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Counter Earth Chronicles

*Chapter 24: In Our Time of Desperation.... *

Day 90 continued

"Let us out of here!" I pounded on the now locked door.

"Nothing doing man! Our leader has been eagerly awaiting your arrival and he wants to have a few words with you!" The security guard shouted back from behind the door.

"Let us out! Let us out!" I continued to yell pounding on the door.

"Alex...." Sorren said gently tapping me on the shoulder as we heard the sound of weapons being powered on around us.

I turned around to see what the dragon had been looking at and had wished I hadn't. We were descended upon by what looked like ten rebels who surrounded Sorren and myself all pointing fire arms at us. Eight males and two females who were dressed in ramshackle clothing- attire appropriate for the slums.

"You two grab some sky!" One of the females said.

"This is not going to end well." The dragon said to me.

"Sorren, I screwed up big time and now we are going to lose our lives as a result. I am very very sorry I dragged you into this..." I said to the dragon solemnly.

"Hush Alex- we need to think of a plan." The dragon said to me. "Turn on your recording device, then be quiet and let me think."

"I thought I told you two to reach for the sky!" The rebel female said.

"Yes, ma'am! Reaching." I said turning on the recording device on my PDA.

Just then Mike Anger entered the loading docks followed by the leader of the rebels that had surrounded us.The second man was clean shaven and was wearing clothing that made him look like some sort of minstrel from a child's fairytale. All he was missing was a musical instrument. Instead, though he carried a pad which we assumed he used to take notes.

"Everyone stand down! These two are not knights or warriors of the dictator. Just a cook and a collaborator- civilians of the oppressive empire." The man said.

"AW! DAMN!" The rebels in the room said collectively holstering their weapons.

"Alex! Sorry I was late. I couldn't resist bringing a few friends!" Mike Anger said calling out to me. "Judging by your dragon friend's reaction it looks like he knows of them too."

Sorren looked at our 'host' and recognized him in an instant- "The Poet!" He exclaimed.

"The what?" I asked.

"Alex you should have watched that documentary the other night on the resistance movement. The Poet is the up and coming leader of another off-shoot faction of the rebellion. He broke away from John Jamison's group to start his own over disagreements of how to liberate the humans of this world." The dragon said to me.

"Did they show my good side?" The man said handing a scrapbook to Sorren and me.

"Uh what is this?" I asked.

"My resumé."

I opened the scrapbook and flipped through the items within. I saw pictures upon pictures of deceased beastials who had met their end by this rebel leader and his group of thugs. I was disgusted.

"I am especially proud of this one!" The second of the two females said pointing to a picture of a buffalo lying on the ground next to his hover vehicle. "Poor bastard broke down in our neighborhood. I bagged him while he was calling for help I did!"

"Oh and check this out! These two tried to open up a electronics repair shop a block from here." Another of the Poet's thugs said pointing to a picture of a smiling equine couple. "They claimed they were setting an example to their fellow bestials by trying to peacefully coexist with humans."

"How are they doing?" Sorren asked the rebel thug.

"Their remains haven't been found- yet." He sneered back at us.

"Oh! Oh! And then there was that teacher...." another rebel said turning the page to a picture of their remains.

"I got it. You have a great deal of hatred towards species that aren't your own." I said handing the scrapbook back to the rebel female.

(Where have I heard that before?)

Why would anyone do that?!" I asked.

"Because beastials and their sympathizers are not welcome here! Counter Earth belongs to us and no one else!" She said gesturing to me. The rebel thugs next to her agreed.

"The Poet and his group are responsible for the disappearance of many who were luckless enough to run across them." Sorren said to me.

"With you in our possession, hunting season is now again in session...." The man said to Sorren and me.

"Good one sir!" Another rebel thug standing behind Sorren said.

"Exactly how many rebel cels, resistance movement off-shoots are there?" I asked the man.

"As many as it will take to free us from the High Evolutionary and his forces. Anyway, welcome to our little meeting place- not our hideout mind you just our meeting place. Mr Anger here told us that you are on an errand of mercy. One of your friends has been falsely accused of being a spy for our little movement, she is to be sentenced in a few days and you are desperately trying to clear her name. Is that right?" The man asked.

