Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2021 06:19:45 +0000 From: Leonard Subject: Apprentice and King - Chapter 4 Apprentice and King By Leonard - leonardwriting@gmail.com M/b, mind control, consensual (after mind control), magic, oral, anal, more... SYNOPSIS A kinky take on a hero's journey as an eleven-year-old boy tries to follow his destiny as an apprentice to a Master Wizard. His teacher, though, shapes him to find pleasure in much more than just casting spells. STORY NOTES An interesting mix of story and smut in this chapter, although not steamy in the same way as chapter three. I think it will still hold your interest! When you're done here, you'll find many more of my stories in a number of places, including Nifty. (I have around a dozen stories, several of which are novel-length.) Reach out at any time and I can share other stories or add you to my update list to get notified whenever I release something new. All of the characters in this story are fictional. Finally, you wouldn't even know about this story if not for Nifty. If you can, help it out with a donation to keep this special place going. https://donate.nifty.org/donate.html Chapter 4: The Lessons Begin Ardin lay in the bed, hugging Zeles tightly. Zeles luxuriated in the warm, soft closeness of his apprentice's body. He wrapped his arms around the tired boy and ran his hand up and down Ardin's back, and he felt the boy's body react to his touch and rock back and forth. It had been a long day, especially for the young boy. "All right," said the Master Wizard at last. "Do you feel up to learning some magic, or should we go to sleep?" Ardin looked up at him with those big, pale green eyes. They were an almost ghostly color, thought Zeles. That color alone was a hint of his magic potential. "What about Liron?" asked the boy. "Liron did well," said Zeles, smiling, "but he doesn't have the same power." "So he's not coming with us?" Zeles laughed. "Of course not." Ardin's looked surprised, then relieved, then thoughtful. "I hope he won't be too sad." Zeles smiled widely. "Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine. He's forgotten all about it and is having a good time right now." "How do you know?" asked Ardin. "I know," replied Zeles, still smiling. He ruffled the boy's hair. "Liron has... a lot of potential, just not magical potential. Now, training or sleep?" Ardin was very tired, but he desperately wanted to impress the wizard. He made himself sit up and straighten his back, although his exhaustion was plain to the wizard anyway. "Training," he said, confidently. "Very well." Zeles reached up, gave the boy's cheek a soft caress to show approval. "Shoes off, sit here on the bed with me. Let's have a lesson." The boy had only gotten his new pair of shoes that afternoon, and he still hadn't gotten used to them. He struggled a bit to take them off, then wriggled his toes in relief as his feet finally felt the open air. Finally, he climbed back up on the bed. "I've never been on one of these before tonight," he said. "A bed," said Zeles. "Yeah, o'course," replied Ardin. "Just... never been on one." "I think you'll grow to like beds a lot," taunted the wizard. "It's really soft," said the oblivious boy, running his hands along the silky sheets. Then he crossed his legs, dirty bare feet sticking out from under his knees. Zeles decided to ask the inn to prepare a bath for tomorrow. Not that Ardin had any idea the grime was out of the ordinary. The boy just bounced up and down and wriggled his toes some more, feeling the softness of the bed underneath him and giggling lightly. Sitting opposite, legs crossed in the same manner, the wizard held out his hands. Ardin placed his soft small hands in the firm larger hands, and took on a serious expression. "Now," instructed Zeles, "we're going to practice levitating again, but this time I'm going to let you lead. We'll have to do this a few times before you get it, but you're going to try to levitate both of us, all right?" Ardin nodded, his serious expression breaking with excitement. "Yeah!" he said. "And just up and down, understood? Just gently up, right over this bed, so if anything goes wrong we just fall onto it." Ardin nodded. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, remembering his little brother. Zeles smiled. "It's fine, my boy. Just take it seriously." Ardin nodded. "I will!" "Let's see if you can start this on your own. Let your magic flow into me." Ardin sat there, legs crossed, brows furrowed in concentration. Finally, he admitted, "I don't know how." "Your magic is part of you," instructed his teacher. "It's part of your essence. Feel within your body, and look for something that feels like energy. It's warm. It... glows." Ardin closed his eyes. He didn't know what he was doing. He felt hungry, which seemed rather greedy, since he'd never eaten so much in one day. He tried to focus, but he just felt the pressure of his thighs on his calves from crossing his legs, or the softness of the bed. He felt tired. "I don't know how!" he said in frustration. "I can't do this!" "Relax, Ardin," said Zeles. He saw a tear from the boy; Ardin thought he'd failed. Zeles squeezed the warm little hands inside his own. "Relax. Trust me." Ardin was thinking about how he was a failure. He tried to stop, and his mind started to wander, thinking about the journey, thinking about home... mama, and Mardo... He thought about everything but magic. His eyes felt tired, and his mind felt loose. "Ardin," said Zeles loudly. "Look at me." He turned those big, pale green eyes towards the man. Zeles saw water building in them. He wondered if Ardin was tough enough for what would be asked of him. "Breathe in." Ardin did, his chest moving up. "Breathe out." The boy exhaled. "In." He did. "Out." He did. "Now, close your eyes and look within yourself." Ardin felt the bad thoughts return, but he tried to ignore them. He felt his bare toes in the warm air of the room. The warmth where his body pressed against the bed. His small hands in Zeles' big, cool hands. Each breath in and out. Aware, somehow, of himself, and of the world around him. And then, he felt something. A little spark? Some energy within him? Was that magic? Ardin reached out with his mind, focused on it. He tried to feed it, grow it... and he realized it was everywhere within him, flowing through him, a powerful torrent. It did glow. "You found it," said Zeles. "Now, let it flow into me." What happened next made even the Master Wizard gasp. It was so much raw power. Ardin's power. He was young, and he didn't know how to control it. Now, though, Zeles was certain. Ardin had a