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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire Chapter 24: Challenges, Complications And Dangers

Day: 32 (7:00 AM The Infirmary)

I leapt from the table and hugged the rhino warrior.

"Nice to see you too Alex." He responded.

His knight uniform had been replaced by a long furred winter coat and boots. I hugged and hugged him with all my might.

"That is enough little human." He said tapping me on my shoulders.

"No it's not commander. After all this hopelessness, death and despair it is so nice to see a friendly face."

"Are you sure son? I could just be a emissary for the entity. Surprise! No more pain and suffering just the pure bliss of forced servitude."

I looked at the smirk on his face. That was the jolly warrior I remembered.

"Don't even joke about that. If you were Shakara would be an Other right now."

"Not that I would mind being touched by him." The dark tan lioness drooled. "Look at that complexion, those tree trunk thighs, arms and those huge biceps, that flat stomach, the beautiful glistening horn, those adorable ears, that tight butt and cute tail coming out of it! Grrr...."

"Down girl! Down!" I said pushing her away from him.

"Shakara Kubari." The commander said turning his head. "Why does that name sound so familiar? I know! You worked for the The Madam!"

"I will be downstairs. I need to do um, something right now!" The lion lady said running out of the infirmary.

"Interesting character." He said to me as I hugged him again. "Say should we get a room?"

"As far as I know sir you are the only surviving commander of the knight core." I said glumly.

"Lord Tiger? Commander Gator? Sir Wolf? Lady Keiko?"

"No sir. The first two are dead and the last two are MIA. I hope and pray they survived but it has been a month now- they should have surfaced somewhere. Say what time is it?"

"About 7 AM February 2nd." The rhino warrior said.

"It has been a month since the change." I said.

"And you all seem to be thriving." He said to me.

"If you can call it that- we have been living underground here in this ancient city."

"Professor Stern gave me a tour while you were incapacitated it is quite impressive! She told me that she stumbled upon it sometime ago and was working here the morning of the fall. It was the prefect hiding place until recently. By the way sorry about the whack- I think I hit you too hard."

"Don't worry about it. I was about to do something that I would have totally have regretted." I said tearing up.

"All of you were under the influence of the intruder, I had to act."

"Commander what was that thing?"

The former leader of the knights of Sovereign escorted me to a room down the hall where he had wrapped up the body of the monster that had attacked us.

I stared at it as he opened up the covers. The thing was about ten feet tall, beige in color with a white face, long arms and slit like eyes. It looked like the creature that I had seen in Capital Stadium. That one was black in color and could make one could see false illusions. It could quite possibly have been a relative.

"This creature was developed by Komison Industries. It like many others escaped its handlers during the fall." The Rhino warrior said to me.

"Why did I feel such rage?"

"It has the ability to draw out the worst in its victims; negative emotions that we suppress and otherwise bury."

"Commander, I was going to kill Corey and Rumble friends of mine!"

"Everyone is fine son. After the monster was slain all those in your group came back to their senses. The two humans have some bumps and bruises but are otherwise ok. The lioness and mongoose have some bite marks but they are fine as well."

"Lady Ursa and Rumble?"

"The were-monster and your master have some significant injuries that will take time to heal. But they are also ok. Shakara has been looking after them." Commander Rhinox said to me.

"That is good news. I have to apologize for my behavior. I was not myself."

"Actually there were a lot of apologies being thrown about yesterday evening." The rhino warrior said while covering up the monster corpse. "So I understand you, Shakara and Corbin were returning from a dire mission?"

"Supply run commander."

"Sounds like it was quite eventful." He said to me.

"Understatement of the week sir. It was quite eye opening."

"In what way?"

"Based on what I and my companions saw- the empire is gone; there is not enough left to rebuild." I said wistfully. "This period we find ourselves in is the new normal- hiding from forces that wish to pick us off."

"Regrettably I have come to that decision as well." The commander of the knights of Sovereign admitted.

"Where's Lady Barq?" I started to say.

"I don't know. She and some of my forces survived the cataclysm initially. We tried hard to restore order but, like you say were picked off one by one until it was just Lady Barq and myself. We have been hunting monsters like the one that attacked your community. But there are just too many and too few of us to make any difference."

"Wow."

"We were separated when we entered Capital Stadium. I have been looking for her ever since."

