Hey guys! This is my first proper fanfic! I hope you enjoy this prologue! :D Let me know what you think, I am always open to critique! :D


Jordan. Claire. Owain.

Those three names swirled round and round in her mind as Sarah charged through the grey Labyrinth as fast her legs could carry her. Curled, cruel and contorted faces of all shapes and sizes snarled and spat at her as she did - relentless and merciless in their undying and malicious intent.

"Traitor!" they screeched.

"Worthless little human!"

"She's here, she's here!"

"Let her die!"

"You're running out of time, my dear... where are your Seaimpíní now, sweet one...?"

The sounds were deafening and choking as they infiltrated her mind. And although she tried her best to keep them out, the words viciously sliced into her and like a parasite took an unnatural root in her mind. Sarah felt it all. Felt it as it wormed its way into her and tried to extinguish the light that she had left. And Sarah could feel its inhuman, cold fingers sliding through her, wanting her to surrender. Waiting for her to surrender.

The obsidian creatures now made an appearance. Of hellish decent they stalked in front, behind and around her. And each and every one of them smiled as they closed in on her, slowly and agonizingly chanting her name: "Sarah...Sarah...Sarah...where are the other Seaimpíní now? You're alone..."

This was all the King's doing. It was all his doing and Sarah cursed him for it.

Through the ever increasing pain, the parasite sucking and clawing at her mind, Sarah savagely looked into space and as if looking to him himself, she curled her lip as her blue eyes darkened. "I hate you" she spat, eyes burning with a resentment she didn't think she could possess. That single word 'hate' resonated down the passage and Sarah relished that. If the King was listening or here right now, let him hear that single and honest truth.

Suddenly, and to her surprise, the voices stopped and the creatures around her froze as though they were statues, captured in the eternal lines of time. Everything stopped. And for a moment, Sarah froze too... not sure whether this was a trap or whether she was just imagining it. However, the Champion did not want to risk seeing these monsters come back to life and so seeing this as an opportunity, Sarah ran. She was not going to take this for granted and thundering down the passage, she focused again on the names of her friends: Jordan. Claire. Owain.

That was until the voices and creatures returned quicker than humanly possible. And this time with a force much greater than before. Roaring at the space she had put between them it dragged her back - their voices now screaming and blood curdling cold.

"His hate is stronger! You almost destroyed him! But now, he'll destroy you and all your friends!"

"Your friends hate you for letting them down! They'll enjoy watching you die!"

"Surrender... SURRENDER, little mortal!"

The First Champion whimpered then and trashed out as the iron claws and teeth of the creatures dug into her skin. Everything she didn't want to hear was being screamed and whispered at her and raking a hand through her matted hair, relentlessly squirming her body to get out of their grasp - she almost begged them to stop. Was the king's hate really stronger then her's? Did the king really want her dead? Did the king really want to kill her friends?

Her eyes shot open.

Jordan. Claire. Owain - she had to save them.

Channeling some unknown power, her grip on her silver sword tightened dramatically and she swung it with vicious intent - catching some of the monsters on the neck, profoundly cutting them open. But their voices did not diminish. They still screamed at her, refusing to let that light within her shine. However, Sarah was now free from their possessive grasps and she did not hesitate to finally make a stand.

As the voices and the creatures became more aggressive, their claws slicing and thrashing, she used this to fuel her own power. Jumping, sliding, kicking and dodging she sliced them down one by one. She was not a magic user but as the enemies fell at her feet Sarah mused that she didn't have to be. She would stand tall and face them as a mortal and show what power they possessed. That was until, and to her horror, the now mutilated creatures knitted back together and Sarah let out of a breath of incredulity. How could this be? The black, nasty, pieces of their bodies crawled back to oneanother and once again, Sarah was fighting these nightmarish creatures.

Readying her sword in her hand, she took a few steps back, steadying herself before charging into the mass. If this was her final act, she would kill them all.

The fight was gory and bloody. The creatures fought and fell but this time it took longer and Sarah wiped their blood from her arms and face like a warrior - at least she was winning. But suddenly one of the creatures iron claws curled around her ankle and slammed her to the ground. The force was so great that when Sarah plummeted to the floor, her sword went flying, crashing against one of the many walls of the Labyinth...and just out of reach.

"God... no, no, no" she muttered and before she knew it the creatures were on her and Sarah screamed...the world falling silent.

From one single command.

Keeping her eyes on the now frozen creature at her neck, it's mouth open wide, Sarah heard footsteps. His footsteps. Like a heartbeat they grew louder and Sarah struggled to get the creature off of her. But it was hopeless...it was if the creature was weighted by time and Sarah was powerless to move it. But finally, the footsteps stop and she feels someone crouch down besides her. He was taking his time, almost enjoying this but when everything falls quiet again, Sarah curls her lip. "Goblin King" she seethes.

There was another moment of silence. As if the world were holding its breath to see what would happen next but much too quickly for Sarah, the all too familiar and silky voice spoke; low, soft but masculine. "Sarah, my dear...it doesn't have to end this way." Pausing, the monarch leaned closer. "I still offer you your dreams. My loyalty...my love. Just say the word, and it is all yours".

Sarah did look at him then. And there he was. The absolute Goblin King, cladded all in black and adorned with shimmering jewels that made him look as beautiful...as he was deadly. Sarah slowly slid her eyes to meet his - cold, unforgiving, possessive. But there was something else, shimmering in the depths...worry.

Sarah nearly laughed out loud. He had done all of this, these horrific things and yet was worried? The Champion glared defiantly up at him.

"Oh really? I don't see this all coming to an end unless all four of us Seaimpíní die or you, that one you, finally dies". Trying to move away as his eyes traced her face with a desire that unnerved her to her very core, Sarah continued, her anger bubbling to the surface. "And I think you know the answer, Fae. I will never, ever, accept anything from you. Love? What could you possibly know about that?"

Jareth did not recoil, his face remained impassive but a smirk lifted the corner of his lips and Sarah tensed. She could feel his warm breath tickling her face as he continued to lean closer and Sarah's heartbeat fluttered for a fraction of a second - before returning to fear and anger. As he raised a gloved hand to slowly run down her cheek with guarded eyes, he spoke softly. Sarah ignored the shivers. "Your eyes, Sarah... even now they can be so cruel." Glancing briefly to her pink lips, the King forced himself to speak steady as blonde hair, mixed with brown. "Sarah, dear, I know that love can destroy and create. It consumes one, pushes them to do things they never could have done before...I offer you again, Sarah" the king's voice lowered when he spoke her name and he quickly took his hand away from her face. "I again, offer you your dreams, if you'll just love me, fear me, and do as I say".

A deathly silence.

"No", came her response and the look on Jareth's face was unreadable. "No and a thousands times more, no. How could you expect me to love you, after all the games you have played and all the lives you have destroyed. Have you any idea of the pain you have caused me!?" Sarah bored her eyes into his glancing once to his lips that so were close to hers. They were parted slightly...an open invitation. " But listen now, your majesty. My friends will win and when they do, I will relish in seeing this hell tear down to nothing. So there is my answer. My final answer."

As quickly as a blink of an eye, that warmth that had caressed her body ripped from her as all softness from the Goblin's King's face vanished. He tsked and abruptly stood, darkly silhouetted against the burning sky. Sarah could feel the rage, her words had touched him more then she could have imagined... and something more powerful and more dangerous started to emanate from him than what she had seen before. Seeing him like this...it scared her.

"You are blind, Sarah. You exhaust me." And with that and the click of his fingers, the creature at Sarah's neck came back to life.