InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I'm a doctor, not an escalator"

zaria (bravely) wrote in labyrinth_rpg,
@ 2009-04-19 19:18:00

Entry tags:

complete, day seven, gabrielle, jareth, xena

Day 7
Who: Xena and OTA
What: Investigating the Labyrinth Entrance
When: Early Evening
Where: Entrance to the Labyrinth
Rating: TBA
Status: Complete

A complete change in the environment of a city she'd been slowly getting used to was not a welcome sight upon waking that morning. It was perhaps this change, however, that gave her the determination to challenge the labyrinth. She was unwilling to be a pawn in the changing landscape any longer. She put on her leathers and armor and completely outfitted herself with her weapons before she left the room she shared with Gabrielle.

She stared around her once she got outside, a little bit awed by the huge contraptions that rose into the stifling sky. She shook her head, setting her jaw as she ventured forth. Although she didn't participate in any of the attractions, she did spend several hours wandering around and getting to know her new surroundings. She wouldn't know them as well as she had known the environment of the faire for a few more days, but she wanted to have some familiarity under her belt.

Finally after several hours of exploring by herself, eating and observing, she decided to check out the entrance to the labyrinth. She wouldn't leave without Gabrielle, but she wanted to see what she could discover. She wanted to be as prepared as possible before they went in. She'd read in the bothersome journal that one of the people, a Faith, had made it through to the castle. She was certain that if someone else could do it, she could do it herself.

She soon found herself at the entrance to the labyrinth and ran her hands over the stone. She stepped in and looked left and right as there was a wall directly in front of her. The stone wall extended far down in either direction and she couldn't see a turn at either end. Well, there wouldn't be much exploring unless she actually walked into the labyrinth and she wasn't sure she should without Gabrielle in her company.

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bardictraveller
2009-04-20 12:22 am UTC (link)

When Gabrielle rolled over in the morning, Xena wasn't there. This didn't alarm her all that much, really. Xena usually seemed to rise before her best friend, and it was pretty much par for the course. In fact, Gabrielle even slept a few more hours, revelling in the fact that she coould do so. It wasn't particularly late when she rolled out of the strange bed, but it felt like a luxury to be able to sleep in at all.

A quick shower, her usual clothing, and the blonde bard was ready to go. Having learned her lesson when she'd been pulled from Mirage to here without any weapons, she strapped her knives on and was ready to go. There was a lot to see, and she quickly realized this as soon as she stepped outside. Most people from her time would probably have freaked out about the large machines all over the place, but once she'd decided they weren't attacking anyone, she was more curious than anything else.

The day passed quickly in exploring, and also in outfitting herself for a journey. She had read the journals as well, had seen that two girls had gotten through, and thought that it wouldn't be long before Xena would want to go through the Labyrinth. Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared, right? So she filled her travel bag with food, including some things that she'd never seen before. Cotton candy? Popcorn? It was all new to her.

In fact, she had a caramel apple in her hand and was busily bunching away at it when she came close to the entrance of the Labyrinth. At first, she barely glanced at it. However, the woman standing just inside the entrance was someone she was convinced she'd know anywhere. She smiled, patted her travel bag over her shoulder, and walked up.

"You'd better not be thinking about leaving without me, Xena." She called out as soon as she was close enough. "There's no way I'm not coming with you, you know." She smiled at her best friend, and patted the bag of food and supplies she carried over one shoulder. "I thought you would want to leave soon. I'm ready."

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bravely
2009-04-20 09:15 am UTC (link)

Xena heard the steps behind her and her hand went to her chakram. When the footsteps paused, she turned and found herself face to face with just the person she wanted to see. "And what if I was?" She teased. Her hand relaxed and she stepped out of the Labyrinth, glancing around. It was still a little unnerving to be surrounded by so many contraptions that had sprung up over night. She looked back at the bard and gave her a partial smile. "I think it's about time we started out. If we stay in the city it will just change again. And as far as I can tell, that castle isn't doing any changing." She pointed to the spires in the distance.

She nodded, Gabrielle was always prepared. She was very often grateful that the bard tagged a long. Most of the time she was useful. "Good. I think I'll leave Argo in the stables here. She'll be taken care of, I think. Besides, it could get cramped in there and I don't want her to get stuck." She was also fairly certain that when they reached the castle, she'd be able to come back for Argo at some point.

"Well if you're truly ready I don't think there's any point in waiting." She turned and stepped back into the entrance and then stood, looking in either direction. She shook her head, still at a loss as to which path to take. She closed her eyes and listened and then just decided to go right. "C'mon." She gestured with her head and started walking. It would do no good to run and exhaust their strength right away.

