Disclaimer: This story is based on a real Mesoamerican legend. (Only with my own depravity tossed in for good measure!) When I was told this legend, the name of the other tribe wasn't told to me, only "It sounded like 'Lascalen or Lashcale' or something". I've been scouring the net for months looking for the proper name of these friggin' people and have come up with nothing. If you have heard the legend and know the proper name, please, please email me so I can fix this story. For now, I will use the name "Lashcale" and hope you know who I'm talking about. If not, enjoy the story anyway.
So aside from all the "over 18, gay sex, blood, gore and entrails" crap I should be telling you, this story was made ledgible by Dark Jennifer and by the Brunhilda Is A Grammar Nazi Foundation. Haha, thank you muchly, I love you guys.
To Literotica: Fuck you all for rejecting this. It's not about underage boys, you goddamn shit-eating perverts; burn in hell.
There is a loud, wet, echoing crack. The sacrifice screams. Our High Priest holds the still-beating heart up to the sun. I'm confident that if the honor fell on me to sacrifice my body to the Great Huitzilopochtli, I would not scream. I would laugh in joy and adoration for my people. The man's screams fade as he goes limp against the stone table. The Priest begins the chant, and my people follow suit. I am Taliki, only son of Tenoch. My Father is the Chieftain of the Aztecs. We are a strong, hardy tribe, once nomadic scavengers, we have established a home here by the forest basin, and we have done very well for ourselves in spite of our humble beginnings.
My Father tells me of strange dreams he's had of Tetzauhteotl, and He feels it's an omen from the Gods telling Him it's time to ascend to great power. Later that evening, as the pheasant feathered, golden-clad dancers perform around the fire, He invites three able-bodied warriors to speak with us privately.
"You are aware that the Lashcale tribe control most of the Basin?" None of them look up from their kneeling positions at my Father's hulking, massive form, one in the middle responds.
"Yes, Great Chief."
"I have a way we can change this in our favor. Go to the Lashcale Chieftain at once. Tell him we heard tales of his eldest daughter's beauty, and that I wish for her to come to our village so that my son can marry her. You three must bring her back to me. If the Chieftain insists on accompanying you, tell him he may visit in two days for the ceremony."
"At once, Great Chief." And with that, they were gone. My Father then tells me His plans in the privacy of His hut. When He is ready to sleep, He dismisses me.
Restless, I wander outside the village for a walk along the Basin. My Father's plan is ruthless, more so than usual, and it deeply troubles me. I dared not speak out against Him, so I continue to walk in silence. I hoped to wear myself out so that I might desire sleep. I find myself well out of the vicinity of my village when sounds of splashing water give me pause. I creep up behind a tree to investigate and catch a glimpse of a young man I'd never seen before, not much older than myself bathing in the Basin. He's tall and hard-muscled, and his dew-misted skin is a deep golden-brown with patches of dark hair. The water has his shoulder-length raven hair slicked back and arrow straight. I sink to my haunches and watch him; out of boredom or curiosity, I reason to myself. In all honesty, it hasn't been the first time I've watched others of my gender and responded with lust. It's shameful, but one day I shall atone by marrying a woman and giving her many sons. Until that day, this is just another painful secret I have to endure.
The young, skyclad warrior cups the warm water, sparlking from moonlight, letting it cascade down his muscular arms, chest, and abdomen. My lips are suddenly dry, my chest heaving, and my loincloth tight from my swelling erection. I cannot tear my eyes from him, for he is such a delicious sight. His palms run slowly, sensually over his skin. His wet fingers glide through his dampened hair, accentuating his thick neck and sharp jaw. I run my tongue over my lips, imagining how his glistening flesh would taste, how it would feel clenched between my teeth, how sharply he would cry as my nails raked across his back.... I could not help myself. I remove my loincloth and begin to stroke myself at the sight of him.
As if putting on a show, the young man runs his strong, calloused hands all over his stomach and hips, spreading the moisture all over his beautiful form. I become lost in this, and bite my lip to hold in a moan of approval; yet it escapes, and the man stops, glancing around. I curse under my breath and prop my back against the tree so I'm out of his view. A few moments later, I gather the courage to look again, and he's gone.
"Damn my lust..." I growl to myself, leaning forward to see where he could have gone.
