Karaee was furious and looked him in the eyes. “Stop being rude to our honorable guests.” You wanted to march over there and defend yourself, but you didn’t want to start something. It was obvious that not a lot of the apes in the village were on your side.

Tyenx laughs, “Honorable? You must be kidding me…”

"I do not need you.” Karaee interrupts him and steps forward. She starts pushing her index finger onto his chest forcing him to step back. “Stop wasting our time. You’re more concerned with pleasing yourself than helping us find the Helx flower. You heard what Commander Zard said. You are not needed for this mission.”

Despite her harsh words, Tyenx has no choice but to retreat, his ego bruised, and his pride wounded. He steps back as Commander Zard responds with a stern tone, “Tyenx, you are capable and strong. The village needs someone to stay here and protect our people. I’ve placed you in charge of that. I have already made my decision.”

Tyenx’s face turns red with anger. He looks at Karaee for support, but she avoids his gaze. You and Inkagi exchange glances relieved that Tyenx will not be coming along on the mission. However, you both couldn't shake off the feeling that something was odd about Tyenx's behavior.

He takes a deep breath in frustration, turns away, mounted his ostrich-like bird, and rode off into the distance. Karaee watches him go, her lip trembling for a moment before she quickly regains her composure. She turns to Commander Zard, you, and Inkagi, her eyes determined.

“Now excuse me, I need to make an inventory check.” The commander bows once more to Karaee and with the scroll in hand walks away embarrassed for the way Tyenx acted. All the other apes preparing just stare after that odd incident with Tyenx. Karaee takes notice.

To get everyone to focus again she raises her voice. "Let us not let this distraction ruin our plans," she says, taking a deep breath. "We must focus on the task at hand! The Helx flower awaits us in the treacherous Yertonu volcano." After that, all the other apes continued with the preparations.

Karaee turns to you. “Hello…” Karaee spoke in a very soft and gentle voice. Karaee meets her gaze with yours and blushes immediately. A smile that she couldn’t remove from her face can be seen. She looked down at the ground trying to avoid eye contact with you. She was embarrassed, realizing how her demeanor suddenly shifted. She needed to be strong and assertive for her people but at the same time, she was trying to be gentle and approachable in front of you. 

The moment she saw you outside near the military troops willing to help, Karaee's heart swelled with gratitude and admiration for you. She could see that you were fully committed and willing to embark on a perilous journey to find a cure for her brother's illness and for all her people affected by Zonda. The sight of you, braving the unknown for her sake, left her feeling overcome with emotions that she never knew she could have, a newfound sense of purpose and love.

You could feel your face heating up in embarrassment. You knew Karaee was obsessed with humans. But you began noticing she was taking a liking to you specifically. You weren't sure how to respond to Karaee's infatuation. You stuttered, trying to find the right words to say, but nothing came out. You notice her outfit. It was very different from the elegant garments you saw last night. She was ready to go on a long journey into the jungle. She turns to face the royal bodyguard that was following her. “Tiimah, please, it is unnecessary for you to follow me.”

“My apologies Princess Karaee but I was instructed by King Soren himself to stay close and monitor you, for your safety of course.”

“You may return to my father Tiimah and inform him that it is no longer necessary. Commander Zard is now responsible for my safety. He is a very capable commander. You are dismissed.”

“Ye-Yes, your Majesty.” Tiimah takes a step back and bows to the princess. He makes his way back toward the palace.

“I said to my father I sense something special in both of you,” Karaee turns to you and Inkagi. “I meant every last word of it. It’s the truth. If we find the Helx flower and my brother is cured, I will be forever in your debt.” Karaee bows to you and Inkagi, she almost tears up at the thought of her brother finally becoming well again. But she holds her composure and fights the tears back.

After a long while of preparations, Commander Zard and eight other army troops were ready to head out. They mounted the bird-like ostrich-sized creature to ride for the journey. “What are those things?” You figure these strange creatures are like horses. You and Inkagi, along with Karaee, were given your own.

Karaee gently pets the creature before mounting it. “Do not worry, these are our Valpians. They are well-trained. I’m sure you’ve ridden one before.”

