Chapter 23

The contact that Karl gave us may work out for us; we were heading there now. Leo had spoken to them on the phone. He compiled a list of equipment necessary for our off-grid co-op farm, and they assured him they had most of it in stock, especially with the recent economic downturn creating surplus inventory. Since none of the men in our pack—our "den," as some preferred to call it—had been to Kansas before, we had to drive instead of using the portals.

Jesse and I had a long-term plan: once we had enough men in our group, we would establish portals in every state. From there, we would expand into Canada, Central America, and eventually South America. Each portal would connect to the Oasis’s cave, making travel across the continent almost instantaneous. The member responsible for finding portal sites would seek isolated rock formations, caves, or other stable structures, and the spirit bonded to him would create the portal. This setup would allow us to drive a short distance from the portal to the nearest road and then continue to our destination seamlessly.

We planned to extend this network to the rest of the world later, or sooner, if we found members in America who spoke native languages from countries like Japan, China, or India. One such early addition was José, a miner fluent in both Spanish and French. Originally from Chile, his family had immigrated to the U.S. How a teenager from middle America picked up French so fluently was a mystery to me, but I wasn’t about to question such a fortunate asset. Cetus, his leader, quickly brought him to our attention once he learned of our plans. José was already traveling the continent, scouting potential portal locations earlier than we had expected.

"How much longer until we reach the liquidators?" Cetus asked, his voice cutting through the hum of the highway.

"We’ll arrive late tonight," Jesse replied, glancing at me. "It’s probably better if we find a spot to set up a portal before heading back to the cave. The lot will be closed by the time we get there, so we might as well return in the morning."

"How far is the lot from here?" Cetus pressed.

I checked the map on my phone. "About a hundred and twenty miles."

"That’s within our range," Ursus said. "Leo, Cetus, Fen, and Cobra go scout for suitable formations to place a portal. As the three spirits departed, leaving the Hummer quiet except for the rumble of its engine.

Ursus said, "If any of them find an ideal spot, I’ll guide you there. But given how flat the terrain is, we may need to look beyond the lot’s location."

Ursus had not left the Hummer because Ursus would never allow all the spirits to leave at once—he was too protective of Jesse and me.

Leo and Cobra soon appeared in the backseat, taking on their human forms.

We reached the liquidators’ lot with no sign of a suitable location. Jesse glanced at me. "Keep going? Or should we stop here?"

"Keep going," I replied. "One of the others will show up soon."

"Fine, but we need gas," Jesse muttered, checking the fuel gauge. "I love this Hummer, but it drinks gas like a pig."

Cobra leaned forward. "We could fill it up for you if you’d like."

Leo smirked. "We can do better than that, Cobra."

Cobra scowled. "You know they won’t like it."

"What are you both talking about?" I demanded, eyeing them warily.

"There are two things we can do," Cobra began. "Using the remaining gas in your tank, we can duplicate it until the tank is full. But Leo has a better solution. While we can’t create complex machinery, we can make your engine run on spirit energy."

"Would that deplete the energy sent to your world’s plane?" I asked, skeptical.

Leo shook his head. "No. The energy we send to our plane is distinct from spirit energy. The first spirits crave; the latter spirits naturally generate. In our realm, we stay in spirit form all the time, which allows us to accumulate an overabundance of spirit energy. We only consume it when we take corporeal form here. This is why Rangmer and Arstone will always need to return to our world. Even with your connection to them, staying here constantly depletes their reserves. Back in our realm, they’ll replenish their stores using the overflow of energy from other spirits."

Jesse leaned forward. "If we power the Hummer with spirit energy, could Rangmer and Arstone use it to recharge themselves and stay here indefinitely?"

"No," Leo replied. "The energy would be locked to the engine. Only you or Jesse could request the energy, and it would be sent directly into the engine from our realm. We could power all your machinery in the Oasis the same way without impacting our realm at all."

"I’ll have to discuss this more with Jesse and maybe Karl," I said after a moment. "For now, can you just fill the tank?"

"Of course, Master. It would be my pleasure," Cobra said with a smirk.

We had covered another fifty miles when Ursus gave directions. "Turn here and follow me. The others are preparing a portal," he directed, shifting into his spirit form and floating about twenty feet ahead of the Hummer.

