Chapter Twenty-Three

Tristam was at work, but it was more pleasure than work since he was with Lichan.

Lichan had changed drastically since they first met a few days ago, he had regained a child's recklessness, showing an impish character laced with a profound kindness. He was affectionate, which made worthwhile all the attention he required. His life had been a sad story from the beginning: without parents that he could remember, he was used and sold as merchandise several times, even before crossing Melchior's path. Tristam was agreeably surprised to see his resilience in front of such adversity.

Then there was the sex. Nothing could compare to that, and Tristam was enthralled: the boy had done it all, and he knew every nook and cranny to bring pleasure to his enthusiastic partner. The magus blessed his good luck each day to have discovered those wonderful sensations, brought by the meeting of bodies and fluids. He could not call it love yet, although little by little, he felt the attachment and emotions that linked him to the boy grow steadily stronger.

How could he have spent all these years shunned away from this marvel! Why had it been forbidden since the dawn of time for those of his trade? That was now a mystery that he was determined to solve.

He had noticed no change in his powers or intellect for the worst; on the contrary, each time he was with the boy to share the pleasures of the flesh, he felt his energy renewed, an indulgence he succumbed to as often as he could now.

Then there were the tattooed sigils that covered a large part of the child's body, and they were changing. He determined that the more frequent and intense their lovemaking was, the more important were the changes, and the more difficult it was to reproduce and map them exactly at each step. He tried to decipher a meaning to those transformations by categorizing the sigils and recording how they evolved. He observed that some altered their form while others moved from their previous position, some faded and others darkened. It was an ever-changing tapestry, whose complexity was baffling.

It did not seem to affect the boy or himself adversely, on the contrary, but he knew that his research was full of risk, he was treading on dangerous ground, playing with magic quite different from his own.

"Lichan, can't you stay in place? It won't be long now," he said, trying to discipline the child and failing miserably.

"But it tickles," answered the boy, fidgeting.

Tristam was taking measurements to check the size of each symbol and the distance between them; it was arduous work.

"This is important, and you know it."

"Will you teach me?"

"What do you want me to teach you?"

"Magic!"

"This is not for little boys."

"Lies! Take me as your apprentice. Besides, I'm not that small."

"I'll think about it if you stop playing with your willy, you're distracting me."

"Usually, you very much like to be distracted that way."

"True, but give me five more minutes, and I'll take good care of you. You like it when I do that. Don't you?" Tristam's fingers had replaced the boy's, gently rubbing the small and hard tube of flesh.

"I don't really know."

"What do you mean?" said the magus frowning.

"I prefer it when you put your mouth to it."

"You little pest, you never have enough. Five more minutes and I'll be all yours. I'm making progress: I have found patterns, sequences."

"To what use?"

"That's the next step. We will have to experiment."

"More tickling?"

"Maybe."

"That won't displease me," said Lichan seductively, acknowledging a fact the old man had suspected all along.

The boy had changed spectacularly since he had been freed. He had filled up, putting on as many pounds as days of freedom. His pale skin that let you see the veins running under it had darkened with the sun, acquiring a healthy golden tan. He smiled often and had a crystalline laugh that rejoiced all those that could hear it. He was a joy to behold.

He did not want to speak of his past and even less of Melchior, but complied to please the old magus. He considered Tristam his benefactor and perhaps more than that.

The lead that the magus was following came from their deepening relation and its evolution. At first, the boy had served him because it was what he had been taught to do with every new master. The man, himself finding a fascinating subject of study, had seized the opportunity, after his libido had been awakened by the cohabitation with Lucian's mind, to discover what pleasures sex and boys could bring him.

It had been made clear to Lichan that pain was at the heart of the Archon's magic and that the poor boy had served that purpose by being starved, mistreated, raped numerous times, and used as a valueless object. The main goal is to augment the power of the stone Melchior stored in Lichan's bowels. The affection, if not love, he had shown the boy since, and that he thought was reciprocal, had seemed to have a great influence on the sigils and the changes he had noted. Could their magic work both ways? Could love work as well as pain?

He would have to consult his notes and review all the body maps he had taken of the child.

For now, a pause was required. Lichan, seeing the magus put down his quill, scooted down the examination table and slipped his hand under the magus' robes.

"You're quite randy for an old man."

"Your touch is enough to give me back my youthful years. Let's go to the couch – it will be more comfortable for my old bones. You can do miracles, but even those have their limits.

***

They left the outpost as soon as the storm ended.

Alina and Sandor felt an urgency they could not reason with and they followed their instinct. No one discussed it, not even Tael, who knew more than anyone else did, that indeed, when his scam was discovered, and he did not doubt it would, all hell would break loose, and the Alliance would use all its might to find them.

"I think I know where you are taking us," Sandor told the princess, "It should have been obvious from the beginning, given the direction we were heading."

"Where would that be?" she answered with a smile.

"The Chasm of Darkness, of course. No one dares set foot in there."

"True, and for no good reason, just simple superstition."

"So you say; still we all heard stories."

"Hearsay, I tell you. It is a strange place with strange creatures and vegetation but no more dangerous than any other."

"It has never seen the sun."

"Yes, that's the reason why the cliffs that surround it are too high, so it has developed a life of its own different from anything we've seen. At least that's what I have been told. I've never been there."

"How will you find the passage then?"

"There are other means, believe me."

"I certainly hope you're right; it is a cul-de-sac with no way out."

Levit had been listening intently, becoming ever more nervous, and finally spoke up, "Are you sure it's safe? I don't like dark places, and I don't like that name."

"My fearless squire afraid of a name?" mocked the Captain gently. He waited for the boy to be level with him, ruffled his dark curls and squeezed his shoulder. "You escaped death quite a few times recently; it seems nothing can kill you, this place no more than the rest, be assured, I'll be there to watch over you every step of the way, even though you have managed very well by yourself so far, and I have been quite impressed."

The boy cheered up from his lover's words, but it was not quite enough to completely dispel his fears.

"When do you think we'll be there?" he asked.

"If we ride hard and do not stop more than necessary, the day after tomorrow," answered Alina, "I would prefer we did not stop till we are safe in the caves."

"Caves!" exclaimed Levit, "that doesn't sound good at all, either."

"Unlucky boy, you'll have to do with it. Sorry." Sandor shot a glance behind and was satisfied to see that Tael was at the back of the column, Hegron was closer but still obviously out of earshot. It was better that way: they did not need to know all the details.

It was clear to him that their party had grown out of proportion: there were nineteen riders and seventeen horses. Hegron was sharing his mount with Berit; the drak was flying low above them and following, its shadow still casting some anxiety among the boys and men.

Sometime later, as the day was coming to a close, Tael moved up the column.

"Princess, Shall we stop for the night?"

"No, the plan is to ride till we reach our destination."

"And what would that be?"

"You will know when we get there if you don't mind."

"As it pleases you, Highness. In fact, I wanted to propose such a thing. I have a bad feeling; I fear someone is on our trail."

"Is it a feeling or more than that?" asked Alina with a serious face.

"Just a feeling for now, and I can see it is shared. Perhaps I should ride the drak; I could see the land behind us for quite a distance and know if our concerns are valid." For once, he had lost some of his arrogance.

"Do you have other means to know if we are being followed?"

"I have, but there is a risk of catching unwanted attention. Magic goes both ways; what I can uncover can also reveal my presence, considering who may be following our tracks, I would rather use my eyes."

Sandor, always suspicious, and not wanting to take any chances with Tael, made it clear, "You will stay with us and not wander too far away."

"I will. I just plan to get some height and watch for any sign that we are in danger of being found."

"Do it then and use your eyes only. At nightfall, we shall avoid torches and ride under the moon's glow," decided Alina.

"That would be wise. Those that would search for us are powerful."

"Who would that be?" demanded Sandor.

"Members of the high clergy, perhaps Elegir himself, Hegron is that important to them. If you killed him for good, they would have much less reason to search for us."

"How would they know?" questioned Alina, who recalled the wizard's story and the ploy he had used.

"There is no certainty, but it would probably alter the order of things, there would be signs that some of them can read."

"What was the use of faking the boy's death if what you say is true?"

"I see you still do not trust me, Captain, I can understand that. I had to win time for our escape to have a chance to succeed. Those that were at the camp when we left had none of the powers of the High Priest. I made sure of that by killing the only other wizard present. I had to create some confusion; otherwise, we would have been caught. It worked beyond my expectations. Unfortunately, by now, I am certain my actions have been discovered and that they are looking for Hegron with redoubled energy."

Sandor's anger grew as he directed a harsh tone towards Tael, "What you say is not good at all. It means that you're endangering us by your simple presence."

"That is true, but on the other hand, I bring you more knowledge on the Alliance than you could dream of getting."

Alina cut short the heated conversation, "Tael is right, Sandor. We've had that debate already and decided it was worth the risk. Go wizard, and warn us if you notice anything that should worry us."

Tael called the drak to him and gave his horse to Aeri. A moment later, the creature was taking flight and the troop had resumed its journey at a fast pace.

Alina bolted her horse forward to the side of Sandor's and said just over the noise of the galloping horses, "Sandor, we must take measures after what the wizard told us."

"Yes, we will ride by forced march. It will be hard on the boys, but we have no choice. That way, we can reach our destination one day earlier."

"We'll do that."

"I'll have the boys tie themselves to their saddle to avoid any fall; some might find sleep safely that way, we will stop only to rest the horses and eat."

"Agreed, but there is another matter – Hegron."

"What about him?"

"The stakes are too high, tell Astar to watch over him with Safir, a crossbow always ready. They'll have to kill him at once if we are attacked, no warning, no hesitation. We cannot let him be taken back by the Alliance and risk seeing the Archons return. Meeting them was a blessing and incredible chance, but it could bring not only our end but also to mean the destruction of our world, of all we cherish."

"I'll tell them," Sandor answered simply.

***

Security was tight around the boys that had been freed from the Dark Harem, which was quite logical after the attempt on Leto's life and considering that Count Kyllian's sons had joined them when they were supposed to have been executed.

For Tamerlane, who was back after leaving Stalfort, this was a time bomb that would do a lot of harm when it exploded. It was impossible to keep all those boys silent; eventually, the information would leak out and ignite the whole Kingdom.

Leto was a child-killing monster on one side; he was not true to his word and had shown weakness by sparing the count's sons; he was a liar on the other. Which one was the most harmful or more likely to catch the people's attention? He did not know. For his part, he would have put them on a boat and sent it as far away as possible with no possibility of a return, which he considered merciful enough when the alternative would have been to sink the boat in the middle of the ocean.

Everything needed to be done now, to delay the leaks for as long as possible. His orders were strict to avoid any contact with the boys by anyone that could not be fully trusted, and the less they knew, the better. He recognized that the enemy was there, watching, and would gladly use those rumors to undermine Leto's authority. His goal was to make sure no witness or direct account fell into their hands. He considered himself a good man and, after all they had suffered, was sorry for those poor boys, that feeling not extending to the count's sons, but when the fate of the Kingdom and more was at stake, this became irrelevant.

"Lucian, Miniver, I tell you again, be wary, I understand that your intentions are noble, they must not blind you. I very much doubt those boys can forget or forgive all that happened in the Dark Harem or accept that Lord Leto was under the influence of a curse. They might say so, but it's unlikely it will be the truth."

"We're doing our best and I'm not as pessimistic as you are. Do not forget that Leto raped and flogged me most viciously and I did forgive him," answered Lucian.

"Really, you did?" replied Tamerlane.

"I did, I was witness to his change, and I hold no grudge."

"Those boys did not have the same experience; they are not friends with the Prince or are aware of the whole story, as you are. It is quite different for them."

"You are certainly right. Still, I've tried to explain – prove – that he wasn't himself. I'll keep at it; I'm sure I've had some success. We'll see how it goes from there," said Lucian.

"Good luck then. I do hope you're successful. You will have to give me the names of those that don't listen, though; this is part of your task too."

"I know that, even if I don't like it. This is no game and we must win the war. Come on, Miniver; let's go see how they are today."

They reached the enclosure where the boys were gathered, and which was a little apart from the main camp, surrounded by soldiers of the purple guard. This still looked very much like a prison, and it was not helping to build trust.

Lucian was by now familiar by name with many of them. Some he felt sympathy for, some stayed away from him, fearful, defiant or hostile.

"Hobb, how are you today," he called to the boy who had lost his twin and tried to kill Leto.

"Not too bad, considering." He was with Raziz, the eight-year-old survivor whose twin had been hanged by Leto; with Hobb's brother, they were now inseparable. Close by were Atlan and Betan, and also Ebert and Effiet. All had been chained and brought together to the Dark Harem. This had created strong ties between them, with the terrible events that followed, deepening their bond even more.

Strangely, Hobb had become Lucian's best ally in trying to persuade the boys of Leto's possession by the Beast and his will to right all the wrongs done to them as best as possible. Hobb's wounding of William instead of Leto had made him feel guilty and convinced him, that you did not have control of everything, sometimes your actions brought unwanted results. Losing his brother had been a terrible blow, their life had been a hard one, but they had always stayed together, side by side, helping and supporting each other in adversity. His anger had subsided and he now had taken little Raziz under his wing and become some kind of a leader among the survivors.

"How are the boys this morning? Any complaints?"

"The usual, it is not because we do not bear chains anymore that we are not still prisoners."

"I quite understand that and I'm doing my best to find a way to end it. It will take some time, I fear."

"Many of the boys think they are being deceived, played with, that it is all one more cruel game, that the Beast will come for them one day, that nothing changed."

"Your fate could have been much worse with a different Lord. Many of his counselors wanted you all to disappear for good, as I explained to you already. The war has not even really started and they think we should take no chances. We must not be weakened in any way."

"I understand that, but many here are younger than me and haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about; war, magic, politics are far beyond their grasp. All they want is to get as far away from Leto as they can, and for those who have a family to be reunited with their parents."

"So, having them serve as pages or squires in the army is not a good idea?" suggested Miniver

"For some, it may be. For those that have survived weeks or maybe months exposed to the Beast's savagery, it is out of the question. Send them home; they've earned that at least."

"I'll talk with William and see what can be done; he'll be our best advocate in that matter."

Miniver nodded in support of the idea, and spoke up, "I agree with Hobb, if I had been submitted to such treatments, I could not bear to stay close to Leto and be reminded of that nightmare every day. Why not send them away to a secluded place where they would be safe, unable to talk or be used as pawns by anyone."

Lucian was very receptive, "That's a possibility and certainly better than this. I just thought of something else, why not ask Tristam to do with you all what he did with the count's sons."

"What do you mean? Who is Tristam?" replied Hobb without enthusiasm.

"Do not worry; it is nothing bad. Tristam is the king's magus, if you let him, he can read your mind. He could tell us, much better than any of us, who we can trust, and what is best to do with them."

"Do you think he would do that? I heard he was quite busy with his research," said Miniver, "still, I like the idea."

Lucian was determined. He felt sorry for those boys, voicing, "I'll tell William, I might even be able to go see the magus myself. Come to think of it that could be better; he can't refuse me anything; we've been very close for a time now."

Hobb, being remorseful, asked, "How is the Prince? I am so sorry for what I've done."

"He's fine. I'll ask him to come over himself so that you can see for yourself."

Hobb had some difficulty believing that he had recovered so fast, he had felt the knife go deep between the breastplates.

"I'd be honored." The boy was smart and spoke surprisingly well for a whorehouse brat.

"He'll be glad to meet you. By the way, tell me, if we succeed and you are free to do as you wish, What would you like to do?"

With determination, Hobb answered, "For myself, if Leto is true to his word, as you say, I would join you to serve in the army. The Beast took my brother and so many others. I want to fight this evil and those that support it."

"And what about you?" asked Lucian, addressing the two pairs of twins that had listened in silence so far.

Little Raziz was the first to speak, taking the hand of the bigger boy.

"I'll stay with Hobb; he is my new brother. I don't want to go anywhere else."

Hobb smiled, his arm tightening its grip around the boy's small shoulders protectively.

"Can't get him to leave my side most of the time, which can be embarrassing," he added, looking at Atlan and Betan, whose cheeks were reddening.

"We will do as Hobb says," Atlan answered for the two pretty younger twins, as was his habit. It was clear there was more than friendship among those three, "We also want to stay with him."

Ebert was the first to speak for the last pair.

"Sorry to say, but all we dream of is to be reunited with our parents, our brothers and sisters, we miss them dearly as they certainly also miss and worry for the two of us. We had a good life in Soonlure," he added with regret in his voice.

Lucian paused and looked at the boys now gathered around, he could see a spark of hope in their eyes, an eagerness to put the past horrors behind them, yet he did not want to give them false hopes. Responding to Ebert, "I quite understand your wish, but I doubt it will be possible before this war is over."

"Then we will fight beside you and do our best to shorten it."

"Well spoken, boys." Tamerlane had been listening to their conversation, attentively from a distance.

"You were spying on us!" Lucian exclaimed. He knew the man was one of the least likely to hear the boys' plea and the most determined to refuse any improvement to their status.

"Yes, and I learned a lot. It will surprise you, this is contrary to what I thought so far, but I will agree with all the propositions you made, they are reasonable and wise, and I'll even go with you to see the magus."

"Really … this isn't a joke," stated Lucian, incredulous.

"No, I'm quite serious. Those approved by Tristam will serve with you, and the others will be sent away to mend until it is safe to free them. You all convinced me. We will fix the details at dinner and ask Leto for his approval. Do not talk of it to the others until it is settled though."

"Certainly, sir," said Hobb, taking the lead once again.

"The army is breaking camp and we will be on the move in less than thirty minutes."

"We'll be ready," answered Lucian and Miniver as one.

"One more boring day riding in a wagon for us," said Hobb.

"I heard you'd found ways to be entertained," said Miniver looking at Atlan and Betan.

"It's not only with them, at least he's not tried it with Raziz," said Ebert.

"There's nothing much to do in those wagons to pass the time," appealed Hobb.

"You aren't bothered by the promiscuity?" wondered Lucian.

"Not that much. I come from a bordello, the others, they've seen it all, and I'm not the only one who's horny, isn't it so Ebert?"

"There's no comparison. For you, it's all the time," answered the boy, blushing.

"Well, I'm alive, what better way is there to celebrate that?"

"Do you think I could ride with you in one of those wagons? I would be curious to see how you go about it," teased Lucian.

"Is that a proposition?" asked Hobb.

"Be careful, Lucian, he never misses an occasion to score," insisted Ebert.

"I know how to defend myself, or not," answered Lucian with an ambiguous smile, "We'll see. For now, I must go to the Prince. I'll visit you again later and perhaps ride with you some…"

***

Olgred was hungry and horny after the night's sustained ride.

"Crit, Soren, to me," he called to his familiars.

The two boys, despite their tiredness, were dependent on the vampire's kiss and came at once with a large and thick fur mat. Olgred settled comfortably against a tree trunk, taking his near-naked playthings with him, his hands coursing over their satiny skin, his lips lingering in their necks ready to bite but taking his time. He wanted to make them beg for it. He knew they were in a withdrawal state and dependent on his goodwill to get their daily dose of Sumok, the fluid they were addicted to and procured them intense pleasure.

He could sense the blood running under the skin, the veins and pulsing arteries, the nectar he desired more than anything else within his grasp. He had asked Roagg to give them a double helping of boy meat and to spice it up to compensate for the lack of blood bags at their disposal. It had worked but it was not quite perfect: their blood had thinned and lost part of its richness and taste. This, he noted, much more for Soren than Crit. He could feel it without having to pierce the skin, the difference even more pronounced than in the previous days.

They were getting closer to the Vale, with only a few days left before they reached their destination. He would deliver Leto's children and receive a substantial reward. Teo was one thing he hoped he could ask for besides everything else – he craved the child's blood and flesh. It had been some time since he had trained a new familiar, he always relished the experience; that boy had a special quality, an innocence he would delight in perverting.

He would have loved to be able to work on him during this journey, but contrary to what he had told his big brother Ladisk, he had been ordered to bring back the two boys, at all cost, and untouched. He was not going to take chances with the High Priest or even with any of the lesser ones.

The lack of blood bags and the diet it imposed on his men and familiars were annoying to the point he considered attacking an isolated farm or hamlet to replenish their reserves. Since they were so close to their goal, he wondered whether the risk was becoming acceptable. It would certainly cheer up everybody…

He pushed Soren away, who definitely was not up to his liking this morning.

"Go see Roagg and eat some more meat; you are displeasing me, beware! You may get your fix after that if you're replenished enough. Hurry and come back with Teo when you're done."

Olgred could not touch the child, but disappointed by Soren, he had just devised a game he might play with him. Thinking of it, he sank his teeth in Crit's neck and immediately felt the desired rush of blood in his mouth, sipping and savoring each mouthful with delight. He hated to be limited in his enjoyment and could understand the frustration of his men, who had only a few boys left to share. The effect of the Sumok was instantaneous; Crit was purring in his arms, his not-so-little hard-on poking up and demanding some attention. Olgred did not care; the familiars were there only for his own satisfaction. He set free his erect member and penetrated the boy in one go, each powerful thrust that followed accompanied by a sampling of blood. Crit was well used to his master's needs and rendered oblivious of anything else by the drug that brought him so much pleasure, oblivious of the loss of blood.

Soren, strangely, did not regret being sent away, he was surprised he did not miss his daily dose of Sumok that much. He knew he had always been less susceptible than Crit to its effect; still, he had never been deprived of it. He had no intention of taking a single bite of the boy meat but dutifully went to Roagg to ask for it – you did not disobey Olgred. The cook pulled out a plate and cut him a good portion adding seasoning.

"You'll taste wonderful with that piece, and you'll get more later when I have roasted the new one." One boy or blood bag as they were called had died during the night ride. The vampire had hanged him by his feet and was about to butcher him."

"Certainly, sir."

"I'm no sir; I'm the cook. Come closer, boy."

Soren obeyed; it was not the first time he was asked to do so by lesser vampires who wanted to get a feel of what a familiar could be worth.

"Such a beautiful creature, such a wonderful smell of nectar, a delicacy, how much I would give to have one like you," Roagg recited not for the first time as one of his hands caressed the boy's flank and one finger followed the veins at the child's wrist. He bent over, bringing forward his nose, the tip of his tongue touching the boy's neck where the carotid was close to the skin and frowned, disappointed, "What's wrong? You lack the usual aroma. I understand why Olgred is sending you over. Let me add some more." He poured more spices on the meat. "Now you can go? I have work to do and eat it all even if the taste is strong; otherwise, Olgred may be quite dissatisfied."

Soren left him as the knife started cutting the hanging boy, Roagg, licking at the gashes seeking whatever blood was left.

Once alone, Soren stopped, looking around to be certain no one was watching. He scraped some of the seasonings from the meat to put it in his mouth. It should be enough to spice up his blood and please Olgred, to thicken his blood he had taken the habit to bleed a horse, being careful not to be found or leave any trace. Then dug a hole in the ground to bury the contents of the plate, making sure, as best he could, that it was deep enough, Vampires had a well-developed sense of smell.

The familiar was thinking of escape, which was preposterous, impossible, and inconceivable. Still, the idea lingered. It should not have, it was unheard of, no familiar had ever escaped; they were meant only to serve their master until they were replaced, and Crit, who was older, was logically to go first.

Those ideas all came from Ladisk, who he should never have listened to. Well, if he was honest, it had started earlier when they entered the Vale. Before that, he was quite happy with his fate, with his daily dose of Sumok and his much higher status than the common 'blood bags' serving a powerful master. It was as it was meant to be, and there was no question to ask.

Then the invasion came with its senseless killings and abundance of blood, ad nauseam, somehow it had an adverse effect on the Sumok, which slowly lost some of its influence. His thoughts had cleared up, and he discovered he could have ideas of his own. It was not a complete makeover, though, and he somehow missed the state of bliss given by the Sumok. He could not decide what was best, but it had given him new perspectives. Then he met Ladisk, who skillfully showed him that his life expectancy was short and that he could be replaced soon. Was it luck that sent that boy on his way? Or doom? What he knew was that Olgred would shortly see the changes that had occurred in him and that he could no longer fake his growing disgust of the vampire lord and for this horrid life.

In the end, Crit might not be the first to go. They were promised a life after they had done their time, but he never met someone that could tell of it. All he had heard spoken of was a different and definitive end to this miserable life. Now that he could think by himself more clearly, he saw the truth in Ladisk's words. That raised many questions, and he had none of the answers. Could he survive without the Sumok or simply bear the pain the lack of it could bring. He remembered the terrible feeling it had brought during his training, and to a lesser extent, the few times when Olgred had deprived him of his daily dose for fun, was it to recall him of his dependence? Or to punish him? If he overcame that first trial, what were his chances to escape? What would he do, where could he go in this foreign country? He would be considered an enemy."

The two prisoners were half asleep. When he shook Teo's shoulder, Ladisk had to make some effort to shake up the fatigue he felt after so many nights spent riding, but he was not about to stop watching over his little brother or let go of any occasion to plead for his cause. Soren was probably their last chance at freedom.

"What do you want with my brother? Did you come to a decision? Will you help us?" he whispered. The vampire on guard was watching but far enough not to overhear what was being said.

"Olgred wants to see him, and no, I've not decided yet."

"What for, what does he want from him?"

"I don't really know."

"Nothing good certainly," said Ladisk; he hated being so helpless.

"You think he could hurt me? We've done nothing bad. I don't like the way he looks at me or touches me," said Teo, quite concerned by Olgred's persistent attraction to him."

"I worry about that too, but I think there's nothing he can do," answered Ladisk. "We're too valuable, not like you, Soren. He spoke of having a new familiar; I think he wants Teo to become one; he spoke of it several times as a warning. Probably he would replace you or Crit."

"I know all that; you told me numerous times. Even if I helped you escape, What would become of me? What would be my place in your world? That is if we were successful and I survived the lack of Sumok."

"I told you, my father is a powerful lord, perhaps the most powerful in the Kingdom, he would welcome you, find a cure … make you rich. But the most important thing, you would be free."

