Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows

by T C Southwell

  The woodcutter looked puzzled. "Why would that displease you?"

  "I have no time to explain it to you." Bane wrote a dark rune in the air.

  The man shook his head. "No, please..."

  "I curse you," Bane intoned, and rammed the shadow rune into the woodcutter's chest.

  The man doubled over and vomited, falling to his knees and clutching his gut. After several minutes of painful retching the sickness passed, and he looked up at Bane.

  "What have you done to me?"

  "From this day forth, if any wine, spirits or ale passes your lips, you will be ill."

  "But why?"

  Bane turned away. "It opens you to evil."

  "But you're evil!"

  The Demon Lord made himself invisible again and turned to Syrin. "Satisfied?"

  "Indeed, My Lord. Is violence your answer to everything?"

  "You have a better idea?"

  "A Geas would have sufficed. One that removed his wish to drink ale. Now you have made him sober, but exceedingly unhappy, for he will still crave it."

  Bane glanced at the man, who stood with bowed shoulders, staring at the ground as he contemplated a future without ale. Five dirty children peered from the doorway, hope in their eyes, and thankfulness shone in the girl's. Her father had not yet noticed that his chest now bore a reddish scar shaped like an upside down A with a broken crosspiece.

  The Demon Lord turned to Syrin. "A geas is more complex and tiresome. If you ask for my help, then you will have to accept the consequences, Syrin. Let his unhappiness be on your conscience."

  Bane spun away with a swirl of his cloak and Moved, eager to return to the city and cast out the dark power. When he reappeared in the glade, he found that Kayos and Drayshina had left, and Syrin did not follow him. Glad of the solitude, Bane spread his hands and let the shadows pour from his fingers.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rebirth

  Kayos gazed at the young god who sat with his back against a fallen tree on the edge of a dead forest, staring into the distance. Mirra sat beside him, reading aloud from a book. No aura of dark power surrounded him now, and its lack had robbed him of some of the unnatural perfection that it bestowed, allowing his skin to acquire a golden tan. Five weeks had passed since Bane had vanished after completing Syrin's task, and Kayos had left him to spend time with Mirra, but for the last two days he had been trying to find him. Clearly the Demon Lord did not wish to be found, and his shields still blocked Kayos' Eye. Syrin had found him, and the Grey God now owed her another favour. Mirra fell silent as Kayos approached, and Bane's eyes focused on light god who stopped before him.

  "I need more time."

  "I know. And you shall have it."

  "Then why have you sought me out?"

  Kayos sat down on the log. "Drayshina craves your company."

  "For what? Are you her messenger now?"

  "No. She wishes to show you something, and I think you should see it."

  "How did you find me?"

  "Syrin."

  "Of course." Bane sighed. "What does Drayshina want to show me?"

  "It is a surprise, but I think you will enjoy it. She has been preparing for it for some time now, and I urge you to accept her invitation."

  "And if I do not?"

  "Then you will miss something truly wonderful."

  Bane eyed him. "All right, I am intrigued."

  Kayos stood up. "Good. Let us go, then."

  The Demon Lord stood and stretched, helping Mirra to her feet, and she tucked away the little book. Kayos placed his hand on Bane's shoulder, and, before he could protest, swirling light engulfed them. As it faded, Bane glared at him.

  "I would rather have walked."

  "That would have taken several months, and Drayshina cannot wait that long."

  The Demon Lord looked around as Mirra gasped. They stood atop a hillock in a vast meadow so green that it hurt his eyes. Not far off to one side was an emerald sea, where gentle waves lapped at a white sand beach. A belt of dead forest bordered the grassland in the distance, a blanket of bright saplings furring its floor.

  Warm sunlight shone from a clear blue sky, and Bane sensed an intense fecundity imbuing the land, so powerful and benign that it made his heart swell with its goodness. Tension filled the air, along with a deep, all-encompassing sense of waiting that burgeoned with sweet power. Bane's eyes swept over the land and came to rest upon another hillock nearby, shaped like a giant green throne and covered with lush grass. Drayshina lay upon it, her arms outstretched and her eyes closed, a smile curving her lips.

