Fablehaven: The Complete Series (255 page)

“I’ll do my best,” Seth said, fingering the hilt of his sword. The waiting was agony. How long before a demon would appear? Would Graulas be the first one out?

A murmur ran through the assembled astrids and fairies as the first demons emerged from the rift in the dome. Seth pulled binoculars from his emergency kit for a closer look.

In the lead slithered a muscular woman with four arms and the body of a serpent. Near her limped a pale man, considerably taller than a regular person, his body pocked with sores. His long, spindly arms and legs gave him spidery proportions, slaver dripped from his slack mouth, and buttery goo clotted around his red eyes. On the other side of the snake woman padded an enormous wolf, with crooked fangs that protruded like tusks and fur as dark as ink.

“You recognize these guys?” Seth asked.

“The tall skinny one is Zorat the Plagueman,” Peredor said. “Without unicorns on our side, he could wipe us out himself with disease.”

“Bracken will hold his influence in check,” Denwin said. “The woman is a greater demon called Ixyria, a mentor to witches and hags. The wolf is called Din Bidor. Darkness and fear increase his size.”

Behind these three demons came a figure who nearly filled the gap, a shirtless mountain of a man with an iron collar around his neck and a steel mask over his face. In one hand he clutched a gigantic flanged mace, in the other a tremendous morning star. Beneath gray, elephantine skin and thick layers of blubber, rotund muscles swelled with every movement.

“Brogo,” Peredor murmured with intimidated respect. “One of the three sons of Gorgrog. He used to attack castles unaided. The oaf has single-handedly felled forests, smashed monuments, crushed armies, and destroyed cities.”

“Arguably the strongest demon in history,” Denwin said. “He was one of the first locked up in Zzyzx.”

More demons poured out alongside and behind Brogo. Some walked on two legs, some on four, some on six. Others slithered. Others jumped. Others rolled. Others had wings. Some had horns, or tentacles, or shells, or scales, or quills, or fur. Many wore armor and bore weapons. Some had heads like dragons, others like jackals, panthers, humans, or insects. Several stood larger than Hugo. A few lounged on litters borne by underlings.

As the nightmarish procession continued to flow out of the rift, an idea struck Seth, and he hurriedly approached Bracken, his bodyguards half a step behind. Bracken was addressing Trask, Vanessa, Warren, and Kendra.

“This is good,” Bracken said, eyes on the growing mass of demons. “Impatient after years in prison, many of the demonic leaders have emerged early. Among them I already see several notorious cowards. Although they love destruction and mayhem, many demons are hesitant to risk their own necks. They prefer bullying.”

“How do we use this?” Trask asked.

“We need to spread the fight as wide as possible. We harass and scare the weakest leaders. And we fall back before them, hoping Gorgrog will emerge with his vanguard to celebrate his freedom and observe our demise.”

“This is just the vanguard?” Warren asked.

“What you see is but a small delegation of the many demons entrapped in Zzyzx,” Bracken confirmed.

Across the field, demons continued to emerge from the rift. Groups of human-sized fairies and astrids began to attack in small groups from multiple directions, darting in, striking a few blows, then soaring away. When flying demons gave chase, astrids converged, outmaneuvering the winged attackers and cutting them from the sky.

“Bracken,” Seth said, “I have an idea.”

“Let’s have it,” Bracken replied, eyes on the battle.

Seth began unbuckling his sword belt. “Why don’t you take Vasilis? I’m sure you could make better use of it than I could.”

“A noble gesture,” Bracken said, temporarily taking his eyes off the scattered skirmishes. “But you’re wrong, Seth. A sword like Vasilis does not always connect to a new master as it has connected to you. You and the Sword of Light and Darkness complement each other. I can sense that in my hands it would be a fine weapon, but it would fail to draw power from my mind and heart as it does from yours. I will fare just as well using my horn. Keep your blade.”

“What should we do?” Vanessa asked.

“We wait,” Bracken said. “Without wings, we can’t harass the enemy like the astrids or the fairies. Our weapons will be needed as the battle unfolds.”

