Companions Chapter 34: Jeremiah's Secret
#35 of Companions
[Companions Chapter 34]
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WARNING! The following text contains explicit adult subject matter. It is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. If you are under the age of 18, then you must stop reading now. The author has taken steps to ensure that this story does not appear in any subject-inappropriate or age-inappropriate forum. This version has been posted with the author's permission to Yiffstar.com.
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* _COMPANIONS_
* by Evoquus
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* (c) Copyright 2003, Evoquus, All rights reserved.
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* Feedback is appreciated: [email protected]
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Rating: NC-17 for explicit sex: M/M, F/F, Human-Stallion-Mare, Anal, Oral
Chapter 34: Jeremiah's Secret
Leisurely dining alone in the meadow, Shianna gasped when she saw two horses and a human ride up to her. "Do my eyes deceive me?" she laughed delightfully.
"Nope," said Daniel proudly, sliding off the black mare and leading her to the white.
"Shianna, allow me to introduce you to Pandora."
Shianna smiled and nodded to her. "How do you do, Pandora."
Pandora nodded and nickered.
"Can she speak?"
"No," said Daniel.
"Why not?"
"Um..." Daniel consulted Rovaun. The thought had not occurred to either of them. They had assumed she could not speak, only because they had been following the hoofprint trail of Jeremiah's story. In that tale the fictitious Danielle had shown no inclination to speak her mind.
"Communing requires a high level of mental acuity," theorized Rovaun. "It may be asking too much."
"Why?" said Shianna, who was enjoying this. Daniel decided to play along.
"Yes, Husband - why? Look at me. If a Hipponaur brain has the mental acumen to create living virtual matter, surely it can discuss politics."
Daniel addressed the mare. "It's only a matter of faith - right, Pandora?"
The mare looked him squarely in the eyes.
"You can speak, can you not?" asked Daniel confidently.
There was a pregnant pause, and then the mare replied, "Of course I can."
Shianna gasped in shock. Rovaun whinnied likewise. Every virtual follicle on the back of Daniel's neck stood stiffly erect. Only the mare was unfettered. In fact, she went completely blank.
"That... voice! Did you hear it!?" cried Shianna.
"I did," said Daniel, coolly.
"Perhaps Pandora should remain mute from now on, Companion."
"I th... think I agree," said Daniel, his virtual chest pounding from within. "Did we all just hear a ghost?"
"Calm down, everyone," said Rovaun. "Zhorelle is long gone."
"Is she?"
"My God, Husband, what if she's still in there!"
"She is NOT in there!" insisted Rovaun. "Look at her, Companion. She cannot even swat a fly right now, because YOU are the only soul in that body. YOU are in control."
"I was in control. Now I can't get her to blink."
"Because you have momentarily lost your faith in her, and thus she has lost it in you. Instruct her to keep quiet, and I expect you will regain her trust as you regain your own."
Daniel glanced at Shianna, who was still trembling from the initial shock. "I'll be okay," she said, "just as long as I never hear that voice again, ever, ever, NEVER."
"Come now, Shianna," said Rovaun. "You have managed quite well so far, dealing with her physical presence."
"Which I struggle with on a daily basis... No offense, Danny."
"None taken, I guess."
"Go on, Companion. See if you can revive her."
"Okay," sighed Daniel. "Zho... um, Pandora... That was quite a fright you gave us all just now. Please don't do it again, okay?"
The mare remained dormant.
"Okay?"
Still nothing. Daniel turned anxiously to Rovaun, who nodded reassuringly.
"Pandora? Can you hear me? Wiggle your ears."
Nada.
"You have to want it, Companion," reminded Rovaun.
Daniel lifted her chin. "Please?" Her eyes remained blank, not fixating on anything. Daniel feared that his rejection had buried her completely.
"Please, Pandora! Look at me. You can do it! I know you can."
The mare could not hear him.
"Whicker! Snort! Fart! Anything!"
"Except speak," reminded Shianna.
The mare was brain dead. It was hopeless. Pandora's keys were locked in her trunk, which meant that Daniel would have to go in there to retrieve them eventually.
"What now, Husband?" asked Daniel depleted of ideas.
"Do not fret, Companion," assured his mate. "You will figure it out soon. You always do."
"But until then, we're stuck here."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because she won't budge!"
"Companion," chuckled Rovaun, "you are taking this situation too seriously. It is still your primary body, remember?"
"Oh, right... But why does it scare the crap out of me so much today?"
"There is nothing to worry about, Companion. If you wish, you may kiss me for spiritual strength before you bffmmf!... Mmmmmff!"
Daniel released his liplock on the stallion after sucking all of the spiritual strength out of him then marched bravely up to Pandora and entered her. Instantly, the mare found her brains again.
"No sign of ghosts, Husband," she said in Daniel's voice, albeit softened on the edges. Daniel caught sight of Shianna studying him, and a tiny gasp escaped his lips. The white mare, as viewed from Pandora's eyes, had suddenly become more radiant than a nova. "Hi, Shi... Shianna," Daniel stammered.
Shianna shot a puzzled glance to Rovaun. "We've met."
Daniel dropped his head. "I'm sorry... it still feels a little weird to be around you ever since we..."
"That's right, Shianna!" chimed Rovaun excitedly. "We have been meaning to ask you about that."
"About..."
"Does the sight of me truly repulse you," asked Daniel with what sounded like a broken heart.
"No... of course not, Danny," she said sympathetically. "I didn't mean what I said. It was just the heat of the moment." She nuzzled him tenderly. He closed his eyes and gasped minutely once again.
Rovaun chuckled. "What my infatuated Companion is no doubt wondering right now is, have you ever considered taking a female companion as a life mate?"
"What!?" she snorted at Daniel in disgust. "Just one mare-a-thon and now you're IN LOVE with me!? Daniel Racher, if you were any shallower, you'd evaporate!!"
"No, Shianna!" corrected Rovaun, though Daniel wasn't sure that was necessary. "We are not talking about my Companion, only about you. Have you ever considered making a life commitment to a mare - any mare - instead of a stallion?"
"Well... of course I considered it. Everyone makes life choices. But I chose to be with you, Rovaun. What's the big mystery?"
"But you KNOW," said Daniel. "You know what it is to be a mare... don't you?"
Shianna could not help but chuckle at the apparent seriousness of that ridiculous question.
"If you're asking me whether or not I've been with another mare, I'd have to say it is none of your business."
"Please Shianna," he begged. "I have to know if you have ever felt what I felt this morning."
Shianna rolled her eyes and snorted. "Yes, Danny, I have had orgasmic clitoral sex with another mare. It lasted nineteen minutes before she passed out. A good time was had by all. Happy now?"
