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Counter Earth Chronicles

*Chapter 114: Something Only You And I Know (Revival Part Five) *

Day 943 (morning)

"So exactly why are we taking another vacation pet?" My fierce ursine warrior said as she followed me to the rear of Castle Wundagore.

"Not a vacation mistress, a weekend get-a-away with friends." I countered.

"Yes Alex, but tell me why did I agree to this again?" My lady bear said as we arrived at a door leading to a back lot behind the castle.

"Because I think you needed a break from our counseling sessions with Lea and you were also tired of laying around the lair and feeling useless." I said as we walked through the door.

"What was in it for you pet?" My bear knight asked raising an eyebrow.

"The same thing... and I wanted to see the grand prize the trio won at the dance competition at the 1620 Club last year."

(OH MY!)

Lady Ursa and I were momentarily blinded by the glimmering light reflected off of Tauren, Sorren and Lurie's new ride.

"So what do ya think?" Sorren said grinning.

"Wooooooow!" I said staring at the red hover vehicle.

"You are... looking at... a Solstice Eclipse" Lurie said taking our bags.

I noted that the coyote was speaking english.

"Lurie?" I asked.

"She has been practicing english for our trip." Sorren said. "Tauren's former owners don't speak Animalian so it was in her best interest to learn."

"Good for you Lurie. That is going to make communicating with those that don't know Animalian a little easier." I said admiring the hover vehicle.

"What exactly am I looking at?" My warrior bear asked. "Is this a four door hatch back, utility vehicle or a odd looking sedan?"

"All of the above. It seats six, has spacious storage for those weekend get-a-ways, panoramic views and is completely solar powered." Tauren said.

"Nice color." Lady Ursa said.

"I think so too." The dragon added. "It is deep red, a shade darker than I."

The hover vehicle was really magnificent and futuristic looking. Lady Ursa, Sorren and myself decided to sit in the spacious rear seats which seemed more like they belonged on the bridge of a sky ship then a hover vehicle. Tauren sat in the front passenger seat and Lurie in the driver's seat.

I marveled at the vehicle's design the windshield extended from the front of the vehicle over its roof to the rear just short of the trunk giving all seated within a gorgeous panoramic view. I also liked how the doors of the vehicle opened vertically like seagull wings allowing easy access in and out.

"Everyone ready?" Lurie asked still practicing her english.

We nodded. This was going to be an experience! And so we departed Castle Wundagore on our weekend trip to World Four. Traffic was busy that Saturday morning as the citizens of World One were out and about running errands, shopping, touring museums and going about their activities with the hope of completing them before 7 PM.

As for myself, it was great to spend some time with dear, dear friends of mine. But with all road trips the inevitable happened:

*WUMP*

"Tauren! Sorren plopped his tail on me!" I complained to the co-pilot.

"UGH!" Lady Ursa face-palmed.

"What? It is too big to fit through the seat backing, I had to put it somewhere!" The goofy dragon countered.

"Hey don't make me turn this vehicle around children!" Lurie grumbled.

"Ok mom." The dragon countered.

With that all of us started laughing loudly. Good times with good friends. It had been a long long time.

"So exactly where in World Four are we headed?" I asked the minotaur.

"The Frost's Farm. It is located in the countryside south of the city." Tauren said to me.

"So this is where you have been going every year?" I asked him.

"Yes."

"Tauren has been taking care of Mr and Mrs Frost ever since they retired." Lurie said gently in Animalian.

"They don't have any other relatives?" My warrior bear asked. "What about their children?"

"They all died during the war." Tauren added. "With no one left to care for them, I decided the responsibility fell to me."

"Why?" I asked.

"Tauren worked for the Frosts for a long time." Sorren said to Lady Ursa and me.

"That was before I became a beastial." The bull added.

"Yes, I remember you told me, that you got very sick during a drought one year. They couldn't afford to take you to a healer." I said recalling the story he had told me.

