A Softer Touch

I laid in the baths, my head leaning back and my eyes were closed as the steam kissed my tired body. Training with Anera had been tiring. It was not only taxing on the body but also on the mind and I was paying my due. Even though I was going to be the next Chief, it was no reason to hold back. At least, that is what my Elder thought.

For the past four days, Anera had me do sparring. We wrestled in mud, in the snow, and in the Great River. It was freezing since the river was fed from the glacial mountains but I never felt so alive. My youth allowed me to be somewhat limber and I gained the upper hand on Anera several times. When our bodies were tired and our muscles taunt, Anera would bathe me and use the moment to get close. He was smaller than me, but not by much. His beautiful, brown fur sparkled in the river's water and his eyes were as blue as the most glorious sapphires. We made love on the river bank more times than I could count and I could still feel the tenderness from it.

There was movement in the corner of my vision and I saw Neokar undressed and proud. His shaft hung low over a pair of generous balls and his member flopped with each step. Instead of being burly like the others, Neokar was built more lean and slender. He was still dashing, however.

He walked as if he predicted each step he would take the morning before and his poise was dignified. He was adorned in jewelry. There was a thick, gold cockring that was around Neokar's shaft and the pattern that it had was one that only belonged to an advisor to the Chief. He had nipple rings but they were bars instead of loops and his septum ring that tousled with each step he took had small rubies along the metal. It was superior craftsmanship and highlighted the Gold Master's skills. It only further bolstered my desire to receive my own.

The Gold Master had pierced me yesterday. The areas were tender but no longer sore due to an ointment he used in order to numb the various areas. My nipples, ears, and septum each received the Gold Master's offerings and I was attended to by my Elder with herbs in order to control the pain. I felt nothing from the ordeal besides a pleasant tingling. The thought of what jewelry he had prepared was more exciting than any nuisance that the piercings provided.

"Good afternoon, Tysius," Neokar chirped with a pleasant tone to his voice. The bull walked forward to dip one hoof into the hot spring. He gave a pleasant sigh and moved to sit himself down at the edge. His fur clashed against the wet, smooth rock and the steam brought out the gold that the young bull wore. He couldn't have been more than twenty suns but Fentrin blessed him well. The Gods always had plans for those who were wise enough to read the language of the lands that they created and I had a feeling that Fentrin was directly involved in giving Neokar foresight.

"Hello brother," I replied and raised my right paw in greeting. He smiled and gestured for me to put my paw down.

"No need to be so formal with me. You know my name. We are no longer boys and have earned our names. Even the Elders will reveal their names to us and especially to you...my Chief," Neokar assured and moved closer to me. He placed a hand on my left shoulder and squeezed it softly.

I snorted and shook my head. "I'm not your Chief yet. Please, do not use such a lofty title on me. I have not even received my jewelry." There was a tinge of jealousy to my voice. I did not want to come off as a whiny cub but the suspense was killing me. Watching the other four become outfitted as tradition and having the Gold Master's undivided attention on them was as wonderful as it was foreshadowing.

When Neokar looked hurt by my comment, I brought my paw up to rub across his outer thigh. "I'm sorry. I do not mean to act so spoiled. I want to look like you. I want to accept my place among my people and do what the Gods intend for me to."

Neokar relaxed and the smile that he had before returned. The steam from the hot springs was not the only thing that warmed my heart and I watched him bring his body down into the water. Our shoulders touched for a moment before he turned to face me and took a step forward. We were chest to chest and I felt something push up against my member. I chuckled and brought my arms around his waist to pull him closer and he did not protest.

"I didn't know apologies meant grinding against me," I added with a cheeky grin. Neokar was still beaming from ear to ear. The smile wasn't overwhelming either and had a charm to it. Not only could Neokar win people over through his speeches but also through his body.

"Well, I know how stressed you are. Perhaps there are ways I can help relieve it before you receive your rings?"

I chortled. "Oh?"

Neokar raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.

"It's funny, Anera said a similar thing before laying me out on the shore of the river," I replied.

"It seemed we both shared a common desire, but mine is focused more on what you can offer here..." Neokar disclosed and grinded up against me. His eyes grew serious for just a moment; a fiery hunger clouding them. The look was gone as quick as it came and Neokar giggled.

