FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Seeds of Divinity, Ch 9

copyright comidacomida 2023

If Raedyn had expected a lengthy early-morning journey he was sorely mistaken. Rather than lead him through the pre-dawn city streets, Micah instead took him across the alley to a locked door. Glancing first one way then the other, the burly Molz pulled a thin metal chain out from beneath his shirt; on it was a small key ring. The Badger selected a key right away and unlocked the door. He was direct and to the point. "Alright... in we go."

The Human stepped in at Micah's insistence, having trouble adjusting to the even darker interior. The Molz didn't seem to be inclined to wait. "What's th' hold up?"

Ray stepped further in and then moved to the side when he saw that the barkeep was following after him. "It's dark."

Micah grunted. "Right... you Humans an' your poor low light vision... just take three steps to th' right."

The young man did as he was told: one... tw-- "OW!"

The Badger sighed. "Th' other right. MY right."

Even as Raedryn knelt down to rub his aching shin he heard and felt the Molz's hefty bulk pass by him. The room they were in was very narrow-- as far as the Human could tell, he thought it was some kind of aisle between massive shelves. A few moments later he heard the sound of metal on flint and saw a small spark from a rotary fire started. A second then a third attempt and Micah had a small oil lap lit, and its soft, orange glow filled the room.

Ray's first impression was not inaccurate; they were in some kind of storage room and on either side were enormous racks, each holding at least a dozen huge barrels. Each of the wall-mounted racks had three shelves, and each shelf contained four of the gigantic containers; the Human had never recalled seeing casks quite so large. Considering the strong scent of stale alcohol, he was able to piece together where he was. "This must be where you keep your stock for the bar."

Micah didn't so much as acknowledge it as push the conversation forward. "Cellar is used for other things... got this little side-alley shed fer a song an' ah used it to keep my back-up supplies until ah need ta refill what ah'm sellin'... been awhile since ah sold much though, t'be honest."

Raedryn watched the Badger, who gently caressed one of the barrels with a large, clawed paw. Although the young man didn't know much about the Teamsters except that his father thought they were lazy thugs and the Church didn't approve of their obsessive scramble for power. In that moment, Micah really didn't seem to resemble either of those descriptions. "You really care about your bar, huh?"

The Molz glanced back his way, rubbing his nose with his free paw. "Let's save gettin' t'know one another til we're safe. Fer now, we gotta get ya across th' city without th' Church catchin' wind of ya."

It took a moment for Raedryn to realize why Micah was grabbing one of the empty, lidless barrels from where it sat in the corner of the room until he set it sideways and gestured to the opening. "Alright... in ya go."

The Human stared, trying to figure out if he understood the directions. "You... want me to get in THERE?"

Micah gave a single, succinct nod of his head. "Yep."

"In the barrel?"

The Molz offered no further explanation, simply repeating his earlier "Yep."

Raedryn took a step closer and slowly knelt down. The smell of old ale punched him square in the face, drowning out any other smell and causing his eyes to water; although he was no lightweight, the sour, stale, almost vinegar-like aroma hit him hard and he had to cover his nose. "How am I supposed to breathe?"

Micah gave him a gentle boot to his rear, more an encouragement to move than an actual kick. "Through yer mouth. It ain't gonna kill ya, kid."

Forestalling any further objection, Ray did as directed and crawled into the large container on his hands and knees. Although he already knew it was big, he didn't respect quite how large until it swallowed him up. Granted, the accommodations were snug but, even as Micah affixed the lid to it, the young man was hardly jammed in. Letting out a breath in relief that it wasn't as claustrophobic as he'd worried, Raedryn immediately regretted it as his next breath in TASTED of old ale.

A moment later a small cork at the end of the barrel opened, granting just a small bit of firelight entrance into his confined space. Micah spoke up. "Gonna pick this thing up here in a sec, kid... I'm gonna keep it on its side while I carry it, but eventually I'm gonna pop her onta a wagon, and then it's getting set down with this side--" he rapped the section of the barrel behind the Human's butt, "--on th' bottom... make sure yer facin' the right way or you'll be doin' a headstand for th' entire trip... and th' ride's REAL bumpy."

