Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: CHAPTER 3 - THE CONFRONTATION

 After spending one more night lost in the Amazon jungle, Lucas began to slowly open his eyes. A silhouette was already watching him carefully from early on...

"Hmmmm? Ohhh good morning, monkey girl! Hey, I really didn't expect you were still here... AAAHHH!!!", Lucas yelled when he realized that the silhouette watching him was the face of a big monkey with golden fur. The boy fell from the log where he was lying and immediately walked away from the bewildering creature.

"Aaaaahhh! WHAT THE..!? What kind of monkey is that? Its huge, almost half my size... n-no, d-don't come near!", Lucas exclaimed terrified before he turned around and noticed that there were much more monkeys with him. He was completely surrounded.

"Oh crap, they are everywhere! I-I have... I have to get out of here!!", the young man thought just before he tried to run away. However, to his horror, at that moment several huge gorillas appeared and blocked his path.

"OH... MY... GOD...", Lucas muttered, completely pale. One of the gorillas launched a powerful roar while the monkeys began to howl like crazy.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!", the boy screamed before stumbling and falling to the ground. "What the hell!? What happened to the girl? Was it... was it all a dream? Everything that happened yesterday was product of hunger and despair!?", he thought as he trembled and crawled on the floor, thinking that his time had come for real. "Oh... Grandpa... PLEASE HELP ME!".

But just then, the naked girl from the day before landed in front of him, causing all the monkeys to cease their madness. Lucas watched surprised. "Ah! It's... it's you! So... I didn't imagine it... you're real!", the young man said relieved.

Y'shaati looked up, took a deep breath, and produced a thunderous cry as she savagely beat her chest:

"AAAHHOOOOHHAAAAAAAAHHHHミOOOOHHHAAAAAAAHHミOOOHAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

"Wow...", the boy remained speechless at such a sound. And his shock was even greater when he observed how both the monkeys and the gorillas lowered their heads as a sign of respect for the girl...

"W-what? B-but h-how did you managed to...", Lucas stuttered. Y'shaati remained stoic, with a pose equal to that of the gorillas. At that moment, a particular gorilla began to make his way through the members of his group until he stepped in front of the wildling. The savage lady's serious expression changed almost instantly.

"Ook ooh ahh? (Na'ek?)"

"Ohh ahh ook ohh! Uhh ooh ahh ahh!" (Y'shaati! Long time no see!)"

The blonde and the gorilla smiled at each other and began to talk by hooting. The creature's name was Na'ek, a silver-furred Tahuayo. One of the strongest gorillas... and probably the smartest of them all.

"What... is she doing? Is she... talking to the gorilla..? No way..." Lucas observed confused.

"What Na'ek doing here?"

"Na'ek and troop traveling towards sacred tree. Naka'i joined troop."

"Sacred tree? Yvyra? Apes gathering?"

"Indeed. Primates gathering to witness new Tahuayo leader. Na'ek defeat Tagg in proving. Na'ek champion among Tahuayos. Na'ek new leader of Tahuayo troop!"

Na'ek began to beat his chest with pride, while the other gorillas howled and jumped excited. Y'shaati joined their celebration hooting and clapping as well.

"I can't believe it... she understands them! She's... like one of them...", Lucas thought.

"Y'shaati happy for Na'ek. Na'ek worthy successor of master K'uno!"

"Na'ek thankful... but Na'ek still far from K'uno. Still far from Y'shaati even. Na'ek never defeat K'uno. Y'shaati defeat K'uno. Y'shaati true leader of Tahuayos."

"No... Na'ek good leader!"

"Y'shaati coming with troop to gathering? Na'ek would be humbled with Y'shaati's presence!"

"Uhm... Y'shaati can't right now. Sorry..."

"What? Why?"

"Y'shaati busy with... uhm..."

However, at that moment, the gray gorilla's cheerful face suddenly changed as he saw the young human behind the monkey queen.

"Human trespasser!?"

"No! Not trespasser... human... he friend."

"Human friend? Trespassers not friends... humans less! Humans evil and dangerous!"

"No! He friend. Y'shaati save him. He alone so... Y'shaati help."

"What!? Y'shaati saved trespasser? Preposterous... foolish! Did Y'shaati forget purpose!?"

"Never! Y'shaati protect jungle! Y'shaati protect those in need... but..."

"Then what?"

"He human... but he not dangerous nor evil. He friendly."

"Inconceivable..."

Na'ek was really angry. The gorilla approached Y'shaati little by little in a threatening way... however, the queen of the monkeys didn't back down at any time. Na'ek didn't intimidate her. Lucas on the other hand, could feel the tension despite not understanding a single word of the discussion. He was extremely nervous.

"Humans kill master K'uno... did Y'shaati forget that too!? Humans don't deserve mercy... humans monsters!"

"Lu-cas not monster! He different."

"Lu-cas? Enough! Na'ek will take care of this problem..."

"No! Wait!"

The gorilla suddenly pushed Y'shaati out of the way to approach the boy.

"Oh no, oh no! No please, don't hurt me!", Lucas said terrified when he saw the gorilla's face just a few inches from him. Na'ek exhaled heavily through his nose, causing the boy's hair to flutter. And then, the gorilla pushed Lucas with one hand, knocking him down pretty easily.

"Ahhhh!! Nooo pleaseee!!", the boy begged. Na'ek began to humiliate him in front of everyone. The gorilla rudely snatched his glasses from his face, cracking them a little bit in the process and tossing them into the ground. Then, he pulled from his arms and legs, mocking his lack of musculature. All the primates howled like crazy, encouraging Na'ek to keep teasing him, much to Y'shaati's disapproval.

"Tch! Pathetic human... Na'ek could crush human effortlessly in a second. To think Y'shaati saved human scum... disgraceful..."

Y'shaati didn't know what to do. She knew what the gorilla was doing wasn't right... yet he wasn't wrong in saying that humans were guilty of K'uno's death. But still, she wouldn't allow an internal conflict like this to stop her from intervening in the situation. She had to decide...

"Na'ek stop!"

"No! Na'ek doing Y'shaati's duty. Human must pay for his crimes!"

Na'ek... enough."

"Y'shaati bring shame to Tahuayos."

"No..."

"If master K'uno were here... master K'uno would be absolutely ashamed! Master K'uno would never..."

Just then, Y'shaati struck the ground with her fists with superhuman strength, causing a great rumble that interrupted Na'ek's speech. All the Naka'i and the Tahuayos gasped. The blonde girl quickly crawled to get between Lucas and Na'ek.

"ENOUGH!", Y'shaati shouted as she confronted Na'ek. The boy noticed she was trying to defend him from the gorilla, much to his surprise and concern.

"Ah!? Hey, wait girl!! What are you doing!? You won't be thinking on..."

"Luu-cas!"

"Huh!? W-what?"

"Ook, ook...", Y'shaati pointed to a waterfall that could be seen very far far away.

"What? W-what do you mean?"

"Ooh, ook ook!", Y'shaati turned and pushed the boy several times, telling him to flee in that direction.

"No! Not a chance, I'm not gonna leave you here alone with this wild apes! I won't let..."

"LUU-CAS!!", Y'shaati yelled.

"Ahhh!! Okay okay! Sorry, sorry... just... p-please be careful!"

Lucas stood up immediately, grabbed his glasses and ran away. Na'ek couldn't believe what his eyes had seen and what his ears had heard. The supposed guardian of Amazonia had let a human from a different world to cross in. The monkey queen looked at the gray gorilla right into his gaze. Her azure eyes were glowing now.

"Unbelievable... Y'shaati speak human language now? Outrageous! This insult shall not go unpunished! Na'ek will..."

