Many stories have been recorded...
of the ancient times.
Behind even the greatest myths...
there is a history now long forgotten.
In the age of gods and spirits...
the known world was ruled by a dark empire...
from their island palace of Minos.
They worshipped the bull...
the most powerful of all gods.
The tablets recount that as the empire grew...
their hedonism and greed knew no bounds.
The people longed for more than stone deities.
They demanded a living god.
In response, sickened minds indulged...
in the forbidden arts...
and decreed the queen should offer herself to the bull...
to create the perfect being...
a unification of god and man.
For 13 months the creature grew inside her...
pure, precious.
Every care bestowed.
To ensure safe passage into our world...
it was cut from the queen's belly.
Suckled on the blood of its own mother...
the newborn was presented to the people.
The palace hailed their creation...
and the power of the empire strengthened.
But as the beast grew, so did its hunger.
In revenge for the murder of a royal prince...
a grave tax was placed upon my village, Thena...
in the northern territories.
Every three years, eight youths would be taken...
to the palace by royal soldiers...
lowered into the labyrinth...
and sacrificed to the beast.
Help me! Help me!
The empire of the bull seemed invincible...
as the fifth sacrifice drew near.
Go ahead.
The leper.
My father says she never comes but with an omen.
It means they're coming.
We saw her in the forest again... the old woman.
Danu thinks she's a sign that the horned soldiers will come.
He also says that the moon slid across the ocean...
and fell off the earth.
I miss her, Father.
Why did Ffion have to be taken?
How many of us must die for this one prince?
There are certain things that you cannot understand yet, Theo.
Then I want to learn.
You will... in time.
While I am leader of this village...
let me worry about those things.
Theo, you must move on.
You will find love again.
Morna?
When the soldiers come...
if you're taken, Morna, then my heart will die.
No, Morna, the mistletoe stick'll keep you safe.
Say my name.
Just once.
No, don't sign it.
Say my name.
Tell us it will be different this time.
It will not be different this time.
No, this time we fight.
If we fight, they will destroy us.
The tax is eight youths.
We know our children are sacrificed to a wild beast.
The death of their prince is a terrible burden...
but we must endure it.
How can you know about our pain...
when your precious son cannot be taken?
Theo cannot be taken because after me...
he will lead this village.
We agreed to keep him safe until then.
- Yes, we will. - No, we can't fight them.
Didi, what is it?
Your father said I should come.
He asked me to be with you, Theo.
I can't, Didi.
I still love Ffion.
Didi!
Run, shepherd.
The leper.
What broods for the boy?
The mark. The tree.
I know of it.
The other half belongs to someone I love.
It still does.
No, she was taken.
Taken, but not sacrificed.
She lives?
She lives far across the sea...
in the labyrinth beneath the great palace.
There she waits for Theo.
Why do you play tricks with me, old woman...
when you know nothing of her?
To save her, Theo must kill.
Curse their god...
and kill the beast!
The Minotaur?
She was taken.
But not sacrificed.
My heart never left you... never.
It's time.
Take the village herd when you leave.
Their soldiers will be here soon.
I went to see the leper.
She told me Ffion still lives.
She said I had to kill the beast.
You will not listen to an old woman who fills your head with lies.
The Minotaur is a god. It cannot be slain by any man.
Son, one day you will lead this village.
We must keep you safe until then.
I'm doing this because I want you to live...
and give the world your children.
But the one who would have my children, Father, is gone.
Go into the hills.
Do as I say!
Theo! Theo!
Go, Danu. Go and be with Morna.
The one who can't be taken.
I want no fight with you, Tyro.
You have no fight with anyone, shepherd.
Come on!
If Ffion were mine she'd still be here, shepherd.
Tyro!
The ships! The ships are coming!
We ask forgiveness for our sin.
Take the first eight youths you find.
And I want no more from your dark spirit.
No, don't take them!
Don't take them!
No!
Morna! Morna!
Morna!
Curse their god and kill the beast.
Don't touch my mother!
The stick! The stick!
No, Mother!
Mother!
Theo...
I'm taking your place. Go! Run!
Farewell.
Is that a way to greet a friend?
Who is it?
It's Theo.
What's he doing here?
Stay close to Morna, Danu.
The bull.
I'm going to kill the bull.
The Minotaur?
Their god?
And you'll kill it with him?
Have you told him yet?
Tyro is afraid of the bull.
I fear no beast.
My mother once told me that it is white.
White from the bile of all the children sacrificed in the labyrinth.
She said when the Minotaur was born...
the world cried tears that filled the oceans.
Didi, your mother is a goose who sings to her own shadow...
and her daughter is a fool.