"That was around the time the High Evolutionary came to power." Sorren said. "The farmer and his wife gave Tauren away to him in the hopes he could be treated."

"Not only did the master do that, he turned me into the beastial I am today. Tauren said. "From time to time, I returned to visit farmer Frost and his wife to let them know I was ok."

"You can imagine what their first meeting was like after he had be transformed." Sorren snickered. "I heard Mrs. Frost was err, um a little frosty, until she realized it was Tauren."

"Ahem, when the two retired, they elected to stay on their farm instead of move to the city." Lurie said. "As they started to get on in years, Tauren decided to make sure they and their farm were taken care of."

"That is quite honorable of you Tauren." Lady Ursa said.

"Take care of how?" I asked the bull.

"Tauren had servants running the day to day of their farm and waiting on the elderly couple hand and foot." The goofy dragon said.

"Those two were living in complete comfort- they had all of their needs taken care of until recently." Tauren said.

"What happened recently?" My fierce ursine warrior asked.

"With the current unrest taking place in the empire the staff quit." Tauren said staring out the front of the hover vehicle.

"Why?" My she bear asked.

"A number of things." Lurie said. "The staff Tauren hired decided that it was beneath them to work for humans and they could make higher salaries in the city."

I took that to mean that the Frost's servants were beastials.

"That and farmer Frost has become a bit of a curmudgeon in his old age." Sorren added. "Tauren has been trying to find permanent replacements to run the farm and care for the couple- but he hasn't had any luck."

"Not many beastials want to serve a humans." Tauren said. "Let a alone an elderly ones."

"What about human staffing?" I asked as my she beast looked on.

"No humans wants to take that drive into the country. Many are looking for employment in the cities." The bull said. "Close to where they live."

"So Tauren suggested we stay with them until we find a permanent solution." Lurie said. "There are temps working there now."

"So we will be running their farm and catering to their needs while we are there?" Lady Ursa asked.

"If it isn't too much trouble my lady." Tauren said.

"What type of items do they grow on their farm?" I asked.

"Apples and Pears." The minotaur responded.

Our trip that Saturday took us about ninety minutes to reach the outskirts of World Four.

"So what do you think squirt?" The coyote said.

"Shouldn't you be practicing your english love?" The dragon said.

Lurie just stuck her tongue out at the dragon.

"That is World Four?" I said looking at the city below us, it was another metropolis with buildings, skyscrapers of all shapes and designs, but there was something different about the city.

While World One and Two were futuristic looking, bright, happy looking cities, World Three looked worn and grey and World Five was a beautiful paradise by a large lake, the buildings of World Four were constructed of grey marble it made the city look dark and foreboding as if bad, bad things happened there.

"It looks very dark." I said.

"World Four is the troublesome problem child of the empire's five cities." Lady Ursa said. "It has the most amount of crime, the most amount of unrest and then there is the corruption."

"Remember this city was constructed over the remains of Plita the capital of the previous government." Lurie said to me. "There is a lot of history here."

(Yeah this was also where Corbin's family was killed touring the city's space museum.)

"Uh guys what is that structure to the south east, the tower in the center with the four spires around it?"

"That is Castle Sogreth." Lady Ursa said to me.

"It is a very unique looking design." I said to my companions.

By unique, I meant that it was down right ugly. Possibly uglier than castle Warwick in World Two. To the casual observer the site the castle was on, looked like some type of square shaped rocket launch pad. The castle was a dark grey marbled multilayered spire in the center. At each corner of the square lot was a much smaller spire four in all.

"The knights who work out of that castle have a very, very tough job as compared to their counterparts in the other cities of the empire." My she beast observed.

"We don't have to worry about that where we are going. The countryside is a little remote, a bit removed and quite quiet perfect to get away from the city and its problems." Lurie said as we proceeded south.

As we did the city started to disappear as fields and greenery replaced concrete. We eventually came upon a single level farmhouse surrounded by fields of apple trees, pear trees and one single road.