On the field between the shrine and the prison, the harassing raids had enraged the demons, and the battle was growing fiercer. Seth saw a couple of fairies torn from the air, and an injured astrid had to be rescued by companions. The demons spread ever wider to confront the multidirectional sorties. For the moment, Bracken had succeeded in preventing the demons from concentrating their efforts on the shrine.

Without warning, the Sphinx appeared near Bracken. Dusty and winded, he held the Translocator in his hands and supported the Chronometer in the crook of his arm. The Font of Immortality protruded from his belt.

“The other two artifacts?” Bracken asked the Sphinx, evidently unsurprised by his appearance.

“Nagi Luna will not let the Oculus out of her grasp,” the Sphinx said. “Graulas is the same with the Sands of Sanctity. This was the first moment when I had a chance to snatch any of the artifacts. Gorgrog has just emerged from confinement, and all attention was on him. As it was, I had to garrote Mr. Lich.”

“You killed your friend?” Seth asked.

“He sided with the demons against me,” the Sphinx said. “His willful treachery helped create this disaster. I thanked him appropriately.”

“Will the artifacts do us any good at this point?” Kendra asked.

“My plan depends on recovering them,” Bracken said, taking the Sphinx by the hand and fixing him with a level stare. “Will you shuttle in a strike force to recover the other artifacts?”

“It would be my honor,” the Sphinx said.

“Fair enough,” Bracken said, releasing his hand. “Targoron, Silvestrus, go with the Sphinx and retrieve the remaining artifacts.”

“I need a better weapon,” the Sphinx said.

“Take mine,” Trask offered.

The Sphinx handed the Chronometer and the Font of Immortality to a nearby astrid, and then accepted the sword from Trask. “This belonged to the Gray Assassin,” the Sphinx recognized, hardness entering his eyes. “It should do the job.”

“You will engage the enemy only as a last resort,” Bracken said. “Your priority must be to transport the artifacts back to us.”

“And try to return my sword,” Trask added.

“Graulas and Nagi Luna will not relinquish the remaining artifacts lightly,” the Sphinx affirmed, swishing his sword through the air.

“Let me come,” Seth blurted. “I’ll take care of Graulas.”

Bracken looked at Seth’s sheathed sword. He hesitated, glancing at Kendra, who shook her head. Bracken rubbed his temple. “The Sphinx will take Targoron and Silvestrus first, then return for Seth and Peredor.” Kendra gave Seth a worried frown. He tried to reassure her with a small smile. Bracken rested a hand on the Sphinx’s shoulder. “After retrieving the artifacts, your priority will be to protect Seth and his sword.”

There came a tremendous roar from the rift in the dome, a bellow of rage and triumph, easily overpowering the clamor of battle. An enormous figure came striding from the rift, a humanoid with a tremendous rack of contorted antlers. Body covered in thick fur, the personage stood taller than Hugo but shorter than the colossal Brogo. In defiance of the direct glare from the rising sun, darkness rippled around him. One fist held a huge, elaborate sword, edges bristling with spikes and serrations. Several corpses dragged on the ground behind him, affixed to his wide belt by black chains. An iron crown hugged the base of the antlers, atop a bullish head.

“Gorgrog,” Bracken said.

“The time to move is now,” the Sphinx insisted.

“Go,” Bracken ordered.

The Sphinx twisted the Translocator and disappeared with Targoron and Silvestrus. A moment later he reappeared alone. Seth stepped forward with Peredor. They each laid a hand on the Translocator. When the Sphinx twisted the device, they were suddenly inside the dome.

Enough sunlight gleamed through the gaping crack in one wall to light the dome, but persistent shadows remained off to the sides. The ceiling seemed to curve impossibly high. At the center of the room, demons continued to emerge from a circular void in the floor, the real gateway of Zzyzx.

From this closer vantage, the demons appeared much more terrifying. Targoron was already locked in combat with a six-armed foe, and Silvestrus put a spear through a two-headed brute with teeth like knives. Peredor brought his war hammer down on the head of a stocky, bearded foe with blue skin and bright yellow eyes.

