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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 99: Make The World What You Want (The Dawn Of Civilization Part VI)

While all that was happening, this was taking place also….

Day 200 (7:30 PM World Two, the dormitory.)

Kay-kay. I feel absolutely stupid for writing this, but a close friend advised me that it would help me deal with your loss. I miss you and Heather more and more everyday and hope that the both of you are at peace in the afterlife.

_As for those of us who are still alive in this reign of darkness, life has become extremely hard. I know, I know- if you were with me right here, right now you would say to me 'Kala life is not easy, it is not fair. It is full of pain, misery, suffering and disappointment ultimately leading to the final moments on your deathbed when you realize the futility and totality of your existence and you are like 'that's it?!' So deal with it. _

Well Keiko I have. In the aftermath of the world collapsing, I have assembled a rag-tag group to try to fight the chaos and to push back against the darkness. Our ultimate goal is to take back the city (well what is left of it) from the factions vying for control. Our numbers aren't large enough for that to happen yet so we had to start small.

We took back a city block that was undamaged during the fall, carving out an oasis, a safe haven for survivors. It is small but it is a start. We are defending if fiercely against all who would take it away from us. Kay-kay you would be so proud. Word has started to spread to refugees and many are taking up residence here- we have forty in all. They have started calling us the vigilantes. Kala's Vigilantes. I kind of like the sound of that.

Sincerely your sister.

“Kala?"

“What?! Huh?! Penny Penguin! Yes what is it?" The female gorilla said dropping her pad and its stylus.

“Just checking up on you. You seem withdrawn as of late. I know the weight of leadership is an extremely heavy burden. What are you doing to cope?"

“I am keeping a journal sort of."

“You mean you are writing letters to your sister and niece." The she penguin said.

“Yes. It was at Sura's suggestion." The brown gorilla answered.

“What about relaxation, what are you doing to decompress?" The healer asked the leader of the vigilantes.

“I have my self defense class if that is what you mean." The she gorilla responded.

“That will work to a certain extent, but what about downtime- relaxation?"

“I really don't have any Penny." Lady Keiko's twin sister replied.

“And that is the problem. You are acting like a knight of the former empire; always engaged. Always on. You need to delegate."

“In what way?"

“You need a second in command to take over when you are not around. Maybe even a third in command."

“Noted. Your point?" The warrior said to the healer.

“You also need to take time for yourself otherwise you will break and then what will happen to Kala and the vigilantes?"

“So what do you recommend?"

“I suggest you take the night off and relax."

“But there is too much going on Penny, you know that."

“As the designated healer around here. It is my job to look after the health and wellness of all in my care. Including our overworked, stressed out leader. I plan to do so now." The penguin said aiming a device at the shocked gorilla.

*ZAP*

Kala quickly rose to her foot paws as if it was some type of attack only to see her clothing disappear in a yellow golden light and reappear on the far side of her room in a neat pile.

“I haven't seen one of those in a long time." She said realizing that she was now stark naked.

“The gang that held me had a bunch of them they used on their captives when they um wanted, ah wanted… anyway please lie down- on your stomach."

The she gorilla while embarrassed, complied and soon felt the soft flippers of the penguin healer massaging and kneading her back.

“Penny, you are a masseuse?" The vigilante leader asked.

“Another skill I acquired to survive in captivity." The healer said moving from side to side as she tried to help her leader unwind. “Kala your trapezius muscles are quite tense."

“I guess I have been under a lot of pressure Penny."

“It is the oasis isn't it?" The penguin said moving down the ape warrior's back.

“It is taking considerable resources to defend what we carved away from the chaos even with those who have decided to support our cause."

“So our forces are limited to defending and protecting what we have." The penguin concluded. “That must make it very hard to conduct extra curricular activities."

“It does- ah!" The she beast said as the penguin healer focused on her gluteus maximus muscles.

“These get tense too Kala. In fact, I would also recommend that you start meditating as well."

“Training my forces, writing and this will be fine for now Penny thank you."

“Kala!!" A male Dalmatian said running into the small room off of the training hall. “Wow, I have never seen this side of you… it is a nice side too."

