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College of Celestials - The Zodiac

Chapter 1.0 - Vendetta

The Zodiacs

To my dearest Dante,

You should know that while the majority of the deities you are familiar with are either dead or never actually existed being merely proxies created by the Godhunters to divert power from the true Celestials, there are indeed still 'gods' that walk among us and they are just as dangerous, petty and impulsive as the myths and legends depict them to be. None epitomize these more than the Zodiacs as they call themselves.

Derived from the very same astrological signs you see used in so many horoscopes, the Zodiacs are beings who have existed since ancient times. The Godhunters cannot truly pinpoint when they began as our order was only created after they lost access to the Cradle but we still hold some knowledge of them. Like many of the other Celestials that still exist, they have cast aside the concept of gender and can appear as either male or female. Those within the Zodiac clan consider each other as family - a highly dysfunctional family.

They connive, manipulate and backstab one another more often than they would come to one another's aid. Extremely petty, they hold grudges for all eternity and will never forgive a slight no matter how insignificant.

When dealing with the Zodiacs, always remember one thing: They are stars that look down upon us with contempt and that is their greatest weakness.

********

November 24th, 7:30 AM, Goldman Residence

Despite Russ' impatience, Jacob had insisted that they have some hot chocolate before getting into the discussion. A kettle was already brewing when he had interrupted the three hounds. Flash took offense to Jacob breaking into his house but that was quickly dismissed for some clarity over what exactly what was happening. Now sitting in the game room with Jacob standing and the other three perched in seats, Flash found himself fighting the urge to get up and pace.

Dante was sitting right beside him on the sectional while Russ - being the biggest of them - had taken residency on the huge recliner that his dad had once claimed. Of course, the Goldman Patriarch hadn't been to the mansion in years so Flash wasn't really up for defending the huge dog's hairy ass sitting itself on the leather. He still couldn't shake the feeling that it was wrong for the legendary guardian dog to be sitting there.

He took a sip from the hot chocolate and had to admit, it was pretty damn good. “Is that… cinnamon in this?" he asked.

Jacob gave him a small smile. “Cinnamon, little bit of nutmeg and a shot of whiskey. Old family recipe. Usually it calls for some whipped cream and a toasted marshmallow and some chocolate flakes but I thought it better to stay somewhat traditional. I'll make it for you next time."

Flash nodded pensively and sipped at the surprisingly rich drink, only partially wondering that since he was lupine now if chocolate was even good for him. “Uh-huh…"

Reaper took a sip from his own cup, smacked his lips for a moment and then turned towards the boys. “Do you boys believe in God?"

“No," Dante replied instantly. “Grandpa kind of raised me not to…"

“Not really," Flash admitted with a shrug. “Used to be that I would be raised Jewish. You know, 'Goldman'. But my dad didn't really follow that and we kind of didn't do anything with it. Didn't even have a bat mitzvah."

“That's kind of sad but at the same time, convenient," Reaper said, glancing away. “The truth about this reality is that the 'gods' you're familiar with are either really huge assholes or only created by other humans to control the population. But I'm getting ahead of myself." He lifted a finger. “Let's start with the box your grandpa gave you."

Dante straightened and started looking around in a panic. “Oh yeah… Where did it go?"

Reaper pointed at him and then at Flash. “In you."

Flash placed a paw against his chest. “Huh?"

“The box was known as the Celestial Cradle," explained the lawyer. “It's been named differently across history. Pandora's Box. The Cosmic Egg. The Holy Grail. But it has all the same purpose: the creation of gods."

Flash went rigid and stared at Dante in disbelief. He found his friend staring right back at him with those bright, green eyes, momentarily mesmerized by their brilliant, glow. Feeling a bluish on his cheeks, he turned away realizing he was staring a little too long.

“Now don't be fooled. The box doesn't actually create the universe or anything," Jacob said. “It's just something conveniently used to explain the creation of the universe and the gods that come with that particular mythology. The truth, is far less… universal."

“Th' world 'as magical veins runnin' through it," grunted Russ. “We call 'em 'leylines'. The box can gather a lot o' th' magical power 'em an' give it ta mortals. Makes 'em live forever so long as they say attuned to it. Gives 'em powers too."

Jacob went on to explain that the Celestial Cradle was first created during primeval times during the early stages of mankind's evolution. At the time, it wasn't a box. It was actually just a simple stick that primitive man considered magic because it could catch on fire and never seem to burn out.

“Even at that time, the leylines existed," Jacob explained. “These pseudo-physical rivers are the culmination of consciousnesses that have lost connection with their bodies."

“When people died," Dante concluded.

“Not just people. Anyone that is capable of conscious thought. Matter can neither be created nor destroyed, only converted. The same can be said about memories, emotions and people's 'souls'. When mortals die, their bodies decompose to be used again into the cycle of the world but their souls disperse into the leylines. Sometime in ancient history, one soul was strong enough to infuse some will into the flow of the leylines and passed on some magical properties to a single stick; a stick that would burn with fire but never turn to ash.

“At the time, mankind had no idea what fire even was or it's full properties. But this stick's unusual properties set it apart from the mundane sticks in the world. Over time, the stick changed hands and as man evolved, they started adding more and more functions to it, exploring its properties. Philosophers and academics all added their own pieces to the stick, shaping it and crafting it until it eventually became the box you know today. But during that time, the box also obtained other properties as, somewhere down the line, man managed to get it to do more than just burn forever."

“They got it to make gods," rumbled Russ.

“Not literally, of course," the lawyer interjected quickly. “The idea of immortal supernatural beings is novel and the modifications to the Cradle across time did allow for individuals attuned to it to obtain this power but these are still entities born from mortals and, as such, are fallible. It's this feature that led to the countless creation myths across the world."

Anyone who used the power of the Celestial Cradle became 'attuned' to it and thus became connected to the leylines directly. They became supernaturally strong, obtained great powers and could even live forever. All as long as they kept a hold of the Cradle. Activating the Cradle also granted the 'gods' or 'Celestials' as they were commonly called, dominion over one aspect of creation.

“Part o' being attuned to the leylines," explained Russ. “Think o' the leyline network as both the veins and nerves of the planet. When you become attuned to it, ya can make muscles flex, tense or move bones o' the planet."

Over time, humans being humans, often deceived one another and in their greed, the Cradle changed hands many times. All in an attempt to gain power over the leylines

“The origins of different creation myths can all be tied to someone, somewhere obtaining the Cradle and using its powers for themselves," explained Jacob. “Almost every pantheon around the world is ultimately created by someone using the Cradle."

“Even the Christian God?" Dante blurted.

There, Russ scoffed. “That's a funny one." His blazing red eyes regarded the boys with a modicum of amusement. “You can bet some people weren't happy with some o' these 'gods'. Hell, the reason I joined the Godhunters is because Zeus was such a colossal ass."

“Godhunters?" repeated Dante.

The tremendous Cerberus reached for a thick, black book sitting on the table beside him and tossed it idly towards Dante. “Yer grandfather kept a journal 'bout bein' a Godhunter. He does a pretty good job explaining it an' meant fer me to give that to ya. We'll give ya the cliff notes but for yer benefit, one o' the reasons new pantheons kept popping up around the world is because of the Godhunters… and their flaws."

Mankind or other gods often rebelled against the authorities of the pantheons. Though only formed relatively recently - within the last hundreds of years - the Godhunters were an Order or special knights designed to hunt down any remaining Celestials and prevent the Celestial Cradle from being used. Russ himself joined a few rebels originally led by Prometheus to take the Cradle from the gods. The attempt itself was a failure and the Olympians lived for a long while yet but eventually, the movement got traction over the centuries.

“Yours truly wasn't there when it first formed," Russ confessed, hiking a thumb at his chest. “But th' Godhunters were already an idea dat was takin' shape long before I decided ta join. We kept fightin' whatever pantheon or supreme god held the Cradle, stealin' it an' tryin' to hide it." Russ let out a gruff grunt and a sad shake of his head. “The Celestials would either find it or one of our own would get greedy, steal it away and activate it. Hell, the whole Spanish search for El Dorado and the Fountain of Life were thinly veiled attempts to find the Cradle which had escaped here to America. "

“Most of the global atrocities could actually be attributed to the search for the Cradle," Jacob added.

“Wait…" Flash began, lifting a paw. “The Crusades?"

“Desperate attempt to find the Cradle," Russ confirmed. “Had already been smuggled to the New World long before that."

“What about World War 2?" Dante chimed in.

“Nazis trying to gain immortality through the Cradle thinking that it had been shipped back to European Godhunters," Jacob added.

Flash clapped his paws together, snapped his fingers and pointed one each at the two older men in the room. “Apartheid."

“South African Celestial tryin' to hold de nation hostage in exchange for the Cradle," Russ stated blandly. “Would've worked if anyone knew where de Cradle was at de time."

Flash mumbled a small 'damn' under his breath be turning his attention back to the two. “Wait, so you said that so long as Celestials possessed the Cradle, they were immortal, right? What happens when they lose it?"

Jacob smiled softly and lifted his mug of hot chocolate like he was toasting the crimson wolf. “Good catch. Ultimately, Celestials still maintain a degree of connection to the global leyline network even after they've lost access to the Cradle but it isn't enough to actually sustain both their phenomenal powers and immortality at the same time. This will force the Celestials to do either one of two things." He held up two fingers only for Russ to fill in the gaps.

“Unleash all their resources to look for the damn ting or adapt," grunted the hellhound. “Like Reaper said, sometimes Celestials try to go all out in a desperate attempt to search for the Cradle even goin' so far as to initiate global conflicts or hold entire nations hostage. Yuh got me so far?" When the two wolves nodded, Russ continued. “Celestials have this general power of 'compulsion'. You can call it the 'Word of God' or 'Voice of Ra' or whatever other bullshit but it's basically like anythin' they say will always be listened to and those listenin' will be forced to consider it."

Russ rested his elbow on the armrest and propped his head up on his knuckles. “They can't make you do somethin' you don't wanna do but if you're already considerin' it, you're more than likely to follow their lead. It's how gods used to toy around wit' the idea of 'destiny' and 'fate' or whatever bullshit. They use their influence to inject some idea into you, a small subtle idea. It takes root and you start runnin' wit' it, tinkin' it was your idea"

“So… Inception?" Dante offered. Russ gave him a blank look. “It's this movie from a while ago -"

“Russ has been sealed within the Cradle for a little over fifty years," Jacob interrupted. “He doesn't know what Inception is. But basically, yes. Kind of like Inception but less dream-diving and more subtle mind control." Reaper leaned against the entertainment center at the far end of the room. “This power of compulsion, however, exerts some of their rapidly diminishing strength. See, the original purpose of the Celestial Cradle was to create magic in the world. Literal magic. It was mankind's ingenuity, their imagination and their intelligence that really changed the world. The Cradle was meant to fuel the imagination by drawing power from the leylines, giving a select few supernatural powers that would eventually be returned to the world through the very same leylines to fuel mankind's evolution. The gods were eventually meant to give up their immortality and share the knowledge they had gained from manipulating the leylines and nature to the rest of mankind so that they could advance further as a species. Unfortunately…"

“Mankind are greedy sons-of-bitches," snarled Russ. “Those 'select few' refused to give their power back and hoarded it themselves. They became like stagnant water. Always sittin' still, never changin' and slowly rottin' away. That's why the Godhunters had to take the Cradle away."

“But we've had tonnes of innovations since then!" Dante protested. “I mean, look at the steam engine. Electricity! The internet! Philosophy and sciences all came from Ancient Greece. How can you say that we were all stagnant when we made leaps and bounds throughout the centuries."

Flash found his heart fluttering at Dante's intelligence. It was something he always admired about his friend and something he was always secretly jealous of. In the grand scheme of things, he was just a dumb jock from a little-known town. No scout was going to pick him up to play professionally, his grades barely got him past high school and most of his friends were shallow, egotistical assholes whom he realized were leeching off his good fortune.

But Dante… if Dante could decide on a future, he could really be someone.

At least this was one time he could one-up his friend.

Resting a paw on the black wolf's shoulder, he said, “Dante, dude. He just said that the Godhunters kept stealing the Cradle or other Celestials betrayed their pantheons. Maybe all these bursts of innovation is because the gods got weakened."

“'Xactly," Russ chortled. “You're quick. When a is Celestial around and they have a connection to the damn Cradle, their compulsion affects a lot of people. It's how religions are formed. Because the Celestials are directly linked to the global leylines, their influence spreads globally. But when they lose that link, their power gets limited to their immediate local space unless they wanna use up their personal strength to expand that sphere."

That made a lot of sense. Many religions in the past had been rather oppressive towards any form of innovation. Even modern day religions often decried any sort of scientific breakthrough as an affront to their deity. If the Godhunters had kept the Cradle away from the Celestials for long enough, it would make sense why mankind had advanced so far in the past two thousand years.

“Back to your original question," Jacob continued after a sip of his hot chocolate. “When a Celestial falls out of sync with the Cradle, they live on borrowed time. They are no longer immortal and they can no longer just use the power of the leylines to fuel their ambitions. All they have to rely on is the strength they managed to store from the leylines up until the point that the connection was severed. Those that expend their energy desperately trying to take back the Cradle might succeed and regain their divine status. But if they fail and use up all of their power, they will die. That's actually what happened with a lot of the major denominations."

“The Olympians fell like that," scoffed Russ. “Goddamn satisfying ta see Zeus grovelin'."

“But there is another category of Celestial that is our immediate threat," Reaper continued. “And that is the Celestials who found some other way to generate power."

While few in number, some Celestials had managed to survive to the modern day and they consisted of those who learned how to ration their supernatural powers and find other creative ways to siphon more power from their fellow mortals. The leylines were really just the spiritual energies of all sentient creatures flowing through the world. While the remaining Celestials could not directly tap into the leyline network, they instead went straight to the source.

“People?" Dante blurted, eyes bulging. “They feed on people?"

