”My name is Neleem. I am the youngest of all the Leaders of Red Tribe but also the youngest Leader that the Spotters has ever had. It is not because of my big muscles or good looks” Neleem says with confidence. In stature she is one of the tiniest of all the Spotters but that has never stopped her from achieving what she desired.

”The reason is that I am faster and more agile then any of you, combined! I have spotted more danger and discovered more juicy fruits then all of you ever will. I have tasted so many treats just hanging from the trees or growing on them that is it almost unfair for me to express myself.” She says with a sense of pride and arrogance.

”I am not the youngest one by accident and believe me when I say that trusting your talents and instincts are pivotal to passing this trial.”

”Our enemies are everywhere. They can strike from below, from above or it can be the neighboring tribe that want to start a conflict. You never know when danger looks you straight in the eye! We have an objective. To spot this danger before it happens and alert the group so our ferocious Guardians can come and protect us. There were times when the border Tribe was preparing to engage us so we had to swing back Home as fast as we could to warn us of the impending danger and that is why agility and a firm grip is very important. Hopefully now you all understand why being a spotter is so vital for our Tribe and doing the Speedster Trial is of utter significance.

A Few of the challengers starts buzzing between each other.

”I heard that past the trial, the life of a spotter is really relaxing. Have you seen the others that passed the trial? They just lay about in the branches ”watching” for danger and sometimes they go and collect fruits and plants. They also eat a lot... and that sounds good to me!”

”I could do that. I mean how much danger have we been in the last couple of seasons? Besides for poor Amo who got snatched by the big bird in the sky, it has been an easy task for them.”

”It sounds like a great way to spend my life comparing to the other paths.”

What Caly and Atu did not notice while discussing was that Neleem had now sneaked up behind them. She was listening carefully to what they were saying.

”So, you think this is an easy task?” She whispers in their ears.

Both of them got spooked and surprised. How did she end up behind them? Not even a moment ago she was up there, with the other Leaders.

”No no no, we are sorry!” They both squealed .

“We were just thinking and chatting about what you were saying. I guess you are as fast sneaky as you say you are. It is really impressive. Do you teach us the technique if we pass the trial?”

”Stop with the flattering. This will NOT be an easy test. I promise you that.” She smacks them both on their heads before climbing up to the Leaders. She now overlooks the crowd again and begins breaking down the trial.

”The Speedster Trial consists of two assessments. The first test is of course about speed and the question is, who is the fastest of us this year? Who is agile enough to swing from tree to tree while holding fruits and plants in their hands? You will need a firm grip to swing with one hand while carrying something in the other. Many of the former challengers has dropped the fruits and even fallen down themselves from the trees. Such a fall could be lethal. It has been a long time since the ground animals ate somebody from Red Tribe. I think they long for some ape meat! Although I hope it won’t occur today either.”

”Now for the second part. The trial will test your reactions and judgement when faced with danger. Sharp sticks will be thrown towards you from our ferocious Guardians and some of our current Spotters will begin chasing you around the trees. It is necessary for us to know that you can use the environment to your advantage and that you are able to trust your instincts and outclimb or outwit your enemy, depending on the situation.”

”We will see tonight, and I will watch closely while eating my fruits.”

”I have said enough.”

”We thank you Neleem and we shall see who has what it takes to follow in your fast handgrip. Although I figure that no one is the kind of trickster that you are.”

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Neleem looked over at her tribe Leader stuck her tongue out.

”The next Trial is only for the ones that like to gaze up into vast sky to admire and observe the lights that shine above us. It is for those who consider the shining lights to be a guiding system that tells us when the different periods are upon us. Without our understanding of the lights and its placement in the sky, it will be difficult for us, as a tribe to adjust to the ever-changing periods of nature. We need to prepare accordingly.”

”It may not be an intense trial as the rest of them are, but nonetheless, it is equally as important if not more important. Without further ado, I am honored to present Shado, Leader of the Skygazers.”

