Busara walked around the Minotaur statue, stopping occasionally to feel it. He was in deep thought as he considered the proposal. “We can make the preparations. However, the busted stone outside tells me the beast may be too strong, even with the restraints.”

  Tenya was leaning against the wall, staring at the stone figure. “You ask me, he’s better off a statue, crack him and let’s be done with it.”

  “Is that what you want me to do if you became stone?” Amethyst glared at Tenya, who shrugged her shoulders and sauntered out of the room. Turning back to Busara, Amethyst sat on a boulder. “The question is, can you do it?”

  “Of course, I’ll run a few support lines as well, but I still do not believe it will hold. The stone is just too brittle and more importantly, it is just too strong.”

  Amethyst nodded her head and placed her hands on her hips. She knew it would be dangerous, but if Sofía could retake her mind, so too could this poor soul. After all, he was a victim, a slave in someone’s sick game. She had pondered out a few ways to make sure the beast remained docile. Putting a cloth over his head, covering him with a layer of water, and lifting him off the ground to remove some of his leverage. She and Sofía had workshopped the idea slightly, but it was difficult. The snakes were constantly hissing her thoughts. And that drove the rune in her mouth to itch and burn, resulting in a coughing and gagging fit. So, the conversations had to be brief and frequent.

  Because he was occupied with running errands for Sofía, Stochastís couldn’t contribute to the Minotaur’s restraint plans. Sofía devised an injection, which should allow him to manage his new form and the hormones that came with it. Amethyst was more interested in helping, not so much the how behind it, so long as it worked.

  With little else to do, Amethyst bid farewell to Busara and followed Tenya. She found her outside, sitting on a ruined wall, studying the bloody outline of where Skotóno had been crushed. The body had been removed and presented to íroas. In the end, the kill was credited to Amethyst. She didn’t want any part of it, but Stochastís ran with the story, over dramatizing it and making connections between the Manticore and the Kraken.

  She sat next to Tenya, sliding close to her until their hips were touching. “You really think he should just be a pile of rocks?”

  Tenya shifted, then faced Amethyst. “I think he should have been, yes. You seem to feel otherwise, so I’ll trust your judgement.”

  “That’s a lot of trust. What if I am wrong and the whole thing falls apart?”

  “You slew the Kraken,” Tenya mocked. “Really, we can take care of it.”

  Amethyst’s hand caressed Tanya’s. They gripped their hands together firmly. Amethyst leaned close to Tenya, their foreheads landing softly against each other. Amethyst closed her eyes and the surrounding noises disappeared entirely, with only the sounds of their breathing left. She heard the rustling of the trees in the wind, drops fell from the branches as the frost melted away in the sun’s ample glow. She heard the leaves crunching, with the soft snorting of a few feral pigs that had taken a liking to the old place. Amethyst leaned closer in, feeling for an instant the soft press of Tenya’s lips.

  “No, that’s not right!” Garba shouted.

  “Is too!” Wa Chini replied.

  Amethyst laughed as she pulled away from Tenya to look over at the incoming disruptions. She opened her eyes, revealing that Tenya was not so pleased by the interruption.

  “Dam cats!” Tenya shouted, as she walked over to them.

  They had returned from town with several ingredients that Sofía had wanted. Tenya argued with them, yelling about how inconsiderate they were. Garba and Wa Chini didn’t understand why, but they were ready to argue with her.

  §

  The sun had gone down hours prior, and most everyone, including Tenya, had fallen asleep. Amethyst sat at a safe distance watching Sofía work. Amethyst couldn’t look away. Sofía was beautiful, nearly hypnotizing. In the local fashion, she was wearing almost nothing for clothing. The golden garb was sheer, leaving little to Amethyst’s imagination.

  She swayed as she walked back and forth with an enormous book in her hands. The snakes seamlessly rose from her green hair, lifting and dipping with each step. They were honed in on the book, their eyes remaining fixed as she periodically looked away, mumbling quietly to herself.

  She halted, then all eyes focused on Amethyst. “I have a solution.”

  Amethyst waited for her to continue in silence.

  “Your rune is a problem, yes?”

  Amethyst nodded her head.

  “Then I have the solution. Perhaps we can revisit it another time,” Sofía responded.

