Disclaimer: not mine; copyright Labyrinth Enterprises (at least, that's what it says on my copy
of the movie). The outtake of the poem is from "Stolen Child" by W.B. Yeats.
Diamond Tears
Chapter 11 Enalkyrah
Running, the twelve, five, two steps to her friends. Hoggle the one she always called first.
Hoggle the one she bumped into, stumbled over and fell down with, barely avoiding the fire.
He didn't move. Sarah shouted his name, tried to get the dwarf to stand, looked bewildered
around and finally realized the silence.
Even the flames seemed frozen.
Like waxen figures her friends silently busied themselves with their rising and preparing
breakfast, the driftwood shelter their eerie décor. The tattered once white sail roofing the three
shaggy walls did not flap about in the wind, as it should, but hung suspended in mid-
movement.
John the Storyteller poured boiling water from a kettle into a pot through an old colander
filled with tealeaves. Bending his body away a bit to avoid steam circling from the water like
a frozen mist hanging over the pot.
Dog yawned, front paws stretched tight, back and tail up. He would have been such a life like
statue- Didymus brushed of his blue bonnet with his shirtsleeve, no dust on –his- knightly
cap! But the specs he brushed off shimmered unwavering in front of him. And poor Hoggle?
With some effort and a low grunt, Sarah pulled Hoggle in a standing position. He held a now
broken bread in his hands. His mouth was open as if speaking and his gaze must have been
down on Didymus. Sarah had turned him somewhat.
Sarah stood, silenced herself, waiting, arms tightly around herself. Even facing imminent
death while falling from the hay cart had not scared her half as much as the fear she felt now.
For from the skies came a blue dragon and she could do nothing to protect her bewitched
friends.
No! Sarah refused to do it- she refused to give up! If this dragon had been sent by Jareth, than
he would only delay her and -somehow- she should be able to scare it away or something.
Sarah took one of the sturdier sticks from the fire to use as club, saw Didymus's rapier at his
side, mumbled a hasty apology and took the blade. He had purchased the thing after Ludo
defeated him and it was just his size. What made it a long dagger in Sarah's hand. It would be
best if the beast attention would not be immediately drawn to her helpless friends. So Sarah
stepped outside, afraid, pale, knife in hand.
And if the dragon came from the witch- then where the hell was a Saint Georges when you
needed one?
Outside, Sarah already was awaited. About twenty yards from the shelter the dragon, as big as
a dinosaur-, which it probably was, in a way, lay on his belly in the sand. Its paws were
demurely crossed before him and he stared at Sarah with golden, somewhat slanted eyes
without iris or pupil. The narrow head bent in greeting, small tufts of a darker blue for a
goatee and mane. The dragon's scales shimmered a metallic blue, his enormous bat like
wings closed over his back, hiding the pale green spikes Sarah had seen earlier. Two long,
elegant white horns bent away from the head in one lazy curve upward from his forehead. The
magnificent animal looked everything like a satisfied dozing cat. Sarah instinctively
mistrusted the beast- besides, she was a dog person.
"And what, little one, did you have in mind with that toothpick?" the dragon said in a
decidedly British upper class baritone.
Sarah smiled the smile she always smiled while pretending to be friendly and compliant
towards Karen, coming about three steps closer and thus maintaining her distance.
"Oh great, you're talking" she sighed, with some pretence of trusting relief.
If the animal had had brows, he would have lifted them high on his forehead.
"My dear young lady, I am no threat to you. Indeed, I mean to aid you, not to harm
you.
"Well, what would you expect," Sarah answered, tilting her head a little and pushing
back her hair with her free hand. "with my friends bewitched and everything except you and
me frozen!"
"Frozen they only seem, little one. It is -you- who is under a spell. The gracious magic
of my benevolent mistress, Enalkyrah the Enchantress, princess of the realm, in exile. She,
like all of her brethren, the high Fae who rule over the Goblin realm, The Labyrinth and the
surrounding lands, has mastery over time. You have been generously drawn into the tiniest of
moments where time no longer has meaning. It holds. It cannot go forwards, backwards -or-
sideways."
Sarah crossed her arms defensively before her, blade pointing straight up almost toughing her
face. It was good to hear nothing was wrong with the others- but it probably meant she herself
was in some kind of danger. Some danger not provided by Jareth. So she'd better thought
before reacting
"And what is 'sideways' supposed to mean?"
"To create an opening in the fabric of time and space and walk a distance of a
thousand miles with no more trouble than crossing a threshold."
"Fascinating."
"Indeed."
"And the purpose of this 'generosity'?" Sarah had to work very hard on repressing a
mischievous grin. Perhaps the royal twins were a bit more alike than they cared to admit.
"Your protection, child. The Princess wishes to discuss your recent troubles with your
mutual opponent, the Goblin King. She desires to aid you in your quest, so your victory shall
be in some small way her victory. But in order to safely speak to you, the Princess has to hide
your conversation for all spying eyes, especially those of the King himself. Thus she has
created this place of still time, pulling in only herself and you from the time stream. The
reason why I am here is so you would be safely transported on my back to and fro. Come now
child, the Princess should not be made to wait- and she is not so all-powerful she can maintain
this spell indefinitely. Even if this is a place of timelessness, you two do not have much of it."
"So Hoggle and the others-"
"The strain to pull them in would be far to great- Please child, hurry. Climb my back
and I shall take you up to the palace."
To meet with Jareth's sister- anyone down here would sing their praises for such an alliance.
Why then was there this little voice in the back of Sarah's mind telling her this person was
probably even less trustworthy than Jareth? On the other hand- Sarah was stuck. Stuck on this
desolate beach with no way to go to that dragon island- No way to go home- or even to the
Castle Beyond The Goblin City. So what choice had she but to at least meet with the one
person probably powerful enough to be of real help?
"Oh. Well, Okay then." Sarah shrugged. She looked around, but saw no means to let
her friends know where she had gone. She stared at the knife in her hand and pretended to
casually drop it. Dydimus would look for it and they would at least know –something- had
happened to her. Hopefully they made the connection.