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bardictraveller
2009-04-21 04:59 pm UTC (link)

Gabrielle nodded, and despite her misgivings, she was with Xena all the way. Yes, it was true that Gabrielle was starting to suspect she would rather stay in the Underground than go home to an uncertain future. Yes, she was enjoying getting to learn about new things, new people. But, in the end, she would go with Xena through anything, so there was no question in her mind. Although it might send them home, she would go with Xena through the Labyrinth.

"I don't think it's changed from the night of the ball, as far as I can tell. I mean, we're pretty far away, but it looks the same to me!" She walked forward, smiling at her friend. Despite her uncertainty, there was a part of her that was actually really glad to be setting out once more on an adventure. At the very least, there was the fact that things were never, ever boring around Xena.

She nodded her blonde head once more in agreement as Xena outlined her plan for Argo. "I agree, I think she's better off in the stables. This doesn't look like the most roomy place ever." She peered over Xena's shoulders at the wet-looking walls, and shook her head. Argo would take up a great deal of the room in the passage between the two walls. It was best to leave her where she was.

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road!" The bard felt a flutter of nerves as she stepped through the arching stone doorway, and then gasped as the gate slammed shut behind them. She spun around to glare at it, her weapons already out in her hands, but there was nothing to attack. Laughing a little at her nerves, she shook her head. "Well, that was fun. I think we're stuck here now, until we finish." She glanced back and forth, then shrugged and followed Xena. It seemed as good a way as any.

"You know, this isn't much of a labyrinth. And it's not even going the right direction to the castle."

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bravely
2009-04-22 07:22 pm UTC (link)

Xena was not prepared for the slam of the entrance gates, either, and she whirled around, black hair flying in all directions. Her hand was on her chakram and her other was reaching back for her sword. She glared at the doors and then looked at the laughing Gabrielle who jumped and gasped. She smirked lightly. "Guess if you wanted to change your mind, you're out of luck." She reached out to clap her hand on Gabrielle's shoulder.

She wasn't exactly pleased with the fact that they were like mice in a science project (not that she'd know anything about science projects, but still). She felt like a pawn, and she didn't like feeling out of control. She evidently had a choice about running the labyrinth or not, but in order to get home she would need to get to the castle. She still wasn't even sure she would be able to go home once she reached the castle, but it was worth a shot. She didn't belong here.

She watched Gabrielle's face for a moment and knew that this place and even Mirage had been good for the bard. She was a warrior, but she didn't really want to be one. In her heart she was a poet, a storyteller. Xena often wished that she could be more like Gabrielle, but even when she had tried not being a warrior she'd been told that it was her path. She was supposed to be a fighter. She was fighting for good and without people like her in the world there would be more suffering than could be imagined. How many evil warlords had she done away with? How many treacherous kings had she taken from power?

She smiled at Gabrielle and then turned her gaze back on the path ahead. They seemed to walk for hours in the same direction and Xena had to concur with Gabrielle that it wasn't much of a labyrinth if it only seemed to lead away from their destination instead of toward it.

"Listen, Gabrielle. If we get to the castle and we get the opportunity to go home... I think you should stay here."

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bardictraveller
2009-04-22 10:55 pm UTC (link)

The blonde bard shook her head and smiled at her friend. "No way, I'm not changing my mind. Come on, let's take this place by storm!" Although, that might be a difficult thing to do, considering she couldn't even figure out how a long stone corridor counted as a labyrinth, anyway. Funny, it had looked like a maze from the outside, but now that she was inside, it seemed to be completely different.

Gabrielle really had no idea that she was so transparent. Of course, Xena knew her very well, but still, she'd have been surprised to know that her best friend could see what she was trying to hide. The truth was, it didn't really matter what she felt, how a part of her would like to stay here. That's why she hadn't mentioned it. She was not going to lose Xena again, and had trouble seeing her friend willingly staying here. Obviously, that meant that Gabrielle wouldn't be, either.

She turned to her best friend and shook her head at the comment. "No way. I'm not going to stay here without you. You should know that. Where you go, I go." She tripped over a branch in the path, stumbled over it, and leaned against the wall to recover. Or, at least, that was her intention. The wall didn't quite seem to want to cooperate.

To Xena, it would look like Gabrielle had fallen through the wall, and then, there was no wall at all. Or rather, there was, but it had moved several feet back. Gabrielle stood in a new corridor. "Xena!" But she didn't sound worried or upset, rather delighted. "You won't believe this. Come here!"