"Commander that place is a death trap; a den for those things! My mistress and I barely escaped from there with our lives!"

"She is out there somewhere. Something more son?"

"Yeah, after you stunned me, I heard another voice with you who was that?" I said to him as he lead me back into the hallway.

"Someone I found during my wanderings- Russell!"

In walked a familiar grey and white miniature horse.

"And so we meet again Alex."

"You seem well." I said greeting him.

"I am alive for some reason when I shouldn't be." He said glumly.

"I found him wandering the forest, helpless, lonely, cold and hungry." Rhinox said to me.

"Some weeks ago the Intendant was planning to sacrifice me to the monsters of the forest, I was tied to a tree in front of the compound but mysteriously my ropes were cut and I was able to escape."

"That was because of me." I admitted.

"You were right commander. It was not happenstance!" The miniature horse said.

"When I encountered you that day, I was planning on raiding the compound. However, I was talked out of it and decided to save you instead." I said to him.

"Well thank you. It is quite possible that you saved my life."

"You're welcome." I said to him. "I am surprised that you aren't filled with rage about how you were treated by the Intendant and his thugs."

"I was, but there comes a time when you just have to let it go Mr. Winter. Life is too short and so am I."

"Hmm, interesting you were a resident of the Grand Kingdom much longer than I was. Part of me still wants to settle accounts with the Intendant." I said thinking out loud.

"Good morning commander, Alex, Russell." A blond woman said catching us in the hallway.

"Professor!"

"If you are feeling up to it, everyone is assembled downstairs for our meeting." Dawn said to me. "Commander, Mr. Ferguson you are welcome to attend as well."

"I would be delighted my dear." The rhino warrior responded.

"Will there be food?" The miniature horse responded.

"We just returned from a supply run- I think we can find something for you." I smiled.

Russell, the commander and I headed downstairs to Dawn's office where everyone had assembled for the big debriefing.

"Corey and Rumble." I said walking to over to the snarky teen his werewolf. "Wow that is a nice shiner." I said noticing his right eye.

"Yeah the professor has a nice left hook. Shakara says my black eye should heal in a day or so. Rumble's injuries should heal even sooner."

"They look like they are healing now." I commented.

The were-creature had received several slashes and gashes from my mistress on his chest, shoulders and legs when they were fighting each other. The injuries were there but you really had to look to see them.

"Actually I think he has some type of special healing ability." Corey said. "He needs to give that to the rest of us."

"...can't..." Rumble, grumbled.

"By the way you two. I wanted to apologize."

"For what?" The snarky teen asked.

"I nearly killed both of you while under the influence of that thing that breached the city. If not for the commander." I said apologetically.

"We would be crispy critters." Corey said jumping in. "That thing made us do somethings we would rather forget. Rumble and myself included. It is best if we move past that."

I then hugged the both of them.

"...forgiven..." Rumble said to me while looking uncomfortable from my hug.

"Now what did you guys see on your mission?" Mr. Collins asked.

"...doom and gloom...?"

"That and more Rumble." I said getting up and moving over to Lady Ursa.

"Mistress!"

"Feeling better pet?" She asked me.

"Yes." I said looking back and forth between her and Rumble. My warrior bear's injuries were more noticeable. To the casual observer, it looks like the third strongest knight in the empire had lost to the escaped lab creature.

Shakara had patched her wounds up as best she could given our current lack of technology but the lines, marks and missing fur were still there.

"I missed you like crazy." I said hugging her- carefully. "Shakara too."

"She might have mentioned that while she was patching me up." My perfect person said.

"Thank you everyone for coming." Dawn said beginning the meeting. "And a special welcome and thank you to commander Rhinox and Russell without their intervention we would been annihilated."

"About that, how did that thing find the city, let alone gain entrance?" Lady Ursa asked.

"When we left on our mission the entrance to the south maze was closed. I made sure of it." I said adding my voice to the conversation.

"Russell and I examined that this morning." The rhino warrior said. "The trap door was opened from the outside. It looks like the creature knew right where to look."

That admission received an audible gasp from Corey and Corbin.

Lady Ursa and Commander Rhinox took notice. "Mr. Mongoose, Mr. Collins something you want to tell us?"

Corbin and Corey looked at each other and walked to the center of the room their heads held down in shame.

"It was our fault." Corbin said.

"In what way?" Dawn asked.

