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Seeds of Divinity, Ch 14

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Regaining consciousness was not a gentle experience for Raedryn. Before he even opened his eyes he felt cold, and the hardness of the wooden floor upon which he lay. His shoulders hurt from how far his arms were pulled behind his back and he felt a burning tightness in his wrists-- moving them, Raedryn could tell that they were bound together. Oddly, the pain that took the longest to recognize was also the one that hurt the most: he had a splitting headache that created a pounding in the base of his skull, reverberating through to right behind his eyes. Even so, he forced them open so he could take in his surroundings.

The room in which he found himself was similar to the cargo hold he'd first encountered after being released from the barrel by Micah, but Raedryn could tell it was not the same ship, and that thought concerned him greatly. The hold was definitely a lot larger than the smuggling closet in which he'd been stored but it was nowhere near as cozy-- it was also a lot colder, and that certainly didn't feel comfortable on his nearly naked body.

It had been a long time since Raedryn had worn only his underwear and bed clothes anywhere but in the comfort of his own room and the ship's cargo hold was both far too public and far less habitable. Struggling against the ropes securing his hands behind his back, the young man managed to roll to one side then the other; his legs, he realized, were also bound, making it very difficult to sit up after being prone and on the floor. He did, after a time, manage to scoot his body over until his shoulder pressed against a crate and he used that as a brace so he could force himself up into a sitting position with his back against the wooden box. Although it didn't accomplish much, at least he was no longer laying down.

As Raedryn spent several moments taking in his surroundings, he caught the sound of boots on the wooden floor. The dark cargo hold lit up with the arrival of several candles and the young man caught sight of his captors. Two of them, a human with a wide brimmed hat and a fog coat as well as a black-furred Etamir wearing a vest and cargo pants were familiar to him; they had pulled him out of the smuggler's closet before he lost consciousness. The other two, a tall, dark haired human with a scraggly-looking beard wearing a tricorn hat and a short, wiry Goblin with a wavy mop of hair were complete strangers... not that he knew the former that much better, he reminded himself.

Having nothing to say and not knowing where to begin even if he did have a suitable topic for conversation, Raedryn simply held his council as the four men walked up to him, creating a half-circle so they could stare down at him. The presence of the rough-and-tumble men left him feeling uneasy as he purposefully avoided looking at any of them. They were pirates-- he knew as much, and pirates tended to bring a world of hurt with them. Pirates, he remembered, were responsible for a lot of his father's lost profits and, even more concerning, they brought with them violence and, as often as not, death.

Even without looking directly at the men, Raedryn could tell that they were the iconic representation of what pirates should have been-- or, rather, a nice cross-section of the different stereotypes. They talked amongst themselves quickly and, even though it was in the common tongue, their sea-dog accents made it difficult for him to follow; he presumed that they did that on purpose. Then again, he reasoned, if they had taken him captive and were talking in a dialect he couldn't follow then it was possible that they knew something about him, or were able to piece together enough puzzle pieces to presume that he was someone important. That was not likely a good thing.

The first one to finally address him was the human with the full-on beard and the tri-corn hat. "Ya know... there's a few things in this world that'll get me t'gut a man faster than any other... wanna take a guess what they might be?"

Raedryn immediately didn't like the topic of conversation and, rather than engage with the intimidating man, simply continued staring at the wooden floor. He jumped in surprise when the Etamir's huge foot slammed the deck right next to his own; the man who spoke was intimidating in words but the large, ape-like pirate was overwhelmingly fear-inducing with his mere presence. When the huge brute did speak up, his words were simple, and even more heavily accented than the Human's. "When'th'Cap'n asksyeaquession, yaanswer, lubber."

The young man did with as few syllables as possible. "N-no."

The Human who had spoken first grinned, revealing yellowed teeth with two missing. "Ah... he DOES speak... so whadda ya mean 'no', bilge rat? 'No', what?"

Raedryn replied. "No... I... I don't know."

The second Human pirate, the one with the wide brimmed hat spoke next; his words were surprisingly clear and eloquent-- bordering on courtly. Ray had heard the term 'gentleman pirate' before, but he never considered the meaning. It was an appropriate term for the man who smiled down at him as if they were sharing tea. "Many a thing to be sure... but the important one in THIS case is that the Captain deplores liars."

