The Breed 14
The Breed
By Dream Janus
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This story is a work of fiction and contains scenes of gay sex between consenting individuals. If you find this offensive, are under the age of 18, it is illegal wherever you are to read this, stop reading now. Leave this site. If you are offended by harsh language, please exit this page immediately. You have been warned. This work of fiction is property of myself and may not be copied or used in any way without my express consent.
Much thanks and appreciation goes to Rubilacxe, my editor and second set of eyes__.
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Chapter 14 "A New Day"
Steve's unconscious body was resting in the hospital bed as his mother visited. The lower part of his body was covered in a pant-like cast which totally immobilized his legs. His right arm was also in a cast. A large lumpy bandage covered the left side of Steve's chest and shoulder. Marjory Thomas was upset that both of her son's legs and right arm were broken and that his heart was injured, but she was happy that someone else was paying the hospital bills. It wasn't that she didn't love her son, far from it; they were just very poor and could not afford even the smallest luxury.
Marjory had been woken from a sound sleep by a Mr. Antino Remiuos two nights ago informing her that her son had been badly injured and dumped from a car outside a dance club Mr. Remiuos owned near their house. He informed her that other than broken bones, Steve's condition was not really known by him, but it seemed bad. Mr. Remiuos informed Marjory that Steve was being taken to Hillsmet Hospital and that all the bills would be paid by him. Marjory immediately wanted to see Steve and Mr. Remiuos was happy to oblige by picking her up and driving to the private hospital.
Marjory was not able to visit Steve daily as she wanted; being that she had to work and the hospital asked that she inform them when she was coming, because Steve's condition was critical and so that it did not stress him out. Marjory did not know how an unconscious person could be stressed out by a silent visitor, but she made sure to tell them before she arrived.
Dr. Alexander Dal`gen'gel walked slowly into the room and smiled blandly at Marjory. His smile was an attempt to appear conciliatory to her grief. He waited until she appeared ready and then spoke.
"Steven's condition has improved slightly," Dr. Dal`gen'gel began. "Our concern is that it appears that his heart was badly damaged and may need to be operated on."
Marjory began to cry softly at this news. She gently brushed Steve's copper colored hair from his eyes in a subconscious mothering way. "Do whatever you need to do to save my boy's life."
Dr. Dal`gen'gel smiled and said, "We are looking at traditional and more experimental procedures to heal his heart." He then paused. "Some of them we would not be able to fully explain to you until after they were completed, other than to say they would not harm your son any more than he already has been by the attacker."
Dr. Dal`gen'gel walked closer to Marjory and touched her shoulder. "On the good side of things, the broken bones seem to be coming along fine, everything set perfectly." He realized that he was intentionally trying to redirect her thoughts without forcefully manipulating her. Alexander actually cared about his patients, even if his bedside manner has not the greatest.
"The nurses will need you to sign a new form to approve the treatments of his heart," Dr. Dal`gen'gel said softly as he attempted to draw Marjory out of the room and into the hall so she would sign the papers. Alexander was not sure which of the treatments they would end up using on the boy, but they had to have everything in order, at least on the surface.
Marjory was not the brightest of people and she knew it. She also knew that doctors had to have many more years of schooling than her 9th grade education, so she trusted the man's words. Marjory looked down sadly at her son and then followed the doctor out of the room and into the hall.
Antino was standing in the hallway talking to one of the Healers that was pretending to be a nurse for the benefit of Steve's mother Marjory, when Marjory and Dr. Dal`gen'gel walked out of the room that was made to appear as if her son was kept in it. Antino actually liked Alexander Dal`gen'gel because the man not only was an excellent healer but had actually studied human medicine and received a legitimate Medical degree and truthfully held the title of DOCTOR as well as Healer.
Antino smiled at Marjory as she approached the `nurses' station' to sign the paperwork to treat Steve's heart damage. The smile was carefully constructed for the maximum benefit on Marjory's frail emotional standing. "Ms. Standard it is so good to see you again," Antino said with just the right amount of emotional influx to his voice and the sparkle of the eyes.
Marjory signed the form without reading it and handed it back to the raven haired nurse behind the desk with a wistful smile. She felt the concern of the people around her and was happy that they wanted to help. Marjory wanted to cry but stopped herself.
