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Copyright Denver Demchuk 2007

Dreams came and went, one fading, another enveloping me with a flurry of sensations, sights and emotions. Something was shaking me and I wasn't sure whether it was the dream or something in the waking world, the urgency becoming so intense that I finally opened my eyes.

"Denver? Are you ok?" Arosha demanded, her hands gripping my shoulders tightly, her eyes wide with concern and fear, both of which I could smell. Spicy, like hot cinnamon candy and a sickeningly sweet smell that was like drinking pure honey.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, looking startled and trying to sit up.

"You...sure?" she said, tilting her head slightly and reaching up to cup my cheek.

"What's wrong? You look as if I've suddenly sprouted horns or something," I commented, touching the back of her hand in an attempt to sooth her. Arosha was truly frightened, but I couldn't tell why. Keeping silent, I waited as she went to the traveling pouches, and came back with small mirror shard, the edges encased in wood. After she handed it to me, I stared at my reflection, unsure whether to feel surprise or peace at what I saw in it.

My hair had turned completely white, almost to the point of being silver, the tips a light blue, down to my shoulders. Eyes that were once dark green, were now pure white, no pupil or iris visible, yet I could see as well as if they were normal, much better than before in truth. Lowering it to my lap, I my gaze wandered to the rest of my form, going as far as pulling the blanket covering me back to see if anything else had changed. No markings or unusual discoloration of the skin was apparent, but muscles felt more toned than before, each breath was like a rush of energy into my body. I looked up at her with a mix of calm and amazement before sighing with a soft chuckle. "It's strange...in a sense, I've always seen myself as this in my imagination, wishing I could resemble the figure I saw. Now...I don't know whether to be frightened or overjoyed that it's finally happened."

"How...?" Inquired the lupine female as I stood up and turned to face the two statues. Nothing had outwardly changed about them, yet I could sense the inner power within each one of them.

"Maybe those two know the answer," I said quietly, gesturing to the figures of stone that had, for me, included a mortal in their dance last night. Silence remained between us for a long moment before I turned and started to get dressed, pausing only briefly to look at Arosha. "I hope the friend you're taking me to can at least give an idea as to what's going on..."

"Denver...what happened last night? After you fell asleep?" She asked, still staring at me with uncertainty. Sighing, I debated on whether or not to say anything as I packed up my gear, too many thoughts going through my mind at the moment. I started to tell her everything that had happened to me, including a little about the world I had come from...

***

...I think that what I told Arosha drove her away from me in a sense, since the rest of the day was spent in silence unless she had something to say about the trail or direction we had to go next. That night, I spent most of my time staring at the fire, having moved my small pallet away from Arosha's even though she had placed hers a foot away from mine. Every time I had tried to touch or get close to her, the lupine female had stiffened or moved out of my reach, whether we were still riding or stopped for a short meal.

"Probably thinks she'll catch some kind of disease or insanity if I touch her too often," I muttered, closing my eyes and rubbing my neck a little. "What the fuck is happening to me?" Only the fire and sounds of the forest at night answered me, giving me a sense of loneliness that I had almost forgotten in my own world.

"My world..." I chuckled at the thought. What world? It was just another place, another realm of reality, and I had only been a small part of it, a small being in the scheme of things. Now here I was, in a whole new reality to me and I was thinking about a world that was not really mine. A lot of good it did me, thinking like that. "Live in the moment, not the past. The past no longer matters except that it has been and helped to shape me, as does the present..."

Again, only silence...

***

Four days after leaving the town Arosha had lead me from, we finally arrived at Olmanda, the weather to blame for the most part. It was large enough to call a small city, probably containing just over a thousand beasts and humans alike, the streets and buildings mostly stone and better kept than the first place I had laid eyes on. Rain was still falling making multiple rivers in the cobblestone streets, all of which dipped down every twenty feet or so with a small grate covering the entrances to the sewers.

The majority of buildings were two story structures on the outskirts, the others were gradually larger as one progressed deeper into the city, the hills allowing for a few mansions to be built as well as what appeared to be a domed structure surrounded by four twisting citadels. Thankfully, the rain masked most of the barnyard/sewer scent that had become part of the surroundings. Here, it was probably going to be ten times worse once everything started to dry. Arosha led me through the twisting roadways, past most of the buildings and people that had taken a chance to venture out into the rain, the damp coolness not bothering me in the slightest now. I was more than a little surprised when she lead me down an alley right beside what I took for a temple/City hall, a constant chanting easily heard in the rain and adding a droning background to it.

Stopping at a partially rotted doorway, Arosha dismounted and knocked upon the frame twice, paused, then repeated the gesture another three times. I heard something scraping against the ground behind it, and then it was carefully pulled inward, a cloaked figure standing on the other side of it, face veiled by black silks.

"What Path do you walk in the light and at the darkest hour of night?" it asked, as I dismounted as well and moved closer, voice a deep mellow baritone.

