The deep boom of a noise reverberated into Sarah's dreams before fully waking her. Heart pounding with instant adrenaline, she lept off the bed and searched the darkness for any sign of an intrusion. Glowing embers from the fireplace offered enough light for her to at least conclude that she was alone. Just as the adrenaline rush began to subside, a second boom sounded with earth-trembling force. Sarah ran out towards the staircase in a scramble, grasping quickly for a sliver of courage to face whatever she found.
The rest of the castle appeared to be as dark and motionless as her room had been, the dying fires of sparse torches the only thing preventing utter blackness. Even in her panicked search, Sarah began to feel an extra prickle of fear at the realization that the moonlight seemed to be absent from the windows' views.
"Jareth!"
Terror sounded in her cry, yet her strong determination sounded evident even still. But emptiness was all that answered her.
Ignoring her inner protests of fear, Sarah ran out the giant front doors attached to the throne room, the outside air biting her barely covered skin with surprisingly intense coldness. The shroud of darkness was far worse outside...a type of dark shroud that was all too painfully familiar. Dread sinking in, Sarah mustered what courage still smoldered inside her to summon the magic to block the dark magic from herself. Had the situation been less dire, the small but undeniable success she was having in such a new feat would have left her beaming with pride. Now, however, she felt nothing of the kind.
The evil power barely kept at bay, Sarah was able to notice a few goblin soldiers cowering near the gate.
"Where's the King?" She called after them as she jogged towards the gate. Trembling head shakes were their only response.
Jaw set with determination, Sarah slammed into the gates, teeth gritting and magical powers graciously flexing automatically. She successfully burst through the doors, only briefly feeling the blunt force of their resistance. Her eyes immediately scanned for the only being that could make her feel safe again.
"Jareth!" Her call was almost a scream now as her eyes fell on nothing but darkness. The sound seemed to have only attracted unwanted attention, as a great dark figure began to come into vision with bounding motion. A recognizable roar sounded as the Beast neared, its eyes fiery and terrifying. Sarah's mental shield wavered slightly before she steadied her stance and ignited the electrical threads of lightning in her hands almost instantly. Without pausing to gawk at her own sudden prowess, she sent the bolts hurtling explosively towards the towering creature. It cowed with a familiarly inhuman outcry, ceasing its strides but still standing its ground.
And then Jareth appeared directly in front of the creature, in a whirlwind of fury and magic. Thunder suddenly cracked as his bare hand landed forcefully around the giant throat of the Beast, seeming to smolder its very hide. The sound that followed was nothing short of demonic, and with a burst of black magic the creature was gone, its darkness following.
Jareth turned towards Sarah, ferocity still etched in his features. She felt a wave of exhaustion slump over her, and she wondered how bad it showed as Jareth appeared at her side instantly with an arm extended around her back.
"I'm okay," she panted. "I actually think I may be getting the hang of this." She managed a weak smile and a dry chuckle.
Jareth seemed to inspect her, arm not relieving its firm hold in the slightest. "The girl who would fell my kingdom might now just save it," he mused with a matching chuckle. Her smile seemed to slightly strengthen.
"I'm full of surprises, aren't I?" She quipped wryly. "But don't get excited just yet; I barely helped, even at my best." A pang of shame ghosted through Sarah, as if she resented the fact that he had needed to essentially save the day.
"You managed to strike him to a hesitant standstill. But your shield was the most crucial feat." Her confused expression showed her ignorance, so he explained further. "The protection you created for yourself, to block his magic from fully affecting you. It also partially shielded my castle. This whole area, in fact, felt the ebbing of his shroud of darkness. It was the only reason I was even able to hear you call for me."
He looked into her eyes with awe and something that seemed almost reverent. Sarah felt suddenly vulnerable in a whole new way, her eyes searching his for any sign that the look may have been feigned or misinterpreted.
His mouth was on hers before she could decide. This kiss was far more gentle than their first by the bonfire, or even their second, frustratingly conflicted one in her chambers. His strong lips seemed to be holding back from the passionate vigor she knew they were capable of. They barely parted, molding against hers without sensuality or tantalization. Sarah could only describe this as pure affection.
And she was returning said affection before she realized it, her arms wrapping around the tops of his shoulders as her mouth melted into his. Her mind was nearly burnt out from being ripped from sleep and thrown into terror - a state furthered by her burst of powers - and her actions came almost instinctively, too exhausted to fight her own nascent feelings. At least, that's what she would tell herself later.
Shortly, Jareth parted from her, expression slightly guarded apart from eyes that still remained naked with a softness she couldn't remember having seen before.
