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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 115: The Least Of His Sins

Day 287 [October 22nd] 2:06 PM (Main Street World Seven)

"My subjects I give to you, your Colony Council!" King Dragon said, presenting Masha, Haem, Shira and Song to the crowd that assembled that afternoon in front of the central tower.

The pitbull, sabertooth tiger, chakat and monster nervously waved at their fellow colonists who were present for the announcement that sunny afternoon.

"These four will be your representatives and will bring all concerns right to me. They will also assist me in making colony decisions going forward." The goofy dragon announced.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Shira asked the crowd. Immediately a hand went up.

"Yes, Mr. Justice." The dragon said pointing to the redhead in the crowd.

"Your majesty, you said that this new council was going to be a small microcosm of the colony?"

"I did." Sorren said, giving the wildlife researcher his attention.

"I don't mean to make any waves but, I noticed that there are three beastials and a monster but not a single human to be found anywhere." Oliver said nervously. "Sorry Haem."

The octopus monster just waved his arms and smiled. Well, I think it was a smile.

"That is a great observation Mr. Justice you have just been volunteered. From this point forward you will be representing your friends, your family and your acquaintances; everything you do, everything you say, everything you think and everything you feel will be studied, digested!"

(Wow.)

"Analyzed."

(Wow.)

"And reanalyzed."

(Wow.)

"Down to the slightest, littlest detail." King Dragon said as all eyes in the crowd locked on to the red headed human.

"Welcome aboard." Song said cheerfully.

*faint*

"Wow, he passed out." Shira said.

"Was it something I said?" The goofy dragon asked innocently.

"Next question!" Ms. M shouted.

"So are we actually safe from ONE?" A bushbuck asked.

The female pitbull was the first to answer. "Yes. ONE has not made it to this world as far as we can tell."

"YET." The beastial in the crowd said pessimistically.

"It is entirely possible that it is still coming to this section of the universe." The chakat said, thinking out loud. "However, it may not arrive in our lifetimes or those of our descendants or their descendants."

"But there is still a possibility." The deer said as all eyes looked his way.

(Now that was a disturbing thought indeed.)

"Anymore questions?" Haem signed. The octopus monster then pointed to Dianna Wild.

"I have been marked by the KLIS, will they find me here?"

"I have too." Nikka said.

"It really depends on their tracking technology." Shira replied. "Can they find their targets on the other side of the universe? If they can then those beastials that they have been studying will continue being studied regardless of how many precautions we take."

"But for now we are safe from the crazy that plagued our former planet." King Dragon announced. "The task at paw is to rebuild our lives and make this city our home."

As the goofy dragon made that proclamation another building collapsed at the far edge of the city.

*CRASH*

"I guess we will have to deal with that at some point." Masha said.

I remember the weeks after Sorren's rise were very hectic as the goofy dragon had a lot on his plate- shore up the food and water supply to make sure that there was enough for the city's inhabitants. Organize some type of education system for the younglings, rebuild the knight core, rebuild the city (it was a fixer upper) and most of all reassure his subjects- beastial, human and monster, that the worst was behind them.

Lady Ursa, Lady Barq, Commander Rhinox and Commander Sanda had to train the new members of the core as well as figure out the security of the city. This would keep them very busy for the next few months. It was a great benefit that we didn't have any immediate or dire threats from the ONE, TWO, the monster king or the KLIS.

Ms. Una became the de facto teacher for children of the colony as well as the psychologist. After teaching during the day she would hold group therapy sessions for those still dealing with trauma from the last nine months. On top of all that the female naga was also looking after Yogi and Angi raising them as if they were her own.

At the infirmary Shakara and myself received additional staffing Lily Blossom- who was the nomadic colony's original healer, Penny Penguin our new boss, and Nezera from Kala's vigilantes. While I welcomed the additional help, it was a little awkward in medical. Just after I met Penny, I wrecked her emergency vehicle while on a mission with the knights way back in World One. She had not forgotten that.

If that wasn't awkward then there was Nezera the vampire bat, who we were training for the night shift. She had tried to eat Shakara the first time they met. Very, very awkward.

As for the Chado after they handed the keys to their former city to Sorren, they relocated to the wilderness. I guess they wanted to be at one with nature or something. Manderine was selected to stay behind as a bridge between our peoples; a sort of cultural exchange if you will. They wanted us to reciprocate as well.

Day 290 October 25th

"Gahri so you have the guard duty this evening?" I asked the crocodile.

