Chapter 45

Sitting in my study, I was thinking how I would find out if what the spirits had said was true. Can the two unbound procreate? How long will it be before their first litter would be born? How do I even ask them to have pups? Do I order them to just do the deed, or do I wait till the female is in heat? What was bothering me most was the fact that they were siblings. Inbreeding is bad for human offspring and in animals it causes issues. What would inbreeding their offspring do?

'Master, when you think about us, we can hear you.' The female said to me.

'I'm sorry, I was trying to balance the outcome of you two mating. You were only supposed to bond only with the male. I was going to do another ceremony to bind another unbound with you…er the female. Since your twins, I don't want to cause unintended outcomes if you mated. On earth, when siblings procreate, their offspring can have many issues. I'll be straight with you two. I need many types of animals as pets for the men in the Oasis. The Spirits told me that if I brought normal animals into the cave system that cleaning up after them would be a problem. Diseases that transmit to humans are the most troublesome problem. Having unbound bonded to an animal would allow the men to have pets and still keep the caves clean. Also, you binding also makes the animal you bonded with more intelligent, stronger, and I have control over you. Unlike normal animals who can snap and attack humans, given the right circumstances. I was told that binding you here on earth would not harm you, and that your kind are like dormant spirits. You almost never turn into spirits. That Is why I agreed to do the binding.' I fill them in on our plan and why I did it.

A flash illuminated the room, and the two shepherds appeared at my desk. 'We appreciate your honesty,' the female said. 'We will be honest with you as well. When you think of us or intend to speak, we hear you, and you hear us. That's true, but we also perceive your every thought during our conversations. In our first discussion, we sensed your thoughts revolve around keeping your world safe and making others happy. This openness has made us feel secure enough to share our truths.'

'We do not become spirits—not because we cannot, but because it is undesirable for us,' the male continued. 'The lack of knowledge about other beings binding to of us, aside from rumors, arises because the first Unbound who bonded with a being discovered their deceit, thirst for power, and desire for control. Our kind sought to avoid that. We remain dormant entities, unwilling to become spirits or be controlled by those with such vile tendencies.'

'While we are dormant, our minds are not. We communicate during the long spans between bindings. When a binding occurs, we inform each other of changes in the corporeal world or of trustworthy beings the bonded encounter. We see such a being in you. Through your memories, we recognize that more beings in your world are unlike you than like you. We know you have flaws and that you cannot control the actions of others. Finding you is enough for us to awaken—not all, but as many as you are willing to bond with. Our offspring will bond with one of our kind automatically on birth. You will feel a bond connection when the offspring open their eyes for the first time. As for the time to birth, it is five of your weeks. The number of offspring depends on the animal we are at the time of birthing.' The female said, clearing up a lot of the turmoil my mind was trying to resolve.

'You're okay with being pets for the men who want you?' I asked.

'We will follow orders to a point. If a man asks too much, we'll refuse. If we don't like him, we'll return to you. We'll also work to fulfill your dreams, your vision. By becoming part of your Oasis, we'll protect what is yours, as we see what's yours as ours—whether it's men, livestock, land, or friends.'

'I need to give you names. Do you already have any, or should I choose?'

'We are only known as the Unbound.. You may name us as you wish,' the male answered.

'You'll belong to both me and Jesse. Most of the time, you'll stay in the forms you have now, but sometimes we might want you to change into other animals. I'll give you famous names from stories. You,' I said, looking at the male, 'will be called Rin Tin Tin. It's usually shortened to Rin, or sometimes Tin. Is that alright?'

'Yes,' he replied.

'And you,' I said to the female, 'will be Lassie. Males played the dog in the story, but it was always a female character. Does that work for you?'

'Yes,' she answered.

'I feel different,' Rin said.

'I feel strange too,' Lassie added.

'Is something wrong?' I asked, watching as both grew larger. 'So, this size change—it's not normal?'

'Not unless we intend it, which we did not. But the feeling is quite enjoyable,' Rin replied.

'Yes, very much so,' Lassie agreed.

When they stopped growing, both were the size of very muscular ponies. 'Can you shrink back down?' I asked.

'No, but this might work,' Rin said. After a few seconds, he shrank, returning to the size of a shepherd_. 'Try condensing every cell in your body,'_ he told Lassie. 'It worked for me.'

'Oh, I see now,' Lassie said, and I watched as she shrank to her normal size, too.

'Are you still as heavy as you were when you were bigger?' I asked.

