Date: Sun, 9 May 2021 05:37:32 +0000 From: Leonard Subject: Apprentice and King - Chapter 5 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 5: Ambush They rode briskly. The countryside was mostly empty, although occasionally they would pass by a small dilapidated village or a lone shack. It did not take long for the relative riches of Crezia to descend to the poverty of much of the rest of the countryside. Zeles sat with Ardin in front of him, his hands wrapped around the boy's stomach in a warm embrace. He felt each breath from his young apprentice, and Ardin leaned into his hold, enjoying the affection from his mentor. "Where are we going now?" asked Ardin. "Home," replied the wizard. "Your home?" "Our home." Ardin looked thoughtful for a moment, no doubt thinking back to his family, then he gave an almost imperceptible nod. "And then what?" he asked. "And then we train. You learn to be a true wizard." Another little nod. Zeles held the boy, feeling his hand sink into Ardin's soft stomach. The boy relaxed a bit in the touch, but Zeles detected an undercurrent of fear in his next question. "Why... um, why'd you pick me?" Ardin finally asked. "To be your apprentice and... and stuff." Zeles took a deep breath as he looked down at the innocent young boy pressed against him. Ardin wasn't ready for this conversation, and he debated how much he should say. "Have you heard of the great king Shiris?" Zeles finally asked. Ardin scrunched up his face. "Maybe? I don't remember..." "He ruled Angoria a hundred years ago. He was a great king, and things prospered under him, not like the self-styled lords who run their own little towns or cities now." Ardin took this in, although he didn't really understand the politics or what Zeles was really talking about. "Like Lord Vicen?" "Yes, your Lord Vicen just rules the region you come from, not all of Angoria. King Shiris ruled over your home village, and Crezia, and my home, and much more. He was much more powerful than Lord Vicen." "Wow," said the boy. "Wow indeed," said Zeles. "He was truly a great king, but there was a war. He won, but he was injured badly. When he died, he passed the rule onto a line of regents." "Oh yeah," said Ardin. "I know about that." "They rule from Angor, but they're nothing more than little lords themselves. They rule in name, but in reality, they couldn't keep the country together." "Lord Vicen said that he kept the Regent from taxing us," said the boy. "That he protected us." "I suppose that's true in some ways," confirmed Zeles. "But Vicen taxed you instead." Ardin shrugged. "Well," said Zeles, "King Shiris locked away tremendous power. So much power that all of magic has been declining. I believe that if I can train you up, then we can unlock that power and unite the nation." Zeles could feel the boy tense; he felt it course through Ardin's belly, saw his shoulders stiffen. For a few moments, Ardin didn't reply. Then he just said, very quietly, "that sounds really hard." "I'll teach you," replied Zeles. Ardin just shrugged. "We'll do it together," continued Zeles. Ardin nodded mutely. Zeles could tell how scared the young child was. From being with his mama and siblings to this in two days. To distract him, he started pointing out some of the plants along the side of the path, and they rode on. * * * They rode, and they rode. At least the rest of the day's journey was uneventful. Zeles was tired, and he spent some time teaching Ardin some minor control over his magic, but mostly he just stayed in his own thoughts. He was tense and exhausted. He couldn't help thinking of all the ways things could go wrong right now. "I don't know if I can do this," said Ardin suddenly. "I miss Mama." The two of them had stopped for the night, and were unloading Lightstorm to make camp. "Ardin..." "I'm just a kid from Tiago. I've never done anything special. I..." "You lifted your brother up. You lifted me up." Ardin turned his face down, staring at his feet. "I don't know," he said softly. "That's not magic like you do." Zeles thought about what kind of reply to make. He reached out, placing a hand around Ardin's shoulders, comforting the boy. "You'll be all right," he said. "You have to learn. It doesn't come right away." He wanted so badly to help Ardin feel better, to stop his suffering. But he also knew this had to happen. Ardin had to grow into this, to become ready. And then, suddenly, the wizard twirled around, letting go of Ardin's body and bringing his hands up. He'd felt a shift in magic. Cursing himself for not putting up wards sooner or watching for pursuit, he sensed a needle-thick bolt of concentrated magic heading straight for his heart. It had come out of nowhere! He raced to try to put up some kind of defensive barrier, something that would stop it. He'd never be able to do enough, not in the split-second he had. The bolt would have killed