The Story of Theseus

by Ray

A small herd of perhaps a dozen cattle scattered as a young boy charged at them. He was being chased by a slightly older friend, who shouted for him to stop and fight. "In the name of Crete, I demand you turn to face me, beast!" Theseus turned suddenly, roaring as menacingly as a boy of fourteen can, and pawed at the ground like a bull.

"And face you I will! Your pathetic sword is no match for my strength! Feel my horns as I gore you, coward!" Theseus ran wildly towards his friend Darius, crashing into him and knocking the larger boy over, twisting his head menacingly against his chest, feigning horns.

"Hey! Stop! That tickles!" Darius tried to gain his balance, but Theseus was like a snake, anticipating his every move and staying on top of his friend. Throwing his head back and bellowing, he raised his fist in mock victory. "The minotaur wins again! Ha!" He punctuated his exclamation with a punch to Darius' shoulder. "You should know better than that, you always fall for the shoulder charge. The elders could knock you over."

Darius picked himself up off the ground, and grinned, diving at Theseus, both boys falling into the muddy grass. "You let down your guard too early," he said, face inches from the boy's nose, "the real minotaur would've finished the job." Darius pushed Theseus down into the mud, then stood up, brushing his shirt off.

Theseus was up moments later, laughing, "The real minotaur couldn't lay a finger on me. I could beat him any day!"

Darius smirked. "I'm sure he'd do more than that. You'd run faster than those cows if you faced him." His attention turned to the cattle grazing, and he sat down on a rock. He sobered slightly, and looked at Theseus. "I hear they're choosing who the next offering will be tomorrow... Your sister just turned 16, didn't she?" Theseus nodded absently, looking over the herd, watching one of the bulls covering a cow. "Yeah... She's a bit worried that she'll be picked. I hear Minos keeps the ones he likes for himself. He supposedly has this thing for long blonde hair. He keeps 'em locked up and uses them whenever he gets horny." His eyes never left the bull as he spoke.

Darius' attention was drawn to the animalistic rutting being played out for no one's benefit. "I won't be eligible to be offered for another year... My brother was lucky, he just turned 19 last month. Then again, Minos sends back the scrawny ones...."

He grinned at Theseus. "Maybe he just keeps all of the offerings for himself, boys or girls. I bet he'd love to get ahold of you."

Darius barely got the words out of his mouth before Theseus tackled him, pummeling his friend across the chest. "Shut up! Nobody's gonna do that to me, I ain't gonna lose if I get offered, and you know it. Nobody can beat me when I put my mind to winning!" Darius tried his best to get out from under Theseus, but this time he couldn't, every move he made was countered until he threw back his hands. "Okay, okay, I give!" Theseus backed off, grinning. "The minotaur wins again."

The months passed by quickly, and, as both boys feared, at the time of the next offering, Theseus' sister was the female half of the pair that was chosen to be sent from the Isle of Crete as a gift to the King. Crete had been taken over by the Empire a number of years back, to much resistance from its inhabitants.

King Minos had decreed that as a penalty for not submitting to him even after Crete's small army had been defeated, every six months a pair of youths from the island be sent to his castle as an 'offering' to his pet, the minotaur. The decree said that whoever left the castle with the ears and tail of the minotaur would give Crete its freedom.

None had ever returned. Rumors of a great bull-headed beast had abounded for years before Crete had been taken, but now the reality of the situation was being pounded home with incredible realism. It was quite evident that Minos was depleting Crete's best warrior stock to prevent any further uprising from the island. He never took weak or sickly children, those were returned dead by Minos' army, who then took at least 4 more children from their homes. Crete's elders could not solve the problem. None of their plans to rid themselves of the minotaur's menace seemed to work, even their best plans to kill the beast always failed. They had finally tried to appease Minos in any way possible, but it certainly seemed the King took a liking to crushing his opposition into oblivion- perhaps Crete was being used a warning to the other city-states. Minos' empire had grown considerably since Crete's fall.

Darius' 16th birthday approached rapidly, and both he and Theseus had started becoming more and more skilled in the ways of the warrior. Theseus had attracted the attention of a girl his age named Sarina, who Darius had become jealous of. The intensity of the boys' battles increased. It was soon obvious that while what Darius had in size and strength, Theseus had in quickness and ability twice over. On the day of Darius' birthday, he was widely held as the best warrior of age that Crete had, and the second best overall.