"We both need rest, desperately." He seemed to be talking to himself as much as to her, as if to finalize an internal dilemma.
Sarah felt a small surprise pass through the back of her mind at this self-admittance of needing rest. This magical being she had once thought invincible had limits. She found herself wondering if she'd ever seen him seem even slightly tired before.
Before she knew it, Sarah was back in her chambers alone. Gratefulness superseded the curiosity at how he'd done that without coming along himself, and she once again collapsed onto the invitingly plush bed. Sleep fell before she quite hit the pillow.
"Milady?" Came a squeaky voice that broke Sarah from her sleepful state. Begrudgingly, she opened her eyes. The sun was fully up and streaming in. A glance down revealed an elderly female goblin by her nightstand.
"Hello?" Sarah responded with some confusion.
"His Highness had me deliver your breakfast. Reckon he knew you'd still be tuckered out." The creature seemed to attempt a polite smile as she nodded towards the tray of food on the stand.
A smile flitted across Sarah's face before she reached for a biscuit and coffee.
"Thank you," she said before biting, trying not to show how ravenous she felt.
The goblin suddenly seemed shy as she hesitated before speaking again. "Um...thank you, Miss Sarah. Word is that you have helped...are helping...to save us all."
Sarah felt somewhat awkward as she nodded towards the creature in polite reply. She wasn't sure if she should be accepting much thanks before actually saving anyone, much less from a being who'd no doubt been negatively affected by her victory years ago.
The goblin appeared satisfied now however, and left without closing the door behind her. Sarah chuckled a little before continuing with her small feast.
As Sarah finished and the tray vanished, she approached her magically-inclined wall with the thought of needing a shower. The prior morning, a gilded bath chamber had appeared when she'd muttered aloud the need for one - a gift that Jareth had been sure to taunt her about, along with the light jeer that she hadn't been able to conjure food nor a bath. This time she remained silent, envisioning her bathroom from home with as realistic detail as she could. An open doorway appeared before her, the familiar layout found inside. Smiling in unabashed pleasure with herself, she ran her shower and discarded her robe.
Admittedly it was smaller and more modest than the ornate bathtub Jareth had gifted her, but she felt a much needed sense of familiarity and relaxation now as she let her replica-shower pour hot water over her. Emotion crept up at the realization of how long it felt that she'd been without anything from home, apart from intermittently seeing her brother. She shook the thought away quickly however, determined to simply enjoy the moment.
Exiting the shower, Sarah caught a glimpse of her reflection in the fogged mirror. A mark had been left on her neck. She brushed against it with her fingers, the memory of Jareth's teeth against her skin sending a tingle from her neck down to her whole body. Seeing her own wanton expression reflecting back at her, however, quickly snapped her right out of that train of thought, and she left the bathroom with a wish for its disappearance. Her chagrin left her barely even able to feel pleased with her success when it did vanish.
After dressing in a simple blue peasant shirt with a brown, laced bodice and matching leather pants, Sarah descended the stairs. She felt apprehensive of how the greeting with Jareth would be today. To say that they had been through a roller coaster with each other yesterday would be an understatement. Even without that hanging over her, emotions had never been easy to comprehend when it came to the Goblin King as it was. As a teen, she had been taken aback at his very existence. The inner conflict back then had commenced so very quickly, between budding desire, intimidation, and a determination to beat him as an adversary.
Aside from the virginal innocence, it really was not so different from now, she mused as she searched for a door, or any sign of the object of her reflections. If anything, everything has only intensified. Great job, Sarah, you're barely any better at dealing with this absolute scoundrel than you were nine damn years ago, she now chided herself at the realization.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the discovery of an open doorway that she'd never seen before. Peeking tentatively inside, she realized it was void of occupancy. She entered and had to first take in the very height of the room, along with the massive shelving of books. The room was perhaps only twice that of her cozy chambers, but the ceiling was vastly towering in comparison, and came up to a domed center. A large stone window allowed sunlight to stream in, and a small unlit fireplace and supple leather chair were in the corner along with the smallest bookshelf. Apart from various figurines - some which Sarah couldn't help but find similar to a few she'd owned in her youth - a single book lie on this shelf.
Still frowning at the vague thought of familiarity in the objects, Sarah grew more intrigued with the red book that stood out. It seemed to demand her attention. She picked it up, feeling across the hard, smooth leather with her other hand. It was a deep crimson and looked to be quite old, yet was still well-bound. No words were found on the cover, but a single amulet was embedded in the center - a replica of the one Jareth always wore. Now fully intrigued, she opened it. At first sight, the pages were blank. Frowning slightly, she fanned through the pages, about to give up as she went back to the first. Just as she started to close it, words began forming. Her eyes widened as elegantly inked letters soon covered the entire page. She sank slowly into the chair as she read with eager curiosity.
