JUNGLE DAYS: BIG SISTER

Years before she took on the responsibility of being the queen of the monkeys, Y'shaati's duties within the Naka'i troop were of the most common and ordinary. Each monkey has a purpose within the troop so that every member contributes in some way to the welfare and survival of the species. These have been the rules of the Naka'i, established long before the eldest of them were even born. The human baby girl who would arrive with them at some point in their history wouldn't be exempt from this.

Upon reaching early adulthood, Y'shaati was already aware that she wasn't like the other monkeys. Her brothers never looked at her the same way they looked at her sisters during mating seasons. It was hard for her to accept it, but in the end she knew that mother nature would never allow her to form a family of her own. Fortunately for her, one day she found the love and tenderness her heart had longed for in the little pups of the troop.

Like all infants, the love of the baby monkeys was innocent and pure. They didn't care about the things that made her so different. To them, the fact that their fur was the same color as her hair was enough to see her as any other Naka'i. In their eyes, Y'shaati was that special 'big sister' who was always excited and happy to be with them all day. Over time, more and more adults entrusted their pups to her as they noticed that she had a special bond with the little ones, becoming everyone's favorite nanny. She finally felt that she was doing something that mattered and that was actually helpful for the troop.

It would seem to be an easy task, but there were times when the babies had enough energy to play for hours and hours. It was common for Y'shaati and the little ones to take short naps together before nightfall after those exhaustive play sessions. However, this time there was a particular curious monkey who wanted to keep playing even if she wasn't awake. Nanny ended up so tired that she didn't feel a pair of little hands inspecting her strangely shaped foot-hands.

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: CHAPTER 10 - THE DUEL PART II

 TWO NIGHTS EARLIER...

With the sound of heavy rain outside the tent, Marco was sleeping peacefully in a hammock. Beside him, the shotgun with which he had killed that black feline was still there, even though he had been ordered to return it a few hours earlier. However, his rest was interrupted by the commotion of several men on the outside.

"The prisoners aren't in the tent!", said one of them. "What!? How the hell did that happen!? We must find them! Spread out, they couldn't have gone too far!"

"(The hell...?)", thought the blond boy, still slightly drowsy. He got up and went outside to find out what was going on. "Hey, wait a minute, what happened?", he asked to a man running past.

"Your damn friend escaped along with the native girl! Come on don't just stand there, help us find her!", he ordered.

"Oh shit!", Marco exclaimed. Immediately, the boy went back inside to grab his shotgun. "(Shit, how the fuck did they run away?)," he asked himself as he loaded the weapon. Ready to give chase, he headed for the exit. But at that moment, someone got in his way.

"Where do you think you're going, boy? I thought I ordered you to return that gun to the armory..."

"D-Dr. Faucault? What are you doing here? Didn't you hear? Lucas and the tour guide escaped!"

"I know. And you're going with them..."

"What? What the hell are you saying?"

"Marco... I need to know if I can trust you one hundred percent. So for your own sake, answer correctly... do you have what it takes truly?"

"What?"

"Do you desire wealth and power above everything? Is that really what drives you?"

"Well..."

"ANSWER ME!!"

"Y-yes, I want all that you promised... I want it all! I don't care about anything else!"

"Hee hee hee... good. Then, listen carefully... this is what you're gonna do..."

PRESENT DAY...

Near a high ridge, a man from the expedition group watched over the surroundings of the camp in a small lookout post. From that height, the jungle could be seen like a large map. He was one of the few who risked standing guard to alert the group in case of any threat. To do so, it was necessary to remain completely alone for several hours until the next relay arrived. A vital but dangerous task. However, the man received an unexpected visitor at that time of day.

"Ahhh!! For God's sake, you almost scared me to death, Marco! What are you doing here?", the man asked upon discovering the blond boy's presence.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. Dr. Escudero sent me, we need your help! It's an emergency!", said Marco very worried.

"What's wrong?"

"One of our scouts was badly injured out there and we need to locate him! We don't have much time! Do you have your radio with you?" the boy asked.

"Oh crap! Of course, I bring it with me always!", the man replied as he bent down to turn on and calibrate the huge communications device. "Ready, just tell me the frequency and I'll try to locate him..."

"120.85..."

"Alright, let's see...", the man said as he searched for a signal. "Who's the wounded?"

"As matter of fact... it's you..."

"Wait what?"

At that moment, Marco brutally hit the man's head with a rock he was hiding behind his back. The guy fell to the ground completely knocked out as blood began to pour from his forehead. Hesitating for a few moments, Marco quickly dragged the man's body to the edge of the ridge.

"Sorry, it's nothing personal...", the blond boy said before giving him one last shove. The man's body rolled downhill.

He did it. Marco had sent a person to a probable death. And yet... he didn't even consider the atrosity he had done. Instead, the boy picked up the radio horn and began to speak:

"Dr. Faucault, do you read me? This is Marco, I'm already inside. I have the camp's coordinates... over."

He waited for a response for several minutes, trying to communicate again and again.

"Damn it, answer me! I don't have all day!", he shouted. Then, a creepy voice replied.

"Well... Who would have thought you would make it? You really impress me... I'd even say you scare me a little, hee hee hee. Excellent work."

"Save your thanks and get over here at once before something happens!"

"Easy there... we'll be there real soon. You just earned your share, kid..."

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

MEANWHILE...

With every step Uyari took forward, Y'shaati took a step backwards. After arguing for several minutes, the brunette girl's patience was beginning to wear thin.

"What are you waiting for? Stop acting as if you were a tender and innocent child! I command you to reveal your true form this very instant and fight me!", Uyari ordered. Her eyes and body glowed brightly in a golden color.

"No! Y'shaati no hurt friend!", Y'shaati replied.

"Friend? Never! I... I'm not your friend! I-I could never be friends with a devil like you!", Uyari pointed out as she walked to confront the blonde. Then, the brunette grabbed Y'shaati by her shirt and ripped it off her body aggressively, exposing her beautiful breasts. "I won't fall for your tricks so easily, you hear?"

"Ahh!", the blonde gasped.

"You think wearing a few garments makes you human? You will never be like that, you're a beast!", Uyari shouted as she pushed the wild girl, making her fall to the ground. Then, she began to pull off her pants to strip her.

"No! Stop!", Y'shaati begged as she struggled with the native girl.

"You're just a poor soul cursed by fate... just like me. And neither you nor I will be able to change that!", Uyari sentenced as she tossed her pants. The blonde was fully naked again.

"No! Y'shaati different... Y'shaati change!"

"Different? Hmmm... maybe you're right on that. Unlike you, I protect the jungle. I'm a humble servant of the allmother. Your sole purpose is to destroy our home and terrorize its inhabitants. You're a walking chaos!"

"No! Y'shaati protect apes and jungle!", Y'shaati shouted angrily as she rose up.

"It's okay. You won't have to worry about that, I'll do that job after I finish with you!"

"No, no... NO!!", Y'shaati exploded. She was mad now. Uyari's provocations had finally worked. She felt insulted. The Queen of the Monkeys wasn't going to allow someone else to take her place as the guardian of the Amazonia. Without a warning, the blonde savagely pounced on the brunette to attack her. A wild duel had begun.

Using her own weight, Y'shaati tried to pin Uyari down to subdue her with a wrestling maneuver. Surprisingly, the dark-skinned girl kept her balance and carried the blonde's entire body. Pushing herself forward, Uyari countered the attack and threw Y'shaati against the ground. Immediately, she dropped her buttocks on her legs, so that Y'shaati couldn't free herself. The blonde felt a sharp pain in her back and pelvis. However, she didn't waste a second to try to defend herself. Y'shaati quickly raised both legs and kicked Uyari's face with her right foot.

"Argh! I forgot how dexterous you are with your feet...", Uyari said just before Y'shaati attempted to kick her in the face again. The native girl managed to stop her this time, interlocking her toes with her hands. "Got you... I've watched all your skills very closely...", Uyari bragged.

"Ahh!?", Y'shaati gasped surprised. "I know how to use mine too!", the dark-skinned girl said before placing the sole of her right foot on one of the blonde's cheeks. She also nipped her ear with her toes. The girls remained struggling like that for a few seconds. In desperation, Y'shaati moved her head from side to side. Taking extreme measures, she managed to bite Uyari's big toe, which caused her to produce a moan of pain.

"Ahhhh!! Let go of me!!", she cried out. In that brief period of distraction, Y'shaati reincorporated her upper body and delivered a hard headbutt right on Uyari's chin. The brunette was stunned. The wild blonde took advantage of that moment to free her feet and connect a powerful kick right in her stomach. Uyari went flying until she crashed into one of the cave's walls. She fell to her knees and put her hand on her sore belly. Meanwhile, Y'shaati stood up and adopted her gorilla fighting pose.

"Ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhh... Goddesses, I can't deny it, your strength is impressive. I must be careful...", Uyari said while breathing heavily. "But I'm strong too! I'm used to take more than that!"

"Grrrrr! Ook ook ook ahh ahh!!", Y'shaati growled and howled to intimidate her opponent.

"You don't scare me, daughter of apes. Come on, I'm ready...", Uyari said as she slowly adopted a strange battle pose as well. She bent her body and let loose one arm, while she hid the other behind her.

Already determined to fight, Y'shaati launched herself into the attack, throwing several frenzied punches and kicks. However, the dark-skinned girl nimbly dodged each one of the blows. Her speed and reflexes were admirable. Uyari clearly possessed combat discipline, while Y'shaati relied only on brute force and instincts. Unexpectedly for the wild blonde, Uyari blocked one of her attacks, leaving her completely vulnerable. In the blink of an eye, the brunette connected a strong punch to her chest and a brutal knee to her crotch.

"Hnnnggggghhh!!!", Y'shaati gritted her teeth as she felt a deep pain. As if in a dance, Uyari quickly positioned herself behind the monkey queen.

"Right there!", the brunette said just before jumping and delivering a spectacular flying kick to Y'shaati's back. The force was so much, that this time the blonde went flying straight out of the cave. Y'shaati rolled across the wet jungle floor until she collided with a large rock. Feeling dizzy, Y'shaati let out a slight groan. Her body had taken considerable damage, but not enough to give up. Rising slowly from the ground, she surveyed her surroundings. That place was surrounded by a great swamp, tall thick trees, a large amount of vines and a natural rock wall. Despite her great knowledge of Amazonia, she had never been there before. It was definitely an effective hideout for Uyari. But the girls weren't alone there. Just then, a thunderous roar was heard from above. Y'shaati looked up startled.