“Lune. My face is up here, not at my backside." Kala said as the penguin continued to work her over.

“It is a rather nice backside though…."

“Lune!" Penny shouted bringing the Dalmatian back to reality.

“Yes, right! It is another incursion." Mitsa's mate said.

“Let me guess more monsters?" The penguin asked.

“No, that was several days ago." Lune replied.

“Worshippers of monsters?"

“No Penny that was a few days ago."

“Entity rejects?"

“That was three days ago." Kala said feeling the stress come back.

“Road warriors?" The she penguin guessed.

“That was two days ago." Lune replied.

“Neo rebels?" The penguin guessed as she realized just how busy Kala and the vigilantes actually had been.

“They showed up yesterday. I reminded them of what happened to the Horde. They decided to move on." Kala added.

“You got me, what is it?"

“A walker." Lune gasped.

“They sent you to get back up?" Penny groaned.

“Sura is watching Luck."

“Duty calls. Penny to your station, Lune with me." The gorilla warrior said standing up. She reclothed, grabbed her curves swords and went to check on her forces.

Kala walked calmly out onto the block from behind the dormitory/training hall. There should have been humans and beastials of all shapes and sizes on either side of the street- talking, playing music, socializing, eating, trading supplies. Instead all eyes were locked onto the oasis' latest threat.

At the end of the block Kala and Lune found Theresa, Oliver, Mitsa, Nezera and an extremely ugly female pitbull staring down a large muscular dark black vulture who was holding a staff with rounded ends.

“Miss M you didn't have to." The gorilla warrior said walking up.

“Yes I do." The female canid said steadying her axe. “This is my home, my oasis against all the crazy out there. Your fight is my fight."

“Alright fair enough. Mitsa report." Kala ordered.

“Our latest challenge Kala." The female Dalmatian said pointing at the vulture with the goofy smirk but intense stare which made him look kind of crazed.

“Greetings survivors we bring good news." The dark avian said standing before Kala and the vigilantes.

“Well, you look like you are quite alone Other." Theresa said looking past the vulture.

“I thought there would be more of you walkers." Oliver said nodding to Nezera who disappeared briefly.

“There isn't." The vampire bat said reappearing.

“My this is a special occasion we don't get a lot of your kind in these parts." The gorilla warrior said pulling her curved swords from their sheaths on her back.

“The walkers have had a difficult time entering the market here in World Two." Mitsa said holding her tri-bladed yo-yo.

“Why is that dear?" Lune asked, preparing his short sword.

“Too much competition from the locals." Masha concluded.

“Ahem." The avian said redirecting their attention. “As we were saying we are here to present you an alternative to your lives now. A better life, your best life."

“I am going to stop you right there." The momma pitbull said. “I have heard it all before, ONE is coming!! ONE is coming!! It will improve your lives, end your suffering in exchange for your soul blah, blah, blah, blah."

“Doesn't look like you have been successful in getting the message out avian." Theresa observed.

“Sorry but we decline your offer." Mitsa said in a stern but definitive tone.

“Now please leave... while you still can." The vampire bat said.

“Like you we must decline." The vulture responded grasping his staff.

“And why is that?" Mitsa's mate asked.

“Isn't it obvious Lune? We are forty nine potential vessels ripe for the plucking." Kala said.

“The entity could really establish a franchise here with those numbers." Oliver announced.

“Alright everyone like we practiced no heroics." The gorilla warrior said charging.

“FOR THE OASIS!!!" Mitsa, Lune, Nezera, Theresa, Oliver and Masha yelled charging their attacker.

The seven vigilantes surrounded the black vulture attacking the creature- Kala, Lune, Oliver with their swords, Theresa, with her bladed staff, Nezera with her bladed glove, Mitsa with her tri-bladed yo-yo and Masha with her axe.

Deftly the vulture was able to dodge, deflect and parry each of the attacks before sending the seven flying backward.

“Are we getting our assess handed to us by an Other?" Mr. Justice asked rolling over on the street.

“A strong Other." The mother pitbull responded.

