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Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 13: Evil People Doing Evil Things

It had been almost two weeks since I accompanied mistress Ursa to the prairie. As a result of that mission, I slowly started to understand my clairvoyant ability. It seemed to only manifest itself in the most dire of circumstances. Like the time the roof collapsed in the arboretum. Looking back at that event, I some how was able to gaze a minute or two into the future to see the roof collapsing and where the debris would fall. During the tornadic incident of our last mission, I some how determined again that we were in grave, grave danger before anyone else knew and used that insight to warn Lady Ursa who then saved everyone in the Legend family's house.

Quite a useful ability huh? I wasn't the only one who thought so; I would soon find out that my mistress, as well as her colleagues, felt this ability would serve them and their needs very, very well. So much for being a house pet.

Day 60

The morning began like any other...

"What do you call this again Alex?"

"Pancakes mistress." I replied. "It's made from eggs, flour and milk and then grilled to this circular shape. You cut the cakes into squares and eat them topped with either syrup or honey."

"Honey?! Now that I can sink my teeth into!!" My she beast laughed.

Since becoming proficient with the appliances in her lair, I had been introducing Lady Ursa to some of the foods that were popular on Gaia. This morning it was pancakes. I went to the kitchen grabbed a jar of honey and picked up a serving of bacon and sausage as well. When I returned, I poured the honey onto her plate and showed my ursine warrior how to properly cut the stack of cakes into bite-size pieces before returning to my seat at the table to watch her eat.

"So what do you think?" I asked.

"It is light and fluffy pet. In fact, it tastes better with honey than syrup. Oh and what's that?" My she beast asked curiously.

"Bacon and sausage. They are usually served with pancakes." I replied. She looked at me funny when I said that.

"It's ok mistress, I don't think it's anyone we know."

Just then there was a chime at the door.

"I'll get it." I said adjusting my loin cloth.

It was Lady Vermin a good friend and colleague of my she beast and another knight of Castle Wundagore. I hadn't seen her since the day I had arrived on Counter Earth two months ago.

"Lady Vermin!" I said surprised. "You are ah, are looking most rat like today."

"And a good morning to you little Alex." She said studying me carefully.

"Something wrong my lady?" I asked uncomfortably.

"You are starting your third month here on Counter Earth aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am." I replied as she examined me further.

"You seem different."

"How so?" I asked the pensive rat lady.

"Hmm... you seem less terrified. It appears domestication has been quite good for you."

(Um, okay.)

"I see Ursa has also been taking good care of you as well - in that she hasn't mauled you yet." She said amusingly.

"There is always the next time." I replied. "Will you be joining us for breakfast?"

"No, not this morning." She replied. "I just came to remind my fellow warrior about our meeting."

"Of course." I replied "This way." I said as I escorted Lady Vermin to the kitchen where my mistress was finishing her breakfast.

"By the way Alex, that loin cloth is quite adorable- very stylish and it barely covers your unmentionables." The rat lady said lifting it to take a peek.

"Oh yes, this season's design comes in a variety of colors- brown, white, grey and red." I responded trying to recover from my embarrassment of the rat lady's brief inspection of my genitals.

"I do think red is my favorite. It looks good on you." She said as we entered the kitchen.

"Mistress Ursa thinks so too." I responded.

Upon entering the kitchen, Lady Vermin sat down at the high table while my lady bear was finishing her meal.

"What's the meeting regarding?" Lady Ursa asked upon seeing her friend.

"The increasing rebel attacks on the Master's castles." The rat lady responded.

I listened to their conversation while cleaning with great interest.

"Remember the incursions started two months ago- about a week before Alex's arrival and have been increasing ever since." The rat warrior started.

(Really?)

"But not just here. Castle Sevren was attacked last night. Initial reports stated that the labs were raided during the incursion and nine prisoners were freed. Several of the guards were killed as well." The lady rat said glumly.

"Was it the group led by Jameson?" Lady Ursa asked.

"No, this was a different outfit- maybe a splinter group. More violent as well."

"I understand the prisoner raids, but why invade the labs?" Lady Ursa asked.

"Good question - perhaps they are trying to construct weapons? Maybe chemical or biological?" The rat lady replied. "Either way we have to put a stop to it otherwise these attacks will continue....."

