Damon immediately knew what it meant. He bowed a little and clasped his hands to show respect.
As Somchai walked up to Damon, he smiled softly and carefully put the Mongkol on his head.
It didn't feel heavy, but the message behind it was.
A smile crept across Damon's face as he straightened, the Mongkol resting securely on his head.
Somchai nodded approvingly. "Would have loved to have feast," he said with a chuckle, "but you have flight tomorrow."
Damon returned the smile. "This means a lot, Kru. Thank you."
Somchai's expression softened as he added, "Remember… take it off before you enter the cage. Always."
Damon understood how important the advice was and nodded.
It felt sacred, like he was joining a long line of people who had done the same thing for hundreds of years.
Somchai stepped back, his gaze lingering on Damon for a moment as if committing the image to memory.