Chapter 8: Impaled by the Minotaur

Note: Thanks to b0b for beta reading this!

Acolyte Sophia – The Labyrinth, the Island of Yalut

The words of the Minotaur echoed down the hallway out of the darkness of the large room before us. The source of the foul stench pervading the Labyrinth flowed with it. In the glow of my pink, ethereal light bobbing beside me, I spotted a skeletal arm stretched out of the large room, fingers twisted in agony, one of the beast’s victims. My heart hammered fast. We were at the heart of the Labyrinth.

We had found the Minotaur, the demigod son of Gewin and Cernere, a monster almost as impossible to kill as Dominari.

“Well, are you coming?” snorted the Minotaur, his words low, bestial, a growl. “I want to KILL!”

The stones of the Labyrinth shook beneath my feet. Dust drifted down from above. My heart clenched. Xandra let out a whimpering moan behind me. I understood. I did not want to go into there. I glanced at Angela, standing beside me, her shield readied, her sword drawn. She was a warrior, a Queen, unafraid to march into the beast’s den and slay him.

The Minotaur snort descended into laughter as my hand shoved into my robe. I felt my left nipple harden beneath my touch. With a bit of concentration, milk filled my breast, aching to leak out of my nipple. I rubbed my nub, coating my fingers in the milk.

“Was I too fearsome for you?” an urban voice spoke, deep, rumbling, clearly the Minotaur’s, but lacking the bloodthirsty fury of a moment ago.

I jumped again and yanked my milk-stained fingers out of my blouse.

“Did I scare you and your motley companions, Sir Knight?” the Minotaur asked, his voice almost polite.

Thrak grunted.

“I know, the act. People expect the bloodthirsty savage, barely civil, hardly able to string a pair of words together. I try to give it to them, but it is so tiring.” He sighed. “You are not fleeing. Ah, you are preparing.”

The ground rumbled behind me. Earth elementals stepped up, controlled by Xandra. They were the size of Thrak, forged out of the stone of the Labyrinth, their bodies thick, strong, joints grinding as they lumbered forward.

“By all means. Let’s have a sporting contest today. It has been a boring few years. No adventures to fight, no maidens to love. Just the darkness.”

“I can help with that,” Faoril said.

Light rushed past me as I reached out to Angela’s sword, rubbing my milk stained fingers on the steel. As Faoril’s spell grew brighter and brighter, illuminating the Minotaur’s room, I muttered a prayer: “Saphique, the Virgin Goddess that loves all women, bless this weapon so it may protect its bearer. Let this sword shine bright, a beacon to defend all women.”

Pink light flared across Angela’s sword, the temporary enchantment sinking into the steel, blessing it in the fashion of the dagger gripped in my left hand. That dagger was a permanent magic item, created with powerful rituals. And it glowed bright.

Deadly danger lurked.

I looked into the illuminated room and gasped. The Minotaur raised a hand against the bright ball of sunlight shining at the apex of the doomed room. The demigod was a giant, a man standing twelve feet tall, his skin swarthy and muscled beyond belief. His muscles were ropy, wrapping over each other, bulging his limbs to the size of tree trunks. His torso was as broad as I stood tall. Dark, coarse hair covered his chest narrowing down to a line descending across his stomach. His massive cock, bigger than I had witnessed on the centaur in the Doge’s palace, dangled before him, his balls bigger than my fists. His head was not human, but a bull’s head, dark-furred, not black, but a gray near enough. Two horns curved from his head ending at sharp points.

“Good, good,” he said, nodding. “This makes it fair. You can see. I can see.” His foot pawed at the ground like a bull preparing his charge. He snorted, shaking his head, light flashing from his horns. He had two small braids of hair dangling from the bottom of his muzzle that swept back and forth. “Now, Sir Knight, are you prepared to go through with this folly? I shall kill your two men and keep you and the other women for my pleasure.”

“I am,” Angela said, setting her shield and advancing.

“I cannot talk you out of this?” the Minotaur asked. “As you can see, I am too big to fit through the tunnels. I am trapped. There is no escape for me. Mother saw to that. You don’t have to die here in a pointless attempt to kill me.”

Thrak moved into the room with Angela, advancing, his big, two-handed ax gripped in his hand. The Elementals rumbled with them, flanking the two warriors. I followed with the others, stepping into the room. It wasn’t as big as I thought, only fifty feet across. It felt cramped despite the dome rising an equal height above us.

