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The Tomb of Icarus

"What are we even doing here?" Anthony sighed as he sat on the Grecian shoreline watching the sun rise, dangling his feet in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. "We've been in Greece for almost a week and your lead still hasn't panned out."

They were eighty miles away from Athens in the midst of what was left of an ancient Greek city that had almost completely washed into the ocean. While Lukas, whose light blue hair, brown eyes, and tan skin actively showed his Greek lineage, had lived in the United States for his entire life he grew up on the stories and myths of Greece that his grandfather had told him. One in particular was the story of Icarus and his tragic fall into the sea, except that his family had an addendum to the end of the fable. They believed that Icarus' body was not only found but buried in the ancient hometown where their family had come from.

The only indicator that anything had once stood there was a misshapen pillar that was still partially submerged in the water. "I don't see why you're complaining." Lukas shot back as he tried for the seventh time to measure out the coastline with his notes. "We only come out here for a few hours during the day; the entire Greek nightlife is open to you."

"Yes, one that you could enjoy with me if you weren't so obsessed with this family legend." Anthony replied with a sigh. "When you told me you wanted me to come with you to visit your family during summer vacation, I didn't think it was to chase down the grave of some really old dead guy. Plus for all we know it washed into the ocean with the rest of this place."

Lukas sighed as he continued to look down at his notes, trying his best to ignore his friend's bickering as he tried to concentrate. It was true that they hadn't really found anything after stumbling onto the site a few days ago, but something in his gut told him that they were getting close. He only wished his grandfather was here to help him along; it was his wish that he could find the tomb and put their family name into the history books. It was because of him that they were there in the first place though, after he had passed away a year ago his family decided to fly to Greece where he was buried in the family plot near Athens.

After a short while the Greek male heard his friend said that he was going to the car to grab their music, followed by his footsteps going up the rocky hill towards the road where their car was parked. Once alone all he heard was the sound of the sea air blowing gently through his long hair and the waves as they lapped along the stony shore. His friend, while curt about his displeasure at being stuck out here, was right in the fact that for all he knew any possible tomb was erased through the wear of time. The longer he found nothing the more the doubt continued to gnaw at him, until finally he sat down on a large stone in frustration.

"Maybe Anthony is right..." Lukas sighed, "maybe there is nothing here but rocks and water."

Finally he decided to meet his friend back at the car, packing up his notes into his backpack before hoisting it up onto his shoulders. As he turned to start back to the road, he saw something that caused him to pause. It was a light, like the reflection from a mirror or piece of metal along the stony ridge. Neither he nor Anthony had seen anyone since they started exploring and the nature of the landscape pretty much exposed anyone that happened to be walking along the shore itself. Thinking it nothing more than litter left by an inconsiderate tourist he walked over to pick it up, only to find as he got closer the light disappeared.

"What on Earth-" Lukas started to say before his foot stepped into empty air, adrenaline shooting through his body as he began to fall forward. He cried out as he tried to stop himself from falling into the large hole that seemed to suddenly appear before him, but the rocks were slippery and smooth from the water which made them impossible to grip. All he could do was brace himself as he fell onto the stomach, sliding down a steep, natural stone slide before splashing into the cool water below. Thankfully the pool wasn't very deep, able to hold his head above the water as the shock quickly wore off and he was able to drag himself up onto the stony lip of the water's edge.

Once he had regained his breath he looked around, the light of the rising sun shining through the hole illuminating the natural stone cavern. A quick once-over revealed that he had not broken anything thankfully, though his clothing had become torn and coated with mud from the slide into the cavern. He quickly stripped off his shirt and pants, hoping to salvage them by washing them in the pool below his feet as he cried out for help, hoping Anthony could hear him. There was no way he was going to be able to climb his way out, the stone that surrounded the hole had been worn to an almost mirror finish which made any attempts to scale it impossible for him.