"My name is Sarah- but you probably knew that already."
Pushing her hesitation and mistrust to the back of her mind, Sarah neared the shimmering
metallic blue beast. He chuckled.
"I am called Cheeoanchin-Syeche."
When the creature softly spoke his name, it sounded like leaves rippling in the wind.
"Sounds Chinese."
"Not really, though some of my ancestors dwelled in a far Aboveground land nowadays named like that. But that was long ago. And my name is purely of the Sky-dragons.
In your language it would be something like-"
The dragon looked skyward, pensive.
"It would be something like 'Summer's Breeze' I shall not be insulted if you use the
translation, the name is hard for those who are not of my tongue."
"Thanks." Sarah stood directly in front of the dragon, looking for a way to climb up.
Summer's Breeze chuckled.
"Climb my front leg, sit directly behind my neck, a leg on each side, and hold on to
my mane."
Repressing a shiver, Sarah did as instructed. She climbed the beast and grabbed two handfuls
of thick blue hair.
"Won't I hurt you if I hold tight?"
The dragon stifled for a moment. He hesitated, as if looking for words.
"It hurts a little, yes- but it is of no concern. I am used to that."
"Something wrong?"
"No- it is just- nobody bothered to ask me that, before."
And with that, the dragon got to its feet, not unlike a camel rising. Hind first, Sarah was
momentarily thrown against his neck and reeled backwards when the front came up. She
swallowed when the batwings where unfolded with the sound of greats sails in the wind.
"Hold on, little girl!"
Sarah did. The beast reared to its hind legs, towering over the shack and her friends, flapped
the great wings once, twice and lifted himself and his small burden up into the endless grey of
the morning sky.
Eyes wide open, little schoolgirl Sarah Williams with too great an imagination to fit in reality
rode her blue-sky dragon high, up and away towards a floating white marble castle to speak
with a princess who also happened to be an enchantress and a Fae. Suspended in a bubble out
of time in a world out of place. And all this before breakfast.
Sarah looked down, a little dizzy and saw the world dropping away. The shack of Storyteller
becoming a dollhouse, the shoreline endless, curving land inwards showing her the whole
strip of land named Far Coast. She passed several seagulls, simply hanging in mid-air, beaks
open to shout their silenced screams. Although the movement of the great wings pushed the
air, there was hardly any wind- the waves had stopped their rolling, foam dripping from some
yet never falling. And far away lay the dark isle of the s'Quaerra Earth dragons with their
eerie ferryman. Far away another land could be seen, the ocean was not as endless as it
seemed from the ground.
"Summer's Breeze- Does that coast belong to the Labyrinth too?"
"No, little one. This sea is the border. On the other side you will find the land of the
Centaurs."
"Grecian legend?"
"If you say so."
"Are there Minotaurs over there?"
"Some. You know those lands?"
"No- just a guess. My friends talked about one, once."
"There are many places, many lands."
Many lands in the imagination of man. And Jareth's great kingdom only one of the many
within the legends of Sarah's Celtic ancestors. With every beat of the dragon's wings the
world grew bigger, Sarah's curiosity more endless- If only she had the time to explore-
It was all so wonderful.
The dragon flew over a dormant cloud at the entrance gate of the castle, and he came down
silently within its mists. Sarah threw her right leg to the left side of the beast, trying not to
kick him, and slithered down. She landed with bent knees and al little muffled thump.
Through the damp she could see that the huge portal was slightly ajar, a clear invitation.
Summer's Breeze pointed at the doorway.
"Enter", said the dragon.
A marble palace with a crystal entrance, the entrance three times higher than Sarah herself,
yet too small for the dragon to creep trough. Silver door handles, simple rings, no talking
faces, no funny knockers. But many tiny figurines carved in the doorway's arch, all around.
Little demons, mermaids, elves and trolls. Human shaped beings with hoofs for feet or wings
for arms. A man with the head of a fish, a woman with no head at all but eyes and mouth in
the middle of her chest. Sarah shivered. She had seen this kind of images on pictures of old
European churches- but never so warped or deformed. She reached for the crystal door to
open it further, but pulled back her hand before touching it. Engraved crystal it was, one could
not see through. Faces. Smiles, frozen in madness, more grotesque than any of Jareth's bubble
dancers. Did she really have to go in?
Yes, she did.
Sarah sighed, pulled back her shoulders, and firmly pushed the door. It went aside without
any sound or trouble. With determent look upon her face, she crossed the portal and stood,
defiantly, face tilted upward, in the middle of the hall.
This was no palace- it was a cathedral.
The ceiling at least thirty yards up, domed, with pale unclear crystal windows carrying a misty
light to below. There were almost no shadows, yet the light made for a dizzying distortion in
the air without one being able to pinpoint its source. On the floor, in grey and white marble,
an intricate intertwining pattern was laid out, with curves and knots and loops that went
nowhere but back into the pattern. The walls rose high in the circular room, again white
marble and no decorations but for the silver beams supporting the roof. There were a few
niches with soft glowing globes, lamps that grew brighter with dimming light.
A hallway leading left, a hallway leading right and a huge staircase in front, with again two
hallways at either side.
The place was not empty. The main hall was filled with small flying fairies, hastily going
nowhere, suspended in timelessness, as was the rest of the world. They were all about the size
of the creatures Hoggle liked to destroy, perhaps this was the place they came from. Some
carried things like food or cloth, as if busy with tasks of housekeeping. A somewhat larger
creature seemed to herd small clouds up to a window to rain them spotless. On the floor,
dwarf like beings dressed as seventeen century lackeys with the wigs, grey breeches and long
tailed pink coats busied themselves with mopping up the water. A smaller, childlike version
of Summer's Breeze was led away by his collar, sullenly following a brown clad pea green
boy-elf the seize of a four year old child.