"The Path of life beside the Veil. The path of the Horned God and the Goddess Mother," Arosha replied, curtsying a little and bowing her head. "As well as the path I have chosen." The other nodded and stepped aside, allowing us to enter the small room on the other sides of the door. It was fairly simple, a single table and two chairs as well as a pallet in the corner with candles and small stone figures resting upon a small nightstand. The room itself was around nine feet wide, ten in width, with an eight feet high ceiling; there were no windows and only one other way out of the room. Out of a trapdoor rose three others also dressed in dark silks, their faces covered, and stood still before us.

"See to their mounts and have them well cared for," The first said to them before turning to us again as the others left to do as they were told. Waiting silently, Arosha beckoned me to the trapdoor as the cloaked male opened it and nodded gravely to us before we started down the long set of stairs. Torches dotted the stairway, giving only enough light to see by, not enough to see any detail of the masonry around us, the only sounds were our breaths and the burning torches. After at least what seemed like half an hour of traveling down the steps, we reached another small chamber, roughly the same size as the first, but the door leading from it was heavy oak with metal bindings and hinges of iron. Not bothering to knock, the lupine female placed a hand on the door and pushed it open, causing me to blink as bright light flooded the stairwell suddenly.

Rough granite gave way to polished marble and obsidian tiles that spread out before us and covered the floor of the domed room we now stepped into. Walls were concealed with shelves that continued up at least seventy feet into the air, four walkways and numerous sliding ladders that allowed access to each tome stored here. Tables dotted the floor with multiple chairs around each one, a few humans and beasts seated around each one, others were gathered before what seemed to be a prayer area set against the back wall, a circle of symbols etched into the wall before them and stained with various paints. A few of the people present looked up at us, some even going as far as standing up and walking over to us, bowing deeply to Arosha before freezing as their eyes locked on me. Their robes were simple silks, cut in billowing white shirts and sleeveless overcoats that were dyed with colors that matched the symbols upon the wall ahead. The chamber itself must have been well over a one hundred fifty feet in height, at least a football field in length and width.

"Arosha Moonflow, a pleasure to see you again," said a lemur female that approached us, voice pleasant to hear and making it seem as if she was always on the verge of smiling, dark blue overcoat embroidered with silver markings and tied off with a violet sash. "Who is it that you've brought with you this time?"

"His name is Denver," she replied, giving another curtsey/bow, a gesture that I mimicked for the latter part before straightening to return the golden gaze of the new female.

"A blind prospect?" She inquired, stepping closer and giving me a once over with her eyes before studying my face.

"Only blind to the silver that you're wearing if to anything at all," I replied before Arosha could say anything. "The blue cloth you're wearing suites you well."

This time she did smile and give a partial bow before replying, "My apologies for assuming that your sight was hindered, Sir. Just that not many of your kind are seen with eyes such as that and able to see as well."

"Assume nothing and be prepared for everything, Lady of the Cloth," I commented, bowing again respectfully.

"A wise thing to say."

"Arallen, we must speak with Seer Iridell," Arosha said as she noted the crowd gathering around us.

"Something wrong Arosha?" the lemur asked as she led us towards a large stairway leading back up, the masonry more refined than the other stairway we had left moments before.

"I don't know, but something is about to happen. Lower your hood, Denver." Doing as Arosha requested, I looked at our guide and saw her face become contorted with fear and surprise.

"Follow me quickly," she said at last, starting to take the stairs three at a time. "Put your hood back up and keep your head down, Denver." This did nothing but raise more questions in my mind as to what they know that I didn't. Vast halls and rooms passed by us, hallways filled with statues, paintings, tapestries and the few alters I saw made me realize that we were in the temple I had seen upon entering the city. I didn't have any chance to talk with the other beasts we passed, and soon, I no longer cared about whether I would, the path we were taking seemed to twist constantly until we were going up again, higher and higher into one of the towers. Arriving at a heavy oak door inscribed with multiple runes and unfamiliar markings, the center of which was a simple brass knocker. Arosha knocked three times with it and stepped back, wringing her hands slightly as we waited.

"Yes? Who is it?" Asked a muffled voice from the other side.

"Arosha Moonflow," she replied, looking as if she was ready to just open the door without waiting for permission, shifting her weight from one foot to the other constantly. The door opened quickly within a few moments, the figure on the other side surprising me in more than one manner.

The oriental dragoness was incredibly slender; her body was whip like with blue scales and dark purple hair that flowed well past her shoulders. A wide band of black silk covered her voluptuous breasts, while a low cur loincloth rested upon her hips, both unmarked in any manner. All told, the Dragoness was around seven and a half feet tall, the tail adding another five feet to her form. Face was gently sculpted and a had more human like expression than reptilian or draconic, the silver eyes looking each of us over intently before she withdrew, beckoning us to enter the room quickly. The room itself was quite large; around thirty feet in diameter and twice as high, hanging lamps were covered in yellow/gold pieces of glass that gave the white marble an amber like sheen. Where there was room, shelves of books covered the walls, including the smaller circular platform above that allowed another collection of tomes to occupy the room. A few tables were scattered about the room, each one bearing it's own burden of books, statues, maps and such, the only clear places being the large desk and a king sized mattress at the back of the room.

