Battle for the Goblin Crown.
Daire hugged herself, shivering from an imagined chill as she stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the Goblin City, the Labyrinth and castle at its center, the rest of Froud spread out to the horizon. It looked as it had for ages but she knew things were happening down there that were indeed different. The Goblin King was preparing to wage a war to take over the human realm.
Or so it had been told to her. She had gone over it exhaustively in her mind and had to admit that it looked like Madeline was telling the truth. For a change.
It had started when an assassin had come into her bedchambers to try to kill her. After nearly an hour of bearing excruciating pain, the would-be killer - a being she did not recognize - had finally broken and confided the name of his employer: Jareth.
Infuriated, Daire had gone in search of Merius to have him prepare her horse, only to find a seemingly distressed Madeline being escorted into the main hall by one of the servants.
Madeline had proceeded to tell her of a plot by Jareth to take over the human realm. Of course, Daire was suspicious as she was of anything Madeline said. But she was still angry enough from the attack to have it checked out.
Several days later, Merius returned with word that Jareth was gathering dark warriors from the human realm. By all indications Madeline was telling the truth, which in and of itself was strange, but the red-headed witch insisted that she was only concerned for the goblin realm.
Now, standing on one of the highest cliffs of Mount Valag, she watched the Goblin City with a sense of dread. War was the last thing she wanted, but if Jareth left her no choice, she was prepared. She turned to look at her own warriors, gathered from the human realm. Well, most of them.
Xander, the Khril of the Ashai-machi and ruler of Peridia, was the only one she knew personally, having visited his world often and vice versa. Though he no longer lived in the human realm, he had just as much interest in stopping Jareth as the others did.
Emma Frost, one of the most powerful telepaths in any realm. Daire had actually gone to the home of the X-Men seeking Charles Xavier only to find Ms. Frost alone except for several students, so she had explained the situation. Frost had seemed somewhat bored through most of it until Daire had mentioned Madeline, a name the blond seemed to recognize. Frost had agreed to help in Xavier's stead, saying that the Professor and his X-Men were detained elsewhere.
Duncan MaCleod, an immortal. Daire had of course known of the Highlander, a legend amongst the immortals, he was a noble man and great warrior.
She walked back to where everyone was seated, talking about things other than what might be coming. They stopped and looked at her as she approached, but she didn't speak right away, her brows furrowed, mouth turned downward in a slight frown.
"You're thinking the same thing I am, aren't you?" Xander asked.
"Yes." Daire admitted.
"And that would be?" Emma asked, a bit impatient. She couldn't read Daire or Xander's thoughts and it frustrated her quite a bit.
"That this is making the kind of sense that's not," Xander replied. "Jareth has never been one for world domination. He's always been quite happy ruling over the goblin realm and just messing with the humans whenever they were stupid enough to invoke him through wishes."
"So, maybe he's grown bored with that," Duncan put in. "People do change."
"Maybe, and as far as I can tell he is planning something big," Daire said. "We're going to have to go through the Labyrinth and get to the castle."
"And why do we have to go through the stupid maze? There must be a way around it." Emma grumbled. She apparently hadn't realized she would have to do without her make-up and wardrobe - or any other luxuries, for that matter - when she had agreed to help.
"Oh, there are several," Xander smiled at her. "but there are also rules. In order for Daire to confront Jareth and take her rightful place as ruler of Froud, she must go through the Labyrinth to prove herself worthy. I'm sure the White Queen can appreciate something like that."
"Xander's right, we have to go through the Labyrinth and I can almost guarantee Jareth's made it much more deadly than it's ever been."
"Great," Duncan said. "what are we waiting for?"
Continued...?
Or so it had been told to her. She had gone over it exhaustively in her mind and had to admit that it looked like Madeline was telling the truth. For a change.
It had started when an assassin had come into her bedchambers to try to kill her. After nearly an hour of bearing excruciating pain, the would-be killer - a being she did not recognize - had finally broken and confided the name of his employer: Jareth.
Infuriated, Daire had gone in search of Merius to have him prepare her horse, only to find a seemingly distressed Madeline being escorted into the main hall by one of the servants.
Madeline had proceeded to tell her of a plot by Jareth to take over the human realm. Of course, Daire was suspicious as she was of anything Madeline said. But she was still angry enough from the attack to have it checked out.
Several days later, Merius returned with word that Jareth was gathering dark warriors from the human realm. By all indications Madeline was telling the truth, which in and of itself was strange, but the red-headed witch insisted that she was only concerned for the goblin realm.
Now, standing on one of the highest cliffs of Mount Valag, she watched the Goblin City with a sense of dread. War was the last thing she wanted, but if Jareth left her no choice, she was prepared. She turned to look at her own warriors, gathered from the human realm. Well, most of them.
Xander, the Khril of the Ashai-machi and ruler of Peridia, was the only one she knew personally, having visited his world often and vice versa. Though he no longer lived in the human realm, he had just as much interest in stopping Jareth as the others did.
Emma Frost, one of the most powerful telepaths in any realm. Daire had actually gone to the home of the X-Men seeking Charles Xavier only to find Ms. Frost alone except for several students, so she had explained the situation. Frost had seemed somewhat bored through most of it until Daire had mentioned Madeline, a name the blond seemed to recognize. Frost had agreed to help in Xavier's stead, saying that the Professor and his X-Men were detained elsewhere.
Duncan MaCleod, an immortal. Daire had of course known of the Highlander, a legend amongst the immortals, he was a noble man and great warrior.
She walked back to where everyone was seated, talking about things other than what might be coming. They stopped and looked at her as she approached, but she didn't speak right away, her brows furrowed, mouth turned downward in a slight frown.
"You're thinking the same thing I am, aren't you?" Xander asked.
"Yes." Daire admitted.
"And that would be?" Emma asked, a bit impatient. She couldn't read Daire or Xander's thoughts and it frustrated her quite a bit.
"That this is making the kind of sense that's not," Xander replied. "Jareth has never been one for world domination. He's always been quite happy ruling over the goblin realm and just messing with the humans whenever they were stupid enough to invoke him through wishes."
"So, maybe he's grown bored with that," Duncan put in. "People do change."
"Maybe, and as far as I can tell he is planning something big," Daire said. "We're going to have to go through the Labyrinth and get to the castle."
"And why do we have to go through the stupid maze? There must be a way around it." Emma grumbled. She apparently hadn't realized she would have to do without her make-up and wardrobe - or any other luxuries, for that matter - when she had agreed to help.
"Oh, there are several," Xander smiled at her. "but there are also rules. In order for Daire to confront Jareth and take her rightful place as ruler of Froud, she must go through the Labyrinth to prove herself worthy. I'm sure the White Queen can appreciate something like that."
"Xander's right, we have to go through the Labyrinth and I can almost guarantee Jareth's made it much more deadly than it's ever been."
"Great," Duncan said. "what are we waiting for?"
Continued...?