'Yes, we are. It was the only way to make it work. When we have offspring, you'll need to name them at or near birth—that should prevent this problem in the future. Your naming seems to cause this. Please keep this between us. Jesse tends to talk. Don't speak to him about it.' Rin answered.

'I have to tell Jesse, but he'll be the only one. Why, though?' I asked.

'The Spirits share all knowledge freely,' Lassie explained. 'If others learn about us, they'll try to replicate this in other worlds.'

'Yeah, I can see that happening. You have my word—I'll tell no one else. And I'll make sure Jesse keeps quiet too,' I promised.

'We'll take our leave now. Please have one spirit make a bed for us in your room. We'll need it soon, for we will copulate on your bed, and need a birthing box in a few weeks,' Rin said.

'We'll also study the animals in your world. Is there a computer and visual display nearby?' Lassie asked.

'No, but I'll set one up in the study,' I replied. The two walked out, the door opening by itself.

'Another thing to keep quiet about,' Lassie remarked as they left and the door closed behind them.

'Can one of you guys make a large dog bed in my room? It needs to fit both shepherds and their litter,' I said to the spirits. Leo and Cetus appeared in front of me.

"Got it, Master! I'll set up a magnificent birthing area with a bed worthy of this special moment," Cetus proclaimed.

“I was going to offer the same," Leo added. “What can I do?"

“The shepherds need a computer and monitor they can access here in the study. They want to research Earth's animals so they can change form if their leader asks," I explained.

“Oh, I see. They want to please you since you're their leader," Leo remarked.

“No, no, that's not what I meant. The man who's given the bound animal will be its leader. Yes, I can control them, but I'd only do that if absolutely necessary," I clarified.

"My apologies, Master. I wasn't considering the dynamics of owner and pet," Leo said, correcting himself.

“That's something else I need to make clear to all of you. They're not pets—they have free will. If the man who receives them offends them, they'll return to me. If that happens, that man won't receive another bound animal. I'll ask why they left, and if it wasn't a serious offense, he'll only be allowed to help at the shelter, working with animals. If he finds another man willing to let him handle his bound, he can interact under supervision, but the owner must be present. If it's a serious offense, he'll lose even those privileges. Make sure everyone in the Oasis knows this before the first bound is given to a member," I instructed.

“How will you pair the men with the bound? Many men want one. And how do you know they will procreate?" Cetus asked.

“We'll hold a lottery. Each man can place one entry. If there are three pups, we'll pull three numbers, and the men with those numbers will each get one. It's possible eight or nine pups could be born. The men won't get to choose between a male or female. They'll come to me in person, and I'll hand them their pup. The man will name it in front of me, and I'll tell the pup its name before they leave together. There won't be any exchanging of the bound between men. As for knowing about their ability to procreate, they told me themselves," I explained.

"They told you? That's incredible! There's no record of a bound ever speaking to its master. Usually, they simply follow orders or are permanently transformed into spirit form," Cetus commented.

I thought to myself, I'll have to talk to them about that—maybe I can help those in that state.

“They actually spoke to you, Master?" Leo asked, surprised.

“Yes, they speak to me just like you spirits do. That's all I'm willing to share—don't ask me for more. But I will add this: if a bound finds its partner to be a good and deserving man, they will protect him as they would protect themselves. Their bond will be stronger than any pet could ever offer. They may even talk to that man," I said firmly.

*****

The news that some men would receive a bound animal lifted the spirits of the entire Oasis. Everywhere I looked, men were working harder and smiling as they did so. It wasn't just my imagination—Jesse noticed the change in them, too.

Finally, the day arrived when the female went into labor. Jesse and I stood by, watching.

“This is so exciting! How many do you think she'll have?" Jesse asked.

'I will bear eleven, Master,' Lassie told me.

“Eleven," I said aloud.

“I don't know. Her belly doesn't look that big. I'd guess seven," Jesse replied. Just as he spoke, the first pup emerged. “Wow, they're small!"

“See? She can fit eleven inside her," I said with a smile.

“This one will open his eyes in a few hours," Lassie informed me. “He was one transformed into a spirit. Three more like him are still to come. The rest will take a few weeks to open their eyes."

Rin approached and eased the first pup to Lassie's head so she could clean him. “That's not normal behavior!" Jesse remarked, surprised.

“Remember, they're not just animals. They're part Unbound," I reminded him.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot," Jesse admitted.

