Disclaimer: The following is a story of a homosexual nature and is sexually explicit. Please do not read if you are a minor or if it is illegal where you live to do so. Remember to think smart to play smart. Use protection. In today's story, a closeted jock from our world gets lost enters a country populated by minotaurs. There, he meets a young male whose interest is more than simple curiosity. If this sounds like something you wish to read, be my guest and read. If it is not, go back and look for another story to read.
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===== A Bullish Heart
In my Senior year, as per our school's custom, I went on a two day field trip with the rest of my class. I found field trips to be a mixed bag. While they did get us out of the classroom and they did fulfill their goal of being educational, some were more appealing than others. On the opposite side, there were the boring ones and the ones I'd like to forget. I hadn't reached a conclusion about our visit to the Bracken Caverns, but I wasn't feeling overly optimistic.
Like most all day field trips, the day started early. My parents dropped me off at my school's parking lot and it was already busy. There was a table with breakfast tacos piled high, foil twinkling in the rising sun. On the other side of the table were a variety of juice boxes. It was a quick and easy offering to consume before they packed us onto the bus for the three hour journey to the Caverns. From there, we would be heading to the capital for an overnight stay. We would not be returning until late tomorrow morning. Some minutes later, the staff called for attention so they could pair up travel buddies.
Many wanted to be the buddy of Eduardo Castillo. I had several qualities that others liked. My face was captivating and I had a firm athletic build encased in warm beige skin. I was Second Baseman for the Prescott Penguins. Good grades came my way and many said that I had an agreeable disposition. Tell me why then did I felt like there was something missing in my life, why sometimes I felt like I didn't belong.
A breeze came by and rubbed me the wrong way. I zipped up my black and gold letterman jacket. I was starting to get impatient. The unmatched students were dwindling and my name had yet to be called. I watched as the newly formed pairs get on the bus, wondering when it would be my turn. Who would I be paired up with? "Eduardo Castillo and Barry Stewart" was my answer and my reply was a discreet groan.
Don't get me wrong. Barry was not a bad guy. He was an okay guy who I had known for years because he lived two houses down from me since we were little. He was rather shy and you wouldn't hear a peep from him unless you spoke with him. This wasn't why I was annoyed. It was that if you mentioned wizards or dragons or anything like that, he would talk your head off if you let him. The stars in the sky paled in comparison to his discourses.
Our parents thought it'd be a great idea if we carpooled together since we lived so close. When I didn't have a game or practice, a ride would be shared. He would excitedly run up to my truck, "Hey Ed, have I got a whopper for you!" That was the exact word he used for ideas he came up with or dreams he had: whoppers. I had kooky dreams occasionally and liked to talk about them and this is why Barry was so keen on sharing his. I kept silent however on the more naughty ones. No one needed to know about the ones with me and Shortstop Devin Nguyen. I had the hots for my teammate which I shared with no one.
Barry's greatest desire was to become the next great fantasy writer. He belonged to Prescott High's Creative Writing Club. When it was formed two years ago, he blasted off as soon as he heard about it. However, his college goals were more down to Earth. He was going to study communications and public relations. It sounded like a contradiction for him, but at least he had something in mind for his future.
My thoughts for my future weren't as focused. I enjoyed baseball and was good enough that there were whispers of scholarships for me, but was that I wanted to pursue? I didn't see myself paying college ball or even going pro. I wasn't even sure what I wanted to study in college. I knew time was running out.
A couple of hours later, the class exited the bus and we walked along the trail the gift shop and into the trees. We came upon a fork in the road where there was a sign. It told our group that the path leading to the exit was to the left and the right led to our spelunking adventure. Barry's eyes grew larger and larger as we approached. By then, I could practically see the thoughts in my classmate's head. I was readily convinced that by the time we left, Barry would have an entire saga mapped out. Whatever.