"Wow, it looks like the Frosts really are away from it all. Aren't they in violation of the statute settlement?" I asked my traveling companions.

"No this area is considered part of World Four." Tauren said. "Without the dark marble."

"I am surprised there aren't more houses out here." I said.

"I heard there are plans in the works to expand the city out this way, but the residents that live out here are very much against it; the want to keep the country the country and keep the city and its problems far away." Lurie said landing the hover vehicle in the driveway of ranch next to a white cleaning van.

"The humans out here have worked hard to be able to live here rather than be forced to live in the basement of the city." Tauren said.

Lady Ursa and I climbed out of the back of the vehicle and took in our surroundings. The Frosts lived in a large tan ranch house. Behind it was a small pond. Behind that were fields upon fields of apples and pear trees. They looked like they extended to the horizon. In the distance we could just make out some small forests.

"This was where you worked love?" Lurie said to her bull. "It is quite beautiful and serene."

"Don't let that fool you love, the work was hard and the hours were long." The minotaur said to his coyote.

"But was it rewarding?" The dragon asked his bull.

"Yes it was." Tauren responded. "Especially after a long day in the fields."

"Beautiful and picturesque." My warrior bear observed. I agreed.

"Perhaps you two should have visited the countryside instead of the Dark Forest!" The goofy dragon commented stepping out of the left side of the hover vehicle. He received icy stares from Lady Ursa and myself for his comment. "Um or maybe not."

Tauren and Lurie were next to leave the hover vehicle. As they closed their doors and started toward the ranch. The front door flew open and man in blue overalls came running out. He was followed by two women with cleaning supplies both ran by us, angrily loaded up the van and prepared to leave.

"Something wrong?" Tauren asked one of the women.

"That man is, is incorrigible! He is impossible." A short brunette said.

"We refuse to work for him a minute longer!" The short blond next to her said.

(Uh Oh!)

"Hey darling when are you going to give the misses and me our sponge baths?" A elderly man with a young looking face in a red shirt and white pants called out from the front door.

"Um let me think about- that never!" The short brunette yelled back.

"I know what you are trying to do here mister bull." The man said to Tauren climbing into the van. "But I wish you luck trying to find part time or full time replacements- for them!"

"Well how about a nice back rub then?" An elderly woman in a brown shirt, yellow pants and a red scarf around her neck asked.

"NO!!!" The cleaning staff screamed driving off.

"Was it something I said? No matter I think the real replacements are here." The man said walking out the front door.

"How do you know dear?" The woman asked.

"They are beastials." The man said.

"No Gabe, that is Tauren."

"It is Tauren and a menagerie? Hey bull, I thought you said you were bringing your family to visit?"

"I did." Tauren said.

"Where?" The retired farmer asked.

"Right here." Tauren responded.

"Didn't you say that you had settled down with a heifer- what was her name Lurie? And you had a calf, um Sorren?" Farmer Frost asked.

"Gabe um, a no. Lurie is my girlfriend." The bull said introducing the coyote to the elderly farmer.

"What? I thought she was your wife?" The farmer said.

"Not yet." Tauren said blushing.

"What about your calf Sorren?" Gabe said asking the bull.

"Gabe, Sorren is my boyfriend." The bull said introducing the dragon.

"Hi ya! Nice to meet ya!" The red dragon said hugging the elderly farmer.

"I see." Farmer Frost said. "He looks dangerous."

"Do I now?" Sorren asked. "Hugging him again.

"Wow, quite progressive Tauren dear." The farmer's wife said as she walked out to hug the minotaur.

"Um nice to meet you to Sorren." Gabe said.

"And who do we have here?" The elderly female asked inspecting myself and my bear knight.

"Lady Ursa Mrs. Frost."

"Alex Winter ma'am nice to meet the couple that out favorite bull worked for."

"They are neighbors of ours." Tauren said. "Everyone this is Gabrielle and Gabriel Frost." Tauren said concluding the introductions.

