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Chapter 1

    Professor William Keene sat at his antique oak desk in the study of his home and examined the gold coins that had spilled out of the leather pouch. He weighed one of the coins and then, using the latest gold prices from the internet, he estimated the total worth of the coins was at least ten thousand dollars.

    Of course, the coins would be worth much more if he sold them to a collector or museum, however this wasn’t possible. There would be too many questions of where the coins came from; questions Dr. Keene didn’t want to answer since the images on the coins were unlike anything previously seen before. No, he would melt down the coins and cast the precious metal into bars. Yes, he would lose some money in the transaction, but he wasn’t worried. With each delivery he would get another pouch of coins.

    He pulled out his pocket watch and nodded, there was much to be done in the next hour.

Chapter 2

    William Keene had spent the last thirty-five years bouncing from one university to another. He never could find his nitch and none of his papers ever attracted much attention from his peers. His expertise was ancient Greece, specifically the study of mythology. But he never really broke any new ground. Over the years he had grown frustrated that younger and younger colleagues made new discoveries while he languished in obscurity.

    His personal life wasn’t much better. His first wife had left him when he was in grad school and his second wife ran off with one of his grad students.     

    However his luck had changed on the trip to a small Greek island the previous summer. At first he wasn’t sure what he had found. When he discovered the secret of the object he debated what to do with it. On the one hand it could be the discovery that gave him the fame he so craved. But then he realized the financial rewards of keeping it to himself. No, he would keep it a secret and quietly reap its benefits.

    Over the past year he had done just that. If he played his cards right he could bring in tens of thousands of tax-free dollars every month.

    He looked at his watch again and smiled, hopefully all of his guests would be on time.

Chapter 3

    The 98 Ford Explorer turned on the rutted dirt road that led to Professor Keene’s home.

    “Are you sure this is it?” asked Eric Holt.

    “Yes, according to the directions, we follow this road for two miles and then we should see the professor’s home,” stated Ian Smith who was sitting in the front passenger seat.

    “I just hope the road doesn’t get any worse,” stated the driver, Adam Pierce. Hitting a string of enormous potholes had caused them to slow to little more than a crawl to prevent the SUV from shaking apart. Fortunately they were almost twenty minutes ahead of time so the forced reduction in speed wouldn’t make them late.

    The last passenger in the SUV just looked out the window without comment. His name was Adrian Harris, and, like the others, he was a freshman at the university where Professor Keene taught.

    The four young men were not friends and had only met each other because they had answered an ad in the campus newspaper. The ad promised money for academic research and over three hundred people applied. The four young men were contacted and informed that they met the requirements for the study.

    “I hope this doesn’t take long. I mean, I need the money, but I don’t like the mystery surrounding this,” said Eric

    All four of them had signed privacy acts that bound them to secrecy.  In exchange for a few hours of their time they were promised two hundred dollars each.

    “Well, it’s all legitimate so we don’t have to worry about the professor wanting to have sex with us,” said Adam.

    “That’s so fucking gross,” said Ian.

    “Are you sure, I mean we weren’t allowed to tell anyone what we were doing,” added Adam.

    “He probably just wants to keep his research private. I heard this guy can be pretty vindictive,” said Adrian.

    “What do you mean?” asked Ian.

    “From what I’ve heard he’s had a pretty mediocre career and feels that all his ideas have been stolen over the years,” explained Adrian.

    “There’s the house,” said Eric.

    They pulled up to a large farm house and parked by the barn. As they stepped out of the Explorer, Professor Keene stepped out of his house and waved.

    “Any trouble finding the place?” he asked.

    “No, Professor, the directions were excellent,” said Ian.

    Professor Keene walked up to the four young men and shook their hands. “Good, good. Now, did you follow all my directions?”

    The men nodded.

    “You didn’t tell anyone what you were doing or where you were going?” asked Professor Keens.

    “No, Professor,” said Eric.

    “We’re curious about why all the secrecy,” interjected Adrian.

    “I can understand that. Once you see what I’m about to show you you’ll understand. Now please follow me into the barn,” said the older man.

Chapter 3

    Professor Keene was pleased that all four had shown up. He had specifically picked them out from the large number of applicants to his ad. All four of the men were from out of state and new to the university. In addition he could see that they had few friends. He didn’t like resorting to using college students, but he needed to spread out his selections.

    They all appeared to be in good physical health. They were also all of average build and appearance.

    He led them into the barn and directed them to sit down in front of what looked like a large metal door. The bronze door was standing upright in the middle of the floor. The door was closed there didn’t appear to be anything behind it.

    Dr. Keene stood by the door.

    “I discovered this on a trip to Greece last year. It was located in a cave that had been sealed up for at least four thousand years,” he explained.

    Ian raised his hand. “How did you determine that?”

    “From artifacts located in the cave,” replied Dr. Keene. “From what we could determine the cave was blocked up on purpose.”

    “Why?” asked Adrian.

    “This isn’t just a door, it’s a gateway to another land,” said Professor Keene.

    The four men began to murmur.

    “A gateway…where does it go?” asked Eric.

    Dr. Keene smiled. “Let me show you.”

    He produced a key and unlocked the door. It swung open and the four men all gasped.

Chapter 4

    The four men all stood up and looked at the landscape now exposed by the open door.

    While it was now night outside, though the gateway it appeared to be bright and sunny. There were green rolling hills, with large snowcapped mountains in the distance.

    “This isn’t possible,” said Eric as he looked around the back of the door. “Damn, it’s real.”

    “It’s very real,” said Professor Keene. “I have mapped out the general area around gate.”

    He pointed to a large map that was mounted on the wall of the barn. The four men walked over and began to study the map.

    “Here is where you enter the land,” said Professor Keene. “It appears to be a religious temple.”

    “Is this a town?” asked Ian.

    “Yes,” replied the Professor. “It is located a few miles from the temple.”

    “Is it inhabited?” asked Adrian.

    Professor Keene nodded. “Yes. I’ve only observed it from a distance through a pair of binoculars. They appear to be the equivalent to a Bronze Age community.”

    Adrian looked at the map. To the left of the temple was a large open area that was bordered by what looked like a huge hardwood forest. A river flowed out of the forest towards the village and into what looked like either a large lake or a sea.

    He asked the professor about the body of water.

    “It’s an ocean. I have no idea how large it is,” said Professor Keene. “I haven’t been able to explore much of the land.”

    Eric walked back to the gateway and looked inside. He could see what looked like mounted figures in the distance. He then gasped as he realized that what he was seeing wasn’t men on horseback, rather he was seeing centaurs.

    “Do you see that?” he exclaimed.

    The others rushed over and stared in disbelief.

    “That’s right boys, actual centaurs. There are other beings in the land that we would consider mythological,” said Professor Keene.

    There was one male centaur with what looked like a herd of ten females. They looked very much like the classical images of centaurs.

    The male was carrying what looked to be a bow and he had a quiver of arrows over his shoulder.

    The females all appeared to be attractive woman of various hair colors. They were all bare-breasted, although some appeared to be wearing what looked like jewelry.

    “Can they get through…I mean into our world?” asked Ian.

    Professor Keene shook his head. “No, only those who hold the key to the gateway can pass back and forth.”

    “So, you’ve been in there?” asked Adam.

    “Several times. The beings in this land are quite friendly,” he replied.

    “How can you tell?” asked Eric.

    “I’ve had many conversations with them,” he replied. “The amazing thing is that communication is possible when you are over there.”

    “So can we go in there with you?” asked Adam.

    “That’s why I asked you here,” said Professor Keene. “In fact, you four will fill a very important role.”