"You look surprised."

"I am just not used to everyone attending to me," I said honestly.

"You lived so humbly, my Chief. But remember what you control now."

Neokar leaned forward and planted a kiss on my cheek. I blushed, my ears folding down and I looked away towards the water. When his soft lips left me, I looked back at Neokar to see him with that same intensity as before. There was a shiver that went down my spine but I steeled myself. Whatever small amount of fear was bottlenecked into pure arousal. Like a spire, my cock shot up and at attention and Neokar only rolled his hips harder against my crotch.

"Remember that we are an extension of your power. Your wants and desires are ours. We are yours to command and we will not waver with any conviction. So, with that in mind..."

Neokar shifted himself to line up my cock with his hole. "Do you wish for me to please you, Tysius?"

"Y-yes..." I stammered out. My heart was hammering in my chest now and Neokar's heartbeat synced with my own. We were like water flowing, our individual pieces making up the whole. He leaned forward and kissed me passionately on the lips, his tail lifted, and in a smooth movement of his hips, I hilted deep inside of him. It was a warm embrace and I groaned in need as he squeezed around my endowment. Neokar was the first to break the kiss to leave me panting and digging into his hips. He seemed pleased with himself.

"I was already prepared for you, my Chief. I knew you would want me before it even became a thought. I want you to make me yours, Tysius. Please...."

Before I could give a response, the sound of running echoed through the springs. The hoove falls hit the floor, not caring if anyone around heard them coming.

"Clear!"

Dujar appeared through the archway that led into the spring and right when he was close enough, he launched himself into the air and brought his legs close to his chest. Aiming for some of the deeper pools, Dujar landed with a hard splash and Neokar and I were splashed with a wave of water.

When Dujar swam back up, he was smiling from ear to ear and had to face a glaring Neokar.

"Unnecessary," Neokar hissed.

The smile that Dujar had faded and soured. He crossed his arms and moved towards the rock section that separated our pool from his. Even though his pool was deeper than ours, he had no trouble swimming towards us. Water dripped down his broad body and over his muscles. His fur was of a darker black which signified his birth; he came from the south where the sun was much more intense. His chocolate brown eyes also protected the inner mechanisms from damage.

"You are no fun, Neokar," the larger of the three bulls scoffed. "I did not mean to interrupt you two...if that soured your mood."

His eyes scanned over us, specifically lingering on the way my hands were invisible below the waterline. Dujar smirked, the gold ring around his tail taunting me and my eyes followed it for a moment. Neokar got up off of me. He did not make a face when my cock left his warm hole and he turned on his hoof to face Dujar with a gracefulness only capable by a bull of his stature. I cursed whatever trickster God led Dujar here.

"No, that did not sour my mood," Neokar replied with a huff as he rested beside me. "You shouldn't be so crass around our Chief."

"He isn't our Chief yet, however. He does not have his gold..."

Neokar bristled and I knew it was in my interest to intervene. Especially since Dujar's eyes were now locked on mine. Why was he being so...forward?

"That's enough, Dujar," I said without hesitation. His eyes widened in surprise.

Dujar grinned, amusement on his face at getting a rise out of me.

"You know that Tysius will not receive his gold until it is finished," Neokar frowned. "It is no easy task for the blacksmith to melt the other metals into it. His is special, being made w-"

Dujar groaned and shook his head. "Neokar, I know what it is made with. I'm going to be the Chief's next blacksmith. I will be making him new jewelry for the rest of his life. You think I don't know the mixtures that Tysius' is made from?"

Neokar went quiet. His head was low and he looked up at Dunjar like he was a bully that just stomped out his favorite resting spot.

"I am aware, Dunjair. Callousness does not suit you," Neokar tisked.

I was quiet, watching the two with my arms at the barrier of the bath. I could have intervened. After all, Dunjar did interrupt a very private moment and then insulted me, but it felt best to allow the ones closest to figure out their own problems. Noekar would seem more offended if I came to his aid rather than allow him the chance to defend himself.

"You hardly have anything to be so offended over. Both of you," Dunjar scoffed.