"Aw shoot, I was hoping that you three were the permanent staff!" Gabe said disappointed. "I haven't had a massage in days and the house is a mess!"

"Nope you will have to settle for Tauren and friends." The dragon smiled gleefully.

"Is he always like this?" The retired farmer asked.

"Ya... pretty... much...." Lurie said reverting back to english.

"English not your first language?" The old man said questioning the female coyote.

"Lurie only speaks Animalian and coyote. But she has started studying english in preparation for our visit Gabe. Can I call you Gabe?" The dragon asked.

"You five just going to stand there or come in?" The elderly farmer asked annoyed.

"What Gabe is saying Tauren, is that he is glad to see you- all of you so am I." The woman said hugging the minotaur again.

"I am still working on finding help Gabrielle." Tauren said returning the hug.

"You were always such a good bull." Mrs. Frost said.

"In the short-term we will fill in for the help around here." Tauren said.

"Really you five?" Gabe asked.

"We are going be your stand in servants until replacement staff came be found." Sorren said.

"Well, why didn't you say so dragon?" The farmer said heading inside.

For an octogenarian, Gabriel Frost moved around quite well. It was then I realized that he was wearing some type of exoskeleton on his legs. It was barely noticeable, but allowed him to move without a mobile device. It must have been this world's version of a walker or cane.

"So all of you work for the High Evolutionary?" Gabrielle asked inviting us inside.

"Yes.... ma'am...." Lurie responded in measured sentences.

"You will have to forgive Lurie um..." Sorren said.

"Call me Gabby dear."

"You will have to forgive our Lurie." The dragon said. "The rest of us are trilingual."

"Good for you dear, that will open up some doors for you." Mrs. Frost said. "So all of you work at the castle in World One?"

"Yes ma'am." I said adding my voice to the conversation. "Sorren is a cook in the cafeteria. Lurie is a maintenance engineer and Lady Ursa is a knight."

"Oh my." The elderly female said. "What about you?"

"Well, I err, um...." I started to say

*House pet* The dragon coughed.

The four of us looked at the goofy dragon.

"Sorry I think Sorren might be coming down with something." I replied.

"Don't think so; it is late summer." He said to me.

"Regardless, thank you for coming. Gabe and I are retired and need help keeping up with the work around here." Gabrielle said.

Mrs. Frost showed Lurie, Sorren, my mistress and myself around their ranch while Tauren and Mr. Frost caught up in the family room. I secretly suspected that the minotaur was asking why the temporary staff had fled from the property.

The farmhouse was quite lovely despite being unkempt. It had three bedrooms- a master and two guest rooms, three bathrooms, kitchen and a family room overlooking the pond and orchards behind the ranch.

"Quite a lot of dust." My she beast said as we walked the carpeted hallways. The walls were filled with pictures of the couple's family and friends and their two sons.

"What is in this room?" I asked peeking my head inside.

(Wow.)

There were pictures and pictures and pictures of the couple's two sons.

"Alex." Lady Ursa said placing her paw on my shoulder.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to intrude." I said.

"That is Gaven and Garrett's room." The woman said sorrowfully. "They were both killed near the end of the war. We kept this room like this in their memory."

"Looks... like... good job..." Lurie said trying to find the words in english.

Everyone knew what she meant.

"Thank you for coming dears it has gotten harder to manage this place lately especially since the servants left." The elderly woman said.

"We... happy... offer... help." The lady coyote said in broken english.

"Excellent." Gabrielle said with a devious smile. "Now how can we divide the responsibilities?"

The farmer's wife took a good look at Lady Ursa, Sorren, Lurie and myself.

"Madam knight is very strong as is Tauren, Sorren knows his way around food, Lurie is a tinkerer and technology specialist and you Alex are a...." Mrs. Frost said thinking out loud.

*House pet* Sorren coughed again as I gave him another dirty look.

