Panthera Spelaea Ch. 41-50

"You are working with Marina Federov?"

He nodded. "Of course. She's a top-flight lawyer and my loving great-granddaughter."

Ch. 48

What the actual FUCK did he just say? "Marina Federov, my lawyer, is your great-granddaughter? How? You're MY age!"

Art chuckled a little at that. "I suppose there is no way you could have known, since no one was around to teach you. What have you noticed about your healing abilities?"

I noticed they were freaking FAST. "When my lion went on the Moscow rampage, I was shot three times. The girls removed the bullets and dressed the wounds, and they were healed a few hours later."

"The healing rates will only improve as you and your lion integrate fully. The healing makes you immune to disease, and able to withstand much physical damage and keep going. It does not make you immortal in the true sense, but it helps."

"How old are you," Anna asked.

"The nature of the Switcher gift, and I do consider my bear a gift, stops the aging process completely. I still look and feel the same as I did at the age of twenty-four, when I received the gift from my Grandfather after his death. The year was 1487, in the Ural Mountains near the village of Solikamsk. We were felling trees when one went the wrong way and killed him. I was the first to touch him, so I received his Bear."

"What happened then?"

"I woke up five days later in bed. My family had tracked the bear into the woods, and when I shifted back, they brought me home. As you found out, the first switch is a bitch. Everything hurt for two weeks."

I grimaced, thinking back to my time in the hospital. "Did you kill anyone?"

"No. The bear in me recognized the scents of my family and left them alone. I imagine your cat had a far different experience when it burst forth."

A far bloodier one. "I guess. I don't know what happened on the boat after I blacked out. My expedition mates probably jumped out and drowned, but the boatsman could have pulled a gun or something."

"You cannot feel guilty about it, John. You didn't know what was happening, and you couldn't have stopped it. A wild animal was scared and alone, and reacted accordingly."

The girls pressed in on my sides, holding my arms. It was a lot to take in, the biggest shock since we all realized I was a Cave Lion in the Moscow park. "If I'm following you, I can be killed if the injury goes beyond the capability of my healing power. Until then, I'm healthy and never age."

"Correct. True immortality is both the absence of aging and the impossibility of death. If your Cave Lion had been a true immortal, after you freed it from the permafrost and let it thaw, it would have gotten up and walked away. You could hack it to pieces and scatter the remains, and it would somehow come back together. That is not our gift. We have what scientists refer to as biological immortality."

"We live until we are killed," I replied.

"That is our experience. Your ladies are both nurses, and are familiar with the biological effects of aging?"

Anna answered first. "Cellular reproduction eventually succumbs to degradation and stops due to damage to the DNA or shortened telomeres."

"Correct. We call that the Hayflick Limit, the number of cellular divisions beyond which the cell cannot continue to divide because it is too damaged to function. A human body ages because it can no longer repair all the damage due to the aging process. The healing you see at a high level, like repairing damage from a gunshot wound, also occurs in you on the cellular level. Instead of your DNA degrading with age, it continually repairs itself. You are continually being restored to perfect health, never aging from the point you received your spirit animal into yourself."

"No grey hair? No aching joints?"

He laughed. "I'm five and a half centuries old, yet we're the same biological age. Both of us are at our physical peaks and will remain that way until we die."

It was a lot to take in. "I've noticed the girls had gained some characteristics during our time together," I said as I looked at them. "Strength, endurance, sensory perception. Are they?" I couldn't even say it.

"Not quite," he told me. "The benefits they gain from you are temporary, not permanent. It will be interesting for you, as you have two females bonded to your cat. The rest of us only have one."

"You are married?" Svetlana was looking around for clues.

"I was, but she died thirty years ago." I saw the sorrow in his eyes, and then it was gone. "I hold hope I will find our match again. Mates are very important to us, because the life of an immortal is not easy. Everyone around you ages and fades away except for her. You watch your children and friends die, and there is nothing you can do about it. A mate stabilizes your spirit and your animal, and I miss Elizabeth every day."

"How does the bonding work?"