The seven attacked the walker again and received the same results.

“Tch!!!" The avian scoffed. “You see that our superiority is evident. You will soon be ONE with us."

“This is not working." The she Dalmatian said.

“Options?" The brown gorilla asked her subordinates.

“Perhaps there is some merit to your proposal." The ugly pitbull said laying down her axe and approaching the avian.

“Masha?"

“Miss M?"

Several of the vigilantes asked shocked.

Kala looked at Mitsa, Nezera, and Oliver directing them silently with her eyes.

“We thought you would come to your senses, now prepare to receive the joy, ecstasy of the ONE--ACK!!!"

*STAB*

*GOUGE*

The avian looked down at his torso. He had several swords piercing his chest, and several blades.

“Fool!" Masha said picking up her axe and hacking off the vulture's head in an inelegant strike. It bounced several times as it landed on the ground.

“That was the toughest one yet. Good job everyone." Kala said.

“Is it me or does it seem like our enemies continue to get stronger and stronger?" The she Dalmatian said. As her friends and colleagues observed the avian corpse.

“No!! You have slain the ONE!!" A avian with red plumage wearing a hooded mask shouted.

“That is not possible!!! The ONE is infinite, without flaws!!" Another with green plumage said approaching.

“Who or what are those?" The ugly pitbull female asked.

“Entity worshipers." Theresa face-palmed.

“We must correct this oversight. Capture as many as you can. We must help the collective flourish." A third avian with brown plumage shouted.

“They are going to try to take as many of us as they can." The male Dalmatian replied.

“That will be the day." Kala said gritting her teeth. “Vigilantes remember your training. Now attack."

The avian entity worshippers looked no better or sophisticated than the Circle. The individuals wore black hooded masks with slits for the eyes to see through black pants long brown shirts. To the untrained eye they looked like another gang like the Horde. That was when the gorilla warrior noticed several cages on carts complete with shackles nearby at the ready.

And so…

“You will never get away with this!" A white masked avian said as one of Kala's curved blades was pressed against his neck.

“Look around avian." The female gorilla said.

The beastial looked at his six companions- one had received several slashes from the female Dalmatian and her tri-blade. Another had been impaled by a male human's blade. Next to him stood his companion who had wet his pants at spearpoint from a female human, while yet another was restrained with a knife blade around his neck another had a axe blade resting in what used to be her rump and the last was drooping on a she bat's bladed glove as the blood drained from his body.

“You lost as did the walker you were following blindly." Kala said confidently to the masked avians.

“The collective will send another and another and even another if necessary until you and your followers are 'harvested' gorilla." The white avian said amidst gasps from bystanders.

“And why is that?" Lune asked the assailant he had at the end of his blade.

“Because the forty refugees you are protecting here are our divine providence."

More gasps were heard from the crowd.

“Any you and your kind will blindly follow that ONE to your doom as well." Oliver said berating the masked individual.

“Tell me worshiper, when you got up today and prepared to follow that walker, did you ever stop to consider that it could be your last day?" Theresa said tormenting the red masked avian she had brought down.

She watched as the creature soiled his pants again.

“PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!"

“Why not? We kind of enjoy seeing the life drain out of our prey. Well I do anyway." Nezera said after receiving weird glances from her colleagues.

“My friend speaks the truth. We seem to be at an impasse- we keep defeating you and your kind keep coming back. Perhaps if your defeat was more permanent..." Ms. Branch said thoughtfully.

“You wouldn't!!! You couldn't!!" The red avian squeaked.

“She sounds exactly like that redhead from a few days ago, same passion, same conviction." The green avian that was impaled on Nezera's blade said.

“What redhead?" Theresa asked. “Where?!"

“She kind of looks like you, shorter, but crazed." A brown avian added. “We could tell you, but you have to kinda let us go."

“Theresa, they are just saying something to get themselves out of this fix." Oliver said.

“But what if they are telling the truth and it is my sister?!"

“Or it could be a trap." Mitsa said.

“Theresa, walk with me." Kala said passing the white avian over to Masha.

The wildlife researcher followed the she beast toward the north end of the block.

