Cayden Wilde in Calling the Shots - Episode 2

"So to recap, Matthew Kingston went out on a night in the town for a bachelor party. Next thing he knew, he was a Satyr being arrested for indecent exposure. Starting of as a human since the day he was born, that was a hell of a shock. Turns out, he's been cursed and with a doozy too. This curse turns anyone affected by it into a Satyr if they get extremely aroused.

"Probably not a good idea that I fucked him then..."

******

The Triton's Tub was what Cayden liked to think as a 'sailor's rest'. While they got a few cargo ships every now and then, the only people that really frequented the docks were the fishermen - both those who cast the net for a living or just did so casually. Being a coastal town, Wake Delta still had a lot of boats moored at the docks; enough at least that as Cayden stepped out of his blazing red sports car, the horizon was obscured by masts and sails.

The smell of salt water and fish was heavy in the air. Seabirds squawked as they fluttered around and scavenged for food while people and Paranorms milled around the dock heading towards the Boardwalk. While the area where the Triton's Tub was located was more suited for the rough and rumble fishermen, there was a section further down that suited the social elite. He could see the flashing lights of restaurants, the spotlights of the theatre and illuminated jets of water from the dancing fountain. He had only ever been there a couple of times and he knew that it really wasn't the place for a 7'10'', hulking red and grey werewolf in denim jeans, a white shirt, a dark trench coat and a fedora hat. Dress codes were pretty tight, plus he didn't like to wear a suit.

He veered away from the Boardwalk and strode down the path flanked by many warehouses. Sailors of all shapes and sizes were milling about. Orcs were grunting away, smoking thick cigarettes. Leviathans - whale or dolphin men - were using their incredible upper body strength to help push boats into the right position. Ottermen were hefting large boxes to and from warehouses. There were even several birdmen who were ferrying packages from the docks to other locations in the city. Wake Delta didn't sleep when the sun went down.

The werewolf Private Investigator strode up to Triton's Tub, looking up at the rather gaudy wooden carving of a silly, almost cartoonish Neptune partially buried in a bathtub, waving his trident in the air and his merman's tail slashing over the edge. Why anyone would choose this place of all places to end a bachelor party was beyond him. The décor was very stereotypically... nautical. There were lifesavers hanging on the walls, fishing nets with plastic sea creatures draped over windows and seashells glued to the walls.

I wonder how organised this party... The groom must've liked fishing or something. Funny because the wife is a Naiad.

Huh, maybe that's how they met. He went fishing and literally caught himself a wife.

He chuckled at that before pushing at the wooden door. The interior of the bar smelled strongly of booze and sea salt. Perhaps that was the charm. It took a slice out of old sailor novels but this was juxtaposed against modern technology. All the tables and furniture were made of wood, albeit lacquered so they weren't so easily broken or stained. Coasters sat alongside big, wooden beer steins. There was a TV as well as a very old map of the 'new world'. The lights were shaped like old metal lanterns but still provided enough illumination to make sure no one tripped over one another. The barmaids and staff were all dressed in old-timey clothing like they had come from the 1800's but one woman didn't seem to care for the theme and just leaned on the counter while checking her iPhone and chewing a big wad of bubble gum. Across from her the bartender was probing a tablet mounted on the counter for recipes to various cocktails.

Cayden made his way to the bar. It was still fairly early in the night and a Monday so there weren't very many patrons yet. That afforded him some time to get some one-on-one time with the bartender. The man was a Cetus, a species of Paranorm often associated with shark-like features. Judging from the male's sheer bulk and dark, spotted flesh, he was more modelled after whale sharks.

"What can I get you, detective?" rumbled the shark, the nostrils on his conical features flaring slightly, taking in Cayden's scent.

"Not a detective, my man," Cayden said, waving a paw absently through the air. "Close but no. Private Investigator."

"Let me guess," grunted the bartender. "You're here after that bachelor party that apparently had one of their guys turned into a satyr."

Damn. Des' goons must've beaten me here.

"Pretty much. I'm working for the mother of victim." He took out his notepad and pen. "Anything you can tell me at all about what happened that night?"

The bartender shrugged and glanced around. With the bar mostly empty, he grabbed two glasses, filled them to the brim with beer and set one down in front of Cayden. "It's a real shame what happened to that kid. At least when I got turned into a Paranorm, it was my choice."

Cayden lifted one eyebrow. "You were human once?"

He got a toothy grin. "Yep. Name's Wally." Cayden shook the Cetus' offered hand. "Wally the Whale Shark if you wanted to make that joke. But yeah, I was human once. Wanted to be a hell of a swimmer. Thought the best way was to get a wizard to turn me into a Paranorm. Then it turns out I hate the taste of salt water."

Cayden offered a sympathetic laugh and took a drink from the offered beer. It was light. Rather refreshing. After having gone wild with Matt, he needed the rehydration. "I'm Cayden Wilde, by the way. And sorry to hear about that."

"Ah, it's okay," Wally responded, waving a big, meaty hand absently through the air. "I managed to buy this place to save some face. I mean, even if I don't like swimming in the ocean, at least I'm near water. Hell, I've got a pool out back for pool parties. It is_called '_Triton's Tub' for a reason, you know."

"Fair enough," mumbled Cayden. "You've got a nice place here."

"Don't give me that bullshit. It's tacky. But it's the only place close to the docks that offers booze nice and cheap." He nodded at the beer in Cayden's paws. "That's 2.50 by the way."

Cheap was right at least by Wake Delta standards. No wonder the owner was happy to just toss drinks away and even have one himself. Cayden handed over a twenty. "Not bad. Can you tell me anything about last night?"

"I knew the groom," provided the Cetus. "His name is Archie Najima. Avid fisher. Not the brightest bulb in the bunch but he knew his way around a boat. Comes here every weekend after a fishing trip."

"What's he do for a living?"

"Still in college. Works part time at a café near Summerdew Community College out east."

Being relatively small, Wake Delta only really had four colleges. There was Summerdew which was the community college reserved for those living out in the rural parts of the township and focused more on practical studies such as woodwork, metallurgy, farming and agriculture. Then there were the big three colleges with 'big' being relative to the rest of the world. Really, they were three large schools that specialised in certain aspects of learning. Alpha Major College was just for those aspiring to be sportsmen while Wake State College was for the arts, law and the humanities. The Delta Institute of Technology was exclusively for the sciences. It was never a matter of competing to get into one college or the other. For high school graduates, if your interest lay within one college or another, that's where you went. In a small town like this it's not like there was an over-abundance of students.

"That a little ways off to be making a fishing trip every weekend," Cayden commented.

"You know fishermen. They like to get in nice and early. Archie doesn't care if he has to wake up in the bum-fuck hour of the morning. He's here before the sunrises and out on his boat just at dawn."

"That's dedication." Cayden wrote down the name of the groom. "Can you tell me anything about his bride-to-be?"

"Nessie, he calls her. Real name is Vanessa. Naiad."

"I heard that." He gave Wally a curious stare. "Just clear something up for me. Did he catch her in one of his nets?"

The big whale shark threw his head back and laughed. "Fuck no! Naiads are _freshwater_Paranorms. Sirens and merpeople, they live in the ocean." Wally shook his big, rounded head. "Naw, they met two years ago when they were both freshmen. Lived down the hall from one another apparently."

"And now they're engaged to be married but the groom is missing. I've heard of runaway brides but this is something else." Cayden took another sip form the beer. "So I take it the boys were pretty drunk by the time they arrived here?"

"Most of them were. But Archie was sober. He was bitching about it the whole night. He's the groom and he's the designated driver." Wally pointed to a large booth in the corner of the bar. "They sat there. Drinking, laughing. Just being guys celebrating their best friend's impending nuptial."

I doubt I'll pick up any scents or anything. The sea water and booze is too strong here. Plus it's been over a day.

"Anything strange happen?"

Wally shrugged his massive shoulders. "Nothing much, really. Three guys left early. I called them a cab. By the time I came back, a friend of had joined them. Probably came in late because of schoolwork or something."

Cayden spun towards Wally, ears perked. "Friend? Someone else joined them?"

"Yeah," replied the Cetus, puzzled at the question. "Had one hell of a wedding gift too. Some sort of golden goblet or something. Decked out with jewels. Must've been enchanted or something because anything I poured in there turned to red wine. Must've been pretty good red wine too because just one glass and Archie was sloshed."

Someone else joined them.

Someone they knew.

And he had a golden goblet...

"What did this guy look like?" Cayden asked, rapidly scribbling across his page, trying to take in everything that Wally was giving him.

"A college guy. Just like the others. He was wearing this backwards red and yellow baseball cap, colours of Summerdew. Had a letterman jacket too but didn't have his name on it. Looked generic. Oh and he was a Satyr."

A Satyr!

"You mentioned this to the police?" Cayden demanded.

"Of course. I mean the guy is probably the prime suspect, right? Satyr joins the group, uses some sort of magic goblet to get them all drunk and poof, suddenly they're all Satyrs. I didn't recognise the guy though. Never seen him before. We don't get very many Satyrs down here."

"Don't worry. That's plenty." He asked if Wally remembered anything else. Apart from the fact that the group all went out as one, mentioning that they were heading into 'town', he couldn't provide anything else.

Cayden finished his beer, left another ten dollars on the counter and hurried out of the bar. He plucked his phone out of his pocket and rushed towards his car. He had Katie on speed dial.

"Katie, hey! I've got some info."

"Can it wait? I'm having some very lovely, lamb shanks with carrot mash, a delicate mint and red onion compote with roasted vegetables and red wine reductions."