Russ let out a loud, barking, 'dad laugh'. “They're not cannibals. They treat humans like cattle an' feed on high concept tings. You'll find out more about them in Virgil's book but basically, they draw power from bullshit like that sense of relief when you have a really big dump."

Jacob's features soured. “Gross."

“I was exaggeratin'," the hellhound snorted with a roll of his eyes. “There's no Celestial of A Really Good Shit. Though that'd be funny. Right? "

“Undoubtedly but doesn't make it any less gross." Jacob turned back towards the two newly formed wolves. “These Celestials have been significantly weakened from their centuries of relative dormancy. They've had to change identities countless times to maintain their cover as the war tilted towards the Godhunter's favor. All the Godhunters had to do was keep them away from the Cradle and the Celestials would slowly die out. That's exactly what your grandfather did. He was the last ever living Godhunter."

Dante pressed a paw against his chest. “Grandpa…"

Seeing his friend momentarily caught in a pensive state, Flash stepped up. “And what does that have to do with us? Why are we suddenly dogs?"

“Wolves," Reaper corrected. “And to answer your question, the Godhunters realized a long time ago that even though the Celestials were significantly weakened, they could still cause widespread destruction if they wanted. Worse, these remaining Celestials have become so twisted and corrupted that their influence on the leyline network is slowly poisoning mankind." He lifted a finger. “If you think about all the hate in the world, things that may seem petty like cancel culture, overly zealous feminism, capitalist greed or entitlement, these may just seem like a natural evolution of mankind. However, these can all be traced to a certain Celestial who has outstayed their welcome and whose very presence in the world is a poison to the world."

“Seriously?" Flash stammered.

“Let's take a live example. The Celestial I met was Virgo."

Dante snapped out of his stupor. “Virgo," the black wolf repeated. “As in the starsign? The maiden?"

“Yes. Look him up in your grandfather's book."

Flash peered over Dante's shoulder as the young wolf carefully opened the black book - taking care not to tear any of the pages with his new claws. There was an index and after a few flips, they moved to the section called 'The Zodiacs' and the chapter devoted to Virgo.

“Virginity?" Flash repeated. “You're telling me this guy feeds off virginity?"

Russ groaned. “Oh fuck… not that asshole. She was such a prude when she came back from her exile. We have to face her first? Who else to pop these pups' cherries than fuckin' Virgo? "

Both Flash and Dante flinched at the horrifying implication.

“Virgo has found a way to feed of all aspects of virginity," Reaper explained. “In turn, he uses his influence to heighten the importance of virginity in our world so that when he eventually does feed upon it, he gets more power from it. This naturally leaves an imprint on the people he influences. When those people die, their souls go to the leyline network alongside Virgo's mark. His machinations has pushed society to the point where virginity has become this sacred status symbol that can both be stigmatizing and empowering at the same time."

Dante winced softly and turned away. “Yeah… I do remember when people kept teasing me about being a virgin back in freshman year. I was pressured into giving it up. I really felt gross afterwards."

Flash jerked his head towards his friend. “You're not a virgin anymore?"

The black wolf returned his incredulous look. “Uhm… Yeah, dude. I'm twenty-two and still in college. If everyone knew I was still a virgin in this small town, I'd never get laid."

“Oh… Uhm… Who was it with?"

Dante turned away, unable to keep his eyes lifted. “Is this really the time to talk about that?"

Realizing just how desperate he seemed, Flash lifted his paws in surrender. “Right. Right. Sorry."

Jacob continued his explanation. Celestials like Virgo and the other Zodiacs were poisoning society and stunting human development by turning mankind against one another in an attempt to keep themselves immortal. They were poisoning the leyline network. The Godhunters recognized this but also understood that a full-on war against the the remaining Celestials would either cause said Celestials to band together and escalate the loss of life or the Celestials would pull out all the stops and do whatever it took to seize the Cradle.

“You can imagine that these Celestials have had a very long time to establish their roots," Jacob said. “They've got a lot of influence and the Godhunters had the task of both taking them down and keeping the Cradle a secret. After all, if everyone knew about the Cradle, they'd go after it and we'd be right back to square one. Problem was, the Godhunters couldn't trust one another either as a lot of the other pantheons and divine beings that popped up over time were because Godhunters betrayed their own cause and thought they could be the 'good gods'."

“Fat load of horse shit that turned out to be ," grunted Russ. “That's how we got Mormons." He waved a paw absently through the air. “Anyway, Virgil was the one that suggested the last ditch attempt to get rid of the remainin' Celestials and destroy the Cradle for good."

“And that involves us?" Flash asked.

Reaper nodded sagely. “Yes. Because of Virgil's actions, the Cradle no longer exists in its original form. That's because you two…" He pointed at both Dante and Flash.

“… are now the Celestial Cradle."

** Virgo, Vampire of Virginity**

Of all the Celestials I've had the displeasure of knowing, Virgo is possibly one that I consider the most manipulative and sexually charged.

But first, a bit of a background on the Zodiacs. You may know them as some astrological sign with ties to various Greek or Roman myths but the truth is, the Zodiacs are their own divine entities. One of the greatest accomplishments of the Godhunters was to merge the conception of the Zodiacs with that of Greek gods and their deeds. This robbed the Zodiacs of influence while likewise painting the gods as fallible creatures. This allowed the Godhunters to divide and conquer so to speak; focus all their attention on the Olympians while leaving the Zodiacs without the Cradle and floundering for attention. The Zodiacs had lost the Cradle but thanks to their arrogance, they refused to retrieve it and retreated into their own Domains. However, when faced with the reality of their waning powers, they returned to a very different Earth.

Forced to redefine themselves and search for a new source of power, the Zodiacs eventually evolved and found their niche in modern society. Perhaps it was our failing that that allowed them to live so long as modern Godhunters considered them severely weakened. But now, in the twilight of the Godhunter Order, we find them as one of our greatest threats.

And I can confidently say that Virgo is certainly a force to be reckoned with for they talk to one of the the most carnal desires amongst all mortals - the desire to mate. They mostly act through their proxies, a collection of reprobates called the Valentino Family.

********

November 25th, 1:30 PM, Castello della Vergine

The encounter with that 'defense lawyer' had left its mark on Virgo or 'Vincent Valentino' as was his current alias. Usually not one to be shaken or even acknowledge weakness, Vince had nonetheless been amazed at the power the wizard had displayed. Though he was not as powerful as he had been back in his prime, any mortal would have been child's play to him. Certainly he would never have expected anyone to be able top the expansion of his Domain.

Cancellation of a Domain could either be caused by the expansion of a far more powerful Domain, knocking the owner of the Domain unconscious or some extremely powerful magic. And yet, that wizard had just snapped what looked like a Popsicle stick and had completely nullified his Domain. That was a true threat.

So, it was with that in mind that Virgo used his considerable powers to transport himself back to Italy, to Castello della Vergine. As it was just approaching morning in the east coast of the United States, it was still mid-afternoon in Italy. The glorious golden rays danced across his vineyard and villa, giving off an air of peace and serenity. Of course, his funds and influence didn't come from making wine.

No, while the Valentino Family pulled decent funds from selling - admittedly mediocre - wine all over the world, their true profits came from what happened beneath the sandy-colored mansion and the vast winery.

Vincent pushed against the large, wood and iron doors to the front of his mansion and was instantly assaulted by the smell of smut. A smile crossed his chiseled features while his blazing blue eyes appraised the scenes before him. All over the polished, marble floors were men and women cavorting it some of the most hedonistic shows of intercourse that would've made even the Greeks blush.

Women were hanging from velvety ropes tumbling down from the ceiling while simultaneously being fucked by men or fingered by other women on the ground floor. Men were being spitroasted by their friends and colleagues on tables while cake was being eaten off their backs by voracious women. Wine was spilled and consumed with little care about its quality. Each person here was experiencing something entirely new, each one a 'virgin' in some way shape or form and was having that virginity taken.

A gray-haired woman to his left had never had sushi before and now she was gorging herself on the delicate rolls being made fresh by Valentino chefs.

A sushi virgin.

A portly, red-haired man had never sung karaoke before and now his horrible voice was belting across the first floor from the stage in the ball room three rooms over.

A stage virgin.

A delicate flower of a girl, barely legal, had never tried ecstasy before and now she was dancing and raving to the prior man's terrible voice while waving glowsticks alongside others.

A drug virgin.

A young, olive-skinned man had never had sex with a man before and now he was being led up the grand staircase into one of the bedrooms, a man in each arm and with all three completely naked.

A sexual virgin.

Each new experience was a form of virginity taken that fed Vincent, Virgo the Virgin. To him, it was a greatly appetizing lemony taste with subtle differences between each type of virginity taken. Some were tart and biting like literally sucking on a lemon. Others were sweeter, a lemon meringue pie. All of it, however, left Virgo feeling the same; a burst of flavor that cleansed his palate and had him wanting more.

That was, of course, not the only way he maintained his divinity.

Upon seeing him, several of his Thralls approached. They were dressed in long, flowing silver robes and had expressionless, porcelain masks over their faces. These men and women were completely off limits. They had to have their virginity maintaining for even through that, Virgo drew power. Their taste was more subdued but grew richer with every moment that they resisted the temptation to join into the festivities. Even the preservation of virginity was a source of power for him.

These Thralls, men and women completely enraptured and smitten with the Valentinos, eagerly stripped off his clothing. Gentle, skilled hands unbuttoned the loose fitting shirt from his torso, revealing the chiseled, bronzed flesh of an Adonis for everyone to see. Gentle, silvery-white wisps of hair decorated his broad, masculine chest, glistening in the bright lights offered by the chandelier hanging over their heads. His tree-trunk thighs were revealed as his slacks were pulled down like wrapping paper being peeled away from a bronzed present. Tantalizingly, a pair of black briefs remained which did little to hide the substantial package that they contained.

Eyes were immediately drawn towards the host of this gathering and easily the most stunning figure in the room. The Thralls retreated, bowing respectfully and fading into the crowd. They would have their reward sooner or later. Striding amongst the crowd, Virgo basked in their adoration, taking particular pleasure in seeking some of the attendants fuck even harder upon seeing him. Were his Mantle only that of attention or arousal then he would be engorged with power, more than enough to strike down that arrogant lawyer.

But his Mantle was that of the Virgin and new experiences could only be consumed once. Even if there was seven billion humans out there and countless other mortal creatures that he could feast upon, it was still a limiting number. So much less than the unlimited power he had when he and his siblings possessed the Celestial Cradle. Bitterness quickly bubbled up from his stomach but he pushed it down and singled out one man, a senator on a diplomatic mission from the United States.

With the simplest brush of his hand against the naked man's shoulder, he lured the senator up the stairs and into one of the dimly lit rooms designed for private encounters. This was not the senator's first visit to Castello della Vergine but it would be the first time he would lay with none other than Vincent Valentino himself. A pittance in terms of virgin energy than if, say, the senator had never slept with a man before as that would be multiple forms of virginity that Virgo could devour but he was not after fresh blood in this session.

No, as he suckled on the senator's balls and coaxed that moderate cock to full mast, he carefully reached into the senator's very essence with his own soul. The weakened spirit of the man easily folded to the Celestial's vastly superior will and within moments, the senator was already a willing pawn He could taste the corruption of a few of his fellow Celestials as well, not all of which were from the Zodiacs but that would not matter given his objectives.

Now fully erect, Vincent Valentino straightened and pushed the senator onto the broad, soft, bed. He dropped his briefs and positioned himself above the middle-aged man, lowering himself onto that cock with practiced motions while staring the government official straight in the eye.

“I'll need visas for my family to visit your fine country," he cooed.

“C-c-consider it done," moaned his victim.

“Good." The man's cock slipped into his tight ass, an ass that had been refreshed through his powers to, once again, be considered a virgin hole. “The sooner the better. Tomorrow."

The senator, caught in the throes of pleasure, seized Virgo's waist and plowed him with a fervor that would have put a man half his age to shame.

“D - D - Done!"

Fervor was in his favor but certainly not restraint or endurance. The man came into the Celestial's ass within seconds and dropped back into the sheets, dazed. Virgo let him have his peace. They would iron out details in a few hours. But for now, he still had work to do.

Cum still dripping between his taut, bronzed ass cheeks, Virgo strode out of the room, careful to shut the door behind him slowly so as to let the senator sleep and marinade in the effects of his momentary entrancement. Business rarely got him aroused so he went back downstairs with his enormous eight-inch flaccid dick swaying between his legs.

None of the guests interested him. His keen blue eyes scanned the crowd for the tell-tale signs of his brood, his Astrals. In the entrance foyer alone, there were two of his children. Seeing them aroused him. He sauntered up to one of his Astrals, a girl that had once been a nun that he had seduced. She moaned as he fucked her from behind and fingered her simultaneously to the orgasmic approval of the crowd, vaginal juices dripping upon the floor like a waterfall and semen spraying into the air like New Year's fireworks. His other Astral, was hanging upside down from one of the silken harnesses and currently sucking off another man. He took the place of the guest, wrapping his own lips around his Astral's cock. A hidden Thrall pulled a rope, lifting them both into the air, showing off their sixty-nine for everyone in the crowd to see. Their passions drove his audience wild; it was a sight few had seen before and that new sight alone fed his insatiable desire for virgin experiences.

When they were both done, he thanked his 'son' and was lowered to the ground floor once more to search for more of his brood. He moved from room to room, finding his 'children' as many would define them, fucking or being fucked along the way. Eventually, he came to the backyard of the vast home. The sight before him made him both hard and excited.

Standing on a literal pile of conquered foes, bodies of men and women scattered across the manicured, green lawn was Frank Valentino, the 'youngest' of his Astrals. While in his early forties and certainly there were other Astrals that were younger in terms of time on his Earth, Frank had only recently joined the Valentinos. The enormous, burly man with the long, silken, ebony hair, scruffy beard and dense forest of curly hairs on his chest was eager to prove himself. His sheer strength and eagerness was exactly what he needed.

