#sacrificed (pleasuretomeetme);;

[asterius-of-crete]

🧸 (who better to stumble into the Labyrinth so early)

Dark. Dark and dusty and dirty. Sometimes he finds rats and he wants to be their friend, but then he gets so hungry. He tries so hard to keep them, but his stomach makes noises and there's nothing else around. He finds small water sprouts the Old Man must have put in, but when he tries to find his way back to them, he gets lost.

Asterius always feels lost.

He's talked and cried himself hoarse, and nowadays he just walks until he collapses, only to wake up and do it all over again. There has to be a way out. This is all a game Mama is playing with him. He has to prove he's good enough to be let out.

He hears a rat, or what he thinks is another rat, and turns towards the sounds. Hungry. This time he'll be able to make a friend. This is the one. With uneven steps, he starts walking on cracked hooves, looking for the source of all the ruckus. Everything else is silent. He's not expecting to run headfirst into something warm. He can't see in the dark, and all the torches have long since gone out.

"Mama?" Has she come back, is this another person? Is he finally being let out? He's been very good.

[asterius-of-crete]

Illinois smiles so, so fondly as Asterius enjoys his treat. He gives the Minotaur a second coin, allowing him to eat that one as well, before gently collecting and discarding the foil.

He chuckles as Asterius gives him a couple firm headbutts, fingers dragging through the fur between his budding horns afterward.

“ Now… ” He sighs. “ Now we have to introduce you to my husband. ”

Asterius was still far too freshly rescued to be left alone anywhere. As he grew older, it would be different. But for now, he could already tell the child was going to need constant company and supervision. As anyone might after being abandoned as he had.

“ He’s… grumpy, sometimes. But he has a good heart. Eyes like gemstones. ” His voice softens. “ I think he’ll help me take good care of you. But you and I will still spend time alone a lot too. Going on adventures. Finding treasure. ”

Husband.

Asterius knows that word. The Queen hadn't liked that word, and yet she had used it a lot. He looks up at Illy with curious eyed, trying to find any of the same distaste, but all he sees is...

He doesn't know what that is.

Illy looks happy. But more than happy. There's something in his eyes that softens in a way that makes the Minotaur feel safe. This husband must be a very good thing, then, he deduces. Maybe Mama had just gotten a rotten one.

Nodding, Asterius balances on Illy's lap so he can hug him once more. "Treasure, fun!" He giggles, before furrowing his brow in concentration. "Happy to... meet husband." The words are clumsy, but he puffs out his chest. If this person is that important to Illy, then the Minotaur would like to meet them.

Maybe. What if they were mean? What if they wanted him back in the Dark? What if Illy liked them so much more that he forgot Asterius?

[asterius-of-crete]

Illinois catches Asterius the moment the little body is thrown at him. He cradles the child close, rubbing soothingly over his back and letting him work through the emotions bubbling up inside him. Illinois rests his chin on top of his head, between those budding horns.

“ You did so well, Asterius. You were so brave. I’m so proud of you, little one. It’s all over now. ”

Illinois did not regret what he had done, no matter what the consequences might one day be. The Minotaur didn’t deserve his fate, and Illinois was making that right for even one singular version of those events.

There is no impatience or hurry to Illinois. He lets Asterius take all the time he needed to cry and whine and squirm against him. He remains sturdy and strong, keeping him securely held until he finally quiets down on his own.

“ Ahh, I almost forgot. ” He reaches up further into the desk until he finds a few small, foil-wrapped coins among the mess scattered across it. He brings them down to show Asterius. “ Brave children get treats when they’re done. ” He unwraps one of them, showing how the foil comes off to reveal a thin disc of chocolate. He pops it into his mouth to show that it’s safe. Then he offers another to Asterius to take.

Illy is golden light in his eyes, surely sent down by the gods themselves to save Asterius.

Gasping softly for breath after crying, the Minotaur finally manages to pull away a little, looking up at Illinois with nothing but adoration in his eyes. Brave. Proud.

Brave monsters children.