Sorren and I nodded.

"We interviewed Mr. Anger earlier and he asked us to meet him here for further discussions. Which I now realize was a ambush." I said disgusted.

"Absolutely." The man said. "Mr. Anger is not one of us only a sympathizer who passes information to us from time to time. Thanks for your help Mike." The rebel leader said to Mr. Anger who politely departed wishing Sorren and me well.

(Apparently not that well.)

We both gave him evil looks.

"You Mr. Anger are a disgrace to our species. I am sorry to be even associated with the likes of you." I said addressing our departing betrayer.

"Come sit." The rebel leader said. "Let's exchange information. You can fill in some gaps that we may be missing in our intelligence."

"If you think we are going to betray the empire you are sadly mistaken sir." Sorren said solemnly.

Sorren and I paused with our arms still raised until we heard the sound of rebels drawing their weapons again and those weapons powering up- again. We relented.

The Poet looked at his pad intently during all of this. Sorren and I figured that It must have included some sort of dossier on the two of us.

"Ah yes! Alex Winter- partial clairvoyant. Really? You should have seen this ambush coming!"

"That is the partial part." I said to the rebel leader. His thugs and subordinates collectively laughed as they gave Sorren and myself chairs to sit in.

(At least we were allowed to rest our arms.)

"Nice come back! Let's see you're twenty years old and I understand you are an off-worlder, a refugee from a destroyed civilization who became stranded on Counter Earth. You were initially imprisoned for entering this world without permission and subsequently pardoned. You were then adopted by a beastial female and became her house pet much like one would adopt a stray puppy...." The man said laughing. "A human being being owned by a beastial!! That is rich!!"

(I started to dislike that moron almost instantly....)

The man continued... "Your experiences from your war torn home-world caused you to side with your master and the other beastials rather than the resistance movement. In short, you are a human collaborator- you blame humans for the destruction of your home-world. That is why you sided with the beastials. Am I right?"

I was taken aback. His file was very through save only for the omission that my mistress was a Knight of Wundagore- one of the High Evolutionary's enforcers. I wasn't about to volunteer that information.

"You have me at a disadvantage sir." I said meekly.

"Ah, Sorren the dragon. You are twenty eight years old. You aren't one of the original beastials having been born two years after the dictator came to power. Hmm... you are a bit of an oddity- a freak, a mutant, a dragon born to two beastial lizards. Like an albino bear to two brown bears."

(So dragons aren't indigenous species on this world? That would make Sorren very very special.)

The rebel leader continued... "You work as a cook at the cafeteria in Castle Wundagore. Hmm....your culinary skills are quite impressive. You used to live in an apartment in World One before moving into Castle Wundagore with some friends to save expenses. You have an mild interest in sports and electronics. Anything you like to add to our files?"

Sorren and I looked at each other and shook our heads.

"I do have one other thing further." The man smirked. "You both hate fighting and are pacifists. We have a word for your type down here."

"What's that?" I asked the man.

"VICTIMS." The Poet smirked.

(Sorry I asked.)

"You both believe that at some point humans on this world will some how learn to peacefully coexist with our beastial abominations- err neighbors. I will give you my views on that in a minute." The man said.

"....You came here to find evidence to exonerate your friend." The man said looking at his pad again. "The accused is Lea the lioness. She is twenty four- she is an assistant of Sir Ram one of the Knights of Wundagore and works in the med unit as a healer. She like you two is another innocent and loyal subject of the empire. She has never in the past or presently been a spy for the resistance- willingly anyway. She is smart, perky and very sexy for a beastial female, yet has very poor taste in men. In that she is dating one that is a sympathizer of the rebels." The man said.

"Um, how do you know this?" Sorren asked.

"We have our methods." The rebel leader replied snarkily. "Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer." The Poet recited.

"That is a good one sir." One of thugs surrounding us said.

"I can see why you are called The Poet." I said to the man. "You know quite a lot about us, but we don't know much about you."

