Labyrinth: Saving the Fallen City

Warriors Among Us

 I walked through the gates and when I turned around the cave was gone and on the other side of the gates was the overview of the High Kingdom. I stared at its beauty and smiled. The kingdom created a semi circle around the castle.  The kingdom was very large and each house or structure looked like it had been perfectly placed in its exact position. The streets were buzzing with creatures but most of the creatures looked like me. “Their Fae” Hedian said watching me assess what was happening. I only saw their silhouette from the distance we were at. My eyes followed the different grassy streets to pathways.

               Three pathways led to the castle, each having its own gate.  From the gates was an open field serving as a courtyard with huge trees in full bloom around the sides. Creatures rushed about the field with different things in their arms. I looked at them confused and Sina gasped. “They are preparing for a ball!” She said and I nodded. My eyes moved next, to the castle. Its many towers soared into the sky, reaching for the sun. The walls were covered in white stone. The castle had a very large, wooden door with black metal trailing towards the middle at its lock. From there, I looked to the back of the castle and saw a lake jutting out towards a mountain. The lake pushed at the mountain, but the mountain held its ground and kept the water enclosed.

               “Beautiful isn’t it?” Hedian asked. “It’s the most spectacular thing I’ve ever seen” I said too taken with the entire kingdom to rise above a whisper. “We should keep moving I plan to make it to the castle by evening” Sina said. “Why evening? Is it truly that far?” I asked her. “The underground plays tricks on your eyes. Never take any distance at what it looks like” Jareth said, jumping off the side of the cave opening. He landed on a perch just below us. Hedian jumped next then Sina. I looked over the side and my heart skipped a beat. If I missed the perch, I would plummet to the ground so far below us. I swallowed my fear and stepped off. I felt weightless as my body fell to the perch. I didn’t notice how fast the ground was coming to me until I was in Jareth’s arms. I immediately pushed his arms away and muttered “Thank You” Before I continued to walk.

               We reached about halfway done the mountain when Sina put her arm in front of me. “We haven’t been to the high kingdom since being sent to our kingdoms. Understand that we were much younger and looked different back then. When we are confronted by the warriors, I want you to stay by Jareth while Hedian and I handle them” She said. I nodded to her but kept the most distance from Jareth that I could manage. My mind went in circles trying to imagine what these Warriors would look like. I didn’t know if they were big or little, fat or skinny. Whatever they were, I wouldn’t want to get into a fight with any of them.

               Sina and Jareth jumped to the next ledge followed by Hedian. I climbed down last and hoped that it wasn’t much further down. When I looked up and past the three siblings, I was looking straight into dark woods with the mountain behind us. “What?” I asked to no particular person. “We just stood on the center of the mountain and now we are at the beginning of the woods” I explained. “Distance never matters” Jareth said behind me. I ignored him as Sina and Hedian creeped through the woods and motioned for us to follow. These woods were nothing like Sina’s beautiful forest. These woods were purposefully placed as a way to trick your mind and keep the unwanted out. The woods were dark and ominous. An eerie silence hung over the forest and brush like a blanket. The trees all around were being suffocated by dark green growths on the sides and the ground looked like a black hole to nowhere. With every step the woods grew darker and darker.

               “They’re watching us” Jareth whispered in my ear, so low that it sent a shiver of fear over my body. Sudden noises occurred everywhere at once. A snap to my left cause my head to turn but the only thing I saw was a slight fog. Another whisper to my right rattled me and our group stopped. Hedian and Sina took steps forward towards the noises. “Audience” Hedian roared. The woods erupted in battle cries and screeches. The sound of the Warriors cries were deafening. Within seconds of hearing them, Jareth had taken a hold of my arm and pulled me to him. I attempted to protest his strong hold but a spear to my neck forbade me the movement.