"Anthony!" He shouted through the hole, hoping his friend had come back and realized he was missing. Unfortunately after what felt like half an hour, his watch broken in the fall, water from the rising tide began to rush into the hole, filling the pool and causing Lukas to back up onto the stone once more. He realized with horror that the tide was causing the area to flood, though that horror soon became joy as he realized once the water level was high enough he could just swim out. As the pool of water came up to the edge of the lip he sat on though it suddenly stopped, causing him to tilt his head in question as he saw the surreal picture of the water stuck in the hole like a puddle on the ceiling.

"Could it be... the pressure?" He reasoned to himself as he cautiously waded into the now waist high water basin and looked up. Sunlight still streamed through the layer of water that seemed to settle above him, the surface still as glass save for the occasional drop that came down the wet rock. "Unbelievable, the shape of the cavern must act as a natural pressure barrier that keeps the water out when the tide comes in. I thought that only worked in deep sea caverns."

As interesting as the physics was to Lukas, he was still dismayed to find that he was now trapped underneath the water in a cave that couldn't be seen from the shoreline. It made sense though how he had never found it before, aside from possibly an hour in the morning and evening it wouldn't be visible to anyone. That meant that he was in for at least a day down in the dimly lit cavern; luckily he had his waterproof backpack with him as he moved further up into the dry cave and dumped out his gear onto a particularly flat stone in the center.

The first thing he grabbed was the thermal blanket, wrapping it around his naked body to defend against the cool air of the cave. Once he felt his body warming up he searched the rest of the pile for useful items. Most of what he had would not help him in his situation; things like a pocketknife, matches, a compass, and a map of Greece were all quickly put back into his bag. Once those were put away all he had left was his emergency trail rations and canteen, which if he used sparingly could last him a few days, a magnifying glass, and a wind-up radio and flashlight that had actually been Anthony's idea to buy. He had also packed himself a normal lunch, which he started to eat as he sat back against one of the pieces of flat stone.

After what he guessed was an hour he found himself faced with an unusual foe, boredom. The radio helped a little but he could only pick up a station that played club trance, which left him only with his notes and the cavern himself. Soon even reading his own handwriting for the tenth time caused him to sigh in frustration, setting them aside and exploring the cavern itself. Unfortunately that too proved uneventful, aside from some wear patterns in the stone likely made by dripping salt water the whole thing was almost completely smooth. "Now I know why solitary confinement is such a scary thing." He muttered to himself as he sat back down with the shiny silver material wrapped around him.

Despite the throbbing techno music in the background he found himself growing fatigued, both from the initial plunge into the cavern as well as the strain of the boredom. Though he wanted to stay awake he found his head bobbing down against his chest, his vision becoming shrouded in darkness...

**************************************************

"Lukas!"

Lukas' head suddenly shot up as he heard the familiar sound of Anthony's voice over the beat of the seemingly endless trance track. His first thought was that he had been rescued, which made him extremely grateful despite the fact he was naked. As he opened his eyes and looked around his joy quickly became confusion, finding the dark stone cavern he was confined in replaced with the bright lights and black walls of some Greek nightclub. "What in the..."

"Dude, I can't believe you fell asleep here of all places!" Anthony said as he handed a drink to his perplexed friend. "I realize this is a new experience for you but just try and have a good time for me, ok?"

Lukas just nodded, still trying to wrap his head around the situation as he sat back in the comfortable overstuffed couch that he had thought was a hard rock wall only a minute ago. Had he hallucinated falling into a hole, he wondered? Perhaps when he fell asleep in the nightclub he dreamed it to represent how he felt about the failure to discover Icarus' tomb. Even so it still made him wonder why he was in a nightclub in the first place, he wasn't fond of the blaring music and sweaty, liquor-soaked dancers that accompanied them.

As he sat there staring at his drink he suddenly felt a warm hand on his shoulder, looking up to see a shirtless, dark-skinned man with bright red hair with gold tips looking down at him with a smile. "This seat taken?" He asked over the roar of music. Lukas was about to reply that his friend was sitting with him, but when he looked back to the seat he found it empty. Finding Anthony vacant he shook his head, the stranger smiling and sitting down next to him. The man smelled of strong spice and musk, which became even more apparent as he sat up with his feet.