I am suddenly tackled from behind so fiercely, that we both fall headfirst into the water. I struggle against the young man as he grabs my wrists. I somehow get to my feet and gasp for air as my head emerges; I see the young man up close, still nude, his chest pressed firmly against mine. "Who are you?!" He growls, shaking my arms by each wrist. "Why are you spying on me?!" His eyes are a striking shade of deep amber honey, and the way the moonlight cascades down his dampened locks, it reminds me of gazing into the night sky.
"Ah-ah-I'm not spying, I was just walking..." My brown eyes are wide, looking into his. I briefly imagine that if I were to come face to face with the Great Huitzilopochtli, this is what He'd look like. I instinctually struggle for freedom, fearing the young warrior would feel my painful erection brush up against his leg from beneath the water.
"You weren't walking, you were spying. What's your name, boy?" His teeth clench, and I find it frightening and maddeningly alluring all at once. His entire body is pressed against me now, and I know he must feel my excitement. It would be impossible to hide it at this distance.
"I am Taliki.... I was watching you, but I meant no harm."
"So you like spying on other men?" His brows rise, his eyes staring meaningfully into mine. I cannot manage a reply. After a moment, he fills in the gap of awkward silence. "I am Zulhi. It's good to meet you." A mischevious smile creeps across his face, and one of his thighs pushes in between mine, pressing up against my bloated balls. My thick, swollen meat sticks straight up, the head just peeking out of the water. His face leans close to mine, so that our lips are nearly touching. "Did you like what you saw?" He whispers. Once again unable to speak, I merely nod. His smile lengthens. I am at a loss for breath; my chest heaves against his. His hands release my wrists and take a firm grip of my ass, pressing me against him. I feel his cock, just as hard as mine pressed up against my stomach. "Do you want to touch me, Taliki? Or are you content in touching yourself?"
"I...I want...." My hands tremble from excitement, sliding against his lean chest, up over his shoulders and down his sides. I've always been content to watch, believing my desires would never be fulfilled. Up until now, I'd believed the Gods disapproved of them; but now to my relief, I see these strange urges aren't mine alone. I don't finish my answer; instead I lean to the side to kiss his neck. He moans in delight and tilts his head to allow me better access, his fingertips kneading into my soft ass cheeks. My lips caress his sweat-misted flesh, and then I lick, nibble, chew, and finally sink my teeth into his jugular. His mounting cries of pleasure match the growing desperation of his throbbing dick rubbing up against mine; his hips buck against me creating a damp friction that sends waves of arousal throughout my entire body.
"Ohh, you feel so good. Do you like the way I taste?" His nails scrape up my flanks, and I arch my back into him, my mind light and reeling from want.
"Yes, you taste exquisite." I mumble, leaning up to kiss his lips. I've seen other people kiss and I've always wondered what it was like. He responds to me, and our lips mash together, making me all the more hungry for him. To my surprise, he pushes his tongue into my mouth and nudges up against mine. I get the hint and pretty soon we're exploring each other's mouths between desperate gasps for breath. He explores every inch of my body his hands can reach and I do the same to him. Before long, my attention settles on his hard shaft, and I rub my palm over the head, making Zulhi's body jump and his hips buck wildly against me. He groans out a curse, suddenly taking an interest in my member. The feel of his hot fingers wrapping around it makes me whimper, fueling him to jerk rather than rub. I've never had anyone else's hand touch me there and all I want is more.
My hand matches his jerking motions; his breath hitches, his free hand clutching my ass, pulling me into him. We kiss again, hard, passionate and needy. "Thank you for this." He moans in between our harsh, brutal assaults on each other's sultry mouths. "Surely the Gods had you picked out for me..." He trails off as I bite his bottom lip.
"It's I who should thank you." I slow my stroking into the type of smooth, torturous, rhythmic pumps I like to do to myself. He cries out in ecstasy, his knees almost buckling. My arm has his upper body in a tight grip. "I thought I was the only man who looked at other men with lust. For years, I feared the Gods were punishing me."
"No, Taliki." He gasps, his hand now gripping onto me for dear life. "Ohhhno, we were made especially for each other." He moans and shuts his eyes as I tighten my grip. I'm playing his body like a flute, and the heady, lustful sounds he emits are my music. He goes to say something else and his words disappear into my mouth as it encloses around his once more. Those beautiful groans and gasps are now muffled against me as we stroke each other, arms tight around one another as if we had mere minutes until the world ended.
