The Lycian Prince 67

(March 292 A.D. – 1 week until Anthonius’ nullification [?])

Anthonius was bound naked and spreadeagled face-up on a solid wooden frame in the sacred amphitheatre, otherwise devoid of people. The boy had been returned after the spectators for the evening’s genital sacrifice ceremony had all departed to their homes. The blood from the nullification was still dripping from the guillotine and the newly severed black sexual organs were displayed in front of the altar phallus in a red bowl, now containing preservative. The poor offering had chosen a red ball.

Anthonius had, as usual on Priapus’ weekly sacred day, danced and suffered before the altar as part of the preliminary rituals. His anus was sore from being sodomised by the massive cock of one of the noble worshippers, selected by lot, as was customary, to enjoy the white boy’s still remarkably tight rectum. Other parts of the former Prince’s body were also hurting as a result of the weekly tortures that he had additionally endured.

The frame to which Anthonius was bound was angled to give him a good view of the guillotine and altar without the necessity of moving his head. However, it was also inclined sufficiently gently to permit the boy to sleep without too much discomfort because this was where he was to spend the next seven nights before his own genitals were offered to Priapus. This traditional nocturnal presentation of penalslaves, in the week up to the equinox or solstice on which their reproductive capacity might be lost, served two purposes. First, the penalslave could contemplate his possible fate in the location where it would be determined and, second, the deity would have plenty of time to scrutinise the offering before making his decision.

Anthonius’ sexual organs had been smeared with sacred oil so that they could be shown to the god in the requisite manner. The boy’s cock, glistening in the light from the lamps, was fully erect, throbbing and dribbling precum. This was partly as a result of the constant infusion of strong aphrodisiacs that he had experienced since he had first arrived at the terrible temple plus enforced chastity. The latter had not been continually maintained as the lad had suffered accidents, for which he had been subjected to appropriate excruciating chastisement. He had had wet dreams. He had also cum several times in his loincloth when dancing or being ritualistically buggered or tortured, the evidence being easily discernible as the white thong-like undercloth of a penalslave’s skimpy loincloth, both red flaps bearing the black Priapic phallus, was made of thin transparent netting material. Dancing before and after the sodomy and torture rites would invariably induce the loincloth flaps to rise to give everyone a clear, albeit brief, view of the beauty underneath, with any semen present seeping through the netting.

Anthonius was ashamed to realise that the current arousal of his sexual equipment was not just as a result of aphrodisiac-induced unrequited desire but also perverse excitement at the danger in which he found himself. He could not help the intense feelings that this had created in his loins over the past few months, stimulated further by the physical evidence, noticeable wherever he went, of frequent nullification taking place in the awful place. It was as if his genitals wanted to enjoy their last days of life as much as possible.

Meanwhile, at the same moment, the kind Arab’s boat was at anchor, it being inappropriate to continue down the Nile at night, and not only because of the danger. Such a risky enterprise would also tire the crew who, as a result, would be incapable of advancing as far during daytime as they would otherwise be able to achieve. The kind Arab was debating with the ship’s captain how they could undertake the remainder of the journey within a week when it would normally take at least ten days.

As Anthonius lay on the frame looking at his throbbing cock, displayed against the background of genital guillotine and phallic edifice, his mind went back to the day after the winter solstice when he had drawn the red ball to become a temple penalslave for life. He instinctively knew that he would draw the same on the vernal equinox and again contemplated his ability to fulfil the full ceremonial rites to which he had committed himself. Penalslaves who drew the red ball were given in advance the choice of two ceremonial continuances.

Penalslaves could proceed quickly to suffering sodomy from the sacred cheetah and subsequent genital torture before their nullification or they could additionally attempt to dance between all these rites in devotion to Priapus and their own courage. No-one had known anyone in living memory to choose the latter until Anthonius did so. However, the boy had not selected this brave option to glorify the god or himself. He wished instead to give honour to his homeland and his ancestors, given that a particular male royal line would end with him. He wanted to demonstrate to the Nubians what Lycians of his family were capable of and hoped that, if he was required to suffer the rituals, he would not let his nation and his forebears down. The former Prince feared that he might physically be unable to fulfil his commitment because of the pain and damage caused earlier.

Anthonius’ thoughts then wandered back to his initiation as a penalslave. After drawing the red ball, he had sufficient presence of mind, despite his distress at the outcome and the raucous celebratory atmosphere all around, to complete the ritual. He knelt to pay homage to Priapus, as one of the god’s new penalslaves, by kissing the small phallus embedded in the ground just in front of the genital guillotine. The neck jewellery of a Roman Imperial boy companion was then replaced by the medallion of a Priapic penalslave, a gold chain from which dangled a small ebony phallus. The boy was then led out of the joyous amphitheatre by the Highpriest and two acolytes to return to the small shrine to be stripped, re-purified, redressed and inspected. His new attire comprised the red loincloth covered by a red sleeveless tight short tunic, with usual motif and which barely covered the loincloth flaps.

Anthonius was restored to the amphitheatre in his fresh garb, having been temporarily replaced as principal entertainer during his absence by some temple prostitutes. The tunic did not last long before it was removed so that the new penalslave could dance in his latest loincloth, highly revealing as the flaps bounced around. Most spectators gained a teasing glance of the hard cock trapped within the netting under the front and the lustrous white curves of the boy’s naked bottom under the rear.