Graulas stood not far off, near the wall, away from the throng of demons parading toward the fissure in the wall of the dome. His face broke into an eager, evil smile when he met eyes with Seth. In one hand he held the Sands of Sanctity. The other hand gripped a heavy spear.

“You came looking for me after all,” Graulas said, boisterous voice penetrating the tumult. “I should have known. You have collected quite a sword. Again, you astonish me, Seth Sorenson. Sadly, my final lesson will be that any blade is only as mighty as the wielder. Come. We have unfinished business, you and I.”

Several demons had beset the Sphinx and the three astrids, but the other demons ignored Seth. Maybe he didn’t look threatening enough to worry about. Maybe they were leaving him for Graulas. Whatever the case, Seth found himself walking forward, closing the gap between himself and the demon who had tricked and betrayed him.

Seth gazed up at the ram head framed by a set of curled horns. Broadly built, thickly muscled, clad in a breastplate and greaves, Graulas did not appear sickly in any way. Seth kept his hand on the pommel of his sword, instinct telling him not to draw it yet. Graulas seemed to assume that Seth was an unworthy wielder of Vasilis, and Seth saw no reason to persuade him otherwise.

“I can sense your confidence in your weapon,” Graulas said. “Vasilis is a celebrated talisman. I almost claimed it once. Much better men than you have lost it. Your cause is hopeless. No help can avail you today. Stop delaying. The sword will function better unsheathed.”

If Graulas lunged forward, he could now reach Seth with his spear. Seth’s mouth felt dry. The wild ruckus of the cavorting demons faded from his attention. How had he imagined he could defeat Graulas? The demon had torn down a house with his bare hands! He had usurped the power of the Sphinx!

Seth clenched his jaw. There was no turning back now, nowhere to run. His only allies were fighting for their lives. And Graulas had the Sands of Sanctity.

Seth no longer advanced. “I healed you and you killed my friend.”

Graulas sneered. “Don’t stop there. By healing me, you essentially opened Zzyzx.”

“Yeah, well, I’m here to unheal you.” As Seth pulled out Vasilis, the blade sang in his hand, glaring with a scarlet intensity he had not yet seen. The sparks of defiance inside of Seth flamed into fury and confidence.

Graulas grimaced, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. The demon glanced away, and Seth followed his gaze to Nagi Luna, who perched on a rocky outcrop cackling wildly. Grunting, Graulas jabbed the spear at Seth. The thrust seemed slow and clumsy, and Seth hacked the head off the spear with a quick sweep of his blade.

“You claimed the sword had not taken to him!” Graulas growled vehemently. Seth could tell that the demon was no longer speaking English, but he could still comprehend the meaning. Scarlet flames spread down the shaft of his spear.

“Try to claim authority over me, will you?” Nagi Luna jeered at Graulas. “Try to steal the glory of my conquest?”

Graulas threw the shaft of his spear at Seth, who dodged aside without trouble. “Curse you for this, hag,” Graulas rumbled. “You’ll pay. If I fall, I’ll summon a curse that will—”

“Kill him, boy,” Nagi Luna snapped.

Graulas and Seth sprang toward each other simultaneously. Vasilis blazed, slicing through fur and breastplate almost without slowing. Angry flames erupted over Graulas as his claws raked down Seth’s sides and his teeth clamped shut on his shoulder.

Seth fell flat on his back, Vasilis still in his hand, the crushing weight of the flaming demon pressing down on him. Stripes of pain seared his sides, and the demon’s teeth remained embedded in his shoulder. The stench of burning meat and fur filled his nostrils. Seth could not move. As the fire spread over Graulas, Seth realized he would be cooked along with his blazing enemy. At least he would not die alone! Coulter would be proud.

Strong hands started prying the teeth apart at his shoulder, and the weight of the fiery demon rolled off of him. The Sphinx helped Seth to his feet. Peredor stood at his side. Targoron and Silvestrus continued to fight valiantly nearby. Beside Seth, raging flames consumed the lifeless corpse of the old demon.

“You really can use that sword,” the Sphinx said, impressed.

“The Sands of Sanctity?” Seth asked, feeling light-headed. Refreshing energy flowed into his arm through Vasilis. Without the sword, Seth doubted whether he would be standing.