Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 16:09:48 -0700
From: The Storyteller <mail@boytales.com>
Subject: Story: "Zhentilar Boys Ch 6" (M/t/b/b) (Ped) (Fantasy)

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WARNING!
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The following is a BoyLove fantasy (Wizards, Magic and BOYS) story, and as
such it contains ADULT subject matter that may be objectionable to some
readers.  If you are offended by Man/Boy love, DO NOT READ THIS STORY.  If
you are under 18 years of age DO NOT READ THIS STORY.  The Author DOES NOT
encourage or suggest illegal behavior of any kind.

This story is pure fiction; any resemblance to persons or events in real
life is purely coincidental.  This story is intended as ADULT entertainment
ONLY.

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Please direct comments to:

E-mail: storyteller@frozenmoon.com

Web Site: http://www.boytales.com/

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The Zhentarim

Copyright 1999 by The Storyteller

Zhentilar Boys

Book 1

Chapter 6

At first he had planned slip into the Keep unnoticed and dispose of it's
inhabitants in small groups using his favorite weapon - poison, but after
watching the place for a couple of days he came to realize that the guards
were more numerous than he thought.  There were at least twenty that he
could tell, and they appeared to know what they were doing.  Where the
Keep's owner acquired such a well-trained garrison he didn't know.

Realizing that it would be too risky to enter the Keep himself, he
abandoned that plan and decided to wait and watch to see if a better
opportunity presented itself.  He had been paid well, very well, to procure
a supply of young boys for his Waterdehavian client, so when he learned,
through his extensive information network, about a very secret operation up
north that provided just such merchandise to discriminating patrons, he
decided to investigate.  His sources were correct, the wizard that lived in
the Keep had started an exclusive slave trading business for those who
desired boys.  It was perfect, exactly what he had been looking for.

The only problem was that he was an assassin, not a kidnapper.  Assassins
rarely if ever came into contact with younglings.  Once or twice he had
eliminated a young lord or heir for someone, so he had no qualms about
'eliminating' children, but to take them alive - now that was something
completely out of his field of expertise.  He couldn't imagine why his
client wanted children - no not just children, BOYS - but the amount he was
being paid convinced him to alter his profession just a bit.  That and the
fact that the client also wanted any 'competition' neutralized would
provide him with plenty of opportunity to use his 'skills.'  He couldn't
understand why the old wizard would want to destroy a business that could
provide him with what he wanted, but he didn't care, as long as he was
paid.  What he didn't know was that his 'customer' wanted complete control
of the slave trade to weaken one of the Zhentarim's main sources of income.

Unfortunately, he had arrived a little too late.  The wizard had been able
to auction off most of his inventory before he could get his hands on the
boys.  They were perfect specimens too, such a shame.  His client would
have been most impressed.  Oh well, he would get his revenge by taking what
was left and destroying the rest if possible.  The only problem was that he
was on foot and there were no wagons.  If there were more than a couple of
boys to be had how would he get them to Waterdeep?  He only brought two
thugs with him and they weren't exactly geniuses, but they were loyal and
they were corrupt.  The smarter they are the more difficult it is to keep
them in line.

It had been easy enough to get rid of the owner of the keep, and the big
slaver had even left with him.  The forced departure would certainly put a
damper on the little operation, but he still needed something to take back
to his client. The presence of the slaver strongly indicated that not only
was this operation well organized, but also there were likely to be more of
them.  He wished he could have followed the group into the pass to see
where they were headed, but he reasoned that he probably wouldn't have
survived the trip in this deadly weather.

On the third day of his surveillance a couple of young lads in their early
teens came out through the main door.  They bounded out into the snow and
stood in the clearing surrounding the front of the Keep about twenty-five
yards away from where the stranger lay hidden in the brush.  They appeared
to be talking as they took in their fairy-tale surroundings.  It was late
afternoon and the sun was low on the horizon, a thin layer of clouds
dampened its brilliance.

The stranger quietly reached into his long overcoat and pulled out a small
thin tube made of wood, and then he retrieved a little glass vial and a
needle sharp quill, which he dipped into the vial.  He inserted the quill
into the tube and set it in the snow next to him.  He repeated the whole
process with a second tube and then he waited.  He was pretty sure that he
had mixed the poison right and that it wouldn't kill his victim but he had
never done this before.  Killing was easy; it didn't matter if you made the
poison too strong.  Knocking someone unconscious required much more
precision and less room for error.

The boys were as happy as they could ever remember being.  The snow was
perfect, and with the master gone they could play.  It wasn't that Var
didn't let them have their free time; it was just that he always seemed to
have something for them to do.  Because of this, they rarely had enough
idle time to wander around freely outside.

The scenery was breathtaking, with the mountains and trees all covered with
snow.  The air was fresh and crisp and the atmosphere was eerily quiet.  It
was the kind of peace one rarely experiences unless they live in the
mountains.

The two boys started making small snowballs and throwing them at each
other.  Then they began to chase after one another, laughing and giggling
when one of their missiles hit its mark.  While they played, they inched
ever closer to the woods as they continued to dash around in the snow
completely unaware of the danger that lurked only a few spans away.

Their swift movements made them difficult targets.  The Stranger only had
one chance with each boy, and he couldn't afford to miss.  He waited
patiently, hoping they would get closer.  Time plodded on, as the boys'
energy appeared to have no bounds.

The stranger had nearly put himself into a trance when one of the boys ran
to within ten feet of him and stopped.  He plopped down on his butt in the
snow and reached around him to gather more snow for a snowball.

The boy heard a hissing sound and turned to see what had caused it.  The
poisoned quill sank into the base of his neck.  He gasped as he reached up
to his neck, it felt as if something had bitten or stung him.  His hand
felt the sharp quill and then everything started to spin and then went
dark.

The other boy was standing about thirty feet away trying to catch his
breath.  He bent over and put the palms of his hands on his knees and
stared at the bright snow.  When he looked up his friend was flat on his
back.  He called out to him but received no answer, so he headed toward his
friend.

"What's wrong with you!  Get UP!" the boy yelled to his friend as he
stomped toward him.  When his friend didn't move a muscle, he began to feel
that something wasn't right so he picked up his pace.  When he arrived at
his friend's side he knelt in the snow and bent over to shake him.

"OUUWWW" he yelped as something stung him hard on the butt.  He jumped to
his feet again but the poison was powerful and the world spun, causing him
to topple onto the snow-covered ground.  Moments later he was laying across
his friend's chest.  Both boys were out cold.

The stranger watched the Keep for a moment to make sure no one had seen
anything, nothing moved.  He stood up in a crouch and crabbed his way over
to the fallen boys.  He slipped his cold hand into the neck opening of each
boy's coat and tunic so he could feel the chest to make sure they were
still alive.  The boys' chests were smooth and warm, their breathing very
slow, but steady.  The stranger smiled to himself, then, taking stalk of
his situation, his expression quickly soured.  NOW what in the blazes was
he going to do?  He was again reminded that he was no kidnapper.

The boys were smaller than adults, but two of them were certainly more than
he could carry.  Thinking quickly, he realized that the most important
thing was to get them out of site before anyone from the Keep noticed them
lying there in the snow.  As for the tracks...well there was nothing he
could do about that; all he could do was hope that no one noticed them for
a while.

He dragged the boys into the brush and hurried off to find his cohorts.  As
he walked through the woods he thought about his 'companions.'  Oh they
were burly enough, and more than mean enough, but they weren't exactly the
smartest pair.  The good thing about their lack of intelligence was the
fact that 'slow' henchmen tended to be more loyal and easy to control, but
they couldn't be counted on for quick thinking in a crises.  He hoped there
would be no need to deal with any crises.

