Cillandra The Way Of The Ancients

Hello Lit fans. This is my first attempt at writing a fantasy story that can become a series of stories that revolve around a main central character. I warn that it is longer than I have previously written, but feel it has a readable tempo. Tell me what you liked and tell me what you didn't like or if you think I should continue with the character development going forward. My only hope is you enjoy the story for what it is...

Cillandra blew the air from her cheeks in a frustrated raspberry of exhaustion. She had been walking this island for a while. The sun had been low in the sky when she had been dropped by boat in the only cove that allowed access to these upper lands. Since then, she had been steadily climbing upward along a rough and unstable goat track, with the sun now baking hot and past its highest point.

Needing a break from the monotonous walk, Cillandra rested in the dappled shade of an old, weathered olive tree just off the path and surveyed the distant ocean from her lofty vantage point. She caught a view of a distant sail and her thoughts drifted to those bastard overseers who had brought her to this, dare she say it, God forsaken island. The overseers in their studiest duties had emptied the very bladder of water she so desperately wanted to drink from now. She was then un-ceremonially dumped off the skiff and abandoned to her fate, with only the promise to be retrieved on the same day, some two full seasons of cycles from this very day. Marooned with an empty drinking bladder, her gilded dagger, a striking flint, her small rucksack containing some rope, a small blanket, a small wrist sized shield that doubled as a plate and the clothes that she wore.

Cillandra was a Nymph and a beautiful one at that. From the top of her braided golden hair to the base of her sandaled feet, she oozed femininity. Her eyes were a piercing green hue and set into a kind and caring face with full plump lips. A slender neck joined her head to her firm petite shoulders. She sported full pert breasts that bounced lightly as she walked, a taught navel, narrow hips, muscular buttocks, long shapely legs and her skin was tanned and flawless. She wore a travelling tunic with cape, an etched leather belt with scabbard and was adorned in fine gold jewelry accents that denoted her importance.

Taking the bladder from the rucksack she manipulated the cork free and using her long nimble tongue, probed the only moisture available from the pour hole before setting the bladder back and continuing on her journey up the rocky goat track.

Before long the track levelled off onto a broad plateau at the very top of the island. The remnants of a small ruined settlement lay within its realm. There was an ancient stone building with its roof half collapsed, what appeared to be a wrecked stable, a raised stone lookout overlooking the sparkling sea with a full 360-degree view of the surrounds, a large sundial that strangely looked almost perfect made from brass. She took the opportunity to place a smoothed pebble found nearby to mark the suns position on her first day. "Looks like this is home for tonight" Cillandra said out loud.

Taking a moment to explore her surroundings, she discovered a flock of birds nesting in a nearby olive grove and took the opportunity to harvest some eggs for her evening meal. Also, Cillandra found a small natural spring, it was located near a pile of large boulders but was too small to fill the drinking bladder. She instead got on all fours and lapped at the water before it disappeared below the boulders. The refreshing drink was most welcome as she slowly drank her fill.

The sun, now setting over the horizon as Cillandra set a small fire, placed her newly acquired eggs onto the hot shield she had placed by the side of the fire and watched them cook. The aroma of the food awakened her appetite for the first time and as she settled in to eat the meal, her thoughts lingered of home. How she wanted to be back in Gormal. How she wanted the perfumed oils of a luxurious bath. How she wished she could have enjoyed herself as an eighteen-year-old who had now come of age. She sighed, and set to eat her meal. Over time the sun passed into the sea and a pitch of darkness never before seen by her descended over the island, the light and warmth of the fire now a comfort, along with the dagger, kept in its sheath under the blanket she lay beneath. The effort of the day clawed at her and pulled her into the realm of sleep.

The call of nearby cattle stirred her from her slumber, the night still heavy did nothing for her senses. She strained to see if the herd was close in the darkness, as the calls now had all but died away. She placed some more wood on the fire and made a pact to find the herd in the morning, then drifted back to sleep. All the while the eyes of an unseen observer upon her.