"Well collaborator, since you asked so nicely I will tell you..."

Sorren and I leaned forward in our chairs to listen intently to the what the rebel leader would say. Perhaps we would gain further insight on just who this individual was, his back story and the events of his life that caused him to become a rebel, form a resistance cell, start hunting innocent beastials and become an enemy of the empire.

"....You see..." the Poet began. "...From your perspective... I am the bad guy...."

****PAUSE****

"That's it?! That is all you are going to tell us?" I stammered.

"That is all you need to know. If you want more start your own damn intelligence network!" He said.

The Poet then abruptly changed topics. "So you believe that humans can peacefully coexist with these abominations?!" The rebel leader asked me directly.

"I do sir. They are not abominations Mr. Poet, they are sentient beings that have as much right to live as you and I do. In fact, they are indigenous to this world as much as you are and I am living proof that once the hatred, prejudice and distrust is put aside humanity can peacefully coexist with them. Some of my dearest friends are beastials- Lea and Sorren here for instance. For the record they may look different physically but they have the same dreams, hopes, goals and desires as the rest of us have." I said to the rebel leader.

"That will be something I have to consider under the new order." The man said.

"What's this new order?" Sorren asked him.

"When the High Evolutionary and his knights are defeated and we control Counter Earth. Humans will be the primary class of citizens and beastials will be treated as we are now."

"All that will lead to a perpetual cycle of destruction." I interjected. "The beastials will rise up and form a rebellion and they won't stop until you are defeated- which will set things back to the way they are now and another human resistance movement will form and it goes on and on and on- lather, rinse and repeat. Each side may win and rule for a while, but it will lead to more fighting, pain and death. Eventually both sides will be wiped out or the planet will be destroyed. That is what happened on my world."

The Poet looked very uncomfortable as I said that.

"The short term answer is to keep both sides from destroying each other; to keep you rebels in check. The long term answer is to put aside the hostilities and to peacefully coexist." I said to the rebel leader.

"You know there is one thing that bothers me...." Sorren interjected while I started shaking horribly; I had a feeling something bad was about to take place.

"For a rebel leader you have been awfully candid with your intelligence information." The dragon said.

"Oh that." The Poet said is because you two won't be leaving here- alive anyway."

I looked at Sorren in terror as he stared at our 'host' indignantly.

"You see." The Poet continued. "You are correct about the dictator's forces keeping us in check. My rebels and I have suffered a string of defeats at the hands of the knights lately and they are looking for some payback- YOU ARE IT.

"Say wha?" Sorren stammered in shock.

"We are going to send a message to the empire through you." A thug standing next to Sorren said.

Sorren and I were about to become pawns in The Poet's chess game against the the empire; this situation we were in had just become a whole new level of dangerous.

Hearing this, I dropped to my hands and knees in front of the rebel leader. I guess I was begging him to spare our lives.

"Sir my friend and I are not warriors or forces of the High Evolutionary. We came in peace on a mission of mercy that is all..."

"And now you are going to leave in pieces!" One of the thugs around us interjected. Everyone except for Sorren and myself laughed at that remark.

I continued... "All we want to do is leave and use what we learned here today to exonerate our friend! At the very least take me, but let my friend go. I was the one who agreed to come here." I pleaded with the rebel leader.

One of his thugs then picked me up off the floor and returned me to my chair.

"Now, now all lives must come to an end- some sooner than others." He said. "I have enjoyed my conversation with you two and our time together; for that I will make your deaths painful, but quick."

Hearing that smug acrid comment my fear abated, my shaking stopped and I was incensed.

"You know for a leader you are pretty messed up. Your goals are noble, but your methods suck!"

"How so little man?" The rebel leader asked.

"You seek to liberate humanity from the dictator's control but aren't able to defeat his forces one on one so you slaughter the innocent, the helpless and the powerless instead. How heroic is that?!" I yelled at him.

"It is called terrorism." The man said this is where Jamison and I are different- he was influenced by that spiderman rebel and doesn't believe in mowing down the innocent to achieve his objectives or to make a point. I however, do."

