[Companions Chapter 13]

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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-inapropriate 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 2002, 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, Human-Stallion-Mare, Anal, Oral, Rape, Incest

Chapter 13: In the Desert

The top of the next ridge dropped off into a desolate valley, and on the other side of it was the landmark we sought: Parceph's rock formation.

"There it is! We're here!"

"Yes we are, Companion."

I scanned the opposite ridge and valley. "No sign of Parceph," I said, disappointed.

"Perhaps we are not close enough."

I studied Parceph's Rock for a moment. "Rovaun, the outline of the rock doesn't look quite the same as in the picture."

"Yes, I have noticed. We must be viewing it from a different angle."

"Yeah, that's it! We should be looking up at it." I peered down into the valley. "There! Do you see that?"

"It is some kind of structure."

"A million dollars says Parceph has been there." I lead the way down into the valley.

"Companion," Rovaun warned, "we must be cautious."

"Okay, you lead. And keep an eye out for hoofprints."

We were the only living things in the valley we entered. The sun blazed overhead and my black coat seemed to absorbed every photon. I was less concerned about being cautious as I was about being hydrated.

"Keep an eye out for water, too," I panted.

"Yes, we cannot stay exposed like this for long. Let us hope we find Parceph quickly."

As we neared our destination, it became evident that it wasn't much of a structure. All that remained were three concrete walls about eight feet tall. It looked like an outdoor racquetball court. The walls were weather-beaten from a hot gusting wind that blew sand across the valley floor and stung our eyes. If Parceph had been here, his prints would have been covered up within hours. The side walls provided protection from the windblown sand which we were thankful to take advantage of. And once we could see clearly again, we found another clue. On the back wall, protected from the prevailing winds, more Hipponaur symbols appeared. I felt like Indiana Jones.

Rovaun studied the wall but was stymied.

"What does it say?"

"It is mostly nonsense."

Several dozen squares contained various scribbling. Rovaun continued to ponder them but was running out of patience.

"I cannot understand a message, if that is what this is. See these?" He touched his nose to several squares. "They aren't even words."

"Could it be some ancient dialect?"

"I suppose that is possible, but what would it be doing here?"

I looked at the symbols myself. "I recognize these four: Greetings, Human, Hipponaur, Companion," I said, tapping them.

Instantly, a fourth wall of steel bars shot up out of the sand, then half of it flipped over above us. There was a loud reverberating "Ka-CHUNK" when the ceiling bars locked into clasps sunk into the top of the back wall. We were completely caged in. We kicked the bars, but they were built to withstand the strength of ten Hipponaurs. It was obvious we weren't going anywhere, and for the next several hours, neither was the sun overhead.

"I'm sorry, Rovaun. I should have known it was a trap."

"Do not blame yourself, Companion. I did not know it was a trap, and I probably would have triggered it myself."

"Do you think Parceph got caught?"

"There is no evidence to suggest he was ever here. Let us hope not."

Something occurred to me that I hated to consider. That piece of paper that led us right into this cage had been placed where anyone looking for Parceph would have found it. Then Parceph conveniently disappeared. I couldn't help but wonder just how involved he was in our current predicament.

I climbed out of my body and squeezed through the bars, then dug around the base of the cage looking for a release mechanism, but could find nothing obvious. I climbed up on top and worked on the clasps that held the bars down. There were three of them, one on each side and one in the middle. Each was spring loaded, and I found that if I applied all of my strength, I could pry one open. The problem was that I needed to pry all three open simultaneously before the top of the cage could be released. I had no doubt my Hipponaur brain was easily capable of doing this, but my body image still was not.

"Is there anything down there I can use to jam into these clasps?"

"Nothing but sand."

From the top, I looked around for anything that might be within reach. If anything was there, it was buried. Then off in the distance I saw a small dust storm approaching.

"It looks like we're about to be rescued."

Rovaun saw them. "Companion, come down quickly!"

I complied.

"Our best chance is to act dumb and frightened," he said.

"Act?"

Two men in a jeep drove up, both wearing sunglasses, hats and bandannas. We huddled in a corner. The driver jumped out and ran to the cage.

"Hot damn! The motherfucker was right! Two of 'em!"

The passenger was more subdued and calculating than his partner. He got out and studied us from afar keeping one hand in his pocket. Rovaun turned and ran to the other corner. I followed him.

"It's them, ain't it," said the driver to his boss.

He stood quietly observing us. I didn't know how to act, and emulating every one of Rovaun's moves was surely not the thing to do. The man by the jeep stared at me intently, and then, even under his bandanna, a slow grin could be seen spreading across his face.

"Ringwald," he said, "get the tranquilizers."

Laughing like a hyena, the toady ran to the back of the jeep and pulled out a large-barreled pistol, which he handed to his boss. "Here you go, Mr. Garson."

The man with the gun approached the cage. For a moment I considered wrestling the gun away from him, but that moment was far too fleeting, for in the next moment a dart was in my neck, and in the moment after that sun faded to black.

I awoke with my first Hipponaur headache. Dulled by the anesthetic, I could not focus on anything at first. I was facing what looked like a log cabin wall, but the floor was solid concrete. My chest rested on a short sturdy platform and my feet were all shackled tightly to the ground in a standing position. The shackles provided no freedom of movement and each leg clasp was padlocked. This setup was clearly designed to immobilize while allowing unfettered access.

There were four parallel stations like this in the room. Two empty stations appeared between myself and Rovaun, who was still out cold. There was no sign of Parceph. A curtain separated us from the next room. I could hear the whir of some sort of equipment and the drone of a generator. A watchful camera overhead triggered a moment of deja vu: I was back in an interrogation room, but this time my rescuer had also been captured. There was no one else to save us.

I could not leave my body because the drugs still clouded my mind, but their effects were wearing off quickly, and my headache was fading as well. In front of me was a large container of water which I did not hesitate to drink from. There was no reason for it to be poisoned.

The curtain suddenly slid open on rails and the man called "Garson" appeared.

"Good evening, my Dear," he said cordially. "I trust you slept well."

I remained mute.

"Nothing to say to me, either, hmm? Well, at least you're drinking on your own."

Behind him, I saw the horror of our destiny. Parceph was unconscious at a fifth station, with several tubes delivering fluids to him and several others draining fluids out. His body bore the oozing wounds of a dozen invasive surgeries that had been sutured up with minimal care for the patient's comfort.

"Parceph!" I shouted without thinking.

"You know each other?" said Garson, apparently able to commune.

Parceph slowly opened his eyes and had difficulty turning his head. When he saw us, he closed them again and weeped.

