Alathorn slowly started to crawl his way to the tree. He had been told that there would be help in the valley beyond but he was badly injured and in major need of help. All he knew, though, was that he had to get to the other side of the hill. His thoughts were completely focused on making his way up the hill and to the other side.<span style="font-style: italic">What a wonderful way for my 17th birthday to end,</span>he thought to himself<br/><br/>His birthday had started off nicely enough. His parents had thrown a party and invited all of his closest friends. Many of them didn't quite approve of his family's religious beliefs but, for their friend's birthday, they put it aside and left it alone. The party was in full swing by the time the unexpected guest arrived.<br/><br/>The Minotaur had run in and attacked at just the right moment. Alan, as all he preferred to be called, blew out the candles on his cake and, at the same time, the wall behind him exploded inward as the Minotaur charged in. It's eyes fixed on the young man that had just turned 17 and he smiled. "Happy birthday," he said in a deep, growling voice. Then, he swung one of his cleavers at Alan as the smaller and far more nimble young man jumped out of the way.<br/><br/>The rest of the day was a blur of his friends all leaving in a hurry and then him running for his life. His parents had told him where to run to to be safe before they went into hiding and Alan ran there. He had little reason to doubt his parents and he knew that they would be safe as long as he got out of there. The Minotaur was after him and anyone else.<br/><br/>And now, he was finally on the verge of safety. However, as he neared the top of the hill the Minotaur grabbed him and threw him back down. He hit the ground and cried out in pain. Slowly, he stood up and looked at the Minotaur. "You are a real pain," he said. "You know that?"<br/><br/>The Minotaur just smiled wickedly before once again charging at him, his horns pointed directly at her. Alan, who was still as nimble as ever, though he was injured, jumped out of the way just in time.<span style="font-style: italic">Artemis,</span>he prayed in his head.<span style="font-style: italic">I ask that you please lend me a weapon and the strength to fight off this monster.</span>As he spoke, the moon cleared the trees over the Horizon and shown a bright beam around him.<br/><br/>"If you dare to betray my trust in you, you will regret it," was all Alan heard as a bow and quiver of arrows appeared in his hands. He knew how to use them as he strapped the quiver over his shoulder. Then, in one fluid motion, Alan drew the bow, strung it and grabbed an arrow from the quiver, fitting it into place as the Minotaur came back for another attack. He loosed the first arrow and it flew true and stuck into the Minotaur's eye. The Minotaur roared loudly as the arrow struck his eye. Alan, still bathed in a small amount of light, let a second arrow fly and, that one, struck the Minotaur between right in the center of it's throat.<br/><br/>As the Minotaur fell, dead, it pulled the arrow with it's eye still stuck to it, out and disappeared leaving the arrow with the eye attacked as the "trophy" from the kill. However, as the Minotaur fell, so did the young man that killed it. His clothing had patches of red where he had bled out from the gashes the Minotaur had inflicted upon him.