“Imogen!” I hissed. “What the hell…!?”
Her eyelids fluttered, and as she stretched her centaur-long spine, Imogen languidly fingered the short auburn curls on her head, before moving her fingers down to touch the top of her red-brown mane. Both Icaro and Imogen then turned round upon their hooves, and took in the sight of me and Catherine. But instead of being annoyed, they both wore dopey smiles. Indeed, Imogen seemed amused that Catherine was holding my hand.
“Our former horse…,” she giggled. “Looks like you two would make a lovely couple… I hope that you enjoy your future coupling as much as Icaro and I did!”
“Imogen!” I snapped, yanking my hand out of Catherine’s grip. “Why…?”
She put her hand up - and then nickered to me and Catherine in the manner of a horse, encouraging us to approach her. We got up and advanced a few paces.
“Relax, Charlie. I gave Icaro my permission. He saved my life earlier today – and since then, I’ve felt myself being drawn to him. My new instincts guided me to help him heal after the loss of his Inca. Now I have claimed him – and in turn he has made me complete.”
“Complete…?”
“I’ve just experienced the second and last stage of the transformation, my brother,” Imogen gushed. “I have now become a centaur in mind and soul, as well as in body. I am a daughter of Epona! And I feel wonderful for it. So too will you and Robyn, when you mate with your chosen centaur partners. After you’ve both turned ‘taur, of course.”
“My apologies to you, Charlie, for any offence. This…was not planned. We talked, and kissed. But it then quickly escalated from there,” Icaro clarified to me. “I pledge to you that I will be a gentleman of a horse with your sister, from now on.”
“That’s good to know, Icaro. So long as you’re also a passionate stallion with me when I’m a frisky mare for you, in our partnership…” Imogen grinned at her new lover. “My former, human boyfriend won’t be physically compatible with me now…,” she giggled.
I glared at Icaro, then turned my attention back to Imogen. “So, you’re fully one of them, now, sis? And Icaro is now your bonded mate?”
“Yes, and yes, Charlie. And now my loyalty is to the herd that we will join. And to our wider race, of course.”
“Our…race?”
“You and Robyn are effectively half-centaurs already! Centaur in your upper halves, that is. Whilst Jade is centaur in her lower body. Have patience my brother – Epona will soon bless you all with your full centaur forms, so that you can take your places within the haras too. As that painting foresaw. We are here to grow the herd.”
“So that we can then go mating in the manner of horses? You sounded like one, just then, sis!”
Imogen sobered up at the sting of my angry words. She momentarily glanced at Icaro. “I am a horse of a woman now, I guess. Charlie… After your own transformation, you’ll understand. You too will gain the instincts of a horse – well, of a centaur, to be more exact. And then you will be eager to give free reign to your new inner animal. Provided that you have the consent of your willing, unbonded centaur mare, there’s no shame… We’ve been brought here by Fate, to have happier, more fulfilling lives – and we will do so, as part of the new centaur race!”
“What’s going on here with the raised voices…? Oh!” Robyn emerged from the treeline behind us and came to a halt, with Cindy trotting alongside her. Naturally, due to their respective species, the mother was shorter than her rediscovered daughter. Seeing my sister being fully naked and glimpsing Icaro’s dripping phallus, our Canadian cousin soon got the picture. Especially when Cindy squealed with joy, and bounded forward on her hooves to hug her aunt. Her fellow Akhal-teke centauress.
Next, the Icelandic horse-centaur, Darwin, joined our gathering. He sniffed the air, and bowed his head in respect to Icaro and Imogen.
“Congratulations, you two.” He smiled. “Now that I know what has happened here, I will return to my watch.” And with that, he turned and trotted off again. But not before pausing, I noticed, to glance at Robyn. She noticed too, and she paused to return his look. Then she turned her focus upon my sister.
“Imogen…! You’ve… Already!?” Robyn stuttered.
Imogen smiled and nodded. She turned herself into a position parallel with Icaro, so that the two of them could each place a hand on each other’s shoulders, as they faced us.
“Icaro is now my centaur stallion, Robyn. I am his mare. And our goddess has now rewarded me for our bonding. She has just given me the skills I need to know for hunting, as well as repairing buildings. Please don’t be afraid or angry, you two! Just before we were brought here, I was wallowing in grief at the state of my broken life. At the prospect of losing our horses. Now, I am half-horse myself! Epona has healed my broken body. Not only I can walk – I can now gallop. I have regained my freedom! My life has so much more meaning, now that I’m dedicated to helping my new kind - and I am now smitten with the centaur who saved my life again, this morning.”
