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Seeds of Divinity, Ch 6

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Dress boots left in the grand hall, Raedryn announced his own journey up the stairs with the sound of his bare feet slapping against the hardwood stairs, but those were accompanied by the muted, heavy thump of Herald's bare paws and, right behind those were the all-but-silent soft pads of Bird's. With the Hopling in the house, the Spymaster was quiet in his objection. "Master Raedryn is retiring to his room. You do not belong there, Varken."

Ray heard Herald continue after him; the Wolf said not a word in response and Bird offered no other objection but followed in quick pursuit. The Human arrived at his room with the Varken and Sunfeli just a few steps behind and, only once the young man opened his bedroom door did anyone speak. It was Bird, who came to a stop a short distance back. "You may not be familiar with common customs of society, Wolf, but it is considered unseemly to intrude upon a young man's private bedchamber."

Rather than deal with the argument, Raedryn simply stepped in through the doorway and turned to regard them, simplifying the issue. "Unless invited, and you are both invited. We have more talking to do."

Although he could have been mistaken, he thought he saw Herald wink at Bird as the Varken went to join the young man within the room. "If you are concerned about 'improper' happenings, then perhaps you had best listen to Master Raedryn's request and join us to keep an eye on whatever impropriety you may suspect."

Rather than let the statement cause him any ire, Bird simply nodded and stepped inside. Once everyone was within Raedryn's bedroom the spymaster turned and closed the door behind himself, locking then bolting it. Still facing the door, the Cat flatly stated "Mason Stonewright was scheduled for an hour of consultation. We would best be served spending no less than 45 minutes in council--" he slowly turned, then paused, his pale pink nose wrinkling "Or, perhaps, Master Raedryn, you should consider bathing... you smell like--"

The edge of Herald's upper lip perked into a smirk, high enough to show a tooth. "He smells like you. Are you ashamed to have him marked by your seed?"

Raedryn could not recall having ever seen Bird so unabashedly embarrassed; the Sunfeli's ears drooped and one eye half-closed as he turned away. "It is simply not done. Risking my employer's son's honor for the sake of my own satisfaction is--"

The Human reached out and rested a hand on Bird's shoulder "Bird.... it's fine. You didn't do anything wrong."

The emotional hesitance left the spymaster's muzzle but it was replaced with incredulity. "Just because you are comfortable with it does not mean that the people of Kashyr--"

Herald stepped forward and reached behind the Sunfeli to grab hold of the hood of his cloak and yanked it up so that it covered Bird's head, very nearly covering his eyes. "I do not presume that the Prophet will be shouting it from the rooftops, Cat. Besides... as you said, he is able to clean himself easily enough-- personally, I am more concerned for your fur and the tunic covering it."

Raedryn took a step back from Bird, realizing quickly what Herald meant. Having worn his shirt through their romp, Bird's tunic was covered in the Human's seed, much of it also having been shot out beneath it against the Sunfeli's bare fur which had since rubbed up against the fabric. Ray winced "Oh man... that'll be hard to clean."

Bird flicked an ear in annoyance but otherwise maintained a stoic disposition, stating only "I can tend to my cleanliness once I have monitored the goings-on in here."

Herald, heedless of how uptight the spymaster was, had already walked off to begin looking around the chamber; it wasn't long until he found the adjoining bathroom. "Hmm... the bath looks as though it is easily large enough for a half-dozen bathers, let alone two. It would be no small feat to have both of you clean yourselves as we talk, as the Resplendent One has expressed an interest in doing."

Raedryn was not completely unfamiliar with bathing while others were present, but that was usually due to a caretaker monitoring him growing up or servants standing by to dress him before a large social event. The idea of actually bathing WITH someone seemed like something a deviant would do-- not unlike having sex with a Varken or Sunfeli, he had to remind himself. His mind was made up for him. "Good point, Herald, and you haven't cleaned up yet either. All three of us can bathe while you answer some questions for me."

