Let me tell you.
It all starts with a guy named Ben.
He’s not your ordinary guy though.
A long time ago — longer than he can remember — he and his team of mercenaries took on the Minotaur of the Knossos Labyrinth.
And they won! —Sort of.
They killed the Minotaur at least… but it also killed them.
Except for Ben, who with his last bit of strength pulled himself up and into the waters of the fountain he Minotaur guarded.
The fountain was supposedly a reward; blessed by the goddess Adrasteia to give a person eternal youth and strength beyond mortal men.
Which it did. —Sort of.
The waters transformed Ben into a new Minotaur — the new guardian of the fountain. He was trapped and cursed to kill all who came near.
But then one day… this other guy showed up.
— Okay, showed up is kind of an oxymoron, since he was invisible at the time… but you get the point —
His name is Fuku and he’s not an ordinary guy either. He’s a Tanuki.
What’s a Tanuki you ask? (Technically this should be it’s own question of the day, but I’ll throw you a bone.)
Tanuki hail from Japanese mythology — the real-world equivalent is a Raccoon dog, and while adorable, they’re pretty mundane.
But in folklore, Tanuki are tricksters with the ability to transform into different things and have a fondness for Sake.
—Think fox, but chubby and with a huge sack between their legs —
So… back to the story. Fuku arrives, but since Ben can’t see him, the curse doesn’t fully takeover. This gives Ben an opportunity.
The door to his prison remains open, so he steps outside.
Ben gets all emotional about feeling the sun and breeze for the first time in like… Forever.
Fuku shows himself and thinks, ‘Ooo… this guy is huge and kinda hot. He’d make a great bodyguard.’
BUT… in order to truly free Ben from the labyrinth, Fuku needs a guarantee. (You’re not gonna trust some random Minotaur are you?) So he makes Ben vow to an ancient pact.
Since Ben has nothing but himself to give — not even any clothes — Ben offers himself for his freedom.
BAM! The Keiyaku is formed, and Ben now belongs to Fuku.
— Yeah this sounds kinda bad, but it’s a good thing, trust me —
They journey onward together. This world is much different from the one Ben remembers, filled with a new system of magic and technology beyond anything he could have dreamed.
They travel through human cities and villages, Fuku leading the way while showing Ben how things work now.
Along the way they end up in a village of Beast-kin.
— That’s another big change from the world he knew —
There they make friends, hear of a weird prophecy about the Minotaur (gotta have one of those) and finally find… clothes.
— Yep! They’ve been naked this whole time. —
Eventually they make their way to the dungeon of Echidna. There they learn what it really means to be partners — and find some interesting items as well.
At its heart, this story is really about three things:
Ben learning he’s more than the monster that centuries of imprisonment forced him to be —
Fuku trying his best to show him that —
And most importantly — their once forced partnership becoming more important than either of them expected.
And that’s about it.
Well… there’s actually a LOT more, but that’s the quick and dirty version.
Sound interesting?
Do you prefer books that are kinda cozy? That center around the characters? That are more about the relationships formed than the fight scenes? How about found family? Dealing with personal trauma and finding ways to transform?
If any of those resonate — then Whispers of the Silent Age is for you.
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