Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 16:29:58 From: Ganymede Subject: Ring Around the Rose, Chapter 11. The Ring Around the Rose, by Ganymede WARNING: This story contains graphic descriptions of sexual acts between men and MINOR boys. It is not true! The story is not intended to promote illegal acts against minors. I do not condone child abuse, however the love of boys is a different matter. Despite the prevalent attitudes of western society, men have loved boys throughout recorded history. It is my goal to help readers appreciate that love can exist between men and boys. If the subject of man/boy love offends you, if this material is illegal in your place of residence, or if you are under the legal age for such material, do not read further! By downloading this story: "... you implicitly declare and affirm under penalties of perjury that you are not a minor or in the company of a minor and are entitled to have access to material intended for mature, responsible members of society capable of making decisions about the content of documents they wish to read...." Any similarity to individuals, living or dead, is entirely accidental. The sexual acts described in the story are the result of my imagination. I have not performed these acts, and I do not encourage others to perform them with minors. The story is copyrighted under the pseudonym, Ganymede. Copies have been placed in two archives for your enjoyment. The story cannot be used to derive monetary gain. The story cannot be placed in archives that require payment for access, or printed and distributed in any form that requires payment either directly or indirectly. THE COPYRIGHT OF OTHERS: Throughout the story there are poems and songs by others. I do not claim this work as my own. These poems and songs are included within single quotation marks. In some cases, I have modified the original to suit my purposes. Citations and sources have not been provided because it would interrupt the story. I appreciate the efforts of Ianthe, who collected and posted this material. THE NIFTY ARCHIVE: The Nifty Archive needs your support. If you enjoy reading this story, please remember that it is available only because of the Nifty Archive. Instructions are provided on the Nifty home page for how to provide support. COMMENTS AND SUPPORT: Now available http://www.ghouldrool.com/ganymede A special thank you to No5 at ghouldrool. Keep up the great work. FINAL WARNING: If you are under the age of 18, if this material is illegal in your place of residence, or if man-boy relationships aren't your thing, then exit now and save yourself from a life of sin! The Ring Around the Rose, by Ganymede Chapter 11. The matter of 'essence' was one of substance, but it was of little interest to either Michel or me as we engaged in the act of love. Although, all reason and my experience with other boys demanded that I doubt the very possibility of Sandor's claim, what I felt within Michel could not be denied. The sensation was utterly divine. No wonder that excretion was claimed to belong to the gods. What I felt was very different to the lubricity of lard or grease alone. It was more slippery, sucking loud and very wetly as I pumped slowly back and forth. What was more, unlike an artificial lubricant, the mucus that came from Michel's body had the feel and smell not unlike aquatic slime. Not only that, for with little difficulty, some potions could be created to induce the same sensations, but Michel's tight rectum seemed hotter, much hotter than before. His heat seared my shaft and sealed our union as my instrument of pleasure expanded inside him to fill the slick-walled tube to its capacity. Master Devon was on the third step when he stopped. He inclined his head and seemed to reconsider whether he should come up to the Altar. Momentarily, he glanced behind him, studying Sandor and Kadri with his dark foreboding eyes. "Perhaps he smells better than he looks," Master Devon commented dryly. "What Sandor thinks is the juice that comes from a divine penetration is more than likely what he had for dinner." There was a ripple of laughter from some of the boys who were positioned further back. There were perhaps a dozen of them. I was not surprised that all of them were from the Vulturnus side, and older boys at that for they tended to be brazen about sex with other boys. Encouraged, Master Devon continued unabated. "What was it that the virgin ate to complete his meal? The suet pudding with some gooseberry wine perhaps? Not that?" There was more laughter. "Or what is more than likely, the boy's arse was tenderized with snot before he came? It would look and feel the same, would it not?" "By the gods!" I scowled. "If your nose lacks the sense of smell then all I can suggest is for you to look between his bum cheeks and see it for yourself." "I've no need to look between his legs at the hole beneath his eggs," Master Devon guffawed, which served to make his feeble attempt at rhyme even more ridiculous. "You've filled your poor Favonius boys' heads with tales that do them little good in war, Master Aidan. Doubtless, you've been telling them other stories in your bed at night about the juice that is said to flow when a boy is loved by a God. And I thought you were a mere mortal, like me?" "Enough!" the Master interjected. "Of all our rituals and rites, this ceremony is the most important. It should not be spoiled for any boy. We have welcomed Michel into our midst." "I've merely challenged the veracity of a claim," Master Devon answered devoutly. "That right is mine no matter what rite is underway." "Then smell him and let's move on," I said. "I like to finish what I start." My retort produced a giggle from nearly every boy except those who were clearly in another camp. Their faces were sour unless Master Devon incited them with his vulgar innuendo. "My nose is not what it once was." Master Devon sniffed and pretended to test the air. "All I can smell is the stink