destiny. They had a destiny, together. If, that is, the boy could learn to control it, and his fear. The power glowed hot throughout the wizard's body. Little jolts of energy and heat sparked within him. "Good!" cried Zeles. "Very good." It was very good; Zeles hadn't had an apprentice get this right on the first try before. Zeles put up safeguards, tempered the flow, but otherwise let the boy control it himself. "Now," he said, "raise us up." The wizard's hands held the boy's tight. Ardin's eyes were pressed shut, his brow furrowed, his mind focused on controlling his magic. (It was, Zeles had to admit, very cute.) Light flickered on their faces, and along the walls of the room. Zeles could feel Ardin shaping the power loosely. It lacked the fine control the apprentice would later learn, but still he felt waves of energy spread across the room, feeling and sensing the world around them. Then Ardin focused it, and little nodules of Ardin's power concentrated underneath them. "Good," said the wizard. "You're doing well. Now tighten it. Pull it together. Make it more... solid as you push us up." The boy, eyes still shut, bit his lower lip as he focused harder. His pale pink lip looked almost white under the pressure of his front teeth, innocent little face focusing as hard as he could. And the magic did concentrate. It pulled together. Zeles saw a little bit of sweat on the boy's forehead as the boy struggled with the exertion, an exertion that was neither physical nor mental but... something else. He grunted, struggling to tame his raw power without the help of the older wizard. He managed. The magic solidified, and gently they started to rise. Ardin was burning much more power than he needed, with more control he'd need much less, but still he was doing it. Incredible! "Focus," Zeles said, voice neutral. Ardin was floating higher than he was. "I'm heavier. Keep us stable." Ardin nodded, but didn't speak. His face was flush, and a few drops of sweat slid down from his forehead to his cheeks. He focused in on the magic and Zeles felt an abrupt push. The wizard floated upwards, level with the boy now. It was an impressive display of control. Zeles honestly hadn't expected it for another week, maybe two. With Mardo he had been actively helping with the control the whole time, making each of Ardin's thoughts more focused, channeling his influence over the magic, but now it was all Ardin. Indeed, it seemed like the boy rose to each new challenge when pushed. Slowly, they floated up. Six inches. A foot. Eighteen inches. Ardin's hands were slippery with sweat. He seemed to be panting, and his brow was deeply furrowed. "I... can't..." he coughed out. And then suddenly, the magic slipped. Wizard and boy crashed down, landing on the bed. "I'm sorry!" cried the boy. He lay on the bed, physically exhausted. "I'm sorry! I couldn't..." "You did well," said Zeles. He ran his hand through Ardin's soft brown hair, feeling the silky strands part between his fingers. "Better than any apprentice I've had." "Really?" asked Ardin. He looked over at Zeles with those pale eyes. "Really," confirmed the wizard. He moved his hand down around the boy's shoulders and pulled him closer. Ardin leaned into the wizard, snuggling his small body up to the embrace. Separated from his family, worried he had failed, the boy just needed to be held. He trusted his master. "I wanna be a wizard," said the boy softly into Zeles' shoulder as he lay there. "You will be," said Zeles. "You're going to be a great wizard." "But I couldn't hold you up." Zeles tightened the warm hug. "I told you, silly boy. That was the best first try I've ever seen." Ardin was exhausted. More exhausted than he'd ever been. Attacked last night, they'd been traveling for much of the day, then the excitement of a new city, all the errands, and now a new kind of weariness that he didn't even understand brought on by channeling a deep part of his being into magic. He breathed out softly, held in his master's arms. "I miss my mama," said the child at last, finally admitting it to himself even as he said the words. "And... and Mardo." Zeles sighed. The boy was warm and sweet. He couldn't resist being aroused just at the feel of their bodies pressed together. Aroused, yes, but the wizard's thoughts held no other trace of lewdness. He liked comforting the sweet boy, and it might make his cock rise up, but it was a kind of love, not lust. "I know, my apprentice," he said. "You'll see them again someday. And you'll be a wizard." "When will I see them?" "I don't know," said Zeles honestly. "You have to train." Zeles felt the boy shift. His young, warm body moved a little bit in their closeness, sliding against the older man. The motion belied a little sob, and Zeles looked down to see another tear go down the boy's smooth cheek. Ardin reached up to wipe it away. "Sorry," he sniffled. "It's hard to go away from your family," said Zeles, although privately he worried about how sensitive the boy was. That wasn't good for what lay ahead. "I've never been away before," said the boy. "It's all so different and strange." And yet... Zeles loved the boy and, yes, his vulnerability. If the world would only let them, Zeles could lie here forever with his apprentice. "You're going to be a great wizard," he said. The boy didn't respond, he just snuggled closer, seeking comfort. He trusted the wizard. He didn't know why he trusted Zeles so much, but he did. Besides, he hadn't had a father since he was five years old, and... He sniffled again, softly. Zeles stroked his hair. The boy rested his head on Zeles' chest and closed his eyes. Slowly, the gentle sniffles began to fade. The boy had been through so much, thought Zeles. He'd be fine, right? He'd make it? But he had so much to grow. Ardin needed time to fulfill his destiny. Time, and support, and training. They'd have that, soon. When they got home. Meanwhile, the young apprentice had curled his small body tightly against the wizard. And there, pressed together, the boy felt a lump. Zeles startled and bit his lip as Ardin's body brushed against his aroused manhood. Last night, this would have been a problem. Last night, the boy would have recoiled. He would have felt betrayed. He would have thought of the warnings from his mother, and he would have fretted over his safety. But that was last night. Tonight, the boy felt Zeles's hardness and it inspired no fear; instead, he felt good. He didn't know why men got hard exactly (after all, he couldn't remember anyone teaching him), but his instincts, the instincts placed inside his mind by Zeles himself, told him that the man's hard dick was actually a sign