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"thumb_huge_noncustom_x": "216", "thumb_huge_noncustom_y": "300" } ], "pools": [], "description": "Art - :IconNib-Roc:\nWriting/Valencia - :iconRuna216:\nEzra - :IconTrashyPanda:\nRex - :IconTigerXtReme:\n\n[b][url=https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56781173//]<< Prev[/b][/url] - [b][url=https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45834586//]|First|[/url][/b] - [b]Next >>[/b]\n\nI keep doing this. Too much for one post. Not enough for two. Well, this continues Ezra's tale as Ceylon drops him off at The Ranch, where Valencia eventually proposes doing a bit of a post-transformation psychological and physical exam! \n\nWell, Val was never good at not enjoying her work.\n\n=====--=--=====\n\nTools of Self Discovery\n\n\t“She's just going to leave me here, isn't she?” Ezra said to himself as he watched Ceylon disappear over the treeline. He was standing, naked in the middle of a field after having been rebirthed by the gryphoness for the second time. He had enough time to clean off and dry up after satisfying her before she bailed and went back to do whatever it was she was going to do. And now Ezra was just standing in the middle of a pasture with ulokar on the other side, all ignoring him.\n\n\tIt was quite the interesting mid-afternoon change of things. After spending the last few days away from his partners he was swept up by Ceylon for some impromptu fun. As it turned out, Ceylon still had strong estrus cycles despite having complete control over her biology and needed to satisfy her needs on a whim. Those needs involved being pumped full of cum then going through the process to eventual give birth or lay an egg. The whole process was needed so Ezra got to play with her a bit only to be unbirthed and rebirthed after she got mounted by seemingly every beast at The Ranch.\n\n\tHe wasn't complaining one bit. He loved every second of that right up to the point he slid back out of her and she cleaned him of the mess her womb left soaked into his fur. However, the moment the mess was cleaned and he was dried up she just bolted into the sky, thanking him for his service before going back home. She didn't take him home. She didn't offer him a ride. She just left him nude in the field among the dragon-canine hybrid beasts.\n\n\tFortunately for Ezra he wasn't unable to care for himself. He was already on his way to The Ranch when he was swept off his feet by Ceylon as it was. So this wasn't a huge side quest from his original plan. The main difference was that he was pretty tired after being inside her while she took all of the biggest cocks she could, one right after another. \n\n\tEzra should have been angry. But he couldn't. It just didn't make any sense to be angry. He knew intimately well that Ceylon's life and experiences led her to just not behave in a way that would always make sense to people like him. A life that long alters one's perceptions of time and urgency. Of course she was prone to random bouts of lust followed by just randomly disappearing. It wasn't Ezra's job to understand the thought processes of someone like Ceylon. \n\n\tBesides, he still got to have a random bit of fun while still ending up where he planned. The only real difference was that he was naked instead of clothed. For all intents and purposes this was where he wanted and needed to be.\n\n\tThis ideal was further clarified when he scanned the horizon to see that Rex was leaning over the fence, staring at him. The tiger, who was actually a touch taller than Ezra, waved and shouted. “Hey! You might wanna get out of the Ulokar paddock! If Ceylon's not there to protect you they might claim you as their own!” He was trying to warn Ezra as best he could.\n\n\tThat sounded like a good time to Ezra, but he knew based on his understanding of the Ulokar that if the tiger handler was telling him to bolt, then it was time to bolt. One glance over at the pack of Ulokar and he could tel something was a little off. They were all standing tall with the hackles on their necks and the frills along their cheeks all at full mast. Each and every one of them had their sights trained on Ezra and they shifted their bodies with every movement. \n\n\tHe was about fifty meters from the fence. They were much farther away than that. He took a risk by bursting into a sprint towards Rex. The moment they saw him move they all did the same, running right at him. It was close but he managed to get to and hop the fence only a few seconds before they all came barreling down at him. Had he not gotten out of the paddock they'd have trampled him!\n\n\t“What was that all about?” Ezra asked as his chest heaved and his heart raced. “And how are they so popular if they're that dangerous?”\n\n\tRex was holding Ezra's single pair of white shorts with the cargo pockets, the pair he'd been wearing when Ceylon pounced him. He tossed it with all its contents including Ezra's watch to the canine and explained as they were equipped. “They're wonderful partners but they need strict rules and procedure. If you just jump in their paddock it's a free for all and they fight over you or will ravage you far beyond your comfort zone. But if you abide by the rules and respect their boundaries they're usually some of the best partners. A bit of a risk every time. That's why they're considered advanced. It's also why a two meter tall fence is enough to keep them in. They could jump it if they want but have been trained not to. Honestly, only the horses are incapable of jumping the fences.”\n\n\tAs he checked his pockets, Ezra nodded and did his best to actively listen to Rex. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I've always wanted to give them a shot but I'm pretty scared of them. Fantasies are nice but reality is a whole different situation.”\n\n\t“Heh, yeah. Even the horses can be a very unpleasant experience if you're not prepared or don't treat them properly.” Rex leaned over the fence to lightly tap one of the nearest ulokar on the haunches. When the beast turned and growled at him he growled back and made a clicking noise with the back of his throat; this seemed to tame the ulokar. “Good girl.” Rex cooed at her. \n\n\tEzra watched as about a dozen total ulokar beasts milled around, some of them coming over to stick their head over the fence to give a sniff to the pair of them. “Do they bite?”\n\n\t“They can, of course. Generally don't. If they do, we have top not potion-based first aid. It can be unpleasant.” He kept patting the ulokar's haunches and took a moment to slip his fingers under their thick tail, revealing a rather lovely looking cookie that was almost like a cloaca. Where the same vulva formation included all three parts of a canine's triangular lips with the posterior one closest to the tail base actually being the tail hole. All three lips were gently scaled. A perfect blend of dragon and canine.\n\n\t“You know, I kinda knew it but seeing the up close I can tell that the females all have longer, more pronounced frills around their head and the males all have long whisker-tendrils. Also, if I'm not mistaken, Females have even numbered horns and males have odd?” He remembered hearing that somewhere before but given that he'd always been too scared to approach ulokar in any sort of sensual manner he'd never put in the research needed to be sure.\n\n\tRex nodded in approval while also sliding his fingers into the ulokar's vagina, gently caressing the silken flesh inside just enough to tease before pulling his hand out and giving her a gentle pat. This seemed to make the beast sexually frustrated. She turned so that her ass end was basically pressed right up against the fence's top slat, the black scales of her vulva glistening with arousal. “That is correct!” Rex confirmed to Ezra, then motioned towards the ulokar ass that was staring them in the face. “You wanna see if she'll accept you?”\n\n\tEzra gulped. “Right now?”\n\n\t“I mean, you know where you are, right?” Rex prodded. “You clearly don't have to if you don't want to but you'll never gain the trust of any of them if you don't keep them pleasured. That's a major factor in gaining the loyalty needed to not be stomped on and chomped.”\n\n\t“Ah. I guess I could.” Ezra reached out towards the ulokar rump, not sure how to proceed. He was worried about startling her so he laid his palm on her haunches, one thumb under her tail to gently tease her lips and tail hole. He glanced over at Rex to seek approval, making sure he wasn't doing anything wrong. When neither Rex nor the ulokar responded negatively, Ezra slipped his other hand up onto her other cheek as he stepped up onto the lowest slat of the fence for extra height. After a few moments using both his thumbs to caress her vulva and prod her tail hole, occasionally parting her lips to expose the bright red of her pussy, he tentatively leaned in to see if he could steal a taste.\n\n\tHe stopped right before making contact, expecting the ulokar to bolt or Rex to pull him back. But no, neither happened so he gently pressed his lips to hers and extended a tongue into her, tasting the sweet nectar of her inner flesh. She immediately arched her back and pushed into him, knocking him off the fence, the thud of his landing startling the others enough that they growled and sidestepped away. This left just the black and green scaled ulokar that had captured Ezra's attention near the fence.\n\n\tRex laughed at him. Not mockingly but with a broad smile of compassion. He extended a hand to help Ezra up. “Yeah that happens sometimes. They can be pretty enthusiastic. You gotta be prepared for something like that. She likes you, though, so that's a good sign. They can tell good people.”\n\n\t“I like to think I'm good people.” Ezra accepted Rex's help and got to his feet, brushing off in the process. The sweet scent of the ulokar and the taste of her flesh had coaxed his mauve cock tip from his sheath, creating a distinct bulge. He tried to hide it for a split second before realizing that he'd just been tongue-deep in ulokar pussy. He had nothing to hide. “Good to see they know that.”\n\n\t“Yeah. I can use them to judge who I trust. Beasts definitely are more honest and true than people.” Rex said while patting the ulokar on the haunches, keeping her tail up nice and high. “Gave up on people ages ago.”\n\n\tEzra paused. “What do you mean by that?”\n\n\t“I don't have any interest in romancing other people, not generally. Could fool around with another tiger or canine or whatever but I'll never have the connection with another person as I do with the ulokar pack here. The ulokar and the horses and everything else at The Ranch. There's a reason I just moved in and literally live in the mid floor of the barn. These beasts are my people.”\n\n\tThat made perfect sense to Ezra, actually. “I thought the same way for the longest time. And still kinda do, but with the right people it can still be lovely. I'm in a dating group where we're all poly and free. I hadn't really considered being with other people until that happened. Before that, I just assumed it was all drama and nonsense and weird monogamy. I also preferred our quadruped friends. I guess it really just depends on the people.”\n\n\tRex was about to drop some profound life advice when they both heard a fluttering in the air nearby. When they turned to look they saw Valencia flapping her way towards them from the house. The half-bat, half-canine hybrid gal with the fiery red hair was Ilorek's wife, the psychic in charge of ensuring the beasts of The Ranch were not abused or forced into anything. It was what made The Ranch such a lovely place to visit. Beast or not, consent was paramount here. Her presence actually made Ezra temporarily panic, worried he'd triggered something.\n\n\tGiven that she was a psychic, Valencia put this to ease immediately. “Everything's fine. You're not in trouble, Ezra!” She landed and raised one of her wing-arms to him, casually calming him. Her wings were her arms, the long digits her fingers with bat-like wing membranes stretching between them. Only her thumb and forefinger were free of the wing flaps so she had something to grip with. When her wings weren't out and flying they were folded up along her forearm and upper arm.\n\n\t“Glad to hear it! I accidentally gave them a startle. Thought maybe that may have broadcast some negative energy. Ask Rex, I'm innocent!” Ezra raised his paws playfully.\n\n\t“Sweetheart I know that. I'm not out here for that. I was just doing a general patrol of the grounds, scanning for mental and emotional health of our beast stars when I happened to see you's two. Ezra, darling, tell me what brings you here!” She had a bubbly bounce in her step and a chirp in her voice. Always a complete sweetheart to Ezra; she seemed to be smitten with him.\n\n\tEzra shrugged. “Partners all out for the weekend. Was bored. Thought I'd come for a casual visit when Ceylon sat on me and unbirthed me! Not complaining, but it was definitely a bit of a detour!”\n\n\tValencia laughed heartily. “Yep that sure sounds like her. Then I bet she just up and abandoned you, eh?” She hopped up onto the fence near the ulokar, who still had her booty right up against the post. She casually, almost nonchalantly slipped her hand under the ulokar tail to idly pleasure her while chatting with Ezra. “Either way, I was actually thinking about coming to visit you this weekend!”\n\n\t“Hm?” Ezra's ears shot up. “Why was that?” What reason would someone like Valencia need to come see him at random. Again, part of his mind defaulted to assuming something bad.\n\n\tShe could tell he had some negative vibes – her natural psychic empathy made it virtually impossible to keep anything from her – so she immediately reached out with her foot paw to pat him on the back of his hand, reassuring him. “One day you're gonna learn you don't gotta be worried all the time. I just wanted to do the one month checkup on ya. Now that you've been effectively resurrected and given some new body parts I wanted to make sure you were doing alright. Sometimes these truths can ruin your perception and it can mess you up, mentally.”\n\n\t“Oh! Yeah. I guess that makes sense. Sorry. It's hard to fully let go of that nagging voice in the back of my head. They've been helping but it's still there.”\n\n\t“I can help with that.” Valencia offered with a broad grin that exposed her little canine fangs. \n\n\tEzra narrowed his gaze at her. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that?”\n\n\t“Psychic blocks! I'll just go in your head and put up some hard barriers to like, incapacitate parts of your brain!” She huffed at herself before shaking her head. “I'm kidding. I wouldn't do that to you. I would legitimately be happy to serve as a therapist to help you through things if you thought it'd help. I know being psychic and all might remove some of that efficacy but I do think that with the right mindset and assurance from someone like me might help you realize how important you are.”\n\n\tHis heart jumped up into his throat, forcing him to gulp it back down. “I'm important? To you?”\n\n\tValencia scoffed at him and leapt over so that she was perched on his shoulder. She was smaller than he was by a wide margin, barely more than half his height, and oddly light even for her size. She nuzzled the side of his head and wrapped her wing around him while squeaking gently. “Of course you are! We wouldn't keep bringing you back if you didn't matter. I will say, though, that every time we do give you the ol' rebirth you keep going on about your insecurities. And every time we have to get you back to your old self. Same with that transformation thing. That's like the tenth time!” \n\n\tThis actually did help him quite a bit. Not that it just shut the voice off but being so casually reminded that he mattered by people he cared about definitely put his mind at ease. \n\n\t“Good to hear it.” Val interrupted his thoughts, reading his mind. “That said, I am gonna have to steal you away. If I'm gonna give you a mental checkup you gotta be away from other people. Sorry Rexy.” She offered a salute.\n\n\tRex nodded. “Yeah, I get it. I'll get back to work. You two have fun. I probably have to help this gal with the arousal she built up thanks to this horny bugger.”\n\n\t“I mean, you could wait until I get back!” Ezra insisted. He really wanted to play with her.\n\n\t“Sorry mate, she has pretty time-sensitive needs and you apparently have a session with Val. Go on, get.” He eased into Ezra, pushing him away playfully.\n\n\tThere was some resistance but Ezra knew he was going to have to abide. He was by no means an obedient person but he was a people pleaser. He was not one to put up too much of a fight, so he simply sighed and let Valencia lead the way. She was on his shoulders, guiding him by pointing.\n\n\tOnce they were half way across the field, Ezra had to ask. “So where are we going if not the house or the barn?” They were headed between the barn and the lake that they used for irrigation in the middle of the caldera; there was nothing there and it was the only area of The Ranch that didn't seem to have any pasture or paddock for the livestock. There was a wide path between the equine and bovine pastures, big enough for a tractor to drive through.\n\n\t“To the shack!” She leaned forward with her claws digging into his shoulder, wing finger outstretched like she was a pirate ship navigator announcing imminent land. “The shack is where!”\n\n\t“You are going to have to give me more information than that.” Ezra tried to balance with her leaning like that but found it rather difficult so he pulled her back. “What shack? Where is it? I've never seen a shack around here.”\n\n\tValencia leaned over so her head was upside down in front of him, her body wrapped around his head. Each and every one of her red braids were dangling with the ademane gemstones glowing at the end. “Ah, right. I guess you're still relatively new to all this. The shack is the access to our lab.”\n\n\tHe pawed at the dangling gems. “Still doesn't explain much.”\n\n\t“You'll see. Is it too much to just ask you to trust me? I think I've earned that.”\n\n\t“Yeah, but you're still leading me to a secret lab in the woods. You have to know how many red flags that raises. Like, all of them. You're leading a brigade of flag bearers into war for a country who's flag is solid red right here. You have to know that.”\n\n\tShe laughed and hopped off him, flipping and flapping in midair. “Okay! Never heard it described like that but I'll take it! Yeah it sounds strange but have we led you astray yet? It's his alchemy lab but also my office. It's away from the house because it's just nicer that way. Also lets us focus a bit. And who doesn't want a cool underground lab?”\n\n\t“Oh, it's an underground lab, now? The plot thickens.”\n\n\t“You're in a horror story, Ezra. I'm going to tie you up and do all sorts of shit to you.”\n\n\t“Make it kinky and you have a deal.” He actually kinda liked that idea with the right partner.\n\n\tThis just made Valencia laugh. “You sure are a whole new person compared to when you first came back. It's nice to see your wit returning.” She kept leading him down the path until they reached the treeline of the Vast Emerald Wood. A light started glowing about a hundred meters away.\n\n\tThe layout of The Ranch was interesting. The whole property was in the caldera of what appeared to be an inactive volcano, but part of that, perhaps a quarter of it, was beyond the edge of the Vast Emerald Wood. So the trees and foliage actually covered a portion of The Ranch itself, at least along the one rim. There were small patches of trees throughout the rest of the property but the northern quadrant of it was all ademane-glowing patches. \n\n\tAnd a short hike in from the treeline Ezra could see a small cabin made of thick logs about the size of an average house. Well, an average house for someone Ilorek's size. HE was well over two meters tall so the building was an appropriate size. It also was lined with crystals that were glowing a blend of emerald and teal. That's where The Vast emerald Wood got its name from. The entire forest was filled with naturally occurring crystals that emanated mist that gave the region a distinct glow.\n\n\tConsidering the Vast emerald Wood wrapped around Great Sapphire Lake – one of the largest lakes in the world and one that had a distinct Sapphire-Blue glow – that was quite a large region. You could actually see the gentle light from beyond the horizon on a clear night. \n\n\tAs they got closer to the cabin Ezra noticed that it wasn't just made of logs but seemed to be anchored to the ground by roots. Each of the building blocks of the cabin wrapped and wove around each other, like they were grown into place rather than cut and used as lumber. “Huh.”