of shit and what I presume is a mortal man's ejaculation. "Then, if you cannot smell it, would you be so good as to take the boy into the Tomb. The candles there will provide sufficient light to allow Master Devon to ascertain the point of fact for himself, Master Aidan," the Master countered. The candles he referred to were in an alcove adjacent to the High Altar. This alcove was a sacred place, and bore the name of an ancient boy whose body lay in a stone sarcophagus, above which were placed the candles. There were ninety-six candles arranged in eight tiers of twelve. Each candle was as large as my forearm and made of beeswax. These flickering yellow lights symbolized the boys, each a burning light. That the candles were placed above a boy who was renowned for his great beauty, made the mythology of ancient Greece become real for every man and boy upon the Mount. I nodded curtly to the Master and scooped my arms around Michel. Although I was becoming tired from our strenuous rutting, his weight was not exhausting. He assisted by wrapping his legs around my pelvis, keeping my penis fully implanted in his behind as we carefully descended from the dais one more time. There was a rule that virgin boys could not enter the Tomb of Endymion, but for Michel, his virginity no longer precluded his admission. He had joined the Order and had gained the right to enter. So, after pausing momentarily to show respect for all those boys who had gone ahead, I carried Michel between the guardian columns. Each guardian was carved from alabaster marble, and like the caryatids of ancient Greece, its form was of human origin. However, these columns were paired, a man standing behind a boy. They were joined by a stone phallus. Michel's eyes widened when he observed that detail for the size of it denied the capacity of a boy's anatomy. The phallus was extremely large, and if Michel had crouched down on his hands and knees to inspect he would have seen that the boy's belly, buttocks and thighs swelled out because of it. Indeed, his own buttocks were not much different where they swelled around my skewered shaft. Compared to the Chapel, the light of the candles provided both heat and light that was startling. Michel's slender body glowed even more golden in the light. His hair shone with sparkles that I had only ever seen in daylight. Indeed, it glistened with such brilliance that it seemed to be on fire. Not merely blond, but brighter. It took my breath away, and even more so because Michel smiled radiantly. Not for the first time I mused that I was in the company of a god, a boy god whose face alone could inspire divine intervention. Surely, if the great god, Jupiter could lust after Ganymede so much that he would turn himself into an eagle to bear the boy off, he would go to even greater lengths to get his hands upon Michel. However, what I feared more than a god was a mortal man who took advantage of Michel. "What is this place?" Michel whispered in awe. "This is the resting place of Endymion," I answered. Behind us, the Master had entered. Beside him stood Sandor for his word had been challenged as much as mine. Next to Sandor was Master Devon, still scowling and evidently quite upset. "Oh!" Michel ignored them. He moved his head from side to side and looked around him. The mosaics were exceptional and equal to any work that I had seen during my travels. They were made of tiny pieces of polished semi-precious stone--jasper, agate, obsidian, malachite, and azurite. There were three murals that depicted events from the legendary life of a boy who had been loved by the Gods and mortal man. All three of the mosaics had an abundance of naked men and boys in copulating ecstasy. Michel giggled. In that way, he was no different to every boy who had entered into that hallowed place. "Look at that!" Michel said in awe as he gazed at a detailed mural of a boy, his body bent in the middle and hanging from a man's powerful grip as his bowels were plundered by a penis of excessive size. "I didn't know you could do it that way!" "Well, you've only just started to learn the art of making love," I smiled. "There are ninety-six positions in all that you must learn as ways to take a cock, Michel. However, that position, called the 'Hanging Butterfly' is really not that unusual. As you can see, the boy is being lifted onto it. It's quite easily done, but that position has the end result that my penis will barely reach your special place." "Oh! Well even though I love your cock exactly where it is right now, I still want to try it anyway," Michel grinned. "You should have no fear on that account because we will surely do that as part of your training," I replied. Michel turned back to the gaze at the opposite wall, oblivious to the audience behind him. That mural illustrated the gift of Jupiter, although it was apparent that the boy had not fallen asleep. Each end of the beautiful boy was split wipe open, containing an organ of considerable tumescence, his anus by the divinity, his mouth by someone mortal. "That's not possible," Michel smirked. "There's no way that a boy could be held up like that. Even a cock as big and hard as yours couldn't lift a boy completely off the ground. Could it?" he added awkwardly. "Hm,.... We'll see before much longer," I teased. "I dare say that they had a job to hold him up." "You'd better pump Michel a bit and get his juices running," Sandor smirked. "I want to prove to Master Devon that I'm right. Michel's bum is drooling because Master Aidan's the best fuck on the Mount." "Sandor, that's quite uncalled for," the Master rebuked. "There are other men here who are his equal." With that rebuke in my ears, I lifted Michel up, withdrawing my penis for the breadth of a hand before I stopped. It was not enough to separate us, but Michel could feel the imminence of my parting. He groaned, tensing his inner muscles to keep me deep inside him. That delightful squeeze was sufficient to make a tremble