Passed Down For Generations
Passed Down For Generations
The sun was shining upon the white walls of Minos, capital of the Minoan Nation. Minotaurs of all ages and stations were hustling and bustling through the many bazaars and markets scattered throughout the countless shaded pathways of the city. The myriad paths, alleyways and streets could easily make those who did not know their way to get lost, as if the city itself was a giant maze.
Amidst the throng of people and the cacophony of sounds, two minotaurs walked the shaded paths with the ease brought of being born and raised upon the labyrinthine city. One was an old bull, and yet, despite the fact that his coat had long since turned silver with age, his large imposing form still stood proud and strong. The other was a young calf, his gangly legs and arms with the first hints of muscles showed that he was just starting to take his first steps towards adulthood.
All minotaurs bowed their heads in greeting and respect as they walked past. Merchants and artificers, soldiers and sailors, all showed their respect towards the elder as he guided the youth through the city. The old bull was Strong Will, patriarch of the noble house of Will.
“Do you know why I asked you to accompany me today, young one?” the old minotaur asked the young calf sprinting to keep up with his longer strides.
“No, grandfather, I do not,” the young one immediately replied as they turned a corner into a narrow pathway hidden by a particularly shadowy part of the path.
“Good, admitting when one does not know something is the first step towards wisdom,” Strong Will said with a pleased nod even as he kept walking forward. His eyes never strayed towards the youth following him through the now completely dark passage. “The reason that I called for you is quite simple, young one.
“With the turn of the moon you shall no longer be a child, and as such it is time you are told more about our family’s proud history,” he continued as the darkness started to grow less and less with each step they took, as they neared a small archway from which sunlight poured through. “It is time that you learn about the legacy and duty that befalls our bloodline.”
The young minotaur was forced to shade his eyes from the blinding light of the sun as they passed the archway. When his eyes recovered, he saw that they were now within a small enclosed garden. Lush emerald grass had replaced the hard rocky pavement, wild flowers danced upon the breeze, bushes and hedges dotted the small space, while a gentle stream cut the garden in two, and, right in the middle, what looked like a small shrine stood flanked by two tall olive trees. The hustle and bustle of the city was completely inaudible, vanished as if by magic.
“Come now, young one, sit. Sit and listen,” the old bull said as he took a seat upon the grass beneath one of the trees, unconcerned of how that would undoubtedly cause grass stains upon his expensive robes, and patted the ground next to him. All of his attention was fixed on his young grandson.
The young calf rushed to obey. He sat next to his grandfather under the shade of the olive trees, eyes full of excitement darting from the small mysterious shrine to his grandfather’s now lightly smiling face.
“Ah, the eagerness of youth,” the old bull chuckled for a moment before he took a deep breath and looked his grandson straight in the eyes, all traces of levity gone from his features. The youth immediately straightened his back and gave his grandfather his full attention. “Now listen, and listen well. For this is a very old tale. A tale that took place when we minotaurs were still scattered across the land as countless clans, squabbling and fighting against each other as we struggled to survive.”
The young minotaur hung on his grandfather’s every word, his deep and strong voice seeming to become even stronger as he started the tale. The old bull took a deep breath, before with a grandiose gesture he pointed towards the small shrine and the vividly detailed mural paintings held within it.
“Long, long ago, long before the grandfather, of the grandfather, of my own grandfather had even been born, a young minotaur walked the plains of the land that would one day become known as the Minoan Nation. His name was Burning Will, a minotaur renowned far and wide by his sharp mind and unbreakable spirit. And, while he did not know it, his actions would shake the very foundations of the land itself!-“
As the moon passed its zenith on the night sky, Burning Will took in the green plains upon which his kind roamed, the harsh but beautiful lands they called home. His eyes were filled with anger and sadness, but also determination, as he pondered what he would have to face with the coming dawn.
“Burning Will, there you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” an angry feminine voice shouted from the long path that would lead back to his clan’s current encampment.
He turned his head to the side to see who had dared to brave the darkness and the long walk in search of him, and was unsurprised by who he saw. A copper-coated minotaur wearing simple robes and a fierce frown upon her beautiful features swiftly approached him. Her name was Bronze Bell, his closest friend and confidant. And, if things were different, if he did not have to do what he had to do in the coming morning, he thought that perhaps one day she may have been something more.
“Bronze Bell,” he greeted her as he banished the thought from his mind. They had no use now, there was no point in getting lost in what could’ve been, not with what he had to do. Not with how small he knew his chances to see another sunset really were.
“Don’t you ‘Bronze Bell’ me!” she angrily retorted as she reached the tall, muscular minotaur and forcibly poked him on the ribs. “What madness has taken you? What could possibly have made you think that challenging Strong Arm for leader of the clan was a good idea?!”
“It had to be done,” he simply said while enduring her anger. She had a right to it, after all. The idea was sheer folly, and he knew it.