Twenty minutes after Marjory left that evening, Alexander Dal`gen'gel sighed as he watched the technicians moving Steve's bed down the hall to the freight elevator. Within a few minutes the elevator had delivered its unconscious cargo and three technicians to sub-basement four of the building. The hallway was more subdued than its surface counterpart, but it had hospital rooms just the same.
In the room that was actually where Steve resided while in the hospital were two large tanks. These tanks were similar to fish tanks in that they were glass covered on all sides except for the top which was opened. Presently one of the tanks was empty and the other had a greenish liquid in it.
The technicians rolled Steve's bed over to the tank with the greenish liquid. The taller of the two techs touched a switch on the bottom of the tank. The sound of something metal opening up was heard and then the level of the liquid momentarily dropped by two-thirds. As the tank refilled it also became the home to several large worm-like creatures of different sizes, the smallest was three inches long and a eighth of an inch in circumference, and the largest was over a foot long and an inch in circumference.
The techs then gently lifted Steve's battered body and slipped it into the greenish liquid. He was able to breath in the liquid without any problems and his body began to float an inch or two above the bottom of the tank. Almost immediately the worm-like creatures began to move around Steve's body. The technicians both reached into the tank, they found hidden connections in the plaster and opened the casts, releasing both of his legs and his arm. The bandage over the left side of Steve's chest began to dissolve on its own. Once the bandage had dissolved sufficiently another medium sized worm-like creature was revealed.
Two men, one with brown hair, another with blonde hair and a woman dressed in green scrubs entered the room, followed by Dr. Dal`gen'gel. They each nodded to the techs and the surrounded the tank on each side. The liquid in the tank began to churn with activity but the worm-like creatures drifted in it as if it were still.
{The body is damaged beyond the technology of the humans to repair it,}, stated Dr. Dal`gen'gel in a form of telepathy.
{Other than the damage, the body is material for a host,} one of the worm-like symbionts responded. Its mental voice was calm but showed youthfulness in it.
{The body is very damaged, the healing will take too much time and could fail,} one of the male healers responded.
{The final say should be between the Ancient, the body and the potential symbiote.} Another more mature symbiote interjected.
Antino walked into the room knowing what the conversation was about even though he could not hear it. He was truly concerned for the boy and would do whatever was required to make sure the boy was comfortable. If it was his time to die then he would die in peace and not in pain, if he were to live Antino would make sure it was a good life.
"Allow the boy to be a host if it will heal him," Antino said with tone of finality.
No one had the time to respond to Antino's declaration as a loud echoing alarm broke the tension. The alarm was followed by an equally echoing voice, "CODE OMEGA -- CODE OMEGA...incoming emergency transport."
Dr. Dal`gen'gel, Antino and the blonde Healer headed for the door at a run. They all knew that a hospital `Code Omega' and the same code for attacks meant the same thing; a Master, Lord, Knight or the Ancient had been hurt badly. There was only one possible person who could have been hurt like this and Antino's blood ran hot and cold as he alternated between anger and fear that Toban/Ray would die.
The average looking ambulance pulled into the emergency bay behind the hospital. The double door of the ambulance burst open as a naked and enraged George emerged from its insides. The first tech he spotted was a small human female. "LORD TOBAN HAS BEEN POISONED!" he roared at her.
The female tech ran into the hospital, moments later she and three male technicians ran back outside. They all looked at George with a mixture of fear and concern as his massive body was covered with blood, some of it obviously his own. They held the battered doors of the ambulance as the ambulance crew slowly lowered the unconscious and partially petrified Toban from the ambulance.
"NO!!!" came the anguished scream of Antino as he ran into the parking lot. His cold heart felt as if it was going to break when he saw the handsome face of Toban/Ray having been distorted in pain and in the ongoing prettification process. The pain turned to rage as he turned and saw George.
"EXPLAIN!" Antino roared to the much larger George.
"They had new types of drugs in the house." George said staring into Antino's feral eyes. "He was injected by one of the regular versions and by one of the new ones." George knew what Antino was feeling as he felt the same rage, but held it in out of respect for Antino's position and their long friendship.
"Do you have a sample of the new drug?" Dr. Dal`gen'gel interrupted.
"I gave the only other syringe to the EMT but it was a different color than the ones that Toban was injected by" George responded.
They quickly followed the ambulance's gurney into the hospital. The EMT that had the syringe dropped it into a small tank filled with clear liquid and a starfish-like symbiote the symbiote immediately broke the syringe and began to flex back and forth in the turquoise liquid that was released.