  Amethyst cocked her head. She waited for Sofía to elaborate further, but she didn’t. Instead, Sofía walked to the opposite end of the room and tinkered with small glass vials. The tink of the glasses was soothing as Sofía tapped them together, adding small spoonfuls of powders and liquids.

  Amethyst stood and stretched until she couldn’t see anything. Her body felt tingly, as she let her upper half fold downwards. A few seconds with her head between her knees and the tingling passed. She walked through the halls of the temple until she came to the statue of the Minotaur. Busara had set p several anchors across the walls and ceiling. He had laid chains and rope around the room in a pattern she didn’t recognize. The statue had charcoal marks in various places around it. Busara had left earlier in the evening, returning to the comfort of the villa, rather than attempting to push his old joints further.

  The stone was smooth to the touch, and each small definition of muscle and vein seemed impossible to recreate. Kings would part with a fine sum to have such a fine work of art in their collection. As Amethyst circled, she wondered if the knowledge of how the statue came to be would turn the buyers away, or drive the price higher.

  A pit formed in her stomach at the thought. She wanted to believe in the goodness of humanity, but her own past was all she needed to know the truth. Softly, she whispered, “You will not be someone’s slave.”

  Continuing around, she looked into the marbled eyes. Whether rage or hat, there was something sinister in them. She hadn’t noticed them as she ran, and in that moment, as she looked so deeply into them, she wondered if these were the eyes of pain. They were familiar to her, filled with so many emotions that she couldn’t pick one out from the other.

  Someone had done this to him. At least that’s what Sofía had found out. All evidence pointed Amethyst to the same conclusion. But if that had been the case, what did that mean for Skotóno? Had he also been just some person who had been transformed against their will? He was dead now, killed by the statue before her. But what if she had lured Skotóno into the temple, and Sofía had turned him to stone the same way?

  Tears filled Amethyst’s eyes, and her heart fluttered against the cage of her chest with a discomforting hollowness. Her stomach churned and she couldn’t remain standing. Silently, she dropped to a crouch and clenched her mouth and nose and she started so sob. Her vision blurred as she was overwhelmed by a surge of emotion. Flicking aggressively, her tail was completely out of her control. It swiped back and forth as her chest heaved.

  As quickly as the onslaught had begun, it ended. Her breath was shaky, and her nose was running like a faucet. Her hands trembled and her breath slowed and then became shallow. She remained crouched while she collected her thoughts. She looked up at the Minotaur. He was hunched over her, just about to grab her. She realized then what the feeling was behind those stone orbs.

  Hunger...

  Amethyst stood. She wiped the remaining moisture from her face and turned around to leave. She didn’t move, however, instead she just stood in silence. The sensation of something chasing her welled up in her core. She remained still, her fists clenched by her side as she maintained her calm breath. Everything in her body told her there was danger.

  Nothing happened. The dark corridor had not been assaulted, and neither had she. She took long, deliberate steps away from the beast. In her mind’s eye, she could see those moments clearly, as though they had just happened. Even with her heart pounding, she walked away. She was sweating despite the cold air. Her belly was filled with imaginary rocks. Even so, she slowly walked away.

  Asleep in the corner of the community space, Tenya had her back pressed against the wall. She wasn’t quite laying down, but not quite sitting up either. Stochastís had yet to return with all that Sofía had requested, and so was not there. Prátton and Arketá Had taken a small corner, placing down a tent for their privacy. Wa Chini and Garba had split ways for the evening. Garba had escorted Busara down the mountain with the understanding they would return the following day. Wa Chini was curled up under a small wooden table that had been brought along with a few other necessities when íroas’s men carted off the Manticore body.

  Amethyst shook her head and smiled. She walked back to Sofía to see was still engrossed with her work. Amethyst continued to walk between the entrance, passing the Minotaur and back to the used spaces as she kept watch for the group. The hours slowly passed as Amethyst walked about. She noticed on the table covering Wa Chini that the candle was nearly half burnt.

  Her watch was over, so it was time to wake up Tenya for her turn. Amethyst stood over her for a long minute. While sleeping, she appeared peaceful. She had repositioned to be laying fully on the floor sometime in the night, and now Amethyst was having a hard time disturbing her. She knelt beside Tenya, her hand stopped just far enough from her that she could feel the heat resonating off Tenya’s body.