Dunjar's eyes looked over me and he had that devilish smirk on him. With his larger, imposing figure and those fiery eyes, I would have seen him more as a resident athlete rather than in the Chief's palace. He spread his legs and made himself comfortable across from Neokar and I.

"Besides, I was only kidding. Tysius was chosen for a reason just like I was and like we all were. Who says I can't have a little fun?"

I could tell he wanted attention. Something about him screamed it. The way Dunjar looked at me told me that he was bored more than anything else. I huffed, the snort sending a blast of warm air into the even warmer waters.

I stepped forward to Dunjair, my posture straight and courageous even though I was shorter and not as stocky as the blacksmith.

"Neokar does not deserve your spite, Dunjar. The palace is no place for such bravado."

Dunjar's once relaxed pose shifted. He looked at me with a glare that held venom. "What is that I hear from a wannabe Chief?"

"A lot coming from someone in my same position. What kind of celestial blacksmith are you? You aren't even behind an anvil...no sweat on your brow f-"

Dunjar shot up. I knew I had taken it too far when he was barreling towards me. I barely had enough time to register Neokar who dived in between us.

"Enough! This is no way for the nobility to act...."

Dunjar snorted, his hot breath against my face. "I was only teasing. It was Tyrius that insulted my craft!"

I chuckled which only made Dunjar's anger simmer even more. "Keep that smirk on and I'll wrestle you down to the floor when we spar later!"

"I said, that is enough!"

For being such a small advisor, Neokar's roar was loud enough to shake the foundations of the bathing chambers we were in. Both of us paused, looking at the smaller bull between us. Even when naked, the look he had on was pure authority. I swore now that he had half a mind to drag us by our ears to a time-out square.

"Both of you are acting like spoiled children. Have you forgotten what our purpose is here? You need energy corrections." I was about to protest when Neokar held up a finger.

"Both of you!"

Dunjar was about to speak up when a nimble finger was placed right on his lips.

"No! No words. You both will follow me..."

When I started to open my mouth again, Neokar's other finger came forward to my own muzzle and his eyes bore into mine.

"No..."

His finger pushed.

"Words..."

Neokar motioned us out of the tub and with our bodies still dripping with water and as naked as the day we were born, he led us out into the palace. The other bull's around us paid no mind; they were servants that had seen it all but Strongarm, who was meditating in the main room, opened up an eye when he heard us coming. His legs were crossed on the marble and his large form looked odd surrounded by even larger golden statues to the Gods. It reminded me of when the Elders told us what was expected of us as we were given our roles. It felt so long ago.

"My Gods!"

He jumped when all three of us strolled by him and he blushed when they fell upon our wobbling cocks and balls. He wore a simple white tunic that did little to hide his own thick manhood which peeked out of the side of the cloth and an olive branch crown was on top of his head.

The green leaves of the olive branch clashed against his beautiful brown fur and the smaller bull looked over the three naked and still dripping wet bulls. There was a clear curiosity in his eyes as he watched us follow Noekar.

There were several other murmurs by nobles, but we took no shame in our forms and neither did they. I could catch some of their whispers. They were either admiring our form or jealous of what we had between our legs. As we walked, my cock would casually slap the side of my thigh to remind me of how big I truly was. The balls that were between my legs were filled with the God's generous contributions to my body.

Dunjar was equally as endowed although he had larger balls than me. If I was not standing to his side, I would probably be admiring them. I was not jealous, but there was a tinge of curiosity. The older bull was still fuming, his arms crossed as he walked and the gold that looped in his nipples and jingled on his tail glimmering in the sunlight that managed to stream through the top of the roof.

Sunlight streamed in from the destination in front of us. The cool marble below our hooves transitioned into simple stone and then into dirt. The walls surrounded an atrium and a cold breeze made its way through. Our rough hide protected us from the bite of the winds and our fur kept the uncomfortable frigid air from seeping into our bones.

The walls surrounding the atrium were built with a trellis and winter ivy crept up along the wooden walls. No one knew how the ivy survived but the tenacious plant had created a home on the mostly desolant mountain. It also had a unique property. Our Elders, in their wisdom, figured the leaves to be fantastic blockers of the cold wind while also allowing sunlight down to the floor. Most of the atrium was covered in the ivy which crept up towards the ceiling but the ivy continued to grow up to the sky. It linked itself in the middle like one large bridge but the cracks between the leaves still allowed sunlight to filter down.