"I know! Sorren you can prepare the meals. Lurie be a dear and check the yard and the exterior of the house it is quite old and you two..." The woman said looking at us.

"Security." Lady Ursa said simply. "I am good at security."

"Well thanks dear- but we really don't have any thieves...."

"We are good at cleaning though." I said preventing an awkward pause.

My she bear just gave me a look that read why did I agree to this?

So the five of us became the stand in servants for the Frosts. Tauren stood in as the couple's man servant. Lurie cleaned up the couple's yard. Sorren prepared dinner and Lady Ursa and I cleaned the couple's house top to bottom. With what we learned in the outpost from the forgotten it didn't take long.

It was around five in the evening when we sat down to dinner in the kitchen.

"So Gabe, Gabby what do you think?" The goofy dragon said presenting his latest creation.

"It looks... interesting Sorren." The retired farmer said. "Um what is it?"

"Fish and chips sir with a tossed side salad." The dragon said humbly. "But for Tauren just salad."

"Sorren is a really good cook Mr. Frost." I said as we took our seats around the table.

I sat next to my warrior bear. Next to her was Tauren, then Luire, then Sorren. The Frosts sat between myself and Sorren.

"Among other things." The bull said to the dragon.

"I... second... that." The 'yote girl said.

Sorren just grinned widely.

"Gabe and Gabby how long have you lived here?" Lady Ursa asked we settled down to eat.

"About sixty years madam knight." Mrs. Frost responded.

"We married in our twenties...." Gabe started to say.

"So that sixty years was during the war." I said checking the math.

"Why here? Why the country?" My she beast asked.

"Back at the time a lot of the fighting was taking place in Plita the capital of the old government. I didn't want any part of it having seen friends and relatives die during the war." The retired farmer said.

"So you settled in the country trying to get away from all that?" My she beast asked.

"We managed to stay away from all the chaos, but life was very hard- there was no real government, no real industry we literally were living off of the land." Mrs. Frost said.

"Have you ever been to the Remembrance Museum in World One?" Farmer Frost asked.

My lady bear nodded.

"They have a great exhibit that will give you an idea of what life was like around that time; very miserable and very tough."

"We held off starting a family until ten years after we married. But it didn't matter as the war claimed both our boys just before it drew to a close." Mrs. Frost said.

"So when did you get wonder bull here?" Sorren asked.

"We acquired Tauren near the end of the war. Some friends owed me for some services I provided. They couldn't pay me in currency so they gave me one of their cow's calves."

"You should have seen Tauren he was so cute!" Gabrielle said recollecting the story.

"And such a hard worker!" Gabriel said. "We used him to plow our fields for many seasons."

"The work was very hard." Tauren said.

"You never complained about it though." Farmer Frost said complimenting the minotaur.

"I think that was because we took good care of him." Mrs. Frost said.

"As... he... is... you." Lurie added.

"That was until a severe drought hit the area destroying all of the crops." Gabby and I lost our livelihood and savings; we couldn't afford to feed our work animals."

"We ended up selling most of them. Tauren got really sick from malnourishment. We couldn't afford a healer." Mrs. Frost said.

"That was around the time the High Evolutionary came into power, he approached my family who couldn't afford to treat my illness so I was instead given to him. He nursed me back to health and ultimately evolved me into what I am today."

"He has been quite the stabilizing force for this world despite what some would have you believe." Mrs. Frost said.

"Now there are idiots who want the planet to revert back to the way it was previously when there was chaos." Mr. Frost said. "I trust you knights are doing your best to prevent that from happening."

"Day in and day out Mr. Frost." Lady Ursa said. "Especially now."

Sorren started to blurt something out loud, but I was quicker, I grabbed the dragon by his snout before he could contradict my mistress.

"Not a word you, not even one!" I whispered.

"Gabby and Gabe why don't we have you retire to the living room for the evening?" The bull asked.

"Not so fast, Gabby and I haven't received our evening massage."

