Time & Reign

Chapter 8

Noku stood at the bottom of a tall tree. It was dark, and as he looked towards the top, the limbs disappeared into the shadows. He heard voices coming down from the upper branches. One a deep hissing, the others almost spoken in unison, their tones were high and playful.
“You lead away the big one, I’ll take the little one.” The deeper voice hissed. The others giggled together.
Noku panicked and turned to run. He looked for Ketheran in every direction, but he was nowhere to be found. Noku ran through the thick forest, calling for his master, until he was finally out of breath. He stopped to catch his wind, and something shot through the leaves above him. Noku looked up in terror, and there hanging in the sky was a beast cloaked in long purple rags. Noku wanted to run, but his body would not let him. He stood trembling, unable to take his eyes away.
“The collector.” A voice inside of his mind told him.
Noku could not make out its face, it all seemed to blur together. The creature let out a screech so loud and piercing that the points of Noku’s ears folded inward. It threw back its rags, and five long tentacles flowed out into the night sky. The beast let out another screech, and Noku began to cry. One of the tentacles extended and wrapped around Noku’s thigh, it slid up his leg and pressed its tip against his opening. . .

Noku shot up in bed drenched in sweat. He looked around, he was still in the inn, Ketheran was still there, it was just a dream. Ketheran stood by the window, peering through a slightly open shutter.
“Its still early. We’ll wait until everyone has gone to the fields before we leave.” Ketheran closed the shutter and sat at the table and began cleaning his sword.
“Master what is on the over side of Curovon Forest?” Noku asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Master, how long will it take to get to the other side?”
“I’m hoping not more then a few days. The maps and records of what’s beyond Curovon Forest are very old. I’m not sure if what was once on the other side is still there.”
The images of his dream still flashed behind Noku’s eyes. He wanted to tell his master, but he was sure that more of his whimpering would not be appreciated. Instead, seeking some comfort, he crawled beneath the table and between Ketheran’s legs. He caressed and licked his master the way he had done so many times before at his desk.
“You’re hard now, master.” Noku said stopping.
“I know Noku, you don’t have to tell me.” Ketheran placed his sword back on the table and stood. He picked up Noku, supporting him by his spread backside, and lowered Noku onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around his master’s neck and rode, his small member bouncing between them. When Ketheran was finished, he sat Noku back on the table.
“Its time we should be going now.” Ketheran said, wiping himself on the blanket from the bed.