"So you say. Come, Teo, we must not let Olgred wait anymore."

"I'll come too," said Ladisk.

"No, he asked for Teo alone. Don't make him mad."

"Very well, I'll listen to you, and I hope you'll do the same." Ladisk was in no position to make any demand. He did not believe his luck that Soren even had accepted to listen to him. To have him changing camp would be a feat. Time was running out. The guard had stood up, ready to intervene. Ladisk sat back frustrated and angry.

"Go Teo; remember there is nothing he can do to you." At least I do hope so.

A moment later, Soren and Teo could watch the vampire coupling with his familiar.

"Ah, here you are!" exclaimed Olgred as he saw the two boys, "At last, I was getting bored." He was naked and unceremoniously pulled out of Crit, pushing him aside, his glistening shaft obviously ready for more. "Undress him," he ordered curtly.

"Are you sure?" dared ask Soren.

"Quite sure, yes. I want him to partake of our enjoyment, but you're right, it will be much nicer if I do it myself. Come forward, Teo."

The boy had seen enough to know that he would dislike what Olgred had in mind and stepped back. Crit was upon him in three strides and helped by Soren, who had no choice, brought him to the vampire lord who held him in his arms with an unnatural force.

"Let me go, let me go," pleaded the struggling boy.

"There are so many things I would like to do with you. This is not one of them. Perhaps it is because there are limitations that I am so caught up with you, boy. Fidget all you want, you'll go nowhere, and I rather like it, it is a nice change from my obedient familiars and our other captives, the few that are left are too feeble and terrified to put up much of a fight."

Olgred was enjoying himself enormously as he undressed the child one item at a time, as Teo struggled to free himself, the boy's desperate and useless moves, the rubbing of his naked skin, his meaningless pleading enhancing his pleasure. The familiars were standing back, watching, Crit smiling, Soren more reserved and wondering what was to come next.

Soon, Teo knew his efforts were futile and stopped fighting, limp and fully exposed, at the vampire's mercy, awaiting Olgred's good pleasure.

"Clever boy, you realized it was all in vain. Perfect, now we can have some good time together." Olgred sat Teo in his lap; his still engorged member snugly settled in the boy's crack and started licking his neck. "I can feel it, that luscious blood of yours, rich and tasty, even without any of our diet of spices. Perhaps I should ask Roagg to change your diet. This would be quite harmless, but it would make you even more attractive, could I resist the temptation? You would make a great familiar. Would you like that?"

The question did not call for an answer.

"I hate you," said the child nonetheless, trying to express with these simple words all the resentment that had been stored these last days.

"It will not last, isn't it so, Soren, Crit, don't you love your master?"

"I do," said Crit.

"Yes, Master," said Soren.

"You see, child." Olgred was grazing the boy's delicate skin with his teeth, the desire to pierce it and taste his nectar for real getting stronger. He was playing with fire and knew it. "Soren, come over."

The familiar stepped forward, ready to obey as Olgred lay Teo on the ground over the fur.

"What, should I do, Master?"

Without a word, the vampire pulled him down to cover the child's body. He felt his master's rod pushing in, and he was filled at once, his need for Sumok flaring up at once.

Olgred took his wrist simply to open the vein there with the simple passage of a sharp canine, letting the blood flow onto Teo's neck and face, and while steadily pounding his familiar's ass, he lapped at the hot blood.

"You see, Teo, I'm not touching you and not consuming your blood, but getting as close to it as I can and Soren's nectar becomes so much better that way."

The familiar, head turned to the side, exposed his neck, waiting for the vampire's bite and his fix, but it was not coming, Olgred still letting the blood flow from the wound in his wrist. He was only interested in Teo, whose face and upper body was now smeared in red.

The child was silent, crushed under the two bodies above. As a defense, he had sent his mind away, back to Ramatel, his mother and the happy times spent there; Ladisk had told him how to do it. Time would pass and it would be over. Their father, who he barely remembered, would come for them and save them, his figure imposing and all-powerful in the child's imagination.

The vampire was ramming his member with frenzy up Soren's sheath, wanting to vent his frustration. The prize he coveted was unfortunately out of bounds, for now.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Elegir was reciting spells, with the cadavers of two children by his feet and five small Valean captives cowering close by, watched by the Wreckers. His dark magic required a lot of energy.

Having reached the outpost this morning where Hegron and Tael had stayed earlier, it appeared more and more that the young wizard Tael was gifted, and he had found many ways to lead them astray.

Salgar was watching the High Priest, hoping that, at last, he would be told that they were close to success. All indications showed that Tael was alone in this endeavor and that they would soon find Hegron, and he would soon be able to focus again on the coming invasion of Alsoon. This was not his place: he was a general; his role was to lead armies and to win battles, not to hunt fugitives. He felt ill at ease with Elegir and his dark magic, so, the further from the High Priest he was, the better.

Only a few of his men were with him; vampires were not welcome for this hunt. So why did Elegir insist on his presence? He had the Wreckers, and those were more than enough to succeed.

The High Priest was coming out of his trance.

"What have you seen?" asked Salgar, "When do you think we can catch up with them?"

"This might be more complicated than we thought," answered the man while signaling the Wreckers to bring him one of the captives.

"What do you mean? This wizard can't be that talented to mislead you again?"

Elegir grabbed the child with surprising force and raised him, bringing his lips to his victim's mouth. A few seconds later, he discarded the desiccated body to join the other two.

"Magic can be demanding. I needed that. I'll consume one or two of those left, later, this time for my pleasure."

"We certainly brought enough; you can have as many as you want." Salgar wanted to get back to the matter at hand.

"Princess Alina was there, with knights. I would say no more than one or two days ago," said Elegir in a subdued way.

"What? The kingdom's heir? How can that be? That's impossible!" exploded Salgar.

"I would agree with you, but this cannot be faked. This Tael is good, but not that good."

"This is a conspiracy then, Tael can't be alone in this."

"I'm as baffled as you are; it cannot be a coincidence. There are things we must have missed. The Valeans may have more stamina and resources than we thought."

"We surprised them, we've won all the battles, slaughtered them by the thousands, how can it be? How could they know of our plans? When did they learn of the importance of Hegron, the Essence? We've been betrayed. I see no other explanation. How, and to what end? Who could be involved? I don't want to think of the consequences."

"I hear you, Salgar, but I do not have the answers yet."

"We will have them as soon as we catch them," the vampire General stopped in mid-sentence," wait a minute, What if it's a trap? The princess could be waiting for us with large forces; they could plan to capture you, kill you and most of our wizards still with powers."

"All this is absurd, it reshuffles the cards, questions all of our certitudes. There must be another explanation. We need Hegron back; that is our first priority. Call for more troops and send scouts ahead to avoid any surprises. We're getting closer; they went south to the mountains; there's nothing there, so we will be cautious and take our time."

For the first time, Salgar saw the High Priest in doubt; he hurried to give his orders."

***

Their lovemaking was considerate, playful, and amiable even when it became passionate. The old man and the very young boy's goal was the same, to give and take, pleasure went both ways in equal measure. Was this love? It may have been and the consequences were spectacular.

Tristam's tongue felt the child's cocklet spasm for the fifth time. The boy never tired of it, it seemed. He envied the ability of youth to orgasm several times in a row, as demonstrated here. Of course, they were dry cums, but the squeals he heard illustrated their intensity. For his part, he was careful not to let the boy, out of enthusiasm and with great talent, spill his seed too early. There could not be a second emission before quite some time. He could have used magic, but he refused; it would be like cheating and take away the authenticity of the act.

"Haven't you had enough already?"

"One more time, please, then it will be your turn." Lichan loved to be sucked; he could have kept at it the whole day.

"Very well, but my mouth is getting tired."

"My hole will be all yours after that."

"For as long as I can last, you mean," commented Tristam, between mouthfuls.

"If you want, I can stop licking yours; I don't mind."

"What change will it make?"

"Delay your orgasm. I don't know; we can try."

"Next time, I propose we start with a good fucking."

"We did that already, but afterward, you're too tired to be of much use," said the boy with a smile.

"Don't mock an old man, rascal; I'm doing my best right now."

"Very well, do it with your finger too. Just one more time, go slow, then I'll be all yours."

Tristam pushed his lubed finger inside the tight orifice. Right away, he found the little nub that brought such pleasure to the boy, pleasure that he would soon experience again by way of the Magus' hard tool.

In fact, the old man had no real preference and would be satisfied whatever way he got his release. It was all a game, a wonderful game – a serious one too.

Thanks to it, quite a few discoveries had been made. The sigils that adorned the boy's body had a life of their own. Some had completely disappeared while others had grown and multiplied. Tristam had thought that the Archon magic was the result of pain and suffering, and it was true, but he had discovered that love and pleasure could become just as potent.

He believed the child was benefiting from the sigils magic powered by the love they shared: it infused the boy with positive energy, it had an effect on his appearance, health, and spirit, and there was more. He had told the Magus that Melchior stored the Archon stone in his anus, probably to absorb the energy produced by the sigils, the result of the pain, hunger, and misery suffered by the child all day long. Tristam was no Archon stone, but each coupling with Lichan brought him renewed strength, and this enhanced his own magic–which bode well for the future–the final fight with the Beast was drawing to a close, and he now needed to decide how these finds could be safely used.

"Why did you stop? I was almost there."

"Sorry Lichan, I was lost in my thoughts for a moment."

"Come on, let's be done with it, my bum itches to see you come for a visit."

"I promise you; I'll make it last as long as possible this time."

"I must say, it's been working much better lately. I think it's thanks to me. I have a good influence on you."

"You certainly have, Lichan, I'm sure of it," replied Tristam with a smile, as he redoubled his efforts to take the child over the edge: feeling the boy spasm one more time, he slowly removed his finger and announced, "My turn now."

They shifted around and ended face to face, Lichan with his legs raised, offering himself.

"I'm all yours, Magus."

"Yes, you're all mine. You don't know how lucky I feel to be with you. You are a true blessing."

His hard as stone member was already inside and forging ahead; it was painless and exhilarating. They kissed and held each other. They felt as one and stayed joined even after Tristam had spent his seed, quite sometime later…

***

Leto was restless, and he left the bed where the three boys were sleeping. Their bouts of sex lasted a long time, always a loving, soothing, and fulfilling experience: this night like the others. Unfortunately, it was not always enough to dispel the infamous recollections of the past years.

He threw a last look back at the naked boys, all blonds he suddenly realized with a smile. Etos, who had joined Focker and William, surprised him with his eagerness and forgiveness. He had almost killed the boy under the Beast's influence, not so long ago.

Etos was a beautiful child with a delicate look of innocence. He was well versed and generous in the art of sex, lacking only some practice compared to Focker, and of course, he could not compare with William, with whom Leto was bonded for life by magic and true love. There was no trace left of the past aggression, the nose had not been broken, the bruises had gone, and his love canal had been restored and been used more adequately since he had become his page. Being given the position of favorite, which he had sought with all his heart since he had entered the Elysium, had driven out any resentment he could have felt. He had also been easily convinced that the Beast was to blame when confronted with Leto's true self these last days.

The light was subdued, originating from a lighted chandelier six feet away. Leto was looking at himself in the large mirror that stood away from prying eyes, in front of which he dressed every morning, aided by his pages.

The next full moon was in a few days–and the Beast was still there, he could feel it, a shadow lurking in his mind, in his thoughts, and since the previous day, there was more.

He was naked, with one hand spread out and reflected in the mirror, its fingers changed into claws. He brought forward the second one and it changed too. This was not the Beast's will but his own. He was in control, or so it seemed. Would he dare go further? What would happen then?

First, he turned them back into human hands and repeated the process several times. Then he went ahead, fascinated, he was getting taller, thicker, stronger, fur sprouting everywhere on his skin. He was afraid, terrified, but could not stop experimenting. He willed the transformation to stop, and it did, he inverted the process regaining his human form.

Finally, he went all the way. It was strangely painless, his bones and muscles elongated, his skin stretched and hardened, his eyes became alien, his sight transfigured. The Beast stood in the mirror in all its glory and horror.

He smelled the boy getting closer; he heard his soft footsteps on the thick carpets, should he hide?

He went into the shadows and watched the tapestry pushed aside as Etos entered. He was careful that his reflection could not be seen in the mirror.

"My Lord, Are you there?" questioned the boy in a whisper, looking around.

Leto was now right behind him. In this form, with a single strike of his clawed paw he could have cut the child in two, by opening his maw he could have engulfed his head and crushed it, savoring the squishy brains and the jets of blood from his ruptured jugulars, but he did none of that, to Leto's surprise and relief.

"Do not fear, Etos, it is me, Leto." The man, the Beast, had retracted his claws and placed his paw over the child's mouth to silence him. Then, in the same swift movement, he used his other massively muscled arm to encircle Etos' chest, pulling the child against his monstrous frame. Engulfed by the fur and met with the mass of solid flesh, Etos found his neck level with the Beast's ridged and impressive member.

"WWWhat?" mumbled the alarmed boy.

"Quiet, I don't want to awake William or Focker, not yet. I shall not harm you." To reassure the child, he took his paw away from his mouth.

"But what, who are you?" Etos was slowly turning around to discover the creature that stood behind him.

"I am Leto and I am the Beast," he stated simply.

"You will kill me, you will eat me?" said Etos, terrified, tears in his eyes and taking a step back.

"No, I shall not. Do not fear; I am as surprised as can be. I am in control. I have taken the appearance of the Beast, but none of its cravings. This is quite inconceivable but true." He knelt in front of the child to be less menacing and show his good intentions.

"You can change at will?" asked Etos, who was gaining back assurance now that his fate seemed not so dire.

"I don't know; it just happened."

"But you could?"

"I could," and he did, adopting his human form again.

Etos was grimacing at the sight of the transformation that lasted a few minutes.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, getting more confident.

"No, feels just like stretching your muscles."

"Show me the Beast again." The boy was gaining assurance while the man realized how dangerous it was. The Beast could lash out at any time and no magic would save Etos.

"This is no game."

"You said it doesn't hurt. I want to have a good look at it."

The temptation was too great and there was that feeling of unlimited power that went with the transformation and the presence of the Beast. The process started again, his mind sending warnings at every step that he chose to ignore.

Etos was fascinated and oblivious of any danger, coming closer, to touch and caress the fur, one finger following the length of a claw, his eyes focusing finally on the shaft that looked more like a weapon than an organ made for love.

"We should call Tristam and ask him what is happening," said Leto, finding back some reason, "Go fetch him."

The boy's eyes were transfixed, "Wait," he whispered. Fascinated by the Beast's monstrous sex, he extended his hand to touch it. He had always been a determined boy, often too eager, trying too hard to please his Lord and to secure the position of favorite.

"No, you should not do that."

"Why, it is beautiful in a way, this Beast is the most extraordinary creature I have ever seen." Etos was now caressing, stoking, and awakening the quiescent member, which twitched and was now thickening and rising.

"No, this is all wrong, it's only purpose is to main and kill, you have not seen what it can do."

But the boy was not listening, now kissing, scratching, stimulating its hard cartilaginous ridges and the man was taken up by an intense pleasure that forbid him to step back. The blood surged forward and the formidable tool of deadly rapture rose with majesty, its length and girth impressive.

"Wow!" exclaimed Etos, pausing in his ministrations to contemplate his creation.

Leto was too far gone to let him abandon his task, one paw seizing the blond head, gently but insistently to bring him back to his demanding and leaking pole.

The child's two hands and adept mouth were barely able to handle it.

Leto, as far as he could judge, was still in control, he felt the desire to fully possess the boy and penetrate him. He knew the consequence of such an act. He compelled himself successfully to enjoy what was offered to him and nothing more, while recalling the ripped flesh, the cries of pain, the flows of blood. Nothing stopped his coming ecstasy. The organ pulsed and exploded several times.

Etos, satisfied and excited, watched the jets of beastly cum travel a great distance, some hitting the mirror.

Leto recovered after a moment, still stunned after what had taken place.

"This was utter folly, Etos, but what a feeling, incredible, I almost killed you in my human form and here you've serviced me under the Beast guise and nothing happened."

"Nothing, Really?" replied the boy with some humor.

"You have no idea what that thing can do to a child such as you. How many times it has maimed and killed boys, bringing terrible bliss to the creature I still harbor."

"I don't really know about that but I can easily imagine another image. Think of it, the Beast in shining armor on the battlefield, what a sight it would be, what terror it would bring to our enemies." Etos' eyes were wide open: you could easily guess what scenes of glory his mind was creating for him.

"Boy, come back to earth and go fetch Tristam this moment, we need his advice. None of this makes sense. I'll wake up William." As he talked, he was reverting to his human form.

"I don't know if I don't prefer you as the Beast," said Etos dreamily, before putting on a tunic and slipping out of the room.

***

One had to say that the Chasm of Darkness was rather ominous even for battle-wearied men. Long before you reached it, there was something in the air, the whole environment changed, becoming strange and alien.

"We're getting close," said Sandor, his tone of voice betraying his concern. Silence had fallen over the column of riders. The usual chatter coming from so many young boys gathered together had trickled down and then stopped altogether.

Only Alina was her usual self, urging everyone forward.

As the mountains were closing around them, the light was dimming; a grayness was descending upon them.

"Did you ever come this way?" asked Sandor.

"No, this will be the first time."

"How will you find the caves then?"

"I'm not going to spoil the surprise." Alina was enjoying being the only one not taken by the group's unease, and as they rode on, she added, "We will shortly need to light the torches."

Ahead of them, the darkness prevailed, Levit brought his horse as close to Sandor's as he dared, looking around with dread.

Alina told him, "Do not fear, boy, nothing bad will happen to you … as long as you are with me, that is."

Sandor interpreted her words as irrelevant teasing and replied, "It would be better if you tried to lighten the atmosphere rather than scare us with your innuendos."

"Sorry, you're right, Sandor, but truly there is nothing to fear. This is only a dark and strange place. All you should think about is that it will be our gateway to Alsoon and take us away from danger."

This time, her words had a beneficial effect, but some anxiety lingered.

"With so many people with us, don't you worry. Your secret, sooner or later, will be revealed?" asked Astar, "Perhaps we should do something about it."

"The Chasm of Darkness is a big place, and anyway, no one but me can find the entrance to the caves."

"And you won't tell us how?" asked Sandor.

"Not with words," she answered, smiling.

"I was thinking of Tael and Hegron, mostly Tael, he wields magic," insisted Astar.

"Look!" exclaimed Levit before Alina had time to answer.

Twisted trees surrounded them and plants never seen anywhere else, some of them started to glow as they passed.

"What is that?" questioned Sandor.

Suddenly, creatures appeared all around them, their eyes were of unusual shapes, watching the riders with interest, they were small and reptilian with multicolored scales; there were many of them.

"Are they dangerous?" Levit had one hand on the pommel of his sword: he had not forgotten their encounter with the razors not so long ago.

"No, they should not be, but we are entering a world rarely visited. It is time to light the torches," ordered the princess.

"How far to the caves? Do you know?" asked Sandor.

"Perhaps an hour, it seems we've made it."

"I'll say that when we're safe inside. Lead the way."

As one could guess, magic had a large part to play. Princess Alina had no map or instructions to follow. She simply knew how to get there; the instructions had been stored in her brain long ago like with any potential heir to the kingdom. She showed no hesitation as she moved to the head of the column.

The Chasm was not as dark as a moonless night: it was more like going through heavy smoke, with some light refracted by the mountainsides. As they progressed, they met with more of the strange vegetation and fauna that inhabited this peculiar land. They mostly had just glimpses of it. Some were repulsive, like that heap of giant worms slithering on the ground, which they gave a wide berth. Others beautiful and multicolored which was unexpected in such an environment, some birds notably. They also met with quite a few plants or animals that produced a diaphanous light at their passage.

There was no road, trail or any indication that could serve Alina to guide them, still, she was riding at a fast pace and they spurred their horses behind her in a tight group. No one wanted to get lost and left alone in this place.

They could feel the steep mountainside that encased them getting closer, Sandor wondering if the promised caves and passage was a reality until he could discern a small breach just ahead, like an axe blow in the rocky wall that faced them. It was narrow, no more than ten feet wide, at the most. Alina, slowed down to warn them.

"From now on, be sure to keep in sight the rider in front of you, this is like a labyrinth, if you get lost you'll never find an exit. We'll go at a slower pace."

"What about the drak?" asked Tael?

"I'm afraid it's too narrow to fly in there. We will leave it behind us."

The wizard seemed upset by this answer but knew he had no choice; he had to send it away.

Alina stirred her mount forward, they were on the move, and this time without the torches, the darkness would have been complete. At a trot, they followed the princess who at each junction went sometimes right sometimes left, sometimes straight-ahead and it happened many times.

It was only rock all around that pressed on them, the passage occasionally narrowing, a leg or arm grazing the side. It was suffocating for some of them, but they had no choice but to follow and wish for this journey to end.

Their meandering in the labyrinth lasted for a long time, close to an hour, Sandor would have said, but time was difficult to estimate in such conditions.

Alina halted her horse as the sound of running water could be heard ahead; she turned around and told Sandor.

"Tell them to follow the light in the water. They must not deviate from it."

"The light in the water?"

"Yes, the path that will take us to the other side."

Sandor passed the word, not really sure of its meaning. It was revealed only a moment later.

A wide, deep, and fast river was blocking their way. It cut through the mountains, the diffused light was back and you could guess the existence of similar openings in the opposing wall beyond the expanse of water that went straight up to the unseen sky, at least seventy feet away. There was more space around and Sandor was able to move forward beside the princess.

"How do we cross?" he asked, taken aback by the spectacular vista and looking for a bridge or something similar.

"We follow the light," repeated Alina getting off her horse and placing one foot on the frothing water.

Instantly, a lighted path appeared zigzagging to the other bank and she was walking on it, pulling her mount by the reins behind her.

"I'll ask you to care for Losfend and help him across. Would you believe it, he's taken a liking to you despite your rebuffs. Tell them to watch out for the wind; the current is not a problem as you'll see."

After a moment of amazement, Sandor signaled Levit to follow in her steps.

"Do not fear. You just have to mimic everything she does, watch out for the gusts of wind and stay safely on the path." He caressed his soft cheek and gave the boy a gentle pat on the back to embolden him. The child's last experience at crossing rivers had not been a good one.

Levit, with some trepidation, clenched his teeth and set one foot on the water with caution, taking some time to check that, beyond logic, it did not sink, then he brought his other foot forward and started walking slowly with a fair amount of apprehension.

Sandor watched him, attentively making sure he was doing fine; he held back Losfend before sending Kervan on the same route and kept repeating the same counsels to each member of their troop. There was no incident until he, himself, took the path of light with the little boy clinging to him. He was walking on water – the feeling was unsettling, a mix of fear and wonder. As Alina said, the only difficulty was with the cold wind that swept through the corridor of stone and water; on the other hand, you did not feel the current as you stepped forward.

"You are doing fine Losfend el; we are almost there," he said to the trembling boy beside him.

He had had few contacts with him since they had crossed another river a short while ago and recalled the strange arousing feelings the boy had induced then. His lowered gaze, again lost in the child's deep blue eyes, his arm holding him tight, his hand digging into his soft flesh. The stirring in his loins was back. Fortunately, there were only a few steps left to reach the other side.

Once on the other bank, he hurried to let go of Losfend and his mischievous little smile and their journey resumed. All of them were exhausted after almost two days of sustained riding with little rest. The same kind of labyrinth was waiting for them on the other bank of the river, and they had no other choice but to blindly follow Alina's lead.

Sandor was at the end of the column, the last to see the entrance to the caves that would bring them to Alsoon. It was nothing spectacular after what had come before, a simple gateway inside the mountain. Pitch dark, no wider than the path they were on, with a low ceiling that they could easily touch with their hand, once again with branches going right and left, more than enough to get lost forever.

They rode for some time again before they reached what would be the first stage of their journey through the mountain.

Levit, who was right behind Alina, was the first to notice the difference. The passage was getting wider and there was light again way beyond the halo of the torch he was holding. The princess had slowed down her horse waiting for him with a large smile on her face.

"We're safe here and we'll be able to rest, at last."

They were entering a large cave, so big a whole town could easily fit inside, the walls were phosphorescent with a soft light that diffused everywhere. It was not only rock and stone, but plants were also growing inside, and animals as they soon noticed. It was a stunning vision.

Sandor, who had brought his horse level with Alina's, was speechless.

"What is this place?" questioned Levit.

"Am I dreaming?" wondered Kervan.

"You are not dreaming, lad, this is called Estraven by the very few that know of it, and most of them have never seen it."

"Tael, is there any chance the Alliance can find us here?" asked Sandor.

"I very much doubt it."

"They will not," stated Alina. "All those that enter the labyrinth never come out of it." Her tone was definitive and after all they had seen: they believed her.

"Is it the same on the other side?" asked Levit.

"More or less, as you'll see, very soon. First, we will rest and enjoy this place."

"I suppose there will be no need to keep a watch," said Astar.

"Indeed, you are right," Alina answered, "we are all exhausted."

"I have understood that no one could be following us, but what about the animals that live here?" asked Eleander, "and what about…" he added in a whisper and indicating Tael and Hegron with a discreet sign of his hand.

"I do not think there is anything to fear from them; I'm not going to mind if you volunteer, though," said Alina, "as for the animals, they should pose no threat to us."

"I will do it then, as part of my debt and Corran and Samwell will join me."

"Very well, we will stay here for some time, at least until we are well-rested."

They settled in the equivalent of a clearing surrounded by luscious trees and crossed by a small creek of crystalline water; a thick moss covered the ground that would be perfect for laying on. The temperature was agreeable like in summer and most of them took off their traveling clothes to refresh themselves at the creek before going to lie on the moss with their friends or lovers.

***

The Dark Council had gathered for the fourth time, it was under heavy pressure, with dissensions and accumulation of adverse news.

Melchior was convinced that the only way to set things right and stop their disunion would be for the invasion to begin. He had sent many birds to ask for a date to coordinate their actions, but all the answers he received were ambiguous and difficult to interpret. He suspected there was some unresolved problem in the Vale that was being kept from him.