{Ghoul, Cocaine, Ecstasy, Amyl Nitrate, Caffeine, Animal Testosterone and Ginkgo biloba,} a speaker announced reading the symbiote's thoughts.
"That is really different than the other version" Dr. Dal`gen'gel said softly as he watched the blonde healer examine Toban's body. He did not need to personally examine the body as the ongoing communication between the symbionts kept him up to date on the findings.
Antino was used to this behavior between the healers but it was quickly becoming a source of irritation for George who wanted the doctor to be more hands on with Toban. Antino noticed the irritation growing in his large friend and put a caring hand on George arm. [Calm down, the healers are linked and the doctor knows everything that is going on.]
"What was the color of the other syringe?" Dr. Dal`gen'gel asked looking at George totally unaware of the emotional turmoil that George was going through at the moment.
George released his clinched fist and revealed the remains of the syringe that had been jammed in Toban's hand. Dr. Dal`gen'gel reached out and gently took the syringe from George. He then tipped it into another small tank with a starfish-like symbiote.
The star-fish symbiote crushed the syringe and began to pulse like the other symbiote, even though the liquid did not change color. The symbiot remained silent for several minutes and then, {Trace amounts of Ghoul, Methamphetamine, Ecstasy, Amyl Nitrate, Caffeine, Human Testosterone, Silicate and Dhampir blood,} the speaker responded.
Antino and George both went cold at that revelation. A Dhampir was the child of Vampire and human. As far as they knew, the only Dhampir ever created was Thomas, Antino's son by Elzabeth, when she was human. That was several hundred years ago. The pain of loosing their son caused the Ancient to order that no other Dhampir was ever created. Someone had apparently had made at least one, someone that was not Regia'an.
Suddenly Dr. Dal`gen'gel frowned and his eyes darkened. The eye whites changed to a pale green, the normal blue was replaced by hunter green, the pupil from black to milky white. A dual toned voice emerged from his mouth. "We realize that the Lord's health is of the greatest importance, but we have a question about another that was on the same team."
George cocked his head in curiosity; this was the first time that he had ever seen the symbiote and the host speaking at the same time. The transformation intrigued him so much that for a few moments the worry about Toban was forgotten.
"The Body's biological son and Symbionts birth-pool mate are joined and were on the same team as Lord Toban." Alexander Dal`gen'gel said.
George realized that Alexander's son and the Symbiote's sibling were none other than Robert Dal`gen'gel. He smiled and then sort of laughed. "Robert is fine, he was our outside monitor. He was not where near the action until we torched the house," George explained.
Alexander smiled and then his eyes returned to normal. He then walked over to the Healer and said, "Put him in room #17, tank #2, they will both enjoy the surprise when they wake up." Alexander then returned to Antino and George. "I am having him moved; we can reverse most if not all damage in a few days. The remaining damage should heal somewhat naturally.
Meanwhile at the same time at Ray's house, all hell was breaking loose. A crying Ruth was holding an inconsolable Davey and Shanny rocking them back and forth on the living room sofa. Rosann was holding an equally inconsolable Valen and Toby in another sofa. Rex was holding a shaking Mike in his arms.
A very nervous Ian and Robert were pacing back and forth in the near by hall. They and their symbionts were in a pure state of terror. They were concerned for Toban, but they were also terrified that Antino the Ancient would kill them for allowing Toban to fall in battle. Nothing that anyone said would calm their collective nerves about the situation.
Karl and Junior were sitting in recliners but where on the edge of the seats, waiting to hear something, anything about Toban's condition. They both realized that the plan was flawed, but neither would ever say it verbally. They made the silent agreement that if Toban survived, they would make sure that he was never without protection; even if George was near they would be nearer.
Iris was also pacing but between the living room and the formal dining room. She had attempted to calm down Ian and Robert as well as the children, but none of them could be calmed. The Queenly part of Iris was proud that Ray was able to draw such feeling from others in such a short time, the sign of a true leader. The Bear in her wanted to rip into the Regia'an enemy. The Grandmother in her was torn between wanting to tear into other members of the team for not protecting HER GRANDSON and wanting to rush to Hillsmet Hospital to be by Ray's side.
Thomas, Terry and Sherry were outside patrolling the grounds of the house, trying to release nervous energy as well as protect the house. Each of them also realized that the young lord's had been flawed, but their thoughts were more about if he would survive, would he or the Ancient take out any anger on them.