\n\n\t“Yeah.” Valencia continued leading the way while walking backwards. “We found that the forest itself seemed to have a spirit and really didn't like it when its trees or wildlife were desecrated. With the right psychic connection and environmental passion we worked together with the forest itself to 'grow' certain huts and cottages. There are many of then along the trails, encouraging people to visit but not to disrespect the area.”\n\n\t“I'm not sure if that's scary or cool.” Ezra admitted.\n\n\t“Don't desecrate the Vast Emerald Wood and it won't be a problem. We learned this ages ago and that's why the entire forest is untouched. Once a sacred ground, now a protected conservation area. Either way, very important to be nice and not to invade or harm.” She finally led him to the front door of the cabin, which was locked and shut by some gemstones so she waved her wing hand over them each in sequence and the door opened on its own.\n\n\tThe cabin itself was about as basic as Ezra could have imagined on the outside. It appeared to be a single room cabin, with one door and two windows on the front, three windows on either side, and no windows on the back. There was a single chimney at the back made up of cobblestone that the roots of the cabin's wood wrapped around to hold in place while the roof was covered in slate and moss. Basic but very pretty, with deep chestnut wood, black and gray stone, and bright green mosses and vines interlaced between all the different elements like it was holding it all together.\n\n\tInside was just as nice. Very rustic looking with walls that seemed to be made out of hardwood shelves all filled with books and potion s and other ornamental display pieces. There was a lovely pair of chairs at one end, one far larger than the other with an end table in between them and in front of the fire pit, clearly meant for Ilorek and Valencia. There was also a nice pair of couches down either side of the cabin with room enough behind them to access the wall shelves. The large coffee table in the middle was long and narrow and was on a lovely rug that stopped just in front of either of the chairs and both of the couches with an interesting pattern on it.\n\n\t“You don't need to worry about others seeing us in here.” Valencia assured him as she hopped up onto the smaller of the two chairs on the opposite end of the cabin. “The glass is all made of semi-transparent ademane crystal and given an enchantment that makes it so that if people look inside they'll only see the imprinted visuals. Like, we'll basically be invisible and they'll only see what the room looks like without us in it.”\n\n\t“Is that needed?” Ezra asked as he rolled onto the couch nearest Valencia. He knew that if he was getting a mental or emotional check-up he'd basically be prone and answering questions. “I didn't see to many people out and about anyway.”\n\n\tValencia reached under the end table between the chairs, opening up a door to let some mist out as she poured herself a glass of something red and fruity. Not wine. Not juice. Not blood, either even if it was thick and viscous like blood. “No but the various pastures are large. There's probably fifty people here all exploring and out on hikes throughout The Ranch looking for fun. They come across this shack often enough that we had to ensure privacy. We could have just went to the house but that's no fun.”\n\n\tHe laid his hands over his chest and settled in. “So what do you want to know? How exactly does this work?” \n\n\t“Dear, you might be overthinking it.” She took a sip and crossed her ankles while leaning forward. “It's not like you're imagining. I don't randomly ask about your relationship with your mother or anything. That'd be weird considering the journey you're on. No, I just want you to tell me everything that has happened to you since we last met. That night in Klyneth when I passed you off to Afearnia and Fidget. Tell me what happened since then.”\n\n\t“That's it? Just story time for Valencia?” Ezra knew there was more to it than that.\n\n\tValencia leaned back in the chair and started fiddling with her toes. “No, there's more. You know who and what I am. I'll be able to piece together what you tell me, what you don't, your emotion relating to each element, and base your mental health on that. I suppose I'm leading you on a bit there but really, I just need you to be you. I can decipher from there.”\n\n\t“Ah, right.” Ezra took in what she said and then took a moment to compile his thoughts.\n\n\tAfter a minute or two, he opened up to her as best he could. He told her about all the awesome, kinky things that happened with Afearnia and Fidget that night. He told her about Wrasir and Kentanni and Vvilfred and Therris. He told her all about the home they lived in together and the unique way it was built, relating their home to the cabin they were currently in since Shiazo was the one who 'grew' it. He stopped mid story to piece that bit together in his mind, his journalistic integrity breaking through for a moment there. After that he shared all his sexy, kinky adventures, the sense of warmth and comfort he got from having a whole crew of partners to look for depending on mood, and Ceylon.\n\n\tHe shared every detail he thought to be important. From his relationships with the various members of the polycule to the way it had affected his work as an investigative journalist, how his huge discovery of Ceylon and the others made him trust his judgment better going forward, and how he actually felt lonely for the first time this weekend due to not having anyone around.\n\n\tAny other time he spent a weekend alone he was fine with it. He didn't need others and was so used to it that it became the basis from which all other emotions must earn his time. But now it was the other way around. He was spending so much time with Afearnia and the others – specifically Afearnia, he noticed without having to have it pointed out – that being alone was the exception, now. \n\n\tSaying it all out loud made him realize that he was falling more for one of the group than the others but he still felt for all of them. He wondered aloud if that meant he wasn't poly but actually monogamous but then he immediately shut himself down as he remembered that they'd casually brought up the topic in the past and that within the group different pairs and sets had different relations to one another. It was okay to be more attached to Afearnia than the others as long as no jealousy manifested from that. And since it never did, he had no concerns.\n\n\tAll in all he felt pretty proud of himself for figuring some of that out without having to be told or prodded. He just spoke openly and honestly with the knowledge that she'd know if he was lying so it really helped him open up. \n\n\tWhen he was finally done, she had to finally speak to her first impressions. “About what I expected and hoped except for one small – well, mostly small, potentially large – thing.”\n\n\tEzra's heart sank. “What's that?”\n\n\t“Oh, nothing bad. I just didn't realize how deep your passion for journalism is. From my memories of past lives you've always been the adventurous, exploratory type but it's stronger this cycle. You're actively seeking a way to have your voice heard and, I guess you could say, stick it to the man.”\n\n\tHe'd barely thought of that but she wasn't wrong.\n\n\t“Your comfort and passion with these new partners has done wonders. Absolutely. That can't be denied. But there's still a notable hole in your sense of self worth. You still feel like you need to do more than just be a heathly, compassionate partner. You feel like you need to do something bigger. And I confess I cheated a bit by mentally digging deeper into your mind but I know that unearthing Ceylon and her past history has simultaneously given you that validation you needed while also erasing a huge part of what drove you. You've proven yourself right about a supposed conspiracy, so what else is there left to do?” \n\n\t“I guess it hadn't really come up too much but you're right. So what's the solution and what's the problem it's solving? You made it sound potentially dire but that just seems like natural ambition.”\n\n\tValencia hopped up off her chair, gulped down the last mouthful of her drink, and started pacing on the opposite side of the table between them. “Whether it's a problem or not depends on how you feel about travel. You clearly wish to seek out more journalism opportunities, you seek that sense of integrity and accomplishment. Can't really do much of that in Klyneth.”\n\n\t“Why not?” He was not sure how to interpret that.\n\n\t“Because you aim higher than that. Klyneth and the rest of Saff'Rald are pretty stable. Devoid of conflict or corruption. What are you going to do to fulfill that desire? Try gotcha journalism on local politicians that have shitty policies they're trying to push? That might be fun for a few months but you will eventually seek more. You always seek more. I'm worried that chasing that will lead to-”\n\n\t“To having to leave the group for longer periods of time as I travel the world.” He finished her sentence and clenched his jaw. “Maybe. But I wouldn't worry too much about it, to be honest. I think that might be the best part about being part of a group like that. If I ever do leave I won't have to worry about them not being cared for. Or maybe I'll bring someone with me?”\n\n\tValencia stopped pacing and grinned at him. “There it is.”\n\n\tHe spun and put his feet down on the ground, staring intently at her. “There what is?”\n\n\t“Your revelation.” Valencia chirped as she flap-hopped up onto the table. “You've found yourself in a way that you feel genuinely confident and self-assured. Not fully, of course, but enough that I don't feel like I have to worry about you. Faced with imminent strife you immediately rolled with it and accepted it. Not only accepted but embraced. Honestly, that's the most I can hope for!”\n\n\tEzra beamed. “I guess so! What does that mean, exactly?” \n\n\t“It means I don't have to worry about you.”\n\n\t“Were you?”\n\n\t“A little bit, yes.” She admitted while hopping onto the couch next to him and giving him a side hug. She still wasn't as tall as him even as he sat on the couch she stood on. “We all were. But only a bit. Your personality is pretty well-established and doesn't change much each new cycle but your experiences absolutely affect your trajectory. Chaos theory and all that. There's always a chance something could happen that throws any of you off and you no longer become the person we loved. Not just you but any of them.”\n\n\tAgain, he had to pause to really think about that. It made perfect sense to him. “So what's next?” He asked, genuinely unsure how to proceed after that. He had questions but he felt like he needed time to process such a glowing review before he could properly accept it.\n\n\tValencia swung around his neck by the wing hand so that she was standing on his thighs. “Honestly that's entirely up to you. I'm giving you a clean bill of mental and emotional health but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about how you were doing physically.”\n\n\t“Was this all a ploy to get in my pants?” Ezra brought his hands up to cradle her hips, pulling her in closer as he felt what little uncertainty he had melt away.\n\n\tShe flicked him on the snout. “Since when does anyone need a ploy to get in your pants? I want to make sure you're happy and healthy. And now that I see that you are I see no reason why I can't also have some fun. Healthy comes first, you cum second!” \n\n\t“Wordplay. I like it.” He wrapped both arms around her and rolled her onto her back. “But-”\n\n\t“Ezra, darling, I wasn't being coy. I want to see how you're doing, physically.” She kicked out from under him and rolled onto her feet on the floor. “You had a pretty significant transformation that should be in the final stages of establishment. I want to see just how well that's doing.”\n\n\tHe just blinked. “O-Oh. I thought you were flirting with me.”\n\n\t“I love your confidence – and you're correct – but I'm still making sure all is well. It can be both, you know. Have you been using the toys I left you with?”\n\n\t“Oh! Yeah! They've been a lot of fun.” He was a little sheepish now that he had internal confirmation that he wasn't using them as much as he expected. Toys were great and having plenty to work with gave him many options but he got invited to the group of lovers and didn't really need toys when he had actual horse cock to play with at any time he asked for it. He also knew as soon as he said it that Valencia would catch him in that lie so he added an amendment to his statement. “I suppose I could be using them more but what I did use was fun!”\n\n\tValencia scoffed and half-cocked a grin. “Cute.”\n\n\tEzra flopped back on the couch. “Sorry, I hadn't really been paying much attention to them. I wanted to but, well, you heard how much fun I was having with the others.” \n\n\t“True. True. And given that I've seen them cycle through many lives I should have known that they'd be insatiable. I still think it's very important that you play with them a bit to better know what you like. Yeah, it's fun to play with friends but the best way to find yourself is to play with yourself. For example, did you spend much time with any of the vibrators? Do you know if your vulva and clit are sensitive to vibrations or not? Not all female parts are. Most, but not all.”\n\n\tHe pursed his lips and resisted answering at first. “I don't know about that. I haven't even tried. I guess there was some humming from some gemstones at one point but that's not really the same. That just sorta amplified what was already there rather than acted like a primary source of pleasure. I know I love knots and flares, though!”\n\n\tShe narrowed her glare a bit then waved her hand over the table behind her. A moment later, the table and the floor underneath it lifted straight up, revealing a stairwell in the direct middle of the cabin's main room. “Alright. Let's go have some fun, shall we?”\n\n\tIn retrospect this shouldn't have been a surprise. Ezra did distinctly hear her say this was 'access to the lab' yet he had seen nothing to indicate that. Of course there was a hidden staircase. Always a hidden staircase or a secret door or some sort of magical trap. “Okay.” Was all he could say as he followed her down the stairs into the lab.\n\n\tDown the stairwell the walls went from a pretty normal wood siding into cobblestone then eventually brick once they made it to the lower level. It was at least twenty meters down. Probably more. At the bottom of the stairwell the tunnel did an about face and opened up into an admittedly impressive open room. Less of a room, more like an underground stadium at least a hundred meters long from one end to the other and half as wide. That length would have made it about the right length that the other end must have been under their house.\n\n\t“Cheeky buggers.” Ezra huffed under his breath. “I should have known.”\n\n\t“Yeah, you really should have by now.” Valencia admitted.\n\n\tJust like the cabin above it, all of the walls were made up of shelves loaded with books, potions, and other alchemy items clearly meant for experimentation. They also had a series of relics, gemstones, staves, enchanted weapons, and other artifacts that looked to be important. There was lab equipment in rows from where they entered to the opposite wall. Each one well managed and in pristine condition. As they walked down the aisles Ezra noticed that there were a half dozen doors along either wall. Doors that led to what appeared to be smaller rooms.\n\n\t“So, honest question, am I ever going to be seen on the surface again?”\n\n\tValencia rolled her eyes. “Yes. We're not mad scientists just because we're alchemists.”\n\n\t“Same thing,” Ezra joked.\n\n\t“Look, you can leave if you want. We don't have to test your new parts.” Valencia suggested with a palpable display of frustration. “I know it's a little weird but I'd have to come to the dungeon to get the toys either way. Much easier to play here than take them to the barn.” \n\n\tEzra paused to ponder. “I suppose, but wouldn't that be a lot sexier? I'm only a little turned on down here. I could be maxed out on my arousal stat if we were in the barn. Or outside. Is there any reason we have to play down here?”\n\n\tShe hung her head and shook it. “I guess not. But we'd have to carry all the various toys upstairs and haul them to the barn and all that. I know you're bigger than me but-” She gave up mid-sentence. “Alright, follow me to the toy room. Pick one of each and we'll head up.”\n\n\tThough he felt a little bad about influencing her plans, the idea of being back in the barn made him a lot more comfortable. It was a more pleasant location, far better equipped for fun times. A lab had its very specific kink factor and Ezra was perfectly content in that setting but it wasn't ideal. \n\n\tValencia guided him to one of the nearest rooms and let him go in first. What he was greeted with was a room about the size of the cabin on the surface with the same layout of shelves lining the walls. Except instead of books and potions it was dildos and vibrators and bondage gear. Where the two chairs were in the cabin were two rather large bondage seats, one a suspended harness with leathers and the other an X-shaped rack with devices hovering over top. \n\n\t“Not entirely sure I'm into this, Val.” Ezra confessed. Even though part of him was curious. Not interested but curious. “Yeah I'd greatly prefer going above ground. This is all getting a little 'unsolved disappearances' for me.”\n\n\t“Fair. Just pick a handful of toys you wanna play with and we can be out.” She stayed near the door, leaning against the frame while investigating her thumb and forefinger claws.\n\n\tEzra did as instructed and started scanning all the various toys and types on the shelf. He noticed each and every option had dozens of different variations. The canine knot toys went from extra small to triple extra large. There were static shapes, different knot types, some inflated and some didn't. Some were based on dragons, some on ulokar, other on gryphons, but mostly canine. Just the 'knotted' toys alone comprised at least 100 different variations. “So why are we doing this again? Can't I just tell you what I like most?”\n\n\t“I trust my psychic sense more than anything else.” Valencia pushed off from the frame and joined him in browsing all the toys. “I get better data and a better feel for how you feel based off that. If you tell me, that's a good first impression but if I'm near you while you're actively playing I can feel it myself. I can also get a much better feel for the subtleties of your body's reactions based on that.”\n\n\tLike most things she said while explaining herself, that made sense to Ezra. \n\n\tWith that in mind, he happily scoured the options with her, ending up with a few variations on most toys. He got multiple vibrators – some small and thin, others shaped like dongs – as well as the variation on each toy shape he could think of. Some dragon, some equine, some canine, some gryphon. He even got one set of e-stim toys that he was looking forward to. In the end they filled up his arms and her wings with over a dozen toys with two versions of each. One he knew he could handle comfortably and one he thought he could work up to.\n\n\tOne thing that Valencia insisted upon was that they would not be using potions. She explained that they would tamper with the results and they needed to get what she was calling a 'base reading' to start with before they started messing around with alternative options and enhancement. It was best to know what he had by default so they knew what to focus on. That's why he ended up with two versions of each toy. \n\n\tBack in Klyneth with the rest of the group, so much of his fun was had with the aid of potions. Fidget was a potion-delivery courier and got access to plenty of cool and unique stuff through her job while Vvilfred and Therris both also had steady access to pretty kinky options. Because of that, almost all of Ezra's experiences with them were at least partially touched by potion. It was a lot of fun and with the high quality potions completely safe but that didn't mean he knew himself all that well. The more Valencia explained her methodology the clearer it was how important it was to go in clean.\n\n\tSo they ended up with a tonne of toys and options. All of which were looking incredibly fun.\n\n\t“Come on. This door will actually take you right to the barn.” Valencia instructed the moment they exited the toy room. The door was on the opposite side, flanked by two others nearby. “This is actually the storage shed in the corner of the barn. We just come down here for supplies. Actually, a lot of The Ranch's supplies are down here. Well, medical supplies.”