The peaceful days that Ashwin had been enjoying lately so much ended in an unexpected way. Scarface met with the representatives of another settlement. Ashwin was a little nervous, looking at gloomy beasts. He was not the only one who was afraid of them snapping under pressure and causing another conflict. However, despite all the worries, the negotiations ended with satisfactory results for both parties.

Seeing off the representatives, together with other males, Ashwin thought he could finally relax. Scarface always insisted on human's presence at important events. Ashwin was keen to shake off this responsibility, but he couldn't. Every time apes from other settlements saw him, their reaction was the same: they would gape at him at first, and then poke and pinch him as if measuring how much meat he had on his bones. They laughed at the explanation that human was part of the apes’ troop. The only exception was when Scarface was the one who was telling this. Outsiders, regardless of their hostility or friendliness, never took the mighty beast's words lightly.

One by one, the males started to scatter, returning to their routine activities. Ashwin was thinking about checking some traps before heading to the training grounds when a commotion caught his attention. Some apes were still standing at the edge of the settlement, actively gesturing and hooting. Ashwin looked in the direction where they were staring. A lone figure was slowly approaching the settlement. When it moved closer, a coat made of colorful feathers could be easily spotted. Odd One had finally returned back.

With mixed feelings, Ashwin followed several males led by Scarface. The group and the lone ape walked towards each other. When they met in the middle, Ngu-gu smiled broadly.

Scarface placed his hand on Odd One's shoulder.

"Let's go, get you some rest and food. Then you can tell us what you brought."

"I brought me and good news" Ngu-gu exclaimed happily, patting himself on the chest. He spotted a familiar human among the apes and shook his head, imitating Ashwin's habit. 'Seems like he hasn't changed at all,' thought Ashwin and smiled.

A year ago, when the first nearby settlements were taken during Scarface's conquest, the Main One summoned Ngu-gu. Most of the troop thought it was some kind of prank, but the two had a serious talk. Odd One had experience wandering around alone. His weird behavior might be a topic for jokes, but at the same time, it served as a shield, both keeping his sanity during times of solitude and preventing strangers from approaching him. Ashwin did not know the details of the mission entrusted to him by Ngu-gu, like the rest of the settlement. He only had guesses and a gut feeling that it was something important.

Months passed, but Odd One had not returned. Even though Ashwin found this ape annoying, he could not help but worry a bit. He recalled the time he traveled with males, and the countless predators swarming around vast grasslands. Now seeing Ngu-gu safe and sound, even his strange, feathered outfit seemed rather cute. Only a few other apes, including Iz, were indifferent to the returned wanderer. The others were all in high spirits, circling around Odd One, poking and patting him.

A cheerful procession led the traveler to the Main One's hut. The females hurriedly began to prepare various dishes, while the males brought reed mats and laid them in front of the hut. A spontaneous celebration began and lasted until sundown. The children gathered around Odd One, forgetting their usual games and listening greedily to stories about the world outside of the settlement's grounds. The adults acted more reservedly, although they too could not hide their curiosity. Ngu-gu talked non-stop, taking only brief pauses to drink fermented berry juice or eat a bite of dried meat. Ashwin listened carefully, but Odd One's story was told in a mixture of ape and human language, making it difficult to follow.

Stolen story; please report.

When darkness fell on the settlement, Scarface called Ngu-gu, Ashwin, and a few high-ranking males inside his hut. They stood up and left the rest to finish eating and cleaning up. Odd One pointed at the human's face and grinned happily, "You wear paint now. Good! Good!"

Ngu-gu's remark made Ashwin wince. He started to paint his face during important events, such as negotiations with other settlements. Even if it was for a bit, it did ease his life outside Scarface's troop. He intended to wash it away after seeing off the representatives, but the sudden return of the wanderer hindered his plan. Sitting down on a mat in the Main One's hut, Ashwin only grumbled something in response.

"Why bad mood, when look good?" Odd One wasn't going to be satisfied with a short and inarticulate answer.

"Can't you at least try to speak properly? There are grammatical rules, you know."

"Don’t wanna, not gonna," snorted Ngu-Gu.

"Even Hu talks better than you," mumbled Ashwin. Hu was Hegat's son. He was barely a year and a few months old, but he already talked and followed his mother everywhere. It was confusing to see a baby growing so quickly, though less frustrating than dealing with Odd One's stubborn refusal to follow grammar rules.

Other males only grinned, watching the bickering. In their eyes, both human and Odd One were weird creatures, more like a funny addition to the troop than full-fledged members. Scarface was the first to interrupt the dialogue.

"Did you find what I asked for?" A single question made everyone turn serious. Ngu-gu stared at the Main One for a second, then hurriedly started rustling the leather pouch tied to his belt.

"Yes, yes!" he rumbled, taking out strange trophies while searching for the necessary thing. The apes frowned, watching colorful pebbles, claws and tiny scales on the mats in front of Odd One. Finally, Ngu-gu found what he was looking for. With a proud look, he exclaimed: "Here!"

Scarface took a finding from the ape's paw. Ashwin could not believe his own eyes. A piece of metal with smooth edges, it looks like some kind of detail. The apes stared at the unusual object their leader was holding, twisting it in his fingers. Their nostrils twitched, trying to remember the smell. Red eyes looked like glowing corals in the darkness of the hut.

"There were plenty of these," said Ngu-gu while others were still looking at his finding. "Lots, lots of shiny things."

Ashwin glanced at the excited ape, then looked again at the metal. It was hard to tell from the distance and without light, but he was sure of one thing. This wasn't a newly made iron, melted by low temperatures. No matter who made this detail, it was advanced technology, and perhaps even with the use of fossil fuels. Ones he had only read about and that weren't present in this world. There were no signs of rust or corrosion. The detail looked like it was brand new. 'This kind of quality was only possible before the Retaliation War.'

The thought made Ashwin shiver. Suddenly, he felt envy towards Odd One, who was able to see and find things made or used by the first humans in this world. However, he knew that the apes staring at the finding couldn't share his sentiment. Their only thoughts were practical ones.

"Where exactly did you find this?" asked Scarface, finally looking at Ngu-gu. The question was totally unexpected, and therefore the ape's hesitation was surprising.

"That..." mumbled Ngu-gu, "That is where problem lies."

The Main One squinted his red eyes. Everyone present knew that it was not good to test his patience. Reluctantly, Ngu-gu quietly hooted, "It is on Scaled One's territory."