Exchange Fic #8: The Lustre of the Firmament, Part Two
The actual identity of the writer will remain secret until all the submissions are in and posted.
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Title: The Lustre of the Firmament, Part Two
Author: jamethiel_bane
Recipient: aliasheist
Prompt: 2)The Descent into the Underworld. There's a looooooot of mythological material on the topic. Reference one, and show me Sarah's (eventual) return to the Labyrinth, whether it's five or five hundred years later. (Extra points if the myth referenced is not Greek in origin.)
3)Another World. I would love to see an AU, whether it's a role reversal, sci-fi, historical fantasy, steampunk, fairytale, anything. (Except high school AUs, DEAR GOD NO.)
Rating: MA for language.
Plot Summary/Author's Notes: “You ever work out that sometimes chains aren’t made of steel, you let me know."
Back to Part One
Full dark had fallen. The Riders stood impassive and gleaming around the Landing as hobs, nymphs, kelpies, dryads, wolf-girls and beetle-fae and, it seemed, the entire population of the leviathan fought for space in the Cloisters. Sarah used her knee to push a brownie aside and jammed herself into a vaulting pillar. Toby, looking unusually clean and dapper in his page's tunic of velvet, bounced up and down on his toes beside her, and Hoggle clung to the sill tenaciously and refused to be moved. Lightning flashed again, lighting up the leviathan from underneath and Sarah blinked in the strobe. For a second, it looked as if buildings had grown across the Landing's opening to the edge, and then the thunder cracked and in the glare that followed, Sarah saw a building move. Her breath came faster and Toby clutched her hand as Hoggle swore viciously beside them. It wasn't a building, it was a dragon. Huger than any other she'd ever seen. Its head had swept-back horns. The lightning flashed again and the other dragons (buildings whispered her mind) lowered their heads as the flattened their forequarters. Riders descended, armour gleaming and formed a diagonal line across the landing. Armour clanked as they rested their hands behind their backs and waited.
"WOW!" Toby whispered, pulling Sarah and Hoggle in. "They're so... shiny! Why don't our Riders look like that?"
Sir Owain, standing in front of them in the Landing, overheard and snorted. "Because we have better things to do than shine armour, boy," he said quietly. Nearby Goblin Riders caught the exchange, and an almost soundless chuckle ran around the Landing. The Faerie Riders were too much on their dignity to actually turn, but their gleaming armour suddenly appeared more decorative than intimidating.
The largest dragon in the centre prostrated itself and the Faerie Riders at the edge of the Landing stepped forward. Lightning flared again, and all laughter among the onlookers died. Standing on the dragon's head was a woman. Sarah suddenly felt lumpen and mortal and horribly, horribly plain. For the woman's face was the most beautiful she'd ever seen. Pale and fine-boned, with a cruel red mouth and eyes that sent a chill through to Sarah's bones.
The Queen of Faerie smiled, but her smile did not lift Sarah's heart. Sarah thought of tigers and predators in the grass, and she gripped Toby tightly and dropped her head with something not as fully formed as a thought, but an inchoate feeling of no. The Queen stepped forward from the dragon's head onto the backs of Riders who had prostrated themselves before her. She advanced to the centre of the Landing, gauzy silk flowing over tightly fitted chainmail. Her chainmail rang with the sound of silver bells. She dazzled by the light of the will-o'-the-wisps, chainmail and pearlescent skin, red lips and golden hair shining. She raised her head, and Sarah cringed as the Queen's gaze paused on her for a second and then moved on.
Jareth emerged from the shadows of the Cloisters. "Your Majesty. Welcome to the Goblin Court," he said, and half-bowed, his cape sweeping forward. The Queen laughed, and Sir Owain sighed as if his heart had been stolen from his chest.
"Cousin! Why so formal?" The Queen swept forward, holding out her hands. Jareth took them, and stood with a neutral expression as she kissed both his cheeks. "Why, it seems like yesterday that my parents took you in after your parents-well. You know. And here you are, with your own leviathan! I would not have thought it, but it is a good match. So quaint! Of course, very rustic, but really, quite charming!"
Jareth turned to stand beside the Queen, and tucked her hand into his arm. "I'm ecstatic my endeavours meet with your approval, Yvaine. But come-we have a feast awaiting us!"
They proceeded out of the Landing and into the path through the Cloisters, Goblin and Faerie Riders falling into two columns behind them. The rest of the inhabitants of the leviathan started to move, and Sarah cried out as she lost her grip on Toby's doublet and was swept away from him by the moving crowd.
"The lad'll be fine," said Hoggle, clinging onto her hand, but then he lost his grip and disappeared behind a troll.
Sarah struggled against the flow of the crowd for a second. A quinkin's long arm prevented her from turning, and the spriggan beside her jabbed her with bony fingers. The light was almost blotted out by the taller fae around her, and the air smelled of lightning. Sarah was shoved to the edge of the Cloisters, and hung onto a column, desperate. She scanned the crowd and spotted a tell-tale blue tunic on the other side of the Dining Hall forecourt. "Toby!" she yelled across the space. He waved to her from the Cloisters on the other side and the movement clearly caught the Queen's eye.
"Why, what's this?" Yvaine halted, forcing Jareth to halt with her.
"One of the pages, Yvaine. I hadn't realised that the Faerie Kingdom was so short of company that you had to pay attention to a servant-or is it merely that your rituals leave you so deprived?"
Yvaine shrugged. "I wonder that you can bear the place so dark. But it must be hard for you-I would not care for our visit to leave you deprived. Here, let me help." She gestured with her free hand, and balls of coloured lux animae began to float freely around the forecourt. One floated free, ascending above the Leviathan, lighting up the anvil heads of clouds as it went, but Yvaine didn't appear to be concerned.
Jareth showed his teeth, and said "Your generosity is, as ever, appreciated in the spirit in which it's offered." The Queen threw her head back and laughed, and they strolled through the open doors into the Dining Hall. The balls of lux animae followed. Will-o'-the-wisps chased after them greedily, performing a dizzying dance of light and causing the Riders' armour to reflect silver ripples onto the walls of the hall, and the crowd of lesser fae who followed. Truckle was waiting inside the hall to greet them, and bowed down, her nose almost touching her knees.
"Your majesty-majesties. If you would take your seats at the high table, the feast will begin."
"Why, how charming!" said Yvaine. "And who is this?"
Truckle straightened and looked at Yvaine in surprise. Yvaine's eyes widened and she inhaled deeply and a small ball of lux animae floated from Truckle's eyes, nose and mouth into Yvaine's hand. Yvaine clenched her fist around it and the lux animae disappeared. Yvaine's knife-edged beauty glowed. Truckle stood for a moment, and then vaguely wandered off to the end of the hall, as if she'd forgotten what she was doing.
A hiss travelled round the hall, with mutters of "Stolen" and "took her time and "not hers" coming from the lesser fae. Jareth regarded the Queen levelly.
"I would," he said, "appreciate it greatly if you would refrain from stealing lux animae from my subjects while you are here."
The Queen pouted at him. "Jareth! She's only a servant. And surely you wouldn't begrudge me my little amusements." She reached with her free hand and stroked his face. He caught her hand and bestowed a neatly vicious kiss on it.
"Surely a servant is below your notice, Yvaine. After all, I seem to recall status being of paramount importance in our youths. Or did I misremember that intrigue with the Rider? What was his name, again?"
Yvaine pulled her hand from Jareth's grasp and colour rose in her cheeks. "It was such a long time ago, I hardly remember. I'm sure it wasn't of any importance. The fancies of young girls!" Yvaine said, tossing her head back to release a ripple of laughter.
Jareth's smile froze, and he raised an eyebrow at Yvaine. "Of course. No importance at all."
Yvaine opened her mouth as if to speak, but then they were ascending the steps of the dais to the high table. She sat gracefully to the right of Jareth's throne, and Jareth reclined louchely. "Bring wine!" he said, and goblins scurried to obey.
In the kitchen, Serafima was fuming. Her eyes had lightened in colour from their usual happy sky-blue and were now the blue-white of metal just before it turned molten. She caught Sarah's arm as Sarah walked in. "Here. Chew this."
Sarah opened her mouth to say "What?" and Serafima popped... something, into her mouth. Sarah chewed reflexively. Ugh! Salt and bitter!
"Hazel twigs and salt. Use her Influence on the Goblin Kingdom, will she? We'll see about that!" Serafima bustled off, still muttering indignantly, and then went into the pantry. Hobs were standing by the huge kitchen fire, ladling coals into braziers with their bare hands. Serafima came out of the pantry with a several containers of dried foliage. Sarah blinked at her, and Serafima shoved a bunch of leaves and a length of string into her hands. "Bundle this. I want it tight, not burning too quickly." Sarah closed her mouth and began looping the string around the leaves, leveraging it against itself with knots. Ruslana stopped as she walked past to smirk at Sarah and Serafima shoved leaves at her as well. "You too! Plenty to be done, I want each of these braziers smoking nicely!"
Sarah sniffed the leaves in her hands. Sage? Ruslana did the same, and muttered "Rowan."
"That's right. sage, rowan and yew. We'll see how her Nibs does with influencing people with this in the air!" said Serafima.
Sarah finished a bundle and laid it on the bench-top. Serafima grabbed it, gathered up one of Ruslana's bunches and threw it into a brazier, along with her own finished bundle. "Well? What are you waiting for? Lid on, out into the hall, one in each corner of the dais, specifically before the Queen, then spaced around the edge of the hall. GO!" Hobs scattered out the door. Sarah gathered up more leaves to bind together.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Toby make a face as he chewed on hazel twigs and salt. He walked to the corner where the kitchen scraps were hurled, and then Sarah lost sight of him as Spritch bellowed "First course PLATED, out to the tables now!"
Sarah briefly caught a glimpse of Toby again as he lined up with the other pages to take a plate of roast pig's trotters and mustard fruit. The fires roared and a hob grabbed the sage from her hands almost before she'd finished the last knot. She saw Mark as he quickly walked by with a heavy platter on his shoulder. He grimaced what could have been a smile, and Sarah smiled back. Next to her Ruslana was doing the same, and the smile dropped off Sarah's face. Ruslana glared at her and jerked a knot viciously tight.
The Hall was thick with smoke. Serafima pulled the kitchen-hands close. "Right. We need to gather the plates, but those bastards are stealing lux animae left, right and centre. Sarah, Ruslana, take a platter each and go clear the high table. Mind your manners and keep your eyes down."
They shuffled out into the hall, eyes on the stained floor. The air was hazy with smoke Sarah saw Ruslana duck a thrown goblet out of the corner of her eye. Ruslana flushed a dull red-brown and turned, opening her mouth. Sarah caught Ruslana's elbow "Eyes down," she hissed. Ruslana shifted her shoulders, flicking Sarah's hand off, but lowered her head with a creak.
"Thanks." Ruslana said, quietly.
"Us against the Teg, right?" Sarah felt, more than saw, Ruslana's grudging nod, and then they were at the dais. They walked up the stairs, Sarah feeling fear cold in the pit of her stomach.
"I'll do our side, if you'll do theirs." Sarah said.
Ruslana nodded, abnormally quiet.
Eyes down, mind your manners, chanted Sarah inside her head. She reached between knights, gathering bowls, stacking goblets and sliding trenchers onto her tray. Sir Dinaden nodded at her, his face flushed with drink, and as she leaned between him and Owain he said loudly "Tha's good, good girl. Bet you're thankful to be here. Faerie court, huh!" Dinaden huffed a breath laden with drink over her, and Sarah controlled her face and kept her head down. Beside her, Owain looked uneasy. Sarah leaned between Owain and the Queen. "Flash and sparkle, no substance! Give me honest ugliness any day!"
She saw the Queen turn her head. The Queen's mouth showed white teeth and Sarah dropped her eyes to the table and picked up a spoon.