run through both of us. Lovingly, I eased him back down again, flexing my penis as it speared upward and back into him. Michel shuddered as it jerked and pulsed against his hidden gland. When he was fully seated, I gently brushed my lips to his forehead and hugged him tightly. Then again, up and down, slowly stroking my engorged cock through the delicate membrane of his rectum. The squelching sound seemed a little louder. Up and down, a little further, lifting Michel up until my glans was almost outside him. After a half-dozen thrusts he had relaxed his sphincter muscle and a sudden burst from inside him squirted wetness down my penis. I stopped moving and held him tightly, lingering in the bliss of our union. It was impossible to be any closer to Michel than this. His anus flexed and quivered around my penis, exerting the most delicious sensations and eliciting a sigh from me. We breathed together, inhaling deeply, sharing our thoughts of love together. For no reason at all, I wondered whether I would ever return to the Sanctuary with Michel, or would I keep him for myself. "I know the God Jupiter loved boys, for I have heard the tale of Ganymede, but whose what's his name,... Endy-men or whatever you said?" Michel asked during the pause in our lovemaking. "Ah, Endymion. Some say that he was the most beautiful boy of all. For boys like him, pederasty was invented," the Master answered. Michel gave the Master an amused look. "I know that's the love between men and boys. It's from the Greek, paed and rast, which means boy and love. But how could someone invent it? Didn't it always exist?" I chuckled. "I didn't know you had studied Greek, Michel." "There's lots of things you don't know. I'm full of surprises," Michel giggled. "Enough time has been wasted." Master Devon pushed against me. "Get the brat closer to the light and let us prove this one way or the other." I carried Michel three paces until I felt the heat of the candles against our bare bodies. I placed him in position, head down. His elbows and knees were on the stone floor, and his buttocks were uplifted and ready for my entry. This was the position that the boys jokingly referred as being taken in the "Doggie Style", but which was properly called "the Bridge of Love". The little yellow fires burned steadily, but suddenly they flared and became even brighter as if to honor Michel's much closer presence. His body was illuminated until it glowed like molten copper-a dazzling hue of gold and amber. His hair glistened as if on fire. The mosaics sparkled and glowed and glittered, emitting a thousand radiant beams of light. It was truly a remarkable sight and to my lust-filled eyes, it seemed as if Michel had been ignited by love and was being consumed by fire that had no equal. In my excitement, I kneeled behind him and promptly resumed my love making, using slow deep strokes that were gauged to stir his juices to a steady flow. In the 'Bridge of Love' position, a man could accomplish both depth and speed with little hindrance from the boy who was before him. I applied my energy to the task at hand, yet kept my strength in reserve for later on. The words of the poet filled my head, as appropriate for Michel as they had been for Endymion. '...The sleeping kine Couched in thy brightness dream of fields divine. Innumerable mountains rise, and rise, Ambitious for the hallowing of thine eyes, And yet thy benediction passeth not One obscure hiding-place, one little spot Where pleasure may be sent.' The candles flared once again, this time brighter, expelling a brilliant light that made shadows dance across the walls. It had the aura of an eternal fire, a fire that never died, and like the sleeping Endymion, never aged but stayed perfectly beautiful for all time. "A sign!" the Master cried. Clearly, the unexpected burst of light had surprised him in some unknown way. "I fear we have disturbed the spirit's rest," I remarked jovially as I pumped away into Michel's slackened and oozing bowels. "Were it so simple, Aidan. This miracle cannot be denied. The Oracle is right once again. Can't you see?" "See what?" I intoned. I gazed at Michel, stunned by his awe-inspiring beauty. "The beauty of Endymion has found its equal in Michel?" "It's FIRE!" the Master answered with wide-open eyes. "The Oracle! It had confused me until now." "The Oracle? What Oracle?" Master Devon demanded. "First on Earth. Next in Air. Then consumed by Fire," Sandor said softly. "Until their love is quenched by water." His tone was flat as if he was announcing the most obvious fact, or in a daze. Nonetheless, the Master spun around and stared at Sandor, his whitened face revealing the extent of his shock. He was dumbfounded and a long period passed before a single word could pass his lips. Sandor had repeated word for word, an ancient text. I stopped pistoning in and out and, with my penis more than halfway in, held Michel tightly to me as I considered what I should do. He squirmed around and settled down, spreading his buttocks wide and pressing onto my penis so that my glans was positioned where he needed it to be. I felt his inner muscles straining. Like an older and experienced boy, he was forcing his prostate to meet my penis head-on. "How?" the Master inhaled heavily, trying to catch his breath. Suddenly, the words poured out in startled rush. "Where did you hear those words?" he demanded. "It's important that you tell me everything you know, Sandor." Sandor shrugged absently, then realizing the words contained far greater significance than was evident to him, he backed away. "I read them on a wall," he murmured. "A wall? What wall? Where did you read the words?" the Master insisted. "Um,... ah,... I,... I don't remember," Sandor muttered, guiltily avoiding the Master's concentrated stare. "Sandor, this is important. I promise I won't be angry because of anything you say. All I want to know is where you read the words." "I-I-I forget," Sandor blurted out. "It was some