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Transformation Therapy

Ezra was nervous. The maned wolf had been prepping for this interview for months and despite the day finally coming he didn't quite feel ready. He had prepped a handful of questions, he knew what he wanted to ask, and he knew that everything would go well but he didn't really feel right for some reason. He couldn't put a finger on it, he just felt like things were going to change somehow.

As a journalism student, Ezra was in his fourth and final semester at the Klyneth Academy of Science and Magic. Despite the university bearing a name specific to science and magic, it actually had branched off in the decades prior and was now a post-secondary establishment that taught a little bit of everything but specialized in alchemy - the intersection of science and magic. In fact, their Alchemist wing was headed by the world's foremost expert in the field, Professor Ilorek H. Rovairre!

His final project was to plan and execute an interview with an influential figure and write an article about it. Most people went for athletes or movie stars or recording artists, but Ezra was seeking someone a bit less known but a bit more important. Ceylon A'Merone, the CEO of NoThEn Labs. He could have interviewed Professor Rovairre, but someone else in his class had already done so and thus Ezra needed to find someone equally influential. Not a lot of folks worldwide had that level of fame without being linked to the entertainment industry.

Not that Ezra had any problems with the entertainment industry. He loved listening to music and watching TV and browsing on his phone as much as anyone else. Nothing quite like sitting back while reading some quality classic sci-fi while blastin' some hard drum and bass through his headphones.

His task, however, wasn't to cater to an audience by talking about the latest superstars or Blitzball players or Arena Pit Fighters. Others in his class may have done that, but he was so much more interested in science and magic. Any time sci-fi became reality excited him. In recent times, he'd heard of how a place called The Vore House managed to duplicate a unique digestive cycle exclusive to one naga species and dispense it via potions. That allowed anyone to enjoy that particular fantasy, something that was unheard of just a decade prior. Potions in general were changing the world, making anything possible with the right application of science and magic, with The Vore House being a great example of that theory in practice.

Ezra was interested in that sort of thing. To him, the real rockstars and influencers were the ones working behind the scenes to make the world a better place. People like Ilorek and Ceylon, the ones who dedicated their lives to expanding on the world's collective scientific knowledge and applying it to real-world situations. Ceylon in particular had erected a company that dedicated itself to the idea that sex and sexuality was not the enemy and that individuals should be respected. The title of 'NoThEn Labs' was actually an acronym of sorts. Not, The, Enemy. NoThEn.

For years, that company had pumped so much coin into making sexual health and medicine be normalized and available for all. They funded sex-positive businesses, donated to health clinics, and lobbied the government for many sex-positive goals. And in a world where it was increasingly clear that anything was positive and that anyone could live their best life if they had the resources to do so, it was quite a successful endeavour. But not a lot of people knew what happened behind the scenes. Ceylon was by no means reclusive, but they weren't exactly a well-known public figure, either.

Nobody even knew for sure if Ceylon was male or female. It was a commonly known secret that the gryphon liked to toy with reporters who asked because their gender didn't matter to their work. Sometimes they portrayed themselves feminine and other times more masculine. Sometimes they'd buff up and look super muscled but then have a meek, female voice. Sometimes they'd come out in the most fabulous, frilly outfit but then speak with the heaviest, thickest voice. It was a lovely game that Ceylon liked to play any time they did interviews or presentations.

Ezra was looking forward to meeting them. Ceylon would be doing a presentation about the Academy of Science and Magic's contribution to NoThEn Labs, as well as hosting a job and internship fair after that had finished up. Ezra was not the kind of mind that did science himself so he wasn't looking for work in the Research and Development of potions, but he was curious about it all regardless. So he'd be attending both the presentation and the after-party where his team would be interviewing students for their final semester internships. A lovely synergy.

But despite the fact that Ezra would remain a fly on the wall, a casual observer of all this, he was nervous as could be. He had a few dozen questions, each one easy to answer but profound in their inquisitive nature; he had done plenty of interviews before and regularly hosted a podcast of his own so it wasn't like he had stage fright. He should have been ready, but for some reason he was nervous. Ceylon was a figure he looked up to for most of his life. As a pup he'd read stories of people using potions to fight the bad guys or using enchanted armours and swords to fight off the evils of the world, and growing up he saw Ceylon as a person making those fantasies real.

They may have been a normal person, but they were a hero. At least to Ezra. So of course he was nervous. He'd spent plenty of time collaborating with Ceylon's HR department, setting up the post-presentation interview, Ezra had sent forward all the questions he intended to ask, and even got a few suggestions from the representative, and he had spent a tonne expanding the memory on his phone so he could record the whole interview. It was going to be a good time. It had to be. Of course he was worried something was going to happen or Ceylon wouldn't be the hero he always seen them as.

Such a common fear. Meeting one's heroes. Too often fame and success made people who appeared to be kind and generous actually be shitty. Greedy. Selfish. Intimidating. Ezra had heard too many stories of prior final-semester interviews that actually made the person doing the article resent the person they'd come to love. Ezra had heard mostly good things about Ceylon so he was pretty sure that wouldn't happen, but what if it did? What if he was one of the few who had bad stories to tell? What if he messed up and Ceylon got angry at him? It was almost enough to make him hyperventilate.

He had to slip around the side of the building to be by himself for a bit. His phone was blasting some deep bass and drum beats, his earphones were specifically designed for canine ears to amplify in the tall, pointy lobes. He wore only his white shorts with the black stripes, no footwear or anything else. Just the shorts, his phone, his headphones, and a plucky attitude. But he needed a moment. He had to sit down, calm his nerves, and take a bit of time before entering the university building. The presentation was about to start and he certainly wouldn't miss it, he just might get a bad spot.

A bad spot. No, he had to get a good spot. He was going to be recording the whole presentation for his article. He had to. Well, he didn't have to, but he felt like he had to. It was important to him. If nothing else it might inspire him to add a few words here and there during the interview. The more he could get the better. That was why he had upgraded the storage on his phone. He had a lot of recording to do and he didn't want to miss a single second.

