It was te at night. Zern and Poli just returned to their camp after their usual patrol route when they saw Isha crouching before Ren's tent, trying to listen and holding back her ughter. The two clearly knew she was up to no good, but couldn't resist their curiosity as they approached.

  “Sssh… listen…” Isha whispered as they heard the voices coming from the tent.

  "I… I can't take it…." Leinor moaned.

  "Just rex! You are too stiff." Ren soothed him.

  "No… It's too much; I feel like bursting apart!"

  "You act so tough, yet now you back down?" She grunted, "You can take it; just try a little harder!"

  "Uggh… It's too much, I… can't…" came the painful moaning, but outside the tent, Zern and Poli's faces were already twitching, turning bright red.

  "Why…" Poli murmured, as the exchange itself was… not weird; what made it unexpected was that the owner of the lines was utterly reversed, not as one would expect.

  "I told you, he is a boytoy!" Isha giggled at once.

  "Watcha' doin'?" Rem came up behind the eavesdropping group. Apparently, she just woke up as she was floating there, rubbing her eyes, colliding with Isha, and making them stumble into the tent.

  "Mmm?" Ren looked at the sudden intrusion, sitting cross-legged before Leinor, who was only wearing his underwear and holding her hand. "What… you all want to try?" she smirked at them.

  "Oh… I thought you were being naughty," Isha sighed, disappointed, but Zern just pced his hand on her mouth, silencing her.

  "I don't want to know what goes through your head, thank you very much!" Ren shook her head, rolling her eyes.

  "I… can't… breath…" came the moaning, scared voice of Rem, who was mushed under Isha's body, struggling to get free as they all somehow fell on her.

  "Ahaha, sorry, sorry~!" Isha ughed as she sat back up, and the little fairy who was finally freed sprang up, fixing her pajama.

  "I thought I was about to be crushed! They are heavy!" She moaned, looking at Isha's boobs, who was just grinning gleefully, noticing that Ren was also looking, pursing her lips. "What are you doing? Is it something fun? They were trying to come in and py, too!" She flew up to Ren, curious, as she just looked at the others with snted eyes, making them inch backward.

  "Yeah, I bet..." Ren grunted, rubbing her little head, "But no, Rem, we were just trying to train. Sadly, it seems like we can't continue like we usually do..." She added, knowing she had to give up, feeling a bit disappointed.

  "Because you advanced?" Zern asked, already seeing the issue.

  "Seems like it." Ren nodded in answer, "When we try to share energies like we always did, the flow of mine is just too much for even Leinor. The disparity between our bodies became significant, and he couldn't keep up." She sighed dejectedly. "I thought I could help you out like I did with everyone and push you all forward, but I won't be able to..."

  "Ren's energy overwhelms mine, without question." Leinor added, "It sends it into rampant overdrive, and I feel like exploding... I suggest none of you try it out. I can regenerate quickly, but you would be... injured."

  "Masochist." Isha quipped.

  "Fuck you," Leinor shot back at once.

  "You wish, boytoy~!"

  "Okay, okay, enough!" Ren raised her hands, "Let's get back to rest, everyone. We continue onward tomorrow! By Shaman's map, we'll reach the orangutans soon enough. I hope they are indeed as easy as Shaman said to get along with them."

  "What can go wrong?" Poli stretched, standing up, followed by Zern, "We are a charming bunch!"

  "Now you just jinxed us!" Everyone scolded him at once.

  "Yeah, idiot!" Isha added with a well-aimed kick at his butt. In the end, all of them left, except Rem, who, now, knowing nothing fun was going on, just settled into the p of Ren, going back to sleep there.

  "It seems like we have a third wheel for tonight." She smiled, stroking the little red cinnamon roll's head.

  "You look like a big sister now~!" Leinor pecked her cheek, smiling.

  "Huh? Not like a mother? Perv."

  "Hey!" He pouted, "I'm not a pervert... You are."

  "Ahaha, Okay, okay… let's rest a little." She leaned forward, kissing his lips, easing up the frowning expression of Leinor, and soon they were snuggling up while Ren held Rem like a baby, enjoying the night, even though she felt full of energy, not being able to sleep at all.

  The next day, after they continued on their way, it didn't take long to reach the vilge of the orangutans, which was established next to a shallow pond surrounded by rows of willow trees. They immediately saw some average-sized orangutans lying around, under the shade of the trees, or in nests or hammocks made from leaves and vines, hanging between the branches.

  "They really look like a chill tribe," Isha murmured, because when the apes saw them arrive, they just took a look before waking the others, pointing at them, but other than that, they were doing nothing else.

  "What's this smell?" Rem asked, sniffing around, clearly getting a bit dizzy, and sitting down on Ren's head as she couldn't remain afloat at all.

  "Mm? Now you mention it…." Ren took a sniff for herself, too.

  “Oh… this is…” Isha joined in, too, clearly recognizing the smell. They soon realized that all of it was coming from the orangutans, who were holding some kind of pipe, smoking, and blowing out thick clouds of mist once in a while. "This smells like hash."

