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Along the banks of the great river there was a project at hand that took the attention of three equines. Two were easily identified as zebras, they were common in this land and this pair seemed little different than others of their kind. Had it only been the pair of them they would have looked as if they were building their first home. They had dredged up buckets of rich white clay from the river and steadily mixed it with dried grasses to form the sides of a house. Yet they weren't alone. The female, Liana, constantly twitched her ears and tail in nervousness. Every movement betrayed her tension as well as her fear. The mood infected the male, Thandiwe, who glanced to their side more often then not to watch the third equine of the group. He stood out from the pair of them as boldly as a crocodile would and it wasn't simply the dappled color or sea green eyes.

Pisces the kelpie watched his servants with a hint of pride, but more than that a hint of hunger and lust. They worked hard as they worked with the clay and he ensured it was kept moist and malleable. Their nervousness and fear made him grin so that a hint of his fangs showed from under his dark grey lips. In all his years of hunting and searching he had yet to find a prize as worthy of him as this pair. And all he had had to do was hunt down a pride of lions to make them his own. He had taken them back to the river, but it had become supremely apparent that neither would do well dwelling within the water. They had stared at him wide eyed as he waded into the river without fear of crocodiles or predators. He had considered the matter for a long moment before setting forth his first command for Liana to weave them baskets while Thandiwe started to dig into the shore to pull out stones to create a foundation.

The sun was high over head by the time they started to work in truth. The kelpies own magic ensured that the clay could be worked with, but he could do nothing for the heat. It was a trial of sorts. He wanted to know what his servants could do and he was pleased to see both of them throwing their backs into their work. They didn't shirk or try to force the other to do more work then they themselves were willing to do. It was one of the many reasons the fae creature enjoyed their kind so much. He had met so many others who were lazy or stupid or both, zebras seemed to work hard no matter what the circumstances. Although they had great fears, those fears never stopped them from doing what needed done. The kelpie enjoyed that fear. They were not terrified, but the scent of their nervousness made him aware of their presence.

"Master, it is nearing past noon." Liana's voice was stiff as she called him master while her liquid brown eyes were turned to one side away from him.

"So it is. More clay there." Pisces spread a hand out to brush over the side of the hut and wetness softened the wall as he started to trail it outwards.

"It will be too hot to work soon, Master." Liana's voice was hesitant now as she moved to pull the heavy basket of clay towards the section he had indicated.

"Perhaps." Pisces turned his head to watch the softly curved stripe mare before flicking his tongue out to like over one fang. "What do you think, Thandiwe, is it too hot?"

"It is always hot this time of day, Master." The young stallion spoke the words warily as he pushed his weight up to pack in a section of the wall.

Pisces stared at the hut as an idea came over him and his mobile lips curved upwards in a slight smile that grew as he considered the rising sun and ripples of heat that came from the ground. He hadn't truly thought of what he would do with his servants past the enjoyment of owning them. As he stared at the pair he found his lips curling up in a slow smile. Ah the things he could do and experience with them both! They were limited only by his imagination and their own comparably short life spans, but even that limitation didn't stop the pleasure. He stared back up at the sun before an idea came to mind that made him lash his tail back and forth. The tendrils fanned out and licked right against his upper legs as he dropped his hand from where it was placed against the wall and grimaced in disgust at the mud that clung to his finger tips. That would be the first thing to change and help in starting the trend he would set with the pair.

"It is hot and we will rest." He nodded his head and watched Liana breath out a sigh of relief that was echoed in the young stallion's posture. "I'm dirty from this work. I desire to be clean again and I believe that falls into your duties."

"Master.." Liana jerked a little as her eyes widened. The striped mare glanced at her fellow zebra before swallowing. "Which of us would you like?"

"Both of you." The kelpie stepped into the comparatively cool water of the river, "I shall make this a contest. As your lives shall be a contest. Whoever serves me most readily and eagerly shall be my favorite, the one who fails in that.." He ran his tongue over one of his fangs. "I will make a meal of. I have no desire to have a servant who is not eager for their job.

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Liana hadn't realized just what it might mean to be given over to the kelpie. The beast was strange and terrifying. He had come to the village smelling of blood and death when he came to demand his payment. At first she had hoped that they would refuse him, that they would turn him away empty handed rather than allow any of their village to be handed over. The elders had agreed it would serve no one to have this done. Instead they had offered their youngsters a chance to offer themselves up or they would have to choose themselves. Liana had volunteered. What other mare had the spirit and fire to withstand such a beast? So she had gone with him and felt herself tremble each time she saw his fangs or the strange pale eyed gaze watching her. She had worked hard until he had allowed them to stop, but the conditions had sent a thrill of fear through her.