    “What do you mean?” asked Eric.

    “This world needs fresh genes to survive…and you will provide them,” said Professor Keene.

    The four young men stopped looking through the gateway and turned towards the professor. It was then they noticed that he was pointing a double barreled shotgun at them.

    “I don’t want to kill you, but I will not hesitate to shoot you. You will enter the gateway and you will be assimilated into the various populations,” he continued.

    “What the hell do you mean by assimilate?” demanded Ian.

    “It’s quite simple; whatever group captures you will transform and take you into their society,” said Professor Keene. “So if the centaurs catch you, you will become a centaur and live out your life as a mare serving the lead stallion and producing the next generation of foals.”

    “Wait…did you say that we’ll become female?” asked Adam.

    The Professor nodded. “They need females and unfortunately human females aren’t strong enough to survive the transformation. The good thing is that you will lead a long and healthy life.”

    “Fuck you man, you’re crazy,” shouted Eric.

    “No, I’m not crazy. Now, if the centaurs don’t get you there are other beings that will eagerly take you into their communities…but I’ll leave that to you to discover,” said Professor Keene.

    “What about the town? What happens if we get there?” asked Adrian.

    The Professor shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea. No one has ever made it that far.”

    “You won’t get away with this,” growled Eric. “People will look for us.”

    “I’m not worried about that. No one knows you are here. You and your companions will make twenty-five that I have sent into the gateway. No one has questioned me yet,” explained Professor Keene.  He then motioned with the gun towards the gateway. “Now, step though…or I will kill you.”

    The four young men looked at the Professor. He was too far away from them to make a successful rush to get the gun.

    Ian looked into the gateway and saw that the centaurs had retreated back to the edge of the forest. He estimated they were five miles away.

    “I’m going to come back and kill you someday,” growled Adrian as he glared at Professor Keene.

    “I highly doubt that. Centaur mares are quite docile and submissive to their stallions. If I came up to you after you’ve been transformed the most you would do is eat sugar cubes out of my hand. The other races are even more passive,” said the Professor. “Now, are you going in or do I have to shoot one of you?”

    The four looked at each other and without another word they stepped through the gateway.

Chapter 5

    The four men stepped out of the gateway and looked around. They could see Professor Keene standing in the barn smiling back at them. Ian touched the opening, but found that it was solid and that there was no way to pass back into their world.

    “So what do we do now?” asked Eric.

    “Let’s head towards the village as fast as we can,” proposed Adrian.

    “He’s right, I don’t see any other choice…if we stay here the centaurs are bound to notice us,” stated Ian.

    They started out towards the distance village.

    “How do we know the people will help us?” asked Eric.

    “Do you have a better idea?” asked Adrian.

    The sound of a horn blowing caused them to freeze in their tracks. It was coming from the gateway. They could see that it was Professor Keene.

    “The bastard is letting the centaurs know we’re here!” cried Ian. “That son of a bitch!”

    “Forget it, we need to keep moving,” affirmed Adrian.

    Ian looked over towards the tree line in the distance. He could see the centaurs and it was evident that the centaurs could see them.

    “Shit, they’ve seen us!” he shrieked as he broke out into a run.

    “Don’t panic, save your energy,” stated Adrian.

    The four began to run towards the village, glancing over to see if the centaurs were coming towards them.

    “They’re just standing there,” noted Eric as he looked over at the centaurs. “Maybe they haven’t seen us after all.”

    Adrian wasn’t sure, but from what he could see, the dozen or so centaurs all appeared to be female. He then remembered what the professor had said about the female being docile.

    He was about to say something when a leather bolo flew across the sky and wrapped around Adam’s legs.

    Adam immediately fell to the ground and cried out for help.

    “Help me….for god’s sake don’t leave me here!” he begged as he struggled to free his legs.

    Adrian was about to turn back when he saw a large centaur with a black beard and mane gallop over the crest of hill. The centaur was racing straight for Adam. He was shocked by the speed of the creature and how fast it was.

    “There’s nothing we can do for him,” cried Ian as he grabbed Adrian’s arm. “Keep running!”

    Adrian could see that Ian was right as the centaur was soon standing right above Adam.

Chapter 6

    Adam continued to try and free his legs, but it was futile as the leather straps connected to the weights of the bolo were wrapped too tightly around his legs. He watched in a combination of terror and amazement as the large male centaur walked slowly around him, as it was studying him.

    “Hmm, you seem like a good catch,” spoke the centaur. “I love the color of your hair. It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone with hair the color of the sun.”

    “Please let me go,” begged Adam.

    “Why would I do that? You will make a fine addition to my harem,” he said as he easily scooped Adam up in his arms. “You look young…but you look to be within mating age.”

    The centaur galloped off with Adam in his arms.

    “My name is Dev,” stated the centaur in a loud booming voice. “What do you call yourself?”

    “Adam, my name is Adam.”

    Dev nodded. “You will forget that name; from this moment on you are Avara. It means the youngest…which is fitting as you will be the youngest mare in my harem. Do not worry little one, I have no intention of hurting you, in fact it is the farthest thing from my mind. Now, don’t you worry Avara, the others will help you adjust. Now tell me your name again.”

    Adam hesitated for a moment before answering. He tried to say his old name, but it would not come out. Finally he relaxed and he replied. “I am Avara.”

    “See how easy that was,” replied Dev.

    “How…how will I be changed?”

    “You will see, my sweet young filly,” he replied.

    Dev trotted over to where the mares were gathered.

    Avara looked at the gathering of mares. From the waist up they all looked like gorgeous women, the only non-human feature was their ears, which looked like those of a horse.

    “I have brought you a new sister. Her name is Avara. Prepare her for her rebirth,” he ordered.

    The mares of Dev’s harem untied Avara and striped off his human clothing. They gathered around close to Avara so that he could not escape.

    One of the older mares reached down and pulled Avara close to her. She then guided Avara’s mouth to one of her breasts.

    “Suckle, young one,” she ordered. “I am Rani and I am the matriarch of this harem.”

    Avara did as he was ordered and soon his mouth was filled what tasted like very rich and creamy milk. He found that once he started to drink he couldn’t stop.

    “This will prepare you for your ultimate transformation,” said Rani.

    Avara felt a sensation of warmth sweep through his body. It had a very calming effect and he no longer feared what was about to happen.

    “Look, she’s changing!” exclaimed one of the other mares.

    “She is correct, young one, the changes have already started,” noted Rani. “Look how you’re changing, Avara.”

    Avara looked down and could see that his body was indeed transforming. His breasts were growing outward and at the same time his male sex organ was being absorbed into his body. The whole transformation was very painless and in just a few minutes Avara was a beautiful blonde woman. Her hair was long and reached down to the small of her back.

    “Very nice,” said Rani. “Her hair is like gold. She will produce lovely foals.”

    “Is she ready?” asked Dev as he trotted up to the circle of mares.

    “Yes my lord, she is ready to take her place in your harem,” said Rani.

    “Bring her to me” he ordered.

    Two of the mares escorted Avara to Dev.

    Avara felt lightheaded and realized that she couldn’t escape; in fact it took all her energy to just standup.

    “Have no fear young one, this will not hurt,” he said in a calming voice. “Your transformation will help our race…soon to be your race… to continue.”

    Avara didn’t know what to expect at first, but then she saw Dev’s enormous cock begin to harden.

    It was huge. It was well over eighteen inches in length and very thick. She couldn’t image something that large entering her body. It would surely split her open. But that’s exactly what appeared to be what was going to happen.

    The two mares positioned Avara so the Dev could mount her.

