Phalanx

The girls giggled and fawned over the boy, touching and kissing him and making him blush, which they thought was adorable. It didn't take too long under their ministrations to have the young man stripped naked and face down on a couch while two sets of soft yet strong and knowing hands rubbed oil into his skin and dug their fingers and knuckles into his sore tired muscles. He alternately sighed and squeaked at their touch. Accustomed as they were to soldiers, they knew what it took to get the hard muscled warriors to relax and while Alexander wasn't as fit as most it just meant they were quicker to pull and stretch the places where it hurt and ease his discomfort. From the other couch nearby, Hygromeryx watched and smiled and awaited the coming events. And his turn.

After long minutes, the girls paused and looked at him for permission. He gave them a little smile and a nod. With soft hands and gentle persuasion, the girls turned Alexander on his back and stood for just a moment looking down at him. His manhood, which was long and fairly thick, lay half hard and twitching against his hip. Two lovely pairs of lips wore a smile.

The girls looked at each other then reached for their shoulders in unison and unwound the simple white peplos they wore and dropped them to the floor. The boys eyes widened at the sight. Then each removed the little perizoma they wore around their hips and stood naked before him with a smile. Talitha had large firm mounds she was quite proud of with dark brown nipples which were obviously aroused by the sight of the naked young man. Polymnia's were much smaller, little more than a handful but also quite firm with little pink tips which also stood erect.

More oil was applied to the young soldier's body, but this time more with the intent of arousing rather than relaxing him. Both women were quite adept at their trade and even though they never once touched the twitching bit of flesh directly it soon stood at complete attention, pointing to the ceiling. They made it a game to see who could make him moan first and the brunette's large nipples rubbing against his almost won until the little redhead ran a hand up the inside of his thigh, almost but not quite touching his sack which made him finally crack.

"How many women have you lain with, soldier boy?"

"Uhmmmm... none?" Their eyebrows rose.

"Who gets the first taste, then?" The girls stopped and each raised a fist.

Talitha said "Evens." and Polymnia nodded. Moving together, they each shook their hand three times then threw out some fingers. Both of them held out three.

Six.

Talitha smiled happily and her sister pouted and muttered "Merda."

"Mmmm... a virgin sacrifice and all for me." The brunette straddled the boy's shins and leaned over to take him in her hand, stroking up and down softly. "Just relax, young hero. Tonight we will make you a man." Alexander twitched at her touch and another moan escaped from his lips. Yet still a third as she released him from her grip, but this one was a moan of frustration. She patted his thigh and gave him a smile. "Relax."

Talitha sat up straight and arched her back slightly as her arms came up, bringing those quite impressive mounds high up on her chest.

"Do you think I'm pretty, Alexander?" The boys eyes were wide and staring and his face was bright red.

"Y-yes, miss. I think you are b-beautiful." She gave him a grateful smile.

"So sweet..." Hands behind her head did something complicated with that mass of long dark hair, wrapping one bit around the other and tucking something in somewhere, tying it all back behind her neck. "Now..." Her hand wrapped around his shaft once more. "Let's see how sharp your sword is, young hero." She smiled at how he filled her hand. "It seems at least Priapus is smiling on you.." With that, she tugged down his foreskin and lowered her head. Her soft knowing tongue lashed around the big glossy plum of his manhood then she opened her mouth and took him deep inside.

Alexander cried out "Eia! Deus Omnium!" and his eyes rolled back in his head.

While all of this was going on, the little naked redhead had lain down beside the veteran soldier on the adjoining couch and laid her head on his chest so they both could watch. One of his big calloused hands slid down her back to cup her firm little bottom in his palm. In contrast one of her tiny soft little hands slipped inside his tunic and up and down the rippled muscles of his belly. When he kissed the top of her head and gave her a squeeze, she allowed her hand to wander further down into his loincloth. Knowing him well, she was not at all surprised to find him hard and wanting.

With both of their eyes locked on Alexander while he thrashed and moaned, Polymnia made ready to wrest the same noises from the lips of her favorite Captain.

Four

Curled up against his Captain's belly, the boy had slept like the dead that night.

It was no wonder, really.

