The Hearts of Goblins

Chapter VI

Lee fell to his knees and groaned. He was struck again in the stomach. Gwen spun around, searching the ground for what had attacked them. She saw a flash of orange and dove for it, she hit the ground and felt something furry slip through her fingers. The impact sent a shockwave of pain through her already injured ribs. She inwardly scolded herself for not thinking it through. Gwen tried getting to her feet only to be jabbed quickly in the throat, she choked and gasped for air as she struggled to breathe for a few moments. Lee lay on the ground next to Gwen groaning and coughing, trying to regain the wind that had been knocked out of him. Gwen hissed in pain and rubbed her throat and ribs. The pain in Gwen's ribs flared, sending jolts of burning hot electricity to shoot through her nerves, every time anything came into contact with them.

¨Now then!¨ said a yappy voice from above them. Gwen and Lee looked up to see a small orange creature. ¨Now that you have been thoroughly subdued. I will ask thee, what art thou doing in my realm."

Gwen coughed and rasped out,
¨What the Hell?!¨
Lee glared at the little orange creature, which he figured to be some kind of talking fox.
¨That was so unnecessary!¨ Lee shouted.
¨What!? You dare!? Doth thee wish to challenge me to another duel?!¨ cried the fox.
¨NO!¨ Gwen and Lee groaned in unison.

¨Why on earth did you attack us?!¨ Gwen asked. The little fox puffed out his chest. He wore a little outfit that Gwen thought looked like a Halloween costume someone might but for their pets. A red tunic with yellow loose sleeves. Thick little leather gloves covered his... paws? Hands? She couldn't be sure. Upon the fox's head sat a blue hat with a long yellow feather protruding from the side of it. A black eye patch covered his left eye. He looked like a terrier dressed in a renaissance costume.

¨I am the keeper of this place! No one shall pass through this place without my permission.¨

¨Well you could have just told us that,¨ Lee said as he brought himself to sit up, ¨You didn't have to attack us.¨

The fox seemed displeased and harrumphed. ¨Well that's just unheard of.¨

Gwen stared at the fox, ¨Well, may we have your permission to pass through?¨ she asked. The fox seemed stunned by her question. He looked up at Gwen, observing her with the gaze of a skeptic.

¨No one has proposed such a thing in a good many years, My lady.¨ He shook his head, his long white eyebrows and whiskers shook with him. ¨Yes I suppose. You now have my permission.¨

Lee stared at the fox as if just now noticing there was a talking fox in front of them. Surely it couldn't have been that simple.
"Just... Just like that?" He fumbled with his words, "that's all it takes?"
The fox placed his... Hands-on his hips and puffed out his little chest again.
"One must always be granted permission to pass through another's realm."
Gwen walked over to where she had dropped her clock hand weapon.
"M'lady!" The fox yapped, "you hold an hour hand as though it is a fine spear!"
"Uh... Well yeah, it works like one pretty well." Gwen said, her voice now returning to normal.
"Art thou a keeper of time then?" The fox yapped on. Gwen looked quite confused. Was he asking for the time?
She reached into her pocket and brought out the simple pocket watch that Jareth had 'gifted' to her.
The fox gasped loudly at the sight of it.
"I knew it! I knew it I say! Thou must be one who may transcend time."
"Oh no no no." Gwen stuttered, "I'm just a normal person. I'm not some kind of time lord or anything!"
The fox seemed disappointed,
"Surely you cannot be mortal."
"I've never been anything else." Gwen shrugged. She felt sorry that the little animal had gotten his hopes up because of her.
"But... But how would thou then have such features?" The fox asked. "What the hell are you talking about?" Lee asked.
The fox turned on Lee.
"She cannot be mortal! She has the face of the woman who defeated time and defeated the goblin king! The one who slew him with but a few words!" He yapped angrily.
"Hey, Woah there!" Gwen said. She knelt down to the fox's level. "What's your name?"
"I am Sir Didymus!" He brought his gloved fist to his chest and bowed.
Gwen's mind itched with familiarity with the name.
"Well, Sir Didymus, my name is Gwen and this is Lee."
"My lady I must apologize for my behavior," Didymus said. He bowed again.
"Surely someone like Sir Didymus should know their way through the Labyrinth, right?" Gwen asked. Lee rolled his eyes at the attempt to flatter a fox thing.
"I may know most of the way," Didymus said skeptically.
"Could you help us?" Gwen asked. Didymus looked up at Gwen while making a noise of uncertainty. He sighed deeply.
"I cannot refuse such eyes." He said. "We must go forth!" He yapped, enthusiasm taking over his personality. He marched forward leading the way.
"Gwen, are you sure?" Lee asked.
"Well, why not?"
"The thing just kicked our asses a minute ago."
Gwen looked into Lee's warm brown eyes that filled with concern. She smiled at him.
"Really, what other choice do we have?" She asked.

They followed Didymus through the seemingly endless mass of vines. Gwen realized that Jareth hadn't been lying about the sky doing what it wanted. Night finally fell at what would have been two in the morning in Gwen's world.
"Can we stop?" Lee asked. Gwen looked at him with concern. He was different, it wasn't just the stress of the Labyrinth doing it either. Something was wrong. Lee's skin looked drained and ashen, sweat covered his brow and dark circles had appeared under his eyes. It was as if a month's worth of deterioration on his health had occurred in just an hour.
"We cannot stop now!" Didymus yapped.
Lee swayed lightly.
"Lee?" Gwen said softly.
Lee collapsed suddenly, landing unconscious in a convenient nest of vines.
"Lee!" Gwen yelped and rushed to his side.
His skin was burning with fever.
"Oh god, he's sick," Gwen said. She looked around for anything or anyone that could help him.
Lee lay there unconscious. Darkness set in so quickly that Gwen could barely make out Lee's less than masculine features. Darkness surrounded them and put knots in Gwen's stomach.
"Lee, please wake up."