Shavaris smiles at Delph's gesture to help Travin and Travin's response with a gift.  The rest also look ready to go and to do what it takes to get Travin his brother back.  She nods determined.  "Alright, lets do this.  Johnathan, once we get in sight of the castle, please render me invisible.  Delph, you can either join me under my cloak or are you planning on sticking with Travin?  I think it'd be real helpful for you to have advantage on your stunning strike, but I'll leave it up to you.  Let's move out."

She leads the way that she had found through the labyrinth.  As she gets to the last fork, she points to the East leg, "That way there is a group of goblins so be sure to stay quiet." then heads up the Western leg.

“While I obviously hope Travin is able to get Blix to calm down I have a way to disable him if not without gunpowder, in case we don’t find any I will give you Shav these darts. They have centipede poison on them which will hopefully be able to paralyze Blix once he is weakened. Then, should we not be able to make the bombs I have, alternative delivery methods.” Ward says as his fingers turn into claws and teeth sharpen into fangs both dripping poison. “Let’s hope that isn’t necessary though.” Ward says as they shrink back down to normal

The clash of steel, the sound of bodies pummeled, the screams of the wounded filter in from the distances beyond.  Goblins blow horns and man the walls.  Trebuchets and ballistas and catapults fire.  The sound of artillery going over the wall is a din over the sound of the Horned Beasts howls and the bugles of the Knights of Yore and they do their best to hold their line and keep the squabble from getting downright bloody.  

The castle standing before the Dawn Guard is tall and horned with battlements.  The gaping maw of the door is tongued by a rolling staircase that arcs to the left and curls as it goes, turning completely upside down as it summons anyone brave enough to enter the mouth of the beast.  It is silent; there are no laughing or chittering Goblins, none of Blix's cackles.  There are no guards.  No locked doors, no windows are barred.  No gate.  

Nothing stands in the Dawn Guard's way.  

Still.  They feel expected.  Not watched.  Just...like they have come to what the inhabitants of the castle have known is an inevitable meeting.  

Travin sidles up to Johnathan but cannot meet his eye, he mumbles "Travin has something for Johnathan, yeh yeh, but it is specials, must not be used unless Travin says so hmmmm? And truly trust Travin, if it must be used, understands? Can Jonathan promise Travin this much?" 

Sure thing Shavaris, if your plan is to have Delphinium hide on you then I can make myself invisible as well. The visible ones could say we fell in battle to get here or something. Johnathan continues with the party to the gate. It was strange being in a battle again. The sound of solider dying in the distance was all to familiar. It wasn’t haunting to Johnathan. No it was more like a distant memory of a time when things were simple. Where the line of friend and enemy were well defined and it was obvious who was on which side. Now Johnathan is fighting with a Goblin army to save their homeland from a goblin. And yet Johnathan could feel himself getting excited. He finally had a chance to save the alicorn he lost in the battle, a chance to undo his mistake. 

When the castle become visible Johnathan does as he promises and reaches out and covers Shavaris and himself in shadows that fade until they can’t be seen. There Shavaris, you and Delphinium can sneak up on Blix. I will hang back, might try jump out as a disguised Jareth or something to distract Blix if needed. Johnathan pauses as he looks more closely at the lack of security. Guess we are expected? This is a trap so keep your eyes sharp. Johnathan was examining the walls for any sign of life when Travin speaks to him. He looks down at Travin and listens to his request. You ask a great deal Travin. In my way I trust you have good intentions so I will carry what you ask. The real question you should ask is can you trust me? I have a history of losing control. He pauses, and does some gesture which isn’t visible to anyone. I’ll do my best, what is it you want me to carry?

Travin holds out a flask, "it matters not how much Travin trusts Johnathan, but know that Travin does eh? Travin is also recently prone to losing control, hmm? Take it, but do not drinks until travin tells you, if it becomes necessary, yeh yeh" with that, Travin holds out a flask into the empty space where Johnathan just was, even unopened it smells of sickly fresh blood, but it's not like regular blood, it's different, special.

