FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 2: Initiation

The stairs led down into wide, empty hallways lined with pillars supporting vaulted ceilings high enough that their reaches were lost in shadow. The hallways led in two directions, framing a large, rectangular area in between. Tuco peered into the larger hall curiously, but could see neither the ceiling nor the far wall; only regular pillars as big around as a cartwheel rising into the darkness, and extending as far back as he could see, scores of little candles flickering in sconces bracketed to each. The hallways stretched endlessly in both directions, broken only by occasional doorways, narrow windows, and wooden benches.

“Well, where am I supposed to go?" Tuco wondered out loud, and was answered by faint echoes.

Only when it moved did he notice the figure sitting on a bench near a doorway; the person had been perched so still and rigid that Tuco hadn't actually realized it was a person and not some kind of statue. It stood with one smooth motion, neither leaning nor pushing itself upright, turned, and walked toward him with a steady, precise gait.

“Hello," Tuco said, giving a timid wave.

The man dipped his head a little, stopping a few feet away. “Good morning. I am Rigby. And you must be the new applicant." Up close, he turned out to be a bit older, perhaps in his forties, his eyes lined with wrinkles, the dark beard on his chin showing a bit of grizzle. He wore only a cream-colored tunic secured with a cloth belt at his waist; his legs, arms, and feet were bare.

“Yes, sir." Tuco gave what he hoped was a proper, low bow in return. “Tuco Witchywine. Lord Krastor said I was accepted."

The man's gaze was unwavering. And unblinking. “That's plain enough, seeing as how you're on this side of the tower. And you needn't bother with 'sir,' I'm no master here."

“Oh, but I thought--" Tuco trailed off, worried he'd offend.

“Yes?"

“Well, I thought there were only apprentices and the monks here. And that… apprentices were all Changed."

“You'll learn how things work around here soon enough." Rigby extended an arm toward the great hall between the corridors. “This is the main cloister. In an ordinary abbey, of course, it would be open to the sky, and there would be gardens and such, but here, it's too cold and stormy for that, and besides, the skies are dangerous. Best not to go outside unaccompanied."

Tuco gazed into the endless darkness, trying to count the little flames twinkling in the distance. There were too many. “What's it used for, then?"

“Used for? Nothing. It's there so that the Abyss doesn't have a skylight. Sometimes we have games down there. Skittles and such. Come this way." Rigby moved so efficiently that he seemed to glide down the hallway. “All the rooms off this corridor are dormitories for resident and visiting Brothers. No loud talking or other noises between the hours of 8 pm and 7 am. They can and will have you thrown out. Down the other hallway are larger rooms for the Brothers with more unusual needs. I trust I do not need to explain to you."

Tuco hurried to keep up with him. “Where should I spend my time? Will there be chores?"

“Not for you. Most domestic work is performed by enchantments placed by demons long ago. The rooms keep themselves clean, the candles never burn out, and food prepares itself."

“That's very handy," Tuco observed.

“Every enchantment had a cost. Remember that every time you enjoy a hot bath or clean sheets. Some monk or apprentice lost his form or even his soul making that happen for you. I doubt wherever they are now they consider it very handy. As to where you spend your time, there is the large chapel down there." Rigby raised one arm and pointed ramrod straight down another hallway with a large staircase at the end. “Prayer is always advisable to keep your soul pure and fortified against temptation. You may spend your hours in the large or small cloister if you wish. There is the library, when Lord Krastor is not occupying it. The large refectory, if you are invited for meals with the brothers, down that direction. And the apprentice dormitories, where we are headed now. It is not advisable to go wandering off on your own. Many rooms of the Abbey are dangerous. There are rooms for summoning demons, and rooms where summoned demons remain trapped. Outdoor areas such as the gardens and roof are treacherous. Winds and storms are common here."

Tuco glanced down at the man's bare feet and legs, and pulled his cloak more tightly around him. “Yes, I was wondering about that. Aren't you cold in this chill, damp air?"

Rigby stopped and turned to look at him. His movements were uncanny--eerily precise. “I do not feel the cold."

“No? Are you Changed?" Tuco asked, feeling a little excited. “Only you look very ordinary. Odd, but ordinary, I reckon."

