Chapter 12—Welcome to My Nightmare

NOTE TO MY READERS: I am terribly sorry for how long it has taken me to update this. I asked for betas, got wonderful responses, and then my health took a nosedive. I've suffered from some unfortunate, post-surgical issues that didn't appear until after I was through with the initial healing. Between trying to recover from long-term illness and major surgery, along with trying to maintain and re-build my business, I had exactly no time or energy left for writing. Most days, my minimal free time was spent curled into a small ball while trying to read. Now, I am slowly getting stronger and finding a balance between my health, my life, and my work.

While I don't expect updates to be as rapid as they were when I started this story, it has most assuredly not been abandoned. However, it's unlikely that I'll be able to post new chapters more often than once a month or so for the immediate future. If I'm able to update faster, I certainly will, but I don't want to set a schedule that I'm not actually capable of meeting. Thank you all for your kind words, concern, and patience.

Be warned, this chapter is a bit slow as it is a necessary bridge chapter. Up until this point Sarah has been fairly removed from anything occurring in the Underground and she's had no real communication with Jareth since becoming Champion. That's all about to change.

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***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 the Labyrinth film will sadly never belong to me. I just like to play in their sandbox. I make no money off of this. That said, if anyone owns a spare Jareth, I'm happy to give him a good home. I have references.

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Welcome to my nightmare/
I think you're gonna like it/
I think you're gonna feel/
You belong.

~ from Welcome to My Nightmare by Alice Cooper

Nikki opened her eyes to a room painted in the muted colors of twilight. Why am I awake so early? she wondered. She knew that she hadn't fallen asleep until late last night and she had never been a morning person. Just outside Sarah's window, the oak tree was in full sunlight. It sure as hell isn't twilight outside, she realized, so why is it so dark in here? Light should have been streaming in through the window and straight into her eyes, but the whole room was dim, as though it was wreathed in…shadows. The thought came to her abruptly. Sarah had referred to the freaky shapeshifters as shadow goblins. The lack of light had to have something to do with them.

Nikki's eyes scanned the room, looking for clues to support her hypothesis. She spotted one of the creatures curled up on Sarah's desk. His eyes were closed, so she took the opportunity to really look at him. He doesn't actually look that much like a housecat aside from his face, she thought. Feline certainly, the proper size, but he wasn't built like a housecat. His musculature was too pronounced, too defined. It was like someone had hit a jaguar with a shrink ray. His back feet were tucked beneath him, but his fore-paws were on full display and they were decidedly not cat-like: the toes were too long and seemed to have extra joints, the dew-claws had been modified into something close to thumbs. They're hands, she realized. Fascinating. Her fingers itched for her sketchbook.

She kept examining details, noting that his fur looked like none she'd ever seen before. It was incredibly short and thick, like high-end velvet. His tail was too long and tapered to really look like a cat's. It's more like a monkey's tail, she decided. It looks like it might be prehensile. Can he hang from it? His wings are closer to fantasy art of dragons than actual bat wings…And he's looking at me. Nikki stared into Azu's glowing amber eyes and gave him her best apologetic smile. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment. He arched one brow at her and she couldn't help but note that his face was way more mobile than a cat's. "Do you have something to ask me?" he rumbled.

"Um…" Nikki decided that the truth was as good an option as anything else at this point. "I was just trying to figure out what sort of creature you most resemble."

Azu stretched fluidly and sat back on his haunches, revealing hind feet that were somewhere between a bird's talons and a cat's paws. "This form is based off of that of a grimalkin. They are intelligent, predatory, magical beasts native to the Underground." He shrugged. "It is a convenient shape for reconnaissance. Or for fitting three of us comfortably into a room of this size."

Nikki blinked at that. She imagined three six-foot-plus scary dudes standing in Sarah's bedroom. He definitely had a point. It would be like sharing an elevator with three linebackers. "So, sometimes you look like this and sometimes you look…" She grasped for a good description. She certainly couldn't say their other form looked human. She finally settled on "humanoid?"

He tilted his head. "Those are the two forms we've made the most use of in recent years, yes."

Nikki chewed her lip thoughtfully. After a moment, she asked, "What does your real form look like?"

Azu stretched languidly. "Every form we take is our 'real form.' We are shadows, little half-blood. What shape does a shadow have?"

She considered this. "That depends on what's casting it."

He smiled, flashing razor-edged teeth. "And so it is with us. We take the form best suited to stalk our prey. As the object casting a normal shadow determines the shape that shadow takes, so the nature of our prey defines our shape."