The group was directed by our guide into the cave's entrance. Camera phones were clicking away as they gazed in wonder at the stalagmites, stalactites and other bizarre calcium creations. Barry kept stopping along the way to get a prolonged look and I would have to go back to get him. It seemed that we would invariably be the last to join the group when it paused to look at a distinguished formation. I was relieved that we were nearing the end of the tour. When we would exit, there would be a brief visit to the gift shop and then into town for lunch before the voyage back home. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Barry, but saw only emptiness. I muttered "Damn!" and began to retrace my steps. Not again.
There was no room for errors since the path was linear. I would find him eventually. Yet on and on, there was no Barry. It was just as he just blinked out of existence. Did he return to the entrance? I suppose it was possible. Our chaperones and guide would be so ticked off. It wasn't as if he vanished off the face of the Earth. I pulled out his cell to try to call him, but I couldn't get a signal. Blasted caverns screwing up my connection.
I exited the cavern. No Barry greeted me, but an unwelcome predicament met me instead. There was no signage and no trail in sight. Was it possible I took the wrong path? No. That would have been impossible since the route in the cave was defined. Yet here I was in an unfamiliar grove. I yelled at the top of his lungs, but only birds answered me as they flew away.
My eyes dated to and fro, starving for any sign of familiarity. It looked like there was a clearing ahead. Maybe if I headed that way, I would find myself were I ought to be. What I found was just a grassy sea that stretched on for miles. Where was I? What would I do when the sun set? I was running out of time to decide. Time decided for me. I head the sound of pounding hooves and yells behind me.
Startled, I turned around and shielded my eyes from the afternoon sun. I saw seven men on horseback wearing helmets. I was wrong. As they got closer, I saw that those were no helmets and they were men in gender only. They were minotaurs.
----- I was a male of eighteen years, only recently so. As such, I wasn't supposed to join the patrol. Only adults who had taken the oath went. Father decided to assign me as a last minute substitution because one of the men became too ill for field duty and assignments for that week's patrols had already been decided. He weighed his options meticulously and made his choice, unusual but not unknown.
It was evening after we had eaten. I was in the room I shared with my brother Altair who was seven years my elder. He was getting ready for the week's patrol when there was a knock on the door. It was our father Titus and after a second of recognition, I recognized the face he wore at the moment. He was not here as our father, but as Captain of the Guard. "Quentin will not be joining you on this week's patrol. Xenophon, you will go in his stead." Despite not being pledged, I knew the proper response.
Captain Titus reacted accordingly and then returned back to being our father. "Get a good night's sleep. Altair, you and the others will leave at first light." Brother saluted and our father left the room.
I loved sharing a room with my brother. As a child, I would look at his maturing body and wonder what I would look like at his age. At the time, my horns were still the buds of a boy's and they brushed against my medium brown hair. A handful of years later, they started to lengthen and thicken and my voice deepened. I would be visited by fancies of the night and would wake up the next morning to find dried seed in my small clothes. Little Xenophon was no longer a boy.
I excelled at the lyre and knew all of our greatest ballads by heart even from a young age. Most cherished of all, I was literate. My parents were literate and my brother as well as our Lady and her counselors. However, the ability to read and write was a rare jewel among the rest of our people. Once summer came, I planned to take the examination to be certified as a licensed scribe. Afterwards, I might serve at court or maybe be assigned to the constabulary. There were plenty of opportunities for me here and in town. Maybe one day in the far future, I might even be one of the counselors.
As much as I adored my brother, I didn't share the same desires he had. He knew of these differences and respected them. As soon as he was old enough to take the cadet's pledge, he recited it in front of Father. He arduously studied the craft of weaponry and the art of strategy. From after, I watched Altair train on the field with the others whenever I could and when I was old enough, I joined the cadets despite not wishing to be a guard. Being the son of the Captain did grant me certain privileges.
A hundred years ago, I would have been a guard whether or not I wanted to be one. I was a son of Calix and those of his Clan were expected to be soldiers for the Republic of Asterion. There had been an increasing unease with the caste system that bound our race. Strife with invaders was its fatal blow and my fate would no longer be tied to my bloodline. I was free to decide for myself what I wanted to do in life.
