Chapter Twenty-Eight: Brother Against Brother

The scenery below passed with blurring speed, and became blocked occasionally
by whispy gray clouds. Through eyes that had changed, just slightly, and were now
surrounded by snowy white down, she saw the land, and the sky, and the Underground...
spread out so far in all directions.

And to her side Jareth soared, the beat of his wing hitching only slightly from the
injury that had been received. Even in this different form she could feel his power, his raw
magic all around, drifting in the air near them.

Suddenly the castle spires, as if emerging from the darkest seas, protruded into the
night sky. Jareth swooped lower, heading towards his home, so that his wounds could be
dressed and he could at last rest. Sarah herself wanted only to forget her previous life, and
bask in the fantasy of the Underground.

Ever downwards they drifted, towards a window which burned with orange
illumination. Jareth dove into, his wings unfurling with magical luminess and splendor.
His owl form taking on the shape of what was real, his human appearance. Sarah lighted
beside him, and instantly found herself changed once more, as dramatically as it had been
when she had first turned into the owl.

He struggled backwards, colliding with the wall, and gripped his wounded
shoulder in one paled hand. A horrid grimace of agony spread upon his noble face, as
Jareth allowed the flare of pain to pass. Sarah rushed to his side, helping him to move
towards the bed within the chambers, so that he might rest.

"Ah, the mighty king falters, it is always a sad day when such a thing occurs," a
sinister voice stated from within the faintly lit chambers.

Jareth's entire body tightened at the sound, and cold chills rushed up and down his
spine. He swept his gaze about the room, and found himself staring at the one man he had
wished he would never see again. The cold, nearly white eyes drilled into Jareth's, as he
met the gaze of this Fae King.

"Nicholas, your presence is not welcome here!" Jareth stated, forcing Sarah to
leave him be as he strode towards the menacing Lord.

Nicholas cocked his head, his raven mane sweeping around his face in the process.
He clasped his hands together for a moment, as his expression was overcome with
confusion. Then, placing a single finger to the side of his lips, he caught Jareth once more
with his icy gaze.

"Not welcome, Goblin King? I believe, that I am the one to make those decisions,
and I am welcome everywhere. It is this guest of yours who is not meant to be here.
Need we make the same mistake as the last time?" Nicholas threatened, as he, ever so
slowly, removed one glove and the other.

Jareth chuckled under his breath, his sapphire gaze flashing with anger, despite the
obvious suffering he was taking. He was weakened, but would not admit it. Sarah lunged
forwards, upon hearing this stranger address her presence with Jareth, ready to fight for
her right to remain by the Goblin King's side.

Nicholas scarcely moved. However, in an instant Sarah found herself forced
backwards, upon the downy bed. Her arms were secured at her wrists with tightly coiled
wire, and her legs bound together at her ankles. She squirmed, trying to yell or at least
voice her complaints, but found that her voice had been taken, and she was able to make
not a single sound.

"Haven't you taught them to be obedient? Your lovely pet, mortals...," Nicholas
remarked, slowly strolling beside the bed as his eyes raked across Sarah's body.

"How did you know?" Jareth inquired, forcing Nicholas to bring his attention away
from Sarah.

The high King shrugged slightly, a smile gracing his thin lips as he returned to face
Jareth. There would be time to admire this latest human when his brother had been
properly dealt with. Nicholas glanced briefly into the darkened hallway, through the open
door and then back towards Jareth.

"I have my sources," Nicholas responded cryptically.

A flash of utter black stole past the doorway, and caught Jareth's attentive eye.
He looked towards the passage for a long time, and then, with a sigh, shook his head. He
had been set up from the beginning.... It had been but a matter of time.

"My most trusted advisor... I knew, almost, that he was not as he claimed to be,"
Jareth responded briefly, dwelling on the feelings of horror he had experienced around
Flagg.

Nicholas laughed, and then slowly walked closer to his brother. Time was
becoming short. He reached out one hand and placed it upon Jareth bloodied wound,
sensing the pain that emanated forth from it. There was no way the Goblin King could
fight, which would make the punishment that much more easy.

"The guards are now breaking through your weak defenses, and soon I will take
you prisoner, brother, for committing high treason.... punishable by death!" Nicholas's icy
eyes flashed with evil malice.

Sarah violent wrenching to break free ceased at the word "death." Jareth remained
poised still, his expression upon his face seemingly unchanged. However, she knew that
within, the Goblin King was a turmoil of feelings. She tore at the wire, flailing like a wild
animal, trapped for the first time. Her wrists and ankles ripped, bleeding on the oversized
bed, but she ignored the pain and the raw flesh exposed to the elements.