The werewolf held his phone out at arm's length for a moment, unsure if she was kidding or not. "Um... what?"

"Never mind. I assume you're done ploughing Matt and started to use your nose to sniff out more things apart from butts to fuck."

And so it began. "Look..."

"Save it Cayden. I am having a lovely six course dinner while birds are serenading me and cute little mice dressed in adorable outfits are waiting on me hand and foot. Huh..." Her voice suddenly grew muffled and he guessed she had covered the phone with a hand. He still picked up what she asked thought. "... These little guys have been sanitised, right?"

The reply he didn't pick up.

"Oh good. Anyway, Cayden, I don't care for your excuses. I know the moment blood starts rushing into that cock of yours the only thing that'll stop you from fucking the nearest thing in sight is someone whispering 'clitoris' in your ear because you'll just drop everything and can't stop giggling for a whole minute - and stop it."

Little-immature-Cayden was shut back into the recesses of mostly-fully-functioning-adult-Cayden's mind, stopping the onset of childish giggles. "Sorry. Just... Clitoris is such a funny word."

Katie groaned. "I am_eating, Cayden."_

"You mentioned it! Heh, clitoris."

"Whatever. Whatever the case, I don't entirely blame you. I'm disappointed but I don't blame you." She sighed and seemed to shift the phone from one ear to the other. "What's this break you're talking about?"

Flicking back to all-serious mode, Cayden said, "There was another person who attended the bachelor party. He was late. He came to _Triton's Tub_after everyone else had arrived. The guys new him. He was a Satyr."

Katie was silent for a long moment.

"Cade, it's a very dangerous assumption to make that just because this guy is a Satyr that he is the cause of all this."

"But get this. He had an enchanted goblet. Something that would turn any liquid poured into it into red wine."

"Well... that's certainly a lead. I'll follow it up with Mama Cherry Blossom in the morning. What about you? What's your next stop?"

Cayden slipped into his car and shut the door. "There's someone I want to talk to first before I go jumping the gun on this. After that, I'll head back home and ask Matt if he remembers any of this. Then tomorrow, I'm heading down to Summerdew."

"The community college? Why?"

"Because this guy came in like some sort of college frat boy and wearing _Summerdew_colours. Someone must know him."

"Thin lead, Cayden, but if Matt can remember anything, I'm sure you can get a stronger lead. Good luck."

Before she could hang up, he quickly said, "Hang on. Des' men were here and the friendly bartender likely said the same thing to them."

Katie's voice became low and dangerous. "If he starts arresting random Satyrs on the streets, you can be sure I'll have something to say about that."

"I know he isn't that crass but someone is going to try it. Thanks Katie."

"Take care of yourself, Mr. Huggiewuffums."

******

Magic could come in all shapes and sizes. Witches and wizards could simply utter magical words or draw arcane runes and magic would be made. There are great celestial events that could manifest powerful magical forces and some Paranorms were inherently magical. However, magic could also manifest in great artefacts. Before the Convergence, most of these ancient artefacts were just dull, normal items with some historic significance. But Post-Convergence, the collective belief and history of these items genuinely granted them incredible magical properties.

But there was a clincher with artefacts.

Where curses were inherently malevolent, artefacts were not. They only did what they were designed to do and often, those designs were very broad and encompassing. Cayden actually remembered encountering a particular artefact - the Monocle of Karl Marx - that had the power to instantaneously teleport anyone or anything caught within its gaze anywhere. This could be benign. Just transport goods from one place to the other without issue. But the one particular bastard he dealt with teleported hot irons into Cayden's gut as a means of torture.

The artefact only did what it was told.

It was the wielder of said artefact that could swing either way.

Ironically, it was that very event with the Monocle that brought Cayden to a quiet, little suburban home. It was unassuming. Just a single storey house with a bright, green yard populated by pink, porcelain flamingos. The only thing distinctly off about it was as he approached the front door, the white entrance opened and a big, burly human with a shaved head and in a suit stepped out. The guy crossed his arms and growled at him.

Cayden was not intimidated and took out a cigarette. With a wave of a paw, he lit it with magic. "Look Bobo," he said, "if Relic Ross wanted me off his lawn, he'd have kicked me out already. So the only reason I'm here standing in front of you is because he's expecting me." He blew a buff of acrid, grey smoke out from the corner of his muzzle. "So cut the tough guy act and let me in."

Bobo the Bodyguard didn't move for a whole minute. Then he grunted and stepped aside. Cayden gave him some sarcastic thanks and then stepped through the door. The interior of the house was a hoarder's dream. There were stacks of newspapers everywhere, boxes of knickknacks stacked atop one another and weird and bizarre pieces of furniture scattered in odd places. There was even a chair hanging from the ceiling by a rope. He passed one of the boxes and noted that it was marked with 'Bedlam Marbles'.

He decided to stay away from them.

"So I take it this isn't a social visit."

A short distance away, wearing just a pair of shorts and an aqua tank top that matched his eyes was the notorious hellhound, Relic Ross. The demon seemed unassuming in his almost flamboyantly gay outfit and athletic figure but Cayden knew from personal appearance that was just a façade. Ross was still a hellhound and if he wanted, he could go 'full demon' on anyone that ticked him off. He was also a notorious artefact smuggler and Cayden's go-to-guy when it came to artefacts.

"You must've heard the news," answered Cayden gruffly. "A kid got turned into a Satyr."

"And you think I could've been involved?" answered the hellhound, rolling his eyes lazily. "Please, Cade, I collect artefacts. I don't go around turning people into Paranorms for shits and giggles."

"You would if you were testing out newly acquired artefact. Say a golden goblet that turns anything that's poured into it into red wine?"

Relic Ross lifted an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything.

"You know something," Cayden accused. "Tell me what it is."

The hellhound crossed his deep red, furry arms. "Even if I did, you hold nothing over me, Cade. You'd have to give me something in return."

Cayden pulled the cigarette out of his muzzle and held it absently over a stack of newspapers. Ross immediately flinched and stepped forward.

"Don't you fucking dare! Those are the last few newspapers from JFK's assassination. They will show the day of death of anyone whose blood drips on their pages!"

"I'm sure you'll find a buyer for them someday, Ross," Cayden answered, leaving his cigarette to hover over the papers. "Now you're going to tell me exactly what you know about this cup. Now."

Ross lifted his paws in the air. "Look, it's just a rumour, okay? Lots of conspiracy theories and the like."

"Just get on with it," he growled. "Summarise it."

The hellhound gave him a foul stare and lowered his arms. "The Holy Grail."

Cayden gave the notorious smuggler a tired look. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Ross ducked out of view for a moment and then came back with a large binder. It was dedicated entirely to the 'Holy Grail'. He opened it to the front page and showed it to Cayden. "The Holy Grail has been sought after for centuries, Pre-Convergence. It's supposed to be the cup that Jesus Christ used during the Last Supper. Or, if you believe some novels, it was symbolic of the bloodline of Christ."

"Well, which one is it?"

"Doesn't really matter. Post-Convergence, there have been many sightings of 'Holy Grail-like' items. There was the supposed Grail of the Pope that the previous Pope apparently used to drink from exclusively and that's how he managed to live to 150 years old. Then there was the Bloody Stein found in Argentina that could raise a man from the dead if the still fresh blood of another's heart was poured into the cup and then the corpse was doused in the liquids."

"Sounds more like a curse to me than an artefact."

"It was a curse," Ross answered. "Artefacts aren't so specific and so malicious. All of these have been fake." He wagged a finger at Cayden. "The true Holy Grail would be more powerful than simply granting an extended lifespan or even raising someone from the dead. Artefacts are tremendously powerful. More so than cursed items." He flipped through the pages of the binder. "It's been hotly debated what the Holy Grail really is; if it's a person, an actual cup or something else."

Cayden gave the demon a curious look. "You're a demon. Don't you guys know what the Grail really is?"

"Please." He shut the binder with a loud thwack. "Before the Convergence, angels, demons and whatever other creature was out there rarely interacted with one another. It was stupid human imagination and story telling that painted demons as 'evil malicious' creatures. The Mal'ar are just a different species that live on a different plane of existence. It just so happens that after the Convergence, the barriers between the worlds have tinned enough that we can cross freely. We know next to nothing about how the angels and their ilk interacted this world if they ever did."

"But you're still interested in the Holy Grail enough to have a whole binder dedicated to it."

Relic Ross set the book down on a nearby table. "The more fake Grails come out, the more I'm convinced that the real Grail is very powerful and worthy of my attention. It also helps me sift through the dead ends and false leads." He opened the book once more and took out one particular article. He turned to Cayden and handed it to him.

It was a print out from some website claiming that a small town in Russia had started worshiping some prophet who apparently gave them an endless influx of wine. The town reported record profits and an economic boom as they sold their wine across their province. But it all ended badly when the prophet mysteriously died.

"You think this is related?"

"It's only a vague connection," answered Relic Ross. "The Holy Grail has incredible powers and Jesus Christ was rumoured to be able to turn water into wine. Artefacts have been created on thinner premises. If enough people believe in something, a skilled wizard, witch or enchanter could use that belief and forge it into a powerful artefact. That's what you've got to remember. The essence of magic is will; the will to change the world around you, the will to defy the laws of reality, the will to make the universe work for you. If you have the will, you have the way."

Cayden looked up from the article. "So in short, if someone really wanted to make a Holy Grail, they can. It'll just be their Holy Grail. It might not be the Holy Grail that Christ actually used or how he intended it to be used."

