In his domain, Jareth, the goblin king, sat in his large throne gazing into a crystal ball that he so happened to have in his hand. He missed Sarah deeply and he knew that she would never come back to him. There was always the faint hope, though. He stared blankly into the crystal and watched the blazing lights swirl around in the fantasy world he had offered to her.

            He started to think about his appearance and thought perhaps it was that which she didn’t like of him. He looked at himself in a long mirror that he had conjured. He was good looking. He had the long platinum blonde hair that he decided to have it pulled back in a more punk-sophisticate style that he had seen in Sarah’s realm. He still wore the same outfits though. He decided the pants were out of date with HER realm and changed them to a pair of slacks that fit very nicely with the punk-sophisticate attitude he seemed to ooze. His blue-gray eyes were all the masterful with the way he judged himself.

          Then, he changed himself back to the way he had looked before, with the riding pants and the shaggy, everywhere hair-do. He realized he was trying to change himself and he couldn’t have that, especially because of one girl. Then, he thought of that girl and sighed heavily. He knew that she was gone, but couldn’t forget.

            He stood and walked to the large mirror. He touched the surface and watched as a ripple effect came over the once smooth surface. It started to show an image. He placed his entire hand inside the mirror and wrenched something inside it with a sneer. Suddenly, he saw the image become clearer. It was the image of a woman standing on top of a hill watching a sunset. She couldn’t have been more than twenty. She was beautiful. She had long, deep crimson curls that were cut just below her shoulders. Her bangs, however, were only slightly wavy, cut from her eyebrows downward to her high cheekbones, covering half of her slightly angular eyebrows. She had brilliant blue eyes and an almost regal, oval-square face. Her pale skin glimmered in the golden sunlight. She wore around her neck a deep red gem on a gold chain. She wore a tight, black leather shirt that was short sleeved and the neckline was cut low to show the top of her creamy bust. She had on a pair of tight; black leather pants that tied closed in the front. Her boots were of black suede and went up so that they just past her knees. She pulled on her long black velvet cloak and put the hood on to cover her features. He noticed one last thing before she left the view of his mirror. She had a very strange, gold watch with four hands on a gold chain that was attached to her belt.

            He took note of the strange pocket watch. He also took note of the extraordinary girl as well. She walked away into a portal of sorts and disappeared into it. He would have to bring her to him. Such a find could not be left unnoticed. He also seemed to recognize the watch from a previous encounter with someone.

            Kalair walked through the time/dimension portal and watched as the beautiful blue, pink and purple waves washed over her. She knew that the others of the Timelord counsel had summoned her, but she wanted to witness another beautiful sunset in an almost forgotten land before she went on her way to get reprimanded for misusing the Timewatch that was hers. She always seemed to have a knack for getting into trouble with the tribal elders when she found that she would be needed to save some poor soul that wasn’t intended to die.

            Her sisters Keelin and Skuldaira always seemed to obey the rules no matter what and that always had a knack of getting her angry with them. She placed her hand over where her watch should have been and found it missing. The one question on her mind as she ended upside down on solid ground and rolling a few feet from her landing was, where did it disappear to. She propped herself up by her elbows and looked around her surroundings. She wasn’t anywhere she recognized at all.

            There was a massive mirror that showed her last location and a large throne on the other side of the room. She began to stand up when she heard a man’s voice behind her. He spoke like she did. “I see I have a newcomer. May I ask what yor name is?”

            She looked behind her and saw a rather impressive man, yet he had an arrogant air to him. She stood her full height of five feet and ten inches. He wasn’t much taller than she was, she noted. She clenched her right, gloved fist ready for anything.

            Jareth noted her gloves as he looked at that one fist. She wore unusual gloves. They were brown leather with gold trimming. The cuffs were folded down towards her hands. On the backs of her gloved hands, were a pair of deep red gems that seemed to glow with an inner light. The gems were almost the same color as her hair.

            Jareth smiled cruelly. Kalair stared deep into his almost-too-cold-for-a-living-man eyes. She was feeling genuine fear, but dared not show it. She knew if she did, the man standing before her would have a distinct advantage over her. Besides, she didn’t want to show off her natural weapon before the end. She smiled confidently, but still kept a stance of readiness. “My name is Kalair.”

            “Oh…. So you do speak. Well…that is different, then. My name is Jareth. I am the Goblin King. What are you doing in my chambers, hmm?” He smiled and placed his hands behind his back in an attempt to show her good faith. It may have been fake, but he would be damned if he screwed up now.