If a decision wasn't made shortly, it was clear that they risked losing some of their allies. The consequence being that the planned attack on Soonlure or more exactly the king's palace, while most of the troops were away, would be jeopardized.

Many members of the council had counted on Leto's submission to the Beast, to see him turn against the king with the consequent dislocation of the army, and a civil war that would have left the kingdom at the mercy of the Alliance and its allies.

The information they received from their spies was not going in that direction. Still, the full moon was only a few days away. They needed it to be decisive and in their favor, otherwise they would have to revise all their plans with the outcome of the invasion becoming much more hazardous.

Melchior had no news from Olgred, which was normal; he expected it would come soon; if the vampire lord was successful, it could mean a lot. If all else failed, they would have one more ace up their sleeve concerning Leto.

Count Kyllian was fuming. He was seeing all of his allies hesitating, all of his expectations unraveling.

"What is that boy doing! He should have been here hours ago."

"Don't be so hard on him; he is a cunning one and cautious. If he is delayed, it is for a good reason." Melchior was himself surprised to be taking Rand's defense. Still, what he said was very true. For once, he had taken a liking to that boy, something that very rarely occurred. He had no ties, trusted no one and all he cared about was his goal of becoming equal with the Archons. It was more than ambitious, perhaps way beyond his grasp, but he was determined, and nothing would stop him.

For him, Rand was a good boy, in the sense that they were like-minded. They always wanted more than they had and were never satisfied. The boy also had a strong liking to inflict pain and suffering and the cages at Trendel had offered him the leisure to exert it fully with and without Melchior. He was much more imaginative and enterprising than his bland and sour father, who, not for one second, would worry about his son's fate, thinking only about his recriminations.

"Was it such a good idea to send him alone?"

"An innocent looking young boy is certainly the best way to gather information in the nearby town market without drawing unwanted attention. That's the place where all the rumors of the moment can be found. We must be sure that Trendel stays as secure as you say it is. With all the comings and goings and despite the fact that it is secluded and well away from the main roads, nothing is certain. He is perfect for that task."

"But he is late. If he was captured, would he talk?"

"Why would he be captured? No one is looking for a boy alone; he'll be as inconspicuous as he needs to be."

"I am losing money; three shipments have been delayed because of your demand for discretion. My clients will be dissatisfied, and also my purveyors who have to keep the captured merchandise; some might need to get rid of it in these circumstances."

"Don't you think there is much more at stake than some gold?"

"First of all, I am a businessman and I must say that your undertaking doesn't look to fare as well as we hoped."

"It is OUR undertaking, may I recall you. True, we've had a few setbacks, but as soon as the Alliance attacks, even if the Beast curse fails, which I doubt, everything will get back on track."

"I wish you to be right. I've lost my castle and position in the kingdom, two of my sons, and all for nothing so far."

Melchior thought of telling him he did not care one bit about his sons and had done nothing to try to save them but was wiser than that. He needed the man's money and influence. Some of the houses were driven according to their conduct during the Archons wars but most of the members of the dark council were motivated by a desire for power, gold, and revenge to be taken for supposed affronts, old grudges, or inequities.

Rand did not return before late that day and went straight to Melchior who was busy feeding his cock to the tattooed 'boy' that still was not named. He had changed his appearance somewhat, cut his hair short, and wore a peasant garb.

"What took you so long?" asked Melchior, not bothering to pull out and fast fucking the poor child's mouth and throat, "I'm almost done, I took out his teeth, this is much better, soft and harmless."

"What a brilliant idea! I want to try him too, may I? I've never had the occasion yet to face fuck a toothless one."

"In a moment, but first, tell me."

"I'm late because I heard at the market that a slave shipment had been intercepted. It was the talk of the town. The captured men were being interrogated, as well as the merchandise."

"Your father?" asked Melchior, giving an energetic pelvic thrust that drove his shaft fully down the boy's throat, to stay there.

"That's what I thought."

"The stupid, greedy bastard! Sorry lad."

"No need for excuses, I know my father. I went to investigate."

"Tell me."

"You're choking him, Melchior."

"Yes, you're right," said the little man, pulling out just enough to let the boy get some much-needed oxygen."

"I was able to get a glance at them; I recognized a few. It appears they haven't talked yet, but the king's men were not done."

"What about the merchandise?"

"They, fortunately, had nothing much to say."

"Whatever, we need to leave this place and the sooner the better."

"My father will be very sorry to lose Trendel and all his stock of slaves. You're right; I do not doubt his men will talk in the end."

"It is well deserved; he put all of us at risk for nothing and it might go further than that. Ahhh!" Melchior came, spraying the child's throat with his seed. "He is all yours now, Rand, but make it fast. We are leaving Trendel."

"That could be for the best; I wanted to get closer to Soonlure, to be there when we take the king's palace. I would love to take my revenge on William's twin for the lack of William himself." Rand was already at work in the boy's mouth with the same determination and callousness as Melchior.

"I don't know if this will be possible, but we'll see. I'll let you take one or two playthings from the cages if you wish."

"I will, and rather two, you know I have a tendency to break my toys lately."

"Finish while I warn everybody. All the council members still present must be gone within the hour. We will not be far behind."

As Melchior left, Count Kyllian, looking for his son, met him.

"I was told Rand has returned and went straight to you." The man did not hide his irritation.

"Count, you're lucky I owe you my freedom; otherwise your stupidity would have been known by the whole council, it could have cost you much more than you can imagine."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ask your son inside. I have important business to attend to, because of you."

Melchior's tone was belittling, he knew it would be infuriating for the count and it delighted him. He still needed Kyllian's name, connections and gold, and he preferred to avoid a discussion with him at that moment. He left without one more word, turning his back on him.

Rand was busy enjoying the boy's toothless and still slightly bloody mouth when his father entered.

"What nonsense have you told Melchior?" asked the irate father.

The boy had not yet been able to get rid of his fear and dependence toward the man that had reigned over his formative years, but he was slowly getting there.

"I told him of your last blunder. You've lost your last shipment to the king's men; it will not be long before they come here. To gain a little, you will lose a lot."

Count Kyllian did not try to deny anything and knew the consequences.

"I have a commitment to my clients; this is the way I run my business. We have to leave this place, pull out of that slut; we have more urgent matters awaiting us."

"Very well, father."

"Change your clothes while I gather the men, you have a rank to maintain. I want to try to salvage as much of the stock as possible. I'll need you, hurry."

"Yes, father."

Rand had no choice but to obey, he ran to his room and dressed according to his father's wishes. Once done, he went to the cage where his toys were stored.

"Who wants to come with me?" he asked the three boys inside. "Come to think of it, none of you. I'll get fresh and unmarked ones, that will be more fun, and I'll want a toothless one too, I'll pull them out myself, one at a time; that should make for some entertainment."

Chapter Twenty-Five

Etos awakened Tristam to deliver the news on Leto's transformation into the Beast. As commanded, they gathered within the large reception tent, soon joined by Bertram, Tamerlane, and Gravenese, all in full armor. Leto sent Etos and Focker away: it was for their own safety. He stationed the Purple Guard outside, in a layered defense. The strict orders were clear: do not let anyone or anything in or out. Those gathered within the tent talked nervously about what they had to do. Leto was becoming impatient. It was time.

"Shall we proceed," said Leto.

"Knights are you ready?" asked Tristam, concentrated on the task ahead.

"We are, as much as can be," answered Tamerlane, hoping they would not have to intervene. Creating a shield wall that faced their lord and meant to protect William and Tristam, the fear showing on their faces, for it was out of the question to use their weapons on their lord, whether human or beast. If it turned bad, Tristam's magic was their only real hope. Tamerlane worried about William: he should not have stayed with them.

"You can start my Lord. Let's do it step by step like you told me it was before."

"Certainly, Tristam, I'm curious to see how this is going to work."

Leto did not have to concentrate much, his extended right hand and forearm were changing, thickening, elongating with the fingers growing retractable claws.

"How is that possible?" wondered Bertram aloud.

"That's the whole question. To this day, I wasn't controlling anything. It started happening a few months back when the full moon was almost upon us, but at that time, I was still the demon's pawn and possessed by his spirit, who guided my actions. I never reached a complete transformation though except on the fateful monthly nights, it only fueled my need for blood and exacerbated my appetite for the most terrible crimes."

"How did you bring it upon this time," asked Tristam on the lookout.

"I don't really know, I just thought of the two days left before the predicted and final confrontation. I looked at my hand, thinking of the Beast, that had not shown itself for a long time, and it happened, just as it did now. At first, I was terrified; I thought of the boys in the bed close by." Leto caught his breath, reminiscing the scene. "But it did not go further; on the contrary, in response to my wish, the hand returned to its normal shape. Then I started experimenting, fascinated, and certainly unwise, I finally went all the way, completing the transformation when I heard Etos waking up and coming my way. Nothing happened of what could be expected; I did not rip him apart, only tried to reassure him and told him not to be afraid. In fact, I discovered he was more attracted than repelled by my appearance. I sent him to fetch you."

"All that we know already," said Tristam, unsatisfied.

"Do you think the magic has worked and vanquished the curse?" asked William, with optimism, "It was expected at the beginning that nothing would happen, and this could be the best surprise of them all."

"Time has taught me to be wary when things are too easy," replied the Magi.

"What else could it be?" asked Leto, who rather liked and welcomed William's theory.

"Show us more, let us see what this Beast looks like, but, as I said, step by step, don't rush things. Knights, be ready for anything."

"We are," said Gravenese, as they pushed their shields forward some to emphasize the point.

Leto started the process slowly, growing in height, his muscles and limbs expanding, his skin thickening, fur covered his body: he was soon barely recognizable.

"Is this what William will have to fight in two days?" said Bertram, appalled when the Beast was finally standing before them.

"It is," said Tristam, "at least that was the plan, so far."

"Better that he doesn't have to do it," stated Bertram.

"It is certainly formidable but harmless for the moment. Are you still there, my Lord?" said Tamerlane.

"I am. So what do you say, Tristam."

The Magi was reciting spells and concentrating. Everybody was waiting anxiously for his answer.

"The Beast is still there; the curse is still at work, sorry, my Lord for the sad news," he said finally.

"This still makes no sense," said Gravenese, why doesn't it attack us?"

"It is meant to come out with the full moon, only," said William.

"But that's not what happened," said Leto.

"What if it was not the Beast but someone else that was doing it?" suggested William.

"Melchior!" said Gravenese.

Tristam agreed, "Using the Archon stone and alien magic to use you like a puppet and increasing the Beast's influence on you. That is a possibility."

"We'll never know if we don't capture him and make him talk. But why am I able to take the Beast's appearance at will?" asked Leto.

"Maybe Melchior's dark magic turned you, but the spirit of the Beast will only come out under a full moon."

"If I understand you, we've defeated Melchior's dark magic, but not the curse of the Beast and the confrontation will take place in two days."

"Yes, Leto, I believe that is true, although I'm not completely certain that Melchior's dark magic won't return, yet, I felt the curse had been weakened.

Tamerlane was skeptical, "Whatever, I don't understand. What do you plan to achieve pitting William against this creature? He hasn't got a chance; he'll be ripped to pieces, or else he would have to kill it, thus Leto."

"No, the goal is for William to hold off the Beast until Leto overcomes it from inside. If they succeed before it can kill or feed, then the curse will be broken.

"That's crazy, that thing will kill the prince and eat him. How could it be otherwise?"

"I cannot be killed," said William.

"What do you mean you cannot be killed?" asked Bertram befuddled.

Tristam interjected, "I created a spell to that effect, the boy is meant to survive whatever happens, but he will suffer, and his pain is meant to awaken Leto's conscience inside the Beast so that he can take his rightful place and vanquish it once and for all."

There was silence among the knights as they registered what had been said.

Tamerlane was thinking practically when he finally spoke up, "Why not simply lock him up every full moon? It seems less risky to me."

Bertram was aghast, "Have you thought of the shape that boy will be in when he comes out of that fight? Why would it be different now? Leto killed scores of boys already, as the Beast. He was never able to change anything to the story."

Tristam tried to explain, "Because he loves the boy and the boy loves him. They are linked."

"Is that all there is to it," said Tamerlane, obviously it was not enough for him.

"Of course not, there is magic too, but without the love they have for each other, it would not work."

Tamerlane continued to probe the plan, "That's better; there was a moment when I thought you had missed something in your grand scheme. You do think it will work?"

"The outcome is not certain, but I can tell you William will survive unscathed."

"That is magic, for sure." ironized Gravenese, watching the terrifying figure standing before them. He himself would have more than second thoughts before fighting it.

Leto's fatalist thoughts were still foremost on his mind, "Anyway, two days from now, we will know what to expect."

Bertram's emotions were starting to relax, as he asked, "What if it doesn't work? Will there still be hope?"

"There is always hope," answered Tristam.

Leto felt the doubts within those around him and sought to bring hope, as he addressed his most loyal subjects, "There has been progress already, what you've seen here would never have been possible before. The influence of the Beast on my mind is gone, and whoever was manipulating me has lost that influence. Each full moon I can be caged, the Beast will not feed on innocent children again. I swear it." Inwardly, Leto was feeling anger at his helplessness.

Tristam expressed with optimism: "I may have found something more to defeat the curse. I need to experiment first. I should be able to present it to you in a day or two."

"Very well," replied Leto, slowly reverting to his human form. I'll welcome any discovery that can help us in this endeavor. I think you can all go back to your beds now."

As the knights and the Magi left, William came to him and they embraced, both very aware of what awaited them in only two days, their love–their best ally–stronger than ever.

***

The labyrinth, and especially this place called Estraven, was truly amazing. Sandor watched as the boys made exciting discoveries, boisterously sharing it with each other … they were boys again, full of energy and living in the moment, as boys do. Soon, the clothes came off as the boys entered the creek to wash out the dust and sweat of the journey in the warm crystalline water. The splashing and horseplay did not last long, as the spurt of energy subsided and two by two, and sometimes three, the thick moss covering the ground welcomed each of them to a deep slumber, at peace for a time.

Eleander, who had volunteered himself, Coran, and Samwell to take a watch, saw the boys resisting sleep as their heads bobbed and finally succumbing like everybody else.

Tael and Hegron were no menace; everyone was exhausted, and just wanted to rest.

The wizard used Berolt as a pillow and took Aeri in his arms; he would be his chosen one to fuck in the morning. Now, like them, sleep overcame him.

Hegron went with Berit.

Astar, with Safir, chose a place from where he could see both.

The many peculiar animals that lived there were wary of the strange visitors, and none of them came close.

The place was as peaceful as it looked, with war and violence left outside.

Levit was the first one to awaken; thirsty, he went to the creek to drink and then returned to Sandor's side, cuddling against him, feeling safe and loved. He did not know how much time had passed, hours certainly. It had been weeks if not months that the constant fear and stress of the next day, the next hour had not left him, but here, now, it appeared to be gone. It was such a relief.

The man beside him had, without doubt, saved his life by adopting him as his squire; he initiated him to the pleasures of the flesh; he showed him love and respect. He would never be able to repay his debt to Sandor, but he would do his best to serve him and be worthy of his trust. He felt a sudden and overwhelming wave of gratitude toward the man that had brought him here.

His upbringing among the Takurs had made him ill at ease in the showing of his body or the ways he could express his affection toward Sandor, notably in the presence of strangers. For once, his present nakedness was of no consequence and he did not care if he was seen with the captain making love. It was one gift he felt ready to give openly and without shame at this moment.

Sandor was sporting an erection, and it appeared natural for the boy to want to honor it, for once taking the initiative.

He looked around out of habit, then hesitated. What should he start with? Kiss the man's lips, which was more romantic or the tip of his cock, which was more direct and to the point. The mood of the place made him choose the first and for good measure, he added the use of one hand to stimulate the wanting member, but first, he took the precaution to grease his hole, using the remnant on the man's pole.

Sandor, always on guard, woke up at once, his hand at first going for his weapons, close by. It did not go that far as he said between kisses, "What a pleasant sight and feeling, my dear Levit el. It has been so long since we could share such a moment of peace without all the worries of war and only dedicate ourselves to our love and pleasure.

Sandor embraced the boy with a passion that he had not been able to express since they had met. Yet he was gentle and as much concerned by the boy's needs as his own. He knew every inch of the child's lovely body but was determined to use the next hour to rediscover all of it.

"How can I serve you best," asked Levit, willing to repay the man for his life and for the love that he received.

"Simply by being the wonderful boy that you are. I'm the lucky one; I'm honored to have met you. You are so beautiful, courageous, trustworthy–desirable."

Levit smiled at being lavished with so much praise.

"Take me then, if you can't resist me," he said, feeling the man's hand kneading his rounded bum cheeks.

"Certainly!"

Sandor raised the boy slightly, aligning his throbbing shaft with its well-known target, and then he thrust forward and upward. His member slipped in effortlessly by one-third of its length. Levit let out a small gasp, as much of contentment as of pain, and then he pushed downward, letting in a few more inches.

"Is it good?" asked the boy, always afraid not to meet Sandor's expectations.

"You're the best I've had, Levit, I tell you. You should know it by now. How many times have you heard those words?

"Yes, I know, but I like to hear them again and again."

"You little devil," said Sandor as he started moving up and down the boy's chute, his hands roaming all over the child's smooth back, playing with the nape of his neck, his dark curls."

"Play with my butt. I like it when you do that."

"Let me tell you you're not the only one; you got a marvelous one, well-rounded and firm."

"What part of me do you like best? Tell me," asked Levit, taking a straight face.

"That's an important question; I need to think it over for some time and certainly sample all and every part of you again, once or twice, before answering."

"I think I would rather like that."

"The little boy is growing up, I see. You're finally losing your prudish manners, at least in your speech. We'll need to confirm that in other areas."

"I think I know which part of me you prefer, though."

"Don't spoil the game, Levit el, we are just starting. Let me finish this round first; our talk has been extremely stimulating."

Sandor effortlessly moved the light frame of the child to the side and then under him, all the while pumping in and out. Levit knew the sequence very well and raised his legs to rest them on the man's shoulders, offering himself to the coming pounding. The angle was perfect and the man an expert, exerting just the right amount of strength and speed to pleasure them both, slowing down only when his juices were about to discharge; he wanted this moment of perfect harmony to last some more.

"Look at those two lovebirds," said Alina, "ain't they adorable together. I'm sure you envy young Levit el and would like to take his place."

Alina was wearing a simple robe that did not cover much; she could not go around naked like everybody else. Losfend was beside her in the nude and sporting a charming erection.

Levit, wide-eyed, did not know how to react. Sandor turned his head at the sound of her voice.

"Continue, Captain, don't pay attention to us, I don't want to deprive you of your pleasure."

Annoyed and frustrated, Sandor pulled out of the welcoming sheath.

"What do you want?" he asked, not trying to hide his irritation.

"What you promised your boy."

"We are not yet done with our travels; no one knows what is awaiting us in Alsoon."

"One more reason to indulge some before our next undertaking. That will be our reward."

Alina was a princess not used to being denied what she desired.

"There are more boys here than you can wish for, pretty ones too, take your pick, and leave Levit el alone."

"Would you refuse me?"

Sandor certainly would have liked to say so. She was an admirable young woman with wit and courage but also infatuated with her rank and power.

"You know I cannot do that."

"Very well then, Levit el, you will come with me. You still have a lot to learn about the art of love, and I am a great teacher. Sandor, since you seem well inclined, you won't refuse the company of Losfend el. He is quite impressed by your coupling with the boy and it is overdue for him to be mounted by a man. See, he is more than ready."

The blond angel was still erect and smiling invitingly.

"Don't you think this is a bit too much, what you ask of me?" The moment of peace had turned sour.

"We all have our duties; I trust you with this precious boy and no one else. You should consider this a mark of esteem. This is not a whim; this boy may play a part in our future. We need to develop his potential."

"And there is no other way?"

"We will know only when it is done. Enough talking, consider it a duty if you find no pleasure in that. Although he told me, you weren't indifferent to his charms. Levit el is not your first boy; he won't be your last; you can certainly honor two at the same time."

"Very well, you've won, but grant me one request."

"Certainly."

"Levit el will be yours only if it is his wish. Let him freely decide."

Alina could not imagine the boy rejecting her demand.

"What do you say, boy? Don't you want to learn how to woo a woman?"

Levit had stood ready to follow her; he straightened his back, his voice and gaze did not falter.

"No, Princess Alina, I am honored, but I'll pass on that."

"Very well, this is sad. You will have to leave them alone while my Eros gets his first lesson, go play in the creek." She turned her back on them and left; she had not appreciated the boy's answer.

"Do you think she'll have a grudge against me?" asked Levit, suddenly worried by his refusal.

"No, have no concern; she's not like that," said Losfend.

"Anyway, I am the one that provoked her," said Sandor, "It's simply that she is not used to being denied what she wants. She'll find someone else. Still, she'll never know what she missed," he added, giving a gentle pat on the boy's right bum. "Go check on the horses and see how everyone is faring. Come back in an hour or so."

"I will." Levit rummaged through his pack and gave the small jar of grease to the man, "Make good use of it. No need to make it more painful than necessary." He winked at Losfend, showing he had no ill feelings toward him, picked up his breeches, and left them.

***

Melchior and Rand left Trendel together after the boy fulfilled his duties for his father. He organized five convoys of slaves going in different directions, hoping it would make the search for them by the king's men more difficult.

Count Kyllian's priority was to reorganize his network and salvage what he could. He said that some of their support came from this criminal activity and that it was not only a question of money, but there were also other places like Trendel all over the kingdom and customers in every city. He probably was not entirely wrong, the profit from this illicit business served to pay the mercenaries that had gathered in Soonlure, for now, hidden in Belvoir and the red quarter where the count, like Melchior, had many contacts.

They hoped to be in Soonlure when the birds arrived with the news of the invasion and perhaps the Beast's conquest of Lord Leto's mind. The later seemed now improbable, but you never know.

This would be the signal for the insurrection. The mercenaries would be their spearhead, but other troops were ready in the suburbs to join the fray.

If they were successful, it would create chaos in the kingdom, cut the supply routes for the army, and give the advantage to the Alliance. They would kill King Aluser. Prince Arthur's fate was undecided: to die like his father or kept as a pawn in the game for power that would follow.

Certainly, Rand knew what he would do with him if he had a say in the matter. They were traveling light and he had been able to take only one of his toys with him. He could not break it right away if he wanted to keep a source of entertainment on the road; he had to be careful. Once in Soonlure, Melchior had promised him he would have as many as he could wish to train on before deciding what torment to inflict onto the prince. Arthur or William, he didn't care, they looked the same and with some luck, he may have a go at both. In the end, they were to be victorious after all.

They halted for the night in the manor of one of their lesser allies.

The man was away with the army, but his wife and two sons were there. The lady of the house was reluctant to let them in; she knew there was a reward on their heads, well Melchior's for sure, and it was dangerous to harbor them. The fate of Count Killyan's sons was well known.

"This will be only for a few hours; we will be gone before the sun rises," assured the little man.

"We will serve diner in one hour, your men can stay in the stables," she announced with a cold voice.

"That will be perfect, my Lady," said Melchior, trying to be amiable.

"Stefan, show them their rooms," she told her oldest son, a comely lad of twelve. He was much more enthusiastic about the visitors than his mother was and was followed everywhere by his seven-year-old brother.

Once settled, Rand went to see Melchior.

"I fear I won't be able to play with my toy tonight, the mistress of the house would not appreciate it."

"You are right, Rand; she is not of that kind."

"Perhaps, I can find another one–or two–under this roof."

"I see what you mean, but be careful, boy, we are guests here. Let's not jeopardize our position."

"Do not fear. You've seen how gullible those boys are. All excited by stories of war and great deeds. I'll play with them and deflower them both, provided the eldest is still a virgin."

"I would think so by the way their mother behaves, it is only normal to repay the Lady for her generosity," Melchior added with a smirk, "but go no further. We have much more important endeavors to accomplish."

"Have they brought your baggage to your room?" asked Rand.

"Yes, it is right there behind the bed. I'll need to take care of it and feed it before dinner."

"Can I have a go at him, too, as an appetizer before the main course?"

"I love you, Rand. I love your wicked sense of humor. We will achieve a lot together; you are so young, with so many years ahead."

Melchior embraced the boy in a never seen show of affection: with his arm around the boy's shoulder, they went around the bed to open the baggage that contained the Archon stone catalyst. They took their pleasure together.

"Heads or tails?" asked Melchior.

"Heads, of course," answered Rand, "I'll keep the tails for later."

They were not late for dinner.

***

Mercenaries were now everywhere in Belvoir: having arrived at Soonlure in small groups by boat and by road over the last two weeks. Orville, the chamberlain, had welcomed them, but they were now forbidden to leave the palace until the coup. They had to keep a low profile and were bored, which was bad news for the pages and squires that had not left with Leto as well as for the maids and serving girls. If they could not use the town whorehouses, then they wanted to fill all of the pleasant and available holes within their reach. It did not bother Orville, whose only preoccupation was to serve the Alliance's interests and avoid any incident that would reveal their presence to the wrong persons.

Memphis, the squire overseer, like all the other boys and palace staff that did not have the complete trust of Orville, were like prisoners in the palace and at the mercy of the libidinous needs of the all-powerful mercenaries.

"Chamberlain, this has to stop, you must do something," said the squire who had asked for a meeting.

"Do not worry; it is a question of days now."

"One more day would already be too much. They have no respect for us. Can't they leave now and go join the army? What are they doing here, anyway?"

"Mind your own business. We must obey the Lord's orders without asking questions."

"This is my business and my duty: I am concerned about the welfare of the pages."

"What do you care? They are here to serve Lord Leto and his guests. You, boys, are copulating in the dormitories and every corner of this palace, this is nothing new."

"It is, those mercenaries are brutal and treat us like cattle. I've tried to shield the younger boys, but I fear it will not last and that a serious incident will occur. At least limit their drinking, they are becoming uncontrollable.

