Welcome back, everyone!

So it seems there is enough sentiment out there for me to continue this concept. Strap in, because we have quite a bit ahead of us.

Fair warning for those who have not seen the new movie, this chapter does contain spoilers, as do future ones. So if you don't want to know what happens, or at least a glimpse of what happens, turn back now.

Reviews are encouraged and the more I receive, the faster I write ;)

"Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden."

-Phaedrus

Act 1 Chapter 2- Caesar Will Forgive

The morning brought warmth but little clarity. When Caesar opened his eyes, he saw that Raka had cleared away the debris from last night's fire and was gathering items into a gunny sack. The other chimp was nowhere to be found.

"Ah, he is awake," Raka said with a smile.

The kindness only deepened the sense of disappointment in Caesar. For a split second in time, he thought the orangutan to be Maurice.

Where have you gone my friend?

He noticed a multi-layered bandage wrapped around his chest, criss crossing the back and torso. A small bit of red stained the front portion, but the pain that had plagued him was almost gone, replaced by a dull ache. Discomforting but manageable.

Caesar rotated his arm. At the very least it was functional and he could grab, swing, or pick food if push came to shove. Speaking of which…

His stomach rumbled, betraying a ravenous need for food that had disappeared over the course of the war. Constant fighting and anxiety over the safety of his family robbed him of appetite…an anxiety that proved to come true in the end.

Raka lumbered over and offered him a few apples, which he gratefully took.

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome. It's…not much," he admitted. "But our young friend…Noa…has gone to find more."

Caesar tore into the apple with relish, eating a full third of it in one bite. Raka stared at him with a gentle curiosity.

"I do not mean to…intrude," he said. "But I must ask where you are from?"

Where indeed. He did not know how to answer that question considering he had so many of his own. But some form of honesty was required in exchange for the kindness shown to him.

"I had a tribe, a family," he said, swallowing a second juicy mouthful. "I was leading them to safety. Away from war. It seems I have…lost them."

Raka bowed his head in empathy.

"A refugee. There are many…throughout the land. All because of the masks and their leader."

Caesar vowed to find out just who these so-called 'masks' were, but decided knowing they were unfriendly was enough for the time being.

"You are among friends," Raka brightened after a momentary lapse into dark thought. "For we too have been scattered from our homes. Noa…" he pointed to a vague direction towards a sloping meadow that bordered a deeper forest. "...had his village stolen. His father was…killed."

This news saddened the great chimp but it also left him with more questions. Who were these plunderous raiders that dared to enslave and kill other apes? The obvious culprit hit Caesar squarely in the chest. The colonel must have been lying about those soldiers being the last. There had to be others.

"I too lost my family…my Order," Raka continued, becoming wistful.

"Order?"

"Yes, dedicated to our…Lawgiver. The one who's example I follow. His life and teachings are…my work."

Caesar wasn't aware of any other ape culture besides his own and if there was, the kind of rules and traditions they followed. There might be leaders for sure, but lawgivers? Questions sat at the edge of his tongue when Raka sat down next to him with a mighty thump.

"I apologize…for not asking sooner. But what is your name?"

In an odd twist, Raka had used sign language in combination with speech. This wasn't concerning per say, however it was…intriguing to see that more apes outside his clan were users of both signing and the spoken word. Most did not have that ability. In fact, most could not speak at all. Apes had grown smarter in the years since San Francisco, but even those that could formulate words did so with great difficulty and at a slow pace.

"Caesar," he said.

Raka titled his head back as though he'd been hit with water.

"You have the name of our Lawgiver? Most…interesting."

Caesar's head began to swim again in that nausea inducing manner he experienced upon waking in this strange place. He thought his vision might go black when a twinkle of metal caught his eye.

"What is that?"

The necklace dangled from Raka's neck, forged into a shape with which he was intimately familiar.

"Oh, this? It is a…symbol. The mark of my Order. The Order of Caesar."

For the second time in as many days, the most articulate ape to ever walk the planet found himself robbed of proper speech.

What is this world that I've been sent to?

This momentous revelation was interrupted by Noa's return, an arrival punctuated by the sound of clopping hooves and loud whinnying. In his hand was a sack of what Caesar assumed was fish or hunted game.

"Ah, welcome back…my young friend," Raka boomed as he sat up.

