Chapter 6
Zail paced the floor. He couldn't remember the last time there was such a mess to fix up. Sarah was a guest/prisoner of the Goblin King, Linka had returned in the early morning without Becay who had disappeared and Flick was missing from his room. Upon searching his son's room for his means of escape he had only found a crystal ball and that was when a feeling of dread thumped like a brick in the bottom of his stomach. The only time one saw a crystal ball like that was around the Goblin King.
Zail threw himself down into a chair and studied the empty crystal ball as if it might reveal an answer as to what to do next. Ideas tingled in the back of his mind. He sighed; he really didn't like the thought of it. There really wasn't much else he could do - so be it. Walking out of his private room Zail started throwing orders around.
"Linka, get a group together. I want you to search the Goblin City and the surrounding area for Becay. Jacor, I want you to get a second group together and see if you can track down my wayward son."
Jacor looked over at the Thief Lord. Jacor was a big man who resembled the humans of the Aboveworld except for his large frame, unnatural strength and violet coloured eyes. "Mayhap we should call in Yula, she may be able to find out how Flick got out in the first place."
Zail nodded in agreement. Yula was a pixie and the best escape artist in all of the Underground. If anyone would know how Flick got out it would be she."
Linka laid a hand on Zail arm and felt the tension in his muscles. "What are you going to do?"
A wry smile appeared on Zail's lips and held up the empty crystal. "I'm going to speak with the Goblin King.
***
Jareth leaned back in the chair and watched the red liquid of the wine swirl within the glass. Sarah would be down shortly and he would have all the answers to his question that had been troubling his mind. He looked up when the doors opened and stared as Sarah walked into the room. He had known the dress would bring out her feminine figure, unlike the rags she was wearing the night before, but he hadn't counted on this. this divine beauty. But, ever the king, Jareth smiled at her and offered her a chair, before seating himself.
"Did you sleep well last night Sarah?" he asked.
"I would have slept better in my own bed" Sarah snapped and instantly wanted to hit herself. She was meant to follow the plan. Seduce Jareth; make him lower his guard, then make a break for freedom. Couldn't she for once she keep a hold of her tongue? Of course she could. She could. "Sorry Jareth," she winced inside, damn that hurt, "the last 24 hours have really been hard."
Jareth stared at Sarah for a moment. His eyes pinning her in her spot and she wondered if he was fooled.
"Yes" he said slowly after a moment, "last night was rather surprising. Yet you have not finished your story, I would be pleased if you would continue it over breakfast."
Sarah bit her tongue to stop a retort and picked up a glass instead. "Very well then. A few days after the funeral, I was in my room" she laughed, "again."
*** - 4 years ago -
Sarah flopped down on her bed and buried her head in the pillow. For once the memories of the past few weeks did not intrude and she was grateful. If only things could be like this all the time, when she didn't have to feel anything. Nice and simple. She gave a snort of humourless laughter, maybe she should wish the goblins would come and take her away. What would the great and might Goblin King have to say about all of this!? She groaned and rolled over onto her back and concentrated on not thinking.
Sarah jerked awake when something poked her none too gently in the back. When had she fallen asleep? She wasn't given time to answer herself when she was poked again, and scrambling away she turned to look at her poker. She gasped as she saw the two men, one young and one older and with pointed ears looking at her. The younger one held a staff and it was obviously that it was he who had poked her.
"Who are you?" Sarah demanded, "and better yet, where am I?"
The older elf gave a smirk that reminded her eerily of the Goblin King. "I am Zail and this is my son Flick. You, young lady, are on my land."
Sarah had a sinking feeling. "Please tell this isn't the Underground."
Zail's smirk grew. He didn't know who this intruder was, but he liked her.
***
Jareth finished off the last of his wine in one gulp. "That still doesn't explain exactly how you got to the Underground. Zail. I've heard of that name somewhere before."
Sarah held her breath, hopefully he would never remember.
Jareth mentally shook his head. "So you have been living with this Zail for all these years. Why did you never come to me?"
"Because you were the Goblin King, who stole my brother and ran me through a maze of hell to get him back" answered Sarah truthfully.
Jareth sighed. "I am not the villain of your run through my labyrinth Sarah. I'm-"
"I know" Sarah cut in and had a moment of satisfaction when surprise flashed across the face of the Goblin King. "You forget I've been in the Underground for many years. I have lived by laws made by you, lived under your rulership. I've seen how you demand fear and respect from your subjects, yet deliver no punishment undeserved. You order the seemingly impossible though what you command nothing that is beyond the ability of the individual." Sarah gave a light laugh "my run through your labyrinth was proof enough of that."
Jareth gave a smile in return. "So I take it you've been observing me then?"
Sarah gave a smug, secretive look "how could you doubt it? You are after all the most talked about man in the Underground, being its king and all."
Both were cut off from further conversation when the ground below them began to shudder and a great moaning sound came from outside. Sarah stood in alarm and glanced out the window towards the sound. Jareth and Sarah exchanged confusion looks then both move quickly over the to the window. Before them lay the Labyrinth and it was changing. Walls disappeared into the ground and new ones rose. A black mist with a green tinge to it spread out across the maze and soon nothing could be seen but the fog.
"Jareth, what's happening?"
A horrible feeling was welling up inside of Jareth and he asked "Sarah? What exactly were you doing in my castle last night?"
Sarah was silent.
Jareth sighed. On some silent command, four goblins escorted Becay into the room, in chains and very much a prisoner and what Jareth intended to use as a bargainng piece.
"We're not playing a game this time Sarah."