"Forgive me," he cried weakly.

An adrenaline rush cleared my head of the last effects of the tranquilizer, but there was no obvious means of escape, and poor Parceph was barely alive. Now Rovaun began to stir.

"You are the most selfish of species," said the arrogant man. "You have the secret of life in your veins, and you refuse to share it. And what do you do with this rarest of God's gifts that you so carelessly take for granted? You waste every day of your pointless eternal existence doing absolutely nothing. Your race could have been great, easily dominating this planet. But now that chance for greatness is gone. That chance has been passed on to me."

I looked at poor Parceph again. He had a wide feeding tube inserted directly into his stomach, delivering to it a greenish-gray sludge. He had probably refused to eat, and a tube down his throat could be bitten through. What concerned me more was a tube coming out of his forearm. It led to a spigot and a plastic bag that filled slowly with one drop of blood every second. Garson noticed what I was looking at.

"Everlasting life," he said. "Each drop is one day longer I get to live."

He counted them off as they dripped into the bag. "Monday... Tuesday... Wednesday... Thursday..."

"Oh don't worry," he said to me. "I'm not going to take all of it. No sense in killing the goose that lays the golden eggs."

He brushed Parceph's mane tenderly. "What you see is his steady-state production. In twenty-four hours he can manufacture enough essence to extend my life two hundred and fifty years. Fourteen gallons a day, and he can do it... indefinitely!"

He looked at Rovaun who had just opened his eyes. "And now I can double my output."

"EACH of you," he sermonized, "Each living Hipponaur could donate a gallon of blood each day, and not even miss it. In less than two hours, it would be replenished. And that blood would add seventeen years to a human life. Seventeen YEARS! How DARE you... keep it to yourselves."

"So," he said, loving the sound of his voice, "what you will not give freely, you force us poor mortals to take."

He sauntered around to my flank. "But you, my dear," he said sinisterly, "I have other plans for you."

He placed his hand on my abdomen and gently rubbed, making my mane bristle. "I shall not drain the essence from you. You'll need it for your unborn child."

He pulled his other hand out of his pocket and removed its glove. A white, atrophied, corpse's hand dangled in front of me.

"Hipponaur stem cells. What miracles might they wrought?"

Rovaun snorted. I had to stop listening. There was no way he was getting near Tattoo. I focussed instead on planning our escape.

"Yes, I know you are pregnant my dear. And are you the sire?" he asked of Rovaun, who remained silent.

"No matter," he said. "We can find that out later, but if you two are bond mates..."

He grinned from ear to ear at the thought of that. Then something caught his attention, and he pressed his head to my belly. Tattoo was still singing, and Garson hummed along with him.

"I love that song," he continued to grin. "You two may be horses with no names, but I'm sure this little fellow has one."

He pressed in again. "Tattoo..."

He stood up and talked lovingly to his floppy hand. "Hello, Tattoo."

I swung my neck into him and sent him sliding across the floor.

"Son-of-a-BITCH!" Then his toothy grin returned as he got back up, cradling his dead hand. "Hit me with your best shot, my feisty little diamond mine."

He left us alone for the moment to tend to his injury.

I stepped out and examined one of my padlocks, then conjured a key to fit it.

"It's no good Rovaun," I said. "I'm not a locksmith and I can't see the tumblers. I can't make the right key."

"Be careful not to be seen, Companion. This place is being monitored."

"The camera can't see me, but you're right. I need to be careful."

I looked around for bolt cutters or a hammer, but the only thing I could find within reach was a spare padlock. A bashed it against its mate, but to no avail. Then I heard footsteps approaching so I ducked back inside. Ringwald came in and went straight to a locked cabinet next to me. He looked around nervously while fumbling with his key ring. He found the right one and swung the door open to reveal dozens of refrigerated bags of Parceph's blood. Then he pulled two bags of blood out of his pants and swapped them with two in the cabinet, stifling a yelp as the frigid plastic bit into his genitals.

I tossed the padlock into some equipment behind Parceph, knocking over something that sounded very expensive.

"FUCK!" Ringwald jumped. He took several steps toward Parceph. I grabbed the keys and hid them in my mouth. He returned to the cabinet and shut it, then stared dismayed at the empty keyhole. Now in a frenzied panic, he searched through his clothes.

"Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!! Where are they!"

He bent down, looking under the cabinet and on the floor by Parceph, then he caught me watching him, and murder filled his eyes.

"Where the fuck are they!" he demanded through gritted teeth.

I said nothing, and he started to squirm. "I'll be back!" he threatened, and then sped out of the room in order to stash the goods.

I pulled the keys out and examined each one. It looked like each station had a different set of keys, assuming that these WERE the right keys.

"If you are caught with those, he will probably kill you," warned Rovaun.

"I don't plan to get caught."

I put the keys in the cabinet just as Ringwald returned.

"All right, you bitch, where are they!"

I nodded to the cabinet. He looked at it then back at me, then went over and opened it, and heaved a big grinning sigh. He laughed to himself, thinking they had been there all this time, and mistook the salivary residue for condensation. He locked up then left a much happier man, slapping my backside. "Thanks!"

"Well done" smiled my Companion.

"We're not out of this shithole, yet."

I conjured up each of a dozen keys and tried it in the padlock around my front right hoof. Several didn't fit at all, while others fit but wouldn't turn, until finally... [Click].

"Bingo," said Rovaun. "I do not understand why I am the God, when it is you who are performing all of the miracles."

"You're my inspiration."

Someone was approaching again so I closed up the padlock and played it cool. Garson came in with a bandaged dead hand and went to check on Parceph's harvested blood. Ringwald came in soon afterward and handed Garson an empty blood bag.

"That's the last of 'em, Mr. Garson."

"Nonsense! There should be two more in the box."

"I looked but there ain't none. I think they gypped us."

"God damn it, you idiot! Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

He replaced Parceph's full bag with the last empty one, then stored the fresh blood with its siblings in the cabinet. After locking up, he addressed us.

"It appears I must leave you for a while sooner than I had expected, but you needn't feel neglected. Someone will be here shortly to look after you."

"Let's go," he grumbled to Ringwald, who was already ahead of him.

When I heard the outer door close, I popped out again.

"Now's our chance, Rovaun!"

"Companion, wait. Someone may still be monitoring us. We must plan this escape... And..." He was hesitant to say this: "We must consider our chances of survival with and without Parceph."

"We are not leaving without Parceph."

"We can come back for him. They will not kill him."

"I can't leave him, Companion. Look what the bastards are doing to him."

"Wraaaiithh... Goooo..."

"Parceph!"

"Leave... meeee..."