Noa hopped off his horse and tied the bag to the saddle. "Caught rabbit for tonight. Cook later."

"Good, good. Come! Meet our new companion…Caesar!"

Noa's ridged brow furrowed in great confusion.

"I thought…Caesar 'was'...not 'is'."

Raka laughed. "No, no. Still 'was'. This is…not the Lawgiver I told you about. But he does have his name."

In the light, Caesar was better able to see that Noa was not just a young chimp but a very young chimp. An ape who'd just reached physical maturity but by the nature of his youth lacked wisdom. The confused, almost willful wrinkling of the brow reminded him of Blue Eyes at the same age.

"Greetings."

Noa bowed slowly and offered an outstretched hand as a sign of deference to someone older. Caesar felt his liking for this ape increase a bit. At least he'd been taught respect. He grazed the edge of the fingers to confirm his senior status, not dominance.

Satisfied both parties were familiar with each other, Raka clasped two giant hands together.

"Excellent. Now that we are all…acquainted, we should continue our journey."

"I thank you for your help," Caesar said. "But I have to find my tribe."

"Where is your tribe from?" Raka asked.

There was no possible way to answer that. For one thing, he still had no idea where he was. He was reasonably sure that the oasis had to be close, judging by the fact Raka and Noa spoke English and held similar customs. But how could one explain that he died and woke up in another part of the forest?

"Not far from here," Caesar said. "I was…separated from them."

"Then it is likely they were taken by the…masks," Raka reasoned, making the sign language equivalent near his face. "Just as Noa's tribe was. Perhaps…we can help each other."

The foreign sensation of uncertainty washed over Caesar again. He was sure that Raka had good intentions. That in itself didn't bother him as much as not being the one up front. Leading. Teaching. Knowing. This time he did not know. Whatever this was, it felt like home…and yet alien.

Do not assume you always know the right way, he thought to himself.

His instincts said to follow Raka and Noa. They weren't friends just yet, but they seemed like honest apes…and the key to answers he sought.

Caesar nodded.

"Very well."

"It is settled then," Raka said. "The four of us will ride…together."

"Four?"

"Can't forget…Nova," the orangutan said as he made the sign for 'human' in a rather affectionate manner. "She is a part of this adventure too."

The three apes turned to observe the young human woman standing in a grassy field full of wildflowers. She was staring into the distance, as though the only thing passing through her mind were fluffy, white clouds in the sky.

Caesar had almost forgotten about the human. As it was with Noa, he detected much more about her in broad daylight than in disorienting darkness. He'd met at least a thousand humans in his lifetime, each one different from the last. Some gentle, some violent, some weak, some strong, some good, and some evil. And yet they all shared one thing in common; that spark of intelligence, the constant movement of thought, always in motion, like a wave in the sea. It made them so beautiful…and so terrible.

When the second virus came, when the humans started to stop speaking, that spark, powerful and bright as it was, had begun to die. Fading into the ashes of a fire that would soon go out forever. The colonel had been right about one thing: bereft of their minds, humanity fared no chance against apes.

So when he took a long look at Nova, the woman bearing the name of the child Maurice once rescued, it stood to reason she had lost the spark, same as many others. It would have been believable too, if it were not for one tiny detail: the eyes. They might appear dull and dumb to the average ape. But behind those baby blues wasn't just a spark, but the same burning fire he'd seen the night before. Far from dying it was alive; all consuming.

"That is no ordinary echo," Noa suddenly said.

"What do you mean?"

"Last night…I saw her alone…I mean…we were together."

"Together?" Raka's interest had been piqued considerably.

"I came across it…first," Noa explained.

"It?"

"It was like…" Caesar could see the struggles in his speech stemmed from the lack of the ability to explain, not forming the words themselves. "A tunnel…that eats light."

"A tunnel that eats light," Raka repeated. He sounded skeptical now.

"She saw what I saw." Noa pointed at Nova and became more insistent. "It was in her eyes. She…reacted."

"How?"

Caesar would have said, 'As a human would.' But the longer he existed in this world, the more it seemed upside down.

"As ape would."

Raka raised his brow and lowered his eyelids at Noa, like a child who needed to be taught there were no such things as monsters. Except Noa was no child…and he was right.

