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RETURN OF THE LABYRINTH: CHANGE AND ADAPTATION

Two dark brown haired men sit at a small table. The older magistrate had a stocky frame and longer hair, with a mild tan and goatee. The other was his appointed acolyte with a slim frame and very short hair, with no tan or facial hair. Both were finishing up the generous lunch delivered right to the research room, in celebration of the recent good news and reward for services given to the citadel.

“You have been quiet the entire time, since we begun eating Luke." The older one observed.

“Sorry magistrate. I really should not have let you do all the talking about the presentation earlier. Yet I felt like it would have been rude if I tried interrupting your rather energetic description of it yourself. So I simply sat and listened, while enjoying it with the lunch."

“Yes. I confess to getting so lost in my words, that I didn't realize you hadn't spoke a single word until I finally stopped."

Both had a chuckle while taking a drink from their ceramic mugs.

“Mind if I make an observation about the councilmen?" Luke asked

“Regarding what specifically?"

“Oh it's not a criticism. I know that is frowned upon. But it seemed like the one was getting a little anxious towards the end of the last video. Like there was somewhere she needed to be next."

“I noticed that as well. Could hear it in her tone when she spoke."

“So it wasn't just me."

“She definitely has a focused interest in this project."

“I also noticed the brief exchange between her and the guardsmen."

“Now that could be nothing and just her reminding them to be careful with the machine."

“True. Speaking of the machine, were you as surprised as me to hear it was to be left intact?"

“I actually was Luke."

The magistrate then noticed the acolyte begin to idly play around with the fork near him and glance past him at the machine, that was still covered on the larger table, before letting his gaze wonder all over the other shelves with various other things that were brought in with it that very first day.

“Something new on your mind now?" The magistrate asked.

“Not really new, but a persistent thought about the strange clothes found with the machine."

“Perhaps the people my dad saw at a distance makes and wears them."

“Maybe. They just seem out of place with everything we know. They belong... elsewhere."

“Like the machine."

“Yes. You also mentioned to me in the past that you possibly found additional files. Why were they not on the machine?"

“They were being difficult about letting me see them. The machine kept bringing up a tile with two long horizontal ones inside it. The top one had the symbols USER under it and the bottom one had PASSWORD under it. I presume it is part of some gate keeping system."

“Like how we use certain guards and keys?"

“Exactly. So I simply left the files on those individual tiny colored tiles, you saw sitting in that small box next to the machine the first day you came here."

“How many of those tiny things are there?"

“Only eight and each one has just one very large file."

“Are the colors maybe part of a personal filing system?"

“Funny you should mention that. My dad used such a system for his own personal research records… minus the white of course."

“Of course. White ink is pointless." Both snicker and take a drink from their mugs.

“Let's say we do find a way to access those tiny tiles. Where do we start?"

“Since my dad intentionally set everything up with me in mind, I'm guessing the black tile is the first one to be viewed first. It likely has all the essential information we will need to get started."

“Okay. But that still leaves the white tile."

“You do have a point. I'm hoping he explains that one on the black tile as well."

“So what is in that folded note the talkative councilman gave you?" Luke asks, while pointing directly at the folded piece of paper setting next to the arm of the magistrate. “You have yet to look at it and I'm curious as to what had to be said, that couldn't be discussed in the Council Chamber."

“You know what. Let's do that now." The older man suggests and proceeds to unfold the note.

The younger one watches intently, while munching on an apple slice, as the magistrate's eyes dart back and forth over the unseen words a couple times. He then sees the man slowly fold the note back up and rest his chin on the hand holding it, while looking across the table at Luke and sighing. The younger man stops chewing his current bite and swallows it with an audible gulp.

“What did it say? Am I being moved again to another magistrate? I really don't want to move again. Maybe they didn't tell us everything and they really want to…" He was stopped with a raised hand and decided to take a drink.

“We are both moving. Actually, everything is being moved."

“Oh great. The project is getting handed to someone else now. No surprise there."

“No." The magistrate lifts the hand with the note into the air and sweeps it in a big arc around himself. “All of it and us are getting moved to new private quarters. The council still wants to keep the circumstances surrounding the machine quiet and is assigning those four guardsmen, that helped us earlier, to us for the duration of the project itself."

“I guess we made a… positive… impression." Luke ventured cautiously.

“I would say the presentation did more than that. Our new location will be sharing the same three unit space with two other parties, whom are being brought on board with the project as well. The note says further details will be disclosed once we are settled in at the new place and officially introduced to our new project associates."

The acolyte slowly got up out of his chair, then walked over to the open window and simply stood there in silence. He then heard soft footsteps come up behind him and he let out a long heavy sigh, while looking out to the nearby trees and watched two squirrels chase each other across a couple branches.. A hand came down on his shoulder.

“Too much?" Came a question connected to the obvious thing.

“It's not too much. I kind of wanted this to be just our thing. I have been on a project before, that involved multiple magistrates and their acolytes. A lot of disagreements happened and made things pretty stressful. We were all glad when the project was over and everyone was reassigned."

The hand gently pulled him away from the window, then turned him to face the magistrate.

“I can't tell you how this new research journey will end, but I can tell you I plan on staying with it until completion. I have to… I need to know what my dad found out there in the Wilderness a year ago." The older man puts his other hand on a shoulder. “I really want you to take that journey with me. We work so well together. But unlike most magistrates, I don't believe in forcing an acolyte into an academic endeavor that he shows no interest in pursuing himself. I will understand if you choose to leave and will even recommend you to another magistrate that works with acolyte's like I do."

Luke raised a hand and brought it down onto one of the older man's and nodded.

“I want to stay with you on this one. I really do" He assures the magistrate.

“Okay. You look like you could use a hug."

“Magistrate's and acolytes are not supposed to be close like that." Luke says sarcastically.

“There isn't a councilmen here and some of their rules are a bit excessive. This is just simple basic emotional support between two people. Now do you want that hug or not?"

Luke nodded and leaned forward, as they both wrapped their arms around each other. The magistrate gave him a couple pats on the back and then pushed him back at arms length, with his hands back on the acolyte's shoulders.

“Now how about we start getting this room packed up for moving." He suggests.

Four familiar guardsmen, that had assisted a magistrate and his acolyte earlier in the morning with carrying a large covered table to the council Chamber, had just appeared through the same doors. A councilmen had escorted them to the entrance threshold and exchanged a polite nod with each one, before turning and disappearing back inside. The doors were closed and the guardsmen proceeded to retrace their steps from earlier back to the same research room.

“Founders smite me already. That conversation went a lot better than I thought it would."

“Really? Just how did you expect it to end?"

“Oh I don't know. An embarrassing lecture about proper information gathering and being smarter about what sources we choose, being screamed at us by that woman." The realist answered.

“That's why I cleverly steered the conversation away from that area."

“Yeah, couldn't you tell?" Another guardsmen of the group chided the realist.

“No. I was too busy thinking ahead to backup comments for covering our asses, should we end up discussing the subject of who the source is with her."

“You worry too much and sometimes I wonder if you occasionally get a bit pessimistic."

All four briefly ceased the discussion, as they passed and nodded to the two guardsmen at the middle of the covered stone arch bridge. They quickly resumed once twenty feet past them.

“I worry because I have seen what them vindictive bitches of this particular citadel can do, should a man give them sufficient reason."

“We all have Cid."

“Yeah. Pretty hard to forget what we saw, when they visited our previous citadel post and went on an escorted warpath searching for the two soldiers committing 'scandalous acts of bonding'." One brown haired guardsman comments while briefly flapping his gloved fingers in the air.

“Seriously Mike? Just call it for what it was. Fucking. They were fucking each other."

“You know. How a man and woman does, when she is feeling a little adventurous in bed." The other brown haired one quips and elbows Mike's ribs lightly.

“Yes I get it Justin. Not an idiot."

“Some blokes just popped around the corner ahead. Button up."

Everyone exchanged a polite nod with the magistrate and the acolyte passing by, before resuming off the bridge and turning right.