“Kala, I know what you are thinking- it is probably nothing. But this is the first lead we have had since taking down The Circle!"

“It is an act of a desperate troop trying to get out of the fix that they are in." The gorilla warrior said quite sternly.

“I know that but it has been almost eight months- it is more likely that she is dead then alive but if you were in my shoes and had a possible lead on your sister wouldn't you follow it up?"

“Theresa."

“Kala, I know that it is crazy dangerous outside the oasis but we have to follow up on this please."

“I don't think I can spare the resources. It has taken all of us just to protect what we have now. You saw how strong that walker was and it was adamant we were going to join it in the collective." Kala said gesturing to some civets nearby who were listening in on their conversation.

“I understand, we must protect them and the Oasis at all costs." Ms. Branch said tearing up.

“On the contrary, perhaps those who have freely received should freely give." The mother pitbull said breaking into their conversation.

“Miss M?" Kala asked.

“All who are able to fight should assist in helping the eight of you in defending the Oasis. I offer my services as long as Sura or Penny can watch my brood. “What say the rest of you?" Masha said looking at the bystanders on the street. All of them nodded.

The three females returned to the end of the block.

“Mitsa you are in charge." Kala said retrieving her swords. “Clean up here."

“Kala?!" The female Dalmatian asked.

“Theresa and myself are going to investigate that lead and wet-pants over here is going to accompany us."

“ME??!!" The masked red avian said.

“Yes, you. But if you are lying..." Ms. Branch started to say.

“If I were you I wouldn't- we have your friends." The male Dalmatian said.

“Masha, Oliver- tie the rest of them up tightly. Nezera you have guard duty if one of these lot even looks at you funny..." Mitsa said.

“Then it is feeding time…" The vampire bat said looking at the green avian she impaled on her bladed glove.

“Ma'am, I think I need medical assistance."

“What makes you say that?" The grey bat asked curiously.

“You impaled me."

“Well too bad for you." The lady bat retorted.

“Kala you sure about this?" The Dalmatian said to the gorilla.

“No but it needs to be looked into Mitsa. We will keep the search party small Theresa, myself and wet-pants over there."

“You two be safe and come back in one piece; I don't want this substitute leader thing to become permanent." Mitsa replied.

“Personally I think you make a fine second in command." The red headed human said smiling. “So Kala how are we going to conduct this search?"

“We need to look like him for starters. Notice that his body is completely covered." The she gorilla said looking at their entity worshiper.

“That is kind of odd for one who desires to be of the ONE Ms. Branch commented while their prisoner trembled.

And so the three hit the streets just after sun down…

“Where did you see the redhead who looked like me?" Theresa asked.

“Now let me see…." Their prisoner responded.

“He stalling." Kala said.

“No, my group have been to a lot of places lately." The masked avian replied.

“Answer quickly worshiper or wet pants will be the least of your worries." Theresa said threatening him.

*scratch* *scratch* *scratch*

“What is making that scratching noise?!" Ms. Branch asked.

“We should ignore it." The female gorilla said.

But Theresa's curiosity got the better of her. Carefully and quietly she moved around the debris that strewn the block they were on past a crumpled apartment billing.

“Eww it is a large walking pile of sherbert!"

“Not so fast human it will hear you." The avian said silencing the woman.

“Little wolverine, little wolverine let me in!" The horrific creature commanded.

“Why?" A small voice answered from inside the rubble.

“I want to eat you." The creature said trying to gain entrance to the wolverine's home.

*scratch* *scratch* *scratch*

Theresa prepared to charge to the wolverine's rescue but was grabbed and warned against it.

The trio moved on in their urgent quest.

“Kala why did you stop me?"

“We are out here by ourselves; no back up." The she gorilla said sternly. “I know it is hard, but we have to pick and choose our battles."

“Your friend speaks the truth, if you had attacked the walking pile of sherbert trying to eat that youngling you would have drawn attention to yourselves." The red avian said.

“Yeah and been attacked by all the crazy out here. Fine where too?" The redhead said to her prisoner.

“Um this way… I think."

