It was quite a show. I could think quickly enough that I could enjoy the scenery, even as we were zipping through the trees at roughly forty mph. It was a pace that most Warrior-Class and all Commander-Class Beasts, save for the very slowest, could easily equal, and most could exceed by a significant margin.

Sama generally had little problem moving through this place because she was a Null. She had literally no magical presence at all, which meant to the Beasts and Plants here she was about as attractive a meal as a rock. Combine that with her speed and silence, and they couldn’t be bothered to bestir themselves as she flitted by.

That wouldn’t have applied to me, as I was definitely their favorite kind of meal. Human mages concentrated a lot of magical energy into their bodies, the equal or better of any creature of equal magical Rank. At the same time, the whole Ranking mechanic was even more evident in Humans, and lower-Class Humans were barely sustenance of any kind for higher-Rank Beasts.

I had my Aura tamped way, way down, with Astral Ward on the side to escape the expanded Awareness of the Beasts, and Darkstalker to evade alternate senses. As long as I didn’t actively Cast and didn’t focus any magical attention on anything, I had very little magical presence. Although the Commanders could feel my attention brush past them on the Detect Not-Good V 2, but it was a totally new sensation, and they didn’t know what it meant.

Lots of life. Bugs composed much of it, the smaller ones the foundation which supported a lot of stuff, although there were plenty of herbivores who reproduced like mad and were fed upon equally as often. There were also massive numbers of very colorful Butterflies and Moths, feeding on the riot of blossoms and flowers that festooned every tree and moss and bush to be seen in explosions of color.

Most of them were also quite poisonous, and only other Insects might be able to eat them.

There were Parrots and Parakeets of all kinds, too, their feathers more vibrant than just colors could make out, filling the forest with the cacophony of their cries. They stuck to the higher levels, and definitely saw us hopping along, but since we weren’t natural prey and weren’t bothering them, they kind of jeered after us for not being able to fly.

Which probably meant that if I’d tried to fly over them, I would have attracted some hostile attention. Good enough...

There were Snakes here and there, of multiple sizes, with just about anything that qualified as a Beast having both poison and constrictor attacks. They could be found at any altitude in the canopy, and were masters of camouflage, able to creep into positions to surprise the Birds of the upper layers and strike... or get at the Monkeys.

Oh, yes. The Monkeys.

Tons of Monkeys, and they recognized Sama. They set up a cacophony through the trees, literally both welcome and challenge, and it felt like the whole damn jungle came alive and went chasing after her.

-Going to outrun you. Just follow the Monkeys!- she /laughed at me, and then her Hag’s Cackle arose to echo through the trees. The Monkeys literally went wild with glee as she picked up the pace, and they poured through the trees after her.

I tracked her as well as I might, while the trees above and around me were abruptly filled with Monkeys hurling themselves madly after her, their bodies getting flung through the branches with superhuman strength as her Cackle taunted them to chase her. They barely spared a glance for me, but...

“You Monkeys might want to keep it down a bit. There’s six Eagles just above the canopy tracking you, just waiting for you to jump into the open and nab you in midair.”

The whole screaming jungle kind of froze for a moment in shock, many of the Monkeys even missing some jumps as they looked around in shock... and then looked up at some of the bigger shadows flitting past far above.

Sama’s merry laugh prodded them back into motion. “I’m keeping under cover, boys. Let’s see if you’ve gotten any better since last time!”

Bawling after her, the Monkey chase resumed.

If I straight out sprinted on air, I could have kept up with the flood of movement, but the smallest of these Monkeys was bigger than I was, and the bigger ones were much larger than gorillas, although still Monkey-like in proportions. They definitely had fangs and were not herbivores, but they seemed to be having great fun as they chased after the little Human female bouncing between their trees in such an alien manner.

I wasn’t slow, but the branches seemed to be as strong as steel and as flexible as rubber, taking the shock of the bodies landing on them without batting a leaf, flinging them on to the next branch with barely a bounce or trembling of their bark.

Nothing was getting in the way of their rush, however. This many Monkeys would have torn apart anything that got in range of them, and even the Eagles were only going to try a midair snatch if they could... and if they timed it wrong, a dozen Monkeys or more would leap on them and send them tumbling to the ground as their feathers were torn out and wings broken.

I caught up to Sama at what looked like a confluence of several Monkey territories, with Spider Monkeys, Capuchins, Gibbons, and Marmosets all represented, along with a few smaller species.

A big Howler Monkey, easily twelve feet tall and with the golden hide of a Monkey King, ambled out of cover and bellowed at her with a hurricane yowling strong enough to blow back her hair.

Sama’s reply was to Cackle and launch herself at him, hands and feet glowing Gold with power.

I winced as I settled down on the same branch she’d just jumped off of, ignoring the many Monkeys as they ignored me in turn, watching while an infighting match broke out down below.

