Keys to the Demon Prison (Page 87)

"Mark has tried to kill himself many times. To tell you the truth, I don’t know how much he really wants to end his life. He might just like pretending to die. He has never sought out anything that could actually kill him. Instead he jumps off bridges or drives motorcycles into oncoming traffic. He ends up injured, but he heals rapidly, and I watch over him. I’ve had to fish him out of the sea more than once. He has come to blame me for his immortal state, even though I’m just doing my job. Wouldn’t you rather be miserable on dry land than miserable bobbing around in the ocean?"

"So he might not listen to us," Kendra said.

"I’m not sure," Tux replied. "Maybe the prospect of assassins who truly know how to kill his kind will snap him out of his depression. Or maybe he’ll run to them with open arms. If we’re lucky, a couple of new faces and voices might help rekindle a sense of duty."

"The danger is real," Bracken said. "We could all lose our lives. Dozens of men defended Roon, and high walls, and he wanted to live, but they got him."

Tux sped up. They crossed Ocean Avenue to a narrow park with paved paths, green lawns, and lots of palm trees. The cat approached a long-limbed man sleeping on the lawn in a filthy green army jacket and frayed jeans. He had long hair and an unkempt beard. His odor made it clear that he had not bathed in many days.

"Wake up, Mark," Tux ordered.

The man shifted his position and smacked his lips. "Lay off, Tux. What’s the idea?"

"We have visitors."

The man sat up, eyes flicking between Kendra and Bracken. "What is this? Circus come to town?"

"We know who you are," Bracken said gently.

"You have no idea," the man replied. "You want me to move along? I’ll move along. Leave me alone."

"You’re Mark, one of the Eternals," Kendra said.

He started, naked surprise flashing across his face, then took a swipe at Tux, who avoided the swat smoothly. "What’ve you been blabbing?" he accused the cat.

"Tux told us nothing," Bracken said. "Only two Eternals remain alive. Your enemies have the Oculus. They’re coming."

Mark grunted. "About time."

"Don’t be a fool," Tux said.

Mark brushed greasy hair away from his eyes. "You think we can do anything if somebody with the Oculus wants to find me? Catching me here will be the same as catching me down the street, or a couple of towns over."

"We need to move," Bracken said. "If we stay in motion, changing course unpredictably, we can shuttle you to a safe haven, like Wyrmroost."

"A dragon sanctuary?" Mark scoffed. "You want me to hide out in a dragon sanctuary? Isn’t my life pathetic enough?"

"This is bigger than you," Bracken said, trying to stay patient. "We are two Eternals away from seeing Zzyzx opened."

"Had to happen eventually," Mark said, rising. He stood half a head taller than Bracken. "I can see where this is heading. Listen, I’m tired, guys, really tired. Weary in every way. Mind, body, soul–everything that can wear out wore out long ago. You don’t spend years getting mugged by hoboes and chased off park benches until you’re pretty close to gone. Might be wiser to go focus on that last Eternal."

"We may not make it to the last one in time," Kendra said.

"Look, Mark," Bracken said, starting to lose his cool. "I’ve been around a long while myself. Longer than you. Quitting is not an option. The commitment you undertook doesn’t fade away once you’re no longer in the mood. You need to man up. The struggle between light and darkness hinges on this. Billions of lives are at stake. If you want to rest, live simple, why not do it at a dragon sanctuary?"

"He’s stubborn," Tux warned in a singsong tone.

"Stay out of this," Mark spat.

"And touchy," Tux added.

Mark kicked at the cat. Tux scampered back to a safer distance.

"We have a dragon with us," Bracken said. "A little one. He can fly you to Wyrmroost. He can take a circuitous route, alter his heading a lot. It’s your best chance."

Mark put his hands in his pockets. "What’s your name, stranger?"

"Bracken."

"I’m Marcus. Mark to most people. How about the girl?"

"Kendra."

"Is she a person?" Mark asked. "A human?"

"Yes." Bracken said. "You’re not."

"I’m a unicorn."

Mark chuckled. "Perfect," he muttered, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. "How am I supposed to know whether I’m insane? My only friend is a talking cat, and here I’ve got a unicorn dressed like a Viking who wants me to come live with the dragons?"

"You’re not insane," Bracken said evenly. "Take my hand."

Mark stepped away. "No, no. So sorry. All I have left is my free will."

"I wasn’t–"

"Don’t try to convince me you don’t want to manipulate my emotions," Mark said. "I know what you’re after. Same thing the cat wants. You want me to pay for my mistake forever."

"What mistake?" Kendra asked.

"The mistake of agreeing to become a lock!" Mark snarled. He closed his eyes and took a breath, regaining his composure. "It was for a good cause, I know. You two have honorable intentions. I take no issue with the cause. Nobody lied to me. I simply didn’t understand the cost. Not really, not fully. The exacting toll of existing, and existing, and existing, long after you want to stop, long after all meaning has died. That price is much too high. My intentions were pure. I remember why I volunteered. I simply lacked the vision to see myself ending up this way. I’m just not cut out for this much living. Becoming an Eternal was a mistake, and nobody will let me off the hook."

"I can sympathize with you," Bracken said. "Life can wear a man down. Especially a long life on the run. Still, mistake or not, you have to fulfill your duty. The stakes are too high. This is not the time to let your existential crisis come to a head."

"This is exactly the time," Mark argued, eyes intense. "Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this? I’ve toyed with death, sure, mostly to sample the illusion of an end. To pretend I had some control over my fate. But I’ve never sought out a dragon or a phoenix to conclude my life prematurely. If I had put my mind to it, I could have. Now a natural end is coming. Not suicide. Just the inevitable finally catching up. After all of these centuries, I have a right to stop fighting."

"You don’t have that right," Bracken said. "If this was just you, I’d agree. But you can’t let the rest of the world pay for your mistake. This became about more than just yourself the day you agreed to help keep Zzyzx closed."