Chapter 5: The Claim
UPDATED
Original Author Notes: Yay I'm back! I am so sorry for the long delay, but the last semester kept me very busy, and other life things came about. I'm still on winter break until the 18th, which is awesome, so I am going to try to post another chapter before my classes start back up. Next semester will be my FINAL semester as a college student so HURRAY
WARNING this chapter contains rape, so be warned. Although I do not go into much detail, it is there and some people may not want to read. I don't like going into too much graphic detail, because I myself do not always enjoy reading it, but sometimes it is necessary. This story will get pretty dark and twisted soon.
I'm glad I could post this in time for David Bowie's birthday.
Please review and comment it makes me happy
It was cold, dark and nearly impossible to see, but they ran. The dense canopy above would only allow a sliver of the silver moonlight to trickle through its branches. Gingersnap ran along side Elise weaving between the unearthed roots. Elsie grew exhausted with every clumsy, uncertain step.
"Omph," Elsie fell face first into the murk of the undergrowth of the forest floor. She had been trudging through this black forest for the majority of the night. Elsie tiredly picked herself up and continued to follow the nameless man. She grew tired of this endless running, and finally spoke up, "Where are you taking me?"
The man didn't even bother to turn to face her, but he slowed down to a walk.
"Please, we need to stop. I feel like my feet are going to bleed. Can't we just stop for the night, and then in the morning continue wherever we are going?" she pleaded contemplating whether she should tug on the man's cloak, but decided against it for she didn't want to appear anymore desperate than she sounded.
"I'm getting you away from the city," the man finally responded.
Elsie scoffed under her breath, "I think we accomplished that about four hours ago." She reluctantly continued to follow, but came to an abrupt stop when she found herself plastered to the back of the man, for he had come to a sudden stop.
"Don't you mumble to me, I'm trying to save your sorry hide!" the man turned to face the young girl.
"Sorry," Elsie paused unsure if she should continue. "I just don't understand what's going on." Her gaze lowered toward her feet.
The man calmed down to respond, "You should have a trace on you. We won't be safe until we leave the kingdom."
Elsie franticly feels her body for some kind of mark.
"Stop you won't find anything. It's a magical trace. If anything, you may sparkle a bit," the man let out a low chuckle.
"Wow really?" Elsie lifts her hands to inspect for any shimmer.
The man gently grasped Elsie's hands and lowered them, "You really are quite dense, aren't you?"
"Hmph, you're not very nice," she hastily removed her hands from his.
"Whoever said a rescuer had to be nice?" Elsie noticed a wide grin peer out from under the man's hood. "Come, just over this ridge there's a clearing, we can make camp."
"What about the trace?" Elsie interjected.
"I think we are past the boarders, so we should be safe. I'm not quite sure. I don't travel through these lands often. I try to stay away from the Dwarf Kingdom; the king is a pompous slob." The man continued toward the clearing. He reached a suitable area to set up camp, and turned toward Elsie, "Can you make yourself useful and find some firewood?"
"What? Can't you just snap and make fire appear?" Elsie made a snapping motion with her fingers.
"And you think that why?" He spoke as he cleared off an area to make their beds.
Elsie glanced around looking for fallen twigs and branches, but continued her questioning, "Well you're magical aren't you?"
Gingersnap found a small twig and happily grasped it in his teeth, and trotted off toward the hooded man. The man reached down to retrieve the singular twig.
"I'm not a Fae," he responded almost remorseful.
Elsie returned with a bundle of sticks and dropped them in a heap next to the man, and continued, "So you're human?"
"Not exactly, not anymore." He began to work on the fire.
"Wow you like being cryptic don't you?" and with that Elsie plopped herself down beside the man, and began to draw designs in the dirt while the cat pleasantly curled up in her lap. "So what should I call you?" Elsie continued to draw in the ground.
"My name doesn't matter, all that matters is getting you home. It's not safe for humans in the Underground anymore." He removed his hood, and Elsie silently admired the man's good looks. He had sharp slender features. He was very pleasant to look at. The man looked to be about the same age as her mother. Well she could only assume for she had no clue how time passed in this world. His thin lips were in a slight frown as he watched the dancing flames with his blue eyes.
Elsie hesitantly spoke up, "I can't go home, no reason to go back."
"You're father needs you," his eyes not leaving the flames.
"He's dead," she choked as her tears began to escape her eyes.
The nameless man jolted up in surprise, but he quickly composed himself, "I'm sorry, I had no idea."