A huge Onsa, the same black feline that had surprised her hours before her abduction, swiftly descended from the tree branches. The beast approached snarling at her, clearly in a sign of hostility. A new challenger had joined the duel. 2 vs 1. The battle was about to get complicated. The Monkey Queen was now in serious trouble. But still, she wasn't going to run away from the battle. She was ready to face anything. However, before the Onsa could pounce on Y'shaati, Uyari came swinging with a vine and landed just between the feline and the blonde.

"Ikta! Stand back!", the brunette commanded the animal, extending her arms. Y'shaati remained frozen at the surprising situation.

"Forgive me sister... this is my battle, not yours", Uyari said in a soft and calm voice. But apparently, the Onsa didn't take that order very well as the beast made another guttural growl.

"Please sister. I'll be fine, I promise...", she said with a confident smile. In disagreement with his words, the feline reluctantly turned around and took a big leap back to a tree branch. The beast lay down to spectate the fight between the girls. Y'shaati couldn't begin to understand what had happened. It seemed that Uyari knew how to communicate with the Onsas naturally, similar to how she was able to talk with apes. But that wasn't relevant right now. The queen of the monkeys had to prove that she was capable of defeating her rival and demonstrate that she was the true guardian of the jungle.

"Alright, now we can continue with our...", Uyari was interrupted as she was tackled from behind. Y'shaati had seized the chance to regain the advantage. The dark-skinned girl fell face first against the ground. The wild blonde immediately positioned herself behind her and grabbed both her arms, stretching them backwards painfully. She finally had her right where she wanted her, now she would try to smother her with a gorilla wrestling maneuver. If she managed to keep that position on Uyari, she would end up breaking both her limbs, which could mean an assured victory.

"Aaaarrgh! Goddesses, I only turned my back for a second... aaaaaargh!!", Uyari screamed as she felt her bones cracking.

"Ook ook ook ook!!!", Y'shaati howled before giving a little jump to drop her beautiful, perfect buttocks on Uyari's back. Sitting on top of her and still holding her by the arms, she lifted both legs and placed both her feet on her face, covering her mouth and pinching her nose with her toes.

"Hmmhhhhh! Hmmmhhhhh!!", the brunette tried to speak. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't get the feral girl's dirty soles and toes away from her face. Fear began to grip her as she debated between surrendering, pleading, or maintaining her pride in the face of the monkey queen's brutal strength. Just then, Y'shaati's body began to be covered in an emerald glow. Something unexpected was about to happen.

"(Y'shaati not want to hurt friend anymore... if Uyari stop, Y'shaati stop too!)," Uyari heard Y'shaati's voice inside her mind. For some reason, she could now understand her thoughts.

"(What!? But how did you...!?)", the brunette asked in shock. By then, she was starting to run out of air.

"(Why friend want to fight? Y'shaati don't understand... stop please!)," the blonde was pleading in her mind even though she was winning the battle. It was clear that she didn't want any more violence.

"(I... I will not stop! I can see that you have hidden powers, so you leave me no choice. I will show you everything I have! Ek' Balam, bless me with thy strength!", Uyari exclaimed. At that moment, the native girl's body also became enveloped in a glow, but hers was golden in color. The energy that accumulated between them was so incandescent that a great explosion was generated, sending both girls flying in opposite directions. Y'shaati ended up crashing into a tree trunk while Uyari rolled roughly through the ground. Both remained down for a few seconds.

"Ugh... by the allmother... what was that...?", the native girl muttered as she tried to stand up. Her whole body was shaking. On the other side of the stage, Y'shaati was trying to do the same thing. "It can't be... she still has the strength to go on?", Uyari asked to herself as she looked at her opponent. The monkey queen looked quite exhausted as well too, but her azure eyes were shining brighter than ever.

"I must admit that I underestimated you... I never thought you could withstand so much. I've never met anyone like you before. But I won't give up! I will..."

"Halt your speech, cub! This is an urgent matter!", interrupted an incorporeal voice.

"Uh? Ek' Balam!?", asked Uyari in surprise. "What are you doing here!?"

"I perceive a divine essence within that girl. This is something quite unforseen, even for me..."

"Divine? What is it?"

"If I am not mistaken, this human stores the soul of a deity within her. All leads me to believe that she's an A'nya..."

"What!? Are you saying... she's a vessel... like me!?"

"Indeed."

"So... what now then?"

"This bodes ill for us, cub. We should never have come into conflict with her. I don't think you're going to be able to stop her by yourself", said Ek' Balam.

"And you're telling me that NOW!? Goddesses! And what am I supposed to do now?"

"Fret not, I've come up with a solution. Listen closely, the only thing you need to do is look straight at her eyes for a few seconds. Once done, I'll be able to take care of the rest.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me."

"Alright then. I really hope you know what you're doing..."

"Search for an opening and counterattack. Let my power flow freely through your whole body. Do not doubt yourself, cub."

"Ook ook ook ahh ahh!!!", the monkey queen savagely beat her bare chest to intimidate her rival again. Then, she pounded the ground with her fists, cracking the floor as a show of her enhanced new strength.

"Hssssskkkkk!!!", Uyari responded hissing like a wildcat as she adopted a feline battle stance. Both girls were embracing their wild side, ready to end this duel once and for all.

Y'shaati made the first move and turned around to quickly climb the tree behind her. She disappeared into the foliage of the trees and the myriad of vines up there. Seeing this, Uyari closed her eyes and focused on her hearing to detect any movement. Her strategy was simple. The combat arena remained deeply quiet for almost a full minute. Suddenly, Y'shaati reappeared swinging from a vine to attempt a powerful kick at Uyari. But the brunette managed to skillfully dodge the attack by stepping aside. Inertia allowed the wild girl to swing back to attack Uyari again. The native girl moved gracefully, avoiding harm twice. Surprised and annoyed at the situation, Y'shaati tried the same strategy several times, failing each and every single one. If she wanted to win this battle, she would have to do better than that. With that in mind, Y'shaati once again lost herself in the heights. Uyari kept her eyes closed at all times.

Guided by the soft sound of a vine, Uyari moved again to avoid yet another attack. But she noticed something suspicious immediately. Nothing was hanging from that vine. It was clearly a trap. The next second, Y'shaati dropped right on top of Uyari to crush her with her feet. But the brunette was ready. Incredibly, Uyari quickly did a handstand and stretched her legs into the air. The soles of both girls collided against each other.

"Ahhh!?", Y'shaati gasped. "Caught you!", Uyari exclaimed before propelling herself with her arms and connecting a vertically angled kick right into the monkey queen's belly. Y'shaati fell to the ground, out of breath. As she landed as well, Uyari pounced on her, locking both her arms and legs.

"Ek' Balam, I'm ready!", Uyari said as she held her gaze just millimeters away from Y'shaati's eyes, just as the entity had commanded. As they both looked at each other, a flash of light between their faces caused them both to remain in a trance-like state for a few seconds.

"Well done. Now I shall discover the identity of the spirit that lies before us...", said Ek' Balam before entering Y'shaati's mind.

Subtly, the whole environment became completely sky blue. Pure emptiness. Within an ethereal plane, Ek' Balam manifested himself in a corporeal form. His image was that of a creature with a muscular human body and the head of a black jaguar. The feline god walked slowly on a thin layer of water, hoping to unveil the mysterious entity inhabiting Y'shaati's psyche.

"(Who dwells within the body of this human girl? Come before me now or face my power...)", the god demanded.

In response, a long deafening roar disturbed the place, shattering the fabric of reality itself as if it were a mirror, threatening to traverse into the real world. Even Uyari could hear it. A display of might so immense that Ek' Balam himself had to cover his ears to endure it.

"(Nnngghh! Such wrath... such aggressiveness...)", the jaguar god muttered. "Argh! What was that horrible sound?", the dark-skinned girl asked.

"(Mbaʼéicha javépa ikatu nañakeveʼẽrendúi ñaime jave ñanekohápe?)", said an otherworldly deep voice in a incomprehensible language.

"Is that... the tongue of the Primordials? That cannot possibly be true... who are you?", Ek' Balam asked bewildered.

"Mbaʼépa. Ojopy peteĩ omoakãvape... Yacuruna...", the deity answered. Then, another roar shattered the place even more.

"Y-Yacuruna!?", said Ek' Balam in terror.

"Hyaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!", in the outside, Y'shaati began to scream in pain like never before in her entire life. She could feel hell breaking loose inside her head. An indescriptible ache. Her body began to writhe so violently that she even managed to free herself from Uyari's grip. The feral blonde brought her hands to her hair as she continued to cry desperately. "Hyaaaaaaahhh!!"

"By the allmother, what is happening to her?", Uyari wondered as she saw her rolling on the ground in agony. Her muscles twitched as if she were possessed by evil. Her hair losing its beautiful golden luster. Her iris changing to a crimson red color. "What are you doing to her, Ek' Balam!?"

"I am not doing anything, she is hurting herself. This is worse than I had imagined! This girl stores the soul of one of the Primordials gods...", replied the feline god.

"A primordial? You mean a N'epyru? Who is it?", Uyari asked.

"Yacuruna!"

"WHAT!? The daughter of the sun and the moon!? The very goddess of life!?"

"That is correct. I'm afraid I am no match for her. She's on another level altogether. But we cannot stop here. If she unleashes all her power here, she could liberate an unprecedented calamity throughout the jungle!"

"No way... what do we do!?"

"There is only one thing I can do for the time being..."

Inside the ethereal plane, Ek' Balam placed both hands on the thin layer of water and uttered one last phrase as a final resort to stop Yacuruna's threat. "Ikostádope... return to slumber!". Just before Y'shaati's mind could suffer serious permanent damage, the rage of the goddess stopped in an instant. The emerald glow disappeared as her body returned to normal. She finally stopped screaming, losing consciousness. The pain was over. The duel had come to an end.

Uyari slowly stood up as her entire body trembled from exhaustion. She walked over to observe Y'shaati lying face up on the ground. Ek' Balam's essence left the blonde's mouth and returned to Uyari's. This had been a more complicated and complex battle than they had both thought.

