Author's Note: Back at last! Hopefully someone is still reading this story, or has recommended it. Thanks for the luck, Moonjava-I needed it ! Enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 9:New People and Places
"Down, down, diggity down! Down you go, can't say no! Down down down!" Strange voices sang as Adina was roughly thrown down-or was it sliding?- a shaft. It felt as if hands were shoving her, and Adina's cape flipped over her head. "Where am I going?" she cried out frantically, mentally saying "Stop!"
The words hadn't left Adina's mouth for more than a few seconds, when she was tossed onto the ground. Yanking the cape back, Adina looked up in time to see a grate shut. Then, silence. Adina groaned, held her head, and sat up. She opened her mind, searching for an escape, or other creatures. Nothing.......wait. "Who's there?" a voice croaked. Adina immediately scrambled to remember a spell for light, then finally pulled a lantern out of thin air.
Seated before her was a short being, clad in robes, a hat, and a mask around its eyes. It had a birdlike beak, and held a walking stick. "Ah," it said, looking at Adina with endless black eyes. "Milady." "Master.............." "Beggar, milady. Just a poor beggar, who lives in this obuilette." The beggar turned his head quizzically.
"Where are you going, milady? To save someone? That's the only reason anyone goes through the labyrinth." "No," Adina crawled over to him and plopped down. "I'm going......to the Goblin City. On business." Best not to tell the truth entirely, she told herself. "Oh." Master Beggar rasped. "Can I go with you? No one's ever dropped in, so I've gotten lonely." "Sure." Adina glanced at him from studying the grate. "Give me a few seconds." She sat up, sensed for the right spot, then muttered some words. Grinning at Master Beggar, who was wide eyed, Adina nodded approvingly as a door was formed in the obuilette's walls. "Shall we go?" she opened the door, now leading to a tunnel upward.
"This girl is certainly amazing," Jareth said to his goblins, who were watching the duo with him through the crystal. "When she gets here, with her new companion, bring them to me, unharmed." "But she's not supposed to get through, Your Highness. You once told us that." A goblin exclaimed, using its brain. "Of course they won't get through, idiot. As goblins, bring them here." Jareth rolled his eyes in disgust and kicked the goblin. At this, the other goblins began laughing loudly. Jareth turned back, and saw that the girl and 'Master Beggar' were back on the surface. Hurry, sorceress. You only have ten hours left.
"Have you ever been in this area before, Master Beggar?" asked Adina, as they made their way around various wall sections in the labyrinth. "Yes, once. A long time ago." Master Beggar shuffled along, his stick tap tapping. "When this was first built by the Goblin King, Jareth." "Could you tell me about him?" "Not really. I don't much, but he's very strong in magic. And he enjoys people running the labyrinth. Thirteen hours they're given to solve it." This statement stopped Adina in her tracks. "I thought that was just for saving children!" "No, no," the little fellow smirked, pleased to have new news. "It's anyone. And you have ten hours left. Or, you're a goblin."