Heart of the Labyrinth

She lunged at him, but he caught her by the wrist, throwing her to the floor.

"Don't touch her!" Asteria roared, the king once again turning his blade on them.

"Leave this island," Minos said, reaching up to straighten his diadem. "I will order my men to allow you safe passage to your trireme, then you will leave, and you will speak nothing of what transpired here. If I learn that you have breathed a word of it to anyone, I will run my sword through this adulteress, and her blood will be on your hands."

Asteria snorted angrily, taking a step forward, but Minos brought the tip of his sword down close to Pasiphae's face. She was lying at the foot of her throne, her flowing gown spilling over the edge of the pedestal, propping herself up with one hand as her frightened eyes tracked the blade.

"One more step, and I'll take off her head!" he snapped.

Asteria paused, frozen by indecision, her eyes brimming with tears of frustration.

"Leandros," she pleaded, not knowing where else to turn.

He tried to gauge the distance between them and the king, but it was too great. Even he couldn't have reached Minos before the mad king would have time to slay his wife, and he had no spear - no bow. They had come this far, but they were now faced with an impossible choice. Could he swear himself to secrecy after everything that he had seen? Could Asteria leave the island knowing that her mother would forever be held hostage by this tyrant? He shook his head solemnly - out of ideas.

"I cannot leave you here with him," Asteria lamented, her voice starting to crack as the last of her composure crumbled. "I would have been killed as an infant if not for you. They would have tossed me bawling from the cliffs if you had not risked your life and your position to protect me from that fate. You were the only person who ever treated me as the child that I was."

"It's alright, Asteria," she replied as Minos' bronze blade poised above her head. Her voice was soft, but her eyes were now filled with determination. "I always promised myself that I would protect you, no matter the cost. If this is the only way, then so be it."

"You have been a hostage all your life!" Asteria protested. "I cannot let it continue!"

"Listen to your beloved mother," Minos spat, lowering his blade. Pasiphae climbed to her feet unsteadily, gripping the armrest of her throne to support herself. "Leave this island, and always remember that her life depends on your silence. Both of you." He took a step closer to the edge of the pedestal, brandishing his sword again. "My armies could crush Kos if I so desired. I could raze your city to the ground and-"

Pasiphae suddenly lunged at Minos from behind, reaching for an ornate knife with a jewel-encrusted handle that jutted from a scabbard on his belt. He realized what was happening - but too late, Pasiphae driving it into his neck as he tried to wheel around with his sword. She buried it to the hilt in his jugular, dark blood jetting from the wound, his sword falling from his hand to clatter to the floor as he reached up in an attempt to remove it. He tossed the bloody dagger aside, then struggled to stem the flow, taking a faltering step off the pedestal as his eyes bulged from his head. After staggering along for a few more moments, he fell, making no attempt to catch himself as his face slammed into the tiles - dead before he hit the ground.

Pasiphae leapt over her husband's body, rushing across the room and into her daughter's outstretched arms. Asteria lifted her mother off the floor, squeezing her tightly in a hug, tears of relief and joy staining their cheeks.

"Can you ever forgive me, Asteria?" Pasiphae sobbed as she pushed her face into her daughter's chest. "Minos made me believe that you would destroy the island and all its people. I should never have believed him - I should never have consented to his plot. I have been a terrible mother to you. I should have fled the island in the dead of night and never looked back the same day that you came into this world."

"Nonsense," Asteria replied, her voice wavering as though she couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. "For twenty years, you have protected me. Every day that you spent sitting on that throne, you were keeping me safe."

"I hate to interrupt, but there will be an army standing between us and my ship if we delay much longer," Leandros said as he sheathed his sword. "We need to hurry."

"Thank you for sparing my daughter," Pasiphae said, wiping away her tears as Asteria set her back down on the floor. "If what she said is true, you forsook your promise to the king and forfeited all of his rewards to help her. I would give you a hundred times what Minos promised, if only it was within my power to do so."