The wild girl, enraged and tired of Na'ek's words, unexpectedly charged at the gorilla, tackling him aggressively. The tahuayo didn't even have time to react. She managed to lift Na'ek off the ground for a few seconds and then brutally slammed him into the ground. The gorilla roared in pain on his back. Before Na'ek could get up to fight back, Y'shaati clamped his arms to immobilize him and then put her bare foot right on the gorilla's face. Despite being more muscular and bigger than the girl, he couldn't find a way to free himself. A powerful and effective Tahuayo wrestling maneuver.

"Aaaargh! Na'ek surrenders! Na'ek surrenders!"

"Never mention Master K'uno's name again in front of Y'shaati... NEVER! Understand?"

"Na'ek... understands... free Na'ek now!"

"Hmm... weakling."

The feral girl released the gorilla. Around her, the other Tahuayos and the Naka'i remained jawdropped. Y'shaati hooted in front of them and struck her chest with her knuckles several times. A way to proclaim herself superior to Na'ek. The newest Tahuayo leader had been defeated so easily. All the apes bowed in front of her in respect once again. No one had ever seen such attitude from her before. The gray gorilla spoke again as he tried to stand up.

"How dare you? This not over! Primate leaders will know about this! Na'ek tell everything!"

"Do so. Y'shaati wrong... Na'ek no leader! Leaders won't listen to a fraud..."

"WHAT!? Grrrr..."

Y'shaati simply turned around and ran in the same direction Lucas escaped to catch up with him, ignoring Na'ek's growl of anger.

/////////////

Lucas walked for a long time in the direction of the beautiful waterfall that the wild girl had indicated. A unique place in the entire jungle, as it connected directly with one of the main arteries of the Amazon river. The boy thought that perhaps his chances of being reunited with his grandfather would increase thanks to this. However, he couldn't stop thinking about the recent incident either.

"This is crazy, she already saved me twice from dying... no, three times! That girl is quite a box full of surprises. She's so brave and fearless... wish I could be like her..." Lucas mused as he reached the foot of the waterfall.

"Well, I'm here... now what? What am I supposed to do?", the boy thought as he took a moment to admire the scenery. Looking closely, he could see that something strange was hidden behind the torrent. The water was so crystaline that a small entrance could be clearly seen. Probably a cave.

"Huh? What is that?", Lucas asked himself. Curious, the boy decided to investigate. However, it would not be an easy task, because to get there, he would have to climb some rocks that served as improvised stairs. Still, he was determined to find out what was in that place.

"Oh dear! Careful now Lucas... careful...", he told to himself as he climbed slowly to avoid falling. A few minutes later, the boy finally made it to the entrance. At that very moment, he realized that the cave wasn't entirely dark, as there were many holes through which the warm sunlight entered.

"Whoa! This place is not bad at all. I think now I understand why she told me to come here. Surely it is some sort of refuge she discovered or something like that. Finally, a roof where to spend the night!", Lucas began to go deeper into the cave, very excited. But just a few steps ahead, the boy's face suddenly changed.

"What the..?", he exclaimed startled when he saw a torn backpack on the ground. There were also notebook pages strewn all over the place, a makeshift bed made of wood, small tribal ornaments on the cave's walls, and several worn pieces of clothing hanging from a thin rope.

"What's all this stuff? What does it mean? Has anyone been living here..? But how? When? Whose things are these?". Lucas searched the entire place for clues that would answer his questions.

"What are all these pages? Huh... these are drawings and annotations. Plants, flowers, animals... wait... a map too! Heavens, it's very well drawn! Whoever this person is, he's a professional. Why would they tear them off?". Once he gathered the pages, Lucas took the backpack to put them there.

"Okay, that's better. Hmmm... there are some tools here... and the backpack is torn... strange..."

At that moment, Lucas noticed a tag on the backpack with information of its owner.

"Aha! Let's see who you are... hmmmm, no it's very worn, I can't read it. I think it says... Francis. Huh...", the boy then proceeded to take the clothes to examine them as well.

"Pants and a shirt... quite old. Surely this Francis went nuts and decided to walk around naked, huh? I don't blame him. Wait! The shirt has an embroidered name... F. García...", the boy stopped for a moment.

"F. García... Francis... Francis García... Hmmm? Wait... I think I've heard that name before!", Lucas thought.

"Yeah, I think I remember that name! If I remember correctly, that's the name of the university's researcher who disappeared more than 20 years ago! But how... how did he end up here!?"

Memories began to flow rapidly through the boy's mind. He remembered that time his grandfather told him how one of his most esteemed students and had disappeared without leaving a trace. A wildlife researcher graduated from the University of Madrid. A nature enthusiast.

"That means... somehow, he managed to get here. But... where is he? It seems that this place has been abandoned for a long time... could he... be already dead? Oh man, surely the answer must be right here. I have to find it...".

The boy searched every corner of the cave for a clue that would allow him to know Francis's whereabouts. It wasn't until he decided to search under the bed that he finally found the final piece of the puzzle... or so he believed.

"W-what is this? Some kind of doll... and this?", Lucas said confused as he held up the strange object he had found. Right next to it was the last remaining page of Francis's notebook. The boy unwrapped it to check it.

"A sketch? A woman and a baby... it looks like... a family portrait... oh, and has something written on it..."

"The two stars that give light to my life"

"Well... I guess Francis found a wife. And he even had a child I think! Good for him, but this doesn't tell me anything... what on earth happened to them? There's something odd about all this..."

At that very instant, Y'shaati climbed and entered the cave while holding one fish in her mouth and other in her right hand. Sensing a presence behind, Lucas quickly turned to look behind him, startled.

"Ahh! You... you're all right! Oh, thank goodness you made it out of there alive!", Lucas said relieved and happy to see the wild girl. The boy approached her to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"I can't believe it, you don't even have a scratch... did you really beat that huge gorilla by yourself?" Lucas asked. Y'shaati happily offered one of the fishes to the boy.

"Whoa, you also brought food? Heavens... you're... you're an extraordinary girl! A very strong and brave lady! If it weren't for you, I would be already dead. I... I really don't know how can I pay you for all this...", Lucas said before kneeling in front of the blonde and giving her a big hug. Y'shaati stayed surprised and motionless. Her face blushed. Other than her Naka'i and Tahuayo siblings, no one had approached her like that before. It felt... heartwarming.

"Oh boy, these fish look absolutely delicious! Hey, you know what? I have a great idea! Let me quickly start a fire to cook them. Oh, I can't wait for... huh...", Lucas remained silent as he saw that the girl had already started to devour her meal.

"Hey hey, wait! No, don't eat it raw, it surely tastes horrible like that... look, give it to me...", Lucas said before grabbing one of her arms. Y'shaati stopped for a moment, feeling confused.

"Your fish... I'll give it back, I promise..." Lucas repeated. The girl stopped chewing and handed the food to the boy.

"Alright! Let me show you something... you are gonna love this! Come on!"

/////////////

Later that day, with the jungle sky already stained in orange color, a column of smoke accompanied the sunset. Outside the cave, Lucas and Y'shaati sat around a bonfire again, waiting for dinner to be ready. The boy seemed quite happy while cooking, as if all his problems had ceased to exist for just one day. Meanwhile, the wild girl carefully watched the way the fishes went round and round impaled with sticks as they were engulfed by the presence of the red flower. They both seemed to understand each other better every second they shared together.

"Ah, I think they are ready! That should be enough!", Lucas said as he removed the fishes from the fire.

"Here you go! Try eating it again. You will notice that the taste will be much better than before!" Lucas said as he handed her meal back. Y'shaati brought her nose close to it to smell the strange aroma her prey produced. A very tempting scent that for some reason, awakened her appetite.

