It felt like my breath was stolen from me as I shook fiercely. "She's rejecting the transfer" I worried voice said above me. My arms wrapped around one of the arms encircling me and I coughed continuously and shook vigorously. My head rolled back and in a panic, I met Jareth eyes above me. His chillingly cool face looked right into mine. My eyes pleaded with him and he took me by the shoulders and made me lay flat. "Breathe" He said when I started to hyperventilate. He put his hand on my stomach and pressed down then released showing me when to breathe in and out. Once I gained control of my breathing, I closed my eyes and took multiple deep breaths.
Everything came flashing back to me then, and I started to freak out. "Night crawlers, the flyer, family, the war, the girl.... Where's the girl!" I muttered over and over. I tried to sit back up but two different hands held me down. "What girl?" A deep voice said beside me and I froze. My head turned to look at the flyer above me. A red haze moved over my eyes and hatred bubbled up in me. "You tried to kill me" I hissed. "I killed your human yes" He said. "Jareth, it's like her body was trying to change, but something was holding her back" The flyer said leaning towards me. "Do you think it was the binds on her wrists?" Jareth asked. "It is a very good possibility" The flyer nodded.
"How could I change and die? Where did the girl go?" I asked sharply. The flyer leaned against the broken wall across from me and I looked around the room I was in. Dark crumbling stone supported the room. A large hole in the wall behind my head looked out over the rift. Above me, the ceiling held small, scattered holes. A poke on my leg made me look down. Glowing, golden flowers outlined my body up to my head. Then I felt another flower stem behind my ear. Instead of wearing the dress I was wearing just moments ago, I was in my war outfit.
"What is going on" I asked scared. Jareth looked down at me and nodded towards the flyer. "To counter Kilton, you would need to have strength. The strength you needed was beyond the ability of a human. Jareth was hesitant to put you through the process of changing. When I found you Jareth didn't recognize me. I am Edoneon, heir to the Rift. Even though Jareth was unsure I stepped in and took you to my rift. The rift is the only place where you could become stronger.
"When the poison of the Night Crawler is injected into a regular creatures blood, it kills them, but with a human it does something very different, it changes you. The poison changes you into a stronger creature. To get you to change, you must be induced into a deep sleep that hides your mind from your body. When you were successfully in a coma like state, your body began to die and break down. While your mind was elsewhere, your body rebuilt itself and only when you were ready, Jareth reached through your dream and drew you out. The only thing we didn't suspect is your body rejecting the entire change. It seems you are in a dangerous middle between human... and...fae" Edoneon leaned closer to my eyes and face before smiling. "Congrats, your desire was to be fae" He added.
"Congrats? You've stripped me of the only thing keeping me in reality" I said breathlessly and dripping in anger. "Reality? Enlighten me, what is reality? Does it even exist?" Jareth asked with a raised eyebrow. "Of course it does! Everyone has their own reality" I said trying to sit up again but Jareth pushed my shoulder down. "Not yet Sarah, you're still weak. Reality doesn't exist here. Reality is a myth just like your human self" Jareth said. "But what about when I go back? Am I going back?" I asked. "That depends, last time you came here you escaped at such a small deal. This time is very different, that crystal around your neck makes you a very fragile being. You may be mostly human but within your blood is the magic of that crystal. You're a dream Sarah" Edoneon said. "Are you saying I'm not real?" I asked confused. "You are what you allow yourself to be" He replied and reached his hand to me.
"Dream or not, you need to pull these pieces together because others are counting on you. Don't deny them their life by mourning your own" He said as I tried to slap away his hand. Instead of recoiling, Edoneon snatched my hand and pulled me up. "Your body is different now. You are taller and trying to get stronger, try to walk without falling. The more you move, the more the muscle will develop quicker. Use your longer arms to balance you if you have to" He said motioning for me to walk towards Jareth. With a huff I took my first step and faltered. A hand shot out and caught me before I fell. It was like my legs were turned into jello. "Try again" Edoneon encouraged.
I took one staggering step then another. My breathing came out sharp as I began to fall. Jareth, inches from where I stood, caught me at the last second and leaned towards me. "I have to say I'm not learning much along the lines of walking when your arms are holding me back" I said trying to stand up and away from him holding me but failed again. Jareth looked deep into my eyes with a big smirk on his face. "Really? I wonder what else they could do" He teased. I shoved him away in disgust and he laughed. I stood up weakly and walked roughly to Edoneon.
"We have work" Edoneon said looking at Jareth whose smirk still resonated on his lips. Jareth leaned on a wall with his arms crossed. "I say we run her" Jareth muttered. "Maybe a slight bit cruel but it might work" Edoneon said considering Jareth's idea. "Running? I can barely walk!" I cried. "Oh, you won't know the meaning of walking when this is finished" Jareth said and his eyes darkened. "You've already killed me once" I muttered. "Exactly, so who says we can't push you close one more time. I may consider mercy is you plead" Jareth said still towering over me even though I was quite a bit taller. "You can't make me" I snarled. "Sarah, your underestimation wounds me. I take that as a person challenge now" Jareth said walking past me.
