A Tainted Land

A/N: This chapter has some more mature themes in it, if you don't like that sort of thing than I apologize and you should know when it is coming (so just skip ahead). Please review and let me know if you like this fanfiction. I've not abandoned by other Labyrinth fic.

Chapter 3: Darker Indeed

Jem- 24

Is there a heaven a hell
And will I come back
Who can tell
Now I can see what matters to me
It's as clear as crystal
The places I've been
The people I've seen
Plans that I made start to fade
The sun's setting gold
Thought I would grow old
It wasn't to be

And I can't believe
How I've been wasting my time

Sarah stomped her way through the Forest of Nightmares, trying not to step on the gremlins that danced around her feet. "You guys don't have somewhere better to be?" Sarah snapped, shoving one out of her way with her toe. It growled and she took her foot back and sidestepped several more. They just seemed to multiply the further she walked.

"Be? Be here! You walk, we follow! Fun to watch humans get eaten!" a few chanted as they cackled and twirled around, their teeth glimmering in the small light that broke through the trees above. It was night, so it was the full moon above that trickled through the trees. She thought the goblins had been bad; at least they didn't look like little demons. "I wonder if her bones will crunch?" one of the demons muttered as he poked a taloned finger into her leg.

"Hey!" she snapped as she pulled away and walked faster. There were large roots sticking up along the forest floor and she had trouble avoiding them. They would trip her and seemed to even move on their own. "I hate this place…I hate you little monsters…I hate that King…Do none of the Kings in this world have any manners?!" she demanded. "First that pompous Jareth, now that pretentious man Davyn…" She shook her head. Something cracked behind the group of creatures and Sarah, and everyone froze. "Who did that?" asked Sarah. The gremlins looked up at her and shrugged their shoulders.

"We do not know…We here…next to dinner…" said one, looking around to find the source of the sound. The crack came again and Sarah shook her head, hoping whatever it was would just leave her alone. They could have the gremlins. Her feet moved swiftly, dodging roots and climbing over those she couldn't evade. The gremlins took a few minutes, but soon they were right at her heels again, chattering to themselves. Sarah stopped when a river of grime appeared before her.

"Ew…what is this…" she groaned, leaning down to press her face closer to it. It was a large expanse of bubbling black ooze. It seemed to be steaming and had a horrid smell. Even the bog smelled better than the gunk.

"River poison…river burn you…go ahead…jump in.."

Sarah rolled her eyes," No thanks…" she muttered. Her eyes scanned the surroundings and she saw the one of the larger trees had a thick branch that extended over the poisonous liquid. "Got it.." she reached for one of the lower branches and hefted herself up into it. The gremlins groaned and cursed as they scrambled up the tree. She laughed, hoping they gave up and just left her alone. Slowly she climbed the tree, finding it easier than she first thought it would be. Once at the right branch she wrapped her legs around it and scooted herself across, trying hard not to look down at what was below her.

Sarah was halfway across when something moved behind her. All the gremlins had made their way up to her branch and were slowly following her across. She cursed, and then cursed again when the branch shook with the effort to hold up Sarah, plus around twenty gremlins. It was a strong branch, but if they followed her to the other end, the branch would break under the stress. "Stop! Get back…you'll kill us all!" She warned. They paused in their walking, glared at her and then decided she was lying and continued. "Shit!" She started to move faster across the branch, hoping if she got over completely than she could beat the branch before it broke. "Come on…" She could see the end of the branch, and the forest floor nearing her. The branch started to shake more under the increasing stress and Sarah heard the crack before she felt anything give out from beneath her. "NO..NO NO NO!" she cried as her hands lost the branch, watching it fall towards the poison river. The gremlins were crying, but Sarah didn't look at them, she was more worried about the incoming sludge that threatened to burn the skin off her body. Before she could meet her death, strong hands grabbed her out of the air and pulled her to solid ground. Sarah yelped and jumped out of the arms of a man she didn't know. Her eyes fell on the gremlins who had backtracked off the branch once it broke and were still on the other side of the river. They saw who was with her and started to screech and scream, running over themselves as they fled to home.

"DINNER LOST! DINNER GONE! HOME HOME HOME! RUN!"

Sarah finally turned to meet her savior and recoiled almost instantly, "Hello…" she greeted in a weak voice. The man was tall, with bright red eyes which appeared to glow in the darkness around them. He had no hair on his head and his skin appeared smooth and perfect. As he smiled at her she saw the unmistakable point of fangs. "Thank you…for saving me…"she added, pointing behind her at the river.

"It was a pleasure to save you, human…We see so little of your kind in our woods…" He replied calmly. "Slevin…is my name…" he introduced himself and then gave a small bow. It was then that she saw he wore a pair of loose pants, no shoes, and no shirt. Slevin stepped towards Sarah and she instinctively pressed a hand to his chest to keep him away. Despite the smooth appearance of his skin it felt like scales. She pulled her hand back and gasped. A clear look of anger flashed across Slevin's face and he started to circle Sarah. "What is your name, little human?"