"You can eat it now! Look... Hmmmmm!", Lucas moaned after taking a big bite off his fish. The girl, with a little bit of hesitation, proceeded to do the same.

Suddenly, Y'shaati's face lit up like a little girl's. She had never tasted something so delicious in her entire life. She enjoyed everything about it. Fully excited, she devoured the entire fish in just a few seconds.

"Whoa, what a way to eat for a lady... hahaha! Did you even take the time to enjoy the taste?"

"Ooh ook ook!", Y'shaati howled with a cute smile on her face and a little bit of food on her cheeks.

"I'll take that as a yes haha! Uhm, you know... I was thinking... I decided that I'm gonna stay in this cave from now on. Looks like a safe place to live in. I mean, someone has already lived there and left many things behind. Hey, do you happen to know anything about it?", Lucas asked. Y'shaati didn't answer.

"Yeah, I thought as much... well, what I'm really trying to say is... I could teach you a lot more things like this. But in return, I wish you could help me too...", Lucas said. Y'shaati approached to him.

"H-help?"

"Uh? Y-yeah, exactly! I need... I-I mean... Lucas needs help... Lucas help. YOUR help, just like before with the gorillas."

"Lu-cas... h-help? Ah! Help!"

"Yes, that's right! Oh, your voice is so cute! Ah, I mean... yes, help."

"Help!"

"I... I wanna learn to take care of myself in this place... just like you do! I think it's the only way for me to survive without you having to save my life every minute. What I'm saying is... I wanna be like you. Besides, I still can't find a single trace of my grandfather and my group... I really need to know what happened to them. And it seems that you know the jungle better than anyone! So..."

"Ook ook..."

"Oh, And I could even teach you some more words and ways to communicate with me! It will take some time and effort, but I can see that you learn very quickly... what do you say, monkey girl?", he said as both got closer to each other.

"Would... YOU... help... Lucas?", he said holding her hands.

"Y-you...?"

"I Lucas...", he said putting his hand on his own chest. "...YOU...?", he asked touching her chest.

"Y-you... Lu-cas... I... I..."

"Mhm?"

"I... Y... Y'sh... Y'shaa... ti..."

"Huh!?

"Y'shaa...ti! Y'shaati!"

"Y'shaati? That's your name?"

"Ook ook!

"Its beautiful!"

"Ook ook... Y'shaati... h-help... Lu-cas!"

"Yes! See? You're a very smart girl, haha!"

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: CHAPTER 2 - LOST

 Lucas stood up while Y'shaati squatted. "Who is this strange girl? Why does she act so strange? She behaves like... like an ape or something...", he said inside his mind when he saw her move on all fours.

"Errr, would you mind standing up? Seeing you walking like that gives me the creeps..."

 

She evidently didn't understand the young man's words.

"You shouldn't do that, you're not an animal... come on, stand up," Lucas ordered. "Look, you just have to do this, it's very simple. Can you do it?", he said while teaching her how to do it. This time Y'shaati decided to imitate his movement.

"Oh... I... I wasn't expecting this. Ok nevermind then, I think I'd rather see you as you were before..." Lucas said a little intimidated to discover that she was a little bit taller than him.

"Okay listen, I thank you very much for saving me from that huge cat. Never thought there existed wild cats that gigantic. But now I have a bigger problem. My camp was attacked by those monsters and I ended up separating from my Grandpa. I have to find him at all cost... if something bad were to happen to him I would never forgive myself... ", Lucas spoke as he searched in the ground.

"So excuse me, but I have to go before it's too late... hey wait, that's mine!" the young man yelled as he saw the girl holding his knife.

"No! Hand it over, I need it to defend myself!" Y'shaati quickly climbed a tree and perched on a branch to inspect the object.

"Wait, get down from there! What are you doing? Careful with that thing!". The wild girl continued to touch the sharp point of the knife carelessly until her finger was slightly cut, causing her to slightly moan in pain.

"See? You just hurt yourself. That's not a toy! Can you give it to me now... please?"

"Ahh ook ook!!", Y'shaati replied angry before throwing down the knife very close to his face.

"Whoa! Hey, what is YOUR problem!? You almost took my eye out! I warned you!"

"Ahh ahh ook ook ohh!!"

"Why are you mad at me? You're a very dumb girl, you know?" The blonde continued hooting at him like an ape. The boy sighed frustrated.

"You know what? Stay up there if you want, I don't need you... I'll be on my way. Bye.", Lucas said after picking up his knife. He turned around and walked away. Y'shaati just watched him go.

The young man went back into the dense foliage of the jungle to decide his path. Unsure of not really knowing where to go, he started walking in the opposite direction to the sun, hoping that was the right way to go back to his grandfather...

/////////////

For hours, Lucas traveled several kilometers of endless jungle. He crossed one of the hundreds of minor rivers in the Amazon rainforest, hiked a fairly high hill and even walked through a rather dangerous ravine in which he almost fell over. By evening, he was already quite hungry, tired, and dehydrated. His feet ached from walking. He knew he didn't have much time to find a safe place to spend the night, as he had been doing for several days now. On those occasions he was fortunate to be able to sleep inside hollow logs, but this day luck seemed not to be on his side. As night fell, he knew that was when he was most in danger of being attacked by jungle predators, so panic and despair began to seize him once more. However, unbeknownst to him, Y'shaati had been following him closely all day stealthily, hiding high up in the trees. Her curiosity to learn more about the strange human was his main reason to following him.

With the sun already hidden, Lucas finally found what he was looking for: another log to spend one more night. However, this one wasn't large enough to get inside of it, so he choose to sleep next to it. Once he made sure that the place was free of venomous insects and poisonous plants, the boy began to collect small sticks with the intention of making a small fire. Meanwhile, the wild girl watched at all times, hidden in the shadows. When he managed to gather enough, he took a seat and pulled a lighter from one of his pockets. When lighting the fire, Y'shaati remained completely amazed at what she saw: the strange human was able to invoke the power of the red flower... How was this possible? For a long time, she had tried to understand the truth of that mysterious entity, so perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to find out more about it...

What am I doing..? I don't even know if I'm close...", Lucas babbled to himself as he gazed at the fire. He looked very weak and tired. It seemed that at any moment he could pass out. Behind him, Y'shaati slowly moved closer to get a good look at the red flower.

"I don't wanna die here... of all possible things, why did this had to happen to me? Damn... I'm completely and absolutely screwed... aaaahhh!!", the boy screamed when he noticed the presence of the blonde right next to him.

"Ook ohh ohh ahh!", she hooted.

"Holy... you scared me to death! You again!? Have you been following me since morning?", he asked. The girl simply ignored him and continued to stare at the red flower.

"What's wrong? You've never seen fire before? Well, I'm not surprised... you're very strange, to say the least. How do you manage to survive in this place?", he asked again. At that moment, his stomach made a guttural sound...

"Oww... Oh, I'm starving..." Y'shaati turned to see Lucas. She knew that was the same sound her belly produces when she doesn't eat anything. Noticing his agony, she looked up into the treetops for a few seconds.

"What is it?", he said before the girl walked away and started to climb a tree. The boy watched her until she was out of sight.

"Wow, how does she do it? I couldn't even climb a single branch... I'm pathetic...", he muttered disappointed. A few seconds later, a small fruit fell on his head.

"Ouch! Uh? Wait... is this... a pear?", he said before more fruits started falling as well.

"No way... have this been up there all this time?" After a while, Y'shaati returned to the ground. She walked up to Lucas and offered him some more.

"I can't believe it... y-you saved me again... thank you very much!", the young man thanked him with a big smile on his face. He sat next to her and then both immediately started eating.