"That will be all for now...", said the jaguar god. "How did you make it? I thought you said you couldn't defeat her?", Uyari asked in confusion.

"I could never. All I did was return it to the dormant state it was in before the fight. But I'm afraid this is not a permanent solution. If Yacuruna's power takes over this girl's mind again, we could be in grave danger. I was wrong about her... there is no malice in her heart. She is not a white devil. In fact, her soul is pure light... perhaps too pure for this world...", Ek' Balam admitted.

"I don't think I'm following...", the native girl said.

"She is unaware of the immense power she possesses. I doubt her status as an A'nya means anything to her. This girl needs guidance...", the jaguar god pointed out.

"Guidance? And who in their right mind would want to serve as a mentor to a monkey girl?"

"Hmmm... logic tells me that perhaps the best guide to an A'nya, is another A'nya..."

"I suppose. Ah? W-wait... are you suggesting that I should...?"

"Unless you know another A'nya living in this era, it doesn't look to me like you have much of a choice..."

"Ah well... I-I guess if it's to protect the jungle, I could..."

"Good decision. This old jaguar is proud of your courage and determination. You have a new mission. You are both guardians of Amazonia. Fulfill the will of the allmother. I leave it in your hands, cub. Farewell for now...", Ek' Balam said before fading away.

"Ah!? Wait, I haven't accepted anything yet!", Uyari exclaimed, but it was too late, the god was gone. Meanwhile, Y'shaati was beginning to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes while holding her head. "Ahhhhh... hurts...", the feral girl murmured.

"Oh, you're awake already?", the brunette said in surprise. She Immediately knelt down near her to aid her. "Where...?", asked Y'shaati.

"It's okay, everything is fine. Uhm listen, I'd like to apologize for everything that happened...", Uyari confessed. Y'shaati bowed her head in confusion. "Happened...?", she asked again.

"Uh? You really don't remember what happened?", Uyari asked skeptically.

"Y'shaati remember... Onsa attack Y'shaati... Y'shaati feel punch from behind... and then, Y'shaati wake up here...", the blonde said. 

"(Heavens, I think she really doesn't remember. Maybe she has amnesia due to the strain of the fight...)", Uyari thought.

"(Fight...? Y'shaati fight...?)", the savage girl asked in her thoughts. Uyari gasped when she heard her voice.

"Ah? But how...!? Did you just hear my thoughts!?"

"(What amnesia...? Y'shaati not know meaning of funny word...)"

"Hey, and since when do you know how to speak so fluently?", Uyari was surprised when she noticed that both girls weren't moving their lips to communicate. "(What's the meaning of this...?)"

"(Y'shaati do something bad?)" she asked.

"(No, it's not that, it's just... I can hear you in my mind. Can't you feel it too? I think... you and I formed a sort of bond when we...", Uyari answered. At that moment, the Onsa who had watched the entire battle from above descended to the ground. The beast snarled at the monkey queen. "Ahhhh!!", Y'shaati yelled frightened.

"Ikta! Wait! Easy, she's not our enemy!", Uyari exclaimed, stepping between the two. The huge feline immediately backed away.

"(I'm very sorry Y'shaati. This big girl is Ikta. She is... my sister. She was the one who attacked you from behind, but it was all a big misunderstanding. And sorry about your clothes too. You were just getting used to wearing them. I hope you can forgive us both, she is a beautiful and noble creature... right?)", Uyari said with a smile as she caressed the Onsa's back. Ikta licked the native girl's face.

"Sister? Onsa be family?", asked Y'shaati.

"That's right! It's... a long story. I think I owe you and everyone else an explanation. Goddesses, speaking of which... we should get back to camp! Surely they all have noticed our absence by now", Uyari mentioned before helping to lift Y'shaati off the ground. Then, Uyari mounted Ikta. The wild girl watched still not fully trusting the beast.

"Come on, don't be afraid. I promise she won't hurt you again. We have to go!", Uyari said while extending her a hand. Y'shaati had no choice but to accept and climb on the feline's back. Ikta emitted an uncomfortable growl.

"Ikta... be good. Let's go!", Uyari commanded. Suddenly, Ikta ran at full speed and took a big leap into the branches of the trees, disappearing into the canopy.

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: CHAPTER 9 - THE DUEL PART I

 

In the midst of the deep darkness of Amazonia, a small faint light could be seen in the distance. That source of illumination came from a small cave located at the base of a huge rock wall, naturally formed over the course of millions of years. The wall was covered with undergrowth, ivy and huge roots that emerged from the extensive vegetation of the jungle. The place seemed to be inaccessible, as it was surrounded by a huge marshland that made it almost impossible to reach it on foot. The only way to reach it would be by swinging through vines high above, something only a few creatures could do. And yet, that little light was there in the middle of nowhere...

At the entrance of that cave, a curtain made of a transparent cloth served as a door, and on the floor there was a small mat made of the skin of some animal. Further inside, the same light was emitted by a set of candles lit in a row that produced a mist that hid the image of a dark-skinned woman sitting completely naked on the floor in lotus position. That girl was Miss Zé, who had stealthily escaped from the camp earlier that same night. She sat with her eyes closed in complete silence. After a few minutes, she began to speak aloud:

"Ek' Balam... your humble vessel pleads for your mighty wisdom. Manifest thyself to me, if you would..."

After uttering the enigmatic sentence, the mist began to dance unnaturally, forming the shape of what appeared to be a huge face with the characteristics of a feline beast. The huge eyes of the entity glowed as golden beacons while it stared at the brunette girl. Surprisingly, the phenomenon managed to pronounce itself before its invocation:

"Behold my presence. My attention is yours... What is it that you desire, cub?", the entity said with a spectral voice.

"I find myself in a crossroads and I'm in need of your sage advice", she answered.

"Speak, cub..."

"The will of the allmother has led me to encounter a being whose true nature has not yet been revealed. Her identity is a mystery to me. I need to unveil the truth that lies inside of her... but how should I approach it? What should I do?"

"What is the reason for your heart's doubt?"

"I... I don't know. The legend... the horror stories told by my tribe's people about the creature are still present in my mind. I remember them perfectly. But I feel something doesn't make sense. It's like everything I was taught about it was wrong. As if the creature was something else... a mere being of the most mundane kind. A human... just like me..."

"Should I remind you of the purpose of your mission?"

"What? No! That doesn't help! I know my purpose. I'm a protector. I must find... the White Devil... and eradicate it. That hasn't changed. But that was simple for me to understand some time ago. But now it's all very confusing. So much has happened. And that's not the worst of it. There's an even bigger threat out there. Danger lurks around every corner. I don't know what to believe anymore..."

"Your instincts fail you. The storm that clouds your senses has been fed by your fears and doubts, cub. To clear it, there is just but one way..."

"What?"

"Confrontation!"

"Really? Goddesses, I... I really wish there was another way. I mean, I care for this group of new people. And they seem to care for me. They saved me! But I definitely can't afford to take any more risks... I have to discover the truth once and for all..."

"Don't fall into hesitation, cub. You're the only one who can accomplish this. The allmother has placed this duty upon you. Your mind and spirit is the strongest weapon you have. When the time comes, just act. The whole pack is counting on it. But you're not alone, for my essence is in your soul and my strength is in your body. Never forget, my child.

"Yes. I understand now. Thank you as always. I just have one more question..."

"Speak..."

"How long will you keep calling me cub? After all these years... I'm an adult woman, you know? Could you at least use another word from now on?"

"You're still a young vessel to me. What name would you prefer?"

"Ugh, forget I said anything..."

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

THE NEXT MORNING IN THE CAMP...

Y'shaati suddenly opened her eyes and drew in an altered breath. Her face was sweaty. She incorporated her upper body and observed everything around her. Her beautiful pale skin was covered with a blanket. Apparently she had forgotten where she had spent the night. A few seconds later, she remembered. Beside her, Lucas was sleeping soundly, while sunlight streamed through the tent's ceiling. A new day had arrived.

The blonde finally got up to see what was going on out there. Her sight: people walking back and forth without stopping, just like yesterday and probably just like the day before that. Surprisingly, none of them noticed her presence. Humans can become quite absent-minded, she thought. Looking on the opposite side of the tent, there was simply foliage. The embracing jungle. An exit through which Y'shaati could walk and disappear with absolutely no one noticing. Return to the ape's territory and continue with the life she knew. The choice was tempting, it was right there, she just had to choose. However, she turned to look once more at the sleeping boy. The girl knew that if she escaped, she would probably never see Lucas and the others ever again. She would be breaking her promise. Besides, she was really interested in learning more about these strange bipedal apes. She had to keep her word. Having made up her mind, she looked on the floor at the clothes Dr. Isabel had given her the night before and began to dress. It took her quite a few attempts to get the clothes on correctly, but she succeeded. Finally, she walked outside, leaving Lucas to rest a while longer.

Trying not to attract too much attention, Y'shaati searched discreetly, hoping to find some familiar face. But this time, she could feel the eyes of men on her. The blonde couldn't help blushing. Despite not being naked, she felt more vulnerable than ever. Fortunately, it didn't take her long to identify an old man in the distance. At the edge of the camp, Dr. Escudero and a few men from the group were discussing a matter of vital importance next to some huge wooden crates. For some reason, that white-haired man with the huge beard conveyed a sense of trust from the moment he met him. When Grandpa saw the girl approaching, he couldn't help but smile.

"Oh! Very good morning Miss Y'shaati! I hope you slept well!"

"Hello...", she said.

"I'm so glad to see you dressed up and presentable. Although I must clarify that I don't mind seeing you as you really are hahaha! But don't worry, I'm sure you're a girl capable of adapting to any situation. You'll get used to it, trust me!", said the old man winking at her.

"Oh lord, it's the savage girl...", one of the men said quietly.

"Hey, where are your manners, gentlemen? That's no way to talk to a lass! Her name is Y'shaati and she's doing her best to fit in, so the least you should do is address her with respect!", Grandpa exclaimed.

"Ah! Y-yes! My apologies, Dr. Escudero...", said the man.

"Good. Hmmm, come to think of it...", said Grandpa rubbing his white beard. "Taking advantage of her being here... yes, I think Miss Y'shaati could be of great help with this job..."

