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Description
>> Part 1 Part 3 <<
A continuation of a short story I wrote some time ago. Feel free to read part 1 first!

-----

"You must be Carl's son. Liam, right? Welcome to the Ranch of Pegasus!”

The man appeared to be around 25, with a bit of stubble on his face.

"I'm the third owner of this ranch. Feel free to call me Jack," the man said.

After a brief introduction, Jack guided me toward the entrance of the ranch.

According to my father's letter, this was the ranch where my grandfather had worked. It was also the place where they transformed into "centaurs" for the first time. The key to their transformation, the horseshoe that has incredible powers, is currently tucked inside a small wooden box held in my hands.

***

We walked past the chicken coops and pig pens, heading towards the so-called "centaur house." According to Jack, my grandfather and the owner of the ranch at that time (Jack's grandfather) had collaborated to build a new staff dormitory to modernize the centaurs' living conditions based on their forms and special needs.

"So, your dad isn't in the country currently. You came here because of the letter and photo he sent you, right?"

“Yeah, exploring Central Asia has always been his dream, you know, places like Mongolia, Xinjiang, Kazakhstan… So two years ago, he set out on his journey. I only heard from him through the letters he sent since then. He originally planned to return last year, but one of his letters hinted that some unforeseen circumstances have… temporarily prevented his return,” I replied.

"Doesn’t that mean he's been stuck there for a year now? Did he mention what happened?" Jack asked.

"No, after that, he rarely sent any more letters. The most recent letter was the one that congratulated my eighteenth birthday, and also told me about... this whole centaur thing," I explained.

"Centaurs, I haven't seen one in a while. The last time your dad visited here was over a decade ago. So, do you believe what your dad told you?" Jack asked.

"Well, it's a letter from my dad, and I want to believe it. But people turning into horses… No matter how you put it, it just feels…” I hesitated.

"Not a horse, a 'centaur.' But after all, you're here with the horseshoe. It seems like you are willing to give it a shot, ain’t I right?" Jack pointed at the wooden box in my hands.

"Maybe," I sighed.

A few minutes later, we finally arrived at my grandfather's “centaur house”. The building is made of wood and is two stories high. The exterior walls are painted in red and white paint. From its mottled appearance, it seems that it has not been tidied up for a while.

"Come on in," Jack opened the door.

Upon entering, the first thing I noticed was that the floor was not made of wood or tiles, but a slightly soft and rough material similar to that of a running track. All furniture was one size larger than I am used to. The kitchen countertop was about chest height for me, the top cabinets were out of reach even if I stretched my arms, and all the doors were about 1.5 times the width of a standard door.

“If I remember correctly, there should be a couple of..." Jack searched around in what looked like a living room, and after some time, he brought out two regular-sized wooden chairs.

"This place is crazy,” I couldn't help but marvel.

"Right? Wait until you see the bathroom," Jack raised an eyebrow, inviting me to sit on the chair.

I placed the wooden box and my backpack on the floor and sat down as instructed. Jack took out a photo album from a cabinet and turned to the first page.

I instantly recognize what it is. It was the very photo my dad sent me with the letter! It shows my grandfather, a centaur with a white coat, standing sideways and posing for the camera.

"This is an album that collects photos of centaurs. My grandpa told me this photo was taken when your grandfather first transformed. Everyone was freaking out, but they managed to capture the moment," Jack explained.

Turning my gaze to other photos, most of them featured my grandfather in his centaur form.

"This one is from your grandfather's first attempt at plowing."

"This one is from when my grandpa secretly brought a vet to check on your grandfather's health. The vet nearly fainted when he saw your grandfather!"

Jack, who hadn't been born yet during those events, seemed to know the stories behind each photo very well. It appears his grandfather had shared quite a few tales with him.

After flipping through a few pages, the photos gradually transitioned from B&W to full color. I began to notice that besides the white centaur, there was often a little boy following around.

"This should be your dad," Jack said.

As the pages turned, my father grew from a child to a teenager. It was then that I saw a photo where he no longer appears in human form but as another centaur. The coat on his lower body was light gray, unlike my grandfather's.

“This is my dad as a centaur, isn’t it?” I asked in amazement. This was the first time I saw my father's centaur form.

“You’re right. That day, they heard a loud noise from your grandfather's room. They rushed over and saw your father newly transformed into a beautiful centaur."

"Because of his transformation, they deduced that every direct bloodline of my grandfather has the ability to turn into a centaur by touching the shoe once they turned 18, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Whether this rule is true or not, I believe we’ll find out today," Jack said.

“Ugh, I don’t really know what to expect.”

Everything was just too out of touch. Do people actually turn into centaurs? If I touch the horseshoe and nothing happens, should I feel disappointed? Or should I just burst out laughing, claiming I never believed in these fairy tales of people turning into horses?

