_ "Is that....a....monkey?.... " stammered one of the sailors trembling with fear, although no one could answer him as the terror was present in the minds of all. The group of survivors, numbering just over forty, was now facing a major problem. This thirty-meter-tall creature, looking like a furious and monstrous gorilla, was looking at them now, his eyes burning like hot coals almost judging their souls. It was the impression that Moana had while she remained frozen to contemplate the creature. Once again, it reminded her almost the time she had faced Tamatoa, but this giant gorilla looked even stronger and terrifying.

_ "M ... Moana ......" Rapunzel stuttered, not daring to move. Still staring at the monster, Motunui's girl motioned for them to remain calm.

_ "Do not do ..... sudden movements ....." she said in a low voice, while starting to move very slowly backwards. Flynn, Rapunzel and Tim did the same. But as they retreated, the dark gaze of the giant gorilla sneaked up to them, and he gave a low growl, as if he had anticipated their movement in advance. Moana and her friends dared not move. Nonchalantly, the giant gorilla begins to walk in their direction, making the earth tremble again under its huge feet. Terror grew in everyone's hearts when they saw him doing it. Flynn stood before Rapunzel as a human shield, though in the face of such a monster, it would be rather useless. But as the giant approached, Moana noticed something: on one of his shoulders, the gorilla wore a fairly large wound, like a kind of giant scratch. Now standing a dozen meters ahead of them, the monster growled ferociously and held out his hand as if to grasp them, to their utmost fear.

A stick of dynamite had been thrown and exploded on the hand of the giant gorilla, which, surprised, roared furiously and with some pain as it recoiled and looking at his hand slightly injured by the explosion. Surprised as well, Moana and her group turned to see Wagner and his men, preparing other dynamite sticks and preparing their rifles.

_ "Wagner, damn it, what are you doing?!" Flynn shouted.

_ "Courage, brave sailors, kill this abomination, in the name of Corona!" Wagner shouted, ignoring Flynn. Although frightened, the sailors obeyed and fired. Shots and bullets fired, striking the forearm and torso of the giant gorilla, which seemed more uncomfortable than suffering the projectiles, and roared angrily again. Seeing the giant monster go crazy furious under the incessant shots, Moana grabbed Rapunzel by the hand and ran towards the jungle, screaming at Flynn and Tim to follow them.

_ "RUN!!"

Ignoring Moana's group fleeing, the giant gorilla leaps towards Wagner and his sailors to confront them. He swept in front of him with one of his arms, hitting three sailors and throwing them into the air like dolls of rags. In the momentum, he violently crushed another sailor under one of his feet, reducing him into a bloody mess of crushed bones and flesh. Undergoing the first losses, the group of sailors began to retreat, continuing to fire at will, under the orders of Wagner, who also shot with his pistol, although the many projectiles did not really seem to affect the monster. The gorilla, still protecting himself with his arms from his many annoying shots, continued his violent assault, catching a sailor in his hand and throwing him into the air. While fleeing, arriving at the edge of the jungle, Moana's group saw with horror the sailor thrown crashing against a tree trunk right in front of them, and the body falling to the ground, broken in two and the blood spilling over the vegetation. Horrified, Rapunzel had to look away, just like Flynn and Tim.

Moana, also disturbed by what she saw, turned around, eyes wide and speechless, again contemplating the great primate, continuing to roar with rage while killing one by one the men of Wagner. But as he continued his slaughter, the giant monkey had a moment's pause, turning his brutal gaze towards Moana, who immediately felt himself crushed by that look .... She was sure he was looking at her. She could feel her heart beating so hard that it could spring from her chest ... But the rifle shots brought the giant gorilla back to the fight, and with his fist crushed two other sailors like insects.