“I have need of your heart, Minotaur,” Angela said. “And no longer will the people of Grahata sacrifice their daughters to you.”

“I have no idea why they do that,” laughed the Minotaur. “I can’t harm them. No one ever told them they had to do it. Not that I am ungrateful, of course. Far from it. I enjoy their gifts while they last. But they always break so easily.” His cock hardened. “Will you break as easy, Sir Knight? How will your cunt feel on my cock?”

I gagged. His voice so civil yet his words so foul.

“Last chance to walk away, Sir Knight,” the Minotaur said, his bare hands clenching into fists. He didn’t even have a weapon. We could beat him. “My heart will not come cheaply. Find another demigod to power the reforging of your artifact.”

“I need Gewin’s son,” Angela said. “I need the strength of your heart.”

“Pity,” the Minotaur said. “I hate wasting life in such a pointless endeavor. Very well. Let us end this folly.”

Knave Angela

“Yes,” I agreed and charged in, Thrak racing at my side.

I raised my shield before me, my sword ready. The earth elementals’ steps boomed on our flanks, their bodies grinding like shifting rocks. The Minotaur stood still, his fists clenched. He made no move to defend himself as we swept in for the attack.

“A goddess-enchanted blade,” the Minotaur mused, red eyes flicking to my sword. “So you are halfway serious about killing me.”

“I am always serious,” I snarled as I reached him and swung.

His huge bulk moved fast. Far faster than something that size should have. He was a dark blur streaking back, my sword hissing through empty air. And then his punch landed on my shield. Wood groaned and I grunted, stumbling a step. My boot landed on an old thigh bone. It snapped beneath me as Thrak swung his greataxe.

With a sweep of black horns, the Minotaur knocked Thrak’s attack to the side, then the demigod crashed his fist into the face of an earth elemental. Xandra gasped behind me as the construct stumbled, stone shards breaking off its body. The minotaur followed up with two more punches, pulverizing the elemental’s head.

“Adequate,” the Minotaur said as I recovered and swung my blade at his flank.

His body twisted. His horns swept down. My shield caught the tip. It punched through the wood, a sharp point jutting over my arm. I stabbed past my shield at his belly, but he pulled back, stepping into Thrak’s swing. The Minotaur knocked the sweeping ax away with a backhand, snorting.

Minx edged around the fight, her daggers held low, the halfling crouching, moving silently to get behind the Minotaur, her eyes intent. An arrow hissed through the air, but the Minotaur turned and dodged, the missile missing by inches.

The two elementals rushed in, one reaching to grab his thighs and hold him in place. The headless one landed a pair of blows on the Minotaur’s hips and thighs that hardly rippled the bulging muscles. The Minotaur kneed it and twisted his body as I stabbed.

The Minotaur’s twist brought the elemental holding his thigh between me and him. My enchanted blade pierced through the rock of the elemental. Pink light flared through the joints of the rocks and the elemental crumbled to pieces.

“Angela,” gasped Xandra.

“Las’s cock,” I grunted as the Minotaur laughed and kicked at Thrak, driving the orc back.

Wind howled, lashing at the Minotaur. My red hair ruffled as Faoril’s magic attacked the Minotaur. But it didn’t stop him from sending a punch at me, driving me back. My heart hammered. My armor creaked. He was huge, fast, and so strong.

“Pater’s cock,” Faoril cursed as Chaun’s song strummed to life. A soft lullaby echoed through the air.

“Bind him, Faoril,” I shouted.

“Trying,” Faoril answered as another arrow hissed through the air.

Chaun

I strummed my lullaby. I had no idea what music would be effective against the Minotaur. The beast moved with such grace despite his size. He should lumber, but he didn’t. He fought with the skill of a master fighter, one who had honed his skill to perfection, able to dodge multiple attacks at once. Xera’s arrows hissed through the air. Angela’s sword caused shadows to dance as she swung it. Xandra conjured a replacement elemental to the one Angela destroyed, my wife’s brow furrowed as she ran her fingers over her newly carved earth totem.

Faoril cursed beside me again as I sent the lulling music at the Minotaur.

Different music was effective against different beings. Lust worked the best on humans, sometimes furious music could override a creature’s senses, others could be put to sleep, befuddled, charmed, pacified, or driven mad.

“Are you singing for me, bard?” the Minotaur asked, blocking Thrak’s powerful swing with his wrist. The ax blade slid down his flesh, leaving a strip of bleeding flesh behind. What should have hewn to the bone of the monster only scraped off a layer of skin. “What a lovely song.” The Minotaur hummed along, punching one of Xandra’s elementals in the chest, shattering the rocks.