"I will settle for seeing you both safely on my trireme," he replied, turning to the door.

Asteria took her mother's hand, guiding her down the marble steps, Pasiphae's eyes widening as she saw what remained of the guard who had been crushed. They made their way through the palace's opulent halls, meeting no more resistance, soon exiting through the main gate. They stepped beyond the palace walls, Leandros feeling dry grass beneath his feet, the wind that blew in from the ocean buffeting him. Asteria paused, then turned, captivated by the view.

The palace was situated atop one of the higher points on the island, perched near jagged cliffs that looked out over the sea. Her hair whipping in the wind, Asteria peered out over the endless expanse of blue, the water shimmering as the midday sun beat down on its surface. For fifteen years, she had never been without a roof over her head - without a wall in reach. Now, she was seeing the sky meet the ocean, staring out at the horizon. She was transfixed for a moment, lost in the azure void, but a tug from her mother's hand snapped her back to the present.

They continued on down the dirt path, Leandros feeling a wave of relief as he saw the white sails of his ship in the distance. It was still moored in the lock where he had left it, the massive trireme no larger than a toy from this distance, surrounded by some two dozen other ships of all shapes and sizes. A stone quay was built up around the cove, enclosing the docks in fortifications, storehouses and other structures rising around it. Crete was a center of trade, and ships from all over Greece made berth there to flog their wares. It was a bit of a march, but he could see no armies standing between them and their freedom.

When the trio were a good three hundred feet from the palace, there came a cry from behind them, Leandros turning his head to see more bronze-clad soldiers come pouring out of the gates like a swarm of angry ants. They were brandishing weapons, gesturing to the fugitives, some of them hanging back as they began to knock arrows.

"Pick up the pace!" Leandros barked, starting to run. Asteria swept her mother off her feet, carrying her like a baby as she picked up speed, rapidly outpacing him with her loping strides. She flew across the grass, her heavy hooves barely seeming to touch the ground, free to run flat-out for perhaps the first time in her adult life. Leandros had no chance of keeping up with her, but his athleticism allowed him to gain some distance on their pursuers all the same.

He leapt over rocks and weaved around the sparse shrubs, the downward slope of the hill both a blessing and a curse, a few stray arrows impacting the arid earth uncomfortably close to him. He could hear the thundering footfalls of some hundred men chasing after them - the sound of an army on the march was no novelty to him. He tossed aside the satchel that he had been carrying, along with his shield - it wouldn't be of any use against so many foes. If they didn't reach the trireme in time, no amount of Godly blood would change their fortunes.

Asteria reached the docks before him, stopping at the wooden gantry that led from the quay to the deck of the ship, a few frightened traders scattering at her approach. There was alarmed shouting from the crew, the men leaning over the edge of the ship with weapons at the ready, not knowing what to make of this monstrous newcomer. Leandros yelled and waved his arms, trying to get their attention, one of the crewmen noticing him and nudging the man beside him. Seeing their commander racing down the hill with a hundred men at his heels told them everything that they needed to know, and they rushed to prepare the ship for launch.

Asteria set her mother down on the gantry and ushered her up the gangplank, turning to face a trio of guards who were rushing towards her from further along the quay. She didn't even bother drawing her axe, tossing one of them into the water with a swing of her arm, the other two scattering as she roared at them. Leandros soon reached her, having gained some distance on his pursuers, but they had mere minutes to get offshore. Rather than undo the knot that was securing the ship's mooring line to a nearby stone pillar, he drew his sword, slicing through it with one clean cut.

"Get aboard, Asteria!" he shouted. "These men are loyal to Kos - they will protect you if I order it!"

The sailors reached out to help her mother aboard, Asteria climbing the gangplank behind her, the wood creaking and sagging under her weight. A crowd had formed now, clad in all manner of colorful clothes, the locals keeping a safe distance as they watched the strange scene play out. A few guards were present, too, identified by their bronze armor and red capes. They seemed hesitant, but the sight of the soldiers who were now pouring into the docks spurred a few of them to action, Leandros stopping to duel one of them at the base of the gantry. He dispatched the man with a swing of his sword, then ran up the plank, already shouting orders to his crew.