The first pup was already standing on its own. 'You may take him if you like. He needs no feeding. You must've noticed—I haven't changed like a normal female. My teats are normal. I will not be producing milk, because they feed from spirit energy,' Lassie explained.

'I'll wait until they're all born, if that's alright with you,' I replied.

In quick succession, all eleven pups were born. Their birth sacs, cords, and even the blood vanished into the air. The entire process took just about an hour. Four pups were already standing and walking together, while the other seven climbed over each other—silent, not looking to feed.

“I think I'll tell the men that eleven have been born. Should we draw the winning numbers now, or would you like to do it?" Jesse asked.

“Nah, I'll stay here a while longer. Tell the men the first four will be ready soon. The rest will take a few weeks," I said with a big smile.

“What do you know I don't?" Jesse asked, curious.

“Remember what we talked about? The Unbound who were turned into spirit forms? Those four," I pointed to the pups, walking confidently. “It worked."

“You did it! You freed them! And you told everyone that you're no different than they are. This proves what I've always believed about you, you're truly special." Jesse hugged me tightly, lifting me up to kiss me. “I love you even more than I did before."

“Put me down and go tell everyone. Since the spirits can't hear us in here, fill them in first—but don't mention the four," I reminded him.

“Yeah, I know. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't. Your orders make sure of that. Not that I would've said anything, but the order keeps me from slipping up," Jesse said as he left.

Three hours later, the first of the four opened his eyes. I felt his presence immediately. 'Thank you, Master, for freeing me and my fellow cursed ones. Will you name me now?' he asked.

'I'll leave that honor to the one you'll be paired with. He'll tell me what he wants to name you, and I'll give that name to you,' I replied.

'We all carry the knowledge of our parents. We pledge the same as they did to you. Above all, we are yours first, but we'll follow the wishes of the one you pair us with. If you ever give us an order, it will come before theirs,' he stated.

A few moments later, another pup opened her eyes. She made the same pledge and thanked me. I didn't need to explain the naming process again—they already knew. Shortly after, another female opened her eyes, followed by the fourth, a male.

'Jesse, call out the first four numbers and have those men come here. Be here too,' I told him.

'On my way. I've already called the numbers, and the first four men are right behind me,' Jesse responded.

Jesse and the four winners entered the study. The pups were sitting patiently on my desk. Among the men, I recognized a familiar face—Kenzo. He still looked the same as the first time I saw him, a quiet, small-framed man of Asian descent.

'Whoever gets Kenzo will need to help him come out of his shell,' I said to the four bound pups.

'It will be done, Master,' they all replied.

'You can stop calling me 'Master.' My name is Keith.'

'We know, but we prefer calling you, Master,' they said in unison.

“Who's the first winner of the lottery?" I asked. A large bear-man stepped forward.

“I am, Sir. They're so small… Is it okay for us to take them now?"

“You need to think differently with these bound animals. They're not like normal ones. What kind of dog were you hoping for? One like these, or another breed?" I asked.

“Oh, definitely a dog. Maybe a different breed, but I'll take any dog right now, Sir," he replied.

“After you name the one I give you, you can ask him to change into the breed you want. Just put him on the ground and tell me the name first. Then, watch him. I'll let you know when you can ask him to shift," I explained.

'I have a question for all of you. Can you speak to others the way you speak to me?' I asked the bound.

'Yes, we can, but we won't until we've decided the man is good and we want to stay with him,' the first male answered.

'Come to me when you make that decision. I'll call him in and give him some instructions before you do,' I said to the four.

'Yes, Master,' they all responded.

I picked up the first-born male and handed him to the bear-man. “I want to name him Thor," he said. He held the pup for a moment, wiping his eyes before finally setting the bound down next to him. He stood up, still emotional.

“Everyone, watch him." 'I name you Thor.'

The small shepherd grew, quickly reaching the size of an adult, muscles filling out in seconds. I could see everyone, including Jesse, staring in awe.

“You can ask him to change now," I told the man.

“Can you change into a Cane Corso?" he asked.

'What color does he want?' the male bound asked me.

“What color Cane Corso?" I asked.

The man's eyes widened in amazement. “A light brindle, if possible?" he replied.

The bound grew even larger, nearly causing the man to step back to give him space. In moments, the bound had transformed into a stunning Cane Corso, one that could easily win best in show. The man's tears flowed freely.

“You must have had a dog like this before," I remarked.

Wiping his eyes, he nodded. “Yes, Sir. She was my first and only dog. They don't live very long, and when she passed, I couldn't bear the thought of going through that again. She was my soul mate."