The first rays of sun lapped at Cillandra's face and she came too in an instant. She excitedly packed her things into her rucksack and looked around the nearby area for the signs of cattle. She was surprised to not find any, anywhere. The few hours spent searching the plateau had made her hot and frustrated. Passing the sun dial she placed another pebble on the ground close to the first one but not quite in the same place. And then headed over to the spring. After lapping at the water again, she sat in the shade of one of the bigger boulders with her back against it. The cool of the rock, calming her irritation. She closed her eyes, and her breathing slowed, her hearing now tuned into the world around her. Cillandra focused on the sound of the sea breeze rushing through the leaves of nearby trees and then.... there came another sound, it took a moment of intense listening to recognize it, Cillandra's brow furrowed as she concentrated." It's water dripping" she exclaimed." And close" she continued. Springing to her feet she searched for the source.

The spring was only feet from where she stood, the boulders loomed large over her. "Could it be?" she clambered up the pile of enormous rocks to their summit and there in the middle of the pile, a large dark hole. She cautiously peered inside and to her amazement saw a stone staircase peeling into the darkness with the unmistakable sound of water dripping deep below. She took a stone and dropped it into the hole and after a few seconds heard the satisfying sound of splashing water. Enough to fill the empty bladder.

Summoning her courage she slipped into the hole, found her footing on a stair, allowed her eyes to adjust to the darker environment and began the decent of the staircase. The inside of the hole below the height of the boulders widened out into a massive cavern and she realized she was climbing down a shaft of pure carved limestone, its steps worn with time and by the ancient footsteps of previous inhabitants. The way lit by the shaft of light from the top and reflected in dancing shapes on the walls by the water beneath. A short time passed and she found herself at the bottommost step. The pool of water completely surrounding the column except for a small path leading to another large boulder at the base of the caverns wall.

Taking her water bladder from the rucksack, she sampled the water in the pool and found it clean and drinkable, then proceeded to fill the bladder to its maximum, before capping it and setting it back into her sack. Her thoughts now changing to her own needs. She was in need of a bath, having been hot, sweaty and generally unkept for the last week since the overseers claimed her from her parents.

Cillandra removed her sandals, then her belt and lastly pulled the loosened tunic over her head, revealing her naked body to the cavernous space. She slowly stepped into the water, the chill of the water causing her skin to pull into small goosebumps over her entire body and her nipples to pull tight and become erect. Deeper she waded with the water slowly working its way higher with every step she took. First her calves, then her knees, then thighs until the water lapped at the base of her buttocks and ebbed at the folds of her pussy. She stood still, taking a moment to feel the caress of the water. She savored the sensation, longed for more, then dived forward, allowing the water to completely envelope her body as a whole. The feeling was one of pure pleasure. Dirt, grime and frustration gone in an instant.

Enjoying her newly found source of water, she rubbed her hands all over her body, taking care to clean carefully under her breasts, her fingers sending small sparks of excitement through her cells as they brushed and caresses her hardened nipples, then she cleaned between her toes and continued on by rubbing her tired leg muscles till she came to her sex. Her fingers traced the outer folds of her private sanctum and felt the coarse stubble of hair that had grown since her last cleaning, a scowl formed on her face. She waded back to her kit, fetched her dagger from its sheath. Then carefully sitting in the shallows took the dagger with its razor-sharp edge and shaved the offending hairs from her body. After inspecting her work, she returned the blade to its home and continued with her bath.

Her fingers again traced the folds of her sex, delving in and out as she cleaned her pussy, her fingers working the most sacred of her folds. It may have been the fact she was clean, feeling good about her improving situation or the embrace of the cool water but before long cleaning gave way to a heated self-discovery. Her thumb brushing her rapidly hardening clitoris. She worked the nub with just the right pressure, the electric sensations it produced made her breathing quicker and more labored and when she pushed her middlemost finger passed her folds and into her hot, tight, lubricated hole, her pussy spasmed. A quick but intense orgasm ripped through her. She moaned out in ecstasy and the echo reverberated around the cavern as she came. Cillandra gave a little smile at the sound of her own moan. The sensations of her orgasms had become more powerful as she grew older. She loved to discover herself as regularly as she could. She would imagine the charming dignitaries, the rough sailors of the port or even the cute peasant folk that crossed her path putting their fingers or more into her, but to date none had been so lucky.