“And I am now in love with your Imogen. I promise that I will take good care of her, keep her safe, and make her happy,” Icaro pledged to us.
The earnestness on his face was unmistakable, but still I was rattled. “There’s really no way that we can go back…is there? For you to be turned back, sis. For us to return to earth?”
Imogen shook her head, but not sadly. “My new brothers and sisters have spoken truth to us. Just after we arrived in this world, the magic from the portal worked on erasing us from the memories of anyone who knew us or our horses, Charlie. The only living people who now remember us, are us. And our new kindred have also been forgotten by those who once knew them, back on Earth. There’s no going back for us. There’s nothing to return to. Our lives are here. Helping our new kin as we join them. Using our new skills. And when we and our willing mates are ready, we will become parents – adding to our numbers in another manner, to ensure the survival of our kind! That’s all our goddess asks of us, as she watches over her children. And I am now truly one of her new daughters.”
My head was reeling as this sunk into my mind. “I…I think I need to lie down…,” I muttered.
With a look between them, Robyn and Catherine moved closer to make sure that I didn’t fall over, as they escorted me back to the campfire…
***
“Or option three – both females become stallions, and you become a centauress, instead. Like us!”
Maggie’s teasing words came into my mind as I slept uneasily. Then suddenly, a pressure built up around my pelvis. Flinging the blanket aside as I stirred, I yelled as my body erupted and became elongated below my waist, stretching my jeans and footwear so much, that they tore apart – as if I was breaking out of some macabre cocoon of my humanity. My legs were forced backwards away from my upper body, even as they contorted and reshaped, becoming longer. My toes and the balls of my aching feet became distorted as they hardened into hooves – at the same time, the two hard growths at the front of my body, set below the front of my new trunk, emerged from the ruins of my underpants and grew downwards to match the length of my legs, to take shape as my new front pair of legs, underneath my forming equine breast and shoulders…
It was happening! Epona had come to claim me. Dimly, I could hear the cries of Robyn and Jade as well, but I wasn’t able to turn to cast my eyes upon them. Instead, with my new trunk quickly expanding and already growing a wave of short fur, I lost balance with the onset of my weight gain – and I flopped onto my side, as I cried out for help. Then there was another tingling amongst the sounds and sensations of my whole skeleton and soft tissues altering and growing in my lower body. My scrotum seemed to be deflating, my penis shrinking. My…package…retreating into my body even as my expanding pelvis was tilted and my privates were forced to face backwards. But that meant…
I screamed in horror as the transformation continued – for my upper body was also changing now. I felt my stomach and waist deflate somewhat, my arms and torso turning slender, my face altering so that the eyebrow ridge of my skull deflated and my jaw softened. Then there was a slight pressure emanating from my chest. Sucking in my breath, I quickly unbuttoned my cotton shirt – to reveal two feminine breasts swelling into existence from my now-hairless chest, before the changes stopped as my previously neck-length hair grew past my shoulders, draping itself over my collar.
In shock, I felt myself with my shaking fingers, whilst still lying on the ground. My new breasts jiggled as I felt them. My nipples were sensitive, and touching them made me shudder with delight. My ginger hair was now smooth and silky. I sensed with my mind along my enlarged body, knowing that I now had an equine udder and two teats - and a leathery, tear drop-shaped vulva to match those of my new herd sisters. My plumed tail swished as the new nerve connections were tested. My hands brushed across the fur below my waist, before reaching round to stroke my grown mane. Both the fur and mane felt…good.
“Time to get up, Charlotte! Not so fast – you need to bend all four legs first, and get into a sitting position, before you can rise!” Imogen beamed as she knelt down and instructed me. Soon, and holding onto her and Catherine, I stood upon my new hooves – my legs shaking a little. Imogen then hugged me. “Welcome to the herd, sister! You look a decade younger, too!”
“Charlotte…,” I muttered, hearing my altered voice. “The feminine version of Charles. I’m a centauress. A centaur mare like you… But that means….”
