16 Chapter 16

-UNEDITED-

When Ember woke that morning with Atherton in his puppy form in the corner, sleeping on a pillow he had dragged from her many pillows on her bed. She sighed quietly to herself and brought her knees to chest as she sat up, her knotted and messy hair falling in front her eyes. Ember pushed her hair behind her ear as she lowered her head down onto her knees as she kept silent. She thought about the night before and felt her tears welling up in her eyes as she thought to the Queen choosing her.

She couldn't understand her emtoions, it was as if someone took over them without any mercy to her. She was so angry and sad, but she was also relieved that the girls hadn't been chosen and then she thought back to the girl, Astarte. She smiled softly to herself as she thought back to the dirty blonde she had helped. It made her feel better, knowing that people were willing to fight back against the Queen and had actual plans to stop her, or at least plans in progress. But it hurt to know that she would have to wait until they decided that she wasn't a threat or a wolf in sheep clothing. Ember closed her eyes as she fell over and huffed.

She wondered how Astarte did. Did she make it to where ever she was heading, did she get the information she was looking for? Or was she hunted down by wolf-like humans and captured. The idea of Astarte being captured made her shudder. If Astarte had been captured, it was probably more then likely her fault. Ember relaxed and let her legs become loose instead of being held in that postion. Ember sat up and got out of the bed, ignoring the burning cold that flooded her from the feet up as she stepped onto the floor. She walked her way to the bathroom where her tattered dress and its fabric still layed. She spat onto the dress with distaste as she grabbed her brush and proceeded to brush out her hair.

Ember hummed a small tune as she did so, brushing out the knots softly but quickly as she prepared herself to walk down to breakfast. She looked out into her room from the bathroom as her eyes landed on the blaconly where she saw a shadow land in front of it. She smirked silently to herself as she set down her brush and walked over to the window it up and found herself eye to eye to Astarte who pushed her way past her.

"We have a problem." Astarte said.

"What is it? Did you find something?" Ember asked.

"Yeah, its not going to be pretty. The fish people are going to be wiped out. Its difficult to prepare our bass for them as they need pools of fresh water to survive, not to mention the journey to the base would be dangerous, we would only be able to bring the children and not the adults as they would bring too much attention to themselves." Astarte said.

"Okay... I don't see the problem."

"The problem is that this is happening in two days, the day you're supposed to shown off the public for the first time, paraded around like some kind of trophy to distract from the full on genocide they are going to be doing to the fish-people." Astarte explained.

"Oh god." Ember said, putting hands over her mouth in pure shock, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am, its written in the files." Astarte said, "Its not going to be the clean kind of genocide they normally do, they are going to be using them against the other country, the country you are going to be fighting. They are going to push them onto the front lines, with nothing but practically tools to fight with and whoever survives the next battle will move onto the next and the next until they rid this world of them. Even the children will be raised for the slaughter, like farm animals." Astarte muttered, pacing back and forth. "Its not good."

"No, I thought it was going to be a walk in the park, of course its not good!" Ember sarcasitcally said.

"I don't need sarcasm right now." Astarte said, rolling her brown eyes, "We have no idea what they are going to do after they finish off the fish-people. I doubt they'd go for the Nekos, not while your still alive, they might go for the Qualions or deer-people but I doubt they'd be able to track them down. They live in the highly dense forest of Sufion, maybe the Derfions. But they wouldn't be able to make it that far into the desert to capture and force them in slavery." Astarte said.

"Look, you're over thinking things, just relax woman." Ember said. "Right now, you have to focus on the problem at hand, saving the fish-people." Ember put a hand on her shoulder, "Just, focus on the problem at hand." Ember gave a big smile and Astarte sighed, her shoulders dropping.

"Yeah, focus on the problem at hand." Astarte repeated, "But how are we going to save them in time?" Astarte asked.

"Why are you asking me? Go ask the higher ups." Ember said.