Zail paced the floor. He couldn't remember the last time there was such a mess to fix up. Sarah was a guest/prisoner of the Goblin King, Linka had returned in the early morning without Becay who had disappeared and Flick was missing from his room. Upon searching his son's room for his means of escape he had only found a crystal ball and that was when a feeling of dread thumped like a brick in the bottom of his stomach. The only time one saw a crystal ball like that was around the Goblin King.
Zail threw himself down into a chair and studied the empty crystal ball as if it might reveal an answer as to what to do next. Ideas tingled in the back of his mind. He sighed; he really didn't like the thought of it. There really wasn't much else he could do - so be it. Walking out of his private room Zail started throwing orders around.
"Linka, get a group together. I want you to search the Goblin City and the surrounding area for Becay. Jacor, I want you to get a second group together and see if you can track down my wayward son."
Jacor looked over at the Thief Lord. Jacor was a big man who resembled the humans of the Aboveworld except for his large frame, unnatural strength and violet coloured eyes. "Mayhap we should call in Yula, she may be able to find out how Flick got out in the first place."
Zail nodded in agreement. Yula was a pixie and the best escape artist in all of the Underground. If anyone would know how Flick got out it would be she."
Linka laid a hand on Zail arm and felt the tension in his muscles. "What are you going to do?"
A wry smile appeared on Zail's lips and held up the empty crystal. "I'm going to speak with the Goblin King.
***
Jareth leaned back in the chair and watched the red liquid of the wine swirl within the glass. Sarah would be down shortly and he would have all the answers to his question that had been troubling his mind. He looked up when the doors opened and stared as Sarah walked into the room. He had known the dress would bring out her feminine figure, unlike the rags she was wearing the night before, but he hadn't counted on this. this divine beauty. But, ever the king, Jareth smiled at her and offered her a chair, before seating himself.
"Did you sleep well last night Sarah?" he asked.
"I would have slept better in my own bed" Sarah snapped and instantly wanted to hit herself. She was meant to follow the plan. Seduce Jareth; make him lower his guard, then make a break for freedom. Couldn't she for once she keep a hold of her tongue? Of course she could. She could. "Sorry Jareth," she winced inside, damn that hurt, "the last 24 hours have really been hard."
Jareth stared at Sarah for a moment. His eyes pinning her in her spot and she wondered if he was fooled.
"Yes" he said slowly after a moment, "last night was rather surprising. Yet you have not finished your story, I would be pleased if you would continue it over breakfast."
Sarah bit her tongue to stop a retort and picked up a glass instead. "Very well then. A few days after the funeral, I was in my room" she laughed, "again."
*** - 4 years ago -
Sarah flopped down on her bed and buried her head in the pillow. For once the memories of the past few weeks did not intrude and she was grateful. If only things could be like this all the time, when she didn't have to feel anything. Nice and simple. She gave a snort of humourless laughter, maybe she should wish the goblins would come and take her away. What would the great and might Goblin King have to say about all of this!? She groaned and rolled over onto her back and concentrated on not thinking.
Sarah jerked awake when something poked her none too gently in the back. When had she fallen asleep? She wasn't given time to answer herself when she was poked again, and scrambling away she turned to look at her poker. She gasped as she saw the two men, one young and one older and with pointed ears looking at her. The younger one held a staff and it was obviously that it was he who had poked her.
"Who are you?" Sarah demanded, "and better yet, where am I?"
The older elf gave a smirk that reminded her eerily of the Goblin King. "I am Zail and this is my son Flick. You, young lady, are on my land."
Sarah had a sinking feeling. "Please tell this isn't the Underground."
Zail's smirk grew. He didn't know who this intruder was, but he liked her.
***
Jareth finished off the last of his wine in one gulp. "That still doesn't explain exactly how you got to the Underground. Zail. I've heard of that name somewhere before."
Sarah held her breath, hopefully he would never remember.
Jareth mentally shook his head. "So you have been living with this Zail for all these years. Why did you never come to me?"
"Because you were the Goblin King, who stole my brother and ran me through a maze of hell to get him back" answered Sarah truthfully.
Jareth sighed. "I am not the villain of your run through my labyrinth Sarah. I'm-"
"I know" Sarah cut in and had a moment of satisfaction when surprise flashed across the face of the Goblin King. "You forget I've been in the Underground for many years. I have lived by laws made by you, lived under your rulership. I've seen how you demand fear and respect from your subjects, yet deliver no punishment undeserved. You order the seemingly impossible though what you command nothing that is beyond the ability of the individual." Sarah gave a light laugh "my run through your labyrinth was proof enough of that."
Jareth gave a smile in return. "So I take it you've been observing me then?"
Sarah gave a smug, secretive look "how could you doubt it? You are after all the most talked about man in the Underground, being its king and all."
Both were cut off from further conversation when the ground below them began to shudder and a great moaning sound came from outside. Sarah stood in alarm and glanced out the window towards the sound. Jareth and Sarah exchanged confusion looks then both move quickly over the to the window. Before them lay the Labyrinth and it was changing. Walls disappeared into the ground and new ones rose. A black mist with a green tinge to it spread out across the maze and soon nothing could be seen but the fog.
"Jareth, what's happening?"
A horrible feeling was welling up inside of Jareth and he asked "Sarah? What exactly were you doing in my castle last night?"
Sarah was silent.
Jareth sighed. On some silent command, four goblins escorted Becay into the room, in chains and very much a prisoner and what Jareth intended to use as a bargainng piece.
"We're not playing a game this time Sarah."