Altair could barely contain his excitement. Once certain that Father was out of earshot, he became very animated. He was thrilled that I would be joining him and his comrades. Although he and my father knew that I traveled a different path, they knew that I was a capable fighter. Otherwise, Father would not have asked. Although my competency with bladed weapons could use improvement, I received high marks with the staff and polearm, and excelled at unarmed combat. We spent the rest of the evening going over our belongings to make sure that we had everything we needed. Once we left, there would be no returning until our mission was over.
Once certain that we were ready, we knelt before our family altar and prayed. It was a hymn I heard my brother recite every night before patrolling the countryside, but never came out of my mouth until tonight. I got up and climbed into bed and my brother blew out the lamp. He climbed into bed and sleep visited us.
Dawn came and we saddled our horses. We headed out of the inner wall of the castle that was our home and into the town. There was little activity. Those about steps aside and they greeted use warmly.
The days that followed were mostly uneventful. We would wake up, eat, and then journey through the countryside to help maintain the peace whether that meant helping those in need or responding to threats.
Most nights we rested beneath the heavens, but there was a night that we were able spend the night at an inn to enjoy a warm meal and a soft bed. This was not the only comforts to be enjoyed. Those among our troop who were unattached cherished the company of the equally unattached women. There were a few times that I was approached by females my own age. Once I knew what type of attention they wanted from me, I politely declined the companionship they offered. Back in my hometown of Simeon, it was well known that Xenophon yios Calix was attracted to only other males. Physical attraction to those of the same gender was uncommon, but acceptable. Were we not all children of the Primordial Flame? Once the females picked up on this, they turned their attention elsewhere. I was the only one that I knew of that was attracted to other men. I felt so lonely.
A few days later, were on the return journey. Brother estimated that we would return home sometime tomorrow. A wayward mosquito got in my face and after I swatted it away, my eyes spotted a lone figure among the grasses. It couldn't be what it was, but it had to be. Although I had never seen one in the flesh before, I knew that it was a human. It was a human in minotaur lands. Not good.
"Look out!" I motioned to my brother and the others who all stopped. Altair tugged his horse around and asked, "What is it brother?" I gestured to the west and said, "I see a human." My brother and the others looked in the direction I indicated. The longer they looked, the clearer my warning was. A cloud of uneasiness formed over us. We knew about humans. They were intolerable invaders. They thought us as monsters and endeavored to dominate us. All those years ago, they came close to accomplishing their dream, but our people stood united and drove them from our lands and back across the sea. Our coastal outposts kept watch and waited for reprisal. Nothing. Not even a whisper. Not for a hundred years. How then did one get so far into our homeland?
Altair became all business. We turned the horses to intercept the human. "You there human. Stop!" The human turned around and looked right at us with fear in his eyes. My brother motioned to the others to get ready to fire. Bows were drawn. He got off his horse and told the others to fire if the human resisted. Having no bow myself, I watched the area in case he had allies hiding among the nearby trees. I felt a surge of emotion. If there were hostiles, I was ready to fight back.
Altair was in the human's face. "Who are you? How did you come here?" The human said nothing. Too scared to speak? Was he a mute? No. His mouth opened and strange words poured out. Although my brother was normally levelheaded, I could see the irritation building inside. What saved the stranger so far was that he had made no aggressive move so far. The human got on the ground and placed his hands behind his head. Altair called for the men to lower their bows. Was it a ruse? I didn't know, but even if it was, I was confident that my brother would be able to subdue the human before he changed his mind.
Altair bound the human's hands, stood him upright and searched his strange clothes for weapons. There were none but the items that he pulled out were oddities: small keys, a folding pouch made of leather, and something else. This last item was the most confusing. At first I thought it was a psalm book because it was the same size of one. When he hoped it up, our eyes grew wide. It was no book. It was covered in a strange material, gleaming like glass. My brother starred at this artifact the longest and threw them all into a pouch which he kept on his person.
I helped the other men redistribute our provisions and saw my brother place the human on a newly unburdened horse. He tied his feet to the horse's stirrups and the hands to the saddle. "Xen, I'm going to tie the human's horse to yours." I turned around and answered, "Yes brother."