It was mostly wrestling on the part of the Howler King, trying to get his hands on her, while she was slamming him with body blows I could feel on my face from over here while writhing out of his grip somehow. All the Monkeys were pounding the trees as fast as they could, trying to imitate the smashing hits she was getting on their king.

They were blurs of movement, the two bouncing all over the place as if they were made of steel springs, ricocheting this way and that, occasionally tumbling as snarling balls of motion together, kicking and growling at one another, and then getting smashed apart by their own strength, neither of them giving an inch.

Wow, that was REALLY impressive. I knew for certain that the Monkeys had never run into a Human who had anything close to matching their strength, and here Sama was pounding on a Monkey King!

These fellows have to love Briggs...

A backhand to the face and an uppercut to the jaw, and the two were blown apart, somehow managing to adjust in midair and land on the tightly-interwoven field of branches that, now that I looked at it, was plainly some sort of arboreal courtyard.

They sort of glared at one another for a moment, and then the Monkey King rose to his full height, threw up his overlong arms, and howled out, “WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN HAG!”...in Monkey, of course.

The whole jungle exploded with noise. I looked up to see thousands of oversized Parrots and Parakeets in all directions, and even some oversized Butterflies and Moths had glided in to watch the show. The Birds were imitating the Monkeys perfectly, adding to the tremendous din.

-Show your magic or they will think you are weak,- Sama /noted for me.

I lifted an eyebrow, considered that, and pulled in the Sound from all directions, just so I could Clap my hands in approval.

The nearest Monkeys were blasted off their feet, those beyond had to scramble for their footing as I Clapped like the goddess of all drums, and even the Monkey King looked over at me in some astonishment.

“One of our spellcasters,” Sama told him, bouncing over to the golden primate and giving him a big welcome hug around the belly. “How you been, big guy?”

His massive hand reached down to pat her head fondly. “Am well, am well. Where is your mate?” He craned his neck around.

“He’s in the middle of a big project with Babe the Blue Ox, but he promised to come down next time.” She bounced back with speed equal to when she’d come, and Tremble popped out, Morphed into a Staff, and spun once. “Hah!” she shouted sharply.

I blinked. That was a straight Sun Stick Stance, First Form!

“Woot!” I called out, and leapt down to join her with Noble as the King held out his arm. A massive metal Tetsubo came flying through the air towards him, and a bunch of Monkeys with metallic hides in multiple hues, of multiple species, poured down onto the branches-court with amazing speed, taking up positions and snapping into Imperial Sun Stick Form One, Greet the Sun, with blue-black adamantine Tetsubos!

Like a choreographed dance, Sama called out the meter, and moved through the forms. The Monkeys, including their King, moved right along with her. Massive bars of metal thrust and flicked and spun, moving swiftly through the basic forms into the advanced ones, and right on into some of the complex master forms, all without breaking structure and form. The Monkeys watching all around beat the time of the steps, never faltering, clearly watching very closely for any deviation from form, and instantly heckling any of the elite Monkeys who faltered or lost balance even the slightest bit.

A hundred and three Staves hit the tree at the same moment, and we all bowed at the same time.

The crowd of Monkeys erupted again, hooting and waving their hands and commenting at the show. Sama waved to them all, Laughed at them, and they hooted and howled and jeered. Then, just as quickly as they had come, they went bounding back into the trees. In less than a minute, the entire mock arena, occupied by literally thousands of Monkeys and Birds, was totally empty!

“Allow me to introduce you to the Healer Fae,” Sama said, turning my way and bowing to me. “Her name is known to the Lord of the Beast Realm and many Emperors there as a Healer and a mighty foe of the Shadow. I am pleased to bring her here to make your acquaintance, Lord Dorado.”

The Monkey King found that introduction very impressive, his metallic eyes going wide. “This is true? She is known in the great Realm of Beasts?” he hissed in surprise.

“If you would like proof, I can give it, but be ready to kneel,” I warned him calmly.

His nostrils flared as he breathed deeply. “I would pay my respects to an Emperor of the Realm of Beasts!” he agreed immediately, going down on one knee. His guard of Noble Monkeys promptly did the same, most of them even managing to get down before his knee hit!

I didn’t use the Summoning Magic all that much, but this was a time for it. Reynard actually popped out of the Summoning vortex right next to me, and the Monkeys instantly froze as they sensed the incredible nobility of the Celestial Fox’s Bloodline.

“You’re Calling on Great-Grandfather?” he yipped.

“King Dorado has never paid his respects to an Emperor from the Beast Realm.” The magic steadied, reached out as a circle of silver-black light thirty feet in diameter rose in midair. I also went down to one knee, lowering my head, and Sama did the same without any shame. The mists of the spaces between worlds cleared, and an unstoppably powerful Aura rocked past all of us.

The lesser Monkeys went right down on their faces. King Dorado instantly went to all fours.

“King Dorado has asked to pay his respects to Flowing Silver High Emperor!” I called out loudly.