“Yes. I should change my name so that it’s spelt with an I,” came a voice that was only half-familiar. With the aid of Imogen and Catherine, I was able to turn my furred lower body around, to see Robyn – or rather Robin – smiling and standing on all four of his equine legs. His blonde hair was now neck length, and he’d just grown a moustache as a result of the increased testosterone in his new body. His human stomach was now even tauter than mine, and his flat chest hinted at impressive muscles under the skin. He too, now looked younger – compared to the human Robyn being in her mid-forties. Next to him was another newly-created centaur – one with the lower body of a grey-white Welsh cob, and a curly mop of grey hair atop his now-human head. Jade smiled with his teeth. Both of them looked…handsome. Handsome studs.
My eyes caught sight of the furred sheaths that held each of their new malehoods in place, as they turned slightly. And I quivered at the thought that my reproductive function from now on was no longer to fertilise an ovum and become a father – but was instead to mate with a centaur stallion, enter estrus and release ovum, become pregnant, and give birth to a centaur foal…Despite my mind reeling at it all, I told myself that as a half-horse being, at least I wouldn’t experience periods.
As Cindy rushed onto the scene and hugged her new father, with a yell of accepting delight, Catherine came to hug me – but I could see the despondency in her face. Now both she and I would need to work out which stallions to mate-bond with – the latest two brothers of the herd, or Darwin. Or should we wait until we reached Hylonome’s Haven, and see if there were any eligible centaur bachelors, there…?
Cindy then ran over to me like the hug-missile she was, to embrace me. Then she produced a mirror from her satchel. “You look lovely, Aunt Charlotte. Here – see yourself!”
I took the mirror from her with my trembling hands, to see my elf-like, pointed ears, and my now-smooth face. The face of a thirty-year old pretty-looking woman. With long, silky, curly ginger hair that merged with my mane. I would indeed be a catch for the centaur-stallion that won me over to him…
Wait – how did Cindy know my new name, when she wasn’t in sight when Imogen gave it to me? Come to that – why were Imogen and the others so unfazed by the latest changes? And why hadn’t Jade, Robyn and I passed out after the transformation – which is what normally happened to the just-transformed, going from what we had been told…
“No… This isn’t real. It’s not real! IT’S NOT R-!” I cried out – and shot up, making my blanket fall down as I woke up to reality. I blinked. It was still night, in the camp, with the fire burning – startling the warden of the fire, Catherine. She quickly rose and trotted over to me before kneeling down and holding my shoulders. I quickly felt my face and patted my chest. I sighed with relief. Stubble on my cheeks. Flat pecs. I was male! And still human – going by my two legs and still-intact trousers.
A loud neighing and whinnying could be heard from somewhere on the holt. It must have helped to awoken me…
“Imogen!? With Icaro again? PACK… IT…IN…!” I snapped angrily.
“Ah… No. It’s us! Sorry… We’ll move further downhill…” That was Kimberley’s Chinese-accented voice calling back to me. Sounding something halfway between embarrassed and amused.
“Charlie? Do not panic – it’s alright! Ignore Kimberley and her new mate. We are safe. What is it!?” Catherine comforted me. So, summoning up my courage, once I’d recovered enough, I told her the details. She winced.
“It was a blasted…night-mare…” I chuckled at the irony.
Catherine managed to smile at the joke. “It certainly was! Thankfully you are still a human man. And Jade and Robyn are still untransformed as well! Oh, my poor former master! If… If you snuggle next to me, maybe my touch will help you sleep better?”
My lips twitched “Still flirting with me, Catherine?”
Her eyes twinkled in the firelight, as she nickered to me. “Maybe… But I really think that we can comfort each other. Look, the fire is about to burn itself out soon – so let’s snuggle up.” Her expression turned serious. “Talk to me, Charlie. I care about you. And I hope that…you care for m-”
“Hey!” I reached my hand to touch her soft cheek with her attractive freckles. “It’s alright. I still care about you… Maybe, I’m starting to have romantic feelings for you, as well…,” I admitted. “It’s just…weird. You were our horse until recently. What can you tell me about yourself that I don’t already know?”
“A good point. Since turning ‘taur, my mind is full of knowledge… I understand how the English Language works. Though I sense there is much still to learn. Concepts that horses had no knowledge of.”
“Makes sense,” I agreed. “I have had a human brain for forty years, and there’s things that I’ll never know, ‘cos the human race has invented so much – different places, customs, lifestyles, machinery, and so on. You’ve just gained your human-like mind.”
“I can learn much from you, as well as what I’ve been told by my new herd-sisters,” Catherine pointed out. “Well, at least what we need to know, whilst living on this world.” She paused. “Come, lay with me, Charlie. And tell me about your human past. Talk to me!”
