, in the name of the Mizian Clan, …and Inkagi will celebrate with the royal family tonight! A grand feast will be served.” Karaee nods, hardly able to contain her glee. A big smile can be seen on her face. She wanted to run up to her father and give him a big hug but decided to suppress her excitement.
It's been a long while since the village had something positive happen. King Soren was ecstatic to be able to celebrate something. Morale in the village has been low ever since the Zonda disease infected many. The royal bodyguards assemble and escort the king, queen, and princess to the palace.
After hearing your name called out by the chamberlain you couldn’t help but feel like someone important. After all, you never had dinner with royalty before.
Another group of royal bodyguards comes in your direction. They escort you and Inkagi as well to the palace. Karaee broke free from the first group of bodyguards and decided to join yours.
Karaee walked proudly in front of you. She felt it was an honor to be this close to you. Everything was working out smoothly for her. She needed your help to get the cure for Zonda. Karaee was thinking about what the next step was going to be. She knew that she needed to make a request that was very important to the king. She hoped that her plan would work out in the end.
As they walk to the palace for the fest, you close your eyes and can see the river. You tell Inkagi that you believe that Pyro is searching for Alaska on its own. Inkagi was amazed at the news. He could not believe it at first but is happy, however, his expression changes when you tell him that you don’t sense anything else, only sadness from Pyro. You tell him that you believe he hasn’t found Alaska yet. But to you and Inkagi this was a major revelation.
Inkagi wonders why Pyro would do that all on his own. He whispers this quietly so that the apes do not listen in on your conversation. You say that it could be possible that you and Pyro’s minds are somehow connected. You’re constantly thinking of Alaska, and you want to find her. As a result, those thoughts are in Pyro’s mind as well. You also mention to Inkagi that the Guardian Stone gave you Pyro’s energy to climb to the top of the tower.
Karaee was getting curious, constantly looking in your direction. She watches as you and Inkagi whisper something back and forth. She notices the changes in your expressions. She wanted to know what you and Inkagi were both whispering about. She was only able to pick up one word, ‘stone’. You walk past the palace you’ve entered before, going deeper into the village. You were confused and whispered to Karaee what was going on.
“You're ridiculous. That is no longer our palace. It was made into a trial hall. You were on trial, remember?” Karaee giggles, making chimp-like noises. She points to something ahead of you. “That is the real palace”, Karaee says as you approach a large structure at the center of the village.
The palace of the Mizian Clan is an ancient and mysterious structure located deep in the center of the village. Its exterior is made from the darkest black marble, and it is covered in ornate carvings and hieroglyphs depicting powerful apes. You and Inkagi are awestruck by the sheer size of the building. The entrance is guarded by two massive ape statues on either side and inside, the walls are adorned with even more sculptures of military apes in various poses wearing their body armor. You notice foliage grows within the palace. Vines with huge leaves grow on the walls and cling to the high ceiling. At the center of the palace stands a massive statue of a kneeling ape with its head lowered, surrounded by smaller statues of apes. Karaee quickly points to it as you pass by telling you that it is the Mighty Mizian statue.
The palace is an awe-inspiring site, exuding strength and power despite its age, and the statues seem to come alive in the flickering shadows cast by the torches and candles scattered throughout the palace.
You and Inkagi are escorted to a room to clean up before the fest. You washed your hands and feet. You were glad to finally get some small bits of the sticky sap off. You both then were given royal clothing that didn’t quite fit you, but you made do with what you had. You both realize that the clothing was specifically made for apes.
Once everything was set, ape servants escorted both of you to the private dining quarters. There you waited. You were told to stand and stay standing until the royal family sat down at the table.
The palace dining hall was an impressive sight, adorned with colorful tapestries and elaborate torches that cast dancing shadows across the walls. The table was massive. You notice other apes standing as well waiting for the royal family to appear. You and Inkagi were the guests of honor, so you both sat closer to the edge of the table right next to where the royal family would be seated.
The sounds of other guests and servers filled the room with a warm, lively atmosphere, and you could hear the clink of bowls and plates against the table as the servants brought out the first course. As you stood waiting for the royal family to arrive, your mouth watered at the rich scents of the food. The smell of spices and herbs tickled your nostrils, and you could already tell that this was going to be a meal to remember. You can’t wait to try the different dishes and see what the palace chefs had in store for you and Inkagi.
Suddenly without any warning, the royal herald appears. It was an ape wearing royal garments. Two servants, one on his left and another to his right played a strange instrument to get everyone’s attention. The chattering in the room comes to a complete halt. The royal herald then makes the announcement. "May I present to you Your Majesties, the royal family of the Mizian Clan." The herald said bowing as he left the dining hall.
Queen Janaa and Princess Karaee step around the corner and enter the grand dining hall. Karaee locked eyes with yours as soon as she entered the dining hall. Both Karaee and the Queen wore beautiful traditional royal garments. Karaee as well as her mother were adorned with gold and silver that sparkled around their hands and neck. You couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Karaee looked with all her royal jewels and clothing. They both stand next to their seats as finally King Soren turns the corner and enters the grand dining hall.