_ "Retreat to the jungle!!" Wagner shouted, starting to run backwards, noticing that it was useless to fight this thing in open ground. Moana saw Wagner and his men flee in a direction opposite to his group, still pursued by the giant monster not decided to let them escape so easily. Some sailors even gave up their weapons to run faster. _ "Moana, come on, quickly!" Tim told her further behind her. As if returning to reality, the young woman nodded and followed him, returning to Rapunzel and Flynn who were waiting for them further, and the small group moved away into the jungle, pursued by the powerful echoes and more and more distant from the shouts of the sailors and roars of the monster.

One hour later.....

Flynn stepped back a few steps, leaning against a rock wall covered with climbing plants and rubbed his aching jaw and half stunned by the blow.

_ "Moana, please ... I beg you, stop ..." Rapunzel pleaded, positioning herself in front of her husband and with her hands, suggesting to her friend to calm down a little. Moana looked at them, looking angry, and rubbing her aching fist with the blow she had given. Tim was standing behind, rather circumspect. Flynn stood up, not seeming to show anger at Moana, but more of the surprise.

_ "It's time to give me explanations, Princess," Moana said in a tone much less friendly and more pressing. "Tell me the truth, did you know ..... about this thing?!"

_ "I swear you no ..." Rapunzel swore "... We did not know anything about this island, just like you. We only thought, with this parchment, to make a great discovery: the last land still unexplored by humans."

Moana still looked suspicious and continued.

_ "And for precious gems, then?" Wagner seemed to know that this island contained natural riches."

_ "From that too, we were not aware." Flynn intervened, "Wagner's reaction is incomprehensible ...."

_ "Anyway, this captain never had clear ideas ..." Tim commented knowingly, while checking the ammunition of his rifle. Seeing Moana still mistrustful, Rapunzel sighed and approaching, gently took her hands in hers.

_ "Listen, Moana... I know that we are foreigners who have come to your territory, but I promise you, on my honor as Princess of Corona, that we never intended to plunder this island. We wanted to discover it, to explore it, to discover its environment and who knows, to make it a potential land of welcome for the oppressed peoples ... A second chance land, as it is currently done with this new land recently discovered and named America."

Moana did not know what Rapunzel meant by this second chance land called America, but she could see in the look and feel in the voice that the young foreign princess was telling the truth and wanted to show it. Moana calmed herself, accepting to give her a chance, and sat on a rock to regain her senses.

_ "It was not your captain's opinion, apparently ..." she added. Flynn and Rapunzel looked at each other, recognizing that she was right.

_ "Captain Wagner, however, has received clear orders, and his attitude is tantamount to betrayal." said the Princess of Corona, to which Flynn agreed with her. While the royal couple were discussing about Wagner's possible betrayal, and Tim was watching around, his rifle in his hand, Moana took a few moments to think and looked. All around the little group was now the lush jungle and stirred many noises. The heat and humidity was very palpable, causing sweat on the skin. Mosquitoes, larger than usual, fluttered noisily around them, and they had to hunt them away with their hands. This jungle seemed much more hostile than those of the other islands of the archipelago, which did not reassure the young tribal woman. She also thought back to the moment when this monstrous giant gorilla had stared at her in the eyes.... She could have felt the anger, the rage that animated him .... But it was not the fury of a simple animal.... This thing, whatever it was, was much more than that.... These eyes of embers remained permanently in her mind, which made her shudder with anguish .... But she had to resign herself, having to do what it takes to allow her group to survive and leave this cursed island ....

_ "We have to get out of this jungle and reach the coast." she said, getting up from her rock, drawing the attention of the others.

_ "How are we going to do? This jungle looks endless and we are completely lost." said Tim, a little too defeatist to the taste of the young woman.

_ "Not necessarily," Moana replies, "We have to find a watercourse and once that's done, follow the flow, that will take us all the way to the coast."

_ "What do we do for Wagner and his men?" Rapunzel asked.

_ "Your concern is laudable, princess, but we must first think of our own survival." Moana told him rather harshly but precisely. The rest of the group agreed and they immediately started, Moana in the lead, through the thick dark jungle.

Meanwhile....