"You, you shall bathe me." The kelpie stared at her fellow servant and his tongue flicked over one of his fangs. "And you," He turned to look at her, "You shall make sure that I am relaxed. Do your work well and you will see tomorrow."

"Yes, Master." Thandiwe answered in a shuddering voice and Liana forced herself to echo.

"How does the Master wish to relax? Shall I massage the tension from you?" Liana stepped towards the water with her eyes automatically scanning the surface for the sight of crocodiles. That small distraction made her miss the sudden movement as a powerful arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her forward. She barked out a noise of surprise as she found her muzzle nearly hovering against the dark grey one.

"I think I have the perfect solution." The kelpie murmured softly into one of her ears as he started to pull her further into the water.

Thandiwe followed, she could sense his movements not far away and when she darted a pleading look towards him she saw the bucket and soft clothe he held. His eyes showed a rim of white as he entered the water and made his way behind the dappled form. He didn't look at her, the stallion was too obviously concerned with proving his own worth. The kelpie's hands traveled along her body and rubbed along the curve of her spine. She trembled slightly as she felt the nails curving and dragging down until they caught against her top. She tried to squirm back, but he gave a tug that lightly freed her breasts beneath the water. Pisces' words echoed to her as made an abortive move to snatch up her top and forced herself to hold still. The creature shocked her by leaning down and running his tongue over one of her nipples in a curiously gentle stroke that swirled over it and made her entire body tremble.

"Lovely." He breathed out against her flesh so the heat tickled her.

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Pisces tasted the tang of fear on the air and reveled in it. He'd no more eat these lovely creatures then he would have let the foal die in the crocodiles bite. Yet they didn't need to know that. Fear could bring forth a touch of competition that would make them strive to be the best. In time they would learn him to be a gentle master, but for now he would take them in hand. He let himself draw the attractive female deeper into the water so that it was waist deep. Her body was warm against him as he heard the young stallion slosh his way into the river and sensed the movement behind him. How delightful to have them both serve him in this way! One would strive to ignore what was happening before him, while the other would pleasure his body as he was bathed. He pulled her top off with a low rumble deep in his throat as he looked over the pale white and black striped breasts.

He allowed his muzzle to guide him and trail over the soft edge of her nipples before setting his teeth to them. His gentle touch pinched at the nipples and pulled them slightly before his tongue brushed beneath it. His fingers trailed up to knead gently against either side of them until he coaxed a cry from her throat and heard her breath come in a sudden gasp. Behind him he felt the gentle rub of the clothe work against his shoulders. The trembling hand was tentative at first, but soon started to grow more confident as he felt the soap being worked into his hide. The masculine touch added to the pleasure of the softness before him. He spread his tail beneath the water so the tendrils slipped around the mare's thighs and started wrap up higher. The muscles trembled and tensed up in reaction before Liana whimpered out.

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Liana braced herself to feel the fangs sinking into her hide. She could only imagine how he would rend her apart as he had the lion. To her shock the lips were gentle as they wrapped around the dark nipple and the tongue teased beneath it. When the teeth came they were delicate as they stimulated the nerves and her entire body arched up with a sharp cry. She opened her eyes wide to meet her fellow servant's gaze. The look in his eyes lingered over her with fear and something more as he worked his hands over the dappled shoulder and started to work the soap into a lather. Her questioning look only lasted a moment before she felt something beneath the water against her upper thighs. At first it felt like a plant beneath the water, but it soon changed as the tips curled around her thighs. Before she could stop herself she stumbled back trying to escape whatever was hiding there.

"Ahhh such unwillingness." The kelpie whickered out as he leaned back into Thandiwe's touch. "Do you not wish to serve me, my mare?"

"N-no Master, I wish to serve you." She protested and watched as the green tendrils twisted beneath the water and spread out wider as if seeking to touch her again.

With a shiver she returned against him and this time the tendrils coiled and twisted up her legs tightly while his hands moved to grip along her thighs. The fingers dug in against the stripped softness and she closed her eyes with a tremor. The touch slid up along the edge of her clothing before the kelpie curled his fingers down beneath it and gave a sudden pull. The movement made her stumble with a cry against his body so that her breasts pressed against his chest and her lips hovered oh so close to the grey ones. He pulled and tugged the cloth downwards from her hips, peeling it away as he had her tip before leaning forward as if to kiss. The kiss didn't come, instead the sharp fangs nipped and tugged lightly at her lips so she started to breath faster in a slight panic. It was only increased when she felt something sliding against her stomach.

