When the Plumber turned off the Wellspring, magic disappeared seemingly forever. Eliot's reign in Fillory had ended abruptly when the Fairies appeared and banished him back to Earth. He couldn't see returning to his studies at Brakebills after all he had gone through as High King, especially with magic only being taught as theory, so he decided to return to his second love: acting.
It just so happened that Kurt Mann, a Brakebills alum, was a talent agent and when he heard Eliot was looking for acting work he was more than happy to help out a fellow Magician. As it turned out, there was a casting that week for the long-awaited sequel to The Labyrinth. With the recent tragic passing of the original star, David Bowie, they needed to find a replacement. Mann thought Eliot had just the right look and flair to fill those leather boots.
For his audition costume, Eliot chose his flashiest vest, a puffy-sleeved white shirt, leather pants, and suede boots. He may have padded his crotch with a sock, just for a boost of confidence.
All was going well. The casting directors seemed to love him. Eliot had eloquently recited Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech as well as the speech from the end of "The Breakfast Club". He was just starting to sing "Willkommen" from Cabaret (to show his various theatre skills) when a white barn owl appeared on stage and startled him.
He would normally have shooed it away, but something about the bird seemed strange. Although Eliot had many areas of expertise, ornithology has never been one of them. He didn't know if interrupting musical auditions was normal behavior for birds, but he didn't get much time to worry about it because a second later the bird disappeared into a puff of smoke. The smoke stretched and grew until it was almost as tall as Eliot.
When the smoke cleared there was a man standing in front of Eliot. He had long spiky blonde hair and elaborate eye makeup. He was clad from head to toe in black leather, save for the skin-tight grey leggings. It was….
"David Bowie?" Eliot asked, feeling stupid. "Aren't you dead?"
"Oh, he is," the mysterious man said with a smirk. His voice was lush with a hint of a growl. "It's a pity. He looked so nice in my clothes."
Eliot was confused. "I thought I was auditioning for this part. They didn't tell me they already cast someone."
"You misunderstand, child." The man put his hands on Eliot's shoulders. "I was looking for you."
Eliot's vision clouded for a second and he had a feeling of vertigo. He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he looked up again he was no longer standing on a stage. Instead he was in a room made of large stones. It was full of ugly whispering creatures. Out the window he could see a vast maze.
"Uh, oh," Eliot murmured, looking around him. The room looked very familiar now. "We're not in Kansas anymore."
"Kansas?" The man chuckled. "No, dear boy, not Kansas. We are in my kingdom. Jareth, the Goblin King, at your service." He performed a low, elegant bow.
"You're real? I thought that was just a movie." Eliot had grown up loving the movie and had borrowed elements of Jareth's costume for his own personal style. If pressed he would admit to having a big crush on David Bowie, especially in that costume. He saw that the bulge had not been exaggerated in the movie, by comparison, it had been underplayed, if such a thing were possible.
"Oh I'm very much real. Your Jim Hensen spent some time with me a while back." Jareth smiled slyly at the memory. "He had quite a nice time here, as I recall. He said it was very… inspiring."
"So you're a Magician? How do you still have your magic?" Eliot asked, trying to fit the pieces together.
"I am not human, child. My magic is not dependent on anything as fragile as the Wellspring. I am sidhe. I was banished here by my sister. I think you may have met her. She calls herself the Fairy Queen," Jareth spat the title like a swear.
"Not to be rude or anything, but shouldn't you be the Fairy King instead of the Goblin King?" Eliot wondered.
Jareth scoffed. "She commands the fairies. Do you see any fairies around here?" He gestured around them.
Eliot looked around at the room's ugly occupants. "Umm… no?" Eliot said finally.
"That's right." Jareth stamped his foot angrily. "There are only goblins here. That is why I am the Goblin King."
"That makes sense." Eliot didn't see any reason to argue. He tried to change the subject. "So, you need me because…"
"Oh, right. You're the High King of Fillory. I need something only you can do. I need the favor of a king," Jareth's eyes darkened as he said the last part. Eliot had thought they were blue earlier but now they looked almost black. He wondered if they changed colors with Jareth's mood. "In return, I may be able to help you with your little magic problem."
