Chapter Three

Phoebus kicked the sand in frustration as his latest attempt to break his mating fever failed, just like the last.

“Maybe you do need a mermaid?” Ajax suggested. “I know you say you don’t find the female form arousing, but it’s not like you’ve ever tried to bed one of them.”

Phoebus shook his head. “The trigger to break my fever is supposed to be what I desire the most. I think I’d know if I wanted a female. Can't you think of something else to try?”

Ajax held up his hand and marked on his fingers. “I’ve penetrated you and you’ve done me, though you couldn’t release. We’ve tried you on all fours, on your back, on your side. Now I’ve tried using my hand on your cock, but nothing.”

Phoebus glared down at his aching erection. What would it take to get rid of the wretched thing? There had to be something they hadn’t tried, but he couldn’t think what. He had hoped that Ajax, a year older than he was and having participated in three other mating seasons, all with different mermen, might have had a few ideas.

“How did you find out what your trigger was?” Phoebus asked.

“I just found a willing body to stick it in and the fever vanished,” Ajax replied with a shrug. “I knew I wanted to do that with someone—I’d seen other mermen take their pleasure in such a manner—and it worked just as I expected it to.”

“Well, it didn’t work for me. Are you sure you can’t think of anything else to try?”

“I saw a mermaid getting a good spanking in the coconut grove last season,” Ajax suggested. “Do you want me to try that?”

Phoebus shook his head. “No, definitely not.”

“Then I’m out of ideas. Perhaps you need to consult an expert.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Atlanteans look to their gods when they have problems. They pray to them for help, and sometimes they answer.”

“You’re not suggesting I pray to them, are you?”

“Why not?”

“Well, for one thing, I’m not an Atlantean. I’m mer. Why would their god listen to me?”

“Goddess.”

“God, goddess, what difference does it make? I’m still mer.”

“The Goddess of Love, Lust and Carnal Desire has been known to show herself to the mer. They call her Medina, and she’s invited several of the mer into her bed.”

“Really?”

“Well, I don’t know for sure, but that’s what the gossips in the market say.”

“And you think she’d want to help me?”

“Why not? You’re a handsome young merman and those mismatched eyes of yours are most striking. I think she’ll be only too happy to invite you into her bed.”

“I don’t know. Goddess or not, she’s still female, and outside of the mating season, I’ve only ever felt desire for the male form.”

“She has many priests,” Ajax said. “If they’re skilled enough to satisfy a goddess, surely she could spare one of them to help you.”

Phoebus sighed. “I suppose it can’t hurt to try calling to her. It’s not as if I have any other ideas.” His mind made up, he returned to the sea, where he transformed into his half-fish form for the long swim home.

Back in the sunken city, it only took a quick enquiry at the market to discover which temple belonged to the Goddess of Love. Even though he was a little nervous—and a lot skeptical—he swam into the building. The temple was surprisingly crowded. Two priests, dressed in robes with the flowered trident emblem of their goddess embroidered on the breast, swam among the other visitors, smiling and talking to those who had come to seek advice and help from the goddess they served.

One of the priests glanced his way and did an immediate double-take. Phoebus realized that he was the only mer in the temple. He wondered if the rumors of the goddess taking mer as lovers might be nothing more than tall tales.

“Why do you seek advice from the Goddess of Love?” asked the priest, his voice as clear in Phoebus’ head as that of any of the mer.

“I, um, it’s the mating season…”

“And you can’t find a mate?”

“No, I went to land with someone, but we couldn’t… I mean, I couldn’t, um…”

“Ah, well, perhaps our goddess might be able to help you. If you call to Medina by name, she will hear your prayer, and if you’re lucky, she might answer it for you.”

Phoebus nodded, and at a gesture from the priest, he approached the statue of the Goddess of Love.

“Medina? Um, I don’t know if you can hear me, but they say you might be able to help with my problem. I can’t break my mating fever.”

Phoebus felt a little foolish projecting his voice to someone who might not even be listening, especially when doing so no doubt alerted everyone in the room to his problem.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed.”

Phoebus gave a small cry as he fell to the ground in a room that was the same as the one he had been in a moment ago, except it was on land. He flopped on the floor in front of the goddess.

“Welcome to the Isle of the Gods, Phoebus. I must say that it’s rare for one of the mer to seek my assistance.” Medina tossed him a sheet of fabric, which he used to dry his fins and regain his legs. She sat on a nearby couch, her gauzy robe leaving nothing to the imagination. “Unfortunately, I can tell that my personal assistance is not what you need.”

