Falco
I had the strangest dream. About a beaver who looked like a man.
There was a wizard. And a forest. I opened my eyes, expecting to be on the bus, as I knew I hadn’t made it home because I couldn’t feel the broken springs of my mattress.
Instead, I wasn’t anywhere near the city.
There really was a forest. A naked man, save for his tool belt and the red-and-black plaid trapper hat that he wore.
Was he really a beaver, or had I just imagined that?
Sitting against the trunk of a tree, he whittled away on a small log, carving out larger chunks and using a file to shape the wood.
Regular tools I remembered from shop class.
I watched him for a long time, not wanting to let him know that I was awake.
I needed to figure out where I was. And how much of what I thought was a dream was real.
The unclothed man was one hundred percent real, and a damn fine specimen, too.
He had wavy, strawberry-blond hair that seemed to be kept trimmed, and a beard the same color, also neatly kept.
Not a body-builder type, but his wide, firm chest and thick arms explained why I fell when I smacked into him.
Wait! If he lived in another world, how did he have tools from my world? The wizard?
Geez, it all sounded like some fantasy tale rather than reality, but I was definitely not on a bus, at the rec center, or at home.
And if I was at a park in the city, someone would have called the cops already to report the beaver guy for indecent exposure.
Maybe I fell and hit my head, and I was actually unconscious in a hospital.
That sounded like the most plausible explanation.
I decided to enjoy my fantasy while I could.
There was no point in missing out on such an attractive man who didn’t run the other direction when he saw me.
Carefully sitting up, I decided to chat with him. “My name is Falco.”
He startled, dropping his wood and tools. “Oh, I didn’t know you were awake. You were in such a deep sleep and for so long, I didn’t know what to do except stay with you and wait for security to arrive.”
Security? Because I was the problem? “Um, what will they do when they get here?” All I did was sleep, apparently. I didn’t understand why that required security.
The beaver shifter stood and brushed off his firm, round ass and thick thighs.
“Oh, Holden will just show you around. He’ll probably introduce you to Nelson, his mate, or Walter or Lonnie, who are all outer-worlders like you.
They’ll explain how things work here. Then you’ll get a tour of the village.
Chauncey will do the same thing, but he won’t be happy with me.
I wasn’t supposed to find you. Please don’t tell either one of them that I ran into you. ”
So, I wouldn’t be locked up somewhere. A plus for the fantasy my brain played out. “And what happens after the tour? Where do I go then? Do I go back to my world?”
The man’s face paled. “Oh, I hope not. We really need your kind to stay. After the tour, you’ll get a house assigned to you while you choose who you want to be your mate.”
“Wait, wait, wait. I get a house of my own and get to pick a boyfriend?” Yep, I had to be on some good drugs at the hospital.
Because that wasn’t a reality that was ever possible since leaving my abusive alcoholic parents who tried to “beat the gay out” of me.
Or maybe even earlier in my life than that.
I wasn’t born into a family that would allow me a happy ending.
Though I planned to enjoy this one as long as it lasted.
“Yes.” He leaned forward and nodded like a bobblehead. “Us beaver shifters build the houses. You can pick one that’s already built for now, and, if you want, I can make sure one is built exactly the way you want it. We really need outer-worlders like you to stay.”
I pointed both index fingers to the forest. “Well, sign me up. Take me to Holden so we can get started.”
“Oh, well…” The man shuffled in front of me before heading a different direction. “Holden actually lives this way. I don’t know if he’s on duty, but we can check his house first.”
“Great.” I caught up to him, feeling surprisingly rested and anxious to find the new home I desperately needed, even if only in my head. “By the way, what’s your name?”
“Oh.” He paused, tapping his fingers on his tool belt as he stared at his feet. “I’m Vern, but my name is not important. There are many others in the village who need mates.”
“Vern.” I liked the way it sounded coming from my mouth. “Well, Vern, it is important to me, and I’m glad to know your name and to know you.” I was sure there was a reason he was the first shifter I met in my fantasy.
His cheeks flushed. “I really need to get you to Holden. He lives with Nelson and their children just up ahead, by the pond.”
We followed a well-worn path along the edge of the forest, with wild grasses on the other side of us.