  With a gentle caress, Tenya stirred from her slumber. She stretched, then looked up at Amethyst. She smiled and then yawned. Wrapping herself in her blanket, Tenya rose until she was standing. She parted the blanket, then swallowed Amethyst up in it.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Her body was like a fire as Amethyst pressed in close. She hadn’t realized how cold she had become. She wrapped her arms around Tenya, then squeezed until Tenya grunted.

  “Woah,” Tenya said. “You are getting strong!”

  Amethyst nuzzled into the nape of Tenya’s neck. Tenya flinched when Amethyst’s nose made contact with her skin, but quickly accepted the cold, and let her head rest on Amethyst’s. They remained snuggled together for much too short a time for Amethyst’s liking. Tenya pulled away, leaving the blanket wrapped around Amethyst.

  Tenya stepped back from Amethyst. She fiddled around with the blanket covering Amethyst’s head and helping her to kneel on the bed that Tenya had been using. “There you go, right to sleep, and we will see each other in the morning.”

  Amethyst watched as Tenya’s dominating form stood above her. Her muscles were well defined and pronounced. The mane of hair she had was tied back and her posture was straight. She dawned the gear she had grown accustomed to. Her sword and light armor complemented her features. Tenya was faced away from Amethyst as she dressed fully into her regalia. She let her eyes wander. She chewed on her lip as she imagined Tenya teasing her with a show.

  There was no choice for Amethyst, but to watch as Tenya finished equipping herself. Looking down at Amethyst, Tenya mouthed, “Goodnight.” Then she smiled and winked. Amethyst hid herself under the blanket as Tenya’s giggles grew faint before stopping altogether. When she was brave enough to peek back out, Tenya had gone.

  Amethyst covered her head again and whined to herself before falling asleep.

  §

  Busara instructed the boys how to hoist the statue as the ropes creaked. Merely a few inches off the ground, he had them tie off their ropes. Once everything had been secured, Busara used the Iron chains to reinforce the ropes.

  He had been careful with the process, placing blankets around the hold points, followed by the ropes, then the chains. It had only taken an hour for them to lift the Minotaur. Following the lifting, Sofía had gathered everyone around. Nuru and Bontu joined in on the project as well earlier that morning. With everyone present, Sofía explained the steps of the process.

  Each participant went to their place as Sofía directed a few practice runs. The process was simple, but delicate. The larger men took positions at the anchor points and took hold of the chains. Simple pulley systems had been put in place to help the process. Nuru, along with Arketá and Wa Chini were backed away out of sight. Tenya stood right beside Amethyst, right in front of the creature. Sofía was behind the statue, poised to strike.

  With everything taken in, the plan would take two full minutes to enact, and there would be no second chances. Sofía would need to make several injections once the creature was awake. Then she would have to engrave a rune. Which wouldn’t be so hard if the injections didn’t have to be at the base of the beast’s spine.

  Amethyst nodded when asked if ready. Everyone did. Sofía started a countdown for everyone to close their eyes. Amethyst readied her hands. Two barrels of water were placed on either side. She lifted the water up out of the barrels. All around her went silent as the countdown began.

  “Ten.”

  The number echoed through Amethyst’s mind. There were too many ways this could all go wrong. What if there was an accident? What if people get hurt?

  “Eight.”

  Sure, it was Sofía’s idea to bring him back, but it was Amethyst who continued to push for it after all was said and done. She had been the one who asked everyone she was with to help.

  “Five.”

  There was still a chance to back out, right? There was still time to let him down ... let him down...

  “Three.”

  No, she wasn’t going to let anyone down.

  “One.”

  Her body tensed, and her eyes closed as her determination became resolute.

  There was a mighty roar. Amethyst looked up to see that the beast was no longer a statue. There were bellows of pain and confusion as the beast struggled in its restraints. Amethyst Didn’t wait for an invitation, she closed the water around the Minotaur, enclosing him in a shell of water. The water fully encompassed the body, leaving the head and the base of the spine uncovered.

  Another bellowing roar, followed by Sofía, confirming her start.