There was something about the man's voice aside from how little it matched the crass, grating accent of the first Human and the Etamir. Raedryn slowly raised his eyes and froze as soon as their gazes met. Although the young man rarely if ever took the appearance of other Human men into account he was stunned by the pirate's well kept apperance and handsome features. The glint of surprise and attraction in the well-dressed pirate's return gaze sparked something within him and, in that instance, he realized what it was: Raedryn was facing down a bearer of a Divine Seed. But the surprises kept on coming when the goblin spoke.

The small green man took hold of Raedryn's head and rotated it roughly with a yank until they were facing one another; he was surprisingly strong for his size and build. "Cap'n'll want a reason t'keep ya 'round... lubber like you--"

Raedryn's breath caught in his throat when the same shock he'd experienced with the well-dressed Human pirate choked him upon matching stares with the Goblin. "I--"

The young man's father had countless horrible things to say about the green skinned short folk but, in that moment, the youth could only identify the numerous features that drove him crazy-- the self-assured smirk, the gleaming, dangerous eyes, the swooping curve of his ears... and, oh gods, that was a HUGE bulge in his trousers. The Goblin pulled back almost as if he'd been burned, but his surprised expression was quickly hidden by a carefully constructed sneer. "Eh... pretty boy, ain'cha? Probably someone's plaything."

The Human identified as the captain by the Etamir gestured toward Raedryn, obviously neither as interested nor as enchanted as the second Human nor the Goblin. "Bosun... take this here lubber to the brig... should fetch a fine price."

There was a certain comfort to hearing the pirates' plan; he WAS going to be ransomed. In the same instant as the relief, a cold grip clenched his heart; if they were ransoming him then they probably knew he was from a wealthy family. He earnestly hoped they didn't know which one since he'd likely meet his end if they returned him to the city. "I-- I'm not worth much. Honest! There's nobody who could pay a high ransom."

The Etamir, apparently the Bosun since he responded to the Captain's orders hefted him up with a single, muscled, tree-trunk arm. "You? Ransom? Ha! Only nobles 'n' rich brats get ransomed... you'll beupfer th' slave lot, Humme!"

The Human with the fog cloak and wide brimmed hat shot the Etamir a glance and, as he spoke, offered a wink at Raedryn. "Royce, you KNOW I find that slang distasteful... the least you could do would show a little more respect to our guest."

The Etamir snorted. "Sure... I'll saveitfer when yer noddaroun'... sir."

Raedryn didn't know everything there was to know about rank on ships, but he gathered that, whoever the well-dressed Human was, there was a good chance he was important... especially if a Bosun called him 'sir'. An officer? He honestly didn't know.

The Captain butted in. "Enough jabberin'... Bosun, take 'im to the Brig. Rest of you, get th' fuck back t' work."

Raedryn was bodily hefted up by the Etamir and thrown over the broad, furry shoulder. The young man had a view of the well-dressed Human and the Goblin, staying right where they were, watching him get taken away by the large ape. Raedryn had found their presence welcoming and if what he'd been told time and time again by Herald, they were likely the key to his salvation. He didn't know how many pirates were on board, or how a single Human and a Goblin would be able to help him, but he had very little else to use to hold onto hope. They were, however, not in view for long.

The young man quickly lost track of the turns and various corridors through which he was taken, and the stairs the Etamir descended had low clearance-- being on the shoulders of a tall kidnapper meant that the top of his lower back got chaffed by an overhead piece of wood. Before he even had a chance to wince, the Etamir gave him a shake, slowing his speech just enough to be both threatening, and much easier to understand at he same time. "No belly-achin', Humme, or you'll get worse."

The hallway that concluded their journey was a short one that was about as cold as the cargo hold, but it was marginally better lit. The Bosun casually reached forward and Raedryn heard the sound of metal grate on metal before the Etamir casually unloaded him, tossing the Human several feet and onto a small pile of hay covered in a bolt of old, threadbare linen. Recovering enough to sit up after the manhandling, Raedryn realized that he was in a cell-- made all the more apparent when the Etamir closed the door.

Struggling against his restraints, Raedryn found himself fighting back tears. "Why are you doing this?"

Apparently unmoved by the young man's emotional challenge, the ape-like Etamir just snorted. "Y'didn'saymuch, lubber, but th'Cap'n'sgoodat sussin' people out. Like th' first mate said, heates lies."

Raedryn found himself trying to figure out where he'd lied. He hadn't-- had he? "I... I didn't lie. What did I say that--?"