him, spearing him with an unbending magical energy, but he managed to put up just enough of a barrier, something that would weaken the bolt and spread it out, making it a diffuse push rather than sharp dagger. He felt it push into him, and he went flying, slamming against a tree some twenty feet away. He blacked out. * * * Zeles awoke with a splitting headache. It was maybe a minute or so later, and he turned his head, slowly, to try to see what was happening. Whoever had attacked him hadn't finished him off, maybe because they didn't realize he'd survived. A tall woman, with golden blond hair and a straight-backed, severe pose stood over Ardin. The boy hadn't moved. He just stood there, staring up at her. "Ardin," she was saying, "that's a nice name." No response. Zeles watched, trying to will his headache away. Moyana was a better fighter than he was under the best of circumstances. In his condition now, she'd shred him, but he couldn't let her get Ardin. He tried to pull his shattered magic together. "It's all right," she was telling the boy. "It's all right now." Ardin took a tentative step backwards. "I guess you're the one," she said. "You're the one he thinks is Shiris' heir." Ardin shook his head. "I'm just an apprentice." Zeles felt his power start to flow, at least a little bit, keeping it below levels Moyana would detect. "Of course you are," she said, her voice patronizing in its tone. "That's what he calls you, anyway. He's done hurting you." "He hasn't hurt me!" cried Ardin. "You hurt him!" "Shush now," she insisted. She stepped closer and brought out her hands, placing them on top of the boy's head. He tried to wiggle away, but he was too slow. Blue light started flowing out, and his body steadied, his face went blank. Zeles knew that it was now or never. What was she already doing inside Ardin's mind? It was the end of ten years' effort if she got to him now. But meanwhile, fighting back was almost certain death. Still, he got up. She was distracted as she played with the boy's mind. Maybe Zeles could gather his power and deliver one blow strong enough. Maybe that would work. He saw Ardin's jaw slacken; his eyes widen. What was happening inside Ardin's mind? She must just be looking around at this stage, right? Finding out what he'd done? Not yet making any changes? "Oh my dear," said Moyana, "what has he done to you already?" Good, thought Zeles. Now or never. He gathered his magic into a sharp blade and sent it slinging at her body... Only to watch it evaporate easily against a ward she had set up. The light between her hands and Ardin's mind ceased. The boy gasped, taking two steps backwards, his eyes wide and scared. She turned to face him. "That was bold," she said to Zeles. "You didn't run." "Let him go!" cried Zeles. "He hasn't done anything." "No," she replied. "You've done everything there is to do. And now, I can finally be rid of you." "What, so he can serve your lord like a slave? Leave him be, Moyana. Leave us both be." "His fate would be worse with you," she said. Zeles could feel her gathering her strength. While he was the stronger with fine details and mental manipulation, she was more powerful in combat magic. He knew it. He'd fought her before. He had no chance, even as he readied his defenses and probed hers, hoping for an opening. He wouldn't find it. "You would use him for your own ends." "He would inherit the power he deserves." "No," she replied. "No one deserves that power." And with that, Zeles felt a sphere of solid magic tightening around him. He tried to push out against it, but it was too strong with him weakened the way he was. No magic of his would escape the sphere. A tendril of power flew out from the boundary, striking him on his leg, throwing him onto his back. He felt his head hit a tree root and more pain shot through him. There was red in his vision; he barely stayed conscious, his magic wavering. He tried to get a bolt out at her, but it vanished into the sphere surrounding him, and with his greater weakness it closed in further. He coughed, realizing that he was even cut off from fresh air. "Leave!" he cried, desperately, weakly. "Don't hurt Ardin..." His vision started to fade. He didn't know if his voice could even reach through a sphere like this. He felt his magic dissipate, his muscles weaken. And then Moyana turned. "What!" she cried, her voice exclaiming in sudden incomprehension. The sphere around Zeles vanished as he took in a desperate breath, and could finally feel with his magic again. He understood immediately. It was a wave of magic. A crest of raw magical strength, brutal in force, untended, an unrelenting, unyielding push. The one way Ardin knew how to use his magic. The boy stood there, his eyebrows down in concentration, his arms out, as the wave of raw strength tore through Moyana's defenses. "Stop it!" she cried, but too late. The magic hit