"Honest ugliness?" The Queen sounded amused. "Why, I merely allow a freer society, and naturally attract the best. Do you know that I have women Riders?" Sarah could feel the weight of the Queen's eyes on her, and she fought a shudder and leaned forward between the Queen and Jareth. The Queen stopped Sarah with a gentle hand on her upper arm, and said "Why, you're a pretty child. How would you like to become a Rider?"
Sarah flushed, placed her tray on the floor, and kept her eyes on the table. "I'm human, your Majesty. I can't be a Rider."
"Why, nonsense! Asezozel here is a human and one of my most faithful knights." Further down the table, a tall woman with a scar on her face leaned forward and smiled easily. Toby was standing behind the dais-his eyes grew wide and he rushed forward to refill Asezozel's goblet. Asezozel's smile grew wider and she inclined her head towards him, saying something that Sarah couldn't hear. Sarah shifted uneasily towards them and then the Queen stroked her cold white hand down the side of Sarah's face and under her chin, tipping it up. Sarah could feel the Queen's body heat on her back. "Wouldn't you like to be part of my court? It's much more luxurious than here. We have far greater reserves of lux animae. You work in the kitchens, yes? Haven't you ever given any thought to how it would feel to be riding a dragon with the wind in your hair? I can give that to you."
Sarah glanced at Toby, who was standing and staring at them, open-mouthed with longing as Asezozel looked on indulgently. Jareth shifted restlessly beside her, and she looked at him instinctively. She met his mismatched eyes for a second and an unreadable expression crossed his face. He smiled darkly and Sarah snapped her gaze back to the table in a panic. A cold sweat broke out on her skin as Jareth leaned forward and his gloved hand traced the same path down her face the Queen had stroked previously. He took the Queen's hand, and Sarah's head was tipped towards the ceiling by the combined grasp of their hands. His breath stirred Sarah's hair as he spoke.
"Surely you would not deprive me of my amusements, Yvaine? After all, as you observed, I have no female Riders."
Yvaine chuckled, and her mirth shook through Sarah's body. She spoke again, so close to Sarah's ear that the movement of her lips almost touched it in a kiss. "Ah, I've missed you, Jareth. We should have done this long ago."
Jareth pulled Yvaine around Sarah, and onto the arm of his chair. "An oversight I intend to make up for, I assure you." He stroked a finger down Yvaine's throat, and her eyes closed as she sighed, and relaxed into him.
Sarah stood there for a second, looking at the picture they made. Silver-blond hair mixing with wheaten-gold. Black gloves on white skin, and two cruel mouths smiling in pleasure. Jareth looked away from Yvaine and raised an eyebrow at her. "You're still here?"
Sarah flushed, humiliated, and gathered her tray and fled the hall on unsteady legs. The sound of their laughter seemed to follow her.
Ruslana met her at the door to the kitchen. She held the door open for Sarah mutely, and Sarah nodded gratefully, not able to speak yet.
In the kitchen, Serafima crashed a cleaver viciously down on a joint of meat. "Teggish scum. Ruiners." She raised the cleaver over her head and bought it down with a crack of bone. "It's them as gives the fae a bad name. All shiny and glitter and please and thank you, but fancy manners don't change the fact that they're parasites. Their leviathan runs on the dead, and no amount of paint and perfume can disguise that stench."
Ruslana drew Sarah over to the sink, taking the tray from Sarah's hands and depositing it on the trolley. She waved a thorny arm in front of the dish-pig, which snorted indignantly and then retreated to the muck heap. Ruslana plunged her hand into the first one sink, then the other and allowed the water to drain from both, reaching overhead to open stops and divert a bit of the hot water into the corroded taps to refill the sinks as she used her other hand to sprinkle soap flakes into the water. She slapped a cloth into Sarah's hands. "Come on, wash."
Sarah began wiping at a plate mechanically. Ruslana watched her for a second, and then made a clicking "Tchah!" noise and withdrew it from her hands, drying it and putting it on a small stack of clean plates to the right. "Clean the next one."
Sarah picked up the next plate from the stack and began wiping. There was a hard crusted spot on the porcelain and she picked at it with her fingernail. It lifted off in a flake and she drew her cloth over the plate in a spiral from centre to edge. She flipped it over and washed the back of the plate from side to side. Ruslana grabbed it from her and dunked it in the second sink of clean water, drying industriously.
"You can't-you can't let ‘em get to you like that, Princess." Ruslana's voice was kind.
Sarah flushed and ducked her head, and picked up the next dish, scrubbing at it energetically. She dunked it in the clean water, and then set it in the rack to drain. Ruslana picked it up, and slowly began to dry, watching Sarah. Sarah started scrubbing faster, until the dishes were stacked in the drying rack, four, five, six. She slowed her pace, and watched Ruslana out of the corner of her eye.
"It's. I don't want to. But I can't help it." Sarah said, slowly. "I don't know anyone who can. They're beautiful and shiny and they make you feel like-" She waved her dishcloth in the air, and Ruslana took another plate from the rack, concentrating on it. "They make you feel like you're dirt. Lower than dirt. Because you can never be as beautiful or elegant as they are, but they make you want to be. And so everything they do to you is OK, because maybe, just maybe, their elegance might rub off."
Ruslana stared fiercely at the plates. Sarah watched as Ruslana opened her mouth and then said creakily. "...yes. And if things don't go their way, if something turns out to be a mistake, they just throw it away, and say ‘Well, it's obvious that you can never be -'" Ruslana crashed a dry plate fiercely onto the pile and picked up the next "special, or even worthwhile because you have thorns and you're not pretty, you're an embarassment, there's no point even providing you the same opportunities. So they cast you off, and your mother hates you. And I hate them, Sarah. Hate."
Sarah's breath caught and she looked around nervously. "Be careful, Ruslana."
Ruslana looked at Sarah and Sarah's breath caught. Ruslana spoke in a fierce whisper. "I'm sick of being careful, Princess. You might be happy here, with dishpan hands and the fact that you're never going to be anything but a cog in this machine that runs around the Teg. But I'm going to get out."
"They'll hear you!" Sarah was whispering too.
Ruslana flicked a glance in the direction of the High Table. "Only if they care to listen, and I think they're a bit busy now."
Sarah leaned toward Ruslana."But how-?"
"I've got a plan, all right? I'll get out of here and I'll go to Drowned Ys and I'll be whatever I want to be. You should come too, Princess," said Ruslana, sounding improbably normal and matter-of-fact.
Sarah stared for a second, her heart expanding in her chest. But- "I can't. There's Toby."
"Ah." Ruslana looked sad. "You ever work out that sometimes chains aren't made of steel, you let me know."
"What do you mean?" Sarah's voice held a warning, but Ruslana disregarded it.
"I mean, Himself knows you'll never leave as long as Toby's here. So he tosses Toby in the pits, where you'll never see him. You spend the rest of your life searching for a way to free him, or even spend some time with him and in the meantime you get older and maybe you fall in love with Mark, because he's what there is. So you have kids, and forget about Toby, and then you can't leave because you couldn't get them out, either. And so it goes." Ruslana was matter-of-fact, and Sarah felt resentment swell.
"What's the alternative?" said Sarah, rudely.
Ruslana shrugged. "I don't know. Just-if Toby get a chance to get out, let him take it, OK?"
Sarah nodded, slowly, and then found that she'd cleared the last of the dishes from the sink. She dried her hands on Ruslana's dishtowel.
Spritch fussed over. "Ah, excellent. Girls, if you could please take the main subtlety out?"
Serafima carried the bowl of cream she was whisking over. "It's big. Wouldn't it be better to have a wolf-girl take it out?"
Spritch threw his hands up. "The impact of the dish would be ruined! My beautiful dragon should be presented by two beautiful maidens!"
Sarah, Ruslana and Serafima exchanged glances. Sarah's eyebrows were raised, Serafima looked ironic and Ruslana mouthed "Beautiful?"
Spritch clicked his tongue, and dragged Sarah and Ruslana over to the main bench, where a pastry dragon with berries for scales stood surrounded by piles of sugar tinted gold and arranged in metallic drifts around marzipan trees. "My masterpiece! Now, careful how you go there." Sarah looked helplessly at Serafima, but Serafima shrugged, and spooned a generous line of cream onto the dragon's back before retreating back to her bench with the remains of the bowl. The platter was lifted up onto their shoulders, and Sarah and Ruslana staggered under the weight.
"You OK? I can get someone else to take it," said Ruslana.
Sarah sighed. "No, it's OK. May as well just go on. Come on, feet!"
Ruslana looked at her askance as they staggered through the door to the Hall. "Look, we'll drop it if we keep doing this. Grab my shoulder and step with me."
Sarah reached out her right hand and grabbed Ruslana's shoulder. Ruslana reached out her left hand and set it on Sarah's shoulder. "Ready?"
Sarah grunted, then said "On three. One, two-" and they stepped out together.
Sarah could feel Jareth's eyes on them as they advanced down the hall. The tray bent their heads forward and to the side, and she was fiercely glad that her vision was restricted to the scales at her feet. Her heightened colour could be attributed to lifting the tray. Ruslana's hand tightened on her shoulder in invisible encouragement, and then they were at the High Table.
Yvaine was sprawled in her seat, colour high as she smiled into her wine. Ruslana and Sarah set the platter down and Yvaine spoke. "Such a pity I can't tempt the girl here to come with me. Think of the wasted opportunities!"
Jareth hummed noncommittally, sipped his wine, and watched Sarah over the rim of his goblet. Sarah took a step backwards, but stopped as Yvaine raised an eyebrow. Ruslana's hand closed convulsively round Sarah's arm, and Sarah saw Toby walk up and stand behind the Queen. "Luckily, not everyone has proven blind to the opportunity. Young Toby has agreed to join me on my leviathan," said Yvaine. She drew Toby forward with a hand on his shoulder, and Asezozel advanced behind him, trapping him between Jareth and Yvaine.
"He is still my subject," said Jareth. His tone was mild but Sarah could hear the Influence ringing over the words, sounding through her body to strike harmonics off her bones. She shivered with the force and could feel Ruslana shift uncomfortably beside her, but Yvaine merely smiled, luminous and greedy.
"Have you ever sworn loyalty to Jareth or the leviathan, child?"
Toby darted a glance at Jareth, but shook his head.
"Then all you need to do is swear to me that you'll serve me and my court and the deed is done."
The entire hall was still. It appeared as if the leviathan itself was holding its breath. Sarah's mouth opened, but Yvaine flicked her fingers and said "Silence!" and not a sound would come out of Sarah's mouth.
Toby still hesitated, but then said "Sarah, she's gonna let me be a Rider! I'll have my own dragon and everything. I-please. Please."
Sarah twisted her hands in her skirt. And then, she heard an echo of Ruslana's words: if Toby get a chance to get out, let him take it. Tears started in her eyes, but she raised her chin and smiled at Toby. Toby looked startled, then raised his chin and said "I'll swear!"
Yvaine lowered her eyelids, looking felinely satisfied. "Then swear, young human. Swear by blood and bone that you'll serve the Queen of the Faerie Court in all her commands."
The hall seemed to darken, and Toby's high voice rang out through the air. Asezozel bent to whisper in his ear. "I swear by blood and bone that I will serve the Queen of the Faerie Court." He paused, and Asezozel poked an armoured finger into his back. "Oh! Um, in all her commands."
Lightning flashed and thunder crashed simultaneously, strobing the hall in light. The Queen smiled, triumphant. Jareth was looking directly at Sarah, studying her as though she was a new species of lichen growing on the leviathan. Something cold and alien looked through his eyes. Tears started running down Sarah's face, and she gave a mute wail of agony. Ruslana looked nervously at Jareth and Yvaine and started tugging on Sarah's arm. "Sarah. Sarah. Come away."
Sarah let herself be led to the kitchen. She felt the Queen's influence stretch and snap as she walked through Serafima's threshold. A low moan came out of her mouth, and Ruslana supported her as she swayed on her feet. Serafima glanced at them and frowned. "What happened?"