It took the trio the better part of an hour to make their way back to where
the boys where.  He had had some doubts about how long they would be out
from the poison but as he approached the place where he had concealed them
he noticed that they were still out cold.

The stranger commanded the two idiots to each grab one of the boys then the
small party headed toward Hundlestone.

In Hundlestone the Stranger quickly bought an enclosed animal wagon, of
which there were always plenty given the inclement weather, and secured the
boys inside and out of site.  His method was simple, effective, and
practical.  He looped a length of iron chain around each of the boys necks
and ran it through holes in the wooden floor then fastened it together with
wire on the underside of the floor, making it impossible to escape without
help.  Then he tied their feet to iron rungs attached to the floor to keep
animals tethered.  He didn't bother worrying about their hands.

With his captives secure, he bought plenty of supplies and headed for the
nearest alehouse, where he spent the next couple of hours.

A little more than an hour after their captors went off to enjoy
themselves, the older of the two boys stirred.

As he slowly regained consciousness, Ravi began to feel the intense
headache caused by the poison.  He slowly opened his eyes and tried to sit
up but quickly realized that he was somehow fastened to the floor of the
wagon.  He turned his head as much as he could which wasn't much and saw
Lathan next to him.  He saw the chain and reached up to feel his own neck.
The other boy was still asleep.

He tried to move his feet and when that didn't work he was overcome with a
feeling of helplessness.  All he could remember was playing out in the snow
and then everything went blank.  He was terrified and his tummy began to
heave in desperation as he strained against his bonds.  He didn't dare cry
out for fear that his captors might be listening.  He wasn't sure of his
exact situation, but he knew he had been captured.

"Lathan," he whispered.  The other boy didn't stir.  "LATHAN," he hissed,
still nothing.

'What if he's dead,' he thought to himself.  'Maybe they just want us dead!
No that doesn't make any sense, what good would we be to anyone dead?' he
consoled himself.

He lie their growing more and more depressed until, several minutes later,
Lathan stirred and started to struggle.

"What's happening?" Lathan cried out.

"SShhhhh!  It's no use, I already tried, and they might hear if you yell."

"Ravi, I'm tied up - I can't move!  Whaddya mean 'they might hear?'" the
younger boy demanded in a desperate voice.  "Who might hear?" he asked.

"Whoever did this to us, that's who.  And they might come and kill us if we
make them angry so just keep quiet...OK?"  Ravi was having trouble keeping
HIMSELF calm let alone having to deal with Lathan.  Lathan was thirteen,
and just a year and a half younger than Ravi, but Ravi had always
instinctively taken the role of the leader.  He usually managed to remain
calm in spite of whatever he encountered.  This time, though, was different
- his life was in danger, and this was NOT a normal situation, of that he
was sure.

The two boys discussed their predicament for a while and then as time went
on they realized that their heavy coats had been removed.  Even though the
wagon was enclosed, it offered little shelter against the terrible cold.
Ravi began to panic as he realized that it wouldn't be long before they
froze to death.  Did their captors realize their predicament?  Did they
even care?

"Ravi, I can't stand it, its soooo cold," Lathan hissed through clenched
teeth as he shivered violently.  His young body felt violated by the
intense cold, and he was completely powerless to do anything about it.

"I'm just as cold, but we'll make it...I hope," Ravi replied.  Oh god this
was BAD...real bad.  He was scared to death, the kind of fear that consumes
your whole being, the kind of fear that asserts itself when you suddenly
realize that you might actually die.

************

The Stranger sat in front of the huge stone hearth and soaked in the warmth
of the crackling fire.  He had had a little too much drink, which was
unusual for him, but he figured he deserved it.  He normally did not drink
much, and NEVER during a 'job,' but this was no normal mission.  Two little
boys were hardly any threat to him and he already had them in his
possession, now all he needed to do was get them to Waterdeep.

His 'client' would be most impressed with his results, he thought to
himself; not only had he single-handedly run the slaver out of town, but he
had also acquired exactly what the old witch desired most - young boys.
Although he still had no idea WHY the old wizard wanted the worthless
brats, but he intended to find out, oh yes indeed.

His mind drifted to thoughts of his 'catch' as he slowly lifted a small
glass of amber liquid to his thin lips.  The heavy little jigger was almost
to his mouth when he froze stiff as a thought struck him.  His eyes
narrowed as he tried to concentrate through his whiskey-numbed state.  He
remembered taking the coats off of the boys and ordering his goons to cover
them with horse blankets, but he couldn't remember them ever having gotten
around to it - covering them with the blankets that is.  The worthless
urchins would certainly freeze to death without those covers in this frigid
weather.

He smiled to himself, 'Ahhh but death is my business,' he thought.  Death
was always something he had embraced, even welcomed, and it was always his
ultimate goal as an assassin, until now.  Ohh it would be such a thrill to
look upon those too-cute faces...frozen solid with a look of horror so
intense that it could only be caused by the fear of certain DEATH.  He had
seen that look on sooo many faces, but never frozen.  That would be an
entirely new experience that he could add to his memories.  The temptation
descended on him like the alcohol in his veins.

The old wizard didn't even have to know; he could just tell him that there
were no survivors.  But that would mean he would have to admit to failure,
and he had NEVER EVER failed, not once in all his two hundred plus years.
No, that simply was NOT an option; he would have to get those two brats to
Waterdeep alive, if only barely so.  And that meant that he had to go out
into the cold and make sure they were...alive, oh how it pained him to
think that he was actually going to expend energy to keep someone ALIVE.
To actually HELP someone, the mere thought was nearly unbearable.

He rose from his place by the fire and collected one of his henchmen with a
mere wave of his bony hand on the way out the door.  He had parked the
wagon out of sight near the edge of town to make sure that no one would
hear any pleas for help from the younglings.  Looking around he realized
that most of the buildings were dark and closed up on the street level
since they were only used for doing business.

Off the main road the dwellings became smaller and very low to the ground,
the majority of them having been built by and for dwarves.  Many of the
small structures weren't even the size of a small room and only served as a
covered entry that led underground to the living space.  This made it
easier to keep the heat in and the undesirables, like Trolls and Ogre-kin,
out.  It also prevented the terrible winter storms from destroying their
houses.

Dwarves are a hardy practical people who keep to themselves for the most
part.  The recent troubles among the few humans who dwelled in the area
were of little interest to them so the stranger needn't have worried.
Nonetheless, it was always a good idea to be cautious.

A few of the buildings were filled with the orange glow of evening fires
indicating that they were probably built by one of the few human families
that lived this far north.

As he walked along, the cold began to sober him up and he became more
anxious about the condition of the boys.  'They better not be dead!' he
said to himself.

The sky was black and dotted with stars, and the wind was blowing lightly
as the stranger passed the last building.  The shutters were drawn tight
and the place looked deserted.  A lantern squeaked as it swung in the wind.
All was quiet.

A few paces off the road the stranger spotted the wagon between two large
trees.  He approached the wagon by traveling in a semicircle that first
took him into the forest so as to avoid drawing any attention to his
destination.  Dwarves had this nasty habit of venturing out into the night
for walks, even in this cold.

As he drew closer to the wagon he caught movement out of his peripheral
vision and froze.  A Troll slinked out of the brush and approached the
wagon.  At the same moment he heard movement from behind, he spun around
with inhuman speed and saw his companion falling to the ground, his guts
spilling out of a huge gash in his abdomen.  He looked up and his eyes met
with those of his attacker, another troll.

The instant the troll met his gaze it stopped itself in mid strike and fled
into the forest.  The assassin was at the wagon in seconds, just in time to
stop the other Troll from reaching the boys first, which would have meant
certain death for his catch.

