FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

%MCEPASTEBIN%

~~~Fight Bokk~~~

After three hard months of trials, the 50 young roosters gathered in the forecourt of the Halapin Fight stable. The spring morning was chilly, and a tea-seller worked the onlookers and families gathered around the two sides of the yard that did not face the street. On the other side of the forecourt, a large platform had been placed the width of the open area between the rest of the courtyard and the great door to the stable.

Suko shivered and fluffed out his cream-colored hackles briefly in the brisk air. The sun would warm the world quickly, so he was not worried about being dressed in the uniform of the trialees - a pair of short, tough pants and nothing else. He saw his friend Allo in the next row back, and they smiled at each other nervously. The rustling and general movement of the other trialees stilled, suddenly, as the trial-master - a large black-and-red rooster with scars on his face and comb - calmly asked the trialees to come to order.

Members of the fight stable came out of the large green arched doors onto the platform in no particular order. The stable master, Suko saw, was in the middle, talking quietly to his handful of attendants and lieutenants. He was a rooster of all-white feathering and black beak and scales. Non-fighting staff roosters also walked back and forth, tending to whatever duties or errands were called for at the moment.

The great active gamecocks also walked out. Most of them stood head and shoulders above the non-fighting staff and the young adult rooster hopefuls gathered in the forecourt. Their apprentices ranged from almost as tall to a head shorter than their gamecocks. Gathered on the far side of the platform, they looked over the gathered trailees with cool appraisal.

Slowly, order happened. The stable master and his lieutenant roosters, all mature or former active gamecocks, gathered at the center near the door to the stable. The active gamecocks in the stable spread out on either side. They all wore distinctive grey vests and pants, made out of stout material that gave them a sense of unity despite the wild diversity of colors on their feathers. Suko tried to count if the feathers he could see on the stable master were mostly white, or mostly black. He couldn't tell, it was a random and even mix of both mottled all over his head and neck.

The apprentices filtered around to join and stand just in front and to the side of their gamecocks. 'Why are they still wearing their undergarments,' thought Suko. He hazarded a look back at Allo. Allo caught his eye with a terse head shake that Suko took to mean 'not right now.' The cream rooster turned back to the scene on the platform. As one of the shorter guys in the trailee cohort, he had picked a spot in the first row to both see better and be seen. He fluffed out his feathers again and let them settle back down.

The stable master raised his hand and the assembled chickens quieted. "Oh gathered roosters. You have come before us for a long and challenging trial, three months of challenge. We are honored by your will, your strength, and your endurance - all to become part of our humble stable. We thank you!" The stable master bowed slightly to the half-naked trailees, and held the bow for a moment.

The apprentices as a bird quietly sank to their knees, and bowed their heads to the ground. The massive gamecocks also bowed, deeply, from the hips. Suko was surprised. He had watched these assemblies almost every year since he was half-grown, and he had seen the stable master bow to a group of trailees only once.

The stable master spoke again. "We thank you all. We will accept twenty-five new apprentices as the second year apprentice cohort becomes our new wingshakers." Suko's eyes trailed over the assembled fighters. He saw one he recognized from the pits, a beast of a chicken with deep red hackles, a blue tail, and blue tints to each of his chest feathers.

"Some of you have been training most of your lives for this goal, to join a stable and live among the gamecocks. Some of you have families that have been fighting for generations. Some of you," continued the stable master, "come to use despite at risk to these connections."

Suko would not have noticed it if he had not been staring at the big red-and-blue cock. The rooster's apprentice shifted slightly at these words, almost like he was uneasy. The apprentice was completely black. Even his comb was unusually dark. The apprentice was unusually full-feathered, too. 'Maybe this guy's family didn't want him here?' wondered Suko.

"All of you have brought honor to use with your effort and endeavor," finished the stable master, who stepped back.

One of the lieutenants stepped forward. Suko knew this chicken, a big, older grey cock with feathering so tight he was showing some dark skin on his biceps, from the trials. A few of the weeks, the grey rooster had prowled around the edges of the forecourt as the young roosters went through their paces, demonstrated their strength and endurance, and sparred. "For those of you whom we accept, we will call your name and ask if you will join us as an apprentice!"

Silence reigned. Suko pushed down the urge to look at his compatriots. The sun slanted down into the courtyard, and was sliding very slowly down the western side.

"Penelan Ular! Do you accept the hard road of the apprentice, to live among us, to share our food and roof, to accept a gamecock master for the next two years?"

A lanky blue rooster with reddish hackles stepped through the ranks of the trailees. Suko knew him as a very fast sparring partner, with long limbs that could reach far. He looked a bit like a heron. The heron-looking rooster stood tall and exclaimed: "I do!"

The grey rooster called down. "Then come! Come an join us here!" and Penelan lept up without using the steps and strutted to join the gamecocks.

"Godar Chusha! Do you accept the hard road of the apprentice, to live among us, to share our food and roof, to accept a gamecock master for the next two years?"

A rooster stepped through the ranks, black with straw-colored hackles and tail. He was the most burly and thicker-set of the trailees, with yellow scales and a short beak. Suko knew him as probably the most aggressive sparring partner in the group of trialees. "I do!"

And so it went. Suko was fairly relaxed at first. After the first dozen of candidates were called forth to stand facing the forecourt on the platform, his friend Allo Manyoya was called. Allo had stepped forward, his spangled chestnut feathers glowing as the sun shone on them, and joined the growing assembly on the platform.

Then six more roosters were called forward. Suko shifted, feeling nervous. Then four more. Suko started to feel panic now. He resisted the urge to twist his scaled hands together. Joining the stables as a fighter was his whole life. As long as he could remember, that had been his goal. H was a great fighter, which is why he was invited to the trials. But. He hadn't even thought about what to do if he didn't pass. It simply had not ever occurred to him that he needed to think about anything else.

"Keh Yunheh!" called out the burly grey rooster. Suko didn't hear the rest. He watched a very light-creamy blue rooster with dark blue shanks step through the thinned ranks of the trialees, and join the crowd on the platform. He could hear the blood rushing through his ears. He focused on breathing. Breathe.

There was a pause. Surely this was not how long it took between the other candidates. Heartbeat. Breathe. Hearbeat. Breathe. Heartbeat -

"Suko Inazuma!" bellowed the grey bull rooster. "Do you accept the hard road of the apprentice, to live among us, to share our food and roof, to accept a gamecock master for the next two years?"

Suko blinked. He saw Allo make a little leap, so he hadn't dreamed the call. "I do!" he called back, in a voice louder than he knew he had. "I DO!" The grey rooster grinned, and called down, "Then come, come and join us here!"

Suko also leapt up on the platform as though it wasn't as high as his shoulders but just a single step up. He did not look back until he joined the mass of gamecocks and apprentices on the platform. He turned to look at the crowd of onlookers and the thinned ranks of the trialees, feeling the heat of his new stablemates at his back.

Suko caught the eye of Allo who flashed him back an expression of excitement. He kept looking around, and didn't listen to the rest of the speech from another of the stable master's lieutenants to the people left in the forecourt.

~~~Fight Bokk~~~

After three hard months of trials, the 50 young roosters gathered in the forecourt of the Halapin Fight stable. The spring morning was chilly, and a tea-seller worked the onlookers and families gathered around the two sides of the yard that did not face the street. On the other side of the forecourt, a large platform had been placed the width of the open area between the rest of the courtyard and the great door to the stable.