“Have you lost your mind?” she cried in both exasperation and worry as she threw both arms heavenward. “You may be strong, Burning! But Strong Arm is far stronger! There is no way you can beat him in a contest of strength!
“You think I don’t know that?!” he angrily retorted as his own fears were rekindled by his friend’s words. Strong Arm may be a fool, but there was no denying his strength. Burning Will knew that the massive bull was far stronger than he was. He knew he had no hope of winning the fight that would come with the dawn. And yet, he also knew that he had no choice but to try to win, for to lose would mean the slow, steady destruction of his clan and all that he loved. “But what choice do I have?!
“Something has to be done! Strong Arm cannot be allowed to continue being the leader of our clan!” he angrily shouted as he stomped the ground in frustration as he turned to face Bronze fully. “Our foolish leader’s relentless assaults against the other clans weaken us with each attack! With each week that passes fewer and fewer of our brethren can be found in fighting condition, all for his foolish pride and delusions of grandeur! He must be stopped!”
“But you cannot win!” she desperately pleaded, her voice full of worry. For while she knew that Burning’s words held true, she also knew that the path he was about to take would lead to nothing but his end. His opponent was simply too strong for him to overcome!
“I’m aware of that, but I must try,” he answered in a near whisper, his sad eyes turning away to take the vast plains they called home. “By the spirits of our ancestors, for the good of us all, I must try.
“Not only are we weaker than anyone can remember in living memory, but the same can be said for all the clans that roam the plains due to this endless struggle as we do nothing but fight amongst ourselves!” he continued as his nostrils flared in anger and his tail whipped from side to side. “No matter if we win or lose, if the attack against the Iron Hoof clan Strong Arm is planning proceeds, both clans shall be weaker than ever in the end! The two strongest clans in the plains will be but shadows of themselves! All while the gryphons and diamond dogs shall continue to raid us with impunity!”
Bronze Bell opened her mouth to retort, only for no sound to leave her muzzle. She knew that Burning Will was right. And so an uneasy silence befell the two of them, as they stared at the starry sky in search for an answer that was simply not there to be found.
“This must end,” Burning Will finally stated, the fear and doubt that had been plaguing him now nowhere to be seen. Nothing but fierce determination filled his gaze as he stared at the stars. “And if I must risk it all to do so, then so be it!
“Hear me spirits! Listen to my vow!” he shouted to the night winds, arms raised high in supplication. “I vow to not rest until peace has returned to our lands, until all minotaurs can stand and prosper as one! This I swear upon my name and bloodline! So vows Burning Will!”
His shout seemed to echo through the plains for longer than it should’ve. For a moment, it seemed as if nothing but the silence of the night would answer Burning Will’s impassioned vow. Until, suddenly, a single star in the night sky appeared to shine brighter than ever.
Both minotaurs watched, transfixed, as one of the countless stars in the night sky grew brighter and brighter with each moment that passed, as if the spirits themselves were answering his oath. The star grew even brighter as their eyes widened in wonder. Before, with a panicked cry, they both dropped to the ground in order to avoid being run over by the shining star now passing where they had been standing a moment before with a thunderous noise.
An explosion of light and sound buffeted them as they hugged each other and the earth itself trembled. A moment later, it was over.
Burning Will opened his eyes, and gaped, astonished, at the crater that had appeared not even ten feet away from them. His astonishment grew even greater when he saw the two shining objects that now rested deep inside said crater.
“What was that?!” Bronze Bell shouted as Burning Will helped her back unto her hooves.
“The answer to my vow,” he replied as determination filled his very being and he started towards the crater.
Without a hint of hesitation, he climbed down into the crater and approached the star-born objects held within. He kneeled and grabbed them, not even surprised by the fact they were not hot to the touch despite falling from the sky moments ago.
And, as he put the two golden gauntlets on his hands, Burning Will felt a sense of power and determination fill his entire being. The spirits had acknowledged his quest and he would not fail.
The entire clan had gathered next to a large rock outcropping in order to see the coming fight. The minotaurs chattered with worried murmurs and concerned whispers as Burning Will, a minotaur many in the clan considered to be the smartest of their number, approached to challenge the massive form of Strong Arm, their chieftain and easily the strongest minotaur on the plains.
“Have you come to your senses, Burning?” Strong Arm mocked as he swung a massive axe around as if it weighed nothing. “It would be a real shame to lose one of the clan’s strongest warriors for a fool’s errand!”
“No, Strong Arm, I have come to make you come to your senses,” Burning Will seriously replied, not a hint of fear in his being, despite being almost a head shorter than his opponent.
“Pity,” the chieftain laughed as he took in his opponent’s form. His eyes narrowed as he noticed something. “Where is your weapon?”
This caused a new wave of murmurs from the crowd, as they noticed that Burning Will indeed was not carrying any weapons on his person. No sword, no shield, no axe. Nothing but a pair of golden gauntlets with crimson gems on the back of the palms adorned his person.