"You mean like right now?" I gasped as I interrupted the females' conversation.

They both looked at me with confusion- like I had just spawned a second head or something. Just then there was a explosion a big one, and Castle Wundagore shook violently knocking us all to the floor!

The female warriors helped me up, grabbed weapons from mistress Ursa's storage and ran for the door. As she was leaving my mistress ordered me to stay put in the lair where it was safe. They would find out what had happened and check for the hurt and injured along the way.

"Safe riiiiight." I replied. As the castle once again shook from another explosion.

My mistress was gone for the entire day. Because of the attack professor Love canceled my English language session that morning as well. I spent the time performing my chores and watching the news of the latest rebel incursion- the first one in two months.

All the reports on the Hub would say was that there was an incident at Castle Wundagore. No word if anyone had been injured, just that the knights were investigating.

I wanted to go to the observation ring to start painting another landscape, but I remembered my mistress' order and my encounter with the rebel in the arboretum two months ago and thought better of it.

It was evening before Lady Ursa and Lady Vermin returned and they were accompanied by another. I had just finished making dinner when they entered the great room.

"Pet, could you come here please?" Lady Ursa called out to me.

"Yes, mistress what is it?" I replied walking into the great room. It was then I discovered who the second guest was.

"Lord Tiger!" I responded surprised. "Nice to see you again sir." I said greeting the tiger warrior and the commander of the Knights of Wundagore very respectfully- very very respectfully. He was dressed in golden chain-mail with a long red cape, the uniform he was wearing when I first met him.

"And you too little Alex. It looks like my subordinate has been taking great care of you- in that she hasn't mauled you yet." He replied. "But we don't have time for pleasantries. I have a mission for you."

(WHAT?!)

"A mission?! Me?!" I stammered. "Isn't that something you knights do?"

"Actually, I want you to accompany Lady Vermin on a mission." The tiger warrior stated. "You see, the incident from this morning was yet another rebel incursion. This was also from the same group that attacked castle Sevren last night. They injured several guards and killed two junior knights as well." He said.

"What were they after?" I asked.

"They raided Sir Ram's labs and managed to free several prisoners from the Equality Now movement who were being held in the dungeon. One of the guards was able to identify one of the attackers and activated a tracer on his tracking chip. I want you to accompany Lady Vermin on a scouting mission to locate their base, determine the size of their forces and their plans and report back."

I was horrified. Accompanying my mistress to evict a family from their house on the prairie was child's play compared to this.

"But sir!" I replied "I am not a warrior."

"No, Lady Vermin is. She performs recon and surveillance missions all the time." The tiger warrior said.

(Oh!)

"You on the other paw, are not. But you have experience living in and dealing with hostile environments; you are a survivor- Ursa told me herself. The he beast continued.

(Oh mistress!)

"You are also clairvoyant and whose traits have proven invaluable to us on a past mission. Anyway you look it, you two would make a great combination and a great team." Lord Tiger concluded. "I want both of you to depart immediately."

"Besides Ursa said that you are her good luck charm." Lady Vermin interjected.

(She did?!)

I looked at my mistress, Lady Vermin and Lord Tiger. They all nodded their heads in approval.

(Aw crap.)

Before departing Lady Ursa gave me supplies and clothes that would be more beneficial than my loin cloth. Including a white shirt, black pants, boots, jacket, gloves and hat.

"These will keep you warm where you are going." My she beast told me.

"Thank you." I said to her quivering.

"You better get going Lady Vermin is waiting."

I gave my mistress a departing hug. When I did, she saw the uneasiness in my stance and fear in my eyes.

"It is alright my pet." She said reassuringly. "Lady Vermin is a friend, colleague and fellow warrior; you can trust her as you would me. Now good hunting and don't forget your PDA."

As I was leaving it slowly dawned on me that this situation was one of the conditions of my release. The day she rescued me from Sir Ram's clutches, my mistress had convinced that evil beastial that I could better serve the knight's interests and needs alive then dead. This was how.

I met Lady Vermin in the corridor outside my mistress' lair. This was going to be interesting. Apart from Sir Ram and Lady Ursa. I haven't interacted with any of the other knights since my arrival on Counter Earth. I wasn't sure if I would be safe with the rat lady let alone trust her. However, if my mistress said that I could and Lord Tiger said I could. I guess I could.

