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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 3: The Grand Kingdom

Day 6 (continued)

"What are we going to do?" Corbin gasped.

*THOKK!!*

"Don't make me ask again!" The masked man shouted firing more arrows at our position.

I tried assessing our situation, but my head started aching and I felt really dizzy.

"We are not coming out!" I shouted. That was the best come back I could come up with given my current state of mind. Really.

*POKE* *POKE*

"Not now Corbin. I trying to figure a way out of this. I suppose we could run..."

"Ah big brother? That wasn't me." The little mongoose boy said.

"Alright you two, paws and hands up." Another masked man said. "But if you prefer to be skewered..."

"There were two of you?!" I blurted out stupidly as the tip of a sword was placed on my back.

"It is the old distract and conquer tactic." The female fossa said.

"And you fell for it." The miniature horse added.

"Yup pretty much." The black haired adolescent in the red shirt added. "Well done Mr. Long."

The next thing I knew we had been surrounded. A masked man was standing in front of me and Corbin, there was another one with a sword to our rear. The fossa to our side, the adolescent teen and the miniature horse to our other side.

"I told you two to surrender!" The man said berating us.

"I didn't feel like it." I retorted.

"I don't care what you felt like." The man said studying us carefully. "Great, another beastial and a homely looking kid."

"I am not a kid, I am twenty three." I mumbled.

"Ok a homely looking adult. Mr. Long, search them."

The second masked man was dressed similarly to the first- navy blue shirt with a blue blazer, black pants, boots and a blue mask.

The one called Mr. Long took his time searching Corbin, arms, leg, tail, armpits, jacket and groin. He then did the same to me as well.

"Assessment?" The first masked man said to the second.

"They appear to be refugees. The mongoose beastial is adorably cute. While the freckled human is indeed very homely."

(Hey!)

"He also appears to be suffering from a concussion Mr. Taylor."

"Mr. Long, are they possessed by the...?"

"If they were, they would have been chanting by now and I would have kicked your ass for making me feel them up." The masked man with the sword said to the one with the crossbow. "Nope they are just dehydrated."

"Mr. Taylor." The fossa said. "If he has a concussion he is definitely in need of medical assistance."

"Beastial, if I want your opinion I will give it to you." Taylor, the masked man with the crossbow said. "But the Grand Kingdom needs more workers. Bring them."

"Workers?" Corbin whispered as I was carried away by the miniature horse and adolescent boy.

"Grand Kingdom?" I mumbled.

"It is a former rebel hideout that has been converted to a pseudo refugee camp for survivors. Their leader the Intendant, is putting everyone his forces find to work for him. The miniature horse said.

"It is more than that horsy. Our leader is trying to restart civilization by constructing a new society." Mr. Long said.

"It is ironic though." Mr. Taylor said to the fossa.

"What is that kind and gentle sir?" She asked.

"Nearly a week ago you fuzzies were in charge and dominating us. A week later you're not and after the Intendant completes his new society we will be dominating you." Mr. Taylor said laughing.

"It is just another dictatorship." The black haired teen said.

"This one run by a human." The miniature horse said.

"A megalomaniac human." The fossa added.

"ENOUGH! Our so called megalomaniac has given all of you, food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, protection and a purpose in this new world of the red sky!" Mr. Taylor commented.

"All of you, less talking, more walking!" Mr. Long said pointing to his sheathed sword.

I was carried four miles to the northwest by this group. During that time Corbin probed the refugees for information. The black haired teenager who helped carry me was called Corey. He was sixteen years old and thin. He had fled World Five as the city was drowning.

The female fossa- Ida, was a reporter from the hub and the grey and white miniature horse Russel, was an entrepreneur whose life was turned upside down when civilization ended- he went from being ultra rich to ultra nothing. Just like that.

"So little beastial which city did you come from World Five or World Four?" Mr. Taylor asked.

"World Five." Corbin answered rather abruptly.