"Leave us, Arallen," she said as soon as she had seated herself in one of five high backed chairs present in the room. The lemur curtsied and left quickly, closing the door with a low thud behind her, the instant that happened, the Dragoness literally flew over her desk and grabbed hold of me by my shoulders, her arms the same structure as a humans and surprisingly well muscled. I broke free of her grasp carefully only to have her hold up a hand in a calming gesture. "I don't mean to harm you, young one. Just...let me have a look at you...Please..." I stared at her a moment before looking to Arosha, then back, unsure if I could trust her.

"As you wish..." I allowed Iridell to turn me from side to side gently, her hands carefully pulling back my hood to stare into my eyes, mindful of her claws as they ran through my silver hair, caressed my cheek. Yet always her gaze remained upon my eyes, as if trying to find something hidden within them, within me.

"I didn't think..." she started to say, shaking her head slightly as she lifted my right hand to look at the glove and sighed slightly. "Have you had any dreams lately? Visions or...'gut' feelings that there was something you had to do?"

"Not the latter two, but I have had a few dreams," I replied, pulling back a little from her and tilting my head slightly. I was somewhat dazed by actually being in the presence of such a mythical creature, but not completely. It was another dream I had had while in my own world, meeting such beings and sharing my thoughts and dreams with them, part of that fantasy was making love to a Dragoness.

"I hope your thoughts don't mean that you expect me to do something like that for you," she commented with a slight chuckle, blue scales darkening slightly as she grinned. "And to answer your next question, I can read your mind to an extent, Denver."

"My apologies then, if my thoughts have offended you," I replied with a slight grin, feeling more at ease in a strange sense, even though Arosha was staring at me with an appalled expression on her face.

"Not at all. Just that I'm not used to being seen in such a manner by humans, especially when I can smell a mate upon them already," Iridell said, turning to smile at Arosha a moment before moving to sit down again.

"Wha-m-mate? He's not my mate," Arosha stammered starting to fidget slightly as her gaze fell to the ground. "Its just companionship, Iridell. That's all."

"You've said that before, Arosha," the dragoness commented still smiling as she rested her chin on her left hand. "More than once while you were an acolyte in this Temple."

"That was a long time ago," replied the lupine coldly, crossing her arms beneath her breasts.

"I know. Right now however, I wish to hear about everything that has happened in the last week or so, Denver," Iridell said with a slow nod of her head. "If what I'm seeing around you is right, then there is a possibility that you weren't brought across by accident..." Taking a seat as well, I tried to relax, and for the second time, I told those that listened everything that I knew...

***

...I only left out the intimate situations that involved Arosha and Rinnela, but everything else...I shuddered with each image I describe, each sensation that I had felt in the dreams as well as what I felt after the changes had taken place. Iridell didn't interrupt me once during the whole story, nor did Arosha, though I felt her watching me with an unusual intensity that wasn't present before. Silence fell as I finished, sagging back in my chair, feeling drained and tired for the first time since the changes had taken place, eyes slightly heavy as I yawned.

"Only a few hours into the evening and it looks like you're already ready for sleep," the Dragoness commented, rising slowly and walking over to me to place a hand on my shoulder. Her hand moved up my neck to caress my cheek gently, and I leaned my head into the Dragonesses hand a little, sighing slightly. "Rest now, Denver," she whispered and almost as if on command, I slipped into darkness willingly...

Iridell: I gently took hold of Denver as he slumped in the high backed chair and lifted him up in my arms, his form feeling very light for someone of his size. Arosha rose as well as I walked with him over to my bed and lay him down upon the mattress, his boots having been removed earlier and covered him with a light sheet.

"What's happened to him, Iridell?" my lupine friend asked as I stared at the young human, my eyes wandering over his face. Even in sleep, the torment in his mind was visible to me, though it was something he refused to show outwardly.

"He's been chosen by the Gods for something that even I cannot be certain of. Yet, there is one thing I am sure of," I replied, looking up at Arosha with a sad smile. "War is coming, and it will be like nothing anyone has seen for generations. Denver is a messenger, not a harbinger of what is to come yet he isn't ready for what he's meant to do."

"What have they done to him? What has he become? And don't talk about war again," she replied with a frustrated growl. "Is he even-" Reaching out before she could finish, I grasped her muzzle gently with one hand, my other resting upon her shoulder as I looked into her eyes.

"He is still human if that's what you're wondering," I told her, my expression serious and compassionate. Releasing her slowly, I gave another small smile as I added; "Denver does mean more to you than just a companion, doesn't he?"

Silence fell between us as she stared at him for the longest time, reaching out to caress his face lightly with her right hand, her body shuddering.

"I've never had someone to look after or even that was willing to trust me as readily as he has," she whispered finally, voice shaking a little. "I-I just feel responsible for what has happened to him and don't know...If I was somehow the cause for this transformation..."

