All That Glitters

I kneeled in the temple and wore my ceremonial garb. A white robe clothed my body and stuck to my skin due to the sweat that clung to it. The temple was modest, a small idol of a bull holding a snake as it tried to bite at him while crushing another one under hoof. It was Fentrin; the God of Elders and Elder of all Gods. He was always my favorite when I was a young bull and I still found myself coming back to his shrine.

"Still here pondering and not out farming on your last day of adolescence?" a voice said off to my side. A shadow moved in my peripheral, stepping over the kneeling pillows with careful precision. "I see you moved the pillows to your liking."

My ears swiveled in the direction of the sound and I gave a small sigh.

"Hello Shrine Mother."

"Hello again, Tysius."

The Shrine Mother walked forward with such grace and elegance that it cemented the fact that she was blessed by the Gods themselves. She came down next to me and kneeled, her own robe fluttering for a moment and she smiled softly at me. Her hand moved down to clutch my own and I gripped it tightly for a moment.

"I can feel your heartbeat..." she mentioned off-handedly, her voice as soft as morning dew.

I shuffled awkwardly, my body large and lumbering. The robes were tight on my muscles and clung to me as her golden eyes looked me over.

"I am...scared."

I looked at her for any signs of disappointment or was preparing myself for a long lecture about what it meant to be a bull but it did not come. Her eyes simply gazed into my own and she gave a wise smile. My heart leapt in my chest and I was waiting on her every word. I adjusted my kneeling posture once again and she clicked her tongue.

"You know, I raised you from birth," the Shrine Mother replied calmly, clutching my hand. "Me along with seven other clergy. We know you."

She turned my hand over and her fingers began to trail down my own. She passed my palm and moved to my wrist to find my scar. It was unique; the pattern was a circle with a cross through the middle and her fingers then traced across it with practiced precision.

"Look at the statue in front of you. Study it closely. Look where my fingers lie."

I sighed. We did this a thousand times. I looked at the statue's wrist and noticed the mark along it. Fentrin shared the same scar as me. Every time I looked at the scar and then to Fentrin's eyes in the statue, a familiar shiver shot up my spine. The Shrine Mother noticed it and smiled.

"Do you see it or do you feel it?"

I said nothing at first and continued to stare at the shrine in front of me. As I breathed in, the smell of incense followed with it. The great pines that stretched across our beautiful and bountiful valley were productive this season and the cones that they dropped had a pleasant scent when burned. The oils that were burned with them filled my lungs and gave a soothing coolness before I exhaled and in a puff of air, the oil lathered air was removed from my body. I repeated the breathing exercise that the Shrine Mother taught me.

"Both. What does it mean, Mother?" I said after the long pause.

"All will be revealed to you when you go to the Elders, brother. For now, continue to pray and know this will be the last day you are out toiling in the fields or fighting with a spear in hand..." the Shrine Mother replied.

The thought calmed my mind and I took another deep breath before rising upward. I continued to look at the statue, my mind now brought under control. The fear that once lingered was gone and I turned to look at my Shrine Mother. She was smiling from ear to ear and knew full well what the twinkle in my eyes meant.

"I do not wish to pray anymore. I want to start the Choosing..."

The Shrine Mother smiled. "You have already started it, brother. Go to the Elder's Cabin and you'll find that some have already arrived. Hurry forth and come back a man."

I made my way out of the room feeling like a force of a thousand winds. I ignored the other private rooms of the temple and continued my way forward. Bulls of every age and stature lined the room. Hooves echoed off marble and all were dressed more casually. They cleared out of my way when they saw the red garb that flowed across my body and showed that I was ready to take the next step forward.

Exiting the temple, I walked underneath the towering columns that held up the temple's entrance and was immediately welcomed by the mountain's freezing winds. My hide was tough, however and my resolve was tougher as I went forward dressed inappropriately for the weather. The elders instructed to wear no underclothes. My loincloth and shirt were discarded back at my hut and folded neatly on my bed back at home.

