"Hurry, Ash!"

There was no need for shouting and encouraging him, but he ignored this as youthful impatience. The Bubbling One flapped its tiny wings, as if it might help it to escape from the trap. Waiting for an opening, Ashwin pierced his spear into the bird's chest. It shrieked and tried to kick the hunter with its muscular leg, but the trap held it firmly. Ashwin applied more force - the spear went deep into the bird's flesh. Finally, their prey fell to the ground.

"Nice!" the young ape tried to run towards the Bubbling One, but Ashwin grabbed his assistant by the scruff.

"Wait until it stops moving, Zaris," he reprimanded his "adoptive son" once again. "Your mother won't be happy if your skull is crushed by the bird's beak."

"You are no fun, Ash," grumbled Zaris, but he obeyed, nevertheless.

When the Bubbling One let out its last breath, they started to tie a carcass up to a long pole. It was fortunate that this bird was a wandering male. Dealing with the pack would be an impossible task. Also, it happened to pass close to the settlement. Carrying a heavy carcass over a long distance would be challenging and could attract predators.

"Luck is on our side," Zaris voiced their thoughts and grinned. He had grown significantly over the past year and a half. They had been hunting and training together, and the young ape was eagerly waiting for his turn to go through the initiation ritual. Ashwin's skeptical remarks about the ant bites didn't waver his resolve. In the end, Ashwin gave up. He didn't want his "son" to endure this kind of torture, but if Zaris was sure about it, there was nothing he could do. After all, Zaris had been raised in the traditions of his kind. 'Though it would have been better for him to continue studying math and other intellectual pursuits,' Ashwin sighed and took the end of the pole, with tied bird's legs.

They headed toward the settlement. Zaris was talking about how happy Bea would be when they returned with such a large catch. How she could use the feathers to make new fluffy pillows and a mattress and boil the bird's legs into delicious jellies. Ashwin absentmindedly replied to these cheerful remarks. He couldn't help but remember his mother, who never ate meat. There was a time when he was determined to follow her example after he turned eighteen. Now, he was fifteen years old, in the midst of vast grasslands, carrying on a Bubbling One that he had killed himself. 'Will I be able to keep this promise?'

What Ashwin was sure of is that he wouldn't be able to wait until his eighteenth birthday to leave the troop. Although he may not yet be an adult in human society, or at least by the eyes of the law, he was not just a helpless child either. He just needs the right moment to announce his return to the wall. For example, after Zaris' initiation ceremony, when he officially becomes a full member of the troop.

It was all good and well, but despite his thoughts, there was still an important and unpredictable factor - the Main One's permission. Scarface did not waste time. In recent months, he expanded his authority over a dozen ape villages. At first, other settlements refused to join peacefully, so Scarface took them by force.

Ashwin flinched unconsciously, remembering one of the fights. While a few leaders challenged Scarface in one-on-one duels, the most common way was a battle of all males. It was a brutal and fierce fight, with no rules or laws of war. The winner could either spare or kill captives, and his only influence on his decision was his moral compass. Ashwin had to join the males in these fights. He was placed in the last line of reserves, but there were several times when the enemies broke through the lines, and he faced enraged beasts. Despite the years he spent in the troop, Ashwin still couldn't get used to how easily apes could turn into terrifying bloodthirsty animals. Even in Scarface's troop, he had to walk on eggshells around Iz and some other high-ranking males.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

To Ashwin's relief, after the first wave of combat, news about the victorious troops spread widely and far. As a result, more settlements agreed to peacefully comply with Scarface's reign. For the past four months, there hasn't been a single fight aside from those occurring on training grounds. 'It's a good thing the battle-filled period ended before Zaris reached adulthood,' Ashwin thought as he threw the pole over his shoulder. Some young apes weren't so lucky, and while there were those who returned with proud battle scars, others perished in battle. Questioning the ethics behind Scarface's decision felt like a waste of time and effort. Instead, Ashwin only hoped for peace to last as long as possible.

On the outskirts of the settlement, Zu was standing guard. He did not spare a glance at the returning hunters. Instead, the ape picked his teeth with a small stick. When he finally extracted a piece of meat, Zu stared at it and then returned it to his mouth. Witnessing the whole scene, Ashwin rolled his eyes. It was still a mystery to him how the same species could produce such a keen and witty Zaris and, on the other hand, well, Zu. Observing the latter, it was almost impossible to believe that man-eating apes were capable of creating towns and complex tools. He visited the cave several more times with Scarface. The Main One was particularly interested in recreating tools, weapons, and armor.

Some attempts were successful. Even Zu now was proudly equipped with an armor shirt made of leather. But the largest problem did not go away - apes did not use fire. Without fire, there was no hope of melting metal. Without metal, sturdy tools and weapons couldn't exist. From Ashwin's point of view, this was an unsolvable problem. He was keeping his side of the deal, teaching everything he could. But lighting troop's campfires was Scarface's headache.

Approaching the hut, the two hunters placed the bird's carcass on the ground. Bea's head appeared from the threshold, and the female's eyes gleamed with joy at seeing their catch. Zaris knew his mother well - Bea was greatly pleased. She offered the hunters a fermented berry drink and began to pluck a bubbling bird. Ashwin sat on a bench in front of the hut drinking the berry juice that Bea had given him. He was still not enjoying the local food, but his throat was dry after a long walk. After a tough day, watching someone work hard made him relaxed and drowsy.

Leaning back against the hut's wall, Ashwin finished his drink and placed the cup on the bench. But his leisure time was coming to an end - Zaris was approaching him with a wooden stick and a wooden tablet containing a fresh layer of moist clay. 'When did he have the time to prepare this? And the energy?' thought Ashwin to himself, but still moved slightly, making room for Zaris to sit beside him.