    She gasped as his cock pressed against her body. He began to rub it against her, with each stroke it seemed to slide easily inside her vagina. She could feel it slowly moving deeper and deeper into her body. As it did, she felt her vagina spread open, with each stroke she could feel her body transforming to take her stallion’s cock.

    As Dev’s cock pressed deeper into her body, she began to be aware of the other changes. Her legs began to expand, lengthen and stiffen. She felt her torso stretching out and two additional legs began to emerge from her body. 

    There was no pain, only the growing pleasure of mating with Dev. She could feel his cock press deep inside her body and with it a growing sensation of sexual satisfaction.

    The physical changes continued and soon she found that she was standing on her four legs. She looked down to see her hooves. With each passing moment she was becoming a centaur mare. She reached up to brush her hair out of her face and felt her ears; they were like the other mare’s, large like a horse.

    By now her body could support the full weigh of Dev, and as he mounted her, she felt his cock press deep into her body. The sensation was incredibly erotic and she let out a moan of contentment.

    “Yes, my dear Avara, you are becoming one of us,” whispered Dev as he continued to mate with her.

    To her surprise he was extremely gentle and careful not to hurt her. When he finally finished mating with her she knew that the transformation was complete.

    She could feel her tail twitching back and forth, her long blonde hair flowed down her back until it formed the hair of her mane.

    The other mares led her off.

    “Take your time,” said a dark haired female who trotted along side her. “My name is Kanti and I just joined the harem six months ago. I can tell you from my own experience that it will take time to learn to walk on your new legs.”

    Avara looked at Kanti. “So you were also tricked by the Professor?”

    Kanti nodded. “Don’t worry about that now. You must forget your old life. Dev is a wonderful stallion and you will love him as we do. His mating with you bonds you to him and in turn to us.”

    Avara nodded. She could feel a growing sense of submission. Dev was her stallion and she knew that she must obey him.

    “Soon you will be like me…with a growing belly,” continued Kanti. “It is an honor to carry his young.”

    Avara looked at Kanti and could see that her sister was obviously pregnant.

    “How long have you been with child?”

    Kanti laughed. “Six months,” she replied.

    It took Avara a moment to realize what she had said. “So…that means that I am also pregnant?”

    Kanti nodded. “Most likely, but you will mate with Dev several more times over the next few days. It’s part of the transformation. You will carry your foal for a year before giving birth. Don’t worry, the others will teach you everything you need to know.”

    Avara ran her hands over her abdomen. She then wondered how the others were doing.

Chapter 7

    The other three continued their run towards the distant village.

    “I don’t see any more centaurs,” said Eric as he looked around. “Maybe we can stop and rest for a while.”

    “No, we have to keep going. Keep your eyes open. Remember we didn’t see the one that caught Adam,” said Ian as he wiped sweat from his brow.

    “Look, we’re almost to the river,” said Adrian.

    The other two joined him as they looked for a crossing.

    “It’s definitely too far to jump,” said Eric.

    The river’s width ranged form ten to twenty feet across.

    “It doesn’t look too deep, do you think we should try to swim across?” asked Ian.

    Adrian shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to risk it. Remember that bastard Keene said that there were other creatures besides the centaurs. I thought I saw a bridge up that way a bit,” he said as he pointed to his left.

    “I’m all for crossing here,” said Ian. “What do you think Eric?”

    Eric was about to answer when he stopped and turned as if he had heard something.

    The others then heard what caught Eric’s attention. There was the sound of hooves approaching.

    “Come on, let’s run for the bridge,” said Adrian.

    “Fuck that, I’m going for the shortest way,” replied Ian as he ran towards the river.

    “Eric, come on!” shouted Adrian as he headed in the direction where he thought the bridge was located.

    Eric was panic stricken, frozen in his tracks, and unable to decide what to do.

    Ian jumped into the river and started to swim to the other side. He was halfway across when Eric let out a scream.

    Both Ian and Adrian turned to see a net being tossed over Eric by a brown haired centaur stallion.

    The net had weights on the edge and it wrapped around Eric, trapping the young man.

    Adrian was about to turn to run when he heard Ian scream. He saw Ian being pulled down below the surface, followed by the splash of what looked like a large fish tail.

    He looked back at Eric to see that a centaur was standing above him.

    As much as it pained him Adrian ran towards the bridge, there was nothing he could do for the others. He cursed his actions as he ran, but deep down he knew it was all he could do.

    He ran for a few hundred yards and then he saw a small stone bridge. Without hesitation he ran across it and headed towards the village.

Chapter 8

    Ian struggled to get to the surface, but whatever had grabbed him was too strong. At first he thought it was an animal, but then he realized that whatever it was it had hands.

    The creature pulled him down to the bottom of the river. Ian was about to pass out from the lack of air when he felt a sharp pain in leg as he was stung by something.

    He began to feel as if he was going to pass out when he heard someone speaking to him.

    “Stop struggling, relax and breathe,” said the voice in a calming tone.

    Logic told Ian that he could not breathe under water, but as the voice again told him to relax, Ian took in a deep breath and to his total shock he found that he could breathe.

    “Open your eyes,” ordered the voice.

    Ian did as he was told and saw what looked like a handsome man in front of him. As Ian’s eyes adjusted he could see that what he thought was a man was in fact a merman.

    “My name is Ronan,” he said softly.

    Ian stared at Ronan. He was a handsome creature, even though he had grayish-blue hair and from the waist down he looked like a large fish.

    “What is your name?” he asked.

    “My name is Ian.”

    Ronan let out a roar of laughter.

    “What’s so funny?” asked Ian, slightly annoyed.

    “That sounds like a man’s name my dear maiden,” he replied.

    “I am a man,” replied Ian.

    Ronan shook his head. “Look at your body; you’re not even human anymore.”

    Ian looked down and froze. Ronan was right; he had transformed into a mermaid.

    She now had large breasts and, like Ronan, she had a long and graceful tail. Out of curiosity she reached down and ran her hands over her tail. It was surprisingly soft to the touch.

    She then ran her hands over were her cock would have been, and she could feel a slit.

    “That is right, you are now a female in all ways,” continued Ronan. “Soon we will mate and we will truly be one.”

    “What did you do to me?” Ian demanded.

    “Isn’t that obvious? I took you as my mate…of course; I had to make some changes. In all you came out quite lovely!” replied Ronan. “I specifically love the color of your hair.”

    Ian could see long strands of blue-green hair around her face.

    “I think your new name should be Keely,” he stated. “I’ve always been found of it.”

    “This can’t be happening,” she said.

    “Would you rather be one of those filthy centaurs like the one that took your other companion?” he asked. “This is much more graceful and unlike those land beasts our kind are monogamous.”

    Keely ran her fingers through her long hair. “I don’t know…this is so strange.”

    “You will get used to it my dear,” he said as he took her by the hand. “With each passing moment you will adapt to your new life.”

    “Where are you taking me?” she asked him.

    “Out to the sea, come with me my dear,” he said. “We will feast and then I will introduce you to my family.”

    She looked at him and realized that she had little choice. “Okay,” she said.

    Together they swam out towards the ocean.

Chapter 9

    Adrian watched from across the river as Eric was transformed into a centaur mare and wondered if that would be his fate.

    He knew he should have kept running, but he was mesmerized by the site of Eric being first transformed into a woman and then into a centaur. He had to admit that Eric was quite attractive. Eric’s brown hair was now a long and flowing main. She was still human from the waist up and Adrian was amazed how big Eric’s breasts were.

The good thing was that the transformations appeared to painless thought Adrian. Eric even seemed to enjoy the mating with the stallion. 

