Chapter 105: The Call of Tayun: Final Trial (5)
Pain throbbed at Yoa’s temples again, his throat parched as he woke up to speckled sunlight blinding him slightly. With a low groan, he rubbed at his head as his mind blanked. What just happened? He couldn’t recall anything after exiting the tunnels below Luna Lacus.
The sudden howls of monkey’s shot him to his feet, almost costing him his balance and falling from the branch he’d been sleeping on. Any questions coating his tongue died as he looked around, discovering that he was in Vohraki lands. Yet none of the monkeys looked in his direction, scattered at his presence or tried chasing him away with aggressive roars, rocks, and spears.
It was almost like he was invisible. The howlers moved around, idle, relaxing in their nests, grooming each other lazily, their calls echoing through the canopy like any ordinary morning. There was no alarm about his presence.
One juvenile dangled by its tail from a nearby branch, peeling fruit and chattering softly as if Yoa wasn’t there. Another let out a short bark before dozing off again.
Yoa blinked slowly, confusion drawing a deep line between his brows. Something wasn’t right. The air shimmered faintly, like heat waves distorting the horizon, except it wasn’t hot. This entire ordeal had been strange, yet he felt completely at ease.
He turned just as a ripple spread across the treetops. From the high canopy above, a figure descended—leaping, twisting through branches with the fluid agility only a howler monkey could achieve. His thick dark fur streaked with age, scars visible across his shoulders and chest. Yet his movements were purposeful, driven.
The monkey landed on a thick branch, staff in hand, raising it skyward as a burst of sunlight filtered through the leaves like a spotlight. Around him, other howlers grew quiet.
"Brahku," Yoa whispered, the name rising in his throat without knowing why. How did he know that name? And why did the name seem so relevant and important?