time ago." "Please try to remember, my boy. A lot depends on what you've read," the Master explained. Sandor hesitated. He clenched his hands, then relaxed, relenting as he did so. "You won't be angry with us?" he ascertained. I smiled, more than curious to know what secret was at stake. I did not like the inquisition, but it was inappropriate to intervene in a matter that was so clearly of great concern to the Master. It was not difficult to imagine that Sandor and more than likely Kadri too, had been somewhere where they should not have been. The Master also acknowledged Sandor's uncertainty with a nod. "Neither will I be angry with Kadri," he added gently. "I must know what you've read." "I,... we,.... Kadri and I,... we sometimes go into the tower,... at night." Sandor paused there uncomfortably. It was evident that he had a tale to tell, but was very reluctant to continue. I was amused as I mused about what had mystified me for the last three weeks. At night, Kadri would disappear, returning to his bed only when the first gray light of dawn could be seen in the east. When I glimpsed his bare body during his ablutions it was apparent that he had been having sex, but it was only on those two nights when he slept with me that I realized he had been subjected to an instrument of pleasure of quite stupendous size for his opening was easily dilated. It would have been natural to assume that he sought pleasure in another man's bed, yet the indications, or lack of bruising therein, suggested he had not. "Please continue," the Master instructed patiently. Sandor's eyes flickered. Only for an instant had he glanced at Master Devon. However, it was enough to communicate that he did not wish to explain further with that man present. Still holding Michel's thighs, I backed away. "Perhaps we should complete the matter that brought us into the Endymion's resting place in the first place," I interrupted. "Sandor's adventures at night should wait until later. Surely you can find out what you want to know before tomorrow." The Master's eyes shifted to the side to meet mine, and after a moment, moved away. "You're right, Aidan. Tonight is Michel's night. Can you validate Sandor's claim so that we can dispense with the question of veracity?" I eased Michel away by releasing my grip upon his back so that while we were still joined groin to buttocks, his posterior was a much greater distance away from my chest and belly. In that position it was possible to see between us. My penis, what little there was to be seen of it, was coated in a shiny slime. Some of it formed tiny amber lumps while the rest was transparent and foamy where it had been gathering for quite some time. There was no question of what it was in my mind even though I had never experienced the excretion for myself. The Master, Sandor, and Master Devon moved closer, bowing their heads to inspect the evidence. "It's snot," Master Devon proclaimed loudly. "Nothing but the mucus from a runny nose." "It's not snot!" Sandor argued. "Can't you see it's coming from his hole?" "It's the wrong color! It's far too white." "What color is it supposed to be?," Sandor demanded. The Master answered. "I've never heard of it being anything but the color of uncooked egg-white." "See! Like I said, it's snot." "That proves naught. Besides, it's no wonder that it's whiter than it's supposed to be. Miel's bum is full of Master Aidan's spunk. Anyone can see it's dribbling down both of his legs." Master Devon harrumphed. He wrinkled his nose as it the odor was unpleasant to him. To my nose the smell was sweet, a heady but vibrant perfume that increased my lust. It was a scent that was unfamiliar to me, although it was most definitely Michel's smell. "Nonsense, complete and utter nonsense. It's disgusting how low some Favonius boys will sink to draw attention to themselves. He must think everyone will want to fuck him if he excretes the juice of Ganymede." "That's enough, Master Devon." The Master continued to concentrate on the slime that had accumulated between Michel's buttocks. "Might I try a test of a different sort." "By all means," Master Devon replied begrudgingly. "I wasn't asking you," the Master said dryly. "Master Aidan, would you mind if I felt between you and Michel to ascertain the substance that is in dispute?" I shrugged, yielding permission for yet another invasion of our privacy. Michel's eyes closed and he turned his head away and stared into the flagstone floor when the Master's hand dropped down and explored between us. His hands touched my penis where it exited from Michel's bottom, then rubbed around in the furrow between the boy's small firm cheeks. His hand drew back, his fingers streaked with a mucus-like substance. He held his fingers to his nose and sniffed, inclined his head, and thought. Then, deliberately he placed his fingers in his mouth. "Ah, a tasty treat," he said after licking his fingers clean. "Quite an unusual flavor, isn't it. Not at all like egg- white. One might say it's sweet in fact. Almost astounding considering the source." "You're saying,...." Master Devon fumed. His face reddened and he stared at Michel angrily. "Yes, I am. However, it merely confirms something that I've known all along. He's a very special boy," the Master continued. "Master Devon, if I were you, I should not surprised by this. Only a boy as beautiful as Michel could be so honored by the smell of fish." "The smell of fish?" Master Devon said angrily. He pushed forward, almost knocking Sandor out of the way. "What smell?" "This smell," the Master replied. He held up his hand. A strand of amber-tinted mucus strung between two fingers. "Yes, I must say, it's really quite surprising!" Master Devon snorted. "Such nonsense. This is nonsense, even from you Master. Why should this boy, of any of them be so rewarded? And another thing. What is this Oracle you refer to?" I glared at the Master, still poised mid-stroke. I did not think it wise for him to talk