"But..." Poor Daniel was so confused. "Didn't you ever want to do it again?"
"Not with HER. Afterward, she said some unflattering things about me that soured our relationship. I left, and I don't regret it."
Daniel still could not understand how she could leave. She had certainly said more than one unflattering thing about him, but all he wanted to do now was pass out after nineteen minutes of butt-to-butt clubbing with her.
"I can see you're having trouble dealing with this, Danny," she said sincerely. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay, Shianna, really. It's a memory I will cherish... and I mean that in a nice way."
"Which is how I took it," she said.
"My Companion has an interesting theory in that respect," said Rovaun.
"Oh?" She awaited patiently for the details, but Daniel was tongue-tied.
"You tell her, Husband," he said, looking away.
"Of course, Companion. Both he and I believe that the feeling he experienced this morning, and the one you experienced with the trash-talking mare, may have been artificially induced."
"Hmm?"
"Just as Varyl had implanted a Primitive in all young stallions that he blessed, we believe that he also implanted a Primitive in the young mares as well."
"But for what purpose?"
"To control population growth by encouraging mares to couple."
"To encourage mares to...?" Shianna stared at the two of them aghast, then she saw the longing in Daniel's eyes and it was all just too much. She started to titter, which grew into a giggle, then amplified to an all-out guffaw. The white mare collapsed and literally rolled around on the ground, braying and kicking and laughing hysterically.
Neither Rovaun nor Daniel could see the humor, and Daniel was considerably more offended by it.
"I take it that you don't believe me," he muttered.
"No... hee-heeeee... no it's... hee-hee-haw-haw-haawww... wait..."
They waited patiently and impatiently for her to regain her composure, which she did, slowly. She climbed to her feet and then nuzzled Daniel affectionately.
"Forgive me, Danny. It all makes perfect sense now."
He loved her touch, but was wary nevertheless.
"Are you screwing with me now?"
"No," she said, taking no offense. "Just applying some first aid to the emotional wounds I opened."
Cautiously, he returned her nuzzle. When she did not object, he went at her more ferociously, snorting and nipping and panting. She did the same to him, and after five minutes of high intensity frottage, they both got it out of their systems.
"Whew!" said Daniel, smiling brightly at her. "Thanks! I needed that."
"The pleasure was mine," she smiled back.
Daniel returned to his perpetually good-natured husband. "Hi there."
"Hello."
"Feeling neglected?"
"A tad."
"My poor Hubby," the mare nuzzled, making it all better. Rovaun was still number one.
"So," said Daniel, scritching under Rovaun's chin with the bridge of his equine nose. "You were about to set us straight, Shianna."
"That's what I was trying to tell you, Danny. The idea that I have a She-Primitive in me... I think your theory has merit."
"What!?" Scritching temporarily put on hold.
"It is very possible that there exists an artificial Primitive in mares, too. It explains a lot."
"But it doesn't explain why you aren't... gay."
"It DOES, actually," she smirked. "You males... God gave you a penis. Why the heck did he bother to give you a brain."
"Um... Huh?"
"Varyl, like the rest of you Y chromosomes, did all of his thinking with the little head. He designed his female Primitive from a male perspective. Yes, the She-Primitive makes having sex with mares great, but as I already explained to you dickheads, it's not just about sex! There's chemistry and compatibility and companionship. Those things matter to mares, dare I say it - more than sex does."
Her blasphemy went unchallenged. Daniel had to consider, now, that his feelings were so easily manipulated by his Primitive because he still thought like a male. And because Shianna had the same impression of him, her Primitive would never be aroused by him. Understanding this was the first step to recovery, and the effects were immediate. Inside the feminine Pandora, Daniel gazed at Rovaun, and the mare suddenly found herself becoming heterosexual again.
"Shianna," Daniel said. "I enjoyed our time together this morning, and I sincerely hope we can do it again. But I want you to know that NO ONE makes me cum like this guy does right here."
"Aw shucks," snickered the stallion.
"So as long as he's still breathing, my Primitive can go to hell. Which means you'll always play second fiddle in our relationship. I hope that's okay."
Shianna grinned. "I don't care if I have to play the itty bitty triangle, just as long as I get to sit in the orchestra pit with my two best friends."
Daniel body-rubbed his mate. "Husband, I have a real live She-Primitive in me that thinks I would be better served by Shianna than by you. Whadaya say we show the Babylonian bitch who's boss?"
"You have an uncanny way of seducing me, Companion." Then he whispered, "Not for one microsecond had I ever lost faith in you."
"Then you shall be dually rewarded," Daniel whispered back. "Shianna, will you join us?"
"I'd love to."
The three of them trotted into the woods for a little more privacy. Rovaun was already fully erect having anticipated this moment since the previous night. Daniel set down and raised his tail. Rovaun didn't hesitate and immediately covered his mate, sliding all the way in to knock on Tattoo's bedroom.
"What do I do?" asked Shianna.
"Just wait a minute and look pretty," said Daniel. "Your services will be required shortly." Then the black mare turned her head to the stallion on top. "Two words, Husband: wrong hole."
"Ahhh," grinned the stud. "Shianna, I suggest you take cover."
Rovaun slid out, and then up, and then in, and then held on for dear life as the beast underneath writhed and bucked and grunted and foamed. Shianna was awestruck by the spectacle of Daniel, whose brain smoked from an electrical storm of orgasmic ecstasy. Rovaun nearly fell off twice, but managed to remain inserted long enough for Daniel to cry uncle.
"Sto... sto... stop..."
The stallion complied and the mare crumpled to a heap, heaving, panting, and giggling.
"That... lasted... nineteen... seconds.... How... the hell... did you last... nineteen... minutes!?"
"Goodness me, Danny," said the mare very impressed. "I've never seen anything like THAT - Not even with mares! Are you sure Varyl didn't have a third Primitive for Human-Hipponaurs?"
"Well then... I guess that... I win."
"Hands down! Can someone please explain to me why I'm here? Because I hope it isn't to rub my nose in it."
"Not at all... You're here... to finish off... Rovaun."
"That is thoughtful of you, Companion." Rovaun confided in Shianna, "Though I derive great pleasure giving pleasure to my mate, this particular position always leaves me somewhat wanting."
"I can imagine," she chuckled.
"You guys go and have fun. I'll just stay here and swim in my endorphins."
"Oh, no, no, no, no. You don't get off that easy, Stickybuns," smirked Shianna. "I had to endure your performance, now you'll have to endure mine."
"Woo [wheeze] hoo!"
"And pay attention, Deary. You might learn something."
"My mental video camera is rolling, Shianna, but don't be surprised if it ends up on the internet."