“Hey Matt. Any backup plans if Shamus says no to cooperating with us?"Cid asks him.

“Don't need it. I have an offer in mind he can't refuse."

“I'm a little hesitant to ask."

Once they rounded the left turn and Matt saw no one around, he stopped the group and spun Cid to face him directly. The guardsman was grateful for the enclosed space at this particular research room and the fact it was signaled as unoccupied with a propped open door. He had the look on his face that he was in no mood for over baked realism. If he had to, the man would drag Cid into that room and close the door for a rather vocal lecture about it.

“Look here. I appreciate your realism serving as the anchor for this group. It has it's useful moments. This isn't one of them. I know you have a bitter past with the man, but Shamus has proven himself to be a reliable information source about everything that happens in this citadel. I… we really need this new little project to go smoothly and it starts with getting that information."

Cid just looks back at Matt like he wanted to say more. Eventually he just sighed and nodded.

“Hey, if his place really bothers you that much. You can always stay outside and be the lookout for us." Justin comments with a pat on the back and Cid rolls his eyes.

“Okay. It's settled then." Mike adds and points down the hall, as he steps ahead of the other three. “Let's be on our way and get this day wrapped up before dinner time."

“Always thinking of his stomach." Cid quips and jabs a thumb in the direction of Mike.

All three snicker to break the brief tension and resume walking behind him.

The magistrate and Luke had just finished emptying the shelves and packed all the cloth wrapped stuff into old wooden produce crates, then stacked them onto a wheeled platform. The platform itself had very thick wood and had two pivoting wheels. Both men managed to get all the crates on it, stacking them two by two and four high. The bed linens were folded and put on top, with a single blanket draped over all of it and secured with twine going through metal eye hole loops mounted at the platform corners. Luke grabbed a nearby metal bar, with an attached horizontal gripping/pulling handle. He handed it to the magistrate securing the blanket, to connect with a vertically swiveling socket mounted in the middle at one end of the platform. Once the older man was back up off his hands and knees, Two firm polite knocks were heard at the door.

“Guardsmen here to assist with transfer to new living quarters."

“Splendid. Come on in. Everything is packed up and ready to go." The magistrate announced.

The familiar heavy mechanical sound was heard, as the door opened for the guardsmen. Luke recognized them right away as the same ones from earlier in the morning. One of the brown haired guardsmen kept pushing the door further open, until it was almost against the wall. He then reached up to the nearby shelf for a short metal rod, then bent over to slot it vertically into place at the floor. Once he was confident the door was secured open, he straightened back up and joined the rest in line. Matt spoke for the group, to explain the relevant parameters of their new assignment.

“The councilmen has reassigned us to you two and the rest of the research group, until completion of the entire research project itself. We are available to provide the usual escort services during the day and to insure the integrity of the project itself. To make communication between all of us easier, we were given authorization to use our names. I am Matt and considered leader of this small detachment." He turns and points to next black haired one. “This here longer faced ground stomper is Cid. He keeps things real for us and great strategist. Next over is Mike. His specialty with individual territory politics will come in handy when going outside our citadel. The last one is Justin. He has connections with people that are unconventional but reliable sources of information. Oh, this is for you magistrate." Matt comments while pulling a small rolled letter from his robe sleeve and handing it over.

It was tightly rolled and sealed with a wax sleeve. The wax had the impression of a dove in flight pressed into it. Direct mandate from the Council. The magistrate broke the seal and unrolled it.

Magistrates

We find ourselves in the midst of circumstance that demands the utmost efficient communication among appointed members of this new special project. As you already know, this will be a shared effort by multiple members. Each one of you have a specific function to perform and should not have to be bogged down with the usual mandated formalities. As far as we are concerned, their purpose within the work environment of the project is irrelevant. The council is officially authorizing everyone involved to get familiar and comfortable with each other's name. This will insure better work flow and an expected quicker completion of the project itself.

The Council

Luke saw the magistrates eyebrows furrow, as he handed over the letter to be read by him as well. What he saw was something completely new to him and initially seemed out of character for a councilman to authorize. His best guess was that this project was so important, that it demanded compromise on their part. He couldn't help but inwardly chuckle, but didn't dare show it out of respect for the position this obviously put the guardsmen in. he then handed the note back towards Matt. The guardsmen put up a hand and waved it away with a shake of his head and warm smile. A smile too? They were now allowed that as well? What he would have given to be that fly on the wall.

“We don't expect either one of you to be comfortable with the new social arrangement. It is taking a bit for us to adjust as well." Cid decided to speak up. The other three nodded in agreement.

“Hey. I see you put some of those attachable pivoting wheels on the table legs." Mike observes. “We really appreciate that, when considering how far we will be traveling with that heavy thing."

“Which looks even heavier now." Cid comments as he begins walking around and inspecting the covered table with more stuff added under the blanket.

“That too. Especially when taking this thing upstairs." Mike adds as he joins the inspection.

“Mind if I handle the pulling of this loaded platform?" Justin asks the magistrate and acolyte, while stepping up to inspect it's stability.

“Not at all." the older man replied.

“So while they inspect things, what are your names gentlemen?" Matt asks politely.

“This young man here is Luke and I am Stan." The magistrate replied.

“Well, those will be easy enough to remember. Right guys?"

“Sure."

“Got it."

“No problem here."

“Alright then. Stan here will walk up front with me. Cid and Mike look confident enough over there to transport the large table. Justin already spoke up for the hauling platform. So that just leaves you Luke to walk behind it and make sure the cargo stays stable." Matt assessed and prioritized.

Everyone around the guardsman nodded in agreement, before following him in the agreed order out the door and to retrace the same path from earlier in the morning. The timing of the transport worked to their advantage and afforded them only one encounter with a pair of guardsmen walking the opposite way. Once they arrived at their previous destination, Matt lead the group right and down an outside hall that seemed to stretch for an excessive distance ahead of them. However, after traveling some distance, the wall of the Council chamber terminated on the left at a corner. Around the corner was where the hall actually continued, with no stone arch bridge to connect in the middle of it. That bridge was what they were about to cross directly in front of them and connect them to a familiar structure called The Domicile.

When crossing the bridge, one immediately notices many striking differences between this structure and the Sanctuary. There is no outside hallway with arches wrapping around each floor and the bridge connects at a point that is offset to the right by a distance of twenty feet. Running up and down the middle of the visible outside wall on all visible floors are pairs of windows as tall as doors, but quite narrow in width. Closer approach to the Domicile shows the glass to have an unpolished surface for privacy on the inside beyond them. The frames made of black metal. Directly ahead on the bridge was one of three entrances into the structure on this level. One of them was easily marked by sight of another identical covered stone bridge leading from the side close by to the right. The other one out of sight. The double doors were also black and just as large as the Council Chamber doors. Everyone in the group stopped, as Stan walked forward and reached inside his robe through the collar opening. He pulled back out a then leather strap with a large black metal key attached. The strap was quite long and made it possible for one to not bend over too far and use the key itself.

He inserted the key just under the horizontal metal handle of the right door and place a hand against the door for a little leverage. He firmly gripped the key and turned it forty five degrees. An audible mechanical click echoed on the other side. Matt stepped up to his left, before each gripped a handle and rotated it down with a little leveraged force, accompanied by heavy clicking and sliding of well oiled metal inside the door itself. Both then pushed and kept their hands on the levers, as they swung the doors inward to a perpendicular position. They slowly let up on the handles, as they returned to their original horizontal position and a heavy metallic tap was heard at the floor, where the doors anchored themselves open. Everyone then walked on into the building. Luke glanced down and was reminded of how secure the building was with the doors closed. In the middle of the entrance threshold was a pair of metal sockets, set into the stone to fit the thick metal rods that moved vertically inside the heavy doors themselves. The doors were then closed behind him with the expected metallic sounds.

