Chapter 5

Darcy was surprised to find that from the big room, which held the door to their home was another that led to a large communal area.

The room was three times as big again. Two long wide hallways that led to many rooms were accessed from the inner wall. Two cross halls joined them together as you moved into the mountain. Two large doors, each about a third of the way along the room on the other side, led to the outside and long high windows let in a lot of light.

The back area from where he was standing was a massive community kitchen and he counted at least ten tables spread around between him and the kitchen. Each one could seat six to eight people. Along both side walls in the dining area were troughs that he guessed were used to feed the male Dogs and the pups since they didn’t change form.

Blaze explained that some, mostly young males and females, lived in dens located in other parts of the mountain. Many of them hunted and ate where they killed or they brought the meat back to feed the others. The hunters’ did this as their job.

It was mostly the older males who guarded their herds and taught the pups who were old enough and who wished to do this. Many of the older female Dogs were used to look after the young and educate them with the guardians that taught. The guardians also shared duties to cook for others, work in the gardens and clean.

The Dogs had once outnumbered the guardians. Over the years, the Dogs who had not moved had not been replaced often enough to swell their ranks. At present only about sixty guardians lived there with about the same number of Dogs.

Another twenty or so Dogs lived in dens to the north, and they had about twice that many pups who were less than sixteen years of age. Three-quarters of the Dogs were male. The number of females in the litters and the size of the litters had also declined. They suspected this had also happened to the Dogs who had moved away.

“Can the guardians change to male form?” Darcy asked, wondering why he had not thought to ask before.

“In the past, we have had the odd one who could, but at present, no,” she replied.

“Your ancestors really screwed up, didn’t they? It was dumb of them to not to make sure that the shifting gene worked both ways,” he offered.

Blaze looked at him in surprise, “Do you think this would have made a difference?”

“Yes, you said that it is preferable that the human you mated with was a Shifter, if the guardians could shift to the male form, you wouldn’t need other humans at all. A Shifter is a Shifter after all. Just because you’re a Dog based Shifter and not a Human-based Shifter, it is irrelevant. Your people are still Shifters if you have the gene.”

“I agree, young man, I and many of the sisters wish that we could change to male form in either of our forms,” a woman said as she joined them.

“My Dame, this is Shield Mage Darcy from a planet called Earth. Darcy, this is my mother, Grand Dame Huntress of the Planet called Tara,” Blaze said happily and then hugged her mother. The strikingly beautiful woman, who was even taller than her daughter was, hugged her back.

Darcy was also aware of the eye she ran over him and felt a little uncomfortable. “Madam, just so you know, I have claimed the rooms once owned by the brothers and Blaze has agreed to live with me so I may assist with the raising of our pups. I also do not wish to become a stud to service the other women here.”

Huntress laughed with amusement, “You are very blunt, Shield Mage Darcy. Can you resist a female in heat?”

“I’m not sure, as I couldn’t resist Blaze but then she had already stolen my heart. For her, I believe I will try my best unless she wishes that person to join us in our home and as part of our family or pack if you prefer. I would also hope to feel more for that person than just mating lust.”

“Those that come under my personal care, I will protect with my life, especially if they are also the mothers of my children. I hope that my wishes do not upset others who live here but it is how I feel. I know I still have much to learn about your culture. That being said, I must also be true to my own where it doesn’t conflict with yours.”

“Very well said, one must learn to respect others cultures. To be honest, I can’t fault your statements, as it is how many of the people in the cities I have been able to visit, live. While we are Dogs first and Shifters second we too have to respect how others live.”

“I disagree, you are not Dogs first. You are simply Shifters because even those who can’t change still carry the gene that marks who you are. I was simply a human. However, I now must also call myself a Shifter. As a human, I could have aligned with many different races among my people.”

“My mother did identify herself from part of her heritage as did my father because they were marked by that heritage. Me, I have never aligned with any of them because I’m not enough of any of them to feel they were mine to claim. I was just simply a man.”

“Now, however, I am marked, since I have obtained the Shifter gene. My base may be human as yours is Dog, we are simply two different breeds or kinds of Shifters. Due to my association with a Queen Wizard who is also a Shifter and who meddled with my genes, I can, in fact, take on many forms.”

“I’m quite sure that my children will also be able to do this. They will not be ordinary Dog-Shifters, either. I realise this may prompt others to wish to have my children but I may be able to pass the gene on without having to breed with you all.”

