Chapter Seven: Cheskia
It was winter in Cheskia, but the sun still shone, though without the strong heat of the summer months. It was a land of fertile red soil, blessed with an abundance of aromatic herbs and olive trees, and greened by rain from the prevailing easterly wind which blew in from across the Inner Sea. Many plants put forth flowers all year round, for frost was unknown save in the high mountains much further to the north.
Magnus and Callixtus had taken a fond farewell of the crew of the Cheskan ship which had brought them here, and the impudent cabin boy had even shouted out after Callixtus to tell him how much he would miss the taste of his cock.
Karlovar, though large by Cheskan standards, was only a middling town by the standards of the Empire. It had a large bustling market and pleasant whitewashed houses festooned with purple bougainvillea. It also had an abundance of beautiful blond youths, many of them clad only in skimpy loincloths and many of the younger boys in a state of perpetual and total nudity. But Magnus was sorry to notice that even this far from the Empire some had adopted Imperial customs, and a few youths from the wealthier and more fashion conscious merchant households often wore embroidered kilts or Imperial style tunics. It was mostly young men in their twenties who adopted this new style, but Magnus also noticed some younger lads clad like this, and as they were obviously under twenty they should have been entirely nude, had they followed Cheskan traditions more rigorously.
Magnus told Callixtus he was sad to see so many of the urban Cheskans forsaking their traditions and departing from the custom - and indeed technically the legal obligation - for all males to remain entirely nude until they reached their twentieth birthday. Callixtus privately thought that Magnus was mainly dismayed at the sight of pretty boys with their assets concealed when he would really have liked to have ogled them naked, but he said nothing. Of course, he was quite right in his supposition.
Whilst in Karlovar stayed in the home of its leading healer, a woman by the name of Voskina. Magnus explained to Voskina and Callixtus that he hoped to find a ship to take him to the Isle of Mages, a small island of the Veskan Archipelago which lay off the southern tip of the Cheskan peninsula.
Unfortunately, it proved more difficult than expected to find a ship to take them to the Isle of Mages; the main sailing season was almost at an end, and in any case there was far less traffic between Veska and Karlovar than between Karlovar and the Empire. Magnus did not want to delay his journey too long, so, at Voskina's suggestion, he decided to make an overland journey from Karlovar to the southern tip of the Cheskan peninsula, and find there a local fishing boat to take him across the channel to the Isle of Mages. He judged that he would probably get there just as quickly as if he waited in Karlovar for a direct passage.
Voskina suggested that Magnus might like to take with him as a guide her nephew Votya, a handsome blond of sixteen. She summoned him from the Lads' Lodge in town, and Magnus decided straight away that he would agree to Voskina's suggestion even if the boy was a dimwit with no sense of direction. Although not as pretty as Callixtus, he was in fact an intelligent youth,
tall and slender, with fine athletic legs and very blond hair. Perhaps his muscles lacked definition and his chest was not very broad - he still had some adolescent gawkiness - but he also had a large member which dangled pleasingly between his legs for all to see, for Magnus was glad to note that Votya was not one of those to ape the traditions of the Imperials. The boy had never worn a stitch of clothing in his life.
As they left Karlovar and journeyed southwards along the red dirt road Magnus was pleased to note that away from the towns the traditional customs of the country still held. Outside the large urban districts no youth under twenty would be seen wearing clothing of any kind; and many who were technically allowed breechcloths spent most of the time naked by choice. Quite often even fully grown men could be seen pruning olive trees or labouring in the fields in a state of total nudity - though they would certainly have donned tunics on their visits to the town.
So they strode southwards, keeping a good pace and often covering fifteen or twenty miles a day. Callixtus suffered with his feet at first, but whenever the day's journey was over Magnus made sure to pay them attention, bathing them and healing any bruises or abrasions. It would not take long for Callixtus's bare feet to become as tough as Votya's.
Votya, though a little shy at first, was a genial companion, and was a fund of knowledge about the natural history of the country and the customs of his people. Callixtus listened eagerly and carefully to all he had to say, though it made him aware of what a very sheltered life he had had, being completely without any kind of education except in the menial duties of a household slave. Votya's parents had a farm very close to the tip of the southern peninsula, which was one of the reasons his Aunt had suggested him as a companion. His parents would assist with the provision of a vessel across the channel.
As their guide, Votya led the way on their march, and Magnus liked Callixtus to walk with him, for he enjoyed walking behind the two attractive boys and watching their beautiful forms as they stepped out in front of him - Votya's long legs and flexing calf muscles and thin suntanned rump, and the even more globular and delicious arse of his slave Callixtus. Magnus liked to compare and contrast their naked forms: Callixtus definitely had the better arse, the Cheskan boy's rump being skinnier and less spherical. And although Callixtus was a head shorter than the Cheskan boy (who was the same height as Magnus) the slave boy's shoulders were slightly broader and his musculature more clearly defined. On the other hand, Votya definitely had the bigger cock (not that Callixtus was under endowed either - far from it), and when they put on the pace it bounced and jiggled in front of him so handsomely that it was sometimes even visible from the back, dangling down beyond the cleavage of his buttocks. Votya was also a better colour - the golden hue of a blond boy who had spent his life outside in warm sunshine - whereas Callixtus still looked like someone who had spent most of his life indoors (which indeed he had).