"Not gonna happen!"

The outer door opened again. Someone was returning.

"Damn it! Okay, here's what's going to happen. When whoever is coming leaves, we all get out of here! That includes you, Parceph."

"Companion!"

"No slackers, Rovaun."

Whoever was approaching sounded badly injured. Their steps were staggered and off balance, and distinctly sounded like hooves on concrete.

"Rovaun, they're bringing in another captured Hipponaur!"

"Companion, we cannot rescue them all."

"We can try." I went over to Parceph to turn off the blood flow spigot, but I turned it the wrong way and opened it up instead. At that moment Tattoo sucked me back in.

"Hi Daddy!"

"Tattoo, you have to let me out!"

"No."

"Please, Tattoo!"

"I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"He's coming."

"Who's coming?"

The hoofsteps were right outside the room. Parceph's empty bag was now a quarter full and still filling. He had lost consciousness, and his life was next.

"Companion, you must be quiet!"

A fat gray stallion lumbered in. His hide was splotched from neglect and he reeked of filth and alcohol. He gawked at the two of us, then belched.

"I don' f-fucking believe it!" he said staggering up to us. "It's a fucking f-f-familery union! Hi Dad!... An' a special hullo to you, Mom... you're lookin' sweet!"

"Bouceph, have you been captured, too?" whispered Rovaun.

"Yeah, tha's right, Dad," he laughed. "An' the firs' thing they made me do was look up the word 'clueless' in the dictionary and there was your picture!"

I looked at Rovaun, who was stunned into silence.

"How did you like my trap? Pretty smart, huh?" He tried to look his father in the eyes, but his father turned away.

"Smart enough to trap my ol' man, f-fucking degenerate!"

"You are condemning your entire race," said Rovaun coldly.

"Naw, not all of 'em, jusht the degenerates like you and Parceph. You know - the human fuckers. No other honorabuble Hipponaurs would have bothered to come here."

Then he leered at me for some reason. "And thanks for bringin' Mom. It's been a while, Lover." He nuzzled my cheek and I instinctively pulled away.

"Bouceph!" shouted Rovaun.

"What? Din't you know about Mom and me?" He looked at me. "I can't believe you din't tell him. It's only fair, Dad. You took my bond mare, I took yours. Mom had no complaints... did you?"

I didn't know what to do, so I just smiled at him.

"You're awful quiet today. That's not like you at all." He wandered around behind me. "But I still know what you like, and you'll be screaming my name soon, just like old times."

He jumped onto me, and initiated the rape.

"BOUCEPH! FOR GOD'S SAKE!!"

"Shut up, Dad, you're next!"

"Companion," said Rovaun frantically. "Stop him anyway you can. Kill him if you have to!"

Tattoo was petrified by his older brother. He held on to me for dear life. I couldn't even stick out a toe.

"Who the f-fuck are you talking to, Dad?" Then he whispered to me. "I think Dad's gone off the deep end.... What's the matter? Aren't you enjoying it? Why won't you talk to me?... I know what'll loosen that magic tongue of yours."

He linked with me playing back a particularly torrid session he had shared with Zhorelle. She writhed in ecstasy underneath him, her clitoris darting all over his cock like a mouse on cheese. I discovered that I had this memory, too. Until now it had been safely locked away, but his link had opened Zhorelle's crypt and set the succubus loose. The two memories played simultaneously, amplifying their power over me, and it was insatiably delicious.

Bouceph held perfectly still inside me, allowing his link to erotically torture me. I squirmed underneath him, wanting him so much, wanting him to move, wanting to feel him deep inside. I tried pushing back, squeezing, swiveling, anything to get more stimulation, but Bouceph pinned me down, completely immobilized. This exquisite torture was familiar. I loved it when he did this to me - it drove me totally wild. It was a game we played to see who could hold out the longest, and, bless my well-hung son, I always lost.

"Bouceph," I gasped. "You win again, Bouceph! My beautiful sexy Bouceph! Fuck me Bouceph! Fuck me you fucking stud! Fuck your mother to Heaven!!"

"Stop it, Bouceph!!" whimpered Rovaun.

"Why? She's finally getting into it..." He leaned into my ear. "Aren't you, my sweet" he cooed. "Nice and wet now. I'll show you some mercy. What's wrong with your voice?"

Bouceph pushed up off of the table and backed out a few inches giving me some wiggle room to... wiggle. I slid back and forth along his pole, squeezing him to get the stimulation we both craved, and it sounded just as wet and skanky as it felt. After a minute, I could feel Bouceph crowning within me.

"Don't you dare cum before I do," I warned.

"No problem Mom. I'm savin' somethin' special for later."

"That's my boy."

I was content to ride him this way while he nibbled my ears. Parceph was dead, Tattoo was a basket case, and there wasn't much I could do about Rovaun. As long as Bouceph held up his end, I was happy. It was so liberating to care about nothing except when my next orgasm would be. I turned to my pathetic bond mate and winked at him while slurping on his son's cock.

"Enjoying the show Lover? I hope you're taking notes."

Oh dear, I made him cry. Now Bouceph was starting to bore me, too.

"Bouceph," I snarled, "stop screwing around! Get your fat ass moving and get fucking!!"

"Yes Ma'am!!"

He started up a rhythm slamming into me that was just the way I liked it.

"Yes! [slam] That's! [slam] It! [slam] That's! [slam] It! [slam] Bou... [slam] ceph! [slam] Bou... [slam] ceph! [slam] Bou... [slam] Bou... [slam] Bou... [slam] BOU... [slam] BOU!! [slam] BOU!!!"

"Look out, Dad, here she comes."

He switched off the link, but I didn't want it to stop. Under my own control, my clitoris licked voraciously at his cock, and then blasted a climax that sent me into the stratosphere.

"Hoo-WEE!! Mom! Good one!" he said, as I drenched his balls.

When I came back down again, I saw Rovaun sobbing with his eyes shut tight. Zhorelle's persona had vanished with the link, but I remembered all of it, and I felt like the most worthless, filthiest scum on the planet. Bouceph had stopped slamming, but he wasn't finished with me yet, and continued a loathsome slow grind.

"You're gonna love it here, Mom. These guys aren't so bad. Garson'll get me anything I want - booze, cake, chocolate... Have you ever had chocolate? Makes you horny as hell. And he's got an entire stable full of horses I can fuck. I'm living like a fucking king..." "And you can be my queen," he whispered.

I was so ashamed of my climax that everything inside felt numb. I was in limbo, stuck inside a body that I no longer wanted to feel. Bouceph's grinding continued. Then he chuckled, eager to tell me something he thought I'd find amusing.

