“Then you will believe I am not a dra’voren?”
“No, then I’ll believe he was a droge.”
Bane smiled. “You are a hard man to convince. This is a waste of my time, but I will do it in the interest of fostering better relations. Droges are far stronger than men, so when I capture him, you will have to find a way to restrain him, or your people will be injured. Your weapons will not harm him, although the ones that use blue light will do some damage. And I did not kill anyone, Sarjan. He was already dead.”
“All these men underwent physical examinations before they could become crewmen. Is a droge body exactly like a mortal one?”
“No, but you will find that another droge helped them; one who was the examiner, or perhaps a demon possessed the examiner in order for the droges to pass the test.”
Sarjan swore and swung away, going to the door, where he turned. “Will you do it now?”
Bane followed him, the contechs sidling away as he passed. Sarjan’s interest in droges seemed to have distracted him from his fear, and he strode down the corridor to a sizeable a mess hall, judging by all the tables and chairs in it. He activated a com-link beside the door and summoned his complement of soldiers, who arrived after a couple of minutes, about a hundred of them.
Bane cast his eyes over them and shook his head. “These are all men. Soldiering is not an ideal occupation for a droge, since there is the risk of injury, which would reveal his true nature. His comrades would notice if he was fatally wounded and did not die, or even bleed.”
Sarjan grunted. “Then we’ll have to check the ops.”
“I do not wish my presence in this world to be known yet, and if I capture a droge he will inform his master, so I hope the one we find is Parsimon’s vassal.”
“Or else what?”
“His master may wish to confront me, which would prove damaging to your ship. Have you shackles prepared to hold this droge when I capture him?”
Sarjan despatched a soldier to fetch some and ordered a group of twenty men to accompany him. They set off along the corridors, stopping to study the men in the various rooms. Most were in a state of excitement and anxiety, gathered in groups to discuss the events of the past few hours. Those on duty tended their stations with intense dedication, motivated by the ship’s perceived peril.
Bane found a droge in one of the recreation rooms, a ratty man who stood on the outskirts of a discussion group, listening to the conversation. Sarjan’s brows rose when Bane nodded at the crewman, then walked towards him. The droge and the rest of the men eyed Bane and backed away, glancing at their commander for reassurance. Bane made as if to pass the droge, then whipped around and seized him, locked one arm around his throat and twisted his right arm behind his back.
The droge struggled fiercely until Bane bent his head to murmur, “Fight me, and I shall rescind your form.”
The man relaxed, and Sarjan gestured to the soldiers, four of whom took hold of the droge’s arms as Bane released him. The ratty man threw them off, and more piled into the fray, trying to pin him down. The droge sent men reeling across the room with powerful punches and kicks. Bane prowled around the melee, waiting for the droge to emerge triumphant. The number of soldiers dwindled as they were injured or knocked out, some with broken limbs, and Sarjan looked worried.
When only five soldiers remained, the droge threw them off again and made a dash for the door. Bane Moved ahead of him and smashed him to the ground with a double-fisted blow. The droge writhed, the front of his head staved in, then staggered to his feet and headed for the door again. Bane tackled him and hurled him down, straddled him and bludgeoned his head flat. The droge yanked a knife from his belt and stabbed Bane in the face. It glanced off his cheekbone, just missing his eye.
The Demon Lord hissed and ripped off the man’s arm, hurling it away, then stood up and stamped on his head until it was a grey smear. Sarjan gaped at the twitching droge, looking sick. Bane wiped his cheek and frowned at the blood on his hand.
“Bloody hell,” Sarjan muttered.
Bane shot him an angry look. “I instructed you to put shackles on him, not try to beat him into submission.”
Sarjan stared at the blood on Bane’s face. “You really are...”
“Mortal?” Bane snorted. “Yes, Sarjan, and I do not usually indulge in fist fights with damned droges. It is much easier to rescind their forms or burn them.”
“You tore his arm off...”
