Starting Somewhere
The sun slowly came up over the horizon and cast a surreal glow over what lay before them. Xena
gritted her teeth and kept walking, she had one intention at the moment, to get her daughter back.
After she succeeded in doing that she was going to kick the crap out of a certain sanctimonious and
self-absorbed Goblin King. She hadn't decided yet though how she was going to do it. It was a toss
up between a chakram to the chest, a sword to the gut or tear him apart with her bear hands, either
way she was definitely going to enjoy it.
Gabrielle, having spent a great deal of time with Xena knew when her friend was upset and not in
the mood to be chatty, still she could not help but ask, "Xena do you really think we can get to Eve
in time?"
Xena did not turn to look to her friend, she did not even break her stride. "Gabrielle we don't have a
choice, we have to beat this damned Labyrinth and get my child back."
Joxer, never really having that good of timing or realization of keeping his mouth shut had the good
taste to speak up, "Don't worry Gabrielle, Xena's got this all figured out and if worse comes to
worse we'll just have to put our heads together and kick some goblin butt."
"Joxer not now," Xena hissed.
They finally reached the entrance of the Labyrinth and seeing it from a distance compared nothing to
seeing it only inches away. The walls, thick stone and at least ten feet tall cast an imposing shadow
on the trio. The walls were sand colored and worn with time and the elements. There were sparse
vines and shrubbery that ran up the length of the walls and the glitter that some how stuck to
everything, all added to the mystery and foreboding of what lay ahead.
"How do we get in?" asked Gabrielle looking up at the vastness and the length of the walls. "I don't
know but there has to be some door or opening," Xena replied looking around. "Ok you two spread
out and look for anything that looks like interesting."
They each went to work, Xena walked along one length of the wall, Gabrielle the other and Joxer
stayed in the same place but thoroughly examined the wall and all its cracks and crevices. As can be
imagined it was in this simple task that Joxer got himself into trouble. It was while he was down on
the ground that he noticed small creatures buzzing around his head. At first glance they looked like
fire flies, but at closer inspection, they appeared to be tiny humans with little irresidesent wings.
They seemed to charge Joxer, who had just disturbed their burrow.
"Stupid flies," Joxer muttered and absently swatted them away. However what he was swatting at
did not liked to be abused and quickly took hold of his index finger still in the air and promptly bit
down.
"OOWWW!!" Joxer screamed as he jumped to his feet and ran around in circles. The fairy fluttered
to the ground, battered by the failing man.
Xena and Gabrielle hearing his screams quickly ran back to the place they were only moments ago
and watched a very much in pain Joxer wag his finger in the air while still running and muttering
curses in the air.
It was this light moment that both amused Xena but also pissed her off. She walked over to Joxer
and grabbing him by the ear promptly brought him up onto his tiptoe. "Joxer, I'm not going to say
this again, quit screwing around and look for an opening."
Joxer taking the point stopped waving his finger and quieted down. Xena dropped him on his butt
and walked away. "I was looking for the door, then this little thing bit me." Joxer reached down to
pick up the frightened and battered fairy to show Xena. As he grasped it, it sunk it's tiny teeth deep
into his hand and the flew away. Joxer resumed his dance of pain, while Gabrielle just stood there
and laughed.
Xena rolled her eyes and looked up and gauged the height of the wall. I can definitely jump up there
she thought, maybe we can walk along the walls and get to the castle faster that way. Suddenly she
heard Jareth's voice in her head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Go to Taurterus," she muttered and letting out her famous battle cry leapt up toward the top of the
wall.
However what she did not see coming were vines reaching out to intercept her. She tried to
maneuver but she honestly did not expect the shrubbery to come to life. Letting out a cry of both
pain and shock, she was quickly met by the vines and slapped down to ground, hard.
Gabrielle and Joxer, forgetting about his bleeding hand, ran over to their fallen friend and helped her
up. The pain in Xena's body screamed at her but she ignored it. Out of nowhere they heard a gruff
and low voice.
"Geez, they never do learn, do they, nothing is what it seems in this place and they have to learn the
hard way."
They all turned to see where the voice came from and set their collective gazes on a dwarf leaning
causally against the wall.
"Who are you," demanded Xena.
"No one important but to you someone you're gonna need to get into the Labyrinth," he replied.
Xena for the hundredth time today gritted her teeth, "All right, what do you want," she hissed.
"Want do I want?" said the dwarf. "I don't want nothin. I'm just here to do my job. I was just takin a
rest is all." He reached down and picked up a spray can that was resting on the wall by his feet and
started after the fairies that we're busing around crazily. He came up to the one that had just bit
Joxer and sprayed it. The fairy flitted to the ground and lay almost lifeless on the ground. Both the
dwarf and Joxer gave joyous shouts as the fairy fell to the ground. "Serves you right you little
monster!" Joxer said grasping his injured hand while he kicked dirt on the downed fairy.
"That's horrible!" Gabrielle said as she watched the two in their victory dance.
"No, I'm not!" said the dwarf. "I'm Hoggle!"
