Title: Shunned
Author: Raven-Mistress for the Incarnate
Category: Labyrinth
Rating: Pg13-R
Summary: A child, not quite a girl, but still not a woman, is hated by her father and forgotten by the world. What happens when she receives a birthday gift from her aunt, the gift of a small, leather-bound black book, with the words 'Labyrinth of Logic'?
Authors Note: I would appreciate reviews. I tried to update in the wee- hours of New Years Day, but something was wrong with my internet and it wouldn't move fast enough for my liking. So, you'll probably be getting this chapter later on.
~Raven~
Disclaimer- I own nothing.
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He entered his throne room in a whirlwind of glitter and shinning dust. He leisurely sat down in his shinning ivory and gold throne, not bothering to so much as glance at the creatures that were lounging around the room. Waving his hand in a smooth motion he pulled a light blue crystal from the air and gently held it on the tips of his fingers.
As he searched the swirling depths, the beautiful half-cat, half-human, Lamias silently left the room. They knew their Lord and Master would be highly volatile while someone was running his Labyrinth.
Lamias were much like the Egyptian Sphinx, having the body of a large feline (a lion) and the torso and head of an attractive human. They could be unkind creatures and if provoked they would obtain pleasure from inflicting pain. These creatures were some of the highest intellects in the magical realm and they would often gain their knowledge by draining it from others.
Tristram sat calmly and watched as the girl, Constance, made her way to the large doors at the beginning of the Labyrinth. He studied her intently, from the way her hair would lightly swing behind her to the light way she stepped, barely leaving a print in the sand. He watched intently as she carefully looked the large doors over, she examined the large knocker for several moments, and then she removed the round ring from the ornaments mouth and began to speak to it. And the first challenge began.
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Constance stood in front of the imposing doors, they had no handles and no hinges, and the only piece of metal on them was a large knocker formed like a male lions head. It was finely detailed; it looked as though the animal had been caught and while enraged and in mid-roar it had been dipped in molten steal. From the gaping mouth, a round, metal ring hung.
Constance reached up and lightly touched the knocker, the lion flinched. With a slight smile Constance reached up and removed the ring from the beast's mouth. The lion unhinged its jaw and worked it around before looking down at her with skeptical eyes.
"So you're the challenger. You don't look so smart." He spoke with an 'all knowing' air.
"Excuse me?" Constance asked as she looked at it closer, her eyes snapping with fire at the insult she had just been issued.
"I said, 'you don't look so smart.' You can't even understand what I'm saying, they get denser every time." The lion grumble down at her as he shook his great, metal mane out.
"You're being rude." Constance said heatedly before, shutting her eyes and putting forth the effort to control her temper, taking a deep breath she opened her eyes and asked "Do you know how to get into the labyrinth?"
The lion froze and aloud his face to become serious, with an exaggerated nod he said "The labyrinth is beyond these doors, I am the gatekeeper and I will allow you entrance, but you must first find the answer to my question."
"And what if I don't get the answer?" Constance asked quickly, starring into the lions cold eyes.
"You won't enter." Was the simple reply she received from the knocker.
"Okay, what is it?" she asked as she stood, still as a board, every so often she subconsciously scrunched the warm sand between her bare toes.
Clearing his unseen throat the lion began in an ominous voice, "At night they come without being fetched, and by day they are lost without being stolen." Once finished he sent Constance a pointed look, signaling for her to give her answer.
She quietly began to repeat the words to herself and then separated all of the main points, "Come at night, without being fetched, lost to day, without being stolen." after only seconds more deliberation she looked up and said "Stars."
"Very good, maybe you're smarter than you look."The knocker said as the doors swung open on their accord.
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Tristram allowed his mouth to drop open for a moment, she answered that with little effort at all. He smiled; this one would be fun indeed. It had been so long since he had had an actual challenge.
He looked up from the crystal when he heard someone clear their throat; he was met with a large Lamia that went by the name of Cadmus. Cadmus was the king's advisor, and had been for as long as anyone could remember.
"What is it?" the king snapped impatiently as the animal slowly stalked into the middle of the room.
"I am here to announce the arrival of your brother, King of the Goblins, High King of the Underground, Jareth." The Lamia drawled all of this information out lazily, seeing as the present company already knew everything there was to know about the man entering his throne room.
"Thank you Cadmus, you may leave." Tristram said dismissively as he stood to greet the Jareth.
Jareth walked in and carefully looked at the man before him, they were almost identical, sharing the same aquiline features and the same wild hair style. The main differences were their eye and hair color. While Jareth's hair was a pale, white gold, Tristram's was a few shades dark and it retained a look of burnished gold. And while Jareth had a set of dual colored eyes, Tristram had eyes that never seemed to stay the same color, they look almost as though they changed color with the light.
The brothers were also garbed similarly. Each were wearing black tights and knee boots, Tristram wore a light blue poets shirt opened enough to reveal his family pendant and a black leather waist coat, while Jareth wore only a white poets shirt opened to show his pale chest and pendant.