"Thanks, love the energy that comes with dancing but it can be hard on these feet." The stranger informed him as he sat back with a drink similar to his own. "If you don't mind me asking, you and your friend aren't from around here, are you?"

"We're from America actually." Lukas replied before taking a sip of his drink, almost immediately overwhelmed by the taste and burn of cinnamon that almost made him wish for a glass of water.

"Thought so." The stranger grinned, downing two hearty gulps of his own beverage before continuing. "You may be able to fit into this hunky Greek crowd but your friend sticks out like a sore thumb. What brings you here?"

"I was looking for a family legend, I guess." Lukas replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable as he could tell the red-haired male was flirting with him. "Well, I was looking rather, giving up the hunt I think and just enjoying the rest of my stay here in Greece."

The strange man nodded slowly, scooting in close to him in order to talk without shouting. "Are you sure? Sounds like whatever you were looking for was important to you." Lukas could feel the heat radiating off of the shirtless man as he leaned in. "Or perhaps you already did, and just lack the proper resources to realize it?"

Suddenly the stranger was almost right on top of him, the man pressing his body against his as he kissed him. Lukas could feel the heat of the stranger's lips and tongue as they passionately met his own. He could feel himself losing control as his body urged him to reciprocate, his hands coming up to grab the other man's hips as they began to grind into him. All he could do was let out a loud moan, which was drowned out by the music as the two males fondled and caressed each other. Then, like a sudden gust of wind, it ended, the other male backing away and leaving his partner in a very confused state.

Before Lukas could say anything the male took a large book from behind his back and thrust it into his hands, giving him a playful smile as he gestured for him to look at it. The tome was heavy and bound in rich red colored leather, the symbol of what looked like a golden phoenix inlayed in the middle. Curious, he opened the book to find that it was filled with pages of papyrus, all of them which had various black symbols inked on them. As he continued to flip through the pages the symbols started to glow a bright orange, and as he watched them they started to form into English letters he could actually read.

Lukas looked up to ask the man what was going on, but when he looked up again he found that the red-haired male had disappeared. As he looked around he suddenly heard the heavy beat of the techno music start to slow down. It was like someone had turned the power off the turntable, and when he looked around all the other people had started to fade as well. He looked for his friend, but Anthony was nowhere to be found as things started to fade into darkness. His surroundings started to spin around him as they began to destabilize, his body falling back against the couch...

...and hitting hard rock instead. A sharp pain quickly brought his senses back to reality, seeing the now-familiar rock walls of the cavern in the dim light. The radio was still next to him, its battery dead until he wound it up once more and had the music playing again. He looked up to see that the water pressure barrier was still firmly in place, and he realized with some dismay that night had already fallen. "Can't believe I missed my window." He scolded himself as he got up and stretched his muscles, realizing with slight embarrassment that he was sporting some serious morning wood that took ten minutes and a quick dunk in the water pool to subside.

As he walked around once more he found the cavern to be strangely warmer than before, his thermal blanket falling to his side as he walked towards the back of the cave. His focus went back to the indentations on the smooth wall, the dream still fresh in his memory as he rubbed his hands over the rock surface. It didn't take him long to link the symbols in the book he saw in his dreams with the markings on the wall.

"Could this really be the Tomb of Icarus?" Lukas gasped, unable to believe it. He had remembered once that dreams had the ability to process things that would be hard to figure out normally, but if that was true then he still couldn't figure out what the rest of the dream meant. Though he wanted to see if he could find out what the symbols might mean it was still too dark to be seen. If he knew his directions though he would just have to wait for the moon to move a bit, its illumination would hopefully be enough to read what was on the wall.

The next few hours were the most brutal of his life, aside from his music there was nothing Lukas could do but wait and watch the silvery moonlight as it crept up the stone floor. His anxiety almost made him start to grind his teeth; the possibility that he found something of major archeological significance drove him up the wall. At one point he tried to use his flashlight instead to see what the marks were, but the light wasn't very good and it only illuminated small parts of it at a time. Finally the moon reached the point where it illuminated the letters on the wall.