"Pathetic creature, how DARE you violate my property.  Now you will die!"
the stranger rasped in that hideous voice of his.  His eyes burned red as
he gazed at the creature before him.

The Troll dropped to the ground and groveled, "Grangall only looking for
food great Master!  Grangall not know food belong to Great Master." The
troll pleaded in its guttural language.

The stranger considered for a moment.  "I will give you ONE chance to save
your worthless life.  Guard this wagon and see to it that no harm comes to
the humans inside."

"Yesss Great Master," the troll hissed and spluttered.

The Stranger turned and entered the wagon.  The two boys were shivering
violently and were almost unconscious, but they were still very much alive.
The Stranger reached out a hand and just as he was about to make physical
contact with the boy, crackling and snapping erupted around his hand.  He
quickly snatched his hand back and studied his captive.  Some kind of ward
had been placed around this kid.  He couldn't make out exactly what it was.
It was strange, unlike anything he had encountered before.  The currents
were complex and subtle, yet powerful enough to cause him great discomfort.

When Ravi noticed the Stranger hovering over him his eyes went wide with
fright.  Thinking quickly he decided to use the most powerful magic
available to him...seduction.  The thought of charming this hideous man
repulsed him but it might save his life.  His expression when soft and his
eyes took on a pleading look.  He gazed deeply into the fiery orbs of the
stranger and concentrated.  The magic reached out and gently touched the
Stranger's consciousness.  Then he made a grave error, he attempted to
connect with the Stranger and feel what the Stranger desired most.  Pure
hatred and death flooded into his consciousness with such force it nearly
caused him to black out.

The Stranger was momentarily touched with an emotion he had never felt
before, lust and compassion.  But this was so foreign to him that it
quickly became lost in the sea of hate that constituted his whole being.
He tipped his head back slightly and...laughed.  Cackled would be a closer
approximation of the sound that poured from his lungs.

"Little boy, your puny charms have no effect on me.  The only thing that
you could do to please me would be to die, or suffer.  But death would be
much more desirable to me.  Would you like to die?"

Ravi's young mind was still reeling from the loathsome hatred it had felt
upon tasting the feelings of this creature, but he managed to whisper, "No
master, please don't kill us, we'll do anything you want."

"Of that, I have no doubt.  You will suffer greatly for causing me such
inconvenience I can assure you," the Stranger said.

He left the wagon and after making sure that the Troll was still there, he
went to the nearest building and stole some horse blankets, several
actually just to make sure his captives didn't freeze.  They would suffer
but they wouldn't die, unfortunately.

After he covered the boys with the rough blankets he quickly went back to
the Inn and retrieved his only remaining companion.

While the Stranger was gone on these errands, the boys talked and tried to
figure out their situation.

"It'll be all right Lathan, I think that if he was going to kill us we
would already be dead.  I can't believe how powerful he is; he just pushed
away my magic as if there was nothing there.  It just seemed to disappear,
first it was there and then it was gone," Ravi mused.

"He's evil Ravi, really evil.  What does he want with us?  We can't do
anything for him.  But I think you're right...if he was going to kill us we
would be dead.  But he WANTS to kill us, I can feel it, can't you?" Lathan
whispered.

"Yeah I guess I can, I'm not sure.  Things aren't working right ever since
I tried to do that to him.  I think he might have broke something with my
magic, I can't sense anything right now."

"That was dumb, why would you try something like that?  You don't even know
how to do real magic, just the stuff Var taught us.  And you didn't even
try anything that could have hurt him."

"And how do you think we would have gotten loose if something had happened
to him?  We would die just the same!"  Ravi declared.

"Yeah I s'pose so.  But you could've tried something besides to CHARM him.
Even I know that wouldn't work."

"You know now because I already tried it, but you didn't know before.  Why
are you always such a selfish little shit?" Ravi challenged.

"Screw off," Lathan said and fell silent.

When the Stranger arrived with his thug they brought with them some more
rope, chain, and several pulleys.  Both boys gathered that this did not
bode well for them, and they were right.

The Stranger untied Ravi first and instructed the Troll to hold him while
he fixed two pulleys at each end of the inside of the wagon.  Then he told
the Troll to remove all of the remaining clothes that the boy had on.  The
Troll held the boy up in off the ground with one hand while he used the
razor sharp claws of his other hand to slice the boy's clothes off,
occasionally cutting the skin while he was at it.  Ravi screamed and cried
each time one of the claws tore into his soft flesh.  The wounds were only
on the surface but they burned terribly.

"You stupid creature, I want the boy alive.  The poison in your claws will
surely kill him and if he dies you will die," the Stranger raged.

"Grangall no make poison, no hurt little one Great Master...no hurt
precious" the Troll gurgled as he ran his leather-like hand down the boy's
soft naked torso.

The Stranger wasn't aware of the fact that a Troll could control the
poisonous secretions that coated their claws.  This Troll might very well
prove to be a better accomplice than these other two, or one as it now
stood.  The only problem with Trolls is that when given the chance they
will often turn on you or simply desert you.

"I am going to tell the Troll to release you, but you are not going to try
to escape and you will do exactly as you are told because you know that
these creatures can run twice as fast as any human and when he catches you,
and he WILL catch you, he will kill you.  Is that understood?" he demanded
of the boy.

"Yes," the boy said shivering.

The Stranger then proceeded to make a few 'modifications' to the wagon.

"Raise your arms up over your head," he said to Ravi when he had finished
his work.

The boy complied and the Stranger grabbed one of the course burlap and wool
blankets and began to wrap it tightly around the boy.  When he finished he
tied rope around the bundle of blanket and boy at each end and in the
center.  Ravi's wrists stuck out of the top of the gruesome bundle.  He did
the same with Lathan and then told both of them to lie down on the floor of
the wagon.  He tightly tied a length of rope to the wrists of both boys and
then to their ankles that he then looped through the pulleys at either end
of the wagon.  The Stranger had mounted two pulleys to each end of the
wagon, one for each pair of hands and feet.  The Stranger then tied the
rope attached to each boy's hands and feet together pulling it extremely
tight with the assistance of the Troll's strength.  Each boy was now
stretched out tight but could slide freely from the front to the rear of
the wagon as it traveled.  Considering the fact that they were wrapped
naked in course burlap that smelled of horses and was full of hungry fleas,
their journey did not promise to be comfortable.

Without further delay the Troll, the Stranger, and the remaining hireling
along with their cargo headed south toward the great city of Waterdeep.

The itching and fleabites were unbearable from the moment they started out.
By the second day of their journey southward, the two young boys were very
close to the end of their endurance.  The Stranger did not free them to
answer the call of nature so the blankets quickly became soaked in their
own excrement and the stench was terrible.  The only time the blankets were
even partially removed was when they were forced to eat and drink and then
they were never untied but fed by the Troll.  Their cries of pain and
misery only seemed to provide a macabre entertainment for their captor.

By the morning of the third day the boys were mercifully delirious when the
little band stopped just North of Luskan, which lies along the coast about
120 miles south of Hundlestone.  They were traveling close to the coast
taking side roads whenever possible to avoid the traffic, the Stranger
maintaining a grueling pace for a full twelve hours each day.  The place he
picked to stop was located in a secluded clearing near a small clear lake.

The Stranger decided to untie and revive his two young captives.  When he
entered the wagon the stench of human waste and vomit assaulted him.  There
was no movement inside the bundles; the ropes had cut deeply into the skin
of the boys' wrists and ankles.

The Master ordered the Troll to cut the ropes and dispose of the blankets,
which he did.  Then the Stranger carried Ravi to the lake and set him down
on the shore so he was partially in the clear water.  Ravi's skin was raw
and severely flea bitten so the water stung as it touched his ravaged skin.
The boy stirred and slowly began to regain some of his senses.

