Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC Willow and any alterations to the original storyline plot her presence creates to various readers amusement everywhere across the globe.
Born To Lead Chapter 9
Willow had never seen a human before. From the stories she'd listened to as a child, she always imagined what they'd look like face to face. And now here was one standing directly in front of her.
Realistically this was an entirely different scenario.
Clearly male, skin the color of pale wet sand, mostly bald except for a patch of hair on top of its head. The face was similar to apes but carried substantial differences in its features. If those similarities were anything to go by the expression on the human's face along with its body language the human was certainly revealed to be scared, very scared.
The human male, Carver, had his arms outstretched palms out. They were trembling with outright fear.
"Oh god," he breathed, slowly subtly moving his arms to the gun on his belt concealed by his jacket. "It's okay."
He then whipped the automatic handgun from its holster pointing it directly at the apes.
All three of the young apes stiffened recognizing the device for what it was. There was a picture just like it carved with the pictures Maurice used to teach. This was a gun a weapon used by humans to kill apes.
Shifting partially over Willow, Blue Eyes held his spear aloft defensively hissing. Ash took Willow's hand in his instinctively inching away slowly step by step to get around the threat.
Wrong move.
"Freeze," shouted Carver, his finger pulled the trigger.
Then thunder struck, Ash's agonized shriek residing.
In the village, the sound registered to the apes disrupting the sanctity of their peaceful everyday morning.
At once Caesar's eyes snapped open with him sitting up in bed. Panting heavily dread filled inside the pit of his stomach. He'd know the sound of a gunshot anywhere having heard it repeatedly one too many times. There was only one thing that could've caused that.
A gun meant humans.
Bolting out of bed Caesar ran out of the oak tree. Other apes came out of their own homes. They all looked to Caesar when he revealed himself. He could decipher from the faces of belonging to the adults they came to the same conclusion.
Before Caesar could issue an order a loud screech originated from the canyon below making him still in terror. A distress call alerted the tribe to danger, but this wasn't from any ordinary ape.
The ape sounding the alarm was his daughter!
Below Willow screamed another frantic distress call as loud as she was able to press a hand firmly to Ash's shoulder trying to stop the blood flow seeping from the flesh wound where the bullet grazed the skin. He was sprawled on the earth writhing. Blue Eyes crouched protectively in front of them positioned behind a tree shielding them from the human. He continuously hissed snarling at the human aggressively warning him to keep his distance baring his teeth and gums. Occasionally his own shrieks mixed in with his sister's calls for help all the while still had his gun aimed at the trio.
"Stay! Help," yelled Carver, turning his head repeatedly watching for his compatriots. "No! Hey! Over here!"
They came running up the hill behind Carver. The moment the group the shot rang out they ran to see what was wrong. The adult human males Malcolm, Foster, and Kemp, had their guns ready and fully loaded with Ellie and Alexander in the rear. When they got close enough all their eyes went wide with shock seeing what was freaking Carver out so much.
"I-I shot him," said Carver, "I shot him."
The humans were in shock, too stunned at the sight of actual apes in front of them to do or say anything. Neither did they get the chance.
Emerging from the trees barreling down the slope to the ridge swinging in the trees and on the ground barreled a whole hunting party of apes coming to Blue Eyes, Willow's, and Ash's aide.
The humans divided their guns torn between keeping them aimed at Blue Eyes, Willow, and Ash or the new onslaught.
Rocket dropped from a branch putting him in the crossfire to protect the three teenagers. His spear held threateningly he kept backing away until he reached his son.
Immediately, when he saw Ash was the one hurt, Rocket almost completely lost it.
Visibly shaken, and enraged, a furiously hooting Rocket signed "They shot Ash! Shot my son!"
His body language told him he was about to launch himself at the humans any second. The only thing preventing him from following through with it was his primal instinct was his son lying injured in his arms.
Caesar wasn't taking any chances. Any rashness from Rocket could put them all in jeopardy.
"Rocket, wait," ordered Caesar.
Incredibly reluctant Rocket complied holding his son against his chest. Willow had her free hand on his shoulder keeping him there.
The two sides were at a standoff.
Hooting at the other apes to stay put Caesar locked eyes with Malcolm the human leader.
The two sized each other up.
Malcolm made the first move. "We don't mean any harm," he stated.
"They're apes, man. You think they understand what you're saying," whispered Carver.
"They look like just apes to you," retorted Malcolm. Malcolm relaxed his posture lowering his weapon signaling he wasn't a threat.
This gained scared reactions from his family.
"Dad," said Alex.
"Malcolm, what are you doing," said Ellie, panicking.
"It's okay," assured Malcolm. "Put your guns down."
"You can't be serious," said Foster.
