Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows

by T C Southwell

  "Only so long as she has power. Bane will strip it from her and cast her down. A damned soul can pass through the wards even when all seven are active. The seventh ward alone only bars true gods, four more will stop demons, the last two will lock away the demon steeds and hounds."

  Shrea looked puzzled. "I thought Bane was a true god?"

  "No, he is mortal."

  Two more warlocks appeared, followed by six earth demons. The mages carried wood, and lighted a fire so that fire demons could join them. Kayos placed his hands on the blue mages' shoulders, and warm light swallowed them. They reappeared in the city chapel. The mages reeled and blinked, and Kayos released them and Moved again.

  Shrea glanced around as the bright spots faded from her eyes, discovering that Kayos had vanished. Tygon headed for the door, and she followed. They found Kyan in a well-appointed sitting room, in discussion with the Blue Council. She rose with a cry of joy when he entered the room, her expression becoming anguished as he approached.

  "Goddess!" She flung herself into his arms, weeping with happiness and distress.

  "Do I look so ill-used?"

  "But you are alive."

  "Yes." He kissed her hair. "And with you once more. That is all that matters."

  The rest of the Blue Council gathered around Shrea.

  "Has Drayshina been freed yet?" one asked.

  "No. Apparently the Demon Lord requires rest."

  "Rest?" The old mage's voice quavered with outrage. "Our goddess must be freed!"

  "That might have to wait. He faces another battle, with Jishka."

  The mage clasped his brow, and his cohorts groaned. "Goddess! Jishka can destroy the wards. How many have been activated?"

  "Two so far, I think Kayos has gone to tell Kimera and Bashir to activate theirs."

  "Then the Demon Lord must seek her out and destroy her immediately."

  Shrea bridled. "Perhaps you would like to be the one who gives him that order, Drazo?"

  He shook his head. "He should be doing it even now, not resting."

  Shrea tended to agree, but refused to be drawn into an argument, or even an agreement, with him. Instead, she left the mages to argue amongst themselves and went to find Bane. She wanted to know whether or not he was truly resting and whether or not, in her opinion, he needed it. She stopped a passing priest and got directions to a room in the east wing, where she hesitated outside the door for several minutes, plucking up the courage to enter. When at last she pushed it open, she found two women seated beside the bed, and a slender girl curled up next to Bane. They looked up at her with smiles, and one, whom she recognised as Tarris, raised a finger to her lips.

  The Demon Lord was deeply asleep, judging by his soft, slow breaths. A blanket covered most of him, but four rune scars were visible above it. She studied his peaceful face, a little shocked by what she saw. Faint blue shadows circled his eyes, and his lean cheeks were sunken. The scars on his chest looked freshly burnt. The angular symbols were dark red, stark against his pale skin. She had not seen them before, and the agony that their cutting must have caused him made her bile rise. Many other scars marred his skin, most of them faded to white lines, except for a pink, fresh looking one on his shoulder.

  Casting a smile at his attendants, she crept out, closing the door and leaning against it. Being in his presence made her knees weak, even when he was asleep. Clearly he needed the rest, and after seeing him, she did not begrudge it. She was also exhausted, and she had not fought Vorkon, only a demon that Bane could have destroyed with a flick of his hand. She headed back to the sitting room to tell the Blue Council.

  Bashir jumped when Kayos appeared in the dark, dusty room. His tense expression relaxed into a glad smile as he rose from his seat on the floor. Kayos glanced at the five illusory wards hanging above the carved one on the floor, nodding his approval.

  "All is well, Lord?" Bashir enquired anxiously.

  "Indeed. Activate your ward."

  Bashir rubbed his hands. "With pleasure."

  The blue mage pointed at the powder in the solid ward's grooves, and blue fire spat from his fingers, igniting it in a flare of brilliance. A faint, sweet chime rang out, and a sixth ward appeared above the lowest two, filling the gap left there for it, indistinguishable from the other five. Bashir clasped his hands and gazed at it proudly, smiling. Creating illusory wards that would last forever required a great deal of skill and power, and the labour had left him exhausted. Also, his food had run out the day before, and he had been afraid to sleep lest the demon send more illusions to torment him. The illusory wards would not fool a god for long, even though he had placed an illusion of power within them too. That he had done after watching Bane pass his hand through the illusions, and realised that he could detect the real one by its power.