Phoebus ducked his head. “Sorry.”

Medina laughed. “No need to apologize, my darling. No one can help who they find attractive.”

“It’s not that I don’t find you beautiful,” Phoebus hurried to assure her. “You are. It’s just…”

“That you find the male body more arousing. Of course, this does present something of a problem for me in helping you to break your mating fever, since I obviously don’t have what you need.”

Phoebus hung his head. “Thank you for hearing me anyway. I guess I knew it wasn’t likely to help.”

“Now, now, don’t be so hasty.” Medina patted the seat beside her. “Come sit with me and tell me about yourself while I ponder which of my priests might be most suitable to assist you.”

“They won’t mind being forced to mate with me?”

Medina laughed. “Mind? Oh no, they’d be delighted to be given such an honor as to take you to bed to please me. Tell me, Phoebus, how many mating seasons have you suffered through without release?”

“This is my second. The first wasn’t so bad, but the pain is worse this time.”

“It will get worse every season you go without release. What did you try?”

“Everything we could think of.”

Medina gave him a sly smile. “If you’ve only been trying for two seasons, I suspect that isn’t much. The art of making love can take many forms, but you’re young and inexperienced.”

Phoebus’ face heated, but the goddess patted his hand in a kindly gesture. “We were all young and inexperienced once, even me. Only with the passing of time can we learn.”

“And you truly think one of your priests can teach me what I need?”

Medina gave him a considering look. “I think perhaps there might be another who can help you more than any of my priests. Have you heard of the God of Justice?”

Phoebus shook his head. “I don’t really know any of the Atlantean gods. We mer don’t worship you like the Atlanteans do.”

“No, I suppose not, though many of us would welcome your devotion, if it were given freely and with love in your heart. Anyway, the God of Justice is named Caspian, and he, like you, is a lover of men. He knows as much about sexual desire between men as myself, but he has the cock I lack to put it into practice.”

“Would he help me if you asked him to?”

Medina snorted in a most un-goddess-like manner. “If I were to ask him, he’d definitely say no. We don’t get along.”

“Oh, well, is there another god who might help me?”

“You misunderstand me,” Medina said. “Just because Caspian won’t do anything I ask him, it doesn’t mean he might not assist you if you were to ask him personally.”

“Thank you, Medina. Um, how do I get back to the sunken city to find his temple?”

“He has a temple here on the Isle of the Gods. You can approach him there. Let me find someone to escort you.”

Medina led him from the temple and out into a beautiful garden. There were several handsome men in various states of undress stretched out on the grass. Two of the men were naked and rubbing up against each other with feverish moans of pleasure. Phoebus tried not to stare, but as they had to walk right by them, it was rather difficult to avoid watching.

“Did you try that?” Medina asked. “The pleasure to be obtained from frottage is a favorite among many of my priests.”

Phoebus nodded. “I tried that my first mating season but nothing happened, save that my lover spilled over my body.”

Medina waved over a handsome man in robes that bore a different emblem to that of her priests. The trident was the same, but it seemed to have some form of snake twined around it. “Isander, would your goddess spare you for a few moments?”

Isander grinned. “I’m sure she could. How can I serve the sister of my goddess?”

Medina urged Phoebus forward. “Isander serves my sister, Mariana, Goddess of Sea Creatures. Isander, this is Phoebus, who seeks the assistance of Caspian. Would you mind escorting him to Caspian’s temple?”

“Of course. Do you wish me to provide him with a robe on the way?”

“No. Phoebus is mer, and Caspian is well acquainted with naked men. I’d take him myself, but I’m afraid I have other duties to attend to.”

Isander gave a sweeping bow. “As always, I’m delighted to be of service.”

Medina smiled and waved them on their way.

“So why do you want justice?” Isander asked as they strolled along a winding path.

“I don’t,” Phoebus replied. “I need help breaking my mating fever, and Medina thought Caspian might be able to assist.”

Isander gave a booming laugh. “I have no doubt he’ll give it his best. And if he fails, come find me and I’ll try too.”

Phoebus flushed at the blatant invitation from the handsome Atlantean. “Maybe I will,” he said. “Do I call for you in Mariana’s temple?”

“Goodness no!” Isander shook his head. “My goddess has no love for the mer at all. If you poke a fin into her temple, she’ll be furious.”

“But Medina said she was the Goddess of Sea Creatures.”

