FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Story By Crimsonskies455

and RVasil

The Prince of the Wilds

Ivan yawned as he stood outside the forest ranger's office and glanced out the window at the bunch of tourists eagerly unpacking and heading to their desired camping spot at the camping grounds.

The heat was beaming down upon them, reinforcing the fact that the summer heat was officially in season. That, and his ranger's outfit was sticking to his skin was enough of an indication already.

The grey button down shirt was sloppily untucked from his forest green pants, and the iconic ranger hat hung on a hook by the door. In all honesty, he disliked the uniform. It made him feel a bit old. But he had to wear it as protocol was protocol. The knock on his door broke him of his thoughts and he turned around in his swivel chair to find a fellow ranger standing out the door and leaning casually up against the frame.

The fellow ranger walked in with an almost casual grace and held out a clipboard for the older groundskeeper to take. Ivan took the clipboard from the younger man's hands without saying a word as he scanned the wording and different marks and ticks along the sides. They all looked like little red and black blurs. The pen strokes in the names were all familiar to Ivan, and he looked over each of the marks carefully.

"Is this the schedule for the Groundskeeper for this week?" Ivan finally asked the man, his deep, rich voice echoing the room before placing the clipboard down and grabbing his glasses on the desk. They sat next to a steaming cup of coffee. He tried to kick the habit after college, but the wee hours of the morning made it difficult to not have the hot beverage close by.

"Yeah. We are a bit short handed for the week. Most of the others have taken their vacations. Fourth of July weekend and all that. You know the drill."

Nodding, Ivan simply waved his hand. "You crazy kids and your fireworks. I'm surprised you lot haven't blown your hair right off your heads."

Putting on the black-rimmed glasses and pushing them up to the bridge of his nose, Ivan blinked twice as he looked back over the writing on the clipboard. Everything seemed to be in order and it looked like Brian did an excellent job of organizing the different names. At that moment, Ivan was proud of making him his assistant.

Giving a chuckle, the younger ranger said, "Nah. Guns and bow-shooting is more of my forte."

Ivan gave a low chuckle in response, "Okay. Then I take back my original statement. I'm surprised you haven't shot yourself."

Brian smiled cheekily at him. "Drink your coffee. You are cranky when you don't have caffeine shooting through your bloodstream."

Giving a bit a huff before grabbing the generic white mug of his coffee cup and tipping it back to taste the warm, bitter liquid, Ivan felt his tastebuds tingle as the substance made its way to the back of his throat. The buzz came shortly thereafter.

Placing the coffee cup back down on his desk and handing the clipboard back over to Brian, Ivan casually wiped his midnight black beard with the back of his hand. Although he got a lot of compliments about his full beard, Ivan disliked the fact that it was almost like an obstacle to eating and drinking.

The comments of looking like Santa Claus during winter didn't help either no matter how many times Ivan mentioned Santa Claus had a white beard. His family members assured him he would get there some day, too.

"So, is everything in order then? Or was there something I missed?" He asked, taking the clipboard into his hands. "I have a feeling that this holiday isn't going to be that bad." Giving a pause, Brian rubbed his chin. His fingers trailed over blond stubble. "Well, not as bad as last year when we nearly had a forest fire on our hands."

Nodding, Ivan got up off of his chair and stretched before giving a long sigh. "Yeah. I remember waking up at 3am to drive up here. That was not fun at all. Stupid drunks." Running his hand through his dark black hair, Ivan cleared his throat before beginning to tuck in his grey shirt before he looked over at Brian to see his short sleeve shirt completely untucked.

"Errr, have I rubbed off on you?" Ivan said with a smirk. The older ranger began to walk over to grab his hat which he placed on the top of his head.

The young man scoffed. "Nah, of course not," the sarcasm was dripping from his voice. "It was just hot out." Noticing the Ivan's stare not breaking, he relented. "Alright, maybe a little bit. These things just stick to your skin and it's disgusting!" Brian sighed.

"If I had my way, I'd rather be walking around naked because this summer heat is killing me. I'd go jump in the lake in a heartbeat." He glanced back at Ivan who was preparing to leave. "I'm surprised you're not overheating yet."

Giving a smile back, Ivan looked Brian over. The young man had just came out of college and it showed. The diet of fatty carbs and fast food had given him a bit of a pouch on his stomach. However, there was muscle. Ivan could tell he had been working out, and the progress on his upper body showed well in the tight shirt. Catching himself staring, Ivan looked away with the smile still around his face.

Although he did have a taste for women, there was something about a man that fancied him more than the opposite sex. Brian was also his type. He was young, and he had that twinkle in his eye that said he could take on the world. It was that cockshire confidence that Ivan looked for. He enjoyed taking the reins when dealing with men who thought they were hot stuff.

Maybe that was why he decided to go into management in the first place.

"If you get naked, I'm not bailing you out of jail. You have to pay for those charges on your own," Ivan replied back casually as palmed his ranger hat in his hand before placing it on his head.

He always thought the hat made him look so old for someone who was only thirty six. One guy told him he had a "daddy" aura about him. Honestly, that just made him feel even older.

"Whatever, but skinny dipping in 90 degree weather is fantastic," Brian said with a teasing wink.

Ivan couldn't help, but roll his eyes at the comment.

When Ivan walked towards the door, Brian stepped out of the way to let him through. He had a chipper smile across his face, and Ivan had to admit that he looked kind of cute. The way his blue eyes twinkled mischievously reminded Ivan of his college years.

When the two walked out of the office, Ivan made it into the main lobby. The wooden walls gave the room a warm feel. Pictures of the different employees and significant events were framed. Signs of different rules and regulations hung on the wall along with taxidermies of the local wildlife donated by the college in town. Small descriptions were on a plaque underneath the animal. A large model of a whitetail deer stood in the corner of the room, its glass eyes staring expressionlessly out towards the door.

A bear was also close by the deer. His frame was stood up on its rear legs, and its maw opened wide in faked ferocity. The model was well done and sent a shiver down the ranger's spine. It also made the scar on his right pectoral tingle slightly.

Ivan was somewhat creeped out by the stuffed animals, but the displays did attract some kids towards the local wildlife. It always gave him a good feeling to see potential rangers or biologists ogling over the animals. Some of the more daring would put their heads in the model bear's open maw. That was a bit much for Ivan.

"Catch you later, Ivan," Brian said before tipping his hat cockily.. Brian was already walking towards the desk in the corner before pulling up a chair and taking a seat. There was a large stack of paperwork that looked like it threatened to bury the desk in a sea of white.

The young man just groaned as he took off the first paper off the top of the stack and looked it over before grabbing a stamp nearby and placing an emblem of the park on the front; a deer staring straight ahead in an unwavering gaze.

"I'll just be here...bored out of my mind..."

Ivan gave a smirk as he looked back at Brian, and stuck his foot in the door to keep it propped open. "Think of it as earning your pay."

