Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2019 21:25:43 +0000 From: Nicholas Nicholby Subject: Boys Guild Chapter 22, Gay, Adult/Youth, Sci fi Fantasy This story is a work of fiction. It never happened, it never will. The characters and locations are all make believe and any resemblance to any place or person, living or dead, is simply in the mind of the reader and totally unintentional. Situations and sexual activities of the characters are fantasy, don't try dragon riding at home. The story is also the first in a series of stories about Kind Draviad's Realm. Please let me know if you enjoy by email to nicholas6996 (at) hot mail dot com Copyright 2018-2019 by Nicholas Nicholby, all rights reserved. Not to be distributed or duplicated without express written permission of the author. The author hereby grants the Nifty Archive a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, and non-cancellable license to use, modify or alter and edit copy for clarity or style, reproduce, display, make compilations of and distribute the work. The Boys Guild The Scribe boy had gathered his arrow point parchments and the various and sundry scribbles and notes on cast off sheets and was in the process of finishing the laborious task of taking his final sheets and carefully recopying them on the best piece of parchment he could find in his stack. Cobar had carefully rolled up the annotated city map and tied it with the slightly scruffy red ribbon that had been found among the detritus from Crab Alley. The Hide boy had pleaded stomach pains near the end of the day at the abattoir and then remorsefully shuffled his feet and made appropriate obsequious mumbles as the killing floor boss lectured him on the evils of demon rum and late night debauchery among the other boys around town before streaking across the back courtyards and service alleys toward the Boys Guild. He arrived giggling and breathless just in time for `his' Scribe boy to point a stern finger and roughly order him to halt and not move. Taken aback and almost crushed that perhaps `his' Scribe boy was done with him now that Clipper had been found he stood rock still with trembling chin and the beginning of tear filled eyes. With a small flourish and a triumphant cry the Scribe boy lifted the ink pot from the table and turned exclaiming, "Did it! Completely done and didn't spill a drop!" Of course no good deed goes unpunished and taking a step toward the Hide boy with the intention of a great hug and smashing kiss the Scribe boy caught his feet together somehow and managed to get his hug through the simple expedient of the Hide boy catching him in mid fall. The ink pot of course was on a slightly different trajectory and not being important in the mind of the Hide boy was totally ignored in its flight until it managed to crash against his chest bare candle drips before the Scribe boy and they both were awash and dripping with more liquid than they had been able to make between them in the nights they had spent giggling together. Cobar was the one giggling now at the two boys, the one sweaty and slimy from running and toting and hauling all manner of proto-parchments and the other fastidiously clean but not overly richly dressed with ink stains around his fingernails both now drenched front to front in coal black chimney scented ink. Cobar was also holding the Scribe boy's fastidious final report up in the air slowly waving it to speed the ink drying on the text. He had miraculously managed to snatch it from the table before the arrival of the random back splatter of the flying ink bomb. The Hide boy's tears and gloom were instantly replaced with a beaming smile and the joy of reunion while the Scribe boy's prideful cry was equally instantly replaced with a wail of outraged frustration. As Cobar moved around to show him the saved document the Hide boy moved him to the side gently leading him into the Boys Guild whispering that he had things to show him too. The Scribe boy woodenly followed but his brain began to realize that perhaps things were going to turn out well after all. He was confirmed in this thinking as his sticky smock was pulled over his head and the Hide boy's well inked torso began leaving his own stains on places more private than observable fingernails. King Draviad was standing on his private balcony looking out over the nearby forest and in the general direction of the Sentinels' glade. While the episode of the ship hadn't been a major battle or even a small skirmish it had been an unusual and delicate operation requiring different thinking on the part of all parties. He was pleased with the actions of the iron mongers and campaign kitchens in quickly adapting to the situation. While the Wizard was probably mostly responsible for the swift taking of the ship the parties of Marines had been efficient and effective in the initial cordon and the boarding. The Wizard's report of the actions of some of the street urchins and apprenticed waifs on a separate but apparently connected case of a kidnapped thief was both amazing and equally encouraging. Although the King wasn't particularly interested in the life or lively hood of a single pickpocket he was impressed