He soon remembered how drab the domicile looked, in comparison to the Council Chamber, with light gray stone everywhere and no rugs or carpets on the floor. It was originally not intended to function as a proper long term living space. Only serve as such temporarily in the distant past during Sentinel sieges, when they were worse and there was no Null Zones to protect the people. Every citadel had four Domiciles and this is where the men that served lived. Magistrates and acolytes occupied this and the upper levels, while the male guardsmen occupied the bottom ones. No one was going anywhere until Matt and Stan were done with their current involved conversation about the living arrangements. Luke took this opportunity to look around and see if anything changed… as extremely unlikely that was. To the right was a familiar size column, connecting with the overhead twelve foot high ceiling, marking the corner of a corralled twenty foot by twenty foot open area directly on the right itself. Familiar black metal railing and white doves marked this part of the floor. Hugging the exterior wall was two L shaped stairwells, suspended from more of the black railing, made of darkly stained wood. One went up and one went down at a sloped angle that was oddly shallow. He knew this made it easier for carrying things, than doing it on normally steep stairs. Hanging right in the open space itself was a familiar long crystal suspended on chains that obviously connected to more crystals going up and down through the structure levels.

To the left was another column and connecting it to the exterior wall was a large metal cage panel. Beyond the panel was another open air space, that roughly measured a little under ten by twenty feet. four pairs of well oiled heavy chains hung just beyond the panel and were set near the corners of the open space. This was the mechanical lift, for taking care of heavier things like furniture. He then looked ahead of him and diagonally on his right, to spot another identical mechanical lift cage and the double doors leading to the other bridge. The group began to move again towards that other lift, that had it's platform resting at their floor. He looked back to his left and spotted four more columns. All of them connected with the black railing and marking another twenty by twenty open air space with it's hanging crystal. Facing this area was seven walls. Two of them short, running between the lift cages and a column. The other five flowed together collectively as one around the open area, in between pairs of columns set back twenty feet from the open space, with single black doors set into three of them and facing a column each at the middle. These three doors were the entrances into the living quarters on each floor. The doors themselves were raised a little above the flow, with a shallow step set in front.

Once on the lift with everyone else, Luke spotted a previously unnoticed pair of thin cables hanging at the middle of the long side by the wall. There was a metal clamp attached to it, Cid reached up with his hand and placed a metal tag on it, with numbers that accurately represented the total weight now on the lift. He reached up and gripped the cable, then aggressively yanked down and let the metal tag zip swiftly downward. Everyone could here the buzzing sound made by the flywheels moving the cable. The sound soon stopped and everyone waited for the slight lurch the lift would make, as they heard the distinct metallic sliding sound of the breaking system disengaging far below them. A bell was rung and the lift began to slowly rise up the caged area of the open air shaft itself.

“You up for a little lifting and carrying when we get to the top?" Justin asked Luke.

“I can handle some lifting and carrying. But isn't that unnecessary?"

“All this stuff is going to the next floor up. The top one with the spare rooms." Matt replied.

“This project is that important to the Council?" Asked Stan.

“That important." Matt returned. “I suppose now is as good of a time to tell you. The other two parts of this project have already been in session for a couple days. They originally were separate research projects. But whatever you showed the Council on that machine changed their plans for them. Now all three are being combined into one big project. Please don't bother to ask me about the details. My mates and I only know as much as the Council allows at this point."

“We however do know that these other two projects now need whatever information is connected with the machine. Because of this, it is to remain covered and shut down until everyone is fully informed about all three projects. That includes us as well." Cid added.

“This is going to be one very interesting week." Stan observed.

“Why have us in separate rooms, if this will be one project." Luke asks.

“Ah. That is something you will see and understand when we get there." Matt assures.

At that point, the lift came to a stop and lurched a little, as everyone heard the bell ring again and the distant sound of heavy metallic things slotting into place far below at ground level. Luke watched Matt move past everyone and then jog over to the stairwell railing by the column. The guardsman stood there for a moment, while bending slightly over the rail and looking down. Luke looked up and spotted a feature of the ceiling that was different at this floor. Where one would normally see open air beyond the four central stone columns was a singular large upside down pyramid, made of the same material as the crystals and glowed in the same way. These were the Sacred Crystals that served to maintain the Sentinel killing Null Zones. It was set within a very heavy black metal frame, that was kept securely anchored in place with thick black metal rings that surrounded the four columns right at the ceiling. Where the rings met the corners of the frame was also the beginning point of the long silvery chains, tethered to the crystal hanging at floor level and the others on down through the floors below him. He then saw Matt straighten back up and look towards the party, before nodding in their direction. The acolyte then got a polite tap on his shoulder and looked back at Justin.

“We are at the open end of the lift. So maybe we should get out first?" He chided lightheartedly.

“Oh. Yeah." Luke blushed a bit, then helped with getting the hauling platform turned around and off the lift. The bell was heard again by everyone, but a little quieter this time. The other lift.

Luke looked ahead and beyond the guardsman to notice the stairwell was also different at this floor. The expected railing was gone and replaced with pairs of black metal vertical rods tethering the wooden stairwell to massive wooden beams overhead. They crossed each other at the inner corner of the L shaped stairwell itself and divided the overhead space into two rectangles and two squares. The larger square, as well as the rectangle over the first stair section and the smaller square, was filled in with a sturdy looking wooden extension of the overhead ceiling. It was flush with the stone and had four heavy black metal bars mounted to heavy brackets, set in the surrounding stone and crossing each other to make a grid of nine squares. At the four intersections was the anchor points for the four silvery chains that kept the multiple crystals suspended in the air between the floors below, along with the one directly in front of him.

Cid and Mike followed behind Luke and Justin with the covered table, leaving Stan at the back this time. The magistrate had walked no further than ten feet and spotted the chains of the other lift already in motion. There was some sort of conversation being carried between an older and younger man. By the time the party had reached the stairwell, the lift across from it had now stopped and everyone heard that bell ring again. Stan noticed the four guardsmen collectively turn and look right at the lift passengers through the metal cage panel. He then looked towards a very familiar looking gray haired magistrate and his black haired acolyte. The lift floor was loaded with packing crates and many transport tubes that likely contained maps. Stan recognized the magistrate right away.

“Good. You gentlemen are back already. The more hands we have to carry everyone's stuff, the quicker the new guys can get their unpacking done." Matt announced from his position by the column at corner of the open air stairwell area.

Cid noticed the two magistrates body language subtly change and looked right at Matt, to see if he noticed. Matt looked back at him and shrugged. Stan looked at everything in the lift and back up at the magistrate, then folded his arms and smirked.

“You do something to get the Council's special attention?" He quipped.

The other magistrate walked out of the lift and up to him. He stopped right in front of Stan, then folded his arms and smirked back at him.

“Now what would make you think that?"

“Just reading the pattern."

“I was about to ask you the same thing. What is with the covered table?"

'That depends. Are you actually part of this project or are you just delivering stuff." Stan teased.

“Shouldn't that be my question, since you are clearly the new arrival on site?"

“Touche."

“Is that the only table you bringing?"

“Only table. Why? Running out of space to scatter your maps?"

“If I have to, I will use the floor."

Both older robed men then relaxed and snickered, before shaking hands. Matt then loudly cleared his throat, after walking forward up next to Cid.

“I take it you likely know this man very well?" He asked Stan directly.

“This man is my dad's brother." Stan announced.

Matt sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling.

“Well. This could complicate…" Cid started and was stopped with a raised finger from Matt.

“I am not about to stall this project and then proceed to explain this to the Council." He reminded Cid, as they looked right at each other. “I will take full responsibility for anything that gets out of our control and ends up finding it's way back to their ears. We still proceed as planned."

“Alright. I don't exactly like this uncomfortable development, but I trust your judgment."

Matt gives Cid a couple assuring pats on the shoulder, then walks over to the two magistrate's and asks a couple more questions.

“The first obvious thing I need to ask… is there a slim chance either one of you knew the other one was living at this citadel?"

“No." Answered Stan. “He couldn't have known, due to conditions imposed upon my research."