“You won't have to worry about that with him—he'll live as long as you," I reassured him. He started crying again.

“This is a dream come true," he said, trying to compose himself.

“You can take him out, but stay in our cave for now. I'll be speaking to all of you after the others receive their animals," I said, as the man turned, calling Thor to follow him. He stroked Thor's neck as they left.

“Who's the next winner?" I asked. This time, Kenz? stepped forward.

“Me, Sir," he whispered.

“And what type of animal did you want?" I asked.

“I'm more of a cat lover. Less upkeep," Kenzo replied.

“Well, there's no upkeep with a bound, you know that, right?" I clarified.

“Yes, I do. But I still want a cat," he insisted.

“It's your choice, but remember, you can change her form anytime. Just don't do it very often," I told Kenzo, handing him the second-born bound.

“I want to name her Princess," Kenzo said. He placed her on the ground and stood back up.

'Your name is Princess,' I told her. She changed as quickly as the first male, though was smaller when she finished.

“Ask her," I prompted.

“Please change into a Burmese blue," Kenzo asked.

Almost instantly, a sleek Burmese blue cat sat next to him. Kenzo motioned for her to jump into his arms, and she did so. “You can wait outside," I told him. “Maybe she'll help you break out of your shell." Kenzo left, holding Princess close.

The next man stepped forward. Though smaller, he had a solid build. “I'm the third winner, Sir. I'd like a cat too, but not a typical one. Is it okay to have a mountain lion or a panther?" he asked.

“Yes, but with an exotic animal, you'll need to keep her in the caves. Not because she's dangerous—she won't be—but we can't have people getting scared by what they think is a dangerous animal," I explained.

“I understand, Sir. Is it alright if she changes into a regular cat when I'm outside?" he asked.

'Are you willing to change between a big cat and a small one?' I asked the bound.

'Yes, but my smaller form will resemble my larger one,' she responded.

“Yes, but of the two cats you stated you wanted, the Panther is the only one she will change into. Is that acceptable?" I asked, handing him the last female.

“Yes, Sir," he replied proudly. “Her name is Blacky." He set the pup next to him.

'I'll change into a Bombay cat, then a panther,' she told me.

'I name you Blacky,' I said.

She instantly morphed into a sleek Bombay cat before transforming into a full-grown panther. She was stunning in both forms. “When you're outside, she'll appear as the smaller cat her breed is a Bombay. You can wait until I've handed the last one over." He nodded and left, stroking his panther's soft fur.

“That leaves you with this fine male," I said, turning to the last man. He stepped forward, tall and powerfully built.

“Well, Sir, I'd like a dingo. I considered a kangaroo, but a dingo suits me better," he said with a distinct Australian accent.

'I could be both, if he'd like,' the bound told me. 'In the cave, I could be a big kangaroo, showing off my muscles and strength. Outside, I could chase the livestock as a dingo.'

“How about him being both like the two cats?" I asked, handing him the last pup.

“I want his name to be Kal." He placed the pup down, squatting with his hand resting on the pup's back. “No worries, little one, I'm with you."

'I name you Kal,' I told the male.

He transformed into a dingo, then forced the man's hand to rise higher as he grew into a massive kangaroo. As he stood up, he lifted the man with him, reaching seven feet tall with impressive muscles on his chest, arms, legs, and tail. “Geez, you're a big unit!" the man exclaimed.

“Let's head out. I have a few more words to share before you can leave," I said.

Jesse followed closely behind as we exited the study, and the four men with their animals gathered around. With everyone now in a larger space, the spirits also appeared. “You will tell no one what you witnessed here when I gave you the pups. This is just for you, Jesse, and me to know. Understood?"

“Yes, Sir," came the unified response from the four men.

“Jesse and the spirits have informed you about what you can and can't do with the bound animals, along with the consequences of breaking the rules. That said, you are free to do anything the animal agrees to. You will know they agree when you ask and they obey. If they hesitate and you ask again with no action taken, consider it a 'no.' They will leave you if you ask for more than they will do. Once they leave, they won't return. Remember to treat them with the respect you wish others to show you. If you do that, I see a long future between you and them."

“Now, go show the other men your animals. If anyone asks if they can be petted or makes other requests, your animal will bow its head in acceptance or shake its head to signal 'no.' You cannot force them to do anything they don't want to do. Being the first to get an animal will set the tone for the others. That's all; I hope you and your bonded are happy together." I concluded my orders and instructions.