MageCrafter - 15. Chapter 15

If there was one thing that Count Raudh enjoyed about the Bertolde estate when Lord Baldric wasn’t available, it was that it served as a fantastic place to practice marathon running. He could run at full speed both inside and outside the Estate walls and plan out all manner of personal race courses and never interfere with the actual day to day tasks the staff, servants and slaves have. Even when he got close to running into someone a good hop will have him sail harmlessly over their heads without missing a beat. He was sure the Bertolde Estate might have even played a small part in his silver medal finish in his father’s Seasonal Tournament of Physical Prowess.

However there was an exciting change to this particular run on the Bertolde estate. Since Lord Baldric went off to handle some business shortly after their Lunch in the undersea kingdoms, He left Kotik in his care. Kotik got to talking with Count Raudh about what he did to entertain himself when his friend wasn’t around. The Cat boy also expressed quite a lot of interest in his family’s Seasonal Tournament, explaining he used to do some competitions himself.

“I used to arm wrestle with the miners and loggers when I worked at the Old Man’s tavern. They’d always manage to talk a new person to try and take me on and bet tons of coin that the guy would lose. It was all in good fun cause we usually just used the coin to buy a round of drinks for people but I always loved to watch how shocked people got when they couldn’t budge my arm.”

Kotik said this with quite a lot of pride, puffing out his chest as he recalled those fond memories. At this point it was everything Count Raudh could do not to propose to the Lynxian on the spot, him being male be damned. He had never been so smitten with someone in his entire life, and the two times they had sex did nothing to dampen that swell of emotions he felt towards Kotik.

He was so beautiful, yet so powerfully strong. He loved to be erotically submissive in lovemaking, but in a fight, he had the overwhelming, dominating presence of the most red blooded of males. He enjoyed and relished in sex acts most fair maidens would find debasing and shameful, yet carries the pride of a warrior all the same without it seeming contradictory at all. Somehow this slave was so free in exploring who he was and showing it to the world it captured Count Raudh’s heart so hard it almost hurt.

“Do you want to race? I’m kinda curious to see how I’d do against you!” Kotik asked with a sparkle in his shimmering blue eyes that wreaked so much havoc on Raudh’s poor thumping heart. His tanned face could not be redder if he tried.

“O-Of course fair Kotik!” strangled out the smitten ruby haired Count.

“Now don’t go easy on me, I can feel you considering that!” Kotik adorably wagged his finger underneath the flushed Count’s nose with an admonishing and slight pouting tone in his sweet voice, “I want to see what a silver medalist marathoner at this tournament can actually do! Okay?”

Raudh was scared he might lose control of his legs if Kotik kept looking up at him like that! He turned on his heel and aggressively cleared his throat into the side of one of his fists as he got control of his nerves.

“O-Of course Fairest Kotik! I shall do my utmost to show you my family’s giant blooded prowess this day!”

He took a few moments to help the Lynxian with his starting position, explaining how the foot placement and crouched posture helps with getting the most out of their sprint from the starting line. Those brief touches of Kotik’s skin and the innocent smiles the sweet lynxian was giving him as those cat ears and tail fluttered about threatened to make the count swoon like a fair maiden, but he kept strong!

Tension and the excitement of competition between the two flared up as playful smirks grew on their faces. Their eyes narrowed with eager determination to win this race and show the other one up. Kotik made it very clear he did not want the count to go easy on him. He had something of an advantage over Kotik that the Lynxian might not realize. Though Kotik seemed to be innately stronger and faster by a wide margin than the count, there was something he noticed in their sparring match that he severely lacked, and would be the clutch for the Counts victory this day.

Kotik had never, up to this point, had to truly push himself to be strong. His soft and supple looking limbs and smooth torso spoke to that. He was just using his natural inborn strength. As alarming as that would be normally to a competitor, for the Count that was his point of attack.

Kotik has never had to endure grueling training sessions day after day building up his endurance against opponents of similar ability like Count Raudh. He didn’t have the experience and techniques necessary to outlast a seasoned athlete like him. Especially not a Barbarian practitioner for that matter.

Still even with that in mind, Kotik’s kickoff when the race started was nothing short of divine. Count Raudh almost lost his composure with how much wind Kotik actually kicked up when he shot out like a cannonball from the starting line. While the count’s own feet were firmly on the ground as he ran at full speed, Kotik seemed to glide along the ground, using his natural jumping ability as a Lynxian and his tail for balance as he sailed slightly above the ground like he had invisible wings.