\n\n\t“Kinda shocked I didn't know about this place.” Ezra was focusing more on not dropping the toys as they ascended the spiral staircase to the barn's base level. Once they opened the door and the sweet, earthy scents of the barn washed over him, Ezra found himself swelling in his shorts. “Okay, yeah this was a much better idea.” \n\n\tValencia gently closed and locked the door behind him. “It's not ideal but I guess the difference to you will be negligible. Your outside smells and influences will alter the effects a bit.”\n\n\t“You know, sex and intimacy aren't math equations.” Ezra tried to sound profound.\n\n\t“Yes they are.” Valencia countered. “They're just so complicated that deciphering them is harder than just attributing it to the intangible. It's easier to assume it's all unknowable and go with the flow than it is to actually understand the complicated psychological, biological, and intellectual elements involved. I know to the average person it's more meaningful if it lacks definition but I've been around long enough to know that there is a formula behind it all. The main problem is the emotional and psychological elements are hard to quantify, so-” She stopped mid sentence. “Yeah you don't care.”\n\n\tHe set down the toys on the nearby work bench. “I actually do, but I also see the value in feeling things over calculating things. Both are important but I'm okay with feeling things without necessarily understanding everything.”\n\n\t“If you understood everything maybe we could find a way to get you to stop having nagging doubts that are unfounded.” Valencia suggested. This got a bit of a response out of Ezra, as he paused to actually think about that before she leapt up on him, grabbing him by the chest fluff and standing on his hips. “Now can we get to the fun part? I want to enjoy our time together, too!”\n\n\t“O-oh! Okay! Sorry, I thought we were-”\n\n\t“What did I tell you about thinking so much?” She hopped off him and grabbed a pretty basic equine toy in one hand and a similarly sized canine toy in the other. \n\n\tHe also grabbed a couple of toys, including an e-stim sounding rod and an inflatable gryphon toy. “Nothing yet. I guess it was implied but you didn't directly say anything.”\n\n\tShe snapped her fingers and gave him a single finger-gun. “Good call. I was thinking that but forgot for a second that not everyone can just read my more subtle thoughts as I go. Basically, don't overthink if it's going to make you miserable. When you're lost in passion, lust, and emotion, go for it. Thinking is for academia, study, and research. Feeling is for fucking.” \n\n\t“You certainly have a way with words.”\n\n\t“Just shut up and meet me in the stall.” She grabbed the toys one by one from the bench and tossed them over the nearest stall wall to have them all land in the empty trough one after another. She also reached into a nearby closet and pulled out an actual jug of lube that she comically waddled into the stall with, kicking the door open ahead of herself. \n\n\tEzra followed with the last few toys she didn't toss. “Oh, lube is needed but not potions?”\n\n\t“Lube doesn't alter your body chemistry and is always better. We can try going in dry but-”\n\n\t“No, no. I like lube.”\n\n\t“Good, then shush up. Come on, let's have some fun. Don't worry about anything, just focus on your pleasure. I'm here to help every step of the way but this is mostly about you.”\n\n\tHearing that actually made Ezra swell a bit with pride. Not that he had a tonne of ego but it was nice to know that he didn't need to focus on others. This was a recurring theme now that he was in a relationship with Afearnia and the others. He had spent most of this life worrying about others, trying to please everyone else to feel accepted. Like he had no value if he wasn't serving someone else.\n\n\tBut now he knew first hand that everyone was healthier, happier, and hornier when balance was achieved. His pleasure mattered. His happiness mattered. Only when he was happy and healthy could he help others share that joy. And if he was satisfied with himself it made it a lot easier for him to want to make sure others also got to experience that. It wasn't selfishness, it was reason.\n\n\tIf he wanted to satisfy others he needed to take care of himself, first. If he did that, then he found he wanted to help others rather than feeling like he had to. And there was a world of difference between doing something because he wanted to do it rather than because he felt like he had to. And if he was able to maintain this thought process and help others, they helped him back. Ultimately what he learned that was it made the most sense to want everyone to be happy and healthy rather than focusing entirely on oneself or exclusively on others. Balance mattered.\n\n\tPure selfishness and pure altruism were not ideal. The best results came when people worked together towards a common goal. And those goals were best met when individuals made sure to attain that balance. He deserved happiness but so did his partners. And if everyone felt and acted the same way it led to healthier relationships all around. Leave the ego at the door, but don't ignore yourself.\n\n\tUnderstanding all this significantly altered his mental and emotional state. And being in a poly relationship further made his understanding of mutual mental and sexual health change. Monogamous partnerships created an unhealthy codependency between the couple. If one person was horny and needed to get laid but the other wasn't in the mood, it was that or masturbation. There was nothing wrong with masturbation of any sort and was entirely healthy but Ezra had seen way too many of his friends relying too heavily on needing sex in their lives to be satisfied and the resulting relationship tended to be unhealthy due to the codependency.\n\n\tBut with Ezra, things were different. If he was horny and wanted some sort of companionship there were more than a half dozen options. If Afearnia wasn't in the mood, he didn't need to feel bad about propositioning Fidget or Therris or Vvilfred. If one of them came to him seeing his particular brand of kink and he wasn't in the mood he didn't need to feel bad or guilty about saying no because he felt no obligation to perform. He knew that if Vvilfred wanted his massive horse cock in a tight spade but Ezra didn't feel like bottoming, Afearnia was right there. \n\n\tHeck, he could even watch to get in the mood and there were no negative emotions attached.\n\n\tAbove all else it also meant that when he was there in the barn playing with Valencia he didn't need to worry about Ilorek coming home and getting the shotgun. Because even though Valencia and Ilorek were married to each other and in a singular marriage they weren't monogamous. For all they knew Ilorek was balls-deep in someone as they got ready for some fun and Val was okay with that. If he did come home to 'catch' them he would simply ask to join and probably have a great time!\n\n\tThere were so many more options than the traditional monogamous ones. The important part was to know what you wanted, what you expected, and how you intended to get it. Ezra was learning what he wanted in a relationship more and more as time went on and now Valencia was helping him better understand what his body wanted, physically.\n\n\t“Let me get this straight. You literally just want me to bring myself to orgasm using this combination of toys to see what gets the best reaction out of me?” He asked as he was nestling into the pile of hay in the corner of the barn. He had been setting up a blanket underneath him so he didn't get debris from the hay and straw anywhere in himself. As he prepared he imagined that maybe Valencia had a point about playing in the lab. Less mess and fewer distractions.\n\n\tBut the smell of horses and ulokar meandering through the barn was so pleasant!\n\n\t“More or less, yeah.” Valencia plopped down the jug of lube with the pump dispenser at the top right between Ezra and the trough of toys. “I want you to play with each one to see what gets you closest to orgasm but ideally not climax. Once you do the test is over and you'd need to come back later to finish up the others or just live comfortably with incomplete results.”\n\n\t“I won't lie, treating this like a math problem is weird but I guess-”\n\n\t“Look we don't actually have to do any of this. Clearly your parts are in working order. I'm just trying to help you catch up on twenty plus years worth of experimentation you would have had growing up to get to this point. It's a shortcut. Do you want to spent the next fifteen to twenty years messing about before you find out how and what works for you or do you want me to help you get a kick-start on that in one afternoon?” She wasn't angry but it was clear she was still mildly frustrated that Ezra had convinced her to go to the barn instead of staying underground. \n\n\tIt took him a moment to really relax but with her assurance and his desire to explore himself more fully he finally got comfortable on the pillowy mound of hay and the towel he'd laid down and got to work. He slipped out of his shorts and kicked them to the side while leaning over the trough of toys that they'd brought. He didn't know for sure what he wanted to start with so he went for the smallest and most basic equine toy in one hand and a pretty simple masturbation sleeve in the other. Canine cookie shaped, of course.\n\n\tHe laid back, legs spread and knees high, and started to focus on himself with a deep breath. Part of him waited for some sort of qualifier or caveat but none came from Valencia so he began.\n\n\tLike most sessions of self-pleasure he started off with a fantasy in mind. If he was going to be using that stallion toy and that cookie sleeve he knew exactly what he was going to focus on. In his fantasy, he was sitting on Vvilfred's lap while Afearnia straddled him. He started by reaching around his thigh to pluck and prod at his pussy lips, exposing the deep purple flesh inside so he could slip a couple fingers in. It didn't take long at all for his depths to secrete his natural fluids and lube up.\n\n\tValencia took note of this and licked her lips, idly playing with herself as she watched. \n\n\tEzra barely noticed. His eyes were closed so he could focus on the physical sensations. Once his fingers were soaked in his own fluids he reached over and grabbed the stallion toy by the shaft and stroked it gently to apply the lube before hoisting it over and rubbing the unflared tip along his pussy lips. That felt nice, especially when the texture of the head caught on and dragged along his piercing.\n\n\tHe gasped a bit, tongue out and panting as he slowly eased the toy in as deep as it would go. The head lurched and popped in then kept going beyond the first open segment of his canal all the way to the point where his lips swallowed it beyond its median ring. He found he hilted it with little to no resistance even while only using his own natural lube, so he sat down fully on it so that its balls started grinding against his clitoral fossa piercing and started stroking his sheath. \n\n\tHis cock slid out with similar ease, the head and shaft and eventually knot bursting from their confines and swelling against his hand. He worried he was growing too quickly so he grabbed the spade sleeve toy, spat on the opening for a bit of extra slickness, and slid the whole length over his shaft until that plump spade-shaped vulva locked around the base of his knot.\n\n\tAgain he gasped and leaned back against the brick of the wall, slowly grinding and gyrating his hips to get a proper feel of the toy shifting inside him. It was subtle but intense when paired with the stroking of the sleeve toy and fantasy of riding Vvilfred's cock while Afearnia bounced on his lap. \n\n\tThis was all pleasant but he was told to not go too far in order to not go too farl not only was he supposed to try out more toys but he needed to give Valencia the data she needed to give him a proper bit of feedback. Not the most fun fantasy but good in the long run so he did his best to abide.\n\n\tIn truth, he wanted to just continue with that but quickly realized that if he kept bouncing on the stallion cock and stroking himself with the cookie sleeve he'd finish too fast. To fix that, he tossed the sleeve in the trough and pulled the stallion toy out of himself with a wet and sloppy splat to have it join the others. His hole was still slightly agape, drooling a slick strand of his natural fluids over his piercing as he decide what toy to use next. \n\n\tHe didn't want to jump into another pair of toys so he just got one of the canine knot toys and sat on it same as the equine toy. Only the knot was a bit too bulgy so he had to get a few pumps of lube into his palm to smear all over the toy and his lips before trying again. It took some work but the knot popped in and found itself lodged deep inside him. He started grinding his hips to make the knot roll inside and the shaft stir up his depths, which once again nearly brought him to climax so he paused and stood up to give himself some time to relax. Even though the toy was still inside him, tied tight.\n\n\tWhile standing he glanced over and saw one of the vibrators so he grabbed it and turned it on. With the knotted toy tied to his depths, he tried using the vibrator on both his clit and the base of his shaft to see just what felt better. He started by rubbing the soft tip against his clitoral fossa piercing and that nearly brought him to climax so he dragged it over his ballsack and between his orbs to tease the opening of his sheath where his inner flesh met the base of his knot. That also nearly brought him to climax as the bulges of veins on his member throbbed and pulsated with the toy. \tFinally, he tried stroking himself with the vibrator in his palm and that kept him so close to orgasming he had to stop.\n\n\tBy collapsing onto his knees and on all fours with the sloppy toy beneath him and the knot still tied to his pussy, he heaved and huffed a few times, actively trying to keep himself from exploding all over the hay and blanket.\n\n\tValencia saw what was happening and got involved by grabbing the knot toy by the base and yanking it out with a pop, leaving Ezra's depths oozing and his tongue hanging out to accompany his goofy grin. His cock was dangling, his rump was up, and he was spent. But not finished. She then head-butted him in the side to roll him over so his rump was up against the wall and his head and shoulders were down on the hay. His cock was dangling over his chin and his pussy was high in the air.\n\n\tShe stood over him so she was straddling his face and pressed her snout between his taint and tail hole, deliberately probing the depths of his pussy while she reached over and grabbed another one of the toys without him noticing. He was just fixated on having her long, tentacle-like tongue probing his pussy and her one hand gently massaging his balls, he barely even thought to give her some tongue attention back until some of her own fluids dripped on his chin and he got a sample of her scent.\n\n\tFrom there he arched his neck forward and lapped at her depths, tasting her for the first time while she coninued to massage his pussy lips and probe his depths. His cock kept drooling his own fluids up his chest, having it dribble over either side of his neck when his pussy got milked.\n\n\tThe sensations were so good that he didn't notice that Valencia had grabbed the inflatable gryphon toy and used some physical magic to remotely pump the lube bottle and soak it from tip to base off to the side. She kept her snout to his pussy lips and her tongue deep as she used both hands to smear the lube all over the toy; only once she pulled her muzzle away from him with a sucking smack and started to smear some of the lube all over his flesh did he realize she was enacting a plot.\n\n\tHe folded up his front paws over his chest and whimpered a bit as he waited for her to take action, his throbbing cock bobbing on his belly and continuing to leak his mess all up his chest.\n\n\tValencia pressed the tapered, bumpy tip of the gryphon toy against his vulva, deliberately stirring his loins to tease him. The nubs at the tip were meant to represent gryphon barbs, something that was lovely in reality but hard to convey in a dildo, so bumps and nubs and scale-like textures were as close as the toy could get. It also meant that the sensation as she forced it in slowly but firmly pressed all of his buttons on the way in. The final lurch of the knot – which was not swollen yet – and subsequent popping of it lodging itself inside him made him gasp and howl to himself.\n\n\tThat was exactly what he needed. To have that knot comfortably tie itself to him in order to press against his prostate through the layer of flesh that was his vaginal canal. He was already on the cusp of climax when Valencia started to squeeze the pump, inflating the knot of the toy inside him. \n\n\tEzra couldn't help but squirm with his back to the wall and shoulders on the ground. He was wagging his entire back half excitedly while the knot locked inside him, the bulge of it distending his vulva and stretching his lips beyond their normal capacity. No potions needed, just hungry flesh struggling to keep a growing knot inside him. Even his belly began to bulge as the toy expanded within his abdominal space. \n\n\tHe thought he was about to burst, prematurely ending the session, when he was blessed by a rather peculiar surprise by Valencia. A very pleasant surprise. \n\n\tShe had slid down over his body so hat her neck was partially wrapped around his and her chin was on his chest. From there her tongue extended long out of her maw to lick his cock tip, cleaning up some of his leaking mess before finally probing into him and plunging all the way down his urethra, bulging his shaft all the way to his knot! Her tongue invaded him like a tentacle, slithering inside his shaft, teasing his inner walls while the pressure of the inflatable toy grew inside him. This hit every button possible, so much so that he lost control of his faculties and melted all over. \n\n\tHe shuddered in delight as her tongue thrust into his cock, loosening up his urethra and tugging on his member from the inside. It was hard to tell where the pleasure was coming from most, be it his pussy or cock. Both were completely overwhelmed with pleasures he rarely got to experience, doubly so since none of this was potion-enhanced. It was all pure, raw pleasure.\n\n\tAgain he was so lost in his burgeoning climax that he didn't notice that Valencia had another device in her hands, this one a bit more shocking. \n\n\tWhile her tongue was slithering in his cock, grinding against his inner walls, she was still pumping the gryphon knot toy inside him so it was at full girth and firmness. This ensured it would not slip out of him until she deflated it from the control pump. His anatomy had a lovely, loose segment just inside the lips that was specifically meant for holding the expanded girth of a knot and locking it in a tight tie. It was doing its job.\n\n\tHe was practically in another realm of pleasure when Valencia wrapped a conductive strap around the base of his knot, tugging it tight to emulate that of a snug cookie around his cock neck. The second the strap was secured, she tugged her tongue out of him and left his cock gaping. Again only for a second until she took the other half of the device the conductive strap was attached to and slid it into him. It was a rounded cylinder made of metal connected by a wire to a single control panel. He only barely saw this out of the side of his eye before it got to be used on him.\n\n\tValencia pressed a few buttons and turned up a dial on the device's control, making a surge of electricity flow from the urethral sound to the knot strap, forcing his entire length to tense up well beyond its normal intensity. The shock that coursed through him did so in a rapid frequency, emulating the sensation of a vibrator, except his cock flesh was the vibrator. \n\n\tEzra tensed up and arched his back so much, every muscle in his lower body flexing all at once so hard that he fell over onto his side. From there he rolled onto his back with paws folded up onto his chest, whimpering with tongue out. His cock had an electric sounding rod inside it that linked up to the conductive strap around his knot, so his entire lower body was shaking and shivering in orgasmic delight. He'd have been able to cum, too, if his cock wasn't plugged.\n\n\tWhich is why it took him by surprise when Valencia straddled his hips and aimed his cock tip into her own pussy, gradually sitting on him until she'd taken every last bit of his throbbing member, knot and all. The electricity was coursing through him the whole time and the wire that poked out his urethra ended up trailing down the side of the outside of his cock, stuck between his shaft flesh and her pussy walls. \n\n\tShe rode him expertly, the electric surges coursing through his cock to make his flesh vibrate inside her while also making her walls constrict around him at the exact same frequency. \n\n\tHe would have exploded immediately had his cock not been so perfectly plugged by the metal rod, which was even tighter now that his member was wrapped in Valencia's pussy flesh.