Nikki sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "Your prey? Do you really spend that much time stalking things?"

Azu nodded, amusement painted across his face. "Of course. We are nightmares, after all—the living manifestations of an ancient fear."

Nikki shivered at his words. "What fear is that?"

The smile never left his lips. "We are the fear of being hunted, of being prey. We are that which waits in the darkness unseen, but watching." As he spoke, the shadows surrounding them writhed and deepened.

Nikki's skin crawled and she looked away from him, breaking eye contact. It's definitely time to change the subject. "Last night you said that the binding on me could be removed by a powerful mage and that one of the Sidhe would be my best bet. Is there any way that you guys could remove it?"

The tip of his tail flicked back and forth as he considered. "Technically, yes. Marvok could destroy the binding, but you don't want him to."

She looked up at him, disbelieving. "Like hell, I don't!"

Azu shook his head. "You misunderstand my meaning. I'm not saying that you don't want the binding removed. I'm saying that you don't want Marvok to be the one to undo it."

"Why not?" she asked.

He sighed. "We're nightmares, child. Our power is born from fear, despair, and pain. To break the binding, Marvok would have to flood you with that power until it overloaded and shattered. We don't have the right sort of magic to perform a delicate dispelling. It would be much like attempting to perform brain surgery with a hammer. By the time the binding was broken, it is highly unlikely that anything would be left of your sense of self. Having your magic unbound would do your mindless husk little good."

Nikki shuddered. "Point taken." And it's time to change the subject again. After a moment she asked, "So, how do I go about finding a Sidhe mage capable of breaking it?"

There was another flash of teeth. "Well done, little half-blood. Now you're asking the right question. In answer, Sarah could always ask the Goblin King. However, you should keep in mind that such favors come at a price."

"It doesn't matter," she said. "I'm willing to pay his price."

Azu chuckled, "Unfortunately, it's unlikely that you will be the one asked to pay it. Sarah would be the one making the request. She's a noble of his kingdom. You have no such status."

Nikki shook her head in denial. "No. I can't let Sarah do that."

"You can't let me do what, exactly?"

Nikki turned and gave Sarah a sheepish smile. "We were just discussing ways to get my binding broken…" Nikki let her voice trail off. This wasn't going to be pleasant. Sarah really doesn't like having decisions made for her. Nikki shrugged and admitted, "I thought you were still asleep."

Sarah arched a brow at Nikki and crossed her arms as she leaned back against the headboard. "The solution is fairly obvious, Nikki. I'm going to ask the King. It's going to take time, though. First, I have to find a way into his good graces."

Nikki huffed and looked away. She knew what that expression meant when Sarah was the one wearing it. Arguing with a brick wall would be more productive. "I don't like the idea of you being indebted to this King because of me."

Sarah laughed and rolled off of her bed and to her feet in a single, graceful motion. Nikki watched with wide eyes as Sarah arched her back into a stretch worthy of a prima ballerina. Nikki had known that Sarah looked different than she used to, but that was normal, growing-up sort of different. This was…otherworldly different, inhuman different. In that moment, Nikki realized how many changes had occurred in her friend without her ever noticing. How the hell did I not notice that her ears were pointed? Nikki wondered.

"Hey! Earth to Nikki!" Sarah's voice cut into Nikki's thoughts and Nikki blinked up at her friend sheepishly. "Are you okay?" Sarah asked. "You were just sort of…staring at me."

Nikki gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I got lost in my own head there for a minute."

Sarah giggled. "In that case, I'm glad you made it back. Who knows what you could have found in there?" Sarah effortlessly dodged the pillow Nikki hurled at her in response and darted to the door. "Come on. Karen promised to leave us muffins and I'm starving. Besides, we've got a lot to talk about."

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Jareth sighed as he added a heavy, leather-bound tome to the growing pile of rejected titles. He made a notation on the paper in front of him and picked up the next work. Sarah had requested books and books she would have, but choosing which ones to send to her was no small task. She needed to know about the history and culture of the Underground in general, and of his kingdom in specific. She needed to learn the etiquette, politics, and traditions of the Courts. She needed instruction on how to actually use the power that the Labyrinth had gifted to her. There was so much information to cover and it was now his task to figure out a way to provide her with a general course of study that would supply that knowledge without completely overwhelming her. The entire proposition was absurd.

