20
"Get up! Get up quickly!"
Leont's voice, urgent and persistent, awoke Trinity and Evelyn the next morning, and they turned to see him standing beneath the shade of several trees, his purple eyes piercing up into the clouds above them.
"It's Tesla again," Vorian said, scrambling to his feet and rushing over to the women. "We're in an open place."
"How did we get here?" Trinity asked tiredly, taking Jareth's offered hand and letting him pull her to her feet.
"We must have ended up here after the incident last night," Jareth sighed, pulling her with him into the brush.
"Did you see Tesla yet?" Vorian asked Leont as they ran through the trees.
"No. But I heard him. He's…"
"Right there!" Evelyn gasped, looking up to see the immense dragon flying one hundred feet or so above them.
Indeed, the dragon Tesla was right above them, glaring down at them with blood red eyes. He roared, his voice echoing across the whole island, and then swooped in low.
"We have to go in different directions!" Leont shouted, jumping over a small trench in the ground. "He won't be able to get us all that way!"
"We won't be able to keep running! Then what?" Trinity asked and then let out a yelp when Jareth pulled her hard to the left and Vorian pulled Evelyn hard to the right. "Wait! We can't leave them! What about Evelyn?"
"Vorian will take care of her!" Jareth shouted, pushing great leaves aside as they ran. "It would be much safer if we're in different directions."
Tesla, high above his fleeing prey, gazed down and watched, amused, as everyone took off in different directions. Jareth and Trinity were running towards the forested part of the island. Vorian and Evelyn were racing to the ocean, and Leont was weaving in and out of trees, in no apparent direction.
Tesla dove low, coming to bear on Leont. He flew over the vampire and then dive-bombed in front of him, blocking his path.
"Tesla!" Leont hissed, watching as the dragon took several long steps towards him. "What do you want?"
The dragon transformed before him, turning immediately into Tesla's human form. The wicked pirate captain was dressed in silver and copper, and his blonde hair was down, making him look positively frightening. His eyes were completely red still, and they were glowing menacingly at Leont.
"I'm here," Tesla hissed, eyes burning into Leont, "to take the vial. Hand it over, and you will be spared for the time being."
He held out a hand, the back of which was covered in scales, and waited. Leont gazed at the hand and then looked up at Tesla.
"I don't have it. It was destroyed in the fire you so precariously caused," Leont said, standing up to his full height. "Is there anything else you want?"
Tesla shouted in rage and then stepped back.
"You will suffer for this, Leont," he growled, and then turned back into a dragon.
The dragon immediately shot back up into the sky, spiraling rapidly as he made his ascent. So…the vial was destroyed. There were other ways to get what he wanted.
XxXxX
Trinity stumbled over a branch as Jareth dragged her through the forest, running blindly to the center of the island.
"Jareth! We can't just leave Vorian and Evelyn!" Trinity gasped, jumping over a brush and clinging more tightly to Jareth's hand. "He'll kill Vorian and destroy Evelyn!"
"Vorian can care for himself and Evelyn!" Jareth struggled, jumping to the right and pulling Trinity along with him. "I want to assist them, Trinity, but Tesla is too powerful. We cannot all stay together. Please believe me when I say that I want to help our friends. Right now, we would be more of a danger to them than a help."
A roar suddenly sounded from above them, and Jareth glanced up momentarily before he began running at a faster pace, making it difficult for Trinity to keep up with him.
The trees in front of them violently burst into flames, and Trinity screamed as pieces of the trees flew towards her and Jareth. Jareth grabbed her and jumped back. Another ball of fire shot into the trees to their left, and then their right, and then finally behind them.
"Jareth! We're trapped!" Trinity screamed over the raging fire. "What should we do?"
"Tesla!" Jareth shouted up to the sky. "Cease this sabotage immediately! I didn't think you wanted us killed!"
"Where is he?" Trinity whispered, holding Jareth's arm tightly. "He just disappeared!"
"He's probably trying to catch us unprepared," Jareth said, turning in a circle, Trinity moving with him. "Come on out, Tesla!"
Red eyes suddenly appeared from behind the flames, and before Jareth and Trinity quite knew what hit them, Tesla had leaped over the fire and picked both of them up in his claws.
Trinity watched as the ground below her became farther and farther away, and she glanced over at Jareth, terror in her eyes.
"Jareth!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "We're going to die!"
"I don't know about that, love," Jareth said, trying to remain calm as the ground moved rapidly beneath them.
