Chapter 14.
Glee filled the features of the Dryad. "Pity, seems your little heroine had been taken out of the game. Care to pay up now?"
Cairbre scoffed. "Morea, you know better than to call a game before it's ended." He pointed to the pair left standing where the Mystic had been. "Had the game ended, all three would be dead. I doubt the Mystic is dead, shall we check?" He whispered something and the pool showed a girl in a long green surcoat descending a steep slide.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Meep screeched when he saw the earth swallow the girl. Jareth took out the crystal and watched her descend on the slide. He didn't seem perturbed by her misfortune in the least. Meep wondered how he could be so calm.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"I hate slides," screamed the girl as she tried to slow her descent. Her mind thought of the last time the ground dropped from under her. She had landed on a ledge just above the Bog of Eternal Stench. "Please, Gods, anything but that," she begged.
How long she had been falling and which direction was unknown to her. She saw light at the end of the sliding tunnel and readied herself to have to grab fast to prevent a further fall. Just as she feared, the tunnel opened to a sheer drop onto jagged rocks. She gripped the side walls and used her feet as breaks. Seeing the roots from a tree above she grabbed on and prayed it would hold. She moved to one side to brace a boot on a little bit of rock face. "Help!" she screamed, and hoped Ryaven and Roxanne were within earshot.
"Somebody, anybody, help…." She moaned.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Meep was ready to rush to the rescue; Jareth grabbed him by the scruff and pulled him back. "See here, you are going about this all wrong. You can't just rush in and expect her to be grateful."
"Well we can't leave her hanging there, she's can't hold on forever. And her friends have no idea of where she is." Meep complained.
"True. Nevertheless, the means of rescue have to be… unique. Just like the girl herself." Jareth paced and gave it thought, then started to snicker. "Oh, I have it. Hang on, Darling." He tossed the crystal into the air.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Sareth's hands hurt, and she was forming a blister from the pressure of hold on to the rough root. Her shoulders hurt, and her legs were getting stiff. "Help." Her voice rasped against the rock face. She was not sure she could hold the root much longer, and she could feel the little rocks her feet were bracing on were starting to crumble. She looked down and wondered if the fall would kill her. Would it be a long and painful death after hitting the jagged rocks? She placed her forehead against the rock wall face.
A sound caught her attention, behind her, in the air a throat was clearing. She twisted to the side and looked over her shoulder. Her jaw dropped.
"Excuse me, I do hate to intrude, but you look like you could use a hand." Jareth said cockily with at smirk playing on his lips. He was standing on a carpet, a flying carpet.
Sareth looked at him, then down at the carpet. "A flying carpet? Are you kidding?"
He looked down; "You would prefer a broom?" He held a hand out to her. "Come on, let's get you to safe ground."
Sareth whispered. "I don't think I can let go, my hands are numb." She looked at him in misery.
Sympathy entered the mismatched eyes. He moved the carpet. "Place a foot on the carpet." He instructed, carefully he placed his hand over hers and pried the fingers loose. When she was free of the root and rock wall, he placed a hand to her waist. "Going down." He whispered merrily. The carpet moved gently in the air.
Sareth looked at her fingers; they were bloodily and blistered. She was in too much pain to enjoy the carpet ride.
Jareth hopped down off the carpet that was still more than a foot in the air. He reached up and helped her down. He saw the wince when her hands hand grazed his shoulders. "Let me see," he was gentle, sounding as he had when he'd told her to return to her room and play with her costumes and toys. "Poor dear." He said as he used Fae powers to heal her hands. "Better?"
She looked at the healed fingers, no longer bloody or in pain. The memory of the pain reminded. "Yes, thank you."
Jareth stepped away from her, and took a seat on a rock. "So, what brings you to the Fae realms and the Wastelands? I would have thought your last taste of our realm was more than enough for a lifetime."
The young woman in the Mystics robes frowned. "It was." She shot back.