As Lukas was able to see the letters in their entirety a similar phenomenon happened to the marks like the book in his dream. They glowed with the same orange light as the letters, and as he watched them they rearranged into English for him. When it was done a lengthy tome was sprawled out on the wall. What made him really excited was the same emblem of the phoenix that he had seen in the dream book, and the name that was emblazoned at the end of the story.

"Icarus..." he exclaimed excitedly. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest, even though he hadn't even read the story yet he knew he had found what he was looking for. Once his eyes had gone back to the text itself he realized that it was the myth of Icarus, although as he read on it took quite a different turn then what he was told...

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Icarus and Daedalus were trapped on Crete, inside the labyrinth that he had created for King Minos. Daedalus, the master inventor he was, had decided to free him and his son by the only means available to them, the sky. Unfortunately as he studied the map he realized he had a problem, which even with the wax and feather wings he had created there was no way he nor his son would make it back to Athens. As the impossibility of his plan continued to loom over his plan he asked one of the servants that served him and his son their daily meal to help them out.

A week later Daedalus awoke to find a strange hooded man inside his room. The older man suddenly became fearful, not only for himself but his son as the cloaked figure approached him. His body was frozen in place in fear, unable to do anything but back up against the wall his shoddy bed rested on. When the strange figure was close enough to reach out and touch him it sat down, brushing the back of his cloak as he pulled a stool up to the bed.

"I hear you are looking to... fly the coop as it were." The strange figure quipped, something odd about his voice that Daedalus couldn't quite place as he nodded his head. "I have the means to do so at my disposal. With this, you can be out of here soon after the sun rises and be home before the sun sets."

"But... how?" Daedalus asked, awestruck. "Even with my wings and the latest sea map I haven't found a passage that would safely lead my son and I back to Greece."

To answer his question the man pulled a brilliant red feather, the end tipped in gold, from inside one of his sleeves. "This is the feather of the phoenix, one of Helios' immortal servants. All you have to do is brush one of these against your wings at dawn, and they will lift you with the speed and grace of the phoenix. When the sun goes down, however, it will steal that magic back and you will be left with ordinary faux wings, so don't tarry."

Daedalus was awestruck as the feather was placed into his hands, the feather hot to the touch yet not enough to burn his hands. As he stared at the bright red surface he could swear he saw the shimmering color move, a testament to the magic that lay within. He felt assured that they could use it to escape from their dreary fate, something that caused his heart to swell with hope. When he looked back up to thank the man for his most generous gift he was already at the door, his hooded form turned towards him once more.

"A word of caution, Daedalus." The mysterious figure warned. "Do not fly too close to Helios, if he sees the magic of your wings he may just claim you as his own. Stay below the clouds and you will be fine. Good luck Daedalus."

The older Greek man started to get out of his bed, but by the time he had gotten the covers off of him the figure had vanished down the hall. Instead he immediately woke Icarus, excitedly explaining their amazing gift from an embassy of the gods. The entire day was spent in preparation, from packing what meager possessions they had to getting the more sympathetic servants to give them extra food for the journey. Everything was done as carefully as possible, the last thing they wanted was for king Minos to discover their plan and work against them. Finally after all their plans and packing were completed they went to bed, confident that it would be their last night inside the wretched labyrinth of his creation.

It was still dark out when they awoke again, both of them not wanting to miss a second of flight time. They strapped their belongings to their back, making sure they kept them out of the way of the wings that Daedalus has so masterfully constructed. Once they were finished the wings themselves came on next, each of them having to help the other with tightening the straps that went over their arms and across his chest. After Icarus was completely strapped in he gave them an experimental flap, surprised when he came off the ground a few inches.

"You have truly outdone yourself father." Icarus boasted as he wrapped the faux wings around his body. "It feels like they're a part of my body."

