Taking a break in a tavern, Xena is accosted by a man, Melas, who insists that her army destroyed his village and killed everyone including his young son. Xena tries to tell him that it wasn’t her, but he says that every village from here to Corinth has a story of Xena and her army’s latest attacks. Xena and Gabrielle decide to head to Corinth to find out what is going on. On their way to Corinth, they encounter refugees from a village who fear Xena. Among the refugees is a young man, Joxer, who claims to be a great warrior and wants to join Xena’s army. She tells him to get lost. Melas tries to ambush Xena, but is thwarted by the warrior. She ties him to a tree and tells him she’s going after the imposter and that he should stay out of her way.
Xena and Gabrielle arrive in a village as it is under attack. While on horseback, Xena throws her chakrum to stop some of the warriors in their attacks. A blonde woman warrior, also on horseback grabs it from the air. Soon the two women are exchanging blows, that eventually send them to the ground. Xena questions her, and the warrior mentions Cirra, a name that Xena recognizes. Her new enemy flips back onto her horse and rides off, still holding Xena’s chakrum. Nearby, Gabrielle is having trouble fighting off one of the warriors. He sends her to the ground, but Xena intercepts his sword before he can kill the bard. Using her pressure point knowledge, Xena interrogates the man about the woman who just left. Her name is Callisto and her family died in an attack on Cirra. She plans on killing the oracle at Delphi the next day at the Apollo sacrifice with Xena’s chakrum. After she releases him, Melas approaches. He heard everything and wants to join Xena in getting rid of Callisto. The warrior lets him join her and Gabrielle, only to keep him safe.
Callisto’s lieutenant, Theodorus, arrives back in the camp. He tells Callisto of Xena’s interrogation. The warrior is pleased. She believes she knows every move that Xena will make. Before she can discuss the next day’s plans, Joxer is brought to her. He had been sneaking around because he wants to join her army. Callisto says he can join her but he has to bring Gabrielle back to the camp. That evening, Gabrielle tries talking Melas into resting. But he won’t until Callisto is dead. The bard then moves to Xena and asks her about Cirra. The warrior explains that about ten years before her army attacked that village. During the raid a fire was started, but she wasn’t sure how. There were strong winds, and the village was quickly destroyed. Callisto was apparently one of the few survivors, and wants revenge against the person she blames for the death of her family.
Xena, Gabrielle, and Melas arrive the next morning in Delphi. They spread out to look for Callisto. As Gabrielle is searching through the village, Joxer grabs her in a net. She frees herself, and easily defeats the young man and goes to search for Xena. Xena is looking around the temple. The oracle has just been placed in her position at the altar, when the warrior hears the chakrum. She throws a dagger that intercepts the chakrum’s path, and deflects it back to her. Spotting Callisto, Xena darts off after her, out of the temple. The two race out of Delphi on horseback.
written by R.J. Stewart
directed by T.J. Scott
music by Joseph LoDuca
Guest Cast: Hudson Leick (Callisto), Ted Raimi (Joxer), David Te Rare (Theodorus), Ian Hughes (Melas), Kenneth McGregor (Aketeon), Patricia Donovan (Old Woman), Michael Hallows (Tall Villager), Toby Mills (Tall Man), Henry Vaeoso (Fat Warrior)
LogBook entry by Mary Terrell
Terry and Helen, brother and sister, seek shelter in a cave when their day of playing outside is ruined by a sudden and violent thunderstorm. They’re not alone, either: an older boy named Phil has also sought refuge in the cave…but all of them hear another voice, somewhere deeper in the cave, asking for help. They find a man trapped under an enormous stone, a piece of rock that by all rights should have crushed him to death. With his instruction, they are amazed that they have the power to lift the stone and free him. He introduces himself as the wizard Rothgo, and he has been trapped in the cave by a sorceress named Belor. He seeks something called the Nidus, a magical item that will allow him to concentrate his power and escape his prison…but since he can’t leave the caves, he must trust his three new young friends to enter the labyrinth, and journey through various times in history to find it. They will find him there at various stages of his long, magically-extended life, and will have to seek his help against Belor. Their journey begins…written by Bob Baker
Cast: Ron Moody (Rothgo), Pamela Salem (Belor), Lisa Turner (Helen), Simon Henderson (Terry), Simon Beal (Phil)
previous HTV children’s fantasy series, Children Of The Stones, in 1977. Like Children Of The Stones, Into The Labyrinth successfully jumped the Atlantic to become part of the “Third Eye” strand of children’s programming on nascent cable channel Nickelodeon, but only the first season was shown to American audiences.
written by J. Michael Straczynski