I turned around to keep my eyes on him but he was standing inches away. In a blink of an eye he had me in a dip with a crushed crystal in his hands. He blew the dust into my face and smiled. "Good luck..." He said in a whisper that died off. My surroundings went dark and I fell limp with him still leaning over me.
***
With a gasp, I shot upwards and looked round. Everything was very blurry as I tried to find Jareth and Edoneon but they were nowhere in sight. The room was dark as night with only the glowing, gold flowers around me emitting light. The room was still crumbling to pieces. I looked down at my longer legs then to the floor. With labored breath I pulled myself off of the stone that I was placed on. I let my feet touch the cool floor and a shiver shook my body.
I took a step and had to catch myself on the stone. A sudden noise echoed through the castle and I looked up. Its low snarl sent a wave of terror through me just imagining what it could be. I looked to the door as slow, heavy steps made their way up the stairs. I tried to move again but my legs were too weak. A sudden roar tore through the castle and I fell behind the stone just a creature stepped through the eroding door. I pulled my feet to my chest and took shaky breaths. The creature took a few steps before stopping. I thought it was going to turn around.
With a sudden jolt, the stone bed behind me was smashed. I let out a scream as pieces of the rock flew towards me. I moved just in time for the sharp stones to leave me uncut. Unfortunately, I had just moved into the line of sight of the beast. The creature towered over my head. Its size broke what was left of the ceiling above it. It looked like a troll of some kind. I watched its anger boil when his eyes met mine. He let out a scream and threw his strange bat-like weapon at me. I ducked and rolled on my stomach to the edge of the room where I stood up on shaky legs. "Come on" I muttered in a panic as the troll turned around to the door and moved towards me. "Please!" I cried trying to move.
I took multiple small steps before I felt the wind of a swinging weapon behind me. The troll took out part of a wall and I got an idea. "Come on troll!" I yelled up at him. He roared in aggression as I moved towards the outside wall. Before I had even reached it, the troll was swinging his weapon and it connected with the wall. As I expected the wall creaked and fell. I braced myself as an entire floor fell on top of the troll. He fell to the ground not moving which allowed me time to escape. "Thank you" I muttered to no one in particular.
My legs worked slowly as I began to crawl to the stairs. My body quivered when the sound of an angry troll began to come from the pile of rubble. I stood at the top of the stairs and tripped down. Moving rock rattled my brain as I pushed myself harder to balance. The darkness and trembling floor failed to help me. My breath caught in my through as I held back tears and I took a step then another. "Please, work" I pleaded with my new body. Each stair was agonizing to hold myself up. Another cry of anger lingered through the air from the other room. I had reached the last stair by the time a huge boulder smashed to the ground beside me.
I looked up in shock to see another boulder coming in my direction. With whatever strength I had, I pushed off of the last stair and crumbled to the ground. The troll cried out in victory with another boulder ready to be thrown his large hands. I looked up to the entrance of the castle and saw something gleaming in the little moon light. A boulder crashed beside me and I screamed and crawled to the entrance. I felt something warm on my temple. When I felt for the source, my finger touched a tender cut. "Just a little further" I encouraged myself.
The troll stumbled over its own feet to the stair case and I lifted myself up. I limped out of the entrance as the trolls weapon crashed against the wall next to me. Another scream escaped my lips and I ducked from the crumbling front wall. It fell all around me creating a deafening noise that made my ears ring. The troll barreled through the debris and searched for me. Rocks tumbled in every direction and I had to move quickly.
With a grunt, I was up on my feet and hobbling towards the shiny object by the foot of the woods. My extended arms grabbed at the object. My body relaxed as I pulled my smooth sword from the dirt. I gasped when the blade caught the moon light and shined in the trolls eyes. His eyes connected with mine through the sword. A gruff snarl came from him as I began to retreat into the woods behind me. "Don't follow me" I begged right as the troll ran for me.
The troll's weight crushed the trees in its path in attempt to reach me. The noise from the destruction sounded like a thousand horses stampeding. I continued on by stumbling to each tree and pushing off to another right as the one I was just holding onto was ripped away by the clawing hands of the troll. I was able to stay a bit ahead of the troll until something hit me, it was a tree branch. I choked on my breath as I stumbled and then another hit me. This wasn't my imagination. These branches were trying to knock me down. I searched the darkness as the branches swung towards me and a chorus of creaking trees met my ears. The branches entangled my hair and scratched my arms and neck as I pushed by. My voice squeaked in pain as the bark connected with my soft skin.
I knew I needed to escape the woods but I didn't know where to go. Suddenly a glow caught my attention and I took the bait. My legs began to move in the glows direction and the attacking tree limbs and approaching troll tried to stop me. Rocks flew by my legs and the bark pulled at my head. I ran with everything in me as hard as I could with the little energy I had. The trees became thick and I slammed my shoulders into each to get by. In attempt to block me, the trees had stopped the thundering path of the troll and he shoved as hard as he could to break through, but the trees were too strong. I took in a breath every time I hit a hard branch until the glowing became brighter and brighter.