“Are you going to put the shackles on him before he recovers?”
Sarjan’s eyes flicked down to the droge. “But surely...?”
“He will wake up in a few minutes, and his head will reform.”
The commander gave the order, and the remaining soldiers approached the droge with some reluctance and obvious distaste, one carrying the manacles they had brought. When the droge’s remaining arm was shackled to his waist, the soldiers dragged him away.
Sarjan turned to Bane. “I’m sorry... you were hurt. Thank you for capturing him. I could take you to the hospital for treatment.”
“Tend to your injured men. I need no help from you.”
Some of the crewmen came forward to assist the injured soldiers while one keyed a communications device, summoning medical personnel. Bane left the recreation room, Sarjan following.
As they walked along the corridor, Bane said, “Take the ship out of the city, to a wooded area, or fields, somewhere not crowded with people. There you will wait for me. I must meet my informant to find out if he has found the other two dark gods.”
“You have an informant? A man?”
“No, a demon, or, as you like to call them, a fiend. Do not worry, he is under my command.”
Sarjan nodded. “Right.”
“And Sarjan, if you try to get me into your shredder room, you will regret it, understand?”
“Yes... I won’t.”
Bane signalled to Kayos, who enveloped him in his light shield once more. Sarjan swung around in search of him, then trotted away towards the bridge.
Kayos eyed Bane with a sigh. “That was foolish.”
“I did not know he had a weapon.”
“You should stop trying to convince these dolts that you are good. It will not work.”
“It might.”
Kayos placed his hand on Bane’s cheek, healing the cut in a flash of golden power. “It is far easier for you to convince women. They find you irresistible.”
Bane avoided Kayos’ amused gaze, discomfited. “Let us find somewhere to rest.”
Kayos chuckled as Bane marched off, following him to an empty mess hall where they could seal the doors and relax on their couches for a while.
Sherinias smiled and jumped up when Drevarin arrived outside her birthing chamber. He inclined his head, awaiting her permission to enter, and she approached the entrance. He walked in as the wards flickered, returning her smile.
“It is good to see you, Lord Drevarin.”
“I thought I would keep you company, My Lady.”
“My father and brother have succeeded in casting down one of the dark ones, with the aid of my people. They are clever indeed.”
Drevarin went over to her cloud couch and formed his own beside it with a wave of his hand. “I know. I have been watching them too.”
“Perhaps Lord Bane will not have to fight any of them, and thus be spared the hardship and pain.”
“Let us hope so.”
Sherinias sank down on her couch, her eyes sparkling with excitement tinged with anxiety. “I do, Lord Drevarin, most fervently.”
“Do not concern yourself unduly, My Lady. Bane is well able to deal with these dark gods.”
“I am certain of that, but he may not escape injury.”
“That is true.”
Sherinias gasped, and her eyes became vacant for a moment before filling with dread. “My Lord, the Oracle warns me that a dark god has just entered the light realm.”
Drevarin frowned. “It could be Bane.”
“Then you must call your father.”
“That will put him in danger too.”
“He will bring Bane with him if he thinks you are in peril.”
She shook her head. “Then he will have to fight.”
“That cannot be helped.”
“We must flee. You can take me to my father.”
“No. Bane wishes to do battle here, not in the mid realm.”
Sherinias rubbed her arms and stared out through the wards with deep trepidation. Drevarin longed to comfort her, but, unless she invited such familiarity on his part, protocol forbade it. Instead, he gazed at the rolling, misty landscape outside the door, hoping that it would be Bane who appeared. Several tense minutes passed, then he cursed himself for a fool and waved an Eye into being, seeking Bane within it. An image formed of an empty, dimly lighted room on a ship like Nikira’s.
Drevarin said, “It is not Bane.”
Sherinias cast him a terrified look. “I must call Father.”
“No, wait. The dark god may not find you, and we are safe in here for now. He will not be able to destroy these wards easily. It will take him a while.”