He looked at the robe, the breeches and the boots. "By the gods, you look good."
His voice growled. "So, what brings you to the Wasteland?"
She frowned, not wanting to say anything to him, yet feeling she should as he had saved her from getting killed. She balled her fists and roared, throwing her head back and stomping one foot. It had been years since she'd thrown a tantrum, and by the Gods it felt good!
Jareth sat with a smile painted on his face, acting as if this was an everyday occurrence. "Feel better?"
She nodded, and held up a hand to halt any other inquiries for the present. She took a long deep breath. "Goblin King," she began with a raspy voice. "I'm very grateful to you for your help." She began to pace, thinking.
Jareth sat quietly watching her.
When she was ready, she turned to the Fae King. "This is all Robin Zaker's fault! All of it, including my knowing about you!"
"I see," Jareth said calmly.
"Him and that stupid book, hell all of his stupid books! Why the hell did your people let him write them?" She raged.
"The High King didn't think anyone would really believe them." Snickered the man. "He had not expected someone like you to turn up, dear girl." He smiled at her, "I see you're all dressed up again. What this time? A play? Or a Halloween party?"
"A LARP." She snorted, thinking he would not have the least idea of what that was, she was of course wrong.
"OH Really? Which one?"
Her eyes narrowed. "You know about LARPs?"
"I spend a good deal of time in your world. It behooves me to know everything I can." He said.
"It's a game called Conquests of the Legends, are you familiar with it?" She was pacing again, this time her hands were clasped behind her.
"A bit, yes." He didn't really see a need to give everything away. "So what rank do you hold and what is your name and title?"
The girl blanched as she paused in her pacing. "I'm a Mystic, second level seer. The persona is …. Sareth, of the Vortex." She turned to face him.
"Sareth…" he said the name and smiled, "How flattering, I'm touched. You've joined part of your name to mine."
"Don't let it go to your head." She warned hotly. "As to why I'm here, I'm on a quest."
"I see." He was still smirking at her.
"That blasted Robin Zaker!" she fumed. "What do you know about him? Why does he need the Goblet of Arthur? Why did he pick us?"
Cocking his head to one side, the Goblin King clucked his tongue into his cheek. "Now Sareth, you know that's not how the game works. I'm sure, knowing your veracious reading appetite, you read the rule book cover to cover. The rules state, if you want information you either have to pay for it, or barter for it…the choice of the person who has information."
Sareth placed her hands on her hips. "What the hell would you want with game coin chips? They are of no use to you!"
"Precisely." Jareth said with a wolfish grin. "I want to barter."
"You can't have Toby!" She barked.
"I didn't ask for him." Jareth was calm, too calm.
"What do you want?" her suspicions were on high alert.
"I want you to be nice to me." He stated with glee. "You know how to be nice, don't you, Sareth?"
"Nice?" He nodded and she stammered. "How nice?"
"Very nice." He winked at her. "Very, very…VERY NICE." On the last nice he held the last syllables in a how hissing sound mixed with a sensual growl.
The young female mystic frowned, and saw no way out. "Fine." Jareth smiled and with a gloved hand patted his right thigh. "You're kidding." She groaned.
He shook his head, and patted his thigh insistently. "Come to papa."
"You are a rotten bastard." She groaned as she moved closer to the wolfish ginning man. "I can't believe you."
He pulled her onto his lap. "See, not so bad." He placed his chin on her shoulder. "We can be friendly, and it won't hurt, not even you."
"I don't trust you!" she shot at him.
"Sareth," he savored her game name. "I'm not the villain of this game. And I won't play the villain here, not even for you."
She looked at him and suddenly felt very guilty. "I'm sorry."
He raised one of her arms, placed it over his shoulder, "Ask your questions. I'll give you what answers I can."
"How do you know about LARPing? How do you know about this game and it's rules?" she shot out in rapid fire as his hand slid over her waist. "And just how nice do you expect me to get here?"