With two final blows, I was thrown from the woods and landed on my stomach in a soft, tree enclosed field. My legs ached from the sudden use and I pulled my torso from the ground. Golden flowers like the ones Edoneon and Jareth put around me were everywhere. It was like entering the eye of a hurricane. The entire area was perfectly silent and in peace among the chaos surrounding it. The grass felt like a pillow and the glow of the flowers filled the air with light. I pushed myself up and limped through the flowers.
My legs were getting stronger. I could feel them being able to hold my weight. The calmness of the field of flowers gave me the confidence to pace. I took two steps one way then turned the other and repeated it. "You are what you allow yourself to be" The words resonated in my head as I paced and thought hard. I want to run. I began to walk faster and faster with rising determination. The muscles in my legs began to throb and I pushed myself harder. I will be able to run, I thought firmly. With the thought, I took two running steps and fell. I stood back up despite my bruised body's resistance. I ran three steps and fell. The frustration that rose up in me as I regained my standing position and tried again, this time I reached five steps.
With one final push I started to run but something tripped me. I looked around the field of flowers in confusion before another pull turned my attention to the other side of me. I screamed in the shock of seeing the flowers crawling towards me. Eyes blinked at me when I looked closer. The scraggly roots of each plant clawed at me and I pulled away. All of a sudden, all the flowers began to crawl towards me. Instead of soft petals, sharp edges took to the rounded petals and swung towards me.
I stood up and began to walk backwards and felt more jabs of pain. I turned around to find myself surrounded. Tiny roots began to wrap around my ankles and I moved cautiously away. Each flower moved towards me like a hungry zombie going to a fresh kill. I drew back and urged myself to run but my legs didn't respond. The fear rising in me elevated when a crack in the woods caught my attention. I looked up to see one of the narrowed eyes of the troll.
In seeing my glance, the troll broke through the tree line and the flowers scurried all around. Some moved quickly towards me and cut at me while others retreated to cover away from the path of the troll. The troll stood fifty feet away from me in a standoff. We watched each other waiting for the other to make a move. When no one did, the troll let the tip of his weapon slam against the ground for intimidation. I didn't give the troll the satisfaction. He pulled his weapon up and raised it above his head. In one fluid motion, the weapon came down and had I not baked up, it would've squashed me.
I turned on my heel and ran through the field with the roots of some flowers still attached to my ankle. I escaped through the tree line and started poorly jogging through the woods. A smile spread across my face as I began to run with some trouble, but remain balanced. With my new confidence, I stopped in a clearing and faced the troll that followed me. He growled at me as I unsheathed my sword and twirled it in my hand. "You want me? Fight me" I said simply and ran at the troll.
He howled in the cool night air as he raised his club, but it was too late. I stepped around the furious creature and knocked the weapon from his hands. The beast stood defenseless then. I smiled but hesitated when I was supposed to kill him. The hesitancy cost me, the troll thrust his hands out and wrapped around my waist. I squirmed and cried out when he tossed me aside like I was nothing. My body crashed to the ground and I took in ragged breaths. The beast walked towards me one more time, but instead of letting him toss me again, I threw my sword up and his attacks stopped.
I closed my eyes as his body fell to the ground that shook the ground. I still felt danger, so I left the troll where he died and ran. As I ran, fog started to thicken and I choked on it. I fell into a tree to breath but the breath didn't come. "Keep going" I coughed to myself. I used the silly pep talk and urged myself on. Within a few seconds, I was running through the haze of the fog. My body screamed to stop for oxygen but my brain pushed harder for survival.
Something hard stopped me then and I was gasping for air. My entire body began to sway and my eyes fluttered. My surroundings flashed and I was lying on the ground then. Something picked me up and particles of a shattered crystal were blown out of my face. The weight and fear on my shoulders suddenly lifted and I trembled. "That was quite a show. You have a very active imagination" Edoneon said holding onto my arms so I wouldn't fall. I looked around, felt around to a tree through the white fog, and lowered myself to sit. "It's over. It wasn't even real" I said massaging my temples that held no blood like I thought. "No, it wasn't real. Your mind was tricked into thinking it saw all those different horrors to get you to use your legs and that is how you got here, but your fight is far from over. It is time to go into the war. The time for preparation is long over." Jareth said standing above me. "What about the castle?" I asked. "It stands as well as it did the last time we spoke. We need to move, now" Jareth spoke irritably.
"What?" I asked in a panic. "It is time to fight for the High Kingdom and my Goblin City" Jareth said clearly and yanked me up. "Wait..." I said put out but Jareth ignored me. He brought me out to the middle of the clearing and the fog that gathered blocked my airway. Jareth's arms wrapped around my shoulders and I could do nothing to stop him as we tipped over and fell into the fog. Right when we went through the thickest part of the fog, I was back in the battlefield of the goblin city. "You better learn to use those legs of yours, because this is no longer imaginary" Jareth said. He ran out into the field to help a creature who was losing his fight as I stood motionless watching the horrors of war and my future unfold in front of me.
Hey, hope you enjoyed this! I wanted to know what you had any thoughts on the chapter or the story during this chapter!?
I also wanted to mention davidbowiefanQUEEN. I just read a great poem about the Labyrinth that was written on their profile. I think everyone should check it out!