Now clean, Cillandra took the opportunity to wash her tunic. Down on all fours she felt the throb of her aching sex as the wind blew over and around her wet body, her scent carried in the breeze, she smelt herself, sweet and morish. She took a moment to savor the smell. She continued cleaning her tunic, wrung it out and put it back over her body, its wet fabric clinging to her body and where it met her skin was slightly transparent, but with the heat she was now omitting it would dry in no time.

After gathering her gear up, Cillandra followed the small path toward the large boulder and was intrigued to find that it continued around and behind it to a large doorway cut into the rock and then vanished into the dark beyond. In the doorway adorned to the wall, lay an old torch. Taking her striking flint, she lit the torch, took it from its holder and ventured further forward. The path was anything than easy to follow as it changed direction on itself, sometimes split into multiple paths. Cillandra would follow one path only to find a dead end then retraced her steps, following the other path, before long she began to feel a little lost. A loud noise from around a corner that she had just passed caught her attention. Taking her dagger, she went to investigate, only to find a dead end. "Is that right" her mind raced. The stone unforgiving as she touched it. "I must have missed a turn?" her mind trying hard to remember.

All her senses were now heightened, and she could smell something other than the damp air. The smell was like that of the aromas that came from the gladiator pits. Strong in its scent of the men who reveled in being as strong and powerful as they could be. The smell that she secretly enjoyed. Her mother, the queen once said "it was the musk of man". She remembered for a moment the glazed expression on her mothers' face as she relived a memory deep within her mind.

She stepped back around the corner from where she had just come and was met by an enormous figure holding a large three-pronged trident and a thick corded rope.

The figure stood seven foot tall, and had a strong muscular build, his booted feet gave way to lean powerful calves and thighs, a loincloth covered his waist at the front and his muscular body adorned with scars of battle continued up, past a heavily defined abdomen, broad powerful chest that was crisscrossed with a heavy leather weapons belt. It held a dagger, a pouch and a golden standard. His arms were pure perfection, the lean sinews built through years of powerful movements and training. Cillandra's eyes continued up his shoulders to where his neck was broad and supported the head of a bull. Pitch black in color, with a tussled mane of hair pulled into neat braids and adorned in gold clasps. His eyes large but human in appearance, his nose flared with a solid gold ring from one nostril to the other. His horns were large and swept upwards in a gentle curve and the tips capped in gold. "A Minotaur!"

"Stay right their intruder" The Minotaur's voice deep and imposing. The trident pressed forward in an ominous warning. "Don't try and run, the path of this labyrinth is now blocked." Cillandra felt the eyes of the beast upon her. She assessed her options. She could not run as the path was indeed blocked. Fight? No. The Minotaur had the advantage and was far stronger than her. He spoke again, as if reading her thoughts "Your weapon, remove it slowly and pass it to me handle first!". Cillandra sighed at her predicament and slowly removed her dagger as ordered and handed it to the giant creature, who took a moment to admire the artistry displayed on it. The Minotaur then took a deep sniff of the blade before safely putting it away in the pouch that was carried on his weapons belt. He then lowered his trident and pressed Cillandra to the wall and bound her hands and wrists tightly behind her back. The Minotaur continued to sniff the air and admired the form of his newest capture. Cillandra noted that although he was extremely powerful, he took great care to not hurt her and was in fact being as gentle as she thought he could be. He retrieved a hood from his pouch and covered Cillandra's head. Now she found herself bound and her senses scattered, her body betrayed her by getting wet as she enjoyed the total domination of this powerful creature. "Walk" the Minotaur commanded as he gently pulled her forward, pulling her left and right as he led her through the labyrinth and deeper into the island.

It occurred to Cillandra that she should try and find out a little more about her captor. "Who are you?" she enquired as she was pulled left unexpectedly.

"They call me Beltix" came the gruff reply. "And you?" the question returned.

