Chapter 28
Battle for the Kingdom and a
Surface World surprise
Jareth and Faron were holed up inside their tents as a blustery wind was blowing across the hills outside Goblin City overlooking the Labyrinth and the castle. Ceres and Mara were laying close together in a corner of the tent. Mara had not been able to get back to Sarah without her magic and had decided to stay with Ceres and Jareth for the time being.
It was late December, the winter solstice and Christmas had passed a few days ago, with no celebrations this year, and they had finally closed the last pathway into another dimension only yesterday.
Paradox had not been kidding when she had said there were countless pathways. Without teleporting capabilities, it had taken months under Jareth' supervision, since he was the only one with the knowledge of their whereabouts, and he had insisted of closing every single one of them.
"We can't leave a single one open, the risk is too great. The Einhorns were very adamant about it and I had promised them I would close them all." Jareth had told Faron when he had questioned him about closing every single one.
Arman, Aden, Bethan, and several other outstanding leaders had held off the attack and slowed it down to a stalemate and a siege of the castle. Jareth couldn't be sure of what was going on at the castle and Sarah was on his mind every single minute of every single day.
He hadn't seen or heard from her in nearly six months now, and she had to be far into her pregnancy by now. He felt like crying every time he thought about it, that he couldn't be with her during what was supposed to be a wonderful time in their lives.
All he had to remind him of her lovely face and her shimmering eyes, was a small photo he always kept in his jacket pocket. It was a photo from one of the parties they had attended at the Blue Rock Café. Marjorie had snapped it for him and he had cherished it ever since. He looked at it at every opportunity, only for a few seconds, and then he would put it back in his pocket for safe keeping.
"You'll see her again, soon. Now that we have the pathways closed things should speed up." Faron tried to sound confident and he gently patted Jareth on his arm.
"We haven't heard any news from the castle in months." Jareth sulked.
"No news is good news. Had they captured Sarah we would know by now. Consider the no news a very good sign." Jareth sighed, looked one more time at Sarah's picture and then gently put it back in his jacket pocket.
"We move out at dawn", he said with renewed self-confidence and took a sip of his hot tea. Faron nodded and left the tent to get some rest before the battle.
Sarah and Krum carefully crept through the garden using hedges and bushes for cover to get to the small concealed hole in the wall of the castle. Sarah had loaded the 9mm clock pistol which held fifteen rounds.
She felt quite confident with it as her dad had taught her how to shoot one after it first had come on the market in 1988. This model was the same make and year as her dad's. It had been sometime since she had held and operated one, but she was sure it would come back to her.
"If magic doesn't work this here should. Things always equal each other out", Sarah had explained to Krum. "It's called equilibrium, you can't have one and not the other. If there is justice in the Underground World, then this gun will work now since magic doesn't."
They had made it to the hole in the wall without being detected and silently slipped through it. Sarah had wrapped them both in white fae stag hides Jareth had kept in the bedroom. He had brain tanned them himself, and one of them was Sarah's from her first hunt, now two years ago. They kept them warm and camouflaged against the snow.
Once they had made it out of the castle they quickly made their way to The Underground Club and Brewery. Sarah knew the backway in, which was as carefully hidden as the main entrance. No wonder the goblorks had not found this location. They were brutes with muscle, but very little brain.
When Sarah slightly tapped against the door she heard a muffled voice.
"It's me Sarah, open up Mark", she quietly replied. The door flung open and they entered quickly.
Mark stood there with a huge relief on his face as he hugged Sarah and even Krum. He had grown a short beard which made him quite rugged looking Sarah thought. Marjorie would like him that way for sure. Faes and elves never grew beards and also had very little body hair, but they made up for it with thick long head hair.
Sarah and Krum took off their stag hides and warmed up by a nice fire Mark had going in the fireplace by his beer vats.
"Marjorie is in a safe place", Sarah immediately told Mark since he looked at her with worried eyes.
"She evacuated the castle with Jay and Jeremy, Chayrone, Aria and Aviana to the Northern forest. The Einhorns are taking care of everyone." She looked at him with soft eyes and he smiled back happily upon hearing the news.
"What a relief", he sighed. "I had been going out of my head here worrying about her. It's been so long."
Sarah suddenly realized for the first time since the invasion had begun that she was in the same situation as thousands of her subjects, and all of her friends. Nobody had seen their families in months.
"How's the brewing business?" Sarah casually asked to change the subject, and then they both started to laugh. What a silly question during an occupation and a war.
"I got enough brewed to last for the next three invasions", he replied. "Enough to get this entire goblork army drunk ten times over." Mark added with a grin. Sarah sat up and had a contemplating look on her face.