\n\n\tValencia leaned down to nuzzle his neck and give him a gentle nibble with her sharp fangs when the barn door slid open. They both glanced over to see a silhouette staring down at them. Val's depths clenched tight around him, practically tugging his knot right off his body. \n\n\tThings just got interesting.\n\n\t=====--=--=====\n\n\tIt was Rex. The tiger that was out with the ulokar pack earlier. Behind him was the green and black ulokar that he and Ezra had gently fooled around with prior to Valencia showing up. He looked mildly panicked if a bit distracted by the image of Valencia straddling Ezra's hips.\n\n\t“Hey, Val? We have a very mild problem.” He said while the ulokar he brought with him sidled up next to him and rubbed its horns on his side. \n\n\t“What kind of problem and how bad is it. I don't suppose it can wait? I'm kind of busy.” Valencia answered while clenching her loins to tug and twitch around Ezra's member. \n\n\tRex ran his fingers through his hair. “Well it's hard to tell. After you two left and I took care of this lass here, I guess some pheromones flared up and the males of the pack started posturing for dominance and it's been slowly escalating ever since. They haven't begun fighting yet but I think they're going to be soon.”\n\n\tEzra just stared, blank-faced as the e-stim rod in his cock pulsed shocks through his member and into the conductive band around the base of his knot. That was pressure enough, but the gryphon toy was still fully firm and inflated in his pussy, so that was also distracting him. He heard what Rex was saying but didn't really process the meaning. \n\n\tValencia was more attentive and better at multitasking. She kept grinding and tugging at Ezra's knot, her clenching depths squeezing the rod in his urethra while the electricity coursed through her flesh at the same time. “You know how to fix that. Introduce them each a female and let them have their fun. They're trained well enough to share.”\n\n\t“Unfortunately that doesn't look like it will work. The females formed a herd of seven and are in a defensive formation. Not in the mood at all right now. That's just making the males act weird. You wanna scan the herd, see how to help?” Rex patted the ulokar next to him, mildly concerned. \n\n\tThere was a pause between all three of them before Valencia sighed heavily and flipped her head back. She kept a tight grip on Ezra's cock as she leaned into him, sitting as heavily as she could against his lower belly, squeezing his sheath in the process. Her weight, though relatively light, applied pressure down on the inflatable toy in his pussy, nearly pushing it out. “Fine.” she sighed, then grabbed the pump to the gryphon toy and let out all the air. After pulling it out of Ezra, she stood up so that his cock yanked out of her, leaving a trail of slime from her lips to his tip. “Let's go.” She offered Ezra a paw up, which was funny given how much taller he was than her. \n\n\tEzra had a hard time accepting her hand, since the constant buzzing of electricity coursing through his cock flesh was keeping him on the verge of climax. It wasn't until she used her toes to turn the device off and give him relief that he was able to roll to his feet with her aid. Slowly, he tugged the rod out of his cock and removed the conductive band from his knot, allowing his member to slowly retreat into his sheath. “So, did you get enough data, or-”\n\n\t“We'll have to try again some other time. Right now we need to focus on the ulokar pack.” She motioned for Ezra and Rex to follow as she hop-flapped her way out the barn, grabbing a couple potions on the way. A creamy trail of Ezra's mess dribbled out between her legs as she went. \n\n\tOnce they were all outside the barn they all got a good look at what was happening in the ulokar field. The four males were all circling around each other, snapping and growling and showing off their horns. Off to the side, the six remaining females – not including the green and black one Rex brought with him to the barn – were in a defensive position against the fence closest to the ranch house. \n\n\tAll the males were threatening to head-butt each other, lowering their heads, letting their long whiskers whip and snap at the air while their tails slammed the ground and all four of their paws were digging at the ground like they were preparing to charge. Their hackles were up, their scales were flared, and they were all on the verge of fighting. \n\n\tRex was clearly good at his job and knew how to handle the ulokar at the ranch but there were times when he had no choice but to stand back and let them work. They were known to be stubbourn, aggressive, and territorial when triggered and there was nothing he could do once they got like this. \n\n\tEzra wasn't as intimately familiar with the species as they were not too common and only recently gained some popularity in mating videos online so he'd only done a bit of research about them. It was enough to know he was grossly outmatched by their strength and power. There was a reason they were deemed the 'advanced' or 'master' level partners within The Ranch.\n\n\tValencia was not the same, though. Rex was a capable rancher and Ezra was a well-read lover of beasts but Valencia was on a whole other level. She showed no fear as she hopped over the fence and boldly approached all four of the moody males. She was the smallest of the three bipeds so she was presumably the most vulnerable but that was not the case at all. As a psychic she had a distinct advantage over anyone else, especially when dealing with living creatures.\n\n\tShe'd made a point to let Ezra and others know that she didn't care for using her abilities to invade minds or control people or manipulate situations but it did mean that with a bit of focus she could find the solution to virtually any problem. She could conjure the right words on a whim, anticipate any action, and even control others if she wanted. It made her a formidable force in most situations as well as a valuable asset. She put this skill to work to try to tame the four males.\n\n\tAs soon as she approached one of them lashed out at her, snapping his jaws and leaning in to slam her with his horns. She lightly sidestepped like she barely noticed, making the ulokar miss. She then raised her hand to another, putting him in sort of a trance while she focused. This calmed him but triggered the other three. Before any claw swipes or head slams connected, she widened both wings to make a shock-wave of teal burst around all four of them, temporarily stunning them and putting them in a semi-lucid state. The cloud of teal hovered and swirled between all four.\n\n\t“Get your tails in here. Now!” She commanded Ezra and Rex, wing hands still up to maintain the cloud of psychic magic she was using to tame the ulokar drakes.\n\n\tRex didn't hesitate but Ezra held back. “Uh, is that safe?”\n\n\tValencia nodded. “Yeah. Well, it will be. They need to get laid immediately or there's gonna be a fight, just like Rex said.” She shot Rex a look of approval. “Very good job, identifying the problem.”\n\n\tEzra was still hesitant, slowly climbing over the fence. “But the females are all right there!”\n\n\t“Consent is key here, remember? They're not in the mood, but the males are. This means we gotta find an outlet for them immediately or else there's going to be a fight. I'm sure they'd work it out but this is the better alternative.” She grunted a bit, straining to keep all four of the males under control.\n\n\tRex got near to her so she tossed him one of the vials of potion she'd grabbed on the way out of the barn. He downed it immediately and then leaned toward the nearest of the four drakes, pressing his chest to the scaled flank in order to make a connection.\n\n\tThere was a lingering sliver of doubt in the back of Ezra's mind but he knew enough to trust Valencia in this situation. He also knew that she wouldn't have asked him to do something he didn't want to do. Being used and ravaged by a beast was incredibly hot to him in fantasy, even if the reality was a bit scarier than he'd like to admit. He saw Rex take the potion and take action, so he decided to do the same.\n\n\tAfter taking only a few seconds to build up his courage he took the final step over the fence and jogged towards Val and the other three drakes. She tossed him a vial of potion, he downed it, and she smiled proudly at him.\n\n\t“I knew you'd want to help!” She said with a wink and a lick of her lips. “You've always been that kind of person. Now go! Make a connection with the drake of your choice, they'll temporarily bond with you and you can tame them. Part of the potion is that your body will smell like a ulokar female to them, so they'll see you as a viable mate without much in terms of hesitation!”\n\n\t“What about you? There are three of us and four of them!” Ezra asked right as he made contact with the neck and shoulder of the red and orange ulokar drake. “And shouldn't I earn their trust first? Isn't that how bonding is supposed to work?”\n\n\tRex purred gently against the flank of the ulokar he chose, answering for Valencia. “Ideally, of course. Sometimes in the heat of the moment some liquid help is needed.” \n\n\t“Ah.” It felt like a 'lesser of many evils' type of situation to Ezra. He always wanted to see what it was like to get mounted by such a rough and aggressive beast; with the aid of the potions he was going to be able to experience that without danger of harm. And if things worked out, he'd even bond with the beast after! Assuming all went well. Which he was confident they would.\n\n\tHe took some time to enjoy some fur to fur contact with the ulokar as he watched Rex and Valencia make their respective moves. Rex wasted no time whatsoever slipping a hand under the ulokar's belly, stroking the sheath and pulling it back to expose the beast's cock. The ulokar bucked into his hand, spraying a thin and incredibly musky precum all over the grass beneath him. Rex was sure to get to his knees and start nuzzling the sheath, purring to satisfy him all the while. Of course this meant his whiskers and snout got smeared in layers and webs of ulokar precum. A mess he happily licked up.\n\n\tAt the same time, Valencia was enacting a similar stroke, using one of her wing hands to tug the beasts sheath while her other hand remained outstretched to keep the fourth ulokar in a tamed state. This ensured that she could get to work on the third one without distractions. She actually took a vastly different route, though. She used some finger strokes and wing-hand motions to urge the one she was under to roll over onto his side and eventually end up on his back like a playful doggo, paws folded over his chest and cock slowly emerging from his sheath.\n\n\tShe wasn't shy at all. She straddled that ulokar and pressed her pussy up to his emerging cock tip, easily swallowing him up and grinding her way down until the knot popped into her. A bulge formed in her lower belly, one that expanded and retracted within only a few seconds of having the knot swell inside. Ezra didn't really know what this was but he didn't have much time to ponder before the fourth ulokar came over and started sniffing Valencia under the tail, his own member dropping.\n\n\tRex growled and grunted, yowling in pleasure as he positioned himself up against the underside of his ulokar. His tail was flagged high, his spine dipped for the best angle, and his cute little tail hole ready for ulokar cock. Much like Valencia his flesh parted with relative ease as the beast's member slowly expanded into him, the tapered tip popping in followed by the series of ridges along its length.\n\n\tEzra was in a half trance as he watched the other two so bravely handle such massive cocks with ease, idly stroking his own beast's undercarriage the whole time. It wasn't until his ulokar growled and clawed at the ground that he realized he needed to put out or bail. He was not as confident as the other two but he did eventually crouch under the beast, careful to stroke and caress its flank the entire time to ensure that his actions didn't startle him.\n\n\tThough the ulokar were all pretty aggressive in terms of their tendency to assert themselves, he immediately noticed that they were notably more gentle once physical affection was offered to them. Even though Ezra was mildly frightened of what might happen prior to slipping underneath the beast, once he was down there he actually got a bit of warmth and comfort as his back pressed to the ulokar's belly, a warmth that was further sweetened when the creature lowered its head to nuzzle Ezra from between its front legs, the long whiskers caressing him.\n\n\tWas this what it felt like to be a female ulokar? It was definitely something that made him shiver with delight as he felt that drake's cock expanding to probe him under the tail. He reached back to stroke and tug, eagerly helping to guide it to where it needed to be. Not his tail hole but his pussy, the one that had already been stretched out by the gryphon toy. \n\n\tSo when he felt that lightly textured, tapered tip spread his lips and ease its way into him he couldn't help but gasp and move back, wiggling his hips to have his depths swallow every last ridge along the beast's shaft. Even the knot gave little to no resistance despite being bigger around than both of his fists balled up and pressed wrist to wrist. Each ridge lurched into him one at a time followed by the deep, intense sensation of the soft knot popping in to give his lower belly a visible bulge.\n\n\tHe managed to breath heavy a few times as the cock inside him swelled up and grew firm, eventually turning rock hard. The pressure of that knot tugging on his insides was more intense than the inflatable toy by a factor of ten, and the shaft was thicker too so he felt more of the beast's cock features grinding against his silky walls. \n\n\tWhile he was trying to focus on the sensation of the ulokar filling him up, he noticed that Rex had just gotten his own knot in the tail hole, forcing him to let out a roar of delight. However, in response to his roar the Ulokar gradually bent all four legs, forcing Rex down onto the ground with the beast covering him. No hip thrusts, oddly enough. In fact, there was almost no motion between any of the four drakes. How peculiar. \n\n\tYet, as Rex was pressed to the ground, belly smooshed into the grass, the tiger's abdominal wall had a shifting bulge like he was being thrust into. \n\n\tValencia was in a similar position. She was on the third ulokar, who was laying on his back. She was knotted to that beast and the bulge in her belly kept shifting through her entire torso to disappear behind her ribs even as the fourth ulokar stepped over the pair of them, arching his back to press his loins up under her tail. Much like the third drake, the fourth's cock slipped into her with ease, the knot swelling just inside her tail hole while his shaft plunged through her depths.\n\n\tEzra was mixed between the bliss of having such a huge, well-defined cock knotted and tied to him and the confusion of how these creatures were thrusting into the other two without any hip movements. He got his answer mere seconds later as he felt the shaft inside his pussy growing and extending deep within him, stretching to three times its usual length and poking into his womb before pulling back out to be short and thick again.\n\n\tThe knot stayed in place, barely moving while the shaft's ridges extended and its length tripled again. This gave the ulokar's cock the sensation of thrusting without needing the knot to move or get dislodged. By extending and shortening, it was penetrating deep and hitting all the right buttons for Ezra, who was getting a very intimate, first-person lesson in ulokarian anatomy.\n\n\tSuch beasts were simultaneously aggressive and tender, depending on the situation. They were able to slip into their partners with little issue as their cocks started off thin and well tapered. Like a canine's cock. Only to then have the knot swell to tie them in place, followed by the shaft's ridges extending to have the tip plunge in deep and penetrate the cervix. The sensation of being thrust into while his partner was mostly just cuddling with him, slowly forcing him down onto the ground was exactly the sort of compassion he was looking forward to feeling again. \n\n\tBut then, right as he and his ulokar partner ended up cuddling on the ground both laying on their sides, Ezra felt a massive swelling deep inside him as the beast's flare exploded within his womb, locking and plugging his cervix at max depth, preparing him to have the load deposited. \n\n\tIt was mildly uncomfortable – the bulge in his belly was so pronounced he could count the bumps lining the ulokar's flare through his abdominal wall – but it was also insanely hot to simultaneously feel the warmth and comfort of a passive cuddle and the rough, aggressive thrusts of a proper mating at the same time. The pressure of the knot grinding against both his internal buttons and the sloshing swell of erupting ulokar seed within his womb quickly brought him to his own climax. \n\n\tHis own mess burst out over the grass, smearing all over his chest fur as his pussy lips felt the tug of the knot and the bulge in his belly slowly lost definition as his womb inflated.\n\n\t“See? That was fun, wasn't it?” Rex practically sang from under his ulokar. He was stroking it behind his head, purring throughout. “But don't let that get the better of you. Had we not had those potions and Val hadn't have used her psychic abilities to tame them, you could have been ravaged and clawed a lot more. A give and take.”\n\n\tEzra just nodded in between deep breaths as he let out a subtle whimper of delight. He rubbed his own belly to see if he could feel the bulge of the flare inside him. He could, but only barely. \n\n\tValencia was sandwiched in between the third and fourth ulokar, double knotted in both holes. Her torso was visibly rotund, inflated by two massive beast loads of cum. She looked like she was about to say something when the first of the females came over to nuzzle the drake's cheek and the others followed. \n\n\tNow that the drakes were all drained and satisfied, they were no longer in defensive mode and were happy to rejoin the pack, playing and licking and nuzzling the three who helped them out. They really were intelligent and were able to identify that Ezra, Valencia, and Rex were all instrumental in their consent not being violated. As a result they were happy to help all three of them clean up the resulting mess once the drakes pulled out and their cum flowed onto the ground.\n\n\tHe happily laid in the grass, chest down and ass up as the green and black ulokar – who had jumped the fence again to rejoin the pack – tongued him and made sure he was completely clean.\n\n\tAfter that, Rex collected some grooming supplies and the three of them spent much of the afternoon brushing and tending to the entire pack, one after another. \n\n\tSince the drakes were all satisfied and drained of their essence, they were friendly and affectionate in much the same way a pet dog would be to its person. They played, they gave chase, they pounced and pinned and licked, and even exposed their bellies for rubs. It was cute as could be, and it just endeared Ezra to the species even more. \n\n\tSure, they were aggressive and rough, but with the right compassion and preparation it was a mount unlike any other. Which was completely fine by him. He was happy to put in the extra work.\n\n\tPart of him wondered if this would in some way affect his relationships with Afearnia and the others but for the first time in a long time he just shrugged it off and assumed with confidence that it wouldn't be a problem. That the others would not only understand but encourage it.\n\n\tThe moment he thought this to himself, Valencia stopped what she was doing and slowly gave him a nod of approval. She clearly had felt his breakthrough from the other side of the pack and was clearly proud of him. \n\n\tMore importantly, he was proud of himself. He genuinely felt great pride in this feeling of self-satisfaction, knowing he was doing something that made him happy. Knowing he was at peace with that. Knowing he had more friends that saw him for him and encouraged it. The companionship of a ulokar partner was worth the risk and the effort. \n\n\tHe could see himself spending a lot more time at The Ranch. ", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Art - :IconNib-Roc:
Writing/Valencia - :iconRuna216:
Ezra - :IconTrashyPanda:
Rex - :IconTigerXtReme:

