"Hmm…?" Groggily opening my eyes, the gentle, warm candlelight of this unrecognizable cabin room enveloped my very being into a soothing embrace of swirly yellow haze.
What was I doing to end up here sleeping under an unfamiliar ceiling, I quietly mused. I vaguely remembered passing out in the snow-covered forest, but for the life of me I could not piece out how exactly did I wind up in that forest or why—A fact that could be attributed to the splitting sensation of a migraine pulsing through my head.
My head felt as though it could split into two at any given time, and my body was heavy as stone. And yet, I drew what little strength I had left and sat up from the fur bedding I had perplexingly found myself sleeping on; though it did not take long for fatigue to kick in and threaten me to lie down once more.
"Oh, you should not exert yourself too much, young man," A disembodied, mellowed voice emerged from the blur of my vision and softly chided my attempt at righting myself, immediately followed by the rhythmic, frantic tapping of the wooden floorboards as something hastily inched near. Soon, a soft, tender hand was placed with care on my shoulder. It guided me to lay my weary self back down, where I resigned to my comfortable fate among the pillows and blankets of fluffy fur.
The shadow of buxom figure loomed over me, though my heart knew not to fear its otherworldly presence. Vaguely making sense of my rather lacking sight, I could spot two brown, pointy ears sprouting from the inhuman creature's temples, along a pair of small, curved horns, with one horn seemingly broken off from its thick, girthy stem. As my vision gradually focused itself into a clear image, the demonic and serene presence of a monster revealed itself before my eyes: a minotaur.
I stared up at this towering woman, feeling like a child staring upon his mother; albeit one whose thick thighs were covered in a patchwork of tawny-brown and white fur, whose ample breasts swaying gently as she bent down over me and placed the back of her hand against mine. She spoke with a gentle, maternal tone, "There, there... Rest, for you are safe now."
Her irides, painted a majestic shade of magenta, seemed to glow in the dim light of the candle that sat beside us. The warmth of her hands made my chest tighten, causing me to slowly exhale a deep breath, perhaps out of discomfort, perhaps out of relief. My gaze fell onto the horns that protruded from her head and there it remained transfixed.
"Does Auntie's appearance frighten you?" The old lady softly inquired while I leered at her monstrous features, her thin lips curling upwards in a slight smile. "I suppose it could not be avoided, for such is the way of most humans when they first encounter a monster. But please, do not be afraid; On my late husband's honor, I shall never harm a single hair on your head. After all, it was I who saved you from the cold and hungry wilderness. You would have frozen to death if not for me."
She continued, "Auntie's name is Odilia; Welcome to the humble abode of this old, foolish cow. And you are?"