***This is my little tribute to the memory of David Bowie who will always be the Goblin King. May he reign forever.***
Take note that I've fudged the timeline on when Sarah's original journey occurred for various stylistic reasons. In this story, Sarah's original trip to the Labyrinth occurred at the beginning of Summer in 1996 NOT 1986.
I own my original characters and the precise order I put my words down in. The world and characters of Labyrinth will sadly never belong to me. I just like to play in their sandbox. I make no money off of this.
Sarah carried the last of the shopping bags into her room and dropped them onto her bed with a sigh. School started back on Monday, and Karen had taken the Friday before off from work and dragged Sarah out on an all-day shopping extravaganza. Karen had warmed up to her considerably in the three months since her return from the Labyrinth and as much as Sarah hadn't wanted to spend her entire day shopping, she wasn't about to throw away her stepmother's newfound favor. At least she had all the supplies she would need for her classes. She was determined to keep her grades high. It was a necessary part of her new identity as "serious, grown-up Sarah" and that was a part she intended to keep. After all, "serious, grown-up Sarah" was given far more leeway than her predecessor. School had always been easy for her when she bothered to pay attention so it shouldn't take all that much effort. Her grades were already good, but she would see to it that they became perfect. Her parents had no idea how little time Sarah had actually spent studying previously, so this would give her an excuse to continue spending time on her research. It should also provide her with a plausible explanation for her stunning lack of a social life.
Sarah now owned an entire wardrobe designed to fit her new role which she was certain could only help her. Every actress knew that costuming could make all the difference in believability. Her father had questioned the need for a full new wardrobe, but Karen had been insistent. Sarah had overheard their whispered conversation from the hallway. "She's going to be a junior this year, Robert. She'll be sixteen soon. It's time that she dressed like a young lady and not a little girl. Sarah is finally growing up and thinking about her future. I honestly wasn't sure that was ever going to happen. We're even starting to have an actual relationship! You best believe that I'm going to do everything I can to encourage her." Her father had buckled without further argument. He'd never been able to refuse Karen anything and now Karen was fighting on Sarah's behalf instead of against her. It was a nice change. Sarah had also managed to get more supplies for her research. It wasn't as though Karen had a clue how many binders she needed for school. Overall, the day had been productive.
Sarah had already cleared many of the more childish items from her closet the week prior and had traded them in at Encore for store credit. The second hand store was oddly eclectic. They were bound to have something she wanted eventually. She began putting her new things away. Karen had cheerfully waved off her offers to help with dinner and told her to focus on getting everything ready for school. Sarah put her new cosmetics in the vanity drawer she'd cleaned out for them before turning to the more extensive task of hanging up clothes. The meal would likely be ready by the time she was done.
After dinner, Sarah returned to her research. The library books currently in her possession had been referenced as sources by some of the more helpful books she'd already finished. It had taken weeks for them to arrive from the inter-library loan program as apparently her local library had little demand for dense scholarly works on Irish folklore and legend. They were the primary source of her hesitance to spend the day shopping. She had been so excited to see what she could learn from them. As it turned out, they contained a rather thorough list of things she should be extremely worried about.
One of the books described beings known as the Sidhe in lavish detail. They were apparently the rulers of the Fae, and the greatest of them were said to possess god-like powers. They followed an elaborate system of rules and traditions and were greatly angered when those rules were violated. The words had shimmered, so she didn't doubt them. She suspected that the Goblin King was one of them and if that was the case, she had no doubt caused him grievous offense. The Sidhe were not known to be forgiving. This could prove to be problematic. And she hadn't the faintest idea how to fix it. She had spent the better part of three months avoiding thoughts of the Goblin King. Despite her focus on the Fae in general and the Labyrinth itself, she had not wanted to think about the monarch she'd defied.
Perhaps I'm mistaken. He's the Goblin King. Wouldn't that make him some sort of goblin? She looked at the numbered list she'd noted down while reading about the traits of the Sidhe. 1. Staggering magical power. That was a yes. As far as Sarah could tell, he could control time and space. 2. Supernatural beauty. Sarah instantly pictured him in her mind and pushed down the immediate pulse of longing that filled her chest. She checked a second requirement off of the list. 3. Inhuman grace. She remembered the elegance of his every movement and the crystals dancing across his fingers. 4. Hypnotic voice. She refused to think about his singing as she checked it off. 5. Natural aura of charisma or majesty. There was no doubt about that one. It could be felt across the room. 6. Prideful nature. Definitely yes. Tweaking his pride had gotten her into all kinds of trouble. 7. Vindictive. She remembered the time he stole after she foolishly insulted his challenge so that was a yes. 8. Manipulative. He'd used enchanted peaches and honeyed words as weapons as surely as he'd used intimidation and hazards. He was manipulative as all hell.