"Ohhh... it's delicious! Hey, uhm... please forgive me for yelling at you a while ago... I shouldn't have done that... I'm really sorry."

It took them only a few minutes to eat all the fruits. After that, Lucas began to explain Y'shaati everything that had happened to him since the day he arrived in the jungle... even though she didn't understand a single word. At first, she wasn't pay attention to him, being only focused in the warm sensation the red flower produced on her feet, wiggling her toes a little bit. But then, for some reason, she could actually start feeling the young man's emotions in his voice as he continued speaking. She knew he was being noble and sincere, like any other Naka'i or Tahuayo of the jungle. It was a very different way of communicating than she used to do. She suddenly seemed interested about it...

"I still don't know how all this happened, you know? I was very excited about this journey. Since I was a kid I always wanted to explore the world along with my father... the stories he told me at night about the great mysteries and discoveries of the history of mankind motivated me to be an archaeologist, just like him and grandpa. Unfortunately he died a long time ago." The boy took out a small photograph from the pocket of his shirt.

"Grandpa says I look a lot like him, hehe... what do you think?", he showed the photo to Y'shaati. She leaned closer to see. "I don't know, I think all children look like their parents. Even you probably..."

"I miss him so much... there's not a single day that I don't think about him. But now... I-I don't want to lose my Grandpa too... I-I don't want to be alone...", Lucas sobbed while a tear fell on the memento of him and his father. The blonde girl turned to see his face. She knew perfectly the meaning of that feeling. Y'shaati tenderly caressed his cheek to wipe his tears. The boy reacted completely surprised. She could feel his sadness.

"Uh? Do you understand me?" he asked. "Uhm... have you lost someone in your life too?"

"Lu-cas...", she answered.

"wow, you remembered it. You're better at listening than many people I know, haha...", the boy said while saving his photo.

"Better turn this off now... it can be dangerous to leave it like that," he said before getting up and putting out the fire. "I feel very tired. I should try to sleep a little. You should do the same. Fighting that wild cat must surely have been tough for you... isn't?" Lucas smiled at the girl.

The blonde was so fixated on the young man that she didn't even notice the red flower dying out. She smiled too.

"Which side of the log do you want? Here or there?"

Y'shaati approached him again and gently licked his cheek to say goodbye.

"Ah! Wait, where are you going?", Lucas asked, blushing. He watched the wild lady run into a tree to climb it and rest on one of its branches.

"Hey, you really have to teach me how to do that, hehe... sweet dreams, monkey girl."

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: CHAPTER 1 - WHO ARE YOU?

 Father Sun Kuarah'y towers over Amazonia once more, like any other day... but today isn't an ordinary day. Somewhere in the jungle, the tranquility shatters like glass. A manhunt is in progress. An Onsa and its prey spread chaos on the surface. The strange visitor runs for his life as the beast that chases him grows closer and closer. A young human named Lucas curses his fate as his strength begins to fade... it's just the law of the jungle...

"Oh God... Oh God!", the young man screamed as he ran desperately, looking behind him every second. The fierce roar of the beast made it clear to him that his death was imminent. Being careful not to trip with a root on the ground, the boy suddenly changed direction. In less than a second, the beast crashed into a huge log, destroying it completely. Had it been successful, that attack would have been lethal. The young man pushed his way through the dense foliage into an open space. A thick tree right in front of him brought him to a halt. He turned everywhere, but there was nowhere else to run. End of the road.

"Oh no no... damn it!" Without thinking twice, the boy tried to climb the tree very awkwardly, slipping every time he wanted to hold on. The sound of the Onsa approaching was unnerving.

"Crap, crap... CRAP!!", tears began to flow from his eyes at the frustration of not having the agility to even reach the lowest branch. Right at that moment, the beast came out of the foliage with a huge leap and roared as it watched its prey.

"Aaaaahhh!!", Lucas turned slowly, paralyzed with fear when he saw the red glow in the huge black cat's eyes.

"Oh my God... please... Grandpa... dad... save me... I don't wanna die like this...", the boy sobbed with a broken voice as he took out his little knife to defend himself. His whole body trembled. The beast was ready to pounce on him. The boy was living his last moments of his life.

"Help me... someone help me... PLEASE HELP MEEEEEEEEE!!", the boy pleaded and closed his eyes when the animal jumped towards him...

However, when he opened them again, the Onsa was thrown to the ground. And right in front of him, the silhouette of a crouching woman remained motionless.

"WHAT THE...!?" At that moment, the feline got up and jumped again to attack.

"AAAHHH!!", Lucas screamed as he threw himself to the ground. The girl also quickly jumped and intercepted the beast, landing a hard kick straight to its stomach. The feline fell in pain again. Almost immediately, she circled the Onsa and grabbed his head and neck to smash it to the ground. The cat roared and kicked wildly to break free. Its sharp claws were very close to her. Fortunately, the woman's strength was much greater, despite being smaller. Surprisingly, the beast slowly began to lose consciousness.

"Sweet beans!", the young man said as he layed there watching the fight. Incredibly, the woman managed to lift the Onsa completely and then violently threw it once more against the ground. The beast produced a high-pitched screech, signal that it had finally been defeated.

"No way... how...?", the boy watched her triumph completely stunned. Rising slowly, he saw more clearly the appearance of his savior.

"It's... it's a girl... and she's naked!?", he thought as Y'shaati proudly beat her chest as a sign of victory.

"Ook ook ook ahh ahh!", the girl hooted to scare away the huge cat. However, Lucas could notice the beast still refused give up. His face changed from surprise to anger.

"Damn animal, it's still alive... you and your pack killed my colleagues..." The young man took up his knife again as he began to walk towards the Onsa. His breathing was altered.

"You're gonna pay for this, you damn monster! Hyaaaargh!!", the boy shouted as he ran angrily to kill the Onsa... but just before he could land the final blow, the nude woman quickly turned around and pounced Lucas, knocking him down.

"hsssskkk...", the wild girl hissed in the boy's face to stop him.

"Aaaahhh! No please! I'm sorry! Don't kill me! I just wanted to do justice for what he did!", the young man begged terrified. That expression made Y'shaati have an unpleasant memory... she had already seen a similar reaction before:

"Please... do it now... kill me, you filthy bitch!!"

The girl immediately got off him. Now she was scared, as if she had seen a ghost from her past.

"Ahhh!", the boy quickly crawled away from the wild woman. Meanwhile, the black feline got up again and took the chance to escape at full speed. Both the boy and the girl watched the animal flee injured.

"Ohh... thank God...", Lucas sighed seeing that the danger was finally over. But Y'shaati was staring at him, with a more relaxed face.

"Huh...t-thanks for saving me... and also for not killing me...", he said still trembling.

Y'shaati tilted her head and began to crawl towards the boy...

"No no no, wait stop stop! Stay there, don't get any closer!", the young man said with a nervous voice. Extremely intrigued, the blonde girl inspected him from head to toe.

"W-what happened to you? W-why are you naked!?", Lucas stuttered, unable to avoid seeing the savage lady's breasts. She then started sniffing him...

"Whoa hey, w-what are you doing!?" the boy stepped back. His face was starting to blush.

"Aaaaaah, s-she's showing EVERYTHING!! No girl has ever approached me like this in my entire life!! Let alone a completely naked one!! It's the first time I see woman's... Argh, what am I supposed to do in these cases? W-who is this girl? Her whole body is dirty from head to toe and stinks, but she is... she is... BEAUTIFUL! B-but... how!? She doesn't look like a tribal person... her skin is pale as marble... her hair is a mess, but its SO blonde! And her eyes... oh my, her eyes are blue like sapphire! H-how is this possible!? WHAT THE HECK IS GOING!?", Lucas thought inside his head as his face turned red more and more, as if were a bomb about to explode.

