JUNGLE DAYS: THE BIRTH OF A RIVALRY PART II

-.This short story takes place 3 years before the 1st arc (Beginnings).-

All the gorillas waited anxiously for the girl to utter the words with which she would finally admit defeat. Her situation was quite precarious. There was no possible way she could free herself from that advanced wrestling maneuver. Or at least, no one had ever succeeded in doing that before. That was one of many reasons why Na'ek remained unbeaten. In all his combats, once the gray gorilla figured out his opponent, there was nothing more to do. It was an assured victory for him. But the monkey girl Y'shaati was reluctant to give up. She knew this was the great test for which she had trained for so many months. Giving up was simply unacceptable to her. To surrender would mean accepting the humiliation and dishonor in front of the entire troop, including her master K'uno.

"Y'shaati not see? Na'ek invincible! Y'shaati surrender now, ook ook!", the ape ordered. "Y'shaati lost... don't force Na'ek to hurt Y'shaati more...", he warned. It was clear that he had nothing personal against her, but he also wasn't going to take responsibility for what might happen if the girl didn't obey.

"Hnnnngghh... uuugghh... Y-Y-Y'shaati... su-surr...", the blonde moaned with low voice.

"Oh? Yes! Ook ook! Y'shaati repeat that again, heh heh...", Na'ek said while grinning and bringing his ear closer to her mouth to listen.

"Y-Y'shaati... su-rren-der... NEVER!!", she exclaimed before turning and savagely biting the gorilla's ear.

"Goooaaaaaaargh!!!", the gorilla roared in pain, shaking its head in an attempt to free himself. But Y'shaati had no plans to let go until he released her first. With no choice, Na'ek had to use one of his hands to grab the girl by her hair to pull her off his face, freeing one arm in the process. She took advantage of that moment to deliver a strong headbutt right in the gorilla's forehead. Na'ek was stunned for an instant. Freed completely, she proceeded to kick his stomach and roll on the ground to get away from him.

The spectators were left speechless at this last action. What seemed to be a settled fight was still far from being finished. From above, K'uno couldn't help but show a slight smile.

Taking a safe distance, Y'shaati knelt down for a while to regain her composure. But now she had a new problem: she could neither feel nor move both arms. They were completely numb due to the gray gorilla's powerful grip. She was going to need some time to regain her strength if she wanted to use them again. Surprisingly, she didn't seem distressed about this. On the contrary, she was already planning her next strategy. She thought of something her master had mentioned during her training:

Believe it or not, your arms aren't the strongest parts of your body. Your legs and feet are. Never hesitate to use them effectively and change the course of battle.

Across the arena, Na'ek was beginning to look noticeably frustrated. He firmly believed that the girl's good performance so far was simply a product of good fortune. But he was willing to change that soon.

"Hmph... Na'ek admit Y'shaati smart and cunning. But Y'shaati no smarter than Na'ek!", the ape boasted beating his chest.

"Really? Hah hah, ook ook!! Then Na'ek not smart as Na'ek believe...", Y'shaati said to provoke him.

"What!? Grrrrr!! How little monkey dare...", he said offended.

"Na'ek dumber than a worm. Na'ek's head empty like coconut! Hah hah hah hah!! Ook ook ook ook!!", the girl laughed as she mocked him.

"Rooooaaaaaaarrgh!!! Y'shaati take that back!!!", he demanded.

"Nah-ah... come and make Y'shaati, big dumb-dumb! Ook ook!", she answered.

Just then, the gray ape growled and ran frantically towards her. He had taken the bait. It didn't take much insight to realize that this was clearly a mind trap. But the gorilla's pride had clouded his judgment to see the obvious. He wouldn't allow his intelligence to be insulted.

Na'ek launched an aggressive wave of attacks that had neither direction nor grace. The only thing on his mind was to teach this disrespectful little brat a lesson she would never forget. Y'shaati had no trouble dodging them all, jumping from side to side and ducking underneath him. There, she slid down and kicked him right in his ankles. That would reduce his mobility considerably for the rest of the battle. Roaring in pain, the gorilla tried to crush her by dropping his huge butt on her, but the girl managed to get out of there before that. She immediately climbed up his back until she reached his neck and hung onto him.