"I was hoping that you would have said World Four. I have been dying for news from the other cities. Any of the other cities." Mr. Taylor said.

"You referred to freckles there as your big brother- which means you two are extremely close." Mr. Long added. "Disgusting."

"So boy what brought you to our neck of the woods?" The masked man with the crossbow asked.

"Alex and I fled World Five as the city was flooding." Corbin said making up a cover story. "We took very few supplies."

"I took a blow to the head from falling debris on the way out." I added. "We had been hiding in the woods for the last few days dodging the possessed while looking for survivors."

"We ran out of water this morning; we were going to get a drink at that stream before we discovered it was contaminated." The little mongoose boy said.

"Well then this is your lucky day. When we get back to the Grand Kingdom we will take care of that as well as your empty stomachs and medical issues." The masked man said.

"It's a relief to find other survivors with their free will intact." Corbin responded.

"What do you mean?" Mr. Long asked.

"That we aren't the possessed." The miniature horse said. "Well not yet anyway."

"But all it takes is just one of them to infiltrate one of the search parties and we all will be ONE." The fossa said abruptly.

"Not funny Ida. I lost friends and family to ONE." Mr. Taylor shouted. "That was an awful day. I fled. When I dared to return, I discovered World Five was under ten feet of water... buildings had crumbled... bodies floating everywhere and then there were the possessed saying how everything was going to be better."

"Do you think that you are the only one?!" The fossa shouted back. "I will never forget that morning either and for the rest of my life! I was behind the scenes helping Zed and Newton with the news at the hub studios. I remember Newton saying something about a red sky and a storm approaching from the north."

"I remember that, we were watching that morning." Corbin said.

"Well, the wind started howling, the rain started coming down as if a hurricane had just magically appeared right in the center of the city." The fossa said. "The weird thing was that there wasn't any build up or warning- we were just instantaneously inside this bizarre storm right in the middle of the broadcast. The lights to the building failed, then the power and everything electronic for that matter. The building then started shaking violently as if it were being plucked up off the ground."

"My gosh. What did you do?!" I asked.

"Newton left the set to try to restore the power. Zed went to the roof to get a better look at the storm. I didn't see them after that. That howling wind... it still gives me the chills... I will never forget that sound. I ran to the production lot behind the studio building that was when I saw it the giant cloud. It had come off the lake like some type of living creature. As it made its way through the city I saw it suck things into the sky."

"Yeah, I was a few miles away staring at it." Corey commented. "It was like a horrific tornado."

"Yeah kind of like that, but it was being selective- it was sucking up only the living. I wanted to warn as many as I could but all communications and electronics were dead even the back ups and the back ups to the back ups; there was no way to get a message any- message out. It then started raining very, very hard as the cloud made its way inland the winds were preceded by another sound." Ida said tearing up. "A distant rumbling which got louder and louder and louder. I saw what looked like several 100 foot tall waves come in from the lake- they crashed ashore decimating everything and anything in their path."

"How did you survive?" The little mongoose boy asked.

"I found a boat on the production lot as the waves smashed the city. I was stuck on that thing for hours trying to keep it from capsizing. I pulled another from the water a day later. Together we combed the city for survivors only finding corpses. We proceeded south to the forest where we found Mr. Taylor, Mr. Long and the Intendant and their compound. They were in need of a healer and the boat just happened to have a med kit on it so I volunteered to help in exchange for sanctuary."

"That was LONG after we captured you- you stinking beastial." Mr. Long snickered.

"That sounds a lot like what I went through." Russell said. "As he started to recollect his experiences."

"No one cares horsy." Mr. Taylor said. "You were a fifthly stinking rich beastial while the rest of us second class-ers lived in absolute poverty. So shut up. No one cares about what you lost!"

"Well, how rude!" The black and white miniature horse huffed.

"Be forewarned." Corey whispered to me. "There is a trade off for the services the Grand Kingdom provides."

"Such as?!" I said with my head still throbbing.

