The Journal of Anther Strein

The Habits and Hazards of the Mighty Rowax Ape, Part II

22nd of Lodda, 787 AoC
Erefal Wood

This was not our first encounter with a rowax, although it has certainly thus far been our nearest. Although the few rowaxes local [7] to Leafshrine seem to know to keep their distance (the villagers are quite capable of defending themselves and consider rowax-meat a grand treat) an individual did threaten the village on one occasion during our stay. Most probably it was a newcomer, roaming in search of a territory to call its own. Happening across the village, it could not contain its curiosity at this strange gathering of odd creatures.

The Leafshriners, and rightfully so, treated the curiosity of a rowax with the same urgency as a military incursion. When the alarm was raised, the villagers took up an immediate defence, taking bows to hand and scattering to strategic positions. We of the mission simply sheltered with the children. A great clamour rose outside, as the ape commenced its examinations and was met by the defenders. We caught a glimpse of the beast flashing past, at a great distance from our hollow; but not so great as to fail to extract from us any desire to see one any closer. The thunderous racket produced by its conflict with the villagers was also less than encouraging.

Stung by the villagers' blackweed-poison, and perhaps realising that something was amiss, the rowax crashed away once again – but not before three of the villagers had been killed and several more injured, crushed by the ape's fists or flung to the floor below. It had also torn one of the village's gathering places to pieces. This it accomplished incidentally, with the simple act of climbing on, and by its great weight and force of landing bending, the branches on which the structure was founded.

A party of the villagers set off in pursuit, knowing that at least some of their poison arrows had found their mark, and that the great ape was thus doomed. They feasted that night. I was unable to bring myself to eat any part of such a fine animal, although I was glad that its death was put to good use.

***

We had been in the river for hours, and sunlight was beginning to fade, when a new complication announced itself. As we rounded a curve in the river, a great erefal trunk, freshly fallen from the look of it and thus unmarked on the Austia's maps, came into view resting in our path. In falling it had carved a furrow into both banks, and some fraction of the colossal log was submerged. The currents were pushing us swiftly towards it.

This was no small obstacle in itself, but the rowax had also noticed our predicament. She overtook us, loping toward the trunk in bounds of as ten heights at a time. We watched in horror as she scaled the trunk's girth – the full forty heights - with barely a pause, and made for the centre of the river. Now directly above the point toward which the currents were pushing us, she descended again, clinging to the knobs and whorls of the bark with a dexterity I found hard to credit even as I witnessed it. It was clear that she intended to intercept us.

There was only one course of action available to us, at least that I could concoct in the limited time remaining. I announced this plan to Prentis. I confess I did not fully understand his response, too much of my brain occupied with fear to translate properly, but he followed my instructions, taking a hold of my body with all six of his legs. The rowax had adopted a position just above the water, feet against the trunk, one hand gripping a branch from which she hung, the other extended toward us as though beckoning. Both hands were near as wide as Prentis' body is long. Her lips were pulled back as though in concentration, baring a set of tombstone-like incisors flanked by two horrifying pairs of canines. I couldn't help considering the connection between those teeth and her omnivorous diet, even as my becoming a component of said diet increased in probability.

After checking Prentis' grip, there was nothing left for it but to dive. The rowax plunged her hand in after me as I submerged – her fingers, I would swear it before the Tribunal, brushed over my tail. I followed the downward curve of the trunk for ten seconds or so, then ascended again as it swept back up. With the fading daylight overhead, I swam parallel to the surface for some seconds to get us clear of the tree. We came up a couple dozen heights from the colossal log. Although I had feared for Prentis' ability to hold his breath for any prolonged period [8], he fared most admirably.