"Start rowing, you dogs! Get us offshore!"

Arrows were whistling through the air now, raining down on the ship's deck, digging into the wooden planks and masts with dull thuds. Asteria took her mother in her arms again, putting her back to the shore, shielding her with her massive body. Some of the sailors fired back, loosing arrows into the massing soldiers, sending a few of them toppling to the ground.

The orders had made it below deck now, and the oars began to move, the trireme slowly starting to drift away from the dock as they plunged beneath the surf. Many above deck were taking cover from the barrage, hiding behind barrels and masts, others firing bows and throwing spears. Some of the braver Cretan soldiers were trying to make their way up the gangplank, crowding the gantry, but Asteria was there to greet them. She reached down to grip the near end of the plank, muscles bulging beneath her dark hide as she lifted it along with the half dozen men who were standing on it. They tumbled into the water below as she threw it off the ship, the plank landing in the ocean with a splash, a few of the soldiers swimming over to cling to it like shipwrecked sailors.

As the trireme gained distance from the quay, its painted bow turning towards the opening at the end of the lock that led out to the open sea, the hail of arrows began to fall short. They splashed into the water behind it, the sails catching a favorable wind, helping the ship gain speed. The Cretans had triremes of their own, but none that were ready to pursue, Leandros' ship sailing out of the lock to leave the island behind. He walked to the stern of the trireme, watching the palace that was perched atop the island slowly fade into the distance, its white stonework gleaming like a beacon.

The chaos on the deck began to subside, the men observing the towering newcomer cautiously from a safe distance. She pulled a stray arrow from her shoulder with a grunt, then tossed it off the side of the ship, ignoring the gawking sailors as she knelt to comfort her mother. Leandros made his way over to join them, pausing to give one of his men a grateful pat on the back.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"No lasting damage," Asteria replied, rising to her full height. She rolled her shoulders, cracking her neck.

"Your sailors have my thanks," Pasiphae said, her long hair and her flowing gown blowing in the ocean breeze. "Were they not so brave and loyal, we might have met our ends on that quay."

"They're good men," Leandros replied with a nod. "I'll make sure that they're rewarded when we get back to Kos."

"Is that where we're headed?" the queen asked.

"Leandros has assured me that we will be safe in Kos," Asteria confirmed with a nod. "I only hope that we have not started a war," she added, glancing back at the diminishing island warily.

"There will be no war," Pasiphae replied adamantly. "Minos could never lay a finger on me because our marriage was the foundation of his political alliance with my family. When we reach Kos, I will send word to my people, and I will ensure that everyone in Crete knows the crimes of my late husband. When they learn that I have not been kidnapped, but have fled, there will be no cause for hostilities."

"Will you return when things have died down?" Leandros asked. "You are still their queen, after all."

"I have no desire to ever set foot in that palace again," she spat. "Let them squabble over the line of succession - I will have no part in it. I want to be with my daughter," she added, turning to take Asteria's hands. "I have much to make amends for."

"Oh! I have something for you," Asteria stammered as she reached into one of the pouches on her belt. She produced a small toy that was dwarfed in her massive hands - a carving of a horse made from wood with little wheels attached to its legs. Pasiphae took it, clutching it against her chest, her eyes brimming with tears once more.

"You kept it?" she asked, glancing up at her daughter. "For all these years?"

"It was the only keepsake I had left to remind me of you," Asteria replied.

"You should rest," Leandros added, calling one of his sailors over. "There are cots below deck - I will have my men bring you whatever you need. The accommodations are a little more rustic than what you may be used to, but after such excitement, it would do you good to relax for a while."

Pasiphae nodded, giving her daughter one last hug before the sailor guided her away, the toy horse still clutched in her hands.

