Heart of the Labyrinth

"I can smell fresh air!" Asteria declared, taking a deep breath. "So many memories are flooding back to me!"

"We can't be far from the surface now," Leandros said, waving her on as he led her down the hallway. Unlike the wide passages below, these were narrower, large enough that maybe four men could stand shoulder to shoulder. Asteria had to lower her head to avoid having her horns scrape along the ceiling, only able to fit at all due to the palace's lavish architecture.

As they turned another corner, Leandros skidded to a halt, Asteria almost running into him from behind. Ahead of them, at the end of the corridor, was the final flight of stairs that led up to the ground floor. A group of soldiers were thundering down the steps, their armor and weapons clattering, taking up a tight formation as they reached the floor. They were clad in shining bronze cuirasses, their helmets adorned with ornate crests, the same flowing cloaks of red silk that Leandros had seen in the armory hanging from their shoulders. Their weapons were of the same quality - adorned with the decorative flair that he had so admired on the kopis that he had brought with him. They blocked the passage, their bronze shields interlocking to form an impenetrable wall embossed with the Minoan bull, their spears jutting from behind it. These men were not as skittish or as ill-prepared as the guards that he and Asteria had slain at the gate - they were here to fight.

Asteria moved up beside him, the two of them just about able to stand side by side, exhaling an angry snort as she brandished her axe.

"No way around them," Leandros said, mirroring their posture as he raised his shield. "We'll have to go through. I count fifteen."

"Have you ever fought against such odds before?" Asteria asked as she eyed them warily.

"There's a first time for everything," he replied.

"If you are joking about what happened last night, we shall have words. Assuming that we survive this..."

Their commander yelled an order - a guttural chant that was echoed by his men, the formation taking a thundering step forward as one. They held the line, bronze shields and spear tips glinting in the torchlight.

Leandros broke into a sprint, covering the distance between them quickly, ignoring the lingering pain in his bicep as he raised his doru over his shoulder. He leapt at the last moment, sailing through the air, plunging the spear down towards the nearest soldier. The man lifted his shield, but too late, the sharp point glancing off it and sinking deep into his collar. Leandros landed on him, forcing him back with his weight, knocking the men behind him off-balance. As his target vomited blood from beneath his helmet, Leandros let go of the haft, his blade singing as he drew it with practiced speed. The man to his right had his throat slit before he could even react to what was happening, Leandros readying his next blow as the formation dissolved into a disorganized melee.

He deflected a spear, then parried a blade, the two swords sparking as they met. He kicked one of his opponents, the man blocking the blow with his shield, but Leandros' strength far exceeded that of any mortal. The soldier was sent tumbling backwards, prevented from falling by the proximity of his comrades, but the opening allowed Leandros to drive his blade into the man's chest. It cut through his cuirass like butter - Minos had good smiths in his employ, he had to admit.

There was no room to maneuver in the hallway - not with a dozen remaining men crowding it, Leandros warding off another spear jab with his shield as the guards began to surround him. He spun on the spot, grunting with the effort as he parried a sword, lunging forward to ring the man's helmet with his shield.

A sound like the beating of a drum resounded, accompanied by a bellowing war cry, Leandros glancing up to see Asteria charging down the hallway. Her hooves hit the tiled floor like hammers, cracking them in places, her breath leaving her nose in a snort as she lowered her horned head. Like a rolling boulder, she plowed into the crowd of guards, the sound of clattering armor and yells of alarm filling the air. She had the size and strength of a prize bull, tossing the men to the ground like scattered children's toys, one of their unfortunate number finding himself impaled on one of her curved horns.

She raised him off the floor, his blood staining her ivory, then sent him smashing into the leftmost wall with a violent swing of her head. Half of the guards were now picking themselves up, readying their weapons as they staggered to their feet, the shouting of their commander drowned out by Asteria's bellowing challenge. One of the men came at her, thrusting his spear towards her belly, but she caught it with one hand. She yanked it, pulling the soldier closer, slamming a hoof the size of an anvil down on his chest. He was driven to the ground, his cuirass crumpling beneath her weight, his cry silenced as his rib cage followed suit.