Once he had lifted his hips with a cry and Talitha had swallowed his libation, she kept at him with her lips until he was hard again then climbed atop his body to take him inside her talented little kusthos, riding him to another rapid peak. She'd only allowed him a short rest before she made him switch places and wrapped her long legs around his hips and pulled him inside her once more, his face buried in her soft breasts while he drove into her over and over again.

On the adjacent cushion, Hygromeryx had well enjoyed the lithe little redhead while she used her hands and lips and snug little channel on him with professional dexterity. He'd touched and squeezed and kissed and licked almost every inch of that exciting little body while neither of their eyes glanced from the performance taking place only inches away.

Only when the boy was nearing exhaustion did the brunette rise from the couch and offer him to her sister. Polymnia had leapt on him like a lioness, taking him just as fiercely and leaving the boy with many scratches from her fingernails while they both cried out in passion.

With a look of tired satiety on her face, Talitha leaned down to kiss the older man warmly. Making sure the younger one couldn't hear, she whispered "For this wonderful gift, we thank you Captain. My sister and I will happily donate our gifts for no charge this evening." She glanced over at the young clean body of the boy as he played with the redhead and shivered. "Maybe even twice."

She lowered her head and cleaned all of her sister's juices from his flesh to revive him then climbed atop his lap with a sigh to ride him slowly, their lips and tongues dancing together to the music of the moans and cries which echoed around the room.

The other men of the garrison had clapped and cheered for Alexander when the Captain finally led him from the alcove. The young man had been startled at first, then blushed deeply as he realized there was only a curtain between the rooms and they had all heard his cries of passion. They rose as one to pump his hand and clap him on the back in congratulations. A cup of the local honey wine was pressed into his hand and he managed to drink some of it without someone jostling him and spilling in their excitement.

Sitting on the bench with the Captain's arm around his back, Alexander had managed only a few bites of the sausages and cheese and bread on the platter before him before he turned his face into the strong shoulder and fell into a blissful slumber. The laughter of the men only roused him briefly, his eyes only coming partly open before he began snoring softly anew.

He'd only been barely conscious when the veteran half carried him back to their bed and stripped him to bundle him under the covers.

Hygromeryx lay for a while beside him, looking down into the young man's face while he slumbered. One finger running lightly through the hair above his ear. Tonight indeed, the boy had become a man. Not only in the eyes of the men in his garrison and with the ladies as well. He had also acquitted himself well in the days training, working with dogged determination to learn the necessary skills to save his life and to impress his Captain.

And impress him, he had.

Alexander wasn't big and imposingly strong as were most of the men in the regiment. He just was not physically built to be a front line soldier. But he was lithe and fast and quick to learn and remembered what he was taught. He worked hard to earn a smile from the older man and frequently succeeded, even if Hygromeryx had to hide his smiles of pride to keep the boy working.

Plus he had heart. It was a very important trait for a soldier.

Throughout the years, the veteran had seen many many big and strong men come through who did not have the heart for battle. Some would freeze and die. Some would throw down their arms and run. Some would become physically ill, vomiting and soiling themselves. Sometimes their mind would break, succumbing to "battle madness." They would either becoming enraged monsters, slaying anything which came within reach including their own comrades, or they would fall to the ground and curl into a ball and never emerge again.

One finger curled through the dark hair.

But this boy... no. He corrected himself. This young man... even though he had yet to experience the heat of actual combat, seemed to have the heart to be a real soldier.

It made him quite proud.

To top it all off in his first contact with a woman, let alone two, this amazing lad had managed to bring two experienced and somewhat jaded hetaerae to the point of happy exhaustion. Granted, he had some help but still...

Despite his own satisfied condition, the Captain felt his manhood twitch at the memory. Little Polymnia always knew exactly how to get his juices flowing and he did so enjoy his time spent with her. He'd always thought if he could find a wife like that one, he would retire and never leave home again, let alone ever rise from his bed.

And Talitha, though she was completely different from her sister, brought him to heights in a slow and sensual way time and time again. She too, was an amazing woman and a joy to experience.

If a man had two such wives... Aphrodisia would be his death.