"W-Why are you doing this?", he asked. Both stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds in silence... Y'shaati was just as confused as he was. The appearance of this human intrigued her... his weird cloths, those crystal things on his face... his scent wasn't like the other creatures of the jungle... he looked like someone from a completely different world.

"Well... thank you very much for saving me, but I think I have to go now. I guess you have problems too since I don't think you walk naked in the jungle just for the sake of it, so it will be better if I... hmm hmm... HMM!? ", the girl put her hand on his mouth to silence him for a moment.

"AHHH! Damn, don't do that! What is wrong with you!?"

It took several minutes for Lucas to ask the most important questions of all:

"Who are you? Do you have a name?"

"Ook ook ook."

"Huh... you can't talk?"

"Ook ook ahh..."

"Uhh... well my name is Lucas... nice to meet you, I guess."

"Ook ook..."

"I'm Lucas. Can you say at least my name? Lucas..."

"Lu... ah..."

"No no. Lu-cas. Luuucaaaasss."

"Luu... luu-caas..."

"Exactly! You learned fast! Lucas."

"Lu-cas..."

"Now... what's yours?"

"Ook ook ahh ahh!"

"This is gonna be complicated..."

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: PRELUDE

 

DIARY OF LUCAS ESCUDERO - ARCHEOLOGY STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MADRID

June 15th, 1957

I still can't believe it! The university finally decided to finance my grandfather's trip to the Amazon rainforest! The truth is I have no idea how he managed to convince the council, but they finally accepted. So many years of waiting were worth it. My dream will finally come true! I can't wait to unearth the mysteries and wonders that such enigmatic place hides. I know it's risky and dangerous, but I really want to do it. Dad, wherever you are, I hope you're proud of me. And from this moment I can assure you: Grandpa and I will make the greatest discovery of all! I promise!

July 6th

I'm ready. I've been waiting for this moment all my life... today I will travel with Grandpa to Peru! I'm happy to know that I'm now part of a professional research team. I can't contain the excitement! Oh, and best of all, Dr. Isabel will be with us too. She has always been there for me and Grandpa. I cannot thank her enough for all she has done for us. The only thing I don't agree with is that Grandpa has decided to bring that asshole Marco too. I don't know what he sees in that guy... anyway, our plane is leaving in a few hours. This is gonna be an unforgettable journey!

July 8th

And here we are! We arrived in Puerto Maldonado yesterday. Trip was quite long tho, I could hardly sleep. Never thought it would exhaust me so much. But I know well that it's a necessary sacrifice. I can't turn back now... no seriously, I literally can't. I must say that I'm amazed by the beauty of this place and the hospitality of its people! The truth is, I wouldn't mind staying here forever! And then this happened: while I was accompanying my grandfather to find a professional guide for the expedition, we met this dark-skinned girl named Zé Correa. She is an interpreter of indigenous languages. And to think she's only a couple of years older than me. And she is quite beautiful to say the least! She will lead us with a jungle tribe that will show us the way to our destination... Mura Nunka. I can't wait for tomorrow!

July 9th

The expedition has officially started! At this moment we are sailing through the Madre de Dios river in direction of the place that miss Zé mentioned. I think Grandpa hired the right people. Mr. Mondelez and his crew seem to be very experienced people! Although there is still something I don't understand... before leaving, another team of scientists led by some guy called Dr. Foucault joined us. I heard Grandpa talking with them. I think they study rocks or something. I had no idea that we would have more colleagues on this trip. Anyway, this place is wonderful! All the books I read in school fall short with the real thing. This is truly the paradise on earth...

July 10th

Today we finally disembarked in the jungle. And after a while, we were greeted by the Huaorani tribe. They gave us a very friendly welcome with a great feast of exotic food and a drink called Ayahuasca. I am amazed by the simple life that people have here. Ms. Zé was very kind to translate us everything that the natives told us: they talked about their society, their beliefs and even their relationship with other tribes. But what most caught my attention were the legends... I was fascinated like a child while writing down the names of so many deities and mythological creatures that even my wrist hurts from so much writing!

July 13th

A couple of days ago we left for Mura Nunka. The camp has now been completely established and the research team has already traced a route based on the directions given to us by the Huaorani. Grandpa and Dr. Isabel are very excited! However, for some reason, I'm starting to get second thoughts about this trip... I've been having a hard time trying to sleep, knowing that we're in the middle of nowhere. The insects in this place scare me so much, and we are in constant danger of running into some wild creature. Marco took me by surprise and told me that I'm a crybaby. For God's sake, I don't know why that idiot is with us. I'm starting to doubt if this is really what I wanted... what if something bad happens? Easy Lucas, easy... think positive...

July 14th

An incident occurred today. A scout of Mr. Mondelez's crew was bitten by a snake in the hand. I thought they would give him an antivenom to cure him, but my surprise was huge when Mr. Mondelez ordered his hand to be amputated. And so they did... his hand turned black in a matter of seconds... sweet Jesus.

I froze at the grotesque scene. My fear just got bigger. My opinion of this place has changed completely. I feel like we are in danger at all times. I won't be able to see this place with the same eyes again...

July 17th

We've been wandering in all directions for two days and haven't found a single trace of Mura Nunka anywhere. I'm starting to doubt the existence of that place... I mean, a fucking temple of a long lost civilization should be obvious to the eye, right? But wherever you look, it's always the same... green. Miles and miles of green. What if the Huaorani lied to us? I don't wanna say anything to my grandfather because I don't want him to be sad or disappointed of me, but I think we're just wasting our time. Rations are running out quickly and at night I can't help but feel this horrible feeling that someone or something is watching us...

July 19th

I'm still in shock... Grandpa and a group of scouts got lost today while helping him find the way to Mura Nunka. Mr. Mondelez has already sent a search team and reported the incident to the Puerto Maldonado authorities by radio. Fortunately, a few hours later they found my grandfather safe and sound. It scared me to death. For a moment I thought that I would never see him again... miss Zé said this isn't normal. She lived in the jungle during her childhood with her tribe and said that the "will" of the allmother is more relentless than ever... what the hell does that even mean!? Dr. Isabel and our team are feeling very nervous and have suggested withdrawing if the scouts don't show up within the next 24 hours. On the other hand, I'm relieved to know that we will be leaving this place tomorrow, but something inside my heart tells me that... no no, I don't want to think about that. Grandpa and I will be returning home soon.

July 20th

This is a nightmare... we were attacked by a group of huge cats during the night... I had never seen felines of such size... the screams of our colleagues and the gunshots... my God. I tried to hold my grandfather's hand... but I couldn't. One of them chased me... I had to run... I had never run so fast in my life... managed to escape... but now I'm alone. There's sunlight right now... but I don't know where I am... where are you Grandpa...?

July 21st

Tried to follow my own tracks and made it to the camp... it was horrible... bodies everywhere... bloodshed... I looked for my grandfather and Dr. Isabel... but they weren't there. That means they're still alive... right? They escaped... yeah, surely they managed to escape! I couldn't find my backpack, but at least I have my knife and some rations, but now I don't know where to go... I don't know what to do... I'll try to find them...

July 24th

I've been walking aimlessly for days... sleeping wherever I can. The day is so hot... the nights are cold... I'm exhausted... I don't have any more tears left to cry... and just ran out of supplies... shit.

July 26th

I got to the river... I'm starving. Almost drowned trying to catch a fish... I had to eat some disgusting fruits to keep me from fainting... I'm fed up... I don't know why I'm still doing this... I try to scream as loud as I can, but nobody hears me... this place is hell... a green hell...

