Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows

by T C Southwell

  Kayos said, "It is time."

  Bane nodded. "Yes."

  The Grey God approached and sat beside him, casting a smile at the young healer before studying the lake. "You should go to Avadorn. People have been pouring into the city from far and wide to pay homage to the powerful mortal god who defeated Vorkon and freed their world. A new church has taken root, and temples spring up to worship you."

  "I have no wish to be worshipped, nor do I want to be stared at like a freak."

  "They would stare only in admiration and wonder, Bane. There is to be a great feast in your honour at the palace, and a place will be set for you at the head of the high table. As a mortal god, you are caught between two worlds, a part of both, yet belonging to neither. Enjoy the fruits of your victory and let them show their gratitude."

  "Are you going?"

  The Elder God shook his head. "I do not fraternise with mortals, given a choice. Besides, I do not eat their food, and they would find my presence inhibiting."

  "And they would not find mine so?"

  "Not as much. You are a mortal man, as they are."

  Bane gazed across the meadow at a doe that emerged from the dead forest to nibble the sweet, sun-dappled grass. "It does not interest me. I wish to spend this time with my wife, to make up for the time when this quest of yours parted us."

  "Perhaps she would also enjoy some good food and company. The feast is in two days’ time. Doubtless you will soon hear their prayers begging you to attend."

  "Then why did you seek me out to tell me about it?"

  "I was certain you would not go unless I persuaded you."

  Bane smiled. "You are not succeeding."

  Kayos clasped the Demon Lord’s shoulder. "Take Mirra to the banquet. Have some wine; indulge in the things mortals enjoy."

  "No."

  Kayos sighed. "They will be disappointed. They wish very much to meet you."

  "And I wish very much to be left to enjoy some peace and quiet with Mirra. Who do you think is more likely to get their wish?"

  "You, naturally."

  Bane nodded. Deer gambolled in the meadow, chasing each other, and stags sparred with newly budded antlers. A pair of spotted cats loped through the herd, engrossed in a game. Kayos summoned a cup of ambrosia and sipped it. Mirra returned to sit beside Bane, bringing a tiny mouse she had found in the grass. Hours passed as the sun sank in red gold glory.

  A whispered prayer jerked Bane from his reverie, and he raised his head. The soft words came again, filled with urgent desperation and pleading, and he recognised the voice.

  "Tarris."

  Kayos eyed him. "What is wrong?"

  "She is in danger." He concentrated on the prayer, glancing into the blue mage's mind through it. "A black mage." He cursed and jumped up, pulling Mirra to her feet.

  Kayos stood, frowning. "Doubtless there is more than one, and they will attack all those who helped you. I will protect Queen Kyan. They must think enough time has passed, and we have left the domain."

  Bane swept up his cloak and clipped it on. "I intend to kill them all. Why would they imagine I would suffer them to live?" He turned to Mirra. "Go with Kayos. He will take you to Mithran and Grem. Stay with them until I come for you."

  Bane spread his hands and summoned the shadows as Kayos took Mirra's hand and vanished. The darkness rose all around him, engulfing him in its chill embrace, and he shuddered as it soaked into him. Tarris' prayer whispered in his mind with increasing urgency, begging his aid with desperate fervour. As soon as he had enough power, Bane cut the Gather and Moved.

  The Demon Lord reappeared in a sunny rose garden. A short distance away, Tarris writhed on the ground and screamed his name. A black-clad figure stood over her, hurling bolts of shadow at her. Her shield was mere shreds of shimmering blue, and the dark fire crisped her skin.

  The black mage swung to gape at Bane, then gestured and muttered in preparation for a Move. Bane reached him in an instant and grabbed the warlock by the throat, cutting off his air. He choked and struggled, landing a couple of blows on Bane's shoulder before he went limp. Bane dropped the corpse and turned to Tarris, who breathed in wheezing gasps.

  "You came," she panted.

  Bane knelt beside her and took her hand when she reached for him. "You are hurt. Syrin!"

  The angel stepped from the air, her eyes widening as she took in the scene.

  "Find someone who can heal,” he ordered. “Kayos, Drayshina or a healer. Not my wife. Go!" She opened her mouth, undoubtedly to protest, and he snarled, "Now!"