Even in their frozen positions, none of the creatures seemed to have anything on their minds
but their duties. Sarah had never re-entered the Goblin City, but what she knew of the Kings
servants was that they were a whole lot less tidy than these minions. Stepping towards the
little suspended dragon Sarah noted another important difference- The animals the Goblins
used to ride were as silly as they were themselves. This infant beast was not silly or funny- it
had a dull, trapped look in its eyes, like a beast of burden.
Sarah shivered. For all its beauty, she did not like this place. It no longer felt pristine or
beautiful- it felt barren.
Music trickled down the hall from Sarah's right, an invitation to go -that- way. A clear, high
female voice, unaccented and somewhat, what was it, artificial?
"Come away oh human child
"From the waters and the wild
"With a fairy hand in hand
"For the world's more full of weeping
"Than you can understand
"I -know- that poem," muttered Sarah. "And it's -to- the waters and the wild, not –
from-!"
Differences. This place was all about differences and veiled things. Things that befuddled the
mind. Without other options, again, Sarah entered the corridor and followed the voice.
About twelve yards into the corridor that seemed to go on forever, a small door on Sarah's
right stood ajar. Notes of the gentle music lingered here, and the scent of freshly backed bread
drifted towards her, drawing her near. She had to be strong now; Fae foods were –never- to be
trusted.
The small room seemed a square- but Sara felt more than that she actually saw that the
walls were slightly out of alignment. Again, marble floor, marble walls- everything white and
shining- cold as a tomb. There was a grey ornamental hearth, but Sarah doubted if a fire had
ever burned inside. The windows were made out of the same matted crystal she had seen
before. No paintings, no mirrors. A small delicate firewood side table decked with a breakfast
for at least two people on silver tableware. A delicate silver teapot and the finest porcelain
cups stood ready. There were buns with jam and honey, boiled eggs. A plate with bacon,
another with cheese and a silver plate with something fried that smelled suspiciously of fish.
Around the table stood a firewood couch with silver-grey plush and two accompanying chairs.
Beautiful, spotless and somewhat boring.
At the opened window stood a veiled woman dressed in a straight gown of grey chiffon. No
ruffles, lace or embroideries. The skirt fell wide and the bodice seemed tight- but then again
the Fae were a slender people.
At Sarah's entrance the woman turned and faced the girl. Sarah stood and stared, a few
moments longer than was polite. Realizing this, she flushed, looked down a moment, entered
the room fully and made a sleight bow.
"Your highness, I am Sarah Williams. I have been told you requested my presence."
Sarah put up her most distant and haughty face- the same one she presented Jareth with while
facing him down among the battered ruins of their old game for Toby's existence. Sarah's
voice was firm and steady- she could do this. If she could face down a king, than facing down
a princess should be easy, should it not?
Enalkyrah gave a single nod in acknowledgement.
"I trust Cheeoanchin-Syeche has told you the why of my invitation?
Sarah cocked her head and put up her chin. "The dragon told me you wish to help me beat
Jareth."
The enchantress cringed.
"Please- do not use the name of that murdering scoundrel in my presence!"
"You really don't like him, do you?"
"He banished both me and my brothers, stole me my kingdom and murdered our
father!"
Sarah swallowed hard. How she -knew- it she could not remember, but Jareth's father lived.
She knew it with a certainty that amazed her, yet certain she was. The woman was lying to
her. What a wonderful start of their alliance.
"The Storyteller told me some of it."
"John The Half-blood doesn't know all of it. My father had named me his heir. From
that moment onwards, my -brother- used every means possible to ruin me. And so he did. You
must realize well, young Sarah, that I loathe him. I think him twisted and ill. I stay near the
Kingdom with hopes one day he will be beaten and the darkness driven from his soul. And we
will be able to forgive and embrace again."
Enalkyrah stared away from Sarah, again through the open window.
"He was such a lovely child, my twin. Quiet yet charming. Happy and beautiful. So
very, very beautiful. We were each other's mirror image. We were the male and female half
of that what was destined to rule and make the Kingdom great again. I was extravert where he
was shy. He was cautious where I was careless. Together we would have been wise. One!"
The enchantress balled her fists while speaking, tensed and looked into the past with appalling
bitterness.
"Whenever I look in the mirror -his- eyes stare back at me. I cannot look upon
myself."
Sarah had to force herself to keep her arms down and not to move to make any protective
gesture betraying a weakness. There was madness here. A quiet, restrained, terrible madness.
"When you first came to the Kingdom and had beaten my brother, he seemed humbled
for a moment. Approachable. I could almost talk to him. Almost and only for the briefest of
moments. But the moment passed."
Enalkyrah shivered at the window. Shrugged her shoulders and closed it.
"He does not regard you his enemy, you are a distraction only, mere amusement. Yet
should he be defeated by you a second time, his pride will crumble and he will withdraw from
the world, like he did last time. Within such a depression, I might be able to be a comfort to
him and if not me, our mother. It is a very sleight chance- but your second victory over the
King could be the one chance to a better future for all of us."
Bullshit! Sarah's mind screamed at her. Only amusement? A joke? Well, that might be true-
But every time Jareth and she had met, there had been this element of – Well, what?
Seriousness, certainly. And something else- something exiting. New.
"Please, child, do sit down."
Sarah made sure her face kept the same rather arrogant expression, hiding both her anger and
her nervousness. She should feel rather honoured now, shouldn't she? Royalty inviting you to
sit down? Perhaps this had become common in Europe- but the Underground was a somewhat
medieval place. Sarah lowered her eyes, thanked her hostess and sat down on the far side of
the couch.
Enalkyrah poured herself a cup of tea, and a second cup for Sarah. Sarah thanked politely,
took the cup in her hands but did not sip from its contents.
"I thought you might be hungry, so I set up some breakfast for you."
"Thank you." But Sarah touched nothing.
Enalkyrah noticed without acknowledgement. Sarah could not see the face of the Fae, but she
was almost sure Enalkyrah carried that same infuriating smirk of her brother. The Enchantress
took her own cup behind the veil and drank. Sarah just sat there, warming her hands on the
cup, turning it a little distracted and finally put it back on it's saucer.