“She is.”

“The mer are creatures of the sea.”

“I know.” Isander glanced around, clearly checking they weren’t likely to be overheard. “Mariana is most tiresome in her prejudices against the mer. Just take my advice and stay away from her and the rest of her priests.”

“I will.”

“Well, here we are.” Isander pointed to the temple directly ahead. “Just go in and ask for him. There’s sure to be at least one of his priests in there.”

“Won’t he wonder how I got here?”

“I doubt it. Many Atlanteans bring their lovers here to the Isle of the Gods. We’re not really supposed to, but everyone does it. Good luck!”

Isander gave him a little nudge in the small of his back and Phoebus steeled himself to face the Atlantean God of Justice.

 

* * * *

 

Caspian looked up as a shadow fell across his face. Rafe stood in the doorway. “Yes?”

“There’s a merman asking for you in your temple audience chamber.”

Caspian frowned. “The only person in there at the moment is an Atlantean woman.” The weaver, who had no concept of the difference between petty revenge and true justice, had been there for hours, praying to Caspian for him to send plagues of boils and other delights to the rival who had stolen her man. Caspian had been tuning her out as much as he could.

“Not the temple in Atlantis, the one here,” Rafe explained.

“How did he get here?” Caspian asked. Immediately his thoughts turned to Medina and he wondered if this was her doing.

“I saw him approach with Isander, one of Mariana’s priests.”

“Ah.” Caspian smiled. “That would explain it. No doubt Isander brought the merman here and now finds his goddess lingering around, so he can’t send him home without incurring her wrath. Show them in.”

“Isander has already left, but the merman waits in the audience chamber.”

Caspian didn’t like Isander’s presumption that he would solve the problem of the wandering merman, but supposed he would have to go see him, unless he wanted to leave him hanging around in his temple, getting underfoot and making a nuisance of himself until such time as it was safe to return to Atlantis by the same method he had arrived.

The naked merman stood in the middle of the audience chamber. He stared at Caspian’s statue, though Caspian doubted it was his rendition that had triggered such arousal in the merman. The solstice of the previous night was no doubt to blame for that. He wondered why Isander hadn’t taken the trouble to give his friend the release he clearly needed before dropping him off at the temple.

Caspian strode over to his throne and sat on the cushioned seat. “I’m Caspian, God of Justice. What brings you here, merman?”

The merman, who Caspian realized was younger than he had first thought—perhaps only eighteen summers—stared at him from a pair of mismatched eyes, one dark blue and one light blue. Caspian found himself unable to look away.

“Do you seek justice?” Caspian asked when the merman continued to gaze at him silently.

He shook his head and flushed scarlet as his gaze traveled over the various priests who were working away in the room, clearing away the remnants of the feast of the previous night.

Caspian clapped his hands together and his priests jumped to attention. “I sense our guest is shy. Leave us.”

The priests hurried to obey.

“Not you, Rafe. I may need you.” Caspian pointed to the priest’s usual spot in the room. “Now, merman, what is your name?”

“Phoebus.”

“And what do you want from me, if not justice?”

“Um…” Phoebus hung his head and mumbled something too quiet for a mortal to hear, but which was no problem for a god.

“I see,” Caspian replied. “A mating fever that won’t break, and what makes you think I’m the one to help you with your problem?”

“I was told you were familiar with such matters.”

“I am indeed,” Caspian said. After the business with Medina earlier that morning, the day was looking up. He had bedded a few mermen over the years, but never one who was in the heat of a mating fever. “Well, what have you tried so far to break your fever?”

Phoebus gave a shrug and offered his pitifully short list of things. Caspian could immediately think of half a dozen things they might try.

“Rafe, what do you think our friend should attempt first?”

Phoebus gave Rafe a look of hope.

“Sucking?” Rafe suggested.

“How would you like that, Phoebus? Rafe is an expert at sucking a man to the brink of an orgasm.”

“Sucking?” Phoebus asked.

Caspian chuckled. “How refreshing to meet such an innocent. Rafe, if you don’t mind…”

Rafe walked over to Phoebus, turned his back to Caspian and dropped to his knees.

Phoebus stared down at Rafe with wide eyes as the priest took the merman’s cock into his mouth and set to work.

Watching Rafe and Phoebus was as arousing as anything Caspian had ever experienced.

Rafe continued his attentions for several minutes before pulling away and looking over his shoulder. “It doesn’t seem to be working. Maybe we should try something else?”

