If you are under 18 years of age, this is not for you.
If you are offended by male/male relationships, then do not read this work.
This story contains some slight nonconsensual elements.
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
This is a copyrighted work of fiction. All right reserved.
Unlike my previous work, this is a fantasy/nonhuman based work. This is a new genre for me to tackle, hopefully you will enjoy it. I always look forward to feedback and comments.
To Colandra, who edited this chapter, thank you for all you help. I really appreciate the time you take from your life to help me shape my hobby into something that is a little easier to read.
*
Terror filled Zasha, spurring him on. He clutched his open tunic to his chest and fought panic. He was desperately searching for the hiding place he and his twin sister, Cora, had used when they were children. It was a concealed underground chamber, used long ago as a storehouse, and they had discovered it by pure accident. They had often gone there to play when they were very young. He prayed to Areala that he could find it again, even though it had been more than ten cycles since he had been there. He could not return to the castle now, it was sure to be locked down because of the threat of an outsider in the area. Zasha was glad for that threat, it was what had spared him from being raped.
Zasha knew he was never supposed to leave the castle without an escort. His reason for sneaking out was innocent enough. The soldiers were in the area, making some of their regular rounds. He had only wanted to see them up close. He had never intended to be seen by them, much less mistaken for one of the lovers for hire that often followed the army. He had accidentally stumbled upon a pair of soldiers who were bathing in the stream. Zasha did not know that was where those who sold their bodies would wait to ply their trade. It was very unfortunate for him that he had not known such a thing.
Zasha had always admired the men who served as soldiers for his nation. Every time he had seen them in their uniforms, they had been tall, lithe, and handsome. They wore their hair pulled back high on the back of their heads, and their uniforms were always immaculate. He had wanted to see them in the field, going through their training exercises, outside of the confines of the royal court. He wanted to know what their everyday life was like, how they looked out in the field, not in their dress uniforms. He had gotten a much closer look than he had intended.
Zasha had been searching for the troops he wanted to observe, when he had heard deep voices and followed them to find a pair of men bathing in the stream. He had hidden, wide eyed, behind foliage, as he watched the pair splash each other, as they played and frolicked. He had gasped aloud when their playful antics had turned heated as the pair began to embrace and kiss. The sound of his gasp did not go unnoticed. Two pairs of eyes had turned to Zasha's hiding place as he had stood frozen, unnerved by the site his voyeurism had captured. Their was no stigma in his culture for those who loved the same sex, but Zasha had been well guarded against almost all carnal knowledge. He only had basic sexual knowledge, and had certainly never seen anyone locked in a sensual embrace. He had been shocked to feel the heat that spread across his face mirrored in his groin. The pair had moved towards him, one of them easily lifting him from the branches that were no longer enough to hide him.
"So pretty," one of the soldiers said, as he ran his fingers through Zasha's deep purple tresses. Zasha had shivered involuntarily, too frightened to speak, as the other man had stroked the quivering moth-like antennae atop Zasha's head. The intimate touch caused Zasha to cry out as he felt himself harden under his tunic. His body had grown warmer, answering the clever fingers.
"Mmm. You are very sensitive," the one who had stroked had said. "Come and join us, we can pay you well."
"No!" Zasha had not been able to put any force behind his refusal. His fear, coupled with his confusion at his body's reaction, seemed to effect his power of speech. He had not been able to convince them that he was truly unwilling. The pair had caressed him gently as they unclothed him, each taking turns holding his wrists captive, kissing his face as he cried and protested over and over.
"What a lovely game. We have not been able to enjoy someone as sweet as you in decades," the taller soldier was saying as he nibbled across Zasha's soft lilac skin. He sucked on a violet nipple and said, "If your antennae were not fully formed, I would not believe you were of age to work as a lover."
"I am not a lover, I am the Prince...Stop! Not there!" Zasha's body had betrayed him when an exploring tongue swept across that most private place. He had shuddered in shock as his essence filled the other man's hand while one of the pair had sucked that puckered hole as the other stroked his small member. He had felt something prod at his entrance right before an alarm was sounded. It pierced the air, warning of an intruder. Suddenly released from their grasp, Zasha lie trembling. The soldiers had kissed him and told him that they were sorry, but they must go. Zasha had lain unmoving while they dressed quickly and left him lying there, several heavy coins on the ground next to him.
Once they were gone, he had dressed haphazardly and fled, his mind a mass of shame and confusion.
Zasha caught his bare foot on an unearthed root. he fell headlong, wrenching his wrist and slicing his palm open on a hidden rock. The pain caused him to gasp as he felt his flesh rend. There was no time to stop and heal himself. He had to find that hiding place so that he could calm himself and wait until it was safe to return to the palace. He was sure to be scolded terribly when he returned. By now, his absence would be noted, his parents and sister were probably frantic with worry. Guilt could come later, right now he was traumatized with the memory of those caresses.
He heard a sob escape his throat as he stumbled again. A fallen log was the culprit, causing him to land on his hands and knees in the rich soil of the forest. As he forced himself to his feet, he thought he recognized a marking in the bark on the tree in front of him. He sobbed in relief when he pushed aside underbrush and saw the door that looked almost identical to the forest floor. He grasped it in his trembling fingers and tugged, he was shocked at how easily it opened. He descended inside the passageway, allowing the door to shut behind him. Safely obscured from any chance of being seen, he finally allowed himself to fall apart.
*****
Gowron was dying. He could not believe he had been so careless. He was only on this planet to observe and scout, but he had been distracted by a luscious smell in the air. Deep inside enemy territory, the place where he most needed to be free from mistakes, he had made a fatal error. He had stood to taste the air with his tongue, that moment of distraction was all it had taken to be spotted by an archer. A moment was all it had taken to be pierced by an arrow. A moment was all it had taken to be mortally wounded. Even so, in the first moments of his injury his training had allowed him to evade capture as the alarm went up. That sweet smell still taunting him as he lost more and more blood. He covered it best as he could as he fled, not wanting to leave a trail to be followed.
He stumbled, noticing the sound of the ground he fell on was unusual. Brushing aside vines, he miraculously found a door hidden on the forest floor. He grasped it, pulling it open with the last of his strength. He tumbled inside, crawling as far as his weakening body would allow him, following the sloping passageway until it opened into a room. He moved to the farthest end from the entrance and leaned back against a stone wall.
Finally free from that torturously sweet smell, he sank into unconsciousness.
A scraping noise followed by loud, wracking sobs, disturbed him as he lie waiting to die. That damn smell was back, filling the air as he pried his eyes open to watch a small figure crawling on the floor. Its small arms were outstretched, trying to feel its way in the pitch black. Hmm, it seemed these creatures were at a disadvantage in the dark. Too bad Gowron would die with that knowledge.
The creature was sobbing uncontrollably. It disturbed him for some reason. He had the urge to pet and comfort the small being. It was an alien feeling. Breathing became more difficult. That sweet smell from earlier had returned, filling the stone cavern, mingling with the smell of the earth.
It was coming from the small creature.
Gowron could see places on the creatures body that were warmer than normal. There were tracks down the creature's face, where tears were flowing. When the creature stood, its slender arms and delicate hands crawling over the wall, Gowron could tell that the creature was a male, despite its size. The heat patterns radiating from its groin announced that he had recently felt ecstasy.