"Sarah….I need to get out of this forest…" she murmured, trying to evade his gaze as she started to walk.

"Why?"

"Why? This place is horrible…dark…with traps and monsters…" she mumbled under her breath, but it was clear that Slevin had heard her by his next question.

"Monsters? Like what? Or who?" His voice had an amused edge, but she didn't turn around to see if he was smiling.

"Those gremlins for one…and then that river was a monster in itself…and King Dravyn…he put me here..."

"What about me, Sarah?" Slevin asked. "Would you call me a monster?" She did turn around at that and her blood ran cold at what she saw. "Am I a monsttuuurrrr" His words turned into a hiss as his body changed before her eyes. His legs were gone and replaced with a long, black snake body. Slevin was some kind of snake man! "Saaarrrraahhh…" he hissed.

Sarah stepped back and her hands shook violently as she cried out. "SHIT!" She turned and bolted away, dodging roots and rocks as she attempted to get away from Slevin. What had he saved her for? Just to eat her later? Or worse?! She felt her heart beating in her chest as she rushed away, but it was useless. Slevin knew the forest better than her and she screamed when he was suddenly sliding in front of her. Sarah tripped on the tip of his tail and then scrambled backwards until her back hit a tree trunk. "Please…just leave me alone…I'm sorry if I insulted your home…"

Slevin's tail flicked out and grabbed her ankle, pulling it straight out from under her, her bottom hitting the ground painfully hard. The tail slithered up to continue wrapping around her body until it had her up to her waist, its grip unrelenting. "Oh God…" she whispered as Slevin started to drag her deeper into the forest. "Where are you taking me, Slevin!" She demanded. "Put me down right now! RIGHT NOW!" she wiggled in the grip of his tail but he merely tightened it as his belly continued to slide across the forest floor.

For the moment she settled to stop struggling because it obviously wasn't getting her anywhere. She noticed how small creatures would come out of their holes and hiding spots as they slithered by, but once they saw Slevin they hid away again, not daring to step into his path. Was he the forest bully? Goody. "Slevin…" Sarah whispered, trying to get on his good side, "Are you…going to hurt me?" she questioned. She didn't have to hide the fear in her eyes or her voice as he stopped to turn and look at her. He brought her closer to his face, the grip on her body becoming loose for a moment.

"I do not know…" he hissed, "I wissssh to keep you intact…" A hand reached out and slid down Sarah's cheek and she fought hard not to flinch away from him. He liked it when she let him touch her, and after a moment he released her from his snake tail and gathered her in his arms to hold her tightly against his chest as he sped off to his destination. Part of Sarah was relieved that she wasn't being clutched by those scales anymore, but the other part of her was terrified to be so close against Slevin's body.

"We are here…" Slevin said as he came to a sudden halt. They were standing before a large cave of sorts. The stone was grey with a medium size hole in the center, which appeared to dip down below the earth to Slevin's home. There were many heavy tree limbs around the cave and Sarah realized it was cover for it, so that enemies would not find it. They dove down into the darkness and Sarah gasped, taken by surprise by the sudden blindness she suffered in the cave. "Do not fret.." he urged her as the room came to life.

It was cold for a few moments but then warmth spread through her body almost as soon as she saw the light. Slevin emptied them into a large round room with several roaring fires keeping the temperature comfortable. He set her down on the ground and quickly returned to his human appearance. Sarah looked at him and then turned bright red. His pants were no longer on and she glimpsed a full view of what he had been hiding with the loose cloth. Sarah looked away and pressed her hands to her cheeks, much to Slevin's delight. "Ahh you will make a beautiful wife to me, Sarah…so innocent…but we shall fix that soon enough…" he chuckled.

Sarah swung around with wide eyes, "Wife?!" she shouted. "The hell are you talking about, snake man?" she snapped. Slevin looked at her with a frown and stepped forward, causing Sarah to back up in fright. Something slid up behind her and hands slid up from her waist to grasp her chest in a too friendly embrace. "Hey…" she complained as she tried to pull away. A hiss was the only response she got and Sarah froze, knowing then that another snake creature held her.

"You will be my wife…it is the payment for the life I saved…" Slevin explained easily. "You owe me a debt…" He shrugged.

Sarah shook her head, "I didn't ask you to save me…you did that!"