“Luben’s sacred oath,” Xandra groaned. “He’s so strong.”

And my lullaby was not effective. The demigod showed no sluggishness, no sleepiness. He was as energetic as ever, his sweeping horns driving Angela back. Wind whipped around the beast, but it didn’t slow him down one whit.

“What is the problem with your magic, Faoril?” I asked as Xera drew her bow beside me, aiming with care.

Xerathalasia

I aimed with care, watching the beast. Chaun’s question slid past my awareness. I put all my concentration on watching the monster, waiting for the moment to strike and hit him in the eye. The arrow glowed with pink, enchanted by Sophia. She stood beside me, rubbing her milk on another arrow.

Pity she couldn’t enchant my bow, but it wouldn’t impart the magic onto my shot.

I couldn’t miss this shot. We had to harm the Minotaur. He dodged around Angela’s sword strike, his stomach pulling in, his body bending. His horns swept in an arc, air hissing. He caught an earth elemental and sent it crashing into Angela, knocking her back.

Thrak swung his ax with a brutal swing at the Minotaur’s back. It pivoted, deflecting the attack aside with a backhand swing. Thrak’s body jerked. He stumbled, thrown off-balanced by the strength of the Minotaur.

I followed the beast’s movement as it recovered from its swing. Waited ... Released.

My arrow streaked through the air. My heart thudded. It flew straight, true. I had judged my lead. It would catch the beast right in the—

The Minotaur caught my arrow in his large fist. With a blurring motion, his arm snapped at me. The arrow streaked pink and slammed into my chest. Pain burned through me as the arrow punched through my ribs and popped out my back.

I staggered, staring down at my naked breasts. Blood welled around the shaft, spilling down my large mounds. A cold swept through my body. I trembled, my bow dropping from numb fingers, and fell onto my back.

Warlock Faoril

“He’s ... resisting my magic,” I snarled in answer to Chaun. “Wind isn’t affecting him. It’s barely slowing him down.” I had the Minotaur wrapped up in swirling gusts, trying to hold him in place, but he was too strong for my bonds to hold. My magic burned rapidly as I fought against him.

“Try something more direct,” Chaun said, strumming a cacophonous song, sending chaotic notes at the Minotaur.

I grabbed another vial of Thrak’s cum. I was burning through it so fast. The Minotaur had a lot of godblood in him. He was the only child born of a union between Cernere and Gewin. The erinyes, daughters of Slata and Las, were three beings born from a single union, diluting the strength of both parents. Other demigod races, like the fairy or efreet, could breed, further diluting the divine in them.

Cernere only birthed the Minotaur after she stole Gewin’s virility, acting out the Goddess Biaute’s revenge on the God of War. The Minotaur was born a being of war at its most pure. Unrestrained battle. I couldn’t hold it back.

Xera screamed out beside me, dropping into a heap.

So I switched to fire.

Thrak grunted, stumbling back from a glancing blow. Blood spurted from his lip, one of his bone piercings ripped off. He growled, swinging his ax hard, fast, but the Minotaur deflected with his fist almost casually while he focused on Angela’s swings.

“Oh, little mage, you stopped tickling me,” he laughed, kicking Angela back, her shield buckling beneath his foot.

“Maybe you’d like fire instead,” I snarled and threw a ball of flame at him.

“Let’s see,” he said, standing still, letting the fire crash into his chest. The flames burned on him, dancing hot. He turned, lunging at Angela. She flinched back from the heat, raising her shield to protect herself.

I furrowed my brow, burning the heat hotter, trying to consume his flesh. The flames spread up to his muzzle. The two braids burned. Embers rained as he moved, his fur blazing across his snout, eating down to the flesh.

But his hide wouldn’t burn. His skin just absorbed the heat. Angela screamed out, her shield smoldering on the edges as she retreated from the heat. Thrak backed off. Only the elementals charged in, their fists growing cherry-red as they landed on the burning demigod.

“Las’s putrid cum,” I cursed, killing the fire.

His skin was only reddened where the flames dance. Half the fur on his muzzle was burned away, revealing the warty, sunburned flesh beneath. A hideous visage turned to me and gave me a mocking salute.

I needed a different plan.

Minx

As the Minotaur gave his mocking salute to Faoril, I charged in, dagger clutched tight in my hand. His back was to me. My blood boiled. He hurt Xera. I focused on his kidneys. He may be a huge brute, but he had to have weaknesses. Vital spots that when pierced would make him howl in agony.