  Kayos turned to him. "Your work here is done." He held out his hand. Bashir took it, and the room vanished in a flash of warm white light.

  Kimera jumped up with a glad cry when Kayos and Bashir appeared. She hurried over to embrace Bashir, who returned it, looking a trifle embarrassed. Releasing him, she curtsied to Kayos, who nodded and walked over to her ward, scrutinising the runes. He looked satisfied, and Kimera beamed.

  "Is it time, Lord?"

  "It is."

  Kimera approached the ward and passed her hands over the runes, which lighted and faded as she activated them. Clasped her hands, she drew them apart, and soft blue fire cascaded from them, igniting the blue powder. It flared, and a glowing pentagram shimmered into being above the solid ward. A sweet chime rang out, shivering the air. Kimera gazed at it, then turned to Kayos.

  "Are the others all right?"

  He nodded. "All are well."

  "And Bane?"

  "He is well enough." He held out his hands. "Come."

  Kimera smiled as she took his hand. "I feel like I have been here for aeons."

  Bashir and Kimera were reunited with their fellow mages with much back-slapping and congratulations, and hid their shock at Tygon's appearance as they offered their praise for his efforts. Wine was passed around, and although Tygon looked fit to drop from exhaustion, he insisted on drinking a cup before he retired. Kyan watched him with deep concern, as did the trio of doctors who had examined him. After watching their celebrations for a few moments without becoming visible, Kayos Moved to an empty room and created an Eye.

  The seventh ward stood like a stone sentinel on the frozen tundra. Five black mages and at least a hundred demons surrounded it. They waited for Jishka, their only hope of freeing their master from the Darkworld. The seventh ward would not be their first target, however, they had three wards to break before it now. Kayos settled in a chair and summoned a cup of ambrosia. Jishka, he suspected, would be reluctant to take up this challenge, thereby attracting the ire of the Demon Lord, whom she knew was too powerful for her to fight. Would she abandon Vorkon and flee the domain, or would she send mages or mortals to slay Bane? The latter seemed more likely. She would be reluctant to face the dangers of the God Realm.

  The Grey God's patience was rewarded an hour later, when Jishka appeared. She studied the ward while the mages spoke to her urgently, making him wish that he could hear what they were saying. The only way to do that was to go there and listen, but that was risky, for although he could become invisible, a dark goddess might sense him. His Eye filled with swirling darkness as she blocked it, and he sat back with a sigh of frustration.

  Kayos wondered if she would come up with a cunning plan. There were many options open to her, and since she knew that she could not hope to defeat Bane, she would not face him. One thing she could do, he realised with a chill of dread, was threaten to kill Drayshina, or just do it, out of spite, or revenge. Now that the Gate was no longer guarded, he was free to leave, but perhaps she would not care if the domain died.

  If it did, Vorkon would be freed when it collapsed. He had assured Bane that Drayshina was in no danger, but that might not be true. With four wards in place, Jishka knew that
she stood no chance of breaking them all before Bane caught her. They were bait that he could use as traps, and she did not wish to be caught, of that Kayos was certain. It was only a matter of time before she discarded all other possibilities and came to the same conclusion that he just had.

  Kayos dismissed the Eye and Moved, reappearing beside Bane's bed. The two women who sat there gasped and fell to their knees. He signalled for them to rise, then turned to Bane. Mirra lay curled up asleep beside him, and Grem waited like a shadow in the corner. Kayos was reluctant to wake Bane, but Drayshina's danger left him no choice, and he bent to touch Bane's shoulder.

  "Bane, wake up."

  The Demon Lord's eyes opened slowly, filled with weariness. "What is it?"

  "You must free Drayshina now."