"I'll think about it. In return, I want you to make all of the boys available to them. It is their duty. How many did you hide from our guests?"

"Not that many."

"I am sure that you lie, and to punish you, we will prepare a special event for our guests. Without exception, I want all of the boys to gather in the grand hall tomorrow afternoon, where they will be auctioned. They will serve the mercenaries' pleasure. It will be good for the troop's morale."

"It cannot be, even Lord Leto would never do such a thing."

"He would and he did much worse. Don't forget to include the choirboys; their throats will serve a different purpose that day. Go now and do not disobey me, or you will suffer for it."

Memphis was furious when he left Orville. Flint, eleven since the previous day, a beautiful boy from the Isles was waiting for him outside the chamber, hidden behind a tapestry.

"What did he say," he demanded but knew the answer just by looking at his lover's face.

"He wants you and all the pages to be auctioned to the mercenaries: his only concern is to entertain them whatever the cost to us or anybody else, we count for nothing. I can tell you that you will not be subjected to it."

"Is there a way out?"

"There must be one."

"What if I'm not there? And what about the others?"

"I'll have to think of something. Careful, people are coming."

Flint slipped behind the tapestry again as four of the dreaded mercenaries appeared at the end of the corridor, coming their way.

As they got closer, he saw they were officers, no better than their troops, one of them exclaiming, "One more of those pretty boys. Ain't you interested, Braum?"

"This one's too old. I like the hairless ones, haven't seen too many of them around here yet. I like it when they wriggle and moan at the tip of my cock."

"We'll ask Orville; he must be hiding them somewhere. Is he in here, squire?" asked the taller one.

"He is; I just left him."

Without one more word, they entered the room, leaving Memphis alone.

"Come on, Flint; let me take you back to the others. I should have never listened to you; you see how dangerous those corridors can be for you."

"I see, but staying hidden like that is boring, I wanted to stretch my legs and be with you. We haven't had time to celebrate my birthday, as you promised. Can we do it now?"

Flint was Memphis' weakness: he seldom refused him anything.

"There's nothing I would like more than spending the next hour with you."

"It's my birthday; you have to say yes."

"Very well, you've won. Lead the way and be careful. It will be an occasion for me to let go of my worries for a time."

Flint, with a large smile, hurried down the corridors while stopping at each intersection to make sure the way was clear. They did not have far to go before they reached the safety of the secret rooms where Flint and others spent their days since the arrival of the mercenaries.

The view of the scantily clad child and his bouncing lovely pert globes ahead was enough to change the mood of the squire, who, soon, with the ardor of youth, was only thinking of the moments of pleasure awaiting him.

***

Sandor, with the jar of grease in one hand, beckoned the young boy closer.

His erection that had gone down during his exchange with Alina was now hardening again, stronger than before. The same phenomenon was taking place: the child's proximity had an undeniable effect on his libido and excitement. He disliked being deprived of the control of his feelings but had to make the best of a bad job. One thing was certain: he did not want the innocent boy to suffer from this task, given to him by Princess Alina.

Losfend, for his part, did not appear in the least apprehensive when faced with losing his virginity. On the contrary, he was embracing it with enthusiasm, throwing himself in the man's arms, rubbing his smooth and blemish-free little frame against the much bigger one of Sandor.

The man, fortunately, had enough experience to know how to handle the almost virgin child. He would take the required time to prepare the boy and do his best to make his initiation into man-boy sex the most pleasurable possible. He would not be the first boy he deflowered, far from it. Levit was not his first Eros: many had preceded him, although the bond between them had never been that deep and strong. That boy had been a blessing in such troubled times.

Sandor now gladly accepted the signs of affection and enthusiasm lavished on him by the blond angel and reciprocated in the same manner. He was a beautiful child that any man, so inclined, would have wanted to possess and love. Losfend raised his head and kissed him with an open mouth and without any hesitation or reserve, their tongues met, engulfing Sandor in a tempest of desire he did not expect. His gaze plunged into the blue orbs facing him, and his world became centered on pleasuring the adorable creature embracing him, it was intense and irresistible, he now regretted he had not responded to Alina's wishes earlier.

"Take me, fill me," pleaded Losfend, with a lascivious tone, way beyond his years.

"Wait; there are preparations to be done."

Sandor had almost forgotten the small jar of grease still in his hand. He hurried to uncork it, scooping a large amount with two fingers. He had nothing to say, Losfend turned around on all fours, presenting his tempting behind and without delay spread his cheeks.

"Hurry, I want you," he insisted, "I can't wait."

Sandor was taken aback by such enthusiasm, all the boys he had known had been hesitant and fearful their first time. None of them ignored that there could be pain. Sandor's desire was now strong enough to disregard caution. Fortunately, to his surprise, his two fingers were swallowed at once and without effort, as if the child's sphincter had dilated to let them in, and the same muscle that had let them pass now held them firmly inside.

"Does it hurt?" he questioned the child.

"Not at all. Go ahead; I'm sure I can take you."

"Not yet, this is strange," said the man who presented a third finger at the entrance; it went through the same way without a glitch followed by a fourth.

"That's impossible." This boy was definitely very special. The muscle did not resist his penetration in the least, but once it had closed around his fingers, its grip was incredible.

"Ride me, why wait any longer?"

"Why indeed?" concurred Sandor, who saw no reason to postpone the next step and eager to know what surprises and sensations awaited him.

Forgetting caution and reason, he plunged his stone-hard rod inside, where it was easily welcomed as the fingers before. Lofsend showed no pain, only giving a long moan of pleasure and pushing back until he could feel the thick patch of the man's pubes slapping against his smooth butt. It was Sandor this time that gave a cry of contentment.

The ridge of flesh had closed around his shaft like a vise, each movement to and fro bringing him wonderful feelings, and there was more: the boy's chute on the entire length of his member was exerting a sweet pressure, massaging it, its warmth enveloping it. This was like nothing he had ever known.

"Oh! God!" he could only say.

"Faster," demanded Losfend, rocked with each powerful thrust of the man behind him.

Sandor could only oblige, his solid member sliding faster and faster, in and out, without restraint while the vise grip of the sphincter remained, a paradox his mind did not question. This was the best ever, on the physical sense, of course, but there was more, there was an energy coursing over the boy's satiny skin. He felt how precious, how important was the child in his arms; there was a communion, a sense of sharing that was overwhelming. Levit, his love of the previous hour, minutes, was fading away, not forgotten but appearing so ordinary compared to this.

After a short time, he thought he was about to discharge, but he stayed on the edge, ready to climax anytime and for a long moment. When it came, his orgasm was cataclysmic. His arms and legs had to let go and he crushed the boy under his weight, trying to catch his breath, regain his spirits after this incomparable feat.

He did not pull out; he wanted more, his member hardened at once, ready for a second round. Still embedded, he turned the child around, bringing him face to face. He appeared as entranced as the man was, recuperating from his multiple dry cums.

"Again," was the only word Lofsend pronounced, offering himself.

"What are you?" asked Sandor, not expecting an answer as he dived in, not knowing if he would ever be able to stop the exquisite pounding, his pubes regularly slapping against the young flesh. The moss under the child cushioned their lovemaking as they embraced and kissed passionately.

***

"I'm done," said Tristam, rather happy with his work.

Right after leaving Leto, he called for Hobb, with Atlan and Betan, the twins.

They were among the twelve boys from the dark harem that had stayed with the army. The others, including Count Kyllian's sons, had been sent away in a secluded place and would stay there at least until the end of the war. Tristam had tested each one of them, accepting Tamerlane's request to decide what could be done with them.

He put down his quail and inspected the sigils he had drawn on the three boys' skin. Lichan was by his side, giving his approval. He had to say that despite his tiredness, this drawing session had been extremely agreeable. The boys were comely and good company. He was sure to need Lichan's services as soon as he was done with his research.

"Now, let's see who wants to be first?" he asked the three boys.

All hands shot up, that first task was nothing new for them. Lucian had told him they indulged in it as often as possible without any bashfulness and did not care if there was an audience.

"I'll do Betan first," declared Hobb.

The boy was in position in seconds, Hobb presenting his not so modest tool at his friend's gate, some spit, and he was in, plowing away with gusto. Tristam envied their youth and enthusiasm; it was exactly what he needed to prove his theory.

Betan did not take long to achieve his first dry cum and then his second. Hobb held back his own pleasure, as Tristam instructed, using different techniques he had learned from his time in the whorehouse.

"Look, it's happening," exclaimed Lichan, pointing to the sigils on Hobb's back that were changing, moving on the smooth skin as living animals.

"Yes, I see it," said Tristam.

"It is not dangerous?" asked a nervous Atlan, who saw the same phenomenon occurring on his twin.

"No, it should not be, on the contrary, the magic contained in those symbols is reacting to the emotions and feelings of Hobb and your brother. From my recent experience, it reinforces their strength and welfare. The next step will tell us if it can also help them face adversity." Tristam did not add that phase might be more dangerous for them or at least disagreeable.

"I don't understand. When I was with Melchior, they did not protect me from the pain and misery, the hunger and thirst."

"No, that is because they were meant and used to pour all the energy they produced into the Archon stone placed in your bowels. This magic works with emotions, the bad ones and the good ones, it creates energy taken from you in the first case, and on the contrary, given in the second case."

"Sex is a good emotion?" asked Lichan.

"Given the right circumstances, I would say yes, the best," said Tristam, "Don't you think so?" he added, taking the boy's hand.

Lichan looked at him with a loving smile on his charming face that melted the old wizard's heart. "I do, given the right circumstances." The boy did not forget how he had been used and often mistreated before he met Tristam.

"There is no white and black magic; it is all the same as every force in the universe. It depends on the wielder and his intentions.

The two boys on the bed were not really listening, too occupied by their shared delight. Atlan watched with intensity, fingering his own erection: wanting to join their very joyful games.

"Go," said Tristam, who saw his desire.

Climbing on the bed, he positioned himself behind Hobb, finding immediately with a little shove where his erection belonged. The view was truly enjoyable for the older man, the purpose of it all forgotten for a moment.

The Magus did not interrupt them for the next twenty minutes. They were certainly randy boys who knew how to satisfy each other's needs. He took that time to play with Lichan, taking him on his knees and slipping his hand in his breeches while exchanging sweet kisses. He would have gladly participated in the romp on the bed, but this was not the time, and the boy in his lap was enough for his happiness. He recognized he was tempted, though.

It was soon apparent the boys could have been at it all day, but Tristam knew he had to put a stop to it and continue with the experiment. Standing up to address the boys, he said, "Very well, children, let's get back to business."

Too caught up in the moment, they did not immediately listen and continued to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh.

"One more minute, let me finish," exclaimed Hobb, who was now embedded in Betan, and accelerating his rhythm to finally reach his climax, sending a jet of clear fluid up Betan's colon as Atlan experienced a dry cum. Spent but still erect, they separated to face the Magus.

"What do you want us to do now, will you take off your clothes, you're certainly welcome to join us with Lichan," said Hobb, always ready for novelty and observing the new boy with interest.

"Unfortunately, no, it will not be so. I will pronounce some spells and see what effect they have on you."

"It's been quite fun, so far. We don't mind," said Betan.

"It will be nothing too extreme, do not fear, but if you are troubled in any way, just tell me."

Tristam tried some mild things at first, like ice and fire, and the sigils responded as they had done when he had experimented with Lichan. They were repelled or attenuated.

"Seems to be working fine, did you feel something."

"A chill," said Atlan.

"It tingled," said Betan.

"It felt warm," said Hobb.

"Let's try something else now. Stand up, and I'll send a spell to push you back and make you fall. I want you to resist it and stand your ground. Can you do that?"

"Of course we can," replied Hobb, mocking, "Is this all you can do?"

"Wait till you've seen it."

Tristam said a few words, and the air in front of the three boys took a life of its own.

The smiles were gone from the boys' faces, it was strong, and they had to gather all their resources to keep from being blown away.

With a final gesture, the Magus sent them sprawling on the bed.

"Boys, you can resume your games. You've been very helpful. I have some preparations to make now."

"Is that all?" asked Betan.

"It is. I think I've seen enough to reach a conclusion." Tristam could have used many other spells to test his theory, but he judged he had enough information to confirm and determine the effect of the sigils with enough accuracy. Without them, the boys would not have landed on the bed; they would have been sent across the room to crash against the wall.

"Can I stay with them?" asked Lichan.

"If that is what you want," answered Tristam. I think Hobb will be very pleased with your company."

"He'll take good care of him," said Atlan, a broad smile across his face.

"I'm sure he will, I trust him. Don't exhaust him, boys, I think I might need him later," finished Tristam as he left them with regret.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Sandor could not take his eyes or hands off Losfend, his obsessive lust for the boy on display for all to see. Their lovemaking a few hours before serving to arouse rather than quench the captain's sexual desire for the boy – it was as if Sandor was under a spell.

Levit was quietly angry. He resented Losfend for taking his place, and despite Sandor's attempts to prove it otherwise, he understood that nothing would be the same anymore.

Alina was thoroughly amused, knowing what she had done and enjoying the concupiscence that Sandor struggled to control. She sent Losfend away; otherwise, she would not have Sandor's attention.

"What did I tell you? You were meant for each other, Losfend is beaming; he's never been so excited and happy since I met him. I'm sure we'll get great results if you keep at it."

"I don't see how it could be otherwise, after such a romp I should be drained in every sense of the word but on the contrary, I've never felt in better shape, only wanting more. All the weariness of our travels and before that, the weight of weeks of fighting… gone. I must admit that he is a very special boy, like no other."

"It is more than that, I think it would not have worked that way with someone else, you're attuned to each other. I believe Magic is leading us; there have been too many coincidences. Powers are at work and I think they are on our side."

"We would certainly need that and after what I experienced I might agree with you. It was magic indeed; there can be no other word to describe it."

"Poor Levit el, I fear he'll be spending a few very lonely nights from now on."

"Don't say that, I love the boy, I'll keep taking care of him."

"Of course, what else can you say? Tell him he's welcome to visit my bed at any time; I'm certain this will happen sooner than you think. The link with Losfend is too strong; I saw it as soon as you were done. There will be no place for Levit, whatever you do, it is sad but true."

"I hope you're wrong and I'll try to prove it."

"We'll see. Now it's time to leave and resume our journey. Where has everybody gone?"

***

While the princess and the captain talked, Levit and Losfend were left together sizing each other up. There was some animosity on the part of Levit, who felt dispossessed of his loving relationship with Sandor. It had happened in a matter of minutes, without warning, and there had been no need for words: the boy had known it as soon as he had seen them. They were like newlyweds, touching, looking at each other with longing at every moment. He had seen the efforts of Sandor trying to hide this sad reality but it was impossible. There would be no going back, he had no way to fight it, what was done was done. He felt like crying.

"Do not fear," said Losfend taking his hand, he still loves you. No magic can break that. He has been overcome by the power that lives inside me, but it will pass and everything will be like it was before if you accept me by your side."

"What?… What did you say?" asked Levit, looking at the younger boy with teary eyes.

"I say you should not worry, all will be fine: you have lost nothing."

"How do you know that?" Levit did not want to believe what he had just heard. Was Losfend mocking him? Besides taking Sandor away from him? It was cruel.

"I'm telling the truth. You know that I'm a special boy. Trust me."

It was certain that Sandor's reaction had not been natural. Levit looked at the man talking a few paces away. They had been together only a few weeks, two months at the most, but he knew him well. They had gone through many trials together and their ties were strong, and could not go away in a few minutes.

Even if what Losfend said was not true – everybody said that magic was leaving this world, one way or another – he would find a way to regain Sandor's love.

Now if it was magic that was at work he could not refuse Losfend's help. A tentative smile was forming on his lips.

"I'll trust you."

Losfend reached his hand out in friendship while saying, "Good, you see it's that easy."

The sensual touch as their hands met, instantly brought Levit's pricklet to a rock hard erection and he suddenly bent forward to kiss the younger boy's ruby lips with strong emotions. Losfend, in turn, wrapped one arm around Levit's neck, bringing the two together in a loving embrace and passionate kiss, while his other hand found Levit's crotch, rubbing it expertly and triggering a strong emotional reaction. Levit was taken over and losing himself in that moment when Sandor returned.

Sandor stopped in his tracks at this sight, he felt an overpowering desire to join them, undress them: make love to them. As his new and insatiable lust for Losfend took control of his thoughts, the effect was double, for Levit, now, was also the object of Sandor's craving.

The man's worries for the boy left him. Levit would not be rejected as he had feared, on the contrary, he would be an integral part of this new loving trio, and Alina would receive little for her efforts, as Levit would desert her bed for at least the remainder of their journey.

***

Tael was pounding Aeri's ass with great delight, he had not said one word to Berolt or touched him since they had awakened, while complimenting the other boy for his looks and talent at receiving his cock.

Tael had been playing games with his two pages. Each one had a very specific use and role. Aeri, the pretty one, he would fuck often and praise for everything he did, whether it was justified or not. He would ignore Berolt, except to criticize and chastise him unfairly as much as possible. He would play one against the other: it would make for a good distraction along the way.

Except for Hegron, Tael planned to fuck every boy in their troop, taking advantage of any occasion when they were separated from the others, as he had done at the outpost with Corran. He notably was very much anticipating raping the captain's boy, Levit, who was comely enough, he would be more wary of the Princess's eros, who, it appeared, could use magic. Hegron was still a thorn in his side; he needed patience for that one, although in the end, he would have his revenge one way or another and was determined to get more than the compensation they had deemed him worth.

As Tael's thoughts returned to the boy under him, he looked down to see the nice rhythm he had going, Aeri was a good fuck, the boy was on all fours, with his butt in the air, the perfect position, and with a sharp slap to each of his bum cheeks, he began to ride him harder. The only difficulty Tael had was tempering his enthusiasm to avoid hurting the boy, and stay within the limits he had given himself. The problem was that it was not in his habits, as he rather liked to elicit pain, and not only to show his boys who was the master but also because he simply took pleasure from it. Well, for a while he could certainly restrain himself since he would be able to play this game with the many other boys at his disposal.

He was getting close, "You're the best, Aeri, such a welcoming ass with lovely skin and body; I think I made the right choice with you. Not so sure about the other fat one though, I don't see what other use I have for him except for a pillow at night."

"Why did you pick him up then," asked the boy, rocked by the wizard's powerful thrusts.

"Out of generosity, I fear. I felt he was segregated among your group, I wanted to help but now I don't really know what to do with him."

"No, sir, believe me, he was well-liked and had his place among us. You are mistaken."

"If you say so, damn, your tight ass is a true delight, I don't think poor Berolt can compete. I like it rough and hard, tell me if it hurts."

"It is fine sir, do as you like."

"Good boy, you're the best." Since the boy gave his approval, he had no reason to hold back anymore, and for five long minutes, he pounded the poor boy's firm bottom, gaining in momentum until everything blurred. He did not doubt it was too much for the eleven-year-old boy under him but did not care. He finally reached his climax, crushing the boy under him, who collapsed to the ground.

"You're the best, boy," he said again, as he covered Aeri with kisses, not caring about the child's obvious discomfort, if not pain, after his final assault. "Can't wait to do it again. What about you?"

"I am at your service, sir," Aeri replied without conviction.

"Look, I'm getting hard again, get back in position. You're all stretched and ready for a second round, I'm sure."

Tael delighted in the look of distress taking hold of the boy's face. He loved the reluctant moves as he was getting back in position, slapping his generous cheeks as soon as Aeri was up again.

"I'm joking; I'm spent, thanks to you. Sorry to deprive you of that pleasure, we'll have a go later as soon as I'm back in shape. Let's see what the others are up to. Berolt, clean the place and pack everything on the horses, we'll be leaving soon."

***

Elegir entered the chasm with caution: this place reeked of an old and alien magic, which he did not like. He was used to being powerful and feared, always sure of himself. No one, nothing, dared resist him, and since this chase had started, he felt like he had lost control: it was unacceptable.

"What did the scouts tell you?" he asked Siturd, the head of the wreckers.

"Nothing good, they followed the runaways to the mountainside and discovered a narrow opening that led to some kind of labyrinth going deep inside. We sent two groups of ten warriors to explore and see where their trail would lead – not one of them came back. We were waiting for you to know what should be done next."

Elegir did not answer right away.

"Let's set up camp close to that opening in the mountain, do not send any more men. I will use my magic first to decide how to proceed."

What should have been an easy and major victory, capturing Hegron and Princess Alina together in a cul-de-sac with no possible escape was in jeopardy, and Elegir suspected there was more. Why come here to this strange and inhospitable place? Where could that unexpected passage lead them? To the other side? This would be a terrible blow to the Alliance. They would be in Alsoon, and Alina could seek help and allies among their neighbors. Hegron and Tael had vital information that they could use to seek asylum. That was the worst scenario imaginable. Fortunately, none of it was certain yet, a passage, a way to Alsoon through the mountains had never been heard of. They were perhaps only looking for a refuge in the labyrinth. There could be secret caves where they thought they could hide. He had to get to the bottom of it and fast.

An hour later, standing alone in front of the breach in the wall, Elegir was concentrating and readying himself to explore what lay ahead. He would need nourishment and would use the five children held close by to feed his magic.

Salgar was again watching the proceedings with concern. He did not like this place any more than the High Priest did. They had brought more troops and should be safe but it would be easy to lay traps in such an environment. He felt Elegir's own uneasiness, which was even more worrisome. His only wish was to be sent back to the army, away from these mountains and what they might hide. Unfortunately, it was more likely they would be sent forward to search that labyrinth. He looked intently at Elegir's face, trying to decipher his expressions and guess if his fears were to be confirmed with inauspicious news.

With a sign of the hand, Elegir was asking for a child, then another and a third, absorbing their life force with brutality in an instant, he did not show the usual pleasure he took from that act, only a necessity.

The whole thing lasted no more than ten minutes. The general saw him sagging slightly, before regaining his composure. He did not dare ask for the outcome, it would come soon enough.

Elegir stayed silent, pacing in front of the two captives left, and then he took one by the hand and went to sit with him, placing him on his lap. Salgar followed.

"What is your name, child?"

"Nox," answered the boy, certain that death was about to take him.

"What a strange name," said Elegir caressing the child's hair. "You are so pretty, would you like to keep me company for some time?"

The question was unexpected and the boy indeed handsome.

"As you wish, sir," he answered with a trembling voice.

"And would you give me willingly some of your life force?"

"If you want it, sir." His face had paled but he tried to stand straight and not show his fear.

"Come and kiss me then." Elegir's tone had lost its usual harshness, talking to the boy as would a gentle uncle.

Nox hesitated but finally raised his head and presented his lips to the man. He had no choice.

Elegir smiled and covered the boy's mouth with his own. This time, he was delicate and took only a sip breaking the contact after a minute.

"You taste good," he said. "I'll take you with me on our trip to Alsoon. Would you like that?"

"I don't know," answered Nox, surprised to be still alive.

"Good answer." Turning his head, Elegir called out, "Salgar!"

"Yes, my Lord?" The High Priest's behavior baffled the general: it was unprecedented to his knowledge and out of place in such a situation.

"We are going back to Cal Marat. Send messages to ready the army for the invasion. We are leaving this place."

"What about Hegron? the Princess?" asked Salgar, trying not to show his relief with his questions.

"There is an old magic in this place and it is stronger yet in the mountains. I have not been able to see through it. We must presume the worst: that there is a passage to Alsoon and the consequences will be terrible. We cannot wait; we must start the invasion as soon as possible."

"I'll give the orders right away. We can leave within the hour." He felt compelled to add, "Still nothing is certain, they could always be hiding in there, within our reach."

"They could, but it would be against every logic and we cannot take the risk. Anyway, Siturd with the wreckers will stay and keep trying to capture them."

It was apparent he did not believe one word of it. What had he seen with his magic? What would be the fate of the boy, Nox? What use did he have of him when so much was at stake?

***

"What is going on here, our boys are taking drawing lessons?" asked Leto, amused, as he entered Tristam's tent with William.

Licham, Hobb, Atlan and Betan were seated at tables, each of them with paper, a quill, and ink, busy trying to accurately copy the sigils that had been painted on their skin earlier, they were naked and serving as a model to each other. It was a lovely sight.

"You could say that," said the Magus, "and this is only the beginning. I ask of you to have all the pages and squires come here and learn how to paint those sigils, that is, after I am done with you and William."

"Really? Your experiments have been that successful?"

"Yes, you can say that. I have a few more tests to perform, mostly on William."

"William, again, I hope it doesn't hurt?"

"It should not."

"You're not sure?"

"Well, it might, but not much. As you know it is for a good cause."

"I know, still I am sorry for him. I saw the excruciating pain he went through when the Beast ripped him to pieces. I would not wish that on my worst enemy. Well with the exception of Melchior, to say the truth."

"I don't mind, if it is to ensure our victory, I'm ready for anything," said the prince with determination. "Why do you want them to learn to draw those sigils? Can't you do it yourself?"

"I would say it might even be dangerous to have too many people know of them or worse to learn how to use them," added Leto, concerned.

"I understand your reticence, this is not yet decided, and I think we will have to give it some thought before going further. I'll be a better judge of that question once the outcome of your fight with the Beast is known," replied the Magus.

"It is coming closer. Only one night left until the full moon," said William with a catch in his voice.

"That's the reason for your presence here; we have no time to waste, undress, and I'll get to work right away."

"What do you plan to do, exactly?" questioned Leto.

"I'll paint sigils on William's body as I did for those boys earlier. Then I'll test their effect on him and see how it interferes with the magic that already lives within. My hope is that it will make it stronger and more effective."

William had taken off his clothes and was standing naked and beautiful in front of them, catching the attention of Hobb, who stared with an appreciative look.

This caught the attention of Tristam, who knew from Licham, Hobb's intense sexual activity the entire day in one of the wagons. The boy was never satiated nor tired of sex.

"Stay attentive to your studies," he scolded the boy gently, you've had enough fun today. William, get on this table, and I'm sorry it is not as comfortable as I would like."