Volume One of Lorekeeper Marcovan's With the Year Shattered: An Analysis of the Underground in Modern Times was added to the small selection of probable choices. The text provided a decent timeline of major Underground events and a general overview of the material covered by the other nineteen titles in the series. It had no depth, but it should at least give her the basics. A part of him wanted to box up all twenty volumes and send them to his impudent Champion along with a note wishing her the best of luck fighting her way through that particular maze without his assistance.

Why must she be so damn stubborn about this? Jareth grumbled to himself. Everything would be so much simpler if she would just return to the Underground where she belonged. And that, he knew, was the crux of all his current issues. She needs to be here, Jareth thought. If she was within the Labyrinth, I could keep her safe. I could teach her everything she needs to know. He couldn't trust her unknown guardians to do the job, no matter who the hell they were. She is my bondmate and she belongs here with me. Taking care of her is my responsibility. If only the impertinent girl would deign to allow me to do that!

It didn't help that he was perfectly aware of the Labyrinth's preparations for Her Champion's return. The Goblin Queen's personal quarters had unsealed themselves just the night before. Since the time he first took the throne, the doors had been concealed behind a potent barrier and he'd never before been able to make out the carvings adorning the dark wood. He'd seen them for the first time when he returned to his chambers late in the evening and had spent long moments staring at the double-doors across from his own. The newly revealed imagery was decidedly odd.

Each of his own doors had the horned sigil of his kingship emblazoned across the center. The corners were decorated with graceful, carved owls and a stylized labyrinth served as the backdrop. It was a fitting design for one of his station. He was king of the Labyrinth, after all, and he not only took the form of an owl, but the native Labyrinthine owls had long served him as spies and messengers. More than one legend named him the Owl King.

The theme of the Queen's doors was…different. The left door featured the same horned sigil as that found in his own design, but the right displayed an altered, inverted version—its double-prongs pointing upwards. The remaining space was filled with a tangled motif of burning roses. The distinctive forms of grimalkins were hidden amongst the flowers, their feline bodies slipping in and out of the foliage. Why burning roses? he wondered. What were they meant to represent? And more poignantly, why grimalkins? The mischievous beasts were certainly not unknown in the Labyrinth, but they weren't especially common either. He knew that Sarah hadn't encountered any of them during her brief time there.

Surely, the Labyrinth didn't send grimalkins, of all things, to be her guardians? The thought was horrifying. They were both clever and predatory, but they wouldn't pose any sort of challenge to a determined foe. No, he reassured himself. That isn't possible. Not with the training Bree'Onne saw her exhibit. The Royal Seneschal insisted that Sarah had received training from a master assassin and the man would certainly know how to recognize that. None-the-less, their inclusion in the carvings indicated a special affinity or attachment to the creatures which was, in and of itself, confusing. He would have assumed that she was expected to develop a grimalkin as her alternate form, if not for the fact that he had never even heard of a Sidhe whose other form was that of an innately magical creature. Such shapes were always creatures of common appearance, able to easily blend in Above. As such, the presence of grimalkins in the composition was bewildering.

Jareth hadn't been able to convince himself to open those strange doors and explore her chambers further, so he didn't know whether or not the perplexing imagery continued inside. He felt Sarah's absence keenly enough in rooms that hadn't been specifically created for her. Thankfully, it seemed that there were limits to his masochism.

Jareth pulled himself from his musings when he felt Bree'Onne's approach. He bid his Seneschal to enter as he returned to examining the available book choices.

"A good morrow to you, my Liege," Bree'Onne greeted. "I've brought the morning missives with me."

Jareth didn't bother looking up. He waved a gloved hand in lazy greeting as he continued with his task. Is Fundamentals of Spell-shaping too difficult for a beginner? he pondered. It's a solid work on learning to cause spontaneous effects, but would it be better for her to start with already created spells? He hadn't, but he knew he was unusual in that regard. Sarah claimed that her guardians had already worked with her on the necessary mental conditioning exercises and that she didn't need to learn them, but is she really far enough along to use wild magic safely? It would be wise for me to test her myself before handing over potentially dangerous information. If I limit what I give her to a few volumes on boring, minor spells, then perhaps she could be convinced to allow such a meeting to gain access to better texts. His lips quirked into a smile as he decided upon a course of action that pleased him.

"My King, I can assure you that my Champion has mastered the mental conditioning necessary to be able to successfully harness basic wild magic," the Labyrinth informed him.

Jareth scowled. "Well then, your Champion can bloody well prove that, can't she?" He had no intention of letting his Labyrinth thwart his plans again.