"You never were. If anything, you are his anchor here. The only one he knows he can trust and be willing to try to understand him," I said, crooning a little to my friend as I shifted a little closer to embrace her, her barrier of calm and confidence shattering completely. I held Arosha as she cried, whispering to her every now and then for what seemed like hours before she finally fell asleep, so much like the nights over 12 years ago when she had still been an acolyte. Lifting her up, I placed her next to Denver and watched as he placed an arm around her lupine form and pulled her closer, sighing as a new kind of peace swept through his mind.

Rising, I moved over to my desk and rang a small gong upon it as I sat down, looking through the books resting on both sides as I waited.

"Yes, Seer Iridell?" Arallen said as she entered and curtsied, her eyes wandering around the room and resting on the couple in the bed before quickly returning to me.

"I need you to gather the Council tomorrow morning in the main Prayer Hall shortly after breakfast. Pass the word to the other Priests that serve as their messengers and stress that it's very important that the meeting take place. A black rose is starting to bloom," I said, looking up at her, my expression broking no humor or opportunity to ask why I wanted this to be done. Once again, her eyes flicked to Denver and Arosha before she curtsied again and left quickly, striped tail vanishing through the door quickly as she closed it. Sighing, I leaned back in my chair and rubbed at my facial scales gently before also turning to look at them.

There was only one way I would be able to know how much of a threat the coming war would be, and I shuddered in fear and pleasure as I thought about it, also feeling a little guilty that my gift could not allow me to do a different way...

***

..."What makes you think that a war is coming, Seer Iridell?" Balkus asked, the small half moon glasses perched on the end of his beak gleaming in the sunlight of early morning. A white silk sash was tied so that it hung from his left shoulder and down across his feathered form, Great Horn owl features one of the harder faces to read, compared to the others present.

"The dreams that the human has had match what I have seen in my own for many years. With each turning of our world, each season, they have grown stronger, but I couldn't see what power was behind the danger," I replied, my voice clear and echoing slightly in the Prayer Hall as I stood before them. There were always seven members to the council, myself included, though I had held my position as seer longer than most of the current members.

"This isn't the first time that you've had such visions, is it?" asked the unicorn wearing emerald green robes, Oriss Reas hair braided and decorated with silver trinkets and a few stones set in gold. "Or that you've brought these concerns to Council?"

"No, it isn't. Those times though, my powers were still wild, untrained," I replied, nodding slightly. "Since then I have learned to gauge the time frame between the present and the visions I receive...the other piece of evidence that shows that the time of my visions is near arrived last night, in the care of Arosha Moonflow..."

"And what evidence would that be?" croaked Jess Malda, amphibian eyes tilting slightly as they regarded me, her bloated body covered with black and gold silks as she squatted upon her chair. Taking a deep breath, I looked over to the right and nodded to Arallen, her reply being a curtsy before opening the doors and beckoning to someone outside of the Prayer Hall. I watched as Arosha entered, wearing a simple dress of shimmering silver silk with an emerald sash tied around her waist, her face calm enough to be seen by the Council, but her eyes, darted around with uncertainty. Stepping aside, my friend allowed the doors to open a little more, admitting two acolytes bearing a simple litter towards the Council table.

Denver lay upon it, still under the sleep enchantment I had used last night, his body bare except for his breeches, face expressionless though I could feel how peaceful his mind had become during the night. A few of the Council members started muttering to each other quickly, their eyes darting from the human male, to me, then Arosha as she came to stand by Denver.

"This young human is your....'evidence'?" Furanin inquired, otter face showing uncertainty and confusion over the hand his chin rested upon. I nodded and remained silent, seeing Arosha fidgeting slightly as she lowered her gaze. "In what way is he evidence and of what?"

"It is said that, 'One shall come at the bidding of the Gods and be marked by them thrice. A hand to shape the world around him, eyes to see the truth and the Path that must be walked, the mark of death which will mean life for him eternal'," I intoned, my voice carrying to everyone that was in the hall besides the Council, my expression serious as I knelt to lift up Denver's right hand gently. "He has already been marked twice, this glove was on Denver's hand when Arosha found him in the field where she had spent the day hunting. Two days ago, they stopped at Githmourn Castle where they camped-" This comment brought gasps and other exclamations of surprise from the Council members and I waited for them to quiet down before continuing. "-For the night and something happened to Denver. He said that he dreamed of dancing with the Goddess Mother, and the Horned God around the fire, then...joined with the Goddess as he and the God merged together..." If it had been noisy before, the hall literally erupted with accusations and shouts of disbelief from almost every beast and human that was present. Again I waited for everyone to fall silence since it wasn't my duty to maintain order as a speaker to the Council, my eyes looking at each of them in turn. "The proof of his words and my own lays before you, a stranger from another world that has been chosen by the Gods. In all the years I have served the Temple and in the Council, I have never spoken against your decisions, since I have always told you the truth. You know the validity of my abilities and what I have foreseen more than once. Please. I ask that you consider that the possibility of an upcoming war is close at hand..."

Each of the beasts seated at the table looked at each other and slowly nodded in agreement, Furanin standing up slowly, his obsidian eyes locking on Denver with an intensity that I had rarely seen in the time I had known him.