Jesse turned onto a narrow rural road, passing over a cattle grate. A reflector marked with "1720" caught my eye. "Are we on private property?" I asked, though I didn’t expect an answer.

"You put the coordinates into your phone. We can check later," Jesse replied, keeping his eyes on the road.

The dirt road stretched into complete darkness, with no lights or reflectors to guide us. We crawled forward at a snail’s pace, the headlights barely illuminating the uneven ground. Any faster, and we risked skidding into a ditch on either side.

"I can help you see the path," Ursus offered.

Suddenly, the road became outlined in my vision, glowing faintly like an old video game. Two lines marked the edges of the path ahead. "Jesse, can you see this?"

"If by ‘this,’ you mean a black-and-white Atari race track, then yes," Jesse said, grinning as he pressed the accelerator. Our speed jumped from two miles an hour to almost twenty.

"Turn left ahead. We’ll stabilize the Hummer so it doesn’t fall into the ditch," Cetus said, his voice steady.

Jesse slowed as the glowing outline guided us to the turn. The Hummer floated slightly off the ground, carried safely over the ditch, and landed on rough terrain. The headlights swept across a rock formation about a hundred feet away. It was low—only ten or twelve feet high—but stretched long across the landscape.

Jesse followed the glowing outline toward a rock. As we neared, the ground dipped lower, revealing a freshly excavated ramp leading down to the base of the formation. The spirits had unearthed a massive buried rock, with only its top visible above the ground.

A portal shimmered open before us, framed by the rock. Jesse drove through, and in moments, we were inside our familiar cave. Cobra, Cetus, and Fen appeared in spirit form, their presence filling the Hummer. Ursus and Leo opened our doors and stepped aside.

"The portal in Kansas will conceal itself, just like the entrance to this cave," Ursus explained. "Only pack members will be able to access it."

Cetus groaned. "Finding a decent rock formation in Kansas was a pain. How about you two opening our doors, too?"

Jesse yawned, leaning back in his seat. "I’m beat. Let’s just call it a night."

"You and me both," I agreed.

"Aaah, come on, we haven’t done anything all day. At least we can have some fun in bed," Cobra pleaded.

"You can all come and sleep with us; that’s as much as I’m offering," I said as I followed Jesse to the bedroom. The guys followed as well, not saying or thinking anything else to me. They knew I would not budge tonight.

*****

We were woken up by Leo. "Breakfast is ready for you. We need to get ready to leave if you want to be at the liquidators when they open."

I rubbed my eyes and asked, "What time is it?" Jesse was starting to wake up now.

"It’s now 7:30; the lot opens at 9:00. You two have 45 minutes to get ready and go if you want to be there when they open," Leo stated.

"Jesse, we need to get ready; I’m going to take a shower first." After I said that, Jesse shot out of bed.

"I’ll join you."

"No fooling around; we don’t have time for that this morning," I firmly stated.

When we got to the shower, the water was already running, and steam was flowing out over the top of the glass. Jesse and I got in and found that Ursus and Cetus were already in the shower. The door opened again, and the other three came in. This was an ambush by the spirits for not getting their way last night. I was grateful that they had thought to make the shower large enough for all of us to fit. "We don’t have time for this now," I said.

"Sure we do, Master. It’s only 6:30. I told you it was 7:30, so you would get in here as soon as possible," Leo admitted.

"I’m up for some fun now, but we still have to make it quick," Jesse offered.

The next thing I noticed was that all the guys had grown long fur over their bodies, even Cobra. His fur covered his arms, chest, and the back of his hood, which was flared out fully. As the water hit the fur, foamy soap spread out over their bodies, and the five guys all started to rub themselves against Jesse and me. It felt like I was in a car wash but with living scrub brushes that groped my body everywhere. I could feel their dicks massaging my armpits and between my legs, getting into my butt crack but not entering. My dick was becoming fully engorged from the overstimulation.

Jesse was pressing against me now, not because he wanted to, but because the guys were moving around us, placing me and Jesse in the middle of the shower.

"Go for it, Master," the guys shouted out.

Jesse grabbed me and lifted me up. "Do you want top or bottom?" he asked me.

"I think either way we’re going to get both; I’ll take bottom from you," I said. Through the steam, I saw Jesse smile as he lifted me higher and slowly lowered me down until he hilted me.