After taking a deep breath, he stood up straight and glanced around the building to see if anyone was watching him. He didn't like being followed. He was a rather tall fellow, well over two meters tall and head and shoulders taller than most. He stood out in a crowd, so when he went to dart behind the university building he was sure someone would watch him and assume something shady was happening. It wasn't, he wasn't that kind of person, but the Academy had over ten thousand students. He was familiarly acquainted with perhaps a hundred of them. Plenty of folks didn't know him.

Still, he had things to do and places to be. He couldn't be hiding in the bushes beside the building. Once he regained himself, he slipped out front and used his student keycard app in his phone to unlock the door, entering the building. This was it, no turning back now. Not that he would have even considered that, he just knew it was too late to change his subject now.

He followed some other students down the hallway and made his way to the auditorium. It was a rather large room, the biggest on campus and easily able to fit one thousand students. Likely the entirety of the alchemy wing and everyone studying that discipline with a few hundred open spots for folks like Ezra who were just curious. Once he got in, however, he was a little disheartened to see that the auditorium was already almost entirely filled up! He got there half an hour early and yet still there were only a handful of spaces available!

He started to panic but then calmed himself with a few deep breaths. He had to remind himself that people tended to come in groups and most people didn't want front row seats in an auditorium. So he headed down the inclined stairs, glancing down aisles on both sides to see if he found any empty spots he could wriggle into. As a maned wolf he was tall but skinny. He didn't assume he'd upset others by taking up too much room no matter where he went.

To his delight, there was one spot only a few seats in on the third row not far from the center of the semicircle around the presenter's stage. A perfect place to sit. He squirmed his way past a handful of other students, slipped into place, and plopped his rump down. Each of the rows had a little desk in front of them, and the students in the first and second rows weren't tall at all, not even their ears got in the way of his line of sight. Perfect. Somehow everything was damn near perfect.

Ezra set up his phone on a little stand holder, dimmed the screen so it didn't distract those behind him, and set it to record while leaning back. His headphones were still on his head, not only because they drowned out the sound but because his phone was recording with a shotgun mic that specifically only took audio from wherever he was aiming it. He could hear the perpetual rumble of the crowd talking around him but only as background noise instead of an encompassing mess of audio.

When the presentation was about to start, he adjusted his phone and leaned forward, arms crossed and chin on his forearms. He was very eager to hear what Ceylon had to say. Which is why, when the gryphon emerged from behind the door to the left of the stage, Ezra's tail started wagging and didn't finish until the presentation was over. It was about two hours, not quite what Ezra expected.

The first half hour presentation started off as bland as could be. Ceylon came out wearing a nice suit and tie, once again making it unclear whether they were male or female, and they spoke about boring business stuff. Margins and profits and industry trends and buzzwords, the usual corporate PR nonsense. But right after they did the introductions and made sure everyone in the crowd was aware of what NoThEn Labs was doing and the nature of their business, things got a bit more interesting.

Ceylon actually brought out a rack of potion vials and went through what each one did, and offered to give them out to students. Some of them were inane and silly, stuff that would change one's fur color or give them glowing eyes, but as Ceylon went down the rack they got into more impressive and unique potions that seemed straight out of a fantasy or sci-fi book. And, since these were all well-educated university students and Ceylon's company was very sex-positive, a lot of the potions were as kinky as could be.

One potion would turn your cock into that of a horse for a full day. One would make your balls the size of bliztballs and produce exactly as much cum as you'd hope. One would give you an infinite erection and allow you to climax without ejaculating. Many made your flesh stretchy, so those petite girls and guys could take the dragon and horse partners without worry. Some gave you barbs, others made your breasts huge, one even allowed breasts to be penetrated. There was of course some of the Vore Juice - the potion used by the Vore House, but not a lot of people seemed interested in that.

All of these were given away to anyone who was willing to go up to the front and say in great detail exactly what they'd do for it. A buck got a horse cock potion by saying he'd mostly just suck himself off, while a petite mouse gal got the 'stretchy' potion by saying she'd help the buck out so he doesn't have to suck himself off. All of it was stuff like this, just an hour and a half of Ceylon giving out free samples to anyone who could convince them they'd appreciate it.

Ezra was nowhere near brazen enough to do anything like that. He wanted to try out most of those, but more than anything he wanted to get a little something extra. He'd fantasized about getting a nice little canine spade under his balls. To see what it was like from the female perspective. Ceylon did have a potion similar that, but warned that it was a potion that hadn't been completely tested and was yet to be medically approved for males. Apparently, if a physically male person took the potion, it might have adverse effects. The potion's primary purpose was to give a lady canine bits. Like, a big puffy spade on a mare or a cookie where a human's slit would normally be. Gender changing potions were too limited to be viable at this time.

Which was okay. Ezra didn't come to the presentation for stuff like that. He came for the interview and to just soak in the atmosphere.

So naturally, right before the end of the presentation, Ceylon announced that there were twin potions for everyone in the crowd. One that made their junk bigger - be it a bigger cock or more roomy pussy/rump - and one that was a contraceptive and safety potion meant to make a person temporarily sterile and impervious to any and all STDs. Ceylon ran a very sex-positive company, so this sort of healthy sex endorsement was on brand. And to Ezra's surprise, throughout the presentation Ceylon seemed very sociable and charismatic. Clearly performative but confident, too.

Once everyone got their potions and left, Ezra slipped out of his seat and went up to meet Ceylon, nervously hunched over with his phone in one hand and his headphones around his neck. He could use the mic to record but he didn't intend to speak to someone through them.

Ceylon turned to look at him and leaned against the desk. "You must be Ezra." They extended a talon, offering themselves. When Ezra met them, they enjoyed a single firm shake and then backed away, giving Ezra some space. "I can see you're a little demure. I think that's the word. And you didn't try to get any of the potions. Are those two things linked?"

"I think so, yeah." Ezra confirmed. "Not the best in front of crowds. I love what you do and how important it is that sexuality not be something to be ashamed of, but I still prefer to keep my kinks and personal interests private."

"Absolutely! I respect that. Good stuff." Ceylon motioned for an assistant to come get the rack that was now completely devoid of potion vials and motioned for Ezra to join them. "So, I know you probably just wanna do a quick interview here, but honestly I'm all spaced out." They motioned towards the vast expanse of the auditorium. "Too much room. It's den time. If you'd prefer, Professor Rovairre has kindly offered his office. Better acoustics and more privacy. Does that work for you?"