"Wake him," he said at last, eyes flicking to me briefly before returning to the young human. "I would speak with him myself and hear what he has to say..." Nodding ever so slowly in thanks, I crossed my wrists and murmured silently...

Denver: Feeling returned to my limbs as the darkness slowly started to fade, sounds and smells of the waking world spinning around my head as I sat up slowly, keeping my eyes closed to keep from getting dizzy. I felt two pairs of hands gently help me to stand as I shook my head, only opening my eyes once I was sure that this wasn't another dream, only to find myself standing before a group of hybrids seated behind a white marble table that was slightly curved, a few of them sitting straighter as I took in their forms and clothing. My gaze settled upon the only one of the beasts standing and I raised an eyebrow slightly before giving a deep bow to show my respect, but nothing more.

"What is your name?" He asked calmly, voice not challenging or demanding an answer, strange considering how deep of a baritone it was.

"Denver," I said, not believing that my last name held any importance in this world.

"I am Furanin Lighttalon, one of the members of the Cepheran Temple Council," he replied giving a slight bow before continuing. "We've been told by Arosha Moonflow and Seer Iridell that you have...touched the Gods themselves. Is this true?"

'Just fucking great,' I thought, sighing and looking to Arosha, then back at Furanin. The last thing I needed to have happen to me was an inquiry into my beliefs as well as what had happened to me since I arrived in this world.

"I cannot say whether what I remember was real or something in a dream," I told him, trying to relax slightly even though my heart had quickened it's pace. "At the time the events were taking place, that's what I believed they were even though the sensations I felt were incredibly real, the images vivid." A murmur ran through the Council, some of them snorting and making gestures of disbelief, the air too thick with conflicting scents to determine exactly what they felt individually. The Otter raised an eyebrow at this, a small smile spreading over his furred lips as he nodded slowly.

"Bah! We can't trust the words of a human who says that he isn't sure whether or not he's touched the Gods themselves," Grunted a boar at the left end of the table, brown eyes narrowed and glaring at me as he also stood up, waving a dismissive hand in my direction.

"Can you claim to have touched the Gods?" I asked, challenging him by stepping forward and staring into his eyes with my own white gaze.

"All members of the Council have met and touched them," he squealed, slamming both hands onto the table and leaning closer. "Through prayer and ritual, all of us have done so. New Council members are chosen as to whether They have left a gift or marked the beast in some manner."

"Is it always apparent whether the marking or gift has been bestowed upon a potential candidate?" This brought silence to the room quickly; it was as if everything had stopped breathing at once, their eyes lowering to the tabletop before them as I waited for an answer. "Can any of you describe what it felt like, to be in the presence of something that...you had known all of your lives; heart and soul, as being real, as existing and then embrace Them as you would a loved one? Did you feel at peace, with a storm of energy whirling inside of you with each moment you were with Them?"

"Quiet! How can an Outlander like you even hope to understand what we see and feel during our Rites?" Shrieked a Griffon as he stood up, wings spreading to their full extent.

"I can't!" I shouted right back at him, anger starting to well up inside of me, coiling like a serpent ready to strike. Fighting it silently, I watched as the mythical beast took a step back, apparently too stunned by my answer to form a reply of his own. "I have little to no idea of what the beliefs of this world are for the majority of the people living in it. What I have been told and shown mirrors one of the religions on my own world, so much so that I can say with certainty that the beings that encountered in the dreams, visions, or whatever you wish to call them were the Horned God and the Goddess. I cannot begin to describe the full extent of what I felt while I was with Them, while I danced with Them and joined with the Goddess as the Horned God merged with me to perform something that has happened since the dawn of life..." My words echoed in the Hall as I paused, my body shaking from frustration, stress and anger at not knowing what was expected at me, at being challenged and scrutinized by creatures I had no hope of completely understanding. Their words, their emotions seemed so...human that I could only see the animal qualities in their forms. All of the beasts before me turned to look at each other, some whispering briefly before nodding and returning their gazes to my face. I felt a hand gently rest on my right shoulder, then a second one, belatedly noting that Arosha and Iridell had moved to stand on either side of me, their eyes upon the Council as well.

Furanin looked at the other members of the Council carefully, each of them nodding as their eyes met until their silent decision had been made.

"Denver...You've made some very valid comments and your voice shows the strength of your spirit and beliefs. I must apologize if we made you feel as if you were being condemned for a crime, but sometimes our...beliefs can be a little strong, making us stubborn as mules," He said at last, his gaze meeting my own without the slightest hesitation, though I did sense something else in his expression. "You and Arosha are welcome to stay for as long as you wish. The Temple will try and help you in any way we are able. Be welcomed as honored guests..."

"I accept your hospitality and hope that we can possibly learn to see eye to eye as people if not in beliefs," I reply, bowing respectfully. Furanin returned the gesture and I felt Iridell's gentle touch upon my shoulder, as she gestured towards the door on my right as it opened silently...

***

We were taken back to Iridell's chambers and asked to wait for her return by the acolyte that had guided us, my expression of thanks changing quickly after the door closed to one slight disgust as I went over to the bed and lay back carefully upon it. Arosha remained silent for a moment before walking over to me, her scent worried.