Soon Catherine was laying on her side – with me on my side, facing her. The huge blanket covering both of us. Underneath that, our human chests were facing each other. At her given permission, one of my hands reached down below Catherine’s waist and stroked the bay fur of her Lusitano equine chest. I allowed myself to calm down. At her gentle prodding, I talked about my autism, and how my anxiety flare ups were tied in with it. I broadly discussed how I struggled with make friends with other kids whilst growing up. How that led to me being a target for bullying. And all the side effects that came with that. How it had made me hate bullies. Hate injustice. How the human race was now falling into darkness – because of injustices on the international stage not being challenged strongly enough, and because of bullies in power, protected by their followers, being determined to always get their own way, no matter what the consequences to others were in the long run. Even to their own subjects…
I huffed. “I can’t do anything about them now. We’re no longer on earth. But it felt good to get that out of my system.”
Catherine nodded, squeezing my hand. “I am truly sorry for your past troubles. But the door has been closed on them now, by us being brought here, Charlie. We can have a better future here, together. With your family – and my new kind. Soon to be your new kind, too! I know from speaking to Imogen that you’ve never been lucky in love. This world is more…straightforward…than human society. Will that help you?”
“It should do, yeah. Far less things to worry about…” I realised that I was now calmer. Being snuggled up against Catherine, breathing in her scent, Now stroking her long strawberry-blonde hair, was indeed doing me good. “We didn’t get to see you transform…,” I pondered. “What was it like for you? A horse being changed into a centaur?”
Catherine reflected on the experience. “It was unexpected. Jarring. I had just fled into that derelict building, in order to hide from Jeremy. Then he was distracted by the arrival of that bear. At the same time, I was suddenly seized by the onset of the change, and I collapsed as my head and neck began shrinking. My eyes…drew closer to each other, changing my field of vision, improving my 3D vision. The…displaced matter… It went to forming my arms, hands, fingers – even as my human torso formed. And my fur… I quickly lost all of my fur above what had become my human waist… And I felt a new set of organs form within my…torso. Stomach, liver, kidneys, lungs, and a heart. So strange at the time – and yet, I am adjusting perfectly to having the physical body of a centaur and all that entails… Being what I am is beginning to feel…normal. It is starting to feel…right. I have been…elevated from being a mere mare…”
I placed my hand on her shoulder, in sympathy. “The transformation must have been terrifying for you. I’m sorry,” I told her.
“It was…scary, because I did not understand what was happening – or why. But thankfully, it was quick. And it did not hurt for long. Then…I passed out. But only briefly – as that bear crashed into the derelict building, and brought the roof down upon me, just after Epona screamed at me to wake up.”
“She…spoke to you? You dreamt of her?”
“Yes. It was a brief vision. Of a radiant silvery-furred centauress, similar to the stained-glass image in that church that Imogen told me about. Hair with colours of the rainbow… She had not expected her new daughter to be placed in immediate danger.” Catherine bowed her head. “If she had not urged me awake. If you had not rescued me from being buried alive…”
I squeezed her hand. With my other hand, I reached up and wiped away the tear running down her cheek. “I’m glad that you survived,” I whispered, and I allowed her to rest her face into the crook of my neck, as she smiled gratefully.
“I want to experience what life as a centaur can offer. And I want to share that life with you, Charlie,” she told me earnestly, as she lay one of her hands on my chest. Over my beating heart. On impulse, I returned the motion by resting my hand on the centre of her clothed chest, just below her slender breasts. Feeling the beat of her second heart.
“In fact… When you become a centaur, I want to see a lot MORE of you around,” Catherine added, the ends of her lips twitching upwards before she yawned, and began to fall asleep. “You will be both seen and HERD.”
I groaned at her jokes. “And no doubt have a ‘stable’ relationship with you – only without the stable! I get it.”
“Since I became a centaur, all of the jokes you, Robyn, and Imogen have made in the presence of Jade and myself have come back to me. Epona has gifted me with good understanding of your language – including your humour,” she explained.
“Your sense of humour still needs some work…,” I grumbled.
“That’s okay. I will learn from you and the others, in the years before us.” Catherine stroked my face. “Feeling better, Charlie?”
“Yes, I am,” I admitted. “Thanks. Goodnight, Catherine.”
She grinned, and snuggled against me. “Goodnight, Charlie,” she whispered.
And on that note, we both drifted off to sleep – finding comfort in each other’s company.