Kala and Theresa's 'guide' lead them right to into a neo rebel's stronghold.

“Maybe it was not this way." The entity worshiper said back tracking.

“What was the indicator the painted faces, the atvs or their chains?" Ms. Branch whispered.

The human and gorilla followed their captive again this time running across a mob of rejects trying to find offerings to bring to the synoptic.

“You would have fit right in with those people there." Theresa said to masked avian.

“What is the difference between a reject and an entity worshipper?" Kala asked.

“Standards." Wet-pants answered.

“Last chance bird." Theresa said sternly.

“There- it was there!!" The avian said pointing. “The exposed cellar of that collapsed building."

“You mean with the being wearing a bull skull on his head and the staff in its hand standing over the cauldron chanting?!"

“Oh great magog please accept this plentiful bounty as my offering and gift to you!!!"

“This is where I saw her!!!" The red avian entity worshiper said.

“She isn't here now." The wildlife researcher exclaimed.

“Ceil, I am getting too old for this." A turtle said to a gecko.

“What now sir?" The gecko said asking a trembling lizard.

“Crap it is Ignatius, Ceil and Faust." The she gorilla grimaced._ _

“Why are they hanging from the wall?" Wet-pants asked.

“I believe they are about to be sacrificed." The human female said.

“To what though?" Kala asked.

“I would say that black shadow moving on the floor toward skull beastial over there."

“DECOMPOSE!!!!"

“Well that is something you don't see everyday- the beastial performing the ritual became the sacrifice." Kala and Theresa's prisoner observed as the monster worshiper performing the ritual collapsed into a pile of bones and rotting matter.

“So that creature is called a magog en?" The she beast said scratching her chin.

“Kala it is moving toward the knights!" Theresa shouted.

“Izzy has been a disaster trying to save the city. I guess we shouldn't let him perish needlessly. You two distract the magog I will tend to the Knights of Warwick."

“Hey you black and creepy!" Theresa said jumping down into the open cellar.

The black shadow growled and moved toward her and the red avian as the two were overwhelmed by the smell of putrid flesh.

“ACK that smell!!" Wet-pants said nervously.

*WHOOSH*

“DECOMPOSE!!!"

The female human used her bladed staff to attack the black shadow but there was nothing to hit. She vaulted out of the way as it attacked. The entity worshiper behind her was not so lucky.

A pile of bones, clothing and putrid flesh was all that was left of the red avian entity worshipper.

“KALA!!!!"

“I got them. Let's go!!" The she beast said cutting down the turtle, gecko and lizard with her curved swords.

The five of them quickly returned above ground and fled.

“Kala, Theresa thank you." The lizard said.

“What was that about?" The redhead asked the gecko.

“We tried to use some of the 'crazy' that was running around to try to bring order to the city." Ceil said.

“We were double crossed and almost became sacrifices for that thing that decomposes living matter." Faust added.

“Who came up with that stupid idea?!" The gorilla warrior asked.

The two knights were silent as they looked at their leader.

“Well, I, um… what were you two doing out here on these dangerous streets?" Iggy asked.

“Following up on a lead. Unfortunately it didn't pan out." Ms. Branch said tearing up as she was comforted by the brown gorilla.

“Let's go home. You three look like you could use a bath and a hot meal as well. Join us." Kala said extending the invitation to the three remaining Knights of Warwick.

“I would like that." Ceil announced.

“So what are we going to do with the six remaining prisoners of ours Kala?" Theresa asked as they departed.

“I don't know." The gorilla warrior said.

Meanwhile at the operations building of an abandoned dam in World Four...

“Jessie!! Devon get out here!!!" Claudius shouted as he returned.

“So the wayward scientist finally appears!" The masked revenger said walking out of their secret base. He was followed by a marble fox.

“What is that?!" Devon shouted staring at the large creature the amphibian was riding on.

“A large ancient weapon, it agreed to let me tag along while it conquers and dominates all." Claudius said smiling wickedly as the 25 foot tall homunculus he was riding on stared indignantly at the human and marble fox who marveled at its size.

To Be Concluded….