The Child of the Stars
Theseus squirmed past hordes of people, his black cape loosely wrapped around his collarbones and falling onto his back causing him to sweat more than usual. He tried not to choke on all the dust that had been kicked up into the air as he slapped away mosquitoes from his sweat-drenched skin irritatedly, struggling to see the town square through his platinum locks of hair. "Excuse me, I need to see this, this is important matter…" He muttered hurriedly. As people began to notice his appearance, they made way for Theseus, all wide-eyed and rapidly whispering and pointing at him.
"Hey, isn't that the wanderer from the South?"
"I heard he's of royal blood! A prince, perhaps?"
"Ox-crap! What would a person like such ever do in a rotten place like this?!"
"Perhaps he's come to help?"
"The selection of the young to be sacrificed to King Minos's abomination has spread far, he's likely another scraggler itching to see who the 'lucky' ones are."
"He's a crafty one, that man right there. Don't trust him, he's one of those bandits that roam around attacking regular people living out in the fields, no matter how much royal blood he may have!"
All these mutterings and curses made their way into Theseus's ears as he shuffled down the narrow mini path, if it could even be called that, created by the peasants, trying to ignore the glares and stares thrown towards his figure. He stopped before a raised wooden platform, where the crowd had circled around 5 meters away.
Standing upright on the platform was dignified-looking man, donning a polished tunic with veins of gold silk throughout. His shaved head, sharp nose and dull grey eyes seemed to have lost all emotion from years of desensitization. Around the wooden platform, just before the crowd stood a dozen and a half soldiers, all in armor that bore an insignia of a red-horned goat. His monotone eyes gazed at the crowd around him as his voice boomed, quieting the crowd. "Greetings, townsfolk of Athens. As you all very well may know, I have appeared here to continue the annual pickings of seven boys and seven maidens to be sent to Crete on the condition of King Minos. I will provide no other explanation other than that if this is not done, King Minos shall wage war against the Athenians, a battle which we will surely be devastated against. Now will all the children of 12 years or younger be brought forward?"
Hushed murmurings broke out throughout the crowd as Theseus stood, unbelieving the sight. This man surely was Aegeus, the founder and the king of Athens, his very own father that had left for a journey when Theseus was a nourishing baby. Rapid doubts and fears trickled through his head. I know little of my father...But is this really Aegeus, my very own father? Mother had spoken stories of his journeys and adventures, but what could have possibly induced him to carry out this ghastly ritual? Upon realizing what he had concluded, Theseus shook his chestnut locks away from his eyes. No, he said that King Minos would wage war...So perhaps he had committed a grave mistake or sin towards Minos's family, but what could he possibly have done?
His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a mass of children stepping forward, all innocent of the danger they were in.
"I heard that King Minos will treat the seven of us to riches, sweets and warm beds!" A boy of 11 years excitedly exclaimed.
"I hope the journey there won't be too long, I get sick easily," replied another.
Theseus felt goosebumps sprout upon his sweaty, tanned arm, even in the humid and damp surroundings. These children, as he had heard, would be sacrificed to King Minos's abomination, the Minotaur. They were completely innocent, a bright future ahead of them, a life of possibilities. Twenty eight of them had already been sacrificed in the last two years. Was there any hope to stop this without severe consequences?
Aegeus's gaze bore down on all the children. "You, boy of shaved head, come to this platform," he pointed. Said boy scrambled out of the crowd and climbed up the wooden stairs. "The girl in a straw hat," He continued, the girl already on her way to meet him. Before long, there were 6 little boys and 7 young boys on the platform, all sweating their heads off, a few shaking from fear and others with a bright smile on their face. Aegeus searched through the crowd for a last candidate. "Alright, the last boy shall be y-"
"Cease this horrific ritual immediately!" Aegeus's words were cut off, and the crowd immediately stopped all movement, all looking for the speaker. The dangerous silence could have choked a passerby. And that is exactly what Theseus felt in his throat. Rage overcame him and he had spoken without even realizing what he was about to do. I shouldn't have done that. I should not have done that.
Aegeus's head whipped back, a dangerous aura emanating from his cold eyes. "Who dares to speak out? Reveal yourself and state your name!"