Count Raudh had to admire how little Kotik had to pump his legs to keep himself at such speeds. That tail of his corrected any balancing issues he might have with such an unorthodox running style, and it only added to his graceful beauty as he sailed along the expansive halls and outside gardens like an angel.

Yet the count closed in on him and kept pace nonetheless, enjoying the burn his body was feeling as he grinned at his fellow competitor.

Kotik had his eyebrows dance with some confidence as he suddenly doubled his gliding tempo, slinging him forward so much faster than he was already going and creating another near explosion of wind that nearly knocked the Count off balance. Nearly.

A competitive grin grew on both lads faces as the ruby haired lad quickly began pumping his legs even harder than before. Soon Maids, Servants and other staff had to watch in amazement as with each passing circuit around the Estate, winding in and out of the massive building and through the various gardens, the two giant blooded youth only seem to be careening at even faster speeds around banking corners and through long winding hallways.

By the tenth lap, the count had forced Kotik to match him step for step. The Lynxian kept getting more and more surprised when he thought he had left the ruby haired lad in the dust with another kick up in speed only to have the Count gradually catch up to him with a steady increase in tempo on his part. What was even more mind boggling to the cat boy is while his own breath was starting to get labored and difficult the count was looking like he could go at the speed he was the whole day.

Kotik doubled his tempo again, his face scrunched in determination as the world blurred around him. His Lynxian eyes and two sets of ears were working overtime to make sure he maneuvered properly. He had never tried moving this fast before and his rhythm was getting more and more uneven now. His tail was doing everything it could to maintain his balance.

Kotik felt alarm and awe overwhelmed him as he could feel Raudh right behind him gradually increasing his speed once again. That awe and alarm only magnified as he saw the counts breathing was just as calm and steady as it was when they began. Meanwhile Kotik could feel his own breathing get so haggard as the Count closed in beside him. The ruby haired lad grinned at the cat boy, and proceeded to give him the shock of his life.

“You do realize I haven’t even used a barbarian technique, yes?”

Though Kotik couldn’t say it, his facial expression screamed ‘wait what?!’

The count's grin grew wider as his body flashed with a thin red aura around him.

“THREEFOLD ATTUNEMENT, SPEED OF THE TIGER GOD.”

Kotik’s eyes bugged out of his head as Count Raudh proceeded to speed around the circuit they had been gradually picking up speed on in the blink of Kotiks eye. The only evidence that he did so being a lingering ribbon of ruby light that trailed behind him as he passed by Kotik for a second time as the cat boy began to lose balance and control of his body entirely.

The Count kept passing again and again as Kotik’s legs tangled up in themselves and he let out undignified noises of surprise and alarm. The sheer shock of seeing this unfathomable increase in speed in such a confusing way obliterated Kotik’s concentration entirely and sent him crashing and careening through the air.

Even as he toppled and careened through the air, Count Raudh grinned and got beneath the lynxian, speeding to his aid as he caught the out of control cat boy in mid air. He alighted to a stop, digging his knee high sandaled feet into the soft ground and easily rolling off the excess momentum before standing upright again with a triumphant and prideful expression beaming on his tanned face.

An utterly exhausted and panting Kotik looked up wide eyed and slack jawed at the beaming and pride filled count, his voice cracking and sputtering as he tried to voice his bafflement and confusion. It didn’t make any sense! What he had just witnessed shouldn’t be possible from what he understood! Where was his magic item?!

“Wh-what?!” Kotik finally yelled out with equal parts amazement and shock in his voice, his blue eyes sparkling as he stared up at the Count in awe and more than a little jealousy of him having such a technique. “H-how?! Huh!?”

Count Raudh laughed uproariously, quite pleased to have stumped the Lynxian so thoroughly.

“Come Fairest Kotik! Let us discuss your first lesson in the Sacred art of the Barbarian! Though I would like to make a request of you as a way to enjoy the spoils of victory!”

“An-anything to get out of you what just happened back there! How did you do that!? Where is your magic item?! How in all the gods name? What!”

The count nearly dropped Kotik with how much he was laughing at the beautiful lads' bafflement. He found a secluded spot outside surrounded by bushes and the smooth MageCrafted stone wall of the Bertolde Estate. He plopped the Lynxian on his knees and settled himself down with a triumphant smirk.

“I would like to speak to something before I move onto our lesson and my request for an award for winning that race.”

Kotik looked attentively at him.

“It is in regards to me unwittingly referring to you as a Pleasure boy.”