"You're awfully quiet little human does being in the presence of us superior beings intimidate you?" She asked as I followed her to the loading dock.

"No, my lady- it's not that, I was just wondering..."

"Wondering what?" She asked.

"Exactly when I became an honorary Knight of Wundagore?" I asked. The rat warrior laughed.

(And why did I not notice before that she had an ego the size of Castle Wundagore?)

"Alex, when you were on Gaia how long did you live on the street?" Lady Vermin asked me.

"About two years." I replied.

"During that time how did you survive in that hostile environment?"

I looked at the rat lady.

"Pure fear. My lady, pure fear."

"Interesting, I thought as a result of your experiences you wouldn't be as fearful as you are now." She said placing her paw on me. "Little human, I know that you are very scared, it is obvious you are out of your comfort zone. But every now and again it is good to shake things up- to challenge yourself. That is how you learn, that is how we all learn." The she beast said.

"But I have only been on this world for sixty days and the only hostile environment I have ever been in was urban!" I stammered.

"Yes, yes, that's true, but since your arrival here we have educated you and have allowed you to live among us." The rat lady said. "Look at it this way," she said slyly- "it's time to give something back to us, the superior beings that were so kind to adopt you."

"Well if you put it that way..." I replied looking at the ground.

"Just do what I say when I say and you will be fine. If anything were to happen to you, I would have to answer to your master."

"Let me guess," I said. "If anything happened to you I would have to answer to the commander." She smirked at me when she heard this.

At that moment the rat warrior and I agreed to watch each others backs this mission and to keep each other safe. Although she said since she was the superior life form, she would be doing the most safe keeping.

(There's that ego again.)

We at last arrived at the loading dock where the she beast's hover bike was located, climbed on and departed. I sat in front of her and she behind me as we left Castle Wundagore.

As we flew away into the night, I tightened my grip on the bike's handles.

"I guess you really are timid and insecure as you are shy." She said.

"All that and I realized that I don't like heights either. I wished we had taken a transport vehicle." I said as we weaved in and out of the aerial traffic around World One.

"Where we are going, we need stealth and surprise- we can't let the enemy know they are being watched. You can't do that in a transport vehicle." The rat lady responded.

"I guess you are right. So where are we headed to in this cold, (it was spring) and dark night?" I asked.

Lady Vermin checked her communicator- "We are tracking Nicholas Shock."

"Huh?"

"He was one of the rebels identified by one of the guards this morning and who's tracer we are tracking. It's signal is coming from the mountains two hours north of here." The rat lady said to me.

"Why there?"

"Think about it Alex." She said- "It's forbidden to live there, it's isolated, desolate and remote. A perfect place to plan attacks on your enemies."

Our trip took us two hours from Castle Wundagore through forests to a valley nestled between high, high snow covered mountains. Living under ground all my life, I had never before seen anything like it.

"This is a great location." I said to the she beast. "There are only several ways in to the valley and whatever direction you take they can see you coming."

"The only way to perform our recon will be under the cover of darkness." The rat lady said.

We had to turn off all lights and illumination as we made our way over the mountain and into the valley on the hover bike. It was quite scary.

Lady Vermin was a skilled driver- she managed to avoid the rocks and snow drifts that were above the tree-line on the mountain range. As we moved she weaved and bobbed around the trees closer to the base of the mountain. If we ever lost the hover bike leaving this area would be most, most difficult. I noticed as we arrived that all sides of the valley were covered with snow. It might have been spring every where else. Here it was still winter.

"That is close enough." She said landing the bike. "We will hide the bike here and observe."

"Hide where? There is nothing but trees and snow around everywhere."

"There little Alex." the she beast said.

Some how she found a pocket-cave carefully hidden in the hill side two miles from the center of the valley. It was an excellent place to set up camp and to observe the rebels.

"Listen to me Alex, remain absolutely quiet, there maybe patrols around here. It would be very bad if were we to be discovered."

"How bad?" I asked.

"Given that this splinter group doesn't value life only their own goals and objectives, we would most likely be tortured, interrogated and then killed. In that order."

"That is good to know." I told the rat warrior. "One more thing my lady, I don't see too well in the dark."

"Neither do they." She replied. "We will use that to our advantage.