her with fierce power and her whole body was lifted into the air, as if from a slingshot, arcing up over thirty feet and flying into the woods beyond the clearing. And then Ardin collapsed, unconscious. Zeles had managed to stand again, and he went over to the boy, feeling desperately for a pulse. He was still alive. Against all odds, they both were. And Ardin had just shown him the most powerful use of magic Zeles had ever seen in his life. They couldn't ride, not tonight, not with Ardin as he was and Zeles drained of strength. Moyana would probably have been able to shield her fall, but maybe she was weakened enough, or scared enough, that she would stay away. Zeles set up wards this time, tightening them, using the last of his energy to make sure they were safe. And then, arm wrapped tightly around Ardin's slender body, he fell into a deep sleep next to the boy. * * * The two slept solidly until morning. They didn't make camp or eat. They just slept. When Zeles finally woke, the sun had already peeked up over the mountains. Ardin was awake, curled up in Zeles' arms, sobbing softly. "It's all right," said Zeles as he struggled for consciousness. He rubbed his hand gently along Ardin's back, hoping Ardin drew as much comfort from their embrace as he did. "Did I hurt her?" asked Ardin. "Did I kill her?" To be honest, Zeles didn't know, but Ardin probably didn't kill her. She could have shielded her fall if she got her magic together. "No," he said. "She's alive." It was what Ardin needed to hear. "W-who was she?" "Moyana. She's a wizard, and she works for Lord Tur." He paused. "She wanted to take you from me." "Why?" Zeles weighed his words carefully. "Ardin, you have power," he said solemnly. "They fear you." "But I'm just a kid." Ardin's small frame was trembling, and he snuggled deeper into Zeles' embrace. "I want to go home." It was almost hard for Zeles to understand him; his voice, already quiet and shaking, was even more muffled because his face was buried in the wizard's clothes. Zeles ran his hand along the smooth curl of the boy's back; a gentle petting. "Please," said Ardin. Zeles whispered his response. "You can't go home." "But I want to!" replied the boy. "To mama and my family and everyone. Take me home!" "Moyana would find you," explained Zeles. "It's not safe... it's not safe to go home. She'd track you down, and then nothing could stop her. You can't go home, Ardin." "But... I want to..." "I'm truly sorry," said Zeles seriously. He ran his hand through the boy's silky hair, holding him close, and Ardin pressed himself tighter. The boy didn't know how to respond, but deep down, he trusted Zeles. He knew the wizard was right. They'd been attacked and Moyana had done something to him and it was scary. He pressed his body tighter against the man, seeking comfort in that touch. "I'll take care of you," said Zeles. "I know," replied Ardin, softly. "I just... I want to go home!" Tears were falling down the boy's cheek. He wasn't angry at Zeles, he wasn't acting out, he just slumped his shoulders with overwhelming sadness. "That was the most powerful display of magic I've ever seen," said Zeles. "You defeated one of the best combat wizards I know with raw power, before you've learned to control it. You're a great wizard, Ardin." "I'm scared, and I want to go home!" The boy just repeated the words, as if they'd make a difference. "You're going to have to be brave." Ardin didn't respond. He just let himself be held and comforted. At last, Zeles broke the silence again. "Come," said Zeles. "Let's eat." And they did. They were starving, and they wolfed down supplies they'd acquired at Crezia. "It tastes good," said Ardin, tears drying on his face, as he tried to change the subject. "Not as good as the inn. I'm sooo hungry." "I am too," said Zeles. "We didn't eat last night. Do you feel better?" After a moment, Ardin nodded. "I guess so," he said. "Food helps." For a while longer, there was no other sound but their eating, and an occasional hiccup from the boy, who was starting to feel embarrassed by his outburst. "You sure do get attacked a lot," said Ardin at last. "This is a dangerous time," replied Zeles. "People want to find you." "It'll keep happening?" "We'll be safe when we get home." A pause. And then the boy spoke softly. "This isn't like what I thought it'd be." "It's not like stories," said Zeles. "It's harder, in a lot of ways." He paused. "But it's better in a lot of ways too." Ardin nodded. He didn't look convinced. "I'll try to be brave," he said. * * * Eventually they finished eating, and Ardin collected himself enough to ride again. Zeles distracted his apprentice by pointing out small farming villages in the distance, or telling him what lord's territory was in which direction. He pointed out Mount Zelva, where Lord Tur had his capital city. He talked about the river Palonai, a hub of trading