Before Brian got to say something snarky, Ivan was already walking towards the parking lot. With each step Ivan took, his mood was already lightening. The plants along the sidewalk up to the entrance brought life back to his tired eyes, and the breeze that blew across his face was doing more than the coffee. All around him, wildlife was going about its business. Birds were chirping and squirrels were jumping from tree to tree looking for food.

Tracks of different animals, including other people, littered the ground, and the sea of trees that stretched out what felt like forever. The leaves were a bright green and the trunks looked sturdy. The breeze that blew over Ivan's hair rustled the leaves of the trees as well as the wind chimes that hung on the porch that led into the Wildlife Conservation building.

Fishing for the keys in his pockets, Ivan was pleased whenever his finger found the keychain.

Pulling out the keys to his jeep, Ivan pressed the unlock button before scanning the parking lot in front of him. Out of everything he seemed to forget, he always seemed to forget where he parked the most. Eventually, his eyes glanced over to where his jeep was sitting quietly. The jeep sat somewhat far in the back near a van that was spilling out with a family of four. The kids were pointing excitedly around while the parents were watching their children closely.

"Ahh, I love this perk," Ivan said with a chuckle as he rubbed a hand along the door handle of the jeep before opening the driver's side door and climbing in. When his back hit warm leather of the seats, he nearly melted. He also felt himself become giddy as he put the key in the jeep and turned to start the truck. Out of the corner of his eye, Ivan noticed a note hanging by the rear view mirror and plucked it off.

"Springs, caves, and rivers need to be checked for toxins. Help yourself to the equipment in the back," Ivan read out loud before placing the hot pink sticky note back onto the rear view mirror carefully. Ivan noticed that the sticky note also had a date in the corner.

"7/1/2016."

Checking his watch, Ivan looked for the date. Below the small compass, there was a few small numbers that read "7/2/2016."

"Well, guess I know what I will be doing today," Ivan said to himself as he opened up the glove box to check for the map. When he realized it was not there, he chuckled when he saw it was sitting at the empty seat.

He glanced at the map carefully, noting the route groundskeepers normally take on their patrols, highlighted very prominently by a red marker. He was to pass through the falls, through the springs, drive past the caves and among many other tourist attractions located in the park.

"Hmm, this shouldn't take too long..." Ivan said to himself as he put the car in reverse and began to back up. One of the kids gave a wave to him, and he cheerfully gave a wave back. The parents smiled at him, pointing and waving as well. When Ivan got on the road, he made a hard left onto one of the multiple trails for vehicles and began to follow the dirt road.

The path was winding, but he took it slow. The sunlight that streamed down from the trees cast shadows over his front view mirror, and he had to place down the blocker to keep himself from being blinded. The dirt road had plenty of potholes to hit, and Ivan could feel the suspension taking most of the force as he hopped up and down in his seat.

It was a bumpy ride and it made him thankful that the jeep had the comfort of having well cushioned seats, or else he was going to have a sore ass after all of it. He passed by down the road, the engine roaring as it climbed up hills and traversed steep inclines. When he made it to the top of the large hill, the view around him was breathtaking. It was something straight out of a postcard.

Large pine trees replaced the oak and maple trees and towered above, blocking out the sun and providing the perfect shade. Wildlife passed the road every now and then, a deer jumping from one side of the forest to the other, it only showed how alive the entire forest was.

Eventually however, he broke through into a clearing, the first camping ground available in the area. All around him, the sight of families busy setting up tents surrounded him. A few were finished, already proceeding to make a fire going near their campsite, whilst others were busy doing other activities. He saw families trying to fly kites up high into the sky. He laughed to himself as he saw a few teenagers huddled near a corner, most of them bored out of their minds.

Sadly, internet wasn't something normally found in the forest. But he made a mental note of their numbers. Teenagers were usually the first sign of troublemakers. The lengths they would go to avoid boredom coupled with their natural inherent stupidity because of age never ceased to amaze him.

He moved on, passing through the campsite and going down back into the trail. A few moments later, the trail straightened out, and in front of him were the natural springs native to the area: one of his many destinations for the day. Immediately, he saw a red flag. A bunch of teens found it in themselves to take a dip and test the waters, clearly ignoring the bright bold sign plastered in front that said in red letters, "NO SWIMMING. PARASITES ARE KNOWN TO NATURALLY OCCUR IN SPRINGS."

He quickly parked the car to the side before digging through his glove box and grabbing a whistle inside. Stepping out of the car, he walked over to the shore of the creek with a kick in his step. If there was anything worse than dealing with teens, it was dealing with teens who didn't pay attention.

Giving the whistle a blow, Ivan winced as the piercing screech rang across the forest before pointing at each of the teenagers and jerking a thumb to suggest getting out. When the teens merely covered their ears, he simply blew harder. Most of them got the message then and started to filter out of the spring mumbling and grumbling. He got a lot of dirty looks but he didn't care.

Spitting out his whistle, Ivan felt a rant coming. "Haven't you teens taken basic biology?! We have these signs here for a reason! Springs are known for dangerous diseases. Stay out, or next time I won't be so nice."

Ivan was not talking to anyone particular as the teens were mostly out of earshot, but he felt he got his message across. Glancing back at the spring, Ivan sighed and turned tail to walk back to his jeep. When he got back in, he felt anger start to bubble up. He hated when people simply strolled all over nature like they owned it. Grabbing the map that sat on the passenger seat, Ivan noticed that the spring was circled in red on the map.

"Hmm, how convenient. It's one I have to test."

Turning around to reach into the backseat of the jeep, Ivan began to grope for something until he grabbed a plastic case. Pulling it up to the driver's seat, Ivan noticed the familiar blue paint and white letters around the case. The writing on the front said, "Testing Kit."

Straight to the point.

With the case in hand, he made his way towards the spring. His anger faded almost immediately as the entire place's atmosphere gave off a sense of peace and tranquility. The sound of leaves rustling and water trickling over rock gave him a sense of zen.

He let out a sigh as he focused on working and getting the samples properly extracted and tested. He placed the box down and opened it, revealing dilapidated science testing water equipment. Tubes in different shapes and sizes were neatly arranged in their proper places, yet looked smudged in areas and perfectly clean in others.. Vials filled with testing fluid were also there, right next to the testing apparatus which was a small machine that accepted liquid samples and tested for the toxicity of the source.

He took out an empty test tube, and proceeded to walk over to the fresh spring. He dipped it in and collected a considerable amount of the clear liquid. Walking back, Ivan took out the a vial of the testing fluid and mixed it in the water. The two fluids mixed, creating a misty white fluid. He placed the now empty vial back and took out the testing machine. He placed the contents of the test tube into it and let the machine do its work.

The readout was fairly quick, the LED screen coming to life and begin relaying data. It flashed him a series of numbers, ending in digits displayed as bold numbers with a percentage next to it.