Our ministrations on each other wax with renewed purpose; needing to feel the other come undone in our grasp. His body is stiff as a spear against me, his chest heaving, sweat pouring down his lean torso like rain. He bites down on my lips because he hasn't the breath to kiss me for too long. His fingers entwine in my hair and yank my head back, his teeth scraping against my flesh, his hot tongue lapping greedily at my sweat and musk. His hand is so sensitive on me, yet I don't want it to stop. I need this so badly, to cum all over his chest, to mark him with my scent. And after that, I need to taste his mark on me. I need to lick his cock clean and make it hard again so we can make each other feel this way again and again, all night long.
"Oh Gods, I'm so close!" His rigid body is now shuddering; his grip on my hair tightens, painful, blissful, sending shockwaves down to my groin. His hips buck and thrash against me, fucking my fist, getting the perfect rhythm to bring him to release. My free hand grips onto one of his ass cheeks so tight that he grunts, shutting his eyes, his mouth hanging open in a silent scream. "Ughhh, yes!" He wheezes, his dick throbbing and pulsing. "Oh, Taliki! Ohhh lover, I'm cumming for you!" His cock shoots thick streams of ivory against my chin, painting across my chest and abs. He flexes and tenses as I milk out the last of his load. His legs nearly give out from under him and he grips onto me once more, our chests flush together, smearing his ribboned seed between us. His grip on my member renews its efforts. Just like I had done to him, he picks up my technique and falls into a steady rhythm, getting me so sensitive and close to climax all too quickly.
Our lips connect once more through breathless panting, our tongues resuming the frantic dance. Both of my hands now grip his ass, pulling him into me. He breaks the kiss and turns his mouth's attention to my earlobe. I moan and whimper his name as his hand chokes my rigid, purple manhood. Never in my life have I felt this good, this complete. It is thunderous; almost frightening. Never have I felt such a closeness to another. It turns me on more than I ever thought I was capable of. I grit my teeth and cry out unintelligibly and my orgasm creeps up my balls and pumps gobs of hot, pearled cum all over us. Were it not for him holding me up, I would have collapsed from the pleasure. He holds me steady and keeps stroking, his grip tight on my weeping shaft. He doesn't stop until the sensitivity overwhelms me and I ask him to.
After that, we press flush together in an embrace and let our seed-coated fingers roam over our sweaty, heaving bodies. We kiss, caress, and bathe each other. Much is said, but not much is spoken. "Will you be here tomorrow?" My voice is a soft coo against his ear.
"Perhaps." He smiles, his eyes closed. "But I have explored a long way from home and now I must get back before anyone finds me missing."
"I'll be thinking of you, lover." I confess. "I want us to have many nights here together, so that we may discover other ways of pleasuring each other."
"We will." He kisses my cheeks softly to reassure me. "I'll be thinking of you too. Until we meet again, we'll always have pleasant thoughts of this night. Take care, Taliki." He pries himself away from me. I hug myself, instantly feeling cold and alone. I smile and wave, watching as he wades through the water and grabbing his loincloth and spear on the way out. Only as he disappears into the jungle, do I let out a sigh of longing and head for home.
The next morning, I emerge into the world a new man. The day is bright and for once, so are my spirits. Stretching and scratching myself thoughtfully, I arrive outside just in time to cast eyes on my Father's guards returning in the company of a young girl adorned with gold, turquoise and parrot feathers. She looks no greater than ten years old. It is the Lashcale princess. Suddenly, Father's plan comes back into my mind and I am overcome by the need to get away as quickly as possible.
"Taliki! My son, there you are!" My Father appears to have been following me. His brows lower, as though He can read the dismay on my face.
"Yes, Father?"
He moves closer. His body is rigid, and His expression is stoic. "Join us for the Feast. Sit by me and we shall welcome the young Lashcale properly."
"I feel ill, Father." It isn't a lie; for I'm beginning to.
"No arguments. We begin the ceremony after we've all filled our bellies. Come along, boy." Sadly, I do. There's no denying the Great Chief. I hang my head and hope that Huitzilopochtli would not punish our tribe for this deceit.
During the Feast I eat very little, and meet eyes with the girl even less. She looks quite often at me, however, with the belief that I will be her husband before sunset. She is showered with gifts and blessings fit for the Gods. Her almond eyes beam with excitement and joy. Today is the happiest day of her life.
"Father, I must make water." I lie, unable to take this any longer. He doesn't protest, so I work my way past the crowd to where the girl is sitting.
She looks up at me as I pass, her smile as bright as the Sun. "Greetings, betrothed."
