~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A beautiful and strange thing, is this Labyrinth. Let us see how strange it can be..." murmured Jareth, eyes gleaming as he
gazed out at his masterpiece. The Labyrinth had a mind all of it's own, a magic that was solely it's own. Joining with it
had been exhausting, had left him numb and mute for days afterwards. Taking into yourself another magic, another power, from
a fellow fae, that was one thing. Taking it from something as old and primitive as the Earth was something all together
different. And so HUGE. He had never considered the size until it's aura and strength was throbbing inside his very bones.
Goblins had watched in amazed horror.... as the Labyrinth began to move, to rebuild, to shape and mould like a writhing pit
of knotted serpants. Never had they seen the last King do such a thing. He would not dared have risked it, and yet this
King, this man with two eyes that belonged in different skulls and with different souls, had. Better now, far better, was
the Labyrinth. Stronger, more cruel, even less forgiving. The days afterwards, when Jareth could do nothing but lie in a
stunned, boneless heap upon his bed, had naturally been difficult for the country. He was too weak even to speak and issue
orders. He stepped away from the window, picking up a small goblin and carefully aiming before throwing it into the
Labyrinth. He wondered how long it would take for the disgusting little thing to work it's way back here. Sighing, he
left the Throne Room and went to his personal chambers, pacing vaguely, glancing at the plans of what the Labyrinth had once
been before his miraculous work upon it. He had heard that a thief had got into the castle whilst he was in the trance of
joining with the Labyrinth, but since he had been so separate from the world as they knew it the goblins had not known what
to do with the woman. He shook his head slightly in derisive amusement. A woman thief. People really would do anything
nowadays. The only response they had been able to gain from him had been 'The Labyrinth' as his mismatched eyes glazed into
the colour of sand. The fools had taken this at face value and had promptly thrown the woman into the Labyrinth. Whilst
this held the benefit of him learning the effectiveness of his new Labyrinth, he was curious to find out how this woman
had managed to get in at all. Taking the bell by his bed, he rang it, bringing the head of castle guard to him after several
minutes of impatient waiting. "Your highness?" enquired the armour clad goblin, dipping his head respectfully. "I want you
to tell me about the thief who gained access to the castle. How was she detained? How did she get in?" "We found her in
the hall between the Treasury and your study your highness. She uhmmmm.... killed ten goblins and three men, sir..."
"And how was this?" interrupted Jareth lazily, quirking an enquiring eyebrow. The guard ducked his head as though he had
been struck "Well, Thias thought he had heard a noise, so we had gone to investigate. We hadn't seen anything for a full
ten minute and then she... she seemed to.. CRAWL out of the shadows. I've never seen anything like it your highness. Radson
and me went to get more men when she attacked and we saw how she could fight. I think it was the way..." "SPIT IT OUT!"
snapped Jareth, the description the Goblin was giving him making something within his gut tighten. "... It was the screams
she let out. She sounded like a banshee, a harpy, some kind of demon. Who can fight a devil?" the Goblin continued, scraping
in abject apology. Jareth stood sharply and he flinched, fearing a blow from this unpredictable new Lord. However, he
merely turned and looked out of the window, eyes aflame with surprise. "D'you know what you have just described to me?" he
finally said, casting a dismissive glance towards the goblin. He shook his head, fearing eye contact or speech would initiate
violence from him. Jareth slowly turned fully, a small, teasing smile gracing his lips. "The most renowned thief of the
realm is here... and a woman..." he said ponderously, the smile gradually increasing. What started as a small chuckle
resulted in howls of laughter that echoed through the corridors like an eerie, preternatural song. Slowly he regained his
composure and turned to the nervous guard. "Find her for me. I don't care if you have to rot in that Labyrinth yourself to
get her back, you will find her." he commanded, his tone implicit and his gaze steely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Serita ravenously swallowed down the berries she had been fortunate enough to find, almost past caring whether they were
poisonous or not she was so hungry. She heard an abrupt rustling in the bushes across the clearing and stiffened, one hand
instinctively creeping for the long knife in her boot that was no longer there. She curled her lip in private disgust.
Cowards, taking her weapons and throwing her in here. They never even would have seen her if she hadn't been amused by the
ridiculous little creatures in their armour, to the extent that she made an audible noise. Her thieves' instinct told her
she should take this opportunity and run, fortunate that they hadn't put her in a dungeon as most commonly happened to her on
the rare occasions she was caught. If only her anger were as logical, the anger which forced her to find her way back TOWARDS
the castle, to bring bloodshed upon all who resided there. It would be a fine thing to be able to remove this anger and
resentment from her skin, shed it and slough it away like the blood she washed from her hands.
