Jareth.
He shoved through the wall of Dryn and stumbled forward with a hoarse cry. He had a glimpse of Alryn's sharpened teeth flashing above Sarah's neck and knew he was too late. Too late, far too late, but he couldn't stop himself from lunging forward. Tripping over Emily's limp body, he landed jarringly on his knees. Around him, the Dryn laughed and jeered. His jaw clenched shut around a slightly hysterical wail and he bowed his head, trembling with impotent rage and pain. He refused to watch Alryn take Sarah away from him.
Closing his eyes, he realized the depth of his failure to the poor girl, who had wanted only to love him.
An inhuman scream rent the air suddenly, silencing the noise of the mob and bringing Jareth halfway to his feet. There was a startled yell from Alryn followed by a strange, painful yelping and Jareth's eyes zeroed in on the source of the commotion.
Sarah had fallen to the floor and Alryn's face and arms were a mass of deep, jagged slashes. Hovering in midair was a squat, ugly creature the size of a goblin with sandpapery wings spread protectively between the Dryn and the crumpled form of Jareth's beloved. The creature's talons glistened red-black with blood and it opened its mouth for another blood-curdling scream, lunging at Alryn again.
With a bloody snarl, Alryn pulled a dagger from his belt and slashed at the creature, tearing through fragile wings and slicing open its belly. Wounded and unable to fly, it latched onto the front of Alyrn's robes, biting and pecking at anything it could reach. The Dryn stumbled back a step before ripping the creature away and tossing it forcibly on the ground. It flopped pathetically over to Sarah, still apparently trying to protect her. Jareth could only watch in sickened shock as Alryn lifted a booted foot and brought it down hard on the creature's head, shattering its skull.
The entire incident had taken less than a minute, but it had broken the Dryn from their drunken revelry. Somber eyes were fixed intently on their leader as Alryn stood, wounded and panting for breath, over his victims. One of the Dryn slithered forward from the crowd, fixing a steely gaze on Alryn.
"You killed the wyvern, our sacred gift to this kingdom."
Alryn drew himself up haughtily. Even wounded, he was still intimidating. "What of it?" he demanded. "It was an unprovoked attack, you saw it." The amassed Dryn began to murmur softly in the background, slowly gathering behind the new speaker. Jareth's eyes narrowed and he pulled himself together, forcing his fears for Sarah to the back of his mind as he caught on to what was happening.
Alryn was being replaced.
The new Dryn spoke again, apparently unfazed by Alryn's arrogant dismissal. "The gift ensures our entrance and safety in this land."
Jareth caught the subtle widening of Alryn's eyes as he finally realized the danger he was in. The Dryn spun to face Jareth and suddenly all eyes were on the Goblin King.
Who no longer looked like the weary and weakened man they had seen throughout their stay. The expression on his face was smugly vengeful and he stood casually, comfortably, in the center of the dark-robed figures. The cat that knows its next meal will walk meekly right into its jaws.
He stared down at the broken body of the wyvern, not letting his gaze wander to Sarah...an amazing act of willpower.
"Yes, such a pity," he murmured silkily, lifting his gaze to Alryn with a black glare that was completely unfeigned. "I demand restitution for the loss of this...gift."
Alryn took one step backwards as if to flee, but his opponent made a small gesture and the hovering circle of Dryn tightened, pale hands grasping at Alryn. Within seconds he was lost from sight, covered in blood-frenzied, black-robed figures. Jareth heard the sound of fabric tearing, and then another strange ripping noise that was definitely not fabric. He had never known how the Dryn chose a new leader. He forced himself not to look away from the swarming mass. Alryn never screamed.
The would-be Dryn leader who had challenged Alryn hadn't joined the mob of attackers and instead was still watching the Goblin King. Finally noticing the attention, Jareth quirked an eyebrow sardonically. The Dryn approached and Jareth matched his movements, but only as far as Sarah. Standing over her, he crossed his arms and waited for the usurper to speak.
The Dryn eyed the king speculatively, as if taking his measure before proceeding. "I am Devryn," he said at last. "Do not think that this changes anything between our peoples. We will be back in one hundred years and we will expect the courtesies we are due."