    He watched as the herd of centaurs escorted Eric away from the river and towards the grasslands. Eric made no attempts to flee and seemed to be communicating with the other females.

    Before he left, Adrian again scanned the river. Maybe, Ian had escaped from whatever had grabbed him, but these hopes were dashed when he saw two figures briefly surface.

    They were human, but their hair was the color of the ocean. Adrian watched as they drove back down below the surface, he gasped as he saw that they both had fish-tails.

    Deep down he knew that the mermaid was Ian and then it hit him that he was all alone. However there was no time to feel sorry for himself, he was exposed and he knew that he was still in great danger.

    Using great caution, he climbed up to the top of a small hill. He checked the area for dangers. There didn’t appear to be any other centaurs between him and the village, but from what he had seen that didn’t mean he was safe. He took one last look at Eric, who was now trotting off with her new herd.

    Adrian slid down the hill and headed towards the village. As he got closer he could see women working in the fields. What was strange was that there were no guards. He wondered why the centaurs didn’t bother the villagers. He then wondered if they might turn him over to the creatures. He decided it was a risk he would have to take.

    As he approached the women saw him. One of them blew into a horn and within a few moments four mounted riders galloped out of the village towards him.

    Adrian stopped in his tracks and stared at the riders. He could see that all four were women and that they were all armed. Each wore what looked like a bronze breast plate and what looked like a classic Corinthian helmet. Two of the riders were armed with lances and the other two had bows. The archers had arrows notched in their bows and were aiming at him.

    Adrian realized that he couldn’t outrun them and he couldn’t fight them. He held out his arms, with this hands open and palms up.

    The riders quickly surrounded him.

    “Should we kill him?” asked one of the riders. She had an arrow pointed directly at Adrian’s chest.

    “They know the law, men are not allowed in our lands,” hissed the other archer.

    “No, not yet,” said the rider, whom Adrian suspected was the leader. “Look at his clothes…they are so strange. He has blue cloth wrapped around his legs. And look at his feet…he has bizarre coverings on them!”

    Adrian smiled at this comment. He was dressed in jeans, a dark blue t-shirt and a pair of Nikes.

    “He doesn’t appear to have any weapons either,” noted the other rider armed with a lance. She pressed the tip of the lance at Adrian’s chest. “He would be very easy to kill!”

    “Stop, I am in charge here. Stranger, who are you?” demanded the lead rider.

    “My name is Adrian Harris,” he replied as he brushed back his sweaty brown hair.

    “How odd!” exclaimed one of the archers. “He has two names!”

    The other archer shook her head. “One name is enough for me.”

    “Men are not allowed in our lands…our laws are quite clear,” stated the leader. “The penalty for violating this rule is death.”

    “I apologize…I didn’t know…I was cast into this land without knowledge of your laws,” he explained as calmly as he could considering the circumstances. 

    “What do you mean ‘cast’ Adrian Harris?” asked the leader.

    He motioned back towards the gateway. “I don’t know what you call it, but I was forced to come through that gateway on the hill. I came through it with three others. They are gone…they were…captured along the way.”

    One of the archers nodded. “That is what happens to intruders.”

    “Silence,” stated the leader to the others. She lifted her helmet up so that it rested on top of her head. “You said that you came through the gateway?”

    Adrian nodded.

    “Why?” she asked.

    “I told you I was forced through. I don’t know why, but it was either go through the gateway or be killed,” he replied. “Maybe I should have taken death…it would have been quicker.”

    The leader stared at him.

    “You don’t believe me, do you?” he asked.

    “Follow us,” she ordered ignoring his question.

    Adrian didn’t know what awaited him, but he knew that he had no choice. He ran along side the riders as they escorted him back into the village.

    As they got closer, Adrian could see that all the inhabitants of the village were women. There were no males at all…not even among the children. He realized that they were Amazons and he began to wonder if it would have been better to be captured and transformed like the others or was something worse awaiting him.

    The homes in the village were composed of one and two story white stone structures. They were arranged in a semi-circle. Past the homes he could see what looked like stables and a market place. What surprised him was the lack of walls and defensive measures.

    Behind each home was a garden comprised of fruit trees and vegetables plots.

    He had to admit that it appeared to be a very lovely town. He also wondered if this was the place that he would die.

    The riders escorted him past the homes to a building that appeared to be a central meeting hall.

    “Take him to the holding cage. The council will decide his fate,” ordered the leader.

Chapter 10

    Adrian sat down in the small holding cage. It was too small for him to stand, but it was clean and he was given water and bread.

    As he ate he wondered what would be done to him. Would they kill him or just cast him out? If it was the later then he knew that he would end up like Eric, Adam, and Ian.

    Surprisingly he wasn’t angry at the Amazons or the centaurs; after all he was the intruder in their land. No, his fury was directed at Professor Keene. He wondered why the professor had sacrificed them. He knew that it was very unlikely, but he vowed revenge if he ever got back home.

    After several hours, four warriors approached the cage.

    “We are to escort you to the council. Will you come freely or do we have to bind you?” asked one of the women.

    “I will do as you say,” he replied.

    The woman nodded and the cage was unlocked.

    The warriors escorted him to a large room. It reminded him of pictures he had seen of the Roman Forum. He was escorted to the center of the room. He looked around and saw women of all ages in the assembly.

    A woman approached and Adrian recognized her as the leader of the group that had captured him. She was no longer dressed in armor; rather she was wearing a white toga like dress.

    He estimated she was in her late twenties. She was very athletic looking and her dark red hair was pulled back into a single braid that flowed down her back. He also noticed that she had several scars on her arms and legs, no doubt earned in combat. Still he thought she was quite lovely; however he suspected that she wouldn’t be interested in him.

    “My name is Alala,” she announced. “You will tell us how you came to our land Adrian Harris.”

    He nodded and then turned and addressed the assembly. He told them how Professor Keene had forced him and the others through the gateway. He also told them the fates of the other three.

    “Do you know why this was done?” asked an older woman sitting in the front.

    “He said that it was done to refresh the population. He said that he had been in contact with the centaurs and had sent others through the gate before us,” said Adrian.

    There was some murmuring in the crowd.

    “He also said that he had no idea of who lived in this town,” continued Adrian. 

    “This would explain the expansion of the herds,” said Alala.

    “May I ask a question?” asked Adrian.

    Alala nodded. “It is allowed.”

    “Are you on friendly terms with the centaurs?” he asked.

    “Yes, we live in harmony; we have a treaty with them. Occasionally they even come into our town to trade goods,” she said. “We also share a common enemy.”

    “Describe the two stallions of the herds that took your companions,” ordered a red-headed woman.

    Adrian did as he was asked.

    “It sounds like Dev and Sher,” said the woman to the others. 

    “So you know them?” asked Adrian.

    “Yes, we will have them come here and see if they confirm your story,” replied the woman.

    Adrian nodded. “What about…the one in the river?”

    “That might be Ronan,” announced a young blonde. “I saw him last week near the opening of the river.”

    “Now that he has his mate he won’t be back anytime soon,” said one of the warriors with a laugh.

    There was some laughter but it stopped as Alala ordered them to stop.

    “It was not that long ago that our sisters and daughters were abducted and transformed. We didn’t think it was humorous then,” she exclaimed.

    “Yes, but it is different when it happens to men,” the warrior.

    “To our enemies is one thing, but is this man our enemy, Halia?” asked Alala. “He came into our village without even a knife. Does that sound like the act of an enemy?”

    Adrian looked at her and wondered if he had an ally in this group.

    “All men are our enemies,” replied Halia with disdain. 

    “That is not true,” stated the older woman in the front.

