Nightcall
The forest was dense and heavy. Unlike the stone maze, Sarah felt the heat of the sun on her during the day. The nights were bright enough for Sarah to continue traveling because the moon was nearing its full phase. She managed to stuff enough of the purple fruit into her pockets that food wouldn't be an issue for at least a few days.
Sarah noted how beautiful the forest was. The trees were incredibly large, reaching up a few dozen feet. They were thick at the base, reminding her of the large spruce trees she admired along the coast in the Pacific Northwest. The ground was covered in ferns, decaying logs, and soft moss. She was surrounded by the sounds of birds and insects, but the only other creature Sarah had come upon was what looked to be some sort of deer.
On her third night in the forest, the now full moon hung overhead in a cloudless sky. The moonlight weaved its way through the trees, allowing patches to rain down on the forest floor. Having found a makeshift walking path, Sarah traveled down it for a couple of miles when she heard a branch snap in the distance ahead of her. Looking forward, she saw a large and imposing shape walking upright amongst the shadows.
Should I flip a coin? Nice or deadly?
The creature let out a howl.
I'm guessing deadly.
Sarah dropped to her knees, ducking behind a large fern as she watched the creature in the distance stride on two feet away from her. She hoped to stay as silent as possible until it was out of view, then find a place to hide out for the night.
I knew this lovely moon was too good to be true.
When the creature was no longer in sight, Sarah slowly rose from her hiding spot and surveyed her surroundings. Looking for a fallen tree she might crawl underneath until the sun rose, she spotted one that appeared to be a large enough about forty feet away.
Sarah made her way over to the branch a few steps at a time, as silent as possible and cautious to keep her eyes towards where she last saw the creature. Only a few feet from the fallen log, she was just about to sigh in relief when the creature crawled on top of the very spot she was aiming to reach, staring at her as though it expected her to make this stupid mistake. Slowly, it raised itself up on its hind legs.
It was at least seven feet tall and lanky. Its hinged hind legs kept the beast upright and its front paws carried incredibly long claws, reminding Sarah of steak knives. Its head was more human, but its long snout and ferocious teeth were all wolf. Its fur was a mixture of cocoa brown and black. But by far the most disarming feature were the eyes. The creature had orange eyes, so incredibly bright and sharp that she almost felt herself absorbed by the animal's gaze, until it let out a deep and ferocious growl.
The two stood still for a moment in a standoff before the creature took a step towards Sarah. Taking her cue, she bolted in the opposite direction as quickly as she could, only to feel the wolf's claws slash into her back a moment later, cutting through her leather jacket and tattering her shirt, making sharp contact with her flesh underneath.
Sarah screamed and fell to her knees from the force of the blow, rolling onto her back. The creature positioned itself above her, a drip of saliva landing on her chest as it reared its teeth. Quickly, she reached behind her waist and grabbed her dagger from its sheath. As the beast lunged for her, she sank her dagger into its right cheek and pulled down hard, slashing open the right side of its mouth.
The creature reared itself back, letting out a pained shriek. Sarah scrambled to her feet and ran, the adrenaline pumping through her masking any pain. Looking around for any possible escape, she noticed a nearby tree with branches low enough for her to climb.
Maybe if I can get high enough, I'll have some advantage.
She reached the tree and began climbing as quickly as her legs would allow, hearing the beast's steps coming closer. The werewolf was at her feet only a few moments later, grabbing her right ankle and yanking her down from the tree, causing Sarah to fall back and land on it, taking it to the ground with her.
Realizing her angle, Sarah quickly took her dagger and rammed it into the creature's left shoulder, twisting it hard. The werewolf let out a wail, grabbing Sarah and throwing her against the tree. Her head slammed against the trunk, blurring her vision and causing a splicing ring in her ears. She fell in a heap on the ground.
Barely conscious from the blow, Sarah attempted to bring herself up but was met with an overwhelming nausea. She collapsed back down to the ground. She laid there dazed for a few moments before she heard the werewolf approach, its feet crunching down on the ground behind her.
Suddenly, she felt an intense vibration emanating from her chest. Moving her hand, she clutched the pebble necklace Ludo gave her. It was shaking wildly.
Then she felt the ground next to her give way, the wolf positioned over the top of her. She felt the wolf's hot breath on the back of her neck. Sarah braced for the impending bite, tensing her muscles and forcing her eyes shut. She forced her thoughts towards Jareth, pictured him smiling and holding out his hands to her, kissing her in the way that made her knees go weak.
I'm sorry, Jareth...
Just as the beast opened its jaws, a low rumble rose in the distance. The ground began to shake violently. It felt as if a stampede of elephants were charging through the forest. The werewolf turned away from Sarah just as a tidal wave of rocks, in all shapes and sizes, rolled into view, headed straight for them. The werewolf sprinted away, the wave of rocks following close behind.
As the rocks chased after the wolf, the forest quieted down, and the last thing Sarah remembered before passing out was the vibrating pebble against her chest.
Thank you, Ludo.
~.~.~.~.~.~
She's climbing up and up and up. She's exhausted and wet and cold... one more step... then the doors... then the fire...