Ravi could feel something soothing on his skin but his tormented mind
refused to harbor any hope of relief at first.  Then he began to realize
that he was no longer moving, and the horrid smell was gone.  His arms and
legs weren't bound.  The water and the fresh air were beginning to revive
him enough to feel the pain.  He hurt so bad and he felt utterly helpless.
He dared to open his eyes a bit and he saw blue sky, then he saw the
Stranger.

"PLEASE don't hurt me any more Master," he pleaded bringing his hands up to
his face.  His curls were tangled and matted and covered in filth.

The Stranger did not respond, he only studied the boy's naked form for a
moment and then he turned and went back to the wagon.  He lifted the other
boy in his arms and suddenly realized that there was no pain as he touched
him.  The ward must have broken with the boys' minds, he thought.
Interesting - he would have to make sure he mentioned this to the wizard
when he got to Waterdeep.  The strange magic was obviously linked somehow
with their consciousness.

He set the other boy next to his friend in the shallow water along the
shore.  Ravi immediately rolled over onto his side to look at his friend.
Lathan looked in terrible shape and he wondered if he looked as bad.  He
winced as he tried to raise himself up on one elbow.  His muscles were sore
and stiff.  He moved his arms and legs around in the water until he was
satisfied that the blood had been restored then he tried to raise himself
up again.  This time there was pain but he was able to sit up.

He gently lapped water onto Lathan's tummy and face cleaning off some of
the filth.  Then he crawled to deeper water so he could wash more of the
grime off of himself.  This simple act had completely exhausted him and he
knew that if not for the water, he would not be able to stand.  He quickly
realized that this might be his only chance to get the sewage off of him
and rid himself of the fleas so he pushed himself beyond his normal
endurance.  He had to get back and help Lathan or the boy would die.  He
submerged himself in the clean water and ran his hands all over as much of
himself as he could, making sure he cleaned his genitals and butt as best
as he could.

When his head came up after the fourth dunk he saw the Troll.  Stricken
with panic, he searched the shoreline for the Stranger but he was nowhere
in sight.  Trolls are vile evil creatures and always meant certain death.
He scanned the shore again and saw Lathan still lying in the water
apparently unharmed, and then he cautiously looked back at the gray-skinned
creature.  The Troll leered at him and then went back to whatever it was
doing, seeming to completely ignore the two youngsters.

Ravi made his way carefully back to Lathan's side and noticed that he was
waking up.

"Where are we?" Lathan asked weakly.

"I don't know...Are you OK?"

"I don't know, I hurt all over and it's hard to move."

"Yeah I know, I was the same way.  I think its because we were tied up for
so long."

Lathan caught sight of the Troll, who had moved closer to them, and jumped.
The Troll stood half in the water and watched them without moving.  It was
a hideous creature with ugly grayish slimy skin, sharp teeth, bony
appendages tipped with long claws, and demon eyes.  It lowered itself into
the water as if bothered by the direct sunlight, which it was.

"I think it's just supposed to watch us - I don't think it will do anything
as long as we don't try to run away," Ravi said, looking into the younger
boy's eyes.  "Lathan, I'm glad you're OK, I don't know what I would have
done if anything happened to you."

"I'm OK, where are we, where are we going?" Lathan asked.

Ravi was splashing water on Lathan's raw skin and trying to clean his
friend up.  "I don't know, but I think we've gone a long way, and the
weather is not as cold so I think we're going south."

Lathan was beginning to recover a little strength in his limbs and he
started to wash himself as best he could.  A few minutes later the Stranger
appeared as if out of thin air and stood ankle deep in the water next to
Ravi.  He didn't say a word, just motioned for them to get out of the
water, which they did without hesitation.

The stranger made a comfortable camp complete with fire and beds of leaves
for each of the boys and himself.  The Troll, surprisingly enough, remained
in the water almost constantly.  The Stranger fed them but other than that
paid them little attention, ignoring them actually.  He didn't speak a
single word to them the rest of the evening and he talked little to his
hireling, or slave, or whatever he was.  He didn't seem to be at all
concerned that they would try to escape; this was probably due to the
presence of the Troll who would be able to catch them with little effort,
especially in their present condition.

They had traveled a little over a hundred miles so far, but Waterdeep was
still well over five hundred miles south along the coast by way of the High
Road.  Later that evening the boys overheard the Stranger talking to his
companion and they heard him mention Waterdeep.  Ravi knew roughly where
Waterdeep was and he knew how far it was, he just hoped they would not have
to make the rest of the trip in those filthy blankets.  He didn't see the
blankets anywhere so he hoped they had been discarded.

The weather was still plenty cold but not quite as cold as it had been in
the mountains up north.  The Stranger retrieved their coats and threw them
at them.

The boys were very confused by this treatment.  For the last three days
they had been tortured almost to death and now it seemed they were allowed
to do anything they wanted.

Because of their recent ordeal, the boys did not sleep well; they kept
waking up with nightmares.  By the time morning approached they were
sleeping in each other's arms and when they woke up they looked into each
other's eyes a little shocked.  Nonetheless, neither of them made any
attempt to move away from the other one.

When dawn broke, the Stranger stood facing south with his eyes closed as if
meditating.  Earlier that morning he had sent the Troll back to where he
came from, but he would not tell his captives this.  Instead he would tell
them that the Troll would be following them, but that he would stay out of
sight.  If they tried to escape the creature would hunt them down and kill
them.  He also told them that they could either walk or ride in the wagon
but if they made any trouble he would tie them back up as they were before
and he would not let them loose again.  This was more than enough of a
threat to convince them that any disobedience was out of the question.

They were willing and eager to do anything they were told if it meant that
they would not have to relive the nightmare of the previous three days.

Although it was unintentional, the Stranger had effectively broken their
will; they were now his to do with as he pleased.  This brought him no
pleasure - which he was quite incapable of experiencing in any event - it
merely served his purpose.  The Stranger's inability to feel love and
compassion is part of the reason Ravi's boyish beauty and charm had no
effect on the man.

Before the sun was fully exposed, the travelers were headed south again.
It was at about this time that Larzon and company began to train their
group of young apprentices.

An hour and a half later they came in view of Luskan.  The Stranger eyed
the city disdainfully and motioned the boys to stay close to him.

"Luskan is a den of pirates, cutthroats, and swindlers.  If you value your
lives at all you will stay close to me.  As long as you are with me no harm
will come to you, but if you stray you will not last out the hour.  Either
way makes no difference to me."  The Stranger lectured in his deathly
voice.  It was all he had said since they left the camp earlier.

Luskan is a seafaring merchant city, home to fierce, proud, and warlike
Northmen.  This important northern port city is located at the mouth of the
unnavigable Mirar River, a swift and icy, cold and rocky, waterway with the
Mirar Road paralleling it to the Mirabar.

Although this city of approximately sixteen thousand humans seeks merchant
trade, visitors are few and feel unwelcome to say the least.  This has much
to do with Luskan being a known harbor for northern pirates, if not an
outright sponsor of their activities.

The Arcane Brotherhood, which runs the city, doesn't welcome visitors to
this city.  In fact, anyone who doesn't appear to be pure human can expect
to be slain on sight.  Any humans who do enter the City are distrusted and
viewed as thieves or spies.  Because of this, most visitors enter Luskan
through the sewers, in the hold of a Luskanite ship, or in magical
disguise.

The Stranger did none of these things; instead he walked right up to the
northern gate and was instantly admitted without so much as a word from the
guards.  They seemed to want to be rid of his presence as soon as possible.