"WHAT!? B-b-but Dr. Escudero, are you sure that...?"

"My girl, could you give us a hand with this?", Grandpa interrupted.

"Y'shaati help...?", she asked confused.

"Yes, I'll explain. These good men need help carrying some boxes containing a large amount of fruit that we have been collecting to survive. Just like these ones here. However, these boxes are quite heavy and they are a bit far from here, near the river. All you have to do is to carry them with both... arms... just... like... this... arrgh...", said Grandpa showing him how to do it.

"Ca-rry...", she analyzed.

"Exactly! Ah! Phew... gosh, they're really heavy.... Did you understand, my girl? I feel it's an excellent opportunity!"

"Uh, opportunity of what?", another man asked.

"To test the extraordinary strength that Y'shaati possesses! If what my grandson told me is true, with her help, we could speed up the food gathering every day! Plus it would really help me formulate a theory to explain this nice lass abilities! Exciting, am I right? Hahaha!", Grandpa laughed.

"Uhm, Doctor... I don't want you to take this as an insult but... do you really think SHE can carry something so heavy by herself? I mean, she looks so thin and you could barely hold one...", said the same man in disbelief.

"Are you kidding? Of course she can! A girl who is strong enough to fight gorillas can do anything! This will be a piece of cake for her! What do you say, Miss Y'shaati? Do you think you can...", Grandpa and all the men were speechless as they watched Y'shaati carrying that box effortlessly.

"Y'shaati do right...?", the blonde asked.

"WHOAAA WHAT THE HELL THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!!", the men shouted at the same time.

"YES! I knew it! I knew Lucas was telling the truth, hahahahaha! Wonderful job, Y'shaati! Bravo!", the old man clapped. The girl smiled. "See? I told you she was more than fit for this! Well no time to waste, get going! Take this talented young lass with you to help you with this task. And please gentlemen, I ask you again in the most polite manner to respect her. You've seen what she is capable of... surely none of you want to take a lethal beating from her, right? Hahahaha!"

"Ahh! Y-yes... don't worry, at your service Dr. Escudero...", said one of the men completely frightened. "T-t-this way, m-miss..."

"But...", Y'shaati whispered.

"Oh not to worry my girl, I'm just kidding haha! These guys are trustworthy. Go with them, you'll be fine!", Grandpa said. And so, Y'shaati walked off behind them feeling a bit insecure, not before turning back to look at the good doctor one more time.

"Good luck!", he exclaimed, "(My, what a girl.... Lucas was very lucky to find her...)", he said in his mind. Just then, Dr. Isabel appeared and walked up to meet Dr. Escudero. The woman had a rather serious look on her face.

"Archie...", she said.

"Oh Isabel! Good morning! How did you..."

"Archie, we need to talk. Come with me, ya ken?", she ordered.

"Oh... alright then." Without saying anything else, they both walked to Dr. Escudero's tent. Once inside, Isabel and Grandpa took a seat at his desk.

"What's the matter dear, why so serious all of a sudden, hehe?"

"First of all... promise that ye will be completely honest with me."

"Why, what happened?"

"Promise me!"

"My dear, I am always honest with you, I don't know what you mean..."

"Oh really? Then explain to me when ye were planning to talk to me about this!", the woman exclaimed angry before slamming Lucas' diary down on the desk.

"What the!? Where did you get that? Did you go through my stuff?"

"I have better questions than that... Where did Lucas find that diary? Why is the name 'Francis' crossed out? Why is it written in the same handwriting as the Francis I knew? Is it because it's the same handwriting as my ex-fiancé? Why? WHY!? Why the hell did ye hide this from me!?", Isabel yelled.

"I... I'm sorry... I told my grandson not to tell you anything. I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry? Really? That's all yer gonna say to me!?", she sobbed.

"No please don't cry, my dear. I didn't do it with bad intentions, I just wanted to spare you more sorrow... you already suffered too much..."

"Ye dinnae have the slightest idea! I've spent the last 20 years wondering every day where he might be... and the day a clue of his whereabouts finally appears, you keep it from me? He's here, lost and abandoned somewhere in this godforsaken place!"

"This is precisely why I didn't want to show you. Isabel, check the date on the pages... it pains me to tell you this, but I doubt very much that he is still..."

"I ken, I'm not stupid! I read it... I read it all...", said Isabel with tears coming out of her eyes.

"Gee, you read it all in one night?", asked Grandpa.

"Aye. And if there's one good thing about all this... at least now I know that the time he lived here... he was happy...", Isabel answered hugging the diary while crying. "He found all kinds of creatures, beautiful landscapes... it was what he wanted most in the world. This was his paradise. Then, apparently he met a native woman named Itatí... he fell in love with her... and even had a daughter..."

"Really? I would never have guessed it. But then... where could his wife and daughter be? If that was 20 years ago, then that girl must be a young woman by now..."

"Reckon we've already met her..."

"Excuse me?", the old man asked in confusion.

"The feral girl. Y'shaati is Francis' daughter."

"WHAT? B-But how on earth did you come to that absurd conclusion?", asked Dr. Escudero in disbelief.

"Yesterday, while I was brushing her hair... I looked into her eyes... and I saw him again in an instant... Francis' face", Isabel said, crying. "Deep in my heart, something tells me that she's his daughter. I know, it doesn't make any sense... it's just.... my God...", she said in a broken voice, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Oh my dear. Come here, I didn't mean to...", Grandpa said before getting up from his seat and hugging Isabel. They remained like that for a few seconds.

"This changes everything, Archie..."

"What do you mean?", asked Grandpa.

"I believe fate meant for us to find her. We can't leave her here. We've to take her back home..."

"You believe in fate now? But my dear, this place is her home."

"No! I... I have to take care of her from now on. She's the closest thing I have to Francis... I can feel it! This could be a new beginning fo me... and for her!"

Dr. Escudero remained in silence.

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

An hour after trekking through the jungle, Y'shaati and the men of the expedition arrived at their destination on the riverbank. The place looked quite peaceful. On the trees there hung all kinds of tropical fruits, so the men began to gather as much as they could, for the survival of the other people in the camp depended on it. While they worked, Y'shaati could do nothing but watch and wait for them to fill the boxes so she could carry them. As the minutes passed, boredom began to set in. She alone could have finished that tedious task, but there were rules she had to abide. Then, her stomach made a guttural sound. She still hadn't had breakfast, so it was time to remedy that matter.

"Ahhh, w-wait miss! Excuse me, but where are you going?", a man asked when he saw the blonde walking away.

"Y'shaati hungry!", she replied with a pouty face.

"Oh... yeah, okay I understand. Everyone here is hungry too, right guys? But we have to get this over with before we can get some rest and something to eat, so I ask you to please...", the man couldn't finish his request. When he turned to look at the girl, she was gone. "Ahhhh! Miss? Miss!? Damn, did anyone see where she go?"

"Who cares man, for me she can do whatever she wants! I don't trust her, I feel like she could go ape-shit crazy at any moment. She ain't no miss, there's nothing feminine about her. Really gives me the creeps...", another man replied.

"Well, to tell you the truth I think the same thing. Okay then, we'll think of an excuse to tell the doctor when we get back..."

Among the foliage, Y'shaati was looking for a specific fruit to calm her hunger. She had a craving for a tasty papaya, so taking advantage of the fact that many fruits were already on the ground, she decided to crawl to detect the scent of such food. However, apparently the blonde wasn't the only one lurking around. Behind her, plants moved suspiciously where she had passed. And judging by the sound of the footsteps, it wasn't something human-sized. It was something much larger than that. Before Y'shaati could continue, her survival instinct kicked in. A shiver in her body let her know that she was being stalked. Unbeknownst to her, a shadow also moved quickly above her.

Alerted, she turned around and slowly approached the foliage. At the same time, an extended and guttural sound came on. It was clear that some creature was hiding behind the plants. But for some reason, it dared not attack. Y'shaati hesitated for a moment, but decided to move even closer to reveal the predator: hidden in the darkness, two yellow eyes and the huge snout of a black feline roared in front of her. The blonde backed away in fright. It was an Onsa, similar to the one she and Lucas had faced days before. The girl had no choice, it was time to fight.

Unexpectedly, before the battle could even begin, the shadow moving through the heights landed right behind her and whispered in her ear:

"I'm sorry, but you're coming with me..."

Y'shaati felt a strong blow to the back of her head... and a second later, she fell to the ground, knocked out.

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

After an unknown length of time, Y'shaati finally managed to regain consciousness. Everything was spinning. Little by little, she observed the place where she was. A very faint light produced by a few candles illuminated the place. Pieces of clothing scattered on the floor. Strange objects made of wood. But the huge feline creature was nowhere to be seen. Could this be its hideout? She couldn't say for sure. It all happened too fast.

"It's about time you woke up...", said a brunette girl in front of her. Y'shaati recognized that voice. The shape of her hair. The color of her skin. With a bit of trouble, the blonde managed to stand up and observe Miss Zé, standing there in front of her, naked from head to toe.

"Finally we have a moment just for the two of us. Get to know each other. For some reason, I think we were destined to meet. But I never imagined it this way. You made me reconcider a lot of things for a while, not gonna lie. Now, I have to know the truth...", the native girl said as she walked menacingly towards the blonde. Y'shaati didn't have the slightest idea of what was going on, but it was obvious that Miss Zé already had everything calculated from the beginning. Was she the one who attacked her from behind? They both didn't have to be there. It all seemed to be a big mistake.

"This is who I really am... my name is Uyari. And now it's your turn to reveal your true form...", Zé said as her eyes glowed covered in a golden aura.

"No... Y'shaati no...", the blonde said confused.

Don't lie to me! Show me your true nature, daughter of apes! if that's your real name. We both know you're not a simple and innocent girl... everyone in the camp seems to be completely fascinated by your charms, but not me! The allmother, through Ek' Balam's spirit has entrusted me with the sacred mission to end your reign of terror over the tribes of the jungle. I must stop you. I must put an end to your myth... White Devil!"

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: CHAPTER 8 - A NEW LOOK

 SOMEWHERE IN THE AMAZON JUNGLE...