"Right." Ross took back the article. "Be careful out there, Wilde. Anyone who has the power to forge this kind of artefact and use it to turn someone into a Satyr is either extremely lucky, very influential or frighteningly powerful."

The werewolf put the cigarette back in his muzzle. "I take it you want him as far away from you as possible then."

"At least a hundred fucking feet."

Cayden chuckled gruffly and waved away at Ross. "Thanks man. That's all I need."

He turned and left the quaint suburban home that was really the secret storehouse of a notorious artefact smuggler. All sorts of ideas were buzzing around his head. Relic Ross had told him that there were countless 'Holy Grails' out there. This golden goblet of his might just be one of those. It was just an ordinary item that latched onto the legend of the Holy Grail, look the power within that myth and forged it into something they could use.

"Still sounds like a curse to me," he grumbled.

******

"A golden goblet that turns any liquid poured into it into red wine?" Mama Cherry Blossom mused. She rubbed her chin absently with her long, draconic claws. "I can't say I've ever heard of such an artefact." She moved smoothly through her shop as she arrived one magical item after the other. "But it would explain why no magical alarms were sounded."

"Cayden thinks that someone used the myth of the Holy Grail to forge it," Katie stated, her arms folded across her chest. "The myth of the Grail is so prominent and so popular that it would be relatively easily for a wizard to come in and capitalise on it."

"It would take a very powerful wizard to compress all the various energies behind the legend into a single artefact with a specific purpose," agreed Mama Cherry. "Artefacts can have an overarching ability but it can be twisted in a variety of ways that can simulate a curse but because of its very nature, won't be considered a curse by most magical monitors. Even if the intent is malicious, because the artefact is just 'doing what it was designed to do', it will not trigger an alarm."

The Eastern Dragon swept up to the roof of the little shop and swerved through the air. She landed in her coils back behind the counter. "This is intriguing. Artefacts are rare and extremely powerful. But also extremely dangerous. Because their powers can be open for interpretation, even a seemingly benign artefact can be used for dark purposes."

"And that's what scares me, Mama," Katie admitted. "Maybe the perpetrator of this 'crime' didn't intend to turn anyone into a Satyr. Maybe he just wanted to give the groom and his friends the best party of their lives but the whole Paraficationalisation was just an unfortunate side-effect. I mean, there was a delay for when Ted was hit. To me, that doesn't sound like it was planned."

"It could also be a masterful tactic to prevent the poor boy from revealing more than he should have," answered the dragon. "Remember, this spell twists their behaviour as well. I also think that they would recall if someone joined them at the bar and presented a magical golden goblet to them. This smacks of memory manipulation."

"Or they could've just been so blindingly drunk that they just don't remember."

Mama Cherry gave her a soft smile. "Your pragmatism never ceases to amaze me."

The ingredients she had been gathering all over the cramped store were now in front of her. Using a mortar and pestle, she began combining them. Katie watched quietly, analysing the ingredients going into the potion. There was some clearleaf going in from the Feyworld for its cleansing properties mixed in with silvery angel tears for purity. The dragon ground up some gold, a good earthly binding agent and then squirted the innards of a maggot into the brew as a binding agent. She then poured the concoction into a cup, one of the many she had been preparing throughout Katie's visit.

"There, we're ready to brew the actual potions," Mama Cherry said. "They should be ready within minutes. Call in your boy. We will begin shortly."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Katie said, pushing away from the counter. "If Cayden is right and this artefact inflicted this on poor Matthew and Ted through the collective belief in the Holy Grail legend, it'll take stronger potions than those to dispel it."

"We will just have to see, won't we?" answered the dragon enigmatically.

The No One headed to the rear of the shop and out the backdoor where her silver sedan was parked. Matt was inside, fidgeting as always. In her career as an 'interdimensional happily-ever-after-maker' as she liked to think of it, she had dealt with a lot of nervous cases like Matt. The 'reluctant hero' some would call them. Little kid, thrust into a conflict that barely involves them suddenly has to grow up, become strong and save the world. Classic story and setting. Matt fit most of the criteria. In her experience, though, everyone was the hero of their own story.

Even the villain.

A reason she was questioning the culprit's motive on this.

She knocked on the car window to bring Matt's attention to her. He was regarding his phone thoughtfully and immediately tucked it away the moment he noticed her. Likely thinking of calling his mother to reassure her for the umpteenth time that he was safe and with his lawyer. Katie opened the door and hiked a thumb over her shoulder.

"Come on in, Matt. Mama Cherry Blossom wants to see you."

He slipped out of the car, his cloven hooves clacking softly on the cobblestone road. "Think she can cure me of this curse?"

"We're starting to think it's not a curse."

His pointed ears flicked at her. "It's not?"

"Cayden may have found some information that it might actually be the work of an artefact."

"What's the difference?"

Katie escorted Matt towards the store. "Curses are targeted. They have a clear clause, trigger and dissolution. But if this is done by an artefact, what happened to you is defined by the intentions of the user." Seeing Matt's blank expression, she said, "Think of it this way. You have a ball. You can bounce it, play with it and shoot hoops with it. Alternatively, you can throw it into people's faces and break their noses. That's what an artefact is. It has power and that power can do certain things but it's up to the person wielding it to actually use it and define what it'll do."

Matt lowered his head, ears drooping slightly. "So it's hopeless."

"I didn't say that."

They entered the back room of the_Emporium_ where Mama Cherry had already arranged the roof for her experiments. There was a magic circle erected at the centre of the room, candles arranged around the eight-pointed star, each point related to a cardinal point on the map. She was brewing her potions in the little stove she had, pouring the three coloured concoctions into three flasks.

"Since this could be an artefact," Katie continued, "we need to discern the intentions of the person that used it on you. The motive, if you will. Seeing as we can't find them right now, we have to make do with a few experiments."

The Satyr gulped loudly. "E - e - experiments?"

Mama Cherry Blossom beamed benevolently at him. There was something comforting about being smiled at by an Eastern Dragon. Western Dragons looked like they wanted to eat you but Eastern were far more charming. That made them more dangerous, though. "Don't worry, dear. I am a professional."

As a dragon, Mama Cherry Blossom had innate magical abilities that most other Paranorms could only dream of. Nature just bent to her will like it was her servant. There were limits of course and due to strict regulations, she was forced to keep her magical activities to a limit. However, with these innate skills came the ability to sense magical properties in other items. Instead of focusing and hoarding her magic like most other dragons, she instead invested in alchemy and potion making, using the magic that occurred naturally around her instead. This made her the best natural medicine practitioner in Wake Delta and a feared alchemist.

"These potions will help determine the effect that was put on you," said the dragon, producing one of the flasks. It was a milky red in colour and bubbled softly. "This one is called dolorverum. In the common tongue, it means 'the Pain of Truth'."

"R - Really?"

Katie gently patted his back. "Don't worry. It's just a marketing gig. The potion is designed to make your outside look like what you feel inside. Mama Cherry Blossom has altered it slightly so that instead of targeting _your_true feelings, it should target the intentions of the one that cast this spell on you. It should help us discern what the person who intended this wanted out of this spell."

"Can't you use divination or something for that?"

Mama Cherry Blossom shorted and pulled the other two potions off the pan. "Divination is nothing more than a gimmick to get more money. Even with all the magic flying around these days, there are few true prophets and seers. The rest are just scammers who dress all fruity, wave their hands around and spout random, vague predictions that can be interpreted in many ways." She flicked her tail towards Matt. "Now come, my child. Enter the magic circle."

Matt shook his head. "Nuh-uh! Magic circles are used to keep things out or in. You're going to turn me into a monster!"

The dragon rolled her eyes. "What are you kids being taught in school these days?" She slivered towards the circle. "Magic circles are used to focus magical arts in a certain location. Yes, some circles are used as warding instruments but if you note the design of_this_ particular circle, how it is shaped like a compass? If you had some decent magic education, you'd know that this circle in particular is used to draw upon the magical ley lines arounds us and amplify the effects of anything supernatural."

"Uh..."

Katie gave Matt a shove towards the circle. "Basically, it'll accelerate the effects of the potion. Most potions aren't instantaneous. It takes time for it to go down your throat and into your gut. Don't believe what videogames and movies tell you. No matter how fast you drink, you still have to digest and potions tend to lose their effect fairly quickly if not properly preserved."

The Satyr blushed in a rather cute way and apologised to Mama Cherry Blossom. He stepped into the circle.

"You might want to take off your clothes," warned the dragon, as she carried the dolorverum over to him.

"A - alright..."

Matt stripped off the oversized shirt and baggy pants that he had borrowed from Cayden and set them neatly aside. Mama Cherry Blossom made a comment on how he was a 'big boy' and that made the Satyr blush all over, his soft, tanned skin turning a slightly murky red.

It was the first time that Katie got to fully appraise Matt's newly transformed body. Something about it disturbed her. While she generally didn't like to stereotype, Satyrs usually had a copious amount of body and facial hair. Matt was just starting to get a light dusting of reddish-brown hair around his cheeks but that was likely due to a lack of shaving for the past two days. His chest and arms were left relatively hairless and smooth. The hairiest parts of him - apart from his head - were his goat legs and balls. It almost seemed like his transformation was incomplete and it made her once again question the motive of the person who cast this spell.

Matt took the dolorverum and gulped loudly. "O - Okay... Here I go." He tipped his head back and downed the entire potion in one go. He held it in his cheeks for a few seconds, his eyes bugging out at the taste. It took a monumental effort to swallow it all and he bared his teeth in the process. "Oh god..." he gagged. "It tastes like melted rubber!"