I gently placed both my gloved hands on her tail and let the she rat lead me into the cave. It was quite an exercise in trust because it was darker in there than it was outside.

"Do you sense anything?" She whispered.

"Nothing." I replied.

"Good. No danger yet." She said under her breath.

We parked the bike in the cave and set up our surveillance toward the base of the valley.

"You are in my sight now inferiors."

"What do you see?" I whispered.

She handed me her vision equipment- some type of binocular device a weird invention that allowed me to see though the darkness. Toward the base of the valley, I saw some kind of encampment comprised of about 15 tents- lights in each of them occupied and carefully guarded by several rebels. For its size and location the encampment was small and quite mobile- this had to be the place.

We sat in the cave on the hillside for some time observing the encampment. The life forms moving about were definitely human- definitely rebel.

"Looking for anything in particular?" I quietly asked the she beast.

"I want to know the size of their forces and if possible their plans- are they going to attack another castle, kidnap citizens, create mayhem or worse?"

"That is going to be very hard to ascertain from this distance. My lady." I said.

"You are right little Alex, however you can learn a lot through observation." She said to me. "For instance it looks like a sizable portion of their forces are about the age of Nicholas Shock- early 20s. They might have just been recruited."

"Can you use their tracking chips to gage how many rebels are stationed there? I mean scan their tracers? That is what Lady Ursa did during our prairie mission." I whispered.

"For some strange reason, I am only picking up the signal of the one rebel, there he is too- standing watch. The others are being blocked by something." Lady Vermin noted.

"Or they found a way to deactivate them so they can't be tracked. Very cunning."

Lady Vermin silenced me as we were approached by a enemy patrol. Two humans dressed in a white coats with fire arms of some sort and a flashlight walking dangerously close to our position. The two rebels, were quite quiet too not saying a single word as they walked by the entrance of the cave without even noticing it for what it was. Judging how close the patrols were- I realized that it wouldn't be a good idea to leave the cave at all for any reason at least during the day. We both watched them walk by.

"My lady, after this splinter group is caught what will become of them?" I asked when the patrol was at a safe distance.

"I suppose they will be imprisoned, judge and punished. Those that took another's life will probably receive "the living death."

"Whoa, I have heard someone mention that before, what is it?"

"It is how we deal with all killers here on Counter Earth." She said. They are placed in suspended animation like a statue for the rest of their lives. They will be conscience and aware of their surroundings when they are frozen, but will be unable to move or talk just breathe. That is why it is called the leaving death."

"That is incredible." I said.

"The other rebels will most likely be sent to science labs to be experimented on if they are lucky." Lady Vermin told me.

"It must suck to break the law around here." I said.

"It does," the she beast replied. "The punishment is quite severe so virtually no one ever does. Keep in mind our master the High Evolutionary makes the laws as he sees fit. That is why the punishment is quite severe. We, the knights of Wundagore, are his enforcers we make sure the laws are obeyed and punish those that break the law human or beastial. It may be cruel," she said- "But is efficient. We are also are the master's fighting force which he uses to crush opposition and to protect his rule."

"That is a lot of power you have." I told the rat warrior. I also noticed that during Lady Ursa's last mission the family we met there bowed and trembled when they realized that she was a knight of the empire. Do all humans react the same way?"

"In general, the good ones do. The bad ones don't. It is one of the methods we use for maintaining order. It has worked for over 30 years. Our master's rule may not have provided equality for the humans, but it has provided us with stability, peace and tranquility. It has allowed this civilization to thrive and prosper for the last thirty years by containing humans and preventing them from warring among themselves and wiping out all life on the planet- like what happened on your Gaia." She said to me.

"Interesting." I replied. "Lady Ursa has said the same thing to me as well."

"By the way they are doing fine." Lady Vermin said staring at me- her eyes illuminated by the vision equipment.

"Huh?"

"The Legend family. We have been keeping an eye on them since their move to World Two." The rat warrior said to me.

"Really?"

"Their stance on our master and the empire has softened since they became middle class. Now this is interesting!"

"What's that?" I asked as the lady rat handed me her vision equipment.

"Our quarry has moved into that tent over there. For what purpose?"

"Maybe a big meeting or perhaps they are going to call it a night? It is getting late." I added.