"What is it? Y'shaati too fast for dumb-dumb? Hya!", the blonde said while delivering a tough knee straight to his chin. Na'ek fell backwards. She then jumped and squatted on top of him, stomping hard on his face with both feet and rubbing her soles on his mouth. "Dumb-dumb can't touch little monkey, ook ook!"

"Hmmpfff! Hmmppff! Gaaaargh! Stop!", Na'ek clapped his hands in a attempt to grab her and apply another wrestling hold. But she got away from him once more. The gray ape stood up again, but this time more furious than ever.

"HNNGGRRRR!!! Na'ek feed snakes with Y'shaati after this, OOK OOK!!", he threatened while smashing the ground and spitting saliva. The spectators watched concerned. No one had seen the always solemn and calculating Na'ek in such primal state. He looked like an unleashed beast with low intelligence, driven only by pure instinct. Exactly as Y'shaati wanted it. This was all still part of her plan to defeat him. She was putting into practice the last, and perhaps most important lesson K'uno could teach her:

No matter how big, strong or intimidating your enemies may be... everybody has a weakness. It's up to you to discover it and exploit it to gain the advantage and claim victory.

It was evident that Na'ek's weakness was his anger. And that same anger was making him lose the fight so far.

Just then, Na'ek assumed a bipedal posture and began to make circles with his right arm. The crowd gasped in amazement. They all knew that was a sign that he was preparing his most powerful and definitive attack of his repertoire: his famous 'Silver Fist'. A brutal punch with which he had knocked out countless opponents in the past. Everything indicated that he was fed up with this fight and intended to finish it now. But unexpectedly, Y'shaati began to walk bravely towards him.

"OHHHHH! HA HA HA HA, OOH OOH OOH!!", the gorillas began to howl and laugh at the monkey girl, thinking she had probably lost her mind. No one would be so stupid to receive a frontal blow and think of surviving that. They thought she surely was about to accept her fate. But without warning, Y'shaati rushed at Na'ek, running on all fours at full speed. The gray ape kept spinning his arm like an helicopter, ready to discharge all his accumulated wrath on her. The clash seemed inevitable.

"Na'ek become champion... and make Y'shaati pay for her insolence! ROOOOAAAAAAAAARGH!!!", the gorilla exclaimed before releasing his mighty punch. However, what happened seconds later was simply unbelievable.

In an extraordinary way, Y'shaati managed to do a somersault to evade Na'ek's attack just in time. Next, she propelled herself with both arms and extended her legs to land both feet on the gorilla's face again, but now with much greater force and momentum. The impact was so strong it generated a shock wave accompanied by a thunderous sound. Na'ek rolled his eyes as Y'shaati grinned. But the blonde didn't stop there. She stomped his whole face more than a dozen times while in midair. After the last kick, Na'ek went flying until he crashed against the tall rock on which K'uno was sitting. 

The viewing gorillas turned to see their promised champion. He was completely knocked out. Even the rock had cracked from the violent impact. Fortunately, his life wasn't in danger. Nobody could believe it. Na'ek, the pride of the Tahuayo troop, had been vanquished.

K'uno descended to the ground to inspect the gray ape's body and declare to the crowd:

"Ooh ook ook! Na'ek cannot continue... Y'shaati winner!!"

The gorillas turned to look at Y'shaati, keeping a profound silence. The poor girl remained frozen. She didn't know how to react to the news. She had just won her first official fight in The Provings. For a second she thought that maybe the apes would hate her from now on for humiliating their next leader like that. But just then, the whole troop exploded in joy.

"OHH AHH OOK OOK!! Y'shaati so strong! How Y'shaati do that!? What that technique called!? Y'shaati very powerful! AHH OOK OOK!!"

All the apes cheered for her, carrying her on their shoulders. She felt a little embarrassed but also unexpectedly glad to know that they now respected her for accomplishing such impressive feat. From afar, his always serious master K'uno said nothing to her, but a slight smile in his face was enough to demonstrate that he was very proud of his apprentice.

Minutes later, having regained consciousness, a few gorillas helped Na'ek back to his feet. The gray gorilla wished to exchange a few words with the winner. Y'shaati accepted his request and approached him to talk.

"Hmph! Na'ek underestimate rival this time... but Na'ek admit defeat... little monkey fought well."