Jareth turned from his brother, and fixed Sarah's wild gaze with his own, bidding
her to be still. There was nothing he could do, and she would only injure herself further
should she continue to struggle. He walked to the window and peered out, noting, for the
first time, the torches which shone all around his castle, the clashing noise, the hordes
marching inside as the defense was broken.

"It won't be long now," Nicholas remarked as he walked up beside his brother,
"So sad, Jareth, how you just cannot seem to win."

Nicholas' words ended in laughter, and it drove like a pick into Jareth's skull. The
mask of indifference that the Goblin King wore, broke, and shattered beyond recognition.
He ground his teeth, and set his jaw, his hands balling into tightened fists.

With the speed of lightning, Jareth caught his brother, and brought the man to
dangle out of the high window. Nicholas's cocky expression faded to sheer terror, as he
clawed at Jareth's arms, finding himself completely at his brother's grace. His eyes
opened wide, and the look of the young boy reappeared as life seemed to be so nearly
over.

Sarah watched, horrified, her squirming finally done. She could not say a thing,
but knew, in her heart, that Jareth would be unable to kill his brother. She swallowed, and
then glanced towards the large, standing clock, which showed the passage of seconds,
while Nicholas' guards marched towards them.

"I should kill you, Nicholas, just to put you out of your misery! To be rid of that
cold heart! Do you know how easy it would be, for me to lose my grip and allow that
forsaken body to plummet to the ground. You would die, my brother, for at my hands,
that immortality is nonexistent!" Jareth shook his brother briefly as he spoke, his voice low
and menacing.

The magical incantation that had dropped upon Sarah fell away, as Nicholas forgot
about it. She cleared her throat, touching it briefly to be sure that everything was still in
tact. Then, determined that there would be no more bloodshed that day, Sarah forced
herself to call to Jareth.

"Please, Jareth, don't," she begged, rapping a bit on the wooden bedposts to draw
his attention towards her.

Jareth turned, the greater half of his brother still dangling from the window, while
Nicholas' legs flailed about within the castle. The Goblin King looked at her, his emotions
devoid from his face, but he looked so horribly tired, exhausted from everything, done
with life in general.

"Nicholas, I will spare your pathetic life, but if you ever attempt to find me again, I
swear by my life's blood, that you will forever rue the day! There will be no place for you
to hide, no solace in the night, for at every turn I can be there, and I will not save you
another time," Jareth conceded, and then removed his hands from his brother.

Nicholas squirmed inside, and slinked into the farthest corner, appearing as close
to the cretin that was hidden within his ageless fae body, as was possible. His pale eyes
darted from Jareth to Sarah, and then back again, fearing for his life still.

"You will be caught by my guards," Nicholas threatened, his voice coming out as a
scant squeak.

Jareth ignored the half-hearted attempts at frightening him, and instead walked to
Sarah's side. She managed a slight smile, trying to boost his shattered spirits, but found
herself unable to do anything of the such. Instead he reached over and touched her pained
wrists, the wires fading to nothing but a spray of shattered gems, which rained upon the
bed, as her ankles were freed along with them.

"We haven't got much time, Sarah," Jareth remarked, throwing a dangerous look
towards his brother, whom still cowered in the darkened corner.

Sarah nodded in agreement, and, rubbing her now healed wrists, rose to her feet.
She could easily hear the sound of hundreds of feet, pounding down the hallways, on the
way to capture the Goblin King. God only knew what would become of Jareth should he
be captured, Sarah only understood that the death would be excruciatingly painful, and
horridly drawn out.

They raced from the room without another look back towards Nicholas, Jareth
grabbing Sarah's hand in his own. Entering the hallway, they at last realized their lack of
time, when the glimmering orange hues from the countless torches danced about around
the corner. Hundreds of voiced, and clashing of armor resounded, and the fleeing two
rushed the other way.

They skidded to a halt once more, the escape route already blocked by another
individual which Jareth knew all too well. He stepped forward, anger glinting in the deep
recesses of his eyes, and faced his adversary.

"How long, how long have you played one against the other, Flagg? Since we
were boys, no doubt? Was it you who convinced Nicholas to tell our father about my sin,
and you who told him what happened between me and the mortal realm? And you who
brought my brother here today," Jareth ended, stopping only a scant foot away from the
dark mystic.

Flagg did not utter a word, but kept his head slightly bowed, and his hood draped
over so that nothing of his face could be seen. Yet, it seemed as if, from all around, the
sound of his sinister laughter rang along the walls, through the chambers, and to the
Goblin King's ears.

