Chapter III.

I.

"The monkey was going to whip her?" "Ron sensei ain't gonna like that." "What are you worried about? Ron san would never let it happen."

Yori made shushing gestures with her hands. "You are supposed to be trying to nap, children, not commenting." To her amusement every set of young eyes snapped shut, every head thumped back on the mats. A few attempted snores answered her.

Yori held back her chuckles. "Now, Ron sensei knew he must act before the whip could fall...."

II.

The villagers heads turned at the overwhelming monkey screech that sounded behind them. Ron grasped his staff tightly, striding forward through the crowd. The people stepped back from him hurriedly, as if they feared contact or contagion. (No more! Drop the whip.) He ordered the ape.

The armored apes stared. Finally the whip bearer responded. (You speak the language of the people well, for one of the hairless. How is this?)

Ron came to a halt at the foot of the platform, staff braced beside him. (That is a tale for later. You must not beat the female.)

A whisper of grunts sounded from the apes. The leader jerked his paw up. (We do not decide that. That is for the hairless one. We only fulfill our obligation. We must obey.)

(Wait.) Ron replied. He turned to the armored man. "What has the woman done to deserve this?" He asked, silently thanking his last master for insisting he learn Mandarin.

"That is not your concern." The human sneered. "She must be beaten."

Ron puzzled at the reply, but attempted to be reasonable. "That may be true, but I am curious. Whipping a woman doesn't happen where I come from."

The man stared a moment, then turned his back. He stepped in front of the woman, saying something softly that Ron could not hear. The man finally nodded, then stepped back toward Ron.

"If you do not wish the woman to be beaten, there is only one choice. Take her beating yourself." The eyes sneered in the jeweled helmet, "Unless you think you are such a warrior that you can defeat us all?"

Ron frowned in indecision. While he thought he might be able to take the group, he would have to cause great damage to do it. The apes seemed to be constrained, neither willing nor unwilling, merely indifferent to the woman's suffering. The man, however, he seemed to be enjoying himself. He would watch the pain with enjoyment, Ron was sure.

"Agreed."

"You will take her beating? Willingly?"

Ron nodded.

The man pointed at the apes then raised a clenched fist. He opened his fist and waved it forward. The apes released the woman, who stumbled forward toward a crumpled robe.

"Leave your staff. Ascend the platform."

Ron leaned his staff against the beam, then grasping the edge, leaped up onto the platform. At the armored man's gesture, the two apes grasped Ron's arms, pulling them straight, forcing him to bend.

The whip wielder torn Ron's tunic away, baring his back. Ron raised his head, gazing at the woman. Her head was bent, long ebony hair hiding her eyes.

A lightning bolt of pain slashed across Ron's back. The woman tossed her head. Glittering, malicious, emerald eyes flashed at him.,

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AN: And so we leave our hero, temporarily. (EG) The italicized speech in brackets is monkey/ape language if it wasn't clear. Stay tuned, more is coming.