Silence.

Alone.

So lonely.

I breathe into the dark, dusty air.

Silence.

I'm shuffling forwards, holding my brillaint bronze sword high as if to ward away the shadows. The sand moves under my feet, as if I'm being dragged towards my doom.

I close my eyes for a few seconds, imagine that I'm on the crystal blue shores of Athens. Waves crash against the shore, Helios smiles down on us, flooding our city with sunlight. Further up in the city, the olive groves of Athena. I remember the peaceful walks I used to take on my own through the trees, wading among them.

I open my eyes. It's hell. There are torches of fire held up in every corridor, illuminating the twisting paths with a foreboding red light. I'm walking down each hallway quietly, listening out for any signs of approaching movement. I recount my instructions over and over in my head, always forward; never go left or right. I'm desperate to. I know that only death waits forward, only pain and death.

Then I hear it scraping - the noise of a foot in the dust, echoing from the never-ending darkness ahead of me. This is it. I drop the ball of string I've been holding in my spare hand, and clasp my sword with both hands. I'm not the best swordsman, not by far, but I am the only hope.

Something flies out from the darkness and lands just in front of me. It's a skull - twisted, ripped, demolished by the beast. Probably an Athenian, from nine years ago - sent as a demonic sacrifice to this creature. The skull looks at me, and my fear turns to anger. I step forward courageously and get ready to face my nightmare.

It roars in reply to my daring move, and stumbles out of the shadow. I stop. Tall, huge, beast. An insanely hair-covered human, up to the head, where a bull's head takes over. But it's not just a bull, I've never seen a bull with so much blood-lust in it's eyes, with teeth as sharp as razors, with lethal horns sprouting hellishly from it's head. I'm petrified. It's boiling underground, but a chill runs through my spine. It's a curse of human nature that, when we are filled with nothing but fear, we stop. Sometimes we may fly straight away, flee from danger, and sometimes we immediately turn into warriors. But for the better part, we just stop.

My body takes control again. I gulp. I take a deep breathe, and hold my sword up again. I remember that I am the only one who can kill this beast, the only one who can end the years of opression and pointless loss of life.

I am the only one who can kill the Minotaur.

* * *

The young woman sat at the edge of the fine palace halls, sitting and waiting next to the old, wooden trapdoor in the corner of the room. An hour had passed, and nothing. She stood up and began to pace the marble floors, looking out now and then to the dark nighttime, up at the glow of the white moon, praying to the moon goddess Artemis to give him the strength he needed. Her hope faltered. It'd been too long. She transferred Daedalus' instructions clearly, always forward; never go left or right. He should've followed those words to the letter, heroically charged forward, found the beast and decapitated him with all his might.

Lord Theseus was a hero, not some run-of-the-mill Athenian kid. He was the son of Poseidon, a demi-god in both form and function. Either he was dead, or had forgotten about the string, and dropped it in some dark corner of the Labyrinth. The girl sighed worringly, and the thought of her loved one dead brought tears to her eyes. If Theseus was dead, her life would be ruined; she would be stranded in the palace of Knossos for the rest of her life, her father King Minos would find out what she'd done and punish her, and forever would her foul half-brother roam around that labyrinth, killing those poor fourteen Athenians every nine years until age caught up with him. Never again would a hero try and face the infamous Minotaur after famous Lord Theseus was killed.

Just as all hope was lost, the trapdoor creaked open. Her eyes light up as it opened wide, and the blood-covered Theseus pulled himself out, bearing the head of the beast. The girl jumped up with joy and charged over to her loved one, embracing him like a wife embraces her husband as he returns from a long war. He parted from her and moved out into the hall, dropping the head of the Minotaur in the center of the room before moving back to the girl.

'I thought you were lost forever. . .' she weeped against his shoulder, her love for him overpowering all else. He smiled slyly, and held her head against his chest.

'Quickly,' he whispered in her ear, 'go and get Phaidra, I will gather the Athenians.'

He left their embrace and began running silently to the palace gates. She gazed at him longingly, before turning back to the night sky. She looked at the moon again and muttered a quiet thanks, before turning to one of the palace doors. Knossos palace was magnificent - bigger than any other in the lands of the Aegean Sea. All the members of the royal family had their own room, which was very rare.

She found her room, crept inside, and whispered her sister awake. Her sister had been prepared, ready to leave. They smiled at each other excitedly, their thoughts filled with freedom from King Minos and the Minotaur, they could finally get away from this life. They glided quietly through the polished marbled halls of the palace, and out of the main gates.

Theseus soon returned, alongside thirteen young Athenian children. The small party headed away from the palace, far away, and down to the city docks. A boat had been waiting for Theseus, it's black sails now billowing high in the light winds. The girl smiled. Everything was ready. Everything had gone to plan.

They went aboard the fine ship, which set off as soon as they had, and watched as their home city passed behind them.

'It's over.' the young girl muttered to herself. All the horrors of her life had gone. With no cruel father, and no monstrous half-brother, she could return to a normal Greek life. She was Theseus' lover, a soon to be princess of Athens. She would live a fine life now, being attended to by maids, drinking fine wines and living in happiness. This is where it all began. She turned away from the view of Knossos, and headed down into the ship's cabins.

'Goodnight.' she said as an old life passed her, and set down to sleep, ready to wake to a new one.

* * *

'Naxos.' she grumbled angrily. Thoughts of rage and fury scoured her mind - vengeance! She swore that if she ever saw Theseus again, her revenge would be that to rival Medea's!

As the Eos, the dawn, had risen, Theseus had stopped off at the island of Naxos to abandon the girl. Why? she asked herself over and over. There was no clear reason, she was no hinderance to him, no burden. She had saved his life and he abandoned her to rot! Filth, she thought to herself. All heroes were the same, she supposed she should've seen it coming. She thought back to Jason, how he had betrayed his wife and married Glauce of Corinth.

Now Theseus would be ruined - forever remembered for having stranded her on Naxos. But will he? a voice inside her rang, who will miss poor Ariadne?

She fell to the ground and tears streamed down her cheeks,

'All is lost!' she cried out to the calm seas.

'Don't say that.' a gentle, attractive voice whispered like a song into her ears. She whirled around, and was surprised to be met by another figure. He was quite tall and chubby, with cheeks as red as wine. He had curly locks of hair that tumbled down his shoulders, and his divine eyes looked gleefully into hers.

'W-who are you?' she stuttered peacefully, enchanted by the man's smile.

They stared at each other, not saying a word, but simply falling in love. The god Eros hovered high above, watching down on them with compassion. He set a blessing upon the two below him, locking their futures together, intertwining their lives and hearts. Flowers around the two of them grew wildly, sprouting out into magnificent colours, covering the entire island of Naxos like wildfire. The man gently stroked her hair, and said simply,

'I'm your saviour.'

RATE THIS CHAPTER!

Author guidance for This story

This is what Greek Mythology nerds like me will find a story of true brilliance and heroism.

updated Feb 20 '10 by Diomedes