My dagger was sharp.

I made no sound, my boots moving silently. Xera had taught me new levels of stealth. I leaped at him. I may only come up to the brute’s knees, but I would inflict damage. One of the elementals punched him in the stomach as Angela and Thrak charged back in. I landed on the back of his thigh gripping his coarse body hair as an anchor. He snorted as I ripped out hairs, scrambling higher, passing his muscular ass. His body flexed. I stabbed my knife down hard at his kidney.

“Got you,” I laughed.

My sharp knife struck his flesh. The tip bent, my knife deflecting to the side, pain jarring up my arm. I gaped at my blade, the steel deformed by the attack. My blow left only a faint, red mark on his skin which already faded.

“Cernere’s nimble fingers,” I groaned as I jumped off of him.

With a contemptuous snort, his foot flew in a backward kick at me. I tried to dodge, but it came fast, clipping my hip. I gaped, pain flaring, and tumbled across the bone littered floor, rolling to a groaning stop, my blade clattering away.

“Why couldn’t Sophia enchant my blade,” I panted, my entire right side throbbing.

Acolyte Sophia

“Saphique, bless the font of my womanhood with your loving power.”

A small orgasm rushed through me as I knelt over the wounded Xera. Fire burned behind me, but I ignored it. My pussy clenched on the two fingers as the magic rushed through my body. I ripped my fingers out, hating how much blood pumped out of Xera’s chest, spilling around her breasts.

I brought the pussy-stained fingers to my nipples and rubbed the juices into my areola and nub. I could use a healing potion to cure Xera, but I had only three, and I had a feeling we would need all of them. The Minotaur was tough, fast, and dodging all of Angela’s attacks. I could hear her cursing in frustration.

Her weapon could harm the beast, and he knew it.

“Saphique, transform my virgin milk with your love. Let my milk heal the sick and infirmed.” The magic rushed through my nipple. Milk beaded. I leaned over Xera, lifting her head. She groaned, blood staining her lips, her green hair spilling over my arm. “Drink.”

I brought my nipple to her lips. The flames died out and the Minotaur laughed. Xera latched on, suckling as she groaned in pain. My milk rushed into her, healing her as she nursed. The blood pumping out of her chest slowed.

Minx grunted in pain. I glanced at the battlefield to see the halfling tumbling across the ground while Angela rushed in. Her sword swung fast, hard, forcing the Minotaur, his fur burned off his face, to step back.

“Get her, Angela,” I shouted as Xera suckled harder, growing stronger as the healing magic flowed through her.

The Minotaur’s eyes snapped to me. “Ah, yes, healing magic. I had forgotten that priestesses could do that. And you are dedicated to Saphique ... I cannot wait to violate your pure body.”

I shuddered as Angela grunted, thrown back by the Minotaur’s punch.

Xandra

Angela stumbled back. I concentrated on my totems. I had two earth elementals landing ineffective punches. My fingers stroked the lines carved into the kapok wood, my power flowing into the totem and then to the elementals i puppeteered. I was on the fourth and fifth. The Minotaur was strong enough to drive back the spirits, breaking their vessels.

Chaun’s song shifted from cacophony to something that sounded confused. He focused on the Minotaur, his voice singing out nonsense words. I blinked, trying not to focus on the song, my body swaying for a moment.

“Focus,” I whispered.

“You Las-damned beast,” Minx shrieked. “That hurt. Cernere’s nimble fingers!” The halfling hurtled a throwing dagger that bounced off the back of the Minotaur as he tried to gore Thrak. But the orc dodged back.

Nothing was working. Faoril’s fire did nothing. Her wind had failed to hold him. My earth elementals were ineffective. So far, none of Chaun’s songs had affected the beast. What could we do? I trembled, my heart hammering. I glanced behind me.

The way out was right there. We could flee.

Xera stood up, her body covered in a sheen of her blood. She picked up her bow, moving with her grace. Sophia moved with her, blessing an arrow and handing it to the elf, the Acolyte’s robes open, milk leaking from her nipples.

“You should enchant Thrak’s ax,” I told Sophia as Xera fired. The Minotaur threw my earth elemental into the path of the arrow.

The totem burned hot as the elemental screamed in pain. The stone crumbled, the elemental driven away by the force of the arrowhead’s enchantment.

“Yeah,” Sophia nodded, her left hand gripping her enchanted dagger. “And Minx. I should have done them from the start.” She looked around, sighting the orc, shouting: “Thrak!”