"Cillandra" the Nymph replied before continuing. "You are a Minotaur, are you not?" a slight pause before continuing. "I only ask as where I come from, Minotaur are now beasts of fables"

"We are not beasts!" came the stern reply from Beltix, the very words stinging as he heard them. "We are an ancient and majestic warrior clan born from the blood of royalty and are generally peaceful until otherwise provoked" a snort audibly produced from his bullish nostrils. He took a moment and looked at his captive. His gaze lingering on the curves of his prisoner, his loin stirring behind its cloth. He ignored his body's reaction and probed a question of his own. "Why are you here?" he grunted.

Cillandra thought through her answer before giving a truthful response to Beltix. "A group called the overseers came and collected me, late on the night of my eighteenth birthday. They took me away from my parents the King and Queen of Gormal. They then equipped me with what you see here and marooned me on this island. I have been told I must survive two whole cycles of the seasons to be deemed worthy to rule in my own right when the responsibility is passed from my parents to me. The test as the overseers call it, will test my ability to survive. But as you can see, things are not going great right now." Cillandra became crest fallen only to hear Beltix stifle a hearty laugh.

"So, you are the Princess of the nymphs of Gormal?" came the surprising answer from Beltix

"Yes" came the shocked admission. "But how did you know that?" Cillandra asked with genuine intrigue.

"As I told you before, we are an ancient warrior tribe. The teachings say that many Eons ago we helped rid the world of the Titans. They who treated the world with a most heinous cruelty. We rose up and protected the world of the nearby clans at the time of their greatest need. Yours being one of those. In return we were promised the lands on which you now find yourself in. No one tribe able to claim these lands under treaty. We in turn promised to live peacefully as long as the Princesses of the new world would be offered to us willingly for two cycles of seasons, when they come of age."

Beltix's reply echoed in Cillandras mind for a second. "What! You are the reason I'm now here?" the pitch in her voice raised in shocked anger.

"No, my kin are the reason. The ancient ways have never been denied, even to now. Did your parents try and stop the overseers?" The calm response catching Cillandra off guard as her parents had willingly let them take her.

Cillandra's bindings jerked to a stop and in turn she stood still, unsure of what was to come next. Beltix removed the hood that covered her head. Beltix musk invaded her senses strongly again and she enjoyed it subliminally as her eyes adjusted to the new surroundings. Beltix then retrieved her dagger from his pouch. "I'm sorry I had to blindfold and bind you, but no outsiders can know the way through our labyrinth." "Please don't move", he ordered as he cut the bindings with one slash of the sharp blade. "You cannot escape without my help and our Clan is not threatened by a female nymph with a solitary dagger, so you can have this back." Then turning the blade around offered it back in trust to the now stunned Cillandra. "We are here Cillandra!" Beltix announced.

Taking two steps forward, he drew a large breath and bellowed a mighty bulls roar, the force of which flexed all his muscles in one powerful act. Cillandra noted Beltix's incredible physique and was able to see that the cloth only covered his front as the back was open and showed his muscular backside and well-groomed tail. She lingered a little longer at the sight of him, impressed, captivated and just in awe of his power, a little tingle deep within her went largely unnoticed. Then one by one, a herd of minotaur began to appear in the clearing she now stood in.

Cillandra took a moment to survey her surroundings. She stood once again in a cavernous space. Behind her was the doorway to the labyrinth they had just navigated through. Infront lay the Minotaur Village made of strong unyielding stone laid into simple but picturesque buildings, big enough to accommodate these large warriors. The minotaur varied in age from young children to full greyed adults and everything in between. She noted that all Minotaur where male with not a single female around.

"Where are your woman folk Beltix?" Cillandra asked earnestly.

"Most have returned home; the others are seeing to their chores. This is our curse. All Minotaur are men folk." He eyed her as he gave his response.

"What do you mean returned home?" Cillandra probed.

"I mean that our woman folk have returned home, much like you will." His eyes not leaving her.

Cillandra felt a small chill run down her spine. "What are you going to do with me?" the question catching in her throat as she forced the words out in a mixture of fear and unexpected excitement.