Even though it was a beautiful day, Joxer was depressed as he walked along the dusty path.  He had arrived the night before at Xena and Gabrielle's campsite.  It was late, so he had been as quiet as possible.  They had not seen him, but he had seen them.  Seen quite a lot of them, actually.  They had been making love, in front of the burning fire, safe in the knowledge that no one would observe them.  It was only because they were deep in the throes of lust that Joxer was able to keep his presence a secret.  For once fortune was with him and Joxer sneaked away unnoticed.

At least now, Joxer understood why Gabrielle never seemed interested in him. He kicked at an exposed root in the path.  *Owww!*  Grabbing his injured foot, he hopped on the other one.  Thrown off kilter by the weight of his armor and sword, he was not able to maintain his balance and fell to the dusty ground in a clatter.

*Why would Gabrielle want a wanna be warrior who can't stand on his own two feet when she can have Xena-the Warrior Princess?*  He contemplated his uselessness.  *Who would want a loser anyway?*  His father had been right. He was good for nothing.

Getting up, he threw off the offending armor.  It was stupid to pretend that he would ever be a warrior!

"I give up!" he yelled to the sky.  "I'm not a warrior and I never will be!"

It felt good to be out of the armor.  No more chaffing.  He took off his helmet and threw it to the ground.  *Stupid helmet!*  He kicked it into the underbrush and even though it hurt his injured foot, he didn't care.  He was free!

"I'm free!" he yelled.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of him, coalescing into a leather-clad god of war.  He was standing with his hands on his hips, feet planted solidly on the ground.

"Ares!"

"Yes, that's my name, don't wear it out," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, my god!"  Joxer couldn't believe that Ares was actually there.

"Yes, I am...or at least I was until you forswore me."  He frowned, not liking the fact that one of his professed warriors had given up his armor.

"Ah, yes...well, about that..." Joxer was starting to realize he might be in some trouble.

"You've decided that you don't want to be a warrior anymore," Ares waved a hand, prompting the mortal to go on.

"Why should I?" Joxer gave up.  If the god of war was going to be mad at him, so be it.  "I've never been good at the job.  No one respects me.  I'd be better off being a farmer.  At least the animals don't make fun of you."

"And what brought on this decision?" Ares asked.  "Did you get pummeled in battle? Did someone ridicule you?"

*When do they *not* make fun of me?*  He thought about telling Ares what he had seen, but was afraid of what the god might do to Gabrielle if he knew. And no matter what Xena and Gabrielle did, he still loved the blonde.  Ares might not be so understanding.

He shrugged.  "I just got my eyes opened.  I know that I'll never be half the warrior my father was.  I'll just end up getting myself or someone I care about killed."

"Are Xena and Gabrielle all right?  I know you get all upset when something threatens your little blonde."  At Joxer's shocked look, he went on.  "You actually thought I didn't notice your obsession with Xena's sidekick?"

"Well...ugh..." Joxer was speechless.  Ares actually knew Joxer's secret?  He didn't know whether to be flattered or alarmed.  He had learned it really didn't pay to draw the attention of the god of war.

"I notice a lot of things about you," Ares said, taking a step towards him. "I have since the first time you presented an offering at my temple.  You had promise.  You just need a little direction.  I always meant to pay more attention to you, but other things have gotten in the way."

Now, Joxer was really nervous...and was getting more nervous the closer the god of war came.

"You look better without the armor," Ares said, grabbing Joxer's arm and turning him around.  "Much better.  Why hide behind that junk?  You have a nice body.  Your pecs aren't bad; you could develop those a bit more by lifting some rocks.  And you can get better arm muscles by pulling yourself up on a tree limb by your arms."

"You do need to work on your agility," Ares said.  "I think I could come up with some exercise to help you with that."  Joxer was disquieted at the look in his eyes.  It reminded him of the way a cat looked at a mouse.

"You already have a great ass."  He shocked Joxer by grabbing the aforementioned part of his anatomy and squeezing.  "You don't need work there."

"Eekks!" he jumped, but Ares didn't let go.  What had come over the god of war?  Was he coming on to him!?