"Five percent," he mumbled to himself. He glanced back at the spring and then back to the kit. He grabbed another empty vial. He needed to do this process thrice and then average it out to avoid false positives. By the the third time however, he noticed something in the water. Ivan's brow rose as he reached in and dipped his water into the cool liquid. He grabbed hold of it, realizing it was a shiny rock. The first thing in his mind was the fact that now he held it in his hands and examined it clearly, it didn't look natural at all. He could even go so far as describe it as mystical.

The rock was jagged, and rough in his hands.It had a natural blue glow around it that reminded him of pure sapphire. His eyes gazed into the rock further, seeing swirls and magical swatches of the color blue from within. The rock itself had a weird vibe to it. Ivan felt a sort of aura emanating from it.

That was when he heard a rustling sound coming from his left, followed by a voice. He looked around and made sure to himself that he was alone in that clearing. No one was in the area, judging from how still everything was and how the natural sounds of the forest still echoed around the area. He briefly thought they could have been teenagers playing tricks on him but no one would dare play tricks on Ivan. He was a towering man with a grizzled body to boot.

As Ivan curiously looked around from where the sound was coming from, a soothing, ethereal voice, whispered his name, and Ivan's ears perked up. It was as if the sound was carried by the wind itself.

He looked to the direction of where it came from and it seemed to be coming from deep within the forest. At this point, Ivan was beginning to feel wary. In all of his years of being a Forest Ranger, this was the first time he heard something so strange. Immediately he checked his pulse to see if he was hallucinating or something. A brief, gentle touch to his neck told him otherwise. His pulse was fine and his breathing was normal as well. His vitals were perfectly normal as far as he was concerned.

Yet again, the voice called out to him, whispering his name.

Ivan considered himself to be a brave man. The scar on his pectoral chest was a sign of it. But this, to him, felt otherworldly. Regardless, his sense of duty came bubbling up. He had to get to the bottom of this.

He glanced back at the stone once more, it's eerily enticing blue glow illuminating his palm before he decided to pocket it for safekeeping. He was going to examine that more in depth later. He walked back to his open Testing Kit and began fixing this immediately. He loaded everything back into the truck before reaching over the backseat for his weapon: a tranquilizer gun.

Rangers weren't allowed to bring lethal firearms for the safety of the wildlife and the dangerous looks of the gun was enough to fool even the smartest of troublemakers to think that it was lethal. The long silver barrel looked intimidating enough to anyone who got on the other end of it. Right now however, as he checked if it was loaded, he wasn't sure if he was packing enough firepower to feel safe in dealing with whatever was going on.

But as the voice called out to him once more, his curiosity spurned him on, fear taking a backseat. He wasn't one to believe in the supernatural; Ivan always thought to himself that seeing was believing, and right now, he had a mystery to solve.

Holding the tranquilizer gun at the ready, Ivan made his way towards the forest cautiously. With each step he took, the stone in his left hand grew brighter and brighter. As Ivan looked into the forest, he could see lanterns hanging on the trees. As he got closer to the first few in the forest, Ivan looked up to see the lanterns were damaged and rusted as if they sat on the trees for an incredible amount of time.

Looking at them puzzlingly, Ivan could not recall seeing the lanterns from the trees during all the years he worked as a ranger. When Ivan glanced back down at the stone, he noticed it was starting to vibrate in his hand with energy and when Ivan looked back up to the sky, the bright day sky began to turn as dark as night. It was as if Ivan was passing through a field into a dream. With each step, the sky got darker and darker until it was nearly pitch black. Around the lanterns, fireflies buzzed, lighting the way down the forest path.

Scanning the horizons, Ivan was mesmerized by the change. The stars twinkled in the sky like tiny diamonds, and the moon was high and bright. He was too overwhelmed by the change that he neglected to notice his fingernails starting to increase in length.

The smell of the fresh night air tickled Ivan's nose along with the scent of something the human could not quite identify. It was a mixture of different herbs and flowers, but intensified. With each step down into the forest, the stone in his pocket hummed and vibrated, but Ivan did not pay attention to that. He was too mesmerized by everything around him.

Flowers that only bloomed at night opened up beautifully to catch the rays of moonlight that filtered through the trees. Some were species that were in the park while others were very rare. The only reason he recognized them were from his studies of botany. The pictures of them were all he had to reference from.

The entire event was mesmerizing and downright spectacular. It was if he was transported into a different world in a blink of an eye. He was Alice in Wonderland, exploring just how far the rabbit hole truly went. If he knew any better, he must have been high on a psychedelic trip to make all of this possible.

His legs shook as he walked, his stance wary. So far, outside of his environment being ripped straight from the imagination of a child, everything seemed perfectly safe. The lanterns proved useful, guiding him down a path. With each step he took, the stone in his pocket vibrated with more energy. It was gentle but he could also feel a slight warmth, radiating from his entire body. He shrugged it off as his adrenaline fueling him to keep moving forward.

The path led to a small clearing with a large ancient looking tree that loomed up high into the sky. For a brief moment, he classified it was one of the large redwood trees they had native to the forest, but immediately discarded it upon seeing it was something else entirely. The tree itself was gigantic, towering up high above him, forcing him to bend his neck just to see the canopy. But what made it different was the fact that it had intricate markings etched onto it, symbols of an arcane language that looked alien entirely. Its roots circled it, seemingly following a pattern that only nature understood.

Ivan would have labeled the markings as vandalism, but it was far too otherworldly for teenagers to be able to even pull off. His eyes trailed downwards to the base of the large great tree and it stopped on the figure that was seated on its large trunks. His brow rose as their eyes met for the first time. The voice that called him earlier rang in his ears again, except this time, it came from the figure's mouth.

"Hmmm, you looked a bit skinnier in my visions. It is nice to see that my vision did not give me a good perspective of such an able bodied man."

The voice was almost otherworldly. It was as if it rung in Ivan's ears, and had a sweetness to it. However, Ivan could also hear a growl to it as if it demanded attention. Keeping his tranquilizer gun to his side, Ivan was took a small step backward as the figure moved upward from his sitting position to reveal himself.

The human gasped in shock as a deer standing on its two legs stepped out of the shadows with a wicked grin across his face. Although he had the features of a whitetail, something about him looked surprisingly human. There were beautiful incarnations wrapped across his antlers, and markings across his body that looked like paint.

It was almost surreal to see such as sight before him; especially since the deer was completely nude. The brown fur covered all of the deer's body except his chest, groin, and thighs which were a creamy white. He gave a soft smile at Ivan as the human scanned over his naked form, not bashful about his vulnerability in the slightest.

Even the deer's ample orbs swung freely between his legs, and the sheath looked plump and full to Ivan's curious glances. Overall, the deer before him was animalistic, but humanoid. Standing on two legs, he confidently strode over to him, proudly showing his body; a body that was surprisingly human in terms of build.