Before the watchful eyes of Rovaun's mate, Shianna went into her act playing the roll of seductress with a neon 'S'. She faced the stallion and simply leered at him, snorting faintly, non-verbally telegraphing that she very much liked what she saw. Instinctively, Rovaun raised his head, bringing his chin in to pump up his physique. She nuzzled his chest with her cheek as he stood statuesque, then brought her nose tip to his so that he could feel her hot aspiration. He snorted forcefully. She retained her feminine composure.
No words were spoken in this ancient mating ritual, which probably had not changed in a billion years. Daniel observed and admired the mare who completely controlled the powerful stallion. Any careless move might terminate the courtship with a brutal rape. But she was not careless, and Rovaun, his erection throbbing in mid-air, was helpless to resist.
Shaking her mane, the mare turned sideways as if losing interest, but then she sensually swiped her tail, wafting her musk toward her lover's flared nostrils. Rovaun curled his lips as Shianna pretended to graze. He made a move toward her backside, but she raised up and faced him again, repeating the innocent nuzzling, pretending to misinterpret his motives.
"What a tease," chuckled Daniel in awe. "My poor Hubby."
Not wanting to be boorish and risk frightening off his prize, Rovaun gave into her nuzzling, but made it clear that he would like to nuzzle places other than her breath-taking face. He moved down her neck, and she moved down his. She wasn't stupid. To deny him completely would be disastrous. She allowed Rovaun to nudge alongside her body, and she did the same to him, pretending to act like she thought it was what he wanted, and in doing so, she rigged a few moves that would cause him to lose ground. Not enough to drive him to fury, but enough to control his frenzy.
By the time the stallion's nose had nudged all the way around to the wet end, there was no prolonging the inevitable anymore. Shianna raised her white flag in surrender. He had been a perfect gentleman, and she was his reward. In a flash, Rovaun was on top and inside. She held still with head high as the stallion thrust one, two, three times and then held tight as he flushed her with a gallon of seed.
At first, Daniel was surprised that it was over so quickly, for up until now, Shianna had been more skillful than that. Surely this would prove to be a disappointment for her. But then he saw the calculated brilliance of her ploy. Rovaun was indeed the perfect gentleman, and he was fully aware that he had climaxed too soon for Shianna to have enjoyed it. So he remained inside of her, nuzzling her, gently thrusting, telling her how lovely she was, how sexy she would always be. And she reveled in it. Shianna's emotional orgasm would last a hundred times longer than Rovaun's physical one.
She played his guilt like a virtuosa. His seed was in her, and he was still in her, fulfilling her physically and spiritually. Whereas most stallions would come and go, she knew how to make them come and stay. And until she climaxed, he wasn't going anywhere. It wasn't just about sex. It was about being loved and cherished. Daniel watched and took notes. Just as the clever mare had predicted, he had learned something today.
It gave him an idea. He moved his equine self from a flopped-on-the-ground position to a more dignified pose, and then stepped out of his body and sat beside it. Together, he and Pandora watched the others make love. He knew she had to watch, because that was how his virtual vision worked. But that was not enough to bring her out of her shell. He had to have faith. He had to resist the urge to glance over and verify that she was watching, for doing so cried doubt and would break the spell. Instead, he put his arm around her and petted and stroked her while they enjoyed the show together as equals. Watching Rovaun make love to Shianna warmed his heart, because it was easy to imagine himself in Shianna's position - except that it must look so much better, for he knew that Rovaun loved him that much more.
"That's how you look, Pandora," he whispered. "Just paint all the white parts black. I hope some day I can sit here by myself and watch Rovaun make love to you, and have you enjoy it just as much as Shianna is right now."
Pandora whickered subtly in agreement. They brought their heads together and sighed, waiting patiently for the end, when it might be Pandora's turn next.
"You and I are complete opposites," confided Daniel. "I'm a human male, and you're a Hipponaur female. No wonder you needed an identity. It's so obvious."
She glanced at him briefly as if to say, 'Duh.' She knew not to speak, for doing so might startle her other half and force her back into oblivion. She wanted to remain lucid as much as anyone.
Daniel wasn't afraid to look at her anymore. She was back and he understood why. Fear and doubt suppressed her. There was no reason to fear or doubt her anymore. He was free to study and admire her while she watched her Husband make love to her surrogate. And just as in the tale of Daniel and Danielle, he found himself falling for her.
His feelings caught her attention immediately, and she turned to regard him with a smile of her own.
"Do you know what I would really like right now, Pandora?"
Of course she did, and she gave him that tender nuzzle. To thank her, he reached up and scritched her neck, and then she gave him that kiss he was wanting, too. Within seconds, they were necking and nuzzling and panting and snorting. After a while it occurred to Daniel that the sounds of equine passion from Rovaun and Shianna had trailed off. Pandora was the first to notice that they had attracted an audience. She snorted at Daniel to cool it.
He looked up at her and saw her staring at the others. Then he turned around and blushed. Rovaun and Shianna were grinning at him.
"W-Well," he stammered, straightening his shirt and hair. "It's just that you guys were having all the fun."
"Welcome back, Pandora," greeted Rovaun, still mounted upon Shianna.
Pandora nodded to him.
"She isn't going to speak is she?" said Shianna.
"With that attitude," scolded Daniel, "you can be sure that she will never speak to you."
"I'm sorry, Danny. I didn't mean to offend you."
"It's not me that you offended." Daniel and Pandora were in unanimous agreement, as was evident on both of their faces.
"Oh please..."
"I'm serious, Shianna. Look at her. Pandora is still here because I believe in her. You can deny her all you like and it won't make her go away. When you offend her, you offend me. Don't you think she deserves the same respect as a Hipponaur that you do?"
"So now you want me to apologize to her?" she said sarcastically.
"I don't think she wants or needs an apology, because she understands your misgivings about her. I'm not going to forbid her to speak, but she knows that her voice is a liability, so I suspect she will find other ways to communicate. Right my dear?"
Pandora nodded and snorted and stamped the ground four times.
"What did that mean?" asked Shianna.
"Good question," chuckled Daniel.
"You made her do that!"
"Yes, yes, of course I did. That's the whole point. Pandora is ME, but WE are evolving. She's learning to handle the Hipponaur end of things on her own, which allows me to focus more virtual energy on being my human self again. We're a team with each other's best interest at heart, and we are discovering how to co-exist naturally, me as a gay man and she as a heterosexual mare... hmm, maybe bisexual."
Pandora winked at Shianna.
Rovaun laughed both from pride and amusement. "Will you excuse me, Shianna?" he said, dismounting before she could object. He pranced up to Pandora and escorted her into the clearing. Shianna saw no point in protesting, so she sat down next to Daniel to give them the space they needed.