"Something wrong, Denver?" She asked finally, standing only a few feet away from me, wringing her hands a little.

"Wrong? No, nothings wrong. I just happened to wake up this morning and find myself before a religious council that decides to question me on some dreams I've had to see whether or not I believed as they do, feeling like I've come close to committing some kind of sacrilege. Not only that, but I then start to question their beliefs when it isn't even my right to do so, only to be told that it's alright and 'we're sorry for acting the way we were so be our guests for a few nights'," I reply, loosing control of both anger and frustration at the same time as I sat up to confront Arosha. "And I wasn't even informed that I was going to be appearing before a group of people that were representing this temple or why. I felt like a freak being put on display for a group of healers to determine what the fuck they can do to make it look more humane and prove that it could actually think!" Each word brought a growing look of shock to her face that finally made me realize how much of an ass I was being to her. Sighing, I quickly stood and embraced Arosha tightly, burying my face in her fur even as I felt her tense slightly at the unexpected hug before tentatively wrapping her arms around my back and tightening her hold as well. "I'm so sorry..."

"So am I," she whispered, sighing with relief as she relaxed against me, rubbing my back as I nuzzled her neck, lifting her up slightly at the same time as I shifted my posture a little. "So am I..." We remained like that for what seemed like hours, everything I had thought and said for the last two days, melting away and leaving just the moment we shared.

"Is there anything else that I should know as to what else to be prepared for here?" I asked, pulling back a bit and caressing Arosha's cheek lightly. She seemed to stiffen again, expression twisting to uncertainty as her arms stopped. "What is it?

"There's something that Iridell and the rest of the Council wish to do an...I'm not sure what to call it exactly," Arosha said, letting out a slight whimper as she looked at me. "It's a ritual that allows those observing to see possible futures or events that will take place around someone. It involves a Seer as well as the person the Council wishes to keep an eye on in regards to their future. Through the Seer's natural ability, he or she can view the images, but in order to make them visible to others they have to...gather a substantial amount of energy to send what is seen into the crystal above them..."

"How is the energy gathered?" I asked, even though I felt I had an idea of what the answer would be.

"A union takes place between the Seer and the subject of the visions to be..."

***

I spent almost the whole day walking around the Temple, either with Arosha, or alone as her old friend and teachers spotted her as we went, asking for a moment to speak with her. I thought about what Arosha had told me earlier as well as what had happened in the Prayer Hall before I was awakened. There had been a slight feeling of unease between us when she had told me of the ritual to come, my emotions mixed between fear, excitement, and guilt at what I would have to do, though I was free to refuse to partake in it. In a way though, I didn't want to refuse, not if it meant being able to get some answers as to why I had been brought here, hoping that I wasn't a harbinger of a war to come as Iridell believed. The other reason...it was more personal fantasy than a reason that I could actually give and not feel guilt about. To make love with a dragoness...the mere thought sent shivers through me as the rest of my body started to react.

"Yet, that's all I've been doing is reacting," I whispered to myself as I stopped beside a walkway overlooking one of the courtyards and seeing acolytes being led through a series of motions and poses by one of the priests. "I've been going off of instinct and desire..." The nights I had spent with Arosha, embracing her, making love to her were in a way, no different from the night I had spent with Rinnela, and yet they were. More than it just being another female of a different species, it was the emotions I had felt while with them. Shaking my head again, I continued to walk for a while longer, humming along with the singsong prayers I could hear coming from the level below me...

***

I had dinner with Arosha and Iridell in the Seer's chambers, conversation mostly centering around the two women as they talked about the past and things that both of them had done before the lupine had left and the dragoness had gone on to become a priestess and a member of the Council. They were no different from students skipping school on my world and doing everything that they could think of, testing their limits and still trying to do what was expected of them. Both orphans, the temple had taken them in from the streets and eventually showed them a place where they would no longer be alone or without food and shelter. The choice to train and accept the position as an acolyte had been left to them once both dragoness and lupine were able to understand the importance of the decision. Arosha had finally decided that she couldn't live with the restrictions placed upon her as an acolyte, so when the time came, she took her leave of the Temple. Iridell always managed to be one of the best students, even with her nighttime flights outside of the temple and visits to town during the days meant for resting. Most of their stories relating to teachers, and the inevitable last nights as virgins.

"...Then she led Tathler to the central courtyard where we had agreed to meet," Arosha said, grinning broadly as she picked up her cup of wine. "That young equine was so scared, I could smell it from where I was hiding in the bushes, his face frozen with uncertainty and amazement."

"Well from the rumors that were going around about you still being part Feral," Iridell commented, returning the smile. "It's not very surprising. You were the one that asked me to relay the message and the reason to him after all."

"I think Tathler came close to shitting himself when I finally leapt at him," Arosha continued, the color of her fur darkening slightly as she blushed. "For all of his fear though, he was certainly willing and able to please..."

"More than that," Iridell added, shivering and rubbing her belly slightly.