  The angel turned and stepped back into the air, and Bane looked down at Tarris. "Help is coming."

  "Shevra."

  "Is she hurt too?"

  Tarris nodded, pointing at a clump of rose bushes a few yards away. "Over there."

  Bane found Shevra's body just beyond them, a black hole burnt in her chest, her eyes blank in death. He knelt beside her and closed them, then returned to Tarris.

  "Is she all right?"

  "She is dead."

  Tarris' face twisted, and tears spilt down her cheeks. "I heard her scream. I was coming to meet her. When I ran up, he attacked me."

  "Her death was swift."

  She struggled to breathe. "She loved you."

  Bane glanced around at the darkening garden. "I must go. Tygon and Kyan are in danger too."

  Tarris gripped his hand. "Please... stay with me."

  "Help will be here soon."

  "It will be too late."

  Bane frowned. "I should have killed them. I was going to do it before I left this domain, but I did not think that they would have the courage to strike at anyone while I was still here."

  "You saved the domain. Our lives are nothing compared to that. Shevra would say the same. Thanks to you, we will be reborn." She coughed, and blood oozed from her nose. "Do not leave me, please. It grows cold and dark."

  Bane gathered her up and covered her with his cloak. "You deserve to live. It was your plea that brought me here."

  She smiled, tears running down her cheeks.

  He stroked the tangled hair from her brow. "I wish it was within my power to help you."

  "Do not have regrets. Knowing you was... a privilege." Her eyes drifted closed, and her breath left her in a sigh.

  Bane bowed his head, regretting his failure to protect her. More prayers whispered in his mind, from Kimera and Kyan. The black mages attacked all their targets simultaneously, and he hoped Kayos would reach Kyan in time. Drayshina appeared beside him, and he stood up.

  "You are too late."

  "So I see." Her stormy eyes darkened with sorrow. "My poor, sweet child."

  "Perhaps you would protect one of the others, like Tygon?"

  Drayshina inclined her head, folded her hands and vanished. Bane raised his arms and Gathered, letting the shadows rush into him in sickening waves.

  Kayos appeared in Queen Kyan's sumptuous bed chamber. Tapestries and paintings graced the walls, rich rugs covered the floor and delicate ornaments adorned carved tables inlaid with jade and gold. Kyan crouched in the middle of it, her shimmering blue shield protecting her from the bolts of darkness that a black mage flung at her in a deadly barrage. The bodies of four soldiers lay by the door, holes burnt in their chests.

  Kyan's shield wavered under the warlock's attack, and she cried Bane's name over and over again. Remaining invisible, Kayos marched up to the mage and touched his shoulder. The man leapt sideways with a shriek as white fire ignited on his arm and swept over him, engulfing him in a mantle of brilliant blue. He collapsed, writhed and clawed at his throat, making strangled choking sounds. Kyan’s eyes widened with horror as the warlock thrashed in the grip of the white fire. Kayos grimaced and turned away, becoming aware of high-pitched, hysterical screams coming from a nearby room. He Moved again.

  Drayshina appeared in a marble room ornamented, like most of the palace, with jade and gold inlay. Steam swirled around her, and through its damp veil she spotted a dark, cloaked fi
gure standing beside a sunken bath. Prince Tygon cowered against the wall, his nakedness partially obscured by the intense blue shield that protected him from the black mage’s bolts of shadow. Each bolt ate halfway through the shield before dissipating, and the Prince screamed, his face twisted with terror.

  Blood ran down his chest from a deep gash in his shoulder, evidence that he had been surprised in the tub. Drayshina became invisible before either man noticed her and moved swiftly to the Prince’s side. She touched his shield, allowing a little white fire to mingle with it. The warlock growled a string of curses as Tygon's shield brightened and stepped forward to hurl another bolt of shadow. A flash of blue light consumed the black fire, and the mage cursed again as he realised that someone vastly powerful had joined the battle on Tygon's side.

  The warlock gestured and muttered as he prepared to flee, then white fire swept over him. He howled and collapsed, and Drayshina released the Prince's shield, but he continued to shriek and cower. A wild-eyed Kyan appeared in the doorway and rushed to kneel beside him, reaching past his shields to shake him. Tygon lashed out, knocking her backwards, and she cursed as she renewed her efforts to rouse him from his hysteria. Drayshina Moved.