"Born in violence little child."
She leapt upright and span, muscles tensed and defensive, eyes narrowed to survey the intruder upon her. But nothing. Truly
less than nothing, just a disturbing sense of normality. The Labyrinth, she had found in her short time here, expelled an
aura of magic possessed solely by itself, that could not be controlled by anyone though it was doubtlessly tremulously
connected to it's King. Were any other magic to be near, she felt sure that she would be able to feel it, almost a stark
contrast against the undercurrent of the Labyrinth's power. The only thing that explained it would be if...
"You cannot help but be a murderer when all you know is blood."
She started once more, adrenalin coursing through her so vividly she was shaking with the potency of it, eyes bright as
needles of light, vehemence leaking from her like a scent. "The king plays little games does he?" She murmured under her
breath, unable to prevent her eyes from darting around in search of something she knew she would not find. At this point a
troop of soldiers entered the clearing and stopped upon seeing her, withdrawing their weapons. She allowed a smile to creep
across her face through her tangled hair, the grin of a crazed person. "Let's play Soldier men." she purred before crouching
in a fighting stance...
Weapons meant very little. As she felt a sword slice through her shoulder, tearing flesh in a white hot flash of pain, she
let out a fierce snarl and turned, the kick aimed striking the weapon from their hand. She knew things far worse than
weapons that only required her hands. Ducking a swipe of a weapon from the first, she dug her nails in to the throat of the
second, at the tender base, before ripping his larynx out with the methodical precision of a surgeon. Rolling under a cut
aimed at her belly, she knocked the legs of several soldiers out from under them before backing out, cautiously, cautiously...
Finally she straightened and smiled. Not these soldiers. They were insignificant. But their King, now He, would be a
challenge. More than that, a conquest. "You bore me. Take me to a challenge." she declared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Serita winced slightly as she was thrown forwards to the hard floor, feeling a muscle above her eye twitching in restrained
anger. "The thief Your Highness." said the guard, with the perfect amount of contempt considering she had murdered one of
his friends in her first attack of the castle. Licking the blood off her lower lip from the beating she'd taken with
remarkable tolerence from the enraged guards, she gripped the cold stone between her fingers and raised herself up. Almost
automatically in the face of such raw power, a grin of pure insolence fell across her face as he stalked towards her, taking
in her stature and bruised, swollen face. Even as he measured her up she was doing the same with him. Effortlessly
graceful were his movements, though grace seemed inappropriate considering the blatant darkness in his stare. As ruthless
and uncompromising as a storm. And as magnificent, for she could not deny he was beautiful, though she viewed it with
objective disinterest. She had not spent a life of primitive survival to be swayed by something as trivial as a lovely
face, especially considering the aura of raw dominance and fae strength he exhumed. Never, in all the history she had heard,
or all the stories Old Mother Rashinta had told her, had she heard of a Goblin King joining with the Labyrinth. It would be
enjoyable then, a game no less, to defeat this impressive if evil man, even if only in the smallest way. Never before had
she actively pursued a man. If they had shown an interest, no matter how subtle and she had been obliged to allow them their
pleasure in order to free herself, then she had skill enough to seduce them and let them think that it was all their own
doing. But the idea of holding this man, a man she knew in her soul would make the Labyrinth great once more, as a trophy,
was something her arrogance could not resist. Seducing a man who would soon be the most powerful in all the Underground?
What could be more delightful?
He abruptly stepped close to her and flickered a languid hand across her face, so that she started backwards in a defensive
gesture. He laughed breathily and stepped away, watching in amusement as she realised the swollen agony of her attack, and
better yet, wounds from previous battles, no longer pained her. His laughter increased as she stepped up to a mirror at the
side of the room and stared in astonishment to see the bloated, split lip and black eyes, coupled even by some fresh scars
on her face, had disappeared.
Even as she stared Jareth was staring himself, taking in his prize. Beautiful... And who would have thought it underneath
all that grime and blood, beneath that etched anger and bitterness. When her lovely blue eyes flashed with astonishment she
seemed to contain almost a childish, delighted awe that stripped all the tarnished layers of living in this cruel world from
her. He was not surprised to feel a surge of desire crawling up from his stomach, shifting slightly from his seated position
to view her better. It meant little to him. He would simply have to derive some pleasure from a servant girl after he had
put this fine specimen to death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hee heee, tooo OTT?!? Do let me know, my stuff is v. weird I know.