of the mission we were to begin the following day. He caught my eye and nodded slightly. "It is nothing that concerns you, Master Devon. It's merely an ancient tale about a boy who excreted the divine juice." "That hardly qualifies as an oracle, at least not one of any significance." Master Devon growled from deep in his chest. I wondered how many boys found him to be a worthy companion in their beds. If I was a boy and had to chose, he would be the last person I wanted to mount me. Just the thought of his unshaven chin rubbing against my skin turned my stomach. He looked as if he followed the tradition of some masters by only bathing once a week. Indeed, it had been experience with the youngest Favonius boys that they much preferred a man to be clean-skinned and closely shaved, as smooth and hairless as themselves. "Well you've kept him waiting long enough, Master Aidan. Finish him off with rapid strokes," Sandor chirped gleefully. "You're in the position to pump him hard." The Master and I both laughed for it exactly what was needed to complete the act. Hard and fast usually brought a boy to the pinnacle of love. It was becoming very hot in front of the burning candles. I partially closed my eyes and concentrated on Michel's pleasure. His body writhed and shuddered as the spasms grew in intensity. His voice was garbled, insisting that I go even faster, deeper, harder, than seemed humanly possible. I churned Michel's insides to jelly with my energetic thrusts, until my perspiring thighs slapped loudly against his legs, and his flanks trembled with each powerful inward drive. Most men take their boys with too much force, others hold back and resort to vapid strokes, a few manage to get it just right. In my experience the trick was to keep the boy on the very edge for as long as possible once he had loosened up. For Michel, I was quickly discovering that this involved a mix of fast and slow, hard and gentle, shallow and deep. He thrived on variety. I took him ever way I could without shifting to a different position, for that would disturb the rhythm of our bodies. I took him gently, sometimes barely moving. At other times, I thrusted with mechanical precision against his inner gland, and when the urge was strong, I strained and pounded with all my energy, wildly plunging from head to hilt so that he screamed in shameless ecstasy. The audience was not bored. Many of the boys crowded into the Tomb. Those who could not fit, draped themselves around the columns, peered across the sea of heads, and a few even clambered onto their friends' shoulders to witness the spectacle. "He's going to be really sore when the sun comes up," Kadri smirked. He had wormed his way through the crowd until he found a place next to Michel. He stood on the plinth behind the rows of candles, his pretty face illuminated to show his jubilation. He reveled in Michel's unbridled joy, that now unleashed to all and sundry, would know no end until I was finished. "Not nearly as sore as he's going to be before he sleeps," Sandor added knowledgeably. "There's still one more to go after this." Again the Master lifted a curious eyebrow and inclined his head. However, with everyone so near, he knew better than to ask the question in his mind. He stepped back to allow the boys to view their brother's sodomy. I pumped away, furiously, then slow, or so slow that Michel pleaded and begged for more. His voice was stressed, trembling like his body. I had never had the experience of a boy who lost control of his bladder, yet Michel did. He strained down so hard that his bodily functions gave way. A stream of yellow urine trickled from his penis, dribbled down his legs. Then gaining strength, I heard it splattering golden droplets upon the mosaic floor. A puddle formed beneath my feet, running into the tiny cracks between the pieces of stone that formed the ornate sheep that legend said belonged to Endymion. "I can't help it," Michel whimpered. "It just keeps dribbling out." I caressed his flanks gently and crooned in his ear that he should have no shame, that the other boys were envious of his skill, that I was proud of him. I even dared to whisper the words that were seldom spoken on the Mount, let alone within the confines of the Chapel. My declaration of deep and enduring love seemed to calm him for a while. Yet, he was still highly strung, taking each breath in a sudden gasp. Each time my penis pounded into him, he exhaled as if the air had been brutally forced from his lungs. Knowing that Michel was close to exhaustion made me finish rapidly. Faster. Faster. Faster than any man has fucked a boy, I used his anus as if it had never known another purpose. All the boys became quiet. Even the ribald comments died away. Sandor and Kadri stared, beleaguered as much as jealous by what they saw. They had both been mounted only a month before so their memories were very strong. Compared to Michel's initiation, theirs had been perfunctory and devoid of emotion. This was love of a very different sort. Without warning the shudders came, his burning body clenching down to grasp my thrusting sex until it was all that I could do to move it back and forth inside his bowels. So hot, so incredibly, unbelievably hot, that he seemed on fire. Sweat poured from him. It left rivulets down his back and chest, beaded on his breast so that his flesh glistened. From his mouth came a distorted sound. He shrieked loudly as he soared to the very summit of human joy, quickly becoming so frenzied in his motion that one could easily conclude that he was in the throes of some terrible agony, or worse inhabited by a demon of horrendous intent. He bucked and writhed and nearly threw me to the side, yet I rode him unabated, knowing that he would thank me when I was done. My Michel had been on the brink of orgasm for so long that when it finally came, he fainted. I did not know it at the time. I ploughed his unconscious furrow, panting hard, my penis throbbing as my