"You can check out, but you won't be leaving- ever." Mr. Long snickered. "Well unless it is the one way."

"That doesn't sound so good." Corbin said as we arrived at a clearing and a small apple farm with a moderate sized farm house largely still intact.

"Well here it is! What do you think?" Mr. Taylor asked.

"A two story house with a barn and fields abutting the forest virtually unscathed." I said looking at the site.

(How did this survive the cataclysm?!)

"This is your new forever home boys." Mr. Long added.

"Welcome to the end of the world at the end of the world." Corey said as we were ushered through the yard which did not have a driveway.

Corbin and I looked left and right we saw about ten human refugees working. Some were managing the apple trees, others were working inside the barn, there was a group of women in a storage shed working all were under watch by four guards similarly dressed like our friends Mr. Taylor and Mr. Long with primitive weapons.

Then there was the individual with a broad face, grey hair long coat, boots and dark shirt he was gagged and tied to a tree large tree at the end of the property.

"What's going on with him?" I asked.

"Remember what I said about leaving here?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah?"

"That is the only way." The former rebel said.

"He broke the rules here." The miniature horse said to Corbin and myself.

"So he is strapped to a tree?" The little mongoose boy said.

"He is being made an example of." Ida said wistfully.

"So he is going to freeze tonight." I concluded.

"Not exactly, Mr. Cecil has been a constant pain in the ass- he refuses to work and has run off several times. So the forest IS going to claim him." Mr. Taylor said as we arrived at the front door.

"The intendant wants to see you and the new grunts." A rather large masked man with a large club said. In a way he reminded me of Basil from World Six.

"Acknowledged. Fossa prepare the infirmary. Horsy, and Corey assist in the orchard." Mr. Taylor ordered as we entered the house. "Oh and Russell one more thing."

"What is that?" The miniature horse asked as the large masked man handed something to Mr. Taylor.

*SLAP*

"OW!! What was that for?!" The miniature horse said rubbing his backside.

"Your lip. Don't let it happen again or I will make sure the cooks add horse meat to the menu." The masked man with the crossbow said.

The beige farmhouse was about two floors in total and was slightly wider than Steven Cheetah's or the Frosts. I hoped that is also wasn't cursed. The design was very open- there was the great room to the left where Corbin and I saw a group of women in torn clothing of all ages knitting and sowing. To the right was the kitchen where more masked men were working preparing the meals. In the back of the house was the study where we found this intendant, the leader of the masked men and the so called Grand Kingdom.

As we walked by each room I noticed blank stares from the refugees, many still in shock and disbelief as to what had happened.

"Has anyone seen my husband?" A distraught elderly woman called out from the great room. "We were separated when we fled the city."

Her inquiry was met with indifference.

"He has to be out there! I know it!" The woman said crying.

"He probably drowned." A masked guard answered.

"Thanks for that, it was really tackless." A brunette flat chested woman who appeared in to be in her thirties said to the guard.

"Joy, we simply don't know." Another woman next to her said trying to add comfort.

"We have to alert someone- the knights, healers, the High Evolutionary!" Joy screamed.

Obviously she was still having a tough time coming to terms with reality. In a way we all were.

"Please forgive the smell. Too many beastials running around the place. We wouldn't keep them unless absolutely necessary. Mr. Long said.

Upstairs is the infirmary." Mr. Taylor said.

"The cellar your sleeping quarters." Mr. Long added.

"How about the barn and the shed outside?" Corbin asked.

"Storage." The two masked men said as they took us the study. "Time for you to meet Caden."

We found the leader of the refugee camp looking out one of the windows behind a desk at the rear of the house.

"Caden." Mr. Taylor said walking into the room.

"Did you find what was tainting the water?" The intendant asked his masked goons.

"Yes sir, two corpses. Victims of the cataclysm. The grunts buried the bodies and cleansed the stream." Mr. Long said.

"Make sure that the water is continually tested." Caden said. "Is there anything else you two?"

"We found two more survivors." The masked man with the crossbow said to the compound leader.