Kerwyn steps off Ironsides and walks up to Johnathan and Shavaris, saying “I could follow at a distance behind Shavaris, if I was invisible as well perhaps I could give her back up.”  Kerwyn starts a stretching routine, getting warmed up and ready for their next action, with some additional gratuitous flexing of his biceps, back and hamstring stretches, and he makes his pectoral muscles go bumpity, bumpity, bumpity.  

“Ok my dudes.  I am ready.  If you can make me invisible, great.  Ready and able to provide support.”

"Hmm... I'm not sure sneaking will work well.  I will try if that's what we think will work best for Travin getting to talk with their brother.  I'm also not opposed to going with Travin and being seen.  I leave that up to Travin which they want me to do."  Whichever choice the junkman asks of Delph they will go with that plan but with the debt of the gift Delphinium feels obligated to let them choose.  Otherwise Delph is ready for either outcome.  They will hide on Shavaris as they sneak or they will sit on Travin's shoulder for support.  

Before Johnathan casts the spell on Shavaris, she gently talks with Running Bird.  She pets the long neck of the bird as she asks it to stick with the rest of the crew.  

She then finds a good sized pocket for Delph within her cloak and holds it open for the little fairy.  Then once made invisible, she finds Kerwyn and they follow the group to the awaiting door.

Travin looks up to the door and takes a glance at the labyrinth behind them, looking out over the goblin city and the walls thereafter, fraught with danger, traps, moaning doors, and other nonesense. he takes a deep breath and hopes he never has to see this place again, the place that has become his home since before he can now remember.

Nodding to the empty space where he assumes Johnathan is, to go on ahead, Travin turns to walk inside, Birt at his back, Ward and the mounts by his side, and the rest of his collection of misfits invisibly following on.

Johnathan concentrates as he maintains his invisibility spell on Shavaris and Kerwyn as they make there way to Blix. He keeps Travin’s flask in a pocket concealed and has Echo sent into its Demi plane. The fight ahead was no place for his friend. As he sees the standing guards he wonders why they haven’t attacked. Looks like they are waiting as well. At least we an easy way to Blix. He continues with the group until they see Blix just sitting. For a goblin that was about to be in serious danger it looked calm. Too calm. This was gonna be a massacre. He looks to the visible party and wonders how many will fall. I hate it when I’m right. He looks back to Blix but doesn’t say a word. He wanted to see what Travin wants to do before acting. 

Ward walks in next to Travin holding his staff and using it as a cane. as he sees Blix he nods respectfully towards him, and waits for Travin to speak.

Now is time for Travin to talk.  Not for action.  Delph thought it would be harder and is glad it was easy for Travin to get to Blix this quick.  The gift easily repaid and with no fighting needed.  Delph just continues to be quiet and while inside Shvaris' pocket looks around as they sneak keeping a keen eye out for everything they could spot.  They even spend a ki point to make their perception even more keen.  Their face becomes enclosed in what looks like a tiny helmet as the little fairy focuses their ki inwardly and around their visage.  Fully rested and ready for whatever, Delph was ready for anything and was going to do their best to help Travin even if not with him directly.

Feature used Visage of the Astral self

Crossing the threshold into the castle was a vertigo inducing experience that none of the Dawn Guard was prepared for.  The stairs turned upside down and spiraled as they traversed them through the final maze of their trip; a series of twisting stairs that defied gravity and the very laws of physics.  Stairs with landings in the middle of nowhere.  Stairs that went up, flipped around and back down.  Stairs.  Stairs that led to a series of five rooms that made up what was once Jareth's chambers, but that were now occupied by Blix and his minions.  

Blix was in the Throne Room specifically.

The castle was dimly lit, though the enemies scattered about the various rooms set in the bizarre architecture were still plainly visible.  Candles and flickering braziers created crawling orange light that illuminated the arena.  Goblin and Firey eyes flickered silver in the light.  

As the Dawn Guard entered the Throne Room, the usurper rose from Jareth's old throne and slowly stepped toward the empty crib standing nearby.  A hand accented by nails like talons reached out, took the edge of the tiny bed, and gently began to rock it.  Blix began to sing in an oddly faint, eerie voice.  

