DISCLAIMER: I claim Gorbath and all of his army. The rest is just wishful thinking.
Chapter 6
A great castle stands at the center of a crumbling ruin. Like the remains of some ancient civilization, the Labyrinth has been worn away to nearly nothing. The impenetrable stone walls collapsed, the treacherous forest leveled, and the infamous Bog of Eternal Stench drained to a puddle. Only the castle remained, and that due to the efforts of one Gorbath of Baccha, Warlord of the Shadows and self-named King of the Goblins.
The creatures of the Labyrinth fared little better. Trapped in the castle dungeons, they were slowly but surely beginning to fade. Everything in the Underground was linked to the king by the powerful magic in his medallion. Without him to channel the magic, the land and creatures that depended on it for survival were dying.
After a week with no word from Jareth, the mood in the dungeons had slowly turned from hopeful to morose. Even Hoggle slid into despair after Sir Didymus's arrival. The fox was entirely convinced that Gorbath was the true king and would hear no word against him, even when several other's pointed out the fading magic.
In fact, there was probably only one satisfied person in the entire land, and that was Gorbath himself. His armies were finally arriving from Baccha and he was eagerly anticipating the confrontation with the Goblin King.
A trembling soldier entered the throne room and cowered before the towering Warlord.
"Well? What is it?" Gorbath demanded. The soldier jumped at the sound of his ruler's voice.
"Y-your M-majesty," he said in a voice that was barely a whisper, "t-the army has arrived. The g-general is waiting to see you." He finished in a rush and bowed his head quickly. The Warlord stepped down from the throne and approached the soldier, who swallowed nervously. Gorbath reached out and grabbed the soldier around the neck, lifting him with one hand. The soldier gasped, face turning an ugly shade of purple as he struggled for breath. Just before he passed out, Gorbath threw him to the ground. Ashe gasped for breath, he looked up at the Warlord in fear.
"One does not announce the arrival of my general in a whisper!" He snarled at the soldier. The man gaped at him and Gorbath growled and stomped back to the throne. "Send him in!" he commanded and the soldier clambered out the door in terror. A moment later he was replaced by a large, dignified-looking man who bowed solemnly.
"Aah, General Murgaport. Finally, someone with a brain!" Murgaport smirked at the Warlord.
"Yes, your Majesty. I understand you've been having some trouble with the, ah...former...Goblin King?" From any other man Gorbath would have taken it as an insult, but he merely smiled mockingly at his general.
"Yes, he seems to have abandoned his land and his people in favor of an Earth woman." The general raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"An Earth girl," he mused. "How...intriguing." Now it was Gorbath's turn to look surprised.
"So, you have heard of this Earth place. I should have known as much. Tell me, Murgaport, how long would it take you to seek out this coward for me?" The two men grinned slyly at each other as they began planning.
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"Simon says spin in circles." Obediently, Toby began to twirl around, hands extended to keep his balance.
Jareth was lounging comfortably in a chair, elbows on the arm rests casually as he tried to stump the boy. Sarah wandered in from the kitchen and smirked at her mischievously. She eyed him suspiciously and then glanced at her brother. Toby was still spinning but he had slowed down and stumbled dizzily. Jareth smiled.
"Simon says tickle Sarah." Toby stopped spinning and looked around in confusion, trying to focus his eyes.
"Now wait a minute..." Sarah began but Toby jumped towards her with a gleeful laugh. She jumped away from him, trying to keep the coffee table between them. With a flying leap, Toby jumped over the table and nearly knocked her over. Laughing, she grabbed his wrists to keep him from tickling her. He twisted wildly, trying to get free.
"Jareth, help me! Get her from behind!" Without realizing it, Sarah had ended up with her back to the Goblin King. She let go of Toby with a gasp but before she could move, strong arms encircled her, effectively pinning her helplessly.
"Jareth!" she shrieked as Toby came after her again. Chuckling, Jareth released and she collapsed to the floor, trying to fend of her brother. Giggling Toby bounced up, allowing Sarah to catch her breath. Excited by this new game, he bounced around the room gleefully.
