Ghost Monkey

by Paul R. Davis

  "It was. Now flee before I call the guards so they can deal with your foolishness." She shooed him away.

  Sugriva's cheeks flushed, and his intestines knotted up. Bile laced his breath, as he tried not to vomit. He had half a mind not to stop his free fall when he dropped out of the nest, but he used the staff to slow his descent. Prisha spurned him. Ishva was lost to him by Sugriva's own hand. It was his own decisions that lead him to loneliness. The realization clawed at him—he chose those who despised him but turned his back on those who loved him.

  A shadow flew overhead as Sugriva left the hawk territory. It didn't surprise him, as he wasn't hiding his identity; the worst they would do was kick him out. Then the shadow descended in front of him, and Divyan shifted into his man form. "We are on the cusp of war. The enemy is at our gates trying to knock them down. You are here with my daughter. If she screamed we would try in earnest to execute you, not those games you set up. If she ran away with you, what would you do with the rest of Jaya? Is she your only motivation?"

  "Are you going to report me, general?"

  Divyan sat down and patted the ground beside him. Sugriva joined. The hawk-man looked up at the canopy. "I was a common soldier in my youth. I knew what it was to see the woman I loved and not have her. Then I became famous, and I married a beautiful woman. You know what I forgot about, Sugriva?"

  There was a pause, Sugriva looking at the ground like a scolded child. "What?" he finally asked.

  "I forgot women are more than a beautiful face and perky breasts. But it's easy for an undiscerning man to only see those qualities." Divyan touched his chest. "There is a heart, one which can be kind and compassionate. They go out and help the people. Then there are those who are cold and selfish, only looking out for their interests." The hawk sighed and shook his head. "You met my wife. She's a hag, and I loathe her." He took Sugriva's hands. "And while I love my daughter and pray she learns from my compassion, General Ajit complains regularly that she's a nag, demanding more and more, to the point that he struggles to satisfy her whims. If a general cannot please my daughter, well, you were only a temporary distraction—likely something to upset her mom. You taught her to have confidence in her flying. I was trying to do that for years, but it wouldn't take. It wasn't good enough until mom said it was good enough." He shook his head and grunted.

  Sugriva laughed through tears. "We're all like that. Do you remember when you were a kid?"

  "Ah, bits and pieces, but not enough. It's probably karma coming back to get me for what I did to my parents." He shuffled his feet and looked to the dirt. "My dad was a wall guard. He didn't hold any big position. I was taught I would be a wall guard, and that was good enough. Now and then he would go on scouting parties, as scouting is part of a hawk's dharma. I told him I could be more—I would be more." He spread out his hands. "Now I have this. A far cry from where I was supposed to be right now."

  "My uncle expected a merchant. I should be wandering around the jungle selling wares. He's probably dead, though. With the demons out there, I heard most the merchants who didn't take up permanent residency somewhere are dead."

  "You could look for him," Divyan said.

  "No. I'd be better off without finding him. He hit me until I said I understood what he was telling me. I never understood. It's why I followed my parents' path."

  The canopy shifted to vibrant green, the morning sun illuminating through the leaves. It was a beautiful view, especially with all the hawks flying around.

  Divyan said, "You should go. There's a lot of work to be done."

  They clasped hands, holding on at the elbow, and put their foreheads against each other briefly. Sugriva said, "Thanks for taking a chance on me. I'll work hard to atone for my sins and return to my dharma."

  "You have surpassed whatever those sins are in coming back to save a kingdom that despises you. Never forget that. It's too easy for men to think they have to make up for old slights."

  THE TRAINING GROUND was silent, though the stands overlooking were filled with people. From time to time Sugriva could hear a baby cry, but parents were quick to silence them. Over a dozen men marched out, with General Humbari leading them. He was the only one in attendance standing proud. Even Prince Anka, with dark circles under his eyes, seemed to be wasting away.

  Divyan elbowed Sugriva. "Sit up straight. Humbari is looking for any reason to kill you."

  A derisive snort left his lips. "Then he'll have to trample everyone here."

