NOTE: You're going to find that some things get figured out more in this chapter. Please let me know what you think! I write on a whim, so comments encourage me and help me focus on direction for the story.
The Goblin Army dragged its feet, but managed to get to the western wall by night fall. Jareth spent his whole day giving orders and trying his hardest to ignore those who were now blocked from using the western road. He had his Labyrinth re-ordered to block anyone who wasn't with the army. Novy sat on a stool slightly behind his curved throne and remained silent. He hadn't given her the opportunity to be an advisor, though he threw her several glances and head nods. Her head swam with the information that she was processing. There were angry people, not at her, but in general and the stress lingered in the air. The approaching army was creating chaos and Jareth….she didn't know what was going on there. He had turned her world upside down. Novy was also worried about High Parsh and Friar Yulung.
Novy watched as the last goblin left the throne room and for the first time in hours, the quiet seemed to fill the room like a growing bubble. It was almost a deafening silence. Jareth stood still near the pit, watching something in a crystal. With the room as silent as it was, Novy was able to hear the light footsteps of someone. She wasn't surprised when she saw a small furry creature enter the throne.
"Your Majesty" The red fox sprite with a bow. "You called for me?"
"Sir Didymus" Jareth said. His crystal faded and he faced the knight. "I need you to take a team out to the Abaton side of the Forbidden Forest."
"Ah, a surprise attack force!" Sir Didymus said enthusiastically.
"Precisely" Jareth smirked. He knelt to be more on the little sprite's height level. "I want you to plant your team, people of your choice, in the forest that overlooks the western entrance."
"My liege, I would be honored" Sir Didymus replied with a swing of his hat. The yellow feather bobbed and hit Jareth in the face, though Didymus never seemed to notice. "Anyone of my choosing?"
"Absolutely" Jareth said with approval. "Large group, small group, you are the man in charge."
A sneaky smile came over the sprite's face, making him look like a fox who just figured out how to get into the chicken coop. His moustache twitched and he snickered to himself. Novy couldn't help but smile. Jareth handed him a crystal.
"Take this" Jareth ordered. "When you collect your people, tell this crystal that you would like to get to the forest at the western gate and your team will be transported there."
"Well slap a chicken" Sir Didymus said under his breath. "That's incredibly useful. Thank you, Sire."
"We have allies with the flower fairies, the northern light elves, and a troop from the south should be arriving soon" Jareth told the fox. "Please do not attack them."
"Yes, Your Majesty" Sir Didymus replied with a nod.
"Go" Jareth commanded. "Be hasty about finding your team." The fox sprite ran from the room, his long furry tail swishing with each step. Jareth stepped over to his throne and sat with a plop. If he looked bad before, he was looking worse now. "I could use some food."
"Want me to—?" Novy started to ask. He stopped her with a raised hand. Jareth watched her squirm on the stool for a moment. He was tired and she looked bored.
"Come with me" Jareth breathed. He gave her a small smile and stood up. He pulled her up from the stool. Her lower back popped and she gave a twist to work out the kinks that had built up. Jareth led her to the bathing room. A tray of food waited there for them near the warm water. It had grapes, peach slices, cold cuts, cheese, and rolls. There was a carafe of cold water that was sweating on the stones. They undressed and slipped into the warm healing waters.
"Here" Novy said holding out a piece of cheese to Jareth. He glided over to her and ate it from her fingers. Novy smiled and retrieved a piece for herself. Jareth bobbed backwards and dunked himself under the water. He rose back up and found a seat near the tray of food. "You look exhausted."
"Then I look how I feel" Jareth retorted. He turned and picked a few items from the tray. Novy poured two glasses of cold water. "Garmethon really is a pain in my ass. The bastard has wanted the Labyrinth for a long time."
"What happens if he gets into the Labyrinth?" Novy asked. She couldn't help but imagine the walls falling like dominoes. Jareth shook his head and ate his cold cuts. They sat in silence eating the food and drinking the water. When the food was gone they sat in silence, trying to relax. Jareth's face was not as relaxed as he wanted it to be. Novy reached out and touched his shoulder. "Tell me what I can do to help."
Jareth effortlessly pulled her to him, so her legs draped over his lap and she sat next to him. He touched her face, looking at her for something. Novy watched as he began to delve deep into his own thoughts. His soft, long fingers twirled her hair over and over.
"I need to see to the army" Jareth said in a pensive tone. He moved Novy's legs and stepped out of the warm water. Novy followed him, helping him slip into his robe before putting on her robe. Leaving the bathing room, Jareth gestured down the hall in the general direction of their rooms. "Get some sleep. I will see you in the morning."
The next day, Novy found the castle to be left with a skeleton crew of goblins. It was deathly quiet. She eventually found her way to the throne room and found a crystal perched on the pedestal that was nearly hidden in Jareth's throne. It came to life when she approached it.
Jareth sat upon a large brown and black horse that bore the crest and colors of the Labyrinth. Jareth and a troop of goblins were lined up on the field outside of the Labyrinth walls. The Forbidden Forest spanned to their left, somewhat enclosing the field. They could see Garmethon and his troops approaching since they used the main thoroughfare that wound through the fields. They were still a ways away, but there were hundreds of them.
"Sire, should we approach them?" A goblin commander asked.
"No" Jareth growled. "Let them tire from their trek. Right now, we're at the top of a small hill and high ground is always better."
"Yes, Sire" The goblin commander replied. He turned to the goblins along the line and yelled "Hold fast! Let them tire before the battle!"
There was a cheer from the goblins.
Jareth watched fiercely as Garmethon's troops slowly approached. He saw a few men run off and others fall to the ground. It didn't take long for the goblins to notice as well. Jareth conjured a crystal, needing to know what was going on.