Bree'Onne stepped into his field of vision. "Your Majesty. The missives?"

The Goblin King glanced up at him. "Yes. Yes. Anything of interest?"

Bree'Onne placed a stack of notes on the small table near Jareth's newly-repaired desk. "Most of them were standard business matters which I, of course, will attend to myself. The notes regarding those are here. You also have two personal messages. The first is from Lady Brialla. She's hoping that you'll permit her to come and visit starting this week."

The assassin gave him a hopeful look and Jareth sighed in response. Brialla had all of the intellect of a rock golem, but she was a devastating beauty even by Sidhe standards. That trait, in combination with her mindless adoration of his titles, had made her a most accommodating bed partner over the years. However, his current focus was entirely on coaxing Sarah back into his reach. In the event that he succeeded anytime soon, he very much doubted that she would be impressed by the presence of his prior lovers. He knew that Bree'Onne was concerned for him due to his recently altered behavior patterns, but that visit wasn't going to be happening.

"Reject her request. Feel free to fabricate some appropriately courteous drivel if you like. Or just tell her no. I don't care either way," Jareth instructed.

Bree'Onne blinked. "Has Lady Brialla displeased you in some way, Sire? I was under the impression that she was one of your favorite…companions."

Jareth sat down the tome that he'd been examining and met Bree'Onne's onyx gaze. "Lady Brialla has done nothing to earn my ire; she is simply no longer relevant."

The Goblin King cut off his Seneschal's response with gesture. He'd wanted to avoid this. The situation between Sarah and himself was…personal. However, Bree'Onne's ignorance had become problematic and the assassin's loyalty was beyond question. Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed while considering how much to disclose. Finally, he spoke. "The personal quarters of the Goblin Queen unsealed last night."

Bree'Onne slid into the chair across the desk from his king. "But…that would mean that the Labyrinth expects for those rooms to be needed in the immediate future."

Jareth nodded. "That it does."

Bree'Onne considered this. "The Labyrinth will not permit anyone but a Champion to take the throne. If you were to wed any other female, she would be no more than a Princess Consort."

Jareth nodded again. "That is correct."

Bree'Onne's eyes widened. "Then the Lady Sarah…"

"Is the future Goblin Queen," Jareth stated. He pulled open the top drawer of his desk and pulled out an ornate silver flask. "Of course, that would require us to actually convince her to come back and take up the title she's already won. And then I have to determine how I'm going to convince the chit to marry me—a state of affairs which is certain to be a delight considering how well my first proposal was received. Cheers." Jareth saluted Bree'Onne with the flask and downed a third of its contents in a single draw.

Bree'Onne's normal composure lay in tatters as he stared at his monarch. "You already knew," he whispered. "That's why you spoke to her as you did at the end of her Challenge. That's why you've been so distracted ever since."

Jareth inclined his head in agreement and took another drink. "Indeed. I was searching for a way to work around the geas she placed on me." He chuckled mirthlessly. "I've always loved a challenge, but finding a way to play court to a hostile woman from Above when I'm not able to so much as speak with her is beyond even my normal deviousness."

Bree'Onne raked a hand through his inky locks, thoughts churning behind his eyes. "We have to get her back."

Jareth barked out a laugh. "That we do. Nothing to be done about it right now, though." He shook his head and sealed the flask. "Onto other matters. You said that there were two personal missives. What was the second?"

Bree'Onne pulled a heavy, black envelope from his folio and passed it to his king. The front bore Jareth's name and titles in gleaming silver ink. "I believe that you've been expecting this one."

Jareth hummed his agreement as he accepted the missive. He'd sent word to the High Court of the Unseelie regarding the monster plaguing the Seelie border settlements some days before and had been awaiting their official response before acting. He flipped the envelope over to crack the seal and froze when it caught his eye. The official seal of the Unseelie Court was silver and ebony. It depicted a crescent moon and three stars. This seal was violet and silver; it bore a familiar design of oleander blossoms flanked on each side by sprigs of belladonna. Beguiling seduction, poisonous beauty, to be enthralled by that which will destroy you. How well your seal suits you, Mother, Jareth mused. And what ill tidings do you have for me?

"This is not from the High Court," Jareth commented. He held up the envelope up so that that Bree'Onne could see the design. "That's the private seal of High Queen Mab. This is from her personally."

