Returning to The Labyrinth-5

Jadia rolled her eyes as she was carried. At least Gradi would be fine for now. Merrick delighted in seeing the cub tortured and would have let his horrible tracker bite into her little pet’s back. Crushbone at least liked Gradi and Jadia. She sighed as he turned the familiar paths of The Labyrinth. She let him take her, wondering who Jareth had sent for Sarah. She prayed he’d play his game and let Sarah find her own way.

Crushbone arrived at the gates to the Goblin City, still carrying Jadia. He was rather proud this time, he’d managed to outsmart her (so he felt) and follow his orders for once. So the over-sized goblin thrust his chest forward, carrying the small woman through the streets as his wolf carried the orange and purple cub gingerly.

Jareth watched the scene play out. His dream crystals couldn’t see the scene in the castle in the bog. His sister had apparently chosen the place for that reason. He couldn’t track Sarah with his dream crystals. At least Jadia was taking no pains to hide herself from his watch.
He looked up from his throne as Crushbone kicked aside a smaller goblin, sending it flying aside and walking in with Jadia slung on his shoulder.
“Put her down, Crushbone. She’s still a lady.” Jareth’s cool voice commanded the dull-witted Goblin. “And send Merrick to guard the door.” That would ensure his sister didn’t try anything to escape before he spoke with her.

Jadia was set heavily onto the floor. It took her a moment to settle her balance.
“Gradi too.” She narrowed her eyes at Crushbone intimidatingly, and the goblin grunted to the rat-wolf to drop the cub. Gradi rushed to her mistress’s feet and under her dress.
Jadia took a deep breath, looking to her older brother for the first time in years.
“Hello Jareth.” She said calmly.

Jareth’s blue eyes settled on Jadia, ignoring Crushbone and his horrible-smelling tracker. He focused on his sister and leveled his gaze solely on her. He was silent to her greeting, noting vaugely that she looked weaker than the last time he’d seen her, but her eyes still burned with a passion and fire he hadn’t seen in anyone else’s eyes.
Jadia was the first to speak. “Jareth, I haven’t changed. Stop gawking. What do you want?” She was forceful in her request, hiding something in her words.
“Why did you bring Sarah Williams to my labyrinth?” His voice cut through the air, demaning and curious. “After you swore revenge against her, you brought here here without my permission. I will not tolorate such action in my labyrinth, Jadia. Not even from my own sister.”
Jadia smirked. It was the question she expected. “Maybe I brought here here to destory her. Perhaps I brought her here as a present. Or maybe I brought her here for reasons you don’t understand, Jareth.”
“I am beginning to lean toward the first of those. You cheated, Jadia. You used your pet to get into the ugliette.”
“I used the resources I had. There is no rule against Gradi helping me. Besides, I needed to get through with Sarah. She does not understand anything. And I still do not see what you see in her.” Jadia expertly hid the understanding in her voice.
“It is not for you to see nor understand. You are to stay away from Sarah Williams, and you are to keep your magic to yourself from here out. Do you understand me Jadia?”
Jadia smirked. “Who did you send to retrieve her, brother? She’ll defeat your goblins just as she did before. She’s come here for Toby again.”
“You cheating little witch. You showed her.” Jareth’s voice was icy.
“I did. And I expect her to arrive here soon. And you had better let her come Jareth.” Jadia walked purposefully to the pale-skinned man. She roughly took his hand in her own, showing the scarred, darkening skin of his wrist as she shoved his sleeve back. “You shattered one of your dream crystals. And I will –not- let you return to being a horrible cruel monster, Jareth. I will not allow it.”
Her blue eyes burned into his, her lips pursed in determination.

<meanwhile>

Sarah moved aorund the castle, the smell of the bog beyond was nearly gone, save in a large meeting room where it reeked as though part of the bog itself was in the room. Sarah learned to avoid this room and that end of the castle all together.
She’d been given new clothes, and a goblin mask to wear. The clothes were nice, if a bit odd to wear, a pair of patched leather pants and a soft leather vest over a dark coloured silken shirt. She’d been loaned a belt and a small dagger as well and now didn’t look much different from the heroines she’d once read so often about.  She felt like Maid Marion.
Sarah spent hours in the ugly garden, looking over the horribly twisted stalks and flowers of horrendus plants.
Something ticked away in her mind. Something she felt was important. Jadia’s words were replaying through her head.
“You’ve forgotten the power of words, Sarah.” She mummered to herself, then thought again. “I have magic... somewhere. I got here didn’t I?”
With the help of that woman. A small voice reminded her. With that, Sarah turned and went back into the castle, looking over the ornate carvings. They were just like the carvings on the walls of the tunnel she’d taken with Jadia, but these seemed to tell of a different story.
Beings she recognized as goblins dances on the walls below the fine and elegently dressed human-like figures. As she followed the walls she could pick out the story written in the carvings.