They usually slept in the open, perhaps in a grove of olives or in a grassy hollow. Magnus unspread his cloak and Callixtus slept on it with him while Votya simply curled up on the ground - this was very little hardship to an active Cheskan boy, and although the evenings were cool Votya was accustomed to this. If during the night Callixtus felt a chill he simply cuddled closer to his master. They generally slept in each other's arms, and every night Magnus fucked the boy as he lay on the cloak, illuminated by the beautiful starlit night sky. The only real discomfort came from the occasional night time rain shower - but if rain was likely they made a shelter from branches and twigs, spread over with grasses. The shelters they made were very rudimentary, but Magnus pronounced a waterproofing incantation which partly made up for any deficiencies in construction.
They slept in shelters only twice, and on these occasions Votya slept very close to the other two. But this did not inhibit Magnus from fucking Callixtus even with the naked Votya lying adjacent. Magnus explained to Callixtus that in Cheskan culture this was nothing to be ashamed about.
Although this was true it was not true that Votya was entirely ease with the situation. He was not invited to participate in the sexual activities of the other two, and was too shy to ask if he could. (He was a much gentler and more reserved character than the brash cabin boy Brenko). This was a source of frustration to him: not only did he find Callixtus very attractive, but he would have considered it a great tribute from the mage if he too was to be fucked by him. But it didn't happen, so he was forced to content himself with looking, and surreptitiously jacking himself off when the other two were completely engrossed in one another.
Eleven days after setting out from Karlovar they finally arrived at the farm of Votya's parents, and were greeted by a cacophony of joyfully barking dogs and Votya's ecstatic family. His father, Jirek, stood well over six feet tall and was still a handsome man, though his very blond hair was thinning out. He wore sandals and a clean white linen tunic, as befitted his age and station.
"Welcome, my dear Mage, to our humble farm", said Jirek. We are so pleased that my sister Voskina persuaded you to allow our boy to act as your guide. We trust he has given satisfactory service?"
Magnus assured him that he had been a splendid guide, though privately he thought he could have managed well enough without him. All they had to do was walk south, after all. But observing the boy's delectable naked body marching in front of him on the road had certainly been a pleasure. Also, although Votya was a bit shy and reserved in front of the mage, he got on well with Callixtus. Magnus had been pleased to see the two boys chatting amiably together as they strode ahead together. Poor Callixtus had lacked friends his own age, and as Cheskans had no slavery and no rigid division between the classes as in the Empire, the Cheskan youth did not look down on the slave boy, but treated him as an equal.
Votya's father Jirek was a prosperous and well regarded farmer, and his spacious whitewashed farm with its rambling outbuildings was the scene of much activity as a feast was prepared for the visiting mage. Jirek and his wife, together with some of his neighbours, feasted Magnus in the farmhouse while they were waited on by Jirek's daughters.
"Well, Magnus" said Jirek, "I understand you wish to go to the Isle of the Mages, presumably to consult your brethren there - not that the business of the Mages is any business of mine, of course. I've arranged a fishing sloop to take you there, though I hope you'll stay here a while and partake of my hospitality, which I offer with a glad heart."
"You are too kind", replied Magnus, "but I hope you will forgive me if I leave for the Isle as soon as possible. My business is rather pressing."
"In that case" replied Jirek, " you can go tomorrow. I will send word to my cousin, who owns the sloop, to expect you. The fishing village is only five miles from here - my boy Votya will show you the way."
Magnus expressed his thanks, and lifted his wine goblet to toast Jirek and the assembled company. The feast was grilled goat, roast partridge, peppers baked with cheese and nuts, a type of river fish baked with lemons, and sourdough bread with a variety of sauces and olive oil for dipping. All this was washed down with large quantities of heavy local red wine. The feast was long and raucous, and later was accompanied by music on a mandolin played by Jirek's eldest daughter.
Meanwhile, the younger males who could not be accomodated at the table had their own feast in a nearby outbuilding. Callixtus was included, and was glad to have the chance to relax in the company of his friend Votya. Much later that evening, with sounds of revelry still coming from the farm, most of the youngsters had gone home, just leaving Callixtus, Votya, and Votya's younger brother Danko.