“Conditions?" The older magistrate inquired directly from Stan.

“Yes conditions. Stan is working on something that had to be kept secret." Matt answered.

“The Council had me and my acolyte temporarily moved across the citadel compound where no one would think to inquire about any research and thoroughly surrounded by guardsmen. I have been at that location for a couple months." Stan added

“Ah that explains why I had not seen you then. I just got here a month ago by mandate of the Council. They needed someone with experience on resolving persistent map information inconsistencies that was leading to navigation errors. My project predecessor swore up and down there was something horribly wrong with the contradictory information and refused to work on it any further. He even quit his calling and abandoned the acolyte behind me." The other magistrate explains to him.

All three briefly looked towards Jacob, who was still standing in the lift and wondering what was happening. The older magistrate gave him a hand gesture to begin carrying stuff, he nodded in compliance and grabbed a few map tubes. The three gathered men turned their attention back to the discussion with a more hushed tone.

“I was without an acolyte and was still on authorized leave from my duties, to finish recovering from the trauma of the Sentinel attack on my caravan. My acolyte died with two others in the initial attack and the other four caravan party members just… vanished. They were likely found and killed. They could still be lost. Don't know. I had to move on. The Advisor at the other citadel deemed me fit to return to my service and then the next thing I know, I'm being transferred here to take over an abandoned project and acolyte." Stan's uncle finishes.

“That is quite the unfortunate circumstance on your part Tony. A part of it actually helps to explain this immediate development better. Not to mention it will make good defense should this close relation between the two of you find it's way to the Council's ears." Matt assesses.

“Matt here gave Jacob and I the fancy rolled letter that explained the change in communication protocol. Under the circumstances, our shared relation just might prove useful as well." Tony suggests to Stan, before walking away to help Jacob with unloading the lift.

“Well. Now that we have this little family reunion out of the way. Let's get this stuff packed upstairs over the few steps ahead of us." Matt suggests and walks back towards the covered table.

Stan motions for Luke to join him in helping with getting the lift emptied. Justin pulls the hauling platform over to the stairs, then all four guardsmen form a tandem line up the first flight of stairs to the halfway landing. They begin moving everything off the hauling platform, then remain in place and help with moving everything taken off the lift up to the landing in turn. Both magistrates and acolytes then ascend the steps past them to form their own tandem line up the second stairway section, before taking what was being passed to them and setting it down within the enclosed ten by ten area in front of the black double entry doors to the spare room section. The doors themselves were attached to a sturdy interior wall that ran the length of the second stairway section and gradually sloped downward with the overhead wooden ceiling, which was made of the same sturdy stained wood.

Tony volunteered to use his Domicile key and unlocked the right door. Jacob then stepped forward and they jointly opened the doors together. The magistrate scooted a small square block in front of the locking door, while Jacob did the same with his door after swinging it all the way back against the wooden white wall. Luke was the next one inside and couldn't help but pause, then stare at how expansive and bright the bigger part of the secured living section looked with just the four main stone columns and upper pyramid half of the Sacred Crystal being visible. There was no stairwell or its hanging crystal in the way. Just a lot of floor space. The feel of it's size was enhanced further with the overhead white painted ceiling not being flat stone, but crisscrossing wooden support beams and flat planks. There was also heavy diagonal support beams, marking the corners of the four sided pointed roof itself. Then right at the furthest reach of the four columns was a matching Sacred Crystal, resting within the same black metal housing as it's twin below.

Looking back down and towards the only visible narrow window, diagonally across from where he was standing, was white wooden walls enclosing the area where the lift was positioned below and obviously kept the attached pulley system inside protected from outside interference. The part of the floor that extended over the stairwell below was also painted white. He immediately thought of how special this place would look with lit candles scattered everywhere, to light the space up at night. Jacob was standing right next to Luke and grinning at him, for behaving in such a virgin manner, while taking in the view of the new work space for the project. The acolyte noticed and looked at him, right before taking a quick playful jab at a rib. Jacob proficiently dodged the return jab.

“I didn't think there was this much unused space up here." Luke admits.

“It's not unused. This is where the seasonal celebration stuff is normally stored. It has been temporarily moved elsewhere until the project is done." Jacob informs him.

A quick soft whistle got their attention and they looked towards their magistrates, whom were already carrying crates towards the open doors of three rooms beyond the center columns. Jacob gave Luke a pat on the shoulder, as they walked over to where everything else was stacked beyond the double entry doors and began helping out with the moving of it. Heavy shuffling of boots on stone could be heard beyond the doors, along with some banter among the four guardsmen. They had begun the process of transporting the covered table up the stairs.

“Excuse me, but try to walk a straight line back there."

“You try walking straight up a hill, while straddling a table leg with a freely swinging wheel at the same level as your bits."

“We can go slower if that will help."

“Not sure that will help, but better than nothing."

“Mind the wobble, it makes the wheel swing faster."

“We can remove the wheels at the first landing."

“And ruin the fun of making me numb from a swinging wheel?"

“Now you're just being snarky."

“Want to trade places at the landing and you try this for yourself?"

“The wheels are coming off at the landing. Not another word about them." Snapped Matt.

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah." Came the collective response from the other three.

The two magistrates and acolytes had just finished moving everything into their respective rooms, when they heard the muffled sound of the pulleys beyond the wall behind the open locking door. Stan himself wondered who was next to show up.

“Okay you three. Get the wheels off. I will see who this is and if they are coming all the way up." Matt announced, before jogging back down the stairs and stopping at the last step. He looked down to the floor below and over to the lift shaft and waited.

“Okay you two. Try to at least keep the table level. Only have two more to go." Cid encouraged the other two guardsmen. “Good. Have a stubborn buckle here. There got it. One more to go."

At those words. Mat spotted the lift itself surface beyond the lower floor and spotted two familiar faces. Once the lift was a little higher, the magistrate inside saw him and waved. Matt waved back and returned to the covered table, which had finally been freed of the fourth wheel. By the time the table was in motion and they began ascending the final stair section, their ears were greeted with a bell ringing and eventually the distinct squeaking noise of dolly wheels.

“Hey Jacob, you up there?" Mason inquired. “We got the last of the books. Want to come down and help with carrying them up? Oh, what is with the big covered table? Is it for the maps?".

“I'll let the new guys explain the table Mason. Be down in a moment with an extra pair of hands for the books." Jacob answered back.

The tall two wheel dolly, that was stacked up to shoulder height with thick heavy books, came to a stop at the base of the stairs. Lance and Mason just looked at each other and shrugged, before grabbing two books each and began ascending the stairs. Jacob and Luke met them half way and did brief introductions, before moving down to the dolly to grab books themselves. On the way back up, they paused at the first landing and waited for the guardsmen to get the table safely navigated through the entrance, before resuming their path on up to the floor. Lance and Mason were right there and took the books. Behind them was Stan and Tony, whom followed the two acolytes back down the stairs. The younger men grabbed a pair of books each and ascended the stairs once more, while the older stockier men grabbed the dolly by both ends and began carrying it with the remaining books behind them. Once everything was upstairs, the four guardsmen excused themselves and said they would be back later, after everyone had finished getting the books put where Lance wanted them. They also announced two more guardsmen were joining the project, before departing and closing the entry doors behind them. Stan was the first to speak after everyone exchanged pleasantries with each other.

“So why would the Council have a Lore specialist be brought on board with a project that will predominantly be field work, after the initial research is done?" He asked Lance.

“Maybe we should somewhat start in the beginning?" Tony suggests and gets a confirming nod from Lance. “He was brought on board in a strictly advisory capacity with my project, when I had to begin making sense of the garbled mess of recent journals left behind by my predecessor."

“Too much of the information was distorted with references to ancient legends. I could see the useful information mixed in with it and so volunteered my services to help him sort it out and resume the process of updating the maps." Lance added.

“What significant role does my research serve in all this though? It has nothing to with maps or lore. My expertise is researching how ancient machines work and figuring out ones recovered on caravan routes through the Wilderness." Stan inquired.