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. I'm not a huge fan of huge crowds, myself. If you don't mind me saying so, I am a little surprised that a gryphon doesn't prefer the open space to a cramped office."

Ceylon chuckled a bit. "Normally you'd be right. I'm a wee bit claustrophobic, but it's strange and hard to describe. If it's my den, or a secure location-" They leaned in to whisper to Ezra, "Or in my mate's womb..." they then leaned back and continued normally. "Then I'm fine with it. But if it's like, underground or in a cave or something like that, someplace I'm not safe and in control. Woooo, panic attack. Anxiety for days. Not a good time."

"I do suppose that makes sense. Yeah, if you're heavily involved in The Vore House I suppose it's fairly safe to assume you're comfortable being in tight spaces." Ezra noted.

Before they continued, Ceylon insisted they head around to Ilorek's office, which was apparently at the end of a hallway that linked underground starting from the door Ceylon entered the auditorium through. The pair of them moved briskly, quickly passing through the tunnel and emerging through a trap door in the professor's personal space.

Ilorek was not there, but his office walls were lined with books and potion vials and papers strewn about. It was a little messy, but nothing five minutes of tidying couldn't fix. However, since it wasn't Ceylon or Ezra's room, they opted to not touch anything. And given that Ceylon was in biped form, they had no problem reclining in Ilorek's big, comfy office chair, hind paws up on a stool and talons in their lap. Ezra sat on the opposite side of the desk, where he set up his phone to record in much the same way he had in the auditorium. The only difference was that he didn't wear his headphones. Instead, he hung them up on a coat rack nearby before sitting down.

"You recording?" Ceylon asked, pointing to the phone.

Ezra nodded.

"Good. Good good. So, what fun questions do you have to ask? What queries have you got to inquire about? What juicy gossip do you want to share? And don't be shy. I have read most of the articles that come out of this program. I know it's an article, not a got-ya type of shock rock sensationalism. Just ask your questions, take your time, and I'll answer as best I can."

That was actually quite assuring, so Ezra managed to take in a few deep breaths and relax. He did note that Ceylon was a bit more casual, a lot more approachable one on one than their reputation may have suggested. That helped a lot towards allowing him to get on with his interview.

"Okay, first question, then. Well, more like an introduction. Actually, if you don't mind, I wouldn't mind just talking for a bit? Feeling things out? You know, like, some people are very formal, some people are informal, and some people are somewhere in between and I want to know before we start if you'd prefer I just stick to the questions I've prepared or if you don't mind a bit of banter." He was rambling, but he was content with his statement. It was a bit of a mess, but it got the point across.

Ceylon chuckled. "I'm not performing right now, I'm not displaying anything or trying to sell my wares or anything like that. Just ask me the questions, feel free to interject. I prefer the interviews where it's more like a conversation than an interrogation." They looked around a bit before leaning in. "Honestly, there's this one interview show online I like to check out where they feed the guests hot spicy raptor wings and get them to ask questions. It's kind of a shame you didn't get me some of that!"

Ezra gulped and thumbed towards the door. "I mean, I can get you some if you want. Might take a while to order, though."

"It's fine. Not the response I expected but it's fine. Honestly, I usually get jokes about being a cannibal bird or something for wanting to eat raptor wings." They leaned back and put their feet up on the desk, showing just how casual they were. "But go on. Don't worry about the wings, it's all good."

Admittedly, this was a little disarming. Ezra had prepared for anything from a semi-casual interview to a fully formal one but didn't expect Ceylon to be more laid back and informal than him! Still, it was nice to not have any expectations laid upon him, so he got back to work. "Sorry about that." He cleared his throat before starting. "Anyway, so this is Ezra from the Klyneth Academy of Science and Magic, reporting from professor Rovairre's office. I'm here with Ceylon A'Merone, CEO and chief founding officer of NoThEn Labs. They're a gryphon with a heart of gold and a lust for the science of sexuality. This bird has experienced everything from the boom of the potions industry all the way up to the Intimacy Revolution, at the forefront of most of it! Tell me, Ceylon, what makes you tick, what brought you to this point in history?"

"Oh, wow! Didn't realize I was dealing with a talk show host. Is this live?" Ceylon joked.

"Not live, no. I just find it's a lot easier to write down the interview questions if I enunciate clearly and the easiest way to do that is my announcer voice." Ezra explained. "I have done some podcasts, so sometimes it's hard to turn that off."

Ceylon nodded and shifted in their seat. "Alright, no biggie. And that's a bit of a tough answer to start with. Do you mean like, my entire journey or what sort of vehicle brought me to the building? I'm kidding, don't answer that. Of course you mean the vehicle. And the truth is, I actually flew here. On my own wings!"

"You have wings?" Ezra was confused. Ceylon was wearing a nice suit, no wings were sticking out the back. "Where'd you fit them?"

"Magic, my friend." They laughed, but then continued. "Sorry, couldn't help it. As for your question it really does depend on how far back you're willing to go. If we're talking my fledgling years, well, I grew up in a world where a person's identity was so thoroughly linked to their physical form that everyone was separated. The equines lived in their villages, the humans in theirs. Felines were of course nomads and just sorta went all over the place. The avians of course lived in trees and cliffs. It was a very different time back then. But now, all races can live together in harmony. Especially here in Klyneth, where anything and everything comes together to celebrate diversity and unity. So I guess that's my answer. Klyneth itself brought me here. A manifestation of everything that I stand for."

Ezra liked the metaphorical take on the question but a few things stood out. A few things that didn't quite add up. Ceylon claimed to come from a world where the races were separate, but that hadn't been commonplace anywhere in the world for at least a century. In fact, Ezra had done enough research to know the last segregated region was integrated over 120 years prior. So unless Ceylon was from some remote village in the far reaches of the world, they were lying. Or being cheeky. "Wait, where are you from again?" Ezra asked, trying to push the question. It just occurred to him that much like their gender, Ceylon never really announced where they came from. There was a lot of mystery about the gryphon's past.