Suko shivered and fluffed out his cream-colored hackles briefly in the brisk air. The sun would warm the world quickly, so he was not worried about being dressed in the uniform of the trialees - a pair of short, tough pants and nothing else. He saw his friend Allo in the next row back, and they smiled at each other nervously. The rustling and general movement of the other trialees stilled, suddenly, as the trial-master - a large black-and-red rooster with scars on his face and comb - calmly asked the trialees to come to order.

Members of the fight stable came out of the large green arched doors onto the platform in no particular order. The stable master, Suko saw, was in the middle, talking quietly to his handful of attendants and lieutenants. He was a rooster of all-white feathering and black beak and scales. Non-fighting staff roosters also walked back and forth, tending to whatever duties or errands were called for at the moment.

The great active gamecocks also walked out. Most of them stood head and shoulders above the non-fighting staff and the young adult rooster hopefuls gathered in the forecourt. Their apprentices ranged from almost as tall to a head shorter than their gamecocks. Gathered on the far side of the platform, they looked over the gathered trailees with cool appraisal.

Slowly, order happened. The stable master and his lieutenant roosters, all mature or former active gamecocks, gathered at the center near the door to the stable. The active gamecocks in the stable spread out on either side. They all wore distinctive grey vests and pants, made out of stout material that gave them a sense of unity despite the wild diversity of colors on their feathers. Suko tried to count if the feathers he could see on the stable master were mostly white, or mostly black. He couldn't tell, it was a random and even mix of both mottled all over his head and neck.

The apprentices filtered around to join and stand just in front and to the side of their gamecocks. 'Why are they still wearing their undergarments,' thought Suko. He hazarded a look back at Allo. Allo caught his eye with a terse head shake that Suko took to mean 'not right now.' The cream rooster turned back to the scene on the platform. As one of the shorter guys in the trailee cohort, he had picked a spot in the first row to both see better and be seen. He fluffed out his feathers again and let them settle back down.

The stable master raised his hand and the assembled chickens quieted. "Oh gathered roosters. You have come before us for a long and challenging trial, three months of challenge. We are honored by your will, your strength, and your endurance - all to become part of our humble stable. We thank you!" The stable master bowed slightly to the half-naked trailees, and held the bow for a moment.

The apprentices as a bird quietly sank to their knees, and bowed their heads to the ground. The massive gamecocks also bowed, deeply, from the hips. Suko was surprised. He had watched these assemblies almost every year since he was half-grown, and he had seen the stable master bow to a group of trailees only once.

The stable master spoke again. "We thank you all. We will accept twenty-five new apprentices as the second year apprentice cohort becomes our new wingshakers." Suko's eyes trailed over the assembled fighters. He saw one he recognized from the pits, a beast of a chicken with deep red hackles, a blue tail, and blue tints to each of his chest feathers.

"Some of you have been training most of your lives for this goal, to join a stable and live among the gamecocks. Some of you have families that have been fighting for generations. Some of you," continued the stable master, "come to use despite at risk to these connections."

Suko would not have noticed it if he had not been staring at the big red-and-blue cock. The rooster's apprentice shifted slightly at these words, almost like he was uneasy. The apprentice was completely black. Even his comb was unusually dark. The apprentice was unusually full-feathered, too. 'Maybe this guy's family didn't want him here?' wondered Suko.

"All of you have brought honor to use with your effort and endeavor," finished the stable master, who stepped back.

One of the lieutenants stepped forward. Suko knew this chicken, a big, older grey cock with feathering so tight he was showing some dark skin on his biceps, from the trials. A few of the weeks, the grey rooster had prowled around the edges of the forecourt as the young roosters went through their paces, demonstrated their strength and endurance, and sparred. "For those of you whom we accept, we will call your name and ask if you will join us as an apprentice!"

Silence reigned. Suko pushed down the urge to look at his compatriots. The sun slanted down into the courtyard, and was sliding very slowly down the western side.

"Penelan Ular! Do you accept the hard road of the apprentice, to live among us, to share our food and roof, to accept a gamecock master for the next two years?"

A lanky blue rooster with reddish hackles stepped through the ranks of the trailees. Suko knew him as a very fast sparring partner, with long limbs that could reach far. He looked a bit like a heron. The heron-looking rooster stood tall and exclaimed: "I do!"

The grey rooster called down. "Then come! Come an join us here!" and Penelan lept up without using the steps and strutted to join the gamecocks.

"Godar Chusha! Do you accept the hard road of the apprentice, to live among us, to share our food and roof, to accept a gamecock master for the next two years?"

A rooster stepped through the ranks, black with straw-colored hackles and tail. He was the most burly and thicker-set of the trailees, with yellow scales and a short beak. Suko knew him as probably the most aggressive sparring partner in the group of trialees. "I do!"

And so it went. Suko was fairly relaxed at first. After the first dozen of candidates were called forth to stand facing the forecourt on the platform, his friend Allo Manyoya was called. Allo had stepped forward, his spangled chestnut feathers glowing as the sun shone on them, and joined the growing assembly on the platform.

Then six more roosters were called forward. Suko shifted, feeling nervous. Then four more. Suko started to feel panic now. He resisted the urge to twist his scaled hands together. Joining the stables as a fighter was his whole life. As long as he could remember, that had been his goal. H was a great fighter, which is why he was invited to the trials. But. He hadn't even thought about what to do if he didn't pass. It simply had not ever occurred to him that he needed to think about anything else.

"Keh Yunheh!" called out the burly grey rooster. Suko didn't hear the rest. He watched a very light-creamy blue rooster with dark blue shanks step through the thinned ranks of the trialees, and join the crowd on the platform. He could hear the blood rushing through his ears. He focused on breathing. Breathe.

There was a pause. Surely this was not how long it took between the other candidates. Heartbeat. Breathe. Hearbeat. Breathe. Heartbeat -

"Suko Inazuma!" bellowed the grey bull rooster. "Do you accept the hard road of the apprentice, to live among us, to share our food and roof, to accept a gamecock master for the next two years?"

Suko blinked. He saw Allo make a little leap, so he hadn't dreamed the call. "I do!" he called back, in a voice louder than he knew he had. "I DO!" The grey rooster grinned, and called down, "Then come, come and join us here!"

Suko also leapt up on the platform as though it wasn't as high as his shoulders but just a single step up. He did not look back until he joined the mass of gamecocks and apprentices on the platform. He turned to look at the crowd of onlookers and the thinned ranks of the trialees, feeling the heat of his new stablemates at his back.

Suko caught the eye of Allo who flashed him back an expression of excitement. He kept looking around, and didn't listen to the rest of the speech from another of the stable master's lieutenants to the people left in the forecourt.