"A beautiful and strange thing, is this Labyrinth. Let us see how strange it can be..." murmured Jareth, eyes gleaming as he
gazed out at his masterpiece. The Labyrinth had a mind all of it's own, a magic that was solely it's own. Joining with it
had been exhausting, had left him numb and mute for days afterwards. Taking into yourself another magic, another power, from
a fellow fae, that was one thing. Taking it from something as old and primitive as the Earth was something all together
different. And so HUGE. He had never considered the size until it's aura and strength was throbbing inside his very bones.
Goblins had watched in amazed horror.... as the Labyrinth began to move, to rebuild, to shape and mould like a writhing pit
of knotted serpants. Never had they seen the last King do such a thing. He would not dared have risked it, and yet this
King, this man with two eyes that belonged in different skulls and with different souls, had. Better now, far better, was
the Labyrinth. Stronger, more cruel, even less forgiving. The days afterwards, when Jareth could do nothing but lie in a
stunned, boneless heap upon his bed, had naturally been difficult for the country. He was too weak even to speak and issue
orders. He stepped away from the window, picking up a small goblin and carefully aiming before throwing it into the
Labyrinth. He wondered how long it would take for the disgusting little thing to work it's way back here. Sighing, he
left the Throne Room and went to his personal chambers, pacing vaguely, glancing at the plans of what the Labyrinth had once
been before his miraculous work upon it. He had heard that a thief had got into the castle whilst he was in the trance of
joining with the Labyrinth, but since he had been so separate from the world as they knew it the goblins had not known what
to do with the woman. He shook his head slightly in derisive amusement. A woman thief. People really would do anything
nowadays. The only response they had been able to gain from him had been 'The Labyrinth' as his mismatched eyes glazed into
the colour of sand. The fools had taken this at face value and had promptly thrown the woman into the Labyrinth. Whilst
this held the benefit of him learning the effectiveness of his new Labyrinth, he was curious to find out how this woman
had managed to get in at all. Taking the bell by his bed, he rang it, bringing the head of castle guard to him after several
minutes of impatient waiting. "Your highness?" enquired the armour clad goblin, dipping his head respectfully. "I want you
to tell me about the thief who gained access to the castle. How was she detained? How did she get in?" "We found her in
the hall between the Treasury and your study your highness. She uhmmmm.... killed ten goblins and three men, sir..."
"And how was this?" interrupted Jareth lazily, quirking an enquiring eyebrow. The guard ducked his head as though he had
been struck "Well, Thias thought he had heard a noise, so we had gone to investigate. We hadn't seen anything for a full
ten minute and then she... she seemed to.. CRAWL out of the shadows. I've never seen anything like it your highness. Radson
and me went to get more men when she attacked and we saw how she could fight. I think it was the way..." "SPIT IT OUT!"
snapped Jareth, the description the Goblin was giving him making something within his gut tighten. "... It was the screams
she let out. She sounded like a banshee, a harpy, some kind of demon. Who can fight a devil?" the Goblin continued, scraping
in abject apology. Jareth stood sharply and he flinched, fearing a blow from this unpredictable new Lord. However, he
merely turned and looked out of the window, eyes aflame with surprise. "D'you know what you have just described to me?" he
finally said, casting a dismissive glance towards the goblin. He shook his head, fearing eye contact or speech would initiate
violence from him. Jareth slowly turned fully, a small, teasing smile gracing his lips. "The most renowned thief of the
realm is here... and a woman..." he said ponderously, the smile gradually increasing. What started as a small chuckle
resulted in howls of laughter that echoed through the corridors like an eerie, preternatural song. Slowly he regained his
composure and turned to the nervous guard. "Find her for me. I don't care if you have to rot in that Labyrinth yourself to
get her back, you will find her." he commanded, his tone implicit and his gaze steely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Serita ravenously swallowed down the berries she had been fortunate enough to find, almost past caring whether they were
poisonous or not she was so hungry. She heard an abrupt rustling in the bushes across the clearing and stiffened, one hand
instinctively creeping for the long knife in her boot that was no longer there. She curled her lip in private disgust.
Cowards, taking her weapons and throwing her in here. They never even would have seen her if she hadn't been amused by the
ridiculous little creatures in their armour, to the extent that she made an audible noise. Her thieves' instinct told her
she should take this opportunity and run, fortunate that they hadn't put her in a dungeon as most commonly happened to her on
the rare occasions she was caught. If only her anger were as logical, the anger which forced her to find her way back TOWARDS
the castle, to bring bloodshed upon all who resided there. It would be a fine thing to be able to remove this anger and
resentment from her skin, shed it and slough it away like the blood she washed from her hands.