of approval. He felt comforted by it. Instead of recoiling, the eleven-year-old boy pressed against it again and sighed softly into the wizard's chest. He snuggled closer, intentionally rubbing his belly against the man's cock. Ardin was not a confident boy. When he'd first seen Liron, he'd immediately feared that Zeles would prefer the older, more mature, more athletic boy. Liron seemed a natural leader. He was self-assured, he knew the ways of the world, and knew how to be respectful. He seemed like he should be a wizard, while Ardin felt like a young child compared to him. He was just some poor boy from a shack in a tiny village, and Liron was a true leader from a big city. But when Ardin felt that hard, adult cock, those thoughts were pushed back. It was beyond logic. In Ardin's newly-twisted mind, that feeling meant Zeles loved him. It was a calm certainty that he felt down to his bones. And so he pressed once again, just to feel the engorged dick, to know for certain that the wizard truly liked him. The touch made Zeles exhale softly, and Ardin felt the man's dick pulse a little bit. He pressed still tighter, for the fourth time, drawn in completely by the organ. It was only now that he felt like he knew the answer to his question. "Do you like me?" "I do, my apprentice," said Zeles, gently patting his back. His aroused dick pulsed. Ardin was truly a special boy, and he wasn't thinking that just because of the feel of the warm boy. "You know that I do." Ardin nodded softly and rested his head down again. Again he slid against the dick; he couldn't get enough of it. "I can hardly wait to show Mardo what I can do," he said. "I'll fly him right this time." Zeles just nodded. Instead of speaking, he held Ardin close. The boy, still sniffling a little bit, snuggled up again, and the man held in a little moan. For a little while longer, they stayed like that, apprentice and wizard, man and boy together in the bed. * * * "I'm hungry," said Ardin suddenly. His tears had finally stopped. At least for now, it seemed like his homesickness had abated. Zeles wondered, and maybe felt a little bit guilty, that perhaps the boy's contentment at the wizard's hard dick was why his homesickness had abated. "Let's get some food," replied Zeles, "then sleep." They went downstairs. The inn had a large pot of stew they had prepared, and wizard and apprentice both got steaming hot bowls with fresh bread on the side. The meat was grouse, and it smelled delicious. Ardin leaned down to take a deep smell, and he watched as Zeles dipped his bread in the stew and ate some. He mirrored the wizard. "This is really tasty!" said Ardin. Zeles smiled. "It tastes familiar, too," the boy added. Zeles shrugged. "The spice is... dried Siluvan yellow pepper," he said. "It's very distinctive." "When I was a kid," said Ardin, growing thoughtful, "papa brought some home once, I think. We had it in our stew, too." "It's not cheap," said Zeles. "He was happy," replied the boy. "I don't remember why, though." He paused a moment, then added, "it tastes really good." * * * Wizard and apprentice finished their meal. There was a bit of stew remaining, and they brought it up to the room and left it covered in the hearth where it could stay warm. It should still be good tomorrow morning, and the scent was divine. Then time for bed. Zeles wished he could tell Ardin to sleep without clothes, but the boy wasn't ready for that, not yet. And besides, Ardin was still in a mood. The wizard watched as the slender and lithe little boy climbed into bed. But before lying down, Ardin knelt. The boy sat on his calves, grimy feet out behind him. He bounced once or twice, feeling the bed underneath him, then stopped and became more somber. "I forgot to pray yesterday," he reported, lowering his head. In his young voice, Ardin prayed to Potensin. The boy asked for forgiveness for missing yesterday's prayers. He asked for safety, and asked nobly that the bandits from last night might find a better life. He prayed that he would become a good wizard. Zeles should have realized the boy would be a believer just from his Easterner name. Those gods, beings that had manipulated humanity for eons, had finally been locked away centuries ago, but many didn't believe the wizards who had done it, especially among the lower classes and in some eastern families. The boy had been taught by his mother, and Zeles certainly didn't have the heart to stop him. He just watched the boy, back bowed as he focused on his prayer. When he was done, Ardin finally lay down on the bed, his soft mouth open as he breathed in and out gently. "You don't want to pray?" he asked after a few moments, his voice slurring with threads of sleep. Zeles shook his head. He came up to the bed, leaned down, and held the boy's head as he gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. Ardin smiled. "You don't believe?" asked the boy, face serious. Zeles shook his head. "It's all right," he said. Ardin nodded. "I trust you," he said. "You're good." Zeles smiled. He didn't remove his hands from Ardin's head. The boy was tired, but his day was not done yet. In fact, being tired would make him all the more sensitive to what happened next. Gently, the wizard started to let power flow through his hands and into his apprentice's mind. Ardin's soft green eyes grew wider for a moment, and then settled. Pale green irises became vague and unfocused as the boy's mind ceased to be his own. His breathing was soft and steady, and Zeles began his modifications. He started with a block to prevent the child from forming memories during tonight's session. * * * The truth was that Master Wizard Zeles Tzell loved this moment. It might be his favorite thing in the world, even more than his fun with Liron. As he knelt over the prone boy, young mind ready and wide open, it was a moment of infinite potential. Zeles had many apprentices over the years, all boys. They were his family, his cherished friends, and all excellent wizards themselves. He loved them. He'd also fucked each and every one of them. Many, many times. Passionately. It was something they were eager and happy for once he prepared them correctly. No, more than eager. Eager was the wrong word. To him and to them, the carnal act brought them together, made them like family. Zeles could just imagine how he'd develop Ardin to be the same. The uncertain but excited young boy, so smooth and slender, brave and exploring. Ardin would soon want it, need it, just like Zeles. Soon their sex would become a precious and special part of who they were and a validation of their connection. The boy was a blank slate; Zeles would shape