"It's only forever..."

"...Not long at all..."

"...The lost and lonely..."

Two Goblins, both hefting Greataxes, stood nearby, behind Blix and his recently claimed throne, both looking ready to do violence.  One of the huge Firey's, like those that had thrown the Fireball during the ball, stood in the back of the room not far from a Goblin holding a mandolin.  

Turning their eyes up would reveal other rooms, each facing the Throne room and simultaneously, not; the longer they looked up and tried to decipher what was happening with the non-Euclidean geometries of the room and the detached spatial parameters, the more their eyes tried to involuntarily cross.  Their minds are unable to make sense of rooms that face them and yet...don't.  The stairs leading between the rooms create their own navigational challenge is it looks like one misstep could cause a fall...but a fall to where?  

The fact that the rooms didn't touch each other meant that running between them would take time.  

"You've followed me this far, for that you must be brave."  Blix said, continuing the rock the crib and stare into the vacant blankets.  "And for your efforts, I shall send you to your grave.  But do not fret now.  Do not fear.  If you have last words, mighty King Blix would like to hear." 

A glance at the ceiling revealed a spiral staircase leading to...leading...to...where?  Where did any of it go?  Not all the staircases went to an obvious destination, and a menagerie of broken toys and furniture stuck to the ceiling as firmly as the Dawn Guard's feet were planted to the floor.  

Blix only looked at the three members of the Dawn Guard that were visible, and the mounts they led into the room.  He didn't bother looking around for anyone else.  

"hear this, hmm? Not calling you king Blix, perhaps you wonder why the dawnguard is here yeh? Perhapses you do not care... This pile of junk you sees before you has been lookings for you since your arrivals here, GAVIN TILLER," Travin holds a hand out in front of him "Travin is here to takes you home, Travin is sorry." His words are slow, paced, full of feeling and sincerity, Travin cannot take his eyes of his brother, and watches his responding actions carefully.

The rocking of the crib, and Blix's almost sad slow rhyming, reminds Travin of times before. The Junkman's shoulders slump, something important rushes back to him and in his sadness, even more guilt overwhelms him. "We can go back to him.." Travin states in a small voice

Johnathan separates from the group (about 30 feet) a bit to avoid an area of effect spell hitting them all. He doesn’t go closer to Blix and remains quite. Why the baby bed? Is Blix also insane from this place? Of course it wasn’t going to be a simple fight. Johnathan tries to see if he can see any hidden enemies nearby while Travin distracts.

Perception: 4

Blix bristles. His breathing becomes shallower. Faster. His eyes look almost wet. He stops trying to rhyme his words as he locks eyes with the strange pile of junk that is now addressing him.

"Gavin Tiller? Gavin Tiller? Blix doesn't know who Gavin Tiller is. Blix also doesn't know who him is."

"Gavin must remember yeh, before the darkness lord,
when Gavin's and Travin's and littler boys, played games when they were bored.

But then one day an argument, like brothers do, you see?
I wished the goblin king would come, and take you far from me.

He cruelly filled a child's wish and both of you took flight,
So Into the labyrinth Travin went, for his brother he would fight.

But Jareth is a tricksy folk he caught me in a cage.
Made me forget my Gavin, dear.
Made me forget my rage.

My memories and yours it seems have vanished long ago. We aged and changed and became these things, but it doesn't have to be so.

This world you know is story, it's in the songs you know.
I can show you real truth but you must believe me so."

Travin has his arms wide, showing no hostility, tears in his eyes slowly make their way down his face as he steps forward slowly.

Blix backs up as Travin's arms open.

"No."  Blix says, his nose wiggling as he steps back and away from the Crib. "No. No no NO! What are these words you say? What is this rhyme? What is this place you claim to have been trapped for such time!? What is it you claim!?!"

Blix is becoming more and more agitated as he rolls Travin's words around in his head.

"I am the most vile of the Dark Lord's Goblins! He has told me so! Now with your friends and your lies, it is time for you to go!"

"send Travin away if you want, it's the same mistake he made.
We are brothers you and I, even after the dark lord fades.