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bravely
2009-05-04 09:43 am UTC (link)

Xena had a feeling that Gabrielle would react negatively to her suggestion, and she knew the bard was stubborn, so it didn't surprise her when Gabrielle refused to stay in the city if given the chance to leave. It was one of the great tragedies of their life together. Xena's whole purpose in being was to fight. But that wasn't Gabrielle's way. And no matter how many times Xena suggested that the blond might be happier back home in Potidaea, with a traveling hospice or even among the Amazons, Gabrielle always refuted the idea and stuck with the warrior.

Xena had even tried to leave Gabrielle behind a few times, but she'd either had to go back and get her or the bard had found her. This place, though, was going to stunt Xena. She was going to be miserable unless something changed. And she didn't see anything changing. For now she let the argument rest. When and if they gained their freedom, she would bring it up again. Maybe at that point there wouldn't even be the option for discussion, maybe Xena would just have to leave.

She turned when Gabrielle tripped and was going to smirk at her for her clumsiness when she disappeared through the wall. "Gabrielle!" Xena ran back to where the bard had fallen through when Gabrielle called her name. She didn't sound afraid or worried, she sounded glad and relief came to the warrior's pounding heart. She found herself standing in front of the blond but she was several feet back. They had missed the additional corridor because it seemed to be part of the same long corridor they had been walking.

Frowning slightly, Xena walked forward with a hand extended and passed through the entry into the parallel corridor. She looked back into their previous walkway and then into Gabrielle's walkway. Xena shook her head. She could tell this was going to be a very long journey full of twists and turns. On one hand she was looking forward to the challenge, but on the other hand, she was a bit tired of it already.

"Huh. Alright, well let's go."

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bardictraveller
2009-05-04 09:01 pm UTC (link)

The bard smirked ever-so-slightly, not in a rude or arrogant way, but just a little bit pleased with herself for finding the way out of the weird corridor that just seemed to stretch on in both directions without end. But this new place, well, it was much more suited the the title of labyrinth. Complete with stone passages, dead ends, and all the rest. Gabrielle looked around, and then turned to Xena.

"I remember hearing a story once, that if you just follow one wall, you'll eventually get through any maze." She frowned thoughtfully, then turned to Xena. "But that would take forever, in such a huge place. So... which way looks the most likely to have dead ends? We'll go the other way." She frowned, shrugged, and headed off to the left. It seemed as good a direction as any.

Suddenly, though, she stopped completely, and turned back to face Xena. "Did you hear..." For a second, it had sounded like the sort of clicking footprints a horse, or maybe a cow, would make. But Gabrielle shook her head, even as the large, axe-wielding half-man, half-bull minotaur came up behind her, from the direction she'd been going. Oblivious, Gabrielle smiled at Xena, and started to turn back.

"Hey, did you I tell you about some of the amazing people I've met? There was this one man, from a place called Narnia? He knew the best stories." As usual, she chattered on about nothing, but she knew that Xena would be used to that by now.

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bravely
2009-05-14 12:24 pm UTC (link)

Xena smirked back. The bard loved being right, proving Xena wrong, or doing something Xena couldn't. Xena also had a hard time admitting when Gabrielle was right, especially if it went against her first instincts. She nodded and her gaze moved along one of the walls until it disappeared around a corner. She looked the other direction, too, but experienced the same effect.

When she turned back, she heard the footsteps and caught a glimpse of a hoof stepping out from around the corner. While Gabrielle still spoke to her and chatted about some amazing people she'd met, Xena stared over her blond head at the minotaur and reached her hand behind her to draw the sword out of the scabbard strapped to her back. "Gabrielle." It was a warning. It was spoken low, hushed and urgent.

Not listening to a thing Gabrielle said, Xena screamed her war cry and hurtled herself over Gabrielle's head to land between the bard and the ax-weilding minotaur. She held her sword out in front of her, pointed at the half-man, half-ox creature that towered above her. Even from her six foot vantage point, the monster was huge.

She wasn't sure what it wanted, but it didn't look like it wanted to have a friendly chat. Still, Xena always waited for her opponent to make the first move before she struck. The huge ax swung toward her and she jumped back to avoid the sharp blade. Her own sword came down, slicing against the back of the creature's arm. It howled and moaned and Xena grinned. She felt at home now, fighting something, swinging her sword at something more than a straw dummy.

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bardictraveller
2009-05-14 02:52 pm UTC (link)

Gabrielle was used to the tone. It was very typical of Xena, after all, and always meant trouble. So she sighed and rolled her eyes. "There's some sort of huge monster behind me, isn't there? Figures." It seemed to happen, more often than not, when she was paying attention to something else. It was really quite annoying. And should have been predictable by now, but somehow wasn't.