July 30th

I felt something was watching me during night again. I just want this to end... I can't take it anymore... if I'm going to die here, someone please kill me once and for all... if someone finds this, I want you to know that...

No no no no, never! God, I don't even know what I'm writing anymore...

Grandpa... dad... please forgive me...

JUNGLE DAYS: MONKEY FAMILY

 

It has been 22 years since that day when a group of monkeys completely changed the destiny of the jungle. The young Naka'i who witnessed that miracle with their own eyes, today are the elders who lead the troop. That day when a little baby girl was found crying in the arms of her dying mother. Even today they don't know how to explain it, but from the first moment they saw her, they knew the human cub was special...

Despite being a completely different species, Y'shaati was always loved and regarded by her monkey brothers and sisters as one of them. She grew up and prospered in the depths of Amazonia, learning to live like a noble and wild animal. Her natural abilities developed in such a way that it could be said that she really was more ape than human. However, as time passed, many questions began to arise inside her head as she began to notice great differences that distinguished her from the other Naka'i.

She didn't have golden fur covering her body. The size of her breasts was considerably larger than that of the other females. The shape of her feet was very different compared to the monkey's foothands... these and several other things made her feel like the odd one out of the entire troop. There was no other Naka'i creature like her.

At times when these ideas flooded her thoughts, Y'shaati used to sit alone for hours in the treetops, gazing at the vast landscape, wondering if the jungle was really her home. She felt like she didn't belong anywhere...

When her monkey brothers and sisters noticed her absence, they immediately approached her to try to cheer her up. The Naka'i interlocked their toes with hers as they explained why she was special. They reminded her that even though her feet were not equal, her toes were just as dexterous and skilled as theirs. Maybe even more. They also told her that her ability and speed to swing through the vines was exceptional. Everything the Naka'i could do, she was capable of doing and even surpassing. The elders were very proud of her for this and for all the things she used to do for the prosperity of the troop. This was just a small example of everything she had accomplished in her young life.

And for all of them, all of this was more than enough to accept her as a true Naka'i...

JUNGLE DAYS: TO THE RESCUE!

 -.This short story takes place between the 1st arc (Beginnings) and the 2nd arc (The Dark Lands).-

Swinging through the treetops of the jungle like any other day, the queen of the monkeys suddenly heard a distress call: the cries of a unique and little-known creature of Amazonia. The sound was coming from far below, so Y'shaati decided to stop her journey and descend little by little with the vine in which she was traveling.

On the surface, stuck in a large puddle of mud, an infant hippo begged for help. The poor thing had been left behind by his mother and the other members of his pack after having enjoyed a refreshing bath. The little one had separated too far from them and because of that, his life was in danger. The hippo struggled to get out, but this only caused him to sink deeper and deeper. Apparently his fate was sealed... life in the jungle can be cruel and unfair.

However, just before sinking completely, the feral girl appeared just in front of him, hanging upside down. The baby shrieked and kicked in terror, thinking that she was a predator seeking to take advantage of his peril and devour him after death. But in that moment, Y'shaati began to gently caress the hippo's nose with her hands while she held onto the vine with her dexterous feet. When he felt her tender touch, the little one began to calm down as he understood that the strange girl was there to help. Everything was going to be fine. Without wasting any more time, the blonde took a deep breath and immediately jumped into the mud.

Y'shaati quickly found the problem: one of the hippo's hooves was stuck in a thick tree root, so she decided to break it in order to free him. When the infant felt that he could finally move his foot, the animal was finally able to walk to the edge and get out of the puddle. The wild girl followed him closely. With both of them out of there and covered in mud from head to toe, the monkey queen approached the little hippo to make sure he was okay. The baby ran up to her and happily rubbed his little head on her body to show her how grateful he was for saving his life. Y'shaati smiled at him and caressed him again: the Spirit of Amazonia had saved the day once again!

Unfortunately, their brief moment of joy was cut short very abruptly...

The cracking of leaves and sticks on the jungle soil indicated that someone was walking rapidly toward them. Alerted by the weird noise, the savage girl ordered the hippo to follow her and quickly hide with her in the foliage. Once concealed and staying silent, Y'shaati and the infant were able to observe the unexpected intruder: a human explorer who was trekking alone through the Amazon jungle. Completely convinced that he had seen two dark silhouettes, the young man carefully inspected the ground for a few seconds until he finally knew something was off... footprints, two different pairs of footprints... one of them in the shape and size of human hands and feet. This greatly intrigued the explorer, so he decided to follow the trail of mud to uncover the mystery.

Seeing the human heading towards them, Y'shaati began to run, with the hippo following her closely. Hearing the sound of something fleeing, the scout immediately began to pursue what he believed to be a never-seen-before wild creature.

After a few minutes running away at full speed, the blonde and the baby discovered a small pond of clean water. Y'shaati knew that could be an excellent place to hide. Without thinking twice, she hastened the little hippo to jump into the water with her. And so, both jumped at the same time, diving deep into pond and then surfacing under the water lilies. This also allowed their bodies to completely clean themselves from the mud. They both held their noses just barely above the surface to breathe, while the aquatic plants covered their heads. Both remained motionless.

A few seconds later, the explorer arrived in the place. However, the trail he was following had completely disappeared. Y'shaati watched the man carefully... she knew from her own experience that humans were extremely dangerous, so it was best not to take risks and remain hidden until the man left. Looking in all directions but never suspectng the pond, the young explorer felt disappointed of himself: the chance to make an historic discovery had slipped from his hands. Was it real? Or perhaps an hallucination due to the intense heat of the jungle? Many ideas crossed his mind. Whatever the case, the man was very exhausted after running at top speed for a long time. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a napkin and decided to continue his expedition, resigned.

The gods decided the legend to remain unknown this day. Perhaps it was for the better... the man would never had believed that the beautiful protector of Amazonia was right in front of him, hidden in plain sight...

JUNGLE DAYS: UNEXPECTED GUEST

 -.This short story takes place between the 1st arc (Beginnings) and the 2nd arc (The Dark Lands).-

With each step, the roots of the trees trembled and the leaves shook wildly. A huge shadow slowly darkened the ground, forcing small animals to get out of its way so as not to get crushed under its feet. The majestic presence of the gray elephant marching through the jungle is an spectacle that demmands respect from all creatures. However, the pachyderm's mind would leave pride for another time, for it was only focused on one goal: to cool off on this extremely hot day.

Its destination was a beautiful crystalline pond adorned with lovely water lilies. A safe haven where many members of its species often go to drink and rest in group. Upon arrival, the elephant stepped into the water to lower its temperature, quickly feeling a refreshing sense of relaxation. With its long trunk, it began to splash a large amount of water all over its body to bath itself. The tranquility in the place was so profound that the noble animal couldn't help but close its eyes and submerge a bit to take a short nap. The moment was perfect, after all. It was everything the elephant could have wished for...

After a pleasant time, the peaceful silence was interrupted by a strange noise coming from the other side of the pond. The pachyderm's excellent hearing detected it immediately despite the distance. The sound of a splash meant that something had just entered the water... an unwanted guest. The elephant was no longer alone.

Feeling slightly insecure, the pachyderm slowly approached to discover the intruder. It saw a suspicious dark silhouette swimming underwater, very close to its legs. Only one creature tends to stalk that way: a crocodile. The elephant knew that facing a crocodile could be a very dangerous act. However, she decided not to be intimidated by the predator and defend its territory, as the pond was a sanctuary exclusive for the elephants. Without hesitation, the pachyderm introduced its powerful trunk and pulled the creature out of the water by one of its limbs.