Bree'Onne tilted his head as he studied it. Jareth doubted that he'd ever seen that particular seal in all his years as Seneschal. It was unlikely that he even checked it. The distinctive black stationary was only used by the High Court of the Unseelie. Bree'Onne had no doubt simply used the standard detection spells to verify that it was safe to hand to his king before moving on to the next letter.

After a moment, Bree'Onne asked, "She wrote you herself? What does that mean, Sire?"

Jareth's gaze flicked to Bree'Onne and back to the missive. "Considering my mother's hatred of writing letters? Nothing good."

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Sarah entered the park and headed for the tree-shrouded clearing that she had come to think of as her own. She was glad that Nikki had released her from the obligation to go to the party that night. After everything that had happened, Sarah just wasn't up to dealing with a giant social gathering. Sarah just hoped that her friend would follow her advice regarding the Sight until they could find a better solution.

As Sarah stepped into the clearing, she saw Marvok and gasped. He sat in center of the space in his humanoid form beneath a beam of sunlight that poured down through the branches above him. The light shattered around him, splintering away from his skin at impossible angles to leave him in shadow. She'd noticed that sunlight never seemed to touch her goblins directly, but the effect had never before been this dramatic. Marvok glanced up at her, one brow arched in query. She didn't even try to capture what she saw in words, choosing instead to project the image into his mind. He chuckled. "Ah. I forget that you are still not entirely accustomed to such things."

Sarah snorted. "As though it's that easy! I don't even want to know how many basic laws of physics you're breaking right now."

Mavok shot her a look of offense. "I am doing no such thing. Mortal physicists simply lack full understanding." He held out one hand and beckoned her closer. "Regardless, we have other concerns at present."

She moved to sit facing him. "I'm guessing that there are more steps involved in learning how to physically enter the Nightmare Realm than a simple demonstration."

Marvok's lips twitched into a smile. "You guess correctly, Champion." His speech feel into the rhythmic cadence he used when teaching her, the one she thought of as his 'professor voice'. "Shifting between Realms is not an easy thing to accomplish and few beings even attempt it. For the most part, travel between Realms is accomplished via portals: rare places, natural or created, where multiple Realms intersect."

Sarah nodded. She was familiar with this concept at least. "Like fairy rings and such. I read quite a bit about them in my research. They can appear overnight and vanish just as quickly, or persist for years."

Marvok inclined his head in agreement. "Correct again. Additionally, every portal abides by its own set of rules, its own 'key'. Less common is the use of gate magic. It works by creating a gateway, albeit a temporary one, bridging the distance between the caster's location and their desired destination. It is far more efficient than portal travel because portals only connect fixed points. However, gate magic is extremely dangerous and requires intense focus and ability. The slightest loss of concentration can easily cost the caster their life. Further, a gateway can be traversed by anything that can enter it before it closes. It is a visible doorway between worlds."

As Marvok spoke, Sarah struggled to focus on his words. Watching the light refract unnaturally around him was making her brain hurt and she had to keep moving her head to stop the warped light from shining directly into her eyes. After no small amount of annoyed shifting, she found a shadowy patch and sighed in relief. "Clearly you don't travel by gate magic and I'm going to assume that you guys aren't using a portal to get to the Nightmare Realm since you just sort of appear and vanish no matter where I am."

Marvok smirked at that. "No. Shadow goblins do not often use portals or gateways. Some creatures possess the ability to Realm-shift. We can move ourselves directly from where we are in one Realm to a desired location in another. The power is rare, but can be acquired by several different methods. A few powerful masters of High Magic have been able to gain this ability by using rare spells and a handful of magical artifacts grant their users some form of the power. Additionally, there are some who have the power bestowed on them by virtue of their position."

Sarah blinked. "Like the Goblin King?"

Marvok nodded. "Exactly. He is the Lord of the Labyrinth and that title came with the power to traverse the Realms. Even so, Realm-shifting normally requires substantial power and can be very draining. Further, most of those who can use the power have limitations on how and when they can do so and whom they can take with them."

Sarah began to ask a question, but Marvok cut her off with a look. "My people possess an innate power that is a form of Realm-shifting. We call it velkavra*. From the moment of birth, we are fully capable of transporting ourselves to the Nightmare Realm from anywhere else. As we gain power and skill, we learn to shift ourselves away from Nightmare and into other Realms. We can take anyone we like with us or even send another without shifting ourselves. With enough practice, we are able to shift between different foreign Realms without returning to Nightmare."