Rigby's unblinking eyes stared at him. “I have been altered, yes."

“What gift did the demons give you, then? If you don't mind my asking?"

The man paused, tilting his head. “The gifts were many, but premier among them was immortality. As long as I take care, I will never grow very old and never die."

“But there is a cost, isn't there?"

“With demons there is always a cost." Rigby paused, and then lifted his tunic up and over his head with both hands, revealing his grey undergarments and a hairy chest and stomach.

Tuco stepped back in surprise; he hadn't expected such openness. Still, the man had been frank with him, so he politely leaned to look closer. “I don't see anything unusual," he ventured.

“No. They were kind to me in that way." Rigby placed his right hand to the left of his chest and dug his fingers deep as though about to rake his own flesh. But instead, the skin of his stomach pulled out and away, swinging open as though a door had been installed in his torso. Tuco instinctively flinched, expecting a mass of red and brown gore, but instead saw a complex, whirring set of gears and cogs, spinning and clicking away inside the man's chest.

“That's--that's incredible!" he breathed. “You're clockwork! Does it hurt?"

“Not usually. Once I stuck my finger in to slow my own gears." Rigby shuddered, lost for a moment in a recollection of private horror. “I will never do that again. And I'd kill any apprentice who tried," he added sharply. “It was terrible."

“What does it feel like?" Tuco asked, peering into the machinery.

“Different. No heartbeat. No blood flowing through my veins. Much less heat. And everything inside me moving, all the time. And I require no rest, no food, no water. And yet I still feel alive. I can't describe what it is like. Not so you would understand. But soon enough you will have your own changes that you will not be able to explain to anyone else."

Tuco tried to internalize that comment and failed. The idea that he might soon be different was impossible to comprehend. He had always been Tuco, and could not imagine being anything else. “Do you have to oil yourself to run smoothly?"

A startled expression flickered across the man's face. “I… have never considered doing that. Perhaps I will try it." He pushed the panel in his chest closed, and it sealed shut without a crack or scar, looking just like a normal man's torso. But now that Tuco knew what had happened to the man, he could see the little differences--no subtle pulse of a heartbeat or glow of blood under his flesh. No rise and fall of his chest with his breathing, for he had no lungs. No blinking, no tremors or unconscious movements. Every shift of his body was deliberate. Tuco thought it must be marvelous to be able to move like that, to have every motion be exactly what was required, smooth and perfect, with no wasted energy. It was a little unearthly and inhuman, but graceful as well.

“Let us not waste any more time," said Rigby, and he strode on down the hallway.

Past the entrances to several rooms, the doors of which were all emblazoned with pentagrams and other sigils for sealing away demons, they passed a stairway with huge steps leading both up and down, and a strange cacophony issued from both directions, mingling together and echoing so that Tuco could not tell which sounds came from ascent or descent. There were roaring sounds, a long, persistent howl, thuds, groans, sounds like shifting stone and other rumblings. “What's that?" he asked, uneasy.

“I would advise you not to take that stairway. The top leads to the roof, where the winds are strong enough that you may be blown off. And there are winged things in the forests that might spot you and carry you away."

“And the steps down?"

“Well, the crypts are down there. The demons don't like to kill folks, but deaths happen anyway. Some of the Changed can be violent. And of course there are always accidents. Apprentices don't get entombed in the crypts, though. They'll send you back to your family for burial. Only Brothers are put down there."

“And those… sounds… come from the crypts?" Tuco asked in growing horror. What sort of undead things must be down there to make such terrible sounds?

Rigby smiled humorlessly. “Oh no. Some of it's just the sound of the wind, of course. But the Throat is also down there. You don't want to see the Throat. Not if you want to keep sleeping at night."

“Why not? What's down there?"

“Let's just say that not all of the demons' changes are as pleasant as mine or Lord Krastor's. There are three ways out of Abyssus Abbey. First, you can leave through the front door if you're not changed too badly and the masters have decided you won't hurt other people. Second, you might become a monster, and lose your mind enough that you attack other people here. There are enchantments and wards to stop you, but every now and then someone escapes--makes it past the spells somehow or breaks through a wall or a roof. Those go and live in the woods, until they die of natural causes, fights with other monsters, or get killed by the monster hunters. Queen Tibera pays big bounties for any killed monsters and every year there are a few dozen brave or stupid enough to try."

