Chapter 17: Victory Through Loss

Flames flickered.

"Well, well…" Deram murmured as Alex's rage manifested again. "You're a fire witch? How… intriguing. I have never known a human to display magic like this, before. But then… you have always liked being different, haven't you?"

"And you haven't?" Alex hissed.

Deram smiled, "No, I don't enjoy being different for the sake of differences. I do it for the power that I'm granted."

"You admit to serving someone?" Mathis asked calmly.

"Of course. Why should I not? I have done all that I have done under the orders of the Lich. But you knew that. Let us dispense with these formalities: you are here to destroy me, but you will fail. Like those before you have failed."

Alex grinned, the light from her conjured fires lighting her eyes with fury's glow, highlighting her purple hair. "Perhaps I will fail, but I think not. I think it is you who will fail, Deram. I will blow you away. Then I'll find your master and I'll blow him away."

"What will you do, girl, once vengeance has been wrought upon the world?" Deram sneered.

"I will die."

Deram stared at her, "You will fight the most powerful being in the Underground so that you can die in peace?"

"I am dying anyway."

"So much like Jareth. Well, you may die in peace, then, having at least challenged your enemy. I challenge you, child, to a duel. No magic, no tricks, we use our swords alone. We fight to the death. If you win, I die, if I win, you die and I go on to kill your little friends. Fair?"

Alex frowned. She knew that he was making rules only to break them. The throne room was large enough for a duel if magic wasn't involved, but if the treacherous Goblin King broke his own rules… "Fair. Let us begin."

Deram smiled, "If one of the mages would be so kind as to set up a dueling shield, we shall begin."

Alex watched as Luc waved his hands, a look of horror on his face, and a pale blue light shone around the throne room. It was a makeshift arena, a force field of light. Deram grinned as he drew a long, wide, sharp sword out of thin air. The blade was black and seemed to trail dust… or a shadow of some sort. Alex shifted her feet to find her balance and whipped out her twin katanas. They seemed to sing with a pure song, a white light pouring forth as in answer to Deram's darkness.

Blinding light flashed in the round room as darkness hit light. The two combatants whirled and spun, poked with thrusts, blocked with parries. Alex seemed as a dancer, each movement calculated, each flourish made with purpose. Deram seemed to fight on instinct, rage and hatred overpowering common sense. He swung his sword of darkness, seeking to overcome Alex grace with his sheer strength. How Alex had so mastered the sword in such a short amount of time, no one knew, but master it she had.

Luc and Mathis sat down and watched the spectacular display. Whenever swords met, sparks flew around the room, burning the arms and hands of the warriors. Whenever Deram's sword struck Luc's field of light, there was a hissing sound and a loud crack and the two were sent flying toward the other side of the clear blue dome. The dance was long and glorious, but the dancers were equally matched, and worn out.

"Giving up?" Alex asked as she gasped for air.

"Me? Give up? Never!" Deram screamed as he lunged at Alex.

Luc suddenly knew what she was doing. She was waiting. She knew she couldn't best him with the sword; she had never taken the offensive in these attacks. She was waiting for him to cheat and use magic. She wouldn't have to wait much longer, he figured, Deram seemed ready to finish this. Luc made a quick adjustment to the shield he had raised on Deram's command.

Suddenly, an arc of white energy flooded down from the top of the dome and encased Deram in its radiance. Fireballs leaped from his outstretched hands, yet burned out far before hitting their mark. Luc had been not a moment too soon to catch Deram at his game. The magical cocoon disappeared and magical shackles held his wrists behind his back.

"You cheated," whispered Luc.

Deram spat in his face.

"I want answers, Deram." Alex demanded.

"Don't we all?" asked the captive.

"How did you manage to get into that ball without being seen?" She asked.

"Oh, I was seen. Just not like this. Maybe you remember the name Mark? Lilly's boyfriend? I was there the whole time, little one, you just never caught on."

"How long have you served the Lich?" Mathis asked.

"Since a few weeks before I began hunting you, father, dear."

"Where is this Lich?" Luc demanded.

"Who?"

"Answer me!" Luc growled.

"Far away and very close." sang the trapped man.

"Why--"

"I'll not answer any more, fools! I serve the Lich, and I will free myself, no matter the cost!"

Luc's face drained of color as he struggled to hold the spell that bound Deram. Alex could see the light around the evil man's wrists fading until he yanked his arms free. He tackled the mousey-haired mage, knocking his head hard against the stone floor. Alex screamed as a lance of dark green energy pierced Deram's heart. She stared at the black-haired man for a few seconds before turning her gaze toward Mathis.