"Ah! Th-Thanks! Uhm, Y'shaati sorry for calling Na'ek dumb-dumb..."

"Y'shaati not need to apologize. Na'ek make mistakes... Y'shaati win fair and square. Y'shaati be a true Tahuayo now."

"Ah!? Na'ek really think that?"

"Indeed. But Na'ek not stop here. Na'ek continue training. Na'ek become stronger and defeat Y'shaati someday! That's a promise, ahh ook ook!"

"Heh... Y'shaati keep training too! Y'shaati look forward to next fight with Na'ek, ook ook!"

That day a great rivalry between them was born. A rivalry that still burns deep in their hearts to this day...

JUNGLE DAYS: THE BIRTH OF A RIVALRY PART I

-.This short story takes place 3 years before the 1st arc (Beginnings).-

In the depths of the amazon jungle, within Ka'aguy, the territory of the Tahuayo gorilla troop specifically, the enormous apes fought tirelessly between themselves. The blows they struck at each other were so strong that they made the earth rumble like small earthquakes. Anyone would think that a terrible conflict, or perhaps an internal dispute was going on in the clan. But that idea was far from being true. The gorillas were actually fighting in a very noble and sporting manner. It was a collective session called "The Provings". The apes were putting their strength and skills to test in fair combat to see how far they had progressed in their pursuit of becoming champions. These competitions were an old tradition within the troop. From a young age, most gorillas are taught to aspire to be troop leaders at some point in their lives. Of course, very few succeed in doing so. Only the strong are able to emerge victorious in these savage duels. These duels are the perfect opportunity to demonstrate their potential to become the Alpha.

Sitting on the top of a tall rock, K'uno, the respected leader of the Tahuayo troop, supervised all the encounters taking place in the arena. It was a round perimeter, large enough for several apes to face each other in a head-to-head match. Around the circle, more gorillas were anxiously waiting for their turn to participate in a bout. Among the spectators, the Naka'i female monkey Y'shaati was there, watching with curiousity and fascination. This was her first time to participate in the provings since she was accepted as a member of the troop a couple of years ago, so she was feeling a bit nervous.

Just at that moment, the most recent combat was ending. The gorilla Entu, a newcomer, fell defeated by the gray gorilla Na'ek. The only ape of the entire troop that was still undefeated. Despite his young age, Na'ek was considered a prodigy. No other gorilla possessed the intelligence and brilliance he displayed. He was able to identify weaknesses, predict attacks and learn the combat patterns of his opponents. On top of that, he had unparalleled charisma and personality within the clan. Many elder gorillas already considered him K'uno's natural successor, confident that he would soon become the undisputed Alpha who would guide them all in the near future.

"Ooh ook ook! Entu cannot continue... Na'ek winner! Excellent fight!", K'uno declared to the crowd. The spectators cheered and howled to the sky to celebrate his victory. Meanwhile, Entu was being dragged out from the arena by his peers. Y'shaati watched him in awe, peeking out through the multitude.

"Ook... Na'ek grateful, Master K'uno...", the gray gorilla bowed his head, humbly accepting his leader's praise.

"Na'ek show unrivaled talent. Na'ek overcome all challenges. Na'ek be very close to becoming champion for third time!", K'uno said mentioning his achievements. "However... Na'ek need one more victory before challenging K'uno... so... who confront Na'ek next...?", the gorilla asked to the spectators. The crowd remained in silence. The apes looked at each other, concerned. None of them was brave or fool enough to face him.

"Who...? Volunteers...? None...? Tch! Very well, ook ook... K'uno choose Na'ek's next opponent, then...", K'uno warned. As the leader decided who would be the gray gorilla's next adversary, Na'ek showed off his big pecks and muscles to the spectators to intimidate whoever dared to raise his hand. The males trembled in fear while the females sighed in heat, wishing to mate with him.

"Ook ook! K'uno make decision! Na'ek's next opponent be... ook ook... Y'shaati...!"

All the gorillas gasped upon hearing that name and turned to look at the little Naka'i monkey girl.

"Uh... Ahhhhhh!?", Y'shaati couldn't help but feel a tremendous panic at being chosen by her own master.

