“…a minotauress.” Sam smiles with relief. Her voice is slightly deeper, but much the same. “And I’m alive!” She turns round to you. “But you were about to say...?”
“...that you look beautiful,” you admit. “Not that you weren’t before – of course.”
“And you are gorgeous, Miles.” Samantha embraces you, and you hold her tightly, nuzzling each other – praising the maze and the gods for saving Sam from death. For granting you both this perfect moment of togetherness.
“Sam?” Yvonne manages to blurt. “You...you accept what’s happened to you? I’m so sorry! If I hadn’t insisted on coming here, then you wouldn’t have been shot.”
Sam strides over to pat Yvonne. Through a gap at the back of her loincloth, her bovine tail swishes as she walks. “Relax, Yvonne. All this was meant to be. The magic of the labyrinth has entered my mind and soul– and I understand it all now...”
“The fates. I suspected,” Thaddeus rumbles. “The labyrinth sensed how lonely I was. It must have drawn you here, in the first instance, Miles. And thus set a sequence of events into motion. Now I have a brother and a sister.” He steps forward to rest a hand of greeting on Sam’s broad shoulder, then pulls out from the treasure trove another two-headed axe and throwing axe, before presenting them to Sam. He gives you another throwing axe, also – to replace the one you used. “These are now yours, my sister – if you wish to accept your role as a guardian of the maze alongside Miles and myself, if only for the nonce.”
Sam nods her minotaur head. “I do. We still have intruders to deal with. I am healed, and ready to do my duty!” She returns your gaze. “Miles... Will you permit me the honour of fighting alongside you? I would like to see justice served upon Dirk, Delilah, and Kurt. As well as protecting our world from the demons I now sense close by.”
You nod back. “I would be happy and proud to have you by my side, Sam,” you say as you lovingly stroke her furred face. “In battle, and in peaceful times too. But worry not about Kurt. He has paid the price for attacking you.”
“Thank you.” Sam beams. She holds her axe ready with her new-found strength.
“What...? What’s going to happy now?” Yvonne whimpers.
Thaddeus gently lays a protective arm around her – the only human left in the chamber. “Miles, Sam – follow your senses and deal with the intruders! Give the medallion to Sam for her to surprise those criminals! I will guard Yvonne and the treasure.”
Acknowledging the orders of your elder brother, you and Sam head into the depths of the maze, nostrils flaring. At a nearby junction of two broad passages, the winged Red Devils screech upon your arrival, and six of them dive at you from above, attacking with claws and taloned feet. Bellowing as one, you and Sam get to work, swinging your axe blades into them, and spinning the throwing axes at those hovering out of reach – retrieving and re-using the missiles as the demons crash down from fatal wounds. Sam is rusty at first – but by the time the fighting is over, she – like yourself – has proved herself to be a capable guardian. As one, you finish off the last Red Devil – and as you both pant to recover your breath, Sam sees the wounds on you and her heal swiftly before her wide eyes.
“We are truly magical beings,” she says, awed.
“Yes, we are,” you reply, holding your minotauress close to you, as you stroke her tail. She lovingly rubs yours in turn, and nuzzles you. Sighing, you break off. “Let’s deal with Dirk and Delilah. I don’t sense any more of those demons, though.”
Sam cocks her head and sniffs the air. “Nor do I. But I detect the scent of human filth.” She indicates the right-hand corridor.
Together, you follow the winding turns of the maze – then halt as you both emerge onto the torch-lit ledge overlooking a dark cavern. There are voices nearby – Dirk gasping in pain, and Delilah’s anxious-sounding voice.
Sam edges back into the tunnel, places her axe down, then fishes out the medallion from the pocket of her loincloth.
“What are you doing, Sam?” you ask her.
She gives a minotaur smile. “Taking Thaddeus’ advice.” With the medallion over her chest, Sam’s figure shimmers, and is replaced by the vision of the attractive, slim, blond-haired woman you have fallen for, clad once more in her normal attire. Picking up her axe, she winks at you and leads the way.
On the rocky ledge, close by, Dirk is leaning against the cavern wall, one blood-stained hand pressed against his neck. Delilah is examining the wound.
“It’s not so bad, Dirk! It’s healing fast. I don’t understand why...”
The two criminals look up as they see Sam and her minotaur escort approach. “Problems, guys?” Sam asks, managing to assume her human voice.
“One of those...goddamn winged...things bit me!” Dirk spits. “Still, we shot it dead. Now... Just come with us, Sam – and get your freak friend to show us the way out...”
“You’re not leaving – you two still have your pockets bulging with gold from here that doesn’t belong to you!” You take a step forward, glowing at Dirk and Delilah.
Sam advances with her axe. “And I’m not going with you two,” she calmly announces. “Since your corruption of the police makes any fair trial of you pair tricky, you are going to have to face justice another way!”