Season of Sacrifice (Blood of Azure Book 1) Jonathan Michael (red novels .txt) 📖

I shake my head and start breaking my ghillie suit apart. “You’re all nuts. What does it take?”

“I don’t know. I was born and raised here. I suppose it’s just who we are.”

“No. What does it take to get close to the ape? To befriend him.”

“We’ve known each other since I was a little Greenthumb. I don’t know. Instincts come naturally to me.”

“Huh,” I grunt. I’m unconvinced.

“There’s nothing up there, you know,” Zoie says after a moment’s silence.

“Up where?”

“It’s just a plateau with a good view and another long journey to the next town. You’d be better off just staying here with us. There’s nothing up there,” she repeats.

“Zoie…I’m glad I’ve found a…a friend in this…this spirited village. I left behind a family, though. Not a family I was born into or a family I inherited, but a family I chose. A family I care for. As much as I enjoy your company and all the other generous Redcliffe villagers, I eventually need to get back to them. I’m confident I need to befriend Coloss to tackle that wall, so if there’s any help you can give me, I would be extremely grateful.”

“He’s a primitive beast. He’s fond of who he wants and callous toward all others. And I’m positive you’re on the latter of his lists after what happened.”

“No doubt. Graytu keeps telling me to use my instincts. And today he suggested I seek out my youthful knowledge. I figured maybe you had some insight on it. I never know what that man is telling me.”

“Yeah, he always tells me I’m a young squirrel and my nut is not ready for such things.”

“What’s his deal with the squirrels anyways?”

Zoie shrugs her shoulders.

“Well, let’s go track that stag, then. My arrow pierced its lungs. It should be close.”

“That’s it!” Zoie shouts.

“What? What’s it?”

“The stag. You can bring the deer to Coloss as a gift. I wasn’t teasing when I said you should bring him some meat yesterday. Siamangs kill for red meat just as you and I.”

“Really? Are you sure? I’ve been observing them for some time now, and I’ve only seen them devour those figs.”

“Well, I’ve been observing them for eleven seasons now. Of course I’m sure. Coloss practically raised me. Let’s go.” Zoie runs off in the direction the stag fled to.

The thought of that ape being an omnivore sends chills down my spine. This whole time I thought he wanted to beat me into submission or threaten me. But knowing he’d be willing to sink those massive teeth into me…

It took some precious time, but we managed to find and transport the kill to the crossing. As we neared, I treaded lightly, for this was the first time I would see the judgmental ape since I stabbed him in the arm. I’m positive he won’t be pleased to see me.

Upon our approach to the notorious fig tree, Coloss does what he’s good at and drops from the tree to overwhelm me with intimidation. His eyes, fierce upon his drop, mold into excitement and love at the sight of Zoie. She runs to him, and he opens his arms liberally to welcome her in.

I heave the stag from my shoulder, and I realize I neglected to bring my bow with me. I must have left it at the kill site. I best not point that out to Zoie, or I’ll never hear the last of it.

A moment goes by while Zoie and Coloss embrace each other. His arm appears to be healed. Or it could be the hair covers it. Either way, it doesn’t seem to bother him.

They have a bond I don’t understand. Is she communicating with him right now, the same way Chippie has been speaking to me?

Once the exaggerated greeting is over, Zoie proceeds to help me with presenting the gift to the ape.

He looks at me, rage animated in his features, then looks to Zoie for approval. She nods her head the slightest, and the rage in Coloss’ eyes subdues, but it’s not convincing enough to go in for a furry squeeze. I produce a soft bow without breaking eye contact and signal for him to take the offering with a simple hand gesture.

Coloss is pleased just as Zoie led me to believe. He is the first to indulge in the gourmet feast, leaving his kin to sit and watch. When he has his fill, he rips away limbs one by one, tossing them about for his colony to gorge.

“Thank you, Zoie.”

Her face reddens, and she glances at me from her peripheral with a gentle smile, seemingly uncomfortable with my gratitude. I open my arms and give her a generous hug. She leans into it.

We watch as the older apes wrestle and fight over the meat, while the younger ones play with it. Three of them, about half the size of Zoie, toss the meat back and forth, occasionally beating one another with it and making an absolute mess of the meal. Toddlers in the simian world.

Their meal, over-tenderized and nearly beat into mush, is tossed in the air. Something splatters across my face, and the mass of it lands at my feet. I curl my head into my shoulder to wipe it free and bend over to grab what remains of the hind quarter. One of the young siamangs barrels toward me as if I’m intending to get in on the action. Coloss, lingering at the base of his fortress, stares at me with a powerful gaze. As the younger ape closes in, Coloss interferes, leaping into the air and landing between the two of us. His right arm, as thick as my abdomen, swings out and purposefully slams into me. The blow tosses me backward through the air. Fortunately—or unfortunately, I’m not sure—I