Gathered in the huge branches of the great sacred tree Y'vyra, the order of primates were listening attentively to the aggressive speech of the new leader of the tahuayo gorilla troop. Thanks to his outstanding intelligence and unusual high level of vocabulary, his words seemed to be having a great impact on the other leaders. The majority of the apes were astonished. Compared to them, Na'ek was much younger than most of the primate leaders present at the meeting. But something wasn't quite right about it. The gorilla addressed them with indignation, anger and disappointment. But... Could what he was claiming be true? Or was it perhaps a simple misunderstanding? As each one tried to decide what to believe, Na'ek continued to pronounce himself before them:

"(As you hear it... we apes betrayed! Primates so-called 'Queen' turn her back on us! Her absence today, only a small piece of her enormous deception. Tahuayo brothers and Na'ek witness it... Y'shaati ally herself with humans!)", exclaimed the gray gorilla. All the other primates gasped.

"(She put life of human from outside world above that of us! Yes, same murderous creatures who take life of former leader, K'uno! She escape with outsider, ignoring the laws of our order, dictated by ancestors. This not acceptable! She be punished! As new leader of Tahuayos, Na'ek demands that Y'shaati be stripped of her duty as Queen of the apes with immediate effect! Make right decision... we apes must choose new guardian!)", said the gorilla with a mighty roar. The primates simply looked at each other in uncertainty, until one of them spoke.

"(Watch your tongue, young one! Na'ek can't suggest such drastic measures in Na'ek's first meeting. Didn't Na'ek listen to himself? What Na'ek says, difficult to believe... no ape find trace of humans from lands beyond Amazonia in long time. How Na'ek intends to prove statements?)", one of the Papio baboon leaders questioned.

"(We Tahuayos suffer her betrayal in flesh and bone! Tahuayo brothers can testify to that!)".

"(Na'ek's words sound like the tantrum of a child. It's clear that Na'ek holds personal grudge towards our queen. Primates don't know what happen between Na'ek and Y'shaati, but that not be the way order of primates work. Na'ek blind by emotions. A shame... we primates had high expectations of Na'ek. Alouatta troop no partake nor vote in this foolish matter)", the leader of the howlers pointed out.

"(We Maquisapas won't support absurd suggestions either!)", said the alpha of the spider-monkeys. "(Geladas out of this mess too!)", the mandril troop representative declared.

"(What!? Why? Why primates refuse and just cover eyes!? Na'ek won't deny... Y'shaati be Na'ek's friend and inspiration in the past. Each one of us Tahuayos aspire to be like her someday. But that image no longer exists! A mere deception! She has changed, show her true colors!)", the gorilla exclaimed, slamming the ground with his fists.

"(Enough, young one. Na'ek has exhausted time to express himself)", interrupted Aytu, one of the three Naka'i monkey elders.

"(You... Naka'i! Naka'i are to blame for all this! Naka'i raise her! Naka'i take responsibility for her actions!)", the gorilla accused.

"(True, we Naka'i bear burden of her sometimes mischievous and playful demeanor. But she also our pride! And yes, Y'shaati change through her life. But that change bring peace and prosperity to all creatures!)", said the elder. "(She prove more than once to have the courage, bravery and devotion to be protector of all apes in the jungle. Even other species as well! That be something many lack. Remind us, young one... what has Na'ek done for the order of primates?)", the elder asked. All the primates approved the old monkey's discourse. Na'ek snarled completely furious, showing his teeth.

"(Grrrrr!! Stubborn geezers!! Completely mesmerized by her lies! Don't tell Na'ek didn't warn apes in the future. Na'ek just wish that primates open eyes before it's too late! Y'shaati no longer a guardian... Y'shaati a imminent doom! Only the Gods can guess the evil plans she and humans are scheming at this very moment...)", the gorilla mentioned before leaving the place.

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

MEANWHILE IN THE EXPEDITION CAMP...

"Aight Y'shaati, let's try this one more time. Please put yer bahookie in the tub so I can give ya a nice and cozy bath, darlin!"

"Ook ook?"

"Trust me. I'm sure yer gonna love this!", Isabel said, blinking an eye. The wild girl had no choice but to obey the doctor and sit down just as she had explained to her a few minutes earlier.

"Good gal! Aight, here comes the water! Just relax and lemme take care of the rest", the mature woman said just before she gently poured a bucket over Y'shaati's hair. Isabel took a small bar of soap and began to rub it softly from top to bottom.

"Ahh! Ohhh...", the blonde sighed startled. However, she slowly began to feel good thanks to the warm massage she was receiving all over her body. That foamy substance making contact with her bare skin was surprisingly pleasant. "My goodness lass, ye have absolutely beautiful hair! I envy you! Do you cut it yourself? And how come yer skin is soooo white? It seems to me that underneath all that dirt hides a beautiful woman. A delicate flower that needs to take care of her image and groom herself more often, hehehe!"

"Y'shaati beautiful...?", the girl asked.

"Och, of course! Look at ya, yer a lady! Ye have a perfect figure, beautiful eyes, perfect hips and a nice pair of errr.... well, what I mean is that ye are very well developed, my dear. Reckon ya must be what, 20 maybe? Ye are in the prime of yer life! The only part I see a bit battered are yer knuckles... but I suppose that's to be expected given yer peculiar way of moving. Dinnae how ye managed to live in this place yer whole life. I'd probably be dead by now if I were you! In fact, now that I see ya up close... I find yer appearance somewhat familiar...", said Isabel intrigued as she continued to bathe the feral girl.

A few minutes later, finding herself dry and clean as never before, Isabel brought with her some clothes to dress her as she thought proper. But Y'shaati didn't seem to like that idea very much, for the expression on her face changed immediately.

"Okay dear, next step. As I said before, ye can't walk around naked while ye are here with us. You could provoke certain, uhm... inappropiate anatomical reactions in most of these men's bodies and that widnae be good! We're a wee short on clothes, so I could only get ya this. I know it's boy's clothing, but I believe that will have to do for now. There will be a chance later to get ya some clothes for a lady like ya."

"No. Y'shaati not want...", she replied looking worried.

"Please understand, honey. It's for yer own good. Ye wanna make Lucas happy, right? Well, if ye wear this, he's going to be very happy with ya. Widnae ya like to look like him? It'll be fun! I promise!"

"Uh? Promise...?", the girl asked again. She knew well how much that word meant, so she thought she should make an effort. "Okay... fun!"

"Good gal! Aight, lemme give ya a hand again...", Isabel said very pleased. Then, the doctor began to dress the blonde, as if she were a little girl. Despite having no children of her own, Isabel seemed to know well what she had to do to reform a person like her. However, the moment she put one shoe on her, Y'shaati simply couldn't take it any longer.

"No! No shoes. Shoes hurt!", she shouted. "But dearie, if ye walk barefoot in this place, ya might step on something and hurt yer cute feet. Just take a few small steps and you'll get used to them in no time".

The girl got up from the chair just to try, but she immediately returned to her seat as she felt the hard inner surfaces of the shoe crushing her toes. "No! Y'shaati no like this!", she cried. "Please honey, allow me to..."

"Ooh ook ook ook!", the girl hooted as she kicked desperately, sending the shoe flying away in the process. She wouldn't let her feet be covered in any way.

"okay okay geez, fine! Ye can stay barefoot if ya want for now... good Lord...", Isabel sighed. "Well, I guess that's it then. On yer feet darlin. Let's see how yer looking". Y'shaati stood in front of her as the mature woman inspected her from head to toe.

"Oh my, that's quite a change! I never imagined that outfit would look so good on ya! Pure dead brilliant, if I do say so myself, hahaha! Oh wait. Reckon there's missing just one wee detail here... yer hair is all over the place. Better show that pretty face to the world instead of hiding it...", said the doctor as she pulled out a small red tie from her pocket to make her a ponytail.

"There we go, ho ho! Fan-dabby-dozy!", Isabel said very proud of her work. Y'shaati just stared at her, feeling unamused.

"Ohhh cheer up darlin, don't make that grimace! It's not the apocalypse ya know, you're too beautiful to have yer...", Isabel suddenly stopped talking. In that instant, her smile disappeared completely. Her skin turned pale. Looking right at her azure eyes, she reacted as if she had seen a ghost from her past for a few seconds.

"My... my God... y-you... are... y-you look just like...", she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Y'shaati remained in silence, confused by the doctor's sudden change of mood. Just then, Lucas entered the tent.

"Dr. Isabel? Sorry to interrupt you, I know you told me not to come in but... Whoa! Y'shaati, is that really you?", the boy asked suprised.

"Lucas!", the blonde replied before walking towards him.

"Gosh, you look so different... uh, I mean, you look so spectacular! You did a great job with her, doctor! And from what I see, you didn't manage to convince her to put shoes on her, huh? It's better that way, she doesn't really need them"

"Aye... no problem...", Isabel replied without any emotion.

"Uhm, are you alright, Doc?", Lucas asked. "I'm fine, dear..."

"Oh okay. Thank you very much! Come with me Y'shaati, my grandpa wants to talk to you about something", said Lucas taking the girl by the hand and leading her outside. Isabel was left alone in the tent, contemplating an empty space. A tear dropped down her face as she whispered.

"Why...? Why does she look... just like you... Francis?"

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

This had been quite a different day at the camp. After having changed her appearance radically, Dr. Escudero took it upon himself to introduce Y'shaati to each of the other people in the expedition. The new member of the group managed to create a great impact on each of them, in one way or another. Negatively and positively. She was constantly being watched by Lucas and her grandfather to make her behave like a normal human. Dr. Isabel, on the other hand, decided not to speak nor approach her again for a while. Without realizing it, the queen of the monkeys had completely forgotten her commitment to the primates and the other jungle creatures. Spending time with these two-legged apes was proving to be an experience like none she had ever had before.

The day had come to an end, the sun had already set again, so the group began to take shelter in their tents to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, spiders and other dangerous insects of the jungle. Y'shaati didn't quite understand the reason to worry about that, since she was already used to feeling those creatures walking on her body while she slept in the branches of the trees. But apparently, that way of hers of sleeping was about to change completely in this place. While Lucas took the opportunity to give himself a shower, Dr. Escudero was explaining to the blonde the way humans rest. As he spoke to her, the old man moved his hands and arms in a kind of sign language. He believed that she might be able to understand the ideas a little better with that technique.