With this marvelous plant, we could cultivate food but this atrium was more tasteful for the senses. Flowers of every color and variety grew along the edges. Grasses plucked from the prairie tickled our ankles as we walked forward and the sweet smell of the nectar entered our sinuses. The death, cold, and snow that was on the mountain could not choke out the life we have made in the area.

Neokar stopped and turned around to us. I gave a soft moo when his own soft, supple ass and cute tail was replaced with round balls and a thick cock that flopped over them. The soft sound of water hitting rocks hit our ears. My breathing started to slow and my pulse thumped in my chest but not with the same intensity as before. I could still feel the anger towards Dunjar from before but instead of being a simmering rage, it was dulled.

"Do you know why I have brought you to the atrium?"

Dunjar looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. "Therapy?"

"No, you dingus."

Neokar stepped to the side. What his body initially blocked were two tables. Each one had a soft cloth draped over it and pillows that lined the bottom. The tables were long and wide enough to fit one bull comfortably. A small stand was set up in the middle which had a clay decanter. My nose could pick up the smell even with my golden septum ring on; the natural scent of oil.

The scent was unmistakable. I had a hunch of what was coming but I did not have any idea of the extent of what it was at the time. Neokar took a step forward, his arms behind his back in a casual stance as if he was inspecting a problem that needed to be solved. His analytical gaze looked over us carefully.

"Your energies are misaligned. The bond between you two is as sour as the most rancid of grapes," Neokar said with no hesitation to his voice. Neokar stepped forward again until he was right between us. He looked towards Dunjar.

"Your stubbornness is what is giving you trouble...among other things," Neokar frowned.

Dunjar blushed at being called out so callously and his tail flicked nervously. "I would not have done anything I-"

"Shhh."

Neokar's tone was firm as if he was scolding a child.

"No more of that."

Dunjar cleared his throat. When Neokar's eyes turned to me, it felt as if my heart was dunked in ice. Neokar stepped close enough so that I was the only one to hear him.

"And you need to understand your bulls before leading them, my Chief. It is...uncouth of you to try to direct what you do not yet understand. However...."

Neokar smiled. "I know that you have the capabilities to fill your role and succeed. I tell this to you in confidence. It would be rude for an advisor to not advise, yes?"

I nodded. The point was clear and concise and straight to the point. It was clear why Neokar was chosen to be my advisor.

"Good. Now..."

Neokar stepped away from both of us and towards the tables. "These are where you will rest. Both of you, come forward and lay face down on the table. Your heads will be placed on the pillow to ensure no discomfort and allow yourself to adjust to your position. I must attend to your energies at once."

Dunjar and I looked at one another. Was this a medical emergency? Neither of us knew how to respond but Dunjair's deer-in-headlights look was replaced by a smirk and his tail started to wag behind him excitedly.

"Alright, I'm game for whatever energy magic what's-it..."

"Energy alignment..." Neokar said with an exasperated tone.

I chuckled and walked forward. As I got closer, it started to become clear what this "energy alignment" entailed. The table was cushioned with the pillows rather than they were uncomfortably placed on top. As Dunjar climbed onto it, it creaked due to his weight but when he flopped down onto the top, I noticed something dangled underneath.

His uncut cock hung below the hole in the table and I got the perfect side view. It was just big enough to allow his pelvis purchase on the table and the cloth did not give him any irritation as it flopped below and hung over what appeared to be a bucket to catch....fluids.

Dunjar was grinning from ear to ear. "I think I am going to like this..."

Neokar rolled his eyes as he swirled his fingers in the oil that laid inside the decanter. "Lay down, my Chief. I will attend to you personally."

"Very well," I said with a bit of a purr to my voice as I lined my cock up with the hole. It took a similar position to Dunjar's and I let my head lay into the pillows. It was relaxing to set myself down into the cushions but there was something about the darkness that crossed my vision that added an extra flare to it. I rolled my hips and adjusted my posture. My cock slapped against the bottom of the table and my balls flopped about.