"Well that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Ceylon countered.

"That is the point of an interview, yeah! So spill the beans!" Ezra offered some playful banter.

But Ceylon paused for a moment before bringing their talons down off the desk. They stared at Ezra through squinted eyes before answering. "Here, actually. Klyneth. I was born here, but raised by the land until a great scholar found me and took me in as his pet. Only then, after years of working as his apprentice, did he and I migrate to the Cradle of Dalon, where I spent many years honing my craft." They spoke in dramatic terms, like they were joking before leaning back and putting their feet up. "Naw, I am from here originally, though. Moved to Waverthe after university and worked for the Potions Guild for a few years as a delivery flyer before realizing I had some apt skills for making potions myself. Between being taught alchemy by Ilorek and my own aptitude, I started trying new things, mixing and matching spells and enchantments to create new and unique concoctions. More specifically, I wanted to specialize in sexual progress."

Ezra nodded. "And I suppose that's what you mean by how Klyneth brought you here. You were born there, and you return here because of what it represents?"

"Something like that. Klyneth is my inspiration, my muse. But at the same time Klyneth is the way it is because of the influence NoThEn Labs has on its economy. Eventually, the two halves are symbiotic. They work off each other. I'm here at the Klyneth Academy of Science and Magic because the brilliant minds who graduate from here are the ones I hire in my labs. And because the ones that come to work for me offer new perspectives that in turn influence the direction of the company. But, back to your original question and an answer that's a bit more metaphorical than literal, I just saw a world that needed expression. So many problems in this world can be solved if people were more freely able to be themselves.

"So much stress and anxiety and depression comes from repressing who you are and what you feel and who you love and how you express yourself. Insecurity comes from this. Aggression comes because people lash out. So many issues can be alleviated if people are able to be who they are without fear of persecution or concern for their health. I saw first hand just how much a simple gender swap can make someone feel infinitely better. I've seen trans-species individuals flourish. There's nothing as pure and as honest as a person who lived their lives unable to be who they are suddenly able to express themselves without fear. It's truly magical."

This long answer left Ezra a bit stunned. He wasn't expecting something like that. He figured he'd get a joke answer like 'money' or a corporate answer like 'this is where the market trends go'. Sure, the research he'd done indicated Ceylon did care about this stuff, but the passion in which the gryphon spoke was so much more than the words.

He was about to ask his second question when there was a knock at the door.

"Kinda busy at the moment." Ceylon called out.

But the door opened and a meek hippogryph gal in a thick sweater poked her head in. "Sorry to impose, but Professor Rovairre is here and wants to speak with you?"

"Send him in." Ceylon answered.

A moment later, the door opened again and Ilorek came through, wearing only a kilt with a potion in the satchel on the front. He was a massive, rusty red hippogryph, thick-chested with long gold and black tipped feathers, swept back head plumage, and long, flowing fetlocks around his wrist and ankles. He wasted no time. "Alright, your time is up. It's time to go." He said with an abundance of energy. He didn't even wait for Ceylon to get up, he just heaved over and yanked the chair out from behind his desk and pulled Ceylon up out of it.

"Uh, what's going on?" Ezra asked, not wanting to intrude but also worried something had happened. He had only just begun his interview, only got one of the dozen questions out! This wouldn't do, there was no way he'd get a full report out of that!

Ceylon could sense Ezra was on the verge of a panic attack. "Don't worry about it. This douche here told me to be quick because he's doing a barbecue at his place tonight and wants me there."

"Yeah, but we have an inter-" Ezra stopped to think about that for a second. He knew, through some cheeky research he'd done, that Ilorek's side endeavour beyond his position as the head of the Alchemy wing at the Klyneth Academy of Science and Magic was that of a producer of the finest feral porn in the world. It wasn't common knowledge that Ilorek hosted and funded The Ranch, but through a handful of searches and cross references Ezra was able to decipher that. A barbecue at his place almost certainly meant more than ribs and burgers. It made sense that Ceylon, a sex-positive purveyor of potions and pharmaceuticals, would be interested in attending such a barbecue. "But the interview."

Ceylon and Ilorek shared a glance, talking with their facial expressions before Ceylon turned to Ezra. "Okay, here's an idea. You come to the barbecue and we'll finish the interview there. I'll be considerably more laid back with a belly full of meat, and I bet you will be, too, since we tend to insist upon no clothes. So you'll be nude. You come sans those shorts of yours, and I'll give you the best interview your journalism wing has ever seen."

"Is that against campus rules or something?" Ezra asked, not sure if it was okay to fraternize with someone as esteemed as Professor Rovairre.

Ilorek clicked his beak and chuckled. "No. You're a grown-assed doggo, come if you want. I'm not going to tell you what you can and can't do. Whatever, Ceylon, darlin', cut this out. You got some meat to cook and eat, eh!" He thumbed towards the door, then headed out himself, not waiting for the others to follow.

Ceylon turned to Ezra. "Don't mind him, he's very different on the weekends. Very formal, very professional when he's at the Academy, but a bit of a party animal after hours. But he's right, the presentation took about twice as long as it was supposed to, cutting our interview time short. Here, I'll write down the address as long as you promise not to give it out, and you can meet us at The Ranch." They did precisely that, typing the address into Ezra's map app and then darted out the room after Ilorek, calling out to Ezra one last time. "Hope to see you there!"

And that was it. Ezra just stopped and stared, not sure what had happened. None of this went to plan and that was causing him a level of stress he hadn't anticipated, but being invited to a barbecue to finish the interview was quite the positive twist. It wasn't expected, but any good journalist knew that adaptation was the key to a good story. He had to adapt to whatever was thrown at him. Usually that meant responding to answers and adding nuance to the piece, but in this case it meant relocating.

As it turned out, he was going to a barbecue that evening!

After leaving the university, Ezra went home to export what data he'd gotten so far before heading back out. He saw in the app that Ceylon had given clear directions as well as coordinates and any other way they could think to ensure Ezra arrived safely. The canine wasn't really too keen on diving headfirst into a social situation he wasn't prepared for, but he was happy to get the scoop and learn a bit more about this enigmatic gryphon.