The deer's form was lean, but gave the semblance of being well toned. His arms were next to his hips, showing a fair form of muscle in them as well. His chest was flat, showing no signs of fat but only pure raw muscle. The entire deer's frame reminded Ivan of a swimmer he saw once. Sleek, fair, yet sturdy and well built, a body of a person ready to take on any challenge whilst not boasting anything visibly. The deer walked closer, and yet Ivan couldn't find it in himself to take a step back.

His eyes were locked with the mysterious deer, and he felt a relaxing wave wash over him. His adrenaline began to die down and his tense stance along with it. The deer wasn't his enemy, but he was unsure to call him an ally either. Eventually, they stood next to each other, the deer just right up to Ivan's shoulders. There, he found his voice again.

"W-who are you?" His voice shook a little, but he did his best to stand firm. The deer reached out, holding his arms that held his gun he remembered he was holding. Ivan nearly jerked but stopped when the deer whispered for him to relax. He did so, feeling a sense of tranquility pass through him from the touch. His grip loosened, and he followed, lowering his weapon entirely.

"May I?" The deer asked, motioning for his gun.

Ivan locked eyes with the deer, looking into the deep blue irises telling him to trust him. The man was worried, but decided to throw caution to the wind. He nodded, handing the gun over to the animal.

The deer looked at it with a somewhat curious glance before tossing it aside, and the gun landed with a metallic thump. Ivan's eyes followed it as his only weapon was thrown farther from him. His attention was redirected however, when he felt a paw on the side of his face. His head was turned and he found himself face to face once again with the deer.

"Do not be afraid," the deer cooed. He gently rubbed his cheeks with his furry paws. "I will not hurt you."

The mischievous grin .sent Ivan mixed messages.

Shivering at the touch, Ivan felt something creeping up his spine. It felt like an electric shock shot through his body as the deer's eyes looked into his. Feeling the paw stroke across his cheek, Ivan asked once again, but this time with more awe than nervousness, "Who are you?"

The deer's grin grew wider before he said, "I'm the Prince of the Wilds." Rubbing a finger across Ivan's lips, the deer felt over the human's soft lips. "You are quite a good little protector of my domain."

Eyes growing wide, Ivan felt another shock go up his spine before ending at the tips of his fingernails. The stone in Ivan's pocket began to grow in brightness. The blue could easily be seen through Ivan's pocket, and the human kept feeling that electric shock shoot through him with each touch from the Prince.

"Have you been watching me?" Ivan asked as his eyes were still transfixed on the deep blue irises before looking over the Prince's firm abs. For some reason, there was something appealing about the stag's slim body. It was strange where the feelings were coming from, but it felt almost...instinctual to reach out and feel across the Prince's abs.

Giving a sly smirk as he felt Ivan's curious fingers work across his soft fur, the stag gave a happy grumble. Ivan eyes darted back and forth from the Prince back to his fingers which were now trailing over the Prince's chest. It felt firm, and strong in his fingers, the signs of a well built and well taken care of body. Ivan could feel the stag's touch across his own well-muscled body, and trail over his stomach. Although he had a bit of a paunch, there was muscle beneath the fat. His balanced diet combined with a mobile work life as well as regular trips to the gym gave his body a natural bulkiness to it.

"I watch everyone in my domain," the Prince answered, smiling at him. "I see through the animals and trees, and can hear everything along the wind." He reached out and held Ivan's hand, putting it this time to his sides, letting the human feel him over.

"And I watch what you do to keep them in line. You would be the perfect Guardian." The Prince's own hands wandered as well, feeling Ivan's physique through his clothes. The deer's touch felt electrifying to Ivan, seemingly knowing where to touch, rub and even gently poke to elicit a response from him. Before long, they were genuinely groping each other.

"A Guardian?" Ivan asked, feeling the blood rush to his face and also to another part of his body. His own member swelled in his pants, slowly forming a noticeable bulge in his ranger's outfit; a fact that the Prince noticed and happily smiled, feeling very pleased at what he was seeing.

"Yes. Think of it as a promotion. You have worked so hard to preserve my domain, Ivan. I feel that adding you to my collection would do both of us a favor," the prince said as his mouth formed into a warm smile.

Feeling a sense of vulnerability as the deer's fingers began to work with the buttons on his shirt, Ivan had a conflicting urge to also strip himself of his clothing. He felt almost as if he was boiling in his clothes, and the Prince's fingertips felt so cool as they trailed over his defined pectorals and circled around his left nipple.

Giving a small gasp as his eyes glanced over at the human's left hand, the Prince said, "How does that one folktale go...hmm...ahh that's right..."

Reaching forward, the stag grasped Ivan's right hand softly and brought it up to examine the human's fingernails. However, the fingernails were twisted, sharp, and darkening quickly. The stone in Ivan's pocket was vibrating violently in the human's pocket, and Ivan started to sweat profusely.

"My, what big claws you have," the stag said with a gentle smile before leaning inward until his mouth was mere inches from Ivan's. Looking instinctively down at his hand, Ivan's eyes widened in shock as he noticed sharp claws extended from his hand. He could feel his vision start to blur, and his heart begin to race. The Prince, meanwhile, seemed almost amused as he watched the human's face look at him with surprise.

Ivan stared at the Prince dumbfounded before placing his hands on the deer's shoulder for support. The soft fur against his hand felt extraordinarily sensitive against his palm, and Ivan noticed his sense of smell was beginning to heighten. The human could smell his own sweat and musk mixing with the flora of the enchanted forest. He could also smell obvious arousal and the male sex just as distinctively.

Feeling the gentle touch of the Prince turn more savage before his shirt was ripped off his body and tossed to the side,, Ivan blushed as his upper torso was unveiled for the stag's gaze. If he wasn't busy feeling like his body was on fire, he would have protested, but the cool breeze on his body felt heavenly.

What Ivan did not notice was his body was changing shape. His muscles were growing and bulging outward until he was as large as a defensive lineman on a football team. The muscles on his upper body looked ready to take on any challenge, and Ivan felt an immense amount of energy shoot through his body with each flex of his newly acquired strength.

His lower body started to get the same treatment, and began to grow taller and his leg muscles began to become larger and more defined. He could feel his pants straining underneath the new muscle, and it only took a simple movement of his legs until there was a loud rip that rang throughout the forest.

The front button flew outward into the forest and into the tree line almost comically. His feet widened in his shoes until they ripped. The buck delicately took off the human's socks and shoes off of his feet with somewhat of a disgusted look on his face before casting the articles of clothing to the side.

"Urgh...human stench..."

Ivan now kneeled in his jockstrap which looked ready to rip at any moment. Although Ivan felt the jockstrap was a good choice with all the walking around, he never thought he would be exposing so much of his body to someone else. The elastic rubber of his bright orange jockstrap was stretchy enough that it held together even under the stress, and the spandex and cotton mix of the pouch showed a large bulge that the Prince ogled over with deep interest.

With the added muscle, Ivan's beefy rump was on full display. A chocolate brown fur began to creep along his backside, and along his spine which covered up his white skin and his newly added muscle.