%MCEPASTEBIN%

~~~The New Bloods~~~

After a few minutes, the speech ended and the grey rooster stood forward, and said, "Novice apprentices, those that have joined us today. Please follow me into the hall. Listen to the attendant who will show you were to stand as you are formally brought to us." He walked through the door, followed by a loose jumble of the novices in their pants.

The hall inside was darker, but well-lit from light wells at the far end of the long hall and windows in the roof. Along the walls, three stories of walkways with railings lined three sides, set with doors. Suko twisted his head around to gawk, like most of the other novices.

The attendant, a small wheaten rooster with a comically large comb, came up to them. "This way. Form a line here, starting here. Yes. Stand closer. No, closer together. Closer together. Really, shoulders touching. Yes. Yes. Closer. Yes. Good. Good. Good." and then bustled off.

The novices all stood together uneasily as the gamecocks and their apprentices followed in and stood in an array along the wall.

The grey rooster stepped between the two groups, facing the novices. "I am called Greybull, here. You will all earn your stablenames too, as I did and has every apprentice." The rooster paced down the line as he spoke. You are now novices in this stable. You have all been the best at what you do for years. You may feel proud of what you have accomplished. And that is good!" The rooster turned, and paced back down the line. "But here, you are at your worst. You are surrounded by those who are better, know more, and fight harder than you. You must lose that pride. Do you understand?"

The novices shifted. They nodded, and chorused "Yes," but Greybull was not impressed.

"Here, you will refer to every other rooster as sir. You may refer to your gamecock as master. You will always refer to Stable Master Hentai as Master or Master Hentai. Do you understand?"

"Yes, SIR," shouted the novices together.

"Here, you will not have access to your personal possessions except on Sunday. Do you understand?"

"Yes, SIR."

"Here, you will have no shame. You will have no embarrassment. Do you understand?"

"Yes, SIR," they bellowed again.

"Here, you will learn and serve. Do you understand?"

"Yes, SIR."

The echo in the hall, such as it was, ended.

"Then you will become apprentices. You will wear the apprentice fundoshi. So. Strip. Strip and hand your clothes to an attendant."

"Yes, SIR," they said, and then uneasily slipped out of their short pants. Suko picked his up off the floor and held them until another bustling attendant removed them from his hand. He stood there, facing the gamecocks. They all stood there for a minute naked as the day they were born [hatched].

"To each of you novices, we will assign a gamecock master. Your gamecock will teach you the deeper skills we think you need to develop to join the ranks of the fighters. They will also help you focus on your areas of strength to guide you to excellence. When you are not training with the other apprentices, you will be with your gamecock."

Suko's eyes wandered over the assembled gamecocks and their apprentices. He counted 25 gamecocks in their grey sleeveless tunics and 26 apprentices, in their 'uniform' of a strip of cloth over their genitals. 'Well, it's more than what us novices were wearing,' he thought.

"You are not your gamecock's servant or slave. You are to tend to his needs with humility and care. In a hard world, your home will be him," continued Greybull.

'Your home will be him? Not, "Your home will be with him?" That's a strange way of putting it,' thought Suko. He didn't look around at his fellow novice apprentices, but rather assessed the gamecocks. One of them would be his new home, or something.

"You will live with your gamecock. You will bathe your gamecock each day. If your gamecock is injured, you will tend to his injuries after the healers have seen to him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Greybull, sir!" shouted Suko. Everyone else just shouted, "Yes, SIR." As the echo of their response died, Greybull looked at Suko for a moment, but the cream-colored roosterling couldn't make out his expression.

"You will have a free day on Sundays. In three month's time, you may even be allowed to leave the stable without supervision on Sundays as well."

Greybull stopped speaking, and he was joined by another of the stable-master's lieutenants. This rooster was slightly taller, all his feathers a golden straw color with deep yellow scales and beak. He didn't look so overwhelmingly muscled as Greybull, but maybe that was just because he was more richly feathered. 'No, it would be hard to look as freakishly muscled as Greybull,' thought Suko, 'no matter how tight your feathering was.'

"My name is Goldenrod," said the yellow rooster. "Good morning, novice apprentices." Then silence. He repeated: "Good morning, novice apprentices."

"Good morning, Goldenrod, sir," said Suko. About half the novices followed his example and included the rooster's name in their response.

"I see we have a cohort of quick learners, fellow masters," said Goldenrod. "Good. I have here," he tapped a piece of heavy paper, "your gamecock assignments. I will call each gamecock and his apprentice in turn. They will come forward halfway, here," he said, tapping the floor. "Then I will call out one of your names. You will leave the line and join your new master and his second year apprentice. Do you understand?"

"YES, Goldenrod, SIR."

"Your gamecocks are being given your new garment. This will be the only article of clothing you will be permitted to wear during every structured activity, event, training, fight, mealtime for the next two years. You may wear a poncho on cold evenings or on your free time. These are available for anyone near the baths."

Suko saw one of the apprentices was staring at him. He was being stared at by everybody, all of the novices were standing there to be looked at, but this bird didn't alter his gaze. It was the uneasy black rooster from the platform, the one with the unusually rich and heavy feathering and the comb and face that also was so dark as to be almost purple. Well, the black rooster wasn't staring at *him* so much as Suko's body. Even when the rooster shifted his gaze upward and saw that Suko was watching him stare, he didn't look away. Suko almost didn't catch Goldenrod's "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Goldenrod, SIR."

"Very good. Now, I will be calling forward fighter Riverstone and apprentice Vali."

A totally blue rooster with yellow shanks strutted forward, followed by his apprentice - another blue rooster with blue shanks and scales, but with golden hackles, sickles, and shoulder feathers.

"Allo Manyoyo, join your gamecock." Suko couldn't resist. He cheered, a brief little crow. Fortunately, that encouraged the other roosters to also crow. Allo looked like he was almost blushing. His friend shook out his hackle feathers and strutted forward proudly. Both his new gamecock master and the apprentice smiled back warmly.

And so it went. The stocky roosterling Godar was assigned to a particularly cruel-looking rooster, The Cat, who had not one but two apprentices, Suko noted. 'I've never seen that before,' he thought. 'But that must be why there was an extra apprentice!'

Suko also watched the other gamecocks, the ones who were not getting new apprentices this year, and their charges assembled on the first-storey hall railing on the wall facing the novices. Seeing them all assembled like that, in two lahyers, mixed together, really drove home to the cream-colored rooster how the apprentice uniform made the roosters appear both proud - by displaying so much of their bodies - and also vulnerable. Maybe not vulnerable, but something like that. Something that really underscored that they were not at the same level as the gamecocks.

~~~The New Bloods~~~

After a few minutes, the speech ended and the grey rooster stood forward, and said, "Novice apprentices, those that have joined us today. Please follow me into the hall. Listen to the attendant who will show you were to stand as you are formally brought to us." He walked through the door, followed by a loose jumble of the novices in their pants.

The hall inside was darker, but well-lit from light wells at the far end of the long hall and windows in the roof. Along the walls, three stories of walkways with railings lined three sides, set with doors. Suko twisted his head around to gawk, like most of the other novices.

The attendant, a small wheaten rooster with a comically large comb, came up to them. "This way. Form a line here, starting here. Yes. Stand closer. No, closer together. Closer together. Really, shoulders touching. Yes. Yes. Closer. Yes. Good. Good. Good." and then bustled off.

The novices all stood together uneasily as the gamecocks and their apprentices followed in and stood in an array along the wall.

The grey rooster stepped between the two groups, facing the novices. "I am called Greybull, here. You will all earn your stablenames too, as I did and has every apprentice." The rooster paced down the line as he spoke. You are now novices in this stable. You have all been the best at what you do for years. You may feel proud of what you have accomplished. And that is good!" The rooster turned, and paced back down the line. "But here, you are at your worst. You are surrounded by those who are better, know more, and fight harder than you. You must lose that pride. Do you understand?"

The novices shifted. They nodded, and chorused "Yes," but Greybull was not impressed.

"Here, you will refer to every other rooster as sir. You may refer to your gamecock as master. You will always refer to Stable Master Hentai as Master or Master Hentai. Do you understand?"

"Yes, SIR," shouted the novices together.