  "Are you serious?" Leinor rubbed his temples, groaning, "They are... drugged out of their mind?!"

  "Yup. Seems like it," She grinned, "It is a fiiiiine mix, as far as I can smell. We are selling it back at home, too! I recognize a good product when I smell one. It's good to rex a little, ahaha!" She licked her lips, ready to party.

  "Haaah… this is going to be interesting…." Ren murmured as they walked forward, approaching the vilge.

  Finally, when they got really close, one of the orangutans stood up, scratching her orange fur, coming close with slow steps before sitting down before them and taking a whiff from her long, wooden pipe.

  “Ah… huuuumans…. Cooooool… What ya doin' here? Wanna sip?" She asked with an extremely slowed-down speech pattern, stretching out her pipe, and before Ren could refuse, Isha was already on it, inhaling it without reservations.

  "Ohhh, this is good! Really good!" She moaned, blowing it out with satisfaction.

  "Ooooof couuuuuuurse!" the orangutan grinned, taking a drag for herself, "Soooo… whaaaaat ya doin' heeeeeere?" She asked again, clearly not afraid of them.

  "We just came to talk." Ren nodded, clearing her throat.

  "Tis 'Bout the neeeeeew vilgeeeeee? Coooool, Coooool, we're coooooool with thaaaaat!" She nodded as more orangutans came forward, sitting in front of them in a semicircle, all smoking their pipes, nodding their heads.

  "You know about that?" Leinor looked around cautiously so they wouldn't be surrounded, but... he couldn't detect any harmful intentions.

  "Yeaaah… we knoooooow. The chimpin'chompin' goooooone all screaaaaamy and puuuuunchy yet dieeeeeed… Coooooool, Coooooool. They wereeeee asshoooooooooles!"

  "Asshooooles," the others echoed, nodding and taking a significant drag from their pipes in complete sync.

  "Whoa," Isha swayed, blinking her eyes as hard as she could, ensuring she wasn't tripping. Suddenly, it was freaking her out how in sync the orangutans moved and spoke, seeing around thirty of them simultaneously do the same movement; it made her and the rest dizzy, especially after breathing in their exhaled smoke alone.

  "You are well informed." Ren looked around them, muttering.

  "Yeaaah… we areeeee." The female orangutan nodded, and it seemed like she was the leader of the tribe. "The birdieeeees talk a loooooot," she grinned.

  "You have another tribe feeding you information?" She pressed on.

  "Nooooo~! The birdieeeees~!" she giggled and blew smoke through her lips in the form of a bird that just flew away.

  "Are they this high all the time?" Poli whispered into Leinor's ears, but he just shrugged as an answer.

  "Ahaha, a birdie flew away~!" Rem giggled, who, from the scent of the orangutans alone, was already high as a kite, lying on the top of Ren's head.

  "Oh my… Come, come, don't wiggle around too much!" Ren moaned, taking her into her arms like a baby while watching the smoke disappear, feeling something special about it. The feeling she got from the apes made her tingle... as if their eyes could see into her soul.

  "You're Reeeeen, right-ooooo?" The orangutan pointed at her with the end of her pipe.

  "You DO know a lot." Ren nodded, narrowing her eyes, smiling at the orangutan.

  "Yeaaaaahh… I saaaaaaaw yoooooou." She nodded.

  "When?" Leinor furrowed his brows.

  "Huh?" She looked at him. "When I sleeeeeeeept, in a dreeeeeam. Shamaaaaaan sent yaaaaaa. We saaaaaw everythiiiing. You're gonnaaaaaa makeeeee iiiiit biiiiig." She hummed, munching on her pipe's end.

  "Complete nutjobs." Leinor moaned under his breath, but Ren was taking it seriously, so she held back her thoughts... There was... something in them. A cirvoyant-like gift...

  "You know my name, yet I don't know yours," She spoke after shifting Rem in her arms a little.

  "Pongooooooo~"

  "With that long of an O?" She grinned, trying to throw them off a little.

  "Nooooo~!" Pongo ughed with the others in tow. "Just an OoooOOOooooOOoo..."

  "Sure..." Poli grunted, wanting to get to the point, "You said you saw us… Do you mean… in a vision? Are you all psychic or something?" he asked, getting weirded out more and more.

  "In the dreaaaam, we seeeee the dreeeeeam, which tells uuuuus the storieeeeees we muuuuust knoooow. Likeeee youuuuu will coooooome and aaaall. Shamaaaaaan is gooooood; I likeeeeee hiiiiim!"

  "You must be his ex…." Ren murmured, thinking about what to do while Pongo took another drag.

  "Eeeeex? Maaaybeeeee… Oooooh, we wiiiiill joooooin yaaaaa."

  "Really?" the group asked, surprised, just as in sync as the orangutans were.

  "Yeaaaaah." all of them answered at the same time. "It will be coooooool. Buuuuuut…”

  "But?" Zern gulped.