"Mmm, I see nature has blessed you with a wonderful endowment. It looks absolutely thick. Perfect for breeding. I wonder how many males have felt such a beast inside them."

Although Ivan was a bit shocked that the deer even knew his preferences, his surprise was short lived. After all, he was just listening to an anthromorphic deer compliment him on his maleness while he was busy being turned into something totally non-human. There was nothing more left field than that.

His entire body burned like the fire of a thousand suns as his transformation fully took place. He hacked and wheezed, his lungs burning for air. He felt like he was drowning in water, desperate for air. He gulped and gasped yet none seem to come to him. Ivan's body shook and his hands trembled.

His vision blurred and he worried he was going to blackout. Ivan cried out, feeling his entire body seem to expand like a balloon being filled with air. His face stretched out, forming the foundations of a snout. His. Feet swelled, to form strong thick thighs and his limbs pulsed with its new found muscle. Ivan collapsed onto the ground, feeling like he was on fire. The chocolate brown fur began to cover him fully, and for a brief moment he thought he was going to die.

Then it stopped.

His vision cleared and the pain began to ebb away. It was if nothing happened. He was drenched in cold sweat, confused and most certainly scared for his life. Then a hand came into view.

"That went better than I expected," he remarked.

Taking a few short breaths, Ivan took the Prince's hand and helped him up. He unexpectedly leaned onto the Prince for support, finding his legs feel like jelly below him. He murmured confused and disjointed sentences, his brain trying to understand what just transpired. "Am I...dead?" he asked, his voice shaking. Ivan noted his voice had a rumble to it, and was an octave lower.

The prince chuckled. "Hardly. You'll be pleased to know you only have to go through that once, too," he said with a gentle smile. "You've been reborn, Ivan. From now on, you stand before me as a Guardian. A protector of my domain."

He raised his hand, motioning towards him. "I have given you extraordinary gifts for your servitude. I hope it is to your liking." With a snap of his finger, it was as if the ground turned to mush in front of Ivan before appearing as if it was melting. Then, the most crystal looking puddle of water appeared on the ground below Ivan's feet.

Ivan stood firmly, trying to take everything in. His vision fully returned to him and he found himself looking at a reflection in the clear puddle of water he didn't recognize. It was a bear, standing on his two legs, at a towering 8 feet. His fur was as brown as the soil he stood on, mixed with the light shade of the sweetest chocolate Ivan could remember.

He blinked, unable to believe that he now was an animal. He was taken aback at the fact that he could see as clear as he did. His vision was now perfect once again, and he could see things perfectly. He instinctively raised his hand to touch his face only to see that it was now animalistic in nature. He had sharp claws that could easily tear a man to pieces and gouge out wounds that would prove fatal to anyone that received them. The fur on his face and his entire body felt soft to the touch, reminding Ivan of the softness of expensive clothing.

But what caught his attention were the remains of his bright orange jockstrap. Unable to accommodate his now bear-sized physique, it laid tattered on the ground, ripped from the seams completely. It must have snapped at some point in his transformation. Ivan's eyes were drawn to his nether regions, now fully realizing he stood in the nude and was bare as the day he was born. Two plump brown furry balls the size of oranges hung between his legs.

With it was what he assumed was now his cock, resting flaccid for the time being. He was surprised to see that it retained its human qualities even though everything else about him was now animalistic. It came as no surprise that he had grown bigger in his new form, now sporting a proud four inches, and that was just him flaccid. His circumcised maleness also grew in thickness, comparable to that of a modest bottle of water.

Overall, it was an ego boosting upgrade.

Sensing that he was now done admiring his new found body, the Prince cleared his throat. Ivan looked up to see him walking over, always with grace in each of his steps. "I do hope you find things to your liking?" the Prince asked, closing the gap between them further. The deer smiled at him sulkily, tracing a playful finger on his furry chest. His other hand went lower, going down to his nether regions before gently cupping the bear's balls. Ivan almost jumped from the electrifying sensation. His body was still sensitive from the transformation.

"Will I...am I no longer...."

Knowing exactly where the once human was going with his statement, the Prince shook his head. "Yes. You are no longer human, Ivan. However, when you leave this domain I will enchant you so you can appear human to the rest. You can continue your outside life, Ivan. Now..."

Rolling the bear's orbs in his hand with a smirk, the stag added, "Do you feel your instinct calling you now? Your true form wanting something that you locked until I brought it forth out of you?"

Giving a small groan, Ivan felt his member begin to rise in aching need. There was something inside of him stirring. A need that needed to be quenched that was not there before. Although so much was happening to him at this moment, his desire for a good, animalistic rut were calling to him.

"What do you mean by my true form?" Ivan asked as he felt the deer's fingers work across his most private of areas. If Ivan still didn't have his newest needs eating away at any resolve he once had, he would have felt embarrassed about the Prince's precise groping.

"Your true form is your instincts manifested," the Prince began as he moved his hand away from Ivan's orbs and began to rub his hand across the once human's rump. Gripping hard on the right cheek, the stag gave a growl that echoed throughout the clearing. "I just gave them a suitable form to what I desired..."

"So, a bear?" Ivan said with a bit of a chuckle as the stag nuzzled into his neck and inhaled longingly to smell an almost intoxicating musk. Ivan noticed the Prince stood as tall as he could to reach the bear's neck. Something about the fact that the deer had to stretch to stand up to him turned him on.

"Yes. I'm a demi-god after all. I feel it was a worthy form after you came face to face with one of nature's finest specimens of raw, brutal strength. What power would I possess if I couldn't turn a mortal into something a bit more presentable?"

With that statement, the Prince traced his fingers across a bald spot where Ivan's left pectoral had gotten slashed by sharp claws. The scar was three long lines across his pec, and the Prince admired the muscle as it gave a involuntarily bounce.

Giving a cocky smirk, the stag continued to rub along the bear's spine, and fluffy tail before dipping back down along Ivan's butt.

"Mmm, my Prince..."

Ivan had no idea where that came from, but he felt his mind begin to slowly relax with each touch. He remembered a hot, passionate night with another male before and how his eyes twinkled as he took position with Ivan's legs over his shoulders before the ranger groaned out his desire. The phrase of submission felt the same to Ivan as when he called his lover "sir." During that night of lovemaking, that was all it took to be hilted and filled by his lover.

Shivering a bit at the aurora of dominance that the Prince demonstrated, Ivan felt a strange reverence for the stag. He admired the demi-god's commanding voice, and beauty. It was a strange combination, but still made him feel safe and secure. Even though he could probably crush any human in his new form, having the extra security gave him a sense of comfort that someone was watching over him.

The Prince's ears twitched in an adorable fashion. The corner of his lips curved to that of a smile. "I like that." He looked up at Ivan, his finger tracing circles around Ivan's nipples. "I could get used to that." He then hooked both of his hands behind Ivan's neck and pulled him closer, closing the gap between them entirely. Their bodies rubbed against one another, the heat being shared between them, and Ivan locked eyes with the Prince. "Tell me, Ivan, what do you feel, now?" he cooed. "What is your instinct telling you?"