"I'm scared of heights! Tesla, please!" Trinity pleaded, looking up at the dragon's belly. "Please, don't hurt us and put us down!"
The dragon glanced down and snarled at her, letting a puff of smoke blow into her face.
"Give me your hand, Trinity," Jareth said, reaching out with one of his hands to grab hold of Trinity's.
She stretched her hand out and reached out as far as she could to grab him. Tesla violently swooped down and then moved his front legs farther apart from each other, separating Trinity and Jareth by a good fifteen feet of air. He also threw them off balance, scaring Trinity into hysterics. She grabbed hold of the dragon's claw with all her strength, holding on as tightly as she could. She closed her eyes tightly as the trees passed rapidly beneath them. What if Tesla was just looking for the right spot to drop them? Then there would be a horrific fall before she and Jareth finally hit the ground…
XxXxX
"Vorian!" Evelyn screamed, glancing up to see Tesla flying effortlessly through the air, Jareth and Trinity clasped in his claws. "He got Trinity! And Jareth!"
Vorian stopped running and glanced up, several wisps of hair falling into his face as he did so. He muttered something incomprehensible under his breath and then laced his fingers through Evelyn's.
"He's playing with us. I don't know what he's playing, but he definitely has some trick in mind. We need to get to the ocean," Vorian said, trying to remain calm.
"What will that do? You don't have your powers!" Evelyn shouted, eyes wide as they began running again.
"Dragons can't stand water," Vorian said. "It might help us somehow."
"What do you think he's up to?" Evelyn asked, grabbing hold of his shoulder as they jumped over a fallen tree.
"He wants power. He won't kill us all just yet," Vorian said and then dropped down, pulling Evelyn with him, as Tesla suddenly dropped momentum and swooped terribly close to them.
"He's trying to catch us!" Vorian shouted, remaining in his position on the ground and watching for a moment as Tesla spiraled around and began to drop towards them again.
"Are we just going to stay here?" Evelyn asked, breathing rapidly from her place next to him.
"Of course not," Vorian said, standing up and pulling her to her feet. "We might be able to…"
The dragon roared and then swept down low, catching hold of Evelyn in the same claw that he held Trinity. Evelyn grabbed hold of the dragon's claw as he shot up into the sky, knowing that screaming wouldn't do any good and that she should hold on as tightly as she could.
"This is just great!" she shouted to Trinity as the dragon spiraled and then flew quickly towards the ocean. "He said dragons aren't supposed to like water, and that's where he's going! What's he up to?"
"I don't know! I'm scared!" Trinity cried out, grabbing her friend's hand as Tesla swooped down towards the sand. "I think he's just going to kill us all!"
Tesla hovered only a few feet above the ground and then dropped Jareth.
"Jareth!" Trinity cried out, watching as the goblin king rolled and then sat up, unharmed. "Tesla! What are you doing? Put us down!"
Tesla watched the beach and then smiled with satisfaction (if dragons can do such a thing) when he saw Vorian appear next to Jareth. Leont wasn't far behind, and in a matter of seconds, he had joined the other two men on the sand.
The dragon swept down to the sand, several feet away from the Fae and vampire, and then placed the women in front of him. He let out a breath of fire, making a ring of fire surround himself and the women, and then turned back into his human form.
"You let us out of here!" Trinity demanded, seeing the looks of panic on the men's faces as they saw the women trapped inside the fire.
"Jareth!" Tesla shouted, his voice strangely distorted. "I have a bargain to make!"
"I won't make a bargain, Tesla!" Jareth growled, stepping dangerously close to the fire so he could see Trinity and Evelyn. "Give the women back to us or die."
"Ha! You have no powers, whelp," Tesla grinned with a wave of his hand.
"What do you want, Tesla?" Vorian asked in exasperation, staying a good distance away from the fire.
"I was informed that Leont doesn't have the vial that I need to rule the Labyrinth," Tesla said easily. "So, I'm going to take both women with me until you can find some way for me to rule the Underground without me destroying it. Jareth, when you find out how to give me your power, come to Point de Rouck with your solution, and I shall have the young women with me."
"How do we know you won't kill them?" Leont shouted above the fire.
"Oh," Tesla smirked, reaching out and pulling Evelyn tightly to him. "I assure you, they shall be very much alive." He moved some of Evelyn's hair away from her neck and shoulder and then lowered his mouth to her shoulder. "Why would I want to destroy such precious females? That would be a complete waste of good resources." He smiled, eyes burning into Vorian's, as he kissed Evelyn's shoulder, completely ignoring her struggling. "Just come and get them when you're ready. They'll be waiting for you, I'm sure, although this one might be completely happy staying with me."
