FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 137: More Than We Will Ever Understand

Day 1037 (Chamber Of The Dead Castle Wundagore)

“Rest great warrior." The buck standing next to me said reaching into the casket. “You will be avenged."

Springer then walked out of the chamber as I continued to stare at the fallen warrior.

“First time attending one of these ceremonies?" The cheetah to my left asked as he reached into the casket to touch our fallen friend's limb.

“Yeah." I responded. “I didn't attend the one for Chase or the Rebel Hunters. I kind of felt guilty for not doing so too."

We were soon joined by Coal who walked into the chamber. The junior knight took his time looking around at the bare 20' x 20' room with the exception of the carpet leading to the larger drawer protruding from the wall in front of him and the human and cheetah staring at the remains within.

“These things never ever get easier." The donkey said approaching Chemar and myself.

“That they don't." I responded.

“We can only hope that she didn't die needlessly." The cheetah said to the donkey.

“Well, I heard Sir Ram and Mara are working on something. If it is as big as the rumors say then maybe all this will be worth it." The donkey said to the cheetah.

EARLIER....

Day 1033 (Morning)

In a stunning turn of events the ruler of all Counter Earth, The High Evolutionary reversed his judgement of the female rebel group known as the Valkyries when extensive testing revealed that the five individuals the Knights of Sevren had captured were actually beastials who- are you ready for this? Trapped in the rebels' bodies. Zed Zebra said during his morning news broadcast.

_It turns out the rebels somehow swapped bodies with those they had taken hostage at the theater opening in World Three last week. The female rebels are still at large still pretending to be beastials. _

We here at the hub have become part of this story as we discovered one of our own had also suffered from this body swap. The affected beastials have been released and allowed to return to their lives as best as possible. Our reporter Newton Leaf has decided to remain off camera until this issue is sorted out. Updates as they happen. Zed said ending the broadcast.

(Was it that the centaur was embarrassed that he was trapped in a non-beastial's body, the fact that the body was a female or both?)

“It turns out you were right Alex." My warrior bear said eating the stack of pancakes I had made for her that morning- all at once.

“Just think if we hadn't run into that store...."

“Well at least the victims have been returned to their families." My she beast said.

“But that has to be very awkward for the sea lion, canine, lizard and jaguarundi- I mean they left their homes, family and friends as beastials one morning and came back as humans."

“Yes pet very awkward." My perfect person said as there was a chime at the door.

“Who could be up and about at this hour?" I asked.

“Come in, its open." My she beast said.

“Early morning to you Lady Ursa, Alex." A owl warrior said walking in.

“Morning Barran." I said.

“Oh I see you two have heard the news." She said looking at the hub monitor.

“In a matter of speaking." Lady Ursa said to the commander of the Rebel Hunters.

“That whole incident has become a big scandal for the master and he is going to order the knight core to track down those five females." The avian said.

“That is not going to be a easy task, those rebels are living in beastials' bodies and are most likely hiding in plain site in one of the cites. Each of which has a population of 100,000 or more."

“Well we know what the five beastials who were body swapped look like Alex." My she beast said to me.

“That is true, but what is to prevent them from disguising themselves?" I countered. “The rebel that has Newton Leaf's body could have dyed his hair and fur and since first class citizens aren't tracked like second class citizens who would be the wiser?"

But secretly I sympathized with the rebels- I mean, they were second class citizens barred from the benefits and privileges of first class citizens. So instead of trying to end the empire, take down the High Evolutionary, protest or work for change within the system- they swapped identities and decided to live out the rest of their lives masquerading as beastials. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky.

What was even more disturbing was that someone out there had the technology to do that to unsuspecting victims. Sadly the empire ended before the Valkyries and the inventor of the body swapping technology were ever found, judged or punished despite the knight core's best efforts.

“It gets even worse." Barran said bringing me back to the present. “The TRUTH have been having a field day with this scandal." The owl warrior said showing Lady Ursa and myself their most recent promotion.

Attention beastials! Have you been feeling disoriented? Out of sorts? Confused? Not like yourself? Maybe it is you! Or maybe we have taken your body and forced you to live as one of us! If so you are about to learn first hand what it feels like! And by the way, neither the High Evolutionary nor his enforcers can protect you from this either and that is the truth! A disembodied voice said as the camera focused on a fennec fox who was smiling at her reflection in a mirror.

(Man, that is cold!)

“Barran, was the information the Knights of Sogreth provided on Mr. E of any assistance?"

“It was Alex and that is why I am here." Six said standing in front of my bear warrior and myself as we finished eating. “I have an idea where I believe a signal relay of there's is located; I am assembling a team to find it. Perhaps it will help find their base of operations."