"You said you have enough of this brew to get the entire goblork army drunk?" She asked again as if she needed to be reassured.
"Oh hell yeah, and then some. It's all in the back, bottled and everything. We didn't want the barely and hops to go to waste so we just kept brewing. Plus, we needed something to do, or we would've gone crazy in here."
Mark showed Sarah and Krum the storage room which was filled to the brim with King J Ale and Elven blonde."
Krum's eyes bulged out of his sockets and Mark let him grab a couple of bottles of each. They all sat back down around the fireplace. Sarah had a concentrated look on her face and Krum knew she was ciphering over another plan.
Her and Krum had lived together for the past nearly six month and had gotten to know each other very well. If Sarah had been close to Krum before, they were now inseparable. Very much like a close knit sister and brother team.
Krum had helped Sarah throughout her pregnancy. He had helped her with her morning sickness by finding the right herbs to brew a tea with, he had helped her with leg cramps and back issues, and he had always managed to find the right food for her so she would get the correct nutrients.
Krum truly had been a godsend for Sarah. He had kept her spirits up about Jareth when she was at her lowest in her confidence and would cry all night because she missed him and was worried about him. Krum was her shadow, her everything during those six months.
"I have an idea", Sarah said quietly and with a devilish grin as she rubbed her hands together by the fire to warm them up.
She filled Mark, Krum, and about a dozen of the brewery workers in on her plan and everyone started to grin and nod when she had finished.
"You know what, I think that's the best strategy of winning a war I have ever heard." Mark congratulated her as he stood up.
"Let me show you something else we have that will help our cause, since you brought up the gun issue that is."
He led them down a narrow short corridor and moved a picture off the wall that revealed a large opening with a hidden room behind it. Sarah peeked into the large closet size room. It was packed full of rifles, hand guns, and ammunition boxes. Even a few military style rifles from World War 2.
"You got to be kidding me." Sarah was speechless and Krum nearly choked on his second King J Ale.
"Welcome to Mark's Underground Militia", he proclaimed proudly. "I brought these down with me when we moved. I have always collected guns, it's a family tradition. Marjorie thinks I'm nuts. She's so flower power", Mark waved his hands around and rolled his eyes which made Sarah laugh out loud.
"I have been training about a dozen of my goblin workers for the past six months on these babies. Things you do when you get bored and try to find a way out."
He smirked and Sarah gave him a huge hug.
"If only Jareth could see this. He would flip over it", Sarah cried out and immediately felt melancholic for having mentioned his name. Mark put his arm around her and comforted her.
"Girl, you'll see that boy again. And you know why?" She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"Because he is dumb plumb crazy about you and will do everything he can to come back to you. I mean, I'm crazy about my wife too, but he's at another level, girl. He's coming back for you. And you can take that to the bank."
Sarah couldn't help but smile at his comment. Mark was always such a straight shooter and she was thankful for him.
"Dumb plumb crazy, eh?" She had to giggle as she wiped her tears out of her face. "Yeah, and so am I about him", she added.
Sarah and Krum had been given a couple of comfortable cots and warm blankets for the night. They were now part of the Underground Militia, and Mark had proudly given them one of his army jackets with a self-made shield insignia that read 'Underground Goblin Militia est.1996'.
"And you have uniforms too", Sarah laughed as she put on the jacket. Mark never did anything half way.
The plan they had hedged out was quite simple. They would load up a horynth cart full of beer and drive down the street right into the camp of the goblork. Knowing the goblork, they would confiscate the beer, ask them where they got it and take the rest from the brewery. All the while the real militia would hide in the back closet, and when the army was drunk, most likely by the evening, they could easily go in there with their guns and take them out in battle.
"I only wish we could have some back up from the fae and goblin armies." Mark mentioned to Sarah early in the morning when they were getting ready to load the beer.
"You leave that up to me", she had replied with a sly smile. "You get them drunk and I get you the soldiers."
While a couple of the goblin workers started their beer delivery, Sarah pondered over a few of the maps Mark had, which showed some of the fae and elven garrisons that were bivouacked around town.
"I can make it to that one probably without problems", Sarah pointed to a garrison not far from the brewery. It was a bit smaller but it would be enough to get the word out to the others.
"Who commands that one"? She asked and looked at everyone in the room.
"Bethan", a goblin from the back replied. "They moved him from the castle to this small garrison a couple of weeks ago."
"Bethan?" Sarah repeated. "That is perfect."