Big furry arms wrapped around me. I felt another set come around Jesse, and the four hands got me to turn completely around while I was still hilted on Jesse’s rod. I caught a glimpse of Ursus right before he dropped, and I felt him deep throat my cock. I bet whoever helped him turn me around was now plowing Jesse.

As Jesse pumped me up and down on his rod, I felt Ursus helping because his hands were on my hips, and I sensed him moving me with every thrust of Jesse’s rod. Ursus was bobbing his face to take every bit of me, including my balls, only letting go as he dropped me back onto Jesse’s rod, and then Ursus would swallow my balls as I was lifted off Jesse’s rod again.

I could not take much more of this, I thought to myself. Someone grabbed my head and deep-kissed me. "Release it all, Master; Ursus has wanted this for so long. Give him your essence." I knew it was Cobra by the way his tongue was wrapping around mine and tickling the tip. I shot after that. Jesse followed right after, from the convulsions my butt was forcing onto his rod.

"Oh glory be, yes, it feels so good," Cetus yelled out. Cetus must have come inside Jesse.

I was still spurting out cum. Ursus released me, and someone else devoured my cock and balls. I felt my cock being sucked on as if a cock pump was being used, but I knew it was one of the guys. Some movement happened around Jesse, and I heard, "Ahh, not so fast. Oh yeah, that’s better." Cetus must have handed over Jesse to Leo.

I could feel the guys soaping me up again. Cobra worked on my legs, lathering both my legs and my cock with his hood as he pulled away. Ursus focused on my upper body, while Jesse tended to my back, finally lifting me off his still steel-hard rod.

All the guys’ fur returned to its normal length except for Cobra’s, which transformed back into scales. Jesse and I were rinsed off by five handheld shower sprays. Suddenly, the door opened and closed, and the sprays stopped. In an instant, we were all dry. I noticed Cetus outside the shower, holding a pile of large robes in his arms, already wearing one himself.

*****

As we traveled from the Kansas portal to the liquidator’s lot, Leo raised an important point. "The land where we built the portal is owned," he said. "According to the county recorder’s office, it belongs to a family now living in Florida. It’s raw land—no structures, no well, and no septic system."

"So as long as no one sees us using it, we should be fine," Jesse reasoned.

"That’s true, but eventually someone will notice," I replied. "We should either offer to buy the land outright or negotiate a lease for the right to travel through it."

"I can draft a letter to the owner," Leo offered. "Their email is listed in the county records."

"Good idea. Make it friendly—no legal jargon. Just express our interest in purchasing the land. If they decline, we can suggest a lease agreement for a right of way," I instructed.

"One of my duplicates is handling it now, back at the Oasis," Leo said.

*****

We arrived at the liquidator’s lot just after it opened. At first glance, most of the equipment appeared old and run-down.

"I hope they’ve got better stuff hidden away," I muttered as I scanned the lot. "You’d think they’d showcase their best equipment to attract buyers."

"Let’s hope repo companies don’t operate like used car dealerships," Jesse joked.

I addressed the group, "Leo, Jesse, and I will head into the office to find out where the better equipment is located. The rest of you stay in spirit form and scout the lot. If you find something that meets our needs, inspect it thoroughly. We don’t want any surprises after the purchase, understood?"

As the spirits began to disperse, I added, "Oh, and before you all go—there will be consequences for what you pulled this morning."

Cetus turned back, startled. ‘ __But Master, we thought you enjoyed it!_ ’_

‘ __Oh, I did, and so did Jesse. But you all knew we needed rest. Our priorities come before yours. Your role is to obey and support us, not manipulate situations for your own gain. If this lot has what we need and we don’t have to go elsewhere, I might reconsider your punishment._ ’_

Jesse smirked, clearly understanding my intention. ‘I think I know what you’re doing,’ he thought to me.

*****

Inside, Leo introduced us to Bob, the salesman he had spoken with earlier. While Leo made the introductions, Jesse and I browsed the binders, listing the available inventory.

"Sir, this is Bob," Leo said. "He’s the one I spoke with. Bob, meet Mr. Keith Booi, the owner of our co-op, and Mr. Jesse Smith."

After exchanging handshakes, Bob led us outside to a golf cart.