His father presented him with an ornate short-sword as a present, to learn and be skilled with. Darius took to the blade readily, the weapon almost second nature to him in only a few short weeks. The winter approached rapidly, and the time of the next offering was neigh at hand.

It came as no surprise to Theseus that Darius volunteered to go to Minos- it had become a tradition that the bravest among the new crop would go to try to defeat the beast which was their burden. For the two weeks before he left, Theseus and Darius sparred non-stop to prepare him for his battle. The day of departure was one of hopeful optimism in Crete.

"Look, if you manage to get the sword into the labyrinth, you might stand a chance. The minotaur is supposed to be big, so you will have the advantage of speed. Use the sword, watch for openings, and stay alive." Theseus' words of advice to Darius made him smile. "Hey, I'll be okay. He won't be expecting me to attack him. Just relax. I'll see you in a while, okay? Tell Sarina to be waiting for me." Darius paraded up to the center of town, and raised his sword triumphantly to a cheer from the crowd, then departed with a seventeen year old girl to the castle on the two white horses Minos had sent.

The days passed slowly for Theseus, who sat in a tree on a hill outside of the city, looking towards the docks, watching for a boat carrying the triumphant Darius back to Crete. It never came. Theseus' time spent waiting for his friend dwindled until finally, the boy went back to training full time, stopping only to spend time with Sarina. He would talk about the revenge he would extract on the minotaur and Minos for what they did to his homeland.

Soon enough, Theseus' sixteenth birthday came and went, and the time of the next offering approached. As was expected, Theseus volunteered to be offered. What he didn't expect was for Sarina to offer herself as well. It was the custom for the female to be chosen from a lottery, but the elders could not see why a willing person should not be denied a chance to defeat the minotaur, they had just not considered a female to be their possible savior. They made their plans for departure, and when the horses arrived, the couple departed to the cheers of the townspeople.

The horses went down to the docks slowly, having taken the trail enough times to be led without reins. King Minos trusted the people of Crete to not try anything out of the ordinary, they had felt his wrath enough times to not warrant much security here. Sarina talked with Theseus as the horses descended the hill to the boat.

"I have a plan. The shirt I wear is a special one, made of one thread and one thread alone. If you take it, and unravel it when you wander the maze, you won't get lost, and will be able to make your way back to me when you defeat the minotaur." Her words were comforting to him. He hadn't the slightest idea how he was to beat the beast, but knowing that she had confidence in him gave him the bravery of a hundred men.

The boat ride to Minos' castle was uneventful. Theseus and Sarina were placed in shackles and locked in a cabin for the journey, and led to the courtyard of the King when the boat arrived. Minos himself greeted them. "Welcome, my guests. I hope you weren't inconvenienced by the trip here, we've lost a few guards a few years back, you see." Minos smiled cruelly as the guards unfastened the chains which bound the couple.

Theseus scowled at the King. "We are not your 'guests' Minos.

When do you send us to our deaths?" The King laughed genuinely at the boy's bravado. "Your 'deaths?' Give me credit, boy. In fact, you shall be catered to- we have a feast laid out in your honor tonight. Please, join us for supper. We shall attend to the maze tomorrow morning."

Sarina looked at Theseus questioningly. There never had been mention of any banquets or festivities surrounding the offering before- perhaps the talk of a minotaur was just rumor? Her question was answered as the King continued. "Tomorrow we will show you to the entrance of the labyrinth. Do you have a weapon, boy?" Theseus shook his head. "Then I shall provide you with your choice of swords. Do not think that I am leading calves to slaughter- The sport is knowing that you have a chance at defeat."

Theseus was baffled- this must be a trick of some sort. "No.

There will be no feast. We face the beast this afternoon, or you send us back to Crete." Minos looked surprised, but amused. "Then so be it. Guards! Show the boy his selection of weaponry, and then bring him presently to the entrance. The feast shall go on as planned, without our guests of honor."

Theseus spat on the ground at the King's feet as they passed him, and was led to the armory. The selection was modest, but adequate. He reached for one of the longer swords, but was held back by a guard. "It will be delivered to you at the entrance,"

was all the man would say before Theseus was led off to the gate of the maze, where Sarina stood waiting for him.