“We honestly don't have that answer and assumed it would be just the two of us, until we both received word a few moments ago from Matt, that the Council was bringing another magistrate and acolyte on board with the project." Tony assured.

“Sounds like the Council to be like that." Jacob risked commenting.

Fortunately everyone else nodded in agreement and chuckled.

“Since the guardsmen will be quite a while yet. Let's get the other stuff sorted and put where we need it. Luke, give me a hand with getting the table in a better position out of the way." Stan suggested.

“Nice of the guardsmen to have put the wheels back on." Luke observed.

Both of the men proceeded to move the table over to where it set length ways in the middle, between the crystal and the outside stone wall. The table was then left it in place and they moved onward into their new room beyond it.

“It's actually nice not having a column sticking up in the middle of the main living area, where that other large table is sitting." Luke pointed out.

“Certainly adds to the spacious feeling, along with the high sloping ceiling." Stan observes. “How about you take the quarters on the left and I'll take the one on the right."

“Works for me."

Both then grabbed a crate, containing their individual private stuff and carried it into their new quarters. Luke immediately opened the tall slender window, to let fresh air into his room. Rustling papers was heard from beyond the main door.

“Thanks for the draft." Came the sarcastic response from Mason.

“That's why I have so many paper weights. Please consider using them more often up here." Came the polite chiding of Stan.

“Sorry about that." Luke quickly closed the window. “Better?"

“Yeah. That will do."

Luke decides the unpacking can wait and leaves to help clean up the paper mess.

“Hey Tony. Which side of the room you want the map tubes?" Jacob asked him.

“Over here by my quarters is fine. The writing desk takes up enough space over there."

“Hmm, I think a couple of these books belong next door."

“Let me see. Yeah they do. Be sure to take them there later. We are just about done here. I'll go see how Stan and Luke are doing."

Tony walked out the main door and met Luke halfway around the crystal.

“Kind of made a little mess." The acolyte admitted.

“So I heard." Tony quips with a smirk and walks onto where Luke came from. “Stan?" He inquires when stepping through the entry door and noticed all their stuff was still in the crates.

“To your right and in here." The man announced through the open door of his quarters.

Tony walked on into the quarters and saw that Stan had yet to touch his packing crate setting on the bed. He also saw the magistrate's robe laying folded on it by the crate. The man then spotted his nephew behind the open door. Stan was naked and had his back turned towards Tony, while wiping himself down with a wet cloth. He briefly turned his head to look out the door, to make sure Luke was next door with Lance and Mason. The man took this moment to admire how beautifully hairy his nephew had become and then closed the quarters door, before walking over to close the window.

“Didn't want to cause another paper storm next door?" Stan asked lightheartedly, while keeping his back turned and continued wiping himself down.

“Something like that." Stan commented, before pulling his robe up and over his head.

The man then folded it neatly and laid it upon the bed next to the other one, before browsing through his nephew's stuff in the crate.

“It should be near the top. There wasn't much need to bury and hide it for the trip over here." Stan casually commented before turning around to face Tony.

“Ah. Here we go." His uncle announced, before removing a squat round salve jar and presenting it to his nephew. “I'll let you have the honor. I'm sure it has been a long time."

Stan took the jar and unscrewed the lid, before dabbing his fingers into the slave and pulling them back out. He handed the open jar back to Tony and reached down to his hard cock, to begin applying it all over it's surface. His uncle dabbed his fingers and then reached behind, to sink them in between his hairy ass cheeks and began lubing the area around his anal entrance. Stan had his own little private moment of admiring the beautiful gray hair that was everywhere on his uncle's body and stepped forward to begin running his hands all over the man's pecs. Tony set the jar down onto the bed and then pulled his nephew into a lingering passionate kiss, before breaking it again.

“How is your son doing?" Tony asked him

“He is doing great and finally graduated from training. Be getting his new assignment today."

“That's great. Any other news in his life?"

“Made him a Brother last week, while at Shamus Doughtry's place, to celebrate the occasion."

“The family tradition continues." Tony affirms while rubbing his hands all over Stan's front.

“He had been bugging me for the last year about it, but I kept turning him down and reminded the boy it was potentially too dangerous for us."

“The young man does realize that now he has no chance of having kids."

“I kept telling him that. He has no interest in getting hitched with a woman either."

“How did he take it that first time?" Tony hints at what is said next.

“It was a little painful at first, but he eventually relaxed enough to just recline back against me and enjoy the moment of his dad finally being inside him and locking us together."

“That's wonderful to hear nephew." Tony assures and cradles Stan's head in his hands.

Stan just grinned back and put his own hands on the older man's shoulders, before spinning him around and gave him a polite shove towards the window. Tony allowed the momentum to make him stumble a little and planted his hands right on the rounded edge of the window sill. His nephew moved in right behind him and hugged the man tight while sliding his whole cock into his warm ass in one stroke. Stan craned his head a little and gave his uncle's ear lobe a light nip.

“Let's open you up first and then give you all of my meat." The magistrate growled right into that same ear, before he starting thrusting roughly into his uncle.

“Fuck yes. Treat that hairy ass like you own it. You be sure and bury that bone deep in me."

“Oh. Someone wants a bone do they?" Stan teased and roughly slammed into that ass harder..

“Yes."

“Well. Can't keep a needy breeding bitch waiting."

Stan pulled his cock completely out and tilted his head up to the ceiling, before he breathed very deeply and exhaled. He kept his eyes focused on the ceiling as a familiar ambient warmth spread through his body and his chest began slowly expanding outward with each breath taken into his lungs. The man could hear and feel his heart beat a little harder. His skin felt the tickle of his existing hair grow thicker and courser, while it grew longer and new hair grew in between it. The ceiling appeared to begin moving closer to his head, when the reality was he was growing taller and could feel himself also get bigger. Stan finally looked downward towards his cock and saw the retracted foreskin move back over the head and get much thicker, as short fur began to grow all over the shaft and he felt where the foreskin connected inside move further back along the length. When he looked past his crotch to his legs, he saw the feet beginning to stretch out and add to his height, as the heels came off the floor. He then felt his tailbone twitch and begin to grow out, while pulling his anal entrance outward with it. His nose twitched and moved outward, as it changed structure and color. The rest of his face soon followed, as his skull began reshaping itself and the ears began moving to the top of his head. Fur soon covered what skin was still exposed on his body, as it then finished increasing it's overall size and mass.

What was once a hairy average height man standing behind Tony, was now a beast of legend standing at twice the height and four times the body mass. All encased in a brown furred bipedal wolf body, with digitigrade legs and more toned muscle than any soldier alive. This wolf was by no means a mindless drooling beast. It was still Stan and he remembered why he changed. Tony wanted a bone and he was more than happy to give his uncle exactly that. The man under him waited in anticipation and moaned when the warm generous drool hit his back and ran down to his ass. He knew what was coming, from his own experience being that same beast when it was breeding time. Tony turned his head and glanced back into golden eyes afire with lust and nodded, before turning it back and waited. He heard those huge clawed hands thumb against the wall over his head and felt the brush of the fur across his back and ass cheeks. He then felt that distinct warm presence of hot pointed canine flesh, find his drool soaked ass cheeks and slowly push into the salve lubed space in between them.

The drool that was soaking his back was now dripping down into his hair, as his nephew began pushing the throbbing wet canine flesh in deeper, until it found the intended destination. Tony breathed and relaxed himself, just before his ears heard the wet sloppy sound of that huge tongue licking the muzzle over his head and felt the pointed tip begin to push inside him. The canine cock was still small for this beast's size and slid in easily and stopped just as the tip rubbed across his prostate. The magistrate slapped a hand over his mouth and stifled a moan, as that tongue licked once more and the lubed tip was brought back across it. Stan the wolf then pushed in once more and stopped just past the prostate, before pulling back again. He could hear his uncle under him whimper into his hand with delight, as his wolf meat rubbed and pleasured the man so exquisitely. He then uttered one word before sliding back inside the magistrate on past the prostate.