"It happened while we were digging out the entrance to the south maze after the snow storm." Corey admitted.

"We were watching the stars from the entrance and some creatures happening by in the distance observed us." Corbin said.

"We watched them, watching us before quickly closing the entrance and going back inside." Mr. Collins said embarrassed.

"And you two did not think to report that to anyone?" My lady bear said alarmed.

"That oversight placed all of us in danger." Professor Stern said well, sternly.

"SORRY." The boys said in unison.

"Rumble you were with them right?" Shakara said turning to the were-creature.

"...it was a bad idea..." The were-creature admitted.

"What is done is done." The rhino warrior said.

"What is even more interesting is if our invader wasn't a member of that group that saw the three of you- then some how word got to it about our location." I said thinking.

"Which means they can communicate amongst themselves and each other." Dawn concluded.

"How many of them know of our location?" My warrior bear asked.

"Disturbing question." My lion lady concluded.

"With no answer." I added.

"The answer is for you all to increase the defenses around here." The rhino warrior said.

"Well with you here sir our community now has three warriors. Two from the former empire and another from the sciences." I suggested.

"Who is in charge here exactly?" Commander Rhinox asked.

"Um, well you see, we have several positions that need to be filled. That is one of them." Professor Stern said. "I guess Lady Ursa and I are. We work together to make decisions for us all."

"And your occupation by training is?" Russell asked.

"I am an archaeologist." My sister's doppelgänger responded.

"Lady Ursa is responsible for defense. Shakara and Alex are medical." The miniature horse said. "What are they responsible for?" He said pointing to the werewolf, mongoose and black haired teen.

"Everything else." The black haired teen volunteered.

"Wow, this group is small. Not to overstate the obvious but you do know the rest of you are living with a monster?" The grey and white pony said.

The room fell silent as a dark shadow loomed over the four foot tall horse. Russell was suddenly picked up by a huge paw. He averted his gaze as he came face to face with a wolf snout.

"...I am family..." The werewolf rumbled.

"He is also our friend and protector." The little mongoose boy added.

"Right now our group of seven would benefit in becoming a group of nine." Shakara said.

"Well I would be delighted." The rhino warrior stated. "Russell?"

"Yeah, it will do for now." The pony said.

"Now in terms of defending the city, I would strongly recommend that we have at least two warriors on site at all times."

"We have also used the prototype to augment our defenses as well commander." I added.

"But with you away, that component wasn't readily available leaving all of you vulnerable." The rhino said.

"It would be to our benefit to have more defenders." Corey suggested.

"Commander, I suggest that you, Rumble and I meet and form a plan to protect this city." Lady Ursa said.

"Agreed." The commander said.

"Good let me know what you three end up on deciding. This place, our home is all we have against the chaos out there." The professor said. "On a similar note, Lady Ursa and I were talking about our healing staff while they were away." Dawn said looking at me.

"In what way?" I asked.

"Your recent mission left us without a healer for the last five days." The professor said.

"What she is trying to say is that going forward, we need to have a healer or medic on site at all times." Corey said.

"Looks like we won't be going on any away missions together little cutie." My lioness concluded.

"After our last outing I have no problem being a home body permanently." I added.

"Same for me too." The dark tan lioness said. "It is extremely dangerous out there."

"Now were are getting to the good part!" Corey exclaimed. "What did you see while you were away?"

At that point Shakara, Corbin and I made our way toward the center of the group to describe what we had seen in the outside world. Russell and commander Rhinox took interest too.

"Well we visited four of The Madam's hideouts. The one in World Five was inaccessible due to snow and ice. The one in World Four was guarded by a monster." Shakara started.

"What type of monster?" Corey asked.

"I don't know it was black and oily." I responded. "It was living in the remains of castle Sogreth and a museum near by."

"It defended both from Others." Corbin said stepping up. "And it also liked to eat the living."

There was a gasp from everyone there as Corbin described in detail what the creature looked like.

"It ate a knight that we encountered in the museum." Shakara said. "That is the only reason we were allowed to escape, its belly became full."

"Something like that." I said looking at my devious person.

"What state was World Four in?" Professor Stern asked.

"It was destroyed- by Counter Earthquakes." Corbin said.

"No!" Russell exclaimed. "Nothing survived?"

"A night club that I had been to once before. The Others were using it to congregate there." I added.