  "For cowardice," General Humbari roared, "these men will be executed. They plotted to flee the city when they were conscripted, or they assisted a deserter. Every man and woman will be needed. The demons are at our doorstep, and cowardice will see us all trampled."

  A man was summoned from the side.

  "Begin," General Humbari said, getting out of the way.

  The man shifted into an elephant and trumpeted. He charged forward and stomped down on people, crushing them under his feet.

  The audience remained still through the display of brutality. It became a daily tradition. People no longer went to work first thing in the morning, they went to the training ground, and if they were fortunate, they were told there would be no executions that day.

  "What are you doing after this?" Sugriva asked.

  "Checking the perimeter. The demons have to be close. We're getting fewer refugees, and those we get are from nearby villages."

  The display ended, and Humbari came out to make some speech about dharma. The people had no future. Why did they care what path they walked?

  Divyan asked, "And you?"

  "I don't know." His thumb ran over the seat in front of him, feeling the wood against his skin. He wanted a sliver, something to break him from the malaise settling over the city. "Drink and eat?"

  "Sugriva," Divyan scolded, "You have to stay sharp and—"

  A scout flew down in front of Divyan and cawed, then flew away.

  The general paled, and said, "Shift into a monkey and follow me."

  THE GUARDS ON THE WALL were on edge, peering over like something unexpected would explode from the jungle. One day it would.

  Sugriva's hair stood on end, and he shifted into a man as Divyan dropped him. "This feels unsettlingly familiar."

  "Silence," Divyan whispered.

  Sugriva strained his ears, but Divyan was right. The chirps and roars decreased steadily over the past few days, but now there was nothing.

  "They're watching us."

  "Seems we're trapped."

  "Let's go," Divyan said.

  Sugriva and Divyan strode into Prince Anka's temple. Divyan said, "My prince, I think we should investigate what the demons are doing. We are under siege, and we need to know what is coming."

  Humbari spoke before the prince could. "That's foolish suicide. Are you so afraid to defend the city, you want to die before the grand defense of Jaya?"

  Prince Anka pursed his lips and glared at the bear-man at his side. "Thank you for your input, General, but I believe my dharma is to rule, and it is my word they will follow."

  Humbari growled and took a step back, rubbing his arm like a wounded animal.

  The prince hummed in thought and stroked his chin. It was the most alive the man looked in over a week. "Do you think it will actually help? From what I hear, the demons could be the siege engines, if they even need them at all, since they manipulate flesh and bone like a potter manipulates clay."

  "Then we assassinate some of their leaders. They are starving us out, and more importantly filling us with fear. If our people don't die from hunger, they'll rip themselves apart instead. We need hope, and knowledge combined with some preemptive strikes could bring that."

  "No," Prince Anka muttered, looking off to the side. "We live in dark times." He forced a smile, but what little energy he mustered left as his shoulders sagged. "An ancient darkness surrounds us, but I don't have the power of the ascendant kings. None of us have their power. Ravasha is out there? The last time he attacked a singl
e king came forward and cast him out. That king should have killed him. It is on his shoulders and dharma that his kingdom falls. Perhaps I'm his reincarnation, here to pay for those sins."

  Divyan shook his head. "My prince, if it wasn't Ravasha, it would be another demon. The last time Ravasha attacked, it was so insignificant they didn't even call it a war. The last demon war, fought without Ravasha, was only stopped when the demons fell to infighting. We caught a break, and it doesn't seem like we're going to catch one this time."

  More silence.

  "Why come back, Sugriva?" the prince asked, gazing at the monkey. "You were safe with three Ashtadash, a ton of spirits, and your child, if we are to believe your story, and you came back. Why?"

  Sugriva looked to Divyan, and the general nodded. Sugriva said, "This is my home. There are those I love here, even if they do not love me back. I could not let an entire kingdom fall to the demons unprepared and undefended."

  "Now we will fall defended." He waved a hand. "Go. Take no more than five warriors of your choosing and attack them from—"

  Prince Anka was cut off by the crash of boulders into stone buildings, as if lightning cracked against the walls of Jaya. Screams wracked outside the palace and the royal guard came in to stand beside Prince Anka. A hundred men filled the palace, each one with the best armaments and training out of anyone in the city, with few exceptions.