"Remember my mental video camera, Shianna? Well, here's the playback. You taught her everything she knows."
Shianna watched transfixed as the black mare mimicked her every move, and it had exactly the same effect on the stallion. He was in love.
"That's incredible," she gasped. "She's marvelous."
Daniel put his arm around her. "You're marvelous. And thank you, Shianna. When you compliment her, you compliment me."
Shianna peered in wonder at Daniel. "That's right! With you sitting beside me, it's so easy to forget that that's also you out there. Danny... I don't know what to say."
"Eh, it's just a gimmick, really," he said modestly. "And I doubt that I would want it to go much further than this. If she gets too autonomous, then the next thing you know, we'll be arguing over every little speck of minutia."
"Do you think that could actually happen?"
"I doubt it. We would have to have different agendas and I don't see how that would happen. In any case, there is always an ultimate arbiter to settle any disputes that might arise."
"Who, Rovaun?"
"No, silly. Me. That is me after I merge into Pandora. No conflict, no dispute - just a decision to be made. But as I said, I don't think it'll be an issue. But, who knows? Stranger things have happened."
Shianna swooned at the sight of Rovaun courting Pandora. Then she giggled at the black mare's obvious subterfuge.
"The big lug falls for that move every time."
"Paint the black parts white, and that's what you look like."
"I'm already imagining it," she swooned again.
Daniel shot her a sidelong glance and could not resist asking, "What about you and Pandora?"
She stared at him for a second and then cracked a smile. "I'm thinking about that, too."
"Well go on, then! Cut in."
She laughed, then shook her head. "No, no, I couldn't."
"Sure you can!"
"No, Danny, really. I'd know, don't you see? I'd know that it was you pulling her strings. It just wouldn't work, but thanks for offering."
"Look at Rovaun. He doesn't seem to mind. And right now it's really you pulling the strings. Those are all your moves."
"Perhaps another time, Danny," she said warmly.
"All right, Shianna. I won't press it anymore." He gave her a gentle pat of respect.
Just then Rovaun mounted Pandora, and in three sharp thrusts it was all over again. Daniel applauded, momentarily disorienting the stallion, who wished to continue making love to the mare but decided to end it gracefully. He dismounted and bowed to her, and Pandora bowed in return. Then they both came over to Daniel and Shianna. Daniel merged into his body.
"How was I, Husband?"
"Magnificent, Companion." Then he smiled at Shianna. "You are going to need a new routine."
"Creep!" she snorted, light-heartedly.
"And how was I, Companion?" asked Rovaun.
"Hmm, Pandora isn't saying. I guess she doesn't kiss and tell. But from the bleachers it looked like you were doing great."
"Then I am pleased that you were able to enjoy the spectacle, at least. And how do you feel now that you and Pandora are 'one' again?"
"Het."
"So no significant change from fifteen minutes ago."
"Nope."
"Nevertheless, Companion, it is plain to see that you are still very much an ass-man."
"An ass-mare, to be more precise." Daniel pondered a thought for a moment. "You know, Husband, I wonder if my Primitive has something to do with that?"
"How is that?"
"Well, there's no real explanation for why I react so feverishly when you drive up my dirt road. But as an avowed gay ass-man dwelling in a Hipponaur mare with a brain that has been artificially rewired for homosexual stimulus, I can imagine it getting false triggers in that respect, can't you?"
"That is certainly a possible theory, Companion. We know that the Primitive is an imperfect design. However, I see no useful application of this knowledge."
"Oh, neither do I. It's just that I'll have to remember to thank Varyl the next time I see him."
"I shall thank him as well."
"And speaking of expressing gratitude..."
Jeremiah rode slowly and sensually up and down the phallus of his companion who lay on his back inside their nylon pseudo-shelter. The Primitive simmered in the stallion's brain as he locked eyes with his lover. It no longer desired his mate's blood, for it had evolved along with the human it lusted for. It learned that great rewards come to those who wait, and the longer it allowed itself to be stroked, the greater the reward would be. Also, by not killing the man doing the stroking, those great rewards would keep coming and coming.
Jeremiah sat his full weight on the vertical horsecock, stopping fifteen inches inside his toughened colon where a protective sphincter prevented it from damaging his small intestine. To the stallion, the sphincter felt just like a mare's uterus, and it slid perfectly into place when his cockhead flared.
Parceph whinnied and emptied his balls into the man who perched above him as if sitting on a barstool.
"I am so envious of my other self," marveled the equine. "He got to do this every day for two hundred years."
Jeremiah leaned forward to lay upon his mate's chest. "And you, love of my life, will get two hundred centuries."
"Mmmmm," smiled Parceph as they kissed. "I love what my other self has done with your colon. Almost a perfect fit."
"Almost?"
"Sadly, my last ten inches may never know the joy of slipping inside of you."
"Who knows?" cooed his mate. "Your other self had only two hundred years to get this far."
Just then Parceph and Jeremiah heard what was attempting to sound like a knock on the door of their doorless tent.
"Hello? Anybody home?" called the voice from outside.
"Cain't you read, varmint!!"
"Sorry, Jerry, I can only read Sumerian."
Parceph snickered. "What do you want, Danny?"
"I'd like to talk to Jerry for minute if that's all right."
"Well, it ain't all right," said Jeremiah in obvious sexual frustration, exactly as Daniel had hoped.
"Well, okay," said Daniel, suppressing a grin, "I guess it can wait. I'll just be out here, then, whenever you're through. Take your time."
Parceph laughed while shaking his head. "Look at it this way, Companion. We'll just have to start all over again. And the sooner you get rid of him, the sooner that'll happen."
"Oh for the love of Pete's sake," grumbled the horny man, disengaging and then fumbling with his pants. He stormed shirtless out of the tent and met virtual Daniel standing alone outside. "Where's the frickin' fire!"
"Uh, hi Jerry, I'm sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to apologize again for betraying your trust last night."
"Apology accepted." He turned to go back inside.
"No wait... It's just that, you know, your story was so good, so vivid and all, that Rovaun and I feel terrible about leaking the ending to the others."
Jeremiah turned around in a huff and stared at him. "So what do y'all want from me?"
"Well, nothing, except that we really don't want this to escalate into something we'll all regret."
Jeremiah scratched his head then exhaled a deep breath to switch moods. "Danny-boy," he smiled sincerely, "eternal life is too short for grudges. I already told you I ain't a vindictive man, and really, I ain't. Matter of fact, that stunt y'all pulled on me was downright fox-sly. When I close my eyes, I still see your drippy head lookin' up at me. You and Parceph have raised the bar of campfire ghost stories so high that I don't think I'll ever expect to reach it. I'm honored, and dare I say, a wee bit humbled."