Frank immediately noticed him the moment he stepped into the backyard. Seeking to please him, the brute of a man grabbed the ass of a recently spent guest and shoved his massive nine-inch dick into it, causing the owner to moan and whimper like a Japanese school girl in an Anime. They never broke their locked gaze even as Frank fucked the man beneath him over and over again. Virgo approached, slowly, relishing the sight of his youngest son doing so much to pleasure him and the feeling of hot, naked bodies beneath him. His bare feet pressed against curved backs, buried heads and cum-stained butts, gliding across the lawn until he came to his son, his toes never touching the ground once.

He brushed his hands through Frank's dense, forest of chest hair, licking his lips and inviting the taller man to kiss him. Frank took no time to grant his wish as their lips meshed together, the motions of the youngest son's gyrating hips reverberating through his tongue play.

Vincent broke the kiss for a moment.

“I have a job for you, my son."

Frank beamed brightly.

“Anything, for you, dad."

Business can wait. Now was the time for pleasure.

Castello della Vergine.

I wouldn't call the Valentinos a 'crime' family but they certainly aren't a traditional family either. Like many other organizations formed around Celestials, they are a collection of Astrals and Thralls who have all formed their existence, their cult around Virgo. They mostly make a living from their immense vineyards in Northern Italy. Honestly, their wine is terrible but that is just their front.

The family uses their significant powers to work from the shadows and maintain their influence, ensuring that their patron deity is comfortable and maintains his power and existence. This often leads them to offer… 'unique' experiences within their vineyard complex called Castello della Vergine.

Half-brothel and half-sex-dungeon, they invite and entertain all sorts of people from all over the world to their villa only to feast on the unique form of energy that they obtain that Virgo sustains itself on. Their favorite method is to invite newly weds so that they may consummate their marriage on the grounds.

Nothing is more delectable to them that the first time man and woman sleep with one another.

********

November 24th, 8:30 AM, Goldman Residence

Dante's mind was reeling.

“I'm sorry," he blurted, pointing at himself and Flash. “I thought you just said that we are the Celestial Cradle now?"

“Technically, the three of you are," Jacob said, picking up his mug once more and using it to gesture at Russ. “The Godhunters understood that the Celestial Cradle was far too dangerous to remain in existence. They had proof that even in their own possession, someone might just be tempted to use the Cradle and become another Celestial, repeating the cycle. So the Godhunters decided to end their order but charged the youngest member to find a way to destroy the Cradle."

Flash pointed at himself and Dante, mirroring the black wolf's own gesture. “But you just said we're Cradle now. Are you telling us Dante's grandpa expected us to kill ourselves?"

Russ grunted in his seat. “Would've been simpler. But naw." He pointed to himself. “He started off wit' an experiment. Found a way to partition part of the Cradle's power. Since I was already a Celestial, I was the first candidate. He gave me the part of the Cradle that lets me give divinity."

“Then he modified the Cradle so that when it was next opened by mortals, it would split its power into two remaining parts," Jacob continued. “One part is the one that takes back the divinity from Celestials and the other is the one that stores that divinity. In that way, even if a Celestial opened the box, Russ would be the last bastion of defense and if they killed Russ, they would destroy the only means to get divine energies and that connection to the leylines again."

Dante turned towards the legendary Cerberus in confusion. “Wait… You're… mortal? You can die?"

The hound nodded grimly. “Yeah. Gods can kill other gods. It's happened in the past. But that was all part of your grandpa's plan. By splittin' the power of the Cradle into three, no one of us will ever have the full power and be fully attuned the leylines. That means that we can't just lounge around and do nothin' while bein' all-powerful. Those Celestials can totally kill us." Then the hellhound grinned. “But if they do, they destroy the Cradle."

Now Dante understood. Virgil had turned the Celestial Cradle into a living, breathing mortal. It was brilliant. The Last Godhunter had effectively put a time limit on the remaining Celestials. If they couldn't convince all three of them to give them divinity before any of them reached the natural end of their lives, then the Cradle would be gone forever. At the same time, it empowered the three to hunt down the Celestials.

It also meant that his grandfather didn't completely trust him to be a full-on-god. He was unsure how he felt about that conclusion. Part of him was impressed that Virgil had been so thorough with his planning but the part of him that was the favorite and only grandson felt insulted.

A glance at Flash revealed that his friend had come to the same conclusion.

“You're telling me," Flash began, his brow furrowed in concentration. It was the same face he pulled when he was trying to understand a question on the mock exams four years ago. Odd that even after nearly half a decade and a transformation into a lupine demigod, Dante could still recognize that look. “That one of us can drain the divinity from the Celestials and the other can store it?" He made a sour look. “Kind of feels like the storage guy gets the short end of the stick."

“Naw," Russ said. “He plays an important part too. We're talkin' 'bout Celestials who have had centuries to amass their power. Yeah, they aren't as strong as full-on gods but what they got is still a lot. More power than any one of us can handle. That's why it'll have to be split between us. I can take a little bit of it and I'm sure the drain can too but the storage guy is the one wit' the highest capacity. You with me?"

“And what? Do we just store it in us and use it against the other Celestials?"

“No," Reaper explained. “We give it back to the world."

Virgil's plan was to have the three men find the remaining Celestials, take away their divinity and then bring them to Devil _'s Peak_. As it turns out, the three major towns of Starwalk Valley, Angelton and Devil's Peak formed a sort of leyline collection, storage and distribution center much like the three components of the Cradle. Once a Celestial was fully drained, they were to release those energies back into the leyline network, distributing that power evenly back into the world.

“What are leylines, though?" Dante asked, ever curious. “You haven't really explained that apart from the fact that it's like the souls of dead people?"

Jacob took a moment to sip from his hot chocolate again. “Do you recall the first law of thermodynamics?"

“Oh! I know this one!" Flash exclaimed, thrusting his paw into the air, tail thumping against the sofa. “Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be transferred or changed from one form or the other."

“Exactly. But what about emotional energy. Where does that go?"

There, Flash lowered his paw slowly. “Uhm… That's a thing?"

“Of course," answered the lawyer with a slight smile. “What happens to emotions, memories and thought when we die? Where does that all go? That's what the leyline is."

“It's… a river of souls?" prompted Dante.

Russ snorted and Jacob offered a soft laugh.

“Nah, nothing so grim," said Reaper.

When someone perished, their souls dissolved into the leyline network. They didn't hold onto their consciousness. There was no afterlife, so to speak. Their souls, receptacles for all the emotions and memories they had gathered throughout their life, released all of that energy into the leylines. Nothing tied those thoughts together and it all formed an ethereal network that was used to to give life to the next generation.

“When you die, your soul dissolves into the leylines," Reaper concluded. “Pieces of your soul are then used to form new souls in new births. Only small sparks though. This is why people are never born with complete memories or fully developed emotions. The literal circle of life."

Dante frowned a little. He still had many questions but there was something about the way Jacob said 'when you die' that stuck with him.

“What happens when you die?" he asked.

Flash gave him a puzzled look. “What he just said. We go to the leylines."

Reaper exchanged glances with Russ who merely shrugged.

“Yuh might as well tell them ," grunted Cerberus. Better they know now than it comin' up later."

“Fair enough," answered Jacob, turning towards the two boys. “I'm not like you. I'm not like Russ or the Celestials either. I am what you would call a No One. An outsider to this reality."

Dante exchanged knowing glances with Flash as if to point out that he had been right to ask his question.

Flash just stared suspiciously at the lawyer. “Explain."

“This reality is not the only one out there in the cosmos," Jacob explained. “There are countless out there. As a No One, I travel between them, answering calls for help whenever I can. I am known as R3 the Writer of Reality. Before you ask, yes, I did have the power to literally write entire realities or rewrite the very laws of the universe. But I didn't bring them here."

“Why not?" Flash demanded. “Couldn't that have just solved everything?"

“It could have but it would have caused many more problems. It'd be like if I overinflated a balloon. This reality already has its laws and characters. Shoehorning everything that I am would cause it to pop." Reaper glanced off to the left. “Considering how this story is already a patchwork of ideas and a goddamn remake, I'm surprised it's holding together as well as it is with me in it."

“Huh?"

Reaper shook his head and waved away the comment. “Nothing. Suffice to say that if I marched in here with all of my abilities and started fixing everything, we'd have to deal with a whole lot of shit like temporal paradoxes, tears in reality and weird multi-dimensional crossovers. When Virgil summoned me, I had to adhere to the most of the same laws as everyone else. Which is to say I am mortal and I am a lot like everyone else with the exception that I have my knowledge from before I was summoned and if I die, I don't fade into the leylines. I also can't just be resummoned here. This is my one shot to make an impact."

“So all he really brings to the table is perspective," Russ added. “I assume you've been training for…?"

“Ten years," Reaper confirmed. “That's when Virgil summoned me. I've spent that time gathering resources, learning all I can and preparing for what is effectively a war with would-be-gods."

“But you have knowledge from before you came here, right?" Dante asked. “If you're that powerful, you know how this story ends. You know what moves we have to take." Then he inclined his head and narrowed his gaze. “Unless it's one of those deals where if we don't do it ourselves, we mess up the inevitable which actually turns out to be your plan all along."

The lawyer snorted. “I haven't had to pull that trick in a long time." He shook his head. “No. I fully trust you to make your own decisions. I advocate for free will and choice, after all." He grimaced a little. “And yes, I do have a vague idea about how things will end but the thing about a linear timeline is that every choice made creates different possibilities. You can peer into the future and see all the possibilities unfold before you but unless someone make a choice, you can't tell which direction the future will go. When you multiply that with all the countless variables such as people, natural disasters or cosmic beings and then all the time they have to make those decisions across ten years, what knowledge I have is almost completely redundant now. Besides, I don't spend every second of my eternal existence looking at every reality out there. I'm not a pervert."

Reaper lifted the mug towards his lips and muttered something that sounded awfully like, 'I a voyeur but not a pervert.' After his drink, he said, “So I get one shot to make a difference. This is my story as much as it is yours."

“Really?" Dante murmured darkly. “What exactly do you get out of this? I mean, I've worked for you for a few years now and I thought we had an understanding. Now you tell me you're some cosmic outsider that's come here because my grandpa asked? Who's to say you won't end up turning against us because we decided to make the 'wrong' choice according to your vision? Or you won't kill us when all the Celestials are dead and take over?"

“You're the ones with the power of the Cradle, Dante," Reaper said, his eyes half-closed and oozing exasperation. “I've got my magic but there's a reason Virgil didn't give me that power. Firstly because I didn't want it but also because he needed someone to have an outsider perspective on what's going on here. Even your grandfather had his doubts about what he was doing. As for why I'm here…" Jacob got a pensive look in his eyes. “The phrase 'There are no gods. Just mortals' has been ingrained into my character for as long as I can remember. It seems that this story is the source of that. I'm honestly curious where that came from."

Dante's ears perked up. “Magic?"

“Yeah," Russ said with a grin. “Magic exists." The hellhound straightened and rolled his shoulders. Remember, the gods were meant to die, give th' knowledge they accumulated to people on how they manipulated their particular aspect and then their soul goes back to the leylines. But because the gods were selfish bastards, they suppressed a lot of magical knowledge and purposefully bred people to become ignorant of magic. That's why a lot of people these days don't have access the magic."

“Which brings me to our next point," Reaper said. “Thralls and Astrals."

Astrals were effectively demigods. Mortal people whom the Celestials had decided to bless with a fraction of their power, enhancing their physical attributes and granting them immense abilities. While they couldn't live forever like the Celestials, if they kept a constant supply of energy, they still had long lives and supernatural powers. Astrals acted as the generals for the Celestials and were often how the Celestials enacted their will towards mortals. All Astrals were devoted to their chosen Celestial, even in love with them.

But Thralls were another matter.

“Thralls are just what their name states," Russ snarled. “Slaves."

Both Celestials and Astrals can make Thralls. If they overused their powers of compulsion on a mortal, that mortal's very mind and soul would eventually crack under the immense pressure of the divine. That would leave the shell of the body mostly empty for the divine to reshape and fill with whatever they wanted. To avoid arousing suspicion, they had developed a technique to break a mortal down and then use their powers to fuel a transformation that would keep enough of the original personality and soul to fool the casual observer but still ingrain within them a nearly fanatical devotion to their chosen Celestial or Astral.

“A lot of crazy zealots of the past were Thralls ," rumbled Russ with a shake of his head. “If you ever hear stories about priests or nuns senselessly beatin' people who were against their religion, that's Thrall. Hell, the Salem Witch Trials were caused because an Astral waltzed into town and corrupted everyone into Thralls, makin' sure to kill anyone who wasn't already one."

“Jesus…" gasped Flash. “It's like a fucking zombie movie." He inclined his head to the side. “Speaking of which… Jesus Christ…?"

“A Godhunter," Jacob explained. “The Christian God is an amalgamation of multiple deities that was fabricated in Rome to rob the true Celestials of their power. Jesus was chosen as a sacrifice to complete the myth of a loving god as opposed to a wrathful and, let's face it, racist deity." He shook his head and once again glanced off to the left. “Other versions of him in other realities were much more fun. That guy can't make decent wine but he can sure make a hell of a lot of it…"

Dante slowly got to his feet, wavering a little as he was still unused to his new 6'10'' height. “This is all a lot to take in," he admitted, with a shake of his head. “I can't believe that my grandpa would set this all up for me and Flash…"

“To be honest, your grandfather had made a lot of contingencies on who would be your partner. It would always be you as the primary, Dante, but your dad, Edward your best friend and some others were candidates for Flash's position." Jacob nodded towards the red wolf. “No offense."

Flash didn't seem pleased. “I'm still going to take offense."

“Sorry. It's just how Virgil was. He made a lot of plans. I'm just glad it was you, Flash. For the sake of continuity."

One of Flash's ears bent back in confusion. “Huh?"

“Forget it." Reaper turned towards Dante again. “There's a lot we still have to discuss. You've just been exposed to a crazy new world and have been thrust into danger. I know it's not simple but we're here to help guide you through it." He nodded towards the two. “If you need some rest, go ahead. I've warded the house to at least hamper some incursions but for now, you boys must be hungry. I'll whip up breakfast."