The King takes his seat, then everyone else at the table follows. Two ape servants pull the chairs of both the queen and the princess back so that they may sit down. The servants then push their chairs in. You noticed that Karaee was sitting right next to you.
You wonder if she set that up on purpose so that she may speak with you privately during the fest. When she first sits down, you compliment her on how beautiful she looks. Karaee’s eyes light up and she begins to blush because of your compliment.
The table was covered in various exotic meats and vegetables. As you ate the delicious meal, you wondered, “Who was this Mighty Mizian ape?” At the dinner table, Karaee sits next to you and you ask her more about the Mighty Mizian statue and why the clan is named after a river. You spoke to each other back and forth in a low tone so others wouldn’t hear. However, there was a lot of chattering and lively ape people at the table having their conversations.
She giggles again after your comment about the clan being named after a river. “It only makes sense that you do not know any of these things. I keep forgetting that only apes know our ape history. The ancient ape you saw, the large statue out there in the main hall was named Mizian, our great ancestor. He was known to be mighty. He was later named the Mighty Mizian. He became a leader and led our people to a golden age. In his honor, the river was named after him. He was the first and only ape to tame a reptilian beast. To this day, no one knows how he did it. When Karaee said that your eyes lighted up. You thought about it for a moment.
“Oh, you mean dinosaurs, like Pyr…” You stop yourself before you say Pyro’s name.
“Di-no what?” She looks at you confused, tilting her head. You figure that reptilian beast was their way of saying dinosaurs. You figure that maybe the Guardian Stones had something to do with Mighty Mizian being able to tame one. But of course, you kept that thought to yourself.
Karaee was not focused at all on the food, she wasn’t interested in eating. You notice for a second that she wasn’t eating and wonder what was wrong. Something was bothering her. Something important was on her mind. You were happy to finally get to enjoy a big feast of food, but you noticed that Karaee was not happy. She wasn’t even touching her food. She looked like she was thinking of something.
Karaee, you and Inkagi overhear a private conversation. Two prestigious apes whisper at the dinner table. Karaee can hear them talk about the Zonda illness. Immediately it got her full attention.
“I believe this is all just a stunt to make the king look good. Although a few no-name apes die in the process it’s all business as usual for the king at the end of the day. Using these humans to bring the spirits of our people up is rather an odd move.”
“Yes, rather odd, but not surprising at all. When you’re at the top sacrifices and hard decisions are made, to preserve your legacy of course. He does not care whether an ape lives or dies in this village. Just if his palace and his leadership remain are his only concern.”
“Oh, and plenty of food on the table. Do not forget that. Hahahaha.” Both Apes laugh among themselves.
You can see the look of disgust on Karaee’s face. One of those ‘no name’ apes that are dying because of the illness was her little brother. She knew for a while that many apes, both civilians and those that serve in the king’s court, had their own opinions regarding the Zonda illness. Many of them believed it was nothing to worry about. A made-up illness that the king uses to scare the masses.
Hearing these words felt like a knife being twisted in her stomach. Karaee tries to keep her composure, but the pain of hearing these words spoken so nonchalantly is too much for her to bear. She feels a sense of anger and betrayal welling up inside of her, and she cannot keep herself from speaking out in defense of her brother and all the other "no-name" apes who are suffering.
She turns to the two apes at the table, her eyes wide with fury. She knows that her words may not change their minds, but she cannot stay quiet and allow these beliefs to go unchallenged. She speaks up, her voice strong and true, and she hopes that the gravity of her words may make an impact on the two apes, and on anyone else who may be listening.
“How dare you speak that way?” Karaee gets up as the whole dinner table becomes silent. The king was about to speak out against her but saw Queen Janaa give him a look. “Our people are suffering. This is not to be overlooked. My father, my mother, and I have suffered alongside our people. You should be ashamed to dismiss this illness as nothing more than just a stunt, something that does not exist. Because it does. My little brother Aruvi is dying. That is not a stunt. And it certainly is not a lie. I am certain of this. This illness is more real than it ever was to me. Keep pretending like everything is fine. Because it is not.”
The air in the room is tense after Karaee's outburst, and no one dares to speak. The king and the queen exchanged a worried look, realizing the gravity of the situation. The dinner table is shrouded in awkward silence, and no one knows what to say next.
The king finally speaks up, his voice grave and serious. "Karaee, we understand the pain that you are feeling…” Before King Soren can finish, Karaee interrupts him.
Karaee could not wait any longer. She couldn’t just sit there and listen to apes at the dinner table talk about the illness that is currently killing her brother and countless apes in the village in that fashion like it was nothing. She knew it was real. Karaee had enough. She slams her hand on the table and says she has a request. She turns to look at her father.