The sun slowly came up over the horizon and cast a surreal glow over what lay before them. Xena
gritted her teeth and kept walking, she had one intention at the moment, to get her daughter back.
After she succeeded in doing that she was going to kick the crap out of a certain sanctimonious and
self-absorbed Goblin King. She hadn't decided yet though how she was going to do it. It was a toss
up between a chakram to the chest, a sword to the gut or tear him apart with her bear hands, either
way she was definitely going to enjoy it.
Gabrielle, having spent a great deal of time with Xena knew when her friend was upset and not in
the mood to be chatty, still she could not help but ask, "Xena do you really think we can get to Eve
in time?"
Xena did not turn to look to her friend, she did not even break her stride. "Gabrielle we don't have a
choice, we have to beat this damned Labyrinth and get my child back."
Joxer, never really having that good of timing or realization of keeping his mouth shut had the good
taste to speak up, "Don't worry Gabrielle, Xena's got this all figured out and if worse comes to
worse we'll just have to put our heads together and kick some goblin butt."
"Joxer not now," Xena hissed.
They finally reached the entrance of the Labyrinth and seeing it from a distance compared nothing to
seeing it only inches away. The walls, thick stone and at least ten feet tall cast an imposing shadow
on the trio. The walls were sand colored and worn with time and the elements. There were sparse
vines and shrubbery that ran up the length of the walls and the glitter that some how stuck to
everything, all added to the mystery and foreboding of what lay ahead.
"How do we get in?" asked Gabrielle looking up at the vastness and the length of the walls. "I don't
know but there has to be some door or opening," Xena replied looking around. "Ok you two spread
out and look for anything that looks like interesting."
They each went to work, Xena walked along one length of the wall, Gabrielle the other and Joxer
stayed in the same place but thoroughly examined the wall and all its cracks and crevices. As can be
imagined it was in this simple task that Joxer got himself into trouble. It was while he was down on
the ground that he noticed small creatures buzzing around his head. At first glance they looked like
fire flies, but at closer inspection, they appeared to be tiny humans with little irresidesent wings.
They seemed to charge Joxer, who had just disturbed their burrow.
"Stupid flies," Joxer muttered and absently swatted them away. However what he was swatting at
did not liked to be abused and quickly took hold of his index finger still in the air and promptly bit
down.
"OOWWW!!" Joxer screamed as he jumped to his feet and ran around in circles. The fairy fluttered
to the ground, battered by the failing man.
Xena and Gabrielle hearing his screams quickly ran back to the place they were only moments ago
and watched a very much in pain Joxer wag his finger in the air while still running and muttering
curses in the air.
It was this light moment that both amused Xena but also pissed her off. She walked over to Joxer
and grabbing him by the ear promptly brought him up onto his tiptoe. "Joxer, I'm not going to say
this again, quit screwing around and look for an opening."
Joxer taking the point stopped waving his finger and quieted down. Xena dropped him on his butt
and walked away. "I was looking for the door, then this little thing bit me." Joxer reached down to
pick up the frightened and battered fairy to show Xena. As he grasped it, it sunk it's tiny teeth deep
into his hand and the flew away. Joxer resumed his dance of pain, while Gabrielle just stood there
and laughed.
Xena rolled her eyes and looked up and gauged the height of the wall. I can definitely jump up there
she thought, maybe we can walk along the walls and get to the castle faster that way. Suddenly she
heard Jareth's voice in her head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Go to Taurterus," she muttered and letting out her famous battle cry leapt up toward the top of the
wall.
However what she did not see coming were vines reaching out to intercept her. She tried to
maneuver but she honestly did not expect the shrubbery to come to life. Letting out a cry of both
pain and shock, she was quickly met by the vines and slapped down to ground, hard.
Gabrielle and Joxer, forgetting about his bleeding hand, ran over to their fallen friend and helped her
up. The pain in Xena's body screamed at her but she ignored it. Out of nowhere they heard a gruff
and low voice.
"Geez, they never do learn, do they, nothing is what it seems in this place and they have to learn the
hard way."
They all turned to see where the voice came from and set their collective gazes on a dwarf leaning
causally against the wall.
"Who are you," demanded Xena.
"No one important but to you someone you're gonna need to get into the Labyrinth," he replied.
Xena for the hundredth time today gritted her teeth, "All right, what do you want," she hissed.
"Want do I want?" said the dwarf. "I don't want nothin. I'm just here to do my job. I was just takin a
rest is all." He reached down and picked up a spray can that was resting on the wall by his feet and
started after the fairies that we're busing around crazily. He came up to the one that had just bit
Joxer and sprayed it. The fairy flitted to the ground and lay almost lifeless on the ground. Both the
dwarf and Joxer gave joyous shouts as the fairy fell to the ground. "Serves you right you little
monster!" Joxer said grasping his injured hand while he kicked dirt on the downed fairy.
"That's horrible!" Gabrielle said as she watched the two in their victory dance.
"No, I'm not!" said the dwarf. "I'm Hoggle!"