"I haven't added the finishing touch yet." Daedalus replied as he brought out the phoenix feather, which began to glow slightly as the first rays of dawn hit it. His hands shaking slightly in anticipation, he told his son to turn around and stretch his arms out. Once Icarus had done so, he brushed the magical feather against the waxy surface, and then took a step back. The phoenix feather left a red streak against it, and as he watched the red began to overtake the surrounding feathers. Like a drop of red ink in water the transformation spread, the white feathers becoming the same brilliant red with gold tip as the one he held in his hand. As the color quickly reached the tips the wax seemed to disappear, the feathers fluffing out slightly as though they were attached to a real bird's wings.

When Icarus turned around, Daedalus' jaw dropped. "Father, I feel... strange... lighter almost." The young Greek said as his father saw the extent of the magical transformation. The straps had completely disappeared, the wings attached to his arms as through he had been born with them. Even though they were attached all the way to the elbow he still had his forearms and hands, though his fingers were tipped with black, wicked looking claws glinted in the sunlight. The red feathers had also engulfed his chest, and as Icarus continued to inspect his body they could see that the normally skinny frame that he had gotten from years of imprisonment had been replaced with a well-defined chest and abs. He also had grown several new muscles from his back to his new wings, flexing them as he flapped down and flew up nearly a foot off the ground.

"This is amazing!" Icarus exclaimed happily. "We must hurry and change you, the open sky is calling me and I want to fly."

"Careful." Daedalus replied as he brushed the magical feather against his own wings, which turned to ash in his fingers as he underwent a similar transformation to Icarus. He understood what his son had been talking about, as the feathers overtook his flesh and the wings grafted into his body he felt lighter, more agile. There was also a boundless energy, like he was about to explode as he looked up to the window and felt the pleasurable sensation of the wind through his feather. "Remember that we are warned to stay below the clouds."

Together the two climbed out the window, effortlessly moving over the thick masonry and out what had originally been a vent to keep air moving throughout the labyrinth. As they emerged into the light of dawn their elation skyrocketed, the pure blue sky beckoning them for a fly. After only a brief pause to make sure that they were pointed in the right direction, the two flapped their wings and darted through the open sky. The magic that filled their bodies made flying almost effortless, the younger male doing several aerial stunts as they got used to their new wings.

Icarus could only smile as he saw several servants that had early morning activities point in the air as they flew overhead. He also saw a few of King Mino's guards, but all they could do was point with their swords or release an arrow that they nimbly dodged out of the way. Before long they were over the sea, on their way back to Greece for a long overdue return to Athens. Daedalus could feel himself begin to tear up merely thinking about his return home alongside his son.

"Father, these wings are a true gift of the gods!" Icarus shouted as he weaved through the air, soaring up to touch the clouds and downward to touch the water. His father could only smile as he watched the boy's youthful enthusiasm, aided by the Phoenician powers granted to them. Any fatigue was non-existent, and as the day continued onward they found themselves neither hungering nor thirsting either. It was just as well, he realized, since nothing but an endless expanse of blue was beneath them.

As the day dragged on their enthusiasm and thrill of the flight began to wear off, wearing away to anxiety and boredom. The cloud cover had broken and left them with a sky so blue that it was hard to tell where it ended and the water began. With the wings their soaring was effortless, which left Daedalus to daydream about what he was going to do when he reached Athens. King Minos would not take their escape lightly, and despite his love for his country they would probably have to flee futher away to avoid recapture. "Son, what do you think about going to Italy?" He asked Icarus, only to find that the young man was no longer beside him where he had been only moments before.

"Icarus?" Daedalus exclaimed as he looked around the horizon, gasping in horror as he saw him as nothing but a bright red dot above him. "Icarus!"

"Father this is wonderful!" Icarus shouted as he soared higher and higher, the warm sunlight fueling his assent. Below he heard his father shout something, but he was far too gone in the sensation of flying to care about anything but the wind ruffling his feathers. He was so engrossed in his flight he didn't notice that the feathers had begun to spread, crawling up his neck and spreading down his waist. The seams of his leather pants started to split, the material creaking as his leg muscles began to expand. There was no pain, only a warm pleasure that grew as he continued both his transformation and ascent.

