Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2013 17:18:26 -0500 From: alexzander Subject: New World Apprentice - Chapter 7 Disclaimer: This story is complete fiction. None of the characters or scenarios are real. This story involves intergenerational sexual relations. If this is not your thing or it is illegal for you to read such things then don't read it. If you enjoy reading all the stories on this site, please consider making a donation to Nifty: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html Feel free to email me at alexzandermurot@hushmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 7: Journeys The smell of fresh coffee filled Darwins nasal cavity causing his eyes to flutter open. After his mind focused, he rose from the bed and shuffled into the living room. Morning light illuminated the house while exotic birds chirpped noisely outside. With his hair matted askew, Max stood in the kitchen wearing socks, underpants and a shirt preparring breakfast. "How did I get so lucky to be assigned an apprentice like you?" Darwin spoke the words and really did wonder the implications of how it was possible. Max giggled a little as he poured two cups of coffee. "I'm not a good cook, but I made us some food" Max and Darwin sat together at a table on the outdoor patio and ate their breakfast wordlessly. Their stolen glances and smiles spoke volumes of how deeply they loved eachother. Darwin rubbed Max' leg, "I arranged a little trip for us to take before we have to head back home." "A trip? Where are we going?" Max looked excited at the prospect of an excursion. "Pack up your stuff and you'll find out soon enough" Darwin finished his coffee and watched as Max hurried off to prepare for the mysterious journey. Excited himself for the the trip, Darwin packed up most of his things and headed to the shower. Lathered in soap, Darwin heard the door open and Max was soon standing near the shower area fully dressed. "Hurry up, I need to know where we're going" Max said anxiously "Okay, settle down, can't I at least finish my shower?" Darwin replied. He closed his eyes and let the hot water wash over him. Wiping the water from his face he looked over to see Max still standing nearby, watching. "See anything you like?" Darwin winked at the boy. "I see someone I love" Max said back in a serious tone. Darwin stepped to the edge, leaned out and kissed Max full on the lips. He felt himself get semi-erect as their tongues caressed. After their lips parted, Max skipped out of the bathroom and Darwin finished his shower. - The Grand Continental Mag Rail was a marvel of engineering. Completed only twenty years earlier, this high speed railway linked up several major destinations across the African continent. The trains ran on an advaced magnetic levitation system that allowed fast and efficient transportation for travelers. Max and Darwin stepped out of a car and into the warm mid-morning air. Ebony skinned boys moved in to offer refreshment and other goods to those preparing for their journey. A couple of the younger boys innocently ran their hands along Max' arms, admiring his pale skin tone. Max smiled at the attention and purchased a sweet confectionery from a handsome boy near his own age. Upon returning to Darwin, he shared some of the treats. "That boy was kind of cute" Max whispered. Darwin raised an eyebrow and glanced over at the boy in question, "Oh? Should I be jealous?" Max looked a little sheepish, "No. He just reminds me of my friend Devin back home" Darwin conjured up a vision of Max and a dark skinned boy named Devin wrapped up in each others arms, naked and impassioned. Max tugged on Darwin's shirt, "What are you daydreaming about?" "What? Nothing!" Darwin looked caught, "let's hurry, we have to catch the train" Max smirked and turned to steal a last glance of the boy with the candy before jogging toward the train. Darwin led Max through the crowd toward the departure gates. The railcars were gleaming under the soaring glass canopy. Despite the heat outside, an artificial cooling system pulsed a pleasent breeze throughout the space. Entering the third car from the front, they walked to a pair of wide comfortable seats that faced each other, stowed their bags and sat down. "You still haven't told me where we're going" Max asked. Darwin coyly replied, "On a train ride" Max knew he wasn't going to get much more out of Darwin, "I guess I'm just going to have to wait and see I supposed" Looking out the window, Darwin sat back, glad that he could keep the surprise. Ten minutes later the exterior train doors closed followed by a low hum that eminated from the undercarriage. With a subtle jerk, the train quietly eased out of the station and curved in a Southern direction. As they exited the city limits, the train started to pick up speed and a short while later they were rocketing across the landscape. Max was plastered against the glass watching the scenery pass by in a blur. A finely uniformed man stepped up to Max and Darwin and inquired if they wanted a drink. Max turned to the gentleman and said, "Yes, I'll have a carbonated juice and a coffee for my friend" The gentleman smiled warmly, gave a subtle glance to Darwin and then turned back to Max, "Of course sir" Max was proud that he was very mature for his age and liked when adults acknowledged his maturity without being condescending. Some cultures outside of Greater Denmark were not always as forward thinking when it came to young people. Looking over at Darwin, Max was also quite happy that he could still be a kid again sometimes. The trip brought with it a stunning array of topography and Max sent dozens of image files to his mother over the course of travel. With so much to see, just over three hours past in no time at