  "Vorkon's power slew all living things, apart from those that sheltered within the cities' fire walls." Kayos' voice drew Bane's attention to him. "But that did not include her most precious creations; the wild creatures."

  Bane gazed at the goddess again, and Kayos continued, "You are about to witness the recreation of all that was lost. The lesser souls await rebirth. They are the eyes and ears of the gods, through which we enjoy our domains."

  "They suffer at the hands of men."

  "Yes. And we share their pain. Those who hurt them pay. Some kill to survive, and for those there is no punishment, but we mourn every death and rejoice at each birth. Thus the balance is kept. Only those who suffer and die needlessly are avenged."

  "How?"

  "Those who do such terrible things are tainted, which is why they have no pity. You know well the dark power's influence." Kayos paused, looking pensive. "Some realise this before they die, and are redeemed, but will be reborn to hardship and suffering. Others will be allowed to fall."

  "Drayshina must have suffered when they all died."

  Kayos nodded. "Indeed. I know all too well the sensation, and it is terrible. It weakens us and fills us with sorrow."

  Bane's gaze wandered to several translucent figures standing some distance away. "Who are they?"

  "The lesser gods who survived Vorkon's reign."

  Bane studied the strange beings. A huge grey wolf with glowing yellow eyes, a golden stag, a mighty grey stallion, a black cat and a green man with leaves instead of hair.

  "Vorkon destroyed five," Kayos explained. "He hunted them merely for sport, as evil does. The wolf, Dra'mel, saved a child from drowning in a flooded river, then kept her warm until her parents found her, whereupon they slew him. Now he is the guardian of all those who become lost in the forest.

  "The stag is Mra'tesh, who brought his herd to a starving village in the middle of a harsh winter, and all were slain to feed the people, saving them. He is now protector of the wild herds, and all who slay deer must thank him for their sacrifice. The stallion is Vrindal, saviour of King Angesh, who rode him to death to escape his enemies."

  "But surely -"

  "That happens all the time, yes. But in Vrindal's case Drayshina intervened. Vrindal was a wild stallion, not a slave to man, and he came to the King's aid at Drayshina's behest. He is now the protector of horses, and is often seen when a horse is made to suffer. His legend lives on amongst King Angesh's people, who have raised statues and churches in honour of him."

  Bane gazed at the lesser gods, intrigued. "And the cat?"

  Kayos chuckled. "What heroic feat, you may well ask, could a cat perform? Yet he saved a princess from evil. She was easily influenced by the dark power, and it started to take hold of her. It would have been disastrous for her people to have been ruled by an evil queen.

  "Evil hates cats. They have the power to disperse it. Korron wandered in from the cold and took up residence in the princess' rooms. He slept upon her bed each night and kept her safe for eighteen years, until he died. By then, she was strong enough to ward it off herself."

  "Did he know what he did?"

  "Yes, they always do. He was not welcome in her castle. Had she known of his presence, the princess would have chased him away. He had a harsh life, living by his wits to protect her. After he died, the princess had terrible dreams as the dark power sought to invade her, and he came to her in her d
reams to comfort her. Only then did she learn of what he had done. After that, cats became sacred in her kingdom."

  "And the man?"

  Kayos nodded. "Mardon. A truly good soul. He was a trapper's son, and grew up surrounded by the suffering and depravity that such men inflict upon beasts. He hated it, and dedicated his life to helping the lesser creatures of this world. He sought out places where the beasts were made to suffer terribly, and tried to stop it. He saved many. He found the injured and nursed them back to health, rescued them from traps and hunters.

  "He preached kindness and compassion in cities and villages, and an angry mob stoned him to death when he was only twenty-five. At the moment of his death, Drayshina blessed him and bestowed godhood upon him, and those who had killed him witnessed him rise from his mortal remains in the form that you see him in now. He continues to save the beasts, and now no one can harm him, but, as a lesser god, he is voiceless. He is known as the Protector of the Beasts."

  "And the five who perished?"

  Kayos sighed, gazing at Drayshina. "Shendra, also known as the Weeping Lady. She saved seventeen children from a burning orphanage, running into the flames to carry them out even when she was terribly burnt. She perished trying to save the last one. She used to appear whenever a child was harmed and weep for them.