She rose and joined him on his couch, slipping her hand into his. “I am glad you are here, Lord Drevarin.”
He patted her hand. “So am I. We will be all right. Bane will protect us.”
“It is strange that we rely upon a dark god to rescue us.”
“Yes. Now I understand even better why tar’merin are accorded such reverence. I always knew they were the stuff of legends, but knowing one has made me appreciate him all the more. My parents taught me about the ones who have gone before. They spoke of them in hushed tones, yet none of the previous four were mortal. And since Bane is Kayos’ son, he is undoubtedly the most powerful ever, although he has yet to reach his full potential. Would you like me to tell you about the first four?”
At her nod, he recounted the story of the first tar’merin in soft, soothing tones to calm and distract her, making her gaze at him instead of the doorway, her curiosity aroused. Tense minutes crawled past like hours as he concentrated on telling the story instead of pondering what might lie ahead. He had almost completed the tale when a flash of blue light outside made him look up. Sherinias gasped and gripped his hand as a black-clad stranger appeared outside the door.
The dark god wore a thigh-length tunic trimmed with silver on its hem, collar and cuffs, matching trousers and an ornate, silver-patterned belt. Long, iron-grey hair framed a chiselled, almost inhumanly perfect countenance with cold black eyes that glittered with triumph. A grey moustache and goatee framed a thin-lipped mouth twisted in a contemptuous sneer.
“Well, well, what have we here?” he mocked. “Two little lambs cowering in a birth tub. You must be the one who woke up our little sleeping goddess. How good of you.”
The dark god stepped closer and gripped the lintel, thrusting his face so close to the wards that they flared. “Now she can be my slave, and you, I think, will serve my lovely Jerriss. She will enjoy torturing you, and so will I, since we do not need you to keep this domain alive.” He nodded. “Yes, much fun to be had. The only question now is: are you going to cower in there and make me destroy this chamber, or are you going to flee, so I can chase you? The second option would be preferred, since you will have to flee eventually anyway. Do it now, and save me the trouble of destroying this pathetic remnant of a birth tub, or I will punish you when I catch you. And I will catch you.” He turned his head. “Come to me, Shalanar.”
A black circle appeared on the ground behind him, rimmed with blue fire, and expanded rapidly, the diamond sand hissing. An earth demon shot up from its centre, formed from the blackened sand, and pushed forth a pair of glinting eyes.
It bowed. “Lord.”
“Tell Jerriss that I have found them, and she must guard the gate until I have captured them. Go.” The demon sank back into the ground, and the dark god faced Drevarin again. “So, what is it going to be?”
Drevarin glared at him with all the venom he could summon up. Sherinias clung to him with trembling arms and buried her face in the side of his neck.
The dark god smirked. “Ah, but I am rude; I have not introduced myself. I am Tolrar, Lord of Darkness.”
“How conceited of you, to claim lordship over all the darkness,” Drevarin said.
“Why should I not? It obeys me. Do you also have a name, or should I just call you ‘lackwit’?”
“I am Drevarin, and I claim no more notoriety than is my right.”
“And your sweet, powerless child?”
“Lady Sherinias, ruler of this domain, and she is not my child.”
Tolrar grinned, revealing perfect white teeth. “Excellent, then we have another to capture. The game will be fine. So, have you decided yet what you will do, or are you too afraid to think?”
“We will remain here.”
Tolrar’s smile faded. “A foolish choice. You will pay for it, I promise.” His eyes took on a cunning glint. “Give me the child, and I will let you flee out of the realm gate. She is the one I really want.”
Sherinias shuddered and clutched Drevarin more tightly. He shook his head. “No.”
“Another foolish choice,” Tolrar remarked. “No matter, we have two flesh beasts prepared for you. But you anger me.” He scowled and struck the lintel with his fists, making the chamber shudder. “Flee!”
“No.”