"Here, you will not have access to your personal possessions except on Sunday. Do you understand?"

"Yes, SIR."

"Here, you will have no shame. You will have no embarrassment. Do you understand?"

"Yes, SIR," they bellowed again.

"Here, you will learn and serve. Do you understand?"

"Yes, SIR."

The echo in the hall, such as it was, ended.

"Then you will become apprentices. You will wear the apprentice fundoshi. So. Strip. Strip and hand your clothes to an attendant."

"Yes, SIR," they said, and then uneasily slipped out of their short pants. Suko picked his up off the floor and held them until another bustling attendant removed them from his hand. He stood there, facing the gamecocks. They all stood there for a minute naked as the day they were born [hatched].

"To each of you novices, we will assign a gamecock master. Your gamecock will teach you the deeper skills we think you need to develop to join the ranks of the fighters. They will also help you focus on your areas of strength to guide you to excellence. When you are not training with the other apprentices, you will be with your gamecock."

Suko's eyes wandered over the assembled gamecocks and their apprentices. He counted 25 gamecocks in their grey sleeveless tunics and 26 apprentices, in their 'uniform' of a strip of cloth over their genitals. 'Well, it's more than what us novices were wearing,' he thought.

"You are not your gamecock's servant or slave. You are to tend to his needs with humility and care. In a hard world, your home will be him," continued Greybull.

'Your home will be him? Not, "Your home will be with him?" That's a strange way of putting it,' thought Suko. He didn't look around at his fellow novice apprentices, but rather assessed the gamecocks. One of them would be his new home, or something.

"You will live with your gamecock. You will bathe your gamecock each day. If your gamecock is injured, you will tend to his injuries after the healers have seen to him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Greybull, sir!" shouted Suko. Everyone else just shouted, "Yes, SIR." As the echo of their response died, Greybull looked at Suko for a moment, but the cream-colored roosterling couldn't make out his expression.

"You will have a free day on Sundays. In three month's time, you may even be allowed to leave the stable without supervision on Sundays as well."

Greybull stopped speaking, and he was joined by another of the stable-master's lieutenants. This rooster was slightly taller, all his feathers a golden straw color with deep yellow scales and beak. He didn't look so overwhelmingly muscled as Greybull, but maybe that was just because he was more richly feathered. 'No, it would be hard to look as freakishly muscled as Greybull,' thought Suko, 'no matter how tight your feathering was.'

"My name is Goldenrod," said the yellow rooster. "Good morning, novice apprentices." Then silence. He repeated: "Good morning, novice apprentices."

"Good morning, Goldenrod, sir," said Suko. About half the novices followed his example and included the rooster's name in their response.

"I see we have a cohort of quick learners, fellow masters," said Goldenrod. "Good. I have here," he tapped a piece of heavy paper, "your gamecock assignments. I will call each gamecock and his apprentice in turn. They will come forward halfway, here," he said, tapping the floor. "Then I will call out one of your names. You will leave the line and join your new master and his second year apprentice. Do you understand?"

"YES, Goldenrod, SIR."

"Your gamecocks are being given your new garment. This will be the only article of clothing you will be permitted to wear during every structured activity, event, training, fight, mealtime for the next two years. You may wear a poncho on cold evenings or on your free time. These are available for anyone near the baths."

Suko saw one of the apprentices was staring at him. He was being stared at by everybody, all of the novices were standing there to be looked at, but this bird didn't alter his gaze. It was the uneasy black rooster from the platform, the one with the unusually rich and heavy feathering and the comb and face that also was so dark as to be almost purple. Well, the black rooster wasn't staring at *him* so much as Suko's body. Even when the rooster shifted his gaze upward and saw that Suko was watching him stare, he didn't look away. Suko almost didn't catch Goldenrod's "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Goldenrod, SIR."

"Very good. Now, I will be calling forward fighter Riverstone and apprentice Vali."

A totally blue rooster with yellow shanks strutted forward, followed by his apprentice - another blue rooster with blue shanks and scales, but with golden hackles, sickles, and shoulder feathers.

"Allo Manyoyo, join your gamecock." Suko couldn't resist. He cheered, a brief little crow. Fortunately, that encouraged the other roosters to also crow. Allo looked like he was almost blushing. His friend shook out his hackle feathers and strutted forward proudly. Both his new gamecock master and the apprentice smiled back warmly.

And so it went. The stocky roosterling Godar was assigned to a particularly cruel-looking rooster, The Cat, who had not one but two apprentices, Suko noted. 'I've never seen that before,' he thought. 'But that must be why there was an extra apprentice!'

Suko also watched the other gamecocks, the ones who were not getting new apprentices this year, and their charges assembled on the first-storey hall railing on the wall facing the novices. Seeing them all assembled like that, in two lahyers, mixed together, really drove home to the cream-colored rooster how the apprentice uniform made the roosters appear both proud - by displaying so much of their bodies - and also vulnerable. Maybe not vulnerable, but something like that. Something that really underscored that they were not at the same level as the gamecocks.