When the phone rang everyone in the house jumped like they were shot. Iris was the first to recover and the closest to the extension so she answered the phone.
"Hello," Iris answered with a soft voice.
"He is going to recover," Antino's voice responded without introduction. "The Healers say that they are going to keep him in fluid for a few days and then he will be weak for a week or so, but after this week he should be able to return to average activity."
"That is SUCH GREAT NEWS!" Iris answered trying to control her emotions.
"Tell everyone that he is also in the same recovery room as our young Steven." Antino then revealed with a smile in his voice.
The next day two healers and couple Shadow Lords delved into the unconscious mind of Steve and found his awareness. They explained to Steve what had happened, what they were offering to do for him and the possible outcomes, after a brief moments thought, he agreed to become a joined host.
At that same time one level lower in the hospital a single Healer stood in the center of four green birth pools. Each pool was six foot across and twenty feet deep. The Healer posed the question, {Is there any of you who are willing to be hosted by a fourteen year old boy who was injured badly and needs help rebuilding the ascending aorta and part of the superior vena cava?}
Three symbionts responded almost immediately. The first was full of questions but soon backed out, the second and the third agreed to be implanted if they proved to be viable for the body. They were from different birth pools and as such had slightly different body color and skin mottling.
Both symbionts were taken to Steve's tank. Once the tank had been vacated by the healer symbionts they were placed in the tank with Steve. The potential symbionts swam around Steve for several minutes and then without warning one swam into Steve's open mouth and began the process of joining with him.
The day after that, Rosann was lead by Toby, Davey and Valen down the subdued hallway toward the room that Ray and Steve shared. The children were excited as this was the first day that Ray was expected to wake up. Rosann was being pulled equally by each of the boys. Valen was holding the hand of Davey; she had claimed him as her boyfriend, even though Davey did not know it, yet.
In the room, Steve was still immersed in the greenish liquid. The symbiote that had not joined with Steve was the only symbiote in the tank. Ray was also immersed in liquid but it was clear as water. Ray's body had several symbionts working on the previously petrified skin, replacing it with new, soft skin.
Rex, George, Mike, Karl and Junior were sitting in the room talking when Rosann and the children entered. All five of the men jumped to their feet to offer their chair to Rosann. She laughed softly and walked over to her son's tank instead.
Briefly all three children were intrigued by the green liquid that Steve was submerged in but quickly went to Ray's tank. Davey pressed his nose against the glass and began to cry. The vibrations of the sobbing child and the muffled sounds were transmitted through the liquid to Ray's mind. His eyes opened slowly until he realized he was under what he thought was water and Ray began to freak out.
"WHAT THE FUCK!" Ray screeched as he sat up and surfaced out of the liquid.
Rosann, George and Rex reached for Ray as quickly as they could in fear that he was going to hurt himself. "<CALM DOWN!>" All Three of them demanded both verbally and mentally. Rosann and George each had Ray by a shoulder and Rex touched his chest.
Davey and Toby were both terrified of Ray's reaction, but for different reasons and both began to cry loudly. The emotions from both small boys touched Ray both in his heart and mentally. He also began to cry but reached out for both of the boys with his hands.
"I fucked up bad," Ray whispered. He was thinking about not only the mission but causing so much hurt to his family and friends. The tears in his eyes really began to fall when Davey and Toby both touched him and he felt their love for him.
Rosann took it upon herself to go into mother mode with her eldest son and said, "You need to stop this nonsense right now and submerge so the symbionts can finish working on your body."
Ray looked at his mother for a moment as if she was crazy and then looked at George, Mike and Rex. George nodded and then said, "I will explain, just do it."
Ray released his younger brother's hand and the hand of the boy that had become like a brother and slowly slid back into the liquid fully submerging him. He looked at George and projected for all to hear, .
"<You are in a liquid suspension that actually has more oxygen than the air,>" George said and thought projected so everyone would understand. "<There are seven types, each is keyed into something in your blood or genetics. I have never understood that part. Anyway, there is red, green, blue, purple, yellow, turquoise and clear. All I know is that clear is the one they use on all Thropes and Ghouls. There are big pools of red, green, blue, yellow and turquoise downstairs and any of the other colored symbionts can be in clear, just not another color.>"
"That is a pretty fair explanation," Dr. Dal`gen'gel said as he entered the room. "I came to check on my two star patients," he then quipped. Once he verified that Ray was conscious he smiled, "I guess we can let him out of the tank for a while." He then turned toward the tank and said, "But Toban, you will need to sleep in it one more night to make sure everything has knitted properly."