"Well Y'shaati, this will be your place to spend the nights. This tent can only be shared by Lucas and you. Don't mention that last thing to Dr. Isabel, okay? She'll kill me if she finds out I'm letting you two teenagers sleep together hahahaha! Don't worry tho, my grandson is a respectful boy, you'll be fine.... Would you like to try your bed? Go ahead!", Grandpa said as he showed Y'shaati the small mat she would sleep on from now on. The girl squatted down on it to feel its soft surface on her soles. It reminded her very much of the bed of leaves she used to sleep on when she was the nanny of the baby Naka'i monkeys.

"I hope you like it! We made great progress in your very first day! I'm so happy you are here with us. Lucas wasn't wrong about you, you're an exceptional girl. I have a lot of things to find out about you. All in the name of science of course, hehe! But let's not rush things, all in good time!"

"Thanks Do... Doctor...", Y'shaati said with a slight smile.

"You are very welcome! Hearing your voice fills my heart. Well, I wish you good night, I'll see you tomorrow!", said Grandpa before leaving the tent.

Y'shaati lay on the bed for a while, staring at the ceiling. She began to think that these humans were not so bad after all. However, like the Naka'i and the other ape families, they too had social rules that had to be followed. But she was doing her best to fit in among them, controlling her wild side and adopting their mannerisms. Suddenly, a familiar voice could be heard just on the other side of the tent. A black silhouette watched her from outside. The girl sat up to observe the unexpected visitor.

"Hey blondie... finally I find you alone..."

"Ah! Hello... Mar... Mar..."

"Marco yes, that's my name, don't wear it out," said the blond boy as he walked in. "Listen to me, I've been thinking that you and I got off on the wrong foot, you know? That day with the shotgun, I think it's better to leave it in the past... we can start over," he said as he slowly walked towards the girl.

"Uh, Y'shaati... no understand...", she said in confusion.

"What I'm trying to say is that I want you and I to be friends..."

"Friends? But Lucas only friend..."

"That asshole? Pffft. No blondie, Lucas doesn't value you like he should. You deserve something better than him. Let me ask you something... do you really feel happy in this place?", Marco asked. "Are you okay with them making you wear those clothes you're using right now?"

"Uhm... Y'shaati no like clothes... but clothes make Lucas happy. if Lucas happy, Y'shaati happy", she replied timidly.

"Nope! Wrong! That's not what a real friend does!"

"No?"

"Of course not...a real friend asks you what you really want. What do you want right now? Don't you want to take those clothes off once and for all? To be honest, it make you look like a boy hahaha!"

"Yes... but..."

"Then what are you waiting for? Do it! Free yourself!"

"Ohh... yes!", Y'shaati said excited just before taking off all her clothes and becoming naked again. Marco observed the girl's breasts discreetly with a mysterious smile.

"Well done, hehehehe... feeling better?"

"Y'shaati feel good!", she replied cheerfully.

"Very good. That's exactly what real friends do! Now, if we're going to be good friends, then it's my turn to tell you what I want."

"Marco friend!", she said. "What Marco want?"

"Well... what I want is to have this little thing called sex... with you. Do you know what that is?", asked Marco with obscure intention.

"S-sex? Y'shaati not know...", the girl mentioned scratching her head.

"Don't worry, it's quite simple really... I can guide you. But first, you have to be very close to me... come here, I'll show you how to do it...", Marco said with open arms. Y'shaati accepted without knowing what was going to happen. But she trusted him.

Meanwhile, Lucas was walking towards the tent, drying his head with a small towel. "Wow, it's amazing the wonders a shower can do! This is place is hot as hell! Alright Y'shaati I'm back, I hope my grandfather managed to explain to you how are we going to...", Lucas remained shocked as he watched Marco caressing Y'shaati's breasts and how their lips were about to touch each other.

"Ahhhh!!! You son of a bitch!!!", Lucas cursed pushing Marco away from Y'shaati. The girl was startled to see the boy's unusual reaction. "What the... how dare you!?"

"Argh, fuck! Hey, we were in the middle of something! Didn't they teach you to knock before coming in?", the blond boy asked sarcastically, laying on the ground.

"I-I won't forgive you for this! Trying to take advantage of her ignorance... y-you're a sick pervert!"

"Geez, calm down Luc. She and I were just strengthening our friendship... right girl?", Marco asked. Y'shaati didn't answer.

"Shut up, shut up!! It's over!! Get the hell out of her now before I... I..."

"What? You're gonna punch me? I'd like to see that for once, hahaha!", Marco laughed as he stood up. Unfortunately, Lucas didn't have the courage again to give him what he deserved. He just stared at him, completely infuriated. "Alright, no need to lose your head over this, I'm off. Hey, I'll see you later blondie... remember, we're still friends! Don't listen to this wimp hahaha!", Marco said as he walked out of the tent. Lucas immediately turned to scold Y'shaati.

"Why the hell did you let him touch you? No one should touch you without your consent! You should have beaten him up for even laying a finger on you!!"

"But... Marco friend! Marco help Y'shaati feel good..."

"What!? He's not your friend! He will never be your friend! He was tricking you! Argh, dammit!", Lucas grumbled kicking a chair and putting his hands on the back of his neck.

"Lucas angry at Y'shaati? Y'shaati sorry...", she said saddened.

"No, it's not that... it's just... you can't trust everyone you meet, you know? There are bad people who will make you think they're your friends, but they really aren't! I-I know this may be complicated to you b-but...", the boy sttutered.

"Y'shaati not make new friends?", she asked puzzled.

"No, that wasn't what I meant either...", Lucas sighed. "You know what, just... forget it... we'll talk about this later. Right now we need to get some sleep. Get some rest, monkey girl. Have a good night...", Lucas took off his shirt and lay down on the bed next to her without saying anything else. Y'shaati remained a little unsettled by the way he had yelled at her. She had never seen that side of him before. In the same way, she lay down next to him to sleep, trying to figure out what had happened.

Meanwhile in another part of the camp, Marco was walking through the darkness, still with a big evil grin on his face. Just then, the blond boy managed to distinguish someone moving cautiously. He immediately knew it was Miss Zé due to the shape of her hair. She was heading towards the edge of the camp, as if she were trying to get out without anyone noticing.

"(Oh? Well well... what do we have here? Tonight can't get any more interesting, could it? Hehehe...)", he said in his mind. Without thinking twice, the blond boy decided to follow the brunette, hoping to find out what she was up to.

Once outside the safe perimeter of the camp and making sure that no one had seen her, the native girl decided to close her eyes and take a deep breath, letting the wind of amazonia guide her way. However, that brief period of peace was abruptly interrupted.

"Going somewhere?", Marco asked, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed.

"Ahh!" Zé gasped, startled. "Goddesses! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? What are you doing here?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, I could ask you the same question. The jungle can be extremely dangerous at night. Anything could attack, eviscerate and kill you in a second... and you wouldn't notice. Oh but you already knew that, don't you? In fact, you know it very well...", said the boy ironically.

"You really think you know me?", she asked.

"Believe me 'tour guide', I know it. You can go on fooling all these idiots. But not me. I know perfectly who you are..."

"And I know who you really are, too. You think I haven't noticed? I don't buy that fake performance of yours. I could bring you to your knees and expose you to everyone right now... but I won't do it...", she said with a serious voice.

"Lucky me. Then I suggest we leave it at that. You continue playing with your role, and I'll continue with mine. Deal?"

"You won't get away with it. The wrath of the allmother will fall upon you for what you are doing...", Uyari said before turning around and running off into the depths of the jungle.

"Heh... we'll see about that..."

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: CHAPTER 7 - REUNITED

 Hours went by and the sun was beginning to rise again on the horizon. The sky was painted in an intense red color. The great storm of the previous night was finally over and the sound of birds and insects once again dominated the Amazon jungle. The river, like a wild beast, was now in a docile state, and in its huge body, the boat in which the boys and girls were traveling, sailed calmly. Marco had decided to take a nap after rowing all night. He was deeply asleep, so Lucas was in charge, while Miss Correa showed him the way to go. Y'shaati, on the other hand, listened carefully to the conversation between the boy and the brunette girl. She could hardly understand anything, but she was still trying her best. Judging by the tone of their voices, the subject they were discussing was serious.

"It all happened so fast... I still can't understand it. Just when I thought I had found survivors and everything would start to get better, they attacked me. Ambushed me. I should have followed my instinct... I was careless...", Zé said in a regretful voice while looking at her reflection in the water. At the same time, she was shyly covering her upper body with Lucas' shirt. The boy had given it to her a few hours before, as a gesture of chivalry.

"Hey, don't say that, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known that those guys were mercenaries. In fact, they completely fooled us all from the beginning, even my grandfather didn't notice...", Lucas said trying to cheer her up. "I just hope they didn't... you know... touch you?"

"No. I would never allow them to lay a finger on me like that. I'm not weak! Besides, that's not the reason why they attacked me...", Zé replied.

"But then, why did they do this to you? Dr. Faucault went completely crazy! He began to say horrible and ridiculous nonsense about you, in addition to other things," Lucas mentioned.

"What kind of things?" asked Zé.

"He said you were a native, and that you led us to the jaguars' zone on purpose. Can you believe it? He clearly lost his mind, ha!"

"Well... that's not entirely wrong..."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's true that I was born here, in the jungle. This is my real home. When I was a child, I was part of the Yanomami tribe. I lived here until I was seven years old. After that, I was a victim of fate. I was forced to leave my home and forget who I really was. I had to adopt a new name. A new identity to live in the civilized world... Zé Correa. However, I much prefer the name that my parents gave me... Uyari...", the dark-skinned girl explained.

"Uyari?"

"You must be very disappointed of me. I... I've never told this to anyone before. I'm sorry."

"N-no, not at all! To tell you the truth, Uyari is a very pretty name. Would you like me to call you like that from now on?", asked Lucas kindly. She nodded with a slight smile.

"Okay. But then... what about the other stuff? I'm pretty sure its all bullshit... right?"

"Ahh, well...", just before she could answer that question, Zé saw in the distance a place she knew. "Oh, Lucas! Take the boat in that direction! I believe we've reached our destination!", the girl said as she pointed with her finger.

"What, really? Alright."