"I'll say. I don't know what passed through your mind that night, but after I gathered my cloths from the bush I had hidden in and dressed myself again, Denver," Arosha continued. "I went to check on Tathler and found him out cold with his toung hanging out of his mouth and his chest rising and falling quickly as he gasped for breath. This scaled female standing beside him with a smug grin on her face, her scent mixed with his own and a few small rivers of pearly liquid running down her inner thighs."

Iridell chuckled and shook her head as her eyes met my own. "That poor Equine lad swore that the Goddess visited him twice that night when the teachers found him in the morning rain shower. Thankfully, our scents had washed away by then."

"I don't doubt it," I said finally, taking a sip of my water before chuckling. "Both of you are very beautiful females."

"Really?" Iridell said, tilting her head a little as she regarded me with a sly smile upon her face as her forked toung flicked out to lick her lips.

"Oh no. You better not be thinking what I think you are," Arosha commented with a laugh and a poke of her fingers against her friends side.

"What might that be?" the dragoness asked innocently, shifting in her chair slightly. I looked from one female to the other, not knowing whether to feel worried or excited, the scent of their arousal competing with each other as I also squirmed in my chair.

"You know perfectly well," Arosha said, leaning forward and resting her right arm upon the table, eyes narrowing above her smile. "Besides, you'll get your chance with Denver later on this evening, Seer Iridell."

"Does that mean you don't mind sharing Denver, then?"

This comment took me back and made me sit up in surprise as I realized what they were saying.

"Hmmm...that would depend on whether we stay here long enough to see what happens," Arosha said, leaning back in her chair, her eyes resting on me with the same smug grin that her friend had...

***

...Late that night, I woke up as someone lightly shook my shoulder as I lay beside Arosha. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I looked up to find a cloaked figure standing beside me, blue eyes regarding me silently. Nodding, I slowly got up and pulled the covers back up and over Arosha before pulling on a pair of breeches, seeing no point in wearing anything else for what was to come before following the other from Iridell's room.

I was led from the tower and back into the depths of the Temple, down different paths and halls, through rooms filled with books, pillows and pallets, some of which were occupied by sleeping forms. Walking over to a set of heavy oak doors, the figure opened them and gestured for me to enter, and doing so, found myself in a chamber that was 20 feet in width and length, the ceiling obscured by shadows that even the gentle light of the lamps failed to penetrate. In the center was a pool of water that gleamed a light blue, a four feet wide walkway surrounding it, the very center contained a partially submerged slab of stone, one end rising out of the water with a few towels resting upon it. Waiting as the door closed behind me, three females stepped out from behind the pillars and gestured for me to step forward and remove my breeches as well.

Doing so, I bowed a greeting to the Unicorn, Griffon, and a young woman that I took as being an Elf of some kind.

The unicorn was pure white except for blue tattoo's under her eyes and on her shoulders, the pattern hinting at wing like drawings on her back. Deep blue eyes regarded me above her smile, silvery horn dipping slightly as she nodded in return, reaching out to touch my shoulder and steady me as I stepped into the water, her form athletic, each move she made allowed me a glimpse of the muscles under her skin, amber/silver hair falling to her waist.

Black feathered Griffon sauntered behind me and started to rub my shoulders and back slowly, eagle like claws dragging gently over my muscles. Small feathers covered her breasts, which were of a decent size, and I could feel them pressing against my back. The half lion, half eagle female gently guiding me to the center of the pool; the cool water making me shiver for a moment as I tried to get used to it.

Large, liquid eyes of violet peered up at me from the last of the women, dark brown hair falling past her waist, pointed ears poking through it slightly, a sly smile upon her lips. Voluptuous body moving around to stand before me as I was asked to lay down upon the stone slab, her slender hands replacing those of the Griffon. They started to massage me carefully, the feeling of so many hands on my body at once uncomfortable at first as I tried to relax. A soft, rhythmic chant rose into the air as they continued, the stone slab I was on rising a little as one pair of hands vanished briefly, only to return with a slick substance that was smeared over my back, leaving a tingling sensation over my skin. I sighed and closed my eyes, my head resting on the towels as I lost the hesitant feeling, energy starting to fill me at the same time. Tapping my shoulder lightly, the young woman that I now believed to be a Nymph gestured for me to turn over and the process was repeated, a light groan escaping my lips as their hands caressed my semi hard shaft lightly, coating it carefully, as I gripped the sides of the stone slab. Their chant rose slightly as their hands moved up my chest to my neck, carefully caressing my face as each of the females in turn kissed me passionately, the action unexpected. As soon as they had pulled back I gasped, arching back as I felt something like flames racing over my body, my eyes shifting as the skin tightened then started to peel off in sheets, the new layer beneath it twitching with the slightest brush of air against it.

Sitting up carefully, I closed my flaming eyes a moment as I felt my skin return to normal, opening them after a long moment and looking at the women around me, their voices still.