all and the train began to slow to more modest speeds before finally pulling into a new station. Max and Darwin disembarked with their bags in hand and into the afternoon heat of the Southern African Kingdom. A grand bazaar stood outside of the station and Darwin indicated they had a little free time to look around. Max wandered the narrow walkways that were chock full of dozens of tented stalls. Men, women and children hawked a cornucopia of hand crafted goods from the local region. None of these were cheap trinkets, but rather high quality items made of stone, wood or woven grasses. Max was captivated by the craftsmanship and decided to pick up a few gifts for family and friends back home. With shopping done, the two approached the next available car and climbed in, glad to be out of the strong sun. Darwin indicated something on the car's sense-glass, but Max had already relented to not knowing where they would be headed. Leaving the city and moving into the lush countryside, they caught sight of small villages that dotted the region; collections of primitively constructed buildings that likely harkened back tens of thousands of years in their design but still continued to be used today. Solar farms co-existed with crop farms and would stretch out for miles on end. About an hour of travel had past before the car came to a stop in what most people might describe as, 'the middle of nowhere'. "Okay, we're here!" With great eagerness, Darwin opened the door and stepped outside. Seeing only land in all directions, Max considered whether the heat had gotten to Darwin, but stepped outside also. Upon exiting the car, there was a roaring sound coming from somewhere in the distance that Max could not quite pinpoint. He saw Darwin walk ahead and decided to follow if he hoped to keep up. A short distance away and the source of the noise became clear. The scale of what lay before Max was nearly overwhelming. "And this, my young apprentice, is Victoria Falls" Darwin said with a flourish of his arms. The sheer scale of the waterfall was a site to behold. Several rainbows shimmered in the misted air and the valley itself, looked like it had been ripped open to reveal a hidden utopia. For several minutes neither Max nor Darwin spoke, humbled into silence by the sheer beauty of the landscape. "Let's hike a little" Darwin placed his hand on Max' shoulder and pointed toward a path. Max agreed and the two headed off to a winding path that skirted the outer contours of the cliffs edge. The sun had dropped far enough away as to not be oppressive and the canopy of trees helped provide some shade. Though not extremely dense, the forest offered an array of foreign, colorful plants to explore. Darwin had been looking forward to the opportunity to take Max to see this area. He knew his apprentice was always curious about learning new things and being a part of new experiences in the world. The intense look on his young face as they would travel to new places prompted Darwin to impart as much wisdom as he could. A sudden outcry broke his train of thought, "AH! Darwin!" The frightened tone in the boys voice sent a chill through Darwin. He turned quickly and ran over to Max who had his arm cradled near his chest. "What's wrong, Max? What happened?" Darwin cautiously looked at the appendage and saw a small red mark on the skin near the outside of his right arm. "Something just bit me! A spider or something" Max acted a bit creeped out and glanced around to see if the culprit was still near by. Darwin looked to the ground as well but saw nothing but grasses, rocks and undergrowth. "Does it still hurt?" he said. "It stings a little but it's not hurting much" Max replied while trying to see the wound better by turning the skin with his free hand. Darwin washed the injured area with some water that he had with him in a canteen. Deciding to exercize some caution he felt it best if they headed back to the car and the two started making their way along the path. The crush of dried, decaying leaves created a sharp crisp, 'crunch' sound as each footfall impacted the ground. Rays of sunlight gave off ethereal halos along the hard edges of palm fronds that caused sudden, blinding bursts of light. 'Has the air temperature increased?' thought Max. Beads of sweat pushed forth out of pores like a steady dripping faucet while his tongue became dry and unquenchable. There was a tightness in his extremities that suddenly caused him to stop walking. Seeing Max stop, Darwin spoke "Max? Are you ok?". The roar of the waterfall in the distance filled the humid air. A blue winged Macaw squawked from a nearby tree. And Max fell to his knees. The ground was now spinning and Max stretched out his arms to try and hold himself up. His body, drenched in sweat, tumbled onto its back and expelled shallow gasps. "MAX!" Darwin raced forward and cradled the boy whose skin had become an ashy discoloration. Tears streamed down Darwins face as he lifted up the boy and ran through the jungle. At times, life can have an unfair way of taking a moment of happiness and turning it into one of despair and desperation. The safety and security snatched away in an instant as if to remind us that nothing stays the same forever. Pushing through the plants and trees with as much speed as he could, nicks and scratches ripped along Darwin's arms and legs. Feeling nothing but the weight of the boy, blood dripped from the lacerations. As if in a dream, Max watched the sky move above him and the tall trees rush by. Darwin's face looked pained and saddened, something Max had never seen before. With waning strength, Max lifted his weakened arm to wipe a tear away from Darwins cheek. He whispered softly between pained breaths, "I love you". A terrible darkness fell over his eyes.