"So we're square, then? Even with Parceph? I don't want him taking more than his fair share of the blame."
"Heh-heh, don't worry about it, Son. You and me will always be square. And Flycatcher more than made up for it last night. Hoo-wee, that stud has been holdin' out on me."
"He is full of surprises," agreed Daniel.
"Yes he is," said Jeremiah affectionately. He glanced back at the tent for a moment and considered how blessed he was to be in this world. Then he gave Daniel a heartfelt hug. "I can't possibly thank you enough for bringing me here, Danny. I love that big guy more than anything."
Daniel hugged and patted his back. "And if the love you have for Parceph is a tenth of the love I have for Rovaun, then you're right - you can't possibly thank me enough."
The friends chuckled as they let go of each other.
"Can I show you something?" asked Daniel.
Jeremiah returned another brief gander at the tent. Parceph would be there. From now on, he would always be there. The man smiled at Daniel. "Sure thing, Buddy."
Daniel led him into the woods for a short distance to where Pandora had been silently observing them. As they walked in front of the mare, she stuck out her front hoof as if to deliberately trip the young old-timer, sending him tumbling to the ground. Jeremiah yelped, but caught himself as he landed.
"Oh God, that wasn't supposed to happen," said Daniel sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Jerry. Pandora was a little slow on cue."
Jeremiah rolled over to witness the mare holding out a right front hoof to him.
"Pandora?"
"... meet Jeremiah," said Daniel proudly. "We're still practicing."
"Well, well, well." Jeremiah stood up and brushed himself off. "Pleased to meet ya, Ma'am." He shook her fetlock and tipped his invisible hat, then smiled wisely at Daniel.
Daniel crossed his arms. "How did you know?" he interrogated.
"Know what?"
"That giving her an identity could make her do cartwheels."
Jeremiah shrugged. "I'm not as dumb as I look. And from the looks of things, neither are you, Danny-boy." He patted the black mare. 'Pandora' is a perfect name, and I never woulda thought of it myself. Ya see, it's not just any ol' nag-tag - it's gotta be the right one. An' by golly, you found it. Way to go!"
"But how did you know..."
Jeremiah smiled, politely refusing to answer.
"Lucky guess?" suggested Daniel.
"Yeah, why not."
"Because we don't believe that for a second." Pandora bent down and gently nuzzled his crotch making Jeremiah inhale in surprise. "We have ways of making you talk," threatened Daniel.
"Heh-heh-heh-heh," chuckled Jeremiah rubbing his chin. "Do your worst," he challenged.
With deft lips, the mare pulled open his pants as easily as any creature with opposable thumbs. Jeremiah stood in awe of her skill.
"Not bad, M'Lady."
"I'll let you in on a little secret, assuming you don't know already," whispered Daniel, cozying up behind Jeremiah. "Pandora is most amenable to doing things she already wants to do."
The mare brought his pants down to his ankles, which he stepped out of voluntarily. He was wearing nothing else. Jeremiah reached back and caressed the suddenly naked buttocks of his virtual lover, who had not bothered to disrobe, but simply vanished every stitch of virtual clothing. All three beings were completely naked, and they did what three completely naked beings do.
Daniel reached forward and gripped the base of Jeremiah's growing cock, holding it out for Pandora to entertain.
"My God, Jerry, you're almost as big as Parceph."
It was an exaggeration, but the modest man was indeed unnaturally large for a human. Pandora engulfed him and savored him. Daniel let go as she took over, then dropped to his knees to work on the other end. Jeremiah held onto the back of the mare's head for support as he felt Daniel nose his way in, and then a stubby warm saliva snake made itself at home.
"Fuck, Danny! You are incredible!!" the man gasped. In protest, the mare released him as if to say, 'and I'm chopped liver?'
"You, too, Pandora," said Jeremiah, acknowledging his faux pas. Pandora nodded and resumed lunch.
"There sure is a lot of Parceph in here," commented Daniel from the back. "Finders keepers?"
"Help yerself, Danny. I'm pretty much saturated."
With his prehensile tongue the virtual man scooped out mouthfuls of delicious Hipponaur essence, and when all that was within reach had been virtually swallowed, he stretched his tongue a few inches more to reach more. What Daniel found startling was that there was always more. Jeremiah's colon was inhumanly deep.
"Leave some lube behind," not-so-subtly suggested the lucky man in the middle.
"Gotcha," said Daniel, retracting his tongue and standing up. He positioned his cock at the well-eaten hole then easily slid all the way in. Daniel had met tighter men.
"Mmmm, not bad... but is that all you got virtual boy?" chided Jeremiah, placing the blame squarely on the other.
Daniel expanded his cock to do justice to the man's colon, then both of them exclaimed, "Oooh, yeahhhh."
"Perfect fit, Danny," he cooed, "And Pandora, I know you have a mouthful of pearly-whites but I'll be danged if they haven't all moved to Oklahoma."
Pandora whickered an acknowledgment to the awkward compliment. Then she and Daniel launched a coordinated attack on the helpless soul in between them. The expletives of joy that grunted from his throat frightened away some smaller creatures while attracting some larger ones. Rovaun and Shianna tiptoed into view, eager to watch but not spoil it. They were soon joined by Parceph who watched with equal parts of amusement and envy.
Then the two on the outside subtly changed tactics, working not quite so hard to please their captive. Jeremiah didn't hesitate to take up the slack, alternately stabbing the warm mouth of the mare and then impaling himself on the stallion-sized dick in his ass. Soon Jeremiah was doing all the work as the two that flanked him stood still. It didn't matter to him, especially since he could control it. In a few seconds he unloaded into Pandora, and Daniel brought up the rear holding him tight and deep between them.
"St. Joseph of Assisi! That was one helluva fuck," wheezed the man, to the delighted whickers of the gallery.
Jeremiah suddenly noticed them and smiled. "Thank you, thank you, you've been a great audience. I'm here all week. Enjoy the buffet..."
"We weren't trying to embarrass you," said Daniel, still hugging him tight from behind and from within.
"I know that, Danny," he said warmly. "Maybe I'll be embarrassed later."
"We just wanted you to know that we appreciate you, and it wasn't much of a secret to show how."
"Am I that transparent?" he snickered.
"Yes!" was the unanimous replies.
Jeremiah turned to his lover of the moment. "You and I are not that different, Danny."
"Yeah, yeah, everyone knows I enjoy getting physical. I'm here with my pants down too."
"That is not what I meant," he said enigmatically.
"Then I will take it as a supreme compliment, because I have nothing but the utmost admiration and respect for Parceph's mate."