  "Inkara, who gave her life to save a forest earmarked for destruction. When the woodcutters came, she begged them to spare the forest, to only take some of the trees, but they laughed at her. She threw herself in front of the first axe to fall, and was slain, begging Drayshina to intervene. Such was her plea and sacrifice that Drayshina animated the trees to drive the men away, which caused the foolish men to believe that the forest was haunted. Vorkon destroyed the forest and Inkara. The other three were friends of Drayshina, two priestesses and a simple housewife who became dear to her."

  Bane was struck by the lesser gods’ eerie silence and the studied torpor with which they moved. "They are all voiceless."

  "Yes. They are the least of the gods, no more than ghosts with the ability to become visible."

  "All spirits trapped in the mid realm have the ability to become visible briefly, so why call them gods if they have no power?"

  "They have powers. Dra'mel has the power to leave tracks in this world, which a true ghost cannot. Mra'tesh can strike a blow that shakes the earth when he is enraged, and Vrindal can enter a man's dreams and turn them into nightmares. Korron still has the power to disperse evil, which other spirits cannot, and Mardon's touch heals beasts. Shendra's tears had the power to redeem, and Inkara's presence made trees flourish. One of the priestesses had the power to bring light, the other to lift curses with the speaking of her name."

  Bane's brows shot up, and he glanced at Kayos, who smiled and added, "Not the curse of a dark god, of course."

  "And the housewife?"

  "Her name was used to bless food, and would neutralise any poison. She would also appear as a warning that someone was about to be poisoned."

  The Demon Lord turned his attention to Drayshina again as a pearly light began to pour from her hands, soaking into the earth.

  "She begins," Kayos murmured.

  The light intensified until it was almost blinding, and a glowing conduit formed above Drayshina, linking her to the light realm as she drew power from it. Her skin and clothes glowed and glimmered as it suffused her, and rainbows appeared all around her in a temple of glorious radiance. They spread, arching high into the sky and forming up into shimmering rows in a wondrous spectacle. A faint mist wreathed amongst them, as if the goddess summoned part of the light realm down to aid in her task, which was, Bane realised, exactly what she was doing. Kayos watched Drayshina with a smile and Mirra’s eyes were wide with wonder, her hand gripping Bane's.

  Bolts of lightning struck all over the meadow in a crackling barrage that filled the air and sizzling power. Thunder made the ground shudder. Drayshina's eyes opened, aglow with sparkles of light. White fire poured from her in shining rivers, and the greenness intensified, invading the air. Her lips parted, and a sweet, wordless song swept out across the land in a pure, rising cadence of notes that multiplied until it seemed that a choir of angels sang. A movement caught Bane's eye, and he glanced around. Syrin stood nearby, her eyes bright, a coy smile curving her lips. Drayshina's song reached a pinnacle of harmonious melody, and the earth beneath Bane's feet rippled.

  Out in the meadow, the ground swelled. Thousands of humps arose, heaving as if something lived within them, and struggled to get out. They grew into hillocks, and then one tore open. Deer staggered out of it on wobbly legs, blinking in the sun. They were young adults, streaked with mud and somewhat dazed. Another mound ripped open, and spotted cats crawled free, crouched and snarled in confusion. A smaller hummock disgorged a group of hedgehogs, another opened to free a flock of iridescent-plumed birds that rose in a bright cloud. A soft sob made him glance at Mirra, whose cheeks were wet with tears. He squeezed her hand, and she shot him a smile.

  All manner of beasts swarmed from the earth. Everything that had ever lived and crawled upon the land rose from it anew. The beach's white sand swelled and parted to release thousands of shining fish that flip-flopped down it into the water. Great whales struggled free and slithered into the waves beside dolphins and turtles, crabs and sharks. The sea boiled with their numbers as they entered it and swam away. Flocks of birds filled the sky, and the beasts that thronged the meadow moved away as soon as they got their bearings. They headed into the woods or out across the plains, as was their wont.