Hygromeryx found himself growing hard at his musings. It wasn't helping any the lads soft bottom and full smooth thighs were pressed into him.

Unconsciously, Alexander chose that moment to stir, however slightly.

"Mmmm... Mm mm-hmm..." He mumbled in his sleep in a happy way and flexed his hips. One hand reached up and grabbed the Captains arm to pull it to his chest and he pressed his bottom back into the older man, which did not help his situation one little bit.

"Mmmm... yes..." He mumbled. Alexanders head turned slightly. "Yes, my didaskolos. Anything for you." Then he dropped back into a deep sleep once more.

Aroused and uncomfortable and frustrated, it took the older man quite some time to relax again before he could close his eyes.

Five

It was a gamble, of course. One never knew for sure about such things.

As a pragmatic military man, Hygromeryx knew casting lots often did not fall your way. He also knew the time often came when you just had to try and leave your fate to the Gods. The battle was often won or lost on such things.

This particular gamble had quite a bit riding on it. His life and the lives of his men as well as his heart and his career. Not to mention half a years savings. The gear to outfit a soldier came dear, especially when it had to be custom made.

But looking at Alexander as he stood tall and proud in front of the assembled garrison fitted out in armor and weapons for the very first time was well worth the expense. The young man looked so handsome and strong.

The project had begun in secret. Using a rod, he had measured the lad's body while he slept and took them to a smith in the marketplace who was a master of his craft. Hygromeryx had sacrificed most of his spare armor and weapons as well as a fair amount of his silver tetradrachmae.

The afternoon following the young man's dalliance at the gymnasium, the entire garrison was assembled and Alexander was called to stand in front of the ranks of soldiers.

"Alexander of Alea, stand at attention!" The lad stood still with his eyes front, as he had been taught.

"Who has this man's chiton?" Hygromeryx shouted.

"I do, Sir!" A man from the ranks stepped out. Quickly he removed the plain robe the boy had been wearing and draped him in new clothes with the maroon stripe of the soldiers of Mycenae running around the hem. A simple leather belt went around his waist. The soldier returned to his place.

"Who has this man's armor?"

"We do, Sir!" Two men raced out from the ranks and quickly strapped a breastplate shaped like Alexanders muscled chest and abdomen to him. It was smaller and lighter than that of the Captain and fir him perfectly. So did the armored greaves strapped to his legs.

"Who had this man's helm and shield?"

"I do, Sir!" Aesciphus, the first man to encounter Alexander in Argos, stepped out. He placed a Chalcidian style helm on his head. It too, was smaller and lighter than the full face Corinthian helmets most of them wore. The face was open with only a nasal guard in the front and cheek guards on the sides. He hung a smaller and lighter shield on his left arm. Instead of wood covered with a thick layer of bronze, this one was made from tightly woven wicker with a thinner layer of the metal for protection. He gave the young man a smile and a wink before returning to the ranks.

"Who has this man's weapons?"

"You do, Sir!" Shouted Aesciphus in response. Hygromeryx smiled.

"So I do." Marching out to the front of the formation, the Captain placed a lance in Alexander's right hand and went to one knee to strap a sword around his waist. Like everything else, it was smaller and lighter but would prove to be no less deadly in trained hands. Glancing up, he could see the young soldier was about to be overcome with emotions and he gave him a proud smile then returned to his feet.

Standing to one side, Hygromeryx placed an arm around the young man's shoulders.

"Men of the Ninth Regiment!" He barked.

In one move they all went to attention and shouted "Sir!!"

"I present to you kleinos Alexander of Mycenae!" A spontaneous cheer went up and all of the men broke ranks to come up and pound him on the back and shake his hand in congratulations.

Finally overcome, Alexander wept.

That evening his shiny new xiphos sword was treated to it's first blooding as he sacrificed to Zeus the Ox his Captain had provided. The auguries were good and the priests assured the newest soldier he would live a long and glorious life.

Before the feasting began, Hygromeryx presented his young charge with one final gift. A shallow wide terra cotta kylix cup painted with a scene of two soldiers fighting side by side in battle.

