"JAARR-EETHHH" a singsong voice softly called. It echoed around him, inside him, everywhere.
"JAARR-EETHHH" it called a second time, then became an echoing laugh that crescendoed to an unbearable level only to suddenly cease. Jareth was not aware of it.
There was silence for aeons, for seconds.
"JAARREETHHH" it called once again, this time louder and more insistant.
This time his mind could not ignore it and realization struck him. He was on his feet and fully conscious in the blink of an eye, body tense and ready for anything.
The voice laughed again, this time full throated and heartily. "Oh Jareth" it said, voice dripping with humour" You do amuse."
"Sameth." Jareth growled in a grim affirmation of what he had been suspecting and dreading since he had heard the voice properly. "Show yourself!" he commanded.
"But of course." The voice replied and a black swathed man materialized before Jareth's eyes.
"It's been a while, Jareth." Sameth said, a secretive smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
"Not long enough." Came Jareth's dark reply.
"Perhaps," Sameth agreed, "But you are here now nonetheless are you not?" he asked raising his eyebrows inquisitively. "I am curious to know the reason you have decided to grace me with your presence…?"
This time it was Jareth's turn to laugh, bitterly. "Don't play innocent, Sameth." he said. "The part doesn't suit you."
"Ah, your words wound, Jareth!" Sameth said in mock hurt. "But, alas yes, you are quite right: I am aware of what has been going on in your realm." Here he paused a moment and looked at Jareth with such disdain that Jareth felt a wave of anger sweep over him. "Beaten by a mortal girl." he tutted, shaking his head.
Jareth clenched his fists so hard his nails pierced his skin, but his face remained calm. "Let's stop this petty danse macabre and skip to the point, Sameth." He said. "Why am I here?"
Sameth's face lit up with a smile that made Jareth uneasy. "So glad you asked." he said. "But first, allow me to explain where exactly 'here' is."
"Welcome to my realm." Sameth said. "It is the realm of Darkness, far more powerful than your pitiable goblin realm." He explained with a slight smirk playing at the edges of his thin red lips. "To think I could ever have wanted it..." he trailed off for a moment, lost in thought. "I trust," he continued, looking directly at Jareth now, "That you have not forgotten what happened during our last…encounter?"
"No." Jareth agreed. "And not for lack of effort on my part."
"And now," Sameth continued, " our roles are reversed and you are the interloper in my lands. I hope," he added, his startlingly blue eyes glimmering with cruel mirth under his wispy midnight hair, "that the irony of it all does not escape you."
"You have yet to answer my question." Jareth reminded him. He did not like where this was going.
"Patience is a virtue that you might do well to learn." Sameth scolded. "I, like you, am slow to forgive and never forget." He continued. "You bested me once, and I want my revenge. That, Jareth, is why you are here."
"Eager to be beaten again, are we?" Jareth chided. "You never were a quick learner."
"Do not underestimate me Jareth." Sameth warned. "It could well prove fatal. Now let us get down to business."
He pulled his black cloak off and flung it away from him in one fluid movement to reveal a tall, slender, muscular form underneath. Jareth followed suit, shedding his white cloak.
Sameth intoned the ceremonial words of challenge. "I, Sameth Prince of Darkness, challenge you, Jareth King of Goblins, to a battle to the death, whereupon the winner shall gain the loser's soul."
"I accept." Jareth said, for not to accept was to concede.
"Then let us begin." Sameth replied, a triumphant smile on his lips.
Jareth closed his eyes and searched for his Centre. He knew Sameth was doing the same thing just feet away. He cleared his mind and concentrated on tapping into his soul, on drawing all the energy he had in reserve in his body and concentrating it in his Centre. He did this with practiced ease and opened his eyes just in time to see Sameth drawing runes in the air.
A blast of fire exploded from Sameth's pointing fingers and almost caught Jareth unawares. He dodged to the left just in time for the magikal flames to graze his right shoulder, singeing his shirt there and leaving a painful burn. Jareth ignored it.
Sameth was preparing another magik attack. Jareth quickly drew runes of protection and reflection in the air, and sent Sameth's second fireball hurling back towards him. Sameth sidestepped it completely. Then Jareth drew the runes of lightning, thunder and wind and sent a man-sized tornado spinning at him. The wind sucked Sameth inside and sent him sprawling with bleeding wind-whipped cheeks.
Sameth was on his feet again almost immediately. He drew runes of strength, power and agility along with those of iron and force. He darted towards Jareth and was behind him in a heartbeat. Sameth concentrated the runes in his fist and delivered Jareth a glancing blow on the left side of his head. Jareth staggered sideways and stumbled to the ground. Sameth took the opportunity to deliver a vicious kick to his ribs that sent him skidding across the floor. Jareth pulled himself to his feet and spat blood from his mouth. He winced at the sharp pain in his chest.
