The minotaur had been speaking in English but upon seeing Eric's offroading he begins to speak in his native tongue in what Eric assumes is Minotaurian swearing. He runs along the road keeping Eric in sight. After a few minutes he returns to speaking in English.

"They didn't tell me you were in some sort of Law school! When I spoke of the pass I meant it as my blocking your advancement towards the end of this road! It really is for your own good, I guess that the powers-that-be are hoping so employ you as legal council once you have finished your studies! Getting yourself killed before the Bar goes against all their plans!"

Hiking over the mountain does keep Eric away from the beast but eventually, he will have to return to the road and the Minotaur will be waiting.

Very well. Once it's impossible for Eric to avoid the minotaur and he has to rejoin the road, he will attempt to physically push past it and continue on down the road.

Coming back to the road Eric faces the minotaur. The creature is drawing deep, panting breaths as he was lead on a merry chase through the mountain pass.

"You -" pant, pant, "- should -" pant, pant, "- turn back -" pant, pant, "-  now."

The glaive which it had been waving about in warning now is being dragged behind throwing up sparks and the blade scratches the cobblestones. As Eric pushes past it says:

"Can't you see -" pant, pant "- that the road is a trap?"

"A trap?" asks Eric. "Then why is it being guarded? Wouldn't it make more sense to let the victim wander INTO the trap, as opposed to warning them off like you did?"

"My masters didn't set the trap. They are trying to stop you from getting caught. It's this damn road - everyone wants to walk along it once it begins to glow." pant, pant.

"There is still time to turn back. They say that if you go back now you will be back home the morning after you left. To go on....well, the next turn is the point of no, err, return."

"I appreciate your...and your masters'...concern. But I really don't want to go home. If I may ask...what exactly is down this road?"

"War, death, and destruction. The usual things that are found when one walks the Olympian Road. Turning back, grow stronger and wiser and then follow the road on your own terms." the Minotaur bellows. "But to tell you the truth, they didn't tell me what the end of this road holds for you; the Masters tend not to be very forthcoming with their information."

"In that case," says Eric, "regretfully, I must continue on this road. I've been following a...trail of sorts, a lifepath, seeking answers. And my path leads me further down this road. Past you."

Eric shifts his weight, drawing his sword and readying his shield. "I can go around you...or through you. Your choice."

The minotaur rubs his snout and eyes with one hand while sighing.

"I'm commanded to prevent you from going to your doom," it bellows even while trying to speak calmly, "I can't really be fighting and killing you just to prevent you from dying, now can I? The plan was that I'd scare you a bit and send you running back home. Are you sure that I can't mke you see reason? I mean that the Powers That Be won't be very pleased with me if you get passed here and meet your doom and all that. How about we mke a deal? You head back and I give a report to the P.T.B. praising your judgement and fearlessness; it will really look good on your future evaluation."

"I propose a different deal," says Eric. "Why don't we pretend I overcame you and fought my way past? We can make it look good...I can give you a good knock on the noggin or something."

"Noooo, I don't like the sound of that," the minotaur says, "How about I beat you up a bit and we can say that after I knocked you around a bit you managed to scamper down the road past me. That way we both come out sounding good."

Can Eric tell if the minotaur is telling the truth, or if he's lying to try to get some free shots in and defeat Eric before he can react? (Would it be Ego that governs this? 'Cause Eric's got a pretty high one.)

The minotaur seems to be truthful, but it can be hard to tell when trying to understand the motives or read the mind of a monstrous creature. If the creature was sent to scare Eric into turning back and is employed by people friendly to him then it seems unlikely that it would damage Eric too severely.

"Very well" sighs Eric, lowering his sword and shield. "Make it look good".

"You are a good man, Eric Olsen," the monster says while kicking Eric in the thigh with his cloven foot. That causes a lot of pain.

"We don't need to continue," the beast offers. It fumbles at his belt then pulls out a piece of paper and tries to read what's written. "I was told that you might be interested in returning to some people called -" it takes him a few moments to work through the unfamiliar words "- err, Tandy, Sandy, and something called a Candy. They might be Fates or Furies or something. No? You don't want to go to them? Okay."

He continues to give a good beating until Eric is a mass of bruises but the creature is kind enough to leave his face undamaged.

"There!" it says with its usual bellow, "That should convince anyone that we had a bit of a tussle."