Sarah heard birds chirping in the trees above. A slight breeze moved a fern that tickled her cheek. Opening her eyes, she lifted herself from the ground and onto her knees, the sting of her back and the deep throbbing in her head reminding her of the night before.
She looked around, hoping there was no sign of the werewolf from the night before, but she could smell blood thick in the air. Sarah recognized the smell; metallic and faintly sweet.
Am I smelling my blood?
Slowly, she brought herself to her feet, steadying her swaying body against the trunk of the tree she had been thrown against the night before. Instinctively, she grabbed her pebble necklace. There were no vibrations emanating from it.
What the fuck happened?
Sarah reached for her dagger to find it missing from its sheath.
Shit, I left it in the shoulder of that thing.
Thankfully, her canister of water was still attached to her belt. She drank down a good deal of it before pouring it over her head to wash off the dried blood caked on her scalp.
"Fuck that hurts!" She seethed.
"You're telling me!"
Sarah's gaze shot up to find a man walking towards her. He was naked, with strawberry blonde hair cut short. Amongst all the dirt and blood caked to his body, Sarah made out a rather large scar across his lean torso. He was holding his right hand up to his torn and bloody cheek, and she could clearly make out her dagger protruding from his left shoulder. Sarah noted that his eyes, however, weren't orange, but a sky blue.
"Are you the bitch that put this dagger in me?" The man asked, annoyance lacing his words.
Sarah stood there, stunned. "Are you the asshole that tried to kill and eat me last night?"
The man stood there, stoic for a few seconds, before a smile broke out over his face, followed quickly by a sharp gasp of pain. He clutched his cheek harder. "Fair enough. Let's call it even."
The man took another step in Sarah's direction, and she quickly jumped back. "Don't come any closer!"
The man cocked his head and sighed in agitation. "Do I look like I'm in any condition to harm you? Clearly, no. So please, calm down."
Sarah frowned. "Calm down? You tried to kill me last night, nearly did, and now you are asking me to calm down?"
The man took a step back. "Fair enough. Listen, I apologize for what happened, but please believe me, when I take my wolf form, I cannot help what happens. Luckily, the full moon comes only once a month. And I promise the Immortal me is much nicer than the wolf me." He winked.
"I have a cabin nearby. If you help me remove your dagger from my shoulder, I will gladly give it back. I can also help patch you up as well. Plus, I must know about those bloody rocks. They chased me for miles. I finally had to climb up the largest tree I could find to avoid them crushing me to death!"
Sarah attempted to stifle a laugh. "I honestly thought I hallucinated that bit. I must have passed out right after the rocks chased you away."
The man smirked. "Oh, no. Those rocks were very real. Name's Pentar... and you are?"
"Sarah."
~.~.~.~.~.~
"Well... this is an interesting development."
Jareth froze in a seated position on the floor of the oubliette in front of the crystal. Fabien sat next to him, watching the scene unfold.
"I was sure the Minotaur would have killed her, but she avoided it. You have saddled yourself to quite the woman."
Jareth let out a low growl between his gritted teeth as Fabien continued talking.
"And coming upon the desmirium herd was quite the stroke of luck."
Fabien turned his attention from the crystal to kneel in front of Jareth, looking him in the eyes. "But to be slashed by a Lycan?" Fabien tsked. Jareth grimaced.
"We both know what will come of that."
~.~.~.~.~.~
"Ah! Damn it, woman!"
"Hold still or it will hurt worse! And for crying out loud, stop talking!" Sarah did a semi-decent job of suturing Pentar's mouth, given she had absolutely zero medical training. Despite Pentar being aware of this, he made every effort to comment on her poor skills.
"Honestly, I should just pull out the bloody dagger myself!"
Sarah rolled her eyes, and with one last quick jolt, removed the dagger. "There! It's out."
"Try to do a better job suturing my shoulder than you did my mouth!" Pentar made for a very ungrateful patient but thankfully he had a good amount of homemade ale on hand that he and Sarah imbibed on before helping one another clean and treat their wounds.
"Pentar, how did you become... what you are?" She asked as she began suturing his shoulder.
Pentar took a swig of ale before answering. "A bloody wolf came at me out of nowhere one early morning as I was hunting deer. It apparently didn't want the competition. Took a good slash at my torso and lunged for my neck, but I slew the beast. A few weeks later, when the moon was full, I found myself horrendously sick in my bed. It felt as if every bone in my body was breaking and my skin was going to tear into pieces.
"Suddenly, all I could think about was hunting and killing, so I ran into the night. It wasn't until I awoke the next morning, naked and alone in the woods, snuggled up next to a boar's carcass, that I learned what I was. The Lycan lore runs deep in my home Kingdom."
"What Kingdom is that?"
"Cindra. Are you familiar?"
"No, can't say I am. I'm rather new to the Underground. I've only been here a few short months." Sarah said, rather sheepishly.
Pentar glared at her. "What do you mean you've only been in the Underground a few short months?"
Sarah met Pentar's gaze, pausing from her suturing. "The Goblin King brought me here. He's my... well, we're together."