“I have no need for weapons, for my task has been blessed by the spirits themselves!” he proudly proclaimed, causing a sudden stop to the chatter of the crowd.
“Have you gone mad?” Strong Arm incredulously asked as he lowered his axe slightly, thinking that the fear of facing him may have cracked the other minotaur’s mind.
“Allow me to show you, mighty leader,” was Burning Will’s prompt reply as he started to move towards the rock outcropping.
The chattering and muttering began anew with renewed vigor as they all watched him stop right next to the massive block of rock. Over three times his height and several times his length, the massive piece of rock had to easily weigh several tons. And yet, after taking a deep breath, Burning Will grabbed it with both hands and with a mighty yell started to heave upwards.
“You have gone mad!” Strong Arm laughed as his opponent tried to lift something that not even all the warriors in the clan working together would be able to move. But his mirth was short lived, for the very next moment a deafening cracking sound echoed through the plains.
With a mighty heave Burning Will lifted the massive monolith of stone out of the ground before the astounded eyes of his entire clan. With a roar of triumph he held it above his head as if it weighed nothing. Every single minotaur stared with incredulous eyes the supernatural show of strength. After a moment, as his opponent stared at him slack jawed, while with impossible ease he threw the gargantuan rock several meters away as if it were a mere pebble. Shouts of surprise and panic filled the crowd as the earth trembled when several tons of rock fell upon it with the sound of a furious avalanche.
A solemn silence filled the air as all eyes stared in wonder and awe at the one who had just done this impossible feat of strength. Burning Will allowed the silence to remain for a moment, before he raised his gauntlet covered arms into the air.
“I am Burning Will, and the spirits themselves have blessed my task!” he shouted to the heavens as his eyes passed across the entire crowd before stopping upon the still open mouthed form of Strong Arm. “I claim leadership of the clan! Do any amidst you contest my claim?”
All eyes immediately darted to the thunderstruck form of Strong Arm. The large bull eyed first his opponent, then the massive monolith of rock he had thrown as if it was nothing, before numb fingers allowed his axe to fall to the ground and he bowed his head in submission.
A roar of triumph filled the air, as all minotaurs acclaimed their new leader.
"-and so, gifted with the strength of a thousand bulls by the spirits’ blessings, and aided by his sharp mind, Burning Will proceeded to unite all the clans under a single banner, not as conqueror and conquered, but as brothers and sisters, as one great family.” Strong Will continued his story to his audience of one. His grandson intently listened to his every word with eyes filled with wonder. “He erected a great city were all clans could live as equals without fear, where he would rule beside Bronze Bell, and so, for the first time in living memory, peace reigned upon these lands. And that’s how the Minoan Nation was founded.”
“That was awesome!” the young minotaur cheered as he got up and started to jump in place.
“Indeed, young one. But do you understand the meaning of the story?” Strong Will asked with a chuckle at his grandson’s reaction to the tale. Said grandson stopped jumping upon hearing the old minotaur’s words and turned his gaze back towards him.
“Our family was gifted with a mighty legacy, but that legacy is accompanied by a solemn duty. A duty born of Burning Will’s vow. We inspired our brethren to be more than mere barbarians fighting against each other, to forge peace from war and better themselves,” he seriously spoke, intense eyes staring straight at his intently listening grandson. “This is our family’s legacy and duty, young Iron Will! To inspire others to become greater than themselves, to make them forget their fears and hesitations and lead them to greatness! And now this mantle falls to you! So I ask, do you accept this duty?"
“Yes!” young Iron Will boisterously answered without a hint of hesitation.
“I’m proud of you, grandson,” Strong Will replied with a beaming smile as he got up and moved towards the shrine. He opened a small door at the back of the shrine and took something from within before turning towards his grandson. “Then take this, our family’s legacy!
“The gauntlets of Burning Will himself!” he boisterously proclaimed as he gave his awed grandson a pair of golden gauntlets adorned with crimson gems on the back of the palms. “They are now yours, wear them with pride as the next bearer of this proud legacy!”
Iron Will reverently put the gauntlets and flexed his arms to see how they fit. The light of the sun passing through the leaves of the olive trees hit his muscled form making it look as if he was sparkling. Strong Will also started to flex his muscles alongside his grandson, before boisterously shouting, a shout that was immediately copied by Iron Will. “A legacy that has been passed down the Will family line FOR GENERATIONS!”
Author's Note
Yes. I did turn Iron Will’s distant ancestor into basically Minotaur Genghis Khan, gave him the Golden Gauntlets/Titan’s Mitts, made him the one to unify the minotaurs into a nation, all so that I could make a Full Metal Alchemist Louis Armstrong joke featuring our favorite muscled minotaur.
I regret nothing! 
Hope you all enjoyed this silly little tale.
