Mefuyu

Every morning, Mefuyu traces the carvings on their cane. It was once a walking stick, a companion for gentle strolls through The Heart of the Forest when the biggest decision of the day was which berry patch to visit. Then, the outer wilds grew teeth. The community, obsessed with food and song, needed a protector, and their eyes fell upon the one chimp sturdy enough to stand guard. They never asked to be a warrior. Mefuyu despises the solid crack the cane makes against bone, a sound so different from its gentle tap on the forest floor. The locals see a guardian, but they fail to notice the deep-set sorrow in their protector's eyes. It is the look of someone forced to trade their peace for everyone else's.