Hi! This is my first real, full fledged story. It took a lot of time to make, and I'm happy how it turned out. Feedback is more than accepted! Any criticism is Welcome. Hope you enjoy it!
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Xanthos was a 20-year-old citizen of Thebesia, a Greek city-state. Like most males his age, he had to join the army to demonstrate his strength and loyalty to his homeland.
Relations with neighboring city-states were never harmonious, but tensions escalated when Astraea, Thebesia's greatest rival, began forming numerous alliances. Disputes between cities became frequent as months passed by, leading to war.
Amidst the battles, Xanthos proved himself to be a capable soldier, earning important roles within the army. Thebesia's forces gained the upper hand in most of the battles, but Astraea had a strategic advantage: a strong alliance with Erebusia.
Erebusia, a moderately small city located near the sea, possessed two significant strengths: its strategic hilltop location and its robust fortified walls, which allowed it to ensure a continuous supply of provisions while effectively preventing invasion by the armies of Thebesia. Conquering the city directly was a challenging, if not impossible task, and Thebesian generals engaged in lengthy discussions to determine the best approach.
After weeks of deliberation, a solution was devised: a small army would infiltrate Erebusia under the cover of night, creating the illusion that the entire Thebesian army had entered and captured the city. They would then present a favorable peace treaty. If executed swiftly and convincingly, the citizens might fall for the trick and agree to sign the peace treaty, thereby severing their alliance with Astraea and aligning with Thebesia.
The next challenge was selecting the individuals for the mission. It was a demanding and perilous feat, but it also promised great fame and prestige. The decision was swift, as Xanthos volunteered to lead the group and received the approval of the elders. Being young, strong, and already having made a name for himself on the battlefield, the enemies would never suspect that he was accompanied by only a handful of soldiers. After selecting six additional soldiers, everything was prepared. They now awaited the opportune moment to execute their plan.
A couple of days later, under the cover of darkness, Xanthos and his soldiers stealthily scaled Erebusia's walls, taking advantage of the night to avoid detection by the guards. They patiently waited in a secure location, biding their time until the first rays of dawn appeared. The absence of torchlights from the rest of the armies would make their plan evident. As visibility improved, they swiftly made their way towards the residence of the city's leader, having obtained its location from a spy. Xanthos entered the chief's bedroom, while his soldiers dispersed nearby to create the illusion of a larger invading force.
"Wake up!"
Xanthos exclaimed, startling the sleeping man. Despite his high position in the city, he appeared remarkably youthful—not as young as Xanthos, but not too old either, likely in his middle to late 20s.
"W-what's happening?!" the man exclaimed, attempting to reach for his dagger but finding himself facing Xanthos' spear.
"Your city has fallen," Xanthos stated firmly. "I am a general from Thebesia, sent to propose a generous peace treaty. If you sign it now, your citizens will be spared. You will need to dismantle your walls and join our alliance, assisting us in defeating Astraea. Reject this offer, and I will gladly ensure that this city is forgotten even by the Gods."
"You conquered us in the middle of the night?" the chief retorted, disbelief evident in his voice. "I must see it with my own eyes, you dog. I refuse to believe it."
The two stepped outside the house, where they witnessed Xanthos' six men guarding the disarmed Erebusian soldiers. One of the guards spoke up, clearly shaken.
"We apologize, chief. We swear we didn't see them! It's as if they simply... materialized out of thin air! We were defenseless."
"That's enough," the chief responded. "This is war. General, it seems I have no choice but to sign your peace treaty. Follow me inside."
They reentered the building and sat across from each other at a table. Xanthos set aside his spear and shield, producing a piece of papyrus. The chief examined it skeptically.
"It still seems unbelievable that your forces managed to conquer us so swiftly, without raising any alarms," the chief remarked. "And in the dead of night? The guards on the walls should have seen you-"
Suddenly, commotion erupted from outside. They hurried to investigate and discovered Xanthos' men surrounded by the previously disarmed guards, accompanied by a young boy.
"What is happening here? This is a serious matter we are discussing."
The chief declared, prompting one of the town guards to respond swiftly, "Sir, young Theron here has some... interesting news. I believe you should hear him out."
Before the chief could respond, the boy began speaking, his excitement evident as he practically bounced with energy.
“Chief, when I heard all the noise here I came investigating. When I saw those soldiers here, I quickly run to the city gates and you can't imagine what I saw! Nothing! Nothing at all! There were no enemy soldiers! I even saw one of the guards napp- the point is, chief, there is only them!”
Silence descended upon them, and Xanthos observed his soldiers, noting their visible fear.
"Foolish child. What is your plan? Lies won't save your city or yourself. If you wish to live, keep your mouth shut!"
With no clear escape plan, their only option was to flee, hoping to evade capture and make their way out of the city. And so, they attempted to do just that. However, fortune did not favor Xanthos. While his soldiers took advantage of the guards' distraction and began running, he wasn’t so lucky.
Despite his efforts to escape, the six guards intercepted him, overpowering him with their impressive strength and restraining him. Xanthos then heard the chief's voice.
“Let the others go, they are not important. We have an enemy general in our hands, now. You know what to do. Bring him there.”
Xanthos was quickly shuffled by the muscular men, their hands gripping his arms, torso, and face as they removed his armor, the only protective layer that shielded his body, and his helmet. Despite the odds stacked against him, he refused to give up and fought fiercely against his captors. However, his struggle proved futile as he was lifted off the ground, held firmly by the guards. As they carried him away, Xanthos felt one of his sandals slipping off.
