"How did you do that?" asked Lucius, staring at Old Nigel, dumbfounded.
"My dear friend, angels indeed can't freely use their powers here, but nobody said a word on the matter concerning demons." explained Old Nigel joyfully.
"So, you're telling me you really could have escaped this cell anytime you so desired, but you instead chose to remain here, alone in the dark?" asked Lucius while getting up to his feet and walking towards Old Nigel.
"Certainly! When you think about it, there are very few places in hell where one can truly be at peace, and what better place for that than a place that gets forgotten by everyone until a prisoner is captured? And for that matter, I can tell you that that doesn't happen very often. But enough chit-chat, Lucius. We don't have much time. The black knight will arrive any minute now, and when he does, we have to be in the right position to make full use of the uncomfortable surprise he will undoubtedly feel when he finds your cell empty. We have to use every ace in our sleeve to make your escape successful. So, let's go!"
Having said that, Old Nigel first returned to the stone slab hanging from the wall, took the cover that was under it, and rolled it up, after which he put it on the stone slab. Then he ran out of the cell and made the little flame that floated in the cell follow him, lighting the way ahead. Agreeing that time is of the essence, Lucius followed too. When he too was out of the cell, after closing the door, Old Nigel put his hand on the lock, and the sound of the lock locking was heard.
"Why are you doing this? Judging by your intelligence, I think you are fully aware that this can get you in serious trouble, right?" asked Lucius as they began to silently run down the hall, passing many other cells on both sides.
"As I already said, I'm helping you because I think it would be a shame you met your end here when there is so much more good you can do before your time as a warrior of Elysium comes to an end. I need no reason greater than that to help you, Lucius. As for getting into trouble, don't worry. By the time they realise how you escaped, I will be so far from here that they won't have any idea where to look for me. Places where one might find peace are truly rare in hell, but don't worry about me. I'll find some nice cave or hole where I can hide and continue my existence unbothered by those bloodthirsty fools. But enough about that. Come here and listen to me." said Old Nigel as they left the corridor and entered a big room.
The room was full of tools whose sole purpose was to inflict pain. There was everything from a stick and a whip to a stretching device and a Spanish boot. There were many other torture devices that Lucius didn't recognise, and he didn't feel the least bit neglected because of that lack of knowledge. Besides all of those unpleasant things, there was a staircase that led upwards, out of the dungeon. But this is not where they were headed, and Old Nigel instead motioned for him to come after him to the completely opposite side of the room.
"The first thing you should do before we continue is conceal your presence. You are the only angel in this place, and you are as easy to spot as a lighthouse in the dark." advised Old Nigel.
Lucius focused, did as he was advised (blaming himself for not remembering to do so on his own in the process), and listened to what else Old Nigel had to say.
"Good, now listen! I remember a thing or two about this place, so I have a plan, but we will have to be quick at every stage if we are to succeed. The first step is to wait here for the black knight and the two grolls to arrive. Once we hear them coming, I will extinguish my flame, and we will hide as best we can. With your presence concealed, this shouldn't be a problem, but there won't be much time for idleness because, as soon as the black knight and two grolls enter the hall and turn their backs to this room, we have to hurry up those stairs and out of the dungeon. Since there are no prisoners in the dungeon (except me, about whom they have obviously forgotten), there won't be any guards at the dungeon's entrance, because those two grolls accompanying the black knight are the guards. When we get out of the dungeon, we have two options. Both are very risky and dangerous, but they are the only viable options we have. The first option is to rush to the stables where those giant flying animals the demons use as rides are being held. The crows are smart, and they would never let you ride them, recognising that you are not a demon, but bats are a completely different story, and if you managed to snatch one for yourself, you could get out of here in no time. The problem with going to the stables is that they are undoubtedly heavily guarded, as is this whole fortress, so count on the fact that going anywhere means risking being seen. Add to this the fact that as soon as the black knight realises you are gone, this whole fortress will start crawling with demons searching for you, and with you being unarmed, you realise that can't go well for you. There are two more problems with going to the stables. Can you guess what they are?" asked Old Nigel playfully.
