2
Jareth woke early in the morning. He would have liked a bath but it was a choice between a bath and breakfast this morning, and his empty stomach won the debate. He glanced down at Sarah. She was naked, tangled in sheets and her long hair was everywhere.
She was absolutely beautiful. He mentally promised himself he would be home early tonight so they could share a meal together, a bath, and he could take his time ravishing her.
He teleported into his lounge and summoned his clothes from the impressive walk-in wardrobe he'd had installed last year. He was feeling 'old skool' today, and so pulled on a pair of tight grey pants, white shirt, favourite leather jacket and his old boots. He shook his head (hair falling magically into place) and wandered down to the kitchens for an early breakfast. The goblins wouldn't be awake yet but the cooks knew to leave something out for him the night before these days. Despite Sarah taking on many of his duties his days were busier than ever. Sundays were even down to a half-day off in the afternoon.
Jareth entered the kitchen and was surprised to find it already occupied by his brother. Caleb looked up from the pan he was cooking with and smiled.
"Morning." He greeted Jareth. Jareth frowned.
"Good morning. Why are you up this early?" he asked. His brother was already fully dressed in jeans, sneakers and an over-sized black jersey with big white numbers on the back.
"Jay will be up in half an hour or so. I figured pancakes might be in order. I was going to bring some up to you and Sarah later." He gestured to the impressive stack beside the stove he had already cooked. "Want some?" They did smell good.
"Thankyou." Jareth said and sat down. Caleb slid five onto a plate and smothered them in some kind of syrup from a plastic bottle he must have brought with him.
One year on and having a big brother was still taking some getting used to. Jareth began to eat.
"I trust your room was satisfactory?"
"Yes it's great. It's very...beige." Caleb replied. Jareth smiled.
"It certainly is." Caleb grinned and flipped his pancake over, tipped it onto the plate, and started another one. Jareth watched, fascinated. He wondered where people learned to do this sort of thing. "How long will you be staying this time?"
"School goes back on Monday so just for the weekend this time." Caleb poured some more batter into the pan. "It's a pity you guys can't come back to our world. I'm taking Jay camping next month." Camping. Jareth frowned and decided to pretend he knew what that meant.
"Yes. It's a pity." Jareth finished off what was on his plate and left it on the kitchen bench.
"Will we be seeing you today? Where are you off to this morning?" asked Caleb.
"I'm meeting my Mage in the library to see if we can't find something to help with summoning rain."
"Try having a barbeque. That works in my world." Caleb quipped. Jareth narrowed his eyes. "Sorry. I have nothing useful to contribute to this conversation." He went back to making his pancakes. Jareth paused on his way out of the room.
"I am glad you're here Caleb. You and Jay are always welcome." There. That was as close to sentimental as he was capable of getting with this man for now. Caleb seemed pleasant enough over the two previous times he had been Underground, but all Jareth could really remember was the smug favourite older brother who made fun of his Green Goblin.
Caleb met his eyes.
"It will get easier Jareth. You and I just don't know each other all that well yet." And yet you and Sarah talk like you're old friends already, Jareth thought. He wasn't sure who he was jealous of, Caleb for the time he spent with Sarah, or Sarah for the friendship she'd found with his brother. He nodded once and headed towards the stairs leading out of the kitchen.
And then there was a deafening blast, as though all of Underground had exploded.
Jareth slowly opened his eyes and flinched at the pounding in his head and the high pitched hum in his ears. He was slumped on the cold stone floor of the kitchen. He could smell smoke and hear voices. They weren't human voices but they weren't goblin voices either. He slowly and carefully opened one eye. Caleb lay beside him, hair, face and clothes filthy with soot and ash. His eyes were shut and there were no signs of life.
"The princess is not going to be happy if he's dead." One voice said.