"The feeling is entirely mutual. When do we trade positions?"
"No knives?"
"I swear to Hipponaur."
Daniel pulled out and Pandora let go. Jeremiah turned around and pressed his groin into Daniel's while the two men went mouth-to-mouth for a couple of minutes.
"I like to watch naked men kiss, don't you?" said Parceph.
"I had never realized how much until now," replied Rovaun.
Just then, Daniel withdrew his tongue and raised an eyebrow. "And did you bring enough chocolate for everyone!?"
Jeremiah looked around sheepishly.
"What!?" snorted Parceph. "You have chocolate!!?"
"It... wasn't a lot. Just one bar."
"And you've been hoarding it all to yourself!"
"I was gonna share it, Companion, honest! There's a couple of pieces left. You can have 'em."
Jeremiah glared at Daniel. "Thanks a lot, PAL!"
"Sorry, Jerry. I didn't mean to get you in trouble."
"Companion," said Rovaun with a smile. "Don't you think there is a bigger issue to discuss here?"
"Bigger than chocolate? No."
"Perhaps you should tell us how you discovered Jeremiah's stash."
"Easy. There's a trace of it on his molar... Son-of-a-bitch."
"Precisely," whickered his stallion.
Daniel let go and stepped back. "I tasted it... My virtual tongue tasted it!... Pandora, did you know?"
The black mare beamed at him while shaking her head. Daniel leapt to his stallion and gave him a powerful naked hug. "I AM becoming more human, Husband!"
Shianna giggled. "And a human that would put other men to shame in the restroom."
Daniel looked down at his deflating horsecock, which had an uncanny resemblance to Jeremiah's. He turned to the man, who suddenly became very self-conscious about his nakedness. Daniel's demeanor changed instantly. In a blink of an eye he clothed himself so that Jeremiah would be the only one overexposed.
"You know, Jerry, what started out as a harmless fictional Goosebumps tale is suddenly turning out to be not quite so fictional. What the hell is going on?" he demanded angrily.
Jeremiah pulled on his pants. "Nothin's goin' on! It's a logical conclusion that the more you give to Pandora, the more she gives to you. Of course you're becoming more human, Danny. It's what you want isn't it?"
Was it really that simple? Daniel scooped up some earth and decaying leaves and held it to his nose. It smelled like life. He brought the humus to Pandora to sample. The aroma was more intense for the equine, but otherwise no different. It confirmed that the virtual man could smell as well as taste.
"In a short while, Pandora," he whispered to her, "you won't have to worry about me anymore. And you'll be free."
"No," said Jeremiah under his breath.
Daniel turned excitedly to his mate. "Husband! It's true! From the first day we met you said we were destined to be together forever. I'm going to be human again!"
"No!" Jeremiah's outburst startled everyone, including himself.
"No?" said Daniel calmly. "Care to elaborate?"
"You're also Hipponaur, Danny. You mustn't let go of that."
"Jerry, we're in uncharted territory. How do you know this isn't my destiny? Maybe letting go of Hipponaur is exactly where I'm headed. Pandora and I split up. I get the human half, and she gets the Hipponaur half. I really think she can take care of herself..."
"No! No! NO! YOU MUST NEVER LET GO!!!"
A tense silence fell over everyone. Coolly, Parceph walked up to his Companion and demanded, "Out with it."
The distraught man's eyes darted around at all of the faces staring back at him. A deadly secret buried in the cold earth of another world had worked its way to the surface. It was too late to shovel more dirt on it, for everyone had caught a whiff of its rotting stench. It was time to come clean.
Jeremiah dropped his head and turned toward his life mate. He looked up slowly, knowing he would have to make eye contact and fearing it just the same. The moment he peeked into the windows of Parceph's soul, the man lost it completely. He hugged the stallion for dear life and wept like a child.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...," he sobbed. "Forgive me... Please forgive me, Parceph... I'm so very sorry..."
"Companion," choked Parceph, his heart suddenly rent in two. "What is the matter?"
The man studied the stallion's eyes, eyes that spoke of unending love and devotion. "You don't know... You scanned my memories, but... you don't know."
"I scanned only your first years as a pure human, enough to retain your identity. The rest of it - two centuries of your life with my other self - was none of my business."
"Oh God...," he lamented. "I wish you'd scanned it all. Then I wouldn't have to tell you..."
"Companion," calmed Parceph. "You know it matters not."
"It DOES matter. Guilt matters. Justice matters."
"Let's go," whispered Daniel to the others.
"No wait, Danny," said Jeremiah. "It's vital that you hear this, too. And I can't bear to tell it more than once."
The others turned to give Jeremiah their undivided attention. He sighed to gather his wits and then stared at Daniel for an uncomfortable length of time.
"When you brought me here, Danny. What did you know about me?"
"Not much. I had asked Mourne if there was a version of you that survived and if I could bring you back to Parceph. That's all."
"But you don't know how I survived."
"No... I just assumed that in your timeline, Parceph never turned you in as the Wraith."
Jeremiah smiled and rubbed his mate's nose. "You dishonor Parceph with that assumption." He looked lovingly into those beautiful stallion eyes. "I can't imagine that there exists any world that contains a dishonorable Parceph."
"So... he did turn you in to Varyl?" asked Daniel.
Still admiring his stallion, Jeremiah smiled and nodded.
"And you survived the bonding ritual?"
Jeremiah smiled and shook his head.
"So you didn't go through with it, then."
"No Danny," he said, turning now to look the virtual man squarely in the face. "Like you, I went through with it. But unlike you, I didn't survive."
"What!?" whinnied Parceph.
Jeremiah nuzzled his stallion and admitted with watery eyes, "Kronan ran me through, just as he had done in this timeline."
"But Companion... how can this be?" The stallion backed away, his mind filling with the agonizing memories of that terrible moment.
"My soul entered you, do you remember?"
"Yes," said the stallion shutting his eyes in a vain attempt to make the memories go away. "And I freed you that same evening."
"And my dear Parceph, I know in my heart that my soul was grateful. It was the last thing it experienced - you offering its freedom."
"It was so angry and confused," mourned the stallion, tears squeezing out of his eyelids. "I had no choice." His voice broke apart.
"I know, Companion," said Jeremiah with a soft caress. "You did the right thing."
"Then how can you be here!" he snorted, eyes open, wet, and angry.
Jeremiah rubbed his forehead. This was not going to be easy for his mate.
"I am here, Companion, because on that night our two paths diverged. As you climbed that hill toward the sunset, you lost your footing, remember?"
"No. I recall a rock becoming dislodged, but I did not stumble badly."
