Keys to the Demon Prison

Kendra watched the demons flood into the shrine. "Out of one prison and into another," she realized.

"If all goes as planned," Bracken confirmed.

"We have good reason to hope," the Fairy Queen said. "Their leaders are going. The others will follow. It will take some time for them to discover how completely I have sealed off my realm."

The dragons stopped attacking, content to circle over the demonic exodus, casting menacing shadows. As she regarded the dragons, once again Kendra picked out the smaller form of Raxtus darting among the larger creatures. Even without further violence, the threat of the many dragons overhead seemed to hurry the demons along.

For more than three hours, Kendra and her friends anxiously observed the procession of demons exiting the rift in the dome and entering a new realm through the shrine. The sheer quantity of demons left Kendra astonished. The others had been right. There was no way they could have defeated these demons in combat. For every demon they killed, a thousand more would have emerged.

"Don’t they know it’s a trap?" Kendra finally asked Bracken.

"They must know something is wrong," Bracken said. "They march into a realm they have dreamed of possessing since the dawn of time. But the realm is empty, undefended. It was handed to them with only token resistance. As we speak, they are tearing it apart. The smart ones know it’s too good to be true. But their king has fallen, and his heir is injured. The sun is high. They don’t want to face Vasilis. They don’t want to face the dragons, especially Celebrant. They don’t want to fight the unicorns, or the astrids, or the other fairy folk. And they probably are bewildered by the increased atmosphere of unbelief in the world. When many of these demons departed this world, they were universally feared. Now, most of humanity considers their existence a joke."

"They could have overcome all of this," the Fairy Queen said. "They could easily have destroyed this world. But providing access to my realm offered them a tempting, effortless option. They seem to have taken the bait."

"So you will lose your realm," Kendra said.

"It is no longer my realm," the Fairy Queen asserted. "It will become the new demon prison."

As the last demonic stragglers arrived at the shrine, a long gold and red dragon came gliding toward the ridge on two sets of wings. Seeing his lion’s head, complete with a crimson mane, Kendra recognized the dragon as Camarat from Wyrmroost. At his side flew Raxtus. Kendra took Seth’s hand as the dragons landed near them, and she saw that Agad sat astride Camarat in an elaborate saddle. Camarat crouched low as the wizard dismounted.

"Raxtus!" Kendra shouted as the dragon came near. "You brought reinforcements!"

"I did!" the dragon replied. "I even helped in the combat!"

Seth nodded toward Agad, who was walking away from Camarat. "I thought dragons didn’t allow riders!" he said. Camarat spread his wings and returned to the sky.

"We make exceptions on occasion," Raxtus said. "Camarat and Agad are brothers."

"How did you convince the dragons to help?" Kendra asked.

"Agad promised to make Celebrant caretaker of Wyrmroost after all of this is over. The dragons of Wyrmroost have dreamed of governing themselves for centuries. Plus, I told my father how Navarog had vowed that the demon horde would slay him. I think that helped. He let me fly to battle with him for the first time!"

Agad came forward and knelt before the Fairy Queen. All eyes watched the wizard. "You have made an enormous sacrifice," he uttered reverently.

"It was necessary," the Fairy Queen replied. "My realm would have withered and died if the demons had claimed this world. Can you lock them inside?"

"If I may have use of the five artifacts, these noble dragons who accompany me have agreed to help me bind your last shrine much more securely than Zzyzx. I have had centuries to consider all that I wish I had done long ago. Now I can implement those improvements."

"What say you?" the Fairy Queen asked, turning to Bracken.

"You mean my horn?" Bracken asked. "By all means, use it as you used it before. I’m accustomed to this mortal shape. Seal those fiends away for as long as you are able."

Agad nodded pensively. "The former prison lasted for millennia. This new prison will endure far longer."

"What will you do?" Kendra asked the Fairy Queen. "Where will you go?"

"We will inherit a new home," the Fairy Queen said, regarding Agad.

"I will remove the bindings placed on Zzyzx," Agad said. "There is actually three times the space inside of Zzyzx as you had in your former kingdom."

"You’ll live in the demon prison!" Seth exclaimed.

The Fairy Queen smiled. "Creators have many advantages over destroyers. It takes much more talent to build something beautiful than it does to tear it down. Before long, the demons will render my former realm as ugly as Zzyzx. But they will never re-create what they have spoiled. Conversely, with time and effort, one day Zzyzx will become as lovely as my former realm."

"More beautiful," Bracken promised. "We’ll have more space to work with. And we’ll have an eager force of workers. Considering the peril, our casualties are minimal. Two dozen fairies, eight astrids, two unicorns, a few others. The Sands of Sanctity are quickly restoring the wounded."

"You’ll join me?" the Fairy Queen asked her son hopefully, tears in her eyes.

"Of course," Bracken said. "I love a challenge. I’ll help supervise the rebuilding."

Kendra felt a heavy weight on her heart. Did that mean she would never see Bracken again? It sure sounded like it.

Agad bowed to the Fairy Queen. "You are most wise, your majesty. Some imagine the difference between heaven and hell to be a matter of geography. Not so. The difference is much more evident in the individuals who dwell there."

"We have much yet to accomplish," the Fairy Queen said. "Grant Agad his artifacts and let us be about our respective duties."

"I have a problem," Kendra said quietly.

"Speak, Kendra," the Fairy Queen invited. "We are all forever in your debt. If our aid is desired, it will ever be yours."

"My parents and grandparents and many of my friends remain imprisoned at the Living Mirage preserve. Can any of you help us rescue them?"

"It would be my honor," Agad said. "Dragons can be very-persuasive."

"As can astrids," Bracken promised.