Since her arrival as a teenager in the troop, Y'shaati spent days and nights undergoing severe training under the mentorship of K'uno himself. The Naka'i monkeys who raised her, entrusted the mighty gorilla with the task of teaching her all about the arts of combat and turning her into a formidable warrior. That was her destiny. But the girl never imagined that her final test would come this very day.

"What!? Not fair, ook ook! Na'ek not want fight little monkey! Na'ek want fight real Tahuayo! Is master joking!?", Na'ek asked annoyed. The other gorillas also began to complain about their leader's decision. It was no secret in the clan that Y'shaati was treated in a 'special' way by K'uno, but back then no one understood the reason behind this. She wasn't even a gorilla to begin with.

"OOH AHH OOK!!! K'uno never joke!!! Na'ek fight Y'shaati!!! K'uno has decided!!! OOH AHH OOK OOK!!!", the leader howled furious as he heard Na'ek's claim. The apes trembled in fear.

"Y-Yes, master... Na'ek sorry...", the gray gorilla said looking down intimidated. Just then, the blonde girl pushed her way through the crowd to voice her opinion on the matter.

"B-But master! Y'shaati not ready... Y'shaati not finish training yet!", she said worried.

"Not ready!? Hnnggrrrr!! If Y'shaati think that... then Y'shaati never be ready ever!", he pointed. "K'uno stop training Y'shaati from today, then... Y'shaati have no business here! Y'shaati be free to leave troop whenever Y'shaati wants...", the gorilla said disappointed.

"Ahh!? Why!? Y'shaati not want that! Y'shaati make progress! Y'shaati want keep training! Ook ook ook!", the girl pleaded.

"Then Y'shaati demonstrate to all what Y'shaati learned right now!!! OOH OOK AHH AHH OOK!!!", K'uno demanded.

"M-Master! Ughhh... okay... Y'shaati agree...", she said resigned.

"Na'ek accept too, Master...", the gray ape said.

"Good. Y'shaati and Na'ek enter the arena...", K'uno ordered to both combatants. The gorilla and the girl moved to the center of the circle. They both adopted a similar stance, squatting down and putting their knuckles on the ground, staring at each other. Y'shaati looked so tiny and slender compared to the big Na'ek. All the apes watched expectantly, wondering what kind of combat they were about to witness. Probably an easy win for Na'ek. The monkey girl surely didn't stand a chance against him.

"Pssst... Y'shaati no worry! Na'ek finish Y'shaati quickly ook ook... heh heh heh...", the gorilla whispered to her. The girl frowned.

From above, K'uno picked up a small handful of colorful leaves and tossed them into the air, creating a beautiful scenery. The whole place remained in complete silence. When the last leaf touched the ground, K'uno clapped his hands and launched a thunderous roar:

"OOK OOK OOK OOK!!!!! FIGHT!!!!!"

And so, the great battle began. A battle that would give birth to a rivalry with important repercussions in the coming years.

Y'shaati knew that landing the first blow was vital to gaining the upper hand early in the match, so she charged forward to ram Na'ek with all her might. However, as she slammed her body against him, the gorilla didn't back down a single inch. The girl persisted and continued pushing him, but Na'ek was immovable like a mountain.

"Ohhh...? This Y'shaati's all strength? Hmph! Don't make Na'ek laugh... weakling...", the gray gorilla bragged before shoving Y'shaati aside very easily with just one arm. The girl backed away, losing her balance and landing on her butt.

"OOH OOH!! HA HA HA HA OOK OOK!!! OOK OOK HA HA HA HA!!!", all the gorillas pointed and laughed at the sight of Y'shaati sitting on the floor. She looked around, flushed and very embarrassed. This wasn't the start she had planned. K'uno shook his head in disappointment at this.

Y'shaati stood up and prepared to attack Na'ek for a second time. But before this, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to focus and think about her master's teachings. As K'uno always said:

Concentration is the first thing one must achieve if one wishes to succeed.

Remembering this, she sprinted on all fours towards Na'ek, making it look like she would try the exact same strategy on him. Na'ek smiled, knowing that the outcome would be the same again. But suddenly, she made an unexpected last-second flip to propel herself into the air and deliver three consecutive hard kicks right to the ape's chest. The blows broke Na'ek's composure, making the gorilla kneel down and lose his breath for a second. The crowd gasped astonished. They stopped mocking the monkey girl when they saw their champion being hurt by her.