Biting his lip till it nearly drew blood, Theseus realized he was at the point of no return. Some of the people had already identified him as the speakers and were beginning to all stare towards him. Even if he was near sure that the intimidating presence on the platform was his father, the butterflies still stirred from his stomach up to his chest, furiously rattling his heart a dozen times per second. Theseus stepped forward, his hands damp from sweat now chilling to the bone. His tongue weighed down, he tried not to stumble over his words as he loudly proclaimed, "I am but a simple traveler from the south. I have endured a long journey to this capital in hopes of a great future, yet I am met with this barbaric act? I request that you stop this madness!"
The towering man narrowed his eyes. "And what is it you suggest I, the king of Athens, do, young man? Have you no idea of what has happened in the past? Were you born under a boulder?" He asked dangerously.
A spark of rage ignited Theseus's heart, and before he could dwell on his words, he furiously proclaimed, "I have heard stories, and despite how cruel the past may be, the past does not justify barbaric acts! If no one will do anything, then I request that I go alone on the journey to Crete in place of all these innocent children, and slay the Minotaur myself!" His words echoed around main square, leaving a horrified, shocked, silence from all the townsfolk. Even a dog dared not to bark, the silence so suffocating. What in the God's name have I said? Theseus thought, his inners coiling into snakes. Go fight the Minotaur?! That is a death wish! But...what else could I have done?
Aegeus had been taken back as well, his glare turned into a look of shock. After taking a moment to process the proclamation, his harshness gone now, he slowly said, "You do realize what you have suggested, have you not? What is your name, lad?"
Shaking away his fear and nervousness, Theseus tried his best to stand tall and confidently said, "My name...is Theseus."
The grey eyes of the king no longer reflected nothing. They now were wide in shock, with all the rest of his defined facial features trembling. His mouth gaped open, but unable to utter a sound. All gazes stared at Aegeus as he stood trembling at the sight of Theseus. "Th...What...Theseus? My son that I had left with Aethra long ago? Is it really you?" Theseus nodded. "I don't...After all this time you've found me, Theseus...But I didn't imagine that it would be like this…Do you really intend to travel to Crete to slay the Minotaur? I can't...Not when I've just met you…"
Theseus, with a determined gaze, resolved his thoughts and confirmed them. I can't let all these innocent children be sacrificed. Someone must do something, and I shall be that someone. He responded, "Yes. I fully intend to go. Even if you have just met me for the first time, I cannot let this act continue." Raising his voice with an air of accusation, he followed up and said, "You would be devastated if your son, which you haven't seen once yet left your sword for, would go to engage in combat with the Minotaur, a seemingly death wish? Have you not considered how all the mothers and fathers of these children would feel if they were sent away to be dealt a gruesome death? Is that not the epitome of hypocrisy?!" Theseus's bold speech filled the townsfolk ears, some of them nodding in agreement and began whispering to one another.
Aegeus looked around somewhat panicked, and hurriedly yelled, "Alright, everyone, disperse! Leave now!" He motioned the children on the platform next to him to climb off as well, and gave a signal to his guards. The soldiers nodded and began pushing the crowd away, slowly but surely until there was no trace of the gathering left. Stepping down from the platform, Aegeus slowly approached Theseus, taking in the sight of the son he had left behind years ago. Upon closer inspection, the two did have some noticeable similar traits. The same prominent slanted eyebrows, the same square jaw, and the same grey eyes. "Theseus...It really is you." He gazed off into the mountains for a moment, and looked back at Theseus. "I suppose there is no convincing you. That determination of yours is a type I know far too well. It is one that led me to become the king of this country. Therefore, I shall let you sail to Crete and slay the Minotaur. I can provide everything for the trip, but unfortunately I know nothing about the Minotaur itself, and thus am unable to provide you with any info regarding it."
Theseus met his father's gaze with his own. "I understand. I will begin making preparation." And with that, Theseus swiftly turned and briskly walked away, leaving the king of Athens behind with all his soldiers. As he head towards the inn, he shook his head, trying to clear up his muddled thoughts. I have taken on a responsibility, and I must deliver. However, how on earth do I plan to defeat the Minotaur? I know nothing about it. I may as well just jump off the ship traveling there. A soft giggle reached out to his ears right behind him. Theseus twisted around, an instinct born from countless ambushes from animals and humans alike, his silver eyes searching for the source of the voice. He was met with the common peasants, all going about their own business, laughing and conversing. No one out of the ordinary nor seemed like they had spoken to him appeared. Heart slowly ramping up speed, confusion and terror struck Theseus as he stared at the town. Was I hearing things? Did I simply overhear someone? Shaking his head, Theseus concluded that the stress from earlier left him agitated. He turned around and was met with a woman right in front of him, just a foot away, staring at him with admiration. Theseus yelped, his voice reaching a pitch previously thought impossible for him. Jumping back, dust being flung into the air, the platinum haired warrior tightly gripped the black leather straps wrapping around the hilt of his claymore, tightly sheathed into a short scabbard on his back. Every ambush against Theseus was always detected a few seconds before. None ever managed to get so much as a few meters away unnoticed, yet this woman did so with ease.
