Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows

by T C Southwell

  Shrea leant forward. "What is the extent of your powers?"

  Bane shrugged. "I am not sure. They are still developing, due to my extreme youth, Kayos tells me."

  "Is there anything you cannot do?"

  "Certainly. I cannot heal, nor can I create life."

  "But you can create inanimate objects?"

  "Yes."

  Shrea licked her lips. "Will you show us?"

  Bane held out his hand, and an eir'greth sword appeared in it with a slight frisson of dark power. The weapon was identical to the ones he had summoned to fight Vorkon and Arkonen, a double-handed broadsword with a simple gold hilt and a keen, double-edged blade. Bane rested the tip on the floor, and Shrea put down her glass and rose to approach him, her eyes on the weapon. She reached for it, and then hesitated, glancing at him.

  "May I?"

  Bane opened his hand, letting the sword hilt rest against his palm. She hesitated, apparently afraid that it would burn her or something, but then her confidence grew. She caressed the ribbed gold hilt and ran her hands down the gleaming blade, discovering its keenness with a soft oath. Sucking her injured finger, she lifted the weapon with some difficulty.

  "It is heavy."

  "It is not meant for a woman."

  "Even a man would find this heavy, I assure you." She studied the blade. "It is perfect. You imagined it into being, did you not?"

  "Something like that."

  "Where did the substance come from?"

  Bane sipped his wine. "Somewhere. I do not know."

  "Why did you choose to create a sword?"

  "I have more experience at creating swords than anything else. In fact, I cannot recall creating anything else in that fashion."

  "Can you also unmake it?"

  He shrugged. "Probably. I have not tried, I just discard them."

  "How many have you created?"

  "Quite a few. I lose count in the heat of battle. If I lose one, I summon another."

  "It has no special powers?"

  He smiled. "No." She held it out with obvious reluctance, and he waved a hand. "Keep it if you wish. I have no use for it."

  "Thank you, My Lord." Shrea took the sword back to her chair and sat staring at it.

  "Will you tell us of your battle with Vorkon?" Kyan enquired.

  "There is not a lot to tell. We hacked at each other with swords for a bit. He summoned demons, so did I. They fought, we fought, and eventually I overpowered him, then the seventh ward was activated, and I returned to the mid realm."

  "Were you injured?"

  "A little."

  Shrea looked up from her perusal of the sword. "What is it like, to be a god?"

  "Since I have always been one, I cannot really say."

  "But you have so much power. Are you not tempted to use it for your own gain? To rule a domain?"

  Bane sipped his wine, studying its rich red glow in the lamplight. "Why would I want to do that?"

  "For power? To have people worship you, serve you -"

  "Fear me?" He shook his head. "I do not crave such things."

  "What do you crave? What would make you happy?"

  "To return to my domain and live in peace with my wife, and have some children."

  "But any man can have those things. Surely, if you could have anything you wanted -"

  "That is all I want. The one thing that is denied me."

  Shrea opened her mouth to pursue the subject, but Kyan shot her a sharp glance and asked, "What is it like in the Forever City, My Lord?"

  "If it is at all like my home domain's Eternity, it is bright, fluffy and filled with dead people."

  Kyan smiled. "Could you elaborate?"

  Bane described the cloud gardens and star flowers, diamond sand and rainbow skies while the women sat entranced. Even Kimera seemed to forget her sorrow and crumpled, damp handkerchief. As he came to the end of his narrative, a mild-faced, brown-haired man entered, carrying a bag. He started to bow to Kyan, then spotted Bane and froze, his eyes wide. Kyan smiled.

  "Patrin. Welcome. We have a special guest. You remember Bane, do you not?"

  "How could I forget?" He looked stunned, and sank to one knee, bowing his head. "Lord."

  Bane sighed. "Get up."

  Patrin stood up and stared at him. "It is an honour to meet you, My Lord." He hesitated. "It was you who saved me... in the garden, was it not?"

  "Yes."

  "I am forever in your debt."