ejaculation spilled into him and merged with the juices that were already there. "Oh Michel! So good, Michel! So good! This is for you, my beautiful boy!" I gasped before I finally slumped back. I hugged my Michel to me and collapsed in the fatigue that followed such a powerful orgasm. Had it been as good for him as it had been for me? I hoped so. He had climaxed only seconds before me, but unlike the other times, on this occasion his body had stopped moving. There were no twitches, trembles, or sighs of contentment. He was silent as if in a trance. Then, with the certain knowledge that I had inflicted a terrible injury upon Michel, I nervously extricated my penis. I hoped that I would not see blood. It is possible, though seldom done upon the Mount, for a man to rupture a boy if he is not careful. While the hemorrhage usually ceased within moments of removing the cause, it could be very serious when a man was as well endowed as I was. I so dreaded the possibility of hurting Michel that I dared not look down. Uncertainly, I glanced to the side. The Master nodded in approval and partially closed his eyes to indicate that Michel had found relief in that comatose state. My relief was audible as I sighed and lovingly caressed his moistened back. Beside him, Kadri and Sandor were dumbfounded with wide eyes. Taking their astonishment as reason that I should look, I cautiously lifted Michel's rump up and peered between his cheeks. There was nothing to be worried about. His hole was as large as any boy that I had ever seen, but even that amount of dilation would be gone before the morning came. There was a reddened circle of startling size that was centered on his anus. It stretched from the end of his scrotum back to his tailbone. Indeed, the extremity could be seen even when his cheeks were pressed to together. Michel would have a rose of such magnitude that he would be the envy of almost every boy upon the Mount. "Do you think I hurt him?" I asked, still worried that Michel had not regained his senses. "Don't fear for him. I've seen it happen often enough before when a boy is taken in the Bridge of Love. Your cock has added magnitude for a boy when he is positioned like that. He'll wake soon," the Master said consolingly. "A little water on the face is usually enough to bring him back." "His body is very hot," I observed. "He's sweating as if there is a fever in him." "In a way, there is, or rather I should say, there was," the Master said with a smile. "I expect the heat was too much for him. You produced quite an inferno with your passion." It's raining outside. Perhaps I'd better take him to the balcony and cool him down," I mused aloud. "Earth, Air, Fire, and,... Water," Sandor said loud enough for those men and boys who were close to him to hear. Again the Master stared at him, but instead of querying, he smiled. "Yes, of course. That's right, Sandor. It's exactly as it should be! Earth, Air, Fire, Water! I had not thought of the words like that, but it's true." I wanted to say that I had no intention of making love to Michel a fourth and final time outside in the rain. However, all of sudden, I realized that was exactly what I would do. It was predestined. All that had transpired so far between us were merely steps along the way. However, what would follow, I had no idea. While I rested, cradling Michel's inert body to my chest, I was oblivious to those men and boys who were around us. I thought only of Michel, of the things we had done to together during the last three weeks. I remembered how he had nursed me back to health and taken it upon himself to warm my body and my bed. I remembered vaguely, the morning when he first arrived, escorting him into the tower to witness the making of Kadri's rose; and the day that I had ventured down onto the sands and watched the boys play their game. How often had Michel and I played other games? The games during the day were different to the games we played at night. I brushed his cheeks, then dabbed the corner of Kadri's tunic across his forehead to wipe away the sweat. I stroked the silky hair at the nape of his neck, twisting my fingers in the locks behind his ears. So soft! Only the night before we had very close to penetration. Had I been tempted by Michel a moment longer, I would not have survived. Now, the issue was moot. His virginity was gone. Lost. Departed. Innocence ceased to exist. Michel's eyes fluttered open, weakly appraising the sight and sound around him. He tried to focus, to concentrate on what he sensed, yet for quite a while his gaze was of otherworldly things. He blinked, and slowly opened his lips. His tongue licked tentatively, tasting the saltiness of his perspiration. "I'm hot," he whined absently. Then, his eyes met mine. Memory returned sufficiently that he possessed a vague awareness of where he was and the last thing that he was doing. "What happened?" he asked softly. Did I fall asleep?" "Asleep? Hardly! No Michel, you fainted at the very end." "I fainted? I feel hot, Master Aidan. So hot,... as if I've been burned all over." "I'm not surprised. You made love as if a fire raged inside you," I explained with a teasing grin. "It was quite a show you put on for your friends." Michel accepted that and smiled back at me with blissful eyes. He raised his hand to his brow and wiped away the beads of moisture that had formed there since I had wiped him dry. He brought the tips of his fingers to his lips and touched them to his tongue. Holding Michel's limp body tightly, I carefully clambered to my feet. Automatically, his legs wrapped around my waist, locking his ankles behind my back. With little difficulty my penis slipped between his cheeks and penetrated just far enough that it would not fall out when we started to move. His hole, and the canal beyond was very loose, oozing fluid from both of us. Slowly, I began to walk. The boys and men who had gathered around the entrance to the Tomb, parted to make way for us. They paid