  General Humbari roared, "It looks like it's too late for these nonsense tactics. We meet the enemy face on."

  Divyan and Sugriva ran down the length of the palace until Prince Anka shouted, "Stop! I have a hundred good men who are going to stay here and die after most of the fighting is over. Take them with you. What prince am I if I'm not willing to risk myself for the good of my people?"

  "What?" Humbari growled. "You need them. What if the demons send assassins?"

  "Then my dharma is complete, and I was found worthy to enter the next life. General, go with them. I would hate to have you die without your men and far from the front line. How would that bode for your path? How would that look to your men?"

  The bear-man blushed and stormed down the palace stairs. "Guard, follow me. We die in the blood of demons today."

  Outside, though the sun was in the sky, darkness swallowed the light.

  You could join them, the voice said, filled with vigor. You could become a demon, open the doors, and have the first of Ravasha's plunder. Prisha could be your brood queen and you could bed her—

  Rape her, he thought to himself, looking to Divyan. Sugriva closed his eyes and meditated briefly until the voice calmed down.

  "Are you okay?" Divyan asked.

  "I'll be fine. We need to save the walls."

  GIVE IN. JOIN THE THRALLS. Become a demon lord.

  "No," Sugriva whispered. The man standing next to him looked at the janaav askew, but there was nothing strange about whispering no or cursing. Jaya was about to fall, and everyone knew it.

  The soldier clasped Sugriva's shoulder. "Today we get to show how we cling to our path, even in the face of peril. It will be okay, brother."

  Sugriva's mouth opened, but what would he say? Why shine doubt on the faith which comforted the soldier?

  Sugriva simply said, "Thank you for your encouragement."

  The demons struggled to climb the walls. Archers had time to shoot down. Massive rocks were thrown and crushed skulls. While this gave hope, Sugriva knew it wouldn’t last.

  Spikes of earth jutted through demons, water eviscerated them at high pressure, the air lifted them high and dropped them, and fire consumed. There was an archer nearby with flint and metal, so Sugriva went to him. "Please light a torch for me. I'm a fire elementalist, but it's my first time."

  The archer created a small pocket of cloth and set it in Sugriva's hand. "Are you sure you want the responsibility? You could light us all on fire, as well as them."

  "I practiced for a long time with fantastic teachers. Please."

  The archer obliged, striking the flint and giving Sugriva fire. Once the cloth lit, he had the flame consume his hand, and the cloth was no more. Then he shot out flames. Most of his shots missed. Some struck, and they sizzled against the exposed flesh or bleached bones. Soon he tired.

  The archer said, "You should slow down. Spirits can only give so much."

  He realized Ishva fueled him when they trained. He rarely tired with her. Yet there were too many demons, and he had to continue. He threw more fire, and the demon he struck didn't flinch.

  The archer glared at Sugriva. "Stop using it or you'll light yourself on fire."

  The monkey grumbled, mocking the archer, but he stopped. The fire formed a circlet around his head. He took out his staff and thrust it through the hordes, lancing who he could.

  Stocky demons approached the front gate and several points on the wall. "Focus fire on the fat ones," was shouted. Bird janaav flew overhead and dropped large rocks, crushing the bulbous demons. Other demons turned into thick armor and wrapped around the fat demons. Then one of the demons went down, body covered in arrows. Flames ignited which burned through the flesh. Then the demon exploded, sending blood and sinew all the way up the wall.

  "Stop them now," the commander screamed at the top of his lungs.

  The raptors continued their runs, and demons shot bone at them. Horrors waited in the trees, and when a janaav flew too close, nightmares dropped down and consumed them. The screams were horrific. There were too many of the exploding demons, and the elementalists and janaav tired. Arrows ran low.

  Sugriva smirked. "They gave hope and now they take it."

  Three of the demons reached the front gate, a minor miracle that so few made it. They exploded in unison. The iron doors twisted back from the hinges, but held.

