Amy's POV
"Something has been changing my marks" I told Charis eying the ice arrow I created using my ice magic. Since this labyrinth was so confusing leaving different markings by my gift would remind where I once had been.
"Jareth likes to toy with his runners" the snake told me. "Don't give into frustration"
She had a point getting frustrated wouldn't get me to think rationally. I was making progress traveling the labyrinth thanks to not only Charis but to my inner animals as well.
"Whoa!"
Immediately I turned to see two goblins peeking over shields.
"It's about time we had another runner!" a goblin with a red hat exclaimed as I approached.
"This was a dead end a second ago" I replied.
"And now it's behind you!"
I swore as another goblin appeared upside down from the blue marked shield. I turned and sure enough the dead end was behind me.
"Your pretty cute!" another upside down goblin stated peeking out from underneath the red marked shield. A banging sound was heard and the goblin who complimented me whined.
"I think I understand what's going on here" I said approaching the goblins. "You guys are one of the challenges runners encounter"
"Yes indeed!" the goblin with the red heat confirmed poking his head over his shield.
"The only way out of here is to try one of these doors" the goblin who complimented me explained first.
"One of them leads to the castle at the center of the labyrinth" the other upside down goblin added. "And the other one leads to"
"Certain death" his counterpart replied and the four of them made ghost sounds. I snorted before approaching them.
"Be wary only one of these guys tells the truth, while the other three lie" Charis warned.
"Hey Charis where have you been?!" the red goblin above his upside down half asked.
"Oh shut it!" the kingsnake replied.
"Alright let's see here"
I eyed the four goblins deciding which one was honest. After a few minutes of thinking I made my choice.
"Okay pal" I told the goblin with the red hat right side up. "Answer yes or no"
I then eyed the other goblin who was right side up.
"Would he tell me that this door behind him leads to the castle?"
Both goblins looked to one another for a second before talking amongst their companions at their feet.
"Yes" the goblin replied. But I could see the lie despite the goblin looking me in the eye. His heart was beating a bit faster too.
"You guys are good but you need to find better ways to lie"
"Darn it!" the four of them protested as I went it the door behind the goblin with the blue hat. I opened it and assessed the new passage before continuing on.
"Oh crap!" I protested as the ground beneath me gave way. I was falling downwards and hands came out of the walls surrounding me. "This one seriously messed up maze!"
"You said it sister" Charis agreed as we continued falling until various hands grabbed me and I stopped falling.
"Uh you can let me go ya know"
The hands suddenly formed into faces via hand gestures.
"You need to make a decision hybrid" one hand face explained.
"Up or down" another joined in. One of the hands touched Charis and she quickly bit it.
"OW! That hurt!" the hand protested.
"Then don't touch me" Charis hissed.
"I'm already heading down so that will be my choice" I answered the hands.
"Good luck miss!" all of the hands said in unison before they released me. I crashed through a ceiling before landing on my rear.
"Damn that was some landing" I said with sarcasm as I got to my feet.
Jareth's POV
"She's in the oubliette" I told Moondancer and the other goblins. I was impressed with the progress Amy was making but she still had a long way to go. As before I had been monitoring Amy through a crystal. Moondancer sat on my shoulder and an amused chuckle came from her while the goblins laughed.
"Shut up" I ordered and they obeyed. "No one has made it this far since Sarah"
"She won't give up" Moondancer stated. "You shouldn't underestimate my mother"
"Such confidence you have" I told the dragoness. "She will get frustrated when Jasper unwillingly leads her back to the beginning"
I chucked at those words while Moondancer growled.
"Well laugh"
The goblins around me laughed while I did the same and I threw the crystal into the air.
Amy's POV
I was in some tunnel which made sense I was now underneath the labyrinth.
"We meet again"
A candle was lit and before me was Jasper. He held out his hand and I took it.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"In an oubliette, the damn maze is full of them" the elf and crow hybrid replied. "Normally I was going to take you back to the beginning of the labyrinth but I like you"
"Aren't you worried about the king?" Charis inquired.
"He doesn't scare me" Jasper responded.
"I had a feeling I would like you" I told Jasper and I kissed his cheek. Immediately he blushed before telling us to follow him. We came upon a wall and Jasper snapped his fingers and flames came to life. So he was a fire wielder that was pretty cool. The flames formed an entrance back into the labyrinth and Jasper suggested I go first through the door which I did.