I was trapped in fields of junk, by Jareth's selfish greed.
But when you took his throne, his maze, well Travin here was freed.

So I want to thank you Gavin, you have done your brother proud.
And in return, Travin want to save, his brother from this shroud.

Now is not the time,
So Travin will stop this rhyme.

Gavin has been deceived, Gavin was not borns a goblin, but a humans child yeh yeh, with two brotherses, one older, here"

Travin points to himself as he brings forth his Sax-a-Boom,

"we used to fight and play and sing together, hmmm?
And there was one younger, a baby" he points to the crib, still slowly rocking to a stop,
"Gavin, you, would sing to him as he fell asleeps, yeh, you loved him so, we both did..."

As Gavin backs up, Travin will stop advancing, not getting any closer until Gavin makes that move first, as to not spook him.

"I am not Gavin!" Blix snaps in a rage, still backing away from Travin. "My name is Blix, Blix the Vile! I don't know who you think I am, I don't know why you remember a child, but I shall show you, I shall let you see! This Gavin, this one you remember, he is not me!"

Blix pauses finally, and reaches beneath the leather armor he is adorned in, and pulls out the Alicorn.

"I shall show you! You will know! That what the Dark Lord has told Blix is so!"

Blix begins to make little spirals with the Alicorn. A baby blue light appears on the tip. It looks like Blix is drawing on the air itself.

But as Blix is waving the alicorn around, Travin makes a signal to the group to stay, just splaying his arms out hands facing backwards as if to say 'stay back' as Travin says, "remember that Travin is not here to hurt you, yeh yeh!"

Blix just continues to draw something out.  Shapes begin to form.  One is Blix.  The other is a creature, a man, topped with horns and muscle, in a throne...

Travin watches and mutters ..."even now, the evil seed of what you have done GERMINATES within you..."

Blix draws in the air, and the blue figures outlined begin to take shape, begin to move and converse. Travin listens as the Lord of Darkness gives Blix his assignment, as the Lord of Darkness, perhaps the epitome of evil for this world, regales Blix with how evil and wicked the Goblin is as he sends the Goblin forth to kill the unicorns.

"I am not Gavin Tiller. You mistake me, oh lost one. I am Blix, Loathsome it is true. This Gavin Tiller you seek..****y resides within you..."

Blix points toward Travin's head.

Travin watches, it is obvious that it pains him to watch, but he does not look away to show his brother respect, the respect of listening to his side.

Once the vision abates, Travin looks to Blix with sorrow, "Travin is truly sorry to have made you go through such hardshipses, hmm, subjugations, slavery to those who inspire evils... Does you remembers before this horned one found you? Hmm? Who were you 'Blix' before you were plucked from the labyrinth? Where is your memory from then? Hmmm?  Travin knows how the story ends, yeh yeh, Travin could show you things that would shatters the illusion arounds you. Because you are more powerful than this 'dark lord' you and I, we are not from here. We belongs to the storytellers, we belongs to the world beyond this world, if you would, let Travin show you something too..."

Again, Blix drops the attempt to rhyme. The magical drawing in the air fades, the blue light cascading down to drizzle across the ground like water before dissipating like fog.

"There was no time before the Dark Lord. We ascended from the womb of Subternia together and I was in his worship for many trine. The story ended when I kept the Alicorn for myself and decided not to be someone else's pawn ever again!"

Blix thrusts the Alicorn into the air above his head, showing it off to the world.

Travin cautiously and slowly brings the Sax-a-Boom to his lips, he presses a button simply showing 'Blix' that the thing is not an attack, once Blix knows that this is not a show of force Travin presses several buttons in succession, each beginning a preset tinny tune that emanates from the small speaker but is then cut off by the next preset sound, it devolves into a cacophonous beeping and buzzing, the large round orange plastic in front of the speaker begins to blur, glitching in and out of this reality, summoning something that should not be.

Suddenly Travin stops, the air in front of him wobbles like that of a desert mirage, and in the silence a rectangular black glass rock clatters to the floor, the front of it lights up with text, at the top of the light, the biggest text reads "AURYN: The Hunt for the Last Unicorn, page 70".

