by Brandon Fox
Dannel looked up at the stars, his finely honed body gleaming like bronze in the ruddy light. He seemed subdued by the surroundings but unafraid. Thane was impressed. He has the courage to defy the firestone’s curse. Where he does it is a smaller thing than accepting the challenge in the first place. He felt satisfaction. Dannel would be a strong addition to their brotherhood.
A few moments passed in silence, broken only by the soft splash of water racing down stone channels around them. Thane unwrapped the folded leaf and went to Dannel’s side. He tore an edge off the leaf, then rolled it into a cylinder and daubed one end in the ointment. Dannel watched, his eyes full of apprehension.
“I’ve already tested it on myself,” Thane said. “It doesn’t hurt. Flesh that it touches feels nothing until it’s washed off. If we guessed right, it will keep the firestone’s spell from triggering. But there could be dangers.”
“What dangers?”
“The firestone’s spell might still be triggered, and we’d fail. It’s also possible the spell could mistake numbness for the firestone’s removal. If that happens, it could harm you. We can wash the balm off, and Ander knows how to make someone start breathing again after they’ve stopped, but there might be other problems we don’t know about.”
Dannel swallowed, his features serious.
“It’s your decision,” Thane said. “It’s a gamble. But you’re no longer a slave. You’re a valued friend, whatever you decide. We won’t question your choice.”
Apprehension faded from his face, replaced by quiet pride. “You treat me as an equal, even though I’m pledged to you. For the first time in my life, I feel free. I choose to go wherever you’re willing to lead. Use the potion.” He stood straight and stiff, mastering fear with a warrior’s iron will. Erik stood beside him with a blanket and the flask of water, ready to wipe the balm off at the first sign of trouble.
Thane handed the folded leaf to Ander, then put one hand on Dannel’s shoulder. With the other he painted the firestone and earlobe around it with a coating of ointment. Dannel trembled beneath his touch.
Thane held his breath, heartbeat drumming in his ears, trying to lend encouragement through his steady gaze. The ointment acted fast. Ten seconds passed, then twenty. Dannel’s breathing slowed, and his rigid posture eased.
Thane felt light-headed with relief. “The worst is over. The firestone hasn’t harmed you. Now let’s see if our ruse deceives the spell.” He put a hand behind Dannel’s head and kissed him gently, keeping the rest of their bodies apart for the moment.
Thane slid his hands to Dannel’s chest as the kiss lingered. Dannel shivered beneath the light touch, and his breath quickened. Thane reacted strongly to his excitement, growing hard in a few heartbeats. He moved his hands lower, almost to Dannel’s waist, as their kiss deepened. Their tongues met and jousted. Dannel started to tremble. Carefully, barely grazing his skin, Thane’s hands slid to Dannel’s hips.
Dannel gasped, breaking the kiss, closing his eyes and shaking like an exhausted runner on the verge of collapse. His erection speared the air.
Thane tightened his grip on Dannel’s hips. “It’s working! You’ve beaten the spell.” He took the final step, boldly pressing a hand against the underside of Dannel’s rampant cock.
Dannel opened his eyes, amazement and disbelief quickly shifting to jubilation. Laughing out loud, he wrapped his arms around Thane and squeezed him fiercely.
“You defeated the firestone! You did it!”
The others crowded around them, pressing against Dannel and stroking his sleek body. The young fighter couldn’t stop grinning.
Ander moved behind Dannel and embraced him around the chest. His upthrust cock aligned itself between the solid mounds of Dannel’s buttocks. “You’ve only begun to discover Thane’s skills. It was lovemaking that led him to magic. And now pleasure can open the gates for you as well. Open your mind to it. You’ll be amazed.”
Skorri and Erik stepped back and sat at the edge of the platform, Skorri nestled between his lover’s legs and embraced by his strong arms. Thane stood alone before Dannel, his steady gaze showing no hint of mysteries. He radiated sex, an earthy enthusiasm for sharing pleasures of the flesh that could never be smothered by abstractions. He moved closer until their bodies pressed together. Their cocks throbbed, nudging each other and slicking their taut skin. Dannel closed his eyes, breathing fast.