Asterius gasps at the golden coin Illy shows him, pleased at the way it shines, but more intrigued by what happens to it next. It's... food? A new food, once more, that Illinois is showing him. With minutely trembling fingers, he reaches out for one of the coins, feeling how it is so much lighter than metal. After struggling a bit with the foil, he manages to pop the chocolate in his mouth, and his eyes widen.

Oh, he likes this.

"Good," he says, happily chewing and wondering at how the candy melted in his mouth. "Very good." A new word! He likes the word 'very'. Illy had said he was 'very good' before. He thanks Illinois by gently headbutting his hand, then his chest. "Now?"

[asterius-of-crete]

Illinois is happy to keep track of the round little pebble while Asterius splashes around in the creek for a bit. It gives him more time to organize his thoughts.

One night to rest here. One night at his base - he could be fairly confident they’d be unbothered while they were there. So few people even knew where his office was, much less how to get there. And then…

Well, Asterius seemed rather content to ramble and roam. Hopefully that trend would continue. Although there was the matter of his fiancé…

Later problems. Right now he was focused on Asterius, who was—

Illinois is soaked in water from the baby Minotaur before he quite realizes what’s happening. He splutters, and laughs as he wipes some of the spray off his face. “ All right, let’s go back to camp. ” He hauls himself up and takes Asterius’ hand again. “ Do you remember the way? ”

Asterius has to resist the urge to start rolling on the grass again. He just got clean, but the grass looks very inviting to his eyes. Out of curiosity, he plucks a long blade from the ground and licks it. It's... tasteless. So he shoves it in his mouth. Good texture.

A lot of things on the outside look like they would be good to eat.

Taking his pebble back from Illy, he grabs onto the man's hand and looks up when he's questioned. Without a second of hesitation, he points in the exact direction they had come from. "There." This is an open field, so easy to see compared to the Dark Place! How could he get lost here?

The pull of sleep is starting to tug at him, but he wants to stay awake and see everything Out has to offer. All the colors and sounds and smells. He wants Illy to show him everything, because Illy is the best. So he's resolute as he starts pulling the adventurer along, back to camp.

[asterius-of-crete]

Illinois walks confidently. He takes turns with his gut and not with his head. He shushes Asterius softly, and doesn’t hesitate to press a very light kiss to the top of his grimy head. “ Yes. Out. ”

It’s still not a simple process. There’s rules, and luck involved. But Illinois trusts it to resolve itself, and resolve it does when he feels the familiar pressure of another story rubbing against the walls of this one. Easy passage even with carryon. Illinois shoulders his satchel, and shifts Asterius so he’s safely cradled in both arms, now.

“ All right, little one. You’re going to close your eyes for me again. And we’re going to be out, okay? ” He douses the lantern once the babe’s eyes are closed. He closes his own. He feels that friction from the very universe, the rub of something Other very near. He moves toward it, into it—

The light stings his eyes behind the lids, and he squints as he slowly opens them.

Perfect. He feels as though he might recognize the little town in the distance. One of his own stories, then. An adventure that should afford little interruption. A safe place to hide while he aids this little one.

They’re in a grassy field, just on the edge of a forest whose trees grew yards apart. Plenty of room to run. Plenty of fresh food.

They would camp here for a while, until he figured out his next move.

Illy is very nice. Asterius curls around the lantern and lets himself be lulled by the assured steps the man takes, little tail swishing in time with them. It feels like they're just walking around in the Dark Place, but Illy is a grown-up, and so he must know more than Asterius. Maybe there is a secret way to get out of it.

When he's readjusted, the Minotaur listens to Illinois instructions carefully, not hesitating for a second before he's hiding his face against the human's chest and closing his eyes. He has to show Illy he can be very good! He's the best boy!

There is something strange in the air, a pull that shouldn't be happening, like chains breaking, tight hands letting go, the cry of the angered Fates echoing across space and time, it's loud and awful and sickening--

Asterius breathes in, and immediately starts coughing, months of dirt dislodging from his tiny lungs. That is fresh air, something he hasn't smelled in a long time. Blinking slowly, he takes a few long seconds to adjust to the light. Light... sunlight. The sun. He's Out.

"Out! Green! Sky!" He squeals loudly, squirming in Illy's arms wildly, wanting to be put down so he can roll on the ground and feel everything.