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Sweet fear. It hung around her like a rich bouquet that made his heart beast faster and his body tremble in desire. Behind him he could feel the stronger male fingers working against his back and then hesitantly slide towards his chest. The caressing sensation along with the feel of the female's body suddenly pushed against his own made his sheath stir and the thick grey glans start to spill outwards. It inched it's way higher up against the striped stomach as he kneaded his fingers against her ass and felt how her muscles tensed and then relaxed. He nipped at her lips lightly as he trailed his tendrils up higher along her now bare legs. He twisted and coiled the hairs together until they brushed up and trailed in a feather light caress along the soft outer lips. The sudden intake of breath rewarded him with the knowledge she was not completely unaffected by his advances. He swirled the tendril in slow circles spreading the soft folds to tickle over the nub of her clit.

"Lower, Thandiwe." He rumbled the words back at the young stallion behind him and felt the zebra jerk slightly. "I would never be dirty for such a lovely mare."

"Yes, Master." The voice was sharp with fear, ahhh so the young stallion thought he was going to lose this bet and be his meal.

Pisces lowered his lips and nipped his way down the curved neck as he drew in her scent. His tendril started to curl a bit more forcefully along her clit so that she tensed up and gave a buck forward as she cried out. Behind him the stallion moved his hands down to get between the pair and he felt the strong fingers brush against either side of his hardening cock. The cloth rubbed lightly as the male was forced to press almost forcefully against his back to reach him. He could feel the muscled chest and the curved hips, most importantly he could feel the slight hardness of the shaft beneath the loin cloth. Was he already growing aroused? The kelpie licked a fang as he shifted the tendril down on the female and started to trace along her opening. Would he be interested in being the mare or the kelpie? How interesting to find out. He rolled his hips and let his tip rub against the stallion's palm as he started to spread the mare open with his tail.

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Liana shuddered as something brushed against her clit. The gentle touch circled and twisted around it so a rush of pleasure overran her and made her buck forward before drawing back again. Her breath came out shakily while her hips trembled at the sensation. The sharp teeth teased down her neck and she found herself tilting her head to one side as the fangs plucked and grazed against her striped hide. Even the sound of his voice didn't register as the tendril rubbed and stroked before dropping lower. Her broad ears flicked back before a sharp cry came from her throat as it started to push into her body. The tendril was unlike any shaft, it twisted and stroked as her legs parted in reaction and more of her weight pressed against the stallion. She dimly felt hands press against her stomach before the hardening shaft was pulled away.

The zebra mare felt herself becoming lost in the sensations as the tail pushed in deeper and then slipped back before plunging in again. Her muscles tensed and relaxed as she found her muzzle resting against the kelpie's shoulder where a few tendrils of the mane curled and rubbed along the underside of her jaw. The sensation of hands rubbed against her stomach causing her to open her eyes to find herself a few inches away from Thandiwe. His eyes were wide and slightly fearful as she felt him stroking and working to clean the kelpie's shaft. He suddenly tensed up and let out a bray of surprise so his body lurched forward causing Pisces to buck against her before relaxing again. The warmth of a tongue trailed up along her shoulder.

"Guide me, my servant, our Liana is quite eager." Her ears flushed at that, but she couldn't deny it. Not when she groaned out as the tendril dragged from her body.

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Pisces coiled a few tendrils of his tail beneath the stallion's loin cloth as he found the thickened dark head by touch alone. The moment he brushed his touch against it the young stallion bucked forward and more of it surged outwards in arousal. He moved his hands to run his nails down along Liana's back as he let his tendril pull free from her clutching body. The moment it came free he moved a hand down to pull the leg upwards so that it curled around his hip and brushed against the male behind him. His nostrils flared eagerly as he felt the touch on his cock shift down towards his base. Thandiwe had a strangely gentle touch for a stallion and it coaxed a few spills of precum out as he struggled to guide the cock downwards. The kelpie smirked before pulling his hips back to help and twined his tail higher up until it wrapped around the stallions shaft and started to squeeze and knead against it.

His grey glans was pulled down until he felt the soft opening and he let out a soft hiss of pleasure before rolling his hips upwards. The movement pressed his cock against the folds until they started to spread open around him. The mare in his grasp tensed up before crying out as the fingers on his cock slipped away and seemed to hesitate on where to go. His mind was no longer on them, instead it was in the steady plunge upwards as inch after thick inch of his shaft pushed into the mare. Her leg tensed against his hip and she gave a shuddering buck as the walls clamped down around him and squeezed tightly. Her wetness ran over him as the first spill of precum worked its way in before he gave a slightly firmer buck and tightened his tail around the stallion's cock. He could feel it slipping free of the loin cloth so it rested heavy and full against the small of his back.

