Chapter Text
…though my mind shudders to remember and has recoiled in pain, I will begin.
-The Aeneid, Book 2: 11-13
.
.
.
We had
scarcely sat
down to rest when
darkness fell, not the dark
of a moonless or cloudy night, but
as if the lamp had been put out in a
closed room. You could hear the shrieks of
women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting
of men; some were calling their parents, others their
children or their wives, trying to recognize them by their voices.
People bewailed their own fate or that of their relatives, and there were some
who prayed for death in their terror of dying. Many besought the aid of the gods, but still
more imagined there were no gods left, and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness forevermore.
-Pliny the Younger, Letter 6.20 to Cornelius Tacitus
Even before he was captured from his homeland and brought to the island people would one day call Crete, Keith had heard the rumors. When he grew up, his father went to the sea to trade, and they brought back to him the stories of the king called Minos. Minos, a man who ruled the sea that connected all peoples. Minos, a man who could call tribute from every island his people traded with without lifting a finger. Minos, a man known for generosity when placated-and cruelty when slighted.
Everyone knew what Minos's wife did with the snow-white bull meant for the gods-and the monster that had resulted from it. The Minotaur, Champion of the Labyrinth. As to why, there were stories for that, as well. Some more lewd than others-even the traders blushed. The most common story was, of course, that the bull was meant to be sacrificed for the Earth-Shaker, but Minos failed to fulfill his promise, so the Earth-Shaker struck his queen with wanton passion for the bull in revenge. In embarrassed rage, Minos locked queen and baby up inside an impenetrable maze that only its architect could solve. There, the queen died, and the monster she bore feasted on her corpse, waiting for his next meal.
That was the one Keith heard often. But he heard a sadder variant as well. Namely that Minos's queen went mad. Her eldest son, and Minos's heir to the throne, was murdered by assassins from some far-flung nothing city-Cecropia, they called it. He'd been killed during a sacred festival of games, and Minos waged war on the people who had violated the gods and their oath of truce...and won. The price he extracted from the losers: seven youth of each gender to be slaughtered, every seven ranapt.
But the queen, filled with grief, still desperately tried to "replace" the lost son with a new one. Minos would not lay with her, so she...improvised. Either way, the story ended the same. Monster is born, Minos locks him up in an impossible maze, other people also get locked up and eaten alongside the sacrifices. No one left the so-called Labyrinth and told the tale.
And Keith-armed only with his mother's blade, wearing one of the Keft's bright and garish tunics and shirts-became one of them. He'd been captured by pirates and sold through a chain of merchants until, at last, he was sold to the priestess who presided over Minos's capital, the Kephala-and over the sacrifices made to the Minotaur. Waking up on the ship to begin with had not been pleasant, and he’d almost jumped into the sea-they had only managed to stop him by knocking him out again. That was when they tied him to the mast so he couldn’t drown himself, unlike the other slaves trapped below in the galley, and he had stayed next to the mast ever sense, giving his captors as much of a hard time as he could as he was rowed closer to captivity, and praying to the gods for their ship to wreck. Sadly, it had been a perfectly smooth voyage, and that final horew ended up being being no different in that regard, what with the sun shining in the sky and the lack of clouds and all.
The head priestess of Minos was also unpleasant and weird. Apparently, he'd been expected by her to arrive. In fact, she claimed he’d been fated to come to her, and to the Labyrinth. Something about a prophecy where his blade would be the one to slay the beast and unlock the Labyrinth, on a horew when the sky came from the earth, and snow would fall on verdant grass, and the child of the Earth-Shaker would speak at last before dying, bla bla bla.
Not that Keith believed one word of it. He knew what was really happening. He was being sent as a sacrifice to the man-eating Minotaur, who knew what reason, along with the seven maidens and the seven youths, all of them from a backwater town somewhere near the kingdom of the Mykenai, one of little importance and even less luck. It was that time, after all. After all, seven ranapt had passed since the last tribute.
He and the other sacrifices were brought to a small ring of islands north of Minos's capital. In the center was a massive mountain on an island, and a ring of rocky islands surrounding it. It was within a crag on the outer ring that the Labyrinth lay, overlooking a town. It had been carved inside the great rock and connected to the temple of the small archipelago's goddess, largely accessible only through a massive stone door with hinged mechanisms from the outside. After a prayer by the king's priestess, who had accompanied the tributes to their final destination, each was shoved, one by one, kicking and screaming and crying, through the doorway and down the flight of stone steps beyond.