"On my back or my belly?" asked the boy.

"On your back, we'll start there."

Tristam had to say that he had no difficulty liking the work he performed on these lovely boys and he would have volunteered to treat all the pages in Leto's retinue if he had the time. William was certainly one of the most ravishing of the bunch, with his lean and perfectly proportioned body, his full and firm buttocks, his perfectly smooth skin that had taken a golden tint since they had been on the road. He did not resist letting his hand caress it as if to prepare it for the sigils he was about to draw. "Licham, bring me my papers." The boy jumped from his chair and hurried to gather his reference guides, this was not the moment to make a mistake.

Licham put the guides down on the table, brushing Tristam in an inviting way and bringing a smile to the old man. He was his little love, and however many boys were to lay on this table with their charms and appeal, Licham would stay his first, if not his only, choice.

"And what about me, Magus, will you draw those things on me too?" asked Leto.

"That is one more question that is not yet resolved."

"We're running out of time," said Leto, standing beside the table, his hand lost in William's golden locks."

"I know. I am quite certain that the sigils will protect anyone that wears them from our enemy's magic; perhaps they can do even more than that. It is the reason why I would propose to paint them on as many of your knights as possible. They will have to face the spells of our enemy's wizards on the battlefield. I have little doubt about that."

"That sounds like a great idea indeed but what about me?"

"The problem with you is very similar to the one I have with William. Like him, there is a magic woven inside you: the curse. Worse, that magic we must suppose came from the same source as those sigils. If I draw them on you, who will they reinforce? You or the Beast?"

"I see the dilemma and I don't like it. Still, I have been told that those sigils you use favor the good and their power is strengthened by our lovemaking."

"Unfortunately, magic is not, by essence, good or bad, it is an energy, a power that can be molded, used the way the wielder wants.

"But you told me Melchior obtained it through pain while you used pleasure and love, there's definitely a difference."

"There is, but I did not have time to assess it. At this moment nothing is certain, it could make you stronger, or on the contrary fight you and take side with the Beast."

"What are the odds?"

"Far as I know, it's a roll of the dice."

Tristam had started painting and the conversation stopped on an ominous tone. Leto was pensive and exchanged a smile with William who had turned his head toward him. Our love will prevail. We will be stronger than the curse. We don't need any more magic to win that fight.

It was almost an hour later when Tristam judged his work done. William's skin now adorned with sigils front and back, down his thighs and arms. They were pleasing to the eye and rather enhanced the boy's natural beauty.

"You have talent Tristam, I did not know there was an artistic side to your magic," said Leto, admiring the new William standing before him. Perhaps you should keep them, is it fitting for a prince?"

"I don't know," answered the boy, looking for a mirror but there was none, "How long will they stay?"

"Perhaps a month or two before they fade away but we can also wash them off if need be."

All the boys stopped drawing and looked at the prince. The work done on him was much more elaborate than what they had been given.

"What should we do now?" asked Leto.

"The same as we did," said Hobb. "Have sex! I'm ready to join." The boy's eagerness was clear in his voice and he sported an engaging erection he was obviously proud of.

"You're right, that is exactly what they will be doing for the next hour, or more if they wish to. I'm curious to see the result of that on the sigils. The Magus was learning with each experiment, refining his knowledge and the efficacy of his work, or so he hoped. "I'm sorry, Hobb, it is better not to interfere with them, they have a very special upcoming task," he added benignantly.

"Very well, this is one experiment we will gladly participate in, get dressed, William, and let's go find our bed," said Leto, his loins stirred by this sudden arousing turn of events.

"Wait, no need to leave, you can use my bed at the back and there is one more thing I want to try," said the Magus picking up a knife, "Come with me."

They followed, with Leto letting one hand course over the boy's glorious skin to settle on his naked butt before quickly pulling it back, thinking of the sigils there. There was no harm done, as the paint or whatever Tristam had used, was dry, and had not smudged.

The Magus, after entering the chamber, drew the flap isolating them from the other part of the tent.

Tristam, reaching out, said, "Give me your arm, William."

Leto, concerned, spoke up, "You'll hurt him, again."

"I've done much worse before, isn't that true, William?"

"Yes, he did, he wanted to be sure the magic worked. It lasted for days."

"I'm sorry, my Prince," said Tristam contrite.

"You must not be; you did your duty, just like now."

William put his arm forward and Tristam used the knife to cut the skin and see how fast it healed.

Nothing happened; the skin could not be cut.

"Is it a blunted knife?" asked Leto.

"Certainly not," answered Tristam, a large smile on his face putting more pressure on the skin that still resisted, "I never expected such an auspicious result.

"Will you try something more extreme?" asked William with a mix of curiosity and apprehension, eyeing a sword and an axe in a corner, ready for use.

"No, that will be all for now. I'll leave you to do your own, very pleasurable duty. Should I tell the boys to dress and send them away to better keep your privacy?"

"There is no need. We are all used to promiscuity."

Tristam left them and as he closed the tent flap, he looked at Lichan with longing.

***

When Rand woke up in the early morning, one of the boys, the oldest, was still with him in the bed, the other trussed up on the carpet beside it. It had been a very eventful night.

Melchior had been very displeased with the attitude of their host and the dinner had ended on a sour note.

"I do not trust this woman," said Melchior to Rand, "I'll tell the men to watch over the manor and not let anyone leave it."

"I told her boys to join me in my room as soon as their mother kissed them goodnight. Should I cancel the night's fun?"

"No, on the contrary, do whatever you want with them, the more extreme the better. It is the least that bitch deserves." The small man's eyes were pensive: an idea was taking form.

"But, what of the consequences? I planned to be rough with them within limits, so that they did not have to complain later." Rand's mind was starting to understand what Melchior's intentions were.

"It won't matter, by morning, when we leave, only death will reign over this place."

"Isn't it a bit risky? Won't it signal our passage, or at least bring unwanted attention?"

"With some luck, the bodies won't be found for a day or two. It's a small place with no more than twenty people at the most, only five guards, old people, women, children, the rest are gone to war with the head of the house, piece of cake for our men." Melchior's face was ecstatic at the idea of the coming mayhem and Rand thought he was overreacting. They had more urgent and important matters at hand than to punish that woman. Still, having his ways with her two boys had a strong appeal.

"What shall I do then?"

"Have your fun; just don't make too much noise until the deed is done. I'll take care of everything… come to think of it, wouldn't it be nice if people thought the king's men had committed the crime? I'll forge clues, it will add to the confusion. Anyway we'll be far from here before anything transpires from it."

Rand went to his room waiting eagerly for the boys visit and while stroking his young member devised a few games to perform with them.

There was a knock on his door less than twenty minutes later and he ushered them in, in silence. Stefan, the older brother, was obviously annoyed by the presence of his younger brother, Lutz, but he had no choice, he did not want him to make any fuss or let their mother know that he had left his bed.

"I haven't been able to keep him away, I'm sorry," he said in a whisper, embarrassed.

"You shouldn't be. You'll see he can have his uses, you did well." Rand had not bothered to put any clothes on, and his erection was well in view of the two children who looked at it with interest and bashfulness.

"How come?"

"Take off your nightgowns, both of you. I think you have a lot to learn."

Young Lutz followed suit immediately, happy to be part of the older boys' games and not sent back to bed.

Stefan hesitated. Rand had lured him here to talk of war and bloody battles, and the glory and honor they could bring. With those words, Stefan understood this was of a different nature.

"What do you want to do exactly?" Stefan asked, taking a step back.

"Show you what real men do after they've won a battle, what duties you'll have to fulfill."

"We've won nothing today."

"But you did, you had the audacity and stamina to come join me here, disobeying your mother. I know you want to go with the army and show your valor, and I can certainly help with that."

Stefan smiled, he liked being praised by the older boy, even if he knew what he had done was no feat. He did not take off his nightgown but went to sit on the bed.

"How can you do that? Our mother is definitely against it and she clearly resented your companion's presence and influence here. She'll not listen to anyone, it has been tried."

"There are other ways, you could run away and come with us."

"She would send her men to bring me back."

"We might not let them take you; you're big enough to know what you want to do."

"Could I come too?" asked Lutz, taken by the idea.

"Of course not, you're way too young," replied Stefan before addressing Rand again, "I thought you were going to Soonlure, there's no fighting there." The boy was naive but not stupid, Rand liked that, it was more interesting when it wasn't too easy.

"I'm not allowed to talk of that in too many details. Let me just tell you that there will be many occasions to draw a sword with us."

Stefan was hooked but still hesitant as to how to behave with Rand right now. Lutz was standing naked beside them his nightgown in one hand, listening.

"Why are you naked, you want to do things with us?"

"Sure do, that's the whole point of being away from your mother, besides the adventures and the excitement of battle."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you don't know what knights do with their squires? Haven't you tried it yet?"

"Well no, not yet, mother says I'm too young for it."

"I see you're a mama's boy with milk running down your nose."

"Certainly not."

"Show it to me, then, don't be afraid, you have to be ready to do your duties as a squire, I can teach you some of the basics, my pleasure."

"What's the hurry?"

"I won't take you with us if you do not show you're worth it. This will do."

"You're no knight, and I'm not your squire." Stefan had quite understood Rand's intentions.

"Who cares, once you've tried it you'll know why people do it all the time, knights with boys, boys together, and there's the girls too."

"Okay, I'll do it, if you let me go with you tomorrow."

"You'll go, sure thing, I can tell you," said Rand with a wicked smile. "Now take off your nightgown."

"What about me? What should I do?" asked Lutz, the little brother who did not understand all of what the older boys were talking about but wanted to be a part of it.

"I told you, not to come. You're way too young for this, go back to your room."

"No, or I'll tell mother," he said stubbornly.

"There's no need for that," said Rand, "You can stay with us, if you let your brother do it to you while I do it to him."

"Do what?" said Lutz.

"I can't do that," said Stefan, who knew what it was about.

"Why?" asked Rand.

"He's my brother and he's too little."

"Trust me, it doesn't matter, I do it with my brothers all the time, I have done it for years. He'll be a perfect fit for you. Anyway, a knight is as big for you as you are for him. Now take it off, show me what you got."

Rand was trying not to lose patience, he was in no hurry, he loved the idea of corrupting the boy without any coercion, make him do things he would soon regret. Of course, once the real thing started they might be noisier, but by then Melchior would probably be done and it would not matter.

Stefan did not want to take advantage of Lutz that way but he also did not want to miss a chance of leaving the manor for an adventurous life, and show his father what he was capable of. After all, it would serve the little brat well, he had told him time and again not to come and, what did he know, perhaps he would like it? He took off his nightgown.

Rand looked at the nice body revealed, the light from the candles reflected off the clear skin; there was just a hint of baby fat left with a promise of a lean frame to come; long legs, well-formed buns, he was hairless with a fair two-inch dicklet and fallen marbles. He was a comely lad who was on the cusp of puberty.

"Lutz, get on the bed, on your belly," Rand said, his hand taking hold of Stefan's two inches and rubbing them, "Feels nice, doesn't it?"

Stefan gasped, looking down as he felt himself grow. Rand's hand was on his firm cheeks one finger circling his pucker.

"I'm ready," said Lutz, not wanting to be forgotten.

Rand left the older brother and placed a pillow under the little boy to raise his butt. Then he came back to Stefan, who now had close to four inches in his hand.

Rand was himself at full mast. He slicked his index finger with saliva, knelt, and took the boy's meat in his mouth, liking the consistency and taste. They were naive and clean boys. His finger at the back slipped in and Stefan gasped again.

"You see how nice it can be. What did I tell you? Now go take care of your brother, just lie on him for now, I'll tell you how to proceed."

Stefan didn't seem to know what he had to do exactly, he got on the bed clumsily placing himself behind Lutz and sending a concerned look behind as Rand took position at his back.

"What should I do?" he asked reluctantly.

"Let me help, you'll see it's easy, once you're in."

Rand embraced Stefan from behind. While rubbing his own eager and hard tool in the boy's crack, his hands splayed apart Lutz's small cheeks and bending over Stefan's back, he spat a good amount of saliva on the child's brown pucker.

"Now put your thing on it and push it in; you'll see it's delightful."

"Will it hurt?"

Who cares?

"Perhaps a little bit, at first, but it won't last. I'll hold him for you. He asked for it, you said so yourself."

"What's gonna hurt?" asked Lutz, under them.

"Come on, do it before he makes a fuss and wakes the whole house." Rand took the affair in hand, so to speak. Seizing Stefan's erect cocklet, he gave it a few strokes, got it in position at the entrance, and pushed Stefan forward. "Just a little push and it's done. Easy."

Stefan had gone too far to backtrack and candidly forced his entry without caution. Rand was ready with his hand over Lutz's mouth to stifle a yelp of pain. The older brother was looking down and concentrating on keeping his cocklet embedded in his brother, pulling out slightly and pushing back in as new sensations took over his senses.

"Keep it in, all of it. He'll get used to it in a minute."

Lutz was tossing about trying to get rid of the boys at his back and the intruder in his arse but to no avail, Rand was squeezing his neck like a vice to hold him in place. Stefan was fully in, and soon, it would be Rand's turn to skewer the older boy.

Suddenly, shouts came from outside in the courtyard, lasting only a few seconds before they stopped abruptly. Without doubt, Melchior had done the deed, and now he could let the boys sing.

Rand let go of Lutz. It was time to take good care of Stefan, who was about to know what hurt meant. He followed the same approach, spreading the older boy's cheeks and spitting at his hole. It was not to ease the child's deflowering but for Rand's own comfort.

"Your turn, Stefan, and you better not displease me," he said in the boy's ear. He did not doubt he could manage the two boys by himself but he knew that cornered animals could surprise you. He had a knife ready, easily reachable, just in case.

Rand was merciless making his entry brutal and to the hilt in one go, the way he liked.

The unexpected pain shocked Stefan, almost to the point of collapsing, with only a small groan escaping his lips as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat suddenly erupting on his brow.

"Don't leave me, boy, I want to hear you sing," said Rand, slapping one of his plump cheeks, "We're just getting started." He did not wait and started rabbit fucking the boy, amused by the flailing of his arms and legs. With all his weight put in the balance, the two boys under him were pinned to the bed, powerless. Now Stefan was half shouting to be let go, half crying with his crushed little brother yelling and adding to the noise.

"It hurts, stop it, please, stop it!"

"Shut up. I won't until I'm satisfied with your service."

The boy kept hollering and swearing at him which after some time became tiresome. Rand punched him twice and since he did not stop, a third time. Then there were only moans of pain and shame more agreeable to his ears. He took his time before cumming, pulling out at the last moment and spraying both brothers with his young seed. He had thought, at first of slitting Stefan's throat and raping Lutz before getting rid of him the same way but the night was still young. He ripped the sheets with his knife and trussed Stefan with them while keeping an eye on a terrified Lutz.

That is when Melchior came for a visit pushing the door open without a knock.

"Are you done with them? They made quite a ruckus; you obviously did a good job of it.

"Half done only. I think I'll keep them a bit longer, lots of possible fun and games left."

"I thought the same, look who I brought with me."

It was then that two men pushed the disheveled mother through the door.

"Look how your precious boys are cared for! Isn't it wonderful? Do you want her for company, my boy?"

"No, I'll pass, got my hands full with these two," he answered, as he raised the little boy's legs and busted open young Lutz's pucker in one go, with a far ranging shout of pain as a result and the cries for mercy of the mother.

"We'll leave you to your occupations then. Come bitch, you'll entertain my men, I'm sure they'll find you to their liking."

By morning, little Lutz was a wretch, his blood staining the sheets and still trickling down his thigh to pool on the carpet. His brother had resisted Rand's assaults better than he did.

"Well, all good things have an end," said Rand, as he lifted Stefan's head to give him a kiss, "I must say you've both been amusing enough, but now it is morning and time to go. We'll go meet Melchior in the main hall for breakfast, I need to dress; I believe you'll find your mother there. Would you like that?"

Rand dressed fast and then cut Stefan's improvised restraints forcing him to stand up on wobbly legs.

"Do you think we should say goodbye to your mother? That would be the right thing to do. Now move!" Rand grabbed a large clump of Lutz's hair and proceeded to drag him, still trussed up, down the corridor that led to the main hall with Stefan leading the way. They took the staircase, the little boy bumping on every step all the way down, Rand never slowing his pace.

Melchior was eating breakfast, their mother hanging over the hearth by her arms, naked and bleeding. Stefan was crying as the guards held him back.

"Good morning, Rand. I'm sure you're hungry after such a night."

"I'm starving."

"We'll go as soon as you're done, there's cheese, bread, some fruits and meat."

Rand sat, letting go of Lutz, who fell to the floor in a crying blubbery mess. He motioned to the guard who brought Stefan over. Pulling the naked boy over his lap as if to spank him, he said, "I've become quite fond of this boy, could I keep him a few more days? I've been deprived of my toys since we left Trendel."

"I wanted the lady to see the demise of her sons before we left but knowing how he'll be taken care of by you, it will be as good, seems to me you made quite an impression on the lad."

"I did, it was… interesting," Rand was feeding the boy some grapes from his hand as you would feed your dog, "one for you… two for me… he's become quite obedient."

Rand devoured five slices of bread with cheese and meat besides the fruits and two cups of wine before becoming full.

"Time to end the little brother's life," he said as he stood up, "Shall I slit his throat?"

"No, we'll do it the king's way and chop his head off. There was another boy here at the manor, about the same age as your new toy. We'll need to bruise it some, as he doesn't look quite the same. I'm good at that, and once I'm done, we'll hang the lady.

Ten minutes later, they were leaving the manor with only death on their trail.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

As they made love, Leto was overcome by a strange sentiment regarding William: it was as if he discovered the boy for the first time. He marveled at the velvety skin, exquisite features, supple flesh, and lovely shapes. He had a full view of the sigils drawn all over the boy's body, and with the sun high in the sky, the light flowed through the tent fabric, giving the child an alien and exotic look that was arousing. There were few preliminaries, as his solid member was soon buried deep in William's bowels as the lord's pelvic thrusts shook his slight body. They kissed and embraced each other as if their life depended on it, which was close to the truth.

As their passion mounted and pleasure took hold of them, the sigils reacted and came alive; it was unsettling and captivating for Leto but did not lessen his ardor.

"Look, William, look what they're doing," he told the boy between kisses.

"Would you believe it, I can feel them coursing across my skin, as if it was your hands, it's incredible!"

They both watched the dance of the sigils, fascinated, Leto slowing his thrusting to use long strokes as his shaft brushed on the child's prostate. It sent shivers of pleasure up William's spine, his moans intensifying and soon brought the boy to his first climax.

They were far from done. Disregarding the sigils transformations and trying every position known to the man, their sweat mingling, their passion reaching new heights, they were the perfect lovers, aware of each like and dislike of their partner, the overpowering man respectful and mindful of the child's needs, William daring him to go further, faster, harder.

For a time the sigils and the reason for this bout of lovemaking could be forgotten until a new phenomenon occurred, just before Leto sent jet after jet of hot sperm deep into the boy's recesses.

William saw it first, incredulous. The sigils were slipping from his skin to Leto's, coursing now on the man's arms and chest as William felt the lord's last powerful thrust and his seed filling his bowels, he was rocked himself by an exquisite orgasm, speechless for a moment.

Leto was in a state of bliss, with his eyes closed, he brought the child's slight body to him, oblivious of all but the sweet sensations of his receding pleasure and delighted by this intimate communion with the boy.

"You have them too," said William, with a catch in his voice.

"What?" asked Leto.

"The sigils, they show on your skin." The boy was tracing them with a finger, following their intricate lines and curves.

Leto detached himself from the boy, looking at his chest and arms. William was right. The symbols Tristam had painted on the prince now adorned him as well. This was something the Magus had not foreseen.

Mystified by the phenomenon, Leto questioned aloud, "How can this be? Is it good or bad?"

William just stared and was at a loss for words, before shrugging in reply, "No idea."

Leto mused for a moment and then ironically stated, "At least the question of painting them on me or not is solved."

With suddenness, William broke the lull of the moment and blurted out, "We should tell Tristam!"

"Probably. Do you think these sigils can be removed, like yours?"

William had not thought of that, "You mean they could stay on you forever?"

Leto replied, "I don't know," as he was still engrossed with the sigils on his own body and kept looking at them.

William pointed at his own sigils as he got Leto's attention, "Look, mine have moved and changed too."

"Yes, I see that," as Leto's finger began tracing the lines and curves of the magic symbols on the boy's soft golden skin, "They're beautiful. You're beautiful!" Leto had a sudden idea, "Let me try this." He willed himself to change and take the appearance of the Beast, concentrating first on his hands but it was not working, as it should. He then tried with his whole body. The change was noticeable but incomplete and difficult. He abandoned his efforts and immediately was himself again.

"I was not able to transform as before," he said, "Could it be the sigils?"

"What else?" answered the boy, hopeful, with a large smile on his face. "They're working on our side it appears, they might prevent the Beast taking shape and help us break the curse. We can seriously hope it will be vanquished this coming full moon."

Leto was less optimistic, he did not want to take away William's hopes of a happy ending but he knew the strength of the creature living inside. Whatever, it bode well for their future and his ever present desire for the sweet boy was rekindled.

"Let's make love again. Tristam will have to wait."

***

The vampires were now very close to reaching their final destination with one obstacle remaining: numerous Alsoon soldiers had taken positions blocking the pass that led to Cal Marat, with patrols guarding the whole area. If they wanted to get through, they needed to be in the best shape possible.

Olgred had come to the conclusion that his men needed fresh blood, the boy meat they had been fed was not enough to quench this particular hunger. Vampires were superior to men in all things but the lack of blood could have dire consequences even for the most dedicated of them. Olgred had thought of sacrificing one of his familiars, Soren being the obvious choice, but finally rejected this idea. They were costly and somewhat dear to his heart. Also, he did not want his men exposed to their exquisite spiced blood, it was always better not to create a want that could not be satisfied. His two precious captives, Lord Leto's sons, Ladisk and Teo, were now in danger, as the vampires craving for blood could overpower any restraint his men currently held.

Olgred discussed his options with the shape-shifter Tecumek, who had been sent ahead to assess the enemies' defenses and knew the area. There were two: attack an isolated hamlet or one of the many small convoys supplying the troops protecting the frontier.

The hamlet seemed the best choice. Tecumek had visited one where he counted five women and ten children with only four men left to defend the tiny village. He stated he might have missed an old crone or a baby that stayed away from his sight, but he did not think there was anyone else in that place. He sensed genuine fear amongst the villagers of the coming war, as they were eager for news, asking him what he knew. Of course, he was just a refugee passing through.

"It will be rather easy, and a feast for you and your kind."

"We could stay there a day or two while we get back our strength and prepare to cross to the Cal," said Olgred, satisfied of Tecumek's words. "You will tell us how to proceed since you entered the courtyard and saw the inside of the hamlet. We should attack soon, when they are sleeping. Will there be sentries?"

"I doubt it, there are three buildings and a few empty barns, we will have to secure them at once; we don't want any of them to escape."

"Of course, and it should not be a problem, remember that for us night is like day and our scent for blood is well developed. We will have all the exits watched. It will not take us long to have all the humans dead or captured and under guard."

Breaking camp at sunset, they made the short ride to the hamlet, stopping on the edge of the wood and quietly continuing on foot with Tecumek leading the way.

Soren had deftly maneuvered to be the one left behind to watch the captive brothers Teo and Ladisk during the attack, while Olgred's other familiar, Crit, would take care of the horses in a thick copse of trees.

The opportunity to escape would never be better than now, with the vampires' absence, Crit out of sight attending the horses, and the Alsoon troops nearby, only Soren had the brothers' fate in his hands. Ladisk believed he had convinced the familiar that a dire future awaited him if he stayed with Olgred, but nothing was certain. The boy was still under the influence of the Sumok and after countless years of grooming, knew nothing but to serve his master.

"Will you do it? It is now or never," whispered Ladisk.

"Yes, I will do it." Soren had decided, it was his only chance at a different life, probably at life itself, "You must not hurt Crit, he is like a brother to me."

"We could take him with us?"

"No, he is still completely under the influence of Olgred; he would put us at risk and be a burden. I am sad for him, better to leave him behind."

"What about you? Why are you doing it?" Ladisk was still not quite sure if he should trust Soren. He had seen how dependent the familiars were to their master, how twisted their minds had become. Was it all make believe, a cruel joke he was playing on them?

"I've never met a familiar older than fifteen. One day they are gone without notice, sent away, so they say. I don't trust Olgred anymore. What I saw during the invasion of the Vale and here in Alsoon slowly opened my eyes. It's strange, I don't understand myself how it came to be, familiars are only meant to serve their masters, pleasure them. It is their only goal. You're the lucky ones to have met the only familiar that could think of rebelling and escape this fate."

"Enough talking, cut us loose, we must hurry."

"Agreed."

Familiars did not carry weapons, so Soren had taken one of Roagg's knives and kept it hidden in one of his saddlebags. Ladisk and Teo were free of their bindings in no time.

In silence, all three went to the horses and Crit, where the boy was checking one white mare's leg, and did not see them coming.

Soren's hand was on his mouth as Ladisk immobilized him.

"Teo, fetch the ropes," said his brother.

Crit put up a fight but five minutes later the familiar was securely bound and gagged.

"We'll take all of the horses, that way they won't be able to follow us, there are soldiers all around, they should be easy to find," said Soren, slightly out of breath.

"We'll make Olgred pay for what he did to us and the poor boys they raped, drained of their blood, or butchered, I'll order them to spare Crit," said Ladisk, one arm around his brother's shoulder.

"Order?" questioned Soren, "You are a mere boy."

"I told you, my father is the mightiest lord of Alsoon; everyone knows that. They will do as we tell them, you can be sure of that. You will be fairly rewarded."

"Let's get going, we'll talk of rewards later." The familiar knew he would have to first confront the lack of Sumok: it was to be a terrible trial that he was not certain he would survive. To his knowledge, no familiar had ever done what he was undertaking.