“Six that is great!" I said looking at her- she was dressed in a blue top with leather pants. Finally she was going to get some payback.

“I want you boy to join my team."

“Six that is not so great." I said exchanging glances with my mistress. “Why me?"

“Your recent mission with Commander Keiko made this raid possible boy and besides Lord Tiger considers you somewhat of a good luck charm."

(DAMN!)

What Barran meant was that she was going to need some luck because her last team had been annihilated hunting rebels forcing her to borrow here and there from the core to continue her operations.

I looked at my fierce ursine warrior who nodded her head in approval.

(TRAITOR!)

“Right then." The avian warrior said to me. “Consider yourself drafted, we deploy this evening."

Well as you guessed it that ruined the day for me. I was relieved from my shift with the knight core to rest up and get ready for the special operation in the evening.

“Crap." I huffed after Barran left.

“Alex?" My warrior bear said as she went to the trunk in the closet and laid out my clothes for me- a white and black shirt and black pants with black boots.

“Another mission off into the unknown chasing after who knows what." I grumbled.

“This bears a resemblance to your second mission with Lady Vermin. Do you remember that Alex?"

“How could I forget? I was scared out of my mind and that mission went sideways as well."

“But you adapted and came back with valuable intel for the empire. You have come a long way since then pet. The trials and tribulations you have faced have molded you making you smarter, resourceful, wily, cunning and more confident." My perfect person said to me.

“Not that confident mistress." I said as she closed the trunk.

“Look at the missions you have gone on and the situations you have been in since pet."

“Yes, despite all that, I still feel the same way I did on my second mission- scared."

“Then I am going to give you the same advice I did for that mission pet."

“Let me guess, Barran is a fellow warrior. You can trust her as you would me. Keep her safe and she will keep you safe."

(Famous last words.)

“Exactly Alex and remember the most powerful weapon you possess as well." She said pointing to my head.

“Yes mistress."

That evening I met Barran at the loading dock of the castle.

“Punctual. I like that in my males." The owl warrior said. She was dressed in a blue shirt and black chainmail and pants like she was preparing for an incursion.

“Please tell me that it is just not us." I pleaded.

“What scared to be alone with me?" Six teased.

“No. It is just that you said team as in more than two."

“There is- barely. With every beast out on missions to crush pockets of lawlessness and preserve the empire the available assets were limited." She said staring at the entrance to the loading dock.

“How limited?" I asked.

“Not the elite team I wanted, but it was what was available a junior knight, two former junior knights and a specialist." Barran said as the door to the loading dock opened.

In walked a donkey, buck and cheetah dressed in similar uniforms.

“Coal? Chemar and Springer?!"

“Your teammates." Six said. “I trust all of you know each other?"

“Hi Alex!" The two knights said. “You ready for this?"

“Hi Springer." I said walking up to the former junior knight. His antlers were even shorter than the last time I saw him.

The buck did not reply. He just scanned my tracking chip.

(Seriously?)

“So Six, are we rebel hunting?" The grey donkey asked.

“Our target is the TRUTH rebels." The avian said.

“You have found their base of operations?" Chemar asked.

“No, I think I know where a signal relay station of theirs." The owl said to the cheetah. “It's general location. We are going to raid it and with any luck we won't be coming back empty."

“Where?" Springer asked.

“Location is classified. But the four of you will find out soon enough. Now every one into the transport vehicle."

The five of us loaded up into a transport vehicle and departed for points unknown. Barran drove. Springer was in the passenger seat and Coal, Chemar and I were in the back checking equipment and wondering where we were going. We found out within an hour.

“The Great Forest?" I gasped stepping out of the vehicle. “I hate, hate, hate, hate forests!"

(Especially on near moonless nights!)

“Why is that boy?" The owl warrior said staring at me as I stared at the vast hilly woodland.

“Commander bad things have happened to me in the forest- werewolf encounters, alien abductions, rebel ambushes to name a few." I said shaking.

“Yes boy, I have read your file." The avian remarked grabbing her gear from the transport vehicle. “But it wasn't all bad there were some positives...."

“Name one positive thing that happened to me in the forest- just one?" I said to the avian warrior.

“Didn't Lady Ursa take your virginity in this very forest?" She said smirking at me. “Now let's move out."

“Yeah, she did and it was the greatest night of my life." I said kicking some rocks.

WHOO! WHOO!

“What was that?" I screamed darting behind Springer.

“An owl- the nonbeastial type." The buck said to me. “I read your file too- places like this terrify you don't they? If you want specialist, I could hold your hand."