"What's wrong Joxer?" Ares purred in his ear, before taking a little nip. The slight pain went directly to Joxer's groin.  "You can't take a compliment?"

"Ugh, thanks...uh, Ares."  Joxer decided it was best to play along.  No need to make him angry.  Who knew what Ares would do if he got angry?  And anyway, the hand stroking his ass did feel kind of nice.

Hands turned him back around and before Joxer could say anything else, Ares closed in for a kiss.  The god's arms around him held him still.  The beard tickled, but the last thing Joxer wanted to do was laugh.  Whoever knew that Ares could kiss so well?  He wondered how Xena had been able to resist him all these years.  *She must really love Gabby.*

That was the last coherent thought Joxer had until Ares released him minutes later.  His shirt was loosened and his cock aching.

"There, you look even better," Ares smiled.  "Your hair mussed, your lips swollen from my kisses.  The only thing that could improve it would be if you were lying naked on my altar." He leaned forward and whispered.  "How about it?  Want to take a little trip to my temple?"

Joxer hesitated.  He wasn't sure what he was getting himself into.  Sure, he had experimented with his brothers when he was a kid, but Ares was a whole new game.

"No tricks," Ares promised, seeing that Joxer was uncertain.  "I won't hold you to anything.  Just a night of pure unadulterated pleasure.  Tomorrow, you'll be just as free as you are right at this moment."

"Okay," Joxer said.  Barely after he got the words out, he found himself in one of Ares' temples naked as he was the day he was born.   He was standing in front of a large altar covered with black silk.

"I knew you had a gorgeous ass," Ares said behind him.

He turned around and saw the god half reclining/half sitting on his throne, one naked leg hanging over the arm of the throne.  One very aroused god.  The cock that jutted from a nest of black curls was definitely of divine origin. It looked as though it had been craved out of marble.

"I hope you don't mind," Ares waved a hand at Joxer.  "I thought I'd get the preliminaries out of the way.  We can leave lessons in the fine art of stripping until another time."  He stood up and walked towards the mortal.

"Not at all," Joxer said, with only a little nervousness.

Ares approved.  A little nervousness was expected, but it always helped if his followers didn't have fainting fits every time he did something unexpected.  And he fully expected Joxer to be one of his most devoted followers by the time he was finished with him.

Joxer's hands itched to touch the god to see if he felt as perfect as he looked.  He lifted his hand and Ares nodded permission.   He touched a shoulder first.  He was surprised to find that it felt just like any other man's shoulder.  Granted the muscles were bigger, but the skin was warm and smooth.  He ran his hand down the arm, then grew bolder and moved to touch the chest.  As he brushed across a nipple, Ares drew in a breath in a hiss. *Oh, sensitive there, eh?*  Joxer returned first to that nipple, then the other, drawing a moan as he began rubbing and pinching the small nubs.  He left the nipples and moved to find other areas of sensitivity.  An earlobe, the junction where his neck met his shoulder, and finally the gorgeous cock and heavy balls hanging beneath were all explored.  Each area elicited more moans.

Finally Ares had had enough.  He grabbed the mortal and began reciprocating, matching each touch on his tormentor's body.  Now it was Joxer's turn to moan as the sensations threatened to overload his system.  He was sure he couldn't stand any more pleasure.

"Please, Ares!" he pleaded.

"Do you want me to take you to the next level?" Ares purred in his ear.

Joxer swallowed.  He couldn't stop now.  He nodded.

Ares gestured to the altar, his eyes dark and unreadable.  Joxer felt like a human sacrifice as he climbed up on the table and lay on his back.  The marble should have been cold and hard, but the silk covering it provided warmth and smoothness.

Ares stood at the end of the altar.  The mortal's cock was weeping pre-cum and Ares bent down to lap it up.  *Food for a god.*  He engulfed the head and sucked.  Joxer nearly came up off the altar, but Ares grabbed hold of his hips and held him in place as he feasted on the offered sacrifice.  It didn't take long before Joxer exploded into his mouth with a shout.

"Oh, my god!" he gasped as he came down from the high.