  Bane ended his Gather as soon as he had enough power to defeat a black mage. Creating an Eye, he found Kimera pinned against the wall of a well-furnished room, a warlock’s black barrage shredding her shields. Bane reappeared behind the mage, and Kimera's eyes widened, then the warlock spun, unleashing a swathe of black fire. His expression turned to horror, and he recoiled.

  The dark power washed over Bane in a chill caress, and he smiled as he spread his hands. The warlock yanked a dagger from his belt and flung it, surprising Bane. The weapon struck his arm, and the black mage made a dash for the door as Bane glanced down with a frown. The Demon Lord sent a lash of fire after the fleeing man, who leapt into the air with a choked shriek and exploded, spraying the walls with blood and shredded meat.

  Kimera let her shields wink out and slid down the wall, her face grey with shock and terror. Bane created another Eye and sought Bashir within it, knowing that little time remained. The blue mage slumped over an inlaid desk, a blackened hole in his chest. Evidently he had been taken by surprise.

  Bane sought Shrea next, and an image formed. Yet another warlock hurled shadows that ate through her shield. The black mages had chosen a time when their foes were alone in their quarters, preparing for the evening meal. The black fire penetrated Shrea's shield and struck her chest, crisping her clothes and skin. As she fell backwards, Bane Moved.

  The mage spun, his face twisted with terror, as the Demon Lord touched his shoulder. Smoke rose from his hair, and he collapsed with a choked, gargling scream. Bane stepped over the dying mage and crouched next to Shrea, who gasped. Her shield vanished and she closed her eyes, her face a mask of pain.

  "Thank you, Lord."

  "Help will be here soon."

  She opened her eyes. "You are hurt."

  Bane glanced at the dagger in his arm. "It is nothing." She tried to sit up, grimacing, and he pushed her back. "Lie still. You are hurt worse than I."

  "The others?"

  "Three were killed."

  Her expression became anguished. "Who?"

  "Shevra, Tarris and Bashir."

  She groaned. "Who else was attacked?"

  "Kimera, and I assume Kyan and Tygon."

  "What about Patrin?"

  "Who is he?"

  "The doctor who saved you from Vorkon. Surely they will want him dead, too?"

  Bane placed a hand on her brow. "I require an image of him."

  A young man’s face formed in his mind, and he created another Eye. The swirling light within it solidified into an image of a man running through a dark garden, swerving and dodging around bushes. A bush beside him burst into flames, and Patrin flung himself sideways, rolled to his feet with admirable agility and dashed away. Bane adjusted the Eye's focus, bringing the shadowy pursuer into view.

  The warlock’s shields absorbed the beams of blue light that struck him from behind. Evidently soldiers pursued him in turn, but their weapons had little effect. Bane dismissed the Eye and Moved ahead of the warlock. A shield wall shot up from the ground at his gesture, and the mage struck it and rebounded, collapsing with a grunt. Five soldiers rounded a hedge and raced towards Bane, opening fire. He stepped back with a hiss of surprise at the sharp stabs of pain as three blue beams struck him in the chest. He ended the stunned black mage's life, released his shield, and Moved.

  Back in Shrea's room, the blue mage sat on a chair, her wound healed. Kayos and Drayshina gazed into an Eye. Shrea bowed, and Kayos dismissed the Eye as Bane approached him, rubbing his chest. The Elder God smiled.

  "Did it sting a little?"

  "It did."

  "It was an honest mistake."

  Bane nodded. "I know."

  "Is Patrin safe?" Shrea asked.

  The Demon Lord turned to her. "Unless there are more black mages abroad tonight, or he fell down a well in his panic, yes."

  "Thank you, Lord."

  Kayos placed his hand on the wound in Bane's arm and jerked out the dagger. Blue light flared under his hand for several moments as he struggled to push past Bane's power, then the wound healed and he released him.

  "You must learn to shield yourself better."

  "Are the others well?"

  "Tygon was wounded, but he is all right now."

  The door opened, and Kimera stumbled in, grey with shock. Her eyes widened in surprise at the celestial gathering, and she sank to her knees.