Tolrar swung away, walked off a few steps and turned back to face them. “See, I will even give you a chance to pass me. Come out, and we will have a grand chase. Stay in there, and you are trapped. If you make me come in there after you, I will not give you another chance to flee.”
Drevarin shook his head again, and Tolrar’s face twisted with fury, his eyes glittering. Raising his hands, he struck the lintel with twin bolts of darkness, and the intense flash of blue light that accompanied them forced Drevarin to squint.
Sherinias gave a soft shriek and cried, “Father, save me! Help me! Kayos!”
Drevarin held her, his gut clenched. Tolrar struck the lintel with bolt after bolt of shadow, filling the chamber with blue brilliance as the white power warred with the dark. Drevarin fought an overwhelming urge to escape and clung to his resolve. Several runes on the walls lighted as the chamber’s defences activated, but all they could do now was strengthen it. The power to strike back had gone with the deactivation of the inner wards, which could not be reactivated while he and Sherinias remained within it.
Drevarin sent the doors swinging closed with a flick of his mind, and they sealed with a pearly flash. They added only a little to the chamber’s strength, but they blocked the blue light and the fearsome sight of the dark god who hammered upon the base of the wards.
Sherinias looked up at him, her eyes filled with terror. “How long before...?”
“That depends on how powerful he is. A day, at least.” He stroked her hair. “Kayos is coming, do not fret.”
Chapter Four
Beast God
Kayos sat up with a frown, his demeanour tense.
Bane eyed him. “What is it?”
“Sherinias calls me.”
Bane raised his brows. “How can she?”
“She is a child. Until she is mature, she has the ability to signal her danger by calling the name of her parent.” He summoned an Eye, and Bane rose and moved behind him to share it. Kayos frowned at the black-clad stranger in the Eye, who looked up and grinned savagely as he sensed it.
“A dark god, of course,” Kayos muttered.
“I will go.”
“No. Wait, let us consider this.”
“She will be terrified.”
Kayos refocused the Eye inside the chamber. “Drevarin is with her.”
“Then they are both in danger.”
“But he will comfort her.” Kayos looked thoughtful. “This is happening far sooner than I hoped, but now we have an advantage they do not know about; apart f
rom you, of course: this ship. If he could be lured into that shredder chamber, he would be defeated as easily as the first.”
“But how? If I take hold of him and Move him in there, they will stun us both, and kill me.”
“I would not let them.”
“If you go in there they will stun you too,” Bane said.
“Not if I am invisible, and I pick you up and Move straight away.”
“No, probably not, but I would be unconscious for many hours, and there would still be a dark goddess on the loose.”
“She is probably not much of a threat, but you are right, I do not want you harmed. I shall do it.”
“You cannot allow a dark god to take hold of you,” Bane said. “He might decide to kill you.”
“I will not allow him to touch me. I will not have to. He will follow me. I will Move out of the shredder room immediately, and he will arrive a moment later. I will be in no danger from the mortals. They will not see me and their weapons cannot harm me. You will be waiting outside, instructing them, ensuring it is done right. If anything goes wrong, you can protect me.”
“I do not like it.”
“You do not have to,” Kayos said. “I can defend myself, as you well know.”
“It is too dangerous. Dark gods are cunning. Do not imagine that he will fall for it so easily. If it is Tolrar, he may summon his mate, who could creep up on you invisible and take hold of you. She might even be with him now. He knows there is another light god in this domain now. He sensed your Eye. They could set a trap.”
Kayos dismissed the Eye, rose and paced in a circle, his head bowed. “I have thought of that. I will not give him time to summon his mate, and if she is there and takes hold of me, I will Move her into the chamber.”
“And you will be stunned.”
“But the mortals will not be able to kill me. They will not even know I am there.”
“You expect me to leave you lying in there until you wake up? That will take hours. I cannot go in there to carry you out, even invisible. Their machines will see me.”
Demon Lord VII - Dark Domain Page 6