They left the trees at a gallop, pulling on the reins of all the horses. In the night, they were looking for a campfire that would tell them they had found the soldiers they were seeking, that they were truly safe and would soon see the father they had missed for such a long time.

***

It was a few days earlier that Alina and her companions had left Estraven and the journey out had been as strange and spectacular as the way in, perhaps even more so. The labyrinth of caves and pathways was about the same but if fast running water had been the barrier to cross on the way in, this time it was a river of fire. As they emerged from the caves and entered the labyrinth, they could already feel the heat inside the stone walls all around them, that went straight to the sky. It took them two exhausting hours to get to the flow of melting lava that blocked their way.

Princess Alina did not lose her calm or hesitate; she confidently stepped forward. As she came closer, a crust of solidified lava appeared and she set foot on it with apparent ease. Her horse was more difficult to coax into following her but she was able to quiet him down as she lead the way.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" she shouted at the little troop behind her."

Falling into cold, dark water or the idea of drowning were not pleasant but sinking into melting lava was even less appealing, nonetheless, one by one they took the newly formed bridge of solidified lava. The heat was fortunately also bearable and they hurried ahead wanting to reach the other bank as fast as possible, barely comforted by the idea that magic was at work and would protect them.

Sandor would have liked to be close to Levit and Losfend during this time and hold their hands but there was only room for one rider and horse at a time. He was the last one in line and hurried across to be reunited with his boys. Another labyrinth awaited them with the mountain height progressively becoming lower. There was no Chasm of Darkness this time. They entered a long and narrow tunnel with the entrance hidden behind a cascade of cold water. They were drenched to the bone when they emerged on the other side and were met by the warmth of a beautiful summer day, the sun high in the sky shining on them.

"We'll stop here to dry and to rest," said Alina.

The place was pleasant with a sunny clearing surrounded by forest and a bottomless pool of fresh water at one end supplied by the cascade. Soon most of them had discarded their clothes to lie on the grass, with the more courageous plunging in the deep water to get rid of the sweat and weariness of their journey.

"We've made it!" said a still unbelieving Astar, reclining with Safir against a tree.

"Yes, my friend, but what's next?" said Sandor, his question directed at Alina, as he watched the boys, among them Levit and Losfend playing in the water.

"First, we need to know what the situation is here, make contact with the authorities. Then I'll probably have to go to Soonlure to meet with King Aluser. I'll take Hegron with me; I want him to be as far from the Alliance as possible or any fighting. They must not take him back, ever."

"And what about us?" asked Sandor.

"You'll escort Tael to the front line where he will be the most useful at this point. I am certain that Aluser sent his army east to face the would-be invaders; that's where you have to go."

"I think you are right about that, we must help the army of Alsoon face the Alliance and hold them back," agreed Sandor.

"Let's hope we're not too late and that their defenses have not yet been breached. Do I have to remind you of how we were beaten from the first day?" said Astar.

"We were surprised, with no time to organize a coherent defense and facing an unknown enemy. They used magic and the draks to overcome us. Alsoon knows of their coming and is a much bigger kingdom. The knowledge we will bring them can make quite a difference," said Alina.

"What shall you get in exchange?"

"That is secondary if we consider this is the second coming of the Archons. Our only goal must be to win that war at all cost. The rest can be discussed later."

"Really?" asked Sandor.

"Well, I'll try to get as much as I can from King Aluser but this is definitely not my priority."

The captain trusted Alina to make the best deal she could despite what she had just said.

"You cannot go without an escort and what about Losfend el?" he said.

"Losfend el stays with you. As you've seen, you're made for each other and you might have need of his magic, I am certain it will develop in a spectacular way when you make contact with the enemy. Eleander and his boys will accompany me to Soonlure, they should be enough, as you know I am not without resources myself and anyway, King Aluser, as soon as he is aware of my presence, will make sure I am well protected by providing an escort. It is sad we have to go separate ways with no clear knowledge of when we might be reunited. As always, duty comes first but we will meet again in the near future, how could it be otherwise?"

"You are right, we will leave in the morning after the horses and ourselves are well rested. There must be a town or castle nearby; we will send birds flying to warn Aluser of your arrival."

"I know there's a road passing nearby and a few towns all around. Perhaps we should send Astar lev ahead to show us the way."

"I can do that. I think we don't have time to waste. I'll do some spotting with Safir so that you go straight to your destination in the morning. We will go right away. We should be back in a few hours and still have a few more left to get some sleep."

"According to what we learn we'll leave for Cal Marat where the next battle should be fought or wherever it takes place," said Sandor. "It will be the first time I've set foot in Alsoon."

"Not for me, I went there five years ago with my father. Valeans, I learned have a bad reputation there. We are said to be haughty, too rich for our value, and quarrelsome. We'll need to be on our guard and work to overcome that difficulty."

"I fear what they say of us is not entirely false but probably exaggerated," replied Sandor with irony. "I'll keep it in mind and now I'll go join the boys, that water looks quite inviting."

***

The size of Belvoir Palace was immense, the largest ever constructed, with many areas left unoccupied and neglected. You could find quite a few secret rooms accessible only for those in the know. Pages and squires being boys were among those, who at that age could not resist the idea of finding new and hidden rooms or corridors. It had become a challenge for them that they accepted wholeheartedly.

All Memphis, the squire overseer, wanted was some delightful time with Flint. Instead, when he arrived at the hidden chambers, the boys quickly assaulted him with numerous questions. What had been fun at first was now bothersome, the days were long, the place was dark and uncomfortable, the food scarce. The eighteen pages had been living there for five days now.

"What did he say?" asked Twit, one of the youngest.

"Will he protect us?" questioned Bohfest.

"Can we leave this place, at last?" demanded Aksel.

"Are the mercenaries leaving?" wondered Vouhg, who, by chance, had barely escaped being raped by them.

"Tell us," finished Kritton.

They all wore the white, blue, and green of the knighthood and nobility. They were here to serve but only answered demands of a sexual nature at their leisure, contrary to the pages wearing red, who could not refuse to please in any way the guest's desires.

"I'm sorry, but no. Orville doesn't care about us and there is no one else we can turn to here."

"What shall we do then? We can't stay hidden here too much longer."

"Are they looking for us?"

Memphis, after some hesitation told them, "It is worse than that. Orville has decided to auction you all to the mercenaries, tomorrow."

"Auction us? What do you mean? We are free boys, we can't be sold."

"Slavery was outlawed in Alsoon quite a few years ago."

"There are a lot more of them than of us. It could get ugly. They are savages!"

"All you say is true but that's what Orville ordered. I don't think he can sell us off like cattle, still he wants to break the rules and force us to serve the mercenaries that will pay for it and seems not to care of the way they will treat or use us."

Memphis still had difficulty believing it was really happening. He had never liked the man, who was as obsequious with the strong as he was arrogant with the weak. Did he fear the mercenaries? This made no sense; he was the one paying them. What could be his goal? What could he gain from it? Except tarnish even more Lord Leto's reputation. Could he be obeying the lord's orders? Was all that was said about him true? Was he a monster who killed children for his pleasure?

"I don't want to be given to one of them. I saw what happened to Septim and Hosling and they are big boys," stated Aksel.

"Fortunately, they'll never find us here," said Bohfest, in a way that sounded more like a question than a fact.

"We could escape, we know every way in and out of Belvoir. Those mercenaries are only watching the main ones," suggested Lygan, a pale-skinned smart boy with piercing green eyes and a mop of raven black hair.

"Where would we go?" asked Twit; the perfect contrast with golden hair, a deep tan, and light blue eyes.

"We could ask for protection from King Aluser," said Flint, who had settled comfortably in Memphis's lap.

"Orville and Lord Leto are not the best of friends, it is well known, but those mercenaries are here to fight for him. What if he gave us all back to them? That would be terrible," said Aksel.

"If we go, it would have to be all of us," said Memphis, "Orville was quite clear that if any one of us, pages and squires, did not show up for the auction there would be retaliation, against me first of all."

"What could be worse than what Orville wants already!" said Simur, a fragile looking boy with tears in his eyes.

Flint agreed, "One more reason to leave. Memphis, I don't want you to be flogged or worse, because you wanted to save us from that fate."

"All this doesn't make sense. How can Orville behave this way? Our fathers, and our families support, are needed. We don't wear the red like some of our friends; he knows it. He will have to answer for his actions at some point," said Kritton.

"We are at war, rules can be broken," interjected Lygan.

"We all heard the rumors about Lord Leto, the terrible things he does at Westerfield, that he eats children, if it is true, Orville has nothing to fear."

"Leto was here for a few days, and I must say, he scared me. Him and the people he brought with him."

Memphis decided his tryst with Flint would have to wait, as he had more urgent matters to attend to.

"I hear you all. I must confer with the squires and discuss with them our options, stay or leave, comply or resist, escape or fight. Let's not forget that our duty is to serve our Lord, we pledged to it. I cannot make a decision alone.

***

William was training with Farrad while waiting for the king, his father. They were fighting in a small arena in a secluded part of the palace. Their dripping lean bodies moved gracefully, leaving few traces in the sand at their feet. They were wearing some light leather armor plates on their shoulders, torsos, and thighs.

"Arthur, you're holding your shield too low," said Paragon, his sword master.

For everyone, he was Arthur, his brother, the first-born and heir to the throne. Few people could tell them apart; even Dada was often mistaken.

"I'm tired; we've been at it for two hours now." It was hot and the two boys were sweating profusely.

"Try to say that when you're in the middle of a battle," said Farrad, Lucian's twin brother, his sword hitting the prince's shield with a metallic sound.

"What battle? The fighting will take place far away from here while I'm secure in Soonlure. I sometimes envy my brother who was allowed to leave with the army and will know so many adventures." He paused, wiping the sweat from his brow before it fell in his eyes, imitated by Farrad who had the same problem. Their hair was sticky with it.

"You should not. You are the heir and precious to the kingdom," said Paragon.

"My brother is no less precious than myself, I miss him and Lucian."

"In times of war, no one is safe and danger lurks everywhere. You must be ready to face any unexpected event, while I hope you will never have the occasion to prove me right. Lucky boy, here comes your father. Your lesson is over, for now."

"How are the boys doing, Paragon?" asked the king, looking benignly upon the prince and his friend.

"Perhaps I should not tell you in front of them, but if truth be told, they are better than most and giving good heart to improve their skills. Of course they still have a lot to learn and need to grow quite a bit before we can make knights out of them."

"You make me proud, sword master, and I compliment you Farrad, and you Arthur, my son."

"Any news of William or the war," asked the boy, putting aside his sword and shield with a noticeable relief.

"Not really, except that the army is getting closer to Cal Marat and that our mysterious enemy has not shown himself yet."

"With some luck they might stop there and be content with the Vale of Destiny and its wealth," suggested Paragon.

"I would like you to be right, my friend, but none of our envoys came back and they sent none to us. I fear they do not have good intentions. I think they are digesting the Vale before paying us a visit and it should be soon."

"Why don't we join with the army? Your presence would boost its morale. Why have you sent Lord Leto instead?" asked the prince.

"Lord Leto is the best we have, despite being disreputable. We do not quite know who or what we are facing. You'll learn that patience and caution are necessary when you are on the throne and have the responsibility of a kingdom."

"I can understand that," said Arthur. He then picked up a jug of water that he shared with Farrad once quenched.

"You're a good boy, like your brother, and I am a lucky man to have the both of you by my side. Unfortunately, I will not have the time for our chess game today; we will have to postpone it until tomorrow."

"Then they can resume their training," said Paragon with a smile and a wink to the king.

"If it is necessary," said the boys resigned to their fate.

"Of course not, boys, not after what has been said. I give you leave to do as it pleases you until dinner," announced the king with Paragon's approval.

There was no need to say it twice. As soon as they had heard those words, they bowed to the king and then rushed to the armory to leave their weapons before going to the baths to relax. It was also the occasion for a more intimate moment together.

They had discovered the joys of sex after their twins had gone with Lord Leto and taken a great liking to it. It had not happened before since they had few moments alone. They had always been with one twin or another, not taking into account the pages, squires and guards serving or watching over them. The looming war had changed all that, now it was only the two of them most of the time. They were in a heavily guarded part of the palace, which very few people had the right to enter. They were free of their moves and games with only Dada to really worry about.

It took them less than a minute to get rid of their clothes, enter the water, and enjoy its refreshing power. An instant later, their lips were joined and they had one hand on a standing pricklet, holding and rubbing their counterpart. It did not take them long to climax and it was only the beginning.

"Do you think he'll do it?"

"How could he refuse? You are the prince. Most of them would do much more just to get your attention."

"He'll be the third one. You never have enough."

"Never! And don't tell me you don't like it too?"

"I can't say that but I could go along with having only you to play with. I must be more sentimental than you are, Farrad."

"So you say."

"The last one was so ticklish it was funny."

"He was at first, but then when things got serious, and he got the hang of it, he enjoyed it as much as we did."

"Why not call him again?"

"Because I like novelty. The new one will be perfect."

"Are you sure he is as innocent as you think."

"You never really know, that's part of the fun, but it is true that's the way I like them, innocent, to see them discover those feelings, like we did ourselves not so long ago. You'll see this one is really gorgeous."

"And no one initiated him yet? That's unlikely and you got me interested. When will you go fetch him?"

"I was to meet him and bring him here after your chess game but I could go as soon as we're done here."

"Yes, let's do that, I'm all excited now." Arthur/William's pecker was ready, poking Farrad's flat stomach."

"You do me, it's your turn," said the whipping boy, turning around and raising his pert buttocks ready to receive his prince.

William did not hesitate and plunged in still marveling at the heat and tightness that met his entry, they were now well accustomed to the joys of sodomy and their respective sizes did not require more than a bit of saliva or in this case, the soap they used to wash each other.

"Ouch!" said Farrad appreciatively, welcoming the blond boy's enthusiasm.

Arthur had bottomed in no time, taking his pleasure with fervor.

"Gorgeous, you said, we'll see if he takes it as well as you do."

***

It had been weeks since the gates of Cal Marat had been closed putting an end to the incessant traffic of caravans and merchants that passed through them.

Fifteen hundred knights from the nearby towns and castles bringing with them five thousand men had gathered and reinforced the fortifications in the valley facing the Cal to stop the expected invasion of the mysterious and invisible enemy that had taken the Vale. The pass was narrow, obstructed by the Cal with the valley beyond expanding slowly. A very long time ago, defense towers and ramparts had been carved in the mountains overlooking the valley giving the Alsoon forces a strong advantage with two strongholds said to be impregnable. One could think it would be easy to stop an attack.

Commander Trelaster, at the head of the Alsoon troops, had been waiting patiently for the king's army. Fifty of his soldiers were on their way to capture or kill the so-called vampires that had kidnapped Lord Leto's sons. The boys were now safe with him. He had sent birds to inform their father. It should have been a good day but it was not so. Now, for the first time, he had a better idea of what to expect of this unseen enemy and he did not like what he had been told … he did not like it at all.

The orders had first been to retreat and avoid the confrontation until the army arrived but how could he leave the nearby towns and their population without defense? It was out of the question even if many had already fled the area. With so many still there, he had been granted that demand: they were to stand their ground alone for the moment, and now this same morning the gates of Cal Marat had opened. Soon the fight would start.

The thing that worried him the most was what the strange and beautiful boy called Soren had said. They were not only going to face a human foe but also powerful and frightful creatures, aided by magic, among them the draks who would attack them from the sky and could transport troops behind their lines, taking them from behind. That knowledge required that he reorganize all his strategy and there was very little time for that.

Commander Trelaster could not count anymore on the superiority of their position, the traps they had set, the fortifications they had built. He gave orders, taking into account the boy's information, but, again, it was probably too little and too late, for them to be truly effective. Birds were sent to warn Lord Leto and the king of the situation.

His next decision was to send the boys away, to their father, Lord Leto. They were leaving at this moment with a small escort, the farther they could go from the fight, the better, but he kept with him the vampire familiar, Soren, against their demands. His reward would have to wait, he sorely needed his knowledge of the enemy now that the first confrontation was about to begin. The boy was not happy with it; still, he appeared more afraid than angry. He had no choice and he was getting sick too. The commander learned it was the lack of Sumok, a drug meant to keep him obedient and under the influence of his vampire master. Trelaster was admiring of the boy's courage and will, and hated himself for having to hold him back and use him that way but he had no choice. His duty was to his men and the kingdom.

"Sir, there's movement at the Cal's doors and on the ramparts," announced his squire.

"I'm coming," he answered. "Have our young guest well treated and given all he needs. Perhaps he should see our healer too. I want him to be able to answer any question I might have to ask."

"I'll take care of it right away, before I join you at the command post."

"Very well."

"Trelander did not have far to go, a few of his officers were already gathered there awaiting his last orders."

"Did you have time to make the changes that were needed?" he asked his aide de camp.

"It was very much on short notice but everything that could be done in time has been accomplished according to your orders."

"You did very well. Let's see what they look like."

Trelander took a view-scope, watching the Cal ramparts. For the first time, except for previous occasional glimpses, he could watch some activity in the Cal and he could really observe his enemy. Some looked as human as everybody else but others not at all. The boy it seemed had told him the truth: their foes were not the usual fare.

"Have you looked at them?" he asked around.

"We did, we spotted four different races if they can be called that, or different creatures."

"Did you see the flying ones, the ones called draks?"

"So far, they have not been seen today." It had been the talk of the previous weeks with such beasts occasionally seen from a distance by sentries or scouts, with no idea of what they could be exactly.

From his position at the foot of one of the strongholds, Trelander would have a good view of the battlefield on the valley below, his troops, and the enemy that was probably amassed behind Cal Marat's walls, ready to pour through the gates. The weather was sunny, with only a few white clouds in an azure sky, a perfect day to fight and eventually die.

On the ground below, everything was ready. Long lances had been distributed among the defenders to ward off the draks if they attacked the fortifications. Trenches filled with flammable tar, and others with pointed stakes awaited the enemy's assault. Detachments of cavalry were ready to charge whomever the draks transported behind their lines.

The encampments that would normally be manned by the pages and squires during the battle had been emptied. The boys would have been an easy prey for the flying creatures, they had mostly joined the front lines or taken refuge in the strongholds while some others had been sent as messengers to the nearby town and castles urging those that had not fled yet to do so, or prepare a defense in case the invaders breached their lines.

An ominous sound of drums started suddenly, resonating against the flanks of the surrounding high mountains as thousands of trasks and heartless with other creatures of different sizes and shapes passing the gates of Cal Marat to gather in front of its walls before marching forward. One thousand vampire warriors and two hundred wreckers followed them.

When the drums suddenly stopped beating a large number of draks flew over the Cal walls carrying more troops.

Trelander had waited for this moment. They were flying low enough and he had a surprise for them. Leto and his army had not yet arrived but he had sent his plans for war machines of a new kind that had been built and put to the trial during the last few weeks. Now he would know if they were as effective as he hoped.

Trelander raised his hand giving the signal that was relayed by flags all along the lines.

Ten machines fired at once, sending over a great distance one thousand thick and sharp bolts that filled the sky, meant, at first, to pierce the enemy armor or stop a cavalry charge, now thought to be as effective against the draks as long as they were aimed correctly.

The effect was devastating with many of the draks falling to the ground dead or wounded, taking with them and to their death the troops they carried on their backs. And there was more, the bolts that had missed their primary targets finished their course among the heartless, vampires, warts, wreckers and others, killing a good score of them and bringing chaos to their lines. The remaining draks could not react in time and gain more altitude, hampered by their load, they were hit hard by the second volley.

Trelander could hear his men cheering all around him: perhaps it was not going to be such a bad day after all.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The birds had come, three of them, the first one in the middle of the night: Leto's sons had been found and they were on their way to be reunited with him.

Lord Leto wanted to jump on his horse and ride at full gallop to meet them halfway, he had not seen his boys in so many years, but he could not do that. There would be a full moon this very evening and he had an appointment with the Beast. He would know by the next day if Tristam's scheme had worked or not. What a relief it would be if he could face his sons, Ladisk and Teo, without the burden of that curse on his shoulders; it had kept them apart for too long.

Leto was confident that William would survive this new trial thanks to Tristam's powerful magic, reinforced by the sigils, although he hated the idea of seeing him hurt again. Would he be torn to pieces by the claws and fangs of the creature when it took possession of his mind and body? Would their love be strong enough to vanquish the Beast and break the curse? Once and for all? Would he be free of it when he welcomed his sons?

They were close to Cal Marat now, three days march for the foot soldiers, and as the sun rose higher in the sky, the army began to break camp. The Blue Guard and Leto's knights would stay with him for tonight's ordeal and catch up with the rest of the troops after what was hoped to be his final confrontation with the Beast.

Those staying behind gathered in and around Leto's tent palace. William's knights and Tristam had gathered together with him. Close by, Lichan and the three boys wearing the sigils, as well as Lucian, the prince, and Focker were all quietly playing a game of Arog, leaving the adults alone to discuss important affairs. Gravenese was away in the camp, taking charge of the birds as they arrived with news of the kingdom or sent back with the Lord's orders. Etos was his go-between with Leto. They were all waiting for news from Commander Trelander, who had engaged the enemy forces: they would soon know better what to expect when they faced the Alliance. Then there was that strange tale that some Valeans had passed the mountains, an impossible feat. Princess Alina, the heir to the throne, was said to be among them and going to Soonlure to meet with King Aluser, while another group was coming their way to help fight the enemy.

As they waited, Leto wanted to know if Tristam had come to a conclusion: Would the sigils protect his knights from their opponents' magic in the coming battle?

"Tristam, have you decided on the sigils yet? What should be done with them?"

"Not yet, my Lord. There is too much at stake. We will meet the Alliance forces very soon and a mistake such as this one could mean our end."

"I agree that we should first see how it works with the Beast and will have to wait till next morning to know if this alien magic can be trusted and help us defeat the enemy."

"Perhaps it would be safer to take it off your skin," interrupted Tamerlane. "What happened is beyond our control."

"The question should rather be how to do it," replied Tristam. "When I examined William and the boys, their sigils, although they changed form and place, are still composed of the paint that was used to draw them, and can be taken off. Yours, Lord Leto, is of a different nature."

"Has it happened with anyone else?" asked Bertram.

"No, only the effects on the boys were tested so far, and they had already been painted on all of them." Tristam did not mention his own loving and sexual relation with Lichan, which had not resulted in the same way. The passing of the sigils from the prince to Leto was in fact, due to his attempt at augmenting their strength by using his own knowledge of magic and mixing the two. It was an unexpected side effect.

"I'll gladly volunteer to experiment with them. If I'm right, all it takes is a round of sex with one of the lads," suggested Tamerlane, always ready to enjoy new boys. "They are all comely enough." The man's gaze was now fixed on the boys, playing quietly and appreciative.

"This could be done, still, let me recall you that the pleasure, if not love, must be partaken by the boy for the best results," said Tristam.

"Count on me, no boy that shared my bed has ever complained he wasn't well treated. Most were sad to leave it," replied Tamerlane, slightly irritated.

"If you paint those sigils on Lucian, I will gladly participate in the experiment," said Bertram, "I must say that we love each other and should reach the full effect that we wish for."

"There can certainly be less agreeable ways to pass the time while waiting for the full moon," said Leto with a smile.

"There's more at stake than that." Tristam was showing clear enthusiasm, "If the effect could be reproduced, we would only need to paint the sigils on the boys and then have them mounted by the knights, so to speak, for the magic to be effective on both. It would save a lot of precious time."

"The more pleasure you have, the more effective it is?" asked Beltram.

"There's a lot we don't know yet, but that's the supposition, yes."

"I like that kind of magic," exclaimed Tamerlane. "When do we start? Let's call the boys and make our pickings. How many are there? I can call a few friends to join me."

"Perhaps we'll have to ask first, Tamerlane," said Leto. "The boys in question are survivors of the Dark Harem; we cannot treat them that way."

"I understand. Let's put the sigils on all the pages and squires still with us then; how long would it take?"

"Less than an hour each. Let's do it, indeed, and at the same time teach them how to paint the sigils, we should be down that way shortly. How many are left at the camp?" asked Tristam.

"I would say about sixty," said Leto.

"Let's bring them to my tent, we'll start right away; once they have learned it, they'll be able to pass it to all the boys that have left with the army." It seems Tristam's reticence to use them had been broken for now.

"I fear our enemy still has eyes watching us," said Leto. "I'll order that they are brought to you ten by ten; it will be less conspicuous and more easily manageable."

"The next few nights promise to be interesting indeed," said Tamerlane. "This is the first time I'll have sex on command. I think most of us will comply and ask for more. You've fired up my imagination and roused my senses. I'll bring my pages Silla and Estam to you right away, you can do your magic on them and I'll do mine with the pretty lads as soon as the ink has dried."

The boys, overhearing the adult's conversation, stopped their game and came over.

"Lucian is still free of the sigils; would you want to put them on him? Bertram?" asked William innocently.

"If you show me, I would be delighted." Although he did not like those magic things, this could be a new way to put some spice in their lovemaking through the knight, even if none were needed. He stayed back as Leto, Tristam, and the other boys left.

"Let's go then. Hobb and the twins will get everything prepared and I'll show you myself how it is done. I'll work on Focker and you'll just have to imitate everything I do with Lucian."

"I would prefer some intimacy; we could do it here away from the others," suggested Bertram who was a reserved man who disliked too much exposure.

"Of course, this will be much better," acquiesced the prince. "Focker, go fetch the quills and the ink, tell Lord Leto I'll join him later."

The blond page was gone and back in a few minutes. A large table, rid of its contents had been chosen to lay the boys on, Lucian already naked, was the first to climb on it.

"Your turn Focker, take off your tunic," said William, who was the chief of operations. "What part of the body do you want to start with?" he asked with false innocence, letting his hand course over Focker's skin.

"I'll let you choose," answered the knight, whose cheeks had reddened. He was nonetheless sensible to the exquisite charm on the two naked boys exposed.