Sarah stared at the completed list and sighed. He filled every requirement. She couldn't deny the obvious. She just wasn't that good at lying to herself anymore. The author had noted that the Sidhe traits were exaggerated in more powerful individuals. Like a monarch, she thought. This was… bad. She stood from her desk and paced around her room while she considered the problem. Perhaps if she just wanted to return to the Underground it wouldn't be such an issue. She could try to find a way to some other region. The thought was sadly unappealing. It wasn't the Underground in general that called to her. It was the Labyrinth in specific. The only place she could ever be happy was ruled by a vengeful god-king who probably wanted her dead. If I'm lucky. Let's hope he's not the 'keep you alive so I can torture you until time ends' sort. She forcibly wrenched herself from her melancholy. It doesn't matter. I'll just have to find a way to appease him. She couldn't be the only fool to ever accidentally anger a Fae. They were, after all, temperamental. Someone knew how to placate them. It was just one more step on her journey home.
Sarah gave up her pacing with a huff and threw herself down on her down on her bed. Her mind was restless. What was she missing? She had no idea frequently people ran the Labyrinth. It could be a constant thing. Maybe she had been expected to behave exactly as she had. Just because her trip to the Labyrinth was a profound experience for her, it didn't mean that it had been anything special in his eyes. For all I know, I was the twentieth petulant brat named Sarah that went through this year. He might not even remember me. That possibility should have been comforting. It was not. The idea that he might have forgotten her entirely brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them back angrily. She was being a fool and hated herself for it. She knew from her research that Fae often used seduction as a form of manipulation. It meant nothing to them. It was just a means to an ends. The Goblin King had offered her an illusion in exchange for her surrender. She could have had an eternal dream of a little girl's fairy tale ending complete with an image of him cast as the handsome prince. She just had to give him Toby in exchange.
There was no telling how many stupid girls were lost in dreams just like the one she'd been offered. She imagined them suspended in crystals and lined like trophies along a shelf. It wasn't a good image. What happens to them? She wondered. What would have happened to me if I'd given in? Did their bodies remain in the mortal world while their minds were lost? Were they trapped in comas or similar states? Did they go mad—living in the mortal world, but unable to perceive it? Or were they just trapped in the Underground while locked in their fantasies? She raked her hands down her face and groaned. This was getting her nowhere. She needed air. A walk would do her good.
In one motion, Sarah rolled herself off of her bed and onto her feet. She looked up and was face to face with three goblins. They were perched at eye level on the top shelf of her new bookcase. There was no chance she could look away in time. The one in the middle was staring directly into her eyes. It was larger than the others and jet black as opposed to their grey. Sarah bit back a scream. She didn't want Karen or Father to run in and watch as their daughter was torn apart. What if they saw the goblins and became targets? They wouldn't know not to look. She couldn't save herself, but she refused to damn them as well.
Sarah wasn't even sure how she knew they were goblins. They looked nothing like the ones she'd seen before. These goblins resembled gargoyles as much as anything. They were the size of housecats and they sat a bit like cats as well: hind talons and fore claws gripping the edge of the shelf, long tails trailing down beside them. Of course, cats didn't have wings. The eyes that held hers glowed like ruby embers. These goblins were utterly deadly. She was certain of it. Menace hung in the air around them. She looked at them and she knew what it meant to be hunted. She knew what it meant to be prey. The black goblin flashed a vicious smile, revealing razor-edged teeth. "Greetings, Champion," he whispered. His voice was gravely and deep, but those terms failed to capture it. It was ominous and echoing like something from her darkest nightmares. It was the sort of voice she might have expected Death to have.
Sarah hadn't realized that she'd stepped back until she felt her calves hit the bedframe. The black goblin tilted his head to the side and waited. Apparently he expected an actual reply. She barely managed to squeak out a "hello" without shrieking. It would have to be good enough. He arched one ridged brow and asked, "For what reason do you believe we have come?"
Her throat was painfully dry as she swallowed. "Um…I assume you're here to kill me."
The black goblin gave her a half-smile. "A reasonable assumption I suppose, but inaccurate in this case. We were sent."
"By whom? Was it the Goblin King? Did he send you?" Curiosity lent her voice power. Her father always said it would be the death of her.
The black goblin's laugh was like claws scraping stone. "No, Champion. His Majesty has no idea we are even here. He cannot see you, you know. You robbed him of that power. I imagine he is most displeased, but no matter. The Labyrinth sent us."
Questions flickered through her mind, too many questions. Finally, she asked, "Why?"