The crowd paused and a little rustle ran through the audience. Everybody just waited and watched Shado. The ones that had seen him before knew his facial features, specially his white eye sockets but most of the challengers had never seen him before. He usually only showed himself during the night and at that time the youngsters were mostly asleep. It became dead silent. It was as if everybody held their breath together at the same time. As if the wind suddenly stopped blowing and all the birds froze and ceased their singing. The atmosphere got sulked up just by the presence of Shado. He had that effect when he wanted too, and tonight was one of those nights. Shado wanted to separate the challengers who had a genuine feeling towards the sky before they even approached his trial.

He did not look like a normal bonobo and neither did any of his fellow apprentices. Shado had brought with him two of his fellow students from last year’s trial. He wanted the challengers to witness the difference in appearance compared to last season. Even if it only had been one season, the looks of the two former challengers had changed dramatically.

”Look Marcus, its Zad from last year. I barely recognize him… Wow... I do NOT want to join the Shamanhood if I end up looking like those two. Are they allowed to see their parents? What do they even eat? I got so many questions...” Chim whispers. Trying not to take the attention away from Shado.

”You seem interested. Maybe you should leave your Guardian dream behind and head for the lights in the sky. I think my dad would be proud of you!” Marcus whispers while teasing him.

The Stargazers only shows themselves during the night because sunlight reduces their ability to see in the dark. They need their eyes to adapt to the darkness so they can see further into the deep sky and in that way, tell the tribe what is to come. Endurance is one of the key traits together with patience if you are to become a great Skygazer. Sitting on a branch high in the trees and identifying the different stars in the sky can take its toll on you.

Shado did not care that the new ones were staring at him with their big curious eyes. He had got used to the concept and he knew his purpose and dedication is far more important than the feelings and thoughts of some of the apes in the tribe. Shado had sacrificed a lot to become the Leader of Red Tribe. The challengers started to make conversation between them. They all had questions of their own, just like Chim and Marcus did. Shado did not feel that it was necessary to address the issue in the same way as Neleem had done before and interrupt their talks. The ones that were not watching or listening were already lost in his white eyes.

”It is exactly as our dear Tribe Leader has explained to all of you. The glamour of the ground life is not as fascinating as the life in the sky. We need the ground and all it has to offer to keep ourselves alive, but the share amount of activity in the vast sky is far superior to that of the ground and therefore we live our lives looking upwards. The details and distances that your eyes cover during daylight is nothing compared to how far into the sky your eyes can see in the night. I will teach you how to interpret what the dark blue above us is telling us.”

”Stargazers experiences the time in this rainforest in a completely different way then the rest of the tribe. I offer knowledge about the sky and how we can read our future from it.”

”The Starsight Trial consists of only one test. It is called The Lights and it will tell me if you have a sharp eye for details or not. It is that straightforward. But everything else after the test is far from it. This is only the beginning.”

All the Leaders and Elders know how much Shado has contributed to the tribe and how serious he is with his predictions and preparations. There are not many apes around Red Mountain that can say with certainty when the great rainfall period will be upon them or that on a specific evening the glowing orb in the sky becomes red, like blood lingering in the atmosphere for the entire night.

The test may seem like an easy one for the challengers, but the truth is in the details and only a few apes can see it the first time they look up towards the sky. The Light has either three or four stars that can be seen across the night sky depending on whom you ask. The stars are placed in proximity to each other, specifically the star in the middle of them. The middle star of the tree, has an even smaller star that is extremely close to it and can only be seen with the brightest of eyes, making the total count for Orion’s Belt, to four stars in perfect formation.

The silence had crawled its way back but now they watched him with great respect and much confusion. What in this rainforest is he talking about? Readings from the sky? Knowing when it will rain? All these events come randomly from nature and is nothing that can be foreseen, right?

”Thank you once again Shado. Your words are very powerful and even though not many of the challengers here today understand the implications of what you mean to say, the rest of us do.”

Shado bows his head and takes a step back while looking at Elen, for the final introduction is about to take place.