activity that fed Crezia's riches. Eventually, Zeles decided to turn things to magic again. He asked what it was like to channel so much power, and how Ardin had done it; the boy couldn't really explain. It had just... flowed, overtaking his body, as if he was channeling it. Zeles tried to tutor the boy in magic, teach him a bit more control, but the boy's nerves were shot. It was too hard to get him to focus. At least there was no sign of Moyana. Zeles rode to avoid villages, avoid people. He circled away whenever they saw someone nearby. It didn't feel worth it, and Ardin was more comfortable avoiding people right now. Every so often, Ardin would get sad, or sniffle a little bit. "I miss mama," he mumbled at some point, quietly enough it sounded like he didn't want Zeles to hear. That he didn't want Zeles to think maybe he wasn't strong enough. But he was just eleven years old, and Zeles understood, all too well. After that comment, Ardin's shoulders had slumped and his body had gone slack. Zeles held him tightly, pressing his warm, loose body against the wizard's own. He thought of how he wanted to care for the boy, and yes, he felt himself get aroused, although he knew it was not the time for such things. Except... at the touch of Zeles' erection, Ardin relaxed a little. He snuggled into it, letting his body fall loosely against his teacher's, and he wiggled his butt to adjust into it. Of course, it gave him comfort to feel it. It made him feel... loved. "That's right," said Zeles, hugging the boy close. "I've got you." Ardin pressed himself further against his teacher's cock. He didn't know why it mattered so much to him, but it did. The intimacy of that touch relaxed them both, and Zeles smiled. He gave Ardin a kiss on the top of his head as they rode. And so Zeles kept his arm around the boy. He felt the boy's warmth, felt his softness, and even, he imagined, felt his fear. Ardin was strong. He would make it. The man's cock twitched, and it even brought a small smile from the boy. It was lewd. It was wrong. And it was how Ardin was. At last, he looked a little bit happier. * * * They stopped again when it was getting dark, still five hours from Zeles' home. He desperately wanted to get back to the well-laid, longstanding wards of protection. Unfortunately, traveling at night was not a wise idea. You sure do get attacked a lot, Ardin had said. He hadn't been wrong. Zeles set the wards, showing Ardin exactly how he did it. The two of them were tired and dirty from travel, but he still made sure Ardin paid attention, that he followed the magic as it flowed around them. He demonstrated how to gather magic into steady spheres that would hold their positions. How to draw a strand of power to each of those spheres, so he'd feel any break in them. By leaving the magic suspended in those spheres, he would be able to bring it down on any intruder suddenly and strongly, providing a boost to any initial magical attack he might need to launch. Beyond the defensive and warning spheres, he laid out two more. One a simple, steady mind control that would simply induce unwary travelers to go in another direction. And finally the outermost one, which would simply deflect magic around it and prevent easy detection. It was by no means foolproof, but it would have to be enough. "Do you really think I can be a great wizard?" asked Ardin while they built the wards. He was trying, and failing, to comprehend the complexity of what Zeles was doing. "I really do," replied the wizard. Ardin smiled. It melted Zeles' heart a bit. The boy would pull through. He'd make sure of it. * * * When they were done, when the wards were up and they'd eaten and were ready to sleep, Zeles still felt nervous. He couldn't rest yet. For one thing, Ardin wasn't ready to see his home yet. For another, he was too wound up to sleep. Ardin was sitting down, cross-legged, when Zeles came up to him. "Ardin," he said, "I want to do something for you. Do you trust me?" The boy looked back at the wizard. "Yeah," he said. "I want you to let me into your mind." He didn't mention that he'd already been in the boy's mind several times. That he'd already changed his thoughts, and his mother's thoughts, and the thoughts of countless others. At last he felt his control was strong enough that Ardin would agree willingly. With permission, it would bring them even closer together. "I..." replied Ardin, at a loss. But he trusted Zeles, even if it was from that earlier control. "Will it hurt?" "No," replied the wizard. "You just have to trust me. I'm going to change your thoughts." Ardin's face scrunched up at that thought, uncertain. "I will help you to work harder. To be more dedicated. To be successful as my apprentice." "Do I have to?" Ardin looked a bit pale. "I'm your teacher. Trust me." Ardin breathed in slowly. "All right," he said softly. "That's good, Ardin," said