You shake your head as you pet the head of the Valpian gently. Inkagi was hesitant at first, but he was able to mount one and ride it around. You attempted to climb on, but this was all a new experience for you. Karaee saw you struggle, she giggled and then decided to help you out. She was patient and took the time to show you how to ride your Valpian. 

Karaee had a huge smile on her face while she watched you ride your Valpian. You fumble around as she giggles. It was extremely humorous to her. As Karaee teaches you how to ride the Valpian, a female ape from the village appears almost out of nowhere. The female ape collapses to the ground. She was completely distraught; tears fell from her face as other apes carried her dead husband away. She trembled on the ground, not knowing what to do. She shakes her head in disbelief. Karaee dismounts her Valpian to look. You could see the concerned look in her eyes. Her entire demeanor changed. A tear came down Karaee’s face. It was clear that the female ape’s husband died of Zonda.  

Karaee is taken aback by the sudden appearance of the female ape and the loss of her husband. The sorrow on her face is clear, and you can feel the sadness weighing on her. Karaee steps forward, trying to comfort the female ape as she lies on the ground on her knees. The female ape screams in agony. The female ape holds on to her arms tightly as she watches the ape village men carry her husband away, his lifeless body in a thin hammock-like bag.

Karaee puts an arm around her, offering words of support and comfort. You see the concern and empathy in her eyes and the way she reaches out to the stranger in a moment of crisis. It's a touching moment that shows just how compassionate and kind Karaee can be. You knew at that moment that Karaee cared about her people, and it wasn’t just about finding a cure for her little brother.

Karaee walks back to you and Inkagi with a sorrowful face. She struggles to maintain her composure. “We must hurry and begin this journey. Our people do not have a lot of time left.” At that moment, you wanted to say something uplifting. But you couldn’t think of anything. You froze because you’ve never experienced a grim situation as sad as the one that Karaee is facing. 

Once all the preparations were complete, King Soren and the Queen came out of the palace escorted by royal guards to make an important announcement. King Soren stood tall and proud in front of the gathered apes. He cleared his throat and began to speak. "Subjects of the Mizian Clan," he said, his voice carrying across the plaza. "Today we embark on a journey that will test the limits of our strength and our resolve. We set out to find a rare and precious flower, the Helx flower. It is known only to grow at the heart of the treacherous volcano, Yertonu. We all know this flower has the power to cure Zonda. It is a flower that is precious to our people."

Queen Janaa stepped forward; her voice soft but strong. "Our daughter Karaee has made it her responsibility to head out into the wilderness and find it along with our most trusted men. The humans, ... and Inkagi will also join them. They face an overwhelming number of uncertainties. But this is all to try and bring an end to our people’s suffering. M-my own son Prince Aruvi is also suffering. This… This debilitating illness must end…” Queen Janna paused for a second trying to keep her composure “…and we will stop at nothing to find this flower and cure everyone. And so, we send our bravest warriors on a quest to retrieve the Helx flower and bring it back to the Mizian Clan. I do not doubt that they will succeed in their mission, for they are the strongest and wisest. And so, we ask for your support as they embark on this perilous journey." King Soren looked at his queen and nodded. He holds her hand to comfort her. 

The female royal bodyguard Tiimah returns with a frightened look on her face. She collapses on the ground and proceeds to bow to the royal family. Karaee notices and quickly responds to her sudden appearance. “Tiimah, I told you to tell my father you do not need to watch over me on this mission…” As Tiimah lifts her face, Karaee could see the distress in her eyes. She comes to realize that something was wrong.

“M-my apologies your Majesty, this has nothing to do with that. Y-your brother, Prince Aruvi, he is…” Tiimah was trying to catch her breath and speak all at the same time. Karaee did not give her a chance to finish.

“My brother?” Karaee’s hands and lips trembled. She quickly turns around, mounts her Valpian, and rushes to the palace. The king and queen and many others follow. The news regarding her brother was sudden and unexpected. As you and Inkagi make your way back to the palace you wonder if Prince Aruvi, Karaee’s little brother, is alright.