Mind made up, Raedryn moved toward his bathroom, slowly doffing his shirt, which he used to wipe down some of the messier portions mof his abdomen before tossing it to the side. Herald followed right after him, accompanied by the sounds of clothing being unbuttoned, unstrapped, and discarded. Bird likewise followed suit, but the sounds from him were of objections, not clothing. "Master Raedryn, your bathing chamber is for you. I cannot imagine that the servants will remain silent if they find fur in it."

Raedryn only laughed at that statement. "If you tell them to be quiet about it I'm sure they'll think twice before saying anything."

It was a statement more befitting his father than Ray himself, but he knew that the spymaster wouldn't really have a counter for it; none of the servants would dare act against Bird's will. Sighing, the Sunfeli finally began to disrobe. "He will have me skinned if he finds out how you would have me use the authority I've been given."

Herald gave him a hearty slap on the bare back. "Based on your concerns, I would venture that he would do far worse if he found out that you claimed his son in the throes of passion."

If it were possible for fur to turn white, Raedryn was certain that it would have based on the expression plastered on the Cat's muzzle. "I--"

Raedryn forestalled any further comments regarding his father. "My father isn't here right now, and, besides, what I do with my body is my own business." He stepped into the bath, turning on the hot water lever full and the cold water a half turn. "Now climb in and let's talk... I have a LOT of questions, Herald."

The Varken loosened the cord holding up his breeches and let them fall to the floor without the slightest modicum of modesty; taking in the sight of the Wolf's perfect naked form caused Ray's breath to get caught in his throat, but he had the wherewithal to step out of the way to allow his companion to enter the bath. Bird took a few moments longer, carefully folding everything he had been wearing and setting a bandoleer of blades atop it; Raedryn noticed that the Cat still wore a black arm band on and it included a sheath for a stiletto, which he kept with him as he entered the bath.

Setting aside the Cat's overt paranoia, the Human handed out a variety of cloths and sponges for cleaning to each guest, pausing as he offered a scrub stone to Bird. "Sorry... I don't keep any fur brushes."

The spy master shrugged, offering a warm smile regardless. "I will make due, Master Raedryn... just focus on yourself. I'll keep an eye on the Wolf."

Herald, as the two talked, had already knelt down and was utilizing the rapidly rising level of water to wet his wash cloth and sponge. All but ignoring Bird's comment, the Wolf addressed Raedryn. "I will answer your questions to the best of my ability, my Prophet."

He appreciated how Herald got straight to the point. Likewise wetting his wash cloth, Ray began scrubbing at his own semen-covered sternum. "I want to know more about Celestials and Fragments... like... the differences, and... uh... everything."

The Wolf, as it turned out, was very good at providing a high level overview. Standing back up, Herald began wetting his arm fur using his wash cloth as he spoke. "There are twelve Seeds of Divinity and they must all be gathered by the Prophet-- that is you, My Light. Four of these seeds are represented by Celestials such as myself, and eight of them are held by Figments such as this Sunfeli."

Upon Herald gesturing toward him, Bird, who was fussing over his abdominal fur, looked up. "So... twelve seeds in all... four Celestials and eight Figments. What is the difference between a Celestial and a Figment?"

The Varken was direct with his answer. "The four Celestials are immortal beings, instilled with essence of the heavens. We were from the Celestial Realms and are here in the mortal realm by His grace to do our task of restoring the Seeds of Divinity. The eight Figments, such as yourself, are all mortals, but you were gifted with a divine seed due to your connection to a past life, which had been touched by the Sundered One."

Raedryn slid by Bird so he could turn off the faucets once the bath's water had risen high enough; partially built into the floor, the stone basin was also located within a dais which came up several feet above it, meaning the total depth could accommodate a water level up to his sternum, but belly-button was more than enough for him. Turning back to regard Herald, Ray asked the next question. "So what do you mean by 'past lives' exactly?"

The Wolf slowly sank down into the water, settling onto one of the ledges built into the bath so that he was submerged up to his shoulders. "While most mortals live only a single life before ascending or descending to the immortal realms, some are chosen for a greater purpose and are returned again to the mortal realm. Your Sunfeli here is the reincarnation of a great hero who served the Sundered One many centuries ago."

Bird, still cleaning himself, glanced over his shoulder toward the Varken and merely snorted. "Great hero, huh?"