When she stood up, Adrian noticed that all the women in the hall looked at her.

“The western tribes are our enemies, but we live in harmony with the men of the sea-people. Their ships are always welcome when they visit our coast,” continued the woman.

    “But this man is not of the sea-people, Mistress Kaethe,” argued Halia.

    “No and he is not of the western tribes either,” Kaethe replied firmly.

    Halia nodded.

    “Adrian Harris, we have suspected that someone has been providing the centaurs…and others with…new mates for some time now. Your presence here may confirm this,” said Kaethe.  “In many ways this is a good thing as it will help the herds of the centaurs to grow.”

    Adrian felt sick to his stomach. He fully expected that he would be turned over to the centaurs.

    “However, we cannot condone the forcing of those who are not of our world,” she continued. “You will be held in custody until we talk to Dev and the leaders of the other herds.”

    “And what will happen then?” he asked.

    “If they confirm your tale then we will offer you some choices. If we find out you are lying, you will killed,” she replied in a very matter of fact manner.

    “Fair enough,” he replied. “I can live with that.”

Chapter 11

    Adrian was taken to a slightly larger cell. It was still a cage, but at least he could stand up and there was a bed.

    He could see guards posted just outside of the room that held his cell. They didn’t appear to be there to prevent his escape as the cell was too strongly constructed. No, Adrian decided they were there to keep the women of the town away from him.

    He suspected that some might be as militant as Halia and would eagerly slit his throat or turn him over to the centaurs. Then he realized there was another possibility. He had seen several pregnant women in the assembly. He could only guess that the men of the sea-people were the fathers. Maybe this would be one of the options given to him and that caused him to laugh; there was no way his luck would be that good.

    As strange was it was, he had to admit that he found much to admire about this land. He had always been fascinated by the myths of ancient cultures and he had always suspected that there was some basis of truth in them.

    He was also very impressed with the village and the women who lived in it.

    But then something began to bother him. What would happen to this land if the gateway was discovered by the government? He cringed at the thought of the centaurs being captured and sent off to be studied or worse…being put into a zoo. 

    It was strange, he was facing death or transformation into some sort of legendary creature, yet he was more concerned with the safety of this land.

He had to think of a plan to save this world….but how?

Chapter 12

    Adrian woke up as several women entered his cell.

    “You will come with us,” the first one announced. She was a short brunette.

    Adrian wiped his eyes and stood up. “Are we going back to the council?”

    The brunette shook her head. “Your ultimate fate is still being decided. In the meantime you have been turned over to us.”

    Adrian hesitated before asking. “And what will you do with me?”

    The brunette smiled back. “You will find out soon enough.”

    The women led him to another building. He was lead into a small room. There was a large wooden table in the middle of the room. He immediately noticed that there were leather straps on the table.

    “Undress,” ordered the brunette.

    Adrian was about to protest, but stopped when four very muscular and armed women stepped into the room.

    “They will force you if you don’t obey…and they will very much enjoy doing it,” said the brunette.

    Adrian nodded. As he undressed, his clothing was taken from him by a short black haired woman.

    “Lie down on the table on your back,” ordered the brunette.

    Adrian obeyed and he was immediately strapped down.

    “The council debates if you will live or die, while they do that we will harvest your seed. Even if you are executed…or turned over to the centaurs, your seed will spawn the next generation,” said the brunette as she reached under the table.

    Adrian couldn’t see what she was doing but it sounded like she was filling a container with a fluid.

    She stood up and placed the end of a funnel into Adrian’s mouth.

    “Now, just swallow. This will allow us to harvest your seed faster,” she said.

    The end of the funnel filled Adrian’s mouth and he had no choice but to obey. The fruity tasting liquid began to fill his mouth and he had no choice but to swallow it.

    There was an immediate tingling sensation in his body and he felt his cock becoming erect.

    “The fluid will speed up your body’s metabolism,” said the brunette. “It will also give you the strength to climax dozens of times each hour. She then pulled the funnel out of his mouth.

    Adrian strained to look at his cock, which was now fully erect.

    The brunette directed the black haired woman to attach what looked like a small pouch around the head of his cock. She then began to stroke his cock.

    In less than a minute he began to cum.

    The black haired woman removed the pouch and handed it to the brunette. She then attached another pouch and began the process all over.

    Adrian saw the brunette hand the pouch to a blonde who smiled and departed.

    “The word is out and soon we will have a long line of villagers, eager for your seed,” said the brunette.

    Adrian gasped as he felt another orgasm building.

    “Enjoy it while you can,” laughed the brunette.

Chapter 13

    Adrian lost all track of time and also lost track of how many times he climaxed. The repeated sexual stimulation and climaxing drained him of energy. When it seemed that he was weakening, the brunette reinserted the funnel into his mouth and gave him another drink.

    “I’m very impressed Adrian Harris. You must be from this other world you speak of as most men here would have stopped long ago,” noted the brunette.

    Adrian was too exhausted to reply.

    “Iola, I think that’s all we are going to get from him,” said the black haired woman.

    “I agree, Tia,” replied the brunette. “Untie him and have the guards take him back to his cell. I doubt he will give you any trouble.” She then began to giggle.

    Adrian was so weak that he had to be carried back to the cell. All he wanted to do was sleep and his whole body was exhausted.

    The guards gently set him down on the cot in the cell.

    “Sweet dreams, Adrian Harris,” whispered Tia as she covered his naked body with a blanket. “Your gift will grow a new generation for our village.”

    Adrian didn’t reply as he quickly drifted into a deep sleep.

Chapter 14

    Adrian felt someone gently shaking him.

    “Wake up,” said the voice.

    It took him a few moments to recognize the voice as that of the brunette Iola.

    He slowly opened his eyes. He felt so weak and it took all his strength to sit up. It was then that he noticed the changes.

    He looked down to see that his body had changed drastically. He had breasts.  He reached down to touch them and saw that his hands were smaller and daintier.

    “What have you done to me?” he asked. His voice was soft and light, like that of a young woman.

    “The spell we used yesterday has one major side effect; in order to speed up your body’s production of sperm it …for the lack of a better description…burns out your masculinity. The transformation is complete and for all practical purposes you are female,” explained Iola.

    Adrian looked down between his…rather her legs, to see that Alcina was right. She now had a vagina.

    “Yes, you are complete and from what we’ve seen of those transformed you will be very fertile,” said Iona, she then held out a hand mirror. “You are quite pretty Adara.”

    “Adara?”

    “It is a pretty name for a pretty girl,” replied Iola. “You name is now Adara…Adrian Harris no longer exists.”

    Adrian…now Adara looked at her face in the mirror. She realized that her complexion was darker, her hair was now a dark black and her blue eyes were now deep brown. She had to admit that she was very attractive…also younger.

    “I look like a kid,” she bemoaned.

    “Kid?” asked Iola. “You don’t look like a goat to me.”

    “Young…I look so much younger,” explained Adara.

    “Ahhhh, a kid…yes, you are right, Adara, the process has left you younger. I would say that you are of sixteen years. This is actually an advantage as if the council decides to keep you, you will have time to adjust to you new life.”

    “And if they don’t?” asked Adara defiantly.

    “The centaurs might take you…but they prefer their females a bit older. No, you might be given to the mer-people. I think you’d look lovely with a long broad tail.”

    Before Adara could reply, Alala walked into the cell.

    Alala looked at Adara and it was immediately obvious that she wasn’t surprised that Adrian was now a young woman named Adara.

    “Iola, please have Adara washed and dressed. The council has made its decision. Be gentle with her,” said Alala.