In spite of the removal of the Queen's Influence, Sarah found she still couldn't speak. Ruslana sighed and said "The Queen-"
An anguished scream sounded from back of the kitchen, as a lampad opened an oven door and smoke poured out. "MY DESSERTS," screamed Spritch, clutching his face. Serafima looked over and swore. "Waste and ruin. Ruslana, take one of my possets and tuck Sarah into bed. I'll come by later-right now, I have to somehow produce desserts for an entire hall," said Serafima. She dumped a measure of flour into a bowl and cracked six eggs into it, then grabbed the bowl and walked towards the chaos at the back of the kitchen.
Ruslana darted over to the pantry and measured out liquid into a mug. "Come on, Sarah. Let's get you to bed." She drew Sarah, unresisting, across the kitchen and out into the Cloisters. Ruslana nodded at the lindwyrm, and led Sarah up the ladder and into the dorm.
The room was dimly lit and there was barely room to stand up. Sarah curled up on her bed and Ruslana threw a thin cover over her. "Try to sleep."
Sarah felt her eyes grow heavy and she slipped into a light doze. Her dreams were restless-thorns pricked beautiful maidens who smiled at Sarah and then immediately fell into a death-like sleep. A young girl with golden hair said "But wolves are the point of exploring, aren't they?" and trailed a red cloak in front of leering men with axes. Breadcrumb trails were scattered in front of birds who turned into princes, and fell upon the food ravenously. One of the swan-men looked up at Sarah and said "The most important thing is never to give up, really," as he pointed a wing onwards. A woman with enormously long hair and no hands sat bleeding in a garden bed as she ravenously ate greens. She looked at Sarah and pointed with her bloody stumps towards a tower which grew among vines. Sarah climbed the tower, and at the top, a prince sat with his back to the window. He didn't look at her, but said "I can't look out the window, Sarah Williams. But you should."
Sarah looked out the window and saw Toby. He was seated on a dragon and smiling as roses drank his blood. The roses grew vigorously along the roadside in a riot of brambles, their scent drugging the air. Flowers swelled and grew and one grew larger than all the rest. As it blossomed, a woman clad only in her long blonde hair was revealed in the centre of the bloom. She stepped out of the rose, growing as she did so, and roses bled beneath her feet and writhed under her, bearing her aloft.
"Toby! Toby," cried Sarah as she leaned forward from the window, but he didn't hear her. The rose-woman did and she looked towards the window and smiled-and Sarah recognised her as the Queen. Yvaine turned her face back towards Toby and said something to him. Toby laughed, and Sarah noticed human bones twined with the brambles. She leaned forward, trying to catch Toby's attention, but he didn't take any notice.
"You'll never make it."
Sarah started as the Prince's voice sounded in her ear. "I thought you said you couldn't look out the window."
"Did I? I'm not looking out the window, Sarah Williams. I'm looking at you." He looked at her as if something puzzled him, and Sarah absently noticed that his eyes were different colours.
"How do I stop her? How do I rescue Toby?"
"You'll never do it. You'll never rescue Toby. Stay here with me, instead." The Prince smiled at her and Sarah blinked at him.
"But-I have to."
"Then you'd better hurry," said the Prince, laying a hand on her shoulder and directing her gaze out the window. Toby was almost white. The Prince chuckled, and said "Before you're too late."
Sarah felt those words strike a deep foreboding. She turned to ask the Prince-something but he gave her a seraphic smile and straightened his arm. The windowsill connected with the back of her knees. Sarah flung her arms to keep her balance, but the Prince seemed to evade her grasp as if he was water. She fell, and a bell began to trill. She fell and fell, past the tower, through darkness and all the while the Prince's face appeared as at the top of a well. "Too late," said nameless voices.
She landed with a thump and opened her eyes with a start. Hancock was pacing along the length of her bed, sounding an alarm-like trill.
"What-?" Sarah rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and put her other hand out to calm Hancock. He evaded her outstretched hand, rushing up her body to peck at her face. Sarah jerked to the side, and his beak struck the pillow. He tilted his head, looking at her alternately through copper then aluminium eyes. Sarah heaved herself from the bed, and staggered to the ladder. She could feel the leviathan's shell vibrating. At the exit from the pits, the lindwyrm was twined around struts. Sarah stepped from the door and almost lost her footing in the gale. A passing peryton braced her with its antlers and helped push her to the Cloisters.
"Better strap in, little human. The storm's here, and it's going to be a leveller."
Sarah clipped her harness onto the guide cable and made her way in fits and starts towards the side-entrance to the kitchens. Serafima was overseeing the clean-up of the feast. She smiled at Sarah.
"Hello, child. Feeling better?"
Sarah nodded. "Still groggy, though. Have they left yet?"
Serafima shook her head. "Last farewells out in the landing now."
"I'd better go say goodbye to Toby, then," said Sarah.
Serafima frowned at Sarah. "Why on earth would you do that?"
Sarah forced a smile. "Oh, didn't you hear? The Queen offered Toby a chance to be a Rider. So he swore fealty to her, and he'll leave with her. I'll miss him, but-it's his dream."
Serafima grew pale. "Child-you can't. You can't let that monster take him."
Sarah stared at Serafima. "It's his dream-Serafima, what aren't you telling me?"
Serafima twisted her pinions in her apron. "I assumed you knew! Everybody knows, for all nobody talks about it. How do you think they live in such luxury? How are they able to live such a soft life?"
Sarah clenched her hands into fists and then reached out to still Serafima's pinions. "Serafima. I don't know-whatever you're saying, I haven't heard, I don't know.." Serafima hesitated and Sarah reached to grab her by the shoulders. "You cannot let me walk into this blind. For my sake, for Toby's sake, tell me."
"We do not often speak of it, because we are afraid. Their ears are sharp and their power is vast and strange-accidents befell those who spoke out, so it was safer not to speak of it." Serafima spoke in a low voice. "We just assumed that everybody knew, and never thought that some day Yvaine the Beautiful, Yvaine the Bloody would outlive her notoriety."
"Serafima-," said Sarah, nearly hopping from leg to leg in impatience.
Serafima sat down on a chair beside the hearth and smoothed her apron. "The leviathans live on lux animae. The Teg can't generate it in anything like quantities sufficient to run a leviathan, but they can channel it. And steal it."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I know this, Serafima. Tell me why I shouldn't let Toby go!"
Serafima's eyes flashed fire and Sarah fell back, abashed. "Those of us who have been here from the beginning have our own guilt over complicity, child. This is not easy to tell you." Serafima drew a deep breath and said, "We here on the Goblin Kingdom leviathan live by stealing a day here and there. We are not the largest and we run poor. The Faerie kingdom is luxurious. They have lux animae to burn. They take entire lives."
Sarah blinked at Serafima. "I don't-what?"
"The Queen made a bargain. Vast wealth and power in exchange for three lives every seven years. Not only a day, a moment, but their entire lives and every possibility of what they could have been." Serafima spat into the fire. "She gets others to pay the tithe."
"Others?" said Sarah.
"Humans."
"She's going to sacrifice Toby! I have to save him!" Sarah whirled and began to run from the kitchen, but Serafima caught her by her left wrist.
"It's not that easy, Sarah. He's vowed himself to her. Words have meaning-he's bound."
Sarah clenched her fists. "So tell me how I can break the binding. There must be a way."
"The Queen is running tight on time. She has nine months, and I don't think she has the full three yet. She can't sacrifice anyone who hasn't bound themselves-and if the sacrifice isn't made, her power fails," said Serafima.
"How do I stop her?"
Serafima's crest slicked down tight to her neck. "I don't know. I don't know if anyone knows. The only two people around at the beginning were Herself and Jareth."
"I have to try." Sarah found that tears were threatening to spill. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, impatient, and Serafima released her wrist.
"I know you do, child. Go."
Sarah ran across the kitchen and out the door. Her feet beat a pattern of too late, too late on the scale, but she ran. Out the Hall and into the Cloisters. Bracing against the wind, no time to clip her harness onto the cable and ricocheting from upright to upright, to the landing. Toby's face peered whitely from Asezozel's cloak and the salamanders and will-o'-the-wisps couldn't compete against the lowering gloom. Jareth was bowing low over Yvaine's hand, and they both appeared unaffected by the wind. Sarah collapsed at the Queen's feet.
"Please. Please. You can't. You can't take him-he's my brother."
The Queen smiled. "Why, it's the little maid. Are you sure I can't take you away from this life of drudgery? I promise, you'd never have to wash another pot again." Jareth smiled mockingly beside her.
The tears spilled over, and Sarah let them fall. "Please. He's my brother, and he's only little. He doesn't deserve to be sacrificed. Please. Please."
The Queen's eyes hardened and her nostrils flared. "Who told you?"
Jareth blinked in satisfaction. "Why, Yvaine. They may be mortal, but they do talk. Besides, does it matter?"
Yvaine took a deep breath. "True." She turned to Sarah and extended her hands. Sarah took them automatically, and scrambled up. "Why, your brother will be honoured above all others! He will live in luxury and never know a moment's pain!"
"Until you kill him." Sarah spat on the scales of the Landing. Yvaine looked genuinely puzzled, and Sarah saw a howling emptiness in her eyes. The world narrowed, and Sarah could only think I must free him as she lunged for Yvaine. Yvaine stepped back, startled, and Jareth caught Sarah around the waist, laughing as she fought.
"Sarah!" Toby reached for her from the back of the dragon, but Asezozel pinned his arms and swathed him in her cloak.
"I don't think she's listening to you, Yvaine." Jareth's voice held amusement as he controlled Sarah's struggles with no apparent effort.
"No. A pity. Still, it was pleasant to see you again, Jareth," said Yvaine.
Jareth bowed ironically, and said "Yvaine."
The Queen turned and stepped lightly onto the dragon's clawed foot, and from there onto the base of its neck. She nodded to her court, and one by one, the dragons turned and dropped off the edge of the leviathan.
Sarah sobbed as Jareth dropped her onto the scales. Hancock raced over and mantled over Sarah protectively.
"Why, you appear to miss the boy," said Jareth.
Sarah choked. "He's my brother. Of course I do!"
"The two do not necessarily follow," said Jareth. "And I suppose you'd do anything to get him back?"
Words failed Sarah and she nodded miserably.
"You are expressly forbidden from stealing a dragon and following him. You will fail." Jareth's voice was cold and matter-of-fact. Sarah found herself bridling but forced her eyes down to the scales.
"Yes," Sarah muttered.
Jareth kicked at Hancock. "And keep that damn bird out of my sight!"
The wind howled, and Sarah collapsed to the scales and wept with despair.
"Get up." A hard foot prodded at Sarah's shoulder. She made an incoherent sound of rejection and buried her face in her arms. "Get up."
Sarah rolled over and stared at Ruslana. "They took Toby," said Sarah eventually, her voice thick with tears.
"I know. And you can either sit there and cry for the rest of your life, or you can get up and do something about it. You have to decide-are you just going to let them do this to you? Are you just going to let them take and take and take and never say a word in protest because you're a servant and that's just how it works? Come on, Princess. I'm going. You can come with me. But we have to go right now," said Ruslana. Her eyes burned with passion and Sarah found herself standing without consciously deciding to.
"What can I do? She's taken Toby," said Sarah.
"And you're going to get him back. But it has to be now." Ruslana held out a hand. Sarah looked at it suspiciously for a second, then breathed deeply and reached out and clasped her own hand with Ruslana's.
"What are we going to do?"
"... I don't know. But we start with getting out of here," said Ruslana.
"Will you get Mark to help us?" asked Sarah.
Ruslana considered this briefly, then shook her head. "No. You and I are used to sneaking around. We're going to need to be quick and quiet, and the less fuss we make, the better."
"Where are we going?" said Sarah.
Ruslana shrugged. "I figure we make it out of here to Drowned Ys and then see where we go from there. You can see if you can get some more information, and I can do... something. Anyrate. We get out of here, then worry about it."
"Well then. Let's go." said Sarah.
They met again outside the kitchen. Sarah had her bundle of clothes strapped to her back. "Got it?" Sarah spoke in a low voice, in spite of the fact that the wind snatched the words from her mouth as soon as she said them. Ruslana nodded, and then glared as Hancock popped his head out of the bundle on Sarah's back.