The Bosun snarled, snapping his teeth almost against the bars, causing the young Human to fall back and away in surprise. The Etamir just chuckled at his response. "Starwithyername, kid... if yeranobody then there's nothin' wrongwi'aname.. right?"

In Raedryn's case, there very much WAS something wrong with a name. Never very good at lying, he had to come up with something quick, but all he could think of was how much he missed his companions, mumbling to himself to try and steady his rapidly increasing fear and anxiety. "Herald... Flint... Bird..."

The Etamir pulled back, cocking his head slightly. "Yasay 'Harold'?"

With little more in the way of options, Raedryn seized on that opportunity. "Um... yeah-- yes. Harold... Harold Flintbird."

The Ape huffed a condescending chortle. "Flintbird, huh? Soundslike yer from a familyaminers."

Overcome with a sudden pang of frustration, Raedryn couldn't help himself. "No. My father's a merchant king. We're fabulously wealthy and he'll hire an armada of pirate hunters to track you all down for what you've done."

The Bonsun's expression was unreadable for all of five seconds before he pulled away, rising up to his impressive height before letting out a deep, full-on belly laugh. It continued for several seconds before concluding with the Ape tossing an empty bucket at the bars separating him from Raedryn. "Whateveryasay, ya lil'shit. Pretty spunky. Should netafew extra crowns atha slave market, so don'loseit."

Huffing, Raedryn tried what he could do to make himself comfortable but the bindings on his wrists and ankles weren't very helpful to that end. "Whatever."

Chuckling, the Etamir picked up the bucket he'd thrown and headed for the door on the far side of the room beyond the bars. "Yeah... 'whatever'... ya jushangout. Ya won't be alone toolongafore someone comesinta start a internation."

Despite the Bosun getting the word 'interrogation' wrong, Raedryn realized right away what he meant... after all, what else would happen when someone was in a cell? He found himself liking the situation even less. Despite the frightening situation, Raedryn hadn't managed to get any meaningful amount of sleep and, both body and mind weary, eventually the lonesome silence won out over the countless concerns running through his head-- at some point he fell asleep.

* * * * *

Raedryn awoke with the start the moment the grating sound of rusted-metal moving against rusted-metal heralded the return of a pirate. The ache in his wrists and ankles had long since turned into a dull numbness muting the fiery itching of the hemp cutting into his skin but it provided little comfort in realizing that he was still at the mercy of men who were likely short of it. Managing to force himself to a sitting position he awaited his captor and what was to come.

Rather than the bestial disdain of the Bosun, the young man was met with the reserved smile of the broad-brimmed hat-wearing Human; the man had divested himself of his fog coat in favor of surprisingly well-fitting tunic and trousers. While the pirate's clothing was a far cry from what a nobleman or the member of a merchant house might wear, it was surprisingly gaudy for what Raedryn might have expected from a pirate.

The man's diction was also clear and, were the situation a little less imposing, the young man might have found it endearing. "Well... it appears you're awake, handsome. I suppose a rude awakening is one less unpleasantry forced upon you."

Remembering what the Etamir had threatened, Raedryn was conflicted; he wanted to put off the aforementioned interrogation but he also knew he would have to face it eventually. The thought that he felt an invisible draw toward the pirate in front of him, he thought, could hopefully be his saving grace. "The... the Bosun... he said that someone..."

The smile on the man's face turned into a scowl, framed by his neatly trimmed beard. Raedryn's heart almost stopped when his visitor held up an amulet. The young man would have reached for his chest had his hands not been bound; the pirate had taken the gift Herald had given him! Before Raedryn had a chance to speak, his jailor levied a question that sounded more like an accusation. "Where did you get this?"

Although the young man realized that his knee-jerk reaction must have given something away he nevertheless attempted to bluff his way out of it. "I took that fair and square off a nobleman! Give it back!"

Raedryn had never been very good with bold faced lies and the incredulity showed on the pirate's face. "Oh? Really? Describe him for me."

Shying away from the man, Ray fumbled. "Uh... a little shorter than you... light skinned. Red hair and--"

The Pirate raised an eyebrow. "So... a Human?"

Raedryn was able to push forward without answer the question, making it easier to skirt the issue. "Do you see many beast folk, feral, or green skin nobles?"

It apparently didn't settle the issue for the pirate. Leaning against the bars of Raedryn's prison, the man proffed the amulet up. "First: you don't look like a thief. Second, Humans don't usually wear the symbol of the Sundered God."

The ease with which the man had placed the symbol caught Raedryn by such surprise that he couldn't keep up the pretense. "You... know about it? About the Sundered God?"

