Heir of the Labyrinth

Chapter 4: Goblin Games

The air in the Labyrinth's throne room crackled with a tension that had nothing to do with dark magic or looming threats.
Jareth Jr has nothing to do and he becomes bored for the first time ever. Jareth Jr. stood across from his father, Jareth the Goblin King, arms crossed and eyebrows raised in challenge. The king lounged casually on his throne, one leg draped over the armrest, a goblet of some mysterious drink in his hand. His mismatched eyes gleamed with amusement, but his smile had a touch of mischief.

Today, the ruler of the Labyrinth wasn't just a king—he was a player.

-"You really think you can beat me?" Jareth Jr. asked, cocking his head to the side, throwing a little challenge to his father.

Jareth Sr. smirked. "I've been playing this little game long before you were even an idea, my boy."

The game in question?
Goblin Toss, an absurd yet strangely popular tradition within the Labyrinth.
The objective was simple, though the execution was anything but. A group of goblins—each more wily and unruly than the next—would be set loose in the throne room. The competitors had to toss as many goblins into the designated basket as possible within a set amount of time. It was chaotic, nonsensical, and utterly goblin in nature.
Naturally, Jareth Sr. was the reigning champion.

-"I've been practicing," Jareth Jr. replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "I can handle a few goblins."

-"You'll find," Jareth Sr. said, swirling his goblet, "that goblins are rather difficult to handle. Especially when they don't want to be handled."

As if on cue, a door in the far corner of the room creaked open, and a horde of multi sized goblins began to spill in, laughing, squawking, and generally causing mayhem. Some of them were carrying strange objects—one had a broom, another had a sack of potatoes (for reasons no one understood), and a particularly stout goblin appeared to be wielding a rubber chicken as a weapon. They spread out across the room like a wave of chaos.

Jareth Jr. took a deep breath. "Alright, so what are the rules again?"

Jareth Sr. straightened up, looking far too pleased with himself. "Rules? Oh, I forgot to mention, there really aren't any. Just... catch them, toss them into the basket over there." He pointed to a large wicker basket at the far end of the room. "And try not to get bitten. Or set on fire or something like that.."

-"Set on fire?" Jareth Jr. repeated, his eyes widening.

-"Some of them can get a bit... temperamental," Jareth Sr. said with a lazy wave of his hand. "You'll figure it out."

Before Jareth Jr. could protest, the game had begun.

The first goblin, a small, wiry creature with a pointy nose, darted past him at lightning speed, cackling maniacally. Jareth Jr. lunged for it, but the goblin slid between his legs with a surprising amount of agility, leaving him grasping at empty air. He spun around to see his father laughing softly, barely even trying to hide his amusement.

-"Missed one already, son?" Jareth Sr. teased.

"I'm just... getting warmed up," Jareth Jr. shot back, narrowing his eyes.

He turned just in time to see two more goblins making a break for the opposite end of the room. With a burst of determination, he dashed after them, reaching out to grab the nearest one. This time, he managed to get his hands on it, but the goblin immediately went limp, flopping in his grip like a sack of potatoes.

-"What the—?" Jareth Jr. muttered, struggling to keep hold of the suddenly motionless goblin in disgust. It let out a loud, exaggerated snore, pretending to be asleep.