She's mad!
Hit her for me.
The bull is divine. Death is our path into the afterlife.
We should be honored we are sacrificed.
The gods do not sleep. You cannot kill a god.
He will take your spirit and you will be his.
I fear no beast.
Not even a fool who dreams he can kill a god.
That's what I intend to do.
To kill him while he sleeps.
Beneath the great palace...
she waits for Theo.
We're here.
The floor... how is it warm?
Kneel.
All this time...
old and ugly.
Does this sacrifice please our princess?
You can smell, can't you?
Let us first season his meat.
There!
No!
Morna! No!
That one!
No!
- Do something! - My lord!
Lord?
They will not please you, my lord.
And how will they not please me, boy?
They are unknowing, my lord.
Unknowing...
Virgins please us. They please us immensely.
We thank the boy for his concern.
Let him tell us his name.
Take those sweet eyes from me before I pluck them out, boy.
My name is Shepherd, sir.
Well, Shepherd...
our princess will show you how we prepare virgins for our god.
Inhale the sweetness.
The gas shall corrupt their unknowing minds.
Make her stop, Theo.
Now. Now's the time.
No.
My god is ready for his meat.
Let us see the mouth of hell.
Open the gates.
Do not be afraid.
Your spirit will I warm in the belly of the bull.
And your flesh will taste sweeter now that it's aroused.
Come, powerful one!
Come see what I have brought you.
Come taste!
What?
You think that you will displease our eyes.
Come quickly, powerful one...
before I taste this precious flesh myself.
You are afraid to show yourself.
Take the girls.
Morna!
Take her!
Remove them! Prepare the pits!
They will all be sacrificed together!
Do not ever speak in here again.
- What was it? - The bull.
Get away from me!
You are accursed!
Why don't you stop her?
Gods are from above. They rule from the sky.
Why would they keep a god under their feet?
The Minotaur is from the under earth...
the great darkness.
A labyrinth of tunnels and caves.
If it is a beast, then it can be slain.
The Minotaur is a beast and a god.
And Theo should not talk so.
Bring me the shepherd boy.
The old leper said he would come.
Sedate him with the gas.
Then I will see if he will help me.
And, Rumella, make sure the king does not see you.
You will come with us.
Theo.
Shepherd boy...
has our gas made you drowsy?
Such innocence.
Sweet Theo.
How do you know my name?
Love, young Theo.
It tells me what I wish to hear.
I wish to hear why I've been brought here.
I want to know of this beast you keep feeding my people to.
You know nothing of the beast.
I am Raphaella.
She who will give birth to the young shepherd's dreams.
What?
What do you want from me?
Quiet!
Help me.
Release me from the beast and all my pleasures will be yours.
- He hears. - Huh?
There was a girl from the last sacrifice.
Ffion. Tell me.
Save me and I will help you.
Where is she?
The beast grows tired of Raphaella!
How dare you enter my chambers?
You would pleasure yourself with this filth.
- Please, Brother... - What?!
Do not ever question me.
- Take him! - No!
Don't you ever turn away from me!
If this is your pleasure, then so be it.
I will corrupt you with every soldier and slave in the palace!
I will cast you to the lepers...
and watch them crawl inside of you!
Then when you beg for me...
then will come the bull.
But first you, young shepherd.
Fear.
I smell fear on the young shepherd.
You only know fear as a lamb snatched from its mother.
I'm going to show you true fear.
Fear that will rip your heart from your soul.
Fear that will make your spirit shake!
Make you wish that your eyes were born blind...
sealed shut!
It is to him that you go.
Let darkness be his.
Where are you?
Didi!
Help! Morna! Theo!
Get me out of here!
Theo!
You do not ask of the sacrifice.
I ask that you do not hate me, my lord.
Hate you?
I forgive you.
The union between brother and sister will be stronger.
I ask that you bear my seed.
I did not see that love between us...
brother and sister...
could be so...
Only when I saw the pain I had given you did my eyes open.
What about those in the palace?
The ones who make whispers against me?
Follow me, Sister, to my chambers.
The gas.
Morna.
What?
Am I to understand...
you've seen...
Theo!
Danu.
Morna!
Help!
Someone!
Who's there?
No!
Stop! No! Don't! Shh!
Danu!
Is that any way to greet a friend?
The next time I call, you answer me.
OK.
Morna!
Did you find any of the others?
There's no one. We should not look.
We should find our way from here. The others are gone.
She says the others are here...
and she's not going home without them.
Then let her stay!
The only ones here are dead!
We don't know that.
We have to find the way out.
We can look for them on the way.
