Ghost Monkey, стр. 15
Rubek gestured for one of the warriors to mark Aavu. Then Rubek walked to Ishku. She whispered, "Stay safe. Dharma threw you from her path, and you abandoned it when she abandoned you. I pray in the next life she doesn't treat you so coldly."
Ishku embraced the woman, and both cried as Ishku was marked on the neck, a merciful place as it was easy to hide.
The small pack of outcaste janaav set out after the branding, and after several weeks wandering, they founded the city of Mibtha, where they were able to live away from the rules of Jaya and dharma.
Chapter FiveTale of the Elephant Bandit King
Age of Men 807
Every morning Ishku woke up to the sun. The day started with her walking down to a nearby river, meditating, praying, and then going for a swim, which included nabbing fish. She meticulously blessed them, shifted into an otter, and ate them raw.
Next, Sugriva watched her go to the field, which started in a small mound of earth, then climbed up a massive tree truck which provided nutrients for a variety of mushrooms. She worked the dirt, took the plants, and brought them back to the shed. Others helped her, though she was the only one who went through the farming ritual day after day.
After a moon of watching this, Sugriva approached her, as she walked back from the river. "I want to help."
The otter woman cocked her head to the side. "Why? Stay on your path."
Hi bristled at the lecture. “I’m bored. Give me something to do."
She laughed, and it melted Sugriva's heart. "Follow me."
The pair went to the garden, where she leaned down and picked at a small, green plant. "This is a weed. Pull these and only these." She handed him the weed. "For reference."
He picked weeds, and before long he could feel a force burrowing into him. Bagheer stared at him from a distance. Sugriva continued, though after a few minutes, Ishku went to him.
"You foolish monkey. This is not a weed. It doesn't look at all like what I gave you." She pulled out the weed she gave him and compared them.
"They're both green.”
"This one is green with a white vein underneath. This one is green all the way through, except for a white tip at the edge of the leaf. Here it is ridged, while this one is smooth and waxy." She slapped the back of his head, though not hard. "Try again."
For a week he floundered at picking the right weeds verse flowers, until Ishku remained close to him all the time to make sure he didn't damager her herbs and mushrooms.
One day, after they finished Aavu approached Sugriva. "I know what you want. I wanted it too."
Sugriva flushed. "Are you threatening me?"
The predatory intensity left Aavu's eyes. "No," he whispered. "I just know Ishku." With that, the tiger left.
Another week passed, and Sugriva filled baskets with peaches and plums before Ishku woke up. He ate a few, then tossed the pits.
Ishku laughed when she woke up to the baskets. "Sugriva, we need to talk about boundaries, I think. When did you wake up that you had time to gather all this fruit?" She sat by the basket and bit into a succulent plum, juices running down her chin. "You picked them at the right time, too. I'm impressed, since I could hardly trust you to weed."
Sugriva, in his monkey form at the time, gave a pleased grunt and strode up to her, sitting in her lap. She pet behind his ears. His shoulder twitched and he cooed.
"Why are you doing this? We are outcaste, but you seem drawn to our pathless labor."
He moved from her lap and shifted into a man. "My parents were outcaste. My uncle adopted me to be a merchant. He beat me because I'd rather fight—like my parents." He looked away, off in the distance where Bagheer trained on his own. "They don't understand. You are on the path or off the path. Sometimes the path is overgrown or disappears. Sometimes it splits. It doesn't matter to them."
"Take care, monkey." She touched his cheek, brow furrowing. "You blaspheme, and you have a lot to lose. You work with janaav of different species. You can explore all of Sankive's wonders." She looked up at the canopy, birds of brilliant colors flying overhead. "Don’t throw it away carelessly."
The ache of shame reverberated in Sugriva's chest. "I'm sorry. I get carried away."
She laughed, and it brought warmth to his heart. Her hand interlocked with his. "Passion is good."
MIBTHA BECAME A PART of Sugriva's life, as he became a part of Mibtha. First he helped with the garden, providing food for the people. Then he helped pass out food alongside Ishku and Aavu. The tiger janaav never ceased giving him disgusted looks.
After months in the village, Bagheer stood next to Sugriva while handing out food. The panther refused to hold the basket Ishku handed him. "This is not my work. My work is to protect the village, and I will stay with my dharma. Those confused on their path will master none of the skills they should, and will instead dabble in all the skills they do not need. Because of this, they will be made lowly in the next life."
Aavu scowled, but Ishku only laughed and touched the tiger on the shoulder to calm him. "That is your path to walk, then."
Bagheer turned to Sugriva. "You are giving up on your dharma. Train. You are not a commoner. You are not of the womanly dharma. Why do you prepare food and hand it out? Why do you garden when you need to fight? Picking peaches will not kill demons. Stop being a lovestruck child." He snorted at Ishku. "And what is the goal? To impress an otter outcaste? You cannot be with her, Sugriva."
It felt like someone punched the monkey in the