Hearing that Sorren got up from the chair he was sitting on and took a good look around the room. Like me he pleaded with the rebel leader.

"Please sir we are on a mission of mercy we didn't ask for this. We were only trying to save a friend. Please let us leave."

"Sorry you abomination it is not going to happen. But rest assured after your deaths, we will continue to send more of you beasties to the afterlife." The Poet said. "All right now, no fire arms people! Only knives, swords and cutters! I want them carved up as efficiently as possible and then sent to the dictator!" The man said to the thugs who were approaching from our rear. Our chairs were removed as the thugs backed Sorren and myself into a corner.

They were preparing to carve us up like a roast; the ten thugs moved in for the kill. Their leader following them.

"Remember! I also want decent pictures for the scrapbook as well!" The Poet said.

"Final last words before we end you?" One of the thugs asked- his sword raised.

"Fighting foes is for the birds, problems should be solved with words?!" Sorren said to the thug trying to mimic The Poet.

Apparently he and the nine others were unmoved by the dragon's attempt at poetry.

I looked at Sorren with tears in my eyes. "I am so sorry I got you involved in this my friend. Please forgive me...."

Sorren assessed our situation as he studied the location of our attackers.

"To me Alex!"

The goofy playfulness of this dragon's personality had disappeared replaced with grim seriousness.

Sorren took his paw and pushed me behind him. Once there, he made me grab his tail so that he knew where I was. I think he was planning on fighting off all ten of the thugs.

Sorren begged our would-be assassins and their leader one last time... "Please, sir I am a peace loving beastial don't do this!"

"Apparently you didn't hear me the last time abomination- not going to happen. But I will leave you with the following poem before your demise." The rebel leader said clearing his throat.

*cough* *cough*

"All of life is but a dream, but for you now it is morning! KILL THEM!"

Sorren placed his right paw on my head one last time to make sure that I was still behind him. That paw of his then joined his left one on his chest as he took deep breaths. Meanwhile our attackers moved in for the kill. It seemed like he was going to loose his lunch and vomit right on the floor of the wearhouse or was he hyperventilating?

The next thing I knew I heard blood curdling screams from our would be assassins who were now engulfed in fire- it was as they were wearing coats of flame. I looked up and saw the flames leaving Sorren's maw!

The one rebel who had his sword raised was torched as he advanced. Then one of the females. Then another and another.

Sorren panned his head from right to left and left to right engulfing each rebel in fire and flame.

"Sorren there's one on your left..."

"AAHH!!!"

"Watch out for the one with the jagged blade on your right..."

"AUGHH!!!!"

"The one with two swords in front...."

"DAMN YOU DRAGON!!!!"

My dragon friend torched them all. The stench of burning flesh permeated the loading docks of the wearhouse as well as the screams of rebels being incinerated. It was almost majestic as our attackers were engulfed in fire save for their leader the Poet who drew back in shock as his subordinates writhed in agony on the floor of the warehouse. Apparently no one here knew how to stop drop and roll if they ever caught on fire.

(Stupid rebels.)

My dragon friend's weenie roast also had a unintended consequence- it started the warehouse on fire.

Sorren stepped forward toward the shocked rebel leader who drew his weapon and was preparing to fire. The dragon burnt the Poet's hand causing him to drop the fire arm as he screamed in pain.

"Impossible!" The Poet screamed. "You breathe fire?! Dragon's don't breathe fire that is fantasy! Children's' fairy tales!!"

Sorren angrily addressed the rebel leader... "For all your intelligence gathering, you had some major omissions fool- One, I am a pacifist but only to a point and two, I don't just breath fire, I spit it as you would saliva!"

The look of fear and shock on the Poet's face was unbelievable.

"Sir, you made me do this." Sorren continued. "I am a peaceful beastial but your actions here today brought this unfortunate series of events on yourself! You showed disregard for our lives no matter how much we pleaded and begged and I will do the same for yours now as well. BURN... TO... NOTHING!!!!"