Alexander exclaimed it was beautiful then went and had it filled with wine. Returning, he went to one knee and offered his Captain the first drink. Eyes looking up in pride to the older man, he said "It is only fitting, my Captain. I swear to be parastatheis to you. "He who stands beside." I shall always be at your side, Sir."

Smiling, the veteran took a drink then bent and kissed him warmly.

The feasting and the revelry continued late into the evening. Alexander stayed by his Captain's side, leaving only to fetch more wine and food, keeping him well supplied with meat and drink as well as all the smiles and kisses a man could want. When they finally headed back towards the garrison night had fallen and, on a whim, the older man led his young somewhat tipsy charge on a detour through the baths. There was one sure fire cure to reawaken a soldier far gone in drink, he knew.

Aside from the large heated pool where everyone bathed, there were two places where water fell through holes in the stone ceiling like rain. One was heated by the fires kept going by the gangs of slaves and attendants which oversaw the baths and the other came directly from the springs not far away and was icy cold. Leaving their clothing on a bench, Hygromeryx took Alexander by the hand and pulled him beneath the frigid fall of water.

The lad cried out and tried to pull away, but the bigger man held him securely at first by his hand and then by wrapping him in his arms and feeling the goose flesh rising all over his skin. He turned the young man this way and that making sure every inch of his body was rinsed off in the bitterly cold spray.

By the time he was pulled out from under the fall, Alexander was chilled to the bone and slightly blue and completely sober. His teeth chattered and he clutched himself against the chest of the older and bigger man, drawing what heat he could from his body.

Knowing it wasn't good to go from one to another too quickly, the Captain snagged a cloth from a nearby hook and held it under the hot water then wiped it down the shivering back, watching it chase away the tinge of cold. Alexander sighed in relief. He repeated the process over and over again, wiping and warming his entire body until Alexander relaxed and the smile returned to his lips. Only then did he draw him fully under the heated fall of water and held him in his arms.

That beautiful face and sweet lips turned immediately upward and strong fingers curled in the wet hair at the back of his head while they kissed, the grip holding his head still while the strong tongue slipped into his mouth. The other hand traced up and down his back and once or twice slipped further down to squeeze and cup his firm bottom. The touch there made Alexander moan in the back of his throat while he clutched the wide strong sinewy back, marveling at the feel of the corded muscle beneath his skin.

He held them there under the warming flow of water with their lips and limbs intertwined until he could feel the young soldier's body relax once more. A pressure against his thigh also communicated his growing excitement and Hygromeryx felt his own body responding in kind, pressed against Alexander's smooth firm belly. One hand pressed into his chest, pushing him slightly back and he drew the lad from under the fall. Alexander was flushed and slightly panting and his manhood was half hard and twitching. The Captain leaned in and kissed him again quickly.

"Better, lad?" The young man smiled back.

"Always better in your arms my kurios." Drying off quickly, they made their way back to their quarters.

It had been a long and interesting day. Somewhat wearily Hygromeryx sat on the bed in their little room and began to unlace his boots. Alexander came and knelt at his feet, pulling his hands away from the lacings and kissing his fingers before taking over the task.

"I am quite capable, Alexander. You are my right hand. My assistant and partner and friend, not my household slave." The boy smiled up at him while he continued the chore.

"And you are my Lochargos, my Captain. My didaskolos and my kurios. My teacher and my Master, Sir. You are my world and I want to be everything to you." The boots slid from his feet and the young man placed his palms atop the Captain's strong thighs. "I want to be your assistant and partner and friend and more. That... disagreeable man we met... called me your eromenos. Your young lover. And even if I do not like being named so by him, it... is what I wish to be." His eyes came up to meet those of the seated man. "I wish to be your eromenos and you my erastes, my mentor and lover. I wish to be your agapitos, your beloved." He took the Captain's hands in his once again and pressed his lips to those strong fingers. His face colored some at his audacity and he looked down.

"Forgive me if I am speaking above my place, my Captain. I do not wish to offend or be too bold. But there are things in my heart which want to be spoken aloud. In these few weeks you have taken a frightened farm boy and turned him into a man and I have always been told a man must speak his heart." He colored a little more then set his jaw in determination.