Chapter 6
In another part of the Labyrinth, a lone figure surveyed the strewn bodies around the clearing. Hissing in impatience, he lifted the Heart of the Labyrinth to his face, whispering ancient forbidden magic into its torn surface.
As he finished speaking, Ludo and several goblins suddenly rose, their bodies twitching violently before they stilled, their eyes glowing red.
The figure smirked and leaned back against the stone carved in the shape of a woman.
He conjured an image of Jareth and Sarah with his hand and cast it up for them to see.
"Go fetch," he commanded and as one, they took off in a flash, no longer the kind creatures of Sarah's past.
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Sarah stared at Jareth and swallowed, overwhelmed with what Jareth was telling her. She took a deep breath and pushed everything out of her mind but the knowledge that the Labyrinth and her friends needed her help. She couldn't let her friends or the Labyrinth succumb to the dark magic that was afoot and effecting the Labyrinth.
"Yes," she whispered, looking down at the book and nodding her assent.
Jareth gently placed the tome on her lap and opened it to the page that began the chapter reserved for the eyes of the Champion only. Before, when he had turned past this section of the book, the pages had stuck together, stubbornly refusing to open. Now, in the presence of the Champion, they turned easily, allowing him to find the correct place for her.
When she began to read, Jareth reluctantly began to rise from his place next to her, not wanting to distract her. He paused and slid Lancelot out from under the pillow. He intended to put him on the shelf while Sarah was occupied but changed his mind. He carefully placed the bear next to Sarah. "I thought you might like an old friend to keep you company as you take this all in. I know- I know that I'm not really what you would consider a friend. Considering our past interactions. For what it's worth, I'm sorry I seemed such a cad to you at the time. Duty aside, I always thought you were something special. Especially when I would watch your plays in the park." He smiled a little wistfully. "Even then you had a magic that was purely you."
Sarah's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly. She stared at him, her glorious eyes fixed on his face as he spoke. When he mentioned her plays in the park a flush suffused her face, and she looked away, biting her lip.
He let out a long sigh "I'm sorry, Sarah. I'll let you focus on the task at hand." He turned from her and walked slowly away. Quietly picking up the mess strewn around the room and allowing her the time and space she needed.
Sarah smiled faintly, glancing back at Jareth's retreating form as she gently took the teddy bear in her fingers and pressed it against her chest. She opened her mouth to explain that they both were at fault for their last encounter, but found herself unable to begin. With a sigh, she forced her attention back to the tome instead. There would be time for explanations and apologies later. Right now, they had a crisis to deal with. She caressed the pages of the ancient book in her lap. This book held the answers she had been seeking since she returned. Although she was frightened, she resolutely began reading.
'Champion -
Firstly, congratulations. You have bested the Labyrinth and it's King, no easy feat.
Secondly, with your win comes no small amount of power. As with the King, when a certain amount of will is pressed upon the labyrinth, a bond of sorts is formed. You will be linked to the Labyrinth just like it's King.
Be wary, Champion. This is a great responsibility.
Inside your heart is the bridge to the Aboveground. It is no longer a single source of power for the King but a shared one between the two of you. Should another control it, all that is will cease.
Replace that which has been stolen and the land will heal. In order to seal the wound, you will need two essences and a pure wish of pure selflessness.'
Sarah stilled, blinking. What the hell did that mean?
As Sarah read, Jareth quietly wrestled with his emotions, berating himself for not having better control. It was difficult with Sarah right here, sitting on his bed in this most private of places. Even now with her eyes firmly fixed on the book in her lap, Jareth could feel their magics mingling.
It was frustrating to have her so close but so distant at the same time. Despite the pain it caused him, Jareth was forced to all but shut her out while they focused on trying to find a solution to the terrible things happening to his kingdom. Frankly, there needed to be a bond of trust between the king and the Champion. How was he supposed to expect her to trust him when theirs was not a relationship that had started out with trust? Bloody hell, this was such a mess! For all he knew, she still viewed him as the villain, her rescue of him notwithstanding. His shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes against the pain in his heart. Such a pity!