Russ patted his pronounced belly with a grin on his muzzle. “Hell yeah! haven't eaten a good meal in fifty years!"

“I'll try not to disappoint," Jacob said, taking his mug and heading towards the kitchen. “You guys hang around. Just don't leave the house itself. If you spot anyone weirdly standing off and watching the house, let me know immediately." As he turned to leave, the lawyer muttered, “Why do deities always have to stand ominously out into open fields anyway?"

Dante watched him go and then found his gaze drifting to his alien hands/paws. Wiggling his fingers felt both strange and familiar at the same time. Something told him that these paws belonged to him but his mind still could not get used to just how big they were or the leathery pads on his palms. Strangely, he was alright with the black claws. Strong paws suddenly wrapped around his waist and he went rigid. Old karate training kicked in as his fight or flight response was triggered. The icy response melted however as Flash gently nuzzled his neck.

“I'm freaked out too," rumbled the bigger, red wolf. “To be honest, I still can't believe I have a tail. But the more I think about it…" Flash let out a short laugh and gently turned Dante to face him. “… the more excited I am for this thing."

“Really?" Dante asked, lifting his white eyebrows. “You're excited to be turned into anthropomorphic wolves that are about to literally wage war on the gods?"

“There are no gods," growled Russ, rising from the big recliner. The leather of the seat let out a loud sigh as if relieved to finally have the behemoth of a hellhound off it. “Just mortals. You'll find that out if you read Virgil's book. He went around for years trackin' down the remainin' Celestials and documentin' them."

Dante turned towards the enormous hellhound. “That's still something I can't grasp my head around. My grandpa, Virgil Demont, was part of some secret society that fought against the gods? Really? How did that even happen?"

Russ snorted and clasped his enormous paws on the boys' shoulders. “Believe it or not, it was out of boredom. I had the pleasure of knowin' your grandfather. He was around… thirty-something I think when first came to us. He was an explorer A real adventurer and treasure hunter. Went all over the world tryin' to find lost civilizations and uncover ancient mysteries."

“He was actually an anthropologist by trade," Dante corrected. He did recall that Virgil had married and had his dad in his early forties and that was on the account of Virgil going on many adventures across the world, many of which produced souvenirs that he used to decorate his home. “I don't really know where he got his money from, to be honest."

“Grants and speech circuits," Russ explained. “Your grandfather was very tenacious. One of th' Godhunters got a little sloppy and Virgil got a whiff of them. He would not give up and kept trackin' us down. For the next five years or so, he kept huntin' the Godhunters. He compromised a lot of our operations because of his curiosity. Eventually, I just had to sit him down and explain the whole ting. "

Dante tilted his head to the side in curiosity. “How'd he take it?"

Cerberus laughed softly. “Bad. Up until that point, your grandfather was a firm atheist so suddenly learnin' that gods were not only real but huge assholes shook him. He quit goin' on adventures and I believe that's where he settled down and started a family"

That lined up. From what he could remember, Virgil only started a family around his forty-second year. Even then, that 'family' didn't exactly turn out well as Virgil parted ways with his girlfriend just two years later, leaving him with a son. Grandma Fiona never contacted them but when she passed, Virgil had been sure to take care of every part of the funeral costs. It wouldn't surprise him at all if some of Fiona's relatives came knocking for their part of the inheritance.

“But Virgil was always the curious sort and after he got over his shock, he decided to do somethin' about the world," Russ continued. “Might've been the fact that he now had a kid and wanted to make sure he didn't fall prey to the manipulations of th' Celestials."

Flash visibly shuddered and it was at that moment that Dante realized the crimson wolf was still holding onto his hips lightly. His cheeks began to burn as he became very aware of how close their now sheathed cocks were to one another. They were basically an inch away from touching balls and he could swear their fur was brushing against one another.

“I don't think I would've liked to be turned into a Thrall," Flash muttered. “I mean… getting turned into a religious nutjob… that's crazy."

Russ gave a soft grimace and bobbed his head from side to side. “Most of the Celestials aren't actually heads of any religions so I wouldn't readily associate them wit' any denomination. Thralls just become completely and utterly devoted to one particular Celestial to the point that their whole lives become centered around the one fuckin' Celestial. Like th Zodiacs. If you've ever met anyone who was insanely into their horoscopes and really emulated their own sign, that's a level of Thrall "

“There are levels now?"

As Russ explained how Thralls could take on many forms depending on how much a Celestial or Astral influenced them, Dante slowly began to shuffle out of Flash's gentle grip. Thankfully, the red wolf didn't notice as he slowly peeled those big, crimson paws away from his hips.

“Most Thralls are basically like batteries and front line infantry for the Astrals and Celestials," Russ explained. “Little more than humans that have been 'visited' by these divines that have only been slightly poisoned. They're mostly functional human beings who are just really annoyin' about their faith and belief. All the Astrals and Celestials really do is come to them every now and then to 'harvest' whatever it is that they are feedin' off. They will eventually recover over time so long as the divine douchebag that touched them doesn't do it too often but they can also get worse if they are fed on too often or drained dry."

“And what happens if they do get fed on too often or are sucked dry?" Flash asked, completely oblivious that his paws had been completely removed from Dante's hips.

When a divine feeds off an individual, they are really feeding off some part of their soul. But they naturally couldn't feed on every aspect of the soul, just parts of it. Still, a soul was not just something anyone - even a god - could pick apart without repercussions. Take too much, and the whole soul could collapse and break.

“Some god somewhere found a way to hold together the broken soul," Russ grumbled, averting his gaze momentarily. “If they didn't do anythin', de soul could just completely collapse leadin' to insanity or even death. Complete soul collapse doesn't happen anymore, though. There's dis accord amongst gods that if someone causes a soul to collapse, they're deprivin' every other Celestial of a precious resource even if it is one out of seven billion. You cause soul to collapse, the other Celestials are comin' after your ass. So, instead a Celestial - or more likely - their Astral will inject a part of their own soul into their victim before th' full collapse and when they suck 'em dry, th' parasite soul takes over."

With the soul taking a different shape, the mind and body quickly follows and these Thralls would mutate into reflections of their masters. While retaining some semblance of individuality, their souls were irrevocably tied to the Celestial.

“It adds as new meaning to 'God made us in His image'," Russ muttered with a sarcastic edge.

“Can they be healed?" Flash asked. “And what kind of changes are we talking about?"

Russ poked the smaller red wolf in the chest. “You boys became wolves like you are because that's th' true shape of your soul. Ya with me? The Celestial Cradle just made you more aware of the connection of your soul to your body even if it's just subconsciously. I took this shape because that's what my soul is. You can imagine, den, if ya made Thralls, they'd look similar to you. Not entirely th' same but similar. Other Celestials, over time, have had their souls reshape their bodies as well. They've mastered th' art of disguisin' themselves as humans or other mortal creatures."

“Like how Zeus used to turn into bulls or swans and seduce people!" Dante exclaimed.

“He fucked people," Russ corrected. “No seduction was involved. He was a goddamn rapist. But yes. The Almighty Zeus could change shape just like other experienced Celestials to hide their true appearances. When they change a mortal's soul to look like theirs, those mortals take on a similar form." He turned his gaze back towards Flash. “As fer whether or not they can be 'healed'…" Russ grimaced. “It's honestly better to kill the bastards."

“Seriously!?" exclaimed both boys in unison. They exchanged glances, flashed a quick smile at one another and then turned back towards Russ.

A shout came from the kitchen. Jacob had finished preparing breakfast. Russ placed his big paws on the boys' shoulders, turning them towards the kitchen and then steadily marching them to the food.

“It took millennia for mankind to develop enough of its own free will to rebel against the gods, " the hellhound continued. “Countless generation had to go through multiple iterations of evolution before the mortal soul could be considered unique enough that it could forge its own destiny and become the standard for intelligent life on dis planet. Makin' any mortal a Thrall completely undoes all of that. As far as I am aware, there ani't no way to change a Thrall back into what they once were."

As they entered the kitchen, they were assaulted by the gorgeous aroma of freshly cooked rice, strangely sweet eggs and… fish? There was a large array set out in front of them, portioned out and separated by the kind of meal they supported. Dante immediately recognized it as a Japanese-style breakfast.

“You like Japanese food?" he asked, taking up position near one of the dishes. There was a bowl of rice, a slice of grilled salmon, a bowl of miso soup and tamagoyaki or Japanese rolled omelet. Flash regarded the entire spread with suspicion.

“I love all sorts of food," Jacob answered with a smile. “But I thought this would be a good way to introduce you to the fact that we'll be dealing with all kinds of Celestials from different parts of the world and we may have to take small trips out to their homes to make sure their strongholds are fully cleared out. That and.." He picked up the chopsticks and wielded with them easily. “… you get to practice your finger dexterity."

With a snort, Dante picked up the chopsticks with ease. “I'm used to this. I love the Japanese places in town." Though, even as he said this, he found that his new, thicker fingers made it a little difficult to manipulate the two twigs. Worse yet, the pawpads on his palms felt strange and he found himself fumbling with them.

Flash snickered and Dante threw his friend a foul stare. Not that the red wolf was doing any better.

“Where did you get all of this stuff anyway?" asked the student-teacher. “The place was empty last night until we went shopping. You can't tell me you went to town, grabbed this stuff and cooked it in the fifteen minutes you've been gone."

Jacob flicked his wrist and produced what looked like a small Popsicle stick with some sort of emblem on it. With a simple twist of his fingers, he snapped the stick. Bright blue flames burst from the stick, consuming the wood entirely and hovering as a single tongue of flame at the edge of each finger. “The wonders of magic."

Dante's curiosity and ears were piqued. “Can we learn magic?"

“Of course," said the lawyer with a bright smile. “In fact, your mere existence introduces a new kind of magic to the world. It'll have to be developed and refined over time but eventually, you'll be able to wield magic much better than I ever could."

Excited at the prospect of flinging fireballs or summoning storms, Dante fumbled with his chopsticks before eventually giving up and using an offered spoon. Russ gorged himself on the meal and asked for seconds… then thirds. Having not eaten for over fifty years had left Cerberus rather hungry. Flash was unusually pensive during the meal.

“Something wrong, Flash?" Dante asked.

Flash grimaced and shook his head grimly. “Still can't get over the fact that we might have to kill people."

Jacob's brow furrowed. “Who said anything about killing anyone?"

Both boys turned to Russ who had half a slice of salmon in his muzzle.

“Hey," growled the hellhound. “I said we're better off killin' the Thralls. they're not worth the time.

Jacob leaned back with a soft 'oh' on his lips. That was far from encouraging. “Thralls are… complicated. Damage to one's soul is hard to repair. Not impossible but extremely difficult. But, they will be a lot easier to deal with than the Astrals and Celestials."

“Because we can just kill them?" Flash snarled, fangs bared. The red wolf's tightening grip around his spoon bent the metal out of shape.

Holding out a hand to request for calm, Jacob said, “No because with Thralls, the majority of their being becomes tied to a Celestial and they're effectively brainwashed. I can rip the Celestial-poisoned part of their soul out and discard it. It'll leave their soul damaged but it will eventually heal. If you've heard of people claiming bouts of insanity or lost memory, that's generally what happened to them."

Flash's ears perked up. “So you're saying we don't have to kill them?"

“Not at all. It might just be harder the longer the person is in the Thralldom of a Celestial. I've got several memory wiping spells and a few friends that can help with therapy but the longer someone is under the thumb of a Celestial, the longer other people will either notice their strange behavior or that they're missing."

So that was what Russ meant about it being easier to kill off Thralls. Jacob would have to do an extensive sweep of their memories to make sure that they remembered nothing about their encounters with the divine and account for the missing days. Still, it irked him that Russ had suggested death first and foremost and that it had upset Flash.

“You'd have too expend a lot of your resources though, wouldn't you?" Russ accused. “It ain't easy."

“That's why I've been stockpiling resources for the past ten years," Jacob responded. “Nothing worth doing ever is easy. Why else would I be here helping you out instead of just completely obliterating this awful rewrite on the merit of this lengthy bout of exposition alone?"

Flash flinched. “You can do that?"

Jacob gave him a sidelong glance and a smirk. “Just because I can write realities, doesn't mean I can't erase them too."

Dante let out a soft sigh and looked down at his meal, utterly surprised that he had finished everything and was still feeling hungry. “Uhm…"

“I'll get you another helping," Jacob said, taking the tray from him. “You boys have got bigger bodies now, after all. You'll be eating a lot more."

“Speaking of bodies," Dante began. “I'm free today. No classes. But when I do have to go to class… or meet up with my dad…?"

Russ patted his back. “I'll teach you how to disguise yourself as a human again. Don't you worry."

He let out a soft sigh of relief and grinned up at the guardian dog. “Thanks, Russ. I actually feel a little better now."

“Good," said the hellhound gruffly and with a menacing shine in his red eyes. “Cuz' bootcamp starts now."

Frank Valentino

Frank Bruno only joined the Valentino Family a year ago. I suppose it will be three years ago by the time you read this, my dearest Dante. His past is both tragic and a scathing commentary on how we treat those who have sacrificed so much for us. In a world where the phrase 'But what have you done for me lately' is common place, Frank has become a victim of a society's short memory.

As such, Frank is always eager to please and garner the praise of not only his fellow Astrals but his patron, Virgo. Though he has created countless Thralls and they are unwaveringly loyal to him, he truly craves the adoration of those he views as both superior and equal to him. This craving has marked him as the 'overachiever' of the Valentino Family.

In just the short year that I have known him amongst the Family, he has already grown well accustomed to his abilities and role as an Astral. It was his influence that had developed security around the Valentino Family's holdings and it was he who had started reaching out to former members of both the police force and military to become what is effectively a private military for the Valentinos. He is the one who transforms those amongst this group into Thralls for Virgo.

Do not be fooled, my dearest grandson. Frank Valentino is not the architect of an impenetrable wall around the Valentinos. He is their attack dog, their battering ram, their spearhead. These troops he gathers around himself are designed to find threats to the Family's security and eliminate them before they truly become a threat.