She wasn't shocked when Xena vaulted over her head, and quickly turned around to track her. Her own weapons were quickly in her hands, and she snuck around the battling warrior and minotaur, coming up behind the huge monster. She and Xena were a team, after all, and monsters were things that Gabrielle could deal with killing. Not like it, really, but she was with Xena until the end.

From behind, she was able to strike some minor wounds on the minotaur. But mostly her purpose in being there was to distract the creature so Xena could get a killing thrust in. Her knives were sharp, but could barely penetrate the thick skin that covered the thing. Distraction, she could provide. At least, she could until the thing spared a glance behind her, smacked her hard, and sent her tiny frame hurtling through the air to smash against a wall.

Well, at least she could hope that would be a good enough distraction, and if she knew Xena, it would be.

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bravely
2009-05-14 03:22 pm UTC (link)

Xena saw Gabrielle, but the monster evidently didn't. It seemed shocked to feel the pricks from Gabrielle's sais in it's back. It turned, bellowing it's anger at such audacity. Xena winced when the backhand from the minotaur sent Gabrielle flying into a wall. She was still concious, so Xena redoubled her attack. With fire in her eyes for the blow it had given Gabrielle, Xena charged.

"Aiyiyiyiyiyi," her cry sounded as she flipped toward the creature, slamming her feet into its chest to knock it back. In it's distraction and trying to recover from her kick to its chest, it stumbled and arms flailed as it tried to stay upright. She charged again, her sword striking at its chest and abdomen. The deep cuts spilled blood and organs as the beast howled and dropped to its knees. A flailing arm caught Xena in the shoulder and she winced as it knocked her back.

She recovered quickly, her free hand going up to rub her shoulder as she watched the minotaur collapse on the cobbled stones of the labyrinth floor. The ax skittered out of its hand and far enough away that she would notice it getting up to get it if it came to that. She thought the beast was pretty surely dead, though. She hurdled the monster and came to Gabrielle's side. She knelt on one knee, sliding her sword back into its scabbard.

She gripped Gabrielle's head in both hands, making her look at her. "Are you alright?" There was deep concern in the icy blue eyes gazing from beneath the black fringe. "You need to be more careful when you get behind something that big. It could have killed you, you know." Xena was stern when she was afraid, grasping at anything other than the emotion she really felt.

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bardictraveller
2009-05-14 04:12 pm UTC (link)

Gabrielle hadn't allowed herself to be hit on purpose, but she had to smile slightly as she heard Xena's familiar warcry echoing through the stone corridors of the Labyrinth. At that moment, the Minotaur was officially dead. It didn't matter that it wasn't over yet, Gabrielle knew they would win. She saw the anger, however tightly controlled, in Xena's movements, and knew it was only a matter of time until the Minotaur stopped breathing.

Still, she kept an anxious eye on the surroundings, just in case. Xena had things well in hand, though, so she busied herself with pushing herself up from her crumpled position against the wall until she was seated. "Alright, that hurt." She commented as she looked herself over. She seemed to be okay, and had a bright smile for her best friend when she came over to her.

"I'm fine, Xena. That was amazing." She touched Xena's cheek very lightly, smiled and gazed into her eyes for a moment, and then raised herself to her feet. "A little sore, but nothing major. How's your shoulder?" She shook her arms, trying to get rid of some of the soreness she had there. "It looks like he hit you pretty solidly there at the end." She glanced at the Minotaur, and gave him the closest thing to a dirty look that she could manage.

As for Xena's comments, she knew what they meant. She'd better, after everyting they went through. But Gabrielle was also an extremely intuitive person, and she'd sensed from nearly the beginning that Xena wasn't nearly as terse as she seemed. "Hey, what do you say to a bath after we're done this?" It was random, but a bath sounded really good.

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bravely
2009-05-16 12:41 am UTC (link)

Xena spared the beast another glance, but it was dead. She glanced back at Gabrielle, still looking her over for any serious damage. She helped the bard to her feet and watched her shake off the injury. She nodded. "I'm fine." She rolled her shoulder and rubbed it lightly for a moment. It really did hurt, but she wasn't about to let Gabrielle know that.

Another glance to the monster before she pushed Gabrielle in front of her around the corner, gripping her neck. "A bath sounds fantastic." They'd barely started the labyrinth, and she already felt like it had been days. One monster down, who knew how many they had to go? She let go of the bard's neck and kept her ears and eyes open for any signs of another beast.

