Every morning differs in the rainforest. There are plenty of ways to get woken up by. Sounds of animals yawning after a good night sleep, fighting, threatening each other, being naughty or more cruel ways could often be heard. Much of the same way the runner from yesterday took its last breaths and shrieked for help. Unfortunately for Marcus, he did not wake up in any of these ways this special day.

”Are you ready for tonight!? ”Chim screams from a distance but it was so loud that for Marcus it felt as he was screaming into his right ear from only a swing away. His best friend is swinging towards him from tree to tree with immense speed. He was overly excited to learn what will become of him and Marcus today.

”Good Ritual day Chim” Marcus father tells him with his deep manly voice that can only represent a Guardian of the Canopy.

”Which path do u wish to join today? Or it does not matter. All that counts is that you will become a Guardian like me. Protector of the Red Tribe!” He says with pride and pounds his chest with both his arms, telling Chim to ”hear his call”.

”Don’t listen to him” says Marcus while hanging from his tail above his sleeping branch and looking down on them. ”You and I are going to see the end of the rainforest, am I right? We will go to the other side of Red Mountain. If there even is another side!” He says with excitement.

”Maybe the Big Red Mountain is our entire world!”

Not sure what to say to Marcus, Chim looks over at Zahn, Marcus father.

”I am not as strong as you are. I think I have the agility and dexterity to become a great Spotter, but you are absolutely right. Deep down my ambition is to become a Guardian. I want to help Red Tribe in every way I can”. His vision for Red Tribe is to become their Guardian. He is determined that his size will not stop him from reaching his goal and by doing that he knows that he needs to start believing in himself and his strengths because there are stronger and tougher apes in this Tribe that all share the same dream as him. Being a Guardian means that you are someone of importance but for Chim, it is all about giving back the feeling of safety that he has felt since that night.

”Come here” Zahn says.

“I will teach you a thing or two from when I did the Ritual. It is all about that great swing across… it is very important that… and when you are facing the biggest of…”

Marcus stopped listening to them and decided to go to his mother Elen to see how she was planning for this vital day. He needed to think about something else. All this talk about paths and obligations are messing with his head. He does not want to become either of the roles that are set out for him. There must be more to life then the life in the canopy. His mind wanders of and he starts thinking about yesterday. What an experience that was. To be so close to death but in no immediate danger is something that he truly appreciates. He had waited a long time for that moment. He had tried to get near to the leopards and tigers for a long time, but they had all smelled or seen him when he got too close and that made them either interested in his own flesh or they just went away with their prey to devour somewhere else, undisturbed and unwilling to share.

His mother, Elen, was the Leader of Red Tribe and a wise woman that had great knowledge of how to lead and survive in this dangerous environment. While preparing, she notices Marcus. She could see from his eyes that he was not in the present. His mind had wandered off again as so many times before. She had to make him focus since today was not going to be wasted on dreams.

“Marcus, it is good that you are here now. I wanted to talk to you about the Tradition of The Lava Ritual and why it is important for the prosperity and continuity of Red Tribe.“

”The Lava Ritual is a rite that we have every season after the great rain falls for the upcoming Guardians, Shamans, Spotters or Stargazers. It gives the tribe hope and strengthens the bonds of loyalty that we have towards each other. Every eleven seasons we choose a new Leader for the tribe that will guide us into the right direction”. She tried to explain to him with a gentle voice. Being his mother, she knew that telling him what to do is just going to fuel his motives to do the exactly the opposite.

”The importance of the trials is to see which one of us is the most skillful in the different traits that Red Tribe needs in order survive and grow as a family. The trials will test your might, agility and balance, your knowledge about herbs and starsight and some of the trials will test a combination of these traits. This has been the way for many generations and the reason we do so is so every challenger can prove to us and to themselves that they are meant for the path that they have chosen.”

”I know mother, but what if I desire something else? Do you know how many different animals there are out there in the rainforest? I have counted as many as 50 different animals on the ground and in the sky and do not let me get started about some of the unusual things there are to eat. There are so many plants are trees that grow wonderful fruits that we have not even learned about yet. How can this be enough?”

”I have seen more than ten different apes that are similar to you and me, but they do not behave like us. Some have been aggressive towards each other even though they are from the same tribe. How can that be and why do we look so different compared to one and other? Why are some of them bigger than us in sizes?”

”Do not start now Marcus” Elen says. She is impressed with the knowledge that he has gathered but knows that today is not the day to answer his questions and to possibly start an argument.

”Tonight, are the trials and I have a lot of preparations to do, and so do you in matter of fact. We can talk about this tomorrow.”

He was not surprised that his mother wanted him to focus on the evening.

”I don’t know what I really thought the conversation would be about if not about the trials. I just want this day to be over.” He says to himself.

”Oh yes, I almost forgot. Take Chim and climb our family tree up towards the canopy and look around you. Maybe it has not started yet but just stay there and be patient. I think you will get excited by what you will see. I can guarantee that Chim will.”

Elen knows that every season when the bright light dims during the day of the ceremony all the candidates and their relatives climb to the top of the trees and glance towards the Big Red Mountain. It is truly an inspirational sight to witness with so many of his fellow challengers in the treetops, all preparing physically but also mentally for what awaits them. A sight that she hopes will try to affect Marcus emotionally and persuade him to focus on the tough tests that lies before him instead of letting his mind drift to unimportant knowledge that will never benefit the tribe.

“Come Chim. My mother said that we should climb towards the highest branch and wait for something.”

“Ok I am coming!” Chims shouts to Marcus.

“Thank you, Zahn, for teaching me about tonight and what I should keep in mind when I go up against my rival. I will try not to let down you down or any of the Elders.”

Chim grabs the nearest branch that is above him as he heads for Marcus.

“What are we doing up here? What did Elen say?”

“Remember last sun cycle my mother told us to do the same but instead we were joking around, picking fruit, and swinging from tree to tree. Perhaps we should go up there this time? She told me that you will be more excited, if that is even possible when we reach the top”

When reaching the canopy of Marcus family tree, the two started talking and Chim explained everything that Zahn had told him and what to anticipate when he does the Guardian Trial.

In the middle of the discussion they see that their friends are starting to pop up from their family trees. One after another they see each other. Marcus and Chims conversation start to fade as they both are gripped with the reality that tonight is almost upon them and that Big Red Mountain will be a place of frustration or delight.

The Big Red Mountain is sleeping giant that has been dormant for thousands of years. No ape was around at that point in time when it last erupted. It still has lava flowing at the top of its crater. The volcano reaches high above the trees and is the heart of their rainforest. It provides the ground with volcanic soil that makes the trees grow taller and the fruits bigger and more delicious then in other parts of the rainforest.

It is truly, a place of wonder.