Phoebus nodded his agreement. “Rafe is right. This isn’t working.”

Rafe rose from his knees. “I could give him a good spanking.”

Phoebus snorted. “No! And why does everyone seem to think hitting me will help?”

Caspian smiled. “No one will raise a hand to you without your consent, that I promise. There are, however, some men and women who find pleasure from pain.”

“I’m fairly sure I’m not one of them,” Phoebus replied.

“Then we will look at other methods.”

Caspian shifted slightly in his seat, his own arousal shielded by his loose robes but no doubt obvious to both Rafe and Phoebus.

The merman licked his lips, his gaze locked on the tent of Caspian’s robes.

“Ah, now you have the look of a man who knows what he wants.” He crooked his finger to beckon Phoebus closer. “Is that what you need, Phoebus? To wrap your lips around another man’s cock and suck him until he spills his seed into your mouth?”

“I don’t know.”

Caspian unclasped his robe and moved the material aside, revealing his erection. He could practically see the merman’s mouth watering at the sight.

“Come kneel before me,” Caspian said. He tossed a cushion between his feet, ignoring Rafe’s brief flash of annoyance that he hadn’t given him one when he had knelt before Phoebus.

Phoebus approached him slowly and knelt between Caspian’s legs.

“You saw—felt—what Rafe did to you. Now it’s your turn.”

Phoebus leaned in and licked at the end of Caspian’s cock. Then he slowly sucked at the head, his eyes closed in deep concentration. Caspian gripped the arms of his throne to keep himself from bucking into the young mer’s mouth. He reminded himself that the man on his knees was inexperienced and may not want Caspian thrusting into his mouth with his usual wild enthusiasm.

He sensed Rafe watching them and looked up, offering him a smile. Rafe didn’t seem to notice, his attention fixed on the merman, jealousy clear in his eyes.

Caspian sighed. He really must do something about that. He had made it clear to Rafe when he had first entered his service, some twenty years ago, that he would always have to share Caspian with other men.

Phoebus continued to suck him, making sounds of contentment.

“That’s it,” Caspian encouraged. “Are you sure you’ve never done this before? Oh my…yes, harder.”

Phoebus took him at his word and sucked him in earnest.

Caspian moaned as he drew closer to the brink. He stroked Phoebus’ face, his skin still hot to the touch. Then he began to come and the merman’s fever started to recede. Phoebus stiffened and stopped working his mouth up and down Caspian’s cock. It seemed they had found his trigger.

When Phoebus pulled away, his face was still flushed, and he gestured at the foot of the throne. “I’m sorry. I seem to have made a bit of a mess.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Caspian said. He waved his hand and cleared up the evidence of Phoebus’ orgasm in an instant. “The advantages of being a god.”

Phoebus sat back on his heels. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” Caspian held out his hand and pulled Phoebus to his feet. “I assume you’ll want to return to Atlantis now?”

“Yes, please. Unless… Well…did you want something from me in return?”

“No, of course not.” Caspian guided Phoebus to the crystal that would open the portal to Atlantis. “I hope you’ll visit me again, maybe next mating season.”

Caspian didn’t know why he had suggested such a thing. The handsome young merman must have dozens of offers for company during the mating season, and it wasn’t as if he, Caspian, had a shortage of willing men eager to join him in his bed if he were to click his fingers. One of them was Rafe, of course, who stood a few feet away, glowering with discontent.

Once Phoebus was on his way, Caspian gave his High Priest his undivided attention. He didn’t say anything at first, but instead probed his mind for his thoughts.

Caspian didn’t often read the minds of his priests. They were loyal to him and he rewarded their devotion with allowing them their privacy—most of the time.

“Jealousy is most unbecoming,” he said. “It’s an ugly trait, especially when there is no cause for it.”

“I’m not jealous of him.”

“You know you cannot lie to a god,” Caspian told him. “I’ve lived long enough to recognize the signs, even without my powers.”

“Why did you invite him back next solstice?”

“The next mating one isn’t for another two seasons. I doubt he’ll even remember my offer.”

“Then you don’t intend to have him suck you again?”

“I don’t intend to track him down, but if he comes to me, I will not turn him away.”

“He’s a merman.”

“I am well aware of that. Do you have a problem with mermen? Or is it just the fact that I allowed him to pleasure me?”

Rafe bowed his head. “I have no problem.”

“Good.”

Caspian disappeared back to his private quarters, content to relive the moment the handsome young merman had pushed him over the brink.