"What are you doing?"

Ashwin sighed. Sitting behind a bush, the last person he wanted to see now was Ngu-gu.

"Hiding," said the boy, stating the obvious. "Iz is nearby and he's always in a bad mood when he sees me. Though I really can't understand why he and others don't like me. I haven't done anything to them."

"Of course they don't. You're always on your two."

The boy blinked. He didn’t expect an explanation, at least not a proper one. But now it began to slowly make sense. Apes walk on four legs and stand up to establish hierarchy. To them, the boy's always standing on two legs was extremely arrogant, even insulting. The realization led Ashwin to protest out loud: "But it's not like I can crawl on all fours."

Ngu-gu sneezed, so loudly that it made the boy flinch and quickly glance out of the bush to make sure no one had been attracted by the noise. The ape then rubbed its nose and pointed at the ochre paint, saying, "Why not use this? Make sure everyone knows you are part of troop."

His proposition was a rational one. And, in fact, Hegat had already shared the paint with the boy. But Ashwin simply did not want to. 'Then again, I'm already wearing their clothes, passed the ants' ritual and got a scar on my palm,' remembering the last part, he winced. Even though the skin healed quickly, Ashwin still felt like the scar itched and burned from time to time. Refusing to apply paint that could easily be washed away was irrational, considering he had a permanent mark on his skin.

Not getting any answer from the boy, Ngu-gu finally revealed why he had come in the first place: "Hegat is looking for you. It's time to patrol."

Patrolling was one of things Ashwin was wary about at first, but he came to enjoy it later. Wandering around the troop’s territory, he could learn a lot about the outside world. The boy recognized some animals and plants from books he read, but there were other species that were completely new to him. And there was a high probability that these species had not been described before.

Like giant birds, with strong legs and big colorful, yet weak wings. Their sharp and hooked beaks could easily crush the skull, so apes usually kept a distance from them. These birds were called Bubbling Ones by apes due to the bubbling noise they made. They lived in the grasslands, but at this time of the year, they gathered at the lake banks for the mating season. Males were busy building nests and decorating them with shells, feathers, and shiny stones. Ashwin passed one while on patrol. To his surprise, another male sneaked into the nest while the host was away and stole the decoration. Hegat laughed while watching the scene. "Pretty things are important," he said, "but they also use their bright wings to dance and lead females to the nest." The ape waved his paws imitating the bird's mating ritual, then added that he couldn't wait for the Bubbling ones to lay eggs because they were tasty.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Today, a small group of four went on a patrol into the forest. They followed trails, some of which Ashwin knew and had used himself for hunting. Then they moved further. He hadn't gone this deep into the forest before, feeling not confident enough in his orienting skills. The lack of weapons was also a good reason. He made a spear for himself, but the lack of training and physical strength meant that the spear was only a weapon in name. Moving as a group with three strong beasts gave him a great chance to explore the territory beyond Ashwin's reach.

He was in a good mood, looking around and trying to remember as many details as he could. His companions were also in high spirits. They were all of low rank, so they didn't pick a fight with the human boy. Still, the words that Ngu-gu said to him wouldn't leave Ashwin's mind. It would be good to find a way to ease tensions with higher ranks as well...

Suddenly, the apes froze in their tracks. They pricked up their ears, and then Hegat grabbed the boy's hand.

"Shhh!" The ape pulled Ashwin towards the shrubs as he tried to protest.

First, the impulse was to resist, but fear vividly reflected in the beast's muzzle stopped him. Even worse, it was contagious. The boy's heart started racing before he could figure out the reason for the animals' behavior. Was it a predator? No, if so, they would raise their spears and form a circle to fight back. 'Then what? Humans? Could it be a patrol?' If so, it had wandered far from the wall and might be in dire situation. For Ashwin, it could mean a happy reunion. Yet the chances were too slim to be sure. He sat still, covering his mouth, afraid that his heavy, uneven breathing would give away his presence. The patrol party bent down so low that they were practically lying on the ground. This unusually humble behavior of all the so arrogant and mighty apes made the boy tremble.

After a few tense moments in silence, Ashwin saw legs. A pair of slim legs covered in jade scales and wrapped in leather straps. The creature walked in a relaxed manner, stepping confidently, with dry leaves and branches cracking under its feet. It feared nothing. It was tall and slim, with thin arms and legs like tree limbs. Instead of hair, an emerald-colored crest crowned its head. Between two eyes on its forehead, a third eye covered by an eyelid was visible. There was a theory that this third eye was a source of magic, but it was considered a superstition among scholars. Ashwin had never seen one in real life, but from the first glance, he knew it was a dryad, a species of nymph.

Behind the creature, a dead predator was moving. Ashwin recognized the stripes on the animal's legs and sharp claws - it was the same animal whose remains he had seen on the way from the wall to the village. One of its long insect-like whiskers was torn off. By the sound, it seemed like the nymph was dragging the corpse. But, looking closer, the boy noticed vines entangled around the predator. Like roots, they pierced through the ground and moved the dead body.

When the nymph had finally gone, the apes and the boy sighed in unison. They smiled at the feeling of relief. For the first time, Ashwin felt a sense of kinship with these crude animals. In the face of the most fearsome creature on the planet, they were all helpless kittens.