Amidst the chaos, he could see that they were heading toward the heart of the city. Did they have a prison there? Or did they intend to execute him? Many thoughts raced through Xanthos' mind as he found solace in praying to the Gods, hoping that whatever fate awaited him, it would be swift.
Suddenly, the guards came to a halt. Xanthos was released from their grasp and forced to sit upon a strange wooden contraption. It was raised off the ground, causing his legs to stretch out in front of him. His ankles were then placed in a set of stocks, which were promptly locked into place. Similar restraints were employed for his arms. With his back against a wooden panel secured at the base, another set of stocks was positioned above, running parallel to his seated position. His arms were inserted into these restraints and secured around his wrists. Xanthos was now completely immobilized. He attempted to free himself from the contraption, but could only manage limited movement in his lower torso and hips.
His confusion began to outweigh his fear, yet his thoughts were interrupted as the town chief arrived and positioned himself directly in front of him. Due to the contraption height, Xanthos' feet were positioned at about the same level of the chief's hips.
“Well, general… it seems that your little plan has failed, and all your men fled… what an unfortunate position you're in. I must say, though, I admire your courage. Oh, I was almost forgetting: we haven’t had a chance to introduce ourselves. My name is Thalion, and as you know, I'm the leader of Erebusia. I know your rank, but I fear I do not know your name…”
Xanthos remained silent: if he told his name, the enemies could use him as a pawn to negotiate a peace. Even if captive, he valued his home country to be more important than his own life.
“Now, now, you were talking so much until a few minutes ago! Threatening our city, our children, our lives… why so silent so suddenly? Maybe you still haven't realised the position you're in, general? I'm giving you another chance. Tell me your name.”
Only with those words, Xanthos stopped for a moment to think about his position. In reality, he didn't have much to notice: those brutes left him only in his thin loincloth, and his right sandal. He tried to break his bindings, but the materials were too strong. So now he was sitting there, almost naked, his body fully exposed, the first rays of the morning sun shining over his slim but muscular body, toned by the years of training.
“Listen, I'm just trying to be diplomatic. And really, you don't deserve it. I'm now ordering. Speak, or I'll make you talk.”
“How dare you give me orders? I am a proud soldier of Thebesia, and if you think I'll bow down to your threats, then you're even more foolish than I initially thought. Do whatever harm you want, I won't utter a word!”
Thalion chuckled at Xanthos, once a man so strong and proud, now rendered so helpless.
“Harm you? What kind of barbarians do you mistake us for? Oh no, my dear general. We have other ways to make our prisoners talk…”
Before Xanthos could answer, he felt something on his left foot. One of Thalion's fingers was slowly stroking his sole, sending jolts of tingling sensations. He tried moving his foot, but the stocks greatly limited his mobility.
“W-what… are you doing? Is this your idea of interrogation?”
“Hm, I should have imagined that a fierce warrior such as you would have had no problems withstanding this. So, why don’t we try going a bit further already?”
He grinned, as he started slowly scratching Xanthos' sole from the bottom up.
At that moment, the general started to understand his position. The ticklish sensation was already starting to be too much. He shut his mouth, hoping that, maybe, if he didn't make a sound, Thalion would stop. Unfortunately for him, even if his mouth said nothing, his desperate eyes were more than enough to entice the captor further.
“So, general? Care to tell me your name now?”
Xanthos started losing his grip on his mouth, and a few giggles could be heard
“I… t-told you! I won't y-yield!”
“Fine, I get it. This won't work.”
The captor suddenly stopped his teasing, and turned to his men.
“My dear soldiers! We have a special guest today, it seems. We won't allow our differences to transform us into brutes. We are Greeks, and as such, we value hospitality above all else. The man in front of us keeps saying he's a proud general. We will treat him as such.”
Xanthos looked puzzled at the man. What was he saying? His questions were quickly dropped, replaced by anxiety: he saw the guards who put him in his current predicament smiling, looking at him. He then saw two of them, two of the most muscular men he'd ever seen, dressed in only their sandals and short, linen gray pants getting by him, stopping behind him, near both his sides. Though he couldn’t see them, he saw Thalion smirking looking at him.
Suddenly, he could feel the men's big, hot hands on his nipples, massaging and teasing them slowly.
The general squirmed at the sensation, his eyes briefly panicking, before regaining his composure.
“How dare you! Stop this foolishness at oncEAHAHAHAHAH"
The serious character of the general was quickly broken as soon as the guards' hands moved to his sides, moving their muscular fingers quickly. Xanthos wasn't ready for this new assault, his voice breaking into laughter and his body desperately trying to escape.
“Will you collaborate now?”
The chief mantained a smirk on his face, but his tone was calm and serious. Xanthos didn't respond, his mind being too occupied with the torturous sensation at his sides, his laughter filling the empty plaza.
“General… don't make things even worse. Your name"
The once proud general kept on laughing, not answering his captor. The impasse continued for a few minutes, all the while Xanthos's laughter increased in intensity, some tears beginning to come out his eyes.
“O-OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOKAHAHAHAHAY, YOHOHOUHU WIHIHIN AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH N-NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOW STOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOP IHIHIHIHIHI'LL TAHAHAHAHAHAHAHLK"
“…your name, general.”
“XAHAHAHAHAHAHANTOS, GEHEHEHEHEHENERAAHAHAHAHL OF TEBEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHSIA”
“Now, now, it wasn't that hard, was it?”
He nodded at his men, who promptly stopped with the tickling: Xanthos could now take a breath, though he could still feel phantom tickles, making him giggle.