"Yer not gonna believe this, Mom. One day, I was really shit-faced... that means drunk, and watchin' human porno videos, and I asked Garson to bring me a woman. And guess what - the fucker actually did it! He thought I was f-fuckin' serious! He says he got me what I asked for, and I can't 'member what it was, an' I come wandering in here and see her naked ass tied down to this very table. So I say, 'what the fuck' and decide to show her a good time... and MAN! What a mind-blowing f-fuck that was. Would you like to see it?"

"No, Bouceph," I said coolly.

"Aw, come on, you'll love it. It's fuckin' hilarious. I can't get off any other way now."

He resumed his violent thrusting. "You'll see, Mom. You'll be begging for this link for the rest of your life."

In my head I saw a terrified girl in her twenties, bound into position like the Wraith. My phallus forced its way into a hole far too small to fit, and the shrill scream of pain awoke the demon in my head. The screaming turned to gurgling when my lance perforated her organs. Then the room went blood red as the Primitive took over and reduced the girl to hamburger.

There was another screaming in my head now, a tiny scream from below. Tattoo was intercepting the link, and the trauma he was suffering was too much for him. To fight off the horror, he recoiled within himself loosening his grip on me. I fell out onto the floor, but was crippled and unable to move very far. There were no weapons within reach, so I used the only one I had. I engulfed Bouceph's balls and bit them clean off.

His own scream rocked the building as he fell backwards, writhing and gushing red on the floor. With the link broken, Tattoo snapped me up again, but remained severely disturbed. Bouceph pulled himself to his feet, having no clue how he had been castrated. To save himself from further attack, he staggered out of the room leaving us at the mercy of his invisible attacker.

"We're leaving NOW," I said, which brought no protest from Rovaun. I had enough leeway to stick out a hand and unlock my shackles, then I did the same for Rovaun. When we got to Parceph, his blood bag was full and he was no longer breathing. I raised up the bag and squeezed its contents back into him, but the process was painfully slow.

"Rovaun, hold this bag up." He held it high in his mouth and it continued to drain into Parceph. I went to the cabinet and retrieved several more bags. "Hold these too."

I connected a supply of I.V. needles to the bags and jabbed them into the lifeless Hipponaur. Then I cut his feeding tube and poured blood into that as well.

"Come on, Parceph! Wake up! I don't know equine CPR!!"

"I do," said Rovaun. He linked to Parceph and I saw his chest start moving again.

"Is he alive?"

"I think so. It is fortunate that the bag filled up. It stopped the blood loss."

"What else can we do for him?"

"More of the same."

I got a dozen more bags and hung them up, then inserted tubes into every part of his body. I didn't have the skill to hit his blood vessels, though I supposed his recovery would have gone faster if I did. The most important thing was to return his essence to him, and all we could do now was wait for gravity to let it happen.

With the Parceph emergency in a lull, the room became uncomfortably quiet. I couldn't look at Rovaun, neither could he look at me. I finally got up the nerve to break the ice.

"Rovaun... what happened back there..."

"It wasn't you, Companion. Zhorelle managed to rape you again. Bouceph was only the catalyst."

I didn't think that was true, but my only chance of ever being able to live with myself required me to believe it. Rather than dwell on it, though, I busied myself watching deep red bags gradually deflate. My spirits were lifted sky-high when Parceph twitched back to life.

"Rovaun, it's working!"

"Wraithhh," Parceph said opening his eyes, "Leave meee..."

"Shut up Parceph, we're rescuing you. And call me Danny," I said, unlocking his shackles. He moved his legs slightly, but was far too weak to stand on his own. The fact that he was moving at all completely put Zhorelle out of my mind. And for that I was grateful to him.

"Parceph, let us help you. What else can we do?"

"Leave me."

"No Parceph! You've got to fight! Tell me what to do!"

He looked at me with tired eyes, then whispered, "Kiss me."

I looked at Rovaun, stunned. Rovaun was similarly dismayed, and then his ears perked.

"Yes, Companion! Kiss him - as a human. It will activate his essence."

I knelt in front of him, lifted his lips to mine and kissed him tenderly. His tongue came out and I nibbled it, then pressed my lips harder into his and made love to his mouth. I could feel his passion come alive as his breathing came sharp and quick. He pushed his mouth back into mine and sucked my tongue in, taking over the kiss, trying to hold his own head up, and weakly snorting his desire. Both he and I found ourselves getting caught up in this kiss of life.

"I love you, Companion," he whispered.

"Yes, Parceph! I'm your Companion. I've missed you so much."

"Where have you been for two hundred years?" he asked, in his dilerium.

"I was lost, Parceph, but I found my way back to you. I love you, Parceph, my Companion."

He softly whinnied his happiness through his nose while our mouths remained locked. His beloved Companion had returned giving him a reason to live. Then his delight evolved into steamy passion as I felt his hot snorts inflame my cheeks.

"I desire you, Companion," he said, his voice now sounding strong and virile.

"Oh Parceph," I moaned, "I desire you even more." And I don't think I was kidding.

He snorted and grunted and pushed his tongue into my mouth while struggling to his feet to free his budding erection.

"I had a dream about you, Parceph. I dreamt we made love. Your hot stallion dick was inside me and you rode me to a thunderous climax. You were in all the way up to your balls when you blasted your seed into me. It was the best time I ever had. I hope it comes true."

"Oh, it WILL come true," he said lustfully, now standing easily on his own.

"Now's your chance, Parceph. I want you to fuck me."

He whinnied powerfully, as his muscles tensed with sexual energy.

"I can take it all in, now, Parceph. I've had two hundred years of practice leading up to this moment. And now I'm ready for you."

His tail whipped around, knocking out a couple of needles.

"What are you waiting for, Parceph! No one can stop us. I can't wait any longer! I want your dick in me so bad I can taste it. Your big delicious horsedick. I've got to have you inside me! You've got to fuck my brains out!"

He growled and snorted as his erection reached full length. His mane stood up on end and his eyes glowed like coals as he grimaced at me.

"Bend over, human" he commanded.

"I see you're feeling much better." I stood up and removed his tubes. "Do you think you can walk?"

"What?"

"We have to get out of here, Parceph."

"But..."

"We'll continue this discussion later." I pecked him on the nose.

Rovaun shrugged. "He's such a tease."

I patched Parceph's oozing wounds which were already showing signs of healing on their own. Then the three of us made our way out. We passed Bouceph's severed testicles on the floor, and Rovaun made a special effort to squash them.

"Do you think they'll grow back?" I asked.