Kotik had a flash of flushed shame as he waved his hands in front of his face. “Oh you don’t need to say anything about that. I shouldn’t have attacked you. I thought I was trying to protect my relationship with Lord Baldric and I almost did the exact opposite. Plus I uh…” Kotik flushed and had his tail swish behind him shyly. He then turned his face downward and looked his blue eyes up at the Count.
“I really like all your praises about me.” he twiddled his thumbs as he said this, “I can tell you mean it, and it feels nice to hear. You have a sweet way with words. Lord Baldric likes it as well, I can feel him swell with pride whenever you say that stuff.”

The next thing Kotik knew, he was sharing a kiss with the second lad in his life. Up till now, only Lord Baldric had done that. While he had done things like sucked off pleasure boys and the count, he hadn’t kissed any of them. The count had been the same, usually more quick to get his cock head to Kotik’s lips than his own mouth.

He kissed differently than Lord Baldric. The young lord was overwhelming and experienced, and was able to do wondrous things with his tongue and dominion over water. He always felt so in control of the moment. Count Raudh’s kiss was one of passionate impulsiveness. He hadn’t even known he was going to do so when he sat down in this secluded area but Kotik’s genuine admission of appreciation for his praises of the Lynxian drove him to action before he could even think it through.

“Fairest Kotik, you confuse this poor Count greatly.” he breathed as their lips parted, “I thought Baldric could addle my thoughts, but your every moment before me makes Baldric’s charms seem almost dimmer in comparison. I fear you may have stolen my heart entirely and I confess I’m not sure if I want it back. If I had known there was such a radiant being like yourself within Silbel before Baldric had found you, I confess I would have moved mountains to see you in my arms, and my arms alone.”

Kotik was going to say something, but the count put his finger to Kotik’s lips. “My friend is a powerfully generous soul to be able to share one such as you with me, for I know in my heart of hearts were I the one who owned you, I would have guarded you quite jealously from him. As much as I wish I could implore to the pantheon of time for a second chance, I do feel like even if I were granted such an ostentatious wish, I would not have been able to make you as happy as he does. I’m nowhere near as capable as him to glean your every want or need, and I am bitterly glad the better of us two found you first.”

Kotik was moved to tears, both to the confession and the complex deluge of emotions from the Count. Raudh was feeling so many things at the same time, anger, sadness, love, bitterness, longing, self loathing at his own weakness, and so much else swirled within the words he had whispered to Kotik that it made the lynxian’s heart hurt for the count.

Kotik wondered what Lord Baldric would say at this moment, and suddenly he gleaned a new understanding of the lecture he had received from his master and lover. Words that had made him so afraid now gave him clarity in this moment.

Kotik reached up and gripped the counts hand in his two as he locked his eyes with Count Raudh’s emerald ones.

“When Lord Baldric scolded me, he told me something that I didn’t fully understand until now.” He smiled at the young count, “He said that he wasn’t wired for a monogamous relationship. That he enjoys the company of a wide variety of boys for a wide variety of reasons. He said that he didn’t want a relationship where what comes naturally to him would be considered cheating, because it leads to jealousy, mistrust, suspicion, and sometimes even worse consequences. I’m now more convinced that I’m the same way as him, because I’m finding I like you in a different way than I like Lord Baldric, and I’m so happy that I not only can have both, but that Lord Baldric even wants me to share what I experience with other boys with him too. The ‘oh so juicy details’ as he put it.”

Kotik giggled remembering that last part.

“He said I would understand why he likes open relationships after I got to know you, and he was so right. Why hide away what we can share together instead?”

“I confess, I am a bit envious of you, fairest Kotik, for you have seen a side of Baldric that he must keep very closely guarded if he gave such thorough reasoning for his actions,” He flashed an amused smirk that threatened to burst into a laugh at any second, “Normally he’s too busy trying to make me squeal like a fair maiden in public places with his mouth to share such words with me.”

Kotik giggled at that, “He said I should try that sometime cause it’d make you easily flustered.” He flashed the count an impish smirk at that, implying that he liked the sound of working the ruby haired lad up in such a compromised way like that.

“What a devilish little slave you are, conspiring to embarrass a Noble lad like myself so...” growled Count Raudh playfully, getting his mouth close to Kotiks own, “Why I have half a mind to bed you for that.”

“Only half of one?” Kotik quipped back as that impish grin only grew wider, surprising himself with how playfully open he was feeling right then.

“Remove my sandals and give me a tongue bath from the feet upwards and I assure you the other half will find its way here. I still need to give you my first lesson on the sacred art of the barbarian and I’ve been told you are quite the attentive little lynxian at listening even when multitasking.”

“Though I would much rather do such things with Lord Baldric, who can make his sweat taste much better than yours…” Kotik said with an amused grimace at the playful order, “I will endure if you make it up to me when that other half does arrive.”