[asterius-of-crete]

Illinois merely smiles, and sets Asterius back down in the short grass. “ All right, little one. ” He prods the fire and keeps a watchful eye out for Asterius as he begins to work on his dinner.

Predictably, the little Minotaur is soon falling asleep where he sits. Illinois leans into the tent to grab the small travel pillow that was in there, and he sets it near Asterius. “ Come and lay down, Asterius. Rest your head and watch the stars for a while. ”

Rations are not his favorite food, but he needs something he won’t need to babysit as much when there’s an actual baby to watch over. He sets it up to cook before he pulls out his guitar from the tent as well.

A few quick strums to test its tune, and then he begins to play, something soft and slow, dancing on the air as the sun said it’s final goodbyes at the horizon.

Asterius watches quietly as the sky turns from blue to pink and orange. He waves at Grandfather, mumbling a little 'bye bye' as the sun sets, but he is already more asleep than awake.

There is still so much he wants to do. He wants to marvel at the fluffy thing Illy puts under his head. He wants to ask Illy for a story. He wants to smell the food and ask for some. He wants to watch the stars and listen to the music. But all he can do is nod his head a little, pebble in one hand and the other hand stretching out towards Illinois, never quite reaching.

The fire keeps the shadows away and doesn't let him think of the Dark Place. He's not afraid of it if Illy's with him. While he's awake.

Asleep, it's a different story.

The Oneiroi were not known to be kind to the little Minotaur, and he often had nightmares. And it's not because his chains have been broken that he can't still feel them weighing him down in his mind. With a bellow, Asterius sits up and takes a few seconds to find wherever Illinois might have gone in the night, before throwing himself at him.

[asterius-of-crete]

Illinois’ heart breaks. He finds himself seated properly on the stone floor, and he reaches out with gentle hands, both this time, to clear even a little of that damp and dusty grime from thick, matted fur. “ I can’t take you to your mother, ” he says softly, “ I’m sorry. But I know her. And she’d want you out of here. Even if you can’t see her anymore. ”

He doesn’t ask permission before he gathers the minuscule Minotaur into his arms, hefting most of his weight onto one arm as he grabs his satchel and lantern in his free hand. “ Can you hold this, little one? ” he asks, offering the handle of the lantern to him. “ We need to see for me to get you out. ”

He was breaking every rule he knew about stories and history. He was not only leaving marks, but he was leaving a hole. A gap in a narrative that went far beyond just his own blessed Creator.

Illinois Jones was not a selfish man. But this one timeline could afford to rewrite itself without the Minotaur. He couldn’t save them all. Couldn’t spare everyone. But this one? He could. Even small gestures of kindness mattered. It might only be a drop of water in a bucket of oil, but every drop did it’s work against the tide, in time.

He walks, not thinking too hard about his route. There wasn’t an exit to this place, not really. But he’d know the way out when they brushed against it.

If she wanted him out of here, why couldn't she come get him?

Asterius desperately leans into Illy's touch, rubbing his muzzle into the man's hands. They're warm and it's nice to feel his fingers against his fur. He grabs onto them briefly, before he's being picked up, and his tiny hands grip Illinois' clothes.

He can't remember every being picked up by anyone besides his mother, and even those memories are distant in the dark. The human is warm and soft compared to the stone the Minotaur had known for a long time, and he nuzzles him with a sad noise, before he takes the lantern. "Shiny light." It's not hot like fire, and it's bright, and for a moment, it's almost a game. He's Asterius, protector of the mysterious light!

Out Out Out, Illy is taking him Out, where there is the sun, and animals and flowers and other things that are not stone and rats and strange sounds that scare him. Asterius holds onto the man like a lifeline, unwilling to let go even for the briefest of moments, one tiny hand clenched in his shirt's fabric, the other arm around the lantern.

The Labyrinth is dizzying, the same corridor over and over again, high walls made of stone, turns and turns that never change. It is a nightmare come to life, and Asterius glances around apprehensively. "Out."