A few minutes later, Lucas steered the boat slowly to the river bank just where Zé had indicated. And then, both were able to get out of the boat except for Marco, who was still sleeping, and Y'shaati, who still didn't know what was going on.

"Can you walk on your own?", asked Lucas.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm better now", Zé replied after taking a few small steps.

"Hey jackass, we're here...", Lucas said to Marco after slapping him to wake him up.

"Argh! Hey, what the fuck is YOUR problem, huh?", said the blond boy angrily. Lucas simply ignored him and spoke to the wild blonde instead. "You can get off the boat now, monkey girl. Come on!", he said excited. Y'shaati slowly descended from the boat, placing her feet and hands on the wet ground.

"Uhm Lucas, do you really think it's a good idea to bring her with us? I mean look at her, she's... what are the others going to think when they see her like... this...?", the brunette girl asked, still having doubts about her.

"Don't worry, leave it to me. S-she's gonna be completely fine! Y'shaati is a good girl, right?", Lucas asked the blonde.

"Y'shaati good girl!", she repeated with excitement without quite understanding what the boy meant. Noticing that the other three started to walk on two legs, she decided to stand up and walk the same way as them.

"See? She's fine! So, where do we go from here?"

"I'll lead the way, it's not too far from here...", Zé answered confidently. Apparently she knew perfectly which was the right path to follow. And so, they all went deep into the jungle.

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

After a couple of hours, the boys and girls arrived at a familiar place. Several tents lined up in a circular fashion made up a small camp located right in an area cleared of trees and foliage. A small number of people were walking back and forth, doing chores. One of them noticed the presence of the new visitors.

"For heaven's sake! Dr. Escudero! Come take a look at this!", the man exclaimed before running into one of the tents.

"No way. Is... is this real...? Are we where I think we are? Is this r-really happening...?", Lucas asked in a cracked voice. A short time later, the same guy came out of the store accompanied by an older, chubby man with a big white beard and gray hair. The man was dressed in a brown coat and tie, dark green pants and black shoes. The boy immediately knew who that man was.

"Grandpa?"

"Lucas?"

The two began to approach each other, taking faster steps every second.

"Oh my God... Grandpa!!", cried the boy on the verge of tears.

"Lucas, my boy!!", the Dr. Archibaldo Escudero replied just before hugging his grandson.

"Grandpa... thank God... I finally found you... I thought I would never see you again!", said Lucas crying.

"I never lost faith. Something in my heart told me you were still out there. And now... you are finally by my side again! I'm so sorry Lucas... I will never lose you again, I promise!", said grandpa sobbing as tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm sorry too, Grandpa... I love you so much!". At the touching scene, the other people in the place gathered around them.

"Look everyone! My dear grandson is back!", Grandpa exclaimed to the crowd. All the men began to celebrate and applaud the unexpected family reunion. Then, the old man turned to look at the boy's companions.

"By my beard! Miss Zé! I'm so glad to know you are safe! And you don't know how grateful I'm to you for finding my boy!", said Grandpa with a big smile.

"Dr. Escudero! I'm so happy to see you again! There is nothing to be thankful for. I wish I could accept that compliment... but I cannot. I didn't find Lucas. He found me and even rescued me...", explained the brunette girl a bit embarrassed.

"Really? Lucas did that? Unbelievable... hahahaha, that's my boy, you're a hero! I never would have guessed! But anyway, I'm relieved you're both okay! You're both very brave!", said the old man while Lucas blushed.

"Uhhh, excuse me!? I'm here too, in case you hadn't noticed! in fact, if it hadn't been for me, these three wouldn't have managed to survive... don't you forget that!", said the blond boy in a boastful tone.

"Marco! You're alright too! Oh thank you for keeping them safe! I really appreciate it. I knew I wasn't wrong to bring you on this trip! You've become a trustworthy young man!", said Grandpa gratefully before hugging him as well.

"Ugh... yeah, okay Doctor, that's enough. Don't have to cry over it...", Marco said uncomfortably. Lucas and Zé simply watched in disgust at the hypocrisy in Marco's words.

"Wait a minute... three, you say? Did you find someone else?", the old man asked in confusion.

"Ahhh, that's right, how could I forget! Grandpa, I want you to meet a very special person!", Lucas said taking Dr. Escudero by the arm to show him. "Grandpa, I introduce you to Y'sh...", the boy at that moment realized that the feral girl had disappeared.

"What the... w-where is she?", asked Lucas looking around.

"What's the matter, my boy?"

"There was a blonde girl with us a second ago! She was the one who saved me!", replied Lucas worried. "Her name is Y'shaati, she's an extraordinary girl! Y'shaati! Where are you Y'shaati!?", the boy shouted in all directions.

"A blonde girl? Are you sure?", the grandfather questioned.

"I swear! We were together for a long time. We lived many things together... w-we have a bond! I don't understand why she left... s-she and I...", said the boy with a broken heart. "Lucas is telling the truth, she was here a moment ago...", mentioned Zé, also stranged.

"Easy there my boy, I believe you. Don't be sad. She must have had her reasons for leaving. There's no explanation for a girl's heart. You should know better by now."

"But she's not like any other girl I've ever met before! She's... special!"

"Hear me out, Lucas. If you say you created a connection with her, then you can be assured that she will come back to you sooner or later. Just give her time. She surely needs it to think about it. Trust her. And trust the words your old man tells you!", Grandpa said to comfort the boy.

"Well... I guess so. Okay... I-I just hope I get to see her one more time..."

"For the time being, I think we deserve to celebrate the good news. Nice things like this doesn't happen every day! Listen up everyone! Get the stockpile of food we've been saving, we'll have a big feast later! In honor of the return of my dear boy, my young assistant and Miss Correa, hahahaha!", laughed Grandpa very excited in front of the whole group. Everyone cheered and clapped again. A great moment of encouragement for the group that gave them hope for the future. Suddenly, a mature woman's voice broke through the crowd.

"What's all this commotion, gentlemen? What in heaven's name is going on? Let me through...", the woman was interrupted as soon as she noticed the boy's presence.

"Dr. Isabel!"

"My Goodness, Lucas!! Oh, my wee boy! I can't believe it! You're here!", the woman said just before running over and hugging the boy. "I was worried sick about ya, I thought you hadn't survived! Thank God, I was wrong!", the woman said relieved before kissing his forehead. She was Dr. Isabel MacAllan, a scottish white woman with brown hair, green eyes, glasses and wearing a set of clothes a little too fancy for a jungle trek. She was like a mother figure to Lucas.

"What happened to ya, are ye all right, are ye hurt, do you need medical attention? Oh, my poor Lucas, surely ye must be starving! You're a complete mess!", the doctor questioned the boy while inspecting him from head to toe.

"Ahhh, no no, I'm fine! Fortunately, nothing bad happened to me, I just..."

"Oh, thank goodness, darlin'! Oh? Oh, Miss Zé! Marco! Where are my manners? Excuse me, I didn't see ya! Oh? Miss Zé, why are ya almost naked and without shoes!? Oh, and yer body is all hurt! Gosh, no no no! What happened?", the woman asked without giving her enough time to answer.

"Ah well, I-I was..."

"Dinnae hold anything back honey, there's nothing to be ashamed of! Ye can tell me everything!"

"Isabel, you're talking nonstop again! Calm down woman, catch your breath first and give the kids a break, hahahaha!", Grandpa laughed.

"Yeah, she's having a meltdown again. As if that doesn't happen every single day...", claimed Marco, unamused.

"Ahhh... oh right... oh dear... oof, I beg yer pardon, my dears. It happens to me when surprises like this catch me off guard, hehehe...", Isabel said in a more relaxed voice. "Miss Zé, I'll have to check those wounds and give ya some clothes right now. Come with me! And dinnae worry Lucas, I'll get to ya later!", said the woman.

"Y-yes, thank you! But I'm already...", before the dark-skinned girl could finish speaking, Isabel took her by the arm and led her to a tent to take care of her properly. "Och, no problem at all, darlin'. Pleasure is all mine!"

"Well, I can see that Doctor Isabel hasn't changed a bit in all this time here... as eccentric as ever, hehe!", said Lucas with a grin.

"Some things never change, my boy hahaha! Well, let's not remain here, come on! We have a lot of things to do!", Grandpa said to the whole group. Right away, the people in the camp continued with their tasks.

However, far away, sitting on a tree branch, Y'shaati had watched everything and all the people moving around. The feral girl had panicked and fled moments before Lucas' grandfather and the others could notice her presence. She had never seen so many civilized humans gathered in one place. Deep down, she wanted to take the next step and learn more about them. To play and know what is like to be "human". She wanted to continue to be with Lucas. But something still made her hesitate. Her previous experiences with those two-legged apes hadn't been that friendly, so there was no point in trying to bond with them. Not to mention that she had a greater responsibility with the primate order that was probably already gathered, discussing important issues at that very moment somewhere else in the jungle. Undecided on what to do, she choose to lie down on the branch and rest for a while. She hadn't slept for more than a day, so perhaps a little sleep would help her make the right decision.

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

LATER THAT DAY...

Finally gathered and seated at a long table made of wood, Lucas, Dr. Escudero, Zé, Dr. Isabel and Marco enjoyed the small and modest banquet that the old man had ordered hours before. The entire group was short of food and supplies, but the situation warranted celebrating and bringing joy for at least one day. On the other hand, the brunette was already dressed again in her tourist uniform after being attended by Isabel. While everyone was eating, it was Lucas who was telling the others about the adventures he had experienced in the last few weeks with his new friend.

"...And then, she stood in front of me and defended me from the gorillas! And not only that, apparently they had absolute respect for her! None of those apes dared to challenge her. It's as if she had communicated with them and ordered them to stop!" said Lucas as he held a fork in his hand. "Oh and a day before that, she also managed to scare off a black jaguar, much like the ones that attacked us that night. A simple kick was enough to force it to leave haha!"

"Fascinating... truly fascinating!", said Grandpa very interested and with a big smile as he drank from a jar. "I'd say that girl has learned to live like any other jungle animal for years. Maybe she was even born here. There are records of infants managing to survive on their own in the wild against all odds... but this you say is a whole different level! Well, at least that would be my hypothesis."