- To be continued -

Description
>> Part 1 Part 3 <<
A continuation of a short story I wrote some time ago. Feel free to read part 1 first!

-----

"You must be Carl's son. Liam, right? Welcome to the Ranch of Pegasus!”

The man appeared to be around 25, with a bit of stubble on his face.

"I'm the third owner of this ranch. Feel free to call me Jack," the man said.

After a brief introduction, Jack guided me toward the entrance of the ranch.

According to my father's letter, this was the ranch where my grandfather had worked. It was also the place where they transformed into "centaurs" for the first time. The key to their transformation, the horseshoe that has incredible powers, is currently tucked inside a small wooden box held in my hands.

***

We walked past the chicken coops and pig pens, heading towards the so-called "centaur house." According to Jack, my grandfather and the owner of the ranch at that time (Jack's grandfather) had collaborated to build a new staff dormitory to modernize the centaurs' living conditions based on their forms and special needs.

"So, your dad isn't in the country currently. You came here because of the letter and photo he sent you, right?"

“Yeah, exploring Central Asia has always been his dream, you know, places like Mongolia, Xinjiang, Kazakhstan… So two years ago, he set out on his journey. I only heard from him through the letters he sent since then. He originally planned to return last year, but one of his letters hinted that some unforeseen circumstances have… temporarily prevented his return,” I replied.

"Doesn’t that mean he's been stuck there for a year now? Did he mention what happened?" Jack asked.

"No, after that, he rarely sent any more letters. The most recent letter was the one that congratulated my eighteenth birthday, and also told me about... this whole centaur thing," I explained.

"Centaurs, I haven't seen one in a while. The last time your dad visited here was over a decade ago. So, do you believe what your dad told you?" Jack asked.

"Well, it's a letter from my dad, and I want to believe it. But people turning into horses… No matter how you put it, it just feels…” I hesitated.

"Not a horse, a 'centaur.' But after all, you're here with the horseshoe. It seems like you are willing to give it a shot, ain’t I right?" Jack pointed at the wooden box in my hands.

"Maybe," I sighed.

A few minutes later, we finally arrived at my grandfather's “centaur house”. The building is made of wood and is two stories high. The exterior walls are painted in red and white paint. From its mottled appearance, it seems that it has not been tidied up for a while.

"Come on in," Jack opened the door.

Upon entering, the first thing I noticed was that the floor was not made of wood or tiles, but a slightly soft and rough material similar to that of a running track. All furniture was one size larger than I am used to. The kitchen countertop was about chest height for me, the top cabinets were out of reach even if I stretched my arms, and all the doors were about 1.5 times the width of a standard door.

“If I remember correctly, there should be a couple of..." Jack searched around in what looked like a living room, and after some time, he brought out two regular-sized wooden chairs.

"This place is crazy,” I couldn't help but marvel.

"Right? Wait until you see the bathroom," Jack raised an eyebrow, inviting me to sit on the chair.

I placed the wooden box and my backpack on the floor and sat down as instructed. Jack took out a photo album from a cabinet and turned to the first page.

I instantly recognize what it is. It was the very photo my dad sent me with the letter! It shows my grandfather, a centaur with a white coat, standing sideways and posing for the camera.

"This is an album that collects photos of centaurs. My grandpa told me this photo was taken when your grandfather first transformed. Everyone was freaking out, but they managed to capture the moment," Jack explained.

Turning my gaze to other photos, most of them featured my grandfather in his centaur form.

"This one is from your grandfather's first attempt at plowing."

"This one is from when my grandpa secretly brought a vet to check on your grandfather's health. The vet nearly fainted when he saw your grandfather!"

Jack, who hadn't been born yet during those events, seemed to know the stories behind each photo very well. It appears his grandfather had shared quite a few tales with him.

After flipping through a few pages, the photos gradually transitioned from B&W to full color. I began to notice that besides the white centaur, there was often a little boy following around.

"This should be your dad," Jack said.

As the pages turned, my father grew from a child to a teenager. It was then that I saw a photo where he no longer appears in human form but as another centaur. The coat on his lower body was light gray, unlike my grandfather's.

“This is my dad as a centaur, isn’t it?” I asked in amazement. This was the first time I saw my father's centaur form.

“You’re right. That day, they heard a loud noise from your grandfather's room. They rushed over and saw your father newly transformed into a beautiful centaur."

"Because of his transformation, they deduced that every direct bloodline of my grandfather has the ability to turn into a centaur by touching the shoe once they turned 18, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Whether this rule is true or not, I believe we’ll find out today," Jack said.

“Ugh, I don’t really know what to expect.”

Everything was just too out of touch. Do people actually turn into centaurs? If I touch the horseshoe and nothing happens, should I feel disappointed? Or should I just burst out laughing, claiming I never believed in these fairy tales of people turning into horses?

- To be continued -