Jeremiah smiled. "For want of a nail, the shoe was lost..."
"Companion?"
"Two hundred years ago, my Parceph was just a tiny bit clumsier than you. He fell down the hill and severely twisted his knee."
"He missed the sunset!"
"He missed several sunsets. For weeks he could not climb an anthill. And all the while, he endured my hateful wrath inside his head. I remember it all. I accused HIM of being the interloper, and I said things I have regretted every day since."
"It is understandable, Companion. It wasn't your fault. You had no identity."
"And my true colors showed."
"You are being too hard on yourself. I know that my other self did not take it personally."
"Well, if he did, he never let on. And I made it personal... Man, was it ever personal!"
"So what happened?" asked Daniel.
Jeremiah regarded him. "You want to know where the idea for my story came from? How I could just rattle it off without a thought? It was MY story, Danny. I lived it. That bit about Garson - that was me."
Shianna gasped.
He smiled at her. "Not the psychotic murderous part, but the genesis. My soul was in a stallion, but I had no name. My thoughts were chaotic and bestial. There was another presence with me that seemed to know things that I didn't, but its ideas and suggestions made no sense. I thought it was deliberately trying to confuse me, so I took an instant disliking to it.
"Parceph decided to rehabilitate me, to tell me who I was and recreate my identity. The torment lasted months. I called him a liar with every sentence he spoke. And that of course was the most civil of my epithets. When he could walk again, he took me to my hometown, and showed me where I grew up. He never stopped telling me that he loved me, no matter how many times I told him to drop dead."
Jeremiah smiled at his stallion. "And it was one year to the day of my death, that I first told him that I loved him."
Parceph broke down and wept on Jeremiah's shoulder. "That should have been me," he cried. "I should have had the strength to do that."
"It was destiny, Companion," soothed Jeremiah. "You DO have that strength. Had you not been so gall darned sure-footed, you would have demonstrated that strength."
"No, Companion. I am ashamed that I ever considered setting foot on that hill."
"Shhh," he whispered. Jeremiah smiled at Daniel. "So you see, Danny, you and I are very much alike."
"So then it is possible! I can become fully human too, just like you."
Jeremiah nodded. "And the moment that you succeed, Pandora will die."
"Oh my God..."
Jeremiah turned tenderly to Parceph. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want it to end that way." He hugged him as tight as ever. "Two hundred years - that was the reward for enduring that first year of hellish turmoil and anguish. Three more human lifetimes together, but that is all that there is, I'm afraid. That is the longest that a virtual human and a Hipponaur can cohabit one body. Near the end you just dream of freedom."
Daniel looked nervously to Rovaun. "Did you fall out of love?"
"I don't think so, Danny. But even as a virtual human, I still shared a brain with Parceph. I could never be completely by myself. Near the end, we didn't even see each other for a couple of years. I lived in a cottage several miles away from the clique. I wanted to be alone so that I would get lonely and desire my Parceph again. But I was never truly alone, so, sadly, it didn't happen."
"Several miles!"
"Yes, Danny," he said, mildly miffed that he was missing the bigger picture. "There were a few times when I was by myself that I was actually thankful to be tenuously connected to Parceph." He patted the stallion's neck and smiled. "You saved my life more than once."
"You save mine, daily, Companion."
Jeremiah studied the ground and chuckled. "I remember... God how stupid that was... I was chopping down this huge fir and I was thinking, 'she's gonna fall, she's gonna fall,' and I just kept chopping, and sure enough she fell right on top of me. Next thing I knew, I was back inside a stallion."
"Because your soul naturally gravitated back to Parceph."
"No, Danny. Because he could tell that I had virtually died and he called me back without severing the link. That's why it is so vital that you train Pandora to look out for you, so she can keep tabs on you while you're away being an ungrateful human. If something should go wrong, then wham! You're home safe 'n' sound. Otherwise your soul's gonna wander. It may find its way back, it may not, or it may end up someplace you would very much rather it didn't."
"Like a toad."
"Or a spatial ulcer."
"Or a sunset."
"If it ends up anywhere but Pandora, then she'll be doomed, too. But there's good news, Danny. Your situation isn't quite as complicated as mine. I think you'll be able to coexist with Pandora indefinitely, since you really aren't cohabiting. In your case it's just one soul and one body. She's not likely to impose on your privacy."
"Companion," said Parceph, quietly. "How did I die?"
Jeremiah choked back his tears. "You would have been proud of yourself, dear Parceph," he sniffed. "You died giving me birth." He buried his face in the stallion. "I swear I didn't know it would kill you, but we both knew it was a powerful physical strain. We had tried it a couple of times before, complete virtual separation, but you always passed out, utterly sapped of life force. On the very last attempt, we succeeded. A life for a life."
He rested his forehead on the stallion's chest. "It wasn't right. I had no right to make that trade. The death of a Hipponaur is the most tragic thing that can happen, and I caused it. When a Hipponaur dies, part of the world dies, there are so few of you left. It changed me forever. I have sworn to give up my life before causing another death." He broke a sad smile to Daniel. "So you see, Danny, your fears of escalation are baseless. I will always turn the other cheek before harming a hair on your tail."
Daniel nodded solemnly. He wondered how many Hipponaurs he, himself, had killed. How many Sentinels had there been? It was impossible to estimate.
"And what of my soul, Companion?"
"It entered me," he confessed. "And here's the real kicker. From the get go, you were your sweet, lucid, loving self. You had your identity and your poise. We had shared a Hipponaur brain for two hundred years, and my human brain was born from that arrangement. You knew it intimately."
He dug his fingernails into the stallion's neck. "Oh God, I wished you had been a raving, spiteful, hateful lunatic in my head. It would have been so much easier to say good-bye."
"Oh, no..." whimpered Parceph.
"We were right back where we started, you and I, and I just couldn't go on anymore, so... you asked me to free you... and, God help me, I did."
He wept quietly into his stallion. The silence that followed was broken only by a sniffle from Shianna.
Jeremiah heaved a sigh of composure. "For three years I was the loneliest man on Earth. I stayed with the clique, looking after other Hipponaurs. It brought some solace, but could never fill the void." He nuzzled his lover. "You were my better half, hell you were my better ninety-nine hundredths. I lived every day to honor you and do my penance for causing your death. It wasn't how you would have wanted me to live the life you gave me, but it was the only way I could live with myself."
Jeremiah chuckled, sadly. "It's funny. Looking back, living with you was a piece of cake compared to living with myself." He closed his eyes, shaking his head. Parceph whickered softly.
"And then one ordinary day, out of the blue a stranger came up to me and uttered the seven most wonderful words I could have ever imagined: 'Would you like to see Parceph again?' Well shit, I was through that portal faster'n a buck on a doe."