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I keep doing this. Too much for one post. Not enough for two. Well, this continues Ezra's tale as Ceylon drops him off at The Ranch, where Valencia eventually proposes doing a bit of a post-transformation psychological and physical exam!

Well, Val was never good at not enjoying her work.

=====--=--=====

Tools of Self Discovery

\t“She's just going to leave me here, isn't she?” Ezra said to himself as he watched Ceylon disappear over the treeline. He was standing, naked in the middle of a field after having been rebirthed by the gryphoness for the second time. He had enough time to clean off and dry up after satisfying her before she bailed and went back to do whatever it was she was going to do. And now Ezra was just standing in the middle of a pasture with ulokar on the other side, all ignoring him.

\tIt was quite the interesting mid-afternoon change of things. After spending the last few days away from his partners he was swept up by Ceylon for some impromptu fun. As it turned out, Ceylon still had strong estrus cycles despite having complete control over her biology and needed to satisfy her needs on a whim. Those needs involved being pumped full of cum then going through the process to eventual give birth or lay an egg. The whole process was needed so Ezra got to play with her a bit only to be unbirthed and rebirthed after she got mounted by seemingly every beast at The Ranch.

\tHe wasn't complaining one bit. He loved every second of that right up to the point he slid back out of her and she cleaned him of the mess her womb left soaked into his fur. However, the moment the mess was cleaned and he was dried up she just bolted into the sky, thanking him for his service before going back home. She didn't take him home. She didn't offer him a ride. She just left him nude in the field among the dragon-canine hybrid beasts.

\tFortunately for Ezra he wasn't unable to care for himself. He was already on his way to The Ranch when he was swept off his feet by Ceylon as it was. So this wasn't a huge side quest from his original plan. The main difference was that he was pretty tired after being inside her while she took all of the biggest cocks she could, one right after another.

\tEzra should have been angry. But he couldn't. It just didn't make any sense to be angry. He knew intimately well that Ceylon's life and experiences led her to just not behave in a way that would always make sense to people like him. A life that long alters one's perceptions of time and urgency. Of course she was prone to random bouts of lust followed by just randomly disappearing. It wasn't Ezra's job to understand the thought processes of someone like Ceylon.

\tBesides, he still got to have a random bit of fun while still ending up where he planned. The only real difference was that he was naked instead of clothed. For all intents and purposes this was where he wanted and needed to be.

\tThis ideal was further clarified when he scanned the horizon to see that Rex was leaning over the fence, staring at him. The tiger, who was actually a touch taller than Ezra, waved and shouted. “Hey! You might wanna get out of the Ulokar paddock! If Ceylon's not there to protect you they might claim you as their own!” He was trying to warn Ezra as best he could.

\tThat sounded like a good time to Ezra, but he knew based on his understanding of the Ulokar that if the tiger handler was telling him to bolt, then it was time to bolt. One glance over at the pack of Ulokar and he could tel something was a little off. They were all standing tall with the hackles on their necks and the frills along their cheeks all at full mast. Each and every one of them had their sights trained on Ezra and they shifted their bodies with every movement.

\tHe was about fifty meters from the fence. They were much farther away than that. He took a risk by bursting into a sprint towards Rex. The moment they saw him move they all did the same, running right at him. It was close but he managed to get to and hop the fence only a few seconds before they all came barreling down at him. Had he not gotten out of the paddock they'd have trampled him!

\t“What was that all about?” Ezra asked as his chest heaved and his heart raced. “And how are they so popular if they're that dangerous?”

\tRex was holding Ezra's single pair of white shorts with the cargo pockets, the pair he'd been wearing when Ceylon pounced him. He tossed it with all its contents including Ezra's watch to the canine and explained as they were equipped. “They're wonderful partners but they need strict rules and procedure. If you just jump in their paddock it's a free for all and they fight over you or will ravage you far beyond your comfort zone. But if you abide by the rules and respect their boundaries they're usually some of the best partners. A bit of a risk every time. That's why they're considered advanced. It's also why a two meter tall fence is enough to keep them in. They could jump it if they want but have been trained not to. Honestly, only the horses are incapable of jumping the fences.”

\tAs he checked his pockets, Ezra nodded and did his best to actively listen to Rex. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I've always wanted to give them a shot but I'm pretty scared of them. Fantasies are nice but reality is a whole different situation.”

\t“Heh, yeah. Even the horses can be a very unpleasant experience if you're not prepared or don't treat them properly.” Rex leaned over the fence to lightly tap one of the nearest ulokar on the haunches. When the beast turned and growled at him he growled back and made a clicking noise with the back of his throat; this seemed to tame the ulokar. “Good girl.” Rex cooed at her.

\tEzra watched as about a dozen total ulokar beasts milled around, some of them coming over to stick their head over the fence to give a sniff to the pair of them. “Do they bite?”

\t“They can, of course. Generally don't. If they do, we have top not potion-based first aid. It can be unpleasant.” He kept patting the ulokar's haunches and took a moment to slip his fingers under their thick tail, revealing a rather lovely looking cookie that was almost like a cloaca. Where the same vulva formation included all three parts of a canine's triangular lips with the posterior one closest to the tail base actually being the tail hole. All three lips were gently scaled. A perfect blend of dragon and canine.

\t“You know, I kinda knew it but seeing the up close I can tell that the females all have longer, more pronounced frills around their head and the males all have long whisker-tendrils. Also, if I'm not mistaken, Females have even numbered horns and males have odd?” He remembered hearing that somewhere before but given that he'd always been too scared to approach ulokar in any sort of sensual manner he'd never put in the research needed to be sure.

\tRex nodded in approval while also sliding his fingers into the ulokar's vagina, gently caressing the silken flesh inside just enough to tease before pulling his hand out and giving her a gentle pat. This seemed to make the beast sexually frustrated. She turned so that her ass end was basically pressed right up against the fence's top slat, the black scales of her vulva glistening with arousal. “That is correct!” Rex confirmed to Ezra, then motioned towards the ulokar ass that was staring them in the face. “You wanna see if she'll accept you?”

\tEzra gulped. “Right now?”

\t“I mean, you know where you are, right?” Rex prodded. “You clearly don't have to if you don't want to but you'll never gain the trust of any of them if you don't keep them pleasured. That's a major factor in gaining the loyalty needed to not be stomped on and chomped.”

\t“Ah. I guess I could.” Ezra reached out towards the ulokar rump, not sure how to proceed. He was worried about startling her so he laid his palm on her haunches, one thumb under her tail to gently tease her lips and tail hole. He glanced over at Rex to seek approval, making sure he wasn't doing anything wrong. When neither Rex nor the ulokar responded negatively, Ezra slipped his other hand up onto her other cheek as he stepped up onto the lowest slat of the fence for extra height. After a few moments using both his thumbs to caress her vulva and prod her tail hole, occasionally parting her lips to expose the bright red of her pussy, he tentatively leaned in to see if he could steal a taste.

\tHe stopped right before making contact, expecting the ulokar to bolt or Rex to pull him back. But no, neither happened so he gently pressed his lips to hers and extended a tongue into her, tasting the sweet nectar of her inner flesh. She immediately arched her back and pushed into him, knocking him off the fence, the thud of his landing startling the others enough that they growled and sidestepped away. This left just the black and green scaled ulokar that had captured Ezra's attention near the fence.

\tRex laughed at him. Not mockingly but with a broad smile of compassion. He extended a hand to help Ezra up. “Yeah that happens sometimes. They can be pretty enthusiastic. You gotta be prepared for something like that. She likes you, though, so that's a good sign. They can tell good people.”

\t“I like to think I'm good people.” Ezra accepted Rex's help and got to his feet, brushing off in the process. The sweet scent of the ulokar and the taste of her flesh had coaxed his mauve cock tip from his sheath, creating a distinct bulge. He tried to hide it for a split second before realizing that he'd just been tongue-deep in ulokar pussy. He had nothing to hide. “Good to see they know that.”

\t“Yeah. I can use them to judge who I trust. Beasts definitely are more honest and true than people.” Rex said while patting the ulokar on the haunches, keeping her tail up nice and high. “Gave up on people ages ago.”

\tEzra paused. “What do you mean by that?”

\t“I don't have any interest in romancing other people, not generally. Could fool around with another tiger or canine or whatever but I'll never have the connection with another person as I do with the ulokar pack here. The ulokar and the horses and everything else at The Ranch. There's a reason I just moved in and literally live in the mid floor of the barn. These beasts are my people.”

\tThat made perfect sense to Ezra, actually. “I thought the same way for the longest time. And still kinda do, but with the right people it can still be lovely. I'm in a dating group where we're all poly and free. I hadn't really considered being with other people until that happened. Before that, I just assumed it was all drama and nonsense and weird monogamy. I also preferred our quadruped friends. I guess it really just depends on the people.”

\tRex was about to drop some profound life advice when they both heard a fluttering in the air nearby. When they turned to look they saw Valencia flapping her way towards them from the house. The half-bat, half-canine hybrid gal with the fiery red hair was Ilorek's wife, the psychic in charge of ensuring the beasts of The Ranch were not abused or forced into anything. It was what made The Ranch such a lovely place to visit. Beast or not, consent was paramount here. Her presence actually made Ezra temporarily panic, worried he'd triggered something.

\tGiven that she was a psychic, Valencia put this to ease immediately. “Everything's fine. You're not in trouble, Ezra!” She landed and raised one of her wing-arms to him, casually calming him. Her wings were her arms, the long digits her fingers with bat-like wing membranes stretching between them. Only her thumb and forefinger were free of the wing flaps so she had something to grip with. When her wings weren't out and flying they were folded up along her forearm and upper arm.

\t“Glad to hear it! I accidentally gave them a startle. Thought maybe that may have broadcast some negative energy. Ask Rex, I'm innocent!” Ezra raised his paws playfully.

\t“Sweetheart I know that. I'm not out here for that. I was just doing a general patrol of the grounds, scanning for mental and emotional health of our beast stars when I happened to see you's two. Ezra, darling, tell me what brings you here!” She had a bubbly bounce in her step and a chirp in her voice. Always a complete sweetheart to Ezra; she seemed to be smitten with him.

\tEzra shrugged. “Partners all out for the weekend. Was bored. Thought I'd come for a casual visit when Ceylon sat on me and unbirthed me! Not complaining, but it was definitely a bit of a detour!”

\tValencia laughed heartily. “Yep that sure sounds like her. Then I bet she just up and abandoned you, eh?” She hopped up onto the fence near the ulokar, who still had her booty right up against the post. She casually, almost nonchalantly slipped her hand under the ulokar tail to idly pleasure her while chatting with Ezra. “Either way, I was actually thinking about coming to visit you this weekend!”

\t“Hm?” Ezra's ears shot up. “Why was that?” What reason would someone like Valencia need to come see him at random. Again, part of his mind defaulted to assuming something bad.

\tShe could tell he had some negative vibes – her natural psychic empathy made it virtually impossible to keep anything from her – so she immediately reached out with her foot paw to pat him on the back of his hand, reassuring him. “One day you're gonna learn you don't gotta be worried all the time. I just wanted to do the one month checkup on ya. Now that you've been effectively resurrected and given some new body parts I wanted to make sure you were doing alright. Sometimes these truths can ruin your perception and it can mess you up, mentally.”

\t“Oh! Yeah. I guess that makes sense. Sorry. It's hard to fully let go of that nagging voice in the back of my head. They've been helping but it's still there.”

\t“I can help with that.” Valencia offered with a broad grin that exposed her little canine fangs.

\tEzra narrowed his gaze at her. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that?”

\t“Psychic blocks! I'll just go in your head and put up some hard barriers to like, incapacitate parts of your brain!” She huffed at herself before shaking her head. “I'm kidding. I wouldn't do that to you. I would legitimately be happy to serve as a therapist to help you through things if you thought it'd help. I know being psychic and all might remove some of that efficacy but I do think that with the right mindset and assurance from someone like me might help you realize how important you are.”

\tHis heart jumped up into his throat, forcing him to gulp it back down. “I'm important? To you?”

\tValencia scoffed at him and leapt over so that she was perched on his shoulder. She was smaller than he was by a wide margin, barely more than half his height, and oddly light even for her size. She nuzzled the side of his head and wrapped her wing around him while squeaking gently. “Of course you are! We wouldn't keep bringing you back if you didn't matter. I will say, though, that every time we do give you the ol' rebirth you keep going on about your insecurities. And every time we have to get you back to your old self. Same with that transformation thing. That's like the tenth time!”

\tThis actually did help him quite a bit. Not that it just shut the voice off but being so casually reminded that he mattered by people he cared about definitely put his mind at ease.

\t“Good to hear it.” Val interrupted his thoughts, reading his mind. “That said, I am gonna have to steal you away. If I'm gonna give you a mental checkup you gotta be away from other people. Sorry Rexy.” She offered a salute.

\tRex nodded. “Yeah, I get it. I'll get back to work. You two have fun. I probably have to help this gal with the arousal she built up thanks to this horny bugger.”

\t“I mean, you could wait until I get back!” Ezra insisted. He really wanted to play with her.

\t“Sorry mate, she has pretty time-sensitive needs and you apparently have a session with Val. Go on, get.” He eased into Ezra, pushing him away playfully.

\tThere was some resistance but Ezra knew he was going to have to abide. He was by no means an obedient person but he was a people pleaser. He was not one to put up too much of a fight, so he simply sighed and let Valencia lead the way. She was on his shoulders, guiding him by pointing.

\tOnce they were half way across the field, Ezra had to ask. “So where are we going if not the house or the barn?” They were headed between the barn and the lake that they used for irrigation in the middle of the caldera; there was nothing there and it was the only area of The Ranch that didn't seem to have any pasture or paddock for the livestock. There was a wide path between the equine and bovine pastures, big enough for a tractor to drive through.

\t“To the shack!” She leaned forward with her claws digging into his shoulder, wing finger outstretched like she was a pirate ship navigator announcing imminent land. “The shack is where!”

\t“You are going to have to give me more information than that.” Ezra tried to balance with her leaning like that but found it rather difficult so he pulled her back. “What shack? Where is it? I've never seen a shack around here.”

\tValencia leaned over so her head was upside down in front of him, her body wrapped around his head. Each and every one of her red braids were dangling with the ademane gemstones glowing at the end. “Ah, right. I guess you're still relatively new to all this. The shack is the access to our lab.”

\tHe pawed at the dangling gems. “Still doesn't explain much.”

\t“You'll see. Is it too much to just ask you to trust me? I think I've earned that.”

\t“Yeah, but you're still leading me to a secret lab in the woods. You have to know how many red flags that raises. Like, all of them. You're leading a brigade of flag bearers into war for a country who's flag is solid red right here. You have to know that.”

\tShe laughed and hopped off him, flipping and flapping in midair. “Okay! Never heard it described like that but I'll take it! Yeah it sounds strange but have we led you astray yet? It's his alchemy lab but also my office. It's away from the house because it's just nicer that way. Also lets us focus a bit. And who doesn't want a cool underground lab?”

\t“Oh, it's an underground lab, now? The plot thickens.”

\t“You're in a horror story, Ezra. I'm going to tie you up and do all sorts of shit to you.”

\t“Make it kinky and you have a deal.” He actually kinda liked that idea with the right partner.

\tThis just made Valencia laugh. “You sure are a whole new person compared to when you first came back. It's nice to see your wit returning.” She kept leading him down the path until they reached the treeline of the Vast Emerald Wood. A light started glowing about a hundred meters away.

\tThe layout of The Ranch was interesting. The whole property was in the caldera of what appeared to be an inactive volcano, but part of that, perhaps a quarter of it, was beyond the edge of the Vast Emerald Wood. So the trees and foliage actually covered a portion of The Ranch itself, at least along the one rim. There were small patches of trees throughout the rest of the property but the northern quadrant of it was all ademane-glowing patches.