  "Oooooonly afteeeeeer."

  "After what?" Zern got a bit impatient and frustrated after an answer like that, seeing them remain silent.

  "The battleeeeeee. We aaaaaain't fightiiiiiing; that's nooooot cooooool."

  "What battle?" Leinor asked with a stern voice, wanting to know more and know it at once.

  "The battleeee!" the others echoed. "Wheeeen youuuu arriveeeee, the choooompy-screaaaaaamy buffooooons attaaaaack. Askeeeeed by the Red Fuuuuuur!"

  "What are you speaking about…." Leinor fred up, losing his temper a little, which was rare, but Ren raised her hand.

  "Is our town under attack? Right now?" She asked seriously.

  "Yeaaaah." All of them nodded.

  "Fuck… Everyone, double speed, we go back! Now!" Ren shouted, already turning.

  "Yeaaaah… yooooou goooo. Weeee comeeeee wheeeen fightiiiing is dooooone, 'kay? Cooooool." Most of them echoed as they waved at them while the group quickly rushed away, hurrying back towards their budding vilge.

  "You believe those nutjobs?" Isha asked, gasping for air, springing along.

  "Yes." Ren whispered, "I have a strange feeling about them. I can't put my finger on it… yet…” She added as she bit her lips, thinking.

  "Woaaah… the colooooors are so faaaaast!" Rem giggled, totally stoned, still in her embrace, watching the trees whizzing by.

  "You poor little joyball…." Ren sighed, giving her to Isha. "Keep her safe and hurry up!"

  "Just go!" She nodded, "You are faster than we are. We will be right behind you!"

  "Mm." The other three also nodded, agreeing with her, making Ren smile at them.

  "Don't be te… or you won't have any chance to have fun!" She nodded as she shot out, leaving behind only an afterimage of herself, made out of pure lightning, rushing back as fast as she could.

  …….….

  It was still morning, and the vilge was already up, working on the new buildings under construction. Kang had just finished munching on a giant watermelon, crunching it like nothing, when he suddenly stood up, tall as a statue, and started growling, beating his chest. The other gorils and chimpanzees immediately went into alert mode, hearing the biggest amongst them sounding the arms. The humans who were present did not know what it meant, but they were also alerted by it... It told them enough. As the fairies were easily scared, they started to flock to the center of the vilge, collecting and leading their tiny, simple-minded offspring, who were still small butterflies, to safety.

  "What is it?" Feynor arrived next to Kang, "Looking around."

  "I feel strong killing. Baboons... Coming!"

  "Shit… Evacuate the young, the fairies, and the weak!" Feynor gave a loud order, echoed by Kang's own growls, and soon the younger chimps and gorils were leading them out, escaping towards Cath's Door.

  It didn't take long before, from the west, loud screaming voices came, and from between the trees, a horde of baboons rushed out, numbering in the hundreds. Kang only roared back in answer, towering over the baboons who averaged around a meter and a half, never taller. Still, the bigger ones had long, fang-like teeth sticking out from their mouths, ready to tear apart anybody they could. When the wave of baboons reached the edge of town, Kang just swept out with his hand, making four of them snap and crack apart loudly, flying away like ragdolls... Yet against their numbers, he alone could do nothing and was surrounded just a minute ter.

  "Fire!" came the voice of Feynor as the present human soldiers let loose their arrows, aiming at the still rushing monkeys at the back, while another squad surged forward, led by Feynor with swords and shields, trying to stop their advance on the vilge.

  "Eat this!" arrived the voice of Shaman, tossing out small, round balls, and when they exploded, they released a thick, green smoke that made the baboons trip up, getting disoriented and confused, making it easy for the arriving chimps and Niji to bash their heads in with their clubs. Luckily, their faces were covered with water-soaked clothes, shielding them from the gas and enabling the group to finish off their invading enemies...

  But it was still not enough.

  While the chaotic fighting was raging on, another roar came from the woods, and a more prominent, much taller, more straight-standing baboon slowly walked out, wearing metal-like armor, holding a spiked mace in his hand, surrounded by three other massive commanders of his. Challengingly, he just roared at Kang, then rushed out with inhuman speed, ready to meet the biggest prey before him.

  The giant white goril's response was simple... Kang let loose his own, an animalistic, wild, and deep howl, as his white fur hardened into actual bones, armoring himself from within. After a few seconds only, he was covered in a milky-colored, bone-like suit, meeting the metal mace with a punch, shattering it in the process.

  "I'll kill you today, old one!" the baboon growled, showing his white, sharp teeth. "My tribe will rule the forest!"

  "You die!" Kang replied with a grunt and headbutted him, crushing his nose, before grabbing him, and with a spin, he threw him out, hitting one of the other, taller baboons that were coming to surround him.

  "Beat that fucker! Kill him, and the vilge is ours!" The first one roared with a bloody face as the four of them rushed at Kang as a team, and by now, the meadow was littered with dead bodies and the smell of blood, baptizing the little, unfinished town.