"I...I have no idea what this means, Jareth." She glanced back at him and frowned, suddenly seeing the warring emotions on his face.
"Hey," she whispered, grabbing his attention. "It's going to be ok. We'll fix this."
She smiled at him but he made no reply save for a small, wistful smile. Something about the way their eyes met made Sarah flush and look away for a moment, suddenly shy. Pushing her sudden bashfulness aside, Sarah pointed to the entry in the book. "What's this..."
Before she could continue, something shattered in the distance.
Jareth tensed and grabbed her hand, a startled look in his eyes. "Run!"
She didn't have to be told twice, grabbing the tome and taking off with him down a corridor across the room, the sound of maniacal laughter following them.
Jareth held her hand tightly and kept them moving as the side wall of his private sanctum shattered in an explosion of cavern wall and popping magic. He would not let her get hurt. Her smile had given him hope, and he would protect that hope with every last ounce of life and magic within him.
They ran without looking back. Jareth threw crystal balls in every direction, summoning every Labyrinth guardian still at his disposal to aid in their escape. It wouldn't hold the darkness back for long, but it might give them a chance to escape and regroup once more. Hopefully, they would be able to outrun their stalker again, giving him a chance to answer Sarah's questions.
Jareth continued casting magic as they ran, but the strain was slowing him down. He was now using his own magic, not the magic of the Labyrinth. With the Heart in evil hands he'd been forced to revert back to magic's that he had not used since the late seventeen hundreds. The magic of the Labyrinth had been his to command for centuries, yet now he found himself cut off from it, save what flowed through Sarah.
He conjured another crystal and threw it straight in the face of the large goblin menacing Sarah. Jareth could feel himself weakening. He resolved to fight it off as long as he could. He looked over his shoulder, doing his best to remain calm, despite the rabble that was chasing them.
Jareth entwined his gloved fingers with hers and squeezed her hand softly. "I promise I will do my best to answer your questions as soon as I can," he panted, finding it difficult to speak while running. "But right now, I need you to trust me. This is going to be a bumpy ride, and you will have to be as close to me as possible when we make this next jump."
Sarah nodded, too winded to speak. She flinched as she felt all the chaotic magic being released around her, dodging sharp talons, nails, and hands as they made their escape. She caught a brief glimpse of Ludo amongst the mass of angry bodies. She had just opened her mouth to call to him when he roared, his eyes glowing red, the walls of the castle beginning to shake.
Fear filled her and she let out a small shriek as a falling rock grazed her shoulder. Jareth pulled her against him sheltering her with his free arm for a moment, not letting go of her other hand. "Please trust me, Sarah," he whispered in to her ear.
Hearing him, she calmed slightly. He let her go and stepped away once her fear was once again under control. A focused look crossed his face as he stared at the rock wall in front of them. With another blast of magic, Jareth somehow seemed to carve them a path through the very the earth itself. She saw the strain around his eyes and when he squeezed her hand, something happened.
She blinked and felt a fissure of power skate up her arm. Focusing, she pushed back on it, seeing the surprise on Jareth's face before a faint grin.
"Keep doing that, Sarah! Hurry now, we're almost there!"
Her magic flowed like wildfire through his veins. For a moment, he felt as though he were glowing with the power of it as he utilized it to create a bubble around them. They surged forward, pushing through everything in their path. They were both scared, but Jareth clamped down on his fear. Pushing more and more of their combined magic into propelling them forwards, breaking through every obstacle in their path.
He could still feel them being followed, but her magic had them moving at a pace that left the others in the dust. Generally, this kind of travel was only possible for the most powerful of the fae. He found himself both astounded and proud of her abilities.
They soon found themselves near the edge of the caverns. Nervously, they stepped through the opening in front of them, blinking as their eyes adjusted to the brighter light. They were near the borders of the Goblin King's realm, very close to one of the gateways that led to Sarah's world.
Jareth slowed their pace, breathing heavily. The strain of handling that much magic was beginning to wear on him and he was not sure he could keep it up much longer while still protecting Sarah.