"We decided to raid their food supplies after being chased from the museum." Corbin added.

"Alex that was rather foolish." The rhino warrior said.

"True, but it yielded great intel." I said trying to place the best spin on it. "We discovered that a waitress at the club had been rejected by the entity and was luring survivors there to be recruited hoping to become one with ONE again."

"That was a reoccurring theme we would see again and again." Corbin said to everyone there. "Those who were deemed imperfect by the entity trying desperately to get reselected again."

"Anyway, after escaping from the Seven/Seven club we went to check up on the Frosts who were living in the countryside." I said picking up the story.

"How are they doing pet?" Lady Ursa asked me.

"Unknown mistress. Their house was occupied by the possessed who knew what we had done at the club inside the city."

"So Others can communicate over distances." The rhino warrior said. "How interesting."

"I also realized that they don't eat- the food we took from the club was spoiled." I added.

"So you had nothing to show for your efforts?" Corey said.

"That's right we ended up camping out in the countryside that evening while on our way to The Madam's third hideout." I said.

"That night we saw a triangular sky-ship fly over us slowly drifting off to the east." Corbin said. "I wonder if that was the one that had Dianna Wild?"

"It probably was adorably cute." The lion lady said to the mongoose.

"Wait what is going on?" My bear asked.

"We discovered that the KLIS have stepped up their activities mistress."

"When we went to the next hideout, a shack in the Aard Woods we discovered that it was occupied." Shakara said picking up our story.

"Dianna Wild and her children had fled World One and were living there and had gone through most of the supplies." I said.

"The morning we arrived we met with Corey, Lolly and Mia. Dianna had gone into the forest several nights prior." The little mongoose said.

"We decided amongst ourselves to look for her." Shakara said. "We headed east to World Two."

"What did you find there?" The rhino warrior asked.

"Extreme danger sir. The city had been all but destroyed by tornadic weather. With the exception of one block." I said.

"What remained was over run by monsters, Others, Cults and gangs. One in particular The Horde, were a gang of Rejects who were abducting survivors and sacrificing them to Others to in order to get in good with the entity." The little mongoose said picking up the story.

"Where were the knights in all of this?" Russell asked.

"Powerless to do anything about it. They had been decimated and were being picked off one by one. Suffice to say we were separated from each other due to the Rejects and barely got out of there alive." I said picking up the story.

"And there was also Sura." Corbin added.

"The singer?" Lady Ursa asked.

"Yes she had been captured by The Horde and instead of giving her to the possessed, she was being passed around amongst the gang." I said.

"We tried to find her, but we couldn't." Corbin said.

"She is still out there somewhere." I added as the three of us received mixed stares from the rhino, bear, horse and were-creature.

"After Corbin rescued Alex, and myself we reconnected with the Corey and Mia only to discover that Dianna had returned mysteriously." Shakara said.

"It turned out that she had been abducted along with one of The Horde six days prior and had been aboard their ship being studied by a single KLIS scientist."

"Only one?" Lady Ursa asked.

"Just that one scientist my lady." The lioness said to the bear.

"That is quite odd according our intel they work together in groups." The rhino warrior commented.

"This one according to Dianna was working independently of the other KLIS. She also had helpers Ember, Cinder and Triceraton." I said as my mistress gasped. "Yeah they survived and now are working for the KLIS."

"Dianna was returned to her family when they were done with her." The dark tan lioness said. "We spent a good part of the morning pulling the story from her blocked memory only to tell her that at some point they would return to take her again."

"And make her have foals." Corbin added.

"That is very bleak." Dawn said.

"Yeah so are the amount of enemies out there- the Intendant, Others, monsters, Rejects and now aliens?!" Russell said hiding behind Rumble.

"That is about right." Corbin said.

"It wasn't all bad." Shakara said. "We were able to find what we needed at The Madams last hideout near World One, enough supplies to get us through the winter and a little afterwards if need be."

"So after all that you were able to complete the mission." Corey said.

"...good job..." The were-creature rumbled.

"It gets better everyone." The little mongoose said. "While leaving we found signs, literal signs that survivors may have left World One made their way westward."

"Signs?" Corey asked.

"Literal signs." I said.

"That is a ballsy move- they would be advertising to their enemies their location as well which wouldn't be a good thing." Corey added.

"But they are out there some where." Dawn said.