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Liana felt the thick glans push up against her sex with a hiss. For a moment she forgot why she was doing this and why she was here, all she could feel was the pounding of her own heart and a growing desire for the kelpie. The moment his hips raised up and her leg tensed against his form as the shaft plunged into her. Her walls spread open and then tensed down as the shuddering dappled form pressed against her. Her eyes closed and she couldn't stop the groan from spilling from her throat as the hips drew back from her and tugged along her body. Her walls closed down and squeezed before he thrust forward again and she felt the medial ring push right up against her outer lips and press them inwards. She could feel the rippling of muscles beneath the grey furred hide each time he drove up to meet her as the medial ring sank into her slickened body.

The mare could hear the soft sounds of her fellow servant behind him and when she opened her eyes she found his head tucked in close against the kelpie's shoulders. His body shuddered and gave a lurch forward timing itself with the kelpie's movements and her confusion was washed away in the steady feel of the hips on her own. The fingers that gripped her ass kneaded against her as the medial ring pushed into her body and pulled back out again. The sensation stroked and teased over her until she let out shallow squeals and at other points pushed herself back against him. The water that encircled their hips splashed against her damp sides as a pair of fangs suddenly gripped down against her shoulder. The muzzle gripped tightly as she felt a rush of hot air against her hide before a sharper thrust drove him in until she could feel his sheath against her outer folds.

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Pisces felt the shaft behind him throb and react to the touch of his tail. The young stallion didn't seem about to try and pull away, but at the same time there was an edge of fear of failing him. The indecision at giving into the touches or continuing his duty made it particularly sweet. He coiled his tendrils around the glans and gave it a pulsing squeeze that fluttered up and down keeping on edge. The rest of his attention was taken up with the feel of silken muscles closed around him and how his tip parted them open before drawing backwards again. Each time he moved he could feel her body pushing back against him as he let his nails drag against the soft curve of her rump cheeks. Her back arched and her breasts press firmly against his chest so that the nipples were pulled and brushing against him. He moved his lips down to grip against her shoulder as he started to move faster and harder within her savoring the way she let out sharp cries in his pleasure.

The kelpie kept his tail working around the heavy black girth against his back. The young stallion soon could be heard making low guttural noises of pleasure as he timed his squeezing tugs with his own hips. He closed his sea green eyes as the clamping muscles pulled around his gray shaft and started to set a far more demanding pace against the mare. His body thrummed with a rush of desire as he moved his head to the side and gripped harder against the curve of his neck. His fangs hooked just beneath the skin so he heard a sudden squeal, but the sound only fueled him on. His fingers clawed down her ass and trailed all the way to the upper thighs as the water splashed around them. Her breathing came out quicker as he felt her body tensing up and the walls squeezing down. It was only made more poignant by the pulsing girth resting against the small of his back as the other zebra rocked his hips back and forth.

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Liana felt a sudden shock as the teeth that had been nipping lightly against her neck suddenly drove down harder against her skin. The tips broke the surface as she let out a ragged cry of pleasure mingled with panic. The hips that were pounding against her worked in frantic bucks that shook her body back and forth as she tried to return them. The thickened tip drove into her body and pulled out making her contract and pull around him. Each steady stroke stimulated her body keeping it hovering on the edge of growing pleasure. Her nostrils flared open wide as the teeth dug harder against her neck and she couldn't even protest when they sank into her flesh. The final spike of pleasure built up and then overflowed as she let out a shrill squeal in her desire and pleasure. Her walls clenched down tightly and suddenly squeezed so she could feel each thickened inch inside of her.

She wasn't alone in that pleasure. She heard the sound of water splashing before the strange barking call of the stallion behind the kelpie come forth. Her eyes flashed open in time to see his own widening in shock and no small amount of fear before his entire form started to shake. She only had a moment to watch that as her climax spilled over her and she could feel how her silken walls pulsed around the grey cock. The tip swelled inside of her, growing larger and larger before the stallion gave a final thrust. The heavy orbs twitched against her legs before she felt the sudden hot rush spilling out into her passage. The thick seed ran deep inside of her trembling body even as she felt two long hot streaks of blood dribbling their way down along the curve of her shoulder. Nothing seemed to matter at that point, but the light headed pleasure of the moment.