  "Sit, doctor," Kyan invited. "You came to tend to Kimera?"

  "Yes, Majesty. I heard about Bashir." Patrin sat beside Kimera and opened his bag. "I brought a calming draught." He took out a flask and handed it to her, instructing her to sip it.

  Bane studied the plump blue mage. "Bashir was dear to you, Kimera?"

  "Yes, My Lord. He was my betrothed."

  "You have my regret."

  "No, Lord, you -"

  He raised a hand. "Let us not start that again."

  "Bane has graciously allowed us to question him, Patrin," Shrea said. "He has asked us to treat him as our peer."

  Patrin cast Bane an incredulous glance. "Really?"

  The Demon Lord shrugged and inclined his head. A servant entered and placed a tray of pastries and confections on the table, then poured wine for Patrin and refilled the other glasses before retreating. As the doors closed behind him, Patrin put away the flask and closed his bag, eyeing Bane.

  "You will answer any question?"

  "If I know the answer to it."

  The doctor laced his fingers. "Where were you born?"

  "In a dark realm."

  "Your mother was a mortal? And your father?"

  "Yes."

  "So..." He paused, looking wary. "How did you become a dark god?"

  "I was changed in my mother's womb, by a dark god, and taught to use the dark power, which made me into one."

  Patrin leant forward, eager now. "How are you different from normal people?"

  "I am stronger and faster, that is all I know."

  "Could I... Would you allow me to examine you?"

  "Patrin!" Kyan sounded scandalised.

  The doctor hung his head. "I apologise, My Lord."

  "Examine me?" Bane's brows rose. "How do you propose to do that?"

  "I... Forgive me, I should not have asked."

  "No, I am curious. You do not intend to wound me, I assume?"

  "No, certainly not." Patrin shook his head.

  "Then by all means, examine me." Bane glanced at the women's shocked faces and shrugged. "What harm can it do?"

  Patrin looked hopeful. "Truly, you would not mind?"

  "No."

  "Would it not be dangerous?" Kyan enquired.

  "I am in complete control of my power," Bane assured her. "Or would you prefer that I cast it out first?"

  "You can do that?"

  "Naturally."

  "No, that will not be necessary." Patrin approached Bane and squatted beside his chair, then hesitated, his hand hovering over Bane's wrist. "May I?"

  "I have said that you may, doctor."

  "It would help if you would remove your wrist guard, My Lord."

  "No." Bane turned his hand palm up.

  The doctor placed is fingers above the wrist guard and consulted a timepiece he extracted from his pocket. Bane studied the tiny hands that crept around a face marked with numbers, intrigued.

  "Am I alive?"

  "Indeed you are. Your heart beats a little faster than normal." Patrin studied Bane's skin, pinching it. "Do you eat normal food?"

  "Not often. Usually I consume only ambrosia now, although I was raised on ordinary food, I suppose."

  The doctor rose and fetched a light globe, which he held close to Bane's face as he leant over to peer into his eyes. Bane met his gaze, smiling. "Clearly you are not a superstitious man, doctor."

  "Because I dare to look into the eyes of a god?" Patrin smiled. "I am a man of science."

  "Yet you will learn little about me from this
kind of examination. I could show you more, if you trust me."

  Patrin nodded. "Please do."

  "You may feel a little ill, but do not be alarmed." Bane held the doctor's gaze and released the dark power from its bonds, allowing it to flow into his flesh and eyes.

  Patrin recoiled, almost dropping the light globe. "Goddess!" He juggled with the radiant sphere, regaining control of it, put it down on the table and returned to Bane's side, seeking the pulse in Bane's wrist again. He paled and snatched his hand away, rubbing it. "Does using the dark power sicken you, My Lord?"

  "It used to, but now it does not unless I use a vast amount."

  Patrin picked up the light sphere again and examined Bane's eyes, swallowing hard as his stomach roiled and the air around the Demon Lord became chilly. Kyan held a hand over her mouth, looking distressed. Patrin's courage surprised Bane. The doctor returned the light globe to the table and gazed at Bane.