The Rapacious King Carac
His Majesty, King Carac, had only ruled the Underground for half a century before altering it drastically. Not only the lands, but the very laws that bound them. Still deigning to grant varied dark wishes for mortals, he began formulate a plan that would allow him more selectiveness before coming to the call of any mortal who knew of the 'tenebris magicae'. Using his learning from his days with the Wild Ones, he combined their secret arts with the royal power within him to gain the ability of metamorphosis. His chosen form was an alabaster wolf, for the purpose of blending in with his favorite mortal region in the snowy forests of the Northlands, as well as the purpose of retaining his predacious nature. He stalked many mortals throughout his various journeys, becoming more and more selective until his kingdom was beginning to suffer for lack of new blood. His increased time away also led to the neglect of finding a queen or successor. He knew the time had come to act once he found a young girl living in the woods alone with a baby boy. This mortal had captivated him like no other, by her unearthly beauty as well as her tenacious courage. Discovering more and more in his watchful visits, he devised a plan to place a small book in her path. He had gotten to know her well enough to know that she would read it. He likewise knew that the baby was her brother, and had become an impossible burden on the hopeless girl when their parents had died saving them from a marauders' raid to their village. She hadn't dared returned to her razed home, sticking to the woods while the babe offered nothing but another mouth to feed. One night, she finally read aloud from the book, and as she quoted the wish for the magical goblins to take the baby away, Carac pounced at his chance at last. Presenting his true form to her as his goblin minions stole the child away to his castle, he offered her a chance to stay with her brother in a land where she would be luxuriously taken care of. The girl admitted her temptation to accept, yet her worry and guilt over her brother was overcoming the appeal of the idea, and she began to plead for the returning of the baby. King Carac knew that either way she would be his, and acted as though he was graciously allowing an exception for her; she could have the infant back only if she were able to solve his labyrinth in thirteen hours time. The girl's tenacity further astonished Carac, who was only able to prevent her seemingly impossible success through means deemed far too unfair, even by his usual standards. The King was not known for being honorable, and his desperation had blended with a growing desire for this girl who had enchanted him. His affection led him to granting her more powers than any mortal had been gifted with, and as he took her as his wife he promised her that the boy would be offered his kingdom one day. What Carac had not expected was the rapid growth of magic within both her and her brother. He was forced to allow the now grown man freedom in order to exceed his own powers by learning elsewhere. The King's greater, more immediate concern lie with his queen, however, whom he had been able to suppress just enough, until her brother left. Her contentedness faded, and she began to question everything about her husband as well as the means by which she'd come to meet him. In a panic, Carac turned to High King Leo for counsel, who in turn became concerned with both this queen's described powers as well as her brother's, who was now shocking even his own United Realm with his prowess. Looking to the far corners of his realms, Leo finally discovered hidden information that led him to a Wild Fey named Andreas. Through as harsh of means as Leo deemed necessary, he forced Andreas to admit to having used dark magic to travel to the mortal lands for distraction and pleasure, and that on two separate occasions he'd seduced a married woman he fancied, whose husband was infertile, unbeknownst to the woman or husband. The aloof Andreas left the mortals to raise his two children, hiding deep in the Wild Mountains lest the governed Fey discover his deeds. Leo stripped the man of all but most basic powers, banishing him to the realm of the cruelest king, King Hagan, demoting him to the position of the lowest peasant. After Carac was informed, the King of the Underground wished to witness the growth in power of this half-blood young man he'd kidnapped as a babe. Daunted, the King soon realized there was no stopping this man from indeed succeeding his place on the throne, even though the promise to his wife had been made mostly to mollify her. Still never telling her of their true origin, Carac fought to keep her from finding her true potential even after beginning to take her brother as an apprentice. As the couple began spending more time in Fey City however, she learned of the truth and confronted Carac. The resulting fight ended with the two parting. Queen Ayleth sought refuge from her estranged husband in Elven Lands where even the High King had no sovereignty, until they were later made to become her own realm. King Leo allowed for the unusual circumstances to pardon her hiding, granting that her Queenship of the Underground would hold her place in the Great Hall and, sequentially, after seeing her remarkably graceful hold take place in the Elven Lands, forming a realm all to herself. The official Kingship of her brother Jareth followed suit, and the former King Carac chose to become a recluse in the Wild.