For this mission, my brother had assigned me the task of parceling out rations and providing entertainment. I welcomed this new task. Ready to move on, we continued on our journey home. Every now and then, I would look back at the human. How did he get here? We scouted the nearby area and found no sign of other humans. It was like he fell from the sky. "Xen, he's not going anywhere. Do you doubt me?" I shook my head, "No. It's just that I've not seen a human before." Altair replied, "Stop staring at him then." I obeyed.
The sun descended lower and lower. My brother studied the encroaching dusk and signaled us to stop. "We will stop here for the night." We dismounted our horses and led them to the spot that Altair selected. It provided good coverage and was easily defensible if needed. We tethered our animals to a tree and a fire was started.
My brother took charge of our captive. He took the human male off the horse we put him on and tied him to a tree separate from the horses. With the camp set up and the fire started, we started to relax. I sorted out the rations and doled out the biscuits and jerky. I took out the flagon of water to provide them cool water. I passed the human and asked my brother, "Him too?" Altair said, "Last and only if there is enough." I continued to parcel out the food and water and then I turned my attention to the human.
I approached him and knelt in front of the human. His hands were bound in a way that made feeding himself problematic. I broke pieces of the biscuit and placed them in the human's hands and waited for him to finish before I moved to the jerky. I then uncapped the canteen and tipped it into the human's mouth. The human then mouthed something, his eyes heartfelt. I looked into them and saw my reflection. What was to happen to him? A voice inside me asked why I cared. I was afraid to answer.
With everyone fed and watered, I sat down and took out my lyre. I played melodies of my own composition while the others chatted among themselves. Everyone ignored the human except for occasional glances. He seemed sad. Yes, he was our prisoner, but there was something more to it. The human would look at me and then quickly look away once I noticed. Once night came and the stars appeared, he began to look at them. It was getting late. Altair would be assigning watches soon.
The human started to fidget, his movements getting more desperate. He opened his mouth. What he said, none of us knew. I stopped playing and we asked ourselves what the male wanted. He then blurted again, more distressed, before making a curious sound and holding his hands in front of his crotch. We looked at each other more confused and then recognition set in. Marcus said, "The human wants to make water." A couple of the others smirked which became infectious mirth. I didn't think the human's discomfort was a source of amusement. Altair asserted himself and called for order. The laughter halted. "Xenophon, play some more. I'll deal with this." I picked up my instrument again and after a moment of thought, I started to play "Barzan's Shield".
Barzan's Shield was one of a favorite ballad among the guards. An outsider might think the song was about a favorite shield. It was not. It was a song composed in remembrance of Barzan, one of our celebrated heroes. He said that unity was stronger than the strongest shield. We sang it every day while doing our morning exercises. I hoped that by playing, I could get their minds away from the human's private needs.
Altair untied the human from the tree, put him on his feet and led him into the trees. We looked in that direction, alert, just in case. Sometime later, he came back with the human who sat down on the ground. He didn't tie him as severely as before, but he did give the stranger with a stern glance. It was risky because he might fee himself and flee, but I'm sure he had his reasons. The hands were left free but the rope around his left leg was tied up in an intricately well. If he attempted to undo it, we would catch him long before he succeeded.
Altair called for our attention and spoke with us to assign watches. Telamon and I would take first watch, Cyrus and Gideon would take the next watch, then my brother and Septimus for last watch. Once understood, we settled in and soon the others were asleep.
I had never taken a watch before, but knew what my obligation was. Keep awake and alert until it was time to pass the duty to the next pair. They paired me up with Telamon who was a veteran soldier with more years of service than brother. With Altair blissfully asleep, I approached him because I was curious what might happen to the human.
"That lad is an odd one. Strange garments, no armaments, and no manner of speech I've ever heard of. I've been all over the Republic and have sailed to our farthest colonies. I have never seen or heard of one like him. I doubt we would take him into the city like that. Most likely, we would send for a carriage from the constabulary office. After that, that will be the Lady's decision with your father's recommendation. Poor boy. I look at his eyes and I see no malice, just confusion."