They both looked at each other... "What kind of crocodile is this?", the elephant thought. The girl remained hanging for a few seconds while the fish she had caught with her mouth, her right hand and her right foot were still wriggling. As a display of her great agility and skills, Y'shaati managed to balance her body to grab on to one of the elephant's tusks. Then, she used them for support so she could climb up the pachyderm's head, without releasing any of her prey in the process. Already on top of it, the blonde simply sat on its back, held two of the fish with her toes and began to devour the one she had in her hands.

The elephant didn't move while all this was happening, although it did feel a bit annoyed due to the unwelcomed visitor's disrespect. It only limited itself to observe and decipher what kind of creature she was. "Is she an ape? Is she a human?".

Whatever the case, the good news is that at least she didn't seem to pose a threat, so its worry disappeared after a while. When she finally finished eating, Y'shaati jumped into the water again and swam to the edge of the pond.

The pachyderm didn't care at all and continued with its shower...

JUNGLE DAYS: Y'SHAATI VS E'ZSO

 

This is a reinterpretation or alternate version of Y'shaati into the Darklands: The Arrival III

The wild girl gradually regained consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes and looked all around her. Everything was blurry. She was in a dark and humid place. Before long, she realized that the surface on which she was lying was very murky. An enormous ditch of mud.

"How did I end here? What is this place?"

The last thing Y'shaati remembered was a tough battle against a huge jakare as she fell down a gulch along with the beast. Apparently she had won that battle, but her defeated adversary was nowhere to be found. Still a little dizzy, the monkey girl brushed the mud off her body and began to search for a way out of the trench. As she moved around the place, she noticed that the ground was soft and light, definitely enough to sink if she wasn't careful. Perhaps the jakare suffered that same fate...

Y'shaati tried to climb one of the roots of a large tree to escape the place, but every time she tried to hold on with both her hands and her dexterous feet, she slipped due to the mud. If she wanted to escape from there, she would have to find another way to do it. However, just then, the ground below her began to tremble, as if something submerged underneath was about to emerge. With difficulty, the monkey girl moved away from there. She wasn't prepared to face a new threat just yet. And she certainly would never have imagined the magnitude of what was about to appear before her eyes...

A gigantic snout filled with innumerable lines of sharp teeth and a colossal tongue emerged from the underground. A horrid creature like nothing she had ever seen before. The monster immediately launched itself against Y'shaati to eat her with a single bite or crush her under his morbid belly. The blonde girl barely managed to dodge it and get out the way of the beast's attack. The massive weight and size of the monster raised a huge wave of mud that covered every corner. Y'shaati couldn't do nothing this time and was dragged through the ditch.

Struggling and kicking in distress to return to the surface, the monkey girl finally managed to get out of the mud and take a deep breath. Her naked body was completely covered in mud, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She wasn't used to the conditions of this place, so this definitely was going to be a challenge for her.

This nightmarish creature was known in the Darklands legends as E'zso, the "Devil Maggot". One of the many Dark Gods that roam free in this accursed land of Amazonia. A beast with a covetous spirit that wanders in the depths of the earth in search of its prey to satisfy an extreme hunger that seems to have no end. The creature had two small limbs very similar to human arms, as if it were an indication that this monster was once human...

Suddenly, the monster simply disappeared. Y'shaati thought this could be a good chance to escape, so she made her way through the ditch to try to climb the roots again. She crawled with all the strength left in her body, surprisingly managing to do better than last time she tried it. However, being only a few more steps away from escaping the trench, the Devil Maggot emerged once more, and seeing that its prey was about to flee, the creature opened its jaw again and stucked out its extense tongue. The monster's tendril quickly reached Y'shaati, wrapping around her hips. The monkey girl fell to the ground and began to being dragged into the grotesque mouth of the hellish maggot. She dug her fingers several times in the creature's muscle to try to hurt it and free herself, but this proved useless.

All her attempts to hold on to something were in vain. Fear flooded Y'shaati's mind more and more. At that moment, the monster used the great strength of its tongue to launch the girl several meters up. Y'shaati spun uncontrollably in midair for a couple of seconds, and when gravity finally did its thing, she saw the creature awaiting her with its snout open to devour her. Y'shaati simply closed her eyes...

Then, everything went completely dark. Not knowing how long it had been, the monkey girl came to her senses. As she tried to stand up, the surface she was on was moving strangely. The walls around her writhed in disgusting ways. And a sticky substance that produced a horrible stench was present at all times: Y'shaati was inside the entrails of E'zso. If anything positive could be mentioned about all of this, it was that at least she hadn't been chewed or crushed by the worm's teeth. But still, the situation remained critical. A weird feeling ran all over her spine. If she couldn't find a way to get out of there right away, she would surely end up being digested by gastric juices in a matter of minutes.

The wild girl started hitting all of the creature's stomach walls, but this seemed to have no effect. Desperation drove her to scream with all her might as she delivered all kinds of punches and kicks to get out. Suddenly, the monster's entire body shuddered, causing Y'shaati to nearly fall and die in the pool of stomach acid. However, upon close observation, she was able to notice something intriguing. Floating in those juices were parts of a dead creature... Seeing the shape of the corpse, she realized it was the Jakare she had fought with before falling into the ditch. The crocodile's huge fangs were still intact, so there was still little hope of being able to break out of E'zso's stomach.

Without thinking twice, Y'shaati dipped her hand and plucked one of the Jakare's fangs as fast as she could. This caused a slight burn on her right hand, despite the fact that it hadn't taken her even five seconds to perform this action. A kind of pain she had never felt before... but she didn't care. She didn't have time for that now. Once with the sharp object in her possession, the blonde girl began to tear one of the walls of the worm's entrails. A reddish liquid suddenly began to flow from the wound she caused, and at the same time, a roar could be heard from outside. Apparently, this time the monster was feeling each stab from within. Y'shaati didn't stop and continued to damage him from the inside. Her breathing was intense. The jet of blood that came out with more and more force began to flood the entire stomach of the worm, until a slight light appeared: the muzzle of the creature opened again due to another roar. It was now or never...

Y'shaati quickly crawled through E'zso's throat heading towards the exit. The monster roared in pain as he felt a powerful urge to puck so it could get rid of the blood that was flooding his inside organs. The worm's retching made it easy for Y'shaati to move quickly through its mouth. However, before she could be finally free, Y'shaati once again observed the creature's tongue, and without hesitation, decided to use the crocodile's fang to stab its root. Then, holding the monster's tendril with both arms and pulling with all her strength. It took her several tries until the wild girl screamed from the top of her lungs and managed to completely tear it away.

E'zso's last roar echoed in all directions, as he vomited up a large amount of blood, gastric juices, and all sorts of nasty things that were once found inside him. Y'shaati was thrown out at high speed, crashing straight into the mud once more. After a while, the worm stopped moving as its body began to sink into the mud. It was definitive... E'zso, the legendary Devil Maggot was dead.

Seeing this, the Queen of the Monkeys, without any more strength left in her body, finally collapsed from fatigue and exertion. A slight sigh of relief came out from her very soul. She had never been so close to death. But fortunately... today wasn't her time...

JUNGLE DAYS: MONKEY ASSAULT

 -.This short story takes place 1 year before the 1st arc (Beginnings).-

Among the countless species that inhabit the Amazon rainforest, primates are considered one of the most intelligent and cunning animal orders. Their great intellectual capacity allows them to form communities, social classes, norms of behavior and even alliances between different races. However, this same intellect makes them susceptible to committing atrocities such as revenge, abuse, killings and even wars. Actions that, ironically, resemble those of humans...