with the camaraderie and all encompassing organization the Wizard had told him a few boys had accomplished. That these same boys were involved with the discovery of the ship, the appearance of the elt, the Miller's fostering of a Dhani and the astounding quarantine of Molly's Red Door House of Profane Orchasm was enough to make him intensely curious about matters in Liivka of which even the Burgomaster might not be aware. That thought gave him pause and a developing sense that more investigation was called for. The King called his page Connor to help him dress for a walk within the city and the page Cyril to dash off and inform the Master Printer, the Master Scribe and the Master Baker that the King would be arriving later that day to meet some of the boys and make his own assessments. As Cyril left the Scribes Guild hall the Master Scribe stuffed a ten pound note in the Post envelope he had previously prepared. Quickly double checking the address he noted that it was correct as: Nifty Archive Alliance PMB 159 333 Mamaroneck Ave White Plains, NY 10605 He marveled that the far off country only known by its number seemed to have such great reserves of writing talent and he grinned at the content of the stories he was supporting. He hoped more would join him in this support as he turned from his private desk to call forth the teaching Master and discover about the Scribe Boy who had somehow captured the attention of the King. Chapter 22 - Logs And Nuts And Cracking Codes Among the Admirals of the Fleet was a brash young man who had made some enemies within the fleet bureaucracy, but who had managed the capture of the pirate ships that had plagued the Southern Port. With the fleet harbored for winter the man was close and the King sent for him immediately the Wizard explained the possibilities Zekial had raised. The King had almost slapped himself at the revelation Zekial caused to dawn. It was like a long infantry campaign, the King mused. Maps and sketches and possible plans of battle would often litter the Command Tent and were never tidied except enough to pick them up and put them back down again when the tent and the army moved. He also sent a young subaltern from his Command Staff to assist if the Admiral and the Wizard required it. Zekial found himself trailing behind the others as they climbed the stairs from the entrance to the workroom. Now pushed aside from the giant table where the others had begun to discuss the stack and with little else to do while the Wizard focused all attention on the charts Zekial curled up near the fire and idly pulled a leather bound volume from a pile of letters, invoices and cargo manifests piled on a side table. He watched a while as the Wizard animated the charts and created a towering stack where the space between each sheet had been increased by several thumb widths and individual charts could be pulled out and pushed back into the stack without hinderance. He smiled at the subaltern's obvious concern as for some reason the stack wanted to remain oriented to the Wizard so that each time the Wizard moved around the table the stack would slowly spin to keep the same side facing him. That slow spin invariably set off a small wobble and the top of the stack would make some serious swings as if the whole would come crashing down. Once the subaltern had figured out the stack was following the Wizard he made sure that he kept said Wizard between himself and the stack. The Admiral paid it all no attention as if moving and shifting paper stacks happened all the time. Perhaps they did in their own way aboard a vessel sailing at full tilt close hauled with a running sea. Zekial turned to the warmth of the fire and to the tome in his lap hoping it might be of interest. It turned out to be the ship's log. Starting at the back Zekial flipped through blank pages looking for any stray notes and honing in on the final Captain's entry. There he struggled with the Captain's cramped hand, but deciphered the scrawl: Clr sky thndr - litnin strik 2 MizzenM. Cold feer I hv. Working backwards through the book Zekial found it just a recitation of the weather, winds and some brief observations. The only one that made him pause was one near the end that he translated as "Green Goblin gone, gd riddnc. Unsttlin t see beast jmping amng t riggins." Seems the Captain did indeed not know what Mig was or how valuable he might have been. More weather and wind observations and some strange markings that Zekial couldn't decipher. Four or five numbers and a letter or two. The same type of mark appeared approximately every ten days or so when sailing. Port calls varied the timing so it was definitely something about when the ship was moving. Ports were called out with small notes about money's paid to harbormasters. In his mind Zekial was able to back track the ship along the near coast where it had stopped at two small fishing villages and then the Southern Port and then Zekial recognized the name of a Port farther South than the Kingdom. The Harbormaster monies were small amounts and Zekial imagined they were dock fees or payment for loading or unloading small cargo, perhaps provisions. As Zekial backtracked the ship farther