"Let's start with the chest, then," decided William, first looking at himself in a mirror before starting to draw. "You just have to reproduce the same sigils, Beltram; it's rather easy."

"It tickles," said Focker, as the quill touched him. "It's rather fun."

William was quite fond of the page and it was reciprocal; they had learned to be intimate by often sharing Leto's bed. It was soon clear that they were both aroused and that the painting sequence was also an erotic game. Peckers were stirring and hardening.

Bertram, who was the only one still clothed, was in a similar state but trying to hide it, which amused the boys. One could wonder if it had not been the boys' scheme from the start. Embarrass the young knight and have him loosen up and shed away his famous shyness.

The prince, putting the last touch on the symbols with his quill, purposefully brushed Focker's erect pecker, before saying, "Seems we're done with the front, turn around."

Were the sigils already at work? Despite the heavy lovemaking of the past day and night, William was again in the mood for sex. "Bertam, you'll have to lead by examining and reproducing the drawings on my back; you've done very well so far."

Bertram, for his part, was trying to concentrate on his task but his defenses were crumbling, contaminated by the beauty, sensuality, and obvious willingness of boys who were all in an advanced state of arousal. The erect cocklets were now mostly hidden, but he was confronted with their three perfect bums ready for the plucking. Could he dare take advantage of the situation when one of the boys was his prince and another the boy he loved? What could the consequences be?

The boys did not care about such considerations, they were young and carefree, preoccupied with the present and what it offered them. Although, William, perhaps more than the others, was well aware of the hardships they would face in the next hours.

"I think we did quite a good job, Bertram. Lucian, Focker, get up and let us see how you look now."

"Do you think the ink has dried yet?" asked Focker.

"Let me see," said William, touching a sigil with the tip of a finger. "No smearing, I say it is time for some entertainment after all this hard work. Don't you agree, Bertram?"

"Entertainment…?"

"What is that bulge I see in your breeches?" continued William, giving the signal the other two were waiting for.

The three boys did not hesitate and seized Bertram who was not offering any resistance, to bring him to a nearby couch. They quickly undressed him and the man and boys were instantly swept up in a whirlwind of love, not knowing who was doing what with whom and each being as active as anyone else. It lasted for more than an hour before an exhausted Bertram came to his senses with two boys still in his arms, Lucian and Focker. Prince William was gone.

***

The vampires, led by Olgred, had easily taken possession of the farm the previous night, killing the adults and keeping the children alive. Drinking blood from the living was much more satisfying and young'un's blood had a richer, better taste. By morning, they would all be drained of it and as dead as their kin. Olgred would not burden himself with any captives this time, except for the two precious ones waiting nearby.

Tecumek had no interest in drinking the vampires' nectar and as soon as the situation was under control at the farm, he went back to fetch the horses. More than an hour had gone by, and he immediately understood something was amiss when his calls were not answered. He found Crit trussed and gagged. When he was freed, the familiar told him what he more or less had deduced himself.

It did not take long for Olgred to be aware of the gravity of the situation. They were, or would be shortly, on the wanted list, on foot, in enemy territory. They were doomed. This, with the shock of Soren's betrayal, was a fatal blow for the lord vampire who could only hope now for an honorable death, sword in hand.

"There are three horses in the barn, is there not a chance to stop them or silence them?" asked Roagg.

"We could try, but I fear their lead is too considerable," answered Olgred.

"Then you must take the horses and try to escape. All will not be lost," said one of the vampires. "Your lives are much more valuable than ours, yours, and Tecumek."

"No, I have failed. I lost the captives. How could I present myself in front of the council without them and having left you behind to die?"

"It is your duty, my Lord; you have no choice. Think of Tecumek; we cannot risk having him taken by the enemy."

"You are right, I must bear the shame of my failure in front of the council and help Tecumek get out of harm's way."

"Do not worry for me, my Lord, I can take any appearance I want; it is very unlikely that they would catch me. It is better that we travel separately; we will be less noticeable. Let's dress as those peasants and leave at once."

"We have three horses; who's coming with us?"

"Take your familiar and one of the blood bags; you'll need them to sustain you if you have to go into hiding for some time," said Roagg. "We are warriors, we do not fear death. It is an honor to die sword in hand and we will do our best to give you as much time as you need to get as far away from here as possible before we fall. We are only doing our duty."

"I should stay with you; I am not worthy of your sacrifice; I made a fatal mistake."

"You're not responsible, never has a familiar turned against his master. You must let it be known so that it doesn't happen again," said Tecumek. "We must go."

"Take this boy, he looks healthy," said one of Olgred's men, bringing the saddled horses. A twelvish blond lad well trussed up and gagged had been thrown over a black mare's saddle. "He is untouched and he will give you savory and abundant sustenance. These lands are rich, those peasant children were well fed and taken care of, they will make excellent cattle for the Alliance when victory is ours."

"Crit, you'll ride with the blood bag."

Without one more word, Olgred jumped on a pale gray horse and they were gone.

Tecumek followed on foot, having taken the appearance and clothes of one of the killed peasants.

The vampires closed the gate to the courtyard and while one of them stayed on watch, the others went to rest after drinking blood from the children; they were left alive for the moment. They still could have their use. The soldiers would come, that was a certainty, but it would take them some time, probably a few hours. After that, the fight would start and Roagg and his companions planned to hold them off for as long as possible. Fresh blood might be required.

***

The third wave of attackers had been broken. Trelander watched the creatures called a heartless retreat, leaving behind scores of their dead and others wounded or still burning, trying to escape the tar pits that had been their downfall. He was starting to think their defenses would hold, at least for today. His secret hope was that Lord Leto's army would arrive before they had to retreat, thus avoiding the invasion and the sacking of the nearby cities.

The boy, Soren, the familiar, had predicted their defeat, saying that all the might and strength of the Alliance was coming to meet and destroy them. The battle-hardened Commander, Trelander, did not want to share the boy's pessimism. Still, he feared it had only been a tactical test of their defenses and that the boy was right, with the worst yet to come.

The enemy, so far, had fallen in all the traps set for him but it had not sent forward all its forces yet. In front of the walls of Cal Marat more troops passed the gates into the battlefield to replace those that had been lost. The vampires and wreckers had not entered the fray yet, although the day was coming to a close and the sun was low in the sky. What surprises awaited them?

Commander Trelander had questioned Soren for hours the previous night, and now he could put names on most of their different opponents and their creatures. He needed so much more information from the boy, but it would have to wait; his squire had told him he was sick, the familiar was in no condition to answer any more questions. The physician taking care of him was at a loss, not knowing how to help him.

"Did you send the bird?" he asked Nevit, his aide de camps, too young to have known any battle yet.

"Yes, sir. We've sent six since the battle started."

As the Commander was deep in thought, his officer, Nevit, quietly and obediently stood to attention, waiting for the next order. The return messages from Lord Leto's army stated they would be here in three days, a short time for such a large force, but an eternity for those that had already engaged the fight. Nevit felt the concern that burdened his Commander and chose his words to try to cheer him up.

"The lines are holding well and our losses are few."

"Yes, and that is what worries me. They've captured the Vale and Cal Marat, the fortress in front of us, in a single day, for what we know, an incredible feat. Not one Valean has escaped to tell us what happened and how they did that. There is something very wrong there. That's what makes me wary of the situation. It's too good to be true."

"Will they stop the fight at nightfall?"

"There's no way to know that either. We haven't seen the draks again; they may be waiting for dark to send them against us when our weapons are much less effective to repel them."

"It's a full moon tonight; visibility should be good. The gods are on our side."

"Let's pray for that," said Trelander. "You're lucky; you have not known the Archon's war. Since that time and our victory, no one has dared attack us; now, there are few veterans left among our men. Still, they have stood their ground and fought valiantly. I'm proud of them."

"They did, sir."

"Bring me my horse, Hollis," he called to his squire. "I'll go to the front line on the plain and try to cheer our men during this respite, see with my eyes if they need some reinforcement. You stay here, Nevit, and warn me of any sign of an imminent assault of our enemy."

"Certainly, sir."

The Commander rode a splendid white stallion, standing straight, careful not to show the fatigue of the day, his squire by his side mimicked his noble attitude. The soldiers saluted him as he passed the battlements. They were showing some weariness but holding up well, ready to repel another attack; some had been wounded, wearing bloody bandages but still at their post, the squires and pages were armed and had fought alongside them. Trelander made many stops on the way to talk with many of them, to praise their courage and tenacity. He sometimes recognized the face of a veteran like himself and he shared quick memories of past hardships, he also exchanged words with the younger ones, even the smallest pageboy with a sword and helmet too big for him. He was proud of them all and they knew it. He was a respected and well-liked commander. Coming to visit their ranks with a single squire as an escort also showed them his confidence and fearlessness.

Under the protection of ten soldiers, Trelander went beyond the lines to observe up close the dead bodies of their felled enemies, those strange, fierce, and dangerous creatures that no one had seen before. The trasks and the heartless with others of which he did not know the name, along with the draks and the few humans and vampires that rode them and died together when shot down from the sky.

"Let's go back; I've seen enough," he said after a few minutes, wondering how it was possible that no one knew that such beasts existed and that they were now about to invade their kingdom.

As they returned to the stronghold, his next stop was to visit the wounded soldiers in the field hospital and Soren, kept in a separate room. He comforted the soldiers, stopping again to have a few words with them before moving on to Soren. The poor boy was suffering and delirious, often talking in a language he did not understand. He nonetheless spoke to him, caressing his brow.

"Soren, I want you to know that we found the vampires at the farm and that no one survived. We think that the lord vampire Olgred escaped with Crit, your said brother, and the face stealer you described to us. As you wished, I ordered that the boy be spared when they are found. We are still looking for them. I cannot thank you enough for the information you gave us before the battle, it helped us tremendously and still does. I am so sorry we cannot help you get better and I hope that soon you'll get rid of the vampire's poison and recover." He turned toward the physician, "Do your best and have someone by his side at all times. I want to be informed of any change, for the better or worse."

"Certainly sir, it will be done. He will be well taken care of."

***

Bertram was looking at the sigils on his skin, rubbing at them with a finger. The phenomenon now well-proven, an act of love was enough to have them pass from the boy to the man. The young knight did not really like that, as he had never been fond of magic. He was always wary of what he could not control or did not understand.

"Where did William go?" he asked Lucian.

"I don't know; I was way too busy with you to even notice he was gone." The boy was looking with wonder at the sigils, comparing those on his skin and those on Bertram.

"I saw him leave but he didn't say where or why," said Focker, with the knight's member buried up his chute, now deflating and Focker using his known talent to try to revive it.

Bertram kissed his neck. He was a charming boy and a wonderful lover, and the first boy he had touched since he had met Lucian. The boy did not seem to mind and showed no sign of jealousy. Were boys any different from girls in that matter? He had to say he did not have enough experience with either to come to a conclusion. And what about Leto? Would he mind that William participated in this sex fling? Would he be told? Certainly, the Lord and prince had matters more important to think about.

Focker's efforts were successful and Bertram's rod was now at full mast again. The knight was now giving strong pelvic thrusts and feeling his juices rising. Lucian, rather indifferent, seemed more interested in examining the sigils than anything else at the moment.

Bertram accelerated the tempo, his hands full of the boy's supple flesh. Focker was rubbing his erect cocklet on Lucian's thigh. They came together with a small cry of contentment that finally drew the attention of Lucian, who, with a finger, picked up one of the droplets emitted by the spent page before putting it in his mouth.

"Do you want to taste him too?" Lucian asked Bertram. "There's one or two more, quite clear and not very tasty yet, nothing like yours."

"No thanks, and let me tell you, yours is no different."

"Why do you keep seeking it then?"

"Because I love you."

"So you say. What are you doing buried to the hilt in Focker's rump and enjoying yourself?"

"Well, it seems I succumbed to your trap but I noticed you were not the last one to take advantage of the situation with William and this pretty one here," replied Bertram, with one hand kneading Focker's generous bum cheeks appreciatively.

"How come we all acted this way," wondered Lucian. "I had never touched William that way before, never thought of it."

"That is strange, as he is a beautiful boy," commented Focker, basking under the young man's caresses and kisses. "For me, I must say this is nothing out of the ordinary. I've shared Leto's bed with many boys, including the prince and some of his visiting guests; it is only natural."

Lucian was not certain it was so, as he replied, "Maybe, but I'm getting a bit jealous now. Can I get some of your attention too, Edwin?"

"Nothing would give me more pleasure," answered the knight disengaging from the page's welcoming bottom. "Sorry, Focker, I have some duties to perform."

With a wide grin, raised eyebrows, and a bit of a chuckle, Focker replied, "I don't mind, I've had my share already. I'll leave you two lovebirds and go see what is going on elsewhere." The page, after using a rag to wipe away the leaking semen dripping from his well-buggered pucker, put on his tunic and sandals, leaving Lucian and Bertram with a "Bye now."

Life for Focker was much better since Rand was gone and Lord Leto was himself again. Before he had good reasons to be afraid all the time, being the victim of Rand's mean pranks and Leto's mood swings, usually for the worse. He prayed with all his heart for his Lord to be victorious, this night, against the Beast. He was lucky that this day was one of freedom with few chores to be done.

Focker wandered over to Tristam's tent, where he heard plenty of laughter. Atol, a dark-skinned page from Belvoir, well known for being ticklish, was on one of the tables, with two boys trying to hold him in place while a third painstakingly put the sigils on him. The atmosphere was joyous with something more. All the boys were naked, with most boys on the tables having their peckers up, as well as those holding the quills. Tristam had some difficulty keeping it all in order. There was a strange mix of craziness, sensuality, and seriousness under that crowded tent. The task at hand was important, the sigils had to be done the right way to be effective, and no one knew what consequences a botched job might bring. Fortunately, Lichan and the Dark Harem boys were there to help him with the book of drawings he had done as a reference, going from table to table with copies made to give to the boys. Lord Leto and the prince were not in sight, and Focker, knowing how this magic worked, had no doubt they were together somewhere doing what all the boys present were about to do as soon as the ink dried.

Perhaps he should do the same, this was the kind of chore he would gladly do all day long, all he needed was the right partner, and he did not think Lord Leto would mind. There was a captain of the Blue Guard that he was rather fond of who came to mind, and he left to see if he was on duty…

***

Somewhere else in a quiet part of the camp beside a traveling dovecote.

Etos was glad to have escaped the painting sessions for the moment. Having recently learned that nothing came easy, he was very doubtful of the success of that experiment. If all it took were to draw a few symbols on one's skin to ensure one's protection or an easy victory, what would stop the enemy or anyone else from doing the same?

As Gravenese's messenger, Etos found the position most interesting, and not only because the man was attractive and agreeable, but also because he did not seem to consider him a simple factotum. Gravenese chatted with him, sharing the content of most of the messages they received, and there were more than he would have ever thought possible, coming from all over the kingdom. Some were of the utmost priority, those concerning Leto's sons or the battle in front of Cal Marat notably, and others, whose subjects were more obscure for him but important. He was regularly taking them to Lord Leto and bringing back answers. One thing that dumbfounded him was the training of the pigeons; they knew where to find the recipient of the note they carried over great distances and where to go when they were sent back. This was magic you could understand.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Gravenese, looking at him pensively.

"I'm thinking of the birds."

"If you want, I could ask the pigeon fancier to tell you how it works and show you how they are trained? Would you like that?"

"I would be very grateful."

"No need to be; I appreciate your company. You're a very handsome boy."

Etos blushed, the man was not the first to compliment him, and after all, he had been chosen as one of Leto's favorites, so this remark should not have had such an effect on him. Gravenese noticed his reaction and was pleased; he liked the boy for his looks, of course, but also his character and earnestness, always trying to do better, to prove himself. He knew it was considered a fault by some of his peers and a subject of mockery, he did not agree. The boy craved adult attention and consideration. Was it coming from his upbringing?

"Why don't you come closer?" asked the knight. The boy complied and the man took him by the hand to sit him on his knees. "Are you comfortable?"

"I am." The child was blushing, even more, his breathing accelerated. It was totally unexpected; he had never seen Gravenese showing any interest in a boy.

"It would seem your own little bird has been awakened somewhat. Do you mind if I take care of it?"

"What about Lord Leto?" asked Etos, looking around to see if anyone was watching.

"I'm quite sure he would agree, we're close friends, he has many other boys and let's not forget Prince William. You should not worry about that." Gravenese's hand slipped under the boy's tunic. "What I know is that your own little bird is needy."

"It is." Sex, for Etos, had always been mostly a means to please and at best, an exciting game. What he experienced at that moment was radically different: it was strongly emotional; it was wonderful. He settled, cradled comfortably against the man's chest.

Gravenese kissed him on his rosy lips, and as the boy opened them, their tongues met and danced together. The man's fingers continued to work on the boy's erect little bird and soon felt the spasms begin. They were followed by a sudden jerk of the child's body and then a calm sigh of contentment. Etos immediately wanted to reciprocate.

"Do you want my mouth or my bottom?" he asked earnestly, in character.

"No need of that; holding you in my arms is enough … for now."

"But I must…"

"No, learn to enjoy the moment; you have nothing to prove to me."

There was silence; Gravenese's hand was still playing in the boy's groin, gently using his fingers to knead his ball sack, stroke his thigh, and push his erect little member downward with a thumb. He was as surprised as the boy. His interest in pages and squires had waned after his marriage and he had become the proud father of six beautiful children. What did this child have to bring him into such a sudden state of desire?

"Is there nothing I can do for you, sir knight?" insisted Etos, feeling inadequate.

"You're right; there is more we can do but not here. We may have some time before nightfall and the confrontation with the Beast. Why don't you go see Tristam and get those magical sigils on your skin while I organize things here and find our replacements? With some luck, all the messages of importance have arrived and been answered already. Hurry up."

The boy hesitated.

"Sir…?"

"Yes? What's the matter?"

"Do you believe in those sigils, in their magic? How can it be so simple?"

"That is quite a valid question, Etos, but Tristam is trustworthy. I suppose that he knows what he is doing and has discussed it with Lord Leto. I can ask them when I come to pick you up in a moment."

Without another word, Etos scampered away, Gravenese watching him, his brows furrowed. What the boy had just said made plenty of sense.

***

Memphis had spent the night with Flint, making love with an earnestness that deepened the bond that joined them and by morning, he had made his decision. There was no way he would let Flint be the subject of the mercenaries' mistreatment, and this would be true for all the pages under his responsibility. They had to escape Belvoir, to ask for an audience with the king so that what Orville had planned that evening never took place. He kissed the boy's dark curls and then shook his soft shoulder gently.

"Wake up, my angel, wake up."

Flint stirred, saying, "What time is it?"

"Too late already with all that needs to be done."

The young boy stretched like a cat.

"Haven't we got enough time for more?" he asked, taking a seductive pose.

"You're playing the devil now, Flint," Memphis was tempted but resisted; they would have all the time they wanted once they were away from Belvoir. "We have an appointment with the king." They needed his protection and the squire had decided that he would be the one to go see King Aluser.

"What do you care about him? Let's escape together. Let's find a boat and follow the river to the sea and go to the isles; there isn't a more beautiful place or more gentle people."

Suddenly there was a lot of noise in the main chamber with raised and panicked voices.

"Let's get dressed and see what this ruckus is about," said Memphis, worried.

Before he had stepped out of bed, the door opened and Lygan entered.

"Hurry up; we must go," he said.

"Go? Where? What's the matter?"

"Lanfer came and left you this message; he also said that all the exits to the town were closed and guarded, even the secret ones, that the mercenaries were searching for us and knew where to look." The boy's beautiful green eyes were misty with tears and fear showed on his face.

"This is impossible," said Memphis as he read the piece of paper. Lanfer was a fellow squire, one of those he had conferred with the previous evening without reaching any real conclusion.

"Someone squealed; there's no other explanation," said Lygan.

"Who could have done that?" said Memphis, as he was reading the message that told the same story only with more details.

"You know very well; he's wanted your position for months."

"He would lose the respect of everyone."

"No one needs to know what he did. He's ready to be the first on the auction block and to be fucked by scores of those mercenaries to play the innocent."

Dressed now, Memphis and Flint followed Lygan to join the others.

The boys were in a panic, not knowing what to do.

"Calm down, everybody. It's clear they don't know exactly where we are; they would be here already. There are many places such as this one, and it will take them some time to find us. Time we'll use to get out of Belvoir."

"How can we do that? All of the exits are closed."

"We can fight our way out," said Swift.

"Against the mercenaries? Without weapons?" said Krytton.

"They may not know all the exits; no one has gone to see for himself. There are two close by. Lygan, can you go check them for us, and be very careful."

"I will." In an instant, he was gone.

"What do we do while waiting for him?" asked Twit.

"Give me a moment to think," replied Memphis at a loss for words. It was too late to seek the help of the squires or anyone else, it should have been done the previous day, and now he could only count on himself and the boys around him. The only solution he could see was to flee the palace by any means. If Lygan did not come back with good news, there was one last alternative, but they would not like it. "We can use the Serpentine."

"Never!" exclaimed Krytton.

"I don't want to die," said Bohfest.

"What is that?" asked Twit, only in Belvoir for a few weeks.

"The sewers," answered Simur.

"Not exactly, it's a river passing under the palace," corrected Memphis.

"But that's where used waters go," said Vouhg.

"That's true; still, it's not quite the same."

Everyone wanted to give his opinion.

"There are things in those waters; everybody knows that, deadly ones," said Krytton.

"You don't know that for sure," said Flint.

"No one wants to go there," said Vouhg.

"And for very good reasons," said Krytton.

"They'll never look for us down there," said Aksel.

"Does it lead outside?" asked Twit.

"It's dark, dirty, creepy, and dangerous. And how would we get there anyway?" said Krytton.

"What other choice do we have? Surrender? Suffer whatever the mercenaries want to do with us?" said Flint.

"Not speaking of the punishment that Orville will deliver upon us for staying in hiding and not doing our chores," said Simur.

"That may be better than to meet what awaits us down there," said Bohfest.

"Stop it, boys!" interrupted Memphis, "I've been there; it's just bad smelling water."

"You've been there? How come?" asked Krytton.

"There was a big storm some months ago, you certainly all remember that. Trees fell; roofs were swept away; people died."

"I remember," said Simur.

A lot of debris created a barrage and stopped the normal flow of the Serpentine. Workers were sent to take it out before the water rose to flood the upper levels. I went with them to help and out of curiosity, I found an access not too far from here. There were boats that we used that day. I see no reason for them to have been taken away; we can use them again. No creatures attacked us; we didn't even see any, except for a few rats. We should be safe and away if we can get down there."

"Are you sure of that?" demanded Krytton.

"As sure as can be. The only problem is getting to it discreetly, there's too many of us."

"Perhaps it won't be necessary, perhaps Lygan has found an unguarded exit," said Aksel.

"Let's hope so," concluded Memphis. "Here he comes."

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Memphis and all the pages assembled in the secret chamber had their eyes fixed on the new arrival.

"The two exits within easy reach are closed and guarded; to pass, we would have to fight," said Lygan, out of breath, having run all the way back to the secret chamber.

"To fight, we would need the help of the squires and others that would join our side; we don't have time for that, and I don't want to risk lives if it can be avoided. Those mercenaries are hardened and ruthless. I'm not even sure we would have a chance that way," reflected Memphis

"Then we must try the Serpentine," said Flint.

"If they are watching the exits, they are certainly doing the same for the Serpentine," said Bohfest, wishing to put an end to that alternative.

"We might be lucky. It is far removed from most people's interests; Orville, himself, would never set foot down there. It's even possible he doesn't know it could be a way out of Belvoir."

"If it's our only chance, we must seize it," said Lygan.

"Speak for yourself," replied Krytton.

"I'm sorry, but I fear there's no time for discussions anymore," intervened Memphis. "Anyway, all twenty of us going there at once would mean attracting unwanted attention and probably getting caught. I'll take Flint and Lygan with me; one or two more if they want to come. The others will disperse and hide. It should be much easier individually or two by two at the most, and I trust you to do that effectively; there is no lack of places for that around here. By the end of the day, I hope I'll have obtained an audience with the king and gained his protection. What do you say?"

"I know the perfect hideout; they'll never find me," said Simur.

"Me too," said Krytton.

"Let's hope it's not the same one," remarked Lygan with a smile, "I'll go with you Memphis, who else wants to come with us?"

"I'll come," said Mitar, a pretty boy with chiseled features and black curls who was usually silent.

"Very well, there's no time to lose. We'll go first, and then you'll disperse and try to find the best hiding places you can … and don't get caught," cautioned Memphis.

"How shall we know we can show ourselves again?" asked Bohfest.

"Wait until tomorrow after the auction. If we're not successful, at least you'll have avoided that," answered Memphis.

"Better that you come back with the king or whoever wants to help us. Otherwise, Orville will punish us severely," said Krytton, resigned.

"Yes, and let's hope they don't catch us; I don't want to think what would happen if they did," said Flint, taking Memphis' hand.

"Let's go," said the squire, "in silence."

"Wait," said Mitar, who went back to his cot and came back with a sling and a pouch containing metal balls.

"Do you know how to use that?" asked Lygan, surprised.

"Better than you would think, I won't let them catch me without a fight!"

"You're right, Mitar, and we might need this if we want to be successful," said Memphis picking up a clanking bundle beside the door. He opened it and distributed short swords to Lygan, Mitar, Flint, and himself. "There's more for those who want them. Let's hope they won't be needed."

"You haven't got a chance if you meet with those mercenaries," snickered Krytton.

"Good luck to you," said Simur.

Then they were gone, hurrying along the dark corridors, taking hidden passageways, listening for any suspicious sound. These abandoned and deserted parts of the palace were now teeming with mercenaries methodically exploring them. They seemed well informed of the location of the secret doors that could lead them to the hiding pages. They were on the hunt and excited by the promise of a good catch. It was probable that those that fell into their hands would not have to wait until the auction to be used and abused.

Almost spotted on two occasions, Memphis and his companions narrowly avoided a confrontation using their youthful agility and speed: the reigning darkness in these parts and the loud mercenaries helping greatly.