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Pisces renewed his efforts of his tail against the heavy girth behind him. He entertained himself by pulling and massaging the girth as the young stallion started to thrust harder. At times the glans grazed right against the small of his back before being pulled backwards. A sticky dribble of precum spilled down to run down his spine as he let out a hiss of pleasure. His teeth clutched at the mare's neck as she started to shudder in his grasp. His nails dug into her soft ass before he felt his tip spreading open and starting to flare. The young zebra stallion behind him finally lost his own battle with a great cry of shock as his body trembled. The kelpie felt the first splash of heat against the small of his back as his tendrils milked and massaged around the throbbing girth coaxing more and more to spill from it. His own desire spiked as he gave a final shuddering thrust into the zebra mare pressed against him.

His tip flared open wide just as his balls pulled up snug against his body so he could let out a sudden spill of thick cum inside of Liana. Her body seemed to tense and then tremble against him as the walls closed tightly around him and tried to pull more inside of her. He snarled a soft sound of pleasure as he rocked his hips back and forth slowly feeling how they clutched around his tip. The thickness of him tugged along her while the zebra stallion at his back was heard panting as he started to come down. His tendrils could feel the slick seed spilling along them while the heavy cock started to soften in his stroking grasp. His own girth remained firm and heavy inside of the zebra mare enjoying the aftershocks of her pleasure as he released his fangs from her neck and let out a soft hiss of breath in approval. His eyes lidding slightly in the afterglow.

"Mmm a very nice service, dear Liana." He murmured into her ear before his tongue curled along the edge. "I will have to think about which of you served me better tonight so I know which one to look to come morning." The words made both zebras freeze and he heard a soft whimper come from the stallions throat.

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Liana had spent the rest of the afternoon drowsing in the half built house with the kelpie and her fellow zebra. The dread that had started at his words only built as he considered her friend in the darkening evening light. He had not completed his task. Would Pisces truly eat him in the morning? She trembled as she remembered the mangled lion's hide that he'd carried back to the village so triumphantly. The mingling of pleasure left from their earlier passions had waned into fear again as she watched the steady rise and fall of the striped chest. Even in sleep Thandiwe's brows were furrowed with worry. Did he dread the dawn? She drew in a breath and shivered slightly as she looked out the door into the darkening night. If there was only one zebra come morning, he wouldn't slay the remaining one. She could make it far in a single night, perhaps far enough the kelpie couldn't find her again.

She waited until full darkness had come before she moved to slip into her still damp clothing and left the half built home. The zebra's striped body proved fine camouflage as she passed through the darkness and thick grasses. Thandiwe would be treasured this way, he would still have to serve, but the threat of being eaten wouldn't linger over his head. Or her own. She longed to stay near the river with it's surety of water, but the kelpie would easily track her there. He had proved over and over again that he knew the water and the river. Instead, she turned her head towards the mountain range that lay far inland and started towards it. She carefully picked her way over the driest terrain in an attempt to hide her passing and keep her hooves from making it too easy to find her.

If Liana had been a more seasoned mare she might have known better then to head inland and towards the deceptively enticing jungles that started at the base of the mountains. Many zebras and bison and other creatures had been lured by the seemingly rich life there. As she started her trek all she could think of was the easy food and hiding she would find there. It would be perfect to hide from the kelpie there and he would never find her. Her neck arched at her own ideas even as she doomed herself. The jungles were the favored hunting spot of many foreign hunters who came to Africa with the intent to capture or kill the creatures here for their exotic pelts and as trophies. Even now they were gathered around a fire telling tales of the great beasts they would hunt. The zebra mare went ahead unwittingly delivering herself into their hands and bullets.

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The dawn came to find the two stallions searching for the missing mare with an air of desperation. Thandiwe had a mixture of terror and rage at the kelpie before he awoke. He had assumed that the creature had eaten the mare in the night and now claimed innocence. Yet the dappled stallion's increasingly agitated state made him almost doubt it. The kelpie had driven him out of the hut to search the area as the two legged creature had dove into the water. He'd never seen a creature, not even a crocodile match the speed with which the beast took up through the current. Even as the zebra had searched he knew with a sinking feeling that Liana must have left in the night while they had slept. Why? For a moment he felt a rush of anger, why would she leave when she was not in danger?

By the time the sun sank into the west and night started to come again Pisces still had not returned and he had ranged far out into the grass lands. He had lost her tracks a dozen times and this time he feared it was for the last time. They meandered with so little direction that he feared he had no idea where she had gone. He had lost his anger as he realized she must have left to ensure he wouldn't be the one to be eaten. Something broke in his heart at that thought. She had left for him. As the evening darkened he had finally sank down into the grass and felt bitterness and fear well up inside him. He had no idea how to get back to the river and at the moment he found hard to care. He rested his chin on his knees when the darkness delivered his guide to him.