Pentar went rigid. "You and the Goblin King? Fabien's brother? What the bloody hell are you doing in his Labyrinth, then? And by the way, you still owe me an explanation for that stampede of rocks!"
Sarah let out a sigh. "It's a long story."
Pentar sat back and grabbed another goblet of ale. "I have all the time in the Underground. Start talking."
~.~.~.~.~.~
Something about the casualness and familiarity of Pentar put Sarah at ease. She found this strange, given how they came to meet one another, but Pentar reminded Sarah of some of her college friends. He had an ease and carefree way of looking at his situation.
Pentar told Sarah how his village banished him upon learning about his lycanthropy. He decided to make his way to the Outer Lands seeking refuge. Upon meeting Fabien, he was welcomed and promised land and freedom.
"But it was all a trick. That bloody bastard trapped me here in his Labyrinth! Now I'm unable to leave this wooded area. You have no idea how lonely I've been. Other than the Healer, you are the first person I've seen in decades."
"Decades? How long have you been here?"
"27 years." Pentar winced and Sarah didn't know if it was because of his injuries or the reminder of how long he had been imprisoned here.
Sarah sat back in her chair before wincing in pain herself and leaning forward yet again.
"Careful! I don't want the hassle of re-packing your back with herbs. Try not to disturb them." Pentar arched his brows like a scolding schoolteacher.
Sarah let out a light laugh. "And I don't want you popping a stitch, so try to move your lips with a little less enthusiasm!"
"Fair enough." Pentar choked down a laugh. "Luckily, as Lycan, we heal quickly. In two days' time, we should be good as new."
Sarah's heart jumped in her chest. "You mean you will be good as new?"
Pentar attempted a smirk. "No, I'm quite certain I said we. We as in you and I."
Fuck...
"Are you telling me I'm Lycan?"
Pentar's features softened. "Sorry to break it to you. Those wounds on your back sealed the deal. You know, you're more than welcome to stay with me. I wouldn't mind having another Lycan around. Could be fun!"
Sarah concentrated on her breathing.
In through the nose, out the mouth.
Lycan. She was now a Lycan. Just like Pentar, like that thing he became in the forest. She had to solve this Labyrinth. She had to find its end before the next full moon. If she could get to Jareth, she was sure he would know of a cure.
Sarah attempted to stand, only to have her weakened state land her right back in her seat. "I really should move on as soon as I'm able. Apparently, I only have twenty-nine days or so to try to solve this fucking Labyrinth."
Pentar furrowed his brows before something akin to sympathy washed over his face, sending a chill up her spine. Clearly, he knew something she didn't.
"Well then, I suggest we rest until we're healed. In the meantime, I can help you gather food for your journey. I also have a shirt that should fit you fine. Sorry, I don't have any jackets worthy of replacing yours."
Sarah attempted a smile. "The food and shirt will be enough. The jacket isn't too cut up thankfully, but I did manage to lose all the purple fruit I stuffed in my pockets during our encounter last night."
Pentar scrunched up his nose. "Oh, was that why you smelled so horrid? I wondered about that. Honestly, I could smell you a mile away. I make every effort to avoid the lechis fruit."
Sarah let out a frustrated sigh. "Shit. Nothing is for free here, is it? Food is so scarce, I didn't have much of an option, really. And that damned fruit led you right to me!"
Pentar took a swig of his ale. "Pretty much. But don't worry, I have plenty of food to share. Don't want you continuing empty-handed on your way to the Healer."
Sarah's ears perked up. "Who's the Healer? You mentioned him earlier."
Pentar leaned back in his chair. "He's trapped here in the Labyrinth as well. Bloody Fabien promised the Healer land and freedom... just like me... and the Healer fell for it... just like me."
"Has he also been trapped here for 27 years?" Sarah asked.
"Longer. He was here before me. He's quite old. As I understand it, his brother lives in the Goblin Kingdom's Labyrinth. You might know him! He lives in the hedge maze with a bird for a hat." Pentar took another swig of ale, watching Sarah intently.
"The Wiseman who asked me the riddles, that's the Healer's brother?"
Pentar rubbed his chin. "Right... I remember the Healer telling me his brother was big into riddles. Anyway, I'm sure the Healer would be thrilled to meet you and hear how his brother is fairing. He can also help you out with your... situation."
Sarah pressed her lips into a fine line. "What situation are you referring to? My run or my lycanthropy?"
"Both. When we met, the Healer offered me a tonic that can help suppress my transformation. I declined it, as I figured Fabien would have me killed if he knew I was attempting to avoid transitioning. I'm sure the Healer can offer the same tonic to you. If you start off soon, you should just about reach him before the next full moon."
Sarah's breath hitched in her lungs. "Wait, the journey is that far?"
Pentar stilled before nodding slowly. "Sarah, I don't think you've quite grasped yet the scope of this place. Solving this Labyrinth will take… time."
Sarah attempted to calm her shaking nerves before asking the question she dreaded. "How much time?"
Pentar let out a short sigh. "I don't know exactly. But if I were you, I'd stop counting the days."
Author's Note:
Song:
Nightcall by Kavinsky
You can find The Keepers playlist on my Spotify account: EastOfGatewood
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XOXO