South the markings changed. Occasional entries covered several days and had an entry like the Harbormaster entries with a small amount of money, then another string of symbols and numbers with both plus and minus numbers. These numbers were much larger and although they didn't include monetary symbols somehow Zekial was sure they represented money. Funny thing about them, they occurred where no Port was named, but clearly the dates showed the Ship had stopped for some small time. Zekial continued flipping through the entries and the weird markings continued. Then a long stretch of sailing days and an entry that had Zekial sitting up straight. He had been right, the ship had crossed the terminator into the Southern Seas. The Captain had noted Matuta's Festival falling on the day they crossed Neptune's Girdle. They had crossed the terminator on the first quarter of the Hunting Moon; high summer in the Northern Sea but Winter in the Southern Sea. Mig had said he'd been captured during Shivering Moon. This meant it had not been three hundreddays, more like a single hundredday ago. As Zekial continued back in the log book Zekial saw many wind and weather days and every third or fourth day an additional marking with a strange symbol and then a number. Something about it was familiar, not from the book, but from the back of Zekial's mind. Those symbols meant something which he knew that he knew, but that he didn't know. Suddenly Zekial saw an entry that had the single word `Abd.' It wasn't weather, perhaps it meant Aboard? He flipped back through the pages he had already passed and found a corresponding entry about a moon later, `Ash.' That could mean ashore? What was it that came aboard to a very large number and then went ashore where no port was listed, no numbers noted, no time spent? Back to the `Abd' note and continuing to backtrack in the log almost every day had the weird symbol marks and numbers. Mostly small numbers, but a few times a number in the teens. Once a twenty four. Then simple wind and weather notes for days at a time. As his eyes glazed from reading the scratches of the Captain he stifled a yawn and had to squint his eyes and rub them back awake. Wait! That was what those symbols meant. His sleepy mind dredged up an old conversation with a fishing boat owner, "We note the catch, type and size. Good fishing grounds are hard to find, you mark them so you can return." "Master!" Zekial cried out. "I have something!" The Wizard looked up from the charts where he and the Admiral had been having some success puzzling out the path of the ship, but now seemed at a total loss. "Wait Zekial, we all need to stand a bit and have a drink and bite of lunch. Come, let's walk to the solarium and you can tell us the gist of your find as we refresh." Zekial suddenly realized how hungry and thirsty he was and readily agreed that refreshment was a great idea. As they descended to the Solarium Zekial was amused to find today it seemed to be on the same floor as the tower entrance door. There was a knocking at the door and the Wizard clapped and the door opened. A startled kitchen boy quickly walked across the room and placed a plate of bread and cheese down and ran back to the door to bring a flagon to the table. As the boy turned to leave he looked out the massive windows and almost fainted. How could he have walked straight across the courtyard, straight in the door, straight across the room and be looking down upon the courtyard far below? Doubting his eyes he stepped to the window and gasped at the distance down to where he could see the kitchen door he had left moments ago. He flushed and ran for the entrance, he had to leave this place before some strange spell made him a frog or something! He gingerly stepped through the door and on to what he hoped was the solid ground and raced around the corner for the safety of the kitchens. At the Admiral's questioning look Zekial giggled, "He keeps them guessing and gossiping. The last boy looked out the windows and could only see the fishes swimming and the crabs on the seabed floor before a shark came at him. He peed himself as he ran for the exit. The one before that had to walk down a hundred stairs to find himself on the parapet roof." The Admiral grinned and the Subaltern kept his notebook and pen very close at hand. As they ate Zekial told them of the log book and the secret codes. Both the one he thought he could read and the one he could not. The Admiral was excited to know that the ship had crossed the Terminator and he told the Wizard that was why they were stumped. There was a second stack of charts which had been put aside, charts from that far away would be precious in and of themselves and undoubtedly were still in the Captain's cabin aboard the ship. The Wizard was pleased that Zekial had thought to busy himself with something of import and displeased that the Inquisitors had not even asked about the log book. He thought it was time he met with the Dungeon Master and together they inquire of the Inquisitors' deepest secrets. With a snap of his fingers the Ship's Log appeared on the Solarium table and they spent the afternoon pouring over Zekial's discovery. The unknown code