Daedalus began to flap his wings hard to catch up with his sun and pull him back down, but as he began to rise he could see the changes in his own body begin to progress. His son was too far up in Helios' realm to catch him, and after a while he had to descend once more or risk his own humanity. All he could do was watch as his son's body was twisted by the magic of Helios, unable to hear anything but the rush of wind as the young Greek's pants exploded from his new powerful thighs as his body streamlined out into a far more avian shape. Immediately he had to avert his eyes from the sight, seeing that his naked son was more than enjoying the process.

Icarus let out a sigh of relief as his confining clothing finally fell of his body, now able to completely enjoy the heat of the sun on his bared body as he flew onward and upward. A shiver of pleasure shot down his body as he felt the cool sea air against his hard cock jutting out from around his new feathers, watching as it lengthened and tapered into a point. As the sensations continued to radiate through his body he suddenly felt his anus clench, almost causing him to drop out of the air as it began to move. His tailfeathers, which had long since become permanently attached to his spine, twitched as the orifice seemed to move up and merge around his member. From what he remembered his father telling him about avian physiology it was normal for birds to have one opening for his cock and tailhole, though he was perfectly happy at the moment having it stick proudly out in the air. As he stretched out his neck in happiness it began to lengthen, small feathers sprouting from his jawbone as the transformation came to his head. His hair turned a bright red and gained a more feathered appearance as his lips pulled back, teeth merging to them as they yellowed and pushed out into a beak. Before long any semblance of the former human had vanished, the phoenix letting out a triumphant screech of delight as it darted up into the air and out of sight...

*****************************************************

"So Icarus turned into a phoenix because he got too close to the sun." Lukas said to himself as he got to the end of the story. "But if that is what happened, than there wouldn't be a tomb for him..."

"How right you are." A mysterious yet familiar voice said behind him, nearly causing Lukas to jump into the wall as he spun around. It was the red-haired man from his dream, except that this time he was completely naked and sopping wet as though he had just crawled out of the sea himself.

"It's you..." Lukas sputtered, his breathing quickening as he backed up against the wall. "Icarus..."

"In the flesh." Icarus replied with a smile, steam rising from his body as the water on his skin seemed to evaporate instantly. "But as I was saying, you are correct in that it would be infeasible for me, an immortal creature, to have a tomb. I joined the ranks of the Phoenix that day, my brethren welcoming me into the fold that very day. The one who gave us the feather was a phoenix himself, it turns out that during the day we can become human in order to interact with the world however we wish, though our fiery passion tends to limit our choices to such places as nightclubs where such a thing would go unnoticed. We are also all male, something that you don't seem to mind."

Lukas could feel himself blush with embarrassment as he covered up his manhood, which had begun to swell slightly at seeing the perfect specimen of a male in front of him. "But if that's true, then why have a rumor about your tomb in the first place?"

"Ah, that is a story as old as time itself." Icarus stated with a small sigh. "You see, after my father and everyone else I knew died I realized that spending immortality alone was not... ideal. While during the day I can spend time with the other phoenix, during the night I'm mostly on my own since most of them already had mates or flew to their homes that were great distances away. So I thought I would go ahead and find myself a mate. Not just any mate though, he would have to be as passionate and inquisitive as I was. I wanted to see how high I could go; I want my life partner to be the same."

"I... don't see how I would be a great fit for you." Lukas replied shyly. As he turned away slightly he knew that it wasn't the idea put out by the mythological figure that bothered him. In fact he had been looking for romance himself for quite a while, which is partially why he had come to Greece in the first place. The idea of a relationship with Icarus was more than plausible for him; he just didn't want himself to be picked out of desperation.