Things didn't look hopeful then. Titus yios Calix would tell his sons of our history, of the wars, and of the cruel arrogance of the human. They gave me nightmares as a small boy. I was afraid that stunted-face humans would come in the night and snatch me away from my family and take me back to their own country. My brother, in the dawn of adolescence, declared that he would fight the human to his last breath. He unfurled his training sword, one of wood, and slashed open air "and if he should disarm me, I shall gore him with my horns." He then lowered his head and jabbed into the air. At the time, he was only twelve years. His horns had grown a little, but still quite stubby. I doubt they could have done any real damage.
The present returned to my eyes and I looked at the human. He was struggling, not to get free, but to stay awake. He head would bob and then snap up, but it was useless and he drifted away. Telamon stood up and whispered, "I doubt he will wake up until morning unless provoked. You keep an eye on him while I stand over there." I nodded and crept towards the human as Telamon patrolled the vicinity. I was close enough to study him, but far enough to defend myself in case he woke up and attacked. It was unlikely, but I had to be ready.
Those clothes. What did they signify? I kept an eye out for my comrade. If caught, I would be in big trouble. I gingerly felt the blue cloth of his pants. The texture was unfamiliar to me, not that I had much experience with pants. Males of our race, especially the male soldiers, rarely wore pants except for formal occasions or when it was chilly. My eyes roamed all over his slumbering form. His musculature suggested some type of fighter or athlete. I was just guessing because his build was somewhere between my own and my brother's.
I looked at the colors and the markings of his jacket. Maybe they would provide answers yet they did not. The black and gold coloring perplexed me as well as the patches he wore. Were they badges of distinction? Could they be the insignias of his clan? Who would choose a silly looking bird for their emblem? I reclined against a tree, my mind full of questions. I wish I could ask him, but until we understood his words, he would remain a mystery. I reached into my bag and took out parchment and pen. Dipping it in ink, I chronicled the day's events.
I devoted an entire paragraph to the human. I notated the day and time when he was found. I described his clothing and his mannerisms, his voice. I ended the chronicle by indicating the assigned watches. I rolled up the parchment and secured it in my bag. Tomorrow, I would present it to Father.
I looked at the moon and knew that it would be time to pass on my duty to the next shift soon. I discreetly whispered good night to him and then met up with Telamon. We woke up the next pair of men and began to sleep.
There was a body, male next to me. I smiled with delight as a hand caressed my chest and arms. The other hand rested on my thigh and traveled closer and closer to my crotch. Already it was stirring. I had never been touched by anyone like this and had long dreamed of this moment. Hand disappeared underneath my tunic and began toying with the bulge my small clothes made until my shaft became as steel. Lips kissed my neck and then my shoulders before he climbed on top of me. I grunted as pleasing attention was lavished upon me. My unseen lover began to grind his body against my own. It was very wonderful and yet something very wrong.
As we frolicked on the grass, my hands combed through his hair. No horns did they touch. My hands caressed his body, but his skin was bare. Where were the hairs of a minotaur's hide. His snout was blunted to the point of nonexistence. My hands clutched the globes of his butt as he grinded into me, but he lacked a tail and the cloth covering his rear felt unlike any I had touched before. His head descended and as his lips approaching mine, I saw his face clearly. It was the human.
My eyes burst open. It was not the shock of the disturbing sensual dream that woke me, it was the ghostly song.
----- I heard my phone's alarm sound off. "Where is the life that I recognize?" Just another minute of shuteye, please? I felt the truthful ground beneath me and knew where I was, but the irrational part of my mind told me that as long as I had my eyes closed, I was safe back in my own world. My eyes were forced open by agitated bellows. I found the lead minotaur and a comrade desperately searching for the unseen music. "And as I try to make my way to the ordinary world I will learn to survive." The others woke up dazed and equally startled by Ordinary World by Duran Duran.