Although the streets were mostly empty, they still traveled through the village behind the buildings. Noku held his cloak up to keep it from dragging through the garbage and rotten vegetables of pig slop. It was hours before they reached the border of Curovon, the village sat silently on the horizon behind them. Even though it was late afternoon, the interior of the forest seemed like the border between night and day. The tree trunks were as thick around as five men Ketheran’s size, and heavy vines hung like gallows. There was no clear path. Ketheran entered the forest without hesitation, and Noku crept in slowly behind.
The day turned to dusk without any interference from the forest or its inhabitants. Noku was beginning to relax, but his head still darted at every sound.
Noku’s deep terror returned to him when Ketheran suddenly stopped and ducked behind a tree. He looked back to Noku who was a few paces behind him and placed his finger over his lips. Noku crouched to the ground and crawled up to meet his master by the tree. Noku’s heart pounded hard against his chest when he heard voices up ahead, but as they grew closer, he relaxed. They were not the same voices from his dream.
Two Itin appeared up ahead. They dragged behind them the mangled carcass of a boar. They looked different from Noku. These Itin were taller, and wore only short brown cloaks. Their bodies were completely hairless except for the long red hair that flowed from the tops of their heads.
Ketheran looked over at Noku, who met his stern gaze. Noku knew from the severity in his master’s eyes that he was not to move or make a sound. They sat motionless behind the tree until the Itin had passed.
“I think we’re clear, but still try to be as quiet as possible.” Ketheran advised Noku.
They hadn’t made fifty steps, when an arrow shot threw the air and hit Ketheran in the shoulder. It was small and crooked, barely broke the skin. Ketheran pulled the arrow out, more agitated at the hole it had torn in his cloak. He quickly removed his bow from his back, and drew back an arrow. He scanned the trees above, and saw one of the Itin from before perched in a branch. Ketheran aimed towards the branch just below the Itins feet and fired. The arrow struck clean through. He immediately drew back another arrow, this time with the Itin’s forehead locked in his aim.
“Come down here!” Ketheran ordered, “else I’ll drive this one through your face!”
The red haired Itin nervously climbed down from the tree. Before he reached the ground, Ketheran dropped his bow, and grabbed him by the neck.
“Let him go!” his companion shouted. He ran from the brush, with a drawn arrow shaking nervously in his hands.
“Or what? You’ll shoot me with another of your twigs?” Ketheran said, throwing the Itin he held to the ground. He looked up from the forest floor at Noku.
“Wait a moment, Bellen. I think this one’s an Itin.”
“Then let’s see its tail.” Bellen said cautiously, the arrow and bow still and hand.
“Go ahead Noku.” Ketheran said confidently.
Noku took off his cloak. Bellen dropped his bow, and him and the other Itin approached Noku.
“I don’t believe it.” The other said, “One from the East Fold, all the way here.”
Bellen, still not satisfied, walked behind Noku and picked up his tail. “He’s from the East Fold all right.” He then bent, and sniffed at Ketheran’s backside.
“Animals.” Ketheran muttered to himself, leaning against a tree.
Bellen looked darkly at Ketheran, who returned the stare.
“Tell us where the closest water is, and I’ll let you be on your way.” Ketheran said to them.
“Why should we help you?” Bellen shot back.
“Because if you don’t tell me where there is water, then I’ll slit your throats and drink your blood instead.” Ketheran said drawing his knife.
The other Itin interrupted before Bellen could speak. “Just up that way there’s a pond. I wouldn’t go to far past it at night though. That’s when the collector comes out.”
Those words were like icy fingers at the base of Noku’s spine.
Ketheran put his knife back into his belt. “Then I guess you two won’t be following us there then?”
“Hell no.” said Bellen. He motioned to the other Itin and they headed back in the opposite direction.
“Pranksters and thieves.” Ketheran said under his breath as they retreated. Noku scrambled to put his cloak back on, and ran up to meet Ketheran.
“Master, were you really going to drink their blood?”
“No.” Ketheran laughed with a wicked grin.
They reached the small pond just as it was becoming too dark to see their way. Ketheran leaned his sword and bow against a tree. He took a small pan from his bag and filled it with water from the pond. He drank and then passed it to Noku.
“Tell me Noku, why did those two back there look so different from you?”
“That’s how Itins from the South Fold look, master.”
“Is that what your kind call this area, the South Fold?”
Noku nodded.
“Do you see what I mean now about Itins having no honor?”
“I don’t understand master.”
“They didn’t bother to ask what we were doing together, or try to help you.”
Noku looked sadly at the ground, he knew the reason why.
“Either way, we’re going to have to make you blend in more. Take off your cloak, Noku.”
Noku removed his cloak. Ketheran took a small bit of soap from the bag that the pan came from, and put it in what was left of the water. He worked the soap into the pan until it made a thick white foam.
“Come over here, Noku.”
Noku stood in front of him as he worked the soap lather into the tuft of hair that surrounded Noku’s member.
“Now hold still, I don’t want to cut you.” Ketheran took his knife from his belt and began to shave off the hair.
Noku was slightly embarrassed. “Master, when we were in your class that time, and you said I was small, … am I really that small?”
“Compared to humans, yes. But you fit your body. You’re thin and short, the top of your head just reaches my stomach when we’re both standing.”
“I wish I was big like you are master.”
Ketheran let a roar of laughter, “You’d fall over! Besides, I like your little berries.” He said giving Noku a tickle. Noku’s face flushed red.
Ketheran lifted Noku’s sac to shave the area underneath, and sat back with a start when a caught a scent of what the South Fold Itin had smelled earlier.
“Now I see why that Itin back there was startled. Noku, you haven’t washed yourself out in days.”
“I’m sorry, master.” Noku said, now even more ashamed then he had thought possible.
“Well I suppose its half my fault for leaving all that mess in there. I forgot how convenient the attendants at Targov Hall were.”
Ketheran lead Noku to the pond and told him to wade in up to his waist. Ketheran undressed, and entered the water. He rinsed what was left of the soap from Noku, then held him over his arm. He spread Noku open under the water with his free hand.
“Suck in the water Noku, it will clean you out.”
Noku did as he was told, and felt the water surge into him. Ketheran lifted his backside out of the water, and took him to push it out. A thin stream of water sprayed from his spread behind. Ketheran repeated the process three more times, then let Noku relax in the water. Ketheran slid two fingers in, and began massaging Noku. He purred quietly against his master’s arm.
“So you are from the East Fold.” Ketheran said, half to himself. Noku made no reply. “When you were living with the other Itins, how many raids did you go on?”
“The one when I was captured was my first, master. I was so frightened when the army came out of the woods that I hid in a barn until on of the guards found me.”
”Why were you on the raid?”
“All of the other men from my tribe were going, they said it was my time master.”
“And do you regret going now?”
Noku hesitated before he answered, “No master. If I hadn’t gone, then I wouldn’t know you.”
Ketheran removed his fingers, shocked by Noku’s answer. He ignored the thought, and began back to dry land. “That should be enough to keep more Itins from sniffing at you. Two I can deal with, but I’d rather not be bothered by thirty.”
When Noku got out of the water, he realized that Ketheran’s fingers had made him erect. “Master, may I please …”
“Yes Noku.” Ketheran granted, becoming exasperated.
Noku tugged himself until he finished onto the leaf covered ground.
“Master, you said you like my berries, but do you like me?” Noku asked.
Ketheran lay back on the ground and closed his eyes with his arms behind his head. “I like you when you’re obedient and not whining.”
The answer was good enough for Noku. He curled up in a ball next to his master.