Herald nodded. "I speak truth. Many mortal life times ago, you were known as Eldin'thrimeir, but your closest companions knew you as Eldin."

The Sunfeli finally lowered himself into the water as well, selecting a ledge opposite Herald's, shooting the Wolf a critical glance. "And did you cause as many problems for my past life as you are causing for me?"

The Varken laughed freely, leaning back against the ledge as he relaxed. "Oh... far, far more. Eldin and I were quite close. I have missed him greatly."

Raedryn could tell from the glint in Bird's eye that his questioning would start moving in a troubling direction so the Human decided to regain control of the discussion. "So... what can you tell me about the other Celestials? You're one-- what about the other three?"

Herald wasted no time in elaborating. "Well, as you are aware, oh Prophet mine, the races of the world are divided into those most Human-like, the Greenskins, Beasts, and Ferals. Each division has a Celestial to represent them and I, for example, am the Celestial Varken... and the other Beast races are represented as Fragments."

The Human nodded thoughtfully. Finally finished with scrubbing his torso clean, Ray took a seat on the shelf between Herald and Bird. "Okay... which means the Figments from among the Beasts must be Bird from the Sunfeli, one Rakken and one Hopling?"

The Varken offered a soft chuckle. "No, My Prophet... there are no Hopling Fragments. Despite being considered among the Beasts, they are outsiders from another realm. The rabbit folk are visitors to this world; they did not exist until AFTER the Cataclysm."

Bird spoke up for the first time since Herald had began explaining. "Wait... if there aren't any Hoplings, that makes only the 11 Races-- two Human-likes, three Greenskins, three Beasts, and three Ferals. There's one missing."

Raedryn did the math himself: Humans and Halflings were the Human-likes; Orcs, Etamirs and Goblins were counted as Greenskins; Varken, Sunfeli and Rakken were the Beasts; Ferals included the Kornos, Zardon and Molz. Bird had a point. "Right... there's only 11... aren't there supposed to be twelve Seeds?"

Herald held up a paw, counting off on his fingers. "Four Celestials. The Celestial Greenskin is an Etamir-- black furred, to be precise. The Celestial Feral is a Kornos. The Celestial Human-like is the one you are both missing; he is of an ancient race not seen commonly in this age, thus one Celestial from each race, and two Fragments."

Raedryn thought about what he was hearing. Although Etamir weren't rare within Kashyr the city didn't have a huge population of them, and most of them were Brown, the smallest of the three breeds. The young man had never seen any White furred, which were the largest, and the ape-like Black furred Etamir were usually almost as rare. The bull-like Kornos were far more common in Kashyr but he'd never had any reason to interact with them; his father usually didn't encourage his children to interact with 'common laborers'.

In the end he realized that it wasn't up to HIM to identify those holding a Divine Seed. "I guess it's a good thing you're with me, Herald... I may not know what we're looking for but you can point them out when we find them!"

The Wolf dashed the young man's hopes with a simple shake of his head, then figuratively crushed them beneath his boot as he explained "I will have no sense for the Fragments, my Prophet, and the Celestials will be like I had been when you first met me."

Raedryn didn't miss the way Bird glanced to the two of them at the statement so the Human kept the clarification simple. "You mean... you weren't really yourself?"

Herald inclined his head. "Just so, Lord of Lords. They will have forgotten who they were and not present themselves as they once were. Fortunately Fragments and Celestials alike shall be drawn to you, much in the same way as your guardian and I."

Bird's eyes narrowed at the statement, similar as to how they had first done when he had been called a 'man servant', though the Varken had been much more courteous so something else was obviously bothering the Sunfeli. The spy master's next statement made his thoughts crystal clear. "What does that mean, precisely? Are you implying that there will be others seeking... 'intimacy' with Lord Raedryn?"

The Wolf faced the Cat calmly. "The Seeds of Divinity must be gathered, and the Prophet is the man to do so. I can appreciate that your feelings for--"

The Sunfeli silenced him with a bland wave of a paw. "You have no appreciation for my feelings so do not make a show of empathy. Even if Lord Raedryn were to agree to this fool's errand how would we even know where to start?"