A compliment of guards surrounded Minos as the gate to the maze was opened. "You will find torches and a small amount of food inside. Should you defeat the minotaur, tap the gate three times and drop the horns of my beast through this hole. The decree specifies that you are to keep the tail and the ears for yourself to present to Crete. Should you succeed, you also may lay claim to whatever else you may find inside, as it would be your prize." He tapped his staff on the ground, and two guards swung the gate open with some effort. A second latched gate stood six feet down a short corridor. "You will find that the second gate opens easier than this one. I will leave a guard posted who will release you should he see the horns. Good luck."

It occurred to Theseus as he and Sarina were escorted into the tunnel that Minos had never asked their names. He heard the heavy gate shut, and looked back at the guard who watched them silently. The sword he had picked out was pushed through the window, and clanged against the cold stone. Theseus picked it up, and unlatched the inner door. "Well, I guess this is it, Sarina."

Opening the door, he let Sarina pass through, then closed it behind him. He heard the catch lock as he realized there was no handle on this side.

Minos had not spared any expense in creating the maze. The inner wall was lined with jewel encrusted torch holders, and at the end of the corridor, a brazier lined with gold held a blazing fire which burned silently, illuminating a horde of treasure.

Theseus was impressed, but not distracted. Sarina took care of that as she removed her shirt, exposing herself to the boy's wide eyes. She tied the end of the string around her finger, handing the rest of the shirt to Theseus, kissing him. "Don't worry about me, the fire will keep me warm." She gathered her wrap up around her body, covering her breasts with a coy smile. "Gold isn't the only treasure in the maze, my love. Return soon."

Theseus, his courage returning, headed off into the mass of corridors that was the labyrinth. Using the string as a guide, he quickly discovered that the maze was not as complex as rumored.

Many passages looped back upon themselves and had deceptive intersections, but it was apparent that the entire 'maze' was, in fact, divided into five sections, all leading from the center room. He discovered that the outer wings were all treasure troves, but, aside from having the exact same layout, and interconnecting passages, there was no trickery to their design.

He returned from the fourth to find Sarina looking over some of the artwork in the main hallway.

She smiled, and rushed to him, hugging him before he told her he hadn't found the beast yet. She looked disappointed until he mentioned the riches contained therein. "The fifth passageway is much longer than the others. It must be where the beast is. I will return." He kissed her deeply, holding her for a long time before walking determinedly down the final hall.

To even the least trained person, it would have been obvious that this was the correct passageway. The stench of a cow's pasture was prevalent from 50 feet in, and continued to grow with every passing yard. Theseus removed his sandals to move more silently as he approached a wider area at the end of the tunnel.

He was even more surprised to see light coming from the other side of the room which he approached. A door at the back of the cavern was open to a pasture! Theseus could not see much beyond the opening, but could hear animals moving about. He crept around the side of the cavern, watching for any signs of the beast.

Apparently, the beast was indisposed. The cavern was the lair of the minotaur, all right, he could see the great axe the beast used as a weapon, a goodly 4 feet long at the handle, and guessed the minotaur to be at least 7 feet tall, or very strong, or both.

A crude bed of straw and wood was in one corner, a throne of some sort sat across from it. Dark brown stains covered the floor, which Theseus guessed could only be blood. This was obviously the place where Darius met his fate, as well as many before him, but... where was the beast? Theseus slowly approached the doorway at the back of the room, and peered out into the light. It was an open air pasture surrounded by high cliffs, he guessed it was maybe a hundred yards long at its widest point, and oval shaped. Some cattle roamed grazing, but Theseus was drawn to the scene in front of him. He spied two animals facing away from him in an act of passion. What looked to be a bull covering a cow was actually the beast itself! The youth dropped to his knees to watch as the minotaur took the cow from behind, his powerful body wrapped around the animal, bellowing in his lust. This was the beast of legend, he guessed that it was at least as tall as he, but 10 times stronger. Theseus' sword slipped slightly, the resounding echo from the metal on stone causing the minotaur to whirl around, startled.

The youth was not sure what kept him frozen in place. It could have been the minotaur, which stood staring at him, his engorged phallus scarlet against the rough hide of his belly. It might have been the sudden realization that it was not a cow, but a bull that was being covered, or it could have been the boy's own erection at the sight of the animals mating. Either way, the minotaur was not charging him- it looked like he was inviting the youth to join him. Suddenly an image of Sarina popped into Theseus' head, then a flood of images- Crete, the armies Minos sent to steal his townspeople, Darius, his sister... The youth found himself again, and roared, charging the minotaur in blind fury.