\tAnd a short hike in from the treeline Ezra could see a small cabin made of thick logs about the size of an average house. Well, an average house for someone Ilorek's size. HE was well over two meters tall so the building was an appropriate size. It also was lined with crystals that were glowing a blend of emerald and teal. That's where The Vast emerald Wood got its name from. The entire forest was filled with naturally occurring crystals that emanated mist that gave the region a distinct glow.

\tConsidering the Vast emerald Wood wrapped around Great Sapphire Lake – one of the largest lakes in the world and one that had a distinct Sapphire-Blue glow – that was quite a large region. You could actually see the gentle light from beyond the horizon on a clear night.

\tAs they got closer to the cabin Ezra noticed that it wasn't just made of logs but seemed to be anchored to the ground by roots. Each of the building blocks of the cabin wrapped and wove around each other, like they were grown into place rather than cut and used as lumber. “Huh.”

\t“Yeah.” Valencia continued leading the way while walking backwards. “We found that the forest itself seemed to have a spirit and really didn't like it when its trees or wildlife were desecrated. With the right psychic connection and environmental passion we worked together with the forest itself to 'grow' certain huts and cottages. There are many of then along the trails, encouraging people to visit but not to disrespect the area.”

\t“I'm not sure if that's scary or cool.” Ezra admitted.

\t“Don't desecrate the Vast Emerald Wood and it won't be a problem. We learned this ages ago and that's why the entire forest is untouched. Once a sacred ground, now a protected conservation area. Either way, very important to be nice and not to invade or harm.” She finally led him to the front door of the cabin, which was locked and shut by some gemstones so she waved her wing hand over them each in sequence and the door opened on its own.

\tThe cabin itself was about as basic as Ezra could have imagined on the outside. It appeared to be a single room cabin, with one door and two windows on the front, three windows on either side, and no windows on the back. There was a single chimney at the back made up of cobblestone that the roots of the cabin's wood wrapped around to hold in place while the roof was covered in slate and moss. Basic but very pretty, with deep chestnut wood, black and gray stone, and bright green mosses and vines interlaced between all the different elements like it was holding it all together.

\tInside was just as nice. Very rustic looking with walls that seemed to be made out of hardwood shelves all filled with books and potion s and other ornamental display pieces. There was a lovely pair of chairs at one end, one far larger than the other with an end table in between them and in front of the fire pit, clearly meant for Ilorek and Valencia. There was also a nice pair of couches down either side of the cabin with room enough behind them to access the wall shelves. The large coffee table in the middle was long and narrow and was on a lovely rug that stopped just in front of either of the chairs and both of the couches with an interesting pattern on it.

\t“You don't need to worry about others seeing us in here.” Valencia assured him as she hopped up onto the smaller of the two chairs on the opposite end of the cabin. “The glass is all made of semi-transparent ademane crystal and given an enchantment that makes it so that if people look inside they'll only see the imprinted visuals. Like, we'll basically be invisible and they'll only see what the room looks like without us in it.”

\t“Is that needed?” Ezra asked as he rolled onto the couch nearest Valencia. He knew that if he was getting a mental or emotional check-up he'd basically be prone and answering questions. “I didn't see to many people out and about anyway.”

\tValencia reached under the end table between the chairs, opening up a door to let some mist out as she poured herself a glass of something red and fruity. Not wine. Not juice. Not blood, either even if it was thick and viscous like blood. “No but the various pastures are large. There's probably fifty people here all exploring and out on hikes throughout The Ranch looking for fun. They come across this shack often enough that we had to ensure privacy. We could have just went to the house but that's no fun.”

\tHe laid his hands over his chest and settled in. “So what do you want to know? How exactly does this work?”

\t“Dear, you might be overthinking it.” She took a sip and crossed her ankles while leaning forward. “It's not like you're imagining. I don't randomly ask about your relationship with your mother or anything. That'd be weird considering the journey you're on. No, I just want you to tell me everything that has happened to you since we last met. That night in Klyneth when I passed you off to Afearnia and Fidget. Tell me what happened since then.”

\t“That's it? Just story time for Valencia?” Ezra knew there was more to it than that.

\tValencia leaned back in the chair and started fiddling with her toes. “No, there's more. You know who and what I am. I'll be able to piece together what you tell me, what you don't, your emotion relating to each element, and base your mental health on that. I suppose I'm leading you on a bit there but really, I just need you to be you. I can decipher from there.”

\t“Ah, right.” Ezra took in what she said and then took a moment to compile his thoughts.

\tAfter a minute or two, he opened up to her as best he could. He told her about all the awesome, kinky things that happened with Afearnia and Fidget that night. He told her about Wrasir and Kentanni and Vvilfred and Therris. He told her all about the home they lived in together and the unique way it was built, relating their home to the cabin they were currently in since Shiazo was the one who 'grew' it. He stopped mid story to piece that bit together in his mind, his journalistic integrity breaking through for a moment there. After that he shared all his sexy, kinky adventures, the sense of warmth and comfort he got from having a whole crew of partners to look for depending on mood, and Ceylon.

\tHe shared every detail he thought to be important. From his relationships with the various members of the polycule to the way it had affected his work as an investigative journalist, how his huge discovery of Ceylon and the others made him trust his judgment better going forward, and how he actually felt lonely for the first time this weekend due to not having anyone around.

\tAny other time he spent a weekend alone he was fine with it. He didn't need others and was so used to it that it became the basis from which all other emotions must earn his time. But now it was the other way around. He was spending so much time with Afearnia and the others – specifically Afearnia, he noticed without having to have it pointed out – that being alone was the exception, now.

\tSaying it all out loud made him realize that he was falling more for one of the group than the others but he still felt for all of them. He wondered aloud if that meant he wasn't poly but actually monogamous but then he immediately shut himself down as he remembered that they'd casually brought up the topic in the past and that within the group different pairs and sets had different relations to one another. It was okay to be more attached to Afearnia than the others as long as no jealousy manifested from that. And since it never did, he had no concerns.

\tAll in all he felt pretty proud of himself for figuring some of that out without having to be told or prodded. He just spoke openly and honestly with the knowledge that she'd know if he was lying so it really helped him open up.

\tWhen he was finally done, she had to finally speak to her first impressions. “About what I expected and hoped except for one small – well, mostly small, potentially large – thing.”

\tEzra's heart sank. “What's that?”

\t“Oh, nothing bad. I just didn't realize how deep your passion for journalism is. From my memories of past lives you've always been the adventurous, exploratory type but it's stronger this cycle. You're actively seeking a way to have your voice heard and, I guess you could say, stick it to the man.”

\tHe'd barely thought of that but she wasn't wrong.

\t“Your comfort and passion with these new partners has done wonders. Absolutely. That can't be denied. But there's still a notable hole in your sense of self worth. You still feel like you need to do more than just be a heathly, compassionate partner. You feel like you need to do something bigger. And I confess I cheated a bit by mentally digging deeper into your mind but I know that unearthing Ceylon and her past history has simultaneously given you that validation you needed while also erasing a huge part of what drove you. You've proven yourself right about a supposed conspiracy, so what else is there left to do?”

\t“I guess it hadn't really come up too much but you're right. So what's the solution and what's the problem it's solving? You made it sound potentially dire but that just seems like natural ambition.”

\tValencia hopped up off her chair, gulped down the last mouthful of her drink, and started pacing on the opposite side of the table between them. “Whether it's a problem or not depends on how you feel about travel. You clearly wish to seek out more journalism opportunities, you seek that sense of integrity and accomplishment. Can't really do much of that in Klyneth.”

\t“Why not?” He was not sure how to interpret that.

\t“Because you aim higher than that. Klyneth and the rest of Saff'Rald are pretty stable. Devoid of conflict or corruption. What are you going to do to fulfill that desire? Try gotcha journalism on local politicians that have shitty policies they're trying to push? That might be fun for a few months but you will eventually seek more. You always seek more. I'm worried that chasing that will lead to-”

\t“To having to leave the group for longer periods of time as I travel the world.” He finished her sentence and clenched his jaw. “Maybe. But I wouldn't worry too much about it, to be honest. I think that might be the best part about being part of a group like that. If I ever do leave I won't have to worry about them not being cared for. Or maybe I'll bring someone with me?”

\tValencia stopped pacing and grinned at him. “There it is.”

\tHe spun and put his feet down on the ground, staring intently at her. “There what is?”

\t“Your revelation.” Valencia chirped as she flap-hopped up onto the table. “You've found yourself in a way that you feel genuinely confident and self-assured. Not fully, of course, but enough that I don't feel like I have to worry about you. Faced with imminent strife you immediately rolled with it and accepted it. Not only accepted but embraced. Honestly, that's the most I can hope for!”

\tEzra beamed. “I guess so! What does that mean, exactly?”

\t“It means I don't have to worry about you.”

\t“Were you?”

\t“A little bit, yes.” She admitted while hopping onto the couch next to him and giving him a side hug. She still wasn't as tall as him even as he sat on the couch she stood on. “We all were. But only a bit. Your personality is pretty well-established and doesn't change much each new cycle but your experiences absolutely affect your trajectory. Chaos theory and all that. There's always a chance something could happen that throws any of you off and you no longer become the person we loved. Not just you but any of them.”

\tAgain, he had to pause to really think about that. It made perfect sense to him. “So what's next?” He asked, genuinely unsure how to proceed after that. He had questions but he felt like he needed time to process such a glowing review before he could properly accept it.

\tValencia swung around his neck by the wing hand so that she was standing on his thighs. “Honestly that's entirely up to you. I'm giving you a clean bill of mental and emotional health but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about how you were doing physically.”

\t“Was this all a ploy to get in my pants?” Ezra brought his hands up to cradle her hips, pulling her in closer as he felt what little uncertainty he had melt away.

\tShe flicked him on the snout. “Since when does anyone need a ploy to get in your pants? I want to make sure you're happy and healthy. And now that I see that you are I see no reason why I can't also have some fun. Healthy comes first, you cum second!”

\t“Wordplay. I like it.” He wrapped both arms around her and rolled her onto her back. “But-”

\t“Ezra, darling, I wasn't being coy. I want to see how you're doing, physically.” She kicked out from under him and rolled onto her feet on the floor. “You had a pretty significant transformation that should be in the final stages of establishment. I want to see just how well that's doing.”

\tHe just blinked. “O-Oh. I thought you were flirting with me.”

\t“I love your confidence – and you're correct – but I'm still making sure all is well. It can be both, you know. Have you been using the toys I left you with?”

\t“Oh! Yeah! They've been a lot of fun.” He was a little sheepish now that he had internal confirmation that he wasn't using them as much as he expected. Toys were great and having plenty to work with gave him many options but he got invited to the group of lovers and didn't really need toys when he had actual horse cock to play with at any time he asked for it. He also knew as soon as he said it that Valencia would catch him in that lie so he added an amendment to his statement. “I suppose I could be using them more but what I did use was fun!”

\tValencia scoffed and half-cocked a grin. “Cute.”

\tEzra flopped back on the couch. “Sorry, I hadn't really been paying much attention to them. I wanted to but, well, you heard how much fun I was having with the others.”

\t“True. True. And given that I've seen them cycle through many lives I should have known that they'd be insatiable. I still think it's very important that you play with them a bit to better know what you like. Yeah, it's fun to play with friends but the best way to find yourself is to play with yourself. For example, did you spend much time with any of the vibrators? Do you know if your vulva and clit are sensitive to vibrations or not? Not all female parts are. Most, but not all.”

\tHe pursed his lips and resisted answering at first. “I don't know about that. I haven't even tried. I guess there was some humming from some gemstones at one point but that's not really the same. That just sorta amplified what was already there rather than acted like a primary source of pleasure. I know I love knots and flares, though!”

\tShe narrowed her glare a bit then waved her hand over the table behind her. A moment later, the table and the floor underneath it lifted straight up, revealing a stairwell in the direct middle of the cabin's main room. “Alright. Let's go have some fun, shall we?”

\tIn retrospect this shouldn't have been a surprise. Ezra did distinctly hear her say this was 'access to the lab' yet he had seen nothing to indicate that. Of course there was a hidden staircase. Always a hidden staircase or a secret door or some sort of magical trap. “Okay.” Was all he could say as he followed her down the stairs into the lab.

\tDown the stairwell the walls went from a pretty normal wood siding into cobblestone then eventually brick once they made it to the lower level. It was at least twenty meters down. Probably more. At the bottom of the stairwell the tunnel did an about face and opened up into an admittedly impressive open room. Less of a room, more like an underground stadium at least a hundred meters long from one end to the other and half as wide. That length would have made it about the right length that the other end must have been under their house.

\t“Cheeky buggers.” Ezra huffed under his breath. “I should have known.”

\t“Yeah, you really should have by now.” Valencia admitted.

\tJust like the cabin above it, all of the walls were made up of shelves loaded with books, potions, and other alchemy items clearly meant for experimentation. They also had a series of relics, gemstones, staves, enchanted weapons, and other artifacts that looked to be important. There was lab equipment in rows from where they entered to the opposite wall. Each one well managed and in pristine condition. As they walked down the aisles Ezra noticed that there were a half dozen doors along either wall. Doors that led to what appeared to be smaller rooms.

\t“So, honest question, am I ever going to be seen on the surface again?”

\tValencia rolled her eyes. “Yes. We're not mad scientists just because we're alchemists.”

\t“Same thing,” Ezra joked.

\t“Look, you can leave if you want. We don't have to test your new parts.” Valencia suggested with a palpable display of frustration. “I know it's a little weird but I'd have to come to the dungeon to get the toys either way. Much easier to play here than take them to the barn.”

\tEzra paused to ponder. “I suppose, but wouldn't that be a lot sexier? I'm only a little turned on down here. I could be maxed out on my arousal stat if we were in the barn. Or outside. Is there any reason we have to play down here?”

\tShe hung her head and shook it. “I guess not. But we'd have to carry all the various toys upstairs and haul them to the barn and all that. I know you're bigger than me but-” She gave up mid-sentence. “Alright, follow me to the toy room. Pick one of each and we'll head up.”

\tThough he felt a little bad about influencing her plans, the idea of being back in the barn made him a lot more comfortable. It was a more pleasant location, far better equipped for fun times. A lab had its very specific kink factor and Ezra was perfectly content in that setting but it wasn't ideal.

\tValencia guided him to one of the nearest rooms and let him go in first. What he was greeted with was a room about the size of the cabin on the surface with the same layout of shelves lining the walls. Except instead of books and potions it was dildos and vibrators and bondage gear. Where the two chairs were in the cabin were two rather large bondage seats, one a suspended harness with leathers and the other an X-shaped rack with devices hovering over top.

\t“Not entirely sure I'm into this, Val.” Ezra confessed. Even though part of him was curious. Not interested but curious. “Yeah I'd greatly prefer going above ground. This is all getting a little 'unsolved disappearances' for me.”

\t“Fair. Just pick a handful of toys you wanna play with and we can be out.” She stayed near the door, leaning against the frame while investigating her thumb and forefinger claws.

\tEzra did as instructed and started scanning all the various toys and types on the shelf. He noticed each and every option had dozens of different variations. The canine knot toys went from extra small to triple extra large. There were static shapes, different knot types, some inflated and some didn't. Some were based on dragons, some on ulokar, other on gryphons, but mostly canine. Just the 'knotted' toys alone comprised at least 100 different variations. “So why are we doing this again? Can't I just tell you what I like most?”

\t“I trust my psychic sense more than anything else.” Valencia pushed off from the frame and joined him in browsing all the toys. “I get better data and a better feel for how you feel based off that. If you tell me, that's a good first impression but if I'm near you while you're actively playing I can feel it myself. I can also get a much better feel for the subtleties of your body's reactions based on that.”

\tLike most things she said while explaining herself, that made sense to Ezra.

\tWith that in mind, he happily scoured the options with her, ending up with a few variations on most toys. He got multiple vibrators – some small and thin, others shaped like dongs – as well as the variation on each toy shape he could think of. Some dragon, some equine, some canine, some gryphon. He even got one set of e-stim toys that he was looking forward to. In the end they filled up his arms and her wings with over a dozen toys with two versions of each. One he knew he could handle comfortably and one he thought he could work up to.

\tOne thing that Valencia insisted upon was that they would not be using potions. She explained that they would tamper with the results and they needed to get what she was calling a 'base reading' to start with before they started messing around with alternative options and enhancement. It was best to know what he had by default so they knew what to focus on. That's why he ended up with two versions of each toy.

\tBack in Klyneth with the rest of the group, so much of his fun was had with the aid of potions. Fidget was a potion-delivery courier and got access to plenty of cool and unique stuff through her job while Vvilfred and Therris both also had steady access to pretty kinky options. Because of that, almost all of Ezra's experiences with them were at least partially touched by potion. It was a lot of fun and with the high quality potions completely safe but that didn't mean he knew himself all that well. The more Valencia explained her methodology the clearer it was how important it was to go in clean.

