"We are those confined to the depths," the thirsty voice answered.
"What kind of help do you--"
"The chain!"
A chorus of other ghastly voices repeated the request. "The chain, the chain, the chain, the chain."
Seth cleared his throat. "You want me to lower the chain?"
"We will serve you for a thousand years."
"We will fulfill your every wish."
"You shall never know defeat again."
"You shall never know fear."
"All will kneel before you."
More voices kept adding promises until Seth could no longer make out any specifics.
"Quiet," Seth demanded. The voices complied. "I can't hear you when you all speak at once."
"Wise lord," a raspy voice began, speaking alone, "we have lost all sense of time and place. We do not deserve this abyss. We need the chain. Send us the chain. Where is the chain?"
Other spectral voices took up the cry. "The chain. The chain. The chain..."
"Hush," Seth said. Once again, the voices fell silent.
"We're going to play the quiet game. The first person to talk loses. I need a second to think."
Seth clicked on the flashlight. He shone it on the rusty chain. Fully uncoiled, it would reach deep into the hole. Once lowered, the metal chain would be far too heavy for him to raise alone. He walked around the perimeter of the hole. None of the unseen entities spoke. Seth's parents sometimes made him play the quiet game when they were driving together. He hadn't even needed to promise the winner a treat!
"Okay, I have some questions," Seth said. "I'm going to need a single spokesman to respond."
"Me," an avid voice answered.
"Fine. We're at a dragon sanctuary. What do you know about Wyrmroost?"
There came no reply for a moment. "We know little of sanctuaries. But we can kill dragons. We shall slay hundreds of dragons on your behalf. Their treasures will adorn your hall. No enemy shall stand against you. Give us the chain."
"I have a feeling if I lower the chain, you'll come up here and eat me."
"Not far from the truth," said a voice behind Seth.
The comment startled Seth so badly that he nearly fell forward into the hole. He lost his grip on the flashlight and it spun down into the blackness, illuminating an increasingly distant section of the endless pit, skipping twice against the side as it descended. The light vanished without Seth glimpsing the bottom, and without any far-off crunch of the bottom being reached.
A torch flared, driving back the momentary darkness in the chamber. An old man with a long beard and a heavy cloak held the firebrand aloft. Seth edged away from the gaping hole. "You must be Agad," Seth said. "You almost gave me a heart attack."
"And you must be the interloper from the knapsack," Agad replied. "Camarat could sense you inside, along with a hermit troll and an unconventional automaton. The dragon had it right. You are young, and you are a shadow charmer."
"I don't mean any harm."
One of Agad's eyes twitched. "Interesting that the first place you came was the Blackwell."
"I was following the whispers. I haven't been a shadow charmer for very long."
"Well, this is easily the most dangerous room in the keep, and probably one of the most dangerous in the entire sanctuary. I wondered if you might be drawn here. Patton said you have a penchant for mischief, though he neglected to mention your full-fledged status as a shadow charmer!"
"Patton mentioned me?" Seth asked.
"He told me to expect you as well if the girl showed up. I'd like to think you would not have lowered the chain."
"The chain? No way! You kidding? I was just hoping I could get info from them or something."
Agad walked over to the nearest pile of coils and sat down. He gestured with the torch and Seth sat as well. "The entities inside the Blackwell would say anything to gain freedom, at which point their promises would evaporate. Do not treat with these types of beings, Seth. They do not give. They only know how to take."
"Why do you have a chain in the first place?"
The question earned a reluctant smile. "If one knows how to manage them, to guide them, to liberate them temporarily and under strict conditions, the inhabitants of the Blackwell have their uses. But even I would employ them only as an absolute last resort."
"In the future, you might want to lock the door."
Agad smiled more broadly. "I left the room accessible in anticipation of your visit. Truth be known, you and I are the only people in Blackwell Keep who could have entered this room, locked or not. A pervasive fear more potent than dragon terror shields the Blackwell from the unworthy."
"Could I learn to control them?"
The wizard considered him. "Perhaps. But should you try to learn? I think not. These unholy fiends will turn on you given the slightest opportunity. Seek more savory allies than these. With thousands of years of experience, I have rarely attempted to use them, and still consider myself perilously vulnerable."
Seth could feel the cold of the links through his pants. "Could you skip telling the others about this? Most of them don't know I came along yet. I'm hiding out in reserve. You know, for emergencies."
"To cause them or repair them? Presumably your friends would be cross if they knew you came to the Blackwell."
"They already think I'm an idiot."
Agad coughed into his fist. "Patton did not share that opinion. He recognized a lot of himself in you. But that worried him, because of how many times he narrowly avoided a premature death. I also see great potential in you, Seth Sorenson. Most shade walkers are evil to the core. You strike me as quite the opposite. Take care here. A dragon sanctuary is no place for the reckless. Properly applied, courage may serve you well. Curiosity, daring, a thirst for adventure-- these will likely lead to your demise."
"I'll try to remember that."
Agad smiled sadly. "I have learned not to get too attached to visitors. Whether or not you accomplish your aim here, mere survival would be a noteworthy triumph. You had best get back to your knapsack."
"Okay. Thanks for the advice."
The wizard arose. "I suppose it goes without saying that I expect never to discover you near the Blackwell again."
"I'll keep away from the voices. By the way, about telling the others..."
Agad winked. "I won't tell if you don't."
* * *