"It is still a debt…and you will pay it whether or not you cooperate…" Slevin stepped forward again, knowing she couldn't step away this time. He lowered his lips to hers and whispered against them, "Mine…you are mine now…Champion…" he kissed her fiercely and Sarah tried to press her lips firmly together, but his forked tongue slid over her lips and startled her, her lips opening in a gasp. The kiss was deepened and Sarah groaned against him, struggling to pull away. The body behind her pushed her closer to Slevin and she was sandwiched between to monsters. His pelvis pressed against her and she felt his arousal, a deep fear falling into the pit of her stomach. He felt her tense and he pulled back, looking anything but happy. "Very well Sarah…think about it…come to terms with it…I shall be back when you have accepted your fate…"

He pulled away from her and the snake behind her released her. Her legs were made of jelly as she fell to the floor of the cave and took a shuddering breath.

His eyes gazed out over the kingdom, his riding crop tapping lazily against his thigh. King Jareth still looked the same as he had when Sarah ran through his Labyrinth. His mismatched eyes were bold and haughty, and his blonde hair still stood attractively around his face. "Choff…" he drawled with a yawn, turning from his throne room window to look at the small goblin that stumbled into the room.

"Yes, my King?" he asked, bright eyes watching for any order.

"Tell Razi and Sidra that I request their presence…." Jareth murmured, moving to sit on his throne. Choff stumbled out of the throne room, leaving the King alone for several moments. Something wasn't right in the Underground, and he could feel it. The very world he was a part of was slowly unraveling and there were weak barriers being held up between the kingdoms. Several of his subjects had been disappearing over the weeks and he was concerned that they were being taken by rogues from other kingdoms. Possibly the Kingdom of Dorcha, whose dark forest bordered his western walls.

"My King?" came a male voice from the throne room door. The room had remained the same over the years, made of stone with the throne set in the center, as well as a divot in the floor where his goblins usually loitered. The man approaching the center of the room had light hair which fell to his shoulders and pulled back with a golden clip at the base of his neck. He had sparkling blue eyes and a pale complexion. The woman beside him appeared to mirror him but with curves instead of broad definition. She had a determined and strong look in her blue eyes and her hair was even longer, falling to her waist in gentle waves.

"Good…Now no formalities…Tell me…what have you learned…Is Dravyn up to something?" Jareth questioned, watching the brother and sister closely. They were the head of his guard and Razi was by far his most trusted friend and companion. The two boys had grown up together in the high Kingdom where Jareth's parents ruled.

"Jareth…we have learned something…awful…but perhaps not true…" responded Razi carefully. Jareth rose an arched brow with a frown, "It concerns that girl…"

"Girl?" asked Jareth.

"The Champion…" replied Sidra, her eyes filled with irritation. "There are rumors that she appeared in the Kingdom of Dorcha and Dravyn tossed her into the Forest of Nightmares…To either survive and make it out, or to die by the demons and monsters lurking around…"

"How the hell would Sarah get into the Kingdom of Dorcha?" Jareth roared, "That is impossible…she should know nothing about the ability to wish herself away to other Kingdoms…" he frowned, "She did not even know of her wish when I came to her…" He stood up and paced over to the window, his gaze falling on the distant Kingdom of Dorcha. He could not see anything of the Kingdom except the formidable black fog that rose from the forest. "We will be visiting, King Dravyn…I have some questions…about MY Champion" Jareth murmured.

After Sarah got over the initial shock of Slevin's words she pulled herself together and moved to sit closer to one of the fires. There were dozens of snake people walking about, some in a nude human form, others in half snake form. Both creeped her out and made her hands shake. Was Slevin really going to make her be his wife despite her desire not to? It was just like the Underground to make her do things that weren't fair!

"It's not fair…not fair…" she whispered. She was so young still, she had not finished college yet, nor had she ever had a real boyfriend. She had never had the chance to really love someone, or experience her life. But now it was over, and she was stuck being the prisoner of some deranged snake man. Her life was over and she didn't know how to fix it.

"Human….follow me…" spoke a woman from behind her. Sarah looked over her shoulder and looked at her, she was in human form, but her body was bare, her skin dark and her eyes a piercing yellow. Did anyone have normal eyes in this Kingdom? Sarah stood up and grumbled as the woman pushed her along roughly, her hand on her shoulder. There were other rooms and corridors that branched off from the main room, and the woman was pushing her down one of the darker corridors, a torch here and there on the walls.

"Wh-"

"Do not speak to me…." The woman snapped. Sarah let her lips clamp shut and she glared forward as the corridor spread open until they were in another room. It looked like a bedroom, but there was no bed, just a large circle of furs on the floor. They were piled high and comfortably so that they resembled a bed. Torches lit the outskirts of the room so it was still dim but visibility was possible. "You stay here…." She pushed Sarah forward and then disappeared. Sarah sighed and walked over to the furs, sinking to her knees to touch them. It was fur alright, and she was suddenly curious as to where the furs came from. She shivered at the thought of Slevin and his people eating the source of the fur.

"Ah Sarah...do you like? This will be our room from this point on…" Slevin greeted her as he strolled into the room.