“Karaee, you know it’s rude to speak in this fashion at the dinner table,” Queen Janaa says.
“Father, please, this is more important than food right now.” King Soren looked at his daughter and he could see the desperation in her eyes. A tear began to fall down her face. She couldn’t keep eating her dinner and pretending that all was well.
“Fine, let us move to a more private setting.” King Soren excuses himself from the table in front of the rest of the guests. Everyone stands up as Karaee, the queen, the king as well as you and Inkagi go into a private quarter to speak.
You wonder what would happen next. You knew that Karaee wanted to venture off to some volcano and find the Helx flower. But the question was, would the king allow it?
As the night progressed, it was obvious King Soren and Karaee did not see eye to eye. The two argue back and forth for what seems like an eternity, with each side passionately defending their stance.
The tension in the room reaches a fever pitch as the two continue to argue, with neither side willing to back down. Their disagreement has grown into a deep wedge between them.
At one point, Karaee becomes so frustrated that she explodes in anger and frustration. King Soren, who was calm and collected up until this point, is taken aback by Karaee's outburst and snaps back. You and Inkagi stayed quiet the entire time. You dare not say anything, especially with a powerful ape like King Soren speaking at full volume. “We cannot send humans to do an ape’s job. An ape will save our people. The answer is no!”
Karaee steps forward in protest, “So far, all the apes have done is either come back empty-handed or die trying.”
King Soren replies to her comment. “It is an honor to die for your people. Do not forget that.”
Karaee pauses and takes a deep breath trying to compose herself. “These humans that you are dismissing, have you forgotten already that they earned your trust? Father…. I believe that they can save Aruvi.” She looked deep into his eyes. He could not look away. And he could not deny the truth. Karaee’s request wasn’t like any normal request. She was fighting desperately to save her kin, someone close and dear to her. To risk everything for a loved one is held in high regard in the Mizian Clan.
You could see it. It was clear he had a deep love and respect for his only daughter. King Soren looks at his daughter with a serious face. He knew this decision was a very important one. “So, if I am not mistaken, you want to go and take the two humans…” King Soren corrects himself and says yours and Inkagi’s names instead, “I mean …. and Inkagi to Yertonu, along with a small group of our military to find the Helx flower?”
“Yes, Father. I know it’s been done before.”
King Soren thought about it long and hard. Queen Janaa stays quiet as he thinks.
“And what makes you think that this time it will be different?”
Karaee turns to look at you and Inkagi. “I sense something in them. Something special.”
King Soren did not want his daughter out there, risking her own life to search for the Helx flower. But he had no other choice. His relationship with her would be strained if he forced her to stay behind as an expedition was going underway to find the flower. He looks at you and Inkagi, then turns to look at her.
“I approve of this mission…”
Karaee almost collapsed due to the sheer excitement she felt when he finally spoke those words. She interrupts the king for a moment with a brief monkey cry. Tears ran down her face as he wiped them away.
“I’m not finished. It is approved under one condition. Commander Zard is to lead the group. He is the best of the best. And he will be responsible for your safe return.” King Soren pauses. “Promise me this, Karaee. By no means will you enter Yertonu to retrieve that flower.”
Karaee looked down and then back up at her father’s eyes. “I promise you I will not.”
King Soren takes a deep breath. “My little girl is growing up…” King Soren looks at Queen Janaa, “I realize I can no longer shelter you from the outside world.”
“I know how to protect myself, father. I have my sword. I’ve been trained in the past by our best warriors.”
“That is why Commander Zard will be leading the expedition. All you know is legends and tales of the jungle. You’ve never faced them head-on before. You may have been trained for combat, but you lack the knowledge of what is out there.” King Soren takes some time to think about the situation, then he continues. “Your mission begins tomorrow morning. For your brother’s sake, and all those with Zonda, we hope that this mission is successful.”
Karaee makes eye contact with you as well as the king. He stands up and takes a step toward you and Inkagi. “If my daughter is right, and we are saved by humans, this will change everything in our village. You both have my trust.”
You and Inkagi step out of the room with Karaee. She doesn’t say a word. She’s focused. You can see the seriousness on her face. She knew that the mission ahead would be difficult and there was a lot that needed to be done. It was not about pride, it was not about greed, it was not about proving anyone wrong. This mission was to save her brother.
A servant comes to escort you and Inkagi to your room for the night. Just as Karaee was about to leave, she turns to you and says, “When we are in our most desperate state, we do whatever is necessary to survive.” She walks past both of you and turns to face you, “It’s in our blood. I’m desperate, I want my brother to live. So, I’ll do whatever is necessary.” She turns around and leaves walking down the long hall to her room. You and Inkagi don’t say a word.
As you and Inkagi are led away to your room, you can't help but wonder about the significance of what Karaee said. It seems like there's more to her than meets the eye, and that this mission might be a test of more than just her physical abilities. You respect her resilience and determination, and you find yourself wondering what other challenges she might have faced in her life.
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