Count Raudh elected in a bit of mischievousness to not inform Kotik how to undue his knee high sandals. He instead elected to watch confusion grow on the Lynxian’s face as he handled one of his legs, looking at the strange footwear from various angles as he tried to parcel out how to unstrap the things and get them off his legs.

“Up until now, Fair Kotik,” Count Raudh began as he settled back against the MageCrafted Stone wall and closed his eyes, allowing the Lynxian to fumble with his leg as he pleased; “You, I assume, have been learning about MageCrafting with respect to the physical world around you.”

Confusion stitched Kotik’s brow at that. What else would MageCrafting be? You need materials to make a magic item after all. Doesn’t matter what it is of course, just that you have dominion to manipulate it. Those thoughts darted in Kotik’s mind as he listened to the Count talk and finally found something resembling a way to unfasten these infuriatingly complex sandals.

“However, as I am sure you are aware, there are not simply gods of physical materials within the greater pantheon. You’ve already caught glimpses of this with Baldric, for his power of illusions comes from a pantheon in charge of illusions and dreams. I would ask you fair kotik, what physical substance does a dream have?”

“I-I imagine it doesn’t have one?” Kotik said as he finally shimmied one of those knee high sandals off of the young counts legs before working on the next one, which he was working off much easier now that he knew what to look for.

“Precisely, and yet since there gods and goddesses of various types of dreams, those deities can grant a title of MageCrafter to those they deem worthy of it.”

“How do you know about MageCrafting coming from the gods? Lord Baldric said he was one of the few surface dwellers that know of that. And how would one MageCraft a Dream?”

“He is one of the few. Practitioners of the sacred art of the Barbarian are another. For you cannot become one of our sect without having such knowledge.” He sighed and relaxed himself further with his eyes closed even deeper as he felt that wonderful tongue of the Fair Kotik begin to work up from his heel on one of his feet that were elevated in the lad’s hands.

“The art of the Barbarian is also known as Esoteric MageCrafting, or the MageCrafting of Concepts instead of physical objects. More specifically, Barbarians focus on the MageCrafting of one or more aspects of the Emotional Spectrum from the Pantheon of Emotion. A prospective Barbarian who wishes to become a MageCrafter of an emotion must enter a deep meditative state and focus on feeling the emotion they wish to craft so completely that they are enveloped in its presence inside of them.”

The Young Count let out a growl of delight and flexed his elevated sole that was receiving such divine treatment and wiggled his toes in appreciation as he continued talking. Kotik was so focused on listening to this new aspect of MageCrafting that he barely noticed the bitterly salty flavors on his tongue as he kept working upwards.

“Typically, a Barbarian elects to petition the god of Rage, for his emotional dominion pairs splendidly well in combat situations. However, Babur the Tiger God of Rage is far from the only god one can beseech as a Barbarian. Any emotion you feel encompasses your very being the strongest, especially one you’ve felt persistently for a long time can be used in this way to gain the attention of the corresponding deity of that emotion. If the god finds the emotion you put forth to it compelling enough, it will grant you the title of an Esoteric MageCrafter of that Emotion.”

Count Raudh leaned into the warm sensation enveloping some of his toes as he continued, enjoying the decadent service after such a hard run thoroughly.

“Once you have gained an Esoteric MageCrafting Title, you’ll be able to mold and shape that emotion or concept inside of you just like how you can manipulate wood in the physical world. You will even be able craft esoteric magic items that you can use to enhance your physical aspects of your body, mind, or soul in ways you cannot with physical magic items.”

Kotik pulled off from the smallest of Count Raudh’s toes as he voiced a question. “Can you break esoteric magic items? Do they only work in your body? Why don’t more people know about thi-MMmph?”

He playfully shoved his big toe into Kotik’s mouth to stop more questions from spilling out. This elicited a muffled noise out of the lad as The Count coaxed him back to work before he continued.

“You can indeed break esoteric Magic items. You need to concentrate on and hold onto the emotion as you craft it inside of you and keep that concentration to hold its form while it's attuned to you. This gets easier the more you manipulate the emotion with your dominion over it. The natural and supernatural magic you gain through the dominion works within you, which includes your physical body. As long as its within you be it in concept or in the physical sense of your body, you can use those esoteric magic items accordingly.”

He grinned devilishly and snapped his fingers as he got kotik to attend to his other foot before he continued, enjoying the feeling of bossing around Kotik in that playfully commanding way. Kotik’s own shaft sprang so hard to attention at the sound of that finger snap, relishing the feeling of doing something so embarrassing out in the open air like this. The very idea that anyone could walk in on him doing this excited the lad immensely with both a dash of fright and far more arousal.