“General Xanthos, eh? Looks like we caught a big one! I'm officially proud to welcome you, great general Xanthos, to Erebusia. I hope you'll enjoy your stay, while we alert our allies at Astraea of your presence. I'm sure they'll enjoy your presence as much as us here.”
As he said so, one of the guards run away. Xanthos' giggles stopped, though he still panted, not yet having regained all his strenght.
“Just… kill me now… don't wait for Astraea to do your dirty job…”
“Oh, oh no, general, don't misunderstand me: Astraea would destroy us if we dare to even tear one of your hairs. They’ll probably want you unharmed to end this war. Still, doesn't mean we like you. You're still an enemy. I hope you liked that small… welcoming party, we can call it. It surely seemed so from your reactions. Now, you're still our guest. I want you to be as comfortable as possible.”
He said, then proceeded to remove Xanthos' right sandal. The general remained silent, terrified by the words of the chief. If he felt hopeless before, he now knew that his situation had no way to get any better. If he thought things could not get worse, he noticed some people coming to the plaza, probably attracted by his laughter, though he couldn't really see much since the chief was standing in front of him. He couldn't even have had the time to feel embarrassed, that he started feeling something teasing his abs: the guards behind him resumed their attack, for the time being limiting themselves to slow, spidering tickles.
Already tired, Xanthos couldn't do anything but start giggling again, when he saw Thalion moving away from his bare feet, and near his hips. He looked at his captive, a smirk still on his face. Another two guards gathered near him, crouching each at the side of one of his feet, so that the public, now comprised of only a few people, could see most of his body with no problem. Embarrassed at this new predicament, his face turned red. Suddenly, he could feel hands scratching at his soles.
“N-NOHOH, WAHAHAHAIT, STOHOHOHOHOP"
“Oh, please, you insisted we treated you like a general, didn't you? Well, here it is. Can't really complain now, can you? Try to be a bit more grateful.”
But his teasing fell to deaf ears. The guards increased the intensity of the tickling, their hands now running across both of Xanthos' feet and his upper torso. This torment continued for what seemed like an eternity, during which even more people gathered to see what was happening. Finally, the tormentors stopped, giving him time to breathe. He was so exhausted he didn't even notice the guards going away from him, using this time of peace to regain strenghts, closing his eyes and ultimately dozing off.
He awoke later, still in the same position: not much time must have had passed, considering the sun position and the people gathered to watch him. He could feel a strange, warm sensation on his body; looking around, he saw his tormentors applying something over all his body. According to the pungent smell he smelled, he hypothesised it was olive oil.
“Oil, my friend, is truly special. It can be used to eat, it can be used to give offerings to the Gods, and it can be used to quell physical pain after a dire exercise. Another well known property is that it tends to make things more slippery. Useful for a number of occasions. I think you'll be delighted to know that this is one of them.”
Thalion said calmly, then proceeded to wiggle one, single finger on Xanthis' now oily stomach. Immediately a jolting sensation passed through the soldier's body: a single finger sent him back to a giggling mess.
“H-hohow is this eheheheheven pohohossible?! W-whahahat sohohorcery ihis thihihs?”
“I told you, it’s just oil. One of our finest, I must add. What do you think about it?”
A smile could be seen on his face, as he talked while continuing his slow, caressing tickling
“You see, while you had your deserved, heroic rest, we had enough time to talk. Now, I already knew you: a great soldier, commander, general. I must say I’m really proud of having you here. Although, , e people of Thebesia, unfortunately, don’t share my – and my men’s – respect for you. They did seem quite angry, if I have to be honest. Don’t worry, though. As I said, we value hospitality above all else. That’s why I… suggested them to treat you as you deserve. Treat you as… a general.”
He slowly moved to Xanthos’ side, and started lightly tickling his side, then his exposed armpit. After some seconds, he leaned in his ear and whispered.
“You see… I hope that, with you here… their morale will rise. You know, this war has stressed everyone up. Seeing you like this… being able to… touch you… I’m sure they’ll understand that you’re no demigod, as some rumors spread. Just a human. A… very ticklish human…”
He said, in a teasing voice, while his free hand started to tickle Xanthos’s side.
“N-no! Nohohoh! Y-yohohou cahahahan’t! Dohohohon’t you dahahahahare!”
The increased sensation of the oil sent him over the edge, his body thrashing around, trying to get free. Thalion was about to tease him more, but a voice came from the now large audience.
“So, first you kill our relatives, destroy our crops, pillage our lands, and now you don’t even want our stupid reconciliation?! You don't deserve a general’s treatment! You deserve a thief’s one!”
A man angrily said from the crowd. Then, he advanced, together with some other people, men and women, some in their early twenties, some in their thirties. Not one of the guards tried to stop them, some of them even giggling at the scene. Thalion himself moved away, still with his grin printed on his face. As the people moved near the bound general, they immediately started touching and tickling him, wherever their hands could lend. From his feet to his neck, no body part was free from that torment, which was made worse by the oil.
The general tried begging, between his copious laughter, the people to stop, but it was useless. More and more people joined in, moved, some got back, themselves tired from the tickling. Some others preferred to look and laugh at the man’s poor fate. Xanthos’s strong laughter could be heard from anywhere, and more people were attracted to the square. The tickling continued for a while, until some of the men in the crowd brought a dark, wooden bucket filled with water, and laid it near his feet, which were granted a stop from the torture.
“General! We see you’re enjoying yourself, glad to hear. The guards did a real good job, coating your big feet with our precious oil, but we think you had enough. So we brought these!”
He said, excited, as he extracted two brushes from the bucket, as they appeared wet. Not even giving Xanthos’ enough time to react, he passed one to a nearby person, and they both started using them on the man’s already tired and sensitive soles.