“But--but those are people in there!" Tuco protested. “She's paying hunters to kill innocent people?"

“Well, they aren't all innocent, trust me. A lot of them have literal blood on their hands. But yes. If you end up in the forest, that's what you can expect."

“And the Throat?"

“That's where you go if you're too dangerous to be let go, but you don't manage to escape. The strongest enchantments in the Abbey are down there, and they're keeping a lot of stuff imprisoned that you don't want to see. Trust me on that." He grimaced. “The things down there… I pity them. But they're not human anymore. And most of them would kill you as soon as look at you." Rigby shook his head. “Just manage your temptations and try not to wish for anything whenever you can. The men in the Throat, well… I knew some of them personally, and I could have guessed that's where they would end up. Their souls were twisted by desire long before their bodies were."

“How long have you been at Abyssus, Rigby?" Tuco asked.

“A long time. Look. Just say your prayers, watch your temptations, don't go anywhere you don't need, and do whatever a master tells you, and you'll be all right. For a while. Here we are." He waved his arm toward another hallway that looked just as large as the one they'd come down. “The small cloister. The doors to your left lead to the washroom, the privy, and storage. You can find clean clothes and linens in there. On the right is the apprentice chapel, the small refectory, and study rooms. Lord Krastor often leaves books there he thinks may be of interest. Do you read?" When Tuco shook his head, he said, “You'll have to learn. The Brothers will want you to read incantations and instructions as part of their rituals. Lessons will start tomorrow morning. Down the end of the hall is the apprentice dormitories. Go on down and introduce yourself. They'll help you find a bunk and trunk for your possessions."

Tuco stared down the long hallway. From the far end, he could hear the sounds of people talking and laughing. “Aren't you coming?"

Rigby turned a disinterested glance toward the far door. “I prefer not to enter the dormitories unless necessary. I find it uncomfortably… biological. You will be fine. Every apprentice down there has been in your position himself. They will show you what you need to know."

He gave a curt nod, as though agreeing with what he had just said. “I wish you the best of luck, Tuco Witchywine. Good morning." And then he turned gracefully on his heel and strode back down the large hallway. His footsteps made virtually no sound.

---

The double doors at the end of the hallway were slightly ajar. Voices from within were laughing and talking and quarreling. It sounded more like a menagerie than a room full of people--some of the voices were deep and rumbling, others high-pitched and reedy, some nasal, some rasping, some smooth and delicate. But they all died down when Tuco stepped through the doors and into the room. He stared around in amazement at the people there--men of every shape and description: some so tall their ears--or horns--scraped the ceiling of the room twenty feet above; some shorter than his knee; some with feathers, some with fur, some with skin like stone or glass. Some were in constant motion, mere blurs or wisps of smoke. Some had unusual numbers of limbs, or long tails, or hung off of the bunks on prehensile toes. And more than a few looked completely normal; their changes, if they had any, must be more discreet.

Someone sauntered up to him in an easy manner; he struggled not to stare. It was a six-foot tall rabbit man covered in soft-looking fur, cream-colored on his back and limbs, white on his chest and stomach. The neutral colors made the lilac color of his large eyes seem all the more unusual and arresting. Other than the fur, he was entirely naked, and Tuco, embarrassed, kept his gaze carefully away from the man's lower body. Still, the rabbit had an easy, buck-toothed grin as he approached; despite the bestial features of his face, his expressions were oddly human, if a little cute.

“Hi, there," he said, reaching out a hand? A paw? It had long fingers, but they were stubbier than a human's and tipped with dark, blunt claws. “I'm Pike. And you must be the Unchanged we heard was applying. Congratulations on getting in, I guess. I mean, if you wanted to and weren't forced to come." His long ears focused on Tuco. “You weren't forced to come, were you? If you were, we can get you out of here."

Tuco shook his head mutely and then remembered to take the paw--hand. It was warm, the fur silky-soft. “I'm… Tuco," he said, mentally groping for his own name for a second. “Nice to meet everyone."