At first I felt ashamed of my nakedness under my robes but that swiftly turned to excitement .I felt liberated with each step, The freedom brought forward confidence and added a swagger to my pace.Snow blanketed the ground and made my brown fur stand out as the light flakes fell from the sky and dotted the log cabins we made from the pines that stretched across the range.

When I finally made it to my destination, I noticed there was no one outside. A light flickered underneath the doorway which was covered by an ornate cloth and I could hear what sounded like chatting going on inside. It was light and sparse, but made me feel confident I had found the right place and strolled in.

Immediately, heat hit me. The room was well lit and large enough for all the Elders and initiates to have plenty of room. On the far end of the wall, statues to our Gods were set up in order from importance and hierarchy.

Aretra stood to the far left, clutching a bow and arrow in one hand and posing victoriously with a hawk perched on the opposite arm. She was dressed in the hide of a bear and had a gaze fit for the Lady of the Hunt. Rasmi was next. His horns curved upward so royally and he clutched a goblet of wine which was practically overflowing. Pine needles decorated his naked body and his endowment hung low between his legs as he longued on a stone bench. His stunning gaze could paralyze if he so chose but it was mostly to court; he did enjoy both sexes religiously. The God of the Great Revelry earned his title with his lavish parties.

Next was Fentrin who sat upon a throne with his cheek on his fist as if pondering something of great importance. Another scene from the plays that I learned and memorized as a young bull. One that came to mind was one where he was mostly organizing and planning to keep the other Gods in check. He had always been so wise and understood who to keep close and who to place who trust in.

Finally, the last major God was Zamparin who held a coin in between his fingers as if he was rolling it between his knuckles. In the other hand, he held a book which had a pinecone of our valley on the front. If I ever needed to perform a ritual, he was the one I would consult.

I required all of them for what I was about to embark on today. I hoped I could serve the gods fully and I whispered a short prayer under my breath and continued forward.

Several other statues made up the rest of the background of statues but were ones that I did not focus on as much in my studies. My eyes immediately moved to Fentrin and I felt that familiar shiver up my spine and my scar itched. My Shrine Mother was so quiet as to what was in store and I felt that familiar sense of anticipation begin to creep up as I walked forward.

The six other bulls that were there were kneeled on ornate, red pillows that matched the robes that I wore and naked as the day they were born. Each one was on full display for the other and for the Elders who sat amongst the statues. The Elders were of varying ages but none were not blessed with youth. Some were muscular and taunt, clearly at the top of their prime while others were slim and lean but still full of muscle from toiling in the fields and doing menial work.

The Elder who sat in front of Fentrin's statue stood up and was dressed in ceremonial garb like myself but his was a royal blue color to show his significance much like the other five.

"Ahh, our final young stud has arrived...we can begin the Choosing. Tysius, please find your spot and kneel," the Elder said, his hand extending towards the far right side of the room where several pillows had been placed.

I did as I was told, unnerved by everyone's sudden silence as I made my way to the pillows. I kneeled on them, feeling their silk on my knees as I took my place.

The Elder then stood upward. I could see his muscular, broad body easily in the torchlight and I suddenly felt intimidated by his very presence. When he began speaking, his voice demanded recognition.

"I shall give the speech a sixth time for it is of such importance that you hear it once again."

The rest of the Elders stood up along with the one in the center and gave a low hum that seemed to reverberate through my soul. It was as if being shaken to my core, my whole body vibrating like an instrument being plucked by a bard. I could only watch on and the rest of my brethren among me simply kneeled quietly; after all, they were most likely familiar with what was about to come.

"Welcome, Tysius. You stand amongst the grounds where your father stood and where his father stood and so forth. You blessed us with your toilage in the fields. You blessed us with your knowledge of tactics and your ferocity in times of battle."

The rest of the Elders around him gave off a loud yell which reverberated throughout the room like a roaring tempest. When the echos stopped, the Elder continued.