This is what he was in the year since his induction to the Family.

I shudder to think how much he has grown since then.

********

Four Years Ago, 10:00 PM, Marsarreni Police Station

Bullshit. It was all bullshit and betrayal.

Frank Bruno sat on the rickety, steel bench in one of the cells of Marsarreni in southern Italy. The 6'8'', 39 year-old man was intimately familiar with holding cells. In fact, he was very familiar with the holding cell of the Marsarreni police station. For over fifteen years, he had been responsible for putting a lot of people behind these bars and letting them stew while he processed the paperwork for their arrests.

Back then, he had been a burly sergeant, easily one of the biggest guys in the precinct. His jet-black hair had been cut short in a typical buzz-cut, he was always cleanly shaved and his posture was perfectly straight. Now, slouched over in the corner, a shell of a man with his blue eyes sunken into his skull and desperately craving the drug that he had been distributing, he could appreciate the irony that he now stood on the other side of the bars. He gripped the side of his head, his dirty fingers sliding into the long, stringy strands of hair on his head.

The cell was empty save for himself and that lone toilet and sink in the corner. Through the cell's bars, he could see many of his former colleagues that had survived the purge of the department trying to not so subtly stare in his direction.

How the mighty have fallen.

Once, he had stood amongst them. A decent, upstanding citizen and enforcer of the law. Then things just kept getting worse and worse. Just when things seems to be going well for him, someone always stabbed him in the back.

That's what it all came down to.

Bullshit and betrayal.

“What a miserable position you must find yourself in."

He peered up from between his fingers, regarding the man standing on the other side of the cell doors. Perhaps it was the Captain, come to mock him. Or maybe it was one of the dirty cops on the Gli Incubo's payroll that never trusted him.

It wasn't one of the executioners of his fate. Rather, it was this statuesque man who looked like he had just emerged from a modeling shoot and was now dressed in a clean, pressed white suit, a black shirt beneath his jacket and an ivory white tie wrapped neatly around his neck. There wasn't a crease on any part of his ensemble. Platinum blonde hair that had to be dyed was swept upwards into a single, forward-facing spike while brilliant, blue eyes that seemed to have specks of light glinting off the irises like he had pieces of glitter in his pupils regarded Frank with a mix of haughtiness and pity.

The man's physique was difficult to discern but he stood at least 6'5'' and had an athletic build. That suit hid much of his musculature but he clearly took care of himself. Bronzed skin that looked naturally tanned was without flaw. His broad, full lips remained only a lighter shade to the rest of his skin.

“Who are you meant to be?" Frank growled. “My lawyer?"

“No," answered the stranger in perfect Italian. “No one, not even a state appointed lawyer, would be so stupid as to take the case of a known drug smuggler, caught red-handed in one of his trades gone wrong. Not to mention that very same man being a former police officer." He man held up three manicured fingers. “Motive, means and caught in the act. Your conviction is a foregone conclusion."

That was just as much as Frank had expected. Being a former police sergeant had ingrained a lot of what Marsarreni Police Department considered 'due process'. This had been his old precinct, after all, and he still recognized some of the faces milling about the bullpen. The looks they gave him was the same look he used to give criminals whom he knew would just be another crime statistic.

“So what are you doing here, then?" he demanded.

“You'll be sentenced to life in prison," answered the man with an almost lazy edge to his voice. “But you'll never get to see it through."

“Who does?" he growled bitterly.

“True," came the soft chuckle of an answer. “But it won't be because you'll die in prison either through old age, a shiv in the gut or severe anal hemorrhaging."

Frank locked gazes with theodd man and slowly lifted his withered body up to the bars. After four years away from the force and exposure to highly addictive drugs, he hadn't taken the best care of himself. Gli Incubo hadn't exactly paid well either so his former broad-shouldered, straight-backed form had withered to a barely athletic, shaggy man whose muscles had all turned to fat or withered away, much like the rest of his life. He still had enough strength to grip the bars of the cell until his knuckles turned white, however.

“What are you talking about?" he sneered through crooked, yellowed teeth.

The man gave him a coy little smile. “Your old gang members would never allow you to live through the night."

Gli Incubo. It had taken nearly three years to earn their trust after he had to pick himself up from being thrown out of the force due to politics. Back then, he was still fairly fit and strong enough to act as the muscle for the gang. They weren't big enough to warrant national news but Marsarreni Police still considered them a threat. The Incubo had taken great pains to avoid being caught and though there were raids and stings, Gli Incubo never truly died.

For four years, Frank had worked for them, learning their secrets and their trade. Never once had he thought of betraying them. Why would he betray the gang that had given him purpose and the opportunity to screw over the police force that had kicked him out for doing his job?

But they had set him up.

“They want to kill me?" he demanded, both hurt and confused that this was happening to him again. “Why?"

“You know too much," answered the stranger with a gentle shake of his head and a helpless shrug. “You need to die or else you might just plead for leniency by selling them out."

“Then why would they even set me up if they want to kill me!?" he demanded, rattling the bars. A few of the officers looked in their direction but turned away. Most ignored them completely.

The stranger reached through the bars, gripping Frank's chin through the thick bush of a beard and lifting it up so that they were looking directly into one another's eyes. Frank was clearly taller than the man but given his current state, his shoulders were slumped, his knees slightly bent and his back curved so he was almost kneeling in front of the stranger.

“Think of it as a mutual exchange of services," answered this white-clad individual. “The officers get to look really good and spin a story about one of their own that went bad, ran with Gli Incubo and was then brought to justice only to tragically take his own life before being processed… and in return, they relax their guard against Gli Incubo for a little while."

“Son-of-a-bitch…" snarled Frank, slowly sinking into the floor. “Fuck me…"

A soft chuckle came form the man with the strangely polished, white shoes. He had never seen such clean ivory dress shoes before. “Yes, you are royally fucked. Unless, that is, you decide to take my offer."

Frank let out a hoarse, bitter laugh. “Who are you? The fucking devil?"

The man took out a white handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped his hands clean of Frank's beard oil. “No. Satan died a long time ago and God is a myth. I am real." He held out his hand towards Frank. “My name is Vincent Valentino."

Valentino. That was a name he had come across in both of his professions. A purveyor or mediocre wine, Valentino had some vast vineyard in the northern part of the country. Large properties too. Rumor had it that Valentino's wine and vineyard was just a cover for something else. Countless dignitaries from all over the world and celebrities would pay visits to the vineyard and the spend the night. Wealthy couples would even host their weddings there. The views were stunning and apparently the catering was fantastic. There was always this edge about Valentino, however, that whispered about something sinister.

He was just… too clean.

The Marsarreni police was always on high alert whenever he rolled through town even if it was just passing through. Gli Incubo always gave any and all of his shipments a wide berth.

“What do you want from me?" Frank asked, refusing to take the offered hand.

“You intrigue me," answered Valentino with a predatory stare in his eyes. “You have experienced so much in your short, fleeting life, and yet so little at the same time. Most of these experiences have been bitter forms of betrayal and I can tell you want to make people feel the same sting." He withdrew his hand, shoving it into his pocket. “I can get you out of here. Both the Marsarreni Police Department and Gli Incubo will think you dead. They will never come after you again."

It had to be too good to be true.

“And what do you want in return?" he snarled. “Be your bodyguard or some shit just so you can betray me again like these assholes?" He jerked a chin in the direction of the police officers.

“I would never betray those who have sworn allegiance to me," answered Valentino, placing his other hand against his chest. “No. What I simply want is to empower you. I want you to think about spreading new experiences to different people. Opening their eyes to new things." There was that predatory glint in his eyes again. “Take their virginity, so to speak."

Frank snorted. “I can tell you now, most of these fuckers aren't virgins."

Vincent leaned down, his big lips pulling back in a frightening grin. “Oh but virginity is more than just the loss of one's sexual purity. A virgin can be considered someone who is inexperienced or untouched in a particular context." He turned his gaze a little to the left, directing Frank's eyes towards one of the officers. “See Sergeant Orosi there? He has never been with a man."

He had to let out a short guffaw at that. “Yeah. He's straight and married."

“And yet he is still a virgin. He is a virgin to feeling the pleasures of another man against him… or in him." Valentino then directed his gaze to a female officer not too far away. “She has never tried hard cider. Another experience that she is a virgin towards." Then towards the Captain currently visible talking to others in the briefing room. “The Captain there has never ridden in a helicopter. No one has yet to take his 'helicopter virginity'. He hasn't even been out of the country."

Vincent straightened, gazing down at Frank. “You see? Everyone is a virgin towards some form of experiences. I want you to be my knight that brings those experiences to them."

His mind was unable to fully comprehend whatever it was that Vincent was saying. The image of this strong, powerful Frank Bruno going around the country exposing people to new stimuli was strangely tantalizing and yet it was also very… strange. What kind of man would offer that to him?

“Why?" was all he could muster.

“I cannot tell you that." There, Vincent's smile faded a little. “Not until you agree. So what do you say?" There was that hand again, sliding between the bars of the cell. “Will you come with me?"

No other choice remained. Either he stayed here in this cell to be killed by some crooked cop or slain by his former comrades in Gli Incubo or he went with his mysterious wine connoisseur who was only offering vague promises. Gnashing his teeth together, Frank saw no other choice and seized Vincent's hand.

“Fine. Let's go."

Valentino smiled brightly and waved a hand over his shoulder. “Good."

One of the officers approached wordlessly and immediately unlocked the cell. Frank frowned as the officer immediately asked him to sign some papers which were clearly his release forms. Dumbfounded and confused, he headed over to the officer's desk, signed his name a couple of times and was then given back his belongings - sans the drugs he had been smuggling. Within half an hour, he was done and striding out of the precinct with Vincent Valentino escorting him to what appeared to be a white sedan.

He sat in the passenger seat while Valentino took the wheel. Only after they were a good ten minutes away from the police station and he was sure they weren't being followed did he break the silence.

“What the hell was that?"

Vincent let out a bright, mirthful laugh. “Were you expecting a dramatic explosion or a breakout involving ninjas?" He waved absently at Frank. “That only happens in movies. In real life, we do things subtly. We have to."

Frank's eyes narrowed slowly. “And who is 'we' exactly?"

The strange wine merchant went through a lengthy explanation about gods, the Zodiacs and his Family, the Valentinos. Frank listened intently, careful to understand exactly what he was getting himself to. The withdrawal from the drugs was starting to kick in but he fought through it to try and stay focused as much as possible. He interjected with a few questions here and there.

“The Zodiacs are different entities from the Greek gods that supposedly created them," Valentino answered. “I am not the goddess Astraea or Demeter or Persephone. I am my own entity. In fact, the Zodiacs arose long before the Greek Pantheon. When we had the Cradle, we literally wrote our signatures in the skies so that we would never be forgotten. Those are the constellations you know. However, the Titans stole the Cradle from us and started their own Pantheon."

“Why didn't you fight to get it back?" Frank asked.

“We were arrogant," sighed Valentino. “Regardless of what the Titans or their descendants, the Olympians did, we were still remembered in the stars and we thought that would be enough. Sadly, it was not." Virgo gave Frank a sidelong glance. “Remember, this was at a time when we barely understood the leylines, how they worked and our place in the universe. It was only after the Greek Pantheon fell did we truly understand that we had to draw strength from somewhere else."

“You had enough strength to maintain yourself during the Greek's reign. What changed?"

“We understood that our time was limited."

At the time, the Zodiacs never really needed mortal worship. They existed constantly and let the Olympians have the Cradle while remaining within their own Domains, away from the affairs of mortals. However, they soon noticed that their Domains were shrinking and they were losing power. By the time they returned to Earth, the Cradle had been lost in multi-faceted war between different pantheons and the budding rebellion known as the Godhunters. They did not have the power to wrest control from any god let alone scour the world for the Cradle.

“So we found another way to draw our strength from mortals," Valentino concluded.

“Virginity," Frank surmised, rolling the word on his tongue. “You steal people's virginity."

The living constellation held up a finger and wagged it at him. “No, no. I draw power from virginity. Not just losing it. Maintaining it. Seeking it out. Exploring its limits. Thrill seekers and purists give me power just as much as whores and teenagers coming of age."

“So you're the God of New Experiences?"

Vincent threw his head back and let out a short, barking laugh as they came to a stop in front of a large, opulent hotel. “I suppose you could say that but that simply does not quite roll off the tongue as 'Virgo of Virginity'. Come now. Stow the questions whilst we are in public. My enemies would pounce at any of my activities."

Frank silently followed Vincent as the god gave his keys to the valet. They strode through the hotel's sliding doors and walked straight to the elevators. With a swipe of his own keycard, Vincent pressed the button for the top suite. Over twenty floors later and they were at the top of the building in the penthouse, overlooking the small city of Marsarreni.

The suite was more lavished than anything he had ever seen before and suspiciously clean. There was a strong hint of lemon in the air. The wooden floorboards were polished to perfection, almost looking like rubies crafted into looking like wood. Every wall was perfectly white with paintings of beautiful Italian wineries mounted at regular intervals. A few exotic potted plants were placed artfully at corners and blank walls to break up the monotony. Lush, red carpets that look like blood-red grass separated modern, blocky furniture from the polished floor. LED lights flashed behind a TV that was bigger than Frank was tall. Floor to ceiling windows covered almost every outer angle of the suite, providing a clear view of the sleepy, Italian city. There was even a well-lit pool out on a balcony.

“Holy shit…" breathed Frank softly. “I didn't even know a place like this existed in Marsarreni."

Vincent hung up his white jacket on a nearby coat rag, revealing his perfectly sculpted 'V-shaped' torso hidden beneath a taut, black, collared shirt. “You shouldn't. This suite is permanently reserved for me. No one else is allowed to book it. If I ever come into town, I am sure to stay here."

“How often do you come to stay here?"