“I understand," Pike said, putting a friendly arm around his shoulders, though he had to stoop a bit to do so. “It's a lot to take in. How are you handling it? Did you meet Krastor?"

“Oh, yes, I met him. He--he seemed nice."

“Nice?" Pike looked over his shoulder at the group of apprentices behind him. Several brows were raised in surprise. “Are you sure it was Lord Krastor you met? Did he… descend to see you?"

“Yes, he was very friendly. It must be amazing to be able to move through the world and see it like he does."

“Amazing," Pike repeated slowly, tilting his head. “You hear that, Walstein? Tuco here made friends with Lord Krastor."

At the side of the room, a man with long black hair spilling down his back all the way to the floor scowled, revealing thick, boar-like tusks in his lower jaw. “All the more reason not to trust him then," he grunted, and spat on the floor.

“Don't mind Walstein," Pike said. “When he first saw Krastor, he tore half a bookshelf off the wall trying to get away."

“Oh, I see. He has a fear of spiders?" Tuco asked.

Pike's ears folded back and then he chortled. “A fear of spiders. Yes, I daresay he does, at least after meeting Lord Krastor." Several of the other men joined him in laughter. Walstein scowled and hit the wall with one fist, and the stone block cracked with a loud snap.

“Don't mind him," Pike said, squeezing Tuco's shoulder. In a lower voice, he added, “But, uh, it wouldn't hurt to keep your distance. Not everyone is happy to be here, and many of those that were aren't happy with their changes. And we're all a little jumpy with demons listening everywhere. A lot of folks here don't want to make friends because you never know when someone is going to turn too far, and get sent home, or escape, or get put in the Throat. They feel like it's not worth getting to know anyone else. Me, I more feel that making friends is the only thing that makes this bearable sometimes. I know you're just new here and you don't know who you can trust, but I hope you'll consider trusting me. I can be a really good friend." He pulled Tuco a little closer, and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “Really good."

Tuco found that a little puzzling, but so far he found Pike quite agreeable, and he'd need someone to show him around and teach him how things were done here. “Well, that all sounds fine, but how do you know you can trust me?" he asked, trying for an impish smile.

“Ah. Clever lad." Pike stood back and looked directly down at Tuco, his long ears so alert they appeared to vibrate. “These ears don't lie. They tell me you're trustworthy."

“You... can hear whether it's safe to trust me? Is that one of your gifts from the demons?"

“Gifts," Pike repeated, shaking his head as if in wonder. “Yes, in fact, it is. I can hear danger."

“That sounds like it would be terribly useful in a place like this."

Pike put on a rueful expression and shook his head. “I'm afraid this is one of the few places it isn't that useful. There's danger everywhere here, Tuco. The Brothers, the rooms, the spells, the wilderness outside, the demons in the walls, the other apprentices… even the air sounds dangerous to me sometimes. It can be… deafening." He smiled again. “But not you. You, my dear boy, sound safe as houses. Let's hope you stay that way, hmm?"

That notion was strange--Tuco couldn't imagine being a threat to anyone. Even back home, he'd been small and shy enough that he'd been the easy butt of jokes, easily picked up and dunked in a fish barrel or a pig trough. Though of course anything could change here. “What does danger sound like?" he asked.

The rabbit let go of his shoulders and stepped back. “I couldn't explain it. Might as well try to describe the color of salty or the aroma of a joke."

Tuco considered that for a moment. “Well, if I had to guess, I think salty would probably be a very intense yellow. Not pleasant if there's a lot of it, but in small amounts it would make a scene more cheery. And a joke? Maybe that would smell like a caramel-dipped apple. Sweet but then the tartness surprises you. And if you have too much of it you're sick of it."

Pike gave him an appraising stare. His whiskers twitched. “You're too clever by half for this place, aren't you?"

“I'm not clever. I can't even read."

The rabbit's nose twitched rapidly. “I expect we'll fix that quickly. But for now we can find you a bunk and a place for your…" He eyed Tuco's small bundle. “Your things. I'll help you out. I'll find you a tutor and if there's anything you need… information, personal items, sex…"

Tuco almost choked. “Sex? But--but--?"