Thandiwe thought he was imagining things when he saw a shape in the darkness move towards him. In the weak moonlight he could see the pale sides, but the creature was distorted and strange looking. The back was oddly humped and the outline mutated into a monstrous appearance. He would have run if he could have found the energy, instead he stared in fear before the moonlight revealed what moved towards him. For a moment he wished with all his heart that it had truly been a monster, that it was something come to kill him, even a lion. The kelpie walked towards him on heavy hooves and the sea green eyes seemed faded and the glow was lost. The dappled form was streaked with dust, mud and drying dark blood. Upon his back was a heart breakingly familiar striped pelt that showed livid red wounds. Liana's head hung down with her eyes glazed over in terror and death.

"MURDERER!" Thandiwe squealed out and found the energy to lunge forward. "MURDERER!"

"Still your anger." The kelpie's voice was rough and choked. The dark muzzle gleamed with blood that clung to his lips. "I am a murderer, but not of Liana. Never of her."

"She is dead! You have killed her!" Thandiwe surged forward with his ears flattened back against his Mohawked mane. Rage made him tremble. She had run to save him, she had given her life to this animal!

"I have killed her." Pisces' voice broke and he shook his head, "In my threat that made her fear I killed her, but my hand did not strike the blow. She fled to the jungle where the English hunters made camp and boasted of their hunting skills. She was gone when I found her." His voice cracked slightly and his eyes briefly blazed with hatred. "Let us go home, I will give her to my river where she will know peace."

Try as he might the zebra never got the story past the immortal beings lips. Even as he coaxed and raged on the way back to the river Pisces remained silent. His face lined with grief as he carried his terrible burden to the river. If Thandiwe knew any doubts as to the creature's word they were lost the moment he watched the pale stallion walk into the river holding Liana's body close to his own. His bloody lips had laid a gentle kiss onto her forehead as he smoothed her mane back lightly. The touch as tender as any lovers before allowing her body to spill beneath the water. The moment the broken bloody striped form touched beneath the water the stallion watched as light broke under the waves. It was as if the sunlight was refracted from below instead of above. Her form disappeared into the river completely to flow forever as a part of the kelpie's waters.

The English tell stories of that small part of the jungle. They whispered it over camp fires in tones hushed as if they feared to call the demon back from whatever hell it had come from. At first it had simply been a recounting of a lost party of hunters, but when they were found the story grew. Only one young colt had survived and what he told was of terror. A creature of fangs and water that had caused the fire to go out and in the darkness a massacre had taken place. Men had been killed swiftly and slowly. Guns had fired into the being, but nothing had stopped its rage. The colt had hidden beneath a crumpled tent and watched as the creature had dined on the flesh and taken his fill before gathering up one of the days trophies. The monster had screeched out in pain as he held the body before disappearing into the night. No English man ever traveled that part of the jungle again. No hunt dared to avenge their dead. The bodies had been enough to deter them from wanting to meet the same fate.

Thandiwe found the monster he lived with had adopted a calmer manner. For days the kelpie had grieved and was often found in the waters as if he were still looking for his lost mare. Only after some time had passed did he return to the shore and the zebra waited for him. The fear of the beast was still there, but the days passed and weeks passed and then months and years. His small hut started to grow richly decorated. Each time the kelpie disappeared for weeks on end he would return with a gift for his servant. They were outlandish and wonderful. Everything from spices to jewels to art. The kelpie seemed to delight in the zebra's delight of such things. As the time moved on Thandiwe found himself missing the volatile presence of his Master. The beast shifted moods so rapidly it was hard to follow, but at the same time the shifting mercurial moods proved pleasurable all on their own.

Many were the evenings that they spent entwined together. The dappled creature of moonlight riding the striped stallion who called out his pleasure and bared his neck to the sharp fangs that dug in against him. The pain mixed with pleasure when they came together as the stallion soon learned to call out his Master's name when the need grew too great. The kelpies' desire seemed to be ever growing. No matter how long they were apart he returned with gifts and lusts that his servant eagerly fulfilled. Even as Thandiwe grew older and he watched as his dark black muzzle turned grey with age the kelpie eagerly embraced him. It was a curse and a gift for the immortal creature in that he would never age, never grow feeble, never end. The beast looked the same thirty years later as he did the day he had first happened upon the village.