A large swarm of bees attacked the middle section of the troops. The bees looked like a large black cloud before they disappeared among the men. Tiny fairies could be seen flittering about and Jareth was sure they were giving orders. The crystal changed and Jareth watched as large red ants moved along the road. They weren't there to block the army, but they managed to begin their own minute attack by crawling up the legs of horses and men.
"It's the flower fairies" Jareth called out. The goblins cheered and watched as a portion of the army was taken out by the insect attacks. Jareth watched as the tiny fairies threw rocks and fired large thistle thorns at the marching army. His crystal faded away and he just watched with a smirk.
The army, dwindled down by a good 20%, collected on the field, lining up in a similar fashion to the goblin army. A young boy with a white flag rode out with Garmethon to the center of the field. Jareth rode out once they stopped.
"Garmethon" Jareth said when he trotted up to the burly man. Garmethon was very tall, very broad shouldered, and very much a brute. Rumor was he was a quarter giant. "I hear that you want to pick a fight."
"Your land will be mine, Goblin King" Garmethon replied with a mountain accent. "You can surrender now if you would like."
Jareth laughed and kept his brown horse on the move. "Do you plan to take my kingdom by brute force? You have no power here."
"I have something better" Garmethon firmly stated. The flag boy held out a cloth wrapped item and shook it free, so it could be seen. It was a stone hand. Jareth's eyes narrowed and he backed his horse up a few steps. "Oh yes, you know what that is don't you? Thought you had it all taken care of."
"You will cause an epidemic with that" Jareth warned. "Your people will be just as affected by it as mine."
"Surrender" Garmethon suggested.
"You're a damned fool" Jareth hissed. His mind rolled with what had to be done to make more of the spray that would render the petrification to simple stone.
"We have a whole body in chunks" Garmethon told Jareth. His saddle creaked as he repositioned himself. "How many of your goblins do you think we can hit with them? Enough to make it spread? How many have families?"
"You're a vile man" Jareth gruffly stated. "If you want a fight, we will fight." Jareth returned to his front line and waited while Garmethon walked his horse back to his men. Jareth waved the goblin commander over. "Tell everyone to use their shields and not to touch any stones that they fling over or they will be sick."
"Yes, Your Majesty" The goblin replied. He gave the order to the troops and shields rose up. Despite a space the size of three football fields between the armies, the tension was thick and growing thicker. It was finally Garmethon who gave a single wave of his arm and his troops began to advance. Jareth gave them a minute to wear themselves out before signaling for his troops to advance as well. Fist size stone chunks rained down on the goblin troops. The clash of the armies meeting each other was a dreadful sound of yelling, swords clanking, marching feet, and thuds of shields being struck.
As both armies became fully engaged, Jareth caught sight of his little red sprite leading a hodge-podge team of creatures to battle from the rear. Sir Didymus charged on his sheepdog steed. The Fire Gang was behind him and eagerly started pulling of heads and limbs. There were a handful of fast goblins that were behind them. They were quick to deliver fast blows before moving onto the next person. Lumbering from the forest were the rock beasts. They let out nearly ground shaking moans. Jareth's horse neighed and stepped aside as a boulder near him began to wiggle, and then roll down the hill.
"You there!" Jareth yelled to two goblins that had fallen back. "Get some sacks and gloves. Pick up those stone fragments that were thrown." The goblins nodded and began to walk to a supply cart. "The one who picks up the most gets a keg of Dwarf beer delivered to their house!"
The two goblins stepped faster, fighting for the sacks on the cart, and rushing off to pick up the contaminated stone pieces. A row of gatling-suited goblins approached the battlegrounds. A high-pitched rolling cry was unleashed by a small goblin in a large helmet. Goblins on the battlefield ducked down just as the gatling-suited goblins fired the gatling guns that made up the upper portion of their suits. The men mowed down by the gun fire were replaced by more men.
The battle went on for another hour with Jareth and Garmethon both keeping a strict watch over the battlefield. There was a constant stream on both sides, returning for a short break before going back into battle.
"Your Majesty" A battered goblin called to him. "I think they're on the run."
"Not quite" Jareth replied with a cold tone. The two goblins collecting stone pieces had each spilled their bags twice, but were currently heading back towards the supply cart. "I need to return to the castle."
"What about the battle?" The goblin asked.
"Make sure everyone regroups and charges back out there. Keep fighting. I will be back shortly" Jareth said. Jareth and his horse faded from the battlefield.
Jareth dismounted from the horse at his castle doors and rushed inside. He headed for his private study rooms. He needed more of The Viper's Solution. He found what was left in a glass jar. It was roughly 3-liters of blue liquid. It had taken a whole day, 26 hours, to make a full batch. He needed more. His shoulders tensed and his left eye twitched from the stress. He formed a crystal and tossed it towards the doorway. A startled looking Novy appeared in a blue mist.
"Get in here!" Jareth ordered. He held a small blue journal and held it out to Novy.
"What's going on? What are you doing here?" Novy asked. She took the journal and looked at it. Jareth was scrambling to set up his equipment. It was all used in his study of magic, but looked nearly like some sort of mad scientist set up. "What is all of this?"
"Read that entry and follow those instructions implicitly" Jareth said while he measured a large cup full of acorn-like seeds and dumped them into a rather large mortar. "I need you to make a new bath of The Viper's Solution. There is no room for mistakes. Read it carefully and get it done. It will take a while for it to be finished. You will not leave these rooms until you're finished."
"What do you want me to do when I finish?" Novy asked. She grabbed the pestle and began to crush and grind the seeds. She put the journal down and read as she continued.
"I'll leave you a crystal. When you finish, hold it and call for me" Jareth ordered. "Do everything as it is written."
Jareth faded away. Worry and panic crossed Novy's face.