“Hey, the demons did make me a rabbit. And they had a sense of humor about it. I need to go six times a day and twice at night. Whether I'm awake for it or not. It's very messy, and I'm always looking for new… friends. It's been a long time since I've had an Unchanged." He sighed. “So wonderfully normal. No peculiarities to work around."

“But--but the third temptation. Carnal pleasures! Lust!"

Pike nodded with a buck-toothed grin. “Exactly. It's extremely important for you to take care of that. Look, when do you feel the least lustful? Right after you've come, right? You don't want to head into a summoning or ritual with a loaded cannon. You gotta fire that thing off, purge yourself of all lustful thoughts before you go into a room full of demons. We all do it."

Tuco turned to look at the motley group of apprentices around the room. “You do? All of you?"

There was a chorus of nods and yeses.

Pike leaned toward him and said in hushed tones, “You don't want to end up like Charley." One long ear flicked toward the far end of the room.

A young man sat on the bottom bunk, reading a book. He had a large, wheeled cart between his legs, and something was mounded up in it--a giant armload of blankets, Tuco thought at first, but then he saw that they weren't rumpled but wrapped around something enormous, something that filled the basket. Something thick, cylindrical, and extending up toward the man's lower stomach. Tuco realized his mouth was hanging open and snapped it shut. “You mean that's his--"

Pike nodded. “Went into a ritual with lustful thoughts and a demon heard him."

“Can he even use it?"

“Well, not like it was meant to be used. Not anymore. He can use it as a bed if he's excited enough. Though once he gets going, it's hard to get him to stop. Makes one hell of a mess, too. We'll have to wade through a room until the enchantments eventually clean it. So you can see how it's a bad idea to go into a ritual when you're… excitable." He winked. “And like I said, I'm always happy to help out with that. If you want."

“Well, that's nice of you, but…" Tuco fidgeted. “I… I don't like men, you know? Just women."

“Ah. In that case, there's something I ought to show you." Pike turned toward the room. “I'm talking him to see Elf!" he called. He was answered with several groans.

“Good luck, kid," rumbled a tall, stony-skinned figure who looked as though he were filled with fire.

“Who's Elf?" Tuco asked.

“You'll see soon enough. Everyone here goes to see him eventually, whether it's because they get tricked or because they get curious, so we might as well get it over with. This way."

Pike led Tuco across the dormitory room to a tall, wide wooden door hinged with wrought iron brackets. “These are the special dorms. For apprentices who aren't as comfortable with company or who have other needs. It's not a good idea to barge in here unannounced. And not very nice to the occupants."

He strained to pull the heavy door open a crack and then called inside, “Hullo, got an Unchanged here to see Elf. Anyone got objections, give a hey."

There was a moment's pause, and then a voice like a bell rang out, “Come on in." It was a round, baritone voice, rich and silky like chocolate ale. Something about it called to Tuco, said that the speaker was someone he would like to befriend, like to do favors for. It made his stomach feel light and jumpy.

Pike led him through the doorway and down a wide hallway. The candles here burned lower, with tiny flames. One side of the hallway was lined with more doors; the other was solid wall, but Tuco thought he could hear the wind howling beyond it. He wondered who lived behind all the doors. And whether one day he'd have a room here too.

About halfway down the hall, Pike stopped next to a door. “You ready, Elf?"

The voice sounded rich and golden even though also bored and somewhat weary. “Of course. Go ahead."

“All right, just look in there," Pike said, and he opened the door, turning his face aside and hiding it in the crook of his arm as he did so.

Tuco stepped forward, puzzled. He peered through the door into the small room beyond and the rest of the world fell away. One long breath later, he dropped to his knees.

Tuco was no stranger to beauty. He'd seen landscapes before that had made him tremble. Once, during a mass, the shafts of light through the stained glass windows had painted the entire congregation with dazzling, shifting colors and he'd wept in amazement and gratitude. And as he'd grown older and become aware of the attractions of women, he'd seen girls whose beauty and grace haunted his waking hours and tormented his sleep for days, even weeks.