Caesar wanted to say something. Many things in fact. Like that humans were incredibly intelligent and they were likely the ones behind the attacks on ape villages. That it was impossible for the virus to make them all stupid. They had to know that.

Right?

Sensing his story had fallen on deaf ears, Noa shook his head.

"If Echo comes, she must ride."

This elicited a baritone chuckle from Raka.

"Are you showing compassion for our fellow traveler?"

Noa sniffed in denial of that notion. "She is slow. And she still…smells." He waved his hand in disgust.

"I can ride with Nova if necessary," Caesar volunteered. It was not purely out of selflessness.

"Very generous," Raka said with a smile. "But there is no need. I will ride with Nova. You two can…get to know each other."

Caesar nodded at Noa, a gesture meant to show he had enough trust in him to take the reins on the horse despite being the junior partner.

'Let me know if you need anything,' Noa signed to him, helping him up on the saddle.

He liked this young chimp more and more. But it was the human that interested Caesar the most. He watched Raka help her up on the saddle like an infant…just like Will used to do when going for a ride in the car.

Caesar vowed to keep a close eye.

"And then there is the Gibbon. Very, very long arms. Most unfortunate that the human can only use its feet…for walking. Imagine you were falling from a tree. You only have two appendages to save your life when you were able to use both of your hands and both of your feet…that's four times the safety. It is most curious!"

The foursome rode the length of a small path in a sparser area of the forest. Raka had been lecturing all morning, laughing at the marvel of human biology. But there was no mystery to Caesar. He'd seen firsthand the purpose of their bodies…fragile, hairless, with nothing to provide for protection against enemies. Weak at first glance.

But his time among them granted insight to their advantages. Humans may not be as strong as apes, but they were generally taller, and possessed considerable strength of their own. Their hands could construct vast buildings, operate machines, and throw objects with incredible speed. And though apes were faster across short distances, human endurance was unmatched among the animal kingdom.

In groups, they were almost unstoppable.

"...what a discovery. To find out the purpose of human…development."

It occurred to Caesar, that for all his wisdom, Raka knew almost nothing of the species he'd been talking about for the better part of two hours. He cared for them, but did not realize their true capability. Which raised another round of questions. Why did Raka not see? If humans were responsible for these atrocities, why did he fail to sense the danger? He treated humans like pets, slow witted creatures of a lesser status…as humans once did to apes.

A darker thought occurred.

How much time has passed?

He craned his neck, stealing a glance at Nova, two arms tucked around Raka's chest, helpless as a newborn. But those eyes were trained on him- intense…thoughtful- unpacking the ape in their sights. She was trying to figure him out as much as he was to her.

"I am sorry…for earlier."

Noa had spoken for the first time that morning. In contrast to Raka, the young chimp was not much of a talker.

"For what?"

"I was suspicious of you in a moment of need. I…thought you might be a mask."

"Understandable," Caesar said. "You had no reason to trust me."

"Proper respect must be shown to an elder."

An elder. The word stood out starkly in his mind. Apes thrived on hierarchies. Leadership stemmed from strength. But there had never been a title or term for his position as head of the clan.

Am I really that old? he thought wryly.

He sniffed the air and a cacophony of smells hit his nostrils. Wet vegetation, seasonal berries, a rodent or two, the human (their scent had always been unmistakable), but there was also something familiar…

Caesar looked down into the mud, still fresh from a recent rain. The tracks had faded but were discernible.

"The trail continues to the west," he remarked to Noa.

"Yes, I've…noticed. I am sure that they are heading…to the sea."

The young one was clever, he could see that. Skilled in the ways an ape needed to be for survival. Well groomed, intuitive…intuitive enough not to blindly trust the human with them. And yet he also thought little of Nova, treating her more as a pest than a pet as Raka did.

From the tracks on the ground, to the attitudes of his new companions, something wasn't adding up.

"Noa."

"Yes?"

"The masks are apes, aren't they?"

"Of course."

Caesar was taken aback at how blunt Noa sounded. As though it should be obvious.

"I thought the raiders might have been human."

"Echoes?" Noa gave a dismissive snort. "No, they are…nothing more than scavengers. They could not do something like this."

Yes, something definitely wasn't adding up. Humans were certainly capable of that kind of brutality. The virus might have robbed some of intelligence, but surely not this fast.