"Where?"

"Alone in the woods." The masked man with the sword answered.

"Nice to meet you sir." Corbin said cheerfully as Caden turned around to face us.

The man looked like he had been in the rebellion, black hair, brown boots, rough looking scarred face and then there was the trench coat.

"Where did you two come from?" He asked Corbin and myself.

"The city. We escaped as it was..." My voice trailed off.

"They were living in the woods until their supplies ran out." Mr. Taylor added.

"Sir what is this Grand Kingdom everyone is talking about?" I asked as I felt my head starting to throb again.

"I am building a society to take place of the fallen one; a new civilization where mankind is not dominated by walking and talking animals." He said addressing the mongoose boy. "I will be its ruler."

(Great, another one of these types.)

"What of the animal people?" I asked the budding megalomaniac.

"Yes, what of them?" He said looking at Corbin who grit his teeth and growled. "Mr. Taylor, Mr. Long, have them checked out. Then put them to work."

The masked me nodded.

Corbin and I were taken to the second floor of the house. I noticed that there were quite a few bedrooms. Most were probably used for the intendant's forces and the last one was most likely the infirmary; it contained three beds.

"Fossa! Lioness!" Mr. Taylor called out.

"I want them checked out." Mr. Long shouted.

"We have names you know." Ida said gritting her teeth. She was with another beastial. A tall lioness who was a shade darker than Lea, her breasts were rather big and she had red eyes.

"Sirs! Please, any news?" The lioness asked.

"No kitty cat, we haven't found your friend, but we are still combing the city." The masked man with the crossbow said to her. "Mr. Long when they have been cleared put them to work." Mr. Taylor said walking out of the room.

"Beastial, if they find anything you will be second to know." Mr. Long said assuming guard at the door.

"Ida I fear that she is... is..." The lioness said.

"Kara, don't give up hope. " The one female said to the other. "In the meantime Caden wants these two cleared."

I couldn't put my finger on it but the lioness seemed vaguely familiar- but I didn't recognize her name nor could I place her. She looked like she could be a cousin or an older sister of Lea. But I pushed that thought out of my mind as both females placed Corbin and myself on separate beds to be checked out.

The fossa examined me, while the lioness assessed Corbin.

"Yup, you have a concussion." The fossa said.

"Probably why my head has been aching." I added.

"She then produced a triangular shaped device from her medical kit and placed it on my abdomen then my head. "A severe concussion. It is amazing that you are up and around at all."

"Can you help him?" The little mongoose asked the medic as the lioness ran a similar device over him.

"I think I can repair the damage, but you are going to be down for a few hours." The fossa said to me.

"You are going to have to put him under Ida." The lioness said.

"If you can end the headaches and get me back to 100% it will be worth it." I responded looking around the room.

(Not that many patients. Which means she have a quick turn around rate or....)

"Got it." The fossa exclaimed.

"Ida you do know what you are doing right?" I asked nervously.

"Well, I have never treated a patient with a concussion, but I have interviewed many healers who have."

(Oh crap!!!)

"And a I have a biologist here to assist if I get into trouble."

(Even worse!)

"You are a bit dehydrated, otherwise fine." The lioness said as she finished her examination of Corbin.

"Good then he is going to be put to work immediately." Mr. Long said taking Corbin away.

"Alex!!!" Corbin cried.

"If you do what you are told, you will be allowed to drink, eat, sleep and to see your big brother again- maybe." The masked man snickered as he escorted the little mongoose boy out of the room.

"Kara assist me." Ida said to the lioness.

"How do you feel?" The feline asked me.

"Sleepy." I announced as Mr. Long returned.

"I am putting you under now to repair your injuries." The former hub reporter announced.

"By the way, the search party has come back. They found another survivor, but it was not your friend." The masked man with the sword said.

That was the last thing I heard before sleep found me. A powerful deep restful sleep. When I started to stir, it was late evening and the sun had already set.