Letting out an almost melodious chuckle, the man's mood suddenly shifted to one of levity and good humor, almost like a sunny day taking place of storm clouds. "I would like to think so... but that does leave me with questions about how YOU would... Harold Flintbird... assuming that IS your name, of course."

Rather than answered the offered inquiry, Raedryn posed one of his own. "If it's so weird for a Human to know, then how do YOU?"

In response, the man reached into his tunic and pulled out a small wooden charm attached to a simple twine necklace; Raedryn didn't have to look too closely to tell that it was the same as his own amulet, albeit, much more basic. "Just because Humans don't USUALLY do something doesn't mean there aren't exceptions."

With little more capacity to redirect the discussion or make further poor attempts at lying, Raedryn hedged his bets on the inkling attraction he'd been feeling and flipped the conversation, going for brute-force honest truth. "I am the Sundered God's Prophet."

The pirate sat up a little straighter, eyes widening for a moment before thinning out in disbelief. "Oh? And what Prophet would that be, Mr. Flintbird?"

Raedryn doubled down. "The one collecting the Seeds of Divinity."

The first mate stood there for several seconds,one hand with a single finger raised in objection, mouth slightly agape until, after the extended pause, his arm slowly lowered. "Either you know your history and are extremely skilled in the esteemed art of bullshit, or there's more to you than meets the eye."

Doubling down, the young man realized that he had a chance to make a positive impression and possibly recruit an ally. "And my name isn't really Herald Flint-Bird..."

The pirate's casually smooth snarkiness returned. "I would never have guessed. It didn't sound the least bit contrived."

Gripping his fingers together behind in back in silent prayer that he wasn't messing everything up, Raedryn came clean. "My name is Raedryn Wescott and, like I said, I'm the Prophet of the Sundered God."

Observing his jailer, the young man watched a glint of recognition flow across the man's face, followed by a sigh and his eyes slowly lowering to a downcast glance. "Well that very well settles it then, doesn't it?"

Raedryn didn't quite understand what the man was getting at. "Pardon?"

Chuckling, the first mate stood up and began unbuckling his belt. "A minuscule number of Humans would know anything about the Prophet, let alone the Sundered God... and fewer would be able to connect the dots in a meaningful way. Seeing as there's been reports of the church going after a heretical young member of the Wescott family, it appears you're either very good at connecting dots, or that there's an element of truth to your story."

The young man managed to scoot further back away from the bars, using the wall of his cell to provide him the surface against which to push off in order to stand up all the while watching the first mate drop his trousers, revealing a well-manicured pubic region; he was reasonably well-endowed too. "What are you--?"

The pirate offered a calm and surprisingly casual smirk. "You don't get to a position of leadership on a pirate ship by being slow to catch on or slow to act, Master Wescott. It's been awhile since I've fancied a boy and--"

Raedryn objected. "I'm not a boy! I'm... of age."

The young man watched the first mate's member thicken as it rose to attention; he apparently wasn't kidding when he expressed his interest. Stepping even closer to the bars, the pirate announced "There's one way for certain to prove that you're the Prophet, and we both know how the visions come into being, don't we?"

Standing there, eyes still focused on the tip of the pirate's head peeking out from within his foreskin, Raedryn swallowed against the sudden dryness in his mouth. The vast majority of well-off families believed in the clean, proper, elitism of circumcision, which meant that the young man did not often encounter an uncut penis, but it was certainly no more alien than what he'd dealt with when it came to a Varken, Sunfeili, or Molz. Swallowing again, Raedryn fell to his knees. Ankles still tied, he inched closer. "...we do."

The first mate's hips were pressed against the bars of the cell by that point and, as Raedryn drew nearer, he realized that there was more than enough cock poking through into his prison to get the job done. It was much too far along to be timid or shy by that point, and so he leaned forward, letting the pirate's flesh slide into his lips. He felt a pleased murmur from his jailer, followed by a hand coming to rest on his head. The first mate's voice followed shortly thereafter. "Although I do not doubt you, if I should feel teeth, that may give me reason... and you would be made to pay."

Raedryn had no intention of using his teeth; he didn't doubt that the pirate would make good on his threat. The young man had no experience in pleasing a Human but, as he worked the flesh between his lips, stroking its underside with his tongue, he came to the realization that it wasn't entirely different from that of his other partners. He toyed with the foreskin with lips and tongues, carefully reading the response of his jailer until he found what worked best. At that point, it wasn't long before the pirate had grabbed the bars of the prison, body tensing up. His voice emerged, tight and urgent. "Time to see the truth!"

