Chapter 27

-EDITED-

Ember let out a sigh of relief before standing up, preparing herself to get dressed before she realized that she never took off her uniform. Ember sighed to herself as she walked out of the tent before it pulled in her. She felt her throat seize up, and she spun around, ready to scratch the person who dared to grab her.

As she came to view to the person who grabbed her wrist and came face to face to Atherton who gave a meek smile, "Sorry if I scared you. I'm worried about you." He said.

Embers flashed to last night and would have happened. She felt the same fear rise to her chest, but she shook her head with a small smile. "I'm fine, Atherton. It's just hard to change to this new lifestyle." She said and walked out.

She hoped that he bought it; she didn't want to talk about what would have happened to her if the bell hadn't rung. If he hadn't called her in before dinner, Ember shuddered at the thought. She stood up straight, reaching up to her full 5'2 height. She would never get over that the normal height for a female Neko was 5'7. She didn't like that she was shorter than the average Néko. It made her seem like an easy target, knowing that an intimidating species has a runt in it.

Other Nekos would never call Ember a runt, it was to be expected with being a rare breed of a human and a Néko. Everyone explained away her short stature with that her father's side had short females. It was only the humans that often made fun of her shortness. She had learned to accept that many humans were not as kind as Chris, Damian, and her father.

Ember walked into the eating area and grabbed her rations and walked up to Damian, "I'll trade you the meat for all of my vegetables, fruit and my bread." Ember said and sat down.

"Why don't you want-" Damian began to ask before he looked at Ember pointing to her ears and he nodded, "Sure, I'll trade ya." He said, passing her his tray as she loaded her food onto it and grabbed his piece of meat. She looked at the two pieces of meat with extreme hunger. She wasn't able to eat dinner last night, and she was starved.

She shoved the pieces of meat into her mouth and swallowed them after chewing. She grabbed her milk and gulped it down. She heard a bell ring out throughout the eating area and turned to see at the entrance the General. She froze and felt her breakfast rise her throat as she looked at the man.

"Hello soldiers, I am here to remind you that after you eat breakfast, all of you stinky idiots will get to bathe in the lake." He shouted and walked out. Ember swayed lightly and gripped onto the table that supported her as she fought against another panic attack. She breathed heavily but deeply, keeping the panic attack at bay before it disappeared with the General.

Ember stood up and looked at Damian who had a worried look on his face. "Don't worry about me. I will go bathe in the lake." She smiled and walked out. With plenty of other males following her. She made a sharp turn to avoid the males knowing where she went. She hid inside a little alleyway and watched as the males pass by. She kept silent, even though none of them could get in because of how skinny the alleyway was. Ember squeezed out of her hiding spot. She made her way to her tent and grabbed her shampoo and conditioner and walked her way to the lake that she knew wouldn't have anyone.

Ember undressed and walked into the cool water. She felt the wind flow through her hair as she shuddered lightly from the wind nipping at her bare, wet skin. Ember stretched and dunked herself under the water before coming quickly up to put the shampoo in her wet hair. She was glad that these lakes had no fish. She scrubbed the shampoo into her hair, desperately trying to get out all the dirt and grime and anything on her body. She felt very dirty and not just from the training she had done yesterday. There were plenty of reasons for her to want to scrub her skin red. One, maybe seeing a bright red Néko would denture the males in this base that wanted a piece of her. Second, she really didn't like dirt or sleeping on it, so she really wants it off of her body.

Ember closed her eyes as she floated in the water. She took in deep breaths and took in the silence she had taken for granted in her home. The purity of it all, knowing there was so war she would have to fight, that Atherton was Rosco, the open fields. Even though this place had its fair share of open fields, she didn't feel free. She didn't feel the joy and calmness of these fields. Ember began to swim back to shore and looked around her towel before she remembered that it was still in her tent. Ember growled and grabbed her clothing; she shook herself off and put on her clothing. Making her way back to the base, she found Damian looking at her weirdly.

"What? Do I have dirt on my face?" Ember asked.

"No, it's that your hair is down." He laughed.

"Huh, I guess it is. I'll put it up later." Ember shrugged. Ember felt a pair of hands feel up her ears and hair that definitely hers. Ember turned around to see a black-haired male sharply remove his hands from on top of her head.

"What were you just doing?" Ember snapped.

"Oh, I was just..." He began.

"Finish your stupid excuse before I knock out your teeth," Ember growled.

"It just looked fluffy." He muttered.

"Fluffy? It looked fluffy so you just decided that it was okay to touch me? To touch a stranger, let alone a Neko's ears." Ember growled and glared up at the man. He knew he had done wrong, it was obvious by his face. But Ember didn't care for apologies, she was done with people thinking she was just something to touch.

"I didn't know you don't like your fur touched."

"Not only was that least self-aware thing I've heard in a long time." Ember growled, "It might even top it."

"I'm sorry." He growled.

"Apology not accepted. Is it okay for you to touch humans' hair without their consent?" Ember asked.

"No." He said.

"Then what makes you think it was okay for you to touch me?" Ember growled.

"Because of your a Neko." He said. Ember hissed and tackled him to the ground and raised her fist, ready to punch the man before she was suddenly pulled off of him. Ember screamed and began to try to scratch at the person who dared to pick her up.

"Miss Fulton. That will be enough." A familiar disgusting voice came from behind her. Ember froze up as she realized who was holding her.

"Let me go! Don't touch me, you evil man!" Ember yelled.

"Now miss, do not jump to such rash conclusions." He warned.

"Let me go! Don't let him take me!" Ember cried out but everyone ran over to tend to the shaken up man. The general pulled her away from the crowd and towards his office and Ember felt her heart rise into her throat as she screamed for help.