To the land of the Minotaur

"Thanos, you are from Crete; correct?" she asked. Her charioteer gritted his teeth, remembering being taken prisoner in battle some years before. He looked at the young and lovely blonde and thought of his own wife; no doubt re-married after so many years of his absence.

"Yes." he replied.

"With such a curt and short reply I'd guess you'd be from Sparta." she said with a chuckle. 'What myths do your people believe in?" she asked. He turned his eyes back to the road.

"They aren't "myths" my Lady. The Minotaur is as real as you or me." He thought back to the tales. Minos's wife laying with Poseidon's white bull. The Minotaur, the great labyrinth, Theseus... His thoughts were broken by her chuckles. "Do not laugh. The abomination stalks the labyrinth still. Some say Theseus did not slay him. Others say that the virgins sent to him were not eaten, only mated with to produce more Minotaur..."

"Well then," she said, a wicked look her eye; "We go to port and must sail for Crete at once to see your "Minotaur." He glared at her incredulously, but realized the amazing opportunity that was presented to him. A smile parted his scarred face.

"To the port it is." He said; a simple yet brilliant plan forming in his mind.

.................

It was a long week at sea as they sailed for the Isle of Crete. Arimneste read and re-read the myths of the Minotaur. The body of a man and head and "tail" of a bull. She saw through that thinly veiled metaphor just as Plato had taught her. "So the Minotaur has a big, bull's cock dangling between his legs, eh?" she thought. She blushed as she read the part about him "eating virgins". Her young mind wondered just how Minos's wife felt with that massive thing inside of her....Thanos tried to ignore her giggles in their tight, small quarters upon the chartered fishing boat. His mind was lost in battles, mostly lost, so many years before...

"Land!" a man called out. Arimneste stood and raced to the front of the ship; the island of Crete just barely visible through the morning fog. Her heart pounded in her young, luscious body. She couldn't wait to walk the labyrinth and disprove once and for all this silly superstition.

They paid for their voyage and unloaded their horses and chariot. As the daughter of an Athenian citizen, most simply bowed out of her way as she and the rode on to the capital, Knossos. Arimneste turned to the Thanos and leaned against the rail of the chariot. "So what does your Minotaur do now that the king no longer sends him tribute?" she asked, mocking him with her tone.

"Enough young and stupid people, such as yourself, wander into the maze to satisfy his urges." The said, looking forward to entering Knossos, the city of his birth. Arimneste chuckled.

"I bet the labyrinth is full of nothing but thieves and thugs. That's why no one gets out." she said, tilting her head up to inhale the fresh, ocean breeze before disappearing into the interior of the island; perfectly happy to bask in her intelligence.

"In that case you'd better hope its the Minotaur; at least he might only eat you. Zeus knows what those savages might do." Arimneste scowled.

"I'm only kidding. I'm sure no criminals would dare enter the maze. They'd be too scared." she said, suddenly nervous and painfully aware that only a swath of silk and a mistreated stood between her and a very painful violation...

"Well, you'll find out soon enough. We're here." he said, pointing to a massive stone circle ahead, broken only by a tiny, dark entrance.

Arimneste inhaled sharply. "Stay calm. The Minotaur doesn't exist. Its all just...just supestition." she thought to herself as the chariot approached the entrance. No grass grew near it. Wooden signs were nailed to twisted, dead trees. Stay Out. Asterion's Maze. The Minotaur Awaits.

The young, brash Athenian woman stepped off the back of the chariot. "Alright, Thanos. Let's go." she said as she walked forward.

"Go? Very well." he said, and whipped the horses. "Stupid bitch! You have brought me home! Just try and get me back, and I'll have blade and bow waiting! HAHAHA!" he said as the chariot thundered down the road. She watched, unbelievingly, as he kicked her possessions off the back of the chariot.

"Fucking slaves!" she thought, huffing and puffing. She turned back to the dark entrance of the labyrinth. "Okay Aria...their is nothing to fear." she said, unconsciously running her fingers over the dagger tucked in her belt. The beautiful young blonde Athenian stepped forward into the lair of the monster...