Thane was as breathless as his new initiate. “Try to relax,” he said. “This is new to you, and you’ve waited far too long. We’re not going to rush.”
Dannel nodded, watching Thane through half-shut eyes. He trembled with desire. Ander stayed behind him, arms wrapped around his chest.
Thane sank to his knees, trailing his hands down the lean body. Hard muscle etched ridges across Dannel’s midriff as he tensed. His phallus reared upright, already slick with arousal. Thane placed one hand on Dannel’s hip and with the other traced the long muscles of his inner thigh, watching as another glistening bead dropped slowly from the head of his cock. He leaned forward and caught it on his tongue, licking the sensitive spot where glans and shaft joined.
Dannel gasped, leaning back as his knees bent.
“You can do it,” Ander said, squeezing firmly. “The firestone is beaten. Now it’s time for your reward.”
“I’m ready,” Dannel said. “Just give me a moment.”
Thane nuzzled the phallus, rubbing his cheek against the shaft’s underside. His fingers traced the line that divided Dannel’s scrotum. Then he gripped the base of the shaft and angled it downward. He brushed his lips against the wet glans, kissing it lightly until his lips glistened. Dannel went rigid. Slowly, giving the inexperienced youth ample time to prepare, Thane parted his lips and let the glans enter his warm mouth.
Dannel’s cock twitched between his encircling lips, oozing fluid onto his tongue. Thane moved both hands to Dannel’s hips, holding him steady, and let more of the straining phallus slide into his mouth.
Dannel’s back arched, and he rose onto his toes. His hands grasped Thane’s head, fingers enmeshed in the brown hair. “Slower. It’s better than I ever dreamed.”
Ander laughed softly, loosening his grip on Dannel’s torso and fondling a nipple. “That’s because your dreams never contained Thane.”
Thane paused, letting Dannel adjust to the new sensations, then resumed his slow glide down the rigid cock. The soft tip reached the back of his throat and slid past, filling him completely. Soon his nose nestled in curly black hairs. Dannel shivered as Thane tightened his lips around the shaft and reversed direction. The erection emerged slowly, seemingly too big for the space it had occupied. Thane repeated the cycle, sucking with provocative deliberation.
“You’re very lucky,” Ander said. “Believe me, nobody has more skill.”
Thane let Dannel’s cock slide free and looked up, smiling seductively. “You’ll have to decide that for yourself, after you get more experience. But tonight we complete your initiation. Now that you can share your body, you need to learn how pleasure forges bonds. Magic requires sharing both body and spirit.”
The glazed look faded from Dannel’s eyes, and he took a shuddering breath. “I want to learn. What should I do?”
Thane got to his feet and held Dannel’s gaze. “The strongest bonds are forged when flesh is fully joined. Since you lack experience, it would be best to let me take the more active part.” He slid a hand down Dannel’s muscled torso, barely grazing the smooth skin. “Are you ready for that? It won’t hurt, I promise.”
Dannel’s glance darted to Thane’s phallus, revealing his apprehension, but he answered without hesitation. “I’ve learned to trust you. And even if there’s pain, I don’t care.” He lowered his voice. “I trust Ander too. He says there’s no better lover than you. So I believe it.”
Thane moved his hand to Dannel’s erection and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Ander is biased. In a way, this is new for me too. I’m not sure I’ve ever been someone’s first partne
r. I doubt it.” He looked at Ander, filling their bond with affection. “You’re ready to help? I think Dannel would welcome it as much as I.”
Ander released Dannel and stepped back. “More than ready.” He caressed Dannel’s side. “Lie on your back. And don’t worry. Sex with Thane is a priceless treasure. You’ll see.”
Dannel gave him a grateful look, then gracefully reclined on layered blankets they had spread over the ancient stone. Any unease he felt at their surroundings or the next phase of his initiation was more than offset by lust. His erection stretched across his midriff, still glistening with spit.
Thane knelt at his side, bending low to give him a kiss, then swung around to straddle his body. He held most of his weight on elbows and knees as their chests touched lightly and their cocks pressed together. The kiss lingered, growing more intense as each responded to the heat of the other’s flesh. Thane waited until he felt Dannel begin to calm before breaking the kiss and letting more of his weight down.