"See, Jareth? Isn't this more fun that turning people into goblins?" Time seemed to stop. Not realizing what he had said, Toby continued to race around the room. He didn't notice that Sarah and Jareth had both stopped laughing.
Sarah stared at Jareth fearfully. How could Toby have said that?!? Things had been going so well. He couldn't remember now, he couldn't! Not when she was just starting to like him. In her panic, Sarah didn't even realize her own thoughts. She only watched Jareth worriedly.
He was staring at the joyful child, a thoughtful expression on his face. Something was wrong, Sarah knew, but she wasn't sure exactly what. She looked closely at Jareth's eyes. From her perspective on the floor, they still looked shadowed but she knew something had changed.
"Jareth?" she asked tentatively, rising slowly to her feet. His head jerked towards her as if he had forgotten she was there. She met his eyes and could see some new emotion hidden in their depths. "Are you okay?" She asked slowly.
His lips parted as if he was going to say something, but then he turned and strode quickly from the room. Sarah could only stand there, stunned. Finally calming down, Toby stared after him in confusion.
"What happened to the game?" he whined. Sarah rounded on him angrily.
"Toby! How could you say that? I told you I didn't want you to mention anything about goblins!" The boy gaped at his usually calm sister.
"What? I didn't do anything wrong! What did I say, Sarah?"
"See, Jareth? Isn't this more fun than turning people into goblins?" She repeated angrily. Toby's mouth dropped open in surprise and Sarah sighed in frustration.
"Sarah?" She turned at the fear in his voice. "What are we gonna do if he's really angry?" He looked so small and frightened that Sarah's anger vanished. She hugged her brother quickly and whispered in his ear.
"Toby, I want you to go up to the attic. Stay there until I come and get you, okay?" Toby nodded but his face was very pale.
"What if you're not there, Sarah?" he whispered back. She smiled reassuringly at him.
"I'll be there for you. I promise."
End Chapter Six.
Chapter 6
A great castle stands at the center of a crumbling ruin. Like the remains of some ancient civilization, the Labyrinth has been worn away to nearly nothing. The impenetrable stone walls collapsed, the treacherous forest leveled, and the infamous Bog of Eternal Stench drained to a puddle. Only the castle remained, and that due to the efforts of one Gorbath of Baccha, Warlord of the Shadows and self-named King of the Goblins.
The creatures of the Labyrinth fared little better. Trapped in the castle dungeons, they were slowly but surely beginning to fade. Everything in the Underground was linked to the king by the powerful magic in his medallion. Without him to channel the magic, the land and creatures that depended on it for survival were dying.
After a week with no word from Jareth, the mood in the dungeons had slowly turned from hopeful to morose. Even Hoggle slid into despair after Sir Didymus's arrival. The fox was entirely convinced that Gorbath was the true king and would hear no word against him, even when several other's pointed out the fading magic.
In fact, there was probably only one satisfied person in the entire land, and that was Gorbath himself. His armies were finally arriving from Baccha and he was eagerly anticipating the confrontation with the Goblin King.
A trembling soldier entered the throne room and cowered before the towering Warlord.
"Well? What is it?" Gorbath demanded. The soldier jumped at the sound of his ruler's voice.
"Y-your M-majesty," he said in a voice that was barely a whisper, "t-the army has arrived. The g-general is waiting to see you." He finished in a rush and bowed his head quickly. The Warlord stepped down from the throne and approached the soldier, who swallowed nervously. Gorbath reached out and grabbed the soldier around the neck, lifting him with one hand. The soldier gasped, face turning an ugly shade of purple as he struggled for breath. Just before he passed out, Gorbath threw him to the ground. Ashe gasped for breath, he looked up at the Warlord in fear.
"One does not announce the arrival of my general in a whisper!" He snarled at the soldier. The man gaped at him and Gorbath growled and stomped back to the throne. "Send him in!" he commanded and the soldier clambered out the door in terror. A moment later he was replaced by a large, dignified-looking man who bowed solemnly.
