A hand connected with my shoulder and I looked to Edoneon. "Choose to fight with us or turn and run. Either is fine, but from the stories I've heard, the champion of the Labyrinth does not give up" He said giving me a tight lipped smile. "Thanks for the pep talk" I half mocked. "It wasn't. That was a warning" He said before lifting into the sky and flying to the war with one of his infamous battle cries. I watched him from behind a tree as he swooped down from the sky towards an enemy before he disappeared in the war and blended with other flyers.
My eyes turned from Edoneon to the Jareth. His muscular back flexed as he lifted a sword and swung it towards a dark goblin. My heart thundered as I took in the sight of the monstrous dark goblins. It was a miracle the High Kingdom had lasted this long. The dark goblins fell shy of the overwhelming new creature that met my eyes. I gasped as they ran with power over the battle field. Their bodies were like a Warrior's body, muscular and tall, but their torn clothing revealed a black fur from the small of their backs trailing up their spin to their neck. The hair on their heads were pulled back in long dreads. Their eyebrows moved from their hairline to just before the nose on each side. They carried jagged swords that made me shiver just at the thought of what happens when they swing the intimidating weapon.
As I skimmed over the armies, I saw Jareth's old castle and my anger flared. Suddenly, a plan hatched in my mind and I smiled. It was perfect. I knew by carrying out the plan I would be risking my life and all the relationships I had made along the way, but it was worth it. I could bare no more bloodshed. If I were to finish the plan I would need to betray everyone including myself. My smirk faltered and I closed my eyes for a moment to collect myself before reopening them.
I moved out from behind the safety of the tree and walked into battle with my plan playing on repeat in my head. My sword at its ready, I ran towards a helpless Warrior who had been cut. She looked up in horror as the dark warrior creature brought its sword down. Just in time, I jumped in front of the blade and blocked his advance. The creature's twisted face snickered at me and he swung again. My body swayed out of the way and I moved around him with small attacks here and there. The beast watched me closely as I closed in. He tried to get my weapon away, but I was too fast. My sword crashed into him and with a moan the beast crumbled to the ground. I turned to the Warrior and helped her stand. She nodded at me before immersing herself in the battle again.
Clashes of metal and cries of pain and victory assaulted my ears. I turned in a slow circle taking in the horrific view of falling creatures all around me. Blood covered the ground and unclaimed bodies were left for nothing. My stomach heaved and I fought to keep myself calm. Everything moved in slow motion as the seriousness of the situation caught up with me. I was thrust into the dead center of the battle. I swung my sword in calculated motions against any attacker who came at me. The rigorous fighting exhausted my still awkward body. Goblin after goblin, and dark warrior after dark warrior, I made my way towards the Goblin City like the rest of the High Kingdom's army. I had lost sight of everyone I knew including Jareth. I was by myself fighting for a kingdom that was trying to hold itself together.
Suddenly, a dark warrior jumped in front of me and I held up my sword just in time to keep him away. He threw his arm at me and I knew I had to act quickly for my plan. I turned around fighting the dark creature and after a while, I had the creature on the ground with my sword above his heartless chest. "What are you waiting for?" He asked, spitting on my shoe. I looked down at the creature in disgust and hit him on the head knocking him to the ground. The creature looked up at me in a daze from the force and I shook my head ever so slightly at him. The creature tried to reach for a sword but I had already kicked it away and given him a short nod before turning and disappearing from his sight into the mass of people. I may have lost the dark creature's line of sight, but I could still feel one confused and angry gaze drilling into my back.
I took a deep breath and a small goblin approached me. He ran at me quickly and I disposed of him as a much larger creature approached me. I swallowed hard when the creature stood stone still in front of me. It was like time stopped. He slowly drew his sword from the ground and lifted it into the air. My eyes widened when the creature nicked his arm to get a little blood onto his blade. I tried not to gag as he turned back to me with a psychotic expression. He moved quickly and threw me through the air. My body sprawled out on the ground rolling a couple times before becoming still when the creature stepped on my arm. I screamed out in pain and the smile on his face broadened.
He snarled and bent down beside me before holding his sword up. Fear coursed through my body and I felt a point on my thigh. I still had daggers in my belt. With my free arm, I reached down and pulled one of the small blades out. With a jerk of my hand, I thrust the dagger into the creatures gut and his smiling face turned pale. I gasped at the black liquid trailing down his lips and dripping onto my cheek. His dark eyes met mine with anger. His raised sword fell from his hands and hit my arm turning a little bit of the white fabric around my arms red. With one more grotesque gargle of black blood, his body crashed over mine. I gasped in pain and tried to shove the creature off. The black blood stuck to my cheeks and his disgusting skin reeked onto mine.
I tried to shove the dead creature off of me but his wait was too much. I struggled under his crushing weight. My mind went into a frenzy trying to figure out what to do. As if answering my question, a tug came on my leg and my body was suddenly ripped out of under the body. The creature's rough skin along his torso scratched my face as I was yanked from him. I felt like myself again when the extra weight was gone. My chest took in deep breaths and I coughed hard. I looked up expecting to see Jareth, but a knife landing beside my head stopped that thought. A creature bent over me and growled.