In the early morning light the City seemed to be still asleep.  The only
people moving about were servants and slaves, the latter of which there
were many.  They were going about their chores with a kind of hopelessness
that lent a sinister atmosphere to the place.

The Stranger headed off through the streets and alleyways with a purpose
that spoke of his familiarity with the city.  The boys followed him closely
and took in their surroundings as they walked.  The buildings were tightly
packed, standing two and three stories above ground and had a weathered
look about them, as if they were kept in just enough repair to remain
standing and not leak.

They walked through the streets for what must have been about forty-five
minutes before coming to a smithy.  The smith was a burly man with a black
beard who sweated constantly despite the season.  When he saw the Stranger
he lumbered over to his visitor and the two exchanged a few words after
which the smith set to work again at his forge.  The Stranger instructed
his companion to stay with the two boys and then he left.

The smith eyed the boys suspiciously and then instructed the Stranger's
goon to put them in a room he indicated with a wave if his calloused hand.
The room was nothing more than a small storage room about five feet by
eight feet which contained metal scraps of all sorts that the smith used in
his trade.  The henchman closed the rickety door and walked away.

For the better part of the rest of the day all the boys could hear was the
clanking of iron and hammer and the fire surging in the forge.  At about
midday they were given cups of rank water by the henchman and that was all
they saw of their captors.

"Ravi, what are they going to do with us now?" Lathan asked as they sat in
the gloomy storeroom.

"I don't know, I wish I did," Ravi replied.

"They're gonna kill us, I just know it.  That creature is mean, Ravi.  Did
you see his eyes and they way people look at him?  He's evil."

"Would you stop talking about getting killed!  I told you that if they were
going to kill us we would already be dead.  How do you feel?" the older boy
asked.

"OK but everything hurts and the bites from the fleas itch.  I just feel so
helpless...you know...like I can't do anything...like I'm trapped."

"Yeah I know, but you have to keep hoping and don't give up.  Remember
that's what Var always says," Ravi counseled.

"Why did Var let this happen to us, why did he leave us?" Lathan demanded.

"He didn't have a choice, and anyway I'm sure he didn't know this would
happen."

After that the two lapsed into silence until the Stranger appeared sometime
around dusk.  The stranger motioned them out of the little shack and led
them over to the smith.  Their eyes went wide when they saw what the big
smith held in his hands - three lengths of heavy black chain with shackles
on the ends.

The Smith took the longer chain, there were two shorter ones and one longer
one, and grabbed Ravi by the hair dragging him over to the anvil.  He put
one of the shackles around Ravi's neck and bent the boy over, and then he
took a red-hot pin from the forge and pounded it into the holes in the
clasp of the shackle.  He did the same to Lathan with the other end of the
chain then he attached the shorter chains to their wrists.  But this wasn't
the worst of it, when the smith pulled a brand from the forge both boys
nearly fainted with fear.

The Smith ripped their tunics off and bent them backwards over the anvil
once again and then pressed the glowing iron into the tender skin just to
the right and below the belly button.  There was a hissing sound and the
putrid smell of burning flesh as the boys, each in turn, cried out from the
burning pain.

When it was over the two blistering wounds showed the fearsome sign of the
empire of Thay.  They were now Thayan slaves, property of the most evil and
feared nation on the face of Toril.  The boys were now completely
demoralized.  They were already weak and frightened from their ordeal a
couple days ago, and then today they had nothing to eat and only a cup of
water.  Now they had been branded in the most brutal fashion imaginable
without anything to ease the pain, and they had been chained - permanently.
Both boys were well aware of the fact that those pins were not meant to be
temporary.  They were not being chained for the trip, they were being
chained for life and they had been marked as slaves for life.

The reality of their situation was beginning to sink in as the Stranger led
them to the docks of the city.  Dusk had fallen by the time they reached
the ports and the smell of fish and creosote grew stronger with every step.
The air was cold but they hardly noticed, all they could feel was the
thirst and hunger.

They stopped at an alehouse where they were given all the water they could
drink and a thick fish stew that smelled bad but was nonetheless
nourishing.  The helping was generous as well, obviously the Stranger
didn't want his 'catch' to die of hunger or thirst before they reached
wherever it was that they were going.  The stranger did not eat.  In fact,
now that they thought about it, the boys hadn't seen him eat much of
anything during the entire journey so far.

The alehouse smelled of stale beer and sweat, and it had a low ceiling that
was supported with heavy beams.  The tables were constructed of thick dark
timber as were the benches and the long bar that sat at one end.  The
Stranger had picked the most out-of-the-way table he could find to sit with
his companion while he commanded the boys to sit on the floor.

While eating the stew Lathan whispered to Ravi, "He looks nervous.  I
haven't seen him look so jumpy...I wonder why."

"Yeah, and he made us cover up our brands but he doesn't seem to care about
these chains," Ravi rose up one wrist as he answered, showing off the
chain.

"It's gotta be the symbol, he doesn't want anyone to see the symbol.  Have
you noticed some of the people in here wearing that other symbol?  He acts
like he doesn't want them to notice him or something."

"That's what I was thinking, but we can't do anything about it.  He'll kill
us for sure if we do anything to make him mad," Ravi said between bites of
stew.

A burly fellow stalked quickly over to their table and sat down as he eyed
the two boys with a questioning glare.

"Are you ready?" The Stranger curtly asked the man who looked to be a
sailor of some sort.

Bringing his attention back to the Stranger he answered, "This is very
short notice, I haven't a full load of cargo yet but She's ready to
sail...for a price."  He raised his eyebrows to indicate that the price
would NOT be cheap.

"You will have your price, these slaves much reach Waterdeep as soon as
possible and so must I," the Stranger hissed, narrowing his eyes.

The pirate sat back and appraised the stranger and the boys again before
saying, "I need to see some proof that you can afford my price.  The coast
is very dangerous lately, especially for slave smugglers trying to get to
'The Port.'  The lords are watching the waters around the port very closely
since the...uh...rather - unusual - death of one of their own."

The Stranger snaked his hand into his long leather overcoat and, holding
his hand close to his body, turned his hand palm up to reveal a shiny
platinum Thayan Wizard.  The coin was very rare and easily worth a year's
booty or more for the Pirate.  It is not unlikely that the pirate had never
even seen a 'Platinum Wizard' before.  The coin gleamed in the torchlight
of the alehouse.

The Pirate's eyes opened wide, then quickly realizing he didn't want to
seem too eager, they narrowed into slits that produced a glare capable of
melting metal. His heart was beating like a frightened sparrow; the coin
appeared to be in mint condition.  It was too much to pass up, even
considering the extreme risk of sailing to the vilest port in the realms.

"I'll take ya to the port for that...if, that is, I can have a taste a one
a them boys ya got there, AND a barrel of rum for the journey?" he said as
he leaned back trying to appear casual and unconcerned.

"You can have the boys for a night as long as you don't damage his
virginity.  If you hurt or mark him permanently I'll cut your throat," the
Stranger rasped, his eyes taking on a red glow.

"I don't doubt that you would at that, I won't be hurtin' the boy anything
permanent, just a little honest fun!"  He chortled, eyeing the boys
desirously.

"Very well!  Now we must leave at once."

The Stranger rose from the table like an unfolding bag of bones and
motioned for the Pirate to lead the way.  The Pirate signaled to a couple
of sailors sitting around a table near the bar.  They rose and walked over
to the bar to meet their captain.  The Captain haggled with the barkeep and
then ordered his mates to carry the squat barrel he had just purchased,
presumably the rum, back to the ship.

The Stranger had his henchman keep hold of the chain to which the boys were
tethered as the odd group made their way through the wharf section of the
city until they arrived at a secluded section of dock.  The ship looked
haggard but seaworthy and stout, the Captain explaining that it was well
used but sturdy and reliable.

