His nostrils flared at the overpowering scents of burning grasslands wafting by on the light breeze. His sleeping body shivered, reacting to buried memories of burning flesh. He rolled onto his back and then over again, thrashing against the long grasses of the prairie.

He staggered groggily to his feet, lidded eyes blinking rapidly. His burnished cremello coat gleamed in the golden light of the sun hanging low in the brilliantly blue sky.

Four mountain faces hung above the prairie, equine features easily discernible in their craggy terrain. In another plane, the odd colored rocks of each mountain side might cause consternation, but they felt natural here, in this weird realm where he had four legs. At that thought, he stumbled, but recovered before tumbling to the ground.

The crackling flames brought his mind back to the fire in the distance. Instinct screamed to flee, but in many ways, fire was also warm and comforting so he moved towards the wall of flame. As he neared the blaze, he realized the flames were blocking a trail leading downward and out of the grassy valley.   Strangely, the towering, roaring fire was not advancing across the grasses, but crackled steadily, stationary, blocking the access to, or maybe from, the void beyond.

Pain……screams……horror leaked around the flames, beckoning his mind to return to the darkness, familiarity overriding the fear. He moved slightly closer, sweat layering his coat, and through the breaks in the flames he saw darkness, pure darkness, a void of light, finally recoiling from the hatred and perversion leaking through the blazing barrier.

He turned and fled across the lush valley, but he could still feel the heat, and every glance back saw the void crossing after him, blocked by the firestorm, but never more than a couple hundred feet away. Finally, breathless, sweat coating his sides and neck, he paused. Something drug at his left rear leg, and he realized a cuff of plastic and metal was attached just below the fetlock. Streaming from the bracelet back towards the nameless void was a long cable of metal, plastic and leather intertwined. Never fully taut, but always attached, no matter which direction he moved.

Thirsty, he scented water, and walked in a direction of a stream that flowed down one mountain, crossing another section of the valley. He stood in the cold of the icy stream, drinking his fill. He paused, feeling something watching him. Lifting his head, he spotted a massive dog sitting across from the stream, just watching. Old and scarred, he just sat looking, watching, motionless, dark blue eyes weighted with sadness and weariness.

He took a couple steps further into the stream but something clenched on his right rear fetlock. Looking down, he noticed for the first time another cuff, but so soft he hadn’t felt it until it tightened. It trailed backwards, but at a different angle than the first, heading into the distance. In a blink, he was a part way back towards a veil of trees, where a giant raven looked up with a screaming “kraa,” then returned to tearing at the glowing length of rope that led from is leg towards the woods.

As he trotted towards the forest, energy flowed through him, and he felt his heart race in excitement.  Stepping through the initial strand of trees, he saw a lower valley full of writhing figures, moaning, sweating, screaming in exertion and ecstasy.

From behind him, he heard the repeated deep calling kraa of the raven. Slightly distracted from the lusty sounds below, he turned taking a few steps back towards the raven, who now perched on the back of a massive chestnut Arabian with wise and compassionate eyes. In the way of dreams, he now stood next to the creek, one leg on the muddy bank, one rear leg clamped with a glowing rope of energy feeding back into the valley of copulation, another looser restraint tailing towards the fiery bordered void, while the Arabian and Raven watched off to the side.

Glancing across the stream, he saw the dog still sitting there, watching. Others had joined him though, in various reposes. A black panther with glowing golden-green eyes watched, or was it a leopard, or maybe a jaguar. Its skin flickered constantly but the eyes remained steady, focused. A young, grey and white timber wolf with vivid baby blue eyes, growled, showing razor sharp fangs, before howling towards a sky that now held a million brilliant stars and a massive, heavy, full moon. A large brown wood bison with beautiful green eyes stood stolidly, patiently, massive energy surrounding its form. Flying above was a strange metallic bird, a lemon shaded eagle that glinted in the starlight. Very faint lines of energy reached out from them all towards him and he took a step toward them, but the velvet clamp around his leg tightened dragging him back towards the valley of lust.

He scrabbled, rearing in confusion. But the pull was too much, and sweat beaded his coat as he turned back towards the valley.  Suddenly the dog was there swiping at him, barking, nipping at his hooves.

Stallion awoke to Donager’s face growling at him to get up and get ready.  Sweat soaked sheets twisted around his body in the hotel room, and momentary confusion filled his face until he realized they were in Memphis.