%MCEPASTEBIN%

~~~Sunk Costs~~~

"Fighter Endless and apprentice Aryodanang," called out Goldenrod. The full-feathered black cock apprentice and the great blue-and-red beast stepped forward. Suko watched them, and lcouldn't help but notice that the undergarment, stamped with the fight stable's emblem - a circle with a sort of bow-legged 'H' inside it - seemed designed to accentuate the fullness jostling around inside the cloth.

"Suko Inazuma, join your gamecock!" shouted Goldenrod. Suko was jolted alert and shook his head once to clear it, before stepping forward . 'Really, *this* guy? This is my new 'home?' He looks like a temple pillar!' Allo crowed for him, and others joined in, so Suko walked forward. He locked eyes on his new gamecock and just kept thinking to himself: 'don't stumble, don't stumble, don't stumble.' The apprentice, Aryodanang, reached up and gently touched the fighter on his shoulder. Suko thought it was a very gentle, almost intimate gesture. Was the apprentice calming his gamecock?

'Welcome, apprentice Suko," said the blue-and-red rooster. "I am Endless." His voice sounded like a bed of river gravel being ground over itself by the force of running water.

"Welcome, apprentice Suko," said the black rooster. "I am apprentice Aryodanang. Just Aryo for you, if you like." This rooster's voice sounded like he looked; rich, warm, and cultured.

"I, uh, I am, uh, Suko. Suko Inazuma, uh," stammered Suko. He had to look way up at his new gamecock. Suko thought the top of his head might - might - reach the rooster's shoulder.

"Apprentice Suko," coaxed Aryo.

"Ah, um, Apprentice Suko. I am." Suko felt like he was flailing. "A pleasure to meet you, Endless, I've seen you in the pits - "

"Master Endless," coaxed Aryo again. "Sir." The black rooster touched his gamecock on the chest with the back of one hand and smiled, looking amused but friendly. Again, it seemed like a tiny but very intimate gesture.

"A pleasure to meet you, Master Endless. Sir. And you, apprentice Aryo." Suko looked up - way up - and saw Endless smiling at him warmly.

Aryo chuckled quietly. "You're doing great!" he whispered. Suko assumed the black rooster was talking to him.

"You're right, apprentice," said the blue-and-red gamecock, tilting his head to the side. "He is a little on the short side."

"Yes, sir. But, as I said, he is fast. Very fast. And strong."

Endless did something unexpected. He walked around Suko, looking him over. He slid one of his huge hands along Suko's back muscles, then over his shoulder. Once Endless had stopped in front of him again, he traced that huge hand down over Suko's chest, trailing it down over his stomach. The big rooster leaned down to look into Suko's eyes, and cupped the cream-colored roosters balls in that hand.

Suko shifted a little uneasily from the surprise, but felt a little pleasure that his balls overflowed even the giant's hand. He looked into Endless's eyes. What next?

"But, if you grow into these, you'll be taller than I am, right?" Endless grinned. "By the gods, rooster, they must call you kneeslapper. No. You'll grow fast. And Aryo, you think he'll be right for me?"

"Yes, sir. Although it depends on what is inside him. But I've seen him in the trials. And if he can accept you," the black rooster said.

"I accept you, Endless. Master Endless, sir!" Suko didn't want to have yet another chance to not make the cut. This was the day he had been training for most of his life!

"Very well," growled Endless with a smile. He stood back up to his full height and let Suko's balls slip out of his hand. Suko felt an immediate and unexpected pang. He wanted to be cupped again in that hand. Suko shook out his hackle feathers and watched as Aryo pulled out a tightly-rolled cloth with dangly bits.

"This is called a waibakku or Y-back," explained Aryo, holding it up. He pointed to his groin. "You can roll the top up to adjust the height - "

"But this guy won't need that!" growl-chuckled Endless.

Aryo continued as though uninterrupted. " - and at the base of the front strip, the twin twines here part and come up around - " Aryo turned, and thrust out a hip so Suko could observe the full roundness of his rump under his tailfluff. Aryo traced a line under his buttock and up the side to the middle of his hip. " - and connect to the top strip here." Aryo kept turning, but this time not sticking his butt out to show Suko where the top strips joined together in a knot just above his tail. "The top strips are tied together here. It looks simple, but it takes a bit of practice. The key is to get the twin bottom strips to part just perfectly underneath you."

Aryo handed the waibakku to Endless. Endless took the top strips and let the hole garment unfurl fully, and lowered it down Suko's body until it was just at the top of his own hanging cock. Aryo reached down between Suko's legs, from behind.

"Now, if I lift this here, does can you feel where it parts in two?"

"Yes," said Suko, "but it's not 'perfectly underneath me.' It needs to be pulled back a little farther.

Aryo tugged a bit and Suko jiggled his hips back and forth. "There," said. "Right... there."

Endless reached around Suko's hips. Suko flinched a little. He could feel the heat from the gamecock's body. The big rooster tied the top straps just over his down-slanting cream-colored tail. Aryo pulled and lifted the understraps up and around Suko's rump. "I'll tie the left," growled the big rooster. "No, your left. There..." Aryo tied the other understrap on his opposite hip.

"There," said the black rooster. "To take off, just untie the bow over your tail."

"Like a present," growled Endless. Suko didn't know what to say to that. So he just said, "Yes. Sir."

Both Endless and Aryo stood back. Endless cocked his head to one side. "Apprentice, I'd say you are almost out of uniform."* [note: this is a quote stolen from the movie 'Down Periscope']

"Sir?"

Aryo chuckled again, a rich and warm sound. "If you are showing more than a finger's width of your cock over the top of your waibakku, it's considered ... immodest. Though there is nothing about visibility from the sides, which, I see you are getting plenty of fresh air, Suko."

Just then, Goldenrod barked. "Everyone dressed, perfect. Gamecocks, take your new apprentices and show them the baths, the refrectory, the infirmary, their new homes. Greet your new stablemates. We will meet for second meal."

~~~Sunk Costs~~~

"Fighter Endless and apprentice Aryodanang," called out Goldenrod. The full-feathered black cock apprentice and the great blue-and-red beast stepped forward. Suko watched them, and lcouldn't help but notice that the undergarment, stamped with the fight stable's emblem - a circle with a sort of bow-legged 'H' inside it - seemed designed to accentuate the fullness jostling around inside the cloth.

"Suko Inazuma, join your gamecock!" shouted Goldenrod. Suko was jolted alert and shook his head once to clear it, before stepping forward . 'Really, *this* guy? This is my new 'home?' He looks like a temple pillar!' Allo crowed for him, and others joined in, so Suko walked forward. He locked eyes on his new gamecock and just kept thinking to himself: 'don't stumble, don't stumble, don't stumble.' The apprentice, Aryodanang, reached up and gently touched the fighter on his shoulder. Suko thought it was a very gentle, almost intimate gesture. Was the apprentice calming his gamecock?

'Welcome, apprentice Suko," said the blue-and-red rooster. "I am Endless." His voice sounded like a bed of river gravel being ground over itself by the force of running water.

"Welcome, apprentice Suko," said the black rooster. "I am apprentice Aryodanang. Just Aryo for you, if you like." This rooster's voice sounded like he looked; rich, warm, and cultured.

"I, uh, I am, uh, Suko. Suko Inazuma, uh," stammered Suko. He had to look way up at his new gamecock. Suko thought the top of his head might - might - reach the rooster's shoulder.

"Apprentice Suko," coaxed Aryo.

"Ah, um, Apprentice Suko. I am." Suko felt like he was flailing. "A pleasure to meet you, Endless, I've seen you in the pits - "

"Master Endless," coaxed Aryo again. "Sir." The black rooster touched his gamecock on the chest with the back of one hand and smiled, looking amused but friendly. Again, it seemed like a tiny but very intimate gesture.

"A pleasure to meet you, Master Endless. Sir. And you, apprentice Aryo." Suko looked up - way up - and saw Endless smiling at him warmly.

Aryo chuckled quietly. "You're doing great!" he whispered. Suko assumed the black rooster was talking to him.

"You're right, apprentice," said the blue-and-red gamecock, tilting his head to the side. "He is a little on the short side."

"Yes, sir. But, as I said, he is fast. Very fast. And strong."

Endless did something unexpected. He walked around Suko, looking him over. He slid one of his huge hands along Suko's back muscles, then over his shoulder. Once Endless had stopped in front of him again, he traced that huge hand down over Suko's chest, trailing it down over his stomach. The big rooster leaned down to look into Suko's eyes, and cupped the cream-colored roosters balls in that hand.

Suko shifted a little uneasily from the surprise, but felt a little pleasure that his balls overflowed even the giant's hand. He looked into Endless's eyes. What next?

"But, if you grow into these, you'll be taller than I am, right?" Endless grinned. "By the gods, rooster, they must call you kneeslapper. No. You'll grow fast. And Aryo, you think he'll be right for me?"

"Yes, sir. Although it depends on what is inside him. But I've seen him in the trials. And if he can accept you," the black rooster said.

"I accept you, Endless. Master Endless, sir!" Suko didn't want to have yet another chance to not make the cut. This was the day he had been training for most of his life!

"Very well," growled Endless with a smile. He stood back up to his full height and let Suko's balls slip out of his hand. Suko felt an immediate and unexpected pang. He wanted to be cupped again in that hand. Suko shook out his hackle feathers and watched as Aryo pulled out a tightly-rolled cloth with dangly bits.

"This is called a waibakku or Y-back," explained Aryo, holding it up. He pointed to his groin. "You can roll the top up to adjust the height - "

"But this guy won't need that!" growl-chuckled Endless.

Aryo continued as though uninterrupted. " - and at the base of the front strip, the twin twines here part and come up around - " Aryo turned, and thrust out a hip so Suko could observe the full roundness of his rump under his tailfluff. Aryo traced a line under his buttock and up the side to the middle of his hip. " - and connect to the top strip here." Aryo kept turning, but this time not sticking his butt out to show Suko where the top strips joined together in a knot just above his tail. "The top strips are tied together here. It looks simple, but it takes a bit of practice. The key is to get the twin bottom strips to part just perfectly underneath you."