Sister!
Sister...
come.
Come. Be by my side.
I would rather lay with the slaves and the lepers...
than bear your child.
I would rather die with the beast.
No!
What?
The beast.
He's talking to the other gods.
Stay there.
I found it in a rock.
The Minotaur.
It's bigger than any wolf.
I can kill him.
But someone must be the bait.
I'll make a pact with you.
From this night...
every drop of virgin blood in my kingdom...
will sweeten your lips.
I will nourish you with the flesh of every newborn child.
Just give her back to me.
Am I not a god...
with power over death?
Great Spirit, make me brave that I may face the tyrant.
- Wait! - No! No!
My heart told me you were not dead.
Why are you here?
I'm here to save you.
Like you saved the others? You're a witch!
You... You would suck on her words like your mother's tit.
She's cast her spell over him. And he doesn't want it to be gone!
We could kill her before she brings her magic.
Magic? I would cause to have you all free of this place.
Is that what you want?
I know the way out.
My handmaiden waits.
If you trust me, I will take you there.
And you would trust that? Huh?
What choice do we have?
I would rather put my head in a snake pit...
than follow this witch anywhere!
Then go and find yourself a snake pit, Vena.
I will.
You must stop her.
Vena?
Be with her, Theo.
She'll kiss you like a snake.
I care for none of you or the village.
I feel shame I was born there.
And if you all die here, then good.
I hate...
Where does the gas come from?
The center of the labyrinth.
It lights the fires in the palace.
There's something up ahead.
- What is that? - I don't know.
- She's alive. - It's Didi.
I dreamt I was alone...
walking in a forest.
The forest was never as dark as here.
You must have fainted when they put you down here, Didi.
Hurry. It's not far now.
My handmaiden will let us out.
You would release the nightmare into our world?
Am I infected by those who make whispers against me?
How did you know this place?
Look into my eyes, young maid.
Tell me, do they show mercy?
What?
We should not be here.
This is where it sleeps.
We must hurry.
Rumella, open the door. It's me.
This isn't right.
Where are you? Open the door!
Theo, she said she'd be here.
She'll be here.
Rumella, open the door!
She tricked us! She brought us here to die!
No! No, it must open!
I thought you said there was another way.
The far side of the labyrinth. This has to be the way out.
Open the door!
Open the door! Open the door!
Open the door!
Minotaur!
The beast.
How could a man kill that?
That's her god. She led us to him.
Why did you trust her? What has she done to you?
Danu.
You said my name.
The spirit has returned.
You must not fight.
I feel sick.
It's clean. We can rest here.
I'm sorry...
that I was frightened with the others.
It's no shame to be afraid here.
Long time alone here.
Eating hope and rats.
How long have you been here?
He's happy you've come.
Come.
The labyrinth.
Do you know here?
Is bad place.
The only thing is hiding.
What's your name?
Turag.
And does Turag know of other survivors down here?
Hmm?
Tell me, what has Turag seen the beast feed on...
when there's no children?
Rats.
A god eats rats?
No, but he's blessed.
Nobody's blessed here. They're cursed.
Do you believe god is good?
He is mercy.
Coming here is what you know.
Here is different place.
And you've seen him?
Where?
Sleeping.
Sleeping?
The gods do not sleep.
Then he's not a god.
No. I did not see. Are you coming?
Why did you come?
To kill the Minotaur.
This beast that sleeps.
Why do you hate Theo?
I do not hate him.
I don't trust him.
Because he took Ffion?
She wasn't his to take.
But then the soldiers came and took her from both of you.
Yes. When they came, I tried to stop them.
I always liked you, Tyro.
But you never looked at me.
I give the command!
I make the sacrifice!
You will not take her!
I'll snatch her back.
You will give her back!
She will not be yours!
Open it!
You should not hear Turag, Theo.
She's here.
Ffion.
And he knows where she is.
I know because I saw her.
You saw her spirit.
That's what lies here.
No. Her spirit wouldn't wander here.
She promised.
Ffion?
The leper.
I went to see her.
The leper?
You didn't come here for us.
You came for her, didn't you?
You came for her because the leper has cast her magic.
That's why your princess is here. 'Cause they're the same witch!
Kill the god you said?
We followed you! We trusted you!
You came for her!
Because I had no choice!
Theo!
Ffion's dead, Theo.
Why can't you believe that?
She's not dead.
You know where she is.
Where is she?
Where is she? Where is she?
Leave him, Theo. He doesn't know anything!
Let him go!
Tell me where she is!
Where is she?
Theo!
Tell me!
Tell me where she is!
Sister!
Flee from this place!