I heard snickers from the donkey and cheetah behind me. Despite that I decided to take Springer up on his offer.

“Keep me safe and I will keep you safe alright?" I said to him.

“Actually you humans don't see too well in the dark do you?"

(Moron!)

“You know Springer, despite all my missions with the knight core over the years, you and I have never worked together." I said to him changing the subject.

“I guess not." The quiet deer said to me as I continued to shake.

“You are still freaked out?" Coal asked.

“More than you know."

“Interesting. Your file said that you had experience in hostile environments." The donkey said as the five of us entered the forest.

(Has every beast read my file?!)

“Only in urban environments which this is not." I protested.

“Alright, enough chat boys." Barran said taking lead.

So Coal, Chemar, Springer and myself trekked into the Great Forest long after the sun had gone down. We climbed up mounds and hills on our way to Barran's target. It was hard to move around quietly because all the leaves that had fallen on the ground. But we made best effort.

Barron stared at her communicator as we moved in deeper, the trees and brush seemed to blend together in the darkness as we followed the owl warrior toward the area she believed was a point of interest of the rebel faction known as TRUTH.

Apart from the numerous postings TRUTH had made on the hub defaming the High Evolutionary and his enforcers not much was known about this group. Apart from the individual the Animalitia tried to sell the black prototype's plans to in World Four.

“We are here boys." Six whispered.

“What is here?" Chemar asked.

“Remember when automated vehicles started turning against their drivers a few months back?"

“Vividly." Chemar said.

“Sir Ram and Mara determined it was due to some type of localized signal." Coal added. “As I recall they couldn't determine its precise location of origin."

“Well after mounds and mounds of research later, I determined that there must have been some type of relay station for the signal."

“Where?" I asked the owl warrior.

“Right around here." The avian said turning to me. “You sensing anything boy?"

“Um no." I said as Coal, Chemar and Springer spread out and started to look around.

They established a half mile radius from our location and started examining tree by tree, shrub by shrub, and the ground with their gear looking for this mysterious relay that according to Barran was still relaying the low grade signal.

“This might have been better if we could bring in a hover bike or one of the prototypes." The donkey said.

“Too many trees." Chemar commented.

“And we wouldn't want to tip off the the target." Springer said.

Finding nothing the leader of the Rebel Hunters had Chemar, Coal, and Springer pick a direction and start walking away from the predetermined location. The cheetah headed north, the donkey south, the buck west and Barran and I went east.

“Oh do we have that kind of relationship boy?" The female avian asked as I held her paw.

“Barran you know I can't see a lick in the dark. Besides there isn't much moonlight tonight and the passing clouds aren't helping."

“Yes, I should have brought you some night vision gear..." the avian warrior started to say.

“HELP! HELP!" We heard a voice in the darkness scream.

“Who is there?" Barran asked drawing her weapon and pushing me behind her.

“Over here!" An avian said stepping out of the dark shadows.

(Another owl?!)

“Wow... I mean who are you?" The she beast asked our handsome interloper.

“Nathan Now." The he beast said. “I need your help! My girl and I were hiking in the forest. We got into argument... she wandered off on her own and off a cliff."

“Is she ok?" I asked peaking out from behind Barran.

“I... I think she is dead." The avian responded horrified.

Barran stared at the handsome male owl. He had a broad face with a brown beak, yellow eyes. His plumage was tan with brown streaks. He was dressed in purple jacket and pants.

“Why didn't you call for help?" The she beast said.

“She had the communicator! I have been wandering for hours screaming for help."

There was a unnatural pause as if the female owl was deciding what to do. Looking back- I think Six had been placed under a trance. I ended up nudging her to snap her out of it.

“Where?"

“Just up the path this way!" The handsome hiker said as he started walking away.

“Alex?" Barran said turning to me.

“I am not sensing anything." I said as she reached for her communicator.

“This is Barran, all forces converge on my signal."

“What is going on commander?" Chemar asked.

“Hiker in distress." The winged warrior said.

“This is Nathan Now boys, he and his girl were hiking here in the forest. She fell off a cliff. He thinks she is deceased."

The male owl nodded as Barran introduced him.

“You do know he is out past curfew right?" Coal added.

“I don't think it is intentional, just bad planning." Six responded to the donkey.

“Chemar, Coal you are with me. Alex and Springer stay and continue the mission."

Springer and I nodded.

“I take it you didn't have any luck on your search?" I asked the buck as we walked back to the focal point of our search.

“Did you?"

“No just that lost hiker." I said as the moon reappeared from behind some clouds only to disappear again.