Aryo handed the waibakku to Endless. Endless took the top strips and let the hole garment unfurl fully, and lowered it down Suko's body until it was just at the top of his own hanging cock. Aryo reached down between Suko's legs, from behind.

"Now, if I lift this here, does can you feel where it parts in two?"

"Yes," said Suko, "but it's not 'perfectly underneath me.' It needs to be pulled back a little farther.

Aryo tugged a bit and Suko jiggled his hips back and forth. "There," said. "Right... there."

Endless reached around Suko's hips. Suko flinched a little. He could feel the heat from the gamecock's body. The big rooster tied the top straps just over his down-slanting cream-colored tail. Aryo pulled and lifted the understraps up and around Suko's rump. "I'll tie the left," growled the big rooster. "No, your left. There..." Aryo tied the other understrap on his opposite hip.

"There," said the black rooster. "To take off, just untie the bow over your tail."

"Like a present," growled Endless. Suko didn't know what to say to that. So he just said, "Yes. Sir."

Both Endless and Aryo stood back. Endless cocked his head to one side. "Apprentice, I'd say you are almost out of uniform."* [note: this is a quote stolen from the movie 'Down Periscope']

"Sir?"

Aryo chuckled again, a rich and warm sound. "If you are showing more than a finger's width of your cock over the top of your waibakku, it's considered ... immodest. Though there is nothing about visibility from the sides, which, I see you are getting plenty of fresh air, Suko."

Just then, Goldenrod barked. "Everyone dressed, perfect. Gamecocks, take your new apprentices and show them the baths, the refrectory, the infirmary, their new homes. Greet your new stablemates. We will meet for second meal."

%MCEPASTEBIN%

~~~Well, Come~~~

Greybull also called out, in a much more jovial and friendly voice. "Everyone, welcome. WELCOME. This is your new home, let's all say hello!"

The gamecocks and apprentices assembled on the railing above started filtering either way, where there must have been stairs because they started to appear at doors on either end of the practice hall. The new apprentices, their gamecocks, and the other apprentices all relaxed and started chatting, congratulating each other on making it through the trials.

Allo came over, followed by his new gamecock and second-year apprentice - the two blue roosters. "Heeyyyyy Suko! Wow! WOW. Hey!" and Suko and his buddy crowed quietly to each other. Suko let giddiness wash out of his body, over his limbs, and fist-bumped his spangled buddy and they hugged.

"Suko! This is Master Derecho, and this is Apprentice Khazinah!" Allo crowed. The spangled chestnut rooster looked beside himself with happiness.

"Wow," said Suko, bowing slightly to Derecho. "Pleasure to meet you, sir, pleasure, Khazinah. Allo, this is my master, Endless, and Apprentice, uh, Aryodanang."

The tall rooster inclined his head to Suko, with a warm smile. "Welcome, Apprentice Suko. Endless! A happy day, no?"

Fighter Endless grinned and ruffled the other big rooster's shoulder feathers. "Always a good day, always!"

The blue-and-gold feathered apprentice, Khazinah, reached out to shake Suko's hand. Suko smiled back, looking Khazinah in the eyes. He took the blue claws in his own... only to find that the rooster had also reached out with his left to cup his balls again. Suko jerked a little in surprise.

Looking over at Allo, he saw his friend also clasping hands with Aryo. Aryo also was holding Allo's balls in his other hand. Allo was chatting to the black rooster, and, without breaking eye contact, also reached out to softly heft and hold the other rooster's sack.

Allo must have seen Suko's confusion out of the corner of his eye, because he broke off chatting to lean towards Suko. "Hey, it's their way of saying 'we're safe, we're friends.' It's normal, I guess?"

Suko took a fraction of a second to look around the great hall. Sure enough, several of the older and novice apprentices were greeting each other by clasping their right hands while they chatted, and gently holding each other's balls in the fabric of the waibakku.

"Oh, uh, Khazinah. I didn't mean to, uh. Leave you hanging," Suko said, looking back to the blue-and-gold second year. Khazinah flashed him a wink, and pushed his hips slightly forward, making his balls even more prominent. Suko reached out with his left hand, and... slipped it under those full eggs. They were warm, and soft, and surprisingly heavy.

"Don't worry, Suko," said Khazinah in a friendly voice. "It's a totally new world in here, right? It's gonna be wild getting adjusted." Khazinah let the fullness of Suko's scrotum overfill his hand. "I think you're gonna be fine, though. You have a lot of good roosters around."

The second year turned his head towards Endless, who was having a brief reminiscence about the last new apprentice days they were part of two years ago. "Endless, sir. Aryo wasn't lying when he said you were getting a very gifted apprentice!"

Endless looked back and laughed. This was the second time someone had made a reference to the size of his genitals in a few minutes. Was this normal? Suko shook his head and neck feathers out and took a breath. They were both still clasping hands and holding each other's balls. "Hey. Well. Wow. It is a strange new world!"

Khazinah let go of Suko, first with his left hand and then with his right. "It's good to have a friend, too," he said, jerking his head towards Allo. "You'll take care of each other." Fighter Derecho jerked his head lightly. "Let's go meet the others, too, Allo," called out Khazinah. Allo waved and walked off with them, into the milling crowd of first-years and the other gamecocks.

"That was a surprise," said Suko to Aryo. "Didn't know were were going to go around, you know, grasping each other like that."

Aryo had the decency to look a bit guilty. "Yes. I think we skipped that part because we took so much time getting your waibakku to, uh, fit." Endless shrugged and said "There's a lot to go over in these first days. Like the other apprentice said, it's a totally new world for most of you new ones!"

They wandered towards the far end of the hall. Endless and Aryo stopped to greet the new apprentices. 'These are the roosters who must have been their friends, based on how close they all seem,' thought Suko. There was lots of hand-clasping and ball-holding. Suko was having a lot of trouble not springing an erection with all the stimulation. He could feel some preslime pooling at the end of his penis, though.

Endless and another giant rooster with a first-year apprentice started chatting animatedly. Suko watched Aryo and the first-year also greeted each other with the scrotum-holding, but not the hand-clasp.

Suko had a sudden, rare moment without someone talking to him, clapping him on the shoulder, or holding his balls. He looked around and saw a gaggle of four of the big roosters standing together, talking. None of them had new apprentices. Their first-years were talking to each other, or greeting the new apprentices nearby (more ball-holding).

All four of them were looking at him, though. He looked back, tilting his head to the side. One of the roosters - a big red pyle, white, with white shanks and scales, but flame-red hackles, sickles, and shoulder feathers - was really looking at him intently. He watched the big rooster's eyes wander over his body, before meeting his eyes. The red pyle grinned and started walking his way, a sort of rolling strut.

The big red pyle was tall, like all the big roosters, and built. He also had long limbs. His arms and hands - big hands - swung so low they were well past half-way down his thighs.

Suko gulped. The red pyle sauntered directly towards him, idly scratching under his sleeveless shirt. 'Did he ... did he shorten his shirt?' thought Suko. None of the other roosters had midriffs that were revealed like that. Chisled midriffs.

The rooster had the body that Suko had wanted so desperately when he was a teen-aged cockerel. Long limbs, well muscled, that looked like a cool drink of water. A saunter that would make anyone break out in a sweat. Um.

"Hey," said the red-and-white rooster. "Welcome to the stable, little dude." He reached out and rested his hand on Suko's shoulder, heavily. "I'm Ironwood."

"Thank, um, thank you, Master Ironwood, sir." Suko found himself leaning slightly back as Ironwood edged closer. Again, he could feel the heat burning off the big rooster's body.

The red pyle grinned. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder, up towards the rafters. "See that last door on the third hall? That's my place. I want you to know," he said in a deep, velvety voice, "you can come by anytime."

"Thank you, uh. Thank you for making me feel so, er, welcome, Ironwood sir." Suko felt like he was stammering. His jaw was definitely tense. 'Remember to breathe,' he reminded himself. His body relaxed slightly.

"Yeah." Ironwood's hand slipped over his shoulder, so he almost had his arm around the smaller rooster. "Although sometimes people call me 'More.'"

"More, sir?" Suko said before he thought about the words.

"Exaaaactly," purred Ironwood.

'By the gods, this guy is coming onto me like a tonne of /bricks/,' thought Suko. He'd had people come on to him, males and females, but Ironwood was in a class alone.

The big red pyle reached up his other big hand, and touched Suko on the chest, and then gestured towards the other three roosters. "Me and my friends over there, like to get together sometimes, on Sundays." The three hulking roosters watched them like hungry monsters. 'No, not hungry monsters,' thought Suko. 'Monsters who have eaten their fill but see something delicious.' "We have, you know, little parties. Come by if you're, you know, ever." The big rooster let his large hand trail off Suko's shoulder, down to the small of his back. "Bored."

Just then, Endless loomed into view over Ironwood's shoulder. "Hey, Ironwood! I see you've met my new apprentice." His voice sounded jovial, but he did not look happy.

Ironwood smiled down at Suko, and turned towards him... but not without lingering, holding his head so that his gaze stayed right into Suko's eyes.

"Endless, what a lucky duck you always are," the big red pyle soothed, clapping Endless on the shoulder. It sounded like a hundredweight of hanging ham being hit with a ten-pound wooden mallet. Ironwood stepped over to stand near Endless. "But no, I didn't get a chance to get his name."

Endless smiled at Ironwood, but that smile did not reach his eyes. He looked like he was going to say something, but Suko interrupted.

"Suko, sir. Apprentice Suko Inazawa." He bowed slightly.

With that, Endless wrapped one of his arms around Ironwood's shoulders and steered him away, saying "I'm sure one day soon he'll tell you... more," and flashed Suko a wink over his shoulder. Suko breathed a sigh of relief and also smiled broadly. Endless's little joke made him feel more like his new master was really on a team with him. He felt more connected and grounded in this new world that he had worked so hard to join.

Aryo sidled up next to him. He whispered, under the general din of the chatter, "Are you alright?"

Suko nodded. "Whoosh. That guy is, like, as subtle as a brick to the face, Aryo."

Aryo laughed. "Hahaha! Yes. A brick to the face."

Suko felt like a piece of meat. He realized that he had been feeling that way all morning.

"Hey, Aryo. I need to ask you something." Aryo didn't answer, just cocked one of his eyebrows. "Is every gamecock here, you know, only like, into guys?"

Aryo laughed again. "Let's head this way, want to show you the baths. I'll answer your question, don't worry. Here," he swept his arm around the hall, "are dozens and dozens of extremely prime roosters going through hours of physical training, grueling exercises, and living in *extremely close* quarters. though, I'm sure our master will catch up. I" Aryo swept him up in his wake and strutted off to the far wall. "And where roosters rest, roosters rut. About half the gamecocks are just ... they need to let off steam, you know. They rut, but only because that's the world they live in."

Aryo waited for Suko to catch up a bit. "The other half - they want only males. They live to grind feather to feather, comb against comb." Aryo looked like he was getting enthused by the topic. "Maybe more than half," he trailed off.

Endless joined them, a sort of giant ship surging through the water. "Hey, apprentice Suko. You all right?" he said, in his graveled voice.

"Yeah. I mean, yes, sir. He just was coming on, I said earlier, like a brick to the face."

Endless laughed, a good sound. "A brick to the face. That's right."

"Do you ... not like him, Endless, sir?" asked Suko, just as they reached the far end of the hall.

"Ho. No, he's a fine gamecock. I just think he should focus more on his fucking practice than his fucking practice, right?" Endless grinned.

Suko laughed, a rich hearty guffaw. He felt suddenly in the right place. He had people on his team, and someone had made a joke for his benefit that he understood - all, he thought, would be well. "Okay, okay, I'm feeling good. Let's get familiar with the place, sir, Aryo!"