"Aaarrrggghhh!! H-how... how tiny monkey hit so hard!? Hnnggrrr!!", Na'ek growled with a hand on his chest.

"Y'shaati no weakling, ook ook!", the blonde girl said with determination. This only caused the gray gorilla's anger to explode.

Enraged, the big ape went on the attack to put an end to what he considered to be a bad joke of a combat. The gorilla quickly approached and tried to crush her with his huge fists several times. But Y'shaati was extremely agile and faster than him, so she managed to dodge each of his attacks. With each failed attempt, Na'ek left himself vulnerable for Y'shaati to begin a counterattack, but the girl preferred to wait and keep evading attacks. She knew it was vital to connect a blow powerful enough to damage him, and for that, the opponent had to be exhausted. That was another important lesson her master taught her in training:

Never engage a frenzied rival. Wait for its outburst to end... and then strike with vigor.

After a while, Na'ek's movements became more slower and more predictable. The ape was panted agitated. It was the signal Y'shaati was waiting for. Dodging one last attack, the girl managed to position herself behind the gorilla. It was now or never. Taking the opportunity, she did a somersault and tried to deliver another series of kicks straight to the back of his neck. But unexpectedly, Na'ek turned around at that moment and caught Y'shaati by her leg in mid-air before she could hit him.

"Ahh!?", the blonde gasped in surprise. She never saw the move coming. She fell right into a trap.

"Heh... Y'shaati believe Na'ek not see Y'shaati's plan? Don't underestimate Na'ek, ook ook!!", Na'ek exclaimed before slamming Y'shaati violently to the ground. But the gorilla didn't let go of her after the impact.

Na'ek rolled on the ground along with her until they were both positioned on their backs, facing up with him directly underneath her. Then, the ape grasped each of Y'shaati's limbs with hands and feet. That was a classic but effective Tahuayo wrestling hold from which it was almost impossible to break free. The girl was in serious trouble now.

"Hah hah hah, ook ook! Na'ek caught little monkey! Surrender to Na'ek... or Na'ek break arms and legs!", the gray gorilla threatened Y'shaati to admit defeat. She struggled hard to free herself, but the ape's strength was vastly superior to hers.

"Aaaaaaggghhh!! N-n-no.... Y'shaati.... never.... hhhnnngggaaaaahh!!", Y'shaati groaned, baring her teeth and spreading her toes apart from the pain as she felt her arms and legs dislocating little by little from her torso. If this punishment continued like this, the consequences for her would be fatal. From above, K'uno couldn't help but feel concern for his apprentice. But he could never intervene to help her. That would be against the rules of The Provings. She was alone in this.

All the other gorillas watched closely, waiting to hear the crack of her bones that would mean the end of the fight. It was just a matter of time. Na'ek was very close to becoming champion of the Tahuayo troop.

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: CHAPTER 15 - WHO AM I?

It was a calm and quiet night. It had been a long time since the jungle had been this peaceful. It was as if the sense of tension and constant danger of the past few days had magically vanished. No more anguish. No more fear. No more violence. It was good. Really good. And yet, for some reason, Y'shaati couldn't get to fall asleep. She had been awake for almost three hours, lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling of the tent. Everybody was deeply asleep. It was difficult for her to relax with so many thoughts and questions floating in her mind. If a few months ago someone had told her about the grand adventure she was about to experience, she wouldn't have believed it. And now, all the roads led her to this moment. To be there with the people she considered a new family.

Family.

A rather simple but complex word with so many meanings regardless of the language.

After putting an end to the Mapinguari's threat, Y'shaati and Uyari returned to the site of the original expedition to reunite with Lucas, Isabel and Grandpa. The girls had accomplished their sacred mission. Amazonia and its inhabitants had been saved from a terrible fate. The event would be known from that day forward as "The Battle of Mura Nunka". The battle in which two wild angels of the jungle, a monkey and a jaguar, joined forces to stop an ancient evil from consuming everything.