"Sarah, I know what you need."
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Please- I regard you as a friend. My friends call me Eney. Are you my friend, Sarah?"
Well, why not- Better to have this lady believe Sarah to be a friend. Friends were important.
You could count on a friend. Sure she was a friend.
"Yes of course. Thank you, Eney."
"Now listen very carefully Sarah, we have not much time so I can tell you only once."
Sarah nodded, realizing it had been very late last night when she had to try to stifle a yawn
politely.
"Are you listening, Sarah?"
Sarah threw back her hair and smiled kindly at the enchantress.
"Sure, I'm listening."
"Very well. The island of the s'Quaerra dragons is a very special place, for the herbs and plants growing there. Not just anyone is allowed there. Only those who can prove they are
pure of heart may sat foot on it."
"But, how does one prove that?" Sarah asked in a small voice.
"You must pay the ferryman with something straight from your heart, my dear.
Something like this."
Enalkyrah made a turning movement with her free hand and with a little flash of bright white
light, she held a fine grey silk handkerchief. She gave it to Sarah. The girl took the
handkerchief and opened it. It held three small tear shaped diamonds.
Glittering in the diffuse light of the room, beautiful beyond description, touching Sarah in a
way she had not held possible, the girl stared at the small stones. They were of purity beyond
words, beyond comprehension.
"Be careful, my dear- they are the last tears I have shed."
"But- why?"
"Why I cried them? Too long a tale."
"No- why are you giving them to me? They are so beautiful."
Impatiently Enalkyrah held out her hand to retrieve the stones.
"Child, I am –not- giving these to you. They would not serve you. You must give the
ferryman your own."
Desperately Sarah was near tears herself now. And like a small child she complained.
"But I cannot –do- that!"
Condescendingly Enalkyrah nodded wile taking the silk cloth with the stones from Sarah.
"I know dear. And that is where I can help. You see, I can place a spell on you, so that
you will be able cry your own."
Sarah was all smiles now and tried to stop sniffling.
"You would do that? You would do that for me? Oh –thank- you, Eney!"
"Yes, well- it does require something of you, my dear. You see, a spell like this takes a
lot of strength. And I need something that is uniquely you to use in the potion I have to make
for you."
Sarah smiled happily and trustingly. Then she grinned wickedly.
"Anything to beat that bastard King!"
Enalkyrah stood and moved to sit next to Sarah. Again she made the movement with her hand
this time in it appeared a pair of silver scissors.
"I need you to give me one of your dark locks, child. I need you to cut it of yourself
and give it to me."
Without hesitation, Sarah did as asked, her hair growing in such abundance, the missing lock
was not even noticeable.
Enalkyrah took it and held the hair tightly for a moment before she made it disappear.
"Thank you, dear child. You cannot now how much this means to me."
Sarah missed the sarcasm completely. She smiled a droopy smile up at the enchantress like a
small child that had done something well and had jus been complimented for it.
"Now as I said, this spell will take a lot of my strength. To be able to do it well, I need
some of yours."
Sarah frowned. "How much?"
"Not very much. Five years of your life should be enough."
Sarah shrugged. It sounded perfectly logical to her.
"Oh. Okay."
Enalkyrah cocked her head.
"Besides, if you are a little older, you will have so much more strength to fight my
brother. Remember, it is all his fault."
"Yes, " Her eyes had darkened while she hissed Enalkyrah's words with barely
controlled anger. "It is all –his- fault."
"He stole your brother."
"Toby," whispered Sarah.
"He caused you so many hardships."
"Yes." Sarah stared at the opposite wall, sitting upright and unmoving.
"He harassed the dwarf into tricking you, your first real friend here. Now that was
cruel, was it not?"
"Cruel!"
"He nearly threw you in The Bog. Nearly killed you with his Goblins."
Sarah's voice came small and frightened.
"Yes."
"Remember that ball? A seduction of a very young girl. A prelude to rape!"
Sarah now shook her head, as if trying to wake up. She rubbed her eyes with her fists
vigorously.
"No- no that was not what he did. That was not what he meant."
Enalkyrah's face behind the vale distorted angrily. Too strong. Whatever it was that was
trying to fight her from within the girl, it was too strong to allow the woman-child to tumble
and fall completely down the path of hatred towards her brother. All of a sudden her spell had
become fragile and threatened to crack and fail while that strength pushed back. Enalkyrah
had expected the girl not to take any of the foods she offered, and therefore had bewitched the
porcelain teacup to make the girl susceptible to her suggestions. Enalkyrah had to remember
that. She could trigger anger in the girl, protectiveness towards her friends and with that a
fighters instinct- but no true revulsion or hatred towards her brother. Well- not to worry.
Glanconer would change all that.
"It is all right my dear. Just sit back and relax."
Sarah nodded, eyes drooping and barely awake now. Yet still trying to shake of the effects of
the spell placed upon her. Enalkyrah placed her hands on the shoulders of the child. She
concentrated and drew power from the girl. Sarah's face changed, sharpened into the lines of
a young woman rather than the round features of an adolescent. Suddenly both the witch and
Sarah cried out, while Sarah's waist thinned, her bosom bloomed and limbs stretched. Green
and golden sparks flew between the two women, forming a radiant globe of bright light the
colour of Sarah's eyes encompassing them both. Suddenly Enalkyrah let go of Sarah. The
human slithered of the couth and she fell in a formless heap on the floor, bumping the table
and throwing half of the untouched breakfast all over the floor. Enalkyrah started to chant a
succession of words in a tongue older than the Underground, using the power of the light,
pushing it down into Sarah's unconscious form.
Suddenly the room cleared. Breathing hard, hands on the backrest of the couch Enalkyrah
stared at the human female. The almost black hair a vale of her own and hiding the face.
Catching her breath, the witch snapped her fingers to perform a few more tricks. The room
cleared itself up and Sarah was roughly pulled up the couch and in a sitting position.