His face was a deep orange and his skin was wrinkled and thick under a mass of muscle. His deathly black eyes met mine and his scratchy throat gurgled. "I am going to rip your throat out with my teeth" He hissed at me, leaning down. I tried to move free, but his weight held me still. I tried kicking my legs and moving my head around. I was out of luck and what seemed like out of life. His head bent down and he opened his mouth revealing a row of razor sharp teeth. I gasped and screamed as loud as I could when his teeth grazed my neck.
He started the bite down when his body halted. I could feel something sharp on my stomach. The creature was thrown from me still attached to the blade. The sun glared into my face as the person who killed the creature shook him off the sword. I turned over and gagged onto the ground. The feeling of the wretched creature's teeth and horrific smell lingered. A rough hand grabbed at the back of my chain mail and I was forced to stand. "Do not waste time on the bad things around you. Your fight is yet to be over" Jareth said taking hold of my arm just below my elbow and dragging me with him.
As if forgetting something important, Jareth stopped abruptly and turned towards me. He handed me my sword and I took it. "I could've found another if it was too much trouble. There doesn't seem to be any shortage of them out here" I said honestly. Jareth grunted and handed me the sword making sure I took it. "You will fight with this sword and only this sword" He said confidently before turning and dashing into the war with my arm still in his. I had hardly any time to feel the intense pain radiating up my arm from the creature who stepped on it.
Jareth and I fought relentlessly, pushing our way through the crowd of creatures. The other High Kingdom creatures formed a line beside us and we pushed through. It wasn't long before the lines began to break and our small advance had come to a pause. Only Jareth and I advanced to the labyrinth. The noise of war faded behind us and I knew Kilton was able to watch us now. Jareth and I were alone now just behind the fallen labyrinth.
No walls stood like they had before. All of the huge stones had crumbled with snake-like vines over the rock continuing to squeeze it to dust. My throat tightened as I looked up to Jareth. I knew I would have to start enforcing my plan. With a gulp I swallowed tears and kicked at a rock. "I can't believe this happened. How did you lose to him? I thought you were the the Goblin King" I asked sticking in venom where it was needed. Jareth turned to me in surprise and shoved me against the broken rock. "I can feel your sadness, you feel attached to this place. If it weren't for my grace in this situation, I would cut you free of your distress right this minute" He said moving his sword gently over my stomach. I had officially begun my plan.
Jareth climbed up the stones without offering me help. I followed him silently looking towards the throne room in the castle. The darkness that I first witnessed around the new labyrinth paled in comparison to this new despair. The fog that drifted around choked me and I had to clench my fists to keep quiet. As we stumbled on top of the rocks, I noticed the large gaps broken into the pieces of stone and I wondered what could be hiding in the crevices.
Almost like it was on cue, a hand broke from in between the gaps and took my leg. I fell backwards and screamed out. Jareth turned sharply and stared into my desperate eyes. I kicked at the hands feverishly. When they let go, I took a sigh of relief, but they could not have given in so easily. My heart rate spike as a large stone exploded and creatures began to crawl out. Jareth's hands fell to my waist and he tossed me up to the next stone leaving him with the creatures.
I turned and froze at the sight of four more creatures with evil eyes and twitching lips. They had dark grey bodies as thin as a board of wood. Their spines stuck out from their backs and elbow bones from their elbows. The scrappy creatures had drool coming from their mouth and their small, rounded bellies growled. They held jagged weapons that looked like eating utensils and I took a step back. The leader stepped forwards sucking in the drool that slid down his chin.
I unsheathed my sword scared of the feeling that movement would make them violent. As soon as I took one step, the creatures charged me. I put my hand on a bony shoulder before impaling the creature and removing my sword letting the creature fall to the ground in a groan. I turned in a semi circle to reach the second creature. My blade pierced his heart and he fell to the stone. The third creature jumped onto my back and tried slitting my throat. With no other ideas, I fell backwards and when I stood again, the creature was lying on the ground with blood coming from his head. I returned my gaze to the last creature and instead of running at me, the creature stood still. He watched me and in a surprise move, he jumped at me from the front. I started to gasp in surprise but stopped. My sword raised and the creature came crashing down still scratching at my hair as I threw him off the blade to the ground. He wreathed in pain on the ground until his body became still and fell in between the gaps.
A hand connected with my bruised elbow and yanked. "We must hurry before more come for us" Jarreth said jumping over rocks and climbing others. I followed his steps and he led me right over the labyrinth. Hands began to emerge from the stones and I screeched. The thin creatures pulled themselves up and began to run after us. Some followed up on their feet, others on their hands and feet. Soon an entire army of creatures had come out of the labyrinth and ran after us. "Almost there," Jareth called turning and fighting off some of the creatures that were getting too close to us. Soon a single wall was left before we reached the Goblin City. I shoved Jareth down as we dropped to the ground in front of the gates.
Jareth stared madly at me as the creatures on the wall stopped above us and spit at us among the screams of anger. I took one of the two swords on my belt and threw it on the ground next to him. "Keep your sword, you mean nothing anymore. Your existence in history will be overlooked in comparison to Kilton. Maybe these horrid creatures can take you out of your cruel misery and end you quickly" I said turning back to the gates. I wiped black blood from my cheeks and turned. The gates opened and Kilton was standing there with an amused expression. "Leave him" Kilton called the creatures before smirking down at Jareth. "I have better plans in store for him." I walked through the gates leaving Jareth in the dust and followed Kilton.