With his left flank now clear, Leandros could more easily engage his opponents, driving them back with a flurry of blows. One of the men thrust a spear towards him, its tip sliding over his shoulder and narrowly missing his head as he jerked out of its path. He brought up his kopis, cleaving through the haft, the wood splintering. Leandros gave its wielder no time to react, his next swing decapitating him, his severed head bouncing off the shield of the man beside him.

Behind him, Asteria loosed another bestial roar, one of the soldiers lifting his shield as she raised her axe over her head. She brought it down with the strength of an ox, its blade cleaving through his shield, splitting it in two before biting into his shoulder. It didn't come to a stop until it reached his waist, Asteria kicking his partially bisected body away, leaving a smear of crimson on the tiles.

Another of the guards swung his sword at her leg - it was all that he could reach - the blade glancing off the shield that was strapped to her thigh and biting into her hide. It wasn't a deep wound, just another scar for her collection, but it drew blood. Asteria paused for a moment, then snorted, taking off his arm with an upward swing of her axe.

Leandros drove one of his assailants against the wall, burying his blade in the man's chest. There were only half a dozen of them left standing now, the remaining guards grouping up as they began to back away towards the stairs. He followed after them, stooping to pick up a discarded spear as he went, launching it like a javelin. It impaled one of the men, sending him toppling to the ground, his companions leaving him behind.

Asteria's thudding footsteps filled the hall as she advanced beside Leandros, her nostrils flaring angrily, her tail flicking back and forth behind her.

"Who do you fear more?" she bellowed, some of the guards sharing surprised glances. They hadn't expected her to be able to speak. "Me, or Minos?"

Half of their number threw their weapons down and turned tail, ascending the steps at a run, the three remaining soldiers faltering.

"Come back here, you cowards!" their commander shouted after them. "Minos will toss you into the labyrinth for this!"

Asteria barreled towards them, swiping one of them aside with the flat of her axe head, swatting him like a fly. His body slammed into the wall, broken tiles showering him as he slumped to the floor. With another roar, she took off the commander's head, Leandros darting in to drive his kopis into the last man's heart.

He shook his sword to dislodge some of the blood that clung to its ornate blade, then adjusted his shield, looking up at Asteria. Her dark fur was splattered with blood that was not her own, a droplet of it falling from her horn, her chest rising and falling with her labored breathing. She turned her furious eyes on him, then her expression softened.

"We must find my mother," she said, stepping over the broken bodies as she made for the stairs. "When Minos learns of our escape, I cannot say what he might do to her."

Leandros nodded, jogging after her.

The torchlight faded away as they rose higher, replaced with a point of brighter, more natural light that flooded in from the top of the staircase. They emerged onto the ground floor, finding no more guards waiting for them, Asteria raising a hand to cover her eyes as they were exposed to the sun's glare. They were standing in one of the covered walkways near the central courtyard of the palace. It was open to the air, the roof above their heads held aloft by rows of pillars adorned with ornate carvings, the ocean breeze blowing between them to rustle Asteria's long hair.

She lowered her hand, blinking as her vision adjusted, turning her head in the direction of the open courtyard. Leandros watched as she walked over to the nearest pillar, her pace slow and tentative, almost as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing. With one hand resting against the carved stone, she poked her head out from beneath the shadow of the roof, her eyes wide. She took another step, lifting her nose to the heavens, her braids blowing in the wind.

He joined her, glancing up at the drifting clouds, a flock of passing gulls framed against the brilliant azure backdrop. He knew that they could only spare a few scant moments to appreciate the view, but he didn't want to spoil this for her. She hadn't seen the sky for fifteen years.

"I have dreamed of this moment," she muttered, transfixed by the sight. "I could never be sure whether my memories had faded with time - if I could even remember what the sky truly looked like. Now that I'm seeing it...I am left speechless. I feel as though I may fall up into the heavens and be swallowed if I let go of this pillar," she added with a nervous chuckle. "It's so...big..."

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned by her sudden change in demeanor.

"How should one react when they see their most earnest wishes realized?" she replied, turning her head to glance down at him. One side of her face was soaked with blood from the guard who she had impaled on her horn, yet her eyes were wide with almost child-like wonder. "What can I say other than thank you?"