The small herd of perhaps a dozen cattle scattered as the boy charged at them. He chased the minotaur who moved away from him and to a stall nearby, then shouted for him to stop and fight.

"In the name of Crete, I demand you turn to face me, beast!" It turned suddenly, roaring menacingly as a strong hand picked up a sword which was lying in the straw, then pawed at the ground like the bull it was.

The minotaur ran wildly towards Theseus, crashing into him and knocking the boy over, twisting his head menacingly against his chest, his horns just missing Theseus' throat. Theseus rolled out from under the beast, slicing across his chest with his blade.

The bull pulled back roaring as a trickle of blood dripped over his stomach, and snorted, stepping back and raising his sword to swing at the boy. Theseus dodged and countered with a terrific blow to the minotaur's shoulder, the blade biting deep and true, stopping only when it hit bone. The minotaur's sword spun away, but not before a swift punch from the beast's good arm sent Theseus reeling.

His side hurt incredibly, but the minotaur was wounded! He felt he had a chance to deliver the killing blow, if only the bull would charge him once more... and it did! Theseus crouched down, feigning his ribs being crushed, and leapt a split second before the beast's blade crashed into the dirt where he had just been.

With all his might, Theseus jumped at the beast, his sword held out, and watched as the steel pierced the bull's chest, sliding effortlessly through his body and out the back. Blood poured from the minotaur's chest, and Theseus stumbled back, clawing at the ground, wide eyed. The bull bellowed, grabbing at the sword, unable to grip it... It stumbled, dropped to its knees, and looked at Theseus before falling to its side, collapsing onto its back. Moments later, its chest stopped heaving, and the blood flow slowed to a trickle. The cows returned to grazing the pasture.

He had done it!! Theseus stood, clutching his side- perhaps faking a broken rib hadn't been as much of an act as he'd thought. A sudden flood of relief swept over him, and he started laughing uncontrollably at the dead minotaur, whose still hard erection stood higher than the sword in his stomach. Theseus hadn't even noticed the bull was still 'distracted.' He walked over to pick up the sword the minotaur had dropped, and then suddenly felt a great pain of sorrow. In his hand, he held the weapon Darius had brought with him to defeat the minotaur.

As the ornate blade carved through the beast's forehead, Theseus dedicated his victory to his defeated friend. Soon, Theseus had both ears, the tail, and the horns in his possession.

He was amazed how much less threatening the minotaur looked now- almost passive. He somehow managed a bit of pity for the beast, which seemed as much of a prisoner as any of the people sent as offerings. He was glad he would be the last. With a wicked grin, he sliced off the bull's genitals, keeping the penis as a trophy for himself.

The journey back to the entrance was an easy one, even though Theseus had taken a severe blow, his ribs felt much better. He even felt more powerful as he scooped Sarina up in his arms, kissing her after dropping the salvaged parts of the bull at her feet. She started crying from joy as she knew her freedom was at hand. Theseus broke the kiss only to ask her to marry him. She said yes instantly. He took a ring from the pile of treasure and gave it to her as a token of his love. "It's probably not the best ring here, but it's all ours! You can take your pick later."

She looked down at the bloodied parts of the bull at her feet, and picked up the bull's erection. "Now how did you manage this, my love? You didn't..." Theseus laughed. "No... let me tell you how it happened." He told her the story of the minotaur and bull as they approached the doorway.

He knocked on the door with the horns, pressing them through the hole, listening to them hit the floor. For a brief moment, he expected the guard to leave them to starve in the maze, but shortly heard the bolt pop open, and the guard swing the first door open. "Your sword, sir. Drop it through the door, too."

Theseus hesitated, but complied. Seconds later, the door opened, and Theseus with his bride to be stepped out into the late afternoon light. The guard motioned them to the castle. "This way, please. The King will be waiting for you."

Minos rose as Theseus entered the hall with the remains of the minotaur. "Congratulations, good sir. You have succeeded where many have failed before you. Please, join us for the feast we were to hold in your honor, and take my best suite for the night.

You may leave for Crete in the morning, it will be dark before you could make it back."

Sarina rubbed Theseus' back, and smiled. She answered for him, "We accept, Your Grace. If we may retire to the suite to collect ourselves?"