The young minotaur who fed me last night looked around and zeroed in on the horse where his commander had stowed away my belongings. He dug into the bag and took out my phone. He held it against an ear and discovering that the music was coming from it, his hands let it go as if he was touching a hot stove. The males looked at the device uncertain what do to or how to react. The young one took the initiative. He approached carefully and took out a dagger. I expected him to destroy the unfamiliar relic. He bent downward and poked at the phone with the blade. I cupped my hands asking him to give it to me. He picked it up carefully with thumb and index finger. He bent his head upward at me and he walked over. He dropped it in my hands and looked with intense curiosity as I turned off the alarm and the entire phone itself. The Leader snatched the phone out of my hand and threw it back in his bag. He talked with his fellows and they nodded.
The Youth disappeared into the trees and the Leader took me along. Was this it? I was led into a clearing. My heart beat hard in my chest. What were they going to do to me? The Leader pointed at my crotch and made the pissing sound with this mouth. His young ally undid the binding underneath his tunic, took out his dick and started to relieve himself. I understood now. I unzipped my jeans and emptied my bladder also. The Leader did likewise.
I looked at the two while they chatted. I knew nothing about these two, but they interacted gave me the impression that they were related somehow. Maybe it was wishful thinking. Inevitably, I got curious and looked downward without looking too obvious. A minotaur male's equipment was like the rest of him: a harmonious blend of the human and the bovine. The goods were bovine in shape, but they were the size of a human's and hung from the body like mine. My discretion failed and their eyes locked onto mine and followed my gaze back to their tubes of flesh and the precious orbs that accompanied them.
The older male gave me a puzzled look and he turned his lower half away. The Young One reacted differently. He looked as his dick and then at mine. He looked at my face, studied it. I grimaced with embarrassment and turned around. He did likewise.
The sound of panic broke our streams. It was coming from the camp. The minotaurs stuffed themselves back inside. They glanced at me for a brief second and ran off in that direction. Whatever was happening, it appeared that the disturbance merited stronger interest.
This was my chance. I might be able to get away from their clutches. However, reality set in. Where would I go? Who I could turn to? Despite being my captors, being with them was more sensible than facing a series of unknowns. I ran after them and found the emergency that had caught their attention.
One of the males was clutching his throat, choking. I ran past the two I went on break with and towards the victim. The leather armor prevented me from helping him. I didn't know how they put the armor on and yet my hands knew what to do. I slipped it off him and began performing the Heimlich. "Come on, come on."
Pop! A slimy piece of apple came out and fell on the ground. The rescued male wheezed trying to catch his breath. He looked at me and smiled before he clasped my back uttering cries of what could only be gratitude. He let go and after the Leader spoke with him sternly, they dismantled the camp and prepared to head out. Their behavior towards me had changed some. Specifically, I wasn't tied up. I also got to help them a bit. It was the Young One that guided me with the approval of his commanding officer. He pantomimed an action and pointed at me. After a couple of times, I understood enough as to what he wanted me to do.
With mild help, I got on the horse they assigned me. I wasn't tied to the animal this time. They did modify their formation so that I was in the middle. I had never ridden a horse before my arrival. In fact, I never had any exposure to the outdoors. Although unfamiliar, I was starting to feel at ease with them. On and on we journeyed until there was sign of civilization as we came upon farmland. I nearly burst laughing as I saw minotaur farmers tending to their animals which included cattle.
The Lead Minotaur looked around and called our caravan to stop. What now? He motioned to two of the scouts and they rode on ahead. I was confused why we stopped? Did they live here? The Youth motioned that we were to wait. I looked at my watch and he looked at me doing so. About thirty minutes past before they showed up again. They were accompanied by two new minotaurs who were driving a carriage that had bars. For the first time, I was looking at females of their kind. Besides their feminine shape, their horns were less than half the size of the males. The men helped me off the horse and the women looked at me with fierce curiosity as they prodded me into the cage.
The expanded convoy continued onward past the farmlands and towards the great stone wall that loomed larger and larger as we got close and closer. The busyness of a brook entered my ears and we soon we crossed over the drawbridge. What new experiences awaited me?
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I would appreciate any comments you may have, but please keep insults or flames to a minimum. I'll try to respond to everyone, but no promises. Please mention the title of the story so I know what you are referring to. You can email me at: chaoswolf04@yahoo.com