Sarah shook her head. "But…you said you wanted me to learn how to travel to Nightmare without you… I'm not some sort of master mage! How am I supposed to learn any of this?"

Marvok stared into her eyes and gave her a grim smile. "As I said, Sarah, the power is innate. It is literally in our blood. From the moment of our birth, we can always return to Nightmare. Nothing has ever been found that can prevent us from doing so. We cannot be caged or bound. You, mindin kaidrah*, are part shadow goblin. There has never been such a thing as a part-blood shadow goblin before, but the blood bond has made you into such. I honestly do not know if your power will ever allow you to travel between the Realms freely as we do, but if you can call a Darkblade, you can shift to Nightmare. Nightmare already lives within you."

Marvok stood and offered Sarah a hand to help her to her feet. She reached out and froze when her hand entered her line of sight. Light warped and refracted away from her skin. Just like it did with Marvok. I didn't actually find a shadowy patch, she realized. I made one.

Marvok ignored this development and continued his explanation. "The first shift will likely be disorienting. I will take you there the first time so that you can experience the feeling and become familiar with the destination you will need to transport to in the future."

Sarah shook off her bewilderment. Freak out over weird light affects later, she told herself. Focus on the rules of inter-dimensional travel now. She looked up at him and took a deep breath to steady herself before nodding. "Okay. Tell me what to do."

"Close your eyes, Champion. Focus your mind on the sensations you feel as we slip between Realms. You already know how to See truly."

Sarah closed her eyes as Marvok wrapped his arms around her. For a moment, all was still. She reached out with her senses as they melted into shadows. The sensation was achingly familiar. It reminded her of the time she'd crafted her Darkblade, when she learned to be the river, to flow like water. Like shadows…Sarah thought. She felt Marvok reach out with a tendril of power and a tiny crack opened in the fabric of the world. It was a miniscule thing, a hairline fracture that began to seal as soon as it slipped into existence. But they were faster—a flicker of darkness pouring through it. For a second, Sarah felt herself drifting through nothing, a weightless thing crafted only of thought and will. Then there was pressure all around her and Sarah felt herself solidifying, leaving her shadow state to become flesh and blood once more. She could smell roses and burning leaves. The darkness whispered, "Open your eyes, Champion." And so she did.

The ever-burning roses stretched into the distance beneath a roiling purple-gray sky. Sarah felt the Labyrinth's magic pulsing through her like a heartbeat. She grinned, hugged Marvok tight, then darted toward the roses when he released her. They welcomed her, purring contentedly as they twined up her arms. A joyful laugh bubbled out of her. Home, she thought. I'm finally back. She turned and looked at Marvok. "Thank you," she whispered, "for bringing me home."

Marvok tilted his head and arched one brow at her. "I thought that home was the Underground, Champion."

Sarah considered this. She knew she was in Nightmare. She felt Its presence all around her—menace hung in the air like smoke, despair sang through the leaves, rage beat down from the sky with the heat of a noonday sun. I'm happy here, safe in the dragon's den. She smiled at the thought. Sarah glanced back at the predator who defended her. "I thought so too. I was wrong. Home is the Labyrinth and Nightmare is so familiar…" She met Marvok's gaze. "You are very much a part of this place, aren't you? Not just in the sense that you live here. The connection is deeper."

Marvok's eyes widened in surprise. After a moment, he nodded. "It is. Nightmare and Dream are the Labyrinth's twin children, bound together for all time. I am Nightmare's creation. I was crafted, not born."

"Wait? Shadow goblins aren't born?" Sarah was certain that he'd always referred to shadow goblins as being born in the past.

Marvok shrugged. "Most are. I was not. I am, as you said, very much a part of this place."

Her face fell. "And guarding me means that you have to live away from your home. I'm so sorry, Marvok. I…"

He placed a finger on her lips, cutting off her apologies. "I am very old, mindin kaidrah*. The time I have been away is less than a heartbeat in the span of my existence. Besides, where I am physically at any given moment means little as I carry my homeland within me. All shadow goblins do, but I more so than most."He gave her a rare, genuine smile before pulling her from the roses. "Come. I promised to show you the Queen's Retreat."

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Chapter 12 Footnotes

velkavra: Stygian (the common tongue of the Nightmare Realms) term; roughly translates as "to fall through darkness". It is the term shadow goblins use to describe their unique form of innate Realm-shifting.

mindin kaidrah: Phrase in Stygian (the common tongue of the Nightmare Realms); translates as "(my) little sister".

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