            Kalair was feeling a bit low now. “I’m sorry…. I didn’t mean to end up here. I shall leave right now.” She brushed her thighs off and started to step towards what looked like a door. Jareth stopped her with his long, thin arm. He was stronger than she had anticipated. She turned her face towards him. “Why do you stop me….”

            Those same eyes glistened slightly. “I want you to stay a bit.”

            She stood back and glared at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I must go, now.”

            “Why do all the women I encounter always think that I am up to no good.”, he said with a smile.

            Kalair was loosing her patience. Then, the face had hit her. The hair and those eyes and that smug grin hit her hard in her brain. She recognized him from watching a crystal her sister Skuldaira had brought back after a bit of a trip into an unknown dimension. He had taken a girl from her home and basically turned her world upside down in a feign attempt to win her love. She remembered how she thought that she would have taken him up on his offer, but then saw how much of a royal git he was. “I know who you ahr now. Yor that git who stole that girl, um…what was her name…oh bother…. Sarah from her home and tried to make her yors. I always did think you were a royal pain in the ass.”

            Jareth seethed with anger at this girl’s insolence. Then, he looked into those blue eyes of hers and couldn’t help himself. He was going to get back at her for her unforgivable utterance. He remembered the timepiece that had fallen from her and conjured it from its resting-place on the hill. He felt it in his hand. He would have this girl and get back at her all at the same time. He allowed himself a small smile. This was going to be fun.

            Kalair noticed the smile and noticed that he had something in his hand as well. She didn’t recall his using magic. Then, she found her surroundings changed from the dismal chamber to the hill outside of the great labyrinth of a city. The sun was catching the curves and corners of the city. She saw the castle and saw the shadows. She looked around and marveled at the sight. 

            Jareth broke the silence. “I know you ahr missing something. Something that you desperately need to get out of here.” He grasped the chain of the strange, four handed, gold watch and showed it in front of her. “I think you have been wanting this.”

            Kalair now seethed and felt as if she could kill him just by glaring at him. He had taken her watch. She made a grab for it, but he took it back before she could get her hands on it. She growled audibly and gave Jareth an icy stare. “Grrr…How dare you take my watch!”

            Jareth felt himself come into power. He reveled in it. “I see…. What is it?”

            Kalair glared at him furiously. “I am not going to tell a brainless git like you!”

            Jareth smiled. “Stay with me a bit, please. How about a bit of a game.” He could have kissed himself at this ingenious thought.

            “How about I stick my boot up yor royal ass.”, she grumbled.

            He would let the comment slide. “How about you go though my city and retrieve this wondrous watch from me in my castle. I will give you…” the hilarity of it all! “Thirteen hours to retrieve it.”

            That did it. The little arrogant ingrate had finally pushed too far. Kalair clenched her right fist and punched an upper cut to his jaw. He didn’t let go of the watch. He was on the ground, though. She crouched down and took him by his collar. She lifted his head and brought his face close to hers. She glared into his blue gray eyes. “Give…the watch…back, …now….”

            Jareth smiled at her anger, which he could feel radiating off of her. He allowed this one infringement of his principles. He gave her a quick peck on her lips and flashed an evil grin. Apparently, it wasn’t such a smart move, though. She punched him the jaw again and dropped his head hard on the ground.

            Kalair stood and watched as the Goblin King stood up. He wobbled slightly, but otherwise fine. He only had a drop of blood come out of his mouth. She didn’t even know that the guy could bleed. At least he had something to show for her effort in trying to hurt him. She let herself smile at this.

            Jareth felt the droplet out of the corner of his mouth. He placed a couple of fingers to it and pulled his hand away to look at it. It was blood, but he couldn’t figure how she had made him bleed. She was very intriguing indeed. He would have to keep her here for as long as he could, so he could study her and get as much as he can out of her on her race. She certainly wasn’t human. She knew of him.

            Jareth saw the sneer play across her lips and her upper lip seemed to twitch involuntarily. He was laughing hysterically inside, but outside, he just stared at her. It was actually quite funny that she had made him bleed. “You know…. I think I shall keep this until you reach my castle.”

            Kalair was about to hit him again when he suddenly disappeared. She found that she was at the entrance of the labyrinth and saw a short, ugly man. Upon closer inspection, she found that it was a tall goblin. She approached him. “Hello…what’s yor name?”

            He looked up and smiled. “So the old goat has caught another one.”