  Something bumped into Bane's knee, and he looked down. A trembling gazelle tottered on stick-thin legs, its liquid eyes filled with profound innocence. Here was goodness in its purest form, born of the light and destined to die for the good of others. He let it lean on his leg while it grew accustomed to its sudden return to a mortal form, and the miracle of the beasts rising from the torn ground continued all around him.

  The first-born moved away to make room for those still being birthed. Clouds of insects buzzed aloft and scattered, staying with their own kind. A living carpet of mice, rats, voles, and all manner of small animals seethed past him as they set out on their journey. The meadow was a great hollow of torn soil, its substance used to create the beasts.

  The gazelle wandered away to join its herd, and Bane turned to Kayos. "Is this how a domain is created?"

  The Grey God shook his head. "No. A domain is formed in a god's dream, and everything has its time for birth, not like this. A domain takes aeons to be completed. First comes light and air, then green things, then lesser beasts such as insects and worms, then small beasts and finally larger ones. At that time, a god will awake and survey his handiwork, and for a time it is an innocent paradise. Inevitably he will long for more, and create something in his image. Aeons will pass before the first demons appear, and the darkness will start to affect creation, bringing strife."

  The sinking sun gilded the land, and night creatures now rose from the earth. Flocks of bats and owls, and beasts with large eyes and ears crept away into the forest. The pillar of white fire pinned Drayshina to the glowing ground, and her sweet song rose and fell in a tuneless melody, guiding the light. In the distance, herds of beasts blackened the land. Bane summoned a cup of ambrosia and sipped it. Some animals, whose young required guidance, had an adult with them, such as the cats and elephants. There were twenty of each kind, pairs in the case of those who took only one mate, five males to fifteen females amongst the herd beasts.

  As the sun touched the horizon, Drayshina's song softened and sank to a whisper, then ceased. She sighed, and her eyes drifted shut. The pillar of white light swept back up into the darkening sky, and the rainbows faded. The hollow's torn earth turned green as grass sprouted all over it, and the soft glow ebbed from the land. Drayshina opened storm-grey eyes and sat up, freeing herself from the flowering creepers that entwined her. Her skin still glowed, and her pearly gown drifted around her as she rose and approached them.
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  Kayos smiled at her. "It is good."

  She inclined her head, smiled at Mirra, and glanced at Bane. "I am glad you came, My Lord."

  "So am I." He offered her his cup of ambrosia.

  "All this is because of you."

  "Then it was worth it."

  She sipped the ambrosia. "Will you stay much longer?"

  "A little while."

  "I hope you will return one day." Drayshina glanced at the setting sun and handed back the cup. "I must leave. Will you come to the light realm for a time?"

  "I prefer to remain here."

  "As you wish. You are welcome, if you change your mind. Until we meet again, My Lord, farewell." She folded her hands and vanished.

  Kayos turned to Bane. "Would you like to return to the place where I found you?"

  He glanced at Mirra, who wiped her cheeks. "No, we will remain here a while longer."

  The Grey God inclined his head and disappeared. Bane sat and surveyed the deep hollow, which still gave off a faint blue glow. Mirra settled beside him, and he held her close. Syrin and the lesser gods had vanished, leaving them with only the last of the scattering beasts for company. An owl hooted in a belt of forest, and a posse of bats winged overhead. The beasts would not hunt each other, he suspected, until they had dispersed to their various habitats. Until then, the light that had created them would sustain them. Bane dismissed his cup of ambrosia and lay back. He closed his eyes as Mirra cuddled up to him, enfolding her in his cloak.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Vengeance

  The Demon Lord gazed across the lake that filled the hollow. It teemed with water fowl and insects, rushes sprouting on its banks. After two weeks, birds nested and herds of herbivores still wandered in the distance, while predators courted and played in the long grass.

  Mirra sat a short distance away, watching a water bird build a scruffy nest. She enjoyed the peaceful surroundings with Bane, making up for the time they had spent apart. His undivided attention had restored her happiness, and her eyes sparkled with joy again. The relaxation had also banished his weariness and diminished the self-loathing that always came with his use of the dark power, restoring his spirits somewhat, and she constantly reminded him that this world flourished only because of his intervention. She had found an abundance of sweet fruit and nuts to eat, a gift, he suspected, from Drayshina. Sensing a presence, Bane glanced around.