“Oh, merciful Seisichthon! Lord of the earth and sea! Raging king who sees all!” Once everyone had been gathered into the temple, and a bull slaughtered in the altar facing the giant mountain in the archipelago’s center, the priestess raised a blood-soaked cup high towards the peak across the water. “The servant of Minos humbly speaks to you, oh lord, and to Qherasia, this humble island’s guardian. May peace be brought to your lion-hearted daughter, Vrimóh, who sleeps beneath your highest mountain set before us now. The Great Ranapt has once again arrived, and I bring tribute to this, your child’s island, once more. Just as the noble firstborn youth of our land died in violation of sacred xenia, so now let this virgin blood of the youth of those oath breakers continue to bleed for that sin. Let the people of Attikḗ take heed of our everlasting vengeance, and may the Labyrinth be the final resting place of the damned!”
Very little of what she intoned made any sense to Keith. She spoke of gods he knew almost nothing about, and past actions he could care less about. In contrast, most of the other sacrifices around him were murmuring and shaking with fear, clasping hands beneath the folds of their ceremonial robes with tears in their eyes. At least one was weeping openly into their hands.
“The instrument of your end awaits, children. The monster hungers, and the mistress of the Labyrinth welcomes you.” With that, the priestess dashed the blood onto the smooth surface of the stone horns, left then right, before pressing her foot onto a bloodied stone tile that sat between them. “Go forth in death, and may Asasara have mercy on you all.”
A loud click, then a bang, and a piece of the stone cave in front of them sliding away, revealing a lightless hole. Immediately the guards acted, and each sacrifice was shoved, one by one, kicking and screaming and crying, through the doorway and down the flight of stone steps beyond.
Before Keith could react, a foot connected right at the crook of his back, and he found himself stumbling.
No…!
Keith turned back and tried to push himself away from the doorway. He resisted, of course. How could he not? He didn't want to die. But he was one person, and the priestess's men were almost inhumanly strong as they all swarmed him. Against their might, he stood no chance, and he was unceremoniously tossed on his ass, skidding down the stairs.
"Ah...yes."
As he tried to scramble to his feet, he spotted the priestess, her eyes almost glowing beneath her hood as she tossed something down after him.
"Don't forget your blade, boy." She turned, her dress and cloak swishing on the stone floor as she walked away from the closing slab. "And may great Seisichthon have mercy on you."
Keith raced back up the stairs, grabbing his knife from the ground as he did so, but it was no use. The door closed before he could get to the top, plunging him and the other tributes into darkness. The screams and whimpers of his fellow sacrifices ratcheted up immediately in the darkness, and Keith's own heart began to speed up at the understanding that he was truly trapped.
How in the world was he meant to escape? Kill the Minotaur, sure. They made it sound so easy. But how was that going to happen when he had no clue where he was going, much less where the monster even was in this forsaken construct?
As if in answer, the cave began to light up with an unearthly glow as torches began to pop to life. These torches, however, were not lit with fire, but with strange light that buzzed like bees as Keith drew closer to them. Nor were the torches held on wood, but within circular orbs held up by black and red strings along the rock, each which held bright golden light within.
Even as Keith approached tone of the orb, he could feel the heat coming off of the transparent glass. His eyes widened at the magic-for it could only be magic that created light without flame.
Incredible...!
Screams from nearby interrupted Keith's reverie-just in time to see one of the tributes skewered by a plate of spears through his bottom.
Oh. Of course.
The man-eating monster wasn't enough, was it? The Labyrinth had to have traps as well.
Keith could only maneuver past the poor boy as they died in front of him, convulsing as he spit out blood with his last breath. There was nothing to be done for him, or for anyone else who died in this exact spot. He could see the bones that were piled up around this trap, and in places and corners beyond the spears.
He also, conversely, saw one of the tributes deftly slide past one trap that spat out arrows at another sacrifice. She had somehow noticed which stone plate had activated the trap and was now making her way further down one side of a fork hewn out in front of her. Soon enough, she disappeared from sight down the corridor, still unharmed.
Well. That was one way to avoid dying. With light feet, Keith also made his way around the second gurgling, shuddering boy. It appeared that paying attention was going to prolong his life, at the very least. Maybe he'd still have a chance of escaping.
As he made his way, the shrieks and cries of the others thrown in with him became less and less frequent. He slowly swallowed at the implications that surely inferred. Even as he barely dodged a rock trap, boulder glancing his shoulder as it fell through the hole where a stone floor had once been, he knew he could only be so lucky to even get past these traps, much less find the Minotaur.
After what felt like too many wenawt, he felt his legs start to burn, could feel the sweat pour off his brow. He had no clue where he was in this place. In fact, as he stared at the boulder down in the hole where floor had been, he could swear he'd passed this trap before.