The woman standing before Theseus wore clothing of clear royalty, with a red dress ending in a skirt, and the tight black undergarments embroidered with white silk in various designs. Though clearly one of noble lineage, the garments seemed to be tailored for adventuring and exploration, evident by the elegant yet tight, fitting clothes meant for full range of movement without difficulty. Shaking her silky, loose maroon hair behind her, she smirked at the wary Theseus and cooed, "Aw, well isn't that cute. Did you hear how high your shriek went? Surprising for such a handsome, gallant man who had just volunteered to slay the Minotaur!"
A cold drop of sweat rolled down Theseus's neck. His eyes were drawn to her pretty face, the well-matched clothing, her figure's curvature, everything, and couldn't detach his sight away from her. Yet he felt danger emanating from her, despite the lack of weaponry visible. If there were true malice, he likely would have been bleeding out onto the ground already. However, only a trained, elite assassin could have done so, as she placed herself in a situation where a quick stab or slit of the throat would be far too easy and impossible to retaliate against, yet she had done nothing. Voice trembling, Theseus asked, "Who..who are you? How-"
"How was I able to get so close? Sorry, that's a trade secret. The best don't reveal their techniques now, do they?" She cut him off, winking. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ariadne, daughter of Minos. Now, don't be alarmed, I'm not here to kill you for trying to go against Minos. In fact, I'm here to applaud you for your shameless stand back at the town square!"
Theseus furrowed his brow. What could a daughter of Minos be doing here in the first place? Still suspicious, Theseus released his grip on the hilt and lowered his hand, but still assumed a defensive stance. "I get the feeling you're not here just to applaud me, whatever reason that may be."
Coiling strands of hair around her finger, Ariadne smiled slyly and said, "Oh don't fret, it's nothing bad. I myself dislike my father, so I don't have a reason to screw you over anyways. In fact, I do want to assist you. That speech of yours was incredibly bold, and some of my heartstrings might have been tugged at the sight of a handsome warrior all gallant and being a hero. It's not everyday a girl gets to see a heroic act, especially one who gets cooped up in a castle all the time." She leaned on a wall, still intently gazing at Theseus. "I happen to know many interesting tidbits of information about this whole situation, some of which may save your life. Interested?"
Theseus nodded rapidly, suddenly dropping all tension. This is exactly what he needed right now. I didn't think I would come across info about the Minotaur this easily! And the daughter of King Minos at that! "Yes, I would love if you would share what you know with me! Truth be told, I know pretty much nothing at all about this, so anything would help!"
She gave him a quizzical stare. "You mean you volunteered to go after the Minotaur without any information whatsoever?...Can't tell if you're really gallant or just incredibly meatheaded." Ariadne turned her head, looking at the town, then back at Theseus, smiling. "But before anything, perhaps we should go to an inn. The day is starting to set, and you look pretty weary. I happen to be friendly with the innkeeps around here, I'm sure we can get a nice room for ourselves," She added seductively.
Theseus blushed slightly and stammered, "Oh, uh, I-I see... Alright, lead the way." Ariadne smirked at him and turned, casually walking towards an inn, with a dazed Theseus in tow.
A better part of the week later, the royal ship Aegeus and Ariadne had prepared for the journey had arrived at Crete. Aegeus had stood solemn, unwilling to speak much save for "May you return successful," for fear of tearing up, but Theseus still spotted sadness within his eyes and hugged him.
Ariadne had come along with Theseus, and there she stood at the edge of the ship, the sunlight lighting up the warm red clothing, awaiting eagerly for the boat to dock. She turned to face Theseus and said, "Well, we finally are here, my love! Hope you had a nutritious meal, wouldn't want to be getting the cravings right before, would you? And of course, I made sure you had a proper rest over the night..."