  "You said -"

  "I have been thinking. Jishka might decide to kill her. She will not try to fight you, and she must know that you will protect the wards. Apart from sending assassins, there is not much else she can do. If she kills Drayshina, she will destroy this domain, since I will not remain here to keep it alive. Vorkon will be freed when it collapses."

  Bane sat up, rubbing his eyes. "In a few hundred years."

  "To him that is nothing. What else can she do?"

  Bane yawned, glancing at the women and running a hand through his hair. "I did not think Jishka could kill Drayshina."

  "Of course she can. Vorkon only captured her to keep this domain alive, and to torture her, but if Jishka decides that freeing him is worth destroying it, she will do it."

  Bane turned to look down at his wife, a slow smile curling his lips as he stroked her cheek, then leant down to kiss her brow. She sighed and wriggled closer, reaching for him, but he moved away, leaving her to sleep. Swinging his legs off the bed, he pulled his boots on, then stood and stretched, his hands brushing the ceiling. He glanced around for his cloak, and Shevra ran out to fetch it. Tarris offered to bring him a bowl of food, but he waved her away. When Shevra returned with his cloak, he clipped it on, then ran his hands over his torn shirt, making the rips vanish before tugging at his leather wrist guards.

  "Where is she?" he asked Kayos.

  The Grey God created an Eye, which filled with swirling colour while it hunted for Drayshina, then an image formed within it. Kayos' expression became grim as he studied it, and Bane moved behind him so that he could see it too. Drayshina still lay in the clutches of the malformed beast with many heads and limbs that had imprisoned her at the bottom of the Fetch. The creature was chained in a shallow pit, and some limp limbs and hanging heads showed that parts of it were dead.

  "A temple and a Source." Kayos adjusted the focus to bring more of the surroundings into the picture. "A city that worships Vorkon."

  "Draynon," Tarris supplied.

  Kayos dismissed the Eye. "Draynon."

  Bane nodded, and they Moved together.

  Shevra turned to Tarris, her expression downcast. "He didn't recognise me."

  Tarris put a hand on her shoulder. "I am sure he did, but he was in a hurry. They go to save Drayshina. That is more important than anything."

  "Of course! It's just... You probably think me foolish, but a simple nod or a word of greeting was all I wanted."

  Tarris glanced at Grem and took Shevra's hand, leading her to the door, where she glanced back. The cell seemed cold and empty without Bane's presence. In the corridor, she closed the door and turned to Shevra.

  "You care for him, not so?"

  Shevra nodded. "I suppose that's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

  "Yes, although I do not think his wife has noticed yet. But she will, if you are not careful."

  "He loves her. Did you see the way he looked at her?"

  Tarris nodded and walked down the corridor. "Yes. And I think if you care too much for him, he will break your heart."

  Shevra fell into step beside her. "Unless I can make him love me."

  Tarris glanced at her. "You have grand aspirations, do you not?"

  "If you don't try, you'll never succeed. My father taught me that."

  "Some things should not be attempted."

  Shevra sighed. "You care for him too."

  "Foolishly, I suppose. He hardly notices me either, but then, why should he? I would not dare to aspire to be anything more than his friend, but even that I fear is unlikely."

  Shevra paused to gaze out of a window at the sunlit garden. "Then I'm a far greater fool than you. I don't know why I stayed or what I expected, but clearly I don't belong here."

  "Where will you go?"

  "There must be a place for refugees in the city."

  "Mostly they are taken in by residents, some live in camps."

  Shevra nodded. "Then I'll go to a camp. While he was here, I had a reason to stay, to tend to him, or so I thought, but he clearly doesn't need tending. And he has a wife. I wasn't expecting that. He looks so young. I should leave. He doesn't care where I go, or even that I'm alive."

  "He saved you."

  "Not specifically. I don't know why he came to my town and saved those who were left, and when we prayed he came because we were irritating him, I think. The last time, I just happened to be there. I was not the only one he saved, on any of those occasions. After he saved my town, or what was left of it, I wanted to find him again, to thank him, and to get to know him. A foolish notion. Now he's gone to save our goddess. A man with that much power has no interest in someone like me."

  "You are as worthy as anyone."