"I think the Goblin King killed him. His name is Jareth, I think. My mom use to tell me stories of the Underground. I never thought he was real, but obliviously I was wrong, because my dad is dead, and all I have as a clue is this stupid owl feather. Mom told me he could change into a white owl." She paused, "Everything is so confusing. I don't know what to believe anymore." Elsie wept as the strange cat bumped up against her face, trying to comfort her.
"Many powerful Fae can change form," he returned his gaze toward the fire.
"I need to get to the Labyrinth, maybe I can find my mom." Elsie stroked Gingersnap as he purred.
"The Labyrinth is probably the worst place for you to go. No one is there to control it. Jareth is missing and the exiled prince is rumored to have returned. Rivian will kill you," the man spoke as he poked the flame.
"A man with long black hair took my mom. Could he have been Rivian?" Elsie's tears began to dry.
"I believe so. He's the only Fea that I can think of that lives Aboveground that would want to take your mother."
"We need to save her," Elsie calmly stated, but her eyes were pleading for his help.
"We will find a way," he reassured as he reclined to get comfortable.
"Thanks," Elsie lay down next to the man sharing his cloak as a blanket. "You still need a name."
The man smirked, "As long as it's not as dull as 'Gingersnap'".
Elsie rolled over to cuddle with the cat, "Well the cat enjoys it." Gingersnap let out a simple meow and moved closer to the girl.
"That's not a cat," the man replied as he rolled over to fall asleep.
As the three drifted off to sleep Elsie had the last word, "Whatever you say, John."
~*~Meanwhile in the Goblin Kingdom~*~
The Goblin Castle was astir in chaos. Their king had vanished and they were left with a man who they thought dead, and a woman who nearly destroyed their world the last time she was seen. Rivian stormed through the eerily still halls. The goblins cowered from his fiery gaze.
Rivian roar echoed through the halls, "WHERE IS SHE?!"
He still had the metal contraption referred to as the Rianadayr upon his wrist, so Sarah obediently followed. Sarah monotonously drawled, "Are you looking for my daughter?"
Before she could finish Rivian lashed out at the empty woman, "Shut your filthy mouth!" She was silenced with a swift smack from the backside of his ungloved hand. Blood began to trickle from the corner of her lip for it got caught on one of the many oversized gems of one of his larger rings. Sarah stared forward emotionless. She felt nothing.
The tall lanky goblin known as Lokal timidly stepped forward, "Sire, of whom do you speak? Has Miss. Sarah lost her child?" His gaze never met with Rivian's.
Rivian stepped forward with a raised hand toward the pathetic goblin, "I care very little for this filth's spawn," he gestured toward the absent minded Sarah, "I wish to find my betrothed!"
Lokal braced himself for a blow that did not come. "I believe her to be dead, I thought you saw to that, sire."
With that Rivian beat down upon the poor servant, "I would never hurt my Lassdhel, Jareth was the one who stole her from me! He hid her from me!" Lokal fell in a heap at his new master's feet.
Lokal, a bloodied mess, struggled to stand, "Sire, without Jareth the Labyrinth will rip our world apart. I thought you were unable to control it." The goblin cared little of the beatings that were sure to come.
"Ha! You think I am unable to control the Labyrinth? I control the great Rianadayr! The very glove that created the Labyrinth to begin with! It controls any human soul it comes in contact with. I believe I am able to manage a simple maze." Rivian took a seat upon the throne, with his black cape billowing over and spilling upon the ground.
"The Labyrinth is no simple maze, sire. It is the seam that holds the worlds together," Lokal did not care about angering this master for he knew that without Jareth the Labyrinth would slowly consume all.
Rivian stood in anger, "How dare you question my ability! I am the TRUE King and it will obey me. Through my veins flows the cursed blood. The very blood that is absent within Jareth's!" He kicked Lokal back to the ground, and placed his cold leather boot upon the goblin's skull threatening to crush it.
The bloodied goblin squeaked out, "It rejected you sire."
"Rejected me? It embraced me! Only I can sense it's true power, and I will use it to feel out the location of my sweet Lassdhel!" Rivian kicked the defiant goblin across the throne room, knocking a few teeth out along the way.
Lokal again rose to his feet, "Please forgive me sire I was only looking out for your best interests. It is said the Labyrinth can drive its masters mad."
Rivian took his seat again and waved the goblin off, "Leave my sight, and take this round ear with you."
The goblin hurried to Sarah's side, "Of course sire, what do you wish I do with her?"
"Chain her to my chambers, I do not wish to continuously use the Rianadayr's power on her. It is tiring," with a flick of his wrist the blank Sarah collapsed into the arms of the waiting goblins.