With that Sorren took a large breath and hurled a huge fireball right at the rebel leader!

**FWOOSH!!!**

He hit him right in the chest. The force of the impact sent him sprawling backward onto the floor as he was set ablaze.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! DAMN YOU!!"

Seeing the climax of today's events, I stepped out from behind the dragon to look at the burning remains of our 'host' for the afternoon. The heat was intense.

"Sorren you killed him...." I said shocked.

"I had to Alex- they were going to kill us with no remorse or provocation. If that isn't evil, I don't know what is."

I nodded in agreement.

"Now let us leave, I have not desired to leave a place in such haste in until now." Sorren said.

I concluded on that day, my dear friend Sorren may be a goofy, goofy beastial but don't ever, ever cross him.

As we started to head toward the exit. I looked at Sorren.

"What?" He asked starring back at me.

"Remind me to never, ever anger you, it would be most unhealthy." I said to the dragon.

"Speaking of which..." the dragon said with smoke billowing from his nostrils, YOU DID record our entire session here didn't you?! If not I am going to be quite cross." He said starring me right in the face.

"Of course I did all two and a half hours." I told him.

"Good boy. I didn't want my performance to go to waste."

I looked at Sorren. "You mean you did that on purpose just to show what a monster the rebel leader was?"

"Exactly Alex, his comments should be enough to clear Lea as well, now let's go."

So we thought, but we would find out that It wasn't.

As we were leaving we noticed that the door we had entered the loading dock through was still locked. I pounded on the door as the fire blazed all around us. The reluctant security guard that had let us in answered.

"You better let us depart rebel unless you wish to share the same fate as your comrades." I said sternly to him.

The young guard opened the door and surveyed the blaze and the bodies on fire.

"Who, no what are you people?" The guard asked as we departed.

(Don't say it Sorren, don't say it.)

Sorren looked the guard in the eyes as he regarded the dragon with fear. "I am your worst nightmare!"

(Damn, he said it.)

"Actually, I am but a simple cook and Alex here is a house pet." The dragon said motioning to me. "Oh and you might want to call for help rebel, if there is anything left of your leader and comrades they will need a healer."

I looked at the guard as we departed. "What is your name?"

"Tom." He responded still surprised.

"Well Tom, thanks for the ambush and in honor of your torched and probably dead leader I will leave you with the following poem... Make use of your friends and the things you know and you will beat even the strongest foe!"

The security guard starred at us in disbelief. Either shocked that we had survived the ambush, and that we had taken out the Poet or both.

Sorren and I made our way across the street where he called Tauren to let him know we were safe. The bull was relieved, but irate that we had 'done something stupid'. Tauren also said that he contacted Sir Wolf when we failed to check in. The bull ended the call by saying that we were going to have a long conversation later about what transpired this afternoon. Hearing that I knew Sorren and I would get an earful or an ass reaming or both.

Soon afterward the rescue units arrived and started to put out the blaze in the warehouse which was mostly confined to the loading dock. While we were watching them extinguish the blaze, I turned to Sorren. "Sorren I am a fool."

"Hmm?" He turned to look at me.

"In my obsession to clear Lea. I was duped into a situation that put us in grave danger and nearly cost us our lives." I said to the dragon. "Please please forgive me my friend. I now understand why my mistress forbade me to explore the cities on my own without supervision and why Tauren was dead set against us coming down here. I guess I am still new to this world and there are still many many many things I don't understand and situations and circumstances I don't know how to comprehend let alone deal with. What just happened being the prime example."

Sorren put his paw on my shoulder. "This was not how I wanted to spend my day off either. But for what it's worth- as a result of this experience I think you and I have become fast friends. Besides you weren't the only one that got duped."

"...And you two dupes are going to tell me in detail what transpired here!"

Sorren and I looked to our right to see a middle-aged wolf in chain-mail, staring right back at us.

"Greetings Sir Wolf!" Sorren said.

"I guess we have some explaining to do." I said to the wolf warrior.

"Yes, you have some explaining to do." He replied taking us into custody.

To Be Continued....