~~~Well, Come~~~

Greybull also called out, in a much more jovial and friendly voice. "Everyone, welcome. WELCOME. This is your new home, let's all say hello!"

The gamecocks and apprentices assembled on the railing above started filtering either way, where there must have been stairs because they started to appear at doors on either end of the practice hall. The new apprentices, their gamecocks, and the other apprentices all relaxed and started chatting, congratulating each other on making it through the trials.

Allo came over, followed by his new gamecock and second-year apprentice - the two blue roosters. "Heeyyyyy Suko! Wow! WOW. Hey!" and Suko and his buddy crowed quietly to each other. Suko let giddiness wash out of his body, over his limbs, and fist-bumped his spangled buddy and they hugged.

"Suko! This is Master Derecho, and this is Apprentice Khazinah!" Allo crowed. The spangled chestnut rooster looked beside himself with happiness.

"Wow," said Suko, bowing slightly to Derecho. "Pleasure to meet you, sir, pleasure, Khazinah. Allo, this is my master, Endless, and Apprentice, uh, Aryodanang."

The tall rooster inclined his head to Suko, with a warm smile. "Welcome, Apprentice Suko. Endless! A happy day, no?"

Fighter Endless grinned and ruffled the other big rooster's shoulder feathers. "Always a good day, always!"

The blue-and-gold feathered apprentice, Khazinah, reached out to shake Suko's hand. Suko smiled back, looking Khazinah in the eyes. He took the blue claws in his own... only to find that the rooster had also reached out with his left to cup his balls again. Suko jerked a little in surprise.

Looking over at Allo, he saw his friend also clasping hands with Aryo. Aryo also was holding Allo's balls in his other hand. Allo was chatting to the black rooster, and, without breaking eye contact, also reached out to softly heft and hold the other rooster's sack.

Allo must have seen Suko's confusion out of the corner of his eye, because he broke off chatting to lean towards Suko. "Hey, it's their way of saying 'we're safe, we're friends.' It's normal, I guess?"

Suko took a fraction of a second to look around the great hall. Sure enough, several of the older and novice apprentices were greeting each other by clasping their right hands while they chatted, and gently holding each other's balls in the fabric of the waibakku.

"Oh, uh, Khazinah. I didn't mean to, uh. Leave you hanging," Suko said, looking back to the blue-and-gold second year. Khazinah flashed him a wink, and pushed his hips slightly forward, making his balls even more prominent. Suko reached out with his left hand, and... slipped it under those full eggs. They were warm, and soft, and surprisingly heavy.

"Don't worry, Suko," said Khazinah in a friendly voice. "It's a totally new world in here, right? It's gonna be wild getting adjusted." Khazinah let the fullness of Suko's scrotum overfill his hand. "I think you're gonna be fine, though. You have a lot of good roosters around."