“NO! STOHOHOHOP! STOHOHOP NOHOHOHOMOHORE! PLEHEHEHEAHAHASE!”
The brushes on his feet were like nothing he ever felt before in his life. Despite his entire body being tickled at the same time, this was something else. He continued to laugh and beg the people to stop, to no avail. Some tears started flowing from his eyes, the intensity of the tickling too much. After what felt like an eternity, they stopped. They all stopped.
Xanthos started painting, trying to regain his breath. He closed his eyes, hoping the torture had finally stopped. After some seconds, he heard something behind him. He opened his eyes, and saw Thalion standing next to him, always with his grin.
“How is it going? I hope you’re satisfied of your treatment. At least, it seems like you are… enjoying yourself…”
He said, looking at the general’s hard member, visible under his loincloth.
“It does… seem constrained, though. Since we’re all here to give you what you deserve the most as a proud and mighty general, it should be offered some… fresh air, don’t you think so?”
“Y-you wouldn't dare-“
But the city leader didn’t let him finish his sentence. Instead, he just tore the last piece of clothing that covered Xanthos’ body off, revealing to everyone present his mighty erection, revealing mixed reactions. Some people just giggled at the man’s position, while some look with amazement at the size of the man, who started to shake again in his bonds, trying to get free, visibly embarrassed, given his now red cheeks. He closed his eyes, but could still hear people mutter between themselves. After a while, he felt something on his soles.
“P-please… no more oil…”
“Oh, do not worry, dear general. This is another of our local specialties, which we wanted you to try. This is a special mixture made with the salt we locally produce. Does it feel refreshing?”
“It… it is, yes.”
Xanthos sighed in relief. His feet did, in fact, feel nice, the cool breeze in contact with his now wet feet did alleviate much of the stress he had built up from the previous intense tickling. His look of relaxation, though, quickly turned to anxiety, once he saw some commotion in the crowd, as people started laughing, moving away to let something pass. His anxiety soon transformed into panic.
“No! Anything but that! I’m begging you, no! Please!”
“Now, now, this scene isn’t befitting of a general, is it? These two are villagers, too. Not unlike the ones you have already had the pleasure to meet. They too lost their land in our cruel war. And, as such, they too, I’m sure, want to give you the treatment you deserve.”
But Xanthos continued to plead, uncaring of the embarrassing scene he was putting up. For what he saw was not two mere villagers, but two goats. He had always heard of how much a goat’s tongue could tickle, and he knew some people were subjected to this same punishment in Thebesia, too. From petty thieves to soldiers who found themselves too tipsy. But he always refused to see it done, and cut short if someone mentioned it to him. The mere thought of it sent shivers down his spine. And now, he found himself in that same position he didn’t wish even his worst enemies to find themselves in. His struggling continued, as for the plead, but as before, it proved useless. He was just getting more tired.
The people clearly enjoyed the show, but after a while they grew tired, and brought the two goals forward, in front of the general’s feet. The two quickly started to lap them, eating the substance that was applied to the bare soles, and that had more than enough time to stick well to the skin. The rough feeling sent Xanthos’ in a fit of screaming laughter. The goats were tied to the stocks, so that they had always full access to the poor man’s soles.
“NOHOHOH! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHAHASE NOHOHOHOH, NOHOHOHOHOHOT THIHIHIS! I’M BEHEHEHEHEHEHEGGING YOHOHOU, REHEHEHEHEHEHEMOVE THEHEHEHEHEHEM!”
But his pleas fell on deaf ears. Or better, the people heard them. And they enjoyed it, every last second. They looked at the strong, muscular man thrash around, trying to break the restraints and stop the torture. The tickling continued for a lot of time: when the feet appeared to seem dry, the goats would be removed, the coating re-applied, and left to stick, giving Xanthos some time to regain his strenghts. Eventually, people would start tickling him themselves again, the man’s body too att4active for them not to touch it again. After what felt like an eternity, the torment stopped, the guards starting to move the people away and freeing the general, and putting him in the town’s cells.
His torment, though, didn’t stop. Daily, he would be brought back to the stocks and tickled, by the guards or by the people, even if, luckily for him, the intensity of the first day was never matched. During a session six says after his capture, a man quickly approached Thalios, who was watching the general being tickled, as usual. He said that an emissary of Astraea had finally arrived. Following him, the young man found himself in front of a clearly seasoned warrior, his short hair and beard starting to whiten.
“You must be Thalios of Erebusia. I’m here, speaking on behalf of the city of Astraea. We have received word that general Xanthos of Thebesia fell in your hands.”
“That would be correct. He’s the… person in the middle of the city’s square, right now. I guess you want him to convince his city to accept peace, I will hand him to you at once.”
The older man looked at the general, recognising him from the battlefield. What was once a fierce and proud warrior, now laughing in front of commoners. The sensation of pity was quickly overrun by that of sadistic enjoyment. After a few moments, he turned to the young leader.
“Actually, I’ve come to tell you that Thebesia surrendered. The loss of their greatest general was followed by an enormous defeat in the battlefield. I was sent here to retrieve the captive, so that he would be subject to our tribunals but… I’ll have to report that he did not survive the ambush he set to your city. Worry not, you will face no consequence for it. Ok the contrary, your loyalty to Astraea will be greatly rewarded.”
Once again, a grin could be seen on Thalios’ face. The promises of great spoils of war was fine but the possibility of keeping Xanthos in the city was much more appreciated. He had great plans for him. Maybe he would keep him in his house; it was hard to admit it, but he was starting to feel jealous about his citizens, always able to touch his perfect toned body. He wanted him for himself.