"I hope you're not looking for a husband because, as tempting as that would be, my dance card is already full." Eliot thought of his wife, Fen, their child he had yet to meet, and of his soon-to-be husband, King Idri of Loria.
Jareth's laugh is a sharp tinkle of bells. "Of course not. I need something more… precious." He said the last word with a hiss.
"Well, I'm fresh out of firstborn babies because your lovely sister already got that from me," Eliot said with an edge of anger.
"No, the babies never turn out the way I want." Jareth looked around at all the goblins with disappointment clear on his face.
"No more babies. Check. So what, then, does the great Goblin King need from me?" Eliot was exasperated. He wished he could get this negotiation over with and go back to his life of moping.
"Let me show you." Jareth snapped his fingers and suddenly they were in the throne room of Eliot's castle.
The throne room was deserted, and if Eliot had any say, a bit drab. Since the Fairies take-over and magic being eliminated, the atmosphere was less than pleasant.
"This is Fillory." Eliot was thankful, but suspicion.
"Of course it is. where did you think we were going?" Jareth raised one manicured eyebrow.
"Not that I'm not thankful to be home, I am overjoyed," Eliot said trying to show enthusiasm on his normal stoic face. "But why are we here?"
"What I need is here,of course." Jareth strode over to Eliot's throne and artfully arranged himself on it.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It's cursed." Eliot warned.
Jareth laughed. "Only for mortals." He produced two clear crystal balls out of nowhere and rolled them in his right hand. They appeared to float and dance. For a few seconds, Eliot was mesmerized. He shook his head to break the spell.
"So, what you want is here? What is it?" Eliot asked.
"You have an armory?" Jareth raised one eyebrow.
"Not that there's anything in it, but yes," Eliot said with a sigh. He tried not to look at the spinning crystal balls but Jareth's eyes are also entrancing.
"How are you so sure there's nothing in it?" Jareth's eyes squinted the way a cat does when it doesn't think you are a threat.
"Duh. We looked." Eliot thought that should be obvious, but with magic you never knew anything for sure.
"You looked but did you feel?" Jareth looked amused.
"It's invisible," Eliot deduced with a sigh.
Jareth raised a finger to the tip of his nose. "I would get it myself but my loving sister spelled it against me," he explained with obvious irritation. "It has to be offered to me by no less than the High King of Fillory. I've been waiting for you to take your throne for quite some time."
"Fine," Eliot said apathetically. "I'll get it for you." He turned toward the armory.
"I'll wait here," Jareth called after him.
In the armory, Eliot ensured to feel around every nook and cranny that the room had. Reaching out as if to catch something but only air, Eliot continued his frustrating search. Finally, his hand brushed something unseen. It was about a metre long and felt like a sculpted wooden table leg except it was warm to the touch. He picked up the invisible sceptre and carried it back to the throne room where Jareth was still lounging on the throne. He felt foolish.
Jareth's eyes brightened to the palest of blue when Eliot returned.
"Is this what you wanted? What is it?" Eliot said holding up his seemingly empty hand.
"My sceptre! You found it!" Jareth exclaimed and jumped to his feet. The crystal balls disappeared. He snapped his fingers and the sceptre appeared in Eliot's hand. It looked like a gilded table leg covered with a multitude of colored gems.
"May I?" Jareth asked, reaching out his hand for the scepter.
"I'll get my magic back?" Eliot asked skeptically.
"Of course." Jareth assured him.
"Here, it's yours." Eliot held it out.
No sooner than had Eliot offered the sceptre, it had appeared in Jareth's hand. He produced one of the crystal balls he had been playing with earlier and placed it on top. The crystal and the sceptre fused together and began to glow with a blinding white light.
"Wonderful! You have been most helpful." Jareth exclaimed and the newly rejoined sceptre disappeared. "Now to deal with my sister." He stepped toward Eliot and offered his hand.
When Eliot refused the hand, Jareth sighed and leaned in for a kiss. Eliot was caught off guard by the sudden movement but allowed himself to be kissed. After a few seconds he was choking on a mouthful of feathers as a white barn owl flew off into the distance.
"Hey!" He called after the owl. "What about the magic?"
A whisper in his ear startled him. "Just wait. You'll see."
THE END?