"You are lucky we found you!" Another masked guard said looking at a cute adolescent lion boy. He had golden fur, a tan tummy, brown eyes, cute ears, and a cowlick on his head.

The ex-rebel had stripped the boy down to his fur and was giving him a personal check up- a very personal check up.

"You look like you have lost everything and everyone that ever meant something to you." The man said to the boy who appeared to be a few years older than Corbin.

The adolescent nodded.

"Now you are trying to determine if you can go on, if you want to even go on."

The lion boy nodded again.

"So am I. Come here let's get a look at you."

The young lion complied.

The guard felt the lion boy up and down- I first thought that he was checking him for injuries. But it became apparent- very soon that it was more than that.

The guard, who I learned was named Mr. Thorn, looked at the youngling's eyes then he touched and rubbed the boy's thighs, legs, arms, back, and paws before squeezing his rump and stroking his tail. He then turned him around and did the same to his front before stopping and inspecting his penis and testicles.

"Supple bottom and very soft genitals, not to mention a adorable face to go with it. I generally despise beastials but I COULD make a special exception for you."

Was this guard propositioning the lion boy?

"Listen kid we are living in the end times. Basically it is everyone for themselves; I will make you a deal- BE mine and I personally will see to it that you will never want from, warmth, hunger, thirst or loneliness- again."

I was taken back at the indecent proposal but to my shock the adolescent lion readily accepted.

"EXCELLENT and you are not allowed to age- ever. Now come with me."

"Mr. Thorn, what are you doing?" Ida asked as she entered the infirmary.

"Checking up on your work." The guard said indignantly to the acting medic.

"He was already cleared." The fossa said.

"Good- I am escorting him to his living quarters." The guard said as he ushered out the lion boy without reclothing him.

"Down the hall?" The fossa asked.

"Yes they are my quarters. So what? I am going personally look after this one."

"Creep." Ida said under her breath. "Alex, how are you feeling?" The fossa asked turning her attention to me.

"Much better. My head no longer hurts and I can focus again. Um, where is Corbin?"

"Probably in the cellar with everyone else."

"As in basement?"

"That is right where all you grunts belong." Mr. Thorn said returning to the infirmary after settling in his new toy.

The guard took me to the cellar of the farmhouse where the refugees were housed. The small room under the farm house was filled cots. On it were the refugees who had made their way from the city in this corner of the former empire. They were mostly second class citizens, men women and children with a few beastial here and there. I counted at least twenty four. They were heavily guarded. This was where the Intendant's prisoners were forced to sleep and eat after their labors.

I arrived to find Corbin and Corey sitting on cots waiting for dinner in a corner near a small window listening to Caden address his indentured servants.

"Thank you for your tireless efforts today everyone. Through your dedication and commitment the Grand Kingdom will thrive and turn into the next civilization- rising from the ashes of the previous. Now here is your reward for your labors."

"Oh great rice, carrots and potatoes." Corey said unenthusiastically.

"Be thankful. At least we got to eat today." A woman on a cot next to them said.

(What?!)

"Big brother how are you feeling?" The mongoose boy said as I sat down next to him.

"Back to my old self." I said petting him on his head. "I am glad you are safe little brother."

"Good because I am more than ready to leave this place." Corbin said giving me his dinner plate.

"Little brother?" The black haired teen said to us.

"Long story Corey. We have been through a lot together and have become very close. That bad Corbin?" I said eating.

The rice wasn't bad but the vegetables weren't cooked well.

"I don't like how were are being treated. They lord over everyone here like we are slaves. They are especially tough on beastials, and Caden is a tyrant. Just like that warden you told me about at the Outpost of The Forgotten."

"You just noticed that now did you?" The adolescent in the cot next to us said.

"Yes. I wished I had noticed it earlier." The little boy said.

"Seeing Russell get spanked wasn't a clue?" The teen said.

He had quite a snarky attitude.

"Little Corbin was forced to clean out the barn this evening and then the shed and bathroom and kitchen and the great room." Corey added. "He is a hard worker."