“Breed."

Tony moaned loudly into his hand as the cock continued sliding deeper into his guts and then felt the slight bulge of the inflating knot at the base, just as it bumped into his expanded anal entrance. It then slid and popped inside him, coming to a stop right over his prostate. It just sat there and throbbed, as it quickly inflated to lock them together. His whole lower body was now completely surrounded by fur and began to warm up as the wolf beast began emptying the contents of it's balls into his guts. Tony knew right away this would not be like getting fucked and filled by a man. What was now flowing slowly and steadily into him would keep flowing until his nephew decided enough had been put in him to suit the moment. His belly would definitely get a little rounded and was sure the stimulation was going to leave a generous mess on the floor. He then heard the distinct grating sound of something being slid across the floor and spotted a huge clawed hand retracting from an empty wash bowl. It was positioned right between his legs and under his hard cock, which was already dripping the same thick syrup like stuff being pumped into his gurgling swelling belly. He then felt a huge clawed hand cup and cradle his expanding belly, just as the drooling stopped and that huge tongue began sensually licking his neck. Both just stood there a little longer to enjoy the intense bonding moment, as a conversation from beyond the walls found their ears.

“It looks like the guardsmen won't be back for a while. How about we get the map table moved out by the crystal, like Tony discussed earlier." They heard Jacob suggest to someone.

“Be over there in a moment, to help you out." Luke added.

“We have plenty of extra paper weights in here." Lance announced from next door.

“We will bring them over and help with the table as well." Mason added.

“Great. Appreciate it guys." Jacob returned.

“What about the map tubes?" Luke asked.

“They can stay in here for now. Tony knows which ones stay and which ones should be kept with the table in it's new spot."

“Here are those paper weights." Mason offered.

“Stan and Tony not helping?" Lance asked Luke.

“They are likely just catching up on family related stuff. We can let them have a few moments to themselves." Luke assured him.

“Okay. We pretty much have enough weights on the map. Let's get the table moved now."

“Everyone grab a corner and take it slow."

“Will do."

There soon was the sound of many soft boots shuffling across the floor.

“How should we position the table?"

“Set it like the covered one is setting in it's spot for now."

“It should fit."

Back in Stan's quarters, both breeding mates took the sound of the shuffling boots as opportunity to mask the sound of changing their own joint position within the quarters and make the situation more comfortable for Tony. Aside from sliding the bed out of the way, nothing else was heard.

“Did you guys here something?"

“Almost to the spot."

“Sounded like a bed being scooted across the floor."

“Maybe someone prefers their bed right under the window."

“Decent weather for leaving windows open and curling up under a blanket."

“Preferably with another warm body."

All four snickered as they finally got the map table moved to it's new resting spot, in between the crystal and wooden partition wall. The two magistrates in the other room were relieved the moving bed gave no one reason to come inquire about the immediate situation in the quarters. Tony simply reclined back into the massive furred torso of his nephew and relished the sensual experience of being filled again, while resting his hands on his swollen gurgling belly. Although he really wanted the complete experience and have the syrup like stuff pushed all the way through him, having just the rounded belly was good enough for now. Stan simply sat there and played the role of the fur covered comfy chair, as he sat with his back against the wall by the window. He made sure the bowl got moved to setting just beyond his leathery balls, to catch what leaked out of Tony's cock.

“Okay. Next task?" both of them heard from outside the quarters.

“How about our table now?" Lance suggested.

“Sure, but where?" Jacob asked.

“Since direct sun is an issue with the ink in the older books, how about over here in this ten by ten little spot in the corner?"

“The table will definitely fit."

“Well, the next table it is then."

More excessive shuffling of boots was heard, followed by the sound of the squeaking dolly wheels and then more shuffling.

“These heavy reinforced shelves in this area are perfect for the books."

“Wonder what they kept up here that required something so sturdy?"

“Originally or recently?"

“Good point. The Domiciles are like the second oldest part of the entire citadel."

“I'll go check up on Stan and Tony, to see if they are ready to see this."

“Sounds good." Lance acknowledged. “Jacob, could Mason and I borrow some of your time for a quick task?"

“Sure."

“Splendid. Go ahead and take longer, to finish unpacking your stuff. Luke."

Lance gave the young man a parting pat on the back and smiled warmly. Luke returned the smile and nodded before parting to walk back to his quarters. The moment he crossed the threshold of the open door, his nose picked up on the faint familiar smell of warmed tree sap syrup. He immediately sucked in some air through his nose and closed his eyes, while holding it in his lungs. The young man then felt his cock begin to get firmer, before exhaling and walked towards the closed door to the magistrate's quarters. The three next door were already engaged in some sort of conversation, that would be useful for masking the one about to begin in here. Tony very likely doesn't know about Luke being aware that Stan is a wolf beast. He stifled a snicker and cleared his throat.

“Are you two finished with catching up yet?"

Tony was stirred from his fuzzy minded state and logical thought began filtering through the lust fog in his head. His eyes then got a little big and he opened his mouth to utter a practiced strategic response. Stan was ahead of him in the thought process and carefully covered his mouth, before lowering his muzzle next to an ear.

“He knows." Was softly spoken.

Tony turned his head and looked his brother in the one eye, with furrowed eyebrows.

“Trust me." Stan the wolf spoke again.

The uncle sighed heavily, then turned his head back and waited with slight unease.

“You alone?" The wolf beast asked.

“It's just me Stan. The other three are busy with some task next door. They could be a while."

“Very good."

“Now may I come in?" Luke asked politely.

“You may."

Luke opened the door just enough to quickly slip in and close it behind him. Minimizing the amount of the sweet stimulating air that managed to escape from the room. The movement made the robe rub across his cock, that was already stimulated to full throbbing hardness by the infused air being sucked into his lungs and tenting the front of his robe. He paused for a moment and looked upon the potent erotic sight of seeing his transformed magistrate sitting next to the window on the floor and Tony sitting in his lap, rubbing a rounded gurgling belly. It was obvious that Stan's entire cock was inside him and keeping the man's belly filled to rounded capacity. The more of the treated air he sucked in through his nose, the quicker his mind began loosing logical structure.

“Remove it." Stan told Luke.

The words were enough to get the acolyte's attention and motivate him to remove his robe. Luke then folded it and laid it down on the bed by the crate.

“Come here."

The acolyte willingly walked up to the breeding pair. The air was quite heavy with the infusion and Stan knew that Luke would soon loose all capacity to think logically at all. He moved a clawed finger down to Tony's cock and angled it outward at forty five degrees.

“Sit down."

What sliver of logic that was left in Luke's mind knew that it was not at all practical to actually sit on Tony's cock, but he could straddle the area of the cock and do his best to do something close to it. He then proceeded to lift his feet, to step past the man's legs and over the massive furred thighs of the wolf beast. Then just before he proceeded to bend over and plant his hands on those massive pecks for leverage, Stan reached up with his massive hands and gently gripped Luke's sides right under the arm pits. The acolyte laid his own arms down on the wolf beast's forearms.

“Let me." Stan assured him.

Luke allowed his weight to rest within the grip of those two hands and was slowly lowered down towards the other man's cock. He felt human hands cup his ass cheeks, as they helped with guiding his descent. Him and Tony looked each other right in the eyes, as the man's throbbing cock head made contact with his anal entrance. This was not his first cock and made little effort to properly relax, as he felt the cock push on inside of him. Luke exhaled strongly to prevent from moaning.

“Very good."

Stan continued to lower him slowly as the throbbing cock inside slid further in and over his prostate, stimulating him to begin leaking precum. The wolf beast could read his expression and could judge where the cock was at. The descent stopped and the acolyte was pulled back up, causing the cock to rub across the prostate the other way. Luke could feel his guts beginning to warm up around the cock and nodded in confirmation to continue. The wolf beast lowered him back down and the cock rubbed once more, while ejecting more of what he knew was in the man's belly. Had his more logical mind been intact, it would have told him that Tony was likely a wolf beast as well. At that moment, he didn't care and just wanted to keep riding the cock in him.