Krum wouldn't let Sarah go and volunteered to go in her place. He had some valuable arguments. He was not pregnant and therefore more mobile and agile, he would not attract attention being a nearly five foot goblin as he blended in quite well with the goblorks, and nobody was looking for him, but the entire goblork army was looking for the six month pregnant queen.
Sarah finally gave in to his counter arguments and let him go instead. Krum put on a few goblork clothes and went on his way.
Jareth and Faron were ready at first light and had their large army of five thousand faes and elves assembled. The day to liberate the castle and goblin city had come.
They had been able to let Kaden at the castle know what was coming, and they too had made preparations for the assault. They were still outnumbered by the goblorks, but they hoped the surprise attack would be enough momentum to turn the tide in their favor.
"Are you ready old man?" Jareth asked Faron as they were heading out on their horynthes.
"As ready as I'll ever be. I say it is time for us to kick some serious goblork ass. I don't know about you, but it is high time for me to see my wife again", he smiled and slapped Jareth on his shoulders. Jareth huffed a smile in agreement and gave the signal to head out. Yes, it was high time to see Sarah again. He only hoped he would find her soon.
It was quite an impressive sight to see five thousand fae and elven soldiers on their goblin ponies come rushing down the hill towards Goblin City. It would take them roughly five hours to get there. Five hours before the fight for the Kingdom would begin.
The goblorks had stopped the beer wagon as expected and helped themselves to the loot. And as expected, they forced the goblins to tell them where the rest was.
Soon the brewery was crawling with goblorks confiscating every ounce of beer they could find. They even ripped out the beer vats and drug them out of the brewery, up the narrow staircases, and into the street.
Soon a large number of the goblorks were drinking beer and having fun. Within two hours, most of them were drunk and belligerent. So far everything had gone according to plan.
Krum had managed to break through the goblork lines and establish contact with Bethan who immediately send couriers to the other garrisons to spread the word.
"Wait for the shot", Krum had said, "that's the signal. A loud boom." Bethan had fully understood and had smiled with anticipation. His queen once again came through for the kingdom.
Sarah and the goblin militia had been hiding in the little arsenal room, patiently waiting for the goblorks to make an exit after thoroughly combing through the brewery. After they had left they stepped out and started grabbing the guns and ammo boxes.
All were dressed in their uniforms and there was no mistaking it on whose side they were fighting. Even Sarah wore her jacket but she was not going to partake in the actual attack. She had her unborn daughter to think about. She would stay behind at the brewery and out of sight of the goblorks. Her duty was to keep loading the rest of the guns so her militia brothers could concentrate on the actual fighting.
It was nearly noon before Mark and his militia had taken their positions and waited quietly for the signal. Sarah was going to give that shot out the back door of the brewery. She counted down the minutes. Slowly she pulled her Glock out of her belt and held it up into the air. Boom, the battle for the Kingdom had begun.
Mark and his goblin militia started to unload on the unsuspecting goblorks who staggered the streets half drunk and didn't know what was going on. They fell by the dozens, still not realizing what was happening. Not knowing anything about guns, they were in complete shock and stood motionless, looking around and making perfect targets.
Bethan had heard the shot, and so had Kaden. Both gave signals for their archers to shoot at will. The faes and elves had renewed energy especially when they were told the queen had given the opening salvo.
"For the queen, for the kingdom", was the battle cry as thousands surged forward towards the goblork lines with swinging swords and notched bows.
Jareth and Faron too had heard the shot. Faron was confused as he signaled his troops to stop, but Jareth knew what it was.
"That was a gun shot. I never forget the sound of a gunshot as long as I exist. Whoever fired it, and it damn sure wasn't a goblork, they need our help."
They charged forward and rushed down the last embankment into the streets of Goblin City right past the council building in which a stunned Keroon was looking out the window.
"What is going on out there?" he bellowed and angrily threw a chair out the window. Kelan stood in the corner of the room and smiled.
"Looks like the king is what's going on", he smirked and Keroon pummeled him in his face. While Kelan crumbled to the floor, Keroon left the room and made it down onto the street.
The street battle was in full swing and the fae and elven cavalry had the upper hand. Keroon made his signaler to blow the horn for temporary retreat. Jareth and Faron, however, did not allow them to retreat and forced them to fight on. Keroon was furious and ran into a side alley away from the heavy fighting.
Several fae soldiers were close behind him and he kept running trying to evade him. Finally Keroon had shaken them off his trail and he oriented himself in the narrow streets to see where he was.
Mark and his militia didn't give the goblorks a chance to counterattack as they kept firing at every single one that came into sight. They were all expert marksmen and made every shot count as they only had enough rounds to take out about a couple of thousands of them. There were nearly ten thousand goblorks. And with Sarah continuously supplying loaded guns there was no interruption in the attack.