Within ten minutes Ray was sitting in the chair abandoned by George. He hugged each of the children first, then his mother and finally his Zoméa. Mike and Rex both kissed Ray on the lips for a brief moment, a single tear in each of their eyes. George hugged Ray but was obviously upset and pulled away when a kiss was offered.
Ray looked at his Alpha Zomé and allowed his eyes to darken as he realized that George felt responsible for the accident. He looked George directly in the eyes just as Antino would have done and growled, "I was the leader, it was my plan. It was my fuck-up and I will tell anyone who asks, even Antino."
"It is my job to protect you," George responded sadly.
"You do protect me, but I have to learn to be a Lord, not just carry the title as Antino's pet or something," Ray responded with the continued growl.
"I agree," Antino said as he walked into the room. "Though I have never thought of you as a pet." The relief about seeing Ray conscious and standing was evident on Antino's face as he looked at his protégé with the love he felt. "I take it you claim responsibility for your own injuries?"
"Yes," Ray responded forcefully. "It was my plan so therefore my fuck-up!"
"Being that you were in charge and you were the one hurt," Antino began putting the tone in his voice that said he was speaking as the Ancient now, ", and it was completed successfully, I see no reason for punishment." He then smiled looking briefly at George. "However you will have to pay to replace the doors of an ambulance that one of your Zoméa damaged upon your arrival here."
Ray looked at Rex, briefly at Mike and then settled on George. Ray then kissed George on the lips without warning. For an instant George was shocked and then he slowly returned the kiss. "I should have known," was all that Ray said when they broke the kiss.
Ray then turn back to Antino and surprised everyone in the room by kissing him on the lips. He knew that they would never be lovers, mates or Zomés but never the less Ray knew that Antino loved him. Now everyone in the room knew that Ray/Toban loved Antino as well.
"We would like one as well," croaked a voice from the other side of the room. Steve was conscious and his head was floating just at the surface of the greenish liquid. His eyes were their natural brown except the white was light green and the black pupil was milky white. It was evident to anyone that knew about symbiote/host merging that the process was not totally complete, but every close.
Ray walked over to the tank and softly said. "It is nice to see you awake, buddy." He then kissed Steve gently on the lips. "The one and only time," Ray clarified.
"The process is not completed yet Lord Toban, friend Ray," Steve said. Clearly the symbiote was the dominate mind at the moment. "Another week before this body can safely leave the confines of this tank."
The next day Ray was released from the hospital, He was given a new assignment by Antino, to explain to Ms. Marjory Standard what was happening to her son and why and to bring her understanding about the Symbionts and how Steve's and her life was going to change, ,all without causing undue tension or terror on her part.
Marjory allowed Ray, Rex and Mike into her house in the understanding that they were school friends of Steve's. An hour later she was trembling as she asked, "So his heart was so badly damaged normal surgery would not have worked?"
"According to what I was told, the blood vessel at the top of the heart was totally destroyed and another vessel real close to that one was partly destroyed." Ray explained softly.
"So my boy is going to come home as someone else?" Marjory asked.
"Not really" Rex interjected. "The symbiote is a child therefore it doesn't have a lot of memories that older ones do." He then shifted in his seat. "Most of the time the symbiote will be talking to Steve in the background, while he goes and does everyday things."
"His personality will not change, except he may be more confident," Ray added. "Plus better memory. He will never be able to say that he forgot to take out the trash without you knowing it is a lie," Ray giggled.
"The symbiote will also make sure that he is always healthy and strong," Ray again added
Marjory smiled and then asked. "So I can expect his school work to improve this year?"
"By at least a full letter grade," Rex said with a smile. "Besides, Mr. Remiuos plans on giving him a part time job and he expects at least a B average without special circumstances."
"Yeah, Rex and I both carried A's and B's on our last report card," Ray explained. He then looked at Mike and smiled, "Mike here is a special circumstance."
"What is that?" Marjory asked.
"I don't work for Mr. Remiuos," Mike responded. "I just help out as needed."
"Yeah, but his work improved over the last year," Ray explained with pride.