Still unused to Ariadne's affection despite their relationship, Theseus nervously scratched the back of his head. "Well, I've never been more ready for such a daunting task." The salty mist of the ocean filled his nose as the ship rocked slowly towards the dock before finally coming to a halt. The cheers of the numerous hands on deck drowned out the splashes of the waves, ringing Theseus's ears. Despite the terrifying near-future, he grinned at the enthusiasm of the sailors. Steadily stepping onto the wooden dock with the clompings of the numerous others doing the same, he stretched out his body to get rid of the clump of butterflies within his stomach. Alright, the time is near…
After leaving the town behind, Theseus and Ariadne foraged through the woods in an hours time, before arriving at a clearing where two guards stood, clad in armor. Behind the guards lie a 3 meter tall stone structure, the stone cracked in various spots where moss had taken to furnish. The sides extended out to a length of the ship they had traveled on.
As Ariadne approached the labyrinth, one of the guards piped up in surprise and exclaimed, "Princess Ariadne? It is a great pleasure and honor to see you, but whatever could you be doing here?"
The other guard cleared his burly voice, and answered for him, "Ah, of course it is the exciting time of the year again where the sacrifices to the Minotaur are sent. How I love to see those little snotty brats foolishly lining up here. I would think that the Princess is here for that purpose, yet I see no fourteen sacrifices, just one young man. Whatever could this mean, Princess?"
Ariadne put on a stunning smile and replied, her words dripping with sugar, "Well hello, indeed I have come. But I'm afraid this year there won't be any sacrifices save for this handsome warrior, he foolishly angered my father, and in retaliation Father decided to send him to the Labyrinth as it was the time of the year anyways. So please, would you step aside, gentlemen?"
The guards looked at each other uneasily. The burly one hesitantly said, "I understand, my Princess, but we are not to let anyone in except the fourteen children sacrifices. Our orders were to specifically not let anyone, even from the royal family's request until this time of the year, and only the children at that. If there has been a change, we most certainly would have had a message sen-"
Ariadne, in a split second, had appeared by the guard's side with a dagger shoved into the back of his neck, cutting off his words, a trickle of blood streaming down the armor below as he collapsed. The other guard, alarmed, brandished his sword and swung at Ariadne's bare neck, seemingly making contact. However, the silver edge simply passed through empty air. Confused, he swung his sword behind him, twisting his waist for power, anticipating a rear attack. A searing jolt of pain flashed through his shoulder. Bug-eyed, his turned back to find Ariadne in the same spot earlier. "How did you…" He managed to choke out a few words before Ariadne kicked him down, muttering, "Scum of the earth…"
Theseus stood wide-eyed, just as confused as the former guards, at the exchange, which could have lasted no longer than six seconds. "I don't think I can believe my eyes," He said in disbelief, "With that level of skill, you yourself should be taking on the Minotaur instead of me!"
Ariadne scowled at the guards before turning to Theseus and sighing. "My tactics probably would be shrugged off against the Minotaur. A battle-hardened, experienced heavy hitter such as yourself with that claymore and all would be more effective against a monster."
"Oh yeah, definitely. Your tactics wouldn't work. Right." He scoffed. "Anyways," Theseus continued, "This is the infamous Labyrinth, house to the Minotaur? It's bigger than any structure I've seen, did a god build this or something?"
"A great architect I hear, one that supposedly built functional wings for him and his son. But yes, this is the inescapable prison. But," Ariadne said with a glimmer in her eye,"Not if I can do something about that. Remember what I told you? I have a way to make sure you can get in deep while still being able to get out afterwards." She snapped her fingers, and a turquoise aura started emanating from her hands. A tiny, milky white speck appeared, slowly growing and stretching until it became something like a string. "This string will continue on forever if attached. I will attach it to you, and as you venture deeper into the labyrinth, it will stay attached. Though I suppose not really attached, it will be floating after you, and you will be able to retrace your steps by simply following the floating string. But you get what I mean. That way, you will be able to escape."
Theseus furrowed his brows. "What if it breaks? And how does that even work? An inescapable maze would imply that it's never the same way you first came through."
Rolling her eyes, she replied, "You think I haven't thought of that? This string is made to be indestructible. Not really hard when it's such a small thing. And as for the maze...You dolt, a labyrinth that's already been solved isn't one where you can get lost, yeah? This string will solve it for you, per say."
Theseus looked at the entrance to the labyrinth, which was pitch dark and took deep breaths, trying not to let his heart race too rapidly. "Alright, Ariadne. Attach the string."
Ariadne nodded and tapped Theseus's shoulder, the turquoise aura enveloping his body for a brief moment, then fading away. Immediately, the string began to float behind his back somewhat ominously. "It's done." She said.