The second year turned his head towards Endless, who was having a brief reminiscence about the last new apprentice days they were part of two years ago. "Endless, sir. Aryo wasn't lying when he said you were getting a very gifted apprentice!"

Endless looked back and laughed. This was the second time someone had made a reference to the size of his genitals in a few minutes. Was this normal? Suko shook his head and neck feathers out and took a breath. They were both still clasping hands and holding each other's balls. "Hey. Well. Wow. It is a strange new world!"

Khazinah let go of Suko, first with his left hand and then with his right. "It's good to have a friend, too," he said, jerking his head towards Allo. "You'll take care of each other." Fighter Derecho jerked his head lightly. "Let's go meet the others, too, Allo," called out Khazinah. Allo waved and walked off with them, into the milling crowd of first-years and the other gamecocks.

"That was a surprise," said Suko to Aryo. "Didn't know were were going to go around, you know, grasping each other like that."

Aryo had the decency to look a bit guilty. "Yes. I think we skipped that part because we took so much time getting your waibakku to, uh, fit." Endless shrugged and said "There's a lot to go over in these first days. Like the other apprentice said, it's a totally new world for most of you new ones!"

They wandered towards the far end of the hall. Endless and Aryo stopped to greet the new apprentices. 'These are the roosters who must have been their friends, based on how close they all seem,' thought Suko. There was lots of hand-clasping and ball-holding. Suko was having a lot of trouble not springing an erection with all the stimulation. He could feel some preslime pooling at the end of his penis, though.

Endless and another giant rooster with a first-year apprentice started chatting animatedly. Suko watched Aryo and the first-year also greeted each other with the scrotum-holding, but not the hand-clasp.

Suko had a sudden, rare moment without someone talking to him, clapping him on the shoulder, or holding his balls. He looked around and saw a gaggle of four of the big roosters standing together, talking. None of them had new apprentices. Their first-years were talking to each other, or greeting the new apprentices nearby (more ball-holding).

All four of them were looking at him, though. He looked back, tilting his head to the side. One of the roosters - a big red pyle, white, with white shanks and scales, but flame-red hackles, sickles, and shoulder feathers - was really looking at him intently. He watched the big rooster's eyes wander over his body, before meeting his eyes. The red pyle grinned and started walking his way, a sort of rolling strut.

The big red pyle was tall, like all the big roosters, and built. He also had long limbs. His arms and hands - big hands - swung so low they were well past half-way down his thighs.

Suko gulped. The red pyle sauntered directly towards him, idly scratching under his sleeveless shirt. 'Did he ... did he shorten his shirt?' thought Suko. None of the other roosters had midriffs that were revealed like that. Chisled midriffs.

The rooster had the body that Suko had wanted so desperately when he was a teen-aged cockerel. Long limbs, well muscled, that looked like a cool drink of water. A saunter that would make anyone break out in a sweat. Um.

"Hey," said the red-and-white rooster. "Welcome to the stable, little dude." He reached out and rested his hand on Suko's shoulder, heavily. "I'm Ironwood."

"Thank, um, thank you, Master Ironwood, sir." Suko found himself leaning slightly back as Ironwood edged closer. Again, he could feel the heat burning off the big rooster's body.

The red pyle grinned. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder, up towards the rafters. "See that last door on the third hall? That's my place. I want you to know," he said in a deep, velvety voice, "you can come by anytime."

"Thank you, uh. Thank you for making me feel so, er, welcome, Ironwood sir." Suko felt like he was stammering. His jaw was definitely tense. 'Remember to breathe,' he reminded himself. His body relaxed slightly.

"Yeah." Ironwood's hand slipped over his shoulder, so he almost had his arm around the smaller rooster. "Although sometimes people call me 'More.'"

"More, sir?" Suko said before he thought about the words.

"Exaaaactly," purred Ironwood.

'By the gods, this guy is coming onto me like a tonne of /bricks/,' thought Suko. He'd had people come on to him, males and females, but Ironwood was in a class alone.

The big red pyle reached up his other big hand, and touched Suko on the chest, and then gestured towards the other three roosters. "Me and my friends over there, like to get together sometimes, on Sundays." The three hulking roosters watched them like hungry monsters. 'No, not hungry monsters,' thought Suko. 'Monsters who have eaten their fill but see something delicious.' "We have, you know, little parties. Come by if you're, you know, ever." The big rooster let his large hand trail off Suko's shoulder, down to the small of his back. "Bored."

Just then, Endless loomed into view over Ironwood's shoulder. "Hey, Ironwood! I see you've met my new apprentice." His voice sounded jovial, but he did not look happy.

Ironwood smiled down at Suko, and turned towards him... but not without lingering, holding his head so that his gaze stayed right into Suko's eyes.

"Endless, what a lucky duck you always are," the big red pyle soothed, clapping Endless on the shoulder. It sounded like a hundredweight of hanging ham being hit with a ten-pound wooden mallet. Ironwood stepped over to stand near Endless. "But no, I didn't get a chance to get his name."

Endless smiled at Ironwood, but that smile did not reach his eyes. He looked like he was going to say something, but Suko interrupted.

"Suko, sir. Apprentice Suko Inazawa." He bowed slightly.

With that, Endless wrapped one of his arms around Ironwood's shoulders and steered him away, saying "I'm sure one day soon he'll tell you... more," and flashed Suko a wink over his shoulder. Suko breathed a sigh of relief and also smiled broadly. Endless's little joke made him feel more like his new master was really on a team with him. He felt more connected and grounded in this new world that he had worked so hard to join.

Aryo sidled up next to him. He whispered, under the general din of the chatter, "Are you alright?"

Suko nodded. "Whoosh. That guy is, like, as subtle as a brick to the face, Aryo."

Aryo laughed. "Hahaha! Yes. A brick to the face."

Suko felt like a piece of meat. He realized that he had been feeling that way all morning.

"Hey, Aryo. I need to ask you something." Aryo didn't answer, just cocked one of his eyebrows. "Is every gamecock here, you know, only like, into guys?"

Aryo laughed again. "Let's head this way, want to show you the baths. I'll answer your question, don't worry. Here," he swept his arm around the hall, "are dozens and dozens of extremely prime roosters going through hours of physical training, grueling exercises, and living in *extremely close* quarters. though, I'm sure our master will catch up. I" Aryo swept him up in his wake and strutted off to the far wall. "And where roosters rest, roosters rut. About half the gamecocks are just ... they need to let off steam, you know. They rut, but only because that's the world they live in."

Aryo waited for Suko to catch up a bit. "The other half - they want only males. They live to grind feather to feather, comb against comb." Aryo looked like he was getting enthused by the topic. "Maybe more than half," he trailed off.

Endless joined them, a sort of giant ship surging through the water. "Hey, apprentice Suko. You all right?" he said, in his graveled voice.

"Yeah. I mean, yes, sir. He just was coming on, I said earlier, like a brick to the face."

Endless laughed, a good sound. "A brick to the face. That's right."

"Do you ... not like him, Endless, sir?" asked Suko, just as they reached the far end of the hall.

"Ho. No, he's a fine gamecock. I just think he should focus more on his fucking practice than his fucking practice, right?" Endless grinned.

Suko laughed, a rich hearty guffaw. He felt suddenly in the right place. He had people on his team, and someone had made a joke for his benefit that he understood - all, he thought, would be well. "Okay, okay, I'm feeling good. Let's get familiar with the place, sir, Aryo!"