...

...

...

I awoke to see Sav untangling the net and eating a piece of fruit. I sat up and a dull ache in my side. However, when I looked down the wound had closed; leaving behind a white scar. "Good morning, Sav. That medicine worked well, it's only been a day, and I feel great." I said.

Sav raised three fingers. "I was out for three nights?!" I asked. I could tell Sav had been busy, he picked out a new pair of firestones and fixed the net. Sav picked up his stick and tapped on the new rope and pointed to where our old shelter used to be. I see Sav has a few chores for me too.

...

After I finished tying down the last branch on the new shelter, Sav walked my way; in each arm was a perfectly straight branch. The little monkey set them down in front of me "What do you want me to do with these? I finished the shelter." I showed Sav the hut. 

Sav pointed to my knife and gestured a widdling motion. "You want me to carve these?" I asked Sav. He showed me the widdling movement again. "You are a strange Monkey." I picked up one of the sticks and began to widdle. By nightfall I had both poles done. 

"Sav are these good?" Sav picked up one of the poles, and the weight threw him off-balance. Sav made a swinging motion. "Need me to shorten it down for yeah buddy?" I laughed. I hacked away about two feet of the pole; Sav appeared happy with the new length as he waved it around. 

However, Sav surprised me by taking a stance like in the movies. "What are you doing?" Sav looked at the pole next to me and then back at me. "You want me to fight you? You are a little monkey." 

Savs eyes squinted, he leaped into the air and smacked me in the face with the staff. Blood trickled down my nose, and I glared at Sav "Oh you dirty monkey..." I picked up my staff and swung it at him. Sav sidestepped gracefully and hit the back of my knee. The force swept me to the ground. "Sav, what did I do to you." I cried.

 "Sav, I am not doing this anymore" I dropped the staff and walked away. Sav screamed and sprinted towards me; he used his staff as a pull vault and stuck the back of the head.

Once I regained consciousness, Sav stared at me. His gray eyes squinted, "I am not getting out of this, am I?" I asked Sav and the little monkey cued. "I thought so..." I picked up my staff and charged the monkey.

That ended up being a harrowing night...

"Sav, I've had enough." I collapsed; drenched in sweat and tears. Sav accepted the surrender and slumped down next to me, "Sav what is the point of this?" I asked my little friend. Sav looked at the forest; his grays eyes were full of worry and concern. He turned around and patted the sand. "You're right. It's time to sleep."

...

Sav poked me with his staff. "What is it?" Sav took a fighting stance; his nostrils flared, and his eyes were wide. "Dude, the sun isn' up yet." I drifted back to sleep. Sav lifted his stick and slapped me in the stomach. 

"Alright! Alright, I'll fight you. Little sadistic monkey." I picked up my staff and began sparing with the monkey. He stopped me a few times and tried his best to critique me in his way. Like always, I ended up getting hit by a stick. 

...

A few days passed.

Sav and I would regularly spare in the morning and evening; after I'd go about my typical day gathering food and collecting firewood. Sav would fill the time by attacking me randomly with his staff. If I didn't have my staff on me, Sav wouldn' care. He'd keep beating me... When I went to the bathroom, I learned that the hard way.

 I always carried my staff with me because I didn't know when the crazy monkey would strike next.

...

I noticed Sav gazing into the forest, and he had a concerned look on his face. "Sav, what is the matter?" He looked at me and gestured me to follow him. I brought my staff if he decided to pull any tricks. 

We hiked deep into the forest, and the trees stood tall. The forest managed to pull itself together after the earthquake; there was always something mystical about this place. I stopped wasting the energy questioning strange phenomenons and began accepting them as the new reality. There is little time to doubt the peculiar when your life is on the line.

"Sav, where are we going?" I asked. Sav pointed to the two mountain peaks. When we arrived I gulped down a bunch of water; the river cut between the twin peaks, the peaks both overhung above the river. "You brought me here Sav, now what?"