"They will expect me to go there. They know I don't have my powers and that I cannot simply summon a portal to escape, so I have to physically travel back to Elysium, and to do that, I need a ride, which is in the stables. Even if I somehow manage to get into the stables and out of them on a ride unscathed, it would take an incredible amount of luck and skill for me not to get shot by a projectile of any kind. And even if I managed to make it that far, they would still chase after me all the way back to Elysium. I must say that that option doesn't look promising at all, and I sincerely hope that the other one is better." said Lucius, who was quick to notice the dangers of the plan.
"It's pretty optimistic of you if you think you would make it to Elysium at all, Lucius. They would be on you like a swarm of insects before you would even have time to get out of the range of their cannons. Luckily for you, I also don't think you should beeline to the stables. Instead, I think we should pay a visit to the private chambers of our good friend, the black knight. No matter how long we might be able to remain undetected, we need to find you a good and powerful weapon, and there we will find it. You noticed how he wasn't armed? He doesn't carry his weapon around the fortress because angels haven't attacked it in centuries; therefore, he doesn't need it. And then…"
"I'm sorry for interrupting you, but can't he just summon his weapon like we angels do?" asked Lucius, confused by this talk about a weapon that is just lying somewhere for someone to pick it up.
"Other demons can do stuff like that, yes. But black knights are not demons by origin. They are evil human souls trapped in those big black armours enchanted by black magic. Even though they are unstoppable killing machines, their power doesn't come from themselves, but from their armour. To be able to use magic, your power must be yours alone. That's why this plan of mine is a possibility." explained Old Nigel.
"But what use would I have from possessing his weapon? I would still be facing the whole fortress filled with demons alone! I doubt that a weapon would be enough to save me from this mess."
"My, are you an impatient one? You don't need that weapon for fighting. Well, at least not just for fighting. You see, the reason you cannot use any of your powers here is because something is preventing you from doing so. What is it, you ask? At the heart of this fortress lies a giant, dark crystal. It prevents any creature of the light from using its powers as long as it's within the boundaries of the fortress. If that dark crystal were stabbed by a powerful weapon, let's say, for example, stabbed with the black sword belonging to a black knight, that dark crystal would be destroyed, and creatures of the light would no longer be limited in their powers here. That basically means that as soon as that dark crystal is no more, you could summon a portal and be out of here in no time. Sadly, it won't be so easy. The location of the dark crystal is the most guarded location in the whole fortress, so whether or not you will be able to get past them depends solely on your skills with the sword. But it's not all bad. You will have the element of surprise on your side. Nobody, not even the black knight, will expect you to go for the dark crystal. I already mentioned that this fortress hadn't been attacked in centuries. That means the guards won't expect you either. With a bit of luck and bravery, you will be able to storm in there and get to the dark crystal."
"Do you know what kind of guards are guarding that dark crystal? If we are talking about grolls, satyrs, and imps, then all is manageable, but if something far more dangerous is waiting for me there, I sincerely doubt in that storming in part you mentioned." said Lucius, sceptic about his chances.
"I'm afraid I don't know. I've never been there. I can only lead you to the entrance, but that is as much as I can do to help you. Whatever's waiting for you there, you will have to deal with it alone. You can succeed or you can fail. At any rate, I think you can agree that falling in battle is a far better way to go than being tortured to death."
"You're right about that one, but still, I'm not sure. Even if I manage to destroy that dark crystal, what guarantee do I have that I will have enough time to summon a portal before the rest of the demons come at me? Don't answer; that was a rhetorical question. I know that there's no guarantee; I'm just trying to decide between two bad options."
"At any rate, I think going for the dark crystal is the better option. If you go to the stables, remember that you are unarmed and the only way to fight back are your fists, and even if you get your hands on some weapon, the demons will overwhelm you and you will be captured. The guards guarding the dark crystal won't spare you. They have been ordered to guard that dark crystal with their lives, and they will kill you if you get the chance. I know that it's bizarre that you should treat the chance of getting killed as something positive, but let's face it, you are in a really bad situation right now, Lucius. I won't and can't force you to do anything. At the end of the day, the choice of what to do is yours and only yours. But you know as well as me that if you don't make any choice at all, you could have just as well stayed in your cell and waited for the black knight."
He wanted to say something else, but the sound of a door opening somewhere above them stopped him. Instead, he just whispered:
"Your time for deciding is up! Make your choice, Lucius!"
Old Nigel's words and the sound of footsteps getting louder put even more pressure on already stressed-out Lucius. He had to decide and do so fast.
And decided, he did.