“Try to relax,” Thane said. “Ander will take care of the lubricant. Concentrate on what you’re feeling. If you can, imagine what I’m feeling too. And be sure to let me know if there’s anything you need or want.”
Dannel was ecstatic. “Feeling you against me is almost enough. If touching is this good, sex is more than I can imagine.”
Thane moved his knees between Dannel’s legs, then pushed against his thighs to spread his legs wide. “First Ander will make us slick,” he said, gently rocking to rub their erections against each other. “Then he’ll help you relax so you’re ready for me.”
Dannel nodded once, his trusting gaze never wavering.
Thane slid his hands beneath Dannel’s shoulders and held him firmly while Ander took the jar of lubricant and moved behind them. A moment later he felt warm fingers coated with oil brush against his balls. Ander’s wrist pressed against his scrotum as he funneled lubricant into the cleft between Dannel’s buttocks. A mild fragrance like freshly cut hay filled the air. Surprise flickered across Dannel’s face, and his lips parted in a soft gasp, showing that Ander was applying the lubricant with his customary skill.
Thane was pleased, happy to share in the new initiate’s discovery of his body’s capacity for pleasure. Dannel squirmed beneath him as Ander’s slick finger slipped inside the ring of muscle.
Suddenly Dannel’s eyelids fluttered, and his eyes rolled back. His body seemed to vibrate. At the same moment, Thane felt a warm rush of pleasure mixed with overwhelming anticipation.
Within a heartbeat Dannel’s eyes opened wide. “What happened?”
It took Thane a moment to answer. He could scarcely believe it, but the sensations he was experiencing were impossible to deny. He could feel the gentle probing of Ander’s finger as it slid deeper into Dannel’s body.
“We’re forging a bond,” Thane said. “Faster than I’ve ever seen, by far. Some of it is the nexus we’re in, but your flesh is a conduit for anima even without the firestone. You’re going to make an exceptional mage.”
“I feel it too,” Ander said, sounding breathless. He continued his slow caresses, working lubricant deep inside Dannel’s opening.
Thane used his knees to push Dannel’s legs further apart, giving Ander easier access to the tender flesh. The young fighter gripped him tightly, looking bewildered by the torrent of sensations.
“You’re doing fine,” Thane said. Dannel’s cock pulsed against him, making their skin slick. “Give it time. There’s no rush.”
Dannel’s eyes were half-shut. “I’ll try to make it last. It’s all so new.”
Another surge of quivering pleasure shot through Thane as Ander slid a second finger inside Dannel’s body and stroked the tight channel. The bond was growing stronger by the second. He felt Ander’s gentle touch as if his own body were being penetrated. Slow twisting motions gradually loosened the muscle as it clamped on the slippery fingers. Using the newly formed bond, Thane provided calm reassurance to the nervous initiate.
Soon the clenching stopped, and Ander used his fingers to funnel more lubricant into the opening. When the channel was thoroughly coated, he poured more oil onto his palm and reached between the embracing pair. Fingers wrapped around Thane’s hard cock and gave it a slippery stroke, coating it from root to tip.
Dannel went rigid as waves of pleasure echoed back and forth through the link. It was plain that sensations were flowing freely through the bond in both directions.
Thane slid down a few inches, letting his cock slip free of its confinement between their bodies. Ander gripped it lightly and pulled it down until the glans rested against its target. The well-lubricated opening encircled the tip in a warm ring of oily flesh.
Thane paused, his heart thudding. Dannel clung to him fiercely. He felt the tension, and through the bond felt the presence of a cock touching his own body. “Trust me,” he said in a whisper. “I’ll wait until you’re ready.”
The night was quiet, with a light breeze that caressed Thane’s back like a silk sheet. He felt Ander’s fingers circling and lightly stroking his slick phallus, patiently holding it in position until Dannel was ready to accept it. Gradually, the opening relaxed. Dannel met Thane’s gaze and gave a small nod.
Slowly, attending carefully to sensation through their bond, Thane increased the pressure of his cock against Dannel’s opening. Skin moved across oiled skin without friction. The glans slipped inside the ring of muscle, and Thane stopped.
