Son of the Labyrinth
By Jaden O'Brady
Disclaimer: The Labyrinth, its characters, songs, and phrases are unfortunately not mine. They belong to Jim Henson Productions. However, Ione, Apollo, and Isis are my original characters as well as the story. Please do not use my characters without my permission.
Chapter 1: Ione and the King
A lonely alley of the Labyrinth glowed in the late evening sun. The bricks sparkled until a lone traveler shadowed them. The lichen blinked sleepily as the shadow's owner slipped quietly by. Dainty hooves traveled noiselessly across the ground as a centauress passed along. Her coat was rich deep brown with a golden hue that sparkled in the setting sun. Her hair and tail matched the gold-brown color of her fur, but her eyes were the most catching attraction. She looked up for an instant towards the sun and one could've seen her brilliant violet eyes blink in irritation. She knew she'd never be back in the Goblin City by sunset. She stopped and stamped her hooves as her irritation grew.
"I won't make it by the normal route."
She looked around sadly.
"What I need is a door!"
She looked around again and smiled broadly. A door had appeared to her right. She opened the latch then paused.
"Thank you," she whispered. There was no one around to hear, but she knew her gratitude was known. She was a part of the Labyrinth, and unlike outsiders, she didn't need to fear the maze of passages. Ione knew that the Labyrinth was constantly changing and twisting, but this was helpful rather than hindering to the inhabitants of the Labyrinth. It was the outsiders that needed to fear becoming lost in its confusing passages. As she walked through the door, she whispered another word of thanks. Looking behind her she watched as the tree she'd walked out of closed behind her and found herself facing the junkyard surrounding the Goblin City. Ione proceeded carefully through the mounds of junk since she had to be careful in not stepping on junkyard goblins as well as not collapsing the precarious piles. With a sigh of impatience, she finally reached the gates of the city. She passed quietly past the guards. The guards would have no real reason for harming her, but they tended to be rather cranky when waked. Ione walked swiftly to the market center of the city as the sun was nearly set. She needed to purchase enough food for her dinner, which was no small task. Being a centauress had its drawbacks, which included two stomachs. She first had to dine on foods to fill her human stomach, which in itself was not so hard, but dining to fill her horse stomach took considerably longer. Left to themselves, horses graze nearly half their waking hours with a considerable appetite for meals therefore she had to buy plenty of grains, oats, fruits, greens, and plenty of hay to snack on. Their large appetites were good reasons to carefully consider before asking a centaur to dinner. She had a large basket strapped to her back for the purpose of carrying her purchases complete with lid. A small mishap proved the reason for the basket's lid. As she finished placing a bag of peaches in her basket, she caught a flash of motion out of the corner of her eye. Her horse instincts took over forcing her to rear and kick in response to the surprise. When she returned to earth, the erring goblin scrambled away rubbing its head and muttering protests under its breath. Ione simply sighed and shook her pretty head. It was worse than pointless to apologize to the uncivilized goblins. Finishing her shopping quickly, she returned home as the very last rays of sun cast everything in a golden-orange glow. The house was specially altered to accommodate her rather unusual physique including her fairly tall stature, but what concerned her at the moment was her basket. The strap had apparently slipped far enough back on her stomach to place it just out of reach of her fingers although still secure. She tried a couple times to reach it only to turn in two circles like a puppy chasing its tail. Desperate she looked around. Spotting a crippled goblin sitting against a nearby wall, she trotted over.
"Excuse me, Sir, but would you mind helping me with my basket? It seems to have slipped beyond my reach."
Suddenly the crippled goblin disappeared as a tall and handsome man took its place. Ione reared slightly, her hind legs stepping back a couple paces in surprise. The man before her had blond hair down past his shoulders and eyes that seemed to pierce right through her. He was impeccably and almost foppishly dressed in a loose white shirt, black vest, long dark coat, gray tights, and high black boots. Coloring slightly, Ione bowed gracefully with one foreleg forward and one back while her human half assumed a curtsy position with head bowed in respect. Had she looked up she would have seen the man's eyes sparkle with laughter.
"My deepest apologies, Your Majesty," she said with her head still down, "I shall ask someone else."
Here HM Jareth did laugh. "And just who are you going to ask? Everyone has returned to their homes by this time."
"I shall find a way, Your Highness."
Ione gritted her teeth knowing that her blush was deepening and that he was enjoying it.
"It's no bother." With these words almost carelessly said, Jareth undid the cinch and lifted the basket. She tried so very hard, but she shivered anyway when his hand brushed against her.
"Are you feeding an army then?" he asked with none to slight sarcasm in his voice.
"Nay, Your Highness, 'tis but the curse of the centaurs that we must fill two stomachs." She knew he could sense her discomfort and she took a quiet deep breath. He set the basket down then straightened. She opened the door of her home and lifted the basket to go inside and noticed he did not leave, but continued to watch her. "Would you like to come in, Your Majesty?" She almost wished he wouldn't want to, but the King nodded.