When Ravi saw the ship he eyed Lathan cautiously.  Lathan returned the look
with one of his own that clearly displayed his trepidation.  Neither boy
had ever been this close to a sea vessel before let alone actually sail on
one and they were both frightened by the prospect, but they would never
admit this to each other.  Most of the stories they had heard during their
young lives were told by drunk mariners with a penchant for exaggeration,
and the stories contained larger-than-life adventures filled with creatures
and dangers that were far beyond reasonable, but they didn't consider this
now as they gazed out at the black waters of the Sword Coast and felt the
bite of the crisp sea air that blew in from the shore.

The Captain trundled up the gangplank ignoring the creaking and bouncing
caused by his weight.  Once aboard, he went about shouting orders to the
men already on deck.  The men with the rum went up next.  The Stranger
leaned down and placed his mouth at Lathan's ear.  He slowly inhaled the
perfume of the boy's unwashed hair and sweat through his nose; he knew that
smell - it was the smell of fear.  Then he exhaled a soft breath of air
into the boy's ear and against the side of his soft cheek.  His breath had
no odor whatsoever, as if it had come from a void, from nowhere.

He drew another breath and whispered, "Any trouble little boy and I will
enjoy watching you scream until your throat bleeds as I pitch you over the
side into the freezing water where you will drown within minutes," directly
into Lathan's soft tender ear.  The boy shuddered violently.  Ravi was near
enough that he heard the ominous words as well.  He straightened up and
drifted up the plank; the boards didn't even so much as quiver.

The henchman jerked harshly on the chain and started up the plank.  The
boys didn't have time to react before the chain went taut so the brute
ended up nearly dragging the youths up onto the ship.  The thug hopped down
onto the deck and once again yanked hard on the chain sending the boys
sprawling along the wet splintery deck.

The Stranger approached the boys and produced a sharp wicked-looking knife,
which he used to remove all of their clothes except the tunics.  Then he
reached down and removed their boots and socks and threw all of it over the
side of the boat.  They now lay on the deck shivering, mostly naked, and in
chains as a cold ocean mist began to fall.  Both of them cried softly to
themselves, as the last shorelines were untied and the creaky craft slowly
floated away from the harbor.

After the sails had been raised and the ship was under way, Lathan stood up
and watched the lights of Luskan fade into the distance.  No one on the
boat paid him the least bit of attention; to the crew he was just cargo,
nothing more - flesh to be sold for the price of a silver piece or two.

After the crew got the ship under way and things settled down, Ravi scooted
closer to Lathan.  He looked his friend over and discovered that he was
shivering violently.  He knew that is he didn't do something Lathan would
catch his death in the form of pneumonia or some other dreadful malady as a
result of the cold and wet.  He reached out and pulled the younger lad into
his embrace hoping that the heat from his own body would help stave off the
cold.

As soon as Lathan felt his friend next to him he wrapped his arms around
him as if his only hope for survival lay in his friend's embrace.  He
didn't speak because he had enough pride left to want to avoid exposing his
raw need and helplessness.  Also, he had had an ongoing competition with
Ravi about proving his independence, which, as a teenager made him all the
more reluctant to admit his vulnerability.

Their tunics were by now completely saturated from the relentless drizzle
and spray from the ocean.  They moved closer and closer together in an
attempt to combat the numbing cold until they were entwined as one.  Their
cheeks touched gently.  Ravi turned his head slightly, moving his mouth
closer to Lathan's soft lips.  Slowly their mouths came together and they
kissed lightly, each of them waiting for the reaction of the other.
Emotion overwhelmed both of them like a tidal wave.  Both boys hugged and
kissed passionately.

Their pleasure did not last long, a boot landed in the small of Lathan's
back like a piston.  Lathan cried out in pain and Ravi looked up to see
what had happened.  The Stranger stood over them like a wraith.

"Get up!" he spat.

The boys clamored to their feet and made a vain attempt to straighten their
tunics.

"Have either of you been fucked before?"

The question caught them off guard; they just stood there for a second
before answering.

"Umm...no master," Lathan declared.  They had been through far too much to
feel any modesty.

The Stranger brought his claw-like fingers to Ravi's throat and dug in just
under the jawbone, "Answer me boy," he hissed.

"N...No master," he choked.

"Excellent, we will keep it that way until we reach our destination.  Is
that understood?"  He glared at both of them in turn.

"Yes master," they answered almost in unison.

"And if you have lied to me, the Wizard will be able to tell for sure and
will deal with you accordingly.  Do not even think about fucking each other
or you may find that you are of no use to the Wizard, in which case he will
most assuredly kill you.  And it won't be quick."

The Stranger grasped their collar chain and led them below.  He deposited
them in front of a door at the end of the uppermost gangway.

"Stay there until the Captain summons you.  You are to see to it that you
please him or you may find it difficult to swim in those chains.  If he
tries to fuck you scream, otherwise do not resist."  He walked away and
disappeared into one of the rooms along the gangway.

"Ravi, you know you've had your butt done, why did you lie.  He'll just
find out anyway and then it'll be worse," Lathan whispered.

"Just shut-up. You don't know what he would have done.  I could be dead by
know for all you know, or is that what you want?"
	
"NO course not..."

They were interrupted when the door opened.

"Get up lads and come in here," the Captain said in a slightly drunken
slur.

They fumbled to their feet and entered the Captain's Cabin.  The cabin was
by no means opulent but it was spacious and comfortable.  There was a coal
brazier burning in the center of the room and a large bed against the bow,
which was opposite the door with a large set of small windows above it that
looked out the front of the ship.  There was one rug made out of the pelt
of some creature and a table with a few chairs.

"Sit by the coals for a spell and warm yourselves," the Captain said not
unkindly.

They were happy to oblige and eagerly moved up to the glowing brazier.
They were both very wet and chilled to the bone and the heat felt
wonderful.  The Captain eyed them appreciatively as they lowered themselves
to the wood floor.

The Captain, Mandorus by name, went to a locked cabinet and took out an
earthenware jug and a couple of small mugs, then went over to the table and
heaved himself as gently as possible into on the heavy wooden chairs.  The
only light in the cabin was the glow of the coals so he took up a flint and
lit an iron oil lamp that sat on the table.

He gazed at the boys again longingly.  It had been a long time since he had
a cabin boy, too long.  He had always had a soft spot in his heart for
youngsters, especially boys, and these were two very cute boys.  He had
never once hurt any of the boys that stayed on his ship with him, and he
never forced himself on them, ever.

Mandorus pulled the cork out of the jug and poured himself two fingers of
the dark liquid then leaned back in the chair.  As he looked at the boys he
realized that they were not your typical slaves picked up along the road.
They didn't carry themselves like homeless peasants and there hands and
skin was too soft.  AND most importantly, they were not cocky or overly
shy, they looked you in the eye when you spoke to them.  He could only
imaging what they must have gone through with their captor.  That creature
was not from the world of the living, and it was evil, of that there was no
doubt.

The boys were warming themselves by the coals and they seemed to be feeling
a little better.  He raised his mug to his lips and drained it in one
swallow.  Oh but he did love his rum and this was exceptional rum, the best
he could find.  He rose from his chair and left the room.

He headed straight to the galley and ordered the cook to make two HUGE
plates of fish, sweetmeats, and potatoes.  The cook looked at him with a
knowing smile and immediately started the meals.  Mandorus returned to his
cabin.

When he returned he found the boys still sitting by the brazier, as he knew
they would be.  He dropped into his chair at the table and poured some rum
into both mugs.