"I wouldn't know," Mama Cherry said with a shrug. "I've never tasted it." She took a few steps back. "The potion should take effect soon."

It only took a couple of seconds more before her words came true.

Matt wavered in place and his eyes grew glazed. A soft moan rose from his throat as blood began pumping into his dick. Katie lifted an eyebrow in curiosity as the plump, fuzzy sheath began to split open and Matt's bright, pink dick began emerging. The Satyr seemed frozen in place, however, unable to pleasure his emerging member.

Thick veins began pumping across the fleshy pole, thicker than usual. As it reached its full seven inches in length, those veins visibly throbbed. Even though he was already fully erect, Matt's member suddenly surged another inch outwards and thickened by a quarter of an inch. A sound like leather stretching filled the back room. The Satyr's member stretched another inch upwards, the mushroom shaped glands touching Matt's bellybutton. Matt let out another groan and his balls gurgled audibly, growing bigger and thicker. They looked a little ridiculous sitting beside his relatively thin legs but that would soon change.

Thick veins crawled out from the base of the Satyr's crotch and seeped into his thighs. Where his legs had been covered in smooth, even fur, it was suddenly interrupted by dense muscle and pulsating veins. His quads and hamstrings bulged out, forming a mountain range of muscles along his legs. It was like watching the earth grow beneath a grassy field. The muscle groups became clearly defined, hard mounts pressing against one another competing for space. His calves expanded to suit his newly acquired bulk and even his hooves cracked and grew. Matt was forced to spread his legs as his thighs simply could no longer stand together without pressing one another and compressing his massive balls.

The Satyr's fingers twitched and his body shivered. The veins receded from his legs, leaving trace amounts of them pulsating to feed his engorged muscles. They did, however, trave straight upwards. They spread over his abdomen, creeping up his soft but still visible abdominals. Again, that sound like stretching leather could be heard as his muscles tightened and grew. A rigid six pack that looked so painfully maintained pressed up his smooth, supple skin. His crotch hair crept up along the bath of the veins, forming a fiery red path up his navel and along the valley of his abdominals.

The veins continued on their way up his chest where they fed into his pectorals. Already quite plump, his chest ballooned out into two, massive plateaus of mass. Matt was finally able to move and he seized his growing chest. His expression was caught between panic and pleasure. His pecs grew right beneath his fingers, his nipples forced to point downwards and outwards in opposite directions and the expanded further. The forming treasure trail seeped up those fleshy mountains, gathering around the underside of his chest and then spreading lightly over their plateau.

To compensate, his shoulders surged outwards, deltoids becoming a set of hard, corded muscles. His arms stretched out a little to fit his new size and bulk was added to boot. A clear divide appeared between his biceps and triceps even without flexing, veins popping all over them. His forearms surged outwards and his fingers twitched as both grew in size and mass. Reddish-brown hair covered his forearms in a thick dusting that didn't take away from the hard muscles beneath.

Matt threw his head from side to side, his mouth opening and closing rapidly in a few silent gasps. His pointed jaw became more prominent, sexy and even supermodel-like. Cheekbones rose and any boyish features he may have had melted away into a coating of peach-coloured fuzz. The little nubs that were horns on his head grew longer thicker, turning a pure black as they stretched out further away from his curly hair and curled back to become rather intimidating eight inch spikes.

The potion's effect suddenly gave out and Matt toppled to his knees, gasping. Finally able to move, the massive 250 pound, Satyr with a bodybuilders physique instinctively reached for his throbbing eleven inch member, eyes still glazed over and tongue hanging out in pleasure.

"Matt!" Katie snapped quickly.

Matt blinked a couple of times and looked down at what he was doing. "Oh shit!" he rumbled. Then he immediately reached towards his throat. "Is that my voice!?"

Mama Cherry Blossom was appraising the transformed Matt critically. Her eyes emitted an unusual glow, her magical sight peering into the Satyr's very essence. "Interesting... the dolorverum when configure to the resonance of the caster of the spell seems to have made you into a sort of... 'super satyr'. A Satyr with enhanced physical qualities all around." She slivered forward, running a claw over Matt's horns. "Extended horns. More body hair. Larger muscles and... equipment."

Matt turned away and blushed.

"I can only deduce that the intention was truly to make you a Satyr."

Katie agreed. "So it wasn't something accidental like, 'I want these guys to have the best part of their lives' and the artefact misinterpreted that like some sort of vengeful genie."

"Correct."

Matt staggered to his feet, supressing a moan as his thick, throbbing dick became a little ungainly. "A - Am I stuck like this?"

"Don't worry, my child," Mama Cherry Blossom said, moving to the next potion. "We can turn you back easily enough. Now the next potion is called Heart Terror."

His pointed ears drooped. "Please tell me that's just a figurative name."

"It is," Katie supplied. "This is a general dispelling potion. Very powerful and incredibly potent. Even guys that have been struck by a curse and passed the grace period can experience a brief reprieve with this potion. It was given that name because it was originally used offensively to dispel helpful magical effects on people."

"So I'll be human again?"

"We'll see. Mama?"

This time, the dragon provided Matt with the clear potion she had been brewing earlier. "Here you go dear. Ignore the smell. Just drink it all up."

Matt took the clear flask filled with the clear brew. He made a face as the scent wafted into his nostrils. From where she was standing, Katie could clearly catch the putrid smell of rotting lemons. The newly enhanced Satyr held his nose and then tipped his head back. He downed the entirety of the potion in one gulp, this time knowing not to make the mistake of holding it in his mouth first.

Almost instantly, Matt let out a groan and clutched his chiselled stomach.

"Oooooh..." he moaned. His engorged cock suddenly throbbed and sprang back up to fill mast. A deep thrumming noise filled the back room like listening to the ocean swell and subside. With each rise of the noise, his dick expanded and grew. The veins all over its surface faded into the skin as it turned a brighter shade of pink, becoming smooth and more bestial. The glands of a human faded into a single bulbous tip. The thick length surged upwards, rising well past Matt's belly button, creeping up the wall of his abdominals until it reached the bridge of his pectorals.

"Wh - wh - What's happening!?" Matt cried in panic.

The Satyr suddenly doubled over, clutching his stomach in the process. Katie lifted an eyebrow. She had a clear view of Matt's back. The reddish-brown fur swept up his back as the muscle swelled beneath them. Lats, deltoids and traps all ballooned out until they made two massive mountain ranges with his spine defining the clear and deep ravine between them. The fur rocketed up his entire back. At the same time, his curly hair rolled down his neck and spread down the length of his spine like a fiery mane. The two advances of hair met about the middle of his body, spreading outwards and to the rest of his upper body.

Matt's arms and legs surged. The transforming Satyr rapidly stamped his hooves on the ground. With each pound, his legs, calves and hooves all grew bigger and bigger, his fur growing wilder and more monstrous with each passing second. The wooden floorboards cracked beneath his next stamp of power, his feet big enough to crush a human head easily.

A feral cry left Matt's lips and he threw his head back, shaking his ragged mane wildly. He clutched his head with both hands. His fur spread over his shoulders and up the length of his arms. Already thick biceps ballooned out, rising past his shoulders and pressing up against the sides of his head. His triceps rubbed against his huge traps. His forearms crawled with thick veins even as the fur spread across them. The bones in his hands cracked and shifted as a spectacular transformation hit them. His nails blackened just like when his feet had transformed. His ring fingers and pinkies pressed together, flesh melding and bones combining into a single digit with a big, black nail at its tip. The same happened with his index and middle finger; the two fusing as one and their combined mass growing to fit his expanding palms. His thumbs grew a little shorter but thicker.

A bestial snort left Matt's nostrils and he gnashed his teeth together. His already large horns grew longer, slipping between his fingers until they curled in the air. A powerful force shoved his facial features forward, flattening his nose into a broad muzzle. Cracking bone accompanied the rhythmic thrumming and the long, deep moan that left Matt's throat. The fur crawled up his neck and over his face, completing his transformation in a single bounce.

Matt rocked in place. His eyes looked dazed and he quickly toppled backwards, smashing one of the candles that were placed around the magic circle. The entire shop shook from the impact of the enormous goat-man with the floor.

"Ooooooh..." he moaned. One of his mutated hands went towards his huge, past-foot-long cock, rubbing the thick length as thick precum squirted from the tip.

"That was certainly not expected..." Mama Cherry Blossom murmured, moving to examine the mutated Satyr. "The Heart Terror should have cleansed you not made you into... this..."

Matt lifted one of his hands towards his face. Then he slowly rubbed his newly acquired muzzle. "Mom is going to freak..."

That was the least of their worries. There were no full goat-men on this version of Earth. No matter how much the furry community may have wanted it otherwise, there were no anthros since the Convergence. Yes there were shifters and were-people like Cayden but not every species of animal out there was anthropomorphised.

"What happened?" Katie asked, regarding Matt warily. "I thought Heart Terror was meant to dispel magic not accelerate it."

Mama Cherry plucked one of Matt's enlarged hooved feet and examined it closely. "Perhaps because of the raw strength of the artefact or the intention of the caster, the potion became confused. Heart Terror is designed to revert an individual back to their non-enchanted state." She set down Matt's foot and moved towards his arms, poking at the thick, rock-hard muscle there. "I can only surmise that the artefact turned Matthew into a Satyr not only on a physical level but on a mental and spiritual level as well."

The dragon straightened and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "This is more troublesome than I first thought."