"It's not a bite like those fictional works. Your mate is the one both your human and your beast recognize as theirs. You form a deep emotional bond with the woman, and your ejaculate acts like a healing medicine for them when ingested. As long as they remain with you and receive regular doses, they will be healthy and never age. If they are gone long enough, they can begin to age again. We've learned over the centuries to keep them nearby, both for protection, and to ensure they ingest our essence often enough."

Svetlana started to laugh. "Magic Blowjobs? This might be fun. Is twice a day each often enough?"

Anna laughed as well. "And with two of us demanding treatments? Our poor husband, forced to make such sacrifices for our health."

"Two hummers a day keeps the doctor away?" I had to say it.

Svetlana was thinking ahead. "What if he allows another woman to swallow his semen? Will she get the same benefit?"

"We don't know why, but we haven't seen it. The benefit only extends to the one the animal is bonded with. Other girls could live on his cum and never heal, despite testing showing no difference between the ejaculate if it is a mate or a stranger. We think it might be a catalyst for the spiritual energy, but we can't rule out other ideas. There are some things about switchers we can't explain, and we didn't come with an instruction manual. What we know is from what our ancestors passed on, plus what we've studied ourselves."

A thought came to me. "What about Ekatarina? Is she married? How does it work with her husband?"

"We don't know, John. Ekatarina is only a hundred and twelve years old, and she's never found her life mate."

There was a knock, then a female voice. "Breakfast is ready, sir."

I was hungry. I took a girl with each hand and followed Art to the outside dining area.

Ch. 49

There were a dozen people around the breakfast table as we walked in. Like all areas of the ship, the covered dining area was elegantly appointed. The table itself was made of an exotic wood that almost looked alive in its waves and swirls. "Curly bubinga. The table is crafted from two sequential slabs of a very special log." That was impressive, as the table was at least four meters long and three wide, and as thick as my index finger.

I ran my fingers over the glossy surface which seemed to move under my gaze as I looked at it from different angles. "Beautiful," I said. "Doesn't the salt air affect it?"

"The table is epoxy coated. Not much can affect it," he told me. He went to a place at the head of the table, directing us to sit in the seats to his left. Introductions quickly followed; the Element's Captain and First Mate were to his right, along with senior members of the Karpen Investments company and two assistants. I was a bit surprised that the food was served family style, with bowls and trays passed around the table. I did notice that Art and I had larger plates than the others, and he ate as much as I did.

I was taking a drink of my mango-orange juice when the Captain asked how long it had been since I had let my Cave Lion out. I nearly choked, wondering how my closest secret could be common knowledge. I looked at Art with my eyes wide open. "They know?"

"Of course they do, John. They were as excited as I was to find there was another Switcher in the world." I looked around the table, wondering how this could remain secret if everyone on the ship knew about it. "How do you know they'll keep my secret?"

"They've been keeping mine all their lives, John. Everyone on this ship is related to me, from sons and daughters down to great-great-grandchildren. Thirty crew and another forty employees of my company, all surrounding me at all times."

It was mind-blowing. "How is that possible?"

"My wife was fertile for almost five centuries. I didn't keep her barefoot and pregnant, but I didn't stop her from having children. When I say I have a big family, I mean it. All of you take a guess as to how many of my descendants work for my household or my company."

I picked two hundred, Anna one hundred, and Svetlana went with five hundred. "One thousand, nine hundred and eighty-seven at last count. Add in another three thousand who work in the world, but maintain family loyalty and are available to help when needed."

"Like Marina," I said.

"Exactly. She grew up in Moscow and showed legal talent, so I paid for her education and guided her career. I have loyal family members in key places in Russia and a dozen other European countries. Judges, police officers, doctors, government officials, administrators, military leaders, politicians? All of them highly competent and loyal to our family."

My head was reeling. "It's like a Mafia family," I said.

"In terms of secrecy and loyalty, yes, but we are scrupulously honest and legitimate," Art said. "As the head of the family, I want the best for every member of my family. I help with education, training, and job placement to ensure each person and the Family benefits. Family means everything to me, and their loyalty can be counted on."