"There my dear. The power to cry diamonds. Judging the strength of your emotions
towards –him-, I might even need it. And I could never have done it without you."
of the movie). The outtake of the poem is from "Stolen Child" by W.B. Yeats.
Diamond Tears
Chapter 11 Enalkyrah
Running, the twelve, five, two steps to her friends. Hoggle the one she always called first.
Hoggle the one she bumped into, stumbled over and fell down with, barely avoiding the fire.
He didn't move. Sarah shouted his name, tried to get the dwarf to stand, looked bewildered
around and finally realized the silence.
Even the flames seemed frozen.
Like waxen figures her friends silently busied themselves with their rising and preparing
breakfast, the driftwood shelter their eerie décor. The tattered once white sail roofing the three
shaggy walls did not flap about in the wind, as it should, but hung suspended in mid-
movement.
John the Storyteller poured boiling water from a kettle into a pot through an old colander
filled with tealeaves. Bending his body away a bit to avoid steam circling from the water like
a frozen mist hanging over the pot.
Dog yawned, front paws stretched tight, back and tail up. He would have been such a life like
statue- Didymus brushed of his blue bonnet with his shirtsleeve, no dust on –his- knightly
cap! But the specs he brushed off shimmered unwavering in front of him. And poor Hoggle?
With some effort and a low grunt, Sarah pulled Hoggle in a standing position. He held a now
broken bread in his hands. His mouth was open as if speaking and his gaze must have been
down on Didymus. Sarah had turned him somewhat.
Sarah stood, silenced herself, waiting, arms tightly around herself. Even facing imminent
death while falling from the hay cart had not scared her half as much as the fear she felt now.
For from the skies came a blue dragon and she could do nothing to protect her bewitched
friends.
No! Sarah refused to do it- she refused to give up! If this dragon had been sent by Jareth, than
he would only delay her and -somehow- she should be able to scare it away or something.
Sarah took one of the sturdier sticks from the fire to use as club, saw Didymus's rapier at his
side, mumbled a hasty apology and took the blade. He had purchased the thing after Ludo
defeated him and it was just his size. What made it a long dagger in Sarah's hand. It would be
best if the beast attention would not be immediately drawn to her helpless friends. So Sarah
stepped outside, afraid, pale, knife in hand.
And if the dragon came from the witch- then where the hell was a Saint Georges when you
needed one?
Outside, Sarah already was awaited. About twenty yards from the shelter the dragon, as big as
a dinosaur-, which it probably was, in a way, lay on his belly in the sand. Its paws were
demurely crossed before him and he stared at Sarah with golden, somewhat slanted eyes
without iris or pupil. The narrow head bent in greeting, small tufts of a darker blue for a
goatee and mane. The dragon's scales shimmered a metallic blue, his enormous bat like
wings closed over his back, hiding the pale green spikes Sarah had seen earlier. Two long,
elegant white horns bent away from the head in one lazy curve upward from his forehead. The
magnificent animal looked everything like a satisfied dozing cat. Sarah instinctively
mistrusted the beast- besides, she was a dog person.
"And what, little one, did you have in mind with that toothpick?" the dragon said in a
decidedly British upper class baritone.
Sarah smiled the smile she always smiled while pretending to be friendly and compliant
towards Karen, coming about three steps closer and thus maintaining her distance.
"Oh great, you're talking" she sighed, with some pretence of trusting relief.
If the animal had had brows, he would have lifted them high on his forehead.
"My dear young lady, I am no threat to you. Indeed, I mean to aid you, not to harm
you.
"Well, what would you expect," Sarah answered, tilting her head a little and pushing
back her hair with her free hand. "with my friends bewitched and everything except you and
me frozen!"
"Frozen they only seem, little one. It is -you- who is under a spell. The gracious magic
of my benevolent mistress, Enalkyrah the Enchantress, princess of the realm, in exile. She,
like all of her brethren, the high Fae who rule over the Goblin realm, The Labyrinth and the
surrounding lands, has mastery over time. You have been generously drawn into the tiniest of
moments where time no longer has meaning. It holds. It cannot go forwards, backwards -or-
sideways."
Sarah crossed her arms defensively before her, blade pointing straight up almost toughing her
face. It was good to hear nothing was wrong with the others- but it probably meant she herself
was in some kind of danger. Some danger not provided by Jareth. So she'd better thought
before reacting
"And what is 'sideways' supposed to mean?"
"To create an opening in the fabric of time and space and walk a distance of a
thousand miles with no more trouble than crossing a threshold."
"Fascinating."
"Indeed."
"And the purpose of this 'generosity'?" Sarah had to work very hard on repressing a
mischievous grin. Perhaps the royal twins were a bit more alike than they cared to admit.
"Your protection, child. The Princess wishes to discuss your recent troubles with your
mutual opponent, the Goblin King. She desires to aid you in your quest, so your victory shall
be in some small way her victory. But in order to safely speak to you, the Princess has to hide
your conversation for all spying eyes, especially those of the King himself. Thus she has
created this place of still time, pulling in only herself and you from the time stream. The
reason why I am here is so you would be safely transported on my back to and fro. Come now
child, the Princess should not be made to wait- and she is not so all-powerful she can maintain
this spell indefinitely. Even if this is a place of timelessness, you two do not have much of it."
"So Hoggle and the others-"
"The strain to pull them in would be far to great- Please child, hurry. Climb my back
and I shall take you up to the palace."
To meet with Jareth's sister- anyone down here would sing their praises for such an alliance.
Why then was there this little voice in the back of Sarah's mind telling her this person was
probably even less trustworthy than Jareth? On the other hand- Sarah was stuck. Stuck on this
desolate beach with no way to go to that dragon island- No way to go home- or even to the
Castle Beyond The Goblin City. So what choice had she but to at least meet with the one
person probably powerful enough to be of real help?
"Oh. Well, Okay then." Sarah shrugged. She looked around, but saw no means to let
her friends know where she had gone. She stared at the knife in her hand and pretended to
casually drop it. Dydimus would look for it and they would at least know –something- had
happened to her. Hopefully they made the connection.