If Herald was disturbed by Bird's casual dismissal the Wolf certainly didn't show it. Reaching up to scrub at his shoulder with a washcloth, the Varken patiently clarified. "The Prophet's task is divinely inspired and, as with any holy quest, he who is Called to act knows inside that it is the right thing. Some do deny the Call, but they suffer greatly for it as fate WILL find a way to set them upon the path. I do not want The Light in the Darkness to suffer, and so I encourage him to heed that Call."

There was some part deep inside of Raedryn that reminded him that he was just some pampered child of a well-off family yet, despite his usual hesitance to do much of anything, the young man found that the vast majority of his inner monologue was already planning for an adventure. Having grown up in Kashyr, Raedryn had barely seen a third of it. Before Bird could object any further he took the opportunity to raise his own concern. "Kashyr is a huge city... how do we expect to get a dozen people together? I mean... it sounds like it'll be a pretty big challenge."

The Wolf offered a wide smile, setting his washcloth aside as he stood in the bath, taking a step closer, arms spread. "Ah, my Prophet, I apolgize that I have misrepresented your quest. I am highly doubtful that you will find all of the Celestials and Fragments within this city. We have a grand journey ahead of us, as they may be scattered to the corners of the world and it is up to us to gather them to you."

Bird's sponge splashed into the water to accentuate his objection. "No. Absolutely not! That is entirely out of the question! Kashyr is dangerous enough, but the lands outside of it are far, far worse!"

Herald's smile never wavered as his eyes migrated to the Sunfeli. "Then it is fortunate that he has us to keep him safe... and his retinue shall only grow as we find more of the bearers of the seeds."

Strangely not being put off by the reveal of the scope of his pending task, Raedryn did have one question. "Herald... the only coin I have to my name comes from my allowance, and I don't have a lot left. Even if I save everything I have now and get more next week I don't think we'll get very far."

The Varken's smile finally faded, but his ears raised dominantly as he answered "My Light, I would never let you go without. Funding for our journey is of little concern."

Bird huffed condescendingly. "I have apparently misjudged you-- if you can say that with a straight face you've never spent a night on the street."

Raedryn's gaze returned to Herald, who took that moment to look toward the Human; they exchanged a knowing glance. It was evident that the Wolf had no intention of talking about his mortal past so the young man felt no need to bring it up. What the Varken DID do, however, was take a few steps around the edge of the bath and reach for his discarded trousers. He extended an arm, and retrieved from them a small hip pouch.

Once he had it in his paws the Wolf loosened the rope on it and upended it, causing a small cascade of precious gems to fall out onto the raised stone surrounding the bath. Ray held his breath as more and more of the treasures poured forth-- more than should have fit in the small pouch. Bird was the first to call attention to that fact. "Is that... some kind of a trick, or what?"

Herald shook his head, letting even more gemstones continue to pour from the container; the pile was easily twice as many as should have fit. "No... this is no trick. I am my Lord's Herald, and my task is to guarantee he be presented in a way befitting of the great Prophet of the Shattered One. By Divine Providence, I am given what is required to be successful. As I said, funding is of no concern."

Bird, by that point, had waded closer in the large bath and reached out for the pouch, which Herald willingly relinquished; the moment it was out of the Varken's paw, however, the gems ceased their seemingly-endless flow. The Sunfeli's ears raised at that, and he began inspecting the leather container inside and out. He turned it over once, then again, looking over it critically before letting out an exasperated sigh and dropping it. "It makes no sense... little about this does."

The Wolf's smile returned and he reached out to recollect the pouch, lifting it up from its seam so the opening pointed down; the gemstones started pouring out anew. Even as Bird looked incredulously on, Herald stated "It makes all sense, so long as you begin your investigation with faith in your heart and belief of the Shattered One guiding your understanding."

Raedryn approached as well, looking around both the Sunfeli and the Varken. "May I try it, Herald?"