"Please follow me," the Griffon chirped, as she moved to the far side of the room, waiting for me to follow as she opened the second set of doors. Following her, I was led down another group of hallways until she stopped at an open door leading into a chamber where Iridell stood waiting. As soon as I passed the threshold, the doors behind me slammed shut, leaving me in darkness for a brief moment before my eyes adjusted to take in the faint glow of runes etched into the stone pillars and floor, eyes focusing on the Dragoness before me as I walked closer. Kneeling before Iridell, I waited, ignoring the sense of immensity that I was feeling from the chamber, the only thing I wanted to concentrate on was her. Stepping closer, Iridell gently caressed my cheek, her smile growing slightly as she too, knelt, her form bare and beautiful to my sight, blue scales shimmering slightly in the dim light.

"Trust me, Denver," She whispered, looking into my eyes, one hand running through my hair as I shivered slightly with uncertainty.

"Easier said than done, Iridell," I replied, tentatively touching her neck and cheek, my left hand slowly wandering up an down her side, thumb caressing the edge of her breast lightly.

"I know. Just...let yourself do what you feel is right," Iridell said, moving to kiss me passionately, the action causing my blood to boil as the scent of her arousal hit my nose. Parting my lips slightly, the tip of my toung slipping out to taste her as she moved closer, her taloned hands running over my torso lightly. I gasped into the kiss as I felt her caress my semi hard member, my body quickly responding as desire pushed away all other thoughts in my mind. Pulling back from the kiss, lips lowered to her neck where I kissed lightly on my way to her breasts, cupping them in my hands gently as my lips brushed her nipples. Crooning encouragement to me, Iridell wrapped her fingers around my shaft and started massaging me slowly, the feeling of scales so different from skin or fur against it. I started suckling lightly on her left nipple, slowly drawing my toung over the stiffening nub of flesh as I felt her hand tighten, a deep, lusty moan escaping her throat, the sound drawn out as she shivered. The dragoness lay back slowly, pulling me with her as I felt her hand rub the head of my shaft against her burning sex, making me shiver in turn as I felt her juices starting to coat it. I teethed gently groaning into her breast before pulling back and looking down at her, the most beautiful creature I had ever seen at the moment, her chest rising and falling quickly with each breath she took. Leaning forward to kiss Iridell again, she welcomed me eagerly, her legs wrapping around my back and forcing me to enter her without warning. I arched back and gasped as my member was encompassed by her moist, burning sex, the head grinding against her cervix as I filled her completely, her vaginal walls surprisingly tight for her race. Freezing for a moment, I stayed like that, savoring the sensation for as long as I could, hearing her shrill trumpet in response to my penetration....

Iridell: Opening my eyes wide, I squirmed beneath Denver as my body was overwhelmed by pleasure, shaking my head a little as I tried to find some control over my body. Gasping for breath, I reached up with one hand to cup his cheek, his eyes now burning with emerald flames as he looked down on me, the amount of energy I could feel coming from him incredible. I looked up at him pleadingly, nearly lost in my own pleasure as my hips tilted, giving him all the encouragement he needed, feeling him pull almost completely from within me only to thrust deep and slow, setting a rhythm that game me continual shivers.

'Gods, if he keeps this up I won't be able to focus,' my clouded mind thought as I started to give into the pleasure I felt, my sex already quivering as I squeezed Denver's manhood with my hip muscles, tightening my hold around him. Arching back, I trilled loudly, eyes wide as Denver raspberried my breasts, his hands cupping and squeezed them, sending a jolt of sensation through my, my tail whipping back and forth on the ground behind him. Shaking my head again, I rolled carefully, pinning him beneath me as I straddled his waist, gasping again as my weight pulled me onto him more completely, my thoughts racing as I tried to concentrate and combining our energy to make his dreams visible to those in the room above...

Denver: I panted hard as Iridell changed our position slightly, the ground becoming incredibly soft beneath me as she continued to ride my member, quickening gradually as her hands searched for my own, our finger lacing together tightly. Slowly, I started to remember the purpose for our lovemaking, something that went beyond pleasure, beyond our bodies and minds. Keeping a tenuous hold on my quickly rising climax, I reached for the void within me, quieting my spirit and asking for it's help, energy surging through me as I did so before looking up at Iridell.

I whispered to her mind and soul, both extending an ethereal hand in offer to her, showing that I meant no harm. Her form doubled to my vision, the physical nearly lost in pleasure and lust, eagerly accepting all I had to offer, the other, her spirit looked at me with wide eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty, her 'spirit form' standing before me as bare as she was in reality. She nodded slowly and took my hand, lights blazing to life around us in both worlds, crying out as our climaxes struck with unbelievable force, our hearts racing as one, blood boiling through our veins. Iridell's essence flowed out of her vagina, coating my waist as my seed erupted to fill her womb, our spirits working together at last to reveal what I had experience since arriving in this world, all the memories filling me with passion and sorrow, fear, hate, hope, uncertainty. All of this I offered to the council overhead, literally crying tears at the release of emotion and pleasure...Both of them containing more energy than any one person could ever imagine.

Laying back as the whirlwind of ecstasy swept me away, I felt Iridell also lay down, holding me close as her body shuddered with my own, my eyes closing as I silently wept, more than willing to let sleep carry me away to a place where dreams determine reality...