"Yes?" Ares smiled as he licked the cum off his lips.  The mortal had been quite effusive when it came to his donation.

"That was...incredible."

"That's only the beginning," Ares said, smiling.  "Are you ready for more?"

"I'm not sure I can stand more," Joxer panted.

"I don't think you have any idea what your limits are.  Ready?"

Joxer nodded.

As soon as he gave his permission, Ares advanced on the mortal.  Coming closer, he looked deep into his eyes, mesmerizing him with his dark gaze. Joxer felt himself tremble with anticipation.

"I want you to give yourself over to me," Ares said.  "Give me your will. Feel what I can give you."

All Joxer could do was swallow and nod again.  It seemed his powers of speech were gone.

"Open for me," he ordered.  At Joxer's perplexed look, he explained.  "I want to you to grab behind your legs and bring them to either side of your chest."

Joxer did as he was asked and realized the benefit of this position for Ares.  As he spread his legs and brought them back, his ass came up off the altar. He *was* opening himself for his lover...in a totally submissive position.

But not quite the position that Ares wanted.  Grabbing the silken covering, he slid Joxer closer to the edge of the altar.  Just when Joxer was afraid that he was going to fall off, he stopped. Materializing a pillow, Ares placed it under Joxer's head so he could see without straining his neck.

He watched as Ares went over and picked up a small bottle.

Ares opened the bottle and sniffed.  Something vaguely woodsy.  He poured some onto his fingers and rubbed them together.  *Yes, this would do just fine.*

He stood before the altar and his devotee.  He poured more oil onto his fingers, then slowly rubbed it around Joxer's anus, massaging the muscles, moving up to the balls and coating them as well.  He didn't touch the reviving cock.

Joxer gasped as he felt an oiled finger enter his ass.  It didn't hurt, but the pressure was definitely foreign.  The intruder didn't leave immediately, but made itself at home, moving in and out, stretching the passage, until another finger joined it.  Joxer tried to relax but it was hard.

The god of war seemed to realize that, for he leaned over and looked into his eyes again.

"Cast off your inhibitions, my mortal.  Only pleasure, remember."

Joxer took a deep breath and relaxed.  Another finger entered and Joxer felt completely full. The fingers moved deeper, spreading the oil and stretching his passage.  He wanted to stroke his cock, but didn't dare move his hands from where they were holding his legs.

"Please!" he was able to gasp out to Ares.

"Patience," Ares said.  "This is not an experience to be rushed."

Nonetheless, Ares removed his fingers then poured more oil over his own cock, watching Joxer watch him with hungry eyes.  The human was definitely a delicious morsel.  He just couldn't understand why Gabrielle didn't go for him.  Rubbing the oil on thoroughly, he covered every portion of his cock. He had meant it when he told Joxer that this experience was about pleasure.

Ares stepped forward and placed the head of his cock against the waiting anus, holding it in place with one hand.  He could feel the trembling of the mortal's legs as Joxer struggled to hold himself open.  Leaning forward, Ares grabbed the back of Joxer's head with his fingers, his thumb resting on his jaw, his eyes staring directly into Joxer's.

"Do you want this?" he demanded, holding back the desire to thrust into the mortal.

Joxer stared back into the almost black eyes that gleamed with a fire deep inside.  At this moment, he wanted nothing as much as he wanted to be possessed by this god.

"Yes!  Do it!" Joxer ordered, not caring about the consequences of ordering a god to do something.

Ares just laughed and pressed forward slowly, looking down to watch the flesh stretch around his cock as he began to plow inward.

Joxer had thought he was prepared for the invasion, but he was wrong.  *Ares was going to tear him apart!*  The stretching, the burning...he fought the invader, trying to push it out, but he couldn't.  He panicked and grabbed hold of Ares shoulder.

"Stop!  You're hurting me!"

Ares stopped where he was and looked up at the distraught mortal.  He grabbed hold of the hands holding his shoulder and brought them back to their position holding Joxer's legs.  Then he used both hands to hold Joxer's face.