Righting the pouch so that the gems stopped flowing, Herald offered a short bow and handed him the small leather container. The young man moved to where the Varken had poured the rest of the stones and slowly tilted the pouch; nothing came out. He only spent a moment in confusion before he came to the realization "You said that I'm the one who will be able to feel the presence of the Divine Seeds... that I'd be the one to feel the pull of the people who carry them. That's obviously my power. Is this yours, Herald?"

The Wolf smiled, tail swishing in the water back and forth. "Yes, my Prophet... I suppose you could think of it in such a manner."

Bird was not so full of levity; his question was spoken bluntly and in monotone. "So everyone has a power then... what's mine?"

Herald did not even miss a beat. Reaching out he picked up a small emerald and held it up. "To have eyes that gleam more vibrantly than any gemstone, and a gaze that could make a man's heart beat faster for having encountered it."

Raedryn hadn't had much experience in flirting, but he was almost completely certain that he had just experienced it. Was he mistaken? Had Herald just flirted with the spy master? The thought astounded him, but what surprised him even more was Bird's response; rather than threaten the Wolf's life or turn away with a disgusted look, the Cat's ears lowered slightly and-- Ray couldn't keep himself from speaking out in surprise "Bird! Are you... are you blushing?"

The spy master did a fine job of quickly collecting himself, but the unbroken visage of impassive threat had already been lost, and the Cat did not remain composed for long. Looking away from the Wolf, Bird focused on Raedryn instead. "If you are leaving this city then I am coming with you, Master Raedryn. I still do not trust this Varken to keep you safe."

Herald let out a casual snort. "I would let no harm come to him, spy master, but with both of us by his side he will be even better protected..." the Wolf's attention then shifted to Ray. "...though I am pleased to know that we will not be alone, my Prophet, I still wish to hear that you are not opposed to this task. It is your duty, and the Shattered One will have his way regardless, but I do not wish to see fate correct your course and would feel better if you do so of your own volition."

Suddenly faced with the actual question of his intent, Raedryn felt his heart beating a little faster. He had a thousand reasons why it wasn't a good idea and had tons of second-thoughts, and thirds, and fourths, but he kept coming back to his very first one, and that was what escaped his mouth. "Yes. I want to go, actually. I've only ever had my dad choose the direction of my life for me... whether it's divine providence or not I WANT to do this."

Bird was by his side in an instant, paw gently touching his forearm. "As I said, if you are going, then I am going with you."

Ray found himself drawn into the arms of the spy master, his chest pressed up against the wet fur of Bird's. He felt the strength in the Cat's arms around his sides, as well as the deep, throaty purr against his front. A moment later he felt more fur against his back; Herald had embraced them both. "Good. Then all is as it should be."

The Human felt his entire body flush when he realized that all three of them were still naked, but he pushed that thought to the side as he focused on the Sunfeli before him. "Are you sure, Bird? Even if it means my father releases you from service?"

The Cat nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Like YOU said, Lord Raedryn, I WANT to do this."

A soft, playful growl vibrated against Raedryn's back as Herald's muzzle slid up against his cheek. The Wolf wore a smirk as he asked "Just what is it that you want to do... Cat?"

Bird's return glance was sharp-- but not as much as usual. The statement also lacked the venom from their earlier interactions. "Your tone is too familiar. Watch yourself, Wolf..."

The Varken chuckled, leaning even further over Raedryn, his muzzle scarcely a finger's breadth from the Sunfeli's. "I know who you used to be, spy master... do you not think I would enjoy exploring the new you?"

With a Cat on one side and a Wolf on the other, Raedryn was stuck in the middle as muzzle met muzzle. He gasped, entire body flushing as their tongues touched, and the two began to run their paws across the other. The young man felt a slick, spiny member brush against his abdomen while a thick, smooth, pointed one rubbed against the small of his back. Squirming, and stuck directly in the midst of the display, the young man found his own shaft hardening as Herald and Bird's muzzles locked and, before he realized what was happening, he felt two paws: one feline and one lupine urging him to join the kiss.

They meandered further to the edge of the bath and he moved with them. Still in between the Wolf and Cat, Raedryn was carried along as things quickly progressed to the next level. He did not object, rather, he went eagerly along with them. Kissing was only the start.