Raedryn knew that he should have been grateful for Micah's assistance but he also couldn't help but admit that the Badger was neither genteel nor gentle, and he definitely lacked a light touch. He also felt a little bit of self-loathing when he realized that he really didn't mind. There was definitely something about the Molz that he found attractive and, for that, and the sake of his safety, he was willing to endure. Taking another deep breath and wincing at the scent, he realized that he'd be enduring quite a bit.

The world suddenly heaved around him and he felt dizzy as the barrel moved; a moment later he was on the move. Ray was astounded at just how easily Micah had lifted him. He knew that the Badger was strong-- the bartender certainly looked the part, but the Molz had hefted the barrel up with him inside it as easily as if it had been filled with nothing but air. It was impossible to tell exactly what was going on outside the barrel, but Ray pieced it together in his mind: the slight pause to open the door-- a swift-but-measured walk to whatever wagon the Badger had ready-- the up-ending of his world as down became sideways and backways became the new bottom-- then silence.

Raedryn remained silent, trying to adjust the angle at which he looked so he could try to peer out of the hole Micah had given him by removing the cork. When he finally managed to push his eye into place, all the Human could see was the sky above. He almost jumped when he heard the sound of another barrel get placed, then jumped in earnest when it bumped against his. Although it sounded as though he were talking to himself, Ray realized that Micah was speaking for his two benefit. "Just two more t'go..."

Things fell into place: his wasn't the only barrel the Molz was taking out onto the street in the cart-- it would certainly attract less attention if there were other containers involved. The Human tried to settle in after that, realizing that he was likely to be in the barrel for longer than a few moments... unfortunately. In addition to the horrible stench, Raedryn also had to deal with the discomfort of kneeling inside the barrel which, while it was more than large enough to accommodate him, hardly provided much opportunity to stretch.

His attention was pulled away from his predicament as he heard Micah coming back; the Badger was singing. While his deep bass voice was hardly the practiced kind of perfection Ray knew his dad enjoyed listening to, there was something enchanting in its pure, unadulterated presentation, and Raedryn's discomfort began to melt away as he listened to Micahs' work song, actively enjoying the song which, by all accounts, was designed not to impress or inspire, but simply for the joy of singing.

"Ah wandered 'round th' bar t'day

an' put more faith in th' Worker's Way.

Cleanin' glasses, earnin' pay.

Hopin' th' boss'll let me stay."

There was a certain tempo to the song and he remembered his sister talking to his father at one point about how some laborers used singing as a way to keep in time with their fellows and measure the pace of their work. He found himself smiling, lingering on the growling, raspy joy which Micah's manual labor. The Human missed the Molz's next stanza when he returned to the store room, but caught the next one as he tracked Micah returning to the cart.

"Ah made the stables clean t'day

an' put more faith in th' Worker's Way.

Ah mucked it out an' set fresh hay.

Ah shoed th' Roan an' brushed th' Bay."

Raedryn was captivated by the entirely mundane topic and the simplicity of the lyrics, enjoying listening to Micah sing but, sadly, the song ended all-too-soon as the Badger placed the last barrel onto the cart. A short time later, the Human felt the rumbling vibration of the cart on the move. The young man hadn't heard the crack of the whip or the whinny of a horse, but the Molz obviously got them moving and they were on their way. Lamenting the lack of song which was replaced by the monotonous rumble of road noises, Ray simply let out a deep sigh.... and almost coughed when he made the mistake of pulling in his next breath through his nose.

The silence didn't last very long as Micah ultimately returned to his self narration. It was done in a clever way, as if he were speaking to himself, but it was clear enough that Ray could make out the significance-- simple things like "Oi... there's Center street.... hurry it up, yah lazy Molz... night's not gettin' any longer..." or "Mmm... gettin' closer now. Dock's not far..."