"I feel..." Matt moaned. "I feel really fucking horny..." It must've taken every ounce of self-control Matt had not to jack off there and then and even then, he was still idly rubbing his cock that was thick enough to outmatch Katie's forearm.

"It's definitely a multi-layered spell," Mama Cherry said, returning to her stove. "It isn't so simple as to just turn him into a Satyr. It's changed the very definition of his being to the point where the 'dominant' half of his Satyr form is actually his goat form. Were the Heart Terror more concentrated or had we used a harder dispelling potion, he would've likely been turned into a feral goat."

As if in response, Matt let out a soft bleat. Katie helped him sit up.

"So what are our options?" she asked.

The scaly, white-maned alchemist was adding more ingredients to her potion and returning it to the heat. "I need to tweak this last potion a little more. Originally, it was meant to be the Archangel's Elixir." She glanced towards the full goat-man. "A potion that is meant to empower your soul, imbuing you with an immense amount of magical strength so much so that, in theory you could overpower the spell itself." She glanced back towards the pot, stirring it with a wooden ladle absently. "However, now I see that the spell is multifaceted. Instead of just being a simple wall that I must break through, I must instead contend with a very dense weave of layered magic. Much more difficult."

"Really...?" Matt mumbled. He licked his lips, tongue briefly touching the tip of his engorged dick. The goat-man shivered at the contact but balled his fists to prevent himself from jacking off.

Katie was rather impressed at the young male's self-control.

"Were it a curse, I would just need to find the dissolution method," said Mama Cherry wisely. "But with so many layers to this spell and with those layers intertwined, attempting to undo one later could lead to catastrophic results as we've seen here. The Heart Terror was just meant to dispel the magic that gave you this form but that very magic tied to your identity and thus made you what you are now. We must proceed with caution."

She pulled the last potion off the stove and poured a bright green, glowing liquid into a flask. She whispered a few words over the potion, waving her clawed hands over the flask. "This is a custom brew. It will give you temporary magical powers just like the Archangel's Elixir but I've imbued it with enough other ingredients and a few spells that it should redirect these magical energies into reverting you back to your human form."

"If it'll turn me back human, I'll try anything." Matt staggered to his feet. Vertigo struck the huge goat man as he now stood at a tremendous eight feet tall.

Katie suddenly grinned. "Oooh, my Des Senses are tingling."

"Huh?"

She held up a hand and pulled out her phone, immediately dialling a phone number. "Hey. It's me. I'm a Mama Cherry's place. I'm going to need a full sized sledgehammer in about ten minutes and it's got to be served in a cloche that as soon as I pull off the lid, it'll play U Can't Touch This_particularly at the spot where it says, 'Stop. Hammertime'."_

Even without looking she could feel Matt's confused stare but her contact agreed to the bizarre request nonetheless. "Don't worry. This'll be funny when Des gets here."

"The Chief of Police is coming here?" Matt exclaimed, his heart clearly sinking. "This isn't illegal is it?"

"Of course not. And I know. I'm a lawyer. Now drink up."

Matt shrugged and tilted his head back like he always did when drinking the potions.

At that moment, the bell at the front door rang and the Old Bull's booming voice rang out from the front of the store.

"Blossom? You here? I need your help with a case."

Mama Cherry Blossom gave Katie a puzzled stare but the No One was already grinning maniacally. Des entered the back room a moment later, pushing aside the bead curtains. He stopped just as Matt swallowed the potion.

"Why aren't you at the front of the store?" Des asked, pointing at the dragon. Then he pointed at Katie. "What are you doing here?" And lastly, he turned to Matt. "And what did he just drink?"

Matt opened his muzzle to speak. A strange choking sound emerged from his throat instead followed the sound of eggshells cracking. Big, red veins suddenly seeped from the corners of his eyes. His blue irises shivered as his pupil contracted. The tiny little black dot suddenly stretched vertically, transforming into a vicious slit.

"Oh this is not good..." Mama Cherry Blossom whined.

Matt's choking suddenly erupted into a big, torrent of flame. Scintillating red flames launched from his muzzle and right at Des. The Chief of Police, despite being advanced in age, was still spry and strong enough to quickly launch himself onto the ground and roll forward, avoiding the deadly blast.

"What the hell is going on!?" the Bull cried.

A loud groaning noise rose from Matt's throat as the goat-man lurched forward. The nails at the ends of his fingers lengthened, sharpening into long, dagger-like claws. Dark, black veins ran up the entire length of his arms, barely fading into the bulging side of his growing pectorals. His once-cute, fluffy leaf-shaped tail suddenly exploded into a burst of fur and scales. A long, reptilian, muscular tail slapped against the ground sprouting nasty spinal spikes.

"Oh this?" Katie replied casually. "That's Matthew Kingston. You know. The guy you arrested."

"What!?" bellowed the Chief of Police.

Matt's entire body heaved. Two, massive bulges burst from his back like there were two arms trying to push up through his skin to freedom. These growths quickly began sprouting scales, bony tips and within moments, long, webbed appendages. With a roar, Matt threw his head back, fire bursting from between his lips. A second pair of horns emerged just from the base of the first, curling forward around his head instead of back and behind.

"What the hell did you do to him!?" shouted Des.

"I gave him a modified version of_Archangel's Elixir_!" Mama Cherry Blossom exclaimed. "It was meant to guide the magical energies through his body to turn him back into a human!"

As a final coup de grace to Matt's monstrous transformation, his already enormous dick thickened even more. Atrocious, fleshy spikes ran down the flanks of the entire length with longer, thicker versions growing out from the underside. A 'crown of thorns' sprouted from just the base of his glands.

The fire-breathing demon goat stamped his monstrous feet on the ground, shattering the floorboards beneath him entirely. He spun, once-blue eyes now a demonic red. Fire shot out of his nostrils. There was no trace of the innocent young college student who had been turned into a Satyr. Only primal instinct remained and it was hard to tell if those instincts demanded that he fight or fuck.

Suddenly a slim figure with silvery hair leapt onto the monster's back. Katie seized one of Matt's black horns, her legs wrapping around his enormous chest.

"Yeeee-haw!" she cried.

The stunned beast let out a roar of frustration. He tried to reach back to grab her but his arms were far too meaty; he simply could not reach over. Frustration quickly showed in his eyes and he snorted and growled out flames. Matt went down on all fours, bucking and shaking his head wildly from side to side all in a desperate attempt to get the significantly smaller Katie off his back.

"What were you two thinking!?" Des snarled, crouching beside the curled up Mama Cherry Blossom. "You don't even know the nature of the curse that befell him!"

"It's not a curse," countered the sagely dragon. "An artefact was used to change his form. These potions were meant to identify the nature of the artefact and the intent that was used behind it."

"The intent was to turn him into a motherfucking demon!?"

"It's a very complex spell."

Des growled and sprang to his feet. He quickly clasped his paws together, index fingers extended and pressing together. "Firagastis Sollum Deruun!"

Blinding white chains sprang up from the ground around the demon. Like hungry vipers, the snapped around Matt's ankles and wrists. The savage beast let out another roar and a blast of fire before he was pulled backwards. Katie leapt from his back just in time for the demon to crash into the shattered ground. Another set of chains sprang up and wrapped around his muzzle, keeping it firmly clamped shut.

"Mother_fucker_!" Des swore. "You realise this is incredibly illegal."

Katie brushed off her suit theatrically. "You mean keeping a barely legal young man who is at least twenty years your junior bound and gagged onto the floor with chains, completely naked and with an aching boner? I don't think it's illegal. People will just look at you funny if you mention it in public."

"Not that!" growled the weredog. He gestured at Mama Cherry Blossoms pots, pans and stovetop. "Feeding the victim of a crime experimental potions against his will! That is the crime!"

"It wasn't against his will. Matt went along with this in the hopes that we can turn him back human."

Des crossed his arms angrily. "And instead, you stripped him entirely of his humanity."

Suddenly, Mama Cherry Blossom's eyes widened. "Stripped him of his humanity..." She snapped her fingers. "That's it!" Katie gave her a confused look while Des just looked royally pissed. "Desmond, all of the members of that bachelor party. Were they all human?"

The bulldog lost his fury and absently scratched his cheek. "Now that you mention it, they were."

"There must be a correlation!" Cherry Blossom swept into the air, circling the bound beast. "All our attempts to dispel the magic surrounding him have backfired. It's turned him more and more into a Satyr and more bestial. We first gave him dolorverum which is designed to reflect the truth. His very essence has been turned into that of a Satyr. Then we gave him Heart Terror which was meant to dispel any magic infused into him but instead, the spell twisted it and made him a goat-man. The spell actually used the very design of the Heart Terror_to its advantage by tricking it into thinking that the human part of him was incorrect. Lastly, we gave him a modified _Archangel's Elixir. The spell used the magical energies instead to make him monstrous. All of these have one thing in common."

She lowered herself back to the ground, gesturing at the raging Matt below them. "It pulled him further and further away from being human. _That_is the essence of the spell. The user's intent may have been to turn him into a Satyr but the underlying purpose is to strip him of his humanity!"

Katie's brow furrowed. "I've never heard of a spell can intelligently take attempts to dispel it and twist it to its own advantage."

"I have," rumbled Des with a snarl. "All very powerful artefacts." He nodded towards Mama Cherry Blossom. "I guess you were right. It was an artefact." The weredog sighed. "Fuck..." Turning towards the demon, he said, "Alright. First thing's first. Let's turn him back to normal. Or... at least as normal as we can get him. Can that be done?"

