The three of us stood silently behind the cover of the trees. The sky was dark with the thick black clouds of smoke from fires burning brilliantly over the fields. New found humidity in the air caused beads of sweat to appear on my forehead as I looked out onto the field. Creatures fought relentlessly until they fell. I watched each intricate creature move uniquely to their fighting style. The High King's army was fighting in the northern direction. I looked to their destination and saw Kilton's castle. The world grew darker as you got closer to his castle. My gaze moved to the labyrinth surrounding the castle and I gasped. The entire labyrinth was a maze of rubble. Roots triple the size Jareth and I fought squeezed the walls and they crumbled in boulders.
Even though I was shocked, I was able to breathe easier and for some reason, I got the feeling of determination mixed with anger. Kilton might have destroyed some old rocks, but those rocks were a memory to me. Without trying, Kilton had made me hate him all the more. I twirled the hilt of my sword in my hand and looked for the best place to sneak into the battle where I was needed most. I needed to make it to the castle. Locating a creature in need of help, I took a step but a hand pulled harshly at my chainmail. I turned to stare Jareth in the eyes and he shoved me back.
"What was that?" I asked frustrated. "You're not to go to war" Jareth reprimanded. "They need us" I said. "I can't just let them die when I know I could help" I added. Jareth ducked to the ground and the flyer ducked to. "Your kind heart makes you weak" The flyer grumbled. "Maybe, but I will be doing something instead of sitting on my butt watching their demise" I hissed back. I stood abruptly behind a tree and looked furiously at the two on the ground. "Stay here if you must" I said as a wisp of my hair fell into my face.
Jareth stood and forced my back to a tree. "I refuse to let you go into that war" He snarled. "Why not?" I said pushing him back. "The High King wants you in Kilton's castle alive" He said. "When did you start obeying others rules?" I asked taking another threatening step towards him. "When it gets my kingdom back, you know little when it comes to getting what you want" He muttered. "Oh? And how well did you do the last time I was here in the matter of getting what you wanted?" I fumed. Jareth's hands shot out and wrapped around my arms just above the elbow. He shoved me backwards again and glared into my eyes. "I could do anything I wanted to and you would have no say" Jareth said tightening his hold to the point of pain.
My eyes flashed and suddenly I could see my mother again in the hospital room. She was warning me about the bad man who wanted to turn me bad and make me his slave. Jareth's eyes grew large and I shoved him back. He stumbled a couple steps before recovering, but by that point my sword was pointed at his throat. "Don't take another step" I grounded out. "What did I just see?" Jareth asked. I kept my arm steady and my stance firm. "Stay away" I said with slight fear. "You're scared of me" Jareth smirked. "Do you really think that warning your mother gave you was directed towards me?" He asked contemplating the thought himself. He brought his finger to his chin with a wicked grin. "I do like the sound of that" He admitted.
"Sarah, let's be rational for a moment" Jareth started. "If I were this 'bad person', would I have helped you thus far?" He asked. "You have a very twisted way of showing kindness disguised as manipulation" I argued. "Probably, but if I wanted you bad or as my slave, wouldn't you already be under my control? You said it yourself, I have no power over you" Jareth said walking to behind another tree. "Timing is everything. You wanted me to get your title back before you tried anything." Jareth laughed. "My girl, if I wanted you for myself you would already be mine. Put the sword down, we need to get moving" Jareth said.
"No, stop messing with my head Jareth. This ends here. I need to know the truth and why could you see what I saw?" I asked. "Truthfully? I don't know how I saw it. Am I the bad one? No" He said. "And how do I believe you?" I asked disgusted. "I guess you're just going to have to put some faith in me. It's either me or Kilton" Jareth shrugged. My eyes narrowed when I heard Kilton's name and Jareth perked. "So you do hate him. Enlighten me Sarah, who do you think is the enemy here?" He asked. When I didn't answer he huffed. "Well, since we have a common goal of destroying Kilton first, why don't we take him out first" He said.
"Can we take her out next?" I heard the flyer say. If he had stayed quiet for much longer I might have forgotten he was even there. I moved my sword to him but he sat unflinching. Jareth nodded happily. "Taking the sword away, I call that progress. We must move if we want to be in place for the plan" Jareth said putting a hand on my shoulder and pushing me down. "I hate you" I muttered as we walked through the woods. "It's one of the many perks of knowing you" He replied.
All of us walked around the battle field towards the castle. Jareth led the way with the flyer in the middle and me at the back. The ground was covered in fog that made me feel like I was walking on clouds. The shouts of war echoed into my ears and I both itched to help whoever those cries came from, and wanted to hide and never hear any kind of whimper ever again. No matter how far we walked or how much I tried to ignore the sounds or war, they always forced their way into my ears.
***
I kept my head down and moved quietly when a sudden knock to my body shook me from the trance. The flyer had turned around and pushed me back. I looked at him strange until he rushed again and sent us both sprawling to the ground. "What did you do that for?" I asked insanely looking to the flyer through the fog. "Buying more time" He said pulling himself up beside me. He looked into my eyes with evil intent. "For what?" I asked. "Kilton to come for you and to kill you" He said. "All you did was push me to the ground" I said looking around for Jareth. "Are you sure about that? Looks like you're my captive now" The flyer spoke with a deep laugh.