“Now more."

Luke had a vague idea of what was next and welcomed being filled again. He breathed in more of the infused air and closed his eyes, surrendering his body to be used as the intended receptacle of this breeding session. The huge hands pulled him up one more time and lowered him back down. This time the descent did not stop and the throbbing cock went deeper into his guts as it began releasing more of the thicker stuff. Luke could feel that ambient warmth begin to spread up through his body.

“Fill him." Stan said to his uncle.

Luke's ass cheeks made full contact with Tony's inner things at those words and the human hands shift to his thighs, to begin sensually stroking them. The huge hands shifted behind the acolyte's back to support him and angled him outward a little, as his belly began to gurgle itself and bulge a little. The combined stimulation was too much for him and he finally released his seed all over Tony's bulging belly. The orgasm was a little stronger this time and lasted longer. There was also a hint of that same sweet syrup scent in it this time. Stan noticed this and licked his muzzle in anticipation of this man soon being ready to be initiated into the Brotherhood. He watched as the belly bulged a little more and then decided it was best not to push the young man's body too far. Luke had already painted Tony's belly with enough cum to make a horse jealous.

“Let up." Stan whispered into Tony's ear.

Luke's bulging belly stopped expanding, leaving just enough space for his throbbing cock to bounce between it and Tony's rounded belly. Maybe next time he could get a rounded belly too, but he would let Stan decide when he was actually ready for that. He trusted the man with his life. Stan was all he had in this world. There were no siblings or any other relation. His parents killed in a Sentinel raid when he was just a baby. It had always been him and the world. Something inside told him that would soon change and his life will never be the same. For the moment, he just sat there and relished the exquisite feeling of being filled so full.

“Just rest." Came Stan's assuring words.

Meanwhile next door, the conversation among the three men had ended a little while ago. The two younger men were naked and on the double layer of blankets Mason and Lance used earlier for sex. Jacob was on top and riding his friend's cock while facing him. The cock itself was generously lubed with Lance's sex syrup and was serving it's secondary purpose of enhancing the two younger men's arousal well. The magistrate was kneeling nearby just past Mason's head and was slowly feeding both acolytes sex syrup, from fingers being coated by his dripping cock.

“Just pace yourselves boys and take it slow. The guardsmen won't be back for a while and something deep down tells me the other three won't be bothering us for a while either. Family reunions are never a short affair. No need to interrupt them." He chuckles as he watches Jacob take his fingers deep in the mouth and wrap his lips tightly around them, as they are slowly pulled back out.

Lance could see it in both of their eyes that they were barely registering the details of what he just said. Their only obvious mental focus was fucking and being fed the sex syrup from his balls. He glanced down and noticed Mason's belly already had a lot of cum plastered all over it. It was safe to say Jacob had already cum four times and didn't even need to touch himself. The man had obviously never been fucked before and was completely at the mercy of his own repressed sexual desire. It's also possible that the amount of cum released is due to some sort of enhancement from the syrup. Judging from the way he was proficiently moving his hips to fuck Jacob slowly, Mason definitely had experience fucking men and knew exactly how to stimulate one with his cock, regardless if he was on the top or bottom. The young man could definitely fuck.

“Tell me Jacob." The magistrate reached out and cradled the acolyte's jaw in his hand. “You think you are ready to let me have that ass now? Because I sure want to give you the same amazing experience I gave your buddy Mason earlier. I want to see you two make each feel real good."

The young man was incapable of responding with words and simply licked his lips, then smiled and slowly nodded.

'Just to make sure we don't leave Mason out of the fun, I will have him get on his hands and knees over you. Then while you both are sucking on each other at the same time, I can be putting this tasty warm stuff in both of your bellies. Sound like something you want to do?"

The response once again was the smile and slow nod from Jacob. Lance then looked down and got the same response from Mason.

“Get in your position then boys and start nursing on each other."

Jacob extracted himself off of Mason's cock and then rolled onto his back. His friend did not waist any time with getting on his hands and knees, then got into position over him. Both latched onto each other's cocks and began nursing right away Lance shuffled up behind Mason and began to slowly sink inside the young man with little resistance. He stopped once he was balls deep and began releasing a steady stream of the syrup into the acolyte's guts. Once he heard the belly begin to gurgle, he eased up on the flow and then pulled back out. The magistrate then grabbed the butt plug setting nearby at the corner of the blanket and moved it up to the syrup leaking out of Mason's pulsing hole. He rotated it around and added some syrup from his own cock, before taking the pointed end and slowly push it into the young mans anal entrance. A moan was heard, as it sunk in past the widest part and popped itself securely in place. Lance shuffled around to get a look at the young man's belly and saw it bulge a little. He then proceeded to crawl around the men and get into position with his throbbing bobbing cock setting an inch from Jacob's own lubed pulsing hole.

“Okay kid. Just like Mason and I told you earlier. Just relax and focus on the pleasure. I will take it nice and slow, giving you time to adjust."

Lance scooted forward and let just the tip make contact and slightly open the hole up.

“Alright then, here we go."

He then flexed his hips and began to let it begin the slow path inside the young man. Moans could be heard from both, but nothing that seemed alarming. The cock kept sliding in further. He felt the pulsing presence of Jacob's prostate as his cock made contact and glided past it. Jacob moaned a little louder that time.

“You are doing great kid. Nice and slow." Lance encouraged, as he watched more of his cock disappear inside the young man.

It wasn't long until he finally came to a complete stop inside Jacob, with the acolyte's ass firmly wedged inside his thighs. Lance could feel the ass begin to twitch a little harder around his cock and knew the young man was on the verge of another orgasm. He simply sat there and sensually stroked Mason's head, as he began moaning a little louder with the arrival of his next orgasm. Lance began releasing his syrup into Jacob and let it flow for a while, before easing up at the sound of hearing another belly gurgle. He then noticed the usual slurping sounds of oral pleasure pick up tempo and could swear he was hearing a little gulping. Lance just shrugged and closed his eyes, enjoying the moment and patiently waited for the boys to finish.

Both Jacob and Mason noticed that their current orgasm felt and tasted different in each other's mouth, while it also felt different going down their throats. The more logical thinking version of them would have considered this reason to maybe let up on each other and stop for a while. But there was no logic structure present in either of their minds at the moment. They currently lived only to suck and cum. Their own bodies was in compliance with this mindset at a profound performance level, as their pulsing prostates kept pumping more of the syrup out of their cocks. Their lust fogged minds encouraged them to take more cock in their mouths and begin actually nursing the same way a baby would nurse it's mother. Although neither one was previously not capable of taking this much into their mouths, something inside them temporarily changed this for the moment and allowed them to completely swallow each other's cock down to the root. Both young men then settled into a milder and more sensual sucking rhythm, as their tongues began caressing and stroking the cock over it to keep throbbing and deliver more syrup.

Lance slowly opened his eyes and immediately became aware of a captive audience watching him and the boys from the open entry door. Standing there without his robe on was Luke, with Stan and Tony standing behind him lacking their robes as well. All three had hard cocks and were whispering something to each other. Before Lance could react, Luke then looked right at him and raised a finger to his mouth, while making a pushing down motion with his other hand. All three then slowly walked into the room, with a warm welcoming smile on their faces. Luke chose to get up close and kneel down next to Lance, before leaning towards him to whisper very softly.

“Tony didn't know that Jacob was interested in being sexual with other men."

“We didn't know either, until Luke visited him earlier today after lunch." Lance returned.

“Ah. How long you and Mason been doing this?"

“We started the second week of him working with me. How about you and Stan?"

“A month. Kind of a story in of itself we can tell later."

“I kind of have time now. Something tells me these two will be at it for a while."

“Based on what I am smelling and seeing, they definitely will be."

Luke then got up and reached out to Stan, who then reached back with an object very similar to the butt plug Lance had made. He then bent over and handed it to Lance with a comment.