was fairly simple, the Admiral told them the number and letter codes were the standard chart designations and noting them into the log told them when the Captain had changed charts. This simple code told them the man was as slovenly as they thought and the out of place charts that had them puzzled earlier were probably just mis-stacked after sliding from the chart table perhaps during rough seas. He said he would never have understood the other code, but now that Zekial showed it was a catch record he was the first to suppose it indicated where and when captives were taken. In fact the type of fish that Zekial thought each symbol meant could easily have translated into categories for adults, male and female, and juveniles. As Zekial knew from the boys themselves most had been taken singly from farms and rural parts and the long string of days with ones and twos could easily have been a record of their families deaths and their abductions. The King's subaltern further speculated that the `Abr' and `Ash' could have been the taking on of a mercenary troop as the `Abr' entry also had a large catch number and what appeared to be the largest single minus monetary entry. The Wizard wove a tally spell and seemingly from the book itself numbers flew into the air and arranged themselves in rows and columns. Sums appeared and it did seem that taking some deaths into account the catch totals could have readily described the captives. Asking Zekial to try using the spell for the monetary numbers the Wizard was pleased to see him think a moment and then weave. A stream of numbers seemed to fly by passing in front of Zekial as they rose from the book and then returned. The final sum which hung in the air took Zekial's breath away. Although he wasn't sure that each number meant some money he had tried to discriminate in how the numbers were written. The Admiral let out a low whistle, "That would seem to be a well valued cargo. Does it include both inflow and outflow?" At Zekial's nod the Admiral did shake his head, "Someone very rich and powerful must be behind this scheme. It is a pity the crew is dead, perhaps a little Wizardly persuasion would have helped them answer more completely." "Not all the crew is dead," the Wizard mused. "We know they were not involved, but that does not mean they do not have memories or thoughts which might still help us. Zekial, I want you to go tomorrow to the ship, take Tomas, together befriend and beguile the cook's boys and the cabin boys, bring them here if doing so will impress them and perhaps loosen hidden recollections. I will see of someone to meet with the Cook, perhaps you can find someone for the First Officer?" he asked the Admiral. "We ourselves will visit the dungeons I think," he included the Admiral and the Subaltern in his plan. "Zekial, see to the Subaltern's comfort," the Wizard instructed and Zekial knew to quickly go to the man's side. A look of fright or perhaps desire crossed the man's face, no innocent thoughts were triggered by that phrase, but Zekial knew what the Wizard intended. With a clap of his hands, and a concomitant clap of thunder a momentary blackness filled the Subaltern and Admiral's minds. They each staggered a bit but the Wizard caught the Admiral and Zekial was with the Subaltern and they found themselves all transfered back to the workroom where the charts were rising and reforming their stack. Zekial guided the Subaltern to a chair. "Master, we should review the receipts and bills and other statements piled with the log book," Zekial said to the Wizard. "Yes, I have asked the King to send a nimble minded accountant, we will have them go through the mess and see what sense might be made of it," the Wizard answered. "As to now, I want you to go to Abhi in the Sentinal's camp and see if he will return with you for a bit. He may know more of this Southern coastland than we do and perhaps can help with our deciphering of the exact route. If he wants to bring Gopan or any others that is fine too. Perhaps Mig or Kalpak might like to stay a day or two in the Castle. Do you think you can manage avigation of a group?" the Wizard asked Zekial. "Yes Master, I can at least drop them straight on the ground instead of losing them in the aether. I haven't lost an apple in at least two hundred-days," Zekial answered. "I'm sure they will appreciate that," the Wizard laughed. The Subaltern had regained his composure after the strange shift from the Solarium. Hearing the boy talk about losing something in the aether made him sure he did not want to try avigation any time soon. He had thought a battle command tent a confusing and complex milieu, that was nothing compared to working in the Wizard's tower. "So, here's your cloak," the Wizard snapped his fingers and Zekial was wearing a long rich looking fur cloak. "Hurry back, we still have much to discover." With that the Wizard turned back to the stack and conversation with the other two men. Zekial settled his mind, stroked the warm fur around his neck and softly recited the spell that avigated him from the Tower to the Forest. He arrived almost into the middle of the cooking fire and quickly took a step backwards. Unfortunately there was a