<It’s here readers, that I need to take over a moment and explain a few things. Sarah doesn’t know the names of the races, other than Goblins. But in the next bit of the story, I’m going to give their real name. Actually...>

The scrawny goblin in glasses crept up behind Sarah as she looked at the carvings.
“They tell the history of how goblins came to be ruled by our wonderfully cruel King.”
Sarah jumped, then turned on the little twerp before softening, then looking at the carvings. “Who are these people?”
She felt like a child as she looked over the carvings of the human-like people.
“They’re the Aritrk. A race of hideious beings who weild magic, and live in the castles above the clouds.” The goblin looked insulted by the carvings being there, or the Aritrks being carved so close to the goblin pictures.
“Oh.”
The stweard seemed tired of the woman at that point and went along to find something else to do in preparation for the Prince’s return.
Sarah mummered to herself as she looked over the story in the walls.

An Aritrk prince left the castle above the clouds where his father and mother ruled. He left his sister behind and traveled to another world. He took a long trip, over mountians and seas wher ehe met so many other races he couldn’t count them. The Prince was hardened to the plights of the other lands, and refused a bride from each land, though some of the women were exceptionaly beautiful. He saw in them none of the qualities needed for his bride. Until he came to the land of the humans.
He crossed into the human realm. None had dared come here for centuries and the humans had grown arrogant. The Prince found a group of humans who took him in and showed him the wonders of another world the humans had created. There, he fell in love with a princess.
Their love was forbidden, she was wed to another, and carried her human husband’s child. The Prince however could be the princess’ lover in the human-created world. And so he was. Soon, he realized the one he loved was not the Princess herself, but the child the princess carried. That child was destined to be great.
When the prince returned to his own castle above the clouds, his father was furious. He explained that an Aritek could never wed a mortal, much less a human. The Prince insisted he would wed the mortal girl and the king, in his outrage began to curse the prince.
The queen and her daughter fled the castle with the servants as a great battle ensued between the Aritek prince and the king. Powerful words and magic began to fly between them. For years the two fought, battling their differences at every turn until the prince had enough and cursed the king to die.
As soon as the prince had said these horrible words, the king fell to the ground.
In desperation and fear, the prince fled. Unable to take back the horrible words that had killed his father. His sister and mother mourned the king for many many years, and the prince fell into hiding. Only the thought of the human he had fallen in love with sustained him.
When his mother the queen finally found him, he had been hiding with the goblins. She berated him, and he pleaded for forgiveness for his hard words. His upset mother heard none of them and cursed her son to live out his days as a horrible beast for his cruel words.
She wished for his cruelty to be shown on his face and body, and cursed him to live with the goblins forever as their king. For only they would utter such horrors and they deserved a king as cruel as themselves and that his looks would reflect his actions.
The prince’s body was twisted by the queen’s words and he was turned into a horrible figure. His beauty twisted to a cruel beak and skin that was wrinkled and grey.
He shut himself away in a labyrinth he had the goblins build, to keep himself hidden from the world. And for many years he succeeded in hiding.
Soon, his sister came to him, freeing him from his imprisonment by granting him his one wish of being able to visit the human realm and see his beloved once again. He was granted the visage to reflect his love for the human girl by his sister. And the labyrinth became a home, rather than a prison. He slowly began to use his powers to band the goblins together and create a new kingdom.
He would often visit the human world to watch his beloved grow, granting her part of his own magic as she grew up, granting her wishes.

Sarah stared as she had followed the wall. She couldn’t believe the carvings. Her hand traced over the carving of a barn owl  in flight. She’d seen such owls all her life but had never thought for a moment they could have all been the same owl.


Jadia watched her brother. “I’ll be going.” She bends down, picking up the orange and purple monster cub. “Gradi and I have work to do.”
Jareth raised a hand toward her. “My magic is waning, Jadia. Someone will need to take over.”
“You chose your Heir.” Jadia turned on him. “Toby, the little mortal boy you granted some of your magic. Remember?”
Jareth flinched slightly, easing himself back into the throne, eyeing his sister.
“Toby is to be my heir, yes. But he will not have all of the power he will need. I have groomed him as much as I can. I wish for you-“ Jareth was cut off by Jadia.
“Don’t you dare presume Jareth. I have no love for your human boy. I will not teach him magic. That is your choice. That is your responsibility. –You- will teach him the way of words. Not me.” She shifted her weight slightly, then shakes her head. “I have given too much already.” The last bit she hadn’t intended to say aloud. But Jareth caught the meaning anyway.
Jadia frowned. She looked at her brother. “I wish for you to remain Jareth.” Her hand shook as she swept it before her and held it out. A shimmer of magic film settled there, creating a bubble that solidified. Her eyes paled somewhat, and the crystal floated to Jareth’s outstretched hand.
Jareth frowned at his sister’s sacrifice. He could see her growing weaker as she locked some of her own power into yet another crystal for him. As Jareth touched the crystal, it popped, infusing him with the magic contained inside.

Jadia wavered on her feet. She’d kept just enough magic aside for herself, to preserve Jareth’s humanity. She turned on her cloth-covered feet and strode out of the throne room without a word. Now she had to act quickly.