"Kind of creepy how it just floats behind me at all times, like a living being," Theseus joked.
"Oh hush, you. You're off to fight a monster, and you're creeped out by a string? Oh by the way, when you come out, just head to the town and into the tavern called The Witch's Brew and ask for me." Ariadne added.
Theseus gazed down the entrance of the Labyrinth, a hallway visible within. Forcing down the lump in his throat, he attempted to look confident and said, "I'll see you."
Without looking back, Theseus stood upright, preparing a torch, squaring his shoulders, and walked into the pitch black Labyrinth. As soon as both his feet entered, Theseus suddenly found himself in a narrow hallway with the walls made of reddish brown bricks, and the floor of tiles the same color. Multiple openings and paths cut into the sides of the walls, some headed upward, a few with descending stairs. Every 2 meters along the sides of both walls had a torch placed into a holder at chest height. The cool, earthy scent filled his nose. Dumbfounded, Theseus spun around to look at the exit and was met with a door frame that led into pitch black nothingness, no sign of the outside world present. What on earth? I wasn't able to see the inside of the Labyrinth through the entrance outside, yet in here it's well lit up. And now I am unable to sight the outside at all! Theseus stared at the exit before turning back to look at the hallway lying before him and shivered, his palms clammy with cold sweat. I have no idea how to get to the Minotaur in the first place, Theseus realized, a wave of doom washing over him. Guess I'll just go as deep as I can until I find evidence of the Minotaur. Snuffing out the unneeded torch, Theseus drew the claymore off his back. The shining steel reached out to 107 centimeters, or three and a half feet. He rested the claymore against his shoulder and gave one last look behind him before heading further into the Labyrinth.
Theseus took countless turns, descended, ascended, backtracked, entered empty rooms and wandered around the Labyrinth for half an hour before he spotted an abnormality. Crouching to the ground, Theseus inspected a strange clump. The hallways of the Labyrinth were surprisingly free from rubble, so something lying upon the ground would have been noticed immediately. He picked up the spiky, thin object, staring intently until he realized it was a bone, likely a finger. Dropping it in horror, Theseus sat down to take a breather. Taking a few deep breaths, he told himself, Okay, I should not get too flustered. It's expected that I would find remains here. This is the first clue I have found, but where do I go from here? He stared at the Ariadne's strings floating around him, gears running as he tried to figure out the next plan of action.
Out of the corner of his eye, Theseus saw a few discolorations on the wall. Raising a brow, Theseus slowly crawled towards the markings and peered at the long, white colors against the red clay. Scratches, he realized. But they don't seem to be one of claws. Perhaps the Minotaur had rammed its head here? No, they're too jagged and random. As he instinctively tightened his grip on his claymore, Theseus realized that the markings seemed to be made from a sword or an axe. He traced his finger along them and felt the sharp dents and grooves outlined on the wall. This definitely is an axe of some sort...Is the Minotaur wielding an axe? What?... Theseus looked along the wall and saw a few more markings leading to a long, straight hallway that ended with an opening the shape of a door into another room, with no breaks or turns. That's the direction to the Minotaurs location…! Theseus held out his claymore with two hands in a parrying position, slowly creeping down the hallway, expecting the Minotaur to leap out at him with the crazed eyes of a raging bull. As he inched towards the opening, faint growls and heavy breathing echoed through the walls. His hands were slick with cold sweat, and he hoped his hand wouldn't slip from the hilt. He dared not even breathe. It's now or never, Theseus thought fervently, his heart beating up a storm in his chest. He burst into the room, poised to attack.
Sitting against the wall was the Minotaur. It slowly rose up upon noticing Theseus, the iron ball chained to the feet screeching against the tiles, towering above at 3 meters tall. On the sides of the head sprouted two thick, red horns that curled upwards, and on its head was a wild mane of white hair, one of such density and immenseness that the mane completely covered the Minotaur's backside and whilst also wrapping around the neck as if it were a thick, woolen scarf. The eyes contained an inhuman black where the white sclera would be and planted within the center glared an intense blood-red iris. However, the monstrous aspects ended there. The mane surrounded not a bull's head, but a face of a fair skinned human. The rest of its body also were that of a human, albeit enormous. An incredibly bulky and muscular body looked no different than one of an arena fighter. The scarred arms had iron rings tightly wrapped around it, and fastened to the belly was iron armor that spread out at the legs into a radius around the back. A red cloth hung from the Minotaur's waist down to the feet, splitting apart into two sections. The Minotaur fixed its gaze at Theseus intently with it's piercing red eyes, motionless.