The acolyte handed another enchanted arrow to Xera and headed towards the orc. I summoned a fresh elemental, sweat breaking over my brow. It formed its body, ripping up the stones of the floor and leaving behind a hull as it became a hulking warrior.

“Let’s see if he likes this,” Faoril muttered beside me. She downed another vial of Thrak’s cum.

Thrak

“Thrak,” Sophia shouted, rushing to me, her finger rubbing her nipple, smearing milk across the tip. “I need to enchant your weapon.”

The Minotaur snorted, his head snapping around at the acolyte.

“Gewin’s cock,” I cursed, darting forward to block him, swinging a hard blow at his side. Not that it would do much. My weapon couldn’t hurt him. The best I had done was score a layer of skin, leaving his right arm bloody.

The air hissed. Something streaked by me. The Minotaur roared in pain. Blood blossomed across his chest. Two small slivers of rocks, maybe the size of my little finger, protruded from his chest. The air streaked again, and two more slammed into his belly.

I threw a glance over my shoulder as the Minotaur snorted. Faoril ripped slivers of rocks from the ground and hurled them at the Minotaur. They flew so fast, impacting against the beast in the same heartbeat she fired them.

I smiled at her clever idea. Her magic wasn’t working directly. The beast’s divine blood had protected him, just like his thick hide kept normal weapons from penetrating. But she wasn’t using magic to harm him directly. She was firing the sharp points of rocks so fast with her wind, the velocity overcame his thick hide.

“Thrak,” Sophia gasped, reaching me. She touched my ax blade, rubbing her milk onto it. “Saphique, the Virgin Goddess that loves all women, bless this weapon so it may protect its bearer. Let this sword shine bright—”

“Bitch!” boomed the Minotaur, his voice throaty like it had in the beginning. He seized my ax and yanked it from my grip. Sophia gasped, her spell cut off.

Angela charged in as the Minotaur’s eyes locked on Faoril. Her sword raised high. With a casual swing, not even looking at the knight, the Minotaur slammed my greataxe into Angela’s shield. Wood exploded. Angela screamed in pain, the ax driven through her shield to lodge in her arm. She fell, blood spurting.

“Angela!” Sophia gasped then screamed as the Minotaur flung her away with a single push. She rolled across the ground, white robes flapping.

“Little mage,” the Minotaur snorted and charged at Faoril.

“No,” I shouted, throwing myself at the monster. Rocks hissed by me, stabbing into the demigod’s chest. Blood welled from his wounds as I seized him by the waist, planting my feet on the ground, heaving against his bulk. “You can’t touch—”

The Minotaur’s fist slammed into head. Stars flared. The world tumbled. Spun. I groaned, struggling to think. I blinked eyes. I lay on my side. My body felt numb. My stomach twisted. I had to move. I had to stand up. The Minotaur’s feet boomed. Faoril cursed, dodging to the right as the monster came for my woman.

Stand up. Move.

My body refused to answer. A wave of dizziness shuddered through me.

Warlock Faoril

Thrak’s tumble ended with him in a heap. My heart clenched. Blood gushed from his scalp. A thick furrow of his skin had been scraped away, exposing the white of his skull smeared with blood. He shuddered, struggling to move.

“Thrak!”

“Was he important to you, Mage?” the Minotaur asked, his voice thick, throaty. Blood poured down his chest as he loomed over me.

“Pater’s cock,” I cursed, ripping at the stone beneath me with earth magic. I hurtled another pair of projectiles. They buried into his stomach as his fist ripped off my robe.

“Let’s give you something to distract you from your grief,” he said. I stumbled, my clothing ripped away. I was exposed, naked, my breast bouncing.

I darted to the right, sending a powerful blast of useless wind behind me. I knew it was useless, but it was hard not to do something as his thick hand reached for me. He seized my waist, his fingers encircling me. I gasped as he yanked me in the air. His other hand parted my legs and—

“Pater’s huge cock!” I screamed as ecstasy exploded in my pussy.

He was hung like a centaur. His dick rammed into my pussy as he impaled me on his shaft. My back quivered as his cock somehow sank deeper and deeper into me. It was impossible. He should be ripping me to pieces. But some magical, maybe something of Cernere’s deviousness, allowed my pussy to take every ounce of his dick.

“There you go, mage slut,” the Minotaur laughed as my pussy spasmed on his dick.

