Thread: Bride of Krypteia {Prince of Smut x LingeringDesire}

You are all Kryptes now, Ephor Lycurgus said to the small group of young men assembled in front of him. He was flanked by several other Ephors, all distinguished and older men who were among the leaders of Spartan society and military. We have chosen you as the best of your peers, the highest potential of all our young men, and potentially our future leaders. Thyreos listened in a relaxed attention stance, eyes on the Ephor speaking and body loose. He was clad only in a loincloth and carried an oversized knife, the same outfit as the half-dozen men around him that stood before the Krypteia council. It was an honor he could not deny, something any of his old classmates in the agoge would have gladly accepted. But now, standing before the Krypteia and on the cusp of being sent out to earn his membership in this society, he felt strangely conflicted. It was an early Autumn night and the Laconian countryside outside of Sparta was cool enough that Thyreos felt chilled without another layer. And he would be spending all night outside tonight, hunting. What he hunted tonight was what made him uncomfortable, for the targets were Helots. The servile, slave class of Spartan society far outnumbered the Spartan citizens that ruled them. They worked the fields, did menial tasks in grand estates that dotted the land, filled many of the crafts jobs, and provided the labor for construction and public works projects. Invaluable to Spartan society, they were owned by the country, not individuals. Every Fall, Sparta declared an unofficial war on the Helots through the Krypteia society, whose members could kill any Helot they desired with no repercussions. They hunted them at night, targeting strong and potentially rebellious males, and the annual cull was designed to instill fear in the slave population as well as eliminate the most dangerous of their ranks. There was something about hunting typically unarmed and untrained fellow men that didn't set well with Thyreos. He knew this was also a test to ensure that the Kryptes were loyal and would kill for their country with no hesitation. That was a challenge that he could accept and he convinced himself to not think of this as slaughtering the helpless, rather it was proving his loyalty. He steeled himself and set his jaw, he would fulfill his duty tonight. Go forth and hunt. Take what you need from the Helots. Kill those that could threaten Sparta. Return here in the morning, Lycurgus said in closing, before raising his hand in salute. The young Kryptes lifted their arms and turned to jog off into the night, unsheathing their knives and limbering their bodies for combat. Thyreos - let's go over the hill to the next valley. The kleros there is large and has a number of Helot buildings adjacent to it. They won't be surprised and try to hide, like the ones in this valley once word of the first kill gets out, said Androcles, a friend of Thyreos who was both ambitious and headstrong. He was also impossible to argue with because of those traits, and Thyreos knew it was more of an order than a request. Fine, Androcles, but let's make sure we pick Helots that could be dangerous, not just slaughter any we find. They are valuable as workers you know, said Thyreos as he followed his friend up the rocky path. It was a grueling hour jog over uneven terrain, but like all the army soldiers, Thyreos trained daily and was both muscled and lean. His body was used to running longer with full armor and pack and once they were huddled by the Kleros grounds, he found his breath recovering quickly. His green eyes were thoughtful as he surveyed the quiet estate, knowing the horror they would bring. Thyreos knew he was viewed as more of a thinker in the army ranks, a skill which combined with his weapons ability made many of the Ephors see potential for him as a leader. A youthful face exposed by his close cropped black hair made him look younger than his twenty two years, but scars on his body showed he'd already seen combat and been tested. Being a thinker also made him cautious, and something felt off that he couldn't quite place. Shouldn't we wait, maybe catch a Helot sneaking around at night when they should be inside? he asked Androcles. No. Better to just go inside and find ones we want. Plus we need to get food and water, countered Androcles. The headstrong man stood and jogged towards the largest of the Helot buildings, which was lit and seemed to have a number of people moving inside. If we are lucky, we can kill several in one attack. We'll be done. Sighing, Thyreos got up and moved to follow Androcles. Motion out of the corner of his eye made him pause. Did someone just sneak from the Kleros into the building that Androcles jogged towards? Did they enter through the rear door? Gripping his knife, Thyreos studied the building, which was definitely lit in a way that would attract Kryptes to it like a moth to the flame. All the other structures were dark and quiet. What if the Helots were planning to resist this Krypteia and had a strategy? Androcles was too far ahead and Thyreos suddenly started running to catch up, but his friend had already kicked the door down and was rushing inside. Wait - Androcles, watch yourself!