The beastial nodded and yawned. Judging by his reaction he must have had a very tiring day. "The king is expecting you." He said opening the door.

I walked into Sorren's apartment at the top of the central tower- it was really nice! A great-room, dinning, study with excellent views of the entire city from all sides of the tower. However, it was rather vacant when I entered.

(Where is he?)

I ended up roaming room to room searching for my friend. It turned out this place was nicer than the townhome he shared with Tauren and Lurie in Castle Wundagore. Anyway, I found him in a darkened bedroom looking out his window with a binocular type of device.

"Nice, very, very, very nice!!!" The goofy dragon drooled.

"Sorren you asked for me? Hey, why is the room dark?"

"Um, no reason." He said innocently.

"My liege?" I asked as he tried to focus on me but his attention steered back toward the window.

"Um, yes Alex. Welcome."

"Something wrong?"

"What do you see?" The dragon asked handing his binoculars to me.

"A she feline on her back getting pounded by a he canine who is also being pounded by another he canine!! Oh my giddy!!"

The three were on the roof of one of the homes in the city. They thought that would give them some privacy from some prying eyes. For the most part it did. Mostly.

"Looks like my subjects have decided to obey my edict." Sorren said. "Fascinating to watch isn't it?"

"The female has a nice set of tatas that rivals my bear's and the second male's ass- is long and narrow... are those dimples? Looks like the female just came, now the male inside her and now the male inside him!"

"I can't take my eyes off of it either. Reminds me of the times I had with Tauren and Lurie." Sorren said reminiscing.

"It means that your subjects are feeling safe and secure, so safe and secure that they can screw on the roof terraces of their homes. Oh, you meant something more."

"Yes, I know those two made their choice little buddy. But I still miss them dearly."

(I do too, big buddy.)

"Anyway I was speaking with Penny this afternoon and we have a mission for you."

"A mission for me?" I gulped.

"I do." King Dragon said escorting me into the great-room.

Day 291 October 26th

*screech* *screech*

"Well you are a little bigger than most Chado your size Celestine. But it doesn't mean you are not healthy." I replied as I recorded the results of his physical into a file. "Exam is over, send in the next patient."

"...Thank you..."

"Isn't their village enchanting?" I said to an annoyed akita who was looking out the window of the hut we were in. "Although, I still am not sure why they gave up their city for all this, perhaps they desired a simpler life?"

"Why am I here boy?" Midnight Black asked.

"Because Arthur and Minka thought you needed to get out of the city and stretch your legs. I also needed someone to pilot Attack Beast for me- if I am driving on the ground it is no problem but roads are hard to come by out here so we had to fly."

Midnight Black glared at me before....

*WHOSH*

He was standing behind me with one of his blades to my neck.

I don't know what was more disturbing, the fact that he did it or the fact that I didn't even sense it.

"Now tell me the real reason medic." He said stoically.

"I would like to be your friend?"

The blade count on my neck increased.

"To see if you can be reintegrated into society and become a productive citizen Mr. Black." I said as he removed his blades. "I know you were a mercenary, assassin and otherwise villain back on Counter Earth..."

"My blades did not touch those who did not deserve it." The akita protested as the next Chado entered the hut.

My next patient had to be the youngest one yet small- black complexion with an hourglass torso, red eyes and long arms.

"Why hello there! I am Alex Winter, a medic. I am conducting physical exams for our medical facility in World Seven."

"...Babala..." The youngster nodded and started staring at Midnight Black.

"You see we're going to establish health files on all here in your village so if you ever get sick we will have a baseline of what you were like when you were healthy."

The little Chado continued to stare intently at the akita assassin.

"What is it child?!" He asked impatiently.

"...Your entire existence has been one of pain, suffering and much misery..."

"That is profound. Um, I have what I need, little one thanks." I said sending him on his way.

The little guy started for the door before stopping and turning around to look directly at the akita.

"...You must change your ways or the afterlife will be even worse for you..."

(Wow, from the mouth of youngsters.)

"So is that why you are who you are Mr. Black?"

(A mercenary, assassin and killer?)

The canine growled at me as there was a commotion from the center of the village.

I ran outside of the hut we were in.

The villagers had congregated and were 'screeching' amongst themselves while in the distance I saw some dots in the orange sky flying away from us.

"What is going on?"

"...Cave needles..." Babala shouted.

"What are cave needles?" Midnight Black asked.

"...Stinging insects they live in a hive in the forest..." Celestine screached.