To his surprise Icarus just smiled at him, his bright red eyes glowing in the darkness as he approached him. "I've been in your dreams Lukas; I've seen exactly what type of person you are." He exclaimed. "Plus I've been watching you, you've spent nearly your entire vacation on this desolate little spot of land, trying to find something that may not even exist. Even on the days when it rained, when your friend would not go with you, you still came, searching. If that's not passion I don't know what it is... you belong with me Lukas, let me make you a phoenix and we can soar the skies during the day and during the night we can party and make love. We don't need to eat or sleep, we will never tire... and you should try sex in the air."

Lukas could feel his skin grow hot as Icarus described the act in detail, his arousal beginning to build as they got even closer together. He knew what would happen if he accepted the offer, besides the perks that his potential lover had described he would also be giving up his entire life as a human to be with him. Sure he could be human during the night, but even if he kept up the façade he would have to move to Greece in order to be with him. Could he really give up everything he was to a man whom he only knew in legends?

As Lukas continued to ponder he could feel himself start to sweat, the red-haired Greek's skin beginning to glow as he walked into the moonlight. They were still a foot apart and it felt like Icarus stood right next to him, the heat suffusing through his body. "I have one last thing to show you to help you decide, something that only happens during the full moon when Helios still has enough power reflecting onto us during the night." Icarus stated as he started to pant heavily.

The heat in the room continued to build as Icarus raised his hands into the air, the silvery moonlight almost seemed to absorb into his skin as it became brilliantly bright. Lukas could see Icarus' form begin to twist, his body becoming more and more insubstantial the brighter he got. Finally he had to shield his eyes as he heard a shriek like that of an Eagle, a flash akin to a nuclear explosion nearly blinding him as the other male was completely enveloped. There was a blast of fiery heat as well, at first he feared that he would be incinerated but the warmth did little but to excite his already lustful state even further. When the light subsided and he was able to see again he was treated to a sight that caused his jaw to drop.

Standing where the red-haired human once did was a creature that was nearly seven feet tall, wreathed in an aura of brilliant red fire. It stood on two legs, but instead of the normal human configuration there were three large toes that were connected to scaly red legs the color of molten lava. The feathers that covered his muscular torso were tipped with gold and moved like miniature tongues of flame, yet still accented the eight pack that lay above a tapered member nearly sixteen inches in length. As he flexed his huge arms the wings that were on his back also stretched out, giving the monstrous being the look of an angel of fire. Finally Lukas' eyes traveled up to the head, where the creature's eyes were a solid ruby color as a thick tongue liked around the newly-formed beak.

The sight was one of the most beautiful that Lukas had ever seen, standing there awestruck as the creature spoke. "This is the form that we take once a month, and the only time I will be able to bestow upon you the same gift. I know you are my kindred spirit, I can sense the fire in you that will make you a fine phoenix. Nevertheless I will not force myself upon you like I did in your dream, the decision is yours, and if you reject me then when the tide reveals this place I will take you out of here myself before I join my brethren in the skies."

Lukas only half-heard what the were-phoenix had said to him as he stepped closer, moving until he was only an inch away from the fire that engulfed the creature's body. His body quivered in anticipation, and as he slowly reached out a hand he could see that Icarus was just as anxious as well. There was a brief moment of hesitation before the human took a deep breath and fell forward, his body engulfed in flames as he embraced the hard muscles of the feathered form in front of him. The fire danced across his skin as they held each other, a bond being forged between them within the curtain of flames that covered them both.

After a minute the human began to feel slightly-lightheaded, eventually the strong arms wrapped around his body was the only thing keeping him up as he was moved to the side of the cavern. It sort of felt like when he had gotten really drunk, a smile growing on his face as tingles began to cover his body. As he sat there in his euphoria he felt two large hands on his cock, which was still hard as diamond, which began to stroke him as Icarus knelt down in between his sprawled out legs. All Lukas could do was groan as pleasure wracked his flame-covered body, unable to move except for weak thrusting as he felt the other male's hot breath against his groin.