"Not likely," he said. "It was a miracle that they grew in the first place."

The harsh daylight was a welcome sight when we stepped out into it. From the outside, our prison looked like a harmless farmhouse. The droning of the electric generator was much louder out here and it reminded me of our final task. I went into the generator shed and came out with several gallons of gasoline. All three of us doused the building inside and out, then I dumped the last gallon on the generator itself, which sparked and sent the entire complex up in flames. Whether or not Bouceph was still inside did not concern any of us.

"Any idea where we are?"

"Home is that way," indicated Parceph.

"That means the truck must be that way," I indicated.

"Companion, with Tattoo in his condition, there is no way you can drive."

"We have to try, Rovaun. His psyche is seriously damaged. We need to get him to Tantau ASAP."

"Zhorelle, Tattoo, and now Tantau?" said Parceph. "A lot has happened to you two since the bonding ritual."

"We'll fill you in on the gory little details. To the truck, Rovaun."

"Yes, Companion."

We headed south at top speed across the desert. Poor Tattoo refused to sing, preferring instead to whimper. Bouceph's psycho link had really screwed him up, and I was beginning to have second thoughts about exposing Tantau to that horror. Nevertheless, I continued to talk to him, sing to him, and love him.

It was about three miles to the next ridge when I heard a gunshot and something whiz past my ear. We all turned to see the jeep and its two occupants coming up fast behind us. The wind had died down leaving our tracks exposed. Ringwald was driving. Garson was standing in the back holding onto the roll bar which had a rifle mount attached.

"This way!" called Rovaun ducking into a ravine. We followed, but the jeep would be upon us soon, and so would the bullets. We headed for a dry river bed that had cut a narrow, deep gorge into the earth. Rovaun at top speed easily leapt over the twenty-foot chasm, and Parceph followed suit. I came up to it and lost my nerve at the last second, stopping just short of the edge.

"Jump, Companion," shouted Rovaun. "You can do it!"

I turned around and headed back to get a running start just as the jeep came down the ravine. I galloped at full speed toward the gorge when another shot rang out and sliced a line along my ribs. I fell over and came to rest at the edge. The jeep pulled up next to me with Garson's rifle pointing at my head.

"Return with me," he said to Parceph and Rovaun, "and I give you my word that she will not be killed." Then he commanded to Ringwald, "Get some rope."

Ringwald got out and poked around behind the passenger seat. I hopped into the jeep and drove it over the edge. It tumbled over twice, before resting upside down on the bottom. I was disembodied for a moment, then the next thing I knew, I was surveying the destruction from above. The jeep rested comfortably on top of Ringwald's head, but Garson was still alive at the bottom, pulling himself toward a shotgun four feet away. When he reached it, he felt a hoof press into his back and steadily force the air out of his lungs.

"Okay!" he wheezed, releasing the shotgun. "I surrender!"

I kicked him over and put my hoof on his chest so that I could look him in the eyes while I slowly crushed him. I brought my head down to his, causing him to tremble at my rage.

"You can't kill me!" he gasped. "You're an honorable Hipponaur!"

"He is right, Companion," said Rovaun. "As much as I would like to see this human erased from existence, he is no longer a threat to us."

"He IS a threat, Rovaun. He will always be a threat."

"That may be so, Companion, but we cannot know for sure. As a Hipponaur, you must not murder a sentient being."

I reluctantly removed my hoof. He closed his eyes and laughed, letting his lungs fill with air. His giddiness was cut short, though, when he felt the barrel of his shotgun at his chest. He opened his eyes to see a man looking down at him.

"Then it is a good thing I'm human, because murder is what humans do best."

I pulled the trigger and blasted his heart into the earth.

Rovaun snorted. Parceph pondered my action for a moment, then said, "I have no problem with that."

"Neither do I," decided Rovaun. "Companion. You are a disgrace to the human race. It is a good thing that you are Hipponaur."

I stabbed the shotgun inside the cannonball-sized hole it had created, as a grotesque stake to keep the vampire from rising, and also, perhaps, as a message.

We continued toward the truck, but no one said anything. We knew that all of Hipponaur would be better off with Garson dead, but we were also shocked to discover that I was capable of doing it. Was it a bit of Zhorelle that had been awakened within me? Or was I merely driven to the murderous breaking point? Or was it self-defense against the future threat of Garson, who would always be a threat while he continued to breathe? And how many more Garsons existed? And how many more Boucephs would sell out to them? All questions I wished never had to be asked.

I continued to try to nurture Tattoo, but my heart wasn't really in it, nor was he very responsive. I could not tell if he had witnessed Garson's death. But I knew for sure that he had witnessed another human's death, murdered by his own brother. Was he now beyond redemption? Were any of us?

At the top of the final ridge, we could see Route 66 below, and the truck and trailer were also there, but not alone. A police car and a familiar SUV accompanied it.

"Looks like we get a free ride home. Thank you, Destiny," I said insincerely.

The three of us headed down toward the highway, and I saw Nadine look up at us and shout, "That's them! There they are!!"

She ran up to meet us as we trotted down to her, but her face went sour when she saw the wounds on Parceph and myself. She turned and ran back to get a first aid kit, then tended to us when we reached the trailer.

"I thought you said the rustler stole TWO horses," said the cop.

"Well, he obviously stole a third," she said, smearing antiseptic into the groove running along the side of my ribs. "I'll take full responsibility for the three of them. You have my name and number."

"Is that going to leave a scar?" I asked Rovaun.

"Not a physical one."

Once our wounds were set to Nadine's satisfaction, the three of us packed tightly into the trailer standing at an angle. First me, then Rovaun, then Parceph. Lyle headed to the truck, but Nadine stopped him.

"I'll drive them," she said.

"Sure thing," he said. "I'll trade a sore butt for air conditioning any day."

It felt good to be on the road again, but I also felt terribly uneasy about what had happened. Talking about the ordeal was the only way to deal with it.

"Companion, it looks like you now know some secrets about me that I didn't even know I had."

"If you are referring to Zhorelle's memories, Companion, they are not your secrets to bear."

"I think they are now. They're a part of me."

"Even if that is so, it doesn't matter, Companion. I disagree with what you said earlier regarding secrets. It is not WHAT we keep secret that tells most about who we are. It is WHY we keep them secret. The dishonorable keep secrets to deceive. The honorable keep secrets to protect. I have no doubt why you keep yours."

"And what of scars? What scars will you take home with you?" I asked, starting to weep.