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Xanthos was a 20-year-old citizen of Thebesia, a Greek city-state. Like most males his age, he had to join the army to demonstrate his strength and loyalty to his homeland.
Relations with neighboring city-states were never harmonious, but tensions escalated when Astraea, Thebesia's greatest rival, began forming numerous alliances. Disputes between cities became frequent as months passed by, leading to war.
Amidst the battles, Xanthos proved himself to be a capable soldier, earning important roles within the army. Thebesia's forces gained the upper hand in most of the battles, but Astraea had a strategic advantage: a strong alliance with Erebusia.
Erebusia, a moderately small city located near the sea, possessed two significant strengths: its strategic hilltop location and its robust fortified walls, which allowed it to ensure a continuous supply of provisions while effectively preventing invasion by the armies of Thebesia. Conquering the city directly was a challenging, if not impossible task, and Thebesian generals engaged in lengthy discussions to determine the best approach.
After weeks of deliberation, a solution was devised: a small army would infiltrate Erebusia under the cover of night, creating the illusion that the entire Thebesian army had entered and captured the city. They would then present a favorable peace treaty. If executed swiftly and convincingly, the citizens might fall for the trick and agree to sign the peace treaty, thereby severing their alliance with Astraea and aligning with Thebesia.
The next challenge was selecting the individuals for the mission. It was a demanding and perilous feat, but it also promised great fame and prestige. The decision was swift, as Xanthos volunteered to lead the group and received the approval of the elders. Being young, strong, and already having made a name for himself on the battlefield, the enemies would never suspect that he was accompanied by only a handful of soldiers. After selecting six additional soldiers, everything was prepared. They now awaited the opportune moment to execute their plan.
A couple of days later, under the cover of darkness, Xanthos and his soldiers stealthily scaled Erebusia's walls, taking advantage of the night to avoid detection by the guards. They patiently waited in a secure location, biding their time until the first rays of dawn appeared. The absence of torchlights from the rest of the armies would make their plan evident. As visibility improved, they swiftly made their way towards the residence of the city's leader, having obtained its location from a spy. Xanthos entered the chief's bedroom, while his soldiers dispersed nearby to create the illusion of a larger invading force.
"Wake up!"
Xanthos exclaimed, startling the sleeping man. Despite his high position in the city, he appeared remarkably youthful—not as young as Xanthos, but not too old either, likely in his middle to late 20s.
"W-what's happening?!" the man exclaimed, attempting to reach for his dagger but finding himself facing Xanthos' spear.
"Your city has fallen," Xanthos stated firmly. "I am a general from Thebesia, sent to propose a generous peace treaty. If you sign it now, your citizens will be spared. You will need to dismantle your walls and join our alliance, assisting us in defeating Astraea. Reject this offer, and I will gladly ensure that this city is forgotten even by the Gods."
"You conquered us in the middle of the night?" the chief retorted, disbelief evident in his voice. "I must see it with my own eyes, you dog. I refuse to believe it."
The two stepped outside the house, where they witnessed Xanthos' six men guarding the disarmed Erebusian soldiers. One of the guards spoke up, clearly shaken.
"We apologize, chief. We swear we didn't see them! It's as if they simply... materialized out of thin air! We were defenseless."
"That's enough," the chief responded. "This is war. General, it seems I have no choice but to sign your peace treaty. Follow me inside."
They reentered the building and sat across from each other at a table. Xanthos set aside his spear and shield, producing a piece of papyrus. The chief examined it skeptically.
"It still seems unbelievable that your forces managed to conquer us so swiftly, without raising any alarms," the chief remarked. "And in the dead of night? The guards on the walls should have seen you-"
Suddenly, commotion erupted from outside. They hurried to investigate and discovered Xanthos' men surrounded by the previously disarmed guards, accompanied by a young boy.
"What is happening here? This is a serious matter we are discussing."
The chief declared, prompting one of the town guards to respond swiftly, "Sir, young Theron here has some... interesting news. I believe you should hear him out."
Before the chief could respond, the boy began speaking, his excitement evident as he practically bounced with energy.
“Chief, when I heard all the noise here I came investigating. When I saw those soldiers here, I quickly run to the city gates and you can't imagine what I saw! Nothing! Nothing at all! There were no enemy soldiers! I even saw one of the guards napp- the point is, chief, there is only them!”
Silence descended upon them, and Xanthos observed his soldiers, noting their visible fear.
"Foolish child. What is your plan? Lies won't save your city or yourself. If you wish to live, keep your mouth shut!"
With no clear escape plan, their only option was to flee, hoping to evade capture and make their way out of the city. And so, they attempted to do just that. However, fortune did not favor Xanthos. While his soldiers took advantage of the guards' distraction and began running, he wasn’t so lucky.
Despite his efforts to escape, the six guards intercepted him, overpowering him with their impressive strength and restraining him. Xanthos then heard the chief's voice.
“Let the others go, they are not important. We have an enemy general in our hands, now. You know what to do. Bring him there.”
Xanthos was quickly shuffled by the muscular men, their hands gripping his arms, torso, and face as they removed his armor, the only protective layer that shielded his body, and his helmet. Despite the odds stacked against him, he refused to give up and fought fiercely against his captors. However, his struggle proved futile as he was lifted off the ground, held firmly by the guards. As they carried him away, Xanthos felt one of his sandals slipping off.
Amidst the chaos, he could see that they were heading toward the heart of the city. Did they have a prison there? Or did they intend to execute him? Many thoughts raced through Xanthos' mind as he found solace in praying to the Gods, hoping that whatever fate awaited him, it would be swift.
