Finding a way OUT!!

Finding a way OUT!
When Hercules returned from taking Cerberus back to the Underworld, he had one last journey to complete before coming immortal. For his last quest was quite easy the other God’s claimed, that he could have done it with his eyes closed, and that his last quest should be the hardest to complete, for no one else had ever done it before. To find a safe way IN and OUT of the Labyrinth. He could not have help, no string to help him see it through. And to add on top of having to find a way through the maze he must also fight the Minotaur and WIN, and continue finding his way out of the maze. The God’s could not help him though many wanted to they could not.
When he reached the gate, which was large to a normal man but Hercules was not a normal man, having been born of a God and a mortal he had great strength, and was very tall, but like all humans he had many weak spots. He stood as tall as the gate, when he entered in, he felt as if he were being watched, by someone but when he looked about he could see no one. As he reached the start of the maze, he was just about turn and run, he didn’t care if that made him look like a child, and for the smallest amount of time, he forgot that if he did make it through that he WOULD be immortal, but that didn’t matter right then, he didn’t want to go through with this. He thought to himself, What will everyone think of me if I come home saying, “No I didn’t go through that maze, I never made it passed the gate” he couldn’t stand it, I must go on he kept telling himself I must. And so he did.
Left, then right, left and then he paused to remember that he could make it through, look at all the journeys he had made it through before, twelve and one last one and he would be immortal. He started the maze, taking it one step at a time. He kept looking back at the way he came, I some how must remember all of this in case I don’t make it to the other end. He was wearing a large coat, after tearing it into pieces after five steps he would drop another piece, marking his path as he went. He reached many dead ends, not wanting to go any father he stopped, he could hear something following him, the Minotaur! But it was too late it had grabbed his arm, and was pulling him into the darkness, he couldn’t grab anything for the walls were too smooth, nothing to save him. Just when he thought all was lost the Minotaur, loosed his grip, Hercules was surprised and also frightened, “What will happen to me?” The Minotaur started to speak,” You also have come to find a way out of this maze have you? After 35 years I meet you and you are scared to meet me, have you not heard stories of how when you are lost in the maze you are lost forever, of how many souls have died in this maze? Tell me that my story has been passed down that they still fear me and that you are the son of the God’s that was foretold to come and find the way out to break the curse that is upon me?”
“I am he, as was foretold, and I am here to find the way out, but how many people have came within to also find a way out leaving trails and markings but still finding no way out? How do you find food, water and how do you live in this darkness day after day? Do you not wish to see the sunlight? And if you were following me, how many others did you follow? Do you follow them until they can’t find their way anymore? Or until they go crazy?”
“I follow them right when they start, picking up any trail or destroying any markings that they make. I am the master of this maze I have my home here with all the wants and needs of me. I have no want to see the sunlight, or no need to. But to find the way out you must come in. You can’t just look from the outside and find it out, you must come in and find it out for yourself. But I know that you are here to fight with me, but as you can see I am becoming old with age and I will not fight you for I know that you are a son of a God, knowing that they are all powerful, mighty and I do not want to tempt them. So if you solve my riddle, I will let you go, but do not think that this riddle will be simple, for no one has solved it, no one has made it out yet, and I suppose that you are going to be the one that makes it through, that breaks this spell, and frees me. And if you are, I will be ever so grateful.”
Hercules thought to himself, ‘If I do make it out I will free beast, but to get out I must solve a RIDDLE, that’ll be easy, at least I hope it will, I’m not the best with those, but when I do get out I will tell him that I am in his debt not him in mine, he is letting me off easy, a riddle come on how hard could that be?’
“Well here are your riddles that if you solve, you are free to go if not you are forever lost in the maze,
What can grow without rain?
What can feel without touch?
What can see without sight?
What can burn for long years?
What can you need but never want?”
“Without rain, without touch, without sight, long years, without tears? What kind of riddle is that? I’m supposed to know the answer to that?!? How would I know? Why would I care?”
“If you do not answer my riddle you can never leave, I have picked up every piece of your coat as you came in, you will be trapped in the maze forever, or until you answer my riddle.”
After thinking and thinking though he still thought he had the wrong answers he answered him saying, “Stones can grow without rain, your heart can feel without touch, your feelings for one another can see without sight, your love for them can burn for long years, and you can need love but you can never want to have to love every day for the rest of your life,”
“You may pass through, Hercules, having answered my riddle, you may pass through the maze, the path is marked with star if I remember right, on the corner of each wall you pass,”
“If you remember right? Is this some kind of sick joke? I don’t get it. You are the master of this maze you should know this. But I, Hercules will find a way out if this place and free you from your curse, I will promise you that,”
“Don’t make promises that you can’t keep, Hercules it is a bad habit,”
Hercules started to walk away from the Minotaur knowing that if he did make it out alive, it would be a great blessing from the Gods. When finding a wall that had many markings on it he found at the base of the wall a small shape an x just like the Minotaur had said, he felt sorry for not believing him, but he couldn’t turn back now he had a long journey ahead of him. Almost crawling on his hands and knees, he felt his way out if the maze finding it very hard to see what was a head of him, “If I only had some light” he kept thinking to himself, this would be so much easier! But easy was not what the God’s wanted him to think of this quest, it had to be hard, he had to prove to them that he could be able to be immortal just like them, that he was worthy and that he had trust. Making that promise was building some trust, but not quite enough. When he reached the end he could feel the light, and see it also, just a head of him, but he had to remember that “It just might be a figure of my imagination that it really might not be there keep going when I reach the end I will know it.” He could hear voices all around him but he could not see anyone. He could smell the sweet smell of flowers blooming in the spring and he could hear the birds singing and people cheering for him that he had made it through. He had done it, but he was so tired and sleep deprived that when he reached the end and made it to the sun light he fell to the feet of the Gods just barley mumbling that “I, Hercules have completed yet the last and final quest that you have given me and I know will die for sure, for I have not eaten for weeks and have not slept for fear of falling into the hands of the monster, but yet I have found the way out and have broken the curse that held him a prisoner in that dark cave for so long. I am now dying of lack of sleep and food, I will for sure die for I know it.”

Just as the words came from his mouth, the great God Zeus came to him and said “ You will not die my son, Hercules, for you have done what was asked of you. Having completed all of the thirteen tasks which at times you just wanted to give up I know, there were times I wanted to help you but I was bound and could not. You have made promises that you must keep, you don’t want to loose the trust of your friends.”
And at the maze was lifted out of the ground and the great Monster that laid within came out into the sunlight, and thanked Zeus and Hercules for all that they had done, breaking the curse, and saving him from that darkness. But the man that came out from the maze was not what Hercules had seen in the maze for he had changed into a young man not much older than Hercules himself, his name was Christen, half and half just like him, his only wish was that he too could be immortal with Hercules that they may talk and learn to grow with each other through out the rest of time.