  Shevra snorted and turned to face Tarris. "Let's face it; I don't want to be his friend any more than you do. You know what we both want, and I'm not afraid to name it. But it's hopeless, I realise that now. He loves his wife."

  "Which proves that he is capable of loving a mortal. Perhaps you should follow your feelings. You might succeed in sparking a flame of passion in him. He is, after all, a man."

  "A married man. He'll probably laugh at me, or be angry."

  "That depends. If you approach him as a coy maiden, he might. But if you use your talent..."

  "A true fire dance?" Shevra looked intrigued and afraid of the notion. "I've never attempted one. It requires a great deal of passion, and allure."

  "You have that in abundance, and you are very beautiful."

  "Beauty isn't everything. You have more power."

  "Power is not attractive to men." Tarris sighed. "If I was you, I would do it. What harm can it do?"

  "He might be angry, and his wife certainly will."

  "I have heard that there is nothing more alluring than a true fire dance."

  Shevra looked dreamy, gazing into space. "It would be wonderful... Even if it was a brief interlude. His wife may not even find out. He has the power to conceal whatever he wishes from her."

  "Then do it. Try."

  "But you love him too..."

  Tarris grimaced. "I have no chance, I know it. I am content to love him from afar. I have neither the charms, nor the courage." She looked sad. "I will help you."

  "But how? We don't know where he is."

  "But we know how to bring him to us."

  "Perhaps."

  Tarris held out her hand. "Come, let us prepare."

  Bane reappeared outside a massive temple built of black stone, which was taller than it was wide, some legacy from Vorkon's past, he assumed. The rough rock was liberally streaked with gold and dotted with uncut gemstones, as if Vorkon had used his store of treasure to create it, which, Bane mused, he probably had. There was no other dark temple in evidence, indicating that the people of Draynon had not worshipped the darkness before Vorkon rose. That meant that they were mostly converts, former worshippers of Drayshina, or perhaps atheists, like the people of Ishkarad. Since he had risen fifty seven years ago, a great deal depended on when he had come to this city, for those who had been born here since then would belong to him utterly.

  No people were about, which did not surprise Bane, and he headed for the temple door, Kayos a step behind him. Within its dark confin
es, a Source spewed power forth in a fountain of shadow, its chilling touch raising the hairs on Bane's nape. Kayos became outlined in a nimbus of blue light, which brightened as he neared the Source. Demons shrank into the nooks and crannies within the temple, whose walls were covered with glowing arcane symbols and runes.

  Bane headed for a door at the back, since there was no sign of a pit in the first room. As he started to step through it, a cold tingle warned him, and he leapt back as a sharpened steel door slammed down.

  He glanced at Kayos. "Apparently he was afraid that I would steal Drayshina while he was away."

  "So it would seem. Doubtless there will be more traps inside."

  Bane looked back at the earth demons that hid in the shadows, then up at the plethora of tiny flames floating just under the roof. They must have been left to guard Drayshina, and that meant that he would have a battle on his hands before he reached her, unless he dismissed them first. He had not considered that Vorkon might protect his prize with demons, which seemed foolish in retrospect. That they had not attacked yet was testament to their fear of him. Possibly they had hoped that the door would kill him, or Vorkon had instructed them to attack only if he entered Drayshina's prison.

  Bane could dismiss these, but Vorkon would send others to replace them. It would have been better if they could have waited until all seven wards were in place before coming here to free Drayshina. These demons would still have been here, however, and then he would not have been able to dismiss them, since they would be trapped above the wards. So many demons were a danger to him. A well-aimed spear could end his life while he was distracted, as had almost happened in the Overworld during his first battle with Arkonen.

  "What is it?" Kayos asked, following his gaze.

  "We will have a battle before we reach her, even if I dismiss these. Vorkon will send more."

  Kayos frowned. "Of course, it could not be so easy. Can you dismiss so many?"

  "We are about to find out. But once I have dismissed them, we will have to move fast, for they will inform Vorkon, who might send Jishka to take Drayshina away, perhaps to kill her. They can still communicate through demons."