Springer looked at his communicator. “According to this, the relay station should be around her somewhere."

“But where in all of this?!" I said looking at the trees that surrounded us and their tops.

That was when we heard a mysterious sound- someone or something humming.

Springer and I looked at each other and then toward the direction of the sound. He motioned me to follow, his weapon drawn. We arrived at a fallen log where we saw a beautiful female fennec completely naked! Well except for a necklace, some earrings and small belt that was around her waist which contained many beads.

The she fox was quite lovely large ears, beautiful slim form small petite breasts, golden fur with brown highlights on her nipples and paws and a broad smile on her face. As we approached she stopped humming and started singing and then dancing!

“That is something you don't see every day." I quipped.

“Yeah and quite lovely." The buck said.

“Hello boys." The naked beastial said. “I am Feleen."

“Hello yourself." Springer said dropping his weapon as he oogled her with his eyes. “What is a knockout like yourself doing in a place like this?"

“Oh sometimes I get tired of the cities and like to come back out here, to nature where I began. Where it all began."

“Um, ma'am you do know that there is a curfew right?" I said interjecting.

“I find conforming to modern society with all its laws, rules and statutes so limiting out here, I can be free." The she fox said. Her voice was sparkling, like that of a singer.

“I can see that." I said looking at the naked beastial.

(DAMN, she was lovely and the way she swayed her hips!)

“Why don't you come and join me?"

“Springer you know this is obviously a trap right?"

*whoosh*

No sooner had I said that, the mid-level knight had joined the lovely female dancing with her under the minimal light of the moon. It seemed like Springer was in some type of trance.

(This is not good.)

The she beast started singing again some strange and beautiful song I did not recognize. Before I knew it I had joined the mid-level knight that was swinging and swaying with the naked she beast. It was like we were under the spell of a siren.

“Clothes are so limiting like civilization and all its rules." The she beast said. “Join me, come let's be free."

I watched as Springer removed his uniform and under garments! Now there were two nude beastials dancing in the forest. I tried to resist, but I ended up doing the same! It was like my will was not my own!

“Join me boys. Join me. Be free..."

“Springer." I tried to shout. It actually came out as a moan. He ignored me. “This is a trap." I moaned again as I watched him sway back and forth in time with the fennec.

That is when the beautiful naked beastial touched us.

!!!

I tried to avoid it, to escape. But I couldn't.

*zap* “AUGH!!!"

All went black.

Sometime later I don't know how long, I came to. I was resting on soft felt- like fur, it was a tan colored chest. The arms either side were brown and a paw attached to one was resting on my backside. It felt nice.

“Alex? Wake up!"

I looked up and locked eyes with Springer. We were lying each other on the floor inside a slender ten foot tall glass cylinder- chamber which ran from floor to ceiling. It reminded me of the kind I had seen in Sir Ram's other labs.

“UGH!" I said stirring.

“What happened? My head is pounding!" The buck asked.

“What was the last thing you remember?"

“I, we, met a beautiful fennec- in the middle of the Great Forest?! We were dancing with her and we had removed our..." Springer said looking down where his paw was.

“Yes you were touching mine." I said as he started to blush.

“Cute butt." The deer said quietly.

“That wasn't the only place where we were touching." I said rolling off him. “The deer had a nice physique- like an athlete, a little muscle tone on his shoulders- but very trim.

As we regained our footing we both stared at each other's male bits- I looking at his (It was small) and he looking at mine.

“Well if you and I are done, how did we get in here?" Springer said joining me at staring out the window of our circular cell.

“Her!" I said pointing as the beautiful naked fennec appeared out of the blackness and approached us.

“Human why do you help them?" She asked. “They are OUR oppressors."

“They are my friends." I said as I exchanged a blank look with the female beastial. “They have been kind to me. Why did you do this?"

“It is my duty to defend this facility, to the best of my ability. I am sorry but you must die now." She said disappearing into nothingness.

!!!

I looked at Springer horrified.

“Alex?"

“Springer I am sensing danger, extreme danger!"

The naked buck and I tried to determine where- all around our cylinder was blackness. The glass surrounding us was thick and the floor metal. Above was a large vent which started sucking the oxygen out of our chamber.

“She is going to suffocate us!" Springer said.

“What are we going to do? We don't have our gear!" I screamed.

The buck calmly removed his left antler. Inside was a small metallic something he removed if from the stem reaffixed the antler to his head and tossed it into the vent.

“We should take cover!" He said pressing me to the floor as the air bled from the chamber.