him, mold him, make him the perfect, eager little partner. He would shape Ardin's mind to truly love his master. He'd done it many times. The wizard's life was not just about sex, though. He cherished those moments of teaching, when each apprentice learned to better control their magic, learned to sense the world, to see the connections that their magical energies brought them. He loved talking and exploring with them, seeing their worlds grow, their paths to becoming full wizards opening up to them. When Ardin saw a city like Crezia for the first time, Zeles could see it through the boy's eyes, see his wonder and joy. So yes, Zeles loved so much about training his apprentices. More than anything, though, he loved the possibilities of this moment. Of a boy who would become anything Zeles wanted him to be. Ardin's eyes were glassy. His cute mouth was slightly open, muscles simply forgetting to close it. His breathing, the rise and fall of his flat, smooth stomach, constant, rhythmic, beautiful. His shirt had run up a little, exposing his creamy white skin, the light curve of his belly, his innie belly button. Liron's belly might've been more toned, thought Zeles, but I like this one more. It's soft. "Relax," said Zeles. Ardin, his mind a blank, let his muscles go even more lax. His head drifted further into the pillow. He exhaled, softly, letting air out of his lungs. "Relax," repeated Zeles again. A soft whimper came from the boy as he exhaled helplessly. * * * Before long, the boy was deep in his trance state. His muscles were soft and unmoving. Ardin's breathing was smooth and even, back rising and falling with each breath. Zeles smiled, inhaling the boy's gentle scent mixed in with the still-wafting spicy food from the hearth. He pressed against his apprentice's body, unable to resist a little touch. The wizard felt inside the boy's open mind. "Ardin," he prompted. "Yessss..." whispered the boy. His voice was low, flat, inflectionless. Zeles nodded. Ardin's active mind was completely empty. Blank. A canvas to be written on. "Ardin," said Zeles, "Think about answering all of my questions truthfully. No matter what, you must tell me the truth and the full truth." Ardin nodded vacantly. "The truth," he said, words slurring, "and the full truth." In the boy's mind, that thought became central, and Zeles ensnared it with his magic, making it stronger and stronger as he powered it, pushing it to become dominant in the boy's mind. He could ask anything, and Ardin would answer honestly. "Do you know what sex is?" he asked his apprentice. No reason to wait. The truth-seeking thought pulsed in Ardin's brain. Zeles could feel it, no doubt struggling against other thoughts in the boy's mind. Shame, or decorum, or privacy; one of those thoughts was fighting back. The wizard fed magic into the boy's mind, powering his need to tell the truth, ensuring it would win out over the boy's shame. And after a moment, confusion cleared off Ardin's face. The boy nodded, and answered. "Yes," he admitted, words still coming slowly, a soft blush rising on his face. "A man and woman... do stuff. The man puts his manhood in... the woman's... place." Zeles nodded. "Have you ever had sex?" Ardin's pale, glassy eyes widened and his blush deepened as he shook his head. "No." "Has anyone ever touched your penis?" "Mama," he answered right away. "And Mardo once, he wanted to know what it looked like." Zeles nodded. "And do you ever touch it for fun?" he asked. "For fun?" Ardin asked. His youthful voice was flat, but his face showed his confusion. He didn't even understand what that meant. Zeles realized he hadn't seen any older brothers in the shack where the boy had grown up. "All right," said Zeles. He had to admit, Ardin's mother was an impressive woman to keep her son so pure, especially given their position. The boy was a treasure. "Clear your mind," he told the boy, and he felt the boy's need to tell the truth float away into the subconscious. He wondered how it would last against competing thoughts, if Ardin would feel that same impulse over time. Ardin lay back, eyes open, mind empty. "Now," commanded Zeles, "think again about how you trust me." The thought floated into Ardin's central mind, and Zeles poured magical energy into that thought, strengthening it again. It had grown a bit weaker since last night, and he needed it to stay strong. He felt it pulse and grow, and knew Ardin's trust wouldn't waver. Then he sent it off again. Zeles inhaled deeply, looking over the placid boy. He could feel his heart racing, the moment pregnant with possibility in the flickering firelight and the spicy smell of dinner. Ardin, face blank, mouth open, was ready for more. Zeles could feel it. His apprentice was ready to be shaped. "Think about me," said Zeles, and he felt a thought come out into the boy's mind. A small smile formed on Ardin's face. "Good boy," said Zeles. "Now," he continued, light pulsing from his hands into Ardin's head, "think of me as family. Like your mama, or like Mardo. I am your family. You care about me." The thoughts came out, and Zeles focused on them, sending waves of power into them, strengthening them. "Like family," mumbled Ardin, his still somewhat high-pitched voice almost sleepy in its intonation. "Like family," said Zeles, magic flowing in. "You love me." Ardin nodded softly. "You love me." Magic flowed in. "I... love you." Magic flowed in. "I love you." More magic. Ardin's head rolled back with the influx of magic. "I love you," he said softly, the words becoming beliefs. It was platonic, Zeles knew, but for now it was enough. He knew Ardin's mind would reshape itself over the next day, the new thought pushing others aside, eventually settling into a new equilibrium, causing ripple effects throughout the boy's mind until it settled into new patterns of thinking. Between the trust and the love, he thought it would hold. Ardin would be devoted to him. Zeles felt himself getting tired, his magical energy waning, but he was excited. And he wanted more to shape the boy. "Clear your mind," he told the boy, and Ardin exhaled. With his exhalation, the thought of his love for his teacher faded into the background, back into his subconscious. "Now we have to change you a little bit more, Ardin," he said. "Think about what it's like to be naked." The blush returned to Ardin's cheek, and the boy, still in a trance, shifted on the bed before settling again into its softness. "How does it feel?" asked Zeles. "I... shouldn't be naked. Not in front of people." He paused a moment, wrestling with the next words. "I'm ashamed." The same flat voice, but his blush deepened. Zeles