"I feel..." He took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the Prince. He smelled earthy sweet, mixed in with the rustic twang of wood. It reminded him of pleasant memories spent in the forest. Ivan listened to his instinctual desires, now coming to the forefront and seemingly stronger than ever before. He felt his loins stir, as his balls rubbed against the Prince's. One thing was clear in his mind. He smiled amorously before giving a low growl and reaching his paws around to grip the deer's firm globes in both of his hands. "I feel like there is a fire burning inside of me that can only be stopped by you."

The Prince smiled upon hearing his words. "Oh, is that so?" he said in a coy manner. "And what do you think you would have me do to douse this fire of yours?"

Ivan bit his lips, squeezing the Prince's firm rump. The Prince let out an almost cute groan of pleasure, as he rested his head on his firm chest. "I want you..." Ivan looked around and found the perfect spot in front of them. His heart thumped in his chest, his lust starting to cloud his mind. "I want you to bend over that throne so I can breed you."

Ivan's tone of voice almost went feral with the image. He punctuated his words with another firm squeeze of the Prince's backside, earning him another needful moan. His desire was at all time high and all he cared about at the moment was nothing but the need to rut.

Pointing a clawed finger in the direction of the massive oak tree, Ivan felt his manhood throb at the image of having the Prince climax all over his throne as the bear thrusted into his tight entrance with abandon. The idea of dominating a demi-god so fully made Ivan's heart pound in his chest with anticipation.

Giving a smirk before looking up into the bear's deep brown eyes, the Prince gave a bit of a giggle at Ivan's forwardness. "My, my. Seems someone is in heat. I like it when you have that deep growl in your voice. I can feel it through your chest..."

Reaching upward, the deer began to grope Ivan's pecs before using his index finger and thumb to pinch the bear's right nipple. Giving a low rumble in response, Ivan reached his left hand up to the deer's chin to lift his face up to look at him in the eyes. The Prince's fierce sapphire blue eyes still had the mischievous twinkle. It was as if the stag always had some devious plan in mind.

Leaning forward, Ivan snorted and blew hot air over the Prince's face before his mouth widened into a grin. The bear loved the aspect of having control over the male and in a matter of seconds he dived in for a kiss.

Although there was passion to the kiss, it was lost in the hungry, unbridled lust.

Ivan used his new, broad stature to move the Prince over towards the throne. He could feel the Prince's dexterous hands touching parts of him that made him grunt and moan into the stag's mouth. Soon, the duo's tongues were battling for control as they made their way over to the gargantuan tree.

The sound of nature was all around them. From the chirping birds to the almost deafening insects, the forest was just as alive as they were as they expressed their desires to one on another. When the Prince's back was pushed flat against the tree, he could feel Ivan openly rolling his hips against his. Their shafts rubbed together and dripped pre steadily onto the ground. When the kiss broke, the two were a hot, panting mess and Ivan kissed up the deer's neck while giving gentle bites.

Giving another low growl, Ivan grabbed the Prince's shoulders, and turned him around in a swift motion before walking him over to the throne. During their display, they nearly walked away from the tree in their focused passion. The Prince gave a chuckle as he felt Ivan's maleness grind against the cleft of his rump. The bear left barely any space between the two and he liked it that way.

The bear led the prince over to the throne, not wanting to miss a beat. The throne itself was nothing short of spectacular. A wooden seat seemingly carved right out of the base of the gargantuan tree. It's intricate floral design was a sight to behold and would leave even the most skilled wood crafters breathless.

It was a throne made by nature itself, fit for the Prince of the Wilds. Ivan gently pushed the deer onto the seat, and the Prince grabbed onto the armrests of the chair for supports. The Prince bent over and teasingly waved his rump at him. His tail was lifted, and between the soft cheeks was a pink star winking tantalizingly at Ivan.

"Come now, servant. Show me how you treat royalty," he commanded in a mix of sultry and sweet tone of voice.

Ivan nodded obediently, his hands marveling at the fine rump presented to him. The Prince's buns were a thing of beauty. The fur was soft and the muscle felt plump yet firm and hard where it mattered. It was one of the finest cheeks Ivan had ever seen, and had the pleasure to feel, in his life.

Then again, he was in the presence of a demi-god. The backside was carved out by a god himself. Literally. His fingers trailed over the soft rump, tracing every inch of it. Eventually he sunk his fingers into the middle, teasing and gently prodding the deer's waiting tail hole. The Prince moaned under his tantalizing fingers, finding it surprising how well Ivan knew his way around. He let out a lustful moan as the bear gently spread him open with his thick finger.

Ivan's cock was throbbing madly but he wanted to savor this moment. Instead, he pulled out his finger, much to the dismay of the Prince, and lowered his own head. He puffed out hot air onto the deer's rump before taking in a deep breath. The Prince's backside smelled surprisingly well, reminding him more of that natural earthy smell. It was intoxicating, and the way that the deer's pink star winked at him was alluring to the bear. With a sultry grin on his face, Ivan stuck out his tongue and gave the Prince's taint a sensual lick.

The Prince's brow rose as he felt the hot air on his backside. "Ivan, what are you..." He was immediately cut off as he felt the bear's thick tongue trail over his sensitive taint. "Oh dear heavens..." The Prince felt his eyes roll backwards in his skull just from the sheer anticipation. He had to give credit where it was due, Ivan knew what he was doing, and he was pressing all the right buttons.

The sound of Ivan's lips smacking as he ate the deer out echoed throughout the forest, and the bear gave a lewd groan that vibrated up the deer's rump and over his tail as he grabbed the Prince's soft cheeks to spread them outward. He dug his claws into the soft flesh, but not hard enough to cut. The claws were merely there to tell the Prince who was in charge.

A part of the Prince was somewhat angry; this wasn't how he imagined this romp of theirs going. But another part of him was screaming, drowning out the competition entirely. It screamed for him to tell, no, demand the bear to take him. He never imagined he would find someone that could rival his sexual prowess.

Ivan demonstrated his skills by swirling his tongue around the prince's winking backside, earning him pained groans of anticipation from his partner. He saw the Prince's balls churn with desire, the deer's cock giving a throb before spraying a jet of pre onto the forest floor. Ivan knew he was driving the Prince wild, and it only stroked his ego further.

"Ivan..." he called out. "Goodness..." The Prince's legs quivered and his grip on the arm chair tightened. The bear spat out a sizable ball of spit, using it to lube up the deer's already messy backside. Ivan worked him out, the lewd smack of his lips against his defenseless rump echoed even louder throughout the clearing as his tongue speared into the Prince.

The deer closed his eyes, finding himself surrendering to the bear's continued dominance. He stifled a moan and cried out as Ivan swirled his tongue expertly. He couldn't take it anymore. "Ivan, just breed me already!"