I lean over and mutter softly into her ear, "You must escape."
"What??" She laughs boisterously, squinting at me. I don't reply, I merely give her a false smile and walk outside. In a few moments, she manages to worm her way through the crowd to meet me. "Betrothed?" She tugs on the back of my robes to get my attention. "Have I offended you?"
"No, dear girl, you are lovely." I kneel down and give her a sympathetic look, my gaze then darting around to see if anyone's noticed her absence yet. "But please, you must get out of here. You're not here for a wedd-"
"Taliki!" Four of my Father's guards storm outside and surround us. "The princess must not leave the Chief's sight until after the ceremony."
"Please, Mehtihka, we are merely becoming acquainted." I stand up to address him and another guard puts his macuahuitl between me and the girl. Her frightened, confused eyes are wide as perfect circles staring at the volcanic glass.
"The Chief insists." He responds after a moment of suspicious glaring. Without another word, I take her by the hand and lead her back inside. Perhaps she is not meant to escape. It seems as though the Gods eagerly await what is to come. If that is what They desire; I must obey whether it darkens my heart or not.
When she sits back down, she remains frightened. I've accomplished nothing but to marr her spirits and I feel obligated to put her mind at ease once more. "My dear," I begin, taking her hand. All eyes are on me. "I'm sorry. I was merely concerned about your readiness to marry so young. I didn't mean to make you frightened."
For a moment, she stares vacantly at me, and then dons that beautiful smile again. "Oh! It's all right, in a year or two I would have been married to another; but I like you better. You remind me of my older brother."
"Your older brother?" I glance at my Father who's angrily beckoning me to reclaim my seat beside him.
"Yes, I have six of them, but the one you remind me of is the one I like best. I would very much like being married to you." She clasps her hands together in delight and giggles. "Will you sit beside me?"
"No, dear. I can't, my Father beckons. We'll speak again. Enjoy the rest of your meal."
"All right, until then!" She squeals. I wave and quickly make my way back to my seat. My Father glares at me frighteningly, but after a moment of studying me, His anger melts into curiosity.
"My son, why does this trouble you?"
I shake my head sadly. "Look at her, Father, she's only a child."
"She's our prisoner, and we sacrifice prisoners."
"We sacrifice adult prisoners." I can't take my eyes off her. She turns to me with an innocent wave and a smile.
"Ahh, I keep forgetting that we haven't sacrificed a child since you were too small to remember."
"It's not right, Father. We should let her grow up. To tell you the truth, I don't like sacrificing prisoners either. It's a great honor and they should want to meet the Gods willingly."
He lets out a boisterous chuckle. "Naive boy!" He slaps a hand on my shoulder. "Tonight's sacrifice has nothing to do with the Gods. It has to do with the expansion of our people. Wherever we go, we're shunned for our ways, driven out by others. They do not care to understand us. We've been crawling here on our bellies, subsisting on bugs and snakes. It is time for us to rise to glory, Taliki. They call us 'ruthless', so now it's time to show them just how ruthless we can be."
"But at what cost?" I boldly raise my voice to Him louder than I've ever dared to.
He snarls. "Put a civil tongue in your mouth and listen, boy!" His huge hand squeezes my shoulder painfully. I don't dare cry out. "The decision has been made. Tetzauhteotl has shown me that this is the perfect time to execute my plans, and I am not missing this chance because your heart bleeds for the girl. I will debate this with you no longer." He then lets go of me before turning to face His people as though we had not exchanged such words at all.
I shy away from Him and remain quiet for the rest of the night. After the Feast, the women take the princess away. They bathe her and prepare her for tonight's ceremony. There is a tightness in my stomach that brings bile up into my throat, but if these are truly the wishes of the Gods, who am I to challenge them?
I go for another walk hoping to find Zulhi again. I need to get my mind off things before they drive me insane. Unfortunately, all I find are my own painful, lingering doubts. I wash up a bit and head back just in time to see my Father's guards leading a very confused Lashcale princess to the Sacrificial Table. My Father spots me before I can flee and beckons me over.
"Betrothed!!" She screams in fear when she sees me, struggling against the guards as they restrain her against the frigid stone slab. Tears now pour from her almond eyes. "Please help me! I thought you wanted to marry me!"
"I'm sorry!" I cry back, hiding my face in shame. My Father backhands me so hard that I fall to the ground.