He was naturally quite nervous. He didn't know much about what was going on or what to expect, so he didn't know how to prepare properly. He did wear the same white shorts with the black stripes, knowing well enough that he'd likely end up having to remove them. There were enough pockets to hold his phone and notes, but not much else.

As he arrived at the location Ceylon had jotted into his phone, he was shocked to see the property's unique geology. Just outside of town was a vast expanse of farm land, with each homestead its own little perfect square on the landscape. But The Ranch, or 'Ilorek's place' as Ceylon put it, was elevated a full ten meters or so. Like the whole property had been raised up, the ground itself elevated with rocky cliffs surrounding the property. About halfway between the propery's edge and the treeline of the Vast Emerald Wood - the large deciduous forest north of Klyneth that surrounded Great Sapphire Lake and the Cradle of Dalon - there was a cut in the cliff, a driveway that led up to the property.

When he drove into there he saw there was a gate and a key pad just outside. Ezra assumed some of the random letters and numbers Ceylon put into his phone was the password. Upon punching them into the key pad, he was proven right and the big black gate swung open, allowing him to drive onto The Ranch. Upon emerging from the valley cut through the cliff side, he was greeted with a shockingly mundane image. It was just a ranch. No lewd activities, no elaborate filming setups, nothing out of the ordinary. In the middle of the property there was a single ranch home with a parking area and a small well-groomed field, to the north - his right - was a tall black and red barn, and all around him were a series of open fields and pastures divided by varying fence heights.

The only thing that really stood out was that just to the left of the ranch house - to the south of the property - was a pair of rather large aeries. Caged in areas with chain-link roofs.

Starting clockwise from the driveway was a single open pasture with horses and cows. Lots of horses but not as many cows. Mostly nondescript, just a nice open field with a bit of a pond in the middle. Interestingly, the pond had a stream or creek both feeding into it and funnelling out of it. The stream went under a bridge that he had to drive over to enter the empty pasture on the right of him.

Further clockwise, next came the two aeries. As he got closer he could see one was rocky and had caves in it, that one had dragons inside, while the other one was more floral with trees and bushes and flowers, that one had gryphons in it. The stream that fed into the horse and cow pasture weaved its way through both of these aeries, with small ponds in each of them.

To the right, going counter clockwise now, was another mostly empty pasture, same as the horse and cow field that was opposite it on the other side of the driveway. This one had some rocks to climb on, a few scattered trees, and the fence around it actually went right into the forest, which made it clear that this pasture included a densely wooded area. Ezra saw nothing in that field, which meant they either weren't out right now or were hiding in the woods.

Opposite the dragon and gryphon aeries was the clearing with the red and black barn nestled up against the empty pasture. There was a patio, and that's where everyone was hanging out. He could see a commotion as about a dozen or more folks were partying by a pond and a stream that cut through the field area. That was where Ezra needed to be. Beyond that, the back half of the property, was two more pastures, but they were so far away he couldn't make out much of what was going on so he didn't try.

After parking his vehicle, he got out and contemplated getting nude right then and there. He still wasn't quite comfortable with that, even though it was a requirement, so he kept his shorts on and left his keys in the car. Last thing he needed was to lose them if he was going to be tossing his shorts some time later in the day. And while this was not something he'd normally consider due to how foolish it would be in the city, the Ranch had a keycode-activated gate and was raised up ten meters by cliffs on all sides. He assumed it would be safe. There were other vehicles, but only three others including a huge black ATV with a thick roll cage.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and headed over to the clearing area where all the others were playing some sort of dart game and chewing on meat sticks while a huge barbecue billowed delicious smelling smoke. As he made himself know, Ceylon was the first to see him. They waved him over, so he followed. Ezra could make out who all was milling about. Not a single person was wearing clothes, which ironically allowed Ezra to see that Ceylon had no definable external traits. The mystery continued, it seemed. No slit, breasts, sheath, or balls, nothing. Might as well have been a plushie.

Ilorek was there, as well as his wife, a rather petite bat gal with bright red braids and teal gemstones at the end of each braid. She had a barbell piercing on her canine vulva, lanced through her clit, the barbell on the end of it the same colour as the gemstones in her hair. She had gray and white and brown fur, and her arms were wings, her fingers forming the long bones that her wing membrane attached to. This was Valencia, someone Ezra had seen plenty in the videos that The Ranch produced. She was the psychic who ensured that the beasts that worked here were treated well.

The Ranch was equal parts brothel and porn studio, where the subject matter was quadruped in nature. Folks came here to be with horses and wolves and dragons and gryphons that lacked verbal communication. The kink was quite prevalent, but having a psychic that could act as a conduit between the ferals and the anthros meant that consent wasn't an issue. Valencia was that psychic.

Beyond her were a handful of others that ranged from folks that Ezra did recognize to ones that Ezra did not. Ceylon was here, nude and bipedal as usual, but next to them was a rather large earthy brown snake, easily twenty meters long and a meter thick at their thickest point. He didn't recognize this snake, but the fact that they were partially coiled around Ceylon told Ezra that they were together.

Next were two familiar faces that Anyone would have recognized! Princess Talba Ebonoldty and Prince Vaulix Arraidama, the royal family of Arrenthen were here! Talba was a strong-looking hippogryph, a bipedal gal with huge golden yellow talons for feet and thick equine hands. She had the same form as Ilorek, no wings but an avian chest and upper body. She wasn't as tall as Ilorek, but she was just as thick, and he looked like a blitzball player or combat athlete. Vaulix, the cockatrice, was a semi-saurian raptor with green and black and yellow feathers for his upper half and green and black and yellow scales on his lower half, all accented with red. He had digitigrade legs and a long, thick tail. He was bipedal but hunched over like a dinosaur. Both were literally royalty.

Sharing a spot on a towel next to the pond was a pair of cute canines. A white and blue one with green leafy tattoos wrapped around her shoulder and back, and a purple and silver sabre-toothed kitsune. Ezra didn't recognize them but assumed they must have been important if they were hanging around royalty and respected authorities on science and alchemy.