"Back to Steve," Rex said with giggle. He knew that they needed to return to the proper topic even though they were having fun talking with Marjory in general.
"Yeah," Ray said remembering his orders. "We need to know if you are ok with the situation so we can take you over to the hospital," he began to explain.
"Or if you have any problems, it is our job to try and fix them, or find Steve a new home," Rex finished without any tone of a threat or intimidation.
"So are you all hosts for symbionts as well?" Marjory asked. She loved her son and would accept him back into the house, but she still did not know what to expect.
"No we are each something else," Ray answered.
"I am a normal human just like you," Interjected Mike.
"Most of the people that you met at the hospital are hosts though," Rex explained.
"Except Mr. Remiuos," Ray interjected. "He is something else as well."
Marjory understood that they were trying to answer her questions about her son without revealing too much information about other people and she respected that. "I take it that there are other kinds of people that you are protecting and some how they are tied together with the symbionts." She finally asked.
"Yes," Ray responded. "Mr. Remiuos is the leader of all these different types of people."
Marjory accepted the boys' words and nodded. She was not really the curious type if it did not involve her or her family. In her mind the decision learn more about her son's new life as a host was no more traumatic than learning he was gay the year before.
It was decided that Rex, Ray and Mike would drive Marjory to the hospital to see Steve by herself, in his real room. Rex would drop off Ray and Mike at home so Ray could rest and return to give Marjory a ride back home.
Marjory spent the next three hours talking to several of the Healers, technicians and other hospital staffs that were joined Hosts. She spent most of that time talking with Steve to make sure she understood that he was all there and had not changed too dramatically. By the end of the afternoon, Marjory had decided to become a helper to the hosts and asked for more information on how to just that.
At the Manor house, Ray was forced to sit on the sofa and hold Valen, Toby Shanny and/or Davey continuously. He made sure that each of the members of his team were thanked for their help and reassured them again that no punishment was forthcoming. Ray did ask each of them to be on the lookout for Paul though as he was now an enemy of Lord Toban's house. He made sure that each of them knew he wanted Paul alive so he could kill Paul himself. Rosann sat near her oldest son for the remainder of the day slowly realizing that her boy was actually a very powerful Lord and was no longer her `Little Ray'.
That night dinner was a more formal event as Junior, Karl, Tyler and Terry were joining Rosann, Toby, Valen, David, Ruth, Davey, Shanny, Ray, Rex, Mike and George for dinner that evening. Everyone enjoyed the evening of friendship and celebration of Ray's return to health and home.
Meanwhile across town in a darkened warehouse office, an amber cat eyed woman who was definitely a Regia'an, sat behind a large mahogany desk that appeared out of place in the run down warehouse. She was staring at the form of two men that were hidden in the shadows of the darkened office.
"We have more problems than expected," She began. "The young lord survived...If he is actually The Bridge, we may have accidently helped him on his way to his full potential," the anger in her voice was evident.
"IF he didn't have the protection of his Grandmother and the Ancient, I would have killed that filthy MUTT years ago," answered the obvious voice that was Nigel Fer'il, `King' of the bear clans.
"So is it your plan to kill his Grandmother and the Ancient, just to get at him?" echoed the voice of the other man in the room, who still remained hidden in the shadows.
"Of course not," Nigel responded.
"Then it is an exercise in futility to even express the thought," The man responded.
Nigel made a huffing noise in disgust at the man's words. It made Nigel mad to be spoken to like that by someone he felt was a lesser.
"We need to plan what we are going to do to stop this whelp and kill him in the process." The woman said stopping the fight she knew was brewing between the men.
At the same time in Calumet, Paul was loading a gun preparing to attack Ray. His eyes were filled with hatred. There were no feelings of loss over loosing Rosann and the kids, just rage toward Ray for interfering in his life and not obeying his demands. No sanity remained in Paul's mind.
A note about the up coming story: The next three installments of the Breed will be named "Toban's Chronicles". These Chronicles are about Ray's/Toban's life before meeting Antino, George and everyone else up to the time of their first meeting. They are for background information and written in a different format than "The Breed" If you are not interested in reading the Chronicles, Chapter #15 will start off where this chapter leaves off. .
Editor's Comments: Fascinating chapter, especially about the symbiots. This world is certainly getting more complex with every chapter. And now, we are about to get three extra chapters -- what a great gift to us!