"Now that I know the intent, I believe I can," answered Mama Cherry Blossom, sweeping back towards her stovetop. "But I will need a sample of his genetic data."

Katie immediately leapt at the prone beast. "Ooh! I can help there! Des, heads up!"

The Chief of Police never got a chance to protest as the silver-haired lawyer immediately pointed Matt's enormous dick at him and gave it one, big, long squeeze. The monster's back arched and he let out a muffled roar, flames bursting out from the small gaps in his bound muzzle. Hot, white cum came shooting out of his mutated dick, rocketing a whole ten feet through the air and raining down on Des like a creamy shower. Des, his muzzle open in protest, was nearly drowned by the torrent and he staggered back as the firehose of a member went off again and again and again.

The bulldog might as well have been a snowman with how much cum he was covered in.

His eyes burned with fury at Katie. "I. Hate. You."

Matt, at least, finally got the release he so desperately wanted and slumped back down, humming contentedly.

Mama Cherry scooped some of the seed into a bowl off Des' uniform and went to work. "This potion will be specifically bound to him. It will hopefully restore his humanity. The spell cast upon him seems to be geared towards removing his humanity but only upon certain triggers. I don't think it was designed to deal with anyone restoring said humanity."

Wiping the seed off his face, with the back of his admittedly soaked paw, Des said, "I think I get it. The spell was put upon him to turn him into a Satyr by removing some of his humanity replacing it with a Satyr's essence. That's why when your truth serum went to work, it only made him more of a Satyr because that's what he is now."

"Correct."

"The spell has contingencies though. Many, many layers. It will trigger and remove more humanity, making him more bestial. But it was never designed to remove his human essence unless those triggers are met. And those triggers are initiated when someone attempts to dispel the spell itself."

Mama Cherry Blossom nodded in his direction. "Correct. Again. I believe it is akin to filling a glass. After the spell was cast, it was half goat and half man. However, when we intervened, the hex increased the concentration of goat by pumping more inside and the man spilled out. More interference and it became all goat... albeit a demonic one."

Des was speaking excitedly, his eyes wide and he was gesturing a lot. "Then if we were to just pump more essence of man inside the glass, we could potentially reverse the spell!"

"I doubt it would be so simple," said the aqua-scaled dragon. "It is a many layered enchantment. One part of it is the defensive measure the pumps more Satyr into Matthew. Another I would hazard would prevent total reversion and will likely at least maintain Matthew's original Satyr form." She finished her potion and poured the bright blue concoction into another flask. "We are no closer to totally curing this enchantment but we at least know more about it."

Katie suddenly appeared between them. She wrapped her arms around their shoulders and pulled them close to her, their cheeks pressing against one another. "Awww, I just love it when you two talk shop. It's like you're brother and sister!"

"She did train me in the magical arts," rumbled Des, pulling away.

She gave Des a curious look. "This was not what you came here for, was it? You wanted her help with the case but why?"

Sighing, the weredog ran a paw down his face. He grimaced as it only rubbed Matt's cum further into his fur. "We found the groom."

Katie stared at him in surprise. "The groom of the bachelor party? Archie?"

"Yes. He was at the Sleeping Beauty. Apparently wandered back there last night and was so drunk that he passed out. Didn't wake up until later on this evening when the girls were actually treating him. We were hauling him to the station when he transformed right in front of us. Just like that Ted guy that Cayden encountered." He looked to Mama Cherry. "I was actually hoping for your insight in this."

"See?" exclaimed the silver-haired lawyer with a big grin. "If things had been slightly different and you had come to Mama Cherry Blossom first, she would've done exactly the same things to Archie. At least I think..."

"The police department have subpar materials," answered the dragon with a shrug. "I doubt I would've gone as far as I did now."

Des waved the comment away. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. So how are we going to get Matthew to drink that?"

A knock came to the back door and Katie beamed. She marched extravagantly towards the door, arms swinging. When she opened the door, a man in a butler's outfit was standing there. Somehow, he was holding an enormous silver cloche in one hand. The man bowed to Katie, offering her the cloche.

Grinning from ear to ear, Katie pulled the lid off the tray. There was a sledgehammer there and a familiar tune played.

'Stop. Hammer Time.'

She grabbed the sledgehammer in both hands and turned towards the two dumbstruck Paranorms.

"No," Des stated simply. "You are_not_ going to use that on Matthew."

"Oh come on, he won't know," said the lawyer maniacally. "And like the cloche said." She swung the hammer over her head.

"Hammer time!"

******

Summerdew Community College was located about an hour drive from the main city. Some time ago, it had just been one of the largest farms in the rural area between Wake Delta and Wake Falls. Apparently, the owners held classes for budding farmers there early on. When the city caught wind of it, they actually funded the reconstruction of the farm to actually accommodate students and have better facilities for education. It eventually grew into a full college and the small suburb of Dewton grew around it.

Most of the residents around Dewton were geared towards providing food and accommodation to those who attended Summerdew. Though most students lived relatively close to the college, there were those that either lived in the city or in further farms that were at least an hour or more away. To make that commute every day or so especially with morning classes was something Dewton hoped to alleviate.

On this vein, it was natural that some of the bigger houses were converted into frat houses.

It was one such frat house that Cayden was drawn to. Phi Upsilon Kappa was an all-Satyr fraternity. Barely noon and already the frat was in the throes of another party. Music was blaring out of the open windows and doors. There were drunk Satyrs milling about the front lawn and passed out inside. There were a few girls here and there. With Satyrs being all male, they needed some women around to tickle that particular vice. Those that couldn't get it with the opposite gender just found a fellow PUK and started making out. Nudity was rampant as well in both the fratboys and their guests.

College. Sometimes I wonder whether I made the right choice or not joining the police academy straight out of high school.

Then he saw two guys blatantly fucking on the front lawn in full view of everyone including strangers just trying to cross the street.

Definitely made the right choice. Just imagine what a werewolf fraternity would be like... urgh.

He found one of the Satyrs who looked the least drunk and still had clothes on and tapped his shoulder.

"Excuse me," he said, "my name is Cayden Wilde. I'm a Private Investigator looking into the case of Matthew Kingston."

The Satyr beamed. "Oh yeah! I heard about Matty! He's got hooves and horns now, right? I bet he can join up!"

"Probably can but that's not why I'm here." Cayden took out his notepad. "Apparently, someone from this college, a Satyr, came to the bachelor party that Matthew was attending. Do you know anyone like that?"

The man shrugged. "I dunno about that, bro. But you might want to ask Ron."

"Ron?"

That names sounds familiar... There's a 'Ronald Crowe' that attended the bachelor party and is still missing...

"Yeah. He was at that party," answered the Satyr. "One of the groomsmen. He's upstairs right now with Jessie. Up the stairs, take a right. Second door on the left."

"Do the police know he's here?"

The fratboy Satyr just grinned at him. "Naw, bro! Police don't come 'round here anymore! They just get drunk off their asses and join in and never make arrests!"

Holy shit! I found a groomsman ahead of Des!

"Thanks for your time. I'm going to go talk to Ron now."

Cayden's tail was wagging. Having the one up on Des was surely going to piss off his old-partner. Not to mention that finding one of the groomsmen was a big leap in the case. He tried to focus on Matt's predicament but just thinking about Des fuming, the bulldog's white fur turning bright pink in fury and that little bit of froth gathering in the corners of his lips just made Cayden all giddy.

He bounded up the stairs two at a time and followed the instructions given to him. One right and the second door on the left. Cayden didn't bother to knock and just twisted the doorknob and entered.

"Ronald Crowe -" he began and instantly choked down his words.

It was a fairly room beyond the door but that only made sure that the two Satyrs in front of him dominated the scene. There was a tall, ebony skinned Satyr with curly, black hair and jet-black fur sitting on the edge of the bed. In front of him was another Satyr, a little smaller and with blonde hair. The blonde Paranorm was eagerly sliding his lips up and down the darker Satyr's fully erect, eight inch dick.

The receiving Satyr grinned at Cayden. "Oh hey man. Sorry. We just got started. If you want Jessie's famous lips, you're gonna have to wait."

Cayden gulped loudly. His tail was suddenly wagging for an entirely different reason. Memories of ploughing Matt's cute, bubble butt permeated his mind. Shaking his free of such lewd thoughts, he brought himself back to focus.

"Listen, my name is Cayden Wilde. I'm helping your friend Matthew Kingston with his issue of being a Satyr."

"Issue?" laughed Ron. "What issue?" He gently grabbed the horns of Jessie and pulled the other Paranorm away from his dick a little. "I've never felt better in my life!" He spread his arms, showing his lean, corded muscles, strong chest and chiselled abdominals. Nowhere near as big and buff as Ted but certainly larger than Matt.

And I do like my guys meaty...

Cayden kicked himself for those thoughts.

"So you like being a Satyr?" he asked gruffly.

"Of course! I get to fuck all day. I look great. I can go around naked it I want and I have some of the best bros around! What's not to like?"

Cayden pretended to scribble some notes down. "Did you always feel this way?"

"Ask anyone. I would've killed to be a Satyr."

"It's true," chimed in Jessie as he wiped his lips. "Ron was always hanging around us and talking about how he would turn into a Satyr once he got enough money. Some of the guys around here were actually thinking of pitching in to buy him the ritual."

So I wonder if the target wasn't the groom but Ron...? But then why go about it this way? Why not just pull Ron aside alone and turn him in private?

"I guess Matt just sees things differently." Cayden grunted softly, trying to subtly adjust himself. Two hot Satyrs naked in front of him, the smell of their need in the air mixed with their natural pheromones was really starting to affect him. "When did you change?"