But he had never seen anything like the man sitting in the room behind the door. At first he thought he must be staring at an angel, and then he thought no angel could be so beautiful. The man looked up at him with jewel-like, golden eyes that seemed to echo with ages of wisdom, kindness, intelligence. But these were the only part of him that seemed to be unchanging; the rest of him seemed to ripple as though seen through a glass, darkly. One moment he was long-limbed and slender, with pale skin that seemed to glow and long, curling locks of golden hair that hung around his shoulders, the next he was dark-skinned and powerfully built, with black hair that stood straight up in a virile shock. Now smooth-skinned, curvy, and feminine, now hairy and thick-limbed, now heavy with fat, now rail-thin and yet somehow always perfect--not the beauty of one man, but the beauty of all men. He tilted his head slightly and Tuco felt that the world itself tilted while the man did not move.

Tuco's heart pounded in his chest, his blood racing. He longed to step forward, to be in the heat of the man's body, to touch his skin, to be held, to be pressed in, to be consumed utterly by the man until they were one and the same and he could be part of that beauty forever. He could see nothing else in the room the man occupied, for he could not tear his gaze away from the impossible beauty of that countenance, from the strength and gentleness in his naked body even as it changed eternally. And it seemed that the man's body wasn't truly altering, not shifting or transforming, but rather that it contained many aspects, and Tuco's feeble mind could only see one or two at a time. Then the warped glass in front of his eyes would move slightly and he would see a new image no less entrancing.

He was in love with this man, and when the man's golden eyes stared into his with an expression of understanding and deep sadness, Tuco felt he would die. On his knees, he crawled toward the room, reaching out… and then the door shut in his face. All light and beauty and love was gone from the world.

He stared in astonishment and dismay at the ugly, coarse wood in front of him and then turned back toward Pike. “Why? Why did you close it?" he demanded, but already sense was creeping back into his mind, hard lines putting shapes to his sudden infatuation. Magic, it had to have been. But even just remembering the man made his body pulse with longing and adoration.

“It will fade a little, after a while," Pike said with a rueful smile. “But never quite entirely. We have all fallen in love with him. We can't help it. He was tempted by the lure of beauty, and the demon who answered him, well, he didn't hold back."

Tuco struggled to find his words again. “Wh-why does he stay here? He could have anything! He could rule the world!"

“Can you imagine the whole world reacting to you like you did to Elf? They'd try to take him, own him, consume him," Pike said. Even mentioning the man's name sent a shudder of longing through Tuco. “And that's not where it stops. We had one apprentice spend too much time in his presence. He stopped eating or sleeping. He lost every desire but for Elf, and to live with him and be part of his life. And then a demon heard him."

“What happened to him?" Tuco whispered.

“We don't know. We found his clothes. But Elf has a little rat that lives in his cell now. He seems to like it and care for it. Feeds it and lets it sleep next to him."

And Tuco felt sure that, if anyone had asked him when that door was open, he would gladly have accepted such a bargain, surrendering his humanity and sentience in exchange for a place at that man's side. It was still a little tempting, but the spell was fading. Still, his pulse was pounding and he felt lightheaded. He got to his feet and realized with some embarrassment that he was erect, his arousal pushing out the front of his tunic. He hoped Pike wouldn't notice. He was sure it didn't mean anything, though--anyone would have been overcome at the sight of such a person. Enchantment and divinity had a way of ignoring personal preference. “So, uh, why did you want to show me this? As a warning about what could happen to me?"

Pike just stood there, one ear folded back, watching him. His eyes slowly scanned down Tuco's body, making him blush hotly.

“It's not--I mean, I'm not like this because--look, it's just the magic," Tuco stammered, trying to find a way that he could turn so that his lingering arousal wouldn't be so obvious to Pike. Pike just kept watching, and Tuco realized that there were aspects about him that were appealing that he hadn't noticed before. The smooth, muscular lines of his chest, for instance. His lean, taut stomach, furred in soft white. The powerful bulges of his legs, and what was nestled between them: a plump sheath and round sac holding what looked like two impressively sized balls. The heat grew in Tuco's face, and instead of diminishing, his arousal seemed to be mounting. Pike, he realized suddenly, was a stunningly handsome man, rabbit or no. He couldn't tear his eyes away.