Nothing jumped out at her immediately, but she didn't exactly expect it either. It was going to be when they didn't expect it that something happened. Xena wasn't the type to be complacent, though. She'd been slightly startled by the first monster, but now she had some sense of what to expect.

They walked around another corner and another and another. They hit a dead end and had to turn back and take another route. "I'm starting to doubt we'll see that bath any time soon." Her voice was wry. She rolled her shoulder again. It was tender and she could see the skin starting to discolor. She was no stranger to bumps and bruises, but she wasn't exactly used to being pummeled by a giant ox-man.

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bardictraveller
2009-05-16 11:12 pm UTC (link)

Gabrielle wasn't completely fooled. She knew that Xena would play off any injury she got, so once the bard was on her feet, she walked the few steps over to her best friend. "Your shoulder...?" Carefully, she reached out and touched it, but it didn't feel any different. Probably just bruised. Her touch was very gentle, and she smiled at Xena when she did it. Finally, though, she dropped her hand to her side, satisfied.

And then, she was being steered around the corner, and she went willingly. Not that it really mattered if she wasn't willing, of course, because Xena could make her and not even work up a sweat. It was just easier to go along, and anyway, Gabrielle had learned to trust her friend.

They went along path after path, dead end after dead end, and even Gabrielle was starting to get frustrated. Finally, she sighed to herself. "Another dead end, looks like we're not getting into that bath anytime soon." She gave the wall a dirty look, then turned around to leave. Only to find the area completely blocked off. They were essentially in a small place, no exits. At least, that's what she thought at first.

She turned back around, looking at the space, and had to blink. "Xena... where those doors there before?" She rubbed her eyes, trying to make sure it wasn't some sort of optical illusion. But, no, they were still there. Who doors with big ornate knockers, fashioned in the shape of ugly faces. "What do you think is going on?"

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bravely
2009-05-20 10:14 am UTC (link)

Xena's nose wrinkled at the gentle touch to her shoulder. It definitely hurt, but she was the big strong warrior and oftentimes she felt invincible. It took things like this to bring her back to reality. She wasn't immortal, no matter how many times the offer had been made to her. She'd always chosen to remain a human. She returned Gabrielle's smile, albeit a bit more tight lipped.

Xena did her best to guide her friend through the maze without too many backtracks and turns, but she hadn't designed it and it seemed to change right before her eyes many times. She was getting entirely too frustrated and when they were suddenly closed in, she was ready to snap. She pounded against the blank wall until Gabrielle's voice permeated her tantrum. She turned to see the ornate doors with ugly knockers.

No, they hadn't been there before, but after their time in the labyrinth so far, she wasn't exactly surprised to see them either. She gave Gabrielle one of her unamused looks, but not because the bard was annoying her. "Don't think so." She reached out for one of the knockers and the ring came away in her hand. She hadn't meant to break the knocker, but what happened next startled her beyond anything she'd experienced in the past.

"I don't know, Gabrielle..." Her voice trailed off when the knocker began to speak. She stepped back and reached for her sword.

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bardictraveller
2009-05-20 09:49 pm UTC (link)

This maze was being a major pain, she decided, as she eyed the doors warily. The knockers were made up of hideous faces, one holding a ring to knock with in its mouth, the other through its ears. They were ugly, but it looked like the door was the only way out.

She approached cautiously, standing slightly behind Xena, watching from a position of relative safety. But when they started to talk, her eyes widened. Even as her dark-haired friend was pulling her sword free of its sheath, Gabrielle stepped forward. When it came to talking, well, that was definitely her forte.

"It's rude to stare." Informed one of the heads, the one without the ring in its mouth, obviously. Gabrielle smiled sweetly. "Oh, I'm sorry! We're trying to get through the Labyrinth, can you help us? Which door should we take?"

At first, the strange door knockers didn't want to respond, but soon even, Gabrielle had apparently charmed them into telling. The door on the left, apparently, led to the castle, while the door on the right led to certain death. With that settled, she moved to open the door on the left. It seemed she was going to take the faces at their word.

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bravely
2009-05-21 08:17 am UTC (link)

"Wha... Gabrielle!" She wasn't impressed with the bard's go-getter attitude and she reached a hand out and gripped her shoulder before she could go too close to the doors. Knowing that probably wouldn't do much, she stepped up closer and stood at her side while the knockers began to talk. One seemed to have a difficult time hearing because of the ring through its ears.

Her icy blue eyes shifted between the two talking knockers and she had to hope that this was normal and not some part of her brain triggering insanity. Well, if she was crazy, so was Gabrielle because she was the one who was actually talking to them.

