The Free Bird.

The boy got up, walked across the dim room, and grasped the bars. He looked up. Sun bathed his face with golden light. He smiled. He was happy, because the birds were flying out there, chirping with melodious sounds. He was happy, because he can hear the sea out of here. The air was as refreshing as ever. The sea gales were a sight to see. There was nothing wrong with this beautiful morning. Except for one thing.

There was a hole inside the boy's heart, a black hole of longing darkness, a hole that was built inside him since he came into existence. Deep within his heart he wished to go out and play with those birds that were flying so freely.

He suddenly spoke," Birds, they are marvelous creatures. Aren't they, Father?"

An aged man looked up from a far dark corner, his eyes glinting in the single source of light in the dark room.

"Birds fly to get to their food source. They fly to be with each other. They fly to migrate. They wander to the limitless horizons rather than us humans. But do you know how can they fly so carelessly?"

The man keeps quiet despite knowing the answer. Because he had been asked this question millions of times, since the boy was born. But it won't do any good to disrupt the boy's feelings. He wanted the emotions to flow out. But the boy had an empty black hole in his heart that won't be filled with minor emotions.

"They fly because they are FREE."

The room was drenched in silence and unholy darkness once again.

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The man in question was Daedalus, the famous artisan and craftsman. The only man in the whole world to be able to do work so perfectly that even live humans looked puny in front of his art. Descendent of the royal family of the mythical first king of Athens, Daedalus was highly respected and renounced as an architect, sculptor, inventor, and any other type of artist. His self-confidence helped him create many famous works of absolute finesse. But there was a reason for such a renowned artisan to be in jail right now.

Daedalus had committed a crime. A murder, of his own nephew, Talus. Talus was becoming as renowned as the sculptor himself, creating his own marvelous masterpieces. Once he saw a snake kill a rat. He had observed the snake so keenly that he got an abrupt idea of creating a saw that works in the cross formation like jaws of snake. This was perfectly original and interesting plan that he shared with his uncle.

But Daedalus wasn't concerned this time. He had assisted his nephew with so many projects, but this time he was envious. Envious because Talus had gone ahead of him in thoughts. Envious because he was being left behind. He had become so accustomed to the riches and honor that he decided to end this.

So one fine day he took Talus on the highest cliff of Acropolis, and pushed him down into the valley of death. Killing was a crime in Athens, but this was far more major crime then just a murder. Daedalus had killed his own kin. And thus he ended up here, on the island of helplessness, the isle of Crete, ruled by King Minos.

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From another corner someone smirks. He breaks the silence.

"Do you know Icarus, why you are here? Do you know why you are not out there with other children? Do you know why you are rotting in jail while children of your age are building sand castles out on the beach? Do you know your fa-"

"Heracles please! Stop it. Watch what are you speaking. Wh-"

"Stop it? STOP IT? Stop what Daedalus? I have been hearing the poor child complain since last so many years. Don't you think that you son has right to know things that you never disclosed? That he needs to know why he is dying in here. That how, because of you, his fate has been sealed in this cell forever. That the longing freedom, that he has been aching for, will never come to him. That who his mother is-"

"HERACLES!"

Silence drops in once again. Heracles went too far this time.

"Mother? My mother is alive? But you said she died after giving birth to me. Father, is mother still alive? Where is she? Who is she? I want a name, father. I always had this feeling to ask you for a name. The name of the lady who gave me birth. Who is she?"

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Yes it was true, his mother wasn't dead. But Daedalus cannot compromise Icarus's mother. She was a mistress slave of King Minos, Naucrate. No one knows the details of the relationship between them, but it was clear from the way Daedalus behaved that Naucrate will be in danger the moment her name comes out of his mouth.

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Daedalus says nothing. Silence once again. All the inhabitants of that cell are thinking over about the events of that morning, when they hear footsteps. A royal soldier walks up to the door of the cell.

"Daedalus, the king has summoned you. You are to accompany me to the king's chamber silently."