  Two minutes. The task felt less impossible as the time ticked down. There wasn’t much strain on Amethyst, and the creature seemed to be fully under control. The beast lowered its head, looking at Amethyst. Its eyes were red, somehow even angrier than before.

  The chains in the room stiffened, and the ropes creaked while the pulleys strained. The beast’s breath grew rapidly. Steam poured from its nose and mouth. The water warped slightly. But everything held firm.

  “One minute and thirty seconds!” Sofía yelled.

  The chains were now fully taut. The anchors were still holding, and the water was still encompassing him. But the men who were holding the chains were leaning back further. Their feet had dragged a few inches.

  Amethyst tightened her grasp on the water. She was squeezing a boulder. It didn’t matter how tight she wanted it to be. The beast still wriggled inside. The beast howled and twisted. One of the anchors gave out, and the chain was ripped from the wall. The men holding the chain, Busara and Prátton, were pulled to the floor. Prátton grabbed Busara as the failed the wall fell in at the failed anchor point.

  Prátton tried to grab the chain, but Busara stopped him. He pulled him over to one of the other chains. “The creature will take your hands if you do not use the pulley!” Busara shouted. “If the anchor fails, let go, damn it!”

  The two split, helping Garba and Stochastís with their burden. The jolt had twisted the beast slightly, but Amethyst forced him back to his original position. Maybe she should have taken on the whole burden herself.

  “One Minute!”

  As if spurred on by the counting time, the Minotaur began thrashing and twisting. It calmed down briefly, then tried to push its legs and arms out of the water. Amethyst hardened the water even further. She could feel a tightness rising up her stomach and into her chest.

  Another thrash and the Minotaur yanked another anchor out of the wall, pulling Stochastís and Prátton to the ground. Before he could recover, the Minotaur twisted in the water, wrapping the surrounding chain around himself. He then lurched forward, pulling the final anchor from the wall. The pulley system fell into pieces, and chunks of the wall crashed onto the ground.

  “Thirty seconds, Amethyst!” Cried Sofía. “You need to hold him still while I finish the Rune!”

  The thrashing creature was impossible to control. She tightened her grip around the unstoppable force in front of her. It thrashed and turned in response. The foot of the creature broke through the water, nearly touching the ground. Streams of water poured away from her control. A sharp spike in her stomach caused her to cry out.

  Tenya, along with Wa Chini and the others, leapt into action, each grabbing the chain which was wrapped around the beast’s throat. As the chain tightened, the beast fought harder.

  Another limb broke through Amethysts’ hold, as it did, another spike of pain scrambled her control and for a brief moment, the beast fell. Amethyst recovered her grip, if only slightly too late.

  The Minotaur Made purchase with the ground. His hooves dug into the stone, cracking it as he took powerful steps towards Amethyst. He roared as his hands burst through the water. He was larger than before and she would lose all control if she tried to pull more water.

  Tenya let go of the chain and pulled her sword from its sheath.

  She dashed towards the side of the creature. “End it!” Tenya shouted.

  “No!” Amethyst cried. “I have this!”

  Tenya bounced twice, then dropped her sword and retook her position at the front of the train. Her feet, along with everyone else’s, slid along the broken floor.

  Its gait was too large. In only a few powerful crashes, the beast had risen above her and was intent on crushing Amethyst. With no options left, she opted for Sofía’s Plan B.

  Amethyst let go of her control over the water. It poured through the hall. The Minotaur tumbled forward, over Amethyst and onto the ground behind her. She slipped on the wet floor as she tried to get to her feet. She spread her feet apart just as his meaty hand crashed into the floor, splitting it apart.

  She put her hands up in front of her as she kicked away. The heat filled her hands and she could sense her magic all around. Focused on the Minotaur, she twisted her hands and the steam which had been exhaled from the beast disappeared.

  The same meaty hands that had threatened to kill her moments ago lifted to his own neck. There was no sound coming from him as he clawed at his chest and throat. Then there was red.

  “Now!” Cried Sofía.

  Amethyst let her hands drop. She hadn’t used much energy, but the results were devastating. The Minotaur drew in a deep, long, and gurgling breath. He coughed. A spray of blood shot out of its mouth, covering everything in front of him with streaks and speckles of blood. Another cough followed, then another, blood spraying all over everything before he collapsed to his knees, then flat on his face. There was a low wheezing sound as Sofía dashed to him.