"Never!" Evelyn screamed, shoving him away from her and running to Trinity's side.
"I shall be waiting for you at Point de Rouck," Tesla grinned and then turned back into a dragon. He picked up both women in his claws and then flew up into the sky. He hovered over the men for a moment, as though mocking them, and then turned and began to make his way across the water.
"That…that fool!" Leont shouted, watching the dragon slowly wing away. "How dare he! How dare he so disgrace you in such a manner!"
"They won't stay alive for very long, I fear," Jareth growled, clenching his hands into fists. "Oh, to have my power back!"
He turned his head to look at Vorian and was shocked to see the colors in his friend's eyes rapidly becoming brighter, like they were on fire.
"Vorian?" he asked, concerned. "Vorian?"
Vorian didn't speak, but moved towards the water, walking with long, graceful strides. He looked the complete picture of calmness, with his head held high and his shoulders back.
"Vorian! What are you doing?" Jareth shouted, beginning to follow his friend.
"Stay back, Jareth," Vorian said calmly, wading into the water.
"You haven't got your powers back! You'll kill yourself!" Jareth growled. "Vorian! Listen to me for once!"
"How much longer are we going to let him mock us and hurt the women?" Vorian asked coolly, turning to face Jareth, his face completely peaceful, though his eyes glowed like liquid fire.
"He does have a point," Leont said.
"No," Jareth frowned, shaking his head. "This is what he does when he's angry. He stands back and takes all he can, and then he explodes with action. If he does that now, he'll kill himself."
"And I would gladly die for her," Vorian said calmly, and then ducked his head.
"Vorian!" Jareth shouted, but his last cry was never heard.
An immense wall of water, powerful and cruel, shot up out of the ocean, rising hundreds of feet into the air. It struck Tesla in the front, and the dragon flailed its wings desperately, trying to stay above the water. In the process, it uncurled its claws, and Evelyn and Trinity fell, plummeting at a frightening speed towards the water. Another wall of water shot out of the ocean, catching both women and gently lowering them to the water.
An enormous wave rose high out of the water and completely caught hold of Tesla. It receded back into the ocean, pulling the frantic dragon along with it, and engulfing the dragon completely in the ocean.
"Jareth," Vorian said, moving deeper into the water, prepared to confront the dragon. "Make sure the women make it quickly and safely out of the water. Things are about to get vicious."
"You haven't the strength!" Jareth shouted, rushing towards his friend and frowning as water splashed up against his body.
"Jareth!" Leont declared, reaching out and grabbing hold of Jareth. "You can't stop him. He loves Evelyn, and Evelyn has now been hurt twice right in front of him. He has to do something. Think of how you would have behaved if Tesla had treated Trinity the same way that Tesla's been treating Evelyn. You would have killed Tesla by now. That's what Vorian is now going to do, even if it kills him in the process. He's a man of great courage and justice. Now is his chance to show it."
Jareth shook his head and then jumped in and swam towards the women. Vorian was going to end up killing himself. He just knew it. Even if Vorian was the prince of the water, even if, by some amazing chance, his powers fully returned to him, a dragon had enough strength in the water to kill anyone.
XxXxX
Vorian swam towards where the dragon had plummeted and then dove down into the water. His keen eyes made it possible for him to see perfectly in the water without his eyes stinging. He immediately saw Tesla, still in his dragon form, struggling to get to the surface of the water. Vorian wasn't going to let him get that far.
With a sudden burst of power, the water prince created a wave that pushed him deeper into the water, moving rapidly towards Tesla. He struck the dragon across the head with one of his legs, and then dove down lower as Tesla opened his mouth, revealing sharp fangs, to attack the Fae.
Vorian made his way towards the dragon's immense stomach and then landed another heavy kick on the beast's underside. Tesla roared beneath the water and then began to swim rapidly towards the surface, needing air. Vorian's eyes glowed as he called to the waves. More water immediately began to push beneath the surface, encircling Tesla in a heavy whirlpool of foam and water. Vorian then swam into the whirlpool and began to fight the dragon. Both of them kicked and thrashed, punched and attacked each other in every way that they knew how.