Dannel’s eyes widened, and delight lit his face. “Feels good.”
Thane nodded. “I know. I feel it too, remember? And part of what you’re feeling is the pleasure your body is giving to mine.” He rocked his hips, moving his cock back and forth an inch deeper. Dannel responded strongly, arching his back and pressing his erection against Thane’s abdomen.
Sizzling rapture throbbed through the bond, far out of proportion to the pleasure Thane was causing. Thane could feel years of longing being washed away in the joy of Dannel’s first real lovemaking. His heart raced in sympathetic union; restraint was difficult.
Even without the bond, Dannel’s ecstatic expression showed he was ready for more. Thane tightened his embrace and slid another inch into the muscular body. The head of his cock nudged a sensitive spot a little inside the opening, and Dannel’s features blossomed in amazement. A jolt of pleasure echoed between them. Thane had forgotten what the first time felt like but was now experiencing it again by way of Dannel’s virgin body. Barely able to control himself, he slowly slid his cock the rest of its length into the clenching flesh. Dannel’s muscles squeezed at him as if trying to seize the slippery shaft, making their mutual pleasure soar.
“It’s all in,” Ander said softly, moving his hand to rest on one of Thane’s buttocks. “Smooth as you please.” He paused, then continued in a hoarse voice. “I still share what you feel, just from touching you. I’m so hard it aches.”
Thane understood the sentiment. His cock throbbed as he slowly withdrew from Dannel’s body, then slid back in with a single smooth glide. The sensation of being penetrated with a long cock mingled with the tantalizing effect of Dannel’s flesh milking his phallus. They began to move against each other with a single mind. Thane started to lose himself in Dannel’s frenzy. Fucking him was like being in a whirlwind. Anima seemed to spring from the earth itself and flood his body with tickling filaments.
Dannel wrapped his arms around Thane’s back and curled his body in time with the thrusts, his legs splayed wide. Silvery specks of light began to trace his body from head to toe, following lines of muscle. Thane felt as if he were on a runaway steed, gaining momentum. Whatever forces Dannel was tapping into were gathering too fast. Breaking the pace took every shred of his will.
He shifted position, releasing his grip on Dannel’s torso and rising to his knees while keeping his cock fully ensheathed. He put a hand behind each of Dannel’s knees and lifted Dannel’s legs so heels rested on his shoulders. The increased separation of their bodies seemed to help.
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Dannel blinked and looked at him as if dumbfounded. “Don’t stop!”
Thane resumed moving with slow strokes, pulling out until only the glans remained inside, then sliding all the way back in. Traceries of light raced over Dannel’s body. “Your capacity for pleasure is incredible. It might even be part of what you were trained for, and why the firestone was so important for controlling you. But now you’re free of the firestone and the pleasure remains.”
“It does! And I feel your pleasure too. It pleases me.” Dannel paused, concentration flitting over his face. “And I think I feel Ander too. It’s wonderful.”
Ander answered with a shaky laugh. “Almost too wonderful. You’re very sexy, Dannel.” He had been maintaining contact with the lovers through a hand on Thane’s rump and was as aroused as they.
Dannel lifted his head enough to give Ander a sultry look. “Could I give pleasure to both of you at once? I’m not skilled, but I’d like to share with you as well.”
“We could try,” Thane said. Now that he had regained control of his body, confidence was growing again. Dannel’s potential was unprecedented, and he was eager to explore it. “Join us, Ander. Let’s show him what he can look forward to.”
One invitation was enough. Ander moved around to kneel above Dannel’s head. He bent down to kiss Dannel’s neck, then his chest. He moved to a nipple, lapping at it with delicate licks as his hands moved down the strong body.
Thane watched, fascinated, as Ander used his skills to embellish the tapestry of sensation. A new layer of complexity was added to their lovemaking as the link between Dannel and Ander strengthened. Soon he felt Ander’s licks as if there were no intermediary. He slowed his thrusts, trying to quell the flood of sensations.
Ander moved lower. He concentrated on the clean ridges of Dannel’s abdomen, at first avoiding the quivering erection. Thane shuddered, sharing the anticipation.