"Of course, my lady. Please find some clothing and other accouterments, and take what you like. I will see you in a half an hour?" She nodded, and ushered Theseus towards the bedroom.

Minos nodded to his guard, who followed them to the suite. Sarina turned to the guard when they arrived at the suite. "We would like to be alone." The guard nodded silently, and opened the door for them.

Theseus wasted no time embracing Sarina, leading her to the bed and helping her out of her clothing. Shortly thereafter, he stood naked before her, looking at the parts of the bull that lay in a pile next to the bed. He grinned, and began to caress Sarina's naked body. "Did I tell you how I felt when I saw the minotaur with that bull?" She shook her head, but grasped his swelling member, massaging it lightly. "No, my love, but I think you're going to tell me..."

"I wanted to be that bull. I wanted to feel those horns on my head and feel myself lost in the animal's passion." She chuckled, and looked at the bull's horns on the ground. "Well, maybe we'll just play a little game, love." She picked up the horns, and put them onto Theseus' head, tying it in place with the string he used to guide him through the maze. In short time, the ears and tail were in place as well. Satisfied, she laughed. "They fit you well, my love."

He laughed, and nudged her onto her hands. "If we're gonna play, we're gonna play right." She took the hint, and dropped to her hands and knees. "Okay, bull, do your thing." She gasped as she felt the first thrust of her lover enter her, moaning slightly in pleasure. Theseus worked in and out of her, then groaned, pulling back. Sarina didn't move, but asked, "What's wrong, love?"

"Nothing, Sarina... just my stomach... The minotaur got me pretty well." He wrapped his arms around her, and held her chest, then grunted, thrusting back into her. Suddenly, she yelped, and rocked forward, turning towards him. "Hey, I didn't say you could use the bull's cock, silly. It's too big for m-"

She didn't finish her sentence, her words trailing off, her face blanching white. Theseus looked down at her, his eyes burning, his breath coming hard and rough. He pushed her back down, and thrust into her again, groaning as he pressed deeply into her, feeling his erection bottom her out. Sarina wrenched herself around under Theseus, pushing herself away from him.

She looked up in horror as a second pair of horns pressed out from Theseus' temples, the dead minotaur's horns dropping off the bed as Theseus' head widened and thickened. He bellowed, and thrust back into her, his cock slamming into the back wall of her cervix, blood flowing out along his member, urging him on.

Sarina started screaming as she looked up into the eyes of the beast, a beast that looked vaguely like Theseus, but by the second like the minotaur she saw depicted on the walls of the labyrinth. Her body yielded to his power as he came into her, filling her with his seed, her gut twisting around his member, her hips twisting somehow. Theseus felt an incredible rage towards the human beneath him as he took Sarina's neck in his hands, snapping it. Theseus passed out from the intensity of his orgasm, and collapsed onto Sarina's mangled body.

He awoke a short time later, his hands bound to his ankles behind him, King Minos standing with a full compliment of guards surrounding him. He lunged at him, but found that he was held fast by his bonds. He tried to speak, but found he produced nothing but a bovine bellow. He was confused by the dead cow lying in the bed in front of him.

"Yes, my beloved pet," the King started, "you see what you've done. She is quite dead." He looked at the cow pitifully, "It is too bad, I was hoping she would join me for dinner before entering the maze. She was so pretty. If you'd only waited until after the feast, she would have followed you into the maze, granted, as a cow, but still, you would have enjoyed a nice life in the pasture.

"I suppose you're wondering why you've changed... It's quite simple, actually. You probably still understand me, but you won't for long, so I'll make it fast. There never was a minotaur, but there have been a string of minotaurs. Crete sends me their best warriors, and often the minotaur will fall- only to be replaced by those who defeat my pet. The one who went into the maze with the victor becomes a simple cow. Or even a bull... I was amazed that the girl with the long blonde hair killed the minotaur 2 years ago. She died at the hands of the one who wielded that sword you took out of the maze. He was the one you killed. Such is the nature of the labyrinth. I do hope you enjoy it."

Theseus bellowed again at the realization of what he'd done, and even worse, the situation he was in. He felt nothing but rage towards humans now, his human rational disappearing quickly into that of a beasts. By the time he was pushed into the maze, and his bonds released, he wanted nothing more than to kill any human he saw. As he made his way into the pasture, one of the cattle lowed to a fellow beast.

The Story of Theseus copyright 1996 by Ray.