Chapter 15

    Adara found herself back in the council chambers. She felt very small and vulnerable as she awaited her fate. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the women in the crowd.

    She was dressed in the same sort of short tunic dress that seemed to be worn by many of the younger girls. On her feet were sandals and her now long hair was braided.

    The older woman, Kaethe stood up and walked over to Adara. She took Adara by the hands and smiled.

    “We have confirmed your story with the centaurs, Adara,” announced Kaethe.

    Adara nodded slightly.  “So what happens to me now?”

    “As you are now female you can chose your fate. You are welcome to join our clan or you may leave,” said Kaethe.

    “If I leave…then I would be fair game to the others who live here…right?” asked Adara.

    “That is correct. If you wish to join the centaurs we can call them and they will eagerly accept you into their herds,” said Kaethe. “Dev has expressed a strong interest in adding you to his harem.”

    “There are other options, you could join your companion and join the mer-people,” interjected Iola. A shy grin was on her face.

    “And if I stay here?” asked Adara ignoring Iola. 

    “You would be taken care of and allowed to pick your calling,” said Kaethe. A smile appeared on the older woman’s face, a smile of compassion. “You would have the same rights as any other woman born here in Kyme.”

    Adara realized this was the first time she had heard the name of the town. It was a nice place and if this was her fate it seemed liked the best option.

    Adara looked around at the gathering of amazons. Most were smiling and appeared willing to accept her into their group. She felt strange. She had just had her gender changed, yet she was more upset over what the professor had done to her. Her new body was feeling more comfortable…and familiar with each passing moment; she suspected it was part of the spell. It wasn’t really that bad…at least she was still human. All her life she had studied the ancient world and their myths and legends…now she was apart of it.

    What sealed the deal for her was the fact that Alala walked up took her by the hands.

    “It’s a good life here, Adara, I think you’ll like it here,” she said. 

    Adara nodded. She then turned to Kaethe. “With your permission and blessing, I wish to stay here.” 

    Kaethe smiled, stood up and then hugged the younger woman. The rest of the women in the council made their way down to greet the newest member of Kyme.

Chapter 16

    Later than day, Adara was eating dinner with Kaethe and Alala. Adara was slightly surprised to find out that Kaethe was Alala’s grandmother.

    The meal was a hearty vegetable stew, freshly baked flatbread and wine.

    Alala and Kaethe shared a large home and they invited Adara to move in with them. Adara readily accepted.

    “Together we will teach you everything you will need to know in order to adjust to your new life, Adara,” said Kaethe.

    “Thank you, I appreciate that,” replied Adara.

    Kaethe and Alala noted the melancholy tone of Adara’s voice.

    “Don’t worry; you will love it here in Kyme. We have a good life here,” added Alala. “And you will have me as your friend.”

    “That isn’t what is worrying me. What will be done about the man who sent me here?” asked Adara as she ate.

    “While we don’t like the fact that he is forcing your people to come through the gate, there is a need for new blood. The few that have been taken by the centaurs have helped their herds grow,” said Kaethe.

    “We have a truce with them and when the men of the western tribes raid us, we join forces to defeat them. The captives are divided among us and serve both our needs,” added Alala.

    “So men that you capture go through the same process that I did?” asked Adara.

    “If they are suitable they will serve us and father the next generation. They usually chose to leave afterwards,” said Alala. “Some are then captured by the centaurs or the other beings. Some reach a large settlement to the south. They can always find employment there as whores.”

    “And the men who are captured by the centaurs…they are all transformed into mares?” asked Adara.

    Kaethe shook her head. “No not all are transformed that way. The centaurs have villages and farms in clearances deep in the great forest. The centaurs use some of the captured men as workers there.”

    “You mean as slaves?” asked Adara.

    “Yes, the centaurs transform the men so that they are totally obedient. The men then work the fields; they serve as grooms and in other ways, but they are well cared for. The centaurs keep them for only a few years and then release them. I know this sounds cruel, but these men from the west kill and enslave the centaurs. They turn them into beasts of burden. They also try to turn us into their sex-slaves,” said Alala.

    “We don’t seek war with the western tribes, and neither we nor the centaurs cross into their lands. If they trespass in our lands that means they are here seeking slaves and therefore must be punished,” added Kaethe.

    “But you do have contact with the men who come in the ships?” asked Adara.

    “That is correct and we have freely mated with them. My father still captains one of their ships,” said Alala. “They are our friends and they too hate the western tribes.”

    “We may be an all female society, but we don’t hate all men,” added Kaethe.

    “So why do you need the men from my land…I mean the land that I came from?” asked Adara.

    “The western tribes have grown wary and seek out easier targets. They have not crossed into our lands in over a year,” said Alala. “I suppose it was bound to happen.”

    “So far, the centaurs have kept their side of the treaty and they have not taken any of our people,” added Kaethe. “Unfortunately the morality rate of their young is very high, often both the mother and child die. So to keep up their population they need fresh blood. The centaurs pay for each male sent through the gateway with gold and jewels. They consider it a good tradeoff.”

    “You should not trust Keene. He is a very greedy and deceitful man,” warned Adara. “He is also putting this land in great danger.”

    “What do you mean Adara?” asked Kaethe.

    Adara told them her fears of what could happen to the land.

    “He can pass back and forth between the two worlds. That also means that others can do the same. He might try and capture a centaur…or he might bring in men to attack this village,” explained Adara.

    “Let him try, we can defend ourselves,” stated Alala with confidence. “As you will soon learn, every woman here is trained in the arts of war.”

    “No, no you can’t. My people have weapons that you cannot imagine,” said Adara adamantly. “There are weapons that would allow men to kill you at great range.”

    She then described how guns and other modern weapons worked. The two Amazons were justifiably horrified.

    “What can we do?” asked Alala. “Should we destroy the gateway?”

    “It cannot be done,” said Kaethe. “However, we also must keep this knowledge from the others…there would be panic.”

    “We could wait by the gateway and kill him the next time he comes for his gold,” said Alala.

    “That would only delay the inevitable,” said Adara. “Others would find the gateway, others much worse than him.”

    “So what do we do?” asked Alala.

    “I have a plan,” said Adara. 

Chapter 17

    Professor Keene was quite pleased with the way things were going. With each delivery he was becoming richer. The centaurs had started to include jewels with the gold; which were even easier to sell.

    The only problem was finding new victims. He couldn’t risk grabbing additional students from the college. He had underestimated the furor the disappearance of the students. Thankfully, the authorities couldn’t connect him to the disappearances. 

    As the months passed, the disappearance of the four freshmen remained an unsolved mystery.

    To avoid future problems, he was now forced to drive great distances in search of prospective prey. It wasn’t as easy, but he still found victims.

That week he got lucky when he grabbed two hitchhikers. The two boys had been promptly delivered to the centaurs. He had even stayed and watched their transformations. To his surprise, he found it a very erotic experience, especially when the males were transformed into women. He saw how docile they were and he wondered if they would be as submissive with him.

    While he was pleased with his wealth, he wanted something else. Until he watched the transformation of the two hitchhikers into women…and then centaur mares, he didn’t know what was missing from his life.

    The next day when he collected his latest bounty he asked the centaur stallion named Dev if the women would stay obedient and passive even if they weren’t transformed into centaurs.

    He was pleased when he was told that the women would stay subservient. He then asked Dev if he would provide him with a woman in exchange for the next payment.

    Dev agreed to the deal and offered to abduct a villager to transform.  Professor Keene was ecstatic as this meant he didn’t have to abduct someone himself.

    Dev then explained that he would grab a woman from the village that way the professor wouldn’t have to teach her so much. He also promised that he would have the woman for the professor by the next full moon. The professor couldn’t wait.