“Might want to use this."

“Thanks. Mason already has one that I made." Lance said while taking the plug from Luke.

The young man then straightened back up and gave him an incriminating look with a smirk. Lance just grinned and shrugged, before proceeding with slowly extracting himself out of Jacob. He then began to push the butt plug into the pulsing whole with just as much care as he used with Mason. When it popped itself in, Jacob reacted with less reaction than he expected. Lance raised an eyebrow and just shook his head, before getting up onto his feet.

“Luke, you stay here with those two and make sure they remain okay." Stan whispered and then motioned with his hand for Lance to follow him and Tony out the door.

All three men then walked past the covered table and over to the one with a few books laying on it. Tony browsed over them briefly and then reached for the one that had MANBEASTS etched into it's thick leather cover. He picked it up and quickly moved his thumb almost to the back cover and pushed in, as he opened the book and laid it down on the table. He flipped a couple pages and pointed at the starting page of a chapter labeled WEREWOLVES, then looked right at Lance.

“What do you know so far about these creatures?" He asked Lance.

The man walked up to the table and leaned over the book and stared at it, then sighed.

“I know everything that is written and have additional knowledge from something I witnessed as a teenager. In fact that is why I became a Lore researcher. I needed answers about that experience and admittedly have been a little disappointed at the sheer lack of what is written in the legal books that due exist. It's not an easy subject to find, unless you have this book."

“Except that book is not part of the Archology inventory." Stan mentioned.

Lance straightened up and looked at both men, before turning around and stared at the crystal.

“No. My private research into the subject was getting frustrating and left me with little option but to make inquiries about other people who may have encountered something like a werewolf. Let me tell you, that can lead to some very interesting dead ends."

The other two men smirked.

“We are aware, from doing our own research on other stuff." Tony adds.

“Of course you are." Lance admits. “My inquiries eventually got the attention of a well known local man by the name of Shamus Doughtry. He runs a low profile establishment that is more of a social gathering place for men to unwind from the daily work and just be themselves without Council oversight. It's also a place that is very lacking in clothed men as well."

All three chuckled, before Lance turned back around and closed the book.

“Shamus is the actual owner of this book and has let me borrow it for a while. Of course this came with a little price, since it is from his own secret library of illegal lore."

“We are aware of Shamus and how he manages these things. No need to explain the… transaction itself." Stan assures him, with a pat on the back shared with Tony.

“Alright then." Lance gives the book a pat and steps back away from the table. “What do you want to discuss about werewolves then?" He finishes with raised arms and hands out form his sides.

“We want to talk with you about the Brotherhood." Tony answers.

“Brotherhood? Brotherhood of the Wolves?"

“Yes." Stan adds.

“Well. The book certainly doesn't lack in describing that part of the legend. Which is curiously lacking any attached references in any of the other sanctioned lore books. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have and let me tell you guys, that is one hell of a legend written in that man's book. He also mentioned there is an additional stand alone book about the brotherhood alone and supposedly as thick as the entire Manbeast volume itself. But he also made it clear that came with a bigger price and he would need permission from the man that has possession of it. Hopefully what you want to know doesn't require that book.

“I think we can mange without it." Tony observes.

“Smart. Because what is in the book I have, is enough of a scandal to make a councilman's heart skip a beat or two. Certainly explains why Shamus said it was classed as illegal."

“Considering how well we handled what we just witnessed a moment ago, I think we are men of the proper mindset to handle such a scandal or two." Stan comments with a grin.

“We want to talk to you about the subject of werewolves, because it is related to what is currently happening in the other room." Tony politely clarifies.

“How does werewolves have anything to do with what me and the two boys just did? More importantly what do they have to do with how my cum got changed into stuff that is basically syrup? Then there is the involvement of the Minotaur, because he is the one that actually did this to me."

“Wait. Minotaur? You actually encountered a Minotaur? Where?" Stan asks.

“A couple days ago, while my acolyte and I were being transferred between citadels and taking on our new authorized research project."

Stan and Tony moved closer to each other and whispered among themselves for a moment, while watching Lance look at them with understandable suspicion manifesting on his face.

“First of all, before you even mentioned it, we did not even know the Minotaurs still existed. They supposedly just vanished during the Great Cleansing. Now we are talking with a man that has obviously encountered one, with the changed juice as proof." Stan admitted.

“Second. You need a little help with getting more knowledgeable about responsible use of the syrup. You can't just go running around and fuck every man that gets you horny." Tony adds.

“Or decide to revisit Shamus and have a little unhinged fun at his place."

“Yeah. Shamus would get a little upset over that happening." Tony rolls his eyes.

'Then Shamus would be showing him a whole new level of business transaction."

“Well the Minotaurs definitely exist or are back or whatever. Now my life has been changed a bit and it honestly can get a little… challenging. But I am a man experienced with handling my hormones. I can't imagine what this would do to a less experienced man. Did I hear correctly that you two are offering help? Did both of you have an encounter like mine and now have the stuff too?"

“An experience probably a lot like the one you had a couple days ago." Stan answered.

“But with a werewolf." Tony adds.

“It was a rather intense experience and lasted a while."

“A long while."

“As in… you being filled with so much of the stuff your bellies got round?" Lance ventured.

“Also had it pushed completely through us on out our mouths and cocks." Tony comments.

“We are talking complete body wide syrup saturation." Stan clarified.

“That is exactly what happened to me and Luke was right there as witness to the whole thing."

“Wait. Luke is also changed like you?" concern briefly manifested on Stan's face.

“No no no. He only witnessed it and basically masturbated, while watching the whole thing."

The uncle and nephew sighed with relief.

“Okay. We have a lot of experience with this, because it happened to us years ago." Stan starts.

“We wanted to talk to you in private and let you know to be careful with exposing the younger ones. You have to ease them into it." Tony advises.

“I have been holding back, out of concern of what more would do to Luke. I haven't done anything damaging yet have I?"

“Based on what we saw in the other room and our own past experience, the three of you are fine so far. Mason and Luke will simply be like that for a while longer, until the syrup has run through both of their systems enough times to be completely absorbed." Stan assures Lance.

“Will it change them in any way?"

“They will have longer orgasms, but will be back to shooting regular cum out of their cocks."

Stan and Tony then pulled Lance into a group hug for emotional support.

“You did fine." Stan comments.

“Better than others we have met." Tony adds.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind Lance got their attention, motivating them to break the group hug and look towards the crystal. Luke was standing next to it and still had a hard cock, that was bobbing in the air.

“Both of their stomachs have finally flattened out. They should be separating soon." He announced and thumped at his cock with a hand. “Oh yeah. The air back there is pretty saturated. Your cocks will get hard again, the moment you cross the door threshold." Luke added before turning around and walked back through the open door.

“The werebeast discussion will have to wait." Stan announced as he went first.

“They will be pretty hungry too. You go grab what is left of lunch in Stan's room and I will go fetch the tray from my room." Tony suggested to Lance.

Both nodded and went their separate ways. Stan walked on in to Lance's place and inhaled deeply, as his cock got hard again and bobbed freely in the air.

“Judging from the potency in the air, a lot of the syrup was exposed outside their bodies?"

“Their crotches are completely soaked with what came out around their lips." Luke observed.

'That would explain the air potency."

Tony and Lance soon showed up with the food trays and were helped with lowering them all the way to the floor, without spilling anything. Both men then left to retrieve the pitchers and mugs. A wet smacking and sucking sound echoed through the room, as the two joined young men finally unlatched from each others cocks. Mason flopped over onto his back with an audible thumb and just stared up at the ceiling. Both breathed hard for a while, as their bodies normalized their breathing rhythm again. As structured thinking began returning, they took notice that it was now late afternoon. Both then turned their heads a little towards the entry door and recognized the four naked men with hard bobbing cocks looking right at them. Both then razed their heads up and looked at each other with confusion, before letting them fall back to the blanket. At this point, everyone in the room knew the following conversation was about to be a very interesting one.