"Hey, wait! How do you know they're telling us the truth?" She glared at the knockers. "They're knockers, Gabrielle." She put her sword away because what were the knockers going to do, bite them? Her arms were folded in front of her and she lifted a dark brow. "This is ridiculous. We are taking advice from something stuck to a door."

Not that she'd never done the bidding of a bodiless being before, coughOrpheuscough. But at least that bodiless being had been someone she'd known before they were without a body. "Do you really think we can trust them?" Gabrielle had a gut instinct about people, and sometimes she was a little too trusting. But lately she'd been a little better, and if Gabrielle trusted them, Xena would follow.

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bardictraveller
2009-05-21 02:02 pm UTC (link)

"What?" Gabrielle turned to her friend, an eyebrow raised inquiringly. "Do you think they're lying?" She had ignored Xena's opinions before, and it had nearly always gone badly. She might be a bit naive at times, but she wasn't stupid enough to discount the opinion of her very wise friend.

The knockers started to argue, apparently extremely offended by her question, and Gabrielle turned back to them. "I'm not saying you are, I'm just asking my friend's opinion." Somewhat appeased, they went back to sort of quietly grumbling, and Gabrielle turned back to look at Xena.

Still, she didn't want to hurt the feelings of the knockers, because that's just how she was. So she leaned in and whispered into her friend's ear. "Do you think we can't trust them? What other choice do we have? Either we assume they're lying, or we assume they're telling the truth. Either way could be dangerous."

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bravely
2009-05-22 10:45 am UTC (link)

"I don't know, I just know that we're in a strange maze that is probably controlled by that arrogant man with the stupid hair who calls himself our King." Xena was staring at the ugly knockers, but they didn't seem to care. Her gaze was withering, and had cowed many a man. Apparently it had no effect on obnoxious knockers.

When they began to argue, Xena rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for this. Well, really she did have all the time in the world, but she was starting to get annoyed. Really annoyed. She pulled her sword again and stuck it under the nose of the knocker whose ring was usually held in his mouth. "Tell us the truth, or I'll make sure you never talk again." A flick of her wrist twisted the sword dangerously in front of the knocker's face.

She had no idea if intimidation would work, but it was really the only tactic she could come up with at the moment. She listened to Gabrielle's questions, but lifted her shoulder. She didn't really have an answer. She certainly wasn't entertained with the thought of certain death and she didn't want to take Gabrielle into that situation if she could help it. "Just tell us which door to go through, alright?"

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bardictraveller
2009-05-22 09:06 pm UTC (link)

Gabrielle couldn't help it. She grinned, just plain amused by Xena's rant. The other woman could be quite funny sometimes, though the bard wasn't entirely sure she always meant to be. "He really does have bad hair." She'd never seen anything like it, really. "It's too bad, he'd be very attractive if he had better hair."

When Xena swung her sword to bear, though, the knockers suddenly got very, very quiet. And then, they seemed to not be able to talk quickly enough. In the end, they both agreed that the door they'd originally told Gabrielle about was the right one, and the other one led into a deep, black pit where they would be forgotten.

"See, they were telling the truth the first time!" She shook her head at Xena. "And what do you think your sword can do to them, anyway? They're metal." She walked over to the door indicated and pushed it open, though to her credit, she did eye it cautiously before stepping into it.

It was a boring place, just a long, straight hallway. Even from here, she could see the only other exit was a door at the other end of the hallway.

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bravely
2009-05-22 09:29 pm UTC (link)

It was lucky that Xena couldn't see Gabrielle's grin or she might have turned that same withering gaze on the bard. In truth, she was very nearly at the end of her rope. They'd walked forever through the maze, been attacked by a minotaur and taunted by talking knockers. It wasn't turning out to be one of her best days.

She wasn't entirely satisfied with the idea of trusting someone else with her future, but she supposed at this junction they didn't have a choice. "Fine. Fine." She lowered her head and leveled her gaze on Gabrielle when she questioned what her sword could do. "I am surprised that after all this time you have to ask."

"I might have nicked their pretty faces at least, huh?" She turned back to the doors as Gabrielle pushed one open. She shoved the metal ring she still held in her hand back into the knocker's mouth and followed behind her. The door shut behind them and they were faced with a long straight hallway. Xena glanced around for signs of anything that might be a danger, but nothing immediately jumped out at them.

"Lead on, O Knowledgable One."