Chapter 18

    Professor Keene stepped through the gateway. He eagerly awaited the arrival of Dev and the woman that would be his lover and slave.

    In the past few weeks, he had taken steps to make his future lover legal. It had cost him almost ten thousand dollars, but through his contacts he would have the necessary paperwork for her. His connections promised him that her new identity would be perfect and that no one would know it was forged.

    Dev had given him a general description of what the woman would look like. Professor Keene was a little worried when he was told how young she would look, but he decided that it was worth the risk; after all she wouldn’t be leaving the house.

    He then saw Dev approaching with a beautiful naked girl. Dev was leading the girl by a rope that was looped around her neck. Her hands were bound behind her back.

    Professor Keene licked his lips as he studied her. She had the look of those lovely women from the Mediterranean. She had long black hair that flowed around her face. Even though she was young, she had had large breasts and wide hips.

    “Here she is…docile and eager to please you,” said Dev as he handed the professor the rope. “Girl, this man is your Master. You will serve and obey him.”

    “I understand,” she replied without emotion. She then fell down to her knees lowered herself to the ground. “I am your property Master.”

    “What is her name?” asked Professor Keene as he examined her.

    “Call her what you wish, she is your property now,” replied Dev with a shrug.

    “What is your name, girl?” demanded Professor Keene.

    Without raising her head, she replied. “My name is Adara. But you may call me whatever you wish Master.”

    “That’s quite pretty, it sounds Greek,” said the Professor. “Adara, you belong to me from now on, do you understand?”

    “I understand, Master” she replied.

    “I will take you through the gateway to my world. If you disobey me, you will be brought back here and given to Dev, do you understand?” asked the Professor. “I’m sure that he would love to add you to his harem.”

    “She would make a fine mare,” said Dev.

    “I will obey your every wish, Master,” said Adara.

    The Professor smiled. “Perfect!” he exclaimed. He then turned to Dev. “I should have some new additions to your harem soon.”

    “I thank you,” said Dev, who then turned and galloped away. “Enjoy your slave.”

    “Come with me, Adara,” said Professor Keene. He then led her through the gateway.

Chapter 19

    It had been three months since he had brought Adara back and he couldn’t have been happier. Just as Dev had promised she was totally obedient. Never once had she disobeyed him or disappointed him.

    While there were some obvious cultural differences, she was a fast learner and was quickly developing into an excellent housekeeper and cook. He had taught her the basic skills necessary to function in the modern world. He was very pleased that she was a fast learner.

    Then there was the sex. The girl was insatiable and always willing to provide him with sexual pleasure. As far as he could determine, she had no inhibitions and was always eager to please him.

    She had a stunning figure and he often made her walk around naked so he could enjoy her body.

    He had thought about capturing a centaur and selling it to a zoo or a private collection, but after being with Adara he had a new idea. He would go into the sex-slave trade. It would bring him even more wealth.

    The rich and powerful would be beating down his door to get a girl like her. It was the perfect business as there would be no missing person, at least not on this world.

    The identity that he had bought for Adara was excellent and no one questioned her existence. Through his fence, he had bought her a complete identity. Her name was now Adara Stamos and her age was listed as 19. He knew she looked younger than that, but there was nothing he could do about it. The girl claimed to be around sixteen, but she didn’t know for sure.

    To make things even more official he had the necessary papers drawn up to make her his employee. She was now formally his housekeeper and to make it look even better he made her dress in a maid’s uniform when he had visitors.

    Things couldn’t be better he thought.

Chapter 20

    “Good morning, Adara,” he said as he pulled her close to his body.

    She was naked, except for the metal collar that was locked around her neck. It really wasn’t necessary as she wouldn’t think of running away, but seeing her wear it pleased Professor Keene.

    “Good morning, Master,” she replied.

    It was a Saturday morning and he planned to spend the morning fucking her. He would be leaving on Monday for a convention and he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

    “How long will you be gone, Master?” she asked.

    “Two weeks,” he said. He planned on hunting down some new victims on the way back.

    “I will miss you so much, Master,” replied Adara.

    “And I will miss you,” he said. He then saw that she looked as if she was about to cry. “What is wrong my dear?”

    “What will happen to me if you don’t come back? Surely your family will kick me out of here,” she said. “I am worried Master.”

    He smiled as he leaned over to kiss her. “There’s nothing to worry about. I have no family and while it is very unlikely that I won’t come back, I have made provisions for you to be taken care of.”

    “Master, what do you mean…provisions? Does that mean that I will be sold or turned over to the centaurs?” she asked cautiously.

    He laughed. “No. It means that all I own will go to you, my wealth, this house, all the land…and your freedom.”

    She looked at him with her big soft eyes. “How is that possible? In my world a woman cannot own land!”

    “In this land women have some rights,” he said. He saw no need to tell her the truth. The last thing he wanted her to know was that slavery didn’t exist in this world.

“How will I prove this Master?” she asked.

    He got out of bed and walked over to a wall safe that was located in the closet. He motioned for her to come over.

    “I will show you how to open this magical box. Now, you will never touch this as long as I am alive…is that clear?”

    “Yes Master,” she answered softly. “I cannot disobey you.”

    “I know that, my dear Adara. Now let me show you how to open it.”

    He opened the safe and then closed it. He then ordered her to open it. It took her three attempts but she eventually succeeded.

    Then he reached into the safe and pulled out a large envelope.

    “Inside this is a document…a special piece of paper that gives you ownership of all my belongings. It is called a will. Should I die, you will call the phone number inside and call my lawyer. He has been told what to do. Is that clear?” he asked.

    “Yes Master,” replied Adara.

    “Good girl,” he replied. He then put the envelope back in the safe. He set the key to the gateway on top of the envelope and then closed and locked the safe.

Chapter 21

    “That was a wonderful meal, Adara,” he said.

    “I’m glad you liked it, Master” she said.

    “I wish I could take you on the trip with me, but it’s just not possible,” he said as he finished his breakfast.

    Without asking, Adara refilled his coffee cup.

    “Thank you, my dear,” he said as he took a sip. He loved the way she was so attentive to his needs.

    “When will you come back from the trip, Master?” she asked.

    “I told you two weeks. Sooner… if the hunting is good,” he replied.

    “So you’re going to abduct more victims for Dev and his harem?” she asked.

    Professor Keene stared at her.

    “And you will sell them to the centaurs for gold and jewels. How can you live with yourself? You must be totally heartless,” she continued.

    Professor Keene stared at Adara. “Silence slave!”

    “I will not be silent! I am no slave…you bastard. I came here of my own free…I came here to punish you,” she stated firmly.

     He was confused. Not only was Adara talking back to him, but her whole demeanor was different. She was glaring at him with hatred.

    “Who do you think you are?” he asked. “I owe you bitch…you are my property….my slave!”

    “You stupid greedy bastard,” she replied. “Did it ever occur to you that one of your victims would return?”

    He stared at her with a confused look on his face.

    She smiled back. “What’s the matter, don’t you recognize me?”

    The professor stared back at her. “No, I never saw you until that day that Dev gave you to me.”

    She laughed. “Dev didn’t give me to you…he was working with me. My name was Adrian Harris and you sent me through that gateway with three others; Eric Holt, Adam Pierce, and Ian Smith. I told you I would be back. I’m now Adara, warrior of the town of Kyme and I here to seek vengeance for all those you have hurt.”

    Professor Keene’s eyes opened wide and he stared at the petite young woman.

    “That…that isn’t possible,” he stammered.