Just a few weeks ago Danko had moved out of home into the local lads' lodge. This was the first time he had been back to the farm since. He was a small lad with a mop of unruly blond hair and a wiry body showing promise of good muscular development to come. He was leaning against the wall of the outbuilding with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked unlikely to grow as tall as his elder brother, although he looked as though he might develop a more impressive upper body strength than Votya. However, his manly parts were as yet distinctly un-manly, in profound contrast to his well-endowed elder brother. A small, smooth scrotum had resting on top of it a very small cock, its end tapered to a fine point. He hardly looked capable of ejaculation, although his breaking voice and wiry muscles showed that he had begun puberty (if he had not he would not have been permitted to leave home and enter the Lads' Lodge). Of course, he still had a lot of growing up to do, but at the moment he was feeling rather bold on account of his new status as a resident of the lodge. Also, he was back on his home turf. He addressed Callixtus:
"How long have you been with the mage? Are you training to be a mage as well?" (He spoke the common tongue with an atrocious guttural accent, but spoke it quite well nevertheless, considering they were so far from the Empire - the wealthier farmers like Jirek made sure their children were all bi-lingual on account of the importance of the Empire in the overall scheme of things).
Callixtus laughed. "Me, a mage? No, of course not. I have not been with Master Magnus very long. I am his property."
"You mean you are a slave? Is that why you have the end of your penis missing?"
Callixtus agreed that it was so. Danko approached to have a closer look at Callixtus's circumcised member. Never having seen one like it before, he studied it closely - a little more closely than politeness required, thought Callixtus, though he didn't actually touch it.
Danko said, "If you belong to the mage, does that mean he has sex with you?"
"Yes, of course" said Callixtus.
"What's it like?"
"Well, it's like sex with anyone else, I suppose."
As Callixtus had only lost his virginity a couple of weeks ago, he was not speaking with very much authority, but Danko was not to know that.
Danko said, "Is it true that mages shoot lightning out of their cocks when they come? How does that feel inside your arse?"
Callixtus laughed again. "No, it's nothing like that. His come is just...normal, I suppose."
Votya then intervened, "Well, Callixtus, excuse me but everyone knows that's not true. I mean, he may not shoot lightning up your arse, but his spunk isn't just the same as a normal person's, is it. I mean, everyone knows that mage spunk has special magical properties."
Callixtus was about to deny it, but then kept quiet. Could that be true? He realised he didn't really know. So he said, "How do you mean, magical?"
Votya said, "You know, if you get pumped with it you can gain strength and think more clearly and all that. So they say. And it's supposed to be sort of lucky, and protect you from injuries and accidents and things. And it improves your stamina so you can walk for hundreds of miles without ever getting tired" .
Now that Callixtus came to think of it, he did perceive that he felt stronger and more alive in the last few weeks than he had ever felt before - but he put that down simply to the much more interesting life he was now leading compared to service in the villa of the Lady Domitia.
As for greater stamina, he certainly felt tired after walking over a hundred miles from Karlovar in his bare feet, but did he really feel as tired as he should have felt? Considering he had hardly ever left Lady Domitia's villa before, and was totally unused to sustained exertion? It was worth thinking about.
"Well I think you're really lucky" said Danko. "The mage must think you're really special or he wouldn't have chosen you when he could have had anyone. I wish a mage would choose me. Or anyone, really. I've only done it with the other boys in the lodge, but I'd like to try it with a fully grown man as well." He looked across at Votya. "Have you done it with the mage, Votya?"
His brother blushed. "Shut up, Danko, this is no time to be talking like that."
"Oh, so you haven't. I suppose he doesn't like you." Votya looked furious and blushed a deeper shade of red.
Callixtus said, "It isn't like that, Danko. It's just that, well, I suppose maybe Master Magnus thinks it wouldn't be right to do anything with Votya, because he's our guide, and it might be sort of disrespectful to your father."
Danko's eyes opened wide. "But how could it be disrespectful to be shagged by a mage? It's what every parent wants for their son!"
Votya had had enough. "Leave it out, Danko. It's time to go to bed anyway."
"OK, sorry. But wait - Callixtus, I was wondering, if you get fucked by the mage, and you fuck me, that would be like sort of getting a second hand shag from a mage, wouldn't it? That would be better than nothing. Will you do it please?"
Callixtus looked at the boy, who was tugging at his stubby little cock, which was rapidly growing, though still very unimpressive.
"I don't know. I don't think Master Magnus likes me doing it with anyone else. Besides, I'd better go now and get things ready for when he comes to bed."
Danko looked disappointed. "Well can you just put in a good word for me and my brother, then? You never know, the mage might like a change!"
Votya looked as if he was about to punch his annoying little brother, but Callixtus just laughed and said, "Yes, I'll have a word. But I don't think it will do any good. I'll ask if you can come with us to the fishing village tomorrow, though."
"Good, that's a deal!" said Danko, as Votya raised his eyes upwards with an exasperated sigh.
Callixtus bade the boys goodnight and left for the bedroom in the farm which he knew he would be sharing with his master.