Another pair of well-established individuals was Yelena and Sanfrit A'Runa, the Empress and Emperor of Yelfrit, the nation that NoThEn Labs called home. The two canines were a bit smaller than Ezra but commanded just as much attention as anyone else. Yelena, the black and white canine with the piercing blue eyes and subtle golden-brown highlights was a bit skinnier and smaller than Sanfrit, the rustic gray and brown splotched one with equally piercing green eyes.

There were also two folks cavorting about in the pond. A blue dragon with black highlights and yellow, orange, and green patterns, as well as a gray-skinned nolse with yellow highlights and black tipped fins. He didn't recognize these two any more than others who were lounging next to the two canines. A feline with braids and dozens of ornaments adorning his hair, fur of gray and black and red with a huge striped lion's mane, and a brilliantly coloured raptor phoenix with long pinions out behind in, feathers and fur of bright yellow, orange, and red, with blue and black highlights.

All around the barbecue area was a handful of similarly looking fox-moth hybrid gals. Two of them. No, three hybrids. One with gray and blue colors, one with white and red, and one with yellow, green, and blue. Each subtly different in tone and with a slightly different body shape with unique features. Each of these hybrids seemed to be acting in synchonicity, moving their heads and speaking at the same time.

Finally, a large red-scaled dragon with yellow belly scales and blue stripes down his chest, as well as a Tall, thickly build black gryphon with a yellow beak and white markings on his shoulder. Both looked like athletes, bigger even than Ilorek and Talba and Vaulix.

And that's when this all dawned on him. This wasn't just any party, this was a mythology party! His knowledge of ancient history made him realize that he was witnessing a group get together of godly-look-alikes! Most of these people resembled the twelve Gods of Deific Mythilogy and the three titans. Ceylon and Ilorek must have done this for fun using their potions.

In fact, when Ceylon crawled out from amidst the naga's coils, they fell over onto all fours, their body shifting and melting from a bipedal, wingless form to a quadruped, winged form. They went from normal size, about the same height as Ezra but thicker, to the size of a large horse, still thick but far more majestic-looking. Such a transformation and done with such ease must have been the use of the most potent potions they could muster between the pair of them. Impressive.

More interestingly, when Ceylon got close and then turned around, Ezra could see under their tail that they had some very thick, very prominent equine vulva nestled right up against their tail hole. That might have just been a side effect of the potion, but he felt confident identifying Ceylon as female, with her permission, of course. "So, uh, I see that you're a mare today? Do you mind if I use female pronouns?" He asked, not so subtly trying to get a better look at Ceylon's rump end.

"Use whatever you want, same as always! But yes, today I'm feeling like a lady." She trotted about, getting a bit of extra height with each step. "And I also see you're still wearing shorts. No need for that here, we've all seen sheath before." She used her tail, which actually opened up, splitting into three to reveal a toothy maw inside, to tug on his shorts and yank them down.

He immediately pulled them back up, but then realized that made him look silly so he semi-reluctantly stepped out of them and folded them over his arms while he continued to follow. "So, uh, do I get any potions to transform, too? I mean, I know that sort of thing is pretty rare and expensive, but if everyone else is doing it, then I'd best fit in, you know?"

"Oh, there are no potions here today. We leave our work at work." Ilorek explained as he opened up the barbecue and flipped over some meat. The grill was massive, a huge industrial-sized one, three meters wide and one meter long, just covered in ribs and steak and chicken and grilled veggies.

But this confused Ezra. "No potions? Then how did she just do that?" He pointed to Ceylon, referring to the sleek and almost immediate transformation from biped to quadruped with wings.

Ceylon flopped back onto the naga's coils and wriggled into place. "Oh, who do you think enchants those potions? We do. We don't need to drink a potion to cast a spell, we can just do it."

This did make sense to Ezra, who politely draped his shorts over a nearby fence post then took out his phone for the sake of recording. He was nude, his pierced sheath fully exposed to everyone, but he didn't feel self-conscious about it. The casual way in which everyone was lounging around the pond and tossing darts and cooking meat all while nude made him feel comforted. Liberated, even. It made sense that Ceylon, a person who did so much for sex-positive endeavours, would be so casual when not working or doing public relations. "I suppose that works, yeah. So, uh, if you don't mind, who is everyone? I know some of you, Princess Talba, Prince Vaulix, Emperor Sanfrit and Empress Yelena."

"Oh, right, I should introduce you. This snake babe's Leera, red dragon is Lethias, black gryphon is Storm, nolse is Olfrin, dragoness is Luero, moff gal is Foxifly, multiple foxifly drones, phoenix is Satsierra, feline's Keran, white and blue canine is Ithilwen, and sabre-toothed kitsune is Poojawa. Feel free to say hi to any of them. We actually got a few more coming soon enough, but you're one of the first to arrive." Ceylon explained, pointing to each and every other guest. "Spike's an orange and yellow dragon, Rokanoss is a black dragon, and uh...who else is coming? Doesn't matter, I'll be sure to introduce them when they arrive.

"And I'm Ezra, if anyone's curious." He said, waving to each of them. "I'm actually here to get an interview with Ceylon, but I guess I could enjoy some meat. Is there a theme to this party? Y'all look like you're, uh, doin' a mythology themed party."

"Yeah, sure, that works! Not on purpose, but hey, look at that!" Ilorek joked, flipping over some ribs. "Didn't think about it like that, but here we are."

Valencia hopped off his back and took Ezra by the hand. He was far taller than her, almost twice as tall as the rather petite bat. She was a little over one meter while he was almost two. "Just sit for a bit. Swim if you want, don't act so weird or awkward." She looked up at him, her eyes glimmering. He knew she was a psychic and knew she must have been reading his mind. So he simply nodded and headed over to a nearby patio lounge chair next to Ceylon, hoping to maybe get some work done.

Once he laid down, he looked over to Ilorek. "So what's in that pasture north of the drive way? Seems empty to me. You just let your horses go there when they feel saucy?" His tone was a bit more casual than he expected but he didn't mind. A Foxifly served him a drink - a lovely herbal tea - so he added, "And are you, like, what are you exactly?"

All three of the Foxiflies turned to look at him, and the one who served him the tea buzzed gently, only to have all three of them speak in unison. "We are one!"

Ilorek interrupted the cult-like behaviour. "Oh cut it out, stop trying to creep out the new guy."

