Little Books chp 3

Little Books
Chapter Three
'Learning her Lessons'

Sarah's eyes flew open, but instead of badly decorated linoleum floor, there was dirt. And glitter, rusty dirt mixed with glitter. She sat up and immediately regretted it, a headache surfaced, blocking any possible thought.
"ow, ow, owowowowow!" Sarah sighed and held a hand to her head. "What the heck? I was at work two seconds ago! Where am I?" she was startled as a voice answered her.
"Well, ya aren't there now, that's for sure!" which was followed by several low, hushed giggles. Sarah looked around and saw four queer looking dog/shield animals that guarded the doors behind them.
"I know you! You lying little bastards! I was dropped down a dark hole and groped because of you, and then I was trapped in an obli-" she stopped, her head starting to pound. She tried a politer response.
"How did I get here?" She asked, now standing up and brushing a large amount of glitter from her hair. Now she understood the Glitter transport comment earlier.
"We can't tell you! It's all a big secret 'round here!" the other one said this time. They all giggled at her. Sarah picked up a stick at her feet. She was tired, hungry, grumpy and had a newly formed headache, fear flashed in the beast's eyes.
"I'm not fourteen anymore! I've played Baseball for three seasons now, and I'm the hardest hitter. Tell me how to get out. Now." she said holding the stick in a batsman like stance. The guards looked at each other and gulped they did have a way for her to get straight to the castle, but that would defeat the purpose of her lesson. But looking back at the women with the half branch, they could only care about how their decision was going to affect their faces.
"Look, lady you're gonna have to play by the rules. You remember them right?" the one on the left asked.
"Ya know the whole routine lassy? One of us always tells the truth--"
"And one of you always lies," Sarah finished the line. "And let me guess, he always lies? Then the other will say 'do not! I tell the truth'" she said rolling her eyes, a sudden flash of this scenario played through her mind. Everything swam around her, her joints felt like jelly. Sarah was about to collapse when a hand wrapped around her waist from behind. The stick/branch slipped to the ground and made a very solid thunking noise.
"Don't hit your head now!" a Scottish lilt said from behind her. Sarah spun around now feeling far more grounded and stable. Standing there was a creature with long legs, long arms and the body the size of a small child. Sarah stared at this thing in wonder, it's face was glorious, golden feathers sat as hair on his head. His eyes were almost too wide to fit on his face, his features were otherwise very fearie-esque. He was dressed from head to toe in armour, the likes of which she'd never seen. Watches hung from every available space on his armour, almost hiding it completely. The only thing that gave it away was the occasional glimpse of chain mail and the magnificent helmet he had tucked under his other arm.
"Who are you? I've never seen you before, I didn't know the labyrinth had such knights." She finally spoke realising that she was gawking for too long.
"I, maiden am the honourable messenger of Time" he said taking her hand, bowing deeply and laying a gentle kiss on Sarah's knuckles. His watches jingled as he stood upright again, he let her hand go and smiled. His golden eyes shifted from her to the dog-beasts behind her.
"Official business boys, move aside Alabaster. I have to get to the castle." He said to the one on the left and he mumbled something and moved sulkily away.
"The castle? Can I come? I need to get there and these foul creatures are blocking me!" she said shooting daggers at their faces.
"Well, normally I wouldn't but since you ask nicely" he said and led the way through.
"Ya ruined our fun Dommin! Now she'll never learn the lesson!" the guard still at his post commented as they passed through the door into a grand looking garden.
"Oh hush Balthazar. No-one asked for your opinion," he turned then to look at Sarah over his shoulder "Typical, just bloody typical. So, what brings you here? And more importantly, what are you?" he asked, now beside her.
"I'm not sure how I got here, but I'm hoping someone at the castle can help me," she said a little scared of what she might find there.
"So, are you a faerie? You're certainly are pretty enough." He said making her giggle. "Something funny?" he asked looking mildly hurt.
"No, I don't mean to offend. I'm a human. I was flattered, that's all." She said as his face became confused.
"A human? From the Aboveground? How did you get here? Your kind aren't meant to know of this place. This is very worrying." He said as his eyebrows scrunched together.
"When I was about fourteen, I wished away my baby brother. I came here to rescue him, and won. I defeated the Labyrinth." Sarah said and her head gave a defiant thud. She massaged her temples while Dommin froze. He slowly turned his head to look at her.
"You're Sarah Williams? You're the champion? You?" he said, a shocked look glued to his face. Sarah nodded, "But you're pretty, and average and not scary! All the scripts say that you are the great conqueror. That you destroyed the King's Castle and all his men. They made a rhyme about you. You're supposed to be an evil witch. Not a child of the earth." He said staring at her.
"Nope, just an ordinary dirt child with an overactive imagination." She said now taking in the lovely gardens that surrounded them. Rows and rows of small hedges about shoulder height. It all came to a small opening not 50 metres away and what she could see from here, peach trees.
"'She came, she ran,
After the King's heart broke,
King Jareth destroyed her plan,
Like a dream she awoke,
To live as an earth child,
To grow unaware of
The Labyrinth'"
Dommin recited with a charming melody. "You can't be Sarah of Legend. You must be mistaken." He said shaking his head, leading her toward the clearing in the centre.
