The mouth that bit Jason was definitely not human. Turning to Thomas he asked just to make sure before killing these things. "Thomas are there any tribes in the Black Duchy that has fangs? Because whatever is in there just bit me with a mouthful of them. "
"There is actually three tribes.A lion beast-kin but they wouldn't bite you. Kobold they might if they are in a beast frenzy due to fear which would explain why they aren't trying to talk to us as well. The final ones be naga, but this group has legs so they can't be naga. " Thomas answered.
"I have a potion we can pour on the webs. it will destroy them but leave those inside unharmed. I didn't offer originally as they cost ten gold a bottle and each kid will need it's own bottle. But sense we cannot cut them free without risk of injury we can use them" Izzy said.
Everyone turned to look at Izzy in shock. No body could understand how this a*shole could have found a heart. After a moment jason agreed. taking each bottle to do the job himself as he was the fastest and could retreat quickest if it turned out to be a beast instead of a kobold who was scared.
A few second later the silk dissolved and in their place three apes two black one gold appeared. They were obviosly children but not the kind the group expected. As soon as they were free the gold one turned its head to stare at jason before running over faster than jason could blink. it pulled Jason's dagger from his built and swung.
Anna only had time to scream, "JASON DODGED!", before there was a splash of blood.
Everyone rushed to help before jason yelled for everyone to stop. The golden ape had sliced it's right palm and grasped Jason's right hand, the same hand this ape had bitten earlier when he tried pulling the cocoon open. Jason didn't know what the ape was trying to do but he wasn't to worried, Jess had already informed him that he could not have his soul enslaved while he had her, anything trying would die, anytging that tried to soul search him would recieve a soul injury. While he could be hypnotized Jess couldn't so she could set him free, same with illusions as long as they weren't to high level.
After a while jason felt a light connection in his mind from all three apes but significantly stronger from the golden ape. from this connection he felt love thanks and family. He couldn't fully understand all these emotions, but he knew he and his friends were safe. He also felt a wave of regret when the beast looked at his somewhat mangled hand.
"Anna heal my hand please, they feel pained because of it." Jason said with confusion, wonder, and curiosity.
Anna stepped forward and jerked his pinky bake in place before casting 'meand all' a spell costing two hundred mana that would heal almost all flesh wounds but was useless on bones and organs. it could only heal small areas but the spell could cover the entire hand so it was fine. After a bright blue glow the wounds closed and only light scar tissue remained making it look like an injury from five years ago rather than five minutes.
The apes seemed happy that Jason was healed, the ape children turned to leave and jason felt the need and desire to follow. "Come on team we need to follow them" Jason said before taking off.
"Hey! Jason why are we following them? This could be a trap!" William whispered shouted at Jason.
"It is not a trap. That ape did something that made me his little brother. They just want use to come/see/welcome/join their home. It's kinda complicated put into human words but we are safe." Jason said being mildly irritated he couldn't find the right words to express the apes intent.
"If course you are a brother to a beast you are half beast yourself commoner" Izzy said under his breath but both apes and Jason heard him. Jason choose to ignore it as that was just Izzy, the golden ape did not ignore him though. grabbing a stone and hitting Izzy in the forehead. when Izzy threw a spell at him he dodged with insane speed. Frustrated he targeted one of the normal apes but before she could send the spell flying Jason's dagger that the ape still hadn't returned was pressed hard enough to Izzy's throat to draw blood. The apes cold red eyes glared at Izzy making him freeze in fear. Jason managed albeit barely, to calm the ape down. before turning to continue following Jason said through clenched teeth release fifty percent of his bloodlust on Izzy, "Keep your f*cking mouth shut or next time I will knock your ass out and drag you the rest of the way. If you get yourself killed by someone or something I can't stop that is on you and the queen and king will not hold me responsible you little sh*t!"
Between the ape and now Jason, Izzy was soaked in sweat and had nearly pissed himself. A part of him wanted to rebut Jason but he was far to scared of what jason might do. He had already been informed that jason had the right to punish him however he saw fit. Before meeting Jason though he had believed there was now way he would actually dare to punish him, a prince of the kingdom. Now however he was certain not only that jason dared to punish him, but also that Jason was most likely going to punish him as soon as they left the apes.