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bardictraveller
2009-05-23 12:01 am UTC (link)

Gabrielle kept up a steady stream of chatter as they made it through the hallway, which opened up onto another type of maze. The other one had been entirely made of stone. In this one, it was all plants, but it was equally as frustrating. And, apparently, more peopled. Many of the strange little goblins attacked them, and they all were defeated.

A stone door, another riddle, one in which one of the goblins guarding the door always told the truth and the other always lied. This was dealt with rather easily. Gabrielle watched in amusement as the Xena simply punched one in the face and asked it if it hurt. If it said yes, it was telling the truth. Simple, if inelegant. Although, as Gabrielle told Xena, she was going to have to clean that one up for the written epic poem of their trip through the Labyrinth.

Through the stone door was a forest, and they'd both had lots of practice finding their way through those. It wasn't long at all before they were through, though much dirtier than at the start, and getting rather worn out from all the fights that kept being sent their way.

It was a subtle change, at first. The trash, at first, was just sort of interspersed with the trees. But slowly the trees gave way to the garbage, and the bard and the warrior stood on the outskirts of the goblin city. Gabrielle was dirty, tired, and ready for a nap. But...

"Xena, Xena! Look!" She pointed. "There's a gate, and there's the city! We made it!" Impulsively, she hugged her friend tightly.

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bravely
2009-05-27 10:45 pm UTC (link)

Xena had a rather raucous time defeating the goblins that advanced upon them as if they might actually win against the warrior princess and her bard companion. It was almost laughable toward the end, and Xena believed she probably had laughed more than once.

It was a fun riddle that she solved, too, by punching a goblin to see if it was telling the truth or not. She smirked at Gabrielle when she said she would have to clean that bit up for the poem. Xena had read Gabrielle's scrolls, especially in the last year before she had been killed, and she would anticipate the completion of this one as well.

They traveled through a forest and then through a bog that smelled as if a thousand people and animals had died and been left to rot in their own excrement. If Xena had a weaker stomach, she may not have made it through that part of the journey. And then there was trash. Lots and lots of trash. It only smelled a little better than the bog, but it was more tolerable.

They were both dirty and tired, and Xena's patience was worn to the thinnest scrap possible, when they arrived on the outskirts of the city. She returned the impulsive hug with an arm wrapped around the bard's shoulders. "Looks that way, doesn't it? Let's get inside and see if we can't talk to the Sparkly King with the stupid hair. Maybe he'll let us go home."

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bardictraveller
2009-05-28 05:29 pm UTC (link)

Even Gabrielle's normally sunny spirits were a bit lower than usual. It had been a long trip. She wasn't feeling all that interested in much more than getting a place to rest, maybe having a bath, and then collapsing onto a bed. Or any flat surface would do, really. She wasn't picky at this point. It didn't even have to be completely flat.

But it was nice to cling on to Xena, to hug her, and to know that they'd both survived. Though the King had certainly done his best to make that hard, from the moment the minotaur had showed up. She smiled at her friend as they walked toward the gates, which stood open.

Maybe he'll let us go home... The words made her sigh softly, but she tried to keep it to herself. Ahead, she could see a large gathering of goblins just inside the gates, and at their head, a tall, slender figure. "I guess we're about to find out..."

It was hard for her. She didn't want to leave, and she knew Xena did. There was no real conflict there, since she went where Xena did. But all the same, now that it was down to it, she felt a bit nervous about the whole thing.

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goblin_king
2009-05-28 05:35 pm UTC (link)

He'd seen them coming in the crystal. In fact, he'd tracked their progress the entire journey. After all, he had to come to some sort of conclusion about what he was going to do with them. There had been some interesting parts, he had to concede that. Though not nearly as much bickering as had gone on in the other group to make it through.

He waited at the head of a celebrating throng of his goblin subjects, seeming perfectly at ease. A slight, mocking half smile was on his lips, as if he regarded the approaching warrior and her bardic companion as little more than a diversion. An interesting one, to be sure, but nothing that indicated he felt threatened.

"So, you made it. Congratulations." He called out to them as they approached. "The time has come for you to be judged, and for me to decide just what I'm going to do with you."

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bravely
2009-05-29 08:50 am UTC (link)

Xena didn't relinquish her hold on Gabrielle right away. As tired as they both were, they needed the support. The warrior leaned on the bard as much as the bard leaned on her. She was dirty, tired, and annoyed. She wanted to go home, but she wanted a bath and a nap, too. She returned Gabrielle's smile as they stepped through the gate and were met by a rousing chorus of voices from goblins. Most of them were no taller than her knee, although some came to her waist. The only one that rivaled her height was the Goblin King himself.