"None," he said emphatically, "and neither should you. You sacrificed your human self to save Hipponaur once again. There can be nothing more noble and honorable than that. Companion, you must learn to put the death of that human aside. I am GLAD he is dead. His birth was a mistake, and it is grossly unfair for you to now carry the burden of correcting it. No one is asking you to. For your own sake, please let go of it."

"Danny," said Parceph, "for what it's worth, I'm alive because of you. Garson is dead, and I am alive. That is a trade I am very glad you made. If it were you or Rovaun on that table, I'd like to think that I would have made the same choice. I love humans. There are billions I would give my life for, but Garson was not one of them, not even close. He was a human by genetic definition only, but there was no humanity there, and nothing to redeem. I only wish I had pulled that trigger, so that you could be free of this guilt that you hold onto."

"How do I let it go?"

"You just do," said Parceph. "You are a good person. What happened didn't change that. You killed a man who would have been executed anyway if he were Hipponaur."

"But he wasn't Hipponaur. The worst Human law he could have been convicted of is misdemeanor cruelty to animals."

"That is just a technicality, Danny. He knew Hipponaur was a sentient race. He knew his actions were entirely criminal and immoral."

"I know what you're saying, Parceph. Deep inside I know I am a good person. But I will always fear that what I did will never be forgotten. Danny Racher murdered a man."

"Danny Racher saved Hipponaur from genocide," said Rovaun. "That is what I will remember, Companion. If I thought for one second that you were a murderer, I would not now be asking you to marry me."

"What?"

Parceph looked up and grinned.

"Companion, you are not only a good person, you are great Hipponaur. I can think of no better way to show that to you, than to ask you to be my spouse in marriage. I love you more than anything. I don't care at all about what happened today. You are still the only one for me. Please, say you will you marry."

"Rovaun," I sighed, "I love you, dearly. I will..." His ears perked up. "...seriously consider it." Then they slackened. "I know why you're asking me, and I must say it really is helping me get my mind off of Garson and Zhorelle, but I need a little more time, okay."

"Take all the time you need," he said.

"If you turn him down," said Parceph, "I'll be asking you next."

"Oh my," I chuckled, "now I have to choose between the two of you. If I wait long enough will I get to have both?"

"Didn't we have this conversation once before?" asked Parceph.

"Yes," said Rovaun, "And it has been killing him ever since he found out."

"Found out what?" asked Parceph.

"That the three of us share an intimate encounter now."

"Now?" This seemed to be news to Parceph, but he didn't exactly recoil in horror.

"Are you saying that NOW is the right place and the right time?"

"Yes, Companion," he smiled.

I considered it for a moment, but I really wasn't in the mood and there wasn't much that could be done while crammed in the trailer.

"I'm sorry guys. I think I'll take a raincheck this time."

Rovaun's smile faded. There must have been something seriously wrong with me to turn down this opportunity. Parceph also looked surprised and disappointed by my rejection. He studied me silently for a moment, then turned to Rovaun and nuzzled his cheek.

"Rovaun," he whickered softly, "I never really got to thank you for rescuing me."

Rovaun caught on quickly and nuzzled him back. "Since my Companion has not yet replied to my marriage proposal, I see no harm in accepting your gratitude," he said smoothly.

Parceph kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you," he said, still holding his lips up. Rovaun turned and momentarily rubbed his lips against Parceph's. "You're welcome, my friend," he said. They continued to tenderly nuzzle noses and "accidently" touch lips. I knew what they were up to and found their little act amusing at first, but as they persisted, they found themselves getting sucked into the sexual vortex they had stirred up. And the less of an act it became the more extremely turned on I got.

Even though their lips were all over each other's faces, the two stallions seemed reluctant to keep their kissing anything but desert cactus dry. It was Rovaun who made the first move. Holding his lips against Parceph's, he wormed his tongue in to pry them open. Parceph didn't resist, and was grateful for the ice breaker. Soon he was forcing his own tongue down Rovaun's throat. Both of them now kissed like horny rabid wolves, snorting, slobbering, and growling each other's names. My constantly dribbling backside demanded attention now, but I didn't want to interrupt the lovers, so I stepped out to pleasure my two horny studs instead. Both had already dropped and were slowly lengthening. I climbed underneath them and brought their members together, rubbing them against each other to make fire. The stallions grunted above me and their cocks immediately stiffened to full length. I held the two sensitive heads together, squeezing, rubbing and manipulating them, using one urethra to tickle the other. When one would spurt, the other would feel it and both stallions would react with more grunts of passion. Both had begun to crown and each could feel the other's engorgement rubbing against his own.

Rovaun's balls were the first to tighten. "I'm cumming, Parceph," he moaned.

"Link with me, Rovaun." he said, urgently.

I couldn't feel the link but I saw Parceph's balls immediately ascend, too. Rovaun's cock then showered my left side with a warm blast of sticky goo, followed closely by Parceph's much larger torrent on the right. I continued to milk them both while they gasped for air above me, entwining their necks to hold each other intimately until both orgasms completely subsided. Afterwards, they both chuckled warmly and continued nuzzling foreheads.

"You guys sure know how to put the slime in slimax," I said standing up in front of them, soaking in spunk and loving every second of it.

"Danny, I didn't know you were down there," kidded Parceph, who then proceeded to specifically lick all of Rovaun's cum off of me.

Rovaun snorted and laughed at Parceph. "What is that? Some sort of challenge?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Parceph innocently. "I'm just helping to clean up the disgusting mess we made on your Companion."

"You will see," said Rovaun as he licked off all of Parceph's issue without blinking, "that I am not nearly as squeamish as you may think."

When he was done, he smacked his lips and said to him, "Care to taste yourself?"

The two stallions started kissing again.

"Okay, that's enough. You guys are having way too much fun without me."

"No, Companion," smiled Rovaun. "It would not have been fun AT ALL without you... Well, maybe just a little bit."

"If you guys get married," said Parceph, "I'll let you adopt me."

"You are an excellent kisser, Parceph," said Rovaun. "And if we do get married, I will certainly consider it."

"Good God, Rovaun! I can't believe I'm hearing you say this... Although he IS really hot, isn't he."

Rovaun looked at me with a twinkle.

"Thank you so much, my Love," I said hugging him. "You're the greatest."

"Will you marry me yet?"

"Eventually, but don't stop asking."

The rest of the way back to the ranch was spent regaling Parceph with tales of how Tantau and Tattoo came into being and how I ended up becoming Hipponaur. With each detail his mouth opened wider in disbelief, and it never closed until we pulled to a stop inside the paddock.

Nadine let us out and the three of us rushed to the stable to gratefully fill up on dry hay and filthy water.

"You poor things," she said, fascinated by us, though all we were doing was eating and drinking just like horses. I occasionally nodded to her to show my appreciation for her generosity. It always produced a smile.