The Minotaur so feared that King Minos had someone construct the inescapable Labyrinth so that its escape was impossible...Theseus steeled himself, calming the whirlwind of emotions swirling through his head. He met the Minotaur's intense eyes with his own glare. Gripping his claymore upright, Theseus charged forward, swinging it down towards the Minotaur. Growling, it grabbed two gigantic single-bladed axes with enormous poles as handles from the ground, previously unseen by Theseus, and parried the strike using both axes. The claymore, upon impact, blew Theseus back a couple of steps. Unshaken, he reared back and feinted an upward slash, the Minotaur's axes moving down towards the blade, but was immediately struck by Theseus shifting his claymore's momentum into the beast's wrist. The Minotaur yelped in pain, it's right hand recoiling back, still tightly clutching onto the axe, as a large gash began to seep blood. Theseus narrowed his eyes. Now the right hand is injured, so I cannot parry my strikes as easil-. His words were cut off as the left axe of the flailing Minotaur locked onto Theseus, barely being able to catch the axe in time. He backstepped a few paces away, his claymore still poised to strike. I still don't understand how this monster could have had all this armor and weaponry in the first place...Were they brought here? He stared at the Minotaur as it still regarded him carefully. Theseus furrowed his brows. Something irked him. Something was not right. He looked into the Minotaur's eyes and saw not the wild glare of a beast, but the ragged intensity of a doomed survivor's eyes as it defended whatever little it had left. The Minotaur, nursing its arm, charged at Theseus now instead, aiming the black-steeled axe towards his legs. He jumped over the blade, countering by throwing out a heavy blow of his own on the Minotaur's right axe. The injured arm unable to keep up with the force of the blow, the Minotaur's hand released the axe as it cluttered to the ground a meter away. Theseus dropped to the ground, focusing the heavy blade on the ankle, following up with a kick of his boot. The Minotaur staggered and rotated its arm into Theseus's stomach. He was sent flying like a ragdoll a few meters away just before his armored body could crash into the wall. Groaning as he rose up from the tiled floor, he attempted to clear his head of the dizziness that just occurred.
Spitting out a pebble that found its way inside his mouth, Theseus looked back at the Minotaur standing motionless, staring at him. In fact, the Minotaur's face had morphed from one of fear to one of curiosity. Theseus shook head. What? How could the damn monster be curious? All it wants is to devour my body whole, just like it had done to all the poor children sacrificed here! He reached down to the ground and picked up his claymore which had been released from his grasp in the aftermath of the punch, anticipating his stomach to ache in pain. To his surprise, no such thing occurred. He should have most certainly been injured from that punch. Those incredibly muscular arms seemed to hold limitless strength. Come to think of it, those swings it took at me seemed half-hearted. They didn't have an intent to kill… He sharply looked back at the Minotaur, who had continued to stand its ground. Looking at his belly and back at the Minotaur, Theseus's head stormed with explanations. The Minotaur took a step forward, still intently gazing at Theseus, as if it were a child hesitant to explore a new object or person.
Realization dawned upon Theseus. The human body, the lack of true monster-like taits, the purely defensive combat style, the child-like curiosity, all had eluded him in his rage and focus on slaying a monster. This is not a beast nor a monster, Theseus thought, widening his eyes as his stance began to falter. This is a damned child...Theseus stood in shock, all of the previous rage gone. The real monster is the one who locked his own child away in an inescapable Labyrinth, not him. He had heard of the Minotaur's origin, that the god Poseidon had ordered King Minos to sacrifice a specific bull to him, but the King valued it and sacrificed a different one, causing Poseidon to curse his wife to give birth to a monstrous bull-like baby, which ended up as it is now. Ariadne had told him the story as well, but she hadn't said anything about...this. What do I even do?...
Theseus gritted his teeth and stood in a combat stance once again. This is the only option. The Minotaur, upon seeing Theseus ready himself, did so as well, grabbing the fallen axe from the ground, albeit gingerly, with the injured hand. In a flash, Theseus sprinted towards the Minotaur, not intending to stretch the battle more than needed. He rotated his waist, channelling his momentum into his arms and bringing the heavy weight down onto the remaining healthy arm of the unfortunate horned beast. A crimson slash burst from the bulky arm as the cut went through, and the Minotaur growled in displeasure, aiming to throw a fist at Theseus. However, its right arm was still injured, leaving it telegraphed and slow, allowing Theseus to backstep with ease. He bit his lip and said, "I am so sorry," as he immediately burst his claymore forward, the shining tip gouging itself deep into the Minotaur's burly chest. Theseus pulled it back out and retreated a few paces as the Minotaur clutched the bloody wound and dropped to the ground, both of the enormous axes clanging off the tiles below.