"My name is Sarah- but you probably knew that already."
Pushing her hesitation and mistrust to the back of her mind, Sarah neared the shimmering
metallic blue beast. He chuckled.
"I am called Cheeoanchin-Syeche."
When the creature softly spoke his name, it sounded like leaves rippling in the wind.
"Sounds Chinese."
"Not really, though some of my ancestors dwelled in a far Aboveground land nowadays named like that. But that was long ago. And my name is purely of the Sky-dragons.
In your language it would be something like-"
The dragon looked skyward, pensive.
"It would be something like 'Summer's Breeze' I shall not be insulted if you use the
translation, the name is hard for those who are not of my tongue."
"Thanks." Sarah stood directly in front of the dragon, looking for a way to climb up.
Summer's Breeze chuckled.
"Climb my front leg, sit directly behind my neck, a leg on each side, and hold on to
my mane."
Repressing a shiver, Sarah did as instructed. She climbed the beast and grabbed two handfuls
of thick blue hair.
"Won't I hurt you if I hold tight?"
The dragon stifled for a moment. He hesitated, as if looking for words.
"It hurts a little, yes- but it is of no concern. I am used to that."
"Something wrong?"
"No- it is just- nobody bothered to ask me that, before."
And with that, the dragon got to its feet, not unlike a camel rising. Hind first, Sarah was
momentarily thrown against his neck and reeled backwards when the front came up. She
swallowed when the batwings where unfolded with the sound of greats sails in the wind.
"Hold on, little girl!"
Sarah did. The beast reared to its hind legs, towering over the shack and her friends, flapped
the great wings once, twice and lifted himself and his small burden up into the endless grey of
the morning sky.
Eyes wide open, little schoolgirl Sarah Williams with too great an imagination to fit in reality
rode her blue-sky dragon high, up and away towards a floating white marble castle to speak
with a princess who also happened to be an enchantress and a Fae. Suspended in a bubble out
of time in a world out of place. And all this before breakfast.
Sarah looked down, a little dizzy and saw the world dropping away. The shack of Storyteller
becoming a dollhouse, the shoreline endless, curving land inwards showing her the whole
strip of land named Far Coast. She passed several seagulls, simply hanging in mid-air, beaks
open to shout their silenced screams. Although the movement of the great wings pushed the
air, there was hardly any wind- the waves had stopped their rolling, foam dripping from some
yet never falling. And far away lay the dark isle of the s'Quaerra Earth dragons with their
eerie ferryman. Far away another land could be seen, the ocean was not as endless as it
seemed from the ground.
"Summer's Breeze- Does that coast belong to the Labyrinth too?"
"No, little one. This sea is the border. On the other side you will find the land of the
Centaurs."
"Grecian legend?"
"If you say so."
"Are there Minotaurs over there?"
"Some. You know those lands?"
"No- just a guess. My friends talked about one, once."
"There are many places, many lands."
Many lands in the imagination of man. And Jareth's great kingdom only one of the many
within the legends of Sarah's Celtic ancestors. With every beat of the dragon's wings the
world grew bigger, Sarah's curiosity more endless- If only she had the time to explore-
It was all so wonderful.
The dragon flew over a dormant cloud at the entrance gate of the castle, and he came down
silently within its mists. Sarah threw her right leg to the left side of the beast, trying not to
kick him, and slithered down. She landed with bent knees and al little muffled thump.
Through the damp she could see that the huge portal was slightly ajar, a clear invitation.
Summer's Breeze pointed at the doorway.
"Enter", said the dragon.
A marble palace with a crystal entrance, the entrance three times higher than Sarah herself,
yet too small for the dragon to creep trough. Silver door handles, simple rings, no talking
faces, no funny knockers. But many tiny figurines carved in the doorway's arch, all around.
Little demons, mermaids, elves and trolls. Human shaped beings with hoofs for feet or wings
for arms. A man with the head of a fish, a woman with no head at all but eyes and mouth in
the middle of her chest. Sarah shivered. She had seen this kind of images on pictures of old
European churches- but never so warped or deformed. She reached for the crystal door to
open it further, but pulled back her hand before touching it. Engraved crystal it was, one could
not see through. Faces. Smiles, frozen in madness, more grotesque than any of Jareth's bubble
dancers. Did she really have to go in?
Yes, she did.
Sarah sighed, pulled back her shoulders, and firmly pushed the door. It went aside without
any sound or trouble. With determent look upon her face, she crossed the portal and stood,
defiantly, face tilted upward, in the middle of the hall.
This was no palace- it was a cathedral.
The ceiling at least thirty yards up, domed, with pale unclear crystal windows carrying a misty
light to below. There were almost no shadows, yet the light made for a dizzying distortion in
the air without one being able to pinpoint its source. On the floor, in grey and white marble,
an intricate intertwining pattern was laid out, with curves and knots and loops that went
nowhere but back into the pattern. The walls rose high in the circular room, again white
marble and no decorations but for the silver beams supporting the roof. There were a few
niches with soft glowing globes, lamps that grew brighter with dimming light.
A hallway leading left, a hallway leading right and a huge staircase in front, with again two
hallways at either side.
The place was not empty. The main hall was filled with small flying fairies, hastily going
nowhere, suspended in timelessness, as was the rest of the world. They were all about the size
of the creatures Hoggle liked to destroy, perhaps this was the place they came from. Some
carried things like food or cloth, as if busy with tasks of housekeeping. A somewhat larger
creature seemed to herd small clouds up to a window to rain them spotless. On the floor,
dwarf like beings dressed as seventeen century lackeys with the wigs, grey breeches and long
tailed pink coats busied themselves with mopping up the water. A smaller, childlike version
of Summer's Breeze was led away by his collar, sullenly following a brown clad pea green
boy-elf the seize of a four year old child.