**BOOM!!!**

The glass at the ceiling of the of cylinder shattered as did the vent. Springer hoisted me up to the torn vent and I was able to make my way outside the cylinder. It was then that I discovered what was beyond the darkness- we were in a room within the relay station.

I blindly felt around the cylinder looking for something anything. I found a button. Pressing it made the cylinder or what was left of it disappear.

“Springer!"

“I am a bit whoosy but alright." I walked around the buck to help him up from the ground. As I did I noticed his nice lithe torso with the brown fur, tan highlights and the peculiar design on his rump.

“You have a heart shaped design on your butt!"

“Alex, I am up here." He said redirecting my attention.

(Nice tail too.)

“Sorry. I have never notice what a handsome beastial you are."

“Um, thanks." he said turning to face me.

“Anyway I think that fennec is some type of hologram, a sentinel placed here to defend this facility. She whammied you into removing your clothing and dancing with her."

“Damn, it was a trap and it was us Alex." The buck responded.

“You think? Since when do you keep explosives in your antlers?"

“For emergencies. That is also why I don't allow them to grow too long either." Springer said as I looked at him weirdly. “It would be quite difficult to remove my uniform and put it on. So... this is the relay station?"

“The reason we couldn't find it, was because it was small and underground."

“And well protected one." The mid-level knight said as we heard a hissing sound.

We walked out of our room and into a long hallway with doors. In each were more cylinders chambers like the one we were held in. At the end of the hallway was a illuminated console.

“Where is that hissing noise coming from?" I said as we opened the adjacent hallway doors trying to find the source.

“In here!" Springer said darting into a room. “Alex!"

As we entered we found Chemar and Coal naked in a similar cylinder. They had been caught by the sentinel too.

“The hell?!" I said looking at the top of the enclosure- as something misty-white was being pumped in.

“Gas!" Springer said looking up. “It looks like TRUTH intends to keep this place secret."

“If we don't get them out of there...."

“I know they are goners!" The buck said. “I am out of explosives! Look for the release!"

I quickly ran around looking for some type of release switch. I managed to find one near the door of the room. I pressed it releasing the other knights and stopping the gas.

Springer pulled Chemar and Coal from what was left of the chamber. He gently rested his ear toward their muzzles. “They aren't breathing!"

I quickly darted across the room. Springer was performing mouth to mouth on Chemar. I quickly did the same to Coal desperately trying to revive the junior knight.

“Breathe dammit!"

*cough* *cough*

The nearly asphyxiated donkey started breathing again after what seemed an eternity. I quickly ran to check on Springer and Chemar. The cheetah had been revived and was coming around.

“You two alright?" I asked.

“Alex, Springer why are you two naked?" Chemar said looking around.

“Chemar we are all naked. I think it was a trap." Coal said.

“What was the last thing you remember?" Springer said standing up.

“Well hello handsome." The chetah said looking at his rescuer.

“Hello yourself! I see that your spots do run all the way down." The buck said.

“Six had us scale down the cliff Nathan's girlfriend had fallen off. When Chemar and I reached her, she was lying on her back staring up at the sky- she was nude." Coal said.

“She was quite lovely too. Large ears, golden fur, beautiful face, small petite breasts with cute tits." Chemar commented.

“What species was she?" I asked the cheetah.

“She was a fennec. We touched her and then everything went black until now." Coal added.

“The whole thing was a trap- it is a holographic sentinel programmed to trap and kill in order to guard this place." The buck said. “And we got caught like we were junior knights the first week on the job."

“It happens to the best of us Springer." I said trying to cheer him up.

“Anyway thanks for the save." Coal said. “And the other things...."

“I'll say." Chemar quipped. “Coal, for a donkey you are hung like a horse!"

“My girlfriend seems to think so too." The junior knight blushed. “She also likes that it is the same color of my mane."

“Alright enough admiring of your physiques." Springer said chastising. “Has any one seen Barran?"

“The last time we saw her she was atop the cliff next to Mr. Now." Chemar said standing up.

“We need to find her!" Springer said darting out of the room.

“I didn't know he had a heart shaped pattern on his butt." The donkey said to the cheetah as I ran by.

We started searching the small relay station looking for the female avian each of us looking through every door of the long hallway. As I suspected each doorway from the hallway led to a room with a glass- cylinder chamber in it. Most were empty, but there were a few rooms with beastial remains from the luckless souls that had run across the sentinel. It appeared that this sentry for this facility defended it fiercely.

It was the last door that we found her. Another room with another 10' tall glass cylinder- chamber. It had been completely filled with water. Inside a naked female owl was floating with her eyes wide open. The glass heavily scarred with claw marks where she had desperately tried to escape.

To Be Continued....