If someone had been further down in the water, looking up, the battle would have been absolutely amazing to watch. There was an immense dragon, red and gold, glittering in the sunlight from above, completely encircling a man that was about fifteen sizes smaller than it was. The man was fighting, fighting with everything he was worth, and he was moving quite successfully. The dragon constantly flinched as the Fae's hands and legs contacted the great beast's thrashing body. Of course, the man had wounds that were much greater than the dragon's. The dragon's tail whipped at the man's body, ripping clothing and skin. Fangs reached out and grabbed hold of anything they could find, and claws, sharp and pointed, pounded at the man's body. Waves encircled both of them, making it look as though they were in the center of an immense water tornado.
Above the water, Jareth, Leont, Trinity and Evelyn watched the water with great concern. Trinity was clasped tightly against Jareth's chest, and she watched the water with fear. Evelyn sat on the sand, the water lapping at her feet, her hands clasped against her legs and her eyes wide with terror.
The only thing visible to the viewers was a great circle of waves crashing against each other, all forming an immense circle. Water spurted above the ocean in torrents, showing how mighty the battle beneath the water was. Vorian, everyone knew, didn't have much of a chance. By this point in time, his powers were probably subsiding, and his body was no doubt in immense pain, just from exerting so much power. He hadn't had his full power in years, and now, suddenly, he was using every ounce of his strength and concentration to fight a huge dragon that wanted nothing more than to kill him and resurface.
After fifteen minutes of the immense spectacle of thrashing water, the water suddenly stopped its violence. The ocean went completely calm, as though there never had been a battle.
Evelyn immediately stood up and stepped into the water, heart beating like never before as she watched the waves.
"Vorian? Where is Vorian?" she asked the water, but the only answer she received was the peaceful sound of waves moving against the shore.
Another minute passed before a body could be seen, struggling towards the shore. A man pulled himself onto the beach, clothes tattered and hair draped wildly about his face. Evelyn made a rush towards him, as he pulled himself onto the sand and then collapsed, but Leont grabbed hold of her arm.
"No," he said firmly. "That's Tesla."
"He's still alive?" Evelyn whispered, her legs beginning to buckle on her.
"He needs to be finished," Jareth said, looking to Leont.
"I'll take care of him. Ladies, look away," Leont said, and then began to stalk across the beach.
He didn't need to tell them not to look, for they were more intent on watching the water than on seeing how he was going to kill Tesla. They didn't look when they heard a shout of rage from across the beach followed by silence.
"Why isn't he coming back?" Evelyn asked, turning to look at Jareth. "You know him better than anyone else. Why isn't he back yet?"
"Evelyn," Jareth said quietly, reaching a hand out to put it kindly on her shoulder. "He used all the strength he had left and more than what he should have."
"But…but he's not dead!" Evelyn shouted, shaking her head viciously. "Jareth, he can't be dead! He…he was always there!"
"Oh, Ev," Trinity said, reaching out and pulling her friend into a hug.
Evelyn burst into sobs, dropping down to the sand, her friend helping her there. Both women knelt in the sand, the younger holding the older, trying to comfort her, but not finding any words that could comfort.
Jareth turned to the ocean with complete heartache. He had already lost Vorian once, was he to lose him again?
A sudden neigh interrupted the deathly silence that filled the beach, and Jareth started when a magnificent Talistide stallion abruptly reared up out of the water, standing directly before the goblin king. The horse tossed his head, its completely blue eyes wide with fear. If there had been white in the horse's eyes, the white would have been showing entirely.
Jareth didn't speak, but grabbed hold of the Talistide's mane, and tried, with some difficulty, to pull himself onto the stallion's back. The stallion pawed impatiently, sending water splashing all over the place, and then ducked his head and lifted Jareth onto his back. Jareth held on tightly as the Talistide turned and then plunged viciously into the water. The horse immediately dove beneath the water, Jareth clinging to him as he began to swim towards the deeper water.
It took several minutes for them to get to the horse's place of destination, but as soon as they got there, Jareth saw what it was the stallion had wanted him to see.
There was Vorian, under the water, completely unconscious, or maybe…
No! Jareth refused to think about maybes. He swam off the horse's back and then grabbed hold of Vorian. He struggled to pull his friend to the surface, and as soon as they were there, he gazed down at Vorian's face to see that the man was bleeding terribly and his face was completely ashen.
The Talistide stallion swam up underneath Jareth and Vorian and then carried them back towards the island. Jareth held onto Vorian with a hard grip, and he refused to let go of the limp Fae until the Talistide reached the shore. Jareth half carried half pulled Vorian onto the shore and then lowered him gently to the sand.