Chapter 19
"What? Okay there's no way I won"t get the second one" he thought to himself.
"The second one was the worst reason I have ever heard".
"Well that came out wrongly. Well there's no going back. She cheated me" he thought again.
"You know... "
"You cheated me Astrid. You put in time when there wasn't initially. And who made you the judge?".
"Me, myself and I" she spoke with her chin raised up. "I am the one that can release you after that Jareth, so I hold the cards here".
"Why did I ever... " she glares at him.
"Why did you what?" He keeps quiet and just looked at her.
"You're enjoying this right? Okay enjoy".
"I intend to, well since you gave half a reason right, I'm going to release your body a bit, so that your hands are out" she closed her eyes and used the earth underneath him to push him up a bit, till his hands where out, remaining his legs, still stuck there.
"I would give you one more chance, think if your second reason" with that said she turned facing the opposite direction. She suddenly heard a loud sound, like a screech.
"You won't fool me Jareth".
"Huh, Astrid, you've got to let me out of here now".
"No Jareth, that trick is not going to work" she said with her back still turned to him.
"I'm being serious here Astrid, there's something in the thick bush over there".
"Not believing".
"Astrid" he shouted and she quickly turned, then saw where he was pointing to. Indeed he wasn't
"I told you I wasn't lying, there's a beast out there".
"Shhh... Jareth, don't draw its attention" she warned him. While waiting, soon a small beast appeared. Astrid couldn't stand it and burst into an uproar of laughter.
Jareth was getting angry that she was laughing when he was in such a dire situation.
"So this is the scary beast Jareth is afraid of" she walked past him and went to the little beast.
"Hey, calm down, I won't hurt you. Come let me carry you" she spoke to the little beast as she drew closer to it.
"Is she talking to that beast?" He asked himself in a whisper.
What it didn't know was that she could understand animals as well. The little beast listened and walked to her, she bent and gently picked it up. Looking at it from this angle, it was really cute, with its small wings at his back, small fangs barely out of its mouth. Whiskers close to its nose and fine white fur with golden yellow-red stripes. And some feathers on its head and limbs. It really was cute, so beautiful.
"Aren't you the cutest little thing, come let's show you to Jareth. She turned to now face Jareth, turning the baby beast and hold it out in her hands to face him.
"Do you know what creature you have in your hands Astrid?".
"No, I intend to keep it".
"Oh no you don't, let it go. That is the baby of the... " he stopped mid sentence and looked ahead of her with his mouth open.
"Baby of what? Why are you looking like you've seen a ghost?".
Because of his sharp hearing, he could hear the heavy footstep of a beast not too far away.
"Quickly let me out Astrid. It's coming".
"Not a chance, don't tell me you're scared of this cute baby" she pushes the baby out towards him and she tries to roar, but it didn't come out nice. She tried again and a strong roar came out.
"Wow, I didn't know I had it in me".
"No that's the White Tiger-Pheonix beast".
As soon as he said that, he regretted it, the huge beast jumped out and stood on all fours behind her.
"Don't tell me... ".
"Yes Astrid, let it's baby go and release me".
With fear she slowly turned around with the white Tiger-Pheonix baby in her hands and what she saw, shocked her beyond compare.
There standing before her was the biggest creature she had ever seen. The wings were way bigger than the little white Tiger-Pheonix beast wings. Its fangs came out sharp, the golden yellow-red stripes glowed more. It looked really magnificent, then it bared his fangs at her.
Jareth's voice rang out, "Let the baby go Astrid" he shouted at her.
She quickly put the baby beast down and it scurried to its mother.
"That's it, its all fine and not harmed. You can please go" she gently spoke to the creature but by now, it was too angry to pay her any heed.
"Astrid run... " he shouted at her as the white tiger prepared to jump on her.
As it made its leap, she barely dodged it and stood up again.
"Now I'm in a mess. If only she released me on time, ahh my arrow".
He quickly reached for the arrow and it moved to his will, he directed the arrow at the beast distracting it from Astrid.
"What's he doing stupid?" As the arrow danced in front of the beast, it mistakenly hit it and angered it more, and it charged at Jareth.
"Really stupid".