    “Well here I stand,” she asserted. “I am here not just to get revenge for what you did to me and all the others, but I am here to protect the lands through the gateway from you and others like you.”

    “And how do you plan on doing that?” he asked with a smug look on his face. While she was no longer submissive, she was still a small petite girl. “I shall beat you for being so insolent and then toss you back through the gateway. The centaurs will eagerly grab you.”

    “I doubt that… as your fate has already been determined,” she replied. A sly smile appeared on her face.

    He cocked his head as he stared back at her. What did she mean by that?

    “You should be feeling it soon,” she continued. “Did you enjoy that second cup of coffee?”

He noticed a strange sensation...as if he was lightheaded, and then came the throbbing pain in his head. He reached up and rubbed his temples. 

    “What’s the matter, don’t feel so good?” she asked tauntingly.

    He tried to stand up, but as he did he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his chest. It was suddenly hard to breath and he fell down to the kitchen floor. He reached up to try and pull himself up, but only succeeded in pulling the tablecloth off the table. The dishes and utensils cascaded down on him. He tried to reply, but all that came out was an agonizing scream.

    “The poison in your system is unknown in this world…it comes from a very small sea snail…it is very lethal and unfortunately for you there is no known cure. It will also look like you had a fatal heart attack. I would have preferred a more gruesome death for you or perhaps you could have experienced the same fate as your victims. You would have made an attractive centaur or mermaid. This way no one will suspect the truth and so the lands beyond the gateway will be safe,” she continued. “Thank you for giving me legal title to this land and all your ill-gotten wealth. It was very thoughtful of you. I also appreciate that you gave me the combination to your safe.”

    He clutched his chest and gasped for air. The pain was so intense…every part of his body throbbed in agony. He began to wish for death to escape the pain and as he faded into darkness the last thing he saw was Adara smiling victoriously at him.

Chapter 22

    It was seven months after the death of Professor William Keene and Adara was sitting in the living room of her house thinking about how her life had changed. Just as the professor had promised, everything passed to her without incident.

    Adara was pleased that her idea had worked even better than she had designed. The original plan was for her to pretend to be a woman escaping from the centaurs, but when Dev hold the council of the Professor’s request her plan became even easier.

    Her idea impressed both the Amazons and the Centaurs as they realized how dangerous continued dealings with Keene would be and it only served to raise Adara’s status.

    Yes it was true that she had to be his slave for several months, but it was a small price to pay in order to stop him. She knew that she had to do more than just kill him; she had to gain his trust and if possible gain control of his assets. To do this, Adara was willing to put up with the humiliation and abuse of being his slave.

    She lost track of the number of times she had sex with him. This was part of the risk of her plan and she accepted it. The hard thing to adjust to was the realization that she was pregnant with his child.  It would have been easy enough to get an abortion, but she decided to keep the child, after all it was not the baby’s fault that her father was a total bastard. The pregnancy also strengthened her claim to his property.

    As her pregnancy progressed, she developed a very strong attachment to her unborn child. It would mean that she wouldn’t be alone in her life as the guardian of the gateway. She would be the first to hold this prestigious position.

However thanks to the key, she wasn’t cut off from her new friends through the gateway. She considered Kyme to be her home and was always at her happiest when she was there. 

    The last details to deal with were providing new members to the various centaur herds and to ensure that that Amazons had the occasional sperm donor.

    It wasn’t hard to find people who wanted to become women. She would arrange for them to spend a few days with Iola and then she would escort them back through the gateway.

    Finding men who wanted to become centaur mares initially wasn’t that easy, but she put her faith in the power of the Internet.

    She soon discovered several websites that catered to people interested in mythological beings and transformations. It didn’t take her long to find willing volunteers to join the herds. It was amazing how many humans wanted to be transformed.

    It helped that her old friends Avara and Kalyani, formerly Adam and Eric, briefed prospective volunteers on what it was like to be a centaur mare. 

    Adara was happy that Avara had recently given birth and that both mother and foal were healthy. Kalyani was equally pleased with her new life. She also had recently given birth to a healthy female foal.

    Dev and the other stallions were equally pleased with the new arrangement as it not only increased the size of their harems, but it provided them with better breading stock. It turned out that the willing volunteers were more fertile and had less health issues during pregnancy.

    Adara also provided the occasional mate for the mermen. She was delighted that Keely was so happy, especially with her growing family.

It was a warm summer afternoon, and Adara passed through the gate and walked carefully down the hill. As she slowly walked she thought about the day she had made her first journey along this path, but that was long ago and she was more interested in the future. As she approached the river she could see a mermaid waving at her and she waved back.  They met once a week and talked. 

    Adara was pleased that Keely thoroughly loved being a mermaid and had joked that for the first time in her life she had all the fresh seafood she could ever want. She was also pleased that Professor Keene was dead.

    “I’m so sorry that you must be the guardian of the gateway, Adara. I wish that you could find happiness like I have,” stated Keely. She then giggled with joy. “Oh, Adara, I love my mate and my babies.” 

    Adara ran her hands over her belly. “I will not be alone.”

    “I am pleased to hear that. You will love being a mother. I cannot imagine life without my little ones, they are so gorgeous!” gushed Keely. “Still, you need a mate.”

    “As I said, I will not be alone,” replied Adara.

    Keely smiled. “Oh, just so you know, all of our people now know what you did and how you are protecting this world. You are much respected and will go down in our history, you are legendary! If you ever need a thing, all you have to do is speak.”

    Adara laughed. “I’m not sure I like the idea about being a legend, but thank you.”

    “You should get used to it; Ronan has told me that all the races know of your sacrifice. My next daughter will bear your name,” said Keely. “I am so proud to call you my friend”

    “And I’m proud that you are mine,” replied Adara. She then checked her watch. “I need to get going. Take care.”

    “And you do the same, Adara,” replied Keely, who then gracefully swam off.    

    Adara checked her watch again, slowly stood up and walked to the gateway. It was time to escort Alala through the gateway. Over the past few months their friendship had blossomed into love and even though they were separated most of the time due to the gateway, Adara cherished the time they spent together.

    Adara only had a short wait until Alala showed up; they immediately kissed passionately. 

    “Every time I see you, your belly looks larger,” said Alala as she ran her hand gently over Adara’s tummy. “She’s going to be strong and brave warrior like her mother.”

    “You love my big belly don’t you?” asked Adara as they kissed.

    “Yes I do,” replied Alala. “I love you completely…and I love our daughter.”

    “Did you talk to Kaethe about my request?” asked Adara as they stepped through the gateway holding hands.

    “Yes and she couldn’t be more pleased,” replied Alala. “You are family.”

    “That makes me so happy. I want my…our daughter to be born in Kyme”

    “Who will watch over the gateway while you’re gone?” asked Alala.

    “I’ve arranged for one of the girls who was recently transformed to take my place. Her name is Tasha, do you remember her?” replied Adara.

    “Yes I do, she was the one with dark red hair. I’m glad you have someone here you can trust,” said Alala.

    “While I still main control over the key, I do trust her with the farm,” she continued. “I plan on training her to be my assistant.”

    “That is smart. You have no idea how grateful everyone is that you have taken on this duty. Your name will never be forgotten,” said Alala.

    “I’m just happy that I have you,” said Adara as they kissed again.

Alala smiled. “Now, please tell me that you ordered some of that wonderful food.”

    Adara laughed. “Yes, I even got your favorite; Kung Pao Chicken,”

    “And some eggrolls?” she asked hopefully.

    “Of course!” replied Adara.

    “You are too kind to me,” said Alala.

    Adara kissed her and smiled. “Yes, yes I am…but you’re worth it my love.”

The End