[asterius-of-crete]

In the dark it takes a moment to identify the little thing that’s run into his legs, whose grasping (four-fingered?) hands are clutching at the legs of his trousers. Careful fingers find tiny stubs of horns and fur, a muzzle where a flat mouth should be. Flat, nipping teeth for his trouble.

“ I’m afraid not, sweetheart. ” Slowly, he crouches down, until he can be better situated at the young thing’s level. “ My name’s Illy. ” He pauses. “ You… wouldn’t happen to be Asterius, would you? ” It didn’t take any archeology student with more than six months of schooling any time to identify who this must be. Even if it didn’t make any sense.

One of the primary tenets of archeology was to disturb and disrupt as little as possible. Even being here while the Minotaur lived was a risk, let alone while so young. And yet… “ I might have something for you to snack on, little one. Here. ” He sets his satchel on the ground and rustles blindly through it.

Two apples, just as he’d remembered, were suddenly within his grasp. Along with an electric lantern. “ I’m going to give us some light, sweetheart. Close your eyes. ” With a click, a yellow glow is cast in a small circle outward. It illuminates Illinois, the satchel, and Asterius all at once. He’s holding out the pair of apples, keeping the lantern a bit further away. “ Here, little one. Eat up. ”

There are big fingers on his head and muzzle and Asterius guilelessly tries to bite just to see if they have something to eat. They do not. He grabs anything he can, fabric, skin, anything, just to make sure he's not hearing things. Sometimes he thinks he hears things, but he can never find them. If he's touching this person, that means it's real.

When his name is spoken, the little Minotaur nods. "Yes. Let out? Was good." This man, Illy, maybe he worked for the palace, and was sent to retrieve him. All thoughts of that are washed away, however, when the adventurer mentions food, and then suddenly Asterius becomes much more active, pulling at Illinois' fingers and wrists, mooing and whining loudly.

Hungry.

He takes a few moments to register the instructions, and then closes his eyes, a little confused. The light that floods the hallway reveals a tiny Minotaur, white fur dirty and matted, hooves cracked, wearing a rough-spun tunic that he'd probably outgrow in a few months. After a few seconds, Asterius looks up at Illy again, and the ring in his nose, big and heavy for his age, catches the light.

Illy's clothes and hair look weird. Very weird. The Minotaur has never seen anything quite like them. But he is more preoccupied by the apples that are being presented to him. He's never had fruit, but it looks like food. So he grabs one and absolutely devours it, not stopping to consider if the pits are edible or not. Everything is edible. He eats the second apple as well, as quickly as the first, and he feels comfortable for the first time in a Very Long Time.

"Mama? Go?"

[asterius-of-crete]

⚠

"Wha-- ah! Adventurer, this is not how this works!" Asterius immediately starts struggling as he feels Illinois' arms around him, trying to whip the man's face with his tail. "Put me down! That's an order!"

He doesn't even know why he's been picked up, but he knows he's not a fan of the experience, not matter how strong the man is, or how sure his hands feel, or how safe his arms must be, or anything like that!

[asterius-of-crete]

✏️

Asterius: I’m genuinely surprised you haven’t gotten arrested, let alone gotten a felony yet.

Illinois: Nat 20 Charisma.

Asterius: That is NOT how that works-

[asterius-of-crete]

Illinois blinks back at him, his tail twitching. That rattling sound returned, softly but there. “ …Yet I found a way in? Hm. ”

Well, he couldn’t stay here forever. He had a feeling his new acquaintance would not appreciate it when his guest became hungry. It was still probably a week or so out, but when one needed to eat their own body weight to fuel themselves, keeping enough food on could become challenging outside of the right terrain.

“ I suppose you’ll only help me for a price? ” He pats around at the pockets on his faded shirt. “ I might have something in here you’d like… ” One pocket jingles enticingly, and he reaches in to pull out a handful of varied coins in different shades of copper and gold.

Feeling slightly threatened, Asterius can't help the way his horns start growing thicker, face and body starting to change. He'd never had to deal with dangerous intruders in Knossos. "Yes, it seems you did. Quite an unpleasant feeling, I might add." The Minotaur huffs, hair standing on end.