  As his chest rose and fell, Amethyst kneeled over the fallen monster. With Sofía finishing the rune, Amethyst focused on the building in his lungs.

  Nuru was beside Amethyst in a flash. “Focus on removing the fluid,” Nuru ordered calmly.

  Amethyst nodded. In front of the Minotaur, there was a puddle of blood oozing from all the orifices on his head. His eyes were still open, bulging from his skull. As Amethyst looked closely, she could see that they were no longer in place at all. She closed her eyes and imagined the pooling blood deeper in his lungs.

  She focused on it as Tenya’s firm, but distinct, grip reassured her. There was a gulping sound, then the Minotaur coughed and an enormous bubble of blood was expelled from his lungs. Amethyst lifted the blood bubble. It was nearly the size of her head. She then tossed the bubble into the sandy remains of crushed stone.

  Amethyst sighed and leaned back against the massive shoulder of her fallen enemy. She looked back at Sofía, who was in Stochastís’s arms. Nuru was lying on the Minotaur’s back. She rose and fell steadily. Amethyst finally looked down at the sleeping face of the Minotaur. It was cute, like that of any cow she had seen. She smiled, then laughed. Her laugh infected everyone around her.

  Tenya celebrated! Tenya slapped Amethyst on the back. “Holy fuck! We fucking did it!”

  As the laughter died down, there was an effort to move the poor creature. In Sofía’s makeshift lab, they sat him down against the wall. He was snoring and showed no signs of waking soon. Though the plan appeared to be a success, Sofía reminded everyone that there was no need to trip to the finish line.

  They settled in, knowing that there could be a long wait. Amethyst watched, smiling, as her friends played games and celebrated their victory. Even Tenya was smiling and laughing along with everyone.

  §

  Sofía was looking at Amethyst, but she didn’t know what to say. Amethyst looked at Stochastís, who turned away from her gaze. She then looked back at the Minotaur.

  “I am sorry,” Amethyst said. “I do not know if you killed anyone.”

  His head dropped into his hands. Then rose back up. He was looking at his hands. They appeared to be that of a man. He looked at them, twisting and turning them. He looked down at his hooved feet. “Oh gods, oh gods!” His breathing became rapid.

  Amethyst hesitantly placed her hand on his heaving shoulders. He looked up at her. Their eyes connected. She couldn’t see the rage, she couldn’t see the anger. She only saw the same look she had seen in every slave who had lost everything. “What’s you name?”

  His voice was gravelly and half hearted. “Axio,” he said

  “Axio,” she replied, patting his shoulder. “My name is Amethyst. These are my friends.”

  He nodded, then said, “It is pleasant to meet you.”

  Amethyst’s throat itched as she heard the Sofía’s snakes hissing. She glanced at Sofía, who took the meaning and stepped away from the conversation and to the other side of the room.

  Amethyst looked at Axio. His shoulders were slumped and his head was hung low. “Do you remember what happened?”

  Hew shook his head.

  “Any details of what led you to this moment would be invaluable.”

  He looked up at her, then shook his head. “I remember... It was a chilly night, but not cold.” He rubbed his hands together. “I was out with my Garrison Lead... And...”

  Prátton stepped forward. “Which garrison are you a part of, Axio?”

  “I am... was part of the Bull Garrison, ironically enough.”

  “Bastard.” Prátton whispered.

  “Hey!” Arketá Exclaimed.

  Prátton motioned his hand for her to be quiet. “Name your Garrison Lead hoplite!”

  Axio’s head jerked to attention. He stood up to face Prátton face to face. “Commander Apaísios.”

  “I knew it!” Stochastís cried. “I knew he was a dirty bastard!”

  The room blew up in clamorous agreement. Axio sat back down, looking around nervously, while the others were gathering their weapons and armor.

  Amethyst kneeled next to Axio. She placed her hand on his shoulder again and smiled at him. “What were you two doing?” She asked.

  Sofía covered her mouth as Axio answered. She stepped back, then sat down on a wooden stool.

  Amethyst ran to Stochastís, and Prátton. “Wait! There is something important you need to know!”

  Stochastís didn’t wait for Amethyst to repeat herself as he dashed out of the ruined old temple and down towards the city.