Jareth began forming runes of flora and earth but was stopped short by an immense explosion from Sameth that propelled him across the floor several meters. His shirt was in shreds, singed on one side and non-existent on the other. He tore the small remainder off for freer movement, then ducked a fireball. Darting around beside Sameth, he sent a spray of water at him with the runes of wind, water and speed. Sameth staggered backwards as the speeding water stung him like needles. He flailed out towards Jareth and by chance alone struck him hard enough to gain a second or two to regain his eyesight.
Sameth hurriedly drew runes of earth and stone and concentrated on the stone ground. Within seconds it began to tremble and shake. A low rumbling sound began to swell around Jareth. Sameth suddenly jerked his hand upwards and a huge stone pillar burst from the floor whacking Jareth at an extreme speed and lifting him high into the air. Then Sameth brought his hand down faster than he had brought it up and the pillar disappeared back into the floor – leaving Jareth to free-fall the hundred or so meters to the ground. He hit it with a dull thud and a crunch that meant a broken arm and several broken ribs. Jareth lay unmoving, slightly dazed.
"Don't tell me you're through already." Sameth mocked.
"Not on your life." Jareth said, teeth gritted in pain as he struggled to his feet.
"Good," Sameth replied, "It would be embarrassing to have been beaten before by someone so weak."
Jareth quickly shaped a rune of temporary healing and set it upon his broken arm. A bone could stay healed for an hour at the least when his power and energy were full. He judged it would be fine for twenty minutes at most. The only drawback to a temporary full-heal was that although the broken bone could be used, it would be as painful as if it were still broken.
Dodging a fireball from Sameth, Jareth shaped several sequences, his hands a blur of movement, his right arm and ribs protesting painfully. He sent three fireballs at once towards Sameth; one to his right, one to his left and one straight at him. Sameth jumped to avoid the centre one and came straight into the path of the one on the right. It hit him in the chest, but he showed no more than a wince.
Sameth sent a jet of scalding hot water at Jareth. He ducked it, but Sameth had anticipated this, and had already drawn the runes of cold and wind, and froze the water as it went over Jareth's head. The resulting pillar of ice smashed down onto Jareth, making his head reel. He pushed himself up just in time to be on the receiving end of a blast of sand and wind that hit him head on and sent him flying backwards into a stone wall. He got to his feet groggily. He could taste blood on his lip.
With an immense effort, Jareth sent a lightning attack towards Sameth, who neatly dodged it. Sameth sent a volley of detonations towards Jareth. One hit him in the chest, another in the leg, a third in the stomach. Jareth reeled backwards, and hit the floor with a dull thud. He gritted his teeth and tried to get up.
Sameth formed a complicated spell of crystal wind and fire and sent it spiralling in Jareth's direction. Ten thousand tiny shards of flaming crystal struck Jareth at cyclonal speeds. He fell over again, and landed painfully on his back. Every inch of his body stung. He slowly and shakily got to his feet, but Sameth sent vicious winds whipping towards him. Jareth hit the floor the same instant his temporary healing charm failed. Pain shot through his body from head to toe, and his chest and arm throbbed achingly.
Sameth shaped runes of frost, ice and wind. A terrible cold engulfed Jareth, glazing his skin and wrapping him in a lair of magikal ice. His joints and muscles went numb and his bones screamed in creaking painful protest. Then in a hideously painful contrast with the cold came a searing heat. Jareth cried out in agony and collapsed.
Sameth was laughing now, triumphantly. Jareth strained to push himself to his feet, his every muscle trembling with effort. He made it halfway to his feet before his muscles gave way beneath him. He fell forwards with a sickening crack as his kneecaps collided with the hard stone floor, then toppled over onto his front.
Sameth walked forwards to stand over him. "Goodbye Jareth" he said, voice devoid of emotion. He began to shape the Final Runes, the ones that only the victor can use, meant to tear the opponent's soul from their body, and chanted the ceremonial spell as he did so.
Jareth could feel it. A great and terrible magik stirring all around him, like a slowly uncoiling snake. Sameth's chanting had became increasingly louder and his hands became barely discernable blurs.
Paroxysms of pain gripped Jareth's chest and arm and his body convulsed violently.
"Damn!" he gasped through barely parted lips as the last drops of energy left his being. Then his vision began to cloud and he lost consciousness.
Good fight scene? Bad fight scene? Questions? Comments? Review! ;-)