"Massage?" Lurie asked.

"So you know that word do you coyote?" The retired farmer asked.

Sorren's and Tauren's 'yote girl nodded.

"Madam bear do you think you could use those claws of yours on something else besides the empire's enemies?" Gabe asked.

"I suppose Mr. Frost." My she beast said staring down at him.

"Good I would like that."

Lurie temporarily remade the Frost's bedroom into a massage parlor. Tauren and my mistress carried the elderly couple into their room, had them disrobe and lie on their beds.

"Is there any particular area you would like me to focus on Mr. Frost?" My bear said staring at the minotaur with a look that read- I am going to get you for this.

"You can start at the neck and work your way down- at the way down and don't forget the cheeks." Gabe snickered.

"Same goes for you too Tauren." Gabby said.

The bull and the bear looked at the bodies of their 'clients' as they started their task.

"And don't forget the happy ending!" Sorren snarked.

"SORREN!!!" The bull, coyote and bear shouted at him.

(Wow, even my mistress got in on that one.)

"I think what our resident chef means is that he needs some help cleaning up in the kitchen. Isn't that right Lurie?"

The 'yote girl remained transfixed at the scene. It looked like something out of the Aurora Spa in World One.

"Lurie?" I asked grabbing the 'yote girl by her paw.

"Ah... yes... Alex."

"This is such an old house." I said to the coyote and dragon while breaking down the kitchen table.

"It has seen governments... rise and fall during... time..." Lurie said.

"So have its owners." The dragon added. "They seem like such a nice couple."

"Yeah whom no one wants to work for." I added. "I think I now know why."

"Hopefully... Tauren, will... fix that." Lurie added.

"Hopefully." The dragon said. "But if he doesn't- how do you feel about picking apples and pears for a while?"

It was a little after 7 PM, the start of curfew when Tauren and my mistress carried the elderly couple to their family room letting them stretch out on their sofa.

"How did it go?" I asked my bear knight.

"I have seen some things I can't unsee." My mistress said to me disturbed.

"Madam bear?" Gabe asked. "Foot rub?"

"Would you like a foot rub too Gabby?" Tauren asked.

"That would be divine Tauren." Mrs. Frost said.

"You two, boy and coyote. How about something to drink?" Mr. Frost said.

"What would you prefer?" I asked.

Mr. Frost looked at his wife.

"Raspberry Ice Tea." The couple said in unison.

"Right... away..." The 'yote girl said as I followed her into the kitchen."

"Dragon! Is there anything good on the hub tonight?" Mr Frost asked while petting the bear who was massaging his feet.

"Let's find out." Sorren said as he started scrolling through the virtual menus.

"Stop, that one looks good." The farmer said.

As Lurie and I returned from the kitchen we found the couple had decided to watch a wildlife documentary filmed by human biologists and their photographer/assistant:

It was a cold and raining December morning as my partner Theresa Branch, myself and our assistant Oliver Justice, loaded the equipment into our truck. The moment was neigh, the empire had finally granted us permission to continue our population study of the grey wolf near the far west plains.

As our hover vehicle flew over the dry grassland, it didn't take us long to find some 'candidates' for our study. Theresa flew us in close while I fired two tranquilizer darts into two of the ten pack members. It didn't take them long to succumb. Our targets were already immobilized by the time their pack members ran away.

As Theresa landed our truck, Oliver and I ran over to inspect our quarry. Our first subject was a handsome black male, maybe three years old with a small scar over his right eye. Our second subject was a young female light grey with a reddish brown head.

Quickly we with withdrew blood from the male's right leg, took a small tissue sample from the right ear for cellular analysis, a urine sample, a fecal sample and then some measurements of our subject's paws, body length, teeth and then weight.

We then did the same to the female. She weighed 120 pounds. Theresa decided to also take the female's temperature inserting a rectal thermometer into her backside. Sure it was a little crude in this day and age, but its accuracy can't be denied.