At last Flagg raised his head, and fixed Jareth with the look of utter death. From
within the darkness that was cast by the heavy hood, burned two embers of red, where
eyes should have been. They danced with fire of Hell, and with insanity, plagues, death!

"Jareth, you know not what you deal with," Flagg did not speak, but his voice
surrounded them much the same as the laughter had done, moments earlier.

Sarah cringed at the sound, sensing something so very familiar in it that it nearly
drove her mad. She tugged at the Goblin King's arm, bidding him to leave, to run away
from this horrible thing that resided in the guise of a man, which it most certainly was not.

"Leave my sight, demon!" Jareth demanded, his power radiating off of him in beats
of energy.

Flagg laughed again, in response, but stepped back. He had no real reason to
engage in a fight, at least not at that time. Chaos had been roused already, brother had
been pitted against brother, and a son had been murdered by the hands of his father. It
seemed, to Flagg, that his work was done. He bowed with mock respect before the
magical king and then vanished completely from sight.

"There!" a sudden proclamation broke the stunned silence that had encompassed
both Jareth and Sarah.

They turned in unison to see the royal guard closing in, running down the hall with
swords drawn, and spears pointed at the two criminals. Several went into the room,
checking the king, who had called for help, most assuredly. However, the majority rushed
at Jareth and Sarah.

"Hurry, come on!" Jareth demanded, grabbing Sarah by the hand once more to
lead her away from the mob.

They raced down the passage, the sounds of unruly guards at their heels. Jareth's
usual fluid gait, was shattered, pain rambling through his body like a beast. He winced,
lingering back a few seconds, as Sarah tugged at his arm, urging him onwards. The
guards were not slowing, and soon more would appear, to, perhaps, trap them.

Jareth flung open a chamber door, shoving Sarah inside, and then firmly securing it
closed. He overturned the wardrobe, guiding it to fall in front of the door, to create a few
extra minutes of safety from the guards. He then rushed to the balcony, throwing the
heavy velvet curtains aside and casting open the French doors.

"We're stuck, Jareth!" Sarah exclaimed, rushing beside him as she gazed, with
terror, down at the ground, nearly three floors below them. She shivered in response to
the height.

Jareth carefully removed his torn and stained jacket, cringing at the pain from
moving his arms. He tossed it down, allowing it to ride the wind currents as it made its
way to the ground below. Sarah watched, her terror mounting in her stomach as the first
battering against the fortified door began.

"We are dead if we stay!" he stated ominously and then turned to look deeply into
her chestnut eyes.

Sarah swallowed, and glanced back at the door, which now appeared to sway
inwards from the pressure of the countless guards on the other side. Then, with a sigh,
she placed her hands firmly upon the stone railing of the balcony. She looked towards
Jareth and then nodded.

He took her hand into his, and urged her closer. Sarah allowed it, suddenly finding
that the terrors of the battle outside of the door were disappearing into oblivion. He drew
her to his body, wrapping his arms around her waist and gazed into her flicking eyes. An
appearance of extreme serenity graced his features, and she delved into his wonderful
presence.

Jareth moved forward, pressing his lips to hers in a heated kiss that sealed them
together for that moment of bliss. She locked her hands around his neck, running her
fingers through his golden man of hair. Her mind felt at ease, and everything suddenly
became right, as his kisses deepened, passion intermingling with intense need.

She only vaguely heard the sound of the wood splinter, as an ax burst through the
door. Voices cheered themselves onwards, as they surmounted the obstacle and forced
their way into the chambers. The many clambered over the wardrobe, several batting at it,
chopping the lovely piece into splinters.

"Brother, the time has come to give yourself to me!" Nicholas proclaimed as he
casually stepped over the ruins of the door and the wardrobe.

He paused as blank faces turned towards him. All seemed stunned, and they
lowered their drawn weapons, shaking their heads in disbelief. There was no way to get
out of the room, besides the balcony, and it was impossible to scale the wall of the castle
without plummeting to the ground. Jareth was immortal, but the female certainly was not.

"Where are they?" Nicholas growled as he rushed in and peered over the side of
the balcony.

Far below, lit by the dancing illumination of many torches, he saw the tattered
remains of Jareth's jacket. The Goblin King, however, was nowhere to be seen. Nicholas
yelled in frustration, and slammed his fists upon the rail. He turned abruptly and stormed
back inside, looking from one guard to another.

"We had no...," one began.

Nicholas flew at the one who had decided to speak. His rage erupted into
horrifying clarity, and the guard shrunk away, trembling uncontrollable. Then,
straightening his attire, the young King walked away, mumbling something to himself as
he left the stunned guards to ponder....

How had they gotten out???