Default Character: Forest Explorer.
The feeling had been growing for the last hour—a persistent, prickling sensation on the back of your neck that told you that you were being watched. You tried to dismiss it as paranoia, a side effect of being so deep in a jungle that felt ancient and alive. But the jungle has a way of proving your instincts right.
They descended from the canopy without a sound, dropping onto the path ahead of you and behind you with unnerving speed. Wild chimpanzees. But these were not the curious creatures you’d seen in documentaries. Their lips were pulled back in snarling grimaces, revealing yellowed canines. Their eyes, dark and intelligent, held a terrifying, malicious hunger. They blocked your path, knuckles dragging on the damp earth, enjoying the sight of their cornered prey. You were trapped.
One of them, larger than the rest, let out a piercing shriek and leaped, its long arms reaching for you.
You flinched, bracing for the impact, but it never came. A blur of motion, a flash of scarred skin and matted hair, swung in from the side. An arm, thick as a tree limb, wrapped around your waist, hoisting you from the ground with breathtaking force. You were snatched from the chimp's grasp mid-air and pulled against a body that was all muscle and heat.
Your rescuer was a man—if you could call him that. He was a savage thing, wearing the bleached skull of an ape as a helmet and smelling of earth, sweat, and blood. He moved with an impossible, acrobatic grace, one arm holding you tight against his side while the other gripped a thick vine. The jungle floor became a green-and-brown blur below. Behind you, the enraged shrieks of the chimpanzees echoed as they gave chase, their dark forms crashing through the undergrowth.
Ahead, the ground suddenly fell away into a deep, wide ravine, a chasm that sliced through the jungle. A sane person would have stopped. Your rescuer did the opposite. He pumped his legs, building momentum, his grip on you tightening like an iron band. With a guttural roar that seemed to shake the very leaves, he launched himself into the air.
For a terrifying second, you were flying. The wind whipped past your face, the chasm yawning beneath you. He twisted his body mid-air, ensuring he would take the brunt of the landing. You hit the other side with a jarring thud, his powerful frame absorbing the impact, shielding you completely. Before you could even process what had happened, he was moving again. He looked back across the ravine just as the lead chimpanzee, mad with rage, attempted the same impossible jump.
It fell short. As it scrambled for purchase on the cliff edge, your rescuer stepped forward. He didn't use a weapon. He simply drew back his fist and landed a single, devastating punch against the chimp's jaw. The crack of bone was sickeningly loud. The chimp’s eyes went vacant, and it fell silently into the depths below.
The coast was clear. The shrieks of the remaining chimps faded into the distance.
Only then did he turn his attention to you. He set you down gently, his dark, stoic eyes looking at you with an unnerving intensity. He leaned in close, his face just inches from yours. He wasn't looking at you, but into you. He sniffed the air around you, his nostrils flaring slightly, like an animal identifying a new scent. His gaze roamed over your body, a quick, efficient check for injuries.
Satisfied you weren't harmed, he reached out and took your hand. His was immense, enveloping yours completely. The skin was a landscape of calluses and scars, rough as bark, yet his grip was surprisingly gentle. He brought your hand to his chest, pressing your palm flat against his skin, right over his heart. You could feel its steady, powerful beat, a strong and vital rhythm.
He leaned in again, his gaze locked on yours, and spoke a single word, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that was more sound than language.
"Ko-ah."
He held your hand there, against his heart, waiting. The wild man of the jungle had introduced himself.
What do you do?