They went around the room again, this time giving their relationship to Art. "Having so many children to find spots for is the job of my granddaughter and a staff of two dozen. Every person in the family meets with me personally every three years to map out their future. I am always surrounded by family, and I trust each of them with my life."

"Why is that," Anna asked. "Don't you worry someone will sell the story to the tabloids, or steal from you?"

"In over five centuries, no family member has betrayed me. That does not mean my life has not been in danger. I've survived countless assassination attempts, and five times I have waged an effective war to wipe out a threat to my life." He looked out over the blue waters. "What do you think would happen if our secret got out?"

I'd only looked at it from my perspective. "I was worried the police would fill me with lead."

"They might, but remember what we said about how the spirit moves after death. I surround myself with family I trust, because if anything happened, one of them would touch me and receive the gift. It's the only thing I can do to try and control who takes over from me. You don't exist in a vacuum, John. When we figured out there was another Switcher out there, the first thing we had to do was decide if you were a good person or not."

"I must have passed your test."

"Yes. If you hadn't, we would have chosen someone to take your place. A team would have moved in when we had control of the surroundings, you and the girls would be executed, and the chosen person would have touched you to take the gift unto him or herself. The team would keep the new cat safe until control was achieved, and we would go from there."

My cat wasn't happy with the threat, and let out an almost subsonic growl. Both girls were ready to spring to my defense. I figured out what he meant. "You would do this before someone else could."

"Yes. Marina and a team of my investigators are cleaning up the mess you left behind in Moscow. Viktor Kaprisov is in our custody, and we are applying pressure to find out what he knows and who is pulling the strings. We also had to kill a detective who was maintaining surveillance on your room, after learning he had taken photos of Ekatarina leaving your hotel room. We got you out of there before they could take your Lion for their own purposes."

"What happens with Viktor when you are done?"

"Our people planted evidence of a gambling problem. Distraught, he will commit suicide in his apartment."

Damn. These people didn't mess around.

Svetlana leaned forward. "Now what? We've passed initial muster, and you've told us your secrets. Do you trust us enough to head to America on our own, or are we going to be held here until you are sure?"

"You are my honored guests, and hopefully my trusted friends before long. No, we are heading south along the island of Sardinia. We will anchor off the coast near Cala d'Arcu Silibedda, which has an isolated beach for our boat to land, and nature preserve beyond it. Our crew will send drones out to verify the area is free of tourists, and then your training will continue."

"You're a bear switcher, Art. How are you going to help a cave lion?"

"I'll do what I can, but Edward will be there. It's time for the Cave Lion to meet the Scimitar Cat."

Ch. 50

I could tell the girls were excited about going to the beach and finding out more about my kind. I was looking forward to it as well. "What can you tell me about Edward?"

"He's had his animal the shortest time of anyone except you. He's English, receiving the gift after a German buzz bomb killed his father in late 1944. Unlike me, he's never found his mate, and he has no surviving family."

"How does he keep his nature secret?"

"He changes his identity every twenty years or so, moving far away. Right now, he runs a sheep station near Tewkesbury in northern Tasmania."

"Australia?"

Art nodded. "The accent is easy to pick up, and he's quite isolated with lots of wilderness around to run in. A few dozen people might learn his face, then he moves on. Another forty years, and he can return to London. When you never age, you can't stick around too long or people start asking questions."

That made sense. "I'll have the same problems, with two women as well."

"Yes. You don't have to worry about it for a decade or two, and I'll help when it is time. We fake an accident like a plane crash, then give you a new identity far away. The only other way is to become a recluse like me, where no one knows what I look like or who I am."

I looked around me. "You own a superyacht and a major corporation. It must be difficult."

He nodded. "I sometimes leave the boat and go in public, usually dressed as a member of the crew or in disguise. It isn't bad; I have my family to keep me company, and I can run my empire from my desk. You will have to find your own path. The four, now five, of us cooperate in all things. None of us can afford our secret getting out."

"How do you let your bear out when you are on the water?"