He heaved an angry breath at this. No wonder they called this a maze. It was impossible to get one's bearings. There was only artificial light, and no way to realize if one had already been somewhere before. That meant that some of those bone piles he kept finding weren't because they died from traps. Starvation, insanity, maybe even by some of their own hands. No one was meant to leave the Labyrinth alive.
But-Keith refused to believe he couldn't find a way. Just as this Labyrinth had an entrance, surely it had to have an exit! He wouldn't-couldn't accept otherwise! He pounded his fist against the stone wall, the sound echoing through the air as he tried to think. Tried to figure out how he was going to eat and sleep long-term in this horrible place, and ignore the buzzing around his ears of the lights, and of the bee that flew-
Wait.
Keith's eyes widened as he saw the large, fat bee lazily flying around his face, its wings buzzing loud near his nose, before flittering away and deeper down one of the corridors.
Of course. Of course!
He could follow the bee! Granted, he had no clue how the bug got in...but, really, the how didn't matter. Not just yet. What mattered was that the bee had gotten in. And if it could get in, it stood to reason it had a way out. There was no way such a fat bee could survive in this place if it had no way to get outside!
Taking a deep breath, Keith resolved to follow. So he did, doing his best to be mindful of out-of-place stone plates, or suspicious arrow-shaped holes in the wall.
More time passed, and even as Keith felt himself get tired-how long had it been? A few wenawt? A few horew? A whole lifetime? Who knew-all he knew was that he could see more bees start to appear, along with small yellow patches along the walls. Beehives. The bees lived here. He could see the honeycombs, and he felt himself start to salivate. It had been who knew how long since that meal the priestess had fed him and the other tributes, and he was getting hungry. But now, with this development, he could, at least, survive in this place for a little bit-
So eager he'd been to grab at one of the beehives, that he didn't feel the string snag on his leg until it was too late. The string gave and snapped, and immediately-
A foul odor began to fill the air. Keith let out a gasp at the hideous smell, and his lungs immediately caught fire, making it impossible to breathe.
No...no!
He clasped his chest, trying to catch a breath that never seemed to come, no matter how hard he struggled. Soon, he was on his knees, hands clawing at his throat as his blade clattered to the ground.
NO...!
He felt to his side, feeling the world darken around him. Stupid. He'd been stupid and careless, and he let his hunger get the best of him. He was going to die and he could blame no one but himself.
Soon, Keith felt the blackness start to close in on him-and that was when, on the edge of unconsciousness, as he began to die, he saw it in front of him. A great, muscular silhouette, with long, curled horns on its head which reached the ceiling. It suddenly seemed to materialize from smoke, from out of nowhere, and its distant eyes gleamed molten silver as Keith fell further into a spiral of death.
This was it, then. The Minotaur had found Keith, because he'd been an idiot. At least he wouldn't be eaten alive. He saw the beast move, heard the clop-clop of its cloven feet scrape against the ground. Then everything went black, and he saw and heard no more.
The first thing Keith felt when he woke up was a headache. His temples pounded fiercely, and even though the lights above him were dim, he could feel his eyes water from the intensity of the light. His body otherwise felt like jelly; he could barely move. Keith shut his eyes tightly, a moan coming from his mouth.
"Oh...you're awake."
It was a rich, deep voice that spoke. Concern seemed to tint it, and Keith struggled to move in order to find whoever had spoken.
"Hey, wait, don't move yet. You need to rest." The voice shifted, came from above him. "You need to let the antidote do its work, or you won't recover properly."
Antidote? Wait-
Of course. He'd been in the Labyrinth. He'd seen the beehive. Then he'd stepped forward, and stupidly activated the gas-
Keith's eyes flew open wide. He turned and felt his heart stop at the sight.
The man who spoke to him was no man at all, if the light illuminating him was an indication. No-the spiral horns, the furry triangular ears, the way his fur-covered legs bent backwards, the tail. None of it was human-it couldn't be. Nor were the cloven feet that scraped on the ground as the monster came closer anything a human could have. Even if everything else was human, this person-this thing-could not be.
It was him. It was the monster. The Minotaur.
Keith gathered his strength and scrambled back with a cry. Instantly, the creature stopped, its eyes widened. His human eyes-his face was human, and the expression was not a little hurt. That made no sense. Monsters couldn't feel hurt.
"I..." The monster spoke, slowly, as he sat down on a hewn rock near the shelving. "I apologize. I keep forgetting. You're new to the Labyrinth."
As the monster spoke, Keith's hand tried to find his blade beneath the linens and furs he'd been practically stuffed into. Nothing. He couldn't find it. The monster must have taken it from him, and he couldn't help but swear beneath his breath.