Sister! Brother forgives you!
I do not see a brother anymore.
I see a beast.
Danu.
Danu?
Come! Come! Come!
Where? Where is she?!
Huh?
What's that? What... What's that?
It's mine!
Give it to me!
It's beasty gift.
Beasty give.
It's mine.
Where is she?
Tyro, please, make it stop.
It's OK. It's OK.
Think of when we're away from here.
Think of home.
You promise you will take me there, Tyro?
Promise?
I will take us from here.
Then I will be with you.
We can do this.
Tyro, careful.
OK.
OK, Didi.
OK.
Can you see anyone?
- Come on, Didi. - I'm trying.
Didi, take my hand. Come on.
Come on.
You OK?
Look at me. Take my hand. Come on.
Come on! Reach up!
I can't reach you.
Please, Tyro. I can't reach you.
Didi, take my hand. Take my hand!
- Come on! - Please!
I got you.
OK, Didi, OK, don't look down.
Didi! Didi!
Look at me, Didi! Look at me!
- Help me, please! Help! - Come on! You can do it!
Please don't let go of my hand!
- Come on! - Help me, please! I don't want to die!
- I'm slipping! - No!
You can do it! Come on! Hold my hand!
- No! - Help me!
Didi!
Ffion!
Theo...
Ffion?
Theo...
Ffion?
Ffion!
Feel the spirit, Theo.
Ffion.
I knew you would come.
It can't be you.
It is me.
Touch. See into my heart.
You waited for me.
My heart never left you.
Theo, the leper said you would come.
We've been waiting for you.
What?
No!
Theo...
Theo?
Theo!
Danu!
Theo. Theo.
- Danu! - Theo.
Go back to Turag.
- I'll come back for you. - No.
It'll keep you safe.
It will take us home.
Say my name.
Spirit of the Tree, keep Theo safe and I'll hold you in my heart.
Spirit of the Tree, keep Theo safe.
Spirit of the Tree, I will hold you in my heart...
keep Theo safe.
Spirit of the Tree, keep Theo safe. I will hold you in my heart.
Danu!
- Theo. - Danu.
Morna's returned.
You cannot take my spirit.
I will not let you.
I don't believe in you!
- Pray for me, Theo. - No!
No, it is not your time yet!
If I close my eyes, I can see the village.
- Danu! - Take Morna! Take her home!
Danu!
- Pray for me, Theo. - Danu!
Pray, Theo!
Pray!
Danu! No!
Pray!
I'm sorry!
I'm sorry, Danu!
What he does not smell...
he hears.
What he does not hear...
he feels.
What he does not feel...
he sees.
What he sees is already dead.
Behold, young shepherd...
behold your god.
His name...
is Minotaur.
Was she real?
Nothing here is real.
Then you must touch.
I cursed the love that brought me here.
No, Theo, do not curse love.
Why am I here?
Because the people of my palace...
once believed they could create a god...
a power that was neither man nor beast...
that would protect them.
Instead my mother, the queen...
gave birth to an evil...
that murdered their prince.
To hide this shame...
they imprisoned the Minotaur in this labyrinth...
and they told the people...
that a man from your village came...
and murdered the heir to their throne.
And that is why they take us?
Yes.
To feed the monster they created.
Theo, I asked the leper to find someone...
who could kill the beast.
You know why you came here, Theo.
If the Minotaur is a god...
he would kill us all.
But if he isn't a god...
Then he will burn.
It's strong here.
We're near the source.
The gas, it's behind here.
No!
Go, Theo, be from here.
Tyro.
Go, Theo, run! Run!
I have to help him! You stay here!
You can't help him, Theo!
When you see it come, stay under the water.
Hey!
Minotaur!
I'm here, Minotaur.
W-Where is it? I can't find it.
W-Where is it? Where is it?
Come here! Come here!
Come here. Come here!
Please... give it to me.
Come on, come on!
Did you kill it?
Thought you said there was another way out.
The far side of the labyrinth.
Hurry!
Where are you going?
Morna?
Theo!
Watch your step!
Hurry! Quick!
The shepherd thinks he's killed the god.
Young fool...
you cannot kill the Minotaur.
I was afraid I had lost you.
Brother...
be afraid.
The darkness awaits you.
You must love her always.
Without her, you would never have come.
Take off your masks!
Remove your shame!
Take off your masks!
So the reign of the bull god was over...
and the empire of a thousand years faded into legend.
As a girl, I did not speak...
out of mourning for the village...
but now, at the end of my life...
the world has changed forever...
and my words will preserve how that came to be.
The world would never forget the shepherd who killed a god.