\tSo they ended up with a tonne of toys and options. All of which were looking incredibly fun.

\t“Come on. This door will actually take you right to the barn.” Valencia instructed the moment they exited the toy room. The door was on the opposite side, flanked by two others nearby. “This is actually the storage shed in the corner of the barn. We just come down here for supplies. Actually, a lot of The Ranch's supplies are down here. Well, medical supplies.”

\t“Kinda shocked I didn't know about this place.” Ezra was focusing more on not dropping the toys as they ascended the spiral staircase to the barn's base level. Once they opened the door and the sweet, earthy scents of the barn washed over him, Ezra found himself swelling in his shorts. “Okay, yeah this was a much better idea.”

\tValencia gently closed and locked the door behind him. “It's not ideal but I guess the difference to you will be negligible. Your outside smells and influences will alter the effects a bit.”

\t“You know, sex and intimacy aren't math equations.” Ezra tried to sound profound.

\t“Yes they are.” Valencia countered. “They're just so complicated that deciphering them is harder than just attributing it to the intangible. It's easier to assume it's all unknowable and go with the flow than it is to actually understand the complicated psychological, biological, and intellectual elements involved. I know to the average person it's more meaningful if it lacks definition but I've been around long enough to know that there is a formula behind it all. The main problem is the emotional and psychological elements are hard to quantify, so-” She stopped mid sentence. “Yeah you don't care.”

\tHe set down the toys on the nearby work bench. “I actually do, but I also see the value in feeling things over calculating things. Both are important but I'm okay with feeling things without necessarily understanding everything.”

\t“If you understood everything maybe we could find a way to get you to stop having nagging doubts that are unfounded.” Valencia suggested. This got a bit of a response out of Ezra, as he paused to actually think about that before she leapt up on him, grabbing him by the chest fluff and standing on his hips. “Now can we get to the fun part? I want to enjoy our time together, too!”

\t“O-oh! Okay! Sorry, I thought we were-”

\t“What did I tell you about thinking so much?” She hopped off him and grabbed a pretty basic equine toy in one hand and a similarly sized canine toy in the other.

\tHe also grabbed a couple of toys, including an e-stim sounding rod and an inflatable gryphon toy. “Nothing yet. I guess it was implied but you didn't directly say anything.”

\tShe snapped her fingers and gave him a single finger-gun. “Good call. I was thinking that but forgot for a second that not everyone can just read my more subtle thoughts as I go. Basically, don't overthink if it's going to make you miserable. When you're lost in passion, lust, and emotion, go for it. Thinking is for academia, study, and research. Feeling is for fucking.”

\t“You certainly have a way with words.”

\t“Just shut up and meet me in the stall.” She grabbed the toys one by one from the bench and tossed them over the nearest stall wall to have them all land in the empty trough one after another. She also reached into a nearby closet and pulled out an actual jug of lube that she comically waddled into the stall with, kicking the door open ahead of herself.

\tEzra followed with the last few toys she didn't toss. “Oh, lube is needed but not potions?”

\t“Lube doesn't alter your body chemistry and is always better. We can try going in dry but-”

\t“No, no. I like lube.”

\t“Good, then shush up. Come on, let's have some fun. Don't worry about anything, just focus on your pleasure. I'm here to help every step of the way but this is mostly about you.”

\tHearing that actually made Ezra swell a bit with pride. Not that he had a tonne of ego but it was nice to know that he didn't need to focus on others. This was a recurring theme now that he was in a relationship with Afearnia and the others. He had spent most of this life worrying about others, trying to please everyone else to feel accepted. Like he had no value if he wasn't serving someone else.

\tBut now he knew first hand that everyone was healthier, happier, and hornier when balance was achieved. His pleasure mattered. His happiness mattered. Only when he was happy and healthy could he help others share that joy. And if he was satisfied with himself it made it a lot easier for him to want to make sure others also got to experience that. It wasn't selfishness, it was reason.

\tIf he wanted to satisfy others he needed to take care of himself, first. If he did that, then he found he wanted to help others rather than feeling like he had to. And there was a world of difference between doing something because he wanted to do it rather than because he felt like he had to. And if he was able to maintain this thought process and help others, they helped him back. Ultimately what he learned that was it made the most sense to want everyone to be happy and healthy rather than focusing entirely on oneself or exclusively on others. Balance mattered.

\tPure selfishness and pure altruism were not ideal. The best results came when people worked together towards a common goal. And those goals were best met when individuals made sure to attain that balance. He deserved happiness but so did his partners. And if everyone felt and acted the same way it led to healthier relationships all around. Leave the ego at the door, but don't ignore yourself.

\tUnderstanding all this significantly altered his mental and emotional state. And being in a poly relationship further made his understanding of mutual mental and sexual health change. Monogamous partnerships created an unhealthy codependency between the couple. If one person was horny and needed to get laid but the other wasn't in the mood, it was that or masturbation. There was nothing wrong with masturbation of any sort and was entirely healthy but Ezra had seen way too many of his friends relying too heavily on needing sex in their lives to be satisfied and the resulting relationship tended to be unhealthy due to the codependency.

\tBut with Ezra, things were different. If he was horny and wanted some sort of companionship there were more than a half dozen options. If Afearnia wasn't in the mood, he didn't need to feel bad about propositioning Fidget or Therris or Vvilfred. If one of them came to him seeing his particular brand of kink and he wasn't in the mood he didn't need to feel bad or guilty about saying no because he felt no obligation to perform. He knew that if Vvilfred wanted his massive horse cock in a tight spade but Ezra didn't feel like bottoming, Afearnia was right there.

\tHeck, he could even watch to get in the mood and there were no negative emotions attached.

\tAbove all else it also meant that when he was there in the barn playing with Valencia he didn't need to worry about Ilorek coming home and getting the shotgun. Because even though Valencia and Ilorek were married to each other and in a singular marriage they weren't monogamous. For all they knew Ilorek was balls-deep in someone as they got ready for some fun and Val was okay with that. If he did come home to 'catch' them he would simply ask to join and probably have a great time!

\tThere were so many more options than the traditional monogamous ones. The important part was to know what you wanted, what you expected, and how you intended to get it. Ezra was learning what he wanted in a relationship more and more as time went on and now Valencia was helping him better understand what his body wanted, physically.

\t“Let me get this straight. You literally just want me to bring myself to orgasm using this combination of toys to see what gets the best reaction out of me?” He asked as he was nestling into the pile of hay in the corner of the barn. He had been setting up a blanket underneath him so he didn't get debris from the hay and straw anywhere in himself. As he prepared he imagined that maybe Valencia had a point about playing in the lab. Less mess and fewer distractions.

\tBut the smell of horses and ulokar meandering through the barn was so pleasant!

\t“More or less, yeah.” Valencia plopped down the jug of lube with the pump dispenser at the top right between Ezra and the trough of toys. “I want you to play with each one to see what gets you closest to orgasm but ideally not climax. Once you do the test is over and you'd need to come back later to finish up the others or just live comfortably with incomplete results.”

\t“I won't lie, treating this like a math problem is weird but I guess-”

\t“Look we don't actually have to do any of this. Clearly your parts are in working order. I'm just trying to help you catch up on twenty plus years worth of experimentation you would have had growing up to get to this point. It's a shortcut. Do you want to spent the next fifteen to twenty years messing about before you find out how and what works for you or do you want me to help you get a kick-start on that in one afternoon?” She wasn't angry but it was clear she was still mildly frustrated that Ezra had convinced her to go to the barn instead of staying underground.

\tIt took him a moment to really relax but with her assurance and his desire to explore himself more fully he finally got comfortable on the pillowy mound of hay and the towel he'd laid down and got to work. He slipped out of his shorts and kicked them to the side while leaning over the trough of toys that they'd brought. He didn't know for sure what he wanted to start with so he went for the smallest and most basic equine toy in one hand and a pretty simple masturbation sleeve in the other. Canine cookie shaped, of course.

\tHe laid back, legs spread and knees high, and started to focus on himself with a deep breath. Part of him waited for some sort of qualifier or caveat but none came from Valencia so he began.

\tLike most sessions of self-pleasure he started off with a fantasy in mind. If he was going to be using that stallion toy and that cookie sleeve he knew exactly what he was going to focus on. In his fantasy, he was sitting on Vvilfred's lap while Afearnia straddled him. He started by reaching around his thigh to pluck and prod at his pussy lips, exposing the deep purple flesh inside so he could slip a couple fingers in. It didn't take long at all for his depths to secrete his natural fluids and lube up.

\tValencia took note of this and licked her lips, idly playing with herself as she watched.

\tEzra barely noticed. His eyes were closed so he could focus on the physical sensations. Once his fingers were soaked in his own fluids he reached over and grabbed the stallion toy by the shaft and stroked it gently to apply the lube before hoisting it over and rubbing the unflared tip along his pussy lips. That felt nice, especially when the texture of the head caught on and dragged along his piercing.

\tHe gasped a bit, tongue out and panting as he slowly eased the toy in as deep as it would go. The head lurched and popped in then kept going beyond the first open segment of his canal all the way to the point where his lips swallowed it beyond its median ring. He found he hilted it with little to no resistance even while only using his own natural lube, so he sat down fully on it so that its balls started grinding against his clitoral fossa piercing and started stroking his sheath.

\tHis cock slid out with similar ease, the head and shaft and eventually knot bursting from their confines and swelling against his hand. He worried he was growing too quickly so he grabbed the spade sleeve toy, spat on the opening for a bit of extra slickness, and slid the whole length over his shaft until that plump spade-shaped vulva locked around the base of his knot.

\tAgain he gasped and leaned back against the brick of the wall, slowly grinding and gyrating his hips to get a proper feel of the toy shifting inside him. It was subtle but intense when paired with the stroking of the sleeve toy and fantasy of riding Vvilfred's cock while Afearnia bounced on his lap.

\tThis was all pleasant but he was told to not go too far in order to not go too farl not only was he supposed to try out more toys but he needed to give Valencia the data she needed to give him a proper bit of feedback. Not the most fun fantasy but good in the long run so he did his best to abide.

\tIn truth, he wanted to just continue with that but quickly realized that if he kept bouncing on the stallion cock and stroking himself with the cookie sleeve he'd finish too fast. To fix that, he tossed the sleeve in the trough and pulled the stallion toy out of himself with a wet and sloppy splat to have it join the others. His hole was still slightly agape, drooling a slick strand of his natural fluids over his piercing as he decide what toy to use next.

\tHe didn't want to jump into another pair of toys so he just got one of the canine knot toys and sat on it same as the equine toy. Only the knot was a bit too bulgy so he had to get a few pumps of lube into his palm to smear all over the toy and his lips before trying again. It took some work but the knot popped in and found itself lodged deep inside him. He started grinding his hips to make the knot roll inside and the shaft stir up his depths, which once again nearly brought him to climax so he paused and stood up to give himself some time to relax. Even though the toy was still inside him, tied tight.

\tWhile standing he glanced over and saw one of the vibrators so he grabbed it and turned it on. With the knotted toy tied to his depths, he tried using the vibrator on both his clit and the base of his shaft to see just what felt better. He started by rubbing the soft tip against his clitoral fossa piercing and that nearly brought him to climax so he dragged it over his ballsack and between his orbs to tease the opening of his sheath where his inner flesh met the base of his knot. That also nearly brought him to climax as the bulges of veins on his member throbbed and pulsated with the toy. \tFinally, he tried stroking himself with the vibrator in his palm and that kept him so close to orgasming he had to stop.

\tBy collapsing onto his knees and on all fours with the sloppy toy beneath him and the knot still tied to his pussy, he heaved and huffed a few times, actively trying to keep himself from exploding all over the hay and blanket.

\tValencia saw what was happening and got involved by grabbing the knot toy by the base and yanking it out with a pop, leaving Ezra's depths oozing and his tongue hanging out to accompany his goofy grin. His cock was dangling, his rump was up, and he was spent. But not finished. She then head-butted him in the side to roll him over so his rump was up against the wall and his head and shoulders were down on the hay. His cock was dangling over his chin and his pussy was high in the air.

\tShe stood over him so she was straddling his face and pressed her snout between his taint and tail hole, deliberately probing the depths of his pussy while she reached over and grabbed another one of the toys without him noticing. He was just fixated on having her long, tentacle-like tongue probing his pussy and her one hand gently massaging his balls, he barely even thought to give her some tongue attention back until some of her own fluids dripped on his chin and he got a sample of her scent.

\tFrom there he arched his neck forward and lapped at her depths, tasting her for the first time while she coninued to massage his pussy lips and probe his depths. His cock kept drooling his own fluids up his chest, having it dribble over either side of his neck when his pussy got milked.

\tThe sensations were so good that he didn't notice that Valencia had grabbed the inflatable gryphon toy and used some physical magic to remotely pump the lube bottle and soak it from tip to base off to the side. She kept her snout to his pussy lips and her tongue deep as she used both hands to smear the lube all over the toy; only once she pulled her muzzle away from him with a sucking smack and started to smear some of the lube all over his flesh did he realize she was enacting a plot.

\tHe folded up his front paws over his chest and whimpered a bit as he waited for her to take action, his throbbing cock bobbing on his belly and continuing to leak his mess all up his chest.

\tValencia  pressed the tapered, bumpy tip of the gryphon toy against his vulva, deliberately stirring his loins to tease him. The nubs at the tip were meant to represent gryphon barbs, something that was lovely in reality but hard to convey in a dildo, so bumps and nubs and scale-like textures were as close as the toy could get. It also meant that the sensation as she forced it in slowly but firmly pressed all of his buttons on the way in. The final lurch of the knot – which was not swollen yet – and subsequent popping of it lodging itself inside him made him gasp and howl to himself.

\tThat was exactly what he needed. To have that knot comfortably tie itself to him in order to press against his prostate through the layer of flesh that was his vaginal canal. He was already on the cusp of climax when Valencia started to squeeze the pump, inflating the knot of the toy inside him.

\tEzra couldn't help but squirm with his back to the wall and shoulders on the ground. He was wagging his entire back half excitedly while the knot locked inside him, the bulge of it distending his vulva and stretching his lips beyond their normal capacity. No potions needed, just hungry flesh struggling to keep a growing knot inside him. Even his belly began to bulge as the toy expanded within his abdominal space.

\tHe thought he was about to burst, prematurely ending the session, when he was blessed by a rather peculiar surprise by Valencia. A very pleasant surprise.

\tShe had slid down over his body so hat her neck was partially wrapped around his and her chin was on his chest. From there her tongue extended long out of her maw to lick his cock tip, cleaning up some of his leaking mess before finally probing into him and plunging all the way down his urethra, bulging his shaft all the way to his knot! Her tongue invaded him like a tentacle, slithering inside his shaft, teasing his inner walls while the pressure of the inflatable toy grew inside him. This hit every button possible, so much so that he lost control of his faculties and melted all over.

\tHe shuddered in delight as her tongue thrust into his cock, loosening up his urethra and tugging on his member from the inside. It was hard to tell where the pleasure was coming from most, be it his pussy or cock. Both were completely overwhelmed with pleasures he rarely got to experience, doubly so since none of this was potion-enhanced. It was all pure, raw pleasure.

\tAgain he was so lost in his burgeoning climax that he didn't notice that Valencia had another device in her hands, this one a bit more shocking.

\tWhile her tongue was slithering in his cock, grinding against his inner walls, she was still pumping the gryphon knot toy inside him so it was at full girth and firmness. This ensured it would not slip out of him until she deflated it from the control pump. His anatomy had a lovely, loose segment just inside the lips that was specifically meant for holding the expanded girth of a knot and locking it in a tight tie. It was doing its job.

\tHe was practically in another realm of pleasure when Valencia wrapped a conductive strap around the base of his knot, tugging it tight to emulate that of a snug cookie around his cock neck. The second the strap was secured, she tugged her tongue out of him and left his cock gaping. Again only for a second until she took the other half of the device the conductive strap was attached to and slid it into him. It was a rounded cylinder made of metal connected by a wire to a single control panel. He only barely saw this out of the side of his eye before it got to be used on him.

\tValencia pressed a few buttons and turned up a dial on the device's control, making a surge of electricity flow from the urethral sound to the knot strap, forcing his entire length to tense up well beyond its normal intensity. The shock that coursed through him did so in a rapid frequency, emulating the sensation of a vibrator, except his cock flesh was the vibrator.

\tEzra tensed up and arched his back so much, every muscle in his lower body flexing all at once so hard that he fell over onto his side. From there he rolled onto his back with paws folded up onto his chest, whimpering with tongue out. His cock had an electric sounding rod inside it that linked up to the conductive strap around his knot, so his entire lower body was shaking and shivering in orgasmic delight. He'd have been able to cum, too, if his cock wasn't plugged.

\tWhich is why it took him by surprise when Valencia straddled his hips and aimed his cock tip into her own pussy, gradually sitting on him until she'd taken every last bit of his throbbing member, knot and all. The electricity was coursing through him the whole time and the wire that poked out his urethra ended up trailing down the side of the outside of his cock, stuck between his shaft flesh and her pussy walls.