"Born in violence little child."
She leapt upright and span, muscles tensed and defensive, eyes narrowed to survey the intruder upon her. But nothing. Truly
less than nothing, just a disturbing sense of normality. The Labyrinth, she had found in her short time here, expelled an
aura of magic possessed solely by itself, that could not be controlled by anyone though it was doubtlessly tremulously
connected to it's King. Were any other magic to be near, she felt sure that she would be able to feel it, almost a stark
contrast against the undercurrent of the Labyrinth's power. The only thing that explained it would be if...
"You cannot help but be a murderer when all you know is blood."
She started once more, adrenalin coursing through her so vividly she was shaking with the potency of it, eyes bright as
needles of light, vehemence leaking from her like a scent. "The king plays little games does he?" She murmured under her
breath, unable to prevent her eyes from darting around in search of something she knew she would not find. At this point a
troop of soldiers entered the clearing and stopped upon seeing her, withdrawing their weapons. She allowed a smile to creep
across her face through her tangled hair, the grin of a crazed person. "Let's play Soldier men." she purred before crouching
in a fighting stance...
Weapons meant very little. As she felt a sword slice through her shoulder, tearing flesh in a white hot flash of pain, she
let out a fierce snarl and turned, the kick aimed striking the weapon from their hand. She knew things far worse than
weapons that only required her hands. Ducking a swipe of a weapon from the first, she dug her nails in to the throat of the
second, at the tender base, before ripping his larynx out with the methodical precision of a surgeon. Rolling under a cut
aimed at her belly, she knocked the legs of several soldiers out from under them before backing out, cautiously, cautiously...
Finally she straightened and smiled. Not these soldiers. They were insignificant. But their King, now He, would be a
challenge. More than that, a conquest. "You bore me. Take me to a challenge." she declared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Serita winced slightly as she was thrown forwards to the hard floor, feeling a muscle above her eye twitching in restrained
anger. "The thief Your Highness." said the guard, with the perfect amount of contempt considering she had murdered one of
his friends in her first attack of the castle. Licking the blood off her lower lip from the beating she'd taken with
remarkable tolerence from the enraged guards, she gripped the cold stone between her fingers and raised herself up. Almost
automatically in the face of such raw power, a grin of pure insolence fell across her face as he stalked towards her, taking
in her stature and bruised, swollen face. Even as he measured her up she was doing the same with him. Effortlessly
graceful were his movements, though grace seemed inappropriate considering the blatant darkness in his stare. As ruthless
and uncompromising as a storm. And as magnificent, for she could not deny he was beautiful, though she viewed it with
objective disinterest. She had not spent a life of primitive survival to be swayed by something as trivial as a lovely
face, especially considering the aura of raw dominance and fae strength he exhumed. Never, in all the history she had heard,
or all the stories Old Mother Rashinta had told her, had she heard of a Goblin King joining with the Labyrinth. It would be
enjoyable then, a game no less, to defeat this impressive if evil man, even if only in the smallest way. Never before had
she actively pursued a man. If they had shown an interest, no matter how subtle and she had been obliged to allow them their
pleasure in order to free herself, then she had skill enough to seduce them and let them think that it was all their own
doing. But the idea of holding this man, a man she knew in her soul would make the Labyrinth great once more, as a trophy,
was something her arrogance could not resist. Seducing a man who would soon be the most powerful in all the Underground?
What could be more delightful?
He abruptly stepped close to her and flickered a languid hand across her face, so that she started backwards in a defensive
gesture. He laughed breathily and stepped away, watching in amusement as she realised the swollen agony of her attack, and
better yet, wounds from previous battles, no longer pained her. His laughter increased as she stepped up to a mirror at the
side of the room and stared in astonishment to see the bloated, split lip and black eyes, coupled even by some fresh scars
on her face, had disappeared.
Even as she stared Jareth was staring himself, taking in his prize. Beautiful... And who would have thought it underneath
all that grime and blood, beneath that etched anger and bitterness. When her lovely blue eyes flashed with astonishment she
seemed to contain almost a childish, delighted awe that stripped all the tarnished layers of living in this cruel world from
her. He was not surprised to feel a surge of desire crawling up from his stomach, shifting slightly from his seated position
to view her better. It meant little to him. He would simply have to derive some pleasure from a servant girl after he had
put this fine specimen to death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hee heee, tooo OTT?!? Do let me know, my stuff is v. weird I know.