"We need to seek them out." Lady Ursa said.

"I think the most important thing right now is us; we need to secure our home." Dawn said. "Once that is done we can start branching out growing our own food when spring comes."

"How long do you think it will be until the empire reestablishes order?" Russell asked. "I can't wait to go home."

The grey and white horse received blank stares from everyone in Dawn's office. Even Rumble.

"...little horse is home..." The were-creature said setting him down.

"Russell dear it's not going to happen." Dawn said gently.

"But, the Intendant said that he was going to rekindle the light to civilization." The horse said.

"The Intendant is a crazy megalomaniac whose vision was to establish a new order where humanity dominated beastials. It would be the reverse of the previous society." Corey said. "I have no desire to live in a world like that."

"Russell the empire is gone and not coming back; I don't think there is anything to rebuild." I said to the miniature horse. "There is so much destruction and ruin everywhere and those that survived the cataclysm can't begin to restore or maintain order or even bury the dead because they are being picked off."

"So until all the dangers have been eliminated this is the new normal, my reality." He concluded looking at all of us.

We all nodded.

"You are welcome to stay with us if you like Russell." The professor said. "We are a close knit group. No one is better here than another."

"You won't be persecuted because of what you had or did not have in the before the fall." Corey said.

"We are all in this together." Corbin said. "Our survival is dependent on working together to keep each other safe and to thrive."

"...we are family..." Rumble said to the little horse.

"I see." The horse said.

"Meeting adjourned everyone." The professor said. "We will reconvene tomorrow at breakfast."

"So what happens now?" The grey and white horse asked.

"We help you get settled in." Shakara said taking Russell by the arm and leading him away. "There is a fine selection of houses available."

"Commander you should come along too." My warrior bear said. "You and Russell should decide together."

"Why is that my dear?"

"No one is allowed to live by themselves. It is a safety and security thing." I said to the rhino warrior.

"So Russell and I will be roomies?"

"Yup, yup." Corbin said chiming in. "You two seem to get along."

So the rest of the morning Shakara and Lady Ursa showed the two newest members of our community our homes and the ones available in the underground city. The commander decided to take the home on the other side of Dawn and Corbin's house. The one Rumble and my mistress had fought in.

That evening....

"This is nice." I said lying next to my perfect person. My bear wrapped her right arm around me and pulled me into her.

"It definitely is." My devious person said lying down on my bear's opposite side.

Lady Ursa was momentarily unnerved but relented wrapping her left arm around the dark tan lioness pulling her in as well."

"I have missed you my pet and you two Shakara." My warrior bear said. "It has been a difficult without you."

"How are you feeling?" Shakara asked. "Are you having any cravings you know for a certain entity that wants to dominate the populace?"

"Yes, but it seems to be lessening." Lady Ursa admitted.

"As long as it is not to the level that we saw with the other Rejects." I said.

"Not any more Alex... I think." My bear knight said somewhat reassuringly.

"As long as she continues her treatment regimen she should be fine." The dark tan lioness said making goo-goo eyes at me. "I should be as well."

"Um, yeah. How did your meeting with the commander go this evening mistress?" I said changing the subject.

"He believes that the security needs to be increased to that end he suggested that at least four warriors be dedicated to protecting the city." Lady Ursa said.

"There is you, Rumble and the commander." Shakara said you are one short.

"We will have to find a fourth." My bear knight said.

"But mistress of the remaining candidates- Shakara, Corey, Corbin, Dawn, Russell and myself- none of us are warriors."

"Someone will have to fill in. He also is anxious to continue searching for Lady Barq."

(Man, I know that feeling.)

"If he finds her that would be great for all of us." I said.

"How so little cutie?" My lioness asked.

"Then we would have the three strongest warriors from the former empire protecting us."

"Yes and I would feel very safe after that." The lioness said cuddling up to the bear.

"You know I would too." I said.

"We can leave that for tomorrow." Lady Ursa said to me.

"Yes, someone has duties to perform." Shakara said. A mischievous smile forming.

"Agreed, unlike you Shakara- I have not had a fresh dose of my Essence of Winter in a long, long, time." My fierce ursine warrior said. Her smile also widening.

I got to my knees and crawled between my perfect person and my devious person and hugged the both of them. Indeed it was great to be back home.

Alex Winter February 2nd, YOE 34.