"To be truthful, I've never been in a centaur's home before."
Ione allowed him to enter first, as his rank demanded, then followed and closed the door behind her. While most of the furnishings in the home were styled for her, there were accommodations for human visitors including luxurious chairs near the parlor fireplace. Ione had a large sofa to sit on that had no arms or back and looked more like a huge ottoman. Because of the considerable length of her body, the sofa was in a corner and facing forward so she could speak to any visitor she was entertaining. Ione's feet were shod with special shoes tough enough to withstand the use of a centaur, but made of a material that would not harm delicate rugs or wood floors. These special shoes also aided in her noiseless movement. Since the shoes were not terribly hard like metal, she did not clop or clank about like horses.
"May I offer you something to drink, Sire?" She was extremely uncomfortable entertaining the King, but common courtesy overruled.
"A brandy, if possible, would be nice.
She entered the parlor from the kitchen carrying the requested brandy as well as a moderate glass of warmed and spiced cider for herself. Her horse half often caused her taste to run more toward apples than grapes. She handed the brandy to Jareth with a polite bow, which was as necessary for the difference in height as it was for the sake of manners.
"What is your name then, centauress?" Jareth asked as he sipped his brandy. He noted that it was of excellent vintage and rivaling his own stores.
"My name is Ione Athene, Your Majesty.
"I own a theen?" He looked at her askance for a moment then carefully spelled out to her what he thought she'd said.
"No, Milord, Ione is spelled I-o-n-e. It is an old Greek name, and Athene is a variant of Athena just spelled with an E at the end instead of A. I originally came from Greece."
The king nodded then casually continued, "Truly interesting. You can play many word games with such a name. I've half a mind to call you Ione U. Tell me Ione. Have you ever considered joining the Knights of the Labyrinth?"
"No, Milord."
"Why not? You would be a great asset I am sure."
"Milord, I very rarely use my training in war. I am not a violent person."
"Neither are most of the knights. The knights protect the Labyrinth's lands, but little else. I have an army of my own that fights for me."
"I would have to consider it very carefully, Sire."
At this point, Jareth finished his drink and rose from his seat.
"Well, I hope you will consider it. It is a worthy occupation."
She accompanied the King to the door as a proper hostess and bid him a formal farewell, but once at the door, the Goblin King simply vanished. What Ione didn't know was that the Goblin King was going to keep an eye on the lovely centauress he'd just met.
By Jaden O'Brady
Disclaimer: The Labyrinth, its characters, songs, and phrases are unfortunately not mine. They belong to Jim Henson Productions. However, Ione, Apollo, and Isis are my original characters as well as the story. Please do not use my characters without my permission.
Chapter 1: Ione and the King
A lonely alley of the Labyrinth glowed in the late evening sun. The bricks sparkled until a lone traveler shadowed them. The lichen blinked sleepily as the shadow's owner slipped quietly by. Dainty hooves traveled noiselessly across the ground as a centauress passed along. Her coat was rich deep brown with a golden hue that sparkled in the setting sun. Her hair and tail matched the gold-brown color of her fur, but her eyes were the most catching attraction. She looked up for an instant towards the sun and one could've seen her brilliant violet eyes blink in irritation. She knew she'd never be back in the Goblin City by sunset. She stopped and stamped her hooves as her irritation grew.
"I won't make it by the normal route."
She looked around sadly.
"What I need is a door!"
She looked around again and smiled broadly. A door had appeared to her right. She opened the latch then paused.
"Thank you," she whispered. There was no one around to hear, but she knew her gratitude was known. She was a part of the Labyrinth, and unlike outsiders, she didn't need to fear the maze of passages. Ione knew that the Labyrinth was constantly changing and twisting, but this was helpful rather than hindering to the inhabitants of the Labyrinth. It was the outsiders that needed to fear becoming lost in its confusing passages. As she walked through the door, she whispered another word of thanks. Looking behind her she watched as the tree she'd walked out of closed behind her and found herself facing the junkyard surrounding the Goblin City. Ione proceeded carefully through the mounds of junk since she had to be careful in not stepping on junkyard goblins as well as not collapsing the precarious piles. With a sigh of impatience, she finally reached the gates of the city. She passed quietly past the guards. The guards would have no real reason for harming her, but they tended to be rather cranky when waked. Ione walked swiftly to the market center of the city as the sun was nearly set. She needed to purchase enough food for her dinner, which was no small task. Being a centauress had its drawbacks, which included two stomachs. She first had to dine on foods to fill her human stomach, which in itself was not so hard, but dining to fill her horse stomach took considerably longer. Left to themselves, horses graze nearly half their waking hours with a considerable appetite for meals therefore she had to buy plenty of grains, oats, fruits, greens, and plenty of hay to snack on. Their large appetites were good reasons to carefully consider before asking a centaur to dinner. She had a large basket strapped to her back for the purpose of carrying her purchases complete with lid. A small mishap proved the reason for the basket's lid. As she finished placing a bag of peaches in her basket, she caught a flash of motion out of the corner of her eye. Her horse instincts took over forcing her to rear and kick in response to the surprise. When she returned to earth, the erring goblin scrambled away rubbing its head and muttering protests under its breath. Ione simply sighed and shook her pretty head. It was worse than pointless to apologize to the uncivilized goblins. Finishing her shopping quickly, she returned home as the very last rays of sun cast everything in a golden-orange glow. The house was specially altered to accommodate her rather unusual physique including her fairly tall stature, but what concerned her at the moment was her basket. The strap had apparently slipped far enough back on her stomach to place it just out of reach of her fingers although still secure. She tried a couple times to reach it only to turn in two circles like a puppy chasing its tail. Desperate she looked around. Spotting a crippled goblin sitting against a nearby wall, she trotted over.