"When I woke up this morning," answered Ron with a shrug. "I woke up right here in the frat. This is what the party is for, man! Me becoming a Satyr!"

He gave the two men a confused look. "Didn't any of you even question how this could've happened?"

"Who cares, man?" laughed Ron, flashing Cayden a set of perfect white teeth. "It's a dream come true for me!"

"Have you even told you parents? Your family?" He pointed his pen at the Satyr. "This party isn't going to last forever, kid. You're going to have to return to reality sooner than later and when that happens, you're going to have a lot to deal with. Particularly because this happened without the guidance of a witch or wizard, it's considered an illegal Parafication. You're going to get turned back."

Jessie was suddenly on his hooved feet, hands clenched. "What!? No way, bro!"

"Yes way," Cayden said, proud that he had curbed his own libido. "Being turned from one species to another involves a lot of paperwork. Official registries need to be changed. You effectively need to have your birth certificate altered. At least six months of psychological evaluation to make sure you don't go postal. It's effectively like gender reassignment surgery back before the Convergence."

Ron scowled at him, his perfectly unblemished dark skin getting wrinkled. "What? You're saying I'm crazy?"

"I'm saying that when this gets out, you're going to have to do a lot of explaining in front of a lot of people. The courts and a shrink will be the least of them." Cayden lifted a paw and waved it absently. "But I'm not here to talk about your problems. I want to talk about that night. Particularly the Satyr that came in and offered you a drink using his magic cup."

Ron exchanged glances with Jessie. "What Satyr?"

Oh fuck... I shouldn't have started with a threat.

"Don't fuck with me, kid," Cayden growled. "I know there was someone who came to the bachelor party after three of your friends left. He was a Satyr and he had a cup that would turn any liquid poured into it into red wine."

"And what makes you think I'll tell you anything? You're not a cop. You don't have the authority to force me to tell you anything or to arrest me." Ron gave him a confident smirk. "You've got nothing on me."

"I can tell everyone else where you are," he threatened. "Like I said, this party is going to end. When it'll end is up to you." He plucked his phone from his pocket. "Now I can call my good friend the Chief of Police and tell him that you're here since he's already got his men scouring the town for you or you can tell me what I want to know and you can go on drinking, fucking and whatever the hell else you want to do for as long as someone else keeps their mouth shut." He narrowed his gaze at Ron. "So what's it going to be?"

Ronald was frozen. His gambit had failed him and Cayden had all the cards now. But Satyrs were notoriously good at quite a few things; playing the panpipes, frolicking in the woods, holding their alcohol... and seduction.

"How about a bit of quid pro quo?" The tall, dark Satyr stood up, giving Cayden a sultry smile. "I still need to get off and this topic has me bummed out. I've always wanted to sleep with a werewolf. Never could as a human because... you know, bites and all."

"They've got medication for werewolf bites," Cayden growled. "Hell, you should be getting a werewolf vaccination once per year if you're smart."

"Clearly you didn't." Ron shrugged. "But now I'm a Satyr. I'm immune. I'm hot. I'm horny. We fuck here and now and then I'll tell you everything you want afterwards. Tell on me to the authorities afterwards for all I care. I got to be a Satyr and fuck around with a werewolf. I'll be satisfied."

Cayden narrowed his gaze.

What's the harm?

I mean, what's the catch? We both get our rocks off, I get my information and he gets to tick a couple of things off his bucket list.

I still feel like there's a catch but...

He appraised Ron's firm, tight body. The light glinted off his supple, ebony skin in just the right way to outline his muscles. The rough goat fur covering his legs didn't hide his thick muscles at all and they were just as juicy, strong and firm as his pectorals. Plus that dick! Eight inches of throbbing manliness just demanding to be let loose.

... Shit he's sexy.

"Fine," Cayden rumbled, stripping off his coat. "But I'm a top."

"What a coincidence," chuckled Ron. "I'm rather versatile." The dark skinned Satyr pressed himself up Cayden's side, running his hands over the werewolf's large, muscled chest. His finger orbited Cayden's right nipple, teasing the werewolf with bursts of warmth and stimulation. Jessie slipped around the wolf, fingers tracing the PI's broad shoulders and tracing the lines his wide upper torso made down to his slim waist. His fingers gravitated towards Cayden's aching dick. As soon as he had a grip on the throbbing meat, Jessie knelt down in front of the werewolf and pushed his lips against the bulge in the former cop's pants.

Cayden let out a lusty growl and kicked the door closed. Hormones were getting the better of him but he really didn't care. If sex with Matt the previous night was anything to go on, this was going to be a lot of fun. He grabbed the back of Ron's head and pushed the Satyr's lips against his nipple. Ron eagerly lapped at the fleshy nub through his shirt and singlet. The feeling of the rough material and the warmth from the Satyr's lips was excruciatingly arousing. With his other paw, he pushed Jessie's face against his crotch, bucking his hips roughly and commanding the blonde Satyr to worship his dick. Jessie happily complied.

Ron felt up his chest, fingers slipping underneath his shirt and running over his thick abdominals and plump pectorals. His digits found Cayden's other nipple and he gave them a twist. While pleasurable, Cayden didn't like being teased. He growled and snapped his fangs at Ron. The Satyr instantly pulled back. No one was going to get touch his body, to push his buttons, unless _he_said they could.

As punishment, Cayden roughly threw Jessie to the floor and seized Ron by his large, black horns. Muscles bunched as he pushed the Satyr down to his knees. Just a growl was all he needed before Ron knew exactly where his place was. The goat-man gently wrapped his arms around Cayden's legs in apology, rubbing his cheek against the thick, muscular thighs and pressing his nose up against Cayden's crotch.

Satisfied that the little Paranorm knew his place, Cayden huffed and rewarded the obedience by loosening his belt. He didn't remove it completely. That was Ron's job. The Satyr just looked up at him with confused, brown eyes. Then Jessie was there. The blonde-haired Satyr knew the game and he eagerly pulled away Cayden's black, leather belt.

"That's a good boy," Cayden rumbled. Like unwrapping a present, Cayden teased the two Satyrs by slowly pulling off his pants, revealing to them the bright, blue and white boxer briefs he wore. The colour contrasted against his red and grey fur and drew their eyes straight to the distinct bulge that was already tending the fabric and smearing it with precum.

Ron excitedly reached for the rim of the underwear -

Ka-crack!

Both young men froze. Cayden growled at them, his belt in one paw. No words needed to be spoken. They were his bitches now. Though there was doubt in Ron's eyes, his cock was at full mast and aching with need. These boys needed a real man, a real master, to put them through the paces.

"Worship it," he snarled.

Jessie took the lead. He leaned forward and ran his tongue over the thick bulge in the blue fabric. He lapped at it, suckled it through the cloth and breathed in Cayden's scent. Ron joined in a second later. The two lips adoring his dick was bliss to Cayden but he couldn't show any weakness to them. He was their alpha. He had to show dominance at all times.

And with that, he finally allowed himself to feel the rush of his cock filling with blood and need. Both Satyr's eyes widened as the bulge they were revering started to grow thicker and bigger. Significantly awed, Cayden graced them with the sight of his dick. He pulled down his briefs, showing them that he wasn't even at half-mast yet! His big, furry, grey sheath had plumped out but his big, red dick was just barely poking out. With a rumble like thunder, his cock began pushing out of his sheath, a river of precum dripping out of the dip and falling to the floor like clear, sticky rain.

Ron and Jessie stared at the huge monster that awoke in front of them. Ten, eleven, twelve inches and still growing. Jessie, filled with ravenous hunger, dove in for a taste of the beast. His eyelids fluttered as he took in the tip of Cayden's cock and rode the rising peak as it breached fourteen inches of lupine meat. Ron could only stare in shock as Cayden reached his full eighteen inches of forearm-thick, throbbing, lupine meat and Cayden's knot hadn't even formed yet!

"How do you walk!?" Ron exclaimed.

Cayden seized his horns roughly. "No talking." He shoved Ron's nose into his thick, bulbous balls. "Start licking."

The Satyr didn't need further prompting and eagerly lapped up at Cayden's receding sheath. He stuck his tongue into the fleshy flap, coaxing the werewolf's knot to form with ever lap. Cayden rumbled, a sign of his approval. The two boys began fondling their dicks and then on some inspiration from Jessie, the blonde Satyr reached over and started massaging Ron's balls. They quickly wrapped their hands around one another's members, pleasuring one another.

A devious thought entered Cayden's mind.

Ka-crack!

The two Satyrs pulled back like obedient little dogs.

"On the bed," Cayden growled at Ron and moved there himself. He lay down on the bed, feet pressing up against the bottom edge. Ron, quivering with excitement, crawled on top of him. Lightning fast, Cayden snapped his belt around the Satyr's wrists, the man's hands together. Ron whimpered but there was no denying he was very excited. Cayden rolled to the side, pulling the former human along with him until they were face to face on their sides.

With one paw, he bound Ron's wrists to the bedpost. The other, he seized Ron's leg and hoisted it over his own. Cayden pulled the Satyr over until the male's dick was pressed up against his hard abdominals, still concealed by his shirt. His own monster of a member, however, had slipped in under Ron's cock and balls, teasing the newly made Satyr's hole.

"Oh fuck..." Ron whispered.

Cayden shoved his cock into the hole, causing Ron to gasp. "I said no talking!" Despite the shock, Ron was grinning like an idiot and his back was arched in pleasure. Cayden glanced at Jessie who was fondling himself wildly. "You! Fuck your buddy."