  "Great lady, Lord Kayos."

  "Arise, child," Drayshina said.

  Kimera approached Bane and knelt again. "Thank you for my life, Demon Lord."

  "Get up."

  She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. "Bashir is dead."

  Shrea helped her to a settee and sat beside her, rubbing her back. Bane glanced at Drayshina, who smiled and folded her hands. The light gods vanished, and Bane was about to follow them when the door burst open again. A score of soldiers armed with silver tubes ran in, spotted him and raised their weapons. Shrea jumped up.

  "No! He is not a warlock! He is a dark... god."

  Bane shot her a look of amused disbelief, wondering when a dark god had become less threatening than a warlock.

  Shrea added, "He is the Demon Lord. You are not to fire upon him."

  The men lowered their weapons, and the officer bowed. "Lord."

  More soldiers charged in, forcing the officer to shout in order to prevent them from opening fire. Bane smiled at their reaction. A moment later, a dishevelled and obviously upset Kyan entered. Her eyes were pink-rimmed, and a bruise formed on her cheek. She stopped at the sight of Bane and curtsied.

  "Lord."

  "Queen Kyan."

  She cast Shrea a quick glance. "I am most grateful for your intervention, My Lord. On behalf of all of us -"

  "I have been thanked enough, I assure you,” he interrupted. “I only saved Kimera, Shrea and Patrin."

  "Patrin was attacked, too? How did he survive?"

  "He proved to be fleet of foot. He is probably in the next city by now."

  Kyan forced a wan smile and went over to clasp Kimera's shoulder. "My condolences."

  The blue mage nodded, dabbing her eyes with a wrinkled handkerchief.

  Shrea asked, "How is the Prince, Majesty?"

  "Resting. The doctors gave him a sleeping draught." She turned to Bane. "May I offer you some refreshment, My Lord?"

  Bane considered before nodding. "A good wine would be welcome."

  The Queen ordered four soldiers to remain to guard the mages, and dismissed the rest. The officer looked a little scandalised and cast Bane a doubtful look as he left.

  Kimera whispered to Shrea, who rose. "We would like to join you, My Lord."

  Bane was surprised that she had asked him, then realised that he far outranked the Queen, and shrugged. "As you wish."

  Kyan led the
m down a corridor to a luxurious book-lined living room decorated in burgundy and yellow, and panelled with red wood. She sent a servant to fetch refreshments and gestured to the largest cushioned chair Bane had ever seen. He swept aside his cloak and settled into it, and the women took seats nearby. Kimera dabbed her eyes, and Shrea patted her hand. An awkward silence fell while Bane grew uncomfortable under the ladies' furtive scrutiny.

  "I regret that I could not save them all," he said.

  "No, My Lord," Kyan protested, forestalling Shrea, who opened her mouth but was not quick enough. "You have done more than enough. You have no reason to regret anything."

  "I do not require a reason."

  "Of course not." She looked flustered. "I only meant that after all you have done..."

  "Kyan, if you are going to agree with everything I say, this conversation will quickly become boring."

  "I am sorry, Lord." She flushed, looking mortified.

  Shrea said, "For someone who can move instantly from one place to another, it took you a long time to reach us."

  Kyan shot the mage a horrified look. "Do not be disrespectful, Shrea."

  "No, speak your mind," Bane said. "I would much prefer that you treat me as a peer. You are right; it took me too long to reach Tarris. I was resting from the dark power's influence. It took a few moments to Gather enough to Move. Shevra died before she could call for help. Tarris' was the first prayer I heard, by which time Bashir was already dead, I think."

  Shrea looked away. "I am angry, My Lord. Forgive me." She hesitated. "Do you truly wish to be treated as our peer?"

  Bane nodded.

  "Will you answer our questions?"

  "If I can."

  A servant entered with a tray of glasses and a bottle of wine, and Kyan made an unobtrusive signal that Bane guessed was an order for food as well. It seemed that she wished to keep him here for as long as possible, and perhaps this was a good opportunity to learn more about ordinary people. He had not mingled much in the Overworld, since the people there hated him. The interaction might even be entertaining. He sipped the excellent wine and settled deeper into the huge chair.