nodded. "Ardin," he said, "think about that shame. Focus on it. Focus on the shame you'd feel like being naked in front of me." The thought shifted, changed. Parts moved in, parts moved out, and then it settled. "What are you thinking about?" "How it'd feel to be naked in front of you." "Good," said Zeles. And with that, waves of magical energy targeted the thought, pounding on it, weakening it, shrinking it. The thought diminished, smaller and smaller, taking Ardin's shame at nudity with it. The boy's blush faded. Soon, the thought of shame became too small to detect. Gone. "Now," said Zeles, "imagine being naked in front of me. No clothes. Just there, completely naked. But now... it feels fine, Ardin. It feels normal. Good. We're men. You don't mind being naked with me. It's natural." Ardin's face shifted. A bit of distaste? But soon it became neutral again as the thought formed. "Perfectly normal," said Zeles. "It's natural to be naked with me. It feels right. No shame, just nice and normal. Being naked is good." The thought shifted. Wavered, then settled. And now Zeles targeted it, strengthening it. Making it part of the boy's beliefs. What had once seemed shameful would be natural. He wanted to make Ardin like it, of course, but that was too much, too soon. Other thoughts might conflict. Better to nudge him. Tweak him. Let the thoughts settle, then develop his boy's sexuality. "Perfectly normal," Zeles repeated, pumping in magical energy to grow the new belief. Make it live as truth inside his apprentice. "Perfectly normal," said Ardin. His eyes glowed, a blue glow overlaid on his natural pale green. He gasped at the strength of the power flowing unrestricted into his mind. "It feels normal to be naked with me." "Uhhhh," groaned Ardin for a moment, the blue light strengthening. Then his body went slack into the bed, and he tonelessly replied, "it feels normal to be naked with you." "Very good," said Zeles. The man yawned. "You're such a good apprentice." He was exhausted, but he filled the thought with the last of his energy, strengthening it as much as he could. "Now sleep," he said, and as the boy drifted off, eyelids drooping as his gentle face slackened. Zeles removed the memory block and dropped contact, and the wizard collapsed down on the bed next to his boy, soft firelight flickering against them. It had been a good session. Zeles felt his own hardness, but he managed to put it out of his mind eventually, and fall asleep. He was exhausted, and he'd have release soon enough. * * * They awoke the next morning. Zeles hoped Ardin's new thoughts had settled somewhat overnight as the boy's mind would have unconsciously processed some of its new beliefs. Together, they ate the remains of last night's dinner. It was warm and delicious. "Now," said Zeles, "you need a bath." The boy scrunched up his face. "I hate baths," he said. "Come," said Zeles. "This one will be nicer." Indeed, he'd had the inn draw up a warm bath. The water was warm, and kept so by a small flame to the side of the tub. It was scented as well, lending a pleasant smell to the room they came to. Zeles sighed at how much it would cost him. "Wow," said Ardin, taking in the room. "Baths aren't always so bad," said the wizard. "Do you want to go first or should I?" "I can wait outside," said Ardin softly. "You don't have to," replied Zeles. His heart was beating hard. It was the moment of truth. "You can take off your clothes." Ardin's eyes widened for a moment, and he looked surprised. He stared back at his teacher, biting his lower lip. At last, he spoke. "I guess," he said, quietly. "It's all right," said Zeles, trying to stay calm as Ardin looked up at him. Ardin's new thoughts would be vying with his usual shame. "It's normal between us, isn't it?" continued the wizard. He hoped echoing the commands from last night would strengthen them. After all, Ardin's mind had been rewritten to trust. For a moment, Ardin didn't react, then he nodded slowly. He started to take off his clothes. "Good," said Zeles, rubbing the boy's head and ruffling his hair. "Very good." Then he, too, started to undress. Slowly, Ardin's beautiful body was revealed as the boy awkwardly slipped off his clothes. Slender but not bony, with clear muscles from the physical labor he must have had to do in his previous life, and a belly that already seemed a bit bigger from the full meals he'd finally been getting. Hairless, of course. It was the first time Zeles had seen the smooth eleven-year-old standing like this, and as he removed his own clothes, the wizard's erection was evident. As Ardin faced him and saw the hardened cock, his face changed--not to fear or dismay, but simply to a serene calmness. The tension left the room immediately as Ardin felt nothing but peace and confidence, just as his mind had been designed to do. He even stood up straighter. Zeles smiled. He had controlled countless boys over the years, but Ardin was truly going to be his masterpiece. He would be more than all of them, in every way. "I'll go first," said the naked wizard, so the boy could see how to take a bath. He padded over with his hard dick sticking out and then stepped in, soaking himself in the water and exclaiming in pleasure at the heat. He gestured for Ardin to watch as he scrubbed, removing the grime of travel and feeling his body become clean once again. He ran his hands along his chest and arms to remove dirt. Turning over, he asked Ardin to rub his back to clean it off, and Ardin bit his lip... but then he reached forward with his small, warm hands, and he scrubbed Zeles' back. The wizard sighed contentedly at the feel of Ardin's fingers along his skin. When his back seemed clean, Zeles cleaned off his legs and his feet, and then he came up to his crotch. As Ardin watched, Zeles "cleaned" his dick, giving himself several clear strokes under the warm water. "Wh-what are you doing?" asked the boy, bending over and peering down into the water where the naked wizard sat, legs spread. Once, he might have known what the lewd motions were, but Zeles had removed those memories, and any sense of danger, from his mind. "It makes me feel good," answered Zeles, as he gave his long, hard dick a few more strokes, right in front of the wide-eyed child. However, he stopped himself before orgasm. "Just something that's nice." Ardin nodded mutely. He didn't know how to reply, so he just stared, his cute little mouth open. Zeles wished he could ask Ardin to help out with some strokes, but he knew it was too soon. Instead, he stood, dripping wet as he towered over the younger boy. "Hand me that towel," he said, and Ardin did. The wizard dried himself off