Tears streamed own his face as he stood with his arm still outstretched, his hand smoking with the energy he had directed at his own son. Alex had nothing that she could say, all she could do was watch as he lifted his younger son off of the pale mage. He let Deram rest gently against the floor and leaned over Luc.

"His breathing is shallow, his heartbeat irregular. Deram damaged him terribly with that one attack." Mathis said quietly.

"Is there--"

"The only thing we can do is kill the Lich before more innocents die. I will send the signal to Salid that all is clear here. We must move on. My sons have both been taken from me now, and I dealt the final blow to one of them. Luc lies dying. No, we must hurry." Mathis said. He waved his hand to send the signal, then hurried out of the room, throwing a hasty, "Stay here, I'll be right back" Alex's way.

She sat on the floor and wept for those who had died. Lilly, Jareth, Luc… It was too much. Alex couldn't keep on like this. She had told Deram the truth: when all was said and done, she would die. She hummed that lullaby and held herself, fending off the coldness creeping into her heart until Mathis returned…

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"Your servant was destroyed, foul creature. Alex has bested two of your minions."

Blood red eyes regarded the prisoner as inky hair floated in an eerie, enchanting lack of pattern around his ageless face. "Defeat my minions? Yes, but not alone. Well, now she has one less friend to help her along her way. I wonder what I shall do to poor, irritating Mathis."

"You'll not harm him! You'll not harm either of them"

"No? Well, that won't do, Jareth. If I don't harm them, I shall come to harm. I really am very sorry."

"Somehow I'm not convinced."

Icy laughter filled the dark chamber and froze Jareth's blood, "Good, I would have been sorely disappointed with you if you had believed me."

"Why did you not save Deram?"

An amused expression played across his face as he watched Jareth, "Would you have had me let him live?"

"No. I simply wondered why you didn't save him."

"He had outlived his usefulness. Besides, Alex gives me great pleasure when she fights with her rage. Did you notice? She's found her own magic. The bond of love between the two of you has given her that life she has always dreamed of: she is like you, an elf, one of the long-lived fair folk."

"It means nothing to her, now that she believes me dead."

"Exactly. How tragic that while she breathes her last, I shall reveal you to her. The poor thing."

"Why? Why would even you do that? It has no point!"

"Because suffering pleases me. Those who go against me must learn that I do not tolerate disobedience. I shall exact my punishment on all those who oppose me, your love is no different."

Jareth moaned as he pictured Alex's face. Agony tore at him: how had he been spared his life? How was he to get himself freed before Alex got here? He would take her away, far away where they could hide from this evil forever. No. He knew that she would not settle with anything less than the demise of the Lich, weather or not Jareth lived. She had had enough running. That was why he loved her: she devoted herself to ideals, and nothing would deter her. The fool. All he could do was wait for her to come, and hope that she wouldn't fall for the traps being planned.

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He had done it. He had killed his own son! Granted, he really hadn't thought of Deram as his child. Deram had always been… aloof. Jareth had played at it but Deram had truly been cruel all his life. He had been bad from the start. So why did he feel a sense of loss? Because he had looked so much like Jareth. Luc… Luc couldn't die. Luc needed to bring Lilly back. Everything would end right.

He opened the door to the library, his subconscious recognizing the smell greeting him just seconds too late. He laughed as he felt his lungs burn with a magical poison that had been hanging in the air. Of course. He would die just as he was about to get his revenge. He held his breath, and forced himself to keep consciousness for the few minutes it took to find what he was looking for.

As he stumbled into the throne room, Alex rushed to his side. "Mathis! Mathis, what's wrong? What happened?"

"I was foolish. Deram had laid traps, poison. I'm dying, Alex. This is the spell you need to find the Lich, I can give you what energy I have left, but you must face him alone." Mathis whispered thickly.

Alex shook her head, "No, you'll be alright, you'll come with me!"

"May I say that I was honored to have met you? I wish I may have seen the wedding between you and my son. I wish I may have seen my grandchildren. But I die happy with having known you, you are a gem among women, little one. Thank you."

Alex wept as she felt energy from him pass into her as he cast a final spell. As he slumped to the ground, fury took hold of her once more and she focused her newfound strength into opening the door to the Lich's realm.

"It's time we ended this." she whispered to the inky darkness hanging before her. "We will end this once and for all."