The others chuckled through their tears, appreciative of the happier ending.
"I guess the moral of this story is just to be grateful for what God gave you and hold onto it for all it's worth, 'cause no one lives forever, not even Hipponaurs."
Parceph hugged his man. "Come Companion. I wish to show God how grateful I am for all he has given me."
"A-men, Partner."
They got up and headed back to their tent to partake in a particularly religious experience.
"Thank you, Jerry," called Daniel.
"Don't mention it."
"One other thing... Your elongated internal and external anatomy... born that way or just virtually stretching the truth?"
"Born that way, of course" he said, following Parceph inside.
"Born AGAIN that way, more like it."
Rovaun, Shianna, Daniel and Pandora huddled together in somber silence, mulling over Jeremiah's tragic history and seeing the man in an entirely new light. He was caring, he was private, he was gracious, he was intelligent, he was forgiving, he was penitent, and he was tormented. Daniel could not help but imagine what he would have done in Jeremiah's shoes. If his soul ended up cohabiting with Rovaun again, would their relationship terminate in two hundred years? Would it truly end with them at each other's throats until one of them decided to kiss the sun? It was inconceivable, and yet, Jeremiah and Parceph were ideally suited for each other, and it happened to them.
Daniel looked at his mate. His mate was already looking back. "It'll never happen to us, Husband."
"Never," confirmed Rovaun.
Daniel hugged him. "At least we have Pandora as a buffer."
"Yes, Companion, and you need to start working with her to make sure she is fully prepared should you ever need her."
"I'll get on it right now."
Daniel gave his stallion a kiss, then hopped onto Pandora and rode her into the woods. He needed to be alone with her, free of distractions and third party commentary, just the two of them, one-on-one. He allowed her to navigate while he made up an agenda of relevant things to consider and investigate.
Item one on the list: No arbitrary prohibitions. It was clear to him that Pandora had clammed up earlier because Shianna had forbidden her to speak. That ban had now been lifted. If she had something to say, then she should bloody well say it, because it was probably pretty important.
Item two: Virtual senses. He had suspected for some time that his eyesight was too good to be virtually true. He could see things that simply could not have been interpolated. And today he sampled several items concealed in Jeremiah's various body cavities that Pandora could not have detected on her own. If these remote virtual senses turned out to be real, then they were likely a gift from Pandora, as Jeremiah had suggested, and they needed to be acknowledged, tested, and evaluated.
Item three: Teaching Pandora to save his virtual life. How the hell was he going to do that? Not even Jeremiah knew the answer, but he alluded to the consequences in his story. When Daniel was virtually killed, Danielle became helpless. But if Pandora could be taught to keep her cool and recall his soul while maintaining the virtual link, which was basically what happened every time he merged with her, then everything would be hunky dory.
Item four: Making out. It was inevitable. Daniel just had to know for himself whether or not his favorite part of Jeremiah's story was fact or fiction.
Pandora, of course, had been monitoring Daniel's agenda, and she decided at this point that they had wandered far enough. She located a reasonable clearing and came to a stop. Daniel hopped off and admired her sexy eyes.
"You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you, girl - turning this agenda on its head."
She whickered and kissed him. Then together they started digging right into item four.
"Mommy!!"
Tattoo screamed for his mother. Daniel let go and ran to Pandora's side.
"What's the matter, Tattoo?"
"I'm scared!"
"Why?"
"He's here!"
"Who's here?"
"Mom?"
Daniel bent down to see a disheveled gray Hipponaur approach from the other side of Pandora.
"Tattoo, listen to me," he whispered frantically. "This guy is very dangerous. You have to hide from him the best way you know how. Don't come out until I say so, okay?"
"Okay," said the terrified little voice.
Daniel whisked away into the bushes leaving Pandora to deal with him. The stallion lumbered up to her and sniffed her mane, while the black mare stood still, silent, and defiant. Bouceph snorted and paced around her, then eyed her skeptically.
"Don't you have anything to say?"
Pandora turned her head. "Hello, Bouceph," she said as if greeting a gangrenous boil.
"That's it? You leave me to die in the desert and that's all you have to say to me? 'Hello Bouceph?'"
"When was your last bath?"
"Ha, ha, ha," he laughed lecherously. "You should know. You gave it to me."
"That long ago..." she snorted.
"I think I need another one." He nuzzled her behind the ear. "Don't you?"
Pandora yawned and attempted to walk away from him. He was quick to block her exit.
"Where are you going?"
"What do you care."
This was not the warm, matronly greeting he had expected. There could be only one explanation. "You're still back with Dad aren't you!"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"I'm not an idiot. I've seen you two together."
"I'm sure you see a lot of things in that daily drunken stupor of yours."
Bouceph snorted violently, shoving his face into hers. "I haven't had a drink in what seems like twenty years," he growled, "because you had to burn it all to the ground, you fucking bitch!"
"Bouceph... stop it!"
The stress of taking on Bouceph became too much for Daniel and Pandora while they remained divided. Daniel had no choice but to leap from the bushes and merge into her.
"What the hell was that?" said Bouceph catching a glimpse.
"Just the DT's, Bouceph," said Daniel. Inside Pandora he still felt more female than male, but he was a female with more balls than her opponent.
But Bouceph was quicker-witted than Daniel had given him credit for, perhaps because he had never encountered the real Bouceph in a sober state until now. The stallion knew at once what was up.
"Who the fuck are you!"
Daniel didn't answer. It was time to flee. He turned to run, but his feet felt like they were sinking in tar.
"You're cohabiting my mother!"
"No Bouceph," he cried, unable to climb out of the invisible tar pit. "Your mother is dead."
"Wrong, asshole. You're dead."
A piercing siren stabbed at his brain. Neither he nor Pandora had a defense against the invasion of Bouceph's link. If he could just get his legs working again he could escape. But why was he stuck? What was holding him down? And then he remembered. On another planet, Garson had displayed a similar talent - the ability to immobilize. He must have stolen it from Bouceph.
Daniel could not think with the siren blaring in his head, but he vaguely remembered being immune to this attack. How did he defeat Garson? Why did it not affect him? He was virtual... That's right... virtual... try to... become... vir...
The mare passed out.
"Well, now," said Bouceph calmly. "Let's all have a look inside, shall we?"
The gray Hipponaur scanned Daniel's unconscious brain.
"You son-of-a-whore," he muttered. "What have you done to my Ma." He sighed to control his anger and knelt down next to her. "This is gonna take a while..."
[End of _COMPANIONS_ Chapter 34: Jeremiah's Secret]
[Next in series: Chapter 35: The Bitch is Back]