Steem Monsters Fantasy Story Contest--Minotaur Warrior

Normally I host the Twenty-Four Hour short Story Contest.  Steemmonsters gives me the chance to write something my self.

  This is my entry for week 13 Common Card Fantasy Story--The Minotaur Warrior!

The weather on Crete was lovely. It was balmy, and the sky was clear. And the rumble of the Minotaur kept the country on constant edge.

Once many years ago when Daedalus built the maze and imprisoned the Minotaur, he was unable to keep the beast quiet.  His anger fits started many a rumble, as time went on the rumbles became full fledged earthquakes.

Then one day in late summer, Pasiphae the quenn called the village together, and made a proclamation.  “I will give a hundred gold coins to whoever can release the Minotaur from the maze, so that we may bring peace to this land again.”

“We will kill Minotaur!” shouted several men.

Pasiphae raised her hand, “You are not to kill the Minotaur.  He must be kept alive.”  The crowd quieted down.  “He must be released, and brought to me, and not killed,” she repeated her orders with intention.

A crowd of twenty men headed down the mountain toward the labyrinth. 

The men reached the entrance to the labyrinth, Typhon, an Sargent in the Crete army, raised his hand and gave instructions, “Men, we must be alert. The bull could be anywhere in this maze. Keep your feet soft, and your sword pointed.”

The labyrinth walls were fifteen feet high, were once white in color and now faded with time and dirt.  The ground was covered in sand.  At the first intersection, ten men went to the left, and the remaining continued forward, as Typhon led them forward.  The next intersection was a three way split, a choice forward, to the left, or to the right.

“What do we do Typhon?” asked Temenous, a young man, a farmers son, a mere sixteen years old.  

“We shall split into two groups further.  Five of us will go forward, and two will go to the right.  It will take at least five of us to take the Minatour.  We should not be in groups smaller.”

“I do not wish to split my prize!” shouted Laskarais a large brute, with a large belly and beard to match, who are too much goat meat.

“Even a man as large as you will not survive the bullman,” Typhon replied calmly.

Laskarais lowered his head and spoke slowly, “We shall see Typhon, but I will stay with you.”

Typhon split the group, and kept Laskarais and Temenous with him.  He sent the other group to the right.

“Let’s continue, feet soft and swords pointed,” Typhon said as he turned and walked slowly his shield in front and his sword pointed over the shield.

The maze was silent, save the quiet movement of sand under the mens’ feet.

Typhon’s group came once more to a form, forward or to the left.   Typhon looked both ways, and paused.  “Forward, it will keep us moving to the center.”  Typhon kept moving forward.  The fifty feet later the route turned left.  Up ahead the route turned to the right.  The men kept moving forward.  

A roar echoed.  The men covered their heads with their shields in feat that the walls would come down on top of them.  The earth shook for seemed like weeks.  Then it stopped.  The men moved their shields to front of their bodies and kept their swords pointed forward.  And they moved forward.

The Minotaur  appeared from around the corner and roared.  

“Steady!” shouted Typhon.  The men and the Minotaur stared each other down.  No one moved.  The Minotaur held his ax across his body, and dug into the sand with his right foot.

“I will end you!” shouted the Minotaur.  His voice rough and deep.

He charged. 

With one swing he sent all five men into the air and bouncing off the walls.  They landed with a thud.

Typhon quickly stood up and held his sword out.  The Minotaur turned and seemed to smile and bolted at Typhon.  Typhon swung his sword and the Minotaur blocked it easily with his ax.  The Minotaur stood his ground and howled.  It was a howl that expressed victory.

Thyphon dropped his shield and planted his sword into the dirt.  “I have come here, not to kill you.”  The Minotaur cocked his head at the man.  And Typhon continued, “Pasiphae has sent us!  And is offering you safe passage out of the labyrinth!”

The Minotaur dropped his ax and spoke like calmly and sounded like a man, “Pasiphae, has sent you here.  You better be telling the truth when you use her name.”

Typhon nodded his head, “Yes, she wishes you safe passage from here.  Your strength and anger is caused our land to shake.  She wishes you realized from here.  You may walk out of here with me and my men.  You have clearly bested us in battle, but it is only with us walking out with you that you can be released from the labyrinth.”

The Minotaur thought deeply.  “Let’s go.  If you are lying you know I will kill you.”

Typhon nodded, “I do.”

All twenty men emerged from the labyrinth, and followed the Minotaur up the mountain to the village.

Pasiphae saw the men coming and waited.  The men and the Minotaur approached her.

Typhon spoke, “My queen, we have brought the Minotaur back as you have requested.  And he is unharmed.  But I cannot say that about all my men.  He put up a valiant battle.”

Pasiphae stood and stared at the huge beast, a tear form out of her eye.  “Yes, I know he can fight.”

The Minotaur knelt down, and spoke, “Mother, thank you for releasing me.”

The men in shock looked at each other.

“I’ve heard your cries my child,” Pasiphae replied.

“Mother, I will serve you.”

“My child, I need you to protect us.”

The Minotaur looked up. “Mother?”

“A battle is coming my son.  Now is the time.  Your skills were honed deep in the labyrinth.  Let your anger run free in service of me.”

The Minotaur stood tall.  “Yes, mother I will be your Minotaur Warrior.”

Pasiphae stood tall, “I know you will be great.  Now full fill your destiny.”