"Do it," ordered Malcolm, not once breaking eye contact with Caesar.
Against their better judgment, they did.
Silence followed and then…
"Go," boomed Caesar.
"Holy shit," breathed Carver, a sentiment shared by the rest of them.
Caesar jumped from his perch on a tree trunk intimidating the humans to back away at such close proximity to him.
"Okay," eased Malcolm. "Okay, we're going."
"Go," roared Koba.
Another ape speaking after the other was too much for the humans to take especially when the rest of the apes started to shriek and roar too.
The humans turned and ran, but the youngest human, Alexander, accidentally dropped his satchel in the foliage off the ridge. He desperately went to retrieve it, but the adults pulled him along forcing him to leave the bag behind. Especially when the apes charged making them run faster. The apes chased the intruders off their land.
Caesar had his arms spread out to prevent them from pursuing further.
Maurice picked up the bag the young male dropped along with the book that fell from its folds. He handed the bag to Caesar. Holding it by the strap he stared at it intently for a moment before handing it back to the orangutan.
"Koba," said Caesar, summoning the bonobo to him. "Follow!"
Koba did as commanded with his closest friends Stone and Grey following. They needed answers and tracking the humans to the place they called home was the only way to get them.
Everyone returned to the safety of the village. The whole Ape Colony was working themselves into a frenzy. The children were confused. They'd heard the gunshot, but have not lived long enough to know what it entailed. The apes that could remember were understandably afraid both for themselves and their loved ones. The majority of them didn't have any good experiences with humans. They didn't wish for their offspring to suffer the same horrors they did.
Immediately after getting home, Willow took Ash to one of the healer's huts. There she tended to his injury. Thanks to the measures she'd already taken the bleeding already subsided, but there was still the risk of infection. So she groomed the area around the spot where the bullet hit him applying healing herbs to the skin. It didn't take long. Ash was fortunate there were no bullet fragments that needed to be extracted. In thanks, he cleaned the blood from her hands. After they were finished she and Ash rejoined the tribe remaining close together.
Caesar was doing his best to pacify those in his charge. Needless to say, it wasn't an easy task, but he managed to neutralize them. Well for the time being at least.
It was hours later in the early evening when Koba and his scouts came back to the village. They brought with them ill tidings. The human city wasn't as empty as had previously been assumed.
On a stone platform in front of where the ape's three most absolute laws were carved for all to see Caesar's most trusted apes were gathered Willow, Blue Eyes, and Ash counted in their number. On this platform, Caesar's symbol which was a stylized diamond enclosed in a circle was carved. It represented his old home, all he held dear to his heart there, and how far they've evolved.
The bag dropped from the adolescent human male was opened its contents spread out for the council to see. Only one of these objects captured the interest of the apes. It was a book with many drawings inside one after another. Page after page each image was more telling than the last.
Maurice flipped through them all intently learning what he could. From where she was sitting in between her father and Maurice, Willow was in the perfect position to get a clear peering at what was there in the pictures. Willow couldn't divert her eyes she was that entranced. The drawings used to teach the children weren't anything similar at all to any of these.
"The plague almost ended them," informed Maurice."The boy told the story in the pictures."
"Must attack them now! Before they attack us," grunted Koba, signing angrily.
Passing the book to Willow who eagerly continued skimming the pages where the orangutan left off, Maurice contradicted "We don't know how many there are. How many guns do they have?"
Koba scoffed waving aside Maurice's inquiries dismissing them despite how logical they were.
"Or why they came up here," signed Luca, adding in his say.
While Willow was combing through the book one particular drawing caught her eyes. Hooting softly, grabbing Caesar's attention, Willow showed her father the sketch of a beautiful human woman's face and an old photograph of the exact woman hugging the same boy from before only a lot younger. Willow read in between the lines, as did Caesar judging by the sad solemn stare he had on his face looking at it. It was like he was recollecting a memory long since forgotten. Next to all of the horrible pictures drawn in there together there could be only one explanation as to the woman's fate. The boy's mother had died of the plague succumbing to the sickness like so many of her kind before her.
"They shot your son, Rocket," persisted Koba, undeterred, thinking that because his son had been shot by one of the humans Rocket would be more inclined to his point of view. He was clearly taking unfair advantage of Rocket's instincts as a father to persuade him."Don't you want to fight?"
"I follow Caesar," signed Rocket, decisive, disappointing the bonobo.
Hearing this Willow felt compelled to say her piece.
Putting the book down, hands free, humbly exercising caution, Willow signed "The shooting was an accident. The human didn't intend to hurt us. We startled the human. Our sudden movements made things worse. He believed he was in danger thinking he was going to be attacked by us eliciting the human to defend himself. Violence against violence is not the answer."