This encouraged them to each go their separate ways, with the one who served him the tea to lean down and smile at him, her bug mandibles clicking all the while. "One consciousness, many bodies. Drones, connected by a single primary entity. Don't worry, we don't infest."

"That's good." Ezra said, then glanced down cautiously at the tea on his lap, unsure if it was safe to drink. It had nice little blossoms in it. Maybe they had eggs in there.

"There's no need to be weird, we're all fine here." Ilorek interjected. "As for the pasture, it's actually for the Ulokar; they're semi-nocturnal so they mostly hide out in the woods during the day. If you stick around long enough you'll likely see them."

Ezra blinked. "You have Ulokar? Aren't those like, remarkably territorial and aggressive?" He'd seen the other beasts on The Ranch but never seen any videos with Ulokar. A hybrid race equal parts gryphon, dragon, horse, and wolf.

Ilorek nodded. "Yeah, we've been trying to get them to a point where they're trained to be gentle with guests and clients but we've not been able to do any filming with them. Well, at least nothing that can be sold. They're super rough, and their cocks especially are very aggressive. Lots of internal damage in desperate need of topically applied potions. Yeah, it's very much so an advanced partner for anyone to handle. The females are a bit easier but since they like mating on their back or side, lots of claw marks on chests and unless the males are very rough they lose interest. But, alas, their body, their choice. Same goes both ways."

"So are you ever going to do do videos with them? Or are they just too dangerous?"

"Like I said, we're working on it, but we imagine only the most experienced and well-potioned partners can handle them, either way. It's just a matter of time." He flipped some of the ribs and steaks again, the sizzle of the meat billowing out and filling the clearing.

It was then that Ceylon got Leera to slither the pair of them over to right next to Ezra, the naga's body still functioning as a lounge chair for the gryphon. She leaned over while on her back, belly exposed and tail maw curled up over her loins to partially cover her lips. "So, you have questions, I'm sure. Lots of interview stuff to get through. I'd be happy to answer, if you want. Or we can wait. Honestly I don't mind relaxing for the evening. The barn over there is a motel of sorts meant for guests, and we've all got rooms. You could join me if you so desired."

Ezra gulped, unsure of what to make of that. "Sounds a bit more intimate than I was prepared to expect. But, uh, maybe not? I don't really know how to respond to that. I just want to get the interview, but at the same time I think it would be insulting and perhaps even disrespectful to decline your offer."

"Oh don't be so formal. And don't worry about offending me." Ceylon cooed at him, her body sort of flopped over one of Leera's coils, head flipped upside down as she addressed Ezra. "I'm myself here, not some PR head or corporate lackey. You'll also likely get a much better interview out of me if I'm being more honest. So lay it on me. I get the impression you're going to be a lot more fun than the others." She then rolled over so that she was on her belly, one front talon flopped over Leera's body, her beak resting on a segment of the naga's coils. Her blue eyes seemed even more intense than before.

After sipping some tea, Ezra took a moment to take in the setting. The others were all milling about, Foxifly were serving drinks, Ilorek and Valencia were working the grill, most of the guests were reclining on chairs on the shore of the pond, and he and Ceylon and Leera were off to the side a bit, conducting business. It was the least formal interview he'd ever hosted, ironically with the most famous person he'd ever met. But, with that said, he did have some questions. Some off-the-record questions.

"Actually, I'm not gonna record for a bit because I mostly just have some curiosities. Not about your rise to power or how you run your business or anything, I'm just curious about how you make the potions. Not, like, the exact process, but how you go about deciding what works and what doesn't. I know that potion effects last a full day and night cycle, no matter what they are. And that goes for the stuff you handed out in the presentation. I get that, but are there more permanent effects? Is there a way to use potions to change one so that you don't go back?"

Both Ceylon and Ilorek paused to glance at each other before looking over to Ezra at the same time. Valencia joined in too, even though she was on Ilorek's back. This was their field, they were the experts. Ceylon did help people to transition to new forms in the past, it just wasn't common.

"Not with potions, no. The purpose of potions is to be short-lived but effective." Ceylon explained. "Spells are simultaneously more effective and shorter lived or longer lived but take longer to take effect. When it comes to magic, a permanent change is very, very difficult. IT can be done, but it takes a lot of time and effort and drains a lot of energy. The best way to make a change, say if someone's transitioning to a new gender or altering themselves in some way is through surgery."

Ilorek continued on from Ceylon's start while still focusing on the meat on the grill. "The problem is that you can't use healing magic when doing the surgery or for any of the healing process. Using healing magic reverts a person back to their original form, so if we were to do surgery, then use healing magic, it'd just undo the effects of the surgery. It means transitioning can be painful, a long and drawn out process."

"Yeah, I can imagine." Ezra said as he swirled his tea. "But you did mention a way to do it using magic. You two seem to know a thing about transformation magic and I have done some research that mentioned many times when you, Ceylon, were directly involved in a handful of cases of successful transitioning. No details given, just that you personally contributed. How'd you do it? And again, this isn't for the interview, I'm just curious."

Valencia hopped down off Ilorek's back and joined in. "And why do you want to know?"

He was at first a little miffed that she'd but in, but once he internally reminded himself of her status as a psychic, he knew there was no point in lying. She was probably reading him this whole time. "I, uh, was wondering how I could go about making a transition of my own. Not like, a full transition, I don't want to get rid of what I have, I just wanna add a few parts. You know, give myself some more tools. I always feel like half a person." He couldn't actually look them in the eyes. The only reason he even admitted it was because he knew he couldn't hide himself from someone like Valencia.

Ceylon rolled off Leera's coils and shook herself off. "It can be done. But if you want me to do it we would need to go to a private place."

This took Ezra by surprise. "What? I just mean, I'm just looking to get some information. You know, do some personal research so I can save up. I can't imagine that sort of procedure is cheap. Do you, like, inject the potions? Replace the ademane in a person's system with a new blend already enchanted like potions? What would you-"

"Stop rambling." Ceylon interrupted, then stood over him, honestly looking a little intimidated. "I don't charge for this. It's not something I do for money or for the business. I try to help people be their true selves, but I only do it for people who are truly sincere and appreciative. No amount of coin would convince me, since it's a very intimate procedure."

