Labyrinth of the Gods Part 1
Xena sat in quite thought. She had sent Gabrielle and Joxer off to
gather firewood. They had been on the go for two days straight now. They
were all exhausted. Eve was sound asleep in Xena's arms. They couldn't
take much more of this running, but that's about all you can do when
you have all of Olympus after you.
Xena was at the breaking point. She thought to
herself. She wished that all of this was over. She wished that something
would come and take all of her troubles away from her. She dearly loved
her daughter, but she just couldn't take it.
Joxer and Gabrielle were making their was back to camp, their arms full of wood.
They walked in silence. The events of the past few days weighed heavily on their
souls. It had drained the chatter from the two friends. When they finally arrived
back at camp, they found Xena asleep already, with Eve's bundle at her side.
Gabrielle and Joxer began to build a fire, just then they heard an odd sound. It
sounded like some kind of animal drowning, a very beastly gurgling noise. They
both looked up from the fire. They weren't sure what or where the noise
came from. As they both scanned the camp, their eyes landed on Eve's
bundle at the same time. Something scurried under the blanket and then the
sound was heard again, this time loud enough to awake Xena from her sleep.
Xena sat up and looked at her friends. Their eyes were
still glued to the bundle next to her on the ground. Once more the
bundle moved and this time the sound was more like a laugh. A beastly,
gurgling laugh. Xena reached over to the bundle and ripped the top
cover away. To her horror Eve was not there.
For a long time Xena stared at the empty bundle. Her
mind had been wiped clean. Then a soft, rapid thumping noise was heard, over a strange humming,
emerging from the trees. The three drew their weapons and stood in readiness. Scanning
the trees,they saw it, a white owl was flying at them. Xena could she the lightfrom the
fire reflected into it's great, round, dark eyes,watching her. Behind them, a goblin
briefly popped out of the bushes and back in. Another did the same. Xena didn't see them.
All their eyes were focused on the owl's eyes.
Lightning crackled and flashed. Their attention was
taken off the owl and centered on a strange clock that had appeared in
front of them. The hands on the clock were at thirteen o'clock.
Behind them, something snickered. They spun around and
saw it duck down in the bushes. They saw shadows running though the trees. Goblins
were all around them. The wind rose to a pitch. The lightning shown like daylight. The
goblins vanished into the night. Thunder boomed and the wind blasted through the trees.
The white owl flew low into the circle, forcing the three to the ground. A strike of
lighting threw a long shadow on the ground, it was the shadow of a man. The
man wore a long cloak, that swirled in the wind. His hair was
shoulder-length and blond.
The three rose from the ground. "Who are you?", Xena
said picking up her sword and pointing it toward the man. "Don't
you know?" The man asked.
Lightning ripped across the sky and lit his face. His
eyes were fixed on Xena with intensity that she found extremely
compelling. There was something about him that she found extremely sexy, or
was it just her hormones kicking in after giving birth. His shirt was
creamed-colored, open in the front, loose-sleeved, with silken cuffs at the
wrist. Over it he wore a tight, black waistcoat. He wore black boots,
over gray tights, and he wore black gloves on his hands.
Xena spoke again. "This is the last time I ask, who in Hades are
you? I'll give you till the count of three to answer.", she growled
at him. "Since you have asked me so nicely, how can I refuse,"
the man said calmly. "My name is Jareth, The Goblin King."
Xena sat in quite thought. She had sent Gabrielle and Joxer off to
gather firewood. They had been on the go for two days straight now. They
were all exhausted. Eve was sound asleep in Xena's arms. They couldn't
take much more of this running, but that's about all you can do when
you have all of Olympus after you.
Xena was at the breaking point. She thought to
herself. She wished that all of this was over. She wished that something
would come and take all of her troubles away from her. She dearly loved
her daughter, but she just couldn't take it.
Joxer and Gabrielle were making their was back to camp, their arms full of wood.
They walked in silence. The events of the past few days weighed heavily on their
souls. It had drained the chatter from the two friends. When they finally arrived
back at camp, they found Xena asleep already, with Eve's bundle at her side.
Gabrielle and Joxer began to build a fire, just then they heard an odd sound. It
sounded like some kind of animal drowning, a very beastly gurgling noise. They
both looked up from the fire. They weren't sure what or where the noise
came from. As they both scanned the camp, their eyes landed on Eve's
bundle at the same time. Something scurried under the blanket and then the
sound was heard again, this time loud enough to awake Xena from her sleep.
Xena sat up and looked at her friends. Their eyes were
still glued to the bundle next to her on the ground. Once more the
bundle moved and this time the sound was more like a laugh. A beastly,
gurgling laugh. Xena reached over to the bundle and ripped the top
cover away. To her horror Eve was not there.
For a long time Xena stared at the empty bundle. Her
mind had been wiped clean. Then a soft, rapid thumping noise was heard, over a strange humming,
emerging from the trees. The three drew their weapons and stood in readiness. Scanning
the trees,they saw it, a white owl was flying at them. Xena could she the lightfrom the
fire reflected into it's great, round, dark eyes,watching her. Behind them, a goblin
briefly popped out of the bushes and back in. Another did the same. Xena didn't see them.
All their eyes were focused on the owl's eyes.
Lightning crackled and flashed. Their attention was
taken off the owl and centered on a strange clock that had appeared in
front of them. The hands on the clock were at thirteen o'clock.
Behind them, something snickered. They spun around and
saw it duck down in the bushes. They saw shadows running though the trees. Goblins
were all around them. The wind rose to a pitch. The lightning shown like daylight. The
goblins vanished into the night. Thunder boomed and the wind blasted through the trees.
The white owl flew low into the circle, forcing the three to the ground. A strike of
lighting threw a long shadow on the ground, it was the shadow of a man. The
man wore a long cloak, that swirled in the wind. His hair was
shoulder-length and blond.
The three rose from the ground. "Who are you?", Xena
said picking up her sword and pointing it toward the man. "Don't
you know?" The man asked.
Lightning ripped across the sky and lit his face. His
eyes were fixed on Xena with intensity that she found extremely
compelling. There was something about him that she found extremely sexy, or
was it just her hormones kicking in after giving birth. His shirt was
creamed-colored, open in the front, loose-sleeved, with silken cuffs at the
wrist. Over it he wore a tight, black waistcoat. He wore black boots,
over gray tights, and he wore black gloves on his hands.
Xena spoke again. "This is the last time I ask, who in Hades are
you? I'll give you till the count of three to answer.", she growled
at him. "Since you have asked me so nicely, how can I refuse,"
the man said calmly. "My name is Jareth, The Goblin King."