Travin points to the phone lying in the ground face up, still glitching with other worldly light. "Take a looks, hmm? it should not harm you, yeh yeh"

The Goblin blinks as the black thing falls to the ground and the gentle light of its presence glows into the room, lighting up the edges of the crib and Blix's face as he leans down to pick up the item. His eyebrows bunch up as he looks...and reads...sees pictures, the battle...the previous fights...reads the very scene he is in, sees the words forming on the page as he reads...letter by letter...

"No." Blix says again, like last time, his mind reeling from the reality of what's happening. The black item slips from his hands and shatters on the stone floor at his feet. "No, no! It's sorcery! Magic, like the Dark Lord's manipulative magic! What is this trickery!?"

"read" says Travin, although his voice now loses his usual mannerisms, as though someone is talking through him, "read the names of those who control this portion of the world, the story that you live inside of. Your actions, your words, they are not your own, the very attitudes and beliefs that you hold up in front of you are the fabrications of another, using your existence for their own entertainment."

"How powerful do you think your master truly is, a villain in a story, a problem to overcome, you are a plot point, dropped into fiction. You will find that you must remain here, it is not your decision to believe me Gavin, or Blix whichever makes you more comfortable, so when I call upon you to see reason I do it for you, but I am not truly calling upon you.

I call upon those who control you. Are you not entertained? Is this display of power over us enough? Will you let my brother have his memories back and return to the world from where we came, I am tired of this journey, tired of feeling guilt over the things that I have no control over, I wish freedom for my brother in all aspects....

For the betrayal that led him to become trapped here, corrupted and lonely, I will give anything. Please."

Travin drops to the ground regaining his owns sensibilities. He blinks, confused at what just happened.

Blix looks down at the shattered magical tablet as Travin speaks, and raises both hands to the side of his head. He mumbles something, and tears begin to fall.

"No. No no no no..." He continues to mutter as the Alicorn falls from his hands and clatters on the floor, bouncing back and forth from tip to hilt as it rolls away from the Goblin. "What is this...what is this...no no no...what...what..."

Blix covers his eyes and begins to sob.

Travin would slowly walk toward Blix and hug him, if able, simply whispering "Travin is so sorry, Travin is so sorry" as he also joins his brother in sobbing.

The room shimmers.  There is a sound from outside as the battle continues, and then Jareth and Sarah step into the room behind the Dawn Guard.  Sarah steps forward first, first kicking the Alicorn away from Blix and toward the Dawn Guard assembled behind the reunion of the two brothers.  Then Jareth takes a gentle, tentative step forward, and lays a hand on Travin's shoulder.  

"I am sorry."  The Goblin King says as gently as he can.  "I will do what I can to fix all this.  To make my wrongs right, Travin and Gavin Tiller.  But for now...that will take time."  

"Jareth."  Sarah says. 

"I know."  The Goblin King says.  He points around the room, at each of the Goblins and Firey's assembled around them.  "This charade is over.  Go now.  Wait outside my castle."  

The Goblin King steps away, heading up the nearby stairs, and ascending beyond the ceiling.  The Dawn Guard can hear his voice boom from outside as if carried by magic, and then the sounds of the battle beyond the gates begin to subside.  He returns after a few moments, and kneels next to Blix, gathering the parts of the phone and handing them to Sarah.  

"You'll have to figure out what to do with this when you return to your time."  Jareth says.  "Give it to the authorities.  Let it be the catalyst for the next big leap in technology!  Like that movie!  Ah, but you haven't seen that movie with the liquid robot yet, hm?  Got a few more years to wait on that."  

Sarah takes the busted phone and puts it in her pocket, unsure of what else to do with it.

Blix looks up, pulling his face from the crook in Travin's shoulder where it has been nestled.  While Travin looks the same, Blix has begun to morph back into a human child.  A boy, approximately nine years old.  His nose has shrunk.  His eyes are light blue.  He's still crying.

"Can I...take him back with me?"  Sarah said as she looked from Travin, to Gavin, to Jareth.  The Goblin King, the true Goblin King, nodded.  