"What is your name boy?" he motioned to Ravi.

"Ravi, Captain SIR!" The boy exclaimed.

"And yours?"

"Lathan, Master"

"Forget the SIR and MASTER garbage, the name's Mandorus."

The boys looked stunned but didn't say anything.

"Come here Ravi."

Ravi was almost to his feet when he realized he was chained to Lathan.  He
stood there in a crouch not knowing what to do next and looking helpless.

Mandorus burst out laughing, "It looks as if you will both have to stay
together, no matter, come here both of you."

They got up and clanked their way to the table and sat down next to each
other in the two remaining chairs.  Their tunics were beginning to dry and
they felt much warmer in the shelter of the cabin.  Their soft skin glowed
in the lamplight.  They were beautiful.

The Captain pushed the mug he hadn't used across the table toward Ravi.  He
had only put about one finger in the bottom but that would be enough to
calm the boy and make him feel better.

"Drink this, it will warm your innards," he said and grinned.

Ravi picked up the mug and tossed the liquor into his mouth and swallowed.
He was not prepared for what was in the mug however.  His eyes went wide
and started to water a little.  He choked a couple of times and breathed
heavily but he knew immediately after he drank it that it was liquor so he
wasn't worried.  And then after a minute or so he started to feel the
wonderful calming effect of the drink and he relaxed back in his chair.

Lathan saw how Ravi reacted so he was more cautious when he drank his
share.  It burned but it didn't bother him that much and the resulting
feeling was very nice for his trouble mind.  He too relaxed a bit.

A few moments later there was a knock at the door.  The Captain shouted,
"Come in" and the cook entered with two giant platters of food which he set
before each boy.  Their eyes opened wide as they saw what was on the
platters; they couldn't believe it.

"You're growing boys, now eat.  It is ALL for you, every last bite.  But
don't get sick mind you, if you get too full, stop."

Not another word was said for the next forty-five minutes or so as the boys
ate as much as they possibly could of the extraordinary food.  There were
four different kinds of fish and three kinds of beef with potatoes and
cabbage and beets.  There was fresh butter and milk and biscuits.  Half way
through the meal the boys were almost in tears, they were so happy and
thankful to have someone who was being nice to them.  They were warm and
full to their ear.

When they had eaten their fill it suddenly occurred to them that they would
most likely be expected to pay for the Captain's kindness in some way, and
after being exposed to Var's business they had a pretty good idea what that
payment would be.  But it was a small price to pay if he wasn't cruel to
them and didn't hurt them.  Considering the fact that the Captain didn't
have to do anything for them, he probably wouldn't be overly cruel - after
all, he had just fed them the best meal they had ever eaten.  He could
easily have demanded anything he wanted from them and they would have had
no choice but to comply.

"Now you need proper sleep to recover and keep those cute bodies of yours,"
the Captain boomed.

He got up and unrolled a thick fur duvet, which he placed over the top of
the bed.

"Go on now, climb on that bed.  But first take those dirty tunics off and
put them by the coals so they'll dry."

The two boys looked at each other, 'Here we go, time to pay our dues,' they
thought.  Little did they know what was in store for them; it certainly
wasn't what they expected.  They did as they were told without question.
The fur was just about the softest thing they had ever felt against their
skin.  They lay down next to each other on their backs totally naked and
exposed, chained and branded like the lowest of slaves.

When the Captain saw the brand on their tummies his heart skipped a beat
and a sudden feeling of deep sadness washed over him.  Thay - the land of
the Red Wizards.  So THAT is where they are headed.  Whatever has happened
to them so far will seem like paradise compared to what they are yet to
encounter.  And they are such gentle souls, and so young.

He tried to keep his thoughts and emotions hidden, "Sit up boys, just for a
minute," he said.

He filled the mug again and gave each of them some more rum, which they
drank eagerly.  Then they looked at him with questions and fear in their
sparkling young eyes, their hands were folded on their thighs covering
their penises.

"Now lay back down," he ordered and they complied immediately.

What happened next is probably one for the history books of the Realms.
That big hardened Pirate began to tell them STORIES.  He told them stories
about his own adventures in far off lands that they had never seen before.
He told them about all kinds of creatures that he had encountered during
his travels.  He also drank more rum; in fact he drank so much rum that he
told an entire story after the boys had fallen fast asleep.  When he
finally realized they had fallen asleep he heaved himself up from his
chair, which he had moved over next to the edge of the bed, and very gently
ran his hand down each boy's soft tight chest and tummy to just above the
groin.  Their skin rose and fell with each gentle sleepy breath and it felt
warm and soft to the touch.  The big pirate's eyes glistened with moisture;
he knew all too well what would happen to them once they fell into the
hands of the Red Wizards.

'Oh shit look at what a fool I'm being,' he admonished to himself.  'It's
the rum, I shouldn't drink so much' he thought.

He hauled the chair back over to the table and poured himself a nightcap.
He was sound asleep in the chair before he finished half of it.

He awoke the next morning with a headache but it wasn't as bad as he
thought it might me.  The boys were still sound asleep, he did not wake
them; instead he left the cabin and went up on deck.  The sun was just now
creeping up over the horizon.  He couldn't see land but he knew that it
wasn't far.  He barked some orders to the crew and checked his instruments,
and then he went below to the galley where he ate his usual morning meal.

He arrived back at his cabin just as the Stranger approached the door.  His
face contorted into a scowl.

"Put the urchins in the cargo hold," the Stranger breathed.

"I am keeping the boys with me, nothing will happen to them," Mandorus
replied menacingly.

"You have had your night pirate, now they will be put in the hold."  It was
not a question.

"You said that you didn't want them to loose their purity, if I put them in
the hold there are other slaves down there who will likely do just what you
don't want them to do, if you get my meaning," the Captain countered.

"That is my concern not yours, if you want to live you will do as I say."

"I can see you are not familiar with ocean travel.  This ship requires a
crew of at least a dozen men and the men aboard this ship will not follow
anyone but me.  You will never live to see Waterdeep if anything happens to
me.  And if you did somehow manage to reach the shores of Waterdeep you
would never be able to get to the particular port you desire.  So you see
you are the one who has no choice in the matter.  The boys stay with me as
long as they are on this ship, you will not even go near them."  The
Captain knew he had probably made a grave error but he could not stand to
think of letting this 'thing' near those boys while he could help it.

The Stranger's expression seemed to go completely blank for a few seconds
then he simply turned and walked away without another word.  They would not
hear from the Stranger again for the rest of the trip until they neared
their destination.

The boys were still asleep when Mandorus opened the door to his cabin, or
at least he THOUGHT they were.  They had, in fact, woke up during the
conversation between the Captain and the Stranger and they heard most of
what was said.  But they acted like they were asleep nonetheless.

Mandorus rubbed their tummies and they opened their eyes.  He knew they
were faking their slumber.

"You heard." It was a statement not a question.

"Yeah we heard," Lathan confirmed, looking sullen.

"I am going to try to get you away from that creature, I don't know how
just yet but I will try.  Until then you just stay in this cabin and enjoy
yourselves.  The crew has orders to make sure you are left alone, but the
cook will come to bring your food.  Is all of this understood?"

They nodded their heads and looked at the seaman gratefully.

The rest of the trip was much the same with the Captain telling stories at
night and the boys playing in the cabin for most of the day.  A very strong
bond formed between the young teens and the old Pirate during that journey,
one that none of them would ever forget.  He told them about distant lands
and their cultures, and he taught them all he could about how to survive.
He was always kind and he held them when they became sad.  The truth was he
loved those two boys very much and he planned on doing everything he could
to help them get away from their fate.

As the ship drew near Waterdeep it headed inland just north of the city.
The boys were on deck naked and pointing toward the shore.