The sun shone down on us, but it wasn’t too hot like I was used to.
There was a strange lack of insects. On the ground and in the sky.
Even in the city parks, there were masses of the pesky things, and I was always swarmed by fruit flies when I took the garbage out to the steel bin behind the fast-food restaurant I worked at.
With a sigh, I smiled. I never wanted to wake up from this dream world.
The path ahead widened, and the grasses cleared, revealing a pond and a large log cabin.
Had Vern and his fellow beavers really built that place?
With its intricate wooden inlays around the entrance, it seemed like something only possible to be built by a decades-skilled carpenter.
The guy leading the way seemed so young, even with his facial hair.
Before we reached the door, three boys burst out of the entrance, pushing each other out of the way and shouting.
They ran past us toward the pond, and right before they reached the water, their bodies shrunk.
I squeezed my eyes shut before opening them again, to be sure I really saw their bodies changing.
In another couple of moments, they were turtles, swimming over the surface before diving down until I could no longer see them.
I shook my head. “Turtle shifters?”
Vern nodded. “Yes, Holden is a turtle shifter. They are from Holden and Nelson’s first clutch. But there are rumors going around the village that Nelson is eggbound again.”
A human laying eggs? And a person assigned male at birth at that. There was no way any of the magical world could be real, no matter how much I wanted it to be.
A blond-haired man came to the door shortly after. He seemed to be there to shut the door behind the kids but paused when he saw us. “Oh, hi. Hi, Vern. It’s good to see you. Who’s this?” He quickly looked me up and down. “Wait, are you an outer-worlder?”
I shrugged. “Apparently.”
Vern fumbled his hands together. “His name is Falco. I was walking past the meadow, and I found him there. No one came to greet him, so I brought him here.”
“Well, I’m glad you did.” The man’s kind smile moved from the beaver shifter to me. “I’m Nelson, a former outer-worlder. It’s good to meet you.”
I shook the hand he held out for me, shocked by how real his touch felt. Dreams weren’t supposed to produce the same nerve response in my skin as reality. Something wasn’t adding up.
“I know I’m not supposed to be out there, but I like to wander on my own sometimes.” Vern chittered beside me, anxiously twiddling his thumbs. “I’m not trying to steal anyone’s job. I really didn’t mean to find him.”
“It’s okay.” Nelson patted his shoulder. “You did good in bringing him here.”
“I just don’t want Holden to be mad at me. Or to tell Chauncey or even Banir. I don’t want to get into trouble.”
With Vern’s anxiousness, I worried what kind of reaction he expected from the other shifters of this world. Was it really somewhere I wanted to be? Maybe my dreams were about to turn into nightmare territory.
Nelson chuckled. “You’re not going to get into trouble, Vern.
They will all be thankful you were there to greet Falco.
” He turned to me as he released a heavy breath, still brandishing a warm smile.
“Can I offer you anything to drink? To eat? I know how confusing and unnerving arriving in this world feels. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and I’ll answer them in a few moments, but if you want anything, please just ask. ”
I opened my mouth to tell him I just wanted a chance to sleep some more, but I couldn’t say the words.
I really did have a lot of questions. Didn’t know if I could sleep inside a dream while I pondered the world I’d arrived in.
I started to doubt this was a dream at all.
“Can I… Can I have a drink of water?” Drinking wasn’t possible in a dream.
Not without making a mess in the bed immediately after.
“Yes, I’ll get a pitcher and some glasses and meet you outside.” Nelson tapped Vern’s shoulder. “Can you take Falco out to the table, and I’ll meet you there?”
The beaver shifter nodded, though he still seemed on edge with ridged movements and short responses. “I’m happy to help. Helping is what I do.”
Vern led me to a table set up closer to the pond where I’d seen the turtle shifter kids enter the water.
When I sat in one of the metal chairs, something I assumed wouldn’t be available in the Enchanted Forest, my hands and legs began to shake.
I gripped the arms of the chair to try to stop the motion, but it seemed to double the bounce in my legs.
And Vern’s own anxiousness didn’t help my sudden onset of worry.
Part of me wanted this world to be real, especially if I would be given a place to live.
I fretted about the cost. Not money but something else I didn’t yet understand.