After a while the group started to pass corpses of rock spiders. At first they were just grunts but a few hundred meters later they found soldiers and eighty meters later they saw their first rock spider queen. It was just as massive as the beastiary had mentioned. Unlike with the other beasts the group stopped and harvest the heart and legs of the queen. They would have harvested the whole body but the golden ape passed on that the squad was only allowed the legs and hearts of the queens. The tribe would keep the test along with all the other spiders. Even with just taking those parts it took a while to harvest. Only Thomas and jason had the strength to break off a leg or the head so they could retrieve the heart. jason was very glad that the rock spider had vastly different anatomy than spiders from Earth. Rock spider hearts were the size of a large human head and shaped like an egg. While it had give it felt almost like an American football.
As they traveled they came across five more queens and harvested them. Soon after they saw smoke ahead and smelt fire and roasting meat. Then a mountain sized shadow lunged down in front of the group. It was an eighteen foot tall ape that looked like a blend between a macaques monkey and a silver back gorrila. Just the forearm of this ape was as thick as Jason's waist.
The giant ape grabbed the ape children pushing them behind it, before roaring in rage at the trespassers. Golden ape flashed in front of this giant ape and roared back in equal fury, yet it's roar was like a kitten's roar while the adults was like a pack of lions roaring together, louder than thunder. Surprisingly still the giant ape stopped and backed up a step. the two little black apes came forward and began to softly growl at the big ape to. After a breaf pause the giant ape turned to look at Jason.
"What be your name stranger who has joined our tribe?" A loud voice appeared in Jason's mind, that almost made him pass out from pain. The two normal apes yipped at the giant while the gokden one rushed to catch Jason.
"I am deeply sorry. I am unused to speaking to humans." The apes voice appeared again significantly softer though still far louder than was considered polite volume in most places.
After a moment to catch his breath Jason responded, "My name is Jason Kovar. And to be honest I have no idea how I joined your tribe." Jason had a rueful grin at the end.
"Come, follow me Jason I will take you to your new parents. You have joined the Shatter Mountain Tribe because of Aur. He has a gift of foretelling and he felt like you were meant to be part off the tribe and a large part at that. So he claimed you as his little brother. Making you one of the three sons of the chieftain. Aur is a Golden Titan Ape so he will be the next chieftain. Potens is his little brother and is only a normal Titan Ape although far stronger than is normal even for us. Unfortunately he has a weak soul so will die if he doesn't bond with someone by the time he is eighty unfortunately titan apes can only bond once the turn fifty years old at the end of their childhood. currently he is only ten years old or I would ask you to bond him as he is now your brother as well. I am elder Sânge, Eighth elder of the tribe since I am the second weakest. The other members of your squad will be offered the right to join but will have to pass the trial of will to do so. technically you should have passed the trial before joining but Aur broke the rules due to his excitement. He will unfortunately have to be punished serverely for his rashness." Saying to here Sânge looked down at Aur in regret and sadness.
Jason was having a hard time absorbing all of this. After the initial scare he realized he felt a connection to the ape as well but even more distant. He just followed him trying to figure out what was all going on. His team followed closely behind extremly nervously. Jason believed he had figured out what this connection in his mind was but decided to ask to be sure.
"That bond is your blood ties to the tribe. It allows you and us two communicate between each other. Also should the tribe be in danger as a whole the chief can summon all the tribes apes home to battle even if they have left the realm. And unlike humans who end a contract and lose all the benefits the beasts gave them, beasts retain ninety percent of the benefits we recieved from the bond. This means the Titan Apes we can summon are often more powerful than the rest, they also have control of at least one element. The only ones stronger that them is the Golden Titan Apes. All this means is that should a need arise, which is unlikely, you will be summoned to help us defend our home. sense you are human you can eventually surpass the level allowed by this realm, should you be brought here you will be suppressed to the max level allowed yet you will retain all your skills and abilities. You just won't have as much strength and you will be blocked from using spells higher than level three. " Answered in a long roundabout way typical of older people. Almost like they are afraid they might lose anyone to talk to.