"Where are Arthur and Minka?" The canine asked, scanning the village.

"Taken." Manderine shouted.

"How?" The black akita asked.

"...Insects swooped in took what they wanted and left..." Manderine said. "...This is the second time in as many days..."

"WHERE?" I shouted.

The Chado in the village pointed to the forest.

"Lead the way." I ran back into the hut, grabbed my medkit and my grappling hook. When I ran back out, I found the assassin in Attack Beast.

"Medic we need to leave NOW!"

"You care about Arthur and Minka?" I asked candidly as I sat down in the passenger seat.

"Those two like myself have been on their own; the monkey has grown rather fond of me." He said fiddling with the controls.

"Next you're going to tell me that they have been staying with you." I countered.

"Come on you blasted thing power on!" He grumbled.

"They have, haven't they?"

Midnight Black drove the utility vehicle to where Manderine was waiting.

"Get in!" He ordered.

"...Not necessary..."

Manderine kneeled and then pounced on a very large bird with a ten foot wingspan. Together the two took to the sky.

"Looks like he has his own ride."

We followed Manderine and his steed for a few miles south arriving at a large hole in the ground. It looked like a tear in the surface of the planet.

"...Here is nest..."

"The nest is underground?! Damn, we should have gone back to the city for help but there wasn't enough time." I said stepping out.

(I could really use the probe right now.)

"We are going to take back what is ours by any means necessary." The assassin proclaimed.

"Against a whole nest? Good luck with that Black. I think some diplomacy is in order."

"Are you mad boy?"

"Listen, all the creatures we have met on this world so far have been friendly and kind. Perhaps I can establish a dialog; at the very least find out why they are raiding the Chado's village."

The canine glared at me.

"Midnight Black not every conflict should be solved by violence."

"This is your attempt to reform me isn't it? Boy, not every conflict can be solved peacefully either."

"I am going to try." I announced.

Manderine looked at me with those red eyes of his.

"Very well medic and when you fail I will do it my way." The akita threatened as I climbed into the hole to try to talk to the cave needles.

I don't know what I was thinking, perhaps I was being overly optimistic- new world, new opportunity to start over. A chance to make friends and not enemies I guess. Besides the insects can't be that bad right?

Just below the surface were caverns illuminated by what looked like crystals, it saved me from using any additional lighting sources. The complex looked like what was at the end of the north maze in the Lost City. Carefully I marked the ground to keep track of the direction I was traveling.

I hadn't walked too far when I heard a buzzing noise and something black and yellow darted by. And then another in the opposite direction.

(Was that a walking wasp?!)

Yup the cave needles as the Chado referred to them were large wasps that walked upright. They looked weird, purple eyes, head forward arms at the side, but what was equally bizarre was that the abdomen and the stinger attached to it were pointed straight forward.

The creatures moved very quickly- I felt like a turtle trying to cross a busy street. In doing so I failed to see the forest from the trees. I was being swarmed. Before I knew it, I had been surrounded There had to have been at least twenty of them.

"Uh, hi. Take me to your leader?"

One turned to another and then another as if they were conducting a conversation.

*BUZZ* *BUZZ* *BUZZ* *BUZZ*

Then they moved in. I tried to fight them off with my grappling hook, after the first half dozen stings it was hopeless. I fired the hook at the ceiling of the cave. As I retracted the cable my attackers hopped on joining me for the ride.

"AUGH!!!"

Some time later...

"Mr. Alex is that you?" I heard Minka say.

"Yeah. Is Arthur with you?"

"Present." The hedgehog boy responded.

"What is this place?"

"Are you sealed in an octagonal structure with a small mucous looking sack right next to you?"

"Affirmative." I replied to the former Ghost Hunters.

"Then you don't want to know." The monkey girl replied.

"Humor me."

"As far as I can tell we are in their nursery. We were taken to feed their young." Arthur replied.

"We should be ok until their eggs hatch and the pupa want to eat." Minka added.

"CRAP!!!" I shouted. "OW, that hurt."

"So did they kidnap you?" The hedgehog boy asked.

"Not exactly. I tried to negotiate for your release."

"Yeah and how is that working out for you Mr. Alex?" The monkey girl teased.

"They looked at me funny, swarmed and stung me." I reluctantly admitted.

"Well if we don't get out of here..." The hedgehog replied.

"Working on it."

I used my medkit to heal my injuries and then my grappling hook to free myself from the cell. I then did the same for Arthur and Minka.