Eventually the cart came to a stop, and Raedryn hazarded another look out of his peep-hole. He didn't remember any doors opening and was surprised when his view of the sky was blocked by a roof. A moment later his entire vision was taken up by a furry paw, which came to land on the top of the barrel. Micah offered a very succinct and direct warning. "Watch yer face, kid... gonna pop th' top."

There wasn't really much Raedryn could do to guard his face but he did manage to move his head to the side as the top of the barrel was levered free and he rejoined as much less stale air graced him. The young man, with the assistance of a massive Badger paw stood up. He felt a little flush wash over him when Micah spoke supportively. "Hold up an' take it easy, kid... ya' spent almost an hour kneelin' in a barrel... don't wan'cha trippin' over yerself."

The Molz's concern wasn't very off-base; Raedryn's legs almost failed to work and he stumbled, up-ending the barrel as he spilled out and off the back right into Micah's arms. He and the Badger stared at one another for several seconds before the Molz looked away, clearing his throat as Human just blushed, head swimming as he traded the acrid stench of sour ale for the heart-quickening bouquet of furry laborer's musk. "I... uh... thanks."

Micah set him down, grousing perhaps a little too much. "An' that's why ah warned ya..."

An awkward silence lingered for a few moments and Ray used the time to take in his surroundings. Although there was no light, his time in the barrel had certainly improved his ability to negotiate his surroundings. At first he was astounded to see that the cart in which he'd ridden didn't have any animals attached-- had Micah pulled it himself? Even as he was digesting that bit of information he realized something even more worthy of his attention. "This doesn't look like the docks."

The Molz responded flatly as he began sealing up the barrel. "That's cuz it's not. We're about 3 blocks over. Gonna lay low til boats start loadin' at dawn."

Before Raedryn had the opportunity to offer a rebuttal, a fresh voice joined the discussion. "Ah... Micah... I THOUGHT I heard someone making a ruckus down here."

The voice, while lacking proper high born diction was, nevertheless, fanciful and almost melodious, a smooth tenor with a rich vibrancy to it. The Human could tell immediately that whomever spoke normally expected to be obeyed. Turning, Ray saw the glimmer of two rodentine eyes peering out from a side door in the carriage house. Micah did not provide the speaker the attention worthy of such a haughty-sounding speaker. "Heya, Sterling. Yeah... ah need a place t'stay 'til dawn."

A tall, silver furred Rakken stepped through the doorway, his fur illuminated gloriously by the moonlight shining through the opening in the carriage house. Although he appeared to be dressed in house clothes for late night wear, the Rat's attire looked like it was designed to appear very expensive-- Ray may not have done well as a merchant, but he could still identify when someone wanted to look more important than they were. Things began to fall into place as he reassessed their apparent 'host'.

The Rakken wore the kind of a smile Raedryn would expect on a merchant, and his playful follow-up felt as sleazy as it did chiding. "Oh, my dear, dear Molz... why did you go and collect your own Human when you know I have so many fine options for an honored member of the Teamst--"

Micah apparently didn't share the Rat's sense of humor. "He ain't one of yer toys, Sterling... Templars're after us."

The Rat, Sterling by name, on top of haughty, self-important, and sleazy, was also apparently astute. Turning right to Ray, the Rakken immediately went into a deep, courtly bow, even going so far as to pantomime doffing a hat and pressing it to his chest. "Oh... then YOU must be the esteemed Raedryn Wescott... please accept as truth when I say that I am beside myself with joy to host such an esteemed son of the--"

The Molz walked right past the bowing Rat, grabbing him by the back of his tunic with one paw and Raedryn by the arm with his other one. "Can ya maybe make yer business connections INSIDE, Sterling? Templars... remember?"

Looking more bemused than admonished, the Rakken about faced and offered a 'come hither' gesture with his tail. "Ah... of course. Silly me. Right this way, gentlemen."