"Because you inexplicably defeated the challenge of the Labyrinth and earned yourself the title Champion. You hold rank in the Underground now and the power that accompanies that rank. Many Fae covet that title, but none of them have won it. There has never before been a mortal who held true noble rank in the Underground and assumed the risks inherent in possessing such a rank. Even so, a mortal might stand a chance if they were a skilled enough mage. But you, you have no training and no means by which to defend yourself when they come." His burning eyes studied her as he spoke.
Sarah let out a breath. "When who comes?"
The black goblin stared at her. She had yet to see him blink. "The ones who want to take that which is yours. They cannot take the title, of course. Not without defeating the Labyrinth's challenge. But, they can take the power you have been granted if you are not strong enough to stop them. They can slice you open and rip the magic from your flesh." His eyes flicked down her form and back to her face. "You would not survive the experience. Lucky for you, the ancient laws grant the Champion three guardians. The strength of the guardians chosen matters not. Only the number is decreed. The Labyrinth must want you to live."
Sarah realized she was trembling. She fought to keep her voice steady. "What makes you think that?"
He smiled. "She sent us."
He obviously believed that three housecat-sized goblins were a match for whatever terrors the other Fae might send after Sarah. She would have called it arrogance if she didn't suspect he was correct. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Okay. But if I'm in so much danger that I need protection, why are you only now arriving?"
He shrugged. "It would have pointless for anyone to kill you before. The magic started trickling into you the moment you returned, but it does not truly belong to you. Not yet. These things take time. Now, the process is nearly complete. When midnight comes, you will ascend to your title and the last of the power will be released to you. An attack could come at any point after that, assuming you survive the final transition." His expression was contemplative. "I doubt that they will come immediately as most Fae would assume that the ascension would kill a mortal. Regardless, the Labyrinth seemed quite certain you would survive so that is what I expect. It is better to be prepared. We should perform the binding now. If you die, it will not be because I was remiss in my duties."
Sarah refused to focus on her possible death as she couldn't do a damn thing to prevent it. She nodded at the goblin. "What is this binding and how do we do it?"
"It is a blood binding. The magic is ancient and inescapable. I would not ordinarily agree to such a thing, but we all do as we must. I am a goblin and like all goblins I owe fealty to the Goblin King. Any oath I swore to you would come second to the service I rightfully owe to him. If he ordered your death, I would be obligated to obey even if I had sworn to protect you. Only a blood binding can overcome that limitation. My brothers and I will perform the spell. I just need you to give me your hand and hold still until it is done."
Sarah felt numb. She raised her right hand and offered it to the black goblin who stared at it with irritation. "Do I look like a servant of the light to you, Champion? Your left hand."
She switched hands with a mumbled apology. The goblin flexed one claw and a flickering blade appeared hovering above it. It didn't seem fully real, as though it was crafted from shadows. He took the blade and began to chant in a whispering, sibilant language she couldn't recognize. She managed not to flinch as he made a cut in the center of her wrist, just above her palm. She watched with fascination as her blood welled to the surface. The flickering knife vanished. The goblin sliced his left palm with a claw and pressed it to her wound. At his final word, she felt a flash of heat from her wrist. He pulled back his hand and examined the mark left behind. The wound on her wrist was gone. In its place was a stylized metallic black starburst. He nodded in satisfaction. "It is done." He motioned to one of his brothers and Sarah stood in silence as the ritual was performed twice more.
In the end, the black starburst in the center of her wrist was flanked by two smaller, silvery copies. It was an oddly compelling design. "I'll have to figure out some way to keep this covered," she commented. "My parents would not be happy if they thought I'd gotten a tattoo. Admittedly tattoos aren't metallic. It would be difficult to explain that."
Unconcerned, Marvok glanced at her wrist. The black goblin's name is Marvok, she realized. How do I know that? "It is not necessary," he said. "Unless they have the Sight, mortals cannot see it."
She nodded to him. "Good to know."
He pointedly glanced at her clock. 11:57 p.m. "It is almost time. I warded your room when we first arrived. No sound will escape. You might want to lay down now. It would be rather undignified to collapse and give yourself a concussion in the middle of your ascension."
Sarah did as he instructed. She laid on her bed staring at the ceiling and trying not to be unnerved by the creatures clustered around her. They're not going to attack me, she told herself. They're my goblins. It was a strange thought. She looked at them one by one. Marvok. Azu. Nessos. She heard the hall clock strike midnight. Then, there was pain. She screamed as it burned through her, back arching as she clawed at her bedding. The goblins pinned her down. The last thing she saw before the darkness claimed her was Marvok's ruby gaze.