Chapter 4: Kingling
Sarah's eyes widen as her frown turns into a face of horror. "All my friends! Rose, we have to go help them!"
"But what can we do?!" I exclaim with my face mirroring her own. "We don't even know what is going on here and I don't know where 'here' is!"
"This is the Underground and you can still help just the same." Turning around we find the owner of the mysterious voice. "See those people, just at the gate? They are wounded severely," the raven haired man continued. "The nurses need more hands to help. Please, go join them. But promise me, you will stay out of the real battle?"
Sarah looks the man over, taking in his appearance, trying to figure out who he is. "Alright. We'll help. But answer me this: How do I know you?" I wonder aloud as I walk nearer to him.
Looking into my eyes kindly he replies, "I will tell you but not now. The time and place are not right. Please, go help the injured. I promise, I will tell you soon"
"Um...uh...alright," I attempt to say as my voice fails on me under his gaze.
Sarah, though, isn't as weak-kneed as I. "Where is Jareth, you twit?!" Just as those words escaped her lips, she froze. I turn around to see what is the problem but, to me, there is none. All I can see is a man, who could be the raven-haired -one's twin, with platinum blonde-layered hair fighting. Suddenly out of nowhere, a sword materializes out of the shadows and stabs him in the back. After going in deep and extracting an echoing roar of pain from the man, it melts into wisps of darkness. "Jareth!" Sarah screams as she starts to dash over. Raven-man grabs her arms, restraining her against his chest. "Let me go! I have to go help him!"
"Stop, Champion of the Labyrinth. The attacker is close by and he cannot create weapons of that intensity from vast distances. Also the Goblin King can heal quickly with the use of his magic; you, however, cannot."
Sarah brought her struggling to a halt. "Who is this attacker? Are they the reason the Labyrinth is in such shambles?!" She continues to watch Jareth, her big emerald eyes full of worry.
His hold on her arms loses intensity but still holds her firmly. "Terrill, the Prince of the Shadows. We have fought against him for longer than I care to remember. Soon, we will have to abandon this field of battle."
During this time, Jareth's gaze had swept over the terrain and landed on our group . He nods to the man, "Take them to the base! I'll hold shadow-face off!" Spinning on his heels, he runs away, hoping the kingling will listen for once and the darkness will follow him.
Raven-hair nods and swings Sarah over one shoulder and looks down at me. Ignoring Sarah's constant cries of angry protest he asks, "I will let you walk, just for the sake of my strength. But you will not run off. For, if you even attempt, I will hunt you down until I find you and I will bound you hand and foot just to drag you back to base."
I swallow, "I...I won't run. I promise sir."
He nods, and begins to walk. Sarah snorts, "Wooowwwww."
"What?" he asks in a bored tone, continuing to walk.
"I know your type. Rose, don't listen to him, he'll put you under a fae trance..spell...thingy…" Now the man snorts.
"You really believe that I would put magic into her thoughts?"
"Yes, I do, you bumbling buffoon!."
He muses, wondering, "Bumbling buffoon?"
"She's insulting you," I whisper under my breath before I prepare to jump over a piece of fallen building.
He turns to me, his face, looking of mirth, a breath from mine. This makes me lose focus, causing my foot to catch on a hidden sliver of material of the building. The world slows as I brace for the ground's hard impact. The hit never comes. Instead, I feel the hold of strong arms wrapping around me. I blink, taking in the world. He is looking down at me with a worried face. Then, after I smile at him, the sun breaks through the clouds behind him, letting a ray shine. Grinning back, he lifts me up slowly, causing his face to come close to my own, "Probably should have warned you," he whispers, "there are chunks of debris everywhere." Releasing me he steps back slowly, taking his time. "Rose…" he muses, touching my burning cheek, "what a delicate name."
My blush increases as I mutter unintelligible words, "Um...you...uh...thanks...Sarah? Where?
"I'm right here watching him bewitch you." She remarks while pulling me away from him. "Anyways, what's your name stranger? So I can remind Miss. Blush over here to stay away."
He smiles lightly, as if seeming to know something that we don't, "My name is Seabirus, King of the Oceans and Seas and beloved of Dawn Brightly."