"So, that was what you turned back for," Leandros said as he watched the woman descend a flight of wooden steps that led beneath the deck. "Would have been a shame to keep that toy for fifteen years, only to forget it at the last moment."

"It is all that I truly have left of my childhood," she replied.

They walked to the stern, Asteria's hooves hammering the deck, her long braids blowing in the wind as she watched Crete shrink behind them.

"It's hard to believe that everything I ever knew was confined to that island," she mused, staring wistfully at the jagged coastline. "It was my whole world, but from here, it seems so small and insignificant."

"The world has opened its doors to you," Leandros replied. "You can go wherever you please now."

"I want to go back to Kos - with you," she said, giving him a smile. "If I am to see the world, then I want you to be my guide."

"I was hoping you might say that."

"So," she continued, leaning over the wooden balustrade as she peered down at the ship's wake curiously. "Did you get what you wanted?"

"How do you mean?" he asked, turning to face her as he leaned back against the barrier.

"You entered the labyrinth seeking glory. You might not have returned with my severed head, but you freed me, you saved my mother, and you liberated Crete from a tyrant - whether they know it yet or not. Those are labors worthy of a hero, if you want my opinion."

"I think you're giving me too much credit," he chuckled. "We did those things, together. I would never have made it out of that labyrinth alive without you, and I'm fairly certain that you killed more guards than I did."

"Maybe you're right," she conceded, laying a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Still, you are a hero to me, and I will make sure that everyone knows it."

"We really need to get you cleaned up," he sighed, eyeing the many small cuts and abrasions that she had earned during their escape. "Come below deck, and let me patch your wounds."

"Soon," she said, looking out over the ocean. "I want to enjoy this for a few minutes more. Stay with me?"

"Of course," he replied, Asteria wrapping an arm around him as he pressed closer to her.

"Do you think that your father will accept me?" she asked, glancing at some of the nearby sailors hesitantly. They hadn't taken their eyes off her since she had boarded, and who could blame them? Nobody had ever seen her like before.

"It might take him a while to get used to you, but I think you have something to offer him," he said with a sly smile. "Technically, you're a princess. Your mother is still the queen of Crete regardless of your parentage, and she hails from a powerful family, one that Minos was willing to risk his throne to maintain an alliance with. After recent events, perhaps they could use some new allies..."

"What are you saying?" she stammered, tearing her eyes away from the horizon to peer down at him. That he could still make her flustered despite her strength made his heart swell. As imposing as she was with her black fur and her curving horns, there was still a young woman under all that brawn, one with the same dreams and desires as any other.

"If I would ask anything of your mother in reward for my actions, it would not be gold or accolades, but your hand. Be my wife, Asteria. Rule Kos at my side as my queen. I feel as though the Gods made us for one another, and the circumstances could not be more favorable."

"I...I...yes, of course!" Asteria blurted, her long tail flicking back and forth restlessly. "But, what if your father says no? What if your people do not accept me?"

"If my father wants an heir, then that is my condition," he replied as he reached out to take her hands in his. "The prospect of a new alliance should help sway him, even if he has misgivings. As for the people - let them complain. They will either come to see you as I do, or they will not. It is of little consequence."

"You only came to Crete to win their favor," she chuckled. "Would you really throw that away just for me?"

"You are the only thing I have ever wanted more," he said with a shrug.

She laughed, then wrapped him in her powerful arms, squeezing him tightly as she lifted him off his feet.

"Don't tell mother yet," she added, setting him back down on the deck. "She has had enough excitement for one day. I fear that she might not survive another shock."

"I'll let you break the news when you feel the time is right," he said.

"I hope you don't find me boring," Asteria continued, her gaze returning to the sea. "I am sure that you have seen this view enough times to grow sick of it, but it is all new to me. It will likely be the same with many things that you consider mundane..."

"If anything, I think you might teach me to appreciate the mundane a little more," he replied as they watched the island slowly vanish into the haze.

~THE END~