I turned in every direction trying to figure out what happened. The world around me took on a blue tint. Sporadic, skinny trees stretched up to the sky, casting shadows on the ground. We were lying in tall grass with fog creeping around like it was an actual being searching for something. Vines climbed up the trees in attempt to find sunlight. Occasional bushes littered the ground hiding who knew what. Soon the fog had crept up my body and when I breathed it in, the fog seemed to choke me.
"Where are we?" I asked terrified. "The mud thing wasn't the only one who knew the ins and outs of the rifts" He said. "Where's Jareth?" I asked him taking a deep breath before coughing profusely. "He stayed behind this time. Jareth is probably returning to Kilton's castle without us to fight him. We both know how that will end. We need to move before the Night Crawlers find us" He said, eyes dancing. "What are those" I asked with new fear rising within me. "Night Crawlers are little creatures who feed during the night. Their method of attack is crawling on their hands and feet in the tall grass to unknowing victims. Only few know about this rift, the Night Crawlers must be very hungry for not being fed in so long. I don't blame others for not knowing about this rift, the fate you take upon this place is quite unpleasant. You see, I have wings, but you have only mere legs. Once I take off, the noise will have to of waken the Night Crawlers and they will make their way out here to find defenseless Sarah all alone. Better hurry Sarah, I think I've already heard the sway of grass" He said.
I felt like crying when the flyer spread his wings and flapped once, twice, and then lifted away. I was left alone with only my sword and myself. I looked up and saw the glowing, golden eyes of the flyer perched on a branch watching me intently. A low laugh echoed through the grass and my heart rate spiked. The flyer's eyes grew hungry and darted all around me. I must be surrounded. I took a silent step then another and before long grass began to move around me and I found myself running.
The laughter echoed psychotically and I began to hyperventilate. "This one likes to play!" A voice whispered to my left. "I haven't eaten in so long" Another hissed. "She is fast!" One final voice said before a chorus of laughter erupted.
I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. The tall grass whipped my face and pulled at my feet. I ran throughout the trees to avoid a straight path. The deep blue atmosphere began to get darker and darker as I continued to run. A claw wrapped around my ankle and I screamed. I pulled away quickly as another ripple of laughter sounded in the grass. Another claw ripped at my legs and I was sent to the ground.
My body was stunned as I tried to move. A satisfied rumbled sounded in front of me and I fumbled for my sword. Just as a creature emerged from the grass in a leap above me, I held up the sword and it pierced the creature. A scream radiated from him to his friends. "She has a weapon!" One cried. I stood again after the creature dropped to the ground and I looked at it. The creature looked like it was two feet in height. Its brown, skinny body was covered in wrinkles. On its back were sharp quills that looked like part of the tall grass. "It must mean more for us! Is she giving up?" A voiced asked breaking me from looking at the creature.
"Dinner time" A deep voice growled. One by one the creatures emerged around me and rushed. I hefted my sword towards them and remembered what Jareth had taught me. My sword moved rhythmically with his counting in my head. The creatures all ran to attack me. From their run on their hands and knees, terror rose within me. I had little to no time to prepare myself. Each creature jumped towards me with their back to me and I cut each one down. I felt their weight collide with my blade and my gut twisted.
Out of nowhere, a quill landed on the back of my neck and my surroundings darkened. I staggered but stayed standing as I pulled the quill from my neck. "Why isn't she falling?" They asked as pain set in. A scream rose up out of me and I scared the creatures. "I think its working!" One said excitedly but the pain only pushed me harder. I swung with more force. The little creatures swarmed me. Quills entered by open skin and I cried out. With each swing of my sword there was one less Night Crawler to deal with.
I breathed out every time my sword hit one of the creatures, who were now jumping at me from every direction. A Night Crawler landed on my back and pulled my hair back and threw me to the ground. It yanked my hair again to reveal my throat. It bent down to tear at my throat, but I reached back and stuck it with my sword. He let out a painful scream before falling beside me. Another creature bit at me foot and I kicked it. Another quill hit my leg, but this time it went through the armored fabric. "Bonus points! I get that leg!" The creature whose quill stuck out from my leg said. I cried out in anger. "Stop!" I screamed. The creatures only seemed encouraged by my exclamation. I thrust my sword forwards and took out two more creatures.
In complete desperation, I reached up and felt my necklace. My skin began to glow and the creatures fell away with distasteful screams. "Get away from the light!" They all cried scrambling away. When they had all retreated, I fell back and took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes, the flyer was sitting in the tree with a smile on his face. He must think I had been killed. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw a Night Crawler making its way up the tree. It snuck towards the flyer without him knowing and my heart panged. Unsure as to why, I took a knife from my belt and stood up right as the Night Crawler jumped at the flyer. With a quick aim I sent the knife flying and it hit its intended target. The creature fell far to the ground and the flyer looked at me. He was as confused as I was as to why I had just saved his life when all he wanted to do was end mine.
My vision began to get dark and a movement around me caught my attention as I dropped to the ground. "The quills had poison in them" I said as my body stopped working. My breathing came out in gasps and my heart slowed. Little bits of laughter assaulted my ears. A tear slipped down my check as I thought of my family and all the people who were counting on me. I would never get to see Toby and my family again, or finish school. The last few faces were the people who I loved and hated but which person was with with which emotions, I could not tell. With one final tear, I choked on my last breath the last thing I heard was the eerie movement around me followed by victorious laughter.