as he stepped out of the tub. "Now you," said Zeles. The boy nodded and gingerly stepped in. Zeles watched every motion, every little wrinkle on his smooth belly as he raised his leg and climbed in. "It's warm!" Ardin exclaimed, as he started to lower himself down. Zeles nodded. Ardin instantly found himself enjoying it: the warm water, the lavender smell of added soap. He splashed around happily. "Don't get the floor wet," said Zeles. "Clean yourself off." Ardin nodded, although he wanted to keep splashing. He didn't want to upset his master, though, and so he began to run his hands over his smooth body, mimicking what Zeles had done. He slid along his belly, his chest, his arms, under his armpits. Silky skin glistened in sunlight from the windows. Then the boy turned around and asked Zeles to clean his back. Zeles smiled at the reciprocal gesture, feeling Ardin's soft, wet skin underneath his hands. Water splashed as Zeles ran his hands back and forth. It was a chance to explore the eleven-year-old body, to feel his shoulder blades, the tiny bones of his spinal column, the soft flesh around his ribcage. Zeles stroked and caressed up and down along that smooth back until the boy was fully clean. When he removed his hands, Ardin turned back over, spreading his legs as he ran his hands along his pale thighs and calves to clean them off. "Your feet too," said Zeles. Ardin reached down, running hands over his feet cursorily. "Ardin," said Zeles, a twinkle in his eyes, "show me your foot." The boy held it up, out of the water. Water dripped down. His foot, his toes, his calf glimmered in the light of the sun coming in through the open window. The whole length of his muscled calf had a beautiful watery sheen. But Zeles walked down and grabbed the boy's foot, turning it so Ardin could see it. "Look at this!" he said. "It's filthy!" Ardin shook his head. "That's just how feet are!" Zeles shook his head. He brought the foot back down into the water and began to rub it, getting the grime off. The boy giggled, and then tried to wriggle away even as Zeles held the ankle tight. "It tickles!" cried Ardin. The boy was red-faced, and he started to laugh, unable to control himself at the feel of it. His whole body was wiggling now, splashing, trying to get away as he felt the motion of Zeles' hand on his sole. "Stoooooop!" He was full-throated laughing now as he struggled, his head back, chest out, his whole wet body on display for the wizard through the clear water (although it had started to get a little bit muddy from the grime that had been removed from both bodies). "You need to be clean!" exclaimed Zeles. Ardin had stopped complaining, he was just laughing, twisting, helpless as Zeles cleaned the boy's foot. Finally the wizard let go. Ardin jerked his foot away, gasping, although he relaxed once again as soon as he saw the wizard's erection. "Look at it," said Zeles. "That's what a clean foot looks like!" Ardin held his foot up out of the water. His sole was clean, all the dirt removed. His foot was a pale white, but accented with bright pink at the base of his arch, the back near his ankles, and front near his toes. He had calluses from all his barefoot walking. He nodded. "Now, do you want to do the other one or should I? I expect my apprentices to be clean!" Ardin nodded. "I'll do it," he said, and he bent his leg to bring his foot up as he began running his fingers along it. He ran them along the sole of his feet, between creases, smoothing them out, working all the grime out. He ran his fingers between his toes. Then he held his foot out for inspection, spreading the toes wide, and Zeles nodded. "Good," he said. Ardin nodded. He finished rubbing grime off his legs, then moved up to his crotch. It still needed cleaning. He began, tenderly, by rubbing on either side of his ballsack. Then he looked up at Zeles with questioning eyes before rubbing along the length of his tiny, flaccid boyhood. He paused a moment, again looking up, but Zeles didn't give any hint of what he wanted. He just shrugged and looked back. This felt weird, thought Ardin, but... he mimicked his teacher, and gave his dick a little stroke, and then another. Zeles just watched his apprentice learn to masturbate himself with nimble fingers. His own choice, imitating his teacher. Slowly, the boyhood began to harden. Ardin looked at it with some wonder, turning his gaze from his own crotch to the wizard's, whose dick was still somewhat hard. He looked down again at his own and gave it another small stroke, and then another. His cocklet gave a little jerk. He looked up again; Zeles nodded, and Ardin continued. His stroking was rhythmic now, up and down, much as Zeles had done before. Ardin's wet, preteen body seemed to shiver, and then he let out a big sigh as he stretched backwards against the tub, showing off his smooth wet belly and chest as new sensations flowed through his preteen body. His hand moved up and down and up and down, and his breathing had turned rhythmic, small moans escaping his lips as he writhed in the water. His body's reactions were almost out of his control now, automatic responses to waves of pleasure. His left leg extended out, wet toes curling. His right leg bent at the knee, and he rested his right foot on his left thigh. The motion happened to spread his legs to show off his crotch and growing boy-erection to his mentor. He sighed again, letting out a soft "uhhhhhhhhh..." as his fingers moved up and down; his belly rose and fell with each deep breath, and little waves whipped through the water from his hand motions. He'd closed his eyes, head tilted back, his whole wet body beautifully exposed as he gave in to the feelings. "It feels weird," he said. His body was shivering with pleasure as his hand kept stroking up and down. The boy closed his eyes, head rocking back and forth as he felt amazing new sensations. His mouth hung open, tongue out slightly. He was close. Reluctantly, Zeles interrupted him. "That's enough." "But it felt good!" said the boy, although he obediently removed his hand. "I know," said Zeles. "But I want your first time to be special." "First time?" asked the boy. His face was flushed. "First time at what?" "You'll see," replied the wizard. "Are you clean?" Ardin nodded. He got up, and Zeles handed him a towel to dry off. Soon the boy stepped out of the tub, and he dried his feet off as well. "Good," said Zeles. The lean boy stood there, naked and still a bit damp, now almost entirely unconcerned at showing his nakedness to his teacher. He still had his hairless erection, although it was starting to go down. "Before we go," added Zeles, "I want to show