Keys to the Demon Prison

"I can’t even bite the meat," Seth said.

"It’s like a salt lick," Bracken said. He jerked a thumb at Maddox. "This guy chews it up."

"You can find fracture points if you probe for weaknesses," Maddox said.

"What about the hairy paste?" Seth asked.

"I’m not sure those are hairs," Bracken said solemnly. "Might be veins."

"Laugh it up," Maddox grumbled, waving both arms at them. "Mind my words. Best to store up a little extra when given the chance. You can’t be sure when you’ll see your next meal."

"I know when I will see it and what it will be," Bracken challenged. "I’ve been here a long time. Twice a day, like clockwork, we’re served a compressed blend of dog, rat, and hobgoblin."

Seth laughed and gagged at the same time. "I hope you’re kidding."

"Torch coming," Bracken said, crouching and covering the light from his stone. He stealthily backed toward the gap through which he had entered, and Seth did the same.

"It’s not mealtime," Maddox whispered.

The faint light through the barred peephole shifted as footsteps approached. A torch swept past the small, rectangular opening, and the heavy footsteps continued along the corridor.

Bracken remained tense and quiet until the footfalls passed out of hearing. "They almost never come into the cells," Bracken said. "But with my luck, I try to be ready for exceptions."

"Say, Seth," Maddox began awkwardly, "I know I shouldn’t press you, but have you had any non-secretive word from my brother, Dougan?"

Seth’s face fell. Maddox didn’t know about his brother.

"Uh-oh," Maddox said. "Bad news?"

"The worst news," Seth said.

Maddox’s mouth twisted and trembled. He gave a quick nod. "Right. Did he go bravely?"

Seth nodded vigorously. "It was at Wyrmroost. A dragon got him. Dougan helped to save Kendra and the mission."

Maddox drew a ragged breath. "What dragon?" Despite his grief, he was already thinking about vengeance.

"Navarog. But then Navarog got killed while in human form."

"Navarog is dead?" Bracken exclaimed. Glancing at Maddox, he managed to restrain his obvious excitement.

Maddox plopped down on his creaky cot. He seemed to have suddenly aged. "We play a deadly game. Something like this was bound to happen."

Seth thought about Vincent. He worried about Kendra and his grandparents. Spending time in a dungeon might be safer than what they would face in the coming days and weeks. He had to find a way to help them.

"What are our chances of busting out of here?" Seth asked.

"Bleak," Bracken replied. "I’ve been trying for hundreds of years."

"Hundreds of years?" Seth exclaimed. "Some of us never get used to the food," Bracken lamented.

"We can move around down here," Maddox said, "but we’ve found no way to the upper levels, nothing close to a way out."

"I’ve searched long and hard," Bracken assured them. "Tunneled plenty as well."

"What about beating up a guard?" Seth asked.

"Even though our doors rarely open, I’ve tried a few times," Bracken said. "There are too many checkpoints on the way up, too many locked doors. And once the alarm sounds, the Sphinx musters too many powerful servants."

"What if we mobilized a bunch of prisoners?" Seth asked. "A big group effort?"

Bracken shrugged. "That probably has the most potential. It has been decades since I’ve orchestrated a big, riot-style breakout. Both of my prior attempts ended badly. The way up just has too many bottlenecks. One time they kept a magically reinforced iron door locked until we surrendered due to starvation. Another time we were subdued with noxious gas. As you might imagine, our captors are not kind to us after such attempts."

"You can make stuff glow and read people," Seth said. "Do you have other magic that could help?"

"Not much," Bracken said. "I could help run communications. And I have some skill at healing. My powers are relatively weak. What about you, shadow charmer? You might have more useful skills than mine. Can you shade walk? Quench fire? Disengage locks?"

"I can shade walk," Seth said. "Some shadow charmers can open locks?"

"With their minds," Bracken said. "You’d have to be a real pro, though. Several of the main doors are secured with spells."

"Is he really a shadow charmer?" Maddox asked. "Undoubtedly," Bracken replied.

"I don’t know much about it," Seth confessed. "It happened by accident." He explained about the grove with the nail and the revenant, and then how Graulas had sealed his powers.

"I’ve heard of Graulas," Bracken said. "Never crossed paths with him."

"He’s right on the brink of death," Seth said. "Because his death is so near, he doesn’t care about allegiances anymore, so he sometimes helps me out of boredom."

Bracken looked pensive. "Graulas may have been of service in the past, but don’t let yourself get comfortable around him. Demons are evil to the center. It is their nature to take advantage of others. Good never comes from them."

"You sound like Grandpa Sorenson," Seth said. "Graulas doesn’t pretend to be good, but he really did help me."

"He’s just saying to be careful," Maddox said kindly. "Bracken has some experience with demons. They may offer help when they see a selfish advantage in it, but they’re always scheming. In the end, bad trees tend to give bad fruit."

"Well, he might be dead by now anyhow," Seth said. "He was pretty far gone last time I saw him. Tell me your story, Bracken. What powers did you used to have? Why do you know so much about demons?"

"We’ll get into it some other time," Bracken said, averting his gaze.

"No need for modesty!" Maddox bellowed. "Tell the boy what you are!"

Bracken stared at the ceiling, as if wishing he were elsewhere. "He doesn’t even know whether he should trust us yet. This is premature."

"I won’t be spilling sensitive information anytime soon," Seth said, "but I think I trust you enough. My instincts say we’re on the same side. By the way, you said you could show me other friends."

"I barely met your friend Mara," Bracken said. "She doesn’t know me any better than you do. And I know how to reach your friend Berrigan as well. It’s kind of a tricky climb. He’s injured. I’ve been helping him heal."