"You are growing into yourself. Twenty one seasons you have given yourself to the Gods. You pledged yourself to Fentrin and I taught you about our great Gods and how our Chief breathed life back into this valley. For centuries, the Elders have passed this information from ourselves to you and in this celebration, we shall grant you your boon. You will be given your tasks given by the divines themselves."

There was a silence that spread throughout the room, a respectful quiet atmosphere as the Elder cleared his throat to continue. "You six are special and will be made presentable...a tribute to the Gods."

One by the one, each of the Elders began to disrobe and the starstruck look from my brethren told me this part of the ceremony was new. Each of the Elders had a ring that wrapped its way around the base of their cocks. Their massive balls were slipped through and pulled forward, displaying each of their members in uniform. Each of us stared on, our mouths agape and I could smell a scent beginning to build in the room. It smelled of musk and desire as well as of man and sweat.

"Although you do not know our names nor do you know the names of those you stand next to, they have been your brothers all through your life. They have been by your side through war, famine, and disease. Each of you have taken care of one another in times of strife and hardship. They have licked wounds until they closed and provided company while you are lonely. In this ritual, they will no longer be brothers. Each of you will be adopted into the highest forms of our society and given new posts. Each of you will become closer to one another than you could possibly imagine..."

The six Elders then gave a unison rumble and the muscles of their bodies worked immaculately. Each of their abs and pecs flexed so wonderiously that no artist would have been able to capture the moment in time. Some had pushed out so much air that I swore their pendulous balls danced between their legs and I was somewhat jealous of such...endowment.

When they finally stopped, it was as if time had slowed to a crawl. It was as if I was just a few steps away from the Ether and swept towards the heavens. The main Elder then looked towards each of us, his eyes lingering and said, "It is time for the cleansing to begin. Leave your robes, for you will no longer need them for the rest of the ceremony. We shall make our way to the back chambers. Your Elder for the ceremony will meet you there."

And with that, they stepped back and away. A door began to open behind them and they filtered through. I looked over at my brothers and noticed they had a bit of hesitation. It seemed I was not the only one who was confused but who was I to deny my birthright. If I was to learn names and take my fated place in official business then so be it.

Each of us seemed to have the same thought and we each strode forward through the doorway. The sight of the impressive, naked bodies of each of the Elders made each of us hold our breaths. The bath house was an impressive sight, the marbles standing tall and proud above and I took note of what each of the Elders were wearing.

The youngest bull among the Elders could not have been more than 25 seasons while the oldest had to be at least 40 seasons. One of the Elders, a bulky bull with a shaft as large as a hammer for forging swords, stepped forward.

"I have been assigned to bathe you, brother. And might I say how proud I am to be assigned to you. You have grown so tall and bring great honor to our ancestry." I was surprised when he bowed politely and was almost speechless when he came back up.

He had a voice like honey and it hopped along my ears. It was like being dipped in rich chocolate. It took me a moment but a sudden memory flashed before me; he had taken care of me in the temples when I was just a young calf. He certainly had filled out in more ways than one and the septum piercing that glowed in the sunlight was reminiscent of my own.

"Very well," I stated simply, not knowing what to say.

He offered his paw, his fingers extended in a calm, warm smile. "Do not worry. I promise that I will not do anything that you do not desire. The Gods have made it so..."

Several of the others had started to pair up and the youngest bull among us, probably about twenty seasons, was paired with the older, more grizzled Elder. The two touched one another sensually, as if they had been waiting for this moment for centuries.

Hesitantly, I took the Elders hand and he held it softly. Although I was large, his paw dwarfed my own and I felt as if I was a child once again. He turned around, showing his broad backside to me and the golden ring around the base of his tail. It swiveled excitedly and I chuckled.

"Do you find something humorous?" he asked with a playful tone to his voice.

"Your excitement is...thrilling."

He smiled back at me and led me into the pool wordlessly. His expressions said everything I needed to know. I hissed as the warm water bit into my cold skin and he simply gave a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, each of the others were led into the pool in much of the same way. One Elder had his partner swooped up into his arms, cradling him as if he weighed nothing more than air.

