War Technicalities [UNDER REVISION]

Only Human

[Unrevised. 5 (not 4, oops) Years Old. Prepare for inconsistencies with previous chapters.]

That morning, as the sun was rising into the sky so slowly that it seemed as if it was being pulled down by some unexplained force, Haley's eyes pulled open with absolutely no drive, already enthusiastic for the night's close, and for a moment, just a moment, she completely forgot the events of the previous day. It was when she reached over to wake her mate for the day's hunt, her lips dry and her mouth still tasting of sleep as she released a tired yawn, and when her fingertips trailing over nothing but slick leaves and ridged pieces of grass and straw, that all the memories came flooding back and her eyes shot open in alarm, her body shooting up so she could study the empty nest around her. Immediately, she shot up from her apish bed and rushed out of the house, even if only to jump back into the doorway when Rocket nearly flattened her in his rush down the path. "What's going on? Have you seen Koba?" She called after him and quickly jogged to his side before she kept with his fast pace in brisk steps all the way outside of the village, the sight of a team of horses halting her in shock, "Uhm... is the hunt early?"

She was pleased to see Rocket turn around a few feet ahead in order to answer her, but before he had the chance, a horse suddenly reared into the space between them, compelling her to stumble back with a startled gasp before she found her ground, her ankle anchoring into the mud behind her, and saw him hopping onto the horse and gallop to a group if prepared hunters next to her. It was when he and his steed cleared her view, however, that she spotted Caesar ahead, seeing him lead another gorgeous beast to another ape, the sight making her pale in an instant – he couldn't be. Almost gliding through the air, she wormed through the bustling apes around her, every single one of them readying for their trip by getting on a horse or grabbing a spear, and sped to her old friend, heaving for air by the time she reached him and not surprised that he didn't notice her presence through his somber and hurried movements. "What's going on?" She announced her arrival, just in time to yelp out of the way of yet another prancing, mounted horse.

"Going to city." He grunted out with his usual, rumbling voice and moved to bridle his own horse, not even taking a second to acknowledge Haley's existence with a glance, "To show strength to humans and tell them forest is apes' home."

The tension that inexplicable loomed across the young woman's shoulders while her jaw slacked into a disbelieving gape seemed to have been thick enough for her to hop in surprise when he simply zipped a strap of the bridle into place. "What!?" She snapped as soon as his words processed – did he not listen to a single thing she told him the previous night? "You can't go to the city!" She continued, seeming more furious than anything else as she swung her arm in the direction of the city behind her, "You already chased them off, didn't you? Isn't that enough?"

Suddenly, her surroundings fell eerily silent, the humid and cold atmosphere creating a thick layer on her dirty skin without reason – not even a squelch of mud or a rustle in the bushes could be heard – and it made her frown quickly, confused. Just like her, Caesar noticed it at once – though he might've noticed it sooner, having expected it after her words. With a kingly scowl, he looked around him, compelling Haley's gaze to follow and for her shoulders to slouch in shock when she saw every single ape staring at her without discretion, just before she witnessed the sight of them shuffling uncomfortably underneath Caesar's gaze and sluggishly going back to work, "What th—"

"Haley." Caesar interrupted sternly and finally circled around to her before he stepped closer and signed out of the other apes' sights, "Best not to defend humans against apes in their presence – I know, you weren't doing that at all, but they won't see it that way."

She knew he was right, but still the truth hit hard as her eyes flickered to the apes around her, her fists clenching irritably – honestly, she thought, they should know her better. Nevertheless, while she looked one way and the other, and while she saw chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, even Maurice, all readying themselves to leave, another truth dawned on her and her face fell into dismay. "Wait," She breathed, setting her attention back on Caesar, just in time to see him climbing onto his own steed, "Is that also why I wasn't informed of the hunt – because I'm human?"

For some reason, words seemed to escape the King Ape at that exact moment, but unfortunately, the quiet was all the answer Haley needed.

"I've gone on every single hunt for the past two years!" She shouted up at him in outrage, not really caring for the few stares she earned in response, "I should be going, too! What do they think, that I'll chose the humans over them, even after all the shit they've cau—"

"Haley," He warned yet again, leering down at her from his high perch, and immediately, her breath hitched at the sight, her body flinching back and her throat growing dry in an instant – quickly, she was put back in her place, but not from the scorn of his look, but from the concern burning in the depth of those bright green eyes of his. "Fine..." She hummed low and bowed her head, but it only lasted a second before she looked back up, her eyes dark with a strange determination. "But be careful." She insisted as an almost desperate plea, "Remember what I told you last night: you are the only family I have left," she didn't pause, not taking notice of an accusing scowl drilling into her back, and simply stepped forward to place a consoling hand on his furry knee, "my home is wherever you are, Caesar, so don't you dare disappear on me – I don't know what I'd do."

"I wouldn't dare." He joked with an amused smiled on his dull lips, forcing her to shake her head with a small chuckle before she stepped away and allowed him to release an apish screech to tell the others to follow and then sped away. Still, despite their last words, she couldn't help but watch him with a strange uneasiness as he disappeared into the forest, remaining perfectly oblivious to Koba's torn glare being sent her way as he rode off after his leader, his own heart ailed with a truth that even she was not able to admit to herself yet. Unlike him, however, she was conflicted by the horrid fact that she still remained nothing but a human in the eyes of everyone around her – how could she loathe being her species so much?

Make sure to check out  Mauryn2013's story "The Hard Facts Of Life," where she incorporates my OC into her own story. It's REALLY good! Seriously, I've read it three times, haha.