All three were shocked hearing that. For, never once since Daedalus was imprisoned, was he greeted or summoned or even taken out of his cell. Although Daedalus was glad that the summons came at rather an appropriate moment, he was worried what would the king need of him? The fact that King Minos had summoned him to his personal chamber was mesmerizing. Regardless, he got up with heavy chains dangling on his body, looked at his son, who was as mesmerized as his father, and started walking with the soldier towards the king's chamber. They soon reached the destined location.

"Welcome Daedalus, there is a favor I ask of you, and I hope you won't refuse." The king greeted.

Already shaken with an unnerving feeling about the summons, Daedalus had no idea what was going on. Somehow he asked "What is it my lord?"

"I wont take too long. All I want of you is for you to build a maze, full of traps, in order to imprison the dreaded Minotaur. It's a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. He was born of Pasiphae, my wife, and a bull that Poseidon had sent to me as a gift. I am really ashamed by the birth of this horrible creature and resolve to imprison Minotaur in the maze where it will feed on humans, taken as "tribute" to gods by me and sacrificed in memory of my fallen son Androgenos. No one will know the secret of the sacrifice except you and me. I only explained it to you, because I think that will make the task easier for you."

Daedalus wasn't ready for such an ordeal. "My lord, that's dreadful. I have heard about that creature, even if we go on feeding him people all over the world, it won't satisfy him."

"I suppose you don't have choice, Daedalus. You have got quite a fine son there, haven't you? Don't you want him to be free of this dreaded place? Let us make an exchange. You build me the maze, I let go of you and your son. Think about it."

He signaled the royal soldier to take Daedalus back.

"Oh and Daedalus, call the maze, Labyrinth."

Daedalus was shoved back to his cell  where his son was awaiting him. That night he thought about his son. He dreamed of how happy his son will be if he gets freed of this misery. He had decided that he would accept the king's ordeal. And so the largest maze, which will be known as the most historic construction, The Labyrinth, was constructed.

The soldiers and people who helped had no knowledge, what was it or for what purpose it is built. No one was allowed to interact, and after the construction completed, all those who helped were offered to Minotaur, so that even if anyone knew Labyrinth's secret, wont spit it out.

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Months after the labyrinth was built, countless human "sacrifices" were already dead and eaten up by Minotaur. The royal kingdom of Athens was in a pinch of losing humanity. Theseus, the heroic King of Athens, started getting doubts about the usual "sacrifices and tributes". It was unnatural for any king to use humans as tributes and that too repeatedly. He could see something wrong was going on and his people were in grave danger of being wiped out. So he volunteered himself as a sacrifice in the hopes of knowing the secret of Labyrinth and its mysterious god, for whom Minos demanded tributes.

Finally the day came when Theseus arrived in front of Labyrinth. Before going in he demanded to talk with King Minos. Soon Minos appeared in front of him.

"Respected King Minos, I bow down to you. I have been regularly supplying you my precious people one by one for you sacrifices. You never disclosed any reason for so many tributes to this mysterious god of yours. Before I sacrifice myself, will you tell me the name of your god?"

Minos smiled," Minotaur, is his name. And let me tell you a little secret, since you are already going to perish. He is no god; he is actually a dangerous and rather mysterious beast, born of my wife and a bull. I cannot avoid the fact that he is my child, and I have no intentions of killing him. He will be used as an ultimate weapon in war. And that is why I need to feed him with humans, so that he survives and fit when I want him."

Theseus was ready for such an answer. He leaned on Minos's shoulder, and whispered in his ear," Minos, I know this secret. Months after the labyrinth was build I decided to inspect it, and found out that one of the most renowned artist and sculptor, Daedalus made it. Somehow my spies managed to extract this information out of a certain person. I just wanted to hear it from your mouth. I only didn't disclose it to my people because I didn't want them to panic and live in fear. But now they wont have to. Because Minos, I, Theseus, King of Athens, am going to finish the bloody trail of the monster you have created. I will kill MINOTAUR."

And he walked in the Labyrinth laughing.

Those last words echoed through Minos's ears.

"How dare he…"

He was shocked to see Theseus in such confidence. He was resolved to find out the truth behind that killing spirit. With sources he found out that her only girl child Ariadne had fallen in love with Theseus and intended to marry him, so she had asked Daedalus to reveal the secret to the labyrinth.