“ That’s partially how I kept catching up to you during our race despite you being naturally faster than me. I have small magic items made of rage within me that I can employ to enhance things like my running speed or endurance. I just used more and more of them as the race went on. The downside of course is, the more you keep those small magic items inside of you, the more you have that corresponding emotion within you that you need to keep controlled.”

As the lesson continued, Kotik found himself trying new things that day within that secluded part of the Bertolde estate Garden. One that made his face light up in a flush of shame that he relished so thoroughly was administering his very first rimjob, or running his tongue between the well toned and muscled cheeks and even the taint beneath it with his dutiful mouth. The very act of having his face underneath that Kilt and engaging in such a mortifying act actually made the Lynxian climax on the spot onto the grass in front of him as he knelt between the Count’s legs.

With his hand firmly clasped around the eager cat boy’s mouth, the count eagerly and quite roughly brought the lad into a prostrate position, pressing his face into the grass. Without ceremony, the young count forcefully impaled the prone Kotik with his shaft in one swift thrust into his ever slicked hole. It made the cat boy moan in utter rapture into that firmly clamped hand as he was ridden so roughly into the grass out in the open air. His eyes were fluttering in pure bliss from that battering ram of a cock plowed into him with a roughness that the Count could do with no one else but a fellow Giant blooded. What would have been terribly painful and almost dangerous for a normal human was a delight to someone like Kotik who was made of much sturdier stuff. His tail and ears were flailing all over the place as he was driven half mad with the wondrously rough fucking he received that afternoon.

*** 

Lord Baldric had to take a few minutes to compose himself after his alarming and dreadfully awe inspiring visitation by The Avatar of Cernunnos. The Antlered God, God of the Great Oak Forests, Father of all Dryads, Old Man Green, The Personification of Fertility Itself as well as Kotik’s own father. The meeting had left him so thoroughly rattled he just laid there staring into the far off wall for several minutes as he leaned slumped against the wall trembling.

All that time he had tried to get in direct contact with a god, yet only now did he know why they used heralds to do so normally. That oh so brief glimpse of Old Man Green’s True Form when he had ranted about what happened in that cart, just from what he could glean through the sheer brightness out of his eyes that seemed to put the sun itself to shame had threatened the young Lords very sanity with how awe inspiring it was. He knew now more than ever before that what they were permitted to do with mage crafting was but a tiny sliver of their true divinity. He now scoffed at the very idea of calling his abilities ‘true dominion.’

No, he was merely their representative. Their vicar.

He had only just managed to regain his composure when a very pleased and disheveled looking Kotik stumbled into his room on truly wobbly legs. Lord Baldric knew that dreamily giddy and satisfied look on his little Lynxian all to well. It was that look he had in the afterglow of a truly rough session of fucking. He couldn’t hold back his growing smirk on his face as he looked down at his silly cat boy wobbling into the room like a newborn foal with how unsteady his legs were at the moment.

“My sweet Kotik, you do seem to have grass in your hair… and in your tail.”

“There’s probably grass hidden in all kinds of places on me right now.” Came Kotik’s dreamily spoken quip, which shocked the young Lord into uproarious laughter. Hearing such a lewd comment coupled with his still rattled nerves just made him lose his composure entirely.

“You and Raudh had fun I trust?”

“I totally understand why you like open relationships now. By the gods did that satisfy an itch I didn’t even know I had.” Kotik sleepily hugged Lord Baldric affectionately as he rubbed his cheek into his side.

“I love you Lord Baldric.”

Kotik hadn’t ever said that back to him up till this point. When Lord Baldric had said that to him, it had almost scared him because there was still that lingering fear in the back of his mind that Lord Baldric would turn against him and reveal that contempt and disdainful hate he had felt from every other master up until he had been hired by The Old Man of Old Man’s Tavern.

He had been tricked and betrayed like that so much that he always just waited for someone to show their true colors if they were nice to him. Even with the Old Man he was afraid of getting used to his hospitality. Every night he had braved sleeping in The Old Man’s tavern, he feared he’d wake up chained to the bed with the old man jeering at him for being so stupid as to trust him, and that now he was his slave. It had happened so many times that he had such a hard time trusting anyone even when their emotions seemed genuine. It had only been after living around the old man for a few months that he had really started opening up to him. Even then he was so tight-lipped about anything to do with himself.

For Kotik to utter those words, he had to give in and trust that Baldric wasn’t going to be like the others.

“I love you too My sweet.”