As she read, Sarah's mouth slowly fell agape, her expression full of intrigue as some pieces of a puzzle fell into place. A puzzle that had nagged at her since her much-too-short conversation with Ayleth.
"So the Histories are revealing themselves to you." Jareth's voice came from behind Sarah, sending her jumping with the startle. She scowled at him for sneaking up on her as she took a deep breath to calm herself.
"It appears that way," Sarah replied sardonically. The effect of his startle now fading, she began to eye him thoughtfully, almost seeing him in a slightly new light after her findings. A small grin grew on his face as he watched her expression.
"With all the mystery fading, what's left for you to be wary of?" His tone was mocking and light, as if knowing that no amount of information she could discover would lessen his mystique in the slightest.
"I'd say there's even more to be wary of." Sarah's retort was accentuated with her glaring eyes. "You were apparently groomed by a literal wolf of a man." Humor only slightly lightened her tone, which was otherwise still marked with ire. She turned more towards him to hold up the book for him to see as she pointed at the amulet, nodding towards the one at his neck. "Carac's creation?"
"How very astute of you. Although, it did take a different shape once I took ownership of it." He fingered the amulet he wore with a fervent respect. "It helps me to enter the mortal world in...disguise." He smirked slightly at his own choice of words.
"You chose an owl," Sarah stated matter-of-factly. "For its...predatorily nocturnal disposition?" She raised an eyebrow somewhat playfully, a smirk of her own beginning to show. The wolfish grin came again in response.
"And for the freedom of flight. How easy it is to follow one's prey and hide high in a tree, unnoticed." His tone was fully taunting as he looked Sarah up and down brazenly in a way that sent her flushing.
"Bastard," she scoffed, her look of disgust momentarily changing into a grin as she realized her own double meaning. "Which, technically…" She trailed off meaningfully with a slight head-tilt, chuckling at the small glare she'd provoked from him. His expression softened, however, and for one brief moment he almost seemed to be enjoying the humor of it along with her.
A question that had been forming during her reading suddenly seemed perfect to voice in this rare opportunity of Jareth's lighter mood.
"You didn't cheat," Sarah blurted, causing him to frown slightly at the unclear statement. "I mean," she continued, almost flustered at her own hastened words. "You didn't cheat as much as Carac, from the sound of it. He used extremely unfair methods to ensure that your sister couldn't win you back, or be set free, yes?" Sarah's clarification of her statement seemed to send the usual cold mask right back onto Jareth's face. She regretted the effect, but she couldn't shake the thought that the story alluded to a much darker experience for Ayleth than the one she'd had herself years ago. Nor could she shake the bewilderment that the thought gave her.
"Carac had grown quite used to getting whatever he wanted his entire life." Jareth seemed to choose his words carefully, even though his tone seemed indifferent.
"And you have not?" Sarah again blurted words before fully considering them. She flinched slightly, knowing she'd just erased whatever warmth that may have still simmered within the Goblin King at the moment.
Jareth gave no response, his jaw clenching as he began to slowly pace to the window and stare out dispassionately.
Sarah was not willing to drop it so easily. "You stole hours from me, gave me an enchanted peach so I'd forget everything, threatened at least one of your subjects to trick me into starting all over. But I still had a chance. I was never forced to lose." She added her last statement slowly as she formulated the revelation. The thought confused her almost painfully, clashing with the other thoughts she'd been having about how similar Carac sounded to certain things about Jareth. The predatory characteristics, the manipulation. But this difference, this important contrast, didn't fit with any of that.
Sarah stood now, cautiously nearing the King that stood so regally before the great window. He made no move to acknowledge her.
"Why, Jareth?" She let her voice openly reveal her genuine confusion. He finally turned his head towards her, eyes alight with something she couldn't begin to read into.
"You truly refuse to understand." The words sounded like an implied question, but his biting tone left no room for an answer. "Ever the stubborn little girl."
Sarah almost felt slapped with the statement before she turned to anger. He turned his gaze back towards the window, eyes leaving hers dismissively.
"At least I'm trying," she spat, voice rising with mounting exasperation and resentment. "When have you ever tried to better understand my side of things, huh? You won't even answer me, much less actually try to give a shit about…"
"Hold your tongue, girl," he hissed, eyes now boring into hers. She fought the urge to cow. "Your insolence may be no surprise but my patience with it wavers." He stood silently for a moment, expression still burning as he watched Sarah's expression move from flinching to icy. "And you have no idea how much I understand." He finished finally as he turned to leave.
Sarah refused to let him have the last word, especially since she was thinking that he'd missed the point entirely.