"What brings you to my corner of the Underground, brother?" Tristram asked as he stepped forward and formally shook his hand before giving him a brotherly hug.
"I was en route to the Seelie Court, I have been summoned to defend myself and my position." He stated lowly, "Since the 'incident' they have begun to doubt my abilities, they fear a civil war could break out. I was hoping you would stand by me while I presented my case."
"Any other time I would, but I am currently occupied with matters of state." Tristram replied, a hint of remorse evident in his voice as he returned to his throne.
"There's someone in your labyrinth." Jareth said after a moment of silence, "Who is the lucky challenger?"
Waving his hand again, Tristram created a new crystal and tossed it to his older brother, "Her name is Constance Itami, her father wished her away. She's playing for her freedom." Tristram narrated as his brother searched the depths of the almost clear, blue crystal.
"She looks like the Nyss Elves." Jareth said absentmindedly as he watched the girl carefully pick her way through the maze.
"You noticed too?" Tristram said as he stood and began to pace the room, "I would have believed that, but her eyes are all wrong. The Nyss commonly have light eyes."
"Did it ever occur to you that she could be a Halfling? Possessing traits from a human parent and an elven parent?" Jareth replied coolly as he watched his brother move anxiously around the room.
"Then why was she aboveground?" Tristram snapped at his brother. Jareth looked at his brother sharply but said nothing, Tristram looked at his brother with apology in his eyes and then quietly continued, "She's quite a strange specimen, her eyes.they're so strange." His voice faded as his thoughts returned to the young woman traveling through his labyrinth, suddenly he looked up at his brother as a memory struck him "If I didn't know better, I would've thought that she had been controlling the winds."
"The Nyss have reputation for being in tuned with the world around them. If one had not harnessed its' power, or didn't know they had those powers, they could possibly subconsciously use them." Jareth replied, as he watched his brother make another lap around the throne room, he was acting much like a caged animal.
"But she's a mortal. A human; they have none of these gifts." Tristram replied quietly as he returned to his throne.
"Even a king can be mistaken." Jareth said as he tossed the crystal away, "Be careful with this one, and don't allow her to get to you." He whispered as he looked around the clean, Lamia throne room "Now, if you'll excuse me, this whole situation is a bit to similar to a one I found myself in at one time."
"I understand, good luck at court, brother." Tristram told his brother as he watched him fade from the room.
With a wave of his hand, he resumed his vigil.
Author: Raven-Mistress for the Incarnate
Category: Labyrinth
Rating: Pg13-R
Summary: A child, not quite a girl, but still not a woman, is hated by her father and forgotten by the world. What happens when she receives a birthday gift from her aunt, the gift of a small, leather-bound black book, with the words 'Labyrinth of Logic'?
Authors Note: I would appreciate reviews. I tried to update in the wee- hours of New Years Day, but something was wrong with my internet and it wouldn't move fast enough for my liking. So, you'll probably be getting this chapter later on.
~Raven~
Disclaimer- I own nothing.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
He entered his throne room in a whirlwind of glitter and shinning dust. He leisurely sat down in his shinning ivory and gold throne, not bothering to so much as glance at the creatures that were lounging around the room. Waving his hand in a smooth motion he pulled a light blue crystal from the air and gently held it on the tips of his fingers.
As he searched the swirling depths, the beautiful half-cat, half-human, Lamias silently left the room. They knew their Lord and Master would be highly volatile while someone was running his Labyrinth.
Lamias were much like the Egyptian Sphinx, having the body of a large feline (a lion) and the torso and head of an attractive human. They could be unkind creatures and if provoked they would obtain pleasure from inflicting pain. These creatures were some of the highest intellects in the magical realm and they would often gain their knowledge by draining it from others.
Tristram sat calmly and watched as the girl, Constance, made her way to the large doors at the beginning of the Labyrinth. He studied her intently, from the way her hair would lightly swing behind her to the light way she stepped, barely leaving a print in the sand. He watched intently as she carefully looked the large doors over, she examined the large knocker for several moments, and then she removed the round ring from the ornaments mouth and began to speak to it. And the first challenge began.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Constance stood in front of the imposing doors, they had no handles and no hinges, and the only piece of metal on them was a large knocker formed like a male lions head. It was finely detailed; it looked as though the animal had been caught and while enraged and in mid-roar it had been dipped in molten steal. From the gaping mouth, a round, metal ring hung.
Constance reached up and lightly touched the knocker, the lion flinched. With a slight smile Constance reached up and removed the ring from the beast's mouth. The lion unhinged its jaw and worked it around before looking down at her with skeptical eyes.
"So you're the challenger. You don't look so smart." He spoke with an 'all knowing' air.
"Excuse me?" Constance asked as she looked at it closer, her eyes snapping with fire at the insult she had just been issued.