Thandiwe sat on the shore of the river and watched the sun set as he played over the years that had spilled by him so swiftly. It had alternately seemed as if his days with his own kind had been spent an eternity ago, while at the same time he felt as if he had been young just yesterday. His body was not yet feeble, it had started to turn towards old age though. His bold black and white mane was more white now, his black muzzle peppered with grey fur. He felt slower and slightly weaker then he used to be while each day ran swiftly past his fingers as he sought to keep a hold of them. He looked back towards his house with it's fabulous treasures that had been brought to him. Each treasure was from another land, another people, another country. He savored the evenings he had spent beside his kelpie listening to him speak of the world.

Each time Pisces had touched his chest and let out a pleased possessive sound in his throat as he looked over the other stallion he had felt a rush of pleasure. It was as if the great beast were staring at him as if he were the kelpie's home. He savored those times even as he once again pulled out his choice and examined it. He had thought it over and spent many sleepless nights tossing and turning over it. Today his Master was supposed to return. He had gone North to the land of his birth and had promised he would return with something special. It would be a lovely home coming and Thandiwe felt a pang of grief for the heart break he would bring to what should be. He sighed softly and pushed his way up from the edge of the shore to turn and go back into his finely decorated home. One of the things that would ease his mind when his Master was gone was seeing each gift and remembering the pleasure he had been given at having it gifted to him.

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The water was hot and rushed past his body. It was like fire compared to the icy waters of his home. No ice fed rivers here, only the warmth of the sun that made it heat up and give him new life as he navigated the twisting channel. He gripped his latest prize in his hands for his servant. A statue that seemed to be formed from bronze. It was of a kelpie no less. He had spent half his journey diving in the ocean for it as he tried to recall where he had last seen it sink, but he had found it in the end. He wasn't weary the way mortals might know it, only yearning for a place and face that was familiar. Over the years the bond he had felt to the zebra had intensified beyond all reasoning. It had been so long since he had had something to draw him to a particular place over and over again. The sensation of coming home was a heady thing for a creature that followed the spill of the water.

The moment he saw the modest cottage next to the shore his heart warmed and he arched his neck in pride. His mind played through the greeting as he had a hundred times. Thandiwe would meet him inside and he would find himself feeling the same rush he had a felt a hundred times before. They would come together passionately and only in the afterglow would he speak of his travels. He often entertained the idea of bringing his servant with him when he went wandering, but each time he felt a pang of loss at the long dead Liana. No. He would not risk his Thandiwe, he would make it up to him in tales and gifts, but he would not risk losing his prize. He came out of the water and padded towards the cottage with his ears up and anticipation growing inside of him when he saw the zebra waiting for him at the door. Yet it was not with the eager anticipation he was used too, instead there was a shadowed look on his face.

"Master, you have come home." The voice was music to the kelpie's ears and he licked a fang and couldn't help by smile at it.

"I will always return, you know that. Ahh the tales I would tell you tonight!" He moved his hand to slide it around the striped waist with a low whicker of pleasure.

"I..have a tale to tell you, Master," Thandiwe turned his head to one side as his voice roughened, "Will you sit with me as I tell it?"

"A tale? What has happened?" Pisces snapped his tail behind him and let out a low growl. "If you have had trouble tell me of it!"

"No, no trouble, Master, none save the trouble in my own mind." The zebra faltered slightly and then swallowed before moving to the side of the cottage to sit in the soft green grass. No matter how brutal the dry season his magic kept the grass and area lush and fertile. A small gift to keep his prize happy.

"Then tell me your tale.." The kelpie faltered as he moved to sit behind the zebra. His dappled arms slid over the chest and he brushed his muzzle against the striped neck before nipping.

"My tale is wonderful and full of sorrow. Once I lived as a colt in a village harried by lions until we feared we would die. A savior came to deliver us, but to my horror it came with a price. It was a price few wished to pay, but I stepped forward. I was young and strong, I felt sure of my own will and it was worth all the gold in our village to have the lions gone." Thandiwe shivered as Pisces ran his soft lips over the hide. His ears were up though, the kelpies sea green eyes watching the aging zebra's face as he spoke. "I came with another. She gave her life to spare my own, though she did not know at the time it wasn't in any danger. For so long I hated my captor. He kept me a prisoner and I was away from my people. It was a hard and bitter life to have no herd, no mare, no foals..."

"Do I apologize?" The kelpie's voice turned low and soft at those words. His chest vibrated with them.