The Minotaur rolled onto its back, the dynamic chest rising up and down harshly with each breath. Theseus set his claymore down and approached cautiously, despite knowing full well the danger of doing so. The Minotaur locked fearful eyes with him. Theseus held his hands up in an effort to signify no malicious intent, though he wasn't sure if it would understand him. He looked down at his feet as his lips quivered, then looked back at the Minotaur, tears forming in his eyes. His throat choked up and his voice trembled as he threw his heartfelt words at the Minotaur.
"I wanted to save you!" Theseus cried out at the boy, tears streaming down his battle-dusted face. "But I didn't know how!" His voice cracking at the end as he tried to choke back a sob.
The Minotaur's ragged breathing had quieted down as soon as Theseus's sorrow voice reached it. It stared at Theseus with wide red eyes as a murmur came from it. "Save…?"
Theseus stood petrified by the shock of the Minotaur talking. He could not believe his ears. His silver irises looked at the Minotaur in shock as he tried to comprehend the situation. "You...can speak?" Theseus whispered. "I...I just want to talk to you right now." Although the Minotaur did not reply back nor shake its head, the fear within its eyes diminished and grew softer. Theseus took it as an approval and gently walked over, taking a seat next to the head. A minute of silence passed before Theseus spoke again. "My name is Theseus. I came here to slay a monster called the Minotaur that ate children," He paused as he noticed the horned child clench its teeth in anger upon the mention of the word Minotaur. "No, not the Minotaur. Minotaur would imply that you are a true half bull half human monster, but that's not the case, is it? You certainly did eat those children, however, and I did feel monstrous presence in our battle. But...you ate them out of necessity, right? I don't know how else you get fed, as I can't imagine you surviving off of that for a whole year...but that doesn't matter. You are a young boy, not the Minotaur. Just someone who was damned by the world to end up here." Theseus ended with a sad look at the Minotaur. No, not the Minotaur. Theseus remembered his conversation with Ariadne on the trip.
Ariadne nonchalantly flipped her hair over her shoulder. "My father did end up giving a name to the Minotaur, though it was hardly referred to, and I only know of it because I saw an old transcript of his to my aunt, one that transforms men into pigs...Quite the devil is she. Never liked her, the damn slut. A terrific witch though, perhaps my father wanted to see if she could do anything about the Minotaur. But anyways, he referred to the Minotaur as 'Asterios', which means 'starry'. I can't imagine why, perhaps he didn't want to anger Poseidon even further. Who knows?" She ended with a shrug."
"No," Theseus said slowly, "You are not the Minotaur. Your name is Asterios, meaning 'starry'."
In response, the boy repeated the name. "As...teri...os…" As if he had just put something new in his mouth and was trying to determine its taste. "Ast..erios. Aster..ios..Asterios!" He ended, properly pronouncing it, a small child-like grin spreading on his ashy face.
Theseus smiled upon seeing Asterios's delight in a name. "Yes, Asterios, it is a beautiful name."
Asterios looked back at him and struggled to form words, furrowing his brows as he tried to formulate his sentences. "Th..eseus… What is... out...there?"
Theseus raised his eyebrows before smiling again. "What is out there? This world is beautiful, Asterios, out there lies a vast sea with sparkling waters and a deep blue. Out there are verdant green fields where animals such as wild deer and bulls roam, towering forests and woods where no sound can be found except the chattering of all the insects, the rustles of the monkeys above. The towns are filled with lively people, everyone smiling and laughing as they go about their business. Johnathon of the Farm Fields has the most delicious, ripe, red fruits which burst with flavor with each bite, Old Pheneys of the tavern was always happy to see me after a long journey and provided a warm, dry, bed with the feeling of home…"
The two of them talked for a long time, mainly Theseus sharing his adventures throughout his life, his six labours, ("There was a pompous jackass old man who lived near an old cliff with a stream running down into it. He would ask kind travelers to wash his feet in the stream as his back no longer used to work as it did, and taking advantage of their kindness, he threw them right off the cliff into the ocean! I also fell to the trap, but I was suspicious already and had already had a grip on his leg in case he tried anything funny! Suffice to say, the other travelers will be happy knowing the old man has also been eaten up by a sea monster.") and Asterios periodically asking questions further, fascinated just like a child asking an older sibling for more stories and explanations.
