Labyrinth: Saving the Fallen City

Root of All Problems

From sitting on the dungeon floor, we appeared back in the labyrinth. My wrists glowed from the burning. Jareth sat next to me and held my wrists tightly to draw some of the burning away. We both stayed in silence while the wave of heat would get weaker then stronger. “You let him bind you?” Jareth asked loudly as the pain intensified. My eyes, closed so tightly and body so tense, that I could hardly hear anything, relaxed. I took multiple deep breaths as the feeling slowly dissipated. “Please help me stop it” I said taking one more deep breath.

“We need to leave” Jareth said standing up. He helped me stand and I placed my wrists on the cool wall. Jareth motioned for me to follow and I walked with him after a second more of the cool relief. We walked just a couple feet before Jareth turned abruptly to me and smiled. “Finally, you’ve done something very, very right” He said pointing to the end of the path. I looked at the wall and back to him. “Did that dungeon mess up your sight?” I asked still rubbing my wrists. “No Sarah that is the door to the middle of the labyrinth” He said walking forwards and putting his hand on the wall. Did I really bring us here or did Jareth take over the power of the crystal? I wondered. My fingertips went to the necklace as I thought of possibilities.

I watched Jareth as he moved his hand around the wall and pushed in a stone. The stones shifted on the ground and stood up. “Oh m gosh” I muttered looking at two of the largest creatures I had ever seen. Their dark skin was covered in the dust and dirt from years of crouching down. The two creatures’ backs were so dry and cracked that I had mistaken them for the wall. Their faces were stern and ugly. Rounded teeth stuck out from under their upper lip and their nose was completely flat with only two small holes. I looked at their hands and took a double take. Instead of five fingers per hand, the two creatures had seven, and their feet had three toes per foot. The only difference between the two creatures was the slight height difference of the left one being taller.

“Is that the Goblin King?”  The left creature said to the right. I looked behind them at what the middle of the labyrinth would look like but only saw a very dark hallway with a foggy light at the end. Jareth stood before the two creatures with his arms crossed and his stance unshakable. “Arcidesious, Tisderan” Jareth said nodding his head. “Let us pass through” He added taking a step. I watched from the wall as the two pushed Jareth back and shook their head. “Sorry, Gialls listen to the new king. He is looking for you because you have stolen her” Arcidesious said hitting his chest hard with his fist then pointing to me. “I could have destroyed your kind. The Gialls would be dead if it wasn’t for me. You owe me your lives” Jareth hissed. 

“Master will destroy us just the same if we let you pass” Tisderan said shaking his head and puffing his chest out. “Jareth,” I started but he cut me off and snatched my wrists. “This girl must be taken to my brother’s kingdom and there we have found a way to rid my kingdom of its temporary disease” Jareth said pulling me by the back of the now dry velvet, black dress. I was confused with Jareth’s harsh snatch on my dress as he shoved me forwards. “You remember Sarah? I believe she past you during her run?” Jareth said. Tisderan studied me for a second before nodding. “Yes, very long time ago. The Gialls’ played many tricks on her” He replied with a satisfied smile. “You two were the stones that blocked my path last time!” I said and they shook their heads. “No” Arcidesious said. I thought back to what happened but my memory was so foggy.

“Let us pass now boys” Jareth muttered next to me. I watched as the two straighten up. “No one passes by us” they said. “Why?” I asked curiously. “Because messing is fun” Tisderan said. My mind could only think he meant messing with people’s plans. I reached forward and took hold of Jareth’s wrist. “How do we get around?” I asked. “I will distract them while you run through” He said. Before I could question it, Jareth had rushed towards the Giall’s. The three went up in a fight as Jareth ran at them and I ran the other way. Before i could blink, Arcidesious forced my body to the ground. "I have quite a collection of creatures in my walls but I have never gotten a person of human blood” He said as I struggled in his tight grip. Jareth fought the other Giall until he saw me in the others grasp.