They were interrupted by the sound of yelling, the pair turning to see more guards pouring into the courtyard from an adjacent walkway, their armor shining beneath the midday sun. There were easily as many as they had just faced below ground.

"I know where the throne room is," Leandros said, readying his shield as the wall of bronze raced towards them. "It was well-defended when I arrived, and if Minos is anywhere, it will probably be there."

"He will keep my mother close," Asteria replied, hefting her axe. "You can go to your boat, Leandros, if that is your wish. I will not ask you to die for me."

"Are you kidding?" he replied. "I'm not leaving Crete without you. We go together, or we don't go at all."

She smiled at him, then lowered her horned head, her war cry shaking the pillars as she lurched into a charge. Her massive frame crashed into the guards, scattering half a dozen of them across the dusty ground, toppling some of them into the decorative shrubs and flowers. Like a war God given form, she waded through the waist-high field of bronze, her teeth bared in a snarl as she swung her axe. Leandros took advantage of the chaos, skirting the edge of the formation, picking off stragglers with his sword. They were so transfixed by the giant, bellowing monster that they scarcely seemed to notice him, the extra space giving him lots of room to maneuver.

He pulled another distracted soldier from the pack, kicking his feet out from under him and driving his kopis into his chest, blood seeping into the dusty earth. More of them were splitting their attention now, trying to head him off, the courtyard turning into a battlefield.

Another of the guards fell before his blade, slumping to the ground as his lifeblood spilled from the gash in his belly, Leandros searching for Asteria in the melee. She wasn't hard to find - towering above her assailants, sending their broken bodies flying with each powerful swing of her weapon. A dozen of them had formed a circle around her now, their shields raised defensively, their spears reaching out to prod and poke. Whenever she blocked or parried one of them, there was another waiting to stab her from behind, Asteria spinning on the spot in a bid to ward them off. She yanked one of the men from the formation and crushed him underfoot, but two more stabbed her with their spears from another angle, a bestial cry of pain filling the courtyard. When she turned to face her attackers, another spear found its mark, sinking into her calf. She was slowly being whittled down.

Leandros began to make his way towards her, fighting as he went, cutting a swathe through the soldiers who stood between them. One of the guards moved to intercept him, slamming his sword into Leandros' shield, but the warrior pushed back to knock him off-balance. He lost his footing, falling to the ground, Leandros barely pausing as he dispatched him with a downward thrust from his blade.

Another came at him from the left, yelling a challenge that was answered with a quick flurry of strikes, Leandros overwhelming the man with his strength. He was wielding a wooden shield, which splintered apart as the demigod rained down strikes from his sword, carving through it like he was chopping firewood. His blade bit into flesh, blood splattering his bronze armor.

As he cut through the thigh of another would-be hero, sending him toppling to the ground in a spreading pool of his own blood, he heard a scream. He glanced up to see Asteria toss one of the spearmen through the air like a doll, sending him sailing over Leandros' head to land in a heap somewhere behind him. She was bleeding in a dozen places now - nothing deep enough to be fatal, but it was only a matter of time until they weakened her. Her hide might be as thick as leather, and her muscles might be as hard as stone, but even she wasn't invincible.

He finally fought his way to the ring of soldiers that surrounded her, driving his blade into the back of the closest man. The circle broke, the nearby guards turning to face this new threat, metal ringing as they crossed swords with him. The distraction gave Asteria the opening that she needed to break free, and she shouldered into the men opposite Leandros, throwing her immense weight around.

When their numbers began to thin, the survivors broke ranks, fleeing into the surrounding palace. Leandros drove his sword into the chest of a dying guard to speed his passing, then stepped back, glancing around at the carnage they had created. There must have been near twenty men lying dead in the courtyard.

"Are you hurt?" he demanded, watching as Asteria paced on the dirt. "You're bleeding."

"It's nothing," she replied, shaking her head as though that might somehow dispel the pain. "Come - we must find the throne room before Minos has a chance to escape."

