Labyrinth Pt. II

10. Just Another Chat

After I recovered from the shock to my senses, we began to walk north, up hill. I was thankful I dressed appropriately with thicker cargo pants, long sleeve thermal shirt, and thermal leggings under my bottoms. My shoes were comfortable hiking boots, perfect for all the walking we had already done. Which also worked in my favor when Jareth pointed out that the thorns on many of the flowers were dripping with poison. I was somewhat protected from their deadliness. I wasn't surprised, though, that something so beautiful was so harmful. Things worked that way here. It was a good reminder for me to keep my guard up on all fronts.

Once we reached the peak of the hill, we could see, relatively clearly, where we needed to go.

"The Labyrinth entrance seems to be about a day's walk that way," he said, pointing to our left.
"We can make camp before it gets dark. Hopefully we can find a safe place to rest until next light."

"Is there any safe place here? Cause I doubt it." I stared in the direction we needed to go.

"If there is, we will find it. If not then we can rest for a brief moment, then continue."

"Off we go then."

I start our journey down the hill in the direction Jareth pointed towards. The back of my mind is still buzzing from the sensory overload I just had. Things weren't as vibrant, or lush, the last time I was here. Just that small difference makes me anxious as to what else changed.

Light tapping sounded from behind us, similar to footsteps. I pivoted around and saw nothing.

"Did you hear that?" I asked.

"Yes. You won't see the sprites. They are fast creatures with bites that paralyze. Then they call their colony to feast on you." Jareth explains.

"Lovely." I grip my pepper spray. "So what am I supposed to do? Wait until I'm bitten?"

"No. Don't let them do that." He thinks for a quick moment then situates us back to back. "I cover you, and you cover me. They will attack now that we can't be toyed with."

"Okay." I rustle in my bag again and pull out the taser. "Here. I don't have another pepper spray but this should do the trick. Just press this button while touching one and it will send electricity into them."

"Nifty. I could think of several ways to use this...." His eyes darken and a smirk appears. You could tell the things he was thinking of we absolutely awful. 

"Jareth, I will take that back if you don't knock that off right now."

He sighs, "I can't have just a bit of fun with it? I won't kill anyone. Just a bit of torture, no blood."

I start to scold him again but a screech comes from out left. Jareth is quick to react and shocks the sprite in midair. Meanwhile two more sprites jump at me and I spray them. I grab Jareth and run quickly so the spray doesn't effect us either. I can hear high-pitch screaming coming from the two I sprayed. Several fly towards their friends and fall to the ground coughing. I don't think it will kill them, but at least it gives us and out.

Out of breath we reach the bottom of the hill.

"Well that was a welcome back." I drink some water. "Jareth, did things look like this when you were last here?"

"Believe it or not, yes they did. I got bored with the scenery, or lack there of, and decided to go with something more colorful and lavish."

"Oh okay. I was just worried that it changed after you left."

"If you are looking for assurance that the labyrinth will be the same, don't look here. I can say that I am eighty percent positive that things have changed."