He had been going to suggest simply escorting Illinois out as a favor (and to get him out of his lair), but the moment payment is mentioned, Asterius' eyes focus immediately on the naga's hand. Shiny.

Considering the several piles of treasure Illinois may or may not have passed while exploring, it was a safe assumption to say that Asterius fucking loves shiny things.

"That is adequate," he murmurs, taking a few steps to reach for the coins. He's never had to lead anyone like Illinois out of the Labyrinth, but he's sure it can't be too difficult.

[asterius-of-crete]

Illinois relaxes a little further still, lowering his hands fully now. “ Asterius. Good to meet you. ” He lifts his hat, tipping it toward him for a moment before returning it to his head.

“ Naga. My people are by and large lost to time these days. The few of us there are left hide underground and keep to our dens. I suppose I’m the odd one out, in that way. ” He smiles, with no sign of fangs in sight. Just the usual flat teeth one may expect from a human. “ I’ve always enjoyed a good adventure. ”

He inclines his head. “ I’m sorry for invading on your territory. If you could lead me to an exit, I would be out of your way, if you wished. ”

Naga. The word doesn't sound familiar, but at least now he can put a name to the people. Illinois is making no gestures that are threatening or aggressive, so Asterius lets himself slowly relax.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well." Despite the rough start, he does not wish to be impolite to his... guest. "I can appreciate the need to wander, to tell the truth."

Exit? The Minotaur tilts his head to the side and blinks. "There is no exit," he tells Illinois simply, as if it were obvious. "You cannot leave unless I take you to the outside." It was slightly more complicated than that, but explaining the entirety of Knossos to the naga was nothing something Asterius was keen on doing.

[asterius-of-crete]

“ I didn’t intend to trespass. ” His hands lift, palms up and hovering around the middle of his human torso. Beneath the hem of the shirt he wears, there’s a wavering line where soft flesh becomes sleek scales.

The Minotaur does not quite look like the Minotaur that Illinois understood from Grecian locations he’d crawled through. But he was close enough that he could draw the parallel.

“ My name’s Illinois. ” For a predator his voice is soft, his posture nonaggressive. “ I’m usually able to travel between places like this without any issues. But I seem to have gotten a bit turned around. ”

Asterius swallows heavily, waiting for Illinois to finish speaking. He could run away, but that would still leave his... guest in Knossos, trapped. With him.

"Yes that is to be expected," the Minotaur ends up saying, dragging a hoof on the ground. "You have entered my domain, and things, people, tend to get lost in it." And even worse in his presence.

A pause. "I am Asterius." All formality has been dropped, though his heart is slowing and the fear wanes and is replaced by curiosity. "I do not recognize your people. Where do you come from?" Illinois clearly wasn't a gorgon, considering Asterius was still alive.

[asterius-of-crete]

One creature’s winding ruin is another’s sprawling maze. There are places underground that intersect with both concepts, and it’s here that Asterius first discovers the odd trail in the dust, a wide swath cut through dirt and stones, like something being dragged.

The next is the odd sound he hears if he follows the trail, the occasional buzz of something rattling, in the distance.

Eventually he might see the end of a broad, scaled tail disappearing around a corner.

Illinois did not often get lost, but he could admit he was a bit turned around in this unfamiliar place. When he finds himself at a dead end, he hisses softly in displeasure and turns, crawling over his own coils to go back where he’d come from—

He halts suddenly, tongue flicking out. “ Who’s there? ” Places like this were usually empty.

It was hard to tell just how much of him there was, coiled into such a tight corner, but it was clear this scaled creature was not small. Larger than Asterius even in his other form. Yet he held the most human part of himself forward, as though to make himself appear even somewhat smaller.

Asterius is getting used to waking up with a start and a wave of nausea. No matter what hours he chooses to sleep, someone always manages to break into Knossos exactly then.

This intruder, however, is not easy to find, which is, in and of itself, extremely strange. The trail is odd, and the sounds unsettle the Minotaur. When he finally corners them, the sight before him makes him take a step back.

The closest thing he can think of is that he's a gorgon, despite clear proof of the contrary. His brain wracks itself looking for something similar, anything, but the Minotaur is already looking directly at the man. He's not dead yet. The massive body he can make out in the shadows is unfamiliar and screams of danger.