"No, Master. There is no reason too. In time he brought me the world! I never saw past this patch of grass, but each year he brought me wonders that I could never imagine. Oh he was wise, he told such stories of his past and how he lived. I bathed in his regard and found my old longings drifting away as I was left with something more valuable." Something in the sea horse eased at those words, but the next made him tense again. "He could bring me anything in all the world save the one thing that I desired above all else. I thought, over the months, that it wouldn't matter. What I had lost wasn't that great a thing. But day by day I realized it was. It was something great and it was lost."

"What did you lose, my Thandiwe?" The kelpie tightened his hands slightly. A nameless emotion built inside of him and he tasted fear on his tongue. "You've only to ask and I'll fetch it for you. I-if you wish to live within the village I will return you. You have only to ask."

"No, Master, I don't want to go there." The stallion drew a breath and turned his head so one brown eye stared at the kelpie. "I am old, Master. My time is gone. It is slipping away. I am strong now, but not as strong as I used to be. I grow weaker every passing month. I can no longer run without panting and my joints have started to ache when the rains come. I will get weaker and older. I will wither and die while you watch me."

"Is that all? That doesn't matter to me! You shall always be the young stallion that I first met." The kelpie whickered soft laughter and kissed the stripe neck tenderly, "Did you think I was so vain that I'd cast you aside because you aged?"

"No...but, master.." The stallion hesitated and then drew in a breath. "I don't wish to grow older, I don't want to be more feeble or live my life in pain. I don't want to chain you here to care for me because I cannot feed myself or bring water from the river."

"What do you want?" The cold touch of fear and dread reclaimed the kelpie as the stallion turned in his arms to stare at him. Those eyes, as dark as fresh turned earth, showed the first fog of age over them. A graying that would one day overtake the pupil entirely.

"Take me into you, Master. I don't wish to live like this. If I must end, I want to end in your embrace and on my own terms. I've seen your appetite, I know what I ask. Please...please... I want to be with you and a part of you." The stallion's voice choked on a sob as the kelpie went very still. His breath came faster at the request.

"You wish me to devour you?" He breathed the words out and then flicked his ears back against his head.

"Take me with you, Master. I don't wish the years to swallow my life slowly and painfully, but a glorious ending to a life well spent." The voice trembled slightly and struck him to the heart. How could the zebra know he was offering him something the kelpie had lusted after for decades.

A kelpie is a curious creature. An immortal water horse that hungers for the taste of flesh. It had been centuries since he had given his heart so fully to a mortal being. Over the years he had felt the desire to devour the stallion a hundred times. It wasn't cruelty, but a need to taste the emotions on his tongue, to fill his stomach with all that the zebra was. He ate for defense and in defense of others, he ate for lust and desire, but of all the things in the world little could match the taste of love. He drew in a breath and tried to stave off the raw stab of passion and desire that ran through him at his servant's request and closed his eyes. When he opened them the same desperate expression looked at him, the eyes that had once been so vibrant seemed to strike him to his soul. He moved a hand up and cupped the stripped cheek and ran his thumb over the pattern. A pattern he would remember for all eternity.

"I cannot refuse you, Thandiwe." Pisces sighed out the words and stood up while drawing his servant with him. "Come with me to the water. Let me love you one last time."

All the words in the world cannot capture a moment of tenderness so intense for a creature of the immortal realm to give himself over in the embrace of a mortal. Dappled and striped they drew together in the water in an embrace so sweet it was near painful. A thousand touches between them had built up an intimacy that set the kelpie on edge as he took his servant and felt the bucking hips beneath him. The wild calls fell like music on his ears as the sun set over the river. As the rays brushed against the earth the fanged mouth spread open to kiss Thandiwe deeply and the stallion pressed against his master. The fingers gripped against the striped sides and pulled him in close as the kiss deepened and the jaws spread open wider as it slid along the proud graying muzzle. As darkness came the kelpie stood alone in the waters and moved a hand to brush his damp mane from his face. His fingers caught crystalline tear and he stared at it in shock. The monster's first tear was followed with another before he sought the waters of his river and carrying Thandiwe with him set his sights to his home.

Never again did the river see the strange kelpie, nor did the legends stop. They still told of him haunting the shores and driving away predators, yet he was never seen. The myth lived in the foals of a hundred zebras as the village grew and flourished. The oldest of them was a zebra gone nearly to white. His stripes were only a paler grey against the silver as he told tales of the brave creature that drove the lions from their home. He spoke also of the river that was safe as the guardian of it would never allow a foal to drown or to be snatched by a crocodile. As long as they went to Thandiwe's Shore where the grass always grew rich and green they would be safe. The foals loved the old stallions stories, but best of all they loved when he pointed as his scarred hip and told the story of the very first time he had met the kelpie.

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