  The men cheered, praising the Ashtadash. But Sugriva knew the Ashtadash weren't there.

  Ravasha appeared from the shadows, stepping out of his demon horde. His flesh was red, his head nothing but a skull without eyes, and he had six arms. He threw potions up into the air and a red mist covered his army. The demons howled, tearing each other apart before charging forward with furry, vaulting the wall as if it was a low fence. The men on the walls cried out in surprise. Sugriva fought on.

  The demon lord went to the doors, grabbed on where the metal was weak, and ripped them off the wall. Demons poured in, falling upon the men on the other side.

  Humbari held the street with his elite guard. He ran into the center of the onslaught and picked up demons, tearing them in two. Bagh nahks, or tiger claws, adorned his fists, and when he punched the monstrosities, he pierced all the way through until iron came out their back. Then he discarded the crippled forms for his soldiers to finish off. The fire of battle blazed in the bear’s eyes.

  The walls were lost. Buildings leading to the city center had soldiers in wait for ambushes, but the men on the walls would still need time to escape. Sugriva shouted, "Fall back." The men didn't hesitate, fleeing their post. The earth staff felt good in his grip, the earth becoming one with him. The weapon shot out, swept several demons, and tossed them through the air. Another it pierced the skull. The staff shrunk, so it fit in his palm. He moved the fire from the circlet to his fists, and punched like an inferno. Then he launched himself off the wall as it was overrun, landing by Humbari.

  The bear roared, "Get away from me, monkey. You won't take my glory in this battle."

  "We're going to die. Stop worry about glory." He saw Ravasha still at the city gates, a swarm of darkness rushing past him. "Anyway, that guy there is the only one who matters. We kill him, and there's nothing commanding these demons."

  "Will killing him end the war?"

  That was a great question. "Sure."

  "Guard, advance on their general at the gates. Cut through as best you can," he bellowed, and his guard did as commanded, their weapons slicing a path through crawling, formless flesh.

  Ravasha's skull grinned wide, the sinew on his jaw pulling tight. "Yes, come to me. Feed me. I will fe
ast on your body and bones. You will die, and I will find power within what is left of you. Sugriva, I have groomed you for this moment. Kill everyone here and join me or die. Make your choice."

  The voice in his head was too loud for him to make out, and he dropped to a knee. He gripped his skull, trying to crush out the noise.

  Humbari backhanded Sugriva, and the strong taste of iron spilled from inside his cheek. "Knock it off."

  The voice fell silent as stars dotted Sugriva's vision. "Yes, sir," he groaned, scrambling to his feet. "We need to finish this. I'm going to launch myself into the air. You do your thing."

  Before the bear could protest, Sugriva thrust himself up on his staff, shifted into a monkey for extra height, then shifted into a janaav. Humbari punched Ravasha several times when the demon looked up at the monkey. Then two arms grabbed the bear, holding him in place. Two more hands went to his head, trying to snap the general's neck. Several guards came in, hacking at the limbs.

  Then Sugriva thrust his staff down, making it grow, and he cracked Ravasha in the skull. The demon lord staggered, skull fractured, and dropped Humbari. The general took his chance to get in as many punches as he could. He reached up to one of the arms, thrust his fists into it numerous times, the blades ripping at the shoulder. Then he tore the arm off, making the demon scream.

  Sugriva landed on Ravasha's head and aimed his staff at the eyeless sockets. He struck again and again, causing more cracks. "To the hells with you, Sugriva. You made your choice, and I find you aggravating."

  "I get that a—"

  Before Sugriva could finish, Ravasha picked him up by the nape of his neck and tossed him aside. A demon horde came down on him, and he launched himself with his staff. One demon held on, yanking him down. Sugriva called on fire, and when he landed, a spout of lava shot out of the ground and consumed the demons, leaving a scorch mark. He shot himself up again, just in time to see Ravasha pick Humbari up by his head. He tore at the bear with his nails.

  "How dare you attack the master of a demon realm. How dare you try to make a demon lord look weak in front of his soldiers. How dare you—"