It turned out our female's body temperature was a little low so we wrapped her up in some blankets and placed her into the back of the truck to warm up while we finished our work.

As we finished collecting our data, we injected our subjects with tracking chips to better find them when it was time to for a re-evaluation. Before leaving though I couldn't help but document the moment for posterity. I kneeled on the ground cradling the dark male. I noticed that his black fur was highlighted with grizzled and silvery tips. His tongue hung out limp. For the moment he was groggy and helpless, but also magnificent. Theresa commented on how fierce his eyes looked as we wondered what the empire would do with the data they obtained from our study. Maybe create more beastials?

As the documentary neared its end, Lady Ursa stopped massaging Mr. Frost's feet and abruptly left the room- quickly.

"Madam bear something wrong?" Gabby asked.

"Looks like something is." Gabe said.

"I think I know." I said to the Frosts. "That program reminded my companion of something she and I experienced not so long ago."

"I see, what you're saying is some of you animal types are sensitive to that sort of thing." The retired farmer said.

"I will go and talk to her." I said.

"Gabby, Gabe perhaps there is something a little more entertaining on?" Sorren said smiling.

"Take the bear's place and we will think about it." Came the response from the old man.

I tracked Lady Ursa to the spare bedroom of the ranch house. "Mistress are you alright?" I asked hugging her.

"That program reminded me of a lot of horrible things Lea had me recall during our sessions." My fierce ursine warrior said disturbed.

"Need a minute?"

"I will be fine pet. Let's just avoid any further wildlife documentaries for now."

We returned to the family room to where we found the Frosts, Sorren, Lurie and Tauren watching a news program about the state of the empire:

The curfew remains in effect and shows no signs of being lifted especially after the damage to our studios recently. A young female foosa reported. The continued unrest is still a plague on all the empire with many quietly expressing doubts that the High Evolutionary does not have complete control anymore. For instance the knight core has opened up an investigation about the alien abduction phenomenon in which beastials have reported that visitors not from this world have been abducting inhabitants for unknown, perhaps sinister purposes. Some even allege that the empire is fully aware of what is going on, but is powerless to stop it...

"That is exactly right." Gabriel Frost said. "The empire can't do anything about it, so they act like it doesn't exist."

"That is quite the allegation Mr. Frost." My she beast said as we sat down on some chairs next to the couple.

"It is more then an allegation madam knight." Gabby Frost said pointing to the window above the view screen. "You see those lights in the distance?"

"Wow." Lurie said.

"L-look at all of them." Tauren said.

"It is probably just a caravan of hover vehicles traveling some where." Sorren said.

"After the curfew?!" I said staring at Lady Ursa.

As I did I noticed her face was frozen with fear.

"Mistress are you ok?"

"L-lights in the sky!" She managed to blurt out.

There were quite a lot of them slowly moving from north east to south west in clusters. Some were groupings in patterns of three, four and five lights.

"That happens from time to time around here." Mrs. Frost stated.

"Yeah, look at the pretty colors!" Sorren said

"They are too big to belong to hover vehicles." Tauren observed.

"Yeah we used to see them a couple times of year- like they are traveling to some place to congregate." Gabe said as three particularly larger white lights moved slowly over the house and into distance. "But within the last year it has been quite more frequent."

"Have... reported... it?" Lurie asked trying to assemble a sentence in english.

"What is the knight core going to do?" Gabe said as we continued to watch the strange lights. "You have seen the videos on the hub. Citizens have been talking about this stuff for years and no one has really done anything about it."

"Still they are very pretty to look at." Gabrielle said as one of the lights in a cluster of three we were watching suddenly went dim.

The other two lights flickered wildly before literally dropping out of the sky. We watched as they fell to Counter Earth shaking the ground and the ranch house with their impact.

The nine of us were transfixed by what we had just witnessed.

"I think one of them just had an accident." The retired farmer declared.

To Be Continued....