boy there preparing a bread dough and Zekial's legs were thrown out from underneath himself and he lost his balance and fell. Fell directly on top of another boy who was bringing the water to the fire and the bucket, destined for the pot, was given instead to the aether where it was not lost but dropped straight onto a startled Zekial. To the shouted "Hey!" from the two boys so rudely assaulted the whole camp looked up just in time to see the cascade of water pour across Zekial's head and down inside his cloak. He was totally soaked, totally embarrassed and totally flustered. The camp roared with laughter. After helping Zekial off with the soaked cloak the second boy handed him the now empty water bucket and pointed to the creek. Zekial sheepishly and very carefully carried it off to refill. The camp settled back down to the normal buzz of activity. Boys were whittling walking staves, others were weaving small cords into intricate baskets. Some were sparring with long staffs. Everyone seemed at ease in the camp and settled together happily. As Zekial added the water to the cooking pot under the instructions of the boy cook he was greeted by Colin who came striding out of the woods with a small following of the youngest boys. Zekial almost gasped at the changes in Colin.The formerly lean preadolescent page was now developing muscles, height and stunning good looks. It didn't hurt that his dark green tights clung to every sinew and muscle in his legs. The high dark brown boots looked like they were molded to his calves and feet. His tunic was a deeper green over a brown jerkin. The deep set collar of the jerkin set off his face while the tunic did nothing but accentuate the developing chest and upper arms. A leather belt held the tunic almost closed and situated a shining dagger on one hip and a small pouch on the other. The tunic tails flared right and left perfectly framing the very respectable bulge not hidden at all by the jerkin tucked into the tights. Zekial could only hope that he might grow to such commanding good looks. The crowd of small boys around Colin clearly showed the hero worship that he was undoubtedly rightly due. "Zekial!" Colin cried and strode forward and first clasped arms and then hugged Zekial massively. "Look boys! The Wizard has sent our hero! Come greet Zekial again and welcome him to our camp." With some twittering about "Ooh, he's all wet!" The crew of little boys circled around and grasped Zekials arm, hugged him or just shyly smiled up at him depending on their own personality. "Okay! Come, let's finish this lesson and then perhaps lunch will be ready." Colin lead the boys away from the fire and over to a small amphitheater created from stumps and logs. There looked to be ample seating for the entire camp, this group of boys took only a small pie slice of the greater semicircle. Colin stood at the center were a bark rimmed table top was stretched across two stumps. "Okay, youngest to oldest, show us what you found and tell us about it." Zekial had tagged along with the group hoping to forget his less than graceful entry. A small tyke, perhaps no more than four birthmoons was the first to come up to the table. His hair was the brightest white and his skin the fairest pink white that Zekial had ever seen. With deliberate care he opened a small braided pouch that was attached to his belt at his left hip and extracted a somewhat crumpled leaf and a bright yellow blossom. "This is a leaf from a sugar tree. I saw where there were several growing together. If we make some spikes we can tap the sugar in late winter and we will have some sweetness for our breads. I also saw a patch of these flowers, I think they are pretty." "Hey, that's a swampcress," one of the older boys spoke up. "Remember where you found it, in the spring that spot will be wet and the new leaves of that plant are really yummy in stews and other dishes." "That's great guys," Colin encouraged the next tyke to start his show and tell. Slipping up beside Zekial, Abhi gave him a hug and whispered, "Colin is so good with them. It is amazing what they know from their former lives, but how excited they are each day about this new life. None of us can thank you enough for rescuing us." Zekial blushed as he returned the hug, he certainly felt the new muscles building under Abhi's tunic and jerkin. He noticed in fact that all the boys were dressed very similarly to Colin, some variations in the layering of colors, but essentially the same style. All had the shining dagger on one hip and the pouch on the other. Zekial could also see they each had a copperish acorn pin on the right collar point of their tunics. "I didn't do anything, the Marines and the King were the real heroes," Zekial modestly insisted. "Not to our way of thinking. You and Tomas were the ones to realize what was happening and you were the ones who told the Wizard and the King. I wish you could bring Tomas out here. The boys would love to see him and thank him themselves." "Oh, well, that's kind of why I'm here. The Wizard would like you to come and look at some of the things we have found from the charts and records on the ship. There are quite a number of things that you might