Raedryn followed, but Micah interposed himself between the two, mumbling in a low tone. "Ah trust him, but only fer the important stuff... ah wouldn't doubt he'd put a move on ya if he got a chance."

The Human found himself blushing, not just because of the prospect of a Rakken attempting to seduce him, but because the Molz seemed to care enough (or be jealous enough?) to not want that to happen. "Thanks. He's not my type."

Micah offered a toothy grin once their host had disappeared into the building. The broad-shouldered laborer glanced back at the young man. "Cuz he's not a Varken or Sunfeili?"

Raedryn felt his cheeks flush but he quickly buried his initial response in preference of something a little less telling. "I hardly see how my body guards have anything to do with what you are proposing the Rakken would--"

The Molz showed more teeth in a full-on smile. He stopped completely, tapping the bridge of his muzzle. "You Humes always forget yer all nose blind... ah could smell it on ya that those two're WAY more'n body guards... unless they're guardin' ya REAL close... like... in bed."

Ray could tell from the tingle to his cheeks that his face was lit up like a bonfire at that statement; Micah was certainly not wrong, but discussing those kinds of things were hardly what would pass as a polite topic of conversation. He opened his mouth to object but, fortunately, he was saved by their Rakken host. "I suppose you would like a place to lay down for the final hours of the night before dawn comes?"

Micah offerd a grunt in confirmation. "Sounds good t'me."

The Human stepped into the building beside Micah once the stout Badger had made space for him through the door. The entire place resembled an impressionistic version of a wealth family's home; despite his lack of business acumen, Raedryin knew what real luxury looked like and Sterling's imitation was second-rate at best. Still, the young man reasoned, it was probably approaching gaudy compared to what was expected of the people in the beast quarter.

Even as he looked, Ray caught the pleasant smell of lavender incense in the air... followed by the stench from the barrel that clung to him. Sheepishly, the young man spoke up. "Would it, by chance, be too much to request a bath first?"

Sterling offered another one of his flamboyant bows. "But of course, young Master Wescott... I would be honored to have you grace my bathing chamber. Alas, there is but one in my 'humble' home..." the way the Rakken said the word 'humble' left no doubt that he was offering up false modesty, "...but you are more than welcome to partake. It is up the stairs and, by coincidence, directly across the hall from the room the two of you will have available for use."

Micah's thick, furry eyebrows went up. "Yer havin' us share a room?"

The Rat winked. "I would say that you can thank me later but, in truth, one of my rooms is otherwise occupied-- no, I cannot POSSIBLY divulge who my little bird is-- and the other one is under renovation so, yes... one room for the two of you--" he turned then to regard Raedryn, "--but you needn't worry your sensitive sensibilities, young Master Wescott, for there are two beds, and I trust you will find either of them quite to your liking."

Ray was honestly only half paying attention to Sterling, waiting only long enough for the Rat to stop talking before he gave a quick, polite dismissal then taking the steps two at a time; the prospect of getting clean was far too good to pass up and, with the bathing chamber within so close a distance he could wait no longer. He turned down the hall, approaching the appointed door, and reveled in simple glee when he smelled the scent of soap-- not just any soap... QUALITY soap.

Doffing his clothes quickly, Raedryn checked the water; although running water was not impossible to find in the beast quarter, the Human was overjoyed that Sterling's home was apparently plumbed to accept heated water and not just cold. It didn't take long for him to draw himself a bath and, with a content sigh, lowered himself into the tub. It was obviously made for a Rakken, being somewhat thinner than a standard one (and a far cry from his small pool at home), but it fit his needs. He was just starting to get comfortable when his host's doting voice called through the door "The shampoos by the tub are for fur, but you are welcome to use anything you desire, Master Wescott-- my bounty is yours."

