Minotaur Tale

A short time before the Godwar and the Year of Ascension, an island appeared in the waters between Minotaur Isle and Centaur Isle, where land had never been before. Strange stories were told about this new place -- called Bridge Isle by most. These rumors said that Bridge Isle was a place that welcomed centaurs, minotaurs, and liontaurs -- a place where ancient enemies lived in peace.

Hearing word of this, a minotaur and a centaur each independently decided to travel to this Bridge Isle and see it for themselfs. They ended up, as chance would have it, on the same ship, a human merchant sloop. They avoided each other, but on the last day of their trip, they found themselves aboard the same longboat, rowed to shore by the human crew and the first mate of the ship.

The first mate smiled as he watched each taur pretend the other did not exist. Seeing a chance for good sport, he asked his two large passengers, "You both must be excited to see this wonder of nature."

"No wonder, but an abomination," the centaur said, tossing her head indignantly. "This place did not naturally appear. Nature was warped to create it. Lands do not rise from the sea garbed in flora and fauna. Strange and unnatural forces are at work."

"The abomination is not the nature of the island," the minotaur growled, "but the dishonor of those who have taken it. A true minotaur fights for his place and wins honor. This land was a gift given to the weak by a false craven god." She turned to look the centaur in the eye. "That is the abomination!"

"Craven!" The centaur's nostrils flared in anger. "Craven!"

"Come now, be at peace," the first mate said. "If you upset the boat, neither of you will arrive unsoaked.

The centaur listened, and her face became less red. Calmer, she said, "You will no doubt be displeased, minotaur, to learn that those who live here claim the god there is the same being honored in temples among your own people. Indeed, they say Imod of your folk is the same as Domi of ours.""

The minotaur shook her head swiftly back and forth, and her horns swished through the air. "Heresy!" she cried. "An insult to top all others! If your words are true, then those who live here have much to answer for! They spread lies! No doubt they seek to convert others as well. This must be stopped!"

The centaur agreed. "Those who would say my god is your god are deluded, or mad! It is absurd that the bull-headed, rigid, bloody god of your people could be the same gentle protector of knowldge we centaurs love." The centaur seemed amazed at the words she spoke: "I find myself forced to agree with you -- this must not stand!"

The minotaur snorted. "It galls me no end to see the honorable path lies under a centaur's hooves. But perhaps we will find common ground against these scoundrels."

"Perhaps the cleverest solution will be for us to join forces," the centaur said thoughtfully. "These apostates say they want to unite minotaurs and centaurs. Well, maybe they will unite two peoples -- just long enough to for a crusade to wipe the heretics out!"