"Icarus..." Lukas muttered in bliss, his eyes rolling back as his dick was licked and nuzzled on. He knew that the phoenix was teasing him, fanning the fires of his desire. Not an inch of the sensitive flesh was spared, his fingers almost digging into the stone floor as the smooth tongue swirled around his head. His hips continued to buck against the hands grasping his shaft, his cock bumping against Icarus' beak as he slowly opened his mouth and lowered himself onto the needy tool. The inside of the avian's mouth was softer than he had expected as he watched the phoenix's head begin to slowly work up and down, the red flames growing larger as he sucked.

It didn't take long for the riled human to become completely riled up, but before he could climax Icarus quickly pulled off. Lukas gritted his teeth in frustration as he felt his orgasm stolen away from him, glaring at the grinning phoenix before he suddenly grabbed at the hips and flipped over with surprising strength. Unbeknownst to him his body had also become considerably lighter, the red flames around his body beginning to shift as he was brought onto his hands and knees. He could feel the tapered tip rub between his cheeks as the male behind him scooted up between his legs. By this time they both had started to pant, their passions reflected in the roiling flames around them as Icarus began to claim Lukas as his mate.

Lukas' mouth fell open as he began to feel the tip press into him, his head rubbing against his arms as the thick appendage slid into his body. As the heat radiated through his passage he found it grow relaxed, allowing it inside him without pain as Icarus continued to push his hips forward. A strange sensation began to flow through the human's body, the pleasurable heat in his body growing stronger as his lover continued to penetrate him. His breathing became labored as all sixteen inches of phoenix cock was inside him, his body clenching around it as though to keep it inside of him.

Icarus could sense the fire growing inside the smaller body beneath him, spurred on by the liquid fire of his essence as he began to thrust inside the human. Already a thin stream of blue fire had begun to leak out of Lukas' cock as it bobbed in time with their lovemaking, growing longer until it was similar in size to the one inside him. As he grabbed his hips to push even deeper the flesh yielded under his thick fingers, breaking and disintegrating at several points as similar blue fire leaked into the air. "M-more!" Lukas yelled as his body began to grow, his skin cracking and glowing blue as he began to push back into Icarus' crotch.

Lukas continued to yell as the blue fire that had already consumed his insides came bursting out of his mouth, charring the surrounding rocks as his lips turned to dust. The human shell of his skin ripped violently as two huge blue wings shot out of his back, which continued to tear down his shoulders and arms as it was unable to contain the new inferno of muscle. Feathers shredded what managed to cling to his huge frame, each one tipped with silver that shone in the light as their auras filled the entire cave. Icarus cried out in delight as he saw Lukas shed his body and become reborn as a phoenix, hilting his cock into the new tail-feather covered rump every time as their lustful pants synchronized.

Finally Icarus could hold back no longer and came, his red fire exploding outward as he filled the virgin phoenix. Lukas let out a loud call as he could feel the essence of his mate shoot into him, which combined with his transformation gave him the first climax of his new body. He nearly blacked out from the sheer force, the rocks underneath his cock turning to ash as he came. All the new phoenix could do was hold on as the sensations flooded his body as the two living myths stayed entwined around one another in sheer ecstasy.

As the flames died down around the two phoenix men they cuddled against one another, looking up at the night sky as they waited for the waters to recede from the hole once more. Lukas couldn't help but smile as he felt a talon trace down his back, shifting and teasing through his tailfeathers. In response he turned and rubbed his beak against his, the two lovers kissing each other. While they waited Icarus told him of the realm of the phoenix, and of all the wonderful new experiences they would have together.

As they could see and feel the first rays of dawn sunlight shine through the water Lukas felt both his and his lover's body begin to shift once more. Their features grew more bestial as Helios' call came down to them; their arms merging into their wings as they lost their physiques became more streamlined. Both of them felt the itch to fly grow stronger and stronger as they waited, flapping their wings impatiently as the open air beckoned to them. When the waters finally were withdrawn they shot into the air like beams of light, flying to the realm of the sky to greet their brothers together and sing to them their mated song.

As they broke through the clouds Lukas took one last look down at the surface, grinning as he already began to make mental preparations for when they would be back in the human world come nightfall...