"But you can only take one of them.  Him.  Travin...has work to do in Hyboria first."  

Delphinium watched as Travin managed to reach his brother the tiny fairy well in hiding knowing far better then to interrupt.  As Yravin gave Gavin a heart felt plea the fairies own heart fluttered a bit as they felt their debt suddenly become satisfied.  They felt both happiness for Travin as well as relief from their own nature.  

The fact that they were all stories to some gods from another realm didn't really bother Delphinium at all.  To them it just meant they needed to be entertaining and whose better at entertaining then a fey?  Delph would tell those gods the answer is "A fey with a powerful world altering artifact."

As soon at the Alicorn was kicked aside Delphinium watched it with feline fey eyes that refused to even blink as they zoomed out from Shavaris' pocket towards the item and grabbed it.  They pause a moment as they look at the alicorn.  The tiny fairy takes it like it's a spear to them as they carefully hold the item secure and protective.  

Once the alicorn is secured the fairy seems to finally relax.  They seem to get a skip and bounce in their flight which almost seems like a happy dance.  A big smile and a bright blue glow from them as they hold the alicorn with both hands quite firmly.  They fly back to Shavaris and her pocket.  "Got it.  Now its in good hands!  I'm so happy this all worked out.  I feel like I can just be free again."

The fairy watches Travin and Gavin have a moment as brothers.  The tiny fairy seems delighted to have conclusion like this.  They do seem to have a sudden inspiration as they gently sing a song in the background trying not to interrupt the brothers moment together.   It's a song he had pop in his mind... a song he now sings for Travin and his brother.

"Brothers you are loving

If you get lost please find them again

You need more then a sibling

You need a good friend

Don't forget all the living

As you hold on real tight

This reunion quite touching

Two hearts worth the light."

Travin thanks Delphinium for the kind words, "Travin no longer needs your favour, but you can keep the lock, Travin can carry it for Fireflight if it's too big hmmm? Also Johnathan! Don't drink that liquid!" Travin holds a hand out to receive the blood vial back. He puts it away once it is back in his possession.

Going to face Jareth to find out what will happen next, jareth asks for something back, it appears that Travin stole something in the process of talking to Gavin "you would not grant a prisoner of yours this small boon, as they regain your castle for you?" Travin replies, but his persuasive skills are no match for Jareth as he retorts, "There are some things you are not ready for yet."

Travin hands Jareth a crystal ball. He wipes the tears left of his face as he says, "Travin don't blame Jareths anymore, hated you for a longs time hmmm? But this is your role yeh yeh, Jareth plays it well, hopes you will remember us Dawn guard."

Jareth takes the Crystal Ball graciously and with a smile. "I will remember the Dawn Guard." He confirms.

Johnathan struggles to keep up with the conversation that Travin was having. Keeping an eye on the Goblins he took his eyes off them for a moment. As the conversation continues he feels the hairs on the back of his neck straighten at sound of that name, the lord of darkness. When he turns to look at Travin, Johnathan feels an overwhelming sense of dread when he sees it. That face, that haunting, terrible face. He didn’t know how he knew it or why he would believe Blix but he knew it was him. A part of him knew.

Johnathan clenches his fist when he sees it. It takes everything he had not to attack the illusion. However, too much was on stake for him to attack an image. Still, a part of him couldn’t stand there like a statue. He clenches his fists so hard that he starts drawing blood from his nails digging into his palm. He gives Blix a cold dead stare. How could he make a deal with that thing. No amount of power is worth selling your soul. Things only got worse from there when Blix showed the Alicorn in the air. Johnathan was starting to get reckless in his position. He wanted to fight this thing. He wanted them all dead. But that was not to be for the once Blix the goblin became a boy. Gavin was reborn. Gavin gave up the alicorn freely and in few moments the war was over, they won. But at what cost.

Johnathan looks to the alicorn immediately, caring very little about Gavin at this point. As he locks eyes on it he stops in his track. His concentration on invisibility immediately breaks and he just stands there. He doesn’t move or speak for the next few minutes. He just looks in horror.(for the next 3 minutes he is paralysed. The spoiler is what happens from his view)