| "Considering all the things that had happened," Frederigo D'Honaire
says as he waves goodbye to the departing ship that carried Astra 1. "I
was beginning to wonder whether or not we'd ever get our new diplomat to
sea!"
"Well, after the meeting the hardest part was repacking her belongings,"
Alicia says, tail swishing as she walked along with her husband and .
"At least replacing the hairbrushes proved no difficult task," Loam
murmured, muzzle twitching. "Considering the rather large surplus we have
on hand of various articles of clothing and personal items left behind
by the former inhabitants of Panaras!"
This brings sad nods from the other Manimals.
"The Lizards have much to answer for," Alicia murmurs darkly. "For what
they did to my land, and to Terra as a whole!"
"Ahmen!" vixen and manfox say together.
A few seconds later, Loam brings up something that had been bothering
him. The others stop and listen to what the large manwolf has to say.
"Good grief," Loam mutters. "It's weird what's happened over the last
month and a half! I thought that when Carradene finally revealed that he'd
the rogue dragon….dragoness Malachi was going to sneak in and free the
Pack from the Isle, I thought it was the strangest idea I was EVER going
to hear in my life! I mean, not in a thousand lifetimes would I EVER
think that there was such a dragon like Malachi!"
"I know," Alicia agreed. "The only dragons I had ever heard about were
the type that burned down villages, ate princesses, and generally made
Fred's last occupatoin-Dragonslaying-deadly necessary! I never thought
I'd see a dragon who'd want to HELP human beings even a little bit, and
here's Malachi and her Dragon Circle. Now, she's caring for my old homeland
with such fierce devotion and love…..almost like a mother protecting a
child."
"And then there's the Golems and the Lizards," Loam went on, shaking
his furry head in wonder. "God help us if those Juggernauts go at it again
in earnest with their hell weapons you told me about."
"I have a feeling that the Alliance Armada that Probe told us about
above," Fred says, pointing a single clawed finger up towards the heavans.
"Would have a bit to say before the Enemy got close enough to scorch Terra
again. I might not be totally happy about the Golems being about, but I
get a feeling that without them……we'd be in REAL trouble from the Lizards!"
"Tell me about it," the silver furred manwolf grimaces. "I did tell
you about what that magical examination of that one Lizard body we still
have in that…..cryo-unit thing back in the Mayor's Residencia turned up
in it's stomach."
"Human tissue and bone," Alica said, with the fur on the back of her
neck standing up on end. "That's what Probe told us humans were to the
Enemy…..something to use as cattle."
"Better the Golems than the Lizards by a long shot," Fred nods. "And
I somehow get the feeling that our mechanical friend was well nigh sincere
in his statements that the Alliance would compensate Terra for the mining
rights of the Tiberium. I also got a feeling he hated having to deliver
what amounted to blackmail from his superiors that told that if we didn't……the
city of Atlantis would be truly lost."
"I doubt that they'll do it now," Fred continues. "Blow the dome, considering
that it's now well known to them that the only way to save Terra….and their
precious tiberium, is to protect Atlantis at all costs."
"All too true, dear husband," Alicia whispers as she leans closer and
her tail wraps around Fred's in a tender embrace. "But for now, we must
work together with them if Terra is to survive….if our children are to
ever see the light of day."
"I just hope that when the war between the Alliance and the Enemy is
over," Loam says as they resume walking. "I hope that Terra won't be swept
away in all the changes that will befall her when this….Company comes around
to take over operations…..if the Military let's them." Somehow all three
of them doubted that the Military wanted that to happen……
-
 Later, after the business
of Pack Leader and Head of the Fox Clan permit it…..a pair of man sized
foxes are chasing each other through the jungle…then….unease……
Go Back
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