  "I have not examined a black mage, but I do not believe that their eyes become black when they wield the power."

  "No, they use a tiny amount compared to me."

  "Amazing." He took a book from his bag and scribbled notes, and Bane leashed the power.

  "Have you ever been ill?" the doctor enquired.

  "No."

  "Can you corrupt someone by touching him?"

  Bane shifted, glancing down at his hands. "I have not tried, but I would think so, yes."

  "Can you transform yourself?"

  "No. I can cast a glamour, that is all.

  Patrin made more notes, looking excited. "Could you transform others?"

  "Yes."

  "So you are immune to the dark power. It cannot harm you."

  "That is correct."

  Kyan rose offered a plate of food to Bane, who selected a pastry and nibbled it.

  "That is enough now, doctor," Kyan admonished. "I think you have imposed sufficiently upon the Demon Lord's good will. This is becoming more of an interrogation than a conversation between peers."

  Patrin retreated to the couch beside Kimera, still writing, and Bane enquired, "What is your finding, doctor?"

  "I have not seen anything like it, My Lord, but that is not surprising. You appear to be a normal man..." He shook his head. "Yet you are not. Clearly you are capable of withstanding rigours and forces far beyond the ability of a normal man. But to establish the extent of those capabilities would require a number of tests, and I would not know where to begin."

  Kyan took advantage of the doctor's preoccupation with his notes to ask, "My Lord, you were made a god to break the blue wards in your own domain. What is to stop Vorkon from doing the same here?"

  "Nothing."

  She looked alarmed, and cast a quick glance at Shrea. "Is there any way to prevent him?"

  "Perhaps by setting black wards in addition to the blue ones. A powerful dark god might be able to break them, but not a mortal youth."

  "Would you...?"

  "No. The idea may never occur to him, and it would be a waste of time."

  "How so?"

  He looked down at his hands, spreading them. "Because a mortal dark god could still open the World Gate and kill Drayshina, unless she was able to slay him first. But light gods are loath to kill, save perhaps in self-defence, and even then the chances of her succeeding are slim. She would not attempt it until she had no other choice."

  "So how may we defeat him?"

  Bane shook his head. "You could not. Do not send your armies against him; they will be mere sport to him. Your only hope would be to kill him, if you can find an assassin brave enough to attempt it. Or you could call upon me."

  "May we?"

  "If all else fails, yes."

  "Thank you, My Lord."

  Kyan looked thoughtful, and Patrin continued to scribble in his notebook. Bane picked up his glass as Shrea broke the short silence. "What is it like outside this domain, in the... God Realm?"

  Bane described some of what he had seen there, and the group listened raptly. The food and wine were consumed and replaced, and Kimera fell asleep on the couch. Bane yawned and put down his empty wine glass, his head spinning a little.

  "I must rest."

  Shrea jumped up. "I will show you to a room, Lord."

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dark Temple

  Bane gazed out of the window of the luxurious chamber in which he had been installed the night before. Early morning activity filled the street beyond the palace walls, where people shopped, bartered and met in convivial groups. He would never truly fit into their world, he mused, even if he cast out the dark power forever. For the most part, their lives were petty, useless and boring, full of strife and discontent, and lacked the joy that he shared with Mirra. They did not have the serenity that he and Mirra possessed, which allowed them to share a special contentment.

  Mirra was less inclined than he, and occasionally became angry with him for insignificant things, which he did not understand. He tried to make sense of her little grievances, but they seemed too trifling for his concern most of the time, although he schooled himself to patience and listened to her air them without complaint. By the same token, common people had a zest for life and a drive to achieve that he lacked. Perhaps it was because they had to strive to gain what little they possessed, while he could have anything he wished with a wave of his hand.

  Bane sighed, sensing Kayos' Eye upon him, and turned from the window to create his own. The image showed the light gods lounging upon their cloud couches. They looked up, and Kayos waved. Bane smiled and dismissed the Eye, then turned to the bed, where Mirra watched him with sleepy eyes.

