Chapter 5: Infiltration and Revelations

Jack lay on his improvised bed, staring up at the jagged ceiling of his hut as thoughts of the rumors about Garruk's plans tried to creep in and would not let him rest. Fast action was so needed, but there was a sizeable amount of danger. One wrong move and he would anger Garruk. That means a fate worse than death.again.

Next morning, Jack saw together his little squad, including Sam, Lila, and a few more souls showing their loyalty and resourcefulness: they retired to the edge of camp, huddled together in secret, serious cryptography.

"Alright," started Jack, keeping his voice low. "We need to find out more about this ritual Garruk's planning. Any ideas on where to start?"

Sam scratched his head. "The demons don't exactly keep a library of their plans, Jack. There's one place that might, though—the demon barracks. Risky, but if we can slip inside, might find something useful."

Lila nodded once. "I agree. The barracks are heavily guarded, but they're also where the demons store their records. If Garruk is planning something big, there might be clues there."

Jack took a deep breath. "Alright, so we need a plan where no one will spot us going in and out. Volunteers?"

Everything was silent for a second before Lila stepped forward. "I'll go. I'm good at sneaking around, and if things get rough, I can handle myself."

Jack nodded his appreciation. "Alright, Lila. Sam, you and I will cause a scene that'll draw the guards off the barracks. Rest of you, keep watch and be ready to jump in if this goes badly."

With a plan in mind, the group set out, each of four members bracing for what lay ahead. Closer to the barracks, Jack could feel his nerves humming, equal parts scared and determined. This was their best chance to get ahead of Garruk, and they couldn't afford to fail.

Jack and Sam took up positions beside the entrance to the barracks. They only had to wait a little longer until they could create their diversion. Jack moved his gaze sideways to Sam, who nodded reassuringly.

"Ready?" she whispered.

Jack sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "Ready."

With a quick motion, Sam slung a rock into a nearby building, breaking a window and causing a loud racket. The guards were immediately alerted to the hubbub by running toward the source of disturbance.

"Now, Lila!" Jack urged in whispers.

Lila slipped through the distracted guards and into the barracks, moving with all the stealth and grace of a shadow. Jack stood anxiously watching as his heart pounded away for all it was worth with Sam to keep the guards occupied.

Lila moved cautiously down the dimly lit corridors of the barracks. She slipped into a room full of scrolls and documents, her eyes doing a sweep around the shelves for anything that could give away Garruk's plans. Her fingers met an extremely old, dusty scroll, and she rolled it open with caution.

Her eyes widened at the contents. The ritual Garruk was to perform was one for a great convergence of demonic power against the present balance from Hell. If successful, it would make Garruk one of the most powerful beings in the Underworld and reshape Hell itself.

Lila quickly rolled the scroll up and tucked it into her cloak. She turned to leave, but as she heard footsteps, her heart sank—two demons entered the room. She ran fast across the floor to the stack of crates in the corner and leaned against it, holding breath.

"Did you hear that noise outside?" one of the demons grumbled.

"Yeah," the other agreed. "Probably just some souls fucking around again. Let's go and get this over with."

The demons departed, and Lila let out a sigh of relief. She squeezed from her hiding spot and back to the entrance, her heart pounding within her chest. She watched Jack and Sam still causing their ruckus and gave them a sign that she'd gotten what they needed.

Jack and Sam stopped their racket and quickly rejoined Lila, all three of them making a quick getaway from the barracks. Once they were safely ensconced in their hidden spot, Lila pulled out the scroll and unfolded it for everyone to see.

"This is it," she urged in a voice so very low. "Garruk's planning a ritual to amplify his power. If he succeeds, he'll be unstoppable."

Jack's eyes skimmed the scroll as his mind raced with thoughts. "We can't let that happen. We have to find a way to stop the ritual."

Sam nodded in agreement. "But how? We're just a small group of souls. We stand no chance next to Garruk's power."

The fire smoldered in Lila's eyes. "We might be small in number, but we have something Garruk doesn't—cunning. We can use our wits and knowledge of this place to sniff out a way to sabotage the ritual."

Jack turned to his friends; his heart suddenly filled with hope. "Alright, reasons, find any weaknesses in the ritual, and how we are going to exploit those. We have to act fast, but we can do this."

For the next few days, they rummaged through every source they could get their hands on about the ritual. They spoke to other souls, bribed minor demons, and pieced together a plan that was supposed to work—that is, primarily dependent on timing, precision, and a modicum of luck.

As the day on which the ritual had to be done approached, Jack simply could not help feeling a rush of excitement mixed with a tinge of fear. This was their opportunity to make things make a difference; this was where they would hinder Garruk's plans and perhaps save themselves, along with other fellow souls. Yes, the stakes were extremely high, for it might quite literally mean their end.

They went to the site, a fairly large cavern fully imbued with the demonic energy of the ritual. There, Jack and his companions conceal themselves in the darkness to observe Garruk and his minions starting the ritual. Dark magic sizzled in the air, and tension stretched—like a taut elastic band—to the limits.

Jack turned to his friends; his voice was barely audible. "Remember the plan. Wait for the right moment, then strike."

As the ritual developed, Jack's nerves were humming. Garruk finally cleared his throat and launched into an invocation of demonic power; it was time.

Jack nodded to Lila, who sprinted around to the edge of the circle as fast and as quietly as she could, whereupon she released a little vial full of a powerful disruptive agent that they had arranged to mix up—a recipe designed to muddle the flow of demonic energy.

At a flick of her wrist, the liquid "banged" to the ground, where it began to sizzle and hiss loudly. The ritual circle flickered, and Garruk's chanting faltered.

"What is this?" Garruk roared, his eyes blazing. "Who dares interfere with my ritual?"

Jack stepped out from the shadows. His heart was pounding in his chest. "That would be us, Garruk. You underestimated us."

Garruk's eyes narrowed, and he laughed, the sound like bellowing. "You think you can stop me, mortal? You are but insects next to my power."

Jack's voice was surprisingly steady, though he felt fear clawing at his insides. "Maybe. But we're resourceful insects."

Enraged, Garruk charged towards Jack, but he and the rest were ready. Mixing up their concoctions, they joined the fray, throwing them into it to wreak further ritual disruption and make things increasingly chaotic and confusing for the demons.

In the heart of all this chaos, Jack felt an overview surge in energy, an echo of the demonic energy being channeled through the ritual. He focused on amplifying the disruption with his newfound powers, and the land started to shake with another shockwave that broke the ritual circle throughout the cavern.

Garruk screamed in fury as the demonic power surged out of control, consuming his followers and tearing the cavern apart. Jack and his friends ran, dodging falling debris and demonic energy.

As they turned their backs on the collapsing cavern, Jack looked behind to see Garruk enveloped in the vortex of power, his screams echoing through the underworld. They had done it. They had stopped the ritual.

Outside, Jack and his friends collapsed, collapsed, exhausted but exhilarated with a victory impossible against impossible odds. They had shifted the balance of power in Hell and bought themselves an opportunity to survive, along with their fellow damned.

He could not help but laugh as they got their breath back; the sound echoed through the darkness. "Well, that was one hell of a day."

Lila snorted, her eyes shining with relief. "You can say that again, Jack."

Sam clapped Jack on his back. "You did good, Jack. We all did."

Jack nodded, knowing he felt a sense of solidarity and hope. They proved they could make a difference in the darkest places. And as they looked ahead to whatever lay in store, Jack knew they would set them in front together, with humor, wit, and determination.

So far, they had made it through Hell. And if they'd turned that around, they'd be ready for whatever came next.