Zeles. "You're very brave." Ardin took in the praise and visibly puffed up. "What do I have to do?" "Just stay there," said Zeles. He reached out, placing a hand on either side of the boy's head. "Ready?" Ardin nodded. Once again, warm blue light filled the gap between Zeles' hands and Ardin's head, flowing into the boy's mind. Although Zeles had done it many times before, for Ardin, it felt like the first time. "I..." said Ardin, as he gasped. He felt something... something in his mind... something warm, moving in his thoughts, crawling around in his mind... It was like what Moyana had done to him, he realized. Although it felt... warmer. Gentler. Almost loving. "Relax," instructed the wizard. He pushed tendrils of magic deep into the boy. And those tendrils did something. They moved within him. They... made him think things. That he should relax, just like Zeles had said. He felt them, felt them changing his own thoughts... he felt the idea of relaxing grow stronger within him... The boy's shoulders slumped, his muscles becoming slack. His eyes became looser, emptier. Once again, as had happened so many times (although he didn't remember), his thoughts fell under the control of someone else, his mind open to manipulation and change. A blue mist spread within it, filling it up entirely. "Good," said Zeles, "good. Relax." The boy's shoulders slumped further, and then his back muscles slackened even more as his body flopped down to the ground. Zeles caught him, lowering him gently until he was flat on his back. Ardin's mind was misty, hazy, with rivulets within the haze. Those tendrils that made him do things. Ardin felt as if he'd given up all control of his mind. It did what the tendrils told it to. He did what the tendrils told him to. Zeles' tendrils. He trusted Zeles, right? "That's right, Ardin," said Zeles. "Your mind is open to me. Isn't it?" "Yes..." Ardin's voice was soft. His lips barely moved as he spoke. The tendrils were everywhere in the haze. Zeles looked down at the little boy. This was a big step. Now he could build the boy's mind closer to what he wanted. Not all the way... not yet... but soon. "Ardin," he said, "how do you feel knowing that I am controlling your mind?" Ardin shifted a bit in his near-sleep state. A tendril prodded part of his mind, and he found himself answering. "Um," he managed. "I... I don't know... It's weird..." It was weird. It... felt warm, and gooey, and... and he couldn't think... "Think about all the reasons it feels bad to you." Tendrils reached into Ardin's mind. They grabbed thoughts, took the thoughts from where they belonged and suddenly those thoughts were all he could think of, floating there in the blue haze. And there, looking into that mind, was Zeles. The tendrils were Zeles, and the wizard could feel each of the thoughts emerging. Each floating bubble of complex thoughts. All of Ardin's resistance, all of his worries, floating there in the tendrils... "I'm going to fix it, Ardin," said Zeles. "I'm going to fix it so you can be a better apprentice. You won't have to worry about this anymore." It wasn't a question, or a request. Just a statement of what was about to happen. And against those thoughts, Zeles poured his magical energy. Surrounding them. Shrinking them. Ardin felt the tendrils pulse with that power. The tendrils dug into each of those thoughts, and power flowed in. The boy gasped. And Zeles watched as each objection began to shrink from the power. Each worry about the control the wizard exerted got smaller, and smaller. Ardin could feel them, squished by the gooey tendrils until they disappeared, or were too small for him to find them anymore. What had Ardin been worried about? He couldn't remember. He felt himself relax. Zeles was relatively sure these thoughts would hold. Oh, he might have to reinforce that a few more times. Perhaps the thoughts would re-emerge as Ardin considered what had happened... but it should hold. The boy wouldn't have doubts about the mind control Zeles exerted over him, not anymore. Not ever again. "Now," continued Zeles, "think of how much you'll learn and improve from this. How my control will make you a better apprentice, help you learn more magic. How you trust me and want me to make you better." Again the tendrils reached, grabbing thoughts out of Ardin's mind, bringing them forward for Zeles to change. And into these thoughts, Zeles poured magic to make them stronger, to emphasize to the boy how much he wanted to be shaped. He wanted to become better through Zeles' magic. As Ardin lay there, he realized what a gift it was for Zeles to make him better. Zeles would make him a better boy. A better apprentice. A better wizard. If he trusted Zeles, he'd be like a hero out of legend, a powerful wizard, just like his teacher... he trusted his teacher... he was so lucky... When the thoughts were strong, and dominant in Ardin's mind, Zeles finally let the flow of magic cease. The tendrils let go, and, released, the thoughts flowed back to where they'd come from. Ardin should welcome all his changes from now on, and Zeles wouldn't have to do them in secrecy. Without the memory block, Zeles could do more, and he could do it faster. And still the boy lay there, suffused in the magical blue glow. Happy with his changes, just as he'd been told to be. He trusted his teacher more than anyone. He was starting to like the haze... starting to like the tendrils. It was strange, and gooey, but not in a bad way. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. He thought about being a great wizard. He'd be a great wizard, if he let Zeles make him that way. Zeles had paused. Somehow, the next task made him a bit sad. It felt somehow like changing the boy in a fundamental way, but it had to be done. "Now," said the wizard with a sigh, "think about how you miss your family." More blue light flowed into the boy's mind, feeding the tendrils. They took thoughts out of his mind like jars off a shelf. Zeles wasn't going to make Ardin forget his family. He couldn't stomach that. But he could modify his apprentice just a bit, tweak him, so he wouldn't be so devastated by the distance. And so as the thoughts came in, he poured magic in, shrinking them. In Ardin's mind, the tendrils surrounded those thoughts, squeezed them, sunk into them. The thoughts were large, powerful, filled with energy; Zeles could only imagine how much homesickness and sorrow the boy was holding in. But the tendrils pulsed, and magic flowed in, and Ardin felt them shrinking in his head. He gasped, and his back arched with the changes, but he didn't awaken. Down, down, down, down shrunk his homesickness. Zeles left some; it wasn't gone completely. But it was small, manageable. Ardin... didn't need to miss his family that much, thought the wizard. The tendrils let go. The thoughts flowed back. Ardin felt like he could watch them float away in that blue haze. He made me braver, thought the boy. Zeles knew that alone wasn't enough. If the boy's love for them stayed intact, then his homesickness would grow right back. Thoughts are like an ecosystem; if there are fewer wolves but the same amount of deer, the wolves have easy prey and come right back. So both needed to go. Zeles had no choice about his next words: "think about how you love your family." The tendrils grabbed these new thoughts. So many of them, brought out, taken out of Ardin's mind and brought to the fore. Ardin felt his love for his family burn within him. But then the tendrils pulsed, magic flowing in. They surrounded the thoughts, and slowly, his love started to fade. It didn't fade to nothing, but it was smaller. Weaker. They just... weren't quite as important, not anymore. He's making me stronger. "And now," continued the wizard, "think of how you love me." Tendrils grabbed a new thought. And this thought was fed by those same tendrils, power flowing into it. It grew and grew. Ardin's love for Zeles burned twice as bright, then three times as bright as his love for the family that raised him. His teacher felt like everything to him. "Good," said Zeles. "You're going to be a really good apprentice, Ardin. A great wizard." The boy shifted softly where he lay on the ground, blue magic pouring into his mind. The praise felt good. Like praise from a father. He craved it. Tendrils let go, and Ardin felt that thought float into the haze, his deep love for his teacher settling into his mind. Last night, Zeles would've had to stop by now. Maybe it would've already been too much. But tonight... tonight Ardin wanted the changes. He liked them, and was naturally accepting of them. With Ardin's trust... Zeles could continue. Which was good, because he wasn't nearly done. "Think about my touch, Ardin," continued the wizard. "Think about how you like it. It makes you feel safe, and warm, and happy, and loved." Tendrils grabbed those thoughts, and magic poured in, strengthening the thoughts. "Think about how any touch from me feels good. Any touch at all, no matter what it is." A tiny, tiny thought, weak, was brought out by a thin tendril. And Zeles grew that thought, and grew it, and grew it, until Ardin would accept all touches. "You'll really be a great apprentice," praised Zeles. "Think about how hard you'll work to be good at magic." Strengthened. Ardin became a harder worker. "How hard you'll work to please me. How you want to make me happy." In flowed magic. Ardin did. "How you will obey everything I tell you to do." Stronger, stronger, stronger. Of course, it would not be literally true. Ardin was still Ardin. But the default, for anything, would be to obey... "Think about how curious you are about me and what I do. You want to learn, to do it too." The thought grew and grew, surrounded by those dominating tendrils of