Chapter Nine

(Attempt)

Jareth produced a crystal and looked in on Sarah's tower prison. His eyes suddenly turned angry as he saw the room appeared to be empty. Instantly Jareth vanished and reappeared in the tower. The room was in fact empty.

"Show me Sarah." He ordered the orb. Instantly it glowed and revealed her location. Jareth cursed seeing her in the room of orbs. Instantly he returned to the throne room.

"Talon."

"Majesty?"

"Sarah's in the room of orbs. Put the traitors back to work and I want it to look good."

"As you wish." The red haired captain replied.

Less than pleased, the King of Goblins left the throne room in pursuit of his dark haired obsession.

Jareth appeared in the room of orbs but there was no sign of Sarah. He looked the room over and his eyes fell on where Toby's crystal should be. Jareth growled. The girl had been there and taken the crystal.

"Show me Sarah." He said producing another crystal. The crystal was dark but he could see little movements. Wherever she was it was dark. "Where are you?" He glanced around the room and was about to disappear when something on the ground caught his eye. Walking over he reached down and picked up a ball of fuzz.

"Ludo." He sneered at the fur now in his hand. "I've been too generous." Jareth disappeared from the room of glowing crystals only to appear in the throne room seconds later.

"Talon!"

"You found…no." The captain said seeing the king hold up the ball of fur.

"The traitors have betrayed me yet again," The king said. "Call out the guard and find Sarah!"

"At once!" Talon said. This time the captain didn't bow but Jareth didn't care. Finding the dark haired girl was far more important to him. Meer seconds later alarm bells sounded throughout the castle.

"Goblins find Lady Sarah!" He ordered. Instantly the room was empty as all the goblins headed out in search of the King's obsession.

Jareth fumed. The traitors were going to pay. Not only had they probably told the girl by now but they were trying to escape with her.

"You won't escape me Sarah. I have plans and needs for you to fulfill." Jareth quickly transformed into his owl form and headed out the window.

Jareth flew over the Labyrinth in search of Sarah like he had never searched for anything before. He had not yet extracted his revenge. A revenge which would benefit him greatly. He made several circles around the labyrinth before landing in a clearing.

Once again he produced a crystal. "Show me Sarah." He almost gasped at seeing how far they were through the Labyrinth. They were almost out. Worse yet they were heading toward the exit that would bring them close to a neighboring kingdom and allow the traitors and the girl to get away.

"Oh no you don't little girl!" The Goblin King sneered.

"Talon, they're heading to the border at Tomahr." He informed his captain. Quickly the king vanished the crystal, and taking to flight once more, headed for the border. Jareth was not about to lose his obsession again.

As Jareth flew he knew it would be close whether or not he could reach the border first. Owls didn't fly that fast. Even Fae ones could only go so fast. A glance down revealed his goblins were in pursuit and some were quite a bit faster than he was in his owl form.

Sarah and her companions were running through the Labyrinth when they heard the sound of bells.

"Faster, he knows!" Hoggle said as fear entered his voice. "Gots to make it to the border or were done for."

Quickly they ran faster.

"I dare say the King is reversing our passage rights." Sir Didymus exclaimed as the Labyrinth began to shift. "He shall be in a foul mood now."

"We have to make it!" Sarah said still clasping the orb. She screamed as a wall suddenly shifted its place and she was almost hit.

"Careful now the walls are shifting fast. The Labyrinth is now working against us." Didymus warned.

"There!" Hoggle said pleased as he saw they were almost out.

They narrowly missed a few more walls and a few weeds that stretched out to grab them. Quickly the dark haired girl ran out of the Labyrinth with the rock creature, dwarf, and knight at her heels. They wasted no time on celebrating getting out of the labyrinth and ran for the border. Sarah smiled as she saw they were a mere twenty yards away to freedom. She smiled sure they'd make it.

Hearing a squawk Sarah didn't even look back. She knew who it was. "Faster!" She screamed.

They ran even harder. They were almost there when guards suddenly appeared as they walked out of the trees.

"No!" Sarah screamed. Unable to stop she ran smack into Talon. "No! Let me go!" She demanded. "Please!" She begged looking into the brown eyes of the King's captain. Talon however only held the woman where she was. "Please let me go!"

"I think not." Came the sound of an angry voice from behind her. Sarah instantly tensed. "Turn around." Sarah stayed facing the captain. The last thing she wanted was to face the Goblin King. Talon, sensing she would not comply, suddenly forced her to turn around and face the king.

Jareth looked at her for only a moment when he turned his angry eyes on her three companions. "It seems I've been too lenient and generous to you three. A mistake which will not happen again."

"Don't..." Sarah started.

"Silence!" He snapped at his dark haired beauty. Sarah wanted to argue but Jareth's eyes held a deadly gaze. Against her will, the girl fell silent.

Slowly and deliberately Jareth turned his gaze on the girl's three companions. "I give you a chance to redeem yourself and this is how you repay me?"

"We didn't want to do it!" Hoggle shouted at his king. It was a mistake. Jareth didn't hesitate and kicked the dwarf so hard he not only fell to the ground but tumbled.

"Hoggle!" Sarah said and went to help him.

"No." Talon said and held the girl where she was. She looked into his brown eyes and knew he was completely loyal to the Goblin King. There wasn't an ounce of pity in his eyes. No sympathy. Nothing that gave an ounce of kindness. What she did see was coldness. Sarah would even wager the Captain approved of Jareth's treatment of the dwarf.

"Anyone else have anything to say?" Jareth asked looking at the rock caller and knight.

"Sawrah friend." Ludo said.

"That may be beast, but you have disobeyed your King," Jareth said angrily. Pointing at Sarah he said, "She belongs to me. No one takes what is mine!"

"I do..."

"It would be a pity if you finished that sentence and I was forced to punish you even more than I already will." Jareth warned looking at the girl with angry narrowed eyes. Sarah was amazed as his eyes changed their intensity as he looked at his captain. "Take Sarah to the public sentencing square. Have her walk and be sure to chain her when you arrive." Talon gave a single nod before starting to lead the way.

"Just a moment." Jareth said noticing the girl still held the crystal orb that showed her brother. Calmly he approached the girl. "I believe that is mine." Sarah tried to grasp it but with Jareth pulling the crystal and Talon forcing her hands away from it simultaneously she lost the battle.

"Tsk, tsk, Sarah. You should never take what does not belong to you without permission." Jareth scolded.

"You'd know all about that wouldn't you." She spat. Sarah waited for Jareth to get angry and even possibly hit her but neither happened. Instead the king laughed at her.

"You forget I'm not human little girl. When a Fae wants something they take it. But more often than not things are willingly given to us." He gave his red haired captain a nod and Talon began forcefully leading the girl away from her companions and back into the Labyrinth.

Jareth looked into the crystal that revealed a now sleeping Toby. He smiled pleased. "Your sister has been naughty." He told the boy in the glowing sphere. With a wave of his hand he vanished the crystal back to the room it had previously been in residence.

"I was sure Sarah would submit to me before even giving her time. I know she will after what I have planned for you three." He said arrogantly. Looking at the guards that remained he said chain them and take them to the square as well. "Keep them away from Sarah." The guards nodded and began leading the three prisoners back toward the castle.

Jareth looked away from the Labyrinth and at the border of his kingdom. "Far too close." He conjured another crystal. "Sarah." Instantly the orb showed a defeated dark haired girl being led through the labyrinth. "You may have tried my little minx, but I think after tonight you'll learn to heel at my command."