Labyrinth 2: The Return Of The Goblin King

Chapter four: Only the Beginning (Sarah's POV)

Chapter four: Only the Beginning

"Well, that's about the last of it," Hoggle declared as he began to unpack the final package. I looked around the room and marveled at how much cleaner it looked. The space among the room on every surface was widened, all of my belongings are in the spots desired by me. The room even seems larger. It feels good to get so much accomplished.

We've been working up until the stroke of midnight, the chime of the grandfather clock against the wall to the right of me so loud that it woke us from our half-sleep. Strangely enough, it was the same clock's steady ticking noise once every second that had lulled us to this state in the first place. I let out a long, tired yawn and made sure I stayed awake enough to set the glass bank-the shape of an owl resting proudly on a pile of twigs, tree branches, and leaves on the side table in front of me. Once it was safely placed on top of the wooden surface, I plopped down on the bed it was beside. I rotated onto my right side, resting my head in my right hand which held my head up, and smiled at my friends weakly; a smile filled with sleepiness.

"Thank you, guys. You've been a great help, all of you," I said tiredly. They all returned the grin in a matter of minutes as they plopped down on the carpet with an exhausted sigh.

"Well, anything for you, my lady," Didymus assured. The ground shuddered tremendously when the other two sat beside him, most of the small earthquake coming from Ludo's weight. Speaking of Ludo, he seemed more tense then usual. He was acting that way all night, and I wasn't sure until then if I was just imagining it. But at that point he looked seriously troubled. I lowered my hand and cocked my head to the side, replacing my grin with a look of concern.

"What's the matter, Ludo?" I asked, all eyes turning on him. He held his head low and looked at his feet...or paws. Whatever they were.

"Uh..." he started hesitantly, "Ludo...not tell you something for...long time..." His reply both shocked and confused me at the same time. I had no idea how to reply myself. I guess I hadn't fully understood his statement for a moment. I could see the confusion in everyone else as well. And then, almost out of nowhere, it hit me with the force of a speeding car hurdling straight towards me.

"Ludo...are you trying to say that you've been keeping a secret from us?" Hoggle went ahead and stole the words right out of my mouth. Ludo made a noise much similar to a dog's whimper and nodded.

"Ludo sorry!" he apologized. "Ludo mean to tell you Ludo's not goblin!" The atmosphere around me chilled and it began to creep into my bones as if I were being overpowered by an evil spirit. Not a goblin? Ludo? To think, all this time I'd believed that he was! And now, after knowing him for three years, it's quite a shocking thing to hear.

"Come now, brother! You've known this for three years and haven't told us?" Didymus asked in the same shock that had overcome me. Again, Ludo nodded. "Then, may I ask, what are you?"

"Ludo Slakk," he stated. "That why Ludo has rock friends."

"Ludo is what we call in our kingdoms a Slakk. A big, mighty creature with the power to summon rocks and stones of all sizes with their minds, yet some choose to call for them." The low, vaguely familiar voice startled me, which was coming from behind me. I turned, only to see a man hidden in the far shadows in the corner of the room. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and head down, so I couldn't exactly make out a face, let alone an identity. But the voice sounded so strangely familiar that I couldn't help but be frightened out of my mind.

"Pardon my unexpected visit," he apologized, finally bringing his eyes up to meet mine. Those eyes...those cold, mysterious eyes...where did I recognize them from? I glanced over at my friends, who were all cowering in fear of the man, then back at him. I was sitting stright up on my bed now. "And at such a late hour, too."

His eyes-piercing through the shadows with their own light-didn't bring any other feature into sight with them, and they seemed to stare right through me...almost with longing. His lips curved upwards into an evil grin, trying to hide the loneliness in his eyes(one a deep blue, the other simply black). His pure, pearl-white teeth emitted its own glow only to be ever so slightly seen from the outside of the thick shadows from a new house. Then, suddenly, it snapped. All of the pieces were immediately put together, only to cause me grief.

"Jareth," I growled the horrid name through gritted teeth. "You're not welcome here," I stated matter-of-factly. "You must leave at once." There was a short pause, as if the goblin king-the dreaded goblin king feared by many-was hesitating to appear, and then his entire figure materialized in front of my face. He was the same as I'd left him all those years ago: same outfit, same hair, same grin, and same misery he'd apperantly shared with his kingdom during my absence(as I was told by my fellow companions). He placed his hands on his hips and gave me the same look he'd given me when we first met in my parent's/Toby's bedroom at my old home. I still glared unforgivingly up at him, and I could still see the pain and suffering behind his disguise. He turns his head to the others, ignoring my statement.

"Hoggle, Sir Didymus, what did I tell you about coming here?" he asked, walking slowly towards them as he spoke. Hoggle stood and backed away, but Sir Didymus simply saluted.

"As you have stated once before, sir Jareth, neither of us are to visit the maiden Sarah without your permission," he recited. Hoggle sighed and clapped a hand to his face. Jareth, being given the location of standing right over them, leaned in close to Sir Didymus, whostarted to quiver in fear and whimper like a sad little puppy. Speaking of sad little puppies, it was at this moment that Ambrocious ran from behind Didymus to part himself from the evil goblin king.

"And did you get my permission?" he asked with a tone so chilling it could freak out a snowman eating an ice cream cone. Didymus' salute failed to stay up and slowly fell to his side.

"...N-No..." he said shamefully. Jareth scowled at him. He'd opened his mouth to say something more, but thankfully I had the liberty to interrupt him.

"Wait, Jareth," I stopped him, speaking as loud as I dared. He turned back to me with an interested expression as I continued. "Why are you here; what do you want?" He chuckled, straightening his back now.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked in a tone mocking of mine. "You."