"It's not my fault! How was I supposed to know the stove would explode? Your idiot brother cast the spell." Jareth slowly and painfully looked around until he saw two grotesque beings. He felt his anger rise. They were of the Southern Empire. Abominations who he tolerated in his presence only as far as diplomacy required. And their princess...oh dear. They were tall as humans but their features were distorted and exaggerated as though they were wearing masks. Beak-noses, long fingers with claws and pointed ears.
"Check him." The first one commanded.
"Well which one is he? They all look alike, filthy humans."
"He's the one who's dressed normal you moron, with the nice jacket. I don't know who this other one is. Outlandish creature."
Jareth heard one of the creatures approach him. It gave him a kick, and then a moment later gave him a much, much a harder one. Jareth couldn't help but cry out at the pain that exploded in his chest.
"He's alright. What about the other one?"
"Who cares? The princess only wants him."
"What about the Goblin Queen?" Jareth froze.
"The Emperor is coming for her. She's not our problem. Come on, let's see where my idiot brother got to. Probably miscalculated and ended up in a toilet somewhere..."
"What about him?" Jareth felt a booted foot prod him in the back.
"He had a knock on the head and I just broke some of his ribs. He's not going anywhere."
"All right all right." They continued their arguing as they left Caleb opened his eyes and sat up. Jareth growled. He had to help Sarah.
"Jareth! Jareth what do I do? Who was that?" Caleb asked.
"From...the south. Empire. Must be invading. Tell Sarah." Jareth said as clearly as he could.
"Who's the princess? Where are they taking you?"
"It doesn't matter!" Jareth snapped. "Get Sarah and Jay safe."
"How the hell do I do that? I don't know this place. I have no magic. I'm a bloody high school science teacher!" Caleb hissed. Jareth slumped back and shut his eyes, unable to talk anymore. He had to trust that his clueless, decidedly average brother would save the day. Suddenly Jareth bit back a cry when Caleb moved him.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded as Caleb took his insignia from around his neck and clumsily dragged off his leather jacket.
"The only thing I can think of doing. Put this on." he threw his jersey at Jareth. Jareth stared at him.
"You don't know what you're getting into..." Jareth warned him as Caleb pushed the jersey down over his head and rubbed ash into his blonde hair.
"Shut up and play dead. You owe me one. They're coming." He was right. Jareth managed to push one arm into a sleeve and slumped back down again.
"They're in here. Help me with him." Caleb faked a groan and muttered something about sending them all to the Bog of Eternal Stench while Jareth lay still in the hockey jersey beside him. I don't sound like that! Jareth thought to himself.
"Yeah whatever. You'll wish for the bog once Her Highness is through with you." One of them spat on Caleb, another hauled him up off the ground. He let loose several expletives.
"Shut up. You sure you got enough of that powder to get us all home?"
"Sure." The third voice said. "It would have worked fine before if your pre-mission booze hadn't messed with the chemistry of it all." Caleb was being held up by two of them now. The third was sprinkling them all with a fine powder with an acrid smell that caught in Jareth's throat from the ground. They were using sorcery. A primitive substitution for magic that the Southerners used. Caleb coughed and groaned again. One of their attackers lit a match, and the powder ignited. Caleb let out a real scream as the air around them all burned, and they vanished.
Jareth lay still on the ground, unable to believe their ruse had worked that well, and then overcome with shame. Goddamned useless coward! He scolded himself. He tried to tell himself there was no other way. In truth there probably wasn't. He had to stop whatever was happening here, but at what cost to his brother? He knew what the princess wanted with him. It was not going to be pleasant.
The pain in his chest and back brought him back to reality. He sent a crystal to Jay and others he knew could protect him. He then sent one to Sarah, hoping he wasn't too late. He lay back on the cold stone and shut his eyes. He knew he would heal if he allowed himself to pass out, but he didn't have time for an extended nap. With his remaining energy he sent a crystal to summon the goblin he trusted above all others to the kitchen to wake him as soon as possible.
Then the world went black.