"Begin!" He growls, His eyes fixed on me, angry and disappointed at my insolence. The drums start beating, fast, hard and hungry. The singers hoop and grunt, and the dancers are all adorned with pheasant headdresses of human and ocelot skulls.
"NOOO!" Her screaming only reminds me of how young she is. I cannot watch; I remain on the ground with both arms covering my head. "Betrothed, HELP ME!!" Her words are now panicked sobs over the harsh, rhythmic beating of drums and bare feet against dusty stone.
"Make it quick, Father, please." I whisper, knowing He can't hear me. She begins to call me one last time but her words are swallowed by a high-pitched shriek, heavy with shock and pain. It's long and heart-wrenching, only interrupted by a quick gasp for air before another one begins. This one is born from pure agony. As much as I loathe to hear her screams, it's the sounds I can make out in between them I fear most; the sound of the Priest's blade cutting jagged and merciless into her soft, wet flesh.
It goes on for longer than most sacrifices, and I begin to think they aren't cutting out her heart. I dare to glance up. What I see takes many years off my life: I see the dripping, bloody insides of the screaming child as our Priest flenses her alive. She's limp against her restraints, and barely recognizable as a girl anymore. The Priest's knife etches a line from her jawbone up to her temple and around her forehead. He puts the crimson blade between his teeth; then with both hands, reaches just underneath and rips back the face right from girl's head. She lets out a final broken cry and falls into silence. I know she has only lost consciousness, but I thank the Gods for that small mercy. The Priest and the men behind him are all showered with her blood. The ground is covered in it, and it seems as though my hands are as well. I attempt to hide my face again and my Father pulls me up by the back of my neck. I cannot meet His gaze, but I somehow sense He's not as angry as I once thought. "Foolish boy, have you truly fallen in love with her? Remember that this is a necessary step for our tribe's victory. When you're Chief, you will understand these things."
I cannot bring myself to speak through my horror. My only wish is to run off into the jungle and drive a blade into my own heart so I can meet the Gods and ask to know why they demand such sacrifice. Satisfied, Father continues to watch the dancing and celebration, and I stumble off in a daze. The next thing I know, the sun is rising and I've no recollection of where I've been, what I've done, or even what I was thinking. Even the ceremony itself is hazy, and for the first ten minutes of coming out of this spell, I wander around looking for the Lashcale princess. When the events of last night return to me, I burst into tears and slump weakly against one of the ivy-covered pillars leading to the city.
"Taliki? Is that you?" I hear a young man's voice, strangely familiar. I glance up to see my handsome Zulhi from the water. He stands tall and turgid with five others and a plump Chieftain adorned in gold and turquoise. A lovely woman stands behind them with long pheasant feathers and braids that reach the ground. It suddenly occurs me who they are and with a pained whimper, I hide my face in shame. Zulhi kneels down to me and grabs my shoulders. "Taliki, are you hurt? What's wrong?"
"I'm so... ohh merciful Gods, I'm so sorry!"
His brow creases, his eyes narrowed and searching my dirt-covered face. "Sorry for what?" He pauses for a moment. "Taliki, where is my sister?"
Before I can answer, I hear the woman with pheasant feathers scream in terror. Her husband, the Chieftain curses loudly. My Father's Priest emerges to meet the Lashcale family wearing their youngest daughter's skin. His gait is mocking as he quickly approaches, watching with morbid glee through the eyeholes of the child. He had even kept the girl's braids intact. Our guards surround them from all sides. The Lashcale draw weapons, spitting and cursing at us. Wooden rods clash, Obsidian shatters, spears and arrows fly.
Zulhi grabs me by the neck and shakes me violently, tears welling up in his eyes. "How could you do this!?" His voice is strained from rage and grief. My body tosses about limply like a doll in his grasp. I have no breath or energy in me to tell him I tried to stop it, nor would it mean a thing if I did. My lightheadedness bestows unto me the gift of clarity. A sacrifice for a sacrifice. A win for both sides.
The girl's family would be slaughtered here, and as a result, the Basin will belong to my Father. However, they will have taken from Him the life of His only son in the process. It's a lesson my Father needs to learn: the lesson of the Gods. We sacrifice our people because you cannot take without giving of yourself in return. My Father has paid with the blood of His people, and the blood of other people, but until now, never of His own. For when you don't give freely, you ultimately pay a higher price.
As my lover squeezes the last of the air from my throat, at long last, something in this whole tragedy feels Godly.