\tShe rode him expertly, the electric surges coursing through his cock to make his flesh vibrate inside her while also making her walls constrict around him at the exact same frequency.

\tHe would have exploded immediately had his cock not been so perfectly plugged by the metal rod, which was even tighter now that his member was wrapped in Valencia's pussy flesh.

\tValencia leaned down to nuzzle his neck and give him a gentle nibble with her sharp fangs when the barn door slid open. They both glanced over to see a silhouette staring down at them. Val's depths clenched tight around him, practically tugging his knot right off his body.

\tThings just got interesting.

\t=====--=--=====

\tIt was Rex. The tiger that was out with the ulokar pack earlier. Behind him was the green and black ulokar that he and Ezra had gently fooled around with prior to Valencia showing up. He looked mildly panicked if a bit distracted by the image of Valencia straddling Ezra's hips.

\t“Hey, Val? We have a very mild problem.” He said while the ulokar he brought with him sidled up next to him and rubbed its horns on his side.

\t“What kind of problem and how bad is it. I don't suppose it can wait? I'm kind of busy.” Valencia answered while clenching her loins to tug and twitch around Ezra's member.

\tRex ran his fingers through his hair. “Well it's hard to tell. After you two left and I took care of this lass here, I guess some pheromones flared up and the males of the pack started posturing for dominance and it's been slowly escalating ever since. They haven't begun fighting yet but I think they're going to be soon.”

\tEzra just stared, blank-faced as the e-stim rod in his cock pulsed shocks through his member and into the conductive band around the base of his knot. That was pressure enough, but the gryphon toy was still fully firm and inflated in his pussy, so that was also distracting him. He heard what Rex was saying but didn't really process the meaning.

\tValencia was more attentive and better at multitasking. She kept grinding and tugging at Ezra's knot, her clenching depths squeezing the rod in his urethra while the electricity coursed through her flesh at the same time. “You know how to fix that. Introduce them each a female and let them have their fun. They're trained well enough to share.”

\t“Unfortunately that doesn't look like it will work. The females formed a herd of seven and are in a defensive formation. Not in the mood at all right now. That's just making the males act weird. You wanna scan the herd, see how to help?” Rex patted the ulokar next to him, mildly concerned.

\tThere was a pause between all three of them before Valencia sighed heavily and flipped her head back. She kept a tight grip on Ezra's cock as she leaned into him, sitting as heavily as she could against his lower belly, squeezing his sheath in the process. Her weight, though relatively light, applied pressure down on the inflatable toy in his pussy, nearly pushing it out. “Fine.” she sighed, then grabbed the pump to the gryphon toy and let out all the air. After pulling it out of Ezra, she stood up so that his cock yanked out of her, leaving a trail of slime from her lips to his tip. “Let's go.” She offered Ezra a paw up, which was funny given how much taller he was than her.

\tEzra had a hard time accepting her hand, since the constant buzzing of electricity coursing through his cock flesh was keeping him on the verge of climax. It wasn't until she used her toes to turn the device off and give him relief that he was able to roll to his feet with her aid. Slowly, he tugged the rod out of his cock and removed the conductive band from his knot, allowing his member to slowly retreat into his sheath. “So, did you get enough data, or-”

\t“We'll have to try again some other time. Right now we need to focus on the ulokar pack.” She motioned for Ezra and Rex to follow as she hop-flapped her way out the barn, grabbing a couple potions on the way. A creamy trail of Ezra's mess dribbled out between her legs as she went.

\tOnce they were all outside the barn they all got a good look at what was happening in the ulokar field. The four males were all circling around each other, snapping and growling and showing off their horns. Off to the side, the six remaining females – not including the green and black one Rex brought with him to the barn – were in a defensive position against the fence closest to the ranch house.

\tAll the males were threatening to head-butt each other, lowering their heads, letting their long whiskers whip and snap at the air while their tails slammed the ground and all four of their paws were digging at the ground like they were preparing to charge. Their hackles were up, their scales were flared, and they were all on the verge of fighting.

\tRex was clearly good at his job and knew how to handle the ulokar at the ranch but there were times when he had no choice but to stand back and let them work. They were known to be stubbourn, aggressive, and territorial when triggered and there was nothing he could do once they got like this.

\tEzra wasn't as intimately familiar with the species as they were not too common and only recently gained some popularity in mating videos online so he'd only done a bit of research about them. It was enough to know he was grossly outmatched by their strength and power. There was a reason they were deemed the 'advanced' or 'master' level partners within The Ranch.

\tValencia was not the same, though. Rex was a capable rancher and Ezra was a well-read lover of beasts but Valencia was on a whole other level. She showed no fear as she hopped over the fence and boldly approached all four of the moody males. She was the smallest of the three bipeds so she was presumably the most vulnerable but that was not the case at all. As a psychic she had a distinct advantage over anyone else, especially when dealing with living creatures.

\tShe'd made a point to let Ezra and others know that she didn't care for using her abilities to invade minds or control people or manipulate situations but it did mean that with a bit of focus she could find the solution to virtually any problem. She could conjure the right words on a whim, anticipate any action, and even control others if she wanted. It made her a formidable force in most situations as well as a valuable asset. She put this skill to work to try to tame the four males.

\tAs soon as she approached one of them lashed out at her, snapping his jaws and leaning in to slam her with his horns. She lightly sidestepped like she barely noticed, making the ulokar miss. She then raised her hand to another, putting him in sort of a trance while she focused. This calmed him but triggered the other three. Before any claw swipes or head slams connected, she widened both wings to make a shock-wave of teal burst around all four of them, temporarily stunning them and putting them in a semi-lucid state. The cloud of teal hovered and swirled between all four.

\t“Get your tails in here. Now!” She commanded Ezra and Rex, wing hands still up to maintain the cloud of psychic magic she was using to tame the ulokar drakes.

\tRex didn't hesitate but Ezra held back. “Uh, is that safe?”

\tValencia nodded. “Yeah. Well, it will be. They need to get laid immediately or there's gonna be a fight, just like Rex said.” She shot Rex a look of approval. “Very good job, identifying the problem.”

\tEzra was still hesitant, slowly climbing over the fence. “But the females are all right there!”

\t“Consent is key here, remember? They're not in the mood, but the males are. This means we gotta find an outlet for them immediately or else there's going to be a fight. I'm sure they'd work it out but this is the better alternative.” She grunted a bit, straining to keep all four of the males under control.

\tRex got near to her so she tossed him one of the vials of potion she'd grabbed on the way out of the barn. He downed it immediately and then leaned toward the nearest of the four drakes, pressing his chest to the scaled flank in order to make a connection.

\tThere was a lingering sliver of doubt in the back of Ezra's mind but he knew enough to trust Valencia in this situation. He also knew that she wouldn't have asked him to do something he didn't want to do. Being used and ravaged by a beast was incredibly hot to him in fantasy, even if the reality was a bit scarier than he'd like to admit. He saw Rex take the potion and take action, so he decided to do the same.

\tAfter taking only a few seconds to build up his courage he took the final step over the fence and jogged towards Val and the other three drakes. She tossed him a vial of potion, he downed it, and she smiled proudly at him.

\t“I knew you'd want to help!” She said with a wink and a lick of her lips. “You've always been that kind of person. Now go! Make a connection with the drake of your choice, they'll temporarily bond with you and you can tame them. Part of the potion is that your body will smell like a ulokar female to them, so they'll see you as a viable mate without much in terms of hesitation!”

\t“What about you? There are three of us and four of them!” Ezra asked right as he made contact with the neck and shoulder of the red and orange ulokar drake. “And shouldn't I earn their trust first? Isn't that how bonding is supposed to work?”

\tRex purred gently against the flank of the ulokar he chose, answering for Valencia. “Ideally, of course. Sometimes in the heat of the moment some liquid help is needed.”

\t“Ah.” It felt like a 'lesser of many evils' type of situation to Ezra. He always wanted to see what it was like to get mounted by such a rough and aggressive beast; with the aid of the potions he was going to be able to experience that without danger of harm. And if things worked out, he'd even bond with the beast after! Assuming all went well. Which he was confident they would.

\tHe took some time to enjoy some fur to fur contact with the ulokar as he watched Rex and Valencia make their respective moves. Rex wasted no time whatsoever slipping a hand under the ulokar's belly, stroking the sheath and pulling it back to expose the beast's cock. The ulokar bucked into his hand, spraying a thin and incredibly musky precum all over the grass beneath him. Rex was sure to get to his knees and start nuzzling the sheath, purring to satisfy him all the while. Of course this meant his whiskers and snout got smeared in layers and webs of ulokar precum. A mess he happily licked up.

\tAt the same time, Valencia was enacting a similar stroke, using one of her wing hands to tug the beasts sheath while her other hand remained outstretched to keep the fourth ulokar in a tamed state. This ensured that she could get to work on the third one without distractions. She actually took a vastly different route, though. She used some finger strokes and wing-hand motions to urge the one she was under to roll over onto his side and eventually end up on his back like a playful doggo, paws folded over his chest and cock slowly emerging from his sheath.

\tShe wasn't shy at all. She straddled that ulokar and pressed her pussy up to his emerging cock tip, easily swallowing him up and grinding her way down until the knot popped into her. A bulge formed in her lower belly, one that expanded and retracted within only a few seconds of having the knot swell inside. Ezra didn't really know what this was but he didn't have much time to ponder before the fourth ulokar came over and started sniffing Valencia under the tail, his own member dropping.

\tRex growled and grunted, yowling in pleasure as he positioned himself up against the underside of his ulokar. His tail was flagged high, his spine dipped for the best angle, and his cute little tail hole ready for ulokar cock. Much like Valencia his flesh parted with relative ease as the beast's member slowly expanded into him, the tapered tip popping in followed by the series of ridges along its length.

\tEzra was in a half trance as he watched the other two so bravely handle such massive cocks with ease, idly stroking his own beast's undercarriage the whole time. It wasn't until his ulokar growled and clawed at the ground that he realized he needed to put out or bail. He was not as confident as the other two but he did eventually crouch under the beast, careful to stroke and caress its flank the entire time to ensure that his actions didn't startle him.

\tThough the ulokar were all pretty aggressive in terms of their tendency to assert themselves, he immediately noticed that they were notably more gentle once physical affection was offered to them. Even though Ezra was mildly frightened of what might happen prior to slipping underneath the beast, once he was down there he actually got a bit of warmth and comfort as his back pressed to the ulokar's belly, a warmth that was further sweetened when the creature lowered its head to nuzzle Ezra from between its front legs, the long whiskers caressing him.

\tWas this what it felt like to be a female ulokar? It was definitely something that made him shiver with delight as he felt that drake's cock expanding to probe him under the tail. He reached back to stroke and tug, eagerly helping to guide it to where it needed to be. Not his tail hole but his pussy, the one that had already been stretched out by the gryphon toy.

\tSo when he felt that lightly textured, tapered tip spread his lips and ease its way into him he couldn't help but gasp and move back, wiggling his hips to have his depths swallow every last ridge along the beast's shaft. Even the knot gave little to no resistance despite being bigger around than both of his fists balled up and pressed wrist to wrist. Each ridge lurched into him one at a time followed by the deep, intense sensation of the soft knot popping in to give his lower belly a visible bulge.

\tHe managed to breath heavy a few times as the cock inside him swelled up and grew firm, eventually turning rock hard. The pressure of that knot tugging on his insides was more intense than the inflatable toy by a factor of ten, and the shaft was thicker too so he felt more of the beast's cock features grinding against his silky walls.

\tWhile he was trying to focus on the sensation of the ulokar filling him up, he noticed that Rex had just gotten his own knot in the tail hole, forcing him to let out a roar of delight. However, in response to his roar the Ulokar gradually bent all four legs, forcing Rex down onto the ground with the beast covering him. No hip thrusts, oddly enough. In fact, there was almost no motion between any of the four drakes. How peculiar.

\tYet, as Rex was pressed to the ground, belly smooshed into the grass, the tiger's abdominal wall had a shifting bulge like he was being thrust into.

\tValencia was in a similar position. She was on the third ulokar, who was laying on his back. She was knotted to that beast and the bulge in her belly kept shifting through her entire torso to disappear behind her ribs even as the fourth ulokar stepped over the pair of them, arching his back to press his loins up under her tail. Much like the third drake, the fourth's cock slipped into her with ease, the knot swelling just inside her tail hole while his shaft plunged through her depths.

\tEzra was mixed between the bliss of having such a huge, well-defined cock knotted and tied to him and the confusion of how these creatures were thrusting into the other two without any hip movements. He got his answer mere seconds later as he felt the shaft inside his pussy growing and extending deep within him, stretching to three times its usual length and poking into his womb before pulling back out to be short and thick again.

\tThe knot stayed in place, barely moving while the shaft's ridges extended and its length tripled again. This gave the ulokar's cock the sensation of thrusting without needing the knot to move or get dislodged. By extending and shortening, it was penetrating deep and hitting all the right buttons for Ezra, who was getting a very intimate, first-person lesson in ulokarian anatomy.

\tSuch beasts were simultaneously aggressive and tender, depending on the situation. They were able to slip into their partners with little issue as their cocks started off thin and well tapered. Like a canine's cock. Only to then have the knot swell to tie them in place, followed by the shaft's ridges extending to have the tip plunge in deep and penetrate the cervix. The sensation of being thrust into while his partner was mostly just cuddling with him, slowly forcing him down onto the ground was exactly the sort of compassion he was looking forward to feeling again.

\tBut then, right as he and his ulokar partner ended up cuddling on the ground both laying on their sides, Ezra felt a massive swelling deep inside him as the beast's flare exploded within his womb, locking and plugging his cervix at max depth, preparing him to have the load deposited.

\tIt was mildly uncomfortable – the bulge in his belly was so pronounced he could count the bumps lining the ulokar's flare through his abdominal wall – but it was also insanely hot to simultaneously feel the warmth and comfort of a passive cuddle and the rough, aggressive thrusts of a proper mating at the same time. The pressure of the knot grinding against both his internal buttons and the sloshing swell of erupting ulokar seed within his womb quickly brought him to his own climax.

\tHis own mess burst out over the grass, smearing all over his chest fur as his pussy lips felt the tug of the knot and the bulge in his belly slowly lost definition as his womb inflated.

\t“See? That was fun, wasn't it?” Rex practically sang from under his ulokar. He was stroking it behind his head, purring throughout. “But don't let that get the better of you. Had we not had those potions and Val hadn't have used her psychic abilities to tame them, you could have been ravaged and clawed a lot more. A give and take.”

\tEzra just nodded in between deep breaths as he let out a subtle whimper of delight. He rubbed his own belly to see if he could feel the bulge of the flare inside him. He could, but only barely.

\tValencia was sandwiched in between the third and fourth ulokar, double knotted in both holes. Her torso was visibly rotund, inflated by two massive beast loads of cum. She looked like she was about to say something when the first of the females came over to nuzzle the drake's cheek and the others followed.

\tNow that the drakes were all drained and satisfied, they were no longer in defensive mode and were happy to rejoin the pack, playing and licking and nuzzling the three who helped them out. They really were intelligent and were able to identify that Ezra, Valencia, and Rex were all instrumental in their consent not being violated. As a result they were happy to help all three of them clean up the resulting mess once the drakes pulled out and their cum flowed onto the ground.

\tHe happily laid in the grass, chest down and ass up as the green and black ulokar – who had jumped the fence again to rejoin the pack – tongued him and made sure he was completely clean.

\tAfter that, Rex collected some grooming supplies and the three of them spent much of the afternoon brushing and tending to the entire pack, one after another.

\tSince the drakes were all satisfied and drained of their essence, they were friendly and affectionate in much the same way a pet dog would be to its person. They played, they gave chase, they pounced and pinned and licked, and even exposed their bellies for rubs. It was cute as could be, and it just endeared Ezra to the species even more.

\tSure, they were aggressive and rough, but with the right compassion and preparation it was a mount unlike any other. Which was completely fine by him. He was happy to put in the extra work.

\tPart of him wondered if this would in some way affect his relationships with Afearnia and the others but for the first time in a long time he just shrugged it off and assumed with confidence that it wouldn't be a problem. That the others would not only understand but encourage it.

\tThe moment he thought this to himself, Valencia stopped what she was doing and slowly gave him a nod of approval. She clearly had felt his breakthrough from the other side of the pack and was clearly proud of him.

\tMore importantly, he was proud of himself. He genuinely felt great pride in this feeling of self-satisfaction, knowing he was doing something that made him happy. Knowing he was at peace with that. Knowing he had more friends that saw him for him and encouraged it. The companionship of a ulokar partner was worth the risk and the effort.

\tHe could see himself spending a lot more time at The Ranch. ", "writing": "", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "", "pools_count": 0, "title": "Tools of Self-Discovery", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "image/jpeg", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "1", "type_name": "Picture/Pinup", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "935" }