power. "Now," said Zeles, taking a deep breath, getting to maybe the most important part. "Think about my home. What you'll feel like when you'll be there. How everything you see there will feel right. As it should be. It's just how wizards live." It wasn't a thought Ardin had before, but Zeles saying it brought it into motion. A tendril, thin and wispy, held on to it like a tiny flower, as if it was in danger of blowing away. And into this tiny thought, Zeles poured his magic. It grew as it fed from that tendril of power. And it grew. The wizard was exhausted, but still he grew it more. It got larger and larger, now held by two tendrils, three. Fed with more power. When Ardin arrived at Zeles' lands, he would accept what he saw. Like a good apprentice. Zeles was training him to be a good apprentice. He was so happy about that as the wizard's power kept crawling through his mind. And finally Zeles had done everything he needed to do. He was tired, and aroused. Just two more things... "Now," he said, "think about everything you don't like about how I'm controlling you." Ardin hadn't even realized he'd had those thoughts, but the tendrils found them. They'd been growing over the past hour. Now, under the assault of Zeles' magic, those thoughts shrunk again. They disappeared. All of Ardin's objections to what might have happened vanished to Zeles' strength. "And now, everything you like about how I'm controlling you. What a good wizard you'll be with my control. You feel safe with my control. You want me to make you into a better apprentice. You're glad I'm shaping you. You like who I'm turning you into." Tendrils brought those thoughts out, and fed them with power. They pulsed into the beliefs, prodding and inserting themselves and letting magic flow in. They became a core part of Ardin's being. A boy who wanted his master's control. Zeles was gasping, weak with the energy usage when he was done. They'd better not get attacked again tonight, he'd never make it. Finally, Zeles found the part of Ardin's brain that controlled sleep. He pushed in a tiredness, created a block. Like before, Ardin would sleep through morning. He'd need that, with how his mind had been changed. And, at last, Zeles removed the flow of blue magic from the peacefully sleeping boy. He wanted so much to sleep... but his dick was throbbing. He needed release. Of course, as he so often did. A quick pulse of magic confirmed no one was nearby. His wards were still up. He had time for this. He did. The wizard began to strip, his manhood large, eager, needy for the boy in front of him. He leaned down then, pulling off Ardin's clothes eagerly, stripping him in the cool night air. Their fire glowed a few feet away, illuminating Ardin's slender, pale body in flickers and shadows of orange and yellow. Shadows loomed large over the eleven-year-old as his clothes were removed, and he lay there, naked, sleeping on the ground. Zeles set his body down next to the boy and pressed against him. He rubbed his hard dick against soft, smooth, warm skin. A trail of precum glistened in the firelight where the man's dick rubbed against the boy's thighs. They were supple, and creamy. Zeles reached down, grasping one of the thighs, feeling the soft flesh give under his grip. He moved down and let himself lick that pale skin, tasting the boy, tasting his travel and sweat, but also tasting the beautiful boy underneath. He wanted this boy so badly. Zeles, still naked, crawled up. He came to the boy's nipples, and licked them too. He wanted every inch of this boy to be his. To play, to learn, to grow. Ardin was truly special. He would be even more special with Zeles' tutelage... The boy's own dick had gotten half hard. Not surprising, since he'd been programmed to like Zeles' touch. The man reached down, gave it a stroke, and it responded with a soft pulse. He moved down, took it into his mouth, and began to lick and suck. It hardened immediately. Ardin let out a soft moan, his body twitching underneath the pleasure, but never waking. He couldn't wake, not until morning. Zeles sucked. "Nuuuuuuuuh," cried the boy, his lips parting lusciously in the firelight as the unconscious sound emerged. Zeles sucked. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on Ardin's tender body. His breathing was fast, his belly rising and falling with each little gasp of air. He was moaning almost constantly now, and a bit of drool went down his cheek. "Oh, Ardin," said Zeles, "we're going to have so much fun." And he sucked, taking cock and little balls all the way into his mouth. The sleeping boy was humping his hips forward now into the master wizard's mouth. "Uh... uh... uh!" he was crying out, his mental commands keeping him asleep despite all he was feeling. His head had rolled back. And then the pulse came, his little cock jerking forward in the man's mouth, his hips rising, his moan rising to an almost-growl as the sleeping boy had his first-ever orgasm. (Not that he would remember it.) The little cock pulsed, the boy grunted and cried, his hips pulsed, and humped, and jerked, impossibly desperate for this feeling. No cum came out, but Zeles thought it wouldn't be long before the boy might have his first. And then, at last, the pleasure faded and the unconscious boy dropped back down onto the ground. Zeles wondered what Ardin might be dreaming about. He hoped, on some level, he'd have some faint memory of this. Some lingering curiosity they could explore... But now Zeles needed his release. He got up on all fours, crawling naked, his hard dick pulsing underneath him. Precum dripped from him, landing on Ardin's thighs, on his little (now soft) dick, on his belly, on his chest. And then, the man's hard, erect dick hovered over the sleeping boy's mouth. He lowered his hips down. The dick came down, down towards the boy's drool-stained face. The tip touched tender lips, a bit of precum now leaking between them and into Ardin's mouth, sliding down his tongue. And then Zeles pushed, and the boy's slack jaw opened up, and the tip of his hungry dick fell into that soft, luscious mouth. Ardin wasn't sucking. He wasn't doing anything. But his tongue was in there, soft and wet. Zeles gathered a little bit of power and sent it down, pushing the boy's mouth closed around his dick. Another bit of power, and Ardin's tongue slipped up, wrapping itself around the tip that was invading his mouth. Zeles took the boy's tongue in his magic and laid it flat along the base of his dick, feeling its warmth. A flick of power, and the tongue gave a lick. Another flick, and it curled up, and then pressed against his piss slit. Zeles gasped. Gently, the wizard made the boy's tongue lick along the shaft. Another flick, and Ardin's head bobbed forward along the hard dick, and then back. Forward, and back, supported by a cushion of magic. The arousal overwhelmed the wizard as the sleeping boy's body gave him a little blowjob. "Just a taste of what's to come, my boy," he said. "Just imagine how good you'll be at this, too." Not that Ardin could hear any of this. That didn't matter to Zeles right now. More precum leaked into Ardin, and Zeles used his magic to idly spread it along the roof of the boy's mouth. Meanwhile, he used the boy's tongue to give more licks, pressing it harder against his dick. He could feel how close he was. He was about to cum. Quickly, he pulled out of Ardin's mouth. Kneeling above the boy's belly, he grabbed Ardin's hand in his own and wrapped the little fingers around his dick. It was a sight to see: the wizard, kneeling over the sleeping boy, their bodies glowing in the flickering fire. Holding the boy's hand underneath his own, he stroked back and forth. Ardin's hand was so warm. So soft. He used it to stroke again. The boy's sweat from his own orgasm coated his palm, letting it slide easily along the horny wizard's dick. A third stroke with the boy's hand, and Zeles felt heat rising within him. His dick was on fire. Drops of precum pooled on Ardin's belly, glowing orange in the firelight. Ardin's fingers were slick with some of it. A fourth stroke. And then he couldn't hold in the fire anymore. He sent a quick bit of magic to open Ardin's mouth just as the thick, white shots of cum burst out. They landed on Ardin's soft, silky cheeks, covering his face, and they landed in his magically opened mouth. They landed on his neck; on his chest; and then, when Zeles was mostly done, cum dripped down onto the sleeping boy's belly. He felt powerfully spent. Slowly, Zeles crawled back. Again his dick, softer now, hung over the boy's mouth. Again he lowered himself down and into his mouth. And again he used his magic to bring Ardin's tongue to life, making it clean off the remaining cum, which oozed down to Ardin's throat. At last the wizard stood up. The hairless, smooth boy lay there, asleep and unaware, covered in the man's cum. Little lakes of that cum were everywhere, glistening orange in the firelight. He could see more cum in the boy's still open mouth. Ardin was so beautiful like this. Of course, Zeles never cleaned the boy up. He dressed Ardin again, as if nothing had happened, letting the cum settle and dry underneath his clothes, or on his face. Ardin might feel a little bit of something, but he'd never really suspect or know what he'd done. And then, throwing a bit more wood on the fire, Zeles lay down next to the boy, and cuddled against him. "You're going to be a great apprentice," he whispered, as he drifted off to sleep next to his boy. TO BE CONTINUED! Stay tuned for Chapter 6, when we (finally) arrive at Zeles' home, and all that entails. 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. Not all of my stories are available on Nifty! 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.