In another part of the island, situated on the heights of a rocky plateau overlooking part of the jungle, Wagner was sitting on a rock, his clothes dirty and soaked, looking exhausted and angry, holding his pistol and his sword in his hands. Around him, his surviving men, too, were gaining strength, though some seemed shocked for life by what they had seen. On the forty sailors, nineteen were still alive after the attack of the giant gorilla. They had managed to run away from him through the jungle, but at the cost of heavy losses, many of the sailors were devoured alive by monstrous crocodiles as they crossed a river and another sailor was swept away by a huge black panther.

His head bent over his arms and his hands, Wagner remained silent and dark, but in the irises of his eyes shone a very special spark, which finally set fire to a desire arising in him... that of vengeance.

_ "Get up, gentlemen .... We have to go." he said, recovering himself on his feet and putting away his weapons.

_ "Where's that, captain?" asked one of his lieutenants. At this answer Wagner took a rifle in his hand and threw it into the hands of the man.

_ "We're looking for this giant macaque and finish him." Wagner said decidedly. At these words, the sailors seemed perplexed, but one of them intervened.

_ "But.... Captain, what about the princess, and the prince?"

_ "We must first think about our own survival, sailor ..." he said him very clearly after a brief icy silence. The sailors obeyed anyway, with the exception of one of them who, crunching nervously, began to scream.

_ "No!! Fuck no!! I refuse to come! Did you see what this monster did to our comrades? He slaughtered them like insects! Nothing can be done against such a ...."

A shot rang out suddenly and the panicked sailor collapsed backwards, a bullet between his eyes. The other men turned to Wagner, who stood with the pistol still smoking in his hand, and showed no remorse at what he had done.

_ "Other candidates for desertion?" he simply asked, pulling the hammer back again for a new potential shot. Silence was made among men during long seconds.

_"Good." Wagner added, sheathing his pistol at his belt. "Let's go, gentlemen."

The captain led the march, followed by his men, who had become very quiet and obedient.

Meanwhile.....

The Moana group had walked for more than half an hour in the jungle, without finding any small stream. As they were walking, heat and humidity were not the only problem. The mosquitoes, big and aggressive, were a real annoyment, and Tim, in walking in a pool of stagnant water, had to get rid of a big leech that had stuck to his boot and had begun to pierce the leather to reach his foot. Snakes, poisonous lizards and other creatures were also present on the ground and in the trees of this jungle, and the small group had to constantly watch or set foot. Usually walking barefoot, Moana had made rudimentary sandals from leaves and branches of reed. Rapunzel had chosen to tear her dress to better free her legs and run faster if necessary. Tim, rifle in hand, and Flynn, a hunting knife in hand, remained alert at the slightest sound too close to them. A group of screaming little monkeys passing from branches to branches above them made them jump.

_ "Fucking jungle ..." Flynn sighed heavily, rubbing his sweaty forehead. Rapunzel tapped his shoulder to support him. The group continued to walk, and a hundred yards away, passed near a very large pool of dark water in the middle of which stood a large gray rock covered with aquatic plants. This pond not being connected to a watercourse, the group prepared to continue, but suddenly the big rock seemed to move very slowly and emerged. In fact, the large rock was the hunchbacked back of a imposant buffalo, with huge horns, a gray furr dripping with water and watching with a neutral look the group of humans while noisily munching aquatic plants in his mouth. Taken by surprise, Tim had prepared his rifle to shoot, but Moana put her hand on the barrel, telling the young moss to lower his gun and not make any sudden gestures. Tim obeyed and retreated slowly. The big buffalo, nearly four meters tall, continued to chew calmly and uttered loud moans. Seeing that this animal did not feel threatened by their presence, Moana was relieved and again fascinated by the fauna of this island, watched it without moving. Flynn saw Rapunzel, also fascinated by this creature, take her little painting that she kept in her bag and began to paint a kind of portrait of the animal, as a kind of proof. Although very dangerous, this island also contained magnificent creatures, Moana had to recognize it. After a few minutes of observation, the giant buffalo moaned softly and in the greatest calm retreated back into the pond and plunged his head and half of his body, revealing again only his back like a rock. The group decided to leave him alone and started walking again.