            Kalair raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “What ahr you talking about, little man.”

            The goblin quit smiling and just looked up at her with amazement. “Y-you mean, you didn’t have a sibling taken away and that’s why you’re here?”

            “My name is Kalair and I’m looking for a way to the castle.” She said as friendly as she could. She looked into the goblin’s eyes ands just stood up in impatience. “I don’t have time for this. I have better things to do, besides play his games. I’m a Timelord! I have other ways of getting places than walking.”

            The goblin just stared at her. “M-my name is Hoggle. I am the gatekeeper. What other ways were you thinking of.” He started to wring his hands nervously. He started thinking that Jareth had started a game with a being that was more powerful than he was. Then, he thought of how much the guy would actually deserve getting himself into deeper trouble than he had anticipated. It sort of brought a smile to Hoggle’s face.

            Kalair saw the grin. The inquisitive eyebrow shot up again. “What ahr you smirking at.”

            “Nothing, Miss…. Kalair…. I was just wondering what a Timelord was.”

            “Timelords ahr an ancient race of people outside of time. Infact, we exist in the past and the future of Earth. I am one of the keepers of the future. We know many things and know their outcomes. We travel all Dimensions and see all the possibilities that there ahr in time.” She stopped and looked up at the castle. “I think I shall quit this game while I am ahead. It shall be fun ripping that man’s brain out through his nose.” She smiled at the thought and looked back down at Hoggle. “It was nice meeting you, Hoggle. I shall be seeing you.”

            Before Hoggle could say a word, Kalair disappeared. Hoggle began wondering again about Jareth and how much of a mess the Goblin King would make after Kalair got through with him. He allowed himself an evil grin and wished he could be there to see it.

            Inside the castle, Jareth tinkered with the watch with four hands. It was of a very lovely design. The leaves on the sides of the watch were finely crafted. The back had some sort of symbol crafted onto it and had several other leaves and feathers around it. It was very nice. He thought he heard a sound come from outside the castle and in the long hallway. He also thought he heard the footsteps of women’s boots. An angry woman at the sound of the pace.

            In came a loud blast to the main doors to his throne room. He saw, to his own amazement, Kalair standing there looking very angry. He thought he saw actual fire in her brilliant blue eyes. Now her eyes seemed to switch colors. They changed from the lovely blue to a bright red that glared at him. He could feel her anger radiate from her, once again, except now it was more like someone was setting fire to him. “Ah…Kalair…. Such a privilege to see you once again.” He faked a smile.

            Kalair grinned viciously. “How would you enjoy a new hole in yor head, Jareth?”

            Jareth actually gulped when he heard her voice become demonic. He had overheard the conversation, or lack there of, between her and Hoggle. He was counting on her to tell him everything about herself. Instead, what he got was a brief explanation, more questions than were answered, and one very pissed off woman. He kept smiling. “I don’t think I would enjoy that prospect.”

            She walked closer. The air seemed to get hotter as she came nearer. “I think you’ll find it most enchanting, although you will have no more brain.”  Her eyes seemed to glow brilliantly from with in and he glanced towards the gems on her gloved hands. The gems were the same color and brightness and so was the red gem on her neck. She reached up with her right hand and touched his face.

            Jareth was thrown backwards and pinned by an unknown force against a wall. She tilted her head and just looked at him. She had no expression on her face at all. She just stared blankly at him with those glowing red eyes. Jareth still clutched the watch and smiled at his own arrogance.

            Kalair saw the smile and raised an eyebrow. “Why do you smile. I have you pinned and helpless against me. Why is it that you smile.”

            Jareth called upon his own powers and made himself disappear from her clutches. She looked around blankly for him and was met with an uppercut to her jaw. Jareth reappeared in front of where she was and rubbed his hand. “That hurt my hand.”

            She looked up at him and messaged her jaw. Her eyes went a deep crimson color, almost black. “You try my patience, fool.” There was an odd calm to her voice, yet demonic all the same.

            He decided to make the watch disappear into his maze. The watch faded from his hand and he saw the look on Kalair’s face become even angrier. “I see that I will have to deal with you a little more formally. If you want the watch, you’ll have to get it from the northwest corner of my maze. No time tricks, no more games. I just want you to pay for that cheap shot that you delivered earlier.”           

            Kalair’s malicious grin came back. “I shall play this game. When I come back, I shall deal with you."

            With that, she disappeared. Jareth smiled. “I think I shall be the victor here.”