know more about. He said to bring Gopan and anyone else who might want to come." Zekial said. "I'll avigate us if you want to go. No hurry though, they had plenty of other things to keep them busy for a while." "Of course we'll go," Abhi confirmed. "Colin's lesson will end at lunch but Gopan won't be back by then. We can decide if anyone else should go too. Have you found clues about who is behind the slaving?" "Well, we have studied the sea charts and the ship's log and have found some things. I don't think it is about the who, but it is about the where and the Wizard and Admiral thought you might know more about that part of the world. It looks like most of the captures were around the terminator and I guess we don't know a lot about the countries there," Zekial explained. "Of course I could have it all wrong, I was finding the codes in the log book while the others were working on the charts." "Well I know my lands were on the other side of the terminator. Espen, that little one with the sugar leaf, was a very early capture, he said he had been on the ship when the ice was in the sea. He comes from much farther South than many of us." "That's interesting, I found catch codes in the log like fishermen use. We'll check the codes and maybe we can determine where he's from." "It might be good to know," Abhi agreed. "But we know where he is from." At Zekial's surprised look Abhi giggled. "Colin? If I may interrupt? Boy's tell Zekial who we are and where we are from." A chorus of happy voices verily sang, "We are The King's Sentinels, from the Great Parotti Forest! Long Live King Draviad! Long Live the Great Forest!" Abhi's beaming smile back at the happy smiling boys said all he really thought they needed to know about who and what they were. Just as the last small boy finished his show and tell and Colin praised them all the cooking boys called lunch. There was a twitter of excitement through all the little ones, but nobody bolted. They sat expectantly waiting for Colin to dismiss them. When he did there was a mad, but orderly dash from the amphitheater toward the cooking fire. As Zekial, Abhi and Colin followed more sedately Zekial could see that there was still the group caring atmosphere as the boys were lined up by size from smallest to largest. "We did it by ages at first, but then when some said they really didn't know when their birthmoons were we had a conference. Everyone decided that we would all take a new birthday, the day you rescued us, but if we knew them we would keep our birthmoons count. The Physicians helped us guess for the ones who didn't remember. So next year we will have a massive celebration but we will be from 5 to 14 birthmoons old. We line up by height now and it makes some interesting tiny squabbles as someone grows faster than someone else. It's all in loving fun though, we haven't had a single actual argument since we have been together." Zekial looked at the boys finding spots to sit and dip their flatbreads in the rich stew. They were in different small groups, but it was very mixed as to boy sizes. It was kind of like the King's Body Pages. They were a very mixed group that didn't split off by age like the other castle pages seemed too. Zekial also noticed that the copper acorn was only on the smallest boy's tunics. Others wore what looked like a leaf. As he was handed a bowl of stew and a flatbread he saw the cooks wore a small campfire. He looked at Colin and saw his symbol was a tree and he was surprised to see Abhi had a small owl as his. Commenting on the owl as being the only animal symbol he had seen he got another grin from Abhi, "Well, the pins show what band each boy belongs too. The acorns are the foragers, the leaves are the foresters, there are also rangers, they are out of camp, and some special pins. They made me the leader so I laughed and said, good, I could sleep all day and didn't need to work. Colin said that was fine as long as I stayed wise and they gave me the owl." "That's pretty neat," Zekial said. "It's like having a rank in the army." "Exactly," Abhi concurred. "The pins do show both rank and speciality. Some rotate, like the cooks. Some are earned by skill and knowledge. Some are given. And we are part of the King's Army. Each of us has a commission and responsibility. King Draviad is very smart about these things. If you look close you'll see the Sentinel patch on the right arm of each tunic." Zekial looked and did see almost woven into the color of the tunic at the right shoulder a symbol of a mountain, a tree and what appeared to be a lighthouse. "We all draw a salary, not that we need money, and King Draviad explained that at our fourtweenth we could choose to stay a Sentinel or choose any other path we desired. In my land you didn't have as many choices. Most became what their father had been. This is a good system I think," Abhi mused. "I had no idea," Zekial was impressed. "Finish your stew and let's go see what the Wizard might have found. Gopan and the Rangers might not be back for a few days, so I think it's best if it's just me," Abhi said. They finished lunch and Zekial had them cloaked and avigated away from the camp with much less commotion than his arrival.