***

They killed a few more guards on their way to the throne room, eventually arriving at the marble steps that led to its massive, ornate doorway. It was being blocked by another line of soldiers, forming a shield wall in front of the entrance, standing between the white marble pillars and ornate statues. Asteria and Leandros engaged in a short standoff with them, then one of the men broke ranks, letting out a yell as he leapt down the steps towards them. Asteria simply waited for him to come within reach, then drove him into the ground like a peg with her axe, leaving a bloody heap in her wake. The rest of the guards exchanged glances, then began to throw down their weapons, their swords and shields clattering down the stone steps.

They parted to let Leandros and Asteria pass as the pair ascended the stairs, stepping into the throne room, their footsteps echoing off the tiled floor. Illuminated by the burning braziers was the throne of gleaming white marble, and sitting atop it was Minos. He looked exactly as Leandros remembered him - clad in robes of the finest silk, his beard and fingers adorned with golden jewelry, a gem-encrusted diadem perched atop his head. There was no warmth in his expression this time, however. His face was etched with fear and anger, his eyes peering out from beneath a heavy brow, darting between his two foes.

Sitting beside him was Pasiphae, now rising from her lesser throne to stare at Asteria, clutching a handful of her flowing gown. She looked like she had seen a ghost - as though she couldn't believe that her estranged daughter was standing before her. Asking whether she recognized her was a moot point - the bull's head gave that away - but her daughter had left her as little more than a child. Now, she was almost tall enough to catch the hanging braziers on her horns. That she was soaked with blood and carrying an axe that could have felled a tree in a single swing was probably doing her no favors.

"A-Asteria?" she asked, taking a hesitant step towards the edge of the raised pedestal upon which their thrones sat. "Is it really you?"

"Mother!" Asteria replied, a blend of joy and exertion leaving her breathless. She began to stride closer but stopped as Minos rose from his seat, the sound of his sword sliding from its sheath casting the audience chamber into silence.

"How dare you betray me, Leandros!" he bellowed as he pointed the blade at him. "You swore on your honor that you would bring me that creature's head! Instead, you free it and bring it to my throne room? Did your time in the labyrinth drive you mad? I offered you gold and glory both, yet you throw these gifts back in my face? Why?"

"I have learned the truth, Minos!" Leandros replied. "I know that it was your blasphemy that created Asteria. I know that you sealed her away beneath the palace - an innocent child - solely to protect your position from the consequences of your mistakes. You tore her from her mother's arms rather than take responsibility for your actions."

"Leandros has more honor than you ever will!" Asteria barked, turning her furious gaze on the king. "I am alive only because he refused to kill me in my sleep. He had the perfect opportunity to strike - to claim all the riches and rewards that you had promised him - but he chose to stay his hand. It is not only my mother and I who have been wronged," she added, her nostrils flaring as she gripped the haft of her axe tightly in her shaking fists. "How many innocent people did you throw into that pit as sacrifices? Did you really think that it would make amends for your rebuttal of Poseidon? How many people have starved to death terrified and alone because of you?"

"I am the king!" he shouted back, his eyes wide with a fury that bordered on madness. "I will not have my decisions questioned by the spawn of a beast of the field and a foreign traitor! Everything that I have done, I did to protect Crete! The oracle foresaw this monster destroying the island!"

"I am not going to raze cities and salt the fields!" Asteria added, spreading her arms in exasperation. "What prophecy is this? I wasn't even trying to escape before you started sending assassins into the labyrinth to murder me!"

"You lied," Pasiphae said quietly. It was more of a realization than an accusation. "You lied to everyone - you lied to me."

"What are you talking about?" Minos asked as he turned his head to stare at her.

"You knew that I would make good on my threats if you harmed Asteria without good cause, so you invented the only scenario wherein I would sanction her murder. The dreams, the visions...you told me that she was going to destroy the island and slaughter its people - that she had become a twisted monster in her time locked away in that maze. You never saw Asteria destroying Crete in your dreams, and that wasn't what the oracle told you either, was it? You saw her destroying you." Pasiphae took a step closer to him, pointing an accusing finger, her words dripping with venom. "The oracle prophesied that if Asteria escaped her confinement, she would end your reign. It was all a lie. You tried to trick me into letting you kill my daughter!"