you something. I want you to be able to sense magic. Your body is sensitive now, from the water and the cleaning, so it will be able to feel it more easily. All right?" Ardin nodded. "Yes!" he said, eager for another lesson. "Very good," said Zeles. "Stand here, arms wide, legs spread." Ardin's smooth skin glistened with moisture as he spread his legs and arms. Two days ago, the boy would never have displayed himself like this, not spreading his legs wide and leaving nothing hidden, not for anyone and certainly not in front of Zeles. But now the eleven-year-old looked down at Zeles' hard manhood and blushed; he knew, somehow he just knew, that he had done something right. He had earned that erection, his mind already started to draw the conclusions Zeles wanted him to draw independent of new commands. The boy looked back up at the wizard, little body spread, and simply asked, "now what?" He was still blushing, thought Zeles, but I'll get that last vestige of shame soon enough. "Close your eyes," Zeles said out loud. "Feel with your senses. Let your magic flow out." Ardin closed them, and his brow furrowed in concentration. Zeles sensed an unearthly glow of magic emanating from the boy, filling out into the room. "Good," said the wizard. "Good. Now, I am going to send my own power out, and I want you to feel it. Sense it with your magic; sense it with your body. Open yourself to the experience, to the flow. Relax all your defenses and just feel. Do you understand?" "I'm not sure," replied the boy. "It's all right," said Zeles. He looked at the naked, damp child, standing so exposed. "You'll do fine. Just try your best." Ardin nodded softly. And then Zeles closed his eyes and let his power fly loose. Before, Zeles had sent his magic in synergy with the boy's. Now, though, it flowed through, not in opposition but not in parallel, either. He started with just a little bolt of power. First it tangled with Ardin's own power, twirling around it, pulsing with it; Ardin furrowed his brow, but couldn't quite understand what he perceived. Then Zeles sent his power forward, letting it coast through the space between them, and finally he pulsed it into Ardin's chest. The boy gasped, pushing his hairless chest forward into the space between them. "Uhhh!" he cried out, feeling the strong tingle on his body. The sensation was overwhelming, making the boy feel desperate... but for what, he didn't know. "Good!" said Zeles. "You feel it?" Ardin nodded. "Uh huh!" he cried. "Can you focus your power, my boy?" he asked. "Can you do it back?" "Uhhhh... I can try!" he cried. Zeles felt power gathering, but it was loose, unfocused. It concentrated on Zeles' chest, giving him just a slight push. "There are different kinds of power, Ardin," said Zeles. "Tighten it, give it a charge." "I... don't understand!" "Look at mine!" said Zeles, letting another bolt of power cross along Ardin's nipples. "Wuhhh!" cried the boy, feeling it jolt him, although he held his position. "There's... um... power within the power," the boy managed to say. "Yes," said Zeles. "It gives it a jolt." "It's... kind of sharper than mine?" "Yes," said Zeles. "A bit like lightning. Now, sharpen yours. Back at me." Ardin's jaw tensed with effort, and he pulsed his power back at Zeles. It was still more of a push than a shock; still more blunt than sharp, but it was something. "Better," said Zeles. Ardin tried again, but to little effect. "I can't do it," said Ardin. "You'll learn," said Zeles. "It's difficult to control your power like that. Here, feel mine along your skin." With that, Zeles sent a crawl of power along Ardin's belly. It curled around the curve of his stomach, flowing through his belly button, along his waist. The boy grunted at the touch as electric sensations coated every square inch of his skin. "It's warm," he whispered, his body shaking involuntarily. "I made it that way," said Zeles. "Feel it. Study it. Track it." Zeles drew back some of the power, letting a diffuse yellow wisp twist itself around Ardin's naked skin. Where it touched the boy, he reacted, skin quivering softly at each touch. The boy stood there, arms wide, legs spread as the magic crawled along his body. Zeles brought it up to Ardin's nipples and curled it into soft circles, looping around and around in a playful, sensuous motion. "Muuuuuh," whimpered Ardin. He was really blushing now, but it wasn't from shame any more. "You feel it?" asked Zeles. "Study it. Trace it." "I'm... trying..." said the boy. No reason not to have some fun with the lessons, figured Zeles, as he let the power wind its way down, skimming along Ardin's bare back, then down along one of his butt cheeks. Ardin yelped softly but didn't say anything. "You're tracing it?" "Y-yeah." Zeles wound it around the boy's knee, and then up his thigh. The boy's dick had gotten hard; of course it had. Though he had no hair as yet, Ardin's body was going through changes, and this was certain to arouse him. Zeles let the power curl around the boy's balls and dick, just for a moment. Ardin whimpered. "T-there?" he asked. His hips gave a little hump forward into the pleasant warmth. Zeles thought, briefly, about holding it there. He could... But no, that was for later. "Do you think you can follow it if it moves away from your body?" he asked, still keeping it on Ardin's most sensitive place. The boy thrust his hips again, just a little bit, instinctively seeking more. Ardin nodded. He was blushing furiously, his mind confused and distracted. "Okay." Reluctantly, but knowing that he had left the boy needy (just a bit of fun during the lesson!), Zeles recalled the power and gathered it into a ball, large enough it should be easy to follow. "Track it with your magic," he said. "Try to follow it around the room." With that, he sent the ball of power out, bringing it to a rest hovering it over the bathtub. "Huh?" said Ardin. "Find my power with yours. Search for it." The boy was distracted, hoping for more of that magical touch. "Will you bring it back?" "Relax, Ardin," replied the boy's teacher, smiling at his desire. "Focus on your lesson." Ardin nodded reluctantly. The boy gathered his wits together, face narrowing in concentration, although his dick did not, Zeles noticed, go down at all. Childish but maturing muscles rippled as he sent new waves of his own magical strength out, a fog of power searching, searching. The naked boy's head tilted back, neck out, lower lip held under his front teeth as he focused, trying to fill the room with his power and see where it struck something, where it shifted. For a moment, the boy was silent. "The bathtub!" he finally said. "It's over the