The arrogance! She thought with exasperation.
"So that's it? You're just walking away because...why? Because I can't read your damned mind?" Her voice cracked as her incredulous frustration mounted.
He stopped without turning to face her. An eternity seemed to pass before he finally turned, expression softened yet still guarded.
"We have work to do, Sarah."
Her shoulders slumped slightly in defeat, but her mouth snapped open to argue before he held up a warning hand, a flash of warning in his expression that seemed to close her mouth. They stared at each other a moment longer in a battle of wills before he continued.
"Now," his tone seemed to lighten suddenly as a playful gleam touched his eyes. "You need to improve your method of travel." A wry grin slowly crept on his face as he watched her expression immediately show confusion. "Join me just outside the Goblin City gate within the next thirteen seconds or prepare for consequences."
His teeth flashed in a grin of full enjoyment before he vanished.
Chest heaving in sudden panic at the way he'd said 'consequences', Sarah scrambled to find the magic in her mind. Barely grazing the surface of those powers, she quickly decided it would have to do as she hurriedly pictured the details of the front gate. At the last second, an image popped into her mind of Jareth leaning against it, tapping a foot impatiently. A triumphant laugh threatened to burst out of her as she felt the ground move.
She was outside the walls, right in front of a Goblin King that leaned exactly as she'd imagined. Her laugh escaped a little as she tried to keep her brain from swimming and her chest from heaving.
"I saw you," she managed to breathlessly say as a mixture of confusion and pride showed on her face. "I could see exactly what you were doing while you were waiting." She smiled fully now, the anger she'd felt only minutes ago now vanishing.
"You're learning," he stated simply. "It would appear that my magic suits you." He raised an eyebrow as a smirk played on his lips. Sarah's rare state of elation was not something he'd let go unaddressed.
She rolled her eyes, but her smile did not fully fade. Reluctantly, she had to admit he must be right, if only to herself. It certainly felt right, even in this short time span of having it.
And moreover, it felt good.
Sarah could not deny the exhilaration, the absolute euphoria she experienced more and more of the further she progressed. She could feel the power growing inside of her. It was that thought that caused a visibly uneasy expression to surface.
"Still dizzy?" Though concern didn't exactly sound in his voice, Jareth's inquiry sounded genuine. Sarah slowly shook her head, still lost in the unsettling churning of emotions that were beginning to bubble inside her.
"The more connected I get to this power...to this realm…" To you, she couldn't bring herself to say aloud. "The farther I'm drifting from my own world, aren't I?" Her eyes were green pools of sincerity as they searched his imploringly.
Jareth's face hardened. Jaw clenched, he canted his head up as he squared his shoulders.
"Yes." His delayed answer came almost coldly. It made Sarah want to scream at him and weep at the same time.
She chose defiance instead.
"You knew. Villainous con artist, you knew damn well that you were taking me forever this time, didn't you?" Her voice raised as her eyes flamed. She hoped they would strike him with lightning.
"There's no other way, Sarah." Even though he wasn't yelling, his voice was resonating somehow more than hers had. "Things were set in motion long ago, things you do not understand."
"Oh I think I might," she spat. "The absolute libertine of a king that decided to trick a young girl to keep her for his own selfish design made a close study out of her brother, and he became the same self-serving ass that would do the same…"
"Yet again you need to watch yourself, Sarah." Mismatched eyes out-burned her green embers as he grabbed her arm in apparent reprimand. "I may show restraint when it comes to your usual headstrong ways, but you will refrain from making assumptions about matters far beyond your few years."
Sarah's expression became absolutely mutinous. Her expression seemed to darken with a fury beyond the earlier fire, the angry tears that had briefly teased them now burned off. Neither of the enraged duo so much as flinched at the crack of thunder, each angry enough to assume it was their own creation. Jareth kept his grip on Sarah's arm despite the sparking vines of lightning now traveling up it. She couldn't tell if it had no effect on him, or if he was simply ignoring and enduring it. Either possibility only fed her fury all the more.
"If I'm so damn young and unknowledgeable," her words came slowly and percussively through clenched teeth. "Then why the hell do you insist on continuing to harass me?"
Even if he'd intended to answer, he couldn't have, for in the next second Sarah was gone.
Cursing in an ancient language, the Goblin King furiously produced a crystal to locate the thorn in his side. The frown on his face soon turned from one of anger to one of confusion. Then to one of panic.
He could not find Sarah at all.
Aaaaand some background info along with characteristic angst.
Thank you to those who have reviewed and thank you to whomever else may be reading, for...well, reading!