Anthonius was not subjected to the sodomy and torture rituals during this initiation ritual as that first pleasure awaited him on Priapus’ sacred day the following week. Instead, after completing his dance, he was taken elsewhere so that the day’s genital sacrifice offering, who had been tied between the stakes in front of the altar watching the entertainment throughout, could be released to draw his own ball of destiny.

Anthonius was led back to the lower innards of the temple to a small chamber containing two tables and where a specialist priest awaited him. The boy was stripped of his new loincloth and bound face-up and spreadeagled on the larger table. The priest picked up some tools from the smaller table and began his work.

The Highpriest had decided that there was little scope for fully decorating this particular penalslave’s body with the customary tattoos because of the existing brandmarks. He had therefore ordered that only two of the traditional adornments should be applied. The first would be on the middle of the boy’s chest, between the two small round brands of interconnecting eagles that encircled the lad’s nipples, whilst the second, much more painful to affix, would be on the 15 years old’s cock and scrotum. The patterns centred round the Priapic motif of a phallus but with symbolic creatures as heraldic supporters. The chest tattoo was to have cheetahs, standing on their rear legs and displaying large rampant members, supporting the principal emblem, whilst the three smaller genital embellishments sported snakes. The former was also to have an elaborate twisting tail, representing lifeblood and fertility, running downwards towards the navel.

The tattooist was happy to have his first nude white body as his working surface as it meant that he could use darker hues, even black, for a change. His task was to take all night and all of the next day to complete, allowing himself and the recipient of his artwork only brief respites. Anthonius managed to keep the sound of his distress at the application of his new bodily decoration to low whimpers until the work on his torso was complete. However, the boy could not prevent himself from regularly screaming and constantly sobbing when his genitalia were receiving the unnecessary beautification.

On the following morning, a still-sore Anthonius, redressed in loincloth, was displayed, tied to a post on a covered platform in the middle of the large square outside the temple, so that the whole populace of the Nubian capital could view the new white penalslave in his new finery.

Anthonius was returned to the main amphitheatre three days later, on Priapus’ weekly sacred day, for the first ceremonial that would begin the attempt to expel the treacherous evil from his body. The weekly format was to be similar on all the twelve occasions that he was subjected to these purgative rituals, with only the nature of his absorption of male seed and later torment varying. This first week, he performed fellatio in front of the altar on the Priapic Archpriest’s, Ebana’s, rampant erection, carefully hidden from general view by a flowing robe that engulfed the young pleasure provider. The later torture, applied whilst the young victim was spreadeagled between the altar stakes, comprised attachment of crude but severe clamps to his nipples. The penalslave was somehow required to precede and follow subjection to all these rites with proficient dancing.

The following week Anthonius’ loincloth lost its detachable rear flap, never to return. The garment was of the variety with a double cord running down the side of each buttock as opposed to one with a single cord running down the bumcrack. This was so that the penalslave, whilst bound again to the stakes, could enjoy sodomy from Ebana before later having his bottom paddled.

The week between each sacred day was now consumed by enjoying the delights of penal labours. The first three days would be spent as part of the team of six temple menialslaves who turned one of the huge waterwheels, located in the temple’s dark dank bowels to provide the building’s elaborate system of running water. All too brief respites were permitted only hourly during the half-day shift. The second three days would be engaged on assisting the construction of Ebana’s pyramid, mainly by helping to push or haul large blocks of stone into place, often using wooden rollers and/or ropes. Anthonius’ body would be regularly covered in protective oil to shield its beautiful form from the harsh rays of the sun.

The latter work was very strenuous and tiring but the white boy found that the most distressing time of the day was his march from and, 12 hours later, back to the temple, alone apart from a priestly escort. Anthonius, who now found his hands bound behind him, customary practice for a penalslave outside the temple despite the impossibility of escape, had to endure many insulting and humiliating comments from most of those he passed.

The third and fourth sacred days found the Highpriest impregnating Anthonius whilst the next four saw six liturgy, chosen by lot, enjoying the penalslave. Six noble laity, similarly selected, performed on the remaining four occasions. The weekly infusions of purifying seed were alternately applied to the boy’s oral and anal orifices.

Meanwhile, the torture rites had changed every fortnight to become progressively more painful. Week four had seen a cane applied to the penalslave’s bottom, week six a strap to his back and buttocks and week eight the advent of a short whip. Week ten had the nipple clamps reintroduced, with weights added at intervals, whilst paddle and cane were returned to the boy’s posterior.

As Anthonius lay tied to the angled platform, he relived again the agony of suffering, earlier in the evening, the weighted clamps once more, this time with strap and whip striking his rear. He looked at his still hurting bright scarlet nipples and could feel the bloodied stripes on his back and bum painfully resting on the wood. However, this had not stopped his oiled penis from remaining engorged. As the boy saw the bloody guillotine and thought about the fact that, in one week’s time, his sexual organs would probably not be attached to him, his body shuddered and his foreskin pulled back tightly to reveal his cockhead. Semen started spurting upwards like a fountain. It was the first time that, in the former Prince’s waking moments, thought alone had induced orgasm.

(To be continued in the penultimate chapter 68 – ‘Equinox’ – & concluded in the final chapter 69 – ‘Tondo’)