Suddenly, the guards came to a halt. Xanthos was released from their grasp and forced to sit upon a strange wooden contraption. It was raised off the ground, causing his legs to stretch out in front of him. His ankles were then placed in a set of stocks, which were promptly locked into place. Similar restraints were employed for his arms. With his back against a wooden panel secured at the base, another set of stocks was positioned above, running parallel to his seated position. His arms were inserted into these restraints and secured around his wrists. Xanthos was now completely immobilized. He attempted to free himself from the contraption, but could only manage limited movement in his lower torso and hips.
His confusion began to outweigh his fear, yet his thoughts were interrupted as the town chief arrived and positioned himself directly in front of him. Due to the contraption height, Xanthos' feet were positioned at about the same level of the chief's hips.
“Well, general… it seems that your little plan has failed, and all your men fled… what an unfortunate position you're in. I must say, though, I admire your courage. Oh, I was almost forgetting: we haven’t had a chance to introduce ourselves. My name is Thalion, and as you know, I'm the leader of Erebusia. I know your rank, but I fear I do not know your name…”
Xanthos remained silent: if he told his name, the enemies could use him as a pawn to negotiate a peace. Even if captive, he valued his home country to be more important than his own life.
“Now, now, you were talking so much until a few minutes ago! Threatening our city, our children, our lives… why so silent so suddenly? Maybe you still haven't realised the position you're in, general? I'm giving you another chance. Tell me your name.”
Only with those words, Xanthos stopped for a moment to think about his position. In reality, he didn't have much to notice: those brutes left him only in his thin loincloth, and his right sandal. He tried to break his bindings, but the materials were too strong. So now he was sitting there, almost naked, his body fully exposed, the first rays of the morning sun shining over his slim but muscular body, toned by the years of training.
“Listen, I'm just trying to be diplomatic. And really, you don't deserve it. I'm now ordering. Speak, or I'll make you talk.”
“How dare you give me orders? I am a proud soldier of Thebesia, and if you think I'll bow down to your threats, then you're even more foolish than I initially thought. Do whatever harm you want, I won't utter a word!”
Thalion chuckled at Xanthos, once a man so strong and proud, now rendered so helpless.
“Harm you? What kind of barbarians do you mistake us for? Oh no, my dear general. We have other ways to make our prisoners talk…”
Before Xanthos could answer, he felt something on his left foot. One of Thalion's fingers was slowly stroking his sole, sending jolts of tingling sensations. He tried moving his foot, but the stocks greatly limited his mobility.
“W-what… are you doing? Is this your idea of interrogation?”
“Hm, I should have imagined that a fierce warrior such as you would have had no problems withstanding this. So, why don’t we try going a bit further already?”
He grinned, as he started slowly scratching Xanthos' sole from the bottom up.
At that moment, the general started to understand his position. The ticklish sensation was already starting to be too much. He shut his mouth, hoping that, maybe, if he didn't make a sound, Thalion would stop. Unfortunately for him, even if his mouth said nothing, his desperate eyes were more than enough to entice the captor further.
“So, general? Care to tell me your name now?”
Xanthos started losing his grip on his mouth, and a few giggles could be heard
“I… t-told you! I won't y-yield!”
“Fine, I get it. This won't work.”
The captor suddenly stopped his teasing, and turned to his men.
“My dear soldiers! We have a special guest today, it seems. We won't allow our differences to transform us into brutes. We are Greeks, and as such, we value hospitality above all else. The man in front of us keeps saying he's a proud general. We will treat him as such.”
Xanthos looked puzzled at the man. What was he saying? His questions were quickly dropped, replaced by anxiety: he saw the guards who put him in his current predicament smiling, looking at him. He then saw two of them, two of the most muscular men he'd ever seen, dressed in only their sandals and short, linen gray pants getting by him, stopping behind him, near both his sides. Though he couldn’t see them, he saw Thalion smirking looking at him.
Suddenly, he could feel the men's big, hot hands on his nipples, massaging and teasing them slowly.
The general squirmed at the sensation, his eyes briefly panicking, before regaining his composure.
“How dare you! Stop this foolishness at oncEAHAHAHAHAH"
The serious character of the general was quickly broken as soon as the guards' hands moved to his sides, moving their muscular fingers quickly. Xanthos wasn't ready for this new assault, his voice breaking into laughter and his body desperately trying to escape.
“Will you collaborate now?”
The chief mantained a smirk on his face, but his tone was calm and serious. Xanthos didn't respond, his mind being too occupied with the torturous sensation at his sides, his laughter filling the empty plaza.
“General… don't make things even worse. Your name"
The once proud general kept on laughing, not answering his captor. The impasse continued for a few minutes, all the while Xanthos's laughter increased in intensity, some tears beginning to come out his eyes.
“O-OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOKAHAHAHAHAY, YOHOHOUHU WIHIHIN AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH N-NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOW STOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOP IHIHIHIHIHI'LL TAHAHAHAHAHAHAHLK"
“…your name, general.”
“XAHAHAHAHAHAHANTOS, GEHEHEHEHEHENERAAHAHAHAHL OF TEBEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHSIA”
“Now, now, it wasn't that hard, was it?”
He nodded at his men, who promptly stopped with the tickling: Xanthos could now take a breath, though he could still feel phantom tickles, making him giggle.
“General Xanthos, eh? Looks like we caught a big one! I'm officially proud to welcome you, great general Xanthos, to Erebusia. I hope you'll enjoy your stay, while we alert our allies at Astraea of your presence. I'm sure they'll enjoy your presence as much as us here.”