The horror creeped into his damaged chest. He clutched it, grieving at the implication. Apes were not perfect. He'd seen that firsthand. But kidnapping? Planned murder? Apes killing apes?

'Ape not kill ape.'

Then again, was it really so surprising?

'You are not ape.'

The flash struck him like lightning and he forgot his own breath at the sordid memory.

"Are you alright?"

Noa stretched around in concern.

"Yes, I'm fine."

The young chimp accepted this, leaving Caesar to process the heaviness of lingering in his heart. He did not say a word for a long while.

Within half an hour or so, the sun was high in the sky, blazing its eternal heat onto the occupants below. The group followed the trail as much as possible, which took several odd twists and turns through beaten paths which led to an open clearing. It was here, Raka stopped talking. The sight of a most peculiar animal rendered him as mute as Nova.

"What…is that?"

When the creature retreated downwards to the edge of a large creek, the group followed, entranced by its dazzling coat.

"Horses with…stripes," Raka commented as he and Noa stared in amazement. "Quite…striking."

"Zebras."

Noa and Raka shifted towards him in confusion.

"Zebra," Caesar repeated, making the sign for it. The one Will had taught him as a child. Judging by the blank expressions on their faces, that particular word wasn't in the ape vocabulary. The same could not be said for the human among them.

Nova stepped down from the horse and moved forward, her expression neutral but tingling with interest. Like she was staring at some mythical creature from years long past.

"She knows what they are," Caesar said aloud.

Raka countered with more skepticism. "Perhaps she's…in awe."

He wasn't inclined to accept the orangutan's opinion as fact.

"No…she sees. She knows. She thinks."

But the zebras were not in the apple of Nova's eye. The sound of cracking branches and rustling bushes filled the air. A human appeared at the opposite edge of the bank. Then another. Then many.

It was a depressing sight to behold. These people were nothing like Will, Malcolm, or even the colonel. They were dressed in rags, animal skins peeled off from carrion. Each one existed in a state of perpetual filth with unkempt, matted hair. Unlike Nova, their faces were truly vacant. Nothing more than mindless beasts living amongst other beasts.

"I…don't believe it," Raka said, his voice just above a whisper. "We feared the herds ceased to exist."

Before he could correct him and point out that humans did not travel in 'herds', Raka gestured for Nova to go down the steep embankment.

Noa sighed in relief. Caesar wasn't inclined to agree with that sentiment. His gaze never wavered from Nova, who stared at the feral humans with the same horrified dismay.

"You both should stay," Raka said, turning to his chimp friends. "There is…much I could teach you. And perhaps talk more with the one who shares the name of our Lawgiver."

The offer tore a divide in Caesar. Raka, though inaccurate about some things, held more information. Valuable information that could provide answers.

The images of Rocket, Maurice, and so many others pulled him in the other direction. He needed to locate them. Apologize for leaving…find out what happened…

"I…we…need to find our clans," Noa said, indicating both him and Caesar. "Nova stays…with her kind. You raise them up…follow Caesar's word."

Those last three words stirred something in Caesar. Something instinctual. Almost primal. He'd heard his name too many times without understanding why. He'd lived barely a day on this strange planet and the limits of his patience had been reached. But those instincts did not lead him towards Raka or Noa.

The more he watched Nova, the more he became convinced of her sapience. He hopped off the horse, hitting the ground with a 'thump' that was louder than intended. It startled Raka, who looked at him with broad confusion.

"Caesar?"

He slid down the muddy banks, joining Nova inside the stream below. Dipping his toes in the water, he sloshed towards her until a mere two feet separated them.

"Who are you?"

He used the same tone of voice when demanding a member of his clan be truthful. Caesar had never used it on a human, whether out of respect or unconscious submission to the species that raised him. But when Nova turned around, her mask fell. Hot tears of sorrow washed it away.

Ape and human stared at each other with powerful intensity before Raka rushed down to intervene.

"What are you doing? She cannot answer you."

Caesar begged to differ. His insistence to the contrary was interrupted by a loud horn sounding off in the distance. Every zebra went still. The feral humans went on high alert, turning their heads in the direction of the mysterious noise. But the mystery did not last long.