As the two emerged from their makeshift prisons we took a good look around at the 'nursery'. The wasps had been doing this for some time. There were remains from several of the planet's inhabitants here.

"We need to be going." Arthur said, returning me back to reality.

"Does anyone know the way out?" Minka asked.

We quietly tried to navigate the hive- hiding everytime a cave needle or several ran by. Arthur concluded that we should head in the direction they were coming from. But the underground complex was vast. As you guessed it. Our luck ran out and we were cornered.

"This is going to get ugly really quick." I announced as I aimed my hook at a particularly large approaching wasp who didn't look quite like the others. "I think if we work together we can take it down quickly."

"That will never ever happen in a million years." The cave needle said.

(That voice seemed familiar.)

"Indignant tone and self righteous attitude... Mr. Black?" Arthur asked cautiously.

"My akita?" Minka gasped.

"Yes." He replied.

"You gutted a cave needle and are wearing its corpse as a sort of costume?" The hedgehog boy said.

"Yes." The disguised canid responded.

It was kind of like Angi and her fursuit only he was wearing living matter, former living matter.

"Black that is ingenious." I said dumbfounded.

"My akita has a very particular set of skills." Minka announced proudly.

"We should be leaving. That is unless you would like to try to reason with these things again boy."

"No." I replied.

"This does sort of remind me of when we got stranded in the realm of fire and magma." Arthur concluded.

"You can tell me the story later." Midnight Black said.

We followed the mercenary/human hater/serial killer back to the surface where Manderine had been waiting and pacing.

Upon our arrival the monkey girl hugged the black akita.

"Black." I said quietly.

"What is it medic?" He asked, turning around to face me.

"I was wrong back there... there are times when negotiation is not possible. Thank you."

"Yeah if you weren't here, I don't know what we would have done." Arthur said, shaking his paw."

"So you do admit there are times...."

"When you need to slice and dice and be killie, killie." The monkey girl concluded holding his gooey paw. Um, you are dirty. Can I watch you bathe?"

"Fine." The black akita said.

After what we had been through we all were going to need one.

Manderine and I watched as the hedgehog and monkey followed the canid back to the black utility vehicle.

"But the question is in between those times can one such as him become a model citizen?" I said to our Chado host.

Manderine shrugged his shoulders as we followed.

"By the way I know you guys just moved out here to get back to nature and all, but do you know that you have some rather nasty neighbors?" I said as I proceeded to follow him.

When Arthur, Minka, Midnight Black and I arrived back at the Chado village, the four of us took much needed baths. The akita even let Minka scrub his back. It was an amazing thing to see. Not only had the monkey girl grown fond of the assassin, I think deep down he had grown fond of her and Arthur.

Despite nearly becoming wasp food, my mission to our allies' village was a success and I added their medical files to the infirmary.

Day 327 December 10th

*scribble* *scribble*

And that was what happened my first three months on this world. My journal is now up to date. Yes!!

"Whoa! I didn't know anyone was still in here. Am I interrupting you?" I asked a familiar adolescent who was sitting in the back of the classroom working on something.

"Hi... Alex is it?"

I nodded.

"Yes you were the medic who treated my group from the rash outbreak some months back."

"That and among other things. Angi is it? I am not disturbing you am I?"

"No, I was just working on some assignments Ms. Una gave me." The human girl replied.

"So you are staying with Ms. Una right?"

She nodded.

"How has that been?"

"Well rather interesting. Her home is very spacious."

"That is obvious, because she needs a lot of space to move around. But you will also find that she is very kind and very patient despite being very venomous."

"That she is Mr. Alex, she and Yogi have been helping me through some things."

"You mean life without your um, fursuit? Back at the Lost City, she was helping a lot of us deal with things. She is a great teacher and great therapist." I replied.

Over the last three months it appeared that the teen had made great strides in accepting who she was and her humanity. But I suspected deep down she did miss her fursuit.

"So what are you doing here?" Angi asked me.

"Just catching up on my journal. I have been writing down my thoughts and reflecting on my experiences for the last three years in one form or another."

"How interesting." The teen said returning to her assignment.

"How about you?"

"I think I am going to put in for the Chado's exchange program. It would be interesting experiencing this world from their perspective."

"They live a minimalist existence. Which is why their village is rather lovely and picturesque."

"Ms. Una also says that they live in harmony with nature and all around them."

"Wel most of it." I said smiling.

Alex Winter December 10th YOE 34