At sunset, all the settlements gathered together in the area in front of Main One's hut. To Ashwin's surprise, there were no less than a few hundred animals. He was expecting to eat and rest, maybe even get the opportunity to wash away the dust and sweat. Alas, the group that returned from the pit stuck together. The males sat one step behind their leader, and Ashwin wasn’t an exception. On the other side, the females, children, and males of the settlement gathered. The large one that they met on their way sat between the two groups, along with the former Main One.

Noisy at first, apes went silent when Scarface raised his paw. He called the boy to come closer. Ashwin rose from his seat beside Hegat and obeyed. A tiny hope that he would be dismissed still filled his heart. The beast patted the ground beside him, and Ashwin sat down. He did not like the quiet atmosphere, but he still wanted to believe that they did not require human presence for whatever was about to happen.

The new Main One put his paw on the boy’s head, forcing Ashwin to look at the female sitting at the side of the group with the baby beside her.

"She is Wez's spouse. You will take care of her and their son. They are your family now."

Stupefied by his words, Ashwin stared at the ape he was made to look at. This sounded like a hoax, but he had spent a year with Scarface and knew the beast rarely joked around.

"I don't need one," the boy muttered. He thought the answer was obvious and the ape would back down.

But instead, Scarface turned his muzzle and growled. "You fool! Do you want to be at the bottom forever? Only the gwaza don't have a single spouse."

Taken aback by the sudden rage, Ashwin tried to protest once more. "But I am still too young to take care of anyone. And there is no way, there is just no way that I can take an ape as my spouse!"

"Do as I say," Scarface grinned. Looking at the impressive canines, the boy felt a chill run down his spine. "This will be so, while you are part of my troop. And by the way, human, you are so ugly that I doubt she will ever allow you to take her, even if you beg."

This was the second arranged marriage in Ashwin's life. Yet, he never felt desperate when his engagement to Binita was announced. Instead, he looked forward to being together with such a pretty and shy, noble girl. Contrary to his bright future, the boy's present sounded like a sick nightmare.

The female wasn't very pleased with the arrangement either. Leaving her son to wait with the rest of the group, she walked towards the Main One. Even though she expressed her discontent with the animal's sounds and gestures, Ashwin could still understand most of it. But when Scarface whispered something in their language, she instantly calmed down. The ape's expression changed so drastically that it was hard to believe that an animal known for its man-eating habits could be capable of such benevolence. She returned to her group to take her child and bring it to Ashwin's side. 'I wonder what he said to her?' thought the boy, trying hard not to stare at his newfound "family".

"Now the Choice," Scarface closed their discussion and moved on to the next topic. Ashwin didn't know what it meant, but he noticed how restless and gloomy the apes had become. Before anything could be said, Iz rose up and brought back the previous discussion.

"Protest. Human can't take care of her," the beast waved its paw towards a female. The former Wez's spouse pulled the baby closer and grinned, showing her teeth. Her behavior did not faze the ape, and he continued. "Let me take her."

Scarface refused with a short snort. Iz was not going to give up. He glared at the boy and repeated the words Ashwin had told Scarface a minute earlier.

"He is a cub. Cubs don't need a spouse and can't have one."

Ashwin quietly observed the short yet emotional exchanges between animals. He was devastated by the leader's decision, but at the same time he felt anxious listening to Iz's words. Some of the males agreed with him, while others stared at Scarface waiting for a reply. He didn't make them anticipate for long.

"He will go through the test of endurance. This will do, right, Bea?"

The female ape, to whom he addressed, blinked a few times and finally shook her head. Despite his refusal to learn the ape's language, Aswhin knew that this was a sign of agreement. Most of the troop were appeased by the decision, so Iz sat down, glaring at the boy with even more hostility. Ashwin still had to find out what the true meaning of the endurance test was. He didn't have a chance to ask as the troop moved on to the Choice.

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Even the word itself sounded ambiguous and troublesome. Hegat, who had been sitting all this time calmly next to the boy, had finally livened up. Like the rest of the males who returned from Vardana, he carefully watched the apes who had not experienced imprisonment. In contrast, those who lived between the two lakes were nervous, and most of the females were despondent. Ashwin moved closer to Hegat and whispered, "What does Choice mean?"

The ape didn't even glance at the boy, carefully watching the females. 'It's like he's choosing them. Maybe that's what it's all about' thought Ashwin. Before he could confirm his guess, one of the females stood up and walked towards the Scarface's side. The baby next to her shrilled and grabbed the mother's fur, but she firmly pushed him away. A few other animals did the same, moving closer to the arriving males' side and leaving their offspring behind. Bea hugged her child, burying him in her chest. Her expression was calm, but her gaze darted from side to side. A few parents stayed where they were. Males from the settlement were clearly upset, but didn't oppose the whole process.

Hegat finally whispered his answer to the boy. "They need to choose - will they stay under the troop's protection and have new children, or stay with their existing children and be exiled?"

While Ashwin was trying to comprehend the things he had just heard, Scarface waved his paw. It was a sign that Hegat was waiting for.

Few of the males from the leader's group stood up and approached those females who stayed with their children and the left offspring. Among them were two females with babies, who met the returning group from Vardana. They were the spouses of imprisoned males and calmly followed their husbands, bringing children along. Hegat looked around at the remaining females and chose two, bringing them and their children to his side. Other males, all of lower rank, did the same, taking one or two females each time. Each time someone was chosen, her expression showed utmost relief.

The rest was not so peaceful. Those few females and children who were left behind shrieked when the last male of low rank left them. Iz and others of high rank moved towards the abandoned group. The animals grabbed anyone they could. Some children tried to run, but they were caught effortlessly. Ashwin watched the scene, frozen with fear. A large male that guided them joined the chaos with a spear in its paws. Like shepherd dogs, the males surrounded the group. Pushing and pulling them, the apes forced the females and abandoned children out of the settlement. It seemed like an eternity before their wailing cries and shrieks quieted down. Pleased Hegat sat down next to the shocked boy, accompanied by his acquired spouses. Noticing the look on the boy's face, the ape whispered, "It's fine. They were left alive."

Ashwin glanced at the beast. "Should that make things better?"

Hegat didn't reply. He tilted his head and returned to watching the leader's back. Scarface was talking to an old male about something. The old beast shook his head and limped into one of the huts. Ashwin wanted to get away from the square as soon as possible, but for some reason, the animals remained sitting.

Finally, the anticipation was over. The Main one rose up and commanded the boy to follow him. While the males accompanied their leader, the females and children headed home. Ashwin couldn't help but envy them. Moving outside the settlement, Scarface approached a pit about the boy's knee high, the edges of which were covered with a thick layer of tree resin. Nearby, a pot made of unfired clay was placed. Out of curiosity, Ashwin looked inside the container - it was full of swarming ants with formidable mandibles. Scarface placed a paw on the boy's head and slowly averted it towards the pit.

"You will step inside. I will pour the ants and the song will begin. Endure until the end and you will come out as a man. If you step outside before the song finishes, you will remain a cub."

The ape spoke slowly, clearly articulating the words, as if to ensure the human would not mess up the ritual. Ashwin found it difficult to appreciate this weird concern. He had already caught a glimpse of what awaited him the moment he had seen the enraged insects.

"Please tell me it's a short song."

Scarface grunted and patted the boy on the chest.

"Endure it."

An old ape with brown fur approached them with a jug of tree resin. Without any warning, it started to cover Ashwin's hips with dark, sticky liquid. After the job was done, the ape raised its muzzle and grinned.

"To not bite anything important," stated the old ape, and hobbled away.