Xena was stoic when she saw him. She didn't welcome the sight of him. They had been ignored at the ball and she honestly wouldn't expect anything less of him now. She wanted to go home, but she knew that Gabrielle would rather stay. The bard enjoyed the relative peace of the place, but Xena's life as a warrior would not let her relax the way Gabrielle could. She needed action for her world to be complete. Like what they'd faced in the Labyrinth, but on a regular basis.

Xena was only mildly surprised when the sparkly king addressed them. She shook her head with an unamused smile when he announced that it was time for their judgment. He was no God. How dare he pronounce that right upon himself? She let go of Gabrielle and crossed her arms over her chest. He was trying her patience already.

"So what's the verdict then, Skinny?"

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bardictraveller
2009-05-29 08:48 pm UTC (link)

Alright, this was even annoying her. Mostly, she was fairly good tempered, but to be told after a long and dangerous trip through this Labyrinth, which had been devised by Jareth himself, that she needed to be judged on that performance, that irritated her. She didn't really see what gave him the right. They'd earned their way through fair and square.

So when Xena crossed her arms, Gabrielle stood beside her and did the same. As much as she might be conflicted about wanting to go back home, she didn't appreciate being treated like this. So she glared, and gave the goblin king as dirty a look as she could manage. Now, granted, that wasn't all that intimidating, but it had gotten better over the years she'd spent with Xena.

"So, let's hear it? Are we going home?" She tilted her head to the side and looked challengingly at the fae creature, waiting for his response.

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goblin_king
2009-05-29 09:00 pm UTC (link)

At the demanding tone of voice, the fae king arched an eyebrow at the two women. "I would be careful how you address my, if I were you." The tone wasn't threatening, more almost... amused. Yes, that was a good way of discribing it. He was amused by them. As if they were children playing around his feet. Of course, to him, they were. He'd been alive since before there were humans, after all.

"However, you did make it through, and you did tolerably well. So I'm giving you a room in my palace." He tilted his head slightly to the side, arrogant as always. "You don't have to thank me. You'll be in suite four. Welcome to the Goblin City."

With a nod to each of the women, he turned to go. He called over his shoulder, "If you want a party, the goblins have orders to throw you one. Farewell."

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bravely
2009-06-02 09:31 am UTC (link)

The way Xena saw it, there was really no point in arguing. They'd been ignored the first time they'd tried to talk to him, and this time he was all but completely dismissive. She was surprised he'd talked to them at all. Setting her jaw she watched him walk away. With a frustrated exhale, she turned to Gabrielle. "Looks like we're not going home after all."

She reached out a hand and gripped Gabrielle's shoulder. "Try not to gloat too much, hmm?" She smiled fondly at the bard who had been her companion for so many years. "Let's go see about that bath, right?" Releasing her gentle hold, she walked toward the crowd of goblins and told them to lead them to their new rooms so they could get cleaned up and take a rest.

She followed them, glancing behind her to be sure that Gabrielle did the same, as they led the two women into the castle and down complicated corridors to the room they would be sharing. Xena had to admit that the room was nice, even better than the one they had in the other city, but she still felt confined. She would probably never get over that feeling. She dumped her weapons on the bed, removing the copper breast plate along with her gauntlets and arm bands.

She rolled her shoulders as she removed each article of clothing. She was tired, ached and her irritation had not waned in the slightest. Finally she was down to just her leathers. "How difficult do you think it's going to be to find a bath?"

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bardictraveller
2009-06-09 11:19 pm UTC (link)

Gabrielle gave Jareth a bit of a look, but then, she couldn't seem to stop smiling and that ruined it a bit. As she and her friend walked away from the throng of goblins, she grinned over at her friend and gave an eloquent little half shrug. "I wasn't going to say anything, honest." Her fingers rested lightly on Xena's for a moment before the hold was broken and they both walked off to the castle.

It was beautiful. Gabrielle had been in a castle a time or two, and at first, she wasn't overly impressed. But Jareth didn't do things by halves, and when the doors to their room opened, she gasped softly. "It's beautiful..." Maybe it wasn't a good thing to be impressed by something like this, considering the circumstances, but she couldn't help it.

As she looked, things changed a little bit. The floors became marble, for example. She grinned and nodded. "Like Mirage!" She focused, and in the corner of one of the rooms, a large bathing pool appeared, complete with candles. Pleased with herself, she started taking her clothes off.

"I can already feel it... it's going to be good." When she was completely unclothed, she slipped into the water, leaned back against the stone ledge. They'd made it through the labyrinth, and the rewards were looking to be very nice indeed.

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