Upon their arrival, they were welcomed by their dear friends with open arms, grateful and blessed to see them alive and well. But they hadn't returned alone. They brought with them a prisoner. As the Jaguar God Ek' Balam mentioned, two souls were to blame for unleashing this disaster. Faucault and his squad of mercenaries were dead, but Marco was alive. Just barely, but still alive nonetheless. The blond boy had to pay the consequences of his miserable actions. So much chaos and damage caused by just one person. Uyari wasn't very clear explaining what she had planned for him to the group, but Dr. Escudero and Dr. Isabel didn't oppose her decision. They agreed that he deserved a severe punishment. They would think of an excuse to justify his absence upon their return to Spain. The native girl said she would take Marco to a faraway place of Amazonia called Ka'irai. The travel would take several days, but she was confident it was enough time for her to get there and back before they could leave the jungle and return to Madrid. Wasting no more time, the brunette set off with the company of her feline sister Ikta. Y'shaati had no chance to say goodbye to her.

The camp was still in shambles, but everything wasn't lost. There were still useful resources that would help them resupply and survive a few more days. The boat still had enough fuel to make the journey, so that was one less thing to worry about.

Later, after Isabel gave her a nice bath and tended her wounds, Y'shaati couldn't help overhearing a conversation between Lucas and the female doctor. It was obvious from their tones of voice that they were both happy to know that they would soon be back at home. But Lucas sounded a bit nostalgic. However, Dr. Escudero suddenly interrupted the conversation with a bomb question that made Isabel sob and shed a few tears:

"Are you really gonna force her to go with us? Are you willing to take her away from the only world she has ever known?"

"I am... we made a promise. We can't leave her alone. We are her family now... I'm sure ye both think I'm being selfish, but... she's all I have left of him. Francis... I see him again everytime I look into her eyes... I just... I just want to..."

"Oh Isabel..."

Family.

That enigmatic word again. She went to bed with that in mind. And in just a flash, Y'shaati remembered.

The Naka'i monkeys that raised her. The Tahuayo gorillas that taught her how to fight. They were her family too. Her 'real' family. What made them so different? Their way of walking? Their lack of clothes? Their language? To her, humans and apes were very similar in many ways. She came to this conclusion by realizing that humans were capable of feeling love. Not all of them were the soulless evil beings the primates claimed. However, they were also capable of doing awful things, similar to when ape clans declared war against each other for power and position within the primate order. So... What was that missing link that separated apes from humans?

Y'shaati was already aware that she was human. A hard truth she learned to accept since she was a teenager. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be an ape like the Naka'i or the Tahuayo. So, she thought maybe this was her destiny all along. It made sense to a certain extent. She began to reflect on all the changes she had gone through since she first met Lucas. She now had people who understood and accepted her as she really was. They saw her as an equal. Wearing clothes was becoming less of a torture. She was even beginning to like being dressed like that. She was one of them. Could it be that each day she spent with these people, she embraced her humanity even more? And if so, would going with them to that unknown world they called 'Madrid' be the right thing to do? To start a new life there? Stop being Y'shaati... and become Iara, as Isabel called her? Probably... the facts pointed that way.

But saying goodbye to everything she knew wouldn't be easy. She had a great responsibility in the jungle, as her master K'uno used to say. She was the protector and queen of the monkeys of Amazonia. Could K'uno have been wrong about her? The primate order counted on her to guide them as long as she lived. Yet for the past two months, she had completely ignored that duty. Surely the leaders of the primate order were not going to be very happy with her inexplicable absence. She had no justification. And that previous incident with Na'ek... shameful. Perhaps they had already chosen a new leader. It would be too embarrassing for her to go back to them like that. She wouldn't have the strength to do it. Leaving the jungle without everyone to notice didn't sound so bad in comparison.

And then there was Uyari... she and the dark-skinned girl both shared the same purpose. Perhaps she could protect the jungle instead of her. She had proven that she was more than capable of doing so. But there was something she still didn't quite fully understand. After rescuing her from the Mapinguari's belly, she felt a special connection with her. She had never felt anything like this in her entire life. Not even with Lucas with whom she shared several intimate moments. On many occasions the boy tried to declare his feelings for the feral blonde, but his shyness didn't allow him. Then... what happened in that instant? Y'shaati didn't have the slightest idea. But it was beautiful.

Was this what true friendship felt like? Or perhaps it was something else? Something deeper? She couldn't have said goodbye without feeling the same way, could she? Would she really be able to leave something like that behind?

So many questions. No answers...

The only thing for sure, was that she wouldn't be able to sleep at all tonight... and the time to say farewell was near...