As he said so, one of the guards run away. Xanthos' giggles stopped, though he still panted, not yet having regained all his strenght.
“Just… kill me now… don't wait for Astraea to do your dirty job…”
“Oh, oh no, general, don't misunderstand me: Astraea would destroy us if we dare to even tear one of your hairs. They’ll probably want you unharmed to end this war. Still, doesn't mean we like you. You're still an enemy. I hope you liked that small… welcoming party, we can call it. It surely seemed so from your reactions. Now, you're still our guest. I want you to be as comfortable as possible.”
He said, then proceeded to remove Xanthos' right sandal. The general remained silent, terrified by the words of the chief. If he felt hopeless before, he now knew that his situation had no way to get any better. If he thought things could not get worse, he noticed some people coming to the plaza, probably attracted by his laughter, though he couldn't really see much since the chief was standing in front of him. He couldn't even have had the time to feel embarrassed, that he started feeling something teasing his abs: the guards behind him resumed their attack, for the time being limiting themselves to slow, spidering tickles.
Already tired, Xanthos couldn't do anything but start giggling again, when he saw Thalion moving away from his bare feet, and near his hips. He looked at his captive, a smirk still on his face. Another two guards gathered near him, crouching each at the side of one of his feet, so that the public, now comprised of only a few people, could see most of his body with no problem. Embarrassed at this new predicament, his face turned red. Suddenly, he could feel hands scratching at his soles.
“N-NOHOH, WAHAHAHAIT, STOHOHOHOHOP"
“Oh, please, you insisted we treated you like a general, didn't you? Well, here it is. Can't really complain now, can you? Try to be a bit more grateful.”
But his teasing fell to deaf ears. The guards increased the intensity of the tickling, their hands now running across both of Xanthos' feet and his upper torso. This torment continued for what seemed like an eternity, during which even more people gathered to see what was happening. Finally, the tormentors stopped, giving him time to breathe. He was so exhausted he didn't even notice the guards going away from him, using this time of peace to regain strenghts, closing his eyes and ultimately dozing off.
He awoke later, still in the same position: not much time must have had passed, considering the sun position and the people gathered to watch him. He could feel a strange, warm sensation on his body; looking around, he saw his tormentors applying something over all his body. According to the pungent smell he smelled, he hypothesised it was olive oil.
“Oil, my friend, is truly special. It can be used to eat, it can be used to give offerings to the Gods, and it can be used to quell physical pain after a dire exercise. Another well known property is that it tends to make things more slippery. Useful for a number of occasions. I think you'll be delighted to know that this is one of them.”
Thalion said calmly, then proceeded to wiggle one, single finger on Xanthis' now oily stomach. Immediately a jolting sensation passed through the soldier's body: a single finger sent him back to a giggling mess.
“H-hohow is this eheheheheven pohohossible?! W-whahahat sohohorcery ihis thihihs?”
“I told you, it’s just oil. One of our finest, I must add. What do you think about it?”
A smile could be seen on his face, as he talked while continuing his slow, caressing tickling
“You see, while you had your deserved, heroic rest, we had enough time to talk. Now, I already knew you: a great soldier, commander, general. I must say I’m really proud of having you here. Although, , e people of Thebesia, unfortunately, don’t share my – and my men’s – respect for you. They did seem quite angry, if I have to be honest. Don’t worry, though. As I said, we value hospitality above all else. That’s why I… suggested them to treat you as you deserve. Treat you as… a general.”
He slowly moved to Xanthos’ side, and started lightly tickling his side, then his exposed armpit. After some seconds, he leaned in his ear and whispered.
“You see… I hope that, with you here… their morale will rise. You know, this war has stressed everyone up. Seeing you like this… being able to… touch you… I’m sure they’ll understand that you’re no demigod, as some rumors spread. Just a human. A… very ticklish human…”
He said, in a teasing voice, while his free hand started to tickle Xanthos’s side.
“N-no! Nohohoh! Y-yohohou cahahahan’t! Dohohohon’t you dahahahahare!”
The increased sensation of the oil sent him over the edge, his body thrashing around, trying to get free. Thalion was about to tease him more, but a voice came from the now large audience.
“So, first you kill our relatives, destroy our crops, pillage our lands, and now you don’t even want our stupid reconciliation?! You don't deserve a general’s treatment! You deserve a thief’s one!”
A man angrily said from the crowd. Then, he advanced, together with some other people, men and women, some in their early twenties, some in their thirties. Not one of the guards tried to stop them, some of them even giggling at the scene. Thalion himself moved away, still with his grin printed on his face. As the people moved near the bound general, they immediately started touching and tickling him, wherever their hands could lend. From his feet to his neck, no body part was free from that torment, which was made worse by the oil.
The general tried begging, between his copious laughter, the people to stop, but it was useless. More and more people joined in, moved, some got back, themselves tired from the tickling. Some others preferred to look and laugh at the man’s poor fate. Xanthos’s strong laughter could be heard from anywhere, and more people were attracted to the square. The tickling continued for a while, until some of the men in the crowd brought a dark, wooden bucket filled with water, and laid it near his feet, which were granted a stop from the torture.
“General! We see you’re enjoying yourself, glad to hear. The guards did a real good job, coating your big feet with our precious oil, but we think you had enough. So we brought these!”
He said, excited, as he extracted two brushes from the bucket, as they appeared wet. Not even giving Xanthos’ enough time to react, he passed one to a nearby person, and they both started using them on the man’s already tired and sensitive soles.