"I know I'm terrifying to look at," the monster continued as Keith continued fumbling uselessly beneath the blankets. "But I'm not going to hurt you. And certainly I'm not going to eat you, if that's what you're worried about. I can't-"
"Shut up," Keith growled as he glared at the abomination. "Where is it!?"
The thing's thick, white eyebrows shot up. In fact, Keith noted sourly, all of the hair on its head and fur otherwise elsewhere-on its ears, down its stomach and covering its legs- was a silver-white. Of course. The thing's father was a white bull, so it only made sense.
"Where's what?"
"My knife!" Keith grit his teeth. "WHERE is my KNIFE!?"
After a moment, the Minotaur sighed.
"It's here." The monster pointed to a shelf full of what looked like rolls of linen, and indeed Keith could see his blade on the edge. "I didn't think you wanted to accidentally stab yourself while you were convalescing."
"'Convalescing'?" Keith scoffed. "I'm surprised you even know that word, beast."
"...Well," After looking away, another inexplicable gleam of hurt in its eyes, the monster shrugged. "I don't want any more people to die than has to. There's plenty of room for people to live here, after all."
"Plenty of-"
"Hey!" Keith was interrupted by a head popping out near his feet-which turned out to be someone peeping in from a doorway. "The barbarian's alive! I guess that medicine you gave him worked after all!"
"Medicine...?"
Keith stared at the newcomer. It was a small girl, long brown hair falling to her hips.
"Wait a minute..." Keith recalled a similar figure in the Labyrinth. "You survived too!?"
"Of course I did!" The girl chirped. "I have eyes. Once I figured out that some of the stones triggered traps, it was pretty easy for me to avoid most of them, and I was light enough to not activate the rest. I got to the center of the Labyrinth without a scratch."
"The center..." Keith sat up at this. "So it's only us?"
"Uh..." The girl looked sheepishly over at the monster. "I take it you didn't tell him, Shiro?"
"'Shiro'?" Keith stared at the girl indignantly. "You gave this monster a name!?"
"No, his mom gave him a name," the girl rolled her eyes. "Pay attention, barbarian, geez!"
"...Ah, yes. I didn't have the chance."
The Minotaur closed his eyes, crossing his arms. At this motion, Keith noticed something that he hadn't before-one of his arms wasn't human, but neither was it a bull's limb. Rather, it seemed to be made of a smooth, white stone, solid and unyielding, yet it was also flexible in such a way to look almost life-like with the way the muscles flexed and tightened as the limb folded around his chest. It seemed to Keith like magic, or would have at least if the monster with said white arm wasn't so terrifying. Because, in the end, he was a terrifying monster, and a tall and very muscular one at that. Keith had no doubt the Minotaur could snap his neck like a loaf of bread if he so chose.
"So, here is the situation. I'm certain the king's priestess told you many things about this place." The Minotaur's grey eyes fixed on Keith, even as Keith tried to dodge the thing's gaze. "However, the only thing that is so far true is that you're not meant to leave this place alive. The Labyrinth was first and foremost designed as a prison, by the most brilliant man to ever walk the earth. That man was the only person who knew how to escape alive, and even he died in his attempt."
"Yeah?" Keith swallowed. "You eat him, too?"
The look he got in response was withering, and Keith found himself looking away, inexplicably ashamed of himself for his remark.
"Alfor was a good man," The monster finally replied, a tone of warning in his voice. "His was an intellect blessed by the gods, regardless of his beliefs. But even he couldn't escape the machinations of man. The priestess has posted soldiers all over this island, and the only openings to the outside lead to shear drops down the mountain-"
The monster was interrupted by the ground rumbling. Immediately he stiffened, eyes widening, and Keith felt his own heart stop as he felt the bed he lay on start to shake.
"What the-?!"
Just as quickly, though, the rumble stopped.
"...Anyways," The monster continued, as if nothing happened, even if the tenseness in his posture didn't dissipate. "There are only two ways to leave. You die trying, or you don't try at all. No other means have yet been found, and we've been looking for many ranapt."
"'We'?"
"Myself, Alfor, his daughter...my mother," his eyes softened at the mention of that last, "...and the others trapped here."
"Others."
"Yeah!" The girl smiled. "Everyone who gets through to the center of the maze is...here. Alive."
Keith felt his mouth drop, just a little, and he ran a hand through his hair as he tried to process what he just heard. It made no sense.
The man-eating bull didn't eat people. The sacrifices-at least those he didn't see die-were alive. And Keith, too, was saved from death. Why? What was going on?
"Wh-how-"
"Rest," The Minotaur stood up, his tail and loincloth swishing around him as he went to the doorway. His hand went to a lever, which he pulled down. "We'll talk later."
Before Keith could respond, the room was plunged into darkness, and the door slid closed, leaving Keith in darkness to stew-and think.