Two others were kissing softly, rubbing gently and caressing each other like old lovers. I recognized the Elder for him as the main one who gave the speech before we had been led to the bath house.

"Come, this way..."

My Elder beckoned me forward seductively, his tail flicking overhead as he teased me with his built form. To say I expected the ceremony to go in such a direction would be a lie. This felt surreal; like I misstepped into some alternate world. However, this was all very real and I did not realize that my Elder had stopped leading me by his hand and was instead allowing me to follow him deeper.

Each of us wadded further towards the center of the pool and took our places. The water nipped at our skin and protected us from the harsh bite of the mountain air. My ears picked up the sound of a small yelp and I looked to my right. The older bull had led the younger one to the edge of the pool and had him up against the wall. They were starting to kiss passionately, their bodies grinding against one another and their members rubbing. The gasps that came out of my own muzzle mixed with the others as passions were slowly starting to be coaxed out of us.

Is this really what the Gods want? Is this what they wanted us to give in to?

I did not know nor had barely enough time to answer such a question. I felt hands caress my back so gently. I did not even realize my Elder had moved behind me since I was too busy spying on the older Elder as he kissed up along the young bull's neck until the fog of the pool turned them into a black outline.

"Relax, Tysius. There will be enough time to enjoy one another later. That particular Elder is just eager..."

I grunted as the hands moved down towards my spine, the fingers trailing along the bone and shivered in anticipation as they slowly started to dip lower. My mind began to fog much like the water around me as snow fell gently around us. It was all so mystical; as if I was put in a trance. I leaned back against the touch and the Elder then gave me a light peck on the cheek as he wrapped his arms around me to embrace and pull me towards him.

"Relax..." he repeated, but this time quieter.

I did as I was told and started to take into the environment.

Four marble columns stretched towards the heavens on the corners of the large pool and each one glimmered brilliantly in the midday light. All six of us, each of varying height, weight, and build stood apart from one another. We were being attended to as one would get by a servant and hands moved gracefully across naked muscle and flesh.

Small snowflakes fell onto the water, giving it a small, white dot before rising up into the air in a small puff of steam. The whole pool was shrouded in a layer of fog and the brothers and Elders near me were merely silhouettes. It almost gave a layer of privacy.

My curiosity started to develop around more than just the environment. I began to look down between the Elder's legs and my eyes kept falling onto the ring that wrapped around his member. It glittered with water, the metal brilliant in the sunlight and I could not help but admire the craftsmanship. If I was to receive such a ring, I would do so with as much honor as I could muster.

The touches were soft and gentle but paradoxically also dug in with abandon . The Elder that I was assigned for my own grooming was not ignorant of my body and his hands moved across it with practiced precision. I remembered that he was ten seasons older than me and his furrowed brow and serious expression showed it.

Our brown fur was brilliant as the water from the natural springs nourished the coat and gave us a nice shimmering. It was then that I found my voice as my eyes still watched the ring and the pendulous shaft that it pulled forward. My eyes started to glance upward. I recognized the fur pattern from before when I was in the main chamber; he was the bull that was two places to the left and stood in front of the Lady of the Hunt.

"So, why can I not bathe myself?" I mentioned off-handedly with enough force behind my voice to only allow him to hear it.

"Because you are to become a man and it is important to know the pleasures that await such a step..."

I did not ask anymore as one hand began to explore my broad backside and another stroked across my shoulder blades. The oils that he used smelled faintly of lavender and the sweet scent was pleasant to my sensitive nose.

"Mmm, I must admit that being washed feels wonderful."

"Not washed, Tysius. You must understand that this ritual has been passed down from generation to generation. This is more than just a simple bath," my Elder explained as his hands started to move up to my shoulders to properly dig into the muscle. His body moved forward to press against my own and I could feel his weighty maleness plant itself between my muscular globes. I hissed in pleasure as he unwound a knot in my right shoulder. The burning was a nice mix between pain and relief.