"Look at me, Joxer."  The mortal looked at him with tears of pain in his eyes.  "You must relax.  It will hurt if you fight it."

Joxer took a shaky breath and nodded, causing one of the tears to fall onto his cheek.  Ares wiped it off with a finger, then sucked the finger into his mouth.  The taste of pain of the innocent.  He couldn't think of a stronger aphrodisiac.

Ares pressed in again, this time keeping his eyes on Joxer's face, his hands holding his cheeks, gentling him as he would a horse he was training.  He watched as Joxer fought the desire to resist and was proud of him as he overcame it.

As Ares pressed forward, Joxer breathed deeply, trying to relax.  He kept focused on Ares mouth.  The full lips, the strong teeth, the talented tongue.  The burning and stretching was less, but it still hurt.  Ares was big…bigger than his brothers had been.  Suddenly, he realized that the god had ceased moving.  *What is wrong?  Why has he stopped?*  Then he sense the feel of Ares balls against his ass.  *He's all the way in!*  He understood that the god of war was giving him some time to get used to his size.

The movement outward was less uncomfortable and when Ares pushed in again, it barely hurt.  Joxer closed his eyes and relaxed all of his muscles.  The next time Ares pressed in, it felt good.  His erection that had waned when he first felt pain began to recover.

Ares moved his hands from his face to the side of the altar so that he could gain purchase to thrust.  He started out slowly, and then built up speed.  He varied the angles of his thrusts and was rewarded when Joxer jerked and yelled out.

"Oh, my god, there!"

Joxer couldn't believe the sensation when Ares had brushed against something deep inside of him.  He just wanted him to do it again.  Ares gave him what he wanted and  thrust in again harder at that same place.  Joxer arched his head back and yelled louder.

"More!  Give me more!  Fuck me!"

Ares thrust at an inhuman pace, driving into Joxer faster and harder, sometimes hitting the spot, sometimes not.  He kept his hands on the stone of the altar, afraid of what his strength would do to the mortal.  The sensations were affecting the god of war.  He was close to losing it.  Joxer was so hot and tight.  He looked down at the mortal, lying spread out in front of him, his eyes closed, his face tight with passion.  *Gods, he is gorgeous!*

He pressed in hard against the spot again and was rewarded when Joxer yelled and shot his cum over both of their chests and abdomens.  *Finally!*  Ares began thrusting in short and fast.  Crushing the stone of the altar into dust with his fingers, he arched his back, thrust deep inside Joxer and exploded into orgasm.

Joxer had recovered enough after his orgasm to open his eyes and watch Ares come.  It was a truly awesome sight.  The normally severe god of war had his eyes tightly closed and his face was contorted with lust.  *He is so beautiful.*  Joxer felt Ares last powerful thrust, then the expulsion of the god's cum burning deep inside him.

Ares opened his eyes to the sight of Joxer watching him with adoring eyes. He smiled.  He loved being worshipped.   He leaned forward and kissed him before removing his cock from Joxer's body.  He cleaned them both with a thought and transported them to his bed.

"So, do you feel better?" Ares asked after they were both settled in.

"Much," Joxer laughed.  "Thank you."

"I'm glad I could be of service.  Gods should always see to the needs of their followers.  But I forget," Ares said with a sigh.  "You're not my follower anymore.  You  forswore me."

Joxer's face fell.  That was right.  He had renounced being a warrior.  He looked at Ares.  He didn't look too foreboding.  Perhaps it wasn't be too late?

"Well, about that...is it too late to take it back?" Joxer asked.  "I really don't think I'm cut out to be a farmer.  All that manure you have to shovel. And I really don't have much of a green thumb."

"But what about people making fun of you?" Ares asked.

"Well, you did say I could work on my agility.  If I had my own personal god of war to help me, I could do anything," Joxer grinned.

"It would have to remain a secret.  You couldn't tell anyone...not even Gabrielle or Xena...especially Xena," Ares ordered.

"I promise," Joxer agreed.

"Now, about that swearing of allegiance to the god of war," Ares said as he swooped down on the mortal.  "I have just the ceremony in mind and I think you'll like it."

End