An orgasm exploded through me. I couldn’t believe how much cock was in me. I gasped and bucked, my flesh writhing, my head tossing. He let go of me, my tight pussy clinging to his cock, keeping me impaled on him as he swung around, my back arching, my legs spread about his thick waist.

“Pater’s cock!” I screamed as he turned, humping against him. I couldn’t help myself. He was in me. I needed to use my magic. I needed to focus. I struggled to rip at the ground with earth magic, to focus my powers, but that dick...

Amazing!

Xandra

“Aren’t you a lush, young thing?” the Minotaur said to me, his voice thick with pleasure. Faoril spasmed naked, impaled on his cock, thrusting before him. The mage’s eyes were rolled back in her head. Such ecstasy moaned in her voice.

I backed up. “Chaun!”

My pussy clenched in excitement, envious of Faoril and the rapture flooding her. She had somehow taken every inch of his dick and was in ecstasy. But at the same time my cunt begged for that amazing shaft, I recoiled from his reaching hand.

“Chaun!”

“Xandra,” my husband cried as I was yanked up in the air and thrown over the Minotaur’s shoulder. My earth totem fell from my grip, bouncing on the stones as the Minotaur lumbered away, Faoril moaning in delight.

“Oh, yes,” the Minotaur said, his large hand rubbing my ass through my skirt. “I’ll enjoy you next, little thing. I can’t wait to hear an avian sing on my dick. I’ve never fucked one before.”

“No,” I squirmed. “Chaun, help!”

I stared at my husband. I needed him to save me. He grit his teeth, his fingers strumming on his lyre, abandoning his befuddlement song. He went for a new one, a peaceful song, not a lullaby, but something that made me want to stop squirming and fighting to escape the Minotaur’s hand pinning me to his shoulder.

No. I had to keep fighting. The music was aimed at the Minotaur. The monster shook his head bull-head, grunting. Was he affected by it?

Was this our chance? I had to do something. I had to get Thrak back in the fight. Xera was still effective. Her arrows hissed through air. One struck the Minotaur’s back right beneath me, the shaft snapping, the pieces clattering on the stone floor.

We needed magical weapons. Sophia had to be protected. I shifted, looking for her, and spotted her struggling to get up. My eyes widened. The Minotaur rushed at her. I screamed her name as I struggled harder.

Acolyte Sophia

“Slata’s hairy cunt,” I groaned, sitting up. Xandra screamed my name as I shook my head. My ass hurt. I could still feel where the Minotaur’s grimy hand had pushed on my chest. He had touched my naked breasts.

Anger flared through me.

Then I saw Angela. She screamed in pain, Thrak’s ax lodged in her arm. She wrenched it from her flesh. I gagged, her arm twisted, bone poking through the wound. The splinters of her shield lay around her. She struggled to get up.

I had to help her.

“Hold on,” I said, rushing over to her. My breasts were still enchanted by her milk. Faoril moaned behind me in throaty pleasure. The poor thing was impaled on the Minotaur’s huge cock. She even sounded like it felt good. “Angela!”

I knelt over Angela. She stared into my eyes, her blue eyes glossy with pain. “My concubine.”

“I’m here, my Queen. Drink.”

“Yes, yes, yes, fuck me with that huge cock,” Faoril moaned behind me.

Angela’s lips latched onto my nipple. I sighed in delight, my back arching as she drank. Despite the fear beating through me, it felt wonderful to have my Queen nurse from my breast, my milk flooding into her mouth, healing her. I groaned, stroking her red hair.

“Get all better,” I told her. “And kick his ass. Someone has to—”

Darkness crashed over me.

Knave Angela

“Sophia!” I screamed in rage as her body flew like a ragdoll. She landed in a limp heap, her pink dagger tumbling beside her, illuminating her face, eyes closed. The Minotaur stood over me, his fist clenched. He had punched her hard. “You monster.”

My arm was only half healed. But it was enough. I would kill him. I gained my feet, standing before the monster, blood dripping from my crippled left arm. I had strength again. Sophia’s healing milk had done enough.

“That was my concubine you hurt, beast!” I howled, pointing my sword at him.

He laughed at me, Faoril thrust before him. “Then come kill me. Just be careful that you don’t hurt your friends.”

Fear trembled through my anger. How could I fight him with Faoril thrusting before him. He moved so fast. What if my sword stroke hit her? Killed her?

Chaun

I played the peaceful song, channeling the pleasant music at the Minotaur. He was a creature of war, so perhaps the soothing allure of peace would placate him.