The god chuckled softly and strode through his suite, kicking off his shoes and resting them in a nearby shoe closet. “Don't think of me as some wealthy tycoon that has a personal suite in every town up and down this fine country of ours." He reached for a nearby wine rack, plucked a bottle from it and popped it open. “I only have this suite and my villa up north. Had this not been conveniently close, I would have taken you to a plane where we would have traveled to my abode."

“You didn't answer my question," said Frank cautiously. “Why here? Why do you keep coming to Marsarreni."

Vincent took a moment to answer as he plucked two wine glasses from a cupboard and poured them both some of the velvety wine. He only started speaking again when he held out one of the glasses towards Frank. “Marsarreni is part of what we call the leyline network. This is where leyline energies are collected."

Taking the glass gingerly, he gave the god a cautious look. “The what?"

“Think of them as souls. As you live, your soul collects your memories, emotions and experiences. It is different from your mind which just states facts. Your soul is like a book being written about your entire existence. When you die, that soul disperses into the universe only to be collected once more by the leylines to be dispersed back into the network and back into the lives of mortals. You are, in fact, an amalgamation of billions of others that came before you."

“There's no Heaven?"

That predatory stare once more entered Vincent's eyes. “Oh there is a Heaven. Different types, in fact. Once before, when we Celestials were attuned to the Cradle, we could create and maintain these dimensions of our own. We call them our 'Domains'. Remember when I said that we Zodiacs left the matters of the Earth? We were in our Domains. Our Heaven, as you put it. Sadly, ever since the Cradle went missing, we are unable to maintain our Domains so, as of now, there is no Heaven."

Frank took a sip of the wine. It wasn't anything special. A little too tart for his liking but after having tasted nothing but ash for the past few months because of addiction, it was rather welcome.

“So what?" he asked. “You want me to help you get back this 'Cradle' so you can make Heaven possible for everyone again?"

Vincent threw his head back and let out a loud laugh. “Fuck no." The god swirled the wine in his glass. “Heaven is reserved for the Celestials and Astrals. I have no ambitions of going after the Cradle. Let the other petty Celestials go after it. I'm fine as I am." He shrugged as he tipped the glass towards his supple lips. “Should the opportunity arise to take the Cradle, however, I'll make an attempt but I am not about to waste my resources like so many others when there is so much fun to be had right here on Earth."

“Really?" Frank asked dubiously. “Earth seems pretty shitty to me."

“That's because you've only experienced the bad side of it." Vincent took a sip from his glass, just the faintest of sips, and then lowered it, licking his lips seductively. “And that's what makes you so delicious, Frank. You've struggled all your life. Fought for every scrap. Been hurt, cut, bitten and stabbed over and over again. You've seen the dark side of humanity and barely even had a semblance of happiness in your life. Even your wedding day to your wife -"

“Ex-wife," he snarled. He drained half of the wine before continuing. “She divorced me after I lost my job."

“Yes, pardon me," Vincent said, his predatory stare only growing brighter. “That wedding was little more than a sham. Pressured by friends and family to wed because of your line of work. Your parents wanted grandchildren so badly. She just wanted your money. You know she was secretly hoping you'd die so that she could cash in on your life insurance."

Frank slammed the glass into the marble kitchen counter. Surprisingly, it didn't break. “She made that clear at the divorce proceedings."

“And yet she still got alimony in the divorce proceedings," sighed Vincent. “Nothing brought you joy in this world. You went unappreciated for all the good work you did. Then, when police were under scrutiny, you were kicked out for use of 'excessive force'."

Rage boiled in Frank's blood, an intense heat erupting from his chest and pulsing out of his heart in tandem with his rapid heartbeat. “It was bullshit!" roared Frank, slamming his fist into the table. “They were looking for ways to kick me out for a long time! I did my job, goddamnit! And they threw me out for it!"

“And when you got kicked out, your wife divorced you and you fell in with the Gli Incubo, the very same criminals you had fought hard to put away for so long." Vincent chuckled as he swirled his glass once more to aerate the wine. “And it never got easier, did it. They didn't trust you. Now you know the extent of your usefulness to them."

“Fuck them!" he snapped, gazing fiercely at Vincent. “You made your point. I've had a shitty life. I've barely had any happiness in the forty years I've been around!" He slammed both of his fists against his chest. “So give it to me already! Make me happy! Make me experience all that shit that I've been missing out on."

Vincent's smirk took on a sinister edge. “Oh, Frank. I thought you'd never ask." He downed a mouthful of the wine and then, like lightning, was suddenly pressing his lips against Frank's. For a second, Frank was unsure how to react, then he dove forward and pressed his own lips against the god's. He could feel Virgo smile as they both opened their lips and warm liquid flooded into Frank's throat, following the course set by Vincent's surprisingly dexterous tongue.

There was still apart of him that refused to accept this gift, that held himself back from swallowing that mouthful of unremarkable wine and begged him to reconsider. That moment where his throat closed and he looked directly into Vincent's starry eyes seemed to last for eternity. Was serving someone else really the best course of action? Was he opening himself up for betrayal further down the line? If this man truly was a deity, why would he even need someone like him? Was he just going to be discarded when he was no longer of any use? Did he want this?

Yes. He wanted this. Frank Bruno was done being walked on. If he was going to be betrayed or used, it might as well be at the hands of a god and he can at least get some revenge on all the assholes that had made his life a living hell.

So he swallowed that mouthful of wine.

A strange energy jolted through him. The thick haze in his mind brought on withdrawal was fading. Aches in his joints vanished and he suddenly seemed to see clearer like a film had been lifted off from his eyes.

“Holy shit," he breathed, breaking the kiss. “What did you do to me?"

Virgo took a step back and spread his arms as if to welcome him to a hug. “Renewed you, my son. I am Virgo of Virginity. I hold dominion over all new experiences be it orchestrating them or…" His supple hands gently stroked Frank's cheek.

The long beard that had hung around the former police officer's cheeks suddenly withdrew back into his flesh, years of unkempt grown snaking back beneath his light, olive skin and vanishing beneath the surface. The faint tingling sensation across his flesh faded and all he could feel was the buttery-soft fingers of the god dancing against his cheeks.

“… refreshing someone so that they have the pleasure of experiencing it all over again as if it were their first time."

Frank ran his hands over his cheeks in disbelief, catching his own reflection in a nearby pan hanging from above the stove. His cheeks were supple and soft like he had never shaved once in his life. In awe of this power, Frank turned his enthralled gaze back to Virgo and nearly fell to his knees.

“I am yours…" he announced.

Vincent smiled wanly at him and leaned close, his sweet, lemony breath wafting across Frank's left ear. “You always were. Now fuck me."

Frank's eyes widened and his next words came out shaking. “W - What did you say?"

“You've never fucked a man before. Ever." Virgo's hands gently stroked his cock, stirring it to arousal. Frank's eyelids fluttered as his dick began filling with blood. “So use that fat cock of yours…" Vincent bit his earlobe, gently tugging at it and through clenched teeth, he growled, “… and fuck me."

Something just exploded in Frank. The fallen-cop-turned-drug-mule grabbed Virgo's by the waist and lifted the man off his feet, spinning around and throwing him onto the couch with a vigor he had not felt in nearly a decade; before life had beaten him down. With a savagery that was bordering on primal, he seized the collar of Virgo's shirt with his teeth and tugged at it, tearing it clear off the man's shirt. He clawed at the remaining buttons, shredding them off like a wild, hungry dog digging for his last meal.

His prize was revealed beneath; two perfectly sculpted pectorals decorated by a light spray of straight, platinum-blonde hairs. Right beneath those was the most perfect blocks of bronzed abdominals like six symmetrical caramel cubes. That yearning within him grew voracious at the sight of this divine vision and he dove down, pressing his tongue between those firm pectorals and tasting every inch of that valley from base to collarbone. He could not be satisfied there as his hands demanded similar stimulation and he groped those pectorals, feeling their firm, hairy masses beneath his rough palms.

“That's it, my son," cooed Virgo. “Drink it all in. Awaken the divinity without you."

Frank didn't understand what those words meant nor did he care to. He just knew there was something inside of him that craved Vincent's body and he was a slave to those desires. He voraciously slobbered all over Vincent's chest, finding his lips suckling on the god's nipple and drawing from it like he was nursing.

Something flared up within him once more, guided by Vincent's powerful, Celestial hands. The god gently ran his fingers through Frank's scraggly hair. Moments of pain burst from Frank's skull as Virgo caught tangles and loose ends. These sensations were washed away by a gentle warmth that started at the roots of every follicle and danced all the way to the ends. Lustrous sheen was brought back to lush curls full of body and volume. An ebony waterfall tumbled off Frank's head, the pinching sensations replaced by a gentle brush of the curly locks.

Hair now restored to his newest Astral, Virgo gently used the new, luscious locks to grip the back of Frank's head and guide the man's lips towards his own. His tongue danced over the former officer's yellowed and cracked teeth. Where it touched, tiny pinpricks of discomfort exploded in Frank's mouth like tiny fireworks going off against the surface of his teeth. Yellowed cracked faded off into polished, pearly enamel. Crooked teeth that he had grown up with straightened and repositioned themselves, small pops going off in his jaw as it grew to fit his perfected teeth. Frank pulled away a moment, beaming to show off his perfectly straight smile that would have melted any woman's heart and hardened any man's cock. Then he went right back to meshing lips with the god.

A soft wave rippled out from where their lips collided, washing over his features and causing the flesh to literally undulate with the force of divinity being pushed into him. Cracking and popping emerged from his cheekbones. His sunken flesh filled out to give him a less gaunt appearance. Hairs began emerging, pressing out once more from the baby-smooth skin and casting a shadow that highlighted his rugged features. Pallid flesh darkened slightly into a healthy, naturally olive-toned flesh.

Virgo broke the kiss, their eyes meeting once more.

“You know what I want."

Without hesitation, Frank said, “Yes, dad." He didn't question why he would refer to Virgo as his father. It just seemed so natural.

He ripped Vincent's pants clear off, revealing the tight, hairless ass beneath. He didn't even pay any attention to the godly, foot-long erect cock that emerged from a bush of platinum-blonde hairs. His own erect eight-inch member was already painfully hard and it was only after a second that he realized he needed to free his member. That thought alone send a burst of power straight to his groin.

Frank's jaw fell open, a soft gagging rising from his throat as he became powerless against the waves of pleasure emanating deep from somewhere in his soul and surging outwards, it's first focal point being his cock.

“Fuck…" he panted. “Oh fuck…!"

His dick surged out of his dirty, polyester-blend pants, tearing right through the zipper and exploding right into Vincent's awaiting ass. The god let out an effeminate wince as he was penetrated, Frank's cock finding its mark. Completely consumed by the flares of divinity within him, Frank thrust his dick into the 'virgin' ass beneath him, pushing harder and harder as his soul let out its birthing screams, trying to forge its way into the universe by conquering the first thing it could get it's ephemeral claws on.

This was not the first Astral that Virgo had made and he toyed with the thrashing fragments of divinity he had awakened within Frank Bruno… before shacking it immediately to his Sphere and Mantle. Waves of his own divinity rippled through his body like heartbeats. They traveled down his ass, through Frank's cock and struck the fallen officer's soul. A strong sense of familiarity greeted him in that soul. There was a large portion of it that tried to fight back, sending out its own waves to push Vincent back. But there was also fragments within that heard his call and grew stronger, eager to meet its master once again.

This translated to Frank trying to dictate the pace of his thrusts but Virgo skillfully only tightened his rear on the off-beat between thrusts. This forced Frank to adjust… and his soul to likewise change its tune, growing closer and closer to singing harmoniously with Virgo. Frank's mind became overwhelmed by the contest of souls within him, his eyes rolling back into his skull while his body went into auto-pilot. This big, calloused hands seized Vincent's ankles, providing support and traction for each of his thrusts.

Virgo's much more powerful soul called out to the parts of Frank that recognized him. It would have been such a simple thing to crush this man's soul and rebuild it in his own image but that would only make Frank an obedient, robotic Thrall. No, to make an Astral, the soul had to willingly give itself to him, to reshape itself in his image. With each powerful thrust, Frank's soul grew closer and closer to recognizing its true master and when the soul changed, so too did the mind and body.

An intense tightness built in Frank's cock like Virgo's ass was closing in more and more around his dick. This only compelled him to thrust harder, to loosen that ass so that each subsequent thrust was easier than the last. It was a losing battle. He could feel his cock almost getting constricted by that divine hole. He could feel all the precum he was producing, an unnatural amount that was dripping right out of Virgo's ass and making passage as smooth as possible but it was like that ass was strangling his dick! With a growl, he looked down at his own member, trying to understand how this could be possible without skipping a beat with his increasing rhythm.

Then he saw the thick, black rod that was sliding and out of Virgo's hole… and how, with each thrust, it was growing thicker and thicker. He pulled back, shocked as his now ten-inch-cock slipped out of Virgo's ass with a soft pop. The flesh had turned a shiny sable from the base to about halfway up. He gripped the hardened rod, surprised and aroused that he could no longer wrap his fingers completely around it.

“What…?" he breathed.

“Unleash the divinity within you," breathe Virgo, a broad smile on his features. “Come, my son. Embrace your true self! Join my Family!"

Those words called to something in him, something that surged up his dick like a stream of hot cum bubbling up from his balls and traveling inch by inch to the tip. When it passed the five inch mark, the black flesh followed, transforming every inch of his member to the same, dark color as the rest. The outer ring of his glands seemed to harden and thicken, flaring out before another surge of ecstasy burst from the base of his cock and send hid dick surging out another two inches. The glands were left where they were but the rest of his member pushed outward forming what he could only recognize as a medial ring. How he knew this, he wasn't sure but his soul told him that was what it was and that it was right to have one. What was wrong was that his dick was still not big enough.