"You're still planning on forcing me to be your wife?" Sarah questioned, rising from her knees to watch the man carefully.

"Do you still plan on defying me and fighting your debt?" he bit back. Slevin moved further into the room and eyed Sarah up, "You are mine, Sarah…As Lord of the snakes I have the right to choose whomever I wish to be my wife…The Nagi to my Naga…" he whispered, his arms reached out to grab hold of her before she could step away. "It is a great honor…"

"Why give it to me?" Sarah asked, leaning away from him, but not getting far because of his arms around her waist.

"Because you are the Great Champion…all of the Underground knows of your bravery and skill…And now you will be mine…" he chuckled, leaning forward to kiss her again. Sarah turned her head away and pushed against his chest. He didn't stop, merely kissed her neck slowly, nibbling on the skin and gently suckling it.

"Stop it….get off…" Sarah protested, continuing to struggle in his arms. He knelt down, forcing Sarah to lower herself to the ground and then he pushed her into the furs beside them, moving his body over hers so that he could grab her wrists and hold them above her head. "Slevin…no…I don't want to be your Nagi…"

Slevin pulled his lips from her neck and glared at her. Sarah knew that pain was soon to follow because the anger in his eyes was deadly. "You dare refuse the honor….You dare insult my people…are we not good enough for you, human?" he snapped. "I could make you powerful…I could make you one of us…but you reject me…" he laughed, a bitter sound escaping his lips. He pushed his lower body down hard against her and Sarah whimpered. "You have no choice, I care not for your fear…"

Sarah growled up at him and tried to yank her wrists free. He laughed again and nodded his head, "Ah…that is right…I want my Nagi to have a fire in her…A fire only I can put out…" he growled as he lowered his lips to her neck again. Sarah thrashed beneath him as his lips traveled lower until he was kissing her breast through her shirt. She could feel the heat of his mouth through the fabric and she mewled, her back arching. "Give into me, Sarah…" he whispered against her. Slevin grabbed both of her wrists with one hand and then lifted a finger. It was tipped with a deadly fingernail and he pressed it against the neckline of her shirt. His finger trailed down, cutting the fabric away from Sarah's body as it did so. She cried out as the nail bit into her skin, causing a thin line of blood to bead onto her stomach. Slevin noticed it immediately, leaning down and running his tongue across the blood, moaning in satisfaction.

"Stop it…please…" she begged now, because nothing else was working. His eyes seemed curious as they fell upon her bra; it was obviously something he had never seen before. So for the moment he left it alone as his hand moved to her pants.

"Horrible contraption these…" he murmured as he unbuttoned her jeans and then yanked them down her legs. Sarah cried out, panic rising in her chest as she fought not to think about what was going to happen next. He expertly seemed to rid her of her jeans and then gazed down at what he believed was his prized treasure. "Your skin is perfect…" he said hungrily as he lowered his lips to her chest again; kissing the swell of her breast, tongue sliding over the edge of her bra. She felt the heavy weight press between her legs and Sarah started to struggle more.

"Please…please…" she begged.

Slevin growled," Shut up!" he snapped. Sarah didn't, she continued to struggle and fight against him until pain shot through her body. Slevin had lunged at her neck, his fangs biting deeply into her flesh. A scream fell from her lips as he pulled back. "Perhaps that will make you obey…" He snapped angrily. Sarah was confused. Had he just bit her? He released her wrists and her hand moved to touch the blood that trickled from the bite wound on her neck. Sarah tried to move but found her limbs felt heavy and her body felt numb. A burning pain traveled through all the nerves in her body until she felt nothing at all.

"W-what…" she tried to form a sentence but nothing else came out.

"Poison my dear...it will not kill you…I would not have that happen…But it will paralyze you…" he laughed and settled himself over her again, still leaving her last two shreds of clothes on. Sarah's eyes were heavy and she couldn't even form a glare. He slid his hands down her sides and touched in awe at the beauty of her unmarked skin. "Our children will rule…they will be beautiful and deadly…" he said affectionately. Sarah formed a small cry and hot tears leaked out of her eyes. "Shh…I will take care of you…"

His hand slid down the front of her body teasingly until they reached the edge of her panties, where they slid under slowly. Sarah's panic rose as his fingertips slid over her, grazing her sensitive numb. A shock of pleasure pushed through her panic, but she refused to enjoy it. This was wrong! This was rape. Sarah tried to push through the poison, but it was too strong. Her lips parted and she cried out, "Help…"As if someone would hear her and aid her.

"Nobody will come for you…" he whispered evilly in her ear before his fingers plunged into her folds. Another cry fell from her lips and more tears spilled out against her cheeks. "You. Are. Mine…" he growled.

A growl erupted from the entrance to the room and Sarah's blood ran cold, Slevin's face turned pale and all hell broke loose.