"I’ll drive you around the lot," Bob said. "We have both newer and older equipment. The older pieces will save you money, but they come with more wear and tear. The newer ones are in better condition—some even include warranties. Our mechanics thoroughly inspect everything. For older equipment, they document any issues, repairs, and expenses related to rebuilding components like engines and transmissions."

Jesse raised an eyebrow. "If we bought an older piece, could your mechanics fix it up and include a warranty on the repairs?"

Bob sighed. "I’ll be honest—a warranty doesn’t mean much. We stand by our work, but you’d have to bring the equipment back here for repairs, and the cost of transporting it would likely outweigh the value of the warranty."

"Then take us to the newer equipment," I said firmly.

Leo’s voice echoed in my mind. ‘He’s being truthful about the warranty work, but there’s some deception regarding the mechanics.’

We stopped near the back of the lot, where newer machines were lined up in tidy rows. Some looked almost brand-new, likely recent repossessions.

"Take a look around," Bob instructed. "Each piece has an inventory number. Note the ones you’re interested in, and we’ll go back to the office to pull the details."

As I surveyed the lot, I noticed spirits positioned near various pieces of equipment.

‘ __These four, plus two others nearby, are in excellent condition,_ ’_ Ursus informed me.

I pointed out the four machines. "Let’s start with these."

Bob nodded approvingly. "You have a good eye. Let me jot those down."

Jesse added, "Don’t forget about these two over here." He pointed to a John Deere, and an International parked side by side.

"Both of you have a knack for this," Bob remarked as he wrote down the numbers.

After noting all the machines, we climbed back into the cart.

"That’s the best of the newer stock," Bob said. "The older pieces range anywhere from a few years to over a decade old."

We continued deeper into the lot, weaving through narrow aisles of equipment. Bob stopped near a massive harvester and gestured toward another cluster of machines ahead.

The four spirits stood by more equipment, and Ursus pointed out_,_ ‘ __The one I’m by is in excellent shape, as is the one next to Cobra. Cetus and Fen are near pieces that will need some repairs, but they’re in overall good condition._ ’_

Cetus and Ursus vanished, reappearing next to two other machines. ‘ __These need even more work,_ ’_ Cetus said, ‘ __but the repairs are mostly structural. We can handle that back at the mine._ ’_

I turned to Bob and gestured toward the six pieces. "I want the data on all of these."

Bob frowned slightly. "Are you sure about the last two? They’ll need extensive metalwork."

"I’m sure. We need a heavy lifter and a baler, and I don’t see any others here," I replied.

Bob nodded. "Fair enough. I was going to show you some older ones, but if you can handle the framework repairs, these are in better mechanical shape than my other stock."

At that moment, I noticed the spirits subtly motioning "no," at me. Taking the hint, I added, "Let’s review the data on these first. If we’re not satisfied, we can check out the older models later."

"Your call," Bob said, climbing back into the cart. "Let’s head back, and I’ll pull the info and prices."

*****

Back at the office, we reviewed the details of the selected equipment. The newer pieces turned out to be overpriced for the current market. Leo and Jesse spent hours negotiating, first with Bob and then escalating to his manager.

Only one of the machines we selected still had a warranty in effect, which further complicated the deal. Despite this, Jesse presented a firm offer to the manager.

"This is our final offer for all the equipment," Jesse said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "It includes the cost of repairing the two machines that need work. Take it or leave it. We won’t budge. You don’t have to decide now, but if we don’t hear from you within five working days, the offer is off the table."

The manager glanced at the paperwork, his expression neutral. "I’ll need to run this by the owner. It’s lower than what I’m authorized to accept, but I understand you’re buying a significant amount of equipment."

"We’re also paying in cash and handling all transportation ourselves," I added, rising to signal the end of the discussion.

Jesse stood beside me, reiterating, "Remember—five working days."

*****

As we drove back to the portal, I turned to the spirits seated in the back, their forms faintly shimmering. "You all did a great job collecting the information we needed. If it weren’t for your thorough research, I might’ve taken Bob’s original price at face value."

The spirits straightened slightly, sensing my next words.

"If—and I mean if—we close this deal, I’ll let go of the idea of punishing you for what you pulled earlier. But understand this: you will never go behind our backs again. Not for any reason."

"Yes, Master. Never again," they replied in unison, their voices tinged with both relief and resolve.