homage to the recently deflowered virgin by scattering red rose petals where I trod. "I can feel him inside me," Michel noted with a giggle. "Only he's not as big and hard as he was before." "A temporary issue and nothing for you to have concern about, my Honey," I remarked. "Will it always be like this after I've been mounted, Master Aidan." Michel asked curiously. "Like how?" "Well, for one thing, it feels like you've turned my bum to mush," he smirked. "Hah! That will depend on how often we've made love," I answered with a grin. "Just once a night and you'll just be loose until you fall asleep. Two times and you'll know it when you poop, and after three times you have to expect a mess." "And you'll be sore in the morning," Kadri interjected as he stepped into his self-assigned place to the right and just behind us. "So sore you won't want to walk." "But not so sore that you'll not want him to do it yet again," Sandor taunted. "You Favonius boys are all the same," he added as he partnered Kadri by walking on my left. Sandor's comment provoked a few laughs from the boys who were close enough to hear. Whether of Vulturnus or Favonius, all of them appreciated what he said. Any boy who lived upon the Mount possessed a strong desire to be mounted, but for a Favonius boy the ever-present and overpowering need to fill the void within their bodies was entirely natural and not a reason to be ashamed. Fortunately, nature had balanced the orders. For every boy who preferred to lie upon his back and offer his anus to provide another's pleasure, there was a Vulturnus, a man or boy, who was equally prepared to mount him and ride until they were both exhausted. "I don't mind. I like doing it," Michel responded as much to me as to his best friends. He smiled happily. "It feels so big inside me, Master Aidan. I can feel it moving back and forth when you walk.." "Yes, I expect you do." I passed between the guardian columns, pressing Michel's hot and naked body to my chest. His flesh was flushed, glowing with the heat of lust. Michel giggled as once again, he observed the magnitude of the stone phallus. "Is that one big enough to keep a boy in line?" I teased. "It's huge," Michel agreed with a giggle. "But I'd rather have one of human flesh, like yours." "Ha! Tell that to your friends when they go to the cave and employ the tusks of ivory for pleasuring their holes," I laughed. "I'll not do that again," Michel proclaimed. "So long as you're around to fill my bowels with this," he added with a playful squeeze between his cheeks. "Will he get hard again before the night is out?" I gave Michel a querying look, as if to ask why he would be interested in the state of my erection when I had already filled his bottom three times that night. He giggled and lowered his head to lie upon my shoulder. There, where no one else could hear his whisper, I heard his answer. "I love you, Master Aidan, and I want you to love me back as often as you can. I will live to serve your every wish, but remember what I said before? Four is my lucky number." "Lucky?" I scoffed and patted his tender buttocks with my hand. "You don't need to resort to numerology, sweet boy of mine. Don't even speak of luck when you need to fuck. While the need is still inside you, I will mount you." I brought my face close to his. In a conspiratorial voice I added, "Our love has been unrequited for much too long." "Where are we going?" Michel asked when I stopped before the oaken door. "Doesn't this door lead outside?" I nodded, drew Michel even closer, and waited until the bolts were thrown back. The hinges were elaborate wrought iron, derived from spirals interwoven with a phallic shape. The hinges creaked as the thick door slowly swung out. A gust of bitterly cold wind entered through the gap, swirling the dust about my feet. The air was moist and droplets of water splattered against my legs. "Are we going outside?" Michel asked uncertainly. I nodded in response. "Is it part of the initiation rite?" "In your case, yes. However, I know of no other boy who was mounted in the rain on his night of initiation." Michel accepted that. He clung tightly to me as I stepped across the stone threshold into the darkness beyond. Outside, the cold wetness enveloped us. I shivered as the wind scrapped across my skin and the rain struck me with such force that I was startled. It felt like shards of ice. "By the Gods, it's cold," I thought aloud. "Are you all right, Michel?" I asked. He shivered and nodded his head abruptly. "Even my father was not this cold," he joked. It was not the first time that Michel had spoken of his father, but increasingly his comments were becoming very cynical of the man who sired him. My first thought was that hatred was building within the boy I loved. Certainly, his father had given him cause for hatred, but I feared that a deeper problem loomed within his mind. He gripped me with his thighs, squeezing to bring us even closer together. My arms wrapped around his body, one beneath his buttocks, the other around his shoulders. "Hold the candle higher," the Master urged. "They'll need to hurry or they'll soon be chilled. I expect he'll need to get the boy completely wet for the Oracle to be completed. However, I don't want them to freeze to death" A rivulet streamed from a gargoyle, a lichen-blackened stone-spigot overhead. I stepped into the gushing flow, mindful that I would have to be very quick about it. The water splashed over my shoulders, soaking my head, and Michel's too. He whimpered, shaking uncontrollably. There was one position that seemed appropriate. This was the position that most men used with boys who were accustomed to being loved. It entailed Michel lying on his back with his knees by his ears and his feet upon my shoulders. In this way, he held me up while my weight held him down, and my full strength could be applied to his exposed hole. Was he ready for the "Shining Eyes"? In jest, the boys called it the 'Horny