Pulling his tongue out of the Prince's hole, Ivan's ears flicked as a slick pop reached his ears as his tongue departed from the stag's hole, but not before giving a long lick from the deer's orbs and up to his pucker before grabbing the Prince's shoulders and hot-dogging his fully hard and leaking member in between the cleft of the deer's bum.

"As you wish," Ivan said with a fierce growl as he lined up with the Prince's hole and pushed against it. He gave a snarl as the velvety muscle opened around the tip of his member before wrapping around it as if trying to pull it inside. Rolling his hips and pushing a bit harder, the bear began to ease into the stag's tight entrance.

The slick sound of spit mixed with pre made Ivan's ears flick, and his muzzle pull upward to show his sharp teeth. Grasping the Prince's hips firmly, Ivan thrusted forward harshly into the Prince. Giving a groan as he felt his body lunge forward, the buck braced himself as the bear continued to push into him. His own member throbbed against his abs and the shaft bounced with each new inch Ivan pushed into him.

"Mmmm, please give me more. Fill me like a mate," the Prince moaned lustfully as he pushed his body back against Ivan. "Show me the power in your form."

Giving another firm thrust, Ivan gave a low rumble as he felt his hips press flush against the demi-god's soft rump. He felt the Prince's tail flutter over his hips and he gave a low moan as the walls of the Prince's hole closed in on his invading member. Meanwhile, the Prince could feel every inch of the bear filling him and he felt heat rise to his face as Ivan began to wiggle his hips.

"You like that?" Ivan said with a cocksure grin as he leaned over the deer. His thick chest rested against the Prince's back and the bear grinded his hips against his lover. "Your hole is basically begging me to seed it."

"Oh ho, yes! My, what beast have I unleashed?" the Prince said, his words sounding strained. He was being spread to his limits. He had taken bigger beasts before but somehow, Ivan seemed just a tad bit larger where it mattered. The deer braced one hand on the armrest and wrapped his other arm around Ivan's shoulders before leaning into kiss Ivan on the lips. Taking the kiss, the bear gave a pleased grunt as he began to pull himself out of the Prince before thrusting viciously back in.

Groaning into the kiss, the Prince's cock jumped and hit his abs before dripping more pre onto the ground. When the kiss broke, Ivan gave the Prince a knowing smile before starting to fully ravage the Prince's rump. His large balls smacked against the stag's in a steady motion, and Ivan could feel the Prince's ass jiggle each time he hilted inside of him.

The letter O formed itself on the deer's mouth. His body was racked with pleasure as Ivan perfectly hit his prostate. The Prince closed his eyes shut, feeling another spurt of pre jet out of his rock hard cock. It crashed onto his throne, coating it with musk, smelling distinctly of a virile male. The deer clung onto the wooden chair for dear life, muttering curses under his breath. Ivan was relentless, growling menacingly as his climax began to build. The telling sound of skin against skin slapping against one another echoed throughout the clearing as their passionate romp continued.

The Prince was at the mercy of his newly inducted servant and he was ashamed to admit that he was loving every single minute of it down to each and every single thrust Ivan pummeled his rump with. He cried out as another jet of pre sprayed onto the throne, his cock aching for release. His legs buckled and the deer tumbled into the chair, and grabbed the top for support.

The Prince cried out Ivan's name as his rump was held fast by the bear, not missing a beat entirely. The angle that the position the deer was in was perfect for Ivan, using this chance to truly hit hard with short but deep powerful thrusts. The Prince swore he saw stars just from how much pleasure shot through his veins like liquid bliss.

Leaning over the Prince until his bulk was pushing the Prince into the throne, the bear released another feral snarl as he felt his own pleasure begin to reach a crescendo. Thrusting for the last time into the Prince, the bear felt his orbs begin to pull up to his body and he gave a long roar. His shaft twitched once and then twice before unleashing their contents into his lover, the release so extreme that in a few seconds cum was already leaking around his cock, and dripping over the stag's orbs.

With wide eyes, the Prince felt his prostate get hit hard, making his vision go white before an intense shock of bliss shot through him and up his spine. Giving off a long moan that slowly turned louder, the Prince felt his own shaft begin to twitch before he gave a long bleat as he shot his load over the brown bark. The load streaked across the bark, the milky white reflecting in the moonlight as jet after jet of seed splattered against the throne. The Prince's rump still spassed around Ivan's member, coaxing even more of the bear's climax out of him.

Ivan huffed proudly, feeling the last of his cum dribble out of him. His heartbeat drummed in his chest as he basked in his orgasm. He gave one loving slap on the Prince's rump to which the Prince just mewled out like a kitten in response. Ivan struggled to find the right words, his brain still unable to think clearly and was still coming down from his sex induced high. "How's that, my Prince?" he asked almost rhetorically. He gave the deer's rump a possessive squeeze, sighing blissfully. "Good enough for you?"

The Prince was at loss for words. His backside was left sore from the beating it received from his servant. Still, in his heightened state of arousal, he did his best to string words in response to the question. "I think..." He began as he turned his head back to face Ivan. Ivan's cheeks were flushed and there was a certain twinkle in his eyes, no doubt the byproduct of their amazing sex.

"I think I might just also give you the role of..." He wiggled his rump a little, earning a groan from the bear as his thick member was still hilted inside of him. "I'll give you the role of being my personal Guardian. What do you think?"

Giving a sinister smirk, Ivan grabbed the Prince's shoulders and pulled him up until his back was pushed up against his massive chest. "I think I like that. What are the benefits?"

Leaning back and kissing Ivan on the lips hungrily, the Prince licked across the bear's lips, taking the strand of saliva on his tongue as he pulled back. Ivan's eyes looked glazed as the bear basked in his afterglow and yet the Prince could still feel Ivan's member throbbing inside of him. "I'm sure you already know the answer..."

Thrusting forward, Ivan forced a needful moan out of the Prince, "Mmmf, yeah. I'm sure I could get used to this..." Starting to speed up into steady thrusting, Ivan started rutting into his lover once again. The Prince started to feel his own maleness begin to harden, and in his lusts, he grabbed onto the top of the throne to steady himself as he pushed back against his servant with a pleased smile on his face.

"I think I could get used to this, too."

______________________________________________________________________

Hours passed, or perhaps it was days. Ivan lost all sense of time while he was with the Prince. They enjoyed each other to the point where it all seemed to just blur to him. His mind flashed him memories of his time with the deer. He remembered taking the Prince from behind on the throne, on the ground, or against the tree.

There was a memory of the Prince clinging onto him for dear life, crying out his name in his throes of passion. Ivan was the one seated on the throne and the Prince was riding him like the hungry lover that he was. Throughout it all, the Prince demanded the bear's seed to be spilled in honor of his new pact. It was as tiring as it was thrilling.

Another memory flashed, the Prince taking his big member, moaning lustfully, telling him how he wanted nothing more than him. The deer's face was covered and slick with his own seed, smelling distinctly of virile males. Ivan lost count of how many times he came. He just remembered spilling it all onto the Prince's waiting mouth, backside, face or any other part of the deer's body, and his own balls fully empty by the time he was finally finished.