“What! How?” Huntress asked Darcy excitedly.

Darcy looked at Blaze and grinned, “Would it upset you, my love, if I kissed your mother?”

Blaze’s eyes widened, “Oh, by the Matriarch, you did it to me, didn’t you? That is what I feel that is different and not just the pups.”

“Most likely, my love. I knew last night that you had acquired the gene. Sean had mentioned to me that the strain he and Lee had acquired came from their other wife, Donny. A Wizard who once lived on my home planet had transported Donny’s people to the planet called Utopia.”

“He had experimented with them for many centuries. He wanted a Shifter who could change to faerie. Faeries, as you may know, have their own magical abilities. Lee and Sean believe that their magic mutated the gene and now it has the ability to spread like a virus and infect other beings that share the same basic genetic structure.”

“I believe Lee implanted the gene in me but Blaze activated it. I think Lee did this so if she had been wrong it would most likely never have been activated. Lee’s children could shift once they turned two years of age.”

“I would not be surprised if my children to Blaze can do this. I think if I infect those who wish to be; this will happen to any children they then have. It should also make their children stronger and increase the chances of them having magical abilities.”

Huntress looked at Darcy thoughtfully and then asked, “Will they be able to leave the mountain?”

“Yes and no, something here is affecting those of you who can change. It may take me a little time to find what but I do intend to solve the problem. I think that is the second reason Lee sent me here. It may be that I need to make a charm to protect those who wish to leave or at least let them come and go from here.”

“I like that idea, I was afraid that the shield was doing it but I’d hate to lose its protection. As it is, I feel it is not as strong as it once was. Some of my people are perfectly happy to live here as they do,” Huntress replied.

“The loss of the crystals would have weakened the shield. Hopefully, I have re-seeded the cavern. It may take several years to be fully functional again for the transporter to work but it should improve the strength of the shield much sooner than that.”

Darcy was pleased that Huntress seemed much relieved by his words. He then laughed with a roar when she gave him a sly look and asked, “So do I get my kiss or what?”

“Blaze?” he asked in turn as he looked at his lovely partner.

Blaze grinned and tried out one of his endearments, “My Love, you can kiss them once but only once until I say otherwise.”

Darcy hugged her and kissed her lips gently, “I find that I can live with this decision. Although being a mere male, you may have to take care of the consequences.”

Blaze looked at him with worry for a moment, then Darcy wiggled his eyebrows at her and she started grinning. She then changed her face to a fake hard done-by look. “Oh, dear, if I must, I must. The things I do for my people,” she replied more dramatically making both Darcy and her mother laugh.

Darcy turned to her mother, “Ready?”

Huntress gave him a look that told him of how she got her name and she bent down to him, she then pulled him into her body.

Darcy found that Huntress had kissed more than one human before and really knew what she was doing. She danced her tongue over his and somehow managed to cover every surface inside of his mouth. He was hard way before he had even realised it was possible.

Huntress rubbed herself against him and sucked on his bottom lip. He couldn’t help letting the little moan escape to his embarrassment. He blushed even harder when she finally released him and with a leer said, “There is nothing mere about you, Mage, my daughter is very lucky.”

Weakly, he said, “One down, how many more to go?”

Huntress answered, “I believe there are fifty-eight to go.”

Darcy blinked and then grinned, “No, I only have to do some of you. I think if you wait a day or two, you can then pass it on to the next.”

“Oh poo, why don’t you take all the fun out of it,” Huntress pouted.

Darcy laughed and then said thoughtfully, “Dame, could you try something for me. Tell me tomorrow how you feel and if the gene has taken hold, you will know. I would then like you to ask one of the males if he is willing to see if you can infect him.”

“Oh, I do like that idea, I’m sure I can find a willing victim. Actually, I know a couple who may be interested in seeing if it works. I know you agreed to do the guardians but can you change to Dog?”

“Yes, why?”

“I think you should do one of the females that can’t change,” Huntress suggested.

Darcy looked at Blaze when she cried in delight, “Twitch, do Twitch for me, Darcy, she is my dearest friend. I shall go find her.”

Darcy was amazed at how fast she moved. “She has really taken to having two legs.”

“Yes, I noticed she was moving fluidly. Some take many days to even a week to move around with some degree of comfort. Most who change can’t go and find a human until their second cycle. We often have to send them to the retreat for their first change and it can be frightfully painful for them.”