Jareth inclined his head, face an expressionless mask. "Of course. As I expect the deference owed to me." He did not look at Sarah. Devryn did.
"Of course." He made to turn away.
"Wait," Jareth commanded. Devryn paused warily and Jareth continued with a chill in his voice, every inch the reigning Goblin King. "You are done for this year. Your people have betrayed my trust and destroyed their gift to me. You will leave," the desperate anger was beginning to slip past his mask. "…Immediately."
Devryn turned back to fully face the king, realizing that Jareth had been pushed too far and the menace emanating from the ruler would be directed upon him next if he wasn't very, very careful. No matter that the other rulers would penalize Jareth; Devryn would still pay the price.
Still, he gave a mocking bow. "Of course," he repeated in exactly the same tone.
Suddenly, the other Dryn were gathering around Devryn, silently watching and waiting. No sign remained of Alryn. Devryn smirked and gave another half-bow. "By your leave?"
Without another word, Jareth summoned a crystal and hurled it at the Dryn with rather more force than was necessary. He had the pleasure of seeing Devryn flinch just slightly as the crystal headed straight for his face before it shattered into a million pieces, scattering over the assembled Dryn and carrying them away, back to their homeland like so much sawdust.
Another wave of his hand and the luxurious ballroom vanished, the goblin dancers returned to their homes and beds to sleep out the rest of the night.
Then, at last, Jareth allowed himself to look upon Sarah.
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Sarah.
"This will destroy him, you know..."
She'd blacked out at some point.
Even at the very end, with Alyrn's gloating words echoing in her ears, she'd held out hope. Surely, Jareth would save her. Surely.
She saw him pushing through the crowd, his anguished expression making her heart plummet. Her eyes begged him to hurry even as she read the fear in his face.
He wasn't going to make it.
She was frozen by the knowledge of his failure. There was a pinch at her neck.
This will destroy him...
Closing her eyes, she realized the depth of her failure to the poor king, who had wanted only to love her.
Destroy...
She had a single moment to taste the intoxicating pleasure that comes with the bite of the Dryn, before...nothing.
Her eyes popped open and she found herself sprawled on the floor. Jareth was standing over her, facing a Dryn she didn't recognize. She had no idea how much time had passed, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Jareth. His pose was both menacing and mocking, something she hadn't seen him pull off so well since their first meeting. In fact, he seemed more confident now than he had in…a century or so.
Even more, the strange Dryn seemed to be a bit afraid of him.
Sarah held herself perfectly still, wary of attracting attention to herself. Her neck stung, but she didn't seem to be bleeding to death. Nor did she feel the terrible bleakness that had consumed her with Alryn's first mark. How had Jareth managed to stop Alryn? She let her eyes roam about the room...
Emily was lying not far away, pale and unconscious, and Sarah felt a pang of sorrow before sharply reprimanding herself. It couldn't be too late for Emily, it just couldn't. If Sarah's mark could be removed, so could Emily's! Unless Alryn lied and had already completed the task...
She turned her eyes away, refusing to contemplate such a morbid thing, but that left her staring at a bloody mess near her feet...some kind of lizard creature. Whatever it was, the poor thing had had its skull completely crushed. A tremor ran through Sarah's body before she could suppress it and she quickly closed her eyes, feigning unconsciousness. She could feel someone watching her, but Jareth was still issuing commands that he clearly expected to be obeyed, so she kept up her ruse.
Then there was a whooshing noise, followed by complete silence.
Sarah dared to crack her eyes open again just as Jareth turned towards her. Something flashed between them and she knew the Dryn were gone. The ordeal was over. Her breath caught as she stared at him, hardly daring to believe they were safe and free at last.
Jareth extended a hand to help her to her feet, but before she could unfreeze her body, he slumped down beside her on the floor, gathering her in his arms and burying his face in her hair. Without a thought, she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
They clung to each other in the empty grayness that was all that remained of the magical ballroom, until at last they fell almost simultaneously into an exhausted sleep.
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Author's Notes: At last! Only a few loose ends to tie up now. An epilogue, perhaps, depending on the length.