He is a witch. He is wicked. Strike him down now.
The frantic voice put Sugriva more at ease. If it thought this boy was a vile presence, the boy was likely important. On the other hand, how did Dameneh know?
"What do you mean not well?"
"Your anger. That voice inside your head. Does anyone else know about it?" The boy never stopped smiling. He approached Sugriva, and the monkey's legs seemed to turn to stone, rooting him.
The little boy was hardly a foot away when he said, "I can help you. The Ashtadash couldn't cure you, though they were close. They are an illusion, even the true Ashtadash. Your dharma is a lie. You are loved, Sugriva, and I can show you that love."
Dameneh reached up with the knob of his staff.
Flee! Get away! Claw out his eyes!
With a gentle tap, the staff knocked against Sugriva's forehead.
It was as if Sugriva woke up from a seething dream where he hated everyone. Colors brightened, his thoughts dissipated until they were his own. Muscles released so much tension he was left sore. Tears streaked down his cheeks. He awaited the voice, expecting some rebuff, but it wasn't there. Even the smoke from his fingernails halted.
Dameneh embraced Sugriva. The little black man said, "You are loved, Sugriva. You are not some feral monkey. You are not some ghost to be feared. You are loved."
Then Dameneh walked past Sugriva and to the doors. "I am Dameneh, prophet of the One, as I told this poor man you left to die. Doors are like paper and will not stop me."
The warriors on the ramparts were too dumbstruck to respond. Dameneh touched the knob of his staff to the door, and they burst open with a boom so loud it echoed across the massive city.
MONKEY WAS ESCORTED back to his home by a woman with olive skin and black, silk hair. She didn't speak, though her build and the way she walked denoted a woman of strength.
The following morning she baked bread and made tea. A little girl ran around, giggling and babbling. She spoke fairly well, though she kept waving her hands, and her mother would nod and do something. They both sat at the table when they saw Sugriva, and the little girl said, "Join us."
A boy burst into the domicile. He spoke a language Sugriva couldn't understand. Then the woman moved her fingers. The two kept at this for some time, leaving Sugriva entirely in the dark. Finally the boy said, "I'm Tabr. This is Qas. She's mute. Did you understand anything we just said?" The boy squinted, honestly curious if Sugriva knew their language.
"I don't know your language. How'd you learn ours?"
Tabr sat at the table, and Sugriva joined the others. "The One. Sometimes He lets us communicate without effort, and sometimes our words aren't meant to be heard. Dameneh says your name is Sugriva. We are caring for you. Qas here is making sure people don't touch you. She is really good at making sure people aren't touched—unless they want to be." Sugriva grinned along with Tabr. Qas scowled.
"What happened to me? When the little boy touched me?"
"You were cursed. You aren't now." He sat down and took a cup of tea and hunk of bread. After touching his forehead and muttering a prayer, Tabr ate.
Sugriva touched his head repeatedly. Everyone else seemed to enjoy doing it, and it appeared to be some sort of trigger. Maybe he could trigger better sleep.
Tabr walked over to him and Qas stiffened. The young man clasped Sugriva's hand using both of his. He looked into the monkey man's eyes, and Sugriva's stomach warmed. Tabr said, "It's okay, Sugriva. We've got you. You're safe. Chaos, your own people, they won't hurt you. Not to say there's no more grief, but you're safe."
"Grief always waits in the shadows, and I am the shadows." Sugriva struggled to stay in the moment, his mind wandering back to the voice and other events. They ate at him, and he could almost hear the corruption speaking to him, yelling at him from behind some wall of light.
The youth smiled. "Worry about that later." He pulled out a scroll and sat on the ground, beckoning Sugriva to join him. "Would you like to hear more about the One who gives peace?"
Through the day, the night, and into the next morning, Tabr's words shuddered through and gripped Sugriva's heart. It both eased and pained his mind to think how long he was walking his dharma when there was a True path for everyone.
When Tabr finished, Sugriva embraced him and said, "Teach me to walk the path."
"The path's narrow."
"Teach me."
"First sleep." The boy chuckled and nodded to the sun rising outside the window.
Qas nodded her head wearily. The little girl, Sapheen, rested in her lap. Qas signed something at Tabr. He said, "Qas agrees. We're protected here, so it will be safe."
IN THE MORNING, SUGRIVA was alone in his home. When he went outside, it was still day. There were hundreds of people he didn't recognize walking in and out of the homes. A sort of market was set up with essentials, but no one was buying or selling. They took if they said they needed and gave if they had too much. It was bizarre.
The people primarily had light brown skin and curly black hair. They looked similar to the people of Jaya, though a little lighter. They spoke a different language, and while Tabr was understandable, everyone else was not. "A gift from the One?" he pondered aloud. A few people looked at him strangely, but the monkey didn't pay attention to them. He doubted they knew of the janaav. If he really wanted attention, a shift would get it.
Near the tower where the council met, Dameneh spoke loudly in his native language about the One. He told them all what Sugriva was told the previous night. Sugriva's eyes welled up. A small group