The battle raged furiously in different parts of the city as well as the castle. Kaden had commenced a full frontal attack on the troops that had laid siege to the citadel and had driven the goblorks away from the gates. Kaden had them opened and his three thousand faes stormed out to take on the goblork horde.
Faron fought the goblorks by the council building and Jareth took his soldier down Main Street from where the shots were coming. The ringing of the gunshots had excited him. They must have had to come from Mark; or maybe even Sarah?
He didn't even want to think about the prospect of Sarah being in this battle. Not at six months pregnant. He spurned on his horynth and rushed down Main Street. The mayhem in downtown Goblin City was complete. Goblorks were running in all direction, trying to get away from the invisible killing bees, as they called them, but couldn't. The invisible killing bees seemed to be everywhere.
Jareth noticed Mark and his goblins firing from roof tops and from behind storefronts. It appeared they were getting close to the end of their attack, and Jareth ordered his troops to assist. He could, however, not find Sarah.
His sword made contact with several goblork heads as he worked his way down Main Street from the North and Kaden made his way up Main Street from the South. They were going to meet in the middle and slaughter every goblork in between.
Mark's militia kept picking up isolated goblorks and concentrated on shooting the ones who constituted a danger to a fae or elven soldier. Jareth was impressed by their accuracy as a couple well placed shots had saved him from serious injury just in time.
The battle had raged for nearly two hours and slowly the shots stopped and the cries of goblorks subsided as the streets were filled with bloody corpses.
Thousands had been killed trying to flee into the pathways and getting trapped like sewer rats at the end with no way out. Jareth was glad to know he had closed every single one of them.
The fighting was reduced to a few isolated hand to hand combats and his soldiers were tracking down small groups that tried to hide. The castle gates were open and not a single living goblork was inside the walls. Kaden's soldiers had been thorough.
Keroon had fled into the back alleys of Main Street and was looking for a way out. He knew his battle was over, but he was not going to lose his life over it. He finally found a door that had been left cracked open, and he busted through it.
Sarah jumped up as Keroon collapsed into the brewery. She grabbed her gun and ran behind a counter. Keroon had not yet seen her. Her heart was racing and she could barely breathe. Keroon looked exactly like Gohl. Her flashbacks made her nearly pass out.
"Oh god, not now. Not a panic attack now, please", she begged to herself quietly.
Keroon looked around. He knew someone was in here and when he saw the fae stag hide and the royal sword laying on a cot, he had a pretty good idea on who it was.
"Come on out your highness, don't play games with me. I know you cannot defeat me, you are pregnant. That's too bad. If you come out nicely, maybe I let you live after I rip the bastard child out of you."
He laughed in his evil way and the entire brewery shook from his roar.
Sarah didn't dare to move, but she had her gun ready. All she had to do was stand up and point and pull this trigger. She took a deep breath and counted to three.
As soon as she stood up Keroon smacked her across the face and the gun flew out of her hand and rolled under a cot close to the door. Sarah fell with a moan backwards into a few empty bottles of beer. She struggled to get up and managed to crawl away just in time before Keroon could grab her leg.
"Be a nice little queen. I just want to play with you for a while. It won't hurt too much."
He growled and threw chairs out of his way that stood between him and Sarah, who now crouched on the floor against the wall. There was no way to go.
She looked at Keroon with horror and started to hyperventilate. In her last act of defiance she threw a lamp at him which shattered harmlessly on the floor in front of him as he let out another horrifying laugh.
With only two feet between them he bend over and tried to grab her arm when he heard a voice.
"Hey you, it's not nice to pick on a lady, especially a queen."
Keroon spun around and tried to yell an insult, but it was too late for him. A gun shot rang out and Keroon fell with a single hole to his forehead to the ground. Sarah put her hand in front of her mouth and stared at the dead goblork leader in front of her. His dead eyes staring at her, with blood running down his face.
When Sarah looked away to see who the shooter had been she saw him standing there. This tall handsome man with those mesmerizing eyes and his incredible smile.
"Jareth", Sarah barely whispered and tried to get up.
Jareth came rushing over, and instead of helping her get up he put her in his arms and kissed her, and what a kiss it was. Sarah closed her eyes and took it all in. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him as close to her as she possibly could answering his calls for more kisses.
"My precious", he whispered before he put her in his arms, stood up and carried her out of the brewery. Sarah leaned her head onto his chest and forgot the world around her as she closed her eyes. Jareth was back, and she knew everything was going to be all right again.