"So we lost one dictator only to be replaced by another. I can see where you are coming from. I have had my fill of dictators and tyrants as well." I added.

This would be the third one after the High Evolutionary and the warden.

"I am inclined to agree." The little mongoose boy said.

"But where would you go to? There is nothing out there but ruin." Corey said as we heard a ghastly muffled scream from the front of the house.

"Everyone!!" A man shouted at the far end of the room.

Corbin and I ran to the cellar window which looked out into the front yard- the tree we had seen Mr. Cecil tied to. He was screaming at the top of his lungs through the gag as he was being devoured by something deep black with red eyes. His screams were quite disturbing. Despite that the guards would not allow anyone to come to his aid.

GOOOWAAAHHHHH!!!!!

The thing devouring the man roared before letting out a very loud belch.

"Just a reminder why it is a good idea not to be out after dark. My subjects." Caden said walking out of the cellar. "I hoped you enjoyed the show."

"That is what happens to you if you are in the forest after dark. There are things roaming out there in the woods now, horrible, horrible things." The black haired teen said to us as the man outside suddenly fell silent. "In fact there isn't anywhere left but here to go to."

"Who exactly is the Intendant and where did he come from?" I asked.

"He was a rebel leader. One of the few that survived the many crack downs. His group operated from this location under the guise of a farm, a small outfit dedicated to bringing down the High Evolutionary and liberating the human population from his domination. Toward the end it is said they were making some in-roads, protecting revelers from the dictator's enforcers, freeing rebels from his prisons and stretching the high mucky muck's forces thin. When the empire ended Caden came to the shock and realization that we had won."

"What did they win? Now we are again in another period of chaos, no law or order." I concluded.

"And now Caden is setting his ambitions on replacing the empire." Corbin bristled. "We need to leave."

"I wish you well in that endeavor." Corey said. "If you could get by the guards, escape the farm, you would then have to brave the woods and those things in the woods. Good luck with that some have tried and were never heard from again." Corey said.

"How did the woods become infested with monsters?" The little mongoose boy asked.

"Rumor has it there were a few companies experimenting on citizens- turning them into something other than their original forms." The black haired teen said cryptically.

"That sounds like Sir Ram's man-beast experiments." I commented.

"Well when the city fell some of them escaped their enclosures and now are running amuck in the forests. Frankly this is the only safe place that I know of."

"What if we told you there was another place?" The mongoose boy said to our cot neighbor.

"Somewhere other than this place?" Corey asked. "Somewhere away from this labor camp?"

Corbin nodded. "But we have to get out of here first."

"That doesn't look like an easy task." I commented staring at the guard watching over us and the other refugees. It was the one with the club.

"It is going to take some time. But I think I can help... I know a guy." Corey said.

We talked with our new conspirator a little more before going to bed.

"So everyone is expected to do their part, those are the rules otherwise you will be punished." Corbin said.

"You will become monster food." I said looking out the cellar window again."

"Yup pretty much." The snarky teen said.

So we settled in to bed in the tight quarters amists the howling wind outside and falling snow. Due to space constraints, Corbin and I had to share a cot. I slept on my back and he slept on my chest and stomach.

"I know momma bear and the professor are very worried about us." The little mongoose said.

"I would assume so. It is a shame there isn't away we could contact them."

"No talking." A guard hissed.

I slept most of the night wondering about my friends and acquaintances I had made and how were they doing. I had learned already that fate of two of the cities of the empire, what about the other three? What happened to them?

Day 7 (after the fall)

6 AM the next morning we were abruptly awakened by our overseers.

"Hello. It is another beautiful post cataclysmic red dawn here in the wilderness." One of the former rebels said awaking me and Corbin and everyone else from a sound sleep.

It was the man that took in that traumatized lion boy yesterday- Mr. Thorn. It looked like the kid got the royal treatment because he wasn't forced to sleep in the cellar like the rest of us. Corey said that the ex-rebel had a thing for lion cubs. Given what I saw yesterday he had a thing for beastial lion cubs too.