A gasp escaped his lips as another surge of growth exploded from his balls. He instinctively clenched his muscles, trying to keep it down. Each testicle gurgled trashing against his thighs before pulsing outwards with the backed up power. The flesh blacked, turning into the same color as his cock and each testicle doubling in size. When another surge came, he just barely managed to hold it back, once again doubling his testicles until each one was the size of a baseball and hanging low against his thighs. He barely managed a breath before a third blast came shooting up his dick, carrying all three bursts and sending his cock flaring out and pressing itself right into Virgo's ass. The god let out a high-pitched cry as he was once again penetrated.

Before his cock head vanished into the divine's ass, Frank had seen the mushroom-helmet of his member flatten, transforming into a flattened circle with a ring of bulbous orbs forming the edge. It was a true equine member and one that both filled him with pride and belonged to him.

With no further prompting, Frank shoved his immense member into Virgo, finding himself stuck about the medial ring as Virgo's physical form could not take more. Still, he pulled back and shoved himself harder, determined to bring his god the sexual release he deserved.

No shreds of doubt remained as Frank Bruno's soul pulsed in harmony with Vincent Valentino's. His thrusts were in perfect sync with Virgo's bucking. Every grunt was met with a gasp, every burst of precum from him celebrated by a shot from Virgo's own impressive member.

The thick bush of unkempt pubic hairs around the base of Frank's monster dick thickened rapidly. The curls smoothened, becoming silky and smooth like his head hair. Thick veins crawled out from his crotch, seeping into his thighs and up his abdomen. Old muscles that had withered from drug use and lack of maintenance were suddenly renewed.

Quads flared out, loud craggy noises like rocks breaking accompanying the sounds of their lovemaking as his hamstrings exploded and pressed up against his tight skin. They split open the rest of his pants, his pale skin momentarily being exposed before they were replaced again by the olive flesh of his prime. That too did not last too long as the hairs on his legs rapidly multiplied. His thighs reached mass he had achieved when he was at his peak. Then there came that explosion of power from his balls again but instead of surging down his cock, it pierced into his thighs, seeping into his femurs before shooting into his muscles and pushing them out. The sound of his pants tearing was accompanied by his quads doubling in size, becoming wider than anything he could have dreamed of and bodybuilders would have only seen in their fantasies. This horizontal growth was supplemented by a vertical expansion as his bones lengthened, lifting him further up from the couch and forcing him to start angling his thrusts into Virgo. The hairs on his legs competed with the expansion, fighting to cover his flesh with a dense, smooth pelt of sable fur.

His balls churned and another explosion of strength barreled through his legs. It bypassed his already engorged thighs and crashed into his knees, reinforcing the joins and tendons there for the upcoming mass. The next burst came sooner than the rest as it quickly shot into his calves. With the power surging through his calves, he was compelled to stand, stretching the new muscles as blood flowed into his widening calf muscles and lengthening shins. He dragged Virgo up with him, flipping the god upside down while spreading those sculpted legs wide. Cock still partially embedded in Vincent, he put his new leg muscles to good use and squatted down down to push his length into the tight hole. Again, he could only push himself up to his medial ring and that built up some frustration that came out as a feral growl.

Frank's toes curled within his shoes. The fur on his thighs spread over his calves but stopped at his ankles. At that moment, another burst of divine strength exploded from his balls, charging down his already changed legs and striking his feet. His heels pushed backwards, stretching away from the rest of his feet and pressing up against the backrest of his boots. The sound of tearing leather followed as his heel arched back, adding half-a-foot to his height while the front of his feet widened. His curled toes froze in that position, pressing against one another and hardening into one, single mass. The tongue of his boots erupted to reveal big, black hooves. The black fur spread all the way down his knew appendages, completing their transformation.

Virgo grinned and in his upside-down position, arched his back so that he could grip Frank's ankles. He pressed his lips against Frank's new feet, sending tantalizing sensations up from his feet and cementing that these were his legs now and they his gods' approval. In response, Frank pushed himself down into the god as far as he could, still frustration that he couldn't get past the halfway-mark.

Perhaps sensing his need, Virgo wrapped his legs around the transforming Astral. With surprising dexterity and core strength, he pulled himself right-side-up, holding onto Frank's shoulders and pressing their lips together again. Raw power exploded from Virgo, funneling down Frank's throat. At the same time, a sister explosion burst from Frank's balls and both met in the former police officer's ass. Each cheek tightened and became a large, sculpted mass that could break walnuts between them. The twin energies was too much for Frank's soul and body alone, instead exploding in a burst of black hair right above Frank's rear, forming a long, luscious and slightly curled equine tail.

Virgo broke the kiss and, with his arms wrapped tightly around Frank's shoulders, lowered himself onto the cock that was still spearing him. Frank, likewise, thrust into the waiting ass, using his new legs to their fullest. He was rewarded by another inch entering the god, gravity working to their benefit and finally breaking past the medial ring.

Joy shattered the frustration he was feeling and that manifested in another surge of divinity erupting from his balls and blasting up his abdominals. There once again came a sound of breaking rock. Each abdominal muscle crunched against his flesh, tripling in size while his obliques flared out to support the wall of muscle. Organs moved and grew, filling the new space of his lengthening spine and musculature. His bellybutton all but disappeared into the folds of his abdominals; a fitting analogy for his rebirth as an Astral. Just as his deflated pectorals began to flare out again, black fur shot up from his crotch, covering his washboard eight-pack before visibly having difficulty cresting the summit of his thick, plump chest.

Virgo lifted himself up for a moment and then slammed himself down onto Frank's cock, bypassing the medial ring with each and just leaving three inches to the base. A roar of ecstasy ripped from Frank's throat, the sound dropping an entire octave mid-cry as his chest expanded, shoulders widening and taking his neck with it. Each pectoral was capped off by a big, pink, permanently erect nipple pointing downwards. Even the fur that consumed his pectorals could not hide those erect peaks.

Frank's arms curled around Virgo, deltoids exploding into enormous, striated hearts that even the dense, black fur could not fully hide. Veins surged down his biceps, racing against the lengthening muscles as they stretched to match the rest of his tall form. Triceps flared out, framing each bicep for support and becoming even bigger than his currently human head. With Virgo still looking comparatively human in front of him, his arms easily curled around his god, each enormous hand kissing his elbows as he pulled the divine against him. There was a moment of hesitation…

… Then Virgo slammed down and his ass cheeks kissed Frank's balls.

The black fur shot immediately down Frank's forearms, exploding across his fingers as the cracked and widened into hands that could crush a man's skull with ease. Each fingernail blackened, turning into a solid, sable slab that was nearly invisible against the backdrop of his dark fur.

Frank let out a cry, throwing his head back and surprising himself when his forehead brushed up against the ceiling. There was a moment where he hesitated, wondering how much more he had to grow. Then he felt the embrace of his traps as they flared up, swallowing his neck and kissing the base of his skull. It was then that he didn't care. He wanted to be as big as Virgo would make him.

So he began thrusting into Vincent, pulling back as far as his medial ring before pushing himself back in again and again. Thick droplets of his precum oozed out of Vincent's ass, soaking the could beneath them.

Frank shut his eyes. Bursts of divine power exploded from his balls, trying to barrel up to the last bastion of what had make Frank Bruno - his head. Somehow, he managed to hold it back, to keep it all in his balls but that only made each fevered thrust all the more desperate. He was getting closer and closer to climax. The moment he came, he would become Frank Valentino.

Nostalgia or some level of hesitation kept him from that final push. That and the fact that his forehead was now painfully pressing up against the ceiling. There was a flash of doubt, a moment when he thought he couldn't literally break through that ceiling…

Then the last burst of power erupted from his dick and his divine soul was finally birthed.

All that stockpiled power exploded from his balls, splitting off into two directions. One immediately came blasting out of his cock. He slammed Virgo down against the base of his member just as his seed came flooding out like a wild fire hose. Despite the length and size of his member, it wasn't enough to relieve all the pressure that had built so the rest of it came charging up his body, tensing his abs, his chest and his arms, making the veins pop. All that power exploded up his neck, erupting as a primal cry that exploded from his throat and focused directly against his forehead.

The dual pressure of the ceiling and his divine soul shooting out of his skull was a perfect example of the old adage; an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. But in this case, someone gave in.

Crrrrack!

Frank's cry of euphoria was greeted by a huge, white spike exploding from his forehead, shooting through the ceiling and introducing the first signs of weakness that shattered its frame. The rest of his skull quickly followed suit. His lips surged forward, becoming a long, strong equine while his ears were pulled back into tiny, leaf-shaped appendages at the top of his head. His expanding skull pushed his long hair back to become a long, silky, ebony man running down the back of his long neck. His face pushed into the rest of the ceiling, sending drywall crumbling down around him and muffling his cry while his horn shattered the ceiling.

Thankfully there were no wires or pipes in the way as the new born Astral was brought into the world.

Frank finally opened his eyes for the first time in his new form and lowered himself, keeling down on the couch while still gripping Virgo. His cock was still spewing seed and as he lay down on top of his god, he thrust over and over again, following the pulsations of his member and rapidly beating heart to empty his enormous balls of all their contents, purging himself of Frank Bruno so that he could start new and fresh as Frank Valentino.

His lips met Virgo's, the equine features feeling so familiar to him and managing to kiss his god on pure instinct alone. As the last of his seed pumped into Vincent, he broke the kiss and regarded Virgo's starry eyes.

“Welcome to the family, son," cooed Vincent.

The enormous, muscled unicorn grinned back down.

“Thanks, dad."

The Unappreciated Knight

It was the height of the anti-police movement when Frank Bruno suddenly found himself without a job. At thirty-five years of age, he was a police sergeant in Italy and was respected in his field for his gung-ho approach and camaraderie amongst the uniformed officers. However, his tendency to arrest first and ask questions later coupled with the escalating hostility against police all over the world quickly made Frank a liability to an already heavily scrutinized field.

The top brass were looking for any reason to fire Frank and it was during one unfortunate incident involving a child that he was discharged from the police force shamefully. His life spiraled out of control from that point on. Turning to alcoholism for comfort, he gave in to his more violent tendencies, pushing away friends and family before his then-wife divorced him and taking to the streets.

Without any source of income and lost on the streets that he once sought to protect, Frank fell into the criminal underworld that he had fought against only a short time ago. What followed was four years of drug-related criminal activity and Frank's steady descent into bitterness. This all culminated in a betrayal from the people he was protecting, using his past as a police officer to frame him for activities that they had conducted and sending him to jail for a life sentence.

It seemed that life would just not appreciate what Frank Bruno had to give whether he walked in the light or delved in the shadows.

Perhaps that is why Frank Bruno so willingly reinvented himself as Frank Valentino at the slightest prompting by Virgo.

********

November 24th, 11:30 AM, Goldman Residence

Four years ago, Dante Demont had taken to tutoring Flash Goldman. Flint, Flash's older brother, had moved out and was currently trapezing up and down the west coast. No one that Buck Goldman could trust could watch Flash to make sure he actually studied given his failing grades and Flash insisted that he didn't want any of the janitorial staff to baby him. Shaun Demont was busy with his own job. Virgil had stepped up and given his reputation in the town, Buck took the opportunity to get help from the beloved figure.

Virgil had a unique way of getting them to study. Understanding that Flash was a very fit guy and had a lot of energy that was more geared towards physical activity than mental athletics, he designed various obstacle courses in the backyard of the Goldman's vast property. He would pepper the boys with equations and puzzles as they did laps of the obstacle course, forcing them to do more laps if they failed to answer correctly.

The unique blend of physical exertion and mental strain was actually one of the many techniques Flash was employing as part of his teaching studies, having written a paper on it multiple times to high praise. There were psychological studies that he actually quoted where young brains more easily associated and thought about facts and figures if there was a physical exertion experienced during said activity.

Even now, as he looked at the large obstacle course in front of him, he couldn't help but remember all those mathematical equations Virgil had barked at them or historical dates that he had to memorize… and the dozens of laps he had to do due to incorrect answers.

“Is it me," Dante suddenly said, ears flicked forward, “or does this place now look like one of those canine obstacle courses you see in the dog shows?"

Now that it was pointed out, Flash did notice some similarities. There were a series of hurdles embedded into the ground that they either had to jump over or crawl under, a tunnel they had to shimmy through, a small wall that they had to climb, some sticks in the ground they were asked to weave in between and so much more. Each obstacle was spaced out to allow them to hit each one in any order they needed.

“You don't think your grandpa was treating us like dogs, do you?" he asked warily, already regretting the words as it came tumbling from his muzzle.

“Virgil was always the manipulative type," Russ rumbled, crossing his arms as he regarded the obstacle course in front of him. “Godhunters had to be. They didn't have the powers of Celestials or their brood. Their only advantage was sheer numbers, what magic they could learn, manipulating their souls and their psionics. Compared to brainwashing and the literal forces of nature, that isn't much. "

Dante's mood almost instantly perked up as could be seen with his ears flicking towards the big hellhound. “Psionics? Like telekinesis?"

A faint smile touched Russ' lips. “Yeah. If the Celestials can use their soul to manipulate leylines and magic, mortals figured they could use their mind to change the world around them. It's nothing as crazy as magic but its a good form of defense especially against compulsion."

The black wolf's tail was wagging in excitement. “Can you teach us?"

“That's why I'm here." Russ hiked a thumb at his impressive chest. “I can teach you all about being a Godhunter." He then jerked his head in Jacob's direction. “Reaper over there can teach you about magic."

Flash scratched the back of his head, a gesture he was used to doing whenever he was abashed or confused. With his newfound claws and new physiology, however, it had the unintended effect of feeling extremely good; like someone was massaging a very sore muscle or scratching a particularly persistent itch. It took hims a second to recompose himself.

“I've honestly never been good with the brain stuff," he admitted. “I'm great at memorizing shit."

“You might be better suited towards magic, then," Jacob replied. “All you really need to do when it comes to magic is knowing the appropriate symbols or means of activating a spell, providing fuel and then triggering the reaction."

“That sounds like my kind of deal!" Flash responded, excitedly. It was only when his tail smacked against Dante's did he realize it was wagging. He grabbed it by the base to stop it from flailing about.

“I guess I'll do psionics then," Dante concluded.