Even in their frozen positions, none of the creatures seemed to have anything on their minds
but their duties. Sarah had never re-entered the Goblin City, but what she knew of the Kings
servants was that they were a whole lot less tidy than these minions. Stepping towards the
little suspended dragon Sarah noted another important difference- The animals the Goblins
used to ride were as silly as they were themselves. This infant beast was not silly or funny- it
had a dull, trapped look in its eyes, like a beast of burden.
Sarah shivered. For all its beauty, she did not like this place. It no longer felt pristine or
beautiful- it felt barren.
Music trickled down the hall from Sarah's right, an invitation to go -that- way. A clear, high
female voice, unaccented and somewhat, what was it, artificial?
"Come away oh human child
"From the waters and the wild
"With a fairy hand in hand
"For the world's more full of weeping
"Than you can understand
"I -know- that poem," muttered Sarah. "And it's -to- the waters and the wild, not –
from-!"
Differences. This place was all about differences and veiled things. Things that befuddled the
mind. Without other options, again, Sarah entered the corridor and followed the voice.
About twelve yards into the corridor that seemed to go on forever, a small door on Sarah's
right stood ajar. Notes of the gentle music lingered here, and the scent of freshly backed bread
drifted towards her, drawing her near. She had to be strong now; Fae foods were –never- to be
trusted.
The small room seemed a square- but Sara felt more than that she actually saw that the
walls were slightly out of alignment. Again, marble floor, marble walls- everything white and
shining- cold as a tomb. There was a grey ornamental hearth, but Sarah doubted if a fire had
ever burned inside. The windows were made out of the same matted crystal she had seen
before. No paintings, no mirrors. A small delicate firewood side table decked with a breakfast
for at least two people on silver tableware. A delicate silver teapot and the finest porcelain
cups stood ready. There were buns with jam and honey, boiled eggs. A plate with bacon,
another with cheese and a silver plate with something fried that smelled suspiciously of fish.
Around the table stood a firewood couch with silver-grey plush and two accompanying chairs.
Beautiful, spotless and somewhat boring.
At the opened window stood a veiled woman dressed in a straight gown of grey chiffon. No
ruffles, lace or embroideries. The skirt fell wide and the bodice seemed tight- but then again
the Fae were a slender people.
At Sarah's entrance the woman turned and faced the girl. Sarah stood and stared, a few
moments longer than was polite. Realizing this, she flushed, looked down a moment, entered
the room fully and made a sleight bow.
"Your highness, I am Sarah Williams. I have been told you requested my presence."
Sarah put up her most distant and haughty face- the same one she presented Jareth with while
facing him down among the battered ruins of their old game for Toby's existence. Sarah's
voice was firm and steady- she could do this. If she could face down a king, than facing down
a princess should be easy, should it not?
Enalkyrah gave a single nod in acknowledgement.
"I trust Cheeoanchin-Syeche has told you the why of my invitation?
Sarah cocked her head and put up her chin. "The dragon told me you wish to help me beat
Jareth."
The enchantress cringed.
"Please- do not use the name of that murdering scoundrel in my presence!"
"You really don't like him, do you?"
"He banished both me and my brothers, stole me my kingdom and murdered our
father!"
Sarah swallowed hard. How she -knew- it she could not remember, but Jareth's father lived.
She knew it with a certainty that amazed her, yet certain she was. The woman was lying to
her. What a wonderful start of their alliance.
"The Storyteller told me some of it."
"John The Half-blood doesn't know all of it. My father had named me his heir. From
that moment onwards, my -brother- used every means possible to ruin me. And so he did. You
must realize well, young Sarah, that I loathe him. I think him twisted and ill. I stay near the
Kingdom with hopes one day he will be beaten and the darkness driven from his soul. And we
will be able to forgive and embrace again."
Enalkyrah stared away from Sarah, again through the open window.
"He was such a lovely child, my twin. Quiet yet charming. Happy and beautiful. So
very, very beautiful. We were each other's mirror image. We were the male and female half
of that what was destined to rule and make the Kingdom great again. I was extravert where he
was shy. He was cautious where I was careless. Together we would have been wise. One!"
The enchantress balled her fists while speaking, tensed and looked into the past with appalling
bitterness.
"Whenever I look in the mirror -his- eyes stare back at me. I cannot look upon
myself."
Sarah had to force herself to keep her arms down and not to move to make any protective
gesture betraying a weakness. There was madness here. A quiet, restrained, terrible madness.
"When you first came to the Kingdom and had beaten my brother, he seemed humbled
for a moment. Approachable. I could almost talk to him. Almost and only for the briefest of
moments. But the moment passed."
Enalkyrah shivered at the window. Shrugged her shoulders and closed it.
"He does not regard you his enemy, you are a distraction only, mere amusement. Yet
should he be defeated by you a second time, his pride will crumble and he will withdraw from
the world, like he did last time. Within such a depression, I might be able to be a comfort to
him and if not me, our mother. It is a very sleight chance- but your second victory over the
King could be the one chance to a better future for all of us."
Bullshit! Sarah's mind screamed at her. Only amusement? A joke? Well, that might be true-
But every time Jareth and she had met, there had been this element of – Well, what?
Seriousness, certainly. And something else- something exiting. New.
"Please, child, do sit down."
Sarah made sure her face kept the same rather arrogant expression, hiding both her anger and
her nervousness. She should feel rather honoured now, shouldn't she? Royalty inviting you to
sit down? Perhaps this had become common in Europe- but the Underground was a somewhat
medieval place. Sarah lowered her eyes, thanked her hostess and sat down on the far side of
the couch.
Enalkyrah poured herself a cup of tea, and a second cup for Sarah. Sarah thanked politely,
took the cup in her hands but did not sip from its contents.
"I thought you might be hungry, so I set up some breakfast for you."
"Thank you." But Sarah touched nothing.
Enalkyrah noticed without acknowledgement. Sarah could not see the face of the Fae, but she
was almost sure Enalkyrah carried that same infuriating smirk of her brother. The Enchantress
took her own cup behind the veil and drank. Sarah just sat there, warming her hands on the
cup, turning it a little distracted and finally put it back on it's saucer.
"Sarah, I know what you need."
