“These should fit you,” Amanda comments as she handed Rachael a pair of riding boots; “they were Zoey’s, but they should serve for the moment.”
“They don’t exactly go with pantyhose,” Racheal finding the boots a bit loose as she puts them on. Standing up to find she lost some height. Height she got from her three inch stilettos.
“Your high heels don’t exactly pair well with our cobble stone streets,” Amanda retorting; “you’ll roll and twist and ankle before you take ten steps.”
Rachael couldn’t argue with that; her foot wear wasn’t exactly meant to worn on rough uneven surfaces. The lack of a flat surface made it difficult for the ball and heel to balance. The riding boots allowed her to step along the road without risking injury.
“We gather here every morning and evening to eat and discuss the day,” Amanda showing Rachael the communal dining area and the town square. Rachael notices the sundial and finds the design very intricate. The lines radiating from the dial center look like rays from the sun. Curious as to why there are so many; Rachael soon learns that the days on this world are thirty hours long.
“We also have instinctive knowledge that there are four hundred days for a year here,” Amanda guiding Rachael through the town; “Ben figured it out when he constantly had to adjust the time on his watch to match the sun dial. Eventually he just gave up and wears the watch as a bracelet,” Amanda pausing as several foals gallop by. Seeing Maggie, the red hair zebra-taur filly laughing as she playfully chases Tim; a Tarpan centaur colt.
“There are children here,” Rachael looking shocked; seeing young centaurs running about. Noticing two mare who look similar trying to wrangle them and guide them back to the building that looks like a one room school house.
“A troop of boy scouts and girl scouts arrived here a few days ago,” Amanda explaining it to the new arrival. Detailing that the two mares Jessica and Sarah were Den mothers to the girls, while Steve and Joseph, now Josephine where the scout masters to the six boyscouts.
“Wait,” Rachael looking up at the Nonius, seeing she is a giant compared to her short four foot stature. “You have females that were once males?”
“He was punished for brandishing a gun in our church and calling Epona something I will not repeat,” Amanda remembering Joseph calling Epona a feckless bitch after she and Chris managed to restrain him. “He along with two other stallions needed to become mares so as there would be an equal number for the sexes,” Amanda explaining as they walked by the blacksmith. Amanda waving to both Fred and Helios as the two stallions were hard at work shaping metal for a replacement plow.
“Then why am I here if you have an equal number of male and female,” Rachael starting to feel winded as she was lagging behind the head mare.
“Because last night a recently changed stallion tried to rape a mare,” Amanda pausing to allow the thirty year old woman to catch up; noticing that she was in no shape to maintain the brisk pace that Amanda was setting, she lowers herself and instructs Racheal to climb on her equine back so they can continue the tour.
“Epona punished the Russian Don by taking away his manhood and then banishing her from the haras. She fell to her death in a river swollen with heavy rain after get shot in the gut with a crossbow bolt,” Amanda Explains; “This meant that regardless if Epona changed a third stallion to a mare, there would still be more males to females. That is why you are here,” Amanda explaining; “Epona chose you to bring back the balance and to give you a fresh start.”
“Doesn’t help the fact that I think you are all still a cult full of crazy,” Rachael shuddering. Trying to calculate if dealing with the religious crazies that were harassing her at the law firm she worked at was preferable to residing here.
“I was having a hard time when I first arrived here,” Amanda smiling as she trotted along the road; passing by the bungalows and making her way towards the mill and church; “I was watching my team become centaurs as I was trying to figure out a way to get back. Eventually Chris and his equestrian team showed up while I was having a panic attack. My smart phone died; cutting me off from what few photos of my family I had. Chris comforted me and we changed later that night,” Amanda stopping to show Rachael the library.
“Did you do it,” Rachael pantomiming a crude act with her fingers; “you know, sex?”
“We were tired,” Amanda shaking her head as she smirks; “we mostly felt each other up then fell asleep. But we did have one hell of an erotic dream before waking up,” Amanda smiling; the dream of Chris mounting her and filling her with his seed eventually led to them to have an afternoon delight in the showers. “As for when we did the deed,” Amanda letting Rachael off as they arrived at the church; “that is between me and Chris.”
*************
Rachael walks into the church and notices how much it looks like a church back on earth. The stain glass windows filling the building with light and the pews big enough for a centaur kneel comfortably in. The alter at the far end stood guard to a large central stain glass image of Epona. Rachael stood at the center of the aisle staring at the centaur goddess.
“Maggie drew a picture of Epona,” Amanda speaking as she stood behind the woman; “it depicts the goddess more accurately, yet this image of Epona can be seen moving and changing expressions from time to time. I think the drawing is still here,” Amanda motioning Rachael to head towards the alter were the drawing was left earlier.
“How did she appear,” Rachael nervously picking up the drawing; wondering if she should look at it or run away in terror. With the large centaur behind her; Rachael gulped, deducing that escape was impossible; she unfolds the paper to see what a young child drew.
“In a dream,” Amanda observing the stain glass; “not everyone got a visit from her. The children and Josephine as far as I know were the only ones to gaze upon her,” Amanda responding; noticing Rachael’s ears looking a bit more pointed and poking out of her hair that was looking more fuller and less grey then when she arrived at Chiron’s Grove.
Rachael gazed on the drawing. It depicted a centaur mare with white flawless skin; rainbow hair cascading and covering the mare’s bare breast, with a matching mane and tail. Her equine half was covered in pure silver fur; the flanks dotted with polished copper spots. Rachael put the drawing back down on the alter and turned around to the Centaur.
“So am I to become like you all?”
“Eventually,” Amanda nodding; “in fact you are already well on your way. You hair’s natural color is returning and your ears are looking more like ours,” Amanda pointing to her own pointy ears twitching like a horse’s.
“If you want some time alone I can step out,” Amanda looking at the small woman giving the church’s interior another look. “Or we can continue the tour; you have yet to see the tannery and the haberdasher,” Amanda motioning to her simple crop top keeping her breasts covered and secure.
“Well at least modesty is maintained,” Rachael sighing as she motions to leave the church; “I don’t think I could handle walking about completely naked.”
“From the chest up,” Amanda flicking her tail; exposing her puckered anus and mare hood before it gets recovered; “our equine halves already have fur and clothing would be more of a hassle with our anatomy than providing any help.”
“I suppose from an anatomical point of view,” Rachael slowly resigning herself to her eventual fate; “that makes sense. So you just go about flashing each other?”
“Our tails provide enough coverage,” Amanda escorting Rachael outside; “but they react the same way as a regular horse. Batting away flies as they land on our flanks, rising up as we relieve ourselves, and when mating.”
Rachael paused and looked at Amanda. The prospect of mating with a stallion, made her shudder in fear; yet the thought also made her curious as to how it would feel to be plowed and filled by a virile male.
“Don’t worry,” Amanda helping Rachael back on her; “Epona would never let a mare to be forcibly taken when she is not interested. The actions from last night made that abundantly clear,” Amanda adding to provide Rachael some comfort for later this evening.