Toad'. Why it deserved a name like that, I was uncertain, but it had always been so among the boys. So I mounted Michel for the fourth and final time after having placed him in position on his back where I could see his eyes. Obviously from the wretched expression on his face he was far from comfortable. The grass was cold and wet, and the pointed ends were like shards of glass against my knees. I resumed the position of honor, kneeling close behind him. It needed but a little effort to slid my penis into him. He sighed, his eyes glistening as he gazed up at me in amazement that penetration could be so easy. No wonder the position was acclaimed as "Shining Eyes." In this position, a boy discovered the limits of happiness and his eyes shone with the thrill of being alive. "Oh! Oh! Oh, I don't believe. Master Aidan? Oh! It feels so,... so big. Uh, Unnnnnghhhh!" Michel grunted. By then, my penis had bottomed out. I could feel Michel's rectum. Alive and moving with a life of its own. Hot grasping tissue slackening quickly as his bowels were stretched around my shaft. His head flopped to the side, his eyes askew for quite a while until the shock passed and he was able to accept what had suddenly become a part of him again. Finally, he managed a deep breath. "Oh it feels so big inside me. It's all the way?" he murmured uncertainly. I nodded. A single thrust was all it took. Few boys could manage that before their second year upon the Mount. "Push back with your feet, Michel," I instructed. "Take my weight and it will feel even better." He tried, his small bare feet pressing hard against my shoulders. He pushed hard enough that his buttocks lifted up, forced his buttocks even harder against my groin and pushed his anus even further onto my penis. His little opened ring slid so far down that it almost seemed as if my testicles would go inside as well. Then almost as soon as the stroke was completed, I pulled back and withdrew my snake. "Push again, my Honey," I said without offering a word of praise. There would be time for that later on. Now, Michel was beginning to shiver as water streamed across his chest. "I'm trying," Michel cried. "I'm cold, Master Aidan." "I know my darling boy. But push hard, again and again. Yes, that's right. Do that! It's easier when you're no longer tight. It's going all the way inside you every time." Again I withdrew all the way, but kept my penis where it had to be to meet Michel's uplifting thrust. My penis slammed back inside his body, sliding without hesitation until it could go no further. He gritted his teeth and began to work with as much as against me. It was hard work for both of us. Love-making had become a test of endurance. The wind howled around my back and icy crystals stung my flesh. Fortunately, I provided some protection for Michel from the worst of it. However, there was little that I could do to stem the water that streamed from the gargoyle. It soaked him even more than me. "Earth, Air, Fire,.... And this," I groaned. It was damnably cold. Not even the heat from Michel could keep me warm. When my sex pulled free, the sudden blast of cold was enough to make me shriek. Each time I plunged back into his heated bowels I groaned with relief. Michel begged me, pleaded for more, as every boy does when the moment of climax begins to draw near. I was very near to the point of exhaustion, but I dared not stop. To do so would mean losing momentum, and we were so close, so very close that just a few more strokes would seal our love again. Michel wailed, gurgled, whimpered as if in pain. However, the pain was joy, and joy was ecstasy, and we were getting nearer with every stroke. Despite the cold, he suddenly struggled and writhed beneath me. My penis, already flushed grew even hotter, harder. I gasped for air, desperately longing to finish. Our bodies were slamming together with more vigor than seemed humanly possible. And then apart, but not for long. The climax surged within me, descending upon me with frightening intensity. Michel's mouth opened in a silent scream. His struggles became more frantic, gagging when he tried to breath. His feet kicked at me, thrusting out as he shrieked at the very pinnacle of human elation. After this, he would know no higher pleasure. I ejaculated, barely excreting more than a few droplets of milky seed. I toppled onto Michel and his legs flopped down. His rectum was quivering feebly in the final jerks of orgasm. Michel's eyes slowly closed, still shining but in the bliss that followed. "That's four," I whispered as much to Michel as to myself. "Did you see it?" Sandor's voice came from behind me. Startled, I turned around. "See what?" I asked breathlessly. "The dragon!" Kadri answered. "What? What are you talking about? A dragon you said?" Both Sandor and Kadri nodded eagerly. Unlike the other men and boys who had chosen to remain inside the Chapel, the two boys had ventured outside into the bitter rain. At one time, I thought I loved them nearly as much as one other, but not now. From now on, Michel would consume my every thought. Through every moment of the day and night I would love him. Not even in my dreams would I be able to share my life with anyone else. That was how much I loved Michel. "It came from there," Sandor said with a gesture towards the southern sky. "It was huge, Master Aidan." "It was green and scaly, I think." "It was like a serpent from the Underworld." They were very excited, as only boys can be when they have seen a strange and frightening sight. However, it was possible that their 'dragon' could be something else. A low cloud, perhaps. A gust of wind? More than likely it was a figment of their overactive imaginations. Still, I scanned the skies. There was nothing to be seen. "Calm down, boys," I said patiently. "If there was a dragon, it's gone for now. Let's take this a bit at time. We'll talk about indoors too, before we are frozen and cannot move." "I saw it too," Michel whispered. END VOLUME ONE