Theseus, couldn't manage to kill Minotaur, but he somehow escaped from The Labyrinth.

Minos was enraged to find out that Daedalus had betrayed him. He ordered Daedalus to be thrown in The Labyrinth along with his son Icarus, to be killed and devoured by Minotaur.

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"Father, why are we here? What is this place father? And what is that roaring sound? Father I am scared."

Of course Icarus will be scared, since he dint know about Minotaur or the labyrinth, and this place smelt of human flesh. It was worse than the cell. But Daedalus was not a fool. He knew this day will come, so he had designed a secret way in the labyrinth, just in case, which will help him escape safely to the sea shore.

Reaching out to the seashore, Daedalus was in loss of ideas to escape the frightening Minos. But then he heard a voice.

"Father, look father there are birds here, these birds are flying so freely father. Look father they want to play with me. Father, this feels so good. Is this what it means to be free father?"

Daedalus was crying. For the first time he saw his son so happy. At the moment, there won't be anything more he would ask for. Nothing seemed of any importance. This was a true moment of happiness.
Then it stuck him. When Minos will find out what happened at The Labyrinth, he will send out his guards to catch them both and kill them.

"What should I do? What should I do? Damn it! Isn't there a way to save my son and me? God please help me."

One of the tears fell down on the shore. Suddenly something sparkled where the tear had fallen. And Daedalus saw it was a feather, a huge white feather.

"Father, why can't we fly? Aren't we free father?"

Icarus's words echoed through his mind again and again. And he got it.

"Icarus, help me gather these feathers."

With these many feathers gathered, Daedalus sat to work. He took a stick, tied a feather to it with a string and to make sure it remains firm used wax to paste it together. He went on repeating the same thing until the stick was full of huge white feathers. It was a wing! He had done it. Surely, it was a wing. He made three others. They had 2 pairs of wings now.

"Father, are these real wings? Can I fly with them? Really?"

Icarus took one pair of wings and flapped them hard. His feet rose up a little. Icarus flapped harder. He started to hover over the beach. The harder he flapped the harder he flew. Soon he was flying over island of Crete. It was a miracle. He could fly. A human was flying above the ground. This was surely a miracle. No surely this was the gift of god. God had made it possible by giving knowledge to Daedalus. There can be no better reason. Icarus was flying higher and higher, he was enjoying the feeling of air on his face.

"Father, look father, I am flying."

In his excitement, Icarus was flapping his wings faster and harder, which will make him soar high in the sky.

"Wait Son! Don't go too high; the sun will melt the wax. And the feathers will fall away."

But these words never reached Icarus who was immensely absorbed by the joy of flying and joy of freedom. It seemed that he had finally found his answer to freedom. And then Daedalus saw a terrifying sight. A feather fell from on of the wings of Icarus. And suddenly all the feathers started to whither and fall. Icarus started to lose height. He was falling! Daedalus stretched his hand out. It was like he was trying to stop Icarus from falling. It was like he expected his hand to stretch out and grab Icarus. And he saw Icarus smile fade away. He heard him mumble something.

"Thank you father."

And he was engulfed in huge waves. Daedalus was in shock, he cried till his body had no more water left to flow in tears, and then with regret in his heart, he flew away to Sicily. He couldn't find his son's body. He was ashamed as a father. He was never heard of after that.

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Heracles was in good mood. He had managed to escape the prison cell and had arrived on a remote unnamed island. The seashore was as good as it was everyday. In the midst of waves he spotted a huge fish flowing with the wave. After minutes of straining his eye's to see what fish it was, he realized it was a body.

"There's a floating body in the waters. Bring it out bring it out."

Some people helped him bring out the body. Heracles realized it was Icarus, the fated son that was born in jail. He didn't understand why Icarus was dead. Where was Daedalus? He wondered.

It seemed Icarus's head crashed in huge rock. Heracles prepared a grave and buried the dead body in the island and named it after that boy. He wrote on the tombstone,

Here lies the Free Bird