"Wh-what do you do? What's going on? I wasn't asking you to-" He stopped himself, his breaths suddenly heaving. "I didn't mean to impose, I'll just go, it's okay, I'm sorry!"

Ceylon pinned him down to the chair, her powerful black-fleshed talon wrapping around his chest as her piercing blue eyes stared into his. "No. You'll follow me to the barn. I know what you want, I can do it for you, all I ask for in return is appreciation and maybe some fun work on your article when you get around to posting it." She paused and huffed, chuckling to herself. "At this rate you'll never get your interview questions."

"Stop yammering." Ilorek interjected. "Go do your thing, stop drawing out the drama."

"Don't tell me what to do." Ceylon shot back, but then took her talon off Ezra's chest and turned away, tail up and head held high as Ezra got a good look at those meaty, thick lips of hers. "I'll go, but know I'm doing it because I want to, not because you told me to. Ezra, darling, come with, dear!" And with that, she sauntered off towards the barn, leaving Ezra and the others between the barbecue and the pond. She didn't even bother looking back.

Ezra sat up slowly, chest still heaving and heart beating. "Is this real? Is she being serious?" He asked himself, but also genuinely wanted an answer.

Ilorek flipped some more meat. "Yeah, she's serious. Does this from time to time. But seriously, she must think highly of you if she's willing to help you out. She's only ever offered this service to like, fifty people ever. She's not the only one who can do it, but she does it best."

"Does what? What does she do? Why are you not telling me what she's got planned?"

"Trust me, I think it's a bit more fun if you find out naturally. Now git. Don't waste time, I figure you got five minutes before she changes her mind." Ilorek clawed the ground and tapped the top of the barbecue with some tongs before flipping some of the corn on the cob.

Ezra sinceredly had no idea how to respond to any of this. He was just nude, surrounded by literal royalty and world-renowned scientists for some reason, randomly being offered to have his dream come true by a public figure he looked up to for years. None of this could be real, so he chose to go with it. If it was just a dream, he might as well enjoy it.

He got up, sipped as much of the tea as he could handle, and headed off to the barn, slipping in the sliding door that Ceylon had left open. Once inside he was greeted by Ceylon, standing between the stalls with her tail held high, her pussy lips glistening and dark with fluid, and her head spun around so she was glancing back over her shoulder to look at him.

"I know what you want, Ezra. Valencia probed your mind a bit and communicated with me. I knew it, too, but she's better than me at that and I wanted to be sure. There is a way to change you permanently, but like I said it's quite an intimate procedure. It requires a lot of trust on both sides and I will need to hold you in captivity for the weekend."

Ezra just gulped. "What is it I want? Just to make sure you're not just trying to, you know, get me to do something kinky. Not that I mind, just, this is all so surreal, you know?"

"You want to be the true you. Herm. Both parts, cock and cunt. Spade and shovel, as it were. Not sure I like those terms but you get the point. I can do that for you, but like I said it takes time. Are you at all familiar with magical rebirth?"

He was not. "No. I mean, I can maybe put together the idea, but it's not a term I've heard before. What exactly is it?" Though he was trying to extract as much information as he could prior to agreeing to anything, the visual of Ceylon bent over with her chest down, rump up, and nethers exposed right at his face height was too much to resist. He couldn't help but shyly try to cover up the bulge in his sheath and the Black-fleshed tip that popped out. He wasn't embarrassed, but he wasn't comfortable, either.

She swayed her hips at him, clenching her loins to 'wink' her clitoris like a mare, leaving a dangling strand of slimy mess swaying between her thighs. "Rebirth is the best way to inundate you with the magics needed to fundamentally alter you so that your body best aligns with your spirit. Your aura. By taking you inside me, I reform you into the new you, then give birth to you. By allowing full-bodied flesh on flesh contact, I can best get my magic deep into you, it's the only way to permanently change someone without having to reapply magic once every heat cycle. When you are reborn, your new default will be whatever I decide, which in this case is whatever you desire." As she spoke, the end of her tail, with the maw and the teeth, kept hovering like a snake about to strike, drooling with each of the three jaws opening and closing. It was scary but equally endearing.

"So let me get this straight, you have to give birth to me? How will that work? How will I get inside you to-" He stopped mid-sentence, realizing now why she was swaying her rump at him this whole time.

"That's right. You'll have to dive right in. It's a bit of a tight squeeze, but if you squirm just right, well, it will make it a lot easier. And don't you worry about hurting me, I'd be more concerned with your own comfort. There's no air inside me so once you make full contact with me and merge with my energies, you'll be subsiding entirely off me, and once that happens I'll be able to make the changes needed to your body before your rebirth. So, as long as you're comfortable with those terms, my body is your home, at least until the procedure is complete."

He turned and glanced out the sliding door to see if maybe he was getting pranked. But nobody else was doing anything out of the ordinary, nobody was missing from the group. It was just him and Ceylon, with her pussy exposed and eager to take him all. "And this is real? You're serious?"

"No reason to lie, Ezra." She cooed at him while looking over her shoulder. "But, if it makes you a bit more comfortable, I'm happy to help loosen you up a bit before I take you inside me. If you need a bit of release, I can do that for you." She lowered her hindquarters so she was at his waist height, winking again only this time the goop actually hit the floor of the barn.

By this point he was fully hard and unable to hold back. As he cupped his sheath to try to maintain some modesty, he couldn't help but gently rub himself and peel the sheath back, exposing the entirety of his length. This was absolutely on-brand for Ceylon, but it still felt surreal for him.

"And Ezra, the more aroused I am, the easier it will be for you." That was all she had to say to entice him to allow her to unbirth and rebirth him.

What a strange day for him, but if this was all a dream he was still going to enjoy it. With a nod, he stepped up next to her, placing both of his hands on her haunches to brace himself before he made a move. As he did that, she got back up so that her rump was right at his face height and her clit winked, spurting a single strand of gooey arousal onto his chest. It was all right there, up close and as intimate as possible. He'd be a fool not to make a move.

Once he licked his lips clean, he dove right in.