"I would like to extend a hearty welcome to the newest members of the compound. The intendant expresses his desires and wishes for another productive day as the struggle to exist continues." The guard said as breakfast was distributed.

Rice and potatoes. Yay.

"Now everyone eat up. For the animal people who like meat- I apologize it is what we have sorry. Now for today's detail."

As we were eating Mr. Thorn started walking in between the rows of cots handing out assignments.

"You, you and you." He said gesturing to two human females and a beastial rabbit. "You have textile experience?" The three females nodded. "You are on materials. There is a shortage of blankets- take care of it. You five over there are on waste extraction. You will clean up after us- all of us. You seven there are on cleaning duty- you will clean up what was left of the tree prisoner, you three over there structural maintenance and you three over there in the corner will secure firewood. And remember your productivity ensures our survival during these difficult times."

"Yeah right you mean forced servitude under threat of lashings or worse." Corey said under his breath.

After morning meal Corbin, Corey and myself were taken outside into the forest to search for firewood to keep the farmhouse warm. We were followed by our guard for the day- Mr. Long.

A dusting of snow had fallen overnight coating the ground. But our gazes turned to the man that was tied up to the tree as we left the farm. He was dead his head, arms and torso had been chewed off from his waist and legs- there were paw prints all around him. Large paw prints.

"Quick gawking." The masked man said. "Now get to it."

We spent the entire morning and afternoon hunting, cutting, collecting and hauling firewood. I would cut, Corbin would collect and Corey would haul it back to the farm from where ever we were in the forest. It was tiring back breaking work.

"Was this what it was like in the outpost you and momma bear were trapped in?" Corbin asked me.

"Yeah, pretty much." I said to my 'little brother' only the weather was much more hostile.

"This sucks- I can't imagine doing this for one day let alone day in and day out." The little mongoose exclaimed.

"Well you could be on cleaning duty." Corey exclaimed.

"Done it." I shot back.

"I meant waste extraction." The adolescent said.

"Eww!!" Corbin and I said in unison.

"Hey Look! We got some runners!" The black haired teen said. We watched as several refugees from the farmhouse ran by with guards in hot pursuit.

"You three stay here." Mr. Long said joining two other guards who were after them.

"It looks like we weren't the only ones to reject this forced servitude." I said.

"Speaking of which didn't you say you knew someone who could help?" Corbin asked the teen.

"Oh yes! I almost forgot!" Corey said clearing his throat. He listened to the wind and then placed his hands on the side of his mouth and shouted. "ARF!!! ARF!! ARROOO!!!!!" "ARROOO!!!!!" "ARROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

"That was it?!" I said looking at him like he had gone mad.

"That was it." Corey said.

(Was he crazy?!)

As he said that three ex-rebels emerged with four refugees that they had caught, a man and three women.

"The intendant does not like deserters." One of the guards said. "Deserters will be punished."

(Sucks to be them.)

"You three will also be joining." Long said pointing his sword at us.

"But we didn't do anything!" Corbin yelled. "Why are we being punished?"

"That animal call one of you made. You were attempting to help them somehow." One of the other guards said. "Perhaps relaying our location."

"If you come clean now we will be merciful." Another guard said.

"What is merciful?" Corey asked.

"Lashing for your and freckles over there and the mongoose gets to spend time with Mr. Thorn." Mr. Long said.

"Don't you touch him!" I growled at Mr. Long.

(Big mistake.)

"Then you will also be made an example of to instill obedience." He retorted.

And so...

We were tied to the same tree as the devoured refugee in the front of the farm.

The three of us stayed tied to that tree as afternoon turned to evening and evening to night and it got cold. The runners were also tied to it. But that wasn't the least bit of our worries. Those creatures Corey warned us about they showed up too, more than ready to feed.

Alex Winter - January 7th, YOE 34....