"She'll give you an excellent grooming after dinner, Parceph, if you like."

"That sounds lovely, Danny, but I'm anxious to get home."

"So am I, Companion. As hospitable as this human is, I find myself longing to be far away from all of them as soon as possible."

"I know the feeling."

We finished dinner and prepared to leave. I walked up to Nadine and nuzzled her. She affectionately scratched my ears and kissed my nosed.

"Thank you, Nadine," I said aloud. She gasped and put her hand to her heart, then the three of us jumped the fence and took off. Lyle came out and ran to the truck.

"No, Lyle," she said, "let them go."

I looked back and saw her clasping her hands, then she waved and laughed and twirled around.

"Do you think that was wise, Companion," said Rovaun, as Nadine and the ranch disappeared from view.

"They're not following us," I pointed out. "And besides, I don't think she'll tell anyone. I just wanted to make her day."

"I think you just made her decade."

When we returned to Parceph's clique, we were greeted with hugs and cheers all around. Several of Parceph's friends from other cliques had come to await his return, but had not expected to see us for three weeks. Even Parceph's bond mare had made a brief appearance, giving him an uncomfortable hug before departing.

We explained the inherent dangers of trusting Hipponaur writing that came from humans. When asked how humans had become so knowledgeable of Hipponaur affairs, Rovaun did not hesitate to make it clear to all that it was his son who had betrayed his race. And when Bouceph is eventually brought to justice before Hipponaur, Rovaun will be the first to testify against him. The men that had captured Parceph were no longer a threat, but Bouceph might still be alive, and the danger he still posed was paramount.

The details of my rape and the death of Garson were not revealed. Parceph and Rovaun allowed me to keep those secrets.

Emissaries were again dispatched to nearby cliques to spread the news of Parceph's return and of Bouceph and his human predators and their tactics. Everyone hugged Parceph after hearing the horrors he was subjected to. They also hugged Rovaun to console him, and to assure him that Bouceph's disgrace in no way reflected poorly upon him. They hugged me too, to thank me for rescuing Parceph, but I felt like an outsider that did not really belong anywhere. I was also worried to death about Tattoo who was perpetually unhappy. Even Rovaun didn't know what to do about him.

We spent the uneventful night there, then Rovaun and I left early the next morning to return to Shianna and Malaya. Parceph was eager to meet Tantau, so he came along as well. It was about noon when we encountered our second "Welcome Home" party. Shianna came running to greet us, followed by an ecstatic Malaya who couldn't wait to tell us about her conversations with her future mate. Our party also had two surprise guests: Varyl and Kronan.

When Kronan's and Parceph's eyes met, the crowd hushed uncomfortably. Kronan trembled nervously, not having had time to prepare himself for this meeting. Parceph walked right up to him and hugged him deeply.

"I'm so sorry about your Companion, Parceph," Kronan cried.

"I forgave you two hundred years ago, Kronan. And I will continue to forgive you every single day if that's what it takes to bring you back home."

"That won't be necessary," he said. "It is good to be home. Thank you."

"Wraith," said an elegant black stallion approaching me. "I hardly recognized you. That color looks good on you."

"You think so, Varyl?" I chuckled. "I wonder why?"

"You have been very busy - and fruitful - in my brief absence. Am I to understand that TWO Anthrauns have been conceived?"

"Yes, Shianna is carrying Tantau, and I am carrying Tattoo."

"That is wonderful!" he said joyfully.

"Varyl," I said uneasily, "I need your advice."

"Certainly, my dear... son... Wraith."

"Tattoo has been terribly traumatized by a violent link. Would it be possible to erase that from him?"

"I do not know... At his age he is developing very quickly. When did this link occur?"

"About twenty-two hours ago."

Varyl winced. "I am sorry Wraith, but it may be too late. Because he is so young, this memory has already set and is now growing as a significant part of his existence. It cannot be excised by itself. The only way to remove the cancer would be to start over, erasing his entire identity."

"What if we did that? He's only two weeks old and most of his life is better off forgotten anyway."

"I have never performed this procedure on such a young mind. A frail soul might not recover, but Tattoo must be very strong. If the damage warrants treatment, I suspect he will suffer no permanent ill effects. Have you discussed this with your mate?"

"No, but I'm sure he'd agree..."

"I am sure he will," he said, going over to Rovaun to talk privately.

That made me nervous, but I knew Rovaun was just as concerned for Tattoo as I. After a heated discussion, they finally came to an agreement.

"Wraith, may I assess Tattoo's health?"

"Please."

Varyl pressed his head into my belly for several seconds, then lowered it nearly to the ground in sorrow. "I am so sorry, Tattoo," he cried pitifully. "Please, please forgive an old fool."

My heart sank for Varyl. Tattoo's current state was directly attributable to him, for he had planted the Primitive in Bouceph. It hadn't occurred to me until now that Varyl might take Tattoo's condition personally. In my mind, I did not blame him for Bouceph's psychotic link, but Varyl's conscience did not reside in my mind.

"Can you help him, Varyl?"

"Yes," he said, raising up. "He must be helped."

He closed his eyes and pressed in again. I closed mine as well, and could feel him doing his magic. The terrible sadness within me faded, and I felt as if I could suddenly breathe again. I had not realized just how much Tattoo had been bringing me down, and now both he and I had been set free. I opened my eyes and smiled at Rovaun, who was smiling back at me even more.

Varyl pulled away and brightened. "Your son is reborn."

"Who am I?" said the tiny innocent voice.

"You are Tattoo," I told him, lovingly.

"Who are you?"

"I am ..." I looked at Rovaun, whose eyes watered with mine. "Mommy."

"Hi Mommy."

"Mommy loves Tattoo."

"Tattoo loves Mommy."

I hugged Varyl and kissed him all over. "You did it! We're on speaking terms again! I love you, too!!"

Varyl for the first time in a long while was without words. Parceph joined Rovaun and both beamed at me.

"Introduce yourself to your son, Daddy," I said. While Rovaun did so, I turned to Parceph. "You're next, Uncle." And to Varyl. "And then you, Gramps." Then to the rest. "Auntie Shianna, Cousin Malaya, Great Uncle Harlok, ..."

The Hipponaurs were not accustomed to being so haphazardly adopted as intimate family members, but they had no objections and gleefully complied.

Rovaun continued to glow at me. "It is such a joy to see you so cheerful again."

"I'm just happy for Tattoo. He's regained his innocence."

"It must be a wonderful feeling," smiled Parceph.

I looked at them curiously. "Do you two know something that I don't?"