“Oh no," he moaned, half to himself. The coarseness of his tunic against his erection was irritating; he longed to pull it free. He couldn't believe he was reacting like this. He liked women; before two minutes ago, he'd never looked at a man with lustful thoughts, and now… now he wanted to see what Pike looked like sliding out of that sheath. He wanted to taste him. The realization made him shudder with mingled horror and excitement.

Pike nodded. “You see it now, hmm? It's Elf… he doesn't just show you the beauty in himself. He shows you the beauty in--"

“Every man," Tuco breathed. Almost unwillingly, he stepped closer and reached out to put his hand on Pike's chest. The fur there was silky-soft, and the muscle beneath lean and firm. “Oh no. Oh no." He said the words almost to himself. He let his hand slide down to rest on the naked man's hip and watched, mesmerized, as the pink tip of Pike's cock pushed up from the end of his sheath, standing out against the white fur. “Am--am I…?"

“Gay?" Pike leaned down toward him. He was much taller than Tuco, and almost had to crouch. He paused with his mouth mere inches away from Tuco's, his whiskers tickling at Tuco's face. “Why don't you answer that for yourself?"

The air between Tuco's lips and Pike's felt electric. He hesitated, not out of any doubt but to enjoy the hesitation, the trembling, magical moment of suspense. He could smell the faint odor of Pike's musk, the scent of his breath, his mouth. Then he leaned up to kiss.

He'd never had a proper kiss before; women in the village hadn't been interested in a dirty kid from a poor family. He hadn't expected it would be like this: the soft warmth of Pike's lips against his, the tingle that rippled down his body, prickling goosebumps out all down his back and arms and legs, the soft, warm, wet tongue as Pike's lips parted and allowed Tuco to lick slowly in between them. A hunger reared in Tuco, and he slid his arms around Pike's lean frame, pulling him closer as he kissed more firmly, more avidly.

Pike leaned up before Tuco was ready. He had a sideways grin as he wiped at his mouth. “Eager, aren't you? I think you might be gay now, you cute little Unchanged, you." Almost teasingly, he reached down and curled his fingers around his erection, tugging once and making it bounce, a clear droplet freeing from its tip and arcing toward the floor. Tuco watched it hungrily.

He shouldn't go any further. He was a virgin, and this wasn't how you were supposed to do things. It was supposed to be special. And what if he was under an enchantment? What if it all went away and the next day he was ashamed or appalled? What if Pike was secretly a demon and Tuco was succumbing to the temptation of carnal pleasures even now?

As if reading his mind, Pike let his lilac eyes slide upward toward the top of the hallway. “I'm right beneath the Gasen, and so are you. No demon is speaking to you here."

“How… how long will I be like this?" Tuco asked.

“You can't unsee what's been seen. You can't close a door when its wall has been broken down."

“Will I ever want to be with women again?"

Pike shrugged. “You're in Abyssus Abbey now. Will you ever have a chance to?" He looked pointedly down at the tent in Tuco's tunic. “What do you want to do now?" He stepped forward and put a hand on Tuco's shoulder. “No falsehoods, now."

Tuco groaned. “I want… I want to be with you. I'm sorry."

The rabbit's smile was gentle. “Don't be sorry. I want you too, Unchanged." And then with deft paws he was removing Tuco's tunic, dropping the coarse, dirty fabric to one side.

Tuco should have shivered in the chilly air, his naked shoulders exposed, but his skin was hot with arousal. He was deeply afraid this was a mistake, but he wanted it so much, and it didn't feel like a mistake--it felt okay. Even right. “Right here?" he asked, looking around at the stone hallway filled with doors.

Pike chuckled. “The floor outside Elf's room has been christened by many apprentices. You are a long way from the first, and you will not be the last." He leaned in to kiss Tuco again, and Tuco's hips twitched at the pleasure. He felt as though he were about to release immediately--something that had before happened only when he'd stroked himself privately or had awoken in the middle of a night of giddy and guilty dreams.

Without another word, Tuco kicked his shoes away and shucked off his undergarments, standing naked before Pike, his slim erection jutting upward like an announcement.

“You are a pretty one," the rabbit practically purred. “A bit skinny, but this place will have you eating well in no time. Come on, now. On your back. I'll show you how it's done." With surprisingly strong arms he laid Tuco down on the chilly stones of the hallway and knelt, straddling him, his own erection slick with the evidence of his arousal, bobbing in Tuco's vision.