Why was the beaver shifter so worried about having met me at all?
Who was supposed to greet me when I arrived? And why hadn’t they shown up yet?
I caught movement from the house, and saw Nelson exit, walking beside a man in nothing but a loincloth. Another shifter? Vern tensed beside me, and I gulped, even though the new person smiled with kind eyes as he approached.
“Vern!” He approached the beaver shifter who stood and accepted the man’s hug. “Thank you for bringing the new outer-worlder here. You did exactly what you were supposed to, and I truly appreciate that you were there to greet him.”
Vern’s worry seemed to diminish, though he still seemed jittery. Was it me? Did he not like those from my world? An outer-worlder, I thought they called me.
“And you!” The man turned to me, his smile even wider as he reached out his hand in greeting. “I’m Holden, one of the security officers for the Enchanted Forest. Welcome!”
“Falco.” I stood and took his hand and felt immediately comforted by his warm handshake. Not aggressive but friendly. “Thank you, I think.”
He chuckled, as did Nelson. “I remember when my mate first arrived here. We were both rather timid around each other, and it took some time for him to accept that this world was real and not some dream.”
I nodded, returning to the chair. “Yeah, I get that.”
Nelson set a glass of water in front of me before shooing Holden and Vern away. “Okay, you two can leave. Keep an eye on the boys while I chat with Falco and let him know how things are here.”
With the two shifters between us and the pond, Nelson took a drink before setting his glass on the table. “So, ask away. I know you have a lot of questions. I certainly did.”
I released a nervous chuckle. “Um, yeah. I still don’t know if this place is even real, or just a dream.”
He gave me a smile of understanding. “I remember feeling the exact same way. I assure you, it’s very real. You received a card from Ahmed and wished your way here. Magic doesn’t seem to exist in our world, but it’s what brought you here as well as this furniture.”
I nodded, my suspicions about the chair confirmed.
Nelson leaned closer. “So, what exactly did you wish for?”
“A place to live,” I spit out, unable to hold my answer back.
“That’s it?” He sat back in his chair. “No boyfriend?”
I shook my head. “I never had the chance to think about a boyfriend. My apartment was being demolished to make room for community revitalization. I hadn’t found a place yet.”
Nelson nodded, as if in understanding. “I was living with an ex because I needed a place after I found out my boyfriend at the time was seeing others. And then I lost my job. But I did wish to find a life-long partner.”
I smiled a little, surprised by the difference between the shifters and those from my world. Nelson wore clothes I was used to, had a believable story, and lived in a home that seemed to combine both worlds. “I really get my own place?”
“Yep.” Nelson folded his hands on the table. “But it does come with some strings.”
I nodded. “Of course. What are they?”
“You’re here because all the shifters are looking for a mate. So, you’ll be expected to choose one to start a family with.” He leaned closer. “But don’t feel obligated to pick the first one who pays you attention. Some of them are jerks. Choose your mate for love. It is possible here.”
“You keep saying mate and family.” I rubbed my hands across my lap. “How does that work?”
“Ah.” He sat back and crossed his legs. “That’s where the magic comes in again.
It took me seeing it and experiencing it myself to fully believe, but I did bear children.
Or, eggs, since my mate is a turtle. But once you find a partner you want to be with, you will be united in a mating ceremony.
Shorter, sweeter, and more magical than a traditional wedding from our world.
After that, you will have the ability to get pregnant by your mate. ”
I covered my mouth as I yawned, my tiredness creeping back. “I’ve read about male pregnancy in fiction but never expected it to actually be reality. This still all seems so unreal. Are you sure this isn’t a dream?”
Nelson tilted his head to the side and smiled.
“It’s going to take a few days for you to get adjusted enough to come to terms with where you are.
But when you do, I hope you decide to stay.
Sure, we have less amenities here than in our home world, but it’s a much more relaxed way of life.
Something I didn’t realize I wanted until I got here. ”
It all sounded perfect to me. Too perfect.
That was why I had such a hard time believing.
Yet, I planned to give it a chance, as Nelson suggested.
If I woke up, it would be a huge disappointment, but nothing would have changed in the life I was used to.
And if the Enchanted Forest really existed, I would experience many of my fantasies come true.