A band of apes, decorated in various furs and trinkets, armed with metal spears, approached on horseback. Some wore masks; most let their faces show. They were led by an enormous gorilla, who took a single sniff at the mix of creatures in front of him and let out an enormous roar.

The herds scattered.

Raka had been sorry to see Noa go. He would have made an excellent student. A leader in the making. Though young, there was much potential.

For Caesar, the reaction had been different. Raka could not make sense of this odd newcomer. He was quiet but walked strong. When he spoke it was soft, but with tremendous power. A great spirit of kindness, a grace, existed within him. And yet there was also anger, sorrow, and loss.

A true puzzle. A puzzle made more confusing by the fact that he shared the name of the Lawgiver. Which made his attitude towards Nova bewildering. A puzzle wrapped inside a puzzle. The human was no threat. A tricky animal to be sure and misunderstood by many of his kind, but certainly not something to fear.

Caesar referred to Nova as though she was an equal to ape. Like she could talk back. Imagine his shock when he asked her a question of who she was?! Inconceivable!

Then the masks came. The blasphemous thugs who dared to dirty the name of the Lawgiver. The same ones who wiped out his Tribe. How he despised them.

Unfortunately, thugs often wielded weapons. They rushed the human herd and whipped them into a frenzy, spraying water and panic. The poor creatures reacted predictably, scattering in all directions. The masks on horses pursued, capturing and dragging them ropes. Shocking them with spears!

Ignoring the pain at the loss of what could have been one of the last herds, Raka tried to do as much as possible to protect the humans but had to avoid being trampled by deadly hooves. Diving out of the way of the gorilla's horse (which he assumed was the leader) he frantically searched for his own human.

"NOVA!" he bellowed. "NOVA!"

Noa calmed his agitated horse, frightened of the stampede of echoes heading their way. It reared up, whinnying in fear.

"Whoa!"

With a snap of the reins he galloped off, following the direction of the humans, desperate to get away from their attackers. His eyes scanned for Nova. Whatever bitter feelings there may have been before, he didn't want her to get hurt.

Luckily, she was not hard to spot. Most of the humans wore little more than rags. Nova's clothing covered most of her body and she almost looked well groomed by comparison. He saw her bolt down the length of the creek when a net sprang into the air.

The vast majority of the herd became entangled. Humans were clumsy and not especially fast runners. She'd be captured for sure.

But as it turned out, Nova was full of surprises. She halted just before reaching the trap and dashed to the left, sprinting up the hill.

Noa made to follow before another thought came to the forefront amidst the pandemonium.

Where is Caesar?

The rush of horses and screeching of apes kicked Caesar's fight or flight into overdrive. He was prepared to do the latter. His whole life had been about fighting. Why stop now?

He screamed at the oncoming bandits. What could they take from him that fate had not already? Death was preferable. Let them come! Let him die properly this time!

A bellow rang out, followed by a second.

"NOVA! NOVA!"

That name snapped him out of his blood red rage. What he saw shook Caesar to his very core. These marauders had not come to attack other apes, but humans. A half a dozen were being sloshed through the mud by rope, another full dozen struggled to break free of a large net. Apes beat and wrestled them to the ground…like savage animals.

"Find the human!" the gorilla ordered his troops. "Find the human!"

He sprinted forward, weaving through horses, dashing through the shin-high water as fast as his legs and arms would move him. Opening razor sharp incisors, the net was slashed, splitting apart at the seams, allowing the trapped humans to escape.

"Go!" he shouted at them, pointing down the creek. "Go!"

Primitive as they might be, these shell-like humans were smart enough to understand that much. They did as told, but in doing so invoked the rage of attacking apes. One of them struck him in the face and began to rain down blows against his head. Caesar returned the fire, smashing a fist into the offending assailant's jaw.

"AGH!"

A jolting shock of an electric staff nearly brought him to his knees as it struck him in the right breast, where the wound had not quite healed. The masked ape on horseback brought back the lethal pike to strike again, but Caesar seized it with both hands, growling ferociously.

The tug of war ended in his favor, pulling the adversary to the ground. Two solid wallops finished the job. Caesar commandeered the horse and charged headlong into battle, ready to fight to the end.

She was trapped.

Clever as Mae might be, the accursed apes were also clever. And in a field of thick, wild grass, they had her cornered.

"I smell her," said one of the more vicious apes. He was a hulking, hairless brute and she identified him as the one who'd killed most of her search party.