bathtub!" "Good!" said Zeles. "Now follow it." The wizard moved the ball of power, and he felt Ardin's loose magical strength follow it. The boy did well enough; though he lost the ball sometimes, he soon found it again. Zeles raised it to the ceiling and flew it around; he dipped and swerved; he flew it right between Ardin's spread legs. The boy mostly kept up. When Zeles lost him, he waited, hovering until Ardin could track it again. "Good!" cried Zeles. "But now that you can detect it, can you block it?" "Huh?" said Ardin, not sure what his teacher meant. But then a burst of Zeles' power nipped him on the elbow, and he yelped. "Hey!" "Block it," said Zeles. "Build a shield of your power." It was a hopeless task for the boy given his level of training--just as Zeles intended. The apprentice tried to form his power into a shield, but it was diffuse and wouldn't block Zeles' sharp attacks. Zeles remembered his own training, with a stern master. He'd been naked too, but there had been nothing sexual about it. That was to keep his clothes from getting ripped, and the bursts of power had been painful, the "better to teach him," said his master. No, Zeles had both mercy and a sense of fun. Instead of pain, he let the power brush lightly along the boy's nipple. "H-hey!" cried Ardin. A second burst of power lapped along his belly, a gentle, wiggling motion, and he found himself laughing at the magical tickle. "St-stop it!" "Block me!" said Zeles with a grin. "Don't lose your focus now!" But there was no way. Ardin tried to focus his energies but it was no good, and Zeles easily sent wisps of power through, targeting the naked boy's thighs, his hands, his armpits. "No... fair!" cried the boy, giggling almost uncontrollably, struggling to maintain his pose with arms spread and legs wide. "Feel where my power will come and stop it!" said Zeles. Ardin tried. A few times little shields came up in the right spots, but they were always too late, or too thin. Waves of magical tickles spread across his back, his nipples, his thighs, his calves. Zeles wound little strands of power around the boy's slender toes and caused them to wriggle back and forth. Gentle boy's laughter filled the room, a beautiful sound, and Zeles was smiling as he gently tormented his charge. Ardin's face was red, tears streaming down his face, his concentration wavering as he laughed, his arms flailing in the air. "Stop!" he cried, "I can't!" He managed somehow to send a wave of power right at Zeles, a counter attack, a push. Zeles felt himself moved back by the boy's power, maybe a whole foot before the wizard got control back. "Good!" cried Zeles. "Very good, for someone as distracted as you. But not good enough!" The next little brush of magical power came not on the boy's thighs, not on his chest, not on his back... but on his exposed little dick. Ardin gasped, and he felt a little pulse in his privates. It felt like when he was in the bath... "Wh-what?" he said. "Too bad you couldn't block it," said Zeles, as he wrapped the power around the hard boy-dick and tightened its grip, sheathes of magic pulsing in steady waves on the boy's organ. "Guhhhh!" cried the boy. Zeles was, he had to admit, a pervert. Not a bad pervert, not really, but his tendencies were not exactly secret. And while he was one of the most powerful wizards, with many strengths, he had also invested not inconsiderable time in certain other... skills. Skills that let him very precisely wrap the glow of yellow power around the boy's hard dick. The power and warmth and energy surrounded it, a bright glow that almost lit up the room itself. It felt warm and tight to the boy and pulsing with little bursts of energy. And then Zeles waved his hand, and it started to stretch and contract, sending ripples along the boy's hard little dick, waves from base to tip, and again a ripple going from base to tip, the tightness rolling back and forth, base to tip, base to tip... The boy wasn't speaking, he was just humping his hips forward, his three and a quarter inches jutting out from his naked body. All other thoughts had left him. Zeles twisted his fingers and brought the energy down around the tip of that beautiful little dick, sending a new, electric wave of pleasure into the eleven year old as it squeezed. Ardin grunted helplessly. The boy was close. He's so innocent, thought Zeles. No sexual experiences. Take out his mother's warnings and he has no idea what is happening. Yes, thought Zeles, the boy was too close. With a sigh of regret, he gave a wave to his hand, and all of a sudden the yellow glow dissipated like a small glowing fog. A moment later, there was nothing there but a bare, hard, hairless little dick. Ardin looked up and opened his eyes. "Y-you stopped," he said, his cheeks bright red. It was remarkably cute. "It's not time yet," said Zeles. Ardin thought of saying more, but he didn't. He just looked at the wizard, the wizard with his own hard dick, and then he looked down to his own. Then he looked back. A drop of precum pooled at Zeles' tip, and then fell down. "Is that pee?" asked the boy, wrinkling his nose. "No, Ardin," said Zeles with a smile. "I'll teach you later." Something in Ardin's mind... but no. The boy nodded. "Okay," he said, his concerns set aside. "Let's get dressed," said Zeles. "We should go." "Okay." * * * Wizard and apprentice picked up any remaining purchases, ate a last meal, and climbed back on Zeles' horse. And with that, they headed out from Crezia. They were content, or at least mostly. If his apprentice was distracted and needy with desire he still didn't understand, well, that was just as Zeles had planned. Zeles, of course, was distracted by a desire he understood quite well. It was a warm and sunny day, and beautiful. Neither of them, though, realized that they were being followed. Zeles might have, if he hadn't been distracted. If he'd known, maybe he could have prevented some of what was to come. TO BE CONTINUED! Stay tuned for Chapter 5, where their journey is not as smooth as Zeles might hoped (and we finally meet an antagonist head on). You are welcome to distribute this story so long as you leave it unchanged and it contains all of the surrounding text, including this text. It is intended to be distributed freely; please do not charge for it. I welcome your comments, feedback, ideas, and friendship. You can reach me by e-mail at leonardwriting@gmail.com. You may also want to take a look at some of my other stories, which you can find by contacting me or in many places where fine smut is distributed! If you ask, I can also add you to my list of people to be updated when I release a new story.