Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(140)

Seth ran up to Kendra. "Did you see that? They beefed up Hugo! Maybe we have a chance!"


"Bracken thinks we might," Kendra said.


"I'm freaking out," Seth said, stamping his feet anxiously. "I'll be better once the battle starts. My sword really helps my nerves."


"Just obey Bracken," Kendra implored. "He's our general today. Do what he says and we might make it."


"I'm with Newel," Seth said. "I thought we were dead, so hearing we might beat them is messing with my mind."


"Stay calm," Bracken said. He and Gilgarol fell into step alongside them. "When the demons first emerge, it may look overwhelming. Remember, we don't have to fight them all head-on. We'll have specific objectives."


"Where are those dragons?" Seth asked.


"All in due time," Bracken assured him.


The sky had grown brighter. They reached the far side of the shrine. Ahead of them, a wide field separated them from a tremendous dome of rock, its entire surface etched with cryptic runes. Here and there on the field lay the eroding ruins of ancient structures.


Surveying their newly assembled army, Kendra counted at least a hundred oversized fairies. The heavily armed astrids looked grim and competent, some on the ground, some hovering in the air. And Hugo had become absolutely gigantic. Whatever the outcome, this was much better than facing Gorgrog and his horde with a team of nine.


Bracken trotted ahead of everyone and turned to speak, waving both arms to summon attention. "Our foes will emerge at any moment. Look to me for orders! Take heart-- we have the support of the Fairy Queen and other powerful allies. And after centuries of exile, the astrids have returned to their true form!"


This earned a cheer.


"For ages," Bracken went on, "you astrids served as the honor guard for my family. This regiment had a name. Would any of our human companions care to guess what they were called?"


Nobody answered.


"The Knights of the Dawn," Bracken said. "The same name taken by the brotherhood that stands in opposition to the Society of the Evening Star. I believe this name is no accident. I believe this name makes reference to this moment. No star can abide the light of the dawn, nor has evil ever loved light. After their long incarceration in darkness, let our enemies come against us with the sunrise at our backs!"


Kendra had chills. She had no idea Bracken possessed such dramatic flair for leadership. His words had kindled real hope. All around her, fairies and astrids clapped and whistled. Many applauded by clashing their weapons against their shields, producing a soldierly ruckus.


The sun peeked over the horizon, flooding the world with golden rays. And then the dome began to quake. A thunderous rumbling arose as if from the bones of the planet, drowning out all other sound. Tremors radiated through the ground, making trees sway. Kendra stumbled against an astrid, who prevented her from falling. The quaking intensified, and a vertical crack appeared in the lower portion of the dome, growing wider by the second. As the sun cleared the horizon, the demon prison opened.


Chapter 27 Knights of the Dawn


When the quaking subsided, the breach in the dome had become as wide as a basketball court. Seth stared at the gaping rift, waiting for a demon to appear. Around him, astrids and fairies milled anxiously. "Steady," Bracken called. "Await my commands."


"Are you my bodyguard?" Seth asked an astrid who had taken up position beside him.


"Yes," the brawny astrid replied. "I am Peredor. Denwin is assigned to you as well."


The second astrid stood a little taller than the first. He carried a pair of short spears. Peredor wielded a war hammer, and a brace of long knives crossed at his waist.


"How did you get your assignment?" Seth asked. "Bracken issues most of our orders mind to mind,"


Denwin said. "He is only using his voice for the benefit of you humans."


"He talks to me telepathically sometimes," Seth said. "He gave me a magic coin."


"Keep your fine sword ready," Peredor advised, glancing down at Vasilis. "We will try to shield you, but this will be a host of demons such as the world has never known."


"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."