"I thought we were going to Waterdeep?" Ravi shouted excitedly, rising up
on his tippy-toes and stretching the lithe young muscles in his back and
legs as he pointed at the great city to the south.

At that moment an eight-foot whip soaked in seawater struck the boy across
the butt with a loud CRACK sending him screaming to the deck.

The Stranger cackled maniacally and then brought the whip down on Lathan
hitting him on the back and side as he fell over his friend.

"You thought we were going to Waterdeep?  Well you were WRONG!  You are
going to Skullport where you will wish you were never born," the Stranger
rasped through clenched teeth.  He was obviously mad with fury but that was
hardly unusual.

"Pirate, get this tub to Skullport.  The boys are MINE now," and with that
he brought the lash down five more times on each boy as they writhed on the
hard deck.  Blood streamed from the angry welts and the boys screamed madly
from the horrible sting caused by the lashes and the salt.

Mandorus fought back his intense anger and set to bringing the ship into
the cave that would take them into the underground caverns known as
Skullport.

Meanwhile the pain from the whipping was so bad it caused Lathan to go into
shock.  Ravi just continued to scream.  The Stranger threw a bucket of
ice-cold salt water on Lathan to bring him back to consciousness so he
could torment the boy some more.  He ordered his goon to tie a rope to both
boys' wrist shackles and then had them hoisted up to hang ten feet above
the deck.  The pain was indescribable; breathing was difficult and painful,
the iron shackles cut into their wrists, their bodies were stretched to the
limit, and their wounds tore open even further as their skin was pulled
apart from hanging like they were.  The ship pitched and rolled causing
even more misery - it was a nightmare.  And the Captain was powerless to
stop it.  He knew that if he tried, the Stranger would most likely kill the
boys this time, and him along with them.

The vessel headed for the largest of the sea caves on the Western facing of
Mt. Waterdeep.  The opening to the cave is lined with jagged rocks and the
currents are strong and erratic making navigation treacherous.  Captain
Mandorus had made this passage several times in the past so he knew what to
look for and how to avoid the deadly rocks.

Once the ship cleared the entrance it entered the first of a series of
caverns that lead deep into the mountain.  The caves are dark so the
Captain ordered lanterns to be lit.  These he used to help him avoid the
walls and boulders that litter the passage.  As they progressed deeper into
the caverns, the caves became more uniform and easier to navigate.  The
dangerous currents also ceased.  They only sounds they could hear was the
crashing of the water around them and the screams of the boys as their
misery continued.

At the rear of the last cave they came upon a retaining wall that rose
about ten feet above sea level.  The retaining wall keeps the lower channel
from flooding.  They pulled up against it and the Captain rang a large
brass bell and then waited.

While they waited, the Stranger told the Captain to have a couple of his
crewmembers lower the boys down to the deck.  With a heavy sigh of relief,
he immediately ordered it done.  When the boys hit the deck, the Captain
rushed up and untied them.  They were in pretty bad shape but they would
recover.  He quickly washed off their bodies with fresh water and wrapped
them in soft linens.

After another ten minutes or so a small skiff pulled up alongside the ship
and pounded on the hull with a large wooden mallet to draw the attention of
the crew.  The Captain lumbered over to the side and lowered the toll
payment down to the men in the boat.

Within a few minutes workmen began fastening the ship to a massive hoist
consisting of a complex mechanism of winches, pulleys, and other mechanical
lifting marvels.  This took about a half an hour.  The entire ship was then
slowly raised over the seawall and swung over to the other side.  Then it
was lowered over a hundred feet down and deposited into a water-filled
channel that leads to the magical locks down to Skullport.  As soon as it
settled into the water, the ship started to pick up speed as it floated
down to the locks.

Finally, somewhere along the line, the ship entered the locks.  A bubble of
a foot of seawater then magically surrounded the water, the bubble, and
everything inside.  Next, the entire mass was simultaneously
proportionately shrunk to no more than ten feet in diameter.  Then the
shrunken ball traveled an unknown course for about twenty minutes until it
came to an underground waterfall where it dove beneath the waves and fell
with the waterfall to be deposited near the Western wall of Skull Pool.
There it returned to its original size without the occupants even being
aware of the fact that they were shrunk.  Once it is brought back to full
size, the bubble collapses, dumping a shower of seawater on the ship.  The
Captain, however, was prepared for this and told everyone to go below decks
until they heard the water crash down above them.

The incredible journey into Skullport brought a stark realization to the
boys - this was one place that they would never be able to escape from
without help.  They would learn later that no one was allowed to travel in
or out of Skullport without the toll.  And where could two slaves get one
hundred gold pieces?  A slave never came in contact with a single copper,
let alone one hundred gold.

The Captain and the boys came up on deck to survey the scene; this was
definitely NOT paradise.  The only light source was torches and lanterns.
The air smelled of sewage and smoke and other foul odors, and the humidity
was near ninety-five percent due to the fact that the entire place was
below ground and there was water everywhere.  Most of the structures looked
like little more than shacks attached to every nook and cranny.  Catwalks
were strung everywhere like a convoluted fish net.  Because of the limited
space, Skullport's inhabitants had built upwards creating several 'layers'
that were connected by the catwalks.  The closer to the floor you were the
more dismal your surroundings became.  It was a waking nightmare.  Ravi and
Lathan were too depressed to show any emotion.

Mandorus looked around and suddenly realized that the Stranger was nowhere
in sight.  That puzzled him because he thought that the creature would be
eager to take his cargo and be on his way.  Especially considering the
trouble he went through to bring the boys here.

"Come with me," he said to the boys and went below in search of the
Stranger.  The door to the cabin that the stranger occupied during the
journey stood ajar.  The Captain pushed the door open and entered the room
- it was empty.  The Stranger was nowhere to be seen and the room looked as
if it had never been occupied.

The Captain went to his cabin with the boys in tow.  He had to figure out
what to do now.  He told the boys to put their tunics on and then he poured
himself two fingers of rum.  He drained the mug in one gulp and set the mug
on the table.

Suddenly the room grew cold and a coppery taste erupted in the Captain's
mouth.  He nearly choked when he heard a voice behind him as he stood
looking out the bow windows.  The boys gasped.  "Welcome to Skullport
Captain...I understand you have a couple of 'deliveries' for me?"

Mandorus would have thought it impossible an hour ago, but this voice
sounded more malevolent than that of the Stranger.  The words were uttered
slowly with a hiss on each syllable.  The voice was weak in volume yet the
pitch was grating to the bone and it held a power that caused the blood to
freeze and the body to shudder.  The big Mariner steeled himself and turned
toward the source of the voice.

Just inside the cabin door stood a medium height emaciated figure clad
entirely in blood red silk robes that seemed to flow around him in every
direction, yet there was no breeze.  A hood covered the head and some of
the face, a face that looked ancient beyond imagining.  The man, if that is
what it was, clutched a long shiny black staff topped by a troll claw that
gripped a perfectly spherical obsidian ball.  The ball was alive with
blue-black lightening that undulated and flowed all around it just under
the surface.  Prominently displayed on the breast of the robe was a symbol
very similar to the one that had been branded on the boys - it the symbol
of a high-ranking member of the Enclave of the Red Wizards of Thay.

Mandorus recognized the symbol immediately and his throat went dry.  The
Enclave consisted of the twelve most powerful wizards in Thay.  What would
one of them be doing in Skullport?  When the Captain's eyes met the
Wizard's glowing dark orbs he became exhausted and weak.

The Wizard slowly twisted his upper torso and shifted his attention to the
boys sitting on the rug.

***************************
The End of Chapter 6
***************************

To be continued...

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