Raedryn reveled in the return to cleanliness and, as he was washing his hair for the third time, he paused, recalling the embarrassing truth of the scents still clinging to him as proof of his time with Herald and Bird. He stood up out of the water and start scrubbing his intimates, making sure that he used the most flowery, scented stuff Sterling had available. Ray didn't recognize the brand, and knew it wasn't the same quality of what he had at home, but it would certainly do.

Lowering himself back into the warm water, Raedryn was just starting to relax when he heard Micah's voice through the door, its deep bass permeating the not-so-hardwood. "Ah'm talkin' about keepin' an' eye on it... not runnin' the bloody thing, Rat."

Sterling's much more mellow, melodious tenor responded, but it didn't have the same capacity to make it past the door so Ray couldn't make out what the Rakken was saying, but he still recognized the tone: their host had started a negotiation. It was apparently not well received by the Molz. "Ah already said ya could have a party if ya keep an eye on things, Sterling... don't push yer luck."

Again the Rat responded; he sounded bemused. Micah didn't. "Fine. Ah know yer stickin' yer neck out fer us. Ya can have a ONE tankard party-- but once all a th' mugs're dirty ya don't get any more'a th' booze, an' ya gotta clean up when yer done."

Realizing that he wouldn't be able to stay in the bath forever, and also realizing just how tired he still was, Ray slowly climbed out, yawning as he reached for one of the large bath towels folded on the nearby stone counter. Not only was the counter not marble, but the towel was of substandard quality; Ray honestly didn't mind either fact, simply happy enough to be clean, but he recognized the little corner-cutting signs as a very telling fact about Sterling: the Rakken was very interested in social standing and perceived status, but either didn't have the money or didn't want to spend it to actually pull it off.

Looking down at his discarded clothes, Raedryn's face scrunched up in disgust when he realized that they were all he had to put on, and that they were as rancid as they were when he came in. He realized then and there that something would have to be done, and he began washing them. Ray had never really washed clothes, but he knew the basic premise of it and, since he'd seen servants do it on a few occasions, he had an idea of what had to be done. He got to work using the bathwater to try and get the smell out. In the meantime, the discussion in the hall had changed topics.

Once again, Sterling's comment wasn't audible beyond the basic timbre of his voice, but Micah's response was both forceful and loud. "I AIN'T fuckin' the kid, Rat."

Sterling's tone suggested he was chiding the Molz-- and so did the Badger's response. "Ya can shove it up yer tail hole. Ah'm helpin' him cuz th' Church wannts him. You know I hate those holier-than-thou altar-fuckers."

Squeezing the last of the water out of his undergarments, Sterling grabbed his laundered clothing and laid them out on a towel. He then rolled the towel up in the hopes that it would whisk the water away from them and stuck it under his arm to bring back to his room. Keeping the other towel around his waist, he made his way to the door, opening it just in time to hear Sterling say. "Admit it though... you WOULD if he--- ah, Young Master Wescott... I trust the facilities were suitable?"

Having no doubt what was being discussed, Raedryn nevertheless brushed it off in favor of trying to maintain some modicum of decorum; it wasn't easy wearing only a towel. "Yes, Mister Sterling. Most gracious of you. It was lovely."

The Rat was quite the actor; if Ray hadn't been so familiar with upper humility he wouldn't have been able to tell that the Rakken's blushing ears were accomplished wholly for show. "You honor me-- no need for the 'Mister', young Master... simply 'Sterling' will suffice."

When Raedryn had first encountered the silver furred Rakken he had started immediately to wonder if Herald's whole "Seeds of Divinity" thing was going to include him but, the longer the Human spent around his host the less inclined he was to spend any more significant amount of time with the Rat. It was, in many ways, a relief. "Well, thank you again for your hospitality. I will avail myself of it further and wish you a good night... or, early morning, as I suppose the case may be."

Sterling offered a needle-toothed smile in response. "Of course. I shall stop by to awaken the two of you just before dawn... While it will not be a long sleep, I do hope it shall be a restful one."

Micah went into the room first, speaking in a low tone as Raedryn followed. "Good.. th' door has a lock. Thank th' fuckin' fates."