"I agree," signed Ash, standing by Willow.
"I concur with Luca," signed Willow, passionately. "It's been ten years. The humans have never revealed themselves to us until now. We must find out why they trespassed in our territory after all this time before taking any sort of drastic action."
Shaking his head, speaking out loud, Blue Eyes said "Koba's right!"
Willow snapped her head towards Blue Eyes, eyes wide in shock. He was supposed to side with Caesar, not the opposition. She wasn't the only ape displeased about this. The moment he heard the words exit Blue Eye's mouth there was a brief flash of anger on his face. But just as quickly as it appeared the anger was gone.
Oh, but Blue Eyes wasn't done yet.
"They almost killed you, Ash," exclaimed Blue Eyes, signing furiously at Ash while his gaze was locked on Rocket, pointing profusely at Ash's wound.
Arguing broke out amongst the council at Blue Eye's outburst each person wanting their own opinions to be heard above everyone else's. Caesar, Maurice, and Willow were the only ones that didn't participate.
A stricken expression on her face Willow looked anxiously at Caesar desperate to hear his decision on this matter. Maurice shadowed her actions though he was more controlled about it lacking the distress she felt. Caesar hadn't spoken or signed a word once since this meeting began his façade an emotionless mask. Now as the ensuring argument reached its height he finally intervened.
"No," bellowed Caesar.
The arguing came to an abrupt halt even conversations held by apes surrounding the council stopped. The authority laced in his voice was unquestionably powerful.
Slowly, careful in making sure all got the message, Caesar signed "If we go to war, we could lose all we've built." The next part he said out loud emphasizing its grave importance gently reminding them of all they had to lose should a war arise. "Home. Family. Future." He paused allowing what he was saying to fully sink in satisfied it was hitting home seeing a few of their heads bowed in shame for contemplating it."I will decide by morning."
With that, the meeting was adjourned.
Later when the rest of the Colony were asleep in their beds Willow remained awake. The events of the days weighing heavily on her mind she was too overly stimulated to try and sleep. In her hands, she held the book, and sketchbook, looking through the pictures again using the shining glow of the moon and a few torches as her light.
In her brooding Willow lingered on the adult female human sketch tracing the woman's features with the tips of her fingers. So absorbed in what she was doing Willow failed to notice the ape sneaking up from the side until they made their presence known.
Out of nowhere, a hand came into Willow's line of vision enveloping her hand and intertwining the fingers.
Turning her head Willow saw it was her father.
Smiling, Caesar signed "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I couldn't sleep," signed Willow, shrugging.
Sitting next to Willow, not releasing her hand, Caesar signed "I didn't expect you to. Someone's had quite the day." By "someone" he initially meant her. Caesar then nodded at the book residing in her hands. "So was meeting your first human all you'd imagined it would be?"
Willow didn't miss the hint of sarcasm in his sign language. What happened with the encounter with the humans was far from ideal.
Playing along, shrugging, Willow joked "Not really. I thought they'd be taller."
Caesar laughed hooting softly, Willow's laughter combined with his. But soon the laughter faded replaced with a forlorn melancholy state from the day's events.
Finally, Willow worked up the courage to ask her father a question that had been weighing heavily on her mind since the council meeting.
Meekly, Willow signed"Is there going to be a war?"
Caesar sighed he had expected this. He signed"I don't know. It all depends on what the humans want and what they do now that they know we're here."
"What are you going to have us do," signed Willow, referring to the comment he made earlier saying he was going to decide by morning what actions were going to be taken.
Caesar considered what his daughter was asking. While it was true apes were in jeopardy from the human's knowledge of their survival war wasn't the answer. No, instead of just declaring war on the dot, he considered an alternate road.
"Tomorrow, upon first light, we go to the human city," signed Caesar
Authors Note:
I hope you all like this one! I certainly did while writing it for your vast enjoyment! ;D
For those of you just starting out with my stuff there are other works on my profile that may catch your interest. I highly recommend you take a look as soon as the opportunity presents itself to you. Who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.
Stay safe everyone. Especially with all of these crazy natural disasters occurring a lot lately due to global warming and climate change everywhere for sure. I swear it's like they're getting worse and worse all the time and it's like officials are simply just ignoring it or pretending it doesn't exist entirely just to go on with their daily lives. Especially those in multi-million dollar companies that rely on certain elements of our planet that we rely on to naturally keep us safe instead of adapting and finding new safer ways to keep in business. There are so many options out there where they can adapt, but they just refuse to see it because all they care about is money. Climate change is altering so much faster than anyone can really keep track of.
So, in light of all this, it is important to live life to the fullest as much as anyone can.
I know I am. ;) See you guys next time.