"All of them?" The rat warrior asked indignantly.

"Good point." I added.

"Get comfortable we will be watching them for a while if not all night." Lady Vermin said.

"Ah, and when are we going to sleep?" I asked.

"That will be during the day."

"How do we keep warm?" I asked the warrior. "We can't risk starting a fire. It would lead the rebels right to us."

"Calm yourself Alex-we have the cave to give us shelter from the snow and I brought this thermal sleeping unit it should generate enough heat to keep us warm for the next night or so and we have plenty of rations."

Lady Vermin unrolled the blanket spreading it out at the mouth of the cave for us to sit on and to wrap ourselves in as we continued to observe the enemy base.

Time dragged as we observed the rebel encampment from the confines of the pocket-cave. I don't know what I was so apprehensive about this mission. It was rather quite tedious and boring. So much so, I started to doze off falling asleep on Lady Vermin. The rat warrior gave me a jab to my side to wake me.

"Little Alex?"

"Sorry. it is past my bedtime." I said embarrassed.

"You need to stay awake." She chided me.

"Well how do you stay focused and deal with boredom on missions like this?" I asked.

Lady Vermin looked at me. "That is the life of a knight, long periods of boredom followed by periods of extreme danger."

"Yes my lady, what do you do to pass the time?" I asked.

"Uh oh, here come the questions." The rat lady said.

She read me like a book.

"You know, my lady I have known you for two months- but I really don't KNOW anything about you. What are your likes and dislikes? What do you do for fun?" I asked Lady Vermin.

"Serving our master and creator and rebels in that order." She answered.

"Do you have anyone special you care about?" I asked.

"Well I was attracted to that spiderman rebel." She said. "I even kissed him once under that mask of his."

"You mean the other universe jumper- like myself? The one your master had demanded you find?"

"The same." She replied. "I guess I have this thing for mysterious individuals.

"Really? That is quite an interesting secret." I said.

"Keep it that way." She ordered me.

"My lady, how did you become a Knight of Wundergore?" I asked. "You appear to be younger than Lady Ursa, Sir Ram, Lord Tiger and even Tauren. You seem to be too young to be an original."

"So you know about originals do you Alex? That's right, I am not an original. I came to the master's service when some irate humans burned down my parent's home WHILE we were in it. They were upset about some of the recent laws the master had passed and took it out on us. The house was destroyed but we survived. I decided on that day that I wanted to join the Knights to punish those who would break the law and to protect my loved ones."

"Wow." I replied.

"I can tell from your reaction that you are quite fascinated by us superior beings aren't you?"

"Yes my lady, I am intrigued by all of you furries." I said to the rat warrior. "There weren't any animal people on Gaia at all except for in media- publications, drawings and such. So yes, I am enamored and fascinated by all of you."

"Now this is interesting." The rat lady said.

The troops patrolling the the valley also entered the tent we had seen the other enter as well. It looked like our quarry was having a big fat meeting- but about what?

"This looks like my chance." Lady Vermin said standing up.

"What do you mean?!" I asked.

"All of the rebels are in that one tent. They even pulled in their guards and those on patrol. This looks to be something big and this is the perfect opportunity to find out." The rat warrior said grabbing her fire-arm.

"But my lady...."

"I can't hear what they are saying here. The only way is to get closer. Stay here, keep alert, be quiet and await for my return. Depending on the meeting I shouldn't be too long."

With that Lady Vermin left the cave and stealthily headed toward the enemy encampment to find out the size of our enemy's forces and their plans. I watched her as she left. Where my mistress was insanely powerful and strong. Lady Vermin was swift, quiet and agile.

So I waited for her return. Ten, twenty, forty, fifty minutes. That must have been one hell of a meeting. At some point I nodded off. The thermal unit was so warm.

Day 61

It was about an hour before dawn when I stirred and realized that the she beast hadn't returned.

(Was the rebel meeting still going on? It could be, but I highly doubt that it would be for four hours?)

I grabbed the vision equipment we had used while observing the enemy. I scoured the valley and the hills. I then saw her. The rat lady being escorted to the enemy encampment by five rebels. One was holding her service weapon, another was pulling her tail as yet another smacked her on the back of her head. Lady Vermin was in trouble.

(Oh crap! Now what the hell do I do?)

To Be Continued......