Sarah awoke in a daze. She couldn't remember everything that had happened, but she knew she was in the Underground. She thought she would never return to this place, but she had to save Elsie. Luckily she had help from that dark stranger. What was his name? Oh yes, his name was Rivian.
Sarah tried to stand, but soon discovered that her wrists and ankles were tightly chained. She tried to struggle free, but it was no use; the metal dug deeper cutting her skin. Sarah glanced about to gather her surroundings. She lay on a cold polish stone floor, in a corner of a lushly decorated room.
At least she had a pillow.
Across the room was an oversized bed with deep green velvet sheets, and some sort of shear material draped over its canopy. Across from that was an enormous fireplace made of dark marble. A large fire roared within casting a warm orange glow about the chamber.
And there he was. The terrible monster, Jareth. The man that haunted her dreams, threatening to steal her loved ones from her yet again. Which of course, he had finally accomplished. He was only present in the room through the use of a large oil painting that hung over the fireplace. How egotistical to have it overlooking his bed. The very bed, Sarah could only imagine, he stole the dignity of his many slaves.
The memory of how she arrived to the Underground was flooding back to her. She had come here with the man named Rivian. Where was he now? Hopefully, Jareth hadn't caught him as he did her.
When they had arrived, they were in, what she had declared the Escher room. Rivian had told her that it was the very center of the Labyrinth, and because of that gravity had little effect. Sarah had noticed that he got lost through the halls quite easily, as if the Labyrinth itself was hiding something from him. She mentioned nothing for she had no idea what they should do. So Sarah blindly followed. Deep within the many turning stairs of the room they had found what Rivian had obviously been looking for. Underneath a lose stone was a small golden chest that contain a beautiful silver gauntlet. Sarah remembered asking what is was, but the only response she received was that it was the only thing that could stop Jareth.
Her memory began to become fuzzy again. What was it that Rivian asked her to do? Oh yes, he needed her blood. She was told that only the blood of a conqueror of the Labyrinth could fuel the glove. She remembered Rivian placing on the glove on while he sliced her palm. They clasped hands and as her blood was absorb into the glove it began to glow an eerie blue. After that her memory failed her.
Sarah sat there in the corner waiting for her monster to claim her.
With that thought Rivian burst through the chamber doors in a fury.
"Oh thank goodness you're here Rivian!" Sarah exclaimed as she tried to free herself from the chains. "How did you escape Jareth?"
Rivian was silent. He just paced back and forth in front of the fire, his shadow dancing across her face.
Something wasn't right.
"Rivian," Sarah paused, "Is everything alright? Is Elsie safe?"
Rivian continued to ignore her. Instead he began to mutter under his breath, "Where is she? Where did you lock her up?" He stopped to turn and face the large painting and shouted, "I know she's ALIVE!" He hastily removed the gauntlet and threw it at the painting. Strangely the gauntlet's sharp edges did not damage the painting. It did nothing, but clash to the floor. At the crash Rivian let out a great fuming howl and ran over to the chained Sarah.
Sarah realized that he was no friend, she quickly began to prepare to defend, but the chains made it difficult and he was stronger. He tightly clamped her face within his hand and hissed in her ear, "Where has he hidden her? Why won't the Labyrinth listen to me?" Saliva sprayed out through his clenched teeth.
Sarah struggled to respond, "I don't know what the Hell you are talking about! Where is my daughter?"
Rivian merely laughed in her face with his foul breath overtaking her senses.
"What do you want from me you slimy freak?!" Sarah continued to put up a fight as Rivian pinned her to the floor.
Still hysterical Rivain sprayed out, "He must have made you his! You SLUT! The Labyrinth must view you as its queen. What an undeserving queen you are. To think a human whore like you could achieve a rank only deserving to my Lassdhel!" He slammed her head unto the cold hard floor. Her vision flashed white from the impact.
Rivian quickly unfastened his trousers and revealed himself to her. Sarah tried to kick the crazed man away, but it was near pointless. He had her pinned. Rivian grasped her face once more as his foul tongue snaked out between his lips and slid up the side of her cheek, leaving a trail of slime to dry on her face. "If Jareth wishes to steal what is mine, I will take what is his." Sarah turned to spit in his face, but missed and she spat in his long curtain of hair. Rivian only chuckled as he forced her thighs apart. With one swift powerful motion he plunged deep within and claimed her as his own.
Sarah belonged to him.
Sarah blacked out gazing into the eyes of Jareth, from the painting surveying the room. Sarah awoke hours latter, bruised and broken, with an unbearable pain deep between her thighs. Sarah was numb.