Chapter 5
Jareth was putting on a grand effort, but as he toured the estate with Eleanor, his spirits began to sink. This place was a prison for his kind. He was beginning to struggle to see how Sarah would get him and the others out, not with the precautions this woman had in place. Still, he didn't let any of this play out on his face, keeping his usual haughty expression firmly in place as he wandered with the woman, his eyes and ears staying sharp for the smallest hint of weakness.
Eventually, the woman grew bored and left him to his devices. He wandered then, startled to see even more people and creatures he knew or recognized, his anger growing from a small offense to a deep well of red hot rage.
Just when he had almost had enough, he heard a small hiss from the corner of the room he'd stumbled into. Stilling, he listened again - hearing the hiss and a small 'Yo, Kingy!' from the curtains.
Whipping his head around after making sure he was alone, he grinned brightly as soon as he spotted Sylvite.
"Sylvite? Did Sarah send you?" He was praying he hadn't been captured too, but he didn't see a collar.
"Queenie says keep your head up. We's working on getting you outta here." Sylvite grinned.
"Queenie?" Jareth wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry. "Have I been gone so long that she took over?"
"Just a day or two." Sylvite shrugged. "Rules say if no Kingy, champion in charge. That makes her Queenie."
Jareth laughed at the logic of the goblins. "And how does our Champion feel about that?"
"She good Queenie. She has plan. You be home soon." Sylvite looked around. "Gotta go Kingy. Gotta report back. Queenie did give me this for you." He handed Jareth a note and quickly disappeared.
Jareth opened the note and read it quickly. "She's going to do what?!"
Sarah sat in her car, which she had relocated to a nearby park, waiting for Didymus to return. She hoped he was able to get the other Kings and Queens to come with him. She had an idea of how to go about getting Jareth and everyone else out of there, but she would need help. Whoever this woman was, she had money and power. Besides iron fences and gates, Sarah had seen runes around the property and everyone she had seen had one of those weird collars. Was she a witch or something? Did she have a magic user helping her? Sarah had a lot of questions that Abigail hadn't answered.
Her thoughts were interrupted by goblins shouting. "Queenie! Knight's back!"
Sarah exited the car to see Didymus leading a group of people all dressed in fine clothing. "Welcome your Majesties." She greeted them. "I hope my knight explained things to you."
"He has." A blonde elf stated. "What do you want from us?"
"I have a plan to rescue everyone being held captive in that mansion." Sarah told them. "But we will all have to work together for it to work."
A few hours later, their plans were cemented. She smiled, watching the other Kings and Queens gather their own forces, suddenly feeling more confident than before. Standing before her were dwarves, elves, pixies, nymphs, slyphs, and any other kind of creature she needed. The Kings and Queens returned to their kingdoms but offered any support she needed - and she did. She could have sworn she even saw a few dragons circling overhead when the cloaking shield sparkled in the sun.
"All these points, we need these taken down," she explained to the sylphs present, pointing at the rudimentary map she'd created after Sylvite had returned and explained in detail the layout of the house and the electronics involved. "I don't want them totally neutralized, because that'll just alert them to our presence. But we do need it on a time loop, so when we converge after the dwarves tear through the iron at the gates and fences, they don't see us coming. Can you do it?"
One of the sylphs that appeared in charge nodded, glancing back at their cohorts. "Yes, we think so." Sarah smiled and sent them on their way with Sylvite, who had appeared with a note for her, having gone into the compound several times.
Shifting slightly, she made sure she was alone and read through Jareth's note. She smiled, pleased he was able to convey more about the layout of the house and the inner workings of the estate, then suddenly blinked and blushed furiously at his suggestions for showing his gratitude at her hopefully upcoming victory. Clearing her throat and tearing that portion of the letter off and shoving it in her pocket, she motioned to the dwarves and slyphs once more, showing them the layout of the house.
Above her, the dragons seemed restless, determined to take out or subdue whatever it was she had spotted in the pool.
Sitting back and studying the compound, she nodded subtly to Sylvite and the slyphs, letting them sneak back in once more as the dwarves moved towards the part of the fence line that wasn't lines with cameras, watching them get to work.
"No heroics in there, Jareth," she murmured under her voice. "Just stay safe until we're in there."
Inside the mansion, Jareth was walking around the halls. It seemed unless he was given an order, he was pretty much free to come and go and he pleased. Sarah was gathering his forces outside and he expected them to storm the place soon. Sarah had asked him to send a drawing of the symbols on the collars, but he couldn't see it and there were no mirrors to be found.
Sighing, he waved as he passed Frick and Jinx. Getting an idea he stopped in his tracks and turned back to the goblins. "Can you two come with me for a little while?"
The goblins looked at each nervously. "We has to gets this done before Mean lady sees it." Jinx stated, indicating the silver they were polishing.
"Jinx, you go with Kingy." Frick stated. "I keeps cleaning."
"You sure?" Jinx asked. He just nodded so she looked up at the King. "Where to Kingy?"