"I said, 'you don't look so smart.' You can't even understand what I'm saying, they get denser every time." The lion grumble down at her as he shook his great, metal mane out.
"You're being rude." Constance said heatedly before, shutting her eyes and putting forth the effort to control her temper, taking a deep breath she opened her eyes and asked "Do you know how to get into the labyrinth?"
The lion froze and aloud his face to become serious, with an exaggerated nod he said "The labyrinth is beyond these doors, I am the gatekeeper and I will allow you entrance, but you must first find the answer to my question."
"And what if I don't get the answer?" Constance asked quickly, starring into the lions cold eyes.
"You won't enter." Was the simple reply she received from the knocker.
"Okay, what is it?" she asked as she stood, still as a board, every so often she subconsciously scrunched the warm sand between her bare toes.
Clearing his unseen throat the lion began in an ominous voice, "At night they come without being fetched, and by day they are lost without being stolen." Once finished he sent Constance a pointed look, signaling for her to give her answer.
She quietly began to repeat the words to herself and then separated all of the main points, "Come at night, without being fetched, lost to day, without being stolen." after only seconds more deliberation she looked up and said "Stars."
"Very good, maybe you're smarter than you look."The knocker said as the doors swung open on their accord.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tristram allowed his mouth to drop open for a moment, she answered that with little effort at all. He smiled; this one would be fun indeed. It had been so long since he had had an actual challenge.
He looked up from the crystal when he heard someone clear their throat; he was met with a large Lamia that went by the name of Cadmus. Cadmus was the king's advisor, and had been for as long as anyone could remember.
"What is it?" the king snapped impatiently as the animal slowly stalked into the middle of the room.
"I am here to announce the arrival of your brother, King of the Goblins, High King of the Underground, Jareth." The Lamia drawled all of this information out lazily, seeing as the present company already knew everything there was to know about the man entering his throne room.
"Thank you Cadmus, you may leave." Tristram said dismissively as he stood to greet the Jareth.
Jareth walked in and carefully looked at the man before him, they were almost identical, sharing the same aquiline features and the same wild hair style. The main differences were their eye and hair color. While Jareth's hair was a pale, white gold, Tristram's was a few shades dark and it retained a look of burnished gold. And while Jareth had a set of dual colored eyes, Tristram had eyes that never seemed to stay the same color, they look almost as though they changed color with the light.
The brothers were also garbed similarly. Each were wearing black tights and knee boots, Tristram wore a light blue poets shirt opened enough to reveal his family pendant and a black leather waist coat, while Jareth wore only a white poets shirt opened to show his pale chest and pendant.
"What brings you to my corner of the Underground, brother?" Tristram asked as he stepped forward and formally shook his hand before giving him a brotherly hug.
"I was en route to the Seelie Court, I have been summoned to defend myself and my position." He stated lowly, "Since the 'incident' they have begun to doubt my abilities, they fear a civil war could break out. I was hoping you would stand by me while I presented my case."
"Any other time I would, but I am currently occupied with matters of state." Tristram replied, a hint of remorse evident in his voice as he returned to his throne.
"There's someone in your labyrinth." Jareth said after a moment of silence, "Who is the lucky challenger?"
Waving his hand again, Tristram created a new crystal and tossed it to his older brother, "Her name is Constance Itami, her father wished her away. She's playing for her freedom." Tristram narrated as his brother searched the depths of the almost clear, blue crystal.
"She looks like the Nyss Elves." Jareth said absentmindedly as he watched the girl carefully pick her way through the maze.
"You noticed too?" Tristram said as he stood and began to pace the room, "I would have believed that, but her eyes are all wrong. The Nyss commonly have light eyes."
"Did it ever occur to you that she could be a Halfling? Possessing traits from a human parent and an elven parent?" Jareth replied coolly as he watched his brother move anxiously around the room.
"Then why was she aboveground?" Tristram snapped at his brother. Jareth looked at his brother sharply but said nothing, Tristram looked at his brother with apology in his eyes and then quietly continued, "She's quite a strange specimen, her eyes.they're so strange." His voice faded as his thoughts returned to the young woman traveling through his labyrinth, suddenly he looked up at his brother as a memory struck him "If I didn't know better, I would've thought that she had been controlling the winds."
"The Nyss have reputation for being in tuned with the world around them. If one had not harnessed its' power, or didn't know they had those powers, they could possibly subconsciously use them." Jareth replied, as he watched his brother make another lap around the throne room, he was acting much like a caged animal.
"But she's a mortal. A human; they have none of these gifts." Tristram replied quietly as he returned to his throne.
"Even a king can be mistaken." Jareth said as he tossed the crystal away, "Be careful with this one, and don't allow her to get to you." He whispered as he looked around the clean, Lamia throne room "Now, if you'll excuse me, this whole situation is a bit to similar to a one I found myself in at one time."
"I understand, good luck at court, brother." Tristram told his brother as he watched him fade from the room.
With a wave of his hand, he resumed his vigil.