Typically so sure of himself, Asterius finds himself at a loss for words.

"You are... trespassing," he manages after a few seconds, something primal in him telling him he should not approach the predator intruder. His tail is still, almost tucked between his legs, ears backward and tense. Maybe he'd be more at ease in his other form, but he's not thinking clearly.

[asterius-of-crete]

“ Yes. This is where my husband lives. ” He keeps Asterius cradled close as he begins walking, knowing his way around here with confidence after so much time whiled away in this particular story. “ I know it’s not as bright and pretty as some places. ”

He supports Asterius’ body with one arm, so he can gesture with the other. “ Do you know about frogs? We’ll see them while we’re here. There’s a pond where a great many frogs are born every season. And there’s crows - big black birds. A whole flock of them. They’re friends with my husband. We can teach them to be friends with you too, in time. ”

He’s rambling, a bit. He’s more nervous right now than he’s been in quite some time. He doesn’t regret rescuing Asterius, but he’s aware it’s a choice - once simple while unattached - not so easily made when there’s someone else to consider.

“ My husband’s name is Murdock. I’m going to have to talk to him a bit when we get there. But I’ll find you something to do so you don’t get bored, okay? Then we’ll go find somewhere fun to explore together. ”

Something told him Murdock might need some space after the revelation, anyway.

Approaching the cabin, Illinois shifts Asterius onto his hip, and then he lets himself inside.

Asterius hides his muzzle against Illy's neck, looking around warily. It's new, and a little scary, even if Illinois seems very at ease.

"Frog?" He repeats, then shakes his head. It doesn't seem like a familiar word; he wonders what they look like. And if they're edible. Crows, however, he knows and he nods his head eagerly to show Illy that he knows things. "Birds of..." He struggles with the word 'prophecy' for a few seconds before he simply gives up. "Apollo." If this husband is friends with crows, maybe he's an augur!

And he doesn't think the Minotaur is a bad omen.

Content with himself, Asterius relaxes for a moment, listening to Illinois speak. His rescuer seemed a little nervous, and the baby Minotaur could pick up on that, even though he couldn't do anything about it.

"I play outside?" He suggests, eyeing the strange building growing closer and closer. Still uneasy. He really, really hopes Murdock doesn't hate him. Angry men are scary.

The thought of adventure comforts Asterius, and he grabs onto Illinois' tighter, hiding his muzzle as they enter the cabin.

[asterius-of-crete]

Illinois smiles fondly, and gives Asterius a gentle squeeze. “ That’s where we’re going next. ” Murdock wasn’t going to be thrilled, he knew. It was a big thing to spring on somebody anyway without that somebody being… well, who his husband was.

But he’d meant what he said. His husband had a good heart.

“ Before that, though… ” He sets Asterius down from his lap again gently. “ I just need to get a few more things together, and then we’ll go. ” He rubs a hand through that fur one more time and then he gets up from the floor.

Fresh supplies, gathered and stashed into his satchel, and old discoveries pulled out and settled onto new shelves.

And then it was time to head to Murderville.

With Asterius gathered into his arms, all it took was a bit of focus and when he opened the door to depart, it was the familiar story of his husband that awaited them on the other side.

As soon as he's set down, Asterius takes a few cautious steps, feeling how different his face felt without the weight on his nose. After a few seconds, he started walking around more enthusiastically, looking at things on shelves, tiny hands grabbing the wood so he doesn't grab something else.

There are a lot of shiny things, and a lot of stone, and other things the Minotaur doesn't understand. What he does understand is that some of those shiny things look really nice to have, and some of those others could... perhaps be edible?

He's stopped from possibly injuring himself or Illy's collection by strong arms picking him up, and he huffs softly, nuzzling the adventurer's chest once more. The sudden change in scenery is very jarring, and he tries to figure out where they had come from. If he tried hard enough, he was sure he could get back, maybe?

"New place?" He asks, looking around, a slight sense of unease crawling up his throat. Not the green fields Illy had first taken him to. This was much bleaker, not that Asterius can understand how or why.