"Bears swim, we visit remote areas or private lands, and there is a large gymnasium onboard. I'm lucky in that my bear looks like a brown bear, but has the size of a polar bear. I'm sure an expert could recognize the differences, but most people won't. If I am in a location with a wild bear population, I can blend in easily and spend weeks in that form."

I didn't have that option. "My size and lack of a mane means I won't pass for an African lion. Anywhere but there or a zoo, and I'd be out of place."

"We are all switchers with extinct species, so we all have issues. The dire wolf is similar in size to a grey wolf, but it looks more like a Rottweiler with wolf fur, heavily muscled in the neck and shoulders. Ekatarina's coloration is the same as modern golden eagles. When she is soaring, you don't perceive how big she is compared to a wild golden eagle. I try to switch a few times a week. How often have you let your lion out?"

I thought about it. "It wasn't often when we were in Rybinsk or Moscow. When we were on the island or at the dacha, it was every day."

"We like sleeping with our furry hot water bottle," Anna said with a smile.

"And riding him like a horse," Svetlana added. Anna couldn't hold back her laugh, and everyone got the unintentional joke. "Can you tell us how it works? Every principle of physics is violated by his switch. It should not be possible for him to quadruple his body mass in a second."

"Or for Ekatarina to drop to a quarter of her body weight to become a bird," Anna added.

He picked up a knife, putting butter on one side and jam on the other. "No one knows for sure, but this is my theory. The Switch isn't natural, it's magical. The two brains, human and beast, coexist and communicate but only one of them can exert control over the physical being."

"I'd agree with that. The first switches I made I don't recall; after I was able to work with my cat, I could watch and push intentions, but the cat was in charge."

"And his cat paid attention while he was human," Svetlana added. "He knew where we lived and who we were. Even after tearing apart those men in the park, he recognized us and made sure we were all right. He somehow knew he couldn't stay with us when he heard the sirens approaching, and made his way home to our apartment."

Art nodded. "Our animals are not stupid, but they have different drivers than us. They seem to understand what is needed to survive and avoid detection." He held the knife just above his plate, jelly side up. "Let's say John is this knife. The jelly side is his human form, and the butter side his cat. When you look at the knife, what do you see?"

"The jelly," Anna said.

"Yes. John has both, but one form is in this reality, while the other is there but in a place we can't perceive it. It could be another dimension or realm; it is there, but you can't see it. When the switch occurs," he flipped the knife butter side up, "the body changes, but it is still the same John. Both exist, but only one is visible. The Switch just flips between them.

Svetlana picked up on the obvious question. "What happens in death? Where did the previous Cave Lion go?"

Art took another knife, putting orange marmalade on one side. He scraped the butter off the old knife and onto the new. "Same lion," he turned the knife over, "but new human. The old Cave Lion moved from the old, regenerating its body along the way. It probably scared the hell out of the others on the boat, and I bet the boatman had a weapon and lost his life. The other two probably drowned trying to get away. The new lion got out of the boat, but had no energy to continue. He switched back, leaving you near-death on the riverbank. Since the Cave Lion was now with you, the carcass disappeared. We've seen the same thing when a Switcher dies in their animal form; if human, there is just the surge of energy as the animal moves into its new host. I don't know for certain, but it would fit with what we know."

It made no scientific sense, but some things cannot be explained by science. I'd accepted my cat, and now I knew more about what life with him and the girls would be like. We finished breakfast, with the Captain and crew briefing us on the activities planned.

We anchored mid-morning, just offshore a narrow sand beach surrounded by cliffs. Crew members sent drones and a boat out to verify no one was around, and found us swimsuits that would fit. The bikinis the girls put on showed off their athletic figures; unfortunately, they ran out of the bedroom before I could throw them down and screw the hell out of them.

I'd get that later.

The yacht carried six two-person jetskis, and we used them for over an hour. The water was still warm and was crystal clear, allowing us to see the coral and rocks twenty feet or more down. A few dolphins played in the distance, barracudas chased fish underneath us, and we were having a great time. We pulled up on the beach, where the crew had set up grills for lunch.