"Excuse me, Sir, but would you mind helping me with my basket? It seems to have slipped beyond my reach."
Suddenly the crippled goblin disappeared as a tall and handsome man took its place. Ione reared slightly, her hind legs stepping back a couple paces in surprise. The man before her had blond hair down past his shoulders and eyes that seemed to pierce right through her. He was impeccably and almost foppishly dressed in a loose white shirt, black vest, long dark coat, gray tights, and high black boots. Coloring slightly, Ione bowed gracefully with one foreleg forward and one back while her human half assumed a curtsy position with head bowed in respect. Had she looked up she would have seen the man's eyes sparkle with laughter.
"My deepest apologies, Your Majesty," she said with her head still down, "I shall ask someone else."
Here HM Jareth did laugh. "And just who are you going to ask? Everyone has returned to their homes by this time."
"I shall find a way, Your Highness."
Ione gritted her teeth knowing that her blush was deepening and that he was enjoying it.
"It's no bother." With these words almost carelessly said, Jareth undid the cinch and lifted the basket. She tried so very hard, but she shivered anyway when his hand brushed against her.
"Are you feeding an army then?" he asked with none to slight sarcasm in his voice.
"Nay, Your Highness, 'tis but the curse of the centaurs that we must fill two stomachs." She knew he could sense her discomfort and she took a quiet deep breath. He set the basket down then straightened. She opened the door of her home and lifted the basket to go inside and noticed he did not leave, but continued to watch her. "Would you like to come in, Your Majesty?" She almost wished he wouldn't want to, but the King nodded.
"To be truthful, I've never been in a centaur's home before."
Ione allowed him to enter first, as his rank demanded, then followed and closed the door behind her. While most of the furnishings in the home were styled for her, there were accommodations for human visitors including luxurious chairs near the parlor fireplace. Ione had a large sofa to sit on that had no arms or back and looked more like a huge ottoman. Because of the considerable length of her body, the sofa was in a corner and facing forward so she could speak to any visitor she was entertaining. Ione's feet were shod with special shoes tough enough to withstand the use of a centaur, but made of a material that would not harm delicate rugs or wood floors. These special shoes also aided in her noiseless movement. Since the shoes were not terribly hard like metal, she did not clop or clank about like horses.
"May I offer you something to drink, Sire?" She was extremely uncomfortable entertaining the King, but common courtesy overruled.
"A brandy, if possible, would be nice.
She entered the parlor from the kitchen carrying the requested brandy as well as a moderate glass of warmed and spiced cider for herself. Her horse half often caused her taste to run more toward apples than grapes. She handed the brandy to Jareth with a polite bow, which was as necessary for the difference in height as it was for the sake of manners.
"What is your name then, centauress?" Jareth asked as he sipped his brandy. He noted that it was of excellent vintage and rivaling his own stores.
"My name is Ione Athene, Your Majesty.
"I own a theen?" He looked at her askance for a moment then carefully spelled out to her what he thought she'd said.
"No, Milord, Ione is spelled I-o-n-e. It is an old Greek name, and Athene is a variant of Athena just spelled with an E at the end instead of A. I originally came from Greece."
The king nodded then casually continued, "Truly interesting. You can play many word games with such a name. I've half a mind to call you Ione U. Tell me Ione. Have you ever considered joining the Knights of the Labyrinth?"
"No, Milord."
"Why not? You would be a great asset I am sure."
"Milord, I very rarely use my training in war. I am not a violent person."
"Neither are most of the knights. The knights protect the Labyrinth's lands, but little else. I have an army of my own that fights for me."
"I would have to consider it very carefully, Sire."
At this point, Jareth finished his drink and rose from his seat.
"Well, I hope you will consider it. It is a worthy occupation."
She accompanied the King to the door as a proper hostess and bid him a formal farewell, but once at the door, the Goblin King simply vanished. What Ione didn't know was that the Goblin King was going to keep an eye on the lovely centauress he'd just met.