"Follow me," Jareth said and led her upstairs to his room. "Have a seat on the bed." Jareth said as he closed the door behind them. "Now, I'm going to examine your collar and try to remove it."
Jinx jumped up and ran to the door. "No Kingy!" If you touches the collar it kills me. Only mean lady can remove it. When we gets here she showed us what happen if we takes it off."
"What happens?" Jareth asked.
"You dies."
"How?"
Jinx shrugged. "Troll screams and choked and then catched fire."
Jareth sighed and studied the collar. He would try and draw the symbols for Sarah. Perhaps they could figure something out.
Sarah was about to send the dwaves in when she saw Sylvite running towards her. "Queenie!"
"What's wrong?" She asked the goblin.
"Urgent message from Kingy!"
Sarah took the paper and read it quickly. "Shit!" She handed the paper to Didymus. "Take this to the wiseman. Those are the runes on the collar, but apparently if we mess with it at all its instant death for the wearer."
"I pray he knows a solution." Didymus started to dash off, but a long haired elf stopped him. "Wait a moment. May I see the runes?"
Didymus looked to Sarah, who nodded. Looking at the runes, he nodded and handed it back. "I believe I know someone who can help. I'll send for her, but please consult your wiseman as well. We don't want to do all this just to kill those we're trying to save."
Sarah nodded in agreement and Didymus rushed to see the wiseman. "Are the Slyths ready?" She asked Sylvite.
"They ready, Queenie."
"Tell the dwarves to start working on the fence." Sarah commanded. Sylvite nodded and took off running.
Once given the signal, the dwarves begin taking the fence apart as quickly and quietly as they could. Meanwhile the slyths had used their magic to place a liquid mirror image in front of every camera. They would see the same image they normal saw on their rotation. While the dwarves dismantled the fence, the trolls, elves, and pixies waited for the signal to charge in. Given the new information about the collars, Sarah hurried to tell everyone to avoid touching them at all costs. The pixies giggles and offered to dust any aggressive captives with a sleep powder. It would work for most, but powerful beings like Jareth would be immune.
Sarah sat nervously in her car as the elf and wiseman debated for what felt like hours over the runes. In the end, she ended up with two sets of corresponding runes that would potentially neutralize the collar. She didn't like it, but it was the best options she had.
Thanking them both and pocketing the responses, she headed towards the estate.
Once everyone was in position, Sarah sent the signal to the others to begin their takeover of the estate.
Everyone crept slowly in, doing their best to remain unseen and quiet until the right moment. They had only one chance to get this right and it had to count. Luckily, they snuck across the estate grounds with relative ease.
Once they were near the doors and windows, all hell would break loose. Steeling herself, she nodded to the others, and the true takeover began.
Sarah started to lead the goblins in behind the others, but she was stopped by a little goblin she hadn't seen before. "Queenie, wait!"
"What is it?" She tried not to groan as she worried something else was going to make their task harder.
"From Labyrinth. It help." Squirt said as he held up a medallion on a silver chain.
"But this is..." Sarah hesitated.
"Makes your magic stronger. Labyrinth helps get King back." Squirt explained.
Nodding Sarah took the medallion and put it around her neck. She immediately felt the warm pulse of the Labyrinth's magic. Grinning she stepped through the opening of the fence. "Let's go get our King!" She cried as she lead the goblin army.
The others were already fighting servants trying to get in. All of them were aware of the dangers of the collars and were told to capture or knock out those wearing them. So far it was working. Sarah ran past several sleeping goblins and gnomes that the pixies had put to sleep. Inside she found larger beings like elves and trolls that were tied up or unconscious. Summoning a crystal to her hand, Sarah stared into it. "Show me where Jareth is." The crystal flickered then showed her the stairs and traveled up them to a room on the left. It stopped at the door, and even though she tried to command it to show her Jareth it wouldn't go past the door. "Damn it, he must be in there."
"My lady, shall we try the runes on one of the goblins?" Didymus asked. "If we are to recover his majesty we must know it will work. Goblins are extremely hard to kill. So at most it might just hurt them a bit."
Nodding, Sarah knelt by one of the sleeping goblins. She pulled the paper and a pen from her pocket. Carefully she drew the runes on the collar. The collar glowed bright blue and then fell off, leaving the goblin unharmed.
Sarah hugged Didymus and handed him the pen and paper. "Free the others."
"Gladly, but where are you going my Lady?"
"To free Jareth!" She called over her shoulder as she hurried upstairs.
Sarah took the stairs two at a time. She was nervous, excited, and even a little scared. She hadn't seen him since she won her baby brother back and now here she was facing dangers untold and hardships unnumbered to get to him. She couldn't help smiling as she grabbed the doorknob. "Jareth!" She called as she opened the door.
What she saw made her heart stop. Ellenor sat on the bed with two leashes in hand. One lead to the collar of a dark haired fae and the other to Jareth's. There were three other men standing in front of her and they had weapons pointed right at Sarah.
"So you're the Champion I've been hearing about. I underestimated you, but this is where your rescue mission ends." Ellenor said with a smug grin.