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Please- I regard you as a friend. My friends call me Eney. Are you my friend, Sarah?"
Well, why not- Better to have this lady believe Sarah to be a friend. Friends were important.
You could count on a friend. Sure she was a friend.
"Yes of course. Thank you, Eney."
"Now listen very carefully Sarah, we have not much time so I can tell you only once."
Sarah nodded, realizing it had been very late last night when she had to try to stifle a yawn
politely.
"Are you listening, Sarah?"
Sarah threw back her hair and smiled kindly at the enchantress.
"Sure, I'm listening."
"Very well. The island of the s'Quaerra dragons is a very special place, for the herbs and plants growing there. Not just anyone is allowed there. Only those who can prove they are
pure of heart may sat foot on it."
"But, how does one prove that?" Sarah asked in a small voice.
"You must pay the ferryman with something straight from your heart, my dear.
Something like this."
Enalkyrah made a turning movement with her free hand and with a little flash of bright white
light, she held a fine grey silk handkerchief. She gave it to Sarah. The girl took the
handkerchief and opened it. It held three small tear shaped diamonds.
Glittering in the diffuse light of the room, beautiful beyond description, touching Sarah in a
way she had not held possible, the girl stared at the small stones. They were of purity beyond
words, beyond comprehension.
"Be careful, my dear- they are the last tears I have shed."
"But- why?"
"Why I cried them? Too long a tale."
"No- why are you giving them to me? They are so beautiful."
Impatiently Enalkyrah held out her hand to retrieve the stones.
"Child, I am –not- giving these to you. They would not serve you. You must give the
ferryman your own."
Desperately Sarah was near tears herself now. And like a small child she complained.
"But I cannot –do- that!"
Condescendingly Enalkyrah nodded wile taking the silk cloth with the stones from Sarah.
"I know dear. And that is where I can help. You see, I can place a spell on you, so that
you will be able cry your own."
Sarah was all smiles now and tried to stop sniffling.
"You would do that? You would do that for me? Oh –thank- you, Eney!"
"Yes, well- it does require something of you, my dear. You see, a spell like this takes a
lot of strength. And I need something that is uniquely you to use in the potion I have to make
for you."
Sarah smiled happily and trustingly. Then she grinned wickedly.
"Anything to beat that bastard King!"
Enalkyrah stood and moved to sit next to Sarah. Again she made the movement with her hand
this time in it appeared a pair of silver scissors.
"I need you to give me one of your dark locks, child. I need you to cut it of yourself
and give it to me."
Without hesitation, Sarah did as asked, her hair growing in such abundance, the missing lock
was not even noticeable.
Enalkyrah took it and held the hair tightly for a moment before she made it disappear.
"Thank you, dear child. You cannot now how much this means to me."
Sarah missed the sarcasm completely. She smiled a droopy smile up at the enchantress like a
small child that had done something well and had jus been complimented for it.
"Now as I said, this spell will take a lot of my strength. To be able to do it well, I need
some of yours."
Sarah frowned. "How much?"
"Not very much. Five years of your life should be enough."
Sarah shrugged. It sounded perfectly logical to her.
"Oh. Okay."
Enalkyrah cocked her head.
"Besides, if you are a little older, you will have so much more strength to fight my
brother. Remember, it is all his fault."
"Yes, " Her eyes had darkened while she hissed Enalkyrah's words with barely
controlled anger. "It is all –his- fault."
"He stole your brother."
"Toby," whispered Sarah.
"He caused you so many hardships."
"Yes." Sarah stared at the opposite wall, sitting upright and unmoving.
"He harassed the dwarf into tricking you, your first real friend here. Now that was
cruel, was it not?"
"Cruel!"
"He nearly threw you in The Bog. Nearly killed you with his Goblins."
Sarah's voice came small and frightened.
"Yes."
"Remember that ball? A seduction of a very young girl. A prelude to rape!"
Sarah now shook her head, as if trying to wake up. She rubbed her eyes with her fists
vigorously.
"No- no that was not what he did. That was not what he meant."
Enalkyrah's face behind the vale distorted angrily. Too strong. Whatever it was that was
trying to fight her from within the girl, it was too strong to allow the woman-child to tumble
and fall completely down the path of hatred towards her brother. All of a sudden her spell had
become fragile and threatened to crack and fail while that strength pushed back. Enalkyrah
had expected the girl not to take any of the foods she offered, and therefore had bewitched the
porcelain teacup to make the girl susceptible to her suggestions. Enalkyrah had to remember
that. She could trigger anger in the girl, protectiveness towards her friends and with that a
fighters instinct- but no true revulsion or hatred towards her brother. Well- not to worry.
Glanconer would change all that.
"It is all right my dear. Just sit back and relax."
Sarah nodded, eyes drooping and barely awake now. Yet still trying to shake of the effects of
the spell placed upon her. Enalkyrah placed her hands on the shoulders of the child. She
concentrated and drew power from the girl. Sarah's face changed, sharpened into the lines of
a young woman rather than the round features of an adolescent. Suddenly both the witch and
Sarah cried out, while Sarah's waist thinned, her bosom bloomed and limbs stretched. Green
and golden sparks flew between the two women, forming a radiant globe of bright light the
colour of Sarah's eyes encompassing them both. Suddenly Enalkyrah let go of Sarah. The
human slithered of the couth and she fell in a formless heap on the floor, bumping the table
and throwing half of the untouched breakfast all over the floor. Enalkyrah started to chant a
succession of words in a tongue older than the Underground, using the power of the light,
pushing it down into Sarah's unconscious form.
Suddenly the room cleared. Breathing hard, hands on the backrest of the couch Enalkyrah
stared at the human female. The almost black hair a vale of her own and hiding the face.
Catching her breath, the witch snapped her fingers to perform a few more tricks. The room
cleared itself up and Sarah was roughly pulled up the couch and in a sitting position.
"There my dear. The power to cry diamonds. Judging the strength of your emotions
towards –him-, I might even need it. And I could never have done it without you."