Chapter 47

T owering before us on two legs as thick as oak trunks was a beast with broad, muscular shoulders and two gleaming red eyes. Veins rippled beneath its swollen, tanned biceps and webbed down the length of its arms into enormous hands. A long iron chain hung from where its neck met the bulbous swell of its shoulders. Two sharp horns protruded from each temple. The beast perked up its small angular ears. The iron ring, pierced in its septum, rose and fell with heavy snorts. My legs turned to dust when its large, rounded eyes met mine.

"Good Gods…" Lytos stopped beside me, watching the beast beat its thundering fists against its chest.

"What the fuck is that thing?" I hissed, clenching the hilt of my sword.

Arcturas nipped at my side, wide eyed and frightened by the monstrous obstacle that faced us. Beads of drool dripped from its fanged mouth as clouds of hot breath exhaled from its nostrils. Its eyes were all too familiar, ones I'd looked upon in both dreams and reality.

"It's the Minotaur. Another beast of legends, like Charybdis and Scylla, before. How in the gods' names did Tethys unleash it?" Lytos whispered, sweat glistening on his brow.

He raised his sword and stepped into a battle stance, awaiting the inevitable attack.

Lifting its thick head to the sky, it let out a roar that shook even the pebbles of earth beneath our feet. My bones rattled against muscle, its battle cry injecting fear into my organs. I couldn't move. My body refused all commands as the Minotaur raised its massive fists toward us.

"Men! At the ready!" Balakros bellowed, his voice trembling against the earth shattering stomp of the Minotaur's heavy feet charging toward us.

The few archers left knocked their bows, preparing to fire. The Minotaur scuffed its feet in the gravel, sending pebbles scattering across the keep's yard. I swallowed hard, raising my blade toward it. The battle outside the fortress gates had gone quiet. Stillness settled in the air. Anticipation twisted and turned through the minds of our men like a spider's silky web. Icy fear creeped into our bellies.

One moment, all was silent, even the tick of time. Then mayhem exploded throughout the yard. The Minotaur charged, lowering its horns as it hurtled toward us. Horn met flesh, flinging men into the air. Bodies zoomed through the sky, bones crunched on impact with solid ground, blood trickled from fatal wounds. Soldiers swung at the Minotaur, but their blades were nowhere near sharp enough to penetrate its tough layer of skin.

I threw myself at the beast, feeling the rush of tingles through my body. My flesh ignited, adrenaline humming in my chest as my blade met sinewy muscle. With all of my might, I plunged it into the Minotaur's back. The metal radiated with power, illuminating the darkness in a wash of amethyst hues.

The beast, now furious, bucked against me, knocking the wind out of my lungs and throwing me from its back. I landed in the muck, cracking my spine against a jagged rock protruding from the ground. Agony boomed through my core, paralyzing me where I lay. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. The incessant pain now plunging its fangs into my mid-back drowned out all thoughts.

The Minotaur slid my blade from its skin and threw it across the yard. Full of a new found rage, it plowed into my men. All I could do was watch as it threw them to the ground, tearing limb from limb. Our forces were dwindling. We couldn't withstand much more of this. I needed to do something.

Lytos dove for the beast, his sword raised overhead, fully intending to strike. Before he could, however, the Minotaur rocked backwards, its horn plunging through his abdomen. Everything and everyone around us froze. Lytos dropped his weapon, growing limp as realization kicked in.

"NO!" I cried, watching as the Minotaur lunged for him again.

Lytos fell to his knees, strength draining from him with the blood that seeped from his wound. The gravel beneath his feet was painted red, stained with bloodshed. Struggling to rise, I crawled to him, my hands and knees bloodied from the rough ground.

His eyes were cloudy as I cradled his body in my arms. Blood trickled from his mouth. Placing his hands over the gaping hole, I watched him gurgle and choke on the fluid filling his throat.

"Keep pressure on this. Please. Lytos, stay with me," I cried, dragging him from the center of the battle.

The Minotaur snorted and charged toward us. This was it. This was the end. I was too weak to fight back. Even in full strength, I was no match for this supernatural beast. I clenched my weapon, praying to the gods to spare me. Begging my mother for help.

As it approached, I held up my blade. My muscles cramped against the weight of the weapon. I was going to die. Lytos stared up at me, placing his hand on my cheek. He had accepted our fate, seeking the comfort of an old friend as we faced death together. The beast hurtled towards us, the muscles beneath its skin flexing with each powerful stride.

"I'm so sorry, Lytos," I whispered, closing my eyes.

Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I thought of Aryx. I thought of his perfect smile and the golden flecks in his eyes. I thought of the little crease in his cheek when he laughed and the way his hair fell smoothly to his shoulders. A small kernel of relief blinked within me as I realized I'd see him again soon. We would be together again, free from the binds of the mortal realm. There would be no more suffering, no more fighting for something unattainable.

The Minotaur roared, shaking dust from the cracks of the fortress walls. I opened my eyes to look at Lytos one last time. His expression had faded, like his soul leaving his body.

"I'm so sorry." I kissed his cheek and dropped my blade.

The beast froze mid stride, its nose ring extended in midair. Sounds of war faded away and the air thinned as time stopped. The man in my arms melted into the darkness.

"Elpis. This isn't over. Don't accept defeat just yet," a voice whispered in my ear.

Rosemary peppered my nose. I breathed it in, letting its sharpness fill my lungs. A warm hand stroked against my cheek, tipping up my chin. Brilliant golden eyes greeted mine as I opened them.

His touch was electric, sending waves of current through my body. His skin, once faded and grey, now glowed with beams of morning light. The tattoos down his collarbones slithered beneath his flesh, as if they were living things. My limbs turned to jelly as I stared at Aryx with wide, bewildered eyes.

"Am I dead?" I whispered, sucking in a shallow breath.

He smiled at me, tucking a strand of escaped hair behind my ear.

"No, my love. Not yet. But I need you to be strong. I need you to fight." His voice was as quiet as the rustle of leaves in a gentle spring breeze.

"I- I don't understand," I said. "How are you here?"

"You needed me, so I came."

"I've needed you since the moment you left me." A sob rose in my chest as the words I'd told myself over and over in my head finally poured into the air.

"Elpis. You need to fight."

"I'm so tired, Aryx. I can't do this without you. I brought my men to their deaths. Please don't make me do this," I cried, tears streaming down my face.

Aryx wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a warm embrace. It felt like morning dew and early flower buds. The void in my chest filled, if only for a moment. It was safe here. Familiar. He smoothed back my hair and kissed me on the forehead. It had only been a few days, but I realized then that I'd forgotten what his lips felt like against my skin.

"You have to. The realms need you."

"And I need you," I murmured, letting his warmth melt away the frigid loss in my heart.

He chuckled, the gold in his eyes glimmering with tenderness. "You've never needed me."

"What am I supposed to do? I can't kill this beast. It's too strong and my forces are all depleted. I don't know what became of the other army, but most of my soldiers are dead or wounded. Hyppolytos is…" I trailed off, thinking of my silent teacher.

"Lytos will be okay. He will recover, I promise you. The Minotaur has a weakness. Those glowing red eyes aren't used for sight. I have to go now. I love you. Always."

"No. Please. Don't leave me again. Don't go," I clawed at his biceps, frantic at losing him again.

"Elpis, I must. Keep fighting. This is almost over." He brushed his lips against mine as his skin became translucent.

"No. Please. Stay. Stay with me. Don't go."

He smiled one last time, grasping my hand in his. With one final phrase, he faded into the night. "I love you. "