Jareth laughed at the last question, "Sareth, I said nice. I didn't ask for your maidens head."
She blushed the color of a spring rose. "Oh God."
He patted her side. "Now, I told you I keep abreast of what's going on in your world, as to how I know about this game…do you recall the name of the originator of the Conquest?"
"J.G. King…" she closed her eyes and shook her head, "no."
"Yes." He admitted proudly.
"What? You got bored with playing in your yard and had to come into ours?" Her voice took on a hard edge.
"More or less, yes." He smiled warmly, ignoring her contemptible tone. "Next question." She looked at him with daggers in the emerald green eyes. "I always did like it when you were on fire." He commented.
The young woman clenched her teeth. "You have no idea of just how hot my fire can get, Goblin King."
"No," he whispered low and dangerously. "But someday, I hope to find out."
Sareth backed off the threats, "Robin Zaker, is a fallen, right?" Jareth nodded.
The girl opened her mouth as the fact that Jareth knew of him could only mean one thing. "He's a Fallen Fae?"
"Bingo!"
She leaped from his lap and started to pace, thinking. Jareth watched with amusement. "He's Fallen Fae… why would a Fae need the Goblet of Arthur?" She continued to pace and talk to herself.
"Come on, Sareth, this is a piece of cake." Jareth cheered her on.
"He means to make a comeback… and use the cup to subjugate humanity?"
Jareth applauded. "That's my girl!"
"That's insane!" she screamed.
"That's Robin Zaker." Jareth shrugged. "How do you think I felt when I discovered he'd painted me as some kind of baby stealing wretch?" He stood up. "It took years to get his damn book off the shelves. And the one copy we missed, his personal copy ended up in your pretty little hands. "
Sareth could feel the book in her sleeve. "But to subjugate an entire race? What for?"
"Revenge." Jareth offered freely. "He's had his nose out of joint ever since he was tossed out on his ear! He never made the 'splash' he intended to when he began writing. How was he to know magic and the magical realm holds little interest compared to the electronic age, and now that of computers? Your race would not worship him freely, he'll use the goblet to get what he wants."
"He can't touch the cup! He's not a king." Sareth interjected.
"No, he's not. Not yet." Jareth watched her move. "You always were good at games."
She ignored his complements. "Not yet? He means to take a Kingdom?"
Jareth nodded.
The girl grabbed his arms. "Which one?"
"Which one do you think, precious? Which of the five known Kingdoms will be most to his advantage?" The voice was like chocolate silk.
Sareth felt her fingers tighten their grip. "He's going after your kingdom and using me to get it."
"There's a few things, old Robin is not privey to, sweet." Jareth looked at her with pride. "He does not know you have his personal copy of that blasted book." He patted the sleeve where the book was hidden. "He does not know that you bested the Labyrinth."
"Jareth, why did the orb I was given work before we passed though the protal? She asked.
He smiled, cryptically. "Now, that one you already know the answer to."
"No I don't." she shook her head. "I should never have been able to make it work."
"Think my girl. What make you different from any other human being?" He took a seat enjoying the show.
"I beat the Labyrinth?" she offered weakly.
He shook his head, "That was just a side effect. Think again, baby."
"Don't call me baby! I'm not your baby!" She snapped.
"Yes, you are." He muttered to himself, then louder, "Think again."
She began to pace. "Think back to the beginning." He called.
"The beginning… the beginning of what?" she paused.
"Our beginning." He squinted at her. "What does Robin not know. What no one knows."
Sareth stared at him for a bit, she'd heard the words but for a second or two they had not registered. When her brain kicked into gear she staggered forward and gripped the front lapels of the Dragon's hide Jerkin. "But what no one knew was this: the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with her, and given her certain powers."
"And that is why you are now, and always will be my baby. Baby." Jareth pulled her back onto his lap. "So, what say we kick Robin's ass?"