Later.....

Two hours had passed, and even though they had not managed to find a watercourse, Moana and his group had managed to get out of the thick jungle alive and was now at another edge, in front of a more open space grassy expanses surrounded by hills and steep cliffs. The end of the day was near and it was out of the question for the group to walk at night in the middle of this island infested with giant predators. Having found a secluded spot between rocks at the edge of the jungle, they decided to camp. Flynn and Rapunzel had been busy making a small fire for heat because the air was getting colder as dusk approached, while Tim continued his role as sentry. Hearing the disturbing sounds of the jungle and approaching the night, Rapunzel felt her hands tremble and clumsily dropped the pieces of wood she was holding.

_ "Hey, are you okay?" Flynn asked, having noticed and worried about his beloved.

_ "It's ... It's just that .... Excuse me, I had a moment of panic, but it's nothing ..." her voice was shaking. She was afraid. Flynn smiled and kissed her forehead, looking into her eyes and taking her face in her hands.

_ "You do not have to apologize .... The one who would not be afraid of this place would be an idiot or a madman."

Rapunzel smiled, but with fear came guilt too, and she could not keep tears from running down her thin cheeks.

_ "We should never have come here .... If only I had been more careful .... I beg your pardon ...."

Seeing her cry, Flynn hugged her gently.

_ "It's not your fault, I forbid you to say that ..... We'll get by, you'll see ..." he tells her to comfort her, swearing himself to get her out of this hell.

A little further, but out of sight of the camp, Moana went fishing for some fish at the edge of a large lake she had discovered, located between several large green cliffs. Holding four beautiful fish, the young woman, satisfied, was ready to return to the camp before night fall, but suddenly, she felt it .... The earth was shaking again, at a steady pace .... Her heart froze again, and that's when he appeared....

Arriving between two cliffs with an assured and nonchalant step, the giant gorilla stepped forward, the water of the lake reaching him to the knees, and being looked rather around him. Terrified but making no noise, Moana hid quickly behind a rock, but still casting a discreet glance. The monster was a hundred yards away, but did not seem to notice her. It was the same monster, she was sure of it. Her heart was pounding, her blood was almost shaking in her veins, and again she could not look away from this majestic and terrifying giant. His excessive size never ceased to surprise her, as his manner of standing, straight and powerful, like a king pacing up and down his vast and prosperous kingdom.

The giant gorilla emitted heavy breathing noises, a few light grunts, and looked around him as he watched his territory. His attention fell on his injured shoulder, which he touched with the tips of his big fingers to see the blood that covered them, with a look a little painful, as if touching the wound was annoying. Crouching in the water, the monster also looked at his hand, slightly burned by the dynamite he had received. Faced with these wounds, the monster showed a darker, more serious face. Moana remained silent, watching him do. Then she saw something that fascinated her.

The giant gorilla had changed its behavior after looking at its wounds and was now looking at its own reflection in the lake water, then with the fingertip, touching the surface of the water, making it shudder and distorting its reflection. The monster's face became thoughtful, almost sad even, just like the slight rumblings it emitted. Then he raised his head to gaze at the sky, especially the red sun that lay on the horizon. Moana saw him doing, and surprising herself, felt almost a pinch in the heart for this creature. She saw him well. He looked melancholy ..... alone.....

Breathing heavily, the gorilla groaned and leaned toward the water, dipped his hand to lift a huge amount of water in his palm, to bring it to his mouth and began to drink sips impressive, but that for him was normal. He repeated the process, two or three times, unaware that Moana was still watching him from her hiding place. But as he drank, the giant gorilla changed his attitude, raising his head and grunting angrily as he looked around. Moana shuddered. Had he felt his presence?