"We're almost there; the access to the stairs is just beyond this archway. Wait here, I'll go have a look," said Memphis, leaving the three younger boys behind.

As he came closer, he felt misgivings take hold of him. He saw some light ahead and heard the distant sound of voices. There were guards at the entrance; it could not be otherwise.

Memphis was right; as he sent a glance beyond the archway, he could see two men bathed by the light of torches set in the wall, only two but enough to make their passage impossible. He did not dare take the risk of having one of the boys injured or killed; certainly, not Flint and he could not do it alone.

"Can we go?" asked Flint when he saw him come back.

"No, there's two men guarding the access."

"Shall we fight them?" asked Lygan without enthusiasm, tightening his hand's grip around his sword pommel.

"No, we can't do that; we're no match for them."

"We could try something else," said Flint.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Lygan.

"I could show myself, have them run after me. They'll never catch me and you could pass through once they're gone," suggested Flint.

"That's a neat idea," said Lygan appreciatively while it displeased Memphis enormously.

"Yes, it's a good one, but I got an even better one," said the usually silent Mital with assurance.

"Tell us," replied the squire, now ready to accept anything to avoid endangering or becoming separated from Flint.

"With this, I can take them out easily." The boy was holding his sling, it was certainly not a child's toy, but Memphis doubted it would be enough to stop the mercenaries, notwithstanding it supposed the boy did not miss.

"Are you sure?" he asked, thinking that if only one was incapacitated, he might be able to manage the other: he was good with a sword.

"Well, I never hit a man before," said Mital, suddenly less affirmative, "but animals are no easier targets."

"How close to them do you need to be? They're about thirty/forty feet away from the archway."

"That's no problem; I can reload fast. They're not gonna see it coming."

"Will it kill them?" asked Flint, uneasy with the idea.

"That's the point, isn't it?" replied Mital.

"Unfortunately, that would be for the best; you're right," agreed Memphis.

"Let's hope we're not caught after that," added Lygan.

Memphis was more and more convinced it was the best thing they could do if they wanted to escape Belvoir. If Mital missed one of his targets, he could run back to them. They would stay hidden behind the archway and wait for the unsuspecting mercenary. The surprise effect would help them dispatch him easily.

"What if there's more of them you haven't seen?" asked Flint, realizing what was at stake and finding the idea of killing them less appealing.

"That's a risk we must take," answered the squire.

"If they're here to fight for the king, is it a good idea to kill two of them?" Lygan asked again.

Memphis had no valid answer to that question, it seemed the longer they waited, the more reasons to turn back they could find.

"I don't know. We must escape; the others are counting on us; we have no choice. Mital, you do your best. If one of them comes for you and you miss, bring him to us. I'll take care of him. Let's move on, now."

In silence, they reached the archway connecting with the corridor where the two men were waiting. Mital passed his head, observing with attention the distance and their position. Then he placed two metal balls in the leather sling. His moves were fluid and precise. It was clear he had not been bragging when he had said he knew to use it. He looked surprisingly calm in such a situation.

Suddenly, he stepped into the dark corridor, where he would be barely visible to his two targets. If they noticed anything, it would be the hissing of the twirling sling in his hand. He let go and without waiting to see if he had been successful, he immediately reloaded. When he raised his head, he saw that one of the men was down and the other was running at him in an eerie silence. Without flinching, he twirled the sling again, letting go at the last moment. The two metal balls hit the bearded man right in the middle of his forehead. He showed surprise, let go of his axe, and fell back, not two feet from the boy.

Memphis was stunned, as well as Lygan and Flint. Their view of the silent and solitary child drastically changed from that moment.

"Bravo, Mital!" was all Memphis could say as he stepped beside him and looked at the man on the ground. In the gloom, he could vaguely discern two small holes trickling blood on the man's forehead.

"Do we leave him here?" asked Lygan.

"No, help me pull him out of sight, boys," answered Memphis, "better no one notices them if they come this way."

With some effort, all four of them pulled the heavy mercenary all the way to the second body then through the door before pushing him down the steep stairs that led to the Serpentine. They heard his body hitting the stone steps and then a splash.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," said Mital, who had shown extraordinary self-control so far, way beyond his years. "I killed that man."

"You had no choice; we are very grateful for what you did," said Lygan holding him, one arm around his shoulders."

"Let's do the same with the other and take the torches; we will have need of them," said Memphis, all business.

The second man was much lighter and not much older than Memphis, who had tried to avoid looking at his youthful face. Moving him would be much easier. The only problem was that he was not there anymore."

"He's gone!" exclaimed Flint.

"I missed him; he'll bring back reinforcements," said Mital, strangely comforted. Killing was not to his liking after all.

"Let's hurry then; we have no time to lose and must be as far away from here as possible when they arrive," said Memphis, taking a torch and handing another to Mital. "I'll lead the way. Watch your steps, those stairs are old and in disrepair."

In silence, they went down, reaching the dark waters of the Serpentine in a few moments. There were a pontoon and four boats awaiting them.

"What's that smell?" asked Flint, putting his hand to his nose.

"The sewers," answered Memphis, already untying the ropes to three of the boats and releasing them to the fast current. "One is enough for the four of us; get in."

"I don't know how to swim," said Mital, pausing.

"Nobody's perfect, and don't worry, I do. The plan is not to go in the water but in the boat. Come on." The squire gently brought the younger boy forward, helping him to get in the boat safely.

With the boys in the boat, two holding torches and one a paddle, Memphis asked, "All set, let's go!" while not waiting for an answer, he quickly untied the boat when it abruptly launched into the fast-moving waterway, rocking the boys in their seats. They did not need paddles.

With wide eyes and white knuckles, Mital had a firm grasp on the gunwale with one hand while trying to hold the torch steady with his other hand. He stayed silent and fearful. The other boys, clearly apprehensive, held on as the water whisked them into the unknown.

"How far to the exit? Where is it?" shouted Lygan over the roar of the water echoing off the stone walls.

Memphis shouted back, "I don't really know, as far as the great river Soon, I would say."

"You don't know?" said Flint, "That's halfway across town."

"There may be a few exits before that; I didn't go very far the last time."

"At least we're moving fast. We'll be away from Belvoir long before they can try anything to stop us," said Lygan.

"What if there's some kind of gate stopping us somewhere?" asked Mital.

"Why would there be such a thing?" said Flint.

"To keep people in or avoid trespassers," said Mital.

"We'll see to it once we get there. I see no reason for one; we're in Soonlure after all," answered Memphis, using his paddle to keep the boat away from the tunnel walls.

"In fact, you don't really know where we're going. The tunnel's getting narrower," remarked Lygan, which caused the water to move even faster.

"Yes, I know, it's just that I'm not aware of all the details."

"Let's hope we don't get stuck; we won't be able to go back against this current."

Memphis was starting to regret his choice of the Serpentine after all he had heard from the boys. Had he done the right thing? He had never navigated the underground river, mostly staying on the pontoon and hearing what the workers said. They had definitely talked of an exit. He had seen them take the same route; there had to be a way out.

"Light ahead!" he suddenly exclaimed with a large smile. He may have made the right choice after all.

The tunnel dumped them into a large round cistern, and looking up, Memphis saw the light coming from an aperture situated high in the ceiling. There were rungs set in the wall to get there and looking downward, he froze. On the iron rusted platform at the bottom, he saw it, the stranded body of the mercenary with two river dragons of a size he had never seen, easily three or four feet long, their elongated jaws, furrowing and tearing the body apart. As they approached, a third came out of the water to join in the carnage. Rats that wanted to join in the fray stayed away; they were probably the usual main course of these creatures.

"So, there really are monsters down here. Let's keep away from them," said Lygan. The boys were familiar with river dragons, but those they knew were less than a foot long and more of an annoyance than anything else; they could bite if you were not careful, nothing more. These could probably kill you.

"Do you think they could sink the boat?" asked a very frightened Mital.

"No, I don't think so," answered Memphis, who was not so sure of that. "Anyway, it's better to stay clear of them. We'll take the next exit. What did I tell you; there are exits all the way to the river. We just need to find the right one."

"Look ahead, there's a bifurcation," announced Flint. "Do we go right or left?"

"It doesn't matter; both should take us to an exit; steer left," affirmed Memphis. He was not about to show the boys his rising doubts as to the end of their adventure.

***

Melchior and Rand entered the city disguised as merchants and driving a wagon where they had concealed, besides other things, the boy's plaything, Stephan, and the Archon stone catalyst still simply called "Boy." Their escort was both preceding and following them at a distance, as they were high on the king's wanted list and well known in Soonlure. Melchior had dyed his hair white and he changed his features somewhat, the color of his eyes, the line of his jaw. Traveling with the shorthaired boy, Rand, he was not likely to attract attention. The checkpoint at the south gate was not as tight as one would expect in times of war, a welcome surprise for the small man that bode well for what was to come. If all went according to plan, the city could be theirs shortly and King Aluser would be dead.

Orville was awaiting them in a secondary courtyard of the palace. Belvoir was a very quiet place after the bustling activity it had known during Leto's stay. A noticeable difference for a well-advised person was that the regular guards had mostly disappeared, replaced in great numbers by more exotic uniformed sentries. Melchior would have a word with the chamberlain about that. He did not want outsiders to notice any changes. The king had spies like everybody else, and it was imperative that everything appeared normal with business conducted in the usual manner.

"Welcome, Melchior, I did not expect you so soon, but I'm delighted to see you."

"Good of you Orville, as you well know, we had to change our plans drastically."

"But all for the best concerning yourself, my friend. You'll be able to see the fall of Soonlure and the death of King Aluser. Isn't that better than being with the army or being the factotum of Lord Leto? "

"Certainly, there will be some satisfaction in that. We have some precious cargo in the wagon, have it discharged discreetly and brought to our apartments. Where is the regular guard?"

"I feared it was not as loyal as required and had it retained in its quarters except for those I was sure I could count on. The mercenaries are replacing most of the regulars."

"Why do I see so many of them? What do you fear?" Melchior was suspicious that something was wrong, giving him a detestable feeling.

"Fear? Nothing of the sort. We had a problem with the squire, and pages overseer, Memphis. Our men are looking for him and the boys he took with him, that should be resolved within the day."

"You'll have to explain that to me, but first, I want to know if there is any news from our friends?"

"Yes, they should arrive on schedule."

"Very well, I shall refresh myself and settle in my rooms; then we will meet again. Make sure my men have the best accommodations."

"Of course, Belvoir Palace is yours after all."

"Who were those friends you were talking about? Who are you expecting, my father?" asked Rand as they neared their apartments escorted by two mercenaries and four pages.

"No, not your father; no one that you would know, in fact. Don't you want me to keep a few surprises for you?"

"Well, if they are good, why not. Still, I'm curious."

"As you ought to be, my dear boy. I'll think about telling you, but later and in private. For now, all I want is to rest and take a good bath, after that, I need to spend some time with Boy. What about you?"

"About the same I would say. I don't know yet if I'll wait for Stephan or go look for some other entertainment."

"Ah, the prerogative of youth and its endless energy. Are you tempted by what you see?" Melchior had not missed the lingering glances Rand sent to the pages preceding them.

"I am always attracted by novelty."

"Pick one or two if you want, they wear the red; they're here to serve you the way you want. Don't do anything too extreme though, wait for me to settle that with Orville first. We don't want any incident to compromise our stay and objectives."

"Very well, I can contend myself with Stephan for this evening; we've been traveling all day. I'll ask their names and play with them tomorrow."

"Truly, Rand, I would have loved to have you as my son. When we are successful, you'll have a place of choice by my side."

"Maybe you could adopt me?

"What an interesting idea, that could certainly be done. What would your father say?"

"Do we have to ask?"

"Of course not, you're right. Who knows, he might not even survive the next few days. Would you miss him?"

"Not in the least, as you've seen, he is not the most loving father one could wish for."

"I must recognize he is quite despicable, which makes him interesting and useful from my point of view."

"He is certainly greedy and capable; he helped you escape."

"He did, but who cares, as long as you're pleased."

After leaving Rand, Melchior had enjoyed his bath then spent some time with Boy, dinner was upcoming, but first, he wanted to have a word with Orville. They met in his office, away from prying ears.

"You're hiding something from me, Orville. What is it?"

"Nothing of importance, Melchior; it's being taken care of this moment."

"Stop beating around the bush. Spit it out, and be done with it."

"We're almost up to one thousand mercenaries in Belvoir. Besides having to feed them, we've had some problems with their drinking and their behavior with the servant boys and girls."

"That is to be expected."

"Yes, the page and squire overseer, Memphis, revolted and tried to hide some of the pages from me, from them, saying they were not properly treated."

"Who cares?"

"Exactly what I told him and to put the nail in, I announced that all the pages and squires, as well as the maids, would be put up on auction this evening, with no exceptions. I wanted to please our men and end the debate."

"I might have treated the situation the same way."

"One of the squires wanted Memphis' position and informed me where to find him and the missing pages and that they planned to escape Belvoir to seek help elsewhere."

"Where to?"

"It wasn't clear; the most probable was for them to hurry down south and ask their parents. From the beginning, I've made it quite clear that the mercenaries were here at the demand of the king to help in the war effort. They have no reason to seek support there."

"Good, well done. So, you have them now. What do you plan to do with them?"

"Yes, we caught most of them, but a handful was able to reach the Serpentine."

"The Serpentine, what is that?"

"Sewers, running underground."

"And?"

"They killed one of our men and found a boat."

"So, what you're telling me is that they, indeed, escaped," Melchior had adopted an icy tone.

"Well, not exactly. It's much more probable that they got lost down there with no way out. It's a true labyrinth of canals with most of the exits locked. They may never be seen again."

"That would be for the best. If word of the mercenaries' presence here reached the wrong ears only days before our coup, it would be a disastrous blow to our plans."

"That's very unlikely."

"But you don't know."

"I have activated our entire network, everywhere in town and in the king's palace. They have the order to eliminate them on sight."

"Will that be enough?"

"It should."

"I'll leave you the benefit of the doubt, for now. You had better not fail me on that. What will you do with the pages you recovered?"

"They'll be put on the auction block, like the others."

"You are way too lenient, Orville. You must make an example of them. I'll have Rand have a look at them, see if he wants to pick one or two as his playthings. Have the others executed before the auction. That will teach the others to comply with our rules. Ask the mercenaries to do it; that should make for good entertainment too. I'll gladly be present to watch it with Rand."

"As you wish Melchior, but we're short on boys at the moment. We have to think of the next days; bored mercenaries are never a good thing."

"How many did you catch?"

"Seven so far, we think there are about ten more still hiding in the palace."

"Those numbers won't make a difference, and with some luck, we might get into action sooner than you think. Execute the seven you got, minus the ones Rand would keep for himself; we'll decide on the others later. I'm getting hungry. Let's have dinner to better appreciate the show this evening."

"I'll give the orders to have everything set up along your wishes. You'll be called shortly when dinner's ready."

***

Hours had gone by since Memphis and the pages had left the pontoon, and it was not their pursuers that worried him: they were lost, something he had difficulty accepting. There were obviously codes along the way to navigate the Serpentine safely, codes that he did not know. After the first bifurcation, they met many more going right or left without rhyme or reason. He was starting to doubt his idea that they just had to follow the current and that it would take them straight to the river Soon and freedom.

The water carried all sorts of debris that he did not want to think about, and now, the current had come to a crawl, to the point that they had to paddle to simply keep moving forward. Then there were the smells and the river dragons. The stench could be almost suffocating in some parts, absent in others. The dragons were of the usual size most times, when spotted, but there were also gigantic ones and the boys jumped when they heard a big splash or saw one nearby.

It was all becoming a nightmare.

They passed three more exits. The first they could not reach, most of the rungs in the wall were missing, two others they found locked, and Memphis was unable to force them open with his sword. He had heard voices, and since they certainly were far away from Belvoir by now, he had thought of calling for help. No words had left his mouth. If Orville had told the king they had killed the mercenary meant to be at his service, the people would consider them criminals, and he did not doubt Orville had blackened the table: you could count on him for that. He concluded that all his plans were now reduced to nothing, even if they ever got out of this jumble of canals, that is.

"I'm hungry," said Flint.

"How can you be? I'd rather puke with that stench," replied Lygan.

"Yes, I feel knots in my stomach, thinking of those creatures in the water. I'm sure they could easily sink the boat. Let's hope THEY are not too hungry." Mital was still holding tight the gunwale, his torch sputtering: they needed to find a replacement, and soon.

"I trust Memphis; he'll get us out of here. He's never let me down," said Flint, taking the teenager's hand.

"I would say that's puppy love talking. I think we're in deep shit, in all sense of the term, if you see what I mean," said Lygan.

"I'm sorry boys, to have led you into this. It has not been as simple as I thought, but we'll find a way out sooner or later; it can't be otherwise." Memphis had to give them some hope even if he, himself, was starting to feel his anxiety rising.

"Better sooner then. I would not like to be still down there when night falls," said Lygan.

"Why, what change would it make? We're in the dark already," said Flint.

"Don't know, just a bad hunch I have."

"Light ahead," shouted Mital, his voice suddenly full of hope.

"Current is back too; let's hurry and see what's ahead." Memphis and Flint redoubled their efforts with the paddles.

They finally came into sight of an exit, and this time it was not up in the ceiling; it was facing them. There was no doubt they had reached the river and as they got closer, through a rusted iron grille sealed into the walls seven feet wide and as many in height, beyond which they could see boats sailing and the unmistakable sounds of the city harbor.

"The bars are too close for us to pass through," said Lygan trying to get his head between them, "we'll have to go back."

"Wait, it looks old and the walls are crumbling; we can try to force a passage, hold the boat in place," ordered Memphis. He was not ready to give up yet.

Memphis took out his sword and tested the bars to see if they could break, then attacked the wall at the grille anchor points. As he hoped, the stones were in bad shape and crumbling under his blows.

"It's working," said Flint.

"Yes, but it will take hours if not days to unseal it," remarked Lygan, sadly.

Flint let his gaze wander before fixing it on the dark water running through the grid, "Do you think it goes to the bottom?"

"What?" asked Memphis, resting his arm and looking at what he had accomplished.

"The grille, do you think it goes all the way down?"

"It should."

"What if it doesn't? We could swim under it."

"I don't know how to swim," said Mital, who had lost his enthusiasm.

"That's something that's worth checking," said Memphis, in turn looking at the dark water under the boat.

"How deep do you think it could be?" asked Flint.

"No idea and don't count on me to go look," said Lygan.

"I'll do it, wait for me, I won't be long," said Memphis before plunging in, still holding his sword.

The sound echoed with more splashes coming from behind them down the dark canal.

"Memphis!" shouted Flint, but it was too late. He had already disappeared under the water, still holding his sword.

He was back less than a minute later.

"Get back in," shouted Flint, "river dragons, we heard them."

"Careful," exclaimed in turn Mital, as the squire hurried to climb back in the boat, rocking it noticeably.

"You were right, Flint, there's a passage under the grille," said Memphis, catching his breath, "We can make it."

"I can't swim," repeated Mital.

"There's river dragons," said Lygan.

It appeared Memphis was not quite yet out of his problems.

***

Night had fallen. Lord Leto and Prince William entered the cage. It was large, twenty-four feet in diameter and made of the best steel the kingdom could provide. Its bars were close enough to stop the Beast but wide enough to let William slip out in case of need. They did everything possible to ensure that the Beast could not escape it. They positioned knights all around, armed with blunted poles that they would use to push it away and prevent the creature from getting near the cage door and bars to try to break free. Was it strong enough for such a feat? They did not know, but Tristam did not want to take any chances. It was meant to stay in the cage with no possibility of killing or eating any boy but William.

The love that the boy and the lord shared, charged with magic, was to prevent that from happening and force Leto to find the strength to regain his appearance before the night was over, thus vanquishing the curse.

Of course, the best would be for the Beast never to take form this full moon. Unfortunately, the sigils on Leto's skin were probably not powerful enough for that. Gravenese was among those who questioned their value when they had met earlier and the Magus had answered him.

Symbols had been used for centuries to convey magic and not by the enemy alone. However, more than complex sigils or combinations of them were required for any magic to be effective. Melchior, with suffering children as catalysts, used the Archon stone to store the magical energy induced by them. Tristam, after studying the alien sigils and adding some of his own, had used his vast knowledge to change and amplify their use and effect. Love, not pain was the vector now and the energy was not stored in a stone but in the catalyst's body itself. There was more; they were not drawn with any ink. This one had special properties that the magus had crafted during the last days. What appeared simple and easy was the result of years and years of study and practice.

Tristam hoped the symbols would help to weaken the Beast and protect William from some of its attacks. Although they expected the boy's suffering would be a major factor in helping Leto win the tug of war that was to take place between him and the Beast.

Everything was in place; all they could do was wait. The night was clear and the moon was high in the sky. Hours passed with nothing happening. It was a strange scene. Leto and William seated side by side in the middle of the cage, the knights standing all around, immobile and waiting, pole in hand. Tristam, pacing nervously, exchanged a word or two with them from time to time. They knew that in the tents all over the encampment, another kind of magic was taking place. Pages and squires were making love with their chosen man and the sigils on their skin were dancing and passing from the one to the other.

Suddenly, Tristam stopped pacing and stood with a thoughtful expression. Could there be a connection between that and the Beast's non-appearance?

"Lichan," he called, knowing that the boy, contrary to his orders to stay away, was hidden close by, "bring Lucian, Focker, Etos, Hobb and the twins and whatever boys not serving a man that you encounter on your way."

"What is it?" questioned Leto, standing up.

"I just had an idea, probably a stupid one, but we have nothing to lose."

"Tell me."

"I want you to make love with William and all the boys I called will join you by choosing one of the knights present."

"Here and now?" asked Leto.

"In front of everyone?" let slip Bertram.

"Yes, I just have a hunch, all around us, boys and men, are pleasuring each other, and the sigils are activated and exerting their power. I never thought, my lord, that, alone, those on your skin would be potent enough to prevent the Beast from appearing. Still, it is close to midnight now and we haven't seen any sign of it so far, so, I now believe the coupling of boys and men might affect the power of the curse. As crazy as it may sound, that's a possibility that we should consider."

"A peculiar idea, but I'm all for it," said Tamerlane.

"If the boy is paired with someone he truly loves and if the love is reciprocal, it should be even more potent," said Tristam, as the boys entered, "I don't have to tell you who to choose.

Except for Bertram, there was little embarrassment, perhaps only some awkwardness. Lucian, shedding off his tunic, went to Bertram. Etos, without hesitation, went to Gravenese. Lichan, to Tristam, Focker to the captain of the Blue Guard he had entertained earlier, the twins to Tamerlane as one, and Hobb chose a young and pleasant knight whose name he did not know. Two more boys followed, who found a welcome match among the remaining knights.

"And now let's proceed," announced Tristam, himself intimidated by the scene he had put in motion. "Those of you without a boy in your arms, stand watch and warn us if the Beast finally shows itself. I fear we may be too taken with our boys to be aware of it in time.

The knights had to take off some of their armor to be able to honor the naked boys, as they should. The preliminaries were short, the sexual energy palpable in the air, liberating them from any shame or restraints and giving free rein to their desires. The sounds of flesh against flesh soon replaced the ones of kissing and then the moans of pleasure between men and boys as the pelvic thrusts met with the firm mounds of the lads' bums.

Leto and William in the center of the cage clearly did not mind being the center of attention in such circumstances. Their loving embrace was tender and passionate. A slight hum and glow enveloped them: their magic was strong indeed. Their moves were well coordinated; they both perfectly knew their needs and wants after the intense practice of the last days and weeks.

Bertram, as could be expected had taken Lucian away from the others to the most shadowy place he could find. Despite this, for him, hostile environment and with the help of the much more wanton Lucian, he was able to overcome his shyness in no time and showed the boy his prowess at love in a very sexual way.

For Etos and Gravenese, it was different. Their mutual attraction was new and unexpected, and it needed a round of exploration first. The first contacts were tentative but determined. The man needed to reminisce his young years when boys were his usual fare. It did not take long. Etos, for his part, had no such requirements. His rear end, since he became Leto's favorite, was able to satisfy any man. The difference lay in the strange new feelings that filled him with joy and added gravity to the act, it was of a different nature and greater than when he was taking pleasure at servicing his lord. Maybe he was discovering the privilege of true love.

Hobb was an adventurous boy. Despite the hardships of a life spent for many years in the whorehouses of different cities and at the disposal of men and sometimes women, sex, for him, was still a way to enjoy life. Now, he had the added advantage of being able to choose who to practice it with, a big difference. The knight he decided to share his talents with welcomed him with open arms. To find mutual pleasure without a tomorrow was all those two would seek, but who knows?

"You have been chosen by the twins, Tamerlane, be gentle with them. They have known only boys until now; you will be their first man," said Hobb to the surprised knight leaving the lean and gracious boys with him. It was unexpected indeed, but Tamerlane was not of the kind to ask questions when a favorable situation arose. He opened his arms wide, embracing the two delectable lads and showed them all the attention and care they deserved. He could appear to some impetuous, harsh, even severe, but in this instance, he showed patience and genuine kindness. He treated the boys as his equals, their needs and enjoyment taking precedence over his own. His lovemaking was known to be boisterous and energetic, not this time, he needed to tame and reassure his young partners before giving way to its true nature and he succeeded perfectly. Silla and Estam shared his bed most nights, so two was the right number for him, and he was soon able to show his prowess with Atlan and Betan.

Tristam, who had tried to moderate his enjoyment of Lichan, in an effort to keep an eye on Leto and William, had difficulty doing so with the boy's enthusiasm and his own yearnings finally sweeping him away.

It seemed a strong dose of lunacy had taken hold of them all as the orgiastic scene developed and it did not stop at the first emissions of seed; the lovers were tireless and passionate. The sigils on their skin were dancing, magic was at work, certainly, but the night was far from over. Would it be strong enough to stop the curse?

To Be Continued