"I'm not asking them because they are a 3 day travel by foot, which I have to do to not draw attention to myself." Astarte huffed, "So I'm asking you, the only person in a 16 mile radius that I know of thats in with the resistance." Astarte explained.

"Okay, okay. Well, just get out as many children as you can with as much fresh water was you can, put them in fish bowl if you have to." Ember said, "Do what it takes to save the species."

Astarte nodded, "Honestly, you could become a higher up if they allow you in to begin with." She laughed.

"I'm kind of done with all of these leadership roles for now, I'm kind of fighting against fate the moment." Ember sighed.

"Hey, don't get down about it. It means you have an unique advantage."

"Which is? Cause all I can see if the fact my life has been decided for me and no possiblity to fix it." Ember said.

"You have control over what you do, she can't control your thoughts, you can. Play along with the idea of being the puppet of the Queen, wear the dresses, be paraded around, but know that you are working with the resistance to stop things like this from ever happening again." Astarte grinned.

"Okay, I guess you have a valid point, but I'm just supposed to sit still and smile?" Ember asked, "Thats so boring."

"But so useful." Astarte pointed, "Letting the Queen think she's won is what we need to strike while her guard down. She thinks she's impossible to hit and its our goal to make sure she understands how mortal she really is."

Ember smirked, "Now, that I can get behind. Now shoo and go save the people." Ember said, pushing Astarte towards the window to get to her to leave.

"Alright, alright, I'll leave, no need to be so pushy about it." Astarte said with a laugh and hopped out and took off towards the Marshes as Ember watched the sun rise over the mountains, casting light into the dimly lit room.

Ember turned around when she heard a loud cough come from behind her. She looked at Atherton as he looked at her, "So were you ever planning on telling me that you're working with the resistance." He asked.

"I-" Ember began but Atherton quickly cut her off.

"You what? Weren't going to tell me ever? I mess up once and suddenly you can't trust me with anything, I spilled my life story to you." Atherton said.

"You messed big once, there have been at least two dozen times you've messed up a little bit since I've found out about your little secret." Ember hissed.

"Oh, so its like that now? You can't trust me because I point out your little problems." Atherton laughed.

"Problems? I'm the one that has problems? Like you don't have your fair share, such as not caring how other people think or how they'll react. You just think you can get away with anything. If I've said it once, I've said a million times, you are extremely narasstic." Ember said, pointing into his chest.

"Are you serious right now? I do not have that! You think the world revoles around you just because you got into a prophecy, if I have it, then you have it worse." Atherton accused.

"I think the world revolves around me?" Ember whispered to herself, suddenly feel inseacure but pushed it away, "I didn't want it, I never asked for it, while you literally murdered a goat to get attention! You don't understand the pain I'm going through! I was kidnapped from my home, being paraded around like some kind of object. While you would practically bathe in the attention you'd get, I want to run and hide!" Ember yelled.

"This is what I hate about you! You think you know everything about everyone when you couldn't be more wrong." Atherton huffed, "I really wouldn't bathe in it." He snapped.

"Oh really? Why didn't you just go to an ophranage or something, do something other then take advantage of love from people for their dogs. You just took advantage of people and you think you're justified because 'Ooooh, poor me, I got kicked out of my tribe for something that was my fault.'" Ember snapped, "But I can't feel the slightest bit of anger or hatred towards my situation, I can't come up with ways to try and stop this from happening to myself while keeping Pele and Hestia alive!" Ember exasperatedly said.

"Thats- that is not what I do!" Atherton said, defending himself.

"You make valid points about me, but at least I'm trying to fix them, you are just pretending like you don't have them or pushing them onto other people because you don't want to grow up you over grown toddler. Well guess what? You're what? 15, grow up and get a pair of balls.

Ember snapped and walked out, "I'm going to eat, we'll continue this discussion at a later time, but when I come back, I want you out on the balaoncy and away from me." Ember muttered and slammed the door, stomping as she walked to the dining hall with complete anger.