"Don't be absurd. I'm Sarah Williams and my baby brother, Toby Williams was taken by your highness, Mr Tightpants! Take me to the King, he'll tell you." She said keeping in pace with Dommin.
"Okay, maiden. My you are pushy." He said chuckling she chuckled with him too. They came to the clearing and in the middle were two average wooden doors, with garish brass doorknockers.
"I must see Goblin King Jareth. Will you open for me?" he said but one doorknocker couldn't speak, he had the knocker handle in his mouth.
"WHAT?" the other shouted as it had it's knocker in its ears.
"THE KING! WILL YOU OPEN FOR ME?" Dommin shouted at it. The other started mumbling frantically as it's eyes landed on Sarah. She stepped forward and took the ring from its mouth, it came out with a sudden jolt that left Sarah on the ground, landing square on her butt.
"It's you, again! Wow, I've never seen the same face twice," it said then started chuckling.
"Well, I thought I'd never see the Labyrinth outside my dreams." She said eyeing the ring suspiciously. Dommin helped Sarah to her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist, to make sure she didn't fall again.
"I'll take you to the king. He's in one of the gardens doing the daily King's duties." He said looking to Dommin. "oh and by the way, your friend made my knocker taste weird." He added eyeing it in Sarah's hands.
"oh, I'm sorry. I'll wash it for you. Then I'll bring it back," she said and the knocker made an attempt to shake his head.
"Nope you need the knocker to open me. 'Knock and the door shall open'" he quoted. She nodded.
"I've been curious about something. It's been haunting me in my dreams, because if it works, you may not need your ring!" she said and raised her fist, knocked three times on the wooden door. To all their wonders, it opened widely and revealed an even more grandly landscaped garden beyond.
"So do you want me to bring it back, or could you live without it?" she asked wearing it like a bracelet. It was so ridiculously oversized the she just ended up hooking it ion her belt loops.
"Oh, please take it, melt it down to something useful! It's real gold, under all that grime…." He said and the pair continued through. The other yelled about doing the same for him.
"Well, if you weren't so rude the first time we met, I might. But you were so rude, I shant." She said kept walking.
"WHAT?" it replied as the door closed behind the pair, Dommin removing his arm. They hadn't walked far when they came across his royal Highness. He sat under a weeping willow, its tendrils parting when they neared.
"Highness Jareth," Dommin started and bowed deeply, Sarah did like wise because she didn't exactly know what else to do. "You have been summoned. To a meeting of the Fey high council. Time has a new prophecy which is of the upmost importance." He concluded and handed a scroll over to the Goblin King. He got up from where he sat and bowed slightly, took the scroll, read it over and scribbled his signature at the bottom.
"Please send Time my gratitude for including me in this conference." He said then noticed Sarah trying to hide behind the messenger "Domino? Who is that hiding behind you?"
"It's Dommin, Sire. And this earth child claims to be Sarah of Legend. I told her that I didn't believe her but she requested to see you." He said then stepped aside. Sarah straightened and looked up to see Jareth, completely stunned.
"It is indeed Sarah of Legend. My Goblins are far too pathetic, they exaggerate everything"  he adjusted his expression and cocked an eyebrow.
"Hello there, Sarah dear. I'm sorry to have not greeted you sooner. But things to do, a kingdom to re-build, finding the money to do it with." He said, more like himself.
"Of course. How could I expect you to waste your time on the only champion of your Labyrinth? That would be too much for the bleach blonde royalty" she retorted. Dommin began to feel like a intruder in a lover's quarrel. He watched them argue, picking traits about each other to insult, for a while, but after a short amount of time the tension grew too strong.
"Do you ever run out of socks to shove down those Stupidly tight pants, Your Vain-ness?!" Sarah was red faced as she tried so desperately not to look down.
"Ahem, I'll go now, Majesty? Sending your regards to Time and all" he asked meekly.
"Yes, go now Domino. Wouldn't want you to be late…." He said, never taking his eyes of Sarah.
"One more thing, Maven? It's Dommin." He said and then turned to Sarah. He bowed and took her hand again, laid yet another kiss, but higher towards her wrist this time.
"Maiden, if you're ever in need of saving. Just call for me, your eternal servant" he said and winked, then strolled off. After Dommin had gone, the Gobling King started yelling.
"WHAT WAS THAT?! ETERNAL SERVANT? WHAT IS HE TRYING TO PULL? WHAT A NERVE!" Sarah began to feel light headed and woozy, she started to sway on her feet. "Sarah?" he caught her just before she hit the ground. He sat cradling her in his arms.
"Don't go Sarah. Not yet. Please." But it was too late. She was already so sleepy and his embrace was just strengthening the effect.
"Jareth?" she said trying to fight this sleep.
"Yes, precious? What is it?" he leant down his lips just centre metres away from hers.
"Why did the worm not want me to turn left?" she sighed and closed her eyes as his chuckled rumbled through his chest and through her.
"Such an odd Heroine." Was the last thing she heard before returning to the Aboveground.