"That's exactly what I thought! She not only adapted to the jungle, she made it her home, her domain! You should have seen her in action, she swings through the vines with the grace and skills of a monkey. She can even use her feet as if they were hands! I don't know how she does it, its crazy! Although I must confess that she behaves a bit strange. I would go so far as to say she's more of a monkey than human, hahaha! Miss Corr... I mean, Miss Uyari, she also saw what Y'shaati is capable of. Tell them!"

"...", the dark-skinned girl thought silently as she stared at her plate.

"Uhm, Miss Uyari? Hello?"

"Huh? Ahh, excuse me, I got distracted. What.... what was the question again?", she asked.

"Uyari? Do ya have a middle name, darlin'? I had no idea!", asked Isabel as she refinedly cut a piece of bread.

"Ah yes, it's my native name..." she replied. However, in her mind, she couldn't stop thinking about the abilities the mysterious girl had displayed the other day. "(That strength... that green aura..... I know I've heard about that before. Something about a mystical and unsettling entity...)," she said inside her head.

"Come on! Tell them how she did... oww! Huh, what?", at that moment, the brunette kicked Lucas' leg under the table and subtly turned to look at him. With just a glance she made the boy understand not to mention anything about what had happened the night before with Faucault and his men.

"Errrr, well... anyway, I've also been keeping a journal about all the things that happened to me. Here are all the details about it. You can read it anytime grandpa!", Lucas said before pulling a small notebook out of his pocket and handing it to his old man.

"Geez, really? Are you still a child or something? You're 20 years old and you're still writing a diary? Ha!", said Marco in a mocking tone.

"But of course, what's the problem in that? I'm a man of science, in case you didn't know. I document everything I see to analyze it in the future... I'm surprised you don't do the same knowing that you spend more time with my grandfather and his research at the university," the boy replied.

"Well said, Luc! Your father would be very proud of you, my boy! I think it's a good time to read it right now! All right, let's see what's in here...", Grandpa said as he began to flip through the notebook.

"Dinnae take this the wrong way my dears, but I find it hard to believe that such a girl exists in this place. Surely there's a logical explanation for the whole thing, ya know?", Isabel refuted.

"Oh, come on, why is that so hard to believe?", asked Lucas.

"I happen to be a woman of science myself too, honey. I can't believe in something I can't observe nor touch... I need evidence. I'm really sorry," she said, smiling. "The real question here is... would either of ya like some cake? Hehehehe", Lucas rolled his eyes at that lousy attempt to change the subject.

"Oh, I want some! About frickin' time, I haven't had anything sweet for weeks," said Marco. "Aight, I'll be right back, I won't be long!", the doctor got up from her seat and headed towards a tent to get the dessert.

"Lucas!!!" the grandfather suddenly exclaimed, startling everyone at the table.

"Ah! W-what's wrong, Grandpa?", said Lucas in a nervous voice. "What is it, Dr. Escudero?", asked Uyari.

"Where... w-where did you get this notebook!?", asked the puzzled grandfather. "W-why do you ask?"

"On the front page, there's a header. And there's a name written on it.... Francis Garcia... it's impossible!"

"Ohh, about that! I... I found that notebook in a cave..."

"A cave, you say?"

"Y-yes, it's a shelter that Y'shaati knew about. She showed me the place so I could spend the nights there. From the moment I walked in it looked suspicious to me. It looked as if someone had lived there before me. There was a bed, old clothes and a backpack. That's where I found it. I guess it all belonged to this Francis guy... for some reason the name sounds familiar to me too..."

"Son... have you forgotten?", said Grandpa in a serious tone. "I had a student with that name many years ago! It's a case known to everyone at the university: Francis Garcia disappeared without a trace almost two decades ago!!"

"Who?", said Marco bored without much interest in the subject.

"Oh? Ahhhh crap, you're right! Damn, now I remember! But then... how did his stuff end up in an cave, here on Amazonia?," asked Lucas.

"Could it be that this man was on a previous expedition?" asked Uyari, also intrigued.

"No, at that time, the university was not yet granting permission for expeditions to South America. The rumors I heard was that Francis was planning to travel here incognito by any means necessary. The young man dreamed of visiting this place... it was the greatest wish of his life. He was a prodigious man. There was no one like him in the field of wildlife research. The sketches in this notebook... the notes... everything matches! I think he really was here!", Grandpa shouted.

"Unbelievable... but where could he be now? Is he still alive? Should we even try to look for him?", asked Lucas.

"But what are you saying, my boy? Do you think all these people are going to want to stay here any longer to look for someone who has been missing for so many years? Don't even think of mentioning it!", Grandpa exclaimed desperate. "And another very important thing: for nothing, and I repeat for nothing in the world tell Dr. Isabel about this! Is that clear?", he ordered.

"What? And why is that?", said the boy in confusion. "It's something very delicate... I shouldn't tell you this...", replied the old man.

"Grandpa, please!!", the boy pleaded. "Come on Dr. Escudero, spill the beans!", said Marco. The old man sighed.

"Alright... Isabel and Francis met in college years ago when they were young... they were a couple. And some time later, they were even engaged. But they never married...", Grandpa confessed.

"WHAT!?", shouted Lucas and Marco in unison. At that moment, Dr. Isabel returned to the table with a small chocolate cake. "Okay, it's time for a wee dessert hehe! Is anyone else gaunnae to want some...? Hmm? What's wrong with ya? Why does everyone have that look on their face?", she asked.

Ah, I-Isabel! Don't worry, it's okay hahaha! The boys and I were just talking about.... well... a rather embarrassing topic that need not be mentioned again, hehehehe!", said Grandpa with a fake smile. "Good gracious, that cake looks really delicious, don't you think, boys?"

"Ahh y-yes, of course!", Lucas said very nervously. "Mon, it's no bother at all, ye can talk to me freely!", mentioned Isabel as she took her seat again.

"No... I mean, what happens is that... well, we were...", the boy stammered like a complete fool. Just then, Uyari suddenly interrupted the conversation, pointing her finger, "Uhm, excuse me but... the girl is back!", everyone turned around at the same time.

"Ahhh!!! Y'shaati!!!", cried Lucas as he observed the wild blonde hiding behind a box, as if she were a frightened animal. "Nobody move! Calm down Y'shaati, don't be afraid. It's all right!", said the boy as he stood up and walked slowly towards the girl.

"Lucas...," she said quietly.

"That's right, don't worry! For God's sake, I thought I'd never see you again. Please don't run away like that again! Promise me!", the boy said before holding her hand. Y'shaati smiled.

"I can't believe it... it was true... the girl exists...", said Isabel, surprised. "Unbelievable... she is just as he described her...", added the grandfather.

"Y'shaati, I want you to meet my family!" said Lucas happily.

"Family...?", the wild girl asked. However, at that moment, her stomach made a guttural sound. "Oh dear... you must be hungry! Look, we have lots of food here that are surely new to you. You'll love it!"

"Food!", Y'shaati replied excited as her nose caught the scent of the banquet. "Come on monkey girl, join us!", said Lucas as he returned to his seat.

However, Lucas never imagined that the wild blonde would run over there and take a big leap over everyone, landing on the wooden table and creating a huge mess. Most of the food that was there was trampled by Y'shaati's hands and bare feet. Pieces of food and cake splattered everywhere.

"Nooooo, Y'shaati don't do that! Oh my goodness...", Lucas said completely embarrassed and blushing. "(They're SO gonna blame for this)," he said in his mind.

"What the hell!? That was my slice of cake!", Marco angrily claimed as Y'shaati wiggled her toes between the cream and chocolate. "Stupid ape-girl! Get off the table in this very insta...", the boy was interrupted as Y'shaati kicked him with that same cream-covered foot right in his face. "Arghh! Ewww, this is disgusting!!"

"Baws! Whaddya think ya are doing, what kind of manners are those, young lady!?", asked Isabel very indignanted. The blonde simply ignored her, as she was more delighted by the delicious taste of the piece of meat she was eating. Lucas was right, every thing was so tasty.

"Don't bother, Isabel, I don't think she's going to understand you under the circumstances Lucas told us. Good Lord, now that's what I call an appetite, hahaha! Poor lass looks like she haven't eaten anything fine in weeks! Look at the way she holds the jar with her foot... such dexterity... fascinating!", said Grandpa grabbing his beard as he analyzed Y'shaati's behavior.

"Well... I definitely wasn't expecting this...", Uyari said quietly.

"Lucas, would ya explain to me why this lass is completely naked!?", asked Isabel annoyed. "W-What? Are you serious? I told you she was already like this when I found her! It's not my fault!", Lucas claimed. Meanwhile, Y'shaati simply continued to eat sitting on the table.

While the boy and the mature woman were arguing, the other people in the camp watched the situation in complete surprise. No one expected that the blonde would appear so suddenly. While some couldn't help but say that she was quite cute, others simply rejected that idea, saying that the girl looked more like a wild animal and caused them uneasiness. Either way, they would have to find a way to cope with her presence in the camp from now on.

"Aight, that's it, that's enough!!", Isabel said before getting up from the table completely furious. "Come with me lassie, I'm gonna give ya a lesson of good behavior. But first I'll have to clean ya up good, ye stink like a little pig darlin', ugh! And then I'll find something to cover that fine pale body of yours. Ye can't just go around walking like if ya were Eva!", the doctor ordered as she grabbed the wild girl's arm. Y'shaati looked at her in the eyes, confused.

"Ook ook ook!", she howled in a hostile tone. "Lucas deary, tell her to listen to me!"

"Hey she has a name, her name is Y'shaati. If you call her like that, she will feel more in confidence with you!", replied Lucas. "Very well then. Y'shaati dear, uhm, would ya mind coming with me? Please...?", Isabel said more relaxed. The girl turned to look at the boy.

"It's okay! She's family, remember? Go with her. Oh and don't walk on all fours... imitate her."

"Family...", Y'shaati said with a soft voice before getting down from the table and do what Lucas suggested. Several scraps of food still remained in her mouth, breasts, belly, hands and feet. And so, both women slowly walked away and entered into a tent.

"This is all your fault, Lucas!", said Marco after also getting up from the table.

"Oh dear... now I wonder if it was a good idea for her to come back...", said Lucas worried.

"She's going to be fine, my boy. She's going to be just fine, you'll see...", Grandpa replied.