"It is a secret," grinned Rovaun.

"I see," I said, leery of their collusion. "You keep it, then. You're entitled to your secrets. I'm entitled to mine."

"Yes Companion. You are entitled to every secret that you deserve," he said kissing me.

"Like I said before, don't be surprised if I found out someday."

"Never."

Azgard approached in his usual tumescent state, looking much more upbeat now than when I last saw him. "It is wonderful to see you again, Wraith."

"Hello, Uncle Azgard," I said. "Would you like to introduce yourself to your nephew?"

He did so as a courtesy to me then stood tall and ogled me some more. "Wraith, I am told that you have the ability to appear as a human."

Varyl stood behind Azgard wiggling his eyebrows at me and pointing to him. Then I understood why Varyl was here in the first place. Azgard had sought him out to have our previous psycho encounter erased. It obviously improved his outlook on life, but it now put me on the spot with him once again.

"Um, Azgard, when was the last time you and I spoke?"

"Do you not recall?" he said, suddenly looking concerned for my poor mental health. Then he smiled. "You were human then. Such fallible memories they have. It was the morning following the bonding ritual." He leaned down and whispered nervously. "Do you... uh, at least remember... what you said to me, then?"

"I do," I said. "And I hate to disappoint you, Azgard, but, you see..." I looked at my mate. "...Rovaun has asked me to marry him. And I have decided to say yes."

Everyone's ears pointed skyward, then whinnies erupted all around. Azgard's erection took a noticeable dive, but he did not at all seem devastated. Shianna's emotions were similarly mixed.

Rovaun stepped up and kissed me. "You don't have to marry me just to keep Azgard off your back," he whispered.

"It's not about Azgard, my Love. How else am I going to learn all of your secrets?"

"So your evil plan is to marry me and then withhold sex until I'm a babbling brook, is that it?" he laughed.

"Bingo."

"You're on! Parceph, I need a Best Stallion."

Parceph stood proudly next to him.

"He's only second best," I whispered to my mate.

"I agree," Parceph winked at me.

"Shhh," said Rovaun.

"And I need a Maid of Honor," I announced. I smiled at the ever-eager Malaya. "I'm sorry my dear, it can only be the mother of my child. Shianna, will you join me?" She sniffled, but then gratefully did so.

"Your Eminence," I said to Varyl. "We would be honored if the greatest Hipponaur alive would perform the ceremony."

"If you are referring to me, Wraith, I'm afraid I cannot. You have stripped me of all of my titles."

"But it has to be you! As Wraith, I hereby temporarily restore to Varyl all titles and responsibilities necessary for him to carry out this wedding ceremony. How's that?"

"I'm sure it will suffice," he said, "unless there are any objections."

We all took the customary positions of a Hipponaur wedding, which turned out to be exactly the same as a human wedding. There was something cosmically constant about this ceremony that made it universal.

"The Hipponaur marriage is our most sacred tradition," said Varyl. "It is our belief that for every soul in the vast cosmos, there exists exactly one perfect complement. There can be no greater joy in Heaven and Earth than when these two eternal souls find each other. Rovaun and Wraith..."

"Daniel."

"...Rovaun and Daniel have found each other, and now wish it be known to all who may share in their joy. You may exchange vows."

"Comp... Daniel," said Rovaun, "I shall desire none other than you."

There was an awkward silence.

"That's it?"

"Brief, but sufficient," said Varyl. "Rovaun has always been terse when it comes to public speaking."

"There goes another secret," I laughed, making him blush. Then I nuzzled him tenderly to soothe him.

"I'm not good at speeches either, my Love, but this one comes from my heart. Rovaun, you are my mate, my love, my lover, my confessor, my protector, my Companion, and the father of my children. Without you I am empty. With you I am alive. There is no one other than you for me. A part of me knew that the second we first met. All of me knows that now. I love you, Companion, I love you, forever and always."

"Can I redo my vow?" Rovaun asked. Varyl smiled and nodded.

"Companion, I have lived for thousands of years. I have seen every part of this world, and have encountered countless souls in my travels. I am a proud and honorable Hipponaur - a God to humans! Yet every day, I find myself profoundly humbled by one human - this honorable human standing next to me, who is a God to me. It is you, Companion. You are the only one. I shall worship you forever."

The crowd was silent as they absorbed his words.

"A tad blasphemous, but much better," said Varyl. "Rovaun and Daniel, the commitment you make today must not be taken lightly, and I know that it will not be. I have witnessed the love that you two share for each other, and I feel in my soul that it is real and everlasting. By the temporary power vested in me, I declare the two of you to be one in marriage, and all of Hipponaur shall be bound to defend that most honorable institution. Congratulations to the both of you."

We kissed to the whinnies and applause of our friends, then bowed together before them.

"So now the orgy begins, right?" I joked.

"I'm afraid you've seen your last orgy, Wraith," laughed Varyl.

"No I haven't," I said, nuzzling my husband. "I've got my own private orgy right here."

"Companion," he said, "it is customary for the newlyweds to consummate their marriage in full view of all members of the clique in which the wedding took place."

"What!?"

"That's right, Danny," said Shianna. "Just as the wedding ceremony proclaims to all your spiritual union, your public consummation does the same for your physical union. I can't wait to see it!"

"Are you all nuts?? I'm not going to do it in front of everybody!"

"Didn't I just hear you request an orgy?" asked Parceph.

"But I was only kidding!"

"And what makes you think you have a monopoly in that market," grinned Rovaun.

"I..." They were all grinning at me now. It was a massive Hipponaur conspiracy.

"Your wife sure is gullible," snickered Parceph. "My condolences."

"You are so dead," I hissed to my mate.

"Any bets on how long she withholds sex?"

I looked at the jovial Hipponaurs around me having a laugh at my expense and suddenly realized something wonderful. They were making fun of me. They were teasing me. They were treating this new Hipponaur bride like crap. An outsider would never have been treated so disrespectfully, which could only mean that I was an outsider no more. These were my friends and my family, and I belonged to them, and I loved them. I walked over to my husband, who prepared himself for a kick, but received a big warm horsey hug instead.

"Thank you, Companion, for giving me all of this love that surrounds me."

The grins all turned to syrupy smiles.

"You have done it again," he sighed blissfully. "I am once again deeply humbled in your presence."

I kissed him tenderly then looked into his beautiful eyes. "Let's go someplace not very public at all."

"I know just the place."

#

[End of _COMPANIONS_ Chapter 13: In the Desert]

[This concludes Part 5 of the series. Take a break.]

[Next in series: Chapter 14: The Reception]