Suddenly, Asterios started coughing violently. Theseus's heart was struck with fear as he realized that he had dealt a fatal blow to Asterios not long ago, yet surprised the hardy boy was able to stay like that for such a long time. Panicked, he said "Asterios...I...I'm sorry, I can't do anything. If I help you escape, the whole world will turn on you and kill you. If I left you here before our fight, you would have suffered and rotted here until your death...I had to...What kind of person am I…" Theseus gritted his teeth, trying not to cry.
"No...Theseus…" Asterios's meek voice reached him, as his left hand slowly stretched out towards Theseus's own, with Theseus responding by holding his hand but still staring at Asterios in shock and sorrow, tears threatening to spill out. Asterios's voice began to falter out even more. "Don't...cry...please...thank you...for everything...friend…" His words died out, and Asterios's red and black eyes slowly closed, a smile etched onto his face and an aura of content spreading throughout it as Asterios, the child of the stars, lay to rest for the last time.
Theseus burst into tears, those of which came about endlessly as he shrieked and sobbed, crying out Asterios's name over and over. "I couldn't do anything for you, Asterios," He choked out through the lump in his throat between sobs. "I couldn't save you, a child! In the end, I had to kill you?! A child, my friend, a young boy damned by the world itself, locked away, and all I could do was kill him? They call me a goddamned hero? Hero my ass! I couldn't do anything for this child except to kill him, I am utterly helpless, powerless. What use is all this training, armor and weaponry if I can't even utilize it to save one child?! One that was full of hope, wonder, yet had its dreams completely shattered?! Or have none to begin with?!"
Theseus raged, shrieked, sobbed, mourned, and wept as Ariadne's threads wisped around him. He wept for Asterios. He wept for a child that he could not do anything about. He wept for a child that had no fault of its own except for its birth yet was thrown away like trash by the world itself. And most of all, he wept for the loss of a dear friend, Asterios, the Child of the Stars.
Several years later…
The King sat upon his throne in the enormous spacey room, insignias of Minos and emblems and gold silks and tassels and paintings and every symbol of wealth on display. "Welcome, brave warrior, Theseus! You have the honor of having an audience with I, King Minos! Your tale has reached my very own ears, and I have been incredibly marveled at your feats!" His haughty voice boasted and echoed around the room.
Theseus heard the door shut behind him and gave King Minos a gentle smile as he bowed. "Ah yes, thank you, Your Majesty, for this amazing honor. It is quite a humble experience to meet the famed and legendary King of Crete himself."
King Minos shifted a brilliant sapphire ring on his hand as he gestured Theseus to come closer. "Do come closer, brave warrior. While I shall compensate you greatly later, please take a seat and pour yourself a bit of this dry red here. Only the fantastic of my very own farmers had produced the ingredients and my brewer expertly aged this and had this for special occasions!"
Theseus took a seat in the silk-covered chair, the fabric absorbing his body like a blanket. "I am incredibly lucky to have the experience of having wine with the King of Crete himself! Is it not one unlike to meeting with the gods?"
King Minos roared with laughter. "Lucky? Theseus, warrior of the six Labours, you have earned your very own right to do so! You have battled vigorous wars, slain beasts, and had wondrous adventures. Particularly, you slayed that Minotaur of mine! I must admit, I was overjoyed at that news! I could not have had that damned beast killed myself, as Poseidon would have likely destroyed me and my riches, but how lucky was I that a gallant warrior took it upon himself to destroy that abomination of-"
King Mino's words were cut off as a dirk slit through his gold-wrapped throat. Theseus stood, stone faced, behind the throne and pulled away the blade from King Minos, the crude edges painted red with blood. "W-what did-How did you get behind...Why are you.." Minos choked out between failing gasps.
Theseus glared at the haughty king. "You do not get to utter even a reference to him like that. His name is Asterios, one you had damned to a life of suffering due to your own greed and stupidity. Consider this vengeance, you filthy maggot." He spat out. Theseus threw the hastily-made dagger away to a side of the room and turned away, before looking back at King Minos with a sly grin. "And as for how I did that? Sorry, that's a trade secret." And with that, the adventurer's black cape swirled back as he strode away with an unknown escape plan, having avenged a dear friend, and leaving the corpse of the monster on his throne.