The Naka'i and the Kwa'tta have been rival races since both sides can remember. No one knows how or when the conflict began, but one thing is certain: the aversion between them hasn't dropped a bit since then. And unfortunately, Y'shaati knows from an experience, that this may never change.

Y'shaati was swinging through the treetops when a group of depraved monkeys suddenly appeared...

"What kind of Naka'i be you, girl? You even be monkey at all?"

"Hey! Let go! Take your filthy hands off Y'shaati!"

"Hmmm, girl have no fur... have no tail either, hahaha! Ook ook!"

"Look look, her feet be different too. This no foothands. Skin be pale like marble... hmmm, hmmm, oh and very soft! Tastes good too, Ook ook ook!"

"No! Ugh, stop that! Stop touching, pervs!"

"Ohhh and why have long, yellow fur on head? You be really ugly female, you know? Hahaha!"

"What!? Shut up! You gonna pay for this... hmmngh!?"

"No! You shut up and lick, hahaha!"

"Hmmngh!! hmmpff!!"

"Ook ook ook! Also have no fangs, can't do anything to defend! You be our slave toy from now hahahaha... Uh? What you doing?"

"Euuggh... Enough! Leave... Y'shaati... ALONE!!"

The blonde girl managed to shake them off and free herself from the Kwa'tta when her strength suddenly increased in just a matter of seconds. Then, she acrobatically managed to hold on to a vine before falling. The monkeys crashed into the ground. Infuriated, the feral girl dropped to the jungle soil as well to have her revenge. The monkeys face changed completely...

"What? how? How you be stronger than us!?"

"You gonna regret what you done, you damn Kwa'tta!"

"No! Get away, awful beast!"

"Beast? Y'shaati no beast, Y'shaati be Naka'i!"

"No! You not be Naka'i nor any kind of monkey... you be a freak!"

"Freak?"

Just then, the Kwa'tta simply ran away. Visibly hurt by their insults and mistreat, the blonde girl decided to return home, not before approaching a small puddle of water near there and watch her sad reflection...

"Y'shaati... freak...?"

JUNGLE DAYS: MATING SEASON

 In the Amazon jungle, the gift of life is the most sacred and pure event that can happen. New souls are blessed by the will of Goddess Yacuruna at the very moment they arrive in this world. However, for this miracle to occur, the creatures of the rainforest go through a fertility ritual, commonly known as "mating season", and the way to carry it out is different in each species...

During certain times of the year, Naka'i monkeys take a joint journey to Y'vyra, the sacred tree of primates. In this place, the young adult Naka'i males face each other in wild fights for the females. The males who are proclaimed victors in these confrontations are granted by the elders the right to choose any females they desire to copulate with and start their own family to have offspring.

Upon reaching sexual maturity, one of Y'shaati's most fervent wishes was to be able to become a mother, so each mating season, she was always excited and hopeful that maybe some strong male Naka'i could finally choose her as his partner.

Unfortunately for her, no male monkey has ever considered the blonde girl as an ideal mate due to the "hidden truth" behind her...

During those days, Y'shaati's body is filled with hormones and her sex drive is higher than ever, which leads her to behave in very suggestive and naughty ways... a behavior that always ends up bothering more than one of her Naka'i brothers. As a consequence of this, the answer is always the same: indifference.

Because of this, she is always scolded by the elders, and her powerful carnal impulse ends up being released in a bitter and lonely session of auto-satisfaction.

Mating seasons pass by, and rejection becomes just another reason that makes her sob at nights, thinking that she is destined to never be able to fulfill her long-awaited wish...

JUNGLE DAYS: A MONKEY GIRL'S DIET

 Life in the amazon jungle is ruled by a single law: the survival of the fittest. Eat or be eaten. All the creatures that inhabit this beautiful, but dangerous paradise know that waking up another day is a precious gift from allmother Yacuruna. However, this young human girl raised by monkeys who skillfully hangs from the vine with her toes sometimes refuses to obey the natural order of this place.

Since she was a baby, Y'shaati was breastfed by Naka'i females, just like all the other monkeys pups of her age. As she grew up, her diet began to be based on a wide variety of fruits, seeds, herbs and insects. She was always happy to climb trees to taste a juicy mango or to use sticks to eat some termites from an old log.

However, upon reaching teenage, the Naka'i elders knew that soon she would began to feel curious to taste something else: meat. She was human after all, and they feared her predatory instinct would awake, unleashing her dormant wild side. To avoid this, the Naka'i asked the Uturuncu, one of the biggest felines in the amazon, to instruct her in the art of hunting.

At first, the girl was truly excited to learn everything about being a predator. But then, the day she claimed her first prey, something changed in her. When she saw the blood of the baby Tapir she had killed, splattered all over her hands and body, she knew this wasn't her thing, although she couldn't deny the truth... the meat was delicious.

From that day, she decided that she didn't want to kill to survive, so she swore never to hunt or kill any animal unless it was extremely necessary. She would continue to feed and live like a true Naka'i.

But life in the jungle is relentless, and you never know when you'll have to kill to live another day...

JUNGLE DAYS: TRAINING WITH K'UNO

 -.This short story takes place 4 years before the 1st arc (Beginnings).-

The blonde girl fell on her back after being pushed by the huge arm of the gorilla that stood in front of her. She was inches away from falling from the high thick tree branch where both trained, which would have meant a fatal injury to her.

Her master was very tough, but fair... he knew that she possessed innate talent and skills for combat since that day the girl demonstrated it by beating the most experienced tahuayos in previous wrestling matches.

"Again... focus strength and weight to charge at K'uno. Don't fail. Push off K'uno...", the gorilla said. Y'shaati nodded.

Motivated, the girl immediately reincorporated her posture by planting her knuckles on the ground, and quickly launched herself at him. Surprisingly, the slender girl's strength was almost as formidable as that of her master's. Both struggled for a few seconds holding each other's hands. Suddenly, K'uno was overcome by the untamed strength of his apprentice, making his right foothand to slip, losing balance and pushing him off the branch. Fortunately, the gorilla managed to grab a smaller tree branch underneath, saving him from falling.

Y'shaati looked down at her master, hooting with a smile on her face for having defeated her master. However, K'uno remained calm and composed...

"Combat not over! Finish combat... defeat K'uno!"

"What? But Y'shaati win. Master defeated... Y'shaati not want to hurt master...", the girl answered.

"Not listen? K'uno far from defeated! Charge at K'uno again and finish K'uno..."

Confused by his attitude, Y'shaati reluctantly prepared to leap from the branch to attack her master... and just then, the girl jumped down to pounce on him and end the fight once and for all...

In a extraordinary way, the gorilla catched his pupil by her face with his huge left foothand in the air, just before she could give him the last blow.

Y'shaati desperately tried to free herself from K'uno's grasp, with no success. The girl kicked wildly and spreaded her toes while she felt the air running out from her lungs. When she was about to pass out, the gorilla released his hold, leaving Y'shaati to fall and crash into the ground. Luckily, the jungle's soil was just a couple meters down from there.

Trying to catch her breath, the girl layed completely exhausted on the grass. Soon after, K'uno dropped from the heights, landing safely next to her. The gorilla gazed down at his apprentice, dissapointed...

"Not fair! Y'shaati beat master... master cheat! Master not respect rules!", the blonde girl claimed.

"No rules in the jungle, pup. Never underestimate opponent... use environment... use hands, feet and toes to attack, defend and change course of combat...", K'uno said as he turned around.

"Wait! Y'shaati want to try again! Master fight with Y'shaati!", the girl pleaded.

"No... training over... Y'shaati still much to learn...", K'uno answered as he slowly walked away...