"Aah, General Murgaport. Finally, someone with a brain!" Murgaport smirked at the Warlord.
"Yes, your Majesty. I understand you've been having some trouble with the, ah...former...Goblin King?" From any other man Gorbath would have taken it as an insult, but he merely smiled mockingly at his general.
"Yes, he seems to have abandoned his land and his people in favor of an Earth woman." The general raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"An Earth girl," he mused. "How...intriguing." Now it was Gorbath's turn to look surprised.
"So, you have heard of this Earth place. I should have known as much. Tell me, Murgaport, how long would it take you to seek out this coward for me?" The two men grinned slyly at each other as they began planning.
--------------
"Simon says spin in circles." Obediently, Toby began to twirl around, hands extended to keep his balance.
Jareth was lounging comfortably in a chair, elbows on the arm rests casually as he tried to stump the boy. Sarah wandered in from the kitchen and smirked at her mischievously. She eyed him suspiciously and then glanced at her brother. Toby was still spinning but he had slowed down and stumbled dizzily. Jareth smiled.
"Simon says tickle Sarah." Toby stopped spinning and looked around in confusion, trying to focus his eyes.
"Now wait a minute..." Sarah began but Toby jumped towards her with a gleeful laugh. She jumped away from him, trying to keep the coffee table between them. With a flying leap, Toby jumped over the table and nearly knocked her over. Laughing, she grabbed his wrists to keep him from tickling her. He twisted wildly, trying to get free.
"Jareth, help me! Get her from behind!" Without realizing it, Sarah had ended up with her back to the Goblin King. She let go of Toby with a gasp but before she could move, strong arms encircled her, effectively pinning her helplessly.
"Jareth!" she shrieked as Toby came after her again. Chuckling, Jareth released and she collapsed to the floor, trying to fend of her brother. Giggling Toby bounced up, allowing Sarah to catch her breath. Excited by this new game, he bounced around the room gleefully.
"See, Jareth? Isn't this more fun that turning people into goblins?" Time seemed to stop. Not realizing what he had said, Toby continued to race around the room. He didn't notice that Sarah and Jareth had both stopped laughing.
Sarah stared at Jareth fearfully. How could Toby have said that?!? Things had been going so well. He couldn't remember now, he couldn't! Not when she was just starting to like him. In her panic, Sarah didn't even realize her own thoughts. She only watched Jareth worriedly.
He was staring at the joyful child, a thoughtful expression on his face. Something was wrong, Sarah knew, but she wasn't sure exactly what. She looked closely at Jareth's eyes. From her perspective on the floor, they still looked shadowed but she knew something had changed.
"Jareth?" she asked tentatively, rising slowly to her feet. His head jerked towards her as if he had forgotten she was there. She met his eyes and could see some new emotion hidden in their depths. "Are you okay?" She asked slowly.
His lips parted as if he was going to say something, but then he turned and strode quickly from the room. Sarah could only stand there, stunned. Finally calming down, Toby stared after him in confusion.
"What happened to the game?" he whined. Sarah rounded on him angrily.
"Toby! How could you say that? I told you I didn't want you to mention anything about goblins!" The boy gaped at his usually calm sister.
"What? I didn't do anything wrong! What did I say, Sarah?"
"See, Jareth? Isn't this more fun than turning people into goblins?" She repeated angrily. Toby's mouth dropped open in surprise and Sarah sighed in frustration.
"Sarah?" She turned at the fear in his voice. "What are we gonna do if he's really angry?" He looked so small and frightened that Sarah's anger vanished. She hugged her brother quickly and whispered in his ear.
"Toby, I want you to go up to the attic. Stay there until I come and get you, okay?" Toby nodded but his face was very pale.
"What if you're not there, Sarah?" he whispered back. She smiled reassuringly at him.
"I'll be there for you. I promise."
End Chapter Six.