Mae switched directions, crawling on hands and knees through the rough flora. Another ape stood in her way. Shit.

Another avenue was also cut off. The sound of knives cutting through greenery drew closer and closer…as did the failure of the mission…the failure of humanity.

Mae's heart was almost in her mouth when she heard someone call her 'name'. The false moniker given by that weird orangutan.

"Nova!"

But it wasn't the orangutan. Peeking through the strands, she saw a young ape on horseback. He circled around the field calling for her.

"Nova!"

A second ape appeared. The one that called himself 'Caesar', the one who'd somehow sussed out her intelligence. That would have to be dealt with at some point. But of far greater importance was surviving. Silence had gotten her this far…

She stood up and broke her silence.

"NOA!"

She wasn't going to make it.

The second Caesar saw Nova stand up and run towards Noa, he knew the big gorilla would get to her first. Even on horseback, neither he nor his companion would get there in time. One course of action remained.

He flicked the reins and galloped towards the gorilla, who was closing the gap fast. The big ape was liable to tear her apart.

Caesar pushed his horse harder, urging it forward as fast as possible…

…Nova continued to run as fast as her human legs would carry….

…Noa charged headlong into the fray…

…Caesar ignited the electric staff he'd stolen from the masks, its blue power crackling at the tip…

…the gorilla roared as he approached Nova at fifteen feet…

…Noa gave an encouraging shout…

…ten feet…

…Caesar aimed the staff towards the gorilla's head…

…five feet…

…Nova hopped on a fallen tree trunk and prepared to jump…

…zero…

The electro staff smashed into the side of the gorilla's neck a macro second before his paw could grasp Nova's shirt. Combined with the power of the horse, he went tumbling to the ground.

Such a victory did not last long. In seconds the giant ape was back on his feet and used his massive strength to topple the horse and Caesar along with it.

An act of supreme agility worthy of his younger years enabled him to dodge the gorilla's fists. Grabbing the pike, he spat out a wad of mud and struck out like a matador with a sword, inflicting great pain into the chest. Caesar dove under another and smashed the edge against the enemy's upper brow, producing a bleeding cut.

He struck a third time, but his attack was anticipated. The gorilla grabbed the staff and yanked it away. He made to grab his arms, but the chimp somersaulted through open legs and scrambled up a wide, hairy back, wrapping his bicep around his neck. A futile effort in service of buying time for Nova and Noa to escape.

Caesar hung on for dear life as the gorilla thrashed about, his hands tried to find their target. Eventually, they did and his act of bravery was rewarded by being slammed face first into the dirt, followed by a spinning trip through the air, which ended in the company of more dirt.

Coughing and trying to stand, a group of six apes surrounded him, knives and electro staffs primed and ready. The thumps of the gorilla meant that more violence was forthcoming. One of those humongous feet crushed against his back and flipped him over.

"Fool!" the big ape thundered. Blood dripped from the nasty gash above his right eye. "You dare challenge Caesar's legions?!"

There it was again. The use of his name as though it contained some kind of holy meaning. Caesar might have laughed at the irony were it not for suffering multiple blows to the body and head. Instead, he stared upwards, cold and unintimidated.

One thing that apes and humans shared in common was emotional giveaways- smiling, a bowed head, fidgeting, posture, the use of hands, and the eyes. The eyes told the story of every person he'd ever come across. Their intentions, strengths, weaknesses, right down to their core beliefs.

So when he looked into the eyes of the enemy, unblinking, scarred by a lifetime of hardships that this gorilla could scarcely imagine, the gorilla blinked first. He leaned back, perplexed by the lack of fear. The hesitation made all the difference.

"Charge!"

Reaction came too slow for the gorilla to put up a defense against the large branch Raka wielded as a club. With a loud clang, he was knocked out with one blow.

The rest of the ape warriors went into a frenzy, shrieking and hooting in outrage. But they were a step late. Caesar rolled to the side, punched one of the 'legions' and leapt to safety on the back of Raka's horse as it circled back around.

"Caesar…will…forgive," the orangutan said, intending to be funny.

I certainly do, Caesar noted with black humor of his own.

Alright. Chapter 2 is done, let me know what you guys think! Next chapter hopefully will be out next week.

~The Wasp