“This ain't a competition or a college course," Russ said, holding up his palms. “You'll both learn that shit. Even if it's just the basics. No use learning magic if you get compelled by a god to suck his cock and no point learning all the psionics if you get blown up by a fireball." He drew a circle in the air with a thick finger. “First thing is first. Show me what you've got. Run the course. One lap with each of the obstacles."

Flash turned around and began jogging through wet grass, not too fussed about the feeling of damp soil beneath his bare feet. Behind him, he could hear Dante making disgusted noises. When he had to army crawl under the netting, he could see why his friend was getting squelched by the feeling of mud in his skin. Fur was very different from human skin as it was clinging to the strands and starting to weigh him down. This was especially felt when he started climbing up the vertical wall. Instincts took over, however, and before long, he was leaping to the finish line, Dante just a few seconds behind him.

“Good," Russ grunted. “Lesson time."

Flash couldn't help but grin. It was just like being back with Virgil four years ago. Even Dante's mood was brightening slightly as Russ began to lecture them on the abilities of the Celestials.

“When someone attunes themselves to the Cradle, they are defined to have a source of power and something they can change about the world. That's their Mantle and Sphere of Influence. Just call it a Sphere cuz' the other thing is just a fuckin' mouthful."

Mantles and Spheres did not necessarily have to be aligned with one another. A Celestial could Mantle the Earth, for instance, but have a Sphere of Lightning. Though no clear studies had been done on the phenomenon, it seemed to be related to what aspects of the universe had already been mantled and if there were any existing Celestials with the same Sphere. Theories persisted that it also had something to do with the 'shape' of someone's soul but that could never be conclusively proved.

“Does that mean we get Mantles and Spheres?" asked Dante eagerly.

“Not so much, no," Jacob responded, bringing both of the younger wolves' ears drooping. “Remember, you're not Celestials in the traditional sense. Yes, you're stronger and faster than most humans, your physical bodies have taken the shape of your souls and you can take a hit from a Celestial but you don't have that connection to the leylines. You're not immortal. You can die. But with Russ' help, you will be able to manifest powers similar to Mantles and Spheres."

“It's a Godhunter technique," said the ancient hellhound with a broad grin. “Soul Manifestation."

Godhunters were just normal humans who couldn't hope to stand up against immortals who could literally create tsunamis or earthquakes with a single thought. Even with that, however, if a mortal became aware of their soul and learned how to manipulate it, they they could still manifest their souls.

“It'll take some practice," Russ clarified. “But eventually, you'll be able to take a part of your soul and make it take a certain shape that can be used in the world."

“What if that part of us breaks?" Dante asked warily. “Does a part of our soul get destroyed?"

“That's the trick," Russ said, with a wink. “A soul is just a part of you that holds your experiences and memories until you die. Even if it gets destroyed, it'll just go back straight into you. Still takes strength to manifest your soul, though. I'm not talking soul energy or some shit. It's physical strength. It's like flexing an arm or sprinting. You will feel it." The hellhound nodded back to the obstacle course. “Okay! Next round. Go!"

With a lot to absorb, Flash turned and took the lead again to go through the obstacle course. This time, it was a little harder as sweat began to mix with the mud and his fur, adding more weight. Dante was visibly struggling despite his impressive physique. It didn't help that their bare, furry balls were exposed to the air so there was some discomfort especially during exercises when they had to get on their bellies.

After a few minutes, they came back running to their two instructors.

“A Celestial's Mantle is where they get their power," Jacob dictated. “What is their Sphere?"

“Trick question!" Flash exclaimed triumphantly. “It's the other way around! Their Sphere is where they get their power and their Mantle is the aspect of the universe they can control!"

Jacob winced at him. “Nice try but no."

“Another lap!" Russ barked.

Flash groaned though he wasn't too disappointed in himself. The exercise felt good and being able to use these new muscles was exhilarating. He had never been stronger and as he grew more and more accustomed to his physique, his brain was starting to connect with the rest of his nerves and senses. He became more focused, paying attention to the scents in the air, the sounds that his new ears picked up and the minute details that his sharp eyes could detect. When he came to the vertical wall again, he completely ignored the hanging rope and lunged at the wooden wall, digging his claws into the surface. The wood cracked against his might and he easily scaled it without the help of the rope. A glance over at the instructors showed an approving nod from Russ.

“Good," said the towering hellhound as they rounded the course to stand back before them. “You're getting used to your new forms." He grinned down at them. “See? You're meant to be wolves."

“Speak… for… yourselves," panted Dante, dripping with sweat. “Question…" He held up a paw. “Shouldn't we be worried…" He let out a soft wheeze, causing Flash to worry. “…about people seeing us like… this?"

The look Russ gave Jacob hinted that he was thinking the same thing.

“I've placed wards around the entire property," answered the lawyer curtly. “To all the observers outside of the field, this yard is completely empty."

“When did you find time to do that?" asked Russ.

“When you three were having sex."

Dante was suddenly very alert, his eyes wide and his tail fluffed out in shock. Even Flash showed a modicum of surprise.

“We had sex?" blurted the black wolf.

Russ gave the young wolf an expectant look. “Don't tell me you don't remember, pup. It was right after you changed. Daddy needed some release." For emphasis, he licks his lips.

That was when memories came flooding back into Flash's mind. The taste of a huge, canine cock, the salty touch of cum on his tongue, the feeling of strong, powerful paws on his own member causing him to spill his seed onto a thick, muscled leg…

He smacked his lips. “I think I can still taste you…" he mumbled to Russ, causing the hellhound to grin broadly. He looked over to Dante, seeing the ebony wolf's panic. “What's wrong, Dante? You got a girlfriend waiting for you?"

“Yes!" blurted Dante, his green eyes wide in panic. “Well… No. A boyfriend." Dante seized the sides of his head, heels of his palm covering his eyes. “Oh shit! How am I going to explain all of this to Zeke!? Or my dad!? What am I going to do about school!?"

Flash's heart immediately sank. Dante had a boyfriend. Of course he did. He was smart, cute and charming. Of course someone would sweep him up in the four years since graduation. Flash would've been completely stupid to expect Dante to have remained single in that entire time.

“Zeke?" he croaked softly. “As in Zeke North?" He remembered the track team member. Stunning, chocolate skin, an easy smile and very friendly. Dante would never have guessed that Zeke was gay. “Never took him to like guys."

Dante dropped his paws from his face, letting his arms hang limply by his side. “He always liked guys. Used track team to distract him as much as possible because his super religious family would never approve. When he came out, they kicked him out. He's smart, though. Saved up a lot from his part-time job and put himself through college. He runs and owns the bike store in town and runs the cycling classes at the gym."

Owns a business, independent and likely very fit from his classes. How could Flash compete with that?

“Huh," he said, voice cracking for a moment. “He did well for himself."

“He's been helping me through college, always reassuring me I can come work with him at the shop if I can't decide on where I want to go," Dante sighed. “God… I can't imagine how he'll take all this."

“He'd probably love being impaled on your doggy dick!" Flash said, forcing a laugh. “When you do it doggy style, it'll be the literal meaning!" Seeing Dante's withering stare, his smile faded.

“For your information, he's the top," Dante mumbled. Then he turned back towards Jacob. “Please tell me there's some sort of 'disguise spell' you can do to make us appear human again."

Jacob lifted a finger. “Better. Remember, your bodies are now closely tied to your own souls. Your physical forms are a direct representation of how your souls are and you now have a modicum of control over the shape your souls take. All you need to do is learn how to shape your own souls and you'll be right back to looking like humans."

“Great! When do we start!?"

“Other lessons first," barked Russ. “Lap!"

There was a groan from both boys. This time, Dante was the first to start the obstacle course while Flash hung back, distracted about these revelations. His heart was feeling heavy in his chest and for more reasons than this strenuous exercise. More and more, he felt stupid for believing he could just swoop back into Dante's life, sweep him off his feet and live with him happily ever after. Some part of him even thought that he could seduce Dante with the riches he knew his father would give him.

But Dante would never be lured in by wealth.

Why would he when he had a grounded boyfriend who had been there the entire time?

Pushing those thoughts aside, he focused on the task ahead of him. There was a universe to defend, gods to defeat and people to protect.

“Game time!" he roared and stormed forward, passing Dante and shooting through the obstacle course at high speeds. He had to wait a whole ten seconds before Dante met him at the finish line in front of their instructors again.

“Celestials and Astrals have another thing up their sleeves," Jacob explained. “I'm sure you've heard of Heaven and Hell. Other realms ruled by the gods. Those used to exist. They are basically pocket-dimensions that we call Domains. Owners of the Domains could enforce a Rule that'll basically force all people within it to be compliant to said Rule. Which is why Godhunter techniques are crucial as they will protect you from the effects of a Rule."

“These days, all major Domains have collapsed cuz' the Celestials don't have access to the Cradle," Russ added. “But they can still generate smaller Domains if they get juiced-up enough and only temporarily. They're most dangerous in their Domains so if ya gotta fight 'em an' they erect their Domain, either wait 'em out or go in armed." Russ drew another circle in the air with his finger. “Lap!"

Another groan left the boys' muzzles and once again, they went on a run through the obstacle course. Flash did everything he could to avoid keeping Dante in his field of vision just so he wouldn't have to stop about his broken heart. This time, he beat Dante by a whole fifteen seconds.

“Pop quiz, pups!" Russ barked. “What're the ways a god can fuck with ya?"

Flash was about to open his muzzle to answer but Dante pressed a paw against his pectorals, pushing him back. He could swear Dante groped his chest before answering.

“I'll take this one," said the black wolf. “There's their Mantle which I assume can have them harvest energy off you. Their Sphere which they can then use their energy to hurt you directly. Their Domain is kind of their defensive technique where they create their own pocket dimension where you have to obey their Rule. Then there's their power of compulsion where an unguarded mind might just end up giving into them. On top of that is their army of Thralls and their Astrals."

Flash glad Dante had answered that one. He had only prepared for the first four to be part of his answer.

“Extra credit fer addin' the Thralls and Astrals," Russ said with a grin. “Good." He then nodded to Jacob to continue the lesson.

“Theoretically, the Celestials would be able to use magic and psionics as well," said the lawyer. “However, most Celestials and Astrals, if not all of them, consider psionics to be a weaker version of magic and the key to magic is knowledge. Knowledge that has either been selfishly guarded or lost to the ages. That said, you shouldn't let your guard down against such attacks no matter how rare they may be. That's where your Soul Manifestation comes in. Not only will you be able to manifest parts of your soul but that manifestation will be unique to you and cannot be copied by anyone else. It will be something our foes will have no knowledge about. The longer we keep them in the dark, the better. On top of that, you will have your own natural abilities granted to you by Virgil's alterations."

Without warning, Russ barked, “Lap!"

Flash was off like a bullet, charging through the obstacle course to get as far away from Dante as possible. When he came to the hurdles, he jumped over each one with enough force that he felt like he could have flown straight over them. The moment he hit the last hurdle, he fell on all fours and managed to take two or three strides before his arms gave out from underneath him and he crashed head-first into the mud and grass. Stars flashed before his eyes only to be blotted out by a big, black blob with blazing, green eyes.

“What were you trying to do?" Dante asked.

Flash grumbled and rolled onto his back. “I thought that because we were basically werewolves, running on all fours was a given."

Dante stuck out his foot. “We've got plantigrade feet, dude. We're not built to run on all fours."

“I get that."

“We're just basically bodybuilders with extra fur, tails, claws and lupines heads."

“Yeah!" Flash snapped, leaping to his feet. “I got that, thanks!" He pushed past Dante and began storming up the obstacle course again.

“Hey!" shouted the black wolf after him. “What's wrong with you?"

Flash stopped halfway up the vertical wall to stare daggers at his fellow wolf. “What's wrong with me? How about coming back here after four years, getting turned into a goddamn werewolf and then finding out that you're suddenly engaged!"

Dante jumped onto the wall, his claws digging into the wood and pulling himself almost to the same level as Flash. “I'm not engaged. I just have a boyfriend! And what business is it of yours? We've barely talked in the last four years!"

Realizing he had no right to be angry, Flash just grunted and vaulted the rest of the way until he was at the top of the wall. Dante was just half a second behind him.

“Look," sighed Flash. “It's just a bit of a shock, okay? I was gone for only four years and so much has already changed. I mean, just last night, it's like I never left." He made a vague gesture in the direction of the mansion. “We slipped back into our old routines and hell, here we are going through your grandpa's obstacle course. I just… feel a little left out that things changed while I wasn't looking."

Dante slapped his back lightly. “To be fair, it was four years, Flash. A lot can happen in that time." He tilted his head slightly in a charming smile that shone through even with his alien, lupine features. “Some things change and some things don't. So I have a boyfriend. So what? You're still my friend and seeing as we're stuck in this together, we'll be hanging out more; beating up evil gods, crushing their generals and fighting for the freedom of all humans." For emphasis, he made mocking punches through the air eliciting a laugh from Flash. “If this were a romcom, I'd be stuck competing between my responsibilities in college, my boyfriend and this new world I've been thrust into."

“Yeah," Flash chuckled softly. “That'd be kind of lame."

“Very lame." Dante patted his back lightly. “I'm sorry that you didn't get to spend much time reliving old memories. But the important thing is we get to make new ones now that you're here, right?"

With a small smile, Flash nodded his head. “Yeah. I guess you're right." He glanced off to the side. “Going to be hard to top being transformed into a werewolf and suddenly being responsible for saving the whole world."

“Don't forget giving Cerberus a blowjob."

A laugh rippled from their chests and they shared a smile at one another. The moment was broken, however, when Russ shouted from where he stood.

“If you pups ain't gonna fuck, then get over here so we can continue!"

Flash rolled his eyes and waved down the legendary hellhound. “Looks like our teacher is calling us back from our break."

“Better get back to class," agreed Dante. “So we good, Flash?"

As much as he wanted to tell the truth, Flash just forced a smile and held out a fist. “Yeah, we're good."

Dante bumped it with his own fist ignorantly and returned the smile.