Jessie's eyes widened and he glanced to Ron for confirmation.

"Did I fucking stutter!?" Cayden roared. "Fuck him now!"

Ron nodded wildly, his eyes pleading. Jessie dove into the bed and wrapped his arms around Ron's waist. With practiced movements, he pushed himself into Ron's ass, squeezing in with Cayden's partially buried dick. Ron squealed in delight, sweat rolling off his form as the two males inside him thrust and jerked their dicks deeper and deeper into him. Cayden led the charge, setting the pace and the wild werewolf growled and rumbled like a feral beast in heat. Jessie soon realised the futility of trying thrust himself as the massive werewolf dick pushed and pulled him into Ron's ass with every thrust like a whirlpool. He just held on for dear life as the massive werewolf's strength dominated both men.

The twin pleasures of shoving his dick into someone's ass and another cock pressed up against his own was bliss for Cayden. While he prided himself in being bisexual there was just something...intimate about some man-on-man-on-man action. Only men could really communicate through their genitals. From the desperate twitches of Ron's cock, he could tell the Satyr was overwhelmed and loving every second. The heat from Jessie's cock and the throbbing of his balls said the blonde Satyr was ready to cum but wanted to wait until the big, dominant werewolf gave him the go-ahead.

Cayden rumbled and wrapped his big, thick arms around both men, pressing them both against his chest and he rode them like a beast. He rolled them over until he was on the absolute top and poor Jessie was pressed beneath their combined weight. Ron let out an almost girlish squeal as the force of gravity was added into Cayden's thrusts.

The heat in their bodies grew and grew. The bed creaked and crackled beneath Cayden's powerful thrusts. Ron was grabbing onto the bedpost for dear life while Jessie was clutching the edges of the bed, unable to do more than ride the storm that was sex with Cayden Wilde. Their sweat mingled with one another, the scent of their bodies and need filling the entire room like a miasma.

Cayden felt his balls starting to gurgle with the need for release. His knot had formed but it was left uncomfortably cold as Ron couldn't take much more of his length. He wasn't even halfway in to the Satyr but he didn't expect more from the guy's first threesome and first time being double-penetrated, at least he thought it was his first time. Still, he was ready to explode but he would be the last to unleash his load. These boys would know what it meant to be filled by a real man.

He leaned down, muzzle reaching past Ron's shoulders until he was nose to nose with Jessie.

"Cum now."

To emphasise his point, Cayden increased his pace, ploughing hard into Ron until the dark satyr's cries of pleasure were joined by Jessie's in a cacophony of ecstasy. He felt Jessie's balls surge and cum shoot up the length of the young man's dick. The sudden blast of warmth that splattered around his cock and filled Ron almost made him lose it but he held on.

He had to be the last to cum.

Ron couldn't hold on much longer. His muscles bunched and he grit his teeth together, desperate not to let his body betray him but there was no way to stop the flood. The sandwiched Satyr's abdominal muscles clenched and the cords on his neck strained as he let out a loud, high-pitched whine. His cock went painfully rigid and his seed came shooting out in bursts and blasts that shook his entire body. Ron's eyes rolled into the back of his head, only the whites visible as he convulsed and gave himself entirely to the ecstasy of orgasm.

Cayden let Ron finished, allowing the newly made Satyr to drop on top of his friend in exhaustion. Then gave the two boys one last plough before he pulled himself out. The movement caused both of the bottom men to shudder. He wasn't done yet. Kneeling on the bed, he gripped his throbbing dick and angled his cock straight at the two. They were helpless. Unable to move or defend themselves. They could only stare in exhausted fear as Cayden's lemon-sized balls tightened and his dick throbbed.

SPLAT!

Torrents of cum came shooting out of Cayden's meat, washing over the two like a big, white wave. Both Satyrs could only lie there, taking it all as they their naked bodies were coated entirely in werewolf cum. Jessie even went so far as to catch some in his mouth and swallow it.

"That's a good bitch," Cayden rumbled with a grin as his second load blasted out of his cock and splattered the headboard.

Six more loads left the bed completely soaked and all three of them satisfied.

The werewolf sighed and rolled his shoulders. It had been a while since he'd gotten into a threesome. He examined the exhausted Ron who rolled to his side and allowed Jessie to pull out of him.

Not bad for a newbie.

Maybe he really was meant to be a Satyr.

"Get cleaned up," he growled. "Then we talk."

******

Desmond Gordon arrived at the Phi Upsilon Kappa fraternity house just a little after three in the afternoon. There was another party going on and he couldn't guess what it could possibly be for this time. The PUKs - colloquially called the 'Fucks' - found a reason to party every second day and that usually involved a lot of booze and a lot of sex. Honestly, it disgusted him that bright young minds would perpetuate the stereotype of Satyrs like that but it wasn't his business.

He grabbed the nearest Satyr that didn't look too drunk.

"I'm looking for a werewolf," he grunted. "Seven-ten. Red and grey fur. Likes to wear a trench coat and fedora like he's in a noir film."

"Oh yeah!" exclaimed the Satyr. "Guy went up to speak with some of the other bros." The guy grinned. "Man, I hope it's my turn later. The guys that come out of that room can barely walk afterwards!"

Des shut his eyes.

Oh for fuck's sake, Cade...

"What room?" he said with barely controlled fury.

"Up the stairs. Take a right. Second door on the left."

"Thanks."

Des followed the instructed and hoped to god he wasn't going to get another face full of cum. Thankfully, when he entered, Cayden wasn't in the middle of sex. Though by the smell of things and the fact that there were three naked Satyrs on the bed, he had just finished.

"Wilde!" he shouted. "What the fuck are you doing!?"

Cayden gave him a coy smile. "Having fun. What are you doing?"

"Looking for you." He stormed forward and grabbed the pants-less Cayden and dragged him out into the hallway. "What do you think you're doing!? Having sex with these guys is highly unprofessional!"

Cayden yanked his shirt away from Des. "For a cop, maybe. But you kicked me out, remember?"

This again... Fuck Cayden...

"Just let it go." He looked down at Cayden's erect member. "And point that thing away from me. I've been seeded enough times today."

The werewolf lifted an eyebrow and his smile turned mocking. "What? Someone on the force fucking you again, Des?" He gestured at Des. "Pot." Then he pointed at himself. "Kettle."

"Shut up. It wasn't like that." Des folded his arms to indicate that was the end of the discussion on that front at least. "Your friend Katie and Mama Cherry Blossom was doing some experiments on Matthew. Had him drinking all sorts of potions. They discerned that this 'curse' for lack of a better word, actually has many layers to it. If anyone tries to alter it in any way, it'll shift the balance of Satyr and human. It'll try to turn the victim into a ravenous monster. Matthew almost killed us with his fire-breathing shenanigans."

"Fire breathing?" Cayden repeated, his concern suddenly very real.

"Don't worry. We cleaned him up though he's a little... different from before. Mama Cherry Blossom said it has something to do with the dynamics of the spell being altered because of their interference. Thing is, Katie told me you found a lead." Des glanced into the frat room. "If one of them is the groomsmen, Cade, you have got to bring them down to the station. They're a danger to everyone. If they are the subject of any spell at all, it could change the Satyr-spell on them. They could go wild and kill people."

Cayden was silent for a long time. That gave Des the opportunity to pounce.

"This is way over your head, Cayden. If this gets out of hand any more, the Magical Investigation Agency might get involved. You do not want that to happen. Especially after you've not only fucked the primary victim but also several others involved in the case. Just drop it, Cade, if you know what's good for you."

There was a glint in the werewolf's eyes that already told Des such words were futile.

"You know I can't do that, Des. I've got a job to do."

"And so do I." Des sighed and shook his head. "I've given you fair warning, Cade. I'm not going to arrest you. I'm never going to arrest you. But trust me, if the MIA get involved, we're both going down."

"Covering your ass again, Des?"

He sighed and turned his back to Cayden. "Look, just do me a favour and talk to Matthew Kingston, okay? I tried to console him about all this shit but he won't listen to me. He seemed to want to only talk to you. Likely because you fucked him last night." Des shoved his paws into his pockets. "And take care of yourself, Cayden. Whatever this is... it's pretty damn big."

Cayden watched Des leave. Needless to say his boner was already going down.

Matt needs my help, the werewolf thought bitterly. Shit Katie, what did you do to him?

"You didn't tell him about what I told you," Ron said, limping out of the room. "About Vance."

"I know," Cayden rumbled.

This was his chance.

Vance Yang was another groomsman and he had stopped by the fraternity with Ron yesterday before Ron had transformed. Upon changing, Vance said he was going to get himself admitted to the local hospital to make sure he was checked out for any diseases and curses, at least the same as Ron. When news hit his ears about Matt, he really got scared and rushed off.

But there was a catch.

Vance only had one drink last night.

And that was the drink from the mysterious Satyr.

Vance knew who the guy was and only had one drink. He was the one that escorted Ron to the fraternity as he was sober enough to drive. He could have a clear recollection of the evening. Vance would know who the mysterious Satyr was.

But then again... there was Matt.

"Fuck..." Cayden muttered softly. "What do I do...?"

******

It's that time again, dear readers!

What should Cayden do?

1) __Vance Yang is a solid lead and one that Des doesn't know about. He could have the identity of the unknown Satyr with the golden cup. Should he pursue this lead?

2) Or should he go find Matt and see how he's doing? He had just undergone a traumatic experience and who knows what else Katie and Mama Cherry Blossom did to him.