“NO! STOHOHOHOP! STOHOHOP NOHOHOHOMOHORE! PLEHEHEHEAHAHASE!”
The brushes on his feet were like nothing he ever felt before in his life. Despite his entire body being tickled at the same time, this was something else. He continued to laugh and beg the people to stop, to no avail. Some tears started flowing from his eyes, the intensity of the tickling too much. After what felt like an eternity, they stopped. They all stopped.
Xanthos started painting, trying to regain his breath. He closed his eyes, hoping the torture had finally stopped. After some seconds, he heard something behind him. He opened his eyes, and saw Thalion standing next to him, always with his grin.
“How is it going? I hope you’re satisfied of your treatment. At least, it seems like you are… enjoying yourself…”
He said, looking at the general’s hard member, visible under his loincloth.
“It does… seem constrained, though. Since we’re all here to give you what you deserve the most as a proud and mighty general, it should be offered some… fresh air, don’t you think so?”
“Y-you wouldn't dare-“
But the city leader didn’t let him finish his sentence. Instead, he just tore the last piece of clothing that covered Xanthos’ body off, revealing to everyone present his mighty erection, revealing mixed reactions. Some people just giggled at the man’s position, while some look with amazement at the size of the man, who started to shake again in his bonds, trying to get free, visibly embarrassed, given his now red cheeks. He closed his eyes, but could still hear people mutter between themselves. After a while, he felt something on his soles.
“P-please… no more oil…”
“Oh, do not worry, dear general. This is another of our local specialties, which we wanted you to try. This is a special mixture made with the salt we locally produce. Does it feel refreshing?”
“It… it is, yes.”
Xanthos sighed in relief. His feet did, in fact, feel nice, the cool breeze in contact with his now wet feet did alleviate much of the stress he had built up from the previous intense tickling. His look of relaxation, though, quickly turned to anxiety, once he saw some commotion in the crowd, as people started laughing, moving away to let something pass. His anxiety soon transformed into panic.
“No! Anything but that! I’m begging you, no! Please!”
“Now, now, this scene isn’t befitting of a general, is it? These two are villagers, too. Not unlike the ones you have already had the pleasure to meet. They too lost their land in our cruel war. And, as such, they too, I’m sure, want to give you the treatment you deserve.”
But Xanthos continued to plead, uncaring of the embarrassing scene he was putting up. For what he saw was not two mere villagers, but two goats. He had always heard of how much a goat’s tongue could tickle, and he knew some people were subjected to this same punishment in Thebesia, too. From petty thieves to soldiers who found themselves too tipsy. But he always refused to see it done, and cut short if someone mentioned it to him. The mere thought of it sent shivers down his spine. And now, he found himself in that same position he didn’t wish even his worst enemies to find themselves in. His struggling continued, as for the plead, but as before, it proved useless. He was just getting more tired.
The people clearly enjoyed the show, but after a while they grew tired, and brought the two goals forward, in front of the general’s feet. The two quickly started to lap them, eating the substance that was applied to the bare soles, and that had more than enough time to stick well to the skin. The rough feeling sent Xanthos’ in a fit of screaming laughter. The goats were tied to the stocks, so that they had always full access to the poor man’s soles.
“NOHOHOH! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHAHASE NOHOHOHOH, NOHOHOHOHOHOT THIHIHIS! I’M BEHEHEHEHEHEHEGGING YOHOHOU, REHEHEHEHEHEHEMOVE THEHEHEHEHEHEM!”
But his pleas fell on deaf ears. Or better, the people heard them. And they enjoyed it, every last second. They looked at the strong, muscular man thrash around, trying to break the restraints and stop the torture. The tickling continued for a lot of time: when the feet appeared to seem dry, the goats would be removed, the coating re-applied, and left to stick, giving Xanthos some time to regain his strenghts. Eventually, people would start tickling him themselves again, the man’s body too att4active for them not to touch it again. After what felt like an eternity, the torment stopped, the guards starting to move the people away and freeing the general, and putting him in the town’s cells.
His torment, though, didn’t stop. Daily, he would be brought back to the stocks and tickled, by the guards or by the people, even if, luckily for him, the intensity of the first day was never matched. During a session six says after his capture, a man quickly approached Thalios, who was watching the general being tickled, as usual. He said that an emissary of Astraea had finally arrived. Following him, the young man found himself in front of a clearly seasoned warrior, his short hair and beard starting to whiten.
“You must be Thalios of Erebusia. I’m here, speaking on behalf of the city of Astraea. We have received word that general Xanthos of Thebesia fell in your hands.”
“That would be correct. He’s the… person in the middle of the city’s square, right now. I guess you want him to convince his city to accept peace, I will hand him to you at once.”
The older man looked at the general, recognising him from the battlefield. What was once a fierce and proud warrior, now laughing in front of commoners. The sensation of pity was quickly overrun by that of sadistic enjoyment. After a few moments, he turned to the young leader.
“Actually, I’ve come to tell you that Thebesia surrendered. The loss of their greatest general was followed by an enormous defeat in the battlefield. I was sent here to retrieve the captive, so that he would be subject to our tribunals but… I’ll have to report that he did not survive the ambush he set to your city. Worry not, you will face no consequence for it. Ok the contrary, your loyalty to Astraea will be greatly rewarded.”
Once again, a grin could be seen on Thalios’ face. The promises of great spoils of war was fine but the possibility of keeping Xanthos in the city was much more appreciated. He had great plans for him. Maybe he would keep him in his house; it was hard to admit it, but he was starting to feel jealous about his citizens, always able to touch his perfect toned body. He wanted him for himself.