Somewhere in their seemingly never ending love making, Ivan collapsed onto the ground wrapped in the Prince's arms to be whisked away into a deep sleep. It was no doubt from the sheer exhaustion of their furious mating.

Ivan's eyes fluttered open. The distant sound of people laughing and cheering echoed in his ears. His vision cleared and he found himself staring up at the wooden ceiling of his office. His back was sore and a slight headache racked his skull. He yawned sleepily, looking around. It took him a moment to realize where he was, but when he did, his eyes snapped wide open.

"What in the fu-...?" He was in his office. He was in his own Ranger's Office. He was no longer in the clearing where he met the Prince...the Prince! Ivan looked around wildly, finding no sign of the magical deer he buried his cock in earlier. Ivan rubbed his face, making sure he was awake. That was when he noticed his hands.

"I'm...human now...?" True enough, he had two limbs that held five fingers each and was connected to two arms. He reached into his desk and started rummaging. He pulled out a small mirror and looked at his reflection. He saw a dazed and confused looking human staring right back at him. He touched his face, making sure it was real. Gone were the fur and was replaced with his tan colored skin. Gone were the maw of a bear but was replaced with the usual pointed nose and his dull colored lips. His eyes were still the same shade of color as they were before..

He glanced down and saw that he was back in his Ranger's Outfit. His white untucked shirt was still there and everything else about him. The only thing that seemed different was he felt slightly wet in his pants. He discreetly looked around before hastily unbuckling his belt. He pulled his fly open and saw that he had soiled his underwear, a big wet spot forming where the head of his cock rested.

"I guess I did that..." Ivan mumbled to himself. The amount was far greater than what he normally spurted. He actually felt his balls feeling lighter, oddly enough. As he closed his pants back up and began buckling his belt once more, he tried his best to rationalize what had happened. He stood up and began pacing in his room, mumbling theories to himself.

"Was that a dream...?" he asked himself. "Was that all a dream?"

Ivan was no stranger to having wet dreams. He had them every now and then and they were always vivid. But the most recent one he had, the one with the Prince, felt almost too real to not be one. In his mind, it just didn't seem to add up.

His train of thought was derailed when someone knocked on the door. The door knob rotated and the door swung open. He immediately recognized the person as Brian. He was holding a clipboard in his hand just like he was before Ivan went off to the forest.

"Ivan, I got the--" Brian trailed as he saw Ivan standing there, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time. "Good...morning?" he asked, caught a bit off guard. "Ivan, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Uhh, I'm fine, Brian," Ivan said, but not without a bit of hesitation. Shaking off the feeling of awkwardness and confusion, Ivan simply cleared his throat and figured it was all just a crazy dream. He fell asleep in the office, and managed to wake up just before his coworker caught him. That seemed to be the most logical thing that made sense to him. As he got lost in thought, Brian walked forward with a bit of concern before placing the clipboard on the desk.

"You sure you are okay?" Brian asked with worry evident in his tone. Ivan merely shrugged off his concern. It was nice that his coworker at least cared about how he was feeling. Sometimes he wondered with the lot.

"I'm fine, Brian. Hand me the schedule," Ivan said in his all too distinct grumble. Rubbing his eyes before groping for his glasses, Ivan's vision cleared as he placed the spectacles on his face. He felt a tinge of annoyance that he no longer had the perfect vision that the Prince blessed him with.

Everything was truly back to normal. He was slightly relieved yet part of him felt as if there was a hole in him. The relief quickly turned to surprise when the human noticed the date on the top right of the clipboard.

"July 3?" he asked. "Are you sure this is right, Brian?"

Brian's brow rose, and he glanced over to where he pointed. "Uh, yeah."

"But isn't it July 2?"

Brian's looked at him as if he was crazy. "Are you sure you're okay? It's July 3, Ivan. July 2 was yesterday."

Ivan felt the color on his face drain. "I-if that's the case then, did I show up for work yesterday?"

"If this is a joke, I swear--"

"No, it isn't. Just answer the question." He then realized how forceful his tone of voice was. "Please," he added as an afterthought.

Brian was taken aback and looked at him warily. "Yes," he answered, watching Ivan's face carefully.

"You did show up for work yesterday. Like every other day that you do. I gave you the schedule and you drove off, leaving me here to do paperwork."

He then took something out of his pocket. "You actually dropped this at my desk by accident when you returned." The man held out his hand and handed an all too familiar blue looking stone to Ivan.

Ivan took the stone in his hands, his eyes widening.

"Where'd you find it? It's a very nice cut of stone."

Ivan wasn't paying attention anymore as his eyes was transfixed by the magical blue stone. He noticed something was different about it this time. He could see in the middle of its bluish hue was what looked like an engraving of an animal.

It was in the shape of a bear.

"Ivan...is this thing working? This is harder than texting..."

Ivan looked up as he felt a gush wind blow gently into the office from his open window. He looked out into the door that faced an open window. The trees were bending to the wind and the clouds were rolling by. The fresh mountain breeze was cool and refreshing and, Ivan smiled to himself, carried a voice he recognized all too well. A voice that made a heat begin to slowly make its way across his body. He recognized the heat instantly as a need for something a bit more carnal.

"Heeelllloooo...ohhh, is that your heartbeat? I can hear it speeding up. How delicious..."

"Hello, earth to Ivan?" Brian said, crossing his arms on his chest. He watched Ivan walk to his desk with a kick to his step. "What the hell did you put in your coffee today?" Ivan didn't bother to comment as he rushed out of his office.

"I'll tell you later," he told his partner with barely contained excitement. "Duty calls!"

Brian was at a loss for words. In all of his time working with the man, he had never seen him move with such a brisk pace. It looked like he was a man on a mission. Brian walked to the window sill and watched Ivan running and jumping almost athletically into the jeep. In less than a minute he was already speeding out, the jeep roaring as Ivan stepped on the gas. Brian followed the vehicle with his eyes before it inevitably disappeared into the thick of the forest.

Brian let out a sigh.

Then, the corner of his lips curled to that of a smile.

Walking out of the office, Brian turned off the lights before closing Ivan's door quietly. Looking over the lobby, Brian noted the taxidermies looking outward with lifeless eyes and he gave a frown as his gaze fell on the deer. He always hated the things.

"Tacky," he muttered under his breath.

Glancing over at his desk, Brian noticed his desk was completely clean and free of paperwork. A pleased expression crossed his face as he walked over to the door to the outside world. "Nothing to hold me back this time. I don't have to stall..."

As he opened the door outside, Brian felt the warm summer breeze hit his body, and he inhaled to smell the sweet scent of flowers. Looking up and to his left, Brian noticed the bear standing on its hind legs and posing threateningly.

"I always did like bears...."

With that statement, Brian walked out the door chuckling merrily with a skip in his step as well.