Chapter 4: The Monkey With the Voice of a Matured Man
The golden lights of the old man's fading body had barely scattered into the forest canopy when silence settled again.
The silence was heavy, and it seemed to wait for the next thing that would happen, like it was a pause before something else occurred.
Mingye stood rooted to the ground.
Just moments ago, the old man had been right there, speaking with him, and now… he was gone. Disappeared into fragments of light like he didn't even exist in the first place.
Only the lingering warmth in the air and the faint shimmer on the moss-covered boulder where he'd last leaned remained—along with the faint stain of blood from when he coughed. Those were the only pieces of evidence… the blood especially… that showed the man had even been here with Mingye in the first place.
Mingye's hands curled slowly into fists. This man was his savior, and he would forever be grateful. He had given Mingye the chance to walk again, to feel his limbs, to feel his arms and use them freely. The man had given Mingye one chance at the vengeance he sought.
The forest wind brushed against his skin, carrying away the last glow of the immortal's presence.
Mingye bowed his head deeply before it could disappear completely.
"Thank you for saving me!" he said. "I swear to you, I will not waste the chance you gave me. I will become smarter. I will become stronger, and I will avenge my clan. I will get back at those who destroyed us. I will also make sure to fulfill your last request as a thank you. I will find your grandchild."
Though he said the words to the wind, it felt as if they were carved deeply into his essence. The words were a vow more than a promise, and Mingye was determined to achieve it.
When he was done, he exhaled shakily and forced himself to move. Since his body was whole again and he could stand, surely he could walk. His body was whole, but wholeness didn't mean strength.
He tried to walk, but his legs wobbled, shaking at the unfamiliar sensation, and he fell sideways.
Mingye gritted his teeth, but he wasn't going to give up. He was going to continue; he was going to keep on trying.
He moved to stand again. This time he did it slowly, then took one step, moving his hands as he moved, then took another slow step. But by the third one, his legs gave out, and he fell again.
But that still wasn't enough to make him give up. He tried again and again and again, and each try ended with failure.
Each attempt ended the same way: his body buckled, and he crashed back to the forest floor. Dirt stuck to his palms. Needles of grass scratched his skin. His arms shook violently under his weight.
By the tenth fall, Mingye hit the ground face-first with enough force to rattle his teeth.
He groaned and lay still, air puffing out of him.
Even breathing felt exhausting.
He pushed himself up slightly and tried again, thinking that maybe he would get it the third time, but he fell again, his head hitting the boulder that was there.
He clutched the back of his head, wincing in pain.
He huffed, then with a determined frown on his face he stood up—or rather, he tried to stand up again. But what he saw gave him pause.
On the boulder sat a small grey monkey, its legs crossed as it ate a banana rather slowly and regally.
Mingye paused and stared at the monkey, who stared back at him.
Mingye blinked at the monkey, and it blinked back at him.
The monkey's eyes were gold in colour, reminding him a bit of the same gold that had coated the old man's limbs.
The monkey took a slow bite of the banana and stared back at Mingye, who was now focused on the spot just above the monkey's eyes. It was like a third eye, but it was closed, so Mingye wasn't sure. All he knew was that it looked like a slit on the monkey's head.
Mingye frowned as he observed, and the monkey frowned at him too, chewing slowly.
Mingye tilted his head to the right, trying to make sense of what he was seeing, and the monkey tilted too.
Mingye was so focused on the spot between the monkey's eyes when he heard a voice speak.
The voice was deep and extremely mature. Mingye knew immediately that it was the voice of an adult man. The voice sounded like one that would be used to crush mountains.
"What do you think you're looking at?" the voice asked.
Mingye whipped around so fast that he nearly fell again.
"Wh–who said that?!" he shouted, spinning in circles. "Who's there?!"
His heart hammered in his chest. His eyes scanned every tree, every bush, every rock, but there was nothing except for the boulder and the monkey on it who was still eating.
"Where are you looking at?" the voice spoke out again, sounding a bit annoyed. "I'm right here."
Mingye jerked toward the direction of the sound, and his eyes met with the monkey's, who blinked at him.
"…"
"…"
The monkey stared back at him blankly.
"Did you just talk?" Mingye asked the monkey.
The monkey smiled, eating the banana faster, and when it was done, it threw the peel away and then uncrossed its legs before standing on the boulder.
"Took you long enough to know it was me. Do you see anyone else around here?" the monkey asked him.
Mingye's jaw dropped open.
He pointed a trembling finger at the monkey.
"You… You didn't… You… You didn't just speak, did you?"
The monkey rolled its eyes dramatically.
"Yes, I did. My mouth is moving, isn't it?" the monkey asked him.
Mingye stared, and truthfully, the monkey's mouth moved. It really spoke—or rather, it was speaking with Mingye. But monkeys didn't talk, right?
Mingye opened and closed his mouth like a fish.
"How… h—"
Mingye didn't get to finish his words. Perhaps it was the hit from the boulder or the shock from hearing the monkey speak, or perhaps everything at once, but his eyes rolled upwards, and he fell unconscious against the forest floor.
The monkey walked towards him with a frown, poking at him.
"Surely it's not that scary for a monkey to speak, is it?" it asked.