Raedryn repeated his comment from earlier at the entryway. "Didn't you say you trusted him, Micah?"

The Badger grunted, closing the door and locking it before meandering further into the room. "Yep... and, like ah said: fer th' important stuff. Couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't wanna come in an' sneak a peek at'cha. He tends t' be a filthy kinda rat... Runs whores, pimps folk out, an' has a special business fer Humans who like doin' those-kinda-things with beast folk an' feral folk. Makes quite a livin' offa it too."

The way Micah said 'those-kinds-of-things' made Raedryn realize that the Molz was censoring himself for Ray's benefit; he found it kind of endearing, but the warm-fuzzy feeling exploded into something much more urgent and fiery when the Badger turned around and casually doffed his shirt, tossing it onto the back of a padded sitting chair. The Human had to swallow a hard knot in his throat, staring at the broad, muscular back as his companion yawned, lazily scratching his sides before turning around to look back at him. "What?"

The young man felt his face burn with embarrassment when he realized he'd been staring. Quickly coming up with the first thing he could think of, Raedryn blurted out. "Aren't you going to go clean up too? Did you want to bathe before bed?"

Micah blurted out a simple "Haw!" before moving over to one of the two beds in the room; they were small, but still easily large enough for either of them or (as the more lewd thoughts in his mind suggested) both of them if they were really REALLY close. The Badger began tossing the numerous throw pillows laying on the furniture off into various parts of the room. "Ah clean up when ah need to... a few days ain't a big deal... 'sides, a Teamster who cleans every day kinda loses his image pretty damn quick. We do physical work. Dirty work. Hard work... and we don't get paid enough t'take baths all the time."

Raedryn nodded in thought at that, trying to distract himself from the rippling muscles visible beneath the Molz's thick fur as his stout, compact frame moved this-way-and-that while preparing the bed. Focusing on his own bed in an attempt to tune out the distraction, the Human passed by the Badger, holding his breath so he wouldn't have to take in the manly scent of the muscled beast man. He gasped when a vice-like grip clamped down around his wrist, and he felt giddy when a scent as strong as the soured ale (but so many times nicer) assaulted his senses.

Micah spoke in a rich, rumbling tone, his voice vibrating so deeply that Raedryn could feel it in his bones. "You musta used some'a th' Rakken's perfume soap, didn'cha, kid?"

The Human paused, not sure he trusted his voice not to quiver as he slowly turned to regard his companion. The Badger was several inches shorter than him, but he still felt intimidated as he gazed into the brown eyes staring up at him. "I... uh... yeah. Did I use too much? Does it bother you?"

The rumble from the Molz was far more bestial than smooth, and a hint of hunger sparked in Micah's eyes. "Only cuz ah' can't smell you... ah like th' way ya smell more'n some fru-fru perfume."

Raedryn was beyond the ability to hide his blushing at that point and it was all he could do not to shirk away. "Oh... I--"

His words were ended the moment the Badger's broad muzzle pushed against his chest; Micah took in huge, full-lunged huffs against his bareskin. Each time he exhaled warm breath washed across him, setting every last little bit of his sparse bodyhair on end. The Molz's next words were practically feral, coming out as a near growl. "Fuuuuuuuck kid... ah never smelled somethin' like you b'fore."

The young man found himself backed up until the bed caught him in his calves, sending him sprawling across the mattress. Micah continued on, climbing up onto the bed, straddling Raedryn's body. The Human didn't miss very large protrusion pressing against the crotch of the laborer's thick work pants. He didn't bother hiding his own interest back at that point... not that he could have, considering his towel had fallen open. "I... uh... like the way you smell too, Micah."

The Molz licked his muzzle then, leaning forward, licked the Human's chest. "Ah'm not happy settlin' fer smell, boy... ah wanna know yer taste."

Raedryn couldn't find himself disagreeing; taste sounded like a good idea. He didn't have to wait long... and that was only the start.