It was all the warning he offered to Raedrdyn; a few seconds later he felt the flesh between his lips start convulsing and thick, musky jets of fluid began to spurt out onto his tongue and the back of his throat. The young man ceased his ministrations, but the pirate kept hold of his head and began thrusting into his mouth, spreading his seed all across Raedryn's tongue and shooting a few blasts right down his gullet. After several such thrusts, the first mate pulled back, letting out a contented sigh. "Well... that was certainly a needed distraction, young Master Wescott, however I don't--"

The statement was caught in the pirate's throat and Raedryn could tell why as the familiar sensation of a vision washed over him-- the first mate was doubtlessly experiencing his own for the first time. As with Raedryn's first vision with any of his prior partners, it was brief and indistinct, but it told him enough. In his prior incarnation, the Prophet had taken a Human disciple. While most Humans and turned their back on the Sundered God, the one following him had been raised by Beastfolk and had therefore been an ardent follower.

As the vision faded, Raedryn found himself with his back to the bars and his jailer cutting the rope binding his wrists. The pirate was murmuring "It's true... by the Sundered God Himself... I can hardly believe it..."

Hands suddenly free, Raedryn started with rubbing his wrists, then wiped off his lips. "I've been dealing with it for a few days, and I'm still getting used to it."

The cell opened and the first mate entered after stowing his member. The man had a large, imposing-looking knife in his hand, but Raedryn didn't feel fearful; there was an understanding between them at that point and he waited patiently for the pirate to cut the ropes lashing his ankles together. After that the first mate helped him to his feet and offered a shoulder to lean against as Raedryn worked to regain feeling in his feet. His 'savior' offered a calm, simple introduction. "I go by Ashe."

Raedryn had to ask. "Is that your given name, or the name you tell everyone?"

His new companion chuckled. "Both, actually. It is a perfectly valid name... written with an 'e' for common company, though my parents gave it to me because I had been covered in soot when they rescued me from a fire."

Raedryn read between the lines since his vision had all but explained it for him. "You were adopted by Beastfolk..."

Ash nodded. "Varken and Rakken... two moms. They were great."

The young man paused. "...were?"

The pirate shrugged. "Life's not always kind... even less so to beast folk... but I'm still alive, and now I understand why."

With feeling increasingly present in his feet, Raedryn was eventually able to stand on his own. Once he could, he asked the next obvious question related to is companion's statement. "Does that purpose include helping me escape?"

Ash's muted smile turned into a full-on frown. "There's thirty six crewman aboard the Petrel... I'd do what I can but, even as the first mate going it alone would be a challenge. Having some help would be... well... helpful."

Raedryn was pleased he could at least offer that much. "Another member of your crew is a Bearer of the a Divine Seed... that's something, right?"

The first mate's eyebrow raised. "We got an Etamir, a Rakken, and a Kornos on board... unless you mean one of our Zardons, cuz I am fairly damn certain you don't mean--"

The young man countered. "The Goblin."

Ash let out a sharp, sardonic chuckle. "Well of course... Sundered God's got a sense of humor, right? The god damned gunner. Splendid."

Raedryn shifted from foot to foot. "Is that... sarcasm... or...?"

The pirate let out a slightly more genuine laugh. "Better than the Bosun, at least. I may be the first mate, but i can only do so much... at least the other Bearer is part of the command team. Slag may be able to help us figure out how to get you free once he comes around to our side."

It seemed strange how quickly the first mate had joined Raedryn's 'side' but, considering the divine effects he seemed to have as the Prophet he supposed it made sense. "And 'Slag'... that's the Goblin?"

Ash offered a succinct nod. "Right. He goes by 'Slag' aboard the ship. I didn't know he was a follower, but I suppose that brings a few things to light."

The first mate offered Raedryn his amulet back, which the young man accepted with thanks and donned it again. "Okay... so... how do we want to go about recruiting him?"

The first mate was all smiles. "Well... Slag's not a very tall guy, but he's... domineering. You're quite talented with your lips-- if the same is true for other parts of you I am certain you'll have something he'd be interested in... experiencing."

Although Raedryn thought he was coming around when it came to intimate acts he still found himself blushing; it got even worse when he forced himself to nod shyly. Ashe's widening grin made the young man realize that that a plan was already coming together.