  He sat on the bed beside her. "Time to get up. We must be off."

  She groaned, yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Must we?"

  "We cannot stay here forever."

  Mirra rose and donned a satin robe that had been provided with the room, padding into the adjoining washroom.

  A knock at the door made him glance around and invite the applicant to enter. Kyan came in, followed by Tygon. She sank down in a deep curtsy, and the prince consort bowed.

  The Queen straightened. "Would you and your wife care to join us for breakfast, My Lord?"

  Bane shook his head. "It is time for us to leave, Kyan."

  "So soon? We are having a celebration tomorrow, and had hoped that you would attend."

  "I dislike crowds."

  "Perhaps -"

  "No."

  She bowed her head. "Will we ever see you again, Lord?"

  "I doubt it." Bane turned and picked up his cloak, which was draped across the chest at the end of the silk-hung four-poster bed.

  Kyan approached him. "Let us honour you before you go. A small ceremony, nothing more. Please."

  Bane gazed down into her soft grey eyes. "Very well. A few hours, no more."

  "Thank you, My Lord. We will consecrate your new temple, and with your attendance it will be a singular celebration."

  "My temple?"

  "It has been built to accommodate your worshippers, and to honour you."

  Bane's smile broadened. "Indeed? Will there be sacrifices and orgies?"

  Tygon made a strangled sound, and Kyan's eyes widened, her expression becoming dismayed. Bane chuckled. "I jest, little queen, but I am surprised that you would build a dark temple in your city."

  "It is not a dark temple, Lord. It is the temple of a tar'merin."

  "Now I am curious."

  She smiled. "Good. I will send Shrea for you in one hour, if that is convenient?"

  Bane gazed at the new temple's towering spire as the horseless carriage hummed towards it along a broad street. Shrea sat opposite him, her back to it, Mirra sat beside him. The temple was only a few blocks from the palace and Drayshina's church, near the centre of the city. The delicate golden spire topped a steep black slate roof, and the grey-streaked white marble walls boasted many windows paned with coloured glass. They dismounted outside a sweeping, arched entrance, where a crowd watched him pass in silence. A fe
w cast him timid smiles and some of the men bowed, but for the most part they seemed hesitantly respectful.

  Shrea led them into an echoing white marble chapel lined with vases of bright flowers and crowded pews. Bane paused just inside the door as the assembly fell to its knees.

  "Get up." His words echoed around the temple, and he strode up the aisle towards the altar, where Kyan waited with a bevy of red-robed priests. The Demon Lord's boots clicked on the polished floor, and when he reached the massive, red velvet-draped altar, he turned to survey the congregation, many of whose members were noble, the rest middle class. Bane raised a quizzical brow at Kyan.

  "A white temple for a dark god?"

  "You walk in the light, My Lord."

  "And it hurts my eyes."

  "Pardon?"

  He shook his head. "Never mind. I hope there will be no singing."

  "No, My Lord. The ceremony will be swift. All you need do is unveil the altar and place your mark upon it."

  "My mark?" He tilted his head. "I have no mark."

  "Then do with it as you wish, or do nothing, the choice is yours."

  Bane turned to the altar and pulled off the cloth, revealing a slab of freshly hewn black granite. Runes adorned its edges, and the front bore the same 'V' of runes as his chest. He frowned. "That is a dangerous inscription. Why would good people want to worship me, Kyan? I can offer them nothing."

  "They do not worship you for gain, only to pay homage for what you have done. They all still worship our lady goddess, and I count myself amongst their number."

  He turned to her, noting the presence of Shrea, Kimera and Patrin amongst the high-ranking party. "You worship me?"

  "Yes, Lord. That surprises you?"

  "Yes."

  She smiled. "You are our protector. If these people ask anything of you, it is only that. Our goddess cannot protect us from a dark god, should one invade our domain."