Tuco wondered if he was supposed to take it in his hand or lick at it, and felt eager to do either of those, but Pike slid backward, his thighs soft against Tuco's sides. He stopped and leaned forward, the heat of his erection pressing into Tuco's belly. Something soft and delicate brushed against Tuco's tip, making his shaft flex and strain with need. Pike grinned down at him and flicked his tail across Tuco's flesh again. “Are you sure you want this, now?"

“Yes," Tuco groaned. “Oh God, yes."

And then Pike slid back a little further, and Tuco felt his tip push through a layer of soft, tickling fur and press up against something warm that twitched. And then a little more pressure and the warmth gave way, pushing around his erection, enveloping it. Pike made a long, happy sigh as though sinking into a hot bath, and leaned back until his rump settled against Tuco's hips. “Mmm, not a big one for once," he murmured. “Nice. The demons tend to mess with that before long." He planted a palm against Tuco's belly, brushing at it. “How is your first time, apprentice?"

Tuco didn't answer because he was biting hard on his lip, trying not to explode all at once and have it be over too soon. He tried to turn his mind toward unsexy thoughts but after seeing Elf a lot of his usual strategies didn't work and besides, this was happening, a tall friendly man had laid him down and was surrounding him and now he had begun to move gently up and down and he was doing something with his rump that squeezed and tugged at Tuco just right and oh gods it was building and he couldn't stop it and ah!

Tuco's hips jumped and he came with another person for the first time, his arousal straining and flexing as he felt his seed surging out over and over. The pleasure was overwhelming and yet he felt embarrassed that it had happened so quickly; good sex was supposed to take many minutes or even hours, he had heard from other boys on the street.

But Pike didn't seem to mind. He tilted his head back and let out another contented sigh, and then he curled his fingers around his own erection and, seemingly at will, released himself, little arcs of his seed sailing over Tuco's head and then splashing into Pike's fingers.

Tuco relaxed, his sudden climax waning, his cock hypersensitive to any movement of the rabbit atop him. Pike gave him an amused smile and clenched around him several times, making him groan at the overstimulation.

“That good, hmm?" he said, in between licks of his syruped fingers. “Yes. It always is for me. One of the benefits of being a rabbit, I suppose. No such thing as bad sex. Well. Almost no such thing. But it's so nice to be with someone without any… special considerations for once." He grinned down at Tuco's wide-eyed, panting expression. “I'm glad you liked it. We can do that any time you want, hmm? It's encouraged, even. Make sure you're not spring-loaded before you go tussling with infernal powers."

Planting his clean paw on Tuco's chest, he slid forward and off of Tuco's still-twitching erection, making him gasp several times. “All right, newbie. Why don't you head over to the washroom and get cleaned up, hmm? I'm sure a hot bath will feel nice after your travels. And you should find clean clothes in the linens room. They'll be a lot more comfortable than that coarse tunic you've got."

Shakily, Tuco got to his feet. “Don't we have to clean up the mess?"

“Pfff, the enchantments take care of that. If they didn't, this hallway would be white by now."

Tuco reached for his tunic. It did look pretty dirty, and now that he had it off, it stank.

“You can just leave that, you know."

“But--everyone outside!"

Pike shrugged. “A good quarter of the guys out there are naked now, and it's not like we don't all see each other naked all the time. The Brothers like us to be clothed--those of us who can still wear clothes--in case they walk in, but that's usually only morning or evening. The rest of the time you can do what you want."

“I mean… everyone out there will know what we did."

The rabbit gave him a wry, sidelong look. “Oh, sweetheart. That ship left the port half an hour ago. Still, do what you want. I'll see you later on." He winked. “First timers get in the mood again quickly, after all." And, erection still half exposed, he sauntered down the hallway and out the door into the dormitory.

Flushing hotly, Tuco picked up his tunic. He wrinkled his nose. It was dirty enough he half-considered walking out without it, but then he thought of the room full of apprentices… male apprentices… and his new appreciation for them. He groaned as his flagging erection pulsed, and reluctantly pulled his tunic over his head.

When he walked out of the hallway and into the dormitory, everyone applauded.