Tale of the Minotaur, Part 1

[TheBigJon]

And so our story begins,

It was an overcast night, though not too wet. The dense forests at the base of the Queshiran Mountains were buzzing with life, as always. A blanket of quiet threw itself over the trees. The silence was deafening for just a moment, and a massive object of matted fur drove through the near impassable terrain. Erlof, a grizzled minotaur, darted through the trees and bushes. "Darted" was the wrong word. He bulldozed through the area, trampling the green carpet of the forest, leaving a wake of destruction behind him. Normally, he?d respected nature and went out of his way to preserve it, but tonight was an exception.


Erlof lived in a humble wooden shack, albeit a huge shack, to accommodate him and his wife. They were Minotaurs after all. Both Erlof and his wife preferred the peace of the forest to the hustle and bustle of the town, and so they built it with their own hands at the top of the Queshiran Mountains, giving them a view of the large expanse that is the Grey Wasteland. It wasn?t much to look at, but Gramol, Erlof?s wife, had said it contained a, ?hidden beauty,? and so he trusted her.


The tough minotaur could now hear his wife?s cries. He had hoped that the birth was doing okay, but it did not sound good. Not good at all. Tears welled in Erlof?s eyes, and he thought of the worst. His oversized cottage was in sight now, and he picked up his pace. An almost unbearable burning could be felt in his calves and legs, but he didn?t care. His heart ached more than his legs, and Erlof?s hulking figure soon appeared at the doorway of his wife?s birth.


The human midwife had had special training for birthing to different races, and Erlof trusted her. She had been good to them for the past week, and he made a mental note to repay her someday. Kneeling by his wife?s side, he knew she would not be long in this world. He begged her to stay with him. The midwife was saying something about how the baby was almost out, but he just didn?t care anymore. Erlof wanted his mate more than anything, but he knew that could not be done. He held her tight for her last few moments while the midwife was professionally doing her job as the midwife.
A goodbye was whispered and the house was still.