"Did you have to bring the damn rooster?" said Ruslana, annoyed.
Sarah looked wounded. "I can't believe you'd suggest that! Of course I'm taking him. He's all I have left of Toby! Besides, Jareth would probably kill him if I left him here."
Ruslana made a sour face, and then swung the kitchen door open. She held a finger to her lips and they eased the door gently shut. They each grabbed a cloth and tiptoed to the pantry.
"I've already packed something for you." The fire flared and illuminated Serafima, sitting in a chair and watching them quietly.
Ruslana widened her eyes and said defiantly, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Serafima looked at them steadily, and Sarah felt a flush climb up to the roots of her hair. Ruslana tilted her chin and looked away.
"I'm sorry, Serafima, but I have to go," said Sarah.
Serafima smiled, and opened her arms. Sarah looked at her for a second and then she flung herself into Serafima's familiar embrace. Ruslana made a creaking noise, and then did the same. Serafima's wings folded around them and for a second Sarah allowed herself to believe that she was safe, and that Serafima would fix everything. She pushed back, and raised her chin.
"I've packed you food, in those two panniers there. They'll strap to your backs. Longer-lasting stuff in the bottom, fruit and the like on the top," said Serafima. "Oh, girls. I know that you have to go, and I'll delay them as long as I can."
Sarah nodded around the lump in her throat. Ruslana cleared her throat and swung the two panniers off the bench.
"If you make it to Drowned Ys, I have a cousin who works in the market. His name's Gaius Secundus," said Serafima. "Now. There's nothing much else I can offer you-I'm just a cook. But I just want to give you these," and she handed them each a hazelnut. "If you are in a situation that is far over your head and you need some protective camouflage, crack these. I don't know exactly what they'll do-my mother gave them to me, but I wanted to follow a different path and only used one. It helped, but not in a way that I expected. Now go! Hurry! Be quick and quiet!"
Sarah shoved the nut into her bundle of clothes. Hancock pecked at it desultorily and she tapped him on his metal comb. "Leave that alone!" said Sarah.
Ruslana shoved her nut into her pocket and moved impatiently to the door. "We have to go now, Princess. Before the Riders recover from the feast."
Sarah moved to the door, then hesitated and turned back. Serafima smiled, and Sarah stepped out into the night.
The Mews was deserted. The wind howled around the outside walls, and dragons clanked and grumbled in their stalls.
"What now, genius?" Sarah kept her voice to a furious whisper.
Ruslana hissed, and moved around the walls at a crouch, keeping to shadows. They paused in the corner and Ruslana said "You know Owain's my father?"
Sarah blinked at her. "Er. No, I didn't. Congratulations?" Ruslana turned and looked at her, and Sarah offered weakly "I'm sorry?"
Ruslana shrugged. "He's kind of a bastard. Abandoned my mother and me when it was clear that I wasn't going to look Teggish, with the thorns and all. But I'm still his daughter, for all he denies it. And that means I can channel lux animae, a bit. And also-"
"You can talk to dragons!" Sarah's voice rose with excitement, and Ruslana held a furious finger to her lips in response.
"Who goes there? Show yourselves!" Hoggle unclipped his harness from the cable and strode into the centre of the weathering yard. Sarah went to stand out of the shadows, but Ruslana gripped her shoulder fiercely. They crouched, hardly daring to breathe. Hoggle waited for a second and then turned to go. Ruslana slumped with relief and as she did so, scraped one of the thorns on her elbows down the mews wall. Hoggle stiffened and turned around, advancing on the corner.
Sarah sighed, and stood up. "Hello, Hoggle."
"Sarah, it's you. Better get inside, this storm's not going to blow over soon." Hoggle's eyes were obviously adjusting to the light, for he saw Ruslana crouching behind her and stiffened. "What-Sarah, what are you doing?" said Hoggle.
Sarah gripped her clothes and stared fiercely at Hoggle. His gaze took in her clothes, and Ruslana carrying the panniers. "Oh no. Sarah, you can't."
Sarah strode forward and grasped his hands. "Hoggle, I must. It's for Toby."
Hoggle closed his eyes. "Well, if you must, you must. But I'm coming with you." Ruslana and Sarah both started to protest, but he held up a hand. "Now, there's no use arguing, I've made up me mind."
Sarah drew a breath to protest further, but Ruslana said "Fine. Now be quiet," and with that they were on the move again. They ducked into the prep room, and Ruslana grabbed several sets of riding leathers. "Aha! Take these, wear ‘em. It gets cold when you're riding, Owain said. Also, a hat, goggles and ear protection."
Hoggle grumbled. "Why should we do that?"
Ruslana stared at him. "I don't know, but it's part of the Rider's uniform for a reason, so we take them."
"Which dragon are we going to take?" said Sarah, pulling on the leathers.
Ruslana shrugged. "I'm not bonded to any of ‘em, and I've never fed any of ‘em. So really, just whoever is prepared to take us."
Sarah struggled with her voice for a second. "That's your plan?"
Ruslana glared at her. "It's a hell of a lot more than you've contributed, Princess. Unless you've got something useful to say, you can just shut the hell up."
Sarah threw her shoulders back and stepped forward. Ruslana stood straighter and dropped her hands by her sides. Hoggle stepped inbetween them, with hands outstretched. "Girls. Fight later. Right now we need to escape."
Sarah dropped her chin and nodded, and Ruslana looked away. "I'll see who'll speak to me. Hang on," said Ruslana. Sarah shifted uneasily as the seconds crawled away, and then Ruslana spoke. "Got it. Over here," and she led them out of the prep room and towards a small stall in the furthest corner of the Mews. They unlatched the door and stepped forward warily. Something shifted in the dark, and Sarah's breath caught. A light flared in the corner of the stall and Sir Didymus looked at them gravely.
"I cannot let you pass, fair maidens." He rested his hand on the red to grey to black dragon beside him. The dragon was significantly smaller than many others Sarah had seen, but it was still at least twice Sarah's height at the shoulder. She swallowed, and the dragon regarded them with interest and blinked.
"Sir Didymus-" Sarah's voice failed with frustration. They'd come this far!
"I have sworn an oath." Didymus stood straight and proud and true. Hoggle made an incoherent noise of frustration and pushed forward. Sir Didymus' eyes narrowed and he pulled a bodkin out from his riding leathers. "Do not presume upon our friendship. I will keep my word!" Hoggle bared his teeth and picked up a wooden plank that was on the floor, gripping it like a bat.
Sarah took a deep breath. "Sir Knight. What was the word you gave?"
"I have sworn that so long as I retain the spark of consciousness, I will fight to defend the Goblin Kingdom from any and all threats!" said Didymus.
Sarah stared at him. "Didymus, we're two girls, a dwarf and a metal rooster. We intend no harm to the Goblin Kingdom." Hoggle edged into the shadows and Sarah lost sight of him.
Sir Didymus looked disapproving. "And your attempted theft of the dragon? That is indeed harm, for it is dragons are a resource that leviathans can't spare."
Ruslana rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. Melchior's a runt! I heard Father say that's the only reason that they let you be a Rider."
Sir Didymus looked wounded, and Sarah stepped forward, hands outstretched. "Please, Sir Didymus. I must rescue Toby."
Sir Didymus looked torn for a second. He bit his lip, and then pointed his bodkin straight at them. "I cannot go back on my word."
Hoggle stepped from the shadows, and clipped Didymus neatly behind the ear with the plank. He caught Didymus as Didymus crumpled, and lowered him gently onto the straw. "Well, now you won't have to," said Hoggle, gruffly. He caught Sarah and Ruslana looking at him. "What? He told us himself. ‘As long as he retains the spark of consciousness!' So if he's unconscious..."
Sarah clapped her hands. "He hasn't breached his oath. Hoggle, you're brilliant!"
The dragon swung his head around and looked at them with interest. Sarah caught her breath, but Ruslana stepped forward.
"Melchior says he'll help us, if we'll let him go free afterwards. He hates it here-the other dragons pick on him," said Ruslana. "We'll need to put his harness on and strap ourselves in. Sarah, come help me with this."
With a little direction from Melchior, they managed to get him harnessed. Sarah stared at the unconscious Sir Didymus for a minute. "What do we do with Sir Didymus?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at Ruslana. Hoggle snorted and Ruslana shrugged. "Can't leave him here, he's duty bound to give the alarm. We'd better take him with." And with that, she helped Hoggle lift Didymus onto Melchior, into the third saddle along Melchior's spine.
Sarah patted Melchior uncertainly on his multi-coloured hide before starting to climb. He made a grumbling sound, and nudged her upwards until she was seated on his spine just before his hindquarters, in the fourth and final saddle. Ruslana climbed easily into the pilot seat between Melchior's forequarters, and leaned over to haul Hoggle up. Sarah checked her straps, and then braced herself as Melchior lurched forward and through the vast stable door.
The leviathan was dark and deserted as Melchior slunk silently through the Dragon Walks to the Landing. In the distance, a lone light glowed from window of the Throne Room. Sarah held her breath. Almost there! They grew closer to the window, but were afforded some measure of protection by the high walls of the Cloisters adjoining the Walks, until finally they were crossing the Parade Grounds, running the gauntlet between Throne Room and Barracks. Hoggle muttered "Here we go," and Melchior started off across the open lit space.
Sarah was thankful for the wind-it whipped her hair around her face, but at least it hid the sound of Melchior's claws on the scale. They'd crossed half of the vast Parade Ground, when the light changed. Sarah looked up and saw Jareth in the window of the Throne Room. He looked down at them and she met his eyes. For a second, they both held still-then his eyebrow quirked and he shouted "Guards! Guards!" There was a clatter from the Barracks that bordered the parade ground.
"Shit," said Ruslana, succinctly, and then she kicked Melchior. "Run."
Melchior increased his pace, breaking from a slinking sneak into a bone-jarring trot, and then a shambling run. Riders swarmed out of the Barracks. Sarah was briefly aware of Owain wielding an axe and grabbing onto Melchior's harness by his forequarters, but then Ruslana swing a thorny foot and he was gone. Sarah hung on as Melchior rounded the corner at speed, careening into the Cloisters. She grunted as his hindquarters slammed into an upright, but her straps held and then finally they were onto the Landing. Melchior's gait improved with room to stretch out, and then they were at the edge of the shell and falling.
They plummeted through cloud with Melchior's wings half open. Above them, Sarah could hear shouts as Riders harnessed dragons and launched from the leviathan.
"Ruslana!" called Sarah. "We're being chased. If Melchior has any ideas, better do them soon!"
Ruslana swore, and glanced grimly upwards. She patted Melchior's neck. "He's got an idea, but you're not going to like it," Ruslana called back. "He says there's too many of them and they hunt in formation. We need to go deeper into the storm and hide." She reached down beside her into a long pouch strapped to the harness and pulled out a series of light metal poles with cloth attached. "Attach these to the harness beside you-there's a recess and then you pull straps around it, then crouch down low in your saddle as you can. Pull the cloth above you and fasten it to the other pole. Melchior says not to touch him or the poles. Make sure you stay in your saddle."
"Why?" said Sarah.
"Lightning. And make sure you've got your leathers laced across your face and ear protection in." Ruslana suited her actions to her words.
Sarah sighed, and said "Balls." But she settled the goggles on her face.
The storm roared around them and Sarah's muscles ached. For all that Melchior beneath her was radiating heat, she was chilled to the bone, and cramped from hours of hunching in her saddle. Icy needles had found every inch of exposed skin, and she could no longer feel her face. Ahead of her Didymus was groaning. Hoggle was huddled into as small a ball has he could possibly manage. Ruslana turned and tugged the leathers away from her mouth as she waved. "Melchior says that there's a city ahead. And we've lost the Riders-Melchior says the command to retreat went out an hour ago, but he wanted to be sure."
"Thank Aeolus!" said Hoggle. Then Melchior dropped below the clouds, which broke apart to stream sunshine on the city below.
Drowned Ys lay open and golden before them.
END OF BOOK ONE.
****
Title: The Lustre of the Firmament, Part Two
Author: jamethiel_bane
Recipient: aliasheist
Prompt: 2)The Descent into the Underworld. There's a looooooot of mythological material on the topic. Reference one, and show me Sarah's (eventual) return to the Labyrinth, whether it's five or five hundred years later. (Extra points if the myth referenced is not Greek in origin.)
3)Another World. I would love to see an AU, whether it's a role reversal, sci-fi, historical fantasy, steampunk, fairytale, anything. (Except high school AUs, DEAR GOD NO.)
Rating: MA for language.
Plot Summary/Author's Notes: “You ever work out that sometimes chains aren’t made of steel, you let me know."
Back to Part One
Full dark had fallen. The Riders stood impassive and gleaming around the Landing as hobs, nymphs, kelpies, dryads, wolf-girls and beetle-fae and, it seemed, the entire population of the leviathan fought for space in the Cloisters. Sarah used her knee to push a brownie aside and jammed herself into a vaulting pillar. Toby, looking unusually clean and dapper in his page's tunic of velvet, bounced up and down on his toes beside her, and Hoggle clung to the sill tenaciously and refused to be moved. Lightning flashed again, lighting up the leviathan from underneath and Sarah blinked in the strobe. For a second, it looked as if buildings had grown across the Landing's opening to the edge, and then the thunder cracked and in the glare that followed, Sarah saw a building move. Her breath came faster and Toby clutched her hand as Hoggle swore viciously beside them. It wasn't a building, it was a dragon. Huger than any other she'd ever seen. Its head had swept-back horns. The lightning flashed again and the other dragons (buildings whispered her mind) lowered their heads as the flattened their forequarters. Riders descended, armour gleaming and formed a diagonal line across the landing. Armour clanked as they rested their hands behind their backs and waited.
"WOW!" Toby whispered, pulling Sarah and Hoggle in. "They're so... shiny! Why don't our Riders look like that?"
Sir Owain, standing in front of them in the Landing, overheard and snorted. "Because we have better things to do than shine armour, boy," he said quietly. Nearby Goblin Riders caught the exchange, and an almost soundless chuckle ran around the Landing. The Faerie Riders were too much on their dignity to actually turn, but their gleaming armour suddenly appeared more decorative than intimidating.
The largest dragon in the centre prostrated itself and the Faerie Riders at the edge of the Landing stepped forward. Lightning flared again, and all laughter among the onlookers died. Standing on the dragon's head was a woman. Sarah suddenly felt lumpen and mortal and horribly, horribly plain. For the woman's face was the most beautiful she'd ever seen. Pale and fine-boned, with a cruel red mouth and eyes that sent a chill through to Sarah's bones.
The Queen of Faerie smiled, but her smile did not lift Sarah's heart. Sarah thought of tigers and predators in the grass, and she gripped Toby tightly and dropped her head with something not as fully formed as a thought, but an inchoate feeling of no. The Queen stepped forward from the dragon's head onto the backs of Riders who had prostrated themselves before her. She advanced to the centre of the Landing, gauzy silk flowing over tightly fitted chainmail. Her chainmail rang with the sound of silver bells. She dazzled by the light of the will-o'-the-wisps, chainmail and pearlescent skin, red lips and golden hair shining. She raised her head, and Sarah cringed as the Queen's gaze paused on her for a second and then moved on.
Jareth emerged from the shadows of the Cloisters. "Your Majesty. Welcome to the Goblin Court," he said, and half-bowed, his cape sweeping forward. The Queen laughed, and Sir Owain sighed as if his heart had been stolen from his chest.
"Cousin! Why so formal?" The Queen swept forward, holding out her hands. Jareth took them, and stood with a neutral expression as she kissed both his cheeks. "Why, it seems like yesterday that my parents took you in after your parents-well. You know. And here you are, with your own leviathan! I would not have thought it, but it is a good match. So quaint! Of course, very rustic, but really, quite charming!"
Jareth turned to stand beside the Queen, and tucked her hand into his arm. "I'm ecstatic my endeavours meet with your approval, Yvaine. But come-we have a feast awaiting us!"
They proceeded out of the Landing and into the path through the Cloisters, Goblin and Faerie Riders falling into two columns behind them. The rest of the inhabitants of the leviathan started to move, and Sarah cried out as she lost her grip on Toby's doublet and was swept away from him by the moving crowd.
"The lad'll be fine," said Hoggle, clinging onto her hand, but then he lost his grip and disappeared behind a troll.
Sarah struggled against the flow of the crowd for a second. A quinkin's long arm prevented her from turning, and the spriggan beside her jabbed her with bony fingers. The light was almost blotted out by the taller fae around her, and the air smelled of lightning. Sarah was shoved to the edge of the Cloisters, and hung onto a column, desperate. She scanned the crowd and spotted a tell-tale blue tunic on the other side of the Dining Hall forecourt. "Toby!" she yelled across the space. He waved to her from the Cloisters on the other side and the movement clearly caught the Queen's eye.
"Why, what's this?" Yvaine halted, forcing Jareth to halt with her.
"One of the pages, Yvaine. I hadn't realised that the Faerie Kingdom was so short of company that you had to pay attention to a servant-or is it merely that your rituals leave you so deprived?"
Yvaine shrugged. "I wonder that you can bear the place so dark. But it must be hard for you-I would not care for our visit to leave you deprived. Here, let me help." She gestured with her free hand, and balls of coloured lux animae began to float freely around the forecourt. One floated free, ascending above the Leviathan, lighting up the anvil heads of clouds as it went, but Yvaine didn't appear to be concerned.
Jareth showed his teeth, and said "Your generosity is, as ever, appreciated in the spirit in which it's offered." The Queen threw her head back and laughed, and they strolled through the open doors into the Dining Hall. The balls of lux animae followed. Will-o'-the-wisps chased after them greedily, performing a dizzying dance of light and causing the Riders' armour to reflect silver ripples onto the walls of the hall, and the crowd of lesser fae who followed. Truckle was waiting inside the hall to greet them, and bowed down, her nose almost touching her knees.
"Your majesty-majesties. If you would take your seats at the high table, the feast will begin."
"Why, how charming!" said Yvaine. "And who is this?"
Truckle straightened and looked at Yvaine in surprise. Yvaine's eyes widened and she inhaled deeply and a small ball of lux animae floated from Truckle's eyes, nose and mouth into Yvaine's hand. Yvaine clenched her fist around it and the lux animae disappeared. Yvaine's knife-edged beauty glowed. Truckle stood for a moment, and then vaguely wandered off to the end of the hall, as if she'd forgotten what she was doing.
A hiss travelled round the hall, with mutters of "Stolen" and "took her time and "not hers" coming from the lesser fae. Jareth regarded the Queen levelly.
"I would," he said, "appreciate it greatly if you would refrain from stealing lux animae from my subjects while you are here."
The Queen pouted at him. "Jareth! She's only a servant. And surely you wouldn't begrudge me my little amusements." She reached with her free hand and stroked his face. He caught her hand and bestowed a neatly vicious kiss on it.
"Surely a servant is below your notice, Yvaine. After all, I seem to recall status being of paramount importance in our youths. Or did I misremember that intrigue with the Rider? What was his name, again?"
Yvaine pulled her hand from Jareth's grasp and colour rose in her cheeks. "It was such a long time ago, I hardly remember. I'm sure it wasn't of any importance. The fancies of young girls!" Yvaine said, tossing her head back to release a ripple of laughter.
Jareth's smile froze, and he raised an eyebrow at Yvaine. "Of course. No importance at all."
Yvaine opened her mouth as if to speak, but then they were ascending the steps of the dais to the high table. She sat gracefully to the right of Jareth's throne, and Jareth reclined louchely. "Bring wine!" he said, and goblins scurried to obey.
In the kitchen, Serafima was fuming. Her eyes had lightened in colour from their usual happy sky-blue and were now the blue-white of metal just before it turned molten. She caught Sarah's arm as Sarah walked in. "Here. Chew this."
Sarah opened her mouth to say "What?" and Serafima popped... something, into her mouth. Sarah chewed reflexively. Ugh! Salt and bitter!
"Hazel twigs and salt. Use her Influence on the Goblin Kingdom, will she? We'll see about that!" Serafima bustled off, still muttering indignantly, and then went into the pantry. Hobs were standing by the huge kitchen fire, ladling coals into braziers with their bare hands. Serafima came out of the pantry with a several containers of dried foliage. Sarah blinked at her, and Serafima shoved a bunch of leaves and a length of string into her hands. "Bundle this. I want it tight, not burning too quickly." Sarah closed her mouth and began looping the string around the leaves, leveraging it against itself with knots. Ruslana stopped as she walked past to smirk at Sarah and Serafima shoved leaves at her as well. "You too! Plenty to be done, I want each of these braziers smoking nicely!"
Sarah sniffed the leaves in her hands. Sage? Ruslana did the same, and muttered "Rowan."
"That's right. sage, rowan and yew. We'll see how her Nibs does with influencing people with this in the air!" said Serafima.
Sarah finished a bundle and laid it on the bench-top. Serafima grabbed it, gathered up one of Ruslana's bunches and threw it into a brazier, along with her own finished bundle. "Well? What are you waiting for? Lid on, out into the hall, one in each corner of the dais, specifically before the Queen, then spaced around the edge of the hall. GO!" Hobs scattered out the door. Sarah gathered up more leaves to bind together.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Toby make a face as he chewed on hazel twigs and salt. He walked to the corner where the kitchen scraps were hurled, and then Sarah lost sight of him as Spritch bellowed "First course PLATED, out to the tables now!"
Sarah briefly caught a glimpse of Toby again as he lined up with the other pages to take a plate of roast pig's trotters and mustard fruit. The fires roared and a hob grabbed the sage from her hands almost before she'd finished the last knot. She saw Mark as he quickly walked by with a heavy platter on his shoulder. He grimaced what could have been a smile, and Sarah smiled back. Next to her Ruslana was doing the same, and the smile dropped off Sarah's face. Ruslana glared at her and jerked a knot viciously tight.
The Hall was thick with smoke. Serafima pulled the kitchen-hands close. "Right. We need to gather the plates, but those bastards are stealing lux animae left, right and centre. Sarah, Ruslana, take a platter each and go clear the high table. Mind your manners and keep your eyes down."
They shuffled out into the hall, eyes on the stained floor. The air was hazy with smoke Sarah saw Ruslana duck a thrown goblet out of the corner of her eye. Ruslana flushed a dull red-brown and turned, opening her mouth. Sarah caught Ruslana's elbow "Eyes down," she hissed. Ruslana shifted her shoulders, flicking Sarah's hand off, but lowered her head with a creak.
"Thanks." Ruslana said, quietly.
"Us against the Teg, right?" Sarah felt, more than saw, Ruslana's grudging nod, and then they were at the dais. They walked up the stairs, Sarah feeling fear cold in the pit of her stomach.
"I'll do our side, if you'll do theirs." Sarah said.
Ruslana nodded, abnormally quiet.
Eyes down, mind your manners, chanted Sarah inside her head. She reached between knights, gathering bowls, stacking goblets and sliding trenchers onto her tray. Sir Dinaden nodded at her, his face flushed with drink, and as she leaned between him and Owain he said loudly "Tha's good, good girl. Bet you're thankful to be here. Faerie court, huh!" Dinaden huffed a breath laden with drink over her, and Sarah controlled her face and kept her head down. Beside her, Owain looked uneasy. Sarah leaned between Owain and the Queen. "Flash and sparkle, no substance! Give me honest ugliness any day!"
She saw the Queen turn her head. The Queen's mouth showed white teeth and Sarah dropped her eyes to the table and picked up a spoon.
"Honest ugliness?" The Queen sounded amused. "Why, I merely allow a freer society, and naturally attract the best. Do you know that I have women Riders?" Sarah could feel the weight of the Queen's eyes on her, and she fought a shudder and leaned forward between the Queen and Jareth. The Queen stopped Sarah with a gentle hand on her upper arm, and said "Why, you're a pretty child. How would you like to become a Rider?"
Sarah flushed, placed her tray on the floor, and kept her eyes on the table. "I'm human, your Majesty. I can't be a Rider."
"Why, nonsense! Asezozel here is a human and one of my most faithful knights." Further down the table, a tall woman with a scar on her face leaned forward and smiled easily. Toby was standing behind the dais-his eyes grew wide and he rushed forward to refill Asezozel's goblet. Asezozel's smile grew wider and she inclined her head towards him, saying something that Sarah couldn't hear. Sarah shifted uneasily towards them and then the Queen stroked her cold white hand down the side of Sarah's face and under her chin, tipping it up. Sarah could feel the Queen's body heat on her back. "Wouldn't you like to be part of my court? It's much more luxurious than here. We have far greater reserves of lux animae. You work in the kitchens, yes? Haven't you ever given any thought to how it would feel to be riding a dragon with the wind in your hair? I can give that to you."
Sarah glanced at Toby, who was standing and staring at them, open-mouthed with longing as Asezozel looked on indulgently. Jareth shifted restlessly beside her, and she looked at him instinctively. She met his mismatched eyes for a second and an unreadable expression crossed his face. He smiled darkly and Sarah snapped her gaze back to the table in a panic. A cold sweat broke out on her skin as Jareth leaned forward and his gloved hand traced the same path down her face the Queen had stroked previously. He took the Queen's hand, and Sarah's head was tipped towards the ceiling by the combined grasp of their hands. His breath stirred Sarah's hair as he spoke.
"Surely you would not deprive me of my amusements, Yvaine? After all, as you observed, I have no female Riders."
Yvaine chuckled, and her mirth shook through Sarah's body. She spoke again, so close to Sarah's ear that the movement of her lips almost touched it in a kiss. "Ah, I've missed you, Jareth. We should have done this long ago."
Jareth pulled Yvaine around Sarah, and onto the arm of his chair. "An oversight I intend to make up for, I assure you." He stroked a finger down Yvaine's throat, and her eyes closed as she sighed, and relaxed into him.
Sarah stood there for a second, looking at the picture they made. Silver-blond hair mixing with wheaten-gold. Black gloves on white skin, and two cruel mouths smiling in pleasure. Jareth looked away from Yvaine and raised an eyebrow at her. "You're still here?"
Sarah flushed, humiliated, and gathered her tray and fled the hall on unsteady legs. The sound of their laughter seemed to follow her.
Ruslana met her at the door to the kitchen. She held the door open for Sarah mutely, and Sarah nodded gratefully, not able to speak yet.
In the kitchen, Serafima crashed a cleaver viciously down on a joint of meat. "Teggish scum. Ruiners." She raised the cleaver over her head and bought it down with a crack of bone. "It's them as gives the fae a bad name. All shiny and glitter and please and thank you, but fancy manners don't change the fact that they're parasites. Their leviathan runs on the dead, and no amount of paint and perfume can disguise that stench."
Ruslana drew Sarah over to the sink, taking the tray from Sarah's hands and depositing it on the trolley. She waved a thorny arm in front of the dish-pig, which snorted indignantly and then retreated to the muck heap. Ruslana plunged her hand into the first one sink, then the other and allowed the water to drain from both, reaching overhead to open stops and divert a bit of the hot water into the corroded taps to refill the sinks as she used her other hand to sprinkle soap flakes into the water. She slapped a cloth into Sarah's hands. "Come on, wash."
Sarah began wiping at a plate mechanically. Ruslana watched her for a second, and then made a clicking "Tchah!" noise and withdrew it from her hands, drying it and putting it on a small stack of clean plates to the right. "Clean the next one."
Sarah picked up the next plate from the stack and began wiping. There was a hard crusted spot on the porcelain and she picked at it with her fingernail. It lifted off in a flake and she drew her cloth over the plate in a spiral from centre to edge. She flipped it over and washed the back of the plate from side to side. Ruslana grabbed it from her and dunked it in the second sink of clean water, drying industriously.
"You can't-you can't let ‘em get to you like that, Princess." Ruslana's voice was kind.
Sarah flushed and ducked her head, and picked up the next dish, scrubbing at it energetically. She dunked it in the clean water, and then set it in the rack to drain. Ruslana picked it up, and slowly began to dry, watching Sarah. Sarah started scrubbing faster, until the dishes were stacked in the drying rack, four, five, six. She slowed her pace, and watched Ruslana out of the corner of her eye.
"It's. I don't want to. But I can't help it." Sarah said, slowly. "I don't know anyone who can. They're beautiful and shiny and they make you feel like-" She waved her dishcloth in the air, and Ruslana took another plate from the rack, concentrating on it. "They make you feel like you're dirt. Lower than dirt. Because you can never be as beautiful or elegant as they are, but they make you want to be. And so everything they do to you is OK, because maybe, just maybe, their elegance might rub off."
Ruslana stared fiercely at the plates. Sarah watched as Ruslana opened her mouth and then said creakily. "...yes. And if things don't go their way, if something turns out to be a mistake, they just throw it away, and say ‘Well, it's obvious that you can never be -'" Ruslana crashed a dry plate fiercely onto the pile and picked up the next "special, or even worthwhile because you have thorns and you're not pretty, you're an embarassment, there's no point even providing you the same opportunities. So they cast you off, and your mother hates you. And I hate them, Sarah. Hate."
Sarah's breath caught and she looked around nervously. "Be careful, Ruslana."
Ruslana looked at Sarah and Sarah's breath caught. Ruslana spoke in a fierce whisper. "I'm sick of being careful, Princess. You might be happy here, with dishpan hands and the fact that you're never going to be anything but a cog in this machine that runs around the Teg. But I'm going to get out."
"They'll hear you!" Sarah was whispering too.
Ruslana flicked a glance in the direction of the High Table. "Only if they care to listen, and I think they're a bit busy now."
Sarah leaned toward Ruslana."But how-?"
"I've got a plan, all right? I'll get out of here and I'll go to Drowned Ys and I'll be whatever I want to be. You should come too, Princess," said Ruslana, sounding improbably normal and matter-of-fact.
Sarah stared for a second, her heart expanding in her chest. But- "I can't. There's Toby."
"Ah." Ruslana looked sad. "You ever work out that sometimes chains aren't made of steel, you let me know."
"What do you mean?" Sarah's voice held a warning, but Ruslana disregarded it.
"I mean, Himself knows you'll never leave as long as Toby's here. So he tosses Toby in the pits, where you'll never see him. You spend the rest of your life searching for a way to free him, or even spend some time with him and in the meantime you get older and maybe you fall in love with Mark, because he's what there is. So you have kids, and forget about Toby, and then you can't leave because you couldn't get them out, either. And so it goes." Ruslana was matter-of-fact, and Sarah felt resentment swell.
"What's the alternative?" said Sarah, rudely.
Ruslana shrugged. "I don't know. Just-if Toby get a chance to get out, let him take it, OK?"
Sarah nodded, slowly, and then found that she'd cleared the last of the dishes from the sink. She dried her hands on Ruslana's dishtowel.
Spritch fussed over. "Ah, excellent. Girls, if you could please take the main subtlety out?"
Serafima carried the bowl of cream she was whisking over. "It's big. Wouldn't it be better to have a wolf-girl take it out?"
Spritch threw his hands up. "The impact of the dish would be ruined! My beautiful dragon should be presented by two beautiful maidens!"
Sarah, Ruslana and Serafima exchanged glances. Sarah's eyebrows were raised, Serafima looked ironic and Ruslana mouthed "Beautiful?"
Spritch clicked his tongue, and dragged Sarah and Ruslana over to the main bench, where a pastry dragon with berries for scales stood surrounded by piles of sugar tinted gold and arranged in metallic drifts around marzipan trees. "My masterpiece! Now, careful how you go there." Sarah looked helplessly at Serafima, but Serafima shrugged, and spooned a generous line of cream onto the dragon's back before retreating back to her bench with the remains of the bowl. The platter was lifted up onto their shoulders, and Sarah and Ruslana staggered under the weight.
"You OK? I can get someone else to take it," said Ruslana.
Sarah sighed. "No, it's OK. May as well just go on. Come on, feet!"
Ruslana looked at her askance as they staggered through the door to the Hall. "Look, we'll drop it if we keep doing this. Grab my shoulder and step with me."
Sarah reached out her right hand and grabbed Ruslana's shoulder. Ruslana reached out her left hand and set it on Sarah's shoulder. "Ready?"
Sarah grunted, then said "On three. One, two-" and they stepped out together.
Sarah could feel Jareth's eyes on them as they advanced down the hall. The tray bent their heads forward and to the side, and she was fiercely glad that her vision was restricted to the scales at her feet. Her heightened colour could be attributed to lifting the tray. Ruslana's hand tightened on her shoulder in invisible encouragement, and then they were at the High Table.
Yvaine was sprawled in her seat, colour high as she smiled into her wine. Ruslana and Sarah set the platter down and Yvaine spoke. "Such a pity I can't tempt the girl here to come with me. Think of the wasted opportunities!"
Jareth hummed noncommittally, sipped his wine, and watched Sarah over the rim of his goblet. Sarah took a step backwards, but stopped as Yvaine raised an eyebrow. Ruslana's hand closed convulsively round Sarah's arm, and Sarah saw Toby walk up and stand behind the Queen. "Luckily, not everyone has proven blind to the opportunity. Young Toby has agreed to join me on my leviathan," said Yvaine. She drew Toby forward with a hand on his shoulder, and Asezozel advanced behind him, trapping him between Jareth and Yvaine.
"He is still my subject," said Jareth. His tone was mild but Sarah could hear the Influence ringing over the words, sounding through her body to strike harmonics off her bones. She shivered with the force and could feel Ruslana shift uncomfortably beside her, but Yvaine merely smiled, luminous and greedy.
"Have you ever sworn loyalty to Jareth or the leviathan, child?"
Toby darted a glance at Jareth, but shook his head.
"Then all you need to do is swear to me that you'll serve me and my court and the deed is done."
The entire hall was still. It appeared as if the leviathan itself was holding its breath. Sarah's mouth opened, but Yvaine flicked her fingers and said "Silence!" and not a sound would come out of Sarah's mouth.
Toby still hesitated, but then said "Sarah, she's gonna let me be a Rider! I'll have my own dragon and everything. I-please. Please."
Sarah twisted her hands in her skirt. And then, she heard an echo of Ruslana's words: if Toby get a chance to get out, let him take it. Tears started in her eyes, but she raised her chin and smiled at Toby. Toby looked startled, then raised his chin and said "I'll swear!"
Yvaine lowered her eyelids, looking felinely satisfied. "Then swear, young human. Swear by blood and bone that you'll serve the Queen of the Faerie Court in all her commands."
The hall seemed to darken, and Toby's high voice rang out through the air. Asezozel bent to whisper in his ear. "I swear by blood and bone that I will serve the Queen of the Faerie Court." He paused, and Asezozel poked an armoured finger into his back. "Oh! Um, in all her commands."
Lightning flashed and thunder crashed simultaneously, strobing the hall in light. The Queen smiled, triumphant. Jareth was looking directly at Sarah, studying her as though she was a new species of lichen growing on the leviathan. Something cold and alien looked through his eyes. Tears started running down Sarah's face, and she gave a mute wail of agony. Ruslana looked nervously at Jareth and Yvaine and started tugging on Sarah's arm. "Sarah. Sarah. Come away."
Sarah let herself be led to the kitchen. She felt the Queen's influence stretch and snap as she walked through Serafima's threshold. A low moan came out of her mouth, and Ruslana supported her as she swayed on her feet. Serafima glanced at them and frowned. "What happened?"
In spite of the removal of the Queen's Influence, Sarah found she still couldn't speak. Ruslana sighed and said "The Queen-"
An anguished scream sounded from back of the kitchen, as a lampad opened an oven door and smoke poured out. "MY DESSERTS," screamed Spritch, clutching his face. Serafima looked over and swore. "Waste and ruin. Ruslana, take one of my possets and tuck Sarah into bed. I'll come by later-right now, I have to somehow produce desserts for an entire hall," said Serafima. She dumped a measure of flour into a bowl and cracked six eggs into it, then grabbed the bowl and walked towards the chaos at the back of the kitchen.
Ruslana darted over to the pantry and measured out liquid into a mug. "Come on, Sarah. Let's get you to bed." She drew Sarah, unresisting, across the kitchen and out into the Cloisters. Ruslana nodded at the lindwyrm, and led Sarah up the ladder and into the dorm.
The room was dimly lit and there was barely room to stand up. Sarah curled up on her bed and Ruslana threw a thin cover over her. "Try to sleep."
Sarah felt her eyes grow heavy and she slipped into a light doze. Her dreams were restless-thorns pricked beautiful maidens who smiled at Sarah and then immediately fell into a death-like sleep. A young girl with golden hair said "But wolves are the point of exploring, aren't they?" and trailed a red cloak in front of leering men with axes. Breadcrumb trails were scattered in front of birds who turned into princes, and fell upon the food ravenously. One of the swan-men looked up at Sarah and said "The most important thing is never to give up, really," as he pointed a wing onwards. A woman with enormously long hair and no hands sat bleeding in a garden bed as she ravenously ate greens. She looked at Sarah and pointed with her bloody stumps towards a tower which grew among vines. Sarah climbed the tower, and at the top, a prince sat with his back to the window. He didn't look at her, but said "I can't look out the window, Sarah Williams. But you should."
Sarah looked out the window and saw Toby. He was seated on a dragon and smiling as roses drank his blood. The roses grew vigorously along the roadside in a riot of brambles, their scent drugging the air. Flowers swelled and grew and one grew larger than all the rest. As it blossomed, a woman clad only in her long blonde hair was revealed in the centre of the bloom. She stepped out of the rose, growing as she did so, and roses bled beneath her feet and writhed under her, bearing her aloft.
"Toby! Toby," cried Sarah as she leaned forward from the window, but he didn't hear her. The rose-woman did and she looked towards the window and smiled-and Sarah recognised her as the Queen. Yvaine turned her face back towards Toby and said something to him. Toby laughed, and Sarah noticed human bones twined with the brambles. She leaned forward, trying to catch Toby's attention, but he didn't take any notice.
"You'll never make it."
Sarah started as the Prince's voice sounded in her ear. "I thought you said you couldn't look out the window."
"Did I? I'm not looking out the window, Sarah Williams. I'm looking at you." He looked at her as if something puzzled him, and Sarah absently noticed that his eyes were different colours.
"How do I stop her? How do I rescue Toby?"
"You'll never do it. You'll never rescue Toby. Stay here with me, instead." The Prince smiled at her and Sarah blinked at him.
"But-I have to."
"Then you'd better hurry," said the Prince, laying a hand on her shoulder and directing her gaze out the window. Toby was almost white. The Prince chuckled, and said "Before you're too late."
Sarah felt those words strike a deep foreboding. She turned to ask the Prince-something but he gave her a seraphic smile and straightened his arm. The windowsill connected with the back of her knees. Sarah flung her arms to keep her balance, but the Prince seemed to evade her grasp as if he was water. She fell, and a bell began to trill. She fell and fell, past the tower, through darkness and all the while the Prince's face appeared as at the top of a well. "Too late," said nameless voices.
She landed with a thump and opened her eyes with a start. Hancock was pacing along the length of her bed, sounding an alarm-like trill.
"What-?" Sarah rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and put her other hand out to calm Hancock. He evaded her outstretched hand, rushing up her body to peck at her face. Sarah jerked to the side, and his beak struck the pillow. He tilted his head, looking at her alternately through copper then aluminium eyes. Sarah heaved herself from the bed, and staggered to the ladder. She could feel the leviathan's shell vibrating. At the exit from the pits, the lindwyrm was twined around struts. Sarah stepped from the door and almost lost her footing in the gale. A passing peryton braced her with its antlers and helped push her to the Cloisters.
"Better strap in, little human. The storm's here, and it's going to be a leveller."
Sarah clipped her harness onto the guide cable and made her way in fits and starts towards the side-entrance to the kitchens. Serafima was overseeing the clean-up of the feast. She smiled at Sarah.
"Hello, child. Feeling better?"
Sarah nodded. "Still groggy, though. Have they left yet?"
Serafima shook her head. "Last farewells out in the landing now."
"I'd better go say goodbye to Toby, then," said Sarah.
Serafima frowned at Sarah. "Why on earth would you do that?"
Sarah forced a smile. "Oh, didn't you hear? The Queen offered Toby a chance to be a Rider. So he swore fealty to her, and he'll leave with her. I'll miss him, but-it's his dream."
Serafima grew pale. "Child-you can't. You can't let that monster take him."
Sarah stared at Serafima. "It's his dream-Serafima, what aren't you telling me?"
Serafima twisted her pinions in her apron. "I assumed you knew! Everybody knows, for all nobody talks about it. How do you think they live in such luxury? How are they able to live such a soft life?"
Sarah clenched her hands into fists and then reached out to still Serafima's pinions. "Serafima. I don't know-whatever you're saying, I haven't heard, I don't know.." Serafima hesitated and Sarah reached to grab her by the shoulders. "You cannot let me walk into this blind. For my sake, for Toby's sake, tell me."
"We do not often speak of it, because we are afraid. Their ears are sharp and their power is vast and strange-accidents befell those who spoke out, so it was safer not to speak of it." Serafima spoke in a low voice. "We just assumed that everybody knew, and never thought that some day Yvaine the Beautiful, Yvaine the Bloody would outlive her notoriety."
"Serafima-," said Sarah, nearly hopping from leg to leg in impatience.
Serafima sat down on a chair beside the hearth and smoothed her apron. "The leviathans live on lux animae. The Teg can't generate it in anything like quantities sufficient to run a leviathan, but they can channel it. And steal it."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I know this, Serafima. Tell me why I shouldn't let Toby go!"
Serafima's eyes flashed fire and Sarah fell back, abashed. "Those of us who have been here from the beginning have our own guilt over complicity, child. This is not easy to tell you." Serafima drew a deep breath and said, "We here on the Goblin Kingdom leviathan live by stealing a day here and there. We are not the largest and we run poor. The Faerie kingdom is luxurious. They have lux animae to burn. They take entire lives."
Sarah blinked at Serafima. "I don't-what?"
"The Queen made a bargain. Vast wealth and power in exchange for three lives every seven years. Not only a day, a moment, but their entire lives and every possibility of what they could have been." Serafima spat into the fire. "She gets others to pay the tithe."
"Others?" said Sarah.
"Humans."
"She's going to sacrifice Toby! I have to save him!" Sarah whirled and began to run from the kitchen, but Serafima caught her by her left wrist.
"It's not that easy, Sarah. He's vowed himself to her. Words have meaning-he's bound."
Sarah clenched her fists. "So tell me how I can break the binding. There must be a way."
"The Queen is running tight on time. She has nine months, and I don't think she has the full three yet. She can't sacrifice anyone who hasn't bound themselves-and if the sacrifice isn't made, her power fails," said Serafima.
"How do I stop her?"
Serafima's crest slicked down tight to her neck. "I don't know. I don't know if anyone knows. The only two people around at the beginning were Herself and Jareth."
"I have to try." Sarah found that tears were threatening to spill. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, impatient, and Serafima released her wrist.
"I know you do, child. Go."
Sarah ran across the kitchen and out the door. Her feet beat a pattern of too late, too late on the scale, but she ran. Out the Hall and into the Cloisters. Bracing against the wind, no time to clip her harness onto the cable and ricocheting from upright to upright, to the landing. Toby's face peered whitely from Asezozel's cloak and the salamanders and will-o'-the-wisps couldn't compete against the lowering gloom. Jareth was bowing low over Yvaine's hand, and they both appeared unaffected by the wind. Sarah collapsed at the Queen's feet.
"Please. Please. You can't. You can't take him-he's my brother."
The Queen smiled. "Why, it's the little maid. Are you sure I can't take you away from this life of drudgery? I promise, you'd never have to wash another pot again." Jareth smiled mockingly beside her.
The tears spilled over, and Sarah let them fall. "Please. He's my brother, and he's only little. He doesn't deserve to be sacrificed. Please. Please."
The Queen's eyes hardened and her nostrils flared. "Who told you?"
Jareth blinked in satisfaction. "Why, Yvaine. They may be mortal, but they do talk. Besides, does it matter?"
Yvaine took a deep breath. "True." She turned to Sarah and extended her hands. Sarah took them automatically, and scrambled up. "Why, your brother will be honoured above all others! He will live in luxury and never know a moment's pain!"
"Until you kill him." Sarah spat on the scales of the Landing. Yvaine looked genuinely puzzled, and Sarah saw a howling emptiness in her eyes. The world narrowed, and Sarah could only think I must free him as she lunged for Yvaine. Yvaine stepped back, startled, and Jareth caught Sarah around the waist, laughing as she fought.
"Sarah!" Toby reached for her from the back of the dragon, but Asezozel pinned his arms and swathed him in her cloak.
"I don't think she's listening to you, Yvaine." Jareth's voice held amusement as he controlled Sarah's struggles with no apparent effort.
"No. A pity. Still, it was pleasant to see you again, Jareth," said Yvaine.
Jareth bowed ironically, and said "Yvaine."
The Queen turned and stepped lightly onto the dragon's clawed foot, and from there onto the base of its neck. She nodded to her court, and one by one, the dragons turned and dropped off the edge of the leviathan.
Sarah sobbed as Jareth dropped her onto the scales. Hancock raced over and mantled over Sarah protectively.
"Why, you appear to miss the boy," said Jareth.
Sarah choked. "He's my brother. Of course I do!"
"The two do not necessarily follow," said Jareth. "And I suppose you'd do anything to get him back?"
Words failed Sarah and she nodded miserably.
"You are expressly forbidden from stealing a dragon and following him. You will fail." Jareth's voice was cold and matter-of-fact. Sarah found herself bridling but forced her eyes down to the scales.
"Yes," Sarah muttered.
Jareth kicked at Hancock. "And keep that damn bird out of my sight!"
The wind howled, and Sarah collapsed to the scales and wept with despair.
"Get up." A hard foot prodded at Sarah's shoulder. She made an incoherent sound of rejection and buried her face in her arms. "Get up."
Sarah rolled over and stared at Ruslana. "They took Toby," said Sarah eventually, her voice thick with tears.
"I know. And you can either sit there and cry for the rest of your life, or you can get up and do something about it. You have to decide-are you just going to let them do this to you? Are you just going to let them take and take and take and never say a word in protest because you're a servant and that's just how it works? Come on, Princess. I'm going. You can come with me. But we have to go right now," said Ruslana. Her eyes burned with passion and Sarah found herself standing without consciously deciding to.
"What can I do? She's taken Toby," said Sarah.
"And you're going to get him back. But it has to be now." Ruslana held out a hand. Sarah looked at it suspiciously for a second, then breathed deeply and reached out and clasped her own hand with Ruslana's.
"What are we going to do?"
"... I don't know. But we start with getting out of here," said Ruslana.
"Will you get Mark to help us?" asked Sarah.
Ruslana considered this briefly, then shook her head. "No. You and I are used to sneaking around. We're going to need to be quick and quiet, and the less fuss we make, the better."
"Where are we going?" said Sarah.
Ruslana shrugged. "I figure we make it out of here to Drowned Ys and then see where we go from there. You can see if you can get some more information, and I can do... something. Anyrate. We get out of here, then worry about it."
"Well then. Let's go." said Sarah.
They met again outside the kitchen. Sarah had her bundle of clothes strapped to her back. "Got it?" Sarah spoke in a low voice, in spite of the fact that the wind snatched the words from her mouth as soon as she said them. Ruslana nodded, and then glared as Hancock popped his head out of the bundle on Sarah's back.
"Did you have to bring the damn rooster?" said Ruslana, annoyed.
Sarah looked wounded. "I can't believe you'd suggest that! Of course I'm taking him. He's all I have left of Toby! Besides, Jareth would probably kill him if I left him here."
Ruslana made a sour face, and then swung the kitchen door open. She held a finger to her lips and they eased the door gently shut. They each grabbed a cloth and tiptoed to the pantry.
"I've already packed something for you." The fire flared and illuminated Serafima, sitting in a chair and watching them quietly.
Ruslana widened her eyes and said defiantly, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Serafima looked at them steadily, and Sarah felt a flush climb up to the roots of her hair. Ruslana tilted her chin and looked away.
"I'm sorry, Serafima, but I have to go," said Sarah.
Serafima smiled, and opened her arms. Sarah looked at her for a second and then she flung herself into Serafima's familiar embrace. Ruslana made a creaking noise, and then did the same. Serafima's wings folded around them and for a second Sarah allowed herself to believe that she was safe, and that Serafima would fix everything. She pushed back, and raised her chin.
"I've packed you food, in those two panniers there. They'll strap to your backs. Longer-lasting stuff in the bottom, fruit and the like on the top," said Serafima. "Oh, girls. I know that you have to go, and I'll delay them as long as I can."
Sarah nodded around the lump in her throat. Ruslana cleared her throat and swung the two panniers off the bench.
"If you make it to Drowned Ys, I have a cousin who works in the market. His name's Gaius Secundus," said Serafima. "Now. There's nothing much else I can offer you-I'm just a cook. But I just want to give you these," and she handed them each a hazelnut. "If you are in a situation that is far over your head and you need some protective camouflage, crack these. I don't know exactly what they'll do-my mother gave them to me, but I wanted to follow a different path and only used one. It helped, but not in a way that I expected. Now go! Hurry! Be quick and quiet!"
Sarah shoved the nut into her bundle of clothes. Hancock pecked at it desultorily and she tapped him on his metal comb. "Leave that alone!" said Sarah.
Ruslana shoved her nut into her pocket and moved impatiently to the door. "We have to go now, Princess. Before the Riders recover from the feast."
Sarah moved to the door, then hesitated and turned back. Serafima smiled, and Sarah stepped out into the night.
The Mews was deserted. The wind howled around the outside walls, and dragons clanked and grumbled in their stalls.
"What now, genius?" Sarah kept her voice to a furious whisper.
Ruslana hissed, and moved around the walls at a crouch, keeping to shadows. They paused in the corner and Ruslana said "You know Owain's my father?"
Sarah blinked at her. "Er. No, I didn't. Congratulations?" Ruslana turned and looked at her, and Sarah offered weakly "I'm sorry?"
Ruslana shrugged. "He's kind of a bastard. Abandoned my mother and me when it was clear that I wasn't going to look Teggish, with the thorns and all. But I'm still his daughter, for all he denies it. And that means I can channel lux animae, a bit. And also-"
"You can talk to dragons!" Sarah's voice rose with excitement, and Ruslana held a furious finger to her lips in response.
"Who goes there? Show yourselves!" Hoggle unclipped his harness from the cable and strode into the centre of the weathering yard. Sarah went to stand out of the shadows, but Ruslana gripped her shoulder fiercely. They crouched, hardly daring to breathe. Hoggle waited for a second and then turned to go. Ruslana slumped with relief and as she did so, scraped one of the thorns on her elbows down the mews wall. Hoggle stiffened and turned around, advancing on the corner.
Sarah sighed, and stood up. "Hello, Hoggle."
"Sarah, it's you. Better get inside, this storm's not going to blow over soon." Hoggle's eyes were obviously adjusting to the light, for he saw Ruslana crouching behind her and stiffened. "What-Sarah, what are you doing?" said Hoggle.
Sarah gripped her clothes and stared fiercely at Hoggle. His gaze took in her clothes, and Ruslana carrying the panniers. "Oh no. Sarah, you can't."
Sarah strode forward and grasped his hands. "Hoggle, I must. It's for Toby."
Hoggle closed his eyes. "Well, if you must, you must. But I'm coming with you." Ruslana and Sarah both started to protest, but he held up a hand. "Now, there's no use arguing, I've made up me mind."
Sarah drew a breath to protest further, but Ruslana said "Fine. Now be quiet," and with that they were on the move again. They ducked into the prep room, and Ruslana grabbed several sets of riding leathers. "Aha! Take these, wear ‘em. It gets cold when you're riding, Owain said. Also, a hat, goggles and ear protection."
Hoggle grumbled. "Why should we do that?"
Ruslana stared at him. "I don't know, but it's part of the Rider's uniform for a reason, so we take them."
"Which dragon are we going to take?" said Sarah, pulling on the leathers.
Ruslana shrugged. "I'm not bonded to any of ‘em, and I've never fed any of ‘em. So really, just whoever is prepared to take us."
Sarah struggled with her voice for a second. "That's your plan?"
Ruslana glared at her. "It's a hell of a lot more than you've contributed, Princess. Unless you've got something useful to say, you can just shut the hell up."
Sarah threw her shoulders back and stepped forward. Ruslana stood straighter and dropped her hands by her sides. Hoggle stepped inbetween them, with hands outstretched. "Girls. Fight later. Right now we need to escape."
Sarah dropped her chin and nodded, and Ruslana looked away. "I'll see who'll speak to me. Hang on," said Ruslana. Sarah shifted uneasily as the seconds crawled away, and then Ruslana spoke. "Got it. Over here," and she led them out of the prep room and towards a small stall in the furthest corner of the Mews. They unlatched the door and stepped forward warily. Something shifted in the dark, and Sarah's breath caught. A light flared in the corner of the stall and Sir Didymus looked at them gravely.
"I cannot let you pass, fair maidens." He rested his hand on the red to grey to black dragon beside him. The dragon was significantly smaller than many others Sarah had seen, but it was still at least twice Sarah's height at the shoulder. She swallowed, and the dragon regarded them with interest and blinked.
"Sir Didymus-" Sarah's voice failed with frustration. They'd come this far!
"I have sworn an oath." Didymus stood straight and proud and true. Hoggle made an incoherent noise of frustration and pushed forward. Sir Didymus' eyes narrowed and he pulled a bodkin out from his riding leathers. "Do not presume upon our friendship. I will keep my word!" Hoggle bared his teeth and picked up a wooden plank that was on the floor, gripping it like a bat.
Sarah took a deep breath. "Sir Knight. What was the word you gave?"
"I have sworn that so long as I retain the spark of consciousness, I will fight to defend the Goblin Kingdom from any and all threats!" said Didymus.
Sarah stared at him. "Didymus, we're two girls, a dwarf and a metal rooster. We intend no harm to the Goblin Kingdom." Hoggle edged into the shadows and Sarah lost sight of him.
Sir Didymus looked disapproving. "And your attempted theft of the dragon? That is indeed harm, for it is dragons are a resource that leviathans can't spare."
Ruslana rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. Melchior's a runt! I heard Father say that's the only reason that they let you be a Rider."
Sir Didymus looked wounded, and Sarah stepped forward, hands outstretched. "Please, Sir Didymus. I must rescue Toby."
Sir Didymus looked torn for a second. He bit his lip, and then pointed his bodkin straight at them. "I cannot go back on my word."
Hoggle stepped from the shadows, and clipped Didymus neatly behind the ear with the plank. He caught Didymus as Didymus crumpled, and lowered him gently onto the straw. "Well, now you won't have to," said Hoggle, gruffly. He caught Sarah and Ruslana looking at him. "What? He told us himself. ‘As long as he retains the spark of consciousness!' So if he's unconscious..."
Sarah clapped her hands. "He hasn't breached his oath. Hoggle, you're brilliant!"
The dragon swung his head around and looked at them with interest. Sarah caught her breath, but Ruslana stepped forward.
"Melchior says he'll help us, if we'll let him go free afterwards. He hates it here-the other dragons pick on him," said Ruslana. "We'll need to put his harness on and strap ourselves in. Sarah, come help me with this."
With a little direction from Melchior, they managed to get him harnessed. Sarah stared at the unconscious Sir Didymus for a minute. "What do we do with Sir Didymus?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at Ruslana. Hoggle snorted and Ruslana shrugged. "Can't leave him here, he's duty bound to give the alarm. We'd better take him with." And with that, she helped Hoggle lift Didymus onto Melchior, into the third saddle along Melchior's spine.
Sarah patted Melchior uncertainly on his multi-coloured hide before starting to climb. He made a grumbling sound, and nudged her upwards until she was seated on his spine just before his hindquarters, in the fourth and final saddle. Ruslana climbed easily into the pilot seat between Melchior's forequarters, and leaned over to haul Hoggle up. Sarah checked her straps, and then braced herself as Melchior lurched forward and through the vast stable door.
The leviathan was dark and deserted as Melchior slunk silently through the Dragon Walks to the Landing. In the distance, a lone light glowed from window of the Throne Room. Sarah held her breath. Almost there! They grew closer to the window, but were afforded some measure of protection by the high walls of the Cloisters adjoining the Walks, until finally they were crossing the Parade Grounds, running the gauntlet between Throne Room and Barracks. Hoggle muttered "Here we go," and Melchior started off across the open lit space.
Sarah was thankful for the wind-it whipped her hair around her face, but at least it hid the sound of Melchior's claws on the scale. They'd crossed half of the vast Parade Ground, when the light changed. Sarah looked up and saw Jareth in the window of the Throne Room. He looked down at them and she met his eyes. For a second, they both held still-then his eyebrow quirked and he shouted "Guards! Guards!" There was a clatter from the Barracks that bordered the parade ground.
"Shit," said Ruslana, succinctly, and then she kicked Melchior. "Run."
Melchior increased his pace, breaking from a slinking sneak into a bone-jarring trot, and then a shambling run. Riders swarmed out of the Barracks. Sarah was briefly aware of Owain wielding an axe and grabbing onto Melchior's harness by his forequarters, but then Ruslana swing a thorny foot and he was gone. Sarah hung on as Melchior rounded the corner at speed, careening into the Cloisters. She grunted as his hindquarters slammed into an upright, but her straps held and then finally they were onto the Landing. Melchior's gait improved with room to stretch out, and then they were at the edge of the shell and falling.
They plummeted through cloud with Melchior's wings half open. Above them, Sarah could hear shouts as Riders harnessed dragons and launched from the leviathan.
"Ruslana!" called Sarah. "We're being chased. If Melchior has any ideas, better do them soon!"
Ruslana swore, and glanced grimly upwards. She patted Melchior's neck. "He's got an idea, but you're not going to like it," Ruslana called back. "He says there's too many of them and they hunt in formation. We need to go deeper into the storm and hide." She reached down beside her into a long pouch strapped to the harness and pulled out a series of light metal poles with cloth attached. "Attach these to the harness beside you-there's a recess and then you pull straps around it, then crouch down low in your saddle as you can. Pull the cloth above you and fasten it to the other pole. Melchior says not to touch him or the poles. Make sure you stay in your saddle."
"Why?" said Sarah.
"Lightning. And make sure you've got your leathers laced across your face and ear protection in." Ruslana suited her actions to her words.
Sarah sighed, and said "Balls." But she settled the goggles on her face.
The storm roared around them and Sarah's muscles ached. For all that Melchior beneath her was radiating heat, she was chilled to the bone, and cramped from hours of hunching in her saddle. Icy needles had found every inch of exposed skin, and she could no longer feel her face. Ahead of her Didymus was groaning. Hoggle was huddled into as small a ball has he could possibly manage. Ruslana turned and tugged